Sample records for fire blight pseudomonas

  1. Control of fire blight by Pseudomonas fluorescens A506 and Pantoea vagans C9-1 applied as single strains and mixed inocula

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The biological control agents Pseudomonas fluorescens A506 and Pantoea vagans C9-1 were evaluated individually and in combination for the suppression of fire blight of pear or apple in ten field trials inoculated with the pathogen Erwinia amylovora. The formulation of pathogen inoculum applied to b...

  2. [Erwinia amylovora--the fire blight pathogen of trees in Ukraine].

    PubMed

    Iakovleva, L M; Moroz, S N; Shcherbina, T N; Ogorodnik, L E; Gvozdiak, R I; Patyka, V F

    2014-01-01

    Niduses of fire blight of fruit and ornamental trees have been found in the Kyiv and Vinnitsa regions of Ukraine. Pathogen Erwinia amylovora was isolated between April and October. The pathogen was often accompanied by bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. Artificial infection with a mixture of bacteria E. amylovora and P. syringae pv. syringae accelerates and enhances the disease process in the laboratory.

  3. Pseudomonas blight discovered on raspberry in Watsonville

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In the winter (February) of 2013, a field of raspberries in Watsonville was discovered to be infected with Pseudomonas syringae, the causal agent of Pseudomonas blight disease. This was the first documentation of this disease on raspberry in our region. The infection of raspberry plants is manifeste...

  4. Whole-Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas fluorescens EK007-RG4, a Promising Biocontrol Agent against a Broad Range of Bacteria, Including the Fire Blight Bacterium Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Habibi, Roghayeh; Tarighi, Saeed; Behravan, Javad; Taheri, Parissa; Kjøller, Annelise Helene; Brejnrod, Asker; Madsen, Jonas Stenløkke; Sørensen, Søren Johannes

    2017-03-30

    Here, we report the first draft whole-genome sequence of Pseudomonas fluorescens strain EK007-RG4, which was isolated from the phylloplane of a pear tree. P. fluorescens EK007-RG4 displays strong antagonism against Erwinia amylovora , the causal agent for fire blight disease, in addition to several other pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. Copyright © 2017 Habibi et al.

  5. Improvement of a dry formulation of Pseudomonas fluorescens EPS62e for fire blight disease biocontrol by combination of culture osmoadaptation with a freeze-drying lyoprotectant.

    PubMed

    Cabrefiga, J; Francés, J; Montesinos, E; Bonaterra, A

    2014-10-01

    To study the effect of lyoprotectants and osmoadaptation on viability of Pseudomonas fluorescens EPS62e during freeze-drying and storage and to evaluate the formulation in terms of efficacy in biocontrol and fitness on pear flowers. A wettable powder formulation of a biocontrol agent of fire blight was optimized by means of lyoprotectants and culture osmoadaptation. Freeze-drying was used to obtain dehydrated cells, and the best viability (70% of survival) was obtained using lactose as lyoprotectant. Survival during lyophilization was additionally improved using physiological adaptation of cells during cultivation under salt-amended medium (osmoadaptation). The procedure increased the survival of cells after freeze-drying attaining viability values close to a 100% in the lactose-formulated product (3 × 10(11) CFU g(-1) ), and through the storage period of 1 year at 4°C. The dry formulation showed also an improved biocontrol efficacy and survival of EPS62e on pear flowers under low relative humidity conditions. Cell viability after freeze-drying was improved using lactose as lyoprotectant combined with a procedure of osmoadaptation during cultivation. The powder-formulated product remained active for 12 months and retained biocontrol levels similar to that of fresh cells. The formulation showed an improved survival of EPS62e on flowers and an increase of the efficacy of biocontrol of fire blight at low relative humidity. The results have a potential value for commercial application in biocontrol agents not only of fire blight but also of other plant diseases. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  6. Fire blight disease reactome: RNA-seq transcriptional profile of apple host plant defense responses to Erwinia amylovora pathogen infection.

    PubMed

    Kamber, Tim; Buchmann, Jan P; Pothier, Joël F; Smits, Theo H M; Wicker, Thomas; Duffy, Brion

    2016-02-17

    The molecular basis of resistance and susceptibility of host plants to fire blight, a major disease threat to pome fruit production globally, is largely unknown. RNA-sequencing data from challenged and mock-inoculated flowers were analyzed to assess the susceptible response of apple to the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora. In presence of the pathogen 1,080 transcripts were differentially expressed at 48 h post inoculation. These included putative disease resistance, stress, pathogen related, general metabolic, and phytohormone related genes. Reads, mapped to regions on the apple genome where no genes were assigned, were used to identify potential novel genes and open reading frames. To identify transcripts specifically expressed in response to E. amylovora, RT-PCRs were conducted and compared to the expression patterns of the fire blight biocontrol agent Pantoea vagans strain C9-1, another apple pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. papulans, and mock inoculated apple flowers. This led to the identification of a peroxidase superfamily gene that was lower expressed in response to E. amylovora suggesting a potential role in the susceptibility response. Overall, this study provides the first transcriptional profile by RNA-seq of the host plant during fire blight disease and insights into the response of susceptible apple plants to E. amylovora.

  7. Fire blight disease reactome: RNA-seq transcriptional profile of apple host plant defense responses to Erwinia amylovora pathogen infection

    PubMed Central

    Kamber, Tim; Buchmann, Jan P.; Pothier, Joël F.; Smits, Theo H. M.; Wicker, Thomas; Duffy, Brion

    2016-01-01

    The molecular basis of resistance and susceptibility of host plants to fire blight, a major disease threat to pome fruit production globally, is largely unknown. RNA-sequencing data from challenged and mock-inoculated flowers were analyzed to assess the susceptible response of apple to the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora. In presence of the pathogen 1,080 transcripts were differentially expressed at 48 h post inoculation. These included putative disease resistance, stress, pathogen related, general metabolic, and phytohormone related genes. Reads, mapped to regions on the apple genome where no genes were assigned, were used to identify potential novel genes and open reading frames. To identify transcripts specifically expressed in response to E. amylovora, RT-PCRs were conducted and compared to the expression patterns of the fire blight biocontrol agent Pantoea vagans strain C9-1, another apple pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. papulans, and mock inoculated apple flowers. This led to the identification of a peroxidase superfamily gene that was lower expressed in response to E. amylovora suggesting a potential role in the susceptibility response. Overall, this study provides the first transcriptional profile by RNA-seq of the host plant during fire blight disease and insights into the response of susceptible apple plants to E. amylovora. PMID:26883568

  8. Erwinia amylovora pyrC mutant causes fire blight despite pyrimidine auxotrophy.

    PubMed

    Ramos, L S; Sinn, J P; Lehman, B L; Pfeufer, E E; Peter, K A; McNellis, T W

    2015-06-01

    Erwinia amylovora bacteria cause fire blight disease, which affects apple and pear production worldwide. The Erw. amylovora pyrC gene encodes a predicted dihydroorotase enzyme involved in pyrimidine biosynthesis. Here, we discovered that the Erw. amylovora pyrC244::Tn5 mutant was a uracil auxotroph. Unexpectedly, the Erw. amylovora pyrC244::Tn5 mutant grew as well as the wild-type in detached immature apple and pear fruits. Fire blight symptoms caused by the pyrC244::Tn5 mutant in immature apple and pear fruits were attenuated compared to those caused by the wild-type. The pyrC244::Tn5 mutant also caused severe fire blight symptoms in apple tree shoots. A plasmid-borne copy of the wild-type pyrC gene restored prototrophy and symptom induction in apple and pear fruit to the pyrC244::Tn5 mutant. These results suggest that Erw. amylovora can obtain sufficient pyrimidine from the host to support bacterial growth and fire blight disease development, although de novo pyrimidine synthesis by Erw. amylovora is required for full symptom development in fruits. Significance and impact of the study: This study provides information about the fire blight host-pathogen interaction. Although the Erwinia amylovora pyrC mutant was strictly auxotrophic for pyrimidine, it grew as well as the wild-type in immature pear and apple fruits and caused severe fire blight disease in apple trees. This suggests that Erw. amylovora can obtain sufficient pyrimidines from host tissue to support growth and fire blight disease development. This situation contrasts with findings in some human bacterial pathogens, which require de novo pyrimidine synthesis for growth in host blood, for example. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  9. The fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora requires the rpoN gene for pathogenicity in apple.

    PubMed

    Ramos, Laura S; Lehman, Brian L; Sinn, Judith P; Pfeufer, Emily E; Halbrendt, Noemi O; McNellis, Timothy W

    2013-10-01

    RpoN is a σ(54) factor regulating essential virulence gene expression in several plant pathogenic bacteria, including Pseudomonas syringae and Pectobacterium carotovorum. In this study, we found that mutation of rpoN in the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora caused a nonpathogenic phenotype. The E. amylovora rpoN Tn5 transposon mutant rpoN1250::Tn5 did not cause fire blight disease symptoms on shoots of mature apple trees. In detached immature apple fruits, the rpoN1250::Tn5 mutant failed to cause fire blight disease symptoms and grew to population levels 12 orders of magnitude lower than the wild-type. In addition, the rpoN1250::Tn5 mutant failed to elicit a hypersensitive response when infiltrated into nonhost tobacco plant leaves, and rpoN1250::Tn5 cells failed to express HrpN protein when grown in hrp (hypersensitive response and pathogenicity)-inducing liquid medium. A plasmid-borne copy of the wild-type rpoN gene complemented all the rpoN1250::Tn5 mutant phenotypes tested. The rpoN1250::Tn5 mutant was prototrophic on minimal solid and liquid media, indicating that the rpoN1250::Tn5 nonpathogenic phenotype was not caused by a defect in basic metabolism or growth. This study provides clear genetic evidence that rpoN is an essential virulence gene of E. amylovora, suggesting that rpoN has the same function in E. amylovora as in P. syringae and Pe. carotovorum. 2013 BSPP and JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD

  10. Induction of antimicrobial 3-deoxyflavonoids in pome fruit trees controls fire blight.

    PubMed

    Halbwirth, Heidrun; Fischer, Thilo C; Roemmelt, Susanne; Spinelli, Francesco; Schlangen, Karin; Peterek, Silke; Sabatini, Emidio; Messina, Christian; Speakman, John-Bryan; Andreotti, Carlo; Rademacher, Wilhelm; Bazzi, Carlo; Costa, Guglielmo; Treutter, Dieter; Forkmann, Gert; Stich, Karl

    2003-01-01

    Fire blight, a devastating bacterial disease in pome fruits, causes severe economic losses worldwide. Hitherto, an effective control could only be achieved by using antibiotics, but this implies potential risks for human health, livestock and environment. A new approach allows transient inhibition of a step in the flavonoid pathway, thereby inducing the formation of a novel antimicrobial 3-deoxyflavonoid controlling fire blight in apple and pear leaves. This compound is closely related to natural phytoalexins in sorghum. The approach does not only provide a safe method to control fire blight: Resistance against different pathogens is also induced in other crop plants.

  11. Molecular genetics of Erwinia amylovora involved in the development of fire blight.

    PubMed

    Oh, Chang-Sik; Beer, Steven V

    2005-12-15

    The bacterial plant pathogen, Erwinia amylovora, causes the devastating disease known as fire blight in some Rosaceous plants like apple, pear, quince, raspberry and several ornamentals. Knowledge of the factors affecting the development of fire blight has mushroomed in the last quarter century. On the molecular level, genes encoding a Hrp type III secretion system, genes encoding enzymes involved in synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides and genes facilitating the growth of E. amylovora in its host plants have been characterized. The Hrp pathogenicity island, delimited by genes suggesting horizontal gene transfer, is composed of four distinct regions, the hrp/hrc region, the HEE (Hrp effectors and elicitors) region, the HAE (Hrp-associated enzymes) region, and the IT (Island transfer) region. The Hrp pathogenicity island encodes a Hrp type III secretion system (TTSS), which delivers several proteins from bacteria to plant apoplasts or cytoplasm. E. amylovora produces two exopolysaccharides, amylovoran and levan, which cause the characteristic fire blight wilting symptom in host plants. In addition, other genes, and their encoded proteins, have been characterized as virulence factors of E. amylovora that encode enzymes facilitating sorbitol metabolism, proteolytic activity and iron harvesting. This review summarizes our understanding of the genes and gene products of E. amylovora that are involved in the development of the fire blight disease.

  12. Antagonistic potential of Pseudomonas graminis 49M against Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight.

    PubMed

    Mikiciński, Artur; Sobiczewski, Piotr; Puławska, Joanna; Malusa, Eligio

    2016-08-01

    In a previous study (Mikiciński et al. in Eur J Plant Pathol, doi: 10.1007/s10658-015-0837-y , 2015), we described the characterization of novel strain 49M of Pseudomonas graminis, isolated from the phyllosphere of apple trees in Poland showing a good protective activity against fire blight on different organs of host plants. We now report investigations to clarify the basis for this activity. Strain 49M was found to produce siderophores on a medium containing complex CAS-Fe(3+) and HDTMA, but was not able to produce N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). Moreover, it formed a biofilm on polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) surfaces. Strain 49M gave a positive reaction in PCR with primers complementary to gacA, the regulatory gene influencing the production of several secondary metabolites including antibiotics. The genes prnD (encoding pyrrolnitrin), pltC, pltB (pyoluteorin), phlD (2,4-diacetyl-phloroglucinol) and phzC as well as phzD (and their homologs phzF and phzA encoding phenazine), described for antagonistic fluorescent pseudomonads, however, were not detected. Research into the biotic relationship between strain 49M and Erwinia amylovora strain Ea659 on five microbiological media showed that this strain clearly inhibited the growth of the pathogen on King's B and nutrient agar with glycerol media, to a very small extent on nutrient agar with sucrose, and not at all on Luria-Bertani agar. On medium 925, strain 49M even stimulated E. amylovora growth. The addition of ferric chloride to King's B resulted in the loss of its inhibitory ability. Testing the survival of 49M in vitro showed its resistance to drought, greater than that of E. amylovora.

  13. Fire blight resistance in wild accessions of Malus sieversii

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) is a devastating bacterial disease in apple that results in severe economic losses. Epidemics are becoming more common as susceptible cultivars and rootstocks are being planted, and control is becoming more difficult as antibiotic-resistant strains develop. Resistan...

  14. Integrated Control of Fire Blight with Antagonists and Oxytetracycline

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the antibiotic streptomycin provided excellent control of fire blight until resistant isolates of Erwinia amylovora arose. Oxytetracycline (Mycoshield) is now sprayed as an alternative antibiotic. We found that the duration of inhibitory activity of o...

  15. Identification of novel strain-specific and environment-dependent minor QTLs linked to fire blight resistance in apples

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Since its first report almost 200 years ago, fire blight, caused by the gram negative bacterium Erwinia amylovora, has threatened apple and pear production globally. Identifying novel genes and their functional alleles is a prerequisite to developing apple cultivars with enhanced fire blight resist...

  16. Flower biology and biologically-based integrated fire blight management

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fire blight infection is generally initiated in flowers, and thus, research has been directed to the biology and microbial ecology of flowers as related to this disease. In addition to investigations involving apple and pear flowers, Manchurian crab apple (Malus manchurica), closely related to appl...

  17. Putative resistance gene markers associated with quantitative trait loci for fire blight resistance in Malus 'Robusta 5' accessions

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Breeding of fire blight resistant scions and rootstocks is a goal of several international apple breeding programs, as options are limited for management of this destructive disease caused by the bacterial pathogen Erwinia amylovora. A broad, large effect QTL for fire blight resistance has been pre...

  18. Fire blight: applied genomic insights of the pathogen and host

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The enterobacterial phytopathogen, Erwinia amylovora, causes fire blight, an invasive disease that threatens a wide range of commercial and ornamental Rosaceae host plants. The response elicited by E. amylovora in its host during disease development is similar to the hypersensitive reaction that ty...

  19. Integrated Control of Fire Blight with Bacterial Antagonists and Oxytetracycline

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the antibiotic streptomycin provided excellent control of fire blight until resistant isolates of Erwinia amylovora were prevalent. Oxytetracycline (Mycoshield) is now sprayed as an alternative antibiotic. We found that the duration of inhibitory acti...

  20. Field Susceptibility of Quince Hybrids to Fire Blight in Bulgaria

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Spread of fire blight in Bulgaria during the last 20 years has nearly eliminated commercial production of pear and quince. Damage has increased in both nurseries and orchards, yet susceptible cultivars continue to be planted. Quince is the host most frequently attacked by Erwinia amylovora in Bulgar...

  1. 'Sunrise': A new early maturing fire blight resistant pear cultivar

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    'Sunrise' is a new pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivar released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. It combines a high degree of resistance to fire blight with excellent fruit quality. The sources of resistance in the pedigree are the old American cultivar, 'Seckel'...

  2. Biosynthesis of the antimetabolite 6-thioguanine in Erwinia amylovora plays a key role in fire blight pathogenesis.

    PubMed

    Coyne, Sébastien; Chizzali, Cornelia; Khalil, Mohammed N A; Litomska, Agnieszka; Richter, Klaus; Beerhues, Ludger; Hertweck, Christian

    2013-09-27

    Sulfur for fire: The molecular basis for the biosynthesis of the antimetabolite 6-thioguanine (6TG) was unveiled in Erwinia amylovora, the causative agent of fire blight. Bioinformatics, heterologous pathway reconstitution in E. coli, and mutational analyses indicate that the protein YcfA mediates guanine thionation in analogy to 2-thiouridylase. Assays in planta and in cell cultures reveal for the first time a crucial role of 6TG in fire blight pathogenesis. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Budagovsky 9 rootstock: uncovering a novel resistance to fire blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Budagovsky 9 (B.9) apple rootstock, displayed a high level of susceptibility (similar to M.9 rootstock) to fire blight bacteria (Erwinia amylovora) when leaves of non-grafted B.9 plants were inoculated. However, when older B.9 rootstock tissue was inoculated directly with E. amylovora, rootstock tis...

  4. Quince (Cydonia oblonga) emerges from the ashes of fire blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The two-decade history of fire blight in Bulgaria revealed quince as one of the most frequently attacked hosts and its production on a large scale has almost been entirely eliminated. Nevertheless, this species will play an important epidemiological role as a permanent source of inoculum for other p...

  5. Rootstock-regulated gene expression patterns associated with fire blight resistance in apple

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Background: Desirable apple varieties are clonally propagated by grafting vegetative scions onto rootstocks. Rootstocks influence many phenotypic traits of the scion, including resistance to pathogens such as Erwinia amylovora, which causes fire blight, the most serious bacterial disease of apple....

  6. Resistant and susceptible responses in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) to bacterial stem blight caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bacterial stem blight caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae is a common disease of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in the central and western U.S. and has been reported in Australia and Europe. The disease is not always recognized because symptoms are often associated with frost damage. Two culti...

  7. Putative resistance gene markers associated with quantitative trait loci for fire blight resistance in Malus ‘Robusta 5’ accessions

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Breeding of fire blight resistant scions and rootstocks is a goal of several international apple breeding programs, as options are limited for management of this destructive disease caused by the bacterial pathogen Erwinia amylovora. A broad, large-effect quantitative trait locus (QTL) for fire blight resistance has been reported on linkage group 3 of Malus ‘Robusta 5’. In this study we identified markers derived from putative fire blight resistance genes associated with the QTL by integrating further genetic mapping studies with bioinformatics analysis of transcript profiling data and genome sequence databases. Results When several defined E.amylovora strains were used to inoculate three progenies from international breeding programs, all with ‘Robusta 5’ as a common parent, two distinct QTLs were detected on linkage group 3, where only one had previously been mapped. In the New Zealand ‘Malling 9’ X ‘Robusta 5’ population inoculated with E. amylovora ICMP11176, the proximal QTL co-located with SNP markers derived from a leucine-rich repeat, receptor-like protein ( MxdRLP1) and a closely linked class 3 peroxidase gene. While the QTL detected in the German ‘Idared’ X ‘Robusta 5’ population inoculated with E. amylovora strains Ea222_JKI or ICMP11176 was approximately 6 cM distal to this, directly below a SNP marker derived from a heat shock 90 family protein gene ( HSP90). In the US ‘Otawa3’ X ‘Robusta5’ population inoculated with E. amylovora strains Ea273 or E2002a, the position of the LOD score peak on linkage group 3 was dependent upon the pathogen strains used for inoculation. One of the five MxdRLP1 alleles identified in fire blight resistant and susceptible cultivars was genetically associated with resistance and used to develop a high resolution melting PCR marker. A resistance QTL detected on linkage group 7 of the US population co-located with another HSP90 gene-family member and a WRKY transcription factor

  8. Complete Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas fluorescens LBUM636, a Strain with Biocontrol Capabilities against Late Blight of Potato

    PubMed Central

    Morrison, Christopher K.; Novinscak, Amy; Gadkar, Vijay J.; Joly, David L.

    2016-01-01

    Herein provided is the full-genome sequence of Pseudomonas fluorescens LBUM636. This strain is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) which produces phenazine-1-carboxylic acid, an antibiotic involved in the biocontrol of numerous plant pathogens, including late blight of potato caused by the plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans. PMID:27231373

  9. Controlled release of Pantoea agglomerans E325 for biocontrol of fire blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Microencapsulation and controlled release of Pantoea agglomerans strain E325 (E325), which is an antagonist to bacterial pathogen (Erwinia amylovora) of fire blight, a devastating disease of apple and pear, have been investigated. Uniform core-shell alginate microcapsules (AMCs), 60-300 µm in diamet...

  10. Reduction in bacterial ooze formation on immature fruitlets after preventive treatments of Fosethyl-Al against fire blight Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Deckers, T; Schoofs, H; Verjans, W; De Maeyer, L

    2010-01-01

    Fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora (Burill Winslow et al.), is a very important bacterial disease on apple and pear orchards with devastating effects in some production area and in some years. Fire blight control consists in a whole strategy of measures that should start with control measures in and around the fruit tree nurseries. Only the use of Vacciplant (Laminarin), an inducer of the self-defence mechanism, is registered in Belgium since 2009. In other European countries Fosethyl-Al has been registered for fire blight control. Recently, research trials have been done at Pcfruit research station for several years on the activity of ALiette (fosethyl-Al) against fire blight. Fosethyl-Al, also a plant defence enhancing molecule, applied preventively 3 times at a dose of 3.75 kg/ha standard orchard (3 x 3000 g a.i./ha standard orchard), showed a reduction in the host susceptibility and decreased the disease development on artificial inoculated flower clusters and shoots. Also a clear reduction in the ooze droplet formation on artificially inoculated immature fruitlets has been observed with this molecule. This reduction in the bacterial ooze formation is considered as a very important factor in the spread of the disease in the orchard.

  11. Pantoea applied genomics to understand and improve biocontrol activity against fire blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pantoea agglomerans and P. vagans (ex. Erwinia herbicola) are common epiphytes of pome fruit flowers and three strains (E325, P10c, C9-1) have been commercially developed as effective biocontrol products for managing fire blight (Erwinia amylovora). Antibiotics as a standard, reliable chemical optio...

  12. Development of the First Cisgenic Apple with Increased Resistance to Fire Blight

    PubMed Central

    Kost, Thomas D.; Gessler, Cesare; Jänsch, Melanie; Flachowsky, Henryk; Patocchi, Andrea; Broggini, Giovanni A. L.

    2015-01-01

    The generation and selection of novel fire blight resistant apple genotypes would greatly improve the management of this devastating disease, caused by Erwinia amylovora. Such resistant genotypes are currently developed by conventional breeding, but novel breeding technologies including cisgenesis could be an alternative approach. A cisgenic apple line C44.4.146 was regenerated using the cisgene FB_MR5 from wild apple Malus ×robusta 5 (Mr5), and the previously established method involving A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation of the fire blight susceptible cultivar ‘Gala Galaxy’ using the binary vector p9-Dao-FLPi. The line C44.4.146 was shown to carry only the cisgene FB_MR5, controlled by its native regulatory sequences and no transgenes were detected by PCR or Southern blot following heat induced recombinase-mediated elimination of the selectable markers. Although this line contains up to 452 bp of vector sequences, it still matches the original definition of cisgenesis. A single insertion of T-DNA into the genome of 'Gala Galaxy' in chromosome 16 was identified. Transcription of FB_MR5 in line C44.4.146 was similar to the transcription in classically bred descendants of Mr5. Three independent shoot inoculation experiments with a Mr5 avirulent strain of Erwinia amylovora were performed using scissors or syringe. Significantly lower disease symptoms were detected on shoots of the cisgenic line compared to those of untransformed 'Gala Galaxy'. Despite the fact that the pathogen can overcome this resistance by a single nucleotide mutation, this is, to our knowledge, the first prototype of a cisgenic apple with increased resistance to fire blight. PMID:26624292

  13. Improvement of Fitness and Efficacy of a Fire Blight Biocontrol Agent via Nutritional Enhancement Combined with Osmoadaptation ▿

    PubMed Central

    Cabrefiga, J.; Francés, J.; Montesinos, E.; Bonaterra, A.

    2011-01-01

    The efficacy of Pseudomonas fluorescens EPS62e in the biocontrol of Erwinia amylovora was improved by a procedure of physiological adaptation to increase colonization and survival in the phytosphere of rosaceous plants. The procedure consisted of osmoadaptation (OA) and nutritional enhancement (NE). OA was based on saline stress and osmolyte amendment of the growth medium during inoculum preparation. NE consisted of addition of glycine and Tween 80 to the formulation. NE and OA increased the growth rate and carrying capacity of EPS62e under high-relative-humidity (RH) conditions and improved survival at low RH on flowers under controlled environmental conditions. NE did not promote growth or affect infection capacity of E. amylovora. The effect of both methods was tested in the field by following the population of EPS62e using quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) (total population) and CFU counting (culturable population) methods. Following field application, EPS62e colonized blossoms, but it was stressed, as indicated by a sharp decrease in culturable compared to total population levels. However, once established in flowers and at the end of bloom, almost all the total population was culturable. The physiological adaptation treatments increased population levels of EPS62e over those of nonadapted cells during the late stage of the flowering period. Control of fire blight infections in flowers and immature fruits was tested by field application of EPS62e and subsequent inoculation with E. amylovora under controlled-environment conditions. The efficacy of fire blight control increased significantly with the combination of nutritional enhancement and osmoadaptation, in comparison with the absence of physiological adaptation. PMID:21441337

  14. Medfly Ceratitis capitata as Potential Vector for Fire Blight Pathogen Erwinia amylovora: Survival and Transmission.

    PubMed

    Ordax, Mónica; Piquer-Salcedo, Jaime E; Santander, Ricardo D; Sabater-Muñoz, Beatriz; Biosca, Elena G; López, María M; Marco-Noales, Ester

    2015-01-01

    Monitoring the ability of bacterial plant pathogens to survive in insects is required for elucidating unknown aspects of their epidemiology and for designing appropriate control strategies. Erwinia amylovora is a plant pathogenic bacterium that causes fire blight, a devastating disease in apple and pear commercial orchards. Studies on fire blight spread by insects have mainly focused on pollinating agents, such as honeybees. However, the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), one of the most damaging fruit pests worldwide, is also common in pome fruit orchards. The main objective of the study was to investigate whether E. amylovora can survive and be transmitted by the medfly. Our experimental results show: i) E. amylovora can survive for at least 8 days inside the digestive tract of the medfly and until 28 days on its external surface, and ii) medflies are able to transmit the bacteria from inoculated apples to both detached shoots and pear plants, being the pathogen recovered from lesions in both cases. This is the first report on E. amylovora internalization and survival in/on C. capitata, as well as the experimental transmission of the fire blight pathogen by this insect. Our results suggest that medfly can act as a potential vector for E. amylovora, and expand our knowledge on the possible role of these and other insects in its life cycle.

  15. Medfly Ceratitis capitata as Potential Vector for Fire Blight Pathogen Erwinia amylovora: Survival and Transmission

    PubMed Central

    Ordax, Mónica; Piquer-Salcedo, Jaime E.; Santander, Ricardo D.; Sabater-Muñoz, Beatriz; Biosca, Elena G.; López, María M.; Marco-Noales, Ester

    2015-01-01

    Monitoring the ability of bacterial plant pathogens to survive in insects is required for elucidating unknown aspects of their epidemiology and for designing appropriate control strategies. Erwinia amylovora is a plant pathogenic bacterium that causes fire blight, a devastating disease in apple and pear commercial orchards. Studies on fire blight spread by insects have mainly focused on pollinating agents, such as honeybees. However, the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), one of the most damaging fruit pests worldwide, is also common in pome fruit orchards. The main objective of the study was to investigate whether E. amylovora can survive and be transmitted by the medfly. Our experimental results show: i) E. amylovora can survive for at least 8 days inside the digestive tract of the medfly and until 28 days on its external surface, and ii) medflies are able to transmit the bacteria from inoculated apples to both detached shoots and pear plants, being the pathogen recovered from lesions in both cases. This is the first report on E. amylovora internalization and survival in/on C. capitata, as well as the experimental transmission of the fire blight pathogen by this insect. Our results suggest that medfly can act as a potential vector for E. amylovora, and expand our knowledge on the possible role of these and other insects in its life cycle. PMID:25978369

  16. [Polyvalence of bacteriophages isolated from fruit trees, affected by bacterial fire blight].

    PubMed

    Tovkach, F I; Moroz, S N; Korol', N A; Faĭdiuk, Iu V; Kushkina, A I

    2013-01-01

    Phage populations appearing as a result of a pathogenic process caused by Erwinia amylovora have been discovered and described. They accompany bacterial fire blight development in the process of quince, pear and apple trees vegetation in Zakarpattya region of Ukraine. Phage isolates of the affected pear and quince include polyvalent virulent phages able to develop on bacterial strains associated with plants--E. amylovora. E. "horticola" and Pantoea agglomerans. E. amylovora isolated from the plant tissues affected by the fire blight and detected at the same time as phages proved to be resistant to the viral infection. It is hard to explain now this characteristic however it was noticed that resistance to phages can change drastically in case of dissociation, lysogenization and mutagenesis of erwinia in laboratory conditions. Phage population study shows that they are heterogeneous and can obviously include not only polyvalent but also specific viruses. Further studies of biology and molecular genetics of pure lines of isolated phages will help to get closer to understanding the place and role of bacteriophages in the complicated network of relations between bacterial pathogens and plants.

  17. Hypersensitive response and acyl‐homoserine lactone production of the fire blight antagonists Erwinia tasmaniensis and Erwinia billingiae

    PubMed Central

    Jakovljevic, Vladimir; Jock, Susanne; Du, Zhiqiang; Geider, Klaus

    2008-01-01

    Summary Fire blight caused by the Gram‐negative bacterium Erwinia amylovora can be controlled by antagonistic microorganisms. We characterized epiphytic bacteria isolated from healthy apple and pear trees in Australia, named Erwinia tasmaniensis, and the epiphytic bacterium Erwinia billingiae from England for physiological properties, interaction with plants and interference with growth of E. amylovora. They reduced symptom formation by the fire blight pathogen on immature pears and the colonization of apple flowers. In contrast to E. billingiae, E. tasmaniensis strains induced a hypersensitive response in tobacco leaves and synthesized levan in the presence of sucrose. With consensus primers deduced from lsc as well as hrpL, hrcC and hrcR of the hrp region of E. amylovora and of related bacteria, these genes were successfully amplified from E. tasmaniensis DNA and alignment of the encoded proteins to other Erwinia species supported a role for environmental fitness of the epiphytic bacterium. Unlike E. tasmaniensis, the epiphytic bacterium E. billingiae produced an acyl‐homoserine lactone for bacterial cell‐to‐cell communication. Their competition with the growth of E. amylovora may be involved in controlling fire blight. PMID:21261861

  18. Control of fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) on apple trees with trunk-injected plant resistance inducers and antibiotics and assessment of induction of pathogenesis-related protein genes

    PubMed Central

    Aćimović, Srđan G.; Zeng, Quan; McGhee, Gayle C.; Sundin, George W.; Wise, John C.

    2015-01-01

    Management of fire blight is complicated by limitations on use of antibiotics in agriculture, antibiotic resistance development, and limited efficacy of alternative control agents. Even though successful in control, preventive antibiotic sprays also affect non-target bacteria, aiding the selection for resistance which could ultimately be transferred to the pathogen Erwinia amylovora. Trunk injection is a target-precise pesticide delivery method that utilizes tree xylem to distribute injected compounds. Trunk injection could decrease antibiotic usage in the open environment and increase the effectiveness of compounds in fire blight control. In field experiments, after 1–2 apple tree injections of either streptomycin, potassium phosphites (PH), or acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), significant reduction of blossom and shoot blight symptoms was observed compared to water injected control trees. Overall disease suppression with streptomycin was lower than typically observed following spray applications to flowers. Trunk injection of oxytetracycline resulted in excellent control of shoot blight severity, suggesting that injection is a superior delivery method for this antibiotic. Injection of both ASM and PH resulted in the significant induction of PR-1, PR-2, and PR-8 protein genes in apple leaves indicating induction of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) under field conditions. The time separating SAR induction and fire blight symptom suppression indicated that various defensive compounds within the SAR response were synthesized and accumulated in the canopy. ASM and PH suppressed fire blight even after cessation of induced gene expression. With the development of injectable formulations and optimization of doses and injection schedules, the injection of protective compounds could serve as an effective option for fire blight control. PMID:25717330

  19. Relative Susceptibility of Quince, Pear, and Apple Cultivars to Fire Blight Following Greenhouse Inoculation

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora (EA) is one of the most serious diseases of plants in the family Rosaceae, and Quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) is considered one of the most susceptible host genera. Apple (Malus sp.) and pear (Pyrus sp.) cultivars ranging from most susceptible to most resistan...

  20. Control of plant defense mechanisms and fire blight pathogenesis through the regulation of 6-thioguanine biosynthesis in Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Coyne, Sébastien; Litomska, Agnieszka; Chizzali, Cornelia; Khalil, Mohammed N A; Richter, Klaus; Beerhues, Ludger; Hertweck, Christian

    2014-02-10

    Fire blight is a devastating disease of Rosaceae plants, such as apple and pear trees. It is characterized by necrosis of plant tissue, caused by the phytopathogenic bacterium Erwinia amylovora. The plant pathogen produces the well-known antimetabolite 6-thioguanine (6TG), which plays a key role in fire blight pathogenesis. Here we report that YcfR, a member of the LTTR family, is a major regulator of 6TG biosynthesis in E. amylovora. Inactivation of the regulator gene (ycfR) led to dramatically decreased 6TG production. Infection assays with apple plants (Malus domestica cultivar Holsteiner Cox) and cell cultures of Sorbus aucuparia (mountain ash, rowan) revealed abortive fire blight pathogenesis and reduced plant response (biphenyl and dibenzofuran phytoalexin production). In the presence of the ΔycfR mutant, apple trees were capable of activating the abscission machinery to remove infected tissue. In addition to unveiling the regulation of 6TG biosynthesis in a major plant pathogen, we demonstrate for the first time that this antimetabolite plays a pivotal role in dysregulating the plant response to infection. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Exploration of Using Antisense Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA)-cell Penetrating Peptide (CPP) as a Novel Bactericide against Fire Blight Pathogen Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Patel, Ravi R; Sundin, George W; Yang, Ching-Hong; Wang, Jie; Huntley, Regan B; Yuan, Xiaochen; Zeng, Quan

    2017-01-01

    Erwinia amylovora is a Gram-negative bacterial plant pathogen in the family Enterobacteriaceae and is the causal agent of fire blight, a devastating disease of apple and pear. Fire blight is traditionally managed by the application of the antibiotic streptomycin during bloom, but this strategy has been challenged by the development and spread of streptomycin resistance. Thus, there is an urgent need for effective, specific, and sustainable control alternatives for fire blight. Antisense antimicrobials are oligomers of nucleic acid homologs with antisense sequence of essential genes in bacteria. The binding of these molecules to the mRNA of essential genes can result in translational repression and antimicrobial effect. Here, we explored the possibility of developing antisense antimicrobials against E. amylovora and using these compounds in fire blight control. We determined that a 10-nucleotide oligomer of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) targeting the start codon region of an essential gene acpP is able to cause complete growth inhibition of E. amylovora . We found that conjugation of cell penetrating peptide (CPP) to PNA is essential for the antimicrobial effect, with CPP1 [(KFF)3K] being the most effective against E. amylovora . The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of anti- acpP -CPP1 (2.5 μM) is comparable to the MIC of streptomycin (2 μM). Examination of the antimicrobial mechanisms demonstrated that anti- acpP -CPP1 caused dose-dependent reduction of acpP mRNA in E. amylovora upon treatment and resulted in cell death (bactericidal effect). Anti- acpP -CPP1 (100 μM) is able to effectively limit the pathogen growth on stigmas of apple flowers, although less effective than streptomycin. Finally, unlike streptomycin that does not display any specificity in inhibiting pathogen growth, anti- acpP -CPP1 has more specific antimicrobial effect against E. amylovora . In summary, we demonstrated that PNA-CPP can cause an effective, specific antimicrobial effect

  2. Exploration of Using Antisense Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA)-cell Penetrating Peptide (CPP) as a Novel Bactericide against Fire Blight Pathogen Erwinia amylovora

    PubMed Central

    Patel, Ravi R.; Sundin, George W.; Yang, Ching-Hong; Wang, Jie; Huntley, Regan B.; Yuan, Xiaochen; Zeng, Quan

    2017-01-01

    Erwinia amylovora is a Gram-negative bacterial plant pathogen in the family Enterobacteriaceae and is the causal agent of fire blight, a devastating disease of apple and pear. Fire blight is traditionally managed by the application of the antibiotic streptomycin during bloom, but this strategy has been challenged by the development and spread of streptomycin resistance. Thus, there is an urgent need for effective, specific, and sustainable control alternatives for fire blight. Antisense antimicrobials are oligomers of nucleic acid homologs with antisense sequence of essential genes in bacteria. The binding of these molecules to the mRNA of essential genes can result in translational repression and antimicrobial effect. Here, we explored the possibility of developing antisense antimicrobials against E. amylovora and using these compounds in fire blight control. We determined that a 10-nucleotide oligomer of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) targeting the start codon region of an essential gene acpP is able to cause complete growth inhibition of E. amylovora. We found that conjugation of cell penetrating peptide (CPP) to PNA is essential for the antimicrobial effect, with CPP1 [(KFF)3K] being the most effective against E. amylovora. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of anti-acpP-CPP1 (2.5 μM) is comparable to the MIC of streptomycin (2 μM). Examination of the antimicrobial mechanisms demonstrated that anti-acpP-CPP1 caused dose-dependent reduction of acpP mRNA in E. amylovora upon treatment and resulted in cell death (bactericidal effect). Anti-acpP-CPP1 (100 μM) is able to effectively limit the pathogen growth on stigmas of apple flowers, although less effective than streptomycin. Finally, unlike streptomycin that does not display any specificity in inhibiting pathogen growth, anti-acpP-CPP1 has more specific antimicrobial effect against E. amylovora. In summary, we demonstrated that PNA–CPP can cause an effective, specific antimicrobial effect against E

  3. Pseudomonas blight caused by Pseudomonas syringae on raspberry in California

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Plantings of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus var. strigosus) exhibited symptoms of a previously undocumented disease. Lesions were observable from both adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces. As disease progressed, lesions enlarged and coalesced, resulting in significant dark brown to black blighting of the ...

  4. Maryblyt v. 7.1 for Windows: an improved fire blight forecasting program for apples and pears

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This article describes updates found in Version 7.1 of the fire blight prediction model Maryblyt, originally developed by Paul Steiner and Gary Lightner. In addition, a brief history of the development of the Maryblyt model is given. The article ends with examples comparing the performance of Versio...

  5. Biological control of fusarium seedling blight disease of wheat and barley.

    PubMed

    Khan, Mojibur R; Fischer, Sven; Egan, Damian; Doohan, Fiona M

    2006-04-01

    ABSTRACT Fusarium fungi, including F. culmorum, cause seedling blight, foot rot, and head blight diseases of cereals, resulting in yield loss. In a screen for potential disease control organisms and agents, Pseudomonas fluorescens strains MKB 100 and MKB 249, P. frederiksbergensis strain 202, Pseudomonas sp. strain MKB 158, and chitosan all significantly reduced the extent of both wheat coleoptile growth retardation and wheat and barley seedling blight caused by F. culmorum (by 53 to 91%). Trichodiene synthase is a Fusarium enzyme necessary for trichothecene mycotoxin biosynthesis; expression of the gene encoding this enzyme in wheat was 33% lower in stem base tissue coinoculated with Pseudomonas sp. strain MKB 158 and F. culmorum than in wheat treated with bacterial culture medium and F. culmorum. When wheat and barley were grown in soil amended with either chitosan, P. fluorescens strain MKB 249, Pseudomonas sp. strain MKB 158, or culture filtrates of these bacteria, the level of disease symptoms on F. culmorum-inoculated stem base tissue (at 12 days post- F. culmorum inoculation) was >/=31% less than the level on F. culmorum-inoculated plants grown in culture medium-amended soil. It seems likely that at least part of the biocontrol activity of these bacteria and chitosan may be due to the induction of systemic disease resistance in host plants. Also, in coinoculation studies, Pseudomonas sp. strain MKB 158 induced the expression of a wheat class III plant peroxidase gene (a pathogenesis-related gene).

  6. Engineering fire blight resistance into the apple cultivar 'Gala' using the FB_MR5 CC-NBS-LRR resistance gene of Malus × robusta 5.

    PubMed

    Broggini, Giovanni A L; Wöhner, Thomas; Fahrentrapp, Johannes; Kost, Thomas D; Flachowsky, Henryk; Peil, Andreas; Hanke, Maria-Viola; Richter, Klaus; Patocchi, Andrea; Gessler, Cesare

    2014-08-01

    The fire blight susceptible apple cultivar Malus × domestica Borkh. cv. 'Gala' was transformed with the candidate fire blight resistance gene FB_MR5 originating from the crab apple accession Malus × robusta 5 (Mr5). A total of five different transgenic lines were obtained. All transgenic lines were shown to be stably transformed and originate from different transgenic events. The transgenic lines express the FB_MR5 either driven by the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter and the ocs terminator or by its native promoter and terminator sequences. Phenotyping experiments were performed with Mr5-virulent and Mr5-avirulent strains of Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight. Significantly less disease symptoms were detected on transgenic lines after inoculation with two different Mr5-avirulent E. amylovora strains, while significantly more shoot necrosis was observed after inoculation with the Mr5-virulent mutant strain ZYRKD3_1. The results of these experiments demonstrated the ability of a single gene isolated from the native gene pool of apple to protect a susceptible cultivar from fire blight. Furthermore, this gene is confirmed to be the resistance determinant of Mr5 as the transformed lines undergo the same gene-for-gene interaction in the host-pathogen relationship Mr5-E. amylovora. © 2014 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Molecular analyses of Erwinia amylovora strains isolated in Russia, Poland, Slovenia and Austria describing further spread of fire blight in Europe.

    PubMed

    Jock, Susanne; Wensing, Annette; Pulawska, Joanna; Drenova, Nataliya; Dreo, Tanja; Geider, Klaus

    2013-08-25

    Fire blight, a bacteriosis of apple and pear, was assayed with molecular tools to associate its origin in Russia, Slovenia and south-eastern Austria with neighboring countries. The identification of all investigated strains was confirmed by MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy except one. Independent isolation was verified by the level of amylovoran synthesis and by the number of short sequence DNA repeats in plasmid pEA29. DNA of gently lysed E. amylovora strains from Russia, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Poland, Central Europe and Iran was treated with restriction enzymes XbaI and SpeI to create typical banding patterns for PFGE analysis. The pattern Pt2 indicated that most Russian E. amylovora strains were related to strains from Turkey and Iran. Strains from Slovenia exhibited patterns Pt3 and Pt2, both present in the neighboring countries. Strains were also probed for the recently described plasmid pEI70 detected in Pt1 strains from Poland and in Pt3 strains from other countries. The distribution of pattern Pt3 suggests distribution of fire blight from Belgium and the Netherlands to Central Spain and Northern Italy and then north to Carinthia. The PFGE patterns indicate that trade of plants may have introduced fire blight into southern parts of Europe proceeded by sequential spread. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  8. A rapid lateral-flow immunoassay for phytosanitary detection of Erwinia amylovora and on-site fire blight diagnosis.

    PubMed

    Braun-Kiewnick, A; Altenbach, D; Oberhänsli, T; Bitterlin, W; Duffy, B

    2011-10-01

    Fire blight is an invasive disease caused by Erwinia amylovora that threatens pome fruit production globally. Effective implementation of phytosanitary control measures depends upon rapid, reliable pathogen detection and disease diagnosis. We developed a lateral-flow immunoassay specific for E. amylovora with a detection limit of log 5.7 CFU/ml, typical of pathogen concentrations in symptomatic plant material. The simple assay had comparable sensitivity to standard culture plating, serum agglutination and nested PCR when validated for application in a phytosanitary laboratory as a confirmatory test of cultured isolates and for first-line diagnosis of phytosanitary samples that represent the full range of commercial, ornamental and forestry host species. On-site validation in ring-trials with local plant inspectors demonstrated robust and reliable detection (compared to subsequent plating and PCR analysis). The simplicity, inspector acceptance and facilitation of expedited diagnosis (from 2 days for laboratory submitted samples to 15 min with the immunoassay), offers a valuable tool for improved phytosanitary control of fire blight. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Potential of osmoadaptation for improving Pantoea agglomerans E325 as biocontrol agent for fire blight of apple and pear

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pantoea agglomerans biocontrol strain E325 is the active ingredient in a commercial product for fire blight, a destructive disease of apple and pear initiated by Erwinia amylovora in flowers. Osmoadaptation, involving the combination of saline osmotic stress and osmolyte amendment to growth media, w...

  10. Suppression of bacterial blight on mustard greens with host plant resistance and Acibenzolar-S-Methyl

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bacterial blight, caused by Pseudomonas cannabina pv. alisalensis, attacks the leaves of most brassica vegetables, including mustard greens (Brassica juncea). ‘Carolina Broadleaf,’ a new mustard cultivar, is resistant to bacterial blight. Acibenzolar-S-methyl (trade name Actigard) has been used to m...

  11. Two distinct major QTL for resistance to fire blight co-localize on linkage group 12 in apple genotypes 'Evereste' and Malus floribunda clone 821.

    PubMed

    Durel, C-E; Denancé, C; Brisset, M-N

    2009-02-01

    Fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is one of the most destructive diseases of apple (Malus xdomestica) worldwide. No major, qualitative gene for resistance to this disease has been identified so far in apple. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was performed in two F1 progenies derived from two controled crosses: one between the susceptible rootstock cultivar 'MM106' and the resistant ornamental cultivar 'Evereste' and the other one between the moderately susceptible cultivar 'Golden Delicious' and the wild apple Malus floribunda clone 821, with unknown level of fire blight resistance. Both progenies were inoculated in the greenhouse with the same reference strain of E. amylovora. The length of stem necrosis was scored 7 and 14 days after inoculation. A strong QTL effect was identified in both 'Evereste' and M. floribunda 821 at a similar position on the distal region of linkage group 12 of the apple genome. From 50% to 70% of the phenotypic variation was explained by the QTL in 'Evereste' progeny according to the scored trait. More than 40% of the phenotypic variation was explained by the M. floribunda QTL in the second progeny. It was shown that 'Evereste' and M. floribunda 821 carried distinct QTL alleles at that genomic position. A small additional QTL was identified in 'Evereste' on linkage group 15, which explained about 6% of the phenotypic variation. Although it was not possible to confirm whether or not 'Evereste' and M. floribunda QTL belonged to the same locus or two distinct closely related loci, these QTL can be valuable targets in marker-assisted selection to obtain fire blight resistant apple cultivars and form a starting point for discovering the function of the genes controlling apple fire blight resistance.

  12. Pseudomonas orientalis F9: A Potent Antagonist against Phytopathogens with Phytotoxic Effect in the Apple Flower

    PubMed Central

    Zengerer, Veronika; Schmid, Michael; Bieri, Marco; Müller, Denise C.; Remus-Emsermann, Mitja N. P.; Ahrens, Christian H.; Pelludat, Cosima

    2018-01-01

    In light of public concerns over the use of pesticides and antibiotics in plant protection and the subsequent selection for spread of resistant bacteria in the environment, it is inevitable to broaden our knowledge about viable alternatives, such as natural antagonists and their mode of action. The genus Pseudomonas is known for its metabolic versatility and genetic plasticity, encompassing pathogens as well as antagonists. We characterized strain Pseudomonas orientalis F9, an isolate from apple flowers in a Swiss orchard, and determined its antagonistic activity against several phytopathogenic bacteria, in particular Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight. P. orientalis F9 displayed antagonistic activity against a broad suite of phytopathogenic bacteria in the in vitro tests. The promising results from this analysis led to an ex vivo assay with E. amylovora CFBP1430Rif and P. orientalis F9 infected detached apple flowers. F9 diminished the fire blight pathogen in the flowers but also revealed phytotoxic traits. The experimental results were discussed in light of the complete genome sequence of F9, which revealed the strain to carry phenazine genes. Phenazines are known to contribute to antagonistic activity of bacterial strains against soil pathogens. When tested in the cress assay with Pythium ultimum as pathogen, F9 showed results comparable to the known antagonist P. protegens CHA0. PMID:29479340

  13. Modelling the effects of cutting off infected branches and replanting on fire-blight transmission using Filippov systems.

    PubMed

    Chen, Can; Li, Chentong; Kang, Yanmei

    2018-02-14

    Fire blight is one of the most devastating plant diseases in the world. This paper proposes a Filippov fire-blight model incorporating cutting off infected branches and replanting susceptible trees. The Filippov-type model is formulated by considering that no control strategy is taken if the number of infected trees is less than an infected threshold level I c ; further, we cut off infected branches once the number of infected trees exceeds I c ; meanwhile, we replant trees if the number of susceptible trees is less than a susceptible threshold level S c . The global dynamical behaviour of the Filippov system is investigated. It is shown that model solutions ultimately converge to the positive equilibrium that lies in the region above I c , or below I c , or on I=I c , as we vary the susceptible and infected threshold values S c and I c . Our results indicate that proper combinations of the susceptible and infected threshold values based on the threshold policy can lead the number of infected trees to an acceptable level, when complete eradication is not economically desirable. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Generation of advanced fire blight-resistant apple (Malus × domestica) selections of the fifth generation within 7 years of applying the early flowering approach.

    PubMed

    Schlathölter, Ina; Jänsch, Melanie; Flachowsky, Henryk; Broggini, Giovanni Antonio Lodovico; Hanke, Magda-Viola; Patocchi, Andrea

    2018-06-01

    The approach presented here can be applied to reduce the time needed to introduce traits from wild apples into null segregant advanced selections by one-fourth. Interesting traits like resistances to pathogens are often found within the wild apple gene pool. However, the long juvenile phase of apple seedlings hampers the rapid introduction of these traits into new cultivars. The rapid crop cycle breeding approach used in this paper is based on the overexpression of the birch (Betula pendula) MADS4 transcription factor in apple. Using the early flowering line T1190 and 'Evereste' as source of the fire blight resistance (Fb_E locus), we successfully established 18 advanced selections of the fifth generation in the greenhouse within 7 years. Fifteen individuals showed the habitus expected of a regular apple seedling, while three showed very short internodes. The null segregants possessing a regular habitus maintained the high level of fire blight resistance typical for 'Evereste'. Using SSR markers, we estimated the percentage of genetic drag from 'Evereste' still associated with Fb_E on linkage group 12 (LG12). Eight out of the 18 selections had only 4% of 'Evereste' genome left. Since genotypes carrying the apple scab resistance gene Rvi6 and the fire blight resistance QTL Fb_F7 were used as parents in the course of the experiments, these resistances were also identified in some of the null segregants. One seedling is particularly interesting as, beside Fb_E, it also carries Fb_F7 heterozygously and Rvi6 homozygously. If null segregants obtained using this method will be considered as not genetically modified in Europe, as is already the case in the USA, this genotype could be a very promising parent for breeding new fire blight and scab-resistant apple cultivars in European apple breeding programs.

  15. Pathovars of Pseudomonas syringae Causing Bacterial Brown Spot and Halo Blight in Phaseolus vulgaris L. Are Distinguishable by Ribotyping

    PubMed Central

    González, Ana J.; Landeras, Elena; Mendoza, M. Carmen

    2000-01-01

    Ribotyping was evaluated as a method to differentiate between Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola and pv. syringae strains causing bacterial brown spot and halo blight diseases in Phaseolus vulgaris L. Ribotyping, with restriction enzymes BglI and SalI and using the Escherichia coli rrnB operon as the probe, differentiated 11 and 14 ribotypes, respectively, and a combination of data from both procedures yielded 19 combined ribotypes. Cluster analysis of the combined ribotypes differentiated the pathovars phaseolicola and syringae, as well as different clonal lineages within these pathovars. The potential of ribotyping to screen for correlations between lineages and factors such as geographical region and/or bean varieties is also reported. PMID:10653764

  16. Silencing of flavanone-3-hydroxylase in apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) leads to accumulation of flavanones, but not to reduced fire blight susceptibility.

