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Background Chlamydia trachomatis is the causative agent of the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infections globally. Whole genome sequencing is essential for molecular Chlamydia surveillance; however, its application is hampered by the pathogen's low abundance in clinical specimens and the expensive labor-intensive nature of existing enrichment methodologies for Chlamydia. Methods We developed a targeted whole genome amplification tool termed SWITCH by integrating phi29 DNA polymerase-mediated amplification with meticulously designed primer sets to enrich the C trachomatis genome, followed by whole genome sequencing. This method underwent evaluation through testing synthetic and clinical specimens. Results SWITCH demonstrated robust ability to achieve up to 98.3% genomic coverage of C trachomatis from as few as 26.4 genomic copies present in synthetic specimens, and it exhibited excellent performance across diverse C trachomatis serovars. Utilizing SWITCH, we directly generated 21 Chlamydia genomes from 26 clinical samples, enabling us to gain insights into the genetic relationships and phylogeny of current Chlamydia strains circulating in the country. Remarkably, this study marked the first instance of generating Chinese Chlamydia genomes directly from clinical samples. Conclusions SWITCH represents a practical cost-efficient approach to enrich the Chlamydia genome directly from clinical specimens, offering an efficient avenue for molecular surveillance of Chlamydia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gynecological disorders are a wide range of health problems affecting the female reproductive system, which poses substantial health challenges worldwide. Increasing number of observational studies have associated mood instability to common female diseases, but the underlying causal relationship remains unclear. In this work, Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was applied to explore the genetically predicted causal relationship of mood swings and several prevalent gynecological disorders. Methods: Instrumental variables (IVs) of mood swings were selected from UK Biobank (UKB), with 204,412 cases and 247,207 controls being incorporated. The genetic variants for female disorders were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and FinnGen consortium. To avoid biases caused by racial difference, only European population was included here. Five strong analytical methodologies were used to increase the validity of the results, the most substantial of which was the inverse variance weighting (IVW) method. Pleiotropy, sensitivity, and heterogeneity were assessed to strengthen the findings. Results: We found mood swings was significantly positively associated with risk of endometrial cancer (OR= 2.60 [95% CI= 1.36, 4.95], P= 0.0037), cervical cancer (OR= 1.01[95% CI= 1.00,1.02], P= 0.0213) and endometriosis (OR= 2.58 [95% CI= 1.18, 5.60], P= 0.0170) by IVW method. However, there was no causal relationship between mood swing and ovarian cancer. No pleiotropy and heterogeneity existed and sensitivity tests were passed. Conclusion: This study reveals that mood swing may serve as a genetically predicted causal risk factor for endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, and endometriosis in the European population, while no such association was observed for ovarian cancer. These findings make up for observational research's inherent limitations and may improve patient outcomes in the field of gynecological health. However, the study's focus on European populations may limit the applicability of these results globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen carries extensive genetic information, which may provide clues regarding the kinship of Malus, whose genetic relationships are complex. In this study, the phenotypic variation of pollen from 107 Malus taxa was investigated using combined methods of intraspecific/interspecific uniformity testing, cluster analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis. The family aggregation distributions in Malus sections, species, and cultivars were analyzed to infer their pedigree relationships. The results showed that (1) compared with pollen size and morphology, aberrant pollen rate and ornamentation were highly interspecifically differentiated, but ornamentation was also intraspecifically unstable, especially perforation densities ( c. v. ¯ > 15%). (2) The pollen alteration direction from the original to the evolutionary population of Malus was large to small, with elliptic to rectangular morphologies, large and compact to small and sparse ridges, and low to high perforation densities. However, there was no significant change in pollen size. (3) The 107 studied taxa were divided into four groups. Malus species were relatively clustered in the same section, while homologous cultivars showed evidence of family aggregation distribution characteristics (92.60% of cultivars were clustered with their parents). (4) M. baccata and M. pumilar var. neidzwetzkyana were high-frequency parents, participating in 38.7% and 20.7% of cross-breeding, respectively. Overall, this study provides a reference for identifying Malus' pedigree relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is the fifth largest cereal crop in the world and is an important food and feed crop. However, the understanding of the chloroplast genome of sorghum is limited, especially for some landrace varieties. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of 10 sorghum varieties from southwestern China were assembled and analysed in depth. The genome sizes ranged between 140.644 and 140.814 bp; the b3 variety had the smallest genome size, and the b6, b7 and b8 varieties had the largest. Highly conserved sequences were found among the 10 cp genomes. A total of 136 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 40 tRNAs and 8 rRNAs, were found in each cp genome. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the large single-copy (LSC) region had more SNPs and indels than the inverted repeat (IR) and small single-copy (SSC) regions. Furthermore, some genes, including matK, matK-trnk, psbM-petN, rps12-rpl20, and ccsA, exhibited greater sequence variation than others. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis revealed that b3 had a distant genetic relationship with the other 9 varieties. Our findings provide valuable information for a deeper understanding of the genetic structure of sorghum germplasm resources globally and provide an important foundation for subsequent genetic improvement of sorghum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Triadica sebifera is an important landscaping tree species because of its colorful autumn leaves. In recent years, some cultivars have been bred and licensed, but it can be difficult to identify them from their morphological traits due to their similar phenotypes. To explore the genetic relationships and construct a fingerprint of the cultivars, the licensed T. sebifera cultivars were analyzed using SSR markers. A total of 179 alleles were identified among the 21 cultivars at 16 SSR loci, and these alleles exhibited a high level of genetic diversity (He = 0.86). The genetic variations mainly occurred among cultivars based on an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). According to phylogenetic analysis, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), and Bayesian clustering analysis, the genetic relationships were independent of geographic distances, which may be mainly due to transplantations between regions. Some cultivars with different leaf colors showed obvious genetic differentiation and may be preliminary candidates for cross-breeding. Finally, the fingerprint for the licensed cultivars was constructed with two SSR markers. The results of this study can provide technical support for the application and legal protection of licensed Triadica sebifera cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), as the earliest oil and fiber crop, is a model plant for genetic inferences of plant domestication processes involving multiple domestication events. However, a puzzle has emerged from several genetic studies, as dehiscent cultivated flax is genetically more related to its progenitor pale flax (L. bienne Mill.), and winter cultivated flax is well mixed with oil or fiber cultivated flax, while capsular dehiscence and winter hardiness are the major characteristics of pale flax. For this, a comparative analysis was conducted with 16 Linum samples representing pale flax and four domestication groups of cultivated flax (oil, fiber, winter, and dehiscent) using 454 pyrosequencing, Sanger resequencing and microsatellite data. It was found that the genomic sampling of genetic variants from the three applied methods yielded similar genetic information on pale flax and four groups of cultivated flax. The revealed genetic relationships did not show significant departures from the previous findings, but instead