Baoli Wang

Molecular mapping of the reverse thermo-sensitive genic male-sterile gene (rtms1) in rice

Abstract TGMS (thermo-sensitive genic male-sterile) rice is widely used in hybrid rice production. Because of a specific temperature requirement, it can be used only in a narrow rice-growing zone in Asia. A newly discovered reverse thermo-sensitive genic male-sterile line, J207S, has an opposite phynotype compared to the normal TGMS lines. J207S is completely sterile when the temperature is lower than 31°C. Thus, it can be widely used in a larger area. Genetic analysis indicated that the sterility of J207S was controlled by a single recessive gene which was first named as rtms1. An F2 population from the cross between J207S and E921 was developed and used for molecular mapping of the rtms1 gene. The AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) technique, combined with BSA (bulked segregant analysis), was used to screen markers linked to the target gene, and eight polymorphic AFLP loci were identified. Co-segregating analysis using the F2 population showed that two of them, Rev1 and Rev7, were closely linked to the target gene with a recombinant rate of 3.8% and 7.7%, respectively. Both Rev1 and Rev7 were found to be single-copy sequences through Southern analysis. Rev1 was subsequently mapped on chromosome 10 with a doubled-haploid mapping populations derived from the cross CT9993 × IR62266 available at Texas Tech University. RM222 and RG257 were linked to Rev1 at a distance of 11.8 cM and 4.6 cM, respectively. Additional SSR markers from the rice map of Cornell University, RFLP markers from the map of RGP in Japan and the map of Texas Tech University were selected from the region surrounding Rev1 on chromosome 10 to conduct the fine-mapping of the rtms1 gene. Presently, rtms1 was mapped between RM239 and RG257 with genetic distance of 3.6 cM and 4.0 cM, respectively. The most-closely linked AFLP marker, Rev1, 4.2 cM from the rtms1 gene, was sequenced and converted into a SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) marker which could facilitate marker-assisted selection of the rtms1 gene.

The distributions of autumn picoplankton in relation to environmental factors in the reservoirs along the Wujiang River in Guizhou Province, SW China

Autumn picoplankton (Synechococcus, picoeukaryotes and heterotrophic bacteria) and environmental factors have been investigated in a series of reservoirs along the Wujiang River in Guizhou Province, SW China. The average abundances of Synechococcus, picoeukaryotes and heterotrophic bacteria was 104, 102 and 106 cells ml−1, respectively. In autumn meso-eutrophic reservoirs, thermal stratification was clear and abundances of different picoplankton groups in release water was low; whereas these phenomena were not obvious in autumn hypereutrophic reservoir. Picoplankton numbers decreased with increasing water depth and showed a positive correlation with water temperature, which reflected the importance of light and temperature on the picoplankton growth. Contribution of Synechococcus to total phytoplankton production and contribution of picoeukaryotes to total phytoplankton production asynchronous changed with varying trophic states. Synechococcus preferred meso-eutrophic reservoirs over hypereutrophic reservoir and picoeukaryotes showed no preference for the investigated reservoirs in autumn.

Photosynthetic characteristics involved in adaptability to Karst soil and alien invasion of paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent.) in comparison with mulberry (Morus alba L.)

Unlike mulberry (Morus alba, M.a.), paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera, B.p.) can acclimate to Karst soil and incline to alien invasion. The photosynthetic parameters, diurnal changes of carbonic anhydrase, and chlorophyll fluorescence induction, and water potential were measured on sunny days (SD) and cloudy days (CD). Photosynthetic midday depression occurred in B.p. but not in M.a. The irradiance-and CO2-saturated photosynthetic rates of B.p. were significantly higher than those of M.a. There was no significant difference in water use efficiency between the two species on a SD. The maximum fluorescence, maximum quantum yield, photochemical quenching, and relative electron transport rate in the leaves of B.p. were much higher than those in M.a. The activity of carbonic anhydrase (CA) of B.p., on either an SD or a CD, was much greater than that of M.a. Higher transpiration rate (E) and net photosynthetic rate (PN) of B.p. resulted in the lack of water in mesophyll cells. Although a higher CA activity of B.p. supplied both water and CO2 for the photosynthesis of mesophyll cells, water in mesophyll cells was the factor limiting photosynthesis, and the intercellular CO2 concentration of B.p. was high and stable.

