Preparation and Characterization of Novolak Phenol Formaldehyde Resin from Liquefied Brown-Rotted Wood

Treesearch

Gai-Yun Li; Chung-Yun Hse; Te-Fu Qin

2012-01-01

The brown-rotted wood was liquefied in phenol with phosphoric acid as catalyst and the resulting liquefied products were condensed with formaldehyde to yield novolak liquefied wood-based phenol formaldehyde resin (LWPF). The results showed that brown-rotted wood could be more easily liquefied than sound wood in phenol. The residue content of liquefied wood decreased...

Distinct Growth and Secretome Strategies for Two Taxonomically Divergent Brown Rot Fungi.

PubMed

Presley, Gerald N; Schilling, Jonathan S

2017-04-01

Brown rot fungi are wood-degrading fungi that employ both oxidative and hydrolytic mechanisms to degrade wood. Hydroxyl radicals that facilitate the oxidative component are powerful nonselective oxidants and are incompatible with hydrolytic enzymes unless they are spatially segregated in wood. Differential gene expression has been implicated in the segregation of these reactions in Postia placenta , but it is unclear if this two-step mechanism varies in other brown rot fungi with different traits and life history strategies that occupy different niches in nature. We employed proteomics to analyze a progression of wood decay on thin wafers, using brown rot fungi with significant taxonomic and niche distances: Serpula lacrymans (Boletales; "dry rot" lumber decay) and Gloeophyllum trabeum (order Gloeophyllales; slash, downed wood). Both fungi produced greater oxidoreductase diversity upon wood colonization and greater glycoside hydrolase activity later, consistent with a two-step mechanism. The two fungi invested very differently, however, in terms of growth (infrastructure) versus protein secretion (resource capture), with the ergosterol/extracted protein ratio being 7-fold higher with S. lacrymans than with G. trabeum In line with the native substrate associations of these fungi, hemicellulase-specific activities were dominated by mannanase in S. lacrymans and by xylanase in G. trabeum Consistent with previous observations, S. lacrymans did not produce glycoside hydrolase 6 (GH6) cellobiohydrolases (CBHs) in this study, despite taxonomically belonging to the order Boletales, which is distinguished among brown rot fungi by having CBH genes. This work suggests that distantly related brown rot fungi employ staggered mechanisms to degrade wood, but the underlying strategies vary among taxa. IMPORTANCE Wood-degrading fungi are important in forest nutrient cycling and offer promise in biotechnological applications. Brown rot fungi are unique among these fungi in that they use a nonenzymatic oxidative pretreatment before enzymatic carbohydrate hydrolysis, enabling selective removal of carbohydrates from lignin. This capacity has independently evolved multiple times, but it is unclear if different mechanisms underpin similar outcomes. Here, we grew fungi directionally on wood wafers and we found similar two-step mechanisms in taxonomically divergent brown rot fungi. The results, however, revealed strikingly different growth strategies, with S. lacrymans investing more in biomass production than secretion of proteins and G. trabeum showing the opposite pattern, with a high diversity of uncharacterized proteins. The "simplified" S. lacrymans secretomic system could help narrow gene targets central to oxidative brown rot pretreatments, and a comparison of its distinctions with G. trabeum and other brown rot fungi (e.g., Postia placenta ) might offer similar traction in noncatabolic genes. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Changes in cation concentrations in red spruce wood decayed by brown rot and white rot fungi

Treesearch

A. Ostrofsky; J. Jellison; K.T. Smith; W.C. Shortle

1997-01-01

Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) wood blocks were incubated in modified soil block jars and inoculated with one of nine white rot or brown rot basidiomycetes. Concentrations of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and aluminum were determined using inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy in wood incubated 0, 1.5, 4, and 8 months after...

QTLs for Resistance to Major Rice Diseases Exacerbated by Global Warming: Brown Spot, Bacterial Seedling Rot, and Bacterial Grain Rot.

PubMed

Mizobuchi, Ritsuko; Fukuoka, Shuichi; Tsushima, Seiya; Yano, Masahiro; Sato, Hiroyuki

2016-12-01

In rice (Oryza sativa L.), damage from diseases such as brown spot, caused by Bipolaris oryzae, and bacterial seedling rot and bacterial grain rot, caused by Burkholderia glumae, has increased under global warming because the optimal temperature ranges for growth of these pathogens are relatively high (around 30 °C). Therefore, the need for cultivars carrying genes for resistance to these diseases is increasing to ensure sustainable rice production. In contrast to the situation for other important rice diseases such as blast and bacterial blight, no genes for complete resistance to brown spot, bacterial seedling rot or bacterial grain rot have yet been discovered. Thus, rice breeders have to use partial resistance, which is largely influenced by environmental conditions. Recent progress in molecular genetics and improvement of evaluation methods for disease resistance have facilitated detection of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with resistance. In this review, we summarize the results of worldwide screening for cultivars with resistance to brown spot, bacterial seedling rot and bacterial grain rot and we discuss the identification of QTLs conferring resistance to these diseases in order to provide useful information for rice breeding programs.

Evaluation of stem rot in 339 Bornean tree species: implications of size, taxonomy, and soil-related variation for aboveground biomass estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heineman, K. D.; Russo, S. E.; Baillie, I. C.; Mamit, J. D.; Chai, P. P.-K.; Chai, L.; Hindley, E. W.; Lau, B.-T.; Tan, S.; Ashton, P. S.

2015-10-01

Fungal decay of heart wood creates hollows and areas of reduced wood density within the stems of living trees known as stem rot. Although stem rot is acknowledged as a source of error in forest aboveground biomass (AGB) estimates, there are few data sets available to evaluate the controls over stem rot infection and severity in tropical forests. Using legacy and recent data from 3180 drilled, felled, and cored stems in mixed dipterocarp forests in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, we quantified the frequency and severity of stem rot in a total of 339 tree species, and related variation in stem rot with tree size, wood density, taxonomy, and species' soil association, as well as edaphic conditions. Predicted stem rot frequency for a 50 cm tree was 53 % of felled, 39 % of drilled, and 28 % of cored stems, demonstrating differences among methods in rot detection ability. The percent stem volume infected by rot, or stem rot severity, ranged widely among trees with stem rot infection (0.1-82.8 %) and averaged 9 % across all trees felled. Tree taxonomy explained the greatest proportion of variance in both stem rot frequency and severity among the predictors evaluated in our models. Stem rot frequency, but not severity, increased sharply with tree diameter, ranging from 13 % in trees 10-30 cm DBH to 54 % in stems ≥ 50 cm DBH across all data sets. The frequency of stem rot increased significantly in soils with low pH and cation concentrations in topsoil, and stem rot was more common in tree species associated with dystrophic sandy soils than with nutrient-rich clays. When scaled to forest stands, the maximum percent of stem biomass lost to stem rot varied significantly with soil properties, and we estimate that stem rot reduces total forest AGB estimates by up to 7 % relative to what would be predicted assuming all stems are composed strictly of intact wood. This study demonstrates not only that stem rot is likely to be a significant source of error in forest AGB estimation, but also that it strongly covaries with tree size, taxonomy, habitat association, and soil resources, underscoring the need to account for tree community composition and edaphic variation in estimating carbon storage in tropical forests.

Quantitative relationships between different injury factors and development of brown rot caused by Monilinia fructigena in integrated and organic apple orchards.

PubMed

Holb, I J; Scherm, H

2008-01-01

In a 4-year study, the incidence of various types of injuries (caused by insects, birds, growth cracks, mechanical wounding, and other, unidentified factors) was assessed in relation to brown rot development (caused by Monilinia fructigena) on fruit of three apple cultivars (Prima, Jonathan, and Mutsu) in integrated and organic blocks of two apple orchards in Hungary. In addition, populations of male codling moths (Cydia pomonella) were monitored with pheromone traps season-long in both management systems. On average, injury incidence on fruit at harvest was 6.1 and 19.2% in the integrated and organic treatments, respectively. Insect injury, which was caused primarily by C. pomonella, had the highest incidence among the five injury types, accounting for 79.4% of the total injury by harvest in the organic blocks and 36.6% in the integrated blocks. Levels of all other injury types remained close to zero during most of the season, but the incidence of bird injury and growth cracks increased markedly in the final 3 to 5 weeks before harvest in both production systems. Brown rot developed more slowly and reached a lower incidence in the integrated (6.4% final incidence on average) compared with the organic blocks (20.1% average incidence). In addition, the disease developed later but attained higher levels as the cultivar ripening season increased from early-maturing Prima to late-maturing Mutsu. Overall, 94.3 to 98.7% of all injured fruit were also infected by M. fructigena, whereas the incidence of brown-rotted fruit without visible injury was very low (0.8 to 1.6%). Correlation coefficients (on a per plot basis) and association indices (on a per-fruit basis) were calculated between brown rot and the various injury types for two selected assessment dates 4 weeks preharvest and at harvest. At both dates, the strongest significant (P < 0.05) relationships were observed between brown rot and insect injury and between brown rot and the cumulative number of trapped C. pomonella. At the harvest assessment, two additional significant correlations were between brown rot and bird injury and between brown rot and growth cracks. In every case, correlation coefficients were larger in organic than in integrated blocks. Although it is well established that brown rot in pome fruits is closely associated with fruit injuries, this is the first study to provide season-long progress data on different injury types and quantitative analyses of their relative importance at different times in the growing season and across two distinct management systems.

Assessing the impact of wood decay fungi on the modulus of elasticity of slash pine (Pinus elliottii) by stress wave non-destructive testing

Treesearch

Zhong Yang; Zhehui Jiang; Chung Y. Hse; Ru Liu

2017-01-01

Small wood specimens selected from six slash pine (Pinus elliottii) trees were inoculated with brown-rot and white-rot fungi and then evaluated for static modulus of elasticity (MOE) and dynamic MOE (MOEsw). The experimental variables studied included a brown-rot fungus (Gloeophyllum trabeum) and a white-rot fungus (Trametes versicolor) for six exposure periods (2, 4,...

Comparative studies on thermochemical characterization of corn stover pretreated by white-rot and brown-rot fungi.

PubMed

Zeng, Yelin; Yang, Xuewei; Yu, Hongbo; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Ma, Fuying

2011-09-28

The effects of white-rot and brown-rot fungal pretreatment on the chemical composition and thermochemical conversion of corn stover were investigated. Fungus-pretreated corn stover was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis to characterize the changes in chemical composition. Differences in thermochemical conversion of corn stover after fungal pretreatment were investigated using thermogravimetric and pyrolysis analysis. The results indicated that the white-rot fungus Irpex lacteus CD2 has great lignin-degrading ability, whereas the brown-rot fungus Fomitopsis sp. IMER2 preferentially degrades the amorphous regions of the cellulose. The biopretreatment favors thermal decomposition of corn stover. The weight loss of IMER2-treated acid detergent fiber became greater, and the oil yield increased from 32.7 to 50.8%. After CD2 biopretreatment, 58% weight loss of acid detergent lignin was achieved and the oil yield increased from 16.8 to 26.8%.

Differences in crystalline cellulose modification due to degradation by brown and white rot fungi.

PubMed

Hastrup, Anne Christine Steenkjær; Howell, Caitlin; Larsen, Flemming Hofmann; Sathitsuksanoh, Noppadon; Goodell, Barry; Jellison, Jody

2012-10-01

Wood-decaying basidiomycetes are some of the most effective bioconverters of lignocellulose in nature, however the way they alter wood crystalline cellulose on a molecular level is still not well understood. To address this, we examined and compared changes in wood undergoing decay by two species of brown rot fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Meruliporia incrassata, and two species of white rot fungi, Irpex lacteus and Pycnoporus sanguineus, using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and (13)C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The overall percent crystallinity in wood undergoing decay by M. incrassata, G. trabeum, and I. lacteus appeared to decrease according to the stage of decay, while in wood decayed by P. sanguineus the crystallinity was found to increase during some stages of degradation. This result is suggested to be potentially due to the different decay strategies employed by these fungi. The average spacing between the 200 cellulose crystal planes was significantly decreased in wood degraded by brown rot, whereas changes observed in wood degraded by the two white rot fungi examined varied according to the selectivity for lignin. The conclusions were supported by a quantitative analysis of the structural components in the wood before and during decay confirming the distinct differences observed for brown and white rot fungi. The results from this study were consistent with differences in degradation methods previously reported among fungal species, specifically more non-enzymatic degradation in brown rot versus more enzymatic degradation in white rot. Copyright © 2012 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production and degradation of oxalic acid by brown rot fungi

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Espejo, E.; Agosin, E.

1991-07-01

Our results show that all of the brown rot fungi tested produce oxalic acid in liquid as well as in semisolid cultures. Gloeophyllum trabeum, which accumulates the lowest amount of oxalic acid during decay of pine holocellulose, showed the highest polysaccharide-depolymerizing activity. Semisolid cultures inoculated with this fungus rapidly converted {sup 14}C-labeled oxalic acid to CO{sub 2} during cellulose depolymerization. The other brown rot fungi also oxidized {sup 14}C-labeled oxalic acid, although less rapidly. In contrast, semisolid cultures inoculated with the white rot fungus Coriolus versicolor did not significantly catabolize the acid and did not depolymerize the holocellulose during decay.more » Semisolid cultures of G. trabeum amended with desferrioxamine, a specific iron-chelating agent, were unable to lower the degree of polymerization of cellulose or to oxidize {sup 14}C-labeled oxalic acid to the extent or at the rate that control cultures did. These results suggest that both iron and oxalic acid are involved in cellulose depolymerization by brown rot fungi.« less

7 CFR 29.6039 - Stem rot.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Stem rot. 29.6039 Section 29.6039 Agriculture... INSPECTION Standards Definitions § 29.6039 Stem rot. The deterioration of an uncured or frozen stem resulting from bacterial action. Although stem rot results from bacterial action, it is inactive in cured tobacco...

7 CFR 29.6039 - Stem rot.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Stem rot. 29.6039 Section 29.6039 Agriculture... INSPECTION Standards Definitions § 29.6039 Stem rot. The deterioration of an uncured or frozen stem resulting from bacterial action. Although stem rot results from bacterial action, it is inactive in cured tobacco...

7 CFR 29.6039 - Stem rot.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Stem rot. 29.6039 Section 29.6039 Agriculture... INSPECTION Standards Definitions § 29.6039 Stem rot. The deterioration of an uncured or frozen stem resulting from bacterial action. Although stem rot results from bacterial action, it is inactive in cured tobacco...

7 CFR 29.6039 - Stem rot.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Stem rot. 29.6039 Section 29.6039 Agriculture... INSPECTION Standards Definitions § 29.6039 Stem rot. The deterioration of an uncured or frozen stem resulting from bacterial action. Although stem rot results from bacterial action, it is inactive in cured tobacco...

7 CFR 29.6039 - Stem rot.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Stem rot. 29.6039 Section 29.6039 Agriculture... INSPECTION Standards Definitions § 29.6039 Stem rot. The deterioration of an uncured or frozen stem resulting from bacterial action. Although stem rot results from bacterial action, it is inactive in cured tobacco...

Strength reduction in slash pine (Pinus elliotii) wood caused by decay fungi

Treesearch

Zhong Yang; Zhehui Jiang; Chung Y. Hse; Todd F. Shupe

2009-01-01

Small wood specimens selected from slash pine (Pinus elliotii )trees at three growth rates (fast, medium, and slow) were inoculated with brown-rot and white-rot fungi and then evaluated for work to maximum load (WML), modulus of rupture (MOR), and modulus of elasticity (MOE). The experimental variables studied included a brown-rot fungus (Gloeophyllum trabeum...

Candida pruni sp. nov. is a new yeast species with antagonistic potential against brown rot of peaches.

PubMed

Zhang, Dian-peng; Lu, Cai-ge; Zhang, Tao-tao; Spadaro, Davide; Liu, De-wen; Liu, Wei-cheng

2014-07-01

Brown rot caused by Monilinia spp. is among the most important postharvest diseases of commercially grown stone fruits, and application of antagonistic yeasts to control brown rot is one promising strategy alternative to chemical fungicides. In this research, new yeast strains were isolated and tested for their activity against peach brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola. Three yeast strains were originally isolated from the surface of plums (cv Chinese Angelino) collected in the north of China. In artificially wounded inoculation tests, the yeast reduced the brown rot incidence to 20 %. The population of the yeast within inoculated wounds on peaches significantly increased at 25 °C from an initial level of 5.0×10(6) to 4.45×10(7) CFU per wound after 1 day. The antagonistic strains were belonging to a new species of the genus Candida by sequence comparisons of 26 S rDNA D1/D2 domain and internal transcribed spacer region. The strains are most closely related to C. asparagi, C. musae and C. fructus on the basis of the phylogenetic trees based on the D1/D2 region of 26S rDNA. However, the strains are notably different from C. asparagi, C. musae and C. fructus, in morphological and physiological characteristics. Therefore, the name Candida pruni is proposed for the novel species, with sp-Quan (=CBS12814T=KCTC 27526T=GCMC 6582T) as the type strain. Our study showed that Candida pruni is a novel yeast species with potential biocontrol against brown rot caused by M. fructicola on peaches.

Rapid polyether cleavage via extracellular one-electron oxidation by a brown-rot basidiomycete.

PubMed

Kerem, Z; Bao, W; Hammel, K E

1998-09-01

Fungi that cause brown rot of wood are essential biomass recyclers and also the principal agents of decay in wooden structures, but the extracellular mechanisms by which they degrade lignocellulose remain unknown. To test the hypothesis that brown-rot fungi use extracellular free radical oxidants as biodegradative tools, Gloeophyllum trabeum was examined for its ability to depolymerize an environmentally recalcitrant polyether, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), that cannot penetrate cell membranes. Analyses of degraded PEOs by gel permeation chromatography showed that the fungus cleaved PEO rapidly by an endo route. 13C NMR analyses of unlabeled and perdeuterated PEOs recovered from G. trabeum cultures showed that a major route for depolymerization was oxidative C---C bond cleavage, a reaction diagnostic for hydrogen abstraction from a PEO methylene group by a radical oxidant. Fenton reagent (Fe(II)/H2O2) oxidized PEO by the same route in vitro and therefore might account for PEO biodegradation if it is produced by the fungus, but the data do not rule out involvement of less reactive radicals. The reactivity and extrahyphal location of this PEO-degrading system suggest that its natural function is to participate in the brown rot of wood and that it may enable brown-rot fungi to degrade recalcitrant organopollutants.

Final Technical Report - Consolidating Biomass Pretreatment with Saccharification by Resolving the Spatial Control Mechanisms of Fungi

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schilling, Jonathan

Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of lignocellulose combines enzymatic sugar release (saccharification) with fermentation, but pretreatments remain separate and costly. In nature, lignocellulose-degrading brown rot fungi consolidate pretreatment and saccharification, likely using spatial gradients to partition these incompatible reactions. With the field of biocatalysis maturing, reaction partitioning is increasingly reproducible for commercial use. Therefore, my goal was to resolve the reaction partitioning mechanisms of brown rot fungi so that they can be applied to bioconversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks. Brown rot fungi consolidate oxidative pretreatments with saccharification and are a focus for biomass refining because 1) they attain >99% sugar yield without destroyingmore » lignin, 2) they use a simplified cellulase suite that lacks exoglucanase, and 3) their non-enzymatic pretreatment is facilitative and may be accelerated. Specifically, I hypothesized that during brown rot, oxidative pretreatments occur ahead of enzymatic saccharification, spatially, and the fungus partitions these reactions using gradients in pH, lignin reactivity, and plant cell wall porosity. In fact, we found three key results during these experiments for this work: 1) Brown rot fungi have an inducible cellulase system, unlike previous descriptions of a constitutive mechanism. 2) The induction of cellulases is delayed until there is repression of oxidatively-linked genes, allowing the brown rot fungi to coordinate two incompatible reactions (oxidative pretreatment with enzymatic saccharification, to release wood sugars) in the same pieces of wood. 3) This transition is mediated by the same wood sugar, cellobiose, released by the oxidative pretreatment step. Collectively, these findings have been published in excellent journal outlets and have been presented at conferences around the United States, and they offer clear targets for gene discovery en route to making biofuels and biochemicals affordable, commercially.« less

Lignocellulosic polysaccharides and lignin degradation by wood decay fungi: the relevance of nonenzymatic Fenton-based reactions.

PubMed

Arantes, Valdeir; Milagres, Adriane M F; Filley, Timothy R; Goodell, Barry

2011-04-01

The brown rot fungus Wolfiporia cocos and the selective white rot fungus Perenniporia medulla-panis produce peptides and phenolate-derivative compounds as low molecular weight Fe³+-reductants. Phenolates were the major compounds with Fe³+-reducing activity in both fungi and displayed Fe³+-reducing activity at pH 2.0 and 4.5 in the absence and presence of oxalic acid. The chemical structures of these compounds were identified. Together with Fe³+ and H₂O₂ (mediated Fenton reaction) they produced oxygen radicals that oxidized lignocellulosic polysaccharides and lignin extensively in vitro under conditions similar to those found in vivo. These results indicate that, in addition to the extensively studied Gloeophyllum trabeum--a model brown rot fungus--other brown rot fungi as well as selective white rot fungi, possess the means to promote Fenton chemistry to degrade cellulose and hemicellulose, and to modify lignin. Moreover, new information is provided, particularly regarding how lignin is attacked, and either repolymerized or solubilized depending on the type of fungal attack, and suggests a new pathway for selective white rot degradation of wood. The importance of Fenton reactions mediated by phenolates operating separately or synergistically with carbohydrate-degrading enzymes in brown rot fungi, and lignin-modifying enzymes in white rot fungi is discussed. This research improves our understanding of natural processes in carbon cycling in the environment, which may enable the exploration of novel methods for bioconversion of lignocellulose in the production of biofuels or polymers, in addition to the development of new and better ways to protect wood from degradation by microorganisms.

Gene cloning and heterologous expression of pyranose 2-oxidase from the brown-rot fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum

Treesearch

Diane Dietrich; Casey Crooks

2009-01-01

A pyranose 2-oxidase gene from the brown-rot basidiomycete Gloeophyllum trabeum was isolated using homology-based degenerate PCR. The gene structure was determined and compared to that of several pyranose 2-oxidases cloned from white-rot fungi. The G. trabeum pyranose 2-oxidase gene consists of 16 coding exons with canonical promoter CAAT and TATA elements in the 5’UTR...

78 FR 25939 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-03

... Inspection Service Title: Certification Program for Imported Articles to Prevent Introduction of Potato Brown... to occur. This bacterial strain causes potato brown rot, which causes potatoes to rot through, making them inedible and seriously affecting potato yields. Need and Use of the Information: The Animal Plant...

Draft genome sequence of a monokaryotic model brown-rot fungus Postia (Rhodonia) placenta SB12

Treesearch

Jill Gaskell; Phil Kersten; Luis F. Larrondo; Paulo Canessa; Diego Martinez; David Hibbett; Monika Schmoll; Christian P. Kubicek; Angel T. Martinez; Jagjit Yadav; Emma Master; Jon Karl Magnuson; Debbie Yaver; Randy Berka; Kathleen Lail; Cindy Chen; Kurt LaButti; Matt Nolan; Anna Lipzen; Andrea Aerts; Robert Riley; Kerrie Barry; Bernard Henrissat; Robert Blanchette; Igor V. Grigoriev; Dan Cullen

2017-01-01

We report the genome of Postia (Rhodonia) placenta MAD-SB12, a homokaryotic wood decay fungus (Basidiomycota, Polyporales). Intensively studied as a representative brown rot decayer, the gene complement is consistent with the rapid depolymerization of cellulose but not lignin.

Resident bacteria of plums and their potential for controlling brown rot after harvest

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fruit microflora has been the richest source of antagonists against fruit decays and the active ingredient in all currently available commercial biocontrol products. A comprehensive evaluation of plum bacteria for biocontrol activity against Monilinia fructicola, causing brown rot of stone fruit, w...

Cytochemical localization of cellulases in decayed and nondecayed wood

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murmanis, L.; Highley, T.L.; Palmer, J.G.

1987-01-01

Sawdust from undecayed western hemlock wood and from wood previously decayed by the brown-rot fungus Poria placenta or by the white-rot fungus Ganoderma applanatum was incubated with commercial cellulase from Trichoderma viride. Samples were treated cytochemically to locate cellulase activity and examined by TEM. Results showed that cellulase degraded undecayed wood extensively, with the attack starting on the outer border of a cell wall and progressing inside. Wood decayed by P. placenta, with or without cellulase incubation, and treated by the cytochemical test showed uniform distribution of electron dense particles throughout the cell walls. In wood decayed by G. applanatum,more » cellulase degradation was similar to that in undecayed wood. From measurements of particle diameter it is suggested that electron dense particles are cellulase. It is concluded that brown-rot and white-rot fungi have different effects on the microstructure of wood. The brown-rot fungus appears to open the wood microstructure so that cellulase can diffuse throughout the degraded tracheid wall.« less

Oxalic acid overproduction by copper-tolerant brown-rot basidiomycetes on southern yellow pine treated with copper-based preservatives

Treesearch

Carol A. Clausen; Frederick Green

2003-01-01

Accumulation of oxalic acid (OA) by brown-rot fungi and precipitation of copper oxalate crystals in wood decayed by copper-tolerant decay fungi has implicated OA in the mechanism of copper tolerance. Understanding the role of OA in copper tolerance is important due to an increasing reliance on copper-based wood preservatives. In this study, four copper-tolerant brown-...

The effect of CaCl2 on growth rate, wood decay and oxalic acid accumulation in Serpula lacrymans and related brown-rot fungi

Treesearch

Anne Christine Steenkjaer Hastrup; Bo Jensen; Carol Clausen; Frederick Green

2006-01-01

The dry rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans, is one of the most destructive copper-tolerant fungi causing timber decay in buildings in temperate regions. Calcium and oxalic acid have been shown to play important roles in the mechanism of wood decay. The effect of calcium on growth and decay was evaluated for 12 strains of S. lacrymans and compared to five brown-rot fungi....

Culturable bacteria from plum fruit surfaces and their potential for controlling brown rot after harvest

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fruit microflora has been the richest source of antagonists against fruit decays and the active ingredient in all currently available commercial biocontrol products. A comprehensive evaluation of plum bacteria for biocontrol activity against Monilinia fructicola, causing brown rot of stone fruit, w...

Molecular phylogeny of Laetiporus and other brown rot polypore genera in North America

Treesearch

Daniel L. Lindner; Mark T. Banik

2008-01-01

Phylogenetic relationships were investigated among North American species of Laetiporus, Leptoporus, Phaeolus, Pycnoporellus, and Wolfiporia using ITS, nuclear large subunit and mitochondrial small subunit rDNA sequences. Members of these genera have poroid hymenophores, simple septate hyphae and cause brown rots in a variety of...

Influence of tree size, taxonomy, and edaphic conditions on heart rot in mixed-dipterocarp Bornean rainforests: implications for aboveground biomass estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heineman, K. D.; Russo, S. E.; Baillie, I. C.; Mamit, J. D.; Chai, P. P.-K.; Chai, L.; Hindley, E. W.; Lau, B.-T.; Tan, S.; Ashton, P. S.

2015-05-01

Fungal decay of heartwood creates hollows and areas of reduced wood density within the stems of living trees known as heart rot. Although heart rot is acknowledged as a source of error in forest aboveground biomass estimates, there are few datasets available to evaluate the environmental controls over heart rot infection and severity in tropical forests. Using legacy and recent data from drilled, felled, and cored stems in mixed dipterocarp forests in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, we quantified the frequency and severity of heart rot, and used generalized linear mixed effect models to characterize the association of heart rot with tree size, wood density, taxonomy, and edaphic conditions. Heart rot was detected in 55% of felled stems > 30 cm DBH, while the detection frequency was lower for stems of the same size evaluated by non-destructive drilling (45%) and coring (23%) methods. Heart rot severity, defined as the percent stem volume lost in infected stems, ranged widely from 0.1-82.8%. Tree taxonomy explained the greatest proportion of variance in heart rot frequency and severity among the fixed and random effects evaluated in our models. Heart rot frequency, but not severity, increased sharply with tree diameter, ranging from 56% infection across all datasets in stems > 50 cm DBH to 11% in trees 10-30 cm DBH. The frequency and severity of heart rot increased significantly in soils with low pH and cation concentrations in topsoil, and heart rot was more common in tree species associated with dystrophic sandy soils than with nutrient-rich clays. When scaled to forest stands, the percent of stem biomass lost to heart rot varied significantly with soil properties, and we estimate that 7% of the forest biomass is in some stage of heart rot decay. This study demonstrates not only that heart rot is a significant source of error in forest carbon estimates, but also that it strongly covaries with soil resources, underscoring the need to account for edaphic variation in estimating carbon storage in tropical forests.

Gene expression analysis of copper tolerance and wood decay in the brown rot fungus Fibroporia radiculosa

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many brown rot fungi are capable of rapidly degrading wood and are copper-tolerant. To better understand the genes that control these processes, we examined gene expression of Fibroporia radiculosa growing on wood treated with a copper-based preservative that combined copper carbonate with dimethyld...

Involvement of phenazines and lipopeptides in interactions between Pseudomonas species and Sclerotium rolfsii, causal agent of stem rot disease on groundnut.

PubMed

Le, C N; Kruijt, M; Raaijmakers, J M

2012-02-01

To determine the role of phenazines (PHZ) and lipopeptide surfactants (LPs) produced by Pseudomonas in suppression of stem rot disease of groundnut, caused by the fungal pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii. In vitro assays showed that PHZ-producing Pseudomonas chlororaphis strain Phz24 significantly inhibited hyphal growth of S. rolfsii and suppressed stem rot disease of groundnut under field conditions. Biosynthesis and regulatory mutants of Phz24 deficient in PHZ production were less effective in pathogen suppression. Pseudomonas strains SS101, SBW25 and 267, producing viscosin or putisolvin-like LPs, only marginally inhibited hyphal growth of S. rolfsii and did not suppress stem rot disease. In contrast, Pseudomonas strain SH-C52, producing the chlorinated LP thanamycin, inhibited hyphal growth of S. rolfsii and significantly reduced stem rot disease of groundnut in nethouse and field experiments, whereas its thanamycin-deficient mutant was less effective. Phenazines and specific lipopeptides play an important role in suppression of stem rot disease of groundnut by root-colonizing Pseudomonas strains. Pseudomonas strains Phz24 and SH-C52 showed significant control of stem rot disease. Treatment of seeds or soil with these strains provides a promising supplementary strategy to control stem rot disease of groundnut. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2011 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Enhanced bioprocessing of lignocellulose: Wood-rot fungal saccharification and fermentation of corn fiber to ethanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, Prachand

This research aims at developing a biorefinery platform to convert corn-ethanol coproduct, corn fiber, into fermentable sugars at a lower temperature with minimal use of chemicals. White-rot (Phanerochaete chrysosporium), brown-rot (Gloeophyllum trabeum) and soft-rot (Trichoderma reesei) fungi were used in this research to biologically break down cellulosic and hemicellulosic components of corn fiber into fermentable sugars. Laboratory-scale simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process proceeded by in-situ cellulolytic enzyme induction enhanced overall enzymatic hydrolysis of hemi/cellulose from corn fiber into simple sugars (mono-, di-, tri-saccharides). The yeast fermentation of hydrolyzate yielded 7.1, 8.6 and 4.1 g ethanol per 100 g corn fiber when saccharified with the white-, brown-, and soft-rot fungi, respectively. The highest corn-to-ethanol yield (8.6 g ethanol/100 g corn fiber) was equivalent to 42 % of the theoretical ethanol yield from starch and cellulose in corn fiber. Cellulase, xylanase and amylase activities of these fungi were also investigated over a week long solid-substrate fermentation of corn fiber. G. trabeum had the highest activities for starch (160 mg glucose/mg protein.min) and on day three of solid-substrate fermentation. P. chrysosporium had the highest activity for xylan (119 mg xylose/mg protein.min) on day five and carboxymethyl cellulose (35 mg glucose/mg protein.min) on day three of solid-substrate fermentation. T. reesei showed the highest activity for Sigma cell 20 (54.8 mg glucose/mg protein.min) on day 5 of solid-substrate fermentation. The effect of different pretreatments on SSF of corn fiber by fungal processes was examined. Corn fiber was treated at 30 °C for 2 h with alkali [2% NaOH (w/w)], alkaline peroxide [2% NaOH (w/w) and 1% H2O 2 (w/w)], and by steaming at 100 °C for 2 h. Mild pretreatment resulted in improved ethanol yields for brown- and soft-rot SSF, while white-rot and Spezyme CP SSFs showed no improvement in ethanol yields. We showed that saccharification of lignocellulosic material with a wood-rot fungal process is quite feasible. Corn fiber from wet milling was best degraded to sugars using aerobic solid state fermentation with the soft-rot fungus T. reesei. However, it was shown that both the white-rot fungus P. chrysosporium and brown-rot fungus G. trabeum had the ability to produce additional consortia of hemi/cellulose degrading enzymes. It is likely that a consortium of enzymes from these fungi would be the best approach in saccharification of lignocellulose. In all cases, a subsequent anaerobic yeast process under submerged conditions is required to ferment the released sugars to ethanol. To our knowledge, this is the first time report on production of cellulolytic enzymes from wet-milled corn fiber using white- and brown-rot fungi for sequential fermentation of corn fiber hydrolyzate to ethanol. Keywords: lignocellulose, ethanol, biofuel, bioeconomy, biomass, renewable resources, corn fiber, pretreatment, solid-substrate fermentation, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), white-rot fungus, brown-rot fungus, soft-rot fungus, fermentable sugars, enzyme activities, cellulytic enzymes Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Gloleophyllum trabeum, Trichoderma reesei, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Detection and identification of six Monilinia spp. causing brown rot using TaqMan real-time PCR from pure cultures and infected apple fruit

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Brown rot is a severe disease affecting stone and pome fruits. This disease was recently confirmed to be caused by the following six closely related species: Monilinia fructicola, Monilinia laxa, Monilinia fructigena, Monilia polystroma, Monilia mumecola and Monilia yunnanensis. Because of differenc...

Localizing gene regulation reveals a staggered wood decay mechanism for the brown rot fungus Postia placenta

Treesearch

Jiwei Zhang; Gerald N. Presley; Kenneth E. Hammel; Jae-San Ryu; Jon R. Menke; Melania Figueroa; Dehong Hu; Galya Orr; Jonathan S. Schilling

2016-01-01

Wood-degrading brown rot fungi are essential recyclers of plant biomass in forest ecosystems. Their efficient cellulolytic systems, which have potential biotechnological applications, apparently depend on a combination of two mechanisms: lignocellulose oxidation (LOX) by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and polysaccharide hydrolysis by a limited set of glycoside...

Temporal occurrence and niche preferences of Phytophthora species causing brown rot of citrus in the Central Valley of California

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Brown rot of citrus fruits is caused by several species of Phytophthora and is currently of serious concern for the California citrus industry. Two species, P. syringae and P. hibernalis, are quarantine pathogens in China, a major export market for California citrus. To maintain trade and estimate t...

Laccase and its role in production of extracellular reactive oxygen species during wood decay by the brown rot basidiomycete Postia placenta

Treesearch

Dongsheng Wei; Carl J. Houtman; Alexander N. Kapich; Christopher G. Hunt; Daniel Cullen; Kenneth E. Hammel

2010-01-01

Brown rot basidiomycetes initiate wood decay by producing extracellular reactive oxygen species that depolymerize the structural polysaccharides of lignocellulose. Secreted fungal hydroquinones are considered one contributor because they have been shown to reduce Fe3+, thus generating perhydroxyl radicals and Fe2+, which...

Multidimensional NMR analysis reveals truncated lignin structures in wood decayed by the brown rot basidiomycete Postia placenta

Treesearch

Daniel J. Yelle; Dongsheng Wei; John Ralph; Kenneth E. Hammel

2011-01-01

Lignocellulose biodegradation, an essential step in terrestrial carbon cycling, generally involves removal of the recalcitrant lignin barrier that otherwise prevents infiltration by microbial polysaccharide hydrolases. However, fungi that cause brown rot of wood, a major route for biomass recycling in coniferous forests, utilize wood polysaccharides efficiently while...

Gene expression analysis of wood decay fungus Fibroporia Radiculosa grown In ACQ-treated wood

Treesearch

Ayfer Akgul; Ali Akgul; Juliet D. Diehl Tang

2018-01-01

Copper-tolerant brown-rot fungi are able todegrade wood treated with copper or copper-based wood preservatives. This research used quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to explore what genes of the brown-rot fungus, Fibroporia radiculosa, were expressed when the fungus was overcoming the wood preservatives and decaying the...

The role of chemical transport in the brown-rot decay resistance of modified wood

Treesearch

Samuel Zelinka; R. Ringman; A. Pilgard; E. E. Thybring; Joseph Jakes; K. Richter

2016-01-01

Chemical modification of wood increases decay resistance but the exact mechanisms remain poorly understood. Recently, Ringman and coauthors examined established theories addressing why modified wood has increased decay resistance and concluded that the most probable cause of inhibition and/or delay of initiation of brown-rot decay is lowering the equilibrium moisture...

Proteomic and functional analysis of the cellulase system expressed by Postia placenta during brown rot of solid wood

Treesearch

Jae San Ryu; Semarjit Shary; Carl J. Houtman; Ellen A. Panisko; Premsagar Korripally; Franz J. St. John; Casey Crooks; Matti Siika-aho; Jon K. Magnuson; Kenneth E. Hammel

2011-01-01

Brown rot basidiomycetes have an important ecological role in lignocellulose recycling and are notable for their rapid degradation of wood polymers via oxidative and hydrolytic mechanisms. However, most of these fungi apparently lack processive (exo-acting) cellulases, such as cellobiohydrolases, which are generally required for efficient cellulolysis. The recent...

Evidence for cleavage of lignin by a brown rot basidiomycete

Treesearch

Daniel J. Yelle; John Ralph; Fachuang Lu; Kenneth E. Hammel

2008-01-01

Biodegradation by brown-rot fungi is quantitatively one of the most important fates of lignocellulose in nature. It has long been thought that these basidiomycetes do not degrade lignin significantly, and that their activities on this abundant aromatic biopolymer are limited to minor oxidative modifications. Here we have applied a new technique for the complete...

Survey of Basal Stem Rot Disease on Oil Palms (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Kebun Bukit Kijang,North Sumatera, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lisnawita; Hanum, H.; Tantawi, A. R.

2016-08-01

Basal stem rot disease caused by Ganoderma sp. is a significant disease on oil palm plantations in Indonesia, especially in North Sumatera. Currently, the pathogen does not only attack the plants that have produced (old plants) but also attacks the plants that have not produced in the first generation yet. A survey of the distribution of the basal stem rot disease in the plantation of the community has been completed in order to illustrate the distribution and the incidence of the basal stem rot disease in 5 locations of the oil palm plantation of the community in Desa Bukit Kijang, Region of Asahan, North Sumatera, Indonesia. From the research, it is revealed that the basal stem rot disease has spread to all of the observed locations with the level of disease incidence between 0.71% in Kebun Bukit Kijang 3 to 50% in the 17 years old oil palm in Kebun Bukit Kijang 4 and Bukit Kijang 5. The observable symptoms of the basal stem rot disease are chlorotic leaves, the appearance of fruiting body, collapsed plants, and the existence of holes on the basal stem. The incidence of basal stem rot disease is higher on land due to a high sand content (>50%).

Isolation of laccase gene-specific sequences from white rot and brown rot fungi by PCR.

PubMed Central

D'Souza, T M; Boominathan, K; Reddy, C A

1996-01-01

Degenerate primers corresponding to the consensus sequences of the copper-binding regions in the N-terminal domains of known basidiomycete laccases were used to isolate laccase gene-specific sequences from strains representing nine genera of wood rot fungi. All except three gave the expected PCR product of about 200 bp. Computer searches of the databases identified the sequence of each of the PCR products analyzed as a laccase gene sequence, suggesting the specificity of the primers. PCR products of the white rot fungi Ganoderma lucidum, Phlebia brevispora, and Trametes versicolor showed 65 to 74% nucleotide sequence similarity to each other; the similarity in deduced amino acid sequences was 83 to 91%. The PCR products of Lentinula edodes and Lentinus tigrinus, on the other hand, showed relatively low nucleotide and amino acid similarities (58 to 64 and 62 to 81%, respectively); however, these similarities were still much higher than when compared with the corresponding regions in the laccases of the ascomycete fungi Aspergillus nidulans and Neurospora crassa. A few of the white rot fungi, as well as Gloeophyllum trabeum, a brown rot fungus, gave a 144-bp PCR fragment which had a nucleotide sequence similarity of 60 to 71%. Demonstration of laccase activity in G. trabeum and several other brown rot fungi was of particular interest because these organisms were not previously shown to produce laccases. PMID:8837429

Functional Genomics of Lignocellulose Degradation in the Basidiomycete White Rot Schizophyllum commune

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ohm, Robin A.; Tegelaar, Martin; Henrissat, Bernard

2013-03-01

White and brown rot fungi are among the most important wood decayers in nature. Although more than 50 genomes of Basidiomycete white and brown rots have been sequenced by the Joint Genome Institute, there is still a lot to learn about how these fungi degrade the tough polymers present in wood. In particular, very little is known about how these fungi regulate the expression of genes involved in lignocellulose degradation. Here, we used transcriptomics, proteomics, and promoter analysis in an effort to gain insight into the process of lignocellulose degradation.

Localizing gene regulation reveals a staggered wood decay mechanism for the brown rot fungus Postia placenta

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jiwei; Presley, Gerald N.; Ryu, Jae-San; Menke, Jon R.; Figueroa, Melania; Orr, Galya; Schilling, Jonathan S.

2016-01-01

Wood-degrading brown rot fungi are essential recyclers of plant biomass in forest ecosystems. Their efficient cellulolytic systems, which have potential biotechnological applications, apparently depend on a combination of two mechanisms: lignocellulose oxidation (LOX) by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and polysaccharide hydrolysis by a limited set of glycoside hydrolases (GHs). Given that ROS are strongly oxidizing and nonselective, these two steps are likely segregated. A common hypothesis has been that brown rot fungi use a concentration gradient of chelated metal ions to confine ROS generation inside wood cell walls before enzymes can infiltrate. We examined an alternative: that LOX components involved in ROS production are differentially expressed by brown rot fungi ahead of GH components. We used spatial mapping to resolve a temporal sequence in Postia placenta, sectioning thin wood wafers colonized directionally. Among sections, we measured gene expression by whole-transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-seq) and assayed relevant enzyme activities. We found a marked pattern of LOX up-regulation in a narrow (5-mm, 48-h) zone at the hyphal front, which included many genes likely involved in ROS generation. Up-regulation of GH5 endoglucanases and many other GHs clearly occurred later, behind the hyphal front, with the notable exceptions of two likely expansins and a GH28 pectinase. Our results support a staggered mechanism for brown rot that is controlled by differential expression rather than microenvironmental gradients. This mechanism likely results in an oxidative pretreatment of lignocellulose, possibly facilitated by expansin- and pectinase-assisted cell wall swelling, before cellulases and hemicellulases are deployed for polysaccharide depolymerization. PMID:27621450

Chemical compositions, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry study on brown-rotted woods

Treesearch

Gai-Yun Li; Luo-Hua Huang; Chung Hse; Te-Fu Qin

2011-01-01

The effect of brown-rot decay on the chemical composition and crystallinity of Masson pine was studied by exposing it to Wolfiporia cocos (Schwein.) Ryvarden and Gilbn. for durations of up to 15 weeks in the field. The holocellulose content, α-cellulose content, and wood crystallinity decreased slowly in the initial stage, followed by a significant reduction...

Differential stress-induced regulation of two quinone reductases in the brown rot Basidiomycete Gloeophyllum trabeum

Treesearch

Roni Cohen; Melissa R. Suzuki; Kenneth E. Hammel

2004-01-01

Quinone reductases (QRDs) have two important functions in the basidiomycete Gloeophyllum trabeum, which causes brown rot of wood. First, a QRD is required to generate biodegradative hydroxyl radicals via redox cycling between two G. trabeum extracellular metabolites, 2,5-dimethoxyhydroquinone (2,5-DMHQ) and 2,5-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (2,5- DMBQ). Second, because 2,...

Short-Read Sequencing for Genomic Analysis of the Brown Rot Fungus Fibroporia radiculosa

Treesearch

J. D. Tang; A. D. Perkins; T. S. Sonstegard; S. G. Schroeder; S. C. Burgess; S. V. Diehl

2012-01-01

The feasibility of short-read sequencing for genomic analysis was demonstrated for Fibroporia radiculosa, a copper-tolerant fungus that causes brown rot decay of wood. The effect of read quality on genomic assembly was assessed by filtering Illumina GAIIx reads from a single run of a paired-end library (75-nucleotide read length and 300-bp fragment...

Influence of moisture on brown-rot fungal attack on wood

Treesearch

R.M. Rowell; R.E. Ibach; T. Nilsson

2007-01-01

Southern pine solid wood and wood fiber were reacted with acetic anhydride to various acetyl weight gains. The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) was determined on these specimens at 30%, 65% and 90% relative humidity (RH) and 27 °C. A standard soil block decay test using the brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum was performed and weight loss calculated. Two...

Processive endoglucanase active in crystalline cellulose hydrolysis by the brown rot Basidiomycete Gloeophyllum trabeum

Treesearch

Roni Cohen; Melissa R. Suzuki; Kenneth E. Hammel

2005-01-01

Brown rot basidiomycetes have long been thought to lack the processive cellulases that release soluble sugars from crystalline cellulose. On the other hand, these fungi remove all of the cellulose, both crystalline and amorphous, from wood when they degrade it. To resolve this discrepancy, we grew Gloeophyllum trabeum on microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) and purified...

Genome, transcriptome, and secretome analysis of wood decay fungus Postia placenta supports unique mechanisms of lignocellulose conversion

Treesearch

Diego Martinez; Jean Challacombe; Ingo Morgenstern; David Hibbett; Monika Schmoll; Christian P. Kubicek; Patricia Ferreira; Francisco J. Ruiz-Duenas; Angel T. Martinez; Philip J. Kersten; Kenneth E. Hammel; Jill A. Gaskell; Daniel Cullen

2009-01-01

Brown-rot fungi such as Postia placenta are common inhabitants of forest ecosystems and are also largely responsible for the destructive decay of wooden structures. Rapid depolymerization of cellulose is a distinguishing feature of brown-rot, but the biochemical mechanisms and underlying genetics are poorly understood. Systematic examination of the P. placenta genome,...

Significant levels of extracellular reactive oxygen species produced by brown rot basidiomycetes on cellulose

Treesearch

Roni Cohen; Kenneth A. Jensen; Carl J. Houtman; Kenneth E. Hammel

2002-01-01

It is often proposed that brown rot basidiomycetes use extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) to accomplish the initial depolymerization of cellulose in wood, but little evidence has been presented to show that the fungi produce these oxidants in physiologically relevant quantities. We used [14C]phenethyl polyacrylate as a radical trap to estimate extracellular...

Soft Rot of Eggplant (Solanum melongena) Caused by Choanephora cucurbitarum in Korea

PubMed Central

Jee, Hyeong-Jin

2005-01-01

In April 2002 and 2003, soft rot on fruit of eggplant (Solanum melongena) caused by Choanephora cucurbitarum was observed in the experimental fields at Gyeongnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services in Korea. The disease began with water-soaking and dark-green lesions, and then the infected tissues were rapidly rotten. Sporangium was subglobose in shape and sized 40~130 µm. Monosporous sporangiola were elliptic, fusiform or ovoid, brown in color, and measured as 12~20 × 6~14 µm. Sporangiospores having three or more appendages were elliptic, fusiform or ovoid in shape, dark brown or brown in color, and sized 14~20 × 7~16 µm. The fungus grew well on potato dextrose agar between 15 and 40℃ and its optimum growth temperature was 30℃. Based on morphological characteristics, the causal fungus of the fruit soft rot of eggplant was identified as C. cucurbitarum. This is the first report on the soft rot of S. melongena caused by C. cucurbitarum in Korea. PMID:24049494

Comparative Genome Analysis of Basidiomycete Fungi

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riley, Robert; Salamov, Asaf; Morin, Emmanuelle

Fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota (basidiomycetes), make up some 37percent of the described fungi, and are important in forestry, agriculture, medicine, and bioenergy. This diverse phylum includes the mushrooms, wood rots, symbionts, and plant and animal pathogens. To better understand the diversity of phenotypes in basidiomycetes, we performed a comparative analysis of 35 basidiomycete fungi spanning the diversity of the phylum. Phylogenetic patterns of lignocellulose degrading genes suggest a continuum rather than a sharp dichotomy between the white rot and brown rot modes of wood decay. Patterns of secondary metabolic enzymes give additional insight into the broad array of phenotypesmore » found in the basidiomycetes. We suggest that the profile of an organism in lignocellulose-targeting genes can be used to predict its nutritional mode, and predict Dacryopinax sp. as a brown rot; Botryobasidium botryosum and Jaapia argillacea as white rots.« less

Fungal hydroquinones contribute to brown rot of wood

Treesearch

Melissa R. Suzuki; Christopher G. Hunt; Carl J. Houtman; Zachary D. Dalebroux; Kenneth E. Hammel

2006-01-01

The fungi that cause brown rot of wood initiate lignocellulose breakdown with an extracellular Fenton system in which Fe2+ and H2O2 react to produce hydroxyl radicals (•OH), which then oxidize and cleave the wood holocellulose. One such fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum, drives Fenton chemistry on defined media by reducing Fe3+ and O2 with two extracellular hydroquinones,...

Accelerated detection of brown-rot decay : comparison of soil block test, chemical analysis, mechanical properties, and immunodetection

Treesearch

C. A. Clausen; S. N. Kartal

2003-01-01

Early detection of wood decay is critical because decay fungi can cause rapid structural failure. The objective of this study was to compare the sensitivity of different methods purported to detect brown-rot decay in the early stages of development. The immunodiagnostic wood decay (IWD)test, soil block test/cake pan test, mechanical property tests, and chemical...

Untreated and copper-treated wood soaked in sodium oxalate: effects of decay by copper-tolerant and copper-sensitive fungi

Treesearch

Katie M. Ohno; Grant T. Kirker; Amy B. Bishell; Carol A. Clausen

2017-01-01

Copper is widely used as the primary component in wood protectants because it demonstrates a broad range of biocidal properties. However, a key concern with using copper in wood preservative formulations is the possibility for brown-rot basidiomycetes to resist the toxic effect. Many brown-rot basidiomycetes have evolved mechanisms, like the production and accumulation...

Common wood decay fungi found in the Caribbean Basin

Treesearch

D. Jean Lodge

2016-01-01

There are hundreds of wood-decay fungi in the Caribbean Basin, but relatively few of these are likely to grow on manmade structures built of wood or wood-composites. The wood-decay fungi of greatest concern are those that cause brown-rot, and especially brown-rot fungi that are resistant to copper-based wood preservatives. Some fungi that grow in the Caribbean and...

Development of biocontrol agents from food microbial isolates for controlling post-harvest peach brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola.

PubMed

Zhou, Ting; Schneider, Karin E; Li, Xiu-Zhen

2008-08-15

An unconventional strategy of screening food microbes for biocontrol activity was used to develop biocontrol agents for controlling post-harvest peach brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola. Forty-four microbial isolates were first screened for their biocontrol activity on apple fruit. Compared with the pathogen-only check, seven of the 44 isolates reduced brown rot incidence by >50%, including four bacteria: Bacillus sp. C06, Lactobacillus sp. C03-b and Bacillus sp. T03-c, Lactobacillus sp. P02 and three yeasts: Saccharomyces delbrueckii A50, S. cerevisiae YE-5 and S. cerevisiae A41. Eight microbial isolates were selected for testing on peaches by wound co-inoculation with mixtures of individual microbial cultures and conidial suspension of M. fructicola. Only two of them showed significant biocontrol activity after five days of incubation at 22 degrees C. Bacillus sp. C06 suppressed brown rot incidence by 92% and reduced lesion diameter by 88% compared to the pathogen-only check. Bacillus sp.T03-c reduced incidence and lesion diameter by 40% and 62%, respectively. The two isolates were compared with Pseudomonas syringae MA-4, a biocontrol agent for post-harvest peach diseases, by immersing peaches in an aliquot containing individual microbial isolates and the pathogen conidia. Treatments with isolates MA-4, C06 and T03-c significantly controlled brown rot by 91, 100, and 100% respectively. However, only isolates MA-4 and C06 significantly reduced brown rot by 80% and 15%, respectively when bacterial cells alone were applied. On naturally infected peaches, both the bacterial culture and its cell-free filtrate of the isolate C06 significantly controlled peach decay resulting in 77 and 90% reduction, respectively, whereas the treatment using only the bacterial cells generally had no effect. Isolate C06 is a single colony isolate obtained from a mesophilic cheese starter, and has been identified belonging to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The results have clearly demonstrated that isolate C06 has a great potential for being developed into a biocontrol agent.

Lignin as a facilitator, not a barrier, during saccharification by brown rot fungi

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schilling, Jonathan S.; Tschirner, Ulrike; Blanchette, Robert A

2012-11-28

This research focused on the biology of a group of wood-degrading fungi that cause brown rot in wood, with particular attention to the potential to mimic this biological approach ex situ for bioprocessing lignocellulosic biomass. Supported by the long-standing theory that these fungi use a two-step oxidative/enzymatic approach during brown rot, our team’s objectives were as follows: 1) to determine the discrete timing of lignin modifications, 2) to correlate these alterations with biocatalyst efficiency and ingress into plant cell walls, and 3) to reproduce modifications prior to saccharification for efficient bioprocessing. The core findings of our research were that 1)more » lignin modifications occur nearly coincident with enzyme secretion during brown rot and 2) there is no specificity to the benefit that a brown rot pretreatment has on the efficacy of cellulases – it is a general enhancement best predicted by chemical changes to lignin and side-chain hemicellulose sugars. In our work, this meant we could attain and predict broad improvements in saccharification using commercial cellulase cocktails, in some cases more than three-fold of that in untreated biomass. This project was completed with minimal variance from the original project management plan (PMP), resulting in fourteen presentations and posters, four peer-reviewed publications, and one additional publication now in review. The publications have been valuable to other scientists working toward similar goals and have been cited in thirteen peer-reviewed publications written by others since 2010. We are working with ADM to advance application options for industry, building on the lessons learned during this DOE award period.« less

The Paleozoic origin of enzymatic lignin decomposition reconstructed from 31 fungal genomes.

PubMed

Floudas, Dimitrios; Binder, Manfred; Riley, Robert; Barry, Kerrie; Blanchette, Robert A; Henrissat, Bernard; Martínez, Angel T; Otillar, Robert; Spatafora, Joseph W; Yadav, Jagjit S; Aerts, Andrea; Benoit, Isabelle; Boyd, Alex; Carlson, Alexis; Copeland, Alex; Coutinho, Pedro M; de Vries, Ronald P; Ferreira, Patricia; Findley, Keisha; Foster, Brian; Gaskell, Jill; Glotzer, Dylan; Górecki, Paweł; Heitman, Joseph; Hesse, Cedar; Hori, Chiaki; Igarashi, Kiyohiko; Jurgens, Joel A; Kallen, Nathan; Kersten, Phil; Kohler, Annegret; Kües, Ursula; Kumar, T K Arun; Kuo, Alan; LaButti, Kurt; Larrondo, Luis F; Lindquist, Erika; Ling, Albee; Lombard, Vincent; Lucas, Susan; Lundell, Taina; Martin, Rachael; McLaughlin, David J; Morgenstern, Ingo; Morin, Emanuelle; Murat, Claude; Nagy, Laszlo G; Nolan, Matt; Ohm, Robin A; Patyshakuliyeva, Aleksandrina; Rokas, Antonis; Ruiz-Dueñas, Francisco J; Sabat, Grzegorz; Salamov, Asaf; Samejima, Masahiro; Schmutz, Jeremy; Slot, Jason C; St John, Franz; Stenlid, Jan; Sun, Hui; Sun, Sheng; Syed, Khajamohiddin; Tsang, Adrian; Wiebenga, Ad; Young, Darcy; Pisabarro, Antonio; Eastwood, Daniel C; Martin, Francis; Cullen, Dan; Grigoriev, Igor V; Hibbett, David S

2012-06-29

Wood is a major pool of organic carbon that is highly resistant to decay, owing largely to the presence of lignin. The only organisms capable of substantial lignin decay are white rot fungi in the Agaricomycetes, which also contains non-lignin-degrading brown rot and ectomycorrhizal species. Comparative analyses of 31 fungal genomes (12 generated for this study) suggest that lignin-degrading peroxidases expanded in the lineage leading to the ancestor of the Agaricomycetes, which is reconstructed as a white rot species, and then contracted in parallel lineages leading to brown rot and mycorrhizal species. Molecular clock analyses suggest that the origin of lignin degradation might have coincided with the sharp decrease in the rate of organic carbon burial around the end of the Carboniferous period.

Population genomic analyses of the brown root-rot pathogen, Phellinus noxius, examine potential invasive spread among Pacific islands

Treesearch

Jane E. Stewart; Mee-Sook Kim; Louise Shuey; Norio Sahashi; Yuko Ota; Robert L. Schlub; Phil G. Cannon; Ned B. Klopfenstein

2016-01-01

Phellinus noxius (Corner) G. H. Cunn is a vastly destructive, fast-growing fungal pathogen that affects a wide range of woody hosts in pan-tropical areas, including Asia, Australia, Africa, and Oceania (Ann et al. 2002; Figure 1) . This pathogen causes brown root-rot disease on cacao, coffee, and rubber, as well as diverse fruit, nut, ornamental, and other...

USSR Report Agriculture.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-04

per hectare) is employed against snow mould in the autumn and Bayleton (0.5 kg) is used upon the appearance of powdery mildew , brown rust and root rots...mould in the autumn and Bayleton (0.5 kg) is used upon the appearance of powdery mildew , brown rust and root rots prior to the forming of the grain. At...33 Fallow as Wheat Predecessor Stressed for Kazakhstan (A. Zadorin, L. Mozhayev; SELSKOYE KHOZYAYSTVO KAZAKHSTANA

Detection of brown-rot antigens in southern pine

Treesearch

Carol A. Clausen

1996-01-01

Brown-rot fungal antigens were detected by particle capture immunoassay(PCI) in southern pine 2 X 4’s beyond visible or culturable hyphal growth. Further analysis of test samples revealed changes along the 2 X 4’s that could be grouped into zones. Zone 1, the point of inoculation through 6 cm, showed low pH, measurable oxalic acid, high moisture, and high protein. Zone...

The role of oxalic acid in tolerance to N’N-napthaloylhydroxylamine in Tyromyces palustris

Treesearch

R.A. Arango; C.A. Clausen; Frederick Green

2006-01-01

Certain wood decay fungi exhibit tolerance to one or more wood preservatives. Copper tolerance of brown-rot fungi has been studied in our laboratory for the past six years. We have observed some degree of tolerance to N’N-naphthaloylhydroxamine (NHA), a recently patented termite bait, by the brown-rot fungus Tyromyces palustris TYP-6137. In an effort to try and confirm...

A potential mechanism for degradation of 4,5-dichloro-2-(n-octyl)-3[2H]-isothiazolone (DCOIT) by brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum.

PubMed

Zhu, Yuan; Xue, Jing; Cao, Jinzhen; Xiao, Hongzhan

2017-09-05

This study aims to investigate the biodegradation of 4,5-dichloro-2-(n-octyl)-3[2H]-isothiazolone (DCOIT) by a brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum as well as the involved mechanism. In the present study, the retentions of DCOIT in treated Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) (MP) chips were determined periodically after incubation with G. trabeum. Then a Fenton-like reaction, known as the chelator-mediated Fenton (CMF) chemistry was used to degrade DCOIT that mimics the degradation pathway of DCOIT by typical brown-rot fungi, and the degradation intermediates were further analyzed. The results demonstrated that DCOIT was rapidly depleted in the early stages of incubation by G. trabeum. The CMF treatment was shown to oxidatively decompose DCOIT by producing reactive oxygen species. This evidence suggests that the CMF chemistry employed by brown-rot fungi contributes to the rapid depletion of DCOIT during G. trabeum exposure, although this does not rule out other possible mechanisms for the biodegradation of DCOIT. The new findings give new insights into the mechanism for the biodegradation of organic biocides, and potentially provide an efficient approach for the removal of organic pollutants in the contaminated water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Zone lines

Treesearch

Kevin T. Smith

2001-01-01

Zone lines are narrow, usually dark markings formed in decaying wood. Zone lines are found most frequently in advanced white rot of hardwoods, although they occasionally are associated both with brown rot and with softwoods.

Stem rots of oil palm caused by Ganoderma boninense: pathogen biology and epidemiology.

PubMed

Pilotti, C A

2005-01-01

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) has been grown in Papua New Guinea since the early 1960s. The most important disease of oil palm in PNG is a stem rot of the palm base. This is the same disease that constitutes a major threat to sustainable oil palm production in SE Asia. Investigations into the causal pathogen have revealed that the stem rots in PNG are caused predominantly by the basidiomycete Ganoderma boninense, with a minor pathogen identified as G. tornatum G. tornatum was found to have a broad host range whereas G. boninense appears to be restricted to palms. The population structure of G. boninense was investigated using inter-fertility studies between isolates collected from basal stem rots on oil palm. Although the G. boninense field populations are predominantly comprised of distinct individuals, a number of isolates were found that share single mating alleles. This indicates that out-crossing had occurred over several generations in the resident or wild population of G. boninense prior to colonization of oil palm. No direct hereditary relationship between isolates on neighbouring diseased palms was found, although an indirect link between isolates causing upper stem rot and basal stem rot was detected.

