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Plant breeding with marker-assisted selection in Brazil

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Ney Sussumu Sakiyama

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Over the past three decades, molecular marker studies reached extraordinary advances, especially for sequencing and bioinformatics techniques. Marker-assisted selection became part of the breeding program routines of important seed companies, in order to accelerate and optimize the cultivar developing processes. Private seed companies increasingly use marker-assisted selection, especially for the species of great importance to the seed market, e.g. corn, soybean, cotton, and sunflower. In the Brazilian public institutions few breeding programs use it efficiently. The possible reasons are: lack of know-how, lack of appropriate laboratories, few validated markers, high cost, and lack of urgency in obtaining cultivars. In this article we analyze the use and the constraints of marker-assisted selection in plant breeding programs of Brazilian public institutes
Marker-assisted selection in forestry species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butcher, P.; Southerton, S.

2007-01-01

The primary goal of tree breeding is to increase the quantity and quality of wood products from plantations. Major gains have been achieved using recurrent selection in genetically diverse breeding populations to capture additive variation. However, the long generation times of trees, together with poor juvenile-mature trait correlations, have promoted interest in marker-assisted selection (MAS) to accelerate breeding through early selection. MAS relies on identifying DNA markers, which explain a high proportion of variation in phenotypic traits. Genetic linkage maps have been developed for most commercial tree species and these can be used to locate chromosomal regions where DNA markers co-segregate with quantitative traits (quantitative trait loci, QTL). MAS based on QTL is most likely to be used for within-family selection in a limited number of elite families that can be clonally propagated. Limitations of the approach include the low resolution of marker-trait associations, the small proportion of phenotypic variation explained by QTL and the low success rate in validating QTL in different genetic backgrounds and environments. This has led to a change in research focus towards association mapping to identify variation in the DNA sequence of genes directly controlling phenotypic variation (gene-assisted selection, GAS). The main advantages of GAS are the high resolution of marker-trait associations and the ability to transfer markers across families and even species. Association studies are being used to examine the adaptive significance of variation in genes controlling wood formation and quality, pathogen resistance, cold tolerance and drought tolerance. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these gene sequences that are significantly associated with trait variation can then be used for early selection. Markers for SNPs can be transferred among individuals regardless of pedigree or family relationship, increasing opportunities for their application in
Marker-assisted selection for improving quantitative traits of forage crops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolstra, O.; Denneboom, C.; Vos, Ab L.F. de; Loo, E.N. van

2007-01-01

This chapter provides an example of using marker-assisted selection (MAS) for breeding perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), a pasture species. A mapping study had shown the presence of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for seven component traits of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). The NUE-related QTL clustered in five chromosomal regions. These QTL were validated through divergent marker selection in an F 2 population. The criterion used for plant selection was a summation index based on the number of positive QTL alleles. The evaluation studies showed a strong indirect response of marker selection on NUE. Marker selection using a summation index such as applied here proved to be very effective for difficult and complex quantitative traits such as NUE. The strategy is easily applicable in outbreeding crops to raise the frequency of several desirable alleles simultaneously. (author)
Pearl millet transformation system using the positive selectable marker gene phosphomannose isomerase

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

O'Kennedy, MM

2004-04-01

Full Text Available of the transgene. Similar to results obtained from previous studies with maize and wheat, the manA gene was shown to be a superior selectable marker gene for improving transformation efficiencies when compared to antibiotic or herbicide selectable marker genes....
Marker-assisted-selection (MAS): A fast track to increase genetic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mapping and tagging of agriculturally important genes have been greatly facilitated by an array of molecular markers in crop plants. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is gaining considerable importance as it would improve the efficiency of plant breeding through precise transfer of genomic regions of interest (foreground ...
The orotate transporter oroP from Lactococcus lactis can be used both as a very efficient, food-grade selection and counter-selection marker for strain construction in many different organisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Defoor, Els Marie Celine; Martinussen, Jan

frame oroP on pDBORO necessary for the uptake of orotate was identified. A number of industrial important strains like Lactococcus lactis, Bacillus subtilus, and Bacillus licheniformis have been shown to be unable to metabolize orotate. If the oroP gene was introduced into these strains they acquired...... the ability to utilize orotate. If the strains had a pyrimidine requirement, the oroP gene could function as a selectable marker when growing in the presence of orotate as sole pyrimidine source. In an otherwise resistant strain, oroP was shown to sensitize the strain towards the analog 5-Fluoroorotate....... It was shown that strains who have lost the oroP gene could easily be selected in the presence of 5-Fluoroorotate, thus being an efficient counter-selection marker. pyrimidine-requiring strain (pyr B, C or D) orotate negative Counter-selection marker: wild-type strain! Fluoro-orotate resistant Functional...
A selectable and excisable marker system for the rapid creation of recombinant poxviruses.

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Julia L Rintoul

Full Text Available Genetic manipulation of poxvirus genomes through attenuation, or insertion of therapeutic genes has led to a number of vector candidates for the treatment of a variety of human diseases. The development of recombinant poxviruses often involves the genomic insertion of a selectable marker for purification and selection purposes. The use of marker genes however inevitably results in a vector that contains unwanted genetic information of no therapeutic value.Here we describe an improved strategy that allows for the creation of marker-free recombinant poxviruses of any species. The Selectable and Excisable Marker (SEM system incorporates a unique fusion marker gene for the efficient selection of poxvirus recombinants and the Cre/loxP system to facilitate the subsequent removal of the marker. We have defined and characterized this new methodological tool by insertion of a foreign gene into vaccinia virus, with the subsequent removal of the selectable marker. We then analyzed the importance of loxP orientation during Cre recombination, and show that the SEM system can be used to introduce site-specific deletions or inversions into the viral genome. Finally, we demonstrate that the SEM strategy is amenable to other poxviruses, as demonstrated here with the creation of an ectromelia virus recombinant lacking the EVM002 gene.The system described here thus provides a faster, simpler and more efficient means to create clinic-ready recombinant poxviruses for therapeutic gene therapy applications.
Algorithms for selecting informative marker panels for population assignment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberg, Noah A

2005-11-01

Given a set of potential source populations, genotypes of an individual of unknown origin at a collection of markers can be used to predict the correct source population of the individual. For improved efficiency, informative markers can be chosen from a larger set of markers to maximize the accuracy of this prediction. However, selecting the loci that are individually most informative does not necessarily produce the optimal panel. Here, using genotypes from eight species--carp, cat, chicken, dog, fly, grayling, human, and maize--this univariate accumulation procedure is compared to new multivariate "greedy" and "maximin" algorithms for choosing marker panels. The procedures generally suggest similar panels, although the greedy method often recommends inclusion of loci that are not chosen by the other algorithms. In seven of the eight species, when applied to five or more markers, all methods achieve at least 94% assignment accuracy on simulated individuals, with one species--dog--producing this level of accuracy with only three markers, and the eighth species--human--requiring approximately 13-16 markers. The new algorithms produce substantial improvements over use of randomly selected markers; where differences among the methods are noticeable, the greedy algorithm leads to slightly higher probabilities of correct assignment. Although none of the approaches necessarily chooses the panel with optimal performance, the algorithms all likely select panels with performance near enough to the maximum that they all are suitable for practical use.
Ancestral informative marker selection and population structure visualization using sparse Laplacian eigenfunctions.

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Jun Zhang

Full Text Available Identification of a small panel of population structure informative markers can reduce genotyping cost and is useful in various applications, such as ancestry inference in association mapping, forensics and evolutionary theory in population genetics. Traditional methods to ascertain ancestral informative markers usually require the prior knowledge of individual ancestry and have difficulty for admixed populations. Recently Principal Components Analysis (PCA has been employed with success to select SNPs which are highly correlated with top significant principal components (PCs without use of individual ancestral information. The approach is also applicable to admixed populations. Here we propose a novel approach based on our recent result on summarizing population structure by graph laplacian eigenfunctions, which differs from PCA in that it is geometric and robust to outliers. Our approach also takes advantage of the priori sparseness of informative markers in the genome. Through simulation of a ring population and the real global population sample HGDP of 650K SNPs genotyped in 940 unrelated individuals, we validate the proposed algorithm at selecting most informative markers, a small fraction of which can recover the similar underlying population structure efficiently. Employing a standard Support Vector Machine (SVM to predict individuals' continental memberships on HGDP dataset of seven continents, we demonstrate that the selected SNPs by our method are more informative but less redundant than those selected by PCA. Our algorithm is a promising tool in genome-wide association studies and population genetics, facilitating the selection of structure informative markers, efficient detection of population substructure and ancestral inference.
Validation of candidate gene markers for marker-assisted selection of potato cultivars with improved tuber quality.

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Li, Li; Tacke, Eckhard; Hofferbert, Hans-Reinhardt; Lübeck, Jens; Strahwald, Josef; Draffehn, Astrid M; Walkemeier, Birgit; Gebhardt, Christiane

2013-04-01

Tuber yield, starch content, starch yield and chip color are complex traits that are important for industrial uses and food processing of potato. Chip color depends on the quantity of reducing sugars glucose and fructose in the tubers, which are generated by starch degradation. Reducing sugars accumulate when tubers are stored at low temperatures. Early and efficient selection of cultivars with superior yield, starch yield and chip color is hampered by the fact that reliable phenotypic selection requires multiple year and location trials. Application of DNA-based markers early in the breeding cycle, which are diagnostic for superior alleles of genes that control natural variation of tuber quality, will reduce the number of clones to be evaluated in field trials. Association mapping using genes functional in carbohydrate metabolism as markers has discovered alleles of invertases and starch phosphorylases that are associated with tuber quality traits. Here, we report on new DNA variants at loci encoding ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and the invertase Pain-1, which are associated with positive or negative effect with chip color, tuber starch content and starch yield. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) and marker validation were performed in tetraploid breeding populations, using various combinations of 11 allele-specific markers associated with tuber quality traits. To facilitate MAS, user-friendly PCR assays were developed for specific candidate gene alleles. In a multi-parental population of advanced breeding clones, genotypes were selected for having different combinations of five positive and the corresponding negative marker alleles. Genotypes combining five positive marker alleles performed on average better than genotypes with four negative alleles and one positive allele. When tested individually, seven of eight markers showed an effect on at least one quality trait. The direction of effect was as expected. Combinations of two to three marker alleles were
Molecular marker-assisted selection for resistance to pathogens in tomato

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barone, A.; Frusciante, L.

2007-01-01

Since the 1980s, the use of molecular markers has been suggested to improve the efficiency of releasing resistant varieties, thus overcoming difficulties met with classical breeding. For tomato, a high-density molecular map is available in which more than 40 resistance genes are localized. Markers linked to these genes can be used to speed up gene transfer and pyramiding. Suitable PCR markers targeting resistance genes were constructed directly on the sequences of resistance genes or on restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) tightly linked to them, and used to select resistant genotypes in backcross schemes. In some cases, the BC 5 generation was reached, and genotypes that cumulated two homozygous resistant genes were also obtained. These results supported the feasibility of using marker-assisted selection (MAS) in tomato and reinforcing the potential of this approach for other genes, which is today also driven by the development of new techniques and increasing knowledge about the tomato genome. (author)
A high efficiency gene disruption strategy using a positive-negative split selection marker and electroporation for Fusarium oxysporum.

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Liang, Liqin; Li, Jianqiang; Cheng, Lin; Ling, Jian; Luo, Zhongqin; Bai, Miao; Xie, Bingyan

2014-11-01

The Fusarium oxysporum species complex consists of fungal pathogens that cause serial vascular wilt disease on more than 100 cultivated species throughout the world. Gene function analysis is rapidly becoming more and more important as the whole-genome sequences of various F. oxysporum strains are being completed. Gene-disruption techniques are a common molecular tool for studying gene function, yet are often a limiting step in gene function identification. In this study we have developed a F. oxysporum high-efficiency gene-disruption strategy based on split-marker homologous recombination cassettes with dual selection and electroporation transformation. The method was efficiently used to delete three RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) genes. The gene-disruption cassettes of three genes can be constructed simultaneously within a short time using this technique. The optimal condition for electroporation is 10μF capacitance, 300Ω resistance, 4kV/cm field strength, with 1μg of DNA (gene-disruption cassettes). Under these optimal conditions, we were able to obtain 95 transformants per μg DNA. And after positive-negative selection, the transformants were efficiently screened by PCR, screening efficiency averaged 85%: 90% (RdRP1), 85% (RdRP2) and 77% (RdRP3). This gene-disruption strategy should pave the way for high throughout genetic analysis in F. oxysporum. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
Marker-assisted selection in common beans and cassava

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blair, M.W.; Fregene, M.A.; Beebe, S.E.; Ceballos, H.

2007-01-01

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) in common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and cassava (Manihot esculenta) is reviewed in relation to the breeding system of each crop and the breeding goals of International Agricultural Research Centres (IARCs) and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS). The importance of each crop is highlighted and examples of successful use of molecular markers within selection cycles and breeding programmes are given for each. For common beans, examples are given of gene tagging for several traits that are important for bean breeding for tropical environments and aspects considered that contribute to successful application of MAS. Simple traits that are tagged with easy-to-use markers are discussed first as they were the first traits prioritized for breeding at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and with NARS partners in Central America, Colombia and eastern Africa. The specific genes for MAS selection were the bgm-1 gene for bean golden yellow mosaic virus (BGYMV) resistance and the bc-3 gene for bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) resistance. MAS was efficient for reducing breeding costs under both circumstances as land and labour savings resulted from eliminating susceptible individuals. The use of markers for other simply inherited traits in marker-assisted backcrossing and introgression across Andean and Mesoamerican gene pools is suggested. The possibility of using MAS for quantitative traits such as low soil phosphorus adaptation is also discussed as are the advantages and disadvantages of MAS in a breeding programme. For cassava, the use of multiple flanking markers for selection of a dominant gene, CMD2 for cassava mosaic virus (CMV) resistance at CIAT and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) as well as with NARS partners in the United Republic of Tanzania using a participatory plant breeding scheme are reviewed. MAS for the same gene is important during introgression of cassava green mite
Biosafety considerations for selectable and scorable markers used in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) biotechnology.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, William; Umbeck, Paul; Hokanson, Karen; Halsey, Mark

2005-01-01

Cassava is an important subsistence crop grown only in the tropics, and represents a major source of calories for many people in developing countries. Improvements in the areas of resistance to insects and viral diseases, enhanced nutritional qualities, reduced cyanogenic content and modified starch characteristics are urgently needed. Traditional breeding is hampered by the nature of the crop, which has a high degree of heterozygosity, irregular flowering, and poor seed set. Biotechnology has the potential to enhance crop improvement efforts, and genetic engineering techniques for cassava have thus been developed over the past decade. Selectable and scorable markers are critical to efficient transformation technology, and must be evaluated for biosafety, as well as efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In order to facilitate research planning and regulatory submission, the literature on biosafety aspects of the selectable and scorable markers currently used in cassava biotechnology is surveyed. The source, mode of action and current use of each marker gene is described. The potential for toxicity, allergenicity, pleiotropic effects, horizontal gene transfer, and the impact of these on food or feed safety and environmental safety is evaluated. Based on extensive information, the selectable marker genes nptII, hpt, bar/pat, and manA, and the scorable marker gene uidA, all have little risk in terms of biosafety. These appear to represent the safest options for use in cassava biotechnology available at this time.
A and MdMYB1 allele-specific markers controlling apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) skin color and suitability for marker-assisted selection.

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Zhang, X J; Wang, L X; Chen, X X; Liu, Y L; Meng, R; Wang, Y J; Zhao, Z Y

2014-10-31

Pre-selection for fruit skin color at the seedling stage would be highly advantageous, with marker-assisted selection offering a potential method for apple pre-selection. A and MdMYB1 alleles are allele-specific DNA markers that are potentially associated with apple skin color, and co-segregate with the Rf and Rni loci, respectively. Here, we assessed the potential application of these 2 alleles for marker-assisted breeding across 30 diverse cultivars and 2 apple seedling progenies. The red skin color phenotype was usually associated with the MdMYB1-1 allele and A(1) allele, respectively, while the 2 molecular markers provided approximately 91% predictability in the 'Fuji' x 'Cripps Pink' and 'Fuji' x 'Gala' progenies. The results obtained from the 30 cultivars and 2 progenies were consistent for the 2 molecular markers. Hence, the results supported that Rf and Rni could be located in a gene cluster, or even correspond to alleles of the same gene. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that red/yellow dimorphism is controlled by a monogenic system, with the presence of the red anthocyanin pigmentation being dominant. In addition, our results supported that the practical utilization of the 2 function markers to efficiently and accurately select red-skinned apple cultivars in apple scion breeding programs.
HisB as novel selection marker for gene targeting approaches in Aspergillus niger.

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Fiedler, Markus R M; Gensheimer, Tarek; Kubisch, Christin; Meyer, Vera

2017-03-08

For Aspergillus niger, a broad set of auxotrophic and dominant resistance markers is available. However, only few offer targeted modification of a gene of interest into or at a genomic locus of choice, which hampers functional genomics studies. We thus aimed to extend the available set by generating a histidine auxotrophic strain with a characterized hisB locus for targeted gene integration and deletion in A. niger. A histidine-auxotrophic strain was established via disruption of the A. niger hisB gene by using the counterselectable pyrG marker. After curing, a hisB - , pyrG - strain was obtained, which served as recipient strain for further studies. We show here that both hisB orthologs from A. nidulans and A. niger can be used to reestablish histidine prototrophy in this recipient strain. Whereas the hisB gene from A. nidulans was suitable for efficient gene targeting at different loci in A. niger, the hisB gene from A. niger allowed efficient integration of a Tet-on driven luciferase reporter construct at the endogenous non-functional hisB locus. Subsequent analysis of the luciferase activity revealed that the hisB locus is tight under non-inducing conditions and allows even higher luciferase expression levels compared to the pyrG integration locus. Taken together, we provide here an alternative selection marker for A. niger, hisB, which allows efficient homologous integration rates as well as high expression levels which compare favorably to the well-established pyrG selection marker.
Efficient transformation and regeneration of transgenic cassava using the neomycin phosphotransferase gene as aminoglycoside resistance marker gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Niklaus, Michael; Gruissem, Wilhelm; Vanderschuren, Hervé

2011-01-01

Cassava is one of the most important crops in the tropics. Its industrial use for starch and biofuel production is also increasing its importance for agricultural production in tropical countries. In the last decade cassava biotechnology has emerged as a valuable alternative to the breeding constraints of this highly heterozygous crop for improved trait development of cassava germplasm. Cassava transformation remains difficult and time-consuming because of limitations in selecting transgenic tissues and regeneration of transgenic plantlets. We have recently reported an efficient and robust cassava transformation protocol using the hygromycin phosphotransferase II (hptII) gene as selection marker and the aminoglycoside hygromycin at optimal concentrations to maximize the regeneration of transgenic plantlets. In the present work, we expanded the transformation protocol to the use of the neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) gene as selection marker. Several aminoglycosides compatible with the use of nptII were tested and optimal concentrations for cassava transformation were determined. Given its efficiency equivalent to hptII as selection marker with the described protocol, the use of nptII opens new possibilities to engineer transgenic cassava lines with multiple T-DNA insertions and to produce transgenic cassava with a resistance marker gene that is already deregulated in several commercial transgenic crops.
Efficiency of nuclear and mitochondrial markers recovering and supporting known amniote groups.

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Lambret-Frotté, Julia; Perini, Fernando Araújo; de Moraes Russo, Claudia Augusta

2012-01-01

We have analysed the efficiency of all mitochondrial protein coding genes and six nuclear markers (Adora3, Adrb2, Bdnf, Irbp, Rag2 and Vwf) in reconstructing and statistically supporting known amniote groups (murines, rodents, primates, eutherians, metatherians, therians). The efficiencies of maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, maximum parsimony, neighbor-joining and UPGMA were also evaluated, by assessing the number of correct and incorrect recovered groupings. In addition, we have compared support values using the conservative bootstrap test and the Bayesian posterior probabilities. First, no correlation was observed between gene size and marker efficiency in recovering or supporting correct nodes. As expected, tree-building methods performed similarly, even UPGMA that, in some cases, outperformed other most extensively used methods. Bayesian posterior probabilities tend to show much higher support values than the conservative bootstrap test, for correct and incorrect nodes. Our results also suggest that nuclear markers do not necessarily show a better performance than mitochondrial genes. The so-called dependency among mitochondrial markers was not observed comparing genome performances. Finally, the amniote groups with lowest recovery rates were therians and rodents, despite the morphological support for their monophyletic status. We suggest that, regardless of the tree-building method, a few carefully selected genes are able to unfold a detailed and robust scenario of phylogenetic hypotheses, particularly if taxon sampling is increased.
[Studies of marker screening efficiency and corresponding influencing factors in QTL composite interval mapping].

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yong-Ming; Wan, Ping

2002-06-01

Screening markers efficiently is the foundation of mapping QTLs by composite interval mapping. Main and interaction markers distinguished, besides using background control for genetic variation, could also be used to construct intervals of two-way searching for mapping QTLs with epistasis, which can save a lot of calculation time. Therefore, the efficiency of marker screening would affect power and precision of QTL mapping. A doubled haploid population with 200 individuals and 5 chromosomes was constructed, with 50 markers evenly distributed at 10 cM space. Among a total of 6 QTLs, one was placed on chromosome I, two linked on chromosome II, and the other three linked on chromosome IV. QTL setting included additive effects and epistatic effects of additive x additive, the corresponding QTL interaction effects were set if data were collected under multiple environments. The heritability was assumed to be 0.5 if no special declaration. The power of marker screening by stepwise regression, forward regression, and three methods for random effect prediction, e.g. best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP), linear unbiased prediction (LUP) and adjusted unbiased prediction (AUP), was studied and compared through 100 Monte Carlo simulations. The results indicated that the marker screening power by stepwise regression at 0.1, 0.05 and 0.01 significant level changed from 2% to 68%, the power changed from 2% to 72% by forward regression. The larger the QTL effects, the higher the marker screening power. While the power of marker screening by three random effect prediction was very low, the maximum was only 13%. That suggested that regression methods were much better than those by using the approaches of random effect prediction to identify efficient markers flanking QTLs, and forward selection method was more simple and efficient. The results of simulation study on heritability showed that heightening of both general heritability and interaction heritability of genotype x
Marker-assisted selection for quantitative traits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Schuster

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Although thousands of scientific articles have been published on the subject of marker-assisted selection (MAS andquantitative trait loci (QTL, the application of MAS for QTL in plant breeding has been restricted. Among the main causes for thislimited use are the low accuracy of QTL mapping and the high costs of genotyping thousands of plants with tens or hundreds ofmolecular markers in routine breeding programs. Recently, new large-scale genotyping technologies have resulted in a costreduction. Nevertheless, the MAS for QTL has so far been limited to selection programs using several generations per year, wherephenotypic selection cannot be performed in all generations, mainly in recurrent selection programs. Methods of MAS for QTL inbreeding programs using self-pollination have been developed.

Criteria for selection and application of molecular markers for clinical studies of osteoarthritis.

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Otterness, I G; Swindell, A C

2003-03-01

To develop criteria for the selection and application of molecular markers for the study of osteoarthritis (OA). Statistical criteria for marker selection for OA are developed. After studying more than 20 different molecular markers for monitoring OA, procedures for choosing markers for clinical studies have been developed. For a particular study, the process starts with the markers showing 'face-validity' for monitoring OA. They are next required to successfully distinguish OA patients from controls. This necessitates definition of the distribution of marker values in OA patients and controls. So far, they have been consistently log-normal. The difference (Delta) in marker values between OA and controls defines the opportunity for marker improvement. The between-visit standard deviation (S) in patients puts limits on the detection of marker changes. The two variables can be combined to estimate the practicality of a marker using a modified power analysis. The number of patients (N*) required to observe a 50% improvement with an alpha level of P=0.05 and with 80% certainty is estimated as 50(S/Delta)(2). N*, S and Delta should be used to characterize and compare markers. Marker efficiency can be refined by regressing on secondary variables, such as age, sex, BMI, severity, etc. Finally, the use of two or more markers may be required to improve marker prediction of clinical outcome. Correlated markers can be used to reinforce conclusions by essentially adding replicative data. Independent, complementary markers can be used to develop associations with clinical parameters, and perhaps diagnose and monitor disease status, activities that so far have not been possible with single markers.
An Efficiency Analysis of Augmented Reality Marker Recognition Algorithm

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Kurpytė Dovilė

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The article reports on the investigation of augmented reality system which is designed for identification and augmentation of 100 different square markers. Marker recognition efficiency was investigated by rotating markers along x and y axis directions in range from −90° to 90°. Virtual simulations of four environments were developed: a an intense source of light, b an intense source of light falling from the left side, c the non-intensive light source falling from the left side, d equally falling shadows. The graphics were created using the OpenGL graphics computer hardware interface; image processing was programmed in C++ language using OpenCV, while augmented reality was developed in Java programming language using NyARToolKit. The obtained results demonstrate that augmented reality marker recognition algorithm is accurate and reliable in the case of changing lighting conditions and rotational angles - only 4 % markers were unidentified. Assessment of marker recognition efficiency let to propose marker classification strategy in order to use it for grouping various markers into distinct markers’ groups possessing similar recognition properties.
Mapping Late Leaf Spot Resistance in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea Using QTL-seq Reveals Markers for Marker-Assisted Selection

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Josh Clevenger

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Late leaf spot (LLS; Cercosporidium personatum is a major fungal disease of cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea. A recombinant inbred line population segregating for quantitative field resistance was used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL using QTL-seq. High rates of false positive SNP calls using established methods in this allotetraploid crop obscured significant QTLs. To resolve this problem, robust parental SNPs were first identified using polyploid-specific SNP identification pipelines, leading to discovery of significant QTLs for LLS resistance. These QTLs were confirmed over 4 years of field data. Selection with markers linked to these QTLs resulted in a significant increase in resistance, showing that these markers can be immediately applied in breeding programs. This study demonstrates that QTL-seq can be used to rapidly identify QTLs controlling highly quantitative traits in polyploid crops with complex genomes. Markers identified can then be deployed in breeding programs, increasing the efficiency of selection using molecular tools.Key Message: Field resistance to late leaf spot is a quantitative trait controlled by many QTLs. Using polyploid-specific methods, QTL-seq is faster and more cost effective than QTL mapping.
Empirical Selection of Informative Microsatellite Markers within Co-ancestry Pig Populations Is Required for Improving the Individual Assignment Efficiency

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Y. H. Li

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The Lanyu is a miniature pig breed indigenous to Lanyu Island, Taiwan. It is distantly related to Asian and European pig breeds. It has been inbred to generate two breeds and crossed with Landrace and Duroc to produce two hybrids for laboratory use. Selecting sets of informative genetic markers to track the genetic qualities of laboratory animals and stud stock is an important function of genetic databases. For more than two decades, Lanyu derived breeds of common ancestry and crossbreeds have been used to examine the effectiveness of genetic marker selection and optimal approaches for individual assignment. In this paper, these pigs and the following breeds: Berkshire, Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire, Meishan and Taoyuan, TLRI Black Pig No. 1, and Kaohsiung Animal Propagation Station Black pig are studied to build a genetic reference database. Nineteen microsatellite markers (loci provide information on genetic variation and differentiation among studied breeds. High differentiation index (FST and Cavalli-Sforza chord distances give genetic differentiation among breeds, including Lanyu’s inbred populations. Inbreeding values (FIS show that Lanyu and its derived inbred breeds have significant loss of heterozygosity. Individual assignment testing of 352 animals was done with different numbers of microsatellite markers in this study. The testing assigned 99% of the animals successfully into their correct reference populations based on 9 to 14 markers ranking D-scores, allelic number, expected heterozygosity (HE or FST, respectively. All miss-assigned individuals came from close lineage Lanyu breeds. To improve individual assignment among close lineage breeds, microsatellite markers selected from Lanyu populations with high polymorphic, heterozygosity, FST and D-scores were used. Only 6 to 8 markers ranking HE, FST or allelic number were required to obtain 99% assignment accuracy. This result suggests empirical examination of assignment-error rates
Comparison of genetic detection efficiency of different markers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-06-03

Jun 3, 2009 ... Chinese native sheep populations, Hu sheep, Tong sheep, Small-tailed Han sheep and Tan sheep were used to study the efficiency of genetic markers. The genetic markers used in this study include morphological and ecological indices, blood protein enzyme, microsatellite DNA and the combination of.
An efficient identification strategy of clonal tea cultivars using long-core motif SSR markers.

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Wang, Rang Jian; Gao, Xiang Feng; Kong, Xiang Rui; Yang, Jun

2016-01-01

Microsatellites, or simple sequence repeats (SSRs), especially those with long-core motifs (tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexa-nucleotide) represent an excellent tool for DNA fingerprinting. SSRs with long-core motifs are preferred since neighbor alleles are more easily separated and identified from each other, which render the interpretation of electropherograms and the true alleles more reliable. In the present work, with the purpose of characterizing a set of core SSR markers with long-core motifs for well fingerprinting clonal cultivars of tea (Camellia sinensis), we analyzed 66 elite clonal tea cultivars in China with 33 initially-chosen long-core motif SSR markers covering all the 15 linkage groups of tea plant genome. A set of 6 SSR markers were conclusively selected as core SSR markers after further selection. The polymorphic information content (PIC) of the core SSR markers was >0.5, with ≤5 alleles in each marker containing 10 or fewer genotypes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the core SSR markers were not strongly correlated with the trait 'cultivar processing-property'. The combined probability of identity (PID) between two random cultivars for the whole set of 6 SSR markers was estimated to be 2.22 × 10(-5), which was quite low, confirmed the usefulness of the proposed SSR markers for fingerprinting analyses in Camellia sinensis. Moreover, for the sake of quickly discriminating the clonal tea cultivars, a cultivar identification diagram (CID) was subsequently established using these core markers, which fully reflected the identification process and provided the immediate information about which SSR markers were needed to identify a cultivar chosen among the tested ones. The results suggested that long-core motif SSR markers used in the investigation contributed to the accurate and efficient identification of the clonal tea cultivars and enabled the protection of intellectual property.
Development of Selectable Marker-Free Transgenic Rice Plants with Enhanced Seed Tocopherol Content through FLP/FRT-Mediated Spontaneous Auto-Excision.

Science.gov (United States)

Woo, Hee-Jong; Qin, Yang; Park, Soo-Yun; Park, Soon Ki; Cho, Yong-Gu; Shin, Kong-Sik; Lim, Myung-Ho; Cho, Hyun-Suk

2015-01-01

Development of marker-free transgenic plants is a technical alternative for avoiding concerns about the safety of selectable marker genes used in genetically modified (GM) crops. Here, we describe the construction of a spontaneous self-excision binary vector using an oxidative stress-inducible modified FLP/FRT system and its successful application to produce marker-free transgenic rice plants with enhanced seed tocopherol content. To generate selectable marker-free transgenic rice plants, we constructed a binary vector using the hpt selectable marker gene and the rice codon-optimized FLP (mFLP) gene under the control of an oxidative stress-inducible promoter between two FRT sites, along with multiple cloning sites for convenient cloning of genes of interest. Using this pCMF binary vector with the NtTC gene, marker-free T1 transgenic rice plants expressing NtTC were produced by Agrobacterium-mediated stable transformation using hygromycin as a selective agent, followed by segregation of selectable marker genes. Furthermore, α-, γ-, and total tocopherol levels were significantly increased in seeds of the marker-free transgenic TC line compared with those of wild-type plants. Thus, this spontaneous auto-excision system, incorporating an oxidative stress-inducible mFLP/FRT system to eliminate the selectable marker gene, can be easily adopted and used to efficiently generate marker-free transgenic rice plants. Moreover, nutritional enhancement of rice seeds through elevation of tocopherol content coupled with this marker-free strategy may improve human health and public acceptance of GM rice.
The efficiency of mitochondrial DNA markers in constructing genetic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The efficiency of mitochondrial DNA markers in constructing genetic relationship among Oryx species. ... These data were used to provide the genetic kinship among different Oryx species. The complete cytochrome b gene ... Key words: Conservation, endangered species, Oryx, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers.
Development of Selectable Marker-Free Transgenic Rice Plants with Enhanced Seed Tocopherol Content through FLP/FRT-Mediated Spontaneous Auto-Excision.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hee-Jong Woo

Full Text Available Development of marker-free transgenic plants is a technical alternative for avoiding concerns about the safety of selectable marker genes used in genetically modified (GM crops. Here, we describe the construction of a spontaneous self-excision binary vector using an oxidative stress-inducible modified FLP/FRT system and its successful application to produce marker-free transgenic rice plants with enhanced seed tocopherol content. To generate selectable marker-free transgenic rice plants, we constructed a binary vector using the hpt selectable marker gene and the rice codon-optimized FLP (mFLP gene under the control of an oxidative stress-inducible promoter between two FRT sites, along with multiple cloning sites for convenient cloning of genes of interest. Using this pCMF binary vector with the NtTC gene, marker-free T1 transgenic rice plants expressing NtTC were produced by Agrobacterium-mediated stable transformation using hygromycin as a selective agent, followed by segregation of selectable marker genes. Furthermore, α-, γ-, and total tocopherol levels were significantly increased in seeds of the marker-free transgenic TC line compared with those of wild-type plants. Thus, this spontaneous auto-excision system, incorporating an oxidative stress-inducible mFLP/FRT system to eliminate the selectable marker gene, can be easily adopted and used to efficiently generate marker-free transgenic rice plants. Moreover, nutritional enhancement of rice seeds through elevation of tocopherol content coupled with this marker-free strategy may improve human health and public acceptance of GM rice.
Engineering more stable, selectable marker-free autoluminescent mycobacteria by one step.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Feng; Njire, Moses M; Liu, Jia; Wu, Tian; Wang, Bangxing; Liu, Tianzhou; Cao, Yuanyuan; Liu, Zhiyong; Wan, Junting; Tu, Zhengchao; Tan, Yaoju; Tan, Shouyong; Zhang, Tianyu

2015-01-01

In our previous study, we demonstrated that the use of the autoluminescent Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a reporter strain had the potential to drastically reduce the time, effort, animals and costs consumed in evaluation of the activities of drugs and vaccines in live mice. However, the strains were relatively unstable and lost reporter with time without selection. The kanamycin selection marker used wasn't the best choice as it provides resistance to amino glycosides which are an important class of second line drugs used in tuberculosis treatment. In addition, the marker could limit utility of the strains for screening of new potential drugs or evaluating drug combinations for tuberculosis treatment. Limited selection marker genes for mycobacterial genetic manipulation is a major drawback for such a marker-containing strain in many research fields. Therefore, selectable marker-free, more stable autoluminescent mycobacteria are highly needed. After trying several strategies, we created such mycobacterial strains successfully by using an integrative vector and removing both the resistance maker and integrase genes by Xer site-specific recombination in one step. The corresponding plasmid vectors developed in this study could be very convenient in constructing other selectable marker-free, more stable reporter mycobacteria with diverse applications.
Selection Of Drought Resistant Mutants In Rice Using DNA Markers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Duc Thanh; Le Thi Bich Thuy; Dang Thi Minh Lua

2008-01-01

In recent years, the marker - assisted selection (MAS) strategy have been used for selection of traits that are difficult and costly performed measurement and score. Selection for a well-developed root system could improve the drought resistance of rice as the plant would avoid water stress by absorbing water from the soil. There were several reports on map construction and identification of the markers tightly linked to morphological and physiological traits related to drought resistance in rice, in particular, root traits in upland and lowland rice (Champoux et al., 1995; Ray et al., 1996; Price et al., 1997, 2000; Yadav et al., 1997). In this report, we present the results on selection of drought resistance mutants in rice using the DNA markers tightly linked to root traits favorable for drought resistance. The mutant rice lines were obtained from irradiated seeds and calluses by gamma ray. The selection was performed at M2 mutants using the DNA markers linked to maximum root length (MRL), root weight to shoot weight ratio (RW/SR), and weight of deep root to shoot weight ratio (DRW/SR). The obtained results showed that there were many lines possessed drought resistant markers. In addition, there is a number of lines have altered genome. Several lines having drought markers proved to be more resistant to drought in green-house test. These lines could be useful for further test and development of drought resistant varieties. (author)
Engineering more stable, selectable marker-free autoluminescent mycobacteria by one step.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Yang

Full Text Available In our previous study, we demonstrated that the use of the autoluminescent Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a reporter strain had the potential to drastically reduce the time, effort, animals and costs consumed in evaluation of the activities of drugs and vaccines in live mice. However, the strains were relatively unstable and lost reporter with time without selection. The kanamycin selection marker used wasn't the best choice as it provides resistance to amino glycosides which are an important class of second line drugs used in tuberculosis treatment. In addition, the marker could limit utility of the strains for screening of new potential drugs or evaluating drug combinations for tuberculosis treatment. Limited selection marker genes for mycobacterial genetic manipulation is a major drawback for such a marker-containing strain in many research fields. Therefore, selectable marker-free, more stable autoluminescent mycobacteria are highly needed. After trying several strategies, we created such mycobacterial strains successfully by using an integrative vector and removing both the resistance maker and integrase genes by Xer site-specific recombination in one step. The corresponding plasmid vectors developed in this study could be very convenient in constructing other selectable marker-free, more stable reporter mycobacteria with diverse applications.
[Cloning goat producing human lactoferrin with genetically modified donor cells selected by single or dual markers].

Science.gov (United States)

An, Liyou; Yuan, Yuguo; Yu, Baoli; Yang, Tingjia; Cheng, Yong

2012-12-01

We compared the efficiency of cloning goat using human lactoferrin (hLF) with genetically modified donor cells marked by single (Neo(r)) or double (Neo(r)/GFP) markers. Single marker expression vector (pBLC14) or dual markers expression vector (pAPLM) was delivered to goat fetal fibroblasts (GFF), and then the transgenic GFF was used as donor cells to produce transgenic goats. Respectively, 58.8% (20/34) and 86.7% (26/30) resistant cell lines confirmed the transgenic integration by PCR. Moreover, pAPLM cells lines were subcultured with several passages, only 20% (6/30) cell lines was observed fluorescence from each cell during the cell passage. Somatic cell nuclear transfer using the donor cells harbouring pBLC14 or pAPLM construct, resulting in a total of 806 reconstructed embryos, a pregnancy rate at 35 d (53.8%, 39.1%) and 60 d (26.9%, 21.7%), and an offspring birth rate (1.9%, 1.4%) with 5 and 7 newborn cloned goats, respectively. Transgene was confirmed by PCR and southern-blot in all cloned offspring. There were no significant differences at the reconstructed embryo fusion rates, pregnancy rates and the birth rate (P > 0.05) between single and double markers groups. The Neo(r)/GFP double markers could improve the reliability for accurately and efficiently selecting the genetically modified donor cells. No adverse effect was observed on the efficiency of transgenic goat production by SCNT using somatic cells transfected with double (Neo(r)/GFP) markers vector.
Improving selection of markers in nutrition research: evaluation of the criteria proposed by the ILSI Europe Marker Validation Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Calder, Philip C; Boobis, Alan; Braun, Deborah; Champ, Claire L; Dye, Louise; Einöther, Suzanne; Greyling, Arno; Matthys, Christophe; Putz, Peter; Wopereis, Suzan; Woodside, Jayne V; Antoine, Jean-Michel

2017-06-01

The conduct of high-quality nutrition research requires the selection of appropriate markers as outcomes, for example as indicators of food or nutrient intake, nutritional status, health status or disease risk. Such selection requires detailed knowledge of the markers, and consideration of the factors that may influence their measurement, other than the effects of nutritional change. A framework to guide selection of markers within nutrition research studies would be a valuable tool for researchers. A multidisciplinary Expert Group set out to test criteria designed to aid the evaluation of candidate markers for their usefulness in nutrition research and subsequently to develop a scoring system for markers. The proposed criteria were tested using thirteen markers selected from a broad range of nutrition research fields. The result of this testing was a modified list of criteria and a template for evaluating a potential marker against the criteria. Subsequently, a semi-quantitative system for scoring a marker and an associated template were developed. This system will enable the evaluation and comparison of different candidate markers within the same field of nutrition research in order to identify their relative usefulness. The ranking criteria of proven, strong, medium or low are likely to vary according to research setting, research field and the type of tool used to assess the marker and therefore the considerations for scoring need to be determined in a setting-, field- and tool-specific manner. A database of such markers, their interpretation and range of possible values would be valuable to nutrition researchers.
Possibilities for marker-assisted selection in aquaculture breeding schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonesson, A.K.

2007-01-01

FAO estimates that there are around 200 species in aquaculture. However, only a few species have ongoing selective breeding programmes. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is not used in any aquaculture breeding scheme today. The aim of this chapter, therefore, is to review briefly the current status of aquaculture breeding schemes and to evaluate the possibilities for MAS of aquaculture species. Genetic marker maps have been published for some species in culture. The marker density of these maps is, in general, rather low and the maps are composed of many amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers anchored to few microsatellites. Some quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been identified for economically important traits, but they are not yet mapped at a high density. Computer simulations of within-family MAS schemes show a very high increase in genetic gain compared with conventional family-based breeding schemes, mainly due to the large family sizes that are typical for aquaculture breeding schemes. The use of genetic markers to identify individuals and their implications for breeding schemes with control of inbreeding are discussed. (author)
Development of DArT-based PCR markers for selecting drought-tolerant spring barley.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiust, Anna; Rapacz, Marcin; Wójcik-Jagła, Magdalena; Tyrka, Mirosław

2015-08-01

The tolerance of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars to spring drought is an important agronomic trait affecting crop yield and quality in Poland. Therefore, breeders require new molecular markers to select plants with lower spring drought susceptibility. With the advent of genomic selection technology, simple molecular tools may still be applicable to screen material for markers of the most important traits and in-depth genome scanning. In previous studies, diversity arrays technology (DArT)-based genetic maps were constructed for F2 populations of Polish fodder and malt barley elite breeding lines, and 15 and 18 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to spring drought tolerance were identified, respectively. In this paper, we show the results of a conversion of 30 DArT markers corresponding to 11 QTLs into simple sequence repeat (SSR) and sequence tagged site (STS) markers. Twenty-two polymorphic markers were obtained, including 13 DArT-based SSRs. Additionally, 31 SSR markers, located in close proximity to the DArT markers, were selected from the GrainGenes database and tested. Further analyses of 24 advanced breeding lines with different drought tolerances confirmed that five out of the 30 converted markers, as well as three out of the 31 additional SSR markers, were effective in marker-assisted selection for drought tolerance. The possible function of clones related to these markers in drought tolerance is discussed.
Marker-assisted selection in poultry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koning, D.-J. de; Hocking, P.M.

2007-01-01

Among livestock species, chicken has the most extensive genomics toolbox available for detection of quantitative trait loci (QTL) and marker-assisted selection (MAS). The uptake of MAS is therefore not limited by technical resources but mostly by the priorities and financial constraints of the few remaining poultry breeding companies. With the cost of genotyping decreasing rapidly, an increase in the use of direct trait- single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-associations in MAS can be predicted. (author)
Strategies, limitations and opportunities for marker-assisted selection in livestock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dekkers, J.C.M.; Werf, H.J. van der

2007-01-01

This chapter reviews the principles, opportunities and limitations for detection of quantitative trait loci (QTL) in livestock and for their use in genetic improvement programmes. Alternate strategies for QTL detection are discussed, as are methods for inclusion of marker and QTL information in genetic evaluation. Practical issues regarding implementation of marker-assisted selection (MAS) for selection in breed crosses and for selection within breeds are described, along with likely routes towards achieving that goal. Opportunities and challenges are also discussed for the use of molecular information for genetic improvement of livestock in developing countries. (author)
Selection processes in a citrus hybrid population using RAPD markers

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Oliveira Roberto Pedroso de

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to evaluate the processes of selection in a citrus hybrid population using segregation analysis of RAPD markers. The segregation of 123 RAPD markers between 'Cravo' mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco and 'Pêra' sweet orange (C. sinensis (L. Osbeck was analysed in a F1 progeny of 94 hybrids. Genetic composition, diversity, heterozygosity, differences in chromosomal structure and the presence of deleterious recessive genes are discussed based on the segregation ratios obtained. A high percentage of markers had a skeweness of the 1:1 expected segregation ratio in the F1 population. Many markers showed a 3:1 segregation ratio in both varieties and 1:3 in 'Pêra' sweet orange, probably due to directional selection processes. The distribution analysis of the frequencies of the segregant markers in a hybrid population is a simple method which allows a better understanding of the genetics of citrus group.
Tagging of blast resistance gene(s) to DNA markers and marker-assisted selection (MAS) in rice improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuang, J.Y.; Lu, J.; Qian, H.R.; Lin, H.X.; Zheng, K.L.

1998-01-01

This paper reports progress made on the tagging of blast resistance gene(s) to DNA markers and on the initiation of marker-assisted selection (MAS) for blast resistance in rice improvement. A pair of near isogenic lines, K8OR and K79S, were developed using a Chinese landrace Hong-jiao-zhan as the resistance donor. Ten putatively positive markers were identified by screening 177 mapped DNA markers. Using the F 2 population of 143 plants and the derived F 3 lines, three Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) markers (RG81, RG869 and RZ397) on chromosome 12 of rice were identified to be closely linked to the blast resistance gene Pi-12(t). The genetic distance between Pi-12(t) and the closest marker RG869 was 5.1 cM. By employing the bulk segregant analysis (BSA) procedure, six of 199 arbitrary primers were found to produce positive Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) bands. Tight linkage between Pi-12(t) and three RAPD bands, each from a different primer, was confirmed after amplification of DNA of all F 2 individuals. Two fragments were cloned and sequenced, and two sequence characterised amplified re-ion (SCAR) markers were established. In two other F 3 populations, Xian-feng I/Tetep and Xian-feng, 1/Hong-jiao-zhan, the blast resistance was found to be controlled by interactions of two or more genes. One resistance gene was located in the vicinity of RG81 in both populations. Work to identify other gene(s) is currently under way. Marker assisted selection for blast resistance was initiated. Crosses were made between elite varieties and blast resistance donors to develop populations for DNA marker-assisted selection of blast resistance. In addition, 48 varieties widely used in current rice breeding programs were provided by rice breeders. DNA marker-based polymorphism among, these varieties and resistance donors were analysed to produce a database for future MAS program. (author)

A non-destructive genotyping system from a single seed for marker-assisted selection in watermelon.

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Meru, G; McDowell, D; Waters, V; Seibel, A; Davis, J; McGregor, C

2013-03-11

Genomic tools for watermelon breeding are becoming increasingly available. A high throughput genotyping system would facilitate the use of DNA markers in marker-assisted selection. DNA extraction from leaf material requires prior seed germination and is often time-consuming and cost prohibitive. In an effort to develop a more efficient system, watermelon seeds of several genotypes and various seed sizes were sampled by removing ⅓ or ½ sections from the distal ends for DNA extraction, while germinating the remaining proximal parts of the seed. Removing ⅓ of the seed from the distal end had no effect on seed germination percentage or seedling vigor. Different DNA extraction protocols were tested to identify a method that could yield DNA of sufficient quality for amplification by polymerase chain reaction. A sodium dodecyl sulfate extraction protocol with 1% polyvinylpyrrolidone yielded DNA that could be amplified with microsatellite primers and was free of pericarp contamination. In this study, an efficient, non-destructive genotyping protocol for watermelon seed was developed.
Marker-assisted selection in Eucalyptus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grattapaglia, D.

2007-01-01

Planted Eucalyptus occupies globally more than 18 million hectares and has become the most widely planted hardwood tree in the world, supplying high-quality woody biomass for several industrial applications. In this chapter an overview is presented on the status and perspectives of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in species of Eucalyptus. After an introduction to the main features of modern eucalypt breeding and clonal forestry, some applications of molecular markers in support to operational breeding are presented. By reviewing the status of quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping in Eucalyptus, the challenges and some realistic prospects for the application of MAS to improve relevant traits are outlined. With the expected availability of more powerful genomic tools, including a draft of the Eucalyptus genome, the main challenges in implementing MAS will be in phenotyping trees accurately, analysing the overwhelming amount of genomic data available and translating this into truly useful molecular tools for breeding. (author)
Tissue-specifically regulated site-specific excision of selectable marker genes in bivalent insecticidal, genetically-modified rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Zhan; Ding, Xuezhi; Hu, Shengbiao; Sun, Yunjun; Xia, Liqiu

2013-12-01

Marker-free, genetically-modified rice was created by the tissue-specifically regulated Cre/loxP system, in which the Cre recombinase gene and hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (hpt) were flanked by two directly oriented loxP sites. Cre expression was activated by the tissue-specific promoter OsMADS45 in flower or napin in seed, resulting in simultaneous excision of the recombinase and marker genes. Segregation of T1 progeny was performed to select recombined plants. The excision was confirmed by PCR, Southern blot and sequence analyses indicating that efficiency varied from 10 to 53 % for OsMADS45 and from 12 to 36 % for napin. The expression of cry1Ac and vip3A was detected by RT-PCR analysis in marker-free transgenic rice. These results suggested that our tissue-specifically regulated Cre/loxP system could auto-excise marker genes from transgenic rice and alleviate public concerns about the security of GM crops.
Marker-assisted selection in fish and shellfish breeding schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, V.

2007-01-01

The main goals of breeding programmes for fish and shellfish are to increase the profitability and sustainability of aquaculture. Traditionally, these have been carried out successfully using pedigree information by selecting individuals based on breeding values predicted for traits measured on candidates using an 'animal model'. This methodology assumes that phenotypes are explained by a large number of genes with small effects and random environmental deviations. However, information on individual genes with medium or large effects cannot be used in this manner. In selective breeding programmes using pedigree information, molecular markers have been used primarily for parentage assignment when tagging individual fish is difficult and to avoid causing common environmental effects from rearing families in separate tanks. The use of these techniques in such conventional breeding programmes is discussed in detail. Exploiting the great biological diversity of many fish and shellfish species, different experimental designs may use either chromosomal manipulations or large family sizes to increase the likelihood of finding the loci affecting quantitative traits, the so-called QTL, by screening the segregation of molecular markers. Using information on identified loci in breeding schemes in aquaculture is expected to be cost-effective compared with traditional breeding methods only when the accuracy of predicting breeding values is rather low, e.g. for traits with low heritability such as disease resistance or carcass quality. One of the problems facing aquaculture is that some of the resources required to locate QTL accurately, such as dense linkage maps, are not yet available for the many species. Recently, however, information from expressed sequence tag (EST) databases has been used for developing molecular markers such as microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Marker-assisted selection (MAS) or genome-wide marker-assisted selection (G-MAS) using
Marker-assisted selection of Fusarium wilt-resistant and gynoecious melon (Cucumis melo L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, P; Liu, S; Zhu, Q L; Luan, F S

2015-12-08

In this study, molecular markers were designed based on the sex determination genes ACS7 (A) and WIP1 (G) and the domain in the Fusarium oxysporum-resistant gene Fom-2 (F) in order to achieve selection of F. oxysporum-resistant gynoecious melon plants. Markers of A and F are cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences that distinguish alleles according to restriction analysis. Twenty F1 and 1863 F2 plants derived from the crosses between the gynoecious line WI998 and the Fusarium wilt-resistant line MR-1 were genotyped based on the markers. The results showed that the polymerase chain reaction and enzyme digestion results could be effectively used to identify plants with the AAggFF genotype in F2 populations. In the F2 population, 35 gynoecious wilt-resistant plants were selected by marker-assisted selection and were confirmed by disease infection assays, demonstrating that these markers can be used in breeding to select F. oxysporum-resistant gynoecious melon plants.
Sunflower Hybrid Breeding: From Markers to Genomic Selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrijevic, Aleksandra; Horn, Renate

2017-01-01

In sunflower, molecular markers for simple traits as, e.g., fertility restoration, high oleic acid content, herbicide tolerance or resistances to Plasmopara halstedii, Puccinia helianthi , or Orobanche cumana have been successfully used in marker-assisted breeding programs for years. However, agronomically important complex quantitative traits like yield, heterosis, drought tolerance, oil content or selection for disease resistance, e.g., against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum have been challenging and will require genome-wide approaches. Plant genetic resources for sunflower are being collected and conserved worldwide that represent valuable resources to study complex traits. Sunflower association panels provide the basis for genome-wide association studies, overcoming disadvantages of biparental populations. Advances in technologies and the availability of the sunflower genome sequence made novel approaches on the whole genome level possible. Genotype-by-sequencing, and whole genome sequencing based on next generation sequencing technologies facilitated the production of large amounts of SNP markers for high density maps as well as SNP arrays and allowed genome-wide association studies and genomic selection in sunflower. Genome wide or candidate gene based association studies have been performed for traits like branching, flowering time, resistance to Sclerotinia head and stalk rot. First steps in genomic selection with regard to hybrid performance and hybrid oil content have shown that genomic selection can successfully address complex quantitative traits in sunflower and will help to speed up sunflower breeding programs in the future. To make sunflower more competitive toward other oil crops higher levels of resistance against pathogens and better yield performance are required. In addition, optimizing plant architecture toward a more complex growth type for higher plant densities has the potential to considerably increase yields per hectare. Integrative approaches
Sunflower Hybrid Breeding: From Markers to Genomic Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandra Dimitrijevic

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In sunflower, molecular markers for simple traits as, e.g., fertility restoration, high oleic acid content, herbicide tolerance or resistances to Plasmopara halstedii, Puccinia helianthi, or Orobanche cumana have been successfully used in marker-assisted breeding programs for years. However, agronomically important complex quantitative traits like yield, heterosis, drought tolerance, oil content or selection for disease resistance, e.g., against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum have been challenging and will require genome-wide approaches. Plant genetic resources for sunflower are being collected and conserved worldwide that represent valuable resources to study complex traits. Sunflower association panels provide the basis for genome-wide association studies, overcoming disadvantages of biparental populations. Advances in technologies and the availability of the sunflower genome sequence made novel approaches on the whole genome level possible. Genotype-by-sequencing, and whole genome sequencing based on next generation sequencing technologies facilitated the production of large amounts of SNP markers for high density maps as well as SNP arrays and allowed genome-wide association studies and genomic selection in sunflower. Genome wide or candidate gene based association studies have been performed for traits like branching, flowering time, resistance to Sclerotinia head and stalk rot. First steps in genomic selection with regard to hybrid performance and hybrid oil content have shown that genomic selection can successfully address complex quantitative traits in sunflower and will help to speed up sunflower breeding programs in the future. To make sunflower more competitive toward other oil crops higher levels of resistance against pathogens and better yield performance are required. In addition, optimizing plant architecture toward a more complex growth type for higher plant densities has the potential to considerably increase yields per hectare
Sunflower Hybrid Breeding: From Markers to Genomic Selection

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrijevic, Aleksandra; Horn, Renate

2018-01-01

In sunflower, molecular markers for simple traits as, e.g., fertility restoration, high oleic acid content, herbicide tolerance or resistances to Plasmopara halstedii, Puccinia helianthi, or Orobanche cumana have been successfully used in marker-assisted breeding programs for years. However, agronomically important complex quantitative traits like yield, heterosis, drought tolerance, oil content or selection for disease resistance, e.g., against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum have been challenging and will require genome-wide approaches. Plant genetic resources for sunflower are being collected and conserved worldwide that represent valuable resources to study complex traits. Sunflower association panels provide the basis for genome-wide association studies, overcoming disadvantages of biparental populations. Advances in technologies and the availability of the sunflower genome sequence made novel approaches on the whole genome level possible. Genotype-by-sequencing, and whole genome sequencing based on next generation sequencing technologies facilitated the production of large amounts of SNP markers for high density maps as well as SNP arrays and allowed genome-wide association studies and genomic selection in sunflower. Genome wide or candidate gene based association studies have been performed for traits like branching, flowering time, resistance to Sclerotinia head and stalk rot. First steps in genomic selection with regard to hybrid performance and hybrid oil content have shown that genomic selection can successfully address complex quantitative traits in sunflower and will help to speed up sunflower breeding programs in the future. To make sunflower more competitive toward other oil crops higher levels of resistance against pathogens and better yield performance are required. In addition, optimizing plant architecture toward a more complex growth type for higher plant densities has the potential to considerably increase yields per hectare. Integrative approaches
Comparison of relative efficiency of genomic SSR and EST-SSR markers in estimating genetic diversity in sugarcane.

Science.gov (United States)

Parthiban, S; Govindaraj, P; Senthilkumar, S

2018-03-01

Twenty-five primer pairs developed from genomic simple sequence repeats (SSR) were compared with 25 expressed sequence tags (EST) SSRs to evaluate the efficiency of these two sets of primers using 59 sugarcane genetic stocks. The mean polymorphism information content (PIC) of genomic SSR was higher (0.72) compared to the PIC value recorded by EST-SSR marker (0.62). The relatively low level of polymorphism in EST-SSR markers may be due to the location of these markers in more conserved and expressed sequences compared to genomic sequences which are spread throughout the genome. Dendrogram based on the genomic SSR and EST-SSR marker data showed differences in grouping of genotypes. A total of 59 sugarcane accessions were grouped into 6 and 4 clusters using genomic SSR and EST-SSR, respectively. The highly efficient genomic SSR could subcluster the genotypes of some of the clusters formed by EST-SSR markers. The difference in dendrogram observed was probably due to the variation in number of markers produced by genomic SSR and EST-SSR and different portion of genome amplified by both the markers. The combined dendrogram (genomic SSR and EST-SSR) more clearly showed the genetic relationship among the sugarcane genotypes by forming four clusters. The mean genetic similarity (GS) value obtained using EST-SSR among 59 sugarcane accessions was 0.70, whereas the mean GS obtained using genomic SSR was 0.63. Although relatively lower level of polymorphism was displayed by the EST-SSR markers, genetic diversity shown by the EST-SSR was found to be promising as they were functional marker. High level of PIC and low genetic similarity values of genomic SSR may be more useful in DNA fingerprinting, selection of true hybrids, identification of variety specific markers and genetic diversity analysis. Identification of diverse parents based on cluster analysis can be effectively done with EST-SSR as the genetic similarity estimates are based on functional attributes related to
The value of using DNA markers for beef bull selection in the seedstock sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Eenennaam, A L; van der Werf, J H J; Goddard, M E

2011-02-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the value derived from using DNA information to increase the accuracy of beef sire selection in a closed seedstock herd. Breeding objectives for commercial production systems targeting 2 diverse markets were examined using multiple-trait selection indexes developed for the Australian cattle industry. Indexes included those for both maternal (self-replacing) and terminal herds targeting either a domestic market, where steers are finished on pasture, or the export market, where steers are finished on concentrate rations in feedlots and marbling has a large value. Selection index theory was used to predict the response to conventional selection based on phenotypic performance records, and this was compared with including information from 2 hypothetical marker panels. In 1 case the marker panel explained a percentage of additive genetic variance equal to the heritability for all traits in the breeding objective and selection criteria, and in the other case to one-half of this amount. Discounted gene flow methodology was used to calculate the value derived from the use of superior bulls selected using DNA test information and performance recording over that derived from conventional selection using performance recording alone. Results were ultimately calculated as discounted returns per DNA test purchased by the seedstock operator. The DNA testing using these hypothetical marker panels increased the selection response between 29 to 158%. The value of this improvement above that obtained using traditional performance recording ranged from $89 to 565 per commercial bull, and $5,332 to 27,910 per stud bull. Assuming that the entire bull calf crop was tested to achieve these gains, the value of the genetic gain derived from DNA testing ranged from $204 to 1,119 per test. All values assumed that the benefits derived from using superior bulls were efficiently transferred along the production chain to the seedstock producer incurring
Selection of microsatellite markers for bladder cancer diagnosis without the need for corresponding blood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Tilborg, Angela A G; Kompier, Lucie C; Lurkin, Irene

2012-01-01

. Moreover, stutter peaks may complicate the analysis. To use microsatellite markers for diagnosis of recurrent bladder cancer, we aimed to select markers without stutter peaks and a constant ratio between alleles, thereby avoiding the need for a control DNA sample. We investigated 49 microsatellite markers...... with tri- and tetranucleotide repeats in regions commonly lost in bladder cancer. Based on analysis of 50 blood DNAs the 12 best performing markers were selected with few stutter peaks and a constant ratio between peaks heights. Per marker upper and lower cut off values for allele ratios were determined...
Impact of reduced marker set estimation of genomic relationship matrices on genomic selection for feed efficiency in Angus cattle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Northcutt Sally L

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Molecular estimates of breeding value are expected to increase selection response due to improvements in the accuracy of selection and a reduction in generation interval, particularly for traits that are difficult or expensive to record or are measured late in life. Several statistical methods for incorporating molecular data into breeding value estimation have been proposed, however, most studies have utilized simulated data in which the generated linkage disequilibrium may not represent the targeted livestock population. A genomic relationship matrix was developed for 698 Angus steers and 1,707 Angus sires using 41,028 single nucleotide polymorphisms and breeding values were estimated using feed efficiency phenotypes (average daily feed intake, residual feed intake, and average daily gain recorded on the steers. The number of SNPs needed to accurately estimate a genomic relationship matrix was evaluated in this population. Results Results were compared to estimates produced from pedigree-based mixed model analysis of 862 Angus steers with 34,864 identified paternal relatives but no female ancestors. Estimates of additive genetic variance and breeding value accuracies were similar for AFI and RFI using the numerator and genomic relationship matrices despite fewer animals in the genomic analysis. Bootstrap analyses indicated that 2,500-10,000 markers are required for robust estimation of genomic relationship matrices in cattle. Conclusions This research shows that breeding values and their accuracies may be estimated for commercially important sires for traits recorded in experimental populations without the need for pedigree data to establish identity by descent between members of the commercial and experimental populations when at least 2,500 SNPs are available for the generation of a genomic relationship matrix.
Modeling of genetic gain for single traits from marker-assisted seedling selection in clonally propagated crops

Science.gov (United States)

Ru, Sushan; Hardner, Craig; Carter, Patrick A; Evans, Kate; Main, Dorrie; Peace, Cameron

2016-01-01

Seedling selection identifies superior seedlings as candidate cultivars based on predicted genetic potential for traits of interest. Traditionally, genetic potential is determined by phenotypic evaluation. With the availability of DNA tests for some agronomically important traits, breeders have the opportunity to include DNA information in their seedling selection operations—known as marker-assisted seedling selection. A major challenge in deploying marker-assisted seedling selection in clonally propagated crops is a lack of knowledge in genetic gain achievable from alternative strategies. Existing models based on additive effects considering seed-propagated crops are not directly relevant for seedling selection of clonally propagated crops, as clonal propagation captures all genetic effects, not just additive. This study modeled genetic gain from traditional and various marker-based seedling selection strategies on a single trait basis through analytical derivation and stochastic simulation, based on a generalized seedling selection scheme of clonally propagated crops. Various trait-test scenarios with a range of broad-sense heritability and proportion of genotypic variance explained by DNA markers were simulated for two populations with different segregation patterns. Both derived and simulated results indicated that marker-based strategies tended to achieve higher genetic gain than phenotypic seedling selection for a trait where the proportion of genotypic variance explained by marker information was greater than the broad-sense heritability. Results from this study provides guidance in optimizing genetic gain from seedling selection for single traits where DNA tests providing marker information are available. PMID:27148453
Marker-assisted selection in sheep and goats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werf, H.J. van der

2007-01-01

Sheep and goats are often kept in low input production systems, often at subsistence levels. In such systems, the uptake of effective commercial breeding programmes is limited, let alone the uptake of more advanced technologies such as those needed for marker-assisted selection (MAS). However, effective breeding programmes exist in a number of countries, the largest ones in Australia and New Zealand aiming for genetic improvement of meat and wool characteristics as well as disease resistance and fecundity. Advances have been made in sheep gene mapping with the marker map consisting of more than 1 200 microsatellites, and a virtual genome sequence together with a very dense single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) map are expected within a year. Significant research efforts into quantitative trait loci (QTL) are under way and a number of commercial sheep gene tests have already become available, mainly for single gene effects but some for muscularity and disease resistance. Gene mapping in goats is much less advanced with mainly some activity in dairy goats. Integration of genotypic information into commercial genetic evaluation and optimal selection strategies is a challenge that deserves more development. (author)
New approach for isolation of VNTR markers.

OpenAIRE

Nakamura, Y; Carlson, M; Krapcho, K; Kanamori, M; White, R

1988-01-01

Elsewhere we have reported an efficient method for isolating VNTR (Variable Number of Tandem Repeats) markers. Several of the VNTR markers isolated in those experiments were sequenced, and a DNA sequence of 9 bp (GNNGTGGG) emerged as an apparent consensus sequence for VNTR markers. To confirm this result and to develop more VNTR markers, we synthesized nine different 18-base-long oligonucleotides whose sequences each included GNNGTGGG. When 102 cosmid clones selected by these oligonucleotides...
Comparing the predictive abilities of phenotypic and marker-assisted selection methods in a biparental lettuce population

Science.gov (United States)

Breeding and selection for the traits with polygenic inheritance is a challenging task that can be done by phenotypic selection, by marker-assisted selection or by genome wide selection. We tested predictive ability of four selection models in a biparental population genotyped with 95 SNP markers an...
Marker Assisted Selection can Reduce True as well as Pedigree Estimated Inbreeding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, L D; Sørensen, A C; Berg, P

2009-01-01

This study investigated whether selection using genotype information reduced the rate and level of true inbreeding, that is, identity by descent, at a selectively neutral locus as well as a locus under selection compared with traditional BLUP selection. In addition, the founder representation...... each of 40 herds. Selection was performed using BLUP, marker-assisted, or gene-assisted selection for a trait with low heritability (h2 = 0.04) only expressed in females, mimicking a health trait. The simulated genome consisted of 2 chromosomes. One biallelic quantitative trait loci (QTL......) with an initial frequency of the favorable allele of 0.1, and initially explaining 25% of the genetic variance as well as 4 markers were simulated in linkage disequilibrium, all positioned at chromosome 1. Chromosome 2 was selectively neutral, and consisted of a single neutral locus. The results showed...
Accuracy of marker-assisted selection with auxiliary traits

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Genetic information on molecular markers is increasingly being used in plant and animal improvement programmes particularly as indirect means to improve a metric trait by selection either on an individual basis or on the basis of an index incorporating such information. This paper examines the utility of an index of ...
Development and Validation of Marker-Aided Selection Methods for Wood Property Traits in Loblolly Pine and Hybrid Poplar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuskan, G.A.

2001-06-20

Wood properties influence pulp and paper quality. Certainly, overall pulp yields are directly related to the cellulose content, changes in hemicellulose content are associated with changes in pulp cohesiveness, and pulping efficiency is related to lignin content. Despite the importance of wood properties on product quality, little progress has been made in improving such traits because current methods of assessing wood and fiber characteristics are time-consuming, expensive, and often imprecise. Genetic improvement of wood and fiber properties has been further hampered by the large size of trees, delayed reproductive maturity and long harvest cycles. Recent developments in molecular genetics will help overcome the physical, economic and biological constraints in assessing and improving wood properties. Genetic maps consisting of numerous molecular markers are now available for loblolly pine and hybrid poplar. Such markers/maps may be used as part of a marker-aided selection and breeding effort or to expedite the isolation and characterization of genes and/or promoters that directly control wood properties. The objectives of this project are: (1) to apply new and rapid analytical techniques for assessing component wood properties to segregating F2 progeny populations of loblolly pine and hybrid poplar, (2) to map quantitative trait loci and identify molecular markers associated with wood properties in each of the above species and (3) to validate marker-aided selection methods for wood properties in loblolly pine and hybrid poplar.
Selection of microsatellite markers for bladder cancer diagnosis without the need for corresponding blood.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela A G van Tilborg

Full Text Available Microsatellite markers are used for loss-of-heterozygosity, allelic imbalance and clonality analyses in cancers. Usually, tumor DNA is compared to corresponding normal DNA. However, normal DNA is not always available and can display aberrant allele ratios due to copy number variations in the genome. Moreover, stutter peaks may complicate the analysis. To use microsatellite markers for diagnosis of recurrent bladder cancer, we aimed to select markers without stutter peaks and a constant ratio between alleles, thereby avoiding the need for a control DNA sample. We investigated 49 microsatellite markers with tri- and tetranucleotide repeats in regions commonly lost in bladder cancer. Based on analysis of 50 blood DNAs the 12 best performing markers were selected with few stutter peaks and a constant ratio between peaks heights. Per marker upper and lower cut off values for allele ratios were determined. LOH of the markers was observed in 59/104 tumor DNAs. We then determined the sensitivity of the marker panel for detection of recurrent bladder cancer by assaying 102 urine samples of these patients. Sensitivity was 63% when patients were stratified for LOH in their primary tumors. We demonstrate that up-front selection of microsatellite markers obliterates the need for a corresponding blood sample. For diagnosis of bladder cancer recurrences in urine this significantly reduces costs. Moreover, this approach facilitates retrospective analysis of archival tumor samples for allelic imbalance.

Molecular marker analysis to differentiate a clonal selection of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Lalit Kumar

2013-04-03

Apr 3, 2013 ... Microsatellite and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to differentiate. Manjari Naveen, a clonal selection of Centennial Seedless variety of grape. Twenty one (21) microsatellite primers could not detect variation between parent variety and its clone. AFLP analysis.
Molecular Markers and Cotton Genetic Improvement: Current Status and Future Prospects

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Waqas Malik

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Narrow genetic base and complex allotetraploid genome of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. is stimulating efforts to avail required polymorphism for marker based breeding. The availability of draft genome sequence of G. raimondii and G. arboreum and next generation sequencing (NGS technologies facilitated the development of high-throughput marker technologies in cotton. The concepts of genetic diversity, QTL mapping, and marker assisted selection (MAS are evolving into more efficient concepts of linkage disequilibrium, association mapping, and genomic selection, respectively. The objective of the current review is to analyze the pace of evolution in the molecular marker technologies in cotton during the last ten years into the following four areas: (i comparative analysis of low- and high-throughput marker technologies available in cotton, (ii genetic diversity in the available wild and improved gene pools of cotton, (iii identification of the genomic regions within cotton genome underlying economic traits, and (iv marker based selection methodologies. Moreover, the applications of marker technologies to enhance the breeding efficiency in cotton are also summarized. Aforementioned genomic technologies and the integration of several other omics resources are expected to enhance the cotton productivity and meet the global fiber quantity and quality demands.
Informative genomic microsatellite markers for efficient genotyping applications in sugarcane.

