Analysis on Genetic Diversity and Isolation Mechanism by Distance of Different Ecological Type Sheep Breeds in Mon-golia Sheep Group

In the present study with Tan sheep, small-tailed Han sheep, Hu sheep, Tong sheep, and Wadi sheep, we detected the distribution of gene frequency of several microsatellite sites in different chromosomes, the result showed that： 1） Hu sheep was in the status of Hardy-Weinberg extreme disequilibrium （P 〈 0.01）, while populations including Tong sheep, small-tailed Han sheep, Tan sheep, and Wadi sheep were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium （P 〉 0.05）. 2） Variance analysis of the heterozygosity and poly- morphic information content at rnicrosatellite makers showed that there were not significant differences among populations as to heterozygosity and PIC （P 〉 0.05）, as to effective number of alleles there were not significant differences both among Tan sheep, Hu sheep, Tong sheep, and Wadi sheep, and between Wadi sheep and small-tailed sheep （P 〉 0.05）, but between the former three populations and the latter two populations, there were significant differences （0.01〈 P 〈0.05）. The variation levels of small-tailed Han sheep was the highest in the five populations based on microsatellite maker data, subsequently followed by Wadi sheep, Tong sheep, Tan sheep, and then Hu sheep. 3） The phylogenetic relationships of the five sheep populations in this study did not meet the mechanism of isolation by distance, and the genetic differentiation relationships among five sheep populations were not closely linearly correlative with their geography distribution. Our findings supported related records in literature： The five populations originated on different time stage from the primogenitor population and communicated genetically with each other thereafter in the process of natural and artificial selection and on different ecological environment.

Relationship between SSR Genetic Distance and Heterosis in Hot Pepper

[Objective] This study aimed to predict the heterosis of hot pepper using SSR genetice distance. [Method] Twenty-five hybridized combinations between 10pepper parents were obtained through NCⅡ incomplete diallel cross to analyze the relationship between SSR genetic distance and heterosis. [Result] The genetic distance of the parents varied in a range from 0.13 to 0.33, and the average genetic distance was 0.25, indicating that the genetic difference was not obvious among the parents, namely, they shared a close genetic relationship. In addition, the SSR genetic distance was closely related to yield per plant and fruits per plant, but showed no obvious correlation with other traits. [Conclusion] This study proved that in a certain range the combinations between the parents with a distant genetic distance possessed stronger heterosis and a larger possibility to produce a high yield and vice versa.

Correlation Analysis of Genetic Distance and Heterosis of the Major Brassica napus L. Cultivars in Yunnan Province

[Objective] The correlation between genetic distance and heterosis of the major Brassica napus L. cultivars in Yunnan Province was analyzed. [Method] The genetic distances among the 8 major Brassica napus L. cultivars in Yunnan Province were investigated with the SSR molecular marker technique. Moreover, the correlation between genetic distance and field appearance of heterosis was ana-lyzed. [Result] There was a certain correlation between the genetic distance and heterosis of crossing parents （P〉0.05）. [Conclusion] It is difficult to predict the het-erosis of Brassica napus L. cultivars and to screen parents by using the SSR molecular marker technique.

Relationship Between Heterosis and Parental Genetic Distance Based on Molecular Markers for Functional Genes Related to Yield Traits in Rice

The genetic distances among 18 cytoplasmic male sterile lines and 11 restorer lines were analyzed with molecular markers derived from yield-related functional genes. The correlation between parental genetic distance and heterosis was investigated by analyzing the performance of 47 combinations. The results showed that the genetic distance was significantly correlated with yield heterosis （r=0.29^＊）, but not significantly correlated with heterosis for other traits, such as number of effective panicles per plant, seed setting rate, 1000-grain weight, number of grains per panicle and theoretical yield. However, the correlation coefficient was so small that the parental genetic distance could not to be used to predict heterosis.

Relationship Between F_1,F_2 Hybrid Yield, Heterosis and Genetic Distance Measured by Molecular Markers and Parent Performance in Cotton

Genetic distance among 36 cotton cultivars measured by molecular markers of RAPDs, ISSRs, and SSRs was from 0.0701 to 0.4255 with the mean of 0.2844, and from 2.18 to 12.60 with the mean of 7.04 based on the genotype performance in two-year field experiments, which has a significant positive correlation (r = 0.3350). The correlative coefficients for boll number per plant, boll weight, yield per plant, lint percent and lint yield per plant were 0.8035,0.8877,0.7135,0.9640 and 0.8956 between F1 and F2 hybrid performance assessed by three-environment field experiments, respectively. The mean of F1 and F2 hybrid het-erosis of yield per plant and lint yield per plant were 13.62% , 16.31% , 7.90% and 9.02% , and the correlative coefficients between them were 0.3689 and 0.3787, respectively. The correlation between the genetic distance and heterosis was low, and influenced directly by the selected parents.

