The highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), Duke, was used to construct a de novo transcriptome sequence library and to perform data statistical analysis.  Mega 4, CLC Sequence Viewer 6 software, and quantitative PCR were employed for bioinformatics and expression analyses of the basic helix-loop-helix (BHLH) transcription factors of the sequencing library.  The results showed that 28.38 gigabytes of valid data were obtained from transcriptome sequencing and were assembled into 108 033 unigenes.  Functional annotation showed that 32 244 unigenes were annotated into Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) and Gene Ontology (GO) databases, whereas the rest of the 75 789 unigenes had no matching information.  By using COG and GO classification tools, sequences with annotation information were divided into 25 and 52 categories, respectively, which involved transport and metabolism, transcriptional regulation, and signal transduction.  Analysis of the transcriptome library identified a total of 59 BHLH genes.  Sequence analysis revealed that 55 genes of that contained a complete BHLH domain.  Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis showed that BHLH genes of blueberry (Duke) could be divided into 13 sub-groups.  PCR results showed that 45 genes were expressed at various developmental stages of buds, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits, suggesting that the function of BHLH was associated with the development of different tissues and organs of blueberry, Duke.  The present study would provided a foundation for further investigations on the classification and functions of the blueberry BHLH family.

   Searching alternative feed antibiotics is always a study hotspot in the field of animal production. In this study, the anti-pathogenic activities and probiotics stimulatory effects of 30 kinds of herbs were screened through Oxford cup method and Hungate roll method. 15 herbs showed significantly antibacterial activities (P<0.05) against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus. Seven herbs showed greatly stimulatory promoting effects on Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum. Finally, five herbs were combined for the developed formulation with selective antibacterial properties and they were Mume Fructus (35%), Isatidis Folium (25%), Moslae Herba (20%), Chrysanthemi Indici Flos (13%) and Bupleuri Radix (7%). The herbal formulation showed significantly antibacterial abilities against four pathogens and stimulatory promoting abilities on two probiotics in vitro and the equivalent activities in broiler chickens in vivo against E. coli and L. acidophilus. The toxicity study showed it had no toxicity, which indicated that it would be a kind of preferred candidate for an alternative antibiotic in future animal production.

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 YrMY41. 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 cM, 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 YrCH42 on chromosome 1B. Allelic tests indicated that YrMY41 is likely a new allele at Yr26 locus.

Favorable agronomic traits are important to improve productivity of popcorn. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population consisting of 258 lines was evaluated to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for nine agronomic traits (plant height, ear height, top height (plant height subtracted ear height), top height/plant height, number of leaves above the top ear, leaf area, stalk diameter, number of tassel branches and the length of tassel) under three environments. Meta-analysis was conducted then to integrate QTLs identified across three generations (RIL, F2:3 and BC2F2) developed from the same crosses. In total, 179 QTLs and 36 meta-QTLs (mQTL) were identified. The percentage of phenotypic variation (R2) explained by any single QTL varied from 3.86 to 28.4%, and 24 QTLs with contributions over 15%. Nine common QTLs located in the same or similar chromosome regions were detected across three generations. Five meta-QTLs were identified including QTLs in three independent studies. Seven important mQTLs were composed of 11–26 QTLs for 4–7 traits, respectively. Only 11 mQTLs were commonly identified in the same or similar chromosome regions across agronomic traits, popping characteristics (popping fold, popping volume and popping rate) and grain yield components (ear weight per plant, grain weight per plant, 100-grain weight, ear length, kernel number per row, ear diameter, row number per ear and kernel ratio) by meta-QTL analysis. In conclusion, we identified a list of QTLs, some of which with much higher contributions to agronomic traits should be valuable for further study in improving both popping characteristics and grain yield components in popcorn.

Different nitrogen (N) forms may cause changes in the metabolic profiles of plants. However, few studies have been conducted on the effects of amino acid-N on plant metabolic profiles. The main objective of this study was to identify primary metabolites associated with amino acid-N (Gly, Gln and Ala) through metabolic profile analysis using gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Plants of pakchoi (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis L.), Huawang and Wuyueman cultivars, were grown with different nitrogen forms (i.e., Gly, Gln, Ala, NO3 --N, and N starvation) applied under sterile hydroponic conditions. The fresh weight and plant N accumulation of Huawang were greater than those of Wuyueman, which indicates that the former exhibited better N-use efficiency than the latter. The physiological performances of the applied N forms were generally in the order of NO3 --N>Gln>Gly>Ala. The metabolic analysis of leaf polar extracts revealed 30 amino acid N-responsive metabolites in the two pakchoi cultivars, mainly consisting of sugars, amino acids, and organic acids. Changes in the carbon metabolism of pakchoi leaves under amino acid treatments occurred via the accumulation of fructose, glucose, xylose, and arabinose. Disruption of amino acid metabolism resulted in accumulation of endogenous Gly in Gly treatment, Pro in Ala treatment, and Asn in three amino acid (Gly, Gln and Ala) treatments. By contrast, the levels of endogenous Gln and Leu decreased. However, this reduction varied among cultivars and amino acid types. Amino acid-N supply also affected the citric acid cycle, namely, the second stage of respiration, where leaves in Gly, Gln and Ala treatments contained low levels of malic, citric and succinic acids compared with leaves in NO3 --N treatments. No significant difference in the metabolic responses was observed between the two cultivars which differed in their capability to use N. The response of primary metabolites in pakchoi leaves to amino acid-N supply may serve an important function in pakchoi adaptation to amino acid-N sources.

Southern rice black-streaked dwarf disease is a new rice disease that severely affects rice production in South China. To understand transmission capacity of the vector Sogatella furcifera to Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) among different host plant species, potential host plants of SRBSDV collected from the diseased rice field and/or adjacent to the field in Hunan Province, China, were determined by RT-PCR, and the transmission rates of SRBSDV by S. furcifera among different host plant species were investigated. The results showed that host plants of SRBSDV in the rice fields were five of family Gramineae (Oryza sativa, Echinochloa crusgalli, Zea mays, Paspalum distichum, Alopecurus aequali) and two of family Cyperaceae (Juncellus serotinus and Cyperus difformis). S. furcifera could not transmit SRBSDV between gramineous plants and cyperaceous plants, and could not transmit SRBSDV between the gramineous plants, J. serotinus and C. difformis as well. However, SRBSDV could be transmitted by S. furcifera within gramineous plants. S. furcifera could transmit SRBSDV between interspecies among three species plants (O. sativa, E. crusgalli and Z. mays), and between P. distichum and A. aequali. At 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C, both macropterous and brachypterous adult of S. furcifera could transmit SRBSDV from the plants (e.g., E. crusgalli, Z. mays and O. sativa) infected with SRBSDV to rice seedlings. The transmission rates were first increased and then decreased with the increase of temperature. Macropterous adults transmitted SRBSDV from the viruliferous E. crusgalli, Z. may and rice plants to the healthy rice seedlings, and the infected rates of rice seedlings were 26.2, 18.8 and 23.7% at 15°C, 56.6, 64.6 and 53.6% at 25°C, and was 11.2, 10.2 and 7.3% at 35°C, respectively. Transmission capacity of brachypterous adults was significantly higher than that of macropterous adults at 15, 20 and 25°C (P<0.05), while transmission capacity of brachypterous adults was relatively lower compared with that of macropterous ones at 35°C. These results offer evidence on the transmission of SRBSDV via the vector S. furcifer among different host plants, which can be helpful to control Southern rice black-streaked dwarf disease by the appropriate cultural measures in South China.