Assessment of Platycodon grandiflorum germplasm resources from northern Anhui province based on ISSR analysis.

Based on genetic diversity analysis with ISSR-PCR, this study was to access the germplasm resources of Platycodon grandiflorum in northern Anhui province. Ten primers that could produce more distinct and repeatable bands were used for ISSR-PCR. Statistic analysis was conducted by POPGENE v. 1.32, Arlequin3.l, NTSYS-pc version 2.1. (1) Seventy-four polymorphic bands (76.29 %) out of a total of 97 were generated from 105 individuals in five populations. (2) Shannon index of diversity ranged from 0.307 to 0.260, diversity at species level was 0.3581, which means superior genetic diversity. (3) Genetic diversity across all the populations revealed by AMOVA indicated that 86.02 % occurred within populations. (4) The Fst value was 0.1398, indicating a intermediate genetic differentiation among populations. (5) Dendrogram relationship illustrated genetic distance was correlated with geographic distance. ISSR markers can be used for studying genetic diversity of P. grandiflorum. Degradation of populations doesn't happen in northern Anhui province, bank of germplasm preservation should be established for cultivation of excellent variety of P. grandiflorum.

Diversity and selection of MHC class IIb gene exon3 in Chinese alligator.

Our study used MHC class IIb gene exon3 complete sequence as markers to investigate genetic variability, selection and population differentiation in Chinese alligator. In this study, 282 bp MHC IIb exon3 complete sequence was got, none of the sequences contained insertions/deletions or stop codons, suggesting that all sequences might come from functional molecules in the genome. The neighbor-joining (NJ) tree revealed that Xuangzhou and Changxing populations were genetically close related, while Wild population showed the most diverse from the other. Gene flow (Nm) was very higher than one, suggesting that inter-group gene flow may have occurred. Furthermore, the results showed that MHC IIb gene might be a good molecular marker, we think that this technology could be used for Chinese alligator breeding and releasing in future.

Analysis of unculturable bacterial communities in tea orchard soils based on nested PCR-DGGE.

The bacterial communities in the soils from tea orchards and their adjacent wasteland in Anhui Province, China were analysed by nested PCR-DGGE technique combined with sequencing. DGGE profiles revealed that the DGGE patterns of different soils were similar to each other and the most intensely bands appeared in all lanes. The bacterial genetic diversity index of tea orchard soils was lower than that of wasteland. For the tea orchard soils, Shannon's diversity index decreased in the order: 45-year-old tea orchard >25-year-old tea orchard >7-year-old tea orchard >70-year-old tea orchard. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the fragments belong to Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, TM7, Cyanobacteria and Firmicutes. A comprehensive analysis of the bacterial community structure in the tea orchard soils indicated the bacterial community was dominantly composed of Acidobacteria, followed by Proteobacteria (Gamma and Alpha), Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria and candidate division TM7. The RDA combined with UPGMA clustering analysis showed that the more similar the environmental variables were, the more similar the bacterial community structures in tea orchard soils were.

[Avian diversity and bird strike risk at Fuyang Airport].

From June 2008 to January 2010, a survey of avian communities was conducted in five habitats (grassland, farmland, town, wetland, and woodland) at Fuyang Airport and its surrounding areas, with the diversity indices in different seasons and different habitats analyzed. A total of 122 avian species belonging to 15 orders and 40 families were recorded. At Fuyang Airport, the avian species number was significantly higher in summer and autumn than in winter and spring, the avian density was the highest in autumn, and the Shannon diversity index and Pielou evenness index were the highest in summer. Among the five habitats at the Airport and its surrounding areas, woodland had the greatest avian species number and density, and the woodland, wetland, and farmland had higher Shannon diversity index than grassland and town. The most dangerous avian species to the airplanes at Fuyang Airport were Passer montanus, Pycnonotus sinensis, Hirundo rustica, Columba livia f. domestica, Pica pica, Streptopelia chinensis, and Sturnus cineraceu.

Isolation and characterization of a novel BcMF14 gene from Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis.

A putative RALF (rapid alkalinization factor)-like gene (GenBank accession number EF523517), named BcMF14, was isolated from Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino, syn. B. rapa ssp. chinensis) by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) based on a cDNA-AFLP differential fragment exclusively expressed in fertile line. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) discovered that BcMF14 was prominently expressed in stage four and five flower buds of fertile line, no expression in vegetative structures or in sterility line. Detailed RT-PCR illuminated its strong expression in stamens. Successful suppression of BcMF14 gene expression greatly reduced the normal pollen grains. The frequency of abnormal pollen grains was 48.95% in the mutant with many shriveled pollen grains with irregular shape and some larger ones with deep hollows along the germination ditch. Pollen germination was stopped because of the severely twisted pollen tubes. These results demonstrate a potential role of the BcMF14 gene in the development of male gametogenesis in Chinese cabbage.