supported an early, independent domestication of a primitive flax lineage for oil use, followed by a subsequent flax domestication process with multiple domestication events for capsular dehiscence, oil, fiber and winter hardiness. Domestication on capsular dehiscence occurred earlier than domestication on winter hardiness. Domestication on winter hardiness was more complicated than domestication on capsular dehiscence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the intra- and inter-specific genetic relationship of some strawberry- and orange-associated fungi based on DNA markers technique. Five fungal isolates belonging to three different genera were isolated from strawberry and orange samples. The isolates were morphologically characterized as Aspergillus fumigatus, which originated from orange samples; A. flavus and A. niger, both originated from strawberries; and Rhizopus stolonifer and Alternaria alternata, both originated from orange samples. The five fungal isolates were subjected to investigating intra- and inter-specific genetic relatedness, employing the technique of random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) marker using ten oligonucleotide primers. The RAPD-PCR analysis revealed a high interspecific relationship between the three Aspergillus species and Rhizopus stolonifer, as well as Alternaria alternata. It also revealed a high intraspecific genetic relationship between A. fumigatus and A. flavus, which were isolated from different environments, surpassing the observed relationships between A. flavus and A. niger, which were isolated from the same environment. This finding confirms genetic homogeneity within the studied Aspergillus species, suggesting a potential for molecular identification of genetic diversity among different individuals in the Aspergillus genus, taking into consideration their respective origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of clones with promising growth and yield characteristics remains imperative for cocoa improvement in Ghana. This study assessed the relationship between selected trees from seed origin and their derived clones as a strategy to identify superior cocoa clones. Two experiments consisting of 40 progeny families, and 160 derived clones (plus 20 parents) respectively, were conducted at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, New Tafo-Akim, from 2008 to 2022 to assess the genetic association between the two populations. Agronomic traits measured included stem diameter (vigour) at the juvenile and reproductive phases of growth, as well as bean yield and its components. Significant genetic variation was estimated among the ortets and their ramets for all measured traits. Relatively wide variation and superior performance were observed among the ramets compared with the ortets for all measured traits suggesting the achievement of substantial genetic improvement in the ramets to warrant selection progress. Additionally, the results revealed significant regression co-efficients and correlation patterns, along with high realized heritability values between the ortets and their ramets for bean yield and pod value indicating that high yielding clones with desirable pod values could be identified by relying on the genetic relationship between the progeny families and their derived clones. The high yielding ramets, CRG 0148/418, CRG 0121/106, CRG 0149/210, and CRG 0150/114 identified are therefore, invaluable for utilization in cocoa enhancement programmes across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taxonomic status of × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter (Tang & F. T. Wang) Tatanov is still up for debate. To clarify this status and explore its genetic relationship with closely related species, the candidate DNA barcode sequences of one nuclear gene (ITS) and five chloroplast genes (matK, ndhF, rbcL, trnL and trnL-trnF) were used for PCR amplification and sequencing of 21 individuals from four species, including × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter and its related species. The basic local alignment search tool was then applied to evaluate the identification efficiency of the screened barcode sequences and sequence combinations. Finally, species identification analyses were performed by constructing a phylogenetic tree using the Bayesian inference method. The results were as follows: (1) The ITS + matK sequence combination showed the highest species-resolving degree of 71.4%, which could achieve interspecific differentiation and identification of × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter and its closely related species. (2) According to the phylogenetic tree based on ITS + matK sequence combination, samples of the same species showed better aggregation and were mostly monophyletic, with × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter clustered together with all Bolboschoenus (Asch.) Palla individuals, rather than Schoenoplectus (Rchb.) Palla species. All × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter and Bolboschoenus maritimus (Linnaeus) Palla samples formed a monophyletic clade. In conclusion, ITS + matK sequence combination appears to be the best barcode sequence for interspecific identification of × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter and its related species. Furthermore, × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter could be a synonym of Bolboschoenus maritimus rather than a natural hybrid. This study establishes a theoretical foundation for the taxonomic research on × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter and its closely related species.

The asphaltene fractions of the bitumens of Eastern Dahomey Basin in Nigeria, were analyzed by flash pyrolysis-gas chromatography (Py-GC) method in order to unravel its geochemical history and properties. The distributions of the initial biomarkers of the original oils from the pyrolysates are related to the assessment of organic matter source, paleo-redox conditions and source environment during deposition. Also, it effectively establishes the genetic relationship of the bitumens. The n-alkane distributions in the pyrolysates reveal nC9-nC32 n-alkanes, maximizing at nC14, isoprenoids-pristane (Pr) and phytane (Ph), and some n-alkene peaks. High peaks of low to medium-weight nC9-nC20 n-alkanes and low peaks of nC21+ n-alkanes characterize the distributions. These reveal that abundant algal organic matter with some terrigenous inputs contributed to the source rock of the bitumens. The high concentration of marine organic matter inputs to the source rock is further confirmed by the nC17/nC27 ratios which range from 5.39 to 19.82 and shows the predominance of nC17 alkanes. The general unimodal n-alkane distributions in the bitumens indicate derivation from similar organic matter types showing that they are genetically related. The anoxic to suboxic environmental conditions that prevailed during the deposition of the sediments is revealed by the isoprenoids, Pr/Ph ratios (0.72–1.28). Pristane/nC17 and Phytane/nC18 range from 0.16 to 0.33 and 0.22 to 0.56, revealing that the bitumens were from predominantly marine organic matter (type II kerogen) preserved in a reducing environment with no evidence of biodegradation. However, the Ph/nC18 ratio and the cross plot of Pr+Ph/nC17+nC18 allow the classification of the bitumens into two subfamilies/groups (A and B). The bitumen samples have low wax content as indicated by the degree of waxiness ranging from 0.21 to 0.38 which confirms low terrigenous input. Based on the carbon preference index (CPI: 0.92 to 1.55) and odd-even predominance (OEP: 0.70 to 1.36), it is concluded that the bitumens are immature to marginally mature.

AbstractLanguage and cultural identity differences can easily lead to a small amount of warfare and confrontation due to a lack of sense of belonging. This study examined the genetic relationship of four languages spoken in Western Seram, consisting of the Alune, Lisabata, Luhu, and Wemale, and its urgency to the relation among four existing tribes by stepping on qualitative and quantitative evidence. To determine language kinship, 200 basic lexical items from Swadesh’s lists were tested on 12 informants. Along with that, 20 additional informants were added for face-to-face interviews to assess historical, philosophical, social, and cultural backgrounds. Despite the inconsistencies in phonological change regularities, the results have revealed that Lisabata and Luhu had the highest percentage of language kinship at 64% with 128 cognates, followed by Lisabata and Alune at 58% with 116 cognates, Luhu and Alune at 57.5% with 114 cognates, Alune and Wemale at 49% with 98 cognates, Wemale and Luhu at 47.5% with 95 cognates, and Wemale and Lisabata at 45% with 90 cognates. Evidence of interconnectedness between the four languages on the family level within the historical frame of Nunusaku mythology can be used further as a milestone to strengthen the relationship between the four ethnic groups.