    PubMed

    Flachowsky, Henryk; Halbwirth, Heidi; Treutter, Dieter; Richter, Klaus; Hanke, Magda-Viola; Szankowski, Iris; Gosch, Christian; Stich, Karl; Fischer, Thilo C

    2012-02-01

    Transgenic antisense flavanone-3-hydroxylase apple plants were produced to mimic the effect of the agrochemical prohexadione-Ca on apple leaves. This enzyme inhibitor for 2-oxoglutarate dependent dioxygenases is used as a growth retardant and for control of secondary fire blight of leaves. Like using the agent, silencing of flavanone-3-hydroxylase leads to an accumulation of flavanones in leaves, but in contrast not to the formation of 3-deoxyflavonoids. In prohexadione-Ca treated leaves the 3-deoxyflavonoid luteoforol is formed from accumulating flavanones, acting as an antimicrobial compound against the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora. Seemingly, the silencing of just one of the 2-oxoglutarate dependent dioxygenases (in apple also flavonol synthase and anthocyanidin synthase take part downstream in the pathway) does not provide a sufficiently high ratio of flavanones to dihydroflavonols. This seems to be needed to let the dihydroflavonol-4-reductase/flavanone-4-reductase enzyme reduce flavanones to luteoforol, and to let this be reduced by the leucoanthocyanidin-4-reductase/3-deoxyleucoanthocyanidin-4-reductase, each acting with their respective weak secondary activities. Accordingly, also the intended inducible resistance to fire blight by prohexadione-Ca is not observed with the antisense flavanone-3-hydroxylase apple plants. On the other hand, for most transgenic lines with strong flavanone-4-reductase down-regulation, up-regulation of gene expression for the other flavonoid genes was found. This provides further evidence for the feedback regulation of flavonoid gene expression having been previously reported for the prohexadione-Ca inhibited apple plants. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa antimetabolite L-2-amino-4-methoxy-trans-3-butenoic acid inhibits growth of Erwinia amylovora and acts as a seed germination-arrest factor.

    PubMed

    Lee, Xiaoyun; Azevedo, Mark D; Armstrong, Donald J; Banowetz, Gary M; Reimmann, Cornelia

    2013-02-01

    The Pseudomonas aeruginosa antimetabolite L-2-amino-4-methoxy-trans-3-butenoic acid (AMB) shares biological activities with 4-formylaminooxyvinylglycine, a related molecule produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens WH6. We found that culture filtrates of a P. aeruginosa strain overproducing AMB weakly interfered with seed germination of the grassy weed Poa annua and strongly inhibited growth of Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of the devastating orchard crop disease known as fire blight. AMB was active against a 4-formylaminooxyvinylglycine-resistant isolate of E. amylovora, suggesting that the molecular targets of the two oxyvinylglycines in Erwinia do not, or not entirely, overlap. The AMB biosynthesis and transport genes were shown to be organized in two separate transcriptional units, ambA and ambBCDE, which were successfully expressed from IPTG-inducible tac promoters in the heterologous host P. fluorescens CHA0. Engineered AMB production enabled this model biocontrol strain to become inhibitory against E. amylovora and to weakly interfere with the germination of several graminaceous seeds. We conclude that AMB production requires no additional genes besides ambABCDE and we speculate that their expression in marketed fire blight biocontrol strains could potentially contribute to disease control. © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. Metabolic Versatility and Antibacterial Metabolite Biosynthesis Are Distinguishing Genomic Features of the Fire Blight Antagonist Pantoea vagans C9-1

    PubMed Central

    Smits, Theo H. M.; Rezzonico, Fabio; Kamber, Tim; Blom, Jochen; Goesmann, Alexander; Ishimaru, Carol A.; Frey, Jürg E.; Stockwell, Virginia O.; Duffy, Brion

    2011-01-01

    Background Pantoea vagans is a commercialized biological control agent used against the pome fruit bacterial disease fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora. Compared to other biocontrol agents, relatively little is currently known regarding Pantoea genetics. Better understanding of antagonist mechanisms of action and ecological fitness is critical to improving efficacy. Principal Findings Genome analysis indicated two major factors contribute to biocontrol activity: competition for limiting substrates and antibacterial metabolite production. Pathways for utilization of a broad diversity of sugars and acquisition of iron were identified. Metabolism of sorbitol by P. vagans C9-1 may be a major metabolic feature in biocontrol of fire blight. Biosynthetic genes for the antibacterial peptide pantocin A were found on a chromosomal 28-kb genomic island, and for dapdiamide E on the plasmid pPag2. There was no evidence of potential virulence factors that could enable an animal or phytopathogenic lifestyle and no indication of any genetic-based biosafety risk in the antagonist. Conclusions Identifying key determinants contributing to disease suppression allows the development of procedures to follow their expression in planta and the genome sequence contributes to rationale risk assessment regarding the use of the biocontrol strain in agricultural systems. PMID:21789243

  19. A single effector protein, ArvRpt2ea from Erwinia amylovora, can cause fire blight disease symptons and induces salicylic acid dependent defense response

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The AvrRpt2EA effector protein of Erwinia amylovora is important for pathogen recognition in the fire blight resistant crabapple Malus ×robusta 5; however, little is known about its role in susceptible apple genotypes. In order to study its function in planta, we expressed a plant optimized version...

  20. Evaluation of kasugamycin for fire blight management, effect on nontarget bacteria, and assessment of kasugamycin resistance potential in Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    McGhee, Gayle C; Sundin, George W

    2011-02-01

    The emergence and spread of streptomycin-resistant strains of Erwinia amylovora in Michigan has necessitated the evaluation of new compounds effective for fire blight control. The aminoglycoside antibiotic kasugamycin (Ks) targets the bacterial ribosome and is particularly active against E. amylovora. The efficacy of Ks formulated as Kasumin 2L for control of fire blight was evaluated in six experiments conducted over four field seasons in our experimental orchards in East Lansing, MI. Blossom blight control was statistically equivalent to the industry standard streptomycin in all experiments. E. amylovora populations remained constant on apple flower stigmas pretreated with Kasumin and were ≈100-fold lower than on stigmas treated with water. Kasumin applied to apple trees in the field also resulted in a 100-fold reduced total culturable bacterial population compared with trees treated with water. We performed a prospective analysis of the potential for kasugamycin resistance (Ks(R)) development in E. amylovora which focused on spontaneous resistance development and acquisition of a transferrable Ks(R) gene. In replicated lab experiments, the development of spontaneous resistance in E. amylovora to Ks at 250 or 500 ppm was not observed when cells were directly plated on medium containing high concentrations of the antibiotic. However, exposure to increasing concentrations of Ks in media (initial concentration 25 μg ml(-1)) resulted in the selection of Ks resistance (at 150 μg ml(-1)) in the E. amylovora strains Ea110, Ea273, and Ea1189. Analysis of mutants indicated that they harbored mutations in the kasugamycin target ksgA gene and that all mutants were impacted in relative fitness observable through a reduced growth rate in vitro and decreased virulence in immature pear fruit. The possible occurrence of a reservoir of Ks(R) genes in orchard environments was also examined. Culturable gram-negative bacteria were surveyed from six experimental apple orchards

  1. The genome of the Erwinia amylovora phage PhiEaH1 reveals greater diversity and broadens the applicability of phages for the treatment of fire blight.

    PubMed

    Meczker, Katalin; Dömötör, Dóra; Vass, János; Rákhely, Gábor; Schneider, György; Kovács, Tamás

    2014-01-01

    The enterobacterium Erwinia amylovora is the causal agent of fire blight. This study presents the analysis of the complete genome of phage PhiEaH1, isolated from the soil surrounding an E. amylovora-infected apple tree in Hungary. Its genome is 218 kb in size, containing 244 ORFs. PhiEaH1 is the second E. amylovora infecting phage from the Siphoviridae family whose complete genome sequence was determined. Beside PhiEaH2, PhiEaH1 is the other active component of Erwiphage, the first bacteriophage-based pesticide on the market against E. amylovora. Comparative genome analysis in this study has revealed that PhiEaH1 not only differs from the 10 formerly sequenced E. amylovora bacteriophages belonging to other phage families, but also from PhiEaH2. Sequencing of more Siphoviridae phage genomes might reveal further diversity, providing opportunities for the development of even more effective biological control agents, phage cocktails against Erwinia fire blight disease of commercial fruit crops.

  2. Colonizing ability of Pseudomonas fluorescens 2112, among collections of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens spp. in pea rhizosphere.

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pseudomonas fluorescens 2112, isolated in Korea as an indigenous antagonistic bacteria, can produce 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG) and the siderophore pyoveridin2112 for the control of Phytophthora blight of red-pepper. P. fluorescens 2112 was classified into a new genotype C among the 17 gen...

  3. Complete genome sequence of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia pyrifoliae DSM 12163T and comparative genomic insights into plant pathogenicity

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Erwinia pyrifoliae is a newly described necrotrophic pathogen, which causes fire blight on Asian (Nashi) pear and is geographically restricted to Eastern Asia. Relatively little is known about its genetics compared to the closely related main fire blight pathogen E. amylovora. Results The genome of the type strain of E. pyrifoliae strain DSM 12163T, was sequenced using both 454 and Solexa pyrosequencing and annotated. The genome contains a circular chromosome of 4.026 Mb and four small plasmids. Based on their respective role in virulence in E. amylovora or related organisms, we identified several putative virulence factors, including type III and type VI secretion systems and their effectors, flagellar genes, sorbitol metabolism, iron uptake determinants, and quorum-sensing components. A deletion in the rpoS gene covering the most conserved region of the protein was identified which may contribute to the difference in virulence/host-range compared to E. amylovora. Comparative genomics with the pome fruit epiphyte Erwinia tasmaniensis Et1/99 showed that both species are overall highly similar, although specific differences were identified, for example the presence of some phage gene-containing regions and a high number of putative genomic islands containing transposases in the E. pyrifoliae DSM 12163T genome. Conclusions The E. pyrifoliae genome is an important addition to the published genome of E. tasmaniensis and the unfinished genome of E. amylovora providing a foundation for re-sequencing additional strains that may shed light on the evolution of the host-range and virulence/pathogenicity of this important group of plant-associated bacteria. PMID:20047678

  4. Differential Expression of Biphenyl Synthase Gene Family Members in Fire-Blight-Infected Apple ‘Holsteiner Cox’ 1[W][OA

    PubMed Central

    Chizzali, Cornelia; Gaid, Mariam M.; Belkheir, Asma K.; Hänsch, Robert; Richter, Klaus; Flachowsky, Henryk; Peil, Andreas; Hanke, Magda-Viola; Liu, Benye; Beerhues, Ludger

    2012-01-01

    Fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is a devastating disease of apple (Malus × domestica). The phytoalexins of apple are biphenyls and dibenzofurans, whose carbon skeleton is formed by biphenyl synthase (BIS), a type III polyketide synthase. In the recently published genome sequence of apple ‘Golden Delicious’, nine BIS genes and four BIS gene fragments were detected. The nine genes fall into four subfamilies, referred to as MdBIS1 to MdBIS4. In a phylogenetic tree, the BIS amino acid sequences from apple and Sorbus aucuparia formed an individual cluster within the clade of the functionally diverse type III polyketide synthases. cDNAs encoding MdBIS1 to MdBIS4 were cloned from fire-blight-infected shoots of apple ‘Holsteiner Cox,’ heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, and functionally analyzed. Benzoyl-coenzyme A and salicoyl-coenzyme A were the preferred starter substrates. In response to inoculation with E. amylovora, the BIS3 gene was expressed in stems of cv Holsteiner Cox, with highest transcript levels in the transition zone between necrotic and healthy tissues. The transition zone was the accumulation site of biphenyl and dibenzofuran phytoalexins. Leaves contained transcripts for BIS2 but failed to form immunodetectable amounts of BIS protein. In cell cultures of apple ‘Cox Orange,’ expression of the BIS1 to BIS3 genes was observed after the addition of an autoclaved E. amylovora suspension. Using immunofluorescence localization under a confocal laser-scanning microscope, the BIS3 protein in the transition zone of stems was detected in the parenchyma of the bark. Dot-shaped immunofluorescence was confined to the junctions between neighboring cortical parenchyma cells. PMID:22158676

  5. The in planta proteome of wild type strains of the fire blight pathogen, Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Holtappels, M; Vrancken, K; Noben, J P; Remans, T; Schoofs, H; Deckers, T; Valcke, R

    2016-04-29

    Erwinia amylovora is a Gram-negative plant pathogen that causes fire blight. This disease affects most members of the Rosaceae family including apple and pear. Here, an infection model is introduced to study proteomic changes in a highly virulent E. amylovora strain upon interaction with its host as compared to a lower virulent strain. For this purpose separate shoots of apple rootstocks were wound-infected and when infection became systemic, bacterial cells were isolated and processed for analysis in a proteomics platform combining 2-D fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Comparing the proteome of the isolates, significant abundance changes were observed in proteins involved in sorbitol metabolism, amylovoran production as well as in protection against plant defense mechanisms. Furthermore several proteins associated with virulence were more abundant in the higher virulent strain. Changes at the proteome level showed good accordance at the transcript level, as was verified by RT-qPCR. In conclusion, this infection model may be a valuable tool to unravel the complexity of plant-pathogen interactions and to gain insight in the molecular mechanisms associated with virulence of E. amylovora, paving the way for the development of plant-protective interventions against this detrimental disease. During this research a first time investigation was performed on the proteome of E. amylovora, grown inside a susceptible host plant. This bacterium is the causal agent of fire blight, which can affect most members of the Rosaceae family including apple and pear. To do so, an artificial infection model on shoots of apple rootstocks was optimized and employed. When infection was systemic, bacterial cells were extracted from the plant tissue followed by extraction of the proteins from the bacteria. Further processing of the proteins was done by using a 2-D fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis analysis followed by mass spectrometry. By the use of

  6. Lysozyme enhances the bactericidal effect of BP100 peptide against Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight of rosaceous plants.

    PubMed

    Cabrefiga, Jordi; Montesinos, Emilio

    2017-02-17

    Fire blight is an important disease affecting rosaceous plants. The causal agent is the bacteria Erwinia amylovora which is poorly controlled with the use of conventional bactericides and biopesticides. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as a new compounds suitable for plant disease control. BP100, a synthetic linear undecapeptide (KKLFKKILKYL-NH 2 ), has been reported to be effective against E. amylovora infections. Moreover, BP100 showed bacteriolytic activity, moderate susceptibility to protease degradation and low toxicity. However, the peptide concentration required for an effective control of infections in planta is too high due to some inactivation by tissue components. This is a limitation beause of the high cost of synthesis of this compound. We expected that the combination of BP100 with lysozyme may produce a synergistic effect, enhancing its activity and reducing the effective concentration needed for fire blight control. The combination of a synhetic multifunctional undecapeptide (BP100) with lysozyme produces a synergistic effect. We showed a significant increase of the antimicrobial activity against E. amylovora that was associated to the increase of cell membrane damage and to the reduction of cell metabolism. Combination of BP100 with lysozyme reduced the time required to achieve cell death and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), and increased the activity of BP100 in the presence of leaf extracts even when the peptide was applied at low doses. The results obtained in vitro were confirmed in leaf infection bioassays. The combination of BP100 with lysozyme showed synergism on the bactericidal activity against E. amylovora and provide the basis for developing better formulations of antibacterial peptides for plant protection.

  7. Same ammo, different weapons: enzymatic extracts from two apple genotypes with contrasted susceptibilities to fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) differentially convert phloridzin and phloretin in vitro.

    PubMed

    Gaucher, Matthieu; Dugé de Bernonville, Thomas; Guyot, Sylvain; Dat, James F; Brisset, Marie-Noëlle

    2013-11-01

    The necrogenic bacterium Erwinia amylovora responsible for the fire blight disease causes cell death in apple tissues to enrich intercellular spaces with nutrients. Apple leaves contain large amounts of dihydrochalcones (DHCs), including phloridzin and its aglycone phloretin. Previous work showed an important decrease in the constitutive DHCs stock in infected leaves, probably caused by transformation reactions during the infection process. At least two flavonoid transformation pathways have been described so far: deglucosylation and oxidation. The aim of the present study was to determine whether DHCs are differentially converted in two apple genotypes displaying contrasted susceptibilities to the disease. Different analyses were performed: i) enzymatic activity assays in infected leaves, ii) identification/quantification of end-products obtained after in vitro enzymatic reactions with DHCs, iii) evaluation of the bactericidal activity of end-products. The results of the enzymatic assays showed that deglucosylation was dominant over oxidation in the susceptible genotype MM106 while the opposite was observed in the resistant genotype Evereste. These data were confirmed by LC-UV/Vis-MS analysis of in vitro reaction mixtures, especially because higher levels of o-quinoid oxidation products of phloretin were measured by using the enzymatic extracts of Evereste infected leaves. Their presence correlated well with a strong bactericidal activity of the reaction mixtures. Thus, our results suggest that a differential transformation of DHCs occur in apple genotypes with a potential involvement in the establishment of the susceptibility or the resistance to fire blight, through the release of glucose or of highly bactericidal compounds respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. Characterization of the bacterial stem blight pathogen of alfalfa, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae ALF3

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bacterial stem blight of alfalfa occurs sporadically in the central and western U.S. Yield losses of up to 50% of the first harvest can occur with some cultivars. Developing resistant cultivars is hampered by lack of information on the pathogen and a standard test for evaluating plant germplasm. Bac...

  9. Sirococcus Shoot Blight

    Treesearch

    Thomas H. Nicholls; Kathryn Robbins

    1984-01-01

    Sirococcus shoot blight, caused by the fungus Sirococcus strobilinus Preuss, affects conifers in the Northern United States and southern Canada. The fungus infects the new shoots; diseased seedlings and saplings are especially affected. In the United States, sirococcus shoot blight has become increasingly widespread since the early 1970's. When favorable...

  10. Sphaeropsis Shoot Blight

    Treesearch

    Jill Pokorny

    1998-01-01

    Sphaeropsis shoot blight, formerly called Diplodia shoot blight, is worldwide in distribution and can infect many conifer hosts. Although many pine species are reported hosts, this disease causes severe damage only to trees that are predisposed by unfavorable environmental conditions. Non-native, exotic pine species growing outside their natural range are especially...

  11. Comparative study on the effect of chemicals on Alternaria blight in Indian mustard--a multi-location study in India.

    PubMed

    Meena, P D; Chattopadhyay, C; Kumar, A; Awasthi, R P; Singh, R; Kaur, S; Thomas, L; Goyal, P; Chand, P

    2011-05-01

    High severity of Altemaria blight disease is a major constraint in production of rapeseed-mustard in India. The aim of this study was to investigate the suppressive potential of chemicals viz., zinc sulphate, borax, sulphur, potash and calcium sulphate, aqueous extracts viz., Eucalyptus globosus (50 g l-1) leaf extract and garlic (Allium sativum) bulb (20 g l-1) extract, cow urine and bio-agents Trichoderma harzianum, Pseudomonas fluorescence in comparison with the recommended chemical fungicide (mancozeb), against foliar disease Alternaria blight of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. and Coss] under five different geographical locations of India. Mancozeb recorded the lowest mean severity (leaf: 33.1%; pod: 26.3%) of Alternaria blight with efficacy of garlic bulb extract alone (leaf = 34.4%; pod = 27.3%) or in combination with cow urine (leaf = 34.2%; pod = 28.6%) being statistically at par with the recommended chemical fungicide. Chemicals also proved effective in reducing Alternaria blight severity on leaves and pods of Indian mustard (leaf = 36.3-37.9%; pod = 27.5-30.1%). The effective treatments besides providing significant reduction in disease severity also enabled increase in dry seed yield of the crop (mancozeb = 2052 kg ha-1; garlic = 2006 kg ha-1; control = 1561 kg ha-1).

  12. Lipid transfer proteins and protease inhibitors as key factors in the priming of barley responses to Fusarium head blight disease by a biocontrol strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens.

    PubMed

    Petti, Carloalberto; Khan, Mojibur; Doohan, Fiona

    2010-11-01

    Strains of non-pathogenic pseudomonad bacteria, can elicit host defence responses against pathogenic microorganisms. Pseudomonas fluorescens strain MKB158 can protect cereals from pathogenesis by Fusarium fungi, including Fusarium head blight which is an economically important disease due to its association with both yield loss and mycotoxin contamination of grain. Using the 22 K barley Affymetrix chip, trancriptome studies were undertaken to determine the local effect of P. fluorescens strain MKB158 on the transcriptome of barley head tissue, and to discriminate transcripts primed by the bacterium to respond to challenge by Fusarium culmorum, a causal agent of the economically important Fusarium head blight disease of cereals. The bacterium significantly affected the accumulation of 1203 transcripts and primed 74 to positively, and 14 to negatively, respond to the pathogen (P = 0.05). This is the first study to give insights into bacterium priming in the Triticeae tribe of grasses and associated transcripts were classified into 13 functional classes, associated with diverse functions, including detoxification, cell wall biosynthesis and the amplification of host defence responses. In silico analysis of Arabidopsis homologs of bacterium-primed barley genes indicated that, as is the case in dicots, jasmonic acid plays a role in pseudomonad priming of host responses. Additionally, the transcriptome studies described herein also reveal new insights into bacterium-mediated priming of host defences against necrotrophs, including the positive effects on grain filling, lignin deposition, oxidative stress responses, and the inhibition of protease inhibitors and proteins that play a key role in programmed cell death.

  13. Fire Blight Control: The Struggle Goes On. A Comparison of Different Fire Blight Control Methods in Switzerland with Respect to Biosafety, Efficacy and Durability.

    PubMed

    Gusberti, Michele; Klemm, Urs; Meier, Matthias S; Maurhofer, Monika; Hunger-Glaser, Isabel

    2015-09-11

    Fire blight (FB), caused by Erwinia amylovora, is one of the most important pome fruit pathogens worldwide. To control this devastating disease, various chemical and biological treatments are commonly applied in Switzerland, but they fail to keep the infection at an acceptable level in years of heavy disease pressure. The Swiss authorities therefore currently allow the controlled use of the antibiotic streptomycin against FB in years that are predicted to have heavy infection periods, but only one treatment per season is permitted. Another strategy for controlling Erwinia is to breed resistant/tolerant apple cultivars. One way of accelerating the breeding process is to obtain resistant cultivars by inserting one or several major resistance genes, using genetic engineering. To date, no study summarizing the impact of different FB control measures on the environment and on human health has been performed. This study consequently aims to compare different disease-control measures (biological control, chemical control, control by antibiotics and by resistant/tolerant apple cultivars obtained through conventional or molecular breeding) applied against E. amylovora, considering different protection goals (protection of human health, environment, agricultural diversity and economic interest), with special emphasis on biosafety aspects. Information on each FB control measure in relation to the specified protection goal was assessed by literature searches and by interviews with experts. Based on our results it can be concluded that the FB control measures currently applied in Switzerland are safe for consumers, workers and the environment. However, there are several gaps in our knowledge of the human health and environmental impacts analyzed: data are missing (1) on long term studies on the efficacy of most of the analyzed FB control measures; (2) on the safety of operators handling streptomycin; (3) on residue analyses of Equisetum plant extract, the copper and aluminum

  14. Fire Blight Control: The Struggle Goes On. A Comparison of Different Fire Blight Control Methods in Switzerland with Respect to Biosafety, Efficacy and Durability

    PubMed Central

    Gusberti, Michele; Klemm, Urs; Meier, Matthias S.; Maurhofer, Monika; Hunger-Glaser, Isabel

    2015-01-01

    Fire blight (FB), caused by Erwinia amylovora, is one of the most important pome fruit pathogens worldwide. To control this devastating disease, various chemical and biological treatments are commonly applied in Switzerland, but they fail to keep the infection at an acceptable level in years of heavy disease pressure. The Swiss authorities therefore currently allow the controlled use of the antibiotic streptomycin against FB in years that are predicted to have heavy infection periods, but only one treatment per season is permitted. Another strategy for controlling Erwinia is to breed resistant/tolerant apple cultivars. One way of accelerating the breeding process is to obtain resistant cultivars by inserting one or several major resistance genes, using genetic engineering. To date, no study summarizing the impact of different FB control measures on the environment and on human health has been performed. This study consequently aims to compare different disease-control measures (biological control, chemical control, control by antibiotics and by resistant/tolerant apple cultivars obtained through conventional or molecular breeding) applied against E. amylovora, considering different protection goals (protection of human health, environment, agricultural diversity and economic interest), with special emphasis on biosafety aspects. Information on each FB control measure in relation to the specified protection goal was assessed by literature searches and by interviews with experts. Based on our results it can be concluded that the FB control measures currently applied in Switzerland are safe for consumers, workers and the environment. However, there are several gaps in our knowledge of the human health and environmental impacts analyzed: data are missing (1) on long term studies on the efficacy of most of the analyzed FB control measures; (2) on the safety of operators handling streptomycin; (3) on residue analyses of Equisetum plant extract, the copper and aluminum

  15. pA506, a Conjugative Plasmid of the Plant Epiphyte Pseudomonas fluorescens A506

    PubMed Central

    Stockwell, Virginia O.; Davis, Edward W.; Carey, Alyssa; Shaffer, Brenda T.; Mavrodi, Dmitri V.; Hassan, Karl A.; Hockett, Kevin; Thomashow, Linda S.; Paulsen, Ian T.

    2013-01-01

    Conjugative plasmids are known to facilitate the acquisition and dispersal of genes contributing to the fitness of Pseudomonas spp. Here, we report the characterization of pA506, the 57-kb conjugative plasmid of Pseudomonas fluorescens A506, a plant epiphyte used in the United States for the biological control of fire blight disease of pear and apple. Twenty-nine of the 67 open reading frames (ORFs) of pA506 have putative functions in conjugation, including a type IV secretion system related to that of MOBP6 family plasmids and a gene cluster for type IV pili. We demonstrate that pA506 is self-transmissible via conjugation between A506 and strains of Pseudomonas spp. or the Enterobacteriaceae. The origin of vegetative replication (oriV) of pA506 is typical of those in pPT23A family plasmids, which are present in many pathovars of Pseudomonas syringae, but pA506 lacks repA, a defining locus for pPT23A plasmids, and has a novel partitioning region. We selected a plasmid-cured derivative of A506 and compared it to the wild type to identify plasmid-encoded phenotypes. pA506 conferred UV resistance, presumably due to the plasmid-borne rulAB genes, but did not influence epiphytic fitness of A506 on pear or apple blossoms in the field. pA506 does not appear to confer resistance to antibiotics or other toxic elements. Based on the conjugative nature of pA506 and the large number of its genes that are shared with plasmids from diverse groups of environmental bacteria, the plasmid is likely to serve as a vehicle for genetic exchange between A506 and its coinhabitants on plant surfaces. PMID:23811504

  16. Engineering of Bacteriophages Y2::dpoL1-C and Y2::luxAB for Efficient Control and Rapid Detection of the Fire Blight Pathogen, Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Born, Yannick; Fieseler, Lars; Thöny, Valentin; Leimer, Nadja; Duffy, Brion; Loessner, Martin J

    2017-06-15

    Erwinia amylovora is the causative agent of fire blight, a devastating plant disease affecting members of the Rosaceae Alternatives to antibiotics for control of fire blight symptoms and outbreaks are highly desirable, due to increasing drug resistance and tight regulatory restrictions. Moreover, the available diagnostic methods either lack sensitivity, lack speed, or are unable to discriminate between live and dead bacteria. Owing to their extreme biological specificity, bacteriophages are promising alternatives for both aims. In this study, the virulent broad-host-range E. amylovora virus Y2 was engineered to enhance its killing activity and for use as a luciferase reporter phage, respectively. Toward these aims, a depolymerase gene of E. amylovora virus L1 ( dpoL1-C ) or a bacterial luxAB fusion was introduced into the genome of Y2 by homologous recombination. The genes were placed downstream of the major capsid protein orf68 , under the control of the native promoter. The modifications did not affect viability of infectivity of the recombinant viruses. Phage Y2:: dpoL1-C demonstrated synergistic activity between the depolymerase degrading the exopolysaccharide capsule and phage infection, which greatly enhanced bacterial killing. It also significantly reduced the ability of E. amylovora to colonize the surface of detached flowers. The reporter phage Y2:: luxAB transduced bacterial luciferase into host cells and induced synthesis of large amounts of a LuxAB luciferase fusion. After the addition of aldehyde substrate, bioluminescence could be readily monitored, and this enabled rapid and specific detection of low numbers of viable bacteria, without enrichment, both in vitro and in plant material. IMPORTANCE Fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora , is the major threat to global pome fruit production, with high economic losses every year. Bacteriophages represent promising alternatives to not only control the disease, but also for rapid diagnostics. To enhance

  17. Engineering of Bacteriophages Y2::dpoL1-C and Y2::luxAB for Efficient Control and Rapid Detection of the Fire Blight Pathogen, Erwinia amylovora

    PubMed Central

    Born, Yannick; Fieseler, Lars; Thöny, Valentin; Leimer, Nadja; Duffy, Brion

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Erwinia amylovora is the causative agent of fire blight, a devastating plant disease affecting members of the Rosaceae. Alternatives to antibiotics for control of fire blight symptoms and outbreaks are highly desirable, due to increasing drug resistance and tight regulatory restrictions. Moreover, the available diagnostic methods either lack sensitivity, lack speed, or are unable to discriminate between live and dead bacteria. Owing to their extreme biological specificity, bacteriophages are promising alternatives for both aims. In this study, the virulent broad-host-range E. amylovora virus Y2 was engineered to enhance its killing activity and for use as a luciferase reporter phage, respectively. Toward these aims, a depolymerase gene of E. amylovora virus L1 (dpoL1-C) or a bacterial luxAB fusion was introduced into the genome of Y2 by homologous recombination. The genes were placed downstream of the major capsid protein orf68, under the control of the native promoter. The modifications did not affect viability of infectivity of the recombinant viruses. Phage Y2::dpoL1-C demonstrated synergistic activity between the depolymerase degrading the exopolysaccharide capsule and phage infection, which greatly enhanced bacterial killing. It also significantly reduced the ability of E. amylovora to colonize the surface of detached flowers. The reporter phage Y2::luxAB transduced bacterial luciferase into host cells and induced synthesis of large amounts of a LuxAB luciferase fusion. After the addition of aldehyde substrate, bioluminescence could be readily monitored, and this enabled rapid and specific detection of low numbers of viable bacteria, without enrichment, both in vitro and in plant material. IMPORTANCE Fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora, is the major threat to global pome fruit production, with high economic losses every year. Bacteriophages represent promising alternatives to not only control the disease, but also for rapid diagnostics. To

  18. What Causes a Blighted Ovum?

    MedlinePlus

    ... ovum: What causes it? What causes a blighted ovum? What symptoms can I expect? Answers from Yvonne Butler Tobah, M.D. A blighted ovum, also called an anembryonic pregnancy or anembryonic gestation, ...

  19. A functional gene cluster for toxoflavin biosynthesis in the genome of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Toxoflavin is a broad-spectrum toxin best known for its role in virulence of Burkholderia glumae, which causes panicle blight of rice. A gene cluster containing homologs of toxoflavin biosynthesis genes (toxA-E) of B. glumae is present in the genome of Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5, a biological contr...

  20. Selection of bean lines that combine resistance to web blight and common bacterial blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Web blight caused by Thanatephorus cucumeris Frank (Donk) causes significant reductions in the yield and quality of beans produced in the humid, lowland tropics. A total of 644 lines from different breeding programs were evaluated for reaction to web blight and other diseases using conventional plan...

  1. Resistant and susceptible responses in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) to bacterial stem blight caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae.

    PubMed

    Nemchinov, Lev G; Shao, Jonathan; Lee, Maya N; Postnikova, Olga A; Samac, Deborah A

    2017-01-01

    Bacterial stem blight caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae is a common disease of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L). Little is known about host-pathogen interactions and host defense mechanisms. Here, individual resistant and susceptible plants were selected from cultivars Maverick and ZG9830 and used for transcript profiling at 24 and 72 hours after inoculation (hai) with the isolate PssALF3. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in resistant and susceptible genotypes. Although resistant plants from each cultivar produced a hypersensitive response, transcriptome analyses indicated that they respond differently at the molecular level. The number of DEGs was higher in resistant plants of ZG9830 at 24 hai than in Maverick, suggesting that ZG9830 plants had a more rapid effector triggered immune response. Unique up-regulated genes in resistant ZG9830 plants included genes encoding putative nematode resistance HSPRO2-like proteins, orthologs for the rice Xa21 and soybean Rpg1-b resistance genes, and TIR-containing R genes lacking both NBS and LRR domains. The suite of R genes up-regulated in resistant Maverick plants had an over-representation of R genes in the CC-NBS-LRR family including two genes for atypical CCR domains and a putative ortholog of the Arabidopsis RPM1 gene. Resistance in both cultivars appears to be mediated primarily by WRKY family transcription factors and expression of genes involved in protein phosphorylation, regulation of transcription, defense response including synthesis of isoflavonoids, and oxidation-reduction processes. These results will further the identification of mechanisms involved in resistance to facilitate selection of parent populations and development of commercial varieties.

  2. Resistant and susceptible responses in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) to bacterial stem blight caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae

    PubMed Central

    Shao, Jonathan; Lee, Maya N.; Postnikova, Olga A.; Samac, Deborah A.

    2017-01-01

    Bacterial stem blight caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae is a common disease of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L). Little is known about host-pathogen interactions and host defense mechanisms. Here, individual resistant and susceptible plants were selected from cultivars Maverick and ZG9830 and used for transcript profiling at 24 and 72 hours after inoculation (hai) with the isolate PssALF3. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in resistant and susceptible genotypes. Although resistant plants from each cultivar produced a hypersensitive response, transcriptome analyses indicated that they respond differently at the molecular level. The number of DEGs was higher in resistant plants of ZG9830 at 24 hai than in Maverick, suggesting that ZG9830 plants had a more rapid effector triggered immune response. Unique up-regulated genes in resistant ZG9830 plants included genes encoding putative nematode resistance HSPRO2-like proteins, orthologs for the rice Xa21 and soybean Rpg1-b resistance genes, and TIR-containing R genes lacking both NBS and LRR domains. The suite of R genes up-regulated in resistant Maverick plants had an over-representation of R genes in the CC-NBS-LRR family including two genes for atypical CCR domains and a putative ortholog of the Arabidopsis RPM1 gene. Resistance in both cultivars appears to be mediated primarily by WRKY family transcription factors and expression of genes involved in protein phosphorylation, regulation of transcription, defense response including synthesis of isoflavonoids, and oxidation-reduction processes. These results will further the identification of mechanisms involved in resistance to facilitate selection of parent populations and development of commercial varieties. PMID:29244864

  3. Corn blight watch experiment results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johannsen, C. J.; Bauer, M. E.

    1972-01-01

    Results pertaining to the detection and assessment of the severity and extent of southern corn leaf blight in the Corn Belt area are discussed. Ground observations, interpretation of color infrared photography, and machine analysis of multispectral scanner data were used to identify the blight.

  4. Transgenic apple plants overexpressing the chalcone 3-hydroxylase gene of Cosmos sulphureus show increased levels of 3-hydroxyphloridzin and reduced susceptibility to apple scab and fire blight.

    PubMed

    Hutabarat, Olly Sanny; Flachowsky, Henryk; Regos, Ionela; Miosic, Silvija; Kaufmann, Christine; Faramarzi, Shadab; Alam, Mohammed Zobayer; Gosch, Christian; Peil, Andreas; Richter, Klaus; Hanke, Magda-Viola; Treutter, Dieter; Stich, Karl; Halbwirth, Heidi

    2016-05-01

    Overexpression of chalcone-3-hydroxylase provokes increased accumulation of 3-hydroxyphloridzin in Malus . Decreased flavonoid concentrations but unchanged flavonoid class composition were observed. The increased 3-hydroxyphlorizin contents correlate well with reduced susceptibility to fire blight and scab. The involvement of dihydrochalcones in the apple defence mechanism against pathogens is discussed but unknown biosynthetic steps in their formation hamper studies on their physiological relevance. The formation of 3-hydroxyphloretin is one of the gaps in the pathway. Polyphenol oxidases and cytochrome P450 dependent enzymes could be involved. Hydroxylation of phloretin in position 3 has high similarity to the B-ring hydroxylation of flavonoids catalysed by the well-known flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase (F3'H). Using recombinant F3'H and chalcone 3-hydroxylase (CH3H) from Cosmos sulphureus we show that F3'H and CH3H accept phloretin to some extent but higher conversion rates are obtained with CH3H. To test whether CH3H catalyzes the hydroxylation of dihydrochalcones in planta and if this could be of physiological relevance, we created transgenic apple trees harbouring CH3H from C. sulphureus. The three transgenic lines obtained showed lower polyphenol concentrations but no shift between the main polyphenol classes dihydrochalcones, flavonols, hydroxycinnamic acids and flavan 3-ols. Increase of 3-hydroxyphloridzin within the dihydrochalcones and of epicatechin/catechin within soluble flavan 3-ols were observed. Decreased activity of dihydroflavonol 4-reductase and chalcone synthase/chalcone isomerase could partially explain the lower polyphenol concentrations. In comparison to the parent line, the transgenic CH3H-lines showed a lower disease susceptibility to fire blight and apple scab that correlated with the increased 3-hydroxyphlorizin contents.

  5. Pyramiding transgenes for multiple resistance in rice against bacterial blight, yellow stem borer and sheath blight.

    PubMed

    Datta, K; Baisakh, N; Thet, K Maung; Tu, J; Datta, S K

    2002-12-01

    Here we describe the development of transgene-pyramided stable elite rice lines resistant to disease and insect pests by conventional crossing of two transgenic parental lines transformed independently with different genes. The Xa21 gene (resistance to bacterial blight), the Bt fusion gene (for insect resistance) and the chitinase gene (for tolerance of sheath blight) were combined in a single rice line by reciprocal crossing of two transgenic homozygous IR72 lines. F4 plant lines carrying all the genes of interest stably were identified using molecular methods. The identified lines, when exposed to infection caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae, showed resistance to bacterial blight. Neonate larval mortality rates of yellow stem borer ( Scirpophaga incertulas) in an insect bioassay of the same identified lines were 100%. The identified line pyramided with different genes to protect against yield loss showed high tolerance of sheath blight disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani.

  6. Results of the 1971 Corn Blight Watch experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Macdonald, R. B.; Allen, R. D.; Bauer, M. E.; Clifton, J. W.; Frickson, J. D.; Landgrebe, D. A.

    1972-01-01

    Advanced remote sensing techniques are used to: (1)Detect development and spread of corn leaf blight during the growing season; (2) assess the extent and severity of blight infection; (3) assess the impact of blight on corn production; and (4) estimate the applicability of these techniques to similar situations occurring in the future.

  7. PGPR and entomopathogenic fungus bioformulation for the synchronous management of leaffolder pest and sheath blight disease of rice.

    PubMed

    Karthiba, Loganathan; Saveetha, Kandasamy; Suresh, Seetharaman; Raguchander, Thiruvengadam; Saravanakumar, Duraisamy; Samiyappan, Ramasamy

    2010-05-01

    The biological control of plant pests and diseases using a single organism has been reported to give inconsistent and poor performance. To improve the efficacy, bioformulations were developed possessing mixtures of bioagents. Bioformulations combining Pseudomonas fluorescens Migula strains Pf1 and AH1 and Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuill. isolate B2 were developed and tested for their efficacy against leaffolder pest and sheath blight disease on rice under glasshouse and field conditions. The combination of Pf1, AH1 and B2 effectively reduced the incidence of leaffolder insect and sheath blight disease on rice compared with other treatments. An in vitro assay of leaffolder preference to rice leaf tissues treated with Pf1 + AH1 + B2 biformulation showed variation from normal growth and development of leaffolder larvae. Plants treated with the Pf1 + AH1 + B2 combination showed a greater accumulation of enzymes, lipoxygenase and chitinase activity against leaffolder insect compared with other treatments. Similarly, the plants showed a higher accumulation of defence enzymes, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity against sheath blight pathogen in Pf1 + AH1 + B2 treatment compared with the untreated control. The bioformulation mixture attracted the natural enemy population of leaffolder under field conditions. In addition, a significant increase in rice grain yield was observed in Pf1 + AH1 + B2 treatment compared with the untreated control. The combination of P. fluorescens strains and B. bassiana isolate effectively reduced the incidence of leaffolder insect and sheath blight disease on rice plants and showed the possibility of controlling both pest and disease using a single bioformulation.

  8. Pathogenicity and infection strategies of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora in Rosaceae: state of the art.

    PubMed

    Vrancken, K; Holtappels, M; Schoofs, H; Deckers, T; Valcke, R

    2013-05-01

    Plants are host to a large amount of pathogenic bacteria. Fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is an important disease in Rosaceae. Pathogenicity of E. amylovora is greatly influenced by the production of exopolysaccharides, such as amylovoran, and the use of the type III secretion system, which enables bacteria to penetrate host tissue and cause disease. When infection takes place, plants have to rely on the ability of each cell to recognize the pathogen and the signals emanating from the infection site in order to generate several defence mechanisms. These mechanisms consist of physical barriers and the production of antimicrobial components, both in a preformed and an inducible manner. Inducible defence responses are activated upon the recognition of elicitor molecules by plant cell receptors, either derived from invading micro-organisms or from pathogen-induced degradation of plant tissue. This recognition event triggers a signal transduction cascade, leading to a range of defence responses [reactive oxygen species (ROS), plant hormones, secondary metabolites, …] and redeployment of cellular energy in a fast, efficient and multiresponsive manner, which prevents further pathogen ingress. This review highlights the research that has been performed during recent years regarding this specific plant-pathogen interaction between Erwinia amylovora and Rosaceae, with a special emphasis on the pathogenicity and the infection strategy of E. amylovora and the possible defence mechanisms of the plant against this disease.

  9. Testing American chestnuts for blight resistance

    Treesearch

    Jesse D. Diller

    1957-01-01

    It has now been over half a century since chestnut blight, caused by the fungus Endothia parasitica (Murr.) A. & A., was introduced into America from the Orient. In that time the blight has spread relentlessly and has destroyed all of our commercial stands of this once most valuable hardwood species of the East.

  10. Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola isolated from weeds in bean crop fields.

    PubMed

    Fernández-Sanz, A M; Rodicio, M R; González, A J

    2016-04-01

    Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola, the causative agent of halo blight in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), was isolated from weeds associated with bean crops in Spain. The bacterium was recovered from Fumaria sp, Mercurialis annua, Solanum nigrum and Sonchus oleraceus. Ps. s. pv. phaseolicola had previously been isolated from leguminous plants and S. nigrum, but to our knowledge, this is the first time it was recovered from the other three species. The isolates were phenotypically and genetically characterized, and they were compared with isolates recovered from common beans. Five different genotypic profiles were detected by PmeI-PFGE, two of them being of new description. Weed isolates were as pathogenic on bean plants as bean isolates, but they were not pathogenic on S. nigrum. Regarding the survival of the pathogen in weeds, Ps. s. pv. phaseolicola was isolated from So. oleraceus 11 weeks after the end of the bean crop. These results strongly support the idea of weeds as a potential source of inoculum for halo blight in bean. It has traditionally been considered that the main source of inoculum of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola causing halo blight disease in Phaseolus vulgaris are the bean seeds, and that the host range of the bacterium is almost restricted to leguminous plants. In this study, the bacterium was recovered from four nonleguminous weed species collected in bean fields, and its permanence in weeds for at least 11 weeks after the harvesting of the beans was demonstrated. We have also proved that the strains isolated from weeds were pathogenic on bean plants. Accordingly, the host range of Ps. s. pv. phaseolicola could be broader than previously thought and weeds appear to be acting as a reservoir of the pathogen until the next crop. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  11. Erwinia amylovora loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for rapid pathogen detection and on-site diagnosis of fire blight.

    PubMed

    Bühlmann, Andreas; Pothier, Joël F; Rezzonico, Fabio; Smits, Theo H M; Andreou, Michael; Boonham, Neil; Duffy, Brion; Frey, Jürg E

    2013-03-01

    Several molecular methods have been developed for the detection of Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight in pear and apple, but none are truly applicable for on-site use in the field. We developed a fast, reliable and field applicable detection method using a novel target on the E. amylovora chromosome that we identified by applying a comparative genomic pipeline. The target coding sequences (CDSs) are both uniquely specific for and all-inclusive of E. amylovora genotypes. This avoids potential false negatives that can occur with most commonly used methods based on amplification of plasmid gene targets, which can vary among strains. Loop-mediated isothermal AMPlification (LAMP) with OptiGene Genie II chemistry and instrumentation proved to be an exceptionally rapid (under 15 min) and robust method for detecting E. amylovora in orchards, as well as simple to use in the plant diagnostic laboratory. Comparative validation results using plant samples from inoculated greenhouse trials and from natural field infections (of regional and temporal diverse origin) showed that our LAMP had an equivalent or greater performance regarding sensitivity, specificity, speed and simplicity than real-time PCR (TaqMan), other LAMP assays, immunoassays and plating, demonstrating its utility for routine testing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Molecular and physiological properties of bacteriophages from North America and Germany affecting the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora

    PubMed Central

    Müller, Ina; Lurz, Rudi; Kube, Michael; Quedenau, Claudia; Jelkmann, Wilhelm; Geider, Klaus

    2011-01-01

    Summary For possible control of fire blight affecting apple and pear trees, we characterized Erwinia amylovora phages from North America and Germany. The genome size determined by electron microscopy (EM) was confirmed by sequence data and major coat proteins were identified from gel bands by mass spectroscopy. By their morphology from EM data, φEa1h and φEa100 were assigned to the Podoviridae and φEa104 and φEa116 to the Myoviridae. Host ranges were essentially confined to E. amylovora, strains of the species Erwinia pyrifoliae, E. billingiae and even Pantoea stewartii were partially sensitive. The phages φEa1h and φEa100 were dependent on the amylovoran capsule of E. amylovora, φEa104 and φEa116 were not. The Myoviridae efficiently lysed their hosts and protected apple flowers significantly better than the Podoviridae against E. amylovora and should be preferred in biocontrol experiments. We have also isolated and partially characterized E. amylovora phages from apple orchards in Germany. They belong to the Podoviridae or Myoviridae with a host range similar to the phages isolated in North America. In EM measurements, the genome sizes of the Podoviridae were smaller than the genomes of the Myoviridae from North America and from Germany, which differed from each other in corresponding nucleotide sequences. PMID:21791029

  13. The corn blight problem: 1970 and 1971

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bauer, M. E.

    1972-01-01

    Southern corn leaf blight is caused by the fungus, Helminthosporium maydis. Race T of H maydis adapted itself to the Texas male sterile cytoplasm corn. The problems caused by this variety of the blight in 1970 and 1971 are discussed, as well as the symptoms and development of the disease.

  14. First report of bacterial blight of crucifers caused by Pseudomonas cannabina pv. alisalensis in Minnesota on arugula (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In 2011, bacterial blight of arugula (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa; cv. Roquette) was observed in organically grown plants under overhead irrigation near Delano, MN. Approximately 80 to 100% of each planting was affected. Blue-green fluorescent pseudomonads were isolated consistently on King’s Medi...

  15. [Blighted ovum in subfertile patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology].

    PubMed

    Nie, Qing-Wen; Hua, Rui; Zhou, Yao; Li, Hong; Yu, Yan-Hong

    2017-07-20

    To explore the incidence and risk factors of blighted ovum in subfertile patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). This retrospective analysis was conducted among 2378 patients who were pregnant following embryo transfer at our center from January, 2012 to December, 2015, including cases of early pregnancy losses and simultaneous live births. The cases with early pregnancy losses were divided into embryonic pregnancy and blighted ovum groups based on the presence or absence of an embryonic pole before dilation and curettage. The clinical data of the 3 groups were analyzed for comparisons of the maternal age, paternal age, BMI, AFC, basal FSH, bFSH/bLH, duration of infertility, Gn dosage, Gn days, serum estradiol on the day of HCG administration, endometrium thickness, number of oocyte retrieved, proportion of high-quality embryos transferred, serum β-HCG value on the 10th to 14th days of embryo transfer, infertility type and miscarriage times. The incidences of blighted ovum were compared between cases with different cycles, embryo stages, infertile factors and methods of fertilization. Maternal age and paternal age, BMI, duration of infertility, infertility type and miscarriage times differed significantly between cases with blighted ovum and those with live births. Serum β-HCG level was the lowest in blighted ovum group followed by embryonic pregnancy group and then by live birth group. Blastocyst transfer was associated with a significantly higher incidence of blighted ovum as compared with cleavage embryo transfer (11.6% vs 5.6%, P=0.000). No significant difference was found in the other parameters among the 3 groups (P>0.05). Adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that maternal age, β-HCG level and blastocyst transfer were risk factors of blighted ovum. Advanced maternal age, low β-HCG level and blastocyst transfer may increase the risk of blighted ovum possibly in association with gene imprinting errors during the early stage of

  16. Molecular and physiological properties of bacteriophages from North America and Germany affecting the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Müller, Ina; Lurz, Rudi; Kube, Michael; Quedenau, Claudia; Jelkmann, Wilhelm; Geider, Klaus

    2011-11-01

    For possible control of fire blight affecting apple and pear trees, we characterized Erwinia amylovora phages from North America and Germany. The genome size determined by electron microscopy (EM) was confirmed by sequence data and major coat proteins were identified from gel bands by mass spectroscopy. By their morphology from EM data, φEa1h and φEa100 were assigned to the Podoviridae and φEa104 and φEa116 to the Myoviridae. Host ranges were essentially confined to E. amylovora, strains of the species Erwinia pyrifoliae, E. billingiae and even Pantoea stewartii were partially sensitive. The phages φEa1h and φEa100 were dependent on the amylovoran capsule of E. amylovora, φEa104 and φEa116 were not. The Myoviridae efficiently lysed their hosts and protected apple flowers significantly better than the Podoviridae against E. amylovora and should be preferred in biocontrol experiments. We have also isolated and partially characterized E. amylovora phages from apple orchards in Germany. They belong to the Podoviridae or Myoviridae with a host range similar to the phages isolated in North America. In EM measurements, the genome sizes of the Podoviridae were smaller than the genomes of the Myoviridae from North America and from Germany, which differed from each other in corresponding nucleotide sequences. © 2011 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology © 2011 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. Phomopsis Blight of Junipers

    Treesearch

    Glenn W. Peterson; C. S. Jr. Hidges

    1982-01-01

    Phomopsis blight has been a serious problem for more than 75 years in nurseries producing juniper seedlings and grafts. Phomopsis juniperovora Hahn, the fungus causing this disease, is widespread in the United States.

  18. Hyperspectral recognition of processing tomato early blight based on GA and SVM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Xiaojun; Zhao, SiFeng

    2013-03-01

    Processing tomato early blight seriously affect the yield and quality of its.Determine the leaves spectrum of different disease severity level of processing tomato early blight.We take the sensitive bands of processing tomato early blight as support vector machine input vector.Through the genetic algorithm(GA) to optimize the parameters of SVM, We could recognize different disease severity level of processing tomato early blight.The result show:the sensitive bands of different disease severity levels of processing tomato early blight is 628-643nm and 689-692nm.The sensitive bands are as the GA and SVM input vector.We get the best penalty parameters is 0.129 and kernel function parameters is 3.479.We make classification training and testing by polynomial nuclear,radial basis function nuclear,Sigmoid nuclear.The best classification model is the radial basis function nuclear of SVM. Training accuracy is 84.615%,Testing accuracy is 80.681%.It is combined GA and SVM to achieve multi-classification of processing tomato early blight.It is provided the technical support of prediction processing tomato early blight occurrence, development and diffusion rule in large areas.

  19. Distribution of pole blight of western white pine

    Treesearch

    Donald P. Graham

    1955-01-01

    Disease surveys conducted in 1953 and 1954 to determine the distribution of pole blight of western white pine (Pinus monticola, Dougl.) reveal that most areas of damage have now been found. During 1953 extensive surveys of pole blight distribution disclosed 20 new diseased areas and a number of affected stands adjacent to or near old disease centers. The 1954...

