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Nitrogen application regulates antioxidant capacity and flavonoid metabolism, especially quercetin, in grape seedlings under salt stress

Congcong Zhang, Han Wang, Guojie Nai, Lei Ma, Xu Lu, Haokai Yan, Meishuang Gong, Yuanyuan Li, Ying Lai, Zhihui Pu, Li Wei, Guiping Chen, Ping Sun, Baihong Chen, Shaoying Ma, Sheng Li

2024, 23 (12): 4074-4092. DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.07.013

Abstract （174） PDF in ScienceDirect

Salt stress is a typical abiotic stress in plants that causes slow growth, stunting, and reduced yield and fruit quality. Fertilization is necessary to ensure proper crop growth. However, the effect of fertilization on salt tolerance in grapevine is unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of nitrogen fertilizer (0.01 and 0.1 mol L^–1 NH₄NO₃) application on the salt (200 mmol L^–1 NaCl) tolerance of grapevine based on physiological indices, and transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. The results revealed that 0.01 mol L^–1 NH₄NO₃ supplementation significantly reduced the accumulation of superoxide anion (O₂^–·), enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD), and improved the levels of ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) in grape leaves compared to salt treatment alone. Specifically, joint transcriptome and metabolome analyses showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were significantly enriched in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway (ko00941) and the flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathway (ko00944). In particular, the relative content of quercetin (C00389) was markedly regulated by salt and nitrogen. Further analysis revealed that exogenous foliar application of quercetin improved the SOD and POD activities, increased the AsA and GSH contents, and reduced the H₂O₂and O₂^–· contents. Meanwhile, 10 hub DEGs, which had high Pearson correlations (R²>0.9) with quercetin, were repressed by nitrogen. In conclusion, all the results indicated that moderate nitrogen and quercetin application under salt stress enhanced the antioxidant system defense response, thus providing a new perspective for improving salt tolerance in grapes.

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Characterization of the microbial community response to replant diseases in peach orchards

LI Wei-hua, CHEN Peng, WANG Yu-zhu, LIU Qi-zhi

2023, 22 (4): 1082-1092. DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.08.121

Abstract （213） PDF in ScienceDirect

This study attempted to monitor the development of microbial communities and reveal the correlation between the soil microbial community and soil nutrient factors over different years following the replanting of peach trees. The replanted soil (RS) and nonreplanted soil (NRS) were collected from peach orchards with different growth years (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 years) in the same region. The soil bacterial and fungal community diversities were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing technology. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to show the correlation between the soil microbial community and environmental variables. The alpha diversities of the bacterial and fungal communities indicated that RS contained a higher abundance of bacterial and fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) than NRS. NMDS and ANOSIM analyses showed that the soil bacterial and fungal communities were significantly (P<0.01) affected by planting years, and that the main changes occurred in the first and ninth planting years. The presence of the bacterial orders Sphingobacteriales, Burkholderiales and Actinomycetales changed significantly after replanting. Some bacteria associated with bioremediation, such as Burkholderiales and Intrasporangiaceae, and some harmful pathogens, such as Penicillium and Ophiostomatales, significantly increased after replanting (LDA score>3.0). In addition, the soil nutrient contents were lower in RS than in NRS in the early stage (1–5 years), and the RDA showed that bacterial and fungal phyla are closely associated with environmental variables, including the potential of hydrogen (pH), ammonium nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK). These results lead to a deeper understanding of the microbial responses to replanting in peach orchards.

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Analyzing architectural diversity in maize plants using the skeletonimage- based method

LIU Min-guo, Thomas CAMPBELL, LI Wei, WANG Xi-qing

2023, 22 (12): 3804-3809. DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.05.017

Abstract （120） PDF in ScienceDirect

Shoot architecture in maize is critical since it determines resource use, impacts wind and rain damage tolerance, and affects yield stability. Quantifying the diversity among inbred lines in heterosis breeding is essential, especially when describing germplasm resources. However, traditional geometric description methods oversimplify shoot architecture and ignore the plant’s overall architecture, making it difficult to reflect and illustrate diversity. This study presents a new method to describe maize shoot architecture and quantifies its diversity by combining computer vision algorithms and persistent homology. Our results reveal that persistent homology can capture key characteristics of shoot architecture in maize and other details often overlooked by traditional geometric analysis. Based on this method, the morphological diversity of shoot architecture can be mined (quantified), and the main shoot architecture types can be obtained. Consequently, this method can easily describe the diversity of shoot architecture in many maize materials.

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Genome-wide association and linkage mapping strategies reveal the genetic loci and candidate genes of important agronomic traits in Sichuan wheat

ZHANG Zhi-peng, LI Zhen, HE Fang, LÜ Ji-juan, XIE Bin, YI Xiao-yu, LI Jia-min, LI Jing, SONG Jing-han, PU Zhi-en, MA Jian, PENG Yuan-ying, CHEN Guo-yue, WEI Yu-ming, ZHENG You-liang, LI Wei

2023, 22 (11): 3380-3393. DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.02.030

Abstract （238） PDF in ScienceDirect

Increasing wheat yield is a long-term goal for wheat breeders around the world. Exploiting elite genetic resources and dissecting the genetic basis of important agronomic traits in wheat are the necessary methods for high-yield wheat breeding. This study evaluated nine crucial agronomic traits found in a natural population of 156 wheat varieties and 77 landraces from Sichuan, China in seven environments over two years. The results of this investigation of agronomic traits showed that the landraces had more tillers and higher kernel numbers per spike (KNS), while the breeding varieties had higher thousand-kernel weight (TKW) and kernel weight per spike (KWS). The generalized heritability (H²) values of the nine agronomic traits varied from 0.74 to 0.95. Structure analysis suggested that the natural population could be divided into three groups using 43 198 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from the wheat 55K SNP chip. A total of 67 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified by the genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis based on the Q+K method of a mixed linear model. Three important QTLs were analyzed in this study. Four haplotypes of QFTN.sicau-7BL.1 for fertile tillers number (FTN), three haplotypes of QKNS.sicau-1AL.2 for KNS, and four haplotypes of QTKW.sicau-3BS.1 for TKW were detected. FTN-Hap2, KNS-Hap1, and TKW-Hap2 were excellent haplotypes for each QTL based on the yield performance of 42 varieties in regional trials from 2002 to 2013. The varieties with all three haplotypes showed the highest yield compared to those with either two haplotypes or one haplotype. In addition, the KASP-AX-108866053 marker of QTL QKNS.sicau-1AL.2 was successfully distinguished between three haplotypes (or alleles) in 63 varieties based on the number of kernels per spike in regional trials between 2018 and 2021. These genetic loci and reliable makers can be applied in marker-assisted selection or map-based gene cloning for the genetic improvement of wheat yield.

