Haplotyping of Rice Genotypes Using Simple Sequence Repeat Markers Associated with Salt Tolerance

Salt stress is a major problem in most of the rice growing areas in the world. A major QTLSaltol associated with salt tolerance at the seedling stage has been mapped on chromosome 1 in rice.This study aimed to characterize the haplotype diversity at Saltol and additional QTLs associated withsalt tolerance. Salt tolerance at the seedling stage was assessed in 54 rice genotypes in the scale of 1to 9 score at EC = 10 dSm^-1 under controlled environmental conditions. Seven new breeding linesincluding three KMR3/O. rufipogon introgression lines showed similar salt tolerant ability as FL478 andcan be good sources of new genes/alleles for salt tolerance. Simple sequence repeat （SSR） markerRM289 showed only two alleles and RM8094 showed seven alleles. Polymorphic information contentvalue varied from 0.55 for RM289 to 0.99 for RM8094 and RM493. Based on 14 SSR markers, the 54lines were clearly separated into two major clusters. Fourteen haplotypes were identified based onSaltol linked markers with FL478 as the reference. Alleles of RM8094 and RM3412 can discriminatebetween the salt tolerant and susceptible genotypes clearly and hence can be useful in marker-assistedselection at the seedling stage. Other markers RM10720 on chromosome 1 and RM149 and RM264 onchromosome 8 can also distinguish tolerant and susceptible lines but with lesser stringency.

Full-length transcriptome sequence and SSR marker development for genetic diversity research in yellowfin seabream Acanthopagrus latus

Yellowfin seabream Acanthopagrus latus is an important economic fish in Chinese coastal areas.Given its narrow distribution and overfishing,the genetic diversity of yellowfin seabream has been restricted for artificial breeding and reproduction.We performed full-length transcriptome sequencing and assembly of the genome of yellowfin seabream.A total of 68086 unigenes were obtained,with an N50 of 3391 bp on average length of 2933 bp.A total number of 50593 expressed sequence tags linked to simple sequence repeats(EST-SSR)were identified,among them dinucleotide repeats(40.6%)and AC/GT motifs(38.5%)were the most frequent.Of the 190 EST-SSRs for which PCR primer pairs were designed,150 primer pairs successfully amplified target loci and 15 SSRs showed high polymorphism.The alleles per locus ranged 6-50 on average of 25.3.The expected and observed heterozygosity varied from 0.632 to 0.969 and from 0.519 to 0.953,respectively.The polymorphic index content(PIC)values of each locus ranged 0.587-0.966 on average of 0.851.Among six yellowfin seabream population samples preliminarily tested for genetic diversity and differentiation,the Fangchenggang(FCG)population in Guangxi Province had the highest mean observed heterozygosity(H_(o))value(0.786),whereas the Zhangzhou(ZZ)population in Fujian Province had the lowest(0.678).The pairwise fixation index(Fst)values indicated significant population differentiation among six yellowfin seabream populations.This study provided evidence for the usefulness of the transcriptomic resource information and EST-SSR markers for natural resource conservation,population genetics,and breeding studies of yellowfin seabream in South China.

Cluster Analysis on Japonica Rice(Oryza sativa L.) with Good Eating Quality Based on SSR Markers and Phenotypic Traits

Diversity of 60 conventional japonica rice accessions with good eating quality at home and abroad was analyzed using SSR molecular markers, agronomic traits and taste characteristics. A total of 290 alleles were detected in the 60 accessions at 72 SSR loci with the high similarity coefficients varying between 0.600 and 0.924. The loci on chromosome 5 showed the greatest value in average allele number. Additionally, most of the SSR loci could detect 3 to 4 alleles. An UPGMA dendrogram based on the cluster analysis of the genetic similarity coefficients showed that the grouping trend of part of the rice accessions was geographic-related and most of the rice accessions in Jiangsu Province, China were clustered together. Furthermore, many domestic accessions from south and north origins in China were close to the foreign japonica rice varieties, as proved by their pedigree origin from the foreign high-quality sources. For taste characteristics, part of the accessions with excellent taste were clearly clustered into one category though they came from different geographical regions, which indicates that taste characteristics of some varieties were mainly genetically determined. In addition, the agronomic traits of japonica rice with good taste might be closely related with their geographical origins, but the relationship between superior taste characteristics and agronomic traits should be further clarified.

