Cloning and Functional Validation of Mung Bean VrPR Gene

For the purpose of functional validation,the mung bean(Vigna radiata)VrPR gene was cloned and overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana.Thefindings revealed that the ORF of VrPR contained 1200 bp,in which 399 amino acids were encoded.Bioinformatics analysis showed that the VrPR protein belonged to the NADB Rossmann superfamily,which was one of the non-transmembrane hydrophilic proteins.VrPR was assumed to have 44 amino acid phosphorylation sites and be contained in chloroplasts.The VrPR secondary structure comprised of random coil,αhelix,βangle,and extended chain,all of which were quite compatible with the anticipated tertiary structure.Moreover,analysis of the phylogenetic tree indicated that the soybean PR(Glyma.12G222200)and VrPR were closely related.Furthermore,chlorophyll content in leaves is markedly increased in Arabidopsis when VrPR is overexpressed.Ourfindings will serve as a reference for more functional studies on the PR genes in mung bean.

Effect of diet on the development, survival, and reproduction of the calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus dubia

Pseudodiaptomus dubia is a calanoid copepod abundant in the mariculture ponds of southern China. However, our understanding of the population dynamics of P . dubia in aquaculture ponds is limited. In this study, groups of larval P . dubia were each fed a diff erent microalgal species, and the eff ects of these diff erent diets on development, survival, and reproduction were assessed. The fi ve microalgae used were species common in aquaculture farms in China, and included two chlorophytes ( Chlorella saccharophila and Platymonas subcordiformis ), one golden microalga ( Isochrysis zhanjiangensis ), and two diatoms ( Chaetoceros muelleri and Cyclotella meneghiniana ). Our results indicated that C . saccharophila was not a suitable food for larval P . dubia , as all larvae fed this microalga died at stage III (as copepodites). The survival rates of P . dubia larvae fed C . muelleri , I . zhanjiangensis , and P . subcordiformis were signifi cantly higher than that of larvae fed C . meneghiniana . In the adult stage, copepods fed C . muelleri , I . zhanjiangensis , and C . meneghiniana produced more nauplii (430-566 nauplii/female), had higher intrinsic growth rates (0.2- 0.253/d), and better longevity (59-60 days) than those fed P . subcordiformis . Our results therefore suggest that P . dubia has diff erent nutritional needs and food preferences at diff erent life stages. For example, P . subcordiformis was suitable for developing larvae but not for breeding adults, while C . meneghiniana was suitable for breeding adults but not for developing larvae. Both C . muelleri and I . zhanjiangensis were excellent foods for P . dubia throughout the entire life cycle.