In endangered and local pig breeds of small population sizes, production has to focus on alternative niche markets with an emphasis on specific product and meat quality traits to achieve economic competiveness. For designing breeding strategies on meat quality, an adequate performance testing scheme focussing on phenotyped selection candidates is required. For the endangered German pig breed 'Bunte Bentheimer' (BB), no breeding program has been designed until now, and no performance testing scheme has been implemented. For local breeds, mainly reared in small-scale production systems, a performance test based on in vivo indicator traits might be a promising alternative in order to increase genetic gain for meat quality traits. Hence, the main objective of this study was to design and evaluate breeding strategies for the improvement of meat quality within the BB breed using in vivo indicator traits and genetic markers. The in vivo indicator trait was backfat thickness measured by ultrasound (BF iv ), and genetic markers were allele variants at the ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1) locus. In total, 1116 records of production and meat quality traits were collected, including 613 in vivo ultrasound measurements and 713 carcass and meat quality records. Additionally, 700 pigs were genotyped at the RYR1 locus. Data were used (1) to estimate genetic (co)variance components for production and meat quality traits, (2) to estimate allele substitution effects at the RYR1 locus using a selective genotyping approach and (3) to evaluate breeding strategies on meat quality by combining results from quantitative-genetic and moleculargenetic approaches. Heritability for the production trait BF iv was 0.27, and 0.48 for backfat thickness measured on carcass. Estimated heritabilities for meat quality traits ranged from 0.14 for meat brightness to 0.78 for the intramuscular fat content (IMF). Genetic correlations between BF iv and IMF were higher than estimates based on carcass backfat measurements (0.39 v. 0.25). The presence of the unfavorable n allele was associated with increased electric conductivity, paler meat and higher drip loss. The allele substitution effect on IMF was unfavorable, indicating lower IMF when the n allele is present. A breeding strategy including the phenotype (BF iv ) combined with genetic marker information at the RYR1 locus from the selection candidate, resulted in a 20% increase in accuracy and selection response when compared with a breeding strategy without genetic marker information.Keywords: endangered pig breed, meat quality, halothane gene, ultrasound indicator traits, breeding strategies ImplicationsBased on estimates for genetic (co)variance components, breeding program scenarios showed that the use of in vivo ultrasound measurements for backfat thickness successfully improved the ultimate breeding goal 'meat quality' in the endangered pig breed Bunte Bentheimer. Selection response for meat quality in terms of intramuscular fat content was enhanced by including genetic marker information at the RYR1 ...

Maize is one of the most important crops and also a model for grass genome research. Transposable elements comprise over 78% of the maize genome and their ability to generate new copies makes them good potential markers. Interretrotransposon-amplified polymorphism (IRAP) and retrotransposon microsatellite amplified polymorphism (REMAP) protocols were used for the first time in maize to study the genetic variability between maize cultivars. Ten PCR primers were selected based on a systematic analysis of the sequence conservation in the extremities of different high copy number transposable elements, whereas one primer was chosen based on a microsatellite sequence. Of the 16 primer combinations tested, 14 produced polymorphic bands. These markers were used to identify genetic similarity among 20 maize cultivars selected by their different kernel oil content. Genetic similarity analysis was performed based on the polymorphic band profiles and dendrograms were developed by the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages. Clustering technique revealed that samples were grouped into three clusters that differed in their kernel oil content and size, and in their relative embryo size. In the current investigation, there is evidence that IRAP/REMAP may be useful as markers in maize.

For more than four decades after the introduction of cv. Italia (Vitis vinifera L.) in Brazil, several somatic mutations in the genome of cv. Italia and its somatic mutants gave rise to phenotypes which generated at least five new cultivars of fine table grapes. Since no molecular marker proved to be effective in discriminating cv. Italia (V. vinifera L.) and its coloured mutants (Rubi, Benitaka, Brasil, Black Star), primers for the long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences were developed to analyse Inter Retrotransposon Amplified Polymorphism (IRAP) and Retrotransposon-Microsatellite Amplified Polymorphism (REMAP), and investigate how the coloured cultivars derived from clonal propagations of somatic mutations are genetically structured. Primers for LTR sequences of IRAP and REMAP markers were edited from grape sequence databases available at a GenBank. Twenty-four primers, denominated DKS001–DKS024, were edited. Three hundred and forty-nine DNA segments were amplified by individual DKS primers and DKS/ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeats) primer combinations, at an average of 13.96 amplicons per primer pair. High genetic divergence between the five cultivars was inferred from polymorphism in retrotransposons IRAP and REMAP. The analysis of polymorphism of IRAP and REMAP retrotransposons was crucial to show that clonal propagation of somatic mutations may lead towards the formation of genetically divergent cultivars by the formation of genetically structured vineyards and show the mixture of genomes within each cultivar.

As orquídeas são plantas ornamentais de grande estima, a nível mundial, da sociedade consumidora e colecionadora de plantas e flores. Apresentando inúmeras combinações de cores, tamanhos e formas de flores, tempo de florescimento e outros. Objetivo: Essa revisão tem por objetivo passar maiores informações sobre a história das orquídeas e sua importância atualmente. Elencar os fatores que levam a família Orchidaceae, no Brasil, a serem destaque de pesquisas em diferentes áreas econômicas, principalmente na biotecnologia e estimular o crescimento do setor. Em função de suas características que possibilitam seu emprego em áreas como alimentícia, cosmética, medicinal e comercialização como flor de vaso. Método: A revisão bibliográfica fez uso da metodologia qualitativa, com pesquisa descritiva e explicativa. Resultados: A família Orchidaceae contempla mais de 35.000 espécies de orquídeas registradas, algumas são amplamente comercializadas por serem de fácil obtenção, entretanto muitos gêneros de orquídeas são raros e de difícil propagação, correndo risco de extinção. O Brasil é um dos países privilegiados em questão da diversidade abundante encontrada em território nacional. As Orchidaceae, descendentes das angiospermas, é conhecida como a família mais evolutiva do reino vegetal. Em função de tantas características peculiares, econômicas e distributivas as orquídeas são de muito interesse para a comunidade.