Science.gov (United States)

Parida, Swarup K; Kalia, Sanjay K; Kaul, Sunita; Dalal, Vivek; Hemaprabha, G; Selvi, Athiappan; Pandit, Awadhesh; Singh, Archana; Gaikwad, Kishor; Sharma, Tilak R; Srivastava, Prem Shankar; Singh, Nagendra K; Mohapatra, Trilochan

2009-01-01

Genomic microsatellite markers are capable of revealing high degree of polymorphism. Sugarcane (Saccharum sp.), having a complex polyploid genome requires more number of such informative markers for various applications in genetics and breeding. With the objective of generating a large set of microsatellite markers designated as Sugarcane Enriched Genomic MicroSatellite (SEGMS), 6,318 clones from genomic libraries of two hybrid sugarcane cultivars enriched with 18 different microsatellite repeat-motifs were sequenced to generate 4.16 Mb high-quality sequences. Microsatellites were identified in 1,261 of the 5,742 non-redundant clones that accounted for 22% enrichment of the libraries. Retro-transposon association was observed for 23.1% of the identified microsatellites. The utility of the microsatellite containing genomic sequences were demonstrated by higher primer designing potential (90%) and PCR amplification efficiency (87.4%). A total of 1,315 markers including 567 class I microsatellite markers were designed and placed in the public domain for unrestricted use. The level of polymorphism detected by these markers among sugarcane species, genera, and varieties was 88.6%, while cross-transferability rate was 93.2% within Saccharum complex and 25% to cereals. Cloning and sequencing of size variant amplicons revealed that the variation in the number of repeat-units was the main source of SEGMS fragment length polymorphism. High level of polymorphism and wide range of genetic diversity (0.16-0.82 with an average of 0.44) assayed with the SEGMS markers suggested their usefulness in various genotyping applications in sugarcane.
[A Method for Selecting Self-Adoptive Chromaticity of the Projected Markers].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Shou-bo; Zhang, Fu-min; Qu, Xing-hua; Zheng, Shi-wei; Chen, Zhe

2015-04-01

The authors designed a self-adaptive projection system which is composed of color camera, projector and PC. In detail, digital micro-mirror device (DMD) as a spatial light modulator for the projector was introduced in the optical path to modulate the illuminant spectrum based on red, green and blue light emitting diodes (LED). However, the color visibility of active markers is affected by the screen which has unknown reflective spectrum as well. Here active markers are projected spot array. And chromaticity feature of markers is sometimes submerged in similar spectral screen. In order to enhance the color visibility of active markers relative to screen, a method for selecting self-adaptive chromaticity of the projected markers in 3D scanning metrology is described. Color camera with 3 channels limits the accuracy of device characterization. For achieving interconversion of device-independent color space and device-dependent color space, high-dimensional linear model of reflective spectrum was built. Prior training samples provide additional constraints to yield high-dimensional linear model with more than three degrees of freedom. Meanwhile, spectral power distribution of ambient light was estimated. Subsequently, markers' chromaticity in CIE color spaces was selected via maximization principle of Euclidean distance. The setting values of RGB were easily estimated via inverse transform. Finally, we implemented a typical experiment to show the performance of the proposed approach. An 24 Munsell Color Checker was used as projective screen. Color difference in the chromaticity coordinates between the active marker and the color patch was utilized to evaluate the color visibility of active markers relative to the screen. The result comparison between self-adaptive projection system and traditional diode-laser light projector was listed and discussed to highlight advantage of our proposed method.
Guttation fluid as a physiological marker for selection of nitrogen ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Oryza sativa L.) genotypes. Hukum Singh, Amit Verma, Alok Shukla. Abstract. A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season of 2008 and 2009 to use guttation fluid as a physiological marker for the screening of more nitrogen efficient ...
Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), an ultimate marker-assisted selection (MAS) tool to accelerate plant breeding

OpenAIRE

He, Jiangfeng; Zhao, Xiaoqing; Laroche, André; Lu, Zhen-Xiang; Liu, HongKui; Li, Ziqin

2014-01-01

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) refers to the use of molecular markers to assist phenotypic selections in crop improvement. Several types of molecular markers, such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), have been identified and effectively used in plant breeding. The application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has led to remarkable advances in whole genome sequencing, which provides ultra-throughput sequences to revolutionize plant genotyping and breeding. To further broad...
Development and Validation of Marker-Aided Selection Methods for Wood Property Traits in Loblolly Pine and Hybrid Poplar; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuskan, G.A.

2001-01-01

Wood properties influence pulp and paper quality. Certainly, overall pulp yields are directly related to the cellulose content, changes in hemicellulose content are associated with changes in pulp cohesiveness, and pulping efficiency is related to lignin content. Despite the importance of wood properties on product quality, little progress has been made in improving such traits because current methods of assessing wood and fiber characteristics are time-consuming, expensive, and often imprecise. Genetic improvement of wood and fiber properties has been further hampered by the large size of trees, delayed reproductive maturity and long harvest cycles. Recent developments in molecular genetics will help overcome the physical, economic and biological constraints in assessing and improving wood properties. Genetic maps consisting of numerous molecular markers are now available for loblolly pine and hybrid poplar. Such markers/maps may be used as part of a marker-aided selection and breeding effort or to expedite the isolation and characterization of genes and/or promoters that directly control wood properties. The objectives of this project are: (1) to apply new and rapid analytical techniques for assessing component wood properties to segregating F(sub 2) progeny populations of loblolly pine and hybrid poplar, (2) to map quantitative trait loci and identify molecular markers associated with wood properties in each of the above species and (3) to validate marker-aided selection methods for wood properties in loblolly pine and hybrid poplar
Effective selection of transgenic papaya plants with the PMI/Man selection system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yun J; Agbayani, Ricelle; McCafferty, Heather; Albert, Henrik H; Moore, Paul H

2005-09-01

The selectable marker gene phospho-mannose isomerase (pmi), which encodes the enzyme phospho-mannose isomerase (PMI) to enable selection of transformed cell lines on media containing mannose (Man), was evaluated for genetic transformation of papaya (Carica papaya L.). We found that papaya embryogenic calli have little or no PMI activity and cannot utilize Man as a carbon source; however, when calli were transformed with a pmi gene, the PMI activity was greatly increased and they could utilize Man as efficiently as sucrose. Plants regenerated from selected callus lines also exhibited PMI activity but at a lower specific activity level. Our transformation efficiency with Man selection was higher than that reported using antibiotic selection or with a visual marker. For papaya, the PMI/Man selection system for producing transgenic plants is a highly efficient addition to previously published methods for selection and may facilitate the stacking of multiple transgenes of interest. Additionally, since the PMI/Man selection system does not involve antibiotic or herbicide resistance genes, its use might reduce environmental concerns about the potential flow of those genes into related plant populations.
Marker-assisted selection in dairy cattle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weller, J.I.

2007-01-01

Considering the long generation interval, the high value of each individual, the very limited female fertility and the fact that nearly all economic traits are expressed only in females, it would seem that cattle should be a nearly ideal species for application of marker-assisted selection (MAS). As genetic gains are cumulative and eternal, application of new technologies that increase rates of genetic gain can be profitable even if the nominal annual costs are several times the value of the nominal additional annual genetic gain. Complete genome scans for quantitative trait loci (QTL) based on the granddaughter design have been completed for most commercial dairy cattle populations, and significant across-study effects for economic traits have been found on chromosomes 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 14 and 20. Quantitative trait loci associated with trypanotolerance have been detected in a cross between the African N'Dama and the Boran breeds as the first step in the introgression of these genes into breeds susceptible to trypanosomosis. In dairy cattle, the actual DNA polymorphism has been determined twice, for QTL on BTA 6 and BTA 14. In both cases the polymorphism caused a non-conservative amino acid change, and both QTL chiefly affect fat and protein concentration. Most theoretical studies have estimated the expected gains that can be obtained by MAS to be in the range of a 5 to 20 percent increase in the rates of genetic gain obtained by traditional selection programmes. Applied MAS programmes have commenced for French and German Holsteins. In both programmes genetic evaluations including QTL effects are computed by variants of marker-assisted best linear unbiased prediction (MA-BLUP). (author)
Selection enhanced estimates of marker effects on means and variances of beef tenderness

Science.gov (United States)

Genetic marker associations from surveys of industry cattle populations have low frequencies of rare homozygous animals. Selection for calpain (CAPN1) and calpastatin (CAST) genetic markers was replicated in two cattle populations (Angus and MARC III) at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. These...
Selection of Highly Expressed Gene Variants in Escherichia coli Using Translationally Coupled Antibiotic Selection Markers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rennig, Maja; Daley, Daniel O.; Nørholm, Morten H. H.

2018-01-01

Strategies to select highly expressed variants of a protein coding sequence are usually based on trial-and-error approaches, which are time-consuming and expensive. We address this problem using translationally coupled antibiotic resistance markers. The system requires that the target gene can...
Impact of marker ascertainment bias on genomic selection accuracy and estimates of genetic diversity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolas Heslot

Full Text Available Genome-wide molecular markers are often being used to evaluate genetic diversity in germplasm collections and for making genomic selections in breeding programs. To accurately predict phenotypes and assay genetic diversity, molecular markers should assay a representative sample of the polymorphisms in the population under study. Ascertainment bias arises when marker data is not obtained from a random sample of the polymorphisms in the population of interest. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS is rapidly emerging as a low-cost genotyping platform, even for the large, complex, and polyploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L. genome. With GBS, marker discovery and genotyping occur simultaneously, resulting in minimal ascertainment bias. The previous platform of choice for whole-genome genotyping in many species such as wheat was DArT (Diversity Array Technology and has formed the basis of most of our knowledge about cereals genetic diversity. This study compared GBS and DArT marker platforms for measuring genetic diversity and genomic selection (GS accuracy in elite U.S. soft winter wheat. From a set of 365 breeding lines, 38,412 single nucleotide polymorphism GBS markers were discovered and genotyped. The GBS SNPs gave a higher GS accuracy than 1,544 DArT markers on the same lines, despite 43.9% missing data. Using a bootstrap approach, we observed significantly more clustering of markers and ascertainment bias with DArT relative to GBS. The minor allele frequency distribution of GBS markers had a deficit of rare variants compared to DArT markers. Despite the ascertainment bias of the DArT markers, GS accuracy for three traits out of four was not significantly different when an equal number of markers were used for each platform. This suggests that the gain in accuracy observed using GBS compared to DArT markers was mainly due to a large increase in the number of markers available for the analysis.
Impact of Marker Ascertainment Bias on Genomic Selection Accuracy and Estimates of Genetic Diversity

Science.gov (United States)

Heslot, Nicolas; Rutkoski, Jessica; Poland, Jesse; Jannink, Jean-Luc; Sorrells, Mark E.

2013-01-01

Genome-wide molecular markers are often being used to evaluate genetic diversity in germplasm collections and for making genomic selections in breeding programs. To accurately predict phenotypes and assay genetic diversity, molecular markers should assay a representative sample of the polymorphisms in the population under study. Ascertainment bias arises when marker data is not obtained from a random sample of the polymorphisms in the population of interest. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) is rapidly emerging as a low-cost genotyping platform, even for the large, complex, and polyploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genome. With GBS, marker discovery and genotyping occur simultaneously, resulting in minimal ascertainment bias. The previous platform of choice for whole-genome genotyping in many species such as wheat was DArT (Diversity Array Technology) and has formed the basis of most of our knowledge about cereals genetic diversity. This study compared GBS and DArT marker platforms for measuring genetic diversity and genomic selection (GS) accuracy in elite U.S. soft winter wheat. From a set of 365 breeding lines, 38,412 single nucleotide polymorphism GBS markers were discovered and genotyped. The GBS SNPs gave a higher GS accuracy than 1,544 DArT markers on the same lines, despite 43.9% missing data. Using a bootstrap approach, we observed significantly more clustering of markers and ascertainment bias with DArT relative to GBS. The minor allele frequency distribution of GBS markers had a deficit of rare variants compared to DArT markers. Despite the ascertainment bias of the DArT markers, GS accuracy for three traits out of four was not significantly different when an equal number of markers were used for each platform. This suggests that the gain in accuracy observed using GBS compared to DArT markers was mainly due to a large increase in the number of markers available for the analysis. PMID:24040295
Selectable antibiotic resistance marker gene-free transgenic rice harbouring the garlic leaf lectin gene exhibits resistance to sap-sucking planthoppers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Subhadipa; Chakraborti, Dipankar; Mondal, Hossain A; Das, Sampa

2010-03-01

Rice, the major food crop of world is severely affected by homopteran sucking pests. We introduced coding sequence of Allium sativum leaf agglutinin, ASAL, in rice cultivar IR64 to develop sustainable resistance against sap-sucking planthoppers as well as eliminated the selectable antibiotic-resistant marker gene hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt) exploiting cre/lox site-specific recombination system. An expression vector was constructed containing the coding sequence of ASAL, a potent controlling agent against green leafhoppers (GLH, Nephotettix virescens) and brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens). The selectable marker (hpt) gene cassette was cloned within two lox sites of the same vector. Alongside, another vector was developed with chimeric cre recombinase gene cassette. Reciprocal crosses were performed between three single-copy T(0) plants with ASAL- lox-hpt-lox T-DNA and three single-copy T(0) plants with cre-bar T-DNA. Marker gene excisions were detected in T(1) hybrids through hygromycin sensitivity assay. Molecular analysis of T(1) plants exhibited 27.4% recombination efficiency. T(2) progenies of L03C04(1) hybrid parent showed 25% cre negative ASAL-expressing plants. Northern blot, western blot and ELISA showed significant level of ASAL expression in five marker-free T(2) progeny plants. In planta bioassay of GLH and BPH performed on these T(2) progenies exhibited radical reduction in survivability and fecundity compared with the untransformed control plants.
Potential biochemical markers for selection of disease resistance in Vigna radiata

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badere, R.S.; Koche, D.K.; Choudhary, A.D.; Pawar, S.E.

2001-01-01

The Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek (Green gram), a major pulse crop is prone to damaging diseases caused by Erysiphe polygoni, Cercospora canescens and Rhizoctonia sp. Therefore, the development of multiple resistance is a major breeding objective in green gram. Resistance to powdery mildew has already been developed, however, there are no reports on the development of resistance to Cercospora in green gram. Owing to limitation of conventional screening methods, the improvement for multiple disease resistance is inadequate, in this crop. It needs an efficient and quick selection method, for screening the plant population at an early stage. It is well established that the resistant interaction, in plants, involves accumulation of antibiotic compound phytoalexin (Genestein in Vigna radiata) and induction of enzymes such as β-1,3 gulcanase and Chitinases. These compounds are not only induced by pathogens but also pathogen-derived elicitors. These biochemical compounds can be used as resistance indicative biochemical markers for screening the natural or mutagen induced genetic diversity in populations of Vigna radiata in non-destructive manner. It, however, needs a systematic study of plant defense response. This paper deals with the response of resistant and susceptible cultivars of vigna radiata to Cercospora elicitor and development of non-destructive selection method for disease resistance. (author)
Efficient Multi-Label Feature Selection Using Entropy-Based Label Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaesung Lee

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Multi-label feature selection is designed to select a subset of features according to their importance to multiple labels. This task can be achieved by ranking the dependencies of features and selecting the features with the highest rankings. In a multi-label feature selection problem, the algorithm may be faced with a dataset containing a large number of labels. Because the computational cost of multi-label feature selection increases according to the number of labels, the algorithm may suffer from a degradation in performance when processing very large datasets. In this study, we propose an efficient multi-label feature selection method based on an information-theoretic label selection strategy. By identifying a subset of labels that significantly influence the importance of features, the proposed method efficiently outputs a feature subset. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can identify a feature subset much faster than conventional multi-label feature selection methods for large multi-label datasets.
Efficient Breeding by Genomic Mating.

Science.gov (United States)

Akdemir, Deniz; Sánchez, Julio I

2016-01-01

Selection in breeding programs can be done by using phenotypes (phenotypic selection), pedigree relationship (breeding value selection) or molecular markers (marker assisted selection or genomic selection). All these methods are based on truncation selection, focusing on the best performance of parents before mating. In this article we proposed an approach to breeding, named genomic mating, which focuses on mating instead of truncation selection. Genomic mating uses information in a similar fashion to genomic selection but includes information on complementation of parents to be mated. Following the efficiency frontier surface, genomic mating uses concepts of estimated breeding values, risk (usefulness) and coefficient of ancestry to optimize mating between parents. We used a genetic algorithm to find solutions to this optimization problem and the results from our simulations comparing genomic selection, phenotypic selection and the mating approach indicate that current approach for breeding complex traits is more favorable than phenotypic and genomic selection. Genomic mating is similar to genomic selection in terms of estimating marker effects, but in genomic mating the genetic information and the estimated marker effects are used to decide which genotypes should be crossed to obtain the next breeding population.
A COMPARISON STUDY OF DIFFERENT MARKER SELECTION METHODS FOR SPECTRAL-SPATIAL CLASSIFICATION OF HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Akbari

2015-12-01

Full Text Available An effective approach based on the Minimum Spanning Forest (MSF, grown from automatically selected markers using Support Vector Machines (SVM, has been proposed for spectral-spatial classification of hyperspectral images by Tarabalka et al. This paper aims at improving this approach by using image segmentation to integrate the spatial information into marker selection process. In this study, the markers are extracted from the classification maps, obtained by both SVM and segmentation algorithms, and then are used to build the MSF. The segmentation algorithms are the watershed, expectation maximization (EM and hierarchical clustering. These algorithms are used in parallel and independently to segment the image. Moreover, the pixels of each class, with the largest population in the classification map, are kept for each region of the segmentation map. Lastly, the most reliable classified pixels are chosen from among the exiting pixels as markers. Two benchmark urban hyperspectral datasets are used for evaluation: Washington DC Mall and Berlin. The results of our experiments indicate that, compared to the original MSF approach, the marker selection using segmentation algorithms leads in more accurate classification maps.
Selection of chemical markers for the quality control of medicinal plants of the genus Cecropia.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera-Mondragón, Andrés; Ortíz, Orlando O; Bijttebier, Sebastiaan; Vlietinck, Arnold; Apers, Sandra; Pieters, Luc; Caballero-George, Catherina

2017-12-01

Several Cecropia (Cecropiaceae) species are traditionally used in Latin America for the treatment of a variety of diseases including diabetes, arterial hypertension, asthma, bronchitis, anxiety, and inflammation. At present, a number of commercial products based on these plants have been introduced into the market with very little information on methods for guaranteeing their quality and safety. This work proposes potential chemical markers for the quality control of the raw materials of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol., Cecropia peltata L., Cecropia glaziovii Snethl., Cecropia pachystachya Trécul, and Cecropia hololeuca Miq. The Herbal Chemical Marker Ranking System (Herb MaRS) developed by the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) at the University of Western Sydney was used for selecting chemical markers for the quality control of selected medicinal species of Cecropia. This review covers the period from 1982 to 2016. Chlorogenic acid, flavonoidal glycosides (orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin, and rutin), catechin, epicatechin, procyanidins (B2, B5, and C1), steroids (β-sitosterol), and triterpenoids (α-amyrin, pomolic, tormentic and ursolic acids) were selected as chemical markers for the quality control of the leaves. It is necessary to establish comprehensive standards for guaranteeing quality, safety and efficacy of herbal drugs. The selection of adequate chemical markers for quality control purposes requires a good knowledge about the chemical composition of medicinal plants and their associated biological properties. To the best of our knowledge this review article is the first to address the identification and quantitative determination of the chemical markers for the genus Cecropia.
Cre/lox system to develop selectable marker free transgenic tobacco plants conferring resistance against sap sucking homopteran insect.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborti, Dipankar; Sarkar, Anindya; Mondal, Hossain A; Schuermann, David; Hohn, Barbara; Sarmah, Bidyut K; Das, Sampa

2008-10-01

A binary expression vector was constructed containing the insecticidal gene Allium sativum leaf agglutinin (ASAL), and a selectable nptII marker gene cassette, flanked by lox sites. Similarly, another binary vector was developed with the chimeric cre gene construct. Transformed tobacco plants were generated with these two independent vectors. Each of the T(0) lox plants was crossed with T(0) Cre plants. PCR analyses followed by the sequencing of the target T-DNA part of the hybrid T(1) plants demonstrated the excision of the nptII gene in highly precised manner in certain percentage of the T(1) hybrid lines. The frequency of such marker gene excision was calculated to be 19.2% in the hybrids. Marker free plants were able to express ASAL efficiently and reduce the survivability of Myzus persiceae, the deadly pest of tobacco significantly, compared to the control tobacco plants. Results of PCR and Southern blot analyses of some of the T(2) plants detected the absence of cre as well as nptII genes. Thus, the crossing strategy involving Cre/lox system for the excision of marker genes appears to be very effective and easy to execute. Documentation of such marker excision phenomenon in the transgenic plants expressing the important insecticidal protein for the first time has a great significance from agricultural and biotechnological points of view.

Genomic selection and association mapping in rice (Oryza sativa): effect of trait genetic architecture, training population composition, marker number and statistical model on accuracy of rice genomic selection in elite, tropical rice breeding lines.

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Spindel, Jennifer; Begum, Hasina; Akdemir, Deniz; Virk, Parminder; Collard, Bertrand; Redoña, Edilberto; Atlin, Gary; Jannink, Jean-Luc; McCouch, Susan R

2015-02-01

Genomic Selection (GS) is a new breeding method in which genome-wide markers are used to predict the breeding value of individuals in a breeding population. GS has been shown to improve breeding efficiency in dairy cattle and several crop plant species, and here we evaluate for the first time its efficacy for breeding inbred lines of rice. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in conjunction with five-fold GS cross-validation on a population of 363 elite breeding lines from the International Rice Research Institute's (IRRI) irrigated rice breeding program and herein report the GS results. The population was genotyped with 73,147 markers using genotyping-by-sequencing. The training population, statistical method used to build the GS model, number of markers, and trait were varied to determine their effect on prediction accuracy. For all three traits, genomic prediction models outperformed prediction based on pedigree records alone. Prediction accuracies ranged from 0.31 and 0.34 for grain yield and plant height to 0.63 for flowering time. Analyses using subsets of the full marker set suggest that using one marker every 0.2 cM is sufficient for genomic selection in this collection of rice breeding materials. RR-BLUP was the best performing statistical method for grain yield where no large effect QTL were detected by GWAS, while for flowering time, where a single very large effect QTL was detected, the non-GS multiple linear regression method outperformed GS models. For plant height, in which four mid-sized QTL were identified by GWAS, random forest produced the most consistently accurate GS models. Our results suggest that GS, informed by GWAS interpretations of genetic architecture and population structure, could become an effective tool for increasing the efficiency of rice breeding as the costs of genotyping continue to decline.
Genomic selection and association mapping in rice (Oryza sativa: effect of trait genetic architecture, training population composition, marker number and statistical model on accuracy of rice genomic selection in elite, tropical rice breeding lines.

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Jennifer Spindel

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Genomic Selection (GS is a new breeding method in which genome-wide markers are used to predict the breeding value of individuals in a breeding population. GS has been shown to improve breeding efficiency in dairy cattle and several crop plant species, and here we evaluate for the first time its efficacy for breeding inbred lines of rice. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS in conjunction with five-fold GS cross-validation on a population of 363 elite breeding lines from the International Rice Research Institute's (IRRI irrigated rice breeding program and herein report the GS results. The population was genotyped with 73,147 markers using genotyping-by-sequencing. The training population, statistical method used to build the GS model, number of markers, and trait were varied to determine their effect on prediction accuracy. For all three traits, genomic prediction models outperformed prediction based on pedigree records alone. Prediction accuracies ranged from 0.31 and 0.34 for grain yield and plant height to 0.63 for flowering time. Analyses using subsets of the full marker set suggest that using one marker every 0.2 cM is sufficient for genomic selection in this collection of rice breeding materials. RR-BLUP was the best performing statistical method for grain yield where no large effect QTL were detected by GWAS, while for flowering time, where a single very large effect QTL was detected, the non-GS multiple linear regression method outperformed GS models. For plant height, in which four mid-sized QTL were identified by GWAS, random forest produced the most consistently accurate GS models. Our results suggest that GS, informed by GWAS interpretations of genetic architecture and population structure, could become an effective tool for increasing the efficiency of rice breeding as the costs of genotyping continue to decline.
Genomic Selection and Association Mapping in Rice (Oryza sativa): Effect of Trait Genetic Architecture, Training Population Composition, Marker Number and Statistical Model on Accuracy of Rice Genomic Selection in Elite, Tropical Rice Breeding Lines

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Spindel, Jennifer; Begum, Hasina; Akdemir, Deniz; Virk, Parminder; Collard, Bertrand; Redoña, Edilberto; Atlin, Gary; Jannink, Jean-Luc; McCouch, Susan R.

2015-01-01

Genomic Selection (GS) is a new breeding method in which genome-wide markers are used to predict the breeding value of individuals in a breeding population. GS has been shown to improve breeding efficiency in dairy cattle and several crop plant species, and here we evaluate for the first time its efficacy for breeding inbred lines of rice. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in conjunction with five-fold GS cross-validation on a population of 363 elite breeding lines from the International Rice Research Institute's (IRRI) irrigated rice breeding program and herein report the GS results. The population was genotyped with 73,147 markers using genotyping-by-sequencing. The training population, statistical method used to build the GS model, number of markers, and trait were varied to determine their effect on prediction accuracy. For all three traits, genomic prediction models outperformed prediction based on pedigree records alone. Prediction accuracies ranged from 0.31 and 0.34 for grain yield and plant height to 0.63 for flowering time. Analyses using subsets of the full marker set suggest that using one marker every 0.2 cM is sufficient for genomic selection in this collection of rice breeding materials. RR-BLUP was the best performing statistical method for grain yield where no large effect QTL were detected by GWAS, while for flowering time, where a single very large effect QTL was detected, the non-GS multiple linear regression method outperformed GS models. For plant height, in which four mid-sized QTL were identified by GWAS, random forest produced the most consistently accurate GS models. Our results suggest that GS, informed by GWAS interpretations of genetic architecture and population structure, could become an effective tool for increasing the efficiency of rice breeding as the costs of genotyping continue to decline. PMID:25689273
Use of Both Cumulus Cells’ Transcriptomic Markers and Zona Pellucida Birefringence to Select Developmentally Competent Oocytes in Human Assisted Reproductive Technologies

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2015-01-01

Background Selection of the best oocyte for subsequent steps of fertilization and embryo transfer was shown to be the crucial step in human infertility treatment procedure. Oocyte selection using morphological criteria mainly Zona pellucida (ZP) has been the gold standard method in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) clinics, but this selection approach has limitations in terms of accuracy, objectivity and constancy. Recent studies using OMICs-based approaches have allowed the identification of key molecular markers that quantitatively and non-invasively predict the oocyte quality for higher pregnancy rates and efficient infertility treatment. These biomarkers are a valuable reinforcement of the morphological selection criteria widely used in in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics. In this context, this study was designed to investigate the relationship between transcriptomic predictors of oocyte quality found by our group and the conventional morphological parameters of oocyte quality mainly the ZP birefringence. Results Microarray data revealed that 48 and 27 differentially expressed candidate genes in cumulus cells (CCs) were respectively overexpressed and underexpressed in the ZGP (Zona Good Pregnant) versus ZBNP (Zona Bad Non Pregnant) groups. More than 70% of previously reported transcriptomic biomarkers of oocyte developmental competence were confirmed in this study. The analysis of possible association between ZP birefringence versus molecular markers approach showed an absence of correlation between them using the current set of markers. Conclusions This study suggested a new integrative approach that matches morphological and molecular approaches used to select developmentally competent oocytes able to lead to successful pregnancy and the delivery of healthy baby. For each ZP birefringence score, oocytes displayed a particular CCs' gene expression pattern. However, no correlations were found between the 7 gene biomarkers of oocyte developmental
Marker-assisted selection in wheat: Evolution, not revolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koebner, R.; Summers, R.

2007-01-01

This chapter reviews the uptake of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in wheat in a European context. Although less intense than the scale of its application in maize, reflecting the fact that maize varieties are predominantly F 1 hybrids, the use of MAS in wheat has grown over the last few years. This growth has been encouraged by an increase in the number of amenable target traits, but more significantly by a combination of technological improvements, particularly in the areas of DNA acquisition, laboratory management systems and integration into the breeding cycle, which together have served to reduce the per unit cost of each data point. Microsatellites (simple sequence repeats [SSRs]) are, and will likely remain for some time, the marker of choice because of their flexibility and the knowledge base associated with them. Some current examples are provided of the use of MAS in a major United Kingdom commercial breeding programme. (author)
Genotyping by sequencing (GBS, an ultimate marker-assisted selection (MAS tool to accelerate plant breeding

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Jiangfeng eHe

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Marker-assisted selection (MAS refers to the use of molecular markers to assist phenotypic selections in crop improvement. Several types of molecular markers, such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP, have been identified and effectively used in plant breeding. The application of next-generation sequencing (NGS technologies has led to remarkable advances in whole genome sequencing, which provides ultra-throughput sequences to revolutionize plant genotyping and breeding. To further broaden NGS usages to large crop genomes such as maize and wheat, genotyping by sequencing (GBS has been developed and applied in sequencing multiplexed samples that combine molecular marker discovery and genotyping. GBS is a novel application of NGS protocols for discovering and genotyping SNPs in crop genomes and populations. The GBS approach includes the digestion of genomic DNA with restriction enzymes followed by the ligation of barcode adapter, PCR amplification and sequencing of the amplified DNA pool on a single lane of flow cells. Bioinformatic pipelines are needed to analyze and interpret GBS datasets. As an ultimate MAS tool and a cost-effective technique, GBS has been successfully used in implementing genome-wide association study (GWAS, genomic diversity study, genetic linkage analysis, molecular marker discovery and genomic selection (GS under a large scale of plant breeding programs.
Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), an ultimate marker-assisted selection (MAS) tool to accelerate plant breeding.

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He, Jiangfeng; Zhao, Xiaoqing; Laroche, André; Lu, Zhen-Xiang; Liu, HongKui; Li, Ziqin

2014-01-01

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) refers to the use of molecular markers to assist phenotypic selections in crop improvement. Several types of molecular markers, such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), have been identified and effectively used in plant breeding. The application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has led to remarkable advances in whole genome sequencing, which provides ultra-throughput sequences to revolutionize plant genotyping and breeding. To further broaden NGS usages to large crop genomes such as maize and wheat, genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) has been developed and applied in sequencing multiplexed samples that combine molecular marker discovery and genotyping. GBS is a novel application of NGS protocols for discovering and genotyping SNPs in crop genomes and populations. The GBS approach includes the digestion of genomic DNA with restriction enzymes followed by the ligation of barcode adapter, PCR amplification and sequencing of the amplified DNA pool on a single lane of flow cells. Bioinformatic pipelines are needed to analyze and interpret GBS datasets. As an ultimate MAS tool and a cost-effective technique, GBS has been successfully used in implementing genome-wide association study (GWAS), genomic diversity study, genetic linkage analysis, molecular marker discovery and genomic selection under a large scale of plant breeding programs.
Marker encoded fringe projection profilometry for efficient 3D model acquisition.

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Budianto, B; Lun, P K D; Hsung, Tai-Chiu

2014-11-01

This paper presents a novel marker encoded fringe projection profilometry (FPP) scheme for efficient 3-dimensional (3D) model acquisition. Traditional FPP schemes can introduce large errors to the reconstructed 3D model when the target object has an abruptly changing height profile. For the proposed scheme, markers are encoded in the projected fringe pattern to resolve the ambiguities in the fringe images due to that problem. Using the analytic complex wavelet transform, the marker cue information can be extracted from the fringe image, and is used to restore the order of the fringes. A series of simulations and experiments have been carried out to verify the proposed scheme. They show that the proposed method can greatly improve the accuracy over the traditional FPP schemes when reconstructing the 3D model of objects with abruptly changing height profile. Since the scheme works directly in our recently proposed complex wavelet FPP framework, it enjoys the same properties that it can be used in real time applications for color objects.
Maximization of Markers Linked in Coupling for Tetraploid Potatoes via Monoparental Haploids

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Annette M. Bartkiewicz

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Haploid potato populations derived from a single tetraploid donor constitute an efficient strategy to analyze markers segregating from a single donor genotype. Analysis of marker segregation in populations derived from crosses between polysomic tetraploids is complicated by a maximum of eight segregating alleles, multiple dosages of the markers and problems related to linkage analysis of marker segregation in repulsion. Here, we present data on two monoparental haploid populations generated by prickle pollination of two tetraploid cultivars with Solanum phureja and genotyped with the 12.8 k SolCAP single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP array. We show that in a population of monoparental haploids, the number of biallelic SNP markers segregating in linkage to loci from the tetraploid donor genotype is much larger than in putative crosses of this genotype to a diverse selection of 125 tetraploid cultivars. Although this strategy is more laborious than conventional breeding, the generation of haploid progeny for efficient marker analysis is straightforward if morphological markers and flow cytometry are utilized to select true haploid progeny. The level of introgressed fragments from S. phureja, the haploid inducer, is very low, supporting its suitability for genetic analysis. Mapping with single-dose markers allowed the analysis of quantitative trait loci (QTL for four phenotypic traits.
Genetic Confirmation of Mungbean (Vigna radiata) and Mashbean (Vigna mungo) Interspecific Recombinants using Molecular Markers.

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Abbas, Ghulam; Hameed, Amjad; Rizwan, Muhammad; Ahsan, Muhammad; Asghar, Muhammad J; Iqbal, Nayyer

2015-01-01

Molecular confirmation of interspecific recombinants is essential to overcome the issues like self-pollination, environmental influence, and inadequacy of morphological characteristics during interspecific hybridization. The present study was conducted for genetic confirmation of mungbean (female) and mashbean (male) interspecific crosses using molecular markers. Initially, polymorphic random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), universal rice primers (URP), and simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers differentiating parent genotypes were identified. Recombination in hybrids was confirmed using these polymorphic DNA markers. The NM 2006 × Mash 88 was most successful interspecific cross. Most of true recombinants confirmed by molecular markers were from this cross combination. SSR markers were efficient in detecting genetic variability and recombination with reference to specific chromosomes and particular loci. SSR (RIS) and RAPD identified variability dispersed throughout the genome. In conclusion, DNA based marker assisted selection (MAS) efficiently confirmed the interspecific recombinants. The results provided evidence that MAS can enhance the authenticity of selection in mungbean improvement program.
Efficient anchoring of alien chromosome segments introgressed into bread wheat by new Leymus racemosus genome-based markers.

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Edet, Offiong Ukpong; Kim, June-Sik; Okamoto, Masanori; Hanada, Kousuke; Takeda, Tomoyuki; Kishii, Masahiro; Gorafi, Yasir Serag Alnor; Tsujimoto, Hisashi

2018-03-27

The tertiary gene pool of bread wheat, to which Leymus racemosus belongs, has remained underutilized due to the current limited genomic resources of the species that constitute it. Continuous enrichment of public databases with useful information regarding these species is, therefore, needed to provide insights on their genome structures and aid successful utilization of their genes to develop improved wheat cultivars for effective management of environmental stresses. We generated de novo DNA and mRNA sequence information of L. racemosus and developed 110 polymorphic PCR-based markers from the data, and to complement the PCR markers, DArT-seq genotyping was applied to develop additional 9990 SNP markers. Approximately 52% of all the markers enabled us to clearly genotype 22 wheat-L. racemosus chromosome introgression lines, and L. racemosus chromosome-specific markers were highly efficient in detailed characterization of the translocation and recombination lines analyzed. A further analysis revealed remarkable transferability of the PCR markers to three other important Triticeae perennial species: L. mollis, Psathyrostachys huashanica and Elymus ciliaris, indicating their suitability for characterizing wheat-alien chromosome introgressions carrying chromosomes of these genomes. The efficiency of the markers in characterizing wheat-L. racemosus chromosome introgression lines proves their reliability, and their high transferability further broadens their scope of application. This is the first report on sequencing and development of markers from L. racemosus genome and the application of DArT-seq to develop markers from a perennial wild relative of wheat, marking a paradigm shift from the seeming concentration of the technology on cultivated species. Integration of these markers with appropriate cytogenetic methods would accelerate development and characterization of wheat-alien chromosome introgression lines.
"Knife to skin" time is a poor marker of operating room utilization and efficiency in cardiac surgery.

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Luthra, Suvitesh; Ramady, Omar; Monge, Mary; Fitzsimons, Michael G; Kaleta, Terry R; Sundt, Thoralf M

2015-06-01

Markers of operation room (OR) efficiency in cardiac surgery are focused on "knife to skin" and "start time tardiness." These do not evaluate the middle and later parts of the cardiac surgical pathway. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate knife to skin time as an efficiency marker in cardiac surgery. We looked at knife to skin time, procedure time, and transfer times in the cardiac operational pathway for their correlation with predefined indices of operational efficiency (Index of Operation Efficiency - InOE, Surgical Index of Operational Efficiency - sInOE). A regression analysis was performed to test the goodness of fit of the regression curves estimated for InOE relative to the times on the operational pathway. The mean knife to skin time was 90.6 ± 13 minutes (23% of total OR time). The mean procedure time was 282 ± 123 minutes (71% of total OR time). Utilization efficiencies were highest for aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting and least for complex aortic procedures. There were no significant procedure-specific or team-specific differences for standard procedures. Procedure times correlated the strongest with InOE (r = -0.98, p knife to skin is not as strong an indicator of efficiency. A statistically significant linear dependence on InOE was observed with "procedure times" only. Procedure times are a better marker of OR efficiency than knife to skin in cardiac cases. Strategies to increase OR utilization and efficiency should address procedure times in addition to knife to skin times. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impacts of intellectual property rights on marker-assisted selection research and application for agriculture in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henson-Apollonio, V.

2007-01-01

Although the impact of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in commercial and public sector breeding programmes in developing countries is to date limited to a few crops and traits, the potential benefits of using markers linked to genes of interest in breeding programmes for improving the productivity of crops, livestock, forest trees and farmed fish is substantial. While more recent methods associated with the use of MAS are technically demanding and often expensive, most applications of basic MAS were initially described in the literature, and thus will likely have very few intellectual property (IP) restrictions associated with their use, irrespective of the agricultural sector involved. For example, isolating DNA, amplifying specific gene sequences from that DNA (with most available primers), separating fragments using gel/polyacrylamide electrophoresis and imaging of fragments with standard techniques are likely to be available without restriction to scientists and breeders in the developing world, even as part of a commercial service. Problems arise when there is a need to use or develop high-throughput modes, which require more sophisticated technologies. For high-throughput use, a breeder will want to use the most efficient techniques that are currently available. This means that the more advanced processes/methods, reagents, software applications/simulations and equipment, which provide the most effective means to exploit MAS fully, are most likely covered by intellectual property rights (IPRs) such as patent rights, confidential information (trade secrets) and copyrights, both in industrialized countries and also in many developing countries such as Brazil, China and India. In situations where breeders wish to use cutting edge technologies and the most efficient markers, care must be taken to avoid activities that may infringe IPRs when using MAS methodologies. (author)
Rapid and targeted introgression of genes into popular wheat cultivars using marker-assisted background selection.

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Harpinder S Randhawa

Full Text Available A marker-assisted background selection (MABS-based gene introgression approach in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. was optimized, where 97% or more of a recurrent parent genome (RPG can be recovered in just two backcross (BC generations. A four-step MABS method was developed based on 'Plabsim' computer simulations and wheat genome structure information. During empirical optimization of this method, double recombinants around the target gene were selected in a step-wise fashion during the two BC cycles followed by selection for recurrent parent genotype on non-carrier chromosomes. The average spacing between carrier chromosome markers was <4 cM. For non-carrier chromosome markers that flanked each of the 48 wheat gene-rich regions, this distance was approximately 12 cM. Employed to introgress seedling stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici resistance gene Yr15 into the spring wheat cultivar 'Zak', marker analysis of 2,187 backcross-derived progeny resulted in the recovery of a BC(2F(2ratio3 plant with 97% of the recurrent parent genome. In contrast, only 82% of the recurrent parent genome was recovered in phenotypically selected BC(4F(7 plants developed without MABS. Field evaluation results from 17 locations indicated that the MABS-derived line was either equal or superior to the recurrent parent for the tested agronomic characteristics. Based on these results, MABS is recommended as a strategy for rapidly introgressing a targeted gene into a wheat genotype in just two backcross generations while recovering 97% or more of the recurrent parent genotype.
Efficient and rapid C. elegans transgenesis by bombardment and hygromycin B selection.

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Inja Radman

Full Text Available We report a simple, cost-effective, scalable and efficient method for creating transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans that requires minimal hands-on time. The method combines biolistic bombardment with selection for transgenics that bear a hygromycin B resistance gene on agar plates supplemented with hygromycin B, taking advantage of our observation that hygromycin B is sufficient to kill wild-type C. elegans at very low concentrations. Crucially, the method provides substantial improvements in the success of bombardments for isolating transmitting strains, the isolation of multiple independent strains, and the isolation of integrated strains: 100% of bombardments in a large data set yielded transgenics; 10 or more independent strains were isolated from 84% of bombardments, and up to 28 independent strains were isolated from a single bombardment; 82% of bombardments yielded stably transmitting integrated lines with most yielding multiple integrated lines. We anticipate that the selection will be widely adopted for C. elegans transgenesis via bombardment, and that hygromycin B resistance will be adopted as a marker in other approaches for manipulating, introducing or deleting DNA in C. elegans.
Efficient sensor selection for active information fusion.

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Zhang, Yongmian; Ji, Qiang

2010-06-01

In our previous paper, we formalized an active information fusion framework based on dynamic Bayesian networks to provide active information fusion. This paper focuses on a central issue of active information fusion, i.e., the efficient identification of a subset of sensors that are most decision relevant and cost effective. Determining the most informative and cost-effective sensors requires an evaluation of all the possible subsets of sensors, which is computationally intractable, particularly when information-theoretic criterion such as mutual information is used. To overcome this challenge, we propose a new quantitative measure for sensor synergy based on which a sensor synergy graph is constructed. Using the sensor synergy graph, we first introduce an alternative measure to multisensor mutual information for characterizing the sensor information gain. We then propose an approximated nonmyopic sensor selection method that can efficiently and near-optimally select a subset of sensors for active fusion. The simulation study demonstrates both the performance and the efficiency of the proposed sensor selection method.
Genome wide selection in Citrus breeding.

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Gois, I B; Borém, A; Cristofani-Yaly, M; de Resende, M D V; Azevedo, C F; Bastianel, M; Novelli, V M; Machado, M A

2016-10-17

Genome wide selection (GWS) is essential for the genetic improvement of perennial species such as Citrus because of its ability to increase gain per unit time and to enable the efficient selection of characteristics with low heritability. This study assessed GWS efficiency in a population of Citrus and compared it with selection based on phenotypic data. A total of 180 individual trees from a cross between Pera sweet orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) and Murcott tangor (Citrus sinensis Osbeck x Citrus reticulata Blanco) were evaluated for 10 characteristics related to fruit quality. The hybrids were genotyped using 5287 DArT_seq TM (diversity arrays technology) molecular markers and their effects on phenotypes were predicted using the random regression - best linear unbiased predictor (rr-BLUP) method. The predictive ability, prediction bias, and accuracy of GWS were estimated to verify its effectiveness for phenotype prediction. The proportion of genetic variance explained by the markers was also computed. The heritability of the traits, as determined by markers, was 16-28%. The predictive ability of these markers ranged from 0.53 to 0.64, and the regression coefficients between predicted and observed phenotypes were close to unity. Over 35% of the genetic variance was accounted for by the markers. Accuracy estimates with GWS were lower than those obtained by phenotypic analysis; however, GWS was superior in terms of genetic gain per unit time. Thus, GWS may be useful for Citrus breeding as it can predict phenotypes early and accurately, and reduce the length of the selection cycle. This study demonstrates the feasibility of genomic selection in Citrus.
Optimum location of external markers using feature selection algorithms for real-time tumor tracking in external-beam radiotherapy: a virtual phantom study.

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Nankali, Saber; Torshabi, Ahmad Esmaili; Miandoab, Payam Samadi; Baghizadeh, Amin

2016-01-08

In external-beam radiotherapy, using external markers is one of the most reliable tools to predict tumor position, in clinical applications. The main challenge in this approach is tumor motion tracking with highest accuracy that depends heavily on external markers location, and this issue is the objective of this study. Four commercially available feature selection algorithms entitled 1) Correlation-based Feature Selection, 2) Classifier, 3) Principal Components, and 4) Relief were proposed to find optimum location of external markers in combination with two "Genetic" and "Ranker" searching procedures. The performance of these algorithms has been evaluated using four-dimensional extended cardiac-torso anthropomorphic phantom. Six tumors in lung, three tumors in liver, and 49 points on the thorax surface were taken into account to simulate internal and external motions, respectively. The root mean square error of an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) as prediction model was considered as metric for quantitatively evaluating the performance of proposed feature selection algorithms. To do this, the thorax surface region was divided into nine smaller segments and predefined tumors motion was predicted by ANFIS using external motion data of given markers at each small segment, separately. Our comparative results showed that all feature selection algorithms can reasonably select specific external markers from those segments where the root mean square error of the ANFIS model is minimum. Moreover, the performance accuracy of proposed feature selection algorithms was compared, separately. For this, each tumor motion was predicted using motion data of those external markers selected by each feature selection algorithm. Duncan statistical test, followed by F-test, on final results reflected that all proposed feature selection algorithms have the same performance accuracy for lung tumors. But for liver tumors, a correlation-based feature selection algorithm, in
Development of a marker assisted selection program for cacao.

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Schnell, R J; Kuhn, D N; Brown, J S; Olano, C T; Phillips-Mora, W; Amores, F M; Motamayor, J C

2007-12-01

ABSTRACT Production of cacao in tropical America has been severely affected by fungal pathogens causing diseases known as witches' broom (WB, caused by Moniliophthora perniciosa), frosty pod (FP, caused by M. roreri) and black pod (BP, caused by Phytophthora spp.). BP is pan-tropical and causes losses in all producing areas. WB is found in South America and parts of the Caribbean, while FP is found in Central America and parts of South America. Together, these diseases were responsible for over 700 million US dollars in losses in 2001 (4). Commercial cacao production in West Africa and South Asia are not yet affected by WB and FP, but cacao grown in these regions is susceptible to both. With the goal of providing new disease resistant cultivars the USDA-ARS and Mars, Inc. have developed a marker assisted selection (MAS) program. Quantitative trait loci have been identified for resistance to WB, FP, and BP. The potential usefulness of these markers in identifying resistant individuals has been confirmed in an experimental F(1) family in Ecuador.
Mapping and marker-assisted selection of a brown planthopper resistance gene bph2 in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

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Sun, Li-Hong; Wang, Chun-Ming; Su, Chang-Chao; Liu, Yu-Qiang; Zhai, Hu-Qu; Wan, Jian-Min

2006-08-01

Nilaparvata lugens Stål (brown planthopper, BPH), is one of the major insect pests of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the temperate rice-growing region. In this study, ASD7 harboring a BPH resistance gene bph2 was crossed to a susceptible cultivar C418, a japonica restorer line. BPH resistance was evaluated using 134 F2:3 lines derived from the cross between "ASD7" and "C418". SSR assay and linkage analysis were carried out to detect bph2. As a result, the resistant gene bph2 in ASD7 was successfully mapped between RM7102 and RM463 on the long arm of chromosome 12, with distances of 7.6 cM and 7.2 cM, respectively. Meanwhile, both phenotypic selection and marker-assisted selection (MAS) were conducted in the BC1F1 and BC2F1 populations. Selection efficiencies of RM7102 and RM463 were determined to be 89.9% and 91.2%, respectively. It would be very beneficial for BPH resistance improvement by using MAS of this gene.

Application of marker selection to enhance estimation of genetic effects and gene interaction in cattle

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Selection on important genetic markers can improve estimates of additive and dominance association effects. A composite population of beef cattle was selected for intermediate frequencies of myostatin (GDF8) F94L and µ-calpain (CAPN1) polymorphisms. Important additive associations of the GDF8 locu...
Impact of selective genotyping in the training population on accuracy and bias of genomic selection.

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Zhao, Yusheng; Gowda, Manje; Longin, Friedrich H; Würschum, Tobias; Ranc, Nicolas; Reif, Jochen C

2012-08-01

Estimating marker effects based on routinely generated phenotypic data of breeding programs is a cost-effective strategy to implement genomic selection. Truncation selection in breeding populations, however, could have a strong impact on the accuracy to predict genomic breeding values. The main objective of our study was to investigate the influence of phenotypic selection on the accuracy and bias of genomic selection. We used experimental data of 788 testcross progenies from an elite maize breeding program. The testcross progenies were evaluated in unreplicated field trials in ten environments and fingerprinted with 857 SNP markers. Random regression best linear unbiased prediction method was used in combination with fivefold cross-validation based on genotypic sampling. We observed a substantial loss in the accuracy to predict genomic breeding values in unidirectional selected populations. In contrast, estimating marker effects based on bidirectional selected populations led to only a marginal decrease in the prediction accuracy of genomic breeding values. We concluded that bidirectional selection is a valuable approach to efficiently implement genomic selection in applied plant breeding programs.
Optimum location of external markers using feature selection algorithms for real‐time tumor tracking in external‐beam radiotherapy: a virtual phantom study

Science.gov (United States)

Nankali, Saber; Miandoab, Payam Samadi; Baghizadeh, Amin

2016-01-01

In external‐beam radiotherapy, using external markers is one of the most reliable tools to predict tumor position, in clinical applications. The main challenge in this approach is tumor motion tracking with highest accuracy that depends heavily on external markers location, and this issue is the objective of this study. Four commercially available feature selection algorithms entitled 1) Correlation‐based Feature Selection, 2) Classifier, 3) Principal Components, and 4) Relief were proposed to find optimum location of external markers in combination with two “Genetic” and “Ranker” searching procedures. The performance of these algorithms has been evaluated using four‐dimensional extended cardiac‐torso anthropomorphic phantom. Six tumors in lung, three tumors in liver, and 49 points on the thorax surface were taken into account to simulate internal and external motions, respectively. The root mean square error of an adaptive neuro‐fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) as prediction model was considered as metric for quantitatively evaluating the performance of proposed feature selection algorithms. To do this, the thorax surface region was divided into nine smaller segments and predefined tumors motion was predicted by ANFIS using external motion data of given markers at each small segment, separately. Our comparative results showed that all feature selection algorithms can reasonably select specific external markers from those segments where the root mean square error of the ANFIS model is minimum. Moreover, the performance accuracy of proposed feature selection algorithms was compared, separately. For this, each tumor motion was predicted using motion data of those external markers selected by each feature selection algorithm. Duncan statistical test, followed by F‐test, on final results reflected that all proposed feature selection algorithms have the same performance accuracy for lung tumors. But for liver tumors, a correlation‐based feature
Three vibrio-resistance related EST-SSR markers revealed by selective genotyping in the clam Meretrix meretrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Qing; Yue, Xin; Chai, Xueliang; Wang, Hongxia; Liu, Baozhong

2013-08-01

The clam Meretrix meretrix is an important commercial bivalve distributed in the coastal areas of South and Southeast Asia. In this study, marker-trait association analyses were performed based on the stock materials of M. meretrix with different vibrio-resistance profile obtained by selective breeding. Forty-eight EST-SSR markers were screened and 27 polymorphic SSRs of them were genotyped in the clam stocks with different resistance to Vibrio parahaemolyticus (11-R and 11-S) and to Vibrio harveyi (09-R and 09-C). Allele frequency distributions of the SSRs among different stocks were compared using Pearson's Chi-square test, and three functional EST-SSR markers (MM959, MM4765 and MM8364) were found to be associated with vibrio-resistance trait. The 140-bp allele of MM959 and 128-bp allele of MM4765 had significantly higher frequencies in resistant groups (11-R and 09-R) than in susceptive/control groups (11-S and 09-C) (P SSR markers were consistent with the three subgroups distinctions. The putative functions of contig959, contig4765 and contig8364 also suggested that the three SSR-involved genes might play important roles in immunity of M. meretrix. All these results supported that EST-SSR markers MM959, MM4765 and MM8364 were associated with vibrio-resistance and would be useful for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in M. meretrix genetic breeding. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Self-Selection and the Efficiency of Tournaments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksson, Tor Viking; Teyssier, Sabrina; Villeval, Marie-Claire

2009-01-01

The literature has shown that the overall efficiency of exogenously imposed tournaments is reduced by a high variance in performance. This article reports results from an experiment analyzing whether allowing subjects to self-select into different payment schemes is reducing the variability...... is efficiency enhancing since it increases the homogeneity of the contestants....
Evaluation of methods and marker Systems in Genomic Selection of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.).

Science.gov (United States)

Kwong, Qi Bin; Teh, Chee Keng; Ong, Ai Ling; Chew, Fook Tim; Mayes, Sean; Kulaveerasingam, Harikrishna; Tammi, Martti; Yeoh, Suat Hui; Appleton, David Ross; Harikrishna, Jennifer Ann

2017-12-11

Genomic selection (GS) uses genome-wide markers as an attempt to accelerate genetic gain in breeding programs of both animals and plants. This approach is particularly useful for perennial crops such as oil palm, which have long breeding cycles, and for which the optimal method for GS is still under debate. In this study, we evaluated the effect of different marker systems and modeling methods for implementing GS in an introgressed dura family derived from a Deli dura x Nigerian dura (Deli x Nigerian) with 112 individuals. This family is an important breeding source for developing new mother palms for superior oil yield and bunch characters. The traits of interest selected for this study were fruit-to-bunch (F/B), shell-to-fruit (S/F), kernel-to-fruit (K/F), mesocarp-to-fruit (M/F), oil per palm (O/P) and oil-to-dry mesocarp (O/DM). The marker systems evaluated were simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). RR-BLUP, Bayesian A, B, Cπ, LASSO, Ridge Regression and two machine learning methods (SVM and Random Forest) were used to evaluate GS accuracy of the traits. The kinship coefficient between individuals in this family ranged from 0.35 to 0.62. S/F and O/DM had the highest genomic heritability, whereas F/B and O/P had the lowest. The accuracies using 135 SSRs were low, with accuracies of the traits around 0.20. The average accuracy of machine learning methods was 0.24, as compared to 0.20 achieved by other methods. The trait with the highest mean accuracy was F/B (0.28), while the lowest were both M/F and O/P (0.18). By using whole genomic SNPs, the accuracies for all traits, especially for O/DM (0.43), S/F (0.39) and M/F (0.30) were improved. The average accuracy of machine learning methods was 0.32, compared to 0.31 achieved by other methods. Due to high genomic resolution, the use of whole-genome SNPs improved the efficiency of GS dramatically for oil palm and is recommended for dura breeding programs. Machine learning slightly
ISSR marker-assisted genetic diversity analysis of Dioscorea hispida and selection of the best variety for sustainable production.

Science.gov (United States)

Nudin, Nur Fatihah Hasan; Ali, Abdul Manaf; Ngah, Norhayati; Mazlan, Nor Zuhailah; Mat, Nashriyah; Ghani, Mohd Noor Abd; Alias, Nadiawati; Zakaria, Abd Jamil; Jahan, Md Sarwar

2017-08-01

Plant breeding is a way of selection of a particular individual for the production of the progeny by separating or combining desired characteristics. The objective of this study was to justify different characteristics of Dioscorea hispida (Ubi gadong) varieties using molecular techniques to select the best variety for sustainable production at the farmer's level. A total of 160 germplasms of Ubi gadong were collected from different locations at the Terengganu and Kelantan states of Malaysia. Forty eight (48) out of 160 germplasms were selected as "primary" selection based on yield and other qualitative characters. Selected collections were then grown and maintained for ISSR marker-assisted genetic diversity analysis. Overall plant growth and yield of tubers were also determined. A total of 12 ISSR markers were tested to justify the characteristics of Ubi gadong varieties among which three markers showed polymorphic bands and on average 57.3% polymorphism were observed representing the highest variation among germplasms. The ISSR marker based on UPGMA cluster analysis grouped all 48 D. hispida into 10 vital groups that proved a vast genetic variation among germplasm collections. Therefore, hybridization should be made between two distant populations. The D. hispida is already proved as the highest starch content tuber crops and very rich in vitamins with both micro and macro minerals. Considering all these criteria and results from marker-assisted diversity analysis, accessions that are far apart based on their genetic coefficient (like DH27 and DH71; DH30 and DH70; DH43 and DH62; DH45 and DH61; DH77 and DH61; DH78 and DH57) could be selected as parents for further breeding programs. This will bring about greater diversity, which will lead to high productive index in terms of increase in yield and overall quality and for the ultimate target of sustainable Ubi gadong production. Copyright © 2017 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights
Efficient and Highly Aldehyde Selective Wacker Oxidation

KAUST Repository

Teo, Peili; Wickens, Zachary K.; Dong, Guangbin; Grubbs, Robert H.

2012-01-01

A method for efficient and aldehyde-selective Wacker oxidation of aryl-substituted olefins using PdCl 2(MeCN) 2, 1,4-benzoquinone, and t-BuOH in air is described. Up to a 96% yield of aldehyde can be obtained, and up to 99% selectivity can be achieved with styrene-related substrates. © 2012 American Chemical Society.
Efficient and Highly Aldehyde Selective Wacker Oxidation

KAUST Repository

Teo, Peili

2012-07-06

A method for efficient and aldehyde-selective Wacker oxidation of aryl-substituted olefins using PdCl 2(MeCN) 2, 1,4-benzoquinone, and t-BuOH in air is described. Up to a 96% yield of aldehyde can be obtained, and up to 99% selectivity can be achieved with styrene-related substrates. © 2012 American Chemical Society.
Oral cancer prognosis based on clinicopathologic and genomic markers using a hybrid of feature selection and machine learning methods

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Machine learning techniques are becoming useful as an alternative approach to conventional medical diagnosis or prognosis as they are good for handling noisy and incomplete data, and significant results can be attained despite a small sample size. Traditionally, clinicians make prognostic decisions based on clinicopathologic markers. However, it is not easy for the most skilful clinician to come out with an accurate prognosis by using these markers alone. Thus, there is a need to use genomic markers to improve the accuracy of prognosis. The main aim of this research is to apply a hybrid of feature selection and machine learning methods in oral cancer prognosis based on the parameters of the correlation of clinicopathologic and genomic markers. Results In the first stage of this research, five feature selection methods have been proposed and experimented on the oral cancer prognosis dataset. In the second stage, the model with the features selected from each feature selection methods are tested on the proposed classifiers. Four types of classifiers are chosen; these are namely, ANFIS, artificial neural network, support vector machine and logistic regression. A k-fold cross-validation is implemented on all types of classifiers due to the small sample size. The hybrid model of ReliefF-GA-ANFIS with 3-input features of drink, invasion and p63 achieved the best accuracy (accuracy = 93.81%; AUC = 0.90) for the oral cancer prognosis. Conclusions The results revealed that the prognosis is superior with the presence of both clinicopathologic and genomic markers. The selected features can be investigated further to validate the potential of becoming as significant prognostic signature in the oral cancer studies. PMID:23725313
Fine mapping of the rice Bph1 gene, which confers resistance to the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens stal), and development of STS markers for marker-assisted selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Young-Soon; Ji, Hyeonso; Yun, Doh-Won; Ahn, Byoung-Ohg; Lee, Myung Chul; Suh, Seok-Cheol; Lee, Chun Seok; Ahn, Eok Keun; Jeon, Yong-Hee; Jin, Il-Doo; Sohn, Jae-Keun; Koh, Hee-Jong; Eun, Moo-Young

2008-08-31

The brown planthopper (BPH) is a major insect pest in rice, and damages these plants by sucking phloem-sap and transmitting viral diseases. Many BPH resistance genes have been identified in indica varieties and wild rice accessions, but none has yet been cloned. In the present study we report fine mapping of the region containing the Bph1 locus, which enabled us to perform marker-aided selection (MAS). We used 273 F8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between Cheongcheongbyeo, an indica type variety harboring Bph1 from Mudgo, and Hwayeongbyeo, a BPH susceptible japonica variety. By random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis using 656 random 10-mer primers, three RAPD markers (OPH09, OPA10 and OPA15) linked to Bph1 were identified and converted to SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) markers. These markers were found to be contained in two BAC clones derived from chromosome 12: OPH09 on OSJNBa0011B18, and both OPA10 and OPA15 on OSJNBa0040E10. By sequence analysis of ten additional BAC clones evenly distributed between OSJNBa0011B18 and OSJNBa0040E10, we developed 15 STS markers. Of these, pBPH4 and pBPH14 flanked Bph1 at distances of 0.2 cM and 0.8 cM, respectively. The STS markers pBPH9, pBPH19, pBPH20, and pBPH21 co-segregated with Bph1. These markers were shown to be very useful for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in breeding populations of 32 F6 RILs from a cross between Andabyeo and IR71190, and 32 F5 RILs from a cross between Andabyeo and Suwon452.
Space-based visual attention: a marker of immature selective attention in toddlers?

Science.gov (United States)

Rivière, James; Brisson, Julie

2014-11-01

Various studies suggested that attentional difficulties cause toddlers' failure in some spatial search tasks. However, attention is not a unitary construct and this study investigated two attentional mechanisms: location selection (space-based attention) and object selection (object-based attention). We investigated how toddlers' attention is distributed in the visual field during a manual search task for objects moving out of sight, namely the moving boxes task. Results show that 2.5-year-olds who failed this task allocated more attention to the location of the relevant object than to the object itself. These findings suggest that in some manual search tasks the primacy of space-based attention over object-based attention could be a marker of immature selective attention in toddlers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An efficient method to find potentially universal population genetic markers, applied to metazoans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chenuil Anne

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the impressive growth of sequence databases, the limited availability of nuclear markers that are sufficiently polymorphic for population genetics and phylogeography and applicable across various phyla restricts many potential studies, particularly in non-model organisms. Numerous introns have invariant positions among kingdoms, providing a potential source for such markers. Unfortunately, most of the few known EPIC (Exon Primed Intron Crossing loci are restricted to vertebrates or belong to multigenic families. Results In order to develop markers with broad applicability, we designed a bioinformatic approach aimed at avoiding multigenic families while identifying intron positions conserved across metazoan phyla. We developed a program facilitating the identification of EPIC loci which allowed slight variation in intron position. From the Homolens databases we selected 29 gene families which contained 52 promising introns for which we designed 93 primer pairs. PCR tests were performed on several ascidians, echinoderms, bivalves and cnidarians. On average, 24 different introns per genus were amplified in bilaterians. Remarkably, five of the introns successfully amplified in all of the metazoan genera tested (a dozen genera, including cnidarians. The influence of several factors on amplification success was investigated. Success rate was not related to the phylogenetic relatedness of a taxon to the groups that most influenced primer design, showing that these EPIC markers are extremely conserved in animals. Conclusions Our new method now makes it possible to (i rapidly isolate a set of EPIC markers for any phylum, even outside the animal kingdom, and thus, (ii compare genetic diversity at potentially homologous polymorphic loci between divergent taxa.
Expanding Possibilities for Intervention against Small Ruminant Lentiviruses through Genetic Marker-Assisted Selective Breeding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donald P. Knowles

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Small ruminant lentiviruses include members that infect sheep (ovine lentivirus [OvLV]; also known as ovine progressive pneumonia virus/maedi-visna virus and goats (caprine arthritis encephalitis virus [CAEV]. Breed differences in seroprevalence and proviral concentration of OvLV had suggested a strong genetic component in susceptibility to infection by OvLV in sheep. A genetic marker test for susceptibility to OvLV has been developed recently based on the TMEM154 gene with validation data from over 2,800 sheep representing nine cohorts. While no single genotype has been shown to have complete resistance to OvLV, consistent association in thousands of sheep from multiple breeds and management conditions highlight a new strategy for intervention by selective breeding. This genetic marker-assisted selection (MAS has the potential to be a useful addition to existing viral control measures. Further, the discovery of multiple additional genomic regions associated with susceptibility to or control of OvLV suggests that additional genetic marker tests may be developed to extend the reach of MAS in the future. This review will cover the strengths and limitations of existing data from host genetics as an intervention and outline additional questions for future genetic research in sheep, goats, small ruminant lentiviruses, and their host-pathogen interactions.
Expanding Possibilities for Intervention against Small Ruminant Lentiviruses through Genetic Marker-Assisted Selective Breeding

Science.gov (United States)

White, Stephen N.; Knowles, Donald P.

2013-01-01

Small ruminant lentiviruses include members that infect sheep (ovine lentivirus [OvLV]; also known as ovine progressive pneumonia virus/maedi-visna virus) and goats (caprine arthritis encephalitis virus [CAEV]). Breed differences in seroprevalence and proviral concentration of OvLV had suggested a strong genetic component in susceptibility to infection by OvLV in sheep. A genetic marker test for susceptibility to OvLV has been developed recently based on the TMEM154 gene with validation data from over 2,800 sheep representing nine cohorts. While no single genotype has been shown to have complete resistance to OvLV, consistent association in thousands of sheep from multiple breeds and management conditions highlight a new strategy for intervention by selective breeding. This genetic marker-assisted selection (MAS) has the potential to be a useful addition to existing viral control measures. Further, the discovery of multiple additional genomic regions associated with susceptibility to or control of OvLV suggests that additional genetic marker tests may be developed to extend the reach of MAS in the future. This review will cover the strengths and limitations of existing data from host genetics as an intervention and outline additional questions for future genetic research in sheep, goats, small ruminant lentiviruses, and their host-pathogen interactions. PMID:23771240
Synthetic strategies for efficient conjugation of organometallic complexes with pendant protein reactive markers

KAUST Repository

Jantke, Dominik; Marziale, Alexander N.; Reiner, Thomas; Kraus, Florian; Herdtweck, Eberhardt; Raba, Andreas; Eppinger, Jö rg

2013-01-01

Site-directed conjugation of metal centers to proteins is fundamental for biological and bioinorganic applications of transition metals. However, methods for the site-selective introduction of metal centers remain scarce. Herein, we present broadly applicable synthetic strategies for the conjugation of bioactive molecules with a range of organometallic complexes. Following three different synthetic strategies, we were able to synthesize a small library of metal conjugated protein markers featuring different types of protein reactive sites (epoxides, phenylphosphonates, fluorosulfonates and fluorophosphonate groups) as well as different late transition metals (iron, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium and platinum). The products were isolated in moderate to excellent yields and high purity. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction of the metalated protein markers corroborates structural integrity of the metal complex and the protein reactive site. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Synthetic strategies for efficient conjugation of organometallic complexes with pendant protein reactive markers

KAUST Repository

Jantke, Dominik

2013-11-01

Site-directed conjugation of metal centers to proteins is fundamental for biological and bioinorganic applications of transition metals. However, methods for the site-selective introduction of metal centers remain scarce. Herein, we present broadly applicable synthetic strategies for the conjugation of bioactive molecules with a range of organometallic complexes. Following three different synthetic strategies, we were able to synthesize a small library of metal conjugated protein markers featuring different types of protein reactive sites (epoxides, phenylphosphonates, fluorosulfonates and fluorophosphonate groups) as well as different late transition metals (iron, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium and platinum). The products were isolated in moderate to excellent yields and high purity. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction of the metalated protein markers corroborates structural integrity of the metal complex and the protein reactive site. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Targeted introgression of cotton fibre quality quantitative trait loci using molecular markers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacape, J.M.; Trung-Bieu Nguyen; Hau, B.; Giband, M.

2007-01-01

Within the framework of a cotton breeding programme, molecular markers are used to improve the efficiency of the introgression of fibre quality traits of Gossypium barbadense into G. hirsutum. A saturated genetic map was developed based on genotyping data obtained from the BC 1 (75 plants) and BC 2 (200 plants) generations. Phenotypic measurements conducted over three generations (BC 1 , BC 2 and BC 2 S 1 ) allowed 80 quantitative trait loci (QTL) to be detected for fibre length, uniformity, strength, elongation, fineness and colour. Positive QTL, i.e. those for which favourable alleles came from the G. barbadense parent, were harboured by 19 QTL-rich regions on 15 'carrier' chromosomes. In subsequent generations (BC 3 and BC 4 ), markers framing the QTL-rich regions were used to select about 10 percent of over 400 plants analysed in each generation. Although BC plants selected through the marker-assisted selection (MAS) process show promising fibre quality, only their full field evaluation will allow validation of the procedure. (author)
Selected biological markers in various vascular lesions of the head and neck

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zuzanna Gronkiewicz

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Vascular anomalies are divided according to the contemporary system of classification into two groups: tumors and malformations. However, there is no consensus on juvenile angiofibroma’s place in that system. The general characteristics of selected markers of angiogenesis and tissue remodeling are presented in the series in the context of current knowledge in the field of pathophysiology of vascular lesions. The mentioned markers are currently the subjects of multidirectional studies in oncology, as they take part in the process of neoangiogenesis and proliferation of tumors. Nevertheless, they have not been widely examined in vascular lesions. The indirect goal of that series is to indicate the possible research direction on vascular lesions to determine their molecular profile, to create a more specific system of classification, and above all to develop new diagnostic and treatment methods.
IMPLEMENTATION OF DNA MARKERS TO IMPROVE BREEDING OF FORAGE LEGUMES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Grljušić

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The low rates of estimated genetic gains in forage legumes breeding have emphasized the need for new breeding methods that would increase efficiency in forage selection and provide reliable improvement. Information on application of molecular methodologies and tools for the enhancement of the current empirical phenotype-based selection moved us toward implementation of DNA markers to our breeding activities. Firstly, attention was given to identification of genetic variability within the forage species involved in program and comparison of conventional and molecular marker efficiency in variability evaluation. RAPDs were used (i to estimate availability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. and Medicago falcata L. genetic variation and (ii to identify changes of red clover (Trifolium pratense L. variability after natural selection. SSRs were applied to evaluate diversity within and among field pea (Pisum sativum L. var. arvense and sativum groups/varieties. A total of 90 (alfalfa or 92 (red clover polymorphic bands was found by RAPDs. Total number of SSR alleles recorded was 118. The average Roger's distance per species/genus estimated was 0.29 (red clover, 0.33 (alfalfa and 0.51 (field pea. 2D PCo analysis of each species/genus separated materials into respective groups. A high degree of genetic variation within populations/varieties of each investigated species was found by AMOVA. The correspondence between pairs of matrices based on the morphological and molecular data was significant (p=0.95 only for red clover. RAPD and SSR data have given valuable information on genetic structure of materials and provided a description that determines heterogeneity. Further studies will be focused on identifying quantitative trait loci and marker assisted selection.

The role of molecular markers and marker assisted selection in breeding for organic agriculture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lammerts van Bueren, E.T.; Backes, G.; de Vriend, H.

2010-01-01

markers is not self-evident and is often debated. Organic and low-input farming conditions require breeding for robust and flexible varieties, which may be hampered by too much focus on the molecular level. Pros and contras for application of molecular markers in breeding for organic agriculture...... was the topic of a recent European plant breeding workshop. The participants evaluated strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the use of molecular markers and we formalized their inputs into breeder’s perspectives and perspectives seen from the organic sector’s standpoint. Clear strengths were...
Testing water-soluble carbohydrate QTL effects in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) by marker selection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Turner, L.B.; Farrell, M.; Humphreys, M.O.; Dolstra, O.

2010-01-01

Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) are an important factor determining the nutritional value of grass forage and development of genetic markers for selection of WSC traits in perennial ryegrass would benefit future breeding programmes. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for WSC have been published for an
Segregation analysis of microsatellite (SSR) markers in sugarcane polyploids.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, X; Zhou, H; Pan, Y-B; Chen, C Y; Zhu, J R; Chen, P H; Li, Y-R; Cai, Q; Chen, R K

2015-12-28

No information is available on segregation analysis of DNA markers involving both pollen and self-progeny. Therefore, we used capillary electrophoresis- and fluorescence-based DNA fingerprinting together with single pollen collection and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to investigate simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker segregation among 964 single pollens and 288 self-progenies (S1) of sugarcane cultivar LCP 85-384. Twenty SSR DNA fragments (alleles) were amplified by five polymorphic SSR markers. Only one non-parental SSR allele was observed in 2392 PCRs. SSR allele inheritance was in accordance with Mendelian laws of segregation and independent assortment. Highly significant correlation coefficients were found between frequencies of observed and expected genotypes in pollen and S1 populations. Within the S1 population, the most frequent genotype of each SSR marker was the parental genotype of the same marker. The number of genotypes was higher in pollen than S1 population. PIC values of the five SSR markers were greater in pollen than S1 populations. Eleven of 20 SSR alleles (55%) were segregated in accordance with Mendelian segregation ratios expected from pollen and S1 populations of a 2n = 10x polyploid. Six of 20 SSR alleles were segregated in a 3:1 (presence:absence) ratio and were simplex markers. Four and one alleles were segregated in 77:4 and 143:1 ratios and considered duplex and triplex markers, respectively. Segregation ratios of remaining alleles were unexplainable. The results provide information about selection of crossing parents, estimation of seedling population optimal size, and promotion of efficient selection, which may be valuable for sugarcane breeders.
Measure Guideline: Energy-Efficient Window Performance and Selection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carmody, J.; Haglund, K.