The taxonomic status of × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter (Tang & F.T.Wang) Tatanov is still up for debate. To clarify this status and explore its genetic relationship with closely related species, the candidate DNA barcode sequences of one nuclear gene (ITS) and five chloroplast genes (matK, ndhF, rbcL, trnL and trnL-trnF) were used for PCR amplification and sequencing of 21 individuals from four species, including × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter and its related species. The basic local alignment search tool was then applied to evaluate the identification efficiency of the screened barcode sequences and sequence combinations. Finally, species identification analyses were performed by constructing a phylogenetic tree using the Bayesian inference method. The results were as follows: (1) The ITS + matK sequence combination showed the highest species-resolving degree of 71.4%, which could achieve interspecific differentiation and identification of × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter and its closely related species. (2) According to the phylogenetic tree based on ITS + matK sequence combination, samples of the same species showed better aggregation and were mostly monophyletic, with × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter clustered together with all Bolboschoenus (Asch.) Palla individuals, rather than Schoenoplectus (Rchb.) Palla species. All × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter and Bolboschoenus maritimus (Linnaeus) Palla samples formed a monophyletic clade. In conclusion, ITS + matK sequence combination appears to be the best barcode sequence for interspecific identification of × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter and its related species. Furthermore, × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter could be a synonym of Bolboschoenus maritimus rather than a natural hybrid. This study establishes a theoretical foundation for the taxonomic research on × Bolboschoenoplectus mariqueter and its closely related species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic diversity of indigenous chickens, which comprise over 80% of the chicken resources in Uganda, is largely not well-characterized for their genetic contribution. This study assessed the genetic diversity and population structure of the indigenous chicken population in Uganda to serve as an essential component for improvement and conservation strategies. A set of 344 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequences among 12 Ugandan chicken populations was evaluated. Twenty-eight polymorphic sites, accounting for 4.26% of the total analyzed loci of 658 bp, defined 32 haplotypes. The haplotype diversity (Hd) was 0.437, with a nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.0169, while the average number of nucleotide differences (k) was 0.576, indicating a population that is moderately genetically diverse. Analysis of molecular variance found 98.39% (ρ < 0.01) of the total sequence variation among the chicken haplotypes within populations, 1.08% (ρ < 0.05) among populations, and 0.75% (ρ > 0.05) among populations within regions. This revealed subtle genetic differentiation among the populations, which appeared to be influenced by population fragmentation, probably due to neutral mutation, random genetic drift, and/or balancing selection. All the haplotypes showed affinity exclusively to the haplogroup-E mtDNA phylogeny, with haplotype UGA01 signaling an ancestral haplotype in Uganda. Neutrality tests Tajima’sD(−2.320) and Fu’s Fs (−51.369), augmented with mismatch distribution to measure signatures of recent historical demographic events, supported a population expansion across the chicken populations. The results show one matrilineal ancestry of Ugandan chickens from a lineage widespread throughout the world that began in the Indian subcontinent. The lack of phylogeographic signals is consistent with recent expansion events with extensive within-country genetic intermixing among haplotypes. Thus, the findings in this study hold the potential to guide conservation strategies and breeding programs in Uganda, given that higher genetic diversity comes from within the chicken population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild tea germplasm resources have high genetic diversity and are also a high-quality source for the breeding and utilization of local tea cultivars. In this study, 26 resources of wild tea plants from Badong County, Hubei Province, were collected and the genetic diversity and population structure of wild tea plants were analyzed using SSR molecular markers with the normal tea cultivars as the control. The results are as follows: (1) 16 pairs of primers detected an average of 5.12 alleles and 3.65 effective loci in the test materials. A total of 82 alleles were amplified, with each pair of primers amplifying a range of 3-8 labeled alleles. The average Shannon diversity index was 1.378. (2) Six core primer sites were selected from 16 pairs of primers, which can effectively detect and identify 26 materials in this study. (3) UPGMA evolutionary map of individual samples could divide all 48 materials into 7 categories. Wild tea plants and cultivated tea plants could be effectively divided through SSR detection. Population genetic structure analysis suggests that 26 wild tea samples could be divided into 2 subgroups. (4) Based on biochemical components, two samples with high EGCG content and two tea germplasms suitable for making black tea were selected. Results of this research show that diversity level of wild tea resources in Badong was high, with high genetic variation within the population. This study laid a foundation for further protection, development and utilization of wild tea germplasm resources in Badong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Broad-spectrum ampicillin-resistant and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, particularly Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae that have pathological features in humans, have become a global concern. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and molecular genetic features of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates in Southern Thailand. Between January and August 2021, samples (n = 199) were collected from a tertiary care hospital in Southern Thailand. ESBL and AmpC-lactamase genes were identified using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The genetic relationship between ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae was determined using the enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) polymerase chain reaction. ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates were mostly collected from catheter urine samples of infected female patients. The ESBL production prevalence was highest in the medical wards (n = 75, 37.7%), followed by that in surgical wards (n = 64, 32.2%) and operating rooms (n = 19, 9.5%). Antimicrobial susceptibility analysis revealed that all isolates were resistant to ampicillin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, and cefuroxime; 79.4% were resistant to ciprofloxacin; and 64.3% were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. In ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae and E. coli, blaTEM (n = 57, 72.2%) and blaCTX-M (n = 61, 50.8%) genes were prominent; however, no blaVEB, blaGES, or blaPER were found in any of these isolates. Furthermore, only ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae had co-harbored blaTEM and blaSHV genes at 11.6%. The ERIC-PCR pattern of multidrug-resistant ESBL-producing strains demonstrated that the isolates were clonally related (95%). Notably, the presence of multidrug-resistant and extremely resistant ESBL producers was 83.4% and 16.6%, respectively. This study highlights the presence of blaTEM, blaCTX-M, and co-harbored genes in ESBL-producing bacterial isolates from hospitalized patients, which are associated with considerable resistance to beta-lactamase and third-generation cephalosporins.IMPORTANCEWe advocate for evidence-based guidelines and antimicrobial stewardship programs to encourage rational and appropriate antibiotic use, ultimately reducing the selection pressure for drug-resistant bacteria and lowering the likelihood of ESBL-producing bacterial infections.