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Heterosis and heterotic patterns of maize germplasm revealed by a multiple-hybrid population under well-watered and drought-stressed conditions

SANG Zhi-qin, ZHANG Zhan-qin, YANG Yu-xin, LI Zhi-wei, LIU Xiao-gang, XU Yunbi, LI Wei-hua

2022, 21 (9): 2477-2491. DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.07.006

Abstract （309） PDF in ScienceDirect

Understanding the heterosis in multiple environments between different heterotic groups is of fundamental importance in successful maize breeding. A total of 737 hybrids derived from 41 maize inbreds were evaluated over two years, with the aim of assessing the genetic diversity and their performance between heterotic groups under drought-stressed (DS) and well-watered (WW) treatments. A total of 38 737 SNPs were employed to assess the genetic diversity. The genetic distance (GD) between the parents ranged from 0.05 to 0.74, and the 41 inbreds were classified into five heterotic groups. According to the hybrid performance (high yield and early maturity between heterotic groups), the heterosis and heterotic patterns of Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic (BSSS)×Non-Stiff Stalk (NSS), NSS×Sipingtou (SPT) and BSSS×SPT were identified to be useful options in China’s maize breeding. The relative importance of general and specific combining abilities (GCA and SCA) suggests the importance of the additive genetic effects for grain yield traits under the WW treatment, but the non-additive effects under the DS treatment. At least one of the parental lines with drought tolerance and a high GCA effect would be required to achieve the ideal hybrid performance under drought conditions. GD showed a positive correlation with yield and yield heterosis in within-group hybrids over a certain range of GD. The present investigation suggests that the heterosis is due to the combined accumulation of superior genes/alleles in parents and the optimal genetic distance between parents, and that yield heterosis under DS treatment was mainly determined by the non-additive effects.

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A major and stable QTL for wheat spikelet number per spike validated in different genetic backgrounds

DING Pu-yang, MO Zi-qiang, TANG Hua-ping, MU Yang, DENG Mei, JIANG Qian-tao, LIU Ya-xi, CHEN Guang-deng, CHEN Guo-yue, WANG Ji-rui, LI Wei, QI Peng-fei, JIANG Yun-feng, KANG Hou-yang, YAN Gui-jun, Wei Yu-ming, ZHENG You-liang, LAN Xiu-jin, MA Jian

2022, 21 (6): 1551-1562. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63602-4

Abstract （267） PDF in ScienceDirect

The spikelet number per spike (SNS) contributes greatly to grain yield in wheat. Identifying various genes that control wheat SNS is vital for yield improvement. This study used a recombinant inbred line population genotyped by the Wheat55K single-nucleotide polymorphism array to identify two major and stably expressed quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for SNS. One of them (QSns.sau-2SY-2D.1) was reported previously, while the other (QSns.sau-2SY-7A) was newly detected and further analyzed in this study. QSns.sau-2SY-7A had a high LOD value ranging from 4.46 to 16.00 and explained 10.21–40.78% of the phenotypic variances. QSns.sau-2SY-7A was flanked by the markers AX-110518554 and AX-110094527 in a 4.75-cM interval on chromosome arm 7AL. The contributions and interactions of both major QTLs were further analyzed and discussed. The effect of QSns.sau-2SY-7A was successfully validated by developing a tightly linked kompetitive allele specific PCR marker in an F_2:3 population and a panel of 101 high-generation breeding wheat lines. Furthermore, several genes including the previously reported WHEAT ORTHOLOG OF APO1 (WAPO1), an ortholog of the rice gene ABERRANT PANICLE ORGANIZATION 1 (APO1) related to SNS, were predicted in the interval of QSns.sau-2SY-7A. In summary, these results revealed the genetic basis of the multi-spikelet genotype of wheat line 20828 and will facilitate subsequent fine mapping and breeding utilization of the major QTLs.

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Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis ‘Hongyang’) cytosolic ascorbate peroxidases (AcAPX1 and AcAPX2) enhance salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

GUO Xiu-hong, HE Yan, ZHANG Yu, WANG Yi, HUANG Sheng-xiong, LIU Yong-sheng, LI Wei

2022, 21 (4): 1058-1070. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63652-3

Abstract （144） PDF in ScienceDirect

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) plays a key role in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) in higher plants. However, there is very little information available on the APXs in kiwifruit (Actinidia), which is an economically and nutritionally important horticultural crop with exceptionally high ascorbic acid (AsA) accumulation. This study aims to identify and characterize two cytosolic APX genes (AcAPX1 and AcAPX2) derived from A. chinensis ‘Hongyang’. The constitutive expression pattern was determined for both AcAPX1 and AcAPX2, and showed relatively higher expression abundances of AcAPX1 in leaf and AcAPX2 in root. Transcript levels of AcAPX1 and AcAPX2 were increased in kiwifruit roots treated with NaCl. Subcellular localization assays using GFP-fusion proteins in Arabidopsis protoplasts showed that both AcAPX1 and AcAPX2 are targeted to the cytosol. Recombinant AcAPX1 or AcAPX2 proteins were successfully expressed in the prokaryotic expression system and their individual ascorbate peroxidase activities were determined. Finally, constitutive over-expression of AcAPX1 or AcAPX2 could dramatically increase total AsA, glutathione level and salinity tolerance under NaCl stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our ﬁndings revealed that cytosolic AcAPX1/2 may play an important protective role in the responses to unfavorable environmental stimuli in kiwifruit.

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Recent advances in plant immunity with cell death: A review

YIN Jun-jie, XIONG Jun, XU Li-ting, CHEN Xue-wei, LI Wei-tao

2022, 21 (3): 610-620. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63728-0

Abstract （181） PDF in ScienceDirect

Cell death is an important physiological phenomenon in life. It can be programmed or unprogrammed. Unprogrammed cell death is usually induced by abiotic or biotic stress. Recent studies have shown that many proteins regulate both cell death and immunity in plants. Here, we provide a review on the advances in plant immunity with cell death, especially the molecular regulation and underlying mechanisms of those proteins involved in both cell death and plant immunity. In addition, we discuss potential approaches toward improving plant immunity without compromising plant growth.