Genetic Diversity of Tropical Hybrid Rice Germplasm Measured by Molecular Markers

Investigation of genetic diversity and relationships among breeding lines is of great importance to facilitate parent selection in hybrid rice breeding programs.In this study,we characterized 168 hybrid rice parents from International Rice Research Institute with 207 simple sequence repeat （SSR） and 353 single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） markers.A total of 1 267 SSR and 706 SNP alleles were detected with the averages of 6.1 （SSR） and 2.0 （SNP） alleles per locus respectively across all lines.Based on the genetic distances estimated from the SSR and SNP markers separately and combined,the unrooted neighbor-joining cluster and STRUCTURE analyses consistently separated the 168 hybrid rice parents into two major groups：B-line and R-line,which is consistent with known parent pedigree information.The genetic distance matrices derived from the SSR and SNP genotyping were highly correlated （r=0.81,P 0.001）,indicating that both of the SSR and SNP markers have distinguishable power to detect polymorphism and are appropriate for genetic diversity analysis among tropical hybrid rice parents.A subset of 60 SSR markers were also chosen by the Core Hunter with 368 alleles,and the cluster analysis based on the total and subset of SSR markers highly corresponded at r=0.91 （P 0.001）,suggesting that fewer SSR markers can be used to classify and evaluate genetic diversity among parental lines.

Comparison of Cheng's Index-and SSR Marker-based Classification of Asian Cultivated Rice

A total of 100 cultivated rice accessions,with a clear isozyme-based classification,were analyzed based on Cheng＇s index and simple sequence repeat （SSR） marker.The results showed that the isozyme-based classification was in high accordance with that based on Cheng＇s index and SSR markers.Mantel-test revealed that the Euclidean distance of Cheng＇s index was significantly correlated with Nei＇s unbiased genetic distance of SSR markers （r=0.466,P ≤ 0.01）.According to the model-based group and cluster analysis,the Cheng＇s index-and SSR-based classification coincided with each other,with the goodness of fit of 82.1% and 84.7% in indica,97.4% and 95.1% in japonica,respectively,showing higher accordance than that within subspecies.Therefore,Cheng＇s index could be used to classify subspecies,while SSR marker could be more efficient to analyze the subgroups within subspecies.

Genetic Analysis and Preliminary Mapping of Two Recessive Resistance Genes to Brown Planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens Stl in Rice

An F2 population derived from the cross of WB01, an introgression line resistant to brown planthopper (BPH) originated from Oryza rufipogon Griff. and a susceptible indica variety 9311, was developed for genetic analysis and gene mapping. The population with 303 F2:3 families was genotyped by 141 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and used for gene mapping. Two softwares, Mapmaker/Exp 3.0 and Windows QTL Cartographer V2.0 were applied to detect QTLs. Totally, two QTLs resistant to BPH, named temporarily as bph22(t) and bph23(t), were identified to locate on chromosomes 4 and 8, individually had LOD values of 2.92 and 3.15, and explained 11.3% and 14 .9% of the phenotypic variation, respectively.

Genetic Diversity of Rice Landraces from Lowland and Upland Accessions of China

Genetic diversity of rice landraces from lowland and upland accessions of China was investigated using 66 polymorphic simple sequence repeat （SSR） markers. The total number of alleles detected from all 324 tested accessions was 555 with an average allele number （Na） of 8.409 per locus, the average effective number of alleles （Ne） of 3.574 and the average Shannon＇s information index （I） of 1.378. The genetic diversity was higher for the indica landraces compared to the japonica landraces, and the upland landraces were more genetically diverse than the lowland landraces. The SSR markers, RM72, RM232, RM219, RM241, RM224 and RM3 showed the highest rates of polymorphism and these SSR markers were suitable to assess the genetic diversity of rice germplasm resources. A dendrogram of 324 accessions of lowland and upland landraces showed that all rice accessions were mainly subdivided into two groups, japonica and indica, with some being intermediate. The distribution of lowland and upland landraces among the japonica and indica rice groups was distinct, with obvious differentiation between the lowland and upland landraces in japonica rice, but no such clear distinction in indica rice.

Comparison of Morphological and Genetic Differentiations in Filial Generation of Cross Between Indica and Japonica Rice

A recombinant inbred line （RIL） population of F8 and F9 generations derived from a cross between a typical indica rice （Qishanzhan） and a typical japonica rice （Akihikari） was used to study the difference between morphological differentiation based on phenotype characters and genetic differentiation using indica and japonica specific SSR markers, and to evaluate the relationship between vascular bundle characters and morphological and genetic differentiations. The results showed that the frequency distributions of morphological and genetic differentiations were all inclined to japonica type in the filial generation. The population was more inclined to japonica type based on genetic differentiation than on morphological differentiation. The consistent degrees of classification based on the Cheng’s index, the ratio of large vascular bundle number to small vascular bundle number in panicle neck （RLSVB） and the ratio of large vascular bundle number in the second internode from the top to that in the panicle neck （RLVB） were all about 50% compared with the genetic differentiation, and the consistent degree of the total scores of the Cheng’s index combined with the vascular bundle number ratios was significantly increased to about 80% compared with the genetic differentiation. Therefore, the vascular bundle characters could be used as a helpful supplement for subspecies classification.