2012-11-01

This document provides guidelines for the selection of energy-efficient windows in new and existing residential construction in all US climate zones. It includes information on window products, their attributes and performance. It provides cost/benefit information on window energy savings as well as information on non-energy benefits such as thermal comfort and reduced HVAC demands. The document also provides information on energy impacts of design decisions such as window orientation, total glazing area and shading devices and conditions. Information on resources for proper window installation is included as well. This document is for builders, homeowners, designers and anyone making decisions about selecting energy efficient window. It is intended to complement other Building America information and efforts.
Selection of technical risk responses for efficient contingencies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kujawski, Edouard

2002-02-28

The primary goal of good project risk management should be to successfully deliver projects for the lowest cost at an acceptable level of risk. This requires the systematic development and implementation of a set of Risk Response Actions (RRA) that achieves the lowest total project cost for a given probability of success while meeting technical performance and schedule. We refer to this set as the ''efficient RRA set''. This work presents a practical and mathematically sound approach for determining the efficient RRA set. It builds on some of Markowitz's portfolio selection principles and introduces several conceptual and modeling differences to properly treat project technical risks. The set of RRAs is treated as whole and not just individual risks. The efficient RRA set is determined based on ''Outcome Cost Vs Probability of Success''. The risks and RRAs are characterized using scenarios, decision trees, and cumulative probability distributions. The analysis provides information that enables decision-makers to select the efficient RRA set that explicitly takes their attitude toward project risk into account. Decision-makers should find it both useful and practical for sound decision-making under uncertainty/risk and efficiently optimizing project success. The computations are readily performed using commercially available Monte Carlo simulation tools. The approach is detailed using a realistic but simplified case of a project with two technical risks.
Prediction-Oriented Marker Selection (PROMISE): With Application to High-Dimensional Regression.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soyeon; Baladandayuthapani, Veerabhadran; Lee, J Jack

2017-06-01

In personalized medicine, biomarkers are used to select therapies with the highest likelihood of success based on an individual patient's biomarker/genomic profile. Two goals are to choose important biomarkers that accurately predict treatment outcomes and to cull unimportant biomarkers to reduce the cost of biological and clinical verifications. These goals are challenging due to the high dimensionality of genomic data. Variable selection methods based on penalized regression (e.g., the lasso and elastic net) have yielded promising results. However, selecting the right amount of penalization is critical to simultaneously achieving these two goals. Standard approaches based on cross-validation (CV) typically provide high prediction accuracy with high true positive rates but at the cost of too many false positives. Alternatively, stability selection (SS) controls the number of false positives, but at the cost of yielding too few true positives. To circumvent these issues, we propose prediction-oriented marker selection (PROMISE), which combines SS with CV to conflate the advantages of both methods. Our application of PROMISE with the lasso and elastic net in data analysis shows that, compared to CV, PROMISE produces sparse solutions, few false positives, and small type I + type II error, and maintains good prediction accuracy, with a marginal decrease in the true positive rates. Compared to SS, PROMISE offers better prediction accuracy and true positive rates. In summary, PROMISE can be applied in many fields to select regularization parameters when the goals are to minimize false positives and maximize prediction accuracy.
Efficiently adapting graphical models for selectivity estimation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tzoumas, Kostas; Deshpande, Amol; Jensen, Christian S.

2013-01-01

cardinality estimation without making the independence assumption. By carefully using concepts from the field of graphical models, we are able to factor the joint probability distribution over all the attributes in the database into small, usually two-dimensional distributions, without a significant loss...... in estimation accuracy. We show how to efficiently construct such a graphical model from the database using only two-way join queries, and we show how to perform selectivity estimation in a highly efficient manner. We integrate our algorithms into the PostgreSQL DBMS. Experimental results indicate...
Application of in silico bulked segregant analysis for rapid development of markers linked to Bean common mosaic virus resistance in common bean

Science.gov (United States)

Common bean was one of the first crops that benefited from the development and utilization of molecular markers in tagging major disease resistance genes for marker-assisted selection (MAS). Efficiency of MAS breeding in common bean is still hampered; however, due to the dominance, linkage phase, an...
IVF or IUI as first-line treatment in unexplained subfertility: the conundrum of treatment selection markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Tjon-Kon-Fat, R I; Tajik, P; Zafarmand, M H; Bensdorp, A J; Bossuyt, P M M; Oosterhuis, G J E; van Golde, R; Repping, S; Lambers, M D A; Slappendel, E; Perquin, D; Pelinck, M J; Gianotten, J; Maas, J W M; Eijkemans, M J C; van der Veen, F; Mol, B W; van Wely, M

2017-05-01

Are there treatment selection markers that could aid in identifying couples, with unexplained or mild male subfertility, who would have better chances of a healthy child with IVF with single embryo transfer (IVF-SET) than with IUI with ovarian stimulation (IUI-OS)? We did not find any treatment selection markers that were associated with better chances of a healthy child with IVF-SET instead of IUI-OS in couples with unexplained or mild male subfertility. A recent trial, comparing IVF-SET to IUI-OS, found no evidence of a difference between live birth rates and multiple pregnancy rates. It was suggested that IUI-OS should remain the first-line treatment instead of IVF-SET in couples with unexplained or mild male subfertility and female age between 18 and 38 years. The question remains whether there are some couples that may have higher pregnancy chances if treated with IVF-SET instead of IUI. We performed our analyses on data from the INeS trial, where couples with unexplained or mild male subfertility and an unfavourable prognosis for natural conception were randomly allocated to IVF-SET, IVF in a modified natural cycle or IUI-OS. In view of the aim of this study, we only used data of the comparison between IVF-SET (201 couples) and IUI-OS (207 couples). We pre-defined the following baseline characteristics as potential treatment selection markers: female age, ethnicity, smoking status, type of subfertility (primary/secondary), duration of subfertility, BMI, pre-wash total motile count and Hunault prediction score. For each potential treatment selection marker, we explored the association with the chances of a healthy child after IVF-SET and IUI-OS and tested if there was an interaction with treatment. Given the exploratory nature of our analysis, we used a P-value of 0.1. None of the markers were associated with higher chances of a healthy child from IVF-SET compared to IUI-OS (P-value for interaction >0.10). Since this is the first large study that looked at
Subset selection for an epsilon-best population : efficiency results

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laan, van der P.

1991-01-01

An almost best or an \\epsilon-best population is defined as a population with location parameter on a distance not larger than \\epsilon (\\geq 0) from the best population (with largest value of the location parameter). For the subset selection tables with the relative efficiency of selecting an
Altering the selection capabilities of common cloning vectors via restriction enzyme mediated gene disruption

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background The cloning of gene sequences forms the basis for many molecular biological studies. One important step in the cloning process is the isolation of bacterial transformants carrying vector DNA. This involves a vector-encoded selectable marker gene, which in most cases, confers resistance to an antibiotic. However, there are a number of circumstances in which a different selectable marker is required or may be preferable. Such situations can include restrictions to host strain choice, two phase cloning experiments and mutagenesis experiments, issues that result in additional unnecessary cloning steps, in which the DNA needs to be subcloned into a vector with a suitable selectable marker. Results We have used restriction enzyme mediated gene disruption to modify the selectable marker gene of a given vector by cloning a different selectable marker gene into the original marker present in that vector. Cloning a new selectable marker into a pre-existing marker was found to change the selection phenotype conferred by that vector, which we were able to demonstrate using multiple commonly used vectors and multiple resistance markers. This methodology was also successfully applied not only to cloning vectors, but also to expression vectors while keeping the expression characteristics of the vector unaltered. Conclusions Changing the selectable marker of a given vector has a number of advantages and applications. This rapid and efficient method could be used for co-expression of recombinant proteins, optimisation of two phase cloning procedures, as well as multiple genetic manipulations within the same host strain without the need to remove a pre-existing selectable marker in a previously genetically modified strain. PMID:23497512
Selection of discrimination marker from various propolis for mapping and identify anti Candida albicans activity

Science.gov (United States)

Mahadewi, Alfiani Guntari; Christina, Daisy; Hermansyah, Heri; Wijanarko, Anondho; Farida, Siti; Adawiyah, Robiatul; Rohmatin, Etin; Sahlan, Muhamad

2018-02-01

The increase in fungal resistance against antifungal drugs available in the market will reduce the effectiveness of treatment for Candidiasis. Propolis contains various compounds with antifungal properties Candida albicans, but the content of each type is very diverse. The sample used was Sulawesi propolis type smooth (taken from inside the nest), rough (taken from outside the hive) and mix (a combination of both). Anti-C. albicans molecule marker is a marker compound for selecting propolis with the ability to overcome Candidiasis. The initial step was to test the levels of flavonoids and phenolic by using UV-Vis spectrometry method. It was founded that each sample was not always superior to any substance, so propolis cannot be directly selected. In Phenolic content, mix propolis has the highest value than other 5.109%. In Flavonoid content, propolis smooth has the highest value than other, 16.38%. Furthermore, propolis selected by antifungal activity test with good diffusion method at the concentration propolis 5% either 7%, the inhibitory diameter zone propolis smooth and rough has same value 10 mm. Propolis mix has an advantage while propolis smooth and rough have the same capability range 12 mm and 13 mm. In this study, the phenolic content plays a major role in antifungal cases.
An Efficient Strategy Combining SSR Markers- and Advanced QTL-seq-driven QTL Mapping Unravels Candidate Genes Regulating Grain Weight in Rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Daware, Anurag; Das, Sweta; Srivastava, Rishi; Badoni, Saurabh; Singh, Ashok K; Agarwal, Pinky; Parida, Swarup K; Tyagi, Akhilesh K

2016-01-01

Development and use of genome-wide informative simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and novel integrated genomic strategies are vital to drive genomics-assisted breeding applications and for efficient dissection of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying complex traits in rice. The present study developed 6244 genome-wide informative SSR markers exhibiting in silico fragment length polymorphism based on repeat-unit variations among genomic sequences of 11 indica, japonica, aus , and wild rice accessions. These markers were mapped on diverse coding and non-coding sequence components of known cloned/candidate genes annotated from 12 chromosomes and revealed a much higher amplification (97%) and polymorphic potential (88%) along with wider genetic/functional diversity level (16-74% with a mean 53%) especially among accessions belonging to indica cultivar group, suggesting their utility in large-scale genomics-assisted breeding applications in rice. A high-density 3791 SSR markers-anchored genetic linkage map (IR 64 × Sonasal) spanning 2060 cM total map-length with an average inter-marker distance of 0.54 cM was generated. This reference genetic map identified six major genomic regions harboring robust QTLs (31% combined phenotypic variation explained with a 5.7-8.7 LOD) governing grain weight on six rice chromosomes. One strong grain weight major QTL region ( OsqGW5.1 ) was narrowed-down by integrating traditional QTL mapping with high-resolution QTL region-specific integrated SSR and single nucleotide polymorphism markers-based QTL-seq analysis and differential expression profiling. This led us to delineate two natural allelic variants in two known cis -regulatory elements (RAV1AAT and CARGCW8GAT) of glycosyl hydrolase and serine carboxypeptidase genes exhibiting pronounced seed-specific differential regulation in low (Sonasal) and high (IR 64) grain weight mapping parental accessions. Our genome-wide SSR marker resource (polymorphic within/between diverse
A vision-based automated guided vehicle system with marker recognition for indoor use.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jeisung; Hyun, Chang-Ho; Park, Mignon

2013-08-07

We propose an intelligent vision-based Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) system using fiduciary markers. In this paper, we explore a low-cost, efficient vehicle guiding method using a consumer grade web camera and fiduciary markers. In the proposed method, the system uses fiduciary markers with a capital letter or triangle indicating direction in it. The markers are very easy to produce, manipulate, and maintain. The marker information is used to guide a vehicle. We use hue and saturation values in the image to extract marker candidates. When the known size fiduciary marker is detected by using a bird's eye view and Hough transform, the positional relation between the marker and the vehicle can be calculated. To recognize the character in the marker, a distance transform is used. The probability of feature matching was calculated by using a distance transform, and a feature having high probability is selected as a captured marker. Four directional signals and 10 alphabet features are defined and used as markers. A 98.87% recognition rate was achieved in the testing phase. The experimental results with the fiduciary marker show that the proposed method is a solution for an indoor AGV system.
Efficient Generation and Selection of Combined Features for Improved Classification

KAUST Repository

Shono, Ahmad N.

2014-05-01

This study contributes a methodology and associated toolkit developed to allow users to experiment with the use of combined features in classification problems. Methods are provided for efficiently generating combined features from an original feature set, for efficiently selecting the most discriminating of these generated combined features, and for efficiently performing a preliminary comparison of the classification results when using the original features exclusively against the results when using the selected combined features. The potential benefit of considering combined features in classification problems is demonstrated by applying the developed methodology and toolkit to three sample data sets where the discovery of combined features containing new discriminating information led to improved classification results.
A Fast Silver Staining Protocol Enabling Simple and Efficient Detection of SSR Markers using a Non-denaturing Polyacrylamide Gel.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ling; Deng, Xiaohui; Li, Ronghua; Xia, Yanshi; Bai, Guihua; Siddique, Kadambot H M; Guo, Peiguo

2018-04-20

Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) is one of the most effective markers used in plant and animal genetic research and molecular breeding programs. Silver staining is a widely used method for the detection of SSR markers in a polyacrylamide gel. However, conventional protocols for silver staining are technically demanding and time-consuming. Like many other biological laboratory techniques, silver staining protocols have been steadily optimized to improve detection efficiency. Here, we report a simplified silver staining method that significantly reduces reagent costs and enhances the detection resolution and picture clarity. The new method requires two major steps (impregnation and development) and three reagents (silver nitrate, sodium hydroxide, and formaldehyde), and only 7 min of processing for a non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel. Compared to previously reported protocols, this new method is easier, quicker and uses fewer chemical reagents for SSR detection. Therefore, this simple, low-cost, and effective silver staining protocol will benefit genetic mapping and marker-assisted breeding by a quick generation of SSR marker data.
Functional molecular markers (EST-SSR) in the full-sib reciprocal recurrent selection program of maize (Zea mays L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Galvão, K S C; Ramos, H C C; Santos, P H A D; Entringer, G C; Vettorazzi, J C F; Pereira, M G

2015-07-03

This study aimed to improve grain yield in the full-sib reciprocal recurrent selection program of maize from the North Fluminense State University. In the current phase of the program, the goal is to maintain, or even increase, the genetic variability within and among populations, in order to increase heterosis of the 13th cycle of reciprocal recurrent selection. Microsatellite expressed sequence tags (EST-SSRs) were used as a tool to assist the maximization step of genetic variability, targeting the functional genome. Eighty S1 progenies of the 13th recur-rent selection cycle, 40 from each population (CIMMYT and Piranão), were analyzed using 20 EST-SSR loci. Genetic diversity, observed heterozygosity, information content of polymorphism, and inbreeding co-efficient were estimated. Subsequently, analysis of genetic dissimilarity, molecular variance, and a graphical dispersion of genotypes were conducted. The number of alleles in the CIMMYT population ranged from 1 to 6, while in the Piranão population the range was from 2 to 8, with a mean of 3.65 and 4.35, respectively. As evidenced by the number of alleles, the Shannon index showed greater diversity for the Piranão population (1.04) in relation to the CIMMYT population (0.89). The genic SSR markers were effective in clustering genotypes into their respective populations before selection and an increase in the variation between populations after selection was observed. The results indicate that the study populations have expressive genetic diversity, which cor-responds to the functional genome, indicating that this strategy may contribute to genetic gain, especially in association with the grain yield of future hybrids.
SNP markers retrieval for a non-model species: a practical approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahin Arwa

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism markers are rapidly becoming the markers of choice for applications in breeding because of next generation sequencing technology developments. For SNP development by NGS technologies, correct assembly of the huge amounts of sequence data generated is essential. Little is known about assembler's performance, especially when dealing with highly heterogeneous species that show a high genome complexity and what the possible consequences are of differences in assemblies on SNP retrieval. This study tested two assemblers (CAP3 and CLC on 454 data from four lily genotypes and compared results with respect to SNP retrieval. Results CAP3 assembly resulted in higher numbers of contigs, lower numbers of reads per contig, and shorter average read lengths compared to CLC. Blast comparisons showed that CAP3 contigs were highly redundant. Contrastingly, CLC in rare cases combined paralogs in one contig. Redundant and chimeric contigs may lead to erroneous SNPs. Filtering for redundancy can be done by blasting selected SNP markers to the contigs and discarding all the SNP markers that show more than one blast hit. Results on chimeric contigs showed that only four out of 2,421 SNP markers were selected from chimeric contigs. Conclusion In practice, CLC performs better in assembling highly heterogeneous genome sequences compared to CAP3, and consequently SNP retrieval is more efficient. Additionally a simple flow scheme is suggested for SNP marker retrieval that can be valid for all non-model species.
Energy-efficient computing and networking. Revised selected papers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hatziargyriou, Nikos; Dimeas, Aris [Ethnikon Metsovion Polytechneion, Athens (Greece); Weidlich, Anke (eds.) [SAP Research Center, Karlsruhe (Germany); Tomtsi, Thomai

2011-07-01

This book constitutes the postproceedings of the First International Conference on Energy-Efficient Computing and Networking, E-Energy, held in Passau, Germany in April 2010. The 23 revised papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the post-proceedings. The papers are organized in topical sections on energy market and algorithms, ICT technology for the energy market, implementation of smart grid and smart home technology, microgrids and energy management, and energy efficiency through distributed energy management and buildings. (orig.)
Embedding filtering criteria into a wrapper marker selection method for brain tumor classification: an application on metabolic peak area ratios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kounelakis, M G; Zervakis, M E; Giakos, G C; Postma, G J; Buydens, L M C; Kotsiakis, X

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify reliable sets of metabolic markers that provide accurate classification of complex brain tumors and facilitate the process of clinical diagnosis. Several ratios of metabolites are tested alone or in combination with imaging markers. A wrapper feature selection and classification methodology is studied, employing Fisher's criterion for ranking the markers. The set of extracted markers that express statistical significance is further studied in terms of biological behavior with respect to the brain tumor type and grade. The outcome of this study indicates that the proposed method by exploiting the intrinsic properties of data can actually reveal reliable and biologically relevant sets of metabolic markers, which form an important adjunct toward a more accurate type and grade discrimination of complex brain tumors

Genetic Diversity Analysis of Medicinally Important Horticultural Crop Aegle marmelos by ISSR Markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Mujeeb, Farina; Bajpai, Preeti; Pathak, Neelam; Verma, Smita Rastogi

2017-01-01

Inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers help in identifying and determining the extent of genetic diversity in cultivars. Here, we describe their application in determining the genetic diversity of bael (Aegle marmelos Corr.). Universal ISSR primers are selected and their marker characteristics such as polymorphism information content, effective multiplex ratio and marker index have been evaluated. ISSR-PCR is then performed using universal ISSR primers to generate polymorphic bands. This information is used to determine the degree of genetic similarity among the bael varieties/accessions by cluster analysis using unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA). This technology is valuable for biodiversity conservation and for making an efficient choice of parents in breeding programs.
Marker-assisted selection in maize: current status, potential, limitations and perspectives from the private and public sectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ragot, M.; Lee, M.

2007-01-01

More than twenty-five years after the advent of DNA markers, marker-assisted selection (MAS) has become a routine component of some private maize breeding programmes. Line conversion has been one of the most productive applications of MAS in maize breeding, reducing time to market and resulting in countless numbers of commercial products. Recently, applications of MAS for forward breeding have been shown to increase significantly the rate of genetic gain when compared with conventional breeding. Costs associated with MAS are still very high. Further improvements in marker technologies, data handling and analysis, phenotyping and nursery operations are needed to realize the full benefits of MAS for private maize breeding programmes and to allow the transfer of proven approaches and protocols to public breeding programmes in developing countries. (author)
Computationally Efficient Chaotic Spreading Sequence Selection for Asynchronous DS-CDMA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Litviņenko Anna

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The choice of the spreading sequence for asynchronous direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA systems plays a crucial role for the mitigation of multiple-access interference. Considering the rich dynamics of chaotic sequences, their use for spreading allows overcoming the limitations of the classical spreading sequences. However, to ensure low cross-correlation between the sequences, careful selection must be performed. This paper presents a novel exhaustive search algorithm, which allows finding sets of chaotic spreading sequences of required length with a particularly low mutual cross-correlation. The efficiency of the search is verified by simulations, which show a significant advantage compared to non-selected chaotic sequences. Moreover, the impact of sequence length on the efficiency of the selection is studied.
A modified Janus cassette (Sweet Janus to improve allelic replacement efficiency by high-stringency negative selection in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan Li

Full Text Available The Janus cassette permits marker-free allelic replacement or knockout in streptomycin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus through sequential positive and negative selection. Spontaneous revertants of Janus can lead to high level of false-positives during negative selection, which necessitate a time-consuming post-selection screening process. We hypothesized that an additional counter-selectable marker in Janus would decrease the revertant frequency and reduce false-positives, since simultaneous reversion of both counter-selectable makers is much less likely. Here we report a modified cassette, Sweet Janus (SJ, in which the sacB gene from Bacillus subtilis conferring sucrose sensitivity is added to Janus. By using streptomycin and sucrose simultaneously as selective agents, the frequency of SJ double revertants was about 105-fold lower than the frequency of Janus revertants. Accordingly, the frequency of false-positives in the SJ-mediated negative selection was about 100-fold lower than what was seen for Janus. Thus, SJ enhances negative selection stringency and can accelerate allelic replacement in pneumococcus, especially when transformation frequency is low due to strain background or suboptimal transformation conditions. Results also suggested the sacB gene alone can function as a counter-selectable marker in the Gram-positive pneumococcus, which will have the advantage of not requiring a streptomycin-resistant strain for allelic replacement.
Active link selection for efficient semi-supervised community detection

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Liang; Jin, Di; Wang, Xiao; Cao, Xiaochun

2015-01-01

Several semi-supervised community detection algorithms have been proposed recently to improve the performance of traditional topology-based methods. However, most of them focus on how to integrate supervised information with topology information; few of them pay attention to which information is critical for performance improvement. This leads to large amounts of demand for supervised information, which is expensive or difficult to obtain in most fields. For this problem we propose an active link selection framework, that is we actively select the most uncertain and informative links for human labeling for the efficient utilization of the supervised information. We also disconnect the most likely inter-community edges to further improve the efficiency. Our main idea is that, by connecting uncertain nodes to their community hubs and disconnecting the inter-community edges, one can sharpen the block structure of adjacency matrix more efficiently than randomly labeling links as the existing methods did. Experiments on both synthetic and real networks demonstrate that our new approach significantly outperforms the existing methods in terms of the efficiency of using supervised information. It needs ~13% of the supervised information to achieve a performance similar to that of the original semi-supervised approaches. PMID:25761385
Efficient Selection of Multiple Objects on a Large Scale

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stenholt, Rasmus

2012-01-01

The task of multiple object selection (MOS) in immersive virtual environments is important and still largely unexplored. The diffi- culty of efficient MOS increases with the number of objects to be selected. E.g. in small-scale MOS, only a few objects need to be simultaneously selected. This may...... consuming. Instead, we have implemented and tested two of the existing approaches to 3-D MOS, a brush and a lasso, as well as a new technique, a magic wand, which automati- cally selects objects based on local proximity to other objects. In a formal user evaluation, we have studied how the performance...
AFLP marker linked to water-stress-tolerant bulks in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Altinkut

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP assay is an efficient method for the identification of molecular markers, useful in the improvement of numerous crop species. Bulked Segregant Analysis (BSA was used to identify AFLP markers associated with water-stress tolerance in barley, as this would permit rapid selection of water-stress tolerant genotypes in breeding programs. AFLP markers linked to water-stress tolerance was identified in two DNA pools (tolerant and sensitive, which were established using selected F2 individuals resulting from a cross between water-stress-tolerant and sensitive barley parental genotypes, based on their paraquat (PQ tolerance, leaf size, and relative water content (RWC. All these three traits were previously shown to be associated with water-stress tolerance in segregating F2 progeny of the barley cross used in a previous study. AFLP analysis was then performed on these DNA pools, using 40 primer pairs to detect AFLP fragments that are present/absent, respectively, in the two pools and their parental lines. One separate AFLP fragment, which was present in the tolerant parent and in the tolerant bulk, but absent in the sensitive parent and in the sensitive bulk, was identified. Polymorphism of the AFLP marker was tested among tolerant and sensitive F2 individuals. The presence of this marker that is associated with water-stress tolerance will greatly enhance selection for paraquat and water-stress tolerant genotypes in future breeding programs.
Expressed Sequence Tag-Simple Sequence Repeat (EST-SSR Marker Resources for Diversity Analysis of Mango (Mangifera indica L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalie L. Dillon

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, a collection of 24,840 expressed sequence tags (ESTs generated from five mango (Mangifera indica L. cDNA libraries was mined for EST-based simple sequence repeat (SSR markers. Over 1,000 ESTs with SSR motifs were detected from more than 24,000 EST sequences with di- and tri-nucleotide repeat motifs the most abundant. Of these, 25 EST-SSRs in genes involved in plant development, stress response, and fruit color and flavor development pathways were selected, developed into PCR markers and characterized in a population of 32 mango selections including M. indica varieties, and related Mangifera species. Twenty-four of the 25 EST-SSR markers exhibited polymorphisms, identifying a total of 86 alleles with an average of 5.38 alleles per locus, and distinguished between all Mangifera selections. Private alleles were identified for Mangifera species. These newly developed EST-SSR markers enhance the current 11 SSR mango genetic identity panel utilized by the Australian Mango Breeding Program. The current panel has been used to identify progeny and parents for selection and the application of this extended panel will further improve and help to design mango hybridization strategies for increased breeding efficiency.
Efficient Software for Multi-marker, Region-Based Analysis of GWAS Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaleal S. Sanjak

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies (GWAS have associated many single variants with complex disease, yet the better part of heritable complex disease risk remains unexplained. Analytical tools designed to work under specific population genetic models are needed. Rare variants are increasingly shown to be important in human complex disease, but most existing GWAS data do not cover rare variants. Explicit population genetic models predict that genes contributing to complex traits and experiencing recurrent, unconditionally deleterious, mutation will harbor multiple rare, causative mutations of subtle effect. It is difficult to identify genes harboring rare variants of large effect that contribute to complex disease risk via the single marker association tests typically used in GWAS. Gene/region-based association tests may have the power detect associations by combining information from multiple markers, but have yielded limited success in practice. This is partially because many methods have not been widely applied. Here, we empirically demonstrate the utility of a procedure based on the rank truncated product (RTP method, filtered to reduce the effects of linkage disequilibrium. We apply the procedure to the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC data set, and uncover previously unidentified associations, some of which have been replicated in much larger studies. We show that, in the absence of significant rare variant coverage, RTP based methods still have the power to detect associated genes. We recommend that RTP-based methods be applied to all existing GWAS data to maximize the usefulness of those data. For this, we provide efficient software implementing our procedure.
Variability in Indian bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties differing in nitrogen efficiency as assessed by microsatellite markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandna, Ruby; Gupta, Sarika; Ahmad, Altaf; Iqbal, Muhammad; Prasad, Manoj

2010-06-01

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food for half of the world. Its productivity and agronomical practices, especially for nitrogen supplementation, is governed by the nitrogen efficiency (NE) of the genotypes. We analyzed 16 popular cultivated Indian varieties of wheat for their NE and variability estimates using a set of 21 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, derived from each wheat chromosome. These genotypes were categorized into three groups, viz., low, moderate, and high nitrogen efficient. Of these 16 genotypes, we have reported six, eight, and two genotypes in high, moderate, and low NE categories, respectively. The differential NE in these genotypes was supported by nitrogen uptake and assimilation parameters. The values of average polymorphic information content and marker index for these SSR markers were estimated to be 0.32 and 0.59, respectively. The genetic similarity coefficient for all possible pairs of varieties ranged from 0.41 to 0.76, indicating the presence of considerable range of genetic diversity at molecular level. The dendrogram prepared on the basis of unweighted pair-group method of arithmetic average algorithm grouped the 16 wheat varieties into three major clusters. The clustering was strongly supported by high bootstrap values. The distribution of the varieties in different clusters and subclusters appeared to be related to their variability in NE parameter that was scored. Genetically diverse parents were identified that could potentially be used for their desirable characteristics in breeding programs for improvement of NE in wheat.
Criteria of benchmark selection for efficient flexible multibody system formalisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valášek M.

2007-10-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the selection process of benchmarks for testing and comparing efficient flexible multibody formalisms. The existing benchmarks are briefly summarized. The purposes for benchmark selection are investigated. The result of this analysis is the formulation of the criteria of benchmark selection for flexible multibody formalisms. Based on them the initial set of suitable benchmarks is described. Besides that the evaluation measures are revised and extended.
A minimally invasive multiple marker approach allows highly efficient detection of meningioma tumors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meese Eckart

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The development of effective frameworks that permit an accurate diagnosis of tumors, especially in their early stages, remains a grand challenge in the field of bioinformatics. Our approach uses statistical learning techniques applied to multiple antigen tumor antigen markers utilizing the immune system as a very sensitive marker of molecular pathological processes. For validation purposes we choose the intracranial meningioma tumors as model system since they occur very frequently, are mostly benign, and are genetically stable. Results A total of 183 blood samples from 93 meningioma patients (WHO stages I-III and 90 healthy controls were screened for seroreactivity with a set of 57 meningioma-associated antigens. We tested several established statistical learning methods on the resulting reactivity patterns using 10-fold cross validation. The best performance was achieved by Naïve Bayes Classifiers. With this classification method, our framework, called Minimally Invasive Multiple Marker (MIMM approach, yielded a specificity of 96.2%, a sensitivity of 84.5%, and an accuracy of 90.3%, the respective area under the ROC curve was 0.957. Detailed analysis revealed that prediction performs particularly well on low-grade (WHO I tumors, consistent with our goal of early stage tumor detection. For these tumors the best classification result with a specificity of 97.5%, a sensitivity of 91.3%, an accuracy of 95.6%, and an area under the ROC curve of 0.971 was achieved using a set of 12 antigen markers only. This antigen set was detected by a subset selection method based on Mutual Information. Remarkably, our study proves that the inclusion of non-specific antigens, detected not only in tumor but also in normal sera, increases the performance significantly, since non-specific antigens contribute additional diagnostic information. Conclusion Our approach offers the possibility to screen members of risk groups as a matter of routine
Selection against spurious promoter motifs correlates withtranslational efficiency across bacteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Froula, Jeffrey L.; Francino, M. Pilar

2007-05-01

Because binding of RNAP to misplaced sites could compromise the efficiency of transcription, natural selection for the optimization of gene expression should regulate the distribution of DNA motifs capable of RNAP-binding across the genome. Here we analyze the distribution of the -10 promoter motifs that bind the {sigma}{sup 70} subunit of RNAP in 42 bacterial genomes. We show that selection on these motifs operates across the genome, maintaining an over-representation of -10 motifs in regulatory sequences while eliminating them from the nonfunctional and, in most cases, from the protein coding regions. In some genomes, however, -10 sites are over-represented in the coding sequences; these sites could induce pauses effecting regulatory roles throughout the length of a transcriptional unit. For nonfunctional sequences, the extent of motif under-representation varies across genomes in a manner that broadly correlates with the number of tRNA genes, a good indicator of translational speed and growth rate. This suggests that minimizing the time invested in gene transcription is an important selective pressure against spurious binding. However, selection against spurious binding is detectable in the reduced genomes of host-restricted bacteria that grow at slow rates, indicating that components of efficiency other than speed may also be important. Minimizing the number of RNAP molecules per cell required for transcription, and the corresponding energetic expense, may be most relevant in slow growers. These results indicate that genome-level properties affecting the efficiency of transcription and translation can respond in an integrated manner to optimize gene expression. The detection of selection against promoter motifs in nonfunctional regions also implies that no sequence may evolve free of selective constraints, at least in the relatively small and unstructured genomes of bacteria.
The accuracy of prediction of genomic selection in elite hybrid rye populations surpasses the accuracy of marker-assisted selection and is equally augmented by multiple field evaluation locations and test years.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yu; Mette, Michael Florian; Miedaner, Thomas; Gottwald, Marlen; Wilde, Peer; Reif, Jochen C; Zhao, Yusheng

2014-07-04

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) based on genome-wide marker data provide powerful tools to predict the genotypic value of selection material in plant breeding. However, case-to-case optimization of these approaches is required to achieve maximum accuracy of prediction with reasonable input. Based on extended field evaluation data for grain yield, plant height, starch content and total pentosan content of elite hybrid rye derived from testcrosses involving two bi-parental populations that were genotyped with 1048 molecular markers, we compared the accuracy of prediction of MAS and GS in a cross-validation approach. MAS delivered generally lower and in addition potentially over-estimated accuracies of prediction than GS by ridge regression best linear unbiased prediction (RR-BLUP). The grade of relatedness of the plant material included in the estimation and test sets clearly affected the accuracy of prediction of GS. Within each of the two bi-parental populations, accuracies differed depending on the relatedness of the respective parental lines. Across populations, accuracy increased when both populations contributed to estimation and test set. In contrast, accuracy of prediction based on an estimation set from one population to a test set from the other population was low despite that the two bi-parental segregating populations under scrutiny shared one parental line. Limiting the number of locations or years in field testing reduced the accuracy of prediction of GS equally, supporting the view that to establish robust GS calibration models a sufficient number of test locations is of similar importance as extended testing for more than one year. In hybrid rye, genomic selection is superior to marker-assisted selection. However, it achieves high accuracies of prediction only for selection candidates closely related to the plant material evaluated in field trials, resulting in a rather pessimistic prognosis for distantly related material
Tumor markers in breast cancer- European Group on Tumor Markers recommendations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Molina, Rafael; Barak, Vivian; van Dalen, Arie

2005-01-01

in the selection of patients for treatment with hormone therapy, while HER-2 is essential in selecting patients with advanced breast cancer for treatment with Herceptin (trastuzumab). Urokinase plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 are recently validated prognostic markers for lymph node...
Estimates of epistatic and pleiotropic effects of casein alpha s1 (CSN1S1) and thyroglobulin (TG) genetic markers on beef heifer performance traits enhanced by selection

Science.gov (United States)

Genetic marker effects and type of inheritance are estimated with poor precision when minor marker allele frequencies are low. A stable composite population (MARC II) was subjected to marker assisted selection for two years to equalize CSN1S1 and TG genetic marker frequencies to evaluate the epista...
An efficient marker-free vector for clean gene transfer into plants

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Yomi

2012-02-23

Feb 23, 2012 ... vector sequences inserted into plant genomes. Transformation ..... Thymosin Alpha 1 (Tα1) in Marker-free Transgenic Lettuce (Lactuca sativa). ... obtaining marker-free plants of a cross-pollinating and vegetatively propagated ...
Marker-assisted-selection (MAS): A fast track to increase genetic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2011-09-21

Sep 21, 2011 ... protein maize (QPM) through marker-assisted transfer of a recessive mutant ... and number which collectively determine the yield poten- tial (Monforte et .... A wide gap appears to exist between tagging genes with markers and ...
Development of aromatic giant-embryo rice by molecular marker-assisted selection

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ZHU Yingdong

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Aromatic rice is loved for its distinctive aroma when cooking and eating.In this research,aromatic normal-embryo rice and non-aromatic giant-embryo rice,"Shangshida No.5",both bred by our laboratory,were selected as the parents for the hybridization.We used conventional breeding techniques as well as fragrance gene marker-assisted selection to derive new aromatic giant-embryo rice "Shangshida No.8".By comparing the agronomic and yield characters of "Shangshida No.5" and "Shangshida No.8",the average of filled grains per panicle of "Shangshida No.5" exceeds "Shangshida No.8" very significantly,while the average of effective panicles of "Shangshida No.8" is slightly more than "Shangshida No.5".Also,in the weight of thousand grains "Shangshida No.8" is slightly heavier than "Shangshida No.5".Thus,their grain weights per plant are close,29.10 g and 28.92 g respectively.By comparing the traits of rice embryo,there is no significant difference in embryo weight and volume.Also,there is no significant difference in weight ratio and volume ratio of embryo.This research has laid a solid foundation for further market development and application of aromatic giant-embryo rice.
Development and Molecular Characterization of Novel Polymorphic Genomic DNA SSR Markers in Lentinula edodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Suyun; Lee, Hwa-Yong; Shim, Donghwan; Kim, Myungkil; Ka, Kang-Hyeon; Ryoo, Rhim; Ko, Han-Gyu; Koo, Chang-Duck; Chung, Jong-Wook; Ryu, Hojin

2017-06-01

Sixteen genomic DNA simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers of Lentinula edodes were developed from 205 SSR motifs present in 46.1-Mb long L. edodes genome sequences. The number of alleles ranged from 3-14 and the major allele frequency was distributed from 0.17-0.96. The values of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.00-0.76 and 0.07-0.90, respectively. The polymorphic information content value ranged from 0.07-0.89. A dendrogram, based on 16 SSR markers clustered by the paired hierarchical clustering' method, showed that 33 shiitake cultivars could be divided into three major groups and successfully identified. These SSR markers will contribute to the efficient breeding of this species by providing diversity in shiitake varieties. Furthermore, the genomic information covered by the markers can provide a valuable resource for genetic linkage map construction, molecular mapping, and marker-assisted selection in the shiitake mushroom.

SacB-SacR gene cassette as the negative selection marker to suppress Agrobacterium overgrowth in Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation

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Yiming Liu

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Agrobacterium overgrowth is a common problem in Agrobacterium-mediated plant transfor-mation. To suppress the Agrobacterium overgrowth, various antibiotics have been used during plant tissue culture steps. The antibiotics are expensive and may adversely affect plant cell differentiation and reduce plant transformation efficiency. The SacB-SacR proteins are toxic to most Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains when they are grown on culture medium sup¬plemented with sucrose. Therefore, SacB-SacR genes can be used as negative selection markers to suppress the overgrowth of Agrobacterium tumefaciens in the plant tissue culture process. We generated a mutant Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV2260 (recA-SacB/R that has the SacB-SacR cassette inserted into the bacterial genome at the recA gene locus. The mutant Agrobacterium strain is sensitive to sucrose but maintains its ability to transform plant cells in both transient and stable transformation assays. We demonstrated that the mutant strain GV2260 (recA-SacB/R can be inhibited by sucrose that reduces the overgrowth of Agrobacterium and therefore improves the plant transformation efficiency. We employed GV2260 (recA-SacB/R to generate stable transgenic N. benthamiana plants expressing a CRISPR-Cas9 for knocking out a WRKY transcrip¬tion factor.
A novel PCR-based marker for identifying Ns chromosomes in wheat-Psathyrostachys huashanica Keng derivative lines

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J. Wang

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Psathyrostachys huashanica Keng is an endangered species that is endemic to China, which provides an important gene pool for wheat improvement. We developed a quick and reliable PCR-based diagnostic assay to accurately and efficiently detect P. huashanica DNA sequences from introgression lines, which was based on a species-specific marker derived from genomic DNA. The 900-bp PCR-amplified band used as a P. huashanica-specific RAPD marker was tested with 21 different plant species and was converted into a sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR marker by cloning and sequencing the selected fragments (pHs11. This SCAR marker, which was designated as RHS23, could clearly distinguish the presence of P. huashanica DNA repetitive sequences in wheat-P. huashanica derivative lines. The specificity of the marker was validated using 21 different plant species and a complete set of wheat-P. huashanica disomic addition lines (1Ns–7Ns, 2n=44=22II. This specific sequence targeted the Ns genome of P. huashanica and it was present in all the seven P. huashanica chromosomes. Therefore, this SCAR marker is specific for P. huashanica chromosomes and may be used in the identification of alien repetitive sequences in large gene pools. This diagnostic PCR assay for screening the target genetic material may play a key role in marker-assisted selective breeding programs.
Gateway binary vectors with the bialaphos resistance gene, bar, as a selection marker for plant transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Shinya; Mano, Shoji; Tanaka, Yuji; Ohnishi, Masato; Nakamori, Chihiro; Araki, Masami; Niwa, Tomoko; Nishimura, Mikio; Kaminaka, Hironori; Nakagawa, Tsuyoshi; Sato, Yutaka; Ishiguro, Sumie

2010-01-01

We constructed two series of Gateway binary vectors, pGWBs and R4pGWBs, possessing the bialaphos resistance gene (bar) as a selection marker for plant transformation. The reporters and tags employed in this system are sGFP, GUS, LUC, EYFP, ECFP, G3GFP, mRFP, TagRFP, 6xHis, FLAG, 3xHA, 4xMyc, 10xMyc, GST, T7 and TAP. Selection of Arabidopsis transformants with BASTA was successfully carried out using both plate-grown and soil-grown seedlings. Transformed rice calli and suspension-cultured tobacco cells were selected on plates containing BASTA or glufosinate-ammonium. These vectors are compatible with existing pGWB and R4pGWB vectors carrying kanamycin and hygromycin B resistance.
Self-excising Cre/mutant lox marker recycling system for multiple gene integrations and consecutive gene deletions in Aspergillus oryzae.

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Zhang, Silai; Ban, Akihiko; Ebara, Naoki; Mizutani, Osamu; Tanaka, Mizuki; Shintani, Takahiro; Gomi, Katsuya

2017-04-01

In this study, we developed a self-excising Cre/loxP-mediated marker recycling system with mutated lox sequences to introduce a number of biosynthetic genes into Aspergillus oryzae. To construct the self-excising marker cassette, both the selectable marker, the Aspergillus nidulans adeA gene, and the Cre recombinase gene (cre), conditionally expressed by the xylanase-encoding gene promoter, were designed to be located between the mutant lox sequences, lox66 and lox71. However, construction of the plasmid failed, possibly owing to a slight expression of cre downstream of the fungal gene promoter in Escherichia coli. Hence, to avoid the excision of the cassette in E. coli, a 71-bp intron of the A. oryzae xynG2 gene was inserted into the cre gene. The A. oryzae adeA deletion mutant was transformed with the resulting plasmid in the presence of glucose, and the transformants were cultured in medium containing xylose as the sole carbon source. PCR analysis of genomic DNA from resultant colonies revealed the excision of both the marker and Cre expression construct, indicating that the self-excising marker cassette was efficient at removing the selectable marker. Using the marker recycling system, hyperproduction of kojic acid could be achieved in A. oryzae by the introduction of two genes that encode oxidoreductase and transporter. Furthermore, we also constructed an alternative marker recycling cassette bearing the A. nidulans pyrithiamine resistant gene (ptrA) as a dominant selectable marker. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Selected Cardiovascular Risk Markers in Vegetarians and Subjects of General Population.

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Valachovičová, Martina; Príbojová, Jana; Urbánek, Vladimír; Bírošová, Lucia

2017-12-01

Besides genetic factors there are environmental effects including nutritional habits which can influence the risk of age-related diseases. The aim of the study was to assess the age dependence of selected cardiovascular risk markers in two groups of subjects with different nutritional pattern. In 470 long-term vegetarians and 478 subjects of general population the following indicators were measured: total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerol, glucose, insulin concentrations, LDL-cholesterol, atherogenic index and insulin resistance IR(HOMA) were also calculated in studied subjects. Obtained data were evaluated according to age decades. Vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, insulin, and values of atherogenic index and IR(HOMA) were significantly reduced in all age decades. Vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian triacalglycerol concentrations were significantly reduced from 4th–7th decade. Vegetarian average decade values of all lipid parameters were in reference range. In non-vegetarian group, the risk average values of total cholesterol (>5.2 mmol/l) were found from 5th–7th decade, LDL-cholesterol (>3.3 mmol/l) in 7th decade and atherogenic index (>4) in 6th–7th decade. In vegetarians vs. non-vegetarians were noted the average decade values for total cholesterol ranging from 4.01–4.59 vs. 4.48–5.67 mmol/l, for triacylglycerols 1.00–1.33 vs. 1.13–1.74 mmol/l, for LDL-cholesterol 2.03–2.58 vs. 2.43–3.49 mmol/l, for atherogenic index 2.72–3.31 vs. 3.05–4.21 and for IR(HOMA) 0.99–1.15 vs. 1.15–1.84. Our data show significantly reduced mean age decade values of lipid and non-lipid cardiovascular risk markers in all adult vegetarians. Smaller changes of markers between decades compared to non-vegetarians document a protective effect of vegetarian nutrition in prevention of cardiovascular disease. Copyright© by the National Institute of Public Health, Prague 2017
Generation of marker- and/or backbone-free transgenic wheat plants via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation

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Wang Genping

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes to animals and vertical transfer of herbicide resistance genes to the weedy relatives are perceived as major biosafety concerns in genetically modified (GM crops. In this study, five novel vectors which used gusA and bar as a reporter gene and a selection marker gene, respectively, were constructed based on the pCLEAN dual binary vector system. Among these vectors, 1G7B and 5G7B carried two T-DNAs located on two respective plasmids with 5G7B possessing an additional virGwt gene. 5LBTG154 and 5TGTB154 carried two T-DNAs in the target plasmid with either one or double right borders, and 5BTG154 carried the selectable marker gene on the backbone outside of the T-DNA left border in the target plasmid. In addition, 5BTG154, 5LBTG154 and 5TGTB154 used pAL154 as a helper plasmid which contains Komari fragment to facilitate transformation. These five dual binary vector combinations were transformed into Agrobacterium strain AGL1 and used to transform durum wheat cv Stewart 63. Evaluation of the co-transformation efficiencies, the frequencies of marker-free transgenic plants and integration of backbone sequences in the obtained transgenic lines indicated that two vectors (5G7B and 5TGTB154 were more efficient in generating marker-free transgenic wheat plants with no or minimal integration of backbone sequences in the wheat genome. The vector series developed in this study for generation of marker- and/or backbone-free transgenic wheat plants via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation will be useful to facilitate the creation of ‘clean’ GM wheat containing only the foreign genes of agronomic importance.
Generation of Marker- and/or Backbone-Free Transgenic Wheat Plants via Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Gen-Ping; Yu, Xiu-Dao; Sun, Yong-Wei; Jones, Huw D; Xia, Lan-Qin

2016-01-01

Horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes to animals and vertical transfer of herbicide resistance genes to the weedy relatives are perceived as major biosafety concerns in genetically modified (GM) crops. In this study, five novel vectors which used gusA and bar as a reporter gene and a selection marker gene, respectively, were constructed based on the pCLEAN dual binary vector system. Among these vectors, 1G7B and 5G7B carried two T-DNAs located on two respective plasmids with 5G7B possessing an additional virGwt gene. 5LBTG154 and 5TGTB154 carried two T-DNAs in the target plasmid with either one or double right borders, and 5BTG154 carried the selectable marker gene on the backbone outside of the T-DNA left border in the target plasmid. In addition, 5BTG154, 5LBTG154, and 5TGTB154 used pAL154 as a helper plasmid which contains Komari fragment to facilitate transformation. These five dual binary vector combinations were transformed into Agrobacterium strain AGL1 and used to transform durum wheat cv Stewart 63. Evaluation of the co-transformation efficiencies, the frequencies of marker-free transgenic plants, and integration of backbone sequences in the obtained transgenic lines indicated that two vectors (5G7B and 5TGTB154) were more efficient in generating marker-free transgenic wheat plants with no or minimal integration of backbone sequences in the wheat genome. The vector series developed in this study for generation of marker- and/or backbone-free transgenic wheat plants via Agrobacterium -mediated transformation will be useful to facilitate the creation of "clean" GM wheat containing only the foreign genes of agronomic importance.
Energy efficiency of selected OECD countries: A slacks based model with undesirable outputs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apergis, Nicholas; Aye, Goodness C.; Barros, Carlos Pestana; Gupta, Rangan; Wanke, Peter

2015-01-01

This paper presents an efficiency assessment of selected OECD countries using a Slacks Based Model with undesirable or bad outputs (SBM-Undesirable). In this research, SBM-Undesirable is used first in a two-stage approach to assess the relative efficiency of OECD countries using the most frequent indicators adopted by the literature on energy efficiency. Besides, in the second stage, GLMM–MCMC methods are combined with SBM-Undesirable results as part of an attempt to produce a model for energy performance with effective predictive ability. The results reveal different impacts of contextual variables, such as economic blocks and capital–labor ratio, on energy efficiency levels. - Highlights: • We analyze the energy efficiency of selected OECD countries. • SBM-Undesirable and MCMC–GLMM are combined for this purpose. • Find that efficiency levels are high but declining over time. • Analysis with contextual variables shows varying efficiency levels across groups. • Capital-intensive countries are more energy efficient than labor-intensive countries.
Genomic selection in plant breeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Newell, Mark A; Jannink, Jean-Luc

2014-01-01

Genomic selection (GS) is a method to predict the genetic value of selection candidates based on the genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) predicted from high-density markers positioned throughout the genome. Unlike marker-assisted selection, the GEBV is based on all markers including both minor and major marker effects. Thus, the GEBV may capture more of the genetic variation for the particular trait under selection.
Selected Private Higher Educational Institutions in Metro Manila: A DEA Efficiency Measurement

Science.gov (United States)

de Guzman, Maria Corazon Gwendolyn N.; Cabana, Emilyn

2009-01-01

This paper measures the technical efficiency of 16 selected colleges and universities in Metro Manila, Philippines, using academic data for the SY 2001-2005. Using the data envelopment analysis (DEA), on average, schools posted 0.807 index score and need additional 19.3% efficiency growth to be efficient. Overall, there are top four efficient…
Development of photocatalysts for selective and efficient organic transformations.

Science.gov (United States)

Munir, Shamsa; Dionysiou, Dionysios D; Khan, Sher Bahadar; Shah, Syed Mujtaba; Adhikari, Bimalendu; Shah, Afzal

2015-07-01

One of the main goals of organic chemists is to find easy, environmentally friendly, and cost effective methods for the synthesis of industrially important compounds. Photocatalysts have brought revolution in this regard as they make use of unlimited source of energy (the solar light) to carry out the synthesis of organic compounds having otherwise complex synthetic procedures. However, selectivity of the products has been a major issue since the beginning of photocatalysis. The present article encompasses state of the art accomplishments in harvesting light energy for selective organic transformations using photocatalysts. Several approaches for the development of photocatalysts for selective organic conversions have been critically discussed with the objective of developing efficient, selective, environmental friendly and high yield photocatalytic methodologies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Marker Registration Technique for Handwritten Text Marker in Augmented Reality Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Thanaborvornwiwat, N.; Patanukhom, K.

2018-04-01

Marker registration is a fundamental process to estimate camera poses in marker-based Augmented Reality (AR) systems. We developed AR system that creates correspondence virtual objects on handwritten text markers. This paper presents a new method for registration that is robust for low-content text markers, variation of camera poses, and variation of handwritten styles. The proposed method uses Maximally Stable Extremal Regions (MSER) and polygon simplification for a feature point extraction. The experiment shows that we need to extract only five feature points per image which can provide the best registration results. An exhaustive search is used to find the best matching pattern of the feature points in two images. We also compared performance of the proposed method to some existing registration methods and found that the proposed method can provide better accuracy and time efficiency.
On the Computation of the Efficient Frontier of the Portfolio Selection Problem

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Clara Calvo

2012-01-01

Full Text Available An easy-to-use procedure is presented for improving the ε-constraint method for computing the efficient frontier of the portfolio selection problem endowed with additional cardinality and semicontinuous variable constraints. The proposed method provides not only a numerical plotting of the frontier but also an analytical description of it, including the explicit equations of the arcs of parabola it comprises and the change points between them. This information is useful for performing a sensitivity analysis as well as for providing additional criteria to the investor in order to select an efficient portfolio. Computational results are provided to test the efficiency of the algorithm and to illustrate its applications. The procedure has been implemented in Mathematica.
Genetic Gains in Yield and Yield Related Traits under Drought Stress and Favorable Environments in a Maize Population Improved Using Marker Assisted Recurrent Selection

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Folusho Bankole

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The objective of marker assisted recurrent selection (MARS is to increase the frequency of favorable marker alleles in a population before inbred line extraction. This approach was used to improve drought tolerance and grain yield (GY in a biparental cross of two elite drought tolerant lines. The testcrosses of randomly selected 50 S1 lines from each of the three selection cycles (C0, C1, C2 of the MARS population, parental testcrosses and the cross between the two parents (F1 were evaluated under drought stress (DS and well watered (WW well as under rainfed conditions to determine genetic gains in GY and other agronomic traits. Also, the S1 lines derived from each selection types were genotyped with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP markers. Testcrosses derived from C2 produced significantly higher grain field under DS than those derived from C0 with a relative genetic gain of 7% per cycle. Also, the testcrosses of S1 lines from C2 showed an average genetic gain of 1% per cycle under WW condition and 3% per cycle under rainfed condition. Molecular analysis revealed that the frequency of favorable marker alleles increased from 0.510 at C0 to 0.515 at C2, while the effective number of alleles (Ne per locus decreased from C0 (1.93 to C2 (1.87. Our results underscore the effectiveness of MARS for improvement of GY under DS condition.
Energy Efficiency Analysis of a Two Dimensional Cooperative Wireless Sensor Network with Relay Selection

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M. Kakitani

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The energy efficiency of non-cooperative and cooperative transmissions are investigated in a two-dimensional wireless sensor network, considering a target outage probability and the same end-to-end throughput for all transmission schemes. The impact of the relay selection method in the cooperative schemes is also analyzed. We show that under non line-of-sight conditions the relay selection method has a greater impact in the energy efficiency than the availability of a return channel. By its turn, under line-of-sight conditions a return channel is more valuable to the energy efficiency of cooperative transmission than the specific relay selection method. Finally, we demonstrate that the energy efficiency advantage of the cooperative over the non-cooperative transmission increases with the distance among nodes and with the nodes density.
[Genomic selection and its application].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Heng-De; Bao, Zhen-Min; Sun, Xiao-Wen

2011-12-01

Selective breeding is very important in agricultural production and breeding value estimation is the core of selective breeding. With the development of genetic markers, especially high throughput genotyping technology, it becomes available to estimate breeding value at genome level, i.e. genomic selection (GS). In this review, the methods of GS was categorized into two groups: one is to predict genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) based on the allele effect, such as least squares, random regression - best linear unbiased prediction (RR-BLUP), Bayes and principle component analysis, etc; the other is to predict GEBV with genetic relationship matrix, which constructs genetic relationship matrix via high throughput genetic markers and then predicts GEBV through linear mixed model, i.e. GBLUP. The basic principles of these methods were also introduced according to the above two classifications. Factors affecting GS accuracy include markers of type and density, length of haplotype, the size of reference population, the extent between marker-QTL and so on. Among the methods of GS, Bayes and GBLUP are usually more accurate than the others and least squares is the worst. GBLUP is time-efficient and can combine pedigree with genotypic information, hence it is superior to other methods. Although progress was made in GS, there are still some challenges, for examples, united breeding, long-term genetic gain with GS, and disentangling markers with and without contribution to the traits. GS has been applied in animal and plant breeding practice and also has the potential to predict genetic predisposition in humans and study evolutionary dynamics. GS, which is more precise than the traditional method, is a breakthrough at measuring genetic relationship. Therefore, GS will be a revolutionary event in the history of animal and plant breeding.
An efficient marker-free vector for clean gene transfer into plants ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A marker-free vector, pBINMF, for clean gene transfer was constructed based on the binary vector pBINPLUS. Vector pBINMF, carrying only a multiple cloning site (MCS) between the left and the right T-DNA border, was suitable to directly generate marker-free transgenic plants (MFTPs) without any vector sequences ...
Marker Detection in Aerial Images

KAUST Repository

Alharbi, Yazeed

2017-04-09

The problem that the thesis is trying to solve is the detection of small markers in high-resolution aerial images. Given a high-resolution image, the goal is to return the pixel coordinates corresponding to the center of the marker in the image. The marker has the shape of two triangles sharing a vertex in the middle, and it occupies no more than 0.01% of the image size. An improvement on the Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) is proposed, eliminating the majority of baseline HOG false positives for marker detection. The improvement is guided by the observation that standard HOG description struggles to separate markers from negatives patches containing an X shape. The proposed method alters intensities with the aim of altering gradients. The intensity-dependent gradient alteration leads to more separation between filled and unfilled shapes. The improvement is used in a two-stage algorithm to achieve high recall and high precision in detection of markers in aerial images. In the first stage, two classifiers are used: one to quickly eliminate most of the uninteresting parts of the image, and one to carefully select the marker among the remaining interesting regions. Interesting regions are selected by scanning the image with a fast classifier trained on the HOG features of markers in all rotations and scales. The next classifier is more precise and uses our method to eliminate the majority of the false positives of standard HOG. In the second stage, detected markers are tracked forward and backward in time. Tracking is needed to detect extremely blurred or distorted markers that are missed by the previous stage. The algorithm achieves 94% recall with minimal user guidance. An average of 30 guesses are given per image; the user verifies for each whether it is a marker or not. The brute force approach would return 100,000 guesses per image.
ptxD gene in combination with phosphite serves as a highly effective selection system to generate transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Pandeya, Devendra; Campbell, LeAnne M; Nunes, Eugenia; Lopez-Arredondo, Damar L; Janga, Madhusudhana R; Herrera-Estrella, Luis; Rathore, Keerti S

2017-12-01

This report demonstrates the usefulness of ptxD/phosphite as a selection system that not only provides a highly efficient and simple means to generate transgenic cotton plants, but also helps address many of the concerns related to the use of antibiotic and herbicide resistance genes in the production of transgenic crops. Two of the most popular dominant selectable marker systems for plant transformation are based on either antibiotic or herbicide resistance genes. Due to concerns regarding their safety and in order to stack multiple traits in a single plant, there is a need for alternative selectable marker genes. The ptxD gene, derived from Pseudomonas stutzeri WM88, that confers to cells the ability to convert phosphite (Phi) into orthophosphate (Pi) offers an alternative selectable marker gene as demonstrated for tobacco and maize. Here, we show that the ptxD gene in combination with a protocol based on selection medium containing Phi, as the sole source of phosphorus (P), can serve as an effective and efficient system to select for transformed cells and generate transgenic cotton plants. Fluorescence microscopy examination of the cultures under selection and molecular analyses on the regenerated plants demonstrate the efficacy of the system in recovering cotton transformants following Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Under the ptxD/Phi selection, an average of 3.43 transgenic events per 100 infected explants were recovered as opposed to only 0.41% recovery when bar/phosphinothricin (PPT) selection was used. The event recovery rates for nptII/kanamycin and hpt/hygromycin systems were 2.88 and 2.47%, respectively. Molecular analysis on regenerated events showed a selection efficiency of ~ 97% under the ptxD/Phi system. Thus, ptxD/Phi has proven to be a very efficient, positive selection system for the generation of transgenic cotton plants with equal or higher transformation efficiencies compared to the commonly used, negative selection systems.
Insights into population ecology and sexual selection in snakes through the application of DNA-based genetic markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibbs, H L; Weatherhead, P J

2001-01-01

Hypervariable genetic markers have revolutionized studies of kinship, behavioral ecology, and population biology in vertebrate groups such as birds, but their use in snakes remains limited. To illustrate the value of such markers in snakes, we review studies that have used microsatellite DNA loci to analyze local population differentiation and parentage in snakes. Four ecologically distinct species of snakes all show evidence for differentiation at small spatial scales (2-15 km), but with substantial differences among species. This result highlights how genetic analysis can reveal hidden aspects of the natural history of difficult-to-observe taxa, and it raises important questions about the ecological factors that may contribute to restricted gene flow. A 3-year study of genetic parentage in marked populations of the northern water snake showed that (1) participation in mating aggregations was a poor predictor of genetic-based measures of reproductive success; (2) multiple paternity was high, yet there was no detectable fitness advantage to multiple mating by females; and (3) the opportunity for selection was far higher in males than in females due to a larger variance in male reproductive success, and yet this resulted in no detectable selection on morphological variation in males. Thus genetic markers have provided accurate measures of individual reproductive success in this species, an important step toward resolving the adaptive significance of key features including multiple paternity and reversed sexual size dimorphism. Overall these studies illustrate how genetic analyses of snakes provide previously unobtainable information of long-standing interest to behavioral ecologists.

Assessment of ptxD gene as an alternative selectable marker for Agrobacterium-mediated maize transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nahampun, Hartinio N; López-Arredondo, Damar; Xu, Xing; Herrera-Estrella, Luis; Wang, Kan

2016-05-01

Bacterial phosphite oxidoreductase gene and chemical phosphite can be used as a selection system for Agrobacterium -mediated maize transformation. Application of phosphite (Phi) on plants can interfere the plant metabolic system leading to stunted growth and lethality. On the other hand, ectopic expression of the ptxD gene in tobacco and Arabidopsis allowed plants to grow in media with Phi as the sole phosphorous source. The phosphite oxidoreductase (PTXD) enzyme catalyzes the conversion of Phi into phosphate (Pi) that can then be metabolized by plants and utilized as their essential phosphorous source. Here we assess an alternative selectable marker based on a bacterial ptxD gene for Agrobacterium-mediated maize transformation. We compared the transformation frequencies of maize using either the ptxD/Phi selection system or a standard herbicide bar/bialaphos selection system. Two maize genotypes, a transformation amenable hybrid Hi II and an inbred B104, were tested. Transgene presence, insertion copy numbers, and ptxD transcript levels were analyzed and compared. This work demonstrates that the ptxD/Phi selection system can be used for Agrobacterium-mediated maize transformation of both type I and type II callus culture and achieve a comparable frequency as that of the herbicide bar/bialaphos selection system.
Generation of Trichoderma atroviride mutants with constitutively activated G protein signaling by using geneticin resistance as selection marker

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Gruber Sabine

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Species of the fungal genus Trichoderma are important industrial producers of cellulases and hemicellulases, but also widely used as biocontrol agents (BCAs in agriculture. In the latter function Trichoderma species stimulate plant growth, induce plant defense and directly antagonize plant pathogenic fungi through their mycoparasitic capabilities. The recent release of the genome sequences of four mycoparasitic Trichoderma species now forms the basis for large-scale genetic manipulations of these important BCAs. Thus far, only a limited number of dominant selection markers, including Hygromycin B resistance (hph and the acetamidase-encoding amdS gene, have been available for transformation of Trichoderma spp. For more extensive functional genomics studies the utilization of additional dominant markers will be essential. Results We established the Escherichia coli neomycin phosphotransferase II-encoding nptII gene as a novel selectable marker for the transformation of Trichoderma atroviride conferring geneticin resistance. The nptII marker cassette was stably integrated into the fungal genome and transformants exhibited unaltered phenotypes compared to the wild-type. Co-transformation of T. atroviride with nptII and a constitutively activated version of the Gα subunit-encoding tga3 gene (tga3Q207L resulted in a high number of mitotically stable, geneticin-resistant transformants. Further analyses revealed a co-transformation frequency of 68% with 15 transformants having additionally integrated tga3Q207L into their genome. Constitutive activation of the Tga3-mediated signaling pathway resulted in increased vegetative growth and an enhanced ability to antagonize plant pathogenic host fungi. Conclusion The neomycin phosphotransferase II-encoding nptII gene from Escherichia coli proved to be a valuable tool for conferring geneticin resistance to the filamentous fungus T. atroviride thereby contributing to an enhanced genetic
Island-Model Genomic Selection for Long-Term Genetic Improvement of Autogamous Crops.

Science.gov (United States)

Yabe, Shiori; Yamasaki, Masanori; Ebana, Kaworu; Hayashi, Takeshi; Iwata, Hiroyoshi

2016-01-01

Acceleration of genetic improvement of autogamous crops such as wheat and rice is necessary to increase cereal production in response to the global food crisis. Population and pedigree methods of breeding, which are based on inbred line selection, are used commonly in the genetic improvement of autogamous crops. These methods, however, produce a few novel combinations of genes in a breeding population. Recurrent selection promotes recombination among genes and produces novel combinations of genes in a breeding population, but it requires inaccurate single-plant evaluation for selection. Genomic selection (GS), which can predict genetic potential of individuals based on their marker genotype, might have high reliability of single-plant evaluation and might be effective in recurrent selection. To evaluate the efficiency of recurrent selection with GS, we conducted simulations using real marker genotype data of rice cultivars. Additionally, we introduced the concept of an "island model" inspired by evolutionary algorithms that might be useful to maintain genetic variation through the breeding process. We conducted GS simulations using real marker genotype data of rice cultivars to evaluate the efficiency of recurrent selection and the island model in an autogamous species. Results demonstrated the importance of producing novel combinations of genes through recurrent selection. An initial population derived from admixture of multiple bi-parental crosses showed larger genetic gains than a population derived from a single bi-parental cross in whole cycles, suggesting the importance of genetic variation in an initial population. The island-model GS better maintained genetic improvement in later generations than the other GS methods, suggesting that the island-model GS can utilize genetic variation in breeding and can retain alleles with small effects in the breeding population. The island-model GS will become a new breeding method that enhances the potential of genomic
Island-Model Genomic Selection for Long-Term Genetic Improvement of Autogamous Crops.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shiori Yabe

Full Text Available Acceleration of genetic improvement of autogamous crops such as wheat and rice is necessary to increase cereal production in response to the global food crisis. Population and pedigree methods of breeding, which are based on inbred line selection, are used commonly in the genetic improvement of autogamous crops. These methods, however, produce a few novel combinations of genes in a breeding population. Recurrent selection promotes recombination among genes and produces novel combinations of genes in a breeding population, but it requires inaccurate single-plant evaluation for selection. Genomic selection (GS, which can predict genetic potential of individuals based on their marker genotype, might have high reliability of single-plant evaluation and might be effective in recurrent selection. To evaluate the efficiency of recurrent selection with GS, we conducted simulations using real marker genotype data of rice cultivars. Additionally, we introduced the concept of an "island model" inspired by evolutionary algorithms that might be useful to maintain genetic variation through the breeding process. We conducted GS simulations using real marker genotype data of rice cultivars to evaluate the efficiency of recurrent selection and the island model in an autogamous species. Results demonstrated the importance of producing novel combinations of genes through recurrent selection. An initial population derived from admixture of multiple bi-parental crosses showed larger genetic gains than a population derived from a single bi-parental cross in whole cycles, suggesting the importance of genetic variation in an initial population. The island-model GS better maintained genetic improvement in later generations than the other GS methods, suggesting that the island-model GS can utilize genetic variation in breeding and can retain alleles with small effects in the breeding population. The island-model GS will become a new breeding method that enhances the
Accuracy of marker-assisted selection with auxiliary traits

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Genetic information on molecular markers is increasingly being used in plant and ..... index gets enhanced over RLT. ..... indicated in LT, the sampling errors in the parameter es- .... problem can only be handled by simulation studies of the.
Marker-assisted selection. Current status and future perspectives in crops, livestock, forestry and fish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guimaraes, E.P.; Ruane, J.; Scherf, B.D.; Sonnino, A.; Dargie, J.D.

2007-01-01

This book provides a comprehensive description and assessment of the use of marker-assisted selection for increasing the rate of genetic gain in crops, livestock, forestry and farmed fish, including the related policy, organizational and resource considerations. It continues FAO's tradition of dealing with issues of importance to agricultural and economic development in a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral manner. As such it is hoped that the information and options presented and the suggestions made will provide valuable guidance to scientists and breeders in both the public and private sectors, as well as to government and institutional policy and decision-makers
Nuclear medicine markers of tumor oxygenation and radioresistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, J. Donald; Schneider, R.H.; Stobbe, C.C.; Kim, E.; Engelhardt, E.L.; Coia, L.

1996-01-01

Purpose/Objective: The objective of this research project was to synthesize, purify, radiolabel and characterize second-generation nuclear medicine markers of tissue oxygenation with properties superior to iodoazomycin arabinoside (IAZA) and to validate the hypoxia-marking activity of optimal compounds by independent measurements of tumor oxygenation and tumor radioresistance. Materials and Methods: Six hypoxic markers of the iodoazomycin nucleoside class with water solubilities greater than IAZA were synthesized by published procedures. The markers were purified, chemically characterized and labeled with Iodine-125 or Iodine-131. Absolute rates of marker ligation to the macromolecules of hypoxic EMT-6 tumor cells in vitro were determined as a function of marker concentration and used to establish relative marker effectiveness. Hypoxic marking activity in tumors was determined from tumor/blood (T/B) and tumor/muscle (T/M) ratios of radiolabelled marker in EMT-6 tumor-bearing C.B17/Icr scid mice. The optimal marker was administered to R3327-H and R3327-AT tumor-bearing Fischer X Copenhagen rats for estimates of tumor oxygenation by T/B and T/M ratios. Oxygen distributions in the same tumors were obtained with the Eppendorf pO 2 Histograph. The radioresistance of individual tumors was determined from in vitro plating efficiencies of cells released from tumors which had been irradiated in vivo with 20 Gy Cs-137 γ-rays. Results: Of the six iodinated azomycin nucleosides investigated, five were novel markers and all had water solubilities higher than IAZA. Iodinated azomycin xylopyranoside (β-D-IAZXP) was selected as the optimal marker of this class since it 1) exhibited the highest absolute rate of ligation to hypoxic tumor cells in vitro, 2) had the fastest plasma clearance rate in tumor-bearing mice and 3) yielded high T/B ratios in both the mouse and rat tumor models employed in this study. Planar nuclear medicine images of (I-131) β-D-IAZXP in tumor-bearing rats
Mutant germplasm characterization using molecular markers. A manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

Plant biotechnology applications must not only respond to the challenge of improving food security and fostering socio-economic development, but in doing so, promote the conservation, diversification and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Nowadays the biotechnology toolbox available to plant breeders offers several new possibilities for increasing productivity, crop diversification and production, while developing a more sustainable agriculture. This training course focuses on one of the most promising set of techniques used in modern crop improvement programmes, i.e. on molecular markers. These are rapidly being adopted by plant breeders and molecular biologists as effective and appropriate tools for basic and applied studies addressing biological components in agricultural production systems. Their use in applied breeding programmes can range from facilitating the appropriate choice of parents for crosses, to mapping/tagging of gene blocks associated with economically important traits (often termed 'quantitative trait loci' (QTLs)). Gene tagging and QTL mapping in turn permit marker-assisted selection (MAS) in backcross, pedigree, and population improvement programmes, thereby facilitating more efficient incremental improvement of specific individual target traits. And through comparative genomics, molecular markers can be used in ways that allow us to more effectively discover and efficiently exploit biodiversity and the evolutionary relationships between organisms. Substantial progress has been made in recent years in mapping, tagging and isolating many agriculturally important genes using molecular markers due in large part to improvements in the techniques that have been developed to help find markers of interest. Among the techniques that are particularly promising are Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLPs), Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLPs), Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPDs), Microsatellites
Selective metal pattern formation and its EMI shielding efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ho-Chul; Kim, Jin-Young; Noh, Chang-Ho; Song, Ki Yong; Cho, Sung-Heon

2006-01-01

A novel method for selective metal pattern formation by using an enhanced life-time of photoexcited electron-hole pairs in bilayer thin film of amorphous titanium dioxide and hole-scavenger-containing poly(vinyl alcohol) was proposed. By UV-irradiation through photomask on the bilayer film, the photodefined image of photoelectrons could be easily and simply produced, consequently resulting in selective palladium (Pd) catalyst deposition by reduction. The successive electrolessplating on Pd catalysts and electroplating on electrolessplated pattern were possible. Furthermore, the electromagnetic interference shielding efficiencies of the metal mesh patterns with various characteristic length scales of line width and thickness were investigated
Detecting population structure in a high gene-flow species, Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus): direct, simultaneous evaluation of neutral vs putatively selected loci

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

André, C.; Larsson, L. C.; Laikre, L.

2010-01-01

In many marine fish species, genetic population structure is typically weak because populations are large, evolutionarily young and have a high potential for gene flow. We tested whether genetic markers influenced by natural selection are more efficient than the presumed neutral genetic markers t...
A deterministic simulation study of embryo marker-assisted selection for age at first calving in Nellore ( Bos indicus) beef cattle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rosa, A.J.M.; Bijma, P.; Oliveira, H.N.; Lobo, R.B.; Arendonk, van J.A.M.

