Cocoon weight and shell weight are the key economic traits ultimately determining silk yield. In order to detect the main quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with the cocoon traits of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori, the parents of larvae that produced cocoons that differed greatly in weight and shell weight were screened using 240 primer pairs of single nucleotide polymorphic markers (SNPs) representing all the 28 linkage groups in silkworm. Out of the 240 primer pairs, 48 (20%) revealed distinct polymorphism between the parents, which was confirmed by the co-dominant expression of both polymorphic PCR products in the F1 generation. The bulked segregant analysis (BSA) was used to compare the SNP profiles of the parents, F1 and F2 bulks using the 48 informative SNP primers. This revealed that out of 48 primer pairs, only one pair, i.e., No. 04124 of the linkage group 4 showed clear differences in the amplified products between the bulks corresponding to that of the parents with different cocoon traits suggesting that the DNA regions amplified by this primer pair are closely linked to the QTL controlling the cocoon traits. The results were also confirmed by screening the backcross (BC) progeny. This is the first report of the identification of a QTL using SNPs with BSA. The results of the present study indicate that it might be possible to use SNPs for marker assisted selection (MAS) in silkworm breeding programs aimed at improving cocoon traits. and Sivaramakurup Sreekumar, Southekal K. Ashwath, Monika Slathia, Sundaramurthy N. Kumar, Syed M.H. Qadri.
The genetic basis of stomatal conductance (gs), net photosynthetic rate (PN), and transpiration rate (E) was explored by using a wheat doubled haploid population from a cross of Hanxuan10 and Lumai 14. The above three traits were evaluated in wheat flag leaves at 10, 20, 30 days after anthesis under drought stress (DS) and well-watered (WW), and quantitative trait loci (QTL) were analyzed. Expression of the traits during the grain filling stage showed downward trends under both conditions, but expression of three phenotypes were stronger under WW than those under DS. Extremely significant positive correlations were established among the traits at all growth stages under both conditions. A total of 18 additive QTLs for those traits were identified on 10 chromosomes. Among them, two batches of nine additive QTLs were associated with the target traits under DS and WW, respectively. Two additive QTLs for gs and E, two for gs and PN, six for gs, PN, and E clustered at the same or near the region (colocation) of chromosomes 4A, 2B, and 7B, respectively. This provided genetic basis for close phenotype correlations among gs, PN, and E. Furthermore, QTLs for gs, PN, and E near Xgwm577 and Xgwm611 located on 7B chromosome were linked to previously reported QTLs regulating a SPAD value and the chlorophyll a/b ratio under dark-induced condition. This finding indicated that these QTLs on 7B chromosome might be involved in the process of wheat leaf senescence., S. G. Wang, S. S. Jia, D. Z. Sun, H. Y. Wang, F. F. Dong, H. X. Ma, R. L. Jing, G. Ma., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays an important role in lipid and glucose metabolism in rodents and possibly also in humans. Identification of genes responsible for BAT function would shed light on underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of metabolic disturbances. Recent linkage analysis in the BXH/HXB recombinant inbred (RI) strains, derived from Brown Norway (BN) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), identified two closely linked quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with glucose oxidation and glucose incorporation into BAT lipids in the vicinity of Wars2 (tryptophanyl tRNA synthetase 2 (mitochondrial)) gene on chromosome 2. The SHR harbors L53F WARS2 protein variant that was associated with reduced angiogenesis and Wars2 thus represents a prominent positional candidate gene. In the current study, we validated this candidate as a quantitative trait gene (QTG) using transgenic rescue experiment. SHR-Wars2 transgenic rats with wild type Wars2 gene when compared to SHR, showed more efficient
mitochondrial proteosynthesis and increased mitochondrial respiration, which was associated with increased glucose oxidation and incorporation into BAT lipids, and with reduced weight of visceral fat. Correlation analyses in RI strains showed that increased activity of BAT was associated with amelioration of insulin resistance in muscle and white adipose tissue. In summary, these results demonstrate important role of Wars2 gene in regulating BAT function and consequently lipid and glucose metabolism.