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Fast data preprocessing for chromatographic fingerprints of tomato cell wall polysaccharides using chemometric methods.

The variability in the chemistry of cell wall polysaccharides in pericarp tissue of red-ripe tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicon Mill.) was characterized by chemical methods and enzymatic degradations coupled to high performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) and mass spectrometry analysis. Large fruited line, Levovil (LEV) carrying introgressed chromosome fragments from a cherry tomato line Cervil (CER) on chromosomes 4 (LC4), 9 (LC9), or on chromosomes 1, 2, 4 and 9 (LCX) and containing quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for texture traits, was studied. In order to differentiate cell wall polysaccharide modifications in the tomato fruit collection by multivariate analysis, chromatograms were corrected for baseline drift and shift of the component elution time using an approach derived from image analysis and mathematical morphology. The baseline was first corrected by using a "moving window" approach while the peak-matching method developed was based upon location of peaks as local maxima within a window of a definite size. The fast chromatographic data preprocessing proposed was a prerequisite for the different chemometric treatments, such as variance and principal component analysis applied herein to the analysis. Applied to the tomato collection, the combined enzymatic degradations and HPAEC analyses revealed that the firm LCX and CER genotypes showed a higher proportion of glucuronoxylans and pectic arabinan side chains while the mealy LC9 genotype demonstrated the highest content of pectic galactan side chains. QTLs on tomato chromosomes 1, 2, 4 and 9 contain important genes controlling glucuronoxylan and pectic neutral side chains biosynthesis and/or metabolism.

Acetic Acid↗

Characterization of susceptibility and resistance responses to potato cyst nematode (Globodera spp.) infection of tomato lines in the absence and presence of the broad-spectrum nematode resistance Hero gene.

The tomato Hero A gene is the only member of a multigene family that confers a high level (>80%) of resistance to all the economically important pathotypes of potato cyst nematode (PCN) species Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida. Although the resistance levels of transgenic tomato lines were similar to those of the tomato line LA1792 containing the introgressed Hero multigene family, transgenic potato plants expressing the tomato Hero A gene are not resistant to PCNs. Comparative microscopy studies of in vitro infected roots of PCN-susceptible tomato cv. Money Maker, the resistant breeding line LA1792, and transgenic line L10 with Ro1 pathotype have revealed no statistically significant difference in the number of juveniles invading roots. However, syncytia (specialized feeding cells) induced in LA1792 and L10 roots mostly were found to have degenerated a few days after their induction, and a few surviving syncytia were able to support only the development of males rather than females. Thus, the ratio between males and females was biased towards males on LA1792 and L10 roots. A series of changes occur in resistant plants leading to formation of a layer of necrotic cells separating the syncytium from stellar conductive tissues and this is followed by degradation of the syncytium. Although the Hero A gene is expressed in all tissues, including roots, stems, leaves, and flower buds, its expression is upregulated in roots in response to PCN infection. Moreover, the expression profiles of the Hero A correlates with the timing of death of the syncytium.

Animals↗

Two broad-spectrum blast resistance genes, Pi9( t) and Pi2( t), are physically linked on rice chromosome 6.

To understand the molecular basis of broad-spectrum resistance to rice blast, fine-scale mapping of the two blast resistance (R) genes, Pi9( t) and Pi2( t), was conducted. These two genes were introgressed from different resistance donors, previously reported to confer resistance to many blast isolates in the Philippines, and were mapped to an approximately 10-cM interval on chromosome 6. To further test their resistance spectrum, 43 blast isolates collected from 13 countries were used to inoculate the Pi2( t) and Pi9( t) plants. Pi9( t)-bearing lines were highly resistant to all isolates tested, and lines carrying Pi2( t) were resistant to 36 isolates, confirming the broad-spectrum resistance of these two genes to diverse blast isolates. Three RAPD markers tightly linked to Pi9( t) were identified using the bulk segregant analysis technique. Twelve positive bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones were identified and a BAC contig covering about 100 kb was constructed when the Pi9( t) BAC library was screened with one of the markers. A high-resolution map of Pi9( t) was constructed using BAC ends. The Pi2( t) gene was tightly linked to all of the Pi9( t) markers in 450 F(2) plants. These data suggest that Pi9( t) and Pi2( t) are either allelic or tightly linked in an approximately 100-kb region. The mapping results for Pi9( t) and Pi2( t) provide essential information for the positional cloning of these two important blast resistance genes in rice.

Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial↗

Fitness of backcross six of hybrids between transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum).

The process of introgression between a transgenic crop modified for better agronomic characters and a wild relative could lead potentially to increased weediness and adaptation to the environment of the wild species. However, the formation of hybrid and hybrid progeny could be associated with functional imbalance and low fitness, which reduces the risk of gene escape and establishment of the wild species in the field. Our work compares the fitness components of parents and different types of backcross in the sixth generation of hybrids between transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus, AACC, 2n = 38) resistant to the herbicide glufosinate and wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum, RrRr, 2n = 18). The backcross with oilseed rape cytoplasm (OBC) has a fitness value 100 times lower than that of the backcross with wild radish cytoplasm (RBC). The herbicide-resistant RBC has similar growth to the susceptible RBC, but final male and female fitness values are two times lower. In turn, susceptible RBC exhibit similar fitness to the control wild radishes. The relative fitnesses of the different types are the same whether or not they grow under competitive conditions. The consequence on fitness of the chromosome location of the transgene conferring resistance and the relevance of these results to the impact of gene flow on the environment are discussed.

Brassica napus↗

Gene flow among different taxonomic units: evidence from nuclear and cytoplasmic markers in Cedrus plantation forests.

Hybridization and introgression are important natural evolutionary processes that can be successfully investigated using molecular markers and open- and controlled-pollinated progeny. In this study, we collected open-pollinated seeds from Cedrus atlantica, Cedrus libani and C. libani x C. atlantica hybrids from three French-plantation forests. We also used pollen from C. libani and Cedrus brevifolia to pollinate C. atlantica trees. The progeny were analyzed using three different types of molecular markers: RAPDs, AFLPs and cpSSRs. Chloroplast DNA was found to be paternally inherited in Cedrus from the progeny of controlled-crosses. Heteroplasmy, although possible, could not be undoubtedly detected. There was no indication of strong reproductive isolating barriers among the three Mediterranean Cedrus taxa. Gene flow between C. atlantica and C. libani accounted for 67 to 81% of viable open-pollinated seedlings in two plantation forests. We propose that Mediterranean Cedrus taxa should be considered as units of a single collective species comprising two regional groups, North Africa and the Middle East. We recommend the use of cpSSRs for monitoring gene flow between taxa in plantation forests, especially in areas where garden specimens of one species are planted in the vicinity of selected seed-stands and gene-conservation reserves of another species.

Cedrus↗

Geological history and within-island diversity: a debris avalanche and the Tenerife lizard Gallotia galloti.

Several processes have been described that could explain geographical variation and speciation within small islands, including fragmentation of populations through volcanic eruptions. Massive landslides, or debris avalanches, could cause similar effects. Here we analyse the potential impact of the 0.8 million-year-ago (Ma) Güimar valley debris avalanche on the phylogeography of the lizard Gallotia galloti on the Canary Island of Tenerife. Distributions of mitochondrial DNA lineages (based on cytochrome b sequences) were analysed on a 60-km southeastern coast transect centred on this area. Three main clades were detected, which can be divided into northern (one clade) and southern (two clades) groups that introgress across the valley. Maximum-likelihood estimates of migration rates (scaled for mutation rate) revealed highly asymmetric patterns, indicating that long-term gene flow into this region from both the northern and the southern populations greatly exceeded that in the opposite directions, consistent with recolonization of the area. The ancestral Tenerife node on the G. galloti tree is estimated at 0.80 Ma, matching closely with the geological estimate for the debris avalanche. Morphological variation (body dimensions and scalation) was also analysed and indicated a stepped cline in female scalation across the valley, although the patterns for male scalation and male and female body dimensions were not as clear. Together these findings provide support for the hypothesis that the debris avalanche has shaped the phylogeography of G. galloti and may even have been a primary cause of the within-island cladogenesis through population fragmentation and isolation. Current estimates of timing of island unification mean that the original hypothesis that within-island diversity is explained by the secondary contact of populations from the two ancient precursor islands of Teno and Anaga is less plausible for this and some other Tenerife species. Large-scale landslides have occurred on many volcanic islands, and so may have been instrumental in shaping within-island diversities.

