DNA methylation in diploid inbred lines of potatoes and its possible role in the regulation of heterosis

Self-incompatible diploid potatoes were altered to self-compatible ones by a function of S-locus inhibitor gene and continued selfing generated highly homozygous inbreds. In this study, this process was investigated for the status of DNA methylation by a simple method using genomic DNA digested by methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes prior to RAPD analysis. We detected 31 methylation-sensitive RAPD bands, of which 11 were newly appeared in the selfed progenies, and 6 of them stably inherited to subsequent generations. Aberrant segregations and paternal- or atavism-like transmission were also found. Segregating methylation-sensitive bands in initial populations became fixed in the advanced selfed progenies by 75.0–93.8%, of which 41.7% were fixed to all present and 58.3% to all absent. Because DNA methylation is generally recognized to suppress gene expression as regulatory factors, homozygosity/heterozygosity of methylated DNA may be involved in inbreeding depression/heterosis

Diversity of Salticidae (Arachnida: Araneae) in the historical and natural reserve ‘Martín García Island’, Argentina

Marfil, M.F., Scioscia, C.L., Armendano, A., González, A. (2015): Diversity of Salticidae (Arachnida: Araneae) in the historical and natural reserve 'Martín García Island', Argentina. Journal of Natural History 50: 689-700, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1082655, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2015.108265