Development and Evaluation of Glycine max Germplasm Lines with Quantitative Resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

PubMed Central

McCaghey, Megan; Willbur, Jaime; Ranjan, Ashish; Grau, Craig R.; Chapman, Scott; Diers, Brian; Groves, Carol; Kabbage, Mehdi; Smith, Damon L.

2017-01-01

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, the causal agent of Sclerotinia stem rot, is a devastating fungal pathogen of soybean that can cause significant yield losses to growers when environmental conditions are favorable for the disease. The development of resistant varieties has proven difficult. However, poor resistance in commercial cultivars can be improved through additional breeding efforts and understanding the genetic basis of resistance. The objective of this project was to develop soybean germplasm lines that have a high level of Sclerotinia stem rot resistance to be used directly as cultivars or in breeding programs as a source of improved Sclerotinia stem rot resistance. Sclerotinia stem rot-resistant soybean germplasm was developed by crossing two sources of resistance, W04-1002 and AxN-1-55, with lines exhibiting resistance to Heterodera glycines and Cadophora gregata in addition to favorable agronomic traits. Following greenhouse evaluations of 1,076 inbred lines derived from these crosses, 31 lines were evaluated for resistance in field tests during the 2014 field season. Subsequently, 11 Sclerotinia stem rot resistant breeding lines were moved forward for field evaluation in 2015, and seven elite breeding lines were selected and evaluated in the 2016 field season. To better understand resistance mechanisms, a marker analysis was conducted to identify quantitative trait loci linked to resistance. Thirteen markers associated with Sclerotinia stem rot resistance were identified on chromosomes 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19. Our markers confirm previously reported chromosomal regions associated with Sclerotinia stem rot resistance as well as a novel region of chromosome 16. The seven elite germplasm lines were also re-evaluated within a greenhouse setting using a cut petiole technique with multiple S. sclerotiorum isolates to test the durability of physiological resistance of the lines in a controlled environment. This work presents a novel and comprehensive classical breeding method for selecting lines with physiological resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot and a range of agronomic traits. In these studies, we identify four germplasm lines; 91–38, 51–23, SSR51–70, and 52–82B exhibiting a high level of Sclerotinia stem rot resistance combined with desirable agronomic traits, including high protein and oil contents. The germplasm identified in this study will serve as a valuable source of physiological resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot that could be improved through further breeding to generate high-yielding commercial soybean cultivars. PMID:28912790

Isolation of laccase gene-specific sequences from white rot and brown rot fungi by PCR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D`Souza, T.M.; Boominathan, K.; Reddy, C.A.

1996-10-01

Degenerate primers corresponding to the consensus sequences of the copper-binding regions in the N-terminal domains of known basidiomycete laccases were used to isolate laccase gene-specific sequences from strains representing nine genera of wood rot fungi. All except three gave the expected PCR product of about 200 bp. Computer searches of the databases identified the sequences of each of the PCR product of about 200 bp. Computer searches of the databases identified the sequence of each of the PCR products analyzed as a laccase gene sequence, suggesting the specificity of the primers. PCR products of the white rot fungi Ganoderma lucidum,more » Phlebia brevispora, and Trametes versicolor showed 65 to 74% nucleotide sequence similarity to each other; the similarity in deduced amino acid sequences was 83 to 91%. The PCR products of Lentinula edodes and Lentinus tigrinus, on the other hand, showed relatively low nucleotide and amino acid similarities (58 to 64 and 62 to 81%, respectively); however, these similarities were still much higher than when compared with the corresponding regions in the laccases of the ascomycete fungi Aspergillus nidulans and Neurospora crassa. A few of the white rot fungi, as well as Gloeophyllum trabeum, a brown rot fungus, gave a 144-bp PCR fragment which had a nucleotide sequence similarity of 60 to 71%. Demonstration of laccase activity in G. trabeum and several other brown rot fungi was of particular interest because these organisms were not previously shown to produce laccases. 36 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Basidiomycetes Associated with Decay of Living Oak Trees

Treesearch

Frederick H. Berry; Frances F. Lombard

1978-01-01

Thirty-one identified species of wood-rotting hymenomycetes were associated with decay and cull in upland oak stands in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio. Seven of these species produced brown rots that accounted for a volume loss of approximately 381 ft3 in the trees sampled. The remaining species produced white rots that were...

Aggregation and feeding behavior of the formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) on wood decayed by three species of wood rot fungi

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aggregation and feeding behavior of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, was evaluated on wood decayed by three species of fungus that use different enzymatic pathways to degrade lignocellulose, the brown rot fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum and two white rot fungi, Phanero...

Fungal biodegradation of lignopolystyrene graft copolymers. [Pleurotus ostreatus; Phanerochaete chrysosporium; Trametes versicolor; Gloeophyllum trabeum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Milstein, O.; Gersonde, R.; Huttermann, A.

1992-10-01

White rot basidiomycetes were able to biodegrade styrene (1-phenylethene) graft copolymers of lignin containing different proportions of lignin and polystyrene (poly(1-phenylethylene)). The biodegradation tests were run on lignin-styrene copolymerization products which contained 10.3, 32.2, and 50.4{percent} (wt/wt) lignin. The polymer samples were incubated with the white rot fungi Pleurotus ostreatus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and Trametes versicolor and the brown rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum. White rot fungi degraded the plastic samples at a rate which increased with increasing lignin content in the copolymer sample. Both polystyrene and lignin components of the copolymer were readily degraded. Polystyrene pellets were not degradable in thesemore » tests. Degradation was verified for both incubated and control samples by weight loss, quantitative UV spectrophotometric analysis of both lignin and styrene residues, scanning electron microscopy of the plastic surface, and the presence of enzymes active in degradation during incubation. Brown rot fungus did not affect any of the plastics. White rot fungi produced and secreted oxidative enzymes associated with lignin degradation in liquid media during incubation with lignin-polystyrene copolymer.« less

The fungus that came in from the cold: dry rot's pre-adapted ability to invade buildings.

PubMed

Balasundaram, S V; Hess, J; Durling, M B; Moody, S C; Thorbek, L; Progida, C; LaButti, K; Aerts, A; Barry, K; Grigoriev, I V; Boddy, L; Högberg, N; Kauserud, H; Eastwood, D C; Skrede, I

2018-03-01

Many organisms benefit from being pre-adapted to niches shaped by human activity, and have successfully invaded man-made habitats. One such species is the dry rot fungus Serpula lacrymans, which has a wide distribution in buildings in temperate and boreal regions, where it decomposes coniferous construction wood. Comparative genomic analyses and growth experiments using this species and its wild relatives revealed that S. lacrymans evolved a very effective brown rot decay compared to its wild relatives, enabling an extremely rapid decay in buildings under suitable conditions. Adaptations in intracellular transport machineries promoting hyphal growth, and nutrient and water transport may explain why it is has become a successful invader of timber in houses. Further, we demonstrate that S. lacrymans has poor combative ability in our experimental setup, compared to other brown rot fungi. In sheltered indoor conditions, the dry rot fungus may have limited encounters with other wood decay fungi compared to its wild relatives. Overall, our analyses indicate that the dry rot fungus is an ecological specialist with poor combative ability against other fungi.

Phylogenetic and population analyses of the invasive brown root-rot pathogen (Phellinus noxius) highlight the existence of at least two distinct populations

Treesearch

J. E. Stewart; N. Sahashi; T. Hattori; M. Akiba; Y. Ota; L. Shuey; R. L. Schlub; N. Atibalentia; F. Brooks; A. M. C. Tang; R. Y. C. Lam; M. W. K. Leung; L. M. Chu; H. S. Kwan; A. Mohd Farid; S. S. Lee; C. -L. Chung; H. -H. Lee; Y.- C. Huang; R. -F. Liou; J. -N. Tsai; P. G. Cannon; J. W. Hanna; N. B. Klopfenstein; M. -S. Kim

2017-01-01

Phellinus noxius (Corner) G. H. Cunn is a vastly destructive, fast-growing pathogen that affects a wide range of woody hosts in pan-tropical areas, including Asia, Australia, Africa, and Oceania (Ann et al. 2002). This invasive pathogen causes brown root-rot disease on cacao, coffee, and rubber, as well as diverse fruit, nut, ornamental, and other native/exotic trees,...

The Paleozoic origin of enzymatic mechanisms for lignin degradation reconstructed using 31 fungal genomes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Floudas, Dimitrios; Binder, Manfred; Riley, Robert

Wood is a major pool of organic carbon that is highly resistant to decay, owing largely to the presence of lignin. The only organisms capable of substantial lignin decay are white rot fungi in the Agaricomycetes, which also contains non?lignin-degrading brown rot and ectomycorrhizal species. Comparative analyses of 31 fungal genomes (12 generated for this study) suggest that lignin-degrading peroxidases expanded in the lineage leading to the ancestor of the Agaricomycetes, which is reconstructed as a white rot species, and then contracted in parallel lineages leading to brown rot and mycorrhizal species. Molecular clock analyses suggest that the origin ofmore » lignin degradation might have coincided with the sharp decrease in the rate of organic carbon burial around the end of the Carboniferous period.« less

Two different PCR approaches for universal diagnosis of brown rot and identification of Monilinia spp. in stone fruit trees.

PubMed

Gell, I; Cubero, J; Melgarejo, P

2007-12-01

To design a protocol for the universal diagnosis of brown rot by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in plant material and subsequently Monilinia spp. identification. Primers for discrimination of Monilinia spp. from other fungal genera by PCR were designed following a ribosomal DNA analysis. Discrimination among species of Monilinia was subsequently achieved by developing primers using SCAR (Sequence Characterised Amplified Region) markers obtained after a random amplified polymorphic DNA study. In addition, an internal control (IC) based on the utilization of a mimic plasmid was designed to be used in the diagnostic protocol of brown rot to recognize false negatives due to the inhibition of PCR. The four sets of primers designed allowed detection and discrimination of all Monilinia spp. causing brown rot in fruit trees. Addition of an IC in each PCR reaction performed increased the reliability of the diagnostic protocol. The detection protocol presented here, that combined a set of universal primers and the inclusion of the plasmid pGMON as an IC for diagnosis of all Monilinia spp., and three sets of primers to discriminate the most important species of Monilinia, could be an useful and valuable tool for epidemiological studies. The method developed could be used in programmes to avoid the spread and introduction of this serious disease in new areas.

A survey of genes encoding H2O2-producing GMC oxidoreductases in 10 Polyporales genomes.

PubMed

Ferreira, Patricia; Carro, Juan; Serrano, Ana; Martínez, Angel T

2015-01-01

The genomes of three representative Polyporales (Bjerkandera adusta, Phlebia brevispora and a member of the Ganoderma lucidum complex) recently were sequenced to expand our knowledge on the diversity and distribution of genes involved in degradation of plant polymers in this Basidiomycota order, which includes most wood-rotting fungi. Oxidases, including members of the glucose-methanol-choline (GMC) oxidoreductase superfamily, play a central role in the above degradative process because they generate extracellular H2O2 acting as the ultimate oxidizer in both white-rot and brown-rot decay. The survey was completed by analyzing the GMC genes in the available genomes of seven more species to cover the four Polyporales clades. First, an in silico search for sequences encoding members of the aryl-alcohol oxidase, glucose oxidase, methanol oxidase, pyranose oxidase, cellobiose dehydrogenase and pyranose dehydrogenase families was performed. The curated sequences were subjected to an analysis of their evolutionary relationships, followed by estimation of gene duplication/reduction history during fungal evolution. Second, the molecular structures of the near one hundred GMC oxidoreductases identified were modeled to gain insight into their structural variation and expected catalytic properties. In contrast to ligninolytic peroxidases, whose genes are present in all white-rot Polyporales genomes and absent from those of brown-rot species, the H2O2-generating oxidases are widely distributed in both fungal types. This indicates that the GMC oxidases provide H2O2 for both ligninolytic peroxidase activity (in white-rot decay) and Fenton attack on cellulose (in brown-rot decay), after the transition between both decay patterns in Polyporales occurred. © 2015 by The Mycological Society of America.

SEM study of the effects of bacteria and yeasts on wood decay by brown and white-rot fungi. [Enterobacter, Cryptococcus Pichia, and Saccharomyces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blanchette, R.A.; Shaw, C.G.; Cohen, A.L.

The scanning electron microscope was used to 1) examine the associations among microorganisms during wood decay and 2) observe the effect of these organisms on degradation of cell wall components. Bacteria (Enterobacter) and yeasts (Cryptococcus Pichia, and Saccharomyces) were found to have a mutualistic association with a white-rot fungus during decay of coniferous wood. Coriolus (Polyporus versicolar) degraded cell wall components in a typical ''erosion trough'' manner (i.e., by lysing zones around fungal hyphae). Bacteria and yeasts were seen only in these lysed zones. Typical gross decay patterns caused by the white-rot fungus were unaltered by bacteria and yeasts. Themore » SEM study suggests that the decay process is enhanced when these organisms are associated. In contrast, the same bacteria and yeasts were inhibitory when combined with a brown-rot fungus.« less

Relevance of the main postharvest handling operations on the development of brown rot disease on stone fruits.

PubMed

Bernat, Maria; Segarra, Joan; Casals, Carla; Teixidó, Neus; Torres, Rosario; Usall, Josep

2017-12-01

Brown rot caused by Monilinia spp. is one of the most important postharvest diseases of stone fruit. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of the main postharvest operations of fruit - hydrocooling, cold room, water dump, sorting and cooling tunnel - in the development of M. laxa on peaches and nectarines artificially infected 48, 24 or 2 h before postharvest operations. Commercial hydrocooling operation reduced incidence to 10% in 'Pp 100' nectarine inoculated 2 and 24 h before this operation; however, in 'Fantasia' nectarine incidence was not reduced, although lesion diameter was decreased in all studied varieties. Hydrocooling operation for 10 min and 40 mg L -1 of sodium hypochlorite reduced brown rot incidence by 50-77% in nectarines inoculated 2 h before operation; however, in peach varieties it was not reduced. Water dump operation showed reduction of incidence on nectarine infected 2 h before immersion for 30 s in clean water at 4 °C and 40 mg L -1 sodium hypochlorite; however, in peach varieties it was not reduced. Cold room, sorting and cooling tunnel operation did not reduce brown rot incidence. From all studied handling operations on stone fruit packing houses, hydrocooling is the most relevant in the development of brown rot disease. Duration of the treatment seems to be more important than chlorine concentration. In addition, hydrocooling and water dump were less relevant in peaches than in nectarines. As a general trend, hydrocooling and water dump reduced incidence on fruit with recent infections (2 or 24 h before operation); however, when infections have been established (48 h before operation) diseases were not reduced. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Temporal Occurrence and Niche Preferences of Phytophthora spp. Causing Brown Rot of Citrus in the Central Valley of California.

PubMed

Hao, Wei; Miles, Timothy D; Martin, Frank N; Browne, Gregory T; Förster, Helga; Adaskaveg, James E

2018-03-01

Brown rot of citrus fruit is caused by several species of Phytophthora and is currently of serious concern for the California citrus industry. Two species, Phytophthora syringae and P. hibernalis, are quarantine pathogens in China, a major export market for California citrus. To maintain trade and estimate the risk of exporting a quarantine pathogen, the distribution and frequency of Phytophthora spp. causing brown rot of orange in major growing areas of California was investigated. Symptomatic fruit were collected from navel (winter to late spring) and Valencia (late spring to summer) orange orchards from 2013 to 2015. Species identification of isolates was based on morphological characteristics, random amplified polymorphic DNA banding patterns, and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer and the partial cox2/spacer/cox1 regions from axenic cultures, or directly on DNA from fruit tissue using a multiplex TaqMan quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. In winter samplings, the incidence of P. syringae based on the number of fruit with Phytophthora spp. detection ranged from 73.6 to 96.1% for the two counties surveyed. The remaining isolates were identified as P. citrophthora. In late spring or summer, only P. citrophthora was recovered. P. hibernalis and P. nicotianae were not detected in any fruit with brown rot symptoms. These results indicate that P. syringae is currently an important brown rot pathogen of citrus fruit in California during the cooler seasons of the year. In winter 2016 and 2017, P. syringae was recovered by pear baiting at a high incidence from leaf litter and from a small number of rhizosphere soil or root samples but not from living leaves on the tree. In contrast, P. citrophthora was rarely found in leaf litter but was commonly detected in the rhizosphere. Thus, leaf litter is a major inoculum source for P. syringae and this species occupies a distinct ecological niche.

Pathogen profile update: Fusarium oxysporum.

PubMed

Michielse, Caroline B; Rep, Martijn

2009-05-01

Kingdom Fungi; Phylum Ascomycota; Class Sordariomycetes; Order Hypocreales; Family Nectriaceae; genus Fusarium. Very broad at the species level. More than 120 different formae speciales have been identified based on specificity to host species belonging to a wide range of plant families. Initial symptoms of vascular wilt include vein clearing and leaf epinasty, followed by stunting, yellowing of the lower leaves, progressive wilting, defoliation and, finally, death of the plant. On fungal colonization, the vascular tissue turns brown, which is clearly visible in cross-sections of the stem. Some formae speciales are not primarily vascular pathogens, but cause foot and root rot or bulb rot. Can cause severe losses in many vegetables and flowers, field crops, such as cotton, and plantation crops, such as banana, date palm and oil palm. Use of resistant varieties is the only practical measure for controlling the disease in the field. In glasshouses, soil sterilization can be performed. http://www.broad.mit.edu/annotation/genome/fusarium_group/MultiHome.html; http://www.fgsc.net/Fusarium/fushome.htm; http://www.phi-base.org/query.php

Fungal decay resistance of wood reacted with phosphorus pentoxide-amine system

Treesearch

Hong-Lin Lee; George C. Chen; Roger M. Rowell

2004-01-01

Resistance of wood reacted in situ with phosphorus pentoxide-amine to the brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum and white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor was examined. Wood reacted with either octyl, tribromo, or nitro derivatives were more resistant to both fungi. Threshold retention values of phosphoramide-reacted wood to white-rot fungus T. versicolor ranged from 2.9...

Effects of fungal degradation on the CuO oxidation products of lignin: A controlled laboratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hedges, John I.; Blanchette, Robert A.; Weliky, Karen; Devol, Allan H.

1988-11-01

Duplicate samples of birch wood were degraded for 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks by the white-rot fungus, Phlebia tremellosus, and for 12 weeks by 6 other white-rot and brown-rot fungi. P. tremellosus caused progressive weight losses and increased the H/C and O/C of the remnant wood by preferentially degrading the lignin component of the middle lamellae. This fungus increased the absolute (weight loss-corrected) yield of the vanillic acid CuO reaction product above its initial level and exponentially decreased the absolute yields of all other lignin-derived phenols. Total yields of syringyl phenols were decreased 1.5 times as fast as total vanillyl phenol yields. Within both phenol families, aldehyde precursors were degraded faster than precursors of the corresponding ketones, which were obtained in constant proportion to the total phenol yield. Although two other white-rot fungi caused similar lignin compositional trends, a fourth white-rot species, Coriolus versicolor, simultaneously eroded all cell wall components and did not concentrate polysaccharides in the remnant wood. Wood degraded by the three brown-rot fungi exhibited porous cell walls with greatly reduced integrity. The brown-rot fungi also preferentially attacked syringyl structural units, but degraded all phenol precursors at a much slower rate than the white-rotters and did not produce excess vanillic acid. Degradation by P. tremellosus linearly increased the vanillic acid/vanillin ratio, (Ad/Al)v, of the remnant birch wood throughout the 12 week degradation study and exponentially decreased the absolute yields of total vanillyl phenols, total syringyl phenols and the syringyl/vanillyl phenol ratio, S/V. At the highest (Ad/Al)v of 0.50 (12 week samples), total yields of syringyl and vanillyl phenols were decreased by 65% and 80%, respectively, with a resulting reduction of 40% in the original S/V. Many of the diagenetically related compositional trends that have been previously reported for lignins in natural environments can be explained by white-rot fungal degradation.

The plant cell wall--decomposing machinery underlies the functional diversity of forest fungi

Treesearch

Daniel C. Eastwood; Dimitrios Floudas; Manfred Binder; Andrzej Majcherczyk; Patrick Schneider; Andrea Aerts; Fred O. Asiegbu; Scott E. Baker; Kerrie Barry; Mika Bendiksby; Melanie Blumentritt; Pedro M. Coutinho; Dan Cullen; Ronald P. de Vries; Allen Gathman; Barry Goodell; Bernard Henrissat; Katarina Ihrmark; Havard Kauserud; Annegret Kohler; Kurt LaButti; Alla Lapidus; Jose L. Lavin; Yong-Hwan Lee; Erika Lindquist; Walt Lilly; Susan Lucas; Emmanuelle Morin; Claude Murat; Jose A. Oguiza; Jongsun Park; Antonio G. Pisabarro; Robert Riley; Anna Rosling; Asaf Salamov; Olaf Schmidt; Jeremy Schmutz; Inger Skrede; Jan Stenlid; Ad Wiebenga; Xinfeng Xie; Ursula Kues; David S. Hibbett; Dirk Hoffmeister; Nils Hogberg; Francis Martin; Igor V. Grigoriev; Sarah C. Watkinson

2011-01-01

Brown rot decay removes cellulose and hemicelluloses from wood, residual lignin contributing up to 30% of forest soil carbon, and is derived from an ancestral white rot saprotrophy where both lignin and cellulose are decomposed. Comparative and functional genomics of the “dry rot” fungus Serpula lacrymans, derived from forest ancestors, demonstrated that the evolution...

Fine-Scale Genetic Structure of Monilinia fructicola During Brown Rot Epidemics Within Individual Peach Tree Canopies.

PubMed

Everhart, S E; Scherm, H

2015-04-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the fine-scale genetic structure of populations of the brown rot pathogen Monilinia fructicola within individual peach tree canopies to better understand within-tree plant pathogen diversity and to complement previous work on spatiotemporal development of brown rot disease at the canopy level. Across 3 years in a total of six trees, we monitored disease development, collected isolates from every M. fructicola symptom during the course of the season, and created high-resolution three-dimensional maps of all symptom and isolate locations within individual canopies using an electromagnetic digitizer. Each canopy population (65 to 173 isolates per tree) was characterized using a set of 13 microsatellite markers and analyzed for evidence of spatial genetic autocorrelation among isolates during the epidemic phase of the disease. Results showed high genetic diversity (average uh=0.529) and high genotypic diversity (average D=0.928) within canopies. The percentage of unique multilocus genotypes within trees was greater for blossom blight isolates (78.2%) than for fruit rot isolates (51.3%), indicating a greater contribution of clonal reproduction during the preharvest epidemic. For fruit rot isolates, between 54.2 and 81.7% of isolates were contained in one to four dominant clonal genotypes per tree having at least 10 members. All six fruit rot populations showed positive and significant spatial genetic autocorrelation for distance classes between 0.37 and 1.48 m. Despite high levels of within-tree pathogen diversity, the contribution of locally available inoculum combined with short-distance dispersal is likely the main factor generating clonal population foci and associated spatial genetic clustering within trees.

Effect of Preservative Pretreatment on the Biological Durability of Corn Straw Fiber/HDPE Composites.

PubMed

Xuan, Lihui; Hui, Dongxue; Cheng, Wanli; Wong, Andrew H H; Han, Guangping; Tan, Wei Khong; Tawi, Carlson A D

2017-07-12

The effects of alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) and zinc borate (ZB) on the resistance of corn stalk fiber (CSF)-reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites to biodegradation were examined. Both biocides could inhibit termites, mold fungi, and wood-decay fungi, even at high CSF formulations (i.e., 60%). Additionally, ACQ enhanced the resistance of the composite materials to certain biotic stresses better than ZB. The CSF/HDPE composites treated with ACQ at the 3.0% level exhibited a superior performance against termites, white rot fungi, and brown rot fungi. ACQ treatment at the 1% level was optimal for inhibiting soft rot fungi. Furthermore, mold growth was not observed on ACQ-treated CSF/HDPE samples. The untreated CSF/HDPE composites were more susceptible to mold infections and decay than the untreated poplar/HDPE composites, likely because of an incomplete removal of the pith. The chemical features of the corn stalk may also have influenced these differences, but this possibility will need to be explored in future investigations. Furthermore, the CSF component of CSF/HDPE composites is highly susceptible to fungal attacks, with the soft rot fungus inducing the largest mass losses, followed by the white rot fungus, and then the brown rot fungus.

Effect of Preservative Pretreatment on the Biological Durability of Corn Straw Fiber/HDPE Composites

PubMed Central

Xuan, Lihui; Hui, Dongxue; Cheng, Wanli; Wong, Andrew H. H.; Han, Guangping; Tan, Wei Khong; Tawi, Carlson A. D.

2017-01-01

The effects of alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) and zinc borate (ZB) on the resistance of corn stalk fiber (CSF)-reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites to biodegradation were examined. Both biocides could inhibit termites, mold fungi, and wood-decay fungi, even at high CSF formulations (i.e., 60%). Additionally, ACQ enhanced the resistance of the composite materials to certain biotic stresses better than ZB. The CSF/HDPE composites treated with ACQ at the 3.0% level exhibited a superior performance against termites, white rot fungi, and brown rot fungi. ACQ treatment at the 1% level was optimal for inhibiting soft rot fungi. Furthermore, mold growth was not observed on ACQ-treated CSF/HDPE samples. The untreated CSF/HDPE composites were more susceptible to mold infections and decay than the untreated poplar/HDPE composites, likely because of an incomplete removal of the pith. The chemical features of the corn stalk may also have influenced these differences, but this possibility will need to be explored in future investigations. Furthermore, the CSF component of CSF/HDPE composites is highly susceptible to fungal attacks, with the soft rot fungus inducing the largest mass losses, followed by the white rot fungus, and then the brown rot fungus. PMID:28773150

Combination of antagonistic yeasts with two food additives for control of brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola on sweet cherry fruit.

PubMed

Qin, G Z; Tian, S P; Xu, Y; Chan, Z L; Li, B Q

2006-03-01

To evaluate beneficial effect of two food additives, ammonium molybdate (NH4-Mo) and sodium bicarbonate (NaBi), on antagonistic yeasts for control of brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola in sweet cherry fruit under various storage conditions. The mechanisms of action by which food additives enhance the efficacy of antagonistic yeasts were also evaluated. Biocontrol activity of Pichia membranefaciens and Cryptococcus laurentii against brown rot in sweet cherry fruit was improved by addition of 5 mmol l(-1) NH4-Mo or 2% NaBi when stored in air at 20 and 0 degrees C, and in controlled atmosphere (CA) storage with 10% O2 + 10% CO2 at 0 degrees C. Population dynamics of P. membranefaciens in the wounds of fruit were inhibited by NH4-Mo at 20 degrees C after 1 day of incubation and growth of C. laurentii was inhibited by NH4-Mo at 0 degrees C in CA storage after 60 days. In contrast, NaBi did not significantly influence growth of the two yeasts in fruit wounds under various storage conditions except that the growth of P. membranefaciens was stimulated after storage for 45 days at 0 degrees C in CA storage. When used alone, the two additives showed effective control of brown rot in sweet cherry fruit and the efficacy was closely correlated with the concentrations used. The result of in vitro indicated that growth of M. fructicola was significantly inhibited by NH4-Mo and NaBi. Application of additives improved biocontrol of brown rot on sweet cherry fruit under various storage conditions. It is postulated that the enhancement of disease control is directly because of the inhibitory effects of additives on pathogen growth, and indirectly because of the relatively little influence of additives on the growth of antagonistic yeasts. The results obtained in this study suggest that an integration of NH4-Mo or NaBi with biocontrol agents has great potential in commercial management of postharvest diseases of fruit.

Localizing gene regulation reveals a staggered wood decay mechanism for the brown rot fungus Postia placenta

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Jiwei; Presley, Gerald N.; Hammel, Kenneth E.

The fungi that cause brown rot of wood are essential contributors to biomass recycling in forest ecosystems. Their highly efficient cellulolytic systems, which may have practical applications, apparently depend on a combination of two mechanisms: nonselective oxidation of the lignocellulose by reactive oxygen species (ROS) coupled with hydrolysis of the polysaccharide components by a limited set of glycoside hydrolases (GHs). Since the production of strongly oxidizing ROS appears incompatible with the operation of GHs, it has been proposed that the fungi regulate ROS production by maintaining concentration gradients of the chelated metal ions they use to generate extracellular oxidants. However,more » calculations have indicated that this protective mechanism is physically infeasible. We examined a different hypothesis, that expression of ROS and GH components is temporally staggered by brown rot fungi in wood. We sectioned thin wafers of spruce and aspen that had been colonized directionally by Postia placenta and measured expression of relevant genes and some of the encoded enzymes, thus using the spatial distribution of fungal hyphae to resolve a fine-scale temporal sequence. Hierarchical clustering of gene expression for eight oxidoreductases thought to have a role in ROS production and of eight GHs revealed a zone of oxidoreductase upregulation at the hyphal front that persisted about 48 h before upregulation of the GHs. Additional evidence for differential expression was provided by localization of endoglucanase, xylanase, mannanase, and laccase activities in the colonized wood. Our results support a two-step mechanism for brown rot, in which substrate oxidation precedes enzymatic hydrolysis.« less

Localizing gene regulation reveals a staggered wood decay mechanism for the brown rot fungus Postia placenta

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Jiwei; Presley, Gerald N.; Hammel, Kenneth E.; ...

2016-09-12

The fungi that cause brown rot of wood are essential contributors to biomass recycling in forest ecosystems. Their highly efficient cellulolytic systems, which may have practical applications, apparently depend on a combination of two mechanisms: nonselective oxidation of the lignocellulose by reactive oxygen species (ROS) coupled with hydrolysis of the polysaccharide components by a limited set of glycoside hydrolases (GHs). Since the production of strongly oxidizing ROS appears incompatible with the operation of GHs, it has been proposed that the fungi regulate ROS production by maintaining concentration gradients of the chelated metal ions they use to generate extracellular oxidants. However,more » calculations have indicated that this protective mechanism is physically infeasible. We examined a different hypothesis, that expression of ROS and GH components is temporally staggered by brown rot fungi in wood. We sectioned thin wafers of spruce and aspen that had been colonized directionally by Postia placenta and measured expression of relevant genes and some of the encoded enzymes, thus using the spatial distribution of fungal hyphae to resolve a fine-scale temporal sequence. Hierarchical clustering of gene expression for eight oxidoreductases thought to have a role in ROS production and of eight GHs revealed a zone of oxidoreductase upregulation at the hyphal front that persisted about 48 h before upregulation of the GHs. Additional evidence for differential expression was provided by localization of endoglucanase, xylanase, mannanase, and laccase activities in the colonized wood. Our results support a two-step mechanism for brown rot, in which substrate oxidation precedes enzymatic hydrolysis.« less

Antagonistic activities of volatiles produced by two Bacillus strains against Monilinia fructicola in peach fruit.

PubMed

Liu, Chang; Yin, Xiaohui; Wang, Qingguo; Peng, Yong; Ma, Yurong; Liu, Pei; Shi, Jingying

2018-05-13

Brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola is one of most serious diseases of postharvest peach fruit. The objective of this study was to select effective antagonistic bacteria against M. fructicola and evaluate the effects of these strains against brown rot. Four bacterial strains producing inhibitory volatile gas against M. fructicola were isolated from the peach rhizosphere soil. The volatiles produced by 12a (Bacillus vallismortis) and 14b (B. altitudinis) showed considerable antagonistic activities. M. fructicola showed 80.3 % and 68.4 % of mycelial growth inhibitions and cell damage in the presence of strains 12a and 14b. The inhibition rate of brown rot in peach fruit fumigated with the culture solution of 12a or 14b reached 77.1 % and 50.0 %. The volatile compounds produced by 12a and 14b were identified according to the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Among them, 6-methyl-2-heptanone and 2-pentylfuran completely inhibited mycelial growth at 100 μL L -1 concentration. Cedrol showed strong inhibitory activity against mycelial growth at 100 μg L -1 and isodecyl methacrylate inhibited growth at high concentration. The inhibition rate of the 50 μL L -1 artificial mixture of these four volatiles was 59.3 % in vitro. These results indicate the two antagonistic bacteria and some volatiles produced by them have potential value in controlling brown rot in harvested peach fruit. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Wood decay: a submicroscopic view

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blanchette, R.A.

1980-01-01

Typical patterns of decay in softwoods are shown by ultrastructural differences revealed by SEM. Illustrative micrographs are reproduced showing fungi and their effects. Brown rot fungi (e.g. Fomitopsis pinicolor) degrade cellulose leaving a lignin skeleton. White rot fungi (e.g. Coriolus versicolor and Hirschioporus abietinus) degrade both lignin and cellulose. White pocket rots (e.g. Phellinus pini) primarily degrade lignin; they have potential for use in paper making, or the production of animal feed.

Hymenochaetales: a molecular phylogeny for the hymenochaetoid clade

Treesearch

Karl-Henrik Larsson; Erast Parmasto; Michael Fischer; Ewald Langer; Karen K. Nakasone; Scott A. Redhead

2006-01-01

The hymenochaetoid clade is dominated by wood-decaying species previously classified in the artificial families Corticiaceae, Polyporaceae and Stereaceae. The majority of these species cause a white rot. The polypore Bridgeoporus and several corticioid species with inconspicuous basidiomata live in association with brown-rotted wood, but their nutritional strategy is...

Trichoderma rot on ‘Fallglo’ Tangerine Fruit

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In September 2009, brown rot symptoms were observed on ‘Fallglo’ fruit after 7 weeks of storage. Fourteen days prior to harvest, fruit were treated by dipping into one of four different fungicide solutions. Control fruit were dipped in tap water. After harvest, the fruit were degreened with 5 ppm et...

Evaluation of Fungal Deterioration in Liquidambar orientalis Mill. heartwood by FT-IR and light microscopy.

Treesearch

Nural Yilgor; Dilek Dogu; Roderquita Moore; Evren Terzi; S. Nami Kartal

2013-01-01

The chemical and morphological changes in heartwood specimens of Liquidambar orientalis Mill. caused by the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor and the brown-rot fungi Tyromyces palustris and Gloeophyllum trabeum were studied by wet chemistry, FT-IR, GC-MS analyses, and photo-...

An insight into spore dispersal of Ganoderma boninense on oil palm.

PubMed

Sanderson, F R

2005-01-01

The disease of oil palm caused by Ganoderma boninense, although universally referred to as Ganoderma basal stem rot, occurs in three very distinct phases, with basal stem rot only part of the disease cycle. G. boninense also causes a seedling disease and an upper stem rot. An understanding of spore dispersal provides an insight into where spores of G. boninense have a role in the infection process. This role will be discussed in relation to each of these three infection phases. This understanding is a critical component of developing a successful disease control strategy.

Draft genome resources for the phytopathogenic fungi Monilinia fructicola, M. fructigena, M. polystroma and M. laxa, the causal agents of brown rot.

PubMed

Rivera, Yazmin; Zeller, Kurt; Srivastava, Subodh K; Sutherland, Jeremy; Galvez, Marco E; Nakhla, Mark K; Poniatowska, Anna; Schnabel, Guido; Sundin, George W; Abad, Gloria

2018-05-03

Fungi in the genus Monilinia are known to cause devastating brown rot disease of stone and pome fruits. Here, we report the draft genome assemblies of four important phytopathogenic species: Monilinia fructicola, Monilinia fructigena, Monilinia polystroma, and Monilinia laxa. The draft genome assemblies were 39 Mb (M. fructigena), 42 Mb (M. laxa), 43 Mb (M. fructicola), and 45 Mb (M. polystroma) with as few as 550 contigs (M. laxa). These are the first draft genome resources publicly available for M. laxa, M. fructigena, and M. polystroma.

Response of the Andean diversity panel to root rot in a root rot nursery in Puerto Rico

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Andean Diversity Panel (ADP) was evaluated under low-fertility and root rot conditions in two trials conducted in 2013 and 2015 in Isabela, Puerto Rico. About 246 ADP lines were evaluated in the root rot nursery with root rot and stem diseases caused predominantly by Fusarium solani, which cause...

Rice-Infecting Pseudomonas Genomes Are Highly Accessorized and Harbor Multiple Putative Virulence Mechanisms to Cause Sheath Brown Rot.

PubMed

Quibod, Ian Lorenzo; Grande, Genelou; Oreiro, Eula Gems; Borja, Frances Nikki; Dossa, Gerbert Sylvestre; Mauleon, Ramil; Cruz, Casiana Vera; Oliva, Ricardo

2015-01-01

Sheath rot complex and seed discoloration in rice involve a number of pathogenic bacteria that cannot be associated with distinctive symptoms. These pathogens can easily travel on asymptomatic seeds and therefore represent a threat to rice cropping systems. Among the rice-infecting Pseudomonas, P. fuscovaginae has been associated with sheath brown rot disease in several rice growing areas around the world. The appearance of a similar Pseudomonas population, which here we named P. fuscovaginae-like, represents a perfect opportunity to understand common genomic features that can explain the infection mechanism in rice. We showed that the novel population is indeed closely related to P. fuscovaginae. A comparative genomics approach on eight rice-infecting Pseudomonas revealed heterogeneous genomes and a high number of strain-specific genes. The genomes of P. fuscovaginae-like harbor four secretion systems (Type I, II, III, and VI) and other important pathogenicity machinery that could probably facilitate rice colonization. We identified 123 core secreted proteins, most of which have strong signatures of positive selection suggesting functional adaptation. Transcript accumulation of putative pathogenicity-related genes during rice colonization revealed a concerted virulence mechanism. The study suggests that rice-infecting Pseudomonas causing sheath brown rot are intrinsically diverse and maintain a variable set of metabolic capabilities as a potential strategy to occupy a range of environments.

Tobacco leaf spot and root rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kühn.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Marleny; Pujol, Merardo; Metraux, Jean-Pierre; Gonzalez-Garcia, Vicente; Bolton, Melvin D; Borrás-Hidalgo, Orlando

2011-04-01

Rhizoctonia solani Kühn is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes disease in a wide range of plants worldwide. Strains of the fungus are traditionally grouped into genetically isolated anastomosis groups (AGs) based on hyphal anastomosis reactions. This article summarizes aspects related to the infection process, colonization of the host and molecular mechanisms employed by tobacco plants in resistance against R. solani diseases. Teleomorph: Thanatephorus cucumeris (Frank) Donk; anamorph: Rhizoctonia solani Kühn; Kingdom Fungi; Phylum Basidiomycota; Class Agaricomycetes; Order Cantharellales; Family Ceratobasidiaceae; genus Thanatephorus. Somatic hyphae in culture and hyphae colonizing a substrate or host are first hyaline, then buff to dark brown in colour when aging. Hyphae tend to form at right angles at branching points that are usually constricted. Cells lack clamp connections, but possess a complex dolipore septum with continuous parenthesomes and are multinucleate. Hyphae are variable in size, ranging from 3 to 17 µm in diameter. Although the fungus does not produce any conidial structure, ellipsoid to globose, barrel-shaped cells, named monilioid cells, 10-20 µm wide, can be produced in chains and can give rise to sclerotia. Sclerotia are irregularly shaped, up to 8-10 mm in diameter and light to dark brown in colour. Symptoms in tobacco depend on AG as well as on the tissue being colonized. Rhizoctonia solani AG-2-2 and AG-3 infect tobacco seedlings and cause damping off and stem rot. Rhizoctonia solani AG-3 causes 'sore shin' and 'target spot' in mature tobacco plants. In general, water-soaked lesions start on leaves and extend up the stem. Stem lesions vary in colour from brown to black. During late stages, diseased leaves are easily separated from the plant because of severe wilting. In seed beds, disease areas are typically in the form of circular to irregular patches of poorly growing, yellowish and/or stunted seedlings. Knowledge is scarce regarding the mechanisms associated with resistance to R. solani in tobacco. However, recent evidence suggests a complex response that involves several constitutive factors, as well as induced barriers controlled by multiple defence pathways. This fungus can survive for many years in soil as mycelium, and also by producing sclerotia, which makes the management of the disease using conventional means very difficult. Integrated pest management has been most successful; it includes timely fungicide applications, crop rotation and attention to soil moisture levels. Recent developments in biocontrol may provide other tools to control R. solani in tobacco. © 2010 CIGB. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY © 2010 BSPP AND BLACKWELL PUBLISHING LTD.

GammaScorpion: mobile gamma-ray tomography system for early detection of basal stem rot in oil palm plantations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, Jaafar; Hassan, Hearie; Shari, Mohamad Rabaie; Mohd, Salzali; Mustapha, Mahadi; Mahmood, Airwan Affendi; Jamaludin, Shahrizan; Ngah, Mohd Rosdi; Hamid, Noor Hisham

2013-03-01

Detection of the oil palm stem rot disease Ganoderma is a major issue in estate management and production in Malaysia. Conventional diagnostic techniques are difficult and time consuming when using visual inspection, and destructive and expensive when based on the chemical analysis of root or stem tissue. As an alternative, a transportable gamma-ray computed tomography system for the early detection of basal stem rot (BSR) of oil palms due to Ganoderma was developed locally at the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Kajang, Malaysia. This system produces high quality tomographic images that clearly differentiate between healthy and Ganoderma infected oil palm stems. It has been successfully tested and used to detect the extent of BSR damage in oil palm plantations in Malaysia without the need to cut down the trees. This method offers promise for in situ inspection of oil palm stem diseases compared to the more conventional methods.

Comparative study of fungal deterioration in Liquidambar orientalis mill heartwood extractives

Treesearch

Roderquita K Moore; Doreen Mann; Nural Yilgor

2017-01-01

A comparative study was done on Liquidambar Orientalis Mill heartwood extractive samples. These extractives were collected from wood decay specimens. The objective of the study was to determine the chemical composition of the extractives remaining after exposure to brown rot fungi Tyromyces Palustris and white rot fungi Trametes Vericolor...

Control of wood decay by Trichoderma (Gliocladium virens. I, Antagonistic properties

Treesearch

T. L. Highley

1997-01-01

Antagonistic characteristics of a commercial biofungicide, Trichoderma (Gliocladiurn) virens (GL-21, W. R. Grace and Co., CT), were evaluated against three white-rot fungi, Trametes versicolor, Phlebia brevispora, Irpex lacteus, and three brown-rot fungi, Postia placenta, Neolentinus lepideus, and Gloeophyllum trabeum. In dual cultures of T. virens and wood decay fungi...

Comparative transcriptome and secretome analysis of wood decay fungi Postia placenta and Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Treesearch

Amber J. Vanden Wymelenberg; Jill Gaskell; Michael Mozuch; Grzegorz Sabat; John Ralph; Oleksandr Skyba; Shawn D Mansfield; Robert A. Blanchette; Diego Martinez; Igor Grigoriev; Philip J Kersten; Daniel Cullen

2010-01-01

Cellulose degradation by brown rot fungi, such as Postia placenta, is poorly understood relative to the phylogenetically related white rot basidiomycete, Phanerochaete chrysosporium. To elucidate the number, structure, and regulation of genes involved in lignocellulosic cell wall attack, secretome and transcriptome analyses were performed on both wood decay fungi...

Identification and Differentiation of Monilinia Species Causing Brown Rot of Pome and Stone Fruit using High-Resolution Melting (HRM) Analysis.

PubMed

Papavasileiou, Antonios; Madesis, Panagiotis B; Karaoglanidis, George S

2016-09-01

Brown rot is a devastating disease of stone fruit caused by Monilinia spp. Among these species, Monilinia fructicola is a quarantine pathogen in Europe but has recently been detected in several European countries. Identification of brown rot agents relies on morphological differences or use of molecular methods requiring fungal isolation. The current study was initiated to develop and validate a high-resolution melting (HRM) method for the identification of the Monilinia spp. and for the detection of M. fructicola among other brown rot pathogens. Based on the sequence of the cytb intron from M. laxa, M. fructicola, M. fructigena, M. mumecola, M. linhartiana, and M. yunnanensis isolates originating from several countries, a pair of universal primers for species identification and a pair of primers specific to M. fructicola were designed. The specificity of the primers was verified to ensure against cross-reaction with other fungal species. The melting curve analysis using the universal primers generated six different HRM curve profiles, each one specific for each species. Τhe HRM analysis primers specific to M. fructicola amplified a 120-bp region with a distinct melt profile corresponding to the presence of M. fructicola, regardless of the presence of other species. HRM analysis can be a useful tool for rapid identification and differentiation of the six Monilinia spp. using a single primer pair. This novel assay has the potential for simultaneous identification and differentiation of the closely related Monilinia spp. as well as for the differentiation of M. fructicola from other common pathogens or saprophytes that may occur on the diseased fruit.

Degradation of lindane and endosulfan by fungi, fungal and bacterial laccases.

PubMed

Ulčnik, A; Kralj Cigić, I; Pohleven, F

2013-12-01

The ability of two white-rot fungi (Trametes versicolor and Pleurotus ostreatus) and one brown-rot fungus (Gloeophyllum trabeum) to degrade two organochlorine insecticides, lindane and endosulfan, in liquid cultures was studied and dead fungal biomass was examined for adsorption of both insecticides from liquid medium. Lindane and endosulfan were also treated with fungal laccase and bacterial protein CotA, which has laccase activities. The amount of degraded lindane and endosulfan increased with their exposure period in the liquid cultures of both examined white-rot fungi. Endosulfan was transformed to endosulfan sulphate by T. versicolor and P. ostreatus. A small amount of endosulfan ether was also detected and its origin was examined. Degradation of lindane and endosulfan by a brown rot G. trabeum did not occur. Mycelial biomasses of all examined fungi have been found to adsorb lindane and endosulfan and adsorption onto fungal biomass should therefore be considered as a possible mechanism of pollutant removal when fungal degradation potentials are studied. Bacterial protein CotA performed more efficient degradation of lindane and endosulfan than fungal laccase and has shown potential for bioremediation of organic pollutants.

Managing heart rot in live trees for wildlife habitat in young-growth forests of coastal Alaska

Treesearch

Paul E. Hennon; Robin L. Mulvey

2014-01-01

Stem decays of living trees, known also as heart rots, are essential elements of wildlife habitat, especially for cavity-nesting birds and mammals. Stem decays are common features of old-growth forests of coastal Alaska, but are generally absent in young, managed forests. We offer several strategies for maintaining or restoring fungal stem decay in these managed...

Fungal degradation of wood lignins: Geochemical perspectives from CuO-derived phenolic dimers and monomers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goñi, Miguel A.; Nelson, Bryan; Blanchette, Robert A.; Hedges, John I.

1993-08-01

The elemental compositions and yields of CuO-derived phenol dimers and monomers from woods degraded by different fungi under laboratory and natural conditions were compared to those from undegraded controls. In laboratory experiments, white-rot fungi caused pronounced mass losses, lowered the organic carbon content of the remnant woods, and decreased the absolute carbon-normalized yields of the major classes of lignin phenol dimers and monomers. White-rot decay induced large losses of some CuO reaction products, such as (β,1-diketone and α,l-monoketone dimers and syringyl monomers, and increased the absolute yields of individual acidic reaction products, such as dehydrodivanillic acid, vanillic acid, and 2-syringylsyringic acid. In contrast, the brown-rot fungus, Fomitopsis pinicola, was less efficient in decaying lignin, inducing lower absolute lignin phenol losses and, in some cases, increasing the organic carbon content of remnant woods. Several lignin constituents, mainly carboxyvanillyl monomers and α,2-methyl and α,5-monoketone dimers, were produced during brown-rot degradation. Similar diagenetic trends were also apparent in the five woods collected from the field, suggesting the differences between white- and brown-rot decay are still apparent after more extensive degradation in natural environments. The lignin compositions from a selected set of previously analyzed sedimentary mixtures were generally consistent with the diagenetic trends observed in both laboratory and field samples. In some cases, however, geochemical parameters such as elevated dimer/monomer and carboxyvanillyl/ vanillyl monomer ratios clearly distinguished certain sedimentary lignins. In these samples, other processes, such as extensive fungal decay, bacterial degradation, or a nonwoody vascular plant origin, could be important factors affecting lignin compositions.

Genome, transcriptome, and secretome analysis of wood decay fungus Postia placenta supports unique mechanisms of lignocellulose conversion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martinez, Diego; Challacombe, Jean; Morgenstern, Ingo

2009-02-04

Brown-rot fungi such as Postia placenta are common inhabitants of forest ecosystems and are also largely responsible for the destructive decay of wooden structures. Rapid depolymerization of cellulose is a distinguishing feature of brown-rot, but the biochemical mechanisms and underlying genetics are poorly understood. Systematic examination of the P. placenta genome, transcriptome, and secretome revealed unique extracellular enzyme systems, including an unusual repertoire of extracellular glycoside hydrolases. Genes encoding exocellobiohydrolases and cellulose-binding domains, typical of cellulolytic microbes, are absent in this efficient cellulose-degrading fungus. When P. placenta was grown in media containing cellulose as sole carbon source, transcripts corresponding tomore » many hemicellulases and to a single putative β-1-4 endoglucanase were expressed at high levels relative to glucose grown cultures. These transcript profiles were confirmed by direct identification of peptides by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Also upregulated under cellulolytic culture conditions were putative iron reductases, quinone reductase, and structurally divergent oxidases potentially involved in extracellular generation of Fe(II) and H2O2. These observations are consistent with a biodegradative role for Fenton chemistry in which Fe(II) and H2O2 react to form hydroxyl radicals, highly reactive oxidants capable of depolymerizing cellulose. The P. placenta genome resources provide unparalleled opportunities for investigating such unusual mechanisms of cellulose conversion. More broadly, the genome offers insight into the diversification of lignocellulose degrading mechanisms in fungi. In particular, comparisons between P. placenta and the closely related white-rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium support an evolutionary shift from white-rot to brown-rot during which efficient depolymerization of lignin was lost.« less

Genome, transcriptome, and secretome analysis of wood decay fungus postia placenta supports unique mechanisms of lignocellulose conversion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martinez, Diego; Challacombe, Jean F; Misra, Monica

2008-01-01

Brown-rot fungi such as Postia placenta are common inhabitants of forest ecosystems and are also largely responsible for the destructive decay of wooden structures. Rapid depolymerization of cellulose is a distinguishing feature of brown-rot, but the biochemical mechanisms and underlying genetics are poorly understood. Systematic examination of the P. placenta genome, transcriptome and secretome revealed unique extracellular enzyme systems, including an unusual repertoire of extracellular glycoside hydrolases. Genes encoding exocellobiohydrolases and cellulose-binding domains, typical of cellulolytic microbes, are absent in this efficient cellulose-degrading fungus. When P. placenta was grown in medium containing cellulose as sole carbon source, transcripts corresponding tomore » many hemicellulases and to a single putative {beta}-1-4 endoglucanase were expressed at high levels relative to glucose grown cultures. These transcript profiles were confirmed by direct identification of peptides by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC{center_dot}MSIMS). Also upregulated during growth on cellulose medium were putative iron reductases, quinone reductase, and structurally divergent oxidases potentially involved in extracellular generation of Fe(II) and H202. These observations are consistent with a biodegradative role for Fenton chemistry in which Fe(II) and H202 react to form hydroxyl radicals, highly reactive oxidants capable of depolymerizing cellulose. The P. placenta genome resources provide unparalleled opportunities for investigating such unusual mechanisms of cellulose conversion. More broadly, the genome offers insight into the diversification of lignocellulose degrading mechanisms in fungi. Comparisons to the closely related white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium support an evolutionary shift from white-rot to brown-rot during which the capacity for efficient depolymerization of lignin was lost.« less

Genome, transcriptome, and secretome analysis of wood decay fungus Postia placenta supports unique mechanisms of lignocellulose conversion

PubMed Central

Martinez, Diego; Challacombe, Jean; Morgenstern, Ingo; Hibbett, David; Schmoll, Monika; Kubicek, Christian P.; Ferreira, Patricia; Ruiz-Duenas, Francisco J.; Martinez, Angel T.; Kersten, Phil; Hammel, Kenneth E.; Vanden Wymelenberg, Amber; Gaskell, Jill; Lindquist, Erika; Sabat, Grzegorz; Splinter BonDurant, Sandra; Larrondo, Luis F.; Canessa, Paulo; Vicuna, Rafael; Yadav, Jagjit; Doddapaneni, Harshavardhan; Subramanian, Venkataramanan; Pisabarro, Antonio G.; Lavín, José L.; Oguiza, José A.; Master, Emma; Henrissat, Bernard; Coutinho, Pedro M.; Harris, Paul; Magnuson, Jon Karl; Baker, Scott E.; Bruno, Kenneth; Kenealy, William; Hoegger, Patrik J.; Kües, Ursula; Ramaiya, Preethi; Lucas, Susan; Salamov, Asaf; Shapiro, Harris; Tu, Hank; Chee, Christine L.; Misra, Monica; Xie, Gary; Teter, Sarah; Yaver, Debbie; James, Tim; Mokrejs, Martin; Pospisek, Martin; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Brettin, Thomas; Rokhsar, Dan; Berka, Randy; Cullen, Dan

2009-01-01

Brown-rot fungi such as Postia placenta are common inhabitants of forest ecosystems and are also largely responsible for the destructive decay of wooden structures. Rapid depolymerization of cellulose is a distinguishing feature of brown-rot, but the biochemical mechanisms and underlying genetics are poorly understood. Systematic examination of the P. placenta genome, transcriptome, and secretome revealed unique extracellular enzyme systems, including an unusual repertoire of extracellular glycoside hydrolases. Genes encoding exocellobiohydrolases and cellulose-binding domains, typical of cellulolytic microbes, are absent in this efficient cellulose-degrading fungus. When P. placenta was grown in medium containing cellulose as sole carbon source, transcripts corresponding to many hemicellulases and to a single putative β-1–4 endoglucanase were expressed at high levels relative to glucose-grown cultures. These transcript profiles were confirmed by direct identification of peptides by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Also up-regulated during growth on cellulose medium were putative iron reductases, quinone reductase, and structurally divergent oxidases potentially involved in extracellular generation of Fe(II) and H2O2. These observations are consistent with a biodegradative role for Fenton chemistry in which Fe(II) and H2O2 react to form hydroxyl radicals, highly reactive oxidants capable of depolymerizing cellulose. The P. placenta genome resources provide unparalleled opportunities for investigating such unusual mechanisms of cellulose conversion. More broadly, the genome offers insight into the diversification of lignocellulose degrading mechanisms in fungi. Comparisons with the closely related white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium support an evolutionary shift from white-rot to brown-rot during which the capacity for efficient depolymerization of lignin was lost. PMID:19193860

Huanglongbing increases Diplodia Stem End Rot in Citrus sinensis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Huanglongbing (HLB), one of the most devastating diseases of citrus is caused by the a-Proteobacteria Candidatus Liberibacter. Diplodia natalensis Pole-Evans is a fungal pathogen which has been known to cause a postharvest stem-end rot of citrus, the pathogen infects citrus fruit under the calyx, an...

Efficacy of pinosylvins against white-rot and brown-rot fungi

Treesearch

Catherine C. Celimene; Jessie A. Micales; Leslie Ferge; Raymond A. Young

1999-01-01

Three stilbenes, pinosylvin (PS), pinosylvin monomethyl ether (PSM) and pinosylvin dimethyl ether (PSD), were extracted from white spruce (Picea glauca), jack pine (Pinus banksiana), and red pine (Pinus resinosa) pine cones, and their structures were confirmed by spectroscopic and chromatographic (HPLC, GC/MS, NMR and FTIR) analysis. PS, PSM, PSD or a 1:1:1 mixture of...

Changes in wood microstructure through progressive stages of decay

Treesearch

W. Wayne Wilcox

1968-01-01

Successive stages of decay in the sapwood of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.), a hardwood, and of southern pine (Pinus sp.), a softwood, were observed microscopically. The white-rot fungus. Polyporus versicolor L., and the brown-rot fungus, Poria monticola Murr., were the fungi used or the observations, light microscopy, plus the techniques of polarization and...

Molecular genetics of lignin-degrading fungi and their applications in organopollutant degradation

Treesearch

Daniel Cullen

2002-01-01

This chapter provides an overview of the physiology and associated molecular genetics of wood- decaying fungi as they relate to organopollutant degradation. White-rot fungi are characterized by an ability to fragment all major structural polymers of wood including lignin. More poorly understood are the brown-rot fungi, which rapidly depolymerize cellulosic materials...

Influence of Stenocarpella maydis infected corn on the composition of corn kernel and its conversion into ethanol

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stenocarpella ear rot (formerly Diplodia ear rot) is resurfacing as a concern in the central United States Corn Belt. There are reports of some fields containing more than 50% mummified ears. Ears infected within two weeks of silking may be completely mummified with white to grayish brown mycelium c...

Effects of fungal degradation on the CuO oxidation products of lignin: A controlled laboratory study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hedges, J.I.; Weliky, K.; Devol, A.H.

1988-11-01

Duplicate samples of birch wood were degraded for 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks by the white-rot fungus, Phlebia tremellosus, and for 12 weeks by 6 other white-rot and brown-rot fungi. P. tremellosus caused progressive weight losses and increased the H/C and O/C of the remnant wood by preferentially degrading the lignin component of the middle lamellae. Total yields of syringyl phenols were decreased 1.5 times as fast as total vanillyl phenol yields. Within both phenol families, aldehyde precursors were degraded faster than precursors of the corresponding ketones, which were obtained in constant proportion to the total phenol yield. Althoughmore » two other white-rot fungi caused similar lignin compositional trends, a fourth white-rot species, Coriolus versicolor, simultaneously eroded all cell wall components and did not concentrate polysaccharides in the remnant wood. The brown-rot fungi also preferentially attacked syringyl structural units, but degraded all phenol precursors at a much slower rate than the white-rotters and did not produce excess vanillic acid. Degradation by P. tremellosus linearly increased the vanillic acid/vanillin ratio, (Ad/Al)v, of the remnant birch wood throughout the 12 week degradation study and exponentially decreased the absolute yields of total vanillyl phenols, total syringyl phenols and the syringyl/vanillyl phenol ratio, S/V. At the highest (Ad/Al)v of 0.50 total yields of syringyl and vanillyl phenols were decreased by 65% and 80%, respectively, with a resulting reduction of 40% in the original S/V. Many of the diagenetically related compositional trends that have been previously reported for lignins in natural environments can be explained by white-rot fungal degradation.« less

Fungal Biodegradative Oxidants in Lignocellulose: Fluorescence Mapping and Correlation With Gene Expression

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hammel, Kenneth E.; Ralph, John; Hunt, Christopher G.

This work focused on new methods for the detection of oxidation in natural substrates during the deconstruction of lignocellulose by microoganisms. Oxidation was the focus because all known biological systems that degrade lignin are oxidative. The detection methods involved the used of (a) micrometer-scale beads carrying a fluorescent dye that is sensitive to oxidation, (b) 13C-labeled synthetic lignins whose breakdown products can be assessed using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and (c) a fluorometric stain that is highly sensitive to incipient oxidation during microbial attack. The results showed (a) that one white rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, produces diffusiblemore » oxidants on wood, and that the onset of oxidation is coincident with the marked up-regulation of genes that encode ligninolytic peroxidases and auxiliary oxidative enzymes; (b) that a more selectively ligninolytic white rot fungus, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, produces a highly diastereoselective oxidative system for attack on lignin; (c) that a brown rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans, uses extracellular hydroquinone metabolites to drive the production of lignocellulose-oxidizing free radicals; (d) that both white rot and brown rot fungi produce highly diffusible mild oxidants that modify lignocellulose at the earliest stage of substrate deconstruction; and (e) that lignin degradation in a tropical soil is not inhibited as much as expected during periods of flooding-induced hypoxia, which indicates that unknown mechanisms for attack on lignin remain to be discovered.« less

Fusarium crown rot caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum in cereal crops: recent progress and future prospects.

PubMed

Kazan, Kemal; Gardiner, Donald M

2017-11-04

Diseases caused by Fusarium pathogens inflict major yield and quality losses on many economically important plant species worldwide, including cereals. Fusarium crown rot (FCR), caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum, is a cereal disease that occurs in many arid and semi-arid cropping regions of the world. In recent years, this disease has become more prevalent, in part as a result of the adoption of moisture-preserving cultural practices, such as minimum tillage and stubble retention. In this pathogen profile, we present a brief overview of recent research efforts that have not only advanced our understanding of the interactions between F. pseudograminearum and cereal hosts, but have also provided new disease management options. For instance, significant progress has been made in the genetic characterization of pathogen populations, the development of new tools for disease prediction, and the identification and pyramiding of loci that confer quantitative resistance to FCR in wheat and barley. In addition, transcriptome analyses have revealed new insights into the processes involved in host defence. Significant progress has also been made in understanding the mechanistic details of the F. pseudograminearum infection process. The sequencing and comparative analyses of the F. pseudograminearum genome have revealed novel virulence factors, possibly acquired through horizontal gene transfer. In addition, a conserved pathogen gene cluster involved in the degradation of wheat defence compounds has been identified, and a role for the trichothecene toxin deoxynivalenol (DON) in pathogen virulence has been reported. Overall, a better understanding of cereal host-F. pseudograminearum interactions will lead to the development of new control options for this increasingly important disease problem. Taxonomy: Fusarium pseudograminearum O'Donnell & Aoki; Kingdom Fungi; Phylum Ascomycota; Subphylum Pezizomycotina; Class Sordariomycetes; Subclass Hypocreomycetidae; Order Hypocreales; Family Nectriaceae; Genus Fusarium. Disease symptoms: Fusarium crown rot caused by F. pseudograminearum is also known as crown rot, foot rot and root rot. Infected seedlings can die before or after emergence. If infected seedlings survive, typical disease symptoms are browning of the coleoptile, subcrown internode, lower leaf sheaths and adjacent stems and nodal tissues; this browning can become evident within a few weeks after planting or throughout plant development. Infected plants may develop white heads with no or shrivelled grains. Disease symptoms are exacerbated under water limitation. Identification and detection: Fusarium pseudograminearum macroconidia usually contain three to five septa (22-60.5 × 2.5-5.5 μm). On potato dextrose agar (PDA), aerial mycelia appear floccose and reddish white, with red or reddish-brown reverse pigmentation. Diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests based on the amplification of the gene encoding translation elongation factor-1a (TEF-1a) have been developed for molecular identification. Host range: All major winter cereals can be colonized by F. pseudograminearum. However, the main impact of this pathogen is on bread (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum (Triticum turgidum L. spp. durum (Dest.)) wheat and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Oats (Avena sativa L.) can be infected, but show little or no disease symptoms. In addition, the pathogen has been isolated from various other grass genera, such as Phalaris, Agropyron and Bromus, which may occur as common weeds. Useful websites: https://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/; http://plantpath.psu.edu/facilities/fusarium-research-center; https://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/; http://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/Names.asp. © 2017 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

Response of fusarium thapsinum to sorghum brown midrib lines and to phenolic metabolites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sorghum lines were bred for reduced lignin for cellulosic bioenergy uses, through the incorporation of brown midrib (bmr) bmr6 and/or 12 into two genetic backgrounds, either as single or double mutant lines. When these lines were assessed for resistance to F. thapsinum stalk rot, a cause of lodging,...