Dendrobium williamsonii and Dendrobium cariniferum (Orchidaceae) are endangered perennial herbs, and they are very similar in morphology. Chloroplast genome sequencing technology provides a powerful tool for molecular analysis to get more infomation for phylogenetic analysis and identification of Dendrobium species. In this study, the complete chloroplast genomes of Dendrobium williamsonii and Dendrobium cariniferum were assembled and characterized using Illumina NovaSeq 6000. The genome sizes are 159 695 and 159 479 bp, including pairs of inverted repeats (27 055 and 27 024 bp) each separated by small single-copy regions (18 451 and 18 488 bp) and large single-copy regions (87 134 and 86 943 bp). The chloroplast genome overall GC content was 37.11% and 37.13%, respectively. Each chloroplast genome encoded the same number (147) of genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 51 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes revealed the high degree of divergence included accD-psaL and ycf4 -cemA. The phylogenetic tree showed the two Dendrobium species formed only one small clade. A pair of primers that could effectively identify the two Dendrobium species were also screened. This study will provide theoretical basis for species identification, genetic breeding, and evolution of Dendrobium.

Pollen carries extensive genetic information, which may provide clues regarding the kinship of Malus, whose genetic relationships are complex. In this study, the phenotypic variation of pollen from 107 Malus taxa was investigated using combined methods of intraspecific/interspecific uniformity testing, cluster analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis. The family aggregation distributions in Malus sections, species, and cultivars were analyzed to infer their pedigree relationships. The results showed that (1) compared with pollen size and morphology, aberrant pollen rate and ornamentation were highly interspecifically differentiated, but ornamentation was also intraspecifically unstable, especially perforation densities (c.v.¯ > 15%). (2) The pollen alteration direction from the original to the evolutionary population of Malus was large to small, with elliptic to rectangular morphologies, large and compact to small and sparse ridges, and low to high perforation densities. However, there was no significant change in pollen size. (3) The 107 studied taxa were divided into four groups. Malus species were relatively clustered in the same section, while homologous cultivars showed evidence of family aggregation distribution characteristics (92.60% of cultivars were clustered with their parents). (4) M. baccata and M. pumilar var. neidzwetzkyana were high-frequency parents, participating in 38.7% and 20.7% of cross-breeding, respectively. Overall, this study provides a reference for identifying Malus’ pedigree relationship.

Stepwise canonical discriminant analysis of quantitative traits was performed to characterize Arbor Acre (n = 29), Marshall (n = 29) and Ross 308 (n = 30) strains of broiler chicken at two weeks of age. Average body weight of 322.11 ± 51.33 g, 310.70 ± 51.20 g and 310.24 ± 42.37 g were obtained for Arbor Acre, Marshall and Ross 308 strains, respectively. Correlation coefficients between traits was positive (0.13-0.80). Out of the eight traits used, shank length (SL), body length (BL), wing length (WL), breast girth (BG) and thigh circumference (TC) were selected by stepwise procedure as discriminating variables with respective tolerance of 0.75, 0.84, 0.86, 0.57 and 0.66. The Mahalanobis distance indicated that Arbor Acre and Marshall were closely related by SL (2.006), WL (5.704), BG (6.002) and TC (6.314) while Arbor Acre and Ross 308 were related by BL (4.212). Two canonical discriminant functions were generated. Function 1, with smaller Wilk's Lambda (0.15), stronger canonical correlation coefficient (0.88), highly significant Chi-square (p<0.0001), greater eigenvalue (3.14) and percentage variance (87.28%), possessed higher discriminatory power than function 2.72.4%, 82.8% and 90.0% of the cross validated cases were correctly classified as Arbor Acre, Marshall and Ross broilers, respectively. The study revealed that Ross 308 was genetically distinct from Arbor Acre and Marshall, which were more closely related, using shank length, body length, wing length, breast girth and thigh circumference as discriminating traits. Stepwise canonical discriminant analysis is therefore relevant in classification genetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Study the growth characteristics of different Lentinula edodes strains and the differences between strains to screen for the elite strains suitable for cultivation in the western regions of Inner Mongolia. [Methods] 126 Lentinula edodes strains were used as test materials. The colony morphology, mycelium growth rate, optimum growth temperature, mycelial growth vigor, and phylogenetic relationships between strains were analyzed by morphological observation and antagonistic test. [Results] The optimum growth temperature of the test strains was 25 °C. XG-168, XG-Y, Dongxiang No. 4, and Dongxiang No. 5 had complete colony edges, fast mycelial growth rate, vigorous colony growth, and multiple lock-like joint structure. The average mycelium growth rates were all 3.33 mm/d. Mycelium germination times were all 2 d. The full growth times of mycelium were all 12 d, with vigorous and dense mycelium growth. The genetic relationships between XG-Y and Fupingxianggu 0912, HXG-8L1 and Qingyuanxianggu, Zunhuaxianggu 168 and Pingquanxianggu 168, XG-Y and MXG-1669, XG-12 and MXG-1669 strains were relatively close. While Baolin No. 2 had a distant genetic relationship with other strains. [Conclusion] XG-168, XG-Y, Dongxiang No. 4 and Dongxiang No. 5 had prominent growth characteristics, could be used as elite strains for cultivation in the western regions of Inner Mongolia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lathyrus and Pisum species are members of the tribe Vicieae in the Fabaceae family. These species are of economic importance. Pisum sativum L. is a basic model in plant genetics. Seed storage proteins have been used as a biochemical marker to determine the phylogenetic relationship among studied Lathyrus and Pisum species. The polymorphism of the studied Lathyrus species was 86.05%, while that of the studied Pisum species was 51.35%. The highest similarity matrix was among P. sativum subsp. sativum covariates. The highest value was 0.96 detected between P. sativum subsp. sativum Convar. speciosum & axiphium, speciosum & medullare, and speciosum & sativum, while the lowest similarity matrix was detected between Pisum fulvum and all the studied P. sativum subsp. sativum covariates. Similarity matrix analysis among the Lathyrus species revealed the next genetic relationships: L. articulates L. and L. aureus are the most closely related to each other (0.76), followed by L. pratensis L. which is the most related to L. pannonicus subsp. varius. All studied species of both genera, Lathyrus and Pisum, were split into two main clusters. The first cluster contains all the studied Pisum species, while the second cluster contains all the studied Lathyrus species. However, the genetic relationship or similarity matrix among the studied Pisum and Lathyrus species was very low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halabja governorate in the Kurdistan region-Iraq is famous for having high-quality pomegranate accessions. The current study was conducted to evaluate the morpho-phytochemical amount of pomegranate functional food and the genetic diversity as an important tool for the characterization of the genetic resources for germplasm management and the identification of the best genotypes for genetic improvement. There were highly significant morphometric differences (P ≤ 0.05) among 24 genotypes, whose mean values for fruit weight, peel thickness, and weight of 100 Arils, total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, total