An Analysis on the Relationship between Maize Heterosis and Genetic Distance

13 normal maize inbred lines with quite different quantitative traits were used as experimental materials in this paper. The results showed that there was significantly positive correlation between genetic distance and plot yield,mid-parent heterosis,super heterosis,or SCA of yield. In a certain range,the longer the genetic distance between parental inbred lines,the stronger the heterosis. Therefore,in genetic practice,it was necessary to take the molecular genetic distance between inbred lines as an important reference.

Improved genetic distance-based spatial deployment can effectively minimize inbreeding in seed orchard

Background:Inbreeding in seed orchards is expected to increase with the advancement of breeding cycles,which results in the delivery of crops with suboptimal genetic gain,reduced genetic diversity,and lower seed set.Here,a genetic distance-dependent method for clonal spatial deployment in seed orchards was developed and demonstrated,which reduced the inbreeding levels.The method’s main evaluation parameter of inbreeding is the genetic distance among individuals and the deployment method used an improved adaptive parallel genetic algorithm(IAPGA)based on Python language.Using inbreeding-prone Chinese Mongolian pine breeding population material originating from a single natural population,the proposed method was compared to a traditional orchard design and a distance-based design;namely,complete randomized block(RCB)and optimum neighborhood(ONA)designs,respectively.Results:With the advancement of selective breeding cycles,group separation among orchard related individuals is expected to increase.Based on the genetic distance among individuals,the IAPGA design was superior in significantly reducing the inbreeding level as compared to the two existing designs,confirming its suitability to advanced-generation orchards where relatedness among parents is common.In the 1st,2nd,and mixed generations clonal deployment schemes,the IAPGA design produced lower inbreeding with 87.22%,81.49%,and 87.23%of RCB,and 92.78%,91.30%,and 91.67%of ONA designs,respectively.Conclusions:The IAPGA clonal deployment proposed in this study has the obvious advantage of controlling inbreeding,and it is expected to be used in clonal deployment in seed orchards on a large-scale.Further studies are needed to focus on the actual states of pollen dispersal and mating in seed orchards,and more assumptions should be taken into account for the optimized deployment method.

Genetic analysis of the maximum germination distance of Striga under Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.strigae biocontrol in sorghum

Maximum germination distance（MGD） is an important component of Striga resistance in sorghum. The objective of this study was to determine gene action influencing MGD of Striga hermonthica and Striga asiatica among selected sorghum lines treated with a biocontrol agent, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. strigae（FOS） for effective breeding with Striga resistance, and FOS compatibility. Twelve sorghum genotypes were selected based on their Striga resistance, FOS compatibility, and superior agronomic performance. Selected genotypes were crossed using a bi-parental mating design to generate six families for genetic analysis. Agar-gel assays were used to determine low haustorium initiation factor（LHF） using the 12 parental lines, their F_1 progenies, backcross derivatives, and F_2 segregants in two sets. One set had S. hermonthica seed and the other one had S. asiatica seed. Both were treated with and without FOS. Genotypes were evaluated using a split-plot design with three replications and MGD data were recorded followed by generation mean analysis. FOS reduced MGD by 1cm under both S. hermonthica and S. asiatica infestations. Additive, dominance, and epistatic gene actions were involved in the control of MGD of the two Striga species in the evaluated populations. On average, the relative contribution of additive, additive×additive and dominance×dominance genetic effects on the MGD of S. hermonthica and S. asiatica, with FOS, were 20, 33, and 36%; and 21, 32, and 35%, respectively. Breeding methods exploiting these genetic effects may provide enhanced response to selection for Striga resistance and FOS compatibility in integrated Striga management（ISM） programmes.

High genetic diversity in gametophyte clones of Undaria pinnatifida from Vladivostok, Dalian and Qingdao revealed using microsatellite analysis