Response of fusarium thapsinum to sorghum brown midrib lines and to phenolic metabolites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sorghum lines were bred for reduced lignin for cellulosic bioenergy uses, through the incorporation of brown midrib (bmr) bmr6 and/or 12 into two genetic backgrounds, either as single or double mutant lines. These lines were assessed for resistance to Fusarium thapsinum stalk rot, a cause of lodging...

The Paleozoic Origin of Enzymatic Lignin Decomposition Reconstructed from 31 Fungal Genomes

Treesearch

Dimitrios Floudas; Manfred Binder; Robert Riely; Kerrie Barry; Robert A. Blanchette; Bernard Henrissat; Angel T. Martínez; Robert Otillar; Joseph W. Spatafora; Jagjit S. Yadav; Andrea Aerts; Isabelle Benoit; Alex Boyd; Alexis Carlson; Alex Copeland; Pedro M. Coutinho; Ronald P. deVries; Patricia Ferreira; Keisha Findley; Brian Foster; Jill Gaskell; Dylan Glotzer; Pawe³ Górecki; Joseph Heitman; Cedar Hesse; Chiaki Hori; Kiyohiko Igarashi; Joel A. Jurgens; Nathan Kallen; Phil Kersten; Annegret Kohler; Ursula Kües; T. K. ArunKumar; Alan Kuo; Kurt LaButti; Luis F. Larrondo; Erika Lindquist; Albee Ling; Vincent Lombard; Susan Lucas; Taina Lundell; Rachael Martin; David J. McLaughlin; Ingo Morgenstern; Emanuelle Morin; Claude Murat; Laszlo G. Nagy; Matt Nolan; Robin A. Ohm; Aleksandrina Patyshakuliyeva; Antonis Rokas; Francisco J. Ruiz-Dueñas; Grzegorz Sabat; Asaf Salamov; Masahiro Samejima; Jeremy Schmutz; Jason C. Slot; Franz St. John; Jan Stenlid; Hui Sun; Sheng Sun; Khajamohiddin Syed; Adrian Tsang; Ad Wiebenga; Darcy Young; Antonio Pisabarro; Daniel C. Eastwood; Francis Martin; Dan Cullen; Igor V. Grigoriev; David S. Hibbett

2012-01-01

Wood is a major pool of organic carbon that is highly resistant to decay, owing largely to the presence of lignin. The only organisms capable of substantial lignin decay are white rot fungi in the Agaricomycetes, which also contains non–lignin-degrading brown rot and ectomycorrhizal species. Comparative analyses of 31 fungal genomes (12 generated for this study)...

The application of 13C-labeled tetramethylammonium hydroxide (13C-TMAH) thermochemolysis to study fungal degradation of wood

Treesearch

T.R. Filley; P.G. Hatcher; W.C. Shortle

2000-01-01

This paper presents the results from an assessment of the application of a new molecular analytical procedure, 13C-TMAH thermochemolysis, to study the chemical modification of lignin by white-rot and brown-rot fungi. This technique differs from other molecular chemolysis procedures (e.g. TMAH thermochemolysis and CuO alkaline oxidation) as it...

The Effect of Potassium Nitrate on the Reduction of Phytophthora Stem Rot Disease of Soybeans, the Growth Rate and Zoospore Release of Phytophthora Sojae

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effects of potassium nitrate (KNO3) application on Phytophthora stem rot disease reduction of Glycine max (L.) Merr. cvs. Chusei-Hikarikuro and Sachiyutaka, and fungal growth and zoospore release of a Phytophthora sojae isolate were investigated under laboratory conditions. The application of 4-...

Efficacy of management tools for control of Pythium root rot of Douglas fir seedlings, 2010

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study investigated the efficacy of management tools for control of Pythium root rot of Douglas fir seedlings. This effort was conducted as part of the IR-4 Ornamental Horticulture program to evaluate fungicides and biopesticides for management of root, crown and stem rot of ornamental plants ca...

Comparative genome analysis of Basidiomycete fungi

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riley, Robert; Salamov, Asaf; Henrissat, Bernard

Fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota (basidiomycetes), make up some 37percent of the described fungi, and are important in forestry, agriculture, medicine, and bioenergy. This diverse phylum includes symbionts, pathogens, and saprotrophs including the majority of wood decaying and ectomycorrhizal species. To better understand the genetic diversity of this phylum we compared the genomes of 35 basidiomycetes including 6 newly sequenced genomes. These genomes span extremes of genome size, gene number, and repeat content. Analysis of core genes reveals that some 48percent of basidiomycete proteins are unique to the phylum with nearly half of those (22percent) found in only one organism.more » Correlations between lifestyle and certain gene families are evident. Phylogenetic patterns of plant biomass-degrading genes in Agaricomycotina suggest a continuum rather than a dichotomy between the white rot and brown rot modes of wood decay. Based on phylogenetically-informed PCA analysis of wood decay genes, we predict that that Botryobasidium botryosum and Jaapia argillacea have properties similar to white rot species, although neither has typical ligninolytic class II fungal peroxidases (PODs). This prediction is supported by growth assays in which both fungi exhibit wood decay with white rot-like characteristics. Based on this, we suggest that the white/brown rot dichotomy may be inadequate to describe the full range of wood decaying fungi. Analysis of the rate of discovery of proteins with no or few homologs suggests the value of continued sequencing of basidiomycete fungi.« less

Potential of Wood-Rotting Fungi to Attack Polystyrene Sulfonate and Its Depolymerisation by Gloeophyllum trabeum via Hydroquinone-Driven Fenton Chemistry

PubMed Central

Krueger, Martin C.; Hofmann, Ulrike; Moeder, Monika; Schlosser, Dietmar

2015-01-01

Synthetic polymers often pose environmental hazards due to low biodegradation rates and resulting accumulation. In this study, a selection of wood-rotting fungi representing different lignocellulose decay types was screened for oxidative biodegradation of the polymer polystyrene sulfonate (PSS). Brown-rot basidiomycetes showed PSS depolymerisation of up to 50 % reduction in number-average molecular mass (Mn) within 20 days. In-depth investigations with the most efficient depolymeriser, a Gloeophyllum trabeum strain, pointed at extracellular hydroquinone-driven Fenton chemistry responsible for depolymerisation. Detection of hydroxyl radicals present in the culture supernatants showed good compliance with depolymerisation over the time course of PSS degradation. 2,5-Dimethoxy-1,4-hydroquinone (2,5-DMHQ), which was detected in supernatants of active cultures via liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, was demonstrated to drive the Fenton processes in G. trabeum cultures. Up to 80% reduction in Mn of PSS where observed when fungal cultures were additionally supplemented with 2,5-dimethoxy benzoquinone, the oxidized from of 2,5-DMHQ. Furthermore, 2,5-DMHQ could initiate the Fenton's reagent-mediated PSS depolymerisation in cell-free systems. In contrast, white-rot fungi were unable to cause substantial depolymerising effects despite the expression of lignin-modifying exo-enzymes. Detailed investigations with laccase from Trametes versicolor revealed that only in presence of certain redox mediators limited PSS depolymerisation occurred. Our results indicate that brown-rot fungi might be suitable organisms for the biodegradation of recalcitrant synthetic polymeric pollutants. PMID:26147966

Production of polygalacturonase and increase of longitudinal gas permeability in southern pine by brown-rot and white-rot fungi

Treesearch

Frederick Green; Carol A. Clausen

1999-01-01

Hydrolysis of bordered and pinoid pits may be a key event during colonization of wood by decay fungi. Although pits are numerous, studies of pectin-hydrolyzing enzymes in wood decay fungi are scarce, probably because of the relatively low content (less than 4 %) of pectin in wood and because of the primary focus on understanding the degradation of lignified components...

Draft Genome Sequence of the Phytopathogenic Fungus Ganoderma boninense, the Causal Agent of Basal Stem Rot Disease on Oil Palm

PubMed Central

Tanjung, Zulfikar Achmad; Aditama, Redi; Buana, Rika Fithri Nurani; Pratomo, Antonius Dony Madu; Tryono, Reno; Liwang, Tony

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Ganoderma boninense is the dominant fungal pathogen of basal stem rot (BSR) disease on Elaeis guineensis. We sequenced the nuclear genome of mycelia using both Illumina and Pacific Biosciences platforms for assembly of scaffolds. The draft genome comprised 79.24 Mb, 495 scaffolds, and 26,226 predicted coding sequences. PMID:29700132

A novel, multiplexed, probe-based quantitative PCR assay for the soybean root- and stem-rot pathogen, Phytophthora sojae, utilizes its transposable element

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phytophthora root rot of soybean (Glycine max Merr.) is caused by the oomycete Phytophthora sojae (Kaufm. and Gerd.). P. sojae has a narrow host range, consisting primarily of soybean, and it is a serious pathogen worldwide. It exists in root and stem tissues as mycelium, wherein it can form oospo...

Monilinia Species Causing Brown Rot of Peach in China

PubMed Central

Hu, Meng-Jun; Cox, Kerik D.; Schnabel, Guido; Luo, Chao-Xi

2011-01-01

In this study, 145 peaches and nectarines displaying typical brown rot symptoms were collected from multiple provinces in China. A subsample of 26 single-spore isolates were characterized phylogenetically and morphologically to ascertain species. Phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions 1 and 2, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), β-tubulin (TUB2) revealed the presence of three distinct Monilinia species. These species included Monilinia fructicola, Monilia mumecola, and a previously undescribed species designated Monilia yunnanensis sp. nov. While M. fructicola is a well-documented pathogen of Prunus persica in China, M. mumecola had primarily only been isolated from mume fruit in Japan. Koch's postulates for M. mumecola and M. yunnanensis were fulfilled confirming pathogenicity of the two species on peach. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS, G3PDH, and TUB2 sequences indicated that M. yunnanensis is most closely related to M. fructigena, a species widely prevalent in Europe. Interestingly, there were considerable differences in the exon/intron structure of the cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene between the two species. Morphological characteristics, including spore size, colony morphology, lesion growth rate, and sporulation, support the phylogenetic evidence suggesting the designation of M. yunnanensis as a new species. A new multiplex PCR method was developed to facilitate the detection of M. yunnanensis and differentiation of Monilinia spp. causing brown rot of peach in China. PMID:21980371

Draft Genome Sequence of the Phytopathogenic Fungus Ganoderma boninense, the Causal Agent of Basal Stem Rot Disease on Oil Palm.

PubMed

Utomo, Condro; Tanjung, Zulfikar Achmad; Aditama, Redi; Buana, Rika Fithri Nurani; Pratomo, Antonius Dony Madu; Tryono, Reno; Liwang, Tony

2018-04-26

Ganoderma boninense is the dominant fungal pathogen of basal stem rot (BSR) disease on Elaeis guineensis We sequenced the nuclear genome of mycelia using both Illumina and Pacific Biosciences platforms for assembly of scaffolds. The draft genome comprised 79.24 Mb, 495 scaffolds, and 26,226 predicted coding sequences. Copyright © 2018 Utomo et al.

7 CFR 993.601 - More restrictive grade regulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... condition, end cracks, fermentation, skin or flesh damage, scab, burned, mold, imbedded dirt, insect... value. (2) The combined tolerance allowance for mold, brown rot, imbedded dirt, insect infestation, and...

Thyme and Savory Essential Oil Vapor Treatments Control Brown Rot and Improve the Storage Quality of Peaches and Nectarines, but Could Favor Gray Mold

PubMed Central

Santoro, Karin; Maghenzani, Marco; Chiabrando, Valentina; Gullino, Maria Lodovica; Giacalone, Giovanna

2018-01-01

The effect of biofumigation, through slow-release diffusors, of thyme and savory essential oils (EO), was evaluated on the control of postharvest diseases and quality of peaches and nectarines. EO fumigation was effective in controlling postharvest rots. Naturally contaminated peaches and nectarines were exposed to EO vapors for 28 days at 0 °C in sealed storage cabinets and then exposed at 20 °C for five days during shelf-life in normal atmosphere, simulating retail conditions. Under low disease pressure, most treatments significantly reduced fruit rot incidence during shelf-life, while, under high disease pressure, only vapors of thyme essential oil at the highest concentration tested (10% v/v in the diffusor) significantly reduced the rots. The application of thyme or savory EO favored a reduction of brown rot incidence, caused by Monilinia fructicola, but increased gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea. In vitro tests confirmed that M. fructicola was more sensitive to EO vapors than B. cinerea. Essential oil volatile components were characterized in storage cabinets during postharvest. The antifungal components of the essential oils increased during storage, but they were a low fraction of the volatile organic compounds in storage chambers. EO vapors did not influence the overall quality of the fruit, but showed a positive effect in reducing weight loss and in maintaining ascorbic acid and carotenoid content. The application of thyme and savory essential oil vapors represents a promising tool for reducing postharvest losses and preserving the quality of peaches and nectarines. PMID:29303966

Thyme and Savory Essential Oil Vapor Treatments Control Brown Rot and Improve the Storage Quality of Peaches and Nectarines, but Could Favor Gray Mold.

PubMed

Santoro, Karin; Maghenzani, Marco; Chiabrando, Valentina; Bosio, Pietro; Gullino, Maria Lodovica; Spadaro, Davide; Giacalone, Giovanna

2018-01-05

The effect of biofumigation, through slow-release diffusors, of thyme and savory essential oils (EO), was evaluated on the control of postharvest diseases and quality of peaches and nectarines. EO fumigation was effective in controlling postharvest rots. Naturally contaminated peaches and nectarines were exposed to EO vapors for 28 days at 0 °C in sealed storage cabinets and then exposed at 20 °C for five days during shelf-life in normal atmosphere, simulating retail conditions. Under low disease pressure, most treatments significantly reduced fruit rot incidence during shelf-life, while, under high disease pressure, only vapors of thyme essential oil at the highest concentration tested (10% v / v in the diffusor) significantly reduced the rots. The application of thyme or savory EO favored a reduction of brown rot incidence, caused by Monilinia fructicola , but increased gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea . In vitro tests confirmed that M. fructicola was more sensitive to EO vapors than B. cinerea . Essential oil volatile components were characterized in storage cabinets during postharvest. The antifungal components of the essential oils increased during storage, but they were a low fraction of the volatile organic compounds in storage chambers. EO vapors did not influence the overall quality of the fruit, but showed a positive effect in reducing weight loss and in maintaining ascorbic acid and carotenoid content. The application of thyme and savory essential oil vapors represents a promising tool for reducing postharvest losses and preserving the quality of peaches and nectarines.

Effect of fungal decay on the hygroscopic thickness swelling rate of lignocellulosic filler-polyolefin biocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kord, B.; Hosseinihashemi, S. Kh.

2014-01-01

The influence of fungal decay on the hygroscopic thickness swelling rate of lignocellulosic filler-polyolefin biocomposites has been investigated. Composites based on polypropylene (PP), bagasse fiber (BF), and a coupling agent (PP-g-MA) were made by melt compounding and injection molding. The weigt ratio of BF to PP was controlled at 60/40 for all blends. The amount of coupling agent was fixed at 2% for all formulations. The samples obtained were exposed to the action of brown-rot (Coniophora puteana) and white-rot (Trametes versicolor) fungi for 8, 12, and 16 weeks according to the Kolle-flask method. The thickness swelling of the samples was evaluated by immersing them in water at room temperature for several weeks. The morphology of the composites was characterized using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicated that the fungal decay had an adverse affect on the dimensional stability of BF/PP composites due to an increase in the thickness swelling rate. The thickness swelling of white-rotted samples was higher than that of brown-rotted ones and control samples. Also, the thickness swelling of BF/PP composites increased with increasing time of fungal decay. In addition, after 16 weeks of exposure to white-rot fungi, the composites exhibited a higher parameter of swelling rate K SR than control samples. The K SR of the composites was influenced both by the type of rooting and the exposure time. Furthermore, the SEM micrographs showed that the extent of degradation increased with growing exposure time to fungi.

Possible sources of genetic resistance in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) to basal stem rot caused by Ganoderma boninense--prospects for future breeding.

PubMed

Durand-Gasselin, T; Asmady, H; Flori, A; Jacquemard, J C; Hayun, Z; Breton, F; de Franqueville, H

2005-01-01

Oil palm estates in southeast Asia suffer from substantial losses due to basal stem rot caused by Ganoderma boninense. Field observations have been carried out in North Sumatra, Indonesia, on a series of planting materials of known origin. Differences in susceptibility to the disease have been detected within the two Elaeis species, guineensis and oleifera. Within Elaeis guineensis, material of Deli origin is highly susceptible compared to material of African origin. It is also possible to detect differences in reaction between parents and between crosses within a given origin. The variability of resistance to basal stem rot within the same cross is also illustrated by the diverse responses of clones derived from palms of the same origin. The prospects opened up by these results are discussed, and the importance of performing an early selection test is highlighted.

Following basal stem rot in young oil palm plantings.

PubMed

Panchal, G; Bridge, P D

2005-01-01

The PCR primer GanET has previously been shown to be suitable for the specific amplification of DNA from Ganoderma boninense. A DNA extraction and PCR method has been developed that allows for the amplification of the G. boninense DNA from environmental samples of oil palm tissue. The GanET primer reaction was used in conjunction with a palm-sampling programme to investigate the possible infection of young palms through cut frond base surfaces. Ganoderma DNA was detected in frond base material at a greater frequency than would be expected by comparison with current infection levels. Comparisons are made between the height of the frond base infected, the number of frond bases infected, and subsequent development of basal stem rot. The preliminary results suggest that the development of basal stem rot may be more likely to occur when young lower frond bases are infected.

Modification of the nanostructure of lignocellulose cell walls via a non-enzymatic lignocellulose deconstruction system in brown rot wood-decay fungi.

PubMed

Goodell, Barry; Zhu, Yuan; Kim, Seong; Kafle, Kabindra; Eastwood, Daniel; Daniel, Geoffrey; Jellison, Jody; Yoshida, Makoto; Groom, Leslie; Pingali, Sai Venkatesh; O'Neill, Hugh

2017-01-01

Wood decayed by brown rot fungi and wood treated with the chelator-mediated Fenton (CMF) reaction, either alone or together with a cellulose enzyme cocktail, was analyzed by small angle neutron scattering (SANS), sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results showed that the CMF mechanism mimicked brown rot fungal attack for both holocellulose and lignin components of the wood. Crystalline cellulose and lignin were both depolymerized by the CMF reaction. Porosity of the softwood cell wall did not increase during CMF treatment, enzymes secreted by the fungi did not penetrate the decayed wood. The enzymes in the cellulose cocktail also did not appear to alter the effects of the CMF-treated wood relative to enhancing cell wall deconstruction. This suggests a rethinking of current brown rot decay models and supports a model where monomeric sugars and oligosaccharides diffuse from the softwood cell walls during non-enzymatic action. In this regard, the CMF mechanism should not be thought of as a "pretreatment" used to permit enzymatic penetration into softwood cell walls, but instead it enhances polysaccharide components diffusing to fungal enzymes located in wood cell lumen environments during decay. SANS and other data are consistent with a model for repolymerization and aggregation of at least some portion of the lignin within the cell wall, and this is supported by AFM and TEM data. The data suggest that new approaches for conversion of wood substrates to platform chemicals in biorefineries could be achieved using the CMF mechanism with >75% solubilization of lignocellulose, but that a more selective suite of enzymes and other downstream treatments may be required to work when using CMF deconstruction technology. Strategies to enhance polysaccharide release from lignocellulose substrates for enhanced enzymatic action and fermentation of the released fraction would also aid in the efficient recovery of the more uniform modified lignin fraction that the CMF reaction generates to enhance biorefinery profitability.

Detection and Identification of Decay Fungi in Spruce Wood by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis of Amplified Genes Encoding rRNA†

PubMed Central

Jasalavich, Claudia A.; Ostrofsky, Andrea; Jellison, Jody

2000-01-01

We have developed a DNA-based assay to reliably detect brown rot and white rot fungi in wood at different stages of decay. DNA, isolated by a series of CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) and organic extractions, was amplified by the PCR using published universal primers and basidiomycete-specific primers derived from ribosomal DNA sequences. We surveyed 14 species of wood-decaying basidiomycetes (brown-rot and white-rot fungi), as well as 25 species of wood-inhabiting ascomycetes (pathogens, endophytes, and saprophytes). DNA was isolated from pure cultures of these fungi and also from spruce wood blocks colonized by individual isolates of wood decay basidiomycetes or wood-inhabiting ascomycetes. The primer pair ITS1-F (specific for higher fungi) and ITS4 (universal primer) amplified the internal transcribed spacer region from both ascomycetes and basidiomycetes from both pure culture and wood, as expected. The primer pair ITS1-F (specific for higher fungi) and ITS4-B (specific for basidiomycetes) was shown to reliably detect the presence of wood decay basidiomycetes in both pure culture and wood; ascomycetes were not detected by this primer pair. We detected the presence of decay fungi in wood by PCR before measurable weight loss had occurred to the wood. Basidiomycetes were identified to the species level by restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the internal transcribed spacer region. PMID:11055916

Efficient xylose fermentation by the brown rot fungus Neolentinus lepideus.

PubMed

Okamoto, Kenji; Kanawaku, Ryuichi; Masumoto, Masaru; Yanase, Hideshi

2012-02-10

The efficient production of bioethanol on an industrial scale requires the use of renewable lignocellulosic biomass as a starting material. A limiting factor in developing efficient processes is identifying microorganisms that are able to effectively ferment xylose, the major pentose sugar found in hemicellulose, and break down carbohydrate polymers without pre-treatment steps. Here, a basidiomycete brown rot fungus was isolated as a new biocatalyst with unprecedented fermentability, as it was capable of converting not only the 6-carbon sugars constituting cellulose, but also the major 5-carbon sugar xylose in hemicelluloses, to ethanol. The fungus was identified as Neolentinus lepideus and was capable of assimilating and fermenting xylose to ethanol in yields of 0.30, 0.33, and 0.34 g of ethanol per g of xylose consumed under aerobic, oxygen-limited, and anaerobic conditions, respectively. A small amount of xylitol was detected as the major by-product of xylose metabolism. N. lepideus produced ethanol from glucose, mannose, galactose, cellobiose, maltose, and lactose with yields ranging from 0.34 to 0.38 g ethanol per g sugar consumed, and also exhibited relatively favorable conversion of non-pretreated starch, xylan, and wheat bran. These results suggest that N. lepideus is a promising candidate for cost-effective and environmentally friendly ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. To our knowledge, this is the first report on efficient ethanol fermentation from various carbohydrates, including xylose, by a naturally occurring brown rot fungus. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oxalate production by wood-rotting fungi growing in toxic metal-amended medium.

PubMed

Jarosz-Wilkolazka, Anna; Gadd, Geoffrey M

2003-07-01

In this report, we have identified oxalic acid as an important metabolite elaborated in the response of wood-rotting fungi to toxic metal stress. The formation of oxalate crystals by white rot fungi (Bjerkandera fumosa, Phlebia radiata and Trametes versicolor) and the brown rot fungus Fomitopsis pinicola, grown on media containing high levels of toxic metal ions has been visualized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray micro-analysis (EDXA) and HPLC. There were no significant differences between the growth of controls (metal-free) and on the 0.5% CaCO(3), Co(3)(PO(4))(2) or Zn(3)(PO(4))(2)-amended plates. ZnO inhibited the growth of all strains. Crystals were not detected in Zn(3)(PO(4))(2)-amended plates. The four examined strains displayed the formation of crystals on ZnO, Co(3)(PO(4))(2) and CaCO(3)-amended plates.

Soft Rot of Rhizopus oryzae as a Postharvest Pathogen of Banana Fruit in Korea

PubMed Central

Ryu, Jae-San; Chi, Tran Thi Phuong; Shen, Shun-Shan; Choi, Okhee

2012-01-01

Soft rot on banana fruit caused by Rhizopus oryzae was identified for the first time in Korea. Colonies were white to light brown and formed numerous sporangiospores. Optimum temperature for mycelial growth was 30℃. Sporangia were globose and 30~200 µm. Sporangiophores were usually straight, 8~20 µm, and rhizoids usually in groups of 3~5. Columella were globose to sub-globose and 90~110 µm. Sporangiospores were sub-globose or oval and 4~10 µm. Based on its mycological characteristics, molecular analysis, and pathogenicity to host plants, this fungus was identified as Rhizopus oryzae Went & Prisen Geerligs. This is the first report of soft rot on banana caused by Rhizopus oryzae in Korea. PMID:23115518

Waste treatment of kraft effluents by white-rot fungi

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kondo, R.

1996-10-01

The residual lignin in unbleached kraft pulp is commonly removed to afford a fully bleached pulp through a multi-stage bleaching process consisting of chlorination and alkaline-extraction stages. The effluent from such a bleaching process is of growing environmental concern because it shows a dark brown color and contains numerous chlorinated organic substances. Moreover, this effluent is not easily recycled within a mill recovery system because of the potential corrosion problems created by its high chlorine content. White-rot fungi have even heavily modified lignin such as kraft lignin and atoms demonstrated that kraft bleaching effluent can be rot fungi, in particular,more » Trametes versicolor and this review lecture, the possibility of the application of kraft effluents will be discussed.« less

Characterisation of the initial degradation stage of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood after attack by brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana.

PubMed

Irbe, Ilze; Andersone, Ingeborga; Andersons, Bruno; Noldt, Guna; Dizhbite, Tatiana; Kurnosova, Nina; Nuopponen, Mari; Stewart, Derek

2011-07-01

In our study, early period degradation (10 days) of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood by the brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana (Schum.: Fr.) Karst. (BAM Ebw.15) was followed at the wood chemical composition and ultrastructure-level, and highlighted the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). An advanced decay period of 50 days was chosen for comparison of the degradation dynamics. Scanning UV microspectrophotometry (UMSP) analyses of lignin distribution in wood cells revealed that the linkages of lignin and polysaccharides were already disrupted in the early period of fungal attack. An increase in the lignin absorption A(280) value from 0.24 (control) to 0.44 in decayed wood was attributed to its oxidative modification which has been proposed to be generated by Fenton reaction derived ROS. The wood weight loss in the initial degradation period was 2%, whilst cellulose and lignin content decreased by 6.7% and 1%, respectively. Lignin methoxyl (-OCH3) content decreased from 15.1% (control) to 14.2% in decayed wood. Diffuse reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (DRIFT) spectroscopy corroborated the moderate loss in the hemicellulose and lignin degradation accompanying degradation. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra and spin trapping confirmed the generation of ROS, such as hydroxyl radicals (HO∙), in the early wood degradation period. Our results showed that irreversible changes in wood structure started immediately after wood colonisation by fungal hyphae and the results generated here will assist in the understanding of the biochemical mechanisms of wood biodegradation by brown-rot fungi with the ultimate aim of developing novel wood protection methods.

Brown adipogenesis of mouse embryonic stem cells in alginate microstrands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unser, Andrea Mannarino

The ability of brown adipocytes (fat cells) to dissipate energy as heat shows great promise for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders. Employing pluripotent stem cells, with an emphasis on directed differentiation, may overcome many issues currently associated with primary fat cell cultures. However, brown adipocytes are difficult to transplant in vivo due to the instability of fat, in terms of necrosis and neovascularization, once injected. Thus, 3D cell culture systems that have the potential to mimic adipogenic microenvironments are needed, not only to advance brown fat implantation, but also to better understand the role of brown adipocytes in treating obesity. To address this need, we created 3D "Brown-Fat-in-Microstrands" by microfluidic synthesis of alginate hydrogel microstrands that encapsulated cells and directly induced cell differentiation into brown adipocytes, using mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) as a model of pluripotent stem cells and brown preadipocytes as a positive control. The effect of hydrogel formation parameters on brown adipogenesis was studied, leading to the establishment of "Brown-Fat-in-Microstrands". Brown adipocyte differentiation within microstrands was confirmed by lipid droplet accumulation, immunocytochemistry and qPCR analysis of gene expression of brown adipocyte marker uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in addition to adipocyte marker expression. Compared to a 2D approach, 3D differentiated "Brown-Fat-in-Microstrands" exhibited higher level of brown adipocyte marker expression. The functional analysis of "Brown-Fat-in-Microstrands" was attempted by measuring the mitochondrial activity of ESC-differentiated brown adipocytes in 3D using Seahorse XF24 3 Extracellular Flux Analyzer. The ability to create "Brown-Fat-in-Microstrands" from pluripotent stem cells opens up a new arena to understanding brown adipogenesis and its implications in obesity and metabolic disorders.

Preliminary evaluation of fungicidal and termiticidal activities of filtrates from biomass slurry fuel production.

PubMed

Kartal, S N; Imamura, Y; Tsuchiya, F; Ohsato, K

2004-10-01

Biomass slurry fuel (BSF) production has recently been developed as a natural energy for the conversion of solid biomass into fuel. In addition to using fuel, filtrates from BSF production may also serve a chemical source with several organic compounds. There is an increasing interest in the research and application of biomass-based filtrates. In this study, fungicidal and termiticidal properties of filtrates from BSF production using sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) and acacia (Acacia mangium) wood were evaluated in laboratory decay and termite resistance tests. Wood blocks treated with the filtrates showed increased resistance against brown-rot fungus, Fomitopsis palustris. However the filtrates from sugi wood processed at 270 degrees C which contained less phenolic compounds than the other filtrates were effective against white-rot fungus, Trametes versicolor. Phenolic compounds of filtrates seemed to play a role in the decay resistance tests however the filtrates did not increase the durability of the wood blocks against subterranean termites Coptotermes formosanus. Despite high acetic and lactic acid content of the filtrates, vanillin content of the filtrates may have served as an additional food source and promoted termite attack. It can be concluded that filtrates with phenolic compounds from lignin degradation during BSF production can be considered for targeted inhibition of brown-rot.

Selection and validation of enzymatic activities as functional markers in wood biotechnology and fungal ecology.

PubMed

Mathieu, Yann; Gelhaye, Eric; Dumarçay, Stéphane; Gérardin, Philippe; Harvengt, Luc; Buée, Marc

2013-02-15

The dead wood and forest soils are sources of diversity and under-explored fungal strains with biotechnological potential, which require to be studied. Numerous enzymatic tests have been proposed to investigate the functional potential of the soil microbial communities or to test the functional abilities of fungal strains. Nevertheless, the diversity of these functional markers and their relevance in environmental studies or biotechnological screening does still have not been demonstrated. In this work, we assessed ten different extracellular enzymatic activities involved in the wood decaying process including β-etherase that specifically cleaves the β-aryl ether linkages in the lignin polymer. For this purpose, a collection of 26 fungal strains, distributed within three ecological groups (white, brown and soft rot fungi), has been used. Among the ten potential functional markers, the combinatorial use of only six of them allowed separation between the group of white and soft rot fungi from the brown rot fungi. Moreover, our results suggest that extracellular β-etherase is a rare and dispensable activity among the wood decay fungi. Finally, we propose that this set of markers could be useful for the analysis of fungal communities in functional and environmental studies, and for the selection of strains with biotechnological interests. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fungal pretreatment improves amenability of lignocellulosic material for its saccharification to sugars.

PubMed

Deswal, Deepa; Gupta, Rishi; Nandal, Preeti; Kuhad, Ramesh Chander

2014-01-01

The sugarcane bagasse was biologically pretreated with three white-rot fungi; Pleurotus florida, Coriolopsis caperata RCK 2011 and Ganoderma sp. rckk-02, individually under solid-state fermentation. P. florida, C. caperata RCK 2011 and Ganoderma sp. rckk-02 degraded lignin up to 7.91, 5.48 and 5.58%, respectively. The lignocellulolytic enzymes produced by these fungi were also monitored during solid state fermentation of sugarcane bagasse. The fungal fermented sugarcane bagasse when hydrolyzed with crude cellulases from brown-rot fungus, Fomitopsis sp. RCK2010, released comparatively 1.5-2.4 fold higher sugars than in case of untreated sugarcane bagasse. The study demonstrated that white-rot fungal pretreatment improved the amenability of plant material for enzymatic hydrolysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Greenhouse evaluation of commercial soybean cultivars adapted to the northern United States for resistance to charcoal rot

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Thirty (30) and sixty-seven (67) commercially available soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) cultivars from Wisconsin (Maturity group (MG) I-II) and Indiana (MG II-III), respectively, were evaluated for charcoal rot (CR; Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid) resistance using a cut-stem greenhouse assay. ...

Sources of resistance to sunflower diseases in a global collection of domesticated USDA plant introductions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Basal stalk rot (BSR) and head rot (HR) caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary are traditionally major diseases of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in the United States, while Phomopsis stem canker (PSC) caused by Phomopsis helianthi Munt.-Cvet. et. al. has increasingly become damaging in...

Agricultural Plant Pest Control. Bulletin 763.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, John C.; And Others

This manual gives general information on plant pests and pesticides. First, the life-cycle and habits of some common insect pests are given. These include caterpillars, beetles and beetle larvae, and sucking insects. Next, plant diseases such as leaf diseases, wilts, root and crown rots, stem cankers, fruit rots, seed and seedling diseases, and…

Biological suppression of potato ring rot by fluorescent pseudomonads.

PubMed Central

de la Cruz, A R; Poplawsky, A R; Wiese, M V

1992-01-01

Three strains of fluorescent pseudomonads (IS-1, IS-2, and IS-3) isolated from potato underground stems with roots showed in vitro antibiosis against 30 strains of the ring rot bacterium Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus. On the basis of morphological and biochemical tests and fatty acid analysis, IS-1 and IS-2 were identified as Pseudomonas aureofaciens and IS-3 was identified as P. fluorescens biovar III. IS-1 was the most inhibitory to C. michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus strains in vitro, followed by IS-3 and IS-2. Suppression of ring rot by these antagonists was demonstrated in greenhouse trials with stem-cultured potato (cv. Russet Burbank) seedlings. Although each antagonist significantly reduced C. michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus populations, only IS-1 reduced infection by C. michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus. In a second experiment, treatment with IS-1 (10(9) CFU/ml) significantly reduced ring rot infection by 23.4 to 26.7% after 5 to 8 weeks. The average C. michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus population was also significantly reduced by 50 to 52%. Application of different combinations of antagonist strains was not more effective than single-strain treatment. Images PMID:1622275

Tolerance to wood preservatives by copper-tolerant wood-rot fungi native to south-central Chile.

PubMed

Guillén, Yudith; Navias, David; Machuca, Angela

2009-02-01

Understanding the effect of heavy metals and wood preservatives on the growth of wood-rot fungi native to a certain region may improve reliability in determining the effectiveness of antifungal products, particularly when dealing with new formulations. In this investigation, strains of copper-tolerant wood-rot fungi native to south-central Chile were evaluated against two preservatives: commercial chromated copper arsenate type C (CCA-C) and a new formulation with boron and silicon (BS). Thirteen native strains, mainly white-rot fungi, were selected for their high growth rates in solid medium containing 3 mM of copper. A short-term test was then carried out, consisting of adding cellulose disks impregnated with different concentrations of preservatives to solid culture media inoculated with selected copper tolerant strains. There was a great variability in interspecific and intraspecific responses to the presence of copper and preservatives in culture media. Among the native and commercial strains evaluated, the white-rot fungi Trametes versicolor 38 and mainly Ganoderma australe 100 were notable for their tolerance to all the CCA-C and BS concentrations. The brown-rot fungus Wolfiporia cocos, used as reference strain, showed a high tolerance to CCA-C, but not to BS preservative. T. versicolor 38 and G. australe 100 were selected for subsequent studies on preserved wood degradation.

The ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus converts organic matter in plant litter using a trimmed brown-rot mechanism involving Fenton chemistry

PubMed Central

Rineau, Francois; Roth, Doris; Shah, Firoz; Smits, Mark; Johansson, Tomas; Canbäck, Björn; Olsen, Peter Bjarke; Persson, Per; Grell, Morten Nedergaard; Lindquist, Erika; Grigoriev, Igor V; Lange, Lene; Tunlid, Anders

2012-01-01

Soils in boreal forests contain large stocks of carbon. Plants are the main source of this carbon through tissue residues and root exudates. A major part of the exudates are allocated to symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi. In return, the plant receives nutrients, in particular nitrogen from the mycorrhizal fungi. To capture the nitrogen, the fungi must at least partly disrupt the recalcitrant organic matter–protein complexes within which the nitrogen is embedded. This disruption process is poorly characterized. We used spectroscopic analyses and transcriptome profiling to examine the mechanism by which the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus degrades organic matter when acquiring nitrogen from plant litter. The fungus partially degraded polysaccharides and modified the structure of polyphenols. The observed chemical changes were consistent with a hydroxyl radical attack, involving Fenton chemistry similar to that of brown-rot fungi. The set of enzymes expressed by Pa. involutus during the degradation of the organic matter was similar to the set of enzymes involved in the oxidative degradation of wood by brown-rot fungi. However, Pa. involutus lacked transcripts encoding extracellular enzymes needed for metabolizing the released carbon. The saprotrophic activity has been reduced to a radical-based biodegradation system that can efficiently disrupt the organic matter–protein complexes and thereby mobilize the entrapped nutrients. We suggest that the released carbon then becomes available for further degradation and assimilation by commensal microbes, and that these activities have been lost in ectomycorrhizal fungi as an adaptation to symbiotic growth on host photosynthate. The interdependence of ectomycorrhizal symbionts and saprophytic microbes would provide a key link in the turnover of nutrients and carbon in forest ecosystems. PMID:22469289

Two previously unknown Phytophthora species associated with brown rot of Pomelo (Citrus grandis) fruits in Vietnam.

PubMed

Puglisi, Ivana; De Patrizio, Alessandro; Schena, Leonardo; Jung, Thomas; Evoli, Maria; Pane, Antonella; Van Hoa, Nguyen; Van Tri, Mai; Wright, Sandra; Ramstedt, Mauritz; Olsson, Christer; Faedda, Roberto; Magnano di San Lio, Gaetano; Cacciola, Santa Olga

2017-01-01

Two distinct Phytophthora taxa were found to be associated with brown rot of pomelo (Citrus grandis), a new disease of this ancestral Citrus species, in the Vinh Long province, Mekong River Delta area, southern Vietnam. On the basis of morphological characters and using the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of the rDNA and the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) as barcode genes, one of the two taxa was provisionally named as Phytophthora sp. prodigiosa, being closely related to but distinct from P. insolita, a species in Phytophthora Clade 9, while the other one, was closely related to but distinct from the Clade 2 species P. meadii and was informally designated as Phytophthora sp. mekongensis. Isolates of P. sp. prodigiosa and P. sp. mekongensis were also obtained from necrotic fibrous roots of Volkamer lemon (C. volkameriana) rootstocks grafted with 'King' mandarin (Citrus nobilis) and from trees of pomelo, respectively, in other provinces of the Mekong River Delta, indicating a widespread occurrence of both Phytophthora species in this citrus-growing area. Koch's postulates were fulfilled via pathogenicity tests on fruits of various Citrus species, including pomelo, grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi), sweet orange (Citrus x sinensis) and bergamot (Citrus x bergamia) as well as on the rootstock of 2-year-old trees of pomelo and sweet orange on 'Carrizo' citrange (C. sinensis 'Washington Navel' x Poncirus trifoliata). This is the first report of a Phytophthora species from Clade 2 other than P. citricola and P. citrophthora as causal agent of fruit brown rot of Citrus worldwide and the first report of P. insolita complex in Vietnam. Results indicate that likely Vietnam is still an unexplored reservoir of Phytophthora diversity.

Two previously unknown Phytophthora species associated with brown rot of Pomelo (Citrus grandis) fruits in Vietnam

PubMed Central

Schena, Leonardo; Jung, Thomas; Evoli, Maria; Pane, Antonella; Van Hoa, Nguyen; Van Tri, Mai; Wright, Sandra; Ramstedt, Mauritz; Olsson, Christer; Faedda, Roberto; Magnano di San Lio, Gaetano

2017-01-01

Two distinct Phytophthora taxa were found to be associated with brown rot of pomelo (Citrus grandis), a new disease of this ancestral Citrus species, in the Vinh Long province, Mekong River Delta area, southern Vietnam. On the basis of morphological characters and using the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of the rDNA and the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) as barcode genes, one of the two taxa was provisionally named as Phytophthora sp. prodigiosa, being closely related to but distinct from P. insolita, a species in Phytophthora Clade 9, while the other one, was closely related to but distinct from the Clade 2 species P. meadii and was informally designated as Phytophthora sp. mekongensis. Isolates of P. sp. prodigiosa and P. sp. mekongensis were also obtained from necrotic fibrous roots of Volkamer lemon (C. volkameriana) rootstocks grafted with ‘King’ mandarin (Citrus nobilis) and from trees of pomelo, respectively, in other provinces of the Mekong River Delta, indicating a widespread occurrence of both Phytophthora species in this citrus-growing area. Koch’s postulates were fulfilled via pathogenicity tests on fruits of various Citrus species, including pomelo, grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi), sweet orange (Citrus x sinensis) and bergamot (Citrus x bergamia) as well as on the rootstock of 2-year-old trees of pomelo and sweet orange on ‘Carrizo’ citrange (C. sinensis ‘Washington Navel’ x Poncirus trifoliata). This is the first report of a Phytophthora species from Clade 2 other than P. citricola and P. citrophthora as causal agent of fruit brown rot of Citrus worldwide and the first report of P. insolita complex in Vietnam. Results indicate that likely Vietnam is still an unexplored reservoir of Phytophthora diversity. PMID:28208159

Formulation development of the biocontrol agent Bacillus subtilis strain CPA-8 by spray-drying.

PubMed

Yánez-Mendizábal, V; Viñas, I; Usall, J; Torres, R; Solsona, C; Abadias, M; Teixidó, N

2012-05-01

To prepare commercially acceptable formulations of Bacillus subtilis CPA-8 by spray-drying with long storage life and retained efficacy to control peach and nectarine brown rot caused by Monilinia spp. CPA-8 24-h- and 72-h-old cultures were spray dried using 10% skimmed milk, 10% skimmed milk plus 10% MgSO(4) , 10% MgSO(4) and 20% MgSO(4) as carriers/protectants. All carriers/protectants gave good percentages of powder recovery (28-38%) and moisture content (7-13%). CPA-8 survival varied considerably among spray-dried 24-h- and 72-h-old cultures. Seventy-two hours culture spray dried formulations showed the highest survival (28-32%) with final concentration products of 1·6-3·3 × 10(9) CFU g(-1) , while viability of 24-h-old formulations was lower than 1%. Spray-dried 72-h-old formulations were selected to subsequent evaluation. Rehydration of cells with water provided a good recovery of CPA-8 dried cells, similar to other complex rehydration media tested. Spray-dried formulations stored at 4 ± 1 and 20 ± 1°C showed good shelf life during 6 months, and viability was maintained or slightly decreased by 0·2-0·3-log. CPA-8 formulations after 4- and 6 months storage were effective in controlling brown rot caused by Monilinia spp. on nectarines and peaches resulting in a 90-100% reduction in disease incidence. Stable and effective formulations of biocontrol agent B. subtilis CPA-8 could be obtained by spray-drying. New shelf-stable and effective formulations of a biocontrol agent have been obtained by spray-drying to control brown rot on peach. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Antifungal activities of three supercritical fluid extracted cedar oils

Treesearch

Tianchuan Du; Todd F. Shupe; Chung Y. Hse

2009-01-01

The antifungal activities of three supercritical CO2 (SCC) extracted cedar oils, Port-Orford-cedar (POC) (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), Alaska yellow cedar (AYC) (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis), and Eastern red cedar (ERC) (Juniperus virginiana L), were evaluated against two common wood decay fungi, brown-rot fungi (...

78 FR 6227 - Importation of Fresh Apricots From Continental Spain

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-30

...: Apiognomonia erythrostoma (Pers.), a brown rot fungus; Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann, the Mediterranean fruit... fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation into the United States of fresh apricots from... fruit would also have to be imported in commercial consignments, with each consignment identified...

Applicator Training Manual for: Agriculture Plant Pest Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witt, William W.; And Others

This manual gives information on insects that damage crops. These fall in two categories: (1) insects with a complete life cycle such as butterflies and moths, boring insects, and beetles; and (2) those with a gradual life cycle. Also included are descriptions of leaf diseases, wilts and root and crown rots, stem cankers, fruit rots, seed and…

First report of Botryosphearia dothidea causing white rot on apple fruit in Maryland

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Botryosphaeria dothidea [Fr. : Moug.] Ces. & De Not. infects over 80 genera of woody plants causing stem cankers on grapevine, apple, pear, and almond trees and also causes white rot on apple fruit in the field and during storage. A B. dothidea isolate was obtained from decayed ‘Fuji’ apple fruit ex...

Efficacy of management tools for control of Pythium root rot of Douglas-fir seedlings, 2013

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study was conducted as part of the IR-4 Ornamental Horticulture program to evaluate fungicides and biopesticides for management of root, crown and stem rots of ornamental plants caused by Pythium species. Pythium species used in this study were P. vipa (isolate 09), P. dissotocum (isolate 41-08...

Enhanced hydroxyl radical production by dihydroxybenzene-driven Fenton reactions: implications for wood biodegradation.

PubMed

Contreras, David; Rodríguez, Jaime; Freer, Juanita; Schwederski, Brigitte; Kaim, Wolfgang

2007-09-01

Brown rot fungi degrade wood, in initial stages, mainly through hydroxyl radicals (.OH) produced by Fenton reactions. These Fenton reactions can be promoted by dihydroxybenzenes (DHBs), which can chelate and reduce Fe(III), increasing the reactivity for different substrates. This mechanism allows the extensive degradation of carbohydrates and the oxidation of lignin during wood biodegradation by brown rot fungi. To understand the enhanced reactivity in these systems, kinetics experiments were carried out, measuring .OH formation by the spin-trapping technique of electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. As models of the fungal DHBs, 1,2-dihydroxybenzene (catechol), 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid were utilized as well as 1,2-dihydroxy-3,5-benzenedisulfonate as a non-Fe(III)-reducing substance for comparison. Higher amounts and maintained concentrations of .OH were observed in the driven Fenton reactions versus the unmodified Fenton process. A linear correlation between the logarithms of complex stability constants and the .OH production was observed, suggesting participation of such complexes in the radical production.

Nondestructive detection of decay in living trees

Treesearch

Bertil Larsson; Bengt Bengtsson; Mats Gustaffson

2004-01-01

We used a four-point resistivity method to detect wood decay in living trees. low-frequency alternating current was applied to the stem and the induced voltage measured between two points along the stem. The effective resistivity of the stem was estimated based on stem cross-sectional area. A comparison within a group of trees showed that trees with butt rot had an...

Substrate-Specific Differential Gene Expression and RNA editing in the Brown Rot Fungus Fomitopsis pinicola.

PubMed

Wu, Baojun; Gaskell, Jill; Held, Benjamin W; Toapanta, Cristina; Vuong, Thu; Ahrendt, Steven; Lipzen, Anna; Zhang, Jiwei; Schilling, Jonathan S; Master, Emma; Grigoriev, Igor V; Blanchette, Robert A; Cullen, Dan; Hibbett, David S

2018-06-08

Wood-decaying fungi tend to have characteristic substrate ranges that partly define their ecological niche. Fomitopsis pinicola is a brown rot species of Polyporales that is reported on 82 species of softwoods and 42 species of hardwoods. We analyzed gene expression levels and RNA editing profiles of F. pinicola from submerged cultures with ground wood powder (sampled at five days) or solid wood wafers (sampled at ten and thirty days), using aspen, pine, and spruce substrates (aspen was used only in submerged cultures). Fomitopsis pinicola expressed similar sets of wood-degrading enzymes typical of brown rot fungi across all culture conditions and timepoints. Nevertheless, differential gene expression and RNA editing were observed across all pairwise comparisons of substrates and timepoints. Genes exhibiting differential expression and RNA editing encode diverse enzymes with known or potential function in brown rot decay, including laccase, benzoquinone reductase, aryl alcohol oxidase, cytochrome P450s, and various glycoside hydrolases. There was no overlap between differentially expressed and differentially edited genes, suggesting that these may provide F. pinicola with independent mechanisms for responding to different conditions. Comparing transcriptomes from submerged cultures and wood wafers, we found that culture conditions had a greater impact on global expression profiles than substrate wood species. In contrast, the suites of genes subject to RNA editing were much less affected by culture conditions. These findings highlight the need for standardization of culture conditions in studies of gene expression in wood-decaying fungi. IMPORTANCE All species of wood-decaying fungi occur on a characteristic range of substrates (host plants), which may be broad or narrow. Understanding the mechanisms that allow fungi to grow on particular substrates is important for both fungal ecology and applied uses of different feedstocks in industrial processes. We grew the wood-decaying polypore Fomitopsis pinicola on three different wood species, aspen, pine and spruce, under various culture conditions. We examined both gene expression (transcription levels) and RNA editing (post-transcriptional modification of RNA, which can potentially yield different proteins from the same gene). We found that F. pinicola is able to modify both gene expression and RNA editing profiles across different substrate species and culture conditions. Many of the genes involved encode enzymes with known or predicted functions in wood decay. This work provides clues to how wood-decaying fungi may adjust their arsenal of decay enzymes to accommodate different host substrates. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Diversity and decay ability of basidiomycetes isolated from lodgepole pines killed by the mountain pine beetle.

PubMed

Son, E; Kim, J-J; Lim, Y W; Au-Yeung, T T; Yang, C Y H; Breuil, C

2011-01-01

When lodgepole pines (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Louden var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) that are killed by the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and its fungal associates are not harvested, fungal decay can affect wood and fibre properties. Ophiostomatoids stain sapwood but do not affect the structural properties of wood. In contrast, white or brown decay basidiomycetes degrade wood. We isolated both staining and decay fungi from 300 lodgepole pine trees killed by mountain pine beetle at green, red, and grey stages at 10 sites across British Columbia. We retained 224 basidiomycete isolates that we classified into 34 species using morphological and physiological characteristics and rDNA large subunit sequences. The number of basidiomycete species varied from 4 to 14 species per site. We assessed the ability of these fungi to degrade both pine sapwood and heartwood using the soil jar decay test. The highest wood mass losses for both sapwood and heartwood were measured for the brown rot species Fomitopsis pinicola and the white rot Metulodontia and Ganoderma species. The sap rot species Trichaptum abietinum was more damaging for sapwood than for heartwood. A number of species caused more than 50% wood mass losses after 12 weeks at room temperature, suggesting that beetle-killed trees can rapidly lose market value due to degradation of wood structural components.

7 CFR 51.1913 - Serious damage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... by scars which are permitted on a 21/2-inch tomato. (g) Dry rot such as dry type Macrosporium or Phoma, when the spot is not adjacent to the stem scar, or when adjacent to the stem scar and more than 1...

7 CFR 51.1913 - Serious damage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... by scars which are permitted on a 21/2-inch tomato. (g) Dry rot such as dry type Macrosporium or Phoma, when the spot is not adjacent to the stem scar, or when adjacent to the stem scar and more than 1...

7 CFR 51.1913 - Serious damage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... by scars which are permitted on a 21/2-inch tomato. (g) Dry rot such as dry type Macrosporium or Phoma, when the spot is not adjacent to the stem scar, or when adjacent to the stem scar and more than 1...

A new species of Laetiporus (Basidiomycota, Polyporales) from the Caribbean basin

Treesearch

Mark T. Banik; Daniel L. Lindner; Beatriz Ortiz-Santana; Deborah J. Lodge

2012-01-01

Laetiporus caribensis is described as a new species, causing brown rot on hardwoods in the Caribbean basin. Laetiporus caribensis is distinguished from described species in the genus by smaller basidiospores. In addition, single spore isolates of L. caribensis are incompatible with those of the known species of...

Yeasts associated with plums and their potential for controlling brown rot after harvest

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bacterial and yeast antagonists isolated from fruit surfaces have been effective in controlling various postharvest diseases and several have been developed into commercial products. Our knowledge of the fruit microflora with the exception of grapes, apples and some citrus fruit is rudimentary, and...

Veluticeps fasciculata sp. nov. (Gloeophyllaceae, Basidiomycota), a close relative to V. berkeleyi

Treesearch

Jiao Yang; Karen K. Nakasone; Shuang-Hui He

2016-01-01

A new brown-rot fungal species, Veluticeps fasciculata, is described from southern China. It is characterized by perennial effused basidiocarps with smooth or tuberculose hymenophore, nodose-septate generative hyphae, fasciculate cystidia (as hyphal pegs in hymenophore) and relatively small basidiospores. It occurs on wood of Cunninghamia...

Chronicles of Fibroporia radiculosa (= Antrodia radiculosa) TFFH 294

Treesearch

Carol A. Clausen; Katie M. Jenkins

2011-01-01

The brown-rot fungus, Fibroporia radiculosa, has been included in numerous research studies because many isolates of this fungus demonstrate an unusually high tolerance to copper. This fungus has undergone several recognized changes in taxonomic nomenclature, and through DNA technology, scientists have correctly identified isolates that had been misidentified...

Microbial detoxification of waste rubber material by wood-rotting fungi.

PubMed

Bredberg, Katarina; Andersson, B Erik; Landfors, Eva; Holst, Olle

2002-07-01

The extensive use of rubber products, mainly tires, and the difficulties to recycle those products, has resulted in world wide environmental problems. Microbial devulcanisation is a promising way to increase the recycling of rubber materials. One obstacle is that several microorganisms tested for devulcanisation are sensitive to rubber additives. A way to overcome this might be to detoxify the rubber material with fungi prior to the devulcanisation. In this study, 15 species of white-rot and brown-rot fungi have been screened with regard to their capacity to degrade an aromatic model compound in the presence of ground waste tire rubber. The most effective fungus, Resinicium bicolor, was used for detoxification of rubber material. Increase in growth of the desulfurising bacterium Thiobacillus ferrooxidans in presence of the rubber treated with Resinicium bicolor compared to untreated rubber demonstrated that detoxification with fungi is possible.

Genome Sequence of the Pectobacterium atrosepticum Strain CFBP6276, Causing Blackleg and Soft Rot Diseases on Potato Plants and Tubers

PubMed Central

Kwasiborski, Anthony; Mondy, Samuel; Beury-Cirou, Amélie

2013-01-01

Pectobacterium atrosepticum strain CFBP6276 is a pectinolytic enterobacterium causing blackleg and soft rot of the stem and tuber of Solanum tuberosum. Its virulence is under the control of quorum sensing, with N-acylhomoserine lactones as communication signals. Here, we report the genome sequence of P. atrosepticum strain CFBP6276. PMID:23788545

Historical perspective on biological control of postharvest diseases – past, present, and future

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The birth of the field of biological control of postharvest diseases can be traced back to 1984 when a researcher testing an antagonist (Bacillus subtilis) in the field to control brown rot of peaches (caused by Monilinia fructicola ) decided to apply the antagonist directly to the peach to control ...

Selecting antagonists for control of postharvest brown rot of stone fruits originating from latent infections

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In contrast to biological control of postharvest decays (BCPD) of fruits originating from wound infections after harvest, BCPD originating from latent infections occurring in the orchard has not been developed. This is largely due to the lack of methodology to screen and evaluate microbes for bioco...

Insights into the mechanism of copper-tolerance in Fibroporia radiculosa: The biosynthesis of oxalate

Treesearch

Katie Jenkins; Carol A. Clausen; Frederick Green; Susan V. Diehl

2015-01-01

Copper is currently used as the key component in wood preservatives despite the known tolerance of many brown-rot Basidiomycetes. Copper-tolerant fungi, like Fibroporia radiculosa, produce and accumulate high levels of oxalate when exposed to copper. To gain insight into the mechanism of oxalate production, four F. radiculosa...

Synthesis and evaluation of dioctylaminoborate in wood for brown rot decay protection

Treesearch

George C. Chen; Rebecca E. Ibach

2010-01-01

This study evaluated dioctylaminoborate in wood for fungal decay protection Dioctylaminoborate was synthesized by refluxing dioctylamine and boric acid in 1:1 molar ratio in ethanol for 4 h. The product was characterized by proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrophotometry (1H-NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometry (FTIR)....

Differential gene expression during the pathogenic interaction between Pichia fermentans and peach fruit

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A biofilm-forming strain of Pichia fermentans was found to be a very strong antagonist against brown rot and grey mold in artificially wounded apple fruit when co-inoculated with either Monilinia fructicola or Botrytis cinerea, respectively. The same strain of yeast; however, was an aggressive path...

Draft whole genome sequence of groundnut stem rot fungus Athelia rolfsii revealing genetic architect of its pathogenicity and virulence.

PubMed

Iquebal, M A; Tomar, Rukam S; Parakhia, M V; Singla, Deepak; Jaiswal, Sarika; Rathod, V M; Padhiyar, S M; Kumar, Neeraj; Rai, Anil; Kumar, Dinesh

2017-07-13

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oil seed crop having major biotic constraint in production due to stem rot disease caused by fungus, Athelia rolfsii causing 25-80% loss in productivity. As chemical and biological combating strategies of this fungus are not very effective, thus genome sequencing can reveal virulence and pathogenicity related genes for better understanding of the host-parasite interaction. We report draft assembly of Athelia rolfsii genome of ~73 Mb having 8919 contigs. Annotation analysis revealed 16830 genes which are involved in fungicide resistance, virulence and pathogenicity along with putative effector and lethal genes. Secretome analysis revealed CAZY genes representing 1085 enzymatic genes, glycoside hydrolases, carbohydrate esterases, carbohydrate-binding modules, auxillary activities, glycosyl transferases and polysaccharide lyases. Repeat analysis revealed 11171 SSRs, LTR, GYPSY and COPIA elements. Comparative analysis with other existing ascomycotina genome predicted conserved domain family of WD40, CYP450, Pkinase and ABC transporter revealing insight of evolution of pathogenicity and virulence. This study would help in understanding pathogenicity and virulence at molecular level and development of new combating strategies. Such approach is imperative in endeavour of genome based solution in stem rot disease management leading to better productivity of groundnut crop in tropical region of world.

Evaluating food additives as antifungal agents against Monilinia fructicola in vitro and in hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-lipid composite edible coatings for plums.

PubMed

Karaca, Hakan; Pérez-Gago, María B; Taberner, Verònica; Palou, Lluís

2014-06-02

Common food preservative agents were evaluated in in vitro tests for their antifungal activity against Monilinia fructicola, the most economically important pathogen causing postharvest disease of stone fruits. Radial mycelial growth was measured in Petri dishes of PDA amended with three different concentrations of the agents (0.01-0.2%, v/v) after 7 days of incubation at 25 °C. Thirteen out of fifteen agents tested completely inhibited the radial growth of the fungus at various concentrations. Among them, ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate were the most effective while sodium acetate and sodium formate were the least effective. The effective agents and concentrations were tested as ingredients of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-lipid edible coatings against brown rot disease on plums previously inoculated with M. fructicola (curative activity). 'Friar' and 'Larry Ann' plums were inoculated with the pathogen, coated with stable edible coatings about 24h later, and incubated at 20 °C and 90% RH. Disease incidence (%) and severity (lesion diameter) were determined after 4, 6, and 8 days of incubation and the 'area under the disease progress stairs' (AUDPS) was calculated. Coatings containing bicarbonates and parabens significantly reduced brown rot incidence in plums, but potassium sorbate, used at 1.0% in the coating formulation, was the most effective agent with a reduction rate of 28.6%. All the tested coatings reduced disease severity to some extent, but coatings containing 0.1% sodium methylparaben or sodium ethylparaben or 0.2% ammonium carbonate or ammonium bicarbonate were superior to the rest, with reduction rates of 45-50%. Overall, the results showed that most of the agents tested in this study had significant antimicrobial activity against M. fructicola and the application of selected antifungal edible coatings is a promising alternative for the control of postharvest brown rot in plums. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fungal accumulation of metals from building materials during brown rot wood decay.