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Transcriptomic profiling of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) provides insights into male flowers development

ZHU Ying-chun, YUAN Gao-peng, JIA Sheng-feng, AN Guo-lin, LI Wei-hua, SUN De-xi, LIU Jun-pu

2022, 21 (2): 407-421. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63615-8

Abstract （265） PDF in ScienceDirect

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) is an important cucurbit crop grown worldwide. Watermelon fruit quality, fertility, and seed-setting rate are closely related to male flower development. In this study, the different developmental stages of flower buds of the watermelon cultivar ‘Xinteda Zhengkang 9’ were distinguished by cytological observation, and transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed subsequently. Acetocarmine staining of anthers was performed and the longitudinal and transverse diameters of the unopened male flower buds were measured. Cytological observations of anthers at different developmental stages showed that the anther grew from the tetrad to the mature stage, and the longitudinal and transverse diameters of the flower buds increased. The length of the male flower buds also changed significantly during development. Transcriptome sequencing analysis at four periods, the tetrad (A group), mononuclear (B group), dikaryophase (C group), and mature stages (D group). A total of 16 288 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the four stages, with the prolongation of developmental stages, the number of DEGs increased gradually in the comparison groups, there was 2 014, 3 259, 4 628, 1 490, 3 495 and 1 132 DEGs revealed in six comparison groups (A-vs.-B, A-vs.-C, A-vs-D, B-vs.-C, B-vs.-D, and C-vs.-D), respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly enriched in cellular component and starch and sucrose metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and pentose sugar, etc. Finally, we completely screened 59 DEGs in the six comparison groups, interestingly, we found one pollen-specific protein (Cla001608) that was significantly down-regulated (the value of log₂Fold Change up to 17.32), which indicated that it may play an important role in the development of male flowers. This work provides insight into the molecular basis of the developmental stages of male flowers in watermelon and may aid in dominant cross breeding.

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Changes in phenolic content, composition and antioxidant activity of blood oranges during cold and on-tree storage

ZHAO Ji-chun, AO Miao, HE Xiao-qin, LI Wei-zhou, DENG Li-li, ZENG Kai-fang, MING Jian

2022, 21 (12): 3669-3683. DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.09.011

Abstract （225） PDF in ScienceDirect

Citrus fruits are rich in phenolic compounds that possess several health benefits. However, few studies have focused on the changes in phenolic compounds in citrus fruits during postharvest storage. This study dynamically monitored the phenolic content, components and antioxidant activity of ‘Tarocco’ blood oranges during a period of 12-week cold storage and on-tree storage, respectively. We investigated the alteration mechanism of phenolic compounds in blood oranges by evaluating phenylpropanoid pathway-related enzyme activities and gene expression. Results showed that flavanones were the main phenolic compounds in blood oranges. Both storage methods mainly stimulated the accumulation of phenolic acids to improve total phenolic content, which reached the maximum at week 12. Nonetheless, blood oranges had a higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity under on-tree storage than cold storage. Furthermore, the enzyme activities and gene expression of the phenylpropanoid pathway demonstrated that the accumulation of phenolics in blood oranges during storage was highly related to the activation of the phenylpropanoid pathway. These results demonstrate that on-tree storage is a potential approach for extending the supply period of blood orange from the perspective of phenolic compounds.

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Identification and validation of novel loci associated with wheat quality through a genome-wide association study

PU Zhi-en, YE Xue-ling, LI Yang, SHI Bing-xin, GUO Zhu, DAI Shou-fen, MA Jian, LIU Ze-hou, JIANG Yun-feng, LI Wei, JIANG Qian-tao, CHEN Guo-yue, WEI Yu-ming, ZHENG You-liang

2022, 21 (11): 3131-3147. DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.08.085

Abstract （203） PDF in ScienceDirect

Understanding the genetic basis of quality-related traits contributes to the improvement of grain protein concentration (GPC), grain starch concentration (GSC), and wet gluten concentration (WGC) in wheat, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on a mixed linear model (MLM) was performed on the 236 wheat accessions including 160 cultivars and 76 landraces using 55K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array in multiple environments. A total of twelve stable QTL/SNPs were identified to control different quality traits in this populations at least two environments under stripe rust stress; three, seven and two QTLs associated with GPC, GSC, and WGC were characterized respectively and located on chromosomes 1B, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3B, 3D, 5D, and 7D with the range of phenotypic variation explained (PVE) from 4.2 to 10.7%. Compared with the previously reported QTLs/genes, five QTLs (QGsc.sicau-1BL, QGsc.sicau-1DS, QGsc.sicau-2DL.1, QGsc.sicau-2DL.2, QWgc.sicau-5DL) were potentially novel. KASP markers for SNPs AX-108770574 and AX-108791420 on chromosome on 5D associated with wet gluten concentration were successfully developed. Phenotype of the cultivars containing the A-allele in AX-108770574 and T-allele in AX-108791420 were extremely significantly (P<0.01) higher than that of the landraces containing the G-allele or C-allele of wet gluten concentration in each of the environments. The developed and validated KASP markers could be utilized in molecular breeding aiming to improve the quality in wheat.

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Effects of different types of slow- and controlled-release fertilizers on rice yield

WU Qiong, WANG Yu-hui, DING Yan-feng, TAO Wei-ke, GAO Shen, LI Quan-xin, LI Wei-wei, LIU Zheng-hui, LI Gang-hua

2021, 20 (6): 1503-1514. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63406-2

Abstract （148） PDF in ScienceDirect

This experiment explored the effects of single application of seven types of slow- and controlled-release fertilizers on rice yield and various population characteristics. Based on a study of the nitrogen (N) release characteristics of these fertilizers, pot experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 with split fertilization (CK, urea applied split equally at basal and panicle initiation stages, respectively) as control, which assessed the effects on SPAD value, yield and yield components, dynamic changes of rice tillers and dry matter accumulation. The results showed that the N release characteristics of different types of slow- and controlled-release fertilizers were significantly different. Polymer-coated urea (PCU) showed a controlled-release mode and provided sustained release throughout the whole growth stages. Sulfur-coated urea (SCU) exhibited a slow-release mode, providing insufficient release at the middle and late stages. Urease inhibitor urea (AHA) and urea-formaldehyde (UF) yielded a rapid-release mode, with an explosive N release at the early stage and no release at the middle and late stages. These results showed that PCU delayed the peak seedling stage. Compared with CK, dry matter accumulation and SPAD showed no significant differences, and due to the continuous release of N throughout the growth stages, rice yield, spikelets per panicle, seed setting rate, and 1 000-grain weight were all increased. Owing to the lack of N supply at the late stage and the low number of spikelets, SCU led to a reduction of rice yield, which is nevertheless not statistically significant. AHA and UF were susceptible to environmental factors and had varying effects on rice yield. The results of this experiment indicated that given a fixed amount of N applied in a pot, the stronger the N supply capacity and the longer the effective duration time of the fertilizer, the higher the dry matter accumulation at the late growth stage, and the higher the rice yield.