Breeding practice for Undaria pinnatifida （Harvey） Suringar requires the screening of a large number of offspring from gametophyte crossings to obtain an elite variety for large-scale cultivation. To better understand the genetic relationships of different gametophyte cultures isolated from different sources, 20 microsatellite loci were screened and 53 gametophyte clone cultures analyzed for U. pinnatijqda isolated from wild sporophytes in Vladivostok, Russia and from cultivated sporophytes from Dalian and Qingdao, China. One locus was abandoned because of poor amplification. At the sex-linked locus of Up-AC-2AS, 3 alleles were detected in 25 female gametophyte clones, with sizes ranging from 307 to 316 bp. At other loci, 3 to 7 alleles were detected with an average of 4.5 alleles per locus. The average number of alleles at each locus was 1.3 and 3.7 for Russian and Chinese gametophyte clones, respectively. The average gene diversity for Russian, Chinese, and for the combined total of gametophyte clones was 0.1, 0.4, and 0.5, respectively. Russian gametophyte clones had unique alleles at 7 out of the 19 loci. In cluster analysis, Russian and Chinese gametophyte clones were separated into two different groups according to genetic distance. Overall, high genetic diversity was detected in gametophyte clones isolated from the two countries. These gametophyte cultures were believed to be appropriate parental materials for conducting breeding programs in the future.

Genetic Diversity in Wild Grapes Native to China Based on Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Analysis

The use of the RAPD technique was investigated on a set of 73 genotypes of 18 wild grape species native to China, and one interspecific hybrid, seven Vitis vinifera L. cultivars, one rootstock cultivar and one strain of V. riparia L. Genetic diversity among these grapes was investigated based on RAPD analysis. The screening of 280 decamer oligonucleotides allowed the selection of 20 primers used for the analysis. A total of 191 RAPD markers were produced from the 20 selected primers. Relationships among the 83 clones or accessions based on their genetic distances were clustered using unweighted pair_group method arithmetic average (UPGMA) analysis in a dendrogram. Twenty_two clusters which fortunately adapted to 22 grape species level were clearly resolved on the dendrogram. The 18 wild grape species native to China were grouped into ten subclusters. The largest distance was found between V. riparia L., V. vinifera L., interspecific hybrid ( V. vinifera L.× V. larbrusca L.) and the wild grapes native to China. Among the wild grapes native to China, the largest distance was found between V. hancockii Hance and the other wild species. V. qinlingensis P.C.He was the second. Large genetic variation occurred among the different flower_type clones in one species.

Assessing the numbers of SNPs needed to establish molecular IDs and characterize the genetic diversityof soybean cultivars derived from Tokachi nagaha

The development of a core set of SNP molecular markers that could be widely used in soybean genetic research would greatly facilitate research into the genetic diversity of soybean.We conducted an analysis of Tokachi nagaha and 137 of its descendant soybean cultivars using 4044 SNP markers with the goal of determining the appropriate number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)needed to construct unambiguous molecular IDs and characterize genetic diversity based on a genetic distance matrix correlation method.When the number of SNPs was held constant,the number of accession pairs that could be distinguished increased as the polymorphism informative content(PIC)value of the SNPs increased.A core panel of 20 selected SNPs from 11 linkage groups with a mean PIC value of 0.3703 and a range of 0.3640–0.3749 was able to identify almost all of the accession pairs in our study[9445 pairs(99.92%)].The eight accession pairs that could not be identified with this core SNP set all originated from the same province and some of them had the same parental cultivars.The molecular IDs of the 138 accessions were constructed using the core 20 SNPs.It is known that both the number of SNPs and PIC values should be considered when SNPs are selected for use in the analysis of genetic diversity.In this study,when the PIC value was 0.3460,the correlation coefficient between the genetic distance matrices associated with a panel of 200 SNPs and the total population was>0.800,indicating satisfactory correlation.Our high-accuracy,high-resolution core SNP panel for germplasm fingerprinting and our findings about assessing genetic diversity will likely markedly improve the management and utilization efficiency of soybean germplasm resources.

Phylogenetic Analyses Reveal a Unique Species of Elaphe(Serpentes,Colubridae)New to Science

The snakes comprising the monophyletic group referred to as ratsnakes are found throughout Asia,Europe and the New World.Recently,three snake samples likely belonging to the ratsnakes were collected in Zoige County,Sichuan Province,China.Species identity was difficult to delimit morphologically because the specimens were juveniles and partially damaged.Subsequently,a molecular phylogenetic approach was used.Portions of three mitochondrial genes(cyt b,ND4 and 12S rRNA) were sequenced and analyzed.The results showed that they were sister to the genus Elaphe.Very little genetic variation was found among the three samples.The minimum genetic distances between these samples and those within Elaphe were greater than any currently recognized species within the genus.We conclude that this likely represents a new species within the genus Elaphe.Adult specimens and a morphologic description are needed for further study.