PubMed

Hastrup, Anne Christine Steenkjær; Jensen, Bo; Jellison, Jody

2014-08-01

This study analyzes the accumulation and translocation of metal ions in wood during the degradation performed by one strain of each of the three brown rot fungi; Serpula lacrymans, Meruliporia incrassata and Coniophora puteana. These fungi species are inhabitants of the built environment where the prevention and understanding of fungal decay is of high priority. This study focuses on the influence of various building materials in relation to fungal growth and metal uptake. Changes in the concentration of iron, manganese, calcium and copper ions in the decayed wood were analyzed by induced coupled plasma spectroscopy and related to wood weight loss and oxalic acid accumulation. Metal transport into the fungal inoculated wood was found to be dependent on the individual strain/species. The S. lacrymans strain caused a significant increase in total iron whereas the concentration of copper ions in the wood appeared decreased after 10 weeks of decay. Wood inoculated with the M. incrassata isolate showed the contrary tendency with high copper accumulation and low iron increase despite similar weight losses for the two strains. However, significantly lower oxalic acid accumulation was recorded in M. incrassata degraded wood. The addition of a building material resulted in increased weight loss in wood degraded by C. puteana in the soil-block test; however, this could not be directly linked specifically to the accumulation of any of the four metals recorded. The accumulation of oxalic acid seemed to influence the iron uptake. The study assessing the influence of the presence of soil and glass in the soil-block test revealed that soil contributed the majority of the metals for uptake by the fungi and contributed to increased weight loss. The varying uptake observed among the three brown rot fungi strains toward the four metals analyzed may be related to the specific non-enzymatic and enzymatic properties including bio-chelators employed by each of the species during wood decay.

Comparative analysis of human UCB and adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells for their differentiation potential into brown and white adipocytes.

PubMed

Rashnonejad, Afrooz; Ercan, Gulinnaz; Gunduz, Cumhur; Akdemir, Ali; Tiftikcioglu, Yigit Ozer

2018-06-01

The differentiation potential of umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs) into brown and white adipocytes in comparison to Adipose tissue derived MSCs (AD-MSCs) were investigated in order to characterize their potency for future cell therapies. MSCs were isolated from ten UCB samples and six liposuction materials. MSCs were differentiated into white and brown adipocytes after characterization by flow cytometry. Differentiated adipocytes were stained with Oil Red O and hematoxylin/eosin. The UCP1 protein levels in brown adipocytes were investigated by immunofluoresence and western blot analysis. Cells that expressed mesenchymal stem cells markers (CD34-, CD45-, CD90+ and CD105+) were successfully isolated from UCB and adipose tissue. Oil Red O staining demonstrated that white and brown adipocytes obtained from AD-MSCs showed 85 and 61% of red pixels, while it was 3 and 1.9%, respectively for white and brown adipocytes obtained from UCB-MSCs. Fluorescence microscopy analysis showed strong uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) signaling in brown adipocytes, especially which were obtained from AD-MSCs. Quantification of UCP1 protein amount showed 4- and 10.64-fold increase in UCP1 contents of brown adipocytes derived from UCB-MSCs and AD-MSCs, respectively in comparison to undifferentiated MSCs (P < 0.004). UCB-MSCs showed only a little differentiation tendency into adipocytes means it is not an appropriate stem cell type to be differentiated into these cell types. In contrast, high differentiation efficiency of AD-MSCs into brown and white adipocytes make it appropriate stem cell type to use in future regenerative medicine of soft tissue disorders or fighting with obesity and its related disorders.

Association mapping of QTLs for sclerotinia stem rot resistance in a collection of soybean plant introductions using a genotyping by sequencing (GBS) approach.

PubMed

Iquira, Elmer; Humira, Sonah; François, Belzile

2015-01-17

Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) is the most important soybean disease in Eastern Canada. The development of resistant cultivars represents the most cost-effective means of limiting the impact of this disease. In view of ensuring durable resistance, it is imperative to identify germplasm harbouring different resistance loci and to provide breeders with closely linked molecular markers to facilitate breeding. With this end in view, we assessed resistance using a highly reproducible artificial inoculation method on a diverse collection of 101 soybean lines, mostly composed of plant introductions (PIs) and some of which had previously been reported to be resistant to sclerotinia stem rot. Overall, 50% of the lines exhibited a level of resistance equal to or better than the resistant checks among elite material. Of the 50 lines previously reported to be resistant, only 20 were in this category and a few were highly susceptible under these inoculation conditions. The collection of lines was genetically characterized using a genotyping by sequencing (GBS) protocol that we have optimized for soybean. A total of 8,397 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained and used to perform an association analysis for SSR by using a mixed linear model as implemented in the TASSEL software. Three genomic regions were found to exhibit a significant association at a stringent threshold (q = 0.10) and all of the most highly resistant PIs shared the same alleles at these three QTLs. The strongest association was found on chromosome Gm03 (P-value = 2.03 × 10(-6)). The other significantly associated markers were found on chromosomes Gm08 and Gm20 with P-values <10(-5). This work will facilitate breeding efforts for increased resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot through the use of these PIs.

[Effect of different organic fertilizers on bioavailability of soil Cd and Zn].

PubMed

Xie, Yun-he; Ji, Xiong-hui; Wu, Jia-mei; Huang, Juan; Guan, Di; Zhu, Jian

2015-03-01

The active effect of soil Cd and Zn and their interaction was studied in typical paddy field in south China by monitoring the contents of Cd and Zn in soil and rice in rice fields applied with pig manure, chicken manure or rice straw for 4 years continuously. The results showed that applying pig manure, chicken manure or rice straw had no significant impact on the soil total Cd content, soil available Cd content and soil Cd activity, but tended to increase the soil total Cd content and increased the soil total Zn content, soil available Zn content and Zn activity significantly. Applications of pig manure, chicken manure and rice straw all reduced the Cd content of brown rice, in order of pig manure > chicken manure > rice straw. The Cd contents of brown rice, stem and leaf in the treatment applied with pig manure were lower than in the control by 37.5%, 44.0% and 36.4%, respectively; the Cd contents of brown rice, stem and leaf in the treatment applied with chicken manure were lower than in the control by 22.5%, 33.8%, and 22.7%, respectively; the Cd content of brown rice in the treatment applied with rice straw was lower than in the control by 7.5% but its contents in stem and leaf increased by 8.2% and 22.7% , respectively. The reduction in the brown rice Cd content was mainly due to the reduction of Cd enrichment from soil to brown rice after application of pig or chicken manure, but mainly due to the reduction of Cd transportation from stem to brown rice after straw application. Applications of pig manure, chicken manure and rice straw increased Zn contents in rice stem by 53.4%, 53.4% and 13.9%, respectively, but all had no significant effect on brown rice and leaf' s Zn contents. Zn and Cd had the significant antagonistic effects in the soil and rice stem. The increase of Zn content in soil and rice stem inhibited the adsorption and accumulation of Cd in the brown rice, stem and leaf significantly, and with the increase of the proportion of Zn/Cd, the competitive absorption between Cd and Zn by rice was the main control factor affecting the Cd absorption by rice than their competitive adsorption by soil.

First report of Sphaeropsis rot of apple caused by Sphaeropsis pyriputrescens in New York.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In March 2012, decayed ‘Empire’ apple fruit (Malus × domestica Borkh.) were sampled from apples stored in bins for 6 months under controlled atmosphere at a commercial packinghouse in Orleans County in New York State. The fruit were completely rotten, spongy to firm, and light brown. The incidence o...

Insecticidal and fungicidal compounds from Isatis tinctoria.

PubMed

Seifert, K; Unger, W

1994-01-01

Tryptanthrin (1), indole-3-acetonitrile (2) and p-coumaric acid methylester (3) were isolated from the aerial parts of Isatis tinctoria L. The compounds show insecticidal and anti-feedant activity against termites (Reticulitermis santonensis), insect preventive and control activity against larvae of the house longhorn beetle (Hylotrupes bajulus) and fungicidal activity against the brown-rot fungus (Coniophora puteana).

Genomewide analysis of polysaccharides degrading enzymes in 11 white- and brown-rot Polyporales provides insight into mechanisms of wood decay

Treesearch

Chiaki Hori; Jill Gaskell; Kiyohiko Igarashi; Masahiro Samejima; David Hibbett; Bernard Henrissat; Dan Cullen

2013-01-01

To degrade the polysaccharides, wood-decay fungi secrete a variety of glycoside hydrolases (GHs) and carbohydrate esterases (CEs) classified into various sequence-based families of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZys) and their appended carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM). Oxidative enzymes, such as cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (...

First report of Monilinia fructicola causing postharvest decay of strawberries (Fragaria ananassa) in the United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Monilinia fructicola is a world-wide economically important pathogen of stone fruits causing brown rot before and after harvest. In early summer of 2016, signs of Monilinia spp. decay were observed on strawberry fruit, harvested from organically grown plants in a high tunnel located in the middle o...

Inhibition of decay fungi using cotton cellulose hydrolysis as a model for wood decay

Treesearch

Frederick Green

2000-01-01

Environmental pressures to replace chromium and arsenic in fixed waterborne preservatives have been increasing. Potential inhibitors of brown-, white- and soft-rot fungi need to be evaluated as alternative preservatives by screening and testing in, in vitro model systems. This paper reports the inhibition of cellulose depolymerization and weight loss of selected decay...

Gene Expression Analysis of Copper Tolerance and Wood Decay in the Brown Rot Fungus Fibroporia radiculosa

Treesearch

J. D. Tang; L. A. Parker; A. D. Perkins; T. S. Sonstegard; S. G. Schroeder; D. D. Nicholas; S. V. Diehl

2013-01-01

High-throughput transcriptomics was used to identify Fibroporia radiculosa genes that were differentially regulated during colonization of wood treated with a copper-based preservative. The transcriptome was profiled at two time points while the fungus was growing on wood treated with micronized copper quat (MCQ). A total of 917 transcripts were...

A phylogenetic overview of the antrodia clade (Basidiomycota, Polyporales)

Treesearch

Beatriz Ortiz-Santana; Daniel L. Lindner; Otto Miettinen; Alfredo Justo; David S. Hibbett

2013-01-01

Phylogenetic relationships among members of the antrodia clade were investigated with molecular data from two nuclear ribosomal DNA regions, LSU and ITS. A total of 123 species representing 26 genera producing a brown rot were included in the present study. Three DNA datasets (combined LSU-ITS dataset, LSU dataset, ITS dataset) comprising sequences of 449 isolates were...

Decay and termite resistance of medium density fiberboard (MDF) made from different wood species

Treesearch

S. Nami Kartal; Frederick Green

2003-01-01

Medium density fiberboard (MDF) production worldwide is increasing due to the development of new manufacturing technologies. As a result, MDF products are increasingly utilized in traditional wood applications that require fungal and insect resistance. This study evaluated the ability of white and brown rot fungi and termites to decompose MDF consisting of different...

The copper-transporting ATPase pump and its potential role in copper-tolerance

Treesearch

Katie Ohno; C.A. Clausen; Frederick Green; G. Stanosz

2016-01-01

Copper-tolerant brown-rot decay fungi exploit intricate mechanisms to neutralize the efficacy of copper-containing preservative formulations. The production and accumulation oxalate is the most widely recognized theory regarding the mechanism of copper-tolerance in these fungi. The role of oxalate, however, may be only one part of a series of necessary components...

A multiplex PCR assay to detect and differentiate select agent strains of Ralstonia solanacearum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ralstonia solanacearum causes bacterial wilt in a variety of cash crops. R. solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 strains are considered select agents by the U.S. Government because they are not endemic to the U.S. and have the potential to cause brown rot disease in our potato production fields. Simple and...

Chemical modification : a non-toxic approach to wood preservation

Treesearch

Roger M. Rowell

2006-01-01

Wood can be chemically modified to reduce the moisture content of the cell wall and increases decay resistance. As the level of bonded chemical increases, the cell wall equilibrium moisture content decreases and the resistance to attack by white-and brown-rot fungi increases. There is a direct relationship between the decrease in cell wall moisture Content and...

Laboratory tests on fungal resistance of wood filled polyethylene composites

Treesearch

Craig M. Clemons; Rebecca E. Ibach

2002-01-01

A standard method for determining the durability of structural wood was modified for testing the fungal resistance of composites made from high density polyethylene filled with 50% wood flour. Moisture content, mechanical properties, and weight loss were measured over 12 weeks exposure to brown-and white-rot fungi. Mechanical properties were decreased, but irreversible...

Spatial Distribution of Root and Crown Rot Fungi Associated With Winter Wheat in the North China Plain and Its Relationship With Climate Variables

PubMed Central

Xu, Fei; Yang, Gongqiang; Wang, Junmei; Song, Yuli; Liu, Lulu; Zhao, Kai; Li, Yahong; Han, Zihang

2018-01-01

The distribution frequency of pathogenic fungi associated with root and crown rot of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) from 104 fields in the North China Plain was determined during the period from 2013 to 2016. The four most important species identified were Bipolaris sorokiniana (24.0% from roots; 33.7% from stems), Fusarium pseudograminearum (14.9% from roots; 27.8% from stems), Rhizoctonia cerealis (1.7% from roots; 4.4% from stems), and Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (9.8% from roots; 4.4% from stems). We observed that the recovered species varied with the agronomic zone. Fusarium pseudograminearum was predominant in regions 1 and 3, whereas F. graminearum, F. acuminatum, and R. cerealis were predominant in regions 2 and 4. The incidence of F. pseudograminearum and R. cerealis was significantly different between regions 1 and 4, while no significant association was found in the distribution of the other species and the agronomic zones. A negative correlation between the frequency of occurrence of F. pseudograminearum and mean annual precipitation during 2013–2016 (r = −0.71; P < 0.01) in the North China Plain and a positive correlation between the mean annual precipitation during 2013–2016 and the frequency of occurrence of F. asiaticum (r = 0.74; P < 0.01) were observed. Several Fusarium species were also found with low frequencies of ~2.1%−3.4 % (F. graminearum, F. acuminatum, and F. sinensis) and ~0.1%−1.3% (F. equiseti, F. oxysporum, F. proliferatum, F. culmorum, F. avenaceum, and F. asiaticum). In more than 93% of the fields, from the root and crown tissues of wheat, two or more root and crown rot species were isolated. The coexistence of Fusarium spp. and B. sorokiniana in one field (65.4%) or in individual plants (11.6%) was more common than for the other species combinations. Moreover, this is the first report on the association between F. sinensis and root and crown rot of wheat. Our results would be useful in the framing guidelines for the management of root and crown rot fungi in wheat in different agronomic zones of the North China Plain. PMID:29887840

Comparison of phenotyping methods for resistance to stem rot and aggregated sheath spot in rice

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stem and sheath diseases caused by Sclerotium oryzae Cattaneo (SCL) and Rhizoctonia oryzae-sativae Sawada Mordue (ROS) can severely reduce rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield and grain quality. Genetic resistance is the best strategy to control them. Phenotypic selection for resistance is hampered due to a...

7 CFR 29.6021 - Injury.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... may be caused by field diseases, insects, or weather conditions; insecticides, fungicides, or cell... Rule 16), sunburned, sun-scalded, bulk-burnt, pole-burnt, shed-burnt, pole-sweated, stem-rotted...

7 CFR 29.6021 - Injury.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... may be caused by field diseases, insects, or weather conditions; insecticides, fungicides, or cell... Rule 16), sunburned, sun-scalded, bulk-burnt, pole-burnt, shed-burnt, pole-sweated, stem-rotted...

7 CFR 29.6021 - Injury.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... may be caused by field diseases, insects, or weather conditions; insecticides, fungicides, or cell... Rule 16), sunburned, sun-scalded, bulk-burnt, pole-burnt, shed-burnt, pole-sweated, stem-rotted...

7 CFR 29.6021 - Injury.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... may be caused by field diseases, insects, or weather conditions; insecticides, fungicides, or cell... Rule 16), sunburned, sun-scalded, bulk-burnt, pole-burnt, shed-burnt, pole-sweated, stem-rotted...

7 CFR 29.6021 - Injury.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... may be caused by field diseases, insects, or weather conditions; insecticides, fungicides, or cell... Rule 16), sunburned, sun-scalded, bulk-burnt, pole-burnt, shed-burnt, pole-sweated, stem-rotted...

Diversity and activity of biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas in the rhizosphere of black pepper in Vietnam.

PubMed

Tran, H; Kruijt, M; Raaijmakers, J M

2008-03-01

Phytophthora capsici is a major pathogen of black pepper and zoospores play an important role in the infection process. Fluorescent pseudomonads that produce biosurfactants with zoosporicidal activities were isolated from the black pepper rhizosphere in Vietnam, and their genotypic diversity and potential to control Phy. capsici root rot was determined. Biosurfactant-producing pseudomonads were genotypically and biochemically characterized by BOX-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), 16S-rDNA sequencing, reverse-phase-high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. Biosurfactant-producing fluorescent pseudomonads make up c. 1.3% of the culturable Pseudomonas population in the rhizosphere of black pepper. Although BOX-PCR revealed substantial genotypic diversity, the isolates were shown to produce the same biosurfactants and were all identified as Pseudomonas putida. When applied to black pepper stem cuttings, several of the biosurfactant-producing strains provided significant disease control. In absence of the disease, several of the bacterial strains promoted shoot and root growth of black pepper stem cuttings. Biosurfactant-producing pseudomonads indigenous to the rhizosphere of black pepper plants are genotypically diverse and provide a novel resource for the control of Phy. capsici root rot and growth promotion of black pepper stem cuttings. The results of this study provide a strong basis for further development of supplementary strategies with antagonistic bacteria to control foot and root rot of black pepper and to promote plant growth.

INCIDENCE AND SEVERITY OF LEAF AND FRUIT DISEASES OF PLUMS IN LATVIA.

PubMed

Grantina-Ievina, L; Stanke, L

2015-01-01

In the present study six plum orchards in Latvia were examined during 2014. One orchard was commercial with integrated pest management (IPM) practices, one was with organic management, two orchards were scientific collections and in two orchards plums were grown as a minor crop, using IPM practices. The shot-hole disease (Wilsonomyces carpophilus) and fruit rot were monitored in the field. Samples of twigs and leaves were taken for further examination if some other disease symptoms were observed. In total, 50 European plum (Prunus domestica) and six diploid plum cultivars were inspected. The fruit rot was assessed also in the laboratory to determine the latent infection with Monilinia spp. on immature fruits. Monilinia spp. isolates from all orchards were subjected to fungicide sensitivity tests. Incidence and severity of shot-hole disease was significantly different among various orchards when the same cultivar was compared, as well as between diploid and European plum cultivars. The average incidence of shot-hole disease was 41% in diploid plums and 80% in European plums, while the average severity was 9 and 15%, respectively. In the field, fruit rot caused only by Monilinia spp. was detected. The average incidence of brown rot on diploid plums was less than 1%, but on European plums it was 3.6%. The latent infection tests showed that plum fruits had higher incidence of brown rot than was observed in the field, up to 44% on particular cultivars. Additionally, from the fruits subjected to these tests, Botrytis cinerea, Diaporthe eres and Colletotrichum spp. were isolated. This means that in specific weather and management conditions the fruit rot incidence in the field could be several times higher. Examination of samples of twigs, leaves and fruits in the laboratory showed the presence of D. eres in samples from all orchards. In one of the scientific collections D. eres was isolated from twigs, leaves and fruits, and was more often found on the individuals located in the part of the orchard close to hedge. In other orchards this fungus was isolated only from fruits, and mainly from the latent infection tests. Monilinia spp. isolates showed high sensitivity to dithianon, penconazole, mancozeb and boscalid with pyraclostrobin, but lower sensitivity to cyprodinil. Several fungi that are known to be antagonistic to pathogenic fungi were isolated from all orchards: Epicoccum nigrum, Clonostachys rosea and Aureobasidium pullulans, mainly from the fruits of latency tests and leaves with disease symptoms.

The emerging role for bacteria in lignin degradation and bio-product formation.

PubMed

Bugg, Timothy D H; Ahmad, Mark; Hardiman, Elizabeth M; Singh, Rahul

2011-06-01

The microbial degradation of lignin has been well studied in white-rot and brown-rot fungi, but is much less well studied in bacteria. Recent published work suggests that a range of soil bacteria, often aromatic-degrading bacteria, are able to break down lignin. The enzymology of bacterial lignin breakdown is currently not well understood, but extracellular peroxidase and laccase enzymes appear to be involved. There are also reports of aromatic-degrading bacteria isolated from termite guts, though there are conflicting reports on the ability of termite gut micro-organisms to break down lignin. If biocatalytic routes for lignin breakdown could be developed, then lignin represents a potentially rich source of renewable aromatic chemicals. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acridine Orange Indicates Early Oxidation of Wood Cell Walls by Fungi

Treesearch

Carl J. Houtman; Peter Kitin; Jon C. D. Houtman; Kenneth E. Hammel; Christopher G. Hunt

2016-01-01

Colonization of wood blocks by brown and white rot fungi rapidly resulted in detectable wood oxidation, as shown by a reduced phloroglucinol response, a loss of autofluorescence, and acridine orange (AO) staining. This last approach is shown to provide a novel method for identifying wood oxidation. When lignin was mildly oxidized, the association between AO and lignin...

Studies in neotropical polypores. 11, Antrodia aurantia, a new species from the Dominican Republic, Greater Antilles

Treesearch

D. Jean Lodge; Leif Ryvarden; Omar Paino Perdomo-Sanchez

2001-01-01

Antrodia aurantia Lodge, Ryvarden & Perdomo-Sanchez is described as new. It has bright orange resupinate basidiomes that lack rhizomorphs and has pores that are deep, soft, large, and angular to sinuous; it is associated with a brown rot on Pinus occidentalis. A key to all American Antrodia and Diplomitoporus species is provided.

The Role of Chemical Transport in the Decay Resistance of Modified Wood. In: M

Treesearch

Samuel L. Zelinka; Rebecka Ringman; Annica Pulgard; Emil Engelund Thybring; Joseph E. Jakes; Klaus Richter

2015-01-01

A 2014 review by Ringman et al. examined established theories addressing why modified wood has increased decay resistance and concluded that the most probable cause of inhibition and/or delay of the initiation of brown rot decay is lowering the equilibrium moisture content for given environmental conditions. A 2013 paper by Jakes et al...

Transcriptome and secretome analyses of the wood decay fungus Wolfiporia cocos support alternative mechanisms of lignocellulose conversion

Treesearch

Jill Gaskell; Robert A. Blanchette; Philip E. Stewart; Sandra Splinter BonDurant; Marie Adams; Grzegorz Sabat; Philip Kersten; Daniel Cullen

2016-01-01

Certain wood decay basidiomycetes, collectively referred to as brown rot fungi, rapidly depolymerize cellulose while leaving behind the bulk of cell wall lignin as a modified residue. The mechanism(s) employed is unclear, but considerable evidence implicates the involvement of diffusible oxidants generated via Fenton-like chemistry. Toward a better understanding of...

Correlation between oxalic acid production and copper tolerance in Wolfiporia cocos

Treesearch

C. A. Clausen; Frederick Green; B. M. Woodward; J. W. Evans; R. C. DeGroot

2000-01-01

The increased interest in copper-based wood preservatives has hastened the need for understanding why some fungi are able to attack copper-treated wood. Due in part to accumulation of oxalic acid by brown-rot fungi and visualization of copper oxalate crystals in wood decayed by known copper-tolerant decay fungi, oxalic acid has been implicated in copper tolerance by...

Chemical modification : a non-toxic approach to wood preservation

Treesearch

Roger M. Rowell

2005-01-01

Reaction of wood with anhydrides, isocyanates, and epoxides reduces the moisture content of the cell wall and increases the resistance of the modified wood to attack by fungi. As the level of bonded chemical increases. the cell wall equilibrium moisture content decreases and the resistance to attack by white-and brown-rot fungi increases. There is a direct relationship...

Copper tolerance of brown-rot fungi : oxalic acid production in southern pine treated with arsenic-free preservatives

Treesearch

Frederick Green; Carol A. Clausen

2005-01-01

The voluntary withdrawal of chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood from most residential applications has increased the use of non-arsenical copper-based organic wood preservatives. Because the arsenic component of CCA controlled copper tolerant fungi, scientists have renewed interest in and concern about the decay capacity in the important copper-tolerant group...

Sarcoporia polyspora (Basidiomycota, Polyporales): a rare wood-decay fungus newly recorded from South America

Treesearch

Daiana Bortoluzzi Baldoni; Beatriz Ortiz-Santana; Gilberto Coelho; Zaida I. Antoniolli; Rodrigo J.S. Jacques

2014-01-01

Brown-rot fungi degrade almost exclusively wood cellulosic materials participating in the, carbon cycle and soil formation of many forest regions, these are especially important on boreal and cultivated coniferous forests. These fungi and forests may have a common co-evolutionary history. Studying wood-inhabiting fungi in cultivated pine forests in Southern Brazil, we...

Chapter 4: Genetic Identification of Fungi Involved in Wood Decay

Treesearch

Grant Kirker

2014-01-01

Wood decay is a complex process that involves contributions from molds, bacteria, decay fungi, and often insects. The first step in the accurate diagnosis of decay is identification of the causal agents, but wood decay in the strictest sense (white and brown rot) is caused by cryptic fungal species that are very difficult to identify using traditional methods. Genetic...

The strange case of a biofilm-forming strain of Pichia fermentans, which controls Monilinia brown rot on apple but is pathogenic on peach fruit.

PubMed

Giobbe, Sara; Marceddu, Salvatore; Scherm, Barbara; Zara, Giacomo; Mazzarello, Vittorio L; Budroni, Marilena; Migheli, Quirico

2007-12-01

A biofilm-forming strain of Pichia fermentans proved to be most effective in controlling brown rot on apple fruit when coinoculated into artificial wounds with a phytopathogenic isolate of Monilinia fructicola. Culture filtrates and autoclaved cells had no significant influence on the disease. When sprayed onto the apple fruit surface, this yeast formed a thin biofilm but failed to colonize the underlying tissues. When inoculated into wounds artificially inflicted to peach fruit or when sprayed onto the surface of peach fruit, the same strain showed an unexpected pathogenic behaviour, causing rapid decay of fruit tissues even in the absence of M. fructicola. Both optical and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the pattern of fruit tissue colonization by P. fermentans. While on apple surface and within the apple wound the antagonist retained its yeast-like shape, colonization of peach fruit tissue was always characterized by a transition from budding growth to pseudohyphal growth. These results suggest that pseudohyphal growth plays a major role in governing the potential pathogenicity of P. fermentans, further emphasizing the importance of a thorough risk assessment for the safe use of any novel biocontrol agent.

Brown Rot Strikes Prunus Fruit: An Ancient Fight Almost Always Lost.

PubMed

Oliveira Lino, Leandro; Pacheco, Igor; Mercier, Vincent; Faoro, Franco; Bassi, Daniele; Bornard, Isabelle; Quilot-Turion, Bénédicte

2016-05-25

Brown rot (BR) caused by Monilinia spp., has been an economic problem for the stone fruit market due to dramatic losses, mainly during the postharvest period. There is much literature about basic aspects of Monilinia spp. infection, which indicates that environment significantly influences its occurrence in the orchard. However, progress is needed to sustainably limit this disease: the pathogen is able to develop resistance to pesticides, and most of BR resistance research programs in plant models perish. Solving this problem becomes important due to the need to decrease chemical treatments and reduce residues on fruit. Thus, research has recently increased, exploring a wide range of disease control strategies (e.g., genetic, chemical, physical). Summarizing this information is difficult, as studies evaluate different Monilinia and Prunus model species, with diverse strategies and protocols. Thus, the purpose of this review is to present the diversity and distribution of agents causing BR, focusing on the biochemical mechanisms of Monilinia spp. infection both of the fungi and of the fruit, and report on the resistance sources in Prunus germplasm. This review comprehensively compiles the information currently available to better understand mechanisms related to BR resistance.

Research on basal stem rot (BSR) of ornamental palms caused by basidiospores from Ganoderma boninense.

PubMed

Lim, H P; Fong, Y K

2005-01-01

Basidiospores were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma infecting oil palms from an estate in Johor and from ornamental palms (including oil palms) from Singapore. The spores were then germinated to obtain homokaryotic mycelia. Based on clamp connection formation in paired hyphal fusions, tester strains were identified from the homokaryons isolated. Compatibility tests were then carried out using these testers to determine the relatedness of the homokaryotic Ganoderma isolates, both from Johor and from Singapore. Results from the compatibility tests showed that Ganoderma from both locations belong to the same species, while the Ganoderma isolates from Singapore share some common alleles. The pathogenicity tests carried out on Chrysalidocarpus lutescens seedlings using inoculum growing on rubber wood blocks showed that dikaryotic mycelia can cause basal stem rot infection.

First report of bacterial stem rot of ‘heirloom’ tomatoes caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. brasiliensis in Florida

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the spring of 2014, a field experiment was established to evaluate the growth of ‘heirloom’ tomato types in a vertical garden hydroponic system. During bloom, approximately 40% of the established plants of the variety ‘Black Prince’ were severely wilted with necrotic upper leaves. Stems of infe...

A Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase with Broad Xyloglucan Specificity from the Brown-Rot Fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum and Its Action on Cellulose-Xyloglucan Complexes

PubMed Central

Kojima, Yuka; Várnai, Anikó; Ishida, Takuya; Sunagawa, Naoki; Petrovic, Dejan M.; Igarashi, Kiyohiko; Jellison, Jody; Goodell, Barry; Alfredsen, Gry; Westereng, Bjørge

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Fungi secrete a set of glycoside hydrolases and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) to degrade plant polysaccharides. Brown-rot fungi, such as Gloeophyllum trabeum, tend to have few LPMOs, and information on these enzymes is scarce. The genome of G. trabeum encodes four auxiliary activity 9 (AA9) LPMOs (GtLPMO9s), whose coding sequences were amplified from cDNA. Due to alternative splicing, two variants of GtLPMO9A seem to be produced, a single-domain variant, GtLPMO9A-1, and a longer variant, GtLPMO9A-2, which contains a C-terminal domain comprising approximately 55 residues without a predicted function. We have overexpressed the phylogenetically distinct GtLPMO9A-2 in Pichia pastoris and investigated its properties. Standard analyses using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography–pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and mass spectrometry (MS) showed that GtLPMO9A-2 is active on cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and xyloglucan. Importantly, compared to other known xyloglucan-active LPMOs, GtLPMO9A-2 has broad specificity, cleaving at any position along the β-glucan backbone of xyloglucan, regardless of substitutions. Using dynamic viscosity measurements to compare the hemicellulolytic action of GtLPMO9A-2 to that of a well-characterized hemicellulolytic LPMO, NcLPMO9C from Neurospora crassa revealed that GtLPMO9A-2 is more efficient in depolymerizing xyloglucan. These measurements also revealed minor activity on glucomannan that could not be detected by the analysis of soluble products by HPAEC-PAD and MS and that was lower than the activity of NcLPMO9C. Experiments with copolymeric substrates showed an inhibitory effect of hemicellulose coating on cellulolytic LPMO activity and did not reveal additional activities of GtLPMO9A-2. These results provide insight into the LPMO potential of G. trabeum and provide a novel sensitive method, a measurement of dynamic viscosity, for monitoring LPMO activity. IMPORTANCE Currently, there are only a few methods available to analyze end products of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) activity, the most common ones being liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Here, we present an alternative and sensitive method based on measurement of dynamic viscosity for real-time continuous monitoring of LPMO activity in the presence of water-soluble hemicelluloses, such as xyloglucan. We have used both these novel and existing analytical methods to characterize a xyloglucan-active LPMO from a brown-rot fungus. This enzyme, GtLPMO9A-2, differs from previously characterized LPMOs in having broad substrate specificity, enabling almost random cleavage of the xyloglucan backbone. GtLPMO9A-2 acts preferentially on free xyloglucan, suggesting a preference for xyloglucan chains that tether cellulose fibers together. The xyloglucan-degrading potential of GtLPMO9A-2 suggests a role in decreasing wood strength at the initial stage of brown rot through degradation of the primary cell wall. PMID:27590806

Styrax americanus Lam.

Treesearch

K.F Connor

2004-01-01

American snowbell, also known as mock orange or storax, is a deciduous shrub or small tree with a widely branched crown. It reaches 3 to 5 m in height, and the stems can reach 7.5 cm in diameter. While the bark on the stems is smooth and dark grey to brown, branches range in color from green to grey to red-brown. Young stems are pubescent, becoming glabrous with age....

Identification of Fusarium species isolated from stored apple fruit in Croatia.

PubMed

Sever, Zdravka; Ivić, Dario; Kos, Tomislav; Miličević, Tihomir

2012-12-01

Several species of the genus Fusarium can cause apple fruit to rot while stored. Since Fusarium taxonomy is very complex and has constantly been revised and updated over the last years, the aim of this study was to identify Fusarium species from rotten apples, based on combined morphological characteristics and molecular data. We identified 32 Fusarium isolates from rotten apple fruit of cultivars Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Idared, and Pink Lady, stored in Ultra Low Oxygen (ULO) conditions. Fusarium rot was detected in 9.4 % to 33.2 % of naturally infected apples, depending on the cultivar. The symptoms were similar in all four cultivars: a soft circular brown necrosis of different extent, with or without visible sporulation. Fusarium species were identified by the morphology of cultures grown on potato-dextrose agar (PDA) and carnation leaf agar (CLA). Twenty one isolates were identified as Fusarium avenaceum and confirmed as such with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primer pair FA-ITSF and FA-ITSR. F. pseudograminearum,F. semitectum, F. crookwellense, and F. compactum were identified by morphological characteristics. F.avenaceum can produce several mycotoxins and its dominance in Fusarium rot points to the risk of mycotoxin contamination of apple fruit juices and other products for human consumption. Pathogenicity tests showed typical symptoms of Fusarium rot in most of the inoculated wounded apple fruits. In this respect Fusarium avenaceum, as the dominant cause of Fusarium rot in stored apple fruits is a typical wound parasite.

7 CFR 51.1565 - Internal defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Browning, Fusarium Wilt, Net Necrosis, Other Necrosis, Stem End Browning 5 percent waste 10 percent waste... Occurring entirely within the vascular ring Internal Brown Spot and Similar Discoloration (Heat Necrosis...

7 CFR 51.1565 - Internal defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Browning, Fusarium Wilt, Net Necrosis, Other Necrosis, Stem End Browning 5 percent waste 10 percent waste... Occurring entirely within the vascular ring Internal Brown Spot and Similar Discoloration (Heat Necrosis...

Brown rot in inner heartwood: why large logs support characteristics saproxylic beetle assemblages of conservation concern

Treesearch

Marie Yee; Simon J. Grove; Alastair M.M. Richardson; Caroline L. Mohammed

2006-01-01

It is not clear why large diameter logs generally host saproxylic beetle assemblages that are different from those of small diameter logs. In a study in Tasmanian wet eucalypt forest, two size-classes of Eucalyptus obliqua logs (>100cm and 30-60cm diameter) were destructively sampled to assess their beetle fauna and the associations of this fauna...

Resistance of 22 southern hardwoods to wood-decay fungi and subterranean termites

Treesearch

F.Y. Carter; T.L. Amburgey; F.G. Manwiller

1976-01-01

Of 22 hardwood species growing on southern pine sites, blackjack, white, and post oaks proved most resistant to attack by the brown-rot fungus, Lenzites trabea. The amount of decay ranged from 8 percent for blackjack and white oak to 67 percent for red maple. Winged elm, yellow-poplar, and post, black, white, and southern red oaks were the most...

Bonding of wood fiber composites using a synthetic chelator-lignin activation system

Treesearch

D. Yelle; B. Goodell; D.J. Gardner; A. Amirbahman; P. Winistofer; S. Shaler

2004-01-01

Wood fibers, after thermo-mechanical pulping, have a high concentration of lignin on the outer surface of the fiber; the residual middle lamella of the woody cell wall. When wood fibers are oxidatively treated with a chelator produced by Gloeophyllum trabeum (a brown-rot fungus), in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and ferric iron (FeIII), free radicals are...

Non-enzymatic depolymerization of cotton cellulose by fungal mimicking metabolites

Treesearch

Anne Christine Steenkjaer Hastrup; Caitlin Howell; Bo Jensen; Frederick Green

2011-01-01

Small, low molecular weight, non-enzymatic compounds have been linked to the early stages of brown rot decay as the enzymes involved with holocellulose degradation are too large to penetrate the S3 layer of intact wood cells. We investigated the most notable of these compounds, i.e. hydrogen peroxide, iron, and oxalic acid. The former two are involved in the Fenton...

Enzymatic mechanism of oxalate production in the TCA and glyoxylate pathways using various isolates of Antrodia radiculosa

Treesearch

K.M. Jenkins; S.V. Diehl; C.A. Clausen; F. Green

2011-01-01

Brown-rot fungi produce oxalate in large amounts; however, levels of accumulation and function vary by species. Copper-tolerant fungi, like Antrodia radiculosa, produce and accumulate high levels of oxalate in response to copper. Oxalate biosynthesis in copper-tolerant fungi has been linked to the glyoxylate and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycles. Within these two cycles...

Fusarium agapanthi sp. nov, a novel bikaverin and fusarubin-producing leaf and stem spot pathogen of Agapanthus praecox (African lily) from Australia and Italy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study was conducted to characterize a novel Fusarium species that caused leaf and stem spot on Agapanthus praecox (Agapanthus, African lily) in northern Italy and leaf rot and spot on the same host in Melbourne, Australia. Formally described as Fusarium agapanthi, this pathogen was analyzed usi...

Bacterial diversity of oil palm Elaeis guineensis basal stems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amran, Afzufira; Jangi, Mohd Sanusi; Aqma, Wan Syaidatul; Yusof, Nurul Yuziana Mohd; Bakar, Mohd Faizal Abu; Isa, Mohd Noor Mat

2016-11-01

Oil palm, Elaeis guineensis is one of the major industrial production crops in Malaysia. Basal stem rot, caused by the white fungus, Ganoderma boninense, is a disease that reduces oil palm yields in most production areas of the world. Understanding of bacterial community that is associated with Ganoderma infection will shed light on how this bacterial community contributes toward the severity of the infection. In this preliminary study, we assessed the bacterial community that inhabit the basal stems of E. guineensis based on 16S rRNA gene as a marker using next generation sequencing platform. This result showed that a total of 84,372 operational taxonomic-units (OTUs) were identified within six samples analyzed. A total 55,049 OTUs were assigned to known taxonomy whereas 29,323 were unassigned. Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla found in all six samples and the unique taxonomy assigned for each infected and healthy samples were also identified. The findings from this study will further enhance our knowledge in the interaction of bacterial communities against Ganoderma infection within the oil palm host plant and for a better management of the basal stems rot disease.

Cassava brown streak disease in Rwanda, the associated viruses and disease phenotypes.

PubMed

Munganyinka, E; Ateka, E M; Kihurani, A W; Kanyange, M C; Tairo, F; Sseruwagi, P; Ndunguru, J

2018-02-01

Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) was first observed on cassava ( Manihot esculenta ) in Rwanda in 2009. In 2014 eight major cassava-growing districts in the country were surveyed to determine the distribution and variability of symptom phenotypes associated with CBSD, and the genetic diversity of cassava brown streak viruses. Distribution of the CBSD symptom phenotypes and their combinations varied greatly between districts, cultivars and their associated viruses. The symptoms on leaf alone recorded the highest (32.2%) incidence, followed by roots (25.7%), leaf + stem (20.3%), leaf + root (10.4%), leaf + stem + root (5.2%), stem + root (3.7%), and stem (2.5%) symptoms. Analysis by RT-PCR showed that single infections of Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV) were most common (74.2% of total infections) and associated with all the seven phenotypes studied. Single infections of Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) were predominant (15.3% of total infections) in CBSD-affected plants showing symptoms on stems alone. Mixed infections (CBSV + UCBSV) comprised 10.5% of total infections and predominated in the combinations of leaf + stem + root phenotypes. Phylogenetic analysis and the estimates of evolutionary divergence, using partial sequences (210 nt) of the coat protein gene, revealed that in Rwanda there is one type of CBSV and an indication of diverse UCBSV. This study is the first to report the occurrence and distribution of both CBSV and UCBSV based on molecular techniques in Rwanda.

A preliminary bioclimatic approach to predicting potential distribution of Phellinus noxious and geographical areas at risk from invasion

Treesearch

Ned B. Klopfenstein; Eric W. I. Pitman; John W. Hanna; Phil G. Cannon; Jane E. Stewart; Norio Sahashi; Yuko Ota; Tsutomu Hattori; Mitsuteru Akiba; Louise Shuey; Robert L. Schlub; Fred Brooks; Ndeme Atibalentja; Alvin M. C. Tang; Regent Y. C. Lam; Mike W. K. Leung; L. M. Chu; H. S. Kwan; Mohd Farid bin Ahmad; Su See Lee; Hsin-Han Lee; Jyh-Nong Tsai; Yu-Ching Huang; Chia-Lin Chung; Ruey-Fen Liou; Mee-Sook Kim

2016-01-01

Phellinus noxius, the cause of brown root-rot disease, is an invasive pathogen that was first described by Corner in Singapore (Corner 1932). It has a wide host range of primarily woody plants representing over 200 species from diverse families (Ann et al. 2002). This pathogen is also widespread, and has been reported to occur in many tropical/subtropical...

Purification, molecular cloning, and enzymatic properties of a family 12 endoglucanase (EG-II) from fomitopsis palustris: role of EG-II in larch holocellulose hydrolysis.

PubMed

Shimokawa, Tomoko; Shibuya, Hajime; Nojiri, Masanobu; Yoshida, Shigeki; Ishihara, Mitsuro

2008-09-01

A family 12 endoglucanase with a molecular mass of 23,926 Da (EG-II) from the brown-rot basidiomycete Fomitopsis palustris was purified and characterized. One of the roles of EG-II in wood degradation is thought to be to loosen the polysaccharide network in cell walls by disentangling hemicelluloses that are associated with cellulose.

78 FR 7738 - Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-04

...In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the regulations for a certification program for imported articles of Pelargonium spp. and Solanum spp. to prevent the introduction of potato brown rot into the United States.

A TaqMan-based multiplex qPCR assay and DNA extraction method for phylotype IIB sequevars 1&2 (select agent) strains of Ralstonia solanacearum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 strains have the ability to cause brown rot of potato in temperate climates. Since these strains are not established in the U.S. and because of the potential risk they pose to the potato industry, the U.S. government has listed them as select agents. Cultivated...

Abilities of Co-cultures of Brown-Rot Fungus Fomitopsis pinicola and Bacillus subtilis on Biodegradation of DDT.

PubMed

Sariwati, Atmira; Purnomo, Adi Setyo; Kamei, Ichiro

2017-09-01

DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane) is one of the pesticides that are hazardous for the environment and human health. Effective environmental-friendly treatment using co-cultures of fungi and bacteria is needed. In this study, the bacteria Bacillus subtilis at various volumes of 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 mL (1 mL ≈ 6.7 × 10 8  CFU) were mixed into 10 mL of the brown-rot fungus Fomitopsis pinicola culture for degrading DDT during a 7-days incubation period. DDT was degraded by approximately 42% by F. pinicola during the 7-days incubation period. The addition of 10 mL of B. subtilis into F. pinicola culture showed the highest DDT degradation of approximately 86% during the 7-days incubation period. DDD (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane), DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene), and DDMU (1-chloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene) were detected as metabolic products from DDT degradation by co-cultures of F. pinicola and B. subtilis. Transformation pathway was proposed in which DDT was transformed into three pathways as follows: (1) dechlorination to DDD, (2) dehydrochlorination to DDE, and (3) formation of DDMU.

Antifungal Activity of Some Constituents of Origanum vulgare L. Essential Oil Against Postharvest Disease of Peach Fruit.

PubMed

Elshafie, Hazem S; Mancini, Emilia; Sakr, Shimaa; De Martino, Laura; Mattia, Carlo Andrea; De Feo, Vincenzo; Camele, Ippolito

2015-08-01

Plant essential oils (EOs) can potentially replace synthetic fungicides in the management of postharvest fruit and vegetable diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro and in vivo effectiveness of thymol, carvacrol, linalool, and trans-caryophyllene, single constituents of the EO of Origanum vulgare L. ssp. hirtum against Monilinia laxa, M. fructigena, and M. fructicola, which are important phytopathogens and causal agents of brown rot of pome and stone fruits in pre- and postharvest. Moreover, the possible phytotoxic activity of these constituents was assessed and their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined. In vitro experiment indicated that thymol and carvacrol possess the highest antifungal activity. Results of in vivo trials confirmed the strong efficacy of thymol and carvacrol against brown rot of peach fruits. The thymol MIC resulted to be 0.16 μg/μL against M. laxa and M. fructigena and 0.12 μg/μL against M. fructicola, whereas for carvacrol they were 0.02 μg/μL against the first two Monilinia species and 0.03 μg/μL against the third. Results of this study indicated that thymol and carvacrol could be used after suitable formulation for controlling postharvest fruit diseases caused by the three studied Monilinia species.

Fusarium culmorum: causal agent of foot and root rot and head blight on wheat.

PubMed

Scherm, Barbara; Balmas, Virgilio; Spanu, Francesca; Pani, Giovanna; Delogu, Giovanna; Pasquali, Matias; Migheli, Quirico

2013-05-01

Fusarium culmorum is a ubiquitous soil-borne fungus able to cause foot and root rot and Fusarium head blight on different small-grain cereals, in particular wheat and barley. It causes significant yield and quality losses and results in contamination of the grain with mycotoxins. This review summarizes recent research activities related to F. culmorum, including studies into its population diversity, mycotoxin biosynthesis, mechanisms of pathogenesis and resistance, the development of diagnostic tools and preliminary genome sequence surveys. We also propose potential research areas that may expand our basic understanding of the wheat-F. culmorum interaction and assist in the management of the disease caused by this pathogen. Fusarium culmorum (W.G. Smith) Sacc. Kingdom Fungi; Phylum Ascomycota; Subphylum Pezizomycotina; Class Sordariomycetes; Subclass Hypocreomycetidae; Order Hypocreales; Family Nectriaceae; Genus Fusarium. Foot and root rot (also known as Fusarium crown rot): seedling blight with death of the plant before or after emergence; brown discoloration on roots and coleoptiles of the infected seedlings; brown discoloration on subcrown internodes and on the first two/three internodes of the main stem; tiller abortion; formation of whiteheads with shrivelled white grains; Fusarium head blight: prematurely bleached spikelets or blighting of the entire head, which remains empty or contains shrunken dark kernels. IDENTIFICATION AND DETECTION: Morphological identification is based on the shape of the macroconidia formed on sporodochia on carnation leaf agar. The conidiophores are branched monophialides, short and wide. The macroconidia are relatively short and stout with an apical cell blunt or slightly papillate; the basal cell is foot-shaped or just notched. Macroconidia are thick-walled and curved, usually 3-5 septate, and mostly measuring 30-50 × 5.0-7.5 μm. Microconidia are absent. Oval to globose chlamydospores are formed, intercalary in the hyphae, solitary, in chains or in clumps; they are also formed from macroconidia. The colony grows very rapidly (1.6-2.2 cm/day) on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at the optimum temperature of 25 °C. The mycelium on PDA is floccose, whitish, light yellow or red. The pigment on the reverse plate on PDA varies from greyish-rose, carmine red or burgundy. A wide array of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR tools, as well as complementary methods, which are summarised in the first two tables, have been developed for the detection and/or quantification of F. culmorum in culture and in naturally infected plant tissue. Fusarium culmorum has a wide range of host plants, mainly cereals, such as wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, sorghum and various grasses. In addition, it has been isolated from sugar beet, flax, carnation, bean, pea, asparagus, red clover, hop, leeks, Norway spruce, strawberry and potato tuber. Fusarium culmorum has also been associated with dermatitis on marram grass planters in the Netherlands, although its role as a causal agent of skin lesions appears questionable. It is also isolated as a symbiont able to confer resistance to abiotic stress, and has been proposed as a potential biocontrol agent to control the aquatic weed Hydrilla spp. http://isolate.fusariumdb.org/; http://sppadbase.ipp.cnr.it/; http://www.broad.mit.edu/annotation/genome/fusarium_group/MultiHome.html; http://www.fgsc.net/Fusarium/fushome.htm; http://plantpath.psu.edu/facilities/fusarium-research-center; http://www.phi-base.org/; http://www.uniprot.org/; http://www.cabi.org/; http://www.indexfungorum.org/ © 2012 BSPP AND BLACKWELL PUBLISHING LTD.

7 CFR 51.1913 - Serious damage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...) Soft ripe tomatoes or tomatoes affected by the soft rot. (b) Fresh holes or cuts, or any holes or cuts... adjacent to the stem scar and more than 1/4 inch in diameter. (h) Fruit actually infested with worms. ...

7 CFR 51.1913 - Serious damage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...) Soft ripe tomatoes or tomatoes affected by the soft rot. (b) Fresh holes or cuts, or any holes or cuts... adjacent to the stem scar and more than 1/4 inch in diameter. (h) Fruit actually infested with worms. ...

White mold of Jerusalem artichoke

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is a Native American food plant closely related to the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Tubers of Jerusalem artichoke are increasingly available in retail grocery outlets. White mold (Sclerotinia stem rot), caused by the fungus, Sclerotinia sclerotioru...

A Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase with Broad Xyloglucan Specificity from the Brown-Rot Fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum and Its Action on Cellulose-Xyloglucan Complexes.

PubMed

Kojima, Yuka; Várnai, Anikó; Ishida, Takuya; Sunagawa, Naoki; Petrovic, Dejan M; Igarashi, Kiyohiko; Jellison, Jody; Goodell, Barry; Alfredsen, Gry; Westereng, Bjørge; Eijsink, Vincent G H; Yoshida, Makoto

2016-11-15

Fungi secrete a set of glycoside hydrolases and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) to degrade plant polysaccharides. Brown-rot fungi, such as Gloeophyllum trabeum, tend to have few LPMOs, and information on these enzymes is scarce. The genome of G. trabeum encodes four auxiliary activity 9 (AA9) LPMOs (GtLPMO9s), whose coding sequences were amplified from cDNA. Due to alternative splicing, two variants of GtLPMO9A seem to be produced, a single-domain variant, GtLPMO9A-1, and a longer variant, GtLPMO9A-2, which contains a C-terminal domain comprising approximately 55 residues without a predicted function. We have overexpressed the phylogenetically distinct GtLPMO9A-2 in Pichia pastoris and investigated its properties. Standard analyses using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography-pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and mass spectrometry (MS) showed that GtLPMO9A-2 is active on cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and xyloglucan. Importantly, compared to other known xyloglucan-active LPMOs, GtLPMO9A-2 has broad specificity, cleaving at any position along the β-glucan backbone of xyloglucan, regardless of substitutions. Using dynamic viscosity measurements to compare the hemicellulolytic action of GtLPMO9A-2 to that of a well-characterized hemicellulolytic LPMO, NcLPMO9C from Neurospora crassa revealed that GtLPMO9A-2 is more efficient in depolymerizing xyloglucan. These measurements also revealed minor activity on glucomannan that could not be detected by the analysis of soluble products by HPAEC-PAD and MS and that was lower than the activity of NcLPMO9C. Experiments with copolymeric substrates showed an inhibitory effect of hemicellulose coating on cellulolytic LPMO activity and did not reveal additional activities of GtLPMO9A-2. These results provide insight into the LPMO potential of G. trabeum and provide a novel sensitive method, a measurement of dynamic viscosity, for monitoring LPMO activity. Currently, there are only a few methods available to analyze end products of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) activity, the most common ones being liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Here, we present an alternative and sensitive method based on measurement of dynamic viscosity for real-time continuous monitoring of LPMO activity in the presence of water-soluble hemicelluloses, such as xyloglucan. We have used both these novel and existing analytical methods to characterize a xyloglucan-active LPMO from a brown-rot fungus. This enzyme, GtLPMO9A-2, differs from previously characterized LPMOs in having broad substrate specificity, enabling almost random cleavage of the xyloglucan backbone. GtLPMO9A-2 acts preferentially on free xyloglucan, suggesting a preference for xyloglucan chains that tether cellulose fibers together. The xyloglucan-degrading potential of GtLPMO9A-2 suggests a role in decreasing wood strength at the initial stage of brown rot through degradation of the primary cell wall. Copyright © 2016 Kojima et al.

Changes in chemical composition and digestibility of three maize stover components digested by white-rot fungi.

PubMed

Lynch, J P; O'Kiely, P; Murphy, R; Doyle, E M

2014-08-01

Maize stover (total stem and leaves) is not considered a ruminant feed of high nutritive value. Therefore, an improvement in its digestibility may increase the viability of total forage maize production systems in marginal growth regions. The objective of this study was to describe the changes in chemical composition during the storage of contrasting components of maize stover (leaf, upper stem and lower stem) treated with either of two lignin degrading white-rot fungi (WRF; Pleurotus ostreatus, Trametes versicolor). Three components of maize stover (leaf, upper stem and lower stem), harvested at a conventional maturity for silage production, were digested with either of two WRF for one of four digestion durations (1-4 months). Samples taken prior to fungal inoculation were used to benchmark the changes that occurred. The degradation of acid detergent lignin was observed in all sample types digested with P. ostreatus; however, the loss of digestible substrate in all samples inoculated with P. ostreatus was high, and therefore, P. ostreatus-digested samples had a lower dry matter digestibility than samples prior to inoculation. Similarly, T. veriscolor-digested leaf underwent a non-selective degradation of the rumen-digestible components of fibre. The changes in chemical composition of leaf, upper stem and lower stem digested with either P. ostreatus or T. veriscolor were not beneficial to the feed value of the forage, and incurred high DM losses. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Purification, Molecular Cloning, and Enzymatic Properties of a Family 12 Endoglucanase (EG-II) from Fomitopsis palustris: Role of EG-II in Larch Holocellulose Hydrolysis▿

PubMed Central

Shimokawa, Tomoko; Shibuya, Hajime; Nojiri, Masanobu; Yoshida, Shigeki; Ishihara, Mitsuro

2008-01-01

A family 12 endoglucanase with a molecular mass of 23,926 Da (EG-II) from the brown-rot basidiomycete Fomitopsis palustris was purified and characterized. One of the roles of EG-II in wood degradation is thought to be to loosen the polysaccharide network in cell walls by disentangling hemicelluloses that are associated with cellulose. PMID:18658283

Wood decay by brown-rot fungi : changes in pore structure and cell wall volume

Treesearch

Douglas S. Flournoy; T. Kent Kirk; T.L. Highley

1991-01-01

Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) wood blocks were decayed by Postia (= Poria) placenta in soilblock cultures. Decay was terminated at various weight losses, and the pore volumes available to four low molecular weight molecules, (water, 4 Å,; glucose, 8 Å,; maltose, 10 Å; and raffinose, 128,) and three dextrans (Mr 6,000, 38 Å; 11,200, 51 Å; nd 17,500, 61 Å) were...

7 CFR 51.1565 - Internal defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Occurring entirely within the vascular ring Internal Brown Spot and Similar Discoloration (Heat Necrosis... or not entirely confined to the vascular ring Ingrown Sprouts, Internal Discoloration, Vascular Browning, Fusarium Wilt, Net Necrosis, Other Necrosis, Stem End Browning 5 percent waste 10 percent waste...

Endophytic bacterial flora in root and stem tissues of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) genotype: isolation, identification and evaluation against Phytophthora capsici.

PubMed

Aravind, R; Kumar, A; Eapen, S J; Ramana, K V

2009-01-01

To isolate and identify black pepper (Piper nigrum L) associated endophytic bacteria antagonistic to Phytophthora capsici causing foot rot disease. Endophytic bacteria (74) were isolated, characterized and evaluated against P. capsici. Six genera belong to Pseudomonas spp (20 strains), Serratia (1 strain), Bacillus spp. (22 strains), Arthrobacter spp. (15 strains), Micrococcus spp. (7 strains), Curtobacterium sp. (1 strain) and eight unidentified strains were isolated from internal tissues of root and stem. Three isolates, IISRBP 35, IISRBP 25 and IISRBP 17 were found effective for Phytophthora suppression in multilevel screening assays which recorded over 70% disease suppression in greenhouse trials. A species closest match (99% similarity) of IISRBP 35 was established as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pseudomonas EF568931), IISRBP 25 as P. putida (Pseudomonas EF568932), and IISRBP 17 as Bacillus megaterium (B. megaterium EU071712) based on 16S rDNA sequencing. Black pepper associated P. aeruginosa, P. putida and B. megaterium were identified as effective antagonistic endophytes for biological control of Phytophthora foot rot in black pepper. This work provides the first evidence for endophytic bacterial diversity in black pepper stem and roots, with biocontrol potential against P. capsici infection.

Genetic Differentiation and Spatial Structure of Phellinus noxius, the Causal Agent of Brown Root Rot of Woody Plants in Japan.

PubMed

Akiba, Mitsuteru; Ota, Yuko; Tsai, Isheng J; Hattori, Tsutomu; Sahashi, Norio; Kikuchi, Taisei

2015-01-01

Phellinus noxius is a pathogenic fungus that causes brown root rot disease in a variety of tree species. This fungus is distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Southeast and East Asia, Oceania, Australia, Central America and Africa. In Japan, it was first discovered on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture in 1988; since then, it has been found on several of the Ryukyu Islands. Recently, this fungus was identified from the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, where it has killed trees, including rare endemic tree species. For effective control or quarantine methods, it is important to clarify whether the Japanese populations of P. noxius are indigenous to the area or if they have been introduced from other areas. We developed 20 microsatellite markers from genome assembly of P. noxius and genotyped 128 isolates from 12 of the Ryukyu Islands and 3 of the Ogasawara Islands. All isolates had unique genotypes, indicating that basidiospore infection is a primary dissemination method for the formation of new disease foci. Genetic structure analyses strongly supported genetic differentiation between the Ryukyu populations and the Ogasawara populations of P. noxius. High polymorphism of microsatellite loci suggests that Japanese populations are indigenous or were introduced a very long time ago. We discuss differences in invasion patterns between the Ryukyu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands.

Appearance and decay of strawberries, peaches, and lettuce treated with ozone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spalding, D.H.

1966-01-01

The ozone concentration is reduced greatly in a chamber when it is loaded with wet blotting paper or with produce. The Ozone concentration must be determined frequently to assure a fairly constant level. Ozone did not reduce botrytis rot of strawberries in tests at the temperatures of 55/sup 0/ to 60/sup 0/F, relative humidity of 95%, and ozone concentrations of 0.1 to 10 parts per million (ppM). The caps of strawberries dried and shriveled at ozone concentrations of 0.5 ppM and higher. Ozone in concentrations up to 10 ppM had no commercially significant effect on the fungi causing rhizopus andmore » brown rots of peaches at 60/sup 0/ temperature and 95% relative humidity; and no conclusive differences were obtained when peaches were held at ozone concentrations up to 0.7 ppM at either 50/sup 0/ for 2 days of 36/sup 0/ for 7 days and then at 70/sup 0/ for 4 days in the air. At ozone concentrations above 0.5 ppM, injury to peaches appeared as brown sunken areas at the stomata, producing a pebbly effect. At ozone concentrations of 0.5 ppM and higher, the surface growth of mold on strawberries and peaches was inhibited. At low concentrations of ozone the outer leaves of head lettuce were injured. 17 references, 7 figures, 5 tables.« less

The expansion of brown rot disease throughout Bolivia: possible role of climate change.

PubMed

Castillo, José Antonio; Plata, Giovanna

2016-05-01

Bacterial wilt is a devastating plant disease caused by the bacterial pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum species complex and affects different crops. Bacterial wilt infecting potato is also known as brown rot (BR) and is responsible for significant economic losses in potato production, especially in developing countries. In Bolivia, BR affects up to 75% of the potato crop in areas with high incidence and 100% of stored potatoes. The disease has disseminated since its introduction to the country in the mid-1980s mostly through contaminated seed tubers. To avoid this, local farmers multiply seed tubers in highlands because the strain infecting potatoes cannot survive near-freezing temperatures that are typical in the high mountains. Past disease surveys have shown an increase in seed tubers with latent infection in areas at altitudes lower than 3000 m a.s.l. Since global warming is increasing in the Andes Mountains, in this work, we explored the incidence of BR in areas at altitudes above 3000 m a.s.l. Results showed BR presence in the majority of these areas, suggesting a correlation between the increase in disease incidence and the increase in temperature and the number of irregular weather events resulting from climate change. However, it cannot be excluded that the increasing availability of latently infected seed tubers has boosted the spread of BR.

Effect of Trichoderma-enriched organic charcoal in the integrated wood protection strategy

PubMed Central

Gandía, Mónica; Marcos, Jose F.; Bas, Maria del Carmen; Fink, Siegfried

2017-01-01

The gradual elimination of chromium from wood preservative formulations results in higher Cu leaching and increased susceptibility to wood decay fungi. Finding a sustainable strategy in wood protection has become of great interest among researchers. The objective of these in vitro studies was to demonstrate the effect of T-720-enriched organic charcoal (biochar) against five wood decay basidiomycetes isolated from strongly damaged poles. For this purpose, the antagonistic potential of Trichoderma harzianum (strain T-720) was confirmed among other four Trichoderma spp. against five brown-rot basidiomycetes in dual culture tests. T-720 was genetically transformed and tagged with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in order to study its antagonistic mechanism against wood decay basidiomycetes. It was also demonstrated that T-720 inhibits the oxalic acid production by basidiomycetes, a well-known mechanism used by brown-rot fungi to detoxify Cu from impregnated wood. Additionally, this study evaluated the effect of biochar, alone or in combination with T-720, on Cu leaching by different preservatives, pH stabilization and prevention of wood decay caused by five basidiomycetes. Addition of biochar resulted in a significant Cu binding released from impregnated wood specimens. T-720-enriched biochar showed a significant reduction of wood decay caused by four basidiomycetes. The addition of T-720-enriched biochar to the soil into which utility poles are placed may improve the efficiency of Cr-free wood preservatives. PMID:28797118

Evaluation of commercial essential oil samples on the growth of postharvest pathogen Monilinia fructicola (G. Winter) Honey.