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Bacterial diversity and community composition changes in paddy soils that have different parent materials and fertility levels

MA Xin-ling, LIU Jia, CHEN Xiao-fen, LI Wei-tao, JIANG Chun-yu, WU Meng, LIU Ming, LI Zhong-pei

2021, 20 (10): 2797-2806. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63364-0

Abstract （188） PDF in ScienceDirect

Parent materials and the fertility levels of paddy soils are highly variable in subtropical China. Bacterial diversity and community composition play pivotal roles in soil ecosystem processes and functions. However, the effects of parent material and fertility on bacterial diversity and community composition in paddy soils are unclear. The key soil factors driving the changes in bacterial diversity, community composition, and the specific bacterial species in soils that are derived from different parent materials and have differing fertility levels are unknown. Soil samples were collected from paddy fields in two areas with different parent materials (quaternary red clay or tertiary sandstone) and two levels of fertility (high or low). The variations in bacterial diversity indices and communities were evaluated by 454 pyrosequencing which targeted the V4–V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The effects of parent material and fertility on bacterial diversity and community composition were clarified by a two-way ANOVA and a two-way PERMANOVA. A principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), a redundancy analysis (RDA), and multivariate regression trees (MRT) were used to assess changes in the studied variables and identify the factors affecting bacterial community composition. Co-occurrence network analysis was performed to find correlations between bacterial genera and specific soil properties, and a statistical analysis of metagenomic profiles (STAMP) was used to determine bacterial genus abundance differences between the soil samples. The contributions made by parent material and soil fertility to changes in the bacterial diversity indices were comparable, but soil fertility accounted for a larger part of the shift in bacterial community composition than the parent material. Soil properties, especially soil texture, were strongly associated with bacterial diversity. The RDA showed that soil organic carbon (SOC) was the primary factor influencing bacterial community composition. A key threshold for SOC (25.5 g kg^–1) separated low fertility soils from high fertility soils. The network analysis implied that bacterial interactions tended towards cooperation and that copiotrophic bacteria became dominant when the soil environment improved. The STAMP revealed that copiotrophic bacteria, such as Massilia and Rhodanobacter, were more abundant in the high fertility soils, while oligotrophic bacteria, such as Anaerolinea, were dominant in low fertility soils. The results showed that soil texture played a role in bacterial diversity, but nutrients, especially SOC, shaped bacterial community composition in paddy soils with different parent materials and fertility levels.

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Heterologous expression of the ThIPK2 gene enhances drought resistance of common wheat

ZHANG Shu-juan, LI Yu-lian, SONG Guo-qi, GAO Jie, ZHANG Rong-zhi, LI Wei, CHEN Ming-li, LI Gen-ying

2020, 19 (4): 941-952. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62714-0

Abstract （129） PDF in ScienceDirect

ThIPK2 is an inositol polyphosphate kinase gene cloned from Thellungiella halophila that participates in diverse cellular processes. Drought is a major limiting factor in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production. The present study investigated whether the application of the ThIPK2 gene could increase the drought resistance of transgenic wheat. The codon-optimized ThIPK2 gene was transferred into common wheat through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation driven by either a constitutive maize ubiquitin promoter or a stress-inducible rd29A promoter from Arabidopsis. Molecular characterization confirmed the presence of the foreign gene in the transformed plants. The transgenic expression of ThIPK2 in wheat led to significantly improve drought tolerance compared to that observed in control plants. Compared to the wild type (WT) plants, the transgenic plants showed higher seed germination rates, better developed root systems, a higher relative water content (RWC) and total soluble sugar content, and less cell membrane damage under drought stress conditions. The expression profiles showed different expression patterns with the use of different promoters. The codon-optimized ThIPK2 gene is a candidate gene to enhance wheat drought stress tolerance by genetic engineering.

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Comparative transcriptome analysis of the effect of different heat shock periods on the unfertilized ovule in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)

ZHU Ying-chun, SUN De-xi, DENG Yun, AN Guo-lin, LI Wei-hua, SI Wen-jing, LIU Jun-pu, SUN Xiao-wu

2020, 19 (2): 528-540. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62777-2

Abstract （111） PDF in ScienceDirect

In vitro gynogenesis is an important tool used in haploid or homozygous double-haploid plant breeding. However, because of low repeatability, embryoid induction rate and quality, the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Heat shock treatment can promote the transformation of the gametophytic pathway into the sporophyte pathway, which induces the occurrence of haploid. In this study, unfertilized ovaries were heat shocked for 0 h (A0) before flowering and for 0 h (A1), 4 h (A3), 8 h (A5), 12 h (A7), and 24 h (A8), respectively, at 37°C at the first day of the flowering stage. The ovule enlargement rate was increased from 0% at 25°C to 96.8% at 37°C (24 h treatment). Thus, we aimed to investigate the gene expression patterns in unfertilized ovules of watermelon after different periods of heat shock by using RNA-Seq technology. The results showed that compared with A3, A5, A7, and A8, the biosynthesis of amino acid, glycine, serine and threonine metabolic pathways in A1 has changed significantly. This indicated that heat shock treatment affected the synthesis and transformation of amino acids during ovule expansion. The transcriptome data suggested gene expressions of ovule growth were significantly changed by heat-specific influences. The results provide new information on the complex relationship between in vitro gynogenesis and temperature. This provides a basis for further study of the mechanism of heat shock affecting the expansion of watermelon ovule.

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Herbicidal activity of Aureobasidium pullulans PA-2 on weeds and optimization of its solid-state fermentation conditions

GUO Qing-yun, CHENG Liang, ZHU Hai-xia, LI Wei, WEI You-hai, CHEN Hong-yu, GUO Liang-zhi, WENG Hua, WANG Jian

2020, 19 (1): 173-182. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62738-3

Abstract （127） PDF in ScienceDirect

Fungal strain PA-2 was isolated from infected poplar leaves from the Ping’an District, Haidong City of Qinghai Province, China. Based on the culture characteristics and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of its 16S rDNA, the strain was identified as Aureobasidium pullulans. The culture and metabolites of strain PA-2 showed high herbicidal potential to five tested weeds Galium aparine var. tenerum, Chenopodium album, Malva crispa, Polygonum lapathifolium and Avena fatua. For the in vitro test, 5 days after the detached leaves were inoculated with PA-2 culture, all leaves infected by the hyphae and became black and rotten. For the in vivo test, a metabolite filtrate of PA-2 culture was sprayed over the living weed plants, and five days after inoculation, the weed plants became withered and necrotic. Seven days after inoculation, the fresh weight reductions of G. aparine var. tenerum, C. album, M. crispa, P.?lapathifolium and A.?fatua were 87.25, 78.46, 82.25, 62.11, and 80.27%, respectively. Galium aparine var. tenerum and M. crispa exhibited significant reductions in fresh weight. The bio-safety test on the five crops showed no significant plant height reductions, which was also observed for wheat (Triticum aestivum), faba bean (Vicia faba), and barley (Hordeum vulgare). By contrast, oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and pea (Pisum sativum) exhibited light spots but no significant reductions in plant height. These results indicated that A.?pullulans could be a potential microbial herbicide for the control of the target weeds in crops. Optimization of the carbon and nitrogen sources for cultural media and substances for solid-state fermentation indicated that PA-2 had better colony growth and spore production with the optimal carbon source of glucose (C4), nitrogen source of soybean flour (N2), and the optimal substance was wheat bran. The results in this study provide useful information for the development of A.?pulluans PA-2 as an herbicide for bio-control of the weed.