Construction and characterization of a bacterial artificial chromosome library of peach

Abstract A peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batch] bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of var. Jingyu was constructed. Jingyu is a traditional variety, that displays many of the important agronomic characters of stone fruits. Since peach leaves are rich in polysaccharides, high-molecular-weight (HMW) DNA was extracted from leaf nuclei using a protocol adapted to peach. The HMW DNA embedded in agarose plugs was partially digested by HindIII. After size-selection by pulsed field gel electrophoresis, the selected DNA fragments were ligated to pBeloBAC11 and transformed into E. coli DH10B cells by electroporation. In total 20,736 recombinant clones were obtained. The BAC library has an average insert size of 95 kb and represents approximately 6.7 peach haploid genome equivalents. The BAC clones were stable in E. coli cell after 100 generations. The lack of hybridization to chloroplast and mitochondrial genes demonstrated that the library is predominantly composed of nuclear DNA. The library was screened with two molecular markers, W4 and P20, that are linked to white flesh and nectarine genes of peach, respectively. Ten positive clones were detected. Their fingerprints will be used to determine clone relationships and assemble contigs. This library should be well-suited for the map-based cloning of peach genes and genome physical mapping.

Dissolved silicate retention and transport in cascade reservoirs in Karst area, Southwest China.

Presently, the fluvial fluxes of Dissolved silicate (DSi) by many famous rivers in the world have been reported significantly decreased in the past several decades. DSi retention by river damming hence becomes a great concern. In this study, the impact on DSi retention and transport by cascade reservoirs in the Karst area were investigated. Based on the monitoring data for four seasons, budget of DSi in these reservoirs were calculated. Results showed that, only the downstream eutrophic Wujiangdu reservoir (WJD) was the sink for DSi, with a value of ca. 3.5kT DSi trapped annually. The new Hongjiadu reservoir (HJD) in the headwater area revealed to be an important source for DSi. Both Dongfeng (DF) and Suofengyin (SFY) reservoirs also released more DSi to the downstream than entering them. The great discrepancy of DSi source and sink effects among these reservoirs indicates that, (i) DSi was obviously taken up in summer and spring, and the concentration of DSi could be dropped down to below 30microM; (ii) during the period of thermal stratification, the concentration stratification of DSi is also developed along the water column. Possibly DSi releasing from inundation soil and bottom sediment was the important compensation for the silicon depletion in the epilimnion. In the newly constructed reservoirs (e.g. HJD and SFY), the releasing flux of DSi can significantly exceed the assimilating flux by diatom; and (iii) due to the hypolimnion introducing for hydropower operation, water leaving the dam generally had high DSi content, and then masked the DSi taking up in the epilimnion. This process also decreased the ratio of DIN to DSi, mitigating the silicon limiting situation in the downstream.

Composition and activity of external carbonic anhydrase of microalgae from karst lakes in China

The species composition, the net photosynthetic O2 evolution rate and the activity of external carbonic anhydrase (CA) of microalgae from three reservoirs were studied. Carbonic anhydrase activity had a significant positive correlation with the density of Cyanobacteria in Lake Aha. Microalgaes carbonic anhydrase activity in Lakes Baihua and Hongfeng was related to the density of Chlorophyceae. The species abundances of microalgae in Lake Aha, Lake Baihua, and Lake Hongfeng were different. A relationship between carbonic anhydrase activity and net photosynthetic O2 evolution rate had also been established. Algae with external CA influenced the algal productivity. These results demonstrate the role of external CA in facilitating the availability of CO2 that limits the photosynthesis of microalgae in karst lakes in China.