soluble solid content (TSS) were 299.21 g, 3.47 mm and 38.59 g, 54.50,47.97 µg/ml, 21.08 µg/ml and 14.59 Brix, respectively. In addition, inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) was utilized to assess the genetic diversity of the collected pomegranate genotypes. Twelve random primers of produced products plus a number of the amplified primer bands ranging from 3 to 12 and total number of 83 amplified bands were produced, among which 78 bands were polymorphic and 5 bands were monomorphic. The highest, lowest, and mean values of polymorphic bands were (11, 3, and 6.5), respectively. The PIC values ranged from 0.58 to 0.90. The dendrogram clusters for all the selections showed dissimilarity coefficients ranging from 0.22 to 0.23 (G4 vs. G5) to 0.63 (G13 vs. G14), and five groups (A, B, C, D, and F) with a mean dissimilarity (0.49). According to the results, morphometric and biochemical properties are significant aspects of development, discernment, and classification. ISSR markers allow the identification of different selections and assessing the genetic similarity among pomegranate accessions, which would facilitate their use as genetic stock in breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the genetic diversity and population structure of upland cotton germplasms distributed in China, molecular marker research was carried out on 191 upland cotton germplasm resources by using 26 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to analyse polymorphism and population structure. A total of 92 clearly identifiable bands were amplified from 65 SSR markers, with an average of 3.54 per marker. The mean number of observed alleles (Na) was 1.984, the effective allele number (Ne) was 1.534, the gene diversity index (h) was 0.312, the Shannon–Weaver index (I) was 0.470, and the polymorphism information content (PIC) of the primers was 0.530. Cluster analysis divided the germplasm into 11 groups at a genetic distance of 0.52, and group 1 was divided into 6 subgroups at a genetic distance of 0.39. The germplasms from different regions were interspersed among the various groups, indicating that the germplasm resources within cotton regions were also quite different. All materials were divided into three populations by structure analysis, and there was gene exchange between the three groups, thereby indicating that the resource utilization scope was relatively narrow and that the genetic basis of cultivars was relatively low in breeding units for a long time. The above results showed that the DNA clustering of upland cotton germplasm was not related to its geographical origin but to its genetic relationships, thus indicating the genetic diversity and complexity of cotton germplasm. The results lay a foundation and provide a reference for directional breeding in cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccaria hispanica (Mill.) Rauschert has been studied for its potential economic value. Its seeds contain valuable starch granules, triterpenic saponins, and cyclopeptides. In the present study, sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and microsatellite simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of V. hispanica genotypes. The plant material belonged to 66 genotypes collected from different parts (27 squares, with at least two locations in each square) of Türkiye. The application of 49 SRAP primer pairs produced 476 bands, of which 197 (41.38%) were polymorphic. The polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.12 to 0.46 with a mean of 0.30. The genetic distance coefficients among the accessions ranged from 0.52 to 0.91, with an average of 0.70. The 17 SSR primers previously developed for related species produced a total of 69 alleles and 42 polymorphic alleles, and the number of polymorphic alleles produced in each locus ranged from 1 to 6, with an average of 2.47 alleles per locus. The PIC ranged from 0.21 to 0.49 with a mean of 0.40. The unweighted pair group method of arithmetic averages (UPGMA) dendrogram obtained based on the markers revealed that the genotypes were genetically different from each other and were partially geographically grouped. Bayesian Structure analysis carried out using the marker data divided the genotypes into two subpopulations. It showed a general agreement with the UPGMA dendrogram on the genetic relationships among the accessions and clustering. Thus, it was determined that genetically distinct genotypes exist, and subpopulations for breeding can be established using the characterized genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic diversity of indigenous chickens, which comprise over 80% of the chicken resources in Uganda, is largely not well-characterized for their genetic contribution. This study assessed the genetic diversity and population structure of the indigenous chicken population in Uganda to serve as an essential component for improvement and conservation strategies. A set of 344 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequences among 12 Ugandan chicken populations was evaluated. Twenty-eight polymorphic sites, accounting for 4.26% of the total analyzed loci of 658 bp, defined 32 haplotypes. The haplotype diversity (Hd) was 0.437, with a nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.0169, while the average number of nucleotide differences (k) was 0.576, indicating a population that is moderately genetically diverse. Analysis of molecular variance found 98.39% (ρ < 0.01) of the total sequence variation among the chicken haplotypes within populations, 1.08% (ρ < 0.05) among populations, and 0.75% (ρ > 0.05) among populations within regions. This revealed subtle genetic differentiation among the populations, which appeared to be influenced by population fragmentation, probably due to neutral mutation, random genetic drift, and/or balancing selection. All the haplotypes showed affinity exclusively to the haplogroup-E mtDNA phylogeny, with haplotype UGA01 signaling an ancestral haplotype in Uganda. Neutrality tests Tajima’s D (−2.320) and Fu’s Fs (−51.369), augmented with mismatch distribution to measure signatures of recent historical demographic events, supported a population expansion across the chicken populations. The results show one matrilineal ancestry of Ugandan chickens from a lineage widespread throughout the world that began in the Indian subcontinent. The lack of phylogeographic signals is consistent with recent expansion events with extensive within-country genetic intermixing among haplotypes. Thus, the findings in this study hold the potential to guide conservation strategies and breeding programs in Uganda, given that higher genetic diversity comes from within the chicken population.

Triadica sebifera is an important landscaping tree species because of its colorful autumn leaves. In recent years, some cultivars have been bred and licensed, but it can be difficult to identify them from their morphological traits due to their similar phenotypes. To explore the genetic relationships and construct a fingerprint of the cultivars, the licensed T. sebifera cultivars were analyzed using SSR markers. A total of 179 alleles were identified among the 21 cultivars at 16 SSR loci, and these alleles exhibited a high level of genetic diversity (He = 0.86). The genetic variations mainly occurred among cultivars based on an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). According to phylogenetic analysis, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), and Bayesian clustering analysis, the genetic relationships were independent of geographic distances, which may be mainly due to transplantations between regions. Some cultivars with different leaf colors showed obvious genetic differentiation and may be preliminary candidates for cross-breeding. Finally, the fingerprint for the licensed cultivars was constructed with two SSR markers. The results of this study can provide technical support for the application and legal protection of licensed Triadica sebifera cultivars.