  20. Exploring new roles for the rpoS gene in the survival and virulence of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Santander, Ricardo D; Monte-Serrano, Mercedes; Rodríguez-Herva, José J; López-Solanilla, Emilia; Rodríguez-Palenzuela, Pablo; Biosca, Elena G

    2014-12-01

    Erwinia amylovora causes fire blight in economically important plants of the family Rosaceae. This bacterial pathogen spends part of its life cycle coping with starvation and other fluctuating environmental conditions. In many Gram-negative bacteria, starvation and other stress responses are regulated by the sigma factor RpoS. We obtained an E. amylovora rpoS mutant to explore the role of this gene in starvation responses and its potential implication in other processes not yet studied in this pathogen. Results showed that E. amylovora needs rpoS to develop normal starvation survival and viable but nonculturable (VBNC) responses. Furthermore, this gene contributed to stationary phase cross-protection against oxidative, osmotic, and acid stresses and was essential for cross-protection against heat shock, but nonessential against acid shock. RpoS also mediated regulation of motility, exopolysaccharide synthesis, and virulence in immature loquats, but not in pear plantlets, and contributed to E. amylovora survival in nonhost tissues during incompatible interactions. Our results reveal some unique roles for the rpoS gene in E. amylovora and provide new knowledge on the regulation of different processes related to its ecology, including survival in different environments and virulence in immature fruits. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Erwinia amylovora Novel Plasmid pEI70: Complete Sequence, Biogeography, and Role in Aggressiveness in the Fire Blight Phytopathogen

    PubMed Central

    Llop, Pablo; Cabrefiga, Jordi; Smits, Theo H. M.; Dreo, Tanja; Barbé, Silvia; Pulawska, Joanna; Bultreys, Alain; Blom, Jochen; Duffy, Brion; Montesinos, Emilio; López, María M.

    2011-01-01

    Comparative genomics of several strains of Erwinia amylovora, a plant pathogenic bacterium causal agent of fire blight disease, revealed that its diversity is primarily attributable to the flexible genome comprised of plasmids. We recently identified and sequenced in full a novel 65.8 kb plasmid, called pEI70. Annotation revealed a lack of known virulence-related genes, but found evidence for a unique integrative conjugative element related to that of other plant and human pathogens. Comparative analyses using BLASTN showed that pEI70 is almost entirely included in plasmid pEB102 from E. billingiae, an epiphytic Erwinia of pome fruits, with sequence identities superior to 98%. A duplex PCR assay was developed to survey the prevalence of plasmid pEI70 and also that of pEA29, which had previously been described in several E. amylovora strains. Plasmid pEI70 was found widely dispersed across Europe with frequencies of 5–92%, but it was absent in E. amylovora analyzed populations from outside of Europe. Restriction analysis and hybridization demonstrated that this plasmid was identical in at least 13 strains. Curing E. amylovora strains of pEI70 reduced their aggressiveness on pear, and introducing pEI70 into low-aggressiveness strains lacking this plasmid increased symptoms development in this host. Discovery of this novel plasmid offers new insights into the biogeography, evolution and virulence determinants in E. amylovora. PMID:22174857

  2. Erwinia amylovora novel plasmid pEI70: complete sequence, biogeography, and role in aggressiveness in the fire blight phytopathogen.

    PubMed

    Llop, Pablo; Cabrefiga, Jordi; Smits, Theo H M; Dreo, Tanja; Barbé, Silvia; Pulawska, Joanna; Bultreys, Alain; Blom, Jochen; Duffy, Brion; Montesinos, Emilio; López, María M

    2011-01-01

    Comparative genomics of several strains of Erwinia amylovora, a plant pathogenic bacterium causal agent of fire blight disease, revealed that its diversity is primarily attributable to the flexible genome comprised of plasmids. We recently identified and sequenced in full a novel 65.8 kb plasmid, called pEI70. Annotation revealed a lack of known virulence-related genes, but found evidence for a unique integrative conjugative element related to that of other plant and human pathogens. Comparative analyses using BLASTN showed that pEI70 is almost entirely included in plasmid pEB102 from E. billingiae, an epiphytic Erwinia of pome fruits, with sequence identities superior to 98%. A duplex PCR assay was developed to survey the prevalence of plasmid pEI70 and also that of pEA29, which had previously been described in several E. amylovora strains. Plasmid pEI70 was found widely dispersed across Europe with frequencies of 5-92%, but it was absent in E. amylovora analyzed populations from outside of Europe. Restriction analysis and hybridization demonstrated that this plasmid was identical in at least 13 strains. Curing E. amylovora strains of pEI70 reduced their aggressiveness on pear, and introducing pEI70 into low-aggressiveness strains lacking this plasmid increased symptoms development in this host. Discovery of this novel plasmid offers new insights into the biogeography, evolution and virulence determinants in E. amylovora.

  3. Ascochyta blight of chickpea: production of phytotoxins and disease management.

    PubMed

    Shahid, Ahmad Ali; Husnain, Tayyab; Riazuddin, Sheikh

    2008-01-01

    Ascochyta blight caused by Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Lab., is the most devastating disease of chickpea and can occur anywhere the crop is grown. Several epidemics of blight causing complete yield losses have been reported. Despite extensive pathological and molecular studies, the nature and extent of pathogenic variability in A. rabiei have not been clearly established. Several isolates of A. rabiei were grown in liquid culture medium which secreted phytotoxic compounds of solanapyrone A, B, C and cytochalasin D. The same fungal metabolites were also recovered from extract of naturally blight stricken chickpea plants. Toxicity of purified solanapyrones as determined by cell bioassay was in the order of solanapyrone A>solanapyrone B>solanapyrone C. However, the specificity of all three compounds was dependent on the genetic identity of the chickpea cultivars. Seed treatment and foliar application of fungicides are commonly recommended for disease management, but further information on biology and survival of A. rabiei is needed to devise more effective management strategies. A short description of chickpea blight, geographical distribution, disease cycle, symptoms, losses, production of phytotoxins and disease management practices for the control of Ascochyta blight will be discussed in this review article.

  4. Biocontrol of Bacterial Leaf Blight of Rice and Profiling of Secondary Metabolites Produced by Rhizospheric Pseudomonas aeruginosa BRp3

    PubMed Central

    Yasmin, Sumera; Hafeez, Fauzia Y.; Mirza, Muhammad S.; Rasul, Maria; Arshad, Hafiz M. I.; Zubair, Muhammad; Iqbal, Mazhar

    2017-01-01

    Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is widely prevalent and causes Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) in Basmati rice grown in different areas of Pakistan. There is a need to use environmentally safe approaches to overcome the loss of grain yield in rice due to this disease. The present study aimed to develop inocula, based on native antagonistic bacteria for biocontrol of BLB and to increase the yield of Super Basmati rice variety. Out of 512 bacteria isolated from the rice rhizosphere and screened for plant growth promoting determinants, the isolate BRp3 was found to be the best as it solubilized 97 μg/ mL phosphorus, produced 30 μg/mL phytohormone indole acetic acid and 15 mg/ L siderophores in vitro. The isolate BRp3 was found to be a Pseudomonas aeruginosa based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing (accession no. HQ840693). This bacterium showed antagonism in vitro against different phytopathogens including Xoo and Fusarium spp. Strain BRp3 showed consistent pathogen suppression of different strains of BLB pathogen in rice. Mass spectrometric analysis detected the production of siderophores (1-hydroxy-phenazine, pyocyanin, and pyochellin), rhamnolipids and a series of already characterized 4-hydroxy-2-alkylquinolines (HAQs) as well as novel 2,3,4-trihydroxy-2-alkylquinolines and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxy-2-alkylquinolines in crude extract of BRp3. These secondary metabolites might be responsible for the profound antibacterial activity of BRp3 against Xoo pathogen. Another contributing factor toward the suppression of the pathogen was the induction of defense related enzymes in the rice plant by the inoculated strain BRp3. When used as an inoculant in a field trial, this strain enhanced the grain and straw yields by 51 and 55%, respectively, over non-inoculated control. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) used in combination with immunofluorescence marker confirmed P. aeruginosa BRp3 in the rice rhizosphere under sterilized as well as field conditions. The results provide

  5. Gene-for-gene relationship in the host-pathogen system Malus × robusta 5-Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Vogt, Isabelle; Wöhner, Thomas; Richter, Klaus; Flachowsky, Henryk; Sundin, George W; Wensing, Annette; Savory, Elizabeth A; Geider, Klaus; Day, Brad; Hanke, Magda-Viola; Peil, Andreas

    2013-03-01

    Fire blight is a destructive bacterial disease caused by Erwinia amylovora affecting plants in the family Rosaceae, including apple. Host resistance to fire blight is present mainly in accessions of Malus spp. and is thought to be quantitative in this pathosystem. In this study we analyzed the importance of the E. amylovora effector avrRpt2(EA) , a homolog of Pseudomonas syringae avrRpt2, for resistance of Malus × robusta 5 (Mr5). The deletion mutant E. amylovora Ea1189ΔavrRpt2(EA) was able to overcome the fire blight resistance of Mr5. One single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), resulting in an exchange of cysteine to serine in the encoded protein, was detected in avrRpt2(EA) of several Erwinia strains differing in virulence to Mr5. E. amylovora strains encoding serine (S-allele) were able to overcome resistance of Mr5, whereas strains encoding cysteine (C-allele) were not. Allele specificity was also observed in a coexpression assay with Arabidopsis thaliana RIN4 in Nicotiana benthamiana. A homolog of RIN4 has been detected and isolated in Mr5. These results suggest a system similar to the interaction of RPS2 from A. thaliana and AvrRpt2 from P. syringae with RIN4 as guard. Our data are suggestive of a gene-for-gene relationship for the host-pathogen system Mr5 and E. amylovora. No claim to original US government works. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

  6. Ascochyta blight of chickpeas

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Chickpea is becoming increasingly important as a rotational crop in cereal production systems. Ascochyta blight is the most devastating disease of chickpea and must be appropriately managed to minimize its damage to crops and increase chickpea yield. The disease is caused by the fungus Ascochyta r...

  7. Conjunctively screening of biocontrol agents (BCAs) against fusarium root rot and fusarium head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum.

    PubMed

    Wang, Lu-Yao; Xie, Yue-Shen; Cui, Yuan-Yu; Xu, Jianjun; He, Wei; Chen, Huai-Gu; Guo, Jian-Hua

    2015-08-01

    Fusarium root-rot and fusarium head blight are plant diseases caused by Fusarium sp. in different growth periods of wheat, bring heavy losses to crop production in China. This research is aiming to screen biocontrol agents conjunctively for controlling these two diseases at the same time, as well as evaluate our previous BCAs (Biological Control Agents) screening strategies in more complex situation, considering biocontrol is well concerned as an environmental-friendly plant disease controlling method. Totally 966 bacterial isolates were screened from different parts of wheat tissues, of which potential biocontrol values were detected according to their abilities in antagonism inhibition and secreting extracellular hydrolytic enzyme. Biocontrol tests against fusarium root rot and fusarium head blight were carried out on 37 bacterial isolates with potential biocontrol capacity after pre-selection through ARDRA- and BOX-PCR analysis on strains with high assessment points. We acquired 10 BCAs with obvious biocontrol efficacy (more than 40%) in greenhouse and field tests. Pseudomonas fluorescens LY1-8 performed well in both two tests (biocontrol efficacy: 44.62% and 58.31%), respectively. Overall, correlation coefficient is 0.720 between assessment values of 37 tested BCA strains and their biocontrol efficacy in trails against fusarium root rot; correlation coefficient is 0.806 between their assessment values and biocontrol efficacy in trails against fusarium head blight. We acquired 10 well-performed potential BCAs, especially P. fluorescens LY1-8 displayed good biocontrol capacity against two different diseases on wheat. Biocontrol efficacies results in both greenhouse and field tests showed high positive correlation with assessment values (0.720 and 0.806), suggesting that the BCAs screening and assessing strategy previously developed in our lab is also adaptable for conjunctively screening BCAs for controlling both root and shoot diseases on wheat caused by same

  8. Disease Alert: Stemphylium Blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Lentil leaves showing symptoms of Stemphylium blight were collected from a lentil field northeast of Garfield (near Idaho border) on July 8, 2013, and incubation of the diseased leaves showed typical spores of the pathogen Stemphylium botryosum or other Stemphylium sp. The field was planted with ‘Mo...

  9. The outer membrane protein TolC is required for phytoalexin resistance and virulence of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Al-Karablieh, Nehaya; Weingart, Helge; Ullrich, Matthias S

    2009-07-01

    Erwinia amylovora causes fire blight on several plant species such as apple and pear, which produce diverse phytoalexins as defence mechanisms. An evolutionary successful pathogen thus must develop resistance mechanisms towards these toxic compounds. The E. amylovora outer membrane protein, TolC, might mediate phytoalexin resistance through its interaction with the multidrug efflux pump, AcrAB. To prove this, a tolC mutant and an acrB/tolC double mutant were constructed. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of diverse antimicrobials and phytoalexins were determined for these mutants and compared with that of a previously generated acrB mutant. The tolC and arcB/tolC mutants were considerably more susceptible than the wild type but showed similar levels as the acrB mutant. The results clearly indicated that neither TolC nor AcrAB significantly interacted with other transport systems during the efflux of the tested toxic compounds. Survival and virulence assays on inoculated apple plants showed that pathogenicity and the ability of E. amylovora to colonize plant tissue were equally impaired by mutations of tolC and acrB/tolC. Our results allowed the conclusion that TolC plays an important role as a virulence and fitness factor of E. amylovora by mediating resistance towards phytoalexins through its exclusive interaction with AcrAB. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  10. Diversity, evolution, and functionality of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) regions in the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Rezzonico, Fabio; Smits, Theo H M; Duffy, Brion

    2011-06-01

    The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas system confers acquired heritable immunity against mobile nucleic acid elements in prokaryotes, limiting phage infection and horizontal gene transfer of plasmids. In CRISPR arrays, characteristic repeats are interspersed with similarly sized nonrepetitive spacers derived from transmissible genetic elements and acquired when the cell is challenged with foreign DNA. New spacers are added sequentially and the number and type of CRISPR units can differ among strains, providing a record of phage/plasmid exposure within a species and giving a valuable typing tool. The aim of this work was to investigate CRISPR diversity in the highly homogeneous species Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight. A total of 18 CRISPR genotypes were defined within a collection of 37 cosmopolitan strains. Strains from Spiraeoideae plants clustered in three major groups: groups II and III were composed exclusively of bacteria originating from the United States, whereas group I generally contained strains of more recent dissemination obtained in Europe, New Zealand, and the Middle East. Strains from Rosoideae and Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica) clustered separately and displayed a higher intrinsic diversity than that of isolates from Spiraeoideae plants. Reciprocal exclusion was generally observed between plasmid content and cognate spacer sequences, supporting the role of the CRISPR/Cas system in protecting against foreign DNA elements. However, in several group III strains, retention of plasmid pEU30 is inconsistent with a functional CRISPR/Cas system.

  11. Boxwood blight: an ongoing threat to ornamental and native boxwood

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Boxwood blight is an emerging disease of ornamental and native boxwood plants in the family Buxaceae. First documented in the 1990s at a single location in England, the disease is now reported throughout Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and North America. To address the growing concern over boxwood blight...

  12. Management of Bacterial Blight of Lilac Caused by Pseudomonas syringae by Growing Plants under Plastic Shelters

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae causes some of the most economically-important bacterial diseases affecting woody perennials grown by the nursery industry in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. In this study, we evaluated a cultural control practice, placement of plants in plastic shelter...

  13. Biocontrol of Phytophthora Blight and Anthracnose in Pepper by Sequentially Selected Antagonistic Rhizobacteria against Phytophthora capsici.

    PubMed

    Sang, Mee Kyung; Shrestha, Anupama; Kim, Du-Yeon; Park, Kyungseok; Pak, Chun Ho; Kim, Ki Deok

    2013-06-01

    We previously developed a sequential screening procedure to select antagonistic bacterial strains against Phytophthora capsici in pepper plants. In this study, we used a modified screening procedure to select effective biocontrol strains against P. capsici; we evaluated the effect of selected strains on Phytophthora blight and anthracnose occurrence and fruit yield in pepper plants under field and plastic house conditions from 2007 to 2009. We selected four potential biocontrol strains (Pseudomonas otitidis YJR27, P. putida YJR92, Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens YJR102, and Novosphingobium capsulatum YJR107) among 239 bacterial strains. In the 3-year field tests, all the selected strains significantly (P < 0.05) reduced Phytophthora blight without influencing rhizosphere microbial populations; they showed similar or better levels of disease suppressions than in metalaxyl treatment in the 2007 and 2009 tests, but not in the 2008 test. In the 2-year plastic house tests, all the selected strains significantly (P < 0.05) reduced anthracnose incidence in at least one of the test years, but their biocontrol activities were variable. In addition, strains YJR27, YJR92, and YJR102, in certain harvests, increased pepper fruit numbers in field tests and red fruit weights in plastic house tests. Taken together, these results indicate that the screening procedure is rapid and reliable for the selection of potential biocontrol strains against P. capsici in pepper plants. In addition, these selected strains exhibited biocontrol activities against anthracnose, and some of the strains showed plant growth-promotion activities on pepper fruit.

  14. Discovery of Plant Phenolic Compounds That Act as Type III Secretion System Inhibitors or Inducers of the Fire Blight Pathogen, Erwinia amylovora

    PubMed Central

    Khokhani, Devanshi; Zhang, Chengfang; Li, Yan; Wang, Qi; Zeng, Quan; Yamazaki, Akihiro; Hutchins, William; Zhou, Shan-Shan

    2013-01-01

    Erwinia amylovora causes a devastating disease called fire blight in rosaceous plants. The type III secretion system (T3SS) is one of the important virulence factors utilized by E. amylovora in order to successfully infect its hosts. By using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter construct combined with a high-throughput flow cytometry assay, a library of phenolic compounds and their derivatives was studied for their ability to alter the expression of the T3SS. Based on the effectiveness of the compounds on the expression of the T3SS pilus, the T3SS inhibitors 4-methoxy-cinnamic acid (TMCA) and benzoic acid (BA) and one T3SS inducer, trans-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethenylsulfonate (EHPES), were chosen for further study. Both the T3SS inhibitors (TMCA and BA) and the T3SS inducer (EHPES) were found to alter the expression of T3SS through the HrpS-HrpL pathway. Additionally, TMCA altered T3SS expression through the rsmBEa-RsmAEa system. Finally, we found that TMCA and BA weakened the hypersensitive response (HR) in tobacco by suppressing the T3SS of E. amylovora. In our study, we identified phenolic compounds that specifically targeted the T3SS. The T3SS inhibitor may offer an alternative approach to antimicrobial therapy by targeting virulence factors of bacterial pathogens. PMID:23770912

  15. Discovery of plant phenolic compounds that act as type III secretion system inhibitors or inducers of the fire blight pathogen, Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Khokhani, Devanshi; Zhang, Chengfang; Li, Yan; Wang, Qi; Zeng, Quan; Yamazaki, Akihiro; Hutchins, William; Zhou, Shan-Shan; Chen, Xin; Yang, Ching-Hong

    2013-09-01

    Erwinia amylovora causes a devastating disease called fire blight in rosaceous plants. The type III secretion system (T3SS) is one of the important virulence factors utilized by E. amylovora in order to successfully infect its hosts. By using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter construct combined with a high-throughput flow cytometry assay, a library of phenolic compounds and their derivatives was studied for their ability to alter the expression of the T3SS. Based on the effectiveness of the compounds on the expression of the T3SS pilus, the T3SS inhibitors 4-methoxy-cinnamic acid (TMCA) and benzoic acid (BA) and one T3SS inducer, trans-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethenylsulfonate (EHPES), were chosen for further study. Both the T3SS inhibitors (TMCA and BA) and the T3SS inducer (EHPES) were found to alter the expression of T3SS through the HrpS-HrpL pathway. Additionally, TMCA altered T3SS expression through the rsmBEa-RsmAEa system. Finally, we found that TMCA and BA weakened the hypersensitive response (HR) in tobacco by suppressing the T3SS of E. amylovora. In our study, we identified phenolic compounds that specifically targeted the T3SS. The T3SS inhibitor may offer an alternative approach to antimicrobial therapy by targeting virulence factors of bacterial pathogens.

  16. Improvement of the Efficacy of Linear Undecapeptides against Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria by Incorporation of d-Amino Acids ▿

    PubMed Central

    Güell, Imma; Cabrefiga, Jordi; Badosa, Esther; Ferre, Rafael; Talleda, Montserrat; Bardají, Eduard; Planas, Marta; Feliu, Lidia; Montesinos, Emilio

    2011-01-01

    A set of 31 undecapeptides, incorporating 1 to 11 d-amino acids and derived from the antimicrobial peptide BP100 (KKLFKKILKYL-NH2), was designed and synthesized. This set was evaluated for inhibition of growth of the plant-pathogenic bacteria Erwinia amylovora, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria, hemolysis, and protease degradation. Two derivatives were as active as BP100, and 10 peptides displayed improved activity, with the all-d isomer being the most active. Twenty-six peptides were less hemolytic than BP100, and all peptides were more stable against protease degradation. Plant extracts inhibited the activity of BP100 as well as that of the d-isomers. Ten derivatives incorporating one d-amino acid each were tested in an infectivity inhibition assay with the three plant-pathogenic bacteria by using detached pear and pepper leaves and pear fruits. All 10 peptides studied were active against E. amylovora, 6 displayed activity against P. syringae pv. syringae, and 2 displayed activity against X. axonopodis pv. vesicatoria. Peptides BP143 (KKLFKKILKYL-NH2) and BP145 (KKLFKKILKYL-NH2), containing one d-amino acid at positions 4 and 2 (underlined), respectively, were evaluated in whole-plant assays for the control of bacterial blight of pepper and pear and fire blight of pear. Peptide BP143 was as effective as streptomycin in the three pathosystems, was more effective than BP100 against bacterial blight of pepper and pear, and equally effective against fire blight of pear. PMID:21335383

  17. Diversity, Evolution, and Functionality of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) Regions in the Fire Blight Pathogen Erwinia amylovora▿†

    PubMed Central

    Rezzonico, Fabio; Smits, Theo H. M.; Duffy, Brion

    2011-01-01

    The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas system confers acquired heritable immunity against mobile nucleic acid elements in prokaryotes, limiting phage infection and horizontal gene transfer of plasmids. In CRISPR arrays, characteristic repeats are interspersed with similarly sized nonrepetitive spacers derived from transmissible genetic elements and acquired when the cell is challenged with foreign DNA. New spacers are added sequentially and the number and type of CRISPR units can differ among strains, providing a record of phage/plasmid exposure within a species and giving a valuable typing tool. The aim of this work was to investigate CRISPR diversity in the highly homogeneous species Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight. A total of 18 CRISPR genotypes were defined within a collection of 37 cosmopolitan strains. Strains from Spiraeoideae plants clustered in three major groups: groups II and III were composed exclusively of bacteria originating from the United States, whereas group I generally contained strains of more recent dissemination obtained in Europe, New Zealand, and the Middle East. Strains from Rosoideae and Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica) clustered separately and displayed a higher intrinsic diversity than that of isolates from Spiraeoideae plants. Reciprocal exclusion was generally observed between plasmid content and cognate spacer sequences, supporting the role of the CRISPR/Cas system in protecting against foreign DNA elements. However, in several group III strains, retention of plasmid pEU30 is inconsistent with a functional CRISPR/Cas system. PMID:21460108

  18. Allelic analysis of sheath blight resistance with association mapping in rice

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Sheath blight is one of the most devastating diseases world-wide in rice. For the first time, we adopted association mapping to identify quantitative trait loci for sheath blight resistance from the USDA rice mini-core collection. The phenotyping was conducted with a newly developed micro-chamber me...

  19. Long-term impact of shoot blight disease on red pine saplings

    Treesearch

    Linda M. Haugen; Michael E. Ostry

    2013-01-01

    Damage from Sirococcus and Diplodia shoot blights of red pine is widespread and periodically severe in the Lake States. An outbreak of shoot blight occurred in red pine sapling plantations across northern Wisconsin, northern Minnesota, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1993. We established monitoring plots in red pine sapling...

  20. Biocontrol of Phytophthora Blight and Anthracnose in Pepper by Sequentially Selected Antagonistic Rhizobacteria against Phytophthora capsici

    PubMed Central

    Sang, Mee Kyung; Shrestha, Anupama; Kim, Du-Yeon; Park, Kyungseok; Pak, Chun Ho; Kim, Ki Deok

    2013-01-01

    We previously developed a sequential screening procedure to select antagonistic bacterial strains against Phytophthora capsici in pepper plants. In this study, we used a modified screening procedure to select effective biocontrol strains against P. capsici; we evaluated the effect of selected strains on Phytophthora blight and anthracnose occurrence and fruit yield in pepper plants under field and plastic house conditions from 2007 to 2009. We selected four potential biocontrol strains (Pseudomonas otitidis YJR27, P. putida YJR92, Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens YJR102, and Novosphingobium capsulatum YJR107) among 239 bacterial strains. In the 3-year field tests, all the selected strains significantly (P < 0.05) reduced Phytophthora blight without influencing rhizosphere microbial populations; they showed similar or better levels of disease suppressions than in metalaxyl treatment in the 2007 and 2009 tests, but not in the 2008 test. In the 2-year plastic house tests, all the selected strains significantly (P < 0.05) reduced anthracnose incidence in at least one of the test years, but their biocontrol activities were variable. In addition, strains YJR27, YJR92, and YJR102, in certain harvests, increased pepper fruit numbers in field tests and red fruit weights in plastic house tests. Taken together, these results indicate that the screening procedure is rapid and reliable for the selection of potential biocontrol strains against P. capsici in pepper plants. In addition, these selected strains exhibited biocontrol activities against anthracnose, and some of the strains showed plant growth-promotion activities on pepper fruit. PMID:25288942

  1. Red band needle blight of pines...a tentative appraisal for California

    Treesearch

    Willis W. Wagener

    1967-01-01

    Since it first appeared in Tanganyika in 1957, red band needle blight has become a major forest disease around the world. Apparently spread by high altitude winds, the blight has been found killing Monterey and other pines in California's northwest coastal counties. About 30 pine species are susceptible. Caused by the fungus Dothistroma pini (...

  2. Potato agriculture, late blight science, and the molecularization of plant pathology.

    PubMed

    Turner, R Steven

    2008-01-01

    By the mid-1980s nucleic-acid based methods were penetrating the farthest reaches of biological science, triggering rivalries among practitioners, altering relationships among subfields, and transforming the research front. This article delivers a "bottom up" analysis of that transformation at work in one important area of biological science, plant pathology, by tracing the "molecularization" of efforts to understand and control one notorious plant disease -- the late blight of potatoes. It mobilizes the research literature of late blight science as a tool through which to trace the changing typography of the research front from 1983 to 2003. During these years molecularization intensified the traditional fragmentation of the late blight research community, even as it dramatically integrated study of the causal organism into broader areas of biology. In these decades the pathogen responsible for late blight, the oomycete "Phytophthora infestans," was discovered to be undergoing massive, frightening, and still largely unexplained genetic diversification -- a circumstance that lends the episode examined here an urgency that reinforces its historiographical significance as a case-study in the molecularization of the biological sciences.

  3. Late blight-resistant tuber-bearing Solanum species in field and laboratory trials

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is the most disastrous and widespread disease of potato. One of the most effective means of controlling late blight is through the use of resistant cultivars, but newly developed resistant cultivars often lose their resistance after a few years of comm...

  4. Needle blight of ponderosa pine.

    Treesearch

    T.W. Childs

    1955-01-01

    This progress report describes the appearance and behavior of needle blight of pondersoa pine as it has been observed in central and eastern Oregon since 1945. Sorts and extent of damage are briefly discussed, results to date are presented from continuing studies, and timber marking and improvement practices are recommended for infected stands.

  5. Screening of bacterial antagonists for biological control of Phytophthora blight of pepper.

    PubMed

    Rajkumar, M; Lee, Wang Hyu; Lee, Kui Jae

    2005-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the potential of bacterial antagonists to control Phytophthora blight of pepper caused by P. capsici using different screening methods. Among a collection of fluorescent pseudomonas isolated from the rhizosphere of pepper, twelve isolates were initially selected based on dual culture assay on potato dextrose agar and corn meal agar. Further, these twelve isolates were screened for the reduction of disease severity caused by P. capsici using detached leaves and seedling assay. Most of the antagonists showed varying levels of antagonism against P. capsici in both detached leaves and seedlings assay. In addition, few isolates increased shoot and root length of pepper in seedling assays. Among them, isolate PS119 showing highest ability to reduce the disease severity in the in vitro seedling assay was found to be the most efficient antagonists against P. capsici in the in vivo biological control tests. These results indicate that the in vitro seedling assay can be used as a rapid and more accurate technique for the selection of promising biocontrol agents against P. capsici. ((c) 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim).

  6. Conventional and Real-Time PCRs for Detection of Erwinia piriflorinigrans Allow Its Distinction from the Fire Blight Pathogen, Erwinia amylovora

    PubMed Central

    Barbé, Silvia; Bertolini, Edson; Roselló, Montserrat; Llop, Pablo

    2014-01-01

    Erwinia piriflorinigrans is a new pathogenic species of the bacterial genus Erwinia that has been described recently in Spain. Accurate detection and identification of E. piriflorinigrans are challenging because its symptoms on pear blossoms are similar to those caused by Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight. Moreover, these two species share phenotypic and molecular characteristics. Two specific and sensitive conventional and real-time PCR protocols were developed to identify and detect E. piriflorinigrans and to differentiate it from E. amylovora and other species of this genus. These protocols were based on sequences from plasmid pEPIR37, which is present in all strains of E. piriflorinigrans analyzed. After the stability of the plasmid was demonstrated, the specificities of the protocols were confirmed by the amplification of all E. piriflorinigrans strains tested, whereas 304 closely related pathogenic and nonpathogenic Erwinia strains and microbiota from pear trees were not amplified. In sensitivity assays, 103 cells/ml extract were detected in spiked plant material by conventional or real-time PCR, and 102 cells/ml were detected in DNA extracted from spiked plant material by real-time PCR. The protocols developed here succeeded in detecting E. piriflorinigrans in 102 out of 564 symptomatic and asymptomatic naturally infected pear samples (flowers, cortex stem tissue, leaves, shoots, and fruitlets), in necrotic Pyracantha sp. blossoms, and in necrotic pear and apple tissues infected with both E. amylovora and E. piriflorinigrans. Therefore, these new tools can be used in epidemiological studies that will enhance our understanding of the life cycle of E. piriflorinigrans in different hosts and plant tissues and its interaction with E. amylovora. PMID:24509928

  7. Conventional and real-time PCRs for detection of Erwinia piriflorinigrans allow its distinction from the fire blight pathogen, Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Barbé, Silvia; Bertolini, Edson; Roselló, Montserrat; Llop, Pablo; López, María M

    2014-04-01

    Erwinia piriflorinigrans is a new pathogenic species of the bacterial genus Erwinia that has been described recently in Spain. Accurate detection and identification of E. piriflorinigrans are challenging because its symptoms on pear blossoms are similar to those caused by Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight. Moreover, these two species share phenotypic and molecular characteristics. Two specific and sensitive conventional and real-time PCR protocols were developed to identify and detect E. piriflorinigrans and to differentiate it from E. amylovora and other species of this genus. These protocols were based on sequences from plasmid pEPIR37, which is present in all strains of E. piriflorinigrans analyzed. After the stability of the plasmid was demonstrated, the specificities of the protocols were confirmed by the amplification of all E. piriflorinigrans strains tested, whereas 304 closely related pathogenic and nonpathogenic Erwinia strains and microbiota from pear trees were not amplified. In sensitivity assays, 10(3) cells/ml extract were detected in spiked plant material by conventional or real-time PCR, and 10(2) cells/ml were detected in DNA extracted from spiked plant material by real-time PCR. The protocols developed here succeeded in detecting E. piriflorinigrans in 102 out of 564 symptomatic and asymptomatic naturally infected pear samples (flowers, cortex stem tissue, leaves, shoots, and fruitlets), in necrotic Pyracantha sp. blossoms, and in necrotic pear and apple tissues infected with both E. amylovora and E. piriflorinigrans. Therefore, these new tools can be used in epidemiological studies that will enhance our understanding of the life cycle of E. piriflorinigrans in different hosts and plant tissues and its interaction with E. amylovora.

  8. Dothistroma Needle Blight of Pines

    Treesearch

    Glenn W. Peterson

    1982-01-01

    Dothistroma blight is a devastating foliar disease of a wide range of pine species. The causal fungus, Dothistroma pini Hulbary, infects and kills needles. Premature defoliation caused by this fungus has resulted in complete failure of most ponderosa pine plantings in States east of the Great Plains. In the central and southern Great Plains, D. pini damages Austrian...

  9. Niclosamide inhibits leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae in rice

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Sung-Il; Song, Jong Tae; Jeong, Jin-Yong; Seo, Hak Soo

    2016-01-01

    Rice leaf blight, which is caused by the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), results in huge losses in grain yield. Here, we show that Xoo-induced rice leaf blight is effectively controlled by niclosamide, an oral antihelminthic drug and molluscicide, which also functions as an anti-tumor agent. Niclosamide directly inhibited the growth of the three Xoo strains PXO99, 10208 and K3a. Niclosamide moved long distances from the site of local application to distant rice tissues. Niclosamide also increased the levels of salicylate and induced the expression of defense-related genes such as OsPR1 and OsWRKY45, which suppressed Xoo-induced leaf wilting. Niclosamide had no detrimental effects on vegetative/reproductive growth and yield. These combined results indicate that niclosamide can be used to block bacterial leaf blight in rice with no negative side effects. PMID:26879887

  10. Effects of early and late harvest on agronomic performance and stability of late blight resistant (R-gene free) potato genotypes

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    To assess the effectiveness of genotype resistance to potato late blight, foliar blight development, area under disease progress curves (AUDPC) and tuber blight were quantified. Late blight resistant potato genotypes (R-gene free) were assessed for yield performance and stability at early (90 days) ...

  11. Genetic characterization of the HrpL regulon of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora reveals novel virulence factors.

    PubMed

    McNally, R Ryan; Toth, Ian K; Cock, Peter J A; Pritchard, Leighton; Hedley, Pete E; Morris, Jenny A; Zhao, Youfu; Sundin, George W

    2012-02-01

    The bacterial pathogen Erwinia amylovora is the causal agent of fire blight, an economically significant disease of apple and pear. Disease initiation by E. amylovora requires the translocation of effector proteins into host cells via the hypersensitive response and pathogenicity (hrp) type III secretion system (T3SS). The alternative sigma factor HrpL positively regulates the transcription of structural and translocated components of the T3SS via hrp promoter elements. To characterize genome-wide HrpL-dependent gene expression in E. amylovora Ea1189, wild-type and Ea1189ΔhrpL strains were cultured in hrp-inducing minimal medium, and total RNA was compared using a custom microarray designed to represent the annotated genes of E. amylovora ATCC 49946. The results revealed 24 genes differentially regulated in Ea1189ΔhrpL relative to Ea1189 with fold-change expression ratios greater than 1.5; of these, 19 genes exhibited decreased transcript abundance and five genes showed increased transcript abundance relative to Ea1189. To expand our understanding of the HrpL regulon and to elucidate direct versus indirect HrpL-mediated effects on gene expression, the genome of E. amylovora ATCC 49946 was examined in silico using a hidden Markov model assembled from known Erwinia spp. hrp promoters. This technique identified 15 putative type III novel hrp promoters, seven of which were validated with quantitative polymerase chain reaction based on expression analyses. It was found that HrpL-regulated genes encode all known components of the hrp T3SS, as well as five putative type III effectors. Eight genes displayed apparent indirect HrpL regulation, suggesting that the HrpL regulon is connected to downstream signalling networks. The construction of deletion mutants of three novel HrpL-regulated genes resulted in the identification of additional virulence factors as well as mutants displaying abnormal motility and biofilm phenotypes. © 2011 The Authors. Molecular Plant Pathology

  12. Silencing of six susceptibility genes results in potato late blight resistance.

    PubMed

    Sun, Kaile; Wolters, Anne-Marie A; Vossen, Jack H; Rouwet, Maarten E; Loonen, Annelies E H M; Jacobsen, Evert; Visser, Richard G F; Bai, Yuling

    2016-10-01

    Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of late blight, is a major threat to commercial potato production worldwide. Significant costs are required for crop protection to secure yield. Many dominant genes for resistance (R-genes) to potato late blight have been identified, and some of these R-genes have been applied in potato breeding. However, the P. infestans population rapidly accumulates new virulent strains that render R-genes ineffective. Here we introduce a new class of resistance which is based on the loss-of-function of a susceptibility gene (S-gene) encoding a product exploited by pathogens during infection and colonization. Impaired S-genes primarily result in recessive resistance traits in contrast to recognition-based resistance that is governed by dominant R-genes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, many S-genes have been detected in screens of mutant populations. In the present study, we selected 11 A. thaliana S-genes and silenced orthologous genes in the potato cultivar Desiree, which is highly susceptible to late blight. The silencing of five genes resulted in complete resistance to the P. infestans isolate Pic99189, and the silencing of a sixth S-gene resulted in reduced susceptibility. The application of S-genes to potato breeding for resistance to late blight is further discussed.

  13. Urban Blight Remediation as a Cost-Beneficial Solution to Firearm Violence.

    PubMed

    Branas, Charles C; Kondo, Michelle C; Murphy, Sean M; South, Eugenia C; Polsky, Daniel; MacDonald, John M

    2016-12-01

    To determine if blight remediation of abandoned buildings and vacant lots can be a cost-beneficial solution to firearm violence in US cities. We performed quasi-experimental analyses of the impacts and economic returns on investment of urban blight remediation programs involving 5112 abandoned buildings and vacant lots on the occurrence of firearm and nonfirearm violence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1999 to 2013. We adjusted before-after percent changes and returns on investment in treated versus control groups for sociodemographic factors. Abandoned building remediation significantly reduced firearm violence -39% (95% confidence interval [CI] = -28%, -50%; P < .05) as did vacant lot remediation (-4.6%; 95% CI = -4.2%, -5.0%; P < .001). Neither program significantly affected nonfirearm violence. Respectively, taxpayer and societal returns on investment for the prevention of firearm violence were $5 and $79 for every dollar spent on abandoned building remediation and $26 and $333 for every dollar spent on vacant lot remediation. Abandoned buildings and vacant lots are blighted structures seen daily by urban residents that may create physical opportunities for violence by sheltering illegal activity and illegal firearms. Urban blight remediation programs can be cost-beneficial strategies that significantly and sustainably reduce firearm violence.

  14. Urban Blight Remediation as a Cost-Beneficial Solution to Firearm Violence

    PubMed Central

    Kondo, Michelle C.; Murphy, Sean M.; South, Eugenia C.; Polsky, Daniel; MacDonald, John M.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives. To determine if blight remediation of abandoned buildings and vacant lots can be a cost-beneficial solution to firearm violence in US cities. Methods. We performed quasi-experimental analyses of the impacts and economic returns on investment of urban blight remediation programs involving 5112 abandoned buildings and vacant lots on the occurrence of firearm and nonfirearm violence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1999 to 2013. We adjusted before–after percent changes and returns on investment in treated versus control groups for sociodemographic factors. Results. Abandoned building remediation significantly reduced firearm violence −39% (95% confidence interval [CI] = −28%, −50%; P < .05) as did vacant lot remediation (−4.6%; 95% CI = −4.2%, −5.0%; P < .001). Neither program significantly affected nonfirearm violence. Respectively, taxpayer and societal returns on investment for the prevention of firearm violence were $5 and $79 for every dollar spent on abandoned building remediation and $26 and $333 for every dollar spent on vacant lot remediation. Conclusions. Abandoned buildings and vacant lots are blighted structures seen daily by urban residents that may create physical opportunities for violence by sheltering illegal activity and illegal firearms. Urban blight remediation programs can be cost-beneficial strategies that significantly and sustainably reduce firearm violence. PMID:27736217

  15. Characterization of AcrD, a resistance-nodulation-cell division-type multidrug efflux pump from the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Pletzer, Daniel; Weingart, Helge

    2014-01-21

    Multidrug efflux pumps are membrane translocases that have the ability to extrude a variety of structurally unrelated compounds from the cell. AcrD, a resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) transporter, was shown to be involved in efflux of highly hydrophilic aminoglycosides and a limited number of amphiphilic compounds in E. coli. Here, a homologue of AcrD in the plant pathogen and causal agent of fire blight disease Erwinia amylovora was identified. The substrate specificity of AcrD was studied by overexpression of the corresponding gene from a high-copy plasmid in E. amylovora Ea1189-3, which is hypersensitive to many drugs due to a deficiency of the major multidrug pump AcrB. AcrD mediated resistance to several amphiphilic compounds including clotrimazole and luteolin, two compounds hitherto not described as substrates of AcrD in enterobacteria. However, AcrD was not able to expel aminoglycosides. An acrD mutant exhibited full virulence on apple rootstock and immature pear fruits. RT-PCR analysis revealed an induction of acrD expression in infected apple tissue but not on pear fruits. Moreover, a direct binding of BaeR, the response regulator of the two-component regulatory system BaeSR, to the acrD promoter was observed as has already been shown in other enterobacteria. AcrD from E. amylovora is involved in resistance to a limited number of amphiphilic compounds, but in contrast to AcrD of E. coli, it is not involved in resistance to aminoglycosides. The expression of acrD was up-regulated by addition of the substrates deoxycholate, naringenin, tetracycline and zinc. AcrD appears to be regulated by the BaeSR two-component system, an envelope stress signal transduction pathway.

  16. Characterization of AcrD, a Resistance-Nodulation-Cell Division-type multidrug efflux pump from the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Multidrug efflux pumps are membrane translocases that have the ability to extrude a variety of structurally unrelated compounds from the cell. AcrD, a resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) transporter, was shown to be involved in efflux of highly hydrophilic aminoglycosides and a limited number of amphiphilic compounds in E. coli. Here, a homologue of AcrD in the plant pathogen and causal agent of fire blight disease Erwinia amylovora was identified. Results The substrate specificity of AcrD was studied by overexpression of the corresponding gene from a high-copy plasmid in E. amylovora Ea1189-3, which is hypersensitive to many drugs due to a deficiency of the major multidrug pump AcrB. AcrD mediated resistance to several amphiphilic compounds including clotrimazole and luteolin, two compounds hitherto not described as substrates of AcrD in enterobacteria. However, AcrD was not able to expel aminoglycosides. An acrD mutant exhibited full virulence on apple rootstock and immature pear fruits. RT-PCR analysis revealed an induction of acrD expression in infected apple tissue but not on pear fruits. Moreover, a direct binding of BaeR, the response regulator of the two-component regulatory system BaeSR, to the acrD promoter was observed as has already been shown in other enterobacteria. Conclusions AcrD from E. amylovora is involved in resistance to a limited number of amphiphilic compounds, but in contrast to AcrD of E. coli, it is not involved in resistance to aminoglycosides. The expression of acrD was up-regulated by addition of the substrates deoxycholate, naringenin, tetracycline and zinc. AcrD appears to be regulated by the BaeSR two-component system, an envelope stress signal transduction pathway. PMID:24443882

  17. Cloning of genes required for hypersensitivity and pathogenicity in Pseudomonas syringae pv. aptata.

    PubMed

    Minardi, P

    1995-01-01

    A genomic library of Pseudomonas syringae pv. aptata strain NCPPB 2664, which causes bacterial blight of sugar beet, lettuce and other plants, was constructed in the cosmid vector pCPP31. The 13.4 kb EcoRI fragment of the cosmid pHIR11, containing the hrp (hypersensitive response and pathogenicity) gene cluster of the closely related bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae strain 61, was used as a probe to identify a homologous hrp gene cluster in P. syringae pv. aptata. Thirty of 2500 cosmid clones, screened by colony hybridization, gave a strong hybridization signal with the probe, but none of these conferred to the non-pathogenic bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens, the ability to elicit the hypersensitive response (HR) in tobacco. Southern blot analysis of EcoRI-digested genomic DNA of P. syringae pv. aptata showed hybridizing bands of 12 kb and 4.4 kb. Only a 12 kb fragment hybridized in digests of the cosmids. Cosmid clone pCPP1069 was mutagenized with Tn10-minitet and marker-exchanged into the genome of P. syringae pv. aptata. Three resulting prototrophic mutant strains failed to elicit the HR in tobacco and to cause disease in lettuce. The DNA flanking the Tn10-minitet insertions from mutated derivatives of pCPP1069 hybridized with the 10.6 kb Bg/II fragment of pHIR11. These results indicate that P. syringae pv. aptata harbours hrp genes that are similar to, but arranged differently from, homologous hrp genes of P. syringae pv. syringae.

  18. Preliminary report on soil-rootlet relationships to pole blight of western white pine

    Treesearch

    Otis L. Copeland; Charles D. Leaphart

    1955-01-01

    Results of a coordinated soil-rootlet mortality study in 1954 indicate that the severity of the pole blight disease of western white pine (Pinus monticola Dougl.) is significantly correlated with certain physical soil characteristics and rootlet mortality. The finding of this relationship does not necessarily imply that these factors are the cause of pole blight....

  19. Pole blight of western white pine

    Treesearch

    Charles D. Leaphart; Otis L. Copeland; Donald P. Graham

    1957-01-01

    Pole blight is one of the most serious diseases of western white pine (Pinus monticola Dougl.) and is restricted to that species. The disease is given this name because it affects pole-size trees primarily, usually those within the 40- to 100-year age class, although trees both younger and older are occasionally affected.

  20. Responses of high O/L peanut cultivars to fungicide for control of Sclerotinia blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Sclerotinia blight, caused by Sclerotinia minor, remains an important disease of peanuts in Oklahoma where it causes severe damage when prolonged periods of wet weather occur during mid to late season. Progress has been made in increasing the resistance of peanut cultivars to Sclerotinia blight. S...

  1. Characterization of pyoverdine and achromobactin in Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola 1448a

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola 1448a (P. syringae 1448a), the causative agent of bean halo blight, is a bacterium capable of occupying diverse biological niches. Under conditions of iron starvation P. syringae 1448a secretes siderophores for active uptake of iron. The primary siderophore of P. syringae 1448a is pyoverdine, a fluorescent molecule that is assembled from amino acid precursors by non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) enzymes. Whereas other species of Pseudomonas often exhibit structural variations in the pyoverdine produced by different strains, all P. syringae pathovars previously tested have been found to make an identical pyoverdine molecule. P. syringae 1448a also appears to have the genetic potential to make two secondary siderophores, achromobactin and yersiniabactin, each of which has previously been detected in different P. syringae pathovars. Results Five putative pyoverdine NRPS genes in P. syringae 1448a were characterized in-silico and their role in pyoverdine biosynthesis was confirmed by gene knockout. Pyoverdine was purified from P. syringae 1448a and analyzed by MALDI-TOF and MS/MS spectroscopy. Peaks were detected corresponding to the expected sizes for the pyoverdine structure previously found in other P. syringae pathovars, but surprisingly P. syringae 1448a appears to also produce a variant pyoverdine species that has an additional 71 Da monomer incorporated into the peptide side chain. Creation of pyoverdine null mutants of P. syringae 1448a revealed that this strain also produces achromobactin as a temperature-regulated secondary siderophore, but does not appear to make yersiniabactin. Pyoverdine and achromobactin null mutants were characterized in regard to siderophore production, iron uptake, virulence and growth in iron limited conditions. Conclusions This study provides the first evidence of a P. syringae pathovar producing a side chain variant form of pyoverdine. We also describe novel IC50 and liquid CAS

  2. Transcriptome analysis of root response to citrus blight based on the newly assembled Swingle citrumelo draft genome.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yunzeng; Barthe, Gary; Grosser, Jude W; Wang, Nian

    2016-07-08

    Citrus blight is a citrus tree overall decline disease and causes serious losses in the citrus industry worldwide. Although it was described more than one hundred years ago, its causal agent remains unknown and its pathophysiology is not well determined, which hampers our understanding of the disease and design of suitable disease management. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the draft genome for Swingle citrumelo, one important citrus rootstock. The draft genome is approximately 280 Mb, which covers 74 % of the estimated Swingle citrumelo genome and the average coverage is around 15X. The draft genome of Swingle citrumelo enabled us to conduct transcriptome analysis of roots of blight and healthy Swingle citrumelo using RNA-seq. The RNA-seq was reliable as evidenced by the high consistence of RNA-seq analysis and quantitative reverse transcription PCR results (R(2) = 0.966). Comparison of the gene expression profiles between blight and healthy root samples revealed the molecular mechanism underneath the characteristic blight phenotypes including decline, starch accumulation, and drought stress. The JA and ET biosynthesis and signaling pathways showed decreased transcript abundance, whereas SA-mediated defense-related genes showed increased transcript abundance in blight trees, suggesting unclassified biotrophic pathogen was involved in this disease. Overall, the Swingle citrumelo draft genome generated in this study will advance our understanding of plant biology and contribute to the citrus breeding. Transcriptome analysis of blight and healthy trees deepened our understanding of the pathophysiology of citrus blight.

  3. Genome-Wide Linkage and Association Mapping of Halo Blight Resistance in Common Bean to Race 6 of the Globally Important Bacterial Pathogen

    PubMed Central

    Tock, Andrew J.; Fourie, Deidré; Walley, Peter G.; Holub, Eric B.; Soler, Alvaro; Cichy, Karen A.; Pastor-Corrales, Marcial A.; Song, Qijian; Porch, Timothy G.; Hart, John P.; Vasconcellos, Renato C. C.; Vicente, Joana G.; Barker, Guy C.; Miklas, Phillip N.

    2017-01-01

    Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola (Psph) Race 6 is a globally prevalent and broadly virulent bacterial pathogen with devastating impact causing halo blight of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Common bean lines PI 150414 and CAL 143 are known sources of resistance against this pathogen. We constructed high-resolution linkage maps for three recombinant inbred populations to map resistance to Psph Race 6 derived from the two common bean lines. This was complemented with a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of Race 6 resistance in an Andean Diversity Panel of common bean. Race 6 resistance from PI 150414 maps to a single major-effect quantitative trait locus (QTL; HB4.2) on chromosome Pv04 and confers broad-spectrum resistance to eight other races of the pathogen. Resistance segregating in a Rojo × CAL 143 population maps to five chromosome arms and includes HB4.2. GWAS detected one QTL (HB5.1) on chromosome Pv05 for resistance to Race 6 with significant influence on seed yield. The same HB5.1 QTL, found in both Canadian Wonder × PI 150414 and Rojo × CAL 143 populations, was effective against Race 6 but lacks broad resistance. This study provides evidence for marker-assisted breeding for more durable halo blight control in common bean by combining alleles of race-nonspecific resistance (HB4.2 from PI 150414) and race-specific resistance (HB5.1 from cv. Rojo). PMID:28736566

  4. Control of Rhizoctonia foliar blight in forest seedling nurseries: A 3-year study

    Treesearch

    Tom E. Starkey; Scott A. Enebak; Ken McQuage; Kevin Barfield

    2013-01-01

    Laboratory and field trials have shown Proline® (prothioconazole) to be efficacious against the causal agent of Rhizoctonia foliar blight on loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). A biweekly application of Proline ® at 5 fl oz/ac in nursery field tests significantly reduced Rhizoctonia foliar blight on loblolly pine when compared to applications of Abound ® azoxystrobin (24 fl...

  5. Neofusicoccum ribis Associated with Leaf Blight on Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) in Peninsular Malaysia

    PubMed Central

    Nyaka Ngobisa, A. I. C.; Zainal Abidin, M. A.; Wong, M. Y.; Wan Noordin, M. W. D.

    2013-01-01

    Hevea brasiliensis is a natural source of rubber and an important plantation tree species in Malaysia. Leaf blight disease caused by Fusicoccum substantially reduces the growth and performance of H. brasiliensis. The aim of this study was to use a combination of both morphological characteristics and molecular data to clarify the taxonomic position of the fungus associated with leaf blight disease. Fusicoccum species were isolated from infected leaves collected from plantations at 3 widely separated locations – Selangor, Perak, and Johor states – in Peninsular Malaysia in 2010. All the isolates were identified according to their conidial patterns and DNA sequences generated from internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2), the 5.8S rRNA, and an unknown locus (BotF15) containing microsatellite repeats. Based on taxonomic and sequence data, Neofusicoccum ribis was identified as the main cause of leaf blight disease in H. brasiliensis in commercial plantations in Malaysia. A pathogenicity trial on detached leaves further confirmed that N. ribis causes leaf blight disease. N. ribis is an important leaf pathogen, and its detection in Malaysia has important implications for future planting of H. brasiliensis. PMID:25288924

  6. Neofusicoccum ribis Associated with Leaf Blight on Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) in Peninsular Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Nyaka Ngobisa, A I C; Zainal Abidin, M A; Wong, M Y; Wan Noordin, M W D

    2013-03-01

    Hevea brasiliensis is a natural source of rubber and an important plantation tree species in Malaysia. Leaf blight disease caused by Fusicoccum substantially reduces the growth and performance of H. brasiliensis. The aim of this study was to use a combination of both morphological characteristics and molecular data to clarify the taxonomic position of the fungus associated with leaf blight disease. Fusicoccum species were isolated from infected leaves collected from plantations at 3 widely separated locations - Selangor, Perak, and Johor states - in Peninsular Malaysia in 2010. All the isolates were identified according to their conidial patterns and DNA sequences generated from internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2), the 5.8S rRNA, and an unknown locus (BotF15) containing microsatellite repeats. Based on taxonomic and sequence data, Neofusicoccum ribis was identified as the main cause of leaf blight disease in H. brasiliensis in commercial plantations in Malaysia. A pathogenicity trial on detached leaves further confirmed that N. ribis causes leaf blight disease. N. ribis is an important leaf pathogen, and its detection in Malaysia has important implications for future planting of H. brasiliensis.