Animal Migration↗

Diploids derived from polyploids: genetic characteristics of four novel interspecific Sorghum populations.

Polyploidy has repeatedly shaped grass evolution, yet direct observations of how polyploid-derived chromosomes behave when returned to diploidy remain rare. Interspecific crosses between diploid Sorghum bicolor and tetraploid hybrids derived from Sorghum halepense generate mixed-ploidy progeny, providing an opportunity to examine chromosome transmission during the early stages of diploidization. Using genome-wide SNP markers, we characterized chromosomal inheritance patterns in 2 diploid and 2 tetraploid families derived from these crosses. Genotype-dosage profiles alone distinguished diploids from tetraploids with complete accuracy, reflecting strong ploidy-dependent differences in dosage-class distributions. Although diploid progeny retained much of the halepense-derived genomic background, several genomic intervals exhibited extended, nonrandom runs of S. bicolor homozygosity that remained polymorphic in corresponding tetraploid populations. These patterns, together with recurrent segregation distortion across independent families, suggest that the transition from tetraploidy to diploidy can expose allelic combinations that differ in transmission or viability. Analyses of flowering time further indicated that diploid and tetraploid derivatives possess distinct genomic architectures, with major association peaks occurring in different chromosomal regions across ploidy levels. Collectively, these results indicate that early diploidization involves nonrandom retention and loss of parental haplotypes shaped by both selective and structural constraints. The diploid extractions characterized here provide a rare empirical system for investigating the early stages of diploidization and a practical framework for studying and eventually mobilizing polyploid-derived variation for sorghum germplasm development. However, broader integration into elite breeding programs will require additional evaluation of cross-fertility, meiotic behavior, and chromosomal stability across diverse breeding backgrounds.

Sorghum↗

Marker-assisted introgression of the Compact mutant myostatin allele MstnCmpt-dl1Abc into a mouse line with extreme growth effects on body composition and muscularity.

Myostatin is a negative regulator of muscle growth and mutations in its gene lead to muscular hypertrophy and reduced fat. In cattle, this is seen in 'double muscled' breeds. We have used marker-assisted introgression to introduce a murine myostatin mutation, MstnCmpt-dl1Abc [Compact (C)], into an inbred line of mice (DUHi) that had been selected on body weight and had exceptional growth. Compared with homozygous wild-type mice, homozygous (C/C) mice of this line were approximately 4-5 % lighter, had approximately 7-8 % shorter tails, substantially increased muscle weights (e.g. quadriceps muscle in males was 59 % heavier) and an increased 'dressing percentage' (approximately 49 % vs 39 %), an indicator of overall muscularity. The weights of several organs (e.g. liver, kidney, heart and digestive tract) were significantly reduced, by 12-20 %. Myostatin deficiency also resulted in drastic reductions of total body fat and of various fat depots, total body fat proportion falling from approximately 17.5 % in wild-type animals of both sexes to 9.5 % and 11.6% in homozygous (C/C) females and males, respectively. Males with a deficiency in myostatin had higher gains in muscle traits than females. Additionally, there was a strong distortion of the segregation ratio on the DUHi background. Of 838 genotyped pups from inter se matings 29 %, 63 % and 8 % were homozygous wild type (+/+), heterozygous (C/+) and homozygous (C/C), respectively, showing that MstnCmpt-dl1Abc has lower fitness on this background. This line, when congenic, will be a useful resource in gene expression studies and for finding modifying genes.

Alleles↗

QTLs mapping for fruit size and shape in chromosomes 2 and 4 in pepper and a comparison of the pepper QTL map with that of tomato.

Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping for fruit weight and shape in pepper (Capsicum spp.) was performed using C. chinense and C. frutescens introgression lines of chromosomes 2 and 4. In chromosome 2, a single major fruit-weight QTL, fw2.1, was detected in both populations that explained 62% of the trait variation. This QTL, as well as a fruit-shape QTL, fs2.1, which had a more minor effect, were localized to the tomato fruit-shape gene ovate. The cloned tomato fruit-weight QTL, fw2.2, did not play a major role in controlling fruit size variations in pepper. In chromosome 4, two fruit-weight QTLs, fw4.1 and fw4.2, were detected in the same genomic regions in both mapping populations. In addition, a single fruit-shape QTL was detected in each of the mapping populations that co-localized with one of the fruit-weight QTLs, suggesting pleiotropy or close linkage of the genes controlling size and shape. fw2.1 and fw4.2 represent major fruit-weight QTLs that are conserved in the three Capsicum species analyzed to date for fruit-size variations. Co-localization of the pepper QTLs with QTLs identified for similar traits in tomato suggests that the pepper and tomato QTLs are orthologous. Compared to fruit-shape QTLs, fruit-weight QTLs were more often conserved between pepper and tomato. This implies that different modes of selection were employed for these traits during domestication of the two Solanaceae species.

Capsicum↗

Fine-mapping of the BaMMV, BaYMV-1 and BaYMV-2 resistance of barley (Hordeum vulgare) accession PI1963.

Barley yellow mosaic disease caused by the bymoviruses barley mild mosaic virus (BaMMV) and barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV) is one of the economically most important diseases of winter barley in Europe. In European barley breeding programmes, resistance is currently due to only two genes-rym4, which is effective against viruses BaMMV and BaYMV-1, and rym5, which is effective against BaYMV-2. Diversification of resistance is therefore an important task. Because the accession PI1963 confers immunity against all European strains of barley yellow mosaic disease and is not allelic to rym5, we have attempted to develop closely linked markers in order to facilitate the efficient introgression of this resistance into adapted germplasm. By means of restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, we located a gene locus for resistance to BaMMV, BaYMV-1 and BaYMV-2 of PI1963 on chromosome 4HL using a mapping population (W757) comprising 57 doubled haploid (DH) lines. Subsequent tests for allelism indicated that the BaMMV resistance gene in PI1963 is allelic to rym11. Two DH populations, IPK1 and IPK2, comprising 191 and 161 DH lines, respectively, were derived from the initial mapping population W757 and used for further analysis. As random amplified polymorphic DNA development did not facilitate the identification of more closely linked markers, simple sequence repeat (SSR) analyses were conducted. For population IPK1, the closest SSRs detected were Bmac181 and Bmag353, which flank the gene at 2.1 cM and 2.7 cM, respectively. For the IPK2 population, the SSR markers HVM3 and Bmag353 are located proximally at 2.5 cM and distally at 8.2 cM, respectively. In order to develop markers more tightly linked to rym11, a targeted amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker identification approach was adopted using bulks comprising lines carrying recombination events proximal and distal to the target interval. Using this approach we identified six AFLP markers closely linked to rym11, with the two markers, E56M32 and E49M33, co-segregating with rym11 in both populations. The SSRs and AFLPs identified in this study represent useful tools for marker-assisted selection.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Tandem constructs to mitigate transgene persistence: tobacco as a model.

Some transgenic crops can introgress genes into other varieties of the crop, to related weeds or themselves remain as 'volunteer' weeds, potentially enhancing the invasiveness or weediness of the resulting offspring. The presently suggested mechanisms for transgene containment allow low frequency of gene release (leakage), requiring the mitigation of continued spread. Transgenic mitigation (TM), where a desired primary gene is tandemly coupled with mitigating genes that are positive or neutral to the crop but deleterious to hybrids and their progeny, was tested as a mechanism to mitigate transgene introgression. Dwarfism, which typically increases crop yield while decreasing the ability to compete, was used as a mitigator. A construct of a dominant ahasR (acetohydroxy acid synthase) gene conferring herbicide resistance in tandem with the semidominant mitigator dwarfing Delta gai (gibberellic acid-insensitive) gene was transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). The integration and the phenotypic stability of the tandemly linked ahasR and Delta gai genomic inserts in later generations were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. The hemizygous semidwarf imazapyr-resistant TM T1 (= BC1) transgenic plants were weak competitors when cocultivated with wild type segregants under greenhouse conditions and without using the herbicide. The competition was most intense at close spacings typical of weed offspring. Most dwarf plants interspersed with wild type died at 1-cm, > 70% at 2.5-cm and 45% at 5-cm spacing, and the dwarf survivors formed no flowers. At 10-cm spacing, where few TM plants died, only those TM plants growing at the periphery of the large cultivation containers formed flowers, after the wild type plants terminated growth. The highest reproductive TM fitness relative to the wild type was 17%. The results demonstrate the suppression of crop-weed hybrids when competing with wild type weeds, or such crops as volunteer weeds, in seasons when the selector (herbicide) is not used. The linked unfitness would be continuously manifested in future generations, keeping the transgene at a low frequency.