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), as the earliest oil and fiber crop, is a model plant for genetic inferences of plant domestication processes involving multiple domestication events. However, a puzzle has emerged from several genetic studies, as dehiscent cultivated flax is genetically more related to its progenitor pale flax (L. bienne Mill.), and winter cultivated flax is well mixed with oil or fiber cultivated flax, while capsular dehiscence and winter hardiness are the major characteristics of pale flax. For this, a comparative analysis was conducted with 16 Linum samples representing pale flax and four domestication groups of cultivated flax (oil, fiber, winter, and dehiscent) using 454 pyrosequencing, Sanger resequencing and microsatellite data. It was found that the genomic sampling of genetic variants from the three applied methods yielded similar genetic information on pale flax and four groups of cultivated flax. The revealed genetic relationships did not show significant departures from the previous findings, but instead supported an early, independent domestication of a primitive flax lineage for oil use, followed by a subsequent flax domestication process with multiple domestication events for capsular dehiscence, oil, fiber and winter hardiness. Domestication on capsular dehiscence occurred earlier than domestication on winter hardiness. Domestication on winter hardiness was more complicated than domestication on capsular dehiscence.

The genus Sorghum consists of 25 species, including Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, one of the top five cereal crops cultivated globally, and S. halepense, one of the most noxious weeds. Weedy Sorghum possesses outstanding adaptability and drought tolerance thrives in diverse environments and becomes an invasive plant worldwide. Taiwan is a unique place possessing suitable habitats for four Sorghum taxa, S. bicolor ssp. bicolor, var. technicum, ssp. verticilliflorum and S. halepense, which were identified by key morphological features. The four Sorghum taxa showed distinct geographic distributions, revealing that invasiveness was influenced by their own characteristics and human activities. The sporadic distributions of cultivated S. bicolor ssp. bicolor and var. technicum may be attributed to human disturbance and agricultural activities. The rhizomatous S. halepense was widely distributed and showed the highest genetic diversity (He > 0.776) among the four taxa, with its strong adaptation to various environments threatening the agricultural practices and ecosystem in Taiwan. In contrast, the newly naturalised S. bicolor ssp. verticilliflorum was confined to and dominant in southern Taiwan, with the lowest genetic diversity (He < 0.272). Significant genetic differentiation (FST = 0.5207) between the two ssp. verticilliflorum subpopulations was associated with natural geographic isolation. This study concretely elucidated the geographic distributions, genetic diversity and relatedness of invasive and escaped Sorghum taxa, indicating the potential aggressiveness and hazard of weedy Sorghum in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pinus densiflora and Pinus thunbergii are important forest tree species in the DPR Korea due to their ecological adaptability and versatile uses, including timber, medicinal, and cosmetic production. P. thunbergii 'Kumyahuksong' is a significant windbreak tree species on the coast due to its high salt tolerance, pest resistance, and rapid growth. Understanding the genetic relationships of Pinus species, with the potential for natural crosses, would assist forest establishment and conservation strategies. In this study, the genetic relationship among 63 germplasms of pine species were analyzed using RAPD and ISSR markers. The populations of both species and cultivars displayed significant genetic differentiation, as evidenced by the high FST values ranging from 0.53 to 0.72. PCA and UPGMA clustering analyses revealed that the samples could be separated into major clusters according to their species. Firstly, P. densiflora and P. thunbergii were separated, followed by the separation of P. thunbergii 'Kumyahuksong'. The Bayesian Structure analysis further emphasized the distinctiveness of P. thunbergii 'Kumyahuksong', particularly at K = 3, where it was presented as a distinct group. Despite the 'Kumyahuksong' cultivar indicated higher inbreeding (FIS = 0.261), it was also found to have a higher number of observed and effective alleles and polymorphisms compared to P. thunbergii. These results confirm the cultivar status of P. thunbergii 'Kumyahuksong', and also indicate that its exceptional phenotypic characteristics are likely due to its specific genetic background. Identification of natural crosses and fingerprinting of such individuals are valuable to effectively select materials in breeding programs of P. thunbergii, and the related species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to reveal the genetic relationships among some economically important chestnut cultivars for Türkiye by using retrotransposon-based inter primer binding site (iPBS) markers. Methods and results: In this study, a total of 19 iPBS markers were used to determine the genetic relationships among 11 chestnut cultivars (Castanea sativa Mill.). In the study, chestnut cultivars named Hacıömer, Osmanoğlu, Sarıaşlama, Erfelek, Kemer, Işıklar, Şekerci, Siyah Bursa, Tülü, Bouche De Betizac and Marigoule were the preferred cultivars utilised. Using the online marker efficiency calculator (iMEC), some indices of polymorphism, such as the mean heterozygosity, polymorphism information content, marker index and discriminating power, were determined. In addition, the size ranges of alleles, number of average alleles, number of total alleles, number of polymorphic alleles, and polymorphism rate were determined at a successful level. The chestnut cultivars of Hacıömer and Şekerci were determined to be the most similar cultivars with a similarity coefficient value of 0.924, and they formed a subgroup together with the chestnut cultivars Osmanoğlu and Erfelek, showing close similarity with these two cultivars. Conclusions: The use of iPBS markers in chestnuts in Türkiye was carried out for the first time in this study. The power of iPBS markers to evaluate the genetic relationship for our preferred chestnut cultivars was revealed. For this reason, it has emerged that it will be useful in the molecular characterization of both genotypes in natural chestnut populations and chestnut breeding materials such as varieties and cultivars in chestnut breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neocinnamomum plants are evergreen shrubs or small trees belonging to the Neocinnamomeae tribe of the Lauraceae family. Their seeds are rich in fatty acids, and their leaves are often used in traditional Chinese medicine. Presently, only a few studies have been performed on Neocinnamomum plants; therefore, the genome-based phylogeny among Neocinnamomum species has not been determined, which limits the germplasm innovation of this genus. In this study, by the Illumina (next-generation sequencing) and third-generation sequencing technologies, the whole genomes of seven Neocinnamomum species samples were sequenced, their nuclear DNA (nrDNA) sequences were assembled and characterized, and their phylogeny was reconstructed. The results revealed four hypervariable regions (i.e. transcribed spacer regions) in the nrDNA sequences, among which the highest degree of variation was observed in the external transcribed spacer (ETS) region localized behind the 26S gene. A total of 27 insertions/deletions and 184 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, both localized mainly in the ETS and internal transcribed spacer regions, were identified. Phylogenetic trees were constructed based on the nrDNA sequences using the maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods with Caryodaphnopsis henryi as the outgroup. The ML tree divided the seven Neocinnamomum species into four clades. Clade I consisted of Neocinnamomum caudatum var. macrocarpum and Neocinnamomum caudatum , clade II included Neocinnamomum delavayi and Neocinnamomum mekongense , clade III included Neocinnamomum