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Cross-pollination and high cross-compatibility are frequently found in many cruciferous plants, which implies that there might be potential risk of alien gene flow among crucifers. In this work, the alien glyphosate-resistant gene flow between GM (Genetically modified) rapeseed variety Q3 (Brassica napus) and 6 varieties from 5 cruciferous species was assessed by sexual compatibility through aniline blue fluorescence observation, manual cross, mentor pollination with the mixture pollen and DNA identification. The results indicated that the compatibility indices of two B. napus varieties, B. juncea var. multiceps Tsen et Lee and Chinese cabbage (B. chinensis) (as female) with Q3 (as male) were 16.15, 12.77, 2.345 and 0.85, respectively. F1 plants were examined by PCR and all of these samples were confirmed as positive. Crossing between Orychophragmus violaceus, Descurainia sophia (as female) and Q3 (as male) expressed high cross-incompatibility. Fluorescence microscope observation indicated that growing of pollen tube terminated at the upper 1/3 part of the style of O. violaceus and on the stigma surface of D. sophia. The mentor plants were further analyzed by PCR and all were shown to be negative. Under the neighboring growth and natural pollination conditions, the rates of gene flow to two B. napus varieties were 2.3278% and 2.1487%, respectively, B. juncea var. multiceps Tsen et Lee and Chinese cabbage were 1.0157% and 0.9236%, respectively. No gene flow was observed in O. violaceus and D. sophia. Frequency of gene flow was highly correlated with sexual compatibility. Due to possible alien gene flow among crucifers, special consideration and care should be taken to grow GM rapeseed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperature (temperature over 35 °C) is an extremely important environmental factor that affects the maize grain quality in Southern China. The effects of heat stress after pollination on grain protein and starch deposition and activities of involved enzymes were studied in a pot trail in 2014 and 2015. Results showed that grain dry weight reductions at maturity were 19.8% and 19.1%, whereas starch contents (mg g−1) were reduced by 3.0% and 3.3%, and starch accumulation (mg grain−1) were reduced 22.2% and 21.8% in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Protein content was decreased by heat stress before 15 DAP and increased thereafter. At maturity, protein contents (mg g−1) were increased by 24.5% and 25.3% in 2014 and 2015, while protein accumulation (mg grain−1) were not affected by heat stress. In response to heat stress, glutamate synthase activity was enhanced by 29.1-82.9% in 2014 and 2.0-141.8% in 2015, whereas glutamine synthetase activity was reduced by 1.9-43.5% in 2014 and 0.1-27.4% in 2015 throughout the grain filling. The activities of sucrose phosphate synthase were decreased by heat stress at 10-25DAP (12.7-32.0%) in 2014 and 15-20 DAP (23.2-27.5%) in 2015, and activities of sucrose synthase were decreased by heat stress at 5-15 DAP (20.0-45.0%) in 2014 and 15 DAP (22.0%) in 2015, repectively. The activities of enyzmes that involved in starch synthessis were all suppressed by heat stress during grain filling, and the reduction of adenosine diphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylase, soluble starch synthase, and starch branching enzyme were decreased by 21.3-43.1%, 19.1-29.2%, and 7.0-45.6% in 2014 and 1.8-78.5%, 21.4-51.2%, and 11.0-48.0% in 2015, respectively. Conclusively, grain weight and starch deposition were suppressed by heat stress due to the decreased activities of enzymes involved in starch synthesis, and the increased protein content was due to the enhanced activity of glutamate synthase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]