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Selection of reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis of Phenacoccus solenopsis (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) sex-dimorphic development

ZHENG Lu-ying, ZHANG Zhi-jun, ZHANG Jin-ming, LI Xiao-wei, HUANG Jun, LIN Wen-cai, LI Wei-di, LI Chuan-ren, LU Yao-bin

2019, 18 (4): 854-864. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(18)61973-2

Abstract （238） PDF （2568KB）（549）

Mealybugs, such as Phenacoccus solenopsis, are highly sexually dimorphic. Winged adult males present such remarkable morphological differences from females that, to the untrained eye, conspecific adults of both sexes of P. solenopsis may be considered as two different insect species. A method to investigate sex-dimorphic mechanisms is by evaluating gene expression using RT-qPCR. However, the accuracy and consistency of this technique depend on the reference gene(s) selected. In this study, we analyzed the expression of 10 candidate reference genes in male and female P. solenopsis at different development stages, using common algorithms including the ?Ct method, NormFinder, geNorm, BestKeeper, and a web-based analysis tool, RefFinder. The results showed that EF1-β, RP-L32 and RP-18S were selected as the most stable genes by both the ?Ct method and NormFinder; TUB-α was the most stable gene identified by BestKeeper; and RP-L40 and RP-L32 were the most stable genes ranked by geNorm. RefFinder, a comprehensive analysis software, ranked the ten genes and determined EF1-β and RP-L32 as the most suitable reference genes for the various developmental stages in male and female P. solenopsis. Furthermore, the two most suitable reference genes were validated by examining expression of the juvenile hormone acid O-methytransferase (JHAMT) gene. Results of the validation portion of the study showed that JHAMT expression was sex-biased towards males and exhibited a dynamic and classic expression pattern among the P. solenopsis developmental stages. The results can help further our knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphic development in P. solenopsis.

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Changes in fungal community and diversity in strawberry rhizosphere soil after 12 years in the greenhouse

LI Wei-hua, LIU Qi-zhi

2019, 18 (3): 677-687. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(18)62003-9

Abstract （278） PDF （829KB）（205）

Soil fungi play a very important role in the soil ecological environment. In agricultural production, long-term monoculture and continuous cropping lead to changes in fungal community diversity. However, the effects of long-term monoculture and continuous cropping on strawberry plant health and fungal community diversity have not been elucidated. In this study, using high-throughput sequencing (HTS), we compared the fungal community and diversity of strawberry rhizosphere soil after various durations of continuous cropping (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 years). The results showed that soil fungal diversity increased with consecutive cropping years. Specifically, the soil-borne disease pathogens Fusarium and Guehomyces were significantly increased after strawberry continuous cropping, and the abundance of nematicidal (Arthrobotrys) fungi decreased from the fourth year of continuous cropping. The results of correlation analysis suggest that these three genera might be key fungi that contribute to the changes in soil properties that occur during continuous cropping. In addition, physicochemical property analysis showed that the soil nutrient content began to decline after the fourth year of continuous cropping. Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that soil pH, available potassium (AK) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) were the most important edaphic factors leading to contrasting beneficial and pathogenic associations across consecutive strawberry cropping systems.

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Effects of urea enhanced with different weathered coal-derived humic acid components on maize yield and fate of fertilizer nitrogen

ZHANG Shui-qin, YUAN Liang, LI Wei, LIN Zhi-an, LI Yan-ting, HU Shu-wen, ZHAO Bing-qiang

2019, 18 (3): 656-666. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(18)61950-1

Abstract （233） PDF （773KB）（225）

Humic acid (HA) is a readily available and low-cost material that is used to enhance crop production and reduce nitrogen (N) loss. However, there is little consensus on the efficacy of different HA components. In the current study, a soil column experiment was conducted using the 15N tracer technique in Dezhou City, Shandong Province, China, to compare the effects of urea with and without the addition of weathered coal-derived HA components on maize yield and the fate of fertilizer-derived N (fertilizer N). The HA components were incorporated into urea by blending different HA components into molten urea to obtain the three different types of HA-enhanced urea (HAU). At harvest, the aboveground dry biomass of plants grown with HAU was enhanced by 11.50–21.33% when compared to that of plants grown with U. More significantly, the grain yields under the HAU treatments were 5.58–18.67% higher than the yield under the urea treatment. These higher yields were due to an increase in the number of kernels per plant rather than the weight of individual kernels. The uptake of fertilizer N under the HAU treatments was also higher than that under the urea treatment by 11.49–29.46%, while the unaccounted N loss decreased by 12.37–30.05%. More fertilizer-derived N was retained in the 0–30 cm soil layer under the HAU treatments than that under the urea treatment, while less N was retained in the 30–90 cm soil layer. The total residual amount of fertilizer N in the soil column, however, did not differ significantly between the treatments. Of the three HAU treatments investigated, the one with an HA fraction derived from extraction with pH values ranging from 6 to 7, resulted in the best improvement in all assessment targets. This is likely due to the abundance of the COO/C–N=O group in this HA component.

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Differential responses of root growth to nutrition with different ammonium/nitrate ratios involve auxin distribution in two tobacco cultivars

MENG Lin, DONG Jian-xin, WANG Shu-sheng, SONG Ke, LING Ai-fen, YANG Jin-guang, XIAO Zhi-xin, LI Wei, SONG Wen-jing, LIANG Hong-bo

2019, 18 (12): 2703-2715. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62595-5