2007-01-01

We used deterministic simulation of four alternative multiple ovulation and embryo manipulation (MOET) closed nucleus schemes to investigate the benefits of using marker-assisted selection (MAS) of Nellore (Bos indicus) beef cattle embryos prior to transplantation to reduce the age at first calving
Use of different marker pre-selection methods based on single SNP regression in the estimation of Genomic-EBVs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corrado Dimauro

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Two methods of SNPs pre-selection based on single marker regression for the estimation of genomic breeding values (G-EBVs were compared using simulated data provided by the XII QTL-MAS workshop: i Bonferroni correction of the significance threshold and ii Permutation test to obtain the reference distribution of the null hypothesis and identify significant markers at P<0.01 and P<0.001 significance thresholds. From the set of markers significant at P<0.001, random subsets of 50% and 25% markers were extracted, to evaluate the effect of further reducing the number of significant SNPs on G-EBV predictions. The Bonferroni correction method allowed the identification of 595 significant SNPs that gave the best G-EBV accuracies in prediction generations (82.80%. The permutation methods gave slightly lower G-EBV accuracies even if a larger number of SNPs resulted significant (2,053 and 1,352 for 0.01 and 0.001 significance thresholds, respectively. Interestingly, halving or dividing by four the number of SNPs significant at P<0.001 resulted in an only slightly decrease of G-EBV accuracies. The genetic structure of the simulated population with few QTL carrying large effects, might have favoured the Bonferroni method.
Selecting the Best of Portfolio Using OWA Operator Weights in Cross Efficiency-Evaluation

OpenAIRE

Sanei, Masoud; Banihashemi, Shokoofeh

2014-01-01

The present study is an attempt toward evaluating the performance of portfolios and asset selection using cross-efficiency evaluation. Cross-efficiency evaluation is an effective way of ranking decision making units (DMUs) in data envelopment analysis (DEA). The most widely used approach is to evaluate the efficiencies in each row or column in the cross-efficiency matrix with equal weights into an average cross-efficiency score for each DMU and consider it as the overall performance measureme...
Development and detection efficiency of sequence characterized amplified region markers for authentication of medicinal plant Ruta graveolens and its adulterant Euphorbia dracunculoides

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Irum Gul

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: With the increase in demand of herbal medicines, adulteration in these drugs is also gaining momentum and remains an indispensable problem in domestic and export markets. Correct identification is the first step toward assuring quality, safety, and efficacy of indigenous herbal medicines. Materials and Methods: In this study, sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR markers were developed to discriminate Ruta graveolens from its adulterant Euphorbia dracunculoides. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD was performed and subsequently converted into SCAR markers. Results: After performing RAPD, SCAR primers were designed from the selected unique RAPD amplicons of the genuine drug as well as its adulterant. These primers produced 670 bp and 750 bp SCAR markers with genomic DNA sample of R. graveolens and E. dracunculoides, respectively. Conclusion: Development of these markers will help in the quality control of herbal drugs and monitoring widespread adulteration of these drugs by pharmaceutical industries and government agencies.
Energy and spectral efficiency analysis for selective ARQ multi-channel systems

KAUST Repository

Shafique, Taniya

2017-07-31

In this paper, we develop selective retransmission schemes for multiple-channel systems. The proposed schemes are selective automatic repeat request with fixed bandwidth (SARQ-FB), selective chase combining with fixed bandwidth (SCC-FB) and selective automatic repeat request with variable bandwidth (SARQ-VB). The main objective of the proposed schemes is to use the available power and bandwidth budget effectively along with the selective retransmission to deliver the required data successfully within a limited number of transmissions. To investigate the performance of each scheme, we first analyze the average spectral and energy efficiency and derive closed form expressions for each scheme. Then, we compare the EE and SE of each scheme through numerical results.
Amygdala activation as a marker for selective attention toward neutral faces in a chronic traumatic brain injury population.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Leanne R; Yu, Weikei; Holloway, Michael; Rodgers, Barry N; Chapman, Sandra B; Krawczyk, Daniel C

2017-09-01

There has been great interest in characterizing the response of the amygdala to emotional faces, especially in the context of social cognition. Although amygdala activation is most often associated with fearful or angry stimuli, there is considerable evidence that the response of the amygdala to neutral faces is both robust and reliable. This characteristic of amygdala function is of particular interest in the context of assessing populations with executive function deficits, such as traumatic brain injuries, which can be evaluated using fMRI attention modulation tasks that evaluate prefrontal control over representations, notably faces. The current study tested the hypothesis that the amygdala may serve as a marker of selective attention to neutral faces. Using fMRI, we gathered data within a chronic traumatic brain injury population. Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signal change within the left and right amygdalae and fusiform face areas was measured while participants viewed neutral faces and scenes, under conditions requiring participants to (1) categorize pictures of faces and scenes, (2) selectively attend to either faces or scenes, or (3) attend to both faces and scenes. Findings revealed that the amygdala is an effective marker for selective attention to neutral faces and, furthermore, it was more face-specific than the fusiform face area. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Molecular markers. Amplified fragment length polymorphism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pržulj Novo

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism molecular markers (AFLPs has been developed combining procedures of RFLPs and RAPDs molekular markers, i.e. the first step is restriction digestion of the genomic DNA that is followed by selective amplification of the restricted fragments. The advantage of the AFLP technique is that it allows rapid generation of a large number of reproducible markers. The reproducibility of AFLPs markers is assured by the use of restriction site-specific adapters and adapter-specific primers for PCR reaction. Only fragments containing the restriction site sequence plus the additional nucleotides will be amplified and the more selected nucleotides added on the primer sequence the fewer the number of fragments amplified by PCR. The amplified products are normally separated on a sequencing gel and visualized after exposure to X-ray film or by using fluorescent labeled primers. AFLP shave proven to be extremely proficient in revealing diversity at below the species level. A disadvantage of AFLP technique is that AFLPs are essentially a dominant marker system and not able to identify heterozygotes.
Initiating genomic selection in tetraploid potato

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sverrisdóttir, Elsa; Janss, Luc; Byrne, Stephen

Breeding for more space and resource efficient crops is important to feed the world’s increasing population. Potatoes produce approximately twice the amount of calories per hectare compared to cereals. The traditional “mate and phenotype” breeding approach is costly and time-consuming; however......, the completion of the genome sequence of potato has enabled the application of genomics-assisted breeding technologies. Genomic selection using genome-wide molecular markers is becoming increasingly applicable to crops as the genotyping costs continue to reduce and it is thus an attractive breeding alternative...... selection, can be obtained with good prediction accuracies in tetraploid potato....
The dtd gene from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens encodes a putative D-tyrosyl-tRNATyr deacylase and is a selectable marker for Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Geraskina, Natalia V; Butov, Ivan A; Yomantas, Yurgis A V; Stoynova, Nataliya V

2015-02-01

Genetically engineered microbes are of high practical importance due to their cost-effective production of valuable metabolites and enzymes, and the search for new selectable markers for genetic manipulation is of particular interest. Here, we revealed that the soil bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens A50 is tolerant to the non-canonical amino acid D-tyrosine (D-Tyr), in contrast to the closely related Bacillus strain B. subtilis 168, which is a widely used "domesticated" laboratory strain. The gene responsible for resistance to D-Tyr was identified. The resistance was associated with the activity of a potential D-tyrosyl-tRNA(Tyr) deacylase. Orthologs of this enzyme are capable of hydrolyzing the ester bond and recycling misacetylated D-aminoacyl-tRNA molecules into free tRNAs and D-amino acids. This gene, yrvI (dtd), is applicable as a convenient, small selectable marker for non-antibiotic resistance selection in experiments aimed at genome editing of D-Tyr-sensitive microorganisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
Parentage Reconstruction in Eucalyptus nitens Using SNPs and Microsatellite Markers: A Comparative Analysis of Marker Data Power and Robustness.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily J Telfer

Full Text Available Pedigree reconstruction using molecular markers enables efficient management of inbreeding in open-pollinated breeding strategies, replacing expensive and time-consuming controlled pollination. This is particularly useful in preferentially outcrossed, insect pollinated Eucalypts known to suffer considerable inbreeding depression from related matings. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP marker panel consisting of 106 markers was selected for pedigree reconstruction from the recently developed high-density Eucalyptus Infinium SNP chip (EuCHIP60K. The performance of this SNP panel for pedigree reconstruction in open-pollinated progenies of two Eucalyptus nitens seed orchards was compared with that of two microsatellite panels with 13 and 16 markers respectively. The SNP marker panel out-performed one of the microsatellite panels in the resolution power to reconstruct pedigrees and out-performed both panels with respect to data quality. Parentage of all but one offspring in each clonal seed orchard was correctly matched to the expected seed parent using the SNP marker panel, whereas parentage assignment to less than a third of the expected seed parents were supported using the 13-microsatellite panel. The 16-microsatellite panel supported all but one of the recorded seed parents, one better than the SNP panel, although there was still a considerable level of missing and inconsistent data. SNP marker data was considerably superior to microsatellite data in accuracy, reproducibility and robustness. Although microsatellites and SNPs data provide equivalent resolution for pedigree reconstruction, microsatellite analysis requires more time and experience to deal with the uncertainties of allele calling and faces challenges for data transferability across labs and over time. While microsatellite analysis will continue to be useful for some breeding tasks due to the high information content, existing infrastructure and low operating costs, the multi

Parentage Reconstruction in Eucalyptus nitens Using SNPs and Microsatellite Markers: A Comparative Analysis of Marker Data Power and Robustness.

Science.gov (United States)

Telfer, Emily J; Stovold, Grahame T; Li, Yongjun; Silva-Junior, Orzenil B; Grattapaglia, Dario G; Dungey, Heidi S

2015-01-01

Pedigree reconstruction using molecular markers enables efficient management of inbreeding in open-pollinated breeding strategies, replacing expensive and time-consuming controlled pollination. This is particularly useful in preferentially outcrossed, insect pollinated Eucalypts known to suffer considerable inbreeding depression from related matings. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker panel consisting of 106 markers was selected for pedigree reconstruction from the recently developed high-density Eucalyptus Infinium SNP chip (EuCHIP60K). The performance of this SNP panel for pedigree reconstruction in open-pollinated progenies of two Eucalyptus nitens seed orchards was compared with that of two microsatellite panels with 13 and 16 markers respectively. The SNP marker panel out-performed one of the microsatellite panels in the resolution power to reconstruct pedigrees and out-performed both panels with respect to data quality. Parentage of all but one offspring in each clonal seed orchard was correctly matched to the expected seed parent using the SNP marker panel, whereas parentage assignment to less than a third of the expected seed parents were supported using the 13-microsatellite panel. The 16-microsatellite panel supported all but one of the recorded seed parents, one better than the SNP panel, although there was still a considerable level of missing and inconsistent data. SNP marker data was considerably superior to microsatellite data in accuracy, reproducibility and robustness. Although microsatellites and SNPs data provide equivalent resolution for pedigree reconstruction, microsatellite analysis requires more time and experience to deal with the uncertainties of allele calling and faces challenges for data transferability across labs and over time. While microsatellite analysis will continue to be useful for some breeding tasks due to the high information content, existing infrastructure and low operating costs, the multi-species SNP resource
Influence of Lay Plan Solution in Fabric Efficiency and Consume in Cutting Section

OpenAIRE

Dumishllari Elmira; Guxho Genti

2016-01-01

One cutting order may require several lies and markers to achieve optimal efficiency and selection of right Lay Plan is one of the major challenges in cutting section, in a way to lead in fabric economy and reduced costs. The main purpose of this paper is to determine the best solution of lay plan and its influence, in the cutting room, starting from the analysis of the lay indicators calculations. We have studied an order with 200 jackets, with specific sizes. Markers are made by Gemini CAD ...
Accuracy and simultaneous selection gains for N-stress tolerance and N-use efficiency in maize tropical lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro de Freitas Mendonça

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Maize plants can be N-use efficient or N-stress tolerant. The first have high yields in favorable environments but is drastically affected under stress conditions; whereas the second show satisfactory yields in stressful environments but only moderate ones under optimal conditions. In this context, our aim was to assess the possibility of selecting tropical maize lines that are simultaneously N-stress tolerant and N-use efficient and check for differences between simultaneous selection statistical methods. Sixty-four tropical maize lines were evaluated for Nitrogen Agronomic Efficiency (NAE and Low Nitrogen Tolerance (LNTI response indices and two per se selection indices, Low Nitrogen Agronomic Efficiency (LNAE and Harmonic Mean of Relative Performance (HMRP. We performed eight selection scenarios: LNAE; HMRP; Additive index; Mulamba-Mock index; and Independent culling levels. The last three was predicted by REML/BLUP single-trait and multi-trait using genotypic values of NAE and LNTI. The REML/BLUP multi-trait analysis was superior to the single-trait analysis due to high unfavorable correlation between NAE and LNTI. However, the accuracy and genotypic determination coefficient of NAE and LNTI were too low. Thus, neither single- nor multi-trait analysis achieved a good result for simultaneous selection nor N-use efficiency nor N-stress tolerance. LNAE obtained satisfactorily accurate values and genotypic determination coefficient, but its performance in selection gain was worse than HMRP, particularly in terms of N-use efficiency. Therefore, because of the superior performance in accuracy, genotypic determination coefficient and selection, HMRP was considered the best simultaneous selection methodology of the scenarios tested for N-use efficiency and N-stress tolerance.
Efficiency of semi-automated fluorescent multiplex PCRs with 11 microsatellite markers for genetic studies of deer populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnet, A; Thévenon, S; Maudet, F; Maillard, J C

2002-10-01

Thirty bovine and eight ovine microsatellite primer pairs were tested on four tropical deer species: Eld's and Swamp deer (highly threatened) and Rusa and Vietnamese Sika deer (economically important). Thirty markers gave an amplified product in all four species (78.9%). The number of polymorphic microsatellite markers varied among the species from 14 in Eld's deer (47%) to 20 in Swamp deer (67%). Among them, 11 microsatellite loci were multiplexed in three polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) and labelled with three different fluorochromes that can be loaded in one gel-lane. To test the efficiency of the multiplex, primary genetic studies (mean number of alleles, expected heterozygosities and Fis values) were carried out on four deer populations. Parentage exclusion probability and probability of identity were computed and discussed on a Swamp deer population. These multiplexes PCRs were also tested on several other deer species and subspecies. The aim of this study is to establish a tool useful for genetic studies of population structure and diversity in four tropical deer species which with few modifications can be applied to other species of the genus Cervus.
Toward the development of an efficient transposon marker system for soil bacteria based on the gusA gene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corbo, Joseph C.

1991-01-01

On account of the numerous drawbacks of presently existing marker gene systems, we have decided to concentrate on the use of the gusA gene as a marker, since it avoids many of the problems encountered by these other systems. Before I discuss the goals of my work, I would like briefly to describe the beta-gtucuronidase enzyme, its structural gene gusA, and their normal function in E. coli. The gusA gene was originally isolated from E. coli, one of the major constituents of the microflora of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. In its native host it forms an operon with two other genes, gusB and gusC, and is involved in the uptake and degradation of glucuronidated compounds. Since glucuronidation (the covalent attachment of a glucuronide group) is the principal means of detoxification of xenobiotic compounds in human beings, it is reasonable enough that E. co//should have evolved such an enzyme. By selectively taking up the glucuronated compounds which it encounters in the gut, E. co//acquires a food source, glucuronic acid, which it obtains by hydrolyzing the glucuronide from its aglycone by means of the beta-glucuronidase enzyme. When we assay beta-glucuronidase activity we employ a colorless substrate known as X-gluc which has the chemical formula 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl beta-D-glucuronide. Upon removal of the glucuronide group the aglycone quickly dimerizes via oxidation to produce an insoluble, deep blue precipitate, which is readily identifiable as the hallmark sign of beta-glucuronidase activity. In this work it was tried to accomplish two related goals: the first goal was to build a marker gene construct using the gusA gene that would meet the requirements for a marker system that I have outlined above; the second goal was to find the best possible marker delivery system that would allow maximal ease of transfer of the marker gene from a host strain to the soil bacterium which is to be marked
Genome-wide generation and use of informative intron-spanning and intron-length polymorphism markers for high-throughput genetic analysis in rice

Science.gov (United States)

Badoni, Saurabh; Das, Sweta; Sayal, Yogesh K.; Gopalakrishnan, S.; Singh, Ashok K.; Rao, Atmakuri R.; Agarwal, Pinky; Parida, Swarup K.; Tyagi, Akhilesh K.

2016-01-01

We developed genome-wide 84634 ISM (intron-spanning marker) and 16510 InDel-fragment length polymorphism-based ILP (intron-length polymorphism) markers from genes physically mapped on 12 rice chromosomes. These genic markers revealed much higher amplification-efficiency (80%) and polymorphic-potential (66%) among rice accessions even by a cost-effective agarose gel-based assay. A wider level of functional molecular diversity (17–79%) and well-defined precise admixed genetic structure was assayed by 3052 genome-wide markers in a structured population of indica, japonica, aromatic and wild rice. Six major grain weight QTLs (11.9–21.6% phenotypic variation explained) were mapped on five rice chromosomes of a high-density (inter-marker distance: 0.98 cM) genetic linkage map (IR 64 x Sonasal) anchored with 2785 known/candidate gene-derived ISM and ILP markers. The designing of multiple ISM and ILP markers (2 to 4 markers/gene) in an individual gene will broaden the user-preference to select suitable primer combination for efficient assaying of functional allelic variation/diversity and realistic estimation of differential gene expression profiles among rice accessions. The genomic information generated in our study is made publicly accessible through a user-friendly web-resource, “Oryza ISM-ILP marker” database. The known/candidate gene-derived ISM and ILP markers can be enormously deployed to identify functionally relevant trait-associated molecular tags by optimal-resource expenses, leading towards genomics-assisted crop improvement in rice. PMID:27032371
Technical, economic and policy considerations on marker-assisted selection in crops: lessons from the experience at an international agricultural research centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

William, H.M.; Warburton, M.; Morris, M.; Hoisington, D.A.

2007-01-01

Molecular markers and related technologies have been used extensively in genetic characterization and identification of loci controlling traits of economic importance in many crop species. However, the application of such tools for crop improvement has not been extensive, at least in the public sector. Although there are clear advantages in using molecular markers as tools for indirect selection of traits of importance, available examples indicate that their use is restricted to traits with monogenic inheritance or when the inheritance is conditioned by a few genes with large effects. Another important limitation of large-scale marker applications is the cost involved in marker assays, which may be beyond the capacities of many public plant breeding enterprises. For an effective marker-assisted selection (MAS) activity to facilitate ongoing crop improvement programmes, especially in the context of the developing countries, laboratories with adequate capacity and adequately trained scientific personnel as well as operational resources are required. Although recent technological advances such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and associated assay protocols are likely to reduce assay costs significantly, for many of these operations, assay platforms with significant capital investments including computational capacity are required. Coupled with these limitations, private sector domination of biotechnology research with proprietary rights to important products and processes with immediate benefits to developing countries may further constrain the benefits these technologies may offer to resource-poor farmers. Policy-makers in different national programmes and international development and research agencies have a responsibility to sustain and augment the capacity of national public agricultural research organizations to ensure that biotechnology tools and processes are infused appropriately into national research efforts. They must also ensure that any
New Clox Systems for rapid and efficient gene disruption in Candida albicans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahida Shahana

Full Text Available Precise genome modification is essential for the molecular dissection of Candida albicans, and is yielding invaluable information about the roles of specific gene functions in this major fungal pathogen of humans. C. albicans is naturally diploid, unable to undergo meiosis, and utilizes a non-canonical genetic code. Hence, specialized tools have had to be developed for gene disruption in C. albicans that permit the deletion of both target alleles, and in some cases, the recycling of the Candida-specific selectable markers. Previously, we developed a tool based on the Cre recombinase, which recycles markers in C. albicans with 90-100% efficiency via site-specific recombination between loxP sites. Ironically, the utility of this system was hampered by the extreme efficiency of Cre, which prevented the construction in Escherichia coli of stable disruption cassettes carrying a methionine-regulatable CaMET3p-cre gene flanked by loxP sites. Therefore, we have significantly enhanced this system by engineering new Clox cassettes that carry a synthetic, intron-containing cre gene. The Clox kit facilitates efficient transformation and marker recycling, thereby simplifying and accelerating the process of gene disruption in C. albicans. Indeed, homozygous mutants can be generated and their markers resolved within two weeks. The Clox kit facilitates strategies involving single marker recycling or multi-marker gene disruption. Furthermore, it includes the dominant NAT1 marker, as well as URA3, HIS1 and ARG4 cassettes, thereby permitting the manipulation of clinical isolates as well as genetically marked strains of C. albicans. The accelerated gene disruption strategies afforded by this new Clox system are likely to have a profound impact on the speed with which C. albicans pathobiology can be dissected.
Effect of pulse sequence parameter selection on signal strength in positive-contrast MRI markers for MRI-based prostate postimplant assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Tze Yee [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 and The University of Texas at Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); Kudchadker, Rajat J., E-mail: rkudchad@mdanderson.org; Wang, Jihong; Ibbott, Geoffrey S. [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); Stafford, R. Jason [Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); MacLellan, Christopher [Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 and The University of Texas at Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); Rao, Arvind [Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); Frank, Steven J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States)

2016-07-15

Purpose: For postimplant dosimetric assessment, computed tomography (CT) is commonly used to identify prostate brachytherapy seeds, at the expense of accurate anatomical contouring. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is superior to CT for anatomical delineation, but identification of the negative-contrast seeds is challenging. Positive-contrast MRI markers were proposed to replace spacers to assist seed localization on MRI images. Visualization of these markers under varying scan parameters was investigated. Methods: To simulate a clinical scenario, a prostate phantom was implanted with 66 markers and 86 seeds, and imaged on a 3.0T MRI scanner using a 3D fast radiofrequency-spoiled gradient recalled echo acquisition with various combinations of scan parameters. Scan parameters, including flip angle, number of excitations, bandwidth, field-of-view, slice thickness, and encoding steps were systematically varied to study their effects on signal, noise, scan time, image resolution, and artifacts. Results: The effects of pulse sequence parameter selection on the marker signal strength and image noise were characterized. The authors also examined the tradeoff between signal-to-noise ratio, scan time, and image artifacts, such as the wraparound artifact, susceptibility artifact, chemical shift artifact, and partial volume averaging artifact. Given reasonable scan time and managable artifacts, the authors recommended scan parameter combinations that can provide robust visualization of the MRI markers. Conclusions: The recommended MRI pulse sequence protocol allows for consistent visualization of the markers to assist seed localization, potentially enabling MRI-only prostate postimplant dosimetry.
Addition of chromic oxide to creep feed as a fecal marker for selection of creep feed-eating suckling pigs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuller, W.I.; Beers-Schreurs, van H.M.G.; Soede, N.M.; Taverne, M.A.M.; Kemp, B.; Verheijden, J.H.M.

2007-01-01

Objective-To determine whether the addition of chromic oxide (Cr2O3) to creep feed could be used as a visual marker in feces for selection of creep feed-eating suckling pigs. Animals-20 suckling pigs. Procedures-Via syringe, 5 pigs (2 to 3 days old on day 0; 1 pig/treatment) from each of 4 litters
Marker-assisted selection as a potential tool for genetic improvement in developing countries: debating the issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, J.; Ruane, J.

2007-01-01

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a complementary technology, for use in conjunction with more established conventional methods of genetic selection, for plant and animal improvement. It has generated a good deal of expectations, many of which have yet to be realized. Although documentation is limited, the current impact of MAS on products delivered to farmers seems small. While the future possibilities and potential impacts of MAS are considerable, there are also obstacles to its use, particularly in developing countries. Principal among these are issues relating to current high costs of the technology and its appropriateness, given that publicly funded agricultural research in many developing countries is suboptimal and development priorities do not necessarily include genetic improvement programmes. Other potential obstacles to the uptake of MAS in developing countries include limited infrastructure, the absence of conventional selection and breeding programmes, poor private sector involvement and lack of research on specific crops of importance in developing countries. Intellectual property rights may also be an important constraint to development and uptake of MAS in the developing world. It is hoped that through partnerships between developing and developed country institutions and individuals, including public-private sector collaboration, MAS costs can be reduced, resources pooled and shared and capacity developed. With the assistance of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and international organizations such as FAO, developing countries can benefit more from MAS. These were some of the outcomes of a moderated e-mail conference, entitled 'Molecular Marker- Assisted Selection as a Potential Tool for Genetic Improvement of Crops, Forest Trees, Livestock and Fish in Developing Countries', that FAO hosted at the end of 2003. During the four-week conference, 627 people subscribed and 85 messages were posted, about 60 percent
Marker-Assisted Selection for Recognizing Wheat Mutant Genotypes Carrying HMW Glutenin Alleles Related to Baking Quality

OpenAIRE

Zamani, Mohammad Javad; Bihamta, Mohammad Reza; Naserian Khiabani, Behnam; Tahernezhad, Zahra; Hallajian, Mohammad Taher; Shamsi, Marzieh Varasteh

2014-01-01

Allelic diversity of HMW glutenin loci in several studies revealed that allelic combinations affect dough quality. Dx5 + Dy10 subunits are related to good baking quality and Dx2 + Dy12 are related to undesirable baking quality. One of the most regular methods to evaluate the baking quality is SDS-PAGE which is used to improve baking quality labs. Marker-assisted selection is the method which can recognize the alleles related to baking quality and this method is based on polymerase chain reac...
Molecular analysis of commercial date palm cultivars in Lybia using ISSR and SRAP PCR-based markers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalifa Noha S.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Little is known about the molecular structure of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L. despite its importance as invaluable drought tolerant crop. Intervarietal variation and cultivar identification are crucial for breeding and gene bank conservation of this plant worldwide. In this work, two PCR based marker systems (ISSR and SRAP were applied on top quality eight commercial cultivars in Libya (Umfetity, Bekrary, Alhamraya, Sufeer Genab, Alsaeedy Show, Farag Barameel, Majhool Alheelo and Alkhadraya. DNA variations were explored using eleven ISSR and nine combinations of SRAP markers. All markers used generated polymorphic bands among the different cultivars that can be used as molecular markers for their differentiation. The genetic distance between cultivars was also estimated from banding patterns. Our results indicate that ISSR and SRAP systems can efficiently identify and differentiate between the selected cultivars. This work can be used as a model to establish a road map for all date palm cultivars worldwide.
Locating disease genes using Bayesian variable selection with the Haseman-Elston method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

He Qimei

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We applied stochastic search variable selection (SSVS, a Bayesian model selection method, to the simulated data of Genetic Analysis Workshop 13. We used SSVS with the revisited Haseman-Elston method to find the markers linked to the loci determining change in cholesterol over time. To study gene-gene interaction (epistasis and gene-environment interaction, we adopted prior structures, which incorporate the relationship among the predictors. This allows SSVS to search in the model space more efficiently and avoid the less likely models. Results In applying SSVS, instead of looking at the posterior distribution of each of the candidate models, which is sensitive to the setting of the prior, we ranked the candidate variables (markers according to their marginal posterior probability, which was shown to be more robust to the prior. Compared with traditional methods that consider one marker at a time, our method considers all markers simultaneously and obtains more favorable results. Conclusions We showed that SSVS is a powerful method for identifying linked markers using the Haseman-Elston method, even for weak effects. SSVS is very effective because it does a smart search over the entire model space.
Tumor markers in clinical oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novakovic, S.

2004-01-01

The subtle differences between normal and tumor cells are exploited in the detection and treatment of cancer. These differences are designated as tumor markers and can be either qualitative or quantitative in their nature. That means that both the structures that are produced by tumor cells as well as the structures that are produced in excessive amounts by host tissues under the influence of tumor cells can function as tumor markers. Speaking in general, the tumor markers are the specific molecules appearing in the blood or tissues and the occurrence of which is associated with cancer. According to their application, tumor markers can be roughly divided as markers in clinical oncology and markers in pathology. In this review, only tumor markers in clinical oncology are going to be discussed. Current tumor markers in clinical oncology include (i) oncofetal antigens, (ii) placental proteins, (iii) hormones, (iv) enzymes, (v) tumor-associated antigens, (vi) special serum proteins, (vii) catecholamine metabolites, and (viii) miscellaneous markers. As to the literature, an ideal tumor marker should fulfil certain criteria - when using it as a test for detection of cancer disease: (1) positive results should occur in the early stages of the disease, (2) positive results should occur only in the patients with a specific type of malignancy, (3) positive results should occur in all patients with the same malignancy, (4) the measured values should correlate with the stage of the disease, (5) the measured values should correlate to the response to treatment, (6) the marker should be easy to measure. Most tumor markers available today meet several, but not all criteria. As a consequence of that, some criteria were chosen for the validation and proper selection of the most appropriate marker in a particular malignancy, and these are: (1) markers' sensitivity, (2) specificity, and (3) predictive values. Sensitivity expresses the mean probability of determining an elevated tumor
Industrially feasible, dopant-free, carrier-selective contacts for high-efficiency silicon solar cells

KAUST Repository

Yang, Xinbo

2017-05-31

Dopant-free, carrier-selective contacts (CSCs) on high efficiency silicon solar cells combine ease of deposition with potential optical benefits. Electron-selective titanium dioxide (TiO) contacts, one of the most promising dopant-free CSC technologies, have been successfully implemented into silicon solar cells with an efficiency over 21%. Here, we report further progress of TiO contacts for silicon solar cells and present an assessment of their industrial feasibility. With improved TiO contact quality and cell processing, a remarkable efficiency of 22.1% has been achieved using an n-type silicon solar cell featuring a full-area TiO contact. Next, we demonstrate the compatibility of TiO contacts with an industrial contact-firing process, its low performance sensitivity to the wafer resistivity, its applicability to ultrathin substrates as well as its long-term stability. Our findings underscore the great appeal of TiO contacts for industrial implementation with their combination of high efficiency with robust fabrication at low cost.
Increased prediction accuracy in wheat breeding trials using a marker × environment interaction genomic selection model.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez-Cruz, Marco; Crossa, Jose; Bonnett, David; Dreisigacker, Susanne; Poland, Jesse; Jannink, Jean-Luc; Singh, Ravi P; Autrique, Enrique; de los Campos, Gustavo

2015-02-06

Genomic selection (GS) models use genome-wide genetic information to predict genetic values of candidates of selection. Originally, these models were developed without considering genotype × environment interaction(G×E). Several authors have proposed extensions of the single-environment GS model that accommodate G×E using either covariance functions or environmental covariates. In this study, we model G×E using a marker × environment interaction (M×E) GS model; the approach is conceptually simple and can be implemented with existing GS software. We discuss how the model can be implemented by using an explicit regression of phenotypes on markers or using co-variance structures (a genomic best linear unbiased prediction-type model). We used the M×E model to analyze three CIMMYT wheat data sets (W1, W2, and W3), where more than 1000 lines were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing and evaluated at CIMMYT's research station in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, under simulated environmental conditions that covered different irrigation levels, sowing dates and planting systems. We compared the M×E model with a stratified (i.e., within-environment) analysis and with a standard (across-environment) GS model that assumes that effects are constant across environments (i.e., ignoring G×E). The prediction accuracy of the M×E model was substantially greater of that of an across-environment analysis that ignores G×E. Depending on the prediction problem, the M×E model had either similar or greater levels of prediction accuracy than the stratified analyses. The M×E model decomposes marker effects and genomic values into components that are stable across environments (main effects) and others that are environment-specific (interactions). Therefore, in principle, the interaction model could shed light over which variants have effects that are stable across environments and which ones are responsible for G×E. The data set and the scripts required to reproduce the analysis are
CRISPR/Cas9-Assisted Transformation-Efficient Reaction (CRATER) for Near-Perfect Selective Transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Rothschild, Lynn J.; Greenberg, Daniel T.; Takahashi, Jack R.; Thompson, Kirsten A.; Maheshwari, Akshay J.; Kent, Ryan E.; McCutcheon, Griffin; Shih, Joseph D.; Calvet, Charles; Devlin, Tyler D.;

2015-01-01

The CRISPR (Clustered, Regularly Interspaced, Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas9 system has revolutionized genome editing by providing unprecedented DNA-targeting specificity. Here we demonstrate that this system can be also applied in vitro to fundamental cloning steps to facilitate efficient plasmid selection for transformation and selective gene insertion into plasmid vectors by cleaving unwanted plasmid byproducts with a single-guide RNA (sgRNA)-Cas9 nuclease complex. Using fluorescent and chromogenic proteins as reporters, we demonstrate that CRISPR/Cas9 cleavage excludes multiple plasmids as well as unwanted ligation byproducts resulting in an unprecedented increase in the transformation success rate from approximately 20% to nearly 100%. Thus, this CRISPR/Cas9-Assisted Transformation-Efficient Reaction (CRATER) protocol is a novel, inexpensive, and convenient application to conventional molecular cloning to achieve near-perfect selective transformation.

Design and in vivo evaluation of more efficient and selective deep brain stimulation electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, Bryan; Huynh, Brian; Grill, Warren M.

2015-08-01

Objective. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for movement disorders and a promising therapy for treating epilepsy and psychiatric disorders. Despite its clinical success, the efficiency and selectivity of DBS can be improved. Our objective was to design electrode geometries that increased the efficiency and selectivity of DBS. Approach. We coupled computational models of electrodes in brain tissue with cable models of axons of passage (AOPs), terminating axons (TAs), and local neurons (LNs); we used engineering optimization to design electrodes for stimulating these neural elements; and the model predictions were tested in vivo. Main results. Compared with the standard electrode used in the Medtronic Model 3387 and 3389 arrays, model-optimized electrodes consumed 45-84% less power. Similar gains in selectivity were evident with the optimized electrodes: 50% of parallel AOPs could be activated while reducing activation of perpendicular AOPs from 44 to 48% with the standard electrode to 0-14% with bipolar designs; 50% of perpendicular AOPs could be activated while reducing activation of parallel AOPs from 53 to 55% with the standard electrode to 1-5% with an array of cathodes; and, 50% of TAs could be activated while reducing activation of AOPs from 43 to 100% with the standard electrode to 2-15% with a distal anode. In vivo, both the geometry and polarity of the electrode had a profound impact on the efficiency and selectivity of stimulation. Significance. Model-based design is a powerful tool that can be used to improve the efficiency and selectivity of DBS electrodes.
Measure Guideline. Energy-Efficient Window Performance and Selection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carmody, John [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR; Haglund, Kerry [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR

2012-11-01

This document provides guidelines for the selection of energy-efficient windows in new and existing residential construction in all U.S. climate zones. It includes information on window products, their attributes and performance. It provides cost/benefit information on window energy savings as well as information on non-energy benefits such as thermal comfort and reduced HVAC demands. The report also provides information on energy impacts of design decisions such as window orientation, total glazing area and shading devices and conditions. Information on resources for proper window installation is included as well.

Biochemical markers of bone turnover

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Deog Yoon

1999-01-01

Biochemical markers of bone turnover has received increasing attention over the past few years, because of the need for sensitivity and specific tool in the clinical investigation of osteoporosis. Bone markers should be unique to bone, reflect changes of bone less, and should be correlated with radiocalcium kinetics, histomorphometry, or changes in bone mass. The markers also should be useful in monitoring treatment efficacy. Although no bone marker has been established to meet all these criteria, currently osteocalcin and pyridinium crosslinks are the most efficient markers to assess the level of bone turnover in the menopausal and senile osteoporosis. Recently, N-terminal telopeptide (NTX), C-terminal telopeptide (CTX) and bone specific alkaline phosphatase are considered as new valid markers of bone turnover. Recent data suggest that CTX and free deoxypyridinoline could predict the subsequent risk of hip fracture of elderly women. Treatment of postmenopausal women with estrogen, calcitonin and bisphosphonates demonstrated rapid decrease of the levels of bone markers that correlated with the long-term increase of bone mass. Factors such as circadian rhythms, diet, age, sex, bone mass and renal function affect the results of biochemical markers and should be appropriately adjusted whenever possible. Each biochemical markers of bone turnover may have its own specific advantages and limitations. Recent advances in research will provide more sensitive and specific assays
A deterministic simulation study of embryo marker-assisted selection for age at first calving in Nellore (Bos indicus beef cattle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artur J.M. Rosa

2007-01-01

Full Text Available We used deterministic simulation of four alternative multiple ovulation and embryo manipulation (MOET closed nucleus schemes to investigate the benefits of using marker-assisted selection (MAS of Nellore (Bos indicus beef cattle embryos prior to transplantation to reduce the age at first calving (AFC. We found that MAS resulted in increased genetic gain as compared to selection without AFC quantitative trait loci (AFC-QTL information. With single-stage selection the genetic response (GR increased as follows: GR = 0.68% when the AFC-QTL explained 0.02 of the AFC additive genetic variance (sigma2A; GR = 1.76% for AFC-QTL explaining 0.05 sigma2A; GR = 3.7% for AFC-QTL explaining 0.1 sigma2A; and GR = 55.76% for AFC-QTL explaining 0.95 sigma2A. At the same total selected proportion, two-stage selection resulted in less genetic gain than single stage MAS at two-years of age. A single stage selection responses of > 95% occurred with pre-selected proportions of 0.4 (0.1 sigma2A explained by AFC-QTL, 0.2 (0.3 sigma2A explained by AFC-QTL and 0.1 (0.5 sigma2A explained by AFC-QTL, indicating that the combined use of MAS and pre-selection can substantially reduce the cost of keeping recipient heifers in MOET breeding schemes. When the number of recipients was kept constant, the benefit of increasing embryo production was greater for the QTL explaining a higher proportion of the additive genetic variance. However this advantage had a diminishing return especially for QTL explaining a small proportion of the additive genetic variance. Thus, marker assisted selection of embryos can be used to achieve increased genetic gain or a similar genetic response at reduced expense by decreasing the number of recipient cows and number of offspring raised to two-years of age.
Validation of microsatellite markers for assisted selection of soybean resistance to cyst nematode races 3 and 14 Validação de marcadores microssatélites para a seleção assistida de resistência de soja ao nematóide-de-cisto raças 3 e 14

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcia Flores da Silva

2007-08-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to validate microsatellite markers associated with resistance to soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe races 3 and 14, in soybean (Glycine max L. genotypes, for use in marker-assisted selection (MAS programs. Microsatellites of soybean linkage groups A2, D2 and G were tested in two populations, and their selection efficiencies were determined. The populations were 65 F2:3 families from Msoy8001 (resistant x Conquista (susceptible cross, and 66 F2:3 families of S5995 (resistant x Renascença (susceptible cross, evaluated for resistance to races 3 and 14, respectively. Families with female index up to 30% were considered moderately resistant. Markers of A2 and G linkage groups were associated with resistance to race 3. Markers Satt309 and GMENOD2B explained the greatest proportion of phenotypic variance in the different groups. The combinations Satt309+GMENOD2B and Satt309+Satt187 presented 100% selection efficiency. Resistance to race 14 was associated with markers of G linkage group, and selection efficiency in the Satt309+Satt356 combination was 100%. The selection differential obtained by phenotypic and marker assisted selection showed that both can result in similar gains.O objetivo deste trabalho foi validar marcadores microssatélites associados à resistência às raças 3 e 14 do nematóide-de-cisto (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe da soja (Glycine max L., para serem utilizados em programas de seleção assistida por marcadores moleculares (SAM. Microssatélites dos grupos de ligação A2, D2 e G da soja foram testados em duas populações, e suas eficiências de seleção foram determinadas. As populações foram 65 famílias F2:3, do cruzamento Msoy8001 (resistente x Conquista (suscetível, e 66 famílias F2:3, do cruzamento S5995 (resistente x Renascença (suscetível, avaliadas para a resistência às raças 3 e 14, respectivamente. Famílias com índice de fêmeas de até 30% foram
Marker-assisted selection in crop and livestock improvement: how to strengthen national research capacity and international partnerships

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopes, M.A.

2007-01-01

It is generally recognized that marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a tool that breeders can use to accelerate the speed and precision of crop and livestock breeding in developing countries. However, its practical application has been more difficult than previously expected. Although advances in molecular marker technology have uncovered many possibilities for transferring genes into desired crops and livestock through MAS, more methodological development and better planning and implementation strategies will be needed for its successful and expeditious application to breeding programmes. Also, this technology should not be regarded as an end in itself, but as an interacting part of complex strategies and decision-making processes. An appropriate mix of technologies and capabilities together with effective approaches to networking must be viewed as key ingredients for its correct development and application to breeding programmes. This chapter describes some strategies to guide decisions about structures, methods and capacities that may contribute to enhancing the access and successful use of MAS in developing countries. (author)
In silico polymorphism analysis for the development of simple sequence repeat and transposon markers and construction of linkage map in cultivated peanut

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirasawa Kenta

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Peanut (Arachis hypogaea is an autogamous allotetraploid legume (2n = 4x = 40 that is widely cultivated as a food and oil crop. More than 6,000 DNA markers have been developed in Arachis spp., but high-density linkage maps useful for genetics, genomics, and breeding have not been constructed due to extremely low genetic diversity. Polymorphic marker loci are useful for the construction of such high-density linkage maps. The present study used in silico analysis to develop simple sequence repeat-based and transposon-based markers. Results The use of in silico analysis increased the efficiency of polymorphic marker development by more than 3-fold. In total, 926 (34.2% of 2,702 markers showed polymorphisms between parental lines of the mapping population. Linkage analysis of the 926 markers along with 253 polymorphic markers selected from 4,449 published markers generated 21 linkage groups covering 2,166.4 cM with 1,114 loci. Based on the map thus produced, 23 quantitative trait loci (QTLs for 15 agronomical traits were detected. Another linkage map with 326 loci was also constructed and revealed a relationship between the genotypes of the FAD2 genes and the ratio of oleic/linoleic acid in peanut seed. Conclusions In silico analysis of polymorphisms increased the efficiency of polymorphic marker development, and contributed to the construction of high-density linkage maps in cultivated peanut. The resultant maps were applicable to QTL analysis. Marker subsets and linkage maps developed in this study should be useful for genetics, genomics, and breeding in Arachis. The data are available at the Kazusa DNA Marker Database (http://marker.kazusa.or.jp.
Molecular markers of neuropsychological functioning and Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Melissa; Balldin, Valerie Hobson; Hall, James; O'Bryant, Sid

2015-03-01

The current project sought to examine molecular markers of neuropsychological functioning among elders with and without Alzheimer's disease (AD) and determine the predictive ability of combined molecular markers and select neuropsychological tests in detecting disease presence. Data were analyzed from 300 participants (n = 150, AD and n = 150, controls) enrolled in the Texas Alzheimer's Research and Care Consortium. Linear regression models were created to examine the link between the top five molecular markers from our AD blood profile and neuropsychological test scores. Logistical regressions were used to predict AD presence using serum biomarkers in combination with select neuropsychological measures. Using the neuropsychological test with the least amount of variance overlap with the molecular markers, the combined neuropsychological test and molecular markers was highly accurate in detecting AD presence. This work provides the foundation for the generation of a point-of-care device that can be used to screen for AD.
Black silicon laser-doped selective emitter solar cell with 18.1% efficiency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Davidsen, Rasmus Schmidt; Li, Hongzhao; To, Alexander

2016-01-01

We report fabrication of nanostructured, laser-doped selective emitter (LDSE) silicon solar cells with power conversion efficiency of 18.1% and a fill factor (FF) of 80.1%. The nanostructured solar cells were realized through a single step, mask-less, scalable reactive ion etch (RIE) texturing......-texturing as well as the LDSE process, we consider this specific combination a promising candidate for a cost-efficient process for future Si solar cells....
QTL analysis by sequencing of Water Use Efficiency (WUE) in potato

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaminski, Kacper Piotr; Sønderkær, Mads; Sørensen, Kirsten Kørup

2013-01-01

The traditional approach to potato breeding, the classical “mate and phenotype” approach is relatively costly and because phenotyping and growth capacity is limited, this are being slowly replaced by Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) breeding schemes. MAS is based on the presence of DNA polymorphic.......sparsipilum), phenotyped for water use efficiency. This population has also previously been phenotyped for the total glycoalkaloid (TGA) content....... and time consuming process. Here, a novel method for Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) analysis has been developed, that allows for development of specific markers by use of genomic sequence reads and the recently published reference genome sequence for potato. Prior to sequencing the mapping population...
Mean-variance portfolio selection and efficient frontier for defined contribution pension schemes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Højgaard, Bjarne; Vigna, Elena

We solve a mean-variance portfolio selection problem in the accumulation phase of a defined contribution pension scheme. The efficient frontier, which is found for the 2 asset case as well as the n + 1 asset case, gives the member the possibility to decide his own risk/reward profile. The mean...... as a mean-variance optimization problem. It is shown that the corresponding mean and variance of the final fund belong to the efficient frontier and also the opposite, that each point on the efficient frontier corresponds to a target-based optimization problem. Furthermore, numerical results indicate...... that the largely adopted lifestyle strategy seems to be very far from being efficient in the mean-variance setting....
Efficient selection of banks of transformers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia G, Grester; De Armas T, Marcos A.

2009-01-01

This paper show a procedure to select the most profitable transformer banks in an specific service or in new investments with emphasis in the reduction of the operational losses, the cost in useful life, and the increase of the system efficiency using techniques of artificial intelligence. The method constitutes a tool that can be used in field conditions without invasive test and with data of easy acquisition according to the state of the art. The program was developed to analyze any type of transformers or transformer bank connection? single phase, three phase transformers or two or three transformers in symmetric or asymmetric configuration for three phase and single phase services. The economic analysis is made by the Cost of Cycle Life (CCV) of the analyzed configuration. As a case the results obtained in the gas station La Calzada of the Cienfuegos municipality is presented.
Genetic diversity and parentage in farmer selections of cacao from Southern Sulawesi, Indonesia revealed by microsatellite markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinarti, Diny; Susilo, Agung W; Meinhardt, Lyndel W; Ji, Kun; Motilal, Lambert A; Mischke, Sue; Zhang, Dapeng

2015-12-01

Indonesia is the third largest cocoa-producing country in the world. Knowledge of genetic diversity and parentage of farmer selections is important for effective selection and rational deployment of superior cacao clones in farmers' fields. We assessed genetic diversity and parentage of 53 farmer selections of cacao in Sulawesi, Indonesia, using 152 international clones as references. Cluster analysis, based on 15 microsatellite markers, showed that these Sulawesi farmer selections are mainly comprised of hybrids derived from Trinitario and two Upper Amazon Forastero groups. Bayesian assignment and likelihood-based parentage analysis further demonstrated that only a small number of germplasm groups, dominantly Trinitario and Parinari, contributed to these farmer selections, in spite of diverse parental clones having been used in the breeding program and seed gardens in Indonesia since the 1950s. The narrow parentage predicts a less durable host resistance to cacao diseases. Limited access of the farmers to diverse planting materials or the strong preference for large pods and large bean size by local farmers, may have affected the selection outcome. Diverse sources of resistance, harbored in different cacao germplasm groups, need to be effectively incorporated to broaden the on-farm diversity and ensure sustainable cacao production in Sulawesi.
Genetic diversity and parentage in farmer selections of cacao from Southern Sulawesi, Indonesia revealed by microsatellite markers

Science.gov (United States)

Dinarti, Diny; Susilo, Agung W.; Meinhardt, Lyndel W.; Ji, Kun; Motilal, Lambert A.; Mischke, Sue; Zhang, Dapeng

2015-01-01

Indonesia is the third largest cocoa-producing country in the world. Knowledge of genetic diversity and parentage of farmer selections is important for effective selection and rational deployment of superior cacao clones in farmers’ fields. We assessed genetic diversity and parentage of 53 farmer selections of cacao in Sulawesi, Indonesia, using 152 international clones as references. Cluster analysis, based on 15 microsatellite markers, showed that these Sulawesi farmer selections are mainly comprised of hybrids derived from Trinitario and two Upper Amazon Forastero groups. Bayesian assignment and likelihood-based parentage analysis further demonstrated that only a small number of germplasm groups, dominantly Trinitario and Parinari, contributed to these farmer selections, in spite of diverse parental clones having been used in the breeding program and seed gardens in Indonesia since the 1950s. The narrow parentage predicts a less durable host resistance to cacao diseases. Limited access of the farmers to diverse planting materials or the strong preference for large pods and large bean size by local farmers, may have affected the selection outcome. Diverse sources of resistance, harbored in different cacao germplasm groups, need to be effectively incorporated to broaden the on-farm diversity and ensure sustainable cacao production in Sulawesi. PMID:26719747
Evaluation on the effectiveness of 2-deoxyglucose-6-phosphate phosphatase (DOGR1) gene as a selectable marker for oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) embryogenic calli transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Science.gov (United States)

Izawati, Abang Masli Dayang; Masani, Mat Yunus Abdul; Ismanizan, Ismail; Parveez, Ghulam Kadir Ahmad

2015-01-01

DOGR1, which encodes 2-deoxyglucose-6-phosphate phosphatase, has been used as a selectable marker gene to produce transgenic plants. In this study, a transformation vector, pBIDOG, which contains the DOGR1 gene, was transformed into oil palm embryogenic calli (EC) mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404. Transformed EC were exposed to 400 mg l-1 2-deoxyglucose (2-DOG) as the selection agent. 2-DOG resistant tissues were regenerated into whole plantlets on various regeneration media containing the same concentration of 2-DOG. The plantlets were later transferred into soil and grown in a biosafety screenhouse. PCR and subsequently Southern blot analyses were carried out to confirm the integration of the transgene in the plantlets. A transformation efficiency of about 1.0% was obtained using DOGR1 gene into the genome of oil palm. This result demonstrates the potential of using combination of DOGR1 gene and 2-DOG for regenerating transgenic oil palm. PMID:26442041
Whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP marker discovery and association analysis with the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA content in Larimichthys crocea

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Shijun Xiao

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP markers are valuable genetic resources for the association and conservation studies. Genome-wide SNP development in many teleost species are still challenging because of the genome complexity and the cost of re-sequencing. Genotyping-By-Sequencing (GBS provided an efficient reduced representative method to squeeze cost for SNP detection; however, most of recent GBS applications were reported on plant organisms. In this work, we used an EcoRI-NlaIII based GBS protocol to teleost large yellow croaker, an important commercial fish in China and East-Asia, and reported the first whole-genome SNP development for the species. 69,845 high quality SNP markers that evenly distributed along genome were detected in at least 80% of 500 individuals. Nearly 95% randomly selected genotypes were successfully validated by Sequenom MassARRAY assay. The association studies with the muscle eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA content discovered 39 significant SNP markers, contributing as high up to ∼63% genetic variance that explained by all markers. Functional genes that involved in fat digestion and absorption pathway were identified, such as APOB, CRAT and OSBPL10. Notably, PPT2 Gene, previously identified in the association study of the plasma n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid level in human, was re-discovered in large yellow croaker. Our study verified that EcoRI-NlaIII based GBS could produce quality SNP markers in a cost-efficient manner in teleost genome. The developed SNP markers and the EPA and DHA associated SNP loci provided invaluable resources for the population structure, conservation genetics and genomic selection of large yellow croaker and other fish organisms.
Cereal Crop Proteomics: Systemic Analysis of Crop Drought Stress Responses Towards Marker-Assisted Selection Breeding

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Arindam Ghatak

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Sustainable crop production is the major challenge in the current global climate change scenario. Drought stress is one of the most critical abiotic factors which negatively impact crop productivity. In recent years, knowledge about molecular regulation has been generated to understand drought stress responses. For example, information obtained by transcriptome analysis has enhanced our knowledge and facilitated the identification of candidate genes which can be utilized for plant breeding. On the other hand, it becomes more and more evident that the translational and post-translational machinery plays a major role in stress adaptation, especially for immediate molecular processes during stress adaptation. Therefore, it is essential to measure protein levels and post-translational protein modifications to reveal information about stress inducible signal perception and transduction, translational activity and induced protein levels. This information cannot be revealed by genomic or transcriptomic analysis. Eventually, these processes will provide more direct insight into stress perception then genetic markers and might build a complementary basis for future marker-assisted selection of drought resistance. In this review, we survey the role of proteomic studies to illustrate their applications in crop stress adaptation analysis with respect to productivity. Cereal crops such as wheat, rice, maize, barley, sorghum and pearl millet are discussed in detail. We provide a comprehensive and comparative overview of all detected protein changes involved in drought stress in these crops and have summarized existing knowledge into a proposed scheme of drought response. Based on a recent proteome study of pearl millet under drought stress we compare our findings with wheat proteomes and another recent study which defined genetic marker in pearl millet.
Energy-Efficiency Analysis of Per-Subcarrier Antenna Selection with Peak-Power Reduction in MIMO-OFDM Wireless Systems

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Ngoc Phuc Le

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The use of per-subcarrier antenna subset selection in OFDM wireless systems offers higher system capacity and/or improved link reliability. However, the implementation of the conventional per-subcarrier selection scheme may result in significant fluctuations of the average power and peak power across antennas, which affects the potential benefits of the system. In this paper, power efficiency of high-power amplifiers and energy efficiency in per-subcarrier antenna selection MIMO-OFDM systems are investigated. To deliver the maximum overall power efficiency, we propose a two-step strategy for data-subcarrier allocation. This strategy consists of an equal allocation of data subcarriers based on linear optimization and peak-power reduction via cross-antenna permutations. For analysis, we derive the CCDF (complementary cumulative distribution function of the power efficiency as well as the analytical expressions of the average power efficiency. It is proved from the power-efficiency perspective that the proposed allocation scheme outperforms the conventional scheme. We also show that the improvement in the power efficiency translates into an improved capacity and, in turn, increases energy efficiency of the proposed system. Simulation results are provided to validate our analyses.
Chemical markers for the quality control of herbal medicines: an overview

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Lung Cheng Chuen

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Selection of chemical markers is crucial for the quality control of herbal medicines, including authentication of genuine species, harvesting the best quality raw materials, evaluation of post-harvesting handling, assessment of intermediates and finished products, and detection of harmful or toxic ingredients. Ideal chemical markers should be the therapeutic components of herbal medicines. However, for most herbal medicines, the therapeutic components have not been fully elucidated or easily monitored. Bioactive, characteristic, main, synergistic, correlative, toxic and general components may be selected. This article reviews the effective use of chemical markers in the quality control of herbal medicines including the selection criteria considering the roles and physicochemical factors which may affect the effective use of chemical markers.
Cold inducible promoter driven Cre-lox system proved to be highly efficient for marker gene excision in transgenic barley.

Science.gov (United States)

Éva, Csaba; Téglás, Flóra; Zelenyánszki, Helga; Tamás, Cecília; Juhász, Angéla; Mészáros, Klára; Tamás, László

2018-01-10

A Cre-lox based auto-excision strategy has been adapted for barley, capable of cre and selectable marker gene (SMG) removal. The cold inducible wheat promoter called wcs120 was utilised for driving Cre expression. The binary vector was carrying the transgene (uidA) and a so called 'recombination cassette' flanked by the lox sequences. This part included both the recombinase gene and the SMG (bar) under the control of a constitutive promoter. T 0 , T 1 and T 2 transgenic plants were subjected to low temperature (at 4°C, 10°C and 12°C) at different developmental stages to induce recombination. The presence of uidA, cre, and bar genes and recombination footprints were studied by PCR and DNA sequencing, while cre transcription was followed by qRT-PCR. These analyses indicated that, cold treatment of the germinating seeds (4°C for 3days) followed by plant growing at higher temperature (24°C) has been the most efficient (90-100%), and this treatment lead to heritable changes in the genome. Thermal separation of Cre accumulation (at low temperature) from Cre enzyme activity (at higher temperature) could have prevented the premature excision of its own encoding gene, and lead to high expression level thereby increasing recombination frequency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Accuracy of genomic selection in biparental populations of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.

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Frank M. You

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Flax is an important economic crop for seed oil and stem fiber. Phenotyping of traits such as seed yield, seed quality, stem fiber yield, and quality characteristics is expensive and time consuming. Genomic selection (GS refers to a breeding approach aimed at selecting preferred individuals based on genomic estimated breeding values predicted by a statistical model based on the relationship between phenotypes and genome-wide genetic markers. We evaluated the prediction accuracy of GS (rMP and the efficiency of GS relative to phenotypic selection (RE for three GS models: ridge regression best linear unbiased prediction (RR-BLUP, Bayesian LASSO (BL, and Bayesian ridge regression (BRR, for seed yield, oil content, iodine value, linoleic, and linolenic acid content with a full and a common set of genome-wide simple sequence repeat markers in each of three biparental populations. The three GS models generated similar rMP and RE, while BRR displayed a higher coefficient of determination (R2 of the fitted models than did RR-BLUP or BL. The mean rMP and RE varied for traits with different heritabilities and was affected by the genetic variation of the traits in the populations. GS for seed yield generated a mean RE of 1.52 across populations and marker sets, a value significantly superior to that for direct phenotypic selection. Our empirical results provide the first validation of GS in flax and demonstrate that GS could increase genetic gain per unit time for linseed breeding. Further studies for selection of training populations and markers are warranted.
Rapid, Selection-Free, High-Efficiency Genome Editing in Protozoan Parasites Using CRISPR-Cas9 Ribonucleoproteins

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Lia Carolina Soares Medeiros

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Trypanosomatids (order Kinetoplastida, including the human pathogens Trypanosoma cruzi (agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma brucei, (African sleeping sickness, and Leishmania (leishmaniasis, affect millions of people and animals globally. T. cruzi is considered one of the least studied and most poorly understood tropical disease-causing parasites, in part because of the relative lack of facile genetic engineering tools. This situation has improved recently through the application of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats–CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9 technology, but a number of limitations remain, including the toxicity of continuous Cas9 expression and the long drug marker selection times. In this study, we show that the delivery of ribonucleoprotein (RNP complexes composed of recombinant Cas9 from Staphylococcus aureus (SaCas9, but not from the more routinely used Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9, and in vitro-transcribed single guide RNAs (sgRNAs results in rapid gene edits in T. cruzi and other kinetoplastids at frequencies approaching 100%. The highly efficient genome editing via SaCas9/sgRNA RNPs was obtained for both reporter and endogenous genes and observed in multiple parasite life cycle stages in various strains of T. cruzi, as well as in T. brucei and Leishmania major. RNP complex delivery was also used to successfully tag proteins at endogenous loci and to assess the biological functions of essential genes. Thus, the use of SaCas9 RNP complexes for gene editing in kinetoplastids provides a simple, rapid, and cloning- and selection-free method to assess gene function in these important human pathogens.

Efficient four fragment cloning for the construction of vectors for targeted gene replacement in filamentous fungi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frandsen, Rasmus John Normand; Andersson, Jens A.; Kristensen, Matilde Bylov

2008-01-01

Background: The rapid increase in whole genome fungal sequence information allows large scale functional analyses of target genes. Efficient transformation methods to obtain site-directed gene replacement, targeted over-expression by promoter replacement, in-frame epitope tagging or fusion...... of coding sequences with fluorescent markers such as GFP are essential for this process. Construction of vectors for these experiments depends on the directional cloning of two homologous recombination sequences on each side of a selection marker gene. Results: Here, we present a USER Friendly cloning based...
The impact of sample size and marker selection on the study of haplotype structures

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Sun Xiao

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Several studies of haplotype structures in the human genome in various populations have found that the human chromosomes are structured such that each chromosome can be divided into many blocks, within which there is limited haplotype diversity. In addition, only a few genetic markers in a putative block are needed to capture most of the diversity within a block. There has been no systematic empirical study of the effects of sample size and marker set on the identified block structures and representative marker sets, however. The purpose of this study was to conduct a detailed empirical study to examine such impacts. Towards this goal, we have analysed three representative autosomal regions from a large genome-wide study of haplotypes with samples consisting of African-Americans and samples consisting of Japanese and Chinese individuals. For both populations, we have found that the sample size and marker set have significant impact on the number of blocks and the total number of representative markers identified. The marker set in particular has very strong impacts, and our results indicate that the marker density in the original datasets may not be adequate to allow a meaningful characterisation of haplotype structures. In general, we conclude that we need a relatively large sample size and a very dense marker panel in the study of haplotype structures in human populations.
A genome-wide scan for selection signatures in Nellore cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Somavilla, A L; Sonstegard, T S; Higa, R H; Rosa, A N; Siqueira, F; Silva, L O C; Torres Júnior, R A A; Coutinho, L L; Mudadu, M A; Alencar, M M; Regitano, L C A

2014-12-01

Brazilian Nellore cattle (Bos indicus) have been selected for growth traits for over more than four decades. In recent years, reproductive and meat quality traits have become more important because of increasing consumption, exports and consumer demand. The identification of genome regions altered by artificial selection can potentially permit a better understanding of the biology of specific phenotypes that are useful for the development of tools designed to increase selection efficiency. Therefore, the aims of this study were to detect evidence of recent selection signatures in Nellore cattle using extended haplotype homozygosity methodology and BovineHD marker genotypes (>777,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms) as well as to identify corresponding genes underlying these signals. Thirty-one significant regions (P meat quality, fatty acid profiles and immunity. In addition, 545 genes were identified in regions harboring selection signatures. Within this group, 58 genes were associated with growth, muscle and adipose tissue metabolism, reproductive traits or the immune system. Using relative extended haplotype homozygosity to analyze high-density single nucleotide polymorphism marker data allowed for the identification of regions potentially under artificial selection pressure in the Nellore genome, which might be used to better understand autozygosity and the effects of selection on the Nellore genome. © 2014 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS OF SALINITY TOLERANCE IN PLANTS

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Mustafa YILDIZ

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Salt stress limits plant productivity in arid and semi arid regions. Salt stress causes decrease in plant growth by adversely affecting physiological processes, especially photosynthesis. Salinity tolerance is defined as the ability of plant to maintain normal rowth and development under salt conditions. Salt stress results in accumulation of low molecular weight compounds, termed compatible solutes, which do not interfere with the normal biochemical reactions. These compatible solutes such as carbohydrates, polyols, amino acids and amides, quaternary ammonium compounds, polyamines andsoluble proteins may play a crucial role in osmotic adjustment, protection of macromolecules, maintenance of cellular pH and detoxification of free radicals. On the other hand, plants subjected to environmental stresses such as salinity produce reactive oxygen species (ROS and these ROS are efficiently eliminated by antioxidant enzyme systems. In plant breeding studies, the use of some physiological and biochemical markers for improving the salt tolerance in plants is crucial. In this review, the possibility of using some physiological and biochemical markers as selection criteria for salt tolerance is discussed.
Molecular markers for identifying a new selected variety of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

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Yu, Yang; Zhang, Xiaojun; Liu, Jingwen; Li, Fuhua; Huang, Hao; Li, Yijun; Liu, Xiaolin; Xiang, Jianhai

2015-01-01

Selective breeding of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei during the last decade has produced new varieties exhibiting high growth rates and disease resistance. However, the identification of new varieties of shrimps from their phenotypic characters is difficult. This study introduces a new approach for identifying varieties of shrimps using molecular markers of microsatellites and mitochondrial control region sequences. The method was employed to identify a new selected variety, Kehai No. 1 (KH-1), from three representative stocks (control group): Zhengda; Tongwei; and a stock collected from Fujian Province, which is now cultured in mainland China. By pooled genotyping of KH-1 and the control group, five microsatellites showing differences between KH-1 and the control group were screened out. Individual genotyping data confirmed the results from pooled genotyping. The genotyping data for the five microsatellites were applied to the assignment analysis of the KH-1 group and the control group using the partial Bayesian assignment method in GENECLASS2. By sequencing the mitochondrial control regions of individuals from the KH-1 and control group, four haplotypes were observed in the KH-1 group, whereas 14 haplotypes were obtained in the control group. By combining the microsatellite assignment analysis with mitochondrial control region analysis, the average accuracy of identification of individuals in the KH-1 group and control group reached 89%. The five selected microsatellite loci and mitochondrial control region sequences were highly polymorphic and could be used to distinguish new selected varieties of L. vannamei from other populations cultured in China.
Marker-assisted identification of restorer gene(s) in iso-cytoplasmic restorer lines of WA cytoplasm in rice and assessment of their fertility restoration potential across environments.

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Kumar, Amit; Bhowmick, Prolay Kumar; Singh, Vikram Jeet; Malik, Manoj; Gupta, Ashish Kumar; Seth, R; Nagarajan, M; Krishnan, S Gopala; Singh, Ashok Kumar

2017-10-01

Iso-cytoplasmic restorers possess the same male sterile cytoplasm as the cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines, thereby minimizing the potential cyto-nuclear conflict in the hybrids. Restoration of fertility of the wild abortive CMS is governed by two major genes namely, Rf3 and Rf4 . Therefore, assessing the allelic status of these restorer genes in the iso-cytoplasmic restorers using molecular markers will not only help in estimating the efficiency of these genes either alone or in combination, in fertility restoration in the hybrids in different environments, but will also be useful in determining the efficacy of these markers. In the present study, the efficiency of molecular markers in identifying genotypes carrying restorer allele of the gene(s) Rf3 and Rf4, restoring male fertility of WA cytoplasm in rice was assessed in a set of 100 iso-cytoplasmic rice restorers using gene linked as well as candidate gene based markers. In order to validate the efficacy of markers in identifying the restorers, a sub-set of selected 25 iso-cytoplasmic rice restorers were crossed with four different cytoplasmic male sterile lines namely, IR 79156A, IR 58025A, Pusa 6A and RTN 12A, and the pollen and spikelet fertility of the F 1 s were evaluated at three different locations. Marker analysis showed that Rf4 was the predominant fertility restorer gene in the iso-cytoplasmic restorers and Rf3 had a synergistic effect on fertility restoration. The efficiency of gene based markers, DRCG-RF4-14 and DRRM-RF3-10 for Rf4 (87%) and Rf3 (84%) genes was higher than respective gene-linked SSR markers RM6100 (80%) and RM3873 (82%). It is concluded that the gene based markers can be effectively used in identifying fertility restorer lines obviating the need for making crosses and evaluating the F 1 s. Though gene based markers are more efficient, there is a need to identify functional polymorphisms which can provide 100% efficiency. Three iso-cytoplasmic restorers namely, PRR 300, PRR 363
Marcadores fAFLP na caracterização de três genótipos de umezeiro selecionados como porta-enxertos para pessegueiro fAFLP markers to characterize three mume genotypes selected as rootstocks for peach tree

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Ester Wickert

2007-12-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar a diversidade genética existente em três genótipos de umezeiro (Clone 05, cv. Rigitano e Clone 15 e identificar marcadores moleculares fAFLP (fluorescent Amplified Fragment Lenght Polymorphism passíveis de serem utilizados na discriminação dos três genótipos de umezeiro selecionados como porta-enxertos para pessegueiro. Foram utilizadas 24 diferentes combinações de primers seletivos fAFLP que geraram 648 marcas, das quais 272 foram diferenciadoras dos três genótipos entre si. As marcas diferenciadoras permitiram o agrupamento dos clones de umezeiro de acordo com sua similaridade através do Método da Distância e algorítmo Neighbour Joining. As mesmas marcas foram utilizadas para calcular a distância genética entre os clones. Com o uso de marcadores fAFLP foi possível discriminar os três genótipos de umezeiro entre si, destacando-se as combinações Fam ACT/CAT, Joe AGG/CTT e Ned AGC/CAA, que permitiram a diferenciação individual de cada um dos clones. A maior distância genética foi encontrada entre a cv. Rigitano e o Clone 15. Os marcadores fAFLP revelaram maior proximidade genética entre o Clone 05 e a cv. Rigitano.The objective of this work was the identification of fAFLP markers to be used in molecular characterization of three mume genotypes selected as rootstocks for peach tree. Twenty-four different fAFLP primer combinations were used and allowed the recognition of 648 markers, comprising 272 markers which were able to discriminate the three clones one from the other. These markers were used to calculate the groupment of the clones according to their similarities with the distance method and neighbour joining algorithm. The same markers were also used to calculate the genetic distance among the clones. The fAFLP markers were efficient to identify the clones, mainly by the combinations of selective primers Fam ACT/CAT, Joe AGG/CTT and Ned AGC/CAA. fAFLP markers allowed the
Splenomegaly and tumor marker response following selective internal radiation therapy for non-resectable liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shehata, M.; Yan, K.; Itoh, Seiji; King, J.; Glenn, D.; Quinn, R.; Morris, D.L.

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in spleen size, the level of chromogranin A as a tumor marker, and the relationship between these two parameters before and 3 months after selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) for non-resectable liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumor (NET). Our first serious adverse event with this relatively new treatment is also discussed. A retrospective review of a prospective database identified patients with non-resectable liver metastases from NET who underwent SIRT between 2003 and 2007. Patients who underwent CT scans before and 3 months after treatment were included. The patients were divided into two groups: those with and without a 20% or more increase in splenic volume on the CT scans. The percentages of patients showing a tumor marker response in the two groups were then compared. Fourteen patients were included in the present analysis. A tumor marker response was seen in 6 of 7 patients (85.7%) who showed an increase in splenic volume of >20%, and in 3 of 7 patients (42.9%) without an increase in splenic volume (p=0.266). There was one death as a result of oesophageal variceal bleeding due to portal hypertension at 9 months after treatment. Splenic enlargement after SIRT may be associated with tumor marker response, although this could not be confirmed statistically in this study due to the small number of patients. Long-term splenomegaly and portal hypertension may be important complications of SIRT. This issue needs to be investigated further using a larger number of patients and longer follow-up. (author)
Development of Genome-Wide SSR Markers from Angelica gigas Nakai Using Next Generation Sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Gil, Jinsu; Um, Yurry; Kim, Serim; Kim, Ok Tae; Koo, Sung Cheol; Reddy, Chinreddy Subramanyam; Kim, Seong-Cheol; Hong, Chang Pyo; Park, Sin-Gi; Kim, Ho Bang; Lee, Dong Hoon; Jeong, Byung-Hoon; Chung, Jong-Wook; Lee, Yi

2017-09-21

Angelica gigas Nakai is an important medicinal herb, widely utilized in Asian countries especially in Korea, Japan, and China. Although it is a vital medicinal herb, the lack of sequencing data and efficient molecular markers has limited the application of a genetic approach for horticultural improvements. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are universally accepted molecular markers for population structure study. In this study, we found over 130,000 SSRs, ranging from di- to deca-nucleotide motifs, using the genome sequence of Manchu variety (MV) of A. gigas, derived from next generation sequencing (NGS). From the putative SSR regions identified, a total of 16,496 primer sets were successfully designed. Among them, we selected 848 SSR markers that showed polymorphism from in silico analysis and contained tri- to hexa-nucleotide motifs. We tested 36 SSR primer sets for polymorphism in 16 A. gigas accessions. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.69; the average observed heterozygosity ( H O ) values, and the expected heterozygosity ( H E ) values were 0.53 and 0.73, respectively. These newly developed SSR markers would be useful tools for molecular genetics, genotype identification, genetic mapping, molecular breeding, and studying species relationships of the Angelica genus.
Expanding the CRISPR/Cas9 toolkit for Pichia pastoris with efficient donor integration and alternative resistance markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Weninger, Astrid; Fischer, Jasmin E; Raschmanová, Hana; Kniely, Claudia; Vogl, Thomas; Glieder, Anton

2018-04-01

Komagataella phaffii (syn. Pichia pastoris) is one of the most commonly used host systems for recombinant protein expression. Achieving targeted genetic modifications had been hindered by low frequencies of homologous recombination (HR). Recently, a CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system has been implemented for P. pastoris enabling gene knockouts based on indels (insertion, deletions) via non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) at near 100% efficiency. However, specifically integrating homologous donor cassettes via HR for replacement studies had proven difficult resulting at most in ∼20% correct integration using CRISPR/Cas9. Here, we demonstrate the CRISPR/Cas9 mediated integration of markerless donor cassettes at efficiencies approaching 100% using a ku70 deletion strain. The Ku70p is involved in NHEJ repair and lack of the protein appears to favor repair via HR near exclusively. While the absolute number of transformants in the Δku70 strain is reduced, virtually all surviving transformants showed correct integration. In the wildtype strain, markerless donor cassette integration was also improved up to 25-fold by placing an autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) on the donor cassette. Alternative strategies for improving donor cassette integration using a Cas9 nickase variant or reducing off targeting associated toxicity using a high fidelity Cas9 variant were so far not successful in our hands in P. pastoris. Furthermore we provide Cas9/gRNA expression plasmids with a Geneticin resistance marker which proved to be versatile tools for marker recycling. The reported CRSIPR-Cas9 tools can be applied for modifying existing production strains and also pave the way for markerless whole genome modification studies in P. pastoris. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Persistent Data Layout and Infrastructure for Efficient Selective Retrieval of Event Data in ATLAS

CERN Document Server

INSPIRE-00084279; Malon, David

2011-01-01

The ATLAS detector at CERN has completed its first full year of recording collisions at 7 TeV, resulting in billions of events and petabytes of data. At these scales, physicists must have the capability to read only the data of interest to their analyses, with the importance of efficient selective access increasing as data taking continues. ATLAS has developed a sophisticated event-level metadata infrastructure and supporting I/O framework allowing event selections by explicit specification, by back navigation, and by selection queries to a TAG database via an integrated web interface. These systems and their performance have been reported on elsewhere. The ultimate success of such a system, however, depends significantly upon the efficiency of selective event retrieval. Supporting such retrieval can be challenging, as ATLAS stores its event data in column-wise orientation using ROOT trees for a number of reasons, including compression considerations, histogramming use cases, and more. For 2011 data, ATLAS wi...
(SSR) markers for drought tolerance in maize

African Journals Online (AJOL)

use

2011-11-21

Nov 21, 2011 ... and dominance gene effects in inheritance are included in almost all traits related to drought (Shiri et al., 2010a, b). Identifying the complete-linked molecular markers with target gene and mapping its chromosome locus is an important goal in plant breeding for gene cloning and marker-aided selection.
Efficiency, selectivity, and robustness of nucleocytoplasmic transport.