  7. Brown-Spot Needle Blight of Pines

    Treesearch

    W.R. Phelps; A.G. Kais; T.H. Nicholls

    1978-01-01

    Brown-spot needle blight, caused by Scirrhia acicola (Dearn.) Siggers, delays growth and causes mortality of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.). Brown spot reduces total annual growth of southern pines by more than 16 million cubic feet (0.453 million cubic meters) of timber. Damage is most severe on longleaf seedlings in the grass stage; i.e., those that have not...

  8. Effects of One Cycle of Recurrent Selection for Early Blight Resistance in a Diploid Hybrid Solanum phureja-S. stenotomum Population

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Early blight, caused by Alternaria solani, is the second most important foliar disease in potatoes, after late blight, around the world. Heritable early blight resistance was previously identified in a diploid hybrid population of Solanum phureja-S. stenotomum (phu-stn). Seventy-two clones, consis...

  9. Effect of nitrogen fertilization and fungicides on Botryosphaeria stem blight lesion development on detached stems

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    : Botryosphaeria stem blight is a destructive disease of blueberries that has not been well managed with fungicides. Field observations showed that stem blight is more severe on vigorously growing plants than on slower growing plants. Detached stem assays were used to compare the effect of fertil...

  10. Outlook for blight-resistant American chestnut trees

    Treesearch

    Paul H. Sisco

    2009-01-01

    Culminating 20 years of breeding efforts, in spring 2008, The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) delivered its first 500 chestnuts to the USDA Forest Service for testing on National Forest lands. The expectation is that these seedlings will be more resistant to chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) than are pure American chestnut trees (

  11. Genetic mapping of ascochyta blight resistance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) using a simple sequence repeat linkage map.

    PubMed

    Tar'an, B; Warkentin, T D; Tullu, A; Vandenberg, A

    2007-01-01

    Ascochyta blight, caused by the fungus Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Lab., is one of the most devastating diseases of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) worldwide. Research was conducted to map genetic factors for resistance to ascochyta blight using a linkage map constructed with 144 simple sequence repeat markers and 1 morphological marker (fc, flower colour). Stem cutting was used to vegetatively propagate 186 F2 plants derived from a cross between Cicer arietinum L. 'ICCV96029' and 'CDC Frontier'. A total of 556 cutting-derived plants were evaluated for their reaction to ascochyta blight under controlled conditions. Disease reaction of the F1 and F2 plants demonstrated that the resistance was dominantly inherited. A Fain's test based on the means and variances of the ascochyta blight reaction of the F3 families showed that a few genes were segregating in the population. Composite interval mapping identified 3 genomic regions that were associated with the reaction to ascochyta blight. One quantitative trait locus (QTL) on each of LG3, LG4, and LG6 accounted for 13%, 29%, and 12%, respectively, of the total estimated phenotypic variation for the reaction to ascochyta blight. Together, these loci controlled 56% of the total estimated phenotypic variation. The QTL on LG4 and LG6 were in common with the previously reported QTL for ascochyta blight resistance, whereas the QTL on LG3 was unique to the current population.

  12. Genome datasets for Calonectria henricotiae and C. pseudonaviculata causing boxwood blight disease and related species

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Boxwood blight disease, caused by the fungi Calonectria henricotiae and C. pseudonaviculata, is an emergent threat to natural and managed landscapes worldwide. Boxwood blight emerged for the first time in the U.K. during the 1990s, then spread rapidly throughout Europe. By 2011, the fungus that cau...

  13. Purification, crystal structure and antimicrobial activity of phenazine-1-carboxamide produced by a growth-promoting biocontrol bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa MML2212.

    PubMed

    Shanmugaiah, V; Mathivanan, N; Varghese, B

    2010-02-01

    To purify and characterize an antimicrobial compound produced by a biocontrol bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa MML2212, and evaluate its activity against rice pathogens, Rhizoctonia solani and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain MML2212 isolated from the rice rhizosphere with wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity was cultured in Kings'B broth using a fermentor for 36 h. The extracellular metabolites were isolated from the fermented broth using ethyl acetate extraction and purified by two-step silica-gel column chromatography. Three fractions were separated, of which a major compound was obtained in pure state as yellow needles. It was crystallized after dissolving with chloroform followed by slow evaporation. It is odourless with a melting point of 220-222 degrees C. It was soluble in most of the organic solvents and poorly soluble in water. The molecular mass of purified compound was estimated as 223.3 by mass spectral analysis. Further, it was characterized by IR, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectral analyses. The crystal structure of the compound was elucidated for the first time by X-ray diffraction study and deposited in the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (http://www.ccde.com.ac.uk) with the accession no. CCDC 617344. The crystal compound was undoubtedly identified as phenazine-1-carboxamide (PCN) with the empirical formula of C(13)H(9)N(3)O. As this is the first report on the crystal structure of PCN, it provides additional information to the structural chemistry. Furthermore, the present study reports the antimicrobial activity of purified PCN on major rice pathogens, R. solani and X. oryzae pv. oryzae. Therefore, the PCN can be developed as an ideal agrochemical candidate for the control of both sheath blight and bacterial leaf blight diseases of rice.

  14. Harnessing the microbiome to reduce Fusarium head blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium graminearum (Fg), the primary fungal pathogen responsible for Fusarium head blight (FHB), reduces crop yield and contaminates grain with trichothecene mycotoxins that are deleterious to plant, human and animal health. In this presentation, we will discuss two different research projects tha...

  15. Effect of nitrogen fertilization and fungicides on Botryosphaeria stem blight lesion development on detached blueberry stems

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Botryosphaeria stem blight is a destructive disease of blueberries. Field observations indicate stem blight is more severe on vigorous plants than on slower growing plants. Two studies compared the effect of two types of fertilizers applied at four rates and nine fungicides on lesion development fo...

  16. Management of blight of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum var. grossum) caused by Drechslera bicolor.

    PubMed

    Jadon, Kuldeep Singh; Shah, Rakesh; Gour, Hari Narayan; Sharma, Pankaj

    Sweet or bell pepper is a member of the Solanaceae family and is regarded as one of the most popular and nutritious vegetable. Blight, in the form of leaf and fruit blight, has been observed to infect bell pepper crops cultivated at the horticulture farm in Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur, India. Based on disease severity, we attempted to curb this newly emerged problem using different fungicides, plant extracts, bio-control agents, and commercial botanicals against the fungus in laboratory and pot experiments. Bio-control agent Trichoderma viride and plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolate Neist-2 were found to be quite effective against bell pepper blight. All evaluated fungicides, botanicals, commercial botanicals, and bio-control agents in vitro were further studied as seed dressers and two foliar sprays at ten days interval in pot experiments. The combinations of Vitavax, PGPR isolate Neist-2, and Mehandi extract were found to be very effective against bell pepper blight followed by Vitavax, T. viride, and Mehandi extract used individually. All treatments in the pot experiments were found to significantly reduce seedling mortality and enhance plant biomass of bell pepper. Thus, these experimental findings suggest that a better integrated management of bell pepper blight could be achieved by conducting field trials in major bell pepper- and chilli-cultivated areas of the state. Besides fungicides, different botanicals and commercial botanicals also seem to be promising treatment options. Therefore, the outcome of the present study provides an alternate option of fungicide use in minimizing loss caused by Drechslera bicolor. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  17. Identification of Novel Associations of Candidate Genes with Resistance to Late Blight in Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja

    PubMed Central

    Álvarez, María F.; Angarita, Myrian; Delgado, María C.; García, Celsa; Jiménez-Gomez, José; Gebhardt, Christiane; Mosquera, Teresa

    2017-01-01

    The genetic basis of quantitative disease resistance has been studied in crops for several decades as an alternative to R gene mediated resistance. The most important disease in the potato crop is late blight, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans. Quantitative disease resistance (QDR), as any other quantitative trait in plants, can be genetically mapped to understand the genetic architecture. Association mapping using DNA-based markers has been implemented in many crops to dissect quantitative traits. We used an association mapping approach with candidate genes to identify the first genes associated with quantitative resistance to late blight in Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja. Twenty-nine candidate genes were selected from a set of genes that were differentially expressed during the resistance response to late blight in tetraploid European potato cultivars. The 29 genes were amplified and sequenced in 104 accessions of S. tuberosum Group Phureja from Latin America. We identified 238 SNPs in the selected genes and tested them for association with resistance to late blight. The phenotypic data were obtained under field conditions by determining the area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) in two seasons and in two locations. Two genes were associated with QDR to late blight, a potato homolog of thylakoid lumen 15 kDa protein (StTL15A) and a stem 28 kDa glycoprotein (StGP28). Key message: A first association mapping experiment was conducted in Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja germplasm, which identified among 29 candidates two genes associated with quantitative resistance to late blight. PMID:28674545

  18. Identification of Novel Associations of Candidate Genes with Resistance to Late Blight in Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja.

    PubMed

    Álvarez, María F; Angarita, Myrian; Delgado, María C; García, Celsa; Jiménez-Gomez, José; Gebhardt, Christiane; Mosquera, Teresa

    2017-01-01

    The genetic basis of quantitative disease resistance has been studied in crops for several decades as an alternative to R gene mediated resistance. The most important disease in the potato crop is late blight, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans. Quantitative disease resistance (QDR), as any other quantitative trait in plants, can be genetically mapped to understand the genetic architecture. Association mapping using DNA-based markers has been implemented in many crops to dissect quantitative traits. We used an association mapping approach with candidate genes to identify the first genes associated with quantitative resistance to late blight in Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja. Twenty-nine candidate genes were selected from a set of genes that were differentially expressed during the resistance response to late blight in tetraploid European potato cultivars. The 29 genes were amplified and sequenced in 104 accessions of S. tuberosum Group Phureja from Latin America. We identified 238 SNPs in the selected genes and tested them for association with resistance to late blight. The phenotypic data were obtained under field conditions by determining the area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) in two seasons and in two locations. Two genes were associated with QDR to late blight, a potato homolog of thylakoid lumen 15 kDa protein ( StTL15A ) and a stem 28 kDa glycoprotein ( StGP28 ). Key message : A first association mapping experiment was conducted in Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja germplasm, which identified among 29 candidates two genes associated with quantitative resistance to late blight.

  19. Efficacy of different fungicides against Rhizoctonia brown patch and Pythium blight on turfgrass in Italy.

    PubMed

    Mocioni, M; Titone, P; Garibaldi, A; Gullino, M L

    2003-01-01

    Brown patch, incited by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn, and Pythium blight, caused by Pythium spp. are two of the diseases most frequently observed on turfgrass in high maintenance stands, as on golf courses. In such conditions the control strategies, based on chemicals, are particularly difficult due to the scarcity of fungicides registered for turf in Italy. The results obtained in experimental trials carried out to evaluate the efficacy of chemical and biological products against brown patch and Pythium blight are reported. On mature turfgrass, maintained under fairway conditions, azoxystrobin, and trifoxystrobin, not yet registered on turf, were very effective against brown patch. Tebuconazole, applied in three different formulations, was very effective against R. solani, while Trichoderma spp. and azadiractine did not control the pathogen. In greenhouse conditions on Agrostis stolonifera, in the presence of severe disease incidence, due to artificial inoculation, benalaxyl-M satisfactorily controlled Pythium blight; Trichoderma spp. as well as a commercial formulation of T. harzianum, applied one week before the inoculation, were not effective. Among the fungicides not yet registered for use on turfgrass in Italy, metalaxyl-M + mancozeb was effective against Pythium blight.

  20. Structural investigation of the exopolysaccharide produced by Pseudomonas flavescens strain B62--degradation by a fungal cellulase and isolation of the oligosaccharide repeating unit.

    PubMed

    Cescutti, P; Toffanin, R; Fett, W F; Osman, S F; Pollesello, P; Paoletti, S

    1998-02-01

    Pseudomonas flavescens strain B62 (NCPPB 3063) is a recently described bacterium isolated from walnut blight cankers. This strain has been designated as the type strain of a Pseudomonas rRNA group-I species. Strain B62 produced a mixture of two exopolysaccharides, differing in weight average relative molecular mass and composition. Only the most abundant exopolysaccharide (90% by mass), corresponding to the one with the lower molecular mass, was investigated by use of methylation analysis, partial acid hydrolysis, and NMR spectroscopy. The polysaccharide was depolymerised by the action of the cellulase produced by Penicillum funiculosum and the oligosaccharide obtained, corresponding to the repeating unit, was characterised by NMR spectroscopy and ion-spray mass spectrometry. The repeating unit of the B62 exopolysaccharide is [structure in text] where X is glucose (75%) or mannose (25%), and Lac is lactate. The O-acetyl groups are present only on 75% of the repeating units, and they are linked to the C6 of the hexose residues in non-stoichiometric amounts.

  1. AraC/XylS Family Stress Response Regulators Rob, SoxS, PliA, and OpiA in the Fire Blight Pathogen Erwinia amylovora

    PubMed Central

    Pletzer, Daniel; Schweizer, Gabriel

    2014-01-01

    Transcriptional regulators of the AraC/XylS family have been associated with multidrug resistance, organic solvent tolerance, oxidative stress, and virulence in clinically relevant enterobacteria. In the present study, we identified four homologous AraC/XylS regulators, Rob, SoxS, PliA, and OpiA, from the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora Ea1189. Previous studies have shown that the regulators MarA, Rob, and SoxS from Escherichia coli mediate multiple-antibiotic resistance, primarily by upregulating the AcrAB-TolC efflux system. However, none of the four AraC/XylS regulators from E. amylovora was able to induce a multidrug resistance phenotype in the plant pathogen. Overexpression of rob led to a 2-fold increased expression of the acrA gene. However, the rob-overexpressing strain showed increased resistance to only a limited number of antibiotics. Furthermore, Rob was able to induce tolerance to organic solvents in E. amylovora by mechanisms other than efflux. We demonstrated that SoxS from E. amylovora is involved in superoxide resistance. A soxS-deficient mutant of Ea1189 was not able to grow on agar plates supplemented with the superoxide-generating agent paraquat. Furthermore, expression of soxS was induced by redox cycling agents. We identified two novel members of the AraC/XylS family in E. amylovora. PliA was highly upregulated during the early infection phase in apple rootstock and immature pear fruits. Multiple compounds were able to induce the expression of pliA, including apple leaf extracts, phenolic compounds, redox cycling agents, heavy metals, and decanoate. OpiA was shown to play a role in the regulation of osmotic and alkaline pH stress responses. PMID:24936054

  2. AraC/XylS family stress response regulators Rob, SoxS, PliA, and OpiA in the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Pletzer, Daniel; Schweizer, Gabriel; Weingart, Helge

    2014-09-01

    Transcriptional regulators of the AraC/XylS family have been associated with multidrug resistance, organic solvent tolerance, oxidative stress, and virulence in clinically relevant enterobacteria. In the present study, we identified four homologous AraC/XylS regulators, Rob, SoxS, PliA, and OpiA, from the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora Ea1189. Previous studies have shown that the regulators MarA, Rob, and SoxS from Escherichia coli mediate multiple-antibiotic resistance, primarily by upregulating the AcrAB-TolC efflux system. However, none of the four AraC/XylS regulators from E. amylovora was able to induce a multidrug resistance phenotype in the plant pathogen. Overexpression of rob led to a 2-fold increased expression of the acrA gene. However, the rob-overexpressing strain showed increased resistance to only a limited number of antibiotics. Furthermore, Rob was able to induce tolerance to organic solvents in E. amylovora by mechanisms other than efflux. We demonstrated that SoxS from E. amylovora is involved in superoxide resistance. A soxS-deficient mutant of Ea1189 was not able to grow on agar plates supplemented with the superoxide-generating agent paraquat. Furthermore, expression of soxS was induced by redox cycling agents. We identified two novel members of the AraC/XylS family in E. amylovora. PliA was highly upregulated during the early infection phase in apple rootstock and immature pear fruits. Multiple compounds were able to induce the expression of pliA, including apple leaf extracts, phenolic compounds, redox cycling agents, heavy metals, and decanoate. OpiA was shown to play a role in the regulation of osmotic and alkaline pH stress responses. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  3. Exploring Fusarium head blight disease control by RNA interference

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    RNA interference (RNAi) technology provides a novel tool to study gene function and plant protection strategies. Fusarium graminearum is the causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), which reduces crop yield and quality by producing trichothecene mycotoxins including 3-acetyl deoxynivalenol (3-ADO...

  4. Southern corn leaf blight a story worth retelling

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Southern Corn Leaf Blight Epidemic of 1970-1971 was one of the most costly disease outbreaks to affect North American agriculture, destroying 15% of the crop at a cost of $1.0 billion (US). It resulted from an over reliance on cytoplasmic Texas male sterile (cms-T) lines in hybrid seed producti...

  5. Gnomonia canker, shoot blight, and leaf spot of yellow birch.

    Treesearch

    Kenneth J. Jr. Kessler

    1978-01-01

    Describes a canker, shoot blight, and leaf spot disease of yellow birch seedlings in the northern Great Lakes region and tells how and when trees become infected by the fungal causal agent, Gnomonia setacea.

  6. Establishment of American chestnuts (Castanea dentata) bred for blight (Cryphonectria parasitica ) resistance: influence of breeding and nursery grading

    Treesearch

    Stacy L. Clark; Scott E. Schlarbaum; Arnold M. Saxton; Frederick V. Hebard

    2016-01-01

    European and American chestnut species (Castanea) have been decimated by exotic species, most notably chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica), since the early nineteenth century. Backcross breeding programs that transfer blight disease resistance from Chinese chestnut (C. mollissima) into American...

  7. Effects of microclimate, cropping systems, and irrigation management on early and late blight potential on Russet Burbank potato

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Soil and irrigation management have been used to optimize crop production. However,their effects on microclimate, development, and controls of potato diseases have not been adequately quantified. The effects of soil, crop, and water management on development of potato early blight and late blight we...

  8. Some fungal endophytes from vegetable crops and their anti-oomycete activities against tomato late blight.

    PubMed

    Kim, H-Y; Choi, G J; Lee, H B; Lee, S-W; Lim, H K; Jang, K S; Son, S W; Lee, S O; Cho, K Y; Sung, N D; Kim, J-C

    2007-03-01

    To isolate endophytic fungi from vegetable plants and examine their in vivo anti-oomycete activity against Phytophthora infestans in tomato plants. Endophytic fungi were isolated from surface-sterilized plant tissues and anti-oomycete activity was measured by in vivo assay using tomato seedlings. Endophytic fungi showing potent anti-oomycete activity were identified by morphological characteristics and nuclear ribosomal ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequence analysis. A total of 152 isolates were obtained from 66 healthy tissue samples of cucumber, red pepper, tomato, pumpkin and Chinese cabbage and the fermentation broths of 23 isolates showed potent in vivo anti-oomycete activity against tomato late blight with control values over 90%. The Fusarium oxysporum strain EF119, which was isolated from roots of red pepper, showed the most potent disease control efficacy against tomato late blight. In dual-culture tests, it inhibited the growth of Pythium ultimum, P. infestans and Phytophthora capsici. Among endophytic fungi isolated from healthy tissues of vegetable plants, F. oxysporum EF119 showed the most potent in vivo anti-oomycete activity against tomato late blight and in vitro anti-oomycete activity against several oomycete pathogens. Endophytic fungi showing anti-oomycete activity in vitro and in vivo may be used as biocontrol agents particularly of tomato late blight.

  9. Identification of QTLs for resistance to fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) in Malus sieversii

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Malus sieversii (Ms) is the progenitor of the domestic apple. Ms PI613981 is elite scion material collected at a xerophytic site in Kazakhstan from a tree free of disease and insect damage. The F1 family GMAL4593 (‘Royal Gala’ X PI631981) is segregating for resistance to both apple scab and fire bl...

  10. 78 FR 11173 - Kasugamycin; Receipt of Application for Emergency Exemption for Use on Apples in Michigan...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-15

    ... Application for Emergency Exemption for Use on Apples in Michigan, Solicitation of Public Comment AGENCY... treat up to 10,000 acres of apples to control fire blight. The applicant proposes the use of a new... kasugamycin on apples to control fire blight. Information in accordance with 40 CFR part 166 was submitted as...

  11. Earlier occurrence and increased explanatory power of climate for the first incidence of potato late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans in Fennoscandia.

    PubMed

    Lehsten, Veiko; Wiik, Lars; Hannukkala, Asko; Andreasson, Erik; Chen, Deliang; Ou, Tinghai; Liljeroth, Erland; Lankinen, Åsa; Grenville-Briggs, Laura

    2017-01-01

    Late blight (caused by Phytophthora infestans) is a devastating potato disease that has been found to occur earlier in the season over the last decades in Fennoscandia. Up until now the reasons for this change have not been investigated. Possible explanations for this change are climate alterations, changes in potato production or changes in pathogen biology, such as increased fitness or changes in gene flow within P. infestans populations. The first incidence of late blight is of high economic importance since fungicidal applications should be typically applied two weeks before the first signs of late blight and are repeated on average once a week. We use field observations of first incidence of late blight in experimental potato fields from five sites in Sweden and Finland covering a total of 30 years and investigate whether the earlier incidence of late blight can be related to the climate. We linked the field data to meteorological data and found that the previous assumption, used in common late blight models, that the disease only develops at relative humidity levels above 90% had to be rejected. Rather than the typically assumed threshold relationship between late blight disease development and relative humidity we found a linear relationship. Our model furthermore showed two distinct responses of late blight to climate. At the beginning of the observation time (in Sweden until the early 90s and in Finland until the 2000s) the link between climate and first incidence was very weak. However, for the remainder of the time period the link was highly significant, indicating a change in the biological properties of the pathogen which could for example be a change in the dominating reproduction mode or a physiological change in the response of the pathogen to climate. The study shows that models used in decision support systems need to be checked and re-parametrized regularly to be able to capture changes in pathogen biology. While this study was performed with

  12. Benomyl Controls Phomopsis Blight on Arizona Cypress in a Nursery

    Treesearch

    W. B. Smyly; T. H. Filer

    1973-01-01

    In north-central Mississippi, 0.5 lb/acre of active benomyl controlled blight caused by Phomopsis juniperovora on first-year nursery seedlings of Cupressus arizonica; no phytotoxicity was observed. Other non-mercuric chemicals did not give control at rates tested.

  13. Cryphonectria parasitica, the causal agent of chestnut blight: invasion history, population biology and disease control.

    PubMed

    Rigling, Daniel; Prospero, Simone

    2018-01-01

    Chestnut blight, caused by Cryphonectria parasitica, is a devastating disease infecting American and European chestnut trees. The pathogen is native to East Asia and was spread to other continents via infected chestnut plants. This review summarizes the current state of research on this pathogen with a special emphasis on its interaction with a hyperparasitic mycovirus that acts as a biological control agent of chestnut blight. Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr. is a Sordariomycete (ascomycete) fungus in the family Cryphonectriaceae (Order Diaporthales). Closely related species that can also be found on chestnut include Cryphonectria radicalis, Cryphonectria naterciae and Cryphonectria japonica. Major hosts are species in the genus Castanea (Family Fagaceae), particularly the American chestnut (C. dentata), the European chestnut (C. sativa), the Chinese chestnut (C. mollissima) and the Japanese chestnut (C. crenata). Minor incidental hosts include oaks (Quercus spp.), maples (Acer spp.), European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and American chinkapin (Castanea pumila). Cryphonectria parasitica causes perennial necrotic lesions (so-called cankers) on the bark of stems and branches of susceptible host trees, eventually leading to wilting of the plant part distal to the infection. Chestnut blight cankers are characterized by the presence of mycelial fans and fruiting bodies of the pathogen. Below the canker the tree may react by producing epicormic shoots. Non-lethal, superficial or callusing cankers on susceptible host trees are usually associated with mycovirus-induced hypovirulence. After the introduction of C. parasitica into a new area, eradication efforts by cutting and burning the infected plants/trees have mostly failed. In Europe, the mycovirus Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV-1) acts as a successful biological control agent of chestnut blight by causing so-called hypovirulence. CHV-1 infects C. parasitica and reduces its parasitic growth and sporulation

  14. Role of temperature and free moisture in onion flower blight. [Botrytis squamosa; Botrytis cinerea; and Botrytis allii

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

    Ramsey, G.R.; Lorbeer, J.W.

    1986-06-01

    The cardinal temperatures at which onion umbels were blighted (after inoculation when two-thirds of the florets were open) with Botrytis squamosa, B. cinerea, and B. allii (isolated from blighted onion florets) were near 9, 21, and 27 C for B. squamosa, near 12, 21, and 30 C for B. cinerea, and near 9, 24, and 30 C for B. allii. The cardinal temperatures for mycelial growth (potato-dextrose agar) of B. squamosa, B. cinerea, and B. allii were near 5, 22, and 30 C for each fungus. The cardinal temperatures for conidial germination (on purified water agar) were near 6, 15,more » and 30 C for B. squamosa; 3, 18, and 33 C for B. cinerea; and 6, 24, and 33 C for B. allii. When the duration of free moisture on umbels after inoculation with the three pathogens was increased from 0 to 96 hr. the percentages of unopened florets, open florets, and immature seed capsules blighted at 21 C were increased significantly. Free moisture durations of 12-24, 6-12, and 6-12 hr were necessary for blighting of unopen florets, open florets, and immature seed capsules, respectively, by each pathogen at 21 C. A positive correlation between the amount of July rainfall and the natural incidence of onion flower blight was observed in Orange County, New York, from 1976 to 1981. 10 references, 2 figures, 1 table.« less

  15. Genome-wide identification of Hfq-regulated small RNAs in the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora discovered small RNAs with virulence regulatory function.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Quan; Sundin, George W

    2014-05-31

    Erwinia amylovora is a phytopathogenic bacterium and causal agent of fire blight disease in apples and pears. Although many virulence factors have been characterized, the coordination of expression of these virulence factors in E. amylovora is still not clear. Regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) are important post-transcriptional regulatory components in bacteria. A large number of sRNAs require the RNA chaperone Hfq for both stability and functional activation. In E. amylovora, Hfq was identified as a major regulator of virulence and various virulence traits. However, information is still lacking about Hfq-dependent sRNAs on a genome scale, including the virulence regulatory functions of these sRNAs in E. amylovora. Using both an RNA-seq analysis and a Rho-independent terminator search, 40 candidate Hfq-dependent sRNAs were identified in E. amylovora. The expression and sizes of 12 sRNAs and the sequence boundaries of seven sRNAs were confirmed by Northern blot and 5' RACE assay respectively. Sequence conservation analysis identified sRNAs conserved only in the Erwinia genus as well as E. amylovora species-specific sRNAs. In addition, a dynamic re-patterning of expression of Hfq-dependent sRNAs was observed at 6 and 12 hours after induction in Hrp-inducing minimal medium. Furthermore, sRNAs that control virulence traits were characterized, among which ArcZ positively controls the type III secretion system (T3SS), amylovoran exopolysaccahride production, biofilm formation, and motility, and negatively modulates attachment while RmaA (Hrs6) and OmrAB both negatively regulate amylovoran production and positively regulate motility. This study has significantly enhanced our understanding of the Hfq-dependent sRNAs in E. amylovora at the genome level. The identification of multiple virulence-regulating sRNAs also suggests that post-transcriptional regulation by sRNAs may play a role in the deployment of virulence factors needed during varying stages of pathogenesis during

  16. Ascochyta blight and insect pests of chickpeas in the Palouse

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This newsletter article informs chickpea growers in the Palouse region about current disease and insect pest problems. Ascochyta blight appeared in many chickpea fields and was severe in some fields. Insect pests including loopers and armyworms were rampant. Appropriate management practices for t...

  17. Identification of an emergent bacterial blight of garlic in Brazil

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Outbreaks of a bacterial blight disease occurred on garlic (Allium sativum) cultivars Roxo Caxiense, Quiteria and Cacador in Southern Brazil, and threatened the main production regions of Rio Grande do Sul State. Symptoms were characterized by watersoaked reddish streaks along the leaf midrib, follo...

  18. Earlier occurrence and increased explanatory power of climate for the first incidence of potato late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans in Fennoscandia

    PubMed Central

    Wiik, Lars; Hannukkala, Asko; Andreasson, Erik; Chen, Deliang; Ou, Tinghai; Liljeroth, Erland; Lankinen, Åsa

    2017-01-01

    Background Late blight (caused by Phytophthora infestans) is a devastating potato disease that has been found to occur earlier in the season over the last decades in Fennoscandia. Up until now the reasons for this change have not been investigated. Possible explanations for this change are climate alterations, changes in potato production or changes in pathogen biology, such as increased fitness or changes in gene flow within P. infestans populations. The first incidence of late blight is of high economic importance since fungicidal applications should be typically applied two weeks before the first signs of late blight and are repeated on average once a week. Methods We use field observations of first incidence of late blight in experimental potato fields from five sites in Sweden and Finland covering a total of 30 years and investigate whether the earlier incidence of late blight can be related to the climate. Results We linked the field data to meteorological data and found that the previous assumption, used in common late blight models, that the disease only develops at relative humidity levels above 90% had to be rejected. Rather than the typically assumed threshold relationship between late blight disease development and relative humidity we found a linear relationship. Our model furthermore showed two distinct responses of late blight to climate. At the beginning of the observation time (in Sweden until the early 90s and in Finland until the 2000s) the link between climate and first incidence was very weak. However, for the remainder of the time period the link was highly significant, indicating a change in the biological properties of the pathogen which could for example be a change in the dominating reproduction mode or a physiological change in the response of the pathogen to climate. Conclusions The study shows that models used in decision support systems need to be checked and re-parametrized regularly to be able to capture changes in pathogen biology

  19. Comparative transcriptome analysis of a lowly virulent strain of Erwinia amylovora in shoots of two apple cultivars - susceptible and resistant to fire blight.

    PubMed

    Puławska, Joanna; Kałużna, Monika; Warabieda, Wojciech; Mikiciński, Artur

    2017-11-13

    Erwinia amylovora is generally considered to be a homogeneous species in terms of phenotypic and genetic features. However, strains show variation in their virulence, particularly on hosts with different susceptibility to fire blight. We applied the RNA-seq technique to elucidate transcriptome-level changes of the lowly virulent E. amylovora 650 strain during infection of shoots of susceptible (Idared) and resistant (Free Redstar) apple cultivars. The highest number of differentially expressed E. amylovora genes between the two apple genotypes was observed at 24 h after inoculation. Six days after inoculation, only a few bacterial genes were differentially expressed in the susceptible and resistant apple cultivars. The analysis of differentially expressed gene functions showed that generally, higher expression of genes related to stress response and defence against toxic compounds was observed in Free Redstar. Also in this cultivar, higher expression of flagellar genes (FlaI), which are recognized as PAMP (pathogen-associated molecular pattern) by the innate immune systems of plants, was noted. Additionally, several genes that have not yet been proven to play a role in the pathogenic abilities of E. amylovora were found to be differentially expressed in the two apple cultivars. This RNA-seq analysis generated a novel dataset describing the transcriptional response of the lowly virulent strain of E. amylovora in susceptible and resistant apple cultivar. Most genes were regulated in the same way in both apple cultivars, but there were also some cultivar-specific responses suggesting that the environment in Free Redstar is more stressful for bacteria what can be the reason of their inability to infect of this cultivar. Among genes with the highest fold change in expression between experimental combinations or with the highest transcript abundance, there are many genes without ascribed functions, which have never been tested for their role in pathogenicity. Overall

  20. Bio-protective microbial agents from rhizosphere eco-systems trigger plant defense responses provide protection against sheath blight disease in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

    PubMed

    Singh, Udai B; Malviya, Deepti; Wasiullah; Singh, Shailendra; Pradhan, Jatindra K; Singh, Bhanu P; Roy, Manish; Imram, Mohd; Pathak, Neelam; Baisyal, B M; Rai, Jai P; Sarma, B K; Singh, Rajiv K; Sharma, P K; Kaur, Saman Deep; Manna, M C; Sharma, Sushil K; Sharma, Arun K

    2016-11-01

    Sheath blight of rice (Oryza sativa L.) caused by Rhizoctonia solani is a major disease and attempts are being made to develop microbe based technologies for biocontrol of this pathogen. However, the mechanisms of biocontrol are not fully understood and still require indepth study in the backdrop of emerging concepts in biological systems. The present investigation was aimed at deciphering the mechanisms of biocontrol of sheath blight of rice employing Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma harzianum as model agents for biocontrol. Initially 25, 5 and 5 strains of P. fluorescens, T. viride and T. harzianum, respectively, were screened for their biocontrol potential. Out of which, six strains with higher value of percent inhibition of fungal mycelium in dual plate assay were selected. The role of P. fluorescens, T. viride and T. harzianum were investigated in induction and bioaccumulation of natural antioxidants, defence-related biomolecules and other changes in plant which lead not only to growth promotion but also protection from pathogenic stress conditions in rice. The two most promising strains, P. fluorescens PF-08 and T. harzianum UBSTH-501 selected on the basis of in planta evaluation, when applied individually or in combination, significantly enhanced the accumulation of defence-related biomolecules, enzymes and exhibited biocontrol potential against R. solani. A modified/newly developed delivery system was applied for the first time in the experiments involving inoculation of plants with both bioagents, viz. P. fluorescens PF-08 and T. harzianum UBSTH-501. Results suggested that application of P. fluorescens PF-08 and T. harzianum UBSTH-501 alone or in combination, not only helps in control of the disease but also increases plant growth along with reduction in application of toxic chemical pesticides. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  1. Three American tragedies: chestnut blight, butternut canker, and Dutch elm disease

    Treesearch

    Scott E. Schlarbaum; Frederick Hebard; Pauline C. Spaine; Joseph C. Kamalay

    1998-01-01

    Three North American tree species, American chestnut (Castanea dentata), butternut (Juglans cinerea), and American elm (Ulmus americana), have been devastated by exotic fungal diseases over the last century. American chestnut was eliminated from eastern forests as a dominant species by chestnut blight (...

  2. Validation of Fusarium Head Blight resistance QTL in US winter wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB), primarily caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe [telemorph: Gibberella zeae Schw. (Petch)], can significantly reduce the grain quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) due to mycotoxin contamination. Two US soft red winter wheat cultivars, Bess and NC-Neuse, have moderate...

  3. Validation of fusarium head blight resistance QTL in US winter wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB), primarily caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe [telemorph: Gibberella zeae Schw. (Petch)], can significantly reduce the grain quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) due to mycotoxin contamination. Two US soft red winter wheat cultivars, Bess and NC-Neuse, have moderate...

  4. Promoter variants of Xa23 alleles affect bacterial blight resistance and evolutionary pattern

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Feifei; Tang, Yongchao; Gao, Ying

    2017-01-01

    Bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is the most important bacterial disease in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Our previous studies have revealed that the bacterial blight resistance gene Xa23 from wild rice O. rufipogon Griff. confers the broadest-spectrum resistance against all the naturally occurring Xoo races. As a novel executor R gene, Xa23 is transcriptionally activated by the bacterial avirulence (Avr) protein AvrXa23 via binding to a 28-bp DNA element (EBEAvrXa23) in the promoter region. So far, the evolutionary mechanism of Xa23 remains to be illustrated. Here, a rice germplasm collection of 97 accessions, including 29 rice cultivars (indica and japonica) and 68 wild relatives, was used to analyze the evolution, phylogeographic relationship and association of Xa23 alleles with bacterial blight resistance. All the ~ 473 bp DNA fragments consisting of promoter and coding regions of Xa23 alleles in the germplasm accessions were PCR-amplified and sequenced, and nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in the promoter regions (~131 bp sequence upstream from the start codon ATG) of Xa23/xa23 alleles while only two SNPs were found in the coding regions. The SNPs in the promoter regions formed 5 haplotypes (Pro-A, B, C, D, E) which showed no significant difference in geographic distribution among these 97 rice accessions. However, haplotype association analysis indicated that Pro-A is the most favored haplotype for bacterial blight resistance. Moreover, SNP changes among the 5 haplotypes mostly located in the EBE/ebe regions (EBEAvrXa23 and corresponding ebes located in promoters of xa23 alleles), confirming that the EBE region is the key factor to confer bacterial blight resistance by altering gene expression. Polymorphism analysis and neutral test implied that Xa23 had undergone a bottleneck effect, and selection process of Xa23 was not detected in cultivated rice. In addition, the Xa23 coding region was found highly

  5. Promoter variants of Xa23 alleles affect bacterial blight resistance and evolutionary pattern.

    PubMed

    Cui, Hua; Wang, Chunlian; Qin, Tengfei; Xu, Feifei; Tang, Yongchao; Gao, Ying; Zhao, Kaijun

    2017-01-01

    Bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is the most important bacterial disease in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Our previous studies have revealed that the bacterial blight resistance gene Xa23 from wild rice O. rufipogon Griff. confers the broadest-spectrum resistance against all the naturally occurring Xoo races. As a novel executor R gene, Xa23 is transcriptionally activated by the bacterial avirulence (Avr) protein AvrXa23 via binding to a 28-bp DNA element (EBEAvrXa23) in the promoter region. So far, the evolutionary mechanism of Xa23 remains to be illustrated. Here, a rice germplasm collection of 97 accessions, including 29 rice cultivars (indica and japonica) and 68 wild relatives, was used to analyze the evolution, phylogeographic relationship and association of Xa23 alleles with bacterial blight resistance. All the ~ 473 bp DNA fragments consisting of promoter and coding regions of Xa23 alleles in the germplasm accessions were PCR-amplified and sequenced, and nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in the promoter regions (~131 bp sequence upstream from the start codon ATG) of Xa23/xa23 alleles while only two SNPs were found in the coding regions. The SNPs in the promoter regions formed 5 haplotypes (Pro-A, B, C, D, E) which showed no significant difference in geographic distribution among these 97 rice accessions. However, haplotype association analysis indicated that Pro-A is the most favored haplotype for bacterial blight resistance. Moreover, SNP changes among the 5 haplotypes mostly located in the EBE/ebe regions (EBEAvrXa23 and corresponding ebes located in promoters of xa23 alleles), confirming that the EBE region is the key factor to confer bacterial blight resistance by altering gene expression. Polymorphism analysis and neutral test implied that Xa23 had undergone a bottleneck effect, and selection process of Xa23 was not detected in cultivated rice. In addition, the Xa23 coding region was found highly

  6. Effectiveness of a detached‐leaf assay as a proxy for stem inoculations in backcrossed chestnut (Castanea) blight resistance breeding populations

    Treesearch

    N. R. LaBonte; J.R. McKenna; K. Woeste

    2016-01-01

    A recently developed detached-leaf blight resistance assay has generated interest because it could reduce the amount of time needed to evaluate backcrossed hybrid trees in the American chestnut blight resistance breeding programme. We evaluated the leaf inoculation technique on a sample of advanced progeny from the Indiana state chapter American Chestnut Foundation...

  7. Deletion and Complementation of the Mating Type (MAT) Locus of the Wheat Head Blight Pathogen Gibberella zeae

    PubMed Central

    Desjardins, A. E.; Brown, D. W.; Yun, S.-H.; Proctor, R. H.; Lee, T.; Plattner, R. D.; Lu, S.-W.; Turgeon, B. G.

    2004-01-01

    Gibberella zeae, a self-fertile, haploid filamentous ascomycete, causes serious epidemics of wheat (Triticum aestivum) head blight worldwide and contaminates grain with trichothecene mycotoxins. Anecdotal evidence dating back to the late 19th century indicates that G. zeae ascospores (sexual spores) are a more important inoculum source than are macroconidia (asexual spores), although the fungus can produce both during wheat head blight epidemics. To develop fungal strains to test this hypothesis, the entire mating type (MAT1) locus was deleted from a self-fertile (MAT1-1/MAT1-2), virulent, trichothecene-producing wild-type strain of G. zeae. The resulting MAT deletion (mat1-1/mat1-2) strains were unable to produce perithecia or ascospores and appeared to be unable to mate with the fertile strain from which they were derived. Complementation of a MAT deletion strain by transformation with a copy of the entire MAT locus resulted in recovery of production of perithecia and ascospores. MAT deletion strains and MAT-complemented strains retained the ability to produce macroconidia that could cause head blight, as assessed by direct injection into wheat heads in greenhouse tests. Availability of MAT-null and MAT-complemented strains provides a means to determine the importance of ascospores in the biology of G. zeae and perhaps to identify novel approaches to control wheat head blight. PMID:15066842

  8. Biocontrol Efficacy of Formulated Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 against Plant Diseases and Root-Knot Nematodes

    PubMed Central

    Nam, Hyo Song; Anderson, Anne J.; Kim, Young Cheol

    2018-01-01

    Commercial biocontrol of microbial plant diseases and plant pests, such as nematodes, requires field-effective formulations. The isolate Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 is a Gram-negative bacterium that controls microbial plant pathogens both directly and indirectly. This bacterium also has nematocidal activity. In this study, we report on the efficacy of a wettable powder-type formulation of P. chlororaphis O6. Culturable bacteria in the formulated product were retained at above 1 × 108 colony forming units/g after storage of the powder at 25 °C for six months. Foliar application of the diluted formulated product controlled leaf blight and gray mold in tomato. The product also displayed preventative and curative controls for root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) in tomato. Under laboratory conditions and for commercially grown melon, the control was at levels comparable to that of a standard commercial chemical nematicide. The results indicated that the wettable powder formulation product of P. chlororaphis O6 can be used for control of plant microbial pathogens and root-knot nematodes. PMID:29887780

  9. Occurrence of Leaf Blight on Cosmos Caused by Alternaria cosmosa in Korea.

    PubMed

    Deng, Jian Xin; Lee, Ji Hye; Paul, Narayan Chandra; Cho, Hye Sun; Lee, Hyang Burm; Yu, Seung Hun

    2015-03-01

    In 2011, a leaf blight disease was observed on cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) leaves in Nonsan, Korea. The causal pathogen was isolated and identified based on morphological and molecular approaches. Morphological characteristics of the pathogen matched well with the Alternaria cosmosa and also easily distinguishable from Alternaria zinniae reported from cosmos seeds by producing branched beak. Phylogenetically, the pathogen could not be distinguished from A. passiflorae based on the sequence analysis of a combined data set of Alt a1 and gpd genes. However, A. passiflorae was distinguished from the present species by having conidiophores with 4 to 5 conidiogenous loci. The results indicate that the present Alternaria species is A. cosmosa. Pathogenicity tests revealed that the isolate was pathogenic to the leaves of Cosmos bipinnatus. This is the first report of Alternaria blight disease caused by A. cosmosa on cosmos in Korea.

  10. Ranking cultivated blueberry for Mummy Berry Blight and Fruit Infection Incidence

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Mummy berry is an important disease of cultivated blueberry. The disease has two distinct phases; a blighting phase initiated by ascospores and a fruit infection stage initiated by conidia. In this study we investigated the resistance of more than 100 blueberry cultivar to both phases of the disease...

  11. Boxwood Blight: A new scourge, a new paradigm for collaborative research

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The genus Buxus is prized for its use as individual specimen plants, hedges, parterres and landscape groupings. In general, boxwood suffers from few pests or diseases, which is one reason the recent introduction of boxwood blight disease to Europe and North America has been so significant to people ...

  12. Pole blight - a new disease of western white pine

    Treesearch

    C. A. Wellner

    1947-01-01

    Pole blight is a killer. Apparently attacking pole-size western white pine trees of any vigor or crown class, it seems to require from one to ten years to kill a tree. White pine is generally believed to be the only species susceptible, although there is a possibility that grand fir and Douglas-fir also may be attacked. Not enough time has elapsed for us to say how...

  13. The germin-like protein OsGLP2-1 enhances resistance to fungal blast and bacterial blight in rice.

    PubMed

    Liu, Qing; Yang, Jianyuan; Yan, Shijuan; Zhang, Shaohong; Zhao, Junliang; Wang, Wenjuan; Yang, Tifeng; Wang, Xiaofei; Mao, Xingxue; Dong, Jingfang; Zhu, Xiaoyuan; Liu, Bin

    2016-11-01

    This is the first report that GLP gene (OsGLP2-1) is involved in panicle blast and bacterial blight resistance in rice. In addition to its resistance to blast and bacterial blight, OsGLP2-1 has also been reported to co-localize with a QTLs for sheath blight resistance in rice. These suggest that the disease resistance provided by OsGLP2-1 is quantitative and broad spectrum. Its good resistance to these major diseases in rice makes it to be a promising target in rice breeding. Rice (Oryza sativa) blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae and bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae are the two most destructive rice diseases worldwide. Germin-like protein (GLP) gene family is one of the important defense gene families which have been reported to be involved in disease resistance in plants. Although GLP proteins have been demonstrated to positively regulate leaf blast resistance in rice, their involvement in resistance to panicle blast and bacterial blight, has not been reported. In this study, we reported that one of the rice GLP genes, OsGLP2-1, was significantly induced by blast fungus. Overexpression of OsGLP2-1 quantitatively enhanced resistance to leaf blast, panicle blast and bacterial blight. The temporal and spatial expression analysis revealed that OsGLP2-1is highly expressed in leaves and panicles and sub-localized in the cell wall. Compared with empty vector transformed (control) plants, the OsGLP2-1 overexpressing plants exhibited higher levels of H 2 O 2 both before and after pathogen inoculation. Moreover, OsGLP2-1 was significantly induced by jasmonic acid (JA). Overexpression of OsGLP2-1 induced three well-characterized defense-related genes which are associated in JA-dependent pathway after pathogen infection. Higher endogenous level of JA was also identified in OsGLP2-1 overexpressing plants than in control plants both before and after pathogen inoculation. Together, these results suggest that OsGLP2-1 functions as a positive regulator to

  14. Using barley genomics to develop Fusarium head blight resistant wheat and barley

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight, caused by Fusarium graminearum, is a major problem for wheat and barley growers. During infection, F. graminearum produces trichothecene mycotoxins (e.g., deoxynivalenol or DON) that increases fungal virulence and reduces grain quality and yield. Previous work in Arabidopsis sh...

  15. American chestnut persistence in southwestern Virginia 80 years after chestnut blight introduction

    Treesearch

    Katie L. Burke

    2010-01-01

    Forest disease noticeably alters spatial patterns of a species' distribution and this alteration is complex when host mortality is affected by site qualities. In the 1930s, chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) spread through southwestern Virginia, after its introduction to New York in 1904.

  16. Occurrence of Leaf Blight on Cosmos Caused by Alternaria cosmosa in Korea

    PubMed Central

    Deng, Jian Xin; Lee, Ji Hye; Paul, Narayan Chandra; Cho, Hye Sun; Lee, Hyang Burm; Yu, Seung Hun

    2015-01-01

    In 2011, a leaf blight disease was observed on cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) leaves in Nonsan, Korea. The causal pathogen was isolated and identified based on morphological and molecular approaches. Morphological characteristics of the pathogen matched well with the Alternaria cosmosa and also easily distinguishable from Alternaria zinniae reported from cosmos seeds by producing branched beak. Phylogenetically, the pathogen could not be distinguished from A. passiflorae based on the sequence analysis of a combined data set of Alt a1 and gpd genes. However, A. passiflorae was distinguished from the present species by having conidiophores with 4 to 5 conidiogenous loci. The results indicate that the present Alternaria species is A. cosmosa. Pathogenicity tests revealed that the isolate was pathogenic to the leaves of Cosmos bipinnatus. This is the first report of Alternaria blight disease caused by A. cosmosa on cosmos in Korea. PMID:25774114

  17. Efficacy of Newer Molecules, Bioagents and Botanicals against Maydis Leaf Blight and Banded Leaf and Sheath Blight of Maize

    PubMed Central

    Malik, Vinod Kumar; Singh, Manjeet; Hooda, Karambir Singh; Yadav, Naresh Kumar; Chauhan, Prashant Kumar

    2018-01-01

    Maize (Zea mays L.; 2N=20) is major staple food crop grown worldwide adapted to several biotic and abiotic stresses. Maydis leaf blight (MLB) and banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB) are serious foliar fungal diseases may cause up to 40% and 100% grain yield loss, respectively. The present studies were undertaken to work out the efficacy of chemicals, botanicals and bioagents for the management of MLB and BLSB under field condition for two seasons Kharif 2014 and 2015. Five molecules (propiconazole 25 EC, hexaconazole 25 EC, carbendazim 50 WP, mancozeb 75 WP and carbedazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP), two bioagents i.e. Trichoderma harzianum and T. viridae and three botanicals namely azadirachtin, sarpagandha and bel pathar were tested for their efficacy against MLB. Eight newer fungicides viz., difenconazole 250 SC, hexaconazole 5 EC, carbendazim 50WP, validamycin 3 L, tebuconazole 250 EC, trifloxystrobin 50 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG, azoxystrobin 250 EC and pencycuron 250 SC were evaluated against BLSB. Analysis revealed significant effects of propiconazole at 0.1%, carbendazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP at 0.125% and sarpagandha leaves at 10% against MLB pathogen, whereas validamycin at 0.1% and trifloxystrobin 25 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG at 0.05% were found effective against BLSB. The slow rate of disease control virtually by the bioagents might have not shown instant effect on plant response to the yield enhancing components. The identified sources of management can be used further in strengthening the plant protection in maize against MLB and BLSB. PMID:29628818

  18. Efficacy of Newer Molecules, Bioagents and Botanicals against Maydis Leaf Blight and Banded Leaf and Sheath Blight of Maize.

    PubMed

    Malik, Vinod Kumar; Singh, Manjeet; Hooda, Karambir Singh; Yadav, Naresh Kumar; Chauhan, Prashant Kumar

    2018-04-01

    Maize ( Zea mays L.; 2N=20) is major staple food crop grown worldwide adapted to several biotic and abiotic stresses. Maydis leaf blight (MLB) and banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB) are serious foliar fungal diseases may cause up to 40% and 100% grain yield loss, respectively. The present studies were undertaken to work out the efficacy of chemicals, botanicals and bioagents for the management of MLB and BLSB under field condition for two seasons Kharif 2014 and 2015. Five molecules (propiconazole 25 EC, hexaconazole 25 EC, carbendazim 50 WP, mancozeb 75 WP and carbedazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP), two bioagents i.e. Trichoderma harzianum and T. viridae and three botanicals namely azadirachtin, sarpagandha and bel pathar were tested for their efficacy against MLB. Eight newer fungicides viz., difenconazole 250 SC, hexaconazole 5 EC, carbendazim 50WP, validamycin 3 L, tebuconazole 250 EC, trifloxystrobin 50 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG, azoxystrobin 250 EC and pencycuron 250 SC were evaluated against BLSB. Analysis revealed significant effects of propiconazole at 0.1%, carbendazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP at 0.125% and sarpagandha leaves at 10% against MLB pathogen, whereas validamycin at 0.1% and trifloxystrobin 25 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG at 0.05% were found effective against BLSB. The slow rate of disease control virtually by the bioagents might have not shown instant effect on plant response to the yield enhancing components. The identified sources of management can be used further in strengthening the plant protection in maize against MLB and BLSB.

  19. RAPD markers linked to eastern filbert blight resistance in Corylus avellana

    Treesearch

    S.A. Mehlenbacher; R.N. Brown; J.W. Davis; H. Chen; N.V. Bassil; D.C. Smith; Thomas L. Kubisiak

    2004-01-01

    A total of 1,110 decamer primers were screened for RAPD markers linked to a dominant allele in hazelnut (Corylus avellana) that confers resistance to eastern filbert blight caused by Anisogramma anomnala. Twenty RAPD markers linked in coupling, and five markers linked in repulsion, were found. A seedling population was used to...

  20. Early and late blight potential on Russet Burbank potato as affected by microclimate, cropping systems and irrigation management in North-eastern United States

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Soil and irrigation management have been used to optimize crop production; however,their effects on microclimate, development, and potato diseases have not been adequately quantified. The effects of soil, crop, and water management on development of potato early blight and late blight were quantifie...