Characterization and Molecular Mapping of a Stripe Rust Resistance Gene in Synthetic Wheat CI110

Stripe rust,caused by Puccinia striiformis f.sp.tritici（Pst）,is one of the most destructive diseases of wheat（Triticum aestivum L.）.To diversify stripe rust-resistant resources for wheat breeding programs,a CIMMYT synthetic wheat line CI110 was identified to be resistant to 28 isolates of Pst,including 6 Chinese prevalent races CYR28-CYR33.Genetic analysis indicated that a single dominant gene was responsible for the stripe rust resistance in CI110,temporarily designated YrC110.A molecular map,harboring YrC110 and 9 linked SSR markers,was constructed through simple sequence repeat（SSR）,and bulked segregant analysis.These linked markers and YrC110 were assigned on the short arm of chromosome 1B using the Chinese Spring nullisomic-tetrasomic and ditelosomic stocks.Gene postulation based on seedling reaction patterns to 30 Pst isolates suggested that the resistance gene YrC110 seemed different from the other known resistance genes tested,such as Yr9,Yr10,Yr15,Yr24,and Yr26/YrCH42.Four SSR markers Xbarc187150,Xgwm18227,Xgwm11223,and Xbarc240292 distinguished YrC110 from Yr10,Yr15,Yr24,and Yr26/YrCH42,and could be used as diagnostic ones for YrC110 in wheat resistant breeding programs against stripe rust.

Molecular Diversity and Association Analysis of Drought and Salt Tolerance in Gossypium hirsutum L. Germplasm

Association mapping is a useful tool for the detection of genes selected during plant domestication based on their linkage disequilibrium（LD）. This study was carried out to estimate genetic diversity, population structure and the extent of LD to develop an association framework in order to identify genetic variations associated with drought and salt tolerance traits. 106 microsatellite marker primer pairs were used in 323 Gossypium hirsutum germplasms which were grown in the drought shed and salt pond for evaluation. Polymorphism（PIC=0.53） was found, and three groups were detected（K=3） with the second likelihood ΔK using STRUCTURE software. LD decay rates were estimated to be 13-15 cM at r2 0.20. Significant associations between polymorphic markers and drought and salt tolerance traits were observed using the general linear model（GLM） and mixed linear model（MLM）（P 0.01）. The results also demonstrated that association mapping within the population structure as well as stratification existing in cotton germplasm resources could complement and enhance quantitative trait loci（QTLs） information for marker-assisted selection.

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in Landraces and Improved Rice Varieties from India

A set of 50 rice genotypes comprising landraces, local selections, and improved varieties were characterized using simple sequence repeat（SSR） and inter simple sequence repeat（ISSR） markers to study genetic diversity and population structure. Following unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean based clustering using binary data of polymorphic markers, the genotypes were grouped into 5 clusters and 11 sub-clusters, whereas population structure analysis separated 50 rice genotypes into 5 sub-populations. Grouping of rice genotypes showed better resemblance with the pedigree information of the genotypes. Both genetic diversity and population structure analysis separated majority of the improved varieties from landraces and local selections. Some of the SSR markers amplified unique alleles which were specific to a particular genotype and could distinguish them from the rest. The results indicate that these rice genotypes exhibit a higher genetic diversity and can be very useful in rice improvement program.

Frequency and Distribution of Microsatellites in the Genome of Filamentous Fungus,Neurospora crassa