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Anton Zilman

2007-07-01

Full Text Available All materials enter or exit the cell nucleus through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs, efficient transport devices that combine high selectivity and throughput. NPC-associated proteins containing phenylalanine-glycine repeats (FG nups have large, flexible, unstructured proteinaceous regions, and line the NPC. A central feature of NPC-mediated transport is the binding of cargo-carrying soluble transport factors to the unstructured regions of FG nups. Here, we model the dynamics of nucleocytoplasmic transport as diffusion in an effective potential resulting from the interaction of the transport factors with the flexible FG nups, using a minimal number of assumptions consistent with the most well-established structural and functional properties of NPC transport. We discuss how specific binding of transport factors to the FG nups facilitates transport, and how this binding and competition between transport factors and other macromolecules for binding sites and space inside the NPC accounts for the high selectivity of transport. We also account for why transport is relatively insensitive to changes in the number and distribution of FG nups in the NPC, providing an explanation for recent experiments where up to half the total mass of the FG nups has been deleted without abolishing transport. Our results suggest strategies for the creation of artificial nanomolecular sorting devices.
Improving Blast Resistance of a Thermo-Sensitive Genic Male Sterile Rice Line GD-8S by Molecular Marker-Assisted Selection

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Wu-ge LIU

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The broad-spectrum blast resistance gene Pi-1, from donor line BL122, was introduced into a thermo-sensitive genic male sterile rice line GD-8S, which possessed good grain quality but high susceptibility to rice blast, by using backcross breeding and molecular marker-assisted selection. Five elite improved male sterile lines, RGD8S-1, RGD8S-2, RGD8S-3, RGD8S-4 and RGD8S-5, were selected based on the results of molecular marker analysis, spikelet sterility, recovery rate of genetic background and agronomic traits. Thirty-three representative blast isolates collected from Guangdong Province, China were used to inoculate the improved lines and the original line GD-8S artificially. The resistance frequencies of the improved lines ranged from 76.47% to 100%, much higher than that of the original line GD-8S (9.09%. On the agronomic characters, there were no significant differences between the improved lines and GD-8S except for flag leaf length and panicle number per plant. The improved lines could be used for breeding hybrid rice with high blast resistance.
Genetic markers and their application in livestock breeding in South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The ultimate use of DNA markers would be to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) in order to practice genotypic selection. This paper reviews DNA markers (RAPD, DFP, RFLP AFLP, minisatellites, microsatellites, SNP) and provides a brief overview of the current application of these markers in animal breeding.
Evaluation of intradural stimulation efficiency and selectivity in a computational model of spinal cord stimulation.

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Bryan Howell

Full Text Available Spinal cord stimulation (SCS is an alternative or adjunct therapy to treat chronic pain, a prevalent and clinically challenging condition. Although SCS has substantial clinical success, the therapy is still prone to failures, including lead breakage, lead migration, and poor pain relief. The goal of this study was to develop a computational model of SCS and use the model to compare activation of neural elements during intradural and extradural electrode placement. We constructed five patient-specific models of SCS. Stimulation thresholds predicted by the model were compared to stimulation thresholds measured intraoperatively, and we used these models to quantify the efficiency and selectivity of intradural and extradural SCS. Intradural placement dramatically increased stimulation efficiency and reduced the power required to stimulate the dorsal columns by more than 90%. Intradural placement also increased selectivity, allowing activation of a greater proportion of dorsal column fibers before spread of activation to dorsal root fibers, as well as more selective activation of individual dermatomes at different lateral deviations from the midline. Further, the results suggest that current electrode designs used for extradural SCS are not optimal for intradural SCS, and a novel azimuthal tripolar design increased stimulation selectivity, even beyond that achieved with an intradural paddle array. Increased stimulation efficiency is expected to increase the battery life of implantable pulse generators, increase the recharge interval of rechargeable implantable pulse generators, and potentially reduce stimulator volume. The greater selectivity of intradural stimulation may improve the success rate of SCS by mitigating the sensitivity of pain relief to malpositioning of the electrode. The outcome of this effort is a better quantitative understanding of how intradural electrode placement can potentially increase the selectivity and efficiency of SCS
Use of the alr gene as a food-grade selection marker in lactic acid bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Bron, Peter A; Benchimol, Marcos G; Lambert, Jolanda; Palumbo, Emmanuelle; Deghorain, Marie; Delcour, Jean; De Vos, Willem M; Kleerebezem, Michiel; Hols, Pascal

2002-11-01

Both Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus plantarum contain a single alr gene, encoding an alanine racemase (EC 5.1.1.1), which catalyzes the interconversion of D-alanine and L-alanine. The alr genes of these lactic acid bacteria were investigated for their application as food-grade selection markers in a heterologous complementation approach. Since isogenic mutants of both species carrying an alr deletion (Deltaalr) showed auxotrophy for D-alanine, plasmids carrying a heterologous alr were constructed and could be selected, since they complemented D-alanine auxotrophy in the L. plantarum Deltaalr and L. lactis Deltaalr strains. Selection was found to be highly stringent, and plasmids were stably maintained over 200 generations of culturing. Moreover, the plasmids carrying the heterologous alr genes could be stably maintained in wild-type strains of L. plantarum and L. lactis by selection for resistance to D-cycloserine, a competitive inhibitor of Alr (600 and 200 micro g/ml, respectively). In addition, a plasmid carrying the L. plantarum alr gene under control of the regulated nisA promoter was constructed to demonstrate that D-cycloserine resistance of L. lactis is linearly correlated to the alr expression level. Finally, the L. lactis alr gene controlled by the nisA promoter, together with the nisin-regulatory genes nisRK, were integrated into the chromosome of L. plantarum Deltaalr. The resulting strain could grow in the absence of D-alanine only when expression of the alr gene was induced with nisin.
Tri-allelic SNP markers enable analysis of mixed and degraded DNA samples.

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Westen, Antoinette A; Matai, Anuska S; Laros, Jeroen F J; Meiland, Hugo C; Jasper, Mandy; de Leeuw, Wiljo J F; de Knijff, Peter; Sijen, Titia

2009-09-01

For the analysis of degraded DNA in disaster victim identification (DVI) and criminal investigations, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been recognized as promising markers mainly because they can be analyzed in short sized amplicons. Most SNPs are bi-allelic and are thereby ineffective to detect mixtures, which may lead to incorrect genotyping. We developed an algorithm to find non-binary (i.e. tri-allelic or tetra-allelic) SNPs in the NCBI dbSNP database. We selected 31 potential tri-allelic SNPs with a minor allele frequency of at least 10%. The tri-allelic nature was confirmed for 15 SNPs residing on 14 different chromosomes. Multiplex SNaPshot assays were developed, and the allele frequencies of 16 SNPs were determined among 153 Dutch and 111 Netherlands Antilles reference samples. Using these multiplex SNP assays, the presence of a mixture of two DNA samples in a ratio up to 1:8 could be recognized reliably. Furthermore, we compared the genotyping efficiency of the tri-allelic SNP markers and short tandem repeat (STR) markers by analyzing artificially degraded DNA and DNA from 30 approximately 500-year-old bone and molar samples. In both types of degraded DNA samples, the larger sized STR amplicons failed to amplify whereas the tri-allelic SNP markers still provided valuable information. In conclusion, tri-allelic SNP markers are suited for the analysis of degraded DNA and enable the detection of a second DNA source in a sample.
Genetic Diversity and Association of EST-SSR and SCoT Markers with Rust Traits in Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Haidong; Zhang, Yu; Zeng, Bing; Yin, Guohua; Zhang, Xinquan; Ji, Yang; Huang, Linkai; Jiang, Xiaomei; Liu, Xinchun; Peng, Yan; Ma, Xiao; Yan, Yanhong

2016-01-08

Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), is a well-known perennial forage species; however, rust diseases have caused a noticeable reduction in the quality and production of orchardgrass. In this study, genetic diversity was assessed and the marker-trait associations for rust were examined using 18 EST-SSR and 21 SCoT markers in 75 orchardgrass accessions. A high level of genetic diversity was detected in orchardgrass with an average genetic diversity index of 0.369. For the EST-SSR and SCoT markers, 164 and 289 total bands were obtained, of which 148 (90.24%) and 272 (94.12%) were polymorphic, respectively. Results from an AMOVA analysis showed that more genetic variance existed within populations (87.57%) than among populations (12.43%). Using a parameter marker index, the efficiencies of the EST-SSR and SCoT markers were compared to show that SCoTs have higher marker efficiency (8.07) than EST-SSRs (4.82). The results of a UPGMA cluster analysis and a STRUCTURE analysis were both correlated with the geographic distribution of the orchardgrass accessions. Linkage disequilibrium analysis revealed an average r² of 0.1627 across all band pairs, indicating a high extent of linkage disequilibrium in the material. An association analysis between the rust trait and 410 bands from the EST-SSR and SCoT markers using TASSEL software revealed 20 band panels were associated with the rust trait in both 2011 and 2012. The 20 bands obtained from association analysis could be used in breeding programs for lineage selection to prevent great losses of orchardgrass caused by rust, and provide valuable information for further association mapping using this collection of orchardgrass.
[Prognostic and predictive molecular markers for urologic cancers].

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, A; Schlomm, T; Bertz, S; Heinzelmann, J; Hölters, S; Simon, R; Stoehr, R; Junker, K

2014-04-01

Molecular prognostic factors and genetic alterations as predictive markers for cancer-specific targeted therapies are used today in the clinic for many malignancies. In recent years, many molecular markers for urogenital cancers have also been identified. However, these markers are not clinically used yet. In prostate cancer, novel next-generation sequencing methods revealed a detailed picture of the molecular changes. There is growing evidence that a combination of classical histopathological and validated molecular markers could lead to a more precise estimation of prognosis, thus, resulting in an increasing number of patients with active surveillance as a possible treatment option. In patients with urothelial carcinoma, histopathological factors but also the proliferation of the tumor, mutations in oncogenes leading to an increasing proliferation rate and changes in genes responsible for invasion and metastasis are important. In addition, gene expression profiles which could distinguish aggressive tumors with high risk of metastasis from nonmetastasizing tumors have been recently identified. In the future, this could potentially allow better selection of patients needing systemic perioperative treatment. In renal cell carcinoma, many molecular markers that are associated with metastasis and survival have been identified. Some of these markers were also validated as independent prognostic markers. Selection of patients with primarily organ-confined tumors and increased risk of metastasis for adjuvant systemic therapy could be clinically relevant in the future.

Efficiently Selecting the Best Web Services

Science.gov (United States)

Goncalves, Marlene; Vidal, Maria-Esther; Regalado, Alfredo; Yacoubi Ayadi, Nadia

Emerging technologies and linking data initiatives have motivated the publication of a large number of datasets, and provide the basis for publishing Web services and tools to manage the available data. This wealth of resources opens a world of possibilities to satisfy user requests. However, Web services may have similar functionality and assess different performance; therefore, it is required to identify among the Web services that satisfy a user request, the ones with the best quality. In this paper we propose a hybrid approach that combines reasoning tasks with ranking techniques to aim at the selection of the Web services that best implement a user request. Web service functionalities are described in terms of input and output attributes annotated with existing ontologies, non-functionality is represented as Quality of Services (QoS) parameters, and user requests correspond to conjunctive queries whose sub-goals impose restrictions on the functionality and quality of the services to be selected. The ontology annotations are used in different reasoning tasks to infer service implicit properties and to augment the size of the service search space. Furthermore, QoS parameters are considered by a ranking metric to classify the services according to how well they meet a user non-functional condition. We assume that all the QoS parameters of the non-functional condition are equally important, and apply the Top-k Skyline approach to select the k services that best meet this condition. Our proposal relies on a two-fold solution which fires a deductive-based engine that performs different reasoning tasks to discover the services that satisfy the requested functionality, and an efficient implementation of the Top-k Skyline approach to compute the top-k services that meet the majority of the QoS constraints. Our Top-k Skyline solution exploits the properties of the Skyline Frequency metric and identifies the top-k services by just analyzing a subset of the services that
Population data on D6S2879 and D6S2806 markers located at HLA-DRB1 region in the Iranians: Identifying the signatures of balancing and directional selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansoureh Tajadod

2011-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, the genetic diversity and neutrality test for the MHC microsatellite loci, D6S2879 and D6S2806, located within the HLA-DRB1 gene region, were investigated. The genotyping data from 73 unrelated individuals were analyzed for Shannon index, the effective allele number of the markers and neutrality test by use of PyPop and Popgene32 programs. The Shannon index for D6S2879 and D6S2806 markers in the studied population was 1.0372 and 0.8601, respectively. The Fnd value computed for D6S2879 and D6S2806 markers were also estimated -0.8449 and 0.9904, respectively. The results obtained from Ewens-Watterson test indicated that D6S2879 and D6S2806 markers were under balancing and directional selection in the Iranian populations, respectively. The data suggested the presence of a selection force on HLA-DRB1 gene region in the Iranian populations.
Molecular characterization and identification of markers for toxic and non-toxic varieties of Jatropha curcas L. using RAPD, AFLP and SSR markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sudheer Pamidimarri, D V N; Singh, Sweta; Mastan, Shaik G; Patel, Jalpa; Reddy, Muppala P

2009-07-01

Jatropha curcas L., a multipurpose shrub has acquired significant economic importance for its seed oil which can be converted to biodiesel, is emerging as an alternative to petro-diesel. The deoiled seed cake remains after oil extraction is toxic and cannot be used as a feed despite having best nutritional contents. No quantitative and qualitative differences were observed between toxic and non-toxic varieties of J. curcas except for phorbol esters content. Development of molecular marker will enable to differentiate non-toxic from toxic variety in a mixed population and also help in improvement of the species through marker assisted breeding programs. The present investigation was undertaken to characterize the toxic and non-toxic varieties at molecular level and to develop PCR based molecular markers for distinguishing non-toxic from toxic or vice versa. The polymorphic markers were successfully identified specific to non-toxic and toxic variety using RAPD and AFLP techniques. Totally 371 RAPD, 1,442 AFLP markers were analyzed and 56 (15.09%) RAPD, 238 (16.49%) AFLP markers were found specific to either of the varieties. Genetic similarity between non-toxic and toxic verity was found to be 0.92 by RAPD and 0.90 by AFLP fingerprinting. In the present study out of 12 microsatellite markers analyzed, seven markers were found polymorphic. Among these seven, jcms21 showed homozygous allele in the toxic variety. The study demonstrated that both RAPD and AFLP techniques were equally competitive in identifying polymorphic markers and differentiating both the varieties of J. curcas. Polymorphism of SSR markers prevailed between the varieties of J. curcas. These RAPD and AFLP identified markers will help in selective cultivation of specific variety and along with SSRs these markers can be exploited for further improvement of the species through breeding and Marker Assisted Selection (MAS).
The Role of Apoptosis Associated Markers in Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-28

To Compare the Serum Apoptosis-associated Markers Between Patients With Active TB and Patients With LTBI; To Evaluate the Efficiency of Apoptosis-associated Markers to Differentiate Potential of Active TB From LTBI
Transport of sewage molecular markers through saturated soil column and effect of easily biodegradable primary substrate on their removal.

Science.gov (United States)

Foolad, Mahsa; Ong, Say Leong; Hu, Jiangyong

2015-11-01

Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and artificial sweeteners (ASs) are emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in the aquatic environment. The presence of PPCPs and ASs in water bodies has an ecologic potential risk and health concern. Therefore, it is needed to detect the pollution sources by understanding the transport behavior of sewage molecular markers in a subsurface area. The aim of this study was to evaluate transport of nine selected molecular markers through saturated soil column experiments. The selected sewage molecular markers in this study were six PPCPs including acetaminophen (ACT), carbamazepine (CBZ), caffeine (CF), crotamiton (CTMT), diethyltoluamide (DEET), salicylic acid (SA) and three ASs including acesulfame (ACF), cyclamate (CYC), and saccharine (SAC). Results confirmed that ACF, CBZ, CTMT, CYC and SAC were suitable to be used as sewage molecular markers since they were almost stable against sorption and biodegradation process during soil column experiments. In contrast, transport of ACT, CF and DEET were limited by both sorption and biodegradation processes and 100% removal efficiency was achieved in the biotic column. Moreover, in this study the effect of different acetate concentration (0-100mg/L) as an easily biodegradable primary substrate on a removal of PPCPs and ASs was also studied. Results showed a negative correlation (r(2)>0.75) between the removal of some selected sewage chemical markers including ACF, CF, ACT, CYC, SAC and acetate concentration. CTMT also decreased with the addition of acetate, but increasing acetate concentration did not affect on its removal. CBZ and DEET removal were not dependent on the presence of acetate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The use of phosphomannose isomerase selection system for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tobacco and flax aimed for phytoremediation.

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Hilgert, Jitka; Sura-De Jong, Martina; Fišer, Jiří; Tupá, Kateřina; Vrbová, Miroslava; Griga, Miroslav; Macek, Tomáš; Žiarovská, Jana

2017-05-04

A plant selection system based on the phosphomannose isomerase gene (pmi) as a selectable marker is often used to avoid selection using antibiotic resistance. Nevertheless, pmi gene is endogenous in several plant species and therefore difficult to use in such cases. Here we evaluated and compared Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Linum usitatissimum breeding line AGT-952 (without endogenous pmi gene) and Nicotiana tabacum var. WSC-38 (with endogenous pmi gene). Transformation was evaluated for vectors bearing transgenes that have the potential to be involved in improved phytoremediation of contaminated environment. Tobacco regenerants selection resulted in 6.8% transformation efficiency when using a medium supplemented with 30 g/L mannose with stepwise decrease of the sucrose concentration. Similar transformation efficiency (5.3%) was achieved in transformation of flax. Relatively low selection efficiency was achieved (12.5% and 34.8%, respectively). The final detection of efficient pmi selection was conducted using PCR and the non-endogenous genes; pmi transgene for flax and todC2 transgene for tobacco plants.
A low-density SNP array for analyzing differential selection in freshwater and marine populations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ferchaud, Anne-Laure; Pedersen, Susanne H.; Bekkevold, Dorte

2014-01-01

for rapid and cost efficient analysis of genetic divergence between freshwater and marine sticklebacks, we generated a low-density SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) array encompassing markers of chromosome regions under putative directional selection, along with neutral markers for background. Results......: RAD (Restriction site Associated DNA) sequencing of sixty individuals representing two freshwater and one marine population led to the identification of 33,993 SNP markers. Ninety-six of these were chosen for the low-density SNP array, among which 70 represented SNPs under putatively directional...... selection in freshwater vs. marine environments, whereas 26 SNPs were assumed to be neutral. Annotation of these regions revealed several genes that are candidates for affecting stickleback phenotypic variation, some of which have been observed in previous studies whereas others are new. Conclusions: We...
Development and mapping of SSR markers linked to resistance-gene homologue clusters in common bean

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Luz; Nayibe; Garzon; Matthew; Wohlgemuth; Blair

2014-01-01

Common bean is an important but often a disease-susceptible legume crop of temperate,subtropical and tropical regions worldwide. The crop is affected by bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens. The strategy of resistance-gene homologue(RGH) cloning has proven to be an efficient tool for identifying markers and R(resistance) genes associated with resistances to diseases. Microsatellite or SSR markers can be identified by physical association with RGH clones on large-insert DNA clones such as bacterial artificial chromosomes(BACs). Our objectives in this work were to identify RGH-SSR in a BAC library from the Andean genotype G19833 and to test and map any polymorphic markers to identify associations with known positions of disease resistance genes. We developed a set of specific probes designed for clades of common bean RGH genes and then identified positive BAC clones and developed microsatellites from BACs having SSR loci in their end sequences. A total of 629 new RGH-SSRs were identified and named BMr(bean microsatellite RGH-associated markers). A subset of these markers was screened for detecting polymorphism in the genetic mapping population DOR364 × G19833. A genetic map was constructed with a total of 264 markers,among which were 80 RGH loci anchored to single-copy RFLP and SSR markers. Clusters of RGH-SSRs were observed on most of the linkage groups of common bean and in positions associated with R-genes and QTL. The use of these new markers to select for disease resistance is discussed.
Informativeness of Diagnostic Marker Values and the Impact of Data Grouping.

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Ma, Hua; Bandos, Andriy I; Gur, David

2018-01-01

Assessing performance of diagnostic markers is a necessary step for their use in decision making regarding various conditions of interest in diagnostic medicine and other fields. Globally useful markers could, however, have ranges of values that are " diagnostically non-informative" . This paper demonstrates that the presence of marker values from diagnostically non-informative ranges could lead to a loss in statistical efficiency during nonparametric evaluation and shows that grouping non-informative values provides a natural resolution to this problem. These points are theoretically proven and an extensive simulation study is conducted to illustrate the possible benefits of using grouped marker values in a number of practically reasonable scenarios. The results contradict the common conjecture regarding the detrimental effect of grouped marker values during performance assessments. Specifically, contrary to the common assumption that grouped marker values lead to bias, grouping non-informative values does not introduce bias and could substantially reduce sampling variability. The proven concept that grouped marker values could be statistically beneficial without detrimental consequences implies that in practice, tied values do not always require resolution whereas the use of continuous diagnostic results without addressing diagnostically non-informative ranges could be statistically detrimental. Based on these findings, more efficient methods for evaluating diagnostic markers could be developed.
Identification, Selection, and Enrichment of Cardiomyocyte Precursors

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Bianca Ferrarini Zanetti

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The large-scale production of cardiomyocytes is a key step in the development of cell therapy and tissue engineering to treat cardiovascular diseases, particularly those caused by ischemia. The main objective of this study was to establish a procedure for the efficient production of cardiomyocytes by reprogramming mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue. First, lentiviral vectors expressing neoR and GFP under the control of promoters expressed specifically during cardiomyogenesis were constructed to monitor cell reprogramming into precardiomyocytes and to select cells for amplification and characterization. Cellular reprogramming was performed using 5′-azacytidine followed by electroporation with plasmid pOKS2a, which expressed Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4. Under these conditions, GFP expression began only after transfection with pOKS2a, and less than 0.015% of cells were GFP+. These GFP+ cells were selected for G418 resistance to find molecular markers of cardiomyocytes by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. Both genetic and protein markers of cardiomyocytes were present in the selected cells, with some variations among them. Cell doubling time did not change after selection. Together, these results indicate that enrichment with vectors expressing GFP and neoR under cardiomyocyte-specific promoters can produce large numbers of cardiomyocyte precursors (CMPs, which can then be differentiated terminally for cell therapy and tissue engineering.
Development of genomic SSR and potential EST-SSR markers in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In addition, forty four EST-SSRs which can be amplified with expected sizes were identified from a B. chinense root cDNA library. The genomic SSR markers and potential EST-SSR markers developed in the present study should be useful for genetic diversity and molecular marker assistant selection breeding research in ...
Single-tube tetradecaplex panel of highly polymorphic microsatellite markers hemophilia A.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, M; Chen, M; Tan, A S C; Cheah, F S H; Mathew, J; Wong, P C; Chong, S S

2017-07-01

Essentials Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of severe hemophilia A relies on linkage analysis. Simultaneous multi-marker screening can simplify selection of informative markers in a couple. We developed a single-tube tetradecaplex panel of polymorphic markers for hemophilia A PGD use. Informative markers can be used for linkage analysis alone or combined with mutation detection. Background It is currently not possible to perform single-cell preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to directly detect the common inversion mutations of the factor VIII (F8) gene responsible for severe hemophilia A (HEMA). As such, PGD for such inversion carriers relies on indirect analysis of linked polymorphic markers. Objectives To simplify linkage-based PGD of HEMA, we aimed to develop a panel of highly polymorphic microsatellite markers located near the F8 gene that could be simultaneously genotyped in a multiplex-PCR reaction. Methods We assessed the polymorphism of various microsatellite markers located ≤ 1 Mb from F8 in 177 female subjects. Highly polymorphic markers were selected for co-amplification with the AMELX/Y indel dimorphism in a single-tube reaction. Results Thirteen microsatellite markers located within 0.6 Mb of F8 were successfully co-amplified with AMELX/Y in a single-tube reaction. Observed heterozygosities of component markers ranged from 0.43 to 0.84, and ∼70-80% of individuals were heterozygous for ≥ 5 markers. The tetradecaplex panel successfully identified fully informative markers in a couple interested in PGD for HEMA because of an intragenic F8 point mutation, with haplotype phasing established through a carrier daughter. In-vitro fertilization (IVF)-PGD involved single-tube co-amplification of fully informative markers with AMELX/Y and the mutation-containing F8 amplicon, followed by microsatellite analysis and amplicon mutation-site minisequencing analysis. Conclusions The single-tube multiplex-PCR format of this highly polymorphic
Genetic diversity in natural populations of Jacaranda decurrens Cham. determined using RAPD and AFLP markers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bianca W. Bertoni

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Jacaranda decurrens (Bignoniaceae is an endemic species of the Cerrado with validated antitumoral activity. The genetic diversity of six populations of J. decurrens located in the State of São Paulo was determined in this study by using molecular markers for randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP. Following optimization of the amplification reaction, 10 selected primers generated 78 reproducible RAPD fragments that were mostly (69.2% polymorphic. Two hundred and five reproducible AFLP fragments were generated by using four selected primer combinations; 46.3% of these fragments were polymorphic, indicating a considerable level of genetic diversity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA using these two groups of markers indicated that variability was strongly structured amongst populations. The unweighted pair group method with arithmatic mean (UPGMA and Pearson's correlation coefficient (RAPD -0.16, p = 0.2082; AFLP 0.37, p = 0.1006 between genetic matrices and geographic distances suggested that the population structure followed an island model in which a single population of infinite size gave rise to the current populations of J. decurrens, independently of their spatial position. The results of this study indicate that RAPD and AFLP markers were similarly efficient in measuring the genetic variability amongst natural populations of J. decurrens. These data may be useful for developing strategies for the preservation of this medicinal species in the Cerrado.
Life cycle biological efficiency of mice divergently selected for heat loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatnagar, A S; Nielsen, M K

2014-08-01

Divergent selection in mice for heat loss was conducted in 3 independent replicates creating a high maintenance, high heat loss (MH) and low maintenance, low heat loss (ML) line and unselected control (MC). Improvement in feed efficiency was observed in ML mice due to a reduced maintenance energy requirement but there was also a slight decline in reproductive performance, survivability, and lean content, particularly when compared to MC animals. The objective of this study was to model a life cycle scenario similar to a livestock production system and calculate total inputs and outputs to estimate overall biological efficiency of these lines and determine if reduced feed intake resulted in improved life cycle efficiency. Feed intake, reproductive performance, growth, and body composition were recorded on 21 mating pairs from each line × replicate combination, cohabitated at 7 wk of age and maintained for up to 1 yr unless culled. Proportion of animals at each parity was calculated from survival rates estimated from previous research when enforcing a maximum of 4, 8, or 12 allowed parities. This parity distribution was then combined with values from previous studies to calculate inputs and outputs of mating pairs and offspring produced in a single cycle at equilibrium. Offspring output was defined as kilograms of lean output of offspring at 49 d. Offspring input was defined as megacalories of energy intake for growing offspring from 21 to 49 d. Parent output was defined as kilograms of lean output of culled parents. Parent input was defined as megacalories of energy intake for mating pairs from weaning of one parity to weaning of the next. Offspring output was greatest in MC mice due to superior BW and numbers weaned, while output was lowest in ML mice due to smaller litter sizes and lean content. Parent output did not differ substantially between lines but was greatest in MH mice due to poorer survival rates resulting in more culled animals. Input was greatest in
Marker-assisted selection for recognizing wheat mutant genotypes carrying HMW glutenin alleles related to baking quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamani, Mohammad Javad; Bihamta, Mohammad Reza; Naserian Khiabani, Behnam; Tahernezhad, Zahra; Hallajian, Mohammad Taher; Shamsi, Marzieh Varasteh

2014-01-01

Allelic diversity of HMW glutenin loci in several studies revealed that allelic combinations affect dough quality. Dx5 + Dy10 subunits are related to good baking quality and Dx2 + Dy12 are related to undesirable baking quality. One of the most regular methods to evaluate the baking quality is SDS-PAGE which is used to improve baking quality labs. Marker-assisted selection is the method which can recognize the alleles related to baking quality and this method is based on polymerase chain reaction. 10 pairs of specific primers related to Dx2, Dx2.1, Dx5, Dy10, and Dy12 subunits were used for recognizing baking quality of some wheat varieties and some mutant genotypes. Only 5 pairs of them could show the specific bands. All subunits were recognized by the primers except Dx2.1. Some of the primers were extracted from previous studies and the others were designed based on D genome subunits of wheat. SDS-PAGE method accomplished having confidence in these marker's results. To realize the effect of mutation, seed storage proteins were measured. It showed that mutation had effect on the amount of seed storage protein on the mutant seeds (which showed polymorphism).
Efficient and selective α-bromination of carbonyl compounds with N-bromosuccinimide under microwave

KAUST Repository

Guan, Xiao-Yu

2014-02-07

A highly efficient method for the synthesis of α-halocarbonyl compounds has been achieved via selective monobromination of aromatic and aliphatic carbonyl compounds with N-bromosuccinimide catalyzed by p-toluenesulfonic acid under microwave irradiation within 30 min.
Efficient and selective α-bromination of carbonyl compounds with N-bromosuccinimide under microwave

KAUST Repository

Guan, Xiao-Yu; Al-Misba'a, Zahra; Huang, Kuo-Wei

2014-01-01

A highly efficient method for the synthesis of α-halocarbonyl compounds has been achieved via selective monobromination of aromatic and aliphatic carbonyl compounds with N-bromosuccinimide catalyzed by p-toluenesulfonic acid under microwave irradiation within 30 min.
Efficient nonparametric and asymptotic Bayesian model selection methods for attributed graph clustering

KAUST Repository

Xu, Zhiqiang

2017-02-16

Attributed graph clustering, also known as community detection on attributed graphs, attracts much interests recently due to the ubiquity of attributed graphs in real life. Many existing algorithms have been proposed for this problem, which are either distance based or model based. However, model selection in attributed graph clustering has not been well addressed, that is, most existing algorithms assume the cluster number to be known a priori. In this paper, we propose two efficient approaches for attributed graph clustering with automatic model selection. The first approach is a popular Bayesian nonparametric method, while the second approach is an asymptotic method based on a recently proposed model selection criterion, factorized information criterion. Experimental results on both synthetic and real datasets demonstrate that our approaches for attributed graph clustering with automatic model selection significantly outperform the state-of-the-art algorithm.
Efficient nonparametric and asymptotic Bayesian model selection methods for attributed graph clustering

KAUST Repository

Xu, Zhiqiang; Cheng, James; Xiao, Xiaokui; Fujimaki, Ryohei; Muraoka, Yusuke

2017-01-01

Attributed graph clustering, also known as community detection on attributed graphs, attracts much interests recently due to the ubiquity of attributed graphs in real life. Many existing algorithms have been proposed for this problem, which are either distance based or model based. However, model selection in attributed graph clustering has not been well addressed, that is, most existing algorithms assume the cluster number to be known a priori. In this paper, we propose two efficient approaches for attributed graph clustering with automatic model selection. The first approach is a popular Bayesian nonparametric method, while the second approach is an asymptotic method based on a recently proposed model selection criterion, factorized information criterion. Experimental results on both synthetic and real datasets demonstrate that our approaches for attributed graph clustering with automatic model selection significantly outperform the state-of-the-art algorithm.
Association of molecular markers with polyphenol oxidase activity in selected wheat genotypes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbas, Z.; Javad, B.; Majeed, N.; Naqvi, S.

2016-01-01

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a major staple food for the people of Pakistan and other Asian countries, is used as bread, chapatti, porridge, noodles and many other. It is established that color quality of wheat products depend on chemical and enzymatic factors especially the polyphenol oxidases (PPOs). These are copper containing enzymes which induce browning in wheat-based products. Various procedures for determining PPO activity available and differences in PPO activity among wheat genotypes have been documented. In present study, an attempt was made to establish the association of molecular markers with polyphenol oxidase activity in wheat genotypes having very high or very low PPO activities. Twelve pairs of markers were used out of which only three primer pairs viz. PPO43, PPO30 and WP2-2 yielded specific pattern discriminating high and low PPO genotypes. Cluster analysis for all 12 markers revealed that all the low PPO lline share the same sub cluster, but high PPO lines were dispersed in different clusters. (author)

Rapid Development of Microsatellite Markers for Plantago ovata Forsk.: Using Next Generation Sequencing and Their Cross-Species Transferability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ranbir Singh Fougat

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Isabgol (Plantago ovata Forsk. is an important medicinal plant having high pharmacological activity in its seed husk, which is substantially used in the food, beverages and packaging industries. Nevertheless, isabgol lags behind in research, particularly for genomic resources, like molecular markers, genetic maps, etc. Presently, molecular markers can be easily developed through next generation sequencing technologies, more efficiently, cost effectively and in less time than ever before. This study was framed keeping in view the need to develop molecular markers for this economically important crop by employing a microsatellite enrichment protocol using a next generation sequencing platform (ion torrent PGM™ to obtain simple sequence repeats (SSRs for Plantago ovata for the very first time. A total of 3447 contigs were assembled, which contained 249 SSRs. Thirty seven loci were randomly selected for primer development; of which, 30 loci were successfully amplified. The developed microsatellite markers showed the amplification of the expected size and cross-amplification in another six species of Plantago. The SSR markers were unable to show polymorphism within P. ovata, suggesting that low variability exists within genotypes of P. ovata. This study suggests that PGM™ sequencing is a rapid and cost-effective tool for developing SSR markers for non-model species, and the markers so-observed could be useful in the molecular breeding of P. ovata.
Genomic selection: genome-wide prediction in plant improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Desta, Zeratsion Abera; Ortiz, Rodomiro

2014-09-01

Association analysis is used to measure relations between markers and quantitative trait loci (QTL). Their estimation ignores genes with small effects that trigger underpinning quantitative traits. By contrast, genome-wide selection estimates marker effects across the whole genome on the target population based on a prediction model developed in the training population (TP). Whole-genome prediction models estimate all marker effects in all loci and capture small QTL effects. Here, we review several genomic selection (GS) models with respect to both the prediction accuracy and genetic gain from selection. Phenotypic selection or marker-assisted breeding protocols can be replaced by selection, based on whole-genome predictions in which phenotyping updates the model to build up the prediction accuracy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Effect of selected spices on chemical and sensory markers in fortified rye-buckwheat cakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Przygodzka, Małgorzata; Zieliński, Henryk; Ciesarová, Zuzana; Kukurová, Kristina; Lamparski, Grzegorz

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to find out the effect of selected spices on chemical and sensorial markers in cakes formulated on rye and light buckwheat flour fortified with spices. Among collection of spices, rye-buckwheat cakes fortified individually with cloves, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, vanilla, and spice mix revealed the highest sensory characteristics and overall quality. Cakes fortified with cloves, allspice, and spice mix showed the highest antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, rutin, and almost threefold higher available lysine contents. The reduced furosine content as well as free and total fluorescent intermediatory compounds were observed as compared to nonfortified cakes. The FAST index was significantly lowered in all cakes enriched with spices, especially with cloves, allspice, and mix. In contrast, browning index increased in compare to cakes without spices. It can be suggested that clove, allspice, vanilla, and spice mix should be used for production of safety and good quality cakes.
Establishment of an efficient transformation system for Pleurotus ostreatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Min; Wu, Xiangli; Zhang, Jinxia; Wang, Hexiang; Huang, Chenyang

2017-11-21

Pleurotus ostreatus is widely cultivated worldwide, but the lack of an efficient transformation system regarding its use restricts its genetic research. The present study developed an improved and efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation method in P. ostreatus. Four parameters were optimized to obtain the most efficient transformation method. The strain LBA4404 was the most suitable for the transformation of P. ostreatus. A bacteria-to-protoplast ratio of 100:1, an acetosyringone (AS) concentration of 0.1 mM, and 18 h of co-culture showed the best transformation efficiency. The hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene (HPH) was used as the selective marker, and EGFP was used as the reporter gene in this study. Southern blot analysis combined with EGFP fluorescence assay showed positive results, and mitotic stability assay showed that more than 75% transformants were stable after five generations. These results showed that our transformation method is effective and stable and may facilitate future genetic studies in P. ostreatus.
Augmenting the Genetic Toolbox for Sulfolobus islandicus with a Stringent Positive Selectable Marker for Agmatine Prototrophy

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Tara E.; Krause, David J.

2013-01-01

Sulfolobus species have become the model organisms for studying the unique biology of the crenarchaeal division of the archaeal domain. In particular, Sulfolobus islandicus provides a powerful opportunity to explore natural variation via experimental functional genomics. To support these efforts, we further expanded genetic tools for S. islandicus by developing a stringent positive selection for agmatine prototrophs in strains in which the argD gene, encoding arginine decarboxylase, has been deleted. Strains with deletions in argD were shown to be auxotrophic for agmatine even in nutrient-rich medium, but growth could be restored by either supplementation of exogenous agmatine or reintroduction of a functional copy of the argD gene from S. solfataricus P2 into the ΔargD host. Using this stringent selection, a robust targeted gene knockout system was established via an improved next generation of the MID (marker insertion and unmarked target gene deletion) method. Application of this novel system was validated by targeted knockout of the upsEF genes involved in UV-inducible cell aggregation formation. PMID:23835176
Improving the efficiency of manuscript selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Martínez–Abrain

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Science relies strongly on the publication of articles in scientific journals and it is clear that decisions concer¬ning which papers merit publishing should be based on a process of manuscript selection that is as objective, repeatable, reliable and transparent as possible. Manuscript selection, however, has many practical downfalls. There is considerable controversy concerning issues such as whether or not the process should be blind both for authors and reviewers in order to prevent biased selection in relation to country of origin (Budden et al., 2008, sex (Young et al. 2008 or research topic (Michaels, 2008. Another critical point is the imbalance between supply and demand of manuscripts as this likely leads to biased selection (Young et al., 2008. Also important is the issue that following rejection, the editor and reviewers of the new journal selected for would-be publication by the authors start the process from scratch, as if the opus had not already passed through a thorough process of peer review. Such rules of play seem to promote the role of sheer luck in the process of manuscript selection. Authors of a rejected paper have the growing hope of "greater luck" the next time regarding reviewer assignment as they believe in the quality of their work. For the correct advancement of science I consider there should be a common global database available to editors, where each manuscript which has been subjected to an SCI journal is recorded. It should include a copy of the editor’s and reviewers’ comments, and also the authors’ replies. Hochberg et al. (2009 recently expressed their concern regarding the fact that authors usually think that manuscript submittal is a stochastic process, whereas in fact reviewers usually focus on the same set of criticisms. To solve this problem they suggest a having colleagues reviewing a manuscript before submission, and b requiring authors to state in a cover letter that reviewer comments from the
Comparison of Tc-99m labeled liver and liver pate as markers for solid-phase gastric emptying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christian, P.E.; Moore, J.G.; Datz, F.L.

1984-01-01

A radionuclide marker for studies of solid-phase gastric emptying should have a high labeling efficiency and remain relatively stable during gastric emptying. The availability of materials and the ease of preparation are also considerations in selecting radionuclide markers. The stability of intracellularly labeled chicken liver, surface-labeled chicken liver, and labeled pureed meat (liver pate) incubated with hydrochloric acid solution or gastric juice have been compared. Intracellularly labeled chicken liver and labeled liver pate were also compared in gastric emptying studies in humans. In vitro results demonstrated labeling efficiencies greater than 92% for both intracellularly labeled liver and labeled liver pate. The pate labeled with Tc-99m sulfur colloid was more stable than Tc-99m surface-labeled liver in vitro and its prepartion was easier than with the intracellular labeling technique. Gastric emptying studies on normal subjects demonstrated equal performance of the intracellularly labeled liver and the labeled liver pate. Labeled liver pate is thus an alternative to intracellularly labeled chicken liver in measuring solid-phase gastric emptying
Quantitative trait loci markers derived from whole genome sequence data increases the reliability of genomic prediction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brøndum, Rasmus Froberg; Su, Guosheng; Janss, Luc

2015-01-01

This study investigated the effect on the reliability of genomic prediction when a small number of significant variants from single marker analysis based on whole genome sequence data were added to the regular 54k single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array data. The extra markers were selected...... with the aim of augmenting the custom low-density Illumina BovineLD SNP chip (San Diego, CA) used in the Nordic countries. The single-marker analysis was done breed-wise on all 16 index traits included in the breeding goals for Nordic Holstein, Danish Jersey, and Nordic Red cattle plus the total merit index...... itself. Depending on the trait’s economic weight, 15, 10, or 5 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were selected per trait per breed and 3 to 5 markers were selected to tag each QTL. After removing duplicate markers (same marker selected for more than one trait or breed) and filtering for high pairwise linkage...
Recombinogenic engineering of conjugative plasmids with fluorescent marker cassettes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reisner, A.; Molin, Søren; Zechner, E.L.

2002-01-01

An efficient approach for the insertion of fluorescent marker genes with sequence specificity into conjugative plasmids in Escherichia coli is described. For this purpose, homologous recombination of linear double-stranded targeting DNA was mediated by the bacteriophage lambda recombination...... resistance genes and fluorescent markers. The choice of 5' non-homologous extensions in primer pairs used for amplifying the marker cassettes determines the site specificity of the targeting DNA. This methodology is applicable to the modification of all plasmids that replicate in E coli and is not restricted...
Gas exchanges and water use efficiency in the selection of tomato genotypes tolerant to water stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Borba, M E A; Maciel, G M; Fraga Júnior, E F; Machado Júnior, C S; Marquez, G R; Silva, I G; Almeida, R S

2017-06-20

Water stress can affect the yield in tomato crops and, despite this, there are few types of research aiming to select tomato genotypes resistant to the water stress using physiological parameters. This experiment aimed to study the variables that are related to the gas exchanges and the efficiency in water use, in the selection of tomato genotypes tolerant to water stress. It was done in a greenhouse, measuring 7 x 21 m, in a randomized complete block design, with four replications (blocks), being five genotypes in the F 2 BC 1 generation, which were previously obtained from an interspecific cross between Solanum pennellii versus S. lycopersicum and three check treatments, two susceptible [UFU-22 (pre-commercial line) and cultivar Santa Clara] and one resistant (S. pennellii). At the beginning of flowering, the plants were submitted to a water stress condition, through irrigation suspension. After that CO 2 assimilation, internal CO 2 , stomatal conductance, transpiration, leaf temperature, instantaneous water use efficiency, intrinsic efficiency of water use, instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, chlorophyll a and b, and the potential leaf water (Ψf) were observed. Almost all variables that were analyzed, except CO 2 assimilation and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, demonstrated the superiority of the wild accession, S. pennellii, concerning the susceptible check treatments. The high photosynthetic rate and the low stomatal conductance and transpiration, presented by the UFU22/F 2 BC 1 #2 population, allowed a better water use efficiency. Because of that, these physiological characteristics are promising in the selection of tomato genotypes tolerant to water stress.
Selective Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitor Reversed Zinc Chloride-Induced Spatial Memory Impairment via Increasing Cholinergic Marker Expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabrizian, Kaveh; Azami, Kian; Belaran, Maryam; Soodi, Maliheh; Abdi, Khosrou; Fanoudi, Sahar; Sanati, Mehdi; Mottaghi Dastjerdi, Negar; Soltany Rezaee-Rad, Mohammad; Sharifzadeh, Mohammad

2016-10-01

Zinc, an essential micronutrient and biochemical element of the human body, plays structural, catalytic, and regulatory roles in numerous physiological functions. In the current study, the effects of a pretraining oral administration of zinc chloride (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg) for 14 consecutive days and post-training bilateral intra-hippocampal infusion of 1400W as a selective inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor (10, 50, and 100 μM/side), alone and in combination, on the spatial memory retention in Morris water maze (MWM) were investigated. Animals were trained for 4 days and tested 48 h after completion of training. Also, the molecular effects of these compounds on the expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), as a cholinergic marker in the CA1 region of the hippocampus and medial septal area (MSA), were evaluated. Behavioral and molecular findings of this study showed that a 2-week oral administration of zinc chloride (50 mg/kg) impaired spatial memory retention in MWM and decreased ChAT expression. Immunohistochemical analysis of post-training bilateral intra-hippocampal infusion of 1400W revealed a significant increase in ChAT immunoreactivity. Furthermore, post-training bilateral intra-hippocampal infusion of 1400W into the CA1 region of the hippocampus reversed zinc chloride-induced spatial memory impairment in MWM and significantly increased ChAT expression in comparison with zinc chloride-treated animals. Taken together, these results emphasize the role of selective iNOS inhibitors in reversing zinc chloride-induced spatial memory deficits via modulation of cholinergic marker expression.
Assessment of Tools for Marker-Assisted Selection in a Marine Commercial Species: Significant Association between MSTN-1 Gene Polymorphism and Growth Traits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irma Sánchez-Ramos

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Growth is a priority trait from the point of view of genetic improvement. Molecular markers linked to quantitative trait loci (QTL have been regarded as useful for marker-assisted selection in complex traits as growth. Polymorphisms have been studied in five candidate genes influencing growth in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata: the growth hormone (GH, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1, myostatin (MSTN-1, prolactin (PRL, and somatolactin (SL genes. Specimens evaluated were from a commercial broodstock comprising 131 breeders (from which 36 males and 44 females contributed to the progeny. In all samples eleven gene fragments, covering more than 13,000 bp, generated by PCR-RFLP, were analyzed; tests were made for significant associations between these markers and growth traits. ANOVA results showed a significant association between MSTN-1 gene polymorphism and growth traits. Pairwise tests revealed several RFLPs in the MSTN-1 gene with significant heterogeneity of genotypes among size groups. PRL and MSTN-1 genes presented linkage disequilibrium. The MSTN-1 gene was mapped in the centromeric region of a medium-size acrocentric chromosome pair.
Selection and use of microsatellite markers for individual identification and meat traceability of six swine breeds in the Chinese market.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jie; Li, Tingting; Zhu, Chao; Jiang, Xiaoling; Zhao, Yan; Xu, Zhenzhen; Yang, Shuming; Chen, Ailiang

2018-06-01

Meat traceability based on molecular markers is exerting a great influence on food safety and will enhance its key role in the future. This study aimed to investigate and verify the polymorphism of 23 microsatellite markers and select the most suitable markers for individual identification and meat traceability of six swine breeds in the Chinese market. The mean polymorphism information content value of these 23 loci was 0.7851, and each locus exhibited high polymorphism in the pooled population. There were 10 loci showing good polymorphism in each breed, namely, Sw632, S0155, Sw2406, Sw830, Sw2525, Sw72, Sw2448, Sw911, Sw122 and CGA. When six highly polymorphic loci were combined, the match probability value for two random individual genotypes among the pig breeds (Beijing Black, Sanyuan and Taihu) was lower than 1.151 E-06. An increasing number of loci indicated a gradually decreasing match probability value and therefore enhanced traceability accuracy. The validation results of tracing 18 blood and corresponding meat samples based on five highly polymorphic loci (Sw2525, S0005, Sw0107, Sw911 and Sw857) were successful, with 100% conformation probability, which provided a foundation for establishing a traceability system for pork in the Chinese market.
Evolutionary dynamics on graphs: Efficient method for weak selection

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Feng; Wang, Long; Nowak, Martin A.; Hauert, Christoph

2009-04-01

Investigating the evolutionary dynamics of game theoretical interactions in populations where individuals are arranged on a graph can be challenging in terms of computation time. Here, we propose an efficient method to study any type of game on arbitrary graph structures for weak selection. In this limit, evolutionary game dynamics represents a first-order correction to neutral evolution. Spatial correlations can be empirically determined under neutral evolution and provide the basis for formulating the game dynamics as a discrete Markov process by incorporating a detailed description of the microscopic dynamics based on the neutral correlations. This framework is then applied to one of the most intriguing questions in evolutionary biology: the evolution of cooperation. We demonstrate that the degree heterogeneity of a graph impedes cooperation and that the success of tit for tat depends not only on the number of rounds but also on the degree of the graph. Moreover, considering the mutation-selection equilibrium shows that the symmetry of the stationary distribution of states under weak selection is skewed in favor of defectors for larger selection strengths. In particular, degree heterogeneity—a prominent feature of scale-free networks—generally results in a more pronounced increase in the critical benefit-to-cost ratio required for evolution to favor cooperation as compared to regular graphs. This conclusion is corroborated by an analysis of the effects of population structures on the fixation probabilities of strategies in general 2×2 games for different types of graphs. Computer simulations confirm the predictive power of our method and illustrate the improved accuracy as compared to previous studies.
New Method of Selecting Efficient Project Portfolios in the Presence of Hybrid Uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan Rębiasz

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A new methods of selecting efficient project portfolios in the presence of hybrid uncertainty has been presented. Pareto optimal solutions have been defined by an algorithm for generating project portfolios. The method presented allows us to select efficient project portfolios taking into account statistical and economic dependencies between projects when some of the parameters used in the calculation of effectiveness can be expressed in the form of an interactive possibility distribution and some in the form of a probability distribution. The procedure for processing such hybrid data combines stochastic simulation with nonlinear programming. The interaction between data are modeled by correlation matrices and the interval regression. Economic dependences are taken into account by the equations balancing the production capacity of the company. The practical example presented indicates that an interaction between projects has a significant impact on the results of calculations. (original abstract
Research on the Renewable Energy Industry Financing Efficiency Assessment and Mode Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaohuan Lyu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, environmental issues are attracting widespread attention by various countries around the world. In this context, the renewable energy industry has become a stimulus point for economic development and has great potential for development. Renewable energy industry financing is difficult due to its characteristics of high risk and long-term investment returns, and relying on existing financing channels make it present a glut of excess capacity. It is key to realize resource optimal allocation, solve overcapacity phenomenon and select the valid financing mode. This paper used Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF data and the data envelopment analysis (DEA method to analyze the financing efficiency different parts of the global renewable energy industry and different ways of financing. It could be found that although the financing efficiency showed a trend of increasing year by year, the financing efficiency of each industry presented generally weak DEA efficiency, the comprehensive financing efficiency of wind power industry was higher. The article also found that the financing efficiency of project financing and Research and Development (R&D were relatively high, and the equity market and venture capital and private equity were less efficient. The results of this paper play an important role in the overall financing status cognizance of the renewable energy industry and give suggestions about valid financing mode choice.
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) recombinants: use of positive selection markers to rescue mutants in EBV-negative B-lymphoma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, F; Marchini, A; Kieff, E

1991-04-01

The objective of these experiments was to develop strategies for creation and identification of recombinant mutant Epstein-Barr viruses (EBV). EBV recombinant molecular genetics has been limited to mutations within a short DNA segment deleted from a nontransforming EBV and an underlying strategy which relies on growth transformation of primary B lymphocytes for identification of recombinants. Thus, mutations outside the deletion or mutations which affect transformation cannot be easily recovered. In these experiments we investigated whether a toxic drug resistance gene, guanine phosphoribosyltransferase or hygromycin phosphotransferase, driven by the simian virus 40 promoter can be recombined into the EBV genome and can function to identify B-lymphoma cells infected with recombinant virus. Two different strategies were used to recombine the drug resistance marker into the EBV genome. Both utilized transfection of partially permissive, EBV-infected B95-8 cells and positive selection for cells which had incorporated a functional drug resistance gene. In the first series of experiments, B95-8 clones were screened for transfected DNA that had recombined into the EBV genome. In the second series of experiments, the transfected drug resistance marker was linked to the plasmid and lytic EBV origins so that it was maintained as an episome and could recombine with the B95-8 EBV genome during virus replication. The recombinant EBV from either experiment could be recovered by infection and toxic drug selection of EBV-negative B-lymphoma cells. The EBV genome in these B-lymphoma cells is frequently an episome. Virus genes associated with latent infection of primary B lymphocytes are expressed. Expression of Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA-2) and the EBNA-3 genes is variable relative to that of EBNA-1, as is characteristic of some naturally infected Burkitt tumor cells. Moreover, the EBV-infected B-lymphoma cells are often partially permissive for early replicative
Annotated genetic linkage maps of Pinus pinaster Ait. from a Central Spain population using microsatellite and gene based markers.

Science.gov (United States)

de Miguel, Marina; de Maria, Nuria; Guevara, M Angeles; Diaz, Luis; Sáez-Laguna, Enrique; Sánchez-Gómez, David; Chancerel, Emilie; Aranda, Ismael; Collada, Carmen; Plomion, Christophe; Cabezas, José-Antonio; Cervera, María-Teresa

2012-10-04

Pinus pinaster Ait. is a major resin producing species in Spain. Genetic linkage mapping can facilitate marker-assisted selection (MAS) through the identification of Quantitative Trait Loci and selection of allelic variants of interest in breeding populations. In this study, we report annotated genetic linkage maps for two individuals (C14 and C15) belonging to a breeding program aiming to increase resin production. We use different types of DNA markers, including last-generation molecular markers. We obtained 13 and 14 linkage groups for C14 and C15 maps, respectively. A total of 211 and 215 markers were positioned on each map and estimated genome length was between 1,870 and 2,166 cM respectively, which represents near 65% of genome coverage. Comparative mapping with previously developed genetic linkage maps for P. pinaster based on about 60 common markers enabled aligning linkage groups to this reference map. The comparison of our annotated linkage maps and linkage maps reporting QTL information revealed 11 annotated SNPs in candidate genes that co-localized with previously reported QTLs for wood properties and water use efficiency. This study provides genetic linkage maps from a Spanish population that shows high levels of genetic divergence with French populations from which segregating progenies have been previously mapped. These genetic maps will be of interest to construct a reliable consensus linkage map for the species. The importance of developing functional genetic linkage maps is highlighted, especially when working with breeding populations for its future application in MAS for traits of interest.
Annotated genetic linkage maps of Pinus pinaster Ait. from a Central Spain population using microsatellite and gene based markers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Miguel Marina

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pinus pinaster Ait. is a major resin producing species in Spain. Genetic linkage mapping can facilitate marker-assisted selection (MAS through the identification of Quantitative Trait Loci and selection of allelic variants of interest in breeding populations. In this study, we report annotated genetic linkage maps for two individuals (C14 and C15 belonging to a breeding program aiming to increase resin production. We use different types of DNA markers, including last-generation molecular markers. Results We obtained 13 and 14 linkage groups for C14 and C15 maps, respectively. A total of 211 and 215 markers were positioned on each map and estimated genome length was between 1,870 and 2,166 cM respectively, which represents near 65% of genome coverage. Comparative mapping with previously developed genetic linkage maps for P. pinaster based on about 60 common markers enabled aligning linkage groups to this reference map. The comparison of our annotated linkage maps and linkage maps reporting QTL information revealed 11 annotated SNPs in candidate genes that co-localized with previously reported QTLs for wood properties and water use efficiency. Conclusions This study provides genetic linkage maps from a Spanish population that shows high levels of genetic divergence with French populations from which segregating progenies have been previously mapped. These genetic maps will be of interest to construct a reliable consensus linkage map for the species. The importance of developing functional genetic linkage maps is highlighted, especially when working with breeding populations for its future application in MAS for traits of interest.
Screening and identification of a microsatellite marker associated with sex in Wami tilapia, Oreochromis urolepis hornorum.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Huaping; Liu, Zhigang; Lu, Maixin; Gao, Fengying; Ke, Xiaoli; Ma, Dongmei; Huang, Zhanghan; Cao, Jianmeng; Wang, Miao

2016-06-01

In this study, primer pairs of 15 microsatellite markers associated with sex determination of tilapia were selected and amplified in Wami tilapia, Oreochromis urolepis hornorum. While one marker, UNH168, on linkage group 3 (LG3) was associated (P tilapia chromosome pair (chromosome 1, equivalent to LG3). This sex-linked microsatellite marker could potentially be used for marker-assisted selection in tilapia breeding programmes to produce monosex male tilapia.

The Swift Turbidity Marker

Science.gov (United States)

Omar, Ahmad Fairuz; MatJafri, Mohd Zubir

2011-01-01

The Swift Turbidity Marker is an optical instrument developed to measure the level of water turbidity. The components and configuration selected for the system are based on common turbidity meter design concepts but use a simplified methodology to produce rapid turbidity measurements. This work is aimed at high school physics students and is the…
Criteria for the Selection of Reference Groups in the Statistical Evaluation of Tumor Markers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Holubec jr., L.; Topolčan, O.; Pikner, R.; Pecen, Ladislav; Holubec sen., L.

2002-01-01

Roč. 22, 1B (2002), s. 531 ISSN 0250-7005. [International Hamburg Symposium on Tumor Markers /11./. 27.01.2002-29.01.2002, Hamburg] Institutional research plan: AV0Z1030915 Keywords : reference groups * tumor markers Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics
Molecular Characterization of Cultivated Bromeliad Accessions with Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR Markers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongming Yu

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Bromeliads are of great economic importance in flower production; however little information is available with respect to genetic characterization of cultivated bromeliads thus far. In the present study, a selection of cultivated bromeliads was characterized via inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR markers with an emphasis on genetic diversity and population structure. Twelve ISSR primers produced 342 bands, of which 287 (~84% were polymorphic, with polymorphic bands per primer ranging from 17 to 34. The Jaccard’s similarity ranged from 0.08 to 0.89 and averaged ~0.30 for the investigated bromeliads. The Bayesian-based approach, together with the un-weighted paired group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA-based clustering and the principal coordinate analysis (PCoA, distinctly grouped the bromeliads from Neoregelia, Guzmania, and Vriesea into three separately clusters, well corresponding with their botanical classifications; whereas the bromeliads of Aechmea other than the recently selected hybrids were not well assigned to a cluster. Additionally, ISSR marker was proven efficient for the identification of hybrids and bud sports of cultivated bromeliads. The findings achieved herein will further our knowledge about the genetic variability within cultivated bromeliads and therefore facilitate breeding for new varieties of cultivated bromeliads in future as well.
Energy efficiency of substance and energy recovery of selected waste fractions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fricke, Klaus; Bahr, Tobias; Bidlingmaier, Werner; Springer, Christian

2011-01-01

In order to reduce the ecological impact of resource exploitation, the EU calls for sustainable options to increase the efficiency and productivity of the utilization of natural resources. This target can only be achieved by considering resource recovery from waste comprehensively. However, waste management measures have to be investigated critically and all aspects of substance-related recycling and energy recovery have to be carefully balanced. This article compares recovery methods for selected waste fractions with regard to their energy efficiency. Whether material recycling or energy recovery is the most energy efficient solution, is a question of particular relevance with regard to the following waste fractions: paper and cardboard, plastics and biowaste and also indirectly metals. For the described material categories material recycling has advantages compared to energy recovery. In accordance with the improved energy efficiency of substance opposed to energy recovery, substance-related recycling causes lower emissions of green house gases. For the fractions paper and cardboard, plastics, biowaste and metals it becomes apparent, that intensification of the separate collection systems in combination with a more intensive use of sorting technologies can increase the extent of material recycling. Collection and sorting systems must be coordinated. The objective of the overall system must be to achieve an optimum of the highest possible recovery rates in combination with a high quality of recyclables. The energy efficiency of substance related recycling of biowaste can be increased by intensifying the use of anaerobic technologies. In order to increase the energy efficiency of the overall system, the energy efficiencies of energy recovery plants must be increased so that the waste unsuitable for substance recycling is recycled or treated with the highest possible energy yield.
Prediction of malting quality traits in barley based on genome-wide marker data to assess the potential of genomic selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Malthe; Kollers, Sonja; Maasberg-Prelle, Anja; Großer, Jörg; Schinkel, Burkhard; Tomerius, Alexandra; Graner, Andreas; Korzun, Viktor

2016-02-01

Genomic prediction of malting quality traits in barley shows the potential of applying genomic selection to improve selection for malting quality and speed up the breeding process. Genomic selection has been applied to various plant species, mostly for yield or yield-related traits such as grain dry matter yield or thousand kernel weight, and improvement of resistances against diseases. Quality traits have not been the main scope of analysis for genomic selection, but have rather been addressed by marker-assisted selection. In this study, the potential to apply genomic selection to twelve malting quality traits in two commercial breeding programs of spring and winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was assessed. Phenotypic means were calculated combining multilocational field trial data from 3 or 4 years, depending on the trait investigated. Three to five locations were available in each of these years. Heritabilities for malting traits ranged between 0.50 and 0.98. Predictive abilities (PA), as derived from cross validation, ranged between 0.14 to 0.58 for spring barley and 0.40-0.80 for winter barley. Small training sets were shown to be sufficient to obtain useful PAs, possibly due to the narrow genetic base in this breeding material. Deployment of genomic selection in malting barley breeding clearly has the potential to reduce cost intensive phenotyping for quality traits, increase selection intensity and to shorten breeding cycles.
Radiation mutagenesis in development of genetic fundamentals of cotton selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musaev, D.A.; Almatov, A.S.

1987-01-01

Some results of investigations on preparation and genetic analysis of mutants in inbreeding lines of genetic collections of cotton plants, as well as problems on mutant application in practical selection are covered. The results show that the scientific authenticity and efficiency of fundamental and applied investigations in the field of experimental mutagenesis of cotton plants,being a facultative self-polinator, depend on keeping necessary methodical requirements. Application of inbreeding lines of genetic collection with marker features as the initial material, isolation of plants usinng self-polination of flowers on all stages of investigation are related to these requirements. Several methodical recommendations on genetic-selective investigations are developed
Radiographic markers - A reservoir for bacteria?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tugwell, Jenna; Maddison, Adele

2011-01-01

Introduction: Amongst the most frequently handled objects in the radiology department are radiographic markers. They are personal accessories used with every patient, and are kept in the radiographers pockets when not utilised. Upon enquiry it was discovered that many radiographers disregarded the potential of these accessories to become a vector for cross-contamination thus never or rarely clean them. The aims of this study were therefore to identify if radiographic markers are a reservoir for bacteria and to establish an effective cleaning method for decontaminating them. Methodology: 25 radiographers/student radiographers were selected for this study. Swabbing of their markers prior and post cleaning took place. The microbiology laboratory subsequently analyzed the results by quantifying and identifying the bacteria present. The participants also completed a closed questionnaire regarding their markers (e.g. frequency of cleaning and type of marker) to help specify the results gained from the swabbing procedure. Results: From the sample swabbed, 92% were contaminated with various organisms including Staphylococcus and Bacillus species, the amount of bacteria present ranged from 0 to >50 CFU. There were no significant differences between disinfectant wipes and alcohol gel in decontaminating the markers. Both successfully reduced their bacterial load, with 80% of the markers post cleaning having 0 CFU. Conclusion: The results indicated that radiographic markers can become highly contaminated with various organisms thus serve as a reservoir for bacteria. In addition, the markers need to be cleaned on a regular basis, with either disinfectant wipes or alcohol gel to reduce their bacterial load.
Genome-wide association study, genomic prediction and marker-assisted selection for seed weight in soybean (Glycine max).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiaoping; Song, Qijian; Cregan, Perry B; Jiang, Guo-Liang

2016-01-01

Twenty-two loci for soybean SW and candidate genes conditioning seed development were identified; and prediction accuracies of GS and MAS were estimated through cross-validation and validation with unrelated populations. Soybean (Glycine max) is a major crop for plant protein and oil production, and seed weight (SW) is important for yield and quality in food/vegetable uses of soybean. However, our knowledge of genes controlling SW remains limited. To better understand the molecular mechanism underlying the trait and explore marker-based breeding approaches, we conducted a genome-wide association study in a population of 309 soybean germplasm accessions using 31,045 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and estimated the prediction accuracy of genomic selection (GS) and marker-assisted selection (MAS) for SW. Twenty-two loci of minor effect associated with SW were identified, including hotspots on Gm04 and Gm19. The mixed model containing these loci explained 83.4% of phenotypic variation. Candidate genes with Arabidopsis orthologs conditioning SW were also proposed. The prediction accuracies of GS and MAS by cross-validation were 0.75-0.87 and 0.62-0.75, respectively, depending on the number of SNPs used and the size of training population. GS also outperformed MAS when the validation was performed using unrelated panels across a wide range of maturities, with an average prediction accuracy of 0.74 versus 0.53. This study convincingly demonstrated that soybean SW is controlled by numerous minor-effect loci. It greatly enhances our understanding of the genetic basis of SW in soybean and facilitates the identification of genes controlling the trait. It also suggests that GS holds promise for accelerating soybean breeding progress. The results are helpful for genetic improvement and genomic prediction of yield in soybean.
A Traceless Selection: Counter-selection System That Allows Efficient Generation of Transposon and CRISPR-modified T-cell Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riccardo Mezzadra

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Recent years have seen major breakthroughs in genome-engineering systems, such as transposon-mediated gene delivery systems and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome-editing tools. In these systems, transient expression of auxiliary genes is responsible for permanent genomic modification. For both systems, it would be valuable to select for cells that are likely to undergo stable genome modification. Importantly, in particular for clinical applications of genome-engineered cell products, it will also be of importance to remove those cells that, due to random vector integration, display an unwanted stable expression of the auxiliary gene. Here, we develop a traceless selection system that on the one hand allows efficient enrichment of modified cells, and on the other hand can be used to select against cells that retain expression of the auxiliary gene. The value of this system to produce highly enriched-auxiliary gene-free cell products is demonstrated.
Application of molecular markers in breeding for bean common ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sequence characterised amplified region (SCAR) markers, linked to four independent quantitative trait loci (QTL) in XAN 159 and GN #1 Nebr. sel. 27, are available for indirect selection of resistance to common bacterial blight in Phaseolus vulgaris. Existing SCAR-markers, SU91, BC420, BC409 and SAP6, were evaluated ...
High efficiency direct thermal to electric energy conversion from radioisotope decay using selective emitters and spectrally tuned solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Chubb, Donald L.; Flood, Dennis J.; Lowe, Roland A.

1993-01-01

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems are attractive possibilities for direct thermal-to-electric energy conversion, but have typically required the use of black body radiators operating at high temperatures. Recent advances in both the understanding and performance of solid rare-earth oxide selective emitters make possible the use of TPV at temperatures as low as 1200K. Both selective emitter and filter system TPV systems are feasible. However, requirements on the filter system are severe in order to attain high efficiency. A thin-film of a rare-earth oxide is one method for producing an efficient, rugged selective emitter. An efficiency of 0.14 and power density of 9.2 W/KG at 1200K is calculated for a hypothetical thin-film neodymia (Nd2O3) selective emitter TPV system that uses radioisotope decay as the thermal energy source.
High efficiency direct thermal to electric energy conversion from radioisotope decay using selective emitters and spectrally tuned solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chubb, D.L.; Flood, D.J.; Lowe, R.A.

1993-08-01

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems are attractive possibilities for direct thermal-to-electric energy conversion, but have typically required the use of black body radiators operating at high temperatures. Recent advances in both the understanding and performance of solid rare-earth oxide selective emitters make possible the use of TPV at temperatures as low as 1200K. Both selective emitter and filter system TPV systems are feasible. However, requirements on the filter system are severe in order to attain high efficiency. A thin-film of a rare-earth oxide is one method for producing an efficient, rugged selective emitter. An efficiency of 0.14 and power density of 9.2 W/KG at 1200K is calculated for a hypothetical thin-film neodymia (Nd2O3) selective emitter TPV system that uses radioisotope decay as the thermal energy source
Identifying genetic marker sets associated with phenotypes via an efficient adaptive score test

KAUST Repository

Cai, T.