  1. Hyperspectral remote sensing for advanced detection of early blight (Alternaria solani) disease in potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atherton, Daniel

    Early detection of disease and insect infestation within crops and precise application of pesticides can help reduce potential production losses, reduce environmental risk, and reduce the cost of farming. The goal of this study was the advanced detection of early blight (Alternaria solani) in potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants using hyperspectral remote sensing data captured with a handheld spectroradiometer. Hyperspectral reflectance spectra were captured 10 times over five weeks from plants grown to the vegetative and tuber bulking growth stages. The spectra were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA), spectral change (ratio) analysis, partial least squares (PLS), cluster analysis, and vegetative indices. PCA successfully distinguished more heavily diseased plants from healthy and minimally diseased plants using two principal components. Spectral change (ratio) analysis provided wavelengths (490-510, 640, 665-670, 690, 740-750, and 935 nm) most sensitive to early blight infection followed by ANOVA results indicating a highly significant difference (p < 0.0001) between disease rating group means. In the majority of the experiments, comparisons of diseased plants with healthy plants using Fisher's LSD revealed more heavily diseased plants were significantly different from healthy plants. PLS analysis demonstrated the feasibility of detecting early blight infected plants, finding four optimal factors for raw spectra with the predictor variation explained ranging from 93.4% to 94.6% and the response variation explained ranging from 42.7% to 64.7%. Cluster analysis successfully distinguished healthy plants from all diseased plants except for the most mildly diseased plants, showing clustering analysis was an effective method for detection of early blight. Analysis of the reflectance spectra using the simple ratio (SR) and the normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) was effective at differentiating all diseased plants from healthy plants, except for the

  2. A multi-scale conceptual model of fire and disease interactions in North American forests

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Varner, J. M.; Kreye, J. K.; Sherriff, R.; Metz, M.

    2013-12-01

    One aspect of global change with increasing attention is the interactions between irruptive pests and diseases and wildland fire behavior and effects. These pests and diseases affect fire behavior and effects in spatially and temporally complex ways. Models of fire and pathogen interactions have been constructed for individual pests or diseases, but to date, no synthesis of this complexity has been attempted. Here we synthesize North American fire-pathogen interactions into syndromes with similarities in spatial extent and temporal duration. We base our models on fire interactions with three examples: sudden oak death (caused by the pathogen Phytopthora ramorum) and the native tree tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus); mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and western Pinus spp.; and hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) on Tsuga spp. We evaluate each across spatial (severity of attack from branch to landscape scale) and temporal scales (from attack to decades after) and link each change to its coincident effects on fuels and potential fire behavior. These syndromes differ in their spatial and temporal severity, differentially affecting windows of increased or decreased community flammability. We evaluate these models with two examples: the recently emergent ambrosia beetle-vectored laurel wilt (caused by the pathogen Raffaelea lauricola) in native members of the Lauraceae and the early 20th century chestnut blight (caused by the pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica) that led to the decline of American chestnut (Castanea dentata). Some changes (e.g., reduced foliar moisture content) have short-term consequences for potential fire behavior while others (functional extirpation) have more complex indirect effects on community flammability. As non-native emergent diseases and pests continue, synthetic models that aid in prediction of fire behavior and effects will enable the research and management community to prioritize mitigation efforts to realized effects.

  3. Systematics, Phylogeny and Trichothecene Mycotoxin Potential of Fusarium Head Blight Cereal Pathogens

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Economically devastating outbreaks and epidemics of Fusarium head blight (FHB) or scab of wheat and barley have occurred worldwide over the past two decades. Although the primary etiological agent of FHB was thought to comprise a single panmictic species, Fusarium graminearum, a series of studies we...

  4. Analysis of rice PDR-like ABC transporter genes in sheath blight resistance

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani is one of the most damaging diseases of rice worldwide. To understand the molecular mechanism of resistance, we identified 450 differentially expressed genes in a resistant rice cultivar Jasmine 85 after R. solani infection with a combination of DNA microar...

  5. Polymorphic sequence-characterized codominant loci in the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica

    Treesearch

    J. E. Davis; Thomas L. Kubisiak; M. G. Milgroom

    2005-01-01

    Studies on the population biology of the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, have previously been carried out with dominant restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) fingerprinting markers. In this study, we described the development of 11 condominant markers from randomly amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs). RAPD fragments were...

  6. Recombineering Pseudomonas syringae

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Here we report the identification of functions that promote genomic recombination of linear DNA introduced into Pseudomonas cells by electroporation. The genes encoding these functions were identified in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B728a based on similarity to the lambda Red Exo/Beta and RecE...

  7. Ponderosa pine needle blight in eastern Oregon during 1955 and 1956.

    Treesearch

    John Hunt; T.W. Childs

    1957-01-01

    A survey of ponderosa pine needle blight during 1955 and 1956, principally in eastern Oregon (where the disease is much more abundant than in Washington), provided information on extent of damage and on association of infection with certain environmental factors. Observations were largely confined to localities where the disease was known to be more than ordinarily...

  8. A real-time PCR assay for early detection of eastern filbert blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Eastern filbert blight (EFB) is a devastating disease of European hazelnut, Corylus avellana, which causes economic losses in Oregon where 99% of the U.S. crop is produced. The causal fungus, Anisogramma anomala, is native to eastern North America, where it is found associated with the American haz...

  9. Severe outbreak of bacterial panicle blight across Texas Rice Belt in 2010

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bacterial panicle blight symptoms have been observed in rice fields in Texas for many years, but it was not until 1996 that Burkholderia glumae was identified as the causal agent. Although it is generally considered a minor disease, there have been years where significant losses to yield and milling...

  10. Chitosan-induced immunity in Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze against blister blight disease is mediated by nitric-oxide.

    PubMed

    Chandra, Swarnendu; Chakraborty, Nilanjan; Panda, Koustubh; Acharya, Krishnendu

    2017-06-01

    Blister blight disease, caused by an obligate biotrophic fungal pathogen, Exobasidium vexans Massee is posing a serious threat for tea cultivation in Asia. As the use of chemical pesticides on tea leaves substantially increases the toxic risks of tea consumption, serious attempts are being made to control such pathogens by boosting the intrinsic natural defense responses against invading pathogens in tea plants. In this study, the nature and durability of resistance offered by chitosan and the possible mechanism of chitosan-induced defense induction in Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze plants against blister blight disease were investigated. Foliar application of 0.01% chitosan solution at 15 days interval not only reduced the blister blight incidence for two seasons, but also maintained the induced expressions of different defense related enzymes and total phenol content compared to the control. Defense responses induced by chitosan were found to be down regulated under nitric oxide (NO) deficient conditions in vivo, indicating that the observed chitosan-induced resistance is probably activated via NO signaling. Such role of NO in host defense response was further established by application of the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), which produced similar defense responses accomplished through chitosan treatment. Taken together, our results suggest that increased production of NO in chitosan-treated tea plants may play a critical role in triggering the innate defense responses effective against plant pathogens, including that causing the blister blight disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  11. High quality draft genome sequences of Pseudomonas fulva DSM 17717 T, Pseudomonas parafulva DSM 17004 T and Pseudomonas cremoricolorata DSM 17059 T type strains

    DOE PAGES

    Peña, Arantxa; Busquets, Antonio; Gomila, Margarita; ...

    2016-09-01

    Pseudomonas has the highest number of species out of any genus of Gram-negative bacteria and is phylogenetically divided into several groups. The Pseudomonas putida phylogenetic branch includes at least 13 species of environmental and industrial interest, plant-associated bacteria, insect pathogens, and even some members that have been found in clinical specimens. In the context of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project, we present the permanent, high-quality draft genomes of the type strains of 3 taxonomically and ecologically closely related species in the Pseudomonas putida phylogenetic branch: Pseudomonas fulva DSM 17717 T, Pseudomonas parafulva DSM 17004 T and Pseudomonasmore » cremoricolorata DSM 17059T. All three genomes are comparable in size (4.6-4.9Mb), with 4,119-4,459 protein-coding genes. Average nucleotide identity based on BLAST comparisons and digital genome-to-genome distance calculations are in good agreement with experimental DNA-DNA hybridization results. The genome sequences presented here will be very helpful in elucidating the taxonomy, phylogeny and evolution of the Pseudomonas putida species complex.« less

  12. High quality draft genome sequences of Pseudomonas fulva DSM 17717 T, Pseudomonas parafulva DSM 17004 T and Pseudomonas cremoricolorata DSM 17059 T type strains

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

    Peña, Arantxa; Busquets, Antonio; Gomila, Margarita

    Pseudomonas has the highest number of species out of any genus of Gram-negative bacteria and is phylogenetically divided into several groups. The Pseudomonas putida phylogenetic branch includes at least 13 species of environmental and industrial interest, plant-associated bacteria, insect pathogens, and even some members that have been found in clinical specimens. In the context of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project, we present the permanent, high-quality draft genomes of the type strains of 3 taxonomically and ecologically closely related species in the Pseudomonas putida phylogenetic branch: Pseudomonas fulva DSM 17717 T, Pseudomonas parafulva DSM 17004 T and Pseudomonasmore » cremoricolorata DSM 17059T. All three genomes are comparable in size (4.6-4.9Mb), with 4,119-4,459 protein-coding genes. Average nucleotide identity based on BLAST comparisons and digital genome-to-genome distance calculations are in good agreement with experimental DNA-DNA hybridization results. The genome sequences presented here will be very helpful in elucidating the taxonomy, phylogeny and evolution of the Pseudomonas putida species complex.« less

  13. Restoration of a Mediterranean forest after a fire: bioremediation and rhizoremediation field-scale trial

    PubMed Central

    Pizarro-Tobías, Paloma; Fernández, Matilde; Niqui, José Luis; Solano, Jennifer; Duque, Estrella; Ramos, Juan-Luis; Roca, Amalia

    2015-01-01

    Forest fires pose a serious threat to countries in the Mediterranean basin, often razing large areas of land each year. After fires, soils are more likely to erode and resilience is inhibited in part by the toxic aromatic hydrocarbons produced during the combustion of cellulose and lignins. In this study, we explored the use of bioremediation and rhizoremediation techniques for soil restoration in a field-scale trial in a protected Mediterranean ecosystem after a controlled fire. Our bioremediation strategy combined the use of Pseudomonas putida strains, indigenous culturable microbes and annual grasses. After 8 months of monitoring soil quality parameters, including the removal of monoaromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as vegetation cover, we found that the site had returned to pre-fire status. Microbial population analysis revealed that fires induced changes in the indigenous microbiota and that rhizoremediation favours the recovery of soil microbiota in time. The results obtained in this study indicate that the rhizoremediation strategy could be presented as a viable and cost-effective alternative for the treatment of ecosystems affected by fires. PMID:25079309

  14. Two cycles of recurrent maternal half-sib selection reduce foliar late blight in a diploid hybrid Solanum phureja-S. stenotomum population by two-thirds

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Foliar late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is an important disease problem worldwide. Foliar resistance to late blight was found in a hybrid population of the cultivated diploid species Solanum phureja-S. stenotomum (phu-stn). The objective of this study was to determine if resistance t...

  15. Spatio-temporal dynamics of Fusarium head blight and Trichothecene toxin types in Canada

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In many parts of the world Fusarium graminearum is the primary causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), a disease of cereal crops that adversely affects crop yield, food safety, and animal health. We previously demonstrated population structure associated with differences in trichothecene toxin t...

  16. Profitability of integrated management of fusarium head blight in North Carolina winter wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most difficult small-grain diseases to manage, due to the partial effectiveness of management techniques and the narrow window of time within which to apply fungicides profitably. The most effective management approach is to integrate cultivar resistance wit...

  17. First report of F. meridionale causing Fusarium Head Blight of wheat in Mexico

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB), also known as scab, is a destructive disease of small grain cereals caused by several species belonging to the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC). Members of the FGSC produce trichothecene toxins that represent a threat to human and animal health (1). Despite the...

  18. Can Host Plant Resistance Protect the Quality of Wheat from Fusarium Head Blight?

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB) infection reduces the amount of millable grain from an infected field, reduces mill yields, and generally degrades end-use quality. In 2009, the Logan County, KY, wheat trial had extended conditions for infection with FHB resulting in extensive and uniform infection withi...

  19. Pseudomonas screening assay

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Margalit, Ruth (Inventor)

    1993-01-01

    A method for the detection of Pseudomonas bacteria is described where an Azurin-specific antibody is employed for detecting the presence of Azurin in a test sample. The detection of the presence of Azurin in the sample is a conclusive indicator of the presence of the Pseudomonas bacteria since the Azurin protein is a specific marker for this bacterial strain.

  20. Novel fusarium head blight pathogens from Nepal and Louisiana revealed by multilocus genealogical concordance

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This study was conducted to assess evolutionary relationships, species diversity, and trichothecene toxin potential of five Fusarium graminearum complex (FGSC) isolates identified as genetically novel during prior Fusarium head blight (FHB) surveys in Nepal and Louisiana. Results of a multilocus gen...

  1. Growth inhibition of Erwinia amylovora and related Erwinia species by neutralized short‑chain fatty acids.

    PubMed

    Konecki, Katrin; Gernold, Marina; Wensing, Annette; Geider, Klaus

    2013-11-01

    Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are used to preserve food and could be a tool for control of fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora on apple, pear and related rosaceous plants. Neutralized acids were added to buffered growth media at 0.5–75 mM and tested at pHs ranging from 6.8 to 5.5. Particularly at low pH, SCFAs with a chain length exceeding that of acetic acid such as propionic acid were effective growth inhibitors of E. amylovora possibly due to uptake of free acid and its intracellular accumulation. We also observed high inhibition with monochloroacetic acid. An E. billingiae strain was as sensitive to the acids as E. amylovora or E. tasmaniensis. Fire blight symptoms on pear slices were reduced when the slices were pretreated with neutralized propionic acid. Propionic acid is well water soluble and could be applied in orchards as a control agent for fire blight.

  2. Characterization of Bacillus strains from apple and pear trees in South Africa antagonistic to Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Jock, Susanne; Völksch, Beate; Mansvelt, Lucienne; Geider, Klaus

    2002-06-04

    In order to find reasons for the absence of fire blight in most countries of the Southern hemisphere, bark samples from apple and pear trees in orchards of the Western Cape region in South Africa were extracted for bacteria which could be antagonistic to Erwinia amylovora. Screening was done in the late growth season and mainly Gram-positive bacteria were isolated. Approximately half of them produced growth inhibition zones on a lawn of E. amylovora. Most isolates were classified as Bacillus megaterium by microbiological assays and in API 50 test systems. They were visualized in the light microscope as non-motile large rods. These strains may not be responsible for the absence of fire blight in orchards, but they may indicate unfavourable climatic conditions for Gram-negative bacteria including E. amylovora. They may reduce the ability of E. amylovora to establish fire blight and could also be useful for application in biological disease control.

  3. Factors influencing efficacy of plastic shelters for control of bacterial blight of lilac

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Plastic shelters are thought to manage bacterial blight by protecting plants from rain and/or frost. In February to April 2008 and 2009, we studied the contribution of frost protection to efficacy of this cultural control practice. Lilacs in 1-gallon pots were exposed to four treatments: 1) plants...

  4. Explanation of pole blight from responses of seedlings grown in modified environments

    Treesearch

    Charles D. Leaphart; Ed F. Wicker

    1966-01-01

    Seedlings of Douglas fir, grand fir, western larch, western red cedar, and western white pine were grown in modified environments for four growing seasons to see whether characteristic growth responses of roots and shoots might suggest a cause for pole blight of white pine. Environments included three soil profiles (topsoil, hardpan, and rock) and two moisture regimes...

  5. Comparative population genomics of Fusarium graminearum reveals adaptive divergence among cereal head blight pathogens

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In this study we sequenced the genomes of 60 Fusarium graminearum, the major fungal pathogen responsible for Fusarium head blight (FHB) in cereal crops world-wide. To investigate adaptive evolution of FHB pathogens, we performed population-level analyses to characterize genomic structure, signatures...

  6. Minimizing crop damage through understanding relationships between pyrethrum phenology and ray blight disease severity

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The most damaging foliar disease of pyrethrum in Australia is ray blight caused by Stagonosporopsis tanaceti. The probability of growers incurring economic losses caused by this disease has been substantially reduced by the implementation of a prophylactically-applied spring fungicide program. Th...

  7. Characterization of Fusarium strains recovered from wheat with symptoms of head blight in Kentucky

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) members cause Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and small grains in the United States. The U.S. population is diverse, and includes several genetically distinct local emergent subpopulations, some more aggressive and toxigenic than...

  8. The effect of cropping systems and irrigation management on development of potato early blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Crop and soil management may modify canopy and belowground microclimate. However, their effects on potential development and control of early blight are not well documented. Crop management systems [Status Quo (SQ), Soil Conserving (SC), Soil Improving (SI), Disease Suppressive (DS), and Continuou...

  9. Pseudomonas folliculitis in Arabian baths.

    PubMed

    Molina-Leyva, Alejandro; Ruiz-Ruigomez, Maria

    2013-07-14

    A 35-year-old man presented with a painful cutaneous skin eruption that was localized on the upper trunk. He stated that the previous weekend he had attended an Arabian bath. The physical examination revealed multiple hair follicle-centered papulopustules surrounded by an erythematous halo. A clinical diagnosis of pseudomonas folliculitis was made and treatment was prescribed. Afterwards Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from a pustule culture. Pseudomonas folliculitis is a bacterial infection of the hair follicles. The most common reservoirs include facilities with hot water and complex piping systems that are difficult to clean, such as hot tubs and bathtubs. Despite adequate or high chlorine levels, Pseudomonas aeruginosa can grow within a biofilm.

  10. High-resolution genetic and physical mapping of eastern filbert blight resistance in hazelnut

    Treesearch

    Vidyasagar Sathuvall; Shawn A. Mehlenbacher

    2012-01-01

    Eastern filbert blight (EFB), caused by the pyrenomycete Anisogramma anomala, is a serious threat to the hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) industry in the Pacific Northwest. A dominant allele at a single locus from the obsolete pollenizer 'Gasaway' confers a very high level of resistance, and has been extensively used in...

  11. Inhibition of OsSWEET11 function in mesophyll cells improves resistance of rice to sheath blight disease.

    PubMed

    Gao, Yue; Zhang, Chong; Han, Xiao; Wang, Zi Yuan; Ma, Lai; Yuan, De Peng; Wu, Jing Ni; Zhu, Xiao Feng; Liu, Jing Miao; Li, Dao Pin; Hu, Yi Bing; Xuan, Yuan Hu

    2018-04-16

    Pathogen-host interaction is a complicated process; pathogens mainly infect host plants to acquire nutrients, especially sugars. Rhizoctonia solani, the causative agent of sheath blight disease, is a major pathogen of rice. However, it is not known, as to how this pathogen obtains sugar from rice plants. In this study, we found that the rice sugar transporter, OsSWEET11 is involved in the pathogenesis of sheath blight disease. qRT-PCR and β-d-glucuronidase expression analyses showed that R. solani infection significantly enhanced OsSWEET11 expression in leaves among the clade III SWEET members. The analyses of transgenic plants revealed that Ossweet11 mutants were less susceptible, whereas plants overexpressing OsSWEET11 were more susceptible to sheath blight compared to wild-type controls, but the yield of OsSWEET11 mutants and overexpressors was reduced. SWEETs become active upon oligomerization. Split-ubiquitin yeast two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that mutated-OsSWEET11 interacted with normal OsSWEET11. In addition, expressing conserved residue mutated-AtSWEET1 inhibits normal AtSWEET1 activity. To analyze whether inhibition of OsSWEET11 function in mesophyll cells is related to defense against this disease, mutated- OsSWEET11 was expressed under the control of Rubisco promoter, which is specific for green tissues. The resistance of transgenic plants to sheath blight disease, but not other disease was improved, while yield production was not evidently affected. Overall, these results suggest that R. solani might acquire sugar from rice leaves by activating OsSWEET11 expression. The plants can be protected from infection by manipulating the expression of OsSWEET11 without affecting the crop yield. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 BSPP and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. [Pseudomonas folliculitis after spa bath exposure].

    PubMed

    Uldall Pallesen, Kristine Appel; Andersen, Klaus Ejner; Mørtz, Charlotte Gotthard

    2012-06-25

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a rare cause of folliculitis. Pseudomonas folliculitis can develop after contact with contaminated water from swimming pools, hot tubs and spa baths. Systemic therapy may be indicated in patients with widespread lesions, systemic symptoms or in immunosuppressed patients. We describe a 23-year-old healthy woman who developed a pustular rash and general malaise after using a spa bath contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bacterial culture from a pustule confirmed Pseudomonas folliculitis and the patient was treated with ciprofloxacin with rapid good effect.

  13. Restoration of a Mediterranean forest after a fire: bioremediation and rhizoremediation field-scale trial.

    PubMed

    Pizarro-Tobías, Paloma; Fernández, Matilde; Niqui, José Luis; Solano, Jennifer; Duque, Estrella; Ramos, Juan-Luis; Roca, Amalia

    2015-01-01

    Forest fires pose a serious threat to countries in the Mediterranean basin, often razing large areas of land each year. After fires, soils are more likely to erode and resilience is inhibited in part by the toxic aromatic hydrocarbons produced during the combustion of cellulose and lignins. In this study, we explored the use of bioremediation and rhizoremediation techniques for soil restoration in a field-scale trial in a protected Mediterranean ecosystem after a controlled fire. Our bioremediation strategy combined the use of Pseudomonas putida strains, indigenous culturable microbes and annual grasses. After 8 months of monitoring soil quality parameters, including the removal of monoaromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as vegetation cover, we found that the site had returned to pre-fire status. Microbial population analysis revealed that fires induced changes in the indigenous microbiota and that rhizoremediation favours the recovery of soil microbiota in time. The results obtained in this study indicate that the rhizoremediation strategy could be presented as a viable and cost-effective alternative for the treatment of ecosystems affected by fires. © 2014 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  14. Does infection by southern root-knot nematode influence development of Phytophthora blight in pepper?

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The southern root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, and Phytophthora capsici, the causal agent of Phytophthora blight, are both important pathogens of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) in the U.S. and worldwide. Although there is significant information in the literature about the responses of pepper...

  15. Fusarium head blight resistance loci in a stratified population of wheat landraces and varieties

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    To determine if Chinese and Japanese wheat landraces and varieties have unique sources of Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance, an association mapping panel of 195 wheat accessions including both commercial varieties and landraces was genotyped with 364 genome-wide simple sequence repeat (SSR) and ...

  16. Characterization and regulation of the resistance-nodulation-cell division-type multidrug efflux pumps MdtABC and MdtUVW from the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora.

    PubMed

    Pletzer, Daniel; Weingart, Helge

    2014-07-11

    The Gram-negative bacterium Erwinia amylovora is the causal agent of the devastating disease fire blight in rosaceous plants such as apple, pear, quince, raspberry, and cotoneaster. In order to survive and multiply in a host, microbes must be able to circumvent the toxic effects of antimicrobial plant compounds, such as flavonoids and tannins. E. amylovora uses multidrug efflux transporters that recognize and actively export toxic compounds out of the cells. Here, two heterotrimeric resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type multidrug efflux pumps, MdtABC and MdtUVW, from E. amylovora were identified. These RND systems are unusual in that they contain two different RND proteins forming a functional pump. To find the substrate specificities of the two efflux systems, we overexpressed the transporters in a hypersensitive mutant lacking the major RND pump AcrB. Both transporters mediated resistance to several flavonoids, fusidic acid and novobiocin. Additionally, MdtABC mediated resistance towards josamycin, bile salts and silver nitrate, and MdtUVW towards clotrimazole. The ability of the mdtABC- and mdtUVW-deficient mutants to multiply in apple rootstock was reduced. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed that the expression of the transporter genes was induced during infection of apple rootstock. The polyphenolic plant compound tannin, as well as the heavy metal salt tungstate was found to induce the expression of mdtABC. Finally, the expression of the mdtABC genes was shown to be regulated by BaeR, the response regulator of the two-component system BaeSR, a cell envelope stress response system that controls the adaptive responses to changes in the environment. The expression of MdtABC and MdtUVW is induced during growth of E. amylovora in planta. We identified the plant polyphenol tannin as inducer of mdtABC expression. The reduced ability of the mdtABC- and mdtUVW-deficient mutants to multiply in apple rootstock suggests that the efflux pumps are involved in

  17. Characterization and regulation of the Resistance-Nodulation-Cell Division-type multidrug efflux pumps MdtABC and MdtUVW from the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The Gram-negative bacterium Erwinia amylovora is the causal agent of the devastating disease fire blight in rosaceous plants such as apple, pear, quince, raspberry, and cotoneaster. In order to survive and multiply in a host, microbes must be able to circumvent the toxic effects of antimicrobial plant compounds, such as flavonoids and tannins. E. amylovora uses multidrug efflux transporters that recognize and actively export toxic compounds out of the cells. Here, two heterotrimeric resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type multidrug efflux pumps, MdtABC and MdtUVW, from E. amylovora were identified. These RND systems are unusual in that they contain two different RND proteins forming a functional pump. Results To find the substrate specificities of the two efflux systems, we overexpressed the transporters in a hypersensitive mutant lacking the major RND pump AcrB. Both transporters mediated resistance to several flavonoids, fusidic acid and novobiocin. Additionally, MdtABC mediated resistance towards josamycin, bile salts and silver nitrate, and MdtUVW towards clotrimazole. The ability of the mdtABC- and mdtUVW-deficient mutants to multiply in apple rootstock was reduced. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed that the expression of the transporter genes was induced during infection of apple rootstock. The polyphenolic plant compound tannin, as well as the heavy metal salt tungstate was found to induce the expression of mdtABC. Finally, the expression of the mdtABC genes was shown to be regulated by BaeR, the response regulator of the two-component system BaeSR, a cell envelope stress response system that controls the adaptive responses to changes in the environment. Conclusions The expression of MdtABC and MdtUVW is induced during growth of E. amylovora in planta. We identified the plant polyphenol tannin as inducer of mdtABC expression. The reduced ability of the mdtABC- and mdtUVW-deficient mutants to multiply in apple rootstock suggests that the

  18. Novel species of Botryosphaeriaceae associated with shoot blight of pistachio.

    PubMed

    Chen, ShuaiFei; Li, GuoQing; Liu, FeiFei; Michailides, Themis J

    2015-01-01

    Various species of phytopathogenic Botryosphaeriaceae were identified previously from pistachio trees worldwide. Disease symptoms caused by pathogens in Botryosphaeriaceae on pistachio include panicle and shoot blight, leaf defoliation, fruit discoloration and decay. In this study species of Botryosphaeriaceae were collected from blighted pistachio shoots in Arizona, USA, and Greece. The aims of this study were to identify these Botryosphaeriaceae isolates and to test their pathogenicity to pistachio. The fungi were identified based on comparisons of DNA sequence data of the nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), a partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (TEF1), a partial β-tubulin gene (TUB2) and morphological characteristics. Results indicated that some isolates collected from pistachio represent two previously undescribed species, which we described here as Lasiodiplodia americana sp. nov. from the United States and Neofusicoccum hellenicum sp. nov. from Greece. Field inoculations of L. americana and N. hellenicum on branches of four pistachio cultivars showed that both L. americana and N. hellenicum are pathogenic on pistachio. The four pistachio cultivars differed in their susceptibility to the Botryosphaeriaceae species. Results of this study suggested that the two new species of Botryosphaeriaceae need to be monitored carefully to determine the distribution of these pathogens and the possible spread to other areas. © 2015 by The Mycological Society of America.

  19. Association between QTLs and morphological traits toward sheath blight resistance in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

    PubMed Central

    Hossain, Md Kamal; Jena, Kshirod Kumar; Bhuiyan, Md Atiqur Rahman; Wickneswari, Ratnam

    2016-01-01

    Sheath blight is considered the most significant disease of rice and causes enormous yield losses over the world. Breeding for resistant varieties is the only viable option to combat the disease efficiently. Seventeen diverged rice genotypes along with 17 QTL-linked SSR markers were evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Pearson’s correlation showed only the flag leaf angle had a significant correlation with sheath blight resistance under greenhouse screening. Multivariate analysis based on UPGMA clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the flag leaf angle, flag leaf length, and plant compactness were significantly associated with the following SSR marker alleles: RM209 (116,130), RM202 (176), RM224 (126), RM257 (156), RM426 (175), and RM6971 (196), which are linked to the SB QTLs: QRlh11, qSBR11-3, qSBR11-1, qSBR9-1, qShB3-2, and qSB-9. A Mantel test suggested a weak relationship between the observed phenotypes and allelic variation patterns, implying the independent nature of morphological and molecular variations. Teqing and Tetep were found to be the most resistant cultivars. IR65482-4-136-2-2, MR219-4, and MR264 showed improved resistance potentials. These results suggest that the morphological traits and QTLs which have been found to associate with sheath blight resistance are a good choice to enhance resistance through pyramiding either 2 QTLs or QTLs and traits in susceptible rice cultivars. PMID:27795687

  20. Growth Promoting Rhizospheric and Endophytic Bacteria from Curcuma longa L. as Biocontrol Agents against Rhizome Rot and Leaf Blight Diseases.

    PubMed

    Vinayarani, G; Prakash, H S

    2018-06-01

    Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and endophytic bacteria were isolated from different varieties of turmeric ( Curcuma longa L.) from South India. Totally 50 strains representing, 30 PGPR and 20 endophytic bacteria were identified based on biochemical assays and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The isolates were screened for antagonistic activity against Pythium aphanidermatum (Edson) Fitzp., and Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn., causing rhizome rot and leaf blight diseases in turmeric, by dual culture and liquid culture assays. Results revealed that only five isolates of PGPR and four endophytic bacteria showed more than 70% suppression of test pathogens in both assays. The SEM studies of interaction zone showed significant ultrastructural changes of the hyphae like shriveling, breakage and desication of the pathogens by PGPR B. cereus (RBac-DOB-S24) and endophyte P. aeruginosa (BacDOB-E19). Selected isolates showed multiple Plant growth promoting traits. The rhizome bacterization followed by soil application of B. cereus (RBacDOB-S24) showed lowest Percent Disease Incidence (PDI) of rhizome rot and leaf blight, 16.4% and 15.5% respectively. Similarly, P. aeruginosa (BacDOB-E19) recorded PDI of rhizome rot (17.5%) and leaf blight (17.7%). The treatment of these promising isolates exhibited significant increase in plant height and fresh rhizome yield/plant in comparison with untreated control under greenhouse condition. Thereby, these isolates can be exploited as a potential biocontrol agent for suppressing rhizome rot and leaf blight diseases in turmeric.

  1. High pressure inactivation of Pseudomonas in black truffle - comparison with Pseudomonas fluorescens in tryptone soya broth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ballestra, Patricia; Verret, Catherine; Cruz, Christian; Largeteau, Alain; Demazeau, Gerard; El Moueffak, Abdelhamid

    2010-03-01

    Pseudomonas is one of the most common genera in black Perigord truffle. Its inactivation by high pressure (100-500 MPa/10 min) applied on truffles at sub-zero or low temperatures was studied and compared with those of Pseudomonas fluorescens in tryptone soya broth. Pressurization of truffles at 300 MPa/4 °C reduced the bacterial count of Pseudomonas by 5.3 log cycles. Higher pressures of 400 or 500 MPa, at 4 °C or 20 °C, allowed us to slightly increase the level of destruction to the value of ca. 6.5 log cycles but did not permit us to completely inactivate Pseudomonas. The results showed a residual charge of about 10 CFU/g. Pressure-shift freezing of truffles, which consists in applying a pressure of 200 MPa/-18 °C for 10 min and then quickly releasing this pressure to induce freezing, reduced the population of Pseudomonas by 3.3 log cycles. The level of inactivation was higher than those obtained with conventional freezing. Endogenous Pseudomonas in truffle was shown to be more resistant to high pressure treatments than P. fluorescens used for inoculation of broths.

  2. Integration of fungicide application and cultivar resistance to manage fusarium head blight in wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB), also known as scab, is a destructive disease of wheat and other small grain cereals. Losses are compounded by the associated mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) which contaminates grain. This chapter provides a brief review of FHB of wheat in North America including occurren...

  3. Use of mycelium and detached leaves in bioassays for assessing resistance to boxwood blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Boxwood blight caused by Calonectria pseudonaviculata is a newly emergent disease of boxwood (Buxus L.) in the United States that causes leaf drop, stem lesions, and plant death. A rapid and reliable laboratory assay that enables screening hundreds of boxwood genotypes for resistance to boxwood blig...

  4. A barley UDP-glucosyltransferase inactivates nivalenol and provides Fusarium head blight resistance in transgenic wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium Head Blight is a disease of cereal crops that causes severe yield losses and mycotoxin contamination of grain. The main causal pathogen, Fusarium graminearum, produces the trichothecene toxins deoxynivalenol or nivalenol as virulence factors. Nivalenol-producing isolates are most prevalent ...

  5. 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,...

  6. Data handling and analysis for the 1971 corn blight watch experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anuta, P. E.; Phillips, T. L.

    1973-01-01

    The overall corn blight watch experiment data flow is described and the organization of the LARS/Purdue data center is discussed. Data analysis techniques are discussed in general and the use of statistical multispectral pattern recognition methods for automatic computer analysis of aircraft scanner data is described. Some of the results obtained are discussed and the implications of the experiment on future data communication requirements for earth resource survey systems is discussed.

  7. Data handling and analysis for the 1971 corn blight watch experiment.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anuta, P. E.; Phillips, T. L.; Landgrebe, D. A.

    1972-01-01

    Review of the data handling and analysis methods used in the near-operational test of remote sensing systems provided by the 1971 corn blight watch experiment. The general data analysis techniques and, particularly, the statistical multispectral pattern recognition methods for automatic computer analysis of aircraft scanner data are described. Some of the results obtained are examined, and the implications of the experiment for future data communication requirements of earth resource survey systems are discussed.

  8. Molecular mapping of resistance to blight in an interspecific cross in the genus Castanea

    Treesearch

    Thomas L. Kubisiak; F.V. Hebard; C. Dana Nelson; Jiansu Zhang; R. Bernatzky; H. Huang; S.L. Anagnostakis; R.L. Doudrick

    1997-01-01

    A three-generation American chestnut x Chinese chestnut pedigree was used to construct a genetic linkage map for chestnut and to investigate the control of resistance to Endothia parasitica (chestnut blight fungus). DNA genotypes for 241 polymorphic markers (eight isozymes, 17 restriction fragment length polymorphisms [RFLPs], and 216 random...

  9. Monocyte Profiles in Critically Ill Patients With Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Sepsis

    ClinicalTrials.gov

    2017-02-02

    Pseudomonas Infections; Pseudomonas Septicemia; Pseudomonas; Pneumonia; Pseudomonal Bacteraemia; Pseudomonas Urinary Tract Infection; Pseudomonas Gastrointestinal Tract Infection; Sepsis; Sepsis, Severe; Critically Ill

  10. Role of hydroperoxide lyase in white-backed planthopper (Sogatella furcifera Horváth)-induced resistance to bacterial blight in rice, Oryza sativa L.

    PubMed

    Gomi, Kenji; Satoh, Masaru; Ozawa, Rika; Shinonaga, Yumi; Sanada, Sachiyo; Sasaki, Katsutomo; Matsumura, Masaya; Ohashi, Yuko; Kanno, Hiroo; Akimitsu, Kazuya; Takabayashi, Junji

    2010-01-01

    A pre-infestation of the white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera Horváth, conferred resistance to bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under both laboratory and field conditions. The infestation of another planthopper species, the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens Stål, did not significantly reduce the incidence of bacterial blight symptoms. A large-scale screening using a rice DNA microarray and quantitative RT-PCR revealed that WBPH infestation caused the upregulation of more defence-related genes than did BPH infestation. Hydroperoxide lyase 2 (OsHPL2), an enzyme for producing C(6) volatiles, was upregulated by WBPH infestation, but not by BPH infestation. One C(6) volatile, (E)-2-hexenal, accumulated in rice after WBPH infestation, but not after BPH infestation. A direct application of (E)-2-hexenal to a liquid culture of Xoo inhibited the growth of the bacterium. Furthermore, a vapour treatment of rice plants with (E)-2-hexenal induced resistance to bacterial blight. OsHPL2-overexpressing transgenic rice plants exhibited increased resistance to bacterial blight. Based on these data, we conclude that OsHPL2 and its derived (E)-2-hexenal play some role in WBPH-induced resistance in rice.

  11. Sweetgum Blight as Related to Alluvial Soils of the Mississippi River Floodplain

    Treesearch

    E. Richard Toole; W. M. Broadfoot

    1959-01-01

    A BLIGHT OF UNKNOWN origin and cause has been very common throughout much of the range of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraci flua L.) since 1950. It is characterized by a gradual dying of the tree, often from the top down. The first visible indication is a thinning of a portion of the crown, caused when some buds fail to open and others produce only dwarfed, yellowish...

  12. A severe epidemic of Marssonina leaf blight on quaking aspen in Northern Utah

    Treesearch

    Roy O. Harniss; David L. Nelson

    1984-01-01

    The extent of Marssonina leaf blight (Marssonina populi) on quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) was observed in northern Utah and adjacent States in 1981 aand 1982. Area of the epidemic and symptoms of the disease are described. On 1,000 acres (405 hal) in northern Utah, infection levels were 6 percent slight, 12 percent light, 32 percent moderate, 16 percent...

  13. Gene silencing using the recessive rice bacterial blight resistance gene xa13 as a new paradigm in plant breeding.

    PubMed

    Li, Changyan; Wei, Jing; Lin, Yongjun; Chen, Hao

    2012-05-01

    Resistant germplasm resources are valuable for developing resistant varieties in agricultural production. However, recessive resistance genes are usually overlooked in hybrid breeding. Compared with dominant traits, however, they may confer resistance to different pathogenic races or pest biotypes with different mechanisms of action. The recessive rice bacterial blight resistance gene xa13, also involved in pollen development, has been cloned and its resistance mechanism has been recently characterized. This report describes the conversion of bacterial blight resistance mediated by the recessive xa13 gene into a dominant trait to facilitate its use in a breeding program. This was achieved by knockdown of the corresponding dominant allele Xa13 in transgenic rice using recently developed artificial microRNA technology. Tissue-specific promoters were used to exclude most of the expression of artificial microRNA in the anther to ensure that Xa13 functioned normally during pollen development. A battery of highly bacterial blight resistant transgenic plants with normal seed setting rates were acquired, indicating that highly specific gene silencing had been achieved. Our success with xa13 provides a paradigm that can be adapted to other recessive resistance genes.

  14. Functional characterization of WHY-WRKY75 transcriptional module in plant response to cassava bacterial blight.

    PubMed

    Liu, Wen; Yan, Yu; Zeng, Hongqiu; Li, Xiaolin; Wei, Yunxie; Liu, Guoyin; He, Chaozu; Shi, Haitao

    2018-05-19

    Cassava is a major food crop in tropical areas, but its productivity and quality are seriously limited by cassava bacterial blight. So far, the key factors regulating cassava immune response remain elusive. In this study, we identified three cassava Whirly genes (MeWHYs) in cassava variety of South China 124 (SC124), and explored the possible roles and utilization of MeWHYs in cassava disease resistance. Gene expression analysis revealed that the transcripts of three MeWHYs were commonly regulated by the highly conserved N-terminal epitope of f lagellin (flg22) and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis Hainan (Xam HN) treatments. Overexpression of MeWHYs improved plant disease resistance against X. axonopodis pv. manihotis, while MeWHYs-silenced cassava plants by virus-induced gene silencing exhibited decreased disease resistance. Notably, MeWRKY75 physically interacted with three MeWHYs in yeast and in planta, and served as a transcriptional activator of MeWHY3. Moreover, the physical interaction between MeWHYs and MeWRKY75 promoted the transcriptional activities of each other. Consistently, MeWRKY75 also positively regulated disease resistance against cassava bacterial blight. Taken together, our observations suggested that MeWRKY75 and MeWHYs confer improved disease resistance against cassava bacterial blight through forming an interacting complex of MeWRKY75-MeWHY1/2/3 and transcriptional module of MeWRKY75-MeWHY3. This study facilitates our understanding of the positive effect of the MeWRKY75-MeWHY3 transcriptional module in plant disease resistance.

  15. TAL effector driven induction of a SWEET gene confers susceptibility to bacterial blight of cotton

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bacterial blight of cotton (BBC), caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. malvacearum (Xcm), is among the most destructive diseases in cotton (Gossypium spp.). Transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors from Xcm are essential for BBC disease progression. Here, we carried out whole-genome PacBio-seque...

  16. Foliar Diseases of Apiaceae Crops in Coastal California

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The number of outbreaks of leaf spot, blight and streak diseases on celery, cilantro, fennel and parsley has been increasing throughout central coastal California and particularly in Monterey County since 2002. Two different bacterial pathogens (Pseudomonas syringae pv. apii, and P. syringae pv. cor...

  17. OXIDATION OF POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS BY PSEUDOMONAS SP. STRAIN LB400 AND PSEUDOMONAS PSEUDOALCALIGENES KF707

    EPA Science Inventory

    Biphenyl-grown cells and cell extracts prepared from biphenyl-grown cells of Pseudomonas sp. strain LB400 oxidize a much wider range of chlorinated biphenyls than do analogous preparations from Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707. These results are attributed to differences in th...

  18. Validation of Fusarium head blight resistance QTL using the NC-Neuse / Bess doubled haploid population

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is one of the most damaging diseases of wheat. It lowers the grain yield and quality, and contaminates grain with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). Genetic resistance is a critical control measure and breeding objective. Many studies have focused on the genetic basis of ...

  19. Germplasm Evaluation for Resistance and Monitoring Bacterial Panicle Blight Disease of Rice in Arkansas, 2016

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bacterial panicle blight (BPB), caused by a bacterial pathogen, mainly Burkholderia glumae, has posed a higher level of threat to rice production worldwide in recent years. Here we report the response of over 300 entries evaluated by artificially inoculating with a bacterial suspension under field c...

  20. Genotyping of the Valencia peanut core collection with a molecular marker associated with Sclerotinia blight resistance

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Cultivated peanut, the second most economically important legume crop throughout the United States and the third most important oilseed in the world, is consistently threatened by various diseases and pests. Sclerotinia blight, (causal agents Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (S. sclerotiorum) and Sclerotin...

  1. Pseudomonas caspiana sp. nov., a citrus pathogen in the Pseudomonas syringae phylogenetic group.

    PubMed

    Busquets, Antonio; Gomila, Margarita; Beiki, Farid; Mulet, Magdalena; Rahimian, Heshmat; García-Valdés, Elena; Lalucat, Jorge

    2017-07-01

    In a screening by multilocus sequence analysis of Pseudomonas strains isolated from diverse origins, 4 phylogenetically closely related strains (FBF58, FBF102 T , FBF103, and FBF122) formed a well-defined cluster in the Pseudomonas syringae phylogenetic group. The strains were isolated from citrus orchards in northern Iran with disease symptoms in the leaves and stems and its pathogenicity against citrus plants was demonstrated. The whole genome of the type strain of the proposed new species (FBF102 T =CECT 9164 T =CCUG 69273 T ) was sequenced and characterized. Comparative genomics with the 14 known Pseudomonas species type strains of the P. syringae phylogenetic group demonstrated that this strain belonged to a new genomic species, different from the species described thus far. Genome analysis detected genes predicted to be involved in pathogenesis, such as an atypical type 3 secretion system and two type 6 secretion systems, together with effectors and virulence factors. A polyphasic taxonomic characterization demonstrated that the 4 plant pathogenic strains represented a new species, for which the name Pseudomonas caspiana sp. nov. is proposed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  2. Multiple minor QTLs are responsible for Fusarium head blight resistance in Chinese wheat landrace Haiyanzhong

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, is a devastatingve disease in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Use of host resistance is one of the most effective strategies to minimize the disease damage. Haiyanzhong (HYZ) is a Chinese wheat landrace that shows a high level of resi...

  3. First report of bacterial blight of carrot in Indiana caused by Xanthomonas hortorum pv. carotae

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In summer 2012, bacterial blight symptoms were observed on leaves of carrot plants in 7 out of 70 plots of carrot breeding lines at the Purdue University Meig Horticulture Research Farm, Lafayette, IN. Symptoms included small to large, variably shaped, water soaked to dry, necrotic lesions, with or ...

  4. Defense Response and Suppression of Phytophthora Blight Disease of Pepper by Water Extract from Spent Mushroom Substrate of Lentinula edodes

    PubMed Central

    Kang, Dae-Sun; Min, Kyong-Jin; Kwak, A-Min; Lee, Sang-Yeop; Kang, Hee-Wan

    2017-01-01

    The spent mushroom substrate (SMS) of Lentinula edodes that was derived from sawdust bag cultivation was used as materials for controlling Phytophthora blight disease of pepper. Water extract from SMS (WESMS) of L. edodes inhibited mycelial growth of Phytophthora capsici, suppressed Phytophthora blight disease of pepper seedlings by 65% and promoted growth of the plant over 30%. In high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, oxalic acid was detected as the main organic acid compound in WESMS and inhibited the fungal mycelium at a minimum concentration of 200 mg/l. In quantitative real-time PCR, the transcriptional expression of CaBPR1 (PR protein 1), CaBGLU (β-1,3-glucanase), CaPR-4 (PR protein 4), and CaPR-10 (PR protein 10) were significantly enhanced on WESMS and DL-β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) treated pepper leaves. In addition, the salicylic acid content was also increased 4 to 6 folds in the WESMS and BABA treated pepper leaves compared to water treated leaf sample. These findings suggest that WESMS of L. edodes suppress Phytophthora blight disease of pepper through multiple effects including antifungal activity, plant growth promotion, and defense gene induction. PMID:28592945

  5. Defense Response and Suppression of Phytophthora Blight Disease of Pepper by Water Extract from Spent Mushroom Substrate of Lentinula edodes.

    PubMed

    Kang, Dae-Sun; Min, Kyong-Jin; Kwak, A-Min; Lee, Sang-Yeop; Kang, Hee-Wan

    2017-06-01

    The spent mushroom substrate (SMS) of Lentinula edodes that was derived from sawdust bag cultivation was used as materials for controlling Phytophthora blight disease of pepper. Water extract from SMS (WESMS) of L. edodes inhibited mycelial growth of Phytophthora capsici , suppressed Phytophthora blight disease of pepper seedlings by 65% and promoted growth of the plant over 30%. In high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, oxalic acid was detected as the main organic acid compound in WESMS and inhibited the fungal mycelium at a minimum concentration of 200 mg/l. In quantitative real-time PCR, the transcriptional expression of CaBPR1 (PR protein 1), CaBGLU (β-1,3-glucanase), CaPR-4 (PR protein 4), and CaPR-10 (PR protein 10) were significantly enhanced on WESMS and DL-β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) treated pepper leaves. In addition, the salicylic acid content was also increased 4 to 6 folds in the WESMS and BABA treated pepper leaves compared to water treated leaf sample. These findings suggest that WESMS of L. edodes suppress Phytophthora blight disease of pepper through multiple effects including antifungal activity, plant growth promotion, and defense gene induction.

  6. RiceCAP: Comparison of sheath blight QTLs in two Bengal/O. nivara advanced backcross mapping populations

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Two advanced backcross populations were developed between a popular southern US tropical japonica rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar Bengal and two different of Oryza nivara (IRGC100898; IRGC104705) accessions to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to sheath blight (SB) disease resistance. ...

  7. Efficacy of epiphytic bacteria to prevent northern leaf blight caused by Exserohilum turcicum in maize.

    PubMed

    Sartori, Melina; Nesci, Andrea; García, Julián; Passone, María A; Montemarani, Analía; Etcheverry, Miriam

    Eight potential biological control agents (BCAs) were evaluated in planta in order to assess their effectiveness in reducing disease severity of northern leaf blight caused by Exserohilum turcicum. The assay was carried out in greenhouse. Twenty-six-day-old plants, V4 phenological stage, were inoculated with antagonists by foliar spray. Only one biocontrol agent was used per treatment. Ten days after this procedure, all treatments were inoculated with E. turcicum by foliar application. Treatments performed were: C-Et: control of E. turcicum; T1: isolate 1 (Enterococcus genus)+E. turcicum; T2: isolate 2 (Corynebacterium genus)+E. turcicum; T3: isolate 3 (Pantoea genus)+E. turcicum; T4: isolate 4 (Corynebacterium genus)+E. turcicum; T5: isolate 5 (Pantoea genus)+E. turcicum; T6: isolate 6 (Bacillus genus)+E. turcicum; T7: isolate 7 (Bacillus genus)+E. turcicum; T8: isolate 8 (Bacillus genus)+E. turcicum. Monitoring of antagonists on the phyllosphere was performed at different times. Furthermore, the percentage of infected leaves and, plant and leaf incidence were determined. Foliar application of different bacteria significantly reduced the leaf blight between 30-78% and 39-56% at 20 and 39 days respectively. It was observed that in the V10 stage of maize plants, isolate 8 (Bacillus spp.) caused the greatest effect on reducing the severity of northern leaf blight. Moreover, isolate 8 was the potential BCA that showed more stability in the phyllosphere. At 39 days, all potential biocontrol agents had a significant effect on controlling the disease caused by E. turcicum. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  8. Sweetgum blight and dieback of associated hardwoods on the Beltsville Experimental Forest in Maryland

    Treesearch

    R. H. Fenton; J. D. Diller

    1960-01-01

    In 1948, a dieback of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) was first observed and reported at College Park, Md. Since then, surveys made from Maryland southward have shown that the dieback, now termed sweetgum blight, has increased in both distribution and severity and now occurs throughout much of the species range. No pathogenic organism has been found to be...

  9. Rapid identification of candidate genes for resistance to tomato late blight disease using next-generation sequencing technologies

    PubMed Central

    Arafa, Ramadan A.; Rakha, Mohamed T.; Kamel, Said M.

    2017-01-01

    Tomato late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, also known as the Irish famine pathogen, is one of the most destructive plant diseases. Wild relatives of tomato possess useful resistance genes against this disease, and could therefore be used in breeding to improve cultivated varieties. In the genome of a wild relative of tomato, Solanum habrochaites accession LA1777, we identified a new quantitative trait locus for resistance against blight caused by an aggressive Egyptian isolate of P. infestans. Using double-digest restriction site–associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-Seq) technology, we determined 6,514 genome-wide SNP genotypes of an F2 population derived from an interspecific cross. Subsequent association analysis of genotypes and phenotypes of the mapping population revealed that a 6.8 Mb genome region on chromosome 6 was a candidate locus for disease resistance. Whole-genome resequencing analysis revealed that 298 genes in this region potentially had functional differences between the parental lines. Among of them, two genes with missense mutations, Solyc06g071810.1 and Solyc06g083640.3, were considered to be potential candidates for disease resistance. SNP and SSR markers linking to this region can be used in marker-assisted selection in future breeding programs for late blight disease, including introgression of new genetic loci from wild species. In addition, the approach developed in this study provides a model for identification of other genes for attractive agronomical traits. PMID:29253902

  10. Elevated [CO2] compromises both Type I and Type II wheat resistance to Fusarium head blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the world’s most devastating wheat diseases, and results in significant yield loss and contamination of grain with harmful mycotoxins called trichothecenes. Despite emerging risks of increased mycotoxin contamination in food and feed associated with climate chang...

  11. Development of Durum Wwheat Germplasm with Enhanced Resistance to Fusarium Head Blight Derived from Emmer Wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) is a unique class of commercial wheat specifically for making pasta products. Durum production has been seriously challenged by the Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease in the United States in the past decade. Although utilization of resistant cultivar...

  12. Enhanced annotations and features for comparing thousands of Pseudomonas genomes in the Pseudomonas genome database.

    PubMed

    Winsor, Geoffrey L; Griffiths, Emma J; Lo, Raymond; Dhillon, Bhavjinder K; Shay, Julie A; Brinkman, Fiona S L

    2016-01-04

    The Pseudomonas Genome Database (http://www.pseudomonas.com) is well known for the application of community-based annotation approaches for producing a high-quality Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 genome annotation, and facilitating whole-genome comparative analyses with other Pseudomonas strains. To aid analysis of potentially thousands of complete and draft genome assemblies, this database and analysis platform was upgraded to integrate curated genome annotations and isolate metadata with enhanced tools for larger scale comparative analysis and visualization. Manually curated gene annotations are supplemented with improved computational analyses that help identify putative drug targets and vaccine candidates or assist with evolutionary studies by identifying orthologs, pathogen-associated genes and genomic islands. The database schema has been updated to integrate isolate metadata that will facilitate more powerful analysis of genomes across datasets in the future. We continue to place an emphasis on providing high-quality updates to gene annotations through regular review of the scientific literature and using community-based approaches including a major new Pseudomonas community initiative for the assignment of high-quality gene ontology terms to genes. As we further expand from thousands of genomes, we plan to provide enhancements that will aid data visualization and analysis arising from whole-genome comparative studies including more pan-genome and population-based approaches. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  13. A Rice CPYC-Type Glutaredoxin OsGRX20 in Protection against Bacterial Blight, Methyl Viologen and Salt Stresses.