RAPD Assessment of Genetic Diversity of Yunjie(Eruca sativa Mill.)in China

Genetic diversity of Yunjie(.Eruca sativa Mill.)in China was assessed by analyses of RAPD(randomly amplified polymorphic DNA)markers. Twenty native cultivars representing Yunjie-growing eco-types in China were selected as material in this study. Twelve out of the 64 tested random decamer primers were able to identify 131 stable RAPD bands from these Yunjie cultivars. Of them 105 bands, or 80.15% of the total, were polymorphic. Most Yunjie cultivars from the same ecotype had their characteristic DNA bands. Cluster analysis by unweighted pair group method of arithmetic means(UPGMA)suggested that the 20 Yunjie genotypes could be divided into four groups. The genetic distances among the 20 cultivars varied from 0.117 8 between Shuozhou and Shenchi to 0. 499 4 between Hetian and Xiliang. Hetian alone could be a new type of Yunjie identified in China because it had the greatest genetic distance from all the other tested cultivars. These results indicate that Chinese Yunjie have abundant genetic diversity. Classification of Chinese Yunjie based on the RAPD information was in good agreement with the relationships between these Yunjie cultivars in their geographic origins and their plant morphology.

THE STUDY OF POPULATION GENETIC RELATION AMONG TEN ETHNIC GROUPS IN NORTHWEST CH INA

Objective To investigate the genetic relation am on g ten ethnic groups in northwest China. Methods Allele frequ encies of six STR(short tandem repeat ) loci in D13S1358, VWA, FGA, D5S818, D13S 317, and D7S820 were collected from Lasa Tibetan, Changdu Tibetan, Xi'an Han, G ansu Dongxiang, Gansu Yugu, Xinjiang Uygur, Ozbak, Kirgiz, Sibe, Ningxia Hui by the results of State Key laboratory, Forensic Science Department, school of medi cal, Xi'an Jiaotong University and internet biological information data bank, a nd compared with that of the Mongolian, Zhuang in China, and White and Negro in USA. The polymorphism index (H, DP, PPE, PIC) and genetic distance, then the phy logenetic tree of all population were reported. Results The res ulting tree topology exhibited strong geographic and racial partitioning consist ent with that obtained with HLA and classical genetic polymorphisms. Conclusion The results suggest that forensic STR loci may be particular ly powerful tools and provide the necessary fine resolution for the reconstructi on of recent human evolutionary history.

Genome-wide assessment of genetic diversity and fiber quality traits characterization in Gossypium hirsutum races

Gossypium hirsutum races are believed to be potential reservoirs of desirable traits, which can play crucial roles to overcome the existing narrow genetic base of modern Upland cotton cultivars. However, prior to utilizing the races in cotton improve- ment programs, understanding their genetic constitutions is needed. Thus, this study used molecular and morphological techniques to characterize 110 G. hirsutum germplasm including 109 semi-wild accessions and one Upland cotton cultivar, CRI12. In the study, 104 SSR markers detected 795 alleles, with an average of 7.64 alleles per marker, ranging from 3 to 14, and average polymorphism information content （PIC） value of 0.71. And 96 of the markers were found to be highly informative, with PIC value〉0.50. Pairwise genetic similarity coefficient across the accessions ranged from 0.19 to 1.00, with an average value of 0.46. Morphological characterization was done using fiber length, fiber strength, micronaire, fiber uniformity index, and fiber elongation. Pairwise taxonomic distance within the accessions ranged from 0.17 to 3.41, with a mean of 1.33. The SSR and fiber quality traits data set based unweighted pair group method of arithmetic mean （UPGMA） analysis grouped the accessions into 7 and 12 distinct clusters, respectively, that corresponds well with the results of prin- cipal component analysis （PCA）. Our study revealed the existence of vast molecular and morphological diversities within the accessions and provided valuable information on each semi-wild accession for quick and better informed germplasm utilization in cotton breeding programs.

Assessment of Genetic Variability of 142 Sweet Sorghum Germplasm of Diverse Origin with Molecular and Morphological Markers

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moech is the fifth most important crop in the world. Recently, its agronomics and genetics have drawn interest among scientists. Sweet sorghum, a variety of sorghum, may potentially become a bioenergy source because of the high sugar content in its juicy stems. Exploring the diversity of sweet sorghum around the world is important to the development and improvement of the crop as an energy source. In exploring the diversity of sweet sorghum, three types of markers (simple sequence repeats [SSR], sequence-related amplified polymorphisms [SRAP], and morphological markers) are used on 142 sweet sorghum accessions from around the world. The accessions show a high significance (P < 0.05) for all the morphological traits measured. The morphological markers cluster the accessions into five groups based primarily on plant height (PH), anthesis data (AD), and moisture content (ML), with the principal component analysis (PCA) showing these traits to explain 92.5% of the total variation. The furthest accessions were PI571103 from Sudan, and N99 from the United States. The Nei’s genetic standard distances ranged from 0.024 to 1.135 and 0.078 to 0.866 for SSR and SRAP, respectively. As expected, accessions of the same origin or breeding history had the lowest genetic distance (e.g. Mokula and Marupantse, both from Botswana;NSL83777 and NSL83779 from Cameroon). Neighbor joining clusters the sweet sorghum accessions into five major groups using SSR and four major groups using SRAP, based on their origin, or breeding history. The three marker types complement each other, and the presence of accessions of different origins across clusters indicate similar genetics, and evidence of germplasm movement between countries.