Abstract （139） PDF in ScienceDirect

Nitrogen (N), the major forms of which are nitrate (NO₃^–) and ammonium (NH₄⁺), plays an important role in plant growth and mediation of root development. However, the role of auxin in root growth in response to different NH₄⁺/NO₃^– ratios remains unclear. Two tobacco cultivars (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were adopted in this study, which displayed variant growth features under the situations with sole NO₃^– nutrition ratio (NH₄⁺/NO₃^– ratio: 0/100), low NO₃^– nutrition ratio (NH₄⁺/NO₃^–ratio: 97/3), and optimal NH₄⁺/NO₃^– ratio (50/50). We investigated the effects of the different NH₄⁺/NO₃^–ratios on the formation and elongation of lateral roots (LRs), auxin concentration, DR5::GUS expression, 3H-labeled indole acetic acid ([3H]IAA) transport, and the expression of six PIN genes in tobacco roots. We also examined the effects of exogenous auxin and a transport inhibitor on LRs growth. The results are shown as follows, compared to optimal N nutrition conditions, the biomass and nitrogen (N) accumulation were largely reduced by sole and low NO₃^– nutrition treatment in NC89, but no difference was observed in Zhongyan 100. In most cases, sole and low NO₃^– nutrition impaired the elongation and formation of first-order lateral roots (1° LRs), only in NC89, thus reducing the root growth. IAA concentration and DR5::GUS expression levels decreased in roots when NC89 was subjected to sole and low NO₃^– nutrition media, suggesting that different NH₄⁺/NO₃^– ratios affect the transport of auxin from leaves to roots. Results were similar following exogenous NAA application to low NO₃^– nutrition treated seedlings. Based on direct [3H]IAA transport measurement, the transport of polar auxin from shoots to roots decreased due to low NO₃^–nutrition. PIN4 expression levels were markedly decreased in roots of NC89 by sole and low NO₃^– nutrition, while they were unaffected in Zhongyan 100 roots. Overall, our findings suggest that LRs formation in tobacco seedlings is regulated by NH₄⁺/NO₃^– ratios via modifying polar transport of auxin.

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Effect of long-term continuous cropping of strawberry on soil bacterial community structure and diversity

LI Wei-hua, LIU Qi-zhi, CHEN Peng

2018, 17 (11): 2570-2582. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(18)61944-6

Abstract （365） PDF in ScienceDirect

Long-term monoculture leads to continuous cropping (CC) problems, which complicate agricultural production, both locally and abroad. This study contrasted the different bacterial community compositions, physicochemical properties and enzyme activities of strawberry soil subjected to CC, CC rhizosphere (CCR), non-CC (NCC) and non-CC rhizosphere (NCCR) treatments. The soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities were significantly reduced after long-term CC. In addition, five variation trends were observed for the 11 major bacterial genera in the soil. Sphingomonas was the only stable group among all treatments. The proportions of Novosphingobium, Rhodoplanes, Povalibacter, Cellvibrio and Stenotrophobacter decreased after CC. The relative abundances of Pelagibius, Thioprofundum and Allokutzneria increased only in the CC treatment. Nitrospira were more abundant in rhizosphere soil than in non-rhizosphere soil. The relative abundance of Bacillus increased after CC. Redundancy analysis revealed that Bacillus, Pelagibius and Allokutzneria had significant negative correlations with the soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities. Therefore, these genera may be the key bacteria influenced by the physicochemical properties and enzyme activities altered by replanting. These results indicate that long-term CC of strawberry leads to less favourable rhizosphere soil conditions, which can be understood as a stress-induced response of the bacterial community diversity. Further research is needed to determine how the quality of soil is reduced by the shift in the diversity of the soil bacterial community.

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A mitochondrial phosphate transporter, McPht gene, confers an acclimation regulation of the transgenic rice to phosphorus deficiency

HAN Jiao, YU Guo-hong, WANG Li, LI Wei, HE Rui, WANG Bing, HUANG Sheng-cai, CHENG Xian-guo

2018, 17 (09): 1932-1945. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(17)61792-1

Abstract （382） PDF in ScienceDirect

Phosphate transporters play an important role in promoting the uptake and transport of phosphate in plants. In this study, the McPht gene from the Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, a mitochondrial phosphate transporter, was isolated and constructed onto a constitutive expression vector carrying 35S::GFP, and the recombinant constructs were transferred into Oryza sativa japonica L. cv. Kitaake to investigate the regulatory role of the McPht gene under phosphorus deficiency. The McPht gene encodes a protein of 357 amino acids with six transmembrane domains and is located to the mitochondria, and the mRNA transcripts of the McPht gene are highly accumulated in the shoots of M. crystallinum in response to phosphorus deficiency. However, more mRNA transcripts of the McPht gene were accumulated in the roots of the transgenic rice under phosphorus deficiency. Measurements showed that the transgenic rice demonstrated an enhanced promotion in the root development, the root activities, and phosphate uptake under phosphorus deficiency. Transcriptome sequencing showed that the transgenic rice exhibited total of 198 differentially expressed genes. Of these, total of 154 differentially expressed genes were up-regulated and total 44 genes were down-regulated comparing to the wild type in response to phosphorus deficiency. The selective six genes of the up-regulated differentially expressed genes showed an enhanced increase in mRNA transcripts in response to phosphorus deficiency, however, the transcripts of the mitochondrial carrier protein transporter in rice, a homologous gene of the McPht, in both the transgenic line and the wild type had no obvious differences. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that the most of the up-regulated genes are involved in the cytoplasmic membrane-bounded vesicle, and most of the down-regulated genes are involved in the mitochondrion and cytoplasmic membrane-bounded vesicle. The differentially expressed genes were highly enriched in plant secondary metabolisms and plant-pathogen interaction. These results indicated that the overexpression of the McPht gene might participate in the physiological adaptive modulation of the transgenic rice to phosphorus deficiency by up- or down-regulating the differentially expressed genes.

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Identification of summer nectar plants contributing to outbreaks of Mythimna separata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in North China

GUO Pei, WANG Gao-ping, JIN Li-jie, FAN Xing-qi, HE Han-lin, ZHOU Pei-wen, GUO Xian-ru, LI Wei-zheng, YUAN Guo-hui

2018, 17 (07): 1516-1526. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(17)61840-9

Abstract （284） PDF （5911KB）（0）

The presence of adequate nectar sources along the migratory pathway is a prerequisite for moths of oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata, to reach target habitats and lay eggs. Identification of plant species and assessment of their suitability as wild nectar sources along the summer migration pathway of adult M. separata are critical steps in making effective forecasts of second- and third-generation armyworm outbreaks in North China. We explored five aspects of moth-nectar source relationships: (1) Field investigations in 2014 and 2015 showed that the florescence of chaste tree, Vitex negundo var. heterophylla, a primary nectar plant in apiculture, coincided with the summer migration of oriental armyworm moths. The flowers of chaste tree opened day and night and M. separata moths were found actively flying around and resting on tree. (2) Identification of moth-borne pollen by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) micrographs in 2015 and 2016 revealed that 15.4% of 369 moths trapped by blacklight traps, 17.1% of 557 moths captured by vertical-pointing searchlight traps and 24.4% of 311 moths caught by pheromone traps were found with pollen attached to their proboscis. A total of 228 pollen-carrying individuals out of 1 237 armyworm moths were captured by the three types of traps. The three highest percentages of pollen-bearing armyworm moths were carrying pollen of Toona sp. (59.65%), Ligustrum sp. (27.19%) and Syringa sp. (4.39%). In total, 14 types of pollen were detected where three were identified to species, 10 to genus and one as an unknown species. (3) Analysis of geographical distribution, flowering periods and relative abundances of candidate nectar plants suggested that Chinese toon, Toona sinensis, and privet, Ligustrum lucidum, were two important nectar plant species. (4) Analysis on relationship between pollen and ovarian development showed that 14, 15 and 10 females carrying pollen of T. sinensis had ovaries at developmental stages I, II and III, respectively. Many T. sinensis pollen grains were present on the proboscises of female moths. (5) Comparison of trap effectiveness between blacklight and vertical-pointing searchlight traps indicated blacklight traps caught the highest proportion (35.2%) of female in ovarian stage V, whereas vertical-pointing searchlight traps caught the highest proportion (43.5%) of female in ovarian stage I with additional proportions of decreasing percentages for stages II, III and IV. Integrated analysis on these five aspects suggests that T. sinensis is an important, suitable summer nectar source that potentially influences migration and reproduction of M. separata moths and thus contributes to outbreaks of this pest. The vertical-pointing searchlight trap was the most effective tool for monitoring the migratory flight of adult M. separata. Privet, Ligustrum lucidum, and clove, Syringa sp., are possible suitable summer nectar plants that need further study to elucidate their importance. The reason why field investigation results on chaste tree differed from the results of moth-borne pollen analyses was discussed.