    PubMed

    Ning, Xi; Sun, Yao; Wang, Changchun; Zhang, Weilin; Sun, Meihao; Hu, Haitao; Liu, Jianzhong; Yang, Ling

    2018-01-01

    Glutaredoxins (GRXs) belong to the antioxidants involved in the cellular stress responses. In spite of the identification 48 GRX genes in rice genomes, the biological functions of most of them remain unknown. Especially, the biological roles of members of GRX family in disease resistance are still lacking. Our proteomic analysis found that OsGRX20 increased by 2.7-fold after infection by bacterial blight. In this study, we isolated and characterized the full-length nucleotide sequences of the rice OsGRX20 gene, which encodes a GRX family protein with CPFC active site of CPYC-type class. OsGRX20 protein was localized in nucleus and cytosol, and its transcripts were expressed predominantly in leaves. Several stress- and hormone-related motifs putatively acting as regulatory elements were found in the OsGRX20 promoter. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis indicated that OsGRX20 was expressed at a significantly higher level in leaves of a resistant or tolerant rice genotype, Yongjing 50A, than in a sensitive genotype, Xiushui 11, exposed to bacterial blight, methyl viologen, heat, and cold. Its expression could be induced by salt, PEG-6000, 2,4-D, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid treatments in Yongjing 50A. Overexpression of OsGRX20 in rice Xiushui 11 significantly enhanced its resistance to bacterial blight attack, and tolerance to methyl viologen and salt stresses. In contrast, interference of OsGRX20 in Yongjing 50A led to increased susceptibility to bacterial blight, methyl viologen and salt stresses. OsGRX20 restrained accumulation of superoxide radicals in aerial tissue during methyl viologen treatment. Consistently, alterations in OsGRX20 expression affect the ascorbate/dehydroascorbate ratio and the abundance of transcripts encoding four reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes after methyl viologen-induced stress. Our results demonstrate that OsGRX20 functioned as a positive regulator in rice tolerance to multiple stresses, which may be of

  14. Development of dry gram-negative bacteria biocontrol products and small pilot tests against dry rot

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pseudomonas fluorescens strains S11:P:12, P22:Y:05, and S22:T:04 suppress four important storage potato maladies; dry rot, late blight, pink rot, and sprouting. Studies were designed to identify methods for producing a dried, efficacious biological control product. The strains were evaluated individ...

  15. Making history: Field testing of blight-resistant American chestnut (Castanea dentata) in the Southern Region

    Treesearch

    Stacy L. Clark; Scott E. Schlarbaum; A.M. Saxton; Fred V. Hebard

    2011-01-01

    The American chestnut (Castanea dentata Marsh. Borkh.) was decimated by an exotic fungus (chestnut blight [Cryphonectria parasitica Murr. Bar]) in the early part of the 20th century. The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) uses a back-cross breeding program to produce a tree that is predicted to be American chestnut in character...

  16. An arabinobio-hydrolase (Arb93B) from Fusarium graminearum is associated with wheat head blight disease

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum, is one of the most important diseases of wheat and barley worldwide. FHB not only reduces crop yield, but the fungus also contaminates grains with mycotoxins, which are harmful to humans and animals. A previous study demonstrated...

  17. Metabolomics analysis of the effect of elevated co2 on wheat resistance to Fusarium head blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Climate change is expected to intensify Fusarium head blight (FHB) contamination of wheat and increase the associated risk of mycotoxin contamination in food and feed. Rising CO2 levels are part of climate change with still unknown effects on natural wheat resistance mechanisms against Fusarium gram...

  18. A spontaneous segmental deletion from chromosome arm 3DL enhances Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Much effort has been directed at identifying sources of resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat. We sought to identify molecular markers for what we hypothesized was a new major FHB resistance locus originating from the wheat cultivar 'Freedom' and introgressed into the susceptible wheat c...

  19. Durum wheat genetic stocks involving chromosome 1E of diploid wheatgrass: Resistance to Fusarium head blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L., 2n = 4x = 28; AABB genomes) is the preferred wheat for preparing pasta products. Current durum cultivars have little resistance to a ravaging fungal disease, Fusarium head blight (FHB), or scab. In our Durum Germplasm Enhancement (DGE) project, we previously show...

  20. First report of Ascochyta blight of Spotted Locoweed (Astragalus lentiginosus) caused by Ascochyta sp. in Idaho

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Characteristic Ascochyta blight lesions were observed on leaves and pods of spotted locoweed (Astragalus lentiginosus) growing at two sites in Twin Falls and Owyhee County, Idaho, USA in June 2005. Lesions appeared similar to those induced by Ascochyta spp. on other wild and cultivated legumes, i.e....

  1. Iturin levels on wheat spikes linked to biological control of fusarium head blight by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The TrigoCor strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens provides consistent control against Fusarium head blight of wheat in controlled settings but there is a lack of disease and deoxynivalenol suppression in field settings. Since production of antifungal compounds is thought to be the main mode of actio...

  2. 46 CFR 28.820 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses... REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY VESSELS Aleutian Trade Act Vessels § 28.820 Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses. (a) Each vessel must be equipped with a self-priming, power driven fire...

  3. 40 CFR 180.1114 - Pseudomonas fluorescens A506, Pseudomonas fluorescens 1629RS, and Pseudomonas syringae 742RS...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... biological control agent to growing agricultural crops in accordance with good agricultural practices. [57 FR... 742RS; exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance. The biological pesticides Pseudomonas fluorescens...

  4. 40 CFR 180.1114 - Pseudomonas fluorescens A506, Pseudomonas fluorescens 1629RS, and Pseudomonas syringae 742RS...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... biological control agent to growing agricultural crops in accordance with good agricultural practices. [57 FR... 742RS; exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance. The biological pesticides Pseudomonas fluorescens...

  5. 40 CFR 180.1114 - Pseudomonas fluorescens A506, Pseudomonas fluorescens 1629RS, and Pseudomonas syringae 742RS...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... biological control agent to growing agricultural crops in accordance with good agricultural practices. [57 FR... 742RS; exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance. The biological pesticides Pseudomonas fluorescens...

  6. 40 CFR 180.1114 - Pseudomonas fluorescens A506, Pseudomonas fluorescens 1629RS, and Pseudomonas syringae 742RS...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... biological control agent to growing agricultural crops in accordance with good agricultural practices. [57 FR... 742RS; exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance. The biological pesticides Pseudomonas fluorescens...

  7. 40 CFR 180.1114 - Pseudomonas fluorescens A506, Pseudomonas fluorescens 1629RS, and Pseudomonas syringae 742RS...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... biological control agent to growing agricultural crops in accordance with good agricultural practices. [57 FR... 742RS; exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance. The biological pesticides Pseudomonas fluorescens...

  8. Developing hazelnuts (Corylus spp.) with durable resistance to eastern filbert blight caused by Anisogramma anomala

    Treesearch

    Thomas J. Molnar; John Capik; Clayton W. Leadbetter; Ning Zhang; Guohong Cai; Bradley I. Hillman

    2012-01-01

    Eastern filbert blight (EFB) is a devastating fungal disease of European hazelnut, Corylus avellana L., and is considered to be the primary reason hazelnuts have not been developed as a commercial crop in the eastern United States. The pathogen, Anisogramma anomala, is native to a wide area east of the Rocky Mountains, where it...

  9. Mapping QTLs for Fusarium Head Blight Resistance in an Interspecific Wheat Population

    PubMed Central

    Giancaspro, Angelica; Giove, Stefania L.; Zito, Daniela; Blanco, A.; Gadaleta, Agata

    2016-01-01

    Fusarium head blight (scab) is one of the most widespread and damaging diseases of wheat, causing grain yield and quality losses and production of harmful mycotoxins. Development of resistant varieties is hampered by lack of effective resistance sources in the tetraploid wheat primary gene pool. Here we dissected the genetic basis of resistance in a new durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) Recombinant inbred lines (RILs) population obtained by crossing an hexaploid resistant line and a durum susceptible cultivar. A total of 135 RILs were used for constituting a genetic linkage map and mapping loci for head blight incidence, severity, and disease-related plant morphological traits (plant height, spike compactness, and awn length). The new genetic map accounted for 4,366 single nucleotide polymorphism markers assembled in 52 linkage groups covering a total length of 4,227.37 cM. Major quantitative trait loci (QTL) for scab incidence and severity were mapped on chromosomes 2AS, 3AL, and 2AS, 2BS, 4BL, respectively. Plant height loci were identified on 3A, 3B, and 4B, while major QTL for ear compactness were found on 4A, 5A, 5B, 6A, and 7A. In this work, resistance to Fusarium was transferred from hexaploid to durum wheat, and correlations between the disease and morphological traits were assessed. PMID:27746787

  10. Transgenic American chestnuts show enhanced blight resistance and transmit the trait to T1 progeny.

    PubMed

    Newhouse, Andrew E; Polin-McGuigan, Linda D; Baier, Kathleen A; Valletta, Kristia E R; Rottmann, William H; Tschaplinski, Timothy J; Maynard, Charles A; Powell, William A

    2014-11-01

    American chestnut (Castanea dentata) is a classic example of a native keystone species that was nearly eradicated by an introduced fungal pathogen. This report describes progress made toward producing a fully American chestnut tree with enhanced resistance to the blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica). The transgenic American chestnut 'Darling4,' produced through an Agrobacterium co-transformation procedure to express a wheat oxalate oxidase gene driven by the VspB vascular promoter, shows enhanced blight resistance at a level intermediate between susceptible American chestnut and resistant Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima). Enhanced resistance was identified first with a leaf-inoculation assay using young chestnuts grown indoors, and confirmed with traditional stem inoculations on 3- and 4-year-old field-grown trees. Pollen from 'Darling4' and other events was used to produce transgenic T1 seedlings, which also expressed the enhanced resistance trait in leaf assays. Outcrossed transgenic seedlings have several advantages over tissue-cultured plantlets, including increased genetic diversity and faster initial growth. This represents a major step toward the restoration of the majestic American chestnut. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. NMR metabolomics analysis of the effect of elevated CO2 on wheat resistance to Fusarium head blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB), primarily induced by the filamentous ascomycete Fusarium graminearum (Fg), is one of the most damaging diseases in wheat and other small grain cereals worldwide. Current methods for disease control include utilization of less susceptible cultivars and treatment with fungi...

  12. First report of boxwood blight caused by Calonectria pseudonaviculata in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and New York

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Boxwood (Buxus spp.) are commercially important evergreen ornamental plants with an annual market value of over $103 million in the United States. The recent U.S. incursion of boxwood blight disease caused by the fungus Calonectria pseudonaviculata (syn. Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum, Cy. buxico...

  13. Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of Cryptococcus flavescens, beneficial biocontrol agents for controlling Fusarium head blight of wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Cryptococcus flavescens strain OH182.9_3C (3C) previously displayed significant biological control activity against Fusarium head blight, a globally important disease of wheat; however, the diversity within C. flavescens has not been previously characterized. Multilocus sequence typing was performed...

  14. Formation of dry gram-negative bacteria biocontrol products and small pilot tests against potato dry rot

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pseudomonas fluorescens strains S11:P:12, P22:Y:05, and S22:T:04 reduce important potato maladies in storage including dry rot, late blight, pink rot, and sprouting. Experiments were conducted to identify methods for producing a dried, efficacious biological control product from one or more of these...

  15. QTL analysis of late blight resistance in a diploid potato family of Solanum phureja x S. stenotomum.

    PubMed

    Costanzo, S; Simko, I; Christ, B J; Haynes, K G

    2005-08-01

    Field resistance to Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, the causal agent of late blight in potatoes, has been characterized in a potato segregating family of 230 full-sib progenies derived from a cross between two hybrid Solanum phureja x S. stenotomum clones. The distribution of area under the disease progress curve values, measured in different years and locations, was consistent with the inheritance of multigenic resistance. Relatively high levels of resistance and transgressive segregations were also observed within this family. A genetic linkage map of this population was constructed with the intent of mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with this late blight field resistance. A total of 132 clones from this family were genotyped based on 162 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers. The genome coverage by the map (855.2 cM) is estimated to be at least 70% and includes 112 segregating RFLP markers and two phenotypic markers, with an average distance of 7.7 cM between two markers. Two methods were employed to determine trait-marker association, the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and interval mapping analysis. Three major QTLs were detected on linkage group III, V, and XI, explaining 23, 17, and 10%, respectively, of the total phenotypic variation. The present study revealed the presence of potentially new genetic loci in this diploid potato family contributing to general resistance against late blight. The identification of these QTLs represents the first step toward their introgression into cultivated tetraploid potato cultivars through marker-assisted selection.

  16. Registration of near-isogenic winter wheat germplasm contrasting in Fhb1 for fusarium head blight resistance

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Chinese wheat Ning7840 (Triticum aestivum L.) contains Fhb1, a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance, and has been widely used as a resistant parent in breeding programs worldwide, but due to its poor adaptation in the US, its progenies usually exhibit re...

  17. Effective marker alleles associated with type II resistance of wheat to Fusarium head blight infection in fields

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Molecular markers associated with known quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for type 2 resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) in bi-parental mapping populations usually have more than two alleles in breeding populations. Therefore, understanding the association of each allele with FHB response is parti...

  18. Changing Pattern of Crop Fraction in Late Blight Induced Potato Crops in Potato Bowl of West Bengal by using Multi-temporal Time Series AWiFs Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chakrabarty, Abhisek

    2016-07-01

    Crop fraction is the ratio of crop occupying a unit area in ground pixel, is very important for monitoring crop growth. One of the most important variables in crop growth monitoring is the fraction of available solar radiation intercepted by foliage. Late blight of potato (Solanum tuberosum), caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans, is considered to be the most destructive crop diseases of potato worldwide. Under favourable climatic conditions, and without intervention (i.e. fungicide sprays), the disease can destroy potato crop within few weeks. Therefore it is important to evaluate the crop fraction for monitoring the healthy and late blight affected potato crops. This study was conducted in potato bowl of West Bengal, which consists of districts of Hooghly, Howrah, Burdwan, Bankuara, and Paschim Medinipur. In this study different crop fraction estimation method like linear spectral un-mixing, Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) based DPM model (Zhang et al. 2013), Ratio vegetation index based DPM model, improved Pixel Dichotomy Model (Li et al. 2014) ware evaluated using multi-temporal IRS AWiFs data in two successive potato growing season of 2012-13 and 2013-14 over the study area and compared with measured crop fraction. The comparative study based on measured healthy and late blight affected potato crop fraction showed that improved Pixel Dichotomy Model maintain the high coefficient of determination (R2= 0.835) with low root mean square error (RMSE=0.21) whereas the correlation values of NDVI based DPM model and RVI based DPM model is 0.763 and 0.694 respectively. The changing pattern of crop fraction profile of late blight affected potato crop was studied in respect of healthy potato crop fraction which was extracted from the 269 GPS points of potato field. It showed that the healthy potato crop fraction profile maintained the normal phenological trend whereas the late blight affected potato crop fraction profile suddenly fallen

  19. [Whirlpool and pseudomonas infection--a local outbreak].

    PubMed

    Malterud, Kirsti; Thesen, Janecke

    2007-06-28

    Hot tubs and whirlpools are popular in Norway, but related health risks are not well-known. Manifestations of bathing-associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infections can be seen in many organ systems. The most common of these, Pseudomonas folliculitis, is a self-limiting disease in otherwise healthy people, and does not require antibiotic treatment. We describe a local outbreak involving 6 people who had used the same hot whirlpool. The disease manifestations were different, and were initially confused with impetigo and mastitis/mammary tumour. Signs and symptoms are described, documented with photos and discussed in relation to knowledge about Pseudomonas infection and its manifestations. After suspecting the hot tub as a source of infection, diagnosis was made highly probable by bacteriological specimens from the tub. Hot tub-associated infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa are probably more common than previously anticipated, and can easily be confused with conditions of different aetiology. They indicate unsatisfactory routines in tub maintenance. Improved guidelines for hot-tub-owners and the use of dip-slide cultures to secure routines are likely to prevent bathing-associated Pseudomonas infections.

  20. Effects of integrating cultivar resistance and fungicide application on fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol in winter wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB) or scab, caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, can cause significant economic losses in small grain production. There is a need to develop effective management strategies for FHB. Five field experiments were conducted from 2007 to 2009 to determine the effects of integ...

  1. Enhancement of Fusarium Head Blight Detection in Free-Falling Wheat Kernels Using a Bichromatic Pulsed LED Design

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium Head Blight is a worldwide disease of small cereals grains such as wheat. The disease is food safety concern because it produces the metabolite, deoxynivalenol (DON), which is moderately toxic to humans and non-ruminant animals. The current study was implemented to develop more efficient me...

  2. Evaluation of the RPi-ber late blight resistance gene for tuber resistance in the field and laboratory.

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The purpose of this research was to evaluate the efficacy in tubers of a late blight resistance gene, RPi-ber, originating from Solanum berthaultii. Experiments were conducted in the field and laboratory. Inoculation of tubers in field trials occurred via sporangia produced on infections in the foli...

  3. Large scale field inoculation and scoring of maize southern leaf blight and other maize foliar fungal diseases

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Field-grown maize is inoculated with Cochliobolus heterostrophus, causal agent of Southern Leaf Blight disease, by dropping sorghum grains infested with the fungus into the whorl of each maize plant at an early stage of growth. The initial lesions produce secondary inoculum that is dispersed by wind...

  4. Regional differences in the composition of Fusarium head blight pathogens and mycotoxins associated with wheat in Mexico

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is a destructive disease of small grain cereals and a major food safety concern. Epidemics result in substantial yield losses, reduction in crop quality, and contamination of grains with trichothecenes and other mycotoxins. A number of different fusaria can cause FHB, and ...

  5. Genetic variation and associations involving Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol accumulation in cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Resistance in oats (Avena sativa L.) to infection by Fusarium graminearum was assessed in field trials in 2011-12 including 424 spring oat lines from North America and Scandinavia. Traits measured were Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), deoxynivalenol (DON) content, days to flowering (DTF) and days to matu...

  6. Dearomatization of diesel oil using Pseudomonas sp.

    PubMed

    Khan, Samiya; Gupta, Sanjay; Gupta, Nidhi

    2018-05-25

    To improve the quality of diesel fuel via removal of aromatic compounds using Pseudomonas sp. In the present study Pseudomonas sp. was able to remove 94% of fluorene, 59% of phenanthrene, 49% of anthracene, 52% of fluoranthene, 45% of pyrene and 75% carbazole present in diesel oil. Additionally, it also does not affect the aliphatic content of fuel thus maintaining the carbon backbone of the fuel. Pseudomonas sp. is a potential biocatalyst that can be used in the refining industry.

  7. Crop connectivity under climate change: future environmental and geographic risks of potato late blight in Scotland.

    PubMed

    Skelsey, Peter; Cooke, David E L; Lynott, James S; Lees, Alison K

    2016-11-01

    The impact of climate change on dispersal processes is largely ignored in risk assessments for crop diseases, as inoculum is generally assumed to be ubiquitous and nonlimiting. We suggest that consideration of the impact of climate change on the connectivity of crops for inoculum transmission may provide additional explanatory and predictive power in disease risk assessments, leading to improved recommendations for agricultural adaptation to climate change. In this study, a crop-growth model was combined with aerobiological models and a newly developed infection risk model to provide a framework for quantifying the impact of future climates on the risk of disease occurrence and spread. The integrated model uses standard meteorological variables and can be easily adapted to various crop pathosystems characterized by airborne inoculum. In a case study, the framework was used with data defining the spatial distribution of potato crops in Scotland and spatially coherent, probabilistic climate change data to project the future connectivity of crop distributions for Phytophthora infestans (causal agent of potato late blight) inoculum and the subsequent risk of infection. Projections and control recommendations are provided for multiple combinations of potato cultivar and CO 2 emissions scenario, and temporal and spatial averaging schemes. Overall, we found that relative to current climatic conditions, the risk of late blight will increase in Scotland during the first half of the potato growing season and decrease during the second half. To guide adaptation strategies, we also investigated the potential impact of climate change-driven shifts in the cropping season. Advancing the start of the potato growing season by 1 month proved to be an effective strategy from both an agronomic and late blight management perspective. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. 46 CFR 28.820 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses... REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY VESSELS Aleutian Trade Act Vessels § 28.820 Fire pumps, fire mains... pump connected to a fixed piping system. This pump must be capable of delivering an effective stream of...

  9. 46 CFR 28.820 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses... REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY VESSELS Aleutian Trade Act Vessels § 28.820 Fire pumps, fire mains... pump connected to a fixed piping system. This pump must be capable of delivering an effective stream of...

  10. 46 CFR 28.820 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses... REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY VESSELS Aleutian Trade Act Vessels § 28.820 Fire pumps, fire mains... pump connected to a fixed piping system. This pump must be capable of delivering an effective stream of...

  11. 46 CFR 28.820 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses... REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY VESSELS Aleutian Trade Act Vessels § 28.820 Fire pumps, fire mains... pump connected to a fixed piping system. This pump must be capable of delivering an effective stream of...

  12. Molecular Characterization of two Potato Virus S Isolates from Late Blight Resistant Genotypes of Potato (Solanum tuberosum)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Potato virus S (PVS) has a widespread distribution in the U.S. However, only two complete nucleotide sequences have been published. A recent survey of potato fields in the state of Washington confirms that PVS is widely prevalent. Late blight resistant (LBR) potato cultivars and genotypes were sho...

  13. Genes for wheat resistance ad susceptibility to Fusarium head blight and Septoria tritici blotch disease of wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Septoria tritici blotch (STB) and Fusarium head blight (FHB) are two of the most devastating diseases of wheat. Breeding for host resistance is an important component of integrated strategies for STB and FHB control. We identify genes and functional gene markers that can be used to expedite the proc...

  14. Food safety evaluation for R-proteins introduced by biotechnology: A case study of VNT1 in late blight protected potatoes.

    PubMed

    Habig, Jeffrey W; Rowland, Aaron; Pence, Matthew G; Zhong, Cathy X

    2018-06-01

    Resistance genes (R-genes) from wild potato species confer protection against disease and can be introduced into cultivated potato varieties using breeding or biotechnology. The R-gene, Rpi-vnt1, which encodes the VNT1 protein, protects against late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans. Heterologous expression and purification of active VNT1 in quantities sufficient for regulatory biosafety studies was problematic, making it impractical to generate hazard characterization data. As a case study for R-proteins, a weight-of-evidence, tiered approach was used to evaluate the safety of VNT1. The hazard potential of VNT1 was identified from relevant safety information including history of safe use, bioinformatics, mode of action, expression levels, and dietary intake. From the assessment it was concluded that Tier II hazard characterization was not needed. R-proteins homologous to VNT1 and identified in edible crops, have a history of safe consumption. VNT1 does not share sequence identity with known allergens. Expression levels of R-proteins are generally low, and VNT1 was not detected in potato varieties expressing the Rpi-vnt1 gene. With minimal hazard and negligible exposure, the risks associated with consumption of R-proteins in late blight protected potatoes are exceedingly low. R-proteins introduced into potatoes to confer late blight protection are safe for consumption. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Protective role of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles against early blight disease in Solanum lycopersicum.

    PubMed

    Kumari, Madhuree; Pandey, Shipra; Bhattacharya, Arpita; Mishra, Aradhana; Nautiyal, C S

    2017-12-01

    Tomato suffers a huge loss every year because of early blight disease. This study focuses on efficient inhibition of Alternaria solani, the causative agent of early blight disease in tomato in vitro and in vivo. Foliar spray of 5 μg/mL of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles in A. solani infected plants resulted in significant increase of 32.58% in fresh weight and 23.52% in total chlorophyll content of tomato as compared to A. solani infected plants. A decrease of 48.57, 30, 39.59 and 28.57% was observed in fungal spore count, lipid peroxidation, proline content and superoxide dismutase respectively in infected tomato plants after treatment with synthesized silver nanoparticles as compared to A. solani infected plants. No significant variation in terms of soil pH, cultured population, carbon source utilization pattern and soil enzymes including dehydrogenase, urease, protenase and β-glucosidase was observed after foliar spray of nanoparticles. It was revealed that direct killing of pathogens, increased photosynthetic efficiencies, increased plant resistance and decrease in stress parameters and stress enzymes are the mechanisms employed by plants and nanoparticles simultaneously to combat the biotic stress. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles bear the potential to revolutionize plant disease management, though the molecular aspects of increased resistance must be looked upon. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  16. Post-flowering moisture increased Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol levels in North Carolina field experiment with winter wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Current models to forecast Fusarium head blight (FHB) and deoxynivalenol (DON) levels in wheat are based on weather near anthesis, and breeding for resistance to Fusarium often relies on irrigation before and shortly after anthesis to encourage disease development. The effects of post-anthesis envi...

  17. A simple culture method inducing sexual reproduction by Fusarium graminearum, the primary causal agent of Fusarium head blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The homothallic ascomycete fungus Fusarium graminearum is the primary causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), a devastating disease of wheat and barley worldwide. The fungus undergoes both asexual and sexual stages in its life cycle. The asexual stage produces conidiospores, whereas the sexual s...

  18. Efficacy of bacillus biocontrol agents for management of sheath blight and narrow brown leaf spot in organic rice

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Organic rice production has significantly increased in the U. S. over the last decade. Growers lack effective tools to manage sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, and narrow brown leaf spot (NBLS), caused by Cercospora janseana, two major diseases affecting organic rice production. An experi...

  19. [Application of recombinase polymerase amplification in the detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa].

    PubMed

    Jin, X J; Gong, Y L; Yang, L; Mo, B H; Peng, Y Z; He, P; Zhao, J N; Li, X L

    2018-04-20

    Objective: To establish an optimized method of recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) to rapidly detect Pseudomonas aeruginosa in clinic. Methods: (1) The DNA templates of one standard Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain was extracted and detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and RPA. Time of sample loading, time of amplification, and time of detection of the three methods were recorded. (2) One standard Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain was diluted in 7 concentrations of 1×10(7,) 1×10(6,) 1×10(5,) 1×10(4,) 1×10(3,) 1×10(2,) and 1×10(1) colony forming unit (CFU)/mL after recovery and cultivation. The DNA templates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and negative control strain Pseudomonas putida were extracted and detected by PCR, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and RPA separately. The sensitivity of the three methods in detecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa was analyzed. (3) The DNA templates of one standard Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain and four negative control strains ( Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumanii, Candida albicans, and Pseudomonas putida ) were extracted separately, and then they were detected by PCR, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and RPA. The specificity of the three methods in detecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa was analyzed. (4) The DNA templates of 28 clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa preserved in glycerin, 1 clinical strain of which was taken by cotton swab, and negative control strain Pseudomonas putida were extracted separately, and then they were detected by RPA. Positive amplification signals of the clinical strains were observed, and the detection rate was calculated. All experiments were repeated for 3 times. Sensitivity results were analyzed by GraphPad Prism 5.01 statistical software. Results: (1) The loading time of RPA, PCR, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR for detecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa were all 20 minutes. In PCR, time of amplification was 98 minutes

  20. Pseudomonas aeruginosa gram-negative folliculitis.

    PubMed

    Leyden, J J; McGinley, K J; Mills, O H

    1979-10-01

    Three patients with sudden, unmanageable exacerbation of acne vulgaris were shown to have Gram-negative folliculitis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In each patient, the source of the Pseudomonas proved to be an otitis externa infection. In contrast to previous cases of Gram-negative folliculitis due to Proteus, Escherichia coli, or Klebsiella, the anterior nares were not colonized. Treatment of the otitis externa and the Gram-negative folliculitis with acetic acid compresses and topical antibiotics led to prompt resolution without recurrence.

  1. Palisade Russet: A late blight resistant potato cultivar having a low incidence of sugar ends and high specific gravity

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Palisade Russet is a medium-late maturing, lightly russeted potato breeding clone notable for its resistance to late blight (Phytophthora infestans) infection of foliage and tuber. Palisade Russet is suitable for processing with low tuber glucose concentrations observed following long-term storage ...

  2. Multilocus Genotyping and Molecular Phylogenetics Resolve a Novel Head Blight Pathogen within the Fusarium graminearum Species Complex from Ethiopia

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A survey of Fusarium head blight (FHB)-contaminated wheat in Ethiopia recovered 31 isolates resembling members of the Fusarium graminearum species complex. Results of a multilocus genotyping (MLGT) assay for FHB species and trichothecene chemotype determination suggested that 22 of these isolates m...

  3. Development of practical diagnostic methods for monitoring rice bacterial panicle blight disease and evaluation of rice germplasm for resistance

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A study was initiated to understand Burkholderia glumae, the major causal agent for bacterial panicle blight disease of rice; to develop practical diagnostic methods for monitoring the disease; and to evaluate rice germplasm for resistance. Burkholderia glumae was frequently isolated from infected p...

  4. Development of practical diagnostic methods for monitoring rice bacterial panicle blight disease and evaluation of rice germplasm for resistance

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A study was initiated to understand Burkholderia glumae (major causal agent for bacterial panicle blight disease of rice) to develop practical diagnostic methods for monitoring the disease; and to evaluate rice germplasm for resistance. B. glumae was frequently isolated from symptomatic panicles on...

  5. Advances of naphthalene degradation in Pseudomonas putida ND6

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Fu; Shi, Yifei; Jia, Shiru; Tan, Zhilei; Zhao, Huabing

    2018-03-01

    Naphthalene is one of the most common and simple polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Degradation of naphthalene has been greatly concerned due to its economic, free-pollution and its fine effect in Pseudomonas putida ND6. This review summarizes the development history of naphthalene degradation, the research progress of naphthalene degrading gene and naphthalene degradation pathway of Pseudomonas putida ND6, and the researching path of this strain. Although the study of naphthalene degradation is not consummate in Pseudomonas putida ND6, there is a potential capability for Pseudomonas putida ND6 to degrade the naphthalene in the further research.

  6. Recombineering using RecET from Pseudomonas syringae

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Here we report the identification of functions that promote genomic recombination of linear DNA introduced into Pseudomonas cells by electroporation. The genes encoding these functions were identified in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B728a based on similarity to the lambda Red Exo/Beta and RecE...

  7. Bringing Benefits and Warding off Blights in Due Commandment (Analytic Study Compared with the Jordanian Law)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al Etoum, Niebal Mohd Ibrahim; Mowafi, Hanan Sami Mohammad; Al Zubaidi, Faraj Hamad Salem

    2016-01-01

    The study aims to highlight the benefits and blights of the due commandment (intestate law) under Jordanian law for the year (2010) in the article (279). The study came in two sections, the first one dealt with the concept of due commandment, its legitimacy, verdict and terms; in the second section, I've dealt with the persons entitled to due…

  8. 46 CFR 28.315 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... fire pump on a vessel 79 feet (24 meters) or more in length must be capable of delivering water..., fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses. (a) Each vessel 36 feet (11.8 meters) or more in length must...) A fire hose on a vessel less than 79 feet (24 meters) in length must be at least 5/8 inch (16...

  9. Phytophthora betacei, a new species within Phytophthora clade 1c causing late blight on Solanum betaceum in Colombia

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Over the past few years, symptoms akin to late blight disease have been reported on a variety of crop plants in South America. Despite the economic importance of these crops, the causal agents of the diseases belonging to the genus Phytophthora have not been completely characterized. In this study, ...

  10. Genome-wide association mapping of fusarium head blight resistance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using genotyping by sequencing

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most important wheat diseases worldwide and host resistance displays complex genetic control. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed on 273 winter wheat breeding lines from the mid-western and eastern regions of the US to identify chromosomal re...

  11. Heterogeneity of heat-resistant proteases from milk Pseudomonas species.

    PubMed

    Marchand, Sophie; Vandriesche, Gonzalez; Coorevits, An; Coudijzer, Katleen; De Jonghe, Valerie; Dewettinck, Koen; De Vos, Paul; Devreese, Bart; Heyndrickx, Marc; De Block, Jan

    2009-07-31

    Pseudomonas fragi, Pseudomonas lundensis and members of the Pseudomonas fluorescens group may spoil Ultra High Temperature (UHT) treated milk and dairy products, due to the production of heat-stable proteases in the cold chain of raw milk. Since the aprX gene codes for a heat-resistant protease in P. fluorescens, the presence of this gene has also been investigated in other members of the genus. For this purpose an aprX-screening PCR test has been developed. Twenty-nine representatives of important milk Pseudomonas species and thirty-five reference strains were screened. In 42 out of 55 investigated Pseudomonas strains, the aprX gene was detected, which proves the potential of the aprX-PCR test as a screening tool for potentially proteolytic Pseudomonas strains in milk samples. An extensive study of the obtained aprX-sequences on the DNA and the amino acid level, however, revealed a large heterogeneity within the investigated milk isolates. Although this heterogeneity sets limitations to a general detection method for all proteolytic Pseudomonas strains in milk, it offers a great potential for the development of a multiplex PCR screening test targeting individual aprX-genes. Furthermore, our data illustrated the potential use of the aprX gene as a taxonomic marker, which may help in resolving the current taxonomic deadlock in the P. fluorescens group.

  12. Green tissue-specific co-expression of chitinase and oxalate oxidase 4 genes in rice for enhanced resistance against sheath blight.

    PubMed

    Karmakar, Subhasis; Molla, Kutubuddin Ali; Chanda, Palas K; Sarkar, Sailendra Nath; Datta, Swapan K; Datta, Karabi

    2016-01-01

    Green tissue-specific simultaneous overexpression of two defense-related genes ( OsCHI11 & OsOXO4 ) in rice leads to significant resistance against sheath blight pathogen ( R. solani ) without distressing any agronomically important traits. Overexpressing two defense-related genes (OsOXO4 and OsCHI11) cloned from rice is effective at enhancing resistance against sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani. These genes were expressed under the control of two different green tissue-specific promoters, viz. maize phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase gene promoter, PEPC, and rice cis-acting 544-bp DNA element, immediately upstream of the D54O translational start site, P D54O-544 . Putative T0 transgenic rice plants were screened by PCR and integration of genes was confirmed by Southern hybridization of progeny (T1) rice plants. Successful expression of OsOXO4 and OsCHI11 in all tested plants was confirmed. Expression of PR genes increased significantly following pathogen infection in overexpressing transgenic plants. Following infection, transgenic plants exhibited elevated hydrogen peroxide levels, significant changes in activity of ROS scavenging enzymes and reduced membrane damage when compared to their wild-type counterpart. In a Rhizoctonia solani toxin assay, a detached leaf inoculation test and an in vivo plant bioassay, transgenic plants showed a significant reduction in disease symptoms in comparison to non-transgenic control plants. This is the first report of overexpression of two different PR genes driven by two green tissue-specific promoters providing enhanced sheath blight resistance in transgenic rice.

  13. Biofilm formation and cellulose expression among diverse environmental Pseudomonas isolates.

    PubMed

    Ude, Susanne; Arnold, Dawn L; Moon, Christina D; Timms-Wilson, Tracey; Spiers, Andrew J

    2006-11-01

    The ability to form biofilms is seen as an increasingly important colonization strategy among both pathogenic and environmental bacteria. A survey of 185 plant-associated, phytopathogenic, soil and river Pseudomonas isolates resulted in 76% producing biofilms at the air-liquid (A-L) interface after selection in static microcosms. Considerable variation in biofilm phenotype was observed, including waxy aggregations, viscous and floccular masses, and physically cohesive biofilms with continuously varying strengths over 1500-fold. Calcofluor epifluorescent microscopy identified cellulose as the matrix component in biofilms produced by Pseudomonas asplenii, Pseudomonas corrugata, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas marginalis, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas savastanoi and Pseudomonas syringae isolates. Cellulose expression and biofilm formation could be induced by the constitutively active WspR19 mutant of the cyclic-di-GMP-associated, GGDEF domain-containing response regulator involved in the P. fluorescens SBW25 wrinkly spreader phenotype and cellular aggregation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01. WspR19 could also induce P. putida KT2440, which otherwise did not produce a biofilm or express cellulose, as well as Escherichia coli K12 and Salmonella typhimurium LT2, both of which express cellulose yet lack WspR homologues. Statistical analysis of biofilm parameters suggest that biofilm development is a more complex process than that simply described by the production of attachment and matrix components and bacterial growth. This complexity was also seen in multivariate analysis as a species-ecological habitat effect, underscoring the fact that in vitro biofilms are abstractions of those surface and volume colonization processes used by bacteria in their natural environments.

  14. The Nitrogen-Fixation Island Insertion Site Is Conserved in Diazotrophic Pseudomonas stutzeri and Pseudomonas sp. Isolated from Distal and Close Geographical Regions

    PubMed Central

    Venieraki, Anastasia; Dimou, Maria; Vezyri, Eleni; Vamvakas, Alexandros; Katinaki, Pagona-Artemis; Chatzipavlidis, Iordanis; Tampakaki, Anastasia; Katinakis, Panagiotis

    2014-01-01

    The presence of nitrogen fixers within the genus Pseudomonas has been established and so far most isolated strains are phylogenetically affiliated to Pseudomonas stutzeri. A gene ortholog neighborhood analysis of the nitrogen fixation island (NFI) in four diazotrophic P. stutzeri strains and Pseudomonas azotifigens revealed that all are flanked by genes coding for cobalamin synthase (cobS) and glutathione peroxidise (gshP). The putative NFIs lack all the features characterizing a mobilizable genomic island. Nevertheless, bioinformatic analysis P. stutzeri DSM 4166 NFI demonstrated the presence of short inverted and/or direct repeats within both flanking regions. The other P. stutzeri strains carry only one set of repeats. The genetic diversity of eleven diazotrophic Pseudomonas isolates was also investigated. Multilocus sequence typing grouped nine isolates along with P. stutzeri and two isolates are grouped in a separate clade. A Rep-PCR fingerprinting analysis grouped the eleven isolates into four distinct genotypes. We also provided evidence that the putative NFI in our diazotrophic Pseudomonas isolates is flanked by cobS and gshP genes. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the putative NFI of Pseudomonas sp. Gr65 is flanked by inverted repeats identical to those found in P. stutzeri DSM 4166 and while the other P. stutzeri isolates harbor the repeats located in the intergenic region between cobS and glutaredoxin genes as in the case of P. stutzeri A1501. Taken together these data suggest that all putative NFIs of diazotrophic Pseudomonas isolates are anchored in an intergenic region between cobS and gshP genes and their flanking regions are designated by distinct repeats patterns. Moreover, the presence of almost identical NFIs in diazotrophic Pseudomonas strains isolated from distal geographical locations around the world suggested that this horizontal gene transfer event may have taken place early in the evolution. PMID:25251496

  15. The nitrogen-fixation island insertion site is conserved in diazotrophic Pseudomonas stutzeri and Pseudomonas sp. isolated from distal and close geographical regions.

    PubMed

    Venieraki, Anastasia; Dimou, Maria; Vezyri, Eleni; Vamvakas, Alexandros; Katinaki, Pagona-Artemis; Chatzipavlidis, Iordanis; Tampakaki, Anastasia; Katinakis, Panagiotis

    2014-01-01

    The presence of nitrogen fixers within the genus Pseudomonas has been established and so far most isolated strains are phylogenetically affiliated to Pseudomonas stutzeri. A gene ortholog neighborhood analysis of the nitrogen fixation island (NFI) in four diazotrophic P. stutzeri strains and Pseudomonas azotifigens revealed that all are flanked by genes coding for cobalamin synthase (cobS) and glutathione peroxidise (gshP). The putative NFIs lack all the features characterizing a mobilizable genomic island. Nevertheless, bioinformatic analysis P. stutzeri DSM 4166 NFI demonstrated the presence of short inverted and/or direct repeats within both flanking regions. The other P. stutzeri strains carry only one set of repeats. The genetic diversity of eleven diazotrophic Pseudomonas isolates was also investigated. Multilocus sequence typing grouped nine isolates along with P. stutzeri and two isolates are grouped in a separate clade. A Rep-PCR fingerprinting analysis grouped the eleven isolates into four distinct genotypes. We also provided evidence that the putative NFI in our diazotrophic Pseudomonas isolates is flanked by cobS and gshP genes. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the putative NFI of Pseudomonas sp. Gr65 is flanked by inverted repeats identical to those found in P. stutzeri DSM 4166 and while the other P. stutzeri isolates harbor the repeats located in the intergenic region between cobS and glutaredoxin genes as in the case of P. stutzeri A1501. Taken together these data suggest that all putative NFIs of diazotrophic Pseudomonas isolates are anchored in an intergenic region between cobS and gshP genes and their flanking regions are designated by distinct repeats patterns. Moreover, the presence of almost identical NFIs in diazotrophic Pseudomonas strains isolated from distal geographical locations around the world suggested that this horizontal gene transfer event may have taken place early in the evolution.

  16. Thymol-based sub-micron emulsions exhibit antifungal activity against Fusarium graminearum and inhibit Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium graminearum is a very destructive fungal pathogen that leads to Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat, a disease that costs growers millions of dollars annually both in crop losses and control measures. Current countermeasures include the deployment of wheat varieties with some resistance to ...

  17. Population genetic structure and mycotoxin potential of the wheat crown rot and head blight pathogen Fusarium culmorum in Algeria

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Surveys for crown rot (FCR) and head blight (FHB) of Algerian wheat conducted during 2014 and 2015 revealed that Fusarium culmorum strains producing 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3ADON) or nivalenol (NIV) were the primary causal agents of these important diseases. Morphological identification of the isol...

  18. First report of Fusarium graminearum, F. asiaticum and F. cortaderiae as head blight pathogens of annual ryegrass in Brazil

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Members of the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) cause Fusarium head blight (FHB) of small grains and several grasses, including annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), an important forage crop, but also a common weed in wheat, rice and maize agroecosystem in southern Brazil. Although i...

  19. Identification and functional analysis of cassava DELLA proteins in plant disease resistance against cassava bacterial blight.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiaolin; Liu, Wen; Li, Bing; Liu, Guoyin; Wei, Yunxie; He, Chaozu; Shi, Haitao

    2018-03-01

    Gibberellin (GA) is an essential plant hormone in plant growth and development as well as various stress responses. DELLA proteins are important repressors of GA signal pathway. GA and DELLA have been extensively investigated in several model plants. However, the in vivo roles of GA and DELLA in cassava, one of the most important crops and energy crops in the tropical area, are unknown. In this study, systematic genome-wide analysis identified 4 MeDELLAs in cassava, as evidenced by the evolutionary tree, gene structures and motifs analyses. Gene expression analysis found that 4 MeDELLAs were commonly regulated by flg22 and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv manihotis (Xam). Through overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana, we found that 4 MeDELLAs conferred improved disease resistance against cassava bacterial blight. Through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in cassava, we found that MeDELLA-silenced plants exhibited decreased disease resistance, with less callose deposition and lower transcript levels of defense-related genes. This is the first study identifying MeDELLAs as positive regulators of disease resistance against cassava bacterial blight. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Evaluation of major ancestors of North American soybean cultivars for resistance to Pythium species that cause seedling blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pythium seedling blight, which is caused by a number of oomycete Pythium species, is a disease that affects soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) grown in the United States and Canada. Pythium ultimum var. ultimum, one of the most common species, is favored by cool, wet conditions that are most likely...

  1. Citywide cluster randomized trial to restore blighted vacant land and its effects on violence, crime, and fear

    Treesearch

    Charles C. Branas; Eugenia South; Michelle C. Kondo; Bernadette C. Hohl; Philippe Bourgois; Douglas J. Wiebe; John M. MacDonald

    2018-01-01

    Vacant and blighted urban land is a widespread and potentially risky environmental condition encountered by millions of people on a daily basis. About 15% of the land in US cities is deemed vacant or abandoned, an area roughly the size of Switzerland. In a citywide cluster randomized controlled trial, we investigated the effects of standardized, reproducible...

  2. Wildland fire limits subsequent fire occurrence

    Treesearch

    Sean A. Parks; Carol Miller; Lisa M. Holsinger; Scott Baggett; Benjamin J. Bird

    2016-01-01

    Several aspects of wildland fire are moderated by site- and landscape-level vegetation changes caused by previous fire, thereby creating a dynamic where one fire exerts a regulatory control on subsequent fire. For example, wildland fire has been shown to regulate the size and severity of subsequent fire. However, wildland fire has the potential to influence...

  3. First report of a new leaf blight caused by Phacidiopycnis washingtonensis on Pacific Madrone in Western Washington and Oregon

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In recent years, an unknown leaf blight disease, consisting of browned, desiccated leaves occurring mainly in the lower parts of the canopy, has been observed during periods of wet springs on Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii) in western Washington and Oregon. In May 2009 and 2011 severe outbreaks ...

  4. Mummy Berry Fruit Rot and Shoot Blight Incidence in Blueberry: Prediction, Ranking, and Stability in a Long-term Study

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Mummy berry is an important disease of cultivated blueberry. The disease has two distinct phases; a blighting phase initiated by ascospores and a fruit infection stage initiated by conidia. In this study we investigated blueberry cultivar resistance to both phases of the disease and, utilizing ‘stan...

  5. Identification of Teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) alleles for resistance to southern leaf blight in near isogenic maize lines

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Southern Leaf Blight [(SLB), causal agent Cochliobolus heterostrophus race O] is an important fungal disease of maize in the United States. Teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis), the wild progenitor of maize, offers a novel source of resistance alleles that may have been lost during domestication. T...

  6. Efficacy of fungicide combinations, phosphoric acid, and plant extract from stinging nettle on potato late blight management and tuber yield

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans is a major constraint to potato production. Inadequate management of the disease has often resulted in heavy losses in various production regions. We assessed the efficacy of fungicides, phosphoric acid, and stinging nettle plant extract combinations for...

  7. Genomic analysis of Bacillus subtilis OH 131.1 and coculturing with Cryptococcus flavescens for control of fusarium head blight

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bacillus subtilis OH131.1 is a bacterial antagonist of Fusarium graminearum, a plant pathogen which causes Fusarium head blight in wheat. The genome of B. subtilis OH131.1 was sequenced, annotated and analyzed to understand its potential to produce bioactive metabolites. The analysis identified 6 sy...

  8. Damaged to knobcone x monterey pine hybrids and parents ... by red band needle blight in California redwood sites.

    Treesearch

    Kenneth N. Boe

    1971-01-01

    The knobcone X Monterey pine hybrid (Pinus attenuata Lemm. X P. radiata D. Don) has been outplanted in many places in California, among them the Redwood Experimental Forest and vicinity in north coastal California. Survival and growth in the early years were satisfactory. In 1966, red band needle blight was found to be infecting...

  9. Population dynamics of the fusarium head blight biocontrol agent cryptococcus flavescens OH182.9 on wheat anthers and heads

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Cryptococcus flavescens OH 182.9 (NRRL Y-30216) reduces Fusarium head blight (FHB) incited by Fusarium graminearum and DON contamination of grain in greenhouse and field settings. Yet little is known about the population dynamics of OH 182.9 on wheat heads and anthers from the time of inoculating he...

  10. 21 CFR 866.3415 - Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents. 866.3415 Section 866.3415 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3415 Pseudomonas...

  11. 21 CFR 866.3415 - Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents. 866.3415 Section 866.3415 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3415 Pseudomonas...

  12. 21 CFR 866.3415 - Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents. 866.3415 Section 866.3415 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3415 Pseudomonas...

  13. 21 CFR 866.3415 - Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents. 866.3415 Section 866.3415 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3415 Pseudomonas...

  14. 21 CFR 866.3415 - Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents. 866.3415 Section 866.3415 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3415 Pseudomonas...

  15. Functional amyloid in Pseudomonas.

    PubMed

    Dueholm, Morten S; Petersen, Steen V; Sønderkær, Mads; Larsen, Poul; Christiansen, Gunna; Hein, Kim L; Enghild, Jan J; Nielsen, Jeppe L; Nielsen, Kåre L; Nielsen, Per H; Otzen, Daniel E

    2010-08-01

    Amyloids are highly abundant in many microbial biofilms and may play an important role in their architecture. Nevertheless, little is known of the amyloid proteins. We report the discovery of a novel functional amyloid expressed by a Pseudomonas strain of the P. fluorescens group. The amyloid protein was purified and the amyloid-like structure verified. Partial sequencing by MS/MS combined with full genomic sequencing of the Pseudomonas strain identified the gene coding for the major subunit of the amyloid fibril, termed fapC. FapC contains a thrice repeated motif that differs from those previously found in curli fimbrins and prion proteins. The lack of aromatic residues in the repeat shows that aromatic side chains are not needed for efficient amyloid formation. In contrast, glutamine and asparagine residues seem to play a major role in amyloid formation as these are highly conserved in curli, prion proteins and FapC. fapC is conserved in many Pseudomonas strains including the opportunistic pathogen P. aeruginosa and is situated in a conserved operon containing six genes, of which one encodes a fapC homologue. Heterologous expression of the fapA-F operon in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) resulted in a highly aggregative phenotype, showing that the operon is involved in biofilm formation. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  16. Field evaluation of leaf blight-resistant plant introductions of Brassica Juncea and Brassica Rapa and elucidation of inheritance of resistance

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Brassica leafy greens (Brassica juncea and Brassica rapa) represent one of the most economically important vegetable crop groups in the southeastern United States. In the last 10 years, numerous occurrences of a leaf blight disease on these leafy vegetables have been reported in several states. One ...

  17. Rapid adaptation drives invasion of airway donor microbiota by Pseudomonas after lung transplantation.

    PubMed

    Beaume, M; Köhler, T; Greub, G; Manuel, O; Aubert, J-D; Baerlocher, L; Farinelli, L; Buckling, A; van Delden, C

    2017-01-17

    In cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, chronic airway infection by Pseudomonas leads to progressive lung destruction ultimately requiring lung transplantation (LT). Following LT, CF-adapted Pseudomonas strains, potentially originating from the sinuses, may seed the allograft leading to infections and reduced allograft survival. We investigated whether CF-adapted Pseudomonas populations invade the donor microbiota and adapt to the non-CF allograft. We collected sequential Pseudomonas isolates and airway samples from a CF-lung transplant recipient during two years, and followed the dynamics of the microbiota and Pseudomonas populations. We show that Pseudomonas invaded the host microbiota within three days post-LT, in association with a reduction in richness and diversity. A dominant mucoid and hypermutator mutL lineage was replaced after 11 days by non-mucoid strains. Despite antibiotic therapy, Pseudomonas dominated the allograft microbiota until day 95. We observed positive selection of pre-LT variants and the appearance of novel mutations. Phenotypic adaptation resulted in increased biofilm formation and swimming motility capacities. Pseudomonas was replaced after 95 days by a microbiota dominated by Actinobacillus. In conclusion, mucoid Pseudomonas adapted to the CF-lung remained able to invade the allograft. Selection of both pre-existing non-mucoid subpopulations and of novel phenotypic traits suggests rapid adaptation of Pseudomonas to the non-CF allograft.

  18. Potential effects of diurnal temperature oscillations on potato late blight with special reference to climate change.

    PubMed

    Shakya, S K; Goss, E M; Dufault, N S; van Bruggen, A H C

    2015-02-01

    Global climate change will have effects on diurnal temperature oscillations as well as on average temperatures. Studies on potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans) development have not considered daily temperature oscillations. We hypothesize that growth and development rates of P. infestans would be less influenced by change in average temperature as the magnitude of fluctuations in daily temperatures increases. We investigated the effects of seven constant (10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 23, and 27°C) and diurnally oscillating (±5 and ±10°C) temperatures around the same means on number of lesions, incubation period, latent period, radial lesion growth rate, and sporulation intensity on detached potato leaves inoculated with two P. infestans isolates from clonal lineages US-8 and US-23. A four-parameter thermodynamic model was used to describe relationships between temperature and disease development measurements. Incubation and latency progression accelerated with increasing oscillations at low mean temperatures but slowed down with increasing oscillations at high mean temperatures (P < 0.005), as hypothesized. Infection efficiency, lesion growth rate, and sporulation increased under small temperature oscillations compared with constant temperatures but decreased when temperature oscillations were large. Thus, diurnal amplitude in temperature should be considered in models of potato late blight, particularly when predicting effects of global climate change on disease development.

