Shui-zhang Fei
Iowa State University
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Featured researches published by Shui-zhang Fei.
Planta | 2006
Yanwen Xiong; Shui-zhang Fei
The dehydration-responsive element binding proteins (DREB1)/C-repeat (CRT) binding factors (CBF) function as transcription factors and bind to the DRE/CRT cis-acting element (core motif: G/ACCGAC) commonly present in cold-regulated (COR) genes and subsequently upregulate the expression of such genes in Arabidopsis. We identified a DREB1A/CBF3-like gene, designated LpCBF3, from perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) by using RT-PCR and RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA end). The LpCBF3 gene contains all the conserved domains known to exist in other CBF genes. A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis using known and computationally identified CBF homologs in this study revealed that all monocot CBF genes are separately clustered from eudicot CBF genes and the LpCBF3 is the ortholog of rice OsDREB1A/CBF3 gene. Similar to other DREB1A/CBF3 homologs, expression of the LpCBF3 is induced by cold stress, but not by abscisic acid (ABA), drought, or salinity. Overexpression of the LpCBF3 cDNA in Arabidopsis induced expression of the ArabidopsisDREB1A/CBF3 target COR genes, COR15a and RD29A, without cold acclimation. Ion leakage in leaves of the overexpression transgenic plants was significantly reduced, an indication of enhanced freezing tolerance. Our data demonstrated that LpCBF3 not only resembles DREB/CBF genes of Arabidopsis, but is also capable of functioning as a transcriptional regulator in Arabidopsis, a species distant to the grass family.
PLOS ONE | 2008
Jing Huang; Lu Ma; Fei Yang; Shui-zhang Fei; Lijia Li
Background In humans, chromosome fragile sites are regions that are especially prone to forming non-staining gaps, constrictions or breaks in one or both of the chromatids on metaphase chromosomes either spontaneously or following partial inhibition of DNA synthesis and have been well identified. So far, no plant chromosome fragile sites similar to those in human chromosomes have been reported. Methods and Results During the course of cytological mapping of rDNA on ryegrass chromosomes, we found that the number of chromosomes plus chromosome fragments was often more than the expected 14 in most cells for Lolium perenne L. cv. Player by close cytological examination using a routine chromosome preparation procedure. Further fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using 45S rDNA as a probe indicated that the root-tip cells having more than a 14-chromosome plus chromosome fragment count were a result of chromosome breakage or gap formation in vitro (referred to as chromosome lesions) at 45S rDNA sites, and 86% of the cells exhibited chromosome breaks or gaps and all occurred at the sites of 45S rDNA in Lolium perenne L. cv. Player, as well as in L. multiflorum Lam. cv. Top One. Chromatin depletion or decondensation occurred at various locations within the 45S rDNA regions, suggesting heterogeneity of lesions of 45S rDNA sites with respect to their position within the rDNA region. Conclusions The chromosome lesions observed in this study are very similar cytologically to that of fragile sites observed in human chromosomes, and thus we conclude that the high frequency of chromosome lesions in vitro in Lolium species is the result of the expression of 45S rDNA fragile sites. Possible causes for the spontaneous expression of fragile sites and their potential biological significance are discussed.
asian test symposium | 2011
Eric Watkins; Shui-zhang Fei; David S. Gardner; John C. Stier; S. Bughrara; Deying Li; Cale A. Bigelow; L. Schleicher; Brian P. Horgan; Kenneth L. Diesburg
Public attention is being increasingly focused on the environmental impact and management costs of turfgrass areas such as lawns for schools, parks, and homes. The objectives of this study were to: (i) identify grass species adapted to low-input environments (limited water, no fertilizer or pesticides after establishment) in the North Central Region (NCR) of the USA; and (ii) evaluate these species for turfgrass quality under mowed and non-mowed conditions. Lowinput turf trials of 12 grass species were established at eight locations and evaluated for turf quality over two years. Plots were mowed monthly at either 5.1 or 10.2 cm or not mowed. Hard fescue (Festuca brevipila Tracey), colonial bentgrass (Agrostis capillaris L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and sheep fescue (Festuca ovina L.) performed well at most locations at the 5.1 and 10.2-cm mowing heights. Several other species were also evaluated: tufted hairgrass [Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauv.], hybrid bluegrass (Poa arachnifera Torr. × Poa pratensis L.), meadow fescue [Schedonorus pratensis (Huds.) P. Beauv.], prairie junegrass [Koeleria macrantha (Ledeb.) Schult], crested wheatgrass [Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.], alkaligrass [Puccinellia distans (Jacq.) Parl.], blue grama [Bouteloua gracilis (Willd. Ex Kunth) Lag. Ex Griffiths], and crested dogstail (Cynosurus cristatus L.). Introduction At present, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and tall fescue are the primary species used for turf in the North Central Region (NCR). Recently-developed Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass cultivars provide high quality turf when managed with sufficient amounts of fertilizers, water, and pesticides (21). However, there has been increasing attention drawn