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Two phytochrome B genes were cloned in Maize (Zea May. L) B73 (ZmPhyB1 and ZmPhyB2), and encoded protein structure were analyzed, the results showed that both proteins had 6 conservative coding domains which were analogues among a number of other species and some distinguish existed in two protein. The expression patterns of two genes under different light conditions and in varying tissues were analyzed using semi-quantitative reversed transcript polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. The results showed that their expression patterns differs from that of phytochrome B in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtPhyB), which may result from the evolutionary diversity between monocots and dicots. Tissue-specific expression analysis showed large differences between their tissue expression patterns. We speculated that the two genes might be involved in feedback regulation in response to environmental factors such as dark, hormone etc.

Assessment of yield stability is an important issue for maize (Zea mays L.) cultivar evaluation and recommendation. Many parametric procedures are available for stability analysis, each of them allowing for different interpretations. The objective of the present study was to assess yield stability of maize hybrids evaluated in the National Maize Cultivar Regional Trials in southwestern China using 20 parametric stability statistics proposed by various authors at different times, and to investigate their interrelationships. Two yield datasets were obtained from the 2003 and 2004 national maize cultivar regional trials in southwestern China. A combined analysis of variance, stability statistics, and rank correlations among these stability statistics were determined. Effects of location, cultivar, and cultivar by location interaction were highly significant (P

Analysis of multi-environment trials (METs) of crops for the evaluation and recommendation of varieties is an important issue in plant breeding research. Evaluating on the both stability of performance and high yield is essential in MET analyses. The objective of the present investigation was to compare 11 nonparametric stability statistics and apply nonparametric tests for genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) to 14 maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes grown at 25 locations in southwestern China during 2005. Results of nonparametric tests of GEI and a combined ANOVA across locations showed that both crossover and noncrossover GEI, and genotypes varied highly significantly for yield. The results of principal component analysis, correlation analysis of nonparametric statistics, and yield indicated the nonparametric statistics grouped as four distinct classes that corresponded to different agronomic and biological concepts of stability. Furthermore, high values of TOP and low values of rank-sum were associated with high mean yield, but the other nonparametric statistics were not positively correlated with mean yield. Therefore, only rank-sum and TOP methods would be useful for simultaneously selection for high yield and stability. These two statistics recommended JY686 and HX168 as desirable and ND108, CM12, CN36, and NK6661 as undesirable genotypes.

The waxy (wx) locus of Zea mays L. encodes a granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS I=waxy protein) required for the synthesis of amylose in endosperm and pollen grain. This review covers recent advances in understanding the waxy locus in maize, focusing particularly on the new information on mutant type and mutation mechanisms. The results showed that the insertion and deletion played an important role in the generation of spontaneous wx-mutations. The current status of utilizing waxy locus has been summarized and the perspectives of the further studies on this locus have also been proposed.

Waxy maize is a special type of cultivated maize and has grown in China for long history. However, the evolution and origin of waxy maize still remain unknown. We analyzed the origin and evolution of waxy maize by sampling DNA sequences from four taxa with eight populations: waxy maize and other maize cultivars from Southwest China or America (Zea mays L. ssp. mays), parviglumis (Z.mays L. ssp.parviglumis Iltis et Doebley), three more distant species within this genus (Z. luxurians (Durieu et Ascherson) Bird, Zea perennis (Hitchcock) Reeves et Mangelsdorf, and Zea diploperennis Iltis, Doebley et Guzman), and a representative of sister genus (Tripsacum dactyloides L.). We sequenced 20 sequences and downloaded 26 sequences from NCBI for the glb1 locus, which encodes a nonessential seed storage protein. Within the Zea genus samples, the waxy maize has the minimum sequence diversity, which contains 31.1% of the level of diversity of parviglumis and 58.5% of the level of diversity of normal maize from Southwest China. Sequence variation within glb1 locus is consistent with neutral evolution in all four taxa according to Tajima’D test. From the NJ tree for glb1 sequences waxy maize formed two main groups which are intermixed with normal maize sequences. These results suggest that the Chinese waxy maize originate from a single gene mutation from normal maize. Combined with the history of maize dispersal in China we can even think that Chinese waxy maize was divergenced from Chinese flint maize.

In the present study, we investigated the systematically induced production of defense-related compounds, including DIMBOA, total phenol, trypsin inhibitors (TI) and chymotrypsin inhibitor (CI), by Tetranychus cinnabarinus infestation in Zea mays. The first leaves of two corn in-bred line seedlings, the mite-tolerant line ' H1014168' and the mite-sensitive line 'H1014591', were sucked by T. cinnabarinus adult female for seven days, and then the contents of DIMBOA, total phenol, TI and CI were measured in the second leaf and in the roots, respectively. Results showed that as compared to the unsucked control, all contents of DIMBOA, total phenol, TI and CI induced by T. cinnabarinus sucking were significantly higher in the second leaf of both inbred lines as well as in the roots of the mite-tolerant 'H1014168'. However, in the roots of 'H1014591', these defense compounds had different trends, where there was a higher induction of TI and a lower level of total phenol than that of the healthy control, while had almost no difference in DIMBOA and CI. These findings suggested that the infestation of T. cinnabarinus could systematically induce accumulation of defense-related compounds, and this effect was stronger in the mite-tolerant inbred line than in the mite-sensitive inbred line.

