家畜脊椎数特别是胸腰椎数存在遗传变异，这些变异与家畜体长和产肉量有关。德州驴是我国著名的地方驴种之一，它的特点是体型大，适应性好，抗粗饲。德州驴群体中胸腰椎数也存在变异。【目的】本研究利用低深度重测序填充数据通过全基因组关联分析挖掘调控德州驴胸腰椎数性状相关的分子标记和候选基因，为未来多胸腰椎数驴的新品种培育奠定理论基础。【方法】对347头德州驴群体进行低深度的全基因组重测序，选用STITCH + Beagle的方法进行基因型的填充，对获得的SNPs进行质控后利用GEMMA软件的线性混合模型和GMMAT软件的logistic混合模型对胸腰椎数性状进行关联分析。SNPs数据进行了连锁不平衡过滤（=0.2）最终获得约35万个有效SNPs，用Bonferroni进行多重检验校正，设置了5%全基因组水平显著关联阈值线P ≤ 1.41×10-7（= 0.05/353,672）以及潜在显著关联的水平P ≤ 2.83×10-6（= 1/353,672）。最终对显著关联的SNPs进行候选基因的鉴定和单倍型分析。【结果】347头德州驴群体平均测序深度为4×，基因型填充后最终获得6,220,779 SNPs，利用18头高深度的德州驴群体对填充准确性进行评估，结果显示平均基因型相关系数是0.98。综合两个关联分析的模型，对于胸椎数性状，我们鉴定出38个全基因组水平显著关联的SNPs和64个潜在显著关联的SNPs，涉及7个基因（NLGN1、DCC、SLC26A7、TOX、WNT7A、LOC123286078和LOC123280142）。对于腰椎数性状，我们鉴定了9个全基因组水平显著关联的SNPs和38个潜在显著关联的SNPs，涉及8个基因（GABBR2、FBXO4、LOC123277146、LOC123277359、BMP7、B3GAT1、EML2和LRP5）。其中多个显著关联SNPs存在紧密的连锁不平衡关系。【结论】本研究利用测序填充数据进行全基因组关联分析，鉴定了多个与胸腰椎数性状显著关联的SNPs和候选基因，其中WNT7A、BMP7和LRP5已知的功能是通过Wnt信号通路和TGF-β信号通路在胚胎体节发育和骨形成过程中发挥作用，可能是驴差异胸腰椎数性状的关键候选基因。

Soybean seed storage protein is one of the most important plant vegetable proteins, and β subunit is of great significance to enhance soybean protein quality and processing property. F2 segregated population and residual heterozygous lines (RHL) derived from the cross between Yangyandou (low level of β subunit) and Zhonghuang 13 (normal level of β subunit) were used for mapping of β subunit content. Our results showed that β subunit content was controlled by a single dominant locus, qBSC-1 (β subunit content), which was mapped to a region of 11.9 cM on chromosome 20 in F2 population of 85 individuals. This region was narrowed down to 2.5 cM between BARCSOYSSR_20_0997 and BARCSOYSSR_20_0910 in RHL with a larger population size of 246 individuals. There were 48 predicted genes within qBSC-1 region based on the reference genome (Glyma 1.0, Williams 82), including the two copies of β subunit coding gene CG4. An InDel marker developed from a thymine (TT) insertion in one copy of CG4 promoter region in Yangyandou cosegregrated with BARCSOYSSR_20_0975 within qBSC-1 region, suggesting that this InDel marker maybe useful for marker-assisted selection (MAS).

The higher survival rates of Helicoverpa amigera larvae were usually observed after adverse climate which was related to extreme temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) stresses in transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton. The unstable resistance of Bt cotton to bollworms has been correlated with the reduced expression of CryIAc d-endotoxin. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of combined temperature and relative humidity stresses on the leaf CryIAc insecticidal protein expression during critical developmental stages. The study was undertaken on two transgenic cotton cultivars that share same parental background, Sikang 1 (a conventional cultivar) and Sikang 3 (a hybrid cultivar), during the 2007 and 2008 growing seasons at the Yangzhou University Farm, Yangzhou, China. The study was arranged with two factors that consisted of temperature (two levels) and relative humidity (three levels). The six T/RH treatments were 37°C/95%, 37°C/70%, 37°C/50%, 18°C/95%, 18°C/70%, and 18°C/50%. In 2007, the six treatments were imposed to the plants at peak flowering stage for 24 h; in 2008, the six treatments were applied to the plants at peak square, peak flowering, and peak boll stages for 48 h. The results of the study indicated that the leaf insecticidal protein expression in CryIAc was significantly affected by extreme temperature only at peak flowering stage, and by both extreme temperature and relative humidity during boll filling stage. The greatest reductions were observed when the stresses were applied at peak boll stage. In 2008, after 48 h stress treatment, the leaf Bt endotoxin expression reduced by 25.9-36.7 and 23.6-40.5% at peak boll stage, but only by 14.9-26.5 and 12.8-24.0% at peak flowering stage for Sikang 1 and Sikang 3, respectively. The greatest reduction was found under the low temperature combined with low relative humidity condition for both years. It is believed that the temperature and relative humidity stresses may be attributed to the reduced efficacy of Bt cotton in growing conditions in China, where extreme temperatures often increase up to 35-40°C and/or decrease down to 15-20°C, and relative humidity may reach to 85-95% and/or reduce to 40-55% during the cotton growing season.