to the negative aspects of higher input turfs (15) which has resulted in changes such as fertilizer use restrictions in Minnesota (19), cosmetic pesticide restrictions in Canada (9), and water use restrictions set by the Environmental Protection Agency (23). Current turf management options and some of the species and cultivars commonly used for turf may be inadequate for use in the USA in the future due to potential negative impacts of high-input turfgrass management on the environment. One way to reduce inputs is by identifying and planting low-input turfgrass species that require less mowing, fertilization, and irrigation in order to achieve adequate visual quality. In order to use low-input species and make them attractive to the 26 January 2011 Applied Turfgrass Science public, it is critical to properly assess low-input adaptation across multiple environments. Diesburg et al. (6) evaluated twelve grass species as low-input turf at seven sites in the NCR for three years. Overall, the best performing species, as determined by plot uniformity and cover, were tall fescue, colonial bentgrass, redtop bentgrass (Agrostis gigantea Roth), and sheep fescue. We decided to compare the performance of some species that did well in the study by Diesburg et al. (tall fescue, colonial bentgrass, sheep fescue) with other grasses that have been shown to be effective in climates similar to the NCR and with grasses that have not been extensively tested for low-input turf but have shown the potential to perform adequately in the NCR. Hard fescue is a bunch-type grass native to central Europe known to perform well in reduced-input shady environments, under full-sun conditions, and in situations where reduced mowing frequency is desirable (10,17). Tufted hairgrass is a cool-season bunch grass that can thrive in both sun and shade when moisture is not limiting (3). Prairie junegrass is native to the Great Plains and has performed adequately in low-input turf evaluations in Canada (16). Blue grama is a warm-season bunchgrass found throughout the Great Plains that has shown potential for use as a turf in low-nitrogen and arid environments (13,16). In recent years, a number of Texas bluegrass × Kentucky bluegrass hybrid cultivars have been released; these cultivars can exhibit improved heat tolerance compared to Kentucky bluegrass (20). Other species that have not been tested on a wide-scale in the NCR include alkaligrass, which can be an effective turf when grown in areas with high salt levels in the soil (21); meadow fescue, which is similar in appearance to coarse-textured tall fescue cultivars (1); crested wheatgrass, a grass that has been the focus of germplasm improvement efforts for use in arid environments (11); and crested dogstail, which has been shown to be adapted to shady environments (14). The objectives of this study were to: (i) identify grass species adapted to lowinput environments (limited water, no fertilizer or pesticides after establishment) in the NCR of the USA; and (ii) evaluate these species for turfgrass quality under mowed and non-mowed conditions. These low-input grasses could potentially be utilized on home lawns, school grounds, parks, golf course roughs, and other turf areas. Furthermore, the identification of species with potential low-input use will give plant breeders information to help focus germplasm improvement programs. Establishment and Treatments In fall 2004, 12 grass species (Table 1) were seeded at eight sites in the NCR (Table 2). The experimental design for each location was a split plot with mowing height as the main plot and species as the sub-plot. Individual subplots were 1.52 m × 0.91 m, with no border between plots, and seeded at a generally-accepted rate for each species (Table 1). Plots were established by either dormant seeding or a typical late summer seeding on bare soil (Table 2). Dormant seeding was done late-fall once soil temperatures were below 5°C to ensure that seed would not germinate until temperatures warmed in the spring. After seed was applied and lightly raked into the soil, the dormant-seeded trials were covered with Futerra blankets (Profile Products LLC, Buffalo Grove, IL). Late summer-seeded plots were seeded in late August/early September and a starter fertilizer was used at time of seeding at a rate of approximately 49 kg N/ha and 43 kg P O /ha. Plots were irrigated during the fall establishment period. Following establishment, no irrigation or fertilizer was applied. For both establishment methods, during the first spring after seeding, broadleaf weeds were controlled with a single application of an herbicide mixture of 2,4-D, MCPP, and dicamba (Trimec Classic, PBI/Gordon Corp., Kansas City, MO) at all sites with the exception of Wisconsin (no herbicide applied), North Dakota (no herbicide applied), and Ohio [single application of an herbicide mixture of 2,4D, clopyralid, and dicamba (Millennium Ultra 2, Nufarm Americas Inc., Burr Ridge, IL)]. No other pesticides were ever applied at any location. Beginning in spring 2005, three mowing treatments were applied: (i) once per month at 2 5 26 January 2011 Applied Turfgrass Science 5.1 cm; (ii) once per month at 10.2 cm; and (iii) no mowing. Plots were mowed with a rotary mower and clippings were returned. Table 1. Turfgrass entries planted at 8 locations in the North Central United States in 2004 for the low-input turfgrass study. Table 2. Seeding method, weather information, soil type, and pH for research sites. x Total precipitation from 1 April through 31 October. Data Collection and Analysis Turfgrass quality was