A new species, Dendrobium bannaense, is described from Yunnan, China, based on the molecular and morphological evidence. It belongs to section Dendrobium according to analysis of combined nrITS and plastid datasets (matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA, and trnL intron). Morphological analysis reveals that D. bannaense is similar to D. parishii, but differs in having a white lip with purplish stripes and without a deep purple blotch on either side; the disk is with 3 longitudinal ridges, extending from base to upper-middle part, and lower-middle part is thickened and swell as callus shape at the joint of lip and claw.

Transcriptional regulation of defense gene expression is a crucial part of plant defense responses in plant defense environment stresses. As one of the largest plant transcription factor families, MYB (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral on-cogene homolog) transcription factors play an important role in plant stress tolerance. In this paper, we review the structural features, functional characterization and molecular mechanism of MYB transcription factor family, and discuss the regula-tory roles of transcription factors in plant defense responses.

Amylose, amylopectin and starch dynamic accumulation and key enzymes activities in the grains of 4 maize inbred lines (two high-starch ones and two low-starch ones) were studied. The amounts of amylose, amylopectin and starch in the grains of 4 maize inbred lines increased as sigmoid curves during grain filling period. The changes in amylose, amylopectin and starch accumulation rates followed single-peaked curves, and reached their peaks in the 25-30 days after pollination (DAP). Changes in activities of adenosine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase (ADPG-PPase, EC 2.7.7.27), soluble starch synthase (SSS, EC 2.4.1.21) and starch granule-bound synthase (GBSS, EC 2.4.1.21) in the grains of 4 inbred lines appeared single-peaked curves with the peaks appearing 20-30 DAP. Changes in activities of starch-branching enzyme (Q-enzyme, EC 2.4.1.18) in the grains of high-starch inbred lines appeared single-peaked curves with the peak values at 20 DAP, while the two low-starch inbred lines showed double-peaked curves with the peak values in the 15-20 DAP and 30-35 DAP. There was significant correlation between ADPG-PPase, SSS and GBSS activities. The results indicated that the Q-enzyme had different expression in high- and low-starch maize inbred lines, and verified that ADPG-PPase, SSS and GBSS activities were significantly and positively correlated with amylose, amylopectin and starch accumulation rates.

Streptomyces coelicolor is the model species among streptomycetes. Until now, proteomic analyses of S. coelicolor have been conducted using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry method, few integral membrane proteins were identified due to the hydrophobic and low-abundance nature of these proteins. In this work, 154 possible inner membrane proteins from S. coelicolor were identified using high pH-proteinase K sample preparation method and multidimensional protein identification technology, among them 44 are integral membrane proteins containing at least one transmembrane domain, most peptides and their corresponding proteins were identified experimentally for the first time.

Genus Zea. L was composed of two sections: sect. Luxuriantes DoebleyIltis including Z. dipperennis, Z. luxurians and Z. perennis, and sect. Zea. mays consisting only one species, annual Z. mays. To improve the biodiversity of germ-plasm in maize breeding, the study of transferring maize relatives gene into common maize were performed. Firstly, interspecific hybrids between maize (Zea. L) (2n = 20) and Z. perennis (2n = 40) were produced with the aim of transferring desirable horticultural traits from Z. perennis to maize. The F1 of maize x Z. perennis (2n = 30) plant had the most frequent configuration of 5 III + 5 II + 5 I, which were sterile and difficult to produce progeny because of genomic affinities. However,few F2 individuals of maize x Z. perennis could be obtained by some specially treatments, and one maize-like F2 plant were obtained, which were used as a female parent in backcrossing with maize parent. Twelve F2 x P1 ( BC1 F2 ) plants were obtained and then self-crossed to produce self-crossing generation of F2 x P1 (2n = 20) ( BC1 F3). The phenotypic characters of parents, F1 (2n = 30) hybrids, F2 and F2 x P1 were investigated, such as plant height, flowering, leaf shape and tillers. To further verify the genomic organization of maize-Z. perennis material, maize (inbred line 48-2) and BC1 F3 chromosomes, the root tip cells were analyzed by Multi-color GISH. We probed maize and BC1 F3 chromosomes with the probe mixture containing biotin-labeled Z. perennis genomic DNA and digoxigenin-labeled maize genomic DNA, the maize spread exhibited 10 chromosomes with yellow signals and the other 10 chromosomes carried green fluorescing bands. However, although the BC1 F3 was 2n = 20 in all cases. Multi-color GISH images revealed that 17 chromosomes had uniform signals similar to maize chromosomes, but dispersed red signals over the remaining three chromosomes were observed, which indicated that the 3 chromosomes originated from Z. perennis, and they were smaller than maize chromosomes. Data obtained from multi-color GISH images indicated that BC1 F3 was probably a substituted material from maize-Z. perennis.

Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora CSDS001 elicits hypersensitive reaction (HR) in tobacco. From the genomic libraries of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora CSDS001, the hrpNCSDS001 gene (GenBank number AY939927), was isolated. The hrpNCSDS001 fusion protein was produced in Escherichia coli, and was used to induce HR by injecting into tobacco. We further examined the global regulation of Arabidopsis thaliana genes in response to HarpinCSDS001 at a concentration of 30 miccrog/mL. We indicated that 912, 1787, 2393, 1833 and 1,755 genes that were regulated significantly (log ratioor=-1 oror=1) at 3 h, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h and 48 h respectively after the treatment. Analysis of some transcription factors (TF) showed that 13 TF families responded to HarpinCSDS001 including ZIM, BES1, TCP, C2C2, AP2/EREBP, WRKY, bHLH, bZIP, GARP, MYB, NAC, HB, C2H2. These families mainly function in biological processes of plant defense, pho-tosynthesisdevelopment and flowering.