fargesii and a branch species of N. delavayi and clade IV included Neocinnamomum lecomtei , constituting a monophyletic and basal group. The BI tree shared the same topological structure as the ML tree, and all the support values of the BI tree were one except for that of one Neocinnamomum species (0.98). The results of this study provide new evidence regarding the phylogenetic evolution of the Neocinnamomum plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shanlan upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a unique upland rice variety cultivated by the Li nationality for a long time, which has good drought resistance and high utilization value in drought resistance breeding. To explore the origin of Shanlan upland rice and its genetic relationship with upland rice from other geographical sources, 214 upland rice cultivars from Southeast Asia and five provinces (regions) in southern China were used to study genetic diversity by using SSR markers. Twelve SSR primers were screened and 164 alleles (Na) were detected, with the minimum number of alleles being 8 and the maximum number of alleles being 23, with an average of 13.667. The analysis of genetic diversity and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that the differences among the materials mainly came from the individuals of upland rice. The results of gene flow and genetic differentiation revealed the relationship between the upland rice populations, and Hainan Shanlan upland rice presumably originated from upland rice in Guangdong province, and some of them were genetically differentiated from Hunan upland rice. It can be indirectly proved that the Li nationality in Hainan is a descendant of the ancient Baiyue ethnic group, which provides circumstantial evidence for the migration history of the Li nationality in Hainan, and also provides basic data for the advanced protection of Shanlan upland rice, and the innovative utilization of germplasm resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The white-red deer population in China is composed of 28 individuals introduced from New Zealand. However, the genetic relationships between these individuals is unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine the genetic diversity and genetic relationship in the white-red deer population. We used ten microsatellite loci to genotype all 28 white-red deer individuals in China, and constructed a Neighborjoining (NJ) tree based on genetic distances. In addition, genetic structure analysis was carried out. The results showed that a total of 67 alleles were detected, and the average number of alleles at each locus was 6.7. There was high genetic diversity but severe inbreeding in the white-red deer population, and there is no father-mother-offspring relationship or father-offspring relationship in white-red deer population. Our study provides the essential data support and reference for the conservation and sustainable development of the domestic white-red deer population in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was aimed to determine the genetic variability of sugarcane smut pathogen (Sporisorium scitamineum) in Sri Lanka to support an effective crop improvement program for sugarcane smut disease resistance. Eighty-three isolates of S. scitamineum were collected from 15 different sugarcane varieties grown in seven sugarcane cultivating areas in Sri Lanka. DNA sequencing of PCR products obtained by specific (i.e., bE 4 and bE 8) and universal (i.e., ITS 1 and ITS 4) primers showed 99% sequence similarity among the collected S. scitamineum isolates. Genetic diversity was determined using 16 inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers. It produced 104 amplified DNA fragments which are 100% polymorphic. The polymorphic information content (PIC) value of ISSR markers varied from 0.25 to 0.46 with an average of 0.37. The results revealed a moderate degree of genetic diversity among the S. scitamineum isolates. The genetic differentiation coefficient (Gst) was estimated to be 0.241 in the studied fungal population, suggesting 24% of the total genetic variation originates between the populations, and 76% originates within the populations. Geneflow (Nm) was calculated as 1. 572, indicating that gene flow occurs across populations at a faster rate. The collected isolates clustered into five genetically distinct groups having no relationship with their geographical origin. The results confirmed a considerable genetic variation among the collected isolates from major sugarcane growing areas in Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is proposed to use a mixture of S. scitamineum isolates collected from all sugarcane growing areas when screening for smut-resistant sugarcane varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green prickly ash (Zanthoxylum armatum) has edible and medicinal value and is an economically significant plant in many countries. Z. armatum has many cultivars and varieties with similar phenotypes that are difficult to distinguish via traditional methods. In this study, we utilized oligo-FISH to distinguish five varieties and cultivars of Z. armatum on the basis of three oligonucleotide probes of 5S rDNA, (AG3T3)3, and (GAA)6. Karyotype analysis of the five varieties and cultivars of Z. armatum showed that the Z. armatum 'Tengjiao' karyotype formula was 2n = 2x = 98m with karyotype type 1C and an arm ratio of 4.3237, including two pairs of 5S rDNA signals and five pairs of (GAA)6 signals. The karyotype formula of Z. armatum 'Youkangtengjiao' was 2n = 2x = 128m + 8sm with karyotype type 2B and an arm ratio of 3.5336, including three pairs of 5S rDNA signals and 17 pairs of (GAA)6 signals. The karyotype formula of Z. armatum var. novemfolius was 2n = 2x = 134m + 2sm with karyotype type 1C and an arm ratio of 5.5224, including two pairs of 5S rDNA signals and eight pairs of (GAA)6 signals. The karyotype formula of Z. armatum 'YT-03' was 2n = 2x = 2M + 128m + 4sm + 2st with karyotype type 2C and an arm ratio of 4.1829, including three pairs of 5S rDNA signals and nine pairs of (GAA)6 signals. The karyotype formula of Z. armatum 'YT-06' was 2n = 2x = 126m + 10sm with cytotype 2B and an arm ratio of 3.3011, including three pairs of 5S rDNA signals and two pairs of (GAA)6 signals. The five varieties and cultivars of Z. armatum had (AG3T3)3 signals on all chromosomes. The chromosomal symmetry of Z. armatum 'Tengjiao' was high, whereas the chromosomal symmetry of Z. armatum 'YT-03' was low, with the karyotypes of the five materials showing a trend toward polyploid evolution. The phylogenetic relationship between Z. armatum 'Tengjiao' and Z. armatum var. novemfolius was the closest, while that between Z. armatum 'YT-03' and Z. armatum 'YT-06' was closer than with Z. armatum 'Youkangtengjiao' according to oligo-FISH. The results provided a karyotype profile and a physical map that contributes to the distinction of varieties and cultivars of Z. armatum and provides strategies for distinguishing other cultivated species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic relationship of the collected Dendrobium germplasm resources was analyzed by SNP marker technology to provide theoretical basis for the selection of new varieties breeding parents. Total 60 Dendrobium germplasm resources were used for SNP marker development and genetic relationship analysis using specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing technology（SLAF-seq）. The sequencing data of each sample were statistically analyzed, and 157.34 Mb Clean Reads data were obtained. The Reads data of each sample ranged from 576 195 to 5 359 710. The average sequencing quality value（Q30）and GC content of samples was 93.85% and 40.16%. Through sequencing data analysis, a total of 1 337 217 SLAF tags and 1 049 638 polymorphic SLAF tags were obtained. The average sequencing depth of the tags was 9.63×.A total of 11 248 186 population SNP markers were developed. The number of SNP markers in each sample ranged from 694 015 to 6 367 379. The integrity ratio was 2.71% to 24.89%, and the hetloci ratio was 1.13% to 5.74%. The population SNPs were filtered, and a total of 31 499 highly consistent and effective SNP markers were obtained. The phylogenetic tree was constructed by using