assessed monthly during each growing season using visual ratings on a 1 to 9 scale, with 9 representing the best turfgrass quality. Persistence (plot cover) and uniformity were the two primary criteria used to determine quality for each plot. Secondary criteria included freedom from disease and insect damage, color, and turf density. A rating of 5.0 was considered to be acceptable turf. All data were subjected to analysis of variance according to the general linear models procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). The yearly turf quality averages for all locations and years were combined in an analysis of variance which showed that location and all year by interactions were significant at the P ≤ 0.0001 level. Therefore, yearly turfgrass quality averages at each location were analyzed separately. Species turfgrass quality means (within mowing treatment at each location) were separated by Fisher’s Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at P ≤ 0.05. The effect of species (cultivar) was highly significant at all locations while the effect of mowing and the cultivar × mowing interaction was Common name Scientific name Cultivar or selection Seeding rate (g/m2) Alkaligrass Puccinellia distans Fults 7.3 Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis Bad river 14.7 Colonial bentgrass Agrostis tenuis SR 7150 4.9 Crested dogstail Cynosurus cristatus ShadeStar 4.9 Crested wheatgrass Agropyron cristatum Roadcrest 24.4 Hard fescue Festuca trachyphylla Berkshire 29.3 Meadow fescue Schedonorus pratensis LMC-1122 34.2 Prairie junegrass Koeleria macrantha LMC-5000 9.8 Sheep fescue Festuca ovina Blacksheep 34.2 Tall fescue Festuca arundinacea Grande II 34.2 Texas bluegrass hybrid Poa arachnifera × Poa pratensis DuraBlue 9.8 Texas bluegrass hybrid Poa arachnifera × Poa pratensis HB 342 9.8 Tufted hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa Spike 4.9 Location Establishment method Rainfall (mm) Soil Type pH 2005 2006 Ames, IA fall 566 735 loam 7.6 West Lafayette, IN fall 480 763 silt loam 7.8 East Lansing, MI fall 388 544 fine loam 7.8 St. Paul, MN dormant 832 681 silt loam 7.6 Fargo, ND fall 571 341 silty clay 7.8 Columbus, OH dormant 547 776 loam 7.4 Brookings, SD dormant 773 561 clay loam 7.7 Madison, WI dormant 390 746 silt loam 7.5 x 26 January 2011 Applied Turfgrass Science sometimes significant depending on location (Table 3). Cultivar data from each location were analyzed separately for each year at each location for each of the three mowing heights (Tables 4 to 6). Table 3. Analysis of variance (P > F) for average turfgrass quality at eight locations in the North
Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture | 2005
L. Li; R. Li; Shui-zhang Fei; Rongda Qu
Common bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon, is a widely used warm-season turf and forage species in the temperate and tropical regions of the world. We have been able to transform the species using Agrobacterium-mediated approach. In seven experiments reported here, a total of 67 plates of calluses and suspensions were infected with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains, and nine hygromycin B resistant calluses were obtained after selection. Among them two green independent transgenic plants were recovered. The plants growing in pots looked relatively compact at the beginning, but the ploidy level of the plants, as determined by nuclear DNA content, was not altered.
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution | 2006
Robert R. Wieners; Shui-zhang Fei; Richard C. Johnson
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is an important turf and forage grass species with a facultative apomictic breeding behavior. In this study, mature seed and leaf tissue from 38 accessions of a USDA core collection of Kentucky bluegrass were analyzed with flow cytometry to characterize the reproductive mode and DNA content for each accession. Major reproductive pathways for each accession were determined based upon the presence and the position of the peaks observed and the known methods of reproduction for Kentucky bluegrass. While the majority of the accessions exhibited facultative apomictic reproductive behavior with a combination of reduced, zygotic and unreduced, parthenogenic embryo production, obligate sexual or obligate apomictic accessions were also found to be present in this core collection. In addition, reduced, parthenogenic and unreduced zygotic embryos were also detected in several accessions. Flow cytometric analysis of somatic tissue revealed a large range of DNA variation within this core collection. We also examined the sensitivity of flow cytometry in analyzing bulked samples containing a large number of plants with varied DNA content and determined that flow cytometry can effectively detect a plant having a different DNA content within a 15-plant bulk sample. Overall the combination of mature seed and somatic tissue analysis generated important information for the Kentucky bluegrass core collection and can be an effective and affordable tool to characterize even greater numbers of Kentucky bluegrass accessions.
Planta | 2010
Chunzhen Zhang; Shui-zhang Fei; Rajeev Arora; David J. Hannapel
Journal of Plant Physiology | 2009
Chunzhen Zhang; Shui-zhang Fei; Scott Warnke; Lijia Li; David J. Hannapel
Crop Science | 2003
Shui-zhang Fei; E. Nelson
Protoplasma | 2009
Jing Huang; Lu Ma; Sriram Sundararajan; Shui-zhang Fei; Lijia Li
Molecular Breeding | 2006
Yanwen Xiong; Shui-zhang Fei; E. Charles Brummer; Kenneth J. Moore; Reed E. Barker; Geunhwa Jung; J. Curley; Scott Warnke