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Optimize nitrogen fertilization location in root-growing zone to increase grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency of transplanted rice in subtropical China

WU Meng, LIU Ming, LIU Jia, LI Wei-tao, JIANG Chun-yu, LI Zhong-pei

2017, 16 (09): 2073-2081. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(16)61544-7

Abstract （891） PDF in ScienceDirect

The optimized nitrogen fertilization location differs in different rice-growing regions. We optimized nitrogen deep-point application in root-growing zone (NARZ) for transplanted rice in subtropical China. Field plot experiments were conducted over two years (2014–2015) in a double-rice cropping system to evaluate the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer location on grain yield and N use efficiency (NUE). Four different nitrogen deep-point application methods (DN) were compared with traditional broadcast application (BN) using granular urea. The results showed that grain yield, recovery efficiency of N (RE_N), agronomic efficiency of N (AE_N), and partial factor productivity of N (PFP_N) significantly increased 10.3–63.4, 13.7–56.7, 24.7–201.9 and 10.2–63.4%, respectively, in DN treatment compared to BN, respectively. We also find that DN treatments increased grain yield as well as grain N content, and thus grain quality, in comparison with conventional BN treatment. Correlation analysis indicated that significant improvement in grain yield and NUE mainly resulted from increases in productive panicle number and grain N content. In our proposed NARZ method, granular urea should be placed 0 to 5 cm around the rice seeding at a 12-cm depth druing rice transplanting. In NARZ, balanced application of N, P and K further improved grain yield and NUE over treatments with a single N deep-point application. High N uptake by the rice plant did not cause significant soil fertility depletion, demonstrating that this method could guarantee sustainable rice production.

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Identification and cell wall analysis of interspecific hybrids between Oryza sativa and Oryza ridleyi

YI Chuan-deng, LI Wei, WANG De-rong, JIANG Wei, HU Da-bang, ZHOU Yong, LIANG Guo-hua, GU Ming-hong

2017, 16 (08): 1676-1681. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(16)61526-5

Abstract （687） PDF in ScienceDirect

Oryza ridleyi is an allotetraploid wild species with the HHJJ genome, and Oryza sativa is a diploid cultivated rice that has the AA genome. Although the wide hybrid between the two species is difficult to obtain, we overcome this difficulty by young embryo rescue. An obvious heterosis was primarily found for the plant height, tillering ability, vegetative vigor, etc. However, the hybrid panicle and culm traits were found to resemble that of the wild rice parent, O. ridleyi, for the long awns, exoteric purple stigma, grain shattering, dispersed panicles, and culm mechanical strength. Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) analysis was subsequently performed on the mitotic metaphase chromosome of the root tips, and we determined that the hybrid is an allotriploid with 36 chromosomes and its genomic constitution is AHJ. Chemical analyses conducted on the culm of O. sativa, O. ridleyi, and their interspecific hybrids showed that major changes occurred in the xylose, glucose, and arabinose concentrations, which are correlated with the specific hemicellulose polymer and cellulose components that are important in the primary cell walls of green plants. Meanwhile, the culm anatomical analyses indicated that additional large vascular bundles and an extra sclerenchyma cell layer were found in O. ridleyi. Additionally, further thickening of the secondary cell walls of the cortical fiber sclerenchyma cells and the phloem companion cells was discovered in O. ridleyi and in the interspecific hybrids. These results imply that there may be a potential link between culm mechanical strength and culm anatomical structure.

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Comparative transcriptome analysis of shortened fruit mutant in woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) using RNA-Seq

WANG Shou-ming, LI Wei-jia, LIU Yue-xue, LI He, MA Yue, ZHANG Zhi-hong

2017, 16 (04): 828-844. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(16)61448-X

Abstract （742） PDF in ScienceDirect

Genes controlling fruit appearance determine fruit shape and size. In ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS)-mutagenized lines of Fragaria vesca accession Yellow Wonder (YW), two fruit shapes are observed: wild-type long fruit and mutated shortened fruit (sf). In this study, we first characterized sf based on morphology, histology, cytology and physiology. The sf was identified as a gibberellin (GA)-deficient mutant, and four complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries separately constructed from flower buds and small green fruits of YW and sf were sequenced to comparatively analyze transcriptome differences. A total of 29 differentially expressed GA pathway genes were identified by comparisons between YW1 and sf1, and 28 differentially expressed GA pathway genes were identified between YW2 and sf 2. In addition, the expression patterns of 45 differentially expressed genes were validated by quantificational real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and the results were highly concordant with the RNA-Seq results. This transcriptome analysis provides valuable information for understanding the molecular mechanisms of fruit development of strawberry.

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Heterotic loci identified for plant height and ear height using two CSSLs test populations in maize

WANG Hong-qiu, ZHANG Xiang-ge, YANG Hui-li, CHEN Yong-qiang, YUAN Liang, LI Wei-hua, LIU Zong-hua, TANG Ji-hua, KANG Ding-ming

2016, 15 (12): 2726-2735. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(16)61376-X

Abstract （1066） PDF in ScienceDirect

Heterosis is an important biological phenomenon, and it has been used to increase grain yield, quality and resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses in many crops. However, the genetic mechanism of heterosis remains unclear up to now. In this study, a set of 184 chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) population, which derived from two inbred lines lx9801 (the recurrent parent) and Chang 72 (the donor parent), were used as basal material to construct two test populations with the inbred lines Zheng 58 and Xun 9058. The two test populations were evaluated in two locations over two years, and the heterotic loci for plant height and ear height were identified by comparing the performance of each test hybrid with the corresponding CK at P<0.05 significant level using one-way ANOVA analysis and Duncan’s multiple comparisons. There were 24 and 29 different heterotic loci (HL) identified for plant height and ear height in the two populations at two locations over two years. Three HL (hlPH4a, hlPH7c, hlPH1b) for plant height and three (hlEH1d, hlEH6b, hlEH1b) for ear height were identified in the CSSLs×Zheng 58 and CSSLs×Xun 9058 populations as contributing highly to heterosis performance of plant height and ear height across four environments. Among the 29 HL identified for ear height, 12 HL (41.4%) shared the same chromosomal region associated with the HL (50.0%) identified for plant height in the same test population and environment.