A total of 38.0 Mb of publicly available DNA sequence in Neurospora crassa was researched for mono- to hexanucleotide simple sequence repeats (SSR or microsatellite) to determine the type, size and frequency. A total of 14 788 SSRs were observed in the whole genomic DNA sequence, about one every 2.57 kb, with the criteria of SSR length >15 bp and 80% matches. The most abundant microsatellite was trinucleotide repeat, the number was 4 729, followed by hexanucleotide and mononucleotide repeats, the numbers were 2 940 and 2 489 respectively, and the least abundance was dinucleotide repeat, only 691 were found. Among the 10 082 ORFs, 4 094 SSRs were harbored in 2 373 ORF (no intron) of the organism. One thousand and fifty six ORFs harbored only one SSR. Similar with other organisms, tri- and hexanucleotide repeats were predominant in ORFs, 54.1 and 48.8% of tri- and hexanucleotide repeats were distributed in ORF region. The density of these two motifs was overpresented in coding regions, because ORF region and coding region constitutes only 46 and 38.3% of genomic sequence, respectively. Upstream and downstream 300 bp of regulatory regions were high density regions of SSRs, particularly density of pentanucleotide SSR in upstream region was as high as five times of average density in genomic DNA, density of di- and tetranucleotide SSR was also more than two times of average density. The density of penta-, tetra-, di- and mononucleotide SSRs was relatively higher than average density. There were 47 SSRs in mitochondria 64 840 bp DNA sequence, their distribution is similar with genomic DNA sequence. These results suggested that SSRs were clustered in regulatory regions of genomic DNA.

Molecular mapping of a stripe rust resistance gene in Chinese wheat cultivar Mianmai 41

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici（Pst）, is one of the most damaging diseases of wheat. Chinese wheat cultivar Mianmai 41 showed high resistance against most of the prevailing Pst races in China. Genetic analysis of the F1, F2 and F2：3 populations from a cross between Mianmai 41 and a susceptible line Mingxian 169 indicated that resistance to Pst race CYR32 was conferred by a single dominant gene, temporarily designated as Yr MY41. Molecular marker analysis placed the gene on chromosome 1B near the centromere. Six co-dominant genomic SSR markers Xwmc329, Xwmc406, Xgwm18, Xgwm131, Xgwm413, and Xbarc312, and one STS marker Xwe173 linked with the resistance gene. The two closest flanking SSR markers were Xgwm18 and Xwmc406, with genetic distances of 2.0 and 4.9 c M, respectively. A seedling test with 29 Pst isolates indicated the reaction patterns of Mianmai 41 were different from those of lines carrying Yr3, Yr9, Yr10, Yr15, Yr26, and Yr CH42 on chromosome 1B. Allelic tests indicated that Yr MY41 is likely a new allele at Yr26 locus.

Inheritance and Gene Mapping of Resistance to Soybean Mosaic Virus Strain SC14 in Soybean

Soybean mosaic virus （SMV） is one of the most broadly distributed diseases worldwide. It causes severe yield loss and seed quality deficiency in soybean （Glycine max （L.） Merr.）. SMV Strain SC14 isolated from Shanxi Province, China, was a newly identified virulent strain and can infect Kefeng No. 1, a source with wide spectrum resistance. In the present study, soybean accessions, PI96983, Qihuang No. 1 and Qihuang No. 22 were identified to be resistant （R） and Nannong 1138-2, Pixianchadou susceptible （S） to SC14. Segregation analysis of PI96983 x Nannong 1138-2 indicated that a single dominant gene （designated as Rsc14） controlled the resistance to SC14 at both V2 and R1 developmental stages. The same results were obtained for the crosses of Qihuang No. 1 × Nannong 1138-2 and Qihuang No. 22 x Nannong 1138-2 as in PI96983 x×Nannong 1138-2 at V2 stage, but at R1 stage, the F1 performed as necrosis （a susceptible symptom other than mosaic）, F2 segregated in a ratio of 1R：2N：IS, and the progenies of necrotic （N） F2 individuals segregated also in R, N and S. It indicated that a single gene （designated as Rsc140, to be different from that of PI96983） controlled the resistance to SC14, its dominance was the same as in PI96983 × Nannong 1138-2 （without symptoms） at V2 stage and not the same at R1 stage. The tightly linked co-dominant simple sequence repeat （SSR） marker Satt334 indicated that all the heterozygous bands were completely corresponding to the necrotic F2 individuals, or all the necrotic F2 individuals were heterozygotes. It was inferred that necrosis might be due to the interaction among SMV strains, resistance genes, genetic background of the resistance genes, and plant development stage. Furthermore, the bulked segregant analysis （BSA） of SSR markers was conducted to map the resistance genes. In F2 of PI96983 × Nannong 1138-2, five SSR markers, Sat_297, Sat_234, Sat_154, Sct_033 and Sat_120, were found closely linked to Rsc14, with genetic distances of 14.5 cM, 11.3 cM, 4.3 cM, 3.2 cM and 6 cM, respectively. In F2 of Qihuang No. 1 × Nannong 1138-2,three SSR markers, Sat_234, Satt334 and Sct_033, tightly linked to Rsc140 with genetic distances of 7.2 cM, 1.4 cM and 2.8 cM, respectively. Based on the integrated joint map by Cregan et al. （1999）, both Rsc14 and Rsc140 were located between Sat_234 and Sct_033 on linkage with group F of soybean, with their distances from Sct_033 at the same side being 3.2 cM and 2.8 cM, respectively. Therefore, Rsc14 and Rsc140 might be on a same locus. The obtained information provides a basic knowledge for marker-assisted selection of the resistance gene in soybean breeding programs and fine mapping and map-based cloning of the resistance gene.

