土壤温度状况对土壤分类和土地利用至关重要。按照中国土壤系统分类，土壤温度状况通常是依据土表下50 cm深度处的年均土壤温度（MAST50）来确定的。然而，由于缺乏多年实测数据且难以准确估算MAST50，中国土壤温度状况的预测和划分目前仍然是土壤学研究的关键问题。本研究通过探究MAST50空间分布与环境因素之间的关系，预测MAST50在全国范围内的空间分布，并生成中国土壤温度状况空间分布图。本研究基于全国386个国家气象站1971-2000年的MAST50，以及全国2048个国家气象站1971-2000年的年均气温（MAAT），利用集成线性回归克里格模型，建立了用以预测我国各个区域MAST50的分区土壤转换函数模型。研究结果表明，MAAT是影响MAST50最重要的环境因素。本研究进一步评估所建立模型的精度，基于验证数据集的分区模型平均绝对误差（MAE）和均方根误差（RMSE）分别是0.66 ^oC和0.78 ^oC，而全国统一模型的MAE和RMSE分别为0.83 ^oC和0.96 ^oC。结果表明，本研究提出的分区土壤转换函数模型精度较高，可以明显提高MAST50预测的准确性。基于此，本研究进一步预测并划分了全国土壤温度状况空间分布。研究结果不仅进一步完善了中国土壤系统分类，还为促进分类成果广泛应用，以及土地可持续利用和管理提供了数据支撑。

Litter uniformity, which is usually represented by within-litter weight coefficient of variation at birth (CVB), could influence litter performance of sows and the profitability of pig enterprises. The objective of this study was to characterize CVB and its effect on other reproductive traits in Large White sows. Genetic parameters and genetic correlation of the reproductive traits, including CVB, within-litter weight coefficient of variation at three weeks (CVT), total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), number born dead (NBD), gestation length (GL), piglet mortality at birth (M₀), piglet mortality at three weeks (M₃), total litter weight at birth (TLW0), and total litter weight at three weeks (TLW₃) were estimated for 2 032 Large White litters. The effects of parity and classified litter size on CVB, CVT, TNB, NBA, NBD, GL, M₀, M₃, TLW₀, and TLW₃ were also estimated. The heritabilities of these reproductive traits ranged from 0.06 to 0.17, with the lowest heritability for CVB and the highest heritability for TLW0. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between these reproductive traits were low to highly positive and negative (ranging from −0.03 to 0.93, and −0.53 to 0.93, respectively). The genetic correlations between TNB and CVB, and between M₀ and CVB were 0.32 and 0.29, respectively. In addition, CVB was significantly influenced by parity and litter size class (P<0.05). All the results suggest that piglet uniformity should be maintained in pig production practices and pig breeding programs.

    The nuclear-encoded light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins (LHCPs) are specifically translocated from the stroma into the thylakoid membrane through the chloroplast signal recognition particle (cpSRP) pathway. The cpSRP is composed of a cpSRP43 protein and a cpSRP54 protein, and it forms a soluble transit complex with LHCP in the chloroplast stroma. Here, we identified the YGL9 gene that is predicted to encode the probable rice cpSRP43 protein from a rice yellow-green leaf mutant. A phylogenetic tree showed that an important conserved protein family, cpSRP43, is present in almost all green photosynthetic organisms such as higher plants and green algae. Sequence analysis showed that YGL9 comprises a chloroplast transit peptide, three chromodomains and four ankyrin repeats, and the chromodomains and ankyrin repeats are probably involved in protein-protein interactions. Subcellular localization showed that YGL9 is localized in the chloroplast. Expression pattern analysis indicated that YGL9 is mainly expressed in green leaf sheaths and leaves. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of genes associated with pigment metabolism, chloroplast development and photosynthesis were distinctly affected in the ygl9 mutant. These results indicated that YGL9 is possibly involved in pigment metabolism, chloroplast development and photosynthesis in rice.

Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) was originally considered as one species with fruit-feeding type (FFT) and pinaceae-feeding type (PFT), but it has subsequently been divided into two different species of Conogethes punctiferalis and Conogethes pinicolalis. The relationship between the two species was investigated by phylogenetic reconstruction using maximum-likelihood (ML) parameter estimations. The phylogenetic tree and network were constructed based upon sequence data from concatenation of three genes of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunits I, II and cytochrome b which were derived from 118 samples of C. punctiferalis and 24 samples of C. pinicolalis. The phylogenetic tree and network showed that conspecific sequences were clustering together despite intraspecific variability. Here we report the results of a combined analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences from three genes and morphological data representing powerful evidence that C. pinicolalis and C. punctiferalis are significantly different.

Two scab diseases are currently recognized on citrus: citrus scab, caused by Elsinoë fawcettii, and sweet orange scab, caused by E. australis. Although these pathogens are economically important, there is no molecular data on these species in China. Here we use internal transcribed spacer sequence data to report on host-specificity and genetic relationships among 46 isolates collected from the main citrus varieties grown across China. All strains isolated were E. fawcettii. Based on pathogenicity testing on 9 different citrus species, isolates were divided into 11 pathotypes (SM, FBHR, SJCR, SPOJCR, SR, SOJG, SPOJC, SRGC, Lemon and two unnamed pathotypes). SM is a new pathotype, and two isolates did not fit into any of the known pathotypes of E. fawcettii. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR-PCR) assays separated the E. fawcettii isolates into 10 subgroups; the groupings basically corresponded to the pathogenicity test.

A chemosensory protein named HarmCSP5 in cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) was obtained from antennal cDNA libraries and expressed in Escherichia coli. The real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) results indicated that HarmCSP5 gene was mainly expressed in male and female antennae but also expressed in female legs and wings. Competitive binding assays were performed to test the binding affinity of recombinant HarmCSP5 to 60 odor molecules including some cotton volatiles. The resules showed that HarmCSP5 showed strong binding abilities to 4-ehtylbenzaldehyde and 3,4-dimethlbenz aldehyde, whereas methyl phenylacetate, 2-decanone, 1-pentanol, carvenol, isoborneol, nerolidol, 2- nonanone and ethyl heptanoate have relatively weak binding affinity. Moreover, the predicted 3D model of HarmCSP5 consists of six α-helices located among residues 33-38 (α1), 40-48 (α2), 62-72 (α3), 80-96 (α4), 98-108 (α5), and 116-119 (α6), two pairs of disulfide bridges Cys49-Cys55, Cys75-Cys78. The two amino acid residues, Ile94 and Trp101, may play crucial roles in HarmCSP5 binding with ligands and need further study for confirmation.

The full-length sequence of the odorant binding protein 5 gene, HarmOBP5, was obtained from an antennae cDNA library of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner). The cDNA contains a 444 bp open reading frame, encoding a protein with 147 amino acids, namely HarmOBP5. HarmOBP5 was expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant protein was purified by affinity chromatography. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis demonstrated that the purified protein can be used for further investigation of its binding characteristics. Competitive binding assays with 113 odorant chemicals indicated that HarmOBP5 has strong affinity to some special plant volatiles, including (E)-β-farnesene, ethyl butyrate, ethyl heptanoate, and acetic acid 2-methylbutyl ester. Based on three-dimensional (3D) model of AaegOBP1 from Aedes aegypti, a 3D model of HarmOBP5 was predicted. The model revealed that some key binding residues in HarmOBP5 may play important roles in odorant perception of H. armigera. This study provides clues for better understanding physiological functions of OBPs in H. armigera and other insects.