Impacts of river impoundment on the riverine water chemistry composition and their response to chemical weathering rate

Currently, most rivers worldwide have been intensively impounded. River damming becomes a big problem, not only in inducing the physical obstruction between upstream and downstream, but also in destroying the natural continuity of river. But the discontinuity of water quality was often neglected, which presents a challenge to traditional river geochemistry research. To understand the changes in basic chemistry of water upstream and downstream of the dam, we investigated the Miaotiao River reservoirs in series in the Wujiang River Basin, and the Hongjiadu, Dongfeng Reservoir on the upper reaches of the Wujiang River. Chemical weathering rates were calculated using the water chemistry data of the reservoir surface and downstream of the dam, in each reservoir, respectively. The results showed that the difference between the chemical weathering rates calculated from reservoir surface water and water downstream of the dam was greater in reservoirs with a longer water retention time. In Hongjiadu Reservoir with the longest water retention time among the studied reservoirs, this difference reaches 9%. As a result, the influence of river damming, especially the influence of reservoirs in series, should be taken into account when calculating the chemical weathering rate of a river basin.

Biosorption of trace metals from aqueous multimetal solutions by green microalgae

Two strains of green microalgae C. reinhardti and C. pyrenoidosa were examined for their biosorption of Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ from aqueous multi-metal solutions. A wide range of biosorption capacities can be observed due to different strains of microalgae and different species of trace metals. This characteristic was ascribed to the distinct components and structures of algal cell walls and the different physicochemical properties of trace metals, such as atomic weight and ion density. C. pyrenoidosa showed higher uptake capacities than C. reinhardti and both of them had a preference for the uptake of cadmium over others in the trace metal solution, suggesting they can be a good biomaterial for biosorption of cadmium. Live microalgal cells displayed a more complex sorption process than dead microalgal cells because of cell assimilation.

Diurnal variations of pCO2 in relation to environmental factors in the cascade reservoirs along the Wujiang River, China

We have investigated the diurnal variations of the pCO2 and related environmental factors in the cascade reservoirs with different trophic levels along Wujiang River. In surface water the pCO2 was 357±11 μatm in Hongjiadu Reservoir, 338±48 μatm in Dongfeng Reservoir, 682±303 μatm in Wujiangdu Reservoir, and 1677±429 μatm in Liuguang, respectively. The results indicated that these cascade reservoirs had much lower pCO2 values in surface water than river did, and hypereutrophic reservoir showed larger diurnal variations of pCO2 than meso-eutrophic reservoir. In water column, pCO2 tended to increase with the depth. Phytoplankton and the environmental factors such as temperature and pH had different influences on pCO2 diurnal variations due to different trophic levels, and the effect of phytoplankton on pCO2 variation increased with the increase of trophic level in these reservoirs.

A decrease in pH downstream from the hydroelectric dam in relation to the carbon biogeochemical cycle

To better understand the decreases observed in pH levels downstream from the associated hydroelectric dam, the impounded Wujiang River in Southwest China was investigated. Study results indicate that the average pH decrease from upstream to downstream of the hydroelectric dam could be up to 0.47 units, and pH differences were particularly apparent during water thermal stratification. Notably, pH was controlled by [CO2]/[CO32−] ratios in this impounded river. The decrease in [CO2]/[CO32−] ratios and associated increases in pH at the surface of the reservoirs were mainly due to the prevalence of photosynthesis, while the reverse phenomenon was observed at the bottom due to respiration. The evidence from δ13CDIC clearly demonstrated these processes. The increase in phytoplankton biomass enhanced this pH decrease, while dissolved organic carbon had limited impacts on the pH variation. The decrease in pH downstream from the hydroelectric dam resulted from the development of pH stratification in the water profile and the dam operations that release bottom waters for hydropower generation. Consequently, the cascade in hydropower development could increase the risk of river acidification.