  19. Dissection of Resistance Genes to Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola in UI3 Common Bean Cultivar

    PubMed Central

    González, Ana M.; Godoy, Luís

    2017-01-01

    Few quantitative trait loci have been mapped for resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola in common bean. Two F2 populations were developed from the host differential UI3 cultivar. The objective of this study was to further characterize the resistance to races 1, 5, 7 and 9 of Psp included in UI3. Using a QTL mapping approach, 16 and 11 main-effect QTLs for pod and primary leaf resistance were located on LG10, explaining up to 90% and 26% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. The homologous genomic region corresponding to primary leaf resistance QTLs detected tested positive for the presence of resistance-associated gene cluster encoding nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NL), Natural Resistance Associated Macrophage (NRAMP) and Pentatricopeptide Repeat family (PPR) proteins. It is worth noting that the main effect QTLs for resistance in pod were located inside a 3.5 Mb genomic region that included the Phvul.010G021200 gene, which encodes a protein that has the highest sequence similarity to the RIN4 gene of Arabidopsis, and can be considered an important candidate gene for the organ-specific QTLs identified here. These results support that resistance to Psp from UI3 might result from the immune response activated by combinations of R proteins, and suggest the guard model as an important mechanism in pod resistance to halo blight. The candidate genes identified here warrant functional studies that will help in characterizing the actual defense gene(s) in UI3 genotype. PMID:29168746

  20. Variants of Antagonist Cryptococcus flavescens OH 182.9 with Improved Efficacy in Reducing Fusarium Head Blight in Greenhouse and Field Environments

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The inclusion of biological control agent Cryptococcus flavescens OH 182.9 in the integrated management of Fusarium head blight (FHB) has potential for significantly contributing to the reduction of FHB and deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat. Experiments were conducted to determine if liquid culture gro...

  1. Climate change impacts on the ecology of Fusarium graminearum species complex and susceptibility of wheat to Fusarium head blight: a review

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat caused mainly by members of the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) is a major threat to agricultural grain production, food safety, and animal health. The severity of disease epidemics and accumulation of associated trichothecene mycotoxins in wheat kerne...

  2. 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

  3. FIRES: Fire Information Retrieval and Evaluation System - A program for fire danger rating analysis

    Treesearch

    Patricia L. Andrews; Larry S. Bradshaw

    1997-01-01

    A computer program, FIRES: Fire Information Retrieval and Evaluation System, provides methods for evaluating the performance of fire danger rating indexes. The relationship between fire danger indexes and historical fire occurrence and size is examined through logistic regression and percentiles. Historical seasonal trends of fire danger and fire occurrence can be...

  4. Biodegradation of chlorpyrifos by bacterial genus Pseudomonas.

    PubMed

    Gilani, Razia Alam; Rafique, Mazhar; Rehman, Abdul; Munis, Muhammad Farooq Hussain; Rehman, Shafiq Ur; Chaudhary, Hassan Javed

    2016-02-01

    Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphorus pesticide commonly used in agriculture. It is noxious to a variety of organisms that include living soil biota along with beneficial arthropods, fish, birds, humans, animals, and plants. Exposure to chlorpyrifos may cause detrimental effects as delayed seedling emergence, fruit deformities, and abnormal cell division. Contamination of chlorpyrifos has been found about 24 km from the site of its application. There are many physico-chemical and biological approaches to remove organophosphorus pesticides from the ecosystem, among them most promising is biodegradation. The 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) and diethylthiophosphate (DETP) as primary products are made when chlorpyrifos is degraded by soil microorganisms which further break into nontoxic metabolites as CO(2), H(2)O, and NH(3). Pseudomonas is a diversified genus possessing a series of catabolic pathways and enzymes involved in pesticide degradation. Pseudomonas putida MAS-1 is reported to be more efficient in chlorpyrifos degradation by a rate of 90% in 24 h among Pseudomonas genus. The current review analyzed the comparative potential of bacterial species in Pseudomonas genus for degradation of chlorpyrifos thus, expressing an ecofriendly approach for the treatment of environmental contaminants like pesticides. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Mapping four quantitative trait loci associated with type I Fusarium head blight resistance in winter wheat ‘INW0412’

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium head blight (FHB) has become one of the most damaging wheat diseases in humid and semi-humid regions around the world. Breeding efforts have focused on resistance mechanisms that limit the spread once a spike is infected, or type II resistance. But resistance to initial infection, type I re...

  6. Allele mining in the gene pool of wild Solanum species for homologues of late blight resistance gene RB/Rpi-blb1

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Solanum bulbocastanum comprising a CC-NBS-LRR gene RB/Rpi-blb1 confers broad-spectrum resistance to Phytophthora infestans and is currently employed in potato breeding for durable late blight (LB) resistance. Genomes of several Solanum species were reported to contain RB homologues with confirmed b...

  7. Characterization of Pseudomonas pathovars isolated from rosaceous fruit trees in East Algeria.

    PubMed

    Harzallah, D; Sadallah, S; Larous, L

    2004-01-01

    A survey of bacterial diseases due to Pseudomonas on rosaceous fruit trees was conducted. In forty two orchards located in the Constantine region ( East Algeria). Pseudomonas isolates were identified on the bases of their cultural and biochemical characteristics . A total of fifty nine phytopathogenic bacteria were isolated from diseased pome and stone fruit trees. Thirty one strains comparable to Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae were isolated from cherry (Prunus avium L.), plum (P. domestica L.), apricot (P. armeniaca L.), almond (P. dulcis L.) and pear trees (Pirus communis L.); sixteen strains comparable to Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum were obtained from samples of cherry and plum. Twelve strains of Pseudomonas viridiflava were isolated from cherry, apricot and peach (Prunus persica L.).

  8. Southwestern Oregon's Biscuit Fire: An Analysis of Forest Resources, Fire Severity, and Fire Hazard

    Treesearch

    David L. Azuma; Glenn A. Christensen

    2005-01-01

    This study compares pre-fire field inventory data (collected from 1993 to 1997) in relation to post-fire mapped fire severity classes and the Fire and Fuels Extension of the Forest Vegetation Simulator growth and yield model measures of fire hazard for the portion of the Siskiyou National Forest in the 2002 Biscuit fire perimeter of southwestern Oregon. Post-fire...

  9. Fight Fire Without Fire Fighters!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peacock, Richard D.

    1977-01-01

    There is a role for the classroom teacher in teaching fire safety. Discusses the inadequacies of present fire prevention programs and provides ten specific steps teachers can take to avoid suffering and death from fire. (Author/RK)

  10. Multiple introductions and recombination in Cryphonectria hypovirus 1: perspective for a sustainable biological control of chestnut blight

    PubMed Central

    Feau, Nicolas; Dutech, Cyril; Brusini, Jérémie; Rigling, Daniel; Robin, Cécile

    2014-01-01

    Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV1) is a mycovirus which decreases the virulence of its fungal host Cryphonectria parasitica, the causal agent of chestnut blight recently introduced in Europe. The understanding of the evolutionary processes which have shaped CHV1 populations in Europe is required to develop a sustainable biocontrol strategy targeting chestnut blight and effective in European chestnut forests. To retrace the evolutionary history of CHV1, we analyzed sequences from two genomic regions on a collection of 55 CHV1 strains from France and northern Spain, two countries where multiple introductions of C. parasitica occurred. Several recombination events and variable selection pressures contributed to CHV1 evolution, agreeing with a non-clock-like diversification rate. These two mechanisms may be at the origin of CHV1 population diversity observed in western Europe. Considering the actual prevalence of CHV1 and its association with host genotypes, multiple introductions of CHV1 may have occurred in Europe, some of them directly from Asia and some of them through North America. Although some viral strains remained with low frequency in their introduction area, multiple infections might have allowed homologous recombination within parental sequences. Some of these recombinant lineages are associated with the spread of CHV1 in European regions. PMID:24944571

  11. Targeted and Untargeted Approaches Unravel Novel Candidate Genes and Diagnostic SNPs for Quantitative Resistance of the Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to Phytophthora infestans Causing the Late Blight Disease.

    PubMed

    Mosquera, Teresa; Alvarez, Maria Fernanda; Jiménez-Gómez, José M; Muktar, Meki Shehabu; Paulo, Maria João; Steinemann, Sebastian; Li, Jinquan; Draffehn, Astrid; Hofmann, Andrea; Lübeck, Jens; Strahwald, Josef; Tacke, Eckhard; Hofferbert, Hans-Reinhardt; Walkemeier, Birgit; Gebhardt, Christiane

    2016-01-01

    The oomycete Phytophthora infestans causes late blight of potato, which can completely destroy the crop. Therefore, for the past 160 years, late blight has been the most important potato disease worldwide. The identification of cultivars with high and durable field resistance to P. infestans is an objective of most potato breeding programs. This type of resistance is polygenic and therefore quantitative. Its evaluation requires multi-year and location trials. Furthermore, quantitative resistance to late blight correlates with late plant maturity, a negative agricultural trait. Knowledge of the molecular genetic basis of quantitative resistance to late blight not compromised by late maturity is very limited. It is however essential for developing diagnostic DNA markers that facilitate the efficient combination of superior resistance alleles in improved cultivars. We used association genetics in a population of 184 tetraploid potato cultivars in order to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with maturity corrected resistance (MCR) to late blight. The population was genotyped for almost 9000 SNPs from three different sources. The first source was candidate genes specifically selected for their function in the jasmonate pathway. The second source was novel candidate genes selected based on comparative transcript profiling (RNA-Seq) of groups of genotypes with contrasting levels of quantitative resistance to P. infestans. The third source was the first generation 8.3k SolCAP SNP genotyping array available in potato for genome wide association studies (GWAS). Twenty seven SNPs from all three sources showed robust association with MCR. Some of those were located in genes that are strong candidates for directly controlling quantitative resistance, based on functional annotation. Most important were: a lipoxygenase (jasmonate pathway), a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (mevalonate pathway), a P450 protein (terpene biosynthesis

  12. Targeted and Untargeted Approaches Unravel Novel Candidate Genes and Diagnostic SNPs for Quantitative Resistance of the Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to Phytophthora infestans Causing the Late Blight Disease

    PubMed Central

    Jiménez-Gómez, José M.; Muktar, Meki Shehabu; Paulo, Maria João; Steinemann, Sebastian; Li, Jinquan; Draffehn, Astrid; Hofmann, Andrea; Lübeck, Jens; Strahwald, Josef; Tacke, Eckhard; Hofferbert, Hans-Reinhardt; Walkemeier, Birgit; Gebhardt, Christiane

    2016-01-01

    The oomycete Phytophthora infestans causes late blight of potato, which can completely destroy the crop. Therefore, for the past 160 years, late blight has been the most important potato disease worldwide. The identification of cultivars with high and durable field resistance to P. infestans is an objective of most potato breeding programs. This type of resistance is polygenic and therefore quantitative. Its evaluation requires multi-year and location trials. Furthermore, quantitative resistance to late blight correlates with late plant maturity, a negative agricultural trait. Knowledge of the molecular genetic basis of quantitative resistance to late blight not compromised by late maturity is very limited. It is however essential for developing diagnostic DNA markers that facilitate the efficient combination of superior resistance alleles in improved cultivars. We used association genetics in a population of 184 tetraploid potato cultivars in order to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with maturity corrected resistance (MCR) to late blight. The population was genotyped for almost 9000 SNPs from three different sources. The first source was candidate genes specifically selected for their function in the jasmonate pathway. The second source was novel candidate genes selected based on comparative transcript profiling (RNA-Seq) of groups of genotypes with contrasting levels of quantitative resistance to P. infestans. The third source was the first generation 8.3k SolCAP SNP genotyping array available in potato for genome wide association studies (GWAS). Twenty seven SNPs from all three sources showed robust association with MCR. Some of those were located in genes that are strong candidates for directly controlling quantitative resistance, based on functional annotation. Most important were: a lipoxygenase (jasmonate pathway), a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (mevalonate pathway), a P450 protein (terpene biosynthesis

  13. Toward a better understanding of the genomic region harboring Fusarium head blight resistance QTL Qfhs.ndsu-3AS in durum wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The wild emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccoides)-derived Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance quantitative trait locus (QTL) Qfhs.ndsu-3AS previously mapped to the short arm of chromosome 3A (3AS) in a population of recombinant inbred chromosome lines (RICLs). This study aimed to attain a better unders...

  14. Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Pseudomonas spp. Isolated from the River Danube

    PubMed Central

    Kittinger, Clemens; Lipp, Michaela; Baumert, Rita; Folli, Bettina; Koraimann, Günther; Toplitsch, Daniela; Liebmann, Astrid; Grisold, Andrea J.; Farnleitner, Andreas H.; Kirschner, Alexander; Zarfel, Gernot

    2016-01-01

    Spread and persistence of antibiotic resistance pose a severe threat to human health, yet there is still lack of knowledge about reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment. We took the opportunity of the Joint Danube Survey 3 (JDS3), the world's biggest river research expedition of its kind in 2013, to analyse samples originating from different sampling points along the whole length of the river. Due to its high clinical relevance, we concentrated on the characterization of Pseudomonas spp. and evaluated the resistance profiles of Pseudomonas spp. which were isolated from eight sampling points. In total, 520 Pseudomonas isolates were found, 344 (66.0%) isolates were identified as Pseudomonas putida, and 141 (27.1%) as Pseudomonas fluorescens, all other Pseudomonas species were represented by less than five isolates, among those two P. aeruginosa isolates. Thirty seven percent (37%) of all isolated Pseudomonas species showed resistance to at least one out of 10 tested antibiotics. The most common resistance was against meropenem (30.4%/158 isolates) piperacillin/tazobactam (10.6%/55 isolates) and ceftazidime (4.2%/22 isolates). 16 isolates (3.1%/16 isolates) were multi-resistant. For each tested antibiotic at least one resistant isolate could be detected. Sampling points from the upper stretch of the River Danube showed more resistant isolates than downriver. Our results suggest that antibiotic resistance can be acquired by and persists even in Pseudomonas species that are normally not in direct contact with humans. A possible scenario is that these bacteria provide a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes that can spread to related human pathogens by horizontal gene transfer. PMID:27199920

  15. StWRKY8 transcription factor regulates benzylisoquinoline alkaloid pathway in potato conferring resistance to late blight.

    PubMed

    Yogendra, Kalenahalli N; Dhokane, Dhananjay; Kushalappa, Ajjamada C; Sarmiento, Felipe; Rodriguez, Ernesto; Mosquera, Teresa

    2017-03-01

    The resistance to late blight is either qualitative or quantitative in nature. Quantitative resistance is durable, but challenging due to polygenic inheritance. In the present study, the diploid potato genotypes resistant and susceptible to late blight, were profiled for metabolites. Tissue specific metabolite analysis of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) in response to pathogen infection revealed increased accumulation of morphinone, codeine-6-glucuronide and morphine-3-glucuronides. These BIAs are antimicrobial compounds and possibly involved in cell wall reinforcement, especially through cross-linking cell wall pectins. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR studies revealed higher expressions of TyDC, NCS, COR-2 and StWRKY8 transcription factor genes, in resistant genotypes than in susceptible genotype, following pathogen inoculation. A luciferase transient expression assay confirmed the binding of the StWRKY8 TF to promoters of downstream genes, elucidating a direct regulatory role on BIAs biosynthetic genes. Sequence analysis of StWRKY8 in potato genotypes revealed polymorphism in the WRKY DNA binding domain in the susceptible genotype, which is important for the regulatory function of this gene. A complementation assay of StWRKY8 in Arabidopsis wrky33 mutant background was associated with decreased fungal biomass. In conclusion, StWRKY8 regulates the biosynthesis of BIAs that are both antimicrobial and reinforce cell walls to contain the pathogen to initial infection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Transgenic expression of lactoferrin imparts enhanced resistance to head blight of wheat caused by Fusarium graminearum.

    PubMed

    Han, Jigang; Lakshman, Dilip K; Galvez, Leny C; Mitra, Sharmila; Baenziger, Peter Stephen; Mitra, Amitava

    2012-03-09

    The development of plant gene transfer systems has allowed for the introgression of alien genes into plant genomes for novel disease control strategies, thus providing a mechanism for broadening the genetic resources available to plant breeders. Using the tools of plant genetic engineering, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial gene was tested for resistance against head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, a devastating disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) that reduces both grain yield and quality. A construct containing a bovine lactoferrin cDNA was used to transform wheat using an Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer system to express this antimicrobial protein in transgenic wheat. Transformants were analyzed by Northern and Western blots to determine lactoferrin gene expression levels and were inoculated with the head blight disease fungus F. graminearum. Transgenic wheat showed a significant reduction of disease incidence caused by F. graminearum compared to control wheat plants. The level of resistance in the highly susceptible wheat cultivar Bobwhite was significantly higher in transgenic plants compared to control Bobwhite and two untransformed commercial wheat cultivars, susceptible Wheaton and tolerant ND 2710. Quantification of the expressed lactoferrin protein by ELISA in transgenic wheat indicated a positive correlation between the lactoferrin gene expression levels and the levels of disease resistance. Introgression of the lactoferrin gene into elite commercial wheat, barley and other susceptible cereals may enhance resistance to F. graminearum.

  17. Stemphylium Leaf Blight of Garlic (Allium sativum ) in Spain: Taxonomy and In Vitro Fungicide Response

    PubMed Central

    Gálvez, Laura; Gil-Serna, Jéssica; García, Marta; Iglesias, Concepción; Palmero, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    The most serious aerial disease of garlic is leaf blight caused by Stemphylium spp. Geographical variation in the causal agent of this disease is indicated. Stemphylium vesicarium has been reported in Spain, whereas S. solani is the most prevalent species recorded in China. In this study, Stemphylium isolates were obtained from symptomatic garlic plants sampled from the main Spanish production areas. Sequence data for the ITS1–5.8S–ITS2 region enabled assignation of the isolates to the Pleospora herbarum complex and clearly distinguished the isolates from S. solani. Conidial morphology of the isolates corresponded to that of S. vesicarium and clearly discriminated them from S. alfalfae and S. herbarum on the basis of the size and septation pattern of mature conidia. Conidial morphology as well as conidial length, width and length:width ratio also allowed the Spanish isolates to be distinguished from S. botryosum and S. herbarum. Control of leaf blight of garlic is not well established. Few studies are available regarding the effectiveness of chemical treatments to reduce Stemphylium spp. incidence on garlic. The effectiveness of nine fungicides of different chemical groups to reduce Stemphylium mycelial growth in vitro was tested. Boscalid + pyraclostrobin (group name, succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors + quinone outside inhibitors), iprodione (dicar-boximide), and prochloraz (demethylation inhibitors) were highly effective at reducing mycelial growth in S. vesicarium with EC50 values less than 5 ppm. In general, the effectiveness of the fungicide was enhanced with increasing dosage. PMID:27721688

  18. Utilizing Bacillus to inhibit the growth and infection by sheath blight pathogen, Rhizoctoniasolani in rice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Margani, R.; Hadiwiyono; Widadi, S.

    2018-03-01

    Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn is a common pathogen of rice. The pathogen causes sheath blight of rice. The pathogen can cause loss in the production of rice up to 45%. So far, the disease however is still poorly taken care of by the farmers and researchers, so the control measures is nearly never practiced by the farmers in the fields. It due to the unavailability of effective control method of the disease. Therefore, development to control the disease is important. Bacillus is one of popular bacteria which is effective as biological control agent of a lot of pathogens in plants, but it has not been used for control sheath blight in rice yet. The current researches were aimed to study the potential of Bacillus collected from healthy rice as candidates of biological control agent of the disease. The results showed that some isolates showed indications to inhibit significantly the growth and infection of the pathogen. We obtained at least five isolates of Bacillus collected from leaves, sheath, and stem of healthy rice fields. All of the isolates could effectively inhibit the growth of R. solani in vitro on potato dextrose medium at range 30.33-58.00%, whereas in vivo B05 isolate was the most effective in inhibiting the infection of pathogen at 30.43%. It was not significantly different (P≥0.05) to application of hexaconazol with dosage of 2 ml L-1.

  19. [Nosocomial infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in intensive care unit].

    PubMed

    Wu, Yu-Qi; Shan, Hong-Wei; Zhao, Xian-Yu; Yang, Xing-Yi

    2011-02-01

    To investigate the risk factors of nosocomial infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in intensive care unit (ICU), in order to provide reference for an effective measure of infection control. A retrospective study of cases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection occurring in ICU was made with multivariable Logistic regression analysis. The clinical data of 1 950 cases admitted from January 2002 to December 2006 were found to have nosocomial infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa were analyzed in order to identify its independent risk factors. Sixty-four out of 1 950 patients were found to suffer from nosocomial infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the morbidity rate was 3.3%. At the same time, and in the same department, 37 patients suffering from infection caused by Escherichia coli, served as control group. Univariate analysis showed that the risk factors for nosocomial infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the use of corticosteroid, unconsciousness or craniocerebral trauma, abdominal surgery, thorax/abdomen drainage tube, mechanical ventilation, and tracheostomy [the use of corticosteroid: odds ratio (OR)=3.364, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 1.445-7.830; unconsciousness or craniocerebral trauma: OR=4.026, 95%CI 1.545-10.490; abdominal surgery: OR=0.166, 95%CI 0.068-0.403; thorax/abdomen drainage tube: OR=0.350, 95%CI 0.150-0.818; tracheostomy: OR=4.095, 95%CI 1.638-10.740]. Multivariate analysis showed that the independent risk factors of nosocomial infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in ICU were: the use of corticosteroid and mechanical ventilation [the use of corticosteroid: OR=3.143, 95%CI 1.115-8.856; mechanical ventilation: OR=3.195, 95%CI 1.607-6.353, P<0.05 and P<0.01]. The independent risk factors of nosocomial infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in ICU are the use of corticosteroid and mechanical ventilation. Measures should be taken to take care of the risk factors in order to prevent nosocomial infection caused by

  20. Genetically enhanced cellulase production in Pseudomonas cellulosa using recombinant DNA technology

    DOEpatents

    Dees, H. Craig

    1999-01-01

    An enhanced strain of Pseudomonas celllulosa was obtained by introducing a recombinant genetic construct comprising a heterologous cellulase gene operably connected to a promoter into ATCC 55702, mutagenizing the transformants by treatment with MNNG, and selecting a high cellulase producing transformant. The transformant, designated Pseudomonas cellulosa ATCC XXXX, exhibits enhanced levels of cellulase production relative to the untransformed Pseudomonas cellulosa strain #142 ATCC 55702.

  1. Spatial Analysis of Phytophthora infestans Genotypes and Late Blight Severity on Tomato and Potato in the Del Fuerte Valley Using Geostatistics and Geographic Information Systems.

    PubMed

    Jaime-Garcia, R; Orum, T V; Felix-Gastelum, R; Trinidad-Correa, R; Vanetten, H D; Nelson, M R

    2001-12-01

    ABSTRACT Genetic structure of Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of potato and tomato late blight, was analyzed spatially in a mixed potato and tomato production area in the Del Fuerte Valley, Sinaloa, Mexico. Isolates of P. infestans were characterized by mating type, allozyme analysis at the glucose-6-phosphate isomerase and peptidase loci, restriction fragment length polymorphism with probe RG57, metalaxyl sensitivity, and aggressiveness to tomato and potato. Spatial patterns of P. infestans genotypes were analyzed by geographical information systems and geo-statistics during the seasons of 1994-95, 1995-96, and 1996-97. Spatial analysis of the genetic structure of P. infestans indicates that geographic substructuring of this pathogen occurs in this area. Maps displaying the probabilities of occurrence of mating types and genotypes of P. infestans, and of disease severity at a regional scale, were presented. Some genotypes that exhibited differences in epidemiologically important features such as metalaxyl sensitivity and aggressiveness to tomato and potato had a restricted spread and were localized in isolated areas. Analysis of late blight severity showed recurring patterns, such as the earliest onset of the disease in the area where both potato and tomato were growing, strengthening the hypothesis that infected potato tubers are the main source of primary inoculum. The information that geostatistical analysis provides might help improve management programs for late blight in the Del Fuerte Valley.

  2. Fire!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Rebecca

    1996-01-01

    The number of school fires is up nationwide. This article describes unsafe school conditions, problems with new fire codes, and the factors that contribute to school fires. Installation of sprinkler systems is recommended. A fire-safety checklist is included. (LMI)

  3. Fire weather and fire behavior in the 1966 loop fire

    Treesearch

    C.M. Countryman; M.A. Fosberg; R.C. Rothermel; M.J. Schroeder

    1968-01-01

    Southern California regularly experiences a wind condition known as the Santa Ana winds. This paper describes the phenomenon and the effects it had on fire behavior during the 1966 Loop Fire in the Angeles National Forest, which claimed the lives of 12 fire fighters.

  4. Addressing the human and technical dimensions of potato IPM using farmer field schools (FFS): CIP and partners' experience on late blight management

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Starting in the 1990’s, the International Potato Center (CIP)’s integrated pest management team for potato late blight (IPM-LB) realized the importance of addressing the management of this complex potato disease by combining crop protection and management sciences, with social and behavioral science...

  5. Post-fire reconstructions of fire intensity from fire severity data: quantifying the role of spatial variability of fire intensity on forest dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baker, Patrick; Oborne, Lisa

    2015-04-01

    Large, high-intensity fires have direct and long-lasting effects on forest ecosystems and present a serious threat to human life and property. However, even within the most catastrophic fires there is important variability in local-scale intensity that has important ramifications for forest mortality and regeneration. Quantifying this variability is difficult due to the rarity of catastrophic fire events, the extreme conditions at the time of the fires, and their large spatial extent. Instead fire severity is typically measured or estimated from observed patterns of vegetation mortality; however, differences in species- and size-specific responses to fires often makes fire severity a poor proxy for fire intensity. We developed a statistical method using simple, plot-based measurements of individual tree mortality to simultaneously estimate plot-level fire intensity and species-specific mortality patterns as a function of tree size. We applied our approach to an area of forest burned in the catastrophic Black Saturday fires that occurred near Melbourne, Australia, in February 2009. Despite being the most devastating fire in the past 70 years and our plots being located in the area that experienced some of the most intense fires in the 350,000 ha fire complex, we found that the estimated fire intensity was highly variable at multiple spatial scales. All eight tree species in our study differed in their susceptibility to fire-induced mortality, particularly among the largest size classes. We also found that seedling height and species richness of the post-fire seedling communities were both positively correlated with fire intensity. Spatial variability in disturbance intensity has important, but poorly understood, consequences for the short- and long-term dynamics of forests in the wake of catastrophic wildfires. Our study provides a tool to estimate fire intensity after a fire has passed, allowing new opportunities for linking spatial variability in fire intensity to

  6. A review of fire interactions and mass fires

    Treesearch

    Mark A. Finney; Sara S. McAllister

    2011-01-01

    The character of a wildland fire can change dramatically in the presence of another nearby fire. Understanding and predicting the changes in behavior due to fire-fire interactions cannot only be life-saving to those on the ground, but also be used to better control a prescribed fire to meet objectives. In discontinuous fuel types, such interactions may elicit fire...

  7. Pseudomonas Genome Database: facilitating user-friendly, comprehensive comparisons of microbial genomes.

    PubMed

    Winsor, Geoffrey L; Van Rossum, Thea; Lo, Raymond; Khaira, Bhavjinder; Whiteside, Matthew D; Hancock, Robert E W; Brinkman, Fiona S L

    2009-01-01

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a well-studied opportunistic pathogen that is particularly known for its intrinsic antimicrobial resistance, diverse metabolic capacity, and its ability to cause life threatening infections in cystic fibrosis patients. The Pseudomonas Genome Database (http://www.pseudomonas.com) was originally developed as a resource for peer-reviewed, continually updated annotation for the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 reference strain genome. In order to facilitate cross-strain and cross-species genome comparisons with other Pseudomonas species of importance, we have now expanded the database capabilities to include all Pseudomonas species, and have developed or incorporated methods to facilitate high quality comparative genomics. The database contains robust assessment of orthologs, a novel ortholog clustering method, and incorporates five views of the data at the sequence and annotation levels (Gbrowse, Mauve and custom views) to facilitate genome comparisons. A choice of simple and more flexible user-friendly Boolean search features allows researchers to search and compare annotations or sequences within or between genomes. Other features include more accurate protein subcellular localization predictions and a user-friendly, Boolean searchable log file of updates for the reference strain PAO1. This database aims to continue to provide a high quality, annotated genome resource for the research community and is available under an open source license.

  8. Nosocomial outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa folliculitis associated with a physiotherapy pool.

    PubMed Central

    Schlech, W F; Simonsen, N; Sumarah, R; Martin, R S

    1986-01-01

    Outbreaks of community-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa folliculitis have recently been described in association with health spa whirlpools. In February 1984 we detected an outbreak of Pseudomonas folliculitis among hospital staff and patients using a swimming pool in a newly constructed physiotherapy unit. A rash developed in 5 (45%) of the 11 physiotherapists who had used the pool, as compared with 0 of the 17 who had not (p less than 0 005). Pseudomonas folliculitis also developed in 6 (21%) of 29 outpatients and 4 (33%) of 12 inpatients who had used the facility; Pseudomonas infection of a surgical wound also developed in 1 of the 4 inpatients. The epidemic curve was consistent with a continuing common-source outbreak. P. aeruginosa, serotype O:10, was isolated from three physiotherapists, the patient with an infected surgical wound and the pool. A case-control study of pool users did not identify risk factors for infection, although the physiotherapists had spent longer in the pool than had the patients. After hyperchlorination and structural repairs to the pool, no further cases were identified among pool users. This outbreak is the first reported nosocomial outbreak of Pseudomonas folliculitis. Further investigation is needed to determine the risk of serious Pseudomonas infections in hospitalized patients using physiotherapy pools. Images Fig. 1 PMID:3955486

  9. Fire characteristics charts for fire behavior and U.S. fire danger rating

    Treesearch

    Faith Ann Heinsch; Pat Andrews

    2010-01-01

    The fire characteristics chart is a graphical method of presenting U.S. National Fire Danger Rating indices or primary surface or crown fire behavior characteristics. A desktop computer application has been developed to produce fire characteristics charts in a format suitable for inclusion in reports and presentations. Many options include change of scales, colors,...

  10. Forest-fire model with natural fire resistance.

    PubMed

    Yoder, Mark R; Turcotte, Donald L; Rundle, John B

    2011-04-01

    Observations suggest that contemporary wildfire suppression practices in the United States have contributed to conditions that facilitate large, destructive fires. We introduce a forest-fire model with natural fire resistance that supports this theory. Fire resistance is defined with respect to the size and shape of clusters; the model yields power-law frequency-size distributions of model fires that are consistent with field observations in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

  11. Soil mixture composition alters Arabidopsis susceptibility to Pseudomonas syringae infection

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pseudomonas syringae is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen that causes disease on more than 100 different plant species, including the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Dissection of the Arabidopsis thaliana-Pseudomonas syringae pathosystem has identified many factors that contribute to successful ...

  12. Comparison of the characteristics of fire and non-fire households in the 2004-2005 survey of fire department-attended and unattended fires.

    PubMed

    Greene, Michael A

    2012-06-01

    Comparison of characteristics of fire with non-fire households to determine factors differentially associated with fire households (fire risk factors). National household telephone survey in 2004-2005 by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission with 916 fire households and a comparison sample of 2161 non-fire households. There were an estimated 7.4 million fires (96.6% not reported to fire departments) with 130,000 injuries. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess differences in household characteristics. Significant factors associated with fire households were renting vs. owning (OR 1.988 p<0.0001); household members under 18 year of age (OR 1.277 p<0.0001); lack of residents over 64 years old (OR 0.552 p=0.0007); and college or higher education (some college OR 1.444 p=0.0360, college graduate OR 1.873, p<0.0001, postgraduate OR 2.156 p<0.0001). Not significant were age of house; race; ethnicity; and income. Number of smokers was borderline significant (OR 1.132 p=0.1019) but was significant in the subset of fire households with non-cooking fires (OR 1.383 p=0.0011). Single family houses were associated with non-fire households in the bivariate analysis but not in the multivariate analyses. Renting, household members under 18 years old and smokers are risk factors for unattended fires, similar to the literature for fatal and injury fires. Differences included household members over 65 years old (associated with non-fire households), college/postgraduate education (associated with fire households) and lack of significance of income. Preventing cooking fires (64% of survey incidents), smoking prevention efforts and fire prevention education for families with young children have the potential for reducing unattended fires and injuries.

  13. Fire investigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gomberg, A.

    There was considerable progress made on several fronts of fire investigation in the United States in recent years. Progress was made in increasing the quantity of fire investigation and reporting, through efforts to develop the National Fire Incident Reporting System. Improving overall quality of fire investigation is the objective of efforts such as the Fire Investigation Handbook, which was developed and published by the National Bureau of Standards, and the upgrading and expanding of the ""dictionary'' of fire investigation and reporting, the NFPA 901, Uniform Coding for Fire Protection, system. The science of fire investigation as furthered also by new approaches to post fire interviews being developed at the University of Washington, and by in-depth research into factors involved in several large loss fires, including the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Finally, the use of special study fire investigations - in-depth investigations concentrating on specific fire problems - is producing new glimpses into the nature of the national fire problem. A brief description of the status of efforts in each of these areas is discussed.

  14. Inheritance of high levels of resistance to common bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas Axonopodis pv. Phaseoli in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Common bacterial blight caused by the pathogen Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli (Xap) is an important biotic factor limiting common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production. A few interspecific bean breeding lines such as VAX 6 exhibit a high level of resistance to a wide range of Xap strains repr...

  15. Resolving vorticity-driven lateral fire spread using the WRF-Fire coupled atmosphere-fire numerical model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simpson, C. C.; Sharples, J. J.; Evans, J. P.

    2014-05-01

    Fire channelling is a form of dynamic fire behaviour, during which a wildland fire spreads rapidly across a steep lee-facing slope in a direction transverse to the background winds, and is often accompanied by a downwind extension of the active flaming region and extreme pyro-convection. Recent work using the WRF-Fire coupled atmosphere-fire model has demonstrated that fire channelling can be characterised as vorticity-driven lateral fire spread (VDLS). In this study, 16 simulations are conducted using WRF-Fire to examine the sensitivity of resolving VDLS to spatial resolution and atmosphere-fire coupling within the WRF-Fire model framework. The horizontal grid spacing is varied between 25 and 90 m, and the two-way atmosphere-fire coupling is either enabled or disabled. At high spatial resolution, the atmosphere-fire coupling increases the peak uphill and lateral spread rate by a factor of up to 2.7 and 9.5. The enhancement of the uphill and lateral spread rate diminishes at coarser spatial resolution, and VDLS is not modelled for a horizontal grid spacing of 90 m. The laterally spreading fire fronts become the dominant contributors of the extreme pyro-convection. The resolved fire-induced vortices responsible for driving the lateral spread in the coupled simulations have non-zero vorticity along each unit vector direction, and develop due to an interaction between the background winds and vertical return circulations generated at the flank of the fire front as part of the pyro-convective updraft. The results presented in this study demonstrate that both high spatial resolution and two-way atmosphere-fire coupling are required to reproduce VDLS within the current WRF-Fire model framework.

  16. Functional bacterial amyloid increases Pseudomonas biofilm hydrophobicity and stiffness

    PubMed Central

    Zeng, Guanghong; Vad, Brian S.; Dueholm, Morten S.; Christiansen, Gunna; Nilsson, Martin; Tolker-Nielsen, Tim; Nielsen, Per H.; Meyer, Rikke L.; Otzen, Daniel E.

    2015-01-01

    The success of Pseudomonas species as opportunistic pathogens derives in great part from their ability to form stable biofilms that offer protection against chemical and mechanical attack. The extracellular matrix of biofilms contains numerous biomolecules, and it has recently been discovered that in Pseudomonas one of the components includes β-sheet rich amyloid fibrils (functional amyloid) produced by the fap operon. However, the role of the functional amyloid within the biofilm has not yet been investigated in detail. Here we investigate how the fap-based amyloid produced by Pseudomonas affects biofilm hydrophobicity and mechanical properties. Using atomic force microscopy imaging and force spectroscopy, we show that the amyloid renders individual cells more resistant to drying and alters their interactions with hydrophobic probes. Importantly, amyloid makes Pseudomonas more hydrophobic and increases biofilm stiffness 20-fold. Deletion of any one of the individual members of in the fap operon (except the putative chaperone FapA) abolishes this ability to increase biofilm stiffness and correlates with the loss of amyloid. We conclude that amyloid makes major contributions to biofilm mechanical robustness. PMID:26500638

  17. Functional bacterial amyloid increases Pseudomonas biofilm hydrophobicity and stiffness.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Guanghong; Vad, Brian S; Dueholm, Morten S; Christiansen, Gunna; Nilsson, Martin; Tolker-Nielsen, Tim; Nielsen, Per H; Meyer, Rikke L; Otzen, Daniel E

    2015-01-01

    The success of Pseudomonas species as opportunistic pathogens derives in great part from their ability to form stable biofilms that offer protection against chemical and mechanical attack. The extracellular matrix of biofilms contains numerous biomolecules, and it has recently been discovered that in Pseudomonas one of the components includes β-sheet rich amyloid fibrils (functional amyloid) produced by the fap operon. However, the role of the functional amyloid within the biofilm has not yet been investigated in detail. Here we investigate how the fap-based amyloid produced by Pseudomonas affects biofilm hydrophobicity and mechanical properties. Using atomic force microscopy imaging and force spectroscopy, we show that the amyloid renders individual cells more resistant to drying and alters their interactions with hydrophobic probes. Importantly, amyloid makes Pseudomonas more hydrophobic and increases biofilm stiffness 20-fold. Deletion of any one of the individual members of in the fap operon (except the putative chaperone FapA) abolishes this ability to increase biofilm stiffness and correlates with the loss of amyloid. We conclude that amyloid makes major contributions to biofilm mechanical robustness.

  18. Comparing fire severity models from post-fire and pre/post-fire differenced imagery

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Wildland fires are common in rangelands worldwide. The potential for high severity fires to affect long-term changes in rangelands is considerable, and for this reason assessing fire severity shortly after the fire is critical. Such assessments are typically carried out following Burned Area Emergen...

  19. Comparative genome analysis of Pseudomonas genomes including Populus-associated isolates

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

    Jun, Se Ran; Wassenaar, Trudy; Nookaew, Intawat

    The Pseudomonas genus contains a metabolically versatile group of organisms that are known to occupy numerous ecological niches including the rhizosphere and endosphere of many plants influencing phylogenetic diversity and heterogeneity. In this study, comparative genome analysis was performed on over one thousand Pseudomonas genomes, including 21 Pseudomonas strains isolated from the roots of native Populus deltoides. Based on average amino acid identity, genomic clusters were identified within the Pseudomonas genus, which showed agreements with clades by NCBI and cliques by IMG. The P. fluorescens group was organized into 20 distinct genomic clusters, representing enormous diversity and heterogeneity. The speciesmore » P. aeruginosa showed clear distinction in their genomic relatedness compared to other Pseudomonas species groups based on the pan and core genome analysis. The 19 isolates of our 21 Populus-associated isolates formed three distinct subgroups within the P. fluorescens major group, supported by pathway profiles analysis, while two isolates were more closely related to P. chlororaphis and P. putida. The specific genes to Populus-associated subgroups were identified where genes specific to subgroup 1 include several sensory systems such as proteins which act in two-component signal transduction, a TonB-dependent receptor, and a phosphorelay sensor; specific genes to subgroup 2 contain unique hypothetical genes; and genes specific to subgroup 3 organisms have a different hydrolase activity. IMPORTANCE The comparative genome analyses of the genus Pseudomonas that included Populus-associated isolates resulted in novel insights into high diversity of Pseudomonas. Consistent and robust genomic clusters with phylogenetic homogeneity were identified, which resolved species-clades that are not clearly defined by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis alone. The genomic clusters may be reflective of distinct ecological niches to which the organisms have adapted, but

  20. Comparative genome analysis of Pseudomonas genomes including Populus-associated isolates

    DOE PAGES

    Jun, Se Ran; Wassenaar, Trudy; Nookaew, Intawat; ...

    2016-01-01

    The Pseudomonas genus contains a metabolically versatile group of organisms that are known to occupy numerous ecological niches including the rhizosphere and endosphere of many plants influencing phylogenetic diversity and heterogeneity. In this study, comparative genome analysis was performed on over one thousand Pseudomonas genomes, including 21 Pseudomonas strains isolated from the roots of native Populus deltoides. Based on average amino acid identity, genomic clusters were identified within the Pseudomonas genus, which showed agreements with clades by NCBI and cliques by IMG. The P. fluorescens group was organized into 20 distinct genomic clusters, representing enormous diversity and heterogeneity. The speciesmore » P. aeruginosa showed clear distinction in their genomic relatedness compared to other Pseudomonas species groups based on the pan and core genome analysis. The 19 isolates of our 21 Populus-associated isolates formed three distinct subgroups within the P. fluorescens major group, supported by pathway profiles analysis, while two isolates were more closely related to P. chlororaphis and P. putida. The specific genes to Populus-associated subgroups were identified where genes specific to subgroup 1 include several sensory systems such as proteins which act in two-component signal transduction, a TonB-dependent receptor, and a phosphorelay sensor; specific genes to subgroup 2 contain unique hypothetical genes; and genes specific to subgroup 3 organisms have a different hydrolase activity. IMPORTANCE The comparative genome analyses of the genus Pseudomonas that included Populus-associated isolates resulted in novel insights into high diversity of Pseudomonas. Consistent and robust genomic clusters with phylogenetic homogeneity were identified, which resolved species-clades that are not clearly defined by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis alone. The genomic clusters may be reflective of distinct ecological niches to which the organisms have adapted, but

  1. Fire in the OR--developing a fire safety plan.

    PubMed

    McCarthy, Patricia M; Gaucher, Kenneth A

    2004-03-01

    Approximately 100 operating room fire occur each year in the United States. Although rare, fire in a perioperative setting can be disastrous for both patients and staff members. It is crucial that all perioperative departments have a well thought out and previously rehearsed fire plan in place. Multidisciplinary planning and implementation of regularly scheduled and scripted fire drills are essential to prevent adverse outcomes. Fire drills ensure that all staff members are familiar with the use and location of fire pull stations, fire extinguishers, and fire blankets. Fire drills also prepare staff members to evacuate the OR area if necessary. This article provides the information and framework necessary to develop and implement comprehensive OR fire safety plans that could make the difference between life and death in a fire emergency.

  2. In vitro susceptibility of Pseudomonas species to carbenicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

    PubMed Central

    Hill, S F; Haldane, D J; Ngui-Yen, J H; Smith, J A

    1985-01-01

    We compared susceptibility tests of 47 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates and 40 Pseudomonas species to carbenicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole by the MS-2 and Sceptor systems and agar dilution. The major and very major errors encountered in these tests in the MS-2 and Sceptor systems raise doubts about the accuracy of these methods for testing P. aeruginosa and confirm that they should not be used for testing the susceptibility of Pseudomonas species to the two drugs tested. PMID:3930567

  3. In Silico Identification of Mimicking Molecules as Defense Inducers Triggering Jasmonic Acid Mediated Immunity against Alternaria Blight Disease in Brassica Species

    PubMed Central

    Pathak, Rajesh K.; Baunthiyal, Mamta; Shukla, Rohit; Pandey, Dinesh; Taj, Gohar; Kumar, Anil

    2017-01-01

    Alternaria brassicae and Alternaria brassicicola are two major phytopathogenic fungi which cause Alternaria blight, a recalcitrant disease on Brassica crops throughout the world, which is highly destructive and responsible for significant yield losses. Since no resistant source is available against Alternaria blight, therefore, efforts have been made in the present study to identify defense inducer molecules which can induce jasmonic acid (JA) mediated defense against the disease. It is believed that JA triggered defense response will prevent necrotrophic mode of colonization of Alternaria brassicae fungus. The JA receptor, COI1 is one of the potential targets for triggering JA mediated immunity through interaction with JA signal. In the present study, few mimicking compounds more efficient than naturally occurring JA in terms of interaction with COI1 were identified through virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation studies. A high quality structural model of COI1 was developed using the protein sequence of Brassica rapa. This was followed by virtual screening of 767 analogs of JA from ZINC database for interaction with COI1. Two analogs viz. ZINC27640214 and ZINC43772052 showed more binding affinity with COI1 as compared to naturally occurring JA. Molecular dynamics simulation of COI1 and COI1-JA complex, as well as best screened interacting structural analogs of JA with COI1 was done for 50 ns to validate the stability of system. It was found that ZINC27640214 possesses efficient, stable, and good cell permeability properties. Based on the obtained results and its physicochemical properties, it is capable of mimicking JA signaling and may be used as defense inducers for triggering JA mediated resistance against Alternaria blight, only after further validation through field trials. PMID:28487711

  4. Evidence of fuels management and fire weather influencing fire severity in an extreme fire event

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lydersen, Jamie M; Collins, Brandon M.; Brooks, Matthew L.; Matchett, John R.; Shive, Kristen L.; Povak, Nicholas A.; Kane, Van R.; Smith, Douglas F.

    2017-01-01

    Following changes in vegetation structure and pattern, along with a changing climate, large wildfire incidence has increased in forests throughout the western U.S. Given this increase there is great interest in whether fuels treatments and previous wildfire can alter fire severity patterns in large wildfires. We assessed the relative influence of previous fuels treatments (including wildfire), fire weather, vegetation and water balance on fire severity in the Rim Fire of 2013. We did this at three different spatial scales to investigate whether the influences on fire severity changed across scales. Both fuels treatments and previous low to moderate severity wildfire reduced the prevalence of high severity fire. In general, areas without recent fuels treatments and areas that previously burned at high severity tended to have a greater proportion of high severity fire in the Rim Fire. Areas treated with prescribed fire, especially when combined with thinning, had the lowest proportions of high severity. Proportion of the landscape burned at high severity was most strongly influenced by fire weather and proportional area previously treated for fuels or burned by low to moderate severity wildfire. The proportion treated needed to effectively reduce the amount of high fire severity fire varied by spatial scale of analysis, with smaller spatial scales requiring a greater proportion treated to see an effect on fire severity. When moderate and high severity fire encountered a previously treated area, fire severity was significantly reduced in the treated area relative to the adjacent untreated area. Our results show that fuels treatments and low to moderate severity wildfire can reduce fire severity in a subsequent wildfire, even when burning under fire growth conditions. These results serve as further evidence that both fuels treatments and lower severity wildfire can increase forest resilience.

  5. Cutinase in Cryphonectria parasitica, the chestnut blight fungus: suppression of cutinase gene expression in isogenic hypovirulent strains containing double-stranded RNAs

    Treesearch

    D.A. ​Varley; G.K. Podila; S.T. Hiremath

    1992-01-01

    Plant-pathogenic fungi produce cutinase, an enzyme required to degrade plant cuticles and facilitate penetration into the host. The absence of cutinase or a decrease in its production has been associated with a decrease in pathogenicity of the fungus. A set of isogenic strains of Cryphonectria parasitica, the chestnut blight fungus, was tested for...

  6. Transgenic expression of lactoferrin imparts enhanced resistance to head blight of wheat caused by Fusarium graminearum

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The development of plant gene transfer systems has allowed for the introgression of alien genes into plant genomes for novel disease control strategies, thus providing a mechanism for broadening the genetic resources available to plant breeders. Using the tools of plant genetic engineering, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial gene was tested for resistance against head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, a devastating disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) that reduces both grain yield and quality. Results A construct containing a bovine lactoferrin cDNA was used to transform wheat using an Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer system to express this antimicrobial protein in transgenic wheat. Transformants were analyzed by Northern and Western blots to determine lactoferrin gene expression levels and were inoculated with the head blight disease fungus F. graminearum. Transgenic wheat showed a significant reduction of disease incidence caused by F. graminearum compared to control wheat plants. The level of resistance in the highly susceptible wheat cultivar Bobwhite was significantly higher in transgenic plants compared to control Bobwhite and two untransformed commercial wheat cultivars, susceptible Wheaton and tolerant ND 2710. Quantification of the expressed lactoferrin protein by ELISA in transgenic wheat indicated a positive correlation between the lactoferrin gene expression levels and the levels of disease resistance. Conclusions Introgression of the lactoferrin gene into elite commercial wheat, barley and other susceptible cereals may enhance resistance to F. graminearum. PMID:22405032

  7. Fire behavior, fuel treatments, and fire suppression on the Hayman Fire - Part 2: Description and interpretations of fire behavior

    Treesearch

    Mark A. Finney; Charles W. McHugh; Roberta Bartlette; Kelly Close; Paul Langowski

    2003-01-01

    This report summarizes the progress of the Hayman Fire, its behavior, and the influence of environmental conditions. Data were obtained from narratives from fire behavior analysts assigned to the fire management teams, discussions with fire management staff, meteorology from local weather stations and Bradshaw and others (2003), photographs, satellite imagery, and...

  8. Detection of gene expression changes in Capsicum annuum L. leaf foliar blight caused by Phytophthora capsici Leon. using qRT-PCR and leaf discs

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Phytophthora capsici is responsible for multiple disease syndromes of Capsicum annuum but the resistance mechanism is still unknown. Evaluating gene expression during foliar blight can be used to identify expression patterns associated with resistance in Capsicum species. This study reports a direct...

  9. Fire Control Agent Effectiveness for Hazardous Chemical Fires: Carbon Disulfide.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-01-01

    Fires..................................... 46 12. AFFF Fire Control Data for Carbon Disulfide Fires............................. 47 13. Extinguishment...Disulfide and Hexane Fires ....... 67 22. Comparison of AFFF Fire Control Times for Carbon Disulfide and Hexane Fires ................... 68 23. Comparison of...Data .............. 27 2. Summary of Fluoroprotein Foam Fire Test Data ....... 28 3. Summary of AFFF Fire Test Data ..................... 29 4. Summary

  10. Sundance Fire: an analysis of fire phenomena

    Treesearch

    Hal E. Anderson

    1968-01-01

    The Sundance Fire on September 1, 1967, made a spectacular run of 16 miles in 9 hours and destroyed more than 50,000 acres. This run became the subject of a detailed research analysis of the environmental, topographic, and vegetation variables aimed at reconstructing and describing fire phenomena. This report details the fire's progress; discusses the fire's...

  11. Community acquired Pseudomonas pneumonia in an immune competent host.

    PubMed

    Gharabaghi, Mehrnaz Asadi; Abdollahi, Seyed Mojtaba Mir; Safavi, Enayat; Abtahi, Seyed Hamid

    2012-05-26

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an uncommon cause of community-acquired pneumonia in immune-competent hosts. It is commonly seen in patients with structural lung abnormality such as cystic fibrosis or in immune compromised hosts. Here, the authors report a case of community-acquired Pseudomonas pneumonia in a 26-year old healthy man who presented with 8-week history of malaise and cough.

  12. Laboratory fire behavior measurements of chaparral crown fire

    Treesearch

    C. Sanpakit; S. Omodan; D. Weise; M Princevac

    2015-01-01

    In 2013, there was an estimated 9,900 wildland fires that claimed more than 577,000 acres of land. That same year, about 542 prescribed fires were used to treat 48,554 acres by several agencies in California. Being able to understand fires using laboratory models can better prepare individuals to combat or use fires. Our research focused on chaparral crown fires....

  13. Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on flora

    Treesearch

    James K. Brown; Jane Kapler Smith

    2000-01-01

    VOLUME 2: This state-of-knowledge review about the effects of fire on flora and fuels can assist land managers with ecosystem and fire management planning and in their efforts to inform others about the ecological role of fire. Chapter topics include fire regime classification, autecological effects of fire, fire regime characteristics and postfire plant community...

  14. Resolving vorticity-driven lateral fire spread using the WRF-Fire coupled atmosphere-fire numerical model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simpson, C. C.; Sharples, J. J.; Evans, J. P.

    2014-09-01

    Vorticity-driven lateral fire spread (VLS) is a form of dynamic fire behaviour, during which a wildland fire spreads rapidly across a steep leeward slope in a direction approximately transverse to the background winds. VLS is often accompanied by a downwind extension of the active flaming region and intense pyro-convection. In this study, the WRF-Fire (WRF stands for Weather Research and Forecasting) coupled atmosphere-fire model is used to examine the sensitivity of resolving VLS to both the horizontal and vertical grid spacing, and the fire-to-atmosphere coupling from within the model framework. The atmospheric horizontal and vertical grid spacing are varied between 25 and 90 m, and the fire-to-atmosphere coupling is either enabled or disabled. At high spatial resolutions, the inclusion of fire-to-atmosphere coupling increases the upslope and lateral rate of spread by factors of up to 2.7 and 9.5, respectively. This increase in the upslope and lateral rate of spread diminishes at coarser spatial resolutions, and VLS is not modelled for a horizontal and vertical grid spacing of 90 m. The lateral fire spread is driven by fire whirls formed due to an interaction between the background winds and the vertical circulation generated at the flank of the fire front as part of the pyro-convective updraft. The laterally advancing fire fronts become the dominant contributors to the extreme pyro-convection. The results presented in this study demonstrate that both high spatial resolution and two-way atmosphere-fire coupling are required to model VLS with WRF-Fire.

  15. Properties of an R Factor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    PubMed Central

    Datta, Naomi; Hedges, R. W.; Shaw, Elizabeth J.; Sykes, R. B.; Richmond, M. H.