2012-06-25

In recent years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and gene-expression profiling have generated a large number of valuable datasets for assessing how genetic variations are related to disease outcomes. With such datasets, it is often of interest to assess the overall effect of a set of genetic markers, assembled based on biological knowledge. Genetic marker-set analyses have been advocated as more reliable and powerful approaches compared with the traditional marginal approaches (Curtis and others, 2005. Pathways to the analysis of microarray data. TRENDS in Biotechnology 23, 429-435; Efroni and others, 2007. Identification of key processes underlying cancer phenotypes using biologic pathway analysis. PLoS One 2, 425). Procedures for testing the overall effect of a marker-set have been actively studied in recent years. For example, score tests derived under an Empirical Bayes (EB) framework (Liu and others, 2007. Semiparametric regression of multidimensional genetic pathway data: least-squares kernel machines and linear mixed models. Biometrics 63, 1079-1088; Liu and others, 2008. Estimation and testing for the effect of a genetic pathway on a disease outcome using logistic kernel machine regression via logistic mixed models. BMC bioinformatics 9, 292-2; Wu and others, 2010. Powerful SNP-set analysis for case-control genome-wide association studies. American Journal of Human Genetics 86, 929) have been proposed as powerful alternatives to the standard Rao score test (Rao, 1948. Large sample tests of statistical hypotheses concerning several parameters with applications to problems of estimation. Mathematical Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 44, 50-57). The advantages of these EB-based tests are most apparent when the markers are correlated, due to the reduction in the degrees of freedom. In this paper, we propose an adaptive score test which up- or down-weights the contributions from each member of the marker-set based on the Z-scores of
Genetic Gains in Grain Yield of a Maize Population Improved through Marker Assisted Recurrent Selection under Stress and Non-stress Conditions in West Africa

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Rekiya O. Abdulmalik

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Marker-assisted recurrent selection (MARS is a breeding method used to accumulate favorable alleles that for example confer tolerance to drought in inbred lines from several genomic regions within a single population. A bi-parental cross formed from two parents that combine resistance to Striga hermonthica with drought tolerance, which was improved through MARS, was used to assess changes in the frequency of favorable alleles and its impact on inbred line improvement. A total of 200 testcrosses of randomly selected S1 lines derived from the original (C0 and advanced selection cycles of this bi-parental population, were evaluated under drought stress (DS and well-watered (WW conditions at Ikenne and under artificial Striga infestation at Abuja and Mokwa in Nigeria in 2014 and 2015. Also, 60 randomly selected S1 lines each derived from the four cycles (C0, C1, C2, C3 were genotyped with 233 SNP markers using KASP assay. The results showed that the frequency of favorable alleles increased with MARS in the bi-parental population with none of the markers showing fixation. The gain in grain yield was not significant under DS condition due to the combined effect of DS and armyworm infestation in 2015. Because the parents used for developing the bi-parental cross combined tolerance to drought with resistance to Striga, improvement in grain yield under DS did not result in undesirable changes in resistance to the parasite in the bi-parental maize population improved through MARS. MARS increased the mean number of combinations of favorable alleles in S1 lines from 114 in C0 to 124 in C3. The level of heterozygosity decreased by 15%, while homozygosity increased by 13% due to the loss of some genotypes in the population. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of MARS in increasing the frequency of favorable alleles for tolerance to drought without disrupting the level of resistance to Striga in a bi-parental population targeted as a source of improved
Genetic Gains in Grain Yield of a Maize Population Improved through Marker Assisted Recurrent Selection under Stress and Non-stress Conditions in West Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulmalik, Rekiya O; Menkir, Abebe; Meseka, Silvestro K; Unachukwu, Nnanna; Ado, Shehu G; Olarewaju, Joseph D; Aba, Daniel A; Hearne, Sarah; Crossa, Jose; Gedil, Melaku

2017-01-01

Marker-assisted recurrent selection (MARS) is a breeding method used to accumulate favorable alleles that for example confer tolerance to drought in inbred lines from several genomic regions within a single population. A bi-parental cross formed from two parents that combine resistance to Striga hermonthica with drought tolerance, which was improved through MARS, was used to assess changes in the frequency of favorable alleles and its impact on inbred line improvement. A total of 200 testcrosses of randomly selected S 1 lines derived from the original (C 0 ) and advanced selection cycles of this bi-parental population, were evaluated under drought stress (DS) and well-watered (WW) conditions at Ikenne and under artificial Striga infestation at Abuja and Mokwa in Nigeria in 2014 and 2015. Also, 60 randomly selected S 1 lines each derived from the four cycles (C 0 , C 1 , C 2 , C 3 ) were genotyped with 233 SNP markers using KASP assay. The results showed that the frequency of favorable alleles increased with MARS in the bi-parental population with none of the markers showing fixation. The gain in grain yield was not significant under DS condition due to the combined effect of DS and armyworm infestation in 2015. Because the parents used for developing the bi-parental cross combined tolerance to drought with resistance to Striga , improvement in grain yield under DS did not result in undesirable changes in resistance to the parasite in the bi-parental maize population improved through MARS. MARS increased the mean number of combinations of favorable alleles in S 1 lines from 114 in C 0 to 124 in C 3 . The level of heterozygosity decreased by 15%, while homozygosity increased by 13% due to the loss of some genotypes in the population. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of MARS in increasing the frequency of favorable alleles for tolerance to drought without disrupting the level of resistance to Striga in a bi-parental population targeted as a source of improved
Genomic Selection in Multi-environment Crop Trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Oakey, Helena; Cullis, Brian; Thompson, Robin; Comadran, Jordi; Halpin, Claire; Waugh, Robbie

2016-05-03

Genomic selection in crop breeding introduces modeling challenges not found in animal studies. These include the need to accommodate replicate plants for each line, consider spatial variation in field trials, address line by environment interactions, and capture nonadditive effects. Here, we propose a flexible single-stage genomic selection approach that resolves these issues. Our linear mixed model incorporates spatial variation through environment-specific terms, and also randomization-based design terms. It considers marker, and marker by environment interactions using ridge regression best linear unbiased prediction to extend genomic selection to multiple environments. Since the approach uses the raw data from line replicates, the line genetic variation is partitioned into marker and nonmarker residual genetic variation (i.e., additive and nonadditive effects). This results in a more precise estimate of marker genetic effects. Using barley height data from trials, in 2 different years, of up to 477 cultivars, we demonstrate that our new genomic selection model improves predictions compared to current models. Analyzing single trials revealed improvements in predictive ability of up to 5.7%. For the multiple environment trial (MET) model, combining both year trials improved predictive ability up to 11.4% compared to a single environment analysis. Benefits were significant even when fewer markers were used. Compared to a single-year standard model run with 3490 markers, our partitioned MET model achieved the same predictive ability using between 500 and 1000 markers depending on the trial. Our approach can be used to increase accuracy and confidence in the selection of the best lines for breeding and/or, to reduce costs by using fewer markers. Copyright © 2016 Oakey et al.
Marker-Assisted Selection of Xa21 Conferring Resistance to Bacterial Leaf Blight in indica Rice Cultivar LT2

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Hue Thi NGUYEN; Trung Nguyen DINH; Nakano TOSHITSUGU; Liet Van VU; Quang Hong VU; Tan Van MAI; Thu Thi NGUYEN; Lam Duc VU; Tung Thanh NGUYEN; Long Viet NGUYEN; Hien Thu Thi VU; Hue Thi NONG

2018-01-01

Bacterial leaf blight of rice (BLB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, is one of the most destructive diseases in Asian rice fields. A high-quality rice variety, LT2, was used as the recipient parent. IRBB21, which carries the Xa21 gene, was used as the donor parent. The resistance gene Xa21 was introduced into LT2 by marker-assisted backcrossing. Three Xoo races were used to inoculate the improved lines following the clipping method. Eleven BC3F3lines carrying Xa21 were obtained based on molecular markers and agronomic performance. The 11 lines were then inoculated with the three Xoo races. All the 11 improved lines showed better resistance to BLB than the recipient parent LT2. Based on the level of resistance to BLB and their agronomic performance, five lines (BC3F35.1.5.1, BC3F35.1.5.12, BC3F38.5.6.44, BC3F3 9.5.4.1 and BC3F39.5.4.23) were selected as the most promising for commercial release. These improved lines could contribute to rice production in terms of food security.
DEVELOPMENT OF EST-SSR MARKERS TO ASSESS GENETIC DIVERSITY OF BROCCOLI AND ITS RELATED SPECIES

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Nur Kholilatul Izzah

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Development of Expressed Sequence Tag-Simple Sequence Repeat (EST-SSR markers derived from public database is known to be more efficient, faster and low cost. The objective of this study was to generate a new set of EST-SSR markers for broccoli and its related species and their usefulness for assessing their genetic diversity. A total of 202 Brassica oleracea ESTs were retrieved from NCBI and then assembled into 172 unigenes by means of CAP3 program. Identification of SSRs was carried out using web-based tool, RepeatMasker software. Afterwards, EST-SSR markers were developed using Primer3 program. Among the identified SSRs, trinucleotide repeats were the most common repeat types, which accounted for about 50%. A total of eight primer pairs were successfully designed and yielded amplification products. Among them, five markers were polymorphic and displayed a total of 30 alleles with an average number of six alleles per locus. The polymorphic markers were subsequently used for analyzing genetic diversity of 36 B. oleracea cultivars including 22 broccoli, five cauliflower and nine kohlrabi cultivars based on genetic similarity matrix as implemented in NTSYS program. At similarity coefficient of 61%, a UPGMA clustering dendrogram effectively separated 36 genotypes into three main groups, where 30 out of 36 genotypes were clearly discriminated. The result obtained in the present study would help breeders in selecting parental lines for crossing. Moreover, the novel EST-SSR markers developed in the study could be a valuable tool for differentiating cultivars of broccoli and related species.
Energy-efficient relay selection and optimal power allocation for performance-constrained dual-hop variable-gain AF relaying

KAUST Repository

Zafar, Ammar

2013-12-01

This paper investigates the energy-efficiency enhancement of a variable-gain dual-hop amplify-and-forward (AF) relay network utilizing selective relaying. The objective is to minimize the total consumed power while keeping the end-to-end signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) above a certain peak value and satisfying the peak power constraints at the source and relay nodes. To achieve this objective, an optimal relay selection and power allocation strategy is derived by solving the power minimization problem. Numerical results show that the derived optimal strategy enhances the energy-efficiency as compared to a benchmark scheme in which both the source and the selected relay transmit at peak power. © 2013 IEEE.
Marker optimization for facial motion acquisition and deformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Binh H; Zhu, Mingyang; Deng, Zhigang

2013-11-01

A long-standing problem in marker-based facial motion capture is what are the optimal facial mocap marker layouts. Despite its wide range of potential applications, this problem has not yet been systematically explored to date. This paper describes an approach to compute optimized marker layouts for facial motion acquisition as optimization of characteristic control points from a set of high-resolution, ground-truth facial mesh sequences. Specifically, the thin-shell linear deformation model is imposed onto the example pose reconstruction process via optional hard constraints such as symmetry and multiresolution constraints. Through our experiments and comparisons, we validate the effectiveness, robustness, and accuracy of our approach. Besides guiding minimal yet effective placement of facial mocap markers, we also describe and demonstrate its two selected applications: marker-based facial mesh skinning and multiresolution facial performance capture.

Novel mathematic models for quantitative transitivity of quality-markers in extraction process of the Buyanghuanwu decoction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu-Tian; Xiao, Mei-Feng; Deng, Kai-Wen; Yang, Yan-Tao; Zhou, Yi-Qun; Zhou, Jin; He, Fu-Yuan; Liu, Wen-Long

2018-06-01

Nowadays, to research and formulate an efficiency extraction system for Chinese herbal medicine, scientists have always been facing a great challenge for quality management, so that the transitivity of Q-markers in quantitative analysis of TCM was proposed by Prof. Liu recently. In order to improve the quality of extraction from raw medicinal materials for clinical preparations, a series of integrated mathematic models for transitivity of Q-markers in quantitative analysis of TCM were established. Buyanghuanwu decoction (BYHWD) was a commonly TCMs prescription, which was used to prevent and treat the ischemic heart and brain diseases. In this paper, we selected BYHWD as an extraction experimental subject to study the quantitative transitivity of TCM. Based on theory of Fick's Rule and Noyes-Whitney equation, novel kinetic models were established for extraction of active components. Meanwhile, fitting out kinetic equations of extracted models and then calculating the inherent parameters in material piece and Q-marker quantitative transfer coefficients, which were considered as indexes to evaluate transitivity of Q-markers in quantitative analysis of the extraction process of BYHWD. HPLC was applied to screen and analyze the potential Q-markers in the extraction process. Fick's Rule and Noyes-Whitney equation were adopted for mathematically modeling extraction process. Kinetic parameters were fitted and calculated by the Statistical Program for Social Sciences 20.0 software. The transferable efficiency was described and evaluated by potential Q-markers transfer trajectory via transitivity availability AUC, extraction ratio P, and decomposition ratio D respectively. The Q-marker was identified with AUC, P, D. Astragaloside IV, laetrile, paeoniflorin, and ferulic acid were studied as potential Q-markers from BYHWD. The relative technologic parameters were presented by mathematic models, which could adequately illustrate the inherent properties of raw materials
Genetic Diversity of Selected Mangifera Species Revealed by Inter Simple Sequence Repeats Markers

OpenAIRE

Ariffin, Zulhairil; Md Sah, Muhammad Shafie; Idris, Salma; Hashim, Nuradni

2015-01-01

ISSR markers were employed to reveal genetic diversity and genetic relatedness among 28 Mangifera accessions collected from Yan (Kedah), Bukit Gantang (Perak), Sibuti (Sarawak), and Papar (Sabah). A total of 198 markers were generated using nine anchored primers and one nonanchored primer. Genetic variation among the 28 accessions of Mangifera species including wild relatives, landraces, and clonal varieties is high, with an average degree of polymorphism of 98% and mean Shannon index, H0=7.5...
Energy efficiency of substance and energy recovery of selected waste fractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Fricke, Klaus; Bahr, Tobias; Bidlingmaier, Werner; Springer, Christian

2011-04-01

In order to reduce the ecological impact of resource exploitation, the EU calls for sustainable options to increase the efficiency and productivity of the utilization of natural resources. This target can only be achieved by considering resource recovery from waste comprehensively. However, waste management measures have to be investigated critically and all aspects of substance-related recycling and energy recovery have to be carefully balanced. This article compares recovery methods for selected waste fractions with regard to their energy efficiency. Whether material recycling or energy recovery is the most energy efficient solution, is a question of particular relevance with regard to the following waste fractions: paper and cardboard, plastics and biowaste and also indirectly metals. For the described material categories material recycling has advantages compared to energy recovery. In accordance with the improved energy efficiency of substance opposed to energy recovery, substance-related recycling causes lower emissions of green house gases. For the fractions paper and cardboard, plastics, biowaste and metals it becomes apparent, that intensification of the separate collection systems in combination with a more intensive use of sorting technologies can increase the extent of material recycling. Collection and sorting systems must be coordinated. The objective of the overall system must be to achieve an optimum of the highest possible recovery rates in combination with a high quality of recyclables. The energy efficiency of substance related recycling of biowaste can be increased by intensifying the use of anaerobic technologies. In order to increase the energy efficiency of the overall system, the energy efficiencies of energy recovery plants must be increased so that the waste unsuitable for substance recycling is recycled or treated with the highest possible energy yield. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
(L.) Dunal using RAPD and AFLP markers

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ajl yemi

2011-10-26

Oct 26, 2011 ... Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Eighteen ... importance due to its simplicity, efficiency, relative ease .... nation, number of polymorphic bands, percentage polymorphism .... roots, stems, leaves, flowers, pollen grains, mature fruits ... genetic changes that isolated it from the wild species.
Development of Novel Polymorphic EST-SSR Markers in Bailinggu (Pleurotus tuoliensis for Crossbreeding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yueting Dai

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Identification of monokaryons and their mating types and discrimination of hybrid offspring are key steps for the crossbreeding of Pleurotus tuoliensis (Bailinggu. However, conventional crossbreeding methods are troublesome and time consuming. Using RNA-seq technology, we developed new expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR markers for Bailinggu to easily and rapidly identify monokaryons and their mating types, genetic diversity and hybrid offspring. We identified 1110 potential EST-based SSR loci from a newly-sequenced Bailinggu transcriptome and then randomly selected 100 EST-SSRs for further validation. Results showed that 39, 43 and 34 novel EST-SSR markers successfully identified monokaryons from their parent dikaryons, differentiated two different mating types and discriminated F1 and F2 hybrid offspring, respectively. Furthermore, a total of 86 alleles were detected in 37 monokaryons using 18 highly informative EST-SSRs. The observed number of alleles per locus ranged from three to seven. Cluster analysis revealed that these monokaryons have a relatively high level of genetic diversity. Transfer rates of the EST-SSRs in the monokaryons of closely-related species Pleurotus eryngii var. ferulae and Pleurotus ostreatus were 72% and 64%, respectively. Therefore, our study provides new SSR markers and an efficient method to enhance the crossbreeding of Bailinggu and closely-related species.
Development of Genetic Markers in Eucalyptus Species by Target Enrichment and Exome Sequencing

Science.gov (United States)

Dasgupta, Modhumita Ghosh; Dharanishanthi, Veeramuthu; Agarwal, Ishangi; Krutovsky, Konstantin V.

2015-01-01

The advent of next-generation sequencing has facilitated large-scale discovery, validation and assessment of genetic markers for high density genotyping. The present study was undertaken to identify markers in genes supposedly related to wood property traits in three Eucalyptus species. Ninety four genes involved in xylogenesis were selected for hybridization probe based nuclear genomic DNA target enrichment and exome sequencing. Genomic DNA was isolated from the leaf tissues and used for on-array probe hybridization followed by Illumina sequencing. The raw sequence reads were trimmed and high-quality reads were mapped to the E. grandis reference sequence and the presence of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and insertions/ deletions (InDels) were identified across the three species. The average read coverage was 216X and a total of 2294 SNVs and 479 InDels were discovered in E. camaldulensis, 2383 SNVs and 518 InDels in E. tereticornis, and 1228 SNVs and 409 InDels in E. grandis. Additionally, SNV calling and InDel detection were conducted in pair-wise comparisons of E. tereticornis vs. E. grandis, E. camaldulensis vs. E. tereticornis and E. camaldulensis vs. E. grandis. This study presents an efficient and high throughput method on development of genetic markers for family– based QTL and association analysis in Eucalyptus. PMID:25602379
Development of genetic markers in Eucalyptus species by target enrichment and exome sequencing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Modhumita Ghosh Dasgupta

Full Text Available The advent of next-generation sequencing has facilitated large-scale discovery, validation and assessment of genetic markers for high density genotyping. The present study was undertaken to identify markers in genes supposedly related to wood property traits in three Eucalyptus species. Ninety four genes involved in xylogenesis were selected for hybridization probe based nuclear genomic DNA target enrichment and exome sequencing. Genomic DNA was isolated from the leaf tissues and used for on-array probe hybridization followed by Illumina sequencing. The raw sequence reads were trimmed and high-quality reads were mapped to the E. grandis reference sequence and the presence of single nucleotide variants (SNVs and insertions/ deletions (InDels were identified across the three species. The average read coverage was 216X and a total of 2294 SNVs and 479 InDels were discovered in E. camaldulensis, 2383 SNVs and 518 InDels in E. tereticornis, and 1228 SNVs and 409 InDels in E. grandis. Additionally, SNV calling and InDel detection were conducted in pair-wise comparisons of E. tereticornis vs. E. grandis, E. camaldulensis vs. E. tereticornis and E. camaldulensis vs. E. grandis. This study presents an efficient and high throughput method on development of genetic markers for family- based QTL and association analysis in Eucalyptus.
Development of Novel Polymorphic EST-SSR Markers in Bailinggu (Pleurotus tuoliensis) for Crossbreeding

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Yueting; Su, Wenying; Song, Bing; Li, Yu; Fu, Yongping

2017-01-01

Identification of monokaryons and their mating types and discrimination of hybrid offspring are key steps for the crossbreeding of Pleurotus tuoliensis (Bailinggu). However, conventional crossbreeding methods are troublesome and time consuming. Using RNA-seq technology, we developed new expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers for Bailinggu to easily and rapidly identify monokaryons and their mating types, genetic diversity and hybrid offspring. We identified 1110 potential EST-based SSR loci from a newly-sequenced Bailinggu transcriptome and then randomly selected 100 EST-SSRs for further validation. Results showed that 39, 43 and 34 novel EST-SSR markers successfully identified monokaryons from their parent dikaryons, differentiated two different mating types and discriminated F1 and F2 hybrid offspring, respectively. Furthermore, a total of 86 alleles were detected in 37 monokaryons using 18 highly informative EST-SSRs. The observed number of alleles per locus ranged from three to seven. Cluster analysis revealed that these monokaryons have a relatively high level of genetic diversity. Transfer rates of the EST-SSRs in the monokaryons of closely-related species Pleurotus eryngii var. ferulae and Pleurotus ostreatus were 72% and 64%, respectively. Therefore, our study provides new SSR markers and an efficient method to enhance the crossbreeding of Bailinggu and closely-related species. PMID:29149037
Ghost marker detection and elimination in marker-based optical tracking systems for real-time tracking in stereotactic body radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Guanghua; Li, Jonathan; Huang, Yin; Mittauer, Kathryn; Lu, Bo; Liu, Chihray

2014-01-01

uncertainties, and marker displacement. Results: The sensor positions and the limit for the CWL condition were measured with excellent reproducibility (standard deviation ≤ 0.39 mm). The ghost marker detection algorithm had perfect detection accuracy for both the jig (1544 samples) and the anthropomorphic phantom (2045 samples). Pattern matching was successful for all samples from both phantoms as well as the 40 patient marker patterns. Conclusions: The authors proposed a simple model to explain the origin of ghost markers and identified the CWL condition as the necessary condition for ghost marker occurrence. The retrospective ghost marker detection and elimination algorithms guarantee complete ghost marker elimination while providing the users with maximum flexibility in selecting the number of markers and their configuration to meet their clinic needs
Ghost marker detection and elimination in marker-based optical tracking systems for real-time tracking in stereotactic body radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, Guanghua, E-mail: yan@ufl.edu; Li, Jonathan; Huang, Yin; Mittauer, Kathryn; Lu, Bo; Liu, Chihray [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610 (United States)

2014-10-15

uncertainties, and marker displacement. Results: The sensor positions and the limit for the CWL condition were measured with excellent reproducibility (standard deviation ≤ 0.39 mm). The ghost marker detection algorithm had perfect detection accuracy for both the jig (1544 samples) and the anthropomorphic phantom (2045 samples). Pattern matching was successful for all samples from both phantoms as well as the 40 patient marker patterns. Conclusions: The authors proposed a simple model to explain the origin of ghost markers and identified the CWL condition as the necessary condition for ghost marker occurrence. The retrospective ghost marker detection and elimination algorithms guarantee complete ghost marker elimination while providing the users with maximum flexibility in selecting the number of markers and their configuration to meet their clinic needs.
The ERECTA gene regulates plant transpiration efficiency in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Masle, Josette; Gilmore, Scott R; Farquhar, Graham D

2005-08-11

Assimilation of carbon by plants incurs water costs. In the many parts of the world where water is in short supply, plant transpiration efficiency, the ratio of carbon fixation to water loss, is critical to plant survival, crop yield and vegetation dynamics. When challenged by variations in their environment, plants often seem to coordinate photosynthesis and transpiration, but significant genetic variation in transpiration efficiency has been identified both between and within species. This has allowed plant breeders to develop effective selection programmes for the improved transpiration efficiency of crops, after it was demonstrated that carbon isotopic discrimination, Delta, of plant matter was a reliable and sensitive marker negatively related to variation in transpiration efficiency. However, little is known of the genetic controls of transpiration efficiency. Here we report the isolation of a gene that regulates transpiration efficiency, ERECTA. We show that ERECTA, a putative leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase (LRR-RLK) known for its effects on inflorescence development, is a major contributor to a locus for Delta on Arabidopsis chromosome 2. Mechanisms include, but are not limited to, effects on stomatal density, epidermal cell expansion, mesophyll cell proliferation and cell-cell contact.
Automatic identification of optimal marker genes for phenotypic and taxonomic groups of microorganisms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elad Segev

Full Text Available Finding optimal markers for microorganisms important in the medical, agricultural, environmental or ecological fields is of great importance. Thousands of complete microbial genomes now available allow us, for the first time, to exhaustively identify marker proteins for groups of microbial organisms. In this work, we model the biological task as the well-known mathematical "hitting set" problem, solving it based on both greedy and randomized approximation algorithms. We identify unique markers for 17 phenotypic and taxonomic microbial groups, including proteins related to the nitrite reductase enzyme as markers for the non-anammox nitrifying bacteria group, and two transcription regulation proteins, nusG and yhiF, as markers for the Archaea and Escherichia/Shigella taxonomic groups, respectively. Additionally, we identify marker proteins for three subtypes of pathogenic E. coli, which previously had no known optimal markers. Practically, depending on the completeness of the database this algorithm can be used for identification of marker genes for any microbial group, these marker genes may be prime candidates for the understanding of the genetic basis of the group's phenotype or to help discover novel functions which are uniquely shared among a group of microbes. We show that our method is both theoretically and practically efficient, while establishing an upper bound on its time complexity and approximation ratio; thus, it promises to remain efficient and permit the identification of marker proteins that are specific to phenotypic or taxonomic groups, even as more and more bacterial genomes are being sequenced.
A Secondary Antibody-Detecting Molecular Weight Marker with Mouse and Rabbit IgG Fc Linear Epitopes for Western Blot Analysis.

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Lin, Wen-Wei; Chen, I-Ju; Cheng, Ta-Chun; Tung, Yi-Ching; Chu, Pei-Yu; Chuang, Chih-Hung; Hsieh, Yuan-Chin; Huang, Chien-Chiao; Wang, Yeng-Tseng; Kao, Chien-Han; Roffler, Steve R; Cheng, Tian-Lu

2016-01-01

Molecular weight markers that can tolerate denaturing conditions and be auto-detected by secondary antibodies offer great efficacy and convenience for Western Blotting. Here, we describe M&R LE protein markers which contain linear epitopes derived from the heavy chain constant regions of mouse and rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG Fc LE). These markers can be directly recognized and stained by a wide range of anti-mouse and anti-rabbit secondary antibodies. We selected three mouse (M1, M2 and M3) linear IgG1 and three rabbit (R1, R2 and R3) linear IgG heavy chain epitope candidates based on their respective crystal structures. Western blot analysis indicated that M2 and R2 linear epitopes are effectively recognized by anti-mouse and anti-rabbit secondary antibodies, respectively. We fused the M2 and R2 epitopes (M&R LE) and incorporated the polypeptide in a range of 15-120 kDa auto-detecting markers (M&R LE protein marker). The M&R LE protein marker can be auto-detected by anti-mouse and anti-rabbit IgG secondary antibodies in standard immunoblots. Linear regression analysis of the M&R LE protein marker plotted as gel mobility versus the log of the marker molecular weights revealed good linearity with a correlation coefficient R2 value of 0.9965, indicating that the M&R LE protein marker displays high accuracy for determining protein molecular weights. This accurate, regular and auto-detected M&R LE protein marker may provide a simple, efficient and economical tool for protein analysis.
Assessing Date Palm Genetic Diversity Using Different Molecular Markers.

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Atia, Mohamed A M; Sakr, Mahmoud M; Adawy, Sami S

2017-01-01

Molecular marker technologies which rely on DNA analysis provide powerful tools to assess biodiversity at different levels, i.e., among and within species. A range of different molecular marker techniques have been developed and extensively applied for detecting variability in date palm at the DNA level. Recently, the employment of gene-targeting molecular marker approaches to study biodiversity and genetic variations in many plant species has increased the attention of researchers interested in date palm to carry out phylogenetic studies using these novel marker systems. Molecular markers are good indicators of genetic distances among accessions, because DNA-based markers are neutral in the face of selection. Here we describe the employment of multidisciplinary molecular marker approaches: amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism, conserved DNA-derived polymorphism (CDDP), intron-targeted amplified polymorphism (ITAP), simple sequence repeats (SSR), and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) to assess genetic diversity in date palm.
Integrative analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms and gene expression efficiently distinguishes samples from closely related ethnic populations

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Yang Hsin-Chou

2012-07-01

accuracies and a reduced number of selected markers in AIM panels. Conclusions Integrative analysis of SNP and GE markers provides high-accuracy and/or cost-effective classification results for assigning samples from closely related or distantly related ancestral lineages to their original ancestral populations. User-friendly BIASLESS (Biomarkers Identification and Samples Subdivision software was developed as an efficient tool for selecting key SNP and/or GE markers and then building models for sample subdivision. BIASLESS was programmed in R and R-GUI and is available online at http://www.stat.sinica.edu.tw/hsinchou/genetics/prediction/BIASLESS.htm.
Performance of Genomic Selection in Mice

OpenAIRE

Legarra, Andrés; Robert-Granié, Christèle; Manfredi, Eduardo; Elsen, Jean-Michel

2008-01-01

Selection plans in plant and animal breeding are driven by genetic evaluation. Recent developments suggest using massive genetic marker information, known as “genomic selection.” There is little evidence of its performance, though. We empirically compared three strategies for selection: (1) use of pedigree and phenotypic information, (2) use of genomewide markers and phenotypic information, and (3) the combination of both. We analyzed four traits from a heterogeneous mouse population (http://...
Application of molecular markers in wheat breeding: Reality or delusion?

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Kobiljski Borislav

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Conventional plant breeding use morphological and phenotypic markers for the identification of important agronomic traits. Plant breeders and scientists continuously seek to develop new techniques, which can be used for faster and more accurate introgression of desirable traits into plants. Over the last several years there has been significant increase in the application of molecular markers in the breeding programmes of different species. So far, detected level of polymorphism and informatitivnes of different molecular marker methods applied in MAS (Marker Assisted Selection studies (RFLP, AFLP, etc. were insufficient either to validate their further use or there were very expensive and of huge healthy risk. Fortunately for wheat (and other crops breeders, the new class of molecular markers - microsatellites have prove recently to be most powerful for MAS. But, due to lack of the knowledge, experience, valid informations and even tradition and habits, many breeders have either negative or repulsive attitude towards implementation of MAS in breeding programes. In this paper the relevant facts regarding implementation of MAS in breeding are discussed in general, and for wheat breeding in particular, in order to summarize merits and limitations in application of microsatellites in MAS selection. .
Development of functional markers associated with phenotypic characteristics for identification of soy variety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibarra, M.; Castro, A; Capdevielle, F.

2013-01-01

The organization of agricultural systems requires the verification of the genetic identity and purity of cultivars. The increase in the number of soy varieties to be evaluated, and the narrow genetic base of soybean cultivars, make the identification using phenotypic descriptors very difficult. The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) has recognized the utility of molecular markers associated with descriptive phenotypic characteristics. With the goal of developing this kind of markers, six genic or genomic S SR were selected in silico (Sat286, Satt229, GmPrx1, GMES1173, Satt571 and Gm Hi), plus two previously reported markers (GmF35H and SoyF3H). All were evaluated in 35 soybean cultivars. The SSRs GmPrx1 and Gm Hi selected for seed coat peroxidase and hilum color respectively were monomorphic. The mean Polymorphism Information Content (PI C) value within the selected group of polymorphic markers was 0.48 with an average of 3.12 allele per locus. GmF35H discriminated the soybean varieties according to the flower color (white and purple). Discrimination tests showed a high percentage of accurate classification of growth habit (95.8%) and pubescence color (80.6%) with Sat286 and Soy F3H, respectively. The classification values for pod color (74.2%) and leaflet size (73.5%) were intermediate using GMES1173 and Satt571, respectively. The marker Satt229 was not discriminating for flowering time (50%) and maturity (42.8%). Molecular markers selected in or close to sequences of interest can be integrated into a genetic identification system as complementary markers to the classic phenotypic descriptors of soybean varieties
Expression of selected pathway-marker genes in human urothelial cells exposed chronically to a non-cytotoxic concentration of monomethylarsonous acid

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Matthew Medeiros

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Bladder cancer has been associated with chronic arsenic exposure. Monomethylarsonous acid [MMA(III] is a metabolite of inorganic arsenic and has been shown to transform an immortalized urothelial cell line (UROtsa at concentrations 20-fold less than arsenite. MMA(III was used as a model arsenical to examine the mechanisms of arsenical-induced transformation of urothelium. A previous microarray analysis revealed only minor changes in gene expression at 1 and 2 months of chronic exposure to MMA(III, contrasting with substantial changes observed at 3 months of exposure. To address the lack of information between 2 and 3 months of exposure (the critical period of transformation, the expression of select pathway marker genes was measured by PCR array analysis on a weekly basis. Cell proliferation rate, anchorage-independent growth, and tumorigenicity in SCID mice were also assessed to determine the early, persistent phenotypic changes and their association with the changes in expression of these selected marker genes. A very similar pattern of alterations in these genes was observed when compared to the microarray results, and suggested that early perturbations in cell signaling cascades, immunological pathways, cytokine expression, and MAPK pathway are particularly important in driving malignant transformation. These results showed a strong association between the acquired phenotypic changes that occurred as early as 1–2 months of chronic MMA(III exposure, and the observed gene expression pattern that is indicative of the earliest stages in carcinogenesis.
The role of Molecular Markers in Improvement of Fruit Crops

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Zahoor Ahmad BHAT

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Markers have been used over the years for the classification of plants. Markers are any trait of an organism that can be identified with confidence and relative easy, and can be followed in a mapping population on another hand markers be defined as heritable entities associated with the economically important trait under the control of polygenes. Morphological markers can be detected with naked eye (naked eye polymorphism or as difference in physical or chemical properties of the macromolecules. In other words, there are two types of genetic markers viz. morphological markers or naked eye polymorphism and non-morphological markers or molecular markers. Morphological markers include traits such as plant height, disease response, photoperiod, sensitivity, shape or colour of flowers, fruits or seeds etc. Molecular markers include biochemical constituents. Morphological markers have many limitations for being used as markers particularly in fruit crops because of long generation time and large size of fruit trees besides being influenced by environment. Consequently, molecular markers could be appropriate choice to study and preserve the diversity in any germplasm. Molecular markers have diverse applications in fruit crop improvement, particularly in the areas of genetic diversity and varietal identification studies, gene tagging, disease diagnostics, pedigree analysis, hybrid detection, sex differentiation and marker assisted selection.

Inflammatory markers as selection criteria of hepatocellular carcinoma in living-donor liver transplantation.

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Na, Gun Hyung; Kim, Dong Goo; Han, Jae Hyun; Kim, Eun Young; Lee, Soo Ho; Hong, Tae Ho; You, Young Kyoung

2014-06-07

To investigate that inflammatory markers can predict accurately the prognosis of hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) patients in living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). From October 2000 to November 2011, 224 patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation for HCC at our institution were enrolled in this study. We analyzed disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) after LT in patients with HCC and designed a new score model using pretransplant neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP). The DFS and OS in patients with an NLR level ≥ 6.0 or CRP level ≥ 1.0 were significantly worse than those of patients with an NLR level < 6.0 or CRP level < 1.0 (P = 0.049, P = 0.003 for NLR and P = 0.010, P < 0.001 for CRP, respectively). Using a new score model using the pretransplant NLR and CRP, we can differentiate HCC patients beyond the Milan criteria with a good prognosis from those with a poor prognosis. Combined with the Milan criteria, new score model using NLR and CRP represent new selection criteria for LDLT candidates with HCC, especially beyond the Milan criteria.
Unlocking Diversity in Germplasm Collections via Genomic Selection: A Case Study Based on Quantitative Adult Plant Resistance to Stripe Rust in Spring Wheat.

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Muleta, Kebede T; Bulli, Peter; Zhang, Zhiwu; Chen, Xianming; Pumphrey, Michael

2017-11-01

Harnessing diversity from germplasm collections is more feasible today because of the development of lower-cost and higher-throughput genotyping methods. However, the cost of phenotyping is still generally high, so efficient methods of sampling and exploiting useful diversity are needed. Genomic selection (GS) has the potential to enhance the use of desirable genetic variation in germplasm collections through predicting the genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) for all traits that have been measured. Here, we evaluated the effects of various scenarios of population genetic properties and marker density on the accuracy of GEBVs in the context of applying GS for wheat ( L.) germplasm use. Empirical data for adult plant resistance to stripe rust ( f. sp. ) collected on 1163 spring wheat accessions and genotypic data based on the wheat 9K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) iSelect assay were used for various genomic prediction tests. Unsurprisingly, the results of the cross-validation tests demonstrated that prediction accuracy increased with an increase in training population size and marker density. It was evident that using all the available markers (5619) was unnecessary for capturing the trait variation in the germplasm collection, with no further gain in prediction accuracy beyond 1 SNP per 3.2 cM (∼1850 markers), which is close to the linkage disequilibrium decay rate in this population. Collectively, our results suggest that larger germplasm collections may be efficiently sampled via lower-density genotyping methods, whereas genetic relationships between the training and validation populations remain critical when exploiting GS to select from germplasm collections. Copyright © 2017 Crop Science Society of America.
Suitability and use of two molecular markers to track race-specific ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Molecular markers linked to resistance to different races of S. gesneriodes have been identified. It was desirable to demonstrate the applicability and efficiency for use in ... The two marker data set were significantly correlated with the phenotypic data (r=0.95). Based on the tight linkage with the resistant locus, 61RM2 was ...
Analysis of correlations between selected endothelial cell activation markers, disease activity, and nailfold capillaroscopy microvascular changes in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

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Ciołkiewicz, Mariusz; Kuryliszyn-Moskal, Anna; Klimiuk, Piotr Adrian

2010-02-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between selected serum endothelial cell activation markers such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelin-1 (ET-1), soluble thrombomodulin (sTM), soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), disease activity, and microvascular changes determined by nailfold capillaroscopy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Serum levels of VEGF, ET-1, sTM, and sE-selectin were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 80 SLE patients. The disease activity was measured with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index score. Nailfold capillaroscopy was performed in all patients. Positive correlation was found between VEGF and both ET-1 (r = 0.294, p nailfold capillaroscopy (r = 0.458, p nailfold capillaroscopy. The relationship between changes in nailfold capillaroscopy, endothelial cell activation markers, and the clinical activity of SLE points to an important role of microvascular abnormalities in the clinical manifestation of the disease.
A Bio-Economic Case Study of Canadian Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies: Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) in Queen Breeding Affects Beekeeper Profits

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Baylis, Kathy; Hoover, Shelley E.; Currie, Rob W.; Melathopoulos, Andony P.; Pernal, Stephen F.; Foster, Leonard J.; Guarna, M. Marta

2017-01-01

Abstract Over the past decade in North America and Europe, winter losses of honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies have increased dramatically. Scientific consensus attributes these losses to multifactorial causes including altered parasite and pathogen profiles, lack of proper nutrition due to agricultural monocultures, exposure to pesticides, management, and weather. One method to reduce colony loss and increase productivity is through selective breeding of queens to produce disease-, pathogen-, and mite-resistant stock. Historically, the only method for identifying desirable traits in honey bees to improve breeding was through observation of bee behavior. A team of Canadian scientists have recently identified markers in bee antennae that correspond to behavioral traits in bees and can be tested for in a laboratory. These scientists have demonstrated that this marker-assisted selection (MAS) can be used to produce hygienic, pathogen-resistant honey bee colonies. Based on this research, we present a beekeeping case study where a beekeeper’s profit function is used to evaluate the economic impact of adopting colonies selected for hygienic behavior using MAS into an apiary. Our results show a net profit gain from an MAS colony of between 2% and 5% when Varroa mites are effectively treated. In the case of ineffective treatment, MAS generates a net profit benefit of between 9% and 96% depending on the Varroa load. When a Varroa mite population has developed some treatment resistance, we show that MAS colonies generate a net profit gain of between 8% and 112% depending on the Varroa load and degree of treatment resistance. PMID:28334400
Quality changes of pasteurised mango juice during storage. Part I: Selecting shelf-life markers by integration of a targeted and untargeted multivariate approach.

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Wibowo, Scheling; Grauwet, Tara; Gedefa, Getnet Belete; Hendrickx, Marc; Van Loey, Ann

2015-12-01

For the first time, a multivariate approach combining targeted and untargeted data was used to obtain insight into quality changes in pasteurised mango juice (cv. 'Totapuri') as a function of storage (42°C for 8weeks). Mango juice samples were formulated with addition of different potential precursors for different quality-related chemical reactions: ascorbic acid, citric acid and sugars. Control (diluted mango puree with water), ascorbic acid-enriched (AA 250 and AA 500 ), citric acid-enriched (CA, CA+AA 250 and CA+AA 500 ) and sugar-enriched (S) samples were characterised for a range of targeted quality parameters as well as for a volatile fingerprint (untargeted). Selection of shelf-life markers or quality parameters significantly changing during shelf-life was performed over all formulations as well as per mango juice formulation. Our study showed that a common trend over all formulations was observed for colour values (VID>│0.90│), while specific shelf-life markers were selected for each formulation. In acidified mango juice samples (CA, CA+AA 250 , CA+AA 500 ), more terpene oxides were selected compared to other formulations. In ascorbic acid-enriched samples (AA 250 , AA 500 , CA+AA 250 , CA+AA 500 ), furfural and ascorbic acid were significantly changing during shelf-life. It seems that the reaction pathways for compounds being formed or degraded upon shelf-life are clearly affected by the acidity level. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Genetic diversity of cucumber estimated by morpho-physiological and EST-SSR markers.

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Pandey, Sudhakar; Ansari, Waquar Akhter; Pandey, Maneesh; Singh, Bijendra

2018-02-01

In the present study, genetic variation among 40 cucumber genotypes was analyzed by means of morpho-physiological traits and 21 EST-SSR markers. Diversity was observed for morpho-physiological characters like days to 50% female flowering (37-46.9, number of fruits/plant (1.33-5.80), average fruit weight (41-333), vine length (36-364), relative water content (58.5-92.7), electrolyte leakage (15.9-37.1), photosynthetic efficiency (0.40-0.75) and chlorophyll concentration index (11.1-28.6). The pair wise Jaccard similarity coefficient ranged from 0.00 to 0.27 for quantitative traits and 0.24 to 0.96 for EST-SSR markers indicating that the accessions represent genetically diverse populations. With twenty-one EST-SSR markers, polymorphism revealed among 40 cucumber genotypes, number of alleles varied 2-6 with an average 3.05. Polymorphism information content varied from 0.002 to 0.989 (mean = 0.308). The number of effective allele (Ne), expected heterozygosity (He) and unbiased expected heterozygosity (uHe) of these EST-SSRs were 1.079-1.753, 0.074-0.428 and 0.074-0.434, respectively. Same 21 EST-SSR markers transferability checked in four other Cucumis species: snapmelon ( Cucumis melo var. momordica ), muskmelon ( Cucumis melo L.), pickling melon ( Cucumis melo var. conomon ) and wild muskmelon ( Cucumis melo var. agrestis ) with frequency of 61.9, 95.2, 76.2, and 76.2%, respectively. Present study provides useful information on variability, which can assist geneticists with desirable traits for cucumber germplasm utilization. Observed physiological parameters may assists in selection of genotype for abiotic stress tolerance also, EST-SSR markers may be useful for genetic studies in related species.
Progressive sampling-based Bayesian optimization for efficient and automatic machine learning model selection.

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Zeng, Xueqiang; Luo, Gang

2017-12-01

Machine learning is broadly used for clinical data analysis. Before training a model, a machine learning algorithm must be selected. Also, the values of one or more model parameters termed hyper-parameters must be set. Selecting algorithms and hyper-parameter values requires advanced machine learning knowledge and many labor-intensive manual iterations. To lower the bar to machine learning, miscellaneous automatic selection methods for algorithms and/or hyper-parameter values have been proposed. Existing automatic selection methods are inefficient on large data sets. This poses a challenge for using machine learning in the clinical big data era. To address the challenge, this paper presents progressive sampling-based Bayesian optimization, an efficient and automatic selection method for both algorithms and hyper-parameter values. We report an implementation of the method. We show that compared to a state of the art automatic selection method, our method can significantly reduce search time, classification error rate, and standard deviation of error rate due to randomization. This is major progress towards enabling fast turnaround in identifying high-quality solutions required by many machine learning-based clinical data analysis tasks.
Efficient and Adaptive Node Selection for Target Tracking in Wireless Sensor Network

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Juan Feng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In target tracking wireless sensor network, choosing the proper working nodes can not only minimize the number of active nodes, but also satisfy the tracking reliability requirement. However, most existing works focus on selecting sensor nodes which are the nearest to the target for tracking missions and they did not consider the correlation of the location of the sensor nodes so that these approaches can not meet all the goals of the network. This work proposes an efficient and adaptive node selection approach for tracking a target in a distributed wireless sensor network. The proposed approach combines the distance-based node selection strategy and particle filter prediction considering the spatial correlation of the different sensing nodes. Moreover, a joint distance weighted measurement is proposed to estimate the information utility of sensing nodes. Experimental results show that EANS outperformed the state-of-the-art approaches by reducing the energy cost and computational complexity as well as guaranteeing the tracking accuracy.
Marker-Assisted Selection of Xa21 Conferring Resistance to Bacterial Leaf Blight in indica Rice Cultivar LT2

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Hue Thi Nguyen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Bacterial leaf blight of rice (BLB, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, is one of the most destructive diseases in Asian rice fields. A high-quality rice variety, LT2, was used as the recipient parent. IRBB21, which carries the Xa21 gene, was used as the donor parent. The resistance gene Xa21 was introduced into LT2 by marker-assisted backcrossing. Three Xoo races were used to inoculate the improved lines following the clipping method. Eleven BC3F3 lines carrying Xa21 were obtained based on molecular markers and agronomic performance. The 11 lines were then inoculated with the three Xoo races. All the 11 improved lines showed better resistance to BLB than the recipient parent LT2. Based on the level of resistance to BLB and their agronomic performance, five lines (BC3F3 5.1.5.1, BC3F3 5.1.5.12, BC3F3 8.5.6.44, BC3F3 9.5.4.1 and BC3F3 9.5.4.23 were selected as the most promising for commercial release. These improved lines could contribute to rice production in terms of food security.
Performance comparison of two efficient genomic selection methods (gsbay & MixP) applied in aquacultural organisms

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Su, Hailin; Li, Hengde; Wang, Shi; Wang, Yangfan; Bao, Zhenmin

2017-02-01

Genomic selection is more and more popular in animal and plant breeding industries all around the world, as it can be applied early in life without impacting selection candidates. The objective of this study was to bring the advantages of genomic selection to scallop breeding. Two different genomic selection tools MixP and gsbay were applied on genomic evaluation of simulated data and Zhikong scallop ( Chlamys farreri) field data. The data were compared with genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) method which has been applied widely. Our results showed that both MixP and gsbay could accurately estimate single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker effects, and thereby could be applied for the analysis of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV). In simulated data from different scenarios, the accuracy of GEBV acquired was ranged from 0.20 to 0.78 by MixP; it was ranged from 0.21 to 0.67 by gsbay; and it was ranged from 0.21 to 0.61 by GBLUP. Estimations made by MixP and gsbay were expected to be more reliable than those estimated by GBLUP. Predictions made by gsbay were more robust, while with MixP the computation is much faster, especially in dealing with large-scale data. These results suggested that both algorithms implemented by MixP and gsbay are feasible to carry out genomic selection in scallop breeding, and more genotype data will be necessary to produce genomic estimated breeding values with a higher accuracy for the industry.
Prediction of Cacao (Theobroma cacao) Resistance to Moniliophthora spp. Diseases via Genome-Wide Association Analysis and Genomic Selection.

Science.gov (United States)

McElroy, Michel S; Navarro, Alberto J R; Mustiga, Guiliana; Stack, Conrad; Gezan, Salvador; Peña, Geover; Sarabia, Widem; Saquicela, Diego; Sotomayor, Ignacio; Douglas, Gavin M; Migicovsky, Zoë; Amores, Freddy; Tarqui, Omar; Myles, Sean; Motamayor, Juan C

2018-01-01

Cacao ( Theobroma cacao ) is a globally important crop, and its yield is severely restricted by disease. Two of the most damaging diseases, witches' broom disease (WBD) and frosty pod rot disease (FPRD), are caused by a pair of related fungi: Moniliophthora perniciosa and Moniliophthora roreri , respectively. Resistant cultivars are the most effective long-term strategy to address Moniliophthora diseases, but efficiently generating resistant and productive new cultivars will require robust methods for screening germplasm before field testing. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) provide two potential avenues for predicting the performance of new genotypes, potentially increasing the selection gain per unit time. To test the effectiveness of these two approaches, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and GS on three related populations of cacao in Ecuador genotyped with a 15K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray for three measures of WBD infection (vegetative broom, cushion broom, and chirimoya pod), one of FPRD (monilia pod) and two productivity traits (total fresh weight of pods and % healthy pods produced). GWAS yielded several SNPs associated with disease resistance in each population, but none were significantly correlated with the same trait in other populations. Genomic selection, using one population as a training set to estimate the phenotypes of the remaining two (composed of different families), varied among traits, from a mean prediction accuracy of 0.46 (vegetative broom) to 0.15 (monilia pod), and varied between training populations. Simulations demonstrated that selecting seedlings using GWAS markers alone generates no improvement over selecting at random, but that GS improves the selection process significantly. Our results suggest that the GWAS markers discovered here are not sufficiently predictive across diverse germplasm to be useful for MAS, but that using all markers in a GS framework holds
Prediction of Cacao (Theobroma cacao Resistance to Moniliophthora spp. Diseases via Genome-Wide Association Analysis and Genomic Selection

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Michel S. McElroy

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Cacao (Theobroma cacao is a globally important crop, and its yield is severely restricted by disease. Two of the most damaging diseases, witches’ broom disease (WBD and frosty pod rot disease (FPRD, are caused by a pair of related fungi: Moniliophthora perniciosa and Moniliophthora roreri, respectively. Resistant cultivars are the most effective long-term strategy to address Moniliophthora diseases, but efficiently generating resistant and productive new cultivars will require robust methods for screening germplasm before field testing. Marker-assisted selection (MAS and genomic selection (GS provide two potential avenues for predicting the performance of new genotypes, potentially increasing the selection gain per unit time. To test the effectiveness of these two approaches, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS and GS on three related populations of cacao in Ecuador genotyped with a 15K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP microarray for three measures of WBD infection (vegetative broom, cushion broom, and chirimoya pod, one of FPRD (monilia pod and two productivity traits (total fresh weight of pods and % healthy pods produced. GWAS yielded several SNPs associated with disease resistance in each population, but none were significantly correlated with the same trait in other populations. Genomic selection, using one population as a training set to estimate the phenotypes of the remaining two (composed of different families, varied among traits, from a mean prediction accuracy of 0.46 (vegetative broom to 0.15 (monilia pod, and varied between training populations. Simulations demonstrated that selecting seedlings using GWAS markers alone generates no improvement over selecting at random, but that GS improves the selection process significantly. Our results suggest that the GWAS markers discovered here are not sufficiently predictive across diverse germplasm to be useful for MAS, but that using all markers in a GS framework holds
MtDNA COI-COII marker and drone congregation area: an efficient method to establish and monitor honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) conservation centres.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertrand, Bénédicte; Alburaki, Mohamed; Legout, Hélène; Moulin, Sibyle; Mougel, Florence; Garnery, Lionel

2015-05-01

Honeybee subspecies have been affected by human activities in Europe over the past few decades. One such example is the importation of nonlocal subspecies of bees which has had an adverse impact on the geographical repartition and subsequently on the genetic diversity of the black honeybee Apis mellifera mellifera. To restore the original diversity of this local honeybee subspecies, different conservation centres were set up in Europe. In this study, we established a black honeybee conservation centre Conservatoire de l'Abeille Noire d'Ile de France (CANIF) in the region of Ile-de-France, France. CANIF's honeybee colonies were intensively studied over a 3-year period. This study included a drone congregation area (DCA) located in the conservation centre. MtDNA COI-COII marker was used to evaluate the genetic diversity of CANIF's honeybee populations and the drones found and collected from the DCA. The same marker (mtDNA) was used to estimate the interactions and the haplotype frequency between CANIF's honeybee populations and 10 surrounding honeybee apiaries located outside of the CANIF. Our results indicate that the colonies of the conservation centre and the drones of the DCA show similar stable profiles compared to the surrounding populations with lower level of introgression. The mtDNA marker used on both DCA and colonies of the conservation centre seems to be an efficient approach to monitor and maintain the genetic diversity of the protected honeybee populations. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
DNA Fingerprinting Eastern Redbud Cultivars (Cercis canadensis) Using SSR Markers

Science.gov (United States)

In this study we present data for a subset of SSR loci, 76 out of the 130 high-quality loci, which were selected out of hundreds of SSR loci identified from a SSR-enriched library. SSR markers are abundant in eukaryotic genomes and are highly reproducible. Previously, we have used SSR markers to e...
Research advances in tumor markers for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

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YANG Guimin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC is a malignant tumor with a high fatality rate in the world, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP is the most commonly used tumor marker for HCC diagnosis. However, AFP does not have a satisfactory sensitivity or specificity and may lead to missed diagnosis when the tumor is small in the early stage of HCC. This article summarizes the clinical value of new tumor markers in the diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and prognosis judgment of HCC and analyzes the future prospects of the measurement of tumor markers for HCC. It is pointed out that combined determination of several tumor markers helps to improve the sensitivity and specificity of HCC diagnosis, and the screening and optimization of combined determination of tumor markers, noninvasive and efficient tumor markers, and individualized treatment are research hotspots in future.
Enhanced selectivity in mixed matrix membranes for CO2 capture through efficient dispersion of amine-functionalized MOF nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Ghalei, Behnam; Sakurai, Kento; Kinoshita, Yosuke; Wakimoto, Kazuki; Isfahani, Ali Pournaghshband; Song, Qilei; Doitomi, Kazuki; Furukawa, Shuhei; Hirao, Hajime; Kusuda, Hiromu; Kitagawa, Susumu; Sivaniah, Easan

2017-07-01

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for gas separation applications have enhanced selectivity when compared with the pure polymer matrix, but are commonly reported with low intrinsic permeability, which has major cost implications for implementation of membrane technologies in large-scale carbon capture projects. High-permeability polymers rarely generate sufficient selectivity for energy-efficient CO2 capture. Here we report substantial selectivity enhancements within high-permeability polymers as a result of the efficient dispersion of amine-functionalized, nanosized metal-organic framework (MOF) additives. The enhancement effects under optimal mixing conditions occur with minimal loss in overall permeability. Nanosizing of the MOF enhances its dispersion within the polymer matrix to minimize non-selective microvoid formation around the particles. Amination of such MOFs increases their interaction with thepolymer matrix, resulting in a measured rigidification and enhanced selectivity of the overall composite. The optimal MOF MMM performance was verified in three different polymer systems, and also over pressure and temperature ranges suitable for carbon capture.
Marker-assisted selection: Policy considerations and options for developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dargie, J.D.

2007-01-01

Policy options for research, development and diffusion of the products of marker-assisted selection (MAS) depend on the development objectives and priorities of the agricultural sector, its various subsectors and cross-cutting activities dealing with science and technology (S and T), including biotechnology and the management of genetic resources. The policy agenda in each of these areas has shifted from the traditional focus of 'raising productivity' to a broader agenda of improving rural livelihoods in both economic and non-economic terms in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Securing financial commitments from national governments and donors to invest in MAS and related molecular approaches requires more active engagement by national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) in the processes of revising poverty reduction strategy papers (PRSPs), and in developing policies and strategies for agricultural development, S and T and genetic resources. Agriculture and agricultural S and T are undergoing rapid change but few developing countries have either agricultural S and T or biotechnology policies. They need to develop these to build coherence across the agricultural sector including delineating the roles of public and private sector entities, and as a means to strengthen accountability with respect to priority setting, monitoring and evaluating the outcomes and impacts of both research and practical applications of MAS. Options are provided for developing and implementing MAS programmes and projects, for setting priorities and evaluating outcomes and impacts. Given the uncertain nature of technical change and the long time frames that often characterize translation of the research and extension services provided by NARES into sustainable improvements in productivity and livelihoods through genetic enhancement, it is concluded that greater emphasis needs to be placed on research to analyse systematically the critical paths involved in
Genetic diversity of indigenous chickens from selected areas in Kenya using microsatellite markers

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Okoth Noah Okumu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, indigenous chickens were collected from eight different regions in Kenya and kept at InCIP-Egerton University. These were studied using eighteen microsatellite markers to determine genetic variation. Statistics related to genetic variation were estimated using GenALEx6. Mean percentage polymorphic loci (PPL was 96.71% and 4% genetic variance (p ≥ 0.003 was seen between the eight populations. MCW0123 marker had the highest genetic variance of 13% among populations (p ≥ 0.003 at 95% CI. Mean He ranged from 0.351 ± 0.031 (SIB to 0.434 ± 0.022 (BM with a grand mean He of 0.399 ± 0.011 across the populations using the microsatellite markers. Nei’s genetic distance ranged from 0.016 (SIB and WP to 0.126 (NR and SIB. DARwin6.501 analysis software was used to draw the population dendrogram and two major population clusters were observed, also seen with PCoA. This study found a lot of genetic variation and relatedness within and among populations. Based on the phylogenetic tree result, it is concluded that the clustering of the chicken populations in the present study is not based on geographical proximity. The microsatellite markers used in this study were suitable for the measurement of the genetic biodiversity and relationship of Kenyan chicken populations. These results can therefore serve as an initial step to plan the conservation of indigenous chickens in Kenya.
Molecular markers for use in plant molecular breeding and germplasm evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, J.D.; McCouch, S.R.

2007-01-01

A number of molecular marker technologies exist, each with different advantages and disadvantages. When available, genome sequence allows for the development of greater numbers and higher quality molecular markers. When genome sequence is limited in the organism of interest, related species may serve as sources of molecular markers. Some molecular marker technologies combine the discovery and assay of DNA sequence variations, and therefore can be used in species without the need for prior sequence information and up-front investment in marker development. As a prerequisite for marker-assisted selection (MAS), there must be a known association between genetic markers and genes affecting the phenotype to be modified. Comparative databases can facilitate the transfer of knowledge of genetic marker-phenotype association across species so that discoveries in one species may be applied to many others. Further genomics research and reductions in the costs associated with molecular markers will continue to provide new opportunities to employ MAS. (author)

Towards a molecular taxonomic key of the Aurantioideae subfamily using chloroplastic SNP diagnostic markers of the main clades genotyped by competitive allele-specific PCR.

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Oueslati, Amel; Ollitrault, Frederique; Baraket, Ghada; Salhi-Hannachi, Amel; Navarro, Luis; Ollitrault, Patrick

2016-08-18

Chloroplast DNA is a primary source of molecular variations for phylogenetic analysis of photosynthetic eukaryotes. However, the sequencing and analysis of multiple chloroplastic regions is difficult to apply to large collections or large samples of natural populations. The objective of our work was to demonstrate that a molecular taxonomic key based on easy, scalable and low-cost genotyping method should be developed from a set of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) diagnostic of well-established clades. It was applied to the Aurantioideae subfamily, the largest group of the Rutaceae family that includes the cultivated citrus species. The publicly available nucleotide sequences of eight plastid genomic regions were compared for 79 accessions of the Aurantioideae subfamily to search for SNPs revealing taxonomic differentiation at the inter-tribe, inter-subtribe, inter-genus and interspecific levels. Diagnostic SNPs (DSNPs) were found for 46 of the 54 clade levels analysed. Forty DSNPs were selected to develop KASPar markers and their taxonomic value was tested by genotyping 108 accessions of the Aurantioideae subfamily. Twenty-seven markers diagnostic of 24 clades were validated and they displayed a very high rate of transferability in the Aurantioideae subfamily (only 1.2 % of missing data on average). The UPGMA from the validated markers produced a cladistic organisation that was highly coherent with the previous phylogenetic analysis based on the sequence data of the eight plasmid regions. In particular, the monophyletic origin of the "true citrus" genera plus Oxanthera was validated. However, some clarification remains necessary regarding the organisation of the other wild species of the Citreae tribe. We validated the concept that with well-established clades, DSNPs can be selected and efficiently transformed into competitive allele-specific PCR markers (KASPar method) allowing cost-effective highly efficient cladistic analysis in large collections at
Rapid, efficient and selective preconcentration of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) by molecularly imprinted composite cartridge and HPLC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Çorman, Mehmet Emin, E-mail: mecorman@sinop.edu.tr [Hacettepe University, Department of Chemistry, Ankara (Turkey); Sinop University, Department of Bioengineering, Sinop (Turkey); Armutcu, Canan [Hacettepe University, Department of Chemistry, Ankara (Turkey); Uzun, Lokman, E-mail: lokman@hacettepe.edu.tr [Hacettepe University, Department of Chemistry, Ankara (Turkey); Denizli, Adil [Hacettepe University, Department of Chemistry, Ankara (Turkey)

2017-01-01

In this study, cryogel-based molecularly imprinted composite cartridges were designed for the rapid, efficient, and selective preconcentration of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) from water samples. First, a BaP-imprinted poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-N-methacryloyl-(L)-phenylalanine) composite cartridge was synthesized under semi-frozen conditions and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and swelling tests. After the optimization of preconcentration parameters, i.e., pH and initial BaP concentration, the selectivity and preconcentration efficiency, and reusability of these cartridges were also evaluated. In selectivity experiments, BaP imprinted composite cartridge exhibited binding capacities 3.09, 9.52, 8.87, and 8.77-fold higher than that of the non-imprinted composite cartridge in the presence of competitors, such as benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IcdP), and 1-naphthol, respectively. The method detection limit (MDL), relative standard deviation (RSD) and preconcentration efficiency (PE) of the synthesized composite cartridge were calculated as 24.86 μg/L, 1.60%, and 349.6%, respectively. - Highlights: • Cryogel based molecularly imprinted composite cartridges as solid-phase extraction sorbents • Combination unique structural features of cryogels with MIP • An excellent ability to recognize the BaP molecule even if single-run contact • Rapid, efficient, selective and cost-friendly PAH preconcentration • Hydrophobic interactions via N-methacryloyl-(L)-phenylalanine.
A fast multilocus test with adaptive SNP selection for large-scale genetic-association studies

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Han

2013-09-11

As increasing evidence suggests that multiple correlated genetic variants could jointly influence the outcome, a multilocus test that aggregates association evidence across multiple genetic markers in a considered gene or a genomic region may be more powerful than a single-marker test for detecting susceptibility loci. We propose a multilocus test, AdaJoint, which adopts a variable selection procedure to identify a subset of genetic markers that jointly show the strongest association signal, and defines the test statistic based on the selected genetic markers. The P-value from the AdaJoint test is evaluated by a computationally efficient algorithm that effectively adjusts for multiple-comparison, and is hundreds of times faster than the standard permutation method. Simulation studies demonstrate that AdaJoint has the most robust performance among several commonly used multilocus tests. We perform multilocus analysis of over 26,000 genes/regions on two genome-wide association studies of pancreatic cancer. Compared with its competitors, AdaJoint identifies a much stronger association between the gene CLPTM1L and pancreatic cancer risk (6.0 × 10(-8)), with the signal optimally captured by two correlated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Finally, we show AdaJoint as a powerful tool for mapping cis-regulating methylation quantitative trait loci on normal breast tissues, and find many CpG sites whose methylation levels are jointly regulated by multiple SNPs nearby.
Translating epithelial mesenchymal transition markers into the clinic: Novel insights from proteomics

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Vergara Daniele

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The growing understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT may represent a potential source of clinical markers. Despite EMT drivers have not yet emerged as candidate markers in the clinical setting, their association with established clinical markers may improve their specificity and sensitivity. Mass spectrometry-based platforms allow analyzing multiple samples for the expression of EMT candidate markers, and may help to diagnose diseases or monitor treatment efficiently. This review highlights proteomic approaches applied to elucidate the differences between epithelial and mesenchymal tumors and describes how these can be used for target discovery and validation.
Efficiency of RNA extraction from selected bacteria in the context of biogas production and metatranscriptomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Stark, Lucy; Giersch, Tina; Wünschiers, Röbbe

2014-10-01

Understanding the microbial population in anaerobic digestion is an essential task to increase efficient substrate use and process stability. The metabolic state, represented e.g. by the transcriptome, of a fermenting system can help to find markers for monitoring industrial biogas production to prevent failures or to model the whole process. Advances in next-generation sequencing make transcriptomes accessible for large-scale analyses. In order to analyze the metatranscriptome of a mixed-species sample, isolation of high-quality RNA is the first step. However, different extraction methods may yield different efficiencies in different species. Especially in mixed-species environmental samples, unbiased isolation of transcripts is important for meaningful conclusions. We applied five different RNA-extraction protocols to nine taxonomic diverse bacterial species. Chosen methods are based on various lysis and extraction principles. We found that the extraction efficiency of different methods depends strongly on the target organism. RNA isolation of gram-positive bacteria was characterized by low yield whilst from gram-negative species higher concentrations can be obtained. Transferring our results to mixed-species investigations, such as metatranscriptomics with biofilms or biogas plants, leads to the conclusion that particular microorganisms might be over- or underrepresented depending on the method applied. Special care must be taken when using such metatranscriptomics data for, e.g. process modeling. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Identification of Novel Equine (Equus caballus Tendon Markers Using RNA Sequencing

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Jan M. Kuemmerle

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Although several tendon-selective genes exist, they are also expressed in other musculoskeletal tissues. As cell and tissue engineering is reliant on specific molecular markers to discriminate between cell types, tendon-specific genes need to be identified. In order to accomplish this, we have used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq to compare gene expression between tendon, bone, cartilage and ligament from horses. We identified several tendon-selective gene markers, and established eyes absent homolog 2 (EYA2 and a G-protein regulated inducer of neurite outgrowth 3 (GPRIN3 as specific tendon markers using RT-qPCR. Equine tendon cells cultured as three-dimensional spheroids expressed significantly greater levels of EYA2 than GPRIN3, and stained positively for EYA2 using immunohistochemistry. EYA2 was also found in fibroblast-like cells within the tendon tissue matrix and in cells localized to the vascular endothelium. In summary, we have identified EYA2 and GPRIN3 as specific molecular markers of equine tendon as compared to bone, cartilage and ligament, and provide evidence for the use of EYA2 as an additional marker for tendon cells in vitro.
New sorbent materials for selective extraction of cocaine and benzoylecgonine from human urine samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Bujak, Renata; Gadzała-Kopciuch, Renata; Nowaczyk, Alicja; Raczak-Gutknecht, Joanna; Kordalewska, Marta; Struck-Lewicka, Wiktoria; Waszczuk-Jankowska, Małgorzata; Tomczak, Ewa; Kaliszan, Michał; Buszewski, Bogusław; Markuszewski, Michał J

2016-02-20

An increase in cocaine consumption has been observed in Europe during the last decade. Benzoylecgonine, as a main urinary metabolite of cocaine in human, is so far the most reliable marker of cocaine consumption. Determination of cocaine and its metabolite in complex biological samples as urine or blood, requires efficient and selective sample pretreatment. In this preliminary study, the newly synthesized sorbent materials were proposed for selective extraction of cocaine and benzoylecgonine from urine samples. Application of these sorbent media allowed to determine cocaine and benzoylecgonine in urine samples at the concentration level of 100ng/ml with good recovery values as 81.7%±6.6 and 73.8%±4.2, respectively. The newly synthesized materials provided efficient, inexpensive and selective extraction of both cocaine and benzoylecgonine from urine samples, which can consequently lead to an increase of the sensitivity of the current available screening diagnostic tests. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Association of RGA-SSCP markers with resistance to downy mildew and anthracnose in grapevines.

Science.gov (United States)

Tantasawat, P A; Poolsawat, O; Prajongjai, T; Chaowiset, W; Tharapreuksapong, A

2012-07-02

Downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) and anthracnose (Sphaceloma ampelinum) are two major diseases that severely affect most grapevine (Vitis vinifera) cultivars grown commercially in Thailand. Progress of conventional breeding programs of grapevine for improved resistance to these diseases can be speeded up by selection of molecular markers associated with resistance traits. We evaluated the association between 13 resistance gene analog (RGA)-single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) markers with resistance to downy mildew and anthracnose in 71 segregating progenies of seven cross combinations between susceptible cultivars and resistant lines. F(1) hybrids from each cross were assessed for resistance to downy mildew and anthracnose (isolates Nk4-1 and Rc2-1) under laboratory conditions. Association of resistance traits with RGA-SSCP markers was evaluated using simple linear regression analysis. Three RGA-SSCP markers were found to be significantly correlated with anthracnose resistance, whereas significant correlation with downy mildew resistance was observed for only one RGA-SSCP marker. These results demonstrate the usefulness of RGA-SSCP markers. Four candidate markers with significant associations to resistance to these two major diseases of grapevine were identified. However, these putative associations between markers and resistance need to be verified with larger segregating populations before they can be used for marker-assisted selection.
Selected Banks Economic Efficiency Indicators

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Adam Szafarczyk

2007-04-01

Full Text Available There are a lot of economic efficiency indicators in theory. It is necessary to choice some of them for concrete purposes. ROA, ROE and C/I play important role due to last experience of polish banks.Cost to Income Ratio plays very important role affecting not only efficiency monitoring process in the banks but also becoming a very important target in strategy or finance plan. There are several methodological approaches to construct this index in detail. Results are differing due to implementing methodology. This article describes trends C/I concerning both polish and foreign banks. It is difficult to compare banks in emerging country and real giants in finance mature economies.
Morphological markers to select populations of oocytes with different cultural needs for dedicated pre-maturation protocols

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Cecilia Dieci

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Oocyte’s chromatin gradually becomes more compacted during the final stage of oocyte development and the level of chromatin compaction is considered a marker of oocyte differentiation [Luciano et al, 2014]. Moreover, several studies demonstrate that in vitro pre-maturation treatments (Pre-IVM, aimed to improve the developmental capability of immature oocytes, might behave differently depending on the oocyte metabolic status, when it is isolated from follicle [Luciano et al., 2011]. This study aims at identifying correlations between cumulus-oocyte complex (COC morphology and oocyte chromatin configuration and secondly at testing the hypothesis that only fully grown oocytes at earlier stages of differentiation with loosely compacted chromatin (GV1 can benefit from Pre-IVM treatment. COCs were collected from bovine 2-6mm ovarian follicles, and further divided in three groups according to their morphology (Class-1, 2 and 3 as previously described [Blondin & Sirard, 1995]. Analysis of chromatin configuration revealed that only Class-1 COC was enriched in GV1 oocyte, while Class-2 and 3 presented a similar distribution of GV1, GV2 and GV3 oocytes, where GV2 and 3 oocytes are characterized by increased chromatin compaction [Lodde et al., 2007]. Then COCs were divided into two groups, one containing Class-1 COCs and the other containing Class-2 and 3 COCs and subjected to pre-IVM for 6 hours in presence of cilostamide and 10-4 UI/ml rhFSH. Finally, COCs underwent standard in vitro maturation (IVM for 22 hours, in vitro fertilization and embryo culture. Blastocyst rate and embryos cell number were assessed at day 7. Pre-IVM positively affected developmental competences of Class-1, while in Classes 2 and 3 Pre-IVM had detrimental effects.In conclusion COCs morphology could be used as a non-invasive approach to select population of oocyte with different cultural needs. These data could be useful in setting-up dedicated IVM protocols considering
Searching for an Accurate Marker-Based Prediction of an Individual Quantitative Trait in Molecular Plant Breeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Yong-Bi; Yang, Mo-Hua; Zeng, Fangqin; Biligetu, Bill

2017-01-01

Molecular plant breeding with the aid of molecular markers has played an important role in modern plant breeding over the last two decades. Many marker-based predictions for quantitative traits have been made to enhance parental selection, but the trait prediction accuracy remains generally low, even with the aid of dense, genome-wide SNP markers. To search for more accurate trait-specific prediction with informative SNP markers, we conducted a literature review on the prediction issues in molecular plant breeding and on the applicability of an RNA-Seq technique for developing function-associated specific trait (FAST) SNP markers. To understand whether and how FAST SNP markers could enhance trait prediction, we also performed a theoretical reasoning on the effectiveness of these markers in a trait-specific prediction, and verified the reasoning through computer simulation. To the end, the search yielded an alternative to regular genomic selection with FAST SNP markers that could be explored to achieve more accurate trait-specific prediction. Continuous search for better alternatives is encouraged to enhance marker-based predictions for an individual quantitative trait in molecular plant breeding.
Iterative h-minima-based marker-controlled watershed for cell nucleus segmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Koyuncu, Can Fahrettin; Akhan, Ece; Ersahin, Tulin; Cetin-Atalay, Rengul; Gunduz-Demir, Cigdem

2016-04-01

Automated microscopy imaging systems facilitate high-throughput screening in molecular cellular biology research. The first step of these systems is cell nucleus segmentation, which has a great impact on the success of the overall system. The marker-controlled watershed is a technique commonly used by the previous studies for nucleus segmentation. These studies define their markers finding regional minima on the intensity/gradient and/or distance transform maps. They typically use the h-minima transform beforehand to suppress noise on these maps. The selection of the h value is critical; unnecessarily small values do not sufficiently suppress the noise, resulting in false and oversegmented markers, and unnecessarily large ones suppress too many pixels, causing missing and undersegmented markers. Because cell nuclei show different characteristics within an image, the same h value may not work to define correct markers for all the nuclei. To address this issue, in this work, we propose a new watershed algorithm that iteratively identifies its markers, considering a set of different h values. In each iteration, the proposed algorithm defines a set of candidates using a particular h value and selects the markers from those candidates provided that they fulfill the size requirement. Working with widefield fluorescence microscopy images, our experiments reveal that the use of multiple h values in our iterative algorithm leads to better segmentation results, compared to its counterparts. © 2016 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry. © 2016 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
A Bio-Economic Case Study of Canadian Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies: Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) in Queen Breeding Affects Beekeeper Profits.

Science.gov (United States)

Bixby, Miriam; Baylis, Kathy; Hoover, Shelley E; Currie, Rob W; Melathopoulos, Andony P; Pernal, Stephen F; Foster, Leonard J; Guarna, M Marta

2017-06-01

Over the past decade in North America and Europe, winter losses of honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies have increased dramatically. Scientific consensus attributes these losses to multifactorial causes including altered parasite and pathogen profiles, lack of proper nutrition due to agricultural monocultures, exposure to pesticides, management, and weather. One method to reduce colony loss and increase productivity is through selective breeding of queens to produce disease-, pathogen-, and mite-resistant stock. Historically, the only method for identifying desirable traits in honey bees to improve breeding was through observation of bee behavior. A team of Canadian scientists have recently identified markers in bee antennae that correspond to behavioral traits in bees and can be tested for in a laboratory. These scientists have demonstrated that this marker-assisted selection (MAS) can be used to produce hygienic, pathogen-resistant honey bee colonies. Based on this research, we present a beekeeping case study where a beekeeper's profit function is used to evaluate the economic impact of adopting colonies selected for hygienic behavior using MAS into an apiary. Our results show a net profit gain from an MAS colony of between 2% and 5% when Varroa mites are effectively treated. In the case of ineffective treatment, MAS generates a net profit benefit of between 9% and 96% depending on the Varroa load. When a Varroa mite population has developed some treatment resistance, we show that MAS colonies generate a net profit gain of between 8% and 112% depending on the Varroa load and degree of treatment resistance. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.
Effects of rotation and systematic occlusion on fiducial marker recognition

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Sagitov Artur

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Fiducial marker systems consist of patterns that are placed in environment for miscellaneous applications and are further automatically detected with cameras. A variety of applications determines the criteria, which characterize qualitative properties of a marker and include such evaluation benchmarks as resilience to occlusion, distance to a marker, false positive and false negative rates, sensitivity to illumination, and others. The paper compares existing ARTag, AprilTag, and CALTag systems utilizing a high fidelity camera, which is a main vision sensor of a full-size Russian humanoid robot AR-601M. In experiments the comparison of the three marker systems reliability and detection rate in occlusions of various types and intensities was verified. Finally, a preferable for AR-601M robot visual applications marker system was selected.
Identifying genetic marker sets associated with phenotypes via an efficient adaptive score test

KAUST Repository

Cai, T.; Lin, X.; Carroll, R. J.