PubMed

Lazar-Baker, E E; Hetherington, S D; Ku, V V; Newman, S M

2011-03-01

To assess the effect of several commercial essential oils samples Australian lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), oregano (Origanum vulgare), thyme oil (Thymus vulgaris), clove bud (Eugenia caryophyllata), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and Australian tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) on mycelium growth and spore germination of Monilinia fructicola. The effectiveness of lemon myrtle essential oil as a fumigant for the control of brown rot in nectarines was evaluated. Monilinia fructicola exhibited a different level of sensitivity to each tested essential oil with results suggesting that the essential oils provide excellent control of the pathogen with respect to mycelium growth and spore germination at very low concentrations, whereas for others higher concentrations are needed to reduce significant fungal growth. In vivo application of lemon myrtle essential oil effectively reduced the incidence of M. fructicola on noninoculated fruit. Fumigation of nectarines following inoculation did not reduce the incidence of brown rot in comparison with the inoculated control treatment. No evidence of phytotoxicity on the fruit was recorded. Lemon myrtle essential oil exhibited the strongest antifungal activity against M. fructicola, in vitro and to a lesser extent, under in vivo conditions. The results demonstrate that lemon myrtle essential oil, in particular, has potential as an antifungal agent to control M. fructicola. © 2011 NSW Industry & Investment, Australia. Letters in Applied Microbiology © 2011 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Effect of Trichoderma-enriched organic charcoal in the integrated wood protection strategy.

PubMed

Ribera, Javier; Gandía, Mónica; Marcos, Jose F; Bas, Maria Del Carmen; Fink, Siegfried; Schwarze, Francis W M R

2017-01-01

The gradual elimination of chromium from wood preservative formulations results in higher Cu leaching and increased susceptibility to wood decay fungi. Finding a sustainable strategy in wood protection has become of great interest among researchers. The objective of these in vitro studies was to demonstrate the effect of T-720-enriched organic charcoal (biochar) against five wood decay basidiomycetes isolated from strongly damaged poles. For this purpose, the antagonistic potential of Trichoderma harzianum (strain T-720) was confirmed among other four Trichoderma spp. against five brown-rot basidiomycetes in dual culture tests. T-720 was genetically transformed and tagged with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in order to study its antagonistic mechanism against wood decay basidiomycetes. It was also demonstrated that T-720 inhibits the oxalic acid production by basidiomycetes, a well-known mechanism used by brown-rot fungi to detoxify Cu from impregnated wood. Additionally, this study evaluated the effect of biochar, alone or in combination with T-720, on Cu leaching by different preservatives, pH stabilization and prevention of wood decay caused by five basidiomycetes. Addition of biochar resulted in a significant Cu binding released from impregnated wood specimens. T-720-enriched biochar showed a significant reduction of wood decay caused by four basidiomycetes. The addition of T-720-enriched biochar to the soil into which utility poles are placed may improve the efficiency of Cr-free wood preservatives.

Decay resistance of wood treated with boric acid and tall oil derivates.

PubMed

Temiz, Ali; Alfredsen, Gry; Eikenes, Morten; Terziev, Nasko

2008-05-01

In this study, the effect of two boric acid concentrations (1% and 2%) and four derivates of tall oil with varying chemical composition were tested separately and in combination. The tall oil derivates were chosen in a way that they consist of different amounts of free fatty, resin acids and neutral compounds. Decay tests using two brown rot fungi (Postia placenta and Coniophora puteana) were performed on both unleached and leached test samples. Boric acid showed a low weight loss in test samples when exposed to fungal decay before leaching, but no effect after leaching. The tall oil derivates gave better efficacy against decay fungi compared to control, but are not within the range of the efficacy needed for a wood preservative. Double impregnation with boric acid and tall oil derivates gave synergistic effects for several of the double treatments both in unleached and leached samples. In the unleached samples the double treatment gave a better efficacy against decay fungi than tall oil alone. In leached samples a better efficacy against brown rot fungi were achieved than in samples with boron alone and a nearly similar or better efficacy than for tall oil alone. Boric acid at 2% concentration combined with the tall oil derivate consisting of 90% free resin acids (TO-III) showed the best performance against the two decay fungi with a weight loss less than 3% after a modified pure culture test.

Genetic Differentiation and Spatial Structure of Phellinus noxius, the Causal Agent of Brown Root Rot of Woody Plants in Japan

PubMed Central

Akiba, Mitsuteru; Ota, Yuko; Tsai, Isheng J.; Hattori, Tsutomu; Sahashi, Norio; Kikuchi, Taisei

2015-01-01

Phellinus noxius is a pathogenic fungus that causes brown root rot disease in a variety of tree species. This fungus is distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Southeast and East Asia, Oceania, Australia, Central America and Africa. In Japan, it was first discovered on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture in 1988; since then, it has been found on several of the Ryukyu Islands. Recently, this fungus was identified from the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, where it has killed trees, including rare endemic tree species. For effective control or quarantine methods, it is important to clarify whether the Japanese populations of P. noxius are indigenous to the area or if they have been introduced from other areas. We developed 20 microsatellite markers from genome assembly of P. noxius and genotyped 128 isolates from 12 of the Ryukyu Islands and 3 of the Ogasawara Islands. All isolates had unique genotypes, indicating that basidiospore infection is a primary dissemination method for the formation of new disease foci. Genetic structure analyses strongly supported genetic differentiation between the Ryukyu populations and the Ogasawara populations of P. noxius. High polymorphism of microsatellite loci suggests that Japanese populations are indigenous or were introduced a very long time ago. We discuss differences in invasion patterns between the Ryukyu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands. PMID:26513585

Occurrence of Internal Stipe Necrosis of Cultivated Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) Caused by Ewingella americana in Korea

PubMed Central

Jhune, Chang-Sung; Cheong, Jong-Chun; Yun, Hyung-Sik; Cho, Weon-Dae

2009-01-01

The internal stipe necrosis of cultivated mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) is caused by the bacterium Ewingella americana, a species of the Enterobacteriaceae. Recently, Ewingella americana was isolated from cultivated white button mushrooms in Korea evidencing symptoms of internal stipe browning. Its symptoms are visible only at harvest, and appear as a variable browning reaction in the center of the stipes. From these lesions, we isolated one bacterial strain (designated CH4). Inoculation of the bacterial isolate into mushroom sporocarps yielded the characteristic browning symptoms that were distinguishable from those of the bacterial soft rot that is well known to mushroom growers. The results of Gram stain, flagellal staining, and biochemical tests identified these isolates as E. americana. This was verified by pathogenicity, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and the results of an analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences and the fatty acids profile. This is the first report of the isolation of E. americana from cultivated white button mushrooms in Korea. PMID:23983509

7 CFR 51.1584 - Internal discoloration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... STANDARDS) United States Consumer Standards for Potatoes Definitions § 51.1584 Internal discoloration..., stem-end browning, internal brown spot, or other similar types of discoloration not visible externally. ...

7 CFR 51.1584 - Internal discoloration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... STANDARDS) United States Consumer Standards for Potatoes Definitions § 51.1584 Internal discoloration..., stem-end browning, internal brown spot, or other similar types of discoloration not visible externally. ...

7 CFR 51.3416 - Classification of defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... ring Internal Black Spot, Internal Discoloration, Vascular Browning, Fusarium Wilt, Net Necrosis, Other Necrosis, Stem End Browning 5% waste 10% waste. Occurring entirely within the vascular ring Hollow Heart or... diameter in a 10 ounce potato. 1 Internal Brown Spot and similar discoloration (Heat Necrosis) Not more...

7 CFR 51.3416 - Classification of defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... ring Internal Black Spot, Internal Discoloration, Vascular Browning, Fusarium Wilt, Net Necrosis, Other Necrosis, Stem End Browning 5% waste 10% waste. Occurring entirely within the vascular ring Hollow Heart or... diameter in a 10 ounce potato. 1 Internal Brown Spot and similar discoloration (Heat Necrosis) Not more...

Potential Reasons for Prevalence of Fusarium Wilt in Oriental Melon in Korea

PubMed Central

Seo, Yunhee; Kim, Young Ho

2017-01-01

This study aims to examine the potential reasons for the current prevalence of the fusarium wilt in the oriental melon. Twenty-seven Fusarium isolates obtained from oriental melon greenhouses in 2010–2011 were identified morphologically and by analysis of elongation factor-1 alpha gene (EF-1α) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences as 6 Fusarium species (8 isolates of F. oxysporum, 8 F. commune, 5 F. proliferatum, 3 F. equiseti, 2 F. delphinoides, and 1 F. andiyazi), which were classified as same into 6 EF-1α sequence-based phylogenetic clades. Pathogenicity of the Fusarium isolates on the oriental melon was highest in F. proliferatum, next in F. oxysporum and F. andiyazi, and lowest in the other Fusarium species tested, suggesting F. proliferatum and F. oxysporum were major pathogens of the oriental melon, inducing stem rots and vascular wilts, respectively. Oriental melon and watermelon were more susceptible to F. oxysporum than shintosa and cucumber; and cucumber was most, oriental melon and watermelon, medially, and shintosa was least susceptible to F. proliferatum, whose virulence varied among and within their phylogenetic subclades. Severe root-knot galls were formed on all the crops infected with Meloidogyne incognita; however, little indication of vascular wilts or stem and/or root rots was shown by the nematode infection. These results suggest the current fungal disease in the oriental melon may be rarely due to virulence changes of the fusarium wilt pathogen and the direct cause of the severe root-knot nematode infection, but may be potentially from other Fusarium pathogen infection that produces seemingly wilting caused by severe stem rotting. PMID:28592944

Application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with Pseudomonas aeruginosa UPMP3 reduces the development of Ganoderma basal stem rot disease in oil palm seedlings.

PubMed

Sundram, Shamala; Meon, Sariah; Seman, Idris Abu; Othman, Radziah

2015-07-01

The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in combination with endophytic bacteria (EB) in reducing development of basal stem rot (BSR) disease in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) was investigated. BSR caused by Ganoderma boninense leads to devastating economic loss and the oil palm industry is struggling to control the disease. The application of two AMF with two EB as biocontrol agents was assessed in the nursery and subsequently, repeated in the field using bait seedlings. Seedlings pre-inoculated with a combination of Glomus intraradices UT126, Glomus clarum BR152B and Pseudomonas aeruginosa UPMP3 significantly reduced disease development measured as the area under disease progression curve (AUDPC) and the epidemic rate (R L) of disease in the nursery. A 20-month field trial using similar treatments evaluated disease development in bait seedlings based on the rotting area/advancement assessed in cross-sections of the seedling base. Data show that application of Glomus intraradices UT126 singly reduced disease development of BSR, but that combination of the two AMF with P. aeruginosa UPMP3 significantly improved biocontrol efficacy in both nursery and fields reducing BSR disease to 57 and 80%, respectively. The successful use of bait seedlings in the natural environment to study BSR development represents a promising alternative to nursery trial testing in the field with shorter temporal assessment.

Data Mining Feature Subset Weighting and Selection Using Genetic Algorithms

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-03-01

seed-stain, anthracnose, phyllosticta-leaf-spot, alternarialeaf-spot, frog-eye-leaf- spot, diaporthe-pod-&-stem-blight, cyst - nematode , 2-4-d-injury...seed-discolor: absent,present,?. 33. seed-size: norm,lt-norm,?. 34. shriveling: absent,present,?. 35. roots: norm,rotted,galls- cysts

Revised Phylogeny and Novel Horizontally Acquired Virulence Determinants of the Model Soft Rot Phytopathogen Pectobacterium wasabiae SCC3193

PubMed Central

Koskinen, Patrik; Nokso-Koivisto, Jussi; Pasanen, Miia; Broberg, Martin; Plyusnin, Ilja; Törönen, Petri; Holm, Liisa; Pirhonen, Minna; Palva, E. Tapio

2012-01-01

Soft rot disease is economically one of the most devastating bacterial diseases affecting plants worldwide. In this study, we present novel insights into the phylogeny and virulence of the soft rot model Pectobacterium sp. SCC3193, which was isolated from a diseased potato stem in Finland in the early 1980s. Genomic approaches, including proteome and genome comparisons of all sequenced soft rot bacteria, revealed that SCC3193, previously included in the species Pectobacterium carotovorum, can now be more accurately classified as Pectobacterium wasabiae. Together with the recently revised phylogeny of a few P. carotovorum strains and an increasing number of studies on P. wasabiae, our work indicates that P. wasabiae has been unnoticed but present in potato fields worldwide. A combination of genomic approaches and in planta experiments identified features that separate SCC3193 and other P. wasabiae strains from the rest of soft rot bacteria, such as the absence of a type III secretion system that contributes to virulence of other soft rot species. Experimentally established virulence determinants include the putative transcriptional regulator SirB, two partially redundant type VI secretion systems and two horizontally acquired clusters (Vic1 and Vic2), which contain predicted virulence genes. Genome comparison also revealed other interesting traits that may be related to life in planta or other specific environmental conditions. These traits include a predicted benzoic acid/salicylic acid carboxyl methyltransferase of eukaryotic origin. The novelties found in this work indicate that soft rot bacteria have a reservoir of unknown traits that may be utilized in the poorly understood latent stage in planta. The genomic approaches and the comparison of the model strain SCC3193 to other sequenced Pectobacterium strains, including the type strain of P. wasabiae, provides a solid basis for further investigation of the virulence, distribution and phylogeny of soft rot bacteria and, potentially, other bacteria as well. PMID:23133391

7 CFR 51.1584 - Internal discoloration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Internal discoloration. Internal discoloration means discoloration such as is caused by net necrosis or any other type of necrosis, stem-end browning, internal brown spot, or other similar types of discoloration...

7 CFR 51.1584 - Internal discoloration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Internal discoloration. Internal discoloration means discoloration such as is caused by net necrosis or any other type of necrosis, stem-end browning, internal brown spot, or other similar types of discoloration...

Research on biodeterioration of wood, 1987-1992. 1. Decay mechanisms and biocontrol. Forest Service research paper

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Highley, T.L.; Clausen, C.A.; Croan, S.C.

1994-03-01

Growing concerns about the environment present an urgent need for new approaches to preserving wood. Some commonly used preservatives have been banned or restricted in several countries. The research paper first describes current knowledge about how white-and-brown rot fungi decay wood and then delineates research in to problem areas: (1) control of wood decay through targeting biosynthetic and degradative pathways, and (2) biological control (biocontrol) of wood decay through non-decay micro-organisms.

The mechanism of ethanol treatment on inhibiting lettuce enzymatic browning and microbial growth

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tissue browning of fresh-cut lettuce greatly affects its quality and consumers’ appreciation. This study investigated the effects of ethanol treatment on enzymatic browning and natural microflora growth of lettuce stem discs. After treated with 20% ethanol for 2 min and then drained by a spinner, le...

7 CFR 51.1565 - Internal defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., Internal Discoloration, Vascular Browning, Fusarium Wilt, Net Necrosis, Other Necrosis, Stem End Browning 5... Discoloration (Heat Necrosis) Not more than the equivalent of 3 scattered spots 1/8 inch in diameter in a potato...

7 CFR 51.1565 - Internal defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., Internal Discoloration, Vascular Browning, Fusarium Wilt, Net Necrosis, Other Necrosis, Stem End Browning 5... Discoloration (Heat Necrosis) Not more than the equivalent of 3 scattered spots 1/8 inch in diameter in a potato...

Recent Developments in Using Advanced Sequencing Technologies for the Genomic Studies of Lignin and Cellulose Degrading Microorganisms

PubMed Central

Kameshwar, Ayyappa kumar Sista; Qin, Wensheng

2016-01-01

Lignin is a complex polyphenyl aromatic compound which exists in tight associations with cellulose and hemicellulose to form plant primary and secondary cell wall. Lignocellulose is an abundant renewable biomaterial present on the earth. It has gained much attention in the scientific community in recent years because of its potential applications in bio-based industries. Microbial degradation of lignocellulose polymers was well studied in wood decaying fungi. Based on the plant materials they degrade these fungi were classified as white rot, brown rot and soft rot. However, some groups of bacteria belonging to the actinomycetes, α-proteobacteria and β-proteobacteria were also found to be efficient in degrading lignocellulosic biomass but not well understood unlike the fungi. In this review we focus on recent advancements deployed for finding and understanding the lignocellulose degradation by microorganisms. Conventional molecular methods like sequencing 16s rRNA and Inter Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions were used for identification and classification of microbes. Recent progression in genomics mainly next generation sequencing technologies made the whole genome sequencing of microbes possible in a great ease. The whole genome sequence studies reveals high quality information about genes and canonical pathways involved in the lignin and other cell wall components degradation. PMID:26884714

Phytophthora tentaculata

Treesearch

Suzanne Rooney-Latham; Cheryl Blomquist; Ted Swiecki; Elizabeth Bernhardt

2015-01-01

Phytophthora tentaculata Kröber & Marwitz was described in 1993 in Germany on greenhouse-grown nursery ornamentals. It has since been found in Italy, Spain, China and the U.S. (California) causing a root and stem rot of many different plant species including nursery-grown native species used for habitat restoration. P. tentaculata...

Comparative Analysis of 35 Basidiomycete Genomes Reveals Diversity and Uniqueness of the Phylum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riley, Robert; Salamov, Asaf; Otillar, Robert

Fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota (basidiomycetes), make up some 37percent of the described fungi, and are important in forestry, agriculture, medicine, and bioenergy. This diverse phylum includes symbionts, pathogens, and saprobes including wood decaying fungi. To better understand the diversity of this phylum we compared the genomes of 35 basidiomycete fungi including 6 newly sequenced genomes. The genomes of basidiomycetes span extremes of genome size, gene number, and repeat content. A phylogenetic tree of Basidiomycota was generated using the Phyldog software, which uses all available protein sequence data to simultaneously infer gene and species trees. Analysis of core genes revealsmore » that some 48percent of basidiomycete proteins are unique to the phylum with nearly half of those (22percent) comprising proteins found in only one organism. Phylogenetic patterns of plant biomass-degrading genes suggest a continuum rather than a sharp dichotomy between the white rot and brown rot modes of wood decay among the members of Agaricomycotina subphylum. There is a correlation of the profile of certain gene families to nutritional mode in Agaricomycotina. Based on phylogenetically-informed PCA analysis of such profiles, we predict that that Botryobasidium botryosum and Jaapia argillacea have properties similar to white rot species, although neither has liginolytic class II fungal peroxidases. Furthermore, we find that both fungi exhibit wood decay with white rot-like characteristics in growth assays. Analysis of the rate of discovery of proteins with no or few homologs suggests the high value of continued sequencing of basidiomycete fungi.« less

Sequential saccharification of corn fiber and ethanol production by the brown rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum.

PubMed

Rasmussen, M L; Shrestha, P; Khanal, S K; Pometto, A L; Hans van Leeuwen, J

2010-05-01

Degradation of lignocellulosic biomass to sugars through a purely biological process is a key to sustainable biofuel production. Hydrolysis of the corn wet-milling co-product-corn fiber-to simple sugars by the brown rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum was studied in suspended-culture and solid-state fermentations. Suspended-culture experiments were not effective in producing harvestable sugars from the corn fiber. The fungus consumed sugars released by fungal extracellular enzymes. Solid-state fermentation demonstrated up to 40% fiber degradation within 9days. Enzyme activity assays on solid-state fermentation filtrates confirmed the involvement of starch- and cellulose-degrading enzymes. To reduce fungal consumption of sugars and to accelerate enzyme activity, 2- and 3-d solid-state fermentation biomasses (fiber and fungus) were submerged in buffer and incubated at 37 degrees C without shaking. This anaerobic incubation converted up to almost 11% of the corn fiber into harvestable reducing sugars. Sugars released by G. trabeum were fermented to a maximum yield of 3.3g ethanol/100g fiber. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of G. trabeum fermenting sugar to ethanol. The addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a co-culture led to more rapid fermentation to a maximum yield of 4.0g ethanol/100g fiber. The findings demonstrate the potential for this simple fungal process, requiring no pretreatment of the corn fiber, to produce more ethanol by hydrolyzing and fermenting carbohydrates in this lignocellulosic co-product. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential of a new strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BUZ-14 as a biocontrol agent of postharvest fruit diseases.

PubMed

Calvo, H; Marco, P; Blanco, D; Oria, R; Venturini, M E

2017-05-01

The biocontrol potential of the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain BUZ-14 was tested against the main postharvest diseases of orange, apple, grape and stone fruit. After characterizing the temperature and pH growth curves of strain BUZ-14, its in vitro antifungal activity was determined against Botrytis cinerea, Monilinia fructicola, M. laxa, Penicillium digitatum, P. expansum and P. italicum. Subsequently, in vivo activity was tested against these pathogens by treating fruit with cells, endospores and cell-free supernatants. The in vitro results showed that BUZ-14 inhibited the growth of all the pathogens tested corresponding to the least susceptible species, P. italicum, and the most susceptible, M. laxa. In vivo tests corroborated these results as most of the treatments decreased the incidence of brown rot in stone fruit from 100% to 0%, establishing 10 7  CFU mL -1 as the minimum inhibitory concentration. For the Penicillium species a preventive treatment inhibited P. digitatum and P. italicum growth in oranges and reduced P. expansum incidence in apples from 100% to 20%. Finally, it has been demonstrated that BUZ-14 was able to survive and to control brown rot in peaches stored at cool temperatures, making it a very suitable biocontrol agent for application during the post-harvest storage and marketing of horticultural products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Study on Commercial Specification of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos].

PubMed

Zhou, Jie; Zou, Lin; Liu, Wei; Bian, Li-hua; Wang, Xiao; Zhang, Yong-qing; Dan, Staerk

2015-04-01

To provide the basis data for the institute of commercial specification standard of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos. 39 samples of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos commercial of different grades in market were collected, and vernier caliper and electronic balance were used to measure the numbers of flower bud and blooming rate per 0. 5 g, contamination content, browning degree, milden and rot, length, upside diameter, middle diameter and bottom diameter of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos. The content of neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, rutin, galuteolin,3,5-icaffeoylquinic acid and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid were detected by HPLC. Correlation analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis were used by SPSS to analyze all index data,and the correlation of appearance characteristics and intrinsic active constituents was discussed. The numbers of flower bud and blooming rate per 0. 5 g, contamination content and browning degree were principal component indexes. The length of flower bud showed a significant correlation with galuteolin content, and the browning degree and upside diameter showed a significant correlation with chlorogenic acid content. Lonicerae Japonicae Flos commercial should be divided into four specification grades by sieved indexes.

Lignocellulose Degradation Mechanisms Across the Tree of Life

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cragg, Simon M.; Beckham, Gregg T.; Bruce, Neil C.

Organisms use diverse mechanisms involving multiple complementary enzymes, particularly glycoside hydrolases (GHs), to deconstruct lignocellulose. Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) produced by bacteria and fungi facilitate deconstruction as does the Fenton chemistry of brown-rot fungi. Lignin depolymerisation is achieved by white-rot fungi and certain bacteria, using peroxidases and laccases. Meta-omics is now revealing the complexity of prokaryotic degradative activity in lignocellulose-rich environments. Protists from termite guts and some oomycetes produce multiple lignocellulolytic enzymes. We found that the Lignocellulose-consuming animals secrete some GHs, but most harbour a diverse enzyme-secreting gut microflora in a mutualism that is particularly complex in termites. Shipworms however,more » house GH-secreting and LPMO-secreting bacteria separate from the site of digestion and the isopod Limnoria relies on endogenous enzymes alone. Moreover, the omics revolution is identifying many novel enzymes and paradigms for biomass deconstruction, but more emphasis on function is required, particularly for enzyme cocktails, in which LPMOs may play an important role.« less

Lignocellulose Degradation Mechanisms Across the Tree of Life

DOE PAGES

Cragg, Simon M.; Beckham, Gregg T.; Bruce, Neil C.; ...

2015-11-14

Organisms use diverse mechanisms involving multiple complementary enzymes, particularly glycoside hydrolases (GHs), to deconstruct lignocellulose. Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) produced by bacteria and fungi facilitate deconstruction as does the Fenton chemistry of brown-rot fungi. Lignin depolymerisation is achieved by white-rot fungi and certain bacteria, using peroxidases and laccases. Meta-omics is now revealing the complexity of prokaryotic degradative activity in lignocellulose-rich environments. Protists from termite guts and some oomycetes produce multiple lignocellulolytic enzymes. We found that the Lignocellulose-consuming animals secrete some GHs, but most harbour a diverse enzyme-secreting gut microflora in a mutualism that is particularly complex in termites. Shipworms however,more » house GH-secreting and LPMO-secreting bacteria separate from the site of digestion and the isopod Limnoria relies on endogenous enzymes alone. Moreover, the omics revolution is identifying many novel enzymes and paradigms for biomass deconstruction, but more emphasis on function is required, particularly for enzyme cocktails, in which LPMOs may play an important role.« less

Biomechanical pulping of aspen chips; Energy savings resulting from different fungal treatments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leatham, G.F.; Myers, G.C.; Wegner, T.H.

1990-05-01

Besides increasing paper strength, fungal treatments can also reduce the electrical energy needed for fiberizing chips during mechanical pulping. Fungal species, chip movement, and treatment duration affected the extent of energy savings. This paper reports that four-week-long treatment with white-rot fungi, including Phlebia species or Pholiota mutabilis, in a stationary wire tray bioreactor resulted in at least 35% energy savings for pulping chips to 100 mL CSF in a 300-mm-diameter disc refiner. With Phanerochaete chrysosporium in a rotating-drum bioreactor, the optimal treatment duration was four weeks. Treatment with a brown-rot fungus also resulted in energy savings. Over the range ofmore » fungi and conditions tested, neither chip weight loss nor lignin loss correlated with energy savings. Some treatments giving the least chip weight loss ({lt}5%) saved the most energy. Wood modifications responsible for energy savings differed from those that increased strength. Treatments that saved the most energy did not necessarily give the highest strength properties.« less

The Role of Drought in Outbreaks of Plant-eating Insects

Treesearch

William J. Mattson; Robert A. Haack

1987-01-01

Substantial evidence indicates that drought stress promotes outbreaks of plant-eating (phytophagous) fungi and insects. Observations and experiments show that colonization success and pervalence of such fungi as root and stalk rots, stem cankers, and sometimes wilts and foliar diseases are much higher on water-stressed plants than on normal plants (Schoeneweiss 1986)....

Genome-wide association mapping of resistance to a Brazilian isolate of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in soybean genotypes mostly from Brazil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sclerotinia Stem Rot (SSR), caused by the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is ubiquitous in cooler climates where soybean crops are grown. Breeding for resistance to SSR remains challenging in crops like soybean, where no single gene provides strong resistance, but instead, multiple genes w...

Comparison of transcriptomes between Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and S. trifoliorum using 454 Titanium RNA sequencing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and S. trifoliorum cause Sclerotinia stem and crown rot of chickpea and white mold on many economically important crops. The host range of S. trifoliorum is mainly on cool season forage and grain legumes of about 40 plant species, whereas the host range of S. sclerotiorum ...

Quantification and characterisation of Trichoderma spp. from different ecosystems.

PubMed

Sariah, M; Choo, C W; Zakaria, H; Norihan, M S

2005-01-01

Basal stem rot of oil palm caused by Ganoderma boninense is of major economic importance. Observations of the low incidence of disease due to Ganoderma species in natural stands, suggest that the disease is kept under control by some biological means. Trichoderma spp. are saprophytic fungi with high antagonistic activities against soil-borne pathogens. However, their abundance and distribution are soil and crop specific. Trichoderma species have been found to be concentrated in the A1 (0-30 cm) and Be soil horizons (30-60 cm), although the abundance of Trichoderma was not significantly different between the oil palm and non-oil palm ecosystems. Characterisation of Trichoderma isolates based on cultural, morphological and DNA polymorphism showed that T. harzianum, T. virens, T. koningii and T. longibrachiatum made up 72, 14, 10 and 4% of the total Trichoderma isolates isolated. As Trichoderma species are present in the oil palm ecosystem, but at lower numbers and in locations different from those desired, soil augmentation with antagonistic Trichoderma spp. can be developed as a strategy towards integrated management of basal stem rot of oil palm.

Long-term behaviour of timber structures in torrent control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rickli, Christian; Graf, Frank

2014-05-01

Timber is widely used for protection measures in torrent control. However, life span of woody constructions such as timber check dams is limited due to fungal decay. However, only sparse scientific information is available on the long-term behaviour of timber structures and the colonisation with decay fungi. Related to this, in practice a controversial discussion has been going on if either Norway Spruce (Picea abies) or Silver Fir (Abies alba) is more enduring and if bark removal increases resistance against fungal decay. In order to going into this matter a series of 15 timber check dams built in 1996 has been monitored. The constructions were alternatively realised with Norway Spruce and Silver Fir, half of them each with remaining and removed bark, respectively. The scientific investigations included the documentation of colonisation with rot fungi and the identification of decayed zones with a simple practical approach as well as based on drilling resistance. Colonisation by decay fungi started three years after construction (e.g. Gloeophyllum sepiarium), detecting two years later first parts with reduced wood resistance. Sixteen years after construction decay was found on all check dams but two. Wood quality was markedly better in watered sections compared to the occasionally dry lateral abutment sections. Taking the whole check dams into consideration, slightly more decay was detected in Norway Spruce compared to logs in Silver Fir and both the practical approach and the drilling resistance measurement yielded in more defects on logs without bark. However, due to limited number of replications and fungal data, it was not possible to statistically verify these results. Statistical analysis was restricted to the drilling resistance data and fruit-bodies of decay fungi of the uppermost log of each check dam. Based on this limited analysis significant differences in the effect on the drilling resistance were found for watered sections and lateral abutments, brown and white rot as well as fir with and without bark. Taking further into account that brown rot reduces wood strength faster than white rot, it may be speculated that spruce logs without bark and fir logs with bark are more resistant against fungal decay compared to logs of spruce with and fir without bark, respectively. However, this has to be treated with caution as only the uppermost logs were considered, the observation period was only 15 years and the relative abundance of the most important decay fungi considerably varied between as well as within the check dams. Consequently, for statistically sound and well-funded recommendations further investigations over a longer period are indispensable.

Potential of UVC germicidal irradiation in suppressing crown rot disease, retaining postharvest quality and antioxidant capacity of Musa AAA "Berangan" during fruit ripening.

PubMed

S Mohamed, Nuratika Tamimi; Ding, Phebe; Kadir, Jugah; M Ghazali, Hasanah

2017-09-01

Crown rot caused by fungal pathogen is the most prevalent postharvest disease in banana fruit that results significant economic losses during transportation, storage, and ripening period. Antifungal effects of ultraviolet C (UVC) irradiation at doses varied from 0.01 to 0.30 kJ m -2 were investigated in controlling postharvest crown rot disease, maintenance of fruit quality, and the effects on antioxidant capacity of Berangan banana fruit during ripening days at 25 ± 2°C and 85% RH. Fruits irradiated with 0.30 kJ m -2 exhibited the highest (i.e., 62.51%) reduction in disease severity. However, the application of UVC at all doses caused significant browning damages on fruit peel except the dose of 0.01 kJ m -2 . This dose synergistically reduced 46.25% development of postharvest crown and did not give adverse effects on respiration rate, ethylene production, weight loss, firmness, color changes, soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity, and pH in banana as compared to the other treatments and control. Meanwhile, the dose also enhanced a significant higher level of total phenolic content, FRAP, and DPPH values than in control fruits indicating the beneficial impact of UVC in fruit nutritional quality. The results of scanning electron micrographs confirmed that UVC irradiation retarded the losses of wall compartments, thereby maintained the cell wall integrity in the crown tissue of banana fruit. The results suggest that using 0.01 kJ m -2 UVC irradiation dose as postharvest physical treatment, the crown rot disease has potential to be controlled effectively together with maintaining quality and antioxidant of banana fruit.

Novel quantitative trait loci for partial resistance to Phytophthora sojae in soybean PI 398841

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phytophthora root and stem rot caused by Phytophthora sojae Kaufmann and Gerdmann is one of the most severe soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] diseases in the US. Partial resistance is as effective in managing this disease as single-gene (Rps) mediated resistance and is more durable. The objective of t...

HOW to and Control Diplodia Shoot Blight, Collar Rot, and Canker of Conifers

Treesearch

Marguerita A. Palmer; Thomas H. Nicholls

1983-01-01

The fungus Diplodia pinea is worldwide in distribution and importance. In North America, Diplodia causes shoot blight and stem canker of conifers in plantations, windbreaks, and ornamental plantings. Most conifers are susceptible to infection, especially exotic species such as Austrian pine. In the north-central United States, the most common hosts are red, jack,...

Genome-wide association analysis and differential expression analysis of resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot in Brassica napus.

PubMed

Wei, Lijuan; Jian, Hongju; Lu, Kun; Filardo, Fiona; Yin, Nengwen; Liu, Liezhao; Qu, Cunmin; Li, Wei; Du, Hai; Li, Jiana

2016-06-01

Brassica napus is one of the most important oil crops in the world, and stem rot caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum results in major losses in yield and quality. To elucidate resistance genes and pathogenesis-related genes, genome-wide association analysis of 347 accessions was performed using the Illumina 60K Brassica SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) array. In addition, the detached stem inoculation assay was used to select five highly resistant (R) and susceptible (S) B. napus lines, 48 h postinoculation with S. sclerotiorum for transcriptome sequencing. We identified 17 significant associations for stem resistance on chromosomes A8 and C6, five of which were on A8 and 12 on C6. The SNPs identified on A8 were located in a 409-kb haplotype block, and those on C6 were consistent with previous QTL mapping efforts. Transcriptome analysis suggested that S. sclerotiorum infection activates the immune system, sulphur metabolism, especially glutathione (GSH) and glucosinolates in both R and S genotypes. Genes found to be specific to the R genotype related to the jasmonic acid pathway, lignin biosynthesis, defence response, signal transduction and encoding transcription factors. Twenty-four genes were identified in both the SNP-trait association and transcriptome sequencing analyses, including a tau class glutathione S-transferase (GSTU) gene cluster. This study provides useful insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the plant's response to S. sclerotiorum. © 2015 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Role of carbon source in the shift from oxidative to hydrolytic wood decomposition by Postia placenta.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiwei; Schilling, Jonathan S

2017-09-01

Brown rot fungi initiate wood decay using oxidative pretreatments to improve access for cellulolytic enzymes. These pretreatments are incompatible with enzymes, and we recently showed that Postia placenta overcomes this issue by delaying glycoside hydrolase (GH) gene upregulation briefly (<48h) until expression of oxidoreductases (ORs) is repressed. This implies an inducible cellulase system rather than a constitutive system, as often reported, and it remains unclear what cues this transition. To address this, we grew P. placenta along wood wafers and spatially mapped expression (via quantitative PCR) of twelve ORs and GHs targeted using functional genomics analyses. By layering expression patterns over solubilized sugar data (via HPLC) from wood, we observed solubilization of wood glucose, cellobiose, mannose, and xylose coincident with the OR-GH transition. We then tested effects of these soluble sugars, plus polymeric carbon sources (spruce powder, cellulose), on P. placenta gene expression in liquid cultures. Expression of ORs was strictly (aox1, cro5) or progressively repressed over time (qrd1, lcc1) by all soluble sugars, including cellobiose, but not by polymeric sources. Simple sugars repressed hemicellulase gene expression over time, but these sugars did not repress cellulases. Cellulase genes were upregulated, however, along with hemicellulases in the presence of soluble cellobiose and in the presence of polymeric carbon sources, relative to starvation (carbon-free). This verifies an inducible cellulase system in P. placenta that lacks carbon catabolite repression (CCR), and it suggests that brown rot fungi use soluble sugars, particularly cellobiose, to cue a critical oxidative-hydrolytic transition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proteomic and Functional Analysis of the Cellulase System Expressed by Postia placenta during Brown Rot of Solid Wood

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryu, Jae San; Shary, Semarjit; Houtman, Carl J.

2011-11-01

Abstract Brown rot basidiomycetes have an important ecological role in lignocellulose recycling and are notable for their rapid degradation of wood polymers via oxidative and hydrolytic mechanisms. However, most of these fungi apparently lack processive (exo-acting) cellulases, such as cellobiohydrolases, which are generally required for efficient cellulolysis. The recent sequencing of the Postia placenta genome now permits a proteomic approach to this longstanding conundrum. We grew P. placenta on solid aspen wood, extracted proteins from the biodegrading substrate, and analyzed tryptic digests by shotgun liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Comparison of the data with the predicted P. placenta proteome revealed themore » presence of 34 likely glycoside hydrolases, but only four of these-two in glycoside hydrolase family 5, one in family 10, and one in family 12-have sequences that suggested possible activity on cellulose. We expressed these enzymes heterologously and determined that they all exhibited endoglucanase activity on phosphoric acid-swollen cellulose. They also slowly hydrolyzed filter paper, a more crystalline substrate, but the soluble/insoluble reducing sugar ratios they produced classify them as nonprocessive. Computer simulations indicated that these enzymes produced soluble/insoluble ratios on reduced phosphoric acid-swollen cellulose that were higher than expected for random hydrolysis, which suggests that they could possess limited exo activity, but they are at best 10-fold less processive than cellobiohydrolases. It appears likely that P. placenta employs a combination of oxidative mechanisms and endo-acting cellulases to degrade cellulose efficiently in the absence of a significant processive component.« less

7 CFR 51.3416 - Classification of defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Maximum allowed for U.S. No. 2 processing Occurring outside of or not entirely confined to the vascular ring Internal Black Spot, Internal Discoloration, Vascular Browning, Fusarium Wilt, Net Necrosis, Other Necrosis, Stem End Browning 5% waste 10% waste. Occurring entirely within the vascular ring Hollow Heart or...

4. VIEW OF INCLINED OUTLET GATE WHEEL AND STEM, LOOKING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. VIEW OF INCLINED OUTLET GATE WHEEL AND STEM, LOOKING NORTHWEST - High Mountain Dams in Upalco Unit, Brown Duck Lake Dam, Ashley National Forest, 4.4 miles North of Miners Gulch Campground, Mountain Home, Duchesne County, UT

Biotechnological procedures to select white rot fungi for the degradation of PAHs.

PubMed

Lee, Hwanhwi; Jang, Yeongseon; Choi, Yong-Seok; Kim, Min-Ji; Lee, Jaejung; Lee, Hanbyul; Hong, Joo-Hyun; Lee, Young Min; Kim, Gyu-Hyeok; Kim, Jae-Jin

2014-02-01

White rot fungi are essential in forest ecology and are deeply involved in wood decomposition and the biodegradation of various xenobiotics. The fungal ligninolytic enzymes involved in these processes have recently become the focus of much attention for their possible biotechnological applications. Successful bioremediation requires the selection of species with desirable characteristics. In this study, 150 taxonomically and physiologically diverse white rot fungi, including 55 species, were investigated for their performance in a variety of biotechnological procedures, such as dye decolorization, gallic acid reaction, ligninolytic enzymes, and tolerance to four PAHs, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene. Among these fungi, six isolates showed the highest (>90%) tolerance to both individual PAH and mixed PAHs. And six isolates oxidized gallic acid with dark brown color and they rapidly decolorized RBBR within ten days. These fungi revealed various profiles when evaluated for their biotechnological performance to compare the capability of degradation of PAHs between two groups selected. As the results demonstrated the six best species selected from gallic acid more greatly degraded four PAHs than the other isolates selected via tolerance test. It provided that gallic acid reaction test can be performed to rank the fungi by their ability to degrade the PAHs. Most of all, Peniophora incarnata KUC8836 and Phlebia brevispora KUC9033 significantly degraded the four PAHs and can be considered prime candidates for the degradation of xenobiotic compounds in environmental settings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome.

PubMed

Francis, D A; Ponsford, J R; Wiles, C M; Thomas, P K; Duchen, L W

1993-02-01

The clinical and pathological findings of a male with the Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome are described. This rare and fatal affection of the nervous system involves mainly the brain stem with the prominent and early manifestation of sensorineural deafness. Increased awareness and documentation of this disorder has added information on the mode of inheritance.

Development of Integrative STEM Curriculum: A Multiple Case Study of Multi-Disciplinary Teams in Two Pennsylvania High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rider-Bertrand, Joey H.

2017-01-01

At the start of the 21st century, STEM education was a new priority in many schools as the focus shifted from separate disciplines to integrative STEM education. Unfortunately, there was limited research to offer guidance to practitioners (Brown, 2012; Honey, Pearson & Schweingruber, 2014). This qualitative, multiple case study explored the…

Characteristics of Gloeophyllum trabeum Alcohol Oxidase, an Extracellular Source of H2O2 in Brown Rot Decay of Wood▿

PubMed Central

Daniel, Geoffrey; Volc, Jindřich; Filonova, Lada; Plíhal, Ondřej; Kubátová, Elena; Halada, Petr

2007-01-01

A novel alcohol oxidase (AOX) has been purified from mycelial pellets of the wood-degrading basidiomycete Gloeophyllum trabeum and characterized as a homooctameric nonglycosylated protein with native and subunit molecular masses of 628 and 72.4 kDa, containing noncovalently bonded flavin adenine dinucleotide. The isolated AOX cDNA contained an open reading frame of 1,953 bp translating into a polypeptide of 651 amino acids displaying 51 to 53% identity with other published fungal AOX amino acid sequences. The enzyme catalyzed the oxidation of short-chain primary aliphatic alcohols with a preference for methanol (Km = 2.3 mM, kcat = 15.6 s−1). Using polyclonal antibodies and immunofluorescence staining, AOX was localized on liquid culture hyphae and extracellular slime in sections from degraded wood and on cotton fibers. Transmission electron microscopy immunogold labeling localized the enzyme in the hyphal periplasmic space and wall and on extracellular tripartite membranes and slime, while there was no labeling of hyphal peroxisomes. AOX was further shown to be associated with membranous or slime structures secreted by hyphae in wood fiber lumina and within the secondary cell walls of degraded wood fibers. The differences in AOX targeting compared to the known yeast peroxisomal localization were traced to a unique C-terminal sequence of the G. trabeum oxidase, which is apparently responsible for the protein's different translocation. The extracellular distribution and the enzyme's abundance and preference for methanol, potentially available from the demethylation of lignin, all point to a possible role for AOX as a major source of H2O2, a component of Fenton's reagent implicated in the generally accepted mechanisms for brown rot through the production of highly destructive hydroxyl radicals. PMID:17660304

Postharvest application of a novel chitinase cloned from Metschnikowia fructicola and overexpressed in Pichia pastoris to control brown rot of peaches.

PubMed

Banani, Houda; Spadaro, Davide; Zhang, Dianpeng; Matic, Slavica; Garibaldi, Angelo; Gullino, Maria Lodovica

2015-04-16

Metschnikowia fructicola strain AP47 is a yeast antagonist against postharvest pathogens of fruits. The yeast was able to produce chitinase enzymes in the presence of pathogen cell wall. A novel chitinase gene MfChi (GenBank accession number HQ113461) was amplified from the genomic DNA of Metschnikowia fructicola AP47. Sequence analysis showed lack of introns, an open reading frame (ORF) of 1098 bp encoding a 365 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular weight of 40.9 kDa and a predicted pI of 5.27. MfChi was highly induced in Metschnikowia fructicola after interaction with Monilinia fructicola cell wall, suggesting a primary role of MfChi chitinase in the antagonistic activity of the yeast. The MfChi gene overexpressed in the heterologous expression system of Pichia pastoris KM71 and the recombinant chitinase showed high endochitinase activity towards 4-Nitrophenyl β-d-N,N',N″-triacetylchitotriose substrate. The antifungal activity of the recombinant chitinase was investigated against Monilinia fructicola and Monilinia laxa in vitro and on peaches. The chitinase significantly controlled the spore germination and the germ tube length of the tested pathogens in PDB medium and the mycelium diameter in PDA. The enzyme, when applied on peaches cv. Redhaven, successfully reduced brown rot severity. This work shows that the chitinase MfChi could be developed as a postharvest treatment with antimicrobial activity for fruit undergoing a short shelf life, and confirms that P. pastoris KM71 is a suitable microorganism for cost-effective large-scale production of recombinant chitinases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Morphological and molecular identification of two new Ganoderma species on Casuarina equisetifolia from China.

PubMed

Xing, Jia-Hui; Sun, Yi-Fei; Han, Yu-Li; Cui, Bao-Kai; Dai, Yu-Cheng

2018-01-01

Ganoderma is a cosmopolitan white rot fungal genus, famous for its medicinal properties. In the present study, two new Ganoderma species were collected from south-eastern China and described on the basis of morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses of sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (EF1-α) and the second subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2). Specimens of both species were found on living trees of Casuarina equisetifolia . Ganoderma angustisporum sp. nov. is characterised by its sessile basidiomata and almond-shaped, slightly truncate, narrow basidiospores (9-11.3 × 4-5.2 µm). Ganoderma casuarinicola sp. nov. is characterised by its strongly laccate reddish-brown pileal surface, luminous yellow to yellowish-brown cutis and ellipsoid, truncate basidiospores (9-10.2 × 5-6 µm). The two new species are compared with their related taxa. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed that G. angustisporum and G. casuarinicola are distinct species within Ganoderma .

Effect of phenol on the mycelial growth and fructification in some of basidiomycetous fungi.

PubMed

Upadhyay, R C; Hofrichter, M

1993-01-01

Cometabolic growth studies with phenol were undertaken to screen 32 strains of white and brown rot fungi. All the cultures studied grew well up to 4 mM of phenol on Czapekdox agar except Agaricus bisporus (white button mushroom) and Pleurotus cystidiosus. Most of them could grow even up to 6 mM of phenol. Phenol induced a brown pigmentation of the culture medium. P. flabellatus and P. pulmonarius metabolized 67 and 64 mg/l phenol in 10 days. Studies have indicated that phenol (0.1 to 1.0 mM) incorporated in malt-extract agar has no inhibitory effect on fruitbody formation. Preliminary studies indicate that soaking of wheat straw with phenol solution up to 1600 mg/l give better mycelial growth and fructification of P. cornucopiae, P. ostreatus Z-15 and Calocybe indica than water soaked. Soaking of wheat straw in phenol inhibited the growth of common competitor weed fungi like Stachybotrys sp. and Coprinus sp.

Black pod: diverse pathogens with a global impact on cocoa yield.

PubMed

Guest, David

2007-12-01

ABSTRACT Pathogens of the Straminipile genus Phytophthora cause significant disease losses to global cocoa production. P. megakarya causes significant pod rot and losses due to canker in West Africa, whereas P. capsici and P. citrophthora cause pod rots in Central and South America. The global and highly damaging P. palmivora attacks all parts of the cocoa tree at all stages of the growing cycle. This pathogen causes 20 to 30% pod losses through black pod rot, and kills up to 10% of trees annually through stem cankers. P. palmivora has a complex disease cycle involving several sources of primary inoculum and several modes of dissemination of secondary inoculum. This results in explosive epidemics during favorable environmental conditions. The spread of regional pathogens must be prevented by effective quarantine barriers. Resistance to all these Phytophthora species is typically low in commercial cocoa genotypes. Disease losses can be reduced through integrated management practices that include pruning and shade management, leaf mulching, regular and complete harvesting, sanitation and pod case disposal, appropriate fertilizer application and targeted fungicide use. Packaging these options to improve uptake by smallholders presents a major challenge for the industry.

Efficacies of quorum sensing inhibitors, piericidin A and glucopiericidin A, produced by Streptomyces xanthocidicus KPP01532 for the control of potato soft rot caused by Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica.

PubMed

Kang, Ji Eun; Han, Jae Woo; Jeon, Byeong Jun; Kim, Beom Seok

2016-03-01

To discover potential inhibitors of the quorum sensing (QS) system, a library of microbial culture extracts was screened with Chromobacterium violaceumCV026 strain. The culture extract of Streptomyces xanthocidicus KPP01532 contained quorum-sensing inhibitors (QSIs) of the CV026 strain. The active constituents of the culture extract of strain KPP01532 were purified using a series of chromatographic procedures, and based on data from NMR and mass spectroscopy, piericidin A and glucopiericidin A were identified. Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica (Eca) is a plant pathogen that causes blackleg and soft rot diseases on potato stems and tubers. The virulence factors of Eca are regulated by QS. The expression of virulence genes (pelC, pehA, celV and nip) under the control of QS was monitored using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The transcription levels of the four genes were significantly lower when Eca was exposed to piericidin A or glucopiericidin A. These two compounds displayed similar control efficacies against soft rot caused by Eca in potato slices as furanone C-30. Therefore, piericidin A and glucopiericidin A are potential QSIs that suppress the expression of the virulence genes of Eca, suggesting that they could have potential use as control agents of soft rot disease on potato tubers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Composts containing fluorescent pseudomonads suppress fusarium root and stem rot development on greenhouse cucumber.

PubMed

Bradley, Geoffrey G; Punja, Zamir K

2010-11-01

Three composts (Ball, dairy, and greenhouse) were tested for the ability to suppress the development of Fusarium root and stem rot (caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum) on greenhouse cucumber. Dairy and greenhouse composts significantly reduced disease severity (P = 0.05), while Ball compost had no effect. Assessment of total culturable microbes in the composts showed a positive relationship between disease suppressive ability and total population levels of pseudomonads. In vitro antagonism assays between compost-isolated bacterial strains and the pathogen showed that strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited the greatest antagonism. In growth room trials, strains of P. aeruginosa and nonantagonistic Pseudomonas maculicola, plus 2 biocontrol strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens, were tested for their ability to reduce (i) survival of F. oxysporum, (ii) colonization of plants by the pathogen, and (iii) disease severity. Cucumber seedlings grown in compost receiving P. aeruginosa and P. fluorescens had reduced disease severity index scores after 8 weeks compared with control plants without bacteria. Internal stem colonization by F. oxysporum was significantly reduced by P. aeruginosa. The bacteria colonized plant roots at 1.9 × 10(6) ± 0.73 × 10(6) CFU·(g root tissue)-1 and survival was >107 CFU·(g compost)-1 after 6 weeks. The locus for 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol production was detected by Southern blot analysis and confirmed by PCR. The production of the antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol in liquid culture by P. aeruginosa was confirmed by thin layer chromatography. These results demonstrate that composts containing antibiotic-producing P. aeruginosa have the potential to suppress diseases caused by Fusarium species.

Soybean Aphid Infestation Induces Changes in Fatty Acid Metabolism in Soybean

PubMed Central

Kanobe, Charles; McCarville, Michael T.; O’Neal, Matthew E.; Tylka, Gregory L.; MacIntosh, Gustavo C.

2015-01-01

The soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) is one of the most important insect pests of soybeans in the North-central region of the US. It has been hypothesized that aphids avoid effective defenses by inhibition of jasmonate-regulated plant responses. Given the role fatty acids play in jasmonate-induced plant defenses, we analyzed the fatty acid profile of soybean leaves and seeds from aphid-infested plants. Aphid infestation reduced levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in leaves with a concomitant increase in palmitic acid. In seeds, a reduction in polyunsaturated fatty acids was associated with an increase in stearic acid and oleic acid. Soybean plants challenged with the brown stem rot fungus or with soybean cyst nematodes did not present changes in fatty acid levels in leaves or seeds, indicating that the changes induced by aphids are not a general response to pests. One of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, linolenic acid, is the precursor of jasmonate; thus, these changes in fatty acid metabolism may be examples of “metabolic hijacking” by the aphid to avoid the induction of effective defenses. Based on the changes in fatty acid levels observed in seeds and leaves, we hypothesize that aphids potentially induce interference in the fatty acid desaturation pathway, likely reducing FAD2 and FAD6 activity that leads to a reduction in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Our data support the idea that aphids block jasmonate-dependent defenses by reduction of the hormone precursor. PMID:26684003

Mycolytic enzymes produced by Streptomyces violaceusniger and their role in antagonism towards wood-rotting fungi.

PubMed

Nagpure, Anand; Choudhary, Bharti; Gupta, Rajinder K

2014-05-01

Extracellular mycolytic enzymes produced under submerged fermentation by the fungal antagonist Streptomyces violaceusniger MTCC 3959 were characterized. This streptomycete produced higher amounts of extracellular chitinase and protease during late exponential phase, whereas β-1,3-glucanase production was at peak in mid-stationary phase. Cell-free culture filtrate (CCF) exhibited a broad range of antifungal activity against both white rot and brown rot fungi. The inhibitory activity was completely lost after treatment with proteinase K and heat, indicating that extracellular antifungal metabolites are heat labile and proteinaceous in nature. Optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity were: 9.0 and 60 °C for chitinase; 6.0 and 60 °C for β-1,3-glucanase; and 9.0 and 70 °C for protease. Mycolytic enzymes were moderately thermostable, and had a wide pH stability range extending from pH 5.0 to 10.0. The zymogram analysis of CCF revealed five chitinase isoenzymes with an apparent molecular weight of 20.8, 33.3, 45.6, 67.4, and 114.8 kDa, one β-1,3-glucanase appeared as a single band of ∼131.8 kDa and four protease isoenzymes with approximate molecular weights of 22.8, 62.52, 74.64, and 120.5 kDa. S. violaceusniger MTCC 3959 produced mycolytic enzymes that can be effectively used for suppression of phytopathogenic basidiomycetes. It has the potential to be an effective biofungicide. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[Enhancement of laccase activity by combining white rot fungal strains].

PubMed

He, Rong-yu; Liu, Xiao-feng; Yan, Zhi-ying; Yuan, Yue-xiang; Liao, Yin-zhang; Li, Xu-dong

2010-02-01

The method of combining white rot fungal strains was used to enhance laccase activity, and the interaction mechanism between strains was also studied. The laccase activity of combined fungi of strain 55 (Trametes trogii) and strain m-6 (Trametes versicolor) were 24.13 and 4.07-fold higher than that of strain 55 and strain m-6, respectively. No inhibitory effect was observed when the two strains were co-cultivated. On plate cultivation, there was hyphal interference in the contact area, where laccase activity was the highest followed by brown pigmentation. In liquid cultivation, strain m-6 played much more important role on enhancement of laccase activity, and the laccase activity of strain 55 by adding strain m-6 was 7.03-fold higher than that of strain m-6 by adding strain 55, furthermore, filter sterilized- and high temperature autoclaved-extracellular substances of strain m-6 could also stimulate strain 55 to excrete more laccase, which led to 6.79-fold and 4. 60-fold increase in laccase activity by adding 20 mL, respectively. The native staining results of Native-PAGE showed that the types of laccase isozymes were not changed when strains were co-cultured, but the concentration of three types increased.

Extending the shelf life of kohlrabi stems by modified atmosphere packaging.

PubMed

Escalona, V H; Aguayo, E; Artés, F

2007-06-01

Kohlrabi stems (without leaves) were stored under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for 60 d at 0 degrees C. An additional retail sale period of 3 d at 12 degrees C after each cold storage evaluation (30 and 60 d) was applied. Under high relative humidity (RH) and 0 degrees C, the stems showed low metabolic activity, as no changes in sugars and organic acids were found. From day 21 at 0 degrees C, air-stored stems showed a yellowing of stalks and later they fell down. This disorder severely affected the appearance of stems. A gas composition of 4.5 to 5.5 kPa O(2) plus 11 to 12 kPa CO(2) was reached using antimist oriented polypropylene plastic bags of 20-mum thicknesses. The stems in MAP conditions kept a high sensorial quality. It was enough for commercial purpose of 2 mo. The storage of kohlrabi stems in plastic bags, either MA or in perforated (control) packages, provided an additional protection reducing physical damage. The MAP conditions delayed the weight loss and development of bacterial soft and black rot, extending the shelf life of kohlrabi stems to 60 d at 0 degrees C plus 3 d at 12 degrees C. Stems are not chilling injury sensitive.

"They Sit Selfishly." Beginning STEM Educators' Expectations of Young Adolescent Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Robert; DiCicco, Mike; Sabella, Laura

2017-01-01

To meet the demand for certified math and science teachers, alternative certification programs attempt to provide fast-track training and licensure of STEM-area educators (Goldhaber, Kreig, Theobald, & Brown, 2014). Teachers prepared in programs with a middle level specialization have been shown to participate in effective practices such as…

Lumber recovery and deterioration of beetle-killed Douglas-fir and grand fir in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon.

Treesearch

Dean L. Parry; Gregory M. Filip; Susan A. Willits; Catherine G. Parks

1996-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of time since death over a 4-year period on the amount of usable product volume and value, and to determine the species of fungi associated with wood deterioration in the stems of Douglas-fir and grand fir trees killed by bark beetles in northeastern Oregon. Sap rot, caused principally by Cryptoporus...

Population dynamics and habitat sharing of natural populations of Caenorhabditis elegans and C. briggsae

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a major model organism in laboratory biology. Very little is known, however, about its ecology, including where it proliferates. In the past, C. elegans was mainly isolated from human-made compost heaps, where it was overwhelmingly found in the non-feeding dauer diapause stage. Results C. elegans and C. briggsae were found in large, proliferating populations in rotting plant material (fruits and stems) in several locations in mainland France. Both species were found to co-occur in samples isolated from a given plant species. Population counts spanned a range from one to more than 10,000 Caenorhabditis individuals on a single fruit or stem. Some populations with an intermediate census size (10 to 1,000) contained no dauer larvae at all, whereas larger populations always included some larvae in the pre-dauer or dauer stages. We report on associated micro-organisms, including pathogens. We systematically sampled a spatio-temporally structured set of rotting apples in an apple orchard in Orsay over four years. C. elegans and C. briggsae were abundantly found every year, but their temporal distributions did not coincide. C. briggsae was found alone in summer, whereas both species co-occurred in early fall and C. elegans was found alone in late fall. Competition experiments in the laboratory at different temperatures show that C. briggsae out-competes C. elegans at high temperatures, whereas C. elegans out-competes C. briggsae at lower temperatures. Conclusions C. elegans and C. briggsae proliferate in the same rotting vegetal substrates. In contrast to previous surveys of populations in compost heaps, we found fully proliferating populations with no dauer larvae. The temporal sharing of the habitat by the two species coincides with their temperature preference in the laboratory, with C. briggsae populations growing faster than C. elegans at higher temperatures, and vice at lower temperatures. PMID:22731941

PAMPs, PRRs, effectors and R-genes associated with citrus–pathogen interactions

PubMed Central

Dalio, Ronaldo J. D.; Magalhães, Diogo M.; Rodrigues, Carolina M.; Arena, Gabriella D.; Oliveira, Tiago S.; Souza-Neto, Reinaldo R.; Picchi, Simone C.; Martins, Paula M. M.; Santos, Paulo J. C.; Maximo, Heros J.; Pacheco, Inaiara S.; De Souza, Alessandra A.

2017-01-01

Abstract Background Recent application of molecular-based technologies has considerably advanced our understanding of complex processes in plant–pathogen interactions and their key components such as PAMPs, PRRs, effectors and R-genes. To develop novel control strategies for disease prevention in citrus, it is essential to expand and consolidate our knowledge of the molecular interaction of citrus plants with their pathogens. Scope This review provides an overview of our understanding of citrus plant immunity, focusing on the molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions with viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and vectors related to the following diseases: tristeza, psorosis, citrus variegated chlorosis, citrus canker, huanglongbing, brown spot, post-bloom, anthracnose, gummosis and citrus root rot. PMID:28065920

Unraveling the Double Bind: Women of Color in STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvard Educational Review, 2011

2011-01-01

In 1976, the challenges faced by women of color who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields were first brought to national attention by Shirley M. Malcom, Paula Hall, and Janet Brown in a report titled "The Double Bind: The Price of Being a Minority Woman in Science." In commemoration of the 35th…

First report of damping-off of dent corn seedlings caused by Pythium graminicola in Georgia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An unknown disease was observed on corn seedlings in commercial corn fields in Tift County, Georgia, in April 2015. Stems of corn seedlings were brown, water-soaked, soft, decayed, and broke off easily. Disease incidence ranged from 2 to 3%. A fungus-like organism was isolated from all infected stem...

Biocontrol Potentials of Antimicrobial Peptide Producing Bacillus Species: Multifaceted Antagonists for the Management of Stem Rot of Carnation Caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

PubMed Central

Vinodkumar, S.; Nakkeeran, S.; Renukadevi, P.; Malathi, V. G.

2017-01-01

Bacillus species are widely exploited as biocontrol agents because of their efficiency in impeding various plant pathogens with multifaceted approach. In this study, Bacillus species were isolated from rhizosphere of various plants viz., carnations, cotton, turmeric, and bananas in Tamil Nadu state of India. Their potential to control the mycelial growth of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was assessed in vitro by dual plate and partition plate techniques. B. amyloliquefaciens strain VB7 was much effective in inhibiting mycelial growth (45% inhibition of over control) and sclerotial production (100%). PCR detection of AMP genes revealed that B. amyloliquefaciens (VB7) had a maximum of 10 diverse antibiotic biosynthesis genes, namely, ituD, ipa14, bacA, bacD, bamC, sfP, spaC, spaS, alba, and albF, that resulted in production of the antibiotics iturin, bacilysin, bacillomycin, surfactin, subtilin, and subtilosin. Further, metabolites from B. amyloliquefaciens strains VB2 and VB7, associated with inhibition of S. sclerotiorum, were identified as phenols and fatty acids by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Delivery of bacterial suspension of the effective strains of Bacillus spp. as root dip was found promising for the management of stem rot of cultivated carnations. Minimal percent disease incidence (4.6%) and maximum plant growth promotion was observed in the plants treated with B. amyloliquefaciens (VB7). PMID:28392780

Control of Basal Stem Rot Disease in Oil Palm by Supplementation of Calcium, Copper, and Salicylic Acid.