Genetic Diversity of Soybean and the Establishment of a Core Collection Focused on Resistance to Soybean Cyst Nematode

Soybean cyst nematode （SCN; Heterodera glycines） Is one of the most Important pests affecting soybean production. The best method of control of SCN is through the development of resistant cultlvars. However, limited progress has been made in soybean breeding In China because most modern cultlvars have no resistance to SCN. The distribution and phenotype of 432 immune or highly resistant Chinese accessions were surveyed and a primary core collection was selected as a representative sample for further analyses. Using evenly distributed simple sequence repeat markers, five selection methods were applied to the primary core collection and the optimal method was chosen to establish a core collection, which consisted of 28 accessions. These encompassed 70.8% of the ailelic variation present in the overall resistant collection. The 28 accessions differed from the reference resistant accessions at the genomlc level, Indicating that Chinese resistant accessions are distinct from known resistant accessions. This applied core collection provides a rational framework for undertaking diversity surveys, using genetic variation for the investigation of complex traits and for the discovery of novel traits.

Genetic Analysis and Gene-Mapping of Two Reduced-Culm-Number Mutants in Rice

In the present study, In order to systematically dissect the genetic mechanism of rice （Oryza satlva L.） tilling for the super rice ideotype and the model system of branching development, two ethyl methane suifonate-induced rice reduced-culm-number（rcn） mutants from the progeny of Nippobare （O. satlva ssp. japonica）, namely rcn8 and rcn9, were used. Their maximum tillers were both less than 4. in addition, rcn9 had another major feature of rust-spotted leaves. Allelic tests between these two mutants and seven other recessive few-tiller mutants revealed that they were previously unknown loci. Genetic analysis showed that the rcn traits were all controlled by a pair of different recessive genes, designated as RCN8and RCNg, respectively. Two F2 populations derived from crosses between the rcn8 or rcn9 mutants and 93-11 were constructed. Linkage analysis using two rcn F2 mapping populations with published simple sequence repeat markers demonstrated that the RCN8 and RCN9 genes were mapped on the long arm of chromosome 1 （119.6 cM） and the short arm of chromosome 6 （63.6 cM）, respectively. The results of the present study are beneficial to map-based cloning and functional analysis of the RCN8 and RCN9 genes.

Construction of a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Library of TM-1,a Standard Line for Genetics and Genomics in Upland Cotton

A bacterial artificial chromosome （BAC） library was constructed for Gossypium hirsutum acc. TM-1, a genetic and genomic standard line for Upland cotton. The library consists of 147 456 clones with an average insert size of 122.8 kb ranging from 97 to 240 kb. About 96.0% of the clones have inserts over 100 kb. Therefore, this library represents theoretically 7.4 haploid genome equivalents based on an AD genome size of 2 425 Mb. Clones were stored in 384 384- well plates and arrayed into multiplex pools for rapid and reliable library screening. BAC screening was carried out by four-round poiymerase chain reactions using 23 simple sequence repeats （SSR） markers, three sequence-related amplified polymorphism markers and one pair of primers for a gene associated with fiber development to test the quality of the library. Correspondingly, in total 92 positive BAC clones were identified with an average four positive clones per SSR marker, ranging from one to eight hits. Additionally, since these SSR markers have been localized to chromosome 12 （A12） and 26 （D12） according to the genetic map, these BAC clones are expected to serve as seeds for the physical mapping of these two homologous chromosomes, sequentially map-based cloning of quantitative trait loci or genes associated with important agronomic traits.

Screening and Insert Size Analysis of Candidate C-Genome BAC Clones from Brassica napus

Thirty-two C-genome specific candidate bacterial artificial chromosome （BAC） clones were successfully screened from the BAC library by four-dimensional PCR method with the primer pairs of 75 simple sequence repeat （SSR） markers located in the nine C-genome linkage groups of Brassica napus. The screened 32 BAC clones have an average insert size of 114.2 kb with a range of 30–190 kb. They are the first set of C-genome BAC clones screened from B. napus genomic BAC library. The average insert size of this set of BAC clones presented that the constructed BAC library had a high quality. This set of BAC clones can be used as markers to identify individual chromosomes of B. napus C-genome.