Interspecific Chromosome Substitution Lines as Genetic Resources for Improvement,Trait Analysis and Genomic Inference

The genetic base that cotton breeders commonly use to improve Upland cultivars is very narrow.The AD-genome species Gossypium barbadense,G.tomentosum,and G.mustelinum are part of

QTL Mapping for Fiber Quality Traits Based on a Dense Genetic Linkage Map with SSR,TRAP,SRAP and AFLP Markers in Cultivated Tetraploid Cotton

Cotton is one of the most important economic crops in the world,and it provides natural fiber for the textile industry.With the advancement of the textile technology and increased consumption demands on cotton fiber,both cotton yield and quality should be enhanced.However,cotton yield

Dissection of Genetic Effects of Quantitative Trait Loci(QTL) in Transgenic Cotton

When alien DNA inserts into cotton genome in multi-copy manner,several QTL in cotton genome are disrupted,which are called dQTL in this study.Transgenic mutant line is near-isogenic to its recipient which is divergent for the dQTL from remaining QTL.So,a set of data from a

Analysis of genetic effects and correlations for nutrient quality traits of indica rice in different environments

Understanding the variation for the expressionof genes in different environments is one of themajor goals in qualitative genetics. In this pa-per, the genetic models for quantitative traitsof endosperm in cereal crops were used to eval-uate the seed, cytoplasm and maternal geneticeffects as well as the genotype × environment(GE) interaction effects, and to predict thebreeding value of parents and genotypic corre-lation for nutrient quality traits of indica rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Genetic Analysis of Cotton Fiber Traits by Molecular Markers

1.Development of EST-SSRs derived from G.barbadense:One hundred and nineteen EST-SSRs were developed based on 98 unique ESTs from a cDNA library constructed in our laboratory using developing fibers from G.barbadense cv.3-79.Among the SSRs,trinucleotide AAG appeared

Genetic analysis of morphological index and its related taxonomic traits for classification of indica

The Cheng index distinguishes indica andjaponica rice based on six taxonomic traits.This index has been widely used for classifi- cation of indica and japonica varieties in China.In this study,a double haploid(DH)popula-tion derived from anther culture of ZYQ8/JX17 F,a typical inter-subspecies hybrid,was used to investigate the six taxonomictraits,i.e.leaf hairiness(LH),color of hullwhen heading(CHH),hairiness of hull(HH),length of the first and second panicle internode(LPI),length/width of grain(L/W),andphenol reaction(PH).The morphological in- dex(MI)was also calculated.Based on themolecular linkage map constructed from this

Genetic analysis of quality traits in intersubspecies crosses of rice

Indica and japonica rices are two subspecies ofAsia cultivated rice.Their grain qualities exista significant difference.The objective of thispaper is to study the genetic control of qualitytraits in intersubspecies crosses of rice.In 1991,4 japonica varieties with widecompatibility,PC311,Zhenxiqiuguang,Lun-hui 422,and Ce 03 were crossed with 5 indicavarieties,3037,Zaoxiandang 18,IR36,Minghui 63,and Yangdao 4 according to NC(?)design.The 20 hybrids using japonica as ma-

Analysis of genetic relationships between grain milling quality traits and plant agronomic traits of rice

Since seed and maternal plant are in different generations,the grain milling traits and plant agronomic traits of rice are based on differentgenetic models.Using the genetic modelswhich could estimate covariance componentsbetween two traits with unequal design matri-ces,we analyzed the gentic relationships be-

Genetic Diversity of Wild Rice Species in Yunnan Province of China

Yunnan Province of China is one of the important centers for origin and evolution of cultivated rice worldwide. Wild rice is the ancestor of the cultivated rice. Many elite traits of wild rice have widened the genetic basis in cultivated rice. However, many populations of wild rice species have disappeared in the past few years. Therefore, the current status of wild rice resources should be updated and the genetic diversity of wild rice species should be examined for further germplasm preservation and utilization. Our investigations showed that the number of natural wild rice populations declined sharply in Yunnan Province during the past few years due to various reasons. Fortunately, one population of Oryza rufipogon, three of O officinalis and ten of O. granulata have been newly found in different ecological sites, which were confirmed by inter-simple sequence repeat （ISSR） marker analysis in this study. ISSR analysis and investigation of some important traits of nutritional values indicated that the genetic diversity of the currently existing wild rice resources in Yunnan is still rich. The demonstration of genetic diversity of wild rice by a combined use of geographical distribution, morphological traits, nutrition contents and ISSR markers would be helpful for the conservation and exploration of these important wild rice resources.

Rice molecular markers and genetic mapping:Current status and prospects

Dramatic changes in climatic conditions that supplement the biotic and abiotic stresses pose severe threat to the sustainable rice production and have made it a difficult task for rice molecular breeders to enhance production and productivity under these stress factors. The main focus of rice molecular breeders is to understand the fundamentals of molecular pathways involved in complex agronomic traits to increase the yield. The availability of complete rice genome sequence and recent improvements in rice genomics research has made it possible to detect and map accurately a large number of genes by using linkage to DNA markers. Linkage mapping is an effective approach to identify the genetic markers which are co-segregating with target traits within the family. The ideas of genetic diversity, quantitative trait locus（QTL） mapping, and marker-assisted selection（MAS） are evolving into more efficient concepts of linkage disequilibrium（LD） also called association mapping and genomic selection（GS）, respectively. The use of cost-effective DNA markers derived from the fine mapped position of the genes for important agronomic traits will provide opportunities for breeders to develop high-yielding, stress-resistant, and better quality rice cultivars. Here we focus on the progress of molecular marker technologies, their application in genetic mapping and evolution of association mapping techniques in rice.