the SNP markers obtained. The 60 Dendrobium germplasm resources were divided into 3 subgroups. These three subgroups contained germplasm resources: Q1（3）, Q2（21）, and Q3（36）. The results of germplasm clustering were basically consistent with the morphological classification. Using SLAF-seq technology can efficiently and accurately develop SNP markers suitable for the genetic analysis of Dendrobium. The SNP markers developed may provide molecular basis for Dendrobium breeding, genetic map construction, variety identification and association analysis of agronomic traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mycosystema is the property of Mycosystema Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Swertia L., as a commonly used ethnic medicine, is widely distributed in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Xizang in China. Moreover, the medicinal plants of Swertia L. have been widely used and constitute one of the most important sources of various traditional medicines in China due to their prominent activities. In this review, the information on the classification, distribution, genetic relationship, chemical composition, pharmacological effects, toxicities, and applications of the medicinal plants in Swertia L. was summarized based on the scientific literature. The results indicated that the medicinal plants of Swertia L. mainly contained chemical components including triterpenes, xanthones, and iridoids. These compounds exert pharmacological effects including ameliorating diseases related to the liver and gallbladder. They also exert antiviral and antibacterial effects and can alleviate the increase in blood glucose levels. Especially, prescriptions related to Swertia L. have been widely adopted in preclinical and clinical studies to protect against diseases affecting the liver and the gallbladder, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and cholecystitis. In addition, it also discusses toxicity studies and future perspectives and provides a reference for their clinical development and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Molar Incisor Hypomineralization Syndrome (MIH) is a problem of increasing incidence that represents a new challenge in the dental treatment of many of the children we see in our dental offices. Understanding the etiology of this syndrome (still unknown) will help us to prevent the appearance of this process. Lately a certain genetic relationship has been suggested in the syndrome. The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between activation of the TGFBR1 gene and the development of MIH, as recent studies suggest that there may be an association in this regard. Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of 50 children between 6–17 years of age with MIH, each with at least one parent and a sibling with or without MIH, and a group control of 100 children without MIH. The condition of the permanent molars and incisors was evaluated and recorded based on the criteria of Mathu-Muju and Wright. Saliva samples were collected after washing and rinsing of the oral cavity. Genotyping was performed with the saliva samples for the selection of a target polymorphism of the studied gene (TGFBR1). Results: The mean age was 9.7 years (SD 2.36). Of the 50 children with MIH, 56% were boys and 44% girls. The degree of MIH was predominantly severe (58%), with moderate and mild involvement in 22% and 20% of the cases, respectively, according to the classification of Mathu-Muju. The allelic frequencies were seen to behave as expected. The logistic regression analysis aimed to relate each polymorphism to the presence or absence of the factors. These results were inconclusive, with no evidence suggesting an alteration of the TGFBR1 gene to be related to the appearance of MIH. Conclusions: Within the limitations posed by a study of these characteristics, it can be affirmed that no relationship has been found between the TGFBR1 gene and the appearance of molar incisor hypomineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Applied Entomology is the property of Chinese Journal of Applied Entomology, Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study is historical-comparative linguistic research of the languages of indigenous peoples in Saireri Bay, Papua province, namely the Ambai, Ansus, Menawi, and Biak languages. These languages are classified as non-Austronesian languages (SIL, 2000) and are hypothesized to be closely related. This study aims to find accurate evidence to reveal the genetic relationship level between these four languages. The study's data consisted of the Swadesh list's 200 basic words. The method applied in this study is a comparative method, supported by observation, interview, and documentation techniques. Based on the lexicostatistics technique, it was found that the quantitative evidence indicated that the highest related cognates reach 47% and the lower-level reach 38%, based on the lexicostatistics from the Swedish's 200 basic vocabularies. The percentage of the related vocabulary is higher than in the other languages in the regency. The qualitative evidence found is the exclusive shared phonological and lexical innovation, strengthening the quantitative evidence. The innovation that phoneme PAAMB *j turns into/z/and/d/, *h turns into/O/on Biak. Besides that, metathesis, omission, and phoneme addition. In addition, after the reconstruction, the phoneme system of Proto-language Ansus-Ambai-Menawi and Biak (PAAMB) with segmental phonemes is five vowels and 15 consonant phonemes. The vowels of PAAMB are *i, *e, *a, *o, and *u, which have complete distribution, and the consonants that are (1) consonants that have complete distribution *p, *m, *h, (2) consonants that have distribution in the initial and middle of words *b, *w, *f, *t, *d, *n, *s *r, *j, *k, *g, *y, dan *h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strategic mineral W-Sn deposits in China are mainly concentrated in South China, and many rare metal mineralizations, such as Li, Rb, Be, Nb, Ta, etc., are often coproduced with them. However, the genetic relationship between them is unclear. Based on the analysis of research data related to granite-related rare metals and W-Sn deposits in South China, we believe that the two types of mineralization have a close spatio-temporal relationship at multiple scales, such as metallogenic belts, ore fields, deposits, and minerals. In addition, the ore-forming material source, mineralization process, and ore-controlling structures are similar, indicating that they may have derived from a same granitic mass and the mineralization usually have close genetic relationship with the high evolved granite. Therefore, the exploration and research data of W-Sn deposits in South China can be used to explore and study rare metal deposits.

AbstractGenetic relationships among teak (Tectona grandis) seed sources have been found to be low, thus genetic materials from other sources are required to maintain broad genetic diversity. This study here is therefore aimed to assess the potency of teak genetic structure in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Leaf materials were sampled from six populations: the villages of Angondara, Anduna (Konawe), Napabalano, Matakidi, Wakuru (Muna) and Wakonti (Buton). One population from Java Island (Kepek) was used as an outgroup. Genetic structures were assessed by using six microsatellite markers. The genetic diversity within populations was moderate (mean expected heterozygosity = 0.544; mean allelic richness = 3.752) as well as the genetic differentiation among the populations (mean FST = 0.085). Dendrogram analysis revealed that the populations were separated into two clusters; the first is Kepek-Angondara, Anduna-Napabalano-Matakidi, Wakuru, and the second is Wakonti. AMOVA showed that the genetic variation was insignificant between regions, but significant among populations. The structural analysis demonstrates the division of populations into two lineages (Java and Southeast Sulawesi populations). Differences in genetic structures indicated that the teak from Southeast Sulawesi may have originated from other sources. Thus, those populations are promising for broadening the genetic base of commercial teak in Java.