Analysis of parental genetic diversity and its impact on grain yield and quality of japonica hybrid rice in northern China

The relationship between parental genetic differences and the quality and yield of japonica hybrid rice strongly influences japonica hybrid rice breeding.In this study,137 parental lines of japonica hybrid rice were genotyped using 8 K rice SNP-Chips to characterize their genetic diversity,population structure,and indica-genotype proportion.The genetic diversity of total parental lines averaged 0.264,with values of0.287 for restorer lines and 0.148 for the sterile lines.The introduction of indica lineage increased the genetic diversity of restorer lines relative to that of sterile lines.By model-based population structure analysis,the 137 lines were divided into 14 groups.According to the grouping results,eight restorer lines and five sterile lines were selected from different groups for cross breeding,yielding 40 japonica hybrid rice combinations(F1).Investigation of the yield and quality of these combinations showed that highyield combinations could be obtained by increasing parental genetic distance to 0.8–0.9,a result accomplished largely by the introduction of indica genomic components of restorer lines.To further improve grain quality,the genetic distance between parents should be reduced to 0.4–0.5,suggesting an indicagenotype proportion of 30%–40%for restorer lines.This study may provide a reference for breeding of japonica hybrid rice.

Genetic Variation among <i>Cucurbita pepo</i>Accessions Varying in Seed Nutrition and Seed Size

Pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo L.) is a nutritionally valuable food and a significant source of income globally. Pumpkin seeds are rich in oil, protein, unsaturated fatty acids and tocopherols, which are associated with improved human health. Understanding the genetic diversity among pumpkin accessions varying in seed nutrition traits is necessary for designing sound breeding strategies for developing superior cultivars. In the current study, 26 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers were used to assess genetic relatedness among 29 C. pepo accessions varying in seed oil, seed protein, seed-coat phenotype, seed size and fatty acid composition. The SSR markers revealed 102 alleles averaging 3.92 alleles per loci and mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.44. Eleven of the markers had a PIC of ≥0.5. Ward dendrogram and principle component analysis based on seed traits grouped the genotypes into two major clusters corresponding to subspecies pepo and texana, with all the reduced-hull accessions grouping within the former. Collectively, this data suggests wide phenotypic (seed traits) and genotypic variation within C. pepo that may be exploited to develop superior reduced-hull cultivars.

Genetic Diversity of Three Aristichthys nobilis Populations and One Inbreeding Stock

Genetic diversity of threeAristichthys nobilis populations and one inbreeding stock was studied using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method. Materials of natural populations were collected from two counties of Guangxi Province, Hengxian (NH) and Shanglin (NS) and one city of Hubei Province, Wuhan city. (NW). Shanglin and Hengxian's river system respectively belongs to Qianjiang and Yujiang River, two tributaries confluencing to Xunjiang River, main tributary of Xijiang River, which is the biggest tributary of the Zhujiang River system, and Wuhan's water system belongs to the Yangtse River system. The inbreeding stock (RS) was the more than 10 generation descendant by brother-sister mating system whose parents were collected from Shanglin. The results showed that the genetic variety of individuals of RS was very low (0.105 4), whereas that of natural populations was relatively high, which from high to low was 0.158 1 (NW), 0.132 0 (NH) and 0.110 5 (NS). As an index for genetic distance pair-wise populations, the genetic variety between populations was studied, which characterized the genetic distance between populations. The genetic distance of NW and NH, NW and NS, NW and RS were respectively high, whereas that of NH and NS, NS and RS, NH and RS was low. Chi-test (χ 2) and the analysis of the genetic variety pair-wise populations was taken as efficient approach for studying population difference.

Study on Phylogenetic Relationships of Five Breeds of Pigs by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA(RAPD)

RAPD was used to study the genetic divergency and phylogenetic relationships of five breeds of domestic pigs,including Min pig,Duroc,Yorkshired,Landrace and Junmu I pig.We selected fourteen primers from eighty random primers,caculated genetic distance index matrix and constructed phylogenetic tree with UPGMA methods.Genetic distance index matrix indicated that the genetic relationship between Junmu I pig and Landrace was the closest and the farthest between Duroc and min pig.