PubMed

Bivi, M Shahul Hamid Rahamah; Paiko, Adamu Saidu; Khairulmazmi, Ahmad; Akhtar, M S; Idris, Abu Seman

2016-10-01

Continuous supplementation of mineral nutrients and salicylic acid (SA) as foliar application could improve efficacy in controlling basal stem rot (BSR) disease in oil palm seedling. It is revealed from the results that the highest disease severity index (58.3%) was recorded in T8 treatments at 9 months after inoculation. The best disease control was achieved by T7 treatments (calcium/copper/SA [Ca/Cu/SA]) (5.0%) followed by T1 (5.5%), T5 (5.8%), T3 (8.3%), T6 (8.3%), T4 (13.3%), and T2 (15.8%) treatments. Continuous supplementation of Ca/Cu/SA was found to be the most effective in controlling the disease and the high performance liquid chromatography results showed the detection of ergosterol at very low concentration in the treated samples. Moreover, the transmission electron microscopy analysis results clearly indicated that T7 treatment was also enhancing lignification, which was responsible for the thickness of the secondary cell walls and middle lamella compared to untreated samples. It was therefore, concluded that continuous supplementation of minerals nutrients and SA could effectively suppress disease severity by reducing ergosterol activity and also improve the process of lignification in the treated plants. Furthermore, this treatment also managed to delay the onset of BSR symptoms and promote the growth of the seedlings and eventually suppress the BSR disease.

Control of Basal Stem Rot Disease in Oil Palm by Supplementation of Calcium, Copper, and Salicylic Acid

PubMed Central

Bivi, M. Shahul Hamid Rahamah; Paiko, Adamu Saidu; Khairulmazmi, Ahmad; Akhtar, M. S.; Idris, Abu Seman

2016-01-01

Continuous supplementation of mineral nutrients and salicylic acid (SA) as foliar application could improve efficacy in controlling basal stem rot (BSR) disease in oil palm seedling. It is revealed from the results that the highest disease severity index (58.3%) was recorded in T8 treatments at 9 months after inoculation. The best disease control was achieved by T7 treatments (calcium/copper/SA [Ca/Cu/SA]) (5.0%) followed by T1 (5.5%), T5 (5.8%), T3 (8.3%), T6 (8.3%), T4 (13.3%), and T2 (15.8%) treatments. Continuous supplementation of Ca/Cu/SA was found to be the most effective in controlling the disease and the high performance liquid chromatography results showed the detection of ergosterol at very low concentration in the treated samples. Moreover, the transmission electron microscopy analysis results clearly indicated that T7 treatment was also enhancing lignification, which was responsible for the thickness of the secondary cell walls and middle lamella compared to untreated samples. It was therefore, concluded that continuous supplementation of minerals nutrients and SA could effectively suppress disease severity by reducing ergosterol activity and also improve the process of lignification in the treated plants. Furthermore, this treatment also managed to delay the onset of BSR symptoms and promote the growth of the seedlings and eventually suppress the BSR disease. PMID:27721689

Influence of electron beam irradiation on growth of Phytophthora cinnamomi and its control in substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MigdaŁ, Wojciech; Orlikowski, Leszek B.; Ptaszek, Magdalena; Gryczka, Urszula

2012-08-01

Very extensive production procedure, especially in plants growing under covering, require methods, which would allow quick elimination or substantial reduction of populations of specific pathogens without affecting the growth and development of the cultivated plants. Among soil-borne pathogens, the Phytophthora species are especially dangerous for horticultural plants. In this study, irradiation with electron beam was applied to control Phytophthora cinnamomi. The influence of irradiation dose on the reduction of in vitro growth and the population density of the pathogen in treated peat and its mixture with composted pine bark (1:1), as well as the health of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana and Lavandula angustifolia plants were evaluated. Application of irradiation at a dose of 1.5 kGy completely inhibited the in vitro development of P. cinnamomi. This irradiation effect was connected with the disintegration of the hyphae and spores of the species. Irradiation of peat and its mixture with composted pine bark with 10 kGy resulted in the inhibition of stem base rot development in Ch. lawsoniana. Symptoms of the disease were not observed when the substrates were treated with 15 kGy. In the case of L. angustifolia, stem root rot was not observed on cuttings transplanted to infected peat irradiated at a dose of 10 kGy. Irradiation of the horticultural substrates did not affect plant growth.

MicroRNA-133 Controls Brown Adipose Determination in Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells by Targeting Prdm16

PubMed Central

Yin, Hang; Pasut, Alessandra; Soleimani, Vahab D.; Bentzinger, C. Florian; Antoun, Ghadi; Thorn, Stephanie; Seale, Patrick; Fernando, Pasan; van IJcken, Wilfred; Grosveld, Frank; Dekemp, Robert A.; Boushel, Robert; Harper, Mary-Ellen; Rudnicki, Michael A.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an energy-dispensing thermogenic tissue that plays an important role in balancing energy metabolism. Lineage-tracing experiments indicate that brown adipocytes are derived from myogenic progenitors during embryonic development. However, adult skeletal muscle stem cells (satellite cells) have long been considered uniformly determined toward the myogenic lineage. Here, we report that adult satellite cells give rise to brown adipocytes and that microRNA-133 regulates the choice between myogenic and brown adipose determination by targeting the 3′UTR of Prdm16. Antagonism of microRNA-133 during muscle regeneration increases uncoupled respiration, glucose uptake, and thermogenesis in local treated muscle and augments whole-body energy expenditure, improves glucose tolerance, and impedes the development of diet-induced obesity. Finally, we demonstrate that miR-133 levels are downregulated in mice exposed to cold, resulting in de novo generation of satellite cell-derived brown adipocytes. Therefore, microRNA-133 represents an important therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity. PMID:23395168

Efficacy of plant essential oils on postharvest control of rots caused by fungi on different stone fruits in vivo.

PubMed

Lopez-Reyes, Jorge Giovanny; Spadaro, Davide; Prelle, Ambra; Garibaldi, Angelo; Gullino, Maria Lodovica

2013-04-01

The antifungal activity of plant essential oils was evaluated as postharvest treatment on stone fruit against brown rot and grey mold rot of stone fruit caused by Monilinia laxa and Botrytis cinerea, respectively. The essential oils from basil (Ocimum basilicum), fennel (Foeniculum sativum), lavender (Lavandula officinalis), marjoram (Origanum majorana), oregano (Origanum vulgare), peppermint (Mentha piperita), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Salvia officinalis), savory (Satureja montana), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and wild mint (Mentha arvensis) were tested at two different concentrations on apricots (cv. Kyoto and cv. Tonda di Costigliole), nectarines (cv. Big Top and cv. Nectaross) and plums (cv. Italia and cv. TC Sun). The volatile composition of the essential oils tested was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The treatments containing essential oils from oregano, savory, and thyme at 1% (vol/vol) controlled both B. cinerea and M. laxa growing on apricots cv. Tonda di Costigliole and plums cv. Italia and cv. TC Sun; however, the same treatments were phytotoxic for the carposphere of nectarines cv. Big Top and cv. Nectaross. Treatments with 10% (vol/vol) essential oils were highly phytotoxic, notwithstanding their efficacy against the pathogens tested. The essential oils containing as major components α-pinene, p-cymene, carvacrol, and thymol showed similar results on stone fruit, so their antimicrobial activity and the phytotoxicity produced could be based on the concentration of their principal compounds and their synergistic activity. The efficacy of the essential oil treatments on control of fungal pathogens in postharvest depended on the fruit cultivar, the composition and concentration of the essential oil applied, and the length of storage.

The Combined Role Of Manganese Oxides And Microbes In The yAbiotic Uptake Of Amino Acid Nitrogen Into Litter And Soil Organic yMatter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filley, T. R.; Dria, K.

2004-12-01

Soil organic matter (SOM) is the largest terrestrial C and N store. Microbial yand abiotic processes that control the transformation of protein nitrogen in litter and ysoils into macromolecular humic materials play an important role in organic matter ystorage and soil productivity. There are major gaps, however, in our understanding of ythese processes and behaviors. Abiotic reactions of amines, phenols and sugars derived yfrom forest leachates or present in detrital and litter organic matter are known to be ykey processes in the formation of complex organic nitrogen. We present here the yresults from a study designed to investigate how the inherent chemistry of lignin, leaf ylitter, and progressively advanced brown-rot wood decay impact the chemical reaction yof amino acids with this organic matter. Additionally, experiments in the presence of ybirnessite (MnO2) were also conducted to investigate the role of mineral induced phenol yoxidation on specific amino acid chemical humifcation processes. Solid and liquid state yNMR, 13C-labelled tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide thermochemolysis and stable ycarbon and nitrogen isotope ratio mass spectrometry were used to track the alteration yof litter material and document uptake of 13C and 15N labeled amino acids. yPreliminary results from birnessite-containing experiments suggest that the metal-ypromoted oxidation of the lignin, leaf litter, and, in particular, demethylated brown rot ywood residues, is necessary to convert the phenols to quinones of some type permitting yamine addition. This relationship is particularly true for the production of soluble yfractions after two and six weeks of reaction in the presence of the manganese oxides. yAdditionally, the production of leachable organic matter with incorporated N was ypromoted in the soluble fractions. Ongoing NMR studies will elucidate the nature of ythe chemical binding in these experiments. y

Cloning and expression analysis of the ATP-binding cassette transporter gene MFABC1 and the alternative oxidase gene MfAOX1 from Monilinia fructicola.

PubMed

Schnabel, Guido; Dait, Qun; Paradkar, Manjiri R

2003-10-01

Brown rot, caused by Moniliniafructicola (G Wint) Honey, is a serious disease of peach in all commercial peach production areas in the USA, including South Carolina where it has been primarily controlled by pre-harvest application of 14-alpha demethylation (DMI) fungicides for more than 15 years. Recently, the Qo fungicide azoxystrobin was registered for brown rot control and is currently being investigated for its potential as a DMI fungicide rotation partner because of its different mode of action. In an effort to investigate molecular mechanisms of DMI and Qo fungicide resistance in M fructicola, the ABC transporter gene MfABC1 and the alternative oxidase gene MfAOX1 were cloned to study their potential role in conferring fungicide resistance. The MfABC1 gene was 4380 bp in length and contained one intron of 71 bp. The gene revealed high amino acid homologies with atrB from Aspergillus nidulans (Eidam) Winter, an ABC transporter conferring resistance to many fungicides, including DMI fungicides. MfABC1 gene expression was induced after myclobutanil and propiconazole treatment in isolates with low sensitivity to the same fungicides, and in an isolate with high sensitivity to propiconazole. The results suggest that the MfABC1 gene may be a DMI fungicide resistance determinant in M fructicola. The alternative oxidase gene MfAOX1 from M fructicola was cloned and gene expression was analyzed. The MfAOX1 gene was 1077 bp in length and contained two introns of 54 and 67 bp. The amino acid sequence was 63.8, 63.8 and 57.7% identical to alternative oxidases from Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) Winter, Aspergillus niger van Teighem and A nidulans, respectively. MfAOX1 expression in some but not all M fructicola isolates was induced in mycelia treated with azoxystrobin. Azoxystrobin at 2 microg ml(-1) significantly induced MfAOX1 expression in isolates with low MfAOX1 constitutive expression levels.

Brown continues crusade against earmarking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leath, Audrey T.

House Science Committee Chairman George Brown (D-Calif.), a crusader against earmarking of academic research and facilities, continues his efforts to raise the subject's visibility with a new report that was released on August 9."Academic Earmarks: An Interim Report by the Chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology" includes preliminary results of a survey of about fifty institutions receiving recent earmarks and offers a trio of recommendations to help stem the flood of unauthorized projects.

Evaluation of ash from some tropical plants of Nigeria for the control of Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

PubMed

Enikuomehin, O A; Ikotun, T; Ekpo, E J

1998-01-01

Eleven ash samples, from organs of nine tropical plants, were screened for their abilities to inhibit mycelial growth and sclerotial germination of a Nigerian isolate of Sclerotium rolfsii on agar and in the soil. Ten ash samples showed some activity against mycelial growth of S. rolfsii in vitro. Ash samples from Delonix regia stem wood, Mangifera indica leaf and Vernonia amygdalina leaf were most effective as each totally inhibited mycelial growth of S. rolfsii in vitro. Ocimum gratissimum leaf ash, D. regia wood ash and Musa paradisiaca flower bract ash inhibited sclerotial germination on agar. Nine ash samples protected seeds against pre-emergence rot. Ash from M. indica leaf, V. amygdalina leaf and Azadirachta indica leaf protected seedlings against post-emergence infection. Eichornia crassipes ash, which was ineffective in vitro, offered some protection to seeds in soil against pre-emergence rot. The study demonstrates potentials of ash samples from tropical plants in control of S. rolfsii on wheat.

Overexpression of BSR1 confers broad-spectrum resistance against two bacterial diseases and two major fungal diseases in rice

PubMed Central

Maeda, Satoru; Hayashi, Nagao; Sasaya, Takahide; Mori, Masaki

2016-01-01

Broad-spectrum disease resistance against two or more types of pathogen species is desirable for crop improvement. In rice, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causal bacteria of rice leaf blight, and Magnaporthe oryzae, the fungal pathogen causing rice blast, are two of the most devastating pathogens. We identified the rice BROAD-SPECTRUM RESISTANCE 1 (BSR1) gene for a BIK1-like receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase using the FOX hunting system, and demonstrated that BSR1-overexpressing (OX) rice showed strong resistance to the bacterial pathogen, Xoo and the fungal pathogen, M. oryzae. Here, we report that BSR1-OX rice showed extended resistance against two other different races of Xoo, and to at least one other race of M. oryzae. In addition, the rice showed resistance to another bacterial species, Burkholderia glumae, which causes bacterial seedling rot and bacterial grain rot, and to Cochliobolus miyabeanus, another fungal species causing brown spot. Furthermore, BSR1-OX rice showed slight resistance to rice stripe disease, a major viral disease caused by rice stripe virus. Thus, we demonstrated that BSR1-OX rice shows remarkable broad-spectrum resistance to at least two major bacterial species and two major fungal species, and slight resistance to one viral pathogen. PMID:27436950

Overexpression of BSR1 confers broad-spectrum resistance against two bacterial diseases and two major fungal diseases in rice.

PubMed

Maeda, Satoru; Hayashi, Nagao; Sasaya, Takahide; Mori, Masaki

2016-06-01

Broad-spectrum disease resistance against two or more types of pathogen species is desirable for crop improvement. In rice, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causal bacteria of rice leaf blight, and Magnaporthe oryzae, the fungal pathogen causing rice blast, are two of the most devastating pathogens. We identified the rice BROAD-SPECTRUM RESISTANCE 1 (BSR1) gene for a BIK1-like receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase using the FOX hunting system, and demonstrated that BSR1-overexpressing (OX) rice showed strong resistance to the bacterial pathogen, Xoo and the fungal pathogen, M. oryzae. Here, we report that BSR1-OX rice showed extended resistance against two other different races of Xoo, and to at least one other race of M. oryzae. In addition, the rice showed resistance to another bacterial species, Burkholderia glumae, which causes bacterial seedling rot and bacterial grain rot, and to Cochliobolus miyabeanus, another fungal species causing brown spot. Furthermore, BSR1-OX rice showed slight resistance to rice stripe disease, a major viral disease caused by rice stripe virus. Thus, we demonstrated that BSR1-OX rice shows remarkable broad-spectrum resistance to at least two major bacterial species and two major fungal species, and slight resistance to one viral pathogen.

Differential Gene Expression in Pycnoporus coccineus during Interspecific Mycelial Interactions with Different Competitors

PubMed Central

Levasseur, Anthony; Record, Eric

2013-01-01

Fungi compete against each other for environmental resources. These interspecific combative interactions encompass a wide range of mechanisms. In this study, we highlight the ability of the white-rot fungus Pycnoporus coccineus to quickly overgrow or replace a wide range of competitor fungi, including the gray-mold fungus Botrytis cinerea and the brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana. To gain a better understanding of the mechanisms deployed by P. coccineus to compete against other fungi and to assess whether common pathways are used to interact with different competitors, differential gene expression in P. coccineus during cocultivation was assessed by transcriptome sequencing and confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis of a set of 15 representative genes. Compared with the pure culture, 1,343 transcripts were differentially expressed in the interaction with C. puteana and 4,253 were differentially expressed in the interaction with B. cinerea, but only 197 transcripts were overexpressed in both interactions. Overall, the results suggest that a broad array of functions is necessary for P. coccineus to replace its competitors and that different responses are elicited by the two competitors, although a portion of the mechanism is common to both. However, the functions elicited by the expression of specific transcripts appear to converge toward a limited set of roles, including detoxification of secondary metabolites. PMID:23974131

Identification and characterization of the major antifungal substance against Fusarium Sporotrichioides from Chaetomium globosum.

PubMed

Jiang, Cheng; Song, Jinzhu; Zhang, Junzheng; Yang, Qian

2017-06-01

Fusarium sporotrichioides, is a common soil-borne plant pathogen causing dry rot of potato in Northeast China. The objective of this study was to identify the main antifungal substances from Chaetomium globosum W7 against F. sporotrichioides. Strain W7 can significantly inhibit F. sporotrichioides without direct contact, suggesting that its antifungal substance was extracellular, and the solubility of this antifungal substance in ethyl acetate was superior to that in water. Acetone was selected as the optimum solvent for the extraction of the metabolites of C. globosum. Metabolites were then separated with thin-layer chromatography. Following antifungal tests on bands, a dark brown band with Rf value of 0.20 was determined as the antifungal substance, and identified as chaetoglobosin A. The antifungal activity test showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration of chaetoglobosin A to F. sporotrichioides was 9.45-10.50 μg/mL, IC50 being 4.344 μg/mL. Chaetoglobosin A also proved to have an excellent preventive effect on potato dry rot caused by F. sporotrichioides. To summarize, chaetoglobosin A was identified as the main active substance of C. globosum to inhibit F. sporotrichioides for the first time, and demonstrated a potential application value in agriculture.

Brown continues crusade against earmarking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leath, Audrey T.

House Science Committee Chairman George Brown (D-Calif.), a crusader against earmarking of academic research and facilities, continues his efforts to raise the subject's visibility with a new report that was released on August 9.“Academic Earmarks: An Interim Report by the Chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology” includes preliminary results of a survey of about fifty institutions receiving recent earmarks and offers a trio of recommendations to help stem the flood of unauthorized projects.

Aerial photography for sensing plant anomalies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gausman, H. W.; Cardenas, R.; Hart, W. G.

1970-01-01

Changes in the red tonal response of Kodak Ektrachrome Infrared Aero 8443 film (EIR) are often incorrectly attributed solely to variations in infrared light reflectance of plant leaves, when the primary influence is a difference in visible light reflectance induced by varying chlorophyll contents. Comparisons are made among aerial photographic images of high- and low-chlorophyll foliage. New growth, foot rot, and boron and chloride nutrient toxicites produce low-chlorophyll foliage, and EIR transparency images of light red or white compared with dark-red images of high-chlorophyll foliage. Deposits of the sooty mold fungus that subsists on the honeydew produced by brown soft scale insects, obscure the citrus leaves' green color. Infected trees appear as black images on EIR film transparencies compared with red images of healthy trees.

Interactive Effects of Climate Change and Decomposer Communities on the Stabilization of Wood-Derived Carbon Pools: Catalyst for a New Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Resh, Sigrid C.

Globally, forest soils store ~two-thirds as much carbon (C) as the atmosphere. Although wood makes up the majority of forest biomass, the importance of wood contributions to soil C pools is unknown. Even with recent advances in the mechanistic understanding of soil processes, integrative studies tracing C input pathways and biological fluxes within and from soils are lacking. Therefore, our research objectives were to assess the impact of different fungal decay pathways (i.e., white-rot versus brown-rot)—in interaction with wood quality, soil temperature, wood location (i.e., soil surface and buried in mineral soil), and soil texture—on the transformation of woody materialmore » into soil CO 2 efflux, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and soil C pools. The use of 13C-depleted woody biomass harvested from the Rhinelander, WI free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (Aspen-FACE) experiment affords the unique opportunity to distinguish the wood-derived C from other soil C fluxes and pools. We established 168 treatment plots across six field sites (three sand and three loam textured soil). Treatment plots consisted of full-factorial design with the following treatments: 1. Wood chips from elevated CO 2, elevated CO 2 + O 3, or ambient atmosphere AspenFACE treatments; 2. Inoculated with white rot (Bjerkandera adusta) or brown rot (Gloeophyllum sepiarium) pure fungal cultures, or the original suite of endemic microbial community on the logs; and 3. Buried (15cm in soil as a proxy for coarse roots) or surface applied wood chips. We also created a warming treatment using open-topped, passive warming chambers on a subset of the above treatments. Control plots with no added wood (“no chip control”) were incorporated into the research design. Soils were sampled for initial δ 13C values, CN concentrations, and bulk density. A subset of plots were instrumented with lysimeters for sampling soil water and temperature data loggers for measuring soil temperatures. To determine the early pathways of decomposition, we measured soil surface CO 2 efflux, dissolved organic C (DOC), and DO 13C approximately monthly over two growing seasons from a subsample of the research plots. To determine the portion of soil surface CO 2 efflux attributable to wood-derived C, we used Keeling plot techniques to estimate the associated δ 13C values of the soil CO 2 efflux. We measured the δ 13CO 2 once during the peak of each growing season. Initial values for soil δ 13C values and CN concentrations averaged across the six sites were -26.8‰ (standard error = 0.04), 2.46% (se = 0.11), and 0.15% (se = 0.01), respectively. The labeled wood chips from the Aspen FACE treatments had an average δ13C value of -39.5‰ (se 0.10). The >12 ‰ isotopic difference between the soil and wood chip δ 13C values provides the basis for tracking the wood-derived C through the early stages of decomposition and subsequent storage in the soil. Across our six research sites, average soil surface CO 2 efflux ranged from 1.04 to 2.00 g CO 2 m -2 h -1 for the first two growing seasons. No wood chip controls had an average soil surface CO 2 efflux of 0.67 g CO 2 m -2 h -1 or about half of that of the wood chip treatment plots. Wood-derived CO 2 efflux was higher for loam textured soils relative to sands (0.70 and 0.54 g CO 2 m -2 h -1, respectively; p = 0.045)), for surface relative to buried wood chip treatments (0.92 and 0.39 g CO 2 m -2 h -1, respectively; p < 0.001), for warmed relative to ambient temperature treatments (0.99 and 0.78 g CO 2 m -2 h -1, respectively; 0.004), and for natural rot relative to brown and white rots (0.93, 0.82, and 0.78 g CO 2 m -2 h -1, respectively; p = 0.068). Our first two growing seasons of soil surface CO 2 efflux data show that wood chip location (i.e., surface vs. buried chip application) is very important, with surface chips loosing twice the wood-derived CO 2. The DOC data support this trend for greater loss of ecosystem C from surface chips. This has strong implications for the importance of root and buried wood for ecosystem C retention. This strong chip location effect on wood-derived C loss was significantly modified by soil texture, soil temperature, decomposer communities, and wood quality as effected by potential future CO 2 and O 3 levels.« less

MicroRNA-133 controls brown adipose determination in skeletal muscle satellite cells by targeting Prdm16.

PubMed

Yin, Hang; Pasut, Alessandra; Soleimani, Vahab D; Bentzinger, C Florian; Antoun, Ghadi; Thorn, Stephanie; Seale, Patrick; Fernando, Pasan; van Ijcken, Wilfred; Grosveld, Frank; Dekemp, Robert A; Boushel, Robert; Harper, Mary-Ellen; Rudnicki, Michael A

2013-02-05

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an energy-dispensing thermogenic tissue that plays an important role in balancing energy metabolism. Lineage-tracing experiments indicate that brown adipocytes are derived from myogenic progenitors during embryonic development. However, adult skeletal muscle stem cells (satellite cells) have long been considered uniformly determined toward the myogenic lineage. Here, we report that adult satellite cells give rise to brown adipocytes and that microRNA-133 regulates the choice between myogenic and brown adipose determination by targeting the 3'UTR of Prdm16. Antagonism of microRNA-133 during muscle regeneration increases uncoupled respiration, glucose uptake, and thermogenesis in local treated muscle and augments whole-body energy expenditure, improves glucose tolerance, and impedes the development of diet-induced obesity. Finally, we demonstrate that miR-133 levels are downregulated in mice exposed to cold, resulting in de novo generation of satellite cell-derived brown adipocytes. Therefore, microRNA-133 represents an important therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mitochondrial transfer of mesenchymal stem cells effectively protects corneal epithelial cells from mitochondrial damage.

PubMed

Jiang, Dan; Gao, Fei; Zhang, Yuelin; Wong, David Sai Hung; Li, Qing; Tse, Hung-Fat; Xu, Goufeng; Yu, Zhendong; Lian, Qizhou

2016-11-10

Recent studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can donate mitochondria to airway epithelial cells and rescue mitochondrial damage in lung injury. We sought to determine whether MSCs could donate mitochondria and protect against oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in the cornea. Co-culturing of MSCs and corneal epithelial cells (CECs) indicated that the efficiency of mitochondrial transfer from MSCs to CECs was enhanced by Rotenone (Rot)-induced oxidative stress. The efficient mitochondrial transfer was associated with increased formation of tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) between MSCs and CECs, tubular connections that allowed direct intercellular communication. Separation of MSCs and CECs by a transwell culture system revealed no mitochiondrial transfer from MSCs to CECs and mitochondrial function was impaired when CECs were exposed to Rot challenge. CECs with or without mitochondrial transfer from MSCs displayed a distinct survival capacity and mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate. Mechanistically, increased filopodia outgrowth in CECs for TNT formation was associated with oxidative inflammation-activated NFκB/TNFαip2 signaling pathways that could be attenuated by reactive oxygen species scavenger N-acetylcysteine (NAC) treatment. Furthermore, MSCs grown on a decellularized porcine corneal scaffold were transplanted onto an alkali-injured eye in a rabbit model. Enhanced corneal wound healing was evident following healthy MSC scaffold transplantation. And transferred mitochondria was detected in corneal epithelium. In conclusion, mitochondrial transfer from MSCs provides novel protection for the cornea against oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial damage. This therapeutic strategy may prove relevant for a broad range of mitochondrial diseases.

ECM microenvironment unlocks brown adipogenic potential of adult human bone marrow-derived MSCs.

PubMed

Lee, Michelle H; Goralczyk, Anna G; Kriszt, Rókus; Ang, Xiu Min; Badowski, Cedric; Li, Ying; Summers, Scott A; Toh, Sue-Anne; Yassin, M Shabeer; Shabbir, Asim; Sheppard, Allan; Raghunath, Michael

2016-02-17

Key to realizing the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of human brown/brite adipocytes is the identification of a renewable, easily accessible and safe tissue source of progenitor cells, and an efficacious in vitro differentiation protocol. We show that macromolecular crowding (MMC) facilitates brown adipocyte differentiation in adult human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (bmMSCs), as evidenced by substantially upregulating uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and uncoupled respiration. Moreover, MMC also induced 'browning' in bmMSC-derived white adipocytes. Mechanistically, MMC creates a 3D extracellular matrix architecture enshrouding maturing adipocytes in a collagen IV cocoon that is engaged by paxillin-positive focal adhesions also at the apical side of cells, without contact to the stiff support structure. This leads to an enhanced matrix-cell signaling, reflected by increased phosphorylation of ATF2, a key transcription factor in UCP1 regulation. Thus, tuning the dimensionality of the microenvironment in vitro can unlock a strong brown potential dormant in bone marrow.

Precise Ages for the Benchmark Brown Dwarfs HD 19467 B and HD 4747 B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Charlotte; Boyajian, Tabetha; Crepp, Justin; von Braun, Kaspar; Brewer, John; Schaefer, Gail; Adams, Arthur; White, Tim

2018-01-01

Large uncertainty in the age of brown dwarfs, stemming from a mass-age degeneracy, makes it difficult to constrain substellar evolutionary models. To break the degeneracy, we need ''benchmark" brown dwarfs (found in binary systems) whose ages can be determined independent of their masses. HD~19467~B and HD~4747~B are two benchmark brown dwarfs detected through the TRENDS (TaRgeting bENchmark objects with Doppler Spectroscopy) high-contrast imaging program for which we have dynamical mass measurements. To constrain their ages independently through isochronal analysis, we measured the radii of the host stars with interferometry using the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array. Assuming the brown dwarfs have the same ages as their host stars, we use these results to distinguish between several substellar evolutionary models. In this poster, we present new age estimates for HD~19467 and HD~4747 that are more accurate and precise and show our preliminary comparisons to cooling models.

7 CFR 51.3416 - Classification of defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., Fusarium Wilt, Net Necrosis, Other Necrosis, Stem End Browning 5% waste 10% waste. Occurring entirely... discoloration (Heat Necrosis) Not more than the equivalent of 3 scattered spots 1/8 inch in diameter in a potato...

7 CFR 51.3416 - Classification of defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., Fusarium Wilt, Net Necrosis, Other Necrosis, Stem End Browning 5% waste 10% waste. Occurring entirely... discoloration (Heat Necrosis) Not more than the equivalent of 3 scattered spots 1/8 inch in diameter in a potato...

What You Need to Know about Drugs: Marijuana

MedlinePlus

... leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp ( Cannabis sativa ) plant. It looks like green, brown, or ... Called: weed, grass, pot, chronic, joint, blunt, herb, cannabis, hashish, Mary Jane How It's Used: Marijuana is ...

Fusarium diseases of maize associated with mycotoxin contamination of agricultural products intended to be used for food and feed.

PubMed

Oldenburg, Elisabeth; Höppner, Frank; Ellner, Frank; Weinert, Joachim

2017-08-01

Infections of maize with phytopathogenic and toxinogenic Fusarium spp. may occur throughout the cultivation period. This can cause different types of diseases in vegetative and generative organs of the plant. Along with these infections, mycotoxins are often produced and accumulated in affected tissues, which could pose a significant risk on human and animal health when entering the food and feed chain. Most important fungal species infecting European maize belong to the Fusarium sections Discolour and Liseola, the first being more prevalent in cooler and humid climate regions than the second predominating in warmer and dryer areas. Coexistence of several Fusarium spp. pathogens in growing maize under field conditions is the usual case and may lead to multi-contamination with mycotoxins like trichothecenes, zearalenone and fumonisins. The pathways how the fungi gain access to the target organs of the plant are extensively described in relation to specific symptoms of typical rot diseases regarding ears, kernels, rudimentary ears, roots, stem, leaves, seed and seedlings. Both Gibberella and Fusarium ear rots are of major importance in affecting the toxinogenic quality of grain or ear-based products as well as forage maize used for human or animal nutrition. Although rudimentary ears may contain high amounts of Fusarium toxins, the contribution to the contamination of forage maize is minor due to their small proportion on the whole plant dry matter yield. The impact of foliar diseases on forage maize contamination is regarded to be low, as Fusarium infections are restricted to some parts on the leaf sheaths and husks. Mycotoxins produced in rotted basal part of the stem may contribute to forage maize contamination, but usually remain in the stubbles after harvest. As the probability of a more severe disease progression is increasing with a prolonged cultivation period, maize should be harvested at the appropriate maturity stage to keep Fusarium toxin contamination as low as possible. Ongoing surveillance and research is needed to recognise changes in the spectrum of dominating Fusarium pathogens involved in mycotoxin contamination of maize to ensure safety in the food and feed chain.

Interruptin B induces brown adipocyte differentiation and glucose consumption in adipose-derived stem cells

PubMed Central

KAEWSUWAN, SIREEWAN; PLUBRUKARN, ANUCHIT; UTSINTONG, MALEERUK; KIM, SEOK-HO; JEONG, JIN-HYUN; CHO, JIN GU; PARK, SANG GYU; SUNG, JONG-HYUK

2016-01-01

Interruptin B has been isolated from Cyclosorus terminans, however, its pharamcological effect has not been fully identified. In the present study, the effects of interruptin B, from C. terminans, on brown adipocyte differentiation and glucose uptake in adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) were investigated. The results revealed that interruptin B dose-dependently enhanced the adipogenic differentiation of ASCs, with an induction in the mRNA expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α and PPAR-γ. In addition, interruptin B efficiently increased the number and the membrane potential of mitochondria and upregulated the mRNA expression levels of uncoupling protein (UCP)-1 and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, which are all predominantly expressed in brown adipocytes. Interruptin B increased glucose consumption in differentiated ASCs, accompanied by the upregulation in the mRNA expression levels of glucose transporter (GLUT)-1 and GLUT-4. The computational analysis of molecular docking, a luciferase reporter assay and surface plasmon resonance confirmed the marked binding affinity of interruptin B to PPAR-α and PPAR-γ (KD values of 5.32 and 0.10 µM, respectively). To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first report to show the stimulatory effects of interruptin B on brown adipocyte differentiation and glucose uptake in ASCs, through its role as a dual PPAR-α and PPAR-γ ligand. Therefore, interruptin B could be further developed as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetes. PMID:26781331

Prostaglandin E2 signals white-to-brown adipogenic differentiation

PubMed Central

García-Alonso, Verónica; Clària, Joan

2014-01-01

The formation of new adipocytes from precursor cells is a crucial aspect of normal adipose tissue function. During the adipogenic process, adipocytes differentiated from mesenchymal stem cells give rise to two main types of fat: white adipose tissue (WAT) characterized by the presence of adipocytes containing large unilocular lipid droplets, and brown adipose tissue (BAT) composed by multilocular brown adipocytes packed with mitochondria. WAT is not only important for energy storage but also as an endocrine organ regulating whole body homeostasis by secreting adipokines and other mediators, which directly impact metabolic functions in obesity. By contrast, BAT is specialized in dissipating energy in form of heat and has salutary effects in combating obesity and associated disorders. Unfortunately, WAT is the predominant fat type, whereas BAT is scarce and located in discrete pockets in adult humans. Luckily, another type of brown adipocytes, called beige or brite (brown-in-white) adipocytes, with similar functions to those of “classical” brown adipocytes has recently been identified in WAT. In this review, a close look is given into the role of bioactive lipid mediators in the regulation of adipogenesis, with a special emphasis on the role of the microsomal prostaglandin E (PGE) synthase-1, a terminal enzyme in PGE2 biosynthesis, as a key regulator of white-to-brown adipogenesis in WAT. PMID:26317053

Safranine fluorescent staining of wood cell walls.

PubMed

Bond, J; Donaldson, L; Hill, S; Hitchcock, K

2008-06-01

Safranine is an azo dye commonly used for plant microscopy, especially as a stain for lignified tissues such as xylem. Safranine fluorescently labels the wood cell wall, producing green/yellow fluorescence in the secondary cell wall and red/orange fluorescence in the middle lamella (ML) region. We examined the fluorescence behavior of safranine under blue light excitation using a variety of wood- and fiber-based samples of known composition to interpret the observed color differentiation of different cell wall types. We also examined the basis for the differences in fluorescence emission using spectral confocal microscopy to examine lignin-rich and cellulose-rich cell walls including reaction wood and decayed wood compared to normal wood. Our results indicate that lignin-rich cell walls, such as the ML of tracheids, the secondary wall of compression wood tracheids, and wood decayed by brown rot, tend to fluoresce red or orange, while cellulose-rich cell walls such as resin canals, wood decayed by white rot, cotton fibers and the G-layer of tension wood fibers, tend to fluoresce green/yellow. This variation in fluorescence emission seems to be due to factors including an emission shift toward red wavelengths combined with dye quenching at shorter wavelengths in regions with high lignin content. Safranine fluorescence provides a useful way to differentiate lignin-rich and cellulose-rich cell walls without counterstaining as required for bright field microscopy.

Visualization of the structural changes in plywood and gypsum board during the growth of Chaetomium globosum and Stachybotrys chartarum.

PubMed

Lewinska, Anna M; Hoof, Jakob B; Peuhkuri, Ruut H; Rode, Carsten; Lilje, Osu; Foley, Matthew; Trimby, Patrick; Andersen, Birgitte

2016-10-01

Fungal growth in indoor environments is associated with many negative health effects. Many studies focus on brown- and white-rot fungi and their effect on wood, but there is none that reveals the influence of soft-rot fungi, such as Stachybotrys spp. and Chaetomium spp., on the structure of building materials such as plywood and gypsum wallboard. This study focuses on using micro-computed tomography (microCT) to investigate changes of the structure of plywood and gypsum wallboard during fungal degradation by S. chartarum and C. globosum. Changes in the materials as a result of dampness and fungal growth were determined by measuring porosity and pore shape via microCT. The results show that the composition of the building material influenced the level of penetration by fungi as shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Plywood appeared to be the most affected, with the penetration of moisture and fungi throughout the whole thickness of the sample. Conversely, fungi grew only on the top cardboard in the gypsum wallboard and they did not have significant influence on the gypsum wallboard structure. The majority of the observed changes in gypsum wallboard occurred due to moisture. This paper suggests that the mycelium distribution within building materials and the structural changes, caused by dampness and fungal growth, depend on the type of the material. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fusarium agapanthi sp. nov., a novel bikaverin and fusarubin-producing leaf and stem spot pathogen of Agapanthus praecox (African lily) from Australia and Italy.

PubMed

Edwards, Jacqueline; Auer, Desmond; de Alwis, Sri-Kanthi; Summerell, Brett; Aoki, Takayuki; Proctor, Robert H; Busman, Mark; O'Donnell, Kerry

2016-09-01

This study was conducted to characterize a novel Fusarium species that caused leaf and stem spot on Agapanthus praecox (Agapanthus, African lily) in northern Italy and leaf rot and spot on the same host in Melbourne, Australia. Formally described as Fusarium agapanthi, this pathogen was analyzed using phenotypic, phytopathogenic, secondary metabolite, molecular phylogenetic and genomic data. Five strains were characterized, including one isolated in 1999 from symptomatic A. praecox in Saluzzo, Italy, and four in 2010 from diseased leaf tissue from the same host exhibiting leaf rot and spot symptoms in the Melbourne Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Australia. Maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood molecular phylogenetic analyses of portions of six individual genes and the combined dataset all strongly supported F. agapanthi either as the earliest diverging genealogically exclusive lineage in the American Clade of the F. fujikuroi species complex, or alternatively a novel monotypic lineage sister to the American Clade. Koch's postulates were completed on dwarf blue- and large white-flowering varieties of A. praecox, where two isolates of F. agapanthi produced slowly spreading necrotic lesions when inoculated onto leaves and flower stems. Fusarium agapanthi is distinguished from other fusaria by the production of densely branched aerial conidiophores with polyphialides throughout the aerial mycelium on synthetic nutrient-poor agar. BLASTn searches of the F. agapanthi NRRL 31653 and NRRL 54464 (= VPRI 41787) genome sequences were conducted to predict sexual reproductive mode and mycotoxin potential. Results indicated that they possessed MAT1-2 and MAT1-1 idiomorphs, respectively, indicating that this species might be heterothallic. Furthermore, based on the presence of homologs of the bikaverin and fusarubin biosynthetic gene clusters in the F. agapanthi genomes, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was conducted and confirmed production of these secondary metabolites in rice and corn kernel cultures of the fungus. © 2016 by The Mycological Society of America.

Identification of QTLs for resistance to sclerotinia stem rot and BnaC.IGMT5.a as a candidate gene of the major resistant QTL SRC6 in Brassica napus.

PubMed

Wu, Jian; Cai, Guangqin; Tu, Jiangying; Li, Lixia; Liu, Sheng; Luo, Xinping; Zhou, Lipeng; Fan, Chuchuan; Zhou, Yongming

2013-01-01

Stem rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in many important dicotyledonous crops, including oilseed rape (Brassica napus), is one of the most devastating fungal diseases and imposes huge yield loss each year worldwide. Currently, breeding for Sclerotinia resistance in B. napus, as in other crops, can only rely on germplasms with quantitative resistance genes. Thus, the identification of quantitative trait locus (QTL) for S. sclerotiorum resistance/tolerance in this crop holds immediate promise for the genetic improvement of the disease resistance. In this study, ten QTLs for stem resistance (SR) at the mature plant stage and three QTLs for leaf resistance (LR) at the seedling stage in multiple environments were mapped on nine linkage groups (LGs) of a whole genome map for B. napus constructed with SSR markers. Two major QTLs, LRA9 on LG A9 and SRC6 on LG C6, were repeatedly detected across all environments and explained 8.54-15.86% and 29.01%-32.61% of the phenotypic variations, respectively. Genotypes containing resistant SRC6 or LRA9 allele showed a significant reduction in disease lesion after pathogen infection. Comparative mapping with Arabidopsis and data mining from previous gene profiling experiments identified that the Arabidopsis homologous gene of IGMT5 (At1g76790) was related to the SRC6 locus. Four copies of the IGMT5 gene in B. napus were isolated through homologous cloning, among which, only BnaC.IGMT5.a showed a polymorphism between parental lines and can be associated with the SRC6. Furthermore, two parental lines exhibited a differential expression pattern of the BnaC.IGMT5.a gene in responding to pathogen inoculation. Thus, our data suggested that BnaC.IGMT5.a was very likely a candidate gene of this major resistance QTL.

Dynamic control of the asymmetric Fano resonance in side-coupled Fabry–Pérot and photonic crystal nanobeam cavities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Tong; Chau, Fook Siong; Zhou, Guangya, E-mail: mpezgy@nus.edu.sg

2015-11-30

Fano resonance is a prevailing interference phenomenon that stems from the intersection between discrete and continuum states in many fields. We theoretically and experimentally characterize the asymmetric Fano lineshape in side-coupled waveguide Fabry–Pérot and photonic crystal nanobeam cavities. The measured quality-factor of the Fano resonance before tuning is 28 100. A nanoelectromechanical systems bidirectional actuator is integrated seamlessly to control the shape of the Fano resonance through in-plane translations in two directions without sacrificing the quality-factor. The peak intensity level of the Fano resonance can be increased by 8.5 dB from 60 nW to 409 nW while the corresponding dip intensity ismore » increased by 12.8 dB from 1 nW to 18 nW. The maximum recorded quality-factor throughout the tuning procedure is up to 32 500. Potential applications of the proposed structure include enhancing the sensitivity of sensing, reconfigurable nanophotonics devices, and on-chip intensity modulator.« less

Cell proliferation and anti-apoptosis: Essential processes for recruitment of the full thermogenic capacity of brown adipose tissue.

PubMed

Nedergaard, Jan; Wang, Yanling; Cannon, Barbara

2018-06-13

In mice living under normal animal house conditions, the brown adipocytes in classical brown adipose tissue depots are already essentially fully differentiated: UCP1 mRNA and UCP1 protein levels are practically saturated. This means that any further recruitment - in response to cold exposure or any other browning agent - does not result in significant augmentation of these parameters. This may easily be construed to indicate that classical brown adipose tissue cannot be further recruited. However, this is far from the case: the capacity for further recruitment instead lies in the ability of the tissue to increase the number of brown-fat cells, a remarkable and highly controlled physiological recruitment process. We have compiled here the available data concerning the unique ability of norepinephrine to increase cell proliferation and inhibit apoptosis in brown adipocytes. Adrenergically stimulated cell proliferation is fully mediated via β 1 -adrenoceptors and occurs through activation of stem cells in the tissue; intracellular mediation of the signal involves cAMP and protein kinase A activation, but activation of Erk1/2 is not part of the pathway. Apoptosis inhibition in brown adipocytes is induced by both β- and α 1 -adrenergic receptors and here the intracellular pathway includes Erk1/2 activation. This ability of norepinephrine to increase cell number in a dormant tissue provides possibilities to augment the metabolic capacity of brown adipose tissue, also for therapeutic purposes. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Reply to L.M. Brown et al. "Brief history of the Cambridge STEM aberration correction project and its progeny" in Ultramicroscopy 157, 88 (2015).

PubMed

Urban, K W; Rose, H

2016-02-01

We comment on a Short Communication recently published in Ultramicroscopy in which Brown et al. criticize our description of the time sequence of events in the development of aberration correction systems in electron optics during the 1990s put forward in the introduction to the Ultramicroscopy April 2015 Special Issue. We present an analysis of the published literature furnishing evidence that our description is correct. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term dynamics of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and its biocontrol agent, flea beetles in the genus Aphthona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larson, Diane L.; Grace, James B.; Larson, Jennifer L.

2008-01-01

Three flea beetle species (Aphthona spp.), first introduced into North America in 1988, have come to be regarded as effective biological control organisms for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). The black flea beetles (Aphthona lacertosa and A. czwalinae) in particular have been shown to cause reductions in leafy spurge stem counts in the northern Great Plains, while the brown flea beetle (A. nigriscutis) has persisted and spread, but has not been found to be as effective at controlling leafy spurge. The ability of black flea beetles to control leafy spurge in any given year, however, has been found to vary. To better understand the long-term effects of flea beetle herbivory on leafy spurge, we monitored stem counts of leafy spurge and numbers of black and brown flea beetles at three sites on two National Wildlife Refuges in east-central North Dakota, USA, from 1998 to 2006. Brown flea beetle numbers were observed to be negligible on these sites. Over the 9 years of the study, black flea beetles were seen to spread over the three study sites and leafy spurge stem counts declined substantially on two of the three sites. Even at low densities of spurge, black flea beetle populations persisted, a necessary prerequisite for long-term control. We used structural equation models (SEM) to assess the yearly effects of black flea beetles, soil texture, and refuge site on leafy spurge stem counts over this time period. We then used equations developed from the SEM analysis to explore flea beetle–leafy spurge dynamics over time, after controlling for soil texture and refuge. Yearly effect strength of black flea beetles on leafy spurge was found to be modest, largely owing to substantial spatial variability in control. However, simulation results based on prediction coefficients revealed leafy spurge to be highly responsive to increases in flea beetle populations on average.

Long-term dynamics of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and its biocontrol agent, flea beetles in the genus Aphthona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larson, D.L.; Grace, J.B.; Larson, J.L.

2008-01-01

Three flea beetle species (Aphthona spp.), first introduced into North America in 1988, have come to be regarded as effective biological control organisms for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). The black flea beetles (Aphthona lacertosa and A. czwalinae) in particular have been shown to cause reductions in leafy spurge stem counts in the northern Great Plains, while the brown flea beetle (A. nigriscutis) has persisted and spread, but has not been found to be as effective at controlling leafy spurge. The ability of black flea beetles to control leafy spurge in any given year, however, has been found to vary. To better understand the long-term effects of flea beetle herbivory on leafy spurge, we monitored stem counts of leafy spurge and numbers of black and brown flea beetles at three sites on two National Wildlife Refuges in east-central North Dakota, USA, from 1998 to 2006. Brown flea beetle numbers were observed to be negligible on these sites. Over the 9 years of the study, black flea beetles were seen to spread over the three study sites and leafy spurge stem counts declined substantially on two of the three sites. Even at low densities of spurge, black flea beetle populations persisted, a necessary prerequisite for long-term control. We used structural equation models (SEM) to assess the yearly effects of black flea beetles, soil texture, and refuge site on leafy spurge stem counts over this time period. We then used equations developed from the SEM analysis to explore flea beetle-leafy spurge dynamics over time, after controlling for soil texture and refuge. Yearly effect strength of black flea beetles on leafy spurge was found to be modest, largely owing to substantial spatial variability in control. However, simulation results based on prediction coefficients revealed leafy spurge to be highly responsive to increases in flea beetle populations on average.

BridgeUP: STEM. Creating Opportunities for Women through Tiered Mentorship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Secunda, Amy; Cornelis, Juliette; Ferreira, Denelis; Gomez, Anay; Khan, Ariba; Li, Anna; Soo, Audrey; Mac Low, Mordecai

2018-01-01

BridgeUP: STEM is an ambitious, and exciting initiative responding to the extensive gender and opportunity gaps that exist in the STEM pipeline for women, girls, and under-resourced youth. BridgeUP: STEM has developed a distinct identity in the landscape of computer science education by embedding programming in the context of scientific research. One of the ways in which this is accomplished is through a tiered mentorship program. Five Helen Fellows are chosen from a pool of female, postbaccalaureate applicants to be mentored by researchers at the American Museum of Natural History in a computational research project. The Helen Fellows then act as mentors to six high school women (Brown Scholars), guiding them through a computational project aligned with their own research. This year, three of the Helen Fellows, and by extension, eighteen Brown Scholars, are performing computational astrophysics research. This poster presents one example of a tiered mentorship working on modeling the migration of stellar mass black holes (BH) in active galactic nucleus (AGN) disks. Making an analogy from the well-studied migration and formation of planets in protoplanetary disks to the newer field of migration and formation of binary BH in AGN disks, the Helen Fellow is working with her mentors to make the necessary adaptations of an N-body code incorporating migration torques from the protoplanetary disk case to the AGN disk case to model how binary BH form. This is in order to better understand and make predictions for gravitational wave observations from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). The Brown Scholars then implement the Helen Fellow’s code for a variety of different distributions of initial stellar mass BH populations that they generate using python, and produce visualizations of the output to be used in a published paper. Over the course of the project, students will develop a basic understanding of the physics related to their project and develop their practical computational skills.

Over-expression of the Pseudomonas syringae harpin-encoding gene hrpZm confers enhanced tolerance to Phytophthora root and stem rot in transgenic soybean.

PubMed

Du, Qian; Yang, Xiangdong; Zhang, Jinhua; Zhong, Xiaofang; Kim, Kyung Seok; Yang, Jing; Xing, Guojie; Li, Xiaoyu; Jiang, Zhaoyuan; Li, Qiyun; Dong, Yingshan; Pan, Hongyu

2018-06-01

Phytophthora root and stem rot (PRR) caused by Phytophthora sojae is one of the most devastating diseases reducing soybean (Glycine max) production all over the world. Harpin proteins in many plant pathogenic bacteria were confirmed to enhance disease and insect resistance in crop plants. Here, a harpin protein-encoding gene hrpZpsta from the P. syringae pv. tabaci strain Psta218 was codon-optimized (renamed hrpZm) and introduced into soybean cultivars Williams 82 and Shennong 9 by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Three independent transgenic lines over-expressing hrpZm were obtained and exhibited stable and enhanced tolerance to P. sojae infection in T 2 -T 4 generations compared to the non-transformed (NT) and empty vector (EV)-transformed plants. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that the expression of salicylic acid-dependent genes PR1, PR12, and PAL, jasmonic acid-dependent gene PPO, and hypersensitive response (HR)-related genes GmNPR1 and RAR was significantly up-regulated after P. sojae inoculation. Moreover, the activities of defense-related enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), polyphenoloxidase (PPO), peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase also increased significantly in the transgenic lines compared to the NT and EV-transformed plants after inoculation. Our results suggest that over-expression of the hrpZm gene significantly enhances PRR tolerance in soybean by eliciting resistance responses mediated by multiple defense signaling pathways, thus providing an alternative approach for development of soybean varieties with improved tolerance against the soil-borne pathogen PRR.

Enhancing biological control of basal stem rot disease (Ganoderma boninense) in oil palm plantations.

PubMed

Susanto, A; Sudharto, P S; Purba, R Y

2005-01-01

Basal Stem Rot (BSR) disease caused by Ganoderma boninense is the most destructive disease in oil palm, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia. The available control measures for BSR disease such as cultural practices and mechanical and chemical treatment have not proved satisfactory due to the fact that Ganoderma has various resting stages such as melanised mycelium, basidiospores and pseudosclerotia. Alternative control measures to overcome the Ganoderma problem are focused on the use of biological control agents and planting resistant material. Present studies conducted at Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute (IOPRI) are focused on enhancing the use of biological control agents for Ganoderma. These activities include screening biological agents from the oil palm rhizosphere in order to evaluate their effectiveness as biological agents in glasshouse and field trials, testing their antagonistic activities in large scale experiments and eradicating potential disease inoculum with biological agents. Several promising biological agents have been isolated, mainly Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride, Gliocladium viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillus sp. A glasshouse and field trial for Ganoderma control indicated that treatment with T. harzianum and G. viride was superior to Bacillus sp. A large scale trial showed that the disease incidence was lower in a field treated with biological agents than in untreated fields. In a short term programme, research activities at IOPRI are currently focusing on selecting fungi that can completely degrade plant material in order to eradicate inoculum. Digging holes around the palm bole and adding empty fruit bunches have been investigated as ways to stimulate biological agents.

Organization and evolution of mating-type genes in three Stagonosporopsis species causing gummy stem blight of cucurbits and leaf spot and dry rot of papaya.

PubMed

Li, Hao-Xi; Gottilla, Thomas M; Brewer, Marin Talbot

2017-10-01

Population divergence and speciation of closely related lineages can result from reproductive differences leading to genetic isolation. An increasing number of fungal diseases of plants and animals have been determined to be caused by morphologically indistinguishable species that are genetically distinct, thereby representing cryptic species. We were interested in identifying if mating systems among three Stagonosporopsis species (S. citrulli, S. cucurbitacearum, and S. caricae) causing gummy stem blight (GSB) of cucurbits or leaf spot and dry rot of papaya differed, possibly underlying species divergence. Additionally, we were interested in identifying evolutionary pressures acting on the genes controlling mating in these fungi. The mating-type loci (MAT1) of three isolates from each of the three species were identified in draft genome sequences. For the three species, MAT1 was structurally identical and contained both mating-type genes necessary for sexual reproduction, which suggests that all three species are homothallic. However, both MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 were divergent among species showing rapid evolution with a much greater number of amino acid-changing substitutions detected for the reproductive genes compared with genes flanking MAT1. Positive selection was detected in MAT1-2-1, especially in the highly conserved high mobility group (MATA_HMG-box) domain. Thus, the mating-type genes are rapidly evolving in GSB fungi, but a difference in mating systems among the three species does not underlie their divergence. Copyright © 2017 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Distribution of human enterovirus 71 in brainstem of infants with brain stem encephalitis and infection mechanism].

PubMed

Hao, Bo; Gao, Di; Tang, Da-Wei; Wang, Xiao-Guang; Liu, Shui-Ping; Kong, Xiao-Ping; Liu, Chao; Huang, Jing-Lu; Bi, Qi-Ming; Quan, Li; Luo, Bin

2012-04-01

To explore the mechanism that how human enterovirus 71 (EV71) invades the brainstem and how intercellular adhesion molecules-1 (ICAM-1) participates by analyzing the expression and distribution of human EV71, and ICAM-1 in brainstem of infants with brain stem encephalitis. Twenty-two brainstem of infants with brain stem encephalitis were collected as the experimental group and 10 brainstems of fatal congenital heart disease were selected as the control group. The sections with perivascular cuffings were selected to observe EV71-VP1 expression by immunohistochemistry method and ICAM-1 expression was detected for the sections with EV71-VP1 positive expression. The staining image analysis and statistics analysis were performed. The experiment and control groups were compared. (1) EV71-VP1 positive cells in the experimental group were mainly astrocytes in brainstem with nigger-brown particles, and the control group was negative. (2) ICAM-1 positive cells showed nigger-brown. The expression in inflammatory cells (around blood vessels of brain stem and in glial nodules) and gliocytes increased. The results showed statistical difference comparing with control group (P < 0.05). The brainstem encephalitis can be used to diagnose fatal EV71 infection in infants. EV71 can invade the brainstem via hematogenous route. ICAM-1 may play an important role in the pathogenic process.

Candida sake CPA-1 and other biologically based products as potential control strategies to reduce sour rot of grapes.

PubMed

Calvo-Garrido, C; Viñas, I; Elmer, P; Usall, J; Teixidó, N

2013-10-01

Sour rot of grapes is becoming increasingly important disease in many wine-growing regions, while consistent chemical or biological control has not been reported. Authors evaluated relative incidence and severity of sour rot in untreated grapevines and the effect of different biologically based treatments on sour rot at harvest. Applications of Candida sake CPA-1 plus Fungicover® , Ulocladium oudemansii and chitosan were carried out in an organic vineyard in Lleida area, Spain, during the 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. At harvest, incidence and severity of sour rot were assessed. Significantly higher incidence and severity of sour rot were observed in untreated plots in 2009, when meteorological conditions after veraison were warmer. All treatments including C. sake CPA-1 significantly reduced (P < 0·05) severity of sour rot in both seasons, ranging from 40 to 67% compared with the untreated control. Incidence of sour rot was not significantly reduced by any treatment. This study helps to characterize development of sour rot in the dry Mediterranean climate conditions of the experiment, whereas also represents the first report of biological control of sour rot. Treatments with the tested biologically based products are a promising strategy to control sour rot. Studies on sour rot of grapes are scarce in literature, and this is the first work specifically evaluating sour rot in Spanish vineyards. Sour rot control in field conditions through applications of antagonistic micro-organisms is reported for first time in this study, showing elevated severity reductions (40-67% compared with control). As there are no options available for sour rot control in vineyards, results point Candida sake CPA-1 as an interesting control strategy against grape bunch rots. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Mineralogical study of brown olivine in Northwest Africa 1950 shergottite and implications for the formation mechanism of iron nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takenouchi, Atsushi; Mikouchi, Takashi; Kogure, Toshihiro

2017-12-01

Martian meteorites, in particular shergottites, contain darkened olivine (so-called "brown olivine") whose color is induced by iron nanoparticles formed in olivine during a shock event. The formation process and conditions of brown olivine have been discussed in the Northwest Africa 2737 (NWA 2737) chassignite. However, formation conditions of brown olivine in NWA 2737 cannot be applied to shergottites because NWA 2737 has a different shock history from that of shergottites. Therefore, this study observed brown olivine in the NWA 1950 shergottite and discusses the general formation process and conditions of brown olivine in shergottites. Our observation of NWA 1950 revealed that olivine is heterogeneously darkened between and within grains different from brown olivine in NWA 2737. XANES analysis showed that brown olivine contains small amounts of Fe3+ and TEM/STEM observation revealed that there is no SiO-rich phase around iron metal nanoparticles. These observations indicate that iron nanoparticles were formed by a disproportionation reaction of olivine (3Fe2+olivine → Fe0metal + 2Fe3+olivine + Volivine, where Volivine means a vacancy in olivine). Some parts of brown olivine show lamellar textures in SEM observation and Raman peaks in addition to those expected for olivine, implying that brown olivine experienced a phase transition (to e.g., ringwoodite). In order to induce heterogeneous darkening, heterogeneous high temperature of about 1500-1700 K and shock duration of at least 90 ms are required. This heterogeneous high temperature resulted in high postshock temperature (>900 K) inducing back-transformation of most high-pressure phases. Therefore, in spite of lack of high-pressure phases, NWA 1950 (= Martian meteorites with brown olivine) experienced higher pressure and temperature compared to other highly shocked meteorite groups.

Invited review: Pre- and postnatal adipose tissue development in farm animals: from stem cells to adipocyte physiology.

PubMed

Louveau, I; Perruchot, M-H; Bonnet, M; Gondret, F

2016-11-01

Both white and brown adipose tissues are recognized to be differently involved in energy metabolism and are also able to secrete a variety of factors called adipokines that are involved in a wide range of physiological and metabolic functions. Brown adipose tissue is predominant around birth, except in pigs. Irrespective of species, white adipose tissue has a large capacity to expand postnatally and is able to adapt to a variety of factors. The aim of this review is to update the cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with pre- and postnatal adipose tissue development with a special focus on pigs and ruminants. In contrast to other tissues, the embryonic origin of adipose cells remains the subject of debate. Adipose cells arise from the recruitment of specific multipotent stem cells/progenitors named adipose tissue-derived stromal cells. Recent studies have highlighted the existence of a variety of those cells being able to differentiate into white, brown or brown-like/beige adipocytes. After commitment to the adipocyte lineage, progenitors undergo large changes in the expression of many genes involved in cell cycle arrest, lipid accumulation and secretory functions. Early nutrition can affect these processes during fetal and perinatal periods and can also influence or pre-determinate later growth of adipose tissue. How these changes may be related to adipose tissue functional maturity around birth and can influence newborn survival is discussed. Altogether, a better knowledge of fetal and postnatal adipose tissue development is important for various aspects of animal production, including neonatal survival, postnatal growth efficiency and health.

Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into highly functional classical brown adipocytes.

PubMed

Nishio, Miwako; Saeki, Kumiko

2014-01-01

We describe a detailed method for directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells, including human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), into functional classical brown adipocytes (BAs) under serum-free and feeder-free conditions. It is a two-tiered culture system, based on very simple techniques, a floating culture and a subsequent adherent culture. It does not require gene transfer. The entire process can be carried out in about 10 days. The key point is the usage of our special hematopoietic cytokine cocktail. Almost all the differentiated cells express uncoupling protein 1, a BA-selective marker, as determined by immunostaining. The differentiated cells show characteristics of classical BA as assessed by morphology and gene/protein expression. Moreover, the expression of myoblast marker genes is transiently induced during the floating culture step. hESC/hiPSC-derived BAs show significantly higher oxygen consumption rates (OCRs) than white adipocytes generated from human mesenchymal stem cell. They also show responsiveness to adrenergic stimuli, with about twofold upregulation in OCR by β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) agonist treatments. hESC/hiPSC-derived BAs exert in vivo calorigenic activities in response to β-AR agonist treatments as assessed by thermography. Finally, lipid and glucose metabolisms are significantly improved in hESC/hiPSC-derived BA-transplanted mice. Our system provides a highly feasible way to produce functional classical BA bearing metabolism-improving capacities from hESC/hiPSC under a feeder-free and serum-free condition without gene transfer. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scytalidium parasiticum sp. nov., a New Species Parasitizing on Ganoderma boninense Isolated from Oil Palm in Peninsular Malaysia.

PubMed

Goh, Yit Kheng; Goh, Teik Khiang; Marzuki, Nurul Fadhilah; Tung, Hun Jiat; Goh, You Keng; Goh, Kah Joo

2015-06-01

A mycoparasite, Scytalidium parasiticum sp. nov., isolated from the basidiomata of Ganoderma boninense causing basal stem rot of oil palm in Johor, Malaysia, is described and illustrated. It is distinct from other Scytalidium species in having smaller asci and ascospores (teleomorphic stage), longer arthroconidia (anamorphic stage), hyaline to yellowish chlamydospores, and producing a fluorescent pigment. The phylogenetic position of S. parasiticum was determined by sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacers and the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene regions. A key to identify Scytalidium species with teleomorphic stage is provided.