    1971-01-01

    An R factor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which confers resistance to penicillins, kanamycin, and tetracycline, was studied in Escherichia coli K-12. The R factor could coexist with F-like or I-like plasmids and therefore constituted a novel compatibility group. The R factor was transferable from E. coli to bacterial genera outside the Enterobacteriaceae (Pseudomonas and members of the Rhizobiaceae) to which transfer of F-like and I-like plasmids could not be demonstrated. PMID:4945193

  16. Fire

    Treesearch

    John R. Jones; Norbert V. DeByle

    1985-01-01

    In some areas, many aspen stands are all the same age, dating from a single great fire or a year of widespread fires (fig. 1). The 1879 fire in the Jackson Hole region of Wyoming (Loope and Gruell 1973) and the 1904 fires in Arizona's White Mountains (Kallander 1969) are examples. Choate (1966) found that almost all aspen stands in New Mexico were even-aged, many...

  17. Interactions Between QTL SAP6 and SU91 on Resistance to Common Bacterial Blight in Red Kidney Bean and Pinto Bean Populations

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Resistance to common bacterial blight in common bean is a complex trait that is quantitatively inherited. We examined the interaction between two independent QTL, SAP6 and SU91, which condition resistance to CBB.The QTL were studied in a pinto bean F2 population a cross between Othello (sap6 sap6 //...

  18. Active fire detection using a peat fire radiance model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kushida, K.; Honma, T.; Kaku, K.; Fukuda, M.

    2011-12-01

    The fire fractional area and radiances at 4 and 11 μm of active fires in Indonesia were estimated using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images. Based on these fire information, a stochastic fire model was used for evaluating two fire detection algorithms of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). One is single-image stochastic fire detection, and the other is multitemporal stochastic fire detection (Kushida, 2010 - IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett.). The average fire fractional area per one 1 km2 ×1 km2 pixel was 1.7%; this value corresponds to 32% of that of Siberian and Mongolian boreal forest fires. The average radiances at 4 and 11 μm of active fires were 7.2 W/(m2.sr.μm) and 11.1 W/(m2.sr.μm); these values correspond to 47% and 91% of those of Siberian and Mongolian boreal forest fires, respectively. In order to get false alarms less than 20 points per 106 km2 area, for the Siberian and Mongolian boreal forest fires, omission errors (OE) of 50-60% and about 40% were expected for the detections by using the single and multitemporal images, respectively. For Indonesian peat fires, OE of 80-90% was expected for the detections by using the single images. For the peat-fire detections by using the multitemporal images, OE of about 40% was expected, provided that the background radiances were estimated from past multitemporal images with less than the standard deviation of 1K. The analyses indicated that it was difficult to obtain sufficient active-fire information of Indonesian peat fires from single MODIS images for the fire fighting, and that the use of the multitemporal images was important.

  19. Influence of Storage Conditions on the Growth of Pseudomonas Species in Refrigerated Raw Milk▿ †

    PubMed Central

    De Jonghe, Valerie; Coorevits, An; Van Hoorde, Koenraad; Messens, Winy; Van Landschoot, Anita; De Vos, Paul; Heyndrickx, Marc

    2011-01-01

    The refrigerated storage of raw milk throughout the dairy chain prior to heat treatment creates selective conditions for growth of psychrotolerant bacteria. These bacteria, mainly belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, are capable of producing thermoresistant extracellular proteases and lipases, which can cause spoilage and structural defects in pasteurized and ultra-high-temperature-treated milk (products). To map the influence of refrigerated storage on the growth of these pseudomonads, milk samples were taken after the first milking turn and incubated laboratory scale at temperatures simulating optimal and suboptimal preprocessing storage conditions. The outgrowth of Pseudomonas members was monitored over time by means of cultivation-independent denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Isolates were identified by a polyphasic approach. These incubations revealed that outgrowth of Pseudomonas members occurred from the beginning of the dairy chain (farm tank) under both optimal and suboptimal storage conditions. An even greater risk for outgrowth, as indicated by a vast increase of about 2 log CFU per ml raw milk, existed downstream in the chain, especially when raw milk was stored under suboptimal conditions. This difference in Pseudomonas outgrowth between optimal and suboptimal storage was already statistically significant within the farm tank. The predominant taxa were identified as Pseudomonas gessardii, Pseudomonas gessardii-like, Pseudomonas fluorescens-like, Pseudomonas lundensis, Pseudomonas fragi, and Pseudomonas fragi-like. Those taxa show an important spoilage potential as determined on elective media for proteolysis and lipolysis. PMID:21115713

  20. Does a drop in the bucket make a splash? Assessing the impact of antibiotic use on plants.

    PubMed

    McManus, Patricia S

    2014-06-01

    Antibiotics are applied to plants to prevent bacterial diseases, although the diversity of antibiotics and total amounts used are dwarfed by antibiotic use in animal agriculture. Nevertheless, the release of antibiotics into the open environment during crop treatment draws scrutiny for its potential impact on the global pool of resistance genes. The main use of antibiotics on plants is application of streptomycin to prevent fire blight, a serious disease of apple and pear trees. A series of recent studies identified and quantified antibiotic resistance genes and profiled bacterial communities in apple orchard plots that were or were not sprayed with streptomycin. While the specific objectives and methods varied, the results of these studies suggest that streptomycin application for fire blight control does not influence bacterial community structure or increase the abundance of resistance genes in orchards. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for sheath blight resistance in rice using recombinant inbred line population of Lemont X Jasmine 85

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rice sheath blight (RSB) caused by the soil borne pathogen Rhizoctonia solani, is one of the most destructive diseases of rice, causing severe losses in rice yield and quality annually. The major gene (s) governing the resistance to RSB have not been found in cultivated rice worldwide. However, ri...

  2. Identification of a Pantoea Biosynthetic Cluster That Directs the Synthesis of an Antimicrobial Natural Product

    PubMed Central

    Walterson, Alyssa M.; Smith, Derek D. N.; Stavrinides, John

    2014-01-01

    Fire Blight is a destructive disease of apple and pear caused by the enteric bacterial pathogen, Erwinia amylovora. E. amylovora initiates infection by colonizing the stigmata of apple and pear trees, and entering the plants through natural openings. Epiphytic populations of the related enteric bacterium, Pantoea, reduce the incidence of disease through competition and antibiotic production. In this study, we identify an antibiotic from Pantoea ananatis BRT175, which is effective against E. amylovora and select species of Pantoea. We used transposon mutagenesis to create a mutant library, screened approximately 5,000 mutants for loss of antibiotic production, and recovered 29 mutants. Sequencing of the transposon insertion sites of these mutants revealed multiple independent disruptions of an 8.2 kb cluster consisting of seven genes, which appear to be coregulated. An analysis of the distribution of this cluster revealed that it was not present in any other of our 115 Pantoea isolates, or in any of the fully sequenced Pantoea genomes, and is most closely related to antibiotic biosynthetic clusters found in three different species of Pseudomonas. This identification of this biosynthetic cluster highlights the diversity of natural products produced by Pantoea. PMID:24796857

  3. Fire intensity drives post-fire temporal pattern of soil carbon accumulation in Australian fire-prone forests.

    PubMed

    Sawyer, Robert; Bradstock, Ross; Bedward, Michael; Morrison, R John

    2018-01-01

    The impact of fire on global C cycles is considerable but complex. Nevertheless, studies on patterns of soil C accumulation following fires of differing intensity over time are lacking. Our study utilised 15 locations last burnt by prescribed fire (inferred low intensity) and 18 locations last burnt by wildfire (inferred high intensity), with time since fire (TSF) up to 43years, in a homogenous forest type in south eastern Australia. Following a stratified approach to mineral soil sampling, the soil % total C (% C Tot ) and % recalcitrant pyrogenic C (% RPC), were estimated. Generalised additive models indicated increases in % C Tot at TSF >30years in sites last burnt by wildfire. Estimates in sites last subjected to prescribed fire however, remained constant across the TSF chronosequence. There was no significant difference in % C Tot between the different fire types for the first 20years after fire. In the first 10years after wildfires, % RPC was elevated, declining to a minimum at ca. TSF 25years. After prescribed fires, % RPC was unaffected by TSF. Differences in response of % C Tot and % RPC to fire type may reflect the strength of stimulation of early successional processes and extent of charring. The divergent response to fire type in % C Tot was apparent at TSF longer than the landscape average fire return interval (i.e., 15 to 20years). Thus, any attempt to increase C sequestration in soils would require long-term exclusion of fire. Conversely, increased fire frequency is likely to have negligible impact on soil C stocks in these forests. Further investigation of the effects of fire frequency, fire intensity combinations and interaction of fire with other disturbances will enhance prediction of the likely impact of imposed or climatically induced changes to fire regimes on soil C. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Fire suppression effectiveness for simultaneous fires: an examination of fire histories

    Treesearch

    Larry F. Bednar; Romain Mees; David Strauss

    1990-01-01

    We examined fire and weather records for areas of the western United States for the period 1970-1984 to determine the effects of simultaneous wildfire occurrence on fire suppression efforts. Burning conditions were accounted for by use of short strings of fires which involved simultaneous suppression efforts. These strings were matched with closely preceding isolated...

  5. Comparative transcript profiling by SuperSAGE identifies novel candidate genes for controlling potato quantitative resistance to late blight not compromised by late maturity.

    PubMed

    Draffehn, Astrid M; Li, Li; Krezdorn, Nicolas; Ding, Jia; Lübeck, Jens; Strahwald, Josef; Muktar, Meki S; Walkemeier, Birgit; Rotter, Björn; Gebhardt, Christiane

    2013-01-01

    Resistance to pathogens is essential for survival of wild and cultivated plants. Pathogen susceptibility causes major losses of crop yield and quality. Durable field resistance combined with high yield and other superior agronomic characters are therefore, important objectives in every crop breeding program. Precision and efficacy of resistance breeding can be enhanced by molecular diagnostic tools, which result from knowledge of the molecular basis of resistance and susceptibility. Breeding uses resistance conferred by single R genes and polygenic quantitative resistance. The latter is partial but considered more durable. Molecular mechanisms of plant pathogen interactions are elucidated mainly in experimental systems involving single R genes, whereas most genes important for quantitative resistance in crops like potato are unknown. Quantitative resistance of potato to Phytophthora infestans causing late blight is often compromised by late plant maturity, a negative agronomic character. Our objective was to identify candidate genes for quantitative resistance to late blight not compromised by late plant maturity. We used diagnostic DNA-markers to select plants with different field levels of maturity corrected resistance (MCR) to late blight and compared their leaf transcriptomes before and after infection with P. infestans using SuperSAGE (serial analysis of gene expression) technology and next generation sequencing. We identified 2034 transcripts up or down regulated upon infection, including a homolog of the kiwi fruit allergen kiwellin. 806 transcripts showed differential expression between groups of genotypes with contrasting MCR levels. The observed expression patterns suggest that MCR is in part controlled by differential transcript levels in uninfected plants. Functional annotation suggests that, besides biotic and abiotic stress responses, general cellular processes such as photosynthesis, protein biosynthesis, and degradation play a role in MCR.

  6. Inaja Fire - 1956, Pine Hills Fire - 1967...similar, yet different

    Treesearch

    Mark J. Schroeder; Bernadine B. Taylor

    1968-01-01

    Two fires burned in the same area in southern California under nearly similar weather conditions, 11 years apart. Yet the Inaja fire of 1956 was much more disastrous than the Pine Hills fire of 1967. The earlier fire claimed 11 lives, and covered an area five times larger than the 1967 fire. Differences in fuels, topography, fire behavior, fire-control action, and...

  7. Characterization of a novel Pseudomonas sp. that mineralizes high concentrations of pentachlorophenol.

    PubMed Central

    Radehaus, P M; Schmidt, S K

    1992-01-01

    A pentachlorophenol (PCP)-mineralizing bacterium was isolated from polluted soil and identified as Pseudomonas sp. strain RA2. In batch cultures, Pseudomonas sp. strain RA2 used PCP as its sole source of carbon and energy and was capable of completely degrading this compound as indicated by radiotracer studies, stoichiometric release of chloride, and biomass formation. Pseudomonas sp. strain RA2 was able to mineralize a higher concentration of PCP (160 mg liter-1) than any previously reported PCP-degrading pseudomonad. At a PCP concentration of 200 mg liter-1, cell growth was completely inhibited and PCP was not degraded, although an active population of Pseudomonas sp. RA2 was still present in these cultures after 2 weeks. The inhibitory effect of PCP was partially attributable to its effect on the growth rate of Pseudomonas sp. strain RA2. The highest specific growth rate (mu = 0.09 h-1) was reached at a PCP concentration of 40 mg liter-1 but decreased at higher or lower PCP concentrations, with the lowest mu (0.05 h-1) occurring at 150 mg liter-1. Despite this reduction in growth rate, total biomass production was proportional to PCP concentration at all PCP concentrations degraded by Pseudomonas sp. RA2. In contrast, final cell density was reduced to below expected values at PCP concentrations greater than 100 mg liter-1. These results indicate that, in addition to its effect as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation, PCP may also inhibit cell division in Pseudomonas sp. strain RA2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:1444401

  8. Novel narrow-host-range vectors for direct cloning of foreign DNA in Pseudomonas.

    PubMed

    Boivin, R; Bellemare, G; Dion, P

    1994-01-01

    Narrow-host-range vectors, based on an indigenous replicon and containing a multiple cloning site, have been constructed in a Pseudomonas host capable of growth on unusual substrates. The new cloning vectors yield sufficient amounts of DNA for preparative purposes and belong to an incompatibility group different from that of the incP and incQ broad-host-range vectors. One of these vectors, named pDB47F, was used to clone, directly in Pseudomonas, DNA fragments from Agrobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Rhizobium. A clone containing Agrobacterium and KmR gene sequences was transformed with a higher efficiency than an RSF1010-derived vector (by as much as 1250-fold) in four out of five Pseudomonas strains tested. The considerable efficiency obtained with this system makes possible the direct cloning and phenotypic selection of foreign DNA in Pseudomonas.

  9. XopN-T3SS effector of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae localizes to the plasma membrane and modulates ROS accumulation events during blight pathogenesis in pomegranate.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Rishikesh; Soni, Madhvi; Mondal, Kalyan K

    2016-12-01

    Bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae (Xap) is a major disease of pomegranate. Xap secretes effector proteins via type III secretion system (T3SS) to suppress pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered plant immunity (PTI). Previously we reported that XopN, a conserved effector of Xap, modulate in planta bacterial growth, and blight disease. In continuation to that here we report the deletion of XopN from Xap caused higher accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) including H 2 O 2 and O 2 - . We quantitatively assessed the higher accumulation of H 2 O 2 in pomegranate leaves infiltrated with Xap ΔxopN compared to Xap wild-type. We analysed that 1.5 to 3.3 fold increase in transcript expression of ROS and flg22-inducible genes, namely FRK1, GST1, WRKY29, PR1, PR2 and PR5 in Arabidopsis when challenged with Xap ΔxopN; contrary, the up-regulation of all the genes were compromised when challenged with either Xap wild-type or Xap ΔxopN+xopN. Further, we demonstrated the plasma-membrane based localization of XopN protein both in its natural and experimental hosts. All together, the present study suggested that XopN-T3SS effector of Xap gets localized in the plasma membrane and suppresses ROS-mediated early defense responses during blight pathogenesis in pomegranate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  10. Fire-Walking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willey, David

    2010-01-01

    This article gives a brief history of fire-walking and then deals with the physics behind fire-walking. The author has performed approximately 50 fire-walks, took the data for the world's hottest fire-walk and was, at one time, a world record holder for the longest fire-walk (www.dwilley.com/HDATLTW/Record_Making_Firewalks.html). He currently…

  11. Forest-fire models

    Treesearch

    Haiganoush Preisler; Alan Ager

    2013-01-01

    For applied mathematicians forest fire models refer mainly to a non-linear dynamic system often used to simulate spread of fire. For forest managers forest fire models may pertain to any of the three phases of fire management: prefire planning (fire risk models), fire suppression (fire behavior models), and postfire evaluation (fire effects and economic models). In...

  12. Malpighian tubules are important determinants of Pseudomonas transstadial transmission and longtime persistence in Anopheles stephensi.

    PubMed

    Chavshin, Ali Reza; Oshaghi, Mohammad Ali; Vatandoost, Hasan; Yakhchali, Bagher; Zarenejad, Fahimeh; Terenius, Olle

    2015-01-21

    Pseudomonas is a genus of bacteria commonly found in investigations of gut microbes in malaria mosquitoes. Among those mosquitoes is the dominating malaria vector in Asia, Anopheles stephensi, where Pseudomonas is a prevailing bacterium and natural inhabitant of its breeding places. In order to explore the reason for finding Pseudomonas so frequently, an investigation of its localization and transstadial properties was undertaken. A Pseudomonas isolate from An. stephensi was transformed successfully with an endogenous plasmid modified to express green fluorescent protein (GFP). Subsequently, the Pseudomonas-GFP was added to the laboratory larval breeding place of An. stephensi and taken up by the larvae. After 24 hours, the larvae were cleaned and moved to a bath with double-distilled water. Also, female adults were fed sugar solution containing Pseudomonas-GFP. The Pseudomonas-GFP was traced in the alimentary canal of larvae, pupae and adults. Fluorescent microscopy and PCR assays showed that the Pseudomonas bacteria underwent transstadial transmission from larvae to pupae and then to adults. In blood-fed female mosquitoes, the bacteria increased in numbers and remained in the mosquito body for at least three weeks after eclosion. In addition to the midgut, the Malpighian tubules of both larvae and adult mosquitoes were colonized by the bacteria. Also Pseudomonas-GFP that was distributed through sugar solution was able to colonize the Malpighian tubules of adult females. Colonization of the Malpighian tubules by Pseudomonas bacteria seems to be important for the transstadial passage from larvae to adult and presumably for the longevity of the bacteria in the adult mosquito. The existence of an entry point in the larval stage, and the long duration in the female gut, opens up for a possible use of Pseudomonas in mosquito paratransgenesis.

  13. Actinomycetes from Eucalyptus and their biological activities for controlling Eucalyptus leaf and shoot blight.

    PubMed

    Himaman, Winanda; Thamchaipenet, Arinthip; Pathom-Aree, Wasu; Duangmal, Kannika

    2016-01-01

    In Thailand, Eucalyptus plantations rapidly expand across the country. Leaf and shoot blight caused by Cryptosporiopsis eucalypti, Cylindrocladium sp. and Teratosphaeria destructans is a serious disease in Eucalyptus plantations. In this study, a total of 477 actinomycete strains were successfully isolated from roots and rhizosphere soil of Eucalyptus. Four hundred and thirty nine isolates were classified as streptomycetes and 38 isolates were non-streptomycetes. Among these isolates, 272 (57.0%), 118 (24.7%) and 241 (50.5%) isolates were antagonistic to Cryptosporiopsis eucalypti, Cylindrocladium sp. and Teratosphaeria destructans, respectively. All isolates were tested for their abilities to produce siderophores, indole acetic acid (IAA) and solubilise phosphate. Most isolates (464, 97.3%) produced siderophores. The majority of isolates (345, 72.3%) solubilised phosphate. In addition, almost half of these isolates (237, 49.7%) produced indole acetic acid. Strain EUSKR2S82 which showed the strongest inhibitory effect against all tested fungi with plant growth promoting ability was selected to test with Eucalyptus. This strain could colonize plant roots and increase Eucalyptus roots length. In a detached leaves bioassay, the disease severity of EUSKR2S82-inoculated Eucalyptus leaves was only 30% compared to 95% in the control treatment. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the strain EUSKR2S82 was related to Streptomyces ramulosus NRRL-B 2714(T) (99.44% similarity). Identification of non-streptomycete isolates using 16S rRNA gene sequences classified them into 9 genera: Actinoallomurus, Actinomadura, Amycolatopsis, Cryptosporangium, Microbispora, Micromonospora, Nocardia, Nonomuraea and Pseudonocardia. It is evident that Eucalyptus tree harbored several genera of actinomycetes. The selected isolate, EUSKR2S82 showed potential as a candidate for biocontrol agent of leaf and shoot blight of Eucalyptus and to promote growth. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Gmb

  14. Discovery of Phloeophagus Beetles as a Source of Pseudomonas Strains That Produce Potentially New Bioactive Substances and Description of Pseudomonas bohemica sp. nov.

    PubMed

    Saati-Santamaría, Zaki; López-Mondéjar, Rubén; Jiménez-Gómez, Alejandro; Díez-Méndez, Alexandra; Větrovský, Tomáš; Igual, José M; Velázquez, Encarna; Kolarik, Miroslav; Rivas, Raúl; García-Fraile, Paula

    2018-01-01

    Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide problem that threatens the effectiveness of treatments for microbial infection. Consequently, it is essential to study unexplored niches that can serve for the isolation of new microbial strains able to produce antimicrobial compounds to develop new drugs. Bark beetles live in phloem of host trees and establish symbioses with microorganisms that provide them with nutrients. In addition, some of their associated bacteria play a role in the beetle protection by producing substances that inhibit antagonists. In this study the capacity of several bacterial strains, isolated from the bark beetles Ips acuminatus, Pityophthorus pityographus Cryphalus piceae , and Pityogenes bidentatus , to produce antimicrobial compounds was analyzed. Several isolates exhibited the capacity to inhibit Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as fungi. The genome sequence analysis of three Pseudomonas isolates predicted the presence of several gene clusters implicated in the production of already described antimicrobials and moreover, the low similarity of some of these clusters with those previously described, suggests that they encode new undescribed substances, which may be useful for developing new antimicrobial agents. Moreover, these bacteria appear to have genetic machinery for producing antitumoral and antiviral substances. Finally, the strain IA19 T showed to represent a new species of the genus Pseudomonas . The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that its most closely related species include Pseudomonas lutea, Pseudomonas graminis, Pseudomonas abietaniphila and Pseudomonas alkylphenolica, with 98.6, 98.5 98.4, and 98.4% identity, respectively. MLSA of the housekeeping genes gyr B, rpo B, and rpo D confirmed that strain IA19 T clearly separates from its closest related species. Average nucleotide identity between strains IA19 T and P. abietaniphila ATCC 700689 T , P. graminis DSM 11363 T , P. alkylphenolica KL28 T and P. lutea

  15. Electronic firing systems and methods for firing a device

    DOEpatents

    Frickey, Steven J [Boise, ID; Svoboda, John M [Idaho Falls, ID

    2012-04-24

    An electronic firing system comprising a control system, a charging system, an electrical energy storage device, a shock tube firing circuit, a shock tube connector, a blasting cap firing circuit, and a blasting cap connector. The control system controls the charging system, which charges the electrical energy storage device. The control system also controls the shock tube firing circuit and the blasting cap firing circuit. When desired, the control system signals the shock tube firing circuit or blasting cap firing circuit to electrically connect the electrical energy storage device to the shock tube connector or the blasting cap connector respectively.

  16. Complete genome sequence of the plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora strain ATCC 49946

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Erwinia amylovora causes the economically important disease fire blight that affects rosaceous plants, especially pear and apple. Here we report the complete genome sequence and annotation of strain ATCC 49946. The analysis of the sequence and its comparison with sequenced genomes of closely related...

  17. Genome-wide identification of genes regulated by the Rcs Phosphorelay system in Erwinia amylovora

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The exopolysaccharide amylovoran is one of the major pathgenicity factors in Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight of apples and pears. We have previously demonstrated that the RcsBCD phosphorelay system is essential for virulence by controlling amylovoran biosynthesis. We have also fou...

  18. Identification of genes differentially expressed during interaction of resistant and susceptible apple cultivars (Malus x domestica) with Erwinia amylovora

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The necrogenic enterobacterium, Erwinia amylovora is the causal agent of the fire blight (FB) disease in many Rosaceae species, including apple and pear. During the infection process, the bacteria induce an oxidative stress response with kinetics similar to those induced in an incompatible bacteria-...

  19. Fire safety distances for open pool fires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sudheer, S.; Kumar, Lokendra; Manjunath, B. S.; Pasi, Amit; Meenakshi, G.; Prabhu, S. V.

    2013-11-01

    Fire accidents that carry huge loss with them have increased in the previous two decades than at any time in the history. Hence, there is a need for understanding the safety distances from different fires with different fuels. Fire safety distances are computed for different open pool fires. Diesel, gasoline and hexane are used as fuels for circular pool diameters of 0.5 m, 0.7 m and 1.0 m. A large square pool fire of 4 m × 4 m is also conducted with diesel as a fuel. All the prescribed distances in this study are purely based on the thermal analysis. IR camera is used to get the thermal images of pool fires and there by the irradiance at different locations is computed. The computed irradiance is presented with the threshold heat flux limits for human beings.

  20. Fire weather conditions and fire-atmosphere interactions observed during low-intensity prescribed fires - RxCADRE 2012

    Treesearch

    Craig B. Clements; Neil P. Lareau; Daisuke Seto; Jonathan Contezac; Braniff Davis; Casey Teske; Thomas J. Zajkowski; Andrew T. Hudak; Benjamin C. Bright; Matthew B. Dickinson; Bret W. Butler; Daniel Jimenez; J. Kevin Hiers

    2016-01-01

    The role of fire-atmosphere coupling on fire behaviour is not well established, and to date few field observations have been made to investigate the interactions between fire spread and fire-induced winds. Therefore, comprehensive field observations are needed to better understand micrometeorological aspects of fire spread. To address this need, meteorological...

  1. Community participation in fire management planning: The Trinity county fire safe council's fire plan

    Treesearch

    Yvonne Everett

    2008-01-01

    In 1999, Trinity County CA, initiated a participatory fire management planning effort. Since that time, the Trinity County Fire Safe Council has completed critical portions of a fire safe plan and has begun to implement projects defined in the plan. Completion of a GIS based, landscape scale fuels reduction element in the plan defined by volunteer fire fighters, agency...

  2. [Effect of biopesticide Pythium oligandrum broth on gummy stem blight in cucumber seedlings, animal health and plant growth].

    PubMed

    Geng, Mingming; Jia, Ruilian; Sui, Zongming; Huang, Jianguo

    2016-07-04

    Biopesticides are safe and environment friendly. We evaluated the biocontrol effect of Pythium oligandrum broth (POB) and its toxicity to animals and plant growth. Animal, antagonist, pot, and field experiments with mice, Mycosphaerella melonis, and cucumber seedlings were carried out to study animal toxicity, control of gummy stem blight, plant growth, fruit yield and quality with POB produced from self-isolated P. oligandrum CQ2010. Mouse showed normal weight, appearances, performances and no pathogenic changes in organs and tissues with a large amount of POB supplied by lavage. The inhibition rate of POB against M. melonis was 51.95%, similar to thiophanate methy (800 times dilution) but much higher than chlorothalonil (200 times dilution). Malondialdehyde concentration was reduced whereas activities of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were stimulated in seedling leaves irrespective of POB supplied before and after pathogenic inoculation. POB also decreased the pathogenic incidence and disease index with relative control efficacy from 54.8% to 64.1%. Thus, POB could alleviate cell membrane damage caused by pathogenic microbes, stimulate physiological reactions related to disease defense, and increase disease-resistant abilities of plants. Moreover, POB increased chlorophyll content, root activity, and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, resulting in growth acceleration, fruit yield increment, and quality improvement. POB is safe to animals and could control gummy stem blight of cucumber seedlings, promote plant growth, increase fruit yield, and improve the qualities.

  3. Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on air

    Treesearch

    David V. Sandberg; Roger D. Ottmar; Janice L. Peterson

    2002-01-01

    This state-of-knowledge review about the effects of fire on air quality can assist land, fire, and air resource managers with fire and smoke planning, and their efforts to explain to others the science behind fire-related program policies and practices to improve air quality. Chapter topics include air quality regulations and fire; characterization of emissions from...

  4. Managing wildland fires: integrating weather models into fire projections

    Treesearch

    Anne M. Rosenthal; Francis Fujioka

    2004-01-01

    Flames from the Old Fire sweep through lands north of San Bernardino during late fall of 2003. Like many Southern California fires, the Old Fire consumed susceptible forests at the urban-wildland interface and spread to nearby city neighborhoods. By incorporating weather models into fire perimeter projections, scientist Francis Fujioka is improving fire modeling as a...

  5. Evidence that the Ceratobasidium-like white-thread blight and black rot fungal pathogens from persimmon and tea crops in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest agroecosystem are two distinct phylospecies.

    PubMed

    Ceresini, Paulo C; Costa-Souza, Elaine; Zala, Marcello; Furtado, Edson L; Souza, Nilton L

    2012-04-01

    The white-thread blight and black rot (WTBR) caused by basidiomycetous fungi of the genus Ceratobasidium is emerging as an important plant disease in Brazil, particularly for crop species in the Ericales such as persimmon (Diospyros kaki) and tea (Camellia sinensis). However, the species identity of the fungal pathogen associated with either of these hosts is still unclear. In this work, we used sequence variation in the internal transcribed spacer regions, including the 5.8S coding region of rDNA (ITS-5.8S rDNA), to determine the phylogenetic placement of the local white-thread-blight-associated populations of Ceratobasidium sp. from persimmon and tea, in relation to Ceratobasidium species already described world-wide. The two sister populations of Ceratobasidium sp. from persimmon and tea in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest agroecosystem most likely represent distinct species within Ceratobasidium and are also distinct from C. noxium, the etiological agent of the first description of white-thread blight disease that was reported on coffee in India. The intraspecific variation for the two Ceratobasidium sp. populations was also analyzed using three mitochondrial genes (ATP6, nad1 and nad2). As reported for other fungi, variation in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA was incongruent. Despite distinct variability in the ITS-rDNA region these two populations shared similar mitochondrial DNA haplotypes.

  6. Evidence that the Ceratobasidium-like white-thread blight and black rot fungal pathogens from persimmon and tea crops in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest agroecosystem are two distinct phylospecies

    PubMed Central

    Ceresini, Paulo C.; Costa-Souza, Elaine; Zala, Marcello; Furtado, Edson L.; Souza, Nilton L.

    2012-01-01

    The white-thread blight and black rot (WTBR) caused by basidiomycetous fungi of the genus Ceratobasidium is emerging as an important plant disease in Brazil, particularly for crop species in the Ericales such as persimmon (Diospyros kaki) and tea (Camellia sinensis). However, the species identity of the fungal pathogen associated with either of these hosts is still unclear. In this work, we used sequence variation in the internal transcribed spacer regions, including the 5.8S coding region of rDNA (ITS-5.8S rDNA), to determine the phylogenetic placement of the local white-thread-blight-associated populations of Ceratobasidium sp. from persimmon and tea, in relation to Ceratobasidium species already described world-wide. The two sister populations of Ceratobasidium sp. from persimmon and tea in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest agroecosystem most likely represent distinct species within Ceratobasidium and are also distinct from C. noxium, the etiological agent of the first description of white-thread blight disease that was reported on coffee in India. The intraspecific variation for the two Ceratobasidium sp. populations was also analyzed using three mitochondrial genes (ATP6, nad1 and nad2). As reported for other fungi, variation in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA was incongruent. Despite distinct variability in the ITS-rDNA region these two populations shared similar mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. PMID:22888299

  7. Pseudomonas biofilm matrix composition and niche biology

    PubMed Central

    Mann, Ethan E.; Wozniak, Daniel J.

    2014-01-01

    Biofilms are a predominant form of growth for bacteria in the environment and in the clinic. Critical for biofilm development are adherence, proliferation, and dispersion phases. Each of these stages includes reinforcement by, or modulation of, the extracellular matrix. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been a model organism for the study of biofilm formation. Additionally, other Pseudomonas species utilize biofilm formation during plant colonization and environmental persistence. Pseudomonads produce several biofilm matrix molecules, including polysaccharides, nucleic acids, and proteins. Accessory matrix components shown to aid biofilm formation and adaptability under varying conditions are also produced by pseudomonads. Adaptation facilitated by biofilm formation allows for selection of genetic variants with unique and distinguishable colony morphology. Examples include rugose small-colony variants and wrinkly spreaders (WS), which over produce Psl/Pel or cellulose, respectively, and mucoid bacteria that over produce alginate. The well-documented emergence of these variants suggests that pseudomonads take advantage of matrix-building subpopulations conferring specific benefits for the entire population. This review will focus on various polysaccharides as well as additional Pseudomonas biofilm matrix components. Discussions will center on structure–function relationships, regulation, and the role of individual matrix molecules in niche biology. PMID:22212072

  8. Trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    PubMed

    Cross, Megan; Biberacher, Sonja; Park, Suk-Youl; Rajan, Siji; Korhonen, Pasi; Gasser, Robin B; Kim, Jeong-Sun; Coster, Mark J; Hofmann, Andreas

    2018-04-24

    The opportunistic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been recognized as an important pathogen of clinical relevance and is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. The presence of a glycolytic enzyme in Pseudomonas, which is known to be inhibited by trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) in other organisms, suggests that these bacteria may be vulnerable to the detrimental effects of intracellular T6P accumulation. In the present study, we explored the structural and functional properties of trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) in P. aeruginosa in support of future target-based drug discovery. A survey of genomes revealed the existence of 2 TPP genes with either chromosomal or extrachromosomal location. Both TPPs were produced as recombinant proteins, and characterization of their enzymatic properties confirmed specific, magnesium-dependent catalytic hydrolysis of T6P. The 3-dimensional crystal structure of the chromosomal TPP revealed a protein dimer arising through β-sheet expansion of the individual monomers, which possess the overall fold of halo-acid dehydrogenases.-Cross, M., Biberacher, S., Park, S.-Y., Rajan, S., Korhonen, P., Gasser, R. B., Kim, J.-S., Coster, M. J., Hofmann, A. Trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

  9. Short communication: Pseudomonas azotoformans causes gray discoloration in HTST fluid milk.

    PubMed

    Evanowski, Rachel L; Reichler, Samuel J; Kent, David J; Martin, Nicole H; Boor, Kathryn J; Wiedmann, Martin

    2017-10-01

    Pseudomonas species are well recognized as dairy product spoilage organisms, particularly due to their ability to grow at refrigeration temperatures. Although Pseudomonas-related spoilage usually manifests itself in flavor, odor, and texture defects, which are typically due to production of bacterial enzymes, Pseudomonas is also reported to cause color defects. Because of consumer complaints, a commercial dairy company shipped 4 samples of high temperature, short time (HTST)-pasteurized milk with distinctly gray colors to our laboratory. Bacterial isolates from all 4 samples were identified as Pseudomonas azotoformans. All isolates shared the same partial 16S rDNA sequence and showed black pigmentation on Dichloran Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol agar. Inoculation of one pigment-producing P. azotoformans isolate into HTST-pasteurized fluid milk led to development of gray milk after 14 d of storage at 6°C, but only in containers that had half of the total volume filled with milk (∼500 mL of milk in ∼1,000-mL bottles). We conclusively demonstrate that Pseudomonas can cause a color defect in fluid milk that manifests in gray discoloration, adding to the palette of color defects known to be caused by Pseudomonas. This information is of considerable interest to the dairy industry, because dairy processors and others may not typically associate black or gray colors in fluid milk with the presence of microbial contaminants but rather with product tampering (e.g., addition of ink) or other inadvertent chemical contamination. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Fire! Fire Prevention and Safety: A Teacher's Handbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Div. of Educational Planning and Support.

    In this curriculum guide, guidelines for teaching children about fire safety and related topics and activities representing an interdisciplinary approach to fire safety are outlined. Major fire hazards and methods of dealing with them are described. Possible sites for field trips and films relating to fire are listed. The rules of the New York…

  11. Vehicle fires and fire safety in tunnels

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-09-20

    Tunnels present what is arguably the most hazardous environment, from the point of view of fire safety, that members of the public ever experience. The fire safety design of tunnels is carried out by tunnel engineers on the basis of a potential fire ...

  12. Photodynamic antimicrobial therapy to inhibit pseudomonas aeruginosa of corneal isolates (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Durkee, Heather A.; Relhan, Nidhi; Arboleda, Alejandro; Halili, Francisco; De Freitas, Carolina; Alawa, Karam; Aguilar, Mariela C.; Amescua, Guillermo; Miller, Darlene; Parel, Jean-Marie

    2016-03-01

    Keratitis associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa is difficult to manage. Treatment includes antibiotic eye drops, however, some strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are resistant. Current research efforts are focused on finding alternative and adjunct therapies to treat multi-drug resistant bacteria. One promising alternate technique is photodynamic therapy (PDT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of riboflavin- and rose bengal-mediated PDT on Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis isolates in vitro. Two isolates (S+U- and S-U+) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were derived from keratitis patients and exposed to five experimental groups: (1) Control (dark, UV-A irradiation, 525nm irradiation); (2) 0.1% riboflavin (dark, UV-A irradiation); and (3) 0.1% rose bengal, (4) 0.05% rose bengal and (5) 0.01% rose bengal (dark, 525nm irradiation). Three days after treatment, in dark conditions of all concentration of riboflavin and rose bengal showed no inhibition in both S+U- and S-U+ strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In 0.1% and 0.05% rose bengal irradiated groups, for both S+U- and S-U+ strains, there was complete inhibition of bacterial growth in the central 50mm zone corresponding to the diameter of the green light source. These in vitro results suggest that rose bengal photodynamic therapy may be an effective adjunct treatment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis.

  13. School Fires. Topical Fire Research Series. Volume 8, Issue 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Homeland Security, 2007

    2007-01-01

    Using the past 3 years of data, for 2003 to 2005, from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) database, the yearly national fire loss for fires on nonadult school properties is estimated at $85 million. Such losses are the result of an estimated annual average of 14,700 fires that required a fire department response. Fires on school…

  14. Efficacy of lactoferricin B in controlling ready-to-eat vegetable spoilage caused by Pseudomonas spp.

    PubMed

    Federico, Baruzzi; Pinto, Loris; Quintieri, Laura; Carito, Antonia; Calabrese, Nicola; Caputo, Leonardo

    2015-12-23

    The microbial content of plant tissues has been reported to cause the spoilage of ca. 30% of chlorine-disinfected fresh vegetables during cold storage. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of antimicrobial peptides in controlling microbial vegetable spoilage under cold storage conditions. A total of 48 bacterial isolates were collected from ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables and identified as belonging to Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Aeromonas media, Pseudomonas cichorii, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas jessenii, Pseudomonas koreensis, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas simiae and Pseudomonas viridiflava species. Reddish or brownish pigmentation was found when Pseudomonas strains were inoculated in wounds on leaves of Iceberg and Trocadero lettuce and escarole chicory throughout cold storage. Bovine lactoferrin (BLF) and its hydrolysates (LFHs) produced by pepsin, papain and rennin, were assayed in vitro against four Pseudomonas spp. strains selected for their heavy spoiling ability. As the pepsin-LFH showed the strongest antimicrobial effect, subsequent experiments were carried out using the peptide lactoferricin B (LfcinB), well known to be responsible for its antimicrobial activity. LfcinB significantly reduced (P ≤ 0.05) spoilage by a mean of 36% caused by three out of four inoculated spoiler pseudomonads on RTE lettuce leaves after six days of cold storage. The reduction in the extent of spoilage was unrelated to viable cell density in the inoculated wounds. This is the first paper providing direct evidence regarding the application of an antimicrobial peptide to control microbial spoilage affecting RTE leafy vegetables during cold storage.

  15. [The effect of biyuanshu oral liquid on the formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in vitro].

    PubMed

    Liu, Xiang; Chen, Haihong; Wang, Shengqing

    2012-07-01

    To observe the effect of biyuanshu oral liquid on the formation of pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in vitro. Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm was established by plate culture and detected by Scanning electron microscopy and AgNO3 staining. After treated with different dosages of biyuanshu oral liquid and erythromycin, the pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms were observed by AgNO3 staining and the number of viable bacteria were measured by serial dilution. The pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms could be detected by SEM at the seventh culture day and it was consistent with the detection of AgNO3 staining. The biyuanshu oral liquid and erythromycin have the effect on inhibiting the formation of pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. But with the already formed pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms the inhibition was not significant. The serial dilution method showed that the viable counts of bacteria of biyuanshu oral liquid and erythromycin treated groups were significantly lower than those untreated groups (P < 0.05). The biyuanshu oral liquid and erythromycin can inhibit the formation of pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in vitro.

  16. Metabolism of hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride in Pseudomonas strain B1.

    PubMed Central

    van Ginkel, C G; van Dijk, J B; Kroon, A G

    1992-01-01

    A bacterium (strain B1) utilizing hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride as a carbon and energy source was isolated from activated sludge and tentatively identified as a Pseudomonas sp. This bacterium only grew on alkyltrimethylammonium salts (C12 to C22) and possible intermediates of hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride breakdown such as hexadecanoate and acetate. Pseudomonas strain B1 did not grow on amines. Simultaneous adaptation studies suggested that the bacterium oxidized only the alkyl chain of hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride. This was confirmed by the stoichiometric formation of trimethylamine from hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride. The initial hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride oxygenase activity, measured by its ability to form trimethylamine, was NAD(P)H and O2 dependent. Finally, assays of aldehyde dehydrogenase, hexadecanoyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase, and isocitrate lyase in cell extracts revealed the potential of Pseudomonas strain B1 to metabolize the alkyl chain via beta-oxidation. PMID:1444422

  17. 34 CFR 668.49 - Institutional fire safety policies and fire statistics.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... fire. Fire safety system: Any mechanism or system related to the detection of a fire, the warning resulting from a fire, or the control of a fire. This may include sprinkler systems or other fire extinguishing systems, fire detection devices, stand-alone smoke alarms, devices that alert one to the presence...

  18. 34 CFR 668.49 - Institutional fire safety policies and fire statistics.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... fire. Fire safety system: Any mechanism or system related to the detection of a fire, the warning resulting from a fire, or the control of a fire. This may include sprinkler systems or other fire extinguishing systems, fire detection devices, stand-alone smoke alarms, devices that alert one to the presence...

  19. 34 CFR 668.49 - Institutional fire safety policies and fire statistics.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... fire. Fire safety system: Any mechanism or system related to the detection of a fire, the warning resulting from a fire, or the control of a fire. This may include sprinkler systems or other fire extinguishing systems, fire detection devices, stand-alone smoke alarms, devices that alert one to the presence...

  20. 34 CFR 668.49 - Institutional fire safety policies and fire statistics.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... fire. Fire safety system: Any mechanism or system related to the detection of a fire, the warning resulting from a fire, or the control of a fire. This may include sprinkler systems or other fire extinguishing systems, fire detection devices, stand-alone smoke alarms, devices that alert one to the presence...

  1. Predicting Fire Severity and Hydrogeomorphic Effects for Wildland Fire Decision Support

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hyde, K.; Woods, S. W.; Calkin, D.; Ryan, K.; Keane, R.

    2007-12-01

    The Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) uses the Fire Spread Probability (FSPro) model to predict the spatial extent of fire, and to assess values-at-risk within probable spread zones. This information is used to support Appropriate Management Response (AMR), which involves decision making regarding fire-fighter deployment, fire suppression requirements, and identification of areas where fire may be safely permitted to take its course. Current WFDSS assessments are generally limited to a binary prediction of whether or not a fire will reach a given location and an assessment of the infrastructure which may be damaged or destroyed by fire. However, an emerging challenge is to expand the capabilities of WFDSS so that it also estimates the probable fire severity, and hence the effect on soil, vegetation and on hydrologic and geomorphic processes such as runoff and soil erosion. We present a conceptual framework within which derivatives of predictive fire modelling are used to predict impacts upon vegetation and soil, from which fire severity and probable post-fire watershed response can be inferred, before a fire actually occurs. Fire severity predictions are validated using Burned Area Reflectance Classification imagery. Recent tests indicate that satellite derived BARC images are a simple and effective means to predict post-fire erosion response based on relative vegetation disturbance. A fire severity prediction which reasonably approximates a BARC image may therefore be used to assess post-fire erosion and flood potential before fire reaches an area. This information may provide a new avenue of reliable support for fire management decisions.

  2. Optimizing prescribed fire allocation for managing fire risk in central Catalonia.

    PubMed

    Alcasena, Fermín J; Ager, Alan A; Salis, Michele; Day, Michelle A; Vega-Garcia, Cristina

    2018-04-15

    We used spatial optimization to allocate and prioritize prescribed fire treatments in the fire-prone Bages County, central Catalonia (northeastern Spain). The goal of this study was to identify suitable strategic locations on forest lands for fuel treatments in order to: 1) disrupt major fire movements, 2) reduce ember emissions, and 3) reduce the likelihood of large fires burning into residential communities. We first modeled fire spread, hazard and exposure metrics under historical extreme fire weather conditions, including node influence grid for surface fire pathways, crown fraction burned and fire transmission to residential structures. Then, we performed an optimization analysis on individual planning areas to identify production possibility frontiers for addressing fire exposure and explore alternative prescribed fire treatment configurations. The results revealed strong trade-offs among different fire exposure metrics, showed treatment mosaics that optimize the allocation of prescribed fire, and identified specific opportunities to achieve multiple objectives. Our methods can contribute to improving the efficiency of prescribed fire treatment investments and wildfire management programs aimed at creating fire resilient ecosystems, facilitating safe and efficient fire suppression, and safeguarding rural communities from catastrophic wildfires. The analysis framework can be used to optimally allocate prescribed fire in other fire-prone areas within the Mediterranean region and elsewhere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Temperature-responsive genetic loci in the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea.

    PubMed

    Ullrich, M S; Schergaut, M; Boch, J; Ullrich, B

    2000-10-01

    Plant-pathogenic bacteria may sense variations in environmental factors, such as temperature, to adapt to plant-associated habitats during pathogenesis or epiphytic growth. The bacterial blight pathogen of soybean, Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea PG4180, preferentially produces the phytotoxin coronatine at 18 degrees C and infects the host plant under conditions of low temperature and high humidity. A miniTn5-based promoterless glucuronidase (uidA) reporter gene was used to identify genetic loci of PG4180 preferentially expressed at 18 or 28 degrees C. Out of 7500 transposon mutants, 61 showed thermoregulated uidA expression as determined by a three-step screening procedure. Two-thirds of these mutants showed an increased reporter gene expression at 18 degrees C whilst the remainder exhibited higher uidA expression at 28 degrees C. MiniTn5-uidA insertion loci from these mutants were subcloned and their nucleotide sequences were determined. Several of the mutants induced at 18 degrees C contained the miniTn5-uidA insertion within the 32.8 kb coronatine biosynthetic gene cluster. Among the other mutants with increased uidA expression at 18 degrees C, insertions were found in genes encoding formaldehyde dehydrogenase, short-chain dehydrogenase and mannuronan C-5-epimerase, in a plasmid-borne replication protein, and in the hrpT locus, involved in pathogenicity of P. syringae. Among the mutants induced at 28 degrees C, insertions disrupted loci with similarities to a repressor of conjugal plasmid transfer, UV resistance determinants, an isoflavanoid-degrading enzyme, a HU-like DNA-binding protein, two additional regulatory proteins, a homologue of bacterial adhesins, transport proteins, LPS synthesis enzymes and two proteases. Genetic loci from 13 mutants did not show significant similarities to any database entries. Results of plant inoculations showed that three of the mutants tested were inhibited in symptom development and in planta multiplication rates

  4. Induction of DIMBOA accumulation and systemic defense responses as a mechanism of enhanced resistance of mycorrhizal corn (Zea mays L.) to sheath blight.

    PubMed

    Song, Yuan Yuan; Cao, Man; Xie, Li Jun; Liang, Xiao Ting; Zeng, Ren Sen; Su, Yi Juan; Huang, Jing Hua; Wang, Rui Long; Luo, Shi Ming

    2011-11-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizas are the most important symbioses in terrestrial ecosystems and they enhance the plant defense against numerous soil-borne pathogenic fungi and nematodes. Two corn (Zea mays) varieties, Gaoyou-115 that is susceptible to sheath blight disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani and Yuenong-9 that is resistant, were used for mycorrhizal inoculation in this study. Pre-inoculation of susceptible Gaoyou-115 with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus mosseae significantly reduced the disease incidence and disease severity of sheath blight of corn. HPLC analysis showed that AMF inoculation led to significant increase in 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-2 H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4 H)-one (DIMBOA) accumulation in the roots of both corn varieties and in leaves of resistant Yuenong-9. R. solani inoculation alone did not result in accumulation of DIMBOA in both roots and leaves of the two corn varieties. Our previous study showed that DIMBOA strongly inhibited mycelial growth of R. solani in vitro. Real-time PCR analysis showed that mycorrhizal inoculation itself did not affect the transcripts of most genes tested. However, pre-inoculation with G. mosseae induced strong responses of three defense-related genes PR2a, PAL, and AOS, as well as BX9, one of the key genes in DIMBOA biosynthesis pathway, in the leaves of corn plants of both Yuenong-9 and Gaoyou-115 after the pathogen attack. Induction of defense responses in pre-inoculated plants was much higher and quicker than that in non-inoculated plants upon R. solani infection. These results indicate that induction of accumulation of DIMBOA, an important phytoalexin in corn, and systemic defense responses by AMF, plays a vital role in enhanced disease resistance of mycorrhizal plants of corn against sheath blight. This study also suggests that priming is an important mechanism in mycorrhiza-induced resistance.

  5. Antibiosis by Pantoea agglomerans biocontrol strain E325 against Erwinia amylovora on apple blossom stigmas

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pantoea agglomerans E325, the active ingredient in a commercial product for fire blight control, was previously shown in vitro to produce a unique alkaline- and phosphate-sensitive antibiotic specific to Erwinia amylovora. Antibiosis was evaluated as a mode of antagonism on blossom stigmas using two...

  6. Geneva apple rootstock performance in New York state and progress in commercialization

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A number of new apple rootstocks from the Cornell/USDA apple rootstock breeding project, located at Geneva NY which are resistant to the bacterial disease fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) are rapidly becoming available. Some named rootstock genotypes from this program have previously been tested in s...

  7. Inoculation of Malus genotypes with a set of Erwinia amylovora strains indicates a gene-for-gene relationship between the effector gene eop1 and both Malus floribunda 821 and Malus 'Evereste'

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Gram-negative bacterium Erwinia amylovora (Burrill) Winslow. et al., causal agent of fire blight disease in pome fruit trees, encodes a type three secretion system (T3SS) that functions to translocate effector proteins into plant cells that collectively function to suppress host defenses and ena...

  8. 2015 Progress Report – Evaluation of the Cornell-Geneva Apple Rootstocks and Other Promising Apple Rootstocks

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A number of new apple rootstocks from the Cornell/USDA apple rootstock breeding project, located at Geneva, NY which are resistant to fire blight are rapidly becoming available to the industry. These rootstocks are also dwarfing, tolerant to replant disease and productive. Data on cumulative yield...

  9. Davis Fire: Fire behavior and fire effects analysis

    Treesearch

    LaWen T. Hollingsworth

    2010-01-01

    The Davis Fire presents an interesting example of fire behavior in subalpine fir, partially dead lodgepole pine with multiple age classes, and moist site Douglas-fir vegetation types. This has been summer of moderate temperatures and intermittent moisture that has kept live herbaceous and live woody moistures fairly high and dead fuel moistures at a moderate level....

  10. Comparative In Vitro Efficacy of Doripenem and Imipenem Against Multi-Drug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    PubMed

    Wali, Nadia; Mirza, Irfan Ali

    2016-04-01

    To compare the in vitro efficacy of doripenem and imipenem against multi-drug resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa from various clinical specimens. Descriptive cross-sectional study. Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, from November 2012 to November 2013. MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from various clinical samples were included in the study. Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa against doripenem and imipenem was performed by E-test strip and agar dilution methods. The results were interpreted as recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines. The maximum number of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated from pure pus and pus swabs. In vitro efficacy of doripenem was found to be more effective as compared to imipenem against MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa with both E-test strip and agar dilution methods. Overall, p-values of 0.014 and 0.037 were observed when susceptibility patterns of doripenem and imipenem were evaluated with E-test strip and agar dilution methods. In vitro efficacy of doripenem was found to be better against MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosaas compared to imipenem when tested by both E-test and agar dilution methods.

  11. Fire Behavior (FB)

    Treesearch

    Robert E. Keane

    2006-01-01

    The Fire Behavior (FB) method is used to describe the behavior of the fire and the ambient weather and fuel conditions that influence the fire behavior. Fire behavior methods are not plot based and are collected by fire event and time-date. In general, the fire behavior data are used to interpret the fire effects documented in the plot-level sampling. Unlike the other...

  12. 46 CFR 27.301 - What are the requirements for fire pumps, fire mains, and fire hoses on towing vessels?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... place where the remote fire pump control is located. (c) The fire main must have a sufficient number of... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false What are the requirements for fire pumps, fire mains... the requirements for fire pumps, fire mains, and fire hoses on towing vessels? By April 29, 2005, you...

  13. Fire behavior, fuel treatments, and fire suppression on the Hayman Fire - Part 1: Fire weather, meteorology, and climate

    Treesearch

    Larry Bradshaw; Roberta Bartlette; John McGinely; Karl Zeller

    2003-01-01