2012-01-01

the overall effect of a marker-set have been actively studied in recent years. For example, score tests derived under an Empirical Bayes (EB) framework (Liu and others, 2007. Semiparametric regression of multidimensional genetic pathway data: least
Peptide biomarkers used for the selective breeding of a complex polygenic trait in honey bees.

Science.gov (United States)

Guarna, M Marta; Hoover, Shelley E; Huxter, Elizabeth; Higo, Heather; Moon, Kyung-Mee; Domanski, Dominik; Bixby, Miriam E F; Melathopoulos, Andony P; Ibrahim, Abdullah; Peirson, Michael; Desai, Suresh; Micholson, Derek; White, Rick; Borchers, Christoph H; Currie, Robert W; Pernal, Stephen F; Foster, Leonard J

2017-08-21

We present a novel way to select for highly polygenic traits. For millennia, humans have used observable phenotypes to selectively breed stronger or more productive livestock and crops. Selection on genotype, using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genome profiling, is also now applied broadly in livestock breeding programs; however, selection on protein/peptide or mRNA expression markers has not yet been proven useful. Here we demonstrate the utility of protein markers to select for disease-resistant hygienic behavior in the European honey bee (Apis mellifera L.). Robust, mechanistically-linked protein expression markers, by integrating cis- and trans- effects from many genomic loci, may overcome limitations of genomic markers to allow for selection. After three generations of selection, the resulting marker-selected stock outperformed an unselected benchmark stock in terms of hygienic behavior, and had improved survival when challenged with a bacterial disease or a parasitic mite, similar to bees selected using a phenotype-based assessment for this trait. This is the first demonstration of the efficacy of protein markers for industrial selective breeding in any agricultural species, plant or animal.
The pht4;1-3 mutant line contains a loss of function allele in the Fatty Acid Desaturase 7 gene caused by a remnant inactivated selection marker-a cautionary tale.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, Anders K; Andersson, Mats X

2017-01-01

A striking and unexpected biochemical phenotype was found in an insertion mutant line in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana . One of two investigated insertion mutant lines in the gene encoding the phosphate transporter PHT4;1 demonstrated a prominent loss of trienoic fatty acids, whereas the other insertion line was indistinguishable from wild type in this aspect. We demonstrate that the loss of trienoic fatty acids was due to a remnant inactive negative selection marker gene in this particular transposon tagged line, pht4;1-3 . This constitutes a cautionary tale that warns of the importance to confirm the loss of this type of selection markers and the importance of verifying the relationship between a phenotype and genotype by more than one independent mutant line or alternatively genetic complementation.
A consensus linkage map for molecular markers and Quantitative Trait Loci associated with economically important traits in melon (Cucumis melo L.)

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background A number of molecular marker linkage maps have been developed for melon (Cucumis melo L.) over the last two decades. However, these maps were constructed using different marker sets, thus, making comparative analysis among maps difficult. In order to solve this problem, a consensus genetic map in melon was constructed using primarily highly transferable anchor markers that have broad potential use for mapping, synteny, and comparative quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis, increasing breeding effectiveness and efficiency via marker-assisted selection (MAS). Results Under the framework of the International Cucurbit Genomics Initiative (ICuGI, http://www.icugi.org), an integrated genetic map has been constructed by merging data from eight independent mapping experiments using a genetically diverse array of parental lines. The consensus map spans 1150 cM across the 12 melon linkage groups and is composed of 1592 markers (640 SSRs, 330 SNPs, 252 AFLPs, 239 RFLPs, 89 RAPDs, 15 IMAs, 16 indels and 11 morphological traits) with a mean marker density of 0.72 cM/marker. One hundred and ninety-six of these markers (157 SSRs, 32 SNPs, 6 indels and 1 RAPD) were newly developed, mapped or provided by industry representatives as released markers, including 27 SNPs and 5 indels from genes involved in the organic acid metabolism and transport, and 58 EST-SSRs. Additionally, 85 of 822 SSR markers contributed by Syngenta Seeds were included in the integrated map. In addition, 370 QTL controlling 62 traits from 18 previously reported mapping experiments using genetically diverse parental genotypes were also integrated into the consensus map. Some QTL associated with economically important traits detected in separate studies mapped to similar genomic positions. For example, independently identified QTL controlling fruit shape were mapped on similar genomic positions, suggesting that such QTL are possibly responsible for the phenotypic variability observed for this trait in
A consensus linkage map for molecular markers and Quantitative Trait Loci associated with economically important traits in melon (Cucumis melo L.

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Schaffer Arthur

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A number of molecular marker linkage maps have been developed for melon (Cucumis melo L. over the last two decades. However, these maps were constructed using different marker sets, thus, making comparative analysis among maps difficult. In order to solve this problem, a consensus genetic map in melon was constructed using primarily highly transferable anchor markers that have broad potential use for mapping, synteny, and comparative quantitative trait loci (QTL analysis, increasing breeding effectiveness and efficiency via marker-assisted selection (MAS. Results Under the framework of the International Cucurbit Genomics Initiative (ICuGI, http://www.icugi.org, an integrated genetic map has been constructed by merging data from eight independent mapping experiments using a genetically diverse array of parental lines. The consensus map spans 1150 cM across the 12 melon linkage groups and is composed of 1592 markers (640 SSRs, 330 SNPs, 252 AFLPs, 239 RFLPs, 89 RAPDs, 15 IMAs, 16 indels and 11 morphological traits with a mean marker density of 0.72 cM/marker. One hundred and ninety-six of these markers (157 SSRs, 32 SNPs, 6 indels and 1 RAPD were newly developed, mapped or provided by industry representatives as released markers, including 27 SNPs and 5 indels from genes involved in the organic acid metabolism and transport, and 58 EST-SSRs. Additionally, 85 of 822 SSR markers contributed by Syngenta Seeds were included in the integrated map. In addition, 370 QTL controlling 62 traits from 18 previously reported mapping experiments using genetically diverse parental genotypes were also integrated into the consensus map. Some QTL associated with economically important traits detected in separate studies mapped to similar genomic positions. For example, independently identified QTL controlling fruit shape were mapped on similar genomic positions, suggesting that such QTL are possibly responsible for the phenotypic variability
Range Sensor-Based Efficient Obstacle Avoidance through Selective Decision-Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Youngbo; Kim, Gon-Woo

2018-03-29

In this paper, we address a collision avoidance method for mobile robots. Many conventional obstacle avoidance methods have been focused solely on avoiding obstacles. However, this can cause instability when passing through a narrow passage, and can also generate zig-zag motions. We define two strategies for obstacle avoidance, known as Entry mode and Bypass mode. Entry mode is a pattern for passing through the gap between obstacles, while Bypass mode is a pattern for making a detour around obstacles safely. With these two modes, we propose an efficient obstacle avoidance method based on the Expanded Guide Circle (EGC) method with selective decision-making. The simulation and experiment results show the validity of the proposed method.

Range Sensor-Based Efficient Obstacle Avoidance through Selective Decision-Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youngbo Shim

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we address a collision avoidance method for mobile robots. Many conventional obstacle avoidance methods have been focused solely on avoiding obstacles. However, this can cause instability when passing through a narrow passage, and can also generate zig-zag motions. We define two strategies for obstacle avoidance, known as Entry mode and Bypass mode. Entry mode is a pattern for passing through the gap between obstacles, while Bypass mode is a pattern for making a detour around obstacles safely. With these two modes, we propose an efficient obstacle avoidance method based on the Expanded Guide Circle (EGC method with selective decision-making. The simulation and experiment results show the validity of the proposed method.
Energy efficient selective reforming of hydrocarbons. ERA-NET Bioenergy. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodin, J.

2010-07-15

The research project 'Energy efficient selective reforming of hydrocarbons', funded by the Swedish and Energinet.dk Agency has now reached its end. The report is an overview of the work. Details of the work within the different areas can be found in the reports from each part. In this project, an innovative method for tar removal and reformation of hydrocarbons was investigated: Chemical Looping Reforming (CLR). This gas treatment has the potential to be economically competitive, reliable and environmentally friendly (due to higher energy efficiency, amongst others). The aim of the CLR is to 1) eliminate downstream problems with tar 2) simplify the energy recovery from the hot product gas 3) selectively save lighter hydrocarbons for the production of synthetic natural gas (SNG). A guarantor for the outcome of the project is the engagement of Goeteborg Energi, which has a commitment to build a 20 MW output SNG plant by 2012. DTU (Danish Technical University) is responsible for carrying out the laboratorial part, where different oxygen carriers for the CLR have been considering their capability of selectively reforming hydrocarbons. The conclusion was that, of the four carriers tested, the Mn and Ni40 was the most promising. CUT (Chalmers University of Technology) has installed a 600 W CLR unit connected to a slipstream from the gasifier. During the firing season 2010 the CLR has been tested with raw gas for 36 hours and the results so far show that the equipment works as intended and that it can reduce the amount of tars substantially. GE (Goeteborg Energi AB) together with SEP (Scandinavian Energy Project AB) and CUT have studied the integration of a methane production plant to an existing boiler. The main focus of the study has been the gasifier and the CLR. The integration of a 100 MW methane production plant is estimated to cost 1.3-2.4 billion SEK. The different work packages have altogether shown that a CLR is a possible solution to the tar problem
Development of tools and strategies towards marker assisted selection and gene cloning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brugmans, B.W.

2005-01-01

In this thesis research is described aiming at alleviation of the perceived limitations in the standard protocol which encompasses: mapping a trait, followed by marker saturation, genetic resolution, and finally BAC landing and walking to span the physical distance between the
Endoscopy/EUS-guided fiducial marker placement in patients with esophageal cancer: a comparative analysis of 3 types of markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Machiels, Melanie; van Hooft, Jeanin; Jin, Peng; van Berge Henegouwen, Mark I; van Laarhoven, Hanneke M; Alderliesten, Tanja; Hulshof, Maarten C

2015-10-01

Markers placed at the borders of esophageal tumors are potentially useful to facilitate radiotherapy (RT) target delineation, which offers the possibility of image-guided RT. To evaluate and compare the feasibility and technical benefit of endoscopy/EUS-guided marker placement of 3 different types of markers in patients with esophageal cancer referred for RT. Prospective, single-center, feasibility and comparative study. Tertiary-care medical center. Thirty patients with esophageal cancer who were referred for RT. Patients underwent endoscopy/EUS-guided implantation of 1 type of marker. A solid gold marker (SM) with fixed dimensions, a flexible coil-shaped gold marker (FM) with hand-cut length (2-10 mm), and a radiopaque hydrogel marker (HG) were used. Technical feasibility and adverse events were registered. CT scans and cone-beam CT scans (CBCT) acquired during RT were analyzed to determine and compare the visibility and continuous clear visibility of the implanted markers. Technical feasibility, technical benefit, and adverse events of 3 types of markers. A total of 101 markers were placed in 30 patients. Implantation was technically feasible in all patients without grade 3 to 4 adverse events. Two patients with asymptomatic mediastinitis and one with asymptomatic pneumothorax were seen. Visibility on CT scan of all 3 types of implanted markers was adequate for target delineation. Eighty percent of FMs remained continuously visible over the treatment period on CBCT, significantly better than SMs (63%) and HGs (11%) (P = .015). When we selected FMs ≥5 mm, 90.5% remained visible on CBCT between implantation and the end of RT. Single-center, nonrandomized design. Endoscopy/EUS-guided fiducial marker placement for esophageal cancer is both safe and feasible and can be used for target volume delineation purposes on CT. Our results imply a significant advantage of FMs over SMs and HGs, regarding visibility and continuous clear visibility over the treatment period
Molecular markers validation to drought resistance in wheat meal (Triticum aestivum L. under greenhouse conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel Julio

2013-08-01

Full Text Available With the aim to study the genetic resistance to drought and validate molecular markers co-localized with genes/QTLs for this factor, 16 varieties were evaluated as well as advanced lines of wheat meal (Triticum aestivum in two stages of crop development. Physiological parameters were considered: amount of chlorophyll (clo, wilting or severity degree (SEV and recovery (reco, morphological parameters: foliage dry matter (FDM and root dry matter (RDM, the integrated resistance mechanisms: water use efficiency (WUE, other parameters: number of grains (Ngrain and grain weight (Wgrain, biochemical parameters: Catalaza (CAT, Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX and Guaiacol Peroxidase (POX and three microsatellite markers (Xwmc603, Xwmc596, Xwmc9. Results showed significant differences for MSR and Ngrain. It was observed that Anzaldo, ERR2V.L-20, EARII2V.L-5, EARIZV.L-11, ERR2V.L-11 and EE2V.L-19 were the most resistant to drough water stress. There was a highly significant negative correlation between the MSR and Ngrain. All other variables showed low and non-significant correlations. In biochemical analyzes, the Anzaldo variety showed an increased enzymatic activity compared to controls in all cases (CAT-APX and POX, being the most resistant to water stress by drought. Finally, it was found that SSR markers (Xwmc596 and Xwmc9 are co-located with the gene / QTL of drought resistance and can be used for marker-assisted selection.
Selection of mRNA 5'-untranslated region sequence with high translation efficiency through ribosome display

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mie, Masayasu; Shimizu, Shun; Takahashi, Fumio; Kobatake, Eiry

2008-01-01

The 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of mRNAs functions as a translation enhancer, promoting translation efficiency. Many in vitro translation systems exhibit a reduced efficiency in protein translation due to decreased translation initiation. The use of a 5'-UTR sequence with high translation efficiency greatly enhances protein production in these systems. In this study, we have developed an in vitro selection system that favors 5'-UTRs with high translation efficiency using a ribosome display technique. A 5'-UTR random library, comprised of 5'-UTRs tagged with a His-tag and Renilla luciferase (R-luc) fusion, were in vitro translated in rabbit reticulocytes. By limiting the translation period, only mRNAs with high translation efficiency were translated. During translation, mRNA, ribosome and translated R-luc with His-tag formed ternary complexes. They were collected with translated His-tag using Ni-particles. Extracted mRNA from ternary complex was amplified using RT-PCR and sequenced. Finally, 5'-UTR with high translation efficiency was obtained from random 5'-UTR library
De novo assembly, gene annotation and marker development using Illumina paired-end transcriptome sequences in celery (Apium graveolens L..

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan Fu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Celery is an increasing popular vegetable species, but limited transcriptome and genomic data hinder the research to it. In addition, a lack of celery molecular markers limits the process of molecular genetic breeding. High-throughput transcriptome sequencing is an efficient method to generate a large transcriptome sequence dataset for gene discovery, molecular marker development and marker-assisted selection breeding. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Celery transcriptomes from four tissues were sequenced using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. De novo assembling was performed to generate a collection of 42,280 unigenes (average length of 502.6 bp that represent the first transcriptome of the species. 78.43% and 48.93% of the unigenes had significant similarity with proteins in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI non-redundant protein database (Nr and Swiss-Prot database respectively, and 10,473 (24.77% unigenes were assigned to Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG. 21,126 (49.97% unigenes harboring Interpro domains were annotated, in which 15,409 (36.45% were assigned to Gene Ontology(GO categories. Additionally, 7,478 unigenes were mapped onto 228 pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database (KEGG. Large numbers of simple sequence repeats (SSRs were indentified, and then the rate of successful amplication and polymorphism were investigated among 31 celery accessions. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the feasibility of generating a large scale of sequence information by Illumina paired-end sequencing and efficient assembling. Our results provide a valuable resource for celery research. The developed molecular markers are the foundation of further genetic linkage analysis and gene localization, and they will be essential to accelerate the process of breeding.
Applications of molecular markers in the discrimination of Panax species and Korean ginseng cultivars (Panax ginseng

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ick Hyun Jo

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The development of molecular markers is one of the most useful methods for molecular breeding and marker-based molecular associated selections. Even though there is less information on the reference genome, molecular markers are indispensable tools for determination of genetic variation and identification of species with high levels of accuracy and reproducibility. The demand for molecular approaches for marker-based breeding and genetic discriminations in Panax species has greatly increased in recent times and has been successfully applied for various purposes. However, owing to the existence of diverse molecular techniques and differences in their principles and applications, there should be careful consideration while selecting appropriate marker types. In this review, we outline the recent status of different molecular marker applications in ginseng research and industrial fields. In addition, we discuss the basic principles, requirements, and advantages and disadvantages of the most widely used molecular markers, including restriction fragment length polymorphism, random amplified polymorphic DNA, sequence tag sites, simple sequence repeats, and single nucleotide polymorphisms.
Applications of molecular markers in the discrimination of Panax species and Korean ginseng cultivars (Panax ginseng).

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, Ick Hyun; Kim, Young Chang; Kim, Dong Hwi; Kim, Kee Hong; Hyun, Tae Kyung; Ryu, Hojin; Bang, Kyong Hwan

2017-10-01

The development of molecular markers is one of the most useful methods for molecular breeding and marker-based molecular associated selections. Even though there is less information on the reference genome, molecular markers are indispensable tools for determination of genetic variation and identification of species with high levels of accuracy and reproducibility. The demand for molecular approaches for marker-based breeding and genetic discriminations in Panax species has greatly increased in recent times and has been successfully applied for various purposes. However, owing to the existence of diverse molecular techniques and differences in their principles and applications, there should be careful consideration while selecting appropriate marker types. In this review, we outline the recent status of different molecular marker applications in ginseng research and industrial fields. In addition, we discuss the basic principles, requirements, and advantages and disadvantages of the most widely used molecular markers, including restriction fragment length polymorphism, random amplified polymorphic DNA, sequence tag sites, simple sequence repeats, and single nucleotide polymorphisms.
Efficiency of a clinical prediction model for selective rapid testing in children with pharyngitis: A prospective, multicenter study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cohen, Jérémie F.; Cohen, Robert; Bidet, Philippe; Elbez, Annie; Levy, Corinne; Bossuyt, Patrick M.; Chalumeau, Martin

2017-01-01

There is controversy whether physicians can rely on signs and symptoms to select children with pharyngitis who should undergo a rapid antigen detection test (RADT) for group A streptococcus (GAS). Our objective was to evaluate the efficiency of signs and symptoms in selectively testing children with
Schizophrenia: from the brain to peripheral markers. A consensus paper of the WFSBP task force on biological markers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stober, Gerald; Ben-Shachar, Dorit; Cardon, M

2009-01-01

traits that are specific to particular conditions. An important aim of biomarker discovery is the detection of disease correlates that can be used as diagnostic tools. Method. A selective review of the WFSBP Task Force on Biological Markers in schizophrenia is provided from the central nervous system...
Mean-variance portfolio selection and efficient frontier for defined contribution pension schemes

OpenAIRE

Hoejgaard, B.; Vigna, E.

2007-01-01

We solve a mean-variance portfolio selection problem in the accumulation phase of a defined contribution pension scheme. The efficient frontier, which is found for the 2 asset case as well as the n + 1 asset case, gives the member the possibility to decide his own risk/reward profile. The mean-variance approach is then compared to other investment strategies adopted in DC pension schemes, namely the target-based approach and the lifestyle strategy. The comparison is done both in a theoretical...
Selected markers of cardiovascular disease in a population exposed to arsenic from drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Bošnjak, Zinka; Cavar, Suzana; Klapec, Tomislav; Milić, Marija; Klapec-Basar, Mirta; Toman, Miroslav

2008-09-01

This study examined prevalence and serum levels of selected markers of cardiovascular disease in 34 subjects from a Croatian rural population exposed to high levels of arsenic (As) from drinking water (611.89±10.06μg/l). The prevalences of overweight and obese subjects in the population were 32% and 35%. Half the subjects had hypertension, 29% had increased fasting serum glucose level and two were diabetic. Median total cholesterol (5.82mmol/l) and triglycerides (2.15mmol/l) were above the desirable margins. The median C-reactive protein level (1.20mg/l) was slightly higher than previously reported for healthy subjects. Serum Hsp70 level was significantly higher in nonsmokers. Total urinary As levels were positively correlated with age-adjusted serum levels of cobalamin. Near significance were also serum total bilirubin, antibodies to Hsp60 and folate. Tentative investigation of risk factors among subjects classified by tumor necrosis factor-α -308G/A and interleukin-6-174G/C gene polymorphisms was also performed. Collectively, the results are in agreement with the hypothesis of As-induced and/or compounded cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Monte Carlo simulations on marker grouping and ordering.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, J; Jenkins, J; Zhu, J; McCarty, J; Watson, C

2003-08-01

Four global algorithms, maximum likelihood (ML), sum of adjacent LOD score (SALOD), sum of adjacent recombinant fractions (SARF) and product of adjacent recombinant fraction (PARF), and one approximation algorithm, seriation (SER), were used to compare the marker ordering efficiencies for correctly given linkage groups based on doubled haploid (DH) populations. The Monte Carlo simulation results indicated the marker ordering powers for the five methods were almost identical. High correlation coefficients were greater than 0.99 between grouping power and ordering power, indicating that all these methods for marker ordering were reliable. Therefore, the main problem for linkage analysis was how to improve the grouping power. Since the SER approach provided the advantage of speed without losing ordering power, this approach was used for detailed simulations. For more generality, multiple linkage groups were employed, and population size, linkage cutoff criterion, marker spacing pattern (even or uneven), and marker spacing distance (close or loose) were considered for obtaining acceptable grouping powers. Simulation results indicated that the grouping power was related to population size, marker spacing distance, and cutoff criterion. Generally, a large population size provided higher grouping power than small population size, and closely linked markers provided higher grouping power than loosely linked markers. The cutoff criterion range for achieving acceptable grouping power and ordering power differed for varying cases; however, combining all situations in this study, a cutoff criterion ranging from 50 cM to 60 cM was recommended for achieving acceptable grouping power and ordering power for different cases.
A method for genotyping elite breeding stocks of leaf chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) by assaying mapped microsatellite marker loci.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghedina, Andrea; Galla, Giulio; Cadalen, Thierry; Hilbert, Jean-Louis; Caenazzo, Silvano Tiozzo; Barcaccia, Gianni

2015-12-30

Leaf chicory (Cichorium intybus subsp. intybus var. foliosum L.) is a diploid plant species (2n = 18) of the Asteraceae family. The term "chicory" specifies at least two types of cultivated plants: a leafy vegetable, which is highly differentiated with respect to several cultural types, and a root crop, whose current industrial utilization primarily addresses the extraction of inulin or the production of a coffee substitute. The populations grown are generally represented by local varieties (i.e., landraces) with high variation and adaptation to the natural and anthropological environment where they originated, and have been yearly selected and multiplied by farmers. Currently, molecular genetics and biotechnology are widely utilized in marker-assisted breeding programs in this species. In particular, molecular markers are becoming essential tools for developing parental lines with traits of interest and for assessing the specific combining ability of these lines to breed F1 hybrids. The present research deals with the implementation of an efficient method for genotyping elite breeding stocks developed from old landraces of leaf chicory, Radicchio of Chioggia, which are locally dominant in the Veneto region, using 27 microsatellite (SSR) marker loci scattered throughout the linkage groups. Information on the genetic diversity across molecular markers and plant accessions was successfully assessed along with descriptive statistics over all marker loci and inbred lines. Our overall data support an efficient method for assessing a multi-locus genotype of plant individuals and lineages that is useful for the selection of new varieties and the certification of local products derived from Radicchio of Chioggia. This method proved to be useful for assessing the observed degree of homozygosity of the inbred lines as a measure of their genetic stability; plus it allowed an estimate of the specific combining ability (SCA) between maternal and paternal inbred lines on the
Microsatellite markers associated with body and carcass weights in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Microsatellite markers are presently used in selection to facilitate the genetic improvement of growth and carcass traits in chickens. The genetic improvement of six weeks live body and carcass weights of Cairo B-2 line, after six generation of selection, was compared with the control line (C line). Cairo B-2 line had higher ...
(SSR) markers for drought tolerance in maize

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Maize is moderately sensitive to drought. Drought affects virtually all aspects of maize growth in varying degrees at all stages, from germination to maturity. Tolerance to drought is genetically and physiologically complicated and inherited quantitatively. Application of molecular-marker aided selection technique for ...
Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in sarcoidosis: relation to selected clinical and laboratory markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Piotrowski, Wojciech J; Bieńkiewicz, Małgorzata; Frieske, Izabella; Marczak, Jerzy; Antczak, Adam; Górski, Paweł; Kuśmierek, Jacek; Płachcińska, Anna

2012-01-01

Discriminating between active and inactive sarcoidosis may be problematic in everyday clinical practice. There are numerous biochemical markers used in the diagnosis and monitoring of sarcoidosis. Somatostatin receptor (SR) scintigraphy with the use of 99mTc-octreotide may be used to estimate disease activity. The aim of the paper was to assess the value of traditional biomarkers (serum angiotensin-converting enzyme [SACE], C-reactive protein, markers of calcium metabolism, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid [BALF] lymphocytes) and a novel biomarker, 8-isoprostane (8-IP) in exhaled breath condensate (EBC), in the assessment of sarcoidosis activity in relation to somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. The study included 32 patients with sarcoidosis. Scintigraphy was performed using somatostatin analogue, 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC; planar and SPECT/CT images were recorded. The study group was divided into a subgroup with positive radiotracer uptake (n = 20) and without a visible uptake (n = 12). 8-IP levels were measured in EBC by an immunoenzymatic assay. RESULTS We observed a significantly higher EBC 8-IP levels in the subgroup with positive uptake compared with those with negative uptake (19.1 ± 19.8 vs. 5.4 ± 3.5 pg/ml, P = 0.02). The levels of SACE and the percentage of BALF lymphocytes were also nonsignificantly elevated. In the group of patients with positive scintigraphy results, a positive correlation was observed between the uptake ratio and SACE (r = 0.44, P = 0.041). The results indicate low value of biochemical markers in the assessment of disease activity. SR scintigraphy may have practical usefulness in the monitoring of sarcoidosis.
Homology Requirements for Efficient, Footprintless Gene Editing at the CFTR Locus in Human iPSCs with Helper-dependent Adenoviral Vectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donna J Palmer

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Helper-dependent adenoviral vectors mediate high efficiency gene editing in induced pluripotent stem cells without needing a designer nuclease thereby avoiding off-target cleavage. Because of their large cloning capacity of 37 kb, helper-dependent adenoviral vectors with long homology arms are used for gene editing. However, this makes vector construction and recombinant analysis difficult. Conversely, insufficient homology may compromise targeting efficiency. Thus, we investigated the effect of homology length on helper-dependent adenoviral vector targeting efficiency at the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator locus in induced pluripotent stem cells and found a positive correlation. With 23.8 and 21.4 kb of homology, the frequencies of targeted recombinants were 50–64.6% after positive selection for vector integration, and 97.4–100% after negative selection against random integrations. With 14.8 kb, the frequencies were 26.9–57.1% after positive selection and 87.5–100% after negative selection. With 9.6 kb, the frequencies were 21.4 and 75% after positive and negative selection, respectively. With only 5.6 kb, the frequencies were 5.6–16.7% after positive selection and 50% after negative selection, but these were more than high enough for efficient identification and isolation of targeted clones. Furthermore, we demonstrate helper-dependent adenoviral vector-mediated footprintless correction of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutations through piggyBac excision of the selectable marker. However, low frequencies (≤ 1 × 10−3 necessitated negative selection for piggyBac-excision product isolation.
Assessing diversity among traditional Greek and foreign eggplant cultivars using molecular markers and morphometrical descriptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Augustinos, A.A.; Petropoulos, C.; Karasoulou, V.; Bletsos, F.; Papasotiropoulos, V.

2016-01-01

Eggplant is a widely cultivated vegetable crop of great economic importance. Its long lasting history of domestication, selection and breeding has led to the development of numerous cultivars with variable traits. In the present study, we assessed the diversity levels within and among eleven Greek and foreign cultivars, using 22 morphological descriptors and two different classes of molecular markers (retrotransposon microsatellite amplified polymorphism-REMAP markers and nuclear microsatellites). Our results, in accordance with other studies in the field showed: a) the limited levels of genetic polymorphism within the cultivars; b) the high morphological and genetic divergence existing among them as indicated by the genetic distance values calculated, which could be attributed to selection, inbreeding and bottleneck effects; and c) the lack of concordance among morphological descriptors and molecular markers. Despite these, our analysis showed that the utilization of combinations of markers is an effective method for the characterization of plant material providing also useful diagnostic tools for the identification and authentication of the selected Greek cultivars.

Assessing diversity among traditional Greek and foreign eggplant cultivars using molecular markers and morphometrical descriptors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Augustinos, A.A.; Petropoulos, C.; Karasoulou, V.; Bletsos, F.; Papasotiropoulos, V.

2016-07-01

Eggplant is a widely cultivated vegetable crop of great economic importance. Its long lasting history of domestication, selection and breeding has led to the development of numerous cultivars with variable traits. In the present study, we assessed the diversity levels within and among eleven Greek and foreign cultivars, using 22 morphological descriptors and two different classes of molecular markers (retrotransposon microsatellite amplified polymorphism-REMAP markers and nuclear microsatellites). Our results, in accordance with other studies in the field showed: a) the limited levels of genetic polymorphism within the cultivars; b) the high morphological and genetic divergence existing among them as indicated by the genetic distance values calculated, which could be attributed to selection, inbreeding and bottleneck effects; and c) the lack of concordance among morphological descriptors and molecular markers. Despite these, our analysis showed that the utilization of combinations of markers is an effective method for the characterization of plant material providing also useful diagnostic tools for the identification and authentication of the selected Greek cultivars.
Application of molecular markers for variety protection of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Louise Bach; Deneken, Gerhard; Roulund, N

2008-01-01

registration systems. Although DUS testing currently employs mostly visually observable characteristics that are expressions of the phenotype of a variety, there is much interest in the use of molecular markers. The overall objective of this project is to examine the potential use of molecular markers...... with 140 alleles gives the same level of information. Furthermore, number of genotypes per variety can be reduced to 20 compared to the original dataset containing 60 genotypes when using all 18 SSR markers but not when using only six SSR markers. Significant association was found between the molecular...... on the morphological characterization from the DUS trial. 18 SSR markers were selected based on their genome distribution, reproducibility, level of information and ease of scoring. It was found, that for variety discrimination, reducing the number of SSR markers from 18 SSR markers with 262 alleles to six SSR markers...
Searching for an Accurate Marker-Based Prediction of an Individual Quantitative Trait in Molecular Plant Breeding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong-Bi Fu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Molecular plant breeding with the aid of molecular markers has played an important role in modern plant breeding over the last two decades. Many marker-based predictions for quantitative traits have been made to enhance parental selection, but the trait prediction accuracy remains generally low, even with the aid of dense, genome-wide SNP markers. To search for more accurate trait-specific prediction with informative SNP markers, we conducted a literature review on the prediction issues in molecular plant breeding and on the applicability of an RNA-Seq technique for developing function-associated specific trait (FAST SNP markers. To understand whether and how FAST SNP markers could enhance trait prediction, we also performed a theoretical reasoning on the effectiveness of these markers in a trait-specific prediction, and verified the reasoning through computer simulation. To the end, the search yielded an alternative to regular genomic selection with FAST SNP markers that could be explored to achieve more accurate trait-specific prediction. Continuous search for better alternatives is encouraged to enhance marker-based predictions for an individual quantitative trait in molecular plant breeding.
Searching for an Accurate Marker-Based Prediction of an Individual Quantitative Trait in Molecular Plant Breeding

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Yong-Bi; Yang, Mo-Hua; Zeng, Fangqin; Biligetu, Bill

2017-01-01

Molecular plant breeding with the aid of molecular markers has played an important role in modern plant breeding over the last two decades. Many marker-based predictions for quantitative traits have been made to enhance parental selection, but the trait prediction accuracy remains generally low, even with the aid of dense, genome-wide SNP markers. To search for more accurate trait-specific prediction with informative SNP markers, we conducted a literature review on the prediction issues in molecular plant breeding and on the applicability of an RNA-Seq technique for developing function-associated specific trait (FAST) SNP markers. To understand whether and how FAST SNP markers could enhance trait prediction, we also performed a theoretical reasoning on the effectiveness of these markers in a trait-specific prediction, and verified the reasoning through computer simulation. To the end, the search yielded an alternative to regular genomic selection with FAST SNP markers that could be explored to achieve more accurate trait-specific prediction. Continuous search for better alternatives is encouraged to enhance marker-based predictions for an individual quantitative trait in molecular plant breeding. PMID:28729875
Combining PET/CT with serum tumor markers to improve the evaluation of histological type of suspicious lung cancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Rifeng; Dong, Ximin; Zhu, Wenzhen; Duan, Qing; Xue, Yunjing; Shen, Yanxia; Zhang, Guopeng

2017-01-01

Histological type is important for determining the management of patients with suspicious lung cancers. In this study, PET/CT combined with serum tumor markers were used to evaluate the histological type of lung lesions. Patients with suspicious lung cancers underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT and serum tumor markers detection. SUVmax of the tumor and serum levels of tumor markers were acquired. Differences in SUVmax and serum levels of tumor markers among different histological types of lung cancers and between EGFR mutation statues of adenocarcinoma were compared. The diagnostic efficiencies of SUVmax alone, each serum tumor marker alone, combined tumor markers and the combination of both methods were further assessed and compared. SCC had the highest level of SUVmax, followed by SCLC and adenocarcinoma, and benign lesions had a lowest level. CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag were significantly higher in SCC, NSE was significantly higher in SCLC (Ptumor marker or SUVmax alone. When combined, the AUC, sensitivity and specificity increased significantly (Ptumor markers (P>0.05 for all). SUVmax and serum tumor markers show values in evaluating the histological types of suspicious lung cancers. When properly combined, the diagnostic efficiency can increase significantly.
Optimisation of tomato Micro-tom regeneration and selection on glufosinate/Basta and dependency of gene silencing on transgene copy number.

Science.gov (United States)

Khuong, Thi Thu Huong; Crété, Patrice; Robaglia, Christophe; Caffarri, Stefano

2013-09-01

An efficient protocol of transformation and selection of transgenic lines of Micro-tom, a widespread model cultivar for tomato, is reported. RNA interference silencing efficiency and stability have been investigated and correlated with the number of insertions. Given its small size and ease of cultivation, the tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) cultivar Micro-tom is of widespread use as a model tomato plant. To create and screen transgenic plants, different selectable markers are commonly used. The bar marker carrying the resistance to the herbicide glufosinate/Basta, has many advantages, but it has been little utilised and with low efficiency for identification of tomato transgenic plants. Here we describe a procedure for accurate selection of transgenic Micro-tom both in vitro and in soil. Immunoblot, Southern blot and phenotypic analyses showed that 100 % of herbicide-resistant plants were transgenic. In addition, regeneration improvement has been obtained by using 2 mg/l Gibberellic acid in the shoot elongation medium; rooting optimisation on medium containing 1 mg/l IAA allowed up to 97 % of shoots developing strong and very healthy roots after only 10 days. Stable transformation frequency by infection of leaf explants with Agrobacterium reached 12 %. Shoots have been induced by combination of 1 mg/l zeatin-trans and 0.1 mg/l IAA. Somatic embryogenesis of cotyledon on medium containing 1 mg/l zeatin + 2 mg/l IAA is described in Micro-tom. The photosynthetic psbS gene has been used as reporter gene for RNA silencing studies. The efficiency of gene silencing has been found equivalent using three different target gene fragments of 519, 398 and 328 bp. Interestingly, silencing efficiency decreased from T0 to the T3 generation in plants containing multiple copies of the inserted T-DNA, while it was stable in plants containing a single insertion.
DEP2SA: A Decentralised Efficient Privacy-Preserving and Selective Aggregation Scheme in Advanced Metering Infrastructure

OpenAIRE

Mustafa, Mustafa; Zhang, Ning; Kalogridis, Georgios; Fan, Zhong

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a novel solution, called a decentralised, efficient, privacy-preserving and selective aggregation (DEP2SA) scheme, designed to support secure and user privacy-preserving data collection in the advanced metering infrastructure. DEP2SA is more efficient and applicable in real-life deployment, as compared with the state of the art, by adopting and adapting a number of key technologies: (1) it uses a multi-recipient system model, making it more applicable to a liberalised elec...
A system for tumor heterogeneity evaluation and diagnosis based on tumor markers measured routinely in the laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Hui, Liu; Rixv, Liu; Xiuying, Zhou

2015-12-01

To develop an efficient and reliable approach to estimate tumor heterogeneity and improve tumor diagnosis using multiple tumor markers measured routinely in the clinical laboratory. A total of 161 patients with different cancers were recruited as the cancer group, and 91 patients with non-oncological conditions were required as the non-oncological disease group. The control group comprised 90 randomly selected healthy subjects. AFP, CEA, CYFRA, CA125, CA153, CA199, CA724, and NSE levels were measured in all these subjects with a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. The tumor marker with the maximum S/CO value (sample test value:cutoff value for discriminating individuals with and without tumors) was considered as a specific tumor marker (STM) for an individual. Tumor heterogeneity index (THI)=N/P (N: number of STMs; P: percentage of individuals with STMs in a certain tumor population) was used to quantify tumor heterogeneity: high THI indicated high tumor heterogeneity. The tumor marker index (TMI), TMI = STM×(number of positive tumor markers+1), was used for diagnosis. The THIs of lung, gastric, and liver cancers were 8.33, 9.63, and 5.2, respectively, while the ROC-areas under the curve for TMI were 0.862, 0.809, and 0.966. In this study, we developed a novel index for tumor heterogeneity based on the expression of various routinely evaluated serum tumor markers. Development of an evaluation system for tumor heterogeneity on the basis of this index could provide an effective diagnostic tool for some cancers. Copyright © 2015 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
SNP marker detection and genotyping in tilapia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bers, van N.E.M.; Crooijmans, R.P.M.A.; Groenen, M.A.M.; Dibbits, B.W.; Komen, J.

2012-01-01

We have generated a unique resource consisting of nearly 175 000 short contig sequences and 3569 SNP markers from the widely cultured GIFT (Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia) strain of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). In total, 384 SNPs were selected to monitor the wider applicability of the
Otimização do tamanho de população sob acasalamento seletivo na seleção assistida por marcadores moleculares Optimization of the population size under selective mating in the selection assisted by molecular markers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Jangarelli

2010-12-01

of heritability, and the base and original populations. Each initial population was submitted to selection assisted by markers for 20 consecutive generations, in which selected parents mated selectively among the best and the worst ones. This selective strategy of mating proved itself to be efficient in reducing the number of individuals required in a population for QTL mapping. As the magnitude of heritability increases, lower population sizes are required to maintain similarities in phenotypic increments. The use of samples with 300, 250 and 200 individuals or more for heritabilities of 0.10, 0.40 and 0.70, respectively, is unnecessary, because of the equivalent inferences indicated by Tocher optmization and complete linkage methods from the system of statistical and genetic analysis (SAEG.
Identification of body fluid-specific DNA methylation markers for use in forensic science.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jong-Lyul; Kwon, Oh-Hyung; Kim, Jong Hwan; Yoo, Hyang-Sook; Lee, Han-Chul; Woo, Kwang-Man; Kim, Seon-Young; Lee, Seung-Hwan; Kim, Yong Sung

2014-11-01

DNA methylation, which occurs at the 5'-position of the cytosine in CpG dinucleotides, has great potential for forensic identification of body fluids, because tissue-specific patterns of DNA methylation have been demonstrated, and DNA is less prone to degradation than proteins or RNA. Previous studies have reported several body fluid-specific DNA methylation markers, but DNA methylation differences are sometimes low in saliva and vaginal secretions. Moreover, specific DNA methylation markers in four types of body fluids (blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions) have not been investigated with genome-wide profiling. Here, we investigated novel DNA methylation markers for identification of body fluids for use in forensic science using the Illumina HumanMethylation 450K bead array, which contains over 450,000 CpG sites. Using methylome data from 16 samples of blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions, we first selected 2986 hypermethylated or hypomethylated regions that were specific for each type of body fluid. We then selected eight CpG sites as novel, forensically relevant DNA methylation markers: cg06379435 and cg08792630 for blood, cg26107890 and cg20691722 for saliva, cg23521140 and cg17610929 for semen, and cg01774894 and cg14991487 for vaginal secretions. These eight selected markers were evaluated in 80 body fluid samples using pyrosequencing, and all showed high sensitivity and specificity for identification of the target body fluid. We suggest that these eight DNA methylation markers may be good candidates for developing an effective molecular assay for identification of body fluids in forensic science. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Differentiability properties of the efficient (u,q2)-set in the Markowitz portfolio selection method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kriens, J.; Strijbosch, L.W.G.; Vörös, J.

1994-01-01

The set of efficient (Rho2)-combinations in the (Rho2)-plane of the Markowitz portfolio selection method consists of a series of strictly convex parabola. In the transition points from one parabola to the next one, the curve may be indifferentiable. The article gives necessary and sufficient
Selection of efficient salt-tolerant bacteria containing ACC deaminase for promotion of tomato growth under salinity stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kannika Chookietwattana* and Kedsukon Maneewan

2012-05-01

Full Text Available For successful application of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB in salt-affected soil, bioinoculant with salt-tolerant property is required in order to provide better survival and perform well in the field. The present study aimed to select the most efficient salt-tolerant bacterium containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC deaminase from eighty four bacterial strains and to investigate the effects of the selected bacterium on the germination and growth of tomato (Licopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Seeda under saline conditions. The Bacillus licheniformis B2r was selected for its ability to utilize ACC as a sole nitrogen source under salinity stress. It also showed a high ACC deaminase activity at 0.6 M NaCl salinity. Tomato plants inoculated with the selected bacterium under various saline conditions (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 mM NaCl revealed a significant increase in the germination percentage, germination index, root length, and seedling dry weight especially at salinity levels ranging from 30-90 mM NaCl. The work described in this report is an important step in developing an efficient salt-tolerant bioinoculant to facilitate plant growth in saline soil.
Unraveling the efficiency of RAPD and SSR markers in diversity analysis and population structure estimation in common bean.

Science.gov (United States)

Zargar, Sajad Majeed; Farhat, Sufia; Mahajan, Reetika; Bhakhri, Ayushi; Sharma, Arjun

2016-01-01

Increase in food production viz-a-viz quality of food is important to feed the growing human population to attain food as well as nutritional security. The availability of diverse germplasm of any crop is an important genetic resource to mine the genes that may assist in attaining food as well as nutritional security. Here we used 15 RAPD and 23 SSR markers to elucidate diversity among 51 common bean genotypes mostly landraces collected from the Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir, India. We observed that both the markers are highly polymorphic. The discriminatory power of these markers was determined using various parameters like; percent polymorphism, PIC, resolving power and marker index. 15 RAPDs produced 171 polymorphic bands, while 23 SSRs produced 268 polymorphic bands. SSRs showed a higher PIC value (0.300) compared to RAPDs (0.243). Further the resolving power of SSRs was 5.241 compared to 3.86 for RAPDs. However, RAPDs showed a higher marker index (2.69) compared to SSRs (1.279) that may be attributed to their higher multiplex ratio. The dendrograms generated with hierarchical UPGMA cluster analysis grouped genotypes into two main clusters with various degrees of sub clustering within the cluster. Here we observed that both the marker systems showed comparable accuracy in grouping genotypes of common bean according to their area of cultivation. The model based STRUCTURE analysis using 15 RAPD and 23 SSR markers identified a population with 3 sub-populations which corresponds to distance based groupings. High level of genetic diversity was observed within the population. These findings have further implications in common bean breeding as well as conservation programs.
CHARACTERIZING COSTS, SAVINGS AND BENEFITS OF A SELECTION OF ENERGY EFFICIENT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN THE UNITED STATES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, T.; Slaa, J.W.; Sathaye, J.

2010-12-15

Implementation and adoption of efficient end-use technologies have proven to be one of the key measures for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the industries. In many cases, implementing energy efficiency measures is among one of the most cost effective investments that the industry could make in improving efficiency and productivity while reducing CO2 emissions. Over the years, there have been incentives to use resources and energy in a cleaner and more efficient way to create industries that are sustainable and more productive. With the working of energy programs and policies on GHG inventory and regulation, understanding and managing the costs associated with mitigation measures for GHG reductions is very important for the industry and policy makers around the world. Successful implementation of emerging technologies not only can help advance productivities and competitiveness but also can play a significant role in mitigation efforts by saving energy. Providing evaluation and estimation of the costs and energy savings potential of emerging technologies is the focus of our work in this project. The overall goal of the project is to identify and select emerging and under-utilized energy-efficient technologies and practices as they are important to reduce energy consumption in industry while maintaining economic growth. This report contains the results from performing Task 2"Technology evaluation" for the project titled"Research Opportunities in Emerging and Under-Utilized Energy-Efficient Industrial Technologies," which was sponsored by California Energy Commission and managed by CIEE. The project purpose is to analyze market status, market potential, and economic viability of selected technologies applicable to the U.S. In this report, LBNL first performed re-assessments of all of the 33 emerging energy-efficient industrial technologies, including re-evaluation of the 26 technologies that were previously identified by Martin et al. (2000) and
Genetic Modification of Short Rotation Poplar Biomass Feedstock for Efficient Conversion to Ethanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dinus, R.J.

2000-08-30

The Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory is developing poplars (Populus species and hybrids) as sources of renewable energy, i.e., ethanol. Notable increases in adaptability, volume productivity, and pest/stress resistance have been achieved via classical selection and breeding and intensified cultural practices. Significant advances have also been made in the efficiencies of harvesting and handling systems. Given these and anticipated accomplishments, program leaders are considering shifting some attention to genetically modifying feedstock physical and chemical properties, so as to improve the efficiency with which feedstocks can be converted to ethanol. This report provides an in-depth review and synthesis of opportunities for and feasibilities of genetically modifying feedstock qualities via classical selection and breeding, marker-aided selection and breeding, and genetic transformation. Information was collected by analysis of the literature, with emphasis on that published since 1995, and interviews with prominent scientists, breeders, and growers. Poplar research is well advanced, and literature is abundant. The report therefore primarily reflects advances in poplars, but data from other species, particularly other shortrotation hardwoods, are incorporated to fill gaps. An executive summary and recommendations for research, development, and technology transfer are provided immediately after the table of contents. The first major section of the report describes processes most likely to be used for conversion of poplar biomass to ethanol, the various physical and chemical properties of poplar feedstocks, and how such properties are expected to affect process efficiency. The need is stressed for improved understanding of the impact of change on both overall process and individual process step efficiencies. The second part documents advances in trait measurement instrumentation and methodology
NABIC marker database: A molecular markers information network of agricultural crops.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Chang-Kug; Seol, Young-Joo; Lee, Dong-Jun; Jeong, In-Seon; Yoon, Ung-Han; Lee, Gang-Seob; Hahn, Jang-Ho; Park, Dong-Suk

2013-01-01

In 2013, National Agricultural Biotechnology Information Center (NABIC) reconstructs a molecular marker database for useful genetic resources. The web-based marker database consists of three major functional categories: map viewer, RSN marker and gene annotation. It provides 7250 marker locations, 3301 RSN marker property, 3280 molecular marker annotation information in agricultural plants. The individual molecular marker provides information such as marker name, expressed sequence tag number, gene definition and general marker information. This updated marker-based database provides useful information through a user-friendly web interface that assisted in tracing any new structures of the chromosomes and gene positional functions using specific molecular markers. The database is available for free at http://nabic.rda.go.kr/gere/rice/molecularMarkers/
Marker-assisted selection as a tool for genetic improvement of crops, livestock, forestry and fish in developing countries: an overview of the issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruane, R.; Sonnino, A.

2007-01-01

This chapter provides an overview of the techniques, current status and issues involved in using marker-assisted selection (MAS) for genetic improvement in developing countries. Molecular marker maps, the necessary framework for any MAS programme, have been constructed for the majority of agriculturally important species, although the density of the maps varies considerably among species. Despite the considerable resources that have been invested in this field and despite the enormous potential it still represents, with few exceptions, MAS has not yet delivered its expected benefits in commercial breeding programmes for crops, livestock, forest trees or farmed fish in the developed world. When evaluating the potential merits of applying MAS as a tool for genetic improvement in developing countries, some of the issues that should be considered are its economic costs and benefits, its potential benefits compared with conventional breeding or with application of other biotechnologies, and the potential impact of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on the development and application of MAS. (author)
Variable number of tandem repeat markers in the genome sequence of Mycosphaerella fijiensis, the causal agent of black leaf streak disease of banana (Musa spp).

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, S A L; Van der Lee, T A J; Ferreira, C F; Te Lintel Hekkert, B; Zapater, M-F; Goodwin, S B; Guzmán, M; Kema, G H J; Souza, M T

2010-11-09

We searched the genome of Mycosphaerella fijiensis for molecular markers that would allow population genetics analysis of this plant pathogen. M. fijiensis, the causal agent of banana leaf streak disease, also known as black Sigatoka, is the most devastating pathogen attacking bananas (Musa spp). Recently, the entire genome sequence of M. fijiensis became available. We screened this database for VNTR markers. Forty-two primer pairs were selected for validation, based on repeat type and length and the number of repeat units. Five VNTR markers showing multiple alleles were validated with a reference set of isolates from different parts of the world and a population from a banana plantation in Costa Rica. Polymorphism information content values varied from 0.6414 to 0.7544 for the reference set and from 0.0400 and 0.7373 for the population set. Eighty percent of the polymorphism information content values were above 0.60, indicating that the markers are highly informative. These markers allowed robust scoring of agarose gels and proved to be useful for variability and population genetics studies. In conclusion, the strategy we developed to identify and validate VNTR markers is an efficient means to incorporate markers that can be used for fungicide resistance management and to develop breeding strategies to control banana black leaf streak disease. This is the first report of VNTR-minisatellites from the M. fijiensis genome sequence.
Identification, characterization and utilization of unigene derived microsatellite markers in tea (Camellia sinensis L.

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Mohapatra Trilochan

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite great advances in genomic technology observed in several crop species, the availability of molecular tools such as microsatellite markers has been limited in tea (Camellia sinensis L.. The development of microsatellite markers will have a major impact on genetic analysis, gene mapping and marker assisted breeding. Unigene derived microsatellite (UGMS markers identified from publicly available sequence database have the advantage of assaying variation in the expressed component of the genome with unique identity and position. Therefore, they can serve as efficient and cost effective alternative markers in such species. Results Considering the multiple advantages of UGMS markers, 1,223 unigenes were predicted from 2,181 expressed sequence tags (ESTs of tea (Camellia sinensis L.. A total of 109 (8.9% unigenes containing 120 SSRs were identified. SSR abundance was one in every 3.55 kb of EST sequences. The microsatellites mainly comprised of di (50.8%, tri (30.8%, tetra (6.6%, penta (7.5% and few hexa (4.1% nucleotide repeats. Among the dinucleotide repeats, (GAn.(TCn were most abundant (83.6%. Ninety six primer pairs could be designed form 83.5% of SSR containing unigenes. Of these, 61 (63.5% primer pairs were experimentally validated and used to investigate the genetic diversity among the 34 accessions of different Camellia spp. Fifty one primer pairs (83.6% were successfully cross transferred to the related species at various levels. Functional annotation of the unigenes containing SSRs was done through gene ontology (GO characterization. Thirty six (60% of them revealed significant sequence similarity with the known/putative proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana. Polymorphism information content (PIC ranged from 0.018 to 0.972 with a mean value of 0.497. The average heterozygosity expected (HE and observed (Ho obtained was 0.654 and 0.413 respectively, thereby suggesting highly heterogeneous nature of tea. Further, test

Genetic diversity of wild and cultivated genotypes of pigeonpea through RAPD and SSR markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Walunjkar, Babasaheb C; Parihar, Akarsh; Singh, Nirbhay Kumar; Parmar, L D

2015-03-01

Eight wild and four cultivated pigeonpea genotypes were subjected to RAPD and microsatellite analysis, with 40 primers each. Out of these, eight RAPD and five SSR primers were found polymorphic. RAPD primers showed 100% polymorphism and produced a total of 517 DNA fragments, whereas SSR primers produced 67 fragments and they too showed 100% polymorphism. The RAPD markers revealed highest similarity co-efficient of 0.93 (GT-100 and ICPL-87), whereas the highest similarity co-efficient obtained with SSR markers was 1.00 (GTH-1 and GT-100). Average PIC value obtained with RAPD and SSR were 0.90 and 0.18, respectively. The arithmetic mean heterozygosity and marker index were 0.90 and 22.47 respectively with RAPD marker, whereas the corresponding values for SSR markers were 0.18 and 33.66. Moreover; the four wild genotypes (Cajanus scarabaeoides, Rhyncosia rufescence, Cajanus cajanifolius and Rhyncosia canna) and the four cultivars (GTH-1, GT-100, ICPL-87 and GT-1) grouped distinctly in the same subgroups of the dendrograms obtained with both RAPD and SSR analysis. Therefore, the findings of SSR supplement and validate the results obtained with RAPD analysis.
A Marker Method for the Solution of the Damped Burgers' Equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jerome L.V. Lewandowski

2005-01-01

A new method for the solution of the damped Burgers equation is described. The marker method relies on the definition of a convective field associated with the underlying partial differential equation; the information about the approximate solution is associated with the response of an ensemble of markers to this convective field. Some key aspects of the method, such as the selection of the shape function and the initial loading, are discussed in some details. The marker method is applicable to a general class of nonlinear dispersive partial differential equations
Continental-scale footprint of balancing and positive selection in a small rodent (Microtus arvalis.

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Martin C Fischer

Full Text Available Genetic adaptation to different environmental conditions is expected to lead to large differences between populations at selected loci, thus providing a signature of positive selection. Whereas balancing selection can maintain polymorphisms over long evolutionary periods and even geographic scale, thus leads to low levels of divergence between populations at selected loci. However, little is known about the relative importance of these two selective forces in shaping genomic diversity, partly due to difficulties in recognizing balancing selection in species showing low levels of differentiation. Here we address this problem by studying genomic diversity in the European common vole (Microtus arvalis presenting high levels of differentiation between populations (average F ST = 0.31. We studied 3,839 Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP markers genotyped in 444 individuals from 21 populations distributed across the European continent and hence over different environmental conditions. Our statistical approach to detect markers under selection is based on a Bayesian method specifically developed for AFLP markers, which treats AFLPs as a nearly codominant marker system, and therefore has increased power to detect selection. The high number of screened populations allowed us to detect the signature of balancing selection across a large geographic area. We detected 33 markers potentially under balancing selection, hence strong evidence of stabilizing selection in 21 populations across Europe. However, our analyses identified four-times more markers (138 being under positive selection, and geographical patterns suggest that some of these markers are probably associated with alpine regions, which seem to have environmental conditions that favour adaptation. We conclude that despite favourable conditions in this study for the detection of balancing selection, this evolutionary force seems to play a relatively minor role in shaping the genomic
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is the third largest natural fiber crop and one of the five major oil crops in the world. ... These novel polymorphic microsatellite loci will be useful in genetic linkage map construction, germplasm classification and identification, gene identification and QTL mapping, and marker-assisted selection ...
Possible Biochemical Markers in Protein-Energy Malnutrition and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was carried out to determine possible biochemical markers in children suffering from Plasmodium falciparum malaria and Protein-Energy Malnutrition in a Hospital setting in Western Kenya. Spectrophotometric assays of selected biochemical parameters namely, albumin, total proteins, glucose, glutamate ...
Selection of lettuce genotypes for phosphorus uptaking efficiency - DOI: 10.4025/actasciagron.v25i1.2348

OpenAIRE

Cock, Wallace Rudeck Sthel; UENF; Tardin, Flávio Dessaune; UENF; Amaral Júnior, Antônio Teixeira do; UENF; Scapim, Carlos Alberto; UEM; Amaral, José Francisco Teixeira do; UFES; Cunha, Gláucio de Mello; UFES; Bressan-Smith, Ricardo Enrique; UENF; Pinto, Ronald José Barth; UEM

2008-01-01

Nineteen late flowering lettuce genotypes from the UENF horticultural germoplasm bank were evaluated for phosphorus utilization efficiency under a 10 mg.dm-3 P level. A biometrical analysis of genetic parameters and genetic, phenotypic and environment correlations between shoot and root dry matter production, P content in roots and shoot Puptake, P-translocation and P utilization efficiency was undertaken. Genetic variability, which could be promising to obtain positive response to selection,...
Efficient abstraction selection in reinforcement learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seijen, H. van; Whiteson, S.; Kester, L.

2013-01-01

This paper introduces a novel approach for abstraction selection in reinforcement learning problems modelled as factored Markov decision processes (MDPs), for which a state is described via a set of state components. In abstraction selection, an agent must choose an abstraction from a set of
Selection for components of complex characteristics - indirect selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haensel, H.

1984-01-01

A hierarchy of complexity exists in plant characteristics. The efficiency of indirect selection for a complex characteristic by a sub-trait depends on the heritability of the complex characteristic (hsub(c)), the heritability of the sub-trait (hsub(s)), and the genotypic correlation between sub-trait and complex characteristic (rsub(s.c)). In 1961 hsub(s)Xrsub(s.c)>hsub(c) was postulated, when indirect selection becomes more efficient than direct selection. Numerical examples for this relationship are given and a table for indirect selection for yield in wheat is elaborated. Efficiency ranking of sub-traits in indirect selection may change with climate, conditions of cultivation, the level of other sub-traits, the level of the complex characteristic already reached by breeding, and the breeding material. An example shows that regression analysis for different sub-traits on the same complex characteristic, and an estimation of the differences of the within - and the between - variety slopes, may help to select the more efficient sub-trait. In another example, where simultaneous selection was made for two polygenic characteristics, one directly and the other indirectly by two sub-traits, less than half the F 5 -lines had to be continued, when using the more efficient sub-trait. (author)
Assessment of contamination of the Svitava and Svratka rivers in the Czech Republic using selected biochemical markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Blahová, Jana; Havelková, Marcela; Kruzíková, Kamila; Hilscherová, Klára; Halouzka, Roman; Modrá, Helena; Grabic, Roman; Halírová, Jarmila; Jurcíková, Jana; Ocelka, Tomás; Harustiaková, Danka; Svobodová, Zdenka

2010-03-01

The aim of the present study is to assess aquatic ecosystem contamination using selected biochemical markers: cytochrome P450, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), tripeptide glutathione, vitellogenin, and 11-ketotestosterone in chub (Leuciscus cephalus L.). Seven locations on the Svitava and Svratka rivers (in the Brno conurbation, Czech Republic) were assessed. The results were compared with the levels of the most important inductors of these biomarkers: organic pollutants hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), DDT and its metabolites, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in bottom sediment, fish muscle, and semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and metals in sediment. The highest levels of pollutants were observed at sites situated downstream from Brno, especially at Modrice and Rajhradice. Significant positive correlations (p < 0.05) were found between EROD activity and HCH concentration in SPMDs, and also between GST and EROD activity with HCB concentration in muscle, after adjusting for age.
A Study on Market Efficiency of Selected Commodity Derivatives Traded on NCDEX During 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Sajipriya, N.

2012-10-01

The study aims at testing the weak form of Efficient Market Hypothesis in the context of an emerging commodity market - National Commodity Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), which is considered as the prime commodity derivatives market in India. The study considered daily spot and futures prices of five selected commodities traded on NCDEX over 12 month period (the futures contracts originating and expiring during the period January 2011 to December 2011) The five commodities chosen are Pepper, Crude palm Oil, steel silver and Chana as they account for almost two-thirds of the value of agricultural commodity derivatives traded on NCDEX. The results of Run test indicate that both spot and futures prices are weak form efficient
Genomecmp: computer software to detect genomic rearrangements using markers

Science.gov (United States)

Kulawik, Maciej; Nowak, Robert M.

2017-08-01

Detection of genomics rearrangements is a tough task, because of the size of data to be processed. As genome sequences may consist of hundreds of millions symbols, it is not only practically impossible to compare them by hand, but it is also complex problem for computer software. The way to significantly accelerate the process is to use rearrangement detection algorithm based on unique short sequences called markers. The algorithm described in this paper develops markers using base genome and find the markers positions on other genome. The algorithm has been extended by support for ambiguity symbols. Web application with graphical user interface has been created using three-layer architecture, where users could run the task simultaneously. The accuracy and efficiency of proposed solution has been studied using generated and real data.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae single-copy plasmids for auxotrophy compensation, multiple marker selection, and for designing metabolically cooperating communities [version 1; referees: 2 approved

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Michael Mülleder

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Auxotrophic markers are useful tools in cloning and genome editing, enable a large spectrum of genetic techniques, as well as facilitate the study of metabolite exchange interactions in microbial communities. If unused background auxotrophies are left uncomplemented however, yeast cells need to be grown in nutrient supplemented or rich growth media compositions, which precludes the analysis of biosynthetic metabolism, and which leads to a profound impact on physiology and gene expression. Here we present a series of 23 centromeric plasmids designed to restore prototrophy in typical Saccharomyces cerevisiae laboratory strains. The 23 single-copy plasmids complement for deficiencies in HIS3, LEU2, URA3, MET17 or LYS2 genes and in their combinations, to match the auxotrophic background of the popular functional-genomic yeast libraries that are based on the S288c strain. The plasmids are further suitable for designing self-establishing metabolically cooperating (SeMeCo communities, and possess a uniform multiple cloning site to exploit multiple parallel selection markers in protein expression experiments.
Effects of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Marker Density on Haplotype Block Partition

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Sun Ah Kim

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Many researchers have found that one of the most important characteristics of the structure of linkage disequilibrium is that the human genome can be divided into non-overlapping block partitions in which only a small number of haplotypes are observed. The location and distribution of haplotype blocks can be seen as a population property influenced by population genetic events such as selection, mutation, recombination and population structure. In this study, we investigate the effects of the density of markers relative to the full set of all polymorphisms in the region on the results of haplotype partitioning for five popular haplotype block partition methods: three methods in Haploview (confidence interval, four gamete test, and solid spine, MIG++ implemented in PLINK 1.9 and S-MIG++. We used several experimental datasets obtained by sampling subsets of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP markers of chromosome 22 region in the 1000 Genomes Project data and also the HapMap phase 3 data to compare the results of haplotype block partitions by five methods. With decreasing sampling ratio down to 20% of the original SNP markers, the total number of haplotype blocks decreases and the length of haplotype blocks increases for all algorithms. When we examined the marker-independence of the haplotype block locations constructed from the datasets of different density, the results using below 50% of the entire SNP markers were very different from the results using the entire SNP markers. We conclude that the haplotype block construction results should be used and interpreted carefully depending on the selection of markers and the purpose of the study.
Effect of Inoculant Alloy Selection and Particle Size on Efficiency of Isomorphic Inoculation of Ti-Al.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, J R; Rouat, B; Daloz, D; Bouzy, E; Zollinger, J

2018-04-25

The process of isomorphic inoculation relies on precise selection of inoculant alloys for a given system. Three alloys, Ti-10Al-25Nb, Ti-25Al-10Ta, and Ti-47Ta (at %) were selected as potential isomorphic inoculants for a Ti-46Al alloy. The binary Ti-Ta alloy selected was found to be ineffective as an inoculant due to its large density difference with the melt, causing the particles to settle. Both ternary alloys were successfully implemented as isomorphic inoculants that decreased the equiaxed grain size and increased the equiaxed fraction in their ingots. The degree of grain refinement obtained was found to be dependent on the number of particles introduced to the melt. Also, more new grains were formed than particles added to the melt. The grains/particle efficiency varied from greater than one to nearly twenty as the size of the particle increased. This is attributed to the breaking up of particles into smaller particles by dissolution in the melt. For a given particle size, Ti-Al-Ta and Ti-Al-Nb particles were found to have a roughly similar grain/particle efficiency.
Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphism (SRAP Markers: A Potential Resource for Studies in Plant Molecular Biology

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Daniel W. H. Robarts

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In the past few decades, many investigations in the field of plant biology have employed selectively neutral, multilocus, dominant markers such as inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR, random-amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD, and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP to address hypotheses at lower taxonomic levels. More recently, sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP markers have been developed, which are used to amplify coding regions of DNA with primers targeting open reading frames. These markers have proven to be robust and highly variable, on par with AFLP, and are attained through a significantly less technically demanding process. SRAP markers have been used primarily for agronomic and horticultural purposes, developing quantitative trait loci in advanced hybrids and assessing genetic diversity of large germplasm collections. Here, we suggest that SRAP markers should be employed for research addressing hypotheses in plant systematics, biogeography, conservation, ecology, and beyond. We provide an overview of the SRAP literature to date, review descriptive statistics of SRAP markers in a subset of 171 publications, and present relevant case studies to demonstrate the applicability of SRAP markers to the diverse field of plant biology. Results of these selected works indicate that SRAP markers have the potential to enhance the current suite of molecular tools in a diversity of fields by providing an easy-to-use. highly variable marker with inherent biological significance.
Optimizing trial design in pharmacogenetics research: comparing a fixed parallel group, group sequential, and adaptive selection design on sample size requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

Boessen, Ruud; van der Baan, Frederieke; Groenwold, Rolf; Egberts, Antoine; Klungel, Olaf; Grobbee, Diederick; Knol, Mirjam; Roes, Kit

2013-01-01

Two-stage clinical trial designs may be efficient in pharmacogenetics research when there is some but inconclusive evidence of effect modification by a genomic marker. Two-stage designs allow to stop early for efficacy or futility and can offer the additional opportunity to enrich the study population to a specific patient subgroup after an interim analysis. This study compared sample size requirements for fixed parallel group, group sequential, and adaptive selection designs with equal overall power and control of the family-wise type I error rate. The designs were evaluated across scenarios that defined the effect sizes in the marker positive and marker negative subgroups and the prevalence of marker positive patients in the overall study population. Effect sizes were chosen to reflect realistic planning scenarios, where at least some effect is present in the marker negative subgroup. In addition, scenarios were considered in which the assumed 'true' subgroup effects (i.e., the postulated effects) differed from those hypothesized at the planning stage. As expected, both two-stage designs generally required fewer patients than a fixed parallel group design, and the advantage increased as the difference between subgroups increased. The adaptive selection design added little further reduction in sample size, as compared with the group sequential design, when the postulated effect sizes were equal to those hypothesized at the planning stage. However, when the postulated effects deviated strongly in favor of enrichment, the comparative advantage of the adaptive selection design increased, which precisely reflects the adaptive nature of the design. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simple sequence repeat (SSR) vs. sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers for Cynara cardunculus characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casadevall, R.; Martin, E.; Cravero, V.

2011-07-01

A little is known about the genetic variability present in globe artichoke, cultivated and wild cardoons. This knowledge is very important for efficient genetic resources utilization, and to gain a better understanding of genetic structure of this botanical varieties. With the aims to determine genetic distances between Cynara cardunculus accessions and to compare two molecular markers systems for their efficiency to differ between botanical varieties, a molecular characterization of sixteen accessions from different geographical origins was performed. Seven SSR and seven SRAP markers were used for varieties characterization and to calculate genetic distances between them. Both distance matrices were subjected to cluster analysis. Exclusive SSR alleles were found for globe artichoke and for wild cardoon, but non exclusive alleles were found for cultivated cardoon. For both markers systems two major groups were identified, one of them included mostly globe artichoke accessions and the other one grouped mainly cardoons. The differences observed in the sub-cluster conformation with each marker systems may be due to intrinsic characteristics of the markers. Concluding, both kind of molecular markers are valuable tools for studying genetic distances between C. cardunculus accessions although they give different information. Nevertheless, SSR electrophoretic profiles are simpler to score than SRAP markers because they consist of just a few bands. As well, bands are highly informative because of the great number of alleles existing in population and they are codominant markers. In addition, SSRs use would reduce time and costs. (Author) 31 refs.
Marker-assisted backcrossing: a useful method for rice improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, Muhammad Mahmudul; Rafii, Mohd Y; Ismail, Mohd R; Mahmood, Maziah; Rahim, Harun A; Alam, Md Amirul; Ashkani, Sadegh; Malek, Md Abdul; Latif, Mohammad Abdul

2015-03-04

The world's population is increasing very rapidly, reducing the cultivable land of rice, decreasing table water, emerging new diseases and pests, and the climate changes are major issues that must be addressed to researchers to develop sustainable crop varieties with resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, recent scientific discoveries and advances particularly in genetics, genomics and crop physiology have opened up new opportunities to reduce the impact of these stresses which would have been difficult if not impossible as recently as the turn of the century. Marker assisted backcrossing (MABC) is one of the most promising approaches is the use of molecular markers to identify and select genes controlling resistance to those factors. Regarding this, MABC can contribute to develop resistant or high-yielding or quality rice varieties by incorporating a gene of interest into an elite variety which is already well adapted by the farmers. MABC is newly developed efficient tool by which using large population sizes (400 or more plants) for the backcross F 1 generations, it is possible to recover the recurrent parent genotype using only two or three backcrosses. So far, many high yielding, biotic and abiotic stresses tolerance, quality and fragrance rice varieties have been developed in rice growing countries through MABC within the shortest timeframe. Nowadays, MABC is being used widely in plant breeding programmes to develop new variety/lines especially in rice. This paper reviews recent literature on some examples of variety/ line development using MABC strategy.
An Efficient Cost-Sensitive Feature Selection Using Chaos Genetic Algorithm for Class Imbalance Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Bian

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In the era of big data, feature selection is an essential process in machine learning. Although the class imbalance problem has recently attracted a great deal of attention, little effort has been undertaken to develop feature selection techniques. In addition, most applications involving feature selection focus on classification accuracy but not cost, although costs are important. To cope with imbalance problems, we developed a cost-sensitive feature selection algorithm that adds the cost-based evaluation function of a filter feature selection using a chaos genetic algorithm, referred to as CSFSG. The evaluation function considers both feature-acquiring costs (test costs and misclassification costs in the field of network security, thereby weakening the influence of many instances from the majority of classes in large-scale datasets. The CSFSG algorithm reduces the total cost of feature selection and trades off both factors. The behavior of the CSFSG algorithm is tested on a large-scale dataset of network security, using two kinds of classifiers: C4.5 and k-nearest neighbor (KNN. The results of the experimental research show that the approach is efficient and able to effectively improve classification accuracy and to decrease classification time. In addition, the results of our method are more promising than the results of other cost-sensitive feature selection algorithms.
Efficient transformation and expression of gfp gene in Valsa mali var. mali.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Liang; Sun, Gengwu; Wu, Shujing; Liu, Huixiang; Wang, Hongkai

2015-01-01

Valsa mali var. mali, the causal agent of valsa canker of apple, causes great loss of apple production in apple producing regions. The pathogenic mechanism of the pathogen has not been studied extensively, thus a suitable gene marker for pathogenic invasion analysis and a random insertion of T-DNA for mutants are desirable. In this paper, we reported the construction of a binary vector pKO1-HPH containing a positive selective gene hygromycin phosphotransferase (hph), a reporter gene gfp conferring green fluorescent protein, and an efficient protocol for V. mali var. mali transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A transformation efficiency up to about 75 transformants per 10(5) conidia was achieved when co-cultivation of V. mali var. mali and A. tumefaciens for 48 h in A. tumefaciens inductive medium agar plates. The insertions of hph gene and gfp gene into V. mali var. mali genome verified by polymerase chain reaction and southern blot analysis showed that 10 randomly-selected transformants exhibited a single, unique hybridization pattern. This is the first report of A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation of V. mali var mali carrying a 'reporter' gfp gene that stably and efficiently expressed in the transformed V. mali var. mali species.