Genetic dissection of top three leaf traits in rice using progenies from a japonica × indica cross

The size of the top three leaves of rice plants is strongly associated with yield; thus, it is important to consider quantitative traits representing leaf size （e.g., length and width） when breeding novel rice varieties. It is challenging to measure such traits on a large scale in the field, and little is known about the genetic factors that determine the size of the top three leaves. In the present study, a population of recombinant inbred lines （RILs） and reciprocal single chromosomal segment substitution lines （SSSLs） derived from the progeny of a japonica Asominori x indica IR24 cross were grown under four diverse environmental conditions. Six morphological traits associated with leaf size were measured,namely length and width of the flag, second and third leaves. In the RIL population, 49 QTLs were identified that clustered in 30 genomic region. Twenty-three of these QTLs were confirmed in the SSSL population. A comparison with previously reported genes/QTLs revealed eight novel genomic regions that contained uncharacterized ORFs associated with leaf size. The QTLs identified in this study can be used for marker- assisted breeding and for fine mapping of novel genetic elements controlling leaf size in rice.

Dissection of genetic network underlying important agronomic traits accelerates modern breeding in soybean

With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the'Strategic Priority Research Program'of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,a collaborative study by the research groups led by Professors Tian Zhixi(田志喜),Wang Guodong(王国栋),and Zhu Baoge(朱保葛)from the

Expanding the phenotypic plasticity paradigm to broader views of trait space and ecological function

Foundational concepts of trait spaces, including phenotypic plasticity and function of traits, should be expanded and better integrated with ecological theory. This article addresses two areas where plasticity theory can become further integrated with ecological, evolutionary, and developmental thinking. First is the idea that not only trait means within environments and plasticity of trait means across environments is optimized by selection, but that the entire shape of phenotype distributions such as variance or skew should be optimized within and across environments. In order for trait distribution shape to evolve into adaptations, there must be a genetic basis for and selection upon variation in distribution shapes and their plasticities. I present published and new data demonstrating genetic control and selection for higher moments of phenotype distributions; though, plasticity in these values has not yet been tested. Genetic control of phenotype distribution moments is shown for Neurospora crassa ascospore size and shape. Selection on trait distribution moments is shown for Eurosta solidaginis gall size. Second, there is a tradition in modeling plasti- city as an adaptive strategy that pits it as an alternative to ecological specialization or generaliza- tion. However, these strategies need not be considered alternatives. Rather, with environmental fluctuation within generations plasticity may produce additive or non-additive intermediate （gener- alist） phenotypes, or something new altogether. I present published and new data on the snail Physa virgata and fish Gambusia affinis that show plasticity produces partly intermediate （general- ist） and partly unique phenotypic elements in mixed and fluctuating environments. Plasticity can thus be viewed in the context of a broader trait space and as having broader ecological roles than currently is conceived.

Segregation of F-2 interspecific hybrid growth performance and wing color patterns relative to parental species in the Papilio machaon species group （Lepidoptera： Papilionidae）

A strange Papilio female specimen with a prominent yellow wing band type very much like P. brevicauda （and also seen in P. machaon, and P. zelicaon） was captured in the forested mountains of southwest Vermont, USA. Despite its brevicauda-like appearance, it had mt-DNA of P. polyxenes. In eastern North America the P. brevicauda （Maritime Provinces of Canada） is currently believed to reflect previous （ancient） hybridization between ancestral P. machaon and P. polyxenes. It is uncertain whether the brevicauda-like wing trait features in the odd Vermont female may be a result of some introgression of P. machaon or P. brevicauda with P. polyxenes in eastern North America as seen also in the Ozark Mountains with P. joanae. Nonetheless, the significance of wing trait analyses in relation to hybrid zones with P. polyxenes remains relevant. The segregation of wing color patterns and hostplant use abilities （efficiencies and growth rates） were examined for laboratory hand-paired F-2 hybrids of P. zelicaon ~ Papilio polyxenes relative to the parental species and primary hybrids. The black adult color pattern characterizing P. polyxenes is presumed to be inherited as a simple autosomal dominant. These hybrids were examined to determine： （i） how F-1 primary hybrid offspring perform relative to the parental types in survival, growth rates, and growth efficiencies; and （ii） whether these larval traits and the adult color patterns might be linked with wing morphology in the F-2 hybrids. While the F-1 hybrids grew as well as the P. polyxenes parent （P. zelicaon was significantly less efficient and slower in growth than either of these）, we could not convincingly determine whether the growth performances of the F-2 segregants were linked with the parental wing patterns.

Mouse tumor susceptibility genes identify drug combinations for multiple myeloma

Long-term genetic studies utilizing backcross and congenic strain analyses coupled with positional cloning strategies and functional studies identified Cdkn2a,Mtor,and Mndal as mouse plasmacytoma susceptibility/resistance genes.Tumor incidence data in congenic strains carrying the resistance alleles of Cdkn2a and Mtor led us to hypothesize that drug combinations affecting these pathways are likely to have an additive,if not synergistic effect in inhibiting tumor cell growth.Traditional and novel systems-level genomic approaches were used to assess combination activity,disease specificity,and clinical potential of a drug combination involving rapamycin/everolimus,an Mtor inhibitor,with entinostat,an histone deacetylase inhibitor.The combination synergistically repressed oncogenic MYC and activated the Cdkn2a tumor suppressor.The identification of MYC as a primary upstream regulator led to the identification of small molecule binders of the G-quadruplex structure that forms in the NHEIII region of the MYC promoter.These studies highlight the importance of identifying drug combinations which simultaneously upregulate tumor suppressors and downregulate oncogenes.