Viridenepoxydiol, a new pentasubstituted oxiranyldecene produced by Trichoderma viride.

PubMed

Evidente, Antonio; Cabras, Annalisa; Maddau, Lucia; Marras, Francesco; Andolfi, Anna; Melck, Dominique; Motta, Andrea

2006-09-06

A new pentasubstituted oxiranyldecene, named viridenepoxydiol, has been isolated (0.9 mg/L) from the culture filtrate of a strain of Trichoderma viride showing in vitro and in vivo antagonistic activity against Sclerotium rolfsii, which is the causal agent of crown and stem rot of artichoke. Viridenepoxydiol was characterized as 3,5,9-trimethyl-2-oxiranyl-dec-8-ene-2,5-diol (3) using spectroscopic methods. It showed inhibitor effect on mycelial growth of S. rolfsii and its minimum inhibitory concentration (over 90% inhibition) was found to be 396 mug/mL. This is the first time that viridenepoxydiol was reported.

Scytalidium parasiticum sp. nov., a New Species Parasitizing on Ganoderma boninense Isolated from Oil Palm in Peninsular Malaysia

PubMed Central

Goh, Teik Khiang; Marzuki, Nurul Fadhilah; Tung, Hun Jiat; Goh, You Keng; Goh, Kah Joo

2015-01-01

A mycoparasite, Scytalidium parasiticum sp. nov., isolated from the basidiomata of Ganoderma boninense causing basal stem rot of oil palm in Johor, Malaysia, is described and illustrated. It is distinct from other Scytalidium species in having smaller asci and ascospores (teleomorphic stage), longer arthroconidia (anamorphic stage), hyaline to yellowish chlamydospores, and producing a fluorescent pigment. The phylogenetic position of S. parasiticum was determined by sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacers and the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene regions. A key to identify Scytalidium species with teleomorphic stage is provided. PMID:26190917

Root rot in sugar beet piles at harvest

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sugar beet root rots are not only a concern because of reduced yields, but can also be associated with losses in storage. Our primary sugar beet root rot disease problem in the Amalgamated production area is Rhizoctonia root rot. However, this rot frequently only penetrates a short distance past t...

Isolation of phenolic compounds from iceberg lettuce and impact on enzymatic browning.

PubMed

Mai, Franziska; Glomb, Marcus A

2013-03-20

Enzymatic browning is generally reported as the reaction between phenolic substances and enzymes. The quality of iceberg lettuce is directly linked to this discoloration. In particular, the color change of lettuce stems considerably reduces consumer acceptance and thus decreases sales revenue of iceberg lettuce. Ten phenolic compounds (caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, phaseolic acid, chicoric acid, isochlorogenic acid, luteolin-7-O-glucuronide, quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, quercetin-3-O-galactoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, and quercetin-3-O-(6″-malonyl)-glucoside) were isolated from Lactuca sativa var. capitata by multilayer countercurrent chromatography (MLCCC) and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In addition, syringin was identified for the first time in iceberg lettuce. This polyphenolic ingredient was previously not mentioned for the family of Cichorieae in general. The purity and identity of isolated compounds were confirmed by different NMR experiments, HPLC-DAD-MS, and HR-MS techniques. Furthermore, the relationship between discoloration of iceberg lettuce and enzymatic browning was thoroughly investigated. Unexpectedly, the total concentration of phenolic compounds and the activity of polyphenol oxidase were not directly related to the browning processes. Results of model incubation experiments of plant extract solutions led to the conclusion that in addition to the typical enzymatic browning induced by polyphenol oxidases, further mechanisms must be involved to explain total browning of lettuce.

PAMPs, PRRs, effectors and R-genes associated with citrus-pathogen interactions.

PubMed

Dalio, Ronaldo J D; Magalhães, Diogo M; Rodrigues, Carolina M; Arena, Gabriella D; Oliveira, Tiago S; Souza-Neto, Reinaldo R; Picchi, Simone C; Martins, Paula M M; Santos, Paulo J C; Maximo, Heros J; Pacheco, Inaiara S; De Souza, Alessandra A; Machado, Marcos A

2017-03-01

Recent application of molecular-based technologies has considerably advanced our understanding of complex processes in plant-pathogen interactions and their key components such as PAMPs, PRRs, effectors and R-genes. To develop novel control strategies for disease prevention in citrus, it is essential to expand and consolidate our knowledge of the molecular interaction of citrus plants with their pathogens. This review provides an overview of our understanding of citrus plant immunity, focusing on the molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions with viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and vectors related to the following diseases: tristeza, psorosis, citrus variegated chlorosis, citrus canker, huanglongbing, brown spot, post-bloom, anthracnose, gummosis and citrus root rot. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Root rots

Treesearch

Kathryn Robbins; Philip M. Wargo

1989-01-01

Root rots of central hardwoods are diseases caused by fungi that infect and decay woody roots and sometimes also invade the butt portion of the tree. By killing and decaying roots, root rotting fungi reduce growth, decrease tree vigor, and cause windthrow and death. The most common root diseases of central hardwoods are Armillaria root rot, lnonotus root rot, and...

Multiplication free neural network for cancer stem cell detection in H-and-E stained liver images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badawi, Diaa; Akhan, Ece; Mallah, Ma'en; Üner, Ayşegül; ćetin-Atalay, Rengül; ćetin, A. Enis

2017-05-01

Markers such as CD13 and CD133 have been used to identify Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) in various tissue images. It is highly likely that CSC nuclei appear as brown in CD13 stained liver tissue images. We observe that there is a high correlation between the ratio of brown to blue colored nuclei in CD13 images and the ratio between the dark blue to blue colored nuclei in H&E stained liver images. Therefore, we recommend that a pathologist observing many dark blue nuclei in an H&E stained tissue image may also order CD13 staining to estimate the CSC ratio. In this paper, we describe a computer vision method based on a neural network estimating the ratio of dark blue to blue colored nuclei in an H&E stained liver tissue image. The neural network structure is based on a multiplication free operator using only additions and sign operations. Experimental results are presented.

Carbon nanotube-based substrates promote cardiogenesis in brown adipose-derived stem cells via β1-integrin-dependent TGF-β1 signaling pathway

PubMed Central

Sun, Hongyu; Mou, Yongchao; Li, Yi; Li, Xia; Chen, Zi; Duval, Kayla; Huang, Zhu; Dai, Ruiwu; Tang, Lijun; Tian, Fuzhou

2016-01-01

Stem cell-based therapy remains one of the promising approaches for cardiac repair and regeneration. However, its applications are restricted by the limited efficacy of cardiac differentiation. To address this issue, we examined whether carbon nanotubes (CNTs) would provide an instructive extracellular microenvironment to facilitate cardiogenesis in brown adipose-derived stem cells (BASCs) and to elucidate the underlying signaling pathways. In this study, we systematically investigated a series of cellular responses of BASCs due to the incorporation of CNTs into collagen (CNT-Col) substrates that promoted cell adhesion, spreading, and growth. Moreover, we found that CNT-Col substrates remarkably improved the efficiency of BASCs cardiogenesis by using fluorescence staining and quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Critically, CNTs in the substrates accelerated the maturation of BASCs-derived cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism for promotion of BASCs cardiac differentiation by CNTs was determined by immunostaining, quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting assay. It is notable that β1-integrin-dependent TGF-β1 signaling pathway modulates the facilitative effect of CNTs in cardiac differentiation of BASCs. Therefore, it is an efficient approach to regulate cardiac differentiation of BASCs by the incorporation of CNTs into the native matrix. Importantly, our findings can not only facilitate the mechanistic understanding of molecular events initiating cardiac differentiation in stem cells, but also offer a potentially safer source for cardiac regenerative medicine. PMID:27660434

STEM Mentor Breakfast at Debus Center

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-05-25

Barbara Brown, center at the table, strategic implementation manager with the Exploration Research and Technology Programs at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, talks to students during a Women in STEM breakfast inside the Debus Conference Center at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. STEM is science, technology, engineering and math. The special event gave students competing in NASA's 8th Annual Robotic Mining Competition the chance to learn from female NASA scientists, engineers and professionals about their careers and the paths they took to working at Kennedy. The Robotic Mining Competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to encourage students in STEM fields. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could be used on NASA's Journey to Mars.

Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Oil Palm Seedlings Treated with Combination of NPK Fertilizers Infected with Ganoderma boninense.

PubMed

Sahebi, Mahbod; Hanafi, Mohamed M; Mohidin, Hasmah; Rafii, M Y; Azizi, Parisa; Idris, Abu Seman; Fariz, A; Abiri, Rambod; Taheri, Sima; Moradpoor, Mehdi

2018-01-01

Oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis Jacq) is one of the major sources of edible oil. Reducing the effect of Ganoderma, main cause of basal stem rot (BSR) on oil palm, is the main propose of this study. Understanding the oil palm defense mechanism against Ganoderma infection through monitoring changes in the secondary metabolite compounds levels before/after infection by Ganoderma under different fertilizing treatment is required. Oil palm requires macro- and microelements for growth and yield. Manipulating the nutrient for oil palm is a method to control the disease. The 3-4-month-old oil palm seedlings were given different macronutrient treatments to evaluate induction of defense related enzymes and production of secondary metabolite compounds in response to G. boninense inoculation. The observed trend of changes in the infected and uninfected seedlings was a slightly higher activity for β -1,3-glucanases, chitinase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase during the process of pathogenesis. It was found that PR proteins gave positive response to the interaction between oil palm seedlings and Ganoderma infection. Although the responses were activated systematically, they were short-lasting as the changes in enzymes activities appeared before the occurrence of visible symptoms. Effect of different nutrients doses was obviously observed among the results of the secondary metabolite compounds. Many identified/unidentified metabolite compounds were presented, of which some were involved in plant cell defense mechanism against pathogens, mostly belonging to alkaloids with bitter-tasting nitrogenous-compounds, and some had the potential to be used as new markers to detect basal stem rot at the initial step of disease.

Characterization of Streptomyces spp. isolated from the rhizosphere of oil palm and evaluation of their ability to suppress basal stem rot disease in oil palm seedlings when applied as powder formulations in a glasshouse trial.

PubMed

Shariffah-Muzaimah, S A; Idris, A S; Madihah, A Z; Dzolkhifli, O; Kamaruzzaman, S; Maizatul-Suriza, M

2017-12-18

Ganoderma boninense, the main causal agent of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) basal stem rot (BSR), severely reduces oil palm yields around the world. To reduce reliance on fungicide applications to control BSR, we are investigating the efficacy of alternative control methods, such as the application of biological control agents. In this study, we used four Streptomyces-like actinomycetes (isolates AGA43, AGA48, AGA347 and AGA506) that had been isolated from the oil palm rhizosphere and screened for antagonism towards G. boninense in a previous study. The aim of this study was to characterize these four isolates and then to assess their ability to suppress BSR in oil palm seedlings when applied individually to the soil in a vermiculite powder formulation. Analysis of partial 16S rRNA gene sequences (512 bp) revealed that the isolates exhibited a very high level of sequence similarity (> 98%) with GenBank reference sequences. Isolates AGA347 and AGA506 showed 99% similarity with Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. hygroscopicus and Streptomyces ahygroscopicus, respectively. Isolates AGA43 and AGA48 also belonged to the Streptomyces genus. The most effective formulation, AGA347, reduced BSR in seedlings by 73.1%. Formulations using the known antifungal producer Streptomyces noursei, AGA043, AGA048 or AGA506 reduced BSR by 47.4, 30.1, 54.8 and 44.1%, respectively. This glasshouse trial indicates that these Streptomyces spp. show promise as potential biological control agents against Ganoderma in oil palm. Further investigations are needed to determine the mechanism of antagonism and to increase the shelf life of Streptomyces formulations.

Biocontrol potential of Trichoderma harzianum isolate T-aloe against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in soybean.

PubMed

Zhang, Fuli; Ge, Honglian; Zhang, Fan; Guo, Ning; Wang, Yucheng; Chen, Long; Ji, Xiue; Li, Chengwei

2016-03-01

Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is a major disease of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). At present, we revealed the three-way interaction between Trichoderma harzianum T-aloe, pathogen S. sclerotiorum and soybean plants in order to demonstrate biocontrol mechanism and evaluate biocontrol potential of T-aloe against S. sclerotiorum in soybean. In our experiments, T-aloe inhibited the growth of S. sclerotiorum with an efficiency of 56.3% in dual culture tests. T-aloe hyphae grew in parallel or intertwined with S. sclerotiorum hyphae and produced hooked contact branches, indicating mycoparasitism. Plate tests showed that T-aloe culture filtrate inhibited S. sclerotiorum growth with an inhibition efficiency of 51.2% and sclerotia production. T-aloe pretreatment showed growth-promoting effect on soybean plants. The activities of peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase increased, and the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as well as the superoxide radical (O2(-)) content in soybean leaves decreased after T-aloe pretreatment in response to S. sclerotiorum pathogen challenge. T-aloe treatment diminished damage caused by pathogen stress on soybean leaf cell membrane, and increased chlorophyll as well as total phenol contents. The defense-related genes PR1, PR2, and PR3 were expressed in the leaves of T-aloe-treated plants. In summary, T-aloe displayed biocontrol potential against S. sclerotiorum. This is the first report of unraveling biocontrol potential of Trichoderma Spp. to soybean sclerotinia stem rot from the three-way interaction between the biocontrol agent, pathogen S. sclerotiorum and soybean plants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A novel, multiplexed, probe-based quantitative PCR assay for the soybean root- and stem-rot pathogen, Phytophthora sojae, utilizes its transposable element

PubMed Central

Haudenshield, James S.; Song, Jeong Y.; Hartman, Glen L.

2017-01-01

Phytophthora root rot of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is caused by the oomycete Phytophthora sojae (Kaufm. & Gerd.). P. sojae has a narrow host range, consisting primarily of soybean, and it is a serious pathogen worldwide. It exists in root and stem tissues as mycelium, wherein it can form oospores which subsequently germinate to release motile, infectious zoospores. Molecular assays detecting DNA of P. sojae are useful in disease diagnostics, and for determining the presence of the organism in host tissues, soils, and runoff or ponded water from potentially infested fields. Such assays as published have utilized ITS sequences from the nuclear ribosomal RNA genes in conventional PCR or dye-binding quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) but are not amenable to multiplexing, and some of these assays did not utilize control strategies for type I or type II errors. In this study, we describe primers and a bifunctional probe with specificity to a gypsy-like retroelement in the P. sojae genome to create a fluorogenic 5’-exonuclease linear hydrolysis assay, with a multiplexed internal control reaction detecting an exogenous target to validate negative calls, and with uracil-deglycosylase-mediated protection against carryover contamination. The assay specifically detected 13 different P. sojae isolates, and excluded 17 other Phytophthora species along with 20 non-Phytophthora fungal and oomycete species pathogenic on soybean. A diagnostic limit of detection of 34 fg total P. sojae DNA was observed in serial dilutions, equivalent to 0.3 genome, and a practical detection sensitivity of four zoospores per sample was achieved, despite losses during DNA extraction. PMID:28441441

Mid-infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to detect Sclerotinia stem rot on oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) leaves.

PubMed

Zhang, Chu; Feng, Xuping; Wang, Jian; Liu, Fei; He, Yong; Zhou, Weijun

2017-01-01

Detection of plant diseases in a fast and simple way is crucial for timely disease control. Conventionally, plant diseases are accurately identified by DNA, RNA or serology based methods which are time consuming, complex and expensive. Mid-infrared spectroscopy is a promising technique that simplifies the detection procedure for the disease. Mid-infrared spectroscopy was used to identify the spectral differences between healthy and infected oilseed rape leaves. Two different sample sets from two experiments were used to explore and validate the feasibility of using mid-infrared spectroscopy in detecting Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) on oilseed rape leaves. The average mid-infrared spectra showed differences between healthy and infected leaves, and the differences varied among different sample sets. Optimal wavenumbers for the 2 sample sets selected by the second derivative spectra were similar, indicating the efficacy of selecting optimal wavenumbers. Chemometric methods were further used to quantitatively detect the oilseed rape leaves infected by SSR, including the partial least squares-discriminant analysis, support vector machine and extreme learning machine. The discriminant models using the full spectra and the optimal wavenumbers of the 2 sample sets were effective for classification accuracies over 80%. The discriminant results for the 2 sample sets varied due to variations in the samples. The use of two sample sets proved and validated the feasibility of using mid-infrared spectroscopy and chemometric methods for detecting SSR on oilseed rape leaves. The similarities among the selected optimal wavenumbers in different sample sets made it feasible to simplify the models and build practical models. Mid-infrared spectroscopy is a reliable and promising technique for SSR control. This study helps in developing practical application of using mid-infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to detect plant disease.

Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Oil Palm Seedlings Treated with Combination of NPK Fertilizers Infected with Ganoderma boninense

PubMed Central

Mohidin, Hasmah; Idris, Abu Seman; Fariz, A.; Abiri, Rambod; Taheri, Sima; Moradpoor, Mehdi

2018-01-01

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) is one of the major sources of edible oil. Reducing the effect of Ganoderma, main cause of basal stem rot (BSR) on oil palm, is the main propose of this study. Understanding the oil palm defense mechanism against Ganoderma infection through monitoring changes in the secondary metabolite compounds levels before/after infection by Ganoderma under different fertilizing treatment is required. Oil palm requires macro- and microelements for growth and yield. Manipulating the nutrient for oil palm is a method to control the disease. The 3-4-month-old oil palm seedlings were given different macronutrient treatments to evaluate induction of defense related enzymes and production of secondary metabolite compounds in response to G. boninense inoculation. The observed trend of changes in the infected and uninfected seedlings was a slightly higher activity for β-1,3-glucanases, chitinase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase during the process of pathogenesis. It was found that PR proteins gave positive response to the interaction between oil palm seedlings and Ganoderma infection. Although the responses were activated systematically, they were short-lasting as the changes in enzymes activities appeared before the occurrence of visible symptoms. Effect of different nutrients doses was obviously observed among the results of the secondary metabolite compounds. Many identified/unidentified metabolite compounds were presented, of which some were involved in plant cell defense mechanism against pathogens, mostly belonging to alkaloids with bitter-tasting nitrogenous-compounds, and some had the potential to be used as new markers to detect basal stem rot at the initial step of disease. PMID:29721500

Molecular characterization of pathogenic Fusarium species in cucurbit plants from Kermanshah province, Iran

PubMed Central

Chehri, K.; Salleh, B.; Yli-Mattila, T.; Reddy, K.R.N.; Abbasi, S.

2011-01-01

Fusarium is one of the important phytopathogenic genera of microfungi causing serious losses on cucurbit plants in Kermanshah province, the largest area of cucurbits plantation in Iran. Therefore, the objectives in this study were to isolate and identify disease-causing Fusarium spp. from infected cucurbit plants, to ascertain their pathogenicity, and to determine their phylogenetic relationships. A total of 100 Fusarium isolates were obtained from diseased cucurbit plants collected from fields in different geographic regions in Kermanshah province, Iran. According to morphological characters, all isolates were identified as Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium semitectum and Fusarium solani. All isolates of the five Fusarium spp. were evaluated for their pathogenicity on healthy cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and honeydew melon (Cucumis melo) seedlings in the glasshouse. F. oxysporum caused damping-off in 20–35 days on both cucurbit seedlings tested. Typical stem rot symptoms were observed within 15 days after inoculation with F. solani on both seedlings. Based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, the five Fusarium species were divided into two major groups. In particular, isolates belonging to the F. solani species complex (FSSC) were separated into two RFLP types. Grouping among Fusarium strains derived from restriction analysis was in agreement with criteria used in morphological classification. Therefore, the PCR-ITS-RFLP method provides a simple and rapid procedure for the differentiation of Fusarium strains at species level. This is the first report on identification and pathogenicity of major plant pathogenic Fusarium spp. causing root and stem rot on cucurbits in Iran. PMID:23961146

Structure-based functional characterization of repressor of toxin (Rot), a central regulator of staphylococcus aureus virulence

DOE PAGES

Killikelly, April; Jakoncic, Jean; Benson, Meredith A.; ...

2014-10-20

Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for a large number of diverse infections worldwide. In order to support its pathogenic lifestyle, S. aureus has to regulate the expression of virulence factors in a coordinated fashion. One of the central regulators of the S. aureus virulence regulatory networks is the transcription factor repressor of toxin (Rot). Rot plays a key role in regulating S. aureus virulence through activation or repression of promoters that control expression of a large number of critical virulence factors. However, the mechanism by which Rot mediates gene regulation has remained elusive. Here, we have determined the crystal structure ofmore » Rot and used this information to probe the contribution made by specific residues to Rot function. Rot was found to form a dimer, with each monomer harboring a winged helix-turn-helix (WHTH) DNA-binding motif. Despite an overall acidic pI, the asymmetric electrostatic charge profile suggests that Rot can orient the WHTH domain to bind DNA. Structure-based site-directed mutagenesis studies demonstrated that R 91, at the tip of the wing, plays an important role in DNA binding, likely through interaction with the minor groove. We also found that Y 66, predicted to bind within the major groove, contributes to Rot interaction with target promoters. Evaluation of Rot binding to different activated and repressed promoters revealed that certain mutations on Rot exhibit promoter-specific effects, suggesting for the first time that Rot differentially interacts with target promoters. As a result, this work provides insight into a precise mechanism by which Rot controls virulence factor regulation in S. aureus.« less

Structure-based functional characterization of repressor of toxin (Rot), a central regulator of staphylococcus aureus virulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Killikelly, April; Jakoncic, Jean; Benson, Meredith A.

Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for a large number of diverse infections worldwide. In order to support its pathogenic lifestyle, S. aureus has to regulate the expression of virulence factors in a coordinated fashion. One of the central regulators of the S. aureus virulence regulatory networks is the transcription factor repressor of toxin (Rot). Rot plays a key role in regulating S. aureus virulence through activation or repression of promoters that control expression of a large number of critical virulence factors. However, the mechanism by which Rot mediates gene regulation has remained elusive. Here, we have determined the crystal structure ofmore » Rot and used this information to probe the contribution made by specific residues to Rot function. Rot was found to form a dimer, with each monomer harboring a winged helix-turn-helix (WHTH) DNA-binding motif. Despite an overall acidic pI, the asymmetric electrostatic charge profile suggests that Rot can orient the WHTH domain to bind DNA. Structure-based site-directed mutagenesis studies demonstrated that R 91, at the tip of the wing, plays an important role in DNA binding, likely through interaction with the minor groove. We also found that Y 66, predicted to bind within the major groove, contributes to Rot interaction with target promoters. Evaluation of Rot binding to different activated and repressed promoters revealed that certain mutations on Rot exhibit promoter-specific effects, suggesting for the first time that Rot differentially interacts with target promoters. As a result, this work provides insight into a precise mechanism by which Rot controls virulence factor regulation in S. aureus.« less

The role of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), and farmer practices in the spread of cassava brown streak ipomoviruses.

PubMed

Maruthi, Midatharahally N; Jeremiah, Simon C; Mohammed, Ibrahim U; Legg, James P

2017-12-01

Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) is arguably the most dangerous current threat to cassava, which is Africa's most important food security crop. CBSD is caused by two RNA viruses: Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV). The roles of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and farmer practices in the spread of CBSD were investigated in a set of field and laboratory experiments. The virus was acquired and transmitted by B. tabaci within a short time (5-10 min each for virus acquisition and inoculation), and was retained for up to 48 hr. Highest virus transmission (60%) was achieved using 20-25 suspected viruliferous whiteflies per plant that were given acquisition and inoculation periods of 24 and 48 hr, respectively. Experiments mimicking the agronomic practices of cassava leaf picking or the use of contaminated tools for making cassava stem cuttings did not show the transmission of CBSV or UCBSV. Screenhouse and field experiments in Tanzania showed that the spread of CBSD next to spreader rows was high, and that the rate of spread decreased with increasing distance from the source of inoculum. The disease spread in the field up to a maximum of 17 m in a cropping season. These results collectively confirm that CBSV and UCBSV are transmitted by B. tabaci semipersistently, but for only short distances in the field. This implies that spread over longer distances is due to movements of infected stem cuttings used for planting material. These findings have important implications for developing appropriate management strategies for CBSD.

Control of black walnut root rot diseases in nurseries.

Treesearch

Kenneth J. Jr. Kessler

1982-01-01

Current nursery methods used to control black walnut root rot diseases are considered in terms of integrated pest management. Suggestions for future root rot control research studies and procedures to minimize root rot problems are provided.

Pyramiding Sclerotinia head rot and stalk rot resistances into elite sunflower breeding lines with the aid of DNA markers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Work was conducted in 2008 to determine the stalk rot resistance of RILs from the RHA 280 x RHA 801 population, as well as to begin introgression of previously identified QTL for head rot resistance into elite sunflower germplasm lines. The stalk rot RILs and their testcrosses with cms HA 89 were t...

The experiences of female high school students and interest in STEM: Factors leading to the selection of an engineering or computer science major

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genoways, Sharon K.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators, which leads to new products and processes that sustain our economy (Hossain & Robinson, 2012). We have been hearing the warnings for several years, that there simply are not enough young scientists entering into the STEM professional pathways to replace all of the retiring professionals (Brown, Brown, Reardon, & Merrill, 2011; Harsh, Maltese, & Tai, 2012; Heilbronner, 2011; Scott, 2012). The problem is not necessarily due to a lack of STEM skills and concept proficiency. There also appears to be a lack of interest in these fields. Recent evidence suggests that many of the most proficient students, especially minority students and women, have been gravitating away from science and engineering toward other professions. (President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2010). The purpose of this qualitative research study was an attempt to determine how high schools can best prepare and encourage young women for a career in engineering or computer science. This was accomplished by interviewing a pool of 21 women, 5 recent high school graduates planning to major in STEM, 5 college students who had completed at least one full year of coursework in an engineering or computer science major and 11 professional women who had been employed as an engineer or computer scientist for at least one full year. These women were asked to share the high school courses, activities, and experiences that best prepared them to pursue an engineering or computer science major. Five central themes emerged from this study; coursework in physics and calculus, promotion of STEM camps and clubs, teacher encouragement of STEM capabilities and careers, problem solving, critical thinking and confidence building activities in the classroom, and allowing students the opportunity to fail and ask questions in a safe environment. These themes may be implemented by any instructor, in any course, who wishes to provide students with the means to success in their quest for a STEM career.

Fungal Planet description sheets: 371-399.

PubMed

Crous, P W; Wingfield, M J; Le Roux, J J; Richardson, D M; Strasberg, D; Shivas, R G; Alvarado, P; Edwards, J; Moreno, G; Sharma, R; Sonawane, M S; Tan, Y P; Altés, A; Barasubiye, T; Barnes, C W; Blanchette, R A; Boertmann, D; Bogo, A; Carlavilla, J R; Cheewangkoon, R; Daniel, R; de Beer, Z W; de Jesús Yáñez-Morales, M; Duong, T A; Fernández-Vicente, J; Geering, A D W; Guest, D I; Held, B W; Heykoop, M; Hubka, V; Ismail, A M; Kajale, S C; Khemmuk, W; Kolařík, M; Kurli, R; Lebeuf, R; Lévesque, C A; Lombard, L; Magista, D; Manjón, J L; Marincowitz, S; Mohedano, J M; Nováková, A; Oberlies, N H; Otto, E C; Paguigan, N D; Pascoe, I G; Pérez-Butrón, J L; Perrone, G; Rahi, P; Raja, H A; Rintoul, T; Sanhueza, R M V; Scarlett, K; Shouche, Y S; Shuttleworth, L A; Taylor, P W J; Thorn, R G; Vawdrey, L L; Solano-Vidal, R; Voitk, A; Wong, P T W; Wood, A R; Zamora, J C; Groenewald, J Z

2015-12-01

Novel species of fungi described in the present study include the following from Australia: Neoseptorioides eucalypti gen. & sp. nov. from Eucalyptus radiata leaves, Phytophthora gondwanensis from soil, Diaporthe tulliensis from rotted stem ends of Theobroma cacao fruit, Diaporthe vawdreyi from fruit rot of Psidium guajava, Magnaporthiopsis agrostidis from rotted roots of Agrostis stolonifera and Semifissispora natalis from Eucalyptus leaf litter. Furthermore, Neopestalotiopsis egyptiaca is described from Mangifera indica leaves (Egypt), Roussoella mexicana from Coffea arabica leaves (Mexico), Calonectria monticola from soil (Thailand), Hygrocybe jackmanii from littoral sand dunes (Canada), Lindgomyces madisonensis from submerged decorticated wood (USA), Neofabraea brasiliensis from Malus domestica (Brazil), Geastrum diosiae from litter (Argentina), Ganoderma wiiroense on angiosperms (Ghana), Arthrinium gutiae from the gut of a grasshopper (India), Pyrenochaeta telephoni from the screen of a mobile phone (India) and Xenoleptographium phialoconidium gen. & sp. nov. on exposed xylem tissues of Gmelina arborea (Indonesia). Several novelties are introduced from Spain, namely Psathyrella complutensis on loamy soil, Chlorophyllum lusitanicum on nitrified grasslands (incl. Chlorophyllum arizonicum comb. nov.), Aspergillus citocrescens from cave sediment and Lotinia verna gen. & sp. nov. from muddy soil. Novel foliicolous taxa from South Africa include Phyllosticta carissicola from Carissa macrocarpa, Pseudopyricularia hagahagae from Cyperaceae and Zeloasperisporium searsiae from Searsia chirindensis. Furthermore, Neophaeococcomyces is introduced as a novel genus, with two new combinations, N. aloes and N. catenatus. Several foliicolous novelties are recorded from La Réunion, France, namely Ochroconis pandanicola from Pandanus utilis, Neosulcatispora agaves gen. & sp. nov. from Agave vera-cruz, Pilidium eucalyptorum from Eucalyptus robusta, Strelitziana syzygii from Syzygium jambos (incl. Strelitzianaceae fam. nov.) and Pseudobeltrania ocoteae from Ocotea obtusata (Beltraniaceae emend.). Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS DNA barcodes are provided for all taxa.

Genes associated with lignin degradation in the polyphagous white-rot pathogen Heterobasidion irregulare show substrate-specific regulation.

PubMed

Yakovlev, Igor A; Hietala, Ari M; Courty, Pierre-Emmanuel; Lundell, Taina; Solheim, Halvor; Fossdal, Carl Gunnar

2013-07-01

The pathogenic white-rot basidiomycete Heterobasidion irregulare is able to remove lignin and hemicellulose prior to cellulose during the colonization of root and stem xylem of conifer and broadleaf trees. We identified and followed the regulation of expression of genes belonging to families encoding ligninolytic enzymes. In comparison with typical white-rot fungi, the H. irregulare genome has exclusively the short-manganese peroxidase type encoding genes (6 short-MnPs) and thereby a slight contraction in the pool of class II heme-containing peroxidases, but an expansion of the MCO laccases with 17 gene models. Furthermore, the genome shows a versatile set of other oxidoreductase genes putatively involved in lignin oxidation and conversion, including 5 glyoxal oxidases, 19 quinone-oxidoreductases and 12 aryl-alcohol oxidases. Their genetic multiplicity and gene-specific regulation patterns on cultures based on defined lignin, cellulose or Norway spruce lignocellulose substrates suggest divergent specificities and physiological roles for these enzymes. While the short-MnP encoding genes showed similar transcript levels upon fungal growth on heartwood and reaction zone (RZ), a xylem defense tissue rich in phenolic compounds unique to trees, a subset of laccases showed higher gene expression in the RZ cultures. In contrast, other oxidoreductases depending on initial MnP activity showed generally lower transcript levels on RZ than on heartwood. These data suggest that the rate of fungal oxidative conversion of xylem lignin differs between spruce RZ and heartwood. It is conceivable that in RZ part of the oxidoreductase activities of laccases are related to the detoxification of phenolic compounds involved in host-defense. Expression of the several short-MnP enzymes indicated an important role for these enzymes in effective delignification of wood by H. irregulare. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of seed pelleting with biocontrol agents on growth and colonisation of roots of mungbean by root-infecting fungi.

PubMed

Ramzan, Nadia; Noreen, Nayara; Perveen, Zahida; Shahzad, Saleem

2016-08-01

Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) is a leguminous pulse crop that is a major source of proteins, vitamins and minerals. Root-infecting fungi produce severe plant diseases like root rot, charcoal rot, damping-off and stem rot. The soil-borne pathogens can be controlled by chemicals, but these chemicals have several negative effects. Use of microbial antagonist such as fungi and bacteria is a safe, effective and eco-friendly method for the control of many soil-borne pathogens. Biological control agents promote plant growth and develop disease resistance. Application of bacteria and fungi as seed dressing suppressed the root-infecting fungi on leguminous crops. Seeds of mungbean were pelleted with different biocontrol agents to determine their effect on plant growth and colonisation of roots by root-infecting fungi, viz. Fusarium solani, Macrophomina phaseolina, Pythium aphanidermatum, Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotium rolfsii. Treatment of mungbean seeds with fungal antagonists showed more shoot and root length as compared to bacterial antagonists, whereas seed treated with bacterial antagonists showed maximum shoot and root weight. Trichoderma harzianum and Bacillus subtilis were the best among all the biocontrol agents since they provided the highest plant growth and greater reduction in root colonisation by all root-infecting fungi. Bacillus cereus, Trichoderma virens, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Micrococcus varians were also effective against root-infecting fungi but to a lesser extent. T. harzianum, T. virens, B. subtilis and P. fluorescens were found to be best among all biocontrol agents. The root-infecting fungi can be controlled by pelleting seeds with biocontrol agents as it is safe and effective method. Additionally, plant growth was promoted more by this method. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Protective Effect of Polygonum orientale L. Extracts against Clavibater michiganense subsp. sepedonicum, the Causal Agent of Bacterial Ring Rot of Potato

PubMed Central

Cai, Jin; Xie, Shulian; Feng, Jia; Wang, Feipeng; Xu, Qiufeng

2013-01-01

The Polygonum orientale L. extracts were investigated for antibacterial activity against Clavibater michiganense subsp. sepedonicum (Spieckermann & Kotthoff) Davis et al., the causal agent of a serious disease called bacterial ring rot of potato. The results showed that the leaf extracts of P. orientale had significantly (p<0.05) greater antibacterial activity against C. michiganense subsp. sepedonicum than root, stem, flower extracts in vitro. According to the results of single factor experiments and L273(13) orthogonal experiments, optimum extraction conditions were A1B3C1, extraction time 6 h, temperature 80°C, solid to liquid ratio 1∶10 (g:mL). The highest (p<0.05) antibacterial activity was observed when pH was 5, excluding the effect of control. The extracts were stable under ultraviolet (UV). In vivo analysis revealed that 50 mg/mL of P. orientale leaf extracts was effective in controlling decay. Under field conditions, 50 mg/mL of P. orientale leaf extracts also improved growth parameters (whole plant length, shoot length, root length, plant fresh weight, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, dry weight, and number of leaves), in the 2010 and 2011 two growing seasons. Further solvent partition assays showed that the most active compounds were in the petroleum ether fractionation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed drastic ultrastructural changes caused by petroleum ether fractionation, including bacterial deformation, electron-dense particles, formation of vacuoles and lack of cytoplasmic materials. These results indicated that P. orientale extracts have strong antibacterial activity against C. michiganense subsp. sepedonicum and a promising effect in control of bacterial ring rot of potato disease. PMID:23861908

Developmental and Metabolic Plasticity of White-Skinned Grape Berries in Response to Botrytis cinerea during Noble Rot1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Collins, Thomas S.; Vicente, Ariel R.; Doyle, Carolyn L.; Ye, Zirou; Allen, Greg; Heymann, Hildegarde

2015-01-01

Noble rot results from exceptional infections of ripe grape (Vitis vinifera) berries by Botrytis cinerea. Unlike bunch rot, noble rot promotes favorable changes in grape berries and the accumulation of secondary metabolites that enhance wine grape composition. Noble rot-infected berries of cv Sémillon, a white-skinned variety, were collected over 3 years from a commercial vineyard at the same time that fruit were harvested for botrytized wine production. Using an integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics approach, we demonstrate that noble rot alters the metabolism of cv Sémillon berries by inducing biotic and abiotic stress responses as well as ripening processes. During noble rot, B. cinerea induced the expression of key regulators of ripening-associated pathways, some of which are distinctive to the normal ripening of red-skinned cultivars. Enhancement of phenylpropanoid metabolism, characterized by a restricted flux in white-skinned berries, was a common outcome of noble rot and red-skinned berry ripening. Transcript and metabolite analyses together with enzymatic assays determined that the biosynthesis of anthocyanins is a consistent hallmark of noble rot in cv Sémillon berries. The biosynthesis of terpenes and fatty acid aroma precursors also increased during noble rot. We finally characterized the impact of noble rot in botrytized wines. Altogether, the results of this work demonstrated that noble rot causes a major reprogramming of berry development and metabolism. This desirable interaction between a fruit and a fungus stimulates pathways otherwise inactive in white-skinned berries, leading to a greater accumulation of compounds involved in the unique flavor and aroma of botrytized wines. PMID:26450706

Developmental and Metabolic Plasticity of White-Skinned Grape Berries in Response to Botrytis cinerea during Noble Rot.

PubMed

Blanco-Ulate, Barbara; Amrine, Katherine C H; Collins, Thomas S; Rivero, Rosa M; Vicente, Ariel R; Morales-Cruz, Abraham; Doyle, Carolyn L; Ye, Zirou; Allen, Greg; Heymann, Hildegarde; Ebeler, Susan E; Cantu, Dario

2015-12-01

Noble rot results from exceptional infections of ripe grape (Vitis vinifera) berries by Botrytis cinerea. Unlike bunch rot, noble rot promotes favorable changes in grape berries and the accumulation of secondary metabolites that enhance wine grape composition. Noble rot-infected berries of cv Sémillon, a white-skinned variety, were collected over 3 years from a commercial vineyard at the same time that fruit were harvested for botrytized wine production. Using an integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics approach, we demonstrate that noble rot alters the metabolism of cv Sémillon berries by inducing biotic and abiotic stress responses as well as ripening processes. During noble rot, B. cinerea induced the expression of key regulators of ripening-associated pathways, some of which are distinctive to the normal ripening of red-skinned cultivars. Enhancement of phenylpropanoid metabolism, characterized by a restricted flux in white-skinned berries, was a common outcome of noble rot and red-skinned berry ripening. Transcript and metabolite analyses together with enzymatic assays determined that the biosynthesis of anthocyanins is a consistent hallmark of noble rot in cv Sémillon berries. The biosynthesis of terpenes and fatty acid aroma precursors also increased during noble rot. We finally characterized the impact of noble rot in botrytized wines. Altogether, the results of this work demonstrated that noble rot causes a major reprogramming of berry development and metabolism. This desirable interaction between a fruit and a fungus stimulates pathways otherwise inactive in white-skinned berries, leading to a greater accumulation of compounds involved in the unique flavor and aroma of botrytized wines. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Cell wall integrity modulates RHO1 activity via the exchange factor ROM2.

PubMed Central

Bickle, M; Delley, P A; Schmidt, A; Hall, M N

1998-01-01

The essential phosphatidylinositol kinase homologue TOR2 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae controls the actin cytoskeleton by activating a GTPase switch consisting of RHO1 (GTPase), ROM2 (GEF) and SAC7 (GAP). We have identified two mutations, rot1-1 and rot2-1, that suppress the loss of TOR2 and are synthetic-lethal. The wild-type ROT1 and ROT2 genes and a multicopy suppressor, BIG1, were isolated by their ability to rescue the rot1-1 rot2-1 double mutant. ROT2 encodes glucosidase II, and ROT1 and BIG1 encode novel proteins. We present evidence that cell wall defects activate RHO1. First, rot1, rot2, big1, cwh41, gas1 and fks1 mutations all confer cell wall defects and suppress tor2(ts). Second, destabilizing the cell wall by supplementing the growth medium with 0.005% SDS also suppresses a tor2(ts) mutation. Third, disturbing the cell wall with SDS or a rot1, rot2, big1, cwh41, gas1 or fks1 mutation increases GDP/GTP exchange activity toward RHO1. These results suggest that cell wall defects suppress a tor2 mutation by activating RHO1 independently of TOR2, thereby inducing TOR2-independent polarization of the actin cytoskeleton and cell wall synthesis. Activation of RHO1, a subunit of the cell wall synthesis enzyme glucan synthase, by a cell wall alteration would ensure that cell wall synthesis occurs only when and where needed. The mechanism of RHO1 activation by a cell wall alteration is via the exchange factor ROM2 and could be analogous to signalling by integrin receptors in mammalian cells. PMID:9545237

Acridine Orange Indicates Early Oxidation of Wood Cell Walls by Fungi.

PubMed

Houtman, Carl J; Kitin, Peter; Houtman, Jon C D; Hammel, Kenneth E; Hunt, Christopher G

2016-01-01

Colonization of wood blocks by brown and white rot fungi rapidly resulted in detectable wood oxidation, as shown by a reduced phloroglucinol response, a loss of autofluorescence, and acridine orange (AO) staining. This last approach is shown to provide a novel method for identifying wood oxidation. When lignin was mildly oxidized, the association between AO and lignin was reduced such that stained wood sections emitted less green light during fluorescence microscopy. This change was detectable after less than a week, an interval that past work has shown to be too short for significant delignification of wood. Although fungal hyphae were observed in only a few wood lumina, oxidation was widespread, appearing relatively uniform over regions several hundred micrometers from the hyphae. This observation suggests that both classes of fungi release low molecular weight mild oxidants during the first few days of colonization.

Acridine Orange Indicates Early Oxidation of Wood Cell Walls by Fungi

PubMed Central

Houtman, Carl J.; Kitin, Peter; Houtman, Jon C. D.; Hammel, Kenneth E.; Hunt, Christopher G.

2016-01-01

Colonization of wood blocks by brown and white rot fungi rapidly resulted in detectable wood oxidation, as shown by a reduced phloroglucinol response, a loss of autofluorescence, and acridine orange (AO) staining. This last approach is shown to provide a novel method for identifying wood oxidation. When lignin was mildly oxidized, the association between AO and lignin was reduced such that stained wood sections emitted less green light during fluorescence microscopy. This change was detectable after less than a week, an interval that past work has shown to be too short for significant delignification of wood. Although fungal hyphae were observed in only a few wood lumina, oxidation was widespread, appearing relatively uniform over regions several hundred micrometers from the hyphae. This observation suggests that both classes of fungi release low molecular weight mild oxidants during the first few days of colonization. PMID:27454126

Acridine Orange Indicates Early Oxidation of Wood Cell Walls by Fungi

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Houtman, Carl J.; Kitin, Peter; Houtman, Jon C. D.

Colonization of wood blocks by brown and white rot fungi rapidly resulted in detectable wood oxidation, as shown by a reduced phloroglucinol response, a loss of autofluorescence, and acridine orange (AO) staining. This last approach is shown to provide a novel method for identifying wood oxidation. When lignin was mildly oxidized, the association between AO and lignin was reduced such that stained wood sections emitted less green light during fluorescence microscopy. This change was detectable after less than a week, an interval that past work has shown to be too short for significant delignification of wood. Although fungal hyphae weremore » observed in only a few wood lumina, oxidation was widespread, appearing relatively uniform over regions several hundred micrometers from the hyphae. As a result, this observation suggests that both classes of fungi release low molecular weight mild oxidants during the first few days of colonization.« less

Acridine Orange Indicates Early Oxidation of Wood Cell Walls by Fungi

DOE PAGES

Houtman, Carl J.; Kitin, Peter; Houtman, Jon C. D.; ...

2016-07-25

Colonization of wood blocks by brown and white rot fungi rapidly resulted in detectable wood oxidation, as shown by a reduced phloroglucinol response, a loss of autofluorescence, and acridine orange (AO) staining. This last approach is shown to provide a novel method for identifying wood oxidation. When lignin was mildly oxidized, the association between AO and lignin was reduced such that stained wood sections emitted less green light during fluorescence microscopy. This change was detectable after less than a week, an interval that past work has shown to be too short for significant delignification of wood. Although fungal hyphae weremore » observed in only a few wood lumina, oxidation was widespread, appearing relatively uniform over regions several hundred micrometers from the hyphae. As a result, this observation suggests that both classes of fungi release low molecular weight mild oxidants during the first few days of colonization.« less

Melanoidin-containing wastewaters induce selective laccase gene expression in the white-rot fungus Trametes sp. I-62.

PubMed

González, Tania; Terrón, María Carmen; Yagüe, Susana; Junca, Howard; Carbajo, José María; Zapico, Ernesto Javier; Silva, Ricardo; Arana-Cuenca, Ainhoa; Téllez, Alejandro; González, Aldo Enrique

2008-03-01

Wastewaters generated from the production of ethanol from sugar cane molasses may have detrimental effects on the environment due to their high chemical oxygen demand and dark brown color. The color is mainly associated with the presence of melanoidins, which are highly recalcitrant to biodegradation. We report here the induction of laccases by molasses wastewaters and molasses melanoidins in the basidiomycetous fungus Trametes sp. I-62. The time course of effluent decolorization and laccase activity in the culture supernatant of the fungus were correlated. The expression of laccase genes lcc1 and lcc2 increased as a result of the addition of complete molasses wastewater and its high molecular weight fraction to fungal cultures. This is the first time differential laccase gene expression has been reported to occur upon exposure of fungal cultures to molasses wastewaters and their melanoidins.

A Case of Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere Syndrome Due To a Novel Mutation in SLC52A3 Gene

PubMed Central

Thulasi, Venkatraman; Veerapandiyan, Aravindhan; Pletcher, Beth A.; Tong, Chun M.

2017-01-01

Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by motor, sensory, and cranial neuronopathies, associated with mutations in SLC52A2 and SLC52A3 genes that code for human riboflavin transporters RFVT2 and RFVT3, respectively. The authors describe the clinical course of a 6-year-old girl with Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome and a novel homozygous mutation c.1156T>C in the SLC52A3 gene, who presented at the age of 2.5 years with progressive brain stem dysfunction including ptosis, facial weakness, hearing loss, dysphagia, anarthria with bilateral vocal cord paralysis, and ataxic gait. She subsequently developed respiratory failure requiring tracheostomy and worsening dysphagia necessitating a gastrostomy. Following riboflavin supplementation, resolution of facial diplegia and ataxia, improvements in ptosis, and bulbar function including vocalization and respiration were noted. However, her sensorineural hearing loss remained unchanged. Similar to other cases of Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome, our patient responded favorably to early riboflavin supplementation with significant but not complete neurologic recovery. PMID:28856173

A Case of Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere Syndrome Due To a Novel Mutation in SLC52A3 Gene: Clinical Course and Response to Riboflavin.

PubMed

Thulasi, Venkatraman; Veerapandiyan, Aravindhan; Pletcher, Beth A; Tong, Chun M; Ming, Xue

2017-01-01

Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by motor, sensory, and cranial neuronopathies, associated with mutations in SLC52A2 and SLC52A3 genes that code for human riboflavin transporters RFVT2 and RFVT3, respectively. The authors describe the clinical course of a 6-year-old girl with Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome and a novel homozygous mutation c.1156T>C in the SLC52A3 gene, who presented at the age of 2.5 years with progressive brain stem dysfunction including ptosis, facial weakness, hearing loss, dysphagia, anarthria with bilateral vocal cord paralysis, and ataxic gait. She subsequently developed respiratory failure requiring tracheostomy and worsening dysphagia necessitating a gastrostomy. Following riboflavin supplementation, resolution of facial diplegia and ataxia, improvements in ptosis, and bulbar function including vocalization and respiration were noted. However, her sensorineural hearing loss remained unchanged. Similar to other cases of Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome, our patient responded favorably to early riboflavin supplementation with significant but not complete neurologic recovery.

Viridepyronone, a new antifungal 6-substituted 2H-pyran-2-one produced by Trichoderma viride.

PubMed

Evidente, Antonio; Cabras, Annalisa; Maddau, Lucia; Serra, Salvatorica; Andolfi, Anna; Motta, Andrea

2003-11-19

A new antifungal 6-substituted 2H-pyran-2-one, named viridepyronone, has been isolated from a cultural filtrate of a strain of Trichoderma viride showing antagonistic activity in vitro toward Sclerotium rolfsii, which is the causal agent of crown and stem rot of artichoke. Viridepyronone was characterized as 6-(4-oxopentyl)-2H-pyran-2-one 2 with spectroscopic methods. Bioassays showed that viridepyronone had a good antifungal activity against S. rolfsii, and its minimum inhibitory concentration (over 90% inhibition) was found to be 196 microg/mL. This is the first report of viridepyronone produced by any species of fungi.

Pruning of Manchurian crabapple for management of speck rot and Sphaeropsis rot in apple

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phacidiopycnis washingtonensis and Sphaeropsis pyriputrescens are two important quarantined fungal pathogens that cause post-harvest speck rot and Sphaeropsis rot, respectively, in apple. Due to detection of these pathogens in fruit shipments and quarantine regulation, export of apple from Washingto...

Expression levels of brown/beige adipocyte-related genes in fat depots of vitamin A-restricted fattening cattle.

PubMed

Chen, Hsuan-Ju; Ihara, Tsubasa; Yoshioka, Hidetugu; Itoyama, Erina; Kitamura, Shoko; Nagase, Hiroshi; Murakami, Hiroaki; Hoshino, Yoichiro; Murakami, Masaru; Tomonaga, Shozo; Matsui, Tohru; Funaba, Masayuki

2018-06-15

Brown/beige adipocytes dissipate energy as heat. We previously showed that brown/beige adipocytes are present in white adipose tissue (WAT) of fattening cattle. The present study examined the effect of vitamin A restriction on mRNA expression of brown/beige adipocyte-related genes. In Japan, fattening cattle are conventionally fed a vitamin A-restricted diet to improve beef marbling. Twelve Japanese Black steers aged 10 months were fed control feed (n=6) or vitamin A-restricted feed (n=6) for 20 months. Subcutaneous WAT (scWAT) and mesenteric WAT (mesWAT) were collected, and mRNA expression levels of molecules related to function of brown/beige adipocytes (Ucp1, Cidea, Dio2, Cox7a and Cox8b) as well as transcriptional regulators related to brown/beige adipogenesis (Zfp516, Nfia, Prdm16, and Pgc-1α) were evaluated. The vitamin A restriction significantly increased or tended to increase expression levels of Cidea and Pgc-1α in scWAT, and Cidea, Dio2, and Nfia in mesWAT. Previous studies revealed that the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway was responsible for commitment of mesenchymal stem cells to brown/beige adipocyte-lineage cells. The vitamin A restriction increased expression of Bmp7 and some Bmp receptors in WAT. The interrelationship between gene expression levels indicated that expression levels of Nfia, Prdm16, and Pgc-1α were closely related to those of genes related to function of brown/beige adipocytes in scWAT. Also, expression levels of Nfia, Prdm16, and Pgc-1α were highly correlated with those of Alk3 in scWAT. In summary, the present results suggest that the vitamin A restriction increases the number or activity of brown/beige adipocytes through regulatory expression of transcriptional regulators to induce brown/beige adipogenesis especially in scWAT of fattening cattle, which may be governed by the Bmp pathway.

Impacts of fungal stalk rot pathogens on physicochemical properties of sorghum grain

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stalk rot diseases are among the most ubiquitous and damaging fungal diseases of sorghum worldwide. Although reports of quantitative stalk rot yield losses are available, the impact of stalk rot on the physicochemical attributes of sorghum grain is currently unknown. This study was conducted to test...

Nitric oxide detoxification by Fusarium verticillioides flavohemoglobin and role in pathogenicity of maize

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fusarium verticillioides is a non-obligate plant pathogen of maize causing a number of specific diseases, including root rot, kernel rot, seed rot, stalk rot, and seedling blight. The saprophytic nature of this fungus, its production of the mycotoxin fumonisin, and complex relationship maize puts t...

Cultivar selection for bacterial root rot in sugar beet

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bacterial root rot of sugar beet caused by Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum is a disease problem recently described in the United States, which has frequently been found in association with Rhizoctonia root rot. To reduce the impact of bacterial root rot on sucrose loss in the field, st...

Genomewide annotation and comparative genomics of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) in the polypore species Bjerkandera adusta, Ganoderma sp. and Phlebia brevispora.

PubMed

Syed, Khajamohiddin; Nelson, David R; Riley, Robert; Yadav, Jagjit S

2013-01-01

Genomewide annotation of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) in three white-rot species of the fungal order Polyporales, namely Bjerkandera adusta, Ganoderma sp. and Phlebia brevispora, revealed a large contingent of P450 genes (P450ome) in their genomes. A total of 199 P450 genes in B. adusta and 209 P450 genes each in Ganoderma sp. and P. brevispora were identified. These P450omes were classified into families and subfamilies as follows: B. adusta (39 families, 86 subfamilies), Ganoderma sp. (41 families, 105 subfamilies) and P. brevispora (42 families, 111 subfamilies). Of note, the B. adusta genome lacked the CYP505 family (P450foxy), a group of P450-CPR fusion proteins. The three polypore species revealed differential enrichment of individual P450 families in their genomes. The largest CYP families in the three genomes were CYP5144 (67 P450s), CYP5359 (46 P450s) and CYP5344 (43 P450s) in B. adusta, Ganoderma sp. and P. brevispora, respectively. Our analyses showed that tandem gene duplications led to expansions in certain P450 families. An estimated 33% (72 P450s), 28% (55 P450s) and 23% (49 P450s) of P450ome genes were duplicated in P. brevispora, B. adusta and Ganoderma sp., respectively. Family-wise comparative analysis revealed that 22 CYP families are common across the three Polypore species. Comparative P450ome analysis with Ganoderma lucidum revealed the presence of 143 orthologs and 56 paralogs in Ganoderma sp. Multiple P450s were found near the characteristic biosynthetic genes for secondary metabolites, namely polyketide synthase (PKS), non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS), terpene cyclase and terpene synthase in the three genomes, suggesting a likely role of these P450s in secondary metabolism in these Polyporales. Overall, the three species had a richer P450 diversity both in terms of the P450 genes and P450 subfamilies as compared to the model white-rot and brown-rot polypore species Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Postia placenta.

Screening of Biodegradable Function of Indigenous Ligno-degrading Mushroom Using Dyes

PubMed Central

Cho, Soo-Muk; Seok, Soon-Ja; Kong, Won-Sik; Kim, Gyu-Hyun; Sung, Jae-Mo

2009-01-01

The process of biodegradation in lingo-cellulosic materials is critically relevant to biospheric carbon. The study of this natural process has largely involved laboratory investigations, focused primarily on the biodegradation and recycling of agricultural by-products, generally using basidiomycetes species. In order to collect super white rot fungi and evaluate its ability to degrade lingo-cellulosic material, 35 fungal strains, collected from forests, humus soil, livestock manure, and dead trees, were screened for enzyme activities and their potential to decolorize the commercially used Poly-R 478 dye. In the laccase enzymatic analysis chemical test, 33 white rot fungi and 2 brown rot fungi were identified. The degradation ability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) according to the utilized environmental conditions was higher in the mushrooms grown in dead trees and fallen leaves than in the mushrooms grown in humus soil and livestock manure. Using Poly-R 478 dye to assess the PAH-degradation activity of the identified strains, four strains, including Agrocybe pediades, were selected. The activities of laccase, MnP, and Lip of the four strains with PAH-degrading ability were highest in Pleurotus incarnates. 87 fungal strains, collected from forests, humus soil, livestock manure, and dead trees, were screened for enzyme activities and their potential to decolorize the commercially used Poly-R 478 dye on solid media. Using Poly-R 478 dye to assess the PAHdegrading activity of the identified strains, it was determined that MKACC 51632 and 52492 strains evidenced superior activity in static and shaken liquid cultures. Subsequent screening on plates containing the polymeric dye poly R-478, the decolorization of which is correlated with lignin degradation, resulted in the selection of a strain of Coriolus versicolor, MKACC52492, for further study, primarily due to its rapid growth rate and profound ability to decolorize poly R-478 on solid media. Considering our findings using Poly-R 478 dye to evaluate the PAH-degrading activity of the identified strains, Coriolus versicolor, MKACC 52492 was selected as a favorable strain. Coriolus versicolor, which was collected from Mt. Yeogi in Suwon, was studied for the production of the lignin-modifying enzymes laccase, manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP), and lignin peroxidase (LiP). PMID:23983508

Demographic changes following mechanical removal of exotic brown trout in an Intermountain West (USA), high-elevation stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saunders, W. Carl; Budy, Phaedra E.; Thiede, Gary P.

2015-01-01

Exotic species present a great threat to native fish conservation; however, eradicating exotics is expensive and often impractical. Mechanical removal can be ineffective for eradication, but nonetheless may increase management effectiveness by identifying portions of a watershed that are strong sources of exotics. We used mechanical removal to understand processes driving exotic brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations in the Logan River, Utah. Our goals were to: (i) evaluate the demographic response of brown trout to mechanical removal, (ii) identify sources of brown trout recruitment at a watershed scale and (iii) evaluate whether mechanical removal can reduce brown trout densities. We removed brown trout from 2 km of the Logan River (4174 fish), and 5.6 km of Right Hand Fork (RHF, 15,245 fish), a low-elevation tributary, using single-pass electrofishing. We compared fish abundance and size distributions prior to, and after 2 years of mechanical removal. In the Logan River, immigration to the removal reach and high natural variability in fish abundances limited the response to mechanical removal. In contrast, mechanical removal in RHF resulted in a strong recruitment pulse, shifting the size distribution towards smaller fish. These results suggest that, before removal, density-dependent mortality or emigration of juvenile fish stabilised adult populations and may have provided a source of juveniles to the main stem. Overall, in sites demonstrating strong density-dependent population regulation, or near sources of exotics, short-term mechanical removal has limited effects on brown trout populations but may help identify factors governing populations and inform large-scale management of exotic species.

Itea virginica L.

Treesearch

K.F Connor

2004-01-01

Virginia sweetspire is an upright, multistemmed, deciduous or semievergreen shrub with arching branches. The branches are light green or brown, pubescent when young, while old stems are glabrous, gray and striated. The medium to dark green, simple, alternate leaves are elliptic to oblong in shape, glabrous above and finely pubescent beneath, four to 10 cm long, and...

Constitutional Requirements for Race-Conscious Policies in K-12 Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvard Civil Rights Project, Cambridge, MA.

Voluntary efforts to promote racial integration in K-12 schools have met strong resistance from the courts in recent years, despite the long history of court involvement in desegregation litigation. Race-conscious policies have invoked both the integration ideals stemming from Brown v. Board of Education and the diversity rationale in higher…

Screening of endophytic bacteria isolated from two kinds of antarctic plant antagonistic konjac soft rot disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Mingfu; Lin, Tianxing; Huang, Jiao; Zeng, Bo

2018-04-01

Konjac soft rot has a serious impact on the production of konjac, the use of endophytic bacteria to inhibit konjac soft rot bacteria have many advantages. Twenty-three endophytic bacteria isolated from the medicinal plants were used to determine the antagonistic effects of endophytic bacteria on konjac soft rot in the Oxford cups. Of the strain. The results showed that 23 strains of endophytic bacteria had different antagonistic activities against konjac soft rot, 8 strains had very significant antibacterial effect, and YC06 and YC09 had strong antibacterial ability of two endophytic bacteria. Konjac soft rot fungi also have a strong antibacterial capacity.

Persistence of Gliocephalotrichum spp. causing fruit rot of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) in Puerto Rico

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Worldwide, fruit rot of rambutan is an important problem that limits the storage, marketing and long-distance transportation of the fruit. A complex of pathogens has been reported to cause fruit rot of rambutan and significant post-harvest economic losses. During 2009 and 2011 rambutan fruit rot was...

Interactions affect hyphal growth and enzyme profiles in combinations of coniferous wood-decaying fungi of Agaricomycetes

PubMed Central

Mali, Tuulia; Kuuskeri, Jaana; Shah, Firoz

2017-01-01

Fomitopsis pinicola is a species of Polyporales frequently encountered in Nordic temperate and boreal forests. In nature, the fungus causes destructive brown rot in wood, colonizing tree trunks often occupied by other Basidiomycota species. We mimicked these species-species interactions by introducing F. pinicola to five white rot species, all common saprotrophs of Norway spruce. Hyphal interactions and mycelial growth in various combinations were recorded, while activities of lignocellulose-acting CAZymes and oxidoreductases were followed in co-cultures on two different carbon-source media. Of the species, Phlebia radiata and Trichaptum abietinum were the strongest producers of lignin-modifying oxidoreductases (laccase, manganese peroxidase) when evaluated alone, as well as in co-cultures, on the two different growth media (low-nitrogen liquid medium containing ground coniferous wood, and malt extract broth). F. pinicola was an outstanding producer of oxalic acid (up to 61 mM), whereas presence of P. radiata prevented acidification of the growth environment in the liquid malt-extract cultures. When enzyme profiles of the species combinations were clustered, time-dependent changes were observed on wood-supplemented medium during the eight weeks of growth. End-point acidity and production of mycelium, oxalic acid and oxidoreductase activities, in turn clustered the fungal combinations into three distinct functional groups, determined by the presence of F. pinicola and P. radiata, by principal component analysis. Our findings indicate that combinations of wood-decay fungi have dramatic dynamic effects on the production of lignocellulose-active enzymes, which may lead to divergent degradative processes of dead wood and forest litter. PMID:28953947

Multiple Multi-Copper Oxidase Gene Families in Basidiomycetes – What for?