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Genetic diversity center of cultivated soybean (Glycine max) in China - New insight and evidence for the diversity center of Chinese cultivated soybean

WANG Li-xia, LIN Fan-yun, LI Lin-hai, LI Wei, YAN Zhe, LUAN Wei-jiang, PIAO Ri-hua, GUAN Yuan, NING Xue-cheng, ZHU Li, MA Yan-song, DONG Zhi-min, ZHANG Hai-yan, ZHANG Yue-qiang, GUAN Rongxia, ......

2016, 15 (11): 2481-2487. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(15)61289-8

Abstract （1466） PDF in ScienceDirect

Information on the center of genetic diversity of soybean (Glycine max) will be helpful not only for designing efficient strategies for breeding programs, but also for understanding the domestication and origin of this species. Here, we describe an analysis of genetic diversity based on simple-sequence repeat (SSR) variations within a core collection of 2 111 accessions of Chinese soybean landraces. Prior to the diversity assessment, the geographic origin of each accession was mapped. The map was then divided into grids each 2.5° in latitude and 5° in longitude. We found two regions that had higher number of alleles (NA) and greater polymorphic information content (PIC) values than the others. These regions are adjacently located within grid position of 30°–35°N×105°–110°E, which includes the valley of the middle and lower reaches of the Wei River, and the valley of the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River. It was also observed that in many regions, genetic diversity decreased with the increase in distance from the center. Another region, in northern Hebei Province (115°–120°E×40°–42.5°N), was observed having higher diversity than any surrounding regions, indicating that this is a sub-center of soybean diversity. Based on the presented results, the domestication and origin of soybean are also discussed.

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Review grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency in rice production regions in China

CHE Sheng-guo, ZHAO Bing-qiang, LI Yan-ting, YUAN Liang, LI Wei, LIN Zhi-an, HU Shu-wen, SHEN Bing

2015, 14 (12): 2456-2466. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(15)61228-X

Abstract （1587） PDF in ScienceDirect

As one of the staple food crops, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is widely cultivated across China, which plays a critical role in guaranteeing national food security. Most previous studies on grain yield or/and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of rice in China often involved site-specific field experiments, or small regions with insufficient data, which limited the representation for the current rice production regions. In this study, a database covering a wide range of climate conditions, soil types and field managements across China, was developed to estimate rice grain yield and NUE in various rice production regions in China and to evaluate the relationships between N rates and grain yield, NUE. According to the database for rice, the values of grain yield, plant N accumulation, N harvest index (HIN), indigenous N supply (INS), internal N efficiency (IEN), reciprocal internal N efficiency (RIEN), agronomic N use efficiency (AEN), partial N factor productivity (PEPN), physiological N efficiency (PEN), and recover efficiency of applied N (REN) averaged 7.69 t ha–1, 152 kg ha–1, 0.64 kg kg–1, 94.1 kg kg–1, 53.9 kg kg–1, 1.98 kg kg–1, 12.6 kg kg–1, 48.6 kg kg–1, 33.8 kg kg–1, and 39.3%, respectively. However, the corresponding values all varied tremendously with large variation. Rice planting regions and N rates had significant influence on grain yield, N uptake and NUE values. Considering all observations, N rates of 200 to 250 kg ha–1 commonly achieved higher rice grain yield compared to less than 200 kg N ha–1 and more than 250 kg N ha–1 at most rice planting regions. At N rates of 200 to 250 kg ha–1, significant positive linear relationships were observed between rice grain yield and AEN, PEN, REN, IEN, and PFPN, and 46.49, 24.64, 7.94, 17.84, and 88.24% of the variation in AEN, PEN, REN, IEN, and PFPN could be explained by grain yield, respectively. In conclusion, in a reasonable range of N application, an increase in grain yield can be achieved accompanying by an acceptable NUE.

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Tissue distribution of deoxynivalenol in piglets following intravenous administration

DENG Xian-bai, DIN Huan-zhong, HUANG Xian-hui, MA Yong-jiang, FAN Xiao-long, YAN Hai-kuo, LU Pei-cheng, LI Wei-cheng, ZENG Zhen-ling

2015, 14 (10): 2058-2064. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(14)60942-4

Abstract （1187） PDF in ScienceDirect

Contamination of deoxynivalenol (DON) in grains is common worldwide and pigs are particularly susceptible to this mycotoxin. The distribution of DON in porcine tissues following intravenous administration was investigated in this study. Fifteen pigs were randomly divided into three groups. Animals in groups A and B were administrated with DON at the dose of 250 and 750 μg kg–1 body weight, respectively, while group C served as blank control. Plasma, bile and 27 tissues were collected at 30 min post-administration. DON concentrations in all samples were tested using high-performance liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). To observe the distribution of DON in tissues, these samples were further subjected to the immunohistochemical analyses. Totally, the bile and 13 tissues were sampled for DON-based detection, including kidney, mesenteric lymph nodes, muscle, stomach, jejunum, colon, plasma, spleen, rectum, cecum, liver, ileum, and duodenum. No significant difference was observed for the concentrations of DON in duodenum, ileum and liver samples between groups A and B; while the DON concentrations in cecum and rectum of group B were significantly higher (P-value <0.05) than those in group A. In addition, the DON concentrations in stomach, jejunum, colon, mesenteric lymph nodes, muscle, kidney, spleen, bile, and plasma of group B were remarkably higher than those of group A (P-value<0.01). Levels of DON in other 14 tissues including medulla oblongata, midbrain, diencephalon, pons, tip and tongue body, tongue, soft palate, tonsils, pharyngeal mucosa, oral buccal mucosa, thymus, thyroid, esophagus and adrenal gland were all below the limit of detection. The results of immunohistochemistry showed that 11 tissue samples (medullaoblongata, tonsil, adrenal medulla, thyroid gland, thyroid, stomach, duodenum, jejunum, kidney, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes) were positive and DON was mainly distributed around blood vessels in these tissues. Therefore, we believed that concentrations of DON in tissues differ when pigs are in exposure to various dosages and DON causes lesions in many pig tissues.

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