Acetolactate Synthase↗

Mapping a sex hormone-sensitive gene determining female resistance to liver carcinogenesis in a congenic F344.BN-Hcs4 rat.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is prevalent in human and rodent males. Hepatocarcinogenesis is controlled by various genes in susceptible F344 and resistant Brown Norway (BN) rats. B alleles at Hcs4 locus, on RNO16, control neoplastic nodule volume. We constructed the F344.BN-Hcs4 recombinant congenic strain (RCS) by introgressing a 4.41-cM portion of Hcs4 from BN strain in an isogenic F344 background. Preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions were induced by the "resistant hepatocyte" protocol. Eight weeks after initiation, lesion volume and positivity for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were much higher in lesions of F344 than BN rats of both sexes. These variables were lower in females than in males. Lesion volume and PCNA values of male RCS were similar to those of F344 rats, but in females corresponded to those of BN females. Carcinomatous nodules and HCC developed at 32 and 60 weeks, respectively, in male F344 and congenics and, rarely, in F344 females. BN and congenic females developed only eosinophilic/clear cells nodules. Gonadectomy of congenic males, followed by beta-estradiol administration, caused a decrease in Ar expression, an increase in Er-alpha expression, and development of preneoplastic lesions comparable to those from BN females. Administration of testosterone to gonadectomized females led to Ar increase and development of preneoplastic lesions as in F344 males. This indicates a role of homozygous B alleles at Hcs4 in the determination of phenotypic patterns of female RCS and presence at Hcs4 locus of a high penetrance gene(s), activated by estrogens and inhibited/unaffected by testosterone, conferring resistance to females in which the B alleles provide higher resistance.

Animals↗

[Accelerated improvement of bacterial blight resistance of 'Shuhui527' using molecular marker-assisted selection].

'Shuhui527' is a promising restorer line bred by Rice Research Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University in recent years. However, this line is susceptible to Bacterial Blight (BB), which limits its use. The IRBB60, from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), contains dominant genes Xa21 and Xa4 conferring resistance to BB. The objective of this study is to improve the BB resistance of 'Shuhui527' by introgressing Xa21 and Xa4, the two broad-spectrum BB resistance genes, into 'Shuhui527' with IRBB60 as the donor, pTA248 and MP12, linking tightly with Xa21 and Xa4 respectively as DNA markers. BC1 F1 progenies of (Shuhui527 x IRBB60), containing Xa21 and Xa4 identified using PCR screening and with agronomic traits including plant type, grain type and days to heading etc similar to those of 'Shuhui527', were subsequently backcrossed to 'Shuhui527' and self-pollinated to generate BC2 F1 and BC1 F2 . The BC3 F1 and BC3 F2 were subsequently developed using the same approach. Among the 20 BC3 F2 plants, homozygous Xa21 and Xa4,10 plants were the most similar to 'Shuhui527' in the agronomic traits, and were screened using 120 pairs SSR and 100 pairs RAPD markers. Based on the results of the background screening and the performance of the agronomic traits, 5 plants were identified as improved-'Shuhui527' and designated as 527R-5, 527R-6, 527R-8, 527R-9 and 527R-10. The improved-' Shuhui527' lines expressed high resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv . oryzae (Xoo) stains C I - C VII, P1 and P6. The evaluation of the polymorphisms and selection accuracies of pTA248 and MP12 demonstrated that the polymorphisms of the two markers were obvious and co-dominant and the accuracies were more than 97% and 83% respectively, indicating the two markers are good for Xa21 and Xa4 in Molecular Marker-assisted Selection.