PubMed Central

Kües, Ursula; Rühl, Martin

2011-01-01

Genome analyses revealed in various basidiomycetes the existence of multiple genes for blue multi-copper oxidases (MCOs). Whole genomes are now available from saprotrophs, white rot and brown rot species, plant and animal pathogens and ectomycorrhizal species. Total numbers (from 1 to 17) and types of mco genes differ between analyzed species with no easy to recognize connection of gene distribution to fungal life styles. Types of mco genes might be present in one and absent in another fungus. Distinct types of genes have been multiplied at speciation in different organisms. Phylogenetic analysis defined different subfamilies of laccases sensu stricto (specific to Agaricomycetes), classical Fe2+-oxidizing Fet3-like ferroxidases, potential ferroxidases/laccases exhibiting either one or both of these enzymatic functions, enzymes clustering with pigment MCOs and putative ascorbate oxidases. Biochemically best described are laccases sensu stricto due to their proposed roles in degradation of wood, straw and plant litter and due to the large interest in these enzymes in biotechnology. However, biological functions of laccases and other MCOs are generally little addressed. Functions in substrate degradation, symbiontic and pathogenic intercations, development, pigmentation and copper homeostasis have been put forward. Evidences for biological functions are in most instances rather circumstantial by correlations of expression. Multiple factors impede research on biological functions such as difficulties of defining suitable biological systems for molecular research, the broad and overlapping substrate spectrum multi-copper oxidases usually possess, the low existent knowledge on their natural substrates, difficulties imposed by low expression or expression of multiple enzymes, and difficulties in expressing enzymes heterologously. PMID:21966246

Deception Island, Antarctica, harbors a diverse assemblage of wood decay fungi.

PubMed

Held, Benjamin W; Blanchette, Robert A

2017-02-01

Very little is known about fungal diversity in Antarctica as compared to other biomes and how these important organisms function in this unusual ecosystem. Perhaps one of the most unusual ecosystems is that of Deception Island; an active volcanic island part of the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic Peninsula. Here we describe the fungal diversity associated with historic wood from structures on the island, which reveals a diverse fungal assemblage of known wood decay fungi as well as the discovery of undescribed species. The major group of wood decay fungi identified were species of Cadophora and as shown in previous studies in other geographic regions of Antarctica, they caused a soft-rot type of decay in the introduced woods. Additionally, unlike other areas of Antarctica that have been studied, filamentous basidiomycetes (Hypochniciellum spp. and Pholiota spp.) were also identified that have different modes of degradation including brown and white rot. Matches of fungal sequences to known species in temperate regions likely introduced on building materials indicates human influences and volcanic activity have greatly impacted fungal diversity. Lahars (mudslides from volcanic activity) have partially buried many of the structures and the buried environment as well as the moist, warm soils provided conditions conducive for fungal growth that are not found in other regions of Antarctica. The diverse assemblage of decay fungi and different forms of wood decomposition add to the difficulty of conserving wooden structures at these important polar heritage sites. Copyright © 2016 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interactions affect hyphal growth and enzyme profiles in combinations of coniferous wood-decaying fungi of Agaricomycetes.

PubMed

Mali, Tuulia; Kuuskeri, Jaana; Shah, Firoz; Lundell, Taina Kristina

2017-01-01

Fomitopsis pinicola is a species of Polyporales frequently encountered in Nordic temperate and boreal forests. In nature, the fungus causes destructive brown rot in wood, colonizing tree trunks often occupied by other Basidiomycota species. We mimicked these species-species interactions by introducing F. pinicola to five white rot species, all common saprotrophs of Norway spruce. Hyphal interactions and mycelial growth in various combinations were recorded, while activities of lignocellulose-acting CAZymes and oxidoreductases were followed in co-cultures on two different carbon-source media. Of the species, Phlebia radiata and Trichaptum abietinum were the strongest producers of lignin-modifying oxidoreductases (laccase, manganese peroxidase) when evaluated alone, as well as in co-cultures, on the two different growth media (low-nitrogen liquid medium containing ground coniferous wood, and malt extract broth). F. pinicola was an outstanding producer of oxalic acid (up to 61 mM), whereas presence of P. radiata prevented acidification of the growth environment in the liquid malt-extract cultures. When enzyme profiles of the species combinations were clustered, time-dependent changes were observed on wood-supplemented medium during the eight weeks of growth. End-point acidity and production of mycelium, oxalic acid and oxidoreductase activities, in turn clustered the fungal combinations into three distinct functional groups, determined by the presence of F. pinicola and P. radiata, by principal component analysis. Our findings indicate that combinations of wood-decay fungi have dramatic dynamic effects on the production of lignocellulose-active enzymes, which may lead to divergent degradative processes of dead wood and forest litter.

First report of Fusarium proliferatum causing dry rot in Michigan commercial potato (Solanum tuberosum) production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fusarium dry rot of potato is a postharvest disease caused by several Fusarium spp. and is of worldwide importance. Thirteen Fusarium spp. have been implicated in fungal dry rots of potatoes worldwide. Among them, 11 species have been reported causing potato dry rot of seed tubers in the northern Un...

Treatment with acetazolamide of brain-stem and spinal paroxysmal disturbances in multiple sclerosis.

PubMed Central

Voiculescu, V; Pruskauer-Apostol, B; Alecu, C

1975-01-01

Nine cases of multiple sclerosis with paroxysmal disorders were treated with acetazolamide. In most cases a brain-stem origin of the seizures was suggested by their particular pattern: crossed syndromes (facial spasm associated with contralateral weakness of the arm and leg, paroxysmal paraesthesiae in one side of the face and weakness of the contralateral leg), paroxysmal dysarthria, and ataxia. One patient with a Brown-Sequard syndrome complained of paroxysmal paraesthesiae in the lower limbs, for which a spinal origin was admitted. In all patients the paroxysmal disorders were promptly suppressed or markedly reduced by acetazolamide. PMID:1151400

Intermittent Fasting Applied in Combination with Rotenone Treatment Exacerbates Dopamine Neurons Degeneration in Mice

PubMed Central

Tatulli, Giuseppe; Mitro, Nico; Cannata, Stefano M.; Audano, Matteo; Caruso, Donatella; D’Arcangelo, Giovanna; Lettieri-Barbato, Daniele; Aquilano, Katia

2018-01-01

Intermittent fasting (IF) was suggested to be a powerful nutritional strategy to prevent the onset of age-related neurodegenerative diseases associated with compromised brain bioenergetics. Whether the application of IF in combination with a mitochondrial insult could buffer the neurodegenerative process has never been explored yet. Herein, we defined the effects of IF in C57BL/6J mice treated once per 24 h with rotenone (Rot) for 28 days. Rot is a neurotoxin that inhibits the mitochondrial complex I and causes dopamine neurons degeneration, thus reproducing the neurodegenerative process observed in Parkinson’s disease (PD). IF (24 h alternate-day fasting) was applied alone or in concomitance with Rot treatment (Rot/IF). IF and Rot/IF groups showed the same degree of weight loss when compared to control and Rot groups. An accelerating rotarod test revealed that only Rot/IF mice have a decreased ability to sustain the test at the higher speeds. Rot/IF group showed a more marked decrease of dopaminergic neurons and increase in alpha-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation with respect to Rot group in the substantia nigra (SN). Through lipidomics and metabolomics analyses, we found that in the SN of Rot/IF mice a significant elevation of excitatory amino acids, inflammatory lysophospholipids and sphingolipids occurred. Collectively, our data suggest that, when applied in combination with neurotoxin exposure, IF does not exert neuroprotective effects but rather exacerbate neuronal death by increasing the levels of excitatory amino acids and inflammatory lipids in association with altered brain membrane composition. PMID:29387000

Intermittent Fasting Applied in Combination with Rotenone Treatment Exacerbates Dopamine Neurons Degeneration in Mice.

PubMed

Tatulli, Giuseppe; Mitro, Nico; Cannata, Stefano M; Audano, Matteo; Caruso, Donatella; D'Arcangelo, Giovanna; Lettieri-Barbato, Daniele; Aquilano, Katia

2018-01-01

Intermittent fasting (IF) was suggested to be a powerful nutritional strategy to prevent the onset of age-related neurodegenerative diseases associated with compromised brain bioenergetics. Whether the application of IF in combination with a mitochondrial insult could buffer the neurodegenerative process has never been explored yet. Herein, we defined the effects of IF in C57BL/6J mice treated once per 24 h with rotenone (Rot) for 28 days. Rot is a neurotoxin that inhibits the mitochondrial complex I and causes dopamine neurons degeneration, thus reproducing the neurodegenerative process observed in Parkinson's disease (PD). IF (24 h alternate-day fasting) was applied alone or in concomitance with Rot treatment (Rot/IF). IF and Rot/IF groups showed the same degree of weight loss when compared to control and Rot groups. An accelerating rotarod test revealed that only Rot/IF mice have a decreased ability to sustain the test at the higher speeds. Rot/IF group showed a more marked decrease of dopaminergic neurons and increase in alpha-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation with respect to Rot group in the substantia nigra (SN). Through lipidomics and metabolomics analyses, we found that in the SN of Rot/IF mice a significant elevation of excitatory amino acids, inflammatory lysophospholipids and sphingolipids occurred. Collectively, our data suggest that, when applied in combination with neurotoxin exposure, IF does not exert neuroprotective effects but rather exacerbate neuronal death by increasing the levels of excitatory amino acids and inflammatory lipids in association with altered brain membrane composition.

Interference of fission amplitudes of neutron resonances and T-odd asymmetry for various prescission third particles in the ternary fission of nuclei

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kadmensky, S. G., E-mail: kadmensky@phys.vsu.ru; Bunakov, V. E.; Kadmensky, S. S.

Differential cross sections for reactions of the true ternary fission of nuclei that was induced by cold polarized neutrons were constructed with allowance of the effect that Coriolis interaction and the interference between fission amplitudes of neutron resonances excited in fissile nuclei upon incidentneutron capture by target nuclei exerted on angular distributions of prescission third particles (alpha particles, neutrons, or photons). It is shown that T -odd TRI- and ROT-type asymmetries for prescission alpha particles are associated with, respectively, the odd and even components of the Coriolis interaction-perturbed amplitude of angular distributions of particles belonging to the types indicated above.more » These asymmetries have angular distributions differing from each other and stemming from a nontrivial dependence of these components on the neutron-resonance spins J{sub s} and their projections K{sub s} onto the symmetry axis of the nucleus involved. It is shown that angular distributions of prescission photons and neutrons from reactions of the ternary fission of nuclei that is induced by cold polarized neutrons are determined by the effect of Coriolis forces exclusively. Therefore, the emerging T-odd asymmetries have a character of a ROT-type asymmetry and are universal for all target nuclei.« less

Red Rot of Ponderosa Pine (FIDL)

Treesearch

Stuart R. Andrews

1971-01-01

Red rot caused by the fungus Polyporus anceps Peck is the most important heart rot of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) in the Southwest (in Arizona and New Mexico), the Black Hills of South Dakota, and some localities in Colorado, Montana, and Idaho. It causes only insignificant losses to this species elsewhere in the West. The red rot fungus rarely attacks other...

Grapevine bunch rots: impacts on wine composition, quality, and potential procedures for the removal of wine faults.

PubMed

Steel, Christopher C; Blackman, John W; Schmidtke, Leigh M

2013-06-05

Bunch rot of grape berries causes economic loss to grape and wine production worldwide. The organisms responsible are largely filamentous fungi, the most common of these being Botrytis cinerea (gray mold); however, there are a range of other fungi responsible for the rotting of grapes such as Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., and fungi found in subtropical climates (e.g., Colletotrichum spp. (ripe rot) and Greeneria uvicola (bitter rot)). A further group more commonly associated with diseases of the vegetative tissues of the vine can also infect grape berries (e.g., Botryosphaeriaceae, Phomopsis viticola ). The impact these fungi have on wine quality is poorly understood as are remedial practices in the winery to minimize wine faults. Compounds found in bunch rot affected grapes and wine are typically described as having mushroom, earthy odors and include geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-octen-1-ol, fenchol, and fenchone. This review examines the current state of knowledge about bunch rot of grapes and how this plant disease complex affects wine chemistry. Current wine industry practices to minimize wine faults and gaps in our understanding of how grape bunch rot diseases affect wine production and quality are also identified.

Black wilt of hop (Humulus lupulus) caused by Diplodia seriata in New York State

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In August 2012, wilted hop bines were observed in a yard near Seneca Castle, New York, affecting 10 to 20% of the plants. Affected bines had a dark stem discoloration and wilted leaves, which remained attached after bines were killed. Dark brown to black erumpent pycnidia were aggregated in the cor...

Introduction to the LRAPP Environmental-Acoustic Data Bank

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-06-01

those provided by tte Data 3ank are also possible via the CRE&T! module. 3-. W _ý REGIONAL DATA BASE COMPONENT DATA FILES PLOTTER TABULR CHRTSNAAPS...stems Group 7600 C"lhire Drive McLean, VA 22101• ~ATTN: R T. Brown I. Gereben Undersea Res,.arch Corp. 7777 Leesburg !ulke Suite 306 Falls Church, VA

Increasing the Number of African American PhDs in the Sciences and Engineering A Strengths-Based Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maton, Kenneth I.; Hrabowski, Freeman A.

2004-01-01

Fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, the percentage of African American students who receive PhDs in natural science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields remains disappointingly low. A multifaceted, strengths-based approach to intervention and research that holds great promise for increasing the number of African…

Evaluation of lactoperoxidase system treatment to reduce anthracnose, stem-end rot, and bacterial black spot development during storage of mangoes.

PubMed

Le Nguyen, Doan Duy; Ducamp, Marie-Noelle; Dornier, Manuel; Montet, Didier; Reynes, Max; Loiseau, Gérard

2005-08-01

The lactoperoxidase system (LPS) was evaluated for the prevention of postharvest diseases caused by Xanthomonas campestris, Botryodiplodia theobromae, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in 'Keitt' and 'Kent' mangoes. The LPS treatment significantly reduced the disease development on both cultivars after storage at 12 degrees C for 2 weeks, which was followed by a ripening at 25 degrees C. The LPS treatment did not alter the sensory quality of mango fruits (color, firmness, titrable acidity, and total soluble solids) when compared to untreated fruits. The LPS thus presents good potential alternative to the chemical fungicides traditionally used to improve the shelf life of mangoes.

CNS β3-adrenergic receptor activation regulates feeding behavior, white fat browning, and body weight.

PubMed

Richard, Jennifer E; López-Ferreras, Lorena; Chanclón, Belén; Eerola, Kim; Micallef, Peter; Skibicka, Karolina P; Wernstedt Asterholm, Ingrid

2017-09-01

Pharmacological β 3 -adrenergic receptor (β 3 AR) activation leads to increased mitochondrial biogenesis and activity in white adipose tissue (WAT), a process commonly referred to as "browning", and transiently increased insulin release. These effects are associated with improved metabolic function and weight loss. It is assumed that this impact of β 3 AR agonists is mediated solely through activation of β 3 ARs in adipose tissue. However, β 3 ARs are also found in the brain, in areas such as the brain stem and the hypothalamus, which provide multisynaptic innervation to brown and white adipose depots. Thus, contrary to the current adipocentric view, the central nervous system (CNS) may also have the ability to regulate energy balance and metabolism through actions on central β 3 ARs. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate whether CNS β 3 ARs can regulate browning of WAT and other aspects of metabolic regulation, such as food intake control and insulin release. We found that acute central injection of β 3 AR agonist potently reduced food intake, body weight, and increased hypothalamic neuronal activity in rats. Acute central β 3 AR stimulation was also accompanied by a transient increase in circulating insulin levels. Moreover, subchronic central β 3 AR agonist treatment led to a browning response in both inguinal (IWAT) and gonadal WAT (GWAT), along with reduced GWAT and increased BAT mass. In high-fat, high-sugar-fed rats, subchronic central β 3 AR stimulation reduced body weight, chow, lard, and sucrose water intake, in addition to increasing browning of IWAT and GWAT. Collectively, our results identify the brain as a new site of action for the anorexic and browning impact of β 3 AR activation. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

The emerging contribution of social wasps to grape rot disease ecology

PubMed Central

Boyden, Sean D.; Soriano, Jonathan-Andrew N.; Corey, Tyler B.; Leff, Jonathan W.; Fierer, Noah; Starks, Philip T.

2017-01-01

Grape sour (bunch) rot is a polymicrobial disease of vineyards that causes millions of dollars in lost revenue per year due to decreased quality of grapes and resultant wine. The disease is associated with damaged berries infected with a community of acetic acid bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi that results in rotting berries with high amounts of undesirable volatile acidity. Many insect species cause the initial grape berry damage that can lead to this disease, but most studies have focused on the role of fruit flies in facilitating symptoms and vectoring the microorganisms of this disease complex. Like fruit flies, social wasps are abundant in vineyards where they feed on ripe berries and cause significant damage, while also dispersing yeasts involved in wine fermentation. Despite this, their possible role in disease facilitation and dispersal of grape rots has not been explored. We tested the hypothesis that the paper wasp Polistes dominulus could facilitate grape sour rot in the absence of other insect vectors. Using marker gene sequencing we characterized the bacterial and fungal community of wild-caught adults. We used a sterilized foraging arena to determine if these wasps transfer viable microorganisms when foraging. We then tested if wasps harboring their native microbial community, or those inoculated with sour rot, had an effect on grape sour rot incidence and severity using a laboratory foraging arena. We found that all wasps harbor some portion of the sour rot microbial community and that they have the ability to transfer viable microorganisms when foraging. Foraging by inoculated and uninoculated wasps led to an increase in berry rot disease symptom severity and incidence. Our results indicate that paper wasps can facilitate sour rot diseases in the absence of other vectors and that the mechanism of this facilitation may include both increasing host susceptibility and transmitting these microbial communities to the grapes. Social wasps are understudied but relevant players in the sour rot ecology of vineyards. PMID:28462032

Structure of Rot, a global regulator of virulence genes in Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Zhu, Yuwei; Fan, Xiaojiao; Zhang, Xu; Jiang, Xuguang; Niu, Liwen; Teng, Maikun; Li, Xu

2014-09-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a highly versatile pathogen that can infect human tissue by producing a large arsenal of virulence factors that are tightly regulated by a complex regulatory network. Rot, which shares sequence similarity with SarA homologues, is a global regulator that regulates numerous virulence genes. However, the recognition model of Rot for the promoter region of target genes and the putative regulation mechanism remain elusive. In this study, the 1.77 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of Rot is reported. The structure reveals that two Rot molecules form a compact homodimer, each of which contains a typical helix-turn-helix module and a β-hairpin motif connected by a flexible loop. Fluorescence polarization results indicate that Rot preferentially recognizes AT-rich dsDNA with ~30-base-pair nucleotides and that the conserved positively charged residues on the winged-helix motif are vital for binding to the AT-rich dsDNA. It is proposed that the DNA-recognition model of Rot may be similar to that of SarA, SarR and SarS, in which the helix-turn-helix motifs of each monomer interact with the major grooves of target dsDNA and the winged motifs contact the minor grooves. Interestingly, the structure shows that Rot adopts a novel dimerization model that differs from that of other SarA homologues. As expected, perturbation of the dimer interface abolishes the dsDNA-binding ability of Rot, suggesting that Rot functions as a dimer. In addition, the results have been further confirmed in vivo by measuring the transcriptional regulation of α-toxin, a major virulence factor produced by most S. aureus strains.

New insights into the ecological interaction between grape berry microorganisms and Drosophila flies during the development of sour rot.

PubMed

Barata, André; Santos, Sara Correia; Malfeito-Ferreira, Manuel; Loureiro, Virgílio

2012-08-01

In this work, we studied the ecological interactions between grape berry microorganisms and Drosophila sp. flies involved in sour rot disease during grape ripening. After veráison the total microbial counts of grape berries affected by sour rot increased from about 2 log CFU/g of berries to more than 7 log CFU/g. Berry damage provoked a clear shift in yeast diversity from basidiomycetes to ascomycetous fermentative species. The latter were mostly Pichia terricola, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Candida zemplinina, and Zygoascus hellenicus. However, these species were not able to produce the metabolites characteristic of sour rot (gluconic and acetic acids) in inoculated berries. On the contrary, the acetic acid bacteria Gluconacetobacter saccharivorans produced high levels of these acids, mainly when berries were incubated in the presence of the insect Drosophila sp. Sour rot was not observed when grape bunches were physically separated from insects, even when berries were artificially injured. The wounds made in berry skin healed in the absence of insects, thus preventing the development of sour rot. Therefore, in the vineyard, the induction of sour rot depends on the contamination of wounded berries by a microbial consortium--yeasts and acetic acid bacteria--transported by drosophilid insects which disseminate sour rot among damaged berries. In the absence of these insects, plant defense mechanisms are effective and lead to skin healing, preventing disease spread. Thus, we showed that Drosophila sp. act as a vector for microorganisms associated with grape sour rot disease.

Lsd1 regulates skeletal muscle regeneration and directs the fate of satellite cells.

PubMed

Tosic, Milica; Allen, Anita; Willmann, Dominica; Lepper, Christoph; Kim, Johnny; Duteil, Delphine; Schüle, Roland

2018-01-25

Satellite cells are muscle stem cells required for muscle regeneration upon damage. Of note, satellite cells are bipotent and have the capacity to differentiate not only into skeletal myocytes, but also into brown adipocytes. Epigenetic mechanisms regulating fate decision and differentiation of satellite cells during muscle regeneration are not yet fully understood. Here, we show that elevated levels of lysine-specific demethylase 1 (Kdm1a, also known as Lsd1) have a beneficial effect on muscle regeneration and recovery after injury, since Lsd1 directly regulates key myogenic transcription factor genes. Importantly, selective Lsd1 ablation or inhibition in Pax7-positive satellite cells, not only delays muscle regeneration, but changes cell fate towards brown adipocytes. Lsd1 prevents brown adipocyte differentiation of satellite cells by repressing expression of the novel pro-adipogenic transcription factor Glis1. Together, downregulation of Glis1 and upregulation of the muscle-specific transcription program ensure physiological muscle regeneration.

Brown adipose tissue growth and development: significance and nutritional regulation.

PubMed

Satterfield, Michael Carey; Wu, Guoyao

2011-01-01

The last decade has witnessed a profound resurgence in brown adipose tissue (BAT) research. The need for such a dramatic increase stems from the ever-growing trend toward global obesity. Indeed, it is currently estimated that rates of obesity in developed countries such as the United States exceed 35% of the population (1). The higher incidence of obesity is associated with increased prevalence of the metabolic syndrome including diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease, among others (1, 2). BAT holds great promise in combating obesity given its unprecedented metabolic capacity. Leading the way has been recent studies, which conclusively demonstrate significant quantities of functional BAT in adult humans (3-7). These findings have been complimented by elegant studies elucidating the developmental origin of the brown adipocyte and the transcriptional regulation involved in its differentiation. This review will attempt to meld the wealth of new information regarding BAT development with established literature to provide an up to date synopsis of what is known and thus a framework for future research directions.

Effect of Environment and Sugar Beet Genotype on Root Rot Development and Pathogen Profile During Storage.

PubMed

Liebe, Sebastian; Varrelmann, Mark

2016-01-01

Storage rots represent an economically important factor impairing the storability of sugar beet by increasing sucrose losses and invert sugar content. Understanding the development of disease management strategies, knowledge about major storage pathogens, and factors influencing their occurrence is crucial. In comprehensive storage trials conducted under controlled conditions, the effects of environment and genotype on rot development and associated quality changes were investigated. Prevalent species involved in rot development were identified by a newly developed microarray. The strongest effect on rot development was assigned to environment factors followed by genotypic effects. Despite large variation in rot severity (sample range 0 to 84%), the spectrum of microorganisms colonizing sugar beet remained fairly constant across all treatments with dominant species belonging to the fungal genera Botrytis, Fusarium, and Penicillium. The intensity of microbial tissue necrotization was strongly correlated with sucrose losses (R² = 0.79 to 0.91) and invert sugar accumulation (R² = 0.91 to 0.95). A storage rot resistance bioassay was developed that could successfully reproduce the genotype ranking observed in storage trials. Quantification of fungal biomass indicates that genetic resistance is based on a quantitative mechanism. Further work is required to understand the large environmental influence on rot development in sugar beet.

Functional characterization of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase in Brachypodium distachyon

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Lignin is a significant barrier in the conversion of plant biomass to bioethanol. Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) catalyze key steps in the pathway of lignin monomer biosynthesis. Brown midrib mutants in Zea mays and Sorghum bicolor with impaired CAD or COMT activity have attracted considerable agronomic interest for their altered lignin composition and improved digestibility. Here, we identified and functionally characterized candidate genes encoding CAD and COMT enzymes in the grass model species Brachypodium distachyon with the aim of improving crops for efficient biofuel production. Results We developed transgenic plants overexpressing artificial microRNA designed to silence BdCAD1 or BdCOMT4. Both transgenes caused altered flowering time and increased stem count and weight. Downregulation of BdCAD1 caused a leaf brown midrib phenotype, the first time this phenotype has been observed in a C3 plant. While acetyl bromide soluble lignin measurements were equivalent in BdCAD1 downregulated and control plants, histochemical staining and thioacidolysis indicated a decrease in lignin syringyl units and reduced syringyl/guaiacyl ratio in the transgenic plants. BdCOMT4 downregulated plants exhibited a reduction in total lignin content and decreased Maule staining of syringyl units in stem. Ethanol yield by microbial fermentation was enhanced in amiR-cad1-8 plants. Conclusion These results have elucidated two key genes in the lignin biosynthetic pathway in B. distachyon that, when perturbed, may result in greater stem biomass yield and bioconversion efficiency. PMID:23902793

RFLP-facilitated investigation of the quantitative resistance of rice to brown planthopper ( Nilaparvata lugens).

PubMed

Xu, X. F.; Mei, H. W.; Luo, L. J.; Cheng, X. N.; Li, Z. K.

2002-02-01

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs), conferring quantitative resistance to rice brown planthopper (BPH), were investigated using 160 F(11) recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from the Lemont/Teqing cross, a complete RFLP map, and replicated phenotyping of seedbox inoculation. The paternal indica parent, Teqing, was more-resistant to BPH than the maternal japonica parent, Lemont. The RILs showed transgressive segregation for resistance to BPH. Seven main-effect QTLs and many epistatic QTL pairs were identified and mapped on the 12 rice chromosomes. Collectively, the main-effect and epistatic QTLs accounted for over 70% of the total variation in damage scores. Teqing has the resistance allele at four main-effect QTLs, and the Lemont allele resulted in resistance at the other three. Of the main-effect QTLs identified, QBphr5b was mapped to the vicinity of gl1, a major gene controlling leaf and stem pubescence. The Teqing allele controlling leaf and stem pubescence was associated with resistance, while the Lemont allele for glabrous stem and leaves was associated with susceptibility, indicating that this gene may have contributed to resistance through antixenosis. Similar to the reported BPH resistance genes, the other six detected main-effect QTLs were all mapped to regions where major disease resistance genes locate, suggesting they might have contributed either to antibiosis or tolerance. Our results indicated that marker-aided pyramiding of major resistance genes and QTLs should provide effective and stable control over this devastating pest.

Senior Officer Course Manual. Military Justice and Civil Law.

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-01

power of attorney. Waiver of appellate review. Other O - Page check: sequential ; # of pages: 11-87 Index sheet. Copy of ROT served on accused; attach...statement. - Special power of attorney. __Waiver of appellate review. Other Page check: sequential ; # of pages: Index sheet. Copy of ROT served on accused...8217 questions. Appellate rights statement. Other Page check: sequential ; # of pages: Index sheet. Copy of ROT served on accused; attach receipt of ROT (or

Efficiency trial of 80% thiophanate-methyl and 72% streptomycin against konjac bacterial soft rot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Tianxing; Gong, Mingfu; Guan, Qinlan; Tan, Chunyan

2018-04-01

Amorphophallus konjac soft rot can cause severe yield losses, and the effects agent to prevent the disease had not been found currently in production. In this dissertation, inhibition on konjac soft rot bacteria of seven agricultural fungicides, as benzene ring yl ether, methyl thiophanate, streptomycin sulfate, methane frost hymexazol, bismerthiazol WP, gray mold and Dyson Mn-Zn, was determined by antagonistic petri dish method. The results indicated that: the tested fungicide s had certain inhibition on konjac soft rot bacteria, and the inhibitory effect of different fungicides was significant difference. 80% thiophanate-methyl and 72% streptomycin sulfate had a good inhibitory effect on konjac soft rot disease bacteria.

Development of Integrative STEM Curriculum: A Multiple Case Study of Multi-Disciplinary Teams in Two Pennsylvania High Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rider-Bertrand, Joey H.

At the start of the 21st century, STEM education was a new priority in many schools as the focus shifted from separate disciplines to integrative STEM education. Unfortunately, there was limited research to offer guidance to practitioners (Brown, 2012; Honey, Pearson & Schweingruber, 2014). This qualitative, multiple case study explored the experiences of two multi-disciplinary teams of secondary teachers from Pennsylvania who developed and implemented integrative STEM curriculum. Four teachers from a rural high school and four teachers from a suburban high school participated in the study. A document review of integrative STEM curriculum and semi-structured interviews were conducted to learn about the curriculum development process and teachers' perceptions regarding conditions that support or hinder success. Individual and cross-case analyses were performed to establish findings and themes. Although the individual case themes varied slightly, the cross-case themes and assertions that emerged provided highly sought after guidance to practitioners and added to the limited body of research on integrative STEM education. This study found that current curriculum models do not fit integrative STEM curriculum, the development process is fluid, and substantial administrative support and resources are necessary to develop, implement, and sustain integrative STEM education programs. The results offered implications for all educators, as well as two examples of how teachers navigated the terrain of integrative STEM curriculum.

9 CFR 590.510 - Classifications of shell eggs used in the processing of egg products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... to include black rots, white rots, mixed rots, green whites, eggs with diffused blood in the albumen... any other filthy and decomposed eggs including the following: (1) Any egg with visible foreign matter...

9 CFR 590.510 - Classifications of shell eggs used in the processing of egg products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... to include black rots, white rots, mixed rots, green whites, eggs with diffused blood in the albumen... any other filthy and decomposed eggs including the following: (1) Any egg with visible foreign matter...

Understanding the gender gap: Social cognitive changes during an introductory stem course.

PubMed

Hardin, Erin E; Longhurst, Melanie O

2016-03-01

Despite robust support for the basic theoretical model of social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) and predictions that, for example, increases (or declines) in self-efficacy would lead to subsequent increases (or declines) in interest, there has been surprisingly little longitudinal research that has directly examined the extent to which members of different groups (e.g., women and men) actually do experience changes in critical social-cognitive variables over time early in their curricula in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Knowing the extent to which such changes occur in typical introductory undergraduate courses is important for targeting interventions to increase persistence of underrepresented groups in STEM. We measured social-cognitive-career-theory-relevant variables near the middle and at the end of the 1st semester of a gateway introductory chemistry course and found that women had lower STEM self-efficacy, coping self-efficacy, and STEM interest than did men, even after controlling for actual course performance. Although there were no detrimental changes across the semester for women or men, men experienced a small but significant increase in their perceived support for pursuing a STEM degree, whereas women did not. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Growth in microgravity increases susceptibility of soybean to a fungal pathogen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryba-White, M.; Nedukha, O.; Hilaire, E.; Guikema, J. A.; Kordyum, E.; Leach, J. E.; Spooner, B. S. (Principal Investigator)

2001-01-01

The influence of microgravity on the susceptibility of soybean roots to Phytophthora sojae was studied during the Space Shuttle Mission STS-87. Seedlings of soybean cultivar Williams 82 grown in spaceflight or at unit gravity were untreated or inoculated with the soybean root rot pathogen P. sojae. At 3, 6 and 7 d after launch while still in microgravity, seedlings were photographed and then fixed for subsequent microscopic analysis. Post-landing analysis of the seedlings revealed that at harvest day 7 the length of untreated roots did not differ between flight and ground samples. However, the flight-grown roots infected with P. sojae showed more disease symptoms (percentage of brown and macerated areas) and the root tissues were more extensively colonized relative to the ground controls exposed to the fungus. Ethylene levels were higher in spaceflight when compared to ground samples. These data suggest that soybean seedlings grown in microgravity are more susceptible to colonization by a fungal pathogen relative to ground controls.

Functional characterization of a thermostable endoglucanase belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 45 from Fomitopsis palustris.

PubMed

Cha, Ju-Hee; Yoon, Jeong-Jun; Cha, Chang-Jun

2018-05-22

A gene encoding an endoglucanase belonging to subfamily C of glycoside hydrolase family 45 (GH45) was identified in the brown rot fungus Fomitopsis palustris and functionally expressed in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant protein displayed hydrolytic activities toward various substrates such as carboxymethyl cellulose, phosphoric acid swollen cellulose, glucomannan, lichenan, and β-glucan. In particular, the enzyme had a unique catalytic efficiency on β-1,4-glucans rather than mixed β-1,3/1,4-glucans as compared to other GH45 endoglucanases. The fungal enzyme was relatively thermostable, retaining more than 91.4% activity at 80 °C for 1 h. Site-directed mutagenesis studies revealed that the mutants N95D and D117N had significantly reduced enzymatic activities, indicating that both residues are essential for the catalytic reaction. Our study expands knowledge and understanding of the catalytic mechanism of GH45 subfamily C enzymes and also suggests that this thermostable endoglucanase from F. palustris has great potential in industrial applications.

Biofumigation on Post-Harvest Diseases of Fruits Using a New Volatile-Producing Fungus of Ceratocystis fimbriata

PubMed Central

Li, Qian; Wu, Lei; Hao, Jianjun; Luo, Laixin; Cao, Yongsong; Li, Jianqiang

2015-01-01

A variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by Ceratocystis fimbriata have strong bioactivity against a wide range of fungi, bacteria and oomycetes. Mycelial growth, conidial production, and spore germination of fungi and oomycetes were significantly inhibited after exposure to cultures of C. fimbriata, and colony formation of bacteria was also inhibited. Two post-harvest diseases, peach brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola and citrus green mold caused by Penicillium digitatum, were controlled during a 4-day storage by enclosing wound-inoculated fruits with 10 standard diameter Petri plate cultures of C. fimbriata in a 15 L box. The fruits were freshly inoculated at onset of storage and the cultures of C. fimbriata were 6 days old. Percentage of control was 92 and 97%, respectively. After exposure to C. fimbriata VOCs, severely misshapen hyphae and conidia of these two post-harvest pathogens were observed by scanning electron microscopy, and their pathogenicity was lost or greatly reduced. PMID:26147922

Directional change in tunneling of subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in response to decayed wood attractants.

PubMed

Su, Nan-Yao

2005-04-01

Wood discs decayed with brown rot fungi and polymer discs impregnated with acetone extract of decayed wood were embedded in sand of a two-dimensional foraging arena to evaluate their attractant potential in directing termite tunnels toward them. Termites were released near one arena corner and were guided to follow the physical guideline of the arena edges. In the absence of the attractants, termites generally formed a relatively linear tunnel along the edges. When decayed wood discs or treated polymer discs were placed in wet sand near one side of the arena, termite tunnels departed from the arena edges and were oriented toward them. The attraction distance ranged from 12 to 18 cm. The attractant properties were most likely water soluble and permeated through wet sand to cause termites to change their orientation. The results demonstrated that when such attractants are placed near a bait station in the field, they may be used to direct termite foraging toward the station.

A comparative genomic analysis of the oxidative enzymes potentially involved in lignin degradation by Agaricus bisporus.

PubMed

Doddapaneni, Harshavardhan; Subramanian, Venkataramanan; Fu, Bolei; Cullen, Dan

2013-06-01

The oxidative enzymatic machinery for degradation of organic substrates in Agaricus bisporus (Ab) is at the core of the carbon recycling mechanisms in this fungus. To date, 156 genes have been tentatively identified as part of this oxidative enzymatic machinery, which includes 26 peroxidase encoding genes, nine copper radical oxidase [including three putative glyoxal oxidase-encoding genes (GLXs)], 12 laccases sensu stricto and 109 cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. Comparative analyses of these enzymes in Ab with those of the white-rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, the brown-rot fungus, Postia placenta, the coprophilic litter fungus, Coprinopsis cinerea and the ectomychorizal fungus, Laccaria bicolor, revealed enzyme diversity consistent with adaptation to substrates rich in humic substances and partially degraded plant material. For instance, relative to wood decay fungi, Ab cytochrome P450 genes were less numerous (109 gene models), distributed among distinctive families, and lacked extensive duplication and clustering. Viewed together with P450 transcript accumulation patterns in three tested growth conditions, these observations were consistent with the unique Ab lifestyle. Based on tandem gene arrangements, a certain degree of gene duplication seems to have occurred in this fungus in the copper radical oxidase (CRO) and the laccase gene families. In Ab, high transcript levels and regulation of the heme-thiolate peroxidases, two manganese peroxidases and the three GLX-like genes are likely in response to complex natural substrates, including lignocellulose and its derivatives, thereby suggesting an important role in lignin degradation. On the other hand, the expression patterns of the related CROs suggest a developmental role in this fungus. Based on these observations, a brief comparative genomic overview of the Ab oxidative enzyme machinery is presented. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Disease notes - Bacterial root rot

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bacterial root rot initiated by lactic acid bacteria, particularly Leuconostoc, occurs every year in Idaho sugarbeet fields. Hot fall weather seems to make the problem worse. Although Leuconostoc initiates the rot, other bacteria and yeast frequently invade the tissue as well. The acetic acid bac...

Associations of planting date, drought stress, and insects with Fusarium ear rot and fumonisin B1 contamination in California maize.

PubMed

Parsons, M W; Munkvold, G P

2010-05-01

Fusarium ear rot, caused by Fusarium verticillioides, is one of the most common diseases of maize, causing yield and quality reductions and contamination of grain by fumonisins and other mycotoxins. Drought stress and various insects have been implicated as factors affecting disease severity. Field studies were conducted to evaluate the interactions and relative influences of drought stress, insect infestation, and planting date upon Fusarium ear rot severity and fumonisin B1 contamination. Three hybrids varying in partial resistance to Fusarium ear rot were sown on three planting dates and subjected to four irrigation regimes to induce differing levels of drought stress. A foliar-spray insecticide treatment was imposed to induce differing levels of insect injury. Populations of thrips (Frankliniella spp.), damage by corn earworm (Helicoverpa zeae), Fusarium ear rot symptoms, and fumonisin B1 levels were assessed. There were significant effects of hybrid, planting date, insecticide treatment, and drought stress on Fusarium ear rot symptoms and fumonisin B1 contamination, and these factors also had significant interacting effects. The most influential factors were hybrid and insecticide treatment, but their effects were influenced by planting date and drought stress. The more resistant hybrids and the insecticide-treated plots consistently had lower Fusarium ear rot severity and fumonisin B1 contamination. Later planting dates typically had higher thrips populations, more Fusarium ear rot, and higher levels of fumonisin B1. Insect activity was significantly correlated with disease severity and fumonisin contamination, and the correlations were strongest for thrips. The results of this study confirm the influence of thrips on Fusarium ear rot severity in California, USA, and also establish a strong association between thrips and fumonisin B1 levels.

Recovery of Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Symmetry After an Acute Unilateral Peripheral Vestibular Deficit: Time Course and Correlation With Canal Paresis.

PubMed

Allum, John H J; Cleworth, T; Honegger, Flurin

2016-07-01

We investigated how response asymmetries and deficit side response amplitudes for head accelerations used clinically to test the vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) are correlated with caloric canal paresis (CP) values. 30 patients were examined at onset of an acute unilateral peripheral vestibular deficit (aUPVD) and 3, 6, and 13 weeks later with three different VOR tests: caloric, rotating chair (ROT), and video head impulse tests (vHIT). Response changes over time were fitted with an exponential decay model and compared with using linear regression analysis. Recovery times (to within 10% of steady state) were similar for vHIT-asymmetry and CP (>10 weeks) but shorter for ROT asymmetry (<4 weeks). Regressions with CP were similar (vHIT asymmetry, R = 0.68, ROT, R = 0.62). Responses to the deficit side were also equally well correlated with CP values (R = 0.71). Specificity for vHIT and 20 degrees/s ROT deficit side responses was 100% in comparison to CP values, sensitivity was 74% for vHIT, 75% for ROT. A decrease in normal side responses occurred for ROT but not for vHIT at 3 weeks. Normal side responses were weekly correlated with CP for ROT (R = 0.49) but not for vHIT (R = 0.17). These results indicate that vHIT deficit side VOR gains are slightly better correlated with CP values than ROT, probably because of similar recovery time courses of vHIT and caloric responses and the lack of normal side vHIT changes. However, specificity and sensitivity is the same for vHIT and ROT tests.

Rotational Modulation and Activity Cycles at Rotational Extremes: 25 yrs of NURO Photometry for HII 1883

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milingo, Jackie; Saar, Steven; Marschall, Laurence

2018-01-01

We present a 25 yr compilation of V-band differential photometry for the Pleiades K dwarf HII 1883 (V660 Tau). HII 1883 has a rotational period of ~ 0.24 d and displays significant rotational modulation due to non-uniform surface brightness or "starspots". Preliminary work yields a cycle period of ~ 9 yrs and rotational shear (ΔP_rot/) considerably less than solar. HII 1883 is one of the fastest rotating single stars with a known cycle. With additional data available we compare newly determined P_cyc and ΔP_rot/ values with those of other stars, putting HII 1883 into the broader context of dynamo properties in single cool dwarfs.

Corky root rot

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corky root rot (corchosis) was first reported in Argentina in 1985, but the disease was presumably present long before that. The disease occurs in most alfalfa-growing areas of Argentina but is more common in older stands. In space-planted alfalfa trials scored for root problems, corky root rot was ...

Tolerance to Phytophthora Fruit Rot in Watermelon Plant Introductions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phytophthora capsici is distributed worldwide, and is an aggressive pathogen with a broad host range infecting solanaceous, leguminaceous, and cucurbitaceous crops. Fruit rot, caused by P. capsici is an emerging disease in most watermelon producing regions of Southeast US. Resistance to fruit rot o...

Jasmonic acid and salicylic acid inhibit growth of three sugarbeet storage rot pathogens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Storage rots contribute to postharvest losses by consuming sucrose and increasing carbohydrate impurities that increase sugar loss to molasses during processing. They also increase root respiration rate, which causes additional sucrose loss and contributes to pile warming. Currently, storage rots ...

Sugarbeet Cultivar Evaluation for Bacterial Root Rot

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bacterial root rot of sugarbeet caused by Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum is a disease problem recently described in the United States. To ameliorate the impact of bacterial root rot on sucrose loss in the field, storage piles, and factories, studies were conducted to establish an assa...

Cadmium uptake, accumulation, and remobilization in iron plaque and rice tissues at different growth stages.

PubMed

Zhou, Hang; Zhu, Wei; Yang, Wen-Tao; Gu, Jiao-Feng; Gao, Zi-Xiang; Chen, Li-Wei; Du, Wen-Qi; Zhang, Ping; Peng, Pei-Qin; Liao, Bo-Han

2018-05-15

Rice consumption is considered the main source of human dietary Cd intake in Southeast Asia. This study aimed to investigate Cd uptake, accumulation, and remobilization in iron plaque and rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. 'Xiangwanxian 12') tissues at different growth stages. A pot experiment was performed in two Cd-contaminated paddy soils. Cd concentrations in iron plaque and rice tissues at five different growth stages (tillering, booting, milky, dough, and maturing) were measured. Cd concentrations in iron plaque and rice tissues (roots, stems, leaves, spikelet, husks, and brown rice) varied with growth stage. Cd accumulation in rice plants increased with extending growth in both soils, reaching 15.3 and 35.4μg/pot, respectively, at the maturing stage. The amounts of Cd in brown rice increased from the milky to maturing stages, with the greatest percentage uptake during the maturing stage. Cd amount in iron plaque significantly affected the uptake and accumulation of Cd in roots and aerial parts of rice plants. Accumulated Cd in leaves was remobilized and transported during the booting to maturing stages, and the contributions of Cd transportation from leaves to brown rice were 30.0% and 22.5% in the two soils, respectively. A large amount of Cd accumulated in brown rice during the maturing stage. The transportation of remobilized Cd from leaves was also important for the accumulation of Cd in brown rice. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Matrix-Assisted Transplantation of Functional Beige Adipose Tissue

PubMed Central

Tharp, Kevin M.; Jha, Amit K.; Kraiczy, Judith; Yesian, Alexandra; Karateev, Grigory; Sinisi, Riccardo; Dubikovskaya, Elena A.

2015-01-01

Novel, clinically relevant, approaches to shift energy balance are urgently needed to combat metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. One promising approach has been the expansion of brown adipose tissues that express uncoupling protein (UCP) 1 and thus can uncouple mitochondrial respiration from ATP synthesis. While expansion of UCP1-expressing adipose depots may be achieved in rodents via genetic and pharmacological manipulations or the transplantation of brown fat depots, these methods are difficult to use for human clinical intervention. We present a novel cell scaffold technology optimized to establish functional brown fat–like depots in vivo. We adapted the biophysical properties of hyaluronic acid–based hydrogels to support the differentiation of white adipose tissue–derived multipotent stem cells (ADMSCs) into lipid-accumulating, UCP1-expressing beige adipose tissue. Subcutaneous implantation of ADMSCs within optimized hydrogels resulted in the establishment of distinct UCP1-expressing implants that successfully attracted host vasculature and persisted for several weeks. Importantly, implant recipients demonstrated elevated core body temperature during cold challenges, enhanced respiration rates, improved glucose homeostasis, and reduced weight gain, demonstrating the therapeutic merit of this highly translatable approach. This novel approach is the first truly clinically translatable system to unlock the therapeutic potential of brown fat–like tissue expansion. PMID:26293504

Nonchemical, cultural management strategies to suppress phytophthora root rot in northern highbush blueberry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phytophthora cinnamomi causes root rot of highbush blueberry and decreases plant growth, yield, and profitability for growers. Fungicides can suppress root rot, but cannot be used in certified organic production systems and fungicide resistance may develop. Alternative, non-chemical, cultural manag...

Genetic diversity and origins of Halyomorpha halys in the U.S. and of its potential biocontrol agent unexpectedly recovered from the wild in the United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a highly polyphagous pentatomid that is native to Eastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan). Its pest status stems from feeding damage on a wide range of vegetable crops, fruit trees, and ornamentals. The first...

Aralia spinosa L.

Treesearch

Kristina Connor

2004-01-01

Devil’s walking stick, also known as angelica tree, American angelica-tree, Hercules’ club, pigeon tree, pick tree, prickly ash, prickly elder, toothache bush, toothache tree, and shotbush, is a large, coarse textured shrub or small tree, ranging from 6 to 10 m in height. The sturdy, ash gray to brown stems have dense, stout prickles, and diameters to 15 cms are not...

How Direct Descendants of a School Lockout Achieved Academic Success: Resilience in the Educational Attainments of Prince Edward County's Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Randolph, Jr.

2013-01-01

From 1959 to 1964, approximately 1,700 Black children in Prince Edward County, Virginia were denied schooling, due to the county leaders' decision to close schools--a defiant response to federal racial desegregation mandates stemming from "Brown v. Board of Education" (1954, 1955). Yet from one of the most extreme cases of injustice in…

Callicarpa americana L.

Treesearch

K.F Connor

2004-01-01

American beautyberry is a shrub that can reach 2.4 to 2.7 m in height but is typically shorter, averaging 0.9 to 1.8 m. The irregular, spreading bush has an open growth habit and grows as a single plant or in colonies. Bark is brown and raised lenticels are found on older stems. The opposite, short-petioled, simple, deciduous leaves are ovate to elliptic in shape. They...

Enhancement of Adipocyte Browning by Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockade.

PubMed

Tsukuda, Kana; Mogi, Masaki; Iwanami, Jun; Kanno, Harumi; Nakaoka, Hirotomo; Wang, Xiao-Li; Bai, Hui-Yu; Shan, Bao-Shuai; Kukida, Masayoshi; Higaki, Akinori; Yamauchi, Toshifumi; Min, Li-Juan; Horiuchi, Masatsugu

2016-01-01

Browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) has been highlighted as a new possible therapeutic target for obesity, diabetes and lipid metabolic disorders, because WAT browning could increase energy expenditure and reduce adiposity. The new clusters of adipocytes that emerge with WAT browning have been named 'beige' or 'brite' adipocytes. Recent reports have indicated that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a role in various aspects of adipose tissue physiology and dysfunction. The biological effects of angiotensin II, a major component of RAS, are mediated by two receptor subtypes, angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and type 2 receptor (AT2R). However, the functional roles of angiotensin II receptor subtypes in WAT browning have not been defined. Therefore, we examined whether deletion of angiotensin II receptor subtypes (AT1aR and AT2R) may affect white-to-beige fat conversion in vivo. AT1a receptor knockout (AT1aKO) mice exhibited increased appearance of multilocular lipid droplets and upregulation of thermogenic gene expression in inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) compared to wild-type (WT) mice. AT2 receptor-deleted mice did not show miniaturization of lipid droplets or alteration of thermogenic gene expression levels in iWAT. An in vitro experiment using adipose tissue-derived stem cells showed that deletion of the AT1a receptor resulted in suppression of adipocyte differentiation, with reduction in expression of thermogenic genes. These results indicate that deletion of the AT1a receptor might have some effects on the process of browning of WAT and that blockade of the AT1 receptor could be a therapeutic target for the treatment of metabolic disorders.

Management of Rhizoctonia root and crown rot of subarbeet

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rhizoctonia root and crown rot is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani and is one of the most severe soil-borne diseases of sugarbeet in Minnesota and North Dakota. Rhizoctonia root and crown rot may reduce yield significantly, and diseased beets may cause problems in storage piles. Fields with...

Annosus Root Rot in Eastern Conifers

Treesearch

Kathryn Robbins

1984-01-01

The fungus Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref. (= Fomes annosus (Fr.) Karst.) causes a root and butt rot of conifers in many temperate parts of the world. The decay, called annosus root rot, often kills infected conifers; infected trees that survive grow more slowly and are susceptible to windthrow and bark beetle attack.

Pathogenicity and genetic diversity of Fusarium oxysporum causing soybean root rot in northeast China

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soybean is an important edible legume cultivated around the world. However, soybean production is seriously impacted by the widespread occurrence of root rot disease. In this study, genetic diversity and pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum associated with root rot of soybean in Heilongjiang province...

Evaluation of Sentinel-2A satellite imagery for mapping cotton root rot

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an economically important crop that is highly susceptible to cotton root rot. Remote sensing technology provides a useful and effective means for detecting and mapping cotton root rot infestations in cotton fields. This research assessed the potential of 10-m Sentin...

A diagnostic guide for Fusarium Root Rot of pea

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fusarium root rot, caused by Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi, is a major root rot pathogen in pea production areas worldwide. Here we provide a diagnostic guide that describes: the taxonomy of the pathogen, signs and symptoms of the pathogen, host range, geographic distribution, methods used to isolate ...

Sphaeropsis Collar Rot of Red and Jack Pines

Treesearch

Glen Stanosz; Linda Haugen; Joseph O' Brien

2002-01-01

Sphaeropsis collar rot has been detected in red and jack pines in Wisconsin and Michigan, and it could be affecting pines in other states. This disease may be less familiar than Sphaeropsis shoot blight, but both the incidence and the distribution of collar rot appear to be increasing.

Interpreting diplodiosis: bioactive metabolites in Stenocarpella maydis ear rot of maize

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stenocarpella maydis is a fungal pathogen of major importance that causes a dry-rot of maize ears and is associated with a neuromycotoxicosis in cattle grazing harvested maize fields in southern Africa and Argentina. Chemical investigations of S. maydis rotted kernels at harvest in Illinois led to t...

Control of storage rot by induction of plant defense mechanisms using jasmonic acid and salicylic acid

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Storage rots contribute to sugarbeet postharvest losses by consuming sucrose and producing carbohydrate impurities that increase sugar loss to molasses. Presently, storage rots are controlled by cooling storage piles. This method of control, however, requires favorable weather conditions for stora...

Fungicide rotation schemes for managing Phytophthora fruit rot of watermelon across southeastern United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Southeastern states produce about 50% of the watermelons in the United States (U.S.) where conditions are optimal for development of Phytophthora fruit rot prevail. Phytophthora fruit rot significantly limits watermelon production by causing serious yield losses to growers before and after harvest. ...

Cultivar Selection for Sugar Beet Root Rot Resistance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fungal and bacterial root rots in sugar beet caused by Rhizoctonia solani (Rs) and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum (Lm) can lead to root yield losses greater than 50%. To reduce the impact of these root rots on sucrose loss in the field, storage, and factories, studies were conducted t...

Cultivar selection for sugarbeet root rot resistance.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fungal and bacterial root rots in sugar beet caused by Rhizoctonia solani (Rs) and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum (Lm) can lead to root yield losses greater than 50%. To reduce the impact of these root rots on sucrose loss in the field, storage, and factories, studies were conducted t...

Effective management of soft rot of ginger caused by Pythium spp. and Fusarium spp.: emerging role of nanotechnology.

PubMed

Rai, Mahendra; Ingle, Avinash P; Paralikar, Priti; Anasane, Netravati; Gade, Rajendra; Ingle, Pramod

2018-06-09

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) is a tropical plant cultivated all over the world due to its culinary and medicinal properties. It is one of the most important spices commonly used in food, which increases its commercial value. However, soft rot (rhizome rot) is a common disease of ginger caused by fungi such as Pythium and Fusarium spp. It is the most destructive disease of ginger, which can reduce the production by 50 to 90%. Application of chemical fungicides is considered as an effective method to control soft rot of ginger but extensive use of fungicides pose serious risk to environmental and human health. Therefore, the development of ecofriendly and economically viable alternative approaches for effective management of soft rot of ginger such diseases is essentially required. An acceptable approach that is being actively investigated involves nanotechnology, which can potentially be used to control Pythium and Fusarium. The present review is aimed to discuss worldwide status of soft rot associated with ginger, the traditional methods available for the management of Pythium and Fusarium spp. and most importantly, the role of various nanomaterials in the management of soft rot of ginger. Moreover, possible antifungal mechanisms for chemical fungicides, biological agents and nanoparticles have also been discussed.

Gene within gene configuration and expression of the Drosophila melanogaster genes lethal(2) neighbour of tid [l(2)not] and lethal(2) relative of tid[l(2)rot].

PubMed

Kurzik-Dumke, U; Kaymer, M; Gundacker, D; Debes, A; Labitzke, K

1997-10-24

In this paper, we describe the structure and temporal expression pattern of the Drosophila melanogaster genes l(2)not and l(2)rot located at locus 59F5 vis à vis the tumor suppressor gene l(2)tid described previously and exhibiting a gene within gene configuration. The l(2)not protein coding region, 1530 nt, is divided into two exons by an intron, 2645 nt, harboring the genes l(2)rot, co-transcribed from the same DNA strand, and l(2)tid, co-transcribed from the opposite DNA strand, located vis à vis. To determine proteins encoded by the genes described in this study polyclonal rabbit antibodies (Ab), anti-Not and anti-Rot, were generated. Immunostaining of developmental Western blots with the anti-Not Ab resulted in the identification of a 45-kDa protein, Not45, which is smaller than the Not56 protein predicted from the sequence. Its localization in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was established by immunoelectron microscopy of Drosophila melanogaster Schneider 2 cells. Not45 shows significant homology to yeast ALG3 protein acting as a dolichol mannosyltransferase in the asparagine-linked glycosylation. It is synthesized ubiquitously throughout embryonic life. The protein predicted from the l(2)rot sequence, Rot57, shows a homology to the NS2B protein of the yellow fever virus1 (yefv1). The results of l(2)rot RNA analysis by developmental Northern blot and by in situ RNA localization, as well as the results of the protein analysis via Western blot and immunohistochemistry suggest that l(2)rot is transcribed but not translated. Since RNAs encoded by the genes l(2)tid and l(2)rot are complementary and l(2)rot is presumably not translated we performed preliminary experiments on the function of the l(2)rot RNA as a natural antisense RNA (asRNA) regulator of l(2)tid expression, expressed in the same temporal and spatial manner as the l(2)tid- and l(2)not RNA. l(2)tid knock-out by antisense RNA yielded late embryonic lethality resulting from multiple morphogenetic defects.

Macrofaunal involvement in the sublittoral decay of kelp debris: The sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris (Gmelin) (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedford, A. P.; Moore, P. G.

1985-01-01

Psammechinus miliaris occurs in the Clyde Sea area in large numbers (<18 individuals per 100 g -1 weed dry wt) on sublittoral beds of detached Laminaria saccharina. Its rôle in weed decomposition has been examined by comparing its responses (behavioural choice, growth rate, absorption efficiencies of both carbon and protein, gut retention times and rate of faecal output) to fresh and rotting weed. Younger urchins grew faster than older individuals on a diet of rotting weed but not on fresh weed. Large seasonal variation existed, however, with fast growth occurring in June-August and little, or no, growth in December-February, irrespective of diet. Starved controls did not grow. Correcting for seasonality, rotting kelp still promoted faster growth of young urchins than did fresh weed. Larger (older) individuals showed no difference. Urchins fed fresh weed had significantly longer gut retention times. Protein absorption efficiency was higher on fresh than rotting weed, varying with weed protein content and size of urchin. Very young individuals can only digest high protein weed efficiently, eg. material derived from near the frond meristem. Organic carbon content of rotting weed was significantly lower than fresh weed. Carbon absorption efficiencies were significantly higher on fresh weed which related to organic carbon content. Standard-sized urchins fed rotting weed produced larger dry weights of faeces per day, reflecting increased ingestion rate. In closed-system choice experiments urchins preferred rotting weed kinetically. Size-frequency analysis of field populations suggested that weed beds are principally colonized by larval settlement from the plankton. Mature Psammechinus have evolved different 'strategies' for exploiting fresh and rotting weed. Fresh weed is relatively difficult to digest and long gut retention times allow high protein absorption efficiencies to be attained. Rotting weed has microbial protein in quantities and a lower organic carbon fraction. Some bacterial protein is seemingly unavailable though and lower protein absorption efficiencies result. Thus gut retention time is shortened and more food passed through the gut. Growth remains equivalent. Substratum digestion is of paramount importance for Psammechinus feeding on either fresh or rotting weed, cf. the 'classical' microbe-stripping detritivore of Fenchel.

β-Aminoisobutyric Acid Induces Browning of White Fat and Hepatic β-oxidation and is Inversely Correlated with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

PubMed Central

Roberts, Lee D.; Boström, Pontus; O’Sullivan, John F.; Schinzel, Robert T.; Lewis, Gregory D.; Dejam, Andre; Lee, Youn-Kyoung; Palma, Melinda J.; Calhoun, Sondra; Georgiadi, Anastasia; Chen, Ming-Huei; Ramachandran, Vasan S.; Larson, Martin G.; Bouchard, Claude; Rankinen, Tuomo; Souza, Amanda L.; Clish, Clary B.; Wang, Thomas J.; Estall, Jennifer L.; Soukas, Alexander A.; Cowan, Chad A.; Spiegelman, Bruce M.; Gerszten, Robert E.

2014-01-01

Summary The transcriptional co-activator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator-1 α (PGC-1α) regulates metabolic genes in skeletal muscle, and contributes substantially to the response of muscle to exercise. Muscle specific PGC-1α transgenic expression and exercise both increase the expression of thermogenic genes within white adipose. How the PGC-1α mediated response to exercise in muscle conveys signals to other tissues remains incompletely defined. We employed a metabolic profiling approach to examine metabolites secreted from myocytes with forced expression of PGC-1α, and identified β-aminoisobutyric acid (BAIBA) as a novel small molecule myokine. BAIBA increases the expression of brown adipocyte-specific genes in white adipose tissue and fatty acid β-oxidation in hepatocytes both in vitro and in vivo through a PPARα mediated mechanism, induces a brown adipose-like phenotype in human pluripotent stem cells, and improves glucose homeostasis in mice. In humans, plasma BAIBA concentrations are increased with exercise and inversely associated with metabolic risk factors. BAIBA may thus contribute to exercise-induced protection from metabolic diseases. PMID:24411942

Curcumin Monoglucoside Shows Improved Bioavailability and Mitigates Rotenone Induced Neurotoxicity in Cell and Drosophila Models of Parkinson's Disease.

PubMed

Pandareesh, M D; Shrivash, M K; Naveen Kumar, H N; Misra, K; Srinivas Bharath, M M

2016-11-01

Curcumin (CUR), a dietary polyphenol has diverse pharmacologic effects, but is limited by poor bioavailability. This is probably due to decreased solubility, cellular uptake and stability. In order to enhance its solubility and bioavailability, we synthesized the CUR bioconjugate curcumin monoglucoside (CMG) and tested its bioavailability, neuroprotective and anti-apoptotic propensity against rotenone (ROT) induced toxicity in N27 dopaminergic neuronal cells and Drosophila models. Our results elucidate that CMG showed improved bioavailability than CUR in N27 cells. Pre-treatment with CMG protected against ROT neurotoxicity and exerted antioxidant effects by replenishing cellular glutathione levels and significantly decreasing reactive species. CMG pre-treatment also restored mitochondrial complex I and IV activities inhibited by ROT. ROT-induced nuclear damage was also restored by CMG as confirmed by comet assay. CMG induced anti-apoptotic effects was substantiated by decreased phosporylation of JNK3 and c-jun, which in turn decreased the cleavage of pro-caspase 3. Q-PCR analysis of redox genes showed up-regulation of NOS2 and down-regulation of NQO1 upon ROT exposure and this was attenuated by CMG pre-treatment. Studies in the Drosophila ROT model revealed that, CMG administration showed better survival rate and locomotor activity, improved antioxidant activity and dopamine content than ROT treated group and was comparable with the CUR group. Based on these data, we surmise that CMG has improved bioavailability and offered neuroprotection comparable with CUR, against ROT-induced toxicity both in dopaminergic neuronal cell line and Drosophila models, with therapeutic implications for PD.