Molecular markers unravel intraspecific and interspecific genetic ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

[Kotwal S., Dhar M. K., Kour B., Raj K. and Kaul S. 2013 Molecular markers unravel intraspecific and interspecific genetic variability in ... of bowel problems including chronic constipation, amoebic ..... while to select parents from accessions, Pov80 and Pov79 ... nology (DBT), Govt. of India, for financial assistance in the form.
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as tumor marker in lung cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Mie Grunnet; Sorensen, J B

2012-01-01

The use of CEA as a prognostic and predictive marker in patients with lung cancer is widely debated. The aim of this review was to evaluate the results from studies made on this subject. Using the search words "CEA", "tumor markers in lung cancer", "prognostic significance", "diagnostic...... significance" and "predictive significance", a search was carried out on PubMed. Exclusion criteria was articles never published in English, articles before 1981 and articles evaluating tumor markers in lung cancer not involving CEA. Initially 217 articles were found, and 34 were left after selecting those...... relevant for the present study. Four of these included both Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) patients, and 31 dealt solely with NSCLC patients. Regarding SCLC no studies showed that serum level of CEA was a prognostic marker for overall survival (OS). The use of CEA...
Strategies for efficiently selecting PHA producing mixed microbial cultures using complex feedstocks: Feast and famine regime and uncoupled carbon and nitrogen availabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Catarina S S; Silva, Carlos E; Carvalho, Gilda; Reis, Maria A

2017-07-25

Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) by open mixed microbial cultures (MMCs) has been attracting increasing interest as an alternative technology to PHA production by pure cultures, due to the potential for lower costs associated with the use of open systems (eliminating the requirement for sterile conditions) and the utilisation of cheap feedstock (industrial and agricultural wastes). Such technology relies on the efficient selection of an MMC enriched in PHA-accumulating organisms. Fermented cheese whey, a protein-rich complex feedstock, has been used previously to produce PHA using the feast and famine regime for selection of PHA accumulating cultures. While this selection strategy was found efficient when operated at relatively low organic loading rate (OLR, 2g-CODL -1 d -1 ), great instability and low selection efficiency of PHA accumulating organisms were observed when higher OLR (ca. 6g-CODL -1 d -1 ) was applied. High organic loading is desirable as a means to enhance PHA productivity. In the present study, a new selection strategy was tested with the aim of improving selection for high OLR. It was based on uncoupling carbon and nitrogen supply and was implemented and compared with the conventional feast and famine strategy. For this, two selection reactors were fed with fermented cheese whey applying an OLR of ca. 8.5g-CODL -1 (with 3.8g-CODL -1 resulting from organic acids and ethanol), and operated in parallel under similar conditions, except for the timing of nitrogen supplementation. Whereas in the conventional strategy nitrogen and carbon substrates were added simultaneously at the beginning of the cycle, in the uncoupled substrates strategy, nitrogen addition was delayed to the end of the feast phase (i.e. after exogenous carbon was exhausted). The two different strategies selected different PHA-storing microbial communities, dominated by Corynebacterium and a Xantomonadaceae, respectively with the conventional and the new approaches. The new
Characterisation of Triticum vavilovii-derived stripe rust resistance using genetic, cytogenetic and molecular analyses and its marker-assisted selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bariana, H. S.; Brown, G. N.; Ahmed, N. U.; Khatkar, S.; Conner, R. L.; Wellings, C. R.; Haley, S.; Sharp, P. J.; Laroche, A.

2002-02-01

Stripe rust resistance was identified in Triticum vavilovii( T. vaviloviiAus22498)-derived Russian wheat aphid (RWA)-resistant germplasm. Inheritance studies indicated monogenic control of resistance. The resistance gene was tentatively designated as Yrvav and was located on chromosome 1B by monosomic analysis. A close association (1.5+/-0.9% recombination) of Yrvav with a T. vavilovii-derived gliadin allele ( Gli-B1vav) placed it in chromosome arm 1BS. Yrvavwas allelic with Yr10. Tests with Yr10 avirulent and virulent pathotypes showed that Yrvav and Yr10 possess identical pathogenic specificity. Yrvav and Yr10 showed close genetic associations with alternate alleles at the Xpsp3000(microsatellite marker), Gli-B1 and Rg1 loci. Based on these observations Yrvav was named as Yr10vav. The close association between Xpsp3000 and Gli-B1 was also confirmed. The Yr10vav-linked Xpsp3000 allele (285 bp) was not present in 65 Australian cultivars, whereas seven Australian wheats lacking Yr10 carried the same Xpsp3000 allele (260 bp) as Yr10carrying wheat cultivar Moro. Xpsp3000 and/or Gli-B1 could be used in marker-assisted selection for pyramiding Yr10vavor Yr10 with other stripe rust resistance genes. Yr10vav was inherited independently of the T. vavilovii-derived RWA resistance.
A novel two T-DNA binary vector allows efficient generation of marker-free transgenic plants in three elite cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Breitler, Jean-Christophe; Meynard, Donaldo; Van Boxtel, Jos; Royer, Monique; Bonnot, François; Cambillau, Laurence; Guiderdoni, Emmanuel

2004-06-01

A pilot binary vector was constructed to assess the potential of the 2 T-DNA system for generating selectable marker-free progeny plants in three elite rice cultivars (ZhongZuo321, Ariete and Khao Dawk Mali 105) known to exhibit contrasting amenabilities to transformation. The first T-DNA of the vector, delimited by Agrobacterium tumefaciens borders, contains the hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt) selectable gene and the green fluorescent protein (gfp) reporter gene while the second T-DNA, delimited by Agrobacterium rhizogenes borders, bears the phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (bar) gene, featuring the gene of interest. 82-90% of the hygromycin-resistant primary transformants exhibited tolerance to ammonium glufosinate mediated by the bar gene suggesting very high co-transformation frequency in the three cultivars. All of the regenerated plants were analyzed by Southern blot which confirmed co-integration of the T-DNAs at frequencies consistent with those of co-expression and allowed determination of copy number for each gene as well as detection of two different vector backbone fragments extending between the two T-DNAs. Hygromycin susceptible, ammonium glufosinate tolerant phenotypes represented 14.4, 17.4 and 14.3% of the plants in T1 progenies of ZZ321, Ariete and KDML105 primary transformants, respectively. We developed a statistical model for deducing from the observed copy number of each T-DNA in T0 plants and phenotypic segregations in T1 progenies the most likely constitution and linkage of the T-DNA integration locus. Statistical analysis identified in 40 out of 42 lines a most likely linkage configuration theoretically allowing genetic separation of the two T-DNA types and out segregation of the T-DNA bearing the bar gene. Overall, though improvements of the technology would be beneficial, the 2 T-DNA system appeared to be a useful approach to generate selectable marker-free rice plants with a consistent frequency among cultivars.
Towards the Development of a Molecular Map in Switchgrass: I. Microsatellite Marker Development; ANNUAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gunter, L.E.

2001-01-01

The long-term goal of the switchgrass breeding program is to improve regionally adapted varieties and increase biomass yield and feedstock quality. Although, to some extent, biomass yields are dependent on environmental constraints, increased yield can be achieved through the development of genotypes with improved seasonal adaptation, tolerance to unfavorable environmental conditions, and improved resistance to pest and disease. To date, improvement in switchgrass has relied on recurrent breeding strategies based on phenotypic or genotypic selection. Yield improvements have been modest by this method. If we expect to make significant increase in yields, we need tools that will allow us to map complex traits and uncover the genes that influence them. A genetic linkage map could be a powerful tool for accelerating switchgrass development through marker-assisted selection, breeding and recombination. This type of mapping requires the development of markers that can be associated with phenotypic traits in a population of known pedigree. The most commonly used markers for mapping include restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) and simple sequence repeats (SSR). At ORNL, we have been concentrating on the development of SSR markers, while our colleagues at the University of Georgia are developing RFLP markers in order to select parents to produce a mapping population and from there to create a framework map from(approx)100 F1 progeny
Genetic evolutionary taboo search for optimal marker placement in infrared patient setup

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riboldi, M; Baroni, G; Spadea, M F; Tagaste, B; Garibaldi, C; Cambria, R; Orecchia, R; Pedotti, A

2007-01-01

In infrared patient setup adequate selection of the external fiducial configuration is required for compensating inner target displacements (target registration error, TRE). Genetic algorithms (GA) and taboo search (TS) were applied in a newly designed approach to optimal marker placement: the genetic evolutionary taboo search (GETS) algorithm. In the GETS paradigm, multiple solutions are simultaneously tested in a stochastic evolutionary scheme, where taboo-based decision making and adaptive memory guide the optimization process. The GETS algorithm was tested on a group of ten prostate patients, to be compared to standard optimization and to randomly selected configurations. The changes in the optimal marker configuration, when TRE is minimized for OARs, were specifically examined. Optimal GETS configurations ensured a 26.5% mean decrease in the TRE value, versus 19.4% for conventional quasi-Newton optimization. Common features in GETS marker configurations were highlighted in the dataset of ten patients, even when multiple runs of the stochastic algorithm were performed. Including OARs in TRE minimization did not considerably affect the spatial distribution of GETS marker configurations. In conclusion, the GETS algorithm proved to be highly effective in solving the optimal marker placement problem. Further work is needed to embed site-specific deformation models in the optimization process
Multiple reaction monitoring targeted LC-MS analysis of potential cell death marker proteins for increased bioprocess control.

Science.gov (United States)

Albrecht, Simone; Kaisermayer, Christian; Reinhart, David; Ambrose, Monica; Kunert, Renate; Lindeberg, Anna; Bones, Jonathan

2018-05-01

The monitoring of protein biomarkers for the early prediction of cell stress and death is a valuable tool for process characterization and efficient biomanufacturing control. A representative set of six proteins, namely GPDH, PRDX1, LGALS1, CFL1, TAGLN2 and MDH, which were identified in a previous CHO-K1 cell death model using discovery LC-MS E was translated into a targeted liquid chromatography multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (LC-MRM-MS) platform and verified. The universality of the markers was confirmed in a cell growth model for which three Chinese hamster ovary host cell lines (CHO-K1, CHO-S, CHO-DG44) were grown in batch culture in two different types of basal media. LC-MRM-MS was also applied to spent media (n = 39) from four perfusion biomanufacturing series. Stable isotope-labelled peptide analogues and a stable isotope-labelled monoclonal antibody were used for improved protein quantitation and simultaneous monitoring of the workflow reproducibility. Significant increases in protein concentrations were observed for all viability marker proteins upon increased dead cell numbers and allowed for discrimination of spent media with dead cell densities below and above 1 × 10 6 dead cells/mL which highlights the potential of the selected viability marker proteins in bioprocess control. Graphical abstract Overview of the LC-MRM-MS workflow for the determination of proteomic markers in conditioned media from the bioreactor that correlate with CHO cell death.
Clinical Evaluation and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Serum Tumor Markers in Lung Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rong Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The detection of serum tumor markers is valuable for the early diagnosis of lung cancer. Tumor markers are frequently used for the management of cancer patients. However, single markers are less efficient but marker combinations increase the cost, which is troublesome for clinics. To find an optimal serum marker combination panel that benefits the patients and the medical management system as well, four routine lung cancer serum markers (SCCA, NSE, CEA, and CYFRA21-1 were evaluated individually and in combination. Meanwhile, the costs and effects of these markers in clinical practice in China were assessed by cost-effectiveness analysis. As expected, combinations of these tumor markers improved their sensitivity for lung cancer and different combination panels had their own usefulness. NSE + CEA + CYFRA21-1 was the optimal combination panel with highest Youden’s index (0.64, higher sensitivity (75.76%, and specificity (88.57%, which can aid the clinical diagnosis of lung cancer. Nevertheless, the most cost-effective combination was SCCA + CEA, which can be used to screen the high-risk group.
A Rational Approach for Discovering and Validating Cancer Markers in Very Small Samples Using Mass Spectrometry and ELISA Microarrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard C. Zangar

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Identifying useful markers of cancer can be problematic due to limited amounts of sample. Some samples such as nipple aspirate fluid (NAF or early-stage tumors are inherently small. Other samples such as serum are collected in larger volumes but archives of these samples are very valuable and only small amounts of each sample may be available for a single study. Also, given the diverse nature of cancer and the inherent variability in individual protein levels, it seems likely that the best approach to screen for cancer will be to determine the profile of a battery of proteins. As a result, a major challenge in identifying protein markers of disease is the ability to screen many proteins using very small amounts of sample. In this review, we outline some technological advances in proteomics that greatly advance this capability. Specifically, we propose a strategy for identifying markers of breast cancer in NAF that utilizes mass spectrometry (MS to simultaneously screen hundreds or thousands of proteins in each sample. The best potential markers identified by the MS analysis can then be extensively characterized using an ELISA microarray assay. Because the microarray analysis is quantitative and large numbers of samples can be efficiently analyzed, this approach offers the ability to rapidly assess a battery of selected proteins in a manner that is directly relevant to traditional clinical assays.
Genome-wide prediction of traits with different genetic architecture through efficient variable selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Wimmer, Valentin; Lehermeier, Christina; Albrecht, Theresa; Auinger, Hans-Jürgen; Wang, Yu; Schön, Chris-Carolin

2013-10-01

In genome-based prediction there is considerable uncertainty about the statistical model and method required to maximize prediction accuracy. For traits influenced by a small number of quantitative trait loci (QTL), predictions are expected to benefit from methods performing variable selection [e.g., BayesB or the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)] compared to methods distributing effects across the genome [ridge regression best linear unbiased prediction (RR-BLUP)]. We investigate the assumptions underlying successful variable selection by combining computer simulations with large-scale experimental data sets from rice (Oryza sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and Arabidopsis thaliana (L.). We demonstrate that variable selection can be successful when the number of phenotyped individuals is much larger than the number of causal mutations contributing to the trait. We show that the sample size required for efficient variable selection increases dramatically with decreasing trait heritabilities and increasing extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD). We contrast and discuss contradictory results from simulation and experimental studies with respect to superiority of variable selection methods over RR-BLUP. Our results demonstrate that due to long-range LD, medium heritabilities, and small sample sizes, superiority of variable selection methods cannot be expected in plant breeding populations even for traits like FRIGIDA gene expression in Arabidopsis and flowering time in rice, assumed to be influenced by a few major QTL. We extend our conclusions to the analysis of whole-genome sequence data and infer upper bounds for the number of causal mutations which can be identified by LASSO. Our results have major impact on the choice of statistical method needed to make credible inferences about genetic architecture and prediction accuracy of complex traits.
More efficient second harmonic generation of whispering gallery modes by selective out-coupling

OpenAIRE

Trainor, Luke S.; Sedlmeir, Florian; Peuntinger, Christian; Schwefel, Harald G. L.

2017-01-01

We demonstrate second harmonic generation (SHG) in an $x$-cut congruent lithium niobate (LN) whispering gallery mode resonator. We first show theoretically that independent control of the coupling of the pump and signal modes is optimal for high conversion rates. A scheme based on our earlier work in Ref. [1] is then implemented experimentally to verify this. Thereby we are able to improve on the efficiency of SHG by more than an order of magnitude by selectively out-coupling using a LN prism...
A Hypothesis and Review of the Relationship between Selection for Improved Production Efficiency, Coping Behavior, and Domestication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wendy M. Rauw

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Coping styles in response to stressors have been described both in humans and in other animal species. Because coping styles are directly related to individual fitness they are part of the life history strategy. Behavioral styles trade off with other life-history traits through the acquisition and allocation of resources. Domestication and subsequent artificial selection for production traits specifically focused on selection of individuals with energy sparing mechanisms for non-production traits. Domestication resulted in animals with low levels of aggression and activity, and a low hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA axis reactivity. In the present work, we propose that, vice versa, selection for improved production efficiency may to some extent continue to favor docile domesticated phenotypes. It is hypothesized that both domestication and selection for improved production efficiency may result in the selection of reactive style animals. Both domesticated and reactive style animals are characterized by low levels of aggression and activity, and increased serotonin neurotransmitter levels. However, whereas domestication quite consistently results in a decrease in the functional state of the HPA axis, the reactive coping style is often found to be dominated by a high HPA response. This may suggest that fearfulness and coping behavior are two independent underlying dimensions to the coping response. Although it is generally proposed that animal welfare improves with selection for calmer animals that are less fearful and reactive to novelty, animals bred to be less sensitive with fewer desires may be undesirable from an ethical point of view.
Selected factors affecting the efficiency of wheelchair mobility in individuals with spinal cord injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Przysada Grzegorz

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Locomotion efficiency levels in individuals with spinal cord injury deal cord injury depend upon the level of spinal cord injury. Rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injury aims to prepare them to function in society in the best possible manner. One of the significant tasks of rehabilitation is to develop the skill of moving in a wheelchair, which becomes the only means of locomotion for most people. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of selected factors such as age, sex, time from the occurrence of the injury, the level of spinal cord injury, participation in Active Rehabilitation camps and the level of physical activity on the efficiency of locomotion in a wheelchair in individuals with spinal cord injury.
Candidate genes and molecular markers associated with heat tolerance in colonial Bentgrass.

Science.gov (United States)

Jespersen, David; Belanger, Faith C; Huang, Bingru

2017-01-01

Elevated temperature is a major abiotic stress limiting the growth of cool-season grasses during the summer months. The objectives of this study were to determine the genetic variation in the expression patterns of selected genes involved in several major metabolic pathways regulating heat tolerance for two genotypes contrasting in heat tolerance to confirm their status as potential candidate genes, and to identify PCR-based markers associated with candidate genes related to heat tolerance in a colonial (Agrostis capillaris L.) x creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) hybrid backcross population. Plants were subjected to heat stress in controlled-environmental growth chambers for phenotypic evaluation and determination of genetic variation in candidate gene expression. Molecular markers were developed for genes involved in protein degradation (cysteine protease), antioxidant defense (catalase and glutathione-S-transferase), energy metabolism (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase), cell expansion (expansin), and stress protection (heat shock proteins HSP26, HSP70, and HSP101). Kruskal-Wallis analysis, a commonly used non-parametric test used to compare population individuals with or without the gene marker, found the physiological traits of chlorophyll content, electrolyte leakage, normalized difference vegetative index, and turf quality were associated with all candidate gene markers with the exception of HSP101. Differential gene expression was frequently found for the tested candidate genes. The development of candidate gene markers for important heat tolerance genes may allow for the development of new cultivars with increased abiotic stress tolerance using marker-assisted selection.
Candidate genes and molecular markers associated with heat tolerance in colonial Bentgrass.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Jespersen

Full Text Available Elevated temperature is a major abiotic stress limiting the growth of cool-season grasses during the summer months. The objectives of this study were to determine the genetic variation in the expression patterns of selected genes involved in several major metabolic pathways regulating heat tolerance for two genotypes contrasting in heat tolerance to confirm their status as potential candidate genes, and to identify PCR-based markers associated with candidate genes related to heat tolerance in a colonial (Agrostis capillaris L. x creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L. hybrid backcross population. Plants were subjected to heat stress in controlled-environmental growth chambers for phenotypic evaluation and determination of genetic variation in candidate gene expression. Molecular markers were developed for genes involved in protein degradation (cysteine protease, antioxidant defense (catalase and glutathione-S-transferase, energy metabolism (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, cell expansion (expansin, and stress protection (heat shock proteins HSP26, HSP70, and HSP101. Kruskal-Wallis analysis, a commonly used non-parametric test used to compare population individuals with or without the gene marker, found the physiological traits of chlorophyll content, electrolyte leakage, normalized difference vegetative index, and turf quality were associated with all candidate gene markers with the exception of HSP101. Differential gene expression was frequently found for the tested candidate genes. The development of candidate gene markers for important heat tolerance genes may allow for the development of new cultivars with increased abiotic stress tolerance using marker-assisted selection.
A set of tetra-nucleotide core motif SSR markers for efficient identification of potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars.

Science.gov (United States)

Kishine, Masahiro; Tsutsumi, Katsuji; Kitta, Kazumi

2017-12-01

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) is a popular tool for individual fingerprinting. The long-core motif (e.g. tetra-, penta-, and hexa-nucleotide) simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are preferred because they make it easier to separate and distinguish neighbor alleles. In the present study, a new set of 8 tetra-nucleotide SSRs in potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) is reported. By using these 8 markers, 72 out of 76 cultivars obtained from Japan and the United States were clearly discriminated, while two pairs, both of which arose from natural variation, showed identical profiles. The combined probability of identity between two random cultivars for the set of 8 SSR markers was estimated to be 1.10 × 10 -8 , confirming the usefulness of the proposed SSR markers for fingerprinting analyses of potato.
Retention efficiencies of halogenated and non-halogenated hydrocarbons in selected wetland ecosystem in Lake Victoria Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shadrack Mule

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The determination of retention efficiencies of halogenated and non-halogenated hydrocarbon in selected wetland ecosystems in Lake Victoria basin was carried out. Qualitative and quantitative determination of the presence of residual hydrocarbons in Kigwal/Kimondi, Nyando and Nzoia wetland ecosystems using Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS instrument indicated the presence of residual organochlorines, organophosphorus, carbamates and synthetic pyrethroid hydrocarbons in water, sediment and plant materials. In order to compare the retention efficiencies of the wetlands, the wetland ecosystems were divided into three different sections, namely: inlet, mid and outlet. Calculations of mass balances of residual halogenated and non-halogenated hydrocarbons at the respective sections was done taking into account the partition of the studied compounds in samples of water, sediments and papyrus reed plant materials and analyzed using validated Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS method. From the analysis, several residual hydrocarbons namely: bendiocarb, benzene hexachloride (BHC, carbaryl, cypermethrin, decis, deltamethrin, diazinon, dieldrin, DDT, DDD, DDE, malathion, propoxur, sumithion, 5-phenylrhodanine, 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene, 1-(2-phenoxybenzylhydrazine were detected and quantified. The levels of the selected residual hydrocarbons in water samples were used to calculate the retention efficiencies of a specific hydrocarbon and the values recorded. Generally, River Nyando wetland recorded mean percentage retention efficiencies of 76 and 94% for dry and rainy seasons respectively; Kigwal/Kimondi wetland had seasonal mean percentage retention efficiencies of 63 to 78%. River Nzoia also had calculated seasonal mean percentage retention efficiencies of between 56 to 88%. Dry season had lower mean percentages retention efficiencies as compared to rainy season in the three wetlands of interest during the period of study. The study
XIAP over-expression is an independent poor prognostic marker in Middle Eastern breast cancer and can be targeted to induce efficient apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Azhar R; Siraj, Abdul Khalid; Ahmed, Maqbool; Bu, Rong; Pratheeshkumar, Poyil; Alrashed, Alanood M; Qadri, Zeeshan; Ajarim, Dahish; Al-Dayel, Fouad; Beg, Shaham; Al-Kuraya, Khawla S

2017-09-11

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females and is ranked second in cancer-related deaths all over the world in women. Despite improvement in diagnosis, the survival rate of this disease has still not improved. X-linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis (XIAP) has been shown to be over-expressed in various cancers leading to poor overall survival. However, the role of XIAP in breast cancer from Middle Eastern region has not been fully explored. We examined the expression of XIAP in more than 1000 Middle Eastern breast cancer cases by immunohistochemistry. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. Protein expression was determined by western blotting. Finally, in vivo studies were performed on nude mice following xenografting and treatment with inhibitors. XIAP was found to be over-expressed in 29.5% of cases and directly associated with clinical parameters such as tumor size, extra nodal extension, triple negative breast cancer and poorly differentiated breast cancer subtype. In addition, XIAP over-expression was also significantly associated with PI3-kinase pathway protein; p-AKT, proliferative marker; Ki-67 and anti-apoptotic marker; PARP. XIAP over-expression in our cohort of breast cancer was an independent poor prognostic marker in multivariate analysis. Next, we investigated inhibition of XIAP using a specific inhibitor; embelin and found that embelin treatment led to inhibition of cell viability and induction of apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Finally, breast cancer cells treated with combination of embelin and PI3-kinase inhibitor; LY294002 synergistically induced apoptosis and caused tumor growth regression in vivo. These data suggest that XIAP may be playing an important role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and can be therapeutically targeted either alone or in combination with PI3-kinase inhibition to induce efficient apoptosis in breast cancer cells.
Complexity control algorithm based on adaptive mode selection for interframe coding in high efficiency video coding

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Gang; Yang, Bing; Zhang, Xiaoyun; Gao, Zhiyong

2017-07-01

The latest high efficiency video coding (HEVC) standard significantly increases the encoding complexity for improving its coding efficiency. Due to the limited computational capability of handheld devices, complexity constrained video coding has drawn great attention in recent years. A complexity control algorithm based on adaptive mode selection is proposed for interframe coding in HEVC. Considering the direct proportionality between encoding time and computational complexity, the computational complexity is measured in terms of encoding time. First, complexity is mapped to a target in terms of prediction modes. Then, an adaptive mode selection algorithm is proposed for the mode decision process. Specifically, the optimal mode combination scheme that is chosen through offline statistics is developed at low complexity. If the complexity budget has not been used up, an adaptive mode sorting method is employed to further improve coding efficiency. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves a very large complexity control range (as low as 10%) for the HEVC encoder while maintaining good rate-distortion performance. For the lowdelayP condition, compared with the direct resource allocation method and the state-of-the-art method, an average gain of 0.63 and 0.17 dB in BDPSNR is observed for 18 sequences when the target complexity is around 40%.

Evaluation of pump pulsation in respirable size-selective sampling: part II. Changes in sampling efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Eun Gyung; Lee, Taekhee; Kim, Seung Won; Lee, Larry; Flemmer, Michael M; Harper, Martin

2014-01-01

This second, and concluding, part of this study evaluated changes in sampling efficiency of respirable size-selective samplers due to air pulsations generated by the selected personal sampling pumps characterized in Part I (Lee E, Lee L, Möhlmann C et al. Evaluation of pump pulsation in respirable size-selective sampling: Part I. Pulsation measurements. Ann Occup Hyg 2013). Nine particle sizes of monodisperse ammonium fluorescein (from 1 to 9 μm mass median aerodynamic diameter) were generated individually by a vibrating orifice aerosol generator from dilute solutions of fluorescein in aqueous ammonia and then injected into an environmental chamber. To collect these particles, 10-mm nylon cyclones, also known as Dorr-Oliver (DO) cyclones, were used with five medium volumetric flow rate pumps. Those were the Apex IS, HFS513, GilAir5, Elite5, and Basic5 pumps, which were found in Part I to generate pulsations of 5% (the lowest), 25%, 30%, 56%, and 70% (the highest), respectively. GK2.69 cyclones were used with the Legacy [pump pulsation (PP) = 15%] and Elite12 (PP = 41%) pumps for collection at high flows. The DO cyclone was also used to evaluate changes in sampling efficiency due to pulse shape. The HFS513 pump, which generates a more complex pulse shape, was compared to a single sine wave fluctuation generated by a piston. The luminescent intensity of the fluorescein extracted from each sample was measured with a luminescence spectrometer. Sampling efficiencies were obtained by dividing the intensity of the fluorescein extracted from the filter placed in a cyclone with the intensity obtained from the filter used with a sharp-edged reference sampler. Then, sampling efficiency curves were generated using a sigmoid function with three parameters and each sampling efficiency curve was compared to that of the reference cyclone by constructing bias maps. In general, no change in sampling efficiency (bias under ±10%) was observed until pulsations exceeded 25% for the
Energy-efficient relay selection and optimal power allocation for performance-constrained dual-hop variable-gain AF relaying

KAUST Repository

Zafar, Ammar; Radaydeh, Redha Mahmoud Mesleh; Chen, Yunfei; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the energy-efficiency enhancement of a variable-gain dual-hop amplify-and-forward (AF) relay network utilizing selective relaying. The objective is to minimize the total consumed power while keeping the end-to-end signal
Optimization Of ISSR Markers For DNA Fingerprinting In Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyena Watty Zuraine Ahmad; Lyena Watty Zuraine Ahmad; Azhar Mohamad; Mohamad Osman; Zarina Zainuddin; Fatin Izzati Mohd Khari

2014-01-01

ISSR or inter-simple sequence repeat is PCR based markers which required no prior DNA sequence knowledge of the studied organism. It has been proved to overcome limitations in other genetic marker techniques. In this study, 100 ISSR primers which comprised of 80 specific primers and 20 degenerate primers were used. All of the primers were tested on gradient temperatures from 45-55 degree Celsius. For positive amplification, 62 specific primers (77.5 %) and 18 degenerate primers (90.0 %) were recorded as working primers. The most efficient temperature for 25 primers was 55 degree Celsius. Marker derived from ISSR profiling is a powerful approach for identification and molecular classification of Stevia rebaudiana bertoni. (author)
CmMDb: a versatile database for Cucumis melo microsatellite markers and other horticulture crop research.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhawna; Chaduvula, Pavan K; Bonthala, Venkata S; Manjusha, Verma; Siddiq, Ebrahimali A; Polumetla, Ananda K; Prasad, Gajula M N V

2015-01-01

Cucumis melo L. that belongs to Cucurbitaceae family ranks among one of the highest valued horticulture crops being cultivated across the globe. Besides its economical and medicinal importance, Cucumis melo L. is a valuable resource and model system for the evolutionary studies of cucurbit family. However, very limited numbers of molecular markers were reported for Cucumis melo L. so far that limits the pace of functional genomic research in melon and other similar horticulture crops. We developed the first whole genome based microsatellite DNA marker database of Cucumis melo L. and comprehensive web resource that aids in variety identification and physical mapping of Cucurbitaceae family. The Cucumis melo L. microsatellite database (CmMDb: http://65.181.125.102/cmmdb2/index.html) encompasses 39,072 SSR markers along with its motif repeat, motif length, motif sequence, marker ID, motif type and chromosomal locations. The database is featured with novel automated primer designing facility to meet the needs of wet lab researchers. CmMDb is a freely available web resource that facilitates the researchers to select the most appropriate markers for marker-assisted selection in melons and to improve breeding strategies.
Sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers: A potential resource for studies in plant molecular biology1

Science.gov (United States)

Robarts, Daniel W. H.; Wolfe, Andrea D.

2014-01-01

In the past few decades, many investigations in the field of plant biology have employed selectively neutral, multilocus, dominant markers such as inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR), random-amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to address hypotheses at lower taxonomic levels. More recently, sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers have been developed, which are used to amplify coding regions of DNA with primers targeting open reading frames. These markers have proven to be robust and highly variable, on par with AFLP, and are attained through a significantly less technically demanding process. SRAP markers have been used primarily for agronomic and horticultural purposes, developing quantitative trait loci in advanced hybrids and assessing genetic diversity of large germplasm collections. Here, we suggest that SRAP markers should be employed for research addressing hypotheses in plant systematics, biogeography, conservation, ecology, and beyond. We provide an overview of the SRAP literature to date, review descriptive statistics of SRAP markers in a subset of 171 publications, and present relevant case studies to demonstrate the applicability of SRAP markers to the diverse field of plant biology. Results of these selected works indicate that SRAP markers have the potential to enhance the current suite of molecular tools in a diversity of fields by providing an easy-to-use, highly variable marker with inherent biological significance. PMID:25202637
Sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers: A potential resource for studies in plant molecular biology(1.).

Science.gov (United States)

Robarts, Daniel W H; Wolfe, Andrea D

2014-07-01

In the past few decades, many investigations in the field of plant biology have employed selectively neutral, multilocus, dominant markers such as inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR), random-amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to address hypotheses at lower taxonomic levels. More recently, sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers have been developed, which are used to amplify coding regions of DNA with primers targeting open reading frames. These markers have proven to be robust and highly variable, on par with AFLP, and are attained through a significantly less technically demanding process. SRAP markers have been used primarily for agronomic and horticultural purposes, developing quantitative trait loci in advanced hybrids and assessing genetic diversity of large germplasm collections. Here, we suggest that SRAP markers should be employed for research addressing hypotheses in plant systematics, biogeography, conservation, ecology, and beyond. We provide an overview of the SRAP literature to date, review descriptive statistics of SRAP markers in a subset of 171 publications, and present relevant case studies to demonstrate the applicability of SRAP markers to the diverse field of plant biology. Results of these selected works indicate that SRAP markers have the potential to enhance the current suite of molecular tools in a diversity of fields by providing an easy-to-use, highly variable marker with inherent biological significance.
Selective and efficient reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide on oxide-derived nanostructured silver electrocatalysts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ma, Ming; Trześniewski, Bartek J.; Xie, Jie; Smith, Wilson A.

2016-01-01

In this work, the selective electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide on oxide-derived silver electrocatalysts is presented. By a simple synthesis technique, the overall high faradaic efficiency for CO production on the oxide-derived Ag was shifted by more than 400 mV towards a
Comparison of RAPD, RFLP, AFLP and SSR markers for diversity studies in tropical maize inbred lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio A. F. Garcia

2004-01-01

Full Text Available In order to compare their relative efficiencies as markers and to find the most suitable marker for maize diversity studies we evaluated 18 inbred tropical maize lines using a number of different loci as markers. The loci used were: 774 amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs; 262 random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs; 185 restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs; and 68 simple sequence repeats (SSR. For estimating genetic distance the AFLP and RFLP markers gave the most correlated results, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.87. Bootstrap analysis were used to evaluate the number of loci for the markers and the coefficients of variation (CV revealed a skewed distribution. The dominant markers (AFLP and RAPD had small CV values indicating a skewed distribution while the codominant markers gave high CV values. The use of maximum values of genetic distance CVs within each sample size was efficient in determining the number of loci needed to obtain a maximum CV of 10%. The number of RFLP and AFLP loci used was enough to give CV values of below 5%, while the SSRs and RAPD loci gave higher CV values. Except for the RAPD markers, all the markers correlated genetic distance with single cross performance and heterosis which showed that they could be useful in predicting single cross performance and heterosis in intrapopulation crosses for broad-based populations. Our results indicate that AFLP seemed to be the best-suited molecular assay for fingerprinting and assessing genetic relationships among tropical maize inbred lines with high accuracy.
Association Analysis of SSR Markers with Phenology, Grain, and Stover-Yield Related Traits in Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L. R. Br.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baskaran Kannan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Pearl millet is a staple food crop for millions of people living in the arid and semi-arid tropics. Molecular markers have been used to identify genomic regions linked to traits of interest by conventional QTL mapping and association analysis. Phenotypic recurrent selection is known to increase frequencies of favorable alleles and decrease those unfavorable for the traits under selection. This study was undertaken (i to quantify the response to recurrent selection for phenotypic traits during breeding of the pearl millet open-pollinated cultivar “CO (Cu 9” and its four immediate progenitor populations and (ii to assess the ability of simple sequence repeat (SSR marker alleles to identify genomic regions linked to grain and stover yield-related traits in these populations by association analysis. A total of 159 SSR alleles were detected across 34 selected single-copy SSR loci. SSR marker data revealed presence of subpopulations. Association analysis identified genomic regions associated with flowering time located on linkage group (LG 6 and plant height on LG4, LG6, and LG7. Marker alleles on LG6 were associated with stover yield, and those on LG7 were associated with grain yield. Findings of this study would give an opportunity to develop marker-assisted recurrent selection (MARS or marker-assisted population improvement (MAPI strategies to increase the rate of gain for pearl millet populations undergoing recurrent selection.
Efficient engineering of marker-free synthetic allotetraploids of Saccharomyces.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, William G; Peris, David; Pfannenstiel, Brandon T; Opulente, Dana A; Kuang, Meihua; Hittinger, Chris Todd

2016-04-01

Saccharomyces interspecies hybrids are critical biocatalysts in the fermented beverage industry, including in the production of lager beers, Belgian ales, ciders, and cold-fermented wines. Current methods for making synthetic interspecies hybrids are cumbersome and/or require genome modifications. We have developed a simple, robust, and efficient method for generating allotetraploid strains of prototrophic Saccharomyces without sporulation or nuclear genome manipulation. S. cerevisiae×S. eubayanus, S. cerevisiae×S. kudriavzevii, and S. cerevisiae×S. uvarum designer hybrid strains were created as synthetic lager, Belgian, and cider strains, respectively. The ploidy and hybrid nature of the strains were confirmed using flow cytometry and PCR-RFLP analysis, respectively. This method provides an efficient means for producing novel synthetic hybrids for beverage and biofuel production, as well as for constructing tetraploids to be used for basic research in evolutionary genetics and genome stability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Molecular markers: a potential resource for ginger genetic diversity studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, Nor Asiah; Rafii, M Y; Mahmud, T M M; Hanafi, M M; Miah, Gous

2016-12-01

Ginger is an economically important and valuable plant around the world. Ginger is used as a food, spice, condiment, medicine and ornament. There is available information on biochemical aspects of ginger, but few studies have been reported on its molecular aspects. The main objective of this review is to accumulate the available molecular marker information and its application in diverse ginger studies. This review article was prepared by combing material from published articles and our own research. Molecular markers allow the identification and characterization of plant genotypes through direct access to hereditary material. In crop species, molecular markers are applied in different aspects and are useful in breeding programs. In ginger, molecular markers are commonly used to identify genetic variation and classify the relatedness among varieties, accessions, and species. Consequently, it provides important input in determining resourceful management strategies for ginger improvement programs. Alternatively, a molecular marker could function as a harmonizing tool for documenting species. This review highlights the application of molecular markers (isozyme, RAPD, AFLP, SSR, ISSR and others such as RFLP, SCAR, NBS and SNP) in genetic diversity studies of ginger species. Some insights on the advantages of the markers are discussed. The detection of genetic variation among promising cultivars of ginger has significance for ginger improvement programs. This update of recent literature will help researchers and students select the appropriate molecular markers for ginger-related research.
Dominant negative selection of vaccinia virus using a thymidine kinase/thymidylate kinase fusion gene and the prodrug azidothymidine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holzer, Georg W.; Mayrhofer, Josef; Gritschenberger, Werner; Falkner, Falko G.

2005-01-01

The Escherichia coli thymidine kinase/thymidylate kinase (tk/tmk) fusion gene encodes an enzyme that efficiently converts the prodrug 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT) into its toxic triphosphate derivative, a substance which stops DNA chain elongation. Integration of this marker gene into vaccinia virus that normally is not inhibited by AZT allowed the establishment of a powerful selection procedure for recombinant viruses. In contrast to the conventional vaccinia thymidine kinase (tk) selection that is performed in tk-negative cell lines, AZT selection can be performed in normal (tk-positive) cell lines. The technique is especially useful for the generation of replication-deficient vaccinia viruses and may also be used for gene knock-out studies of essential vaccinia genes
A hybrid method of grey relational analysis and data envelopment analysis for evaluating and selecting efficient suppliers plus a novel ranking method for grey numbers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohsen Sayyah Markabi

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Evaluation and selection of efficient suppliers is one of the key issues in supply chain management which depends on wide range of qualitative and quantitative criteria. The aim of this research is to develop a mathematical model for evaluating and selecting efficient suppliers when faced with supply and demand uncertainties.Design/methodology/approach: In this research Grey Relational Analysis (GRA and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA are used to evaluate and select efficient suppliers under uncertainties. Furthermore, a novel ranking method is introduced for the units that their efficiencies are obtained in the form of interval grey numbers.Findings: The study indicates that the proposed model in addition to providing satisfactory and acceptable results avoids time-consuming computations and consequently reduces the solution time. To name another advantage of the proposed model, we can point out that it enables us to make decision based on different levels of risk.Originality/value: The paper presents a mathematical model for evaluating and selecting efficient suppliers in a stochastic environment so that companies can use in order to make better decisions.
Predicting impending death: inconsistency in speed is a selective and early marker.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdonald, Stuart W S; Hultsch, David F; Dixon, Roger A

2008-09-01

Among older adults, deficits in both level and variability of speeded performance are linked to neurological impairment. This study examined whether and when speed (rate), speed (inconsistency), and traditional accuracy-based markers of cognitive performance foreshadow terminal decline and impending death. Victoria Longitudinal Study data spanning 12 years (5 waves) of measurement were assembled for 707 adults aged 59 to 95 years. Whereas 442 survivors completed all waves and relevant measures, 265 decedents participated on at least 1 occasion and subsequently died. Four main results were observed. First, Cox regressions evaluating the 3 cognitive predictors of mortality replicated previous results for cognitive accuracy predictors. Second, level (rate) of speeded performance predicted survival independent of demographic indicators, cardiovascular health, and cognitive performance level. Third, inconsistency in speed predicted survival independent of all influences combined. Fourth, follow-up random-effects models revealed increases in inconsistency in speed per year closer to death, with advancing age further moderating the accelerated growth. Hierarchical prediction patterns support the view that inconsistency in speed is an early behavioral marker of neurological dysfunction associated with impending death. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved
Identification of novel microsatellite markers preimplantation genetic diagnosis of beta-thalassemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Min; Tan, Arnold S C; Cheah, Felicia S H; Saw, Eugene E L; Chong, Samuel S

2015-12-01

Beta (β)-thalassemia is one of the most common monogenic diseases worldwide. Affected pregnancies can be avoided through preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), which commonly involves customized assays to detect the different combinations of β-globin (HBB) gene mutations present in couples, in conjunction with linkage analysis of flanking microsatellite markers. Currently, the limited number of reported closely linked markers hampers their utility in indirect linkage-based PGD for this disorder. To increase the available markers closely flanking the HBB gene, an in silico search was performed to identify all markers within 1 Mb flanking the HBB gene. Fifteen markers with potentially high polymorphism information content (PIC) and heterozygosity values were selected and optimized into a single-tube pentadecaplex PCR panel. Allele frequencies and polymorphism and heterozygosity indices of each marker were assessed in five populations. A total of 238 alleles were observed from the 15 markers. PIC was >0.7 for all markers, with expected heterozygosity and observed heterozygosity values ranging from 0.74 to 0.90 and 0.72 to 0.88, respectively. Greater than 99% of individuals were heterozygous for at least seven markers, with at least two heterozygous markers on either side of the HBB gene. The pentadecaplex marker assay also performed reliably on single cells either directly or after whole genome amplification, thus validating its use in standalone linkage-based β-thalassemia PGD or in conjunction with HBB mutation detection. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
A high-density SNP genetic linkage map for the silver-lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima: a valuable resource for gene localisation and marker-assisted selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, David B; Jerry, Dean R; Khatkar, Mehar S; Raadsma, Herman W; Zenger, Kyall R

2013-11-20

The silver-lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima, is an important tropical aquaculture species extensively farmed for the highly sought "South Sea" pearls. Traditional breeding programs have been initiated for this species in order to select for improved pearl quality, but many economic traits under selection are complex, polygenic and confounded with environmental factors, limiting the accuracy of selection. The incorporation of a marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding approach would greatly benefit pearl breeding programs by allowing the direct selection of genes responsible for pearl quality. However, before MAS can be incorporated, substantial genomic resources such as genetic linkage maps need to be generated. The construction of a high-density genetic linkage map for P. maxima is not only essential for unravelling the genomic architecture of complex pearl quality traits, but also provides indispensable information on the genome structure of pearl oysters. A total of 1,189 informative genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were incorporated into linkage map construction. The final linkage map consisted of 887 SNPs in 14 linkage groups, spans a total genetic distance of 831.7 centimorgans (cM), and covers an estimated 96% of the P. maxima genome. Assessment of sex-specific recombination across all linkage groups revealed limited overall heterochiasmy between the sexes (i.e. 1.15:1 F/M map length ratio). However, there were pronounced localised differences throughout the linkage groups, whereby male recombination was suppressed near the centromeres compared to female recombination, but inflated towards telomeric regions. Mean values of LD for adjacent SNP pairs suggest that a higher density of markers will be required for powerful genome-wide association studies. Finally, numerous nacre biomineralization genes were localised providing novel positional information for these genes. This high-density SNP genetic map is the first comprehensive linkage
Development of EST Intron-Targeting SNP Markers for Panax ginseng and Their Application to Cultivar Authentication.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongtao; Li, Guisheng; Kwon, Woo-Saeng; Yang, Deok-Chun

2016-06-04

Panax ginseng is one of the most valuable medicinal plants in the Orient. The low level of genetic variation has limited the application of molecular markers for cultivar authentication and marker-assisted selection in cultivated ginseng. To exploit DNA polymorphism within ginseng cultivars, ginseng expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were searched against the potential intron polymorphism (PIP) database to predict the positions of introns. Intron-flanking primers were then designed in conserved exon regions and used to amplify across the more variable introns. Sequencing results showed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as well as indels, were detected in four EST-derived introns, and SNP markers specific to "Gopoong" and "K-1" were first reported in this study. Based on cultivar-specific SNP sites, allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted and proved to be effective for the authentication of ginseng cultivars. Additionally, the combination of a simple NaOH-Tris DNA isolation method and real-time allele-specific PCR assay enabled the high throughput selection of cultivars from ginseng fields. The established real-time allele-specific PCR assay should be applied to molecular authentication and marker assisted selection of P. ginseng cultivars, and the EST intron-targeting strategy will provide a potential approach for marker development in species without whole genomic DNA sequence information.
Genome-wide conserved non-coding microsatellite (CNMS) marker-based integrative genetical genomics for quantitative dissection of seed weight in chickpea.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajaj, Deepak; Saxena, Maneesha S; Kujur, Alice; Das, Shouvik; Badoni, Saurabh; Tripathi, Shailesh; Upadhyaya, Hari D; Gowda, C L L; Sharma, Shivali; Singh, Sube; Tyagi, Akhilesh K; Parida, Swarup K

2015-03-01

Phylogenetic footprinting identified 666 genome-wide paralogous and orthologous CNMS (conserved non-coding microsatellite) markers from 5'-untranslated and regulatory regions (URRs) of 603 protein-coding chickpea genes. The (CT)n and (GA)n CNMS carrying CTRMCAMV35S and GAGA8BKN3 regulatory elements, respectively, are abundant in the chickpea genome. The mapped genic CNMS markers with robust amplification efficiencies (94.7%) detected higher intraspecific polymorphic potential (37.6%) among genotypes, implying their immense utility in chickpea breeding and genetic analyses. Seventeen differentially expressed CNMS marker-associated genes showing strong preferential and seed tissue/developmental stage-specific expression in contrasting genotypes were selected to narrow down the gene targets underlying seed weight quantitative trait loci (QTLs)/eQTLs (expression QTLs) through integrative genetical genomics. The integration of transcript profiling with seed weight QTL/eQTL mapping, molecular haplotyping, and association analyses identified potential molecular tags (GAGA8BKN3 and RAV1AAT regulatory elements and alleles/haplotypes) in the LOB-domain-containing protein- and KANADI protein-encoding transcription factor genes controlling the cis-regulated expression for seed weight in the chickpea. This emphasizes the potential of CNMS marker-based integrative genetical genomics for the quantitative genetic dissection of complex seed weight in chickpea. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.
Genetic similarity among strawberry cultivars assessed by RAPD and ISSR markers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Gustavo Ferreira Morales

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Most strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne cultivars used in Brazil are developed in other countries, it became clear the need to start the strawberry breeding program in the country. To start a breeding program is necessary the genetic characterization of the germplasm available. Molecular markers are important tools that can be used for this purpose. The objectives of the present study were to assess the genetic similarity among 11 strawberry cultivars using RAPD and ISSR molecular markers and to indicate the possible promising crosses. The DNA of the eleven strawberry cultivars was extracted and amplified by PCR with RAPD and ISSR primers. The DNA fragments were separated in agarose gel for the RAPD markers and in polyacrylamide gel for the ISSR markers. The genetic similarity matrix was estimated by the Jaccard coefficient. Based on this matrix, the cultivars were grouped using the UPGMA method. The dendogram generated by the RAPD markers distributed the cultivars in three groups while the ISSR markers generated two groups. There was no direct relationship between the marker groups when the two types of markers were compared. The grouping proposed by the ISSR markers was more coherent with the origin and the genealogy of the cultivars than that proposed by the RAPD markers, and it can be considered the most efficient method for the study of genetic divergence in strawberry. The most promising crosses, based on the genetic divergence estimated from the RAPD and ISSR molecular data were between the Tudla and Ventana and the Oso Grande and Ventana cultivars, respectively.
Phage display selection of efficient glutamine-donor substrate peptides for transglutaminase 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Keresztessy, Zsolt; Csosz, Eva; Hársfalvi, Jolán; Csomós, Krisztián; Gray, Joe; Lightowlers, Robert N; Lakey, Jeremy H; Balajthy, Zoltán; Fésüs, László

2006-11-01

Understanding substrate specificity and identification of natural targets of transglutaminase 2 (TG2), the ubiquitous multifunctional cross-linking enzyme, which forms isopeptide bonds between protein-linked glutamine and lysine residues, is crucial in the elucidation of its physiological role. As a novel means of specificity analysis, we adapted the phage display technique to select glutamine-donor substrates from a random heptapeptide library via binding to recombinant TG2 and elution with a synthetic amine-donor substrate. Twenty-six Gln-containing sequences from the second and third biopanning rounds were susceptible for TG2-mediated incorporation of 5-(biotinamido)penthylamine, and the peptides GQQQTPY, GLQQASV, and WQTPMNS were modified most efficiently. A consensus around glutamines was established as pQX(P,T,S)l, which is consistent with identified substrates listed in the TRANSDAB database. Database searches showed that several proteins contain peptides similar to the phage-selected sequences, and the N-terminal glutamine-rich domain of SWI1/SNF1-related chromatin remodeling proteins was chosen for detailed analysis. MALDI/TOF and tandem mass spectrometry-based studies of a representative part of the domain, SGYGQQGQTPYYNQQSPHPQQQQPPYS (SnQ1), revealed that Q(6), Q(8), and Q(22) are modified by TG2. Kinetic parameters of SnQ1 transamidation (K(M)(app) = 250 microM, k(cat) = 18.3 sec(-1), and k(cat)/K(M)(app) = 73,200) classify it as an efficient TG2 substrate. Circular dichroism spectra indicated that SnQ1 has a random coil conformation, supporting its accessibility in the full-length parental protein. Added together, here we report a novel use of the phage display technology with great potential in transglutaminase research.

A low-density SNP array for analyzing differential selection in freshwater and marine populations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Ferchaud, Anne-Laure; Pedersen, Susanne H; Bekkevold, Dorte; Jian, Jianbo; Niu, Yongchao; Hansen, Michael M

2014-10-06

The threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) has become an important model species for studying both contemporary and parallel evolution. In particular, differential adaptation to freshwater and marine environments has led to high differentiation between freshwater and marine stickleback populations at the phenotypic trait of lateral plate morphology and the underlying candidate gene Ectodysplacin (EDA). Many studies have focused on this trait and candidate gene, although other genes involved in marine-freshwater adaptation may be equally important. In order to develop a resource for rapid and cost efficient analysis of genetic divergence between freshwater and marine sticklebacks, we generated a low-density SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) array encompassing markers of chromosome regions under putative directional selection, along with neutral markers for background. RAD (Restriction site Associated DNA) sequencing of sixty individuals representing two freshwater and one marine population led to the identification of 33,993 SNP markers. Ninety-six of these were chosen for the low-density SNP array, among which 70 represented SNPs under putatively directional selection in freshwater vs. marine environments, whereas 26 SNPs were assumed to be neutral. Annotation of these regions revealed several genes that are candidates for affecting stickleback phenotypic variation, some of which have been observed in previous studies whereas others are new. We have developed a cost-efficient low-density SNP array that allows for rapid screening of polymorphisms in threespine stickleback. The array provides a valuable tool for analyzing adaptive divergence between freshwater and marine stickleback populations beyond the well-established candidate gene Ectodysplacin (EDA).
Pathogenic bacteria and microbial-source tracking markers in Brandywine Creek Basin, Pennsylvania and Delaware, 2009-10

Science.gov (United States)

Duris, Joseph W.; Reif, Andrew G.; Olson, Leif E.; Johnson, Heather E.

2011-01-01

The City of Wilmington, Delaware, is in the downstream part of the Brandywine Creek Basin, on the main stem of Brandywine Creek. Wilmington uses this stream, which drains a mixed-land-use area upstream, for its main drinking-water supply. Because the stream is used for drinking water, Wilmington is in need of information about the occurrence and distribution of specific fecally derived pathogenic bacteria (disease-causing bacteria) and their relations to commonly measured fecal-indicator bacteria (FIB), as well as information regarding the potential sources of the fecal pollution and pathogens in the basin. This study focused on five routinely sampled sites within the basin, one each on the West Branch and the East Branch of Brandywine Creek and at three on the main stem below the confluence of the West and East Branches. These sites were sampled monthly for 1 year. Targeted event samples were collected on two occasions during high flow and two occasions during normal flow. On the basis of this study, high flows in the Brandywine Creek Basin were related to increases in FIB densities, and in the frequency of selected pathogen and source markers, in the West Branch and main stem of Brandywine Creek, but not in the East Branch. Water exceeding the moderate fullbody-contact single-sample recreational water-quality criteria (RWQC) for Escherichia coli (E. coli) was more likely to contain selected markers for pathogenic E. coli (eaeA,stx1, and rfbO157 gene markers) and bovine fecal sources (E. hirae and LTIIa gene markers), whereas samples exceeding the enterococci RWQC were more likely to contain the same pathogenic markers but also were more likely to carry a marker indicative of human source (esp gene marker). On four sample dates, during high flow between October and March, the West Branch was the only observed potential contributor of selected pathogen and bovine source markers to the main stem of Brandywine Creek. Indeed, the stx2 marker, which indicates a highly
Selection Process for New Windows | Efficient Windows Collaborative

Science.gov (United States)

Foundry Foundry New Construction Windows Window Selection Tool Selection Process Design Guidance Installation Replacement Windows Window Selection Tool Assessing Options Selection Process Design Guidance Installation Understanding Windows Benefits Design Considerations Measuring Performance Performance Standards
Selection Process for Replacement Windows | Efficient Windows Collaborative

Science.gov (United States)

Foundry Foundry New Construction Windows Window Selection Tool Selection Process Design Guidance Installation Replacement Windows Window Selection Tool Assessing Options Selection Process Design Guidance Installation Understanding Windows Benefits Design Considerations Measuring Performance Performance Standards
Highly efficient and selective pressure-assisted photon-induced polymerization of styrene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guan, Jiwen [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7 (Canada); Song, Yang, E-mail: yang.song@uwo.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7 (Canada); Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7 (Canada)

2016-06-07

The polymerization process of condensed styrene to produce polystyrene as an industrially important polymeric material was investigated using a novel approach by combining external compression with ultraviolet radiation. The reaction evolution was monitored as a function of time and the reaction products were characterized by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. By optimizing the loading pressures, we observed highly efficient and selective production of polystyrene of different tacticities. Specifically, at relatively low loading pressures, infrared spectra suggest that styrene monomers transform to amorphous atactic polystyrene (APS) with minor crystalline isotactic polystyrene. In contrast, APS was found to be the sole product when polymerization occurs at relatively higher loading pressures. The time-dependent reaction profiles allow the examination of the polymerization kinetics by analyzing the rate constant and activation volume as a function of pressure. As a result, an optimized pressure condition, which allows a barrierless reaction to proceed, was identified and attributed to the very desirable reaction yield and kinetics. Finally, the photoinitiated reaction mechanism and the growth geometry of the polymer chains were investigated from the energy diagram of styrene and by the topology analysis of the crystal styrene. This study shows strong promise to produce functional polymeric materials in a highly efficient and controlled manner.
Ridge Regression and Other Kernels for Genomic Selection with R Package rrBLUP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey B. Endelman

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Many important traits in plant breeding are polygenic and therefore recalcitrant to traditional marker-assisted selection. Genomic selection addresses this complexity by including all markers in the prediction model. A key method for the genomic prediction of breeding values is ridge regression (RR, which is equivalent to best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP when the genetic covariance between lines is proportional to their similarity in genotype space. This additive model can be broadened to include epistatic effects by using other kernels, such as the Gaussian, which represent inner products in a complex feature space. To facilitate the use of RR and nonadditive kernels in plant breeding, a new software package for R called rrBLUP has been developed. At its core is a fast maximum-likelihood algorithm for mixed models with a single variance component besides the residual error, which allows for efficient prediction with unreplicated training data. Use of the rrBLUP software is demonstrated through several examples, including the identification of optimal crosses based on superior progeny value. In cross-validation tests, the prediction accuracy with nonadditive kernels was significantly higher than RR for wheat ( L. grain yield but equivalent for several maize ( L. traits.
High efficiency motor selection handbook

Science.gov (United States)

McCoy, Gilbert A.; Litman, Todd; Douglass, John G.

1990-10-01

Substantial reductions in energy and operational costs can be achieved through the use of energy-efficient electric motors. A handbook was compiled to help industry identify opportunities for cost-effective application of these motors. It covers the economic and operational factors to be considered when motor purchase decisions are being made. Its audience includes plant managers, plant engineers, and others interested in energy management or preventative maintenance programs.
Y-Chromosome Markers for the Red Fox.

Science.gov (United States)

Rando, Halie M; Stutchman, Jeremy T; Bastounes, Estelle R; Johnson, Jennifer L; Driscoll, Carlos A; Barr, Christina S; Trut, Lyudmila N; Sacks, Benjamin N; Kukekova, Anna V

2017-09-01

The de novo assembly of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) genome has facilitated the development of genomic tools for the species. Efforts to identify the population history of red foxes in North America have previously been limited by a lack of information about the red fox Y-chromosome sequence. However, a megabase of red fox Y-chromosome sequence was recently identified over 2 scaffolds in the reference genome. Here, these scaffolds were scanned for repeated motifs, revealing 194 likely microsatellites. Twenty-three of these loci were selected for primer development and, after testing, produced a panel of 11 novel markers that were analyzed alongside 2 markers previously developed for the red fox from dog Y-chromosome sequence. The markers were genotyped in 76 male red foxes from 4 populations: 7 foxes from Newfoundland (eastern Canada), 12 from Maryland (eastern United States), and 9 from the island of Great Britain, as well as 48 foxes of known North American origin maintained on an experimental farm in Novosibirsk, Russia. The full marker panel revealed 22 haplotypes among these red foxes, whereas the 2 previously known markers alone would have identified only 10 haplotypes. The haplotypes from the 4 populations clustered primarily by continent, but unidirectional gene flow from Great Britain and farm populations may influence haplotype diversity in the Maryland population. The development of new markers has increased the resolution at which red fox Y-chromosome diversity can be analyzed and provides insight into the contribution of males to red fox population diversity and patterns of phylogeography. © The American Genetic Association 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Stochastic dynamics of adaptive trait and neutral marker driven by eco-evolutionary feedbacks.

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Billiard, Sylvain; Ferrière, Régis; Méléard, Sylvie; Tran, Viet Chi

2015-11-01

How the neutral diversity is affected by selection and adaptation is investigated in an eco-evolutionary framework. In our model, we study a finite population in continuous time, where each individual is characterized by a trait under selection and a completely linked neutral marker. Population dynamics are driven by births and deaths, mutations at birth, and competition between individuals. Trait values influence ecological processes (demographic events, competition), and competition generates selection on trait variation, thus closing the eco-evolutionary feedback loop. The demographic effects of the trait are also expected to influence the generation and maintenance of neutral variation. We consider a large population limit with rare mutation, under the assumption that the neutral marker mutates faster than the trait under selection. We prove the convergence of the stochastic individual-based process to a new measure-valued diffusive process with jumps that we call Substitution Fleming-Viot Process (SFVP). When restricted to the trait space this process is the Trait Substitution Sequence first introduced by Metz et al. (1996). During the invasion of a favorable mutation, a genetical bottleneck occurs and the marker associated with this favorable mutant is hitchhiked. By rigorously analysing the hitchhiking effect and how the neutral diversity is restored afterwards, we obtain the condition for a time-scale separation; under this condition, we show that the marker distribution is approximated by a Fleming-Viot distribution between two trait substitutions. We discuss the implications of the SFVP for our understanding of the dynamics of neutral variation under eco-evolutionary feedbacks and illustrate the main phenomena with simulations. Our results highlight the joint importance of mutations, ecological parameters, and trait values in the restoration of neutral diversity after a selective sweep.
Identifying molecular markers associated with stigma characteristics in rice

Science.gov (United States)

Stigma characteristics play essential roles in hybrid seed production of rice and marker-assisted breeding plays essential role because they are quantitatively inherited with single-flowered perfect spikelet. Ninety four accessions originated from 47 countries were selected from the USDA rice core c...
Introgression of Blast Resistance Genes (Putative Pi-b and Pi-kh) into Elite Rice Cultivar MR219 through Marker-Assisted Selection

Science.gov (United States)

Tanweer, Fatah A.; Rafii, Mohd Y.; Sijam, Kamaruzaman; Rahim, Harun A.; Ahmed, Fahim; Ashkani, Sadegh; Latif, Mohammad A.

2015-01-01

Blast is the most common biotic stress leading to the reduction of rice yield in many rice-growing areas of the world, including Malaysia. Improvement of blast resistance of rice varieties cultivated in blast endemic areas is one of the most important objectives of rice breeding programs. In this study, the marker-assisted backcrossing strategy was applied to improve the blast resistance of the most popular Malaysian rice variety MR219 by introgressing blast resistance genes from the Pongsu Seribu 2 variety. Two blast resistance genes, Pi-b and Pi-kh, were pyramided into MR219. Foreground selection coupled with stringent phenotypic selection identified 15 plants homozygous for the Pi-b and Pi-kh genes, and background selection revealed more than 95% genome recovery of MR219 in advanced blast resistant lines. Phenotypic screening against blast disease indicated that advanced homozygous blast resistant lines were strongly resistant against pathotype P7.2 in the blast disease endemic areas. The morphological, yield, grain quality, and yield-contributing characteristics were significantly similar to those of MR219. The newly developed blast resistant improved lines will retain the high adoptability of MR219 by farmers. The present results will also play an important role in sustaining the rice production of Malaysia. PMID:26734013
Efficient data selection for ASR

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kleynhans, NT

2014-10-01

Full Text Available the deployment of ASR systems in the developing world is severely inhibited. One approach to assist with resource-scarce ASR system development, is to select ‘‘useful’’ training samples which could reduce the resources needed to collect new corpora. In this work...
IDENTIFYING AND SELECTING THE STRATEGIC PROCESS USING THE CROSS-EFFICIENCY APPROACH BASED ON SATISFACTION LEVEL AND EXTENDDED BALANCED SCORECARD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ardeshir Bazrkar

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The strategy is a macro and strategic plan, and will only be implemented when it is defined in the form of various projects. In order to exploit the benefits of lean six sigma projects, these projects should be in line with the strategic goals of the organization. Organizations should select projects which are compatible with the organization overall goals and fulfill the strategic requirements of the organization. The purpose of this study is to identify the strategic process among the bank facility processes to use it in lean six sigma methodology in order to improve process performance and efficiency using a combination of cross-efficiency and extended balanced scorecard methods. In the first step, the criteria for selecting the strategic process were identified using the six measures of the balanced scorecard method. In the second step, after collecting information using the cross-efficiency model based on satisfaction level, the bank facility processes are ranked based on the efficiency score. The results show that the ranking of the processes under consideration is carried out without any interference, and one of the processes (process 3 is considered as the strategic process to use in the six sigma methodology.
Genetic diversity analysis among male and female Jojoba genotypes employing gene targeted molecular markers, start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism and CAAT box-derived polymorphism (CBDP) markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Heikrujam, Monika; Kumar, Jatin; Agrawal, Veena

2015-09-01

To detect genetic variations among different Simmondsia chinensis genotypes, two gene targeted markers, start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism and CAAT box-derived polymorphism (CBDP) were employed in terms of their informativeness and efficiency in analyzing genetic relationships among different genotypes. A total of 15 SCoT and 17 CBDP primers detected genetic polymorphism among 39 Jojoba genotypes (22 females and 17 males). Comparatively, CBDP markers proved to be more effective than SCoT markers in terms of percentage polymorphism as the former detecting an average of 53.4% and the latter as 49.4%. The Polymorphic information content (PIC) value and marker index (MI) of CBPD were 0.43 and 1.10, respectively which were higher than those of SCoT where the respective values of PIC and MI were 0.38 and 1.09. While comparing male and female genotype populations, the former showed higher variation in respect of polymorphic percentage and PIC, MI and Rp values over female populations. Nei's diversity (h) and Shannon index (I) were calculated for each genotype and found that the genotype "MS F" (in both markers) was highly diverse and genotypes "Q104 F" (SCoT) and "82-18 F" (CBDP) were least diverse among the female genotype populations. Among male genotypes, "32 M" (CBDP) and "MS M" (SCoT) revealed highest h and I values while "58-5 M" (both markers) was the least diverse. Jaccard's similarity co-efficient of SCoT markers ranged from 0.733 to 0.922 in female genotypes and 0.941 to 0.746 in male genotype population. Likewise, CBDP data analysis also revealed similarity ranging from 0.751 to 0.958 within female genotypes and 0.754 to 0.976 within male genotype populations thereby, indicating genetically diverse Jojoba population. Employing the NTSYS (Numerical taxonomy and multivariate analysis system) Version 2.1 software, both the markers generated dendrograms which revealed that all the Jojoba genotypes were clustered into two major groups, one group consisting of
Genome-wide analysis of SSR and ILP markers in trees: diversity profiling, alternate distribution, and applications in duplication.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Xinyao; Luan, Lin Lin; Qin, Guanghua; Yu, Li Fang; Wang, Zhi Wei; Dong, Wan Chen; Song, Yumin; Qiao, Yuling; Zhang, Xian Sheng; Sang, Ya Lin; Yang, Long

2017-12-20

Molecular markers are efficient tools for breeding and genetic studies. However, despite their ecological and economic importance, their development and application have long been hampered. In this study, we identified 524,170 simple sequence repeat (SSR), 267,636 intron length polymorphism (ILP), and 11,872 potential intron polymorphism (PIP) markers from 16 tree species based on recently available genome sequences. Larger motifs, including hexamers and heptamers, accounted for most of the seven different types of SSR loci. Within these loci, A/T bases comprised a significantly larger proportion of sequence than G/C. SSR and ILP markers exhibited an alternative distribution pattern. Most SSRs were monomorphic markers, and the proportions of polymorphic markers were positively correlated with genome size. By verifying with all 16 tree species, 54 SSR, 418 ILP, and four PIP universal markers were obtained, and their efficiency was examined by PCR. A combination of five SSR and six ILP markers were used for the phylogenetic analysis of 30 willow samples, revealing a positive correlation between genetic diversity and geographic distance. We also found that SSRs can be used as tools for duplication analysis. Our findings provide important foundations for the development of breeding and genetic studies in tree species.
Genomic Selection Accuracy using Multifamily Prediction Models in a Wheat Breeding Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elliot L. Heffner

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Genomic selection (GS uses genome-wide molecular marker data to predict the genetic value of selection candidates in breeding programs. In plant breeding, the ability to produce large numbers of progeny per cross allows GS to be conducted within each family. However, this approach requires phenotypes of lines from each cross before conducting GS. This will prolong the selection cycle and may result in lower gains per year than approaches that estimate marker-effects with multiple families from previous selection cycles. In this study, phenotypic selection (PS, conventional marker-assisted selection (MAS, and GS prediction accuracy were compared for 13 agronomic traits in a population of 374 winter wheat ( L. advanced-cycle breeding lines. A cross-validation approach that trained and validated prediction accuracy across years was used to evaluate effects of model selection, training population size, and marker density in the presence of genotype × environment interactions (G×E. The average prediction accuracies using GS were 28% greater than with MAS and were 95% as accurate as PS. For net merit, the average accuracy across six selection indices for GS was 14% greater than for PS. These results provide empirical evidence that multifamily GS could increase genetic gain per unit time and cost in plant breeding.
Molecular Identification of Date Palm Cultivars Using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Khalifah, Nasser S; Shanavaskhan, A E

2017-01-01

Ambiguity in the total number of date palm cultivars across the world is pointing toward the necessity for an enumerative study using standard morphological and molecular markers. Among molecular markers, DNA markers are more suitable and ubiquitous to most applications. They are highly polymorphic in nature, frequently occurring in genomes, easy to access, and highly reproducible. Various molecular markers such as restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), simple sequence repeats (SSR), inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR), and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers have been successfully used as efficient tools for analysis of genetic variation in date palm. This chapter explains a stepwise protocol for extracting total genomic DNA from date palm leaves. A user-friendly protocol for RAPD analysis and a table showing the primers used in different molecular techniques that produce polymorphisms in date palm are also provided.
Nanoparticle-assay marker interaction: effects on nanotoxicity assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Xinxin; Xiong, Sijing; Huang, Liwen Charlotte; Ng, Kee Woei; Loo, Say Chye Joachim

2015-01-01

Protein-based cytotoxicity assays such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are commonly used in cytotoxic evaluation of nanoparticles (NPs) despite numerous reports on possible interactions with protein markers in these assays that can confound the results obtained. In this study, conventional cytotoxicity assays where assay markers may (LDH and TNF- α) or may not (PicoGreen and WST-8) come into contact with NPs were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of NPs. The findings revealed selective interactions between negatively charged protein assay markers (LDH and TNF- α) and positively charged ZnO NPs under abiotic conditions. The adsorption and interaction with these protein assay markers were strongly influenced by surface charge, concentration, and specific surface area of the NPs, thereby resulting in less than accurate cytotoxic measurements, as observed from actual cell viability measurements. An improved protocol for LDH assay was, therefore, proposed and validated by eliminating any effects associated with protein–particle interactions. In view of this, additional measures and precautions should be taken when evaluating cytotoxicity of NPs with standard protein-based assays, particularly when they are of opposite charges
Nanoparticle-assay marker interaction: effects on nanotoxicity assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Xinxin; Xiong, Sijing; Huang, Liwen Charlotte; Ng, Kee Woei, E-mail: kwng@ntu.edu.sg; Loo, Say Chye Joachim, E-mail: joachimloo@ntu.edu.sg [Nanyang Technological University, School of Materials Science and Engineering (Singapore)

2015-01-15

Protein-based cytotoxicity assays such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are commonly used in cytotoxic evaluation of nanoparticles (NPs) despite numerous reports on possible interactions with protein markers in these assays that can confound the results obtained. In this study, conventional cytotoxicity assays where assay markers may (LDH and TNF- α) or may not (PicoGreen and WST-8) come into contact with NPs were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of NPs. The findings revealed selective interactions between negatively charged protein assay markers (LDH and TNF- α) and positively charged ZnO NPs under abiotic conditions. The adsorption and interaction with these protein assay markers were strongly influenced by surface charge, concentration, and specific surface area of the NPs, thereby resulting in less than accurate cytotoxic measurements, as observed from actual cell viability measurements. An improved protocol for LDH assay was, therefore, proposed and validated by eliminating any effects associated with protein–particle interactions. In view of this, additional measures and precautions should be taken when evaluating cytotoxicity of NPs with standard protein-based assays, particularly when they are of opposite charges.
Nanoparticle-assay marker interaction: effects on nanotoxicity assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xinxin; Xiong, Sijing; Huang, Liwen Charlotte; Ng, Kee Woei; Loo, Say Chye Joachim

2015-01-01

Protein-based cytotoxicity assays such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are commonly used in cytotoxic evaluation of nanoparticles (NPs) despite numerous reports on possible interactions with protein markers in these assays that can confound the results obtained. In this study, conventional cytotoxicity assays where assay markers may (LDH and TNF- α) or may not (PicoGreen and WST-8) come into contact with NPs were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of NPs. The findings revealed selective interactions between negatively charged protein assay markers (LDH and TNF- α) and positively charged ZnO NPs under abiotic conditions. The adsorption and interaction with these protein assay markers were strongly influenced by surface charge, concentration, and specific surface area of the NPs, thereby resulting in less than accurate cytotoxic measurements, as observed from actual cell viability measurements. An improved protocol for LDH assay was, therefore, proposed and validated by eliminating any effects associated with protein-particle interactions. In view of this, additional measures and precautions should be taken when evaluating cytotoxicity of NPs with standard protein-based assays, particularly when they are of opposite charges.

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