Genes, Plant↗

Molecular mapping of the Rf1 gene restoring pollen fertility in PET1-based F1 hybrids in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).

Up to now a single cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) source, PET1, is used worldwide for hybrid breeding in sunflower. Introgression of the restorer gene Rf1, responsible for fertility restoration, into new breeding material requires tightly linked markers to perform an efficient marker-assisted selection. A survey of 520 decamer primers by bulked segregant analyses identified five RAPD markers linked to the restorer gene Rf1. In a F(2) population of 183 individuals one of the RAPD markers, OPK13_454, mapped 0.8 cM from Rf1, followed by OPY10_740 with 2 cM. Bulked segregant analyses using 48 AFLP primer combinations identified 17 polymorphisms, which could be mapped in the same linkage group as Rf1. E33M61_136, and E41M48_113 were mapped 0.3 cM and 1.6 cM from the gene, respectively. Conversion of E41M48_113 into a sequence-specific marker resulted in a monomorphic pattern. However, two of the RAPD markers, OPK13_454 and OPY10_740, were successfully converted into SCAR markers, HRG01 and HRG02, which are now available for marker-assisted selection. To investigate the utility of these SCAR markers in other cross-combinations they were tested in a set of 20 lines. Comparison of the patterns of 11 restorer and nine maintainer lines of PET1 demonstrated that the markers OPK13_454/HRG01 and HRG02 were absent in all maintainer lines but present in all restorer lines, apart from the high oleic line RHA348 and the dwarf line Gio55. In addition, restorer lines developed from the interspecific hybrids Helianthus annuus x Helianthus mollis and H. annuus x Helianthus rigidus gave the same characteristic amplification products.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Cladosporium fulvum circumvents the second functional resistance gene homologue at the Cf-4 locus (Hcr9-4E ) by secretion of a stable avr4E isoform.

Introgression of resistance trait Cf-4 from wild tomato species into tomato cultivar MoneyMaker (MM-Cf0) has resulted in the near-isogenic line MM-Cf4 that confers resistance to the fungal tomato pathogen Cladosporium fulvum. At the Cf-4 locus, five homologues of Cladosporium resistance gene Cf-9 (Hcr9s) are present. While Hcr9-4D represents the functional Cf-4 resistance gene matching Avr4, Hcr9-4E confers resistance towards C. fulvum by mediating recognition of the novel avirulence determinant Avr4E. Here, we report the isolation of the Avr4E gene, which encodes a cysteine-rich protein of 101 amino acids that is secreted by C. fulvum during colonization of the apoplastic space of tomato leaves. By complementation we show that Avr4E confers avirulence to strains of C. fulvum that are normally virulent on Hcr9-4E-transgenic plants, indicating that Avr4E is a genuine, race-specific avirulence determinant. Strains of C. fulvum evade Hcr9-4E-mediated resistance either by a deletion of the Avr4E gene or by production of a stable Avr4E mutant protein that carries two amino acid substitutions, Phe(82)Leu and Met(93)Thr. Moreover, we demonstrate by site-directed mutagenesis that the single amino acid substitution Phe(82)Leu in Avr4E is sufficient to evade Hcr9-4E-mediated resistance.

Cladosporium↗

Physical mapping and putative candidate gene identification of a quantitative trait locus Ctb1 for cold tolerance at the booting stage of rice.

Norin-PL8 is a cold-tolerant variety of rice (Oryza sativa L.) that was developed by introgressing chromosomal segments from a cold-tolerant tropical japonica variety, Silewah, into a template japonica variety, Hokkai241. We previously identified two closely linked quantitative trait loci, Ctb1 and Ctb2, for cold tolerance at the booting stage of Norin-PL8 in the long arm of chromosome 4. We report here the physical mapping of Ctb1 and the identification of the candidate genes. A total of 2,008 segregating individuals were screened for recombination in the Ctb1 region by a PCR-based screening, and a series of near-isogenic lines (NILs) were developed from progenies of recombinants. A comparison of the degrees of cold tolerance of the NILs indicated that Ctb1 is located in the 56-kb region covered by a bacterial artificial chromosome clone, OSJNBa0058 K23, that had been sequenced by the International Rice Genome Sequence Project. We found seven open reading frames (ORFs) in the 56-kb region. Two ORFs encoded receptor-like protein kinases that are possibly involved in signal transduction pathways. Proteins that may be associated with a ubiquitin-proteasome pathway were encoded by three ORFs, two of which encoded F-box proteins and one of which encoded a protein with a BAG domain. The other two ORFs encoded a protein with an OTU domain and an unknown protein. We were also able to show that Ctb1 is likely to be associated with anther length, which is one of major factors in cold tolerance at the booting stage.

Blotting, Southern↗

Effects of the compact mutant myostatin allele Mstn (Cmpt-dl1Abc) introgressed into a high growth mouse line on skeletal muscle cellularity.

The murine myostatin mutation Mstn(Cmpt-dl1Abc) (Compact; C) was introduced into an inbred mouse line with extreme growth (DUHi) by marker-assisted introgression. To study the allelic effects on muscle fibre hyperplasia and hypertrophy, myonuclear proliferation, protein accretion, capillary density, and muscle fibre metabolism, samples from M. rectus femoris (RF) and M. longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles of animals wild-type (+/+), heterozygous (C/+), and homozygous (C/C) for the Mstn(Cmpt-dl1Abc) allele were examined by histological and biochemical analyses. Homozygous C/C mice exhibited lower body (-12%) but higher muscle weights (+38%) than ++ mice. Total muscle fibre number was increased (+24%), whereas fibre size was not significantly affected. Protein and DNA concentrations and DNA:protein ratios as well as specific CK activity remained unchanged for higher mass muscle implying increases in the total contents of DNA and muscle specific protein. Fibre type distribution was markedly shifted to the white glycolytic muscle fibres (+16-17% units) at the expense of red oxidative fibres. Capillary density was substantially lower in C/C than in ++ mice as seen by lower number of capillaries per fibre (-35%) and larger fibre area per capillary (+77%). However, the Mstn(Cmpt-dl1Abc) allele was partially recessive in heterozygous C/+ mice for both fibre type frequencies and capillary density. The results show that hypermuscularity caused by mutations in the myostatin gene results from muscle fibre hyperplasia rather than hypertrophy, and from balanced increases in myonuclear proliferation and protein accretion. However, capillary supply is adversely affected and muscle metabolism shifted towards glycolysis, which could have negative consequences for physical fitness.

Alleles↗

A comparative mitogenomic analysis of the potential adaptive value of Arctic charr mtDNA introgression in brook charr populations (Salvelinus fontinalis Mitchill).

Wild brook charr populations (Salvelinus fontinalis) completely introgressed with the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) of arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) are found in several lakes of northeastern Québec, Canada. Mitochondrial respiratory enzymes of these populations are thus encoded by their own nuclear DNA and by arctic charr mtDNA. In the present study we performed a comparative sequence analysis of the whole mitochondrial genome of both brook and arctic charr to identify the distribution of mutational differences across these two genomes. This analysis revealed 47 amino acid replacements, 45 of which were confined to subunits of the NADH dehydrogenase complex (Complex I), one in the cox3 gene (Complex IV), and one in the atp8 gene (Complex V). A cladistic approach performed with brook charr, arctic charr, and two other salmonid fishes (rainbow trout [Oncorhynchus mykiss] and Atlantic salmon [Salmo salar]) revealed that only five amino acid replacements were specific to the charr comparison and not shared with the other two salmonids. In addition, five amino acid substitutions localized in the nad2 and nad5 genes denoted negative scores according to the functional properties of amino acids and, therefore, could possibly have an impact on the structure and functional properties of these mitochondrial peptides. The comparison of both brook and arctic charr mtDNA with that of rainbow trout also revealed a relatively constant mutation rate for each specific gene among species, whereas the rate was quite different among genes. This pattern held for both synonymous and nonsynonymous nucleotide positions. These results, therefore, support the hypothesis of selective constraints acting on synonymous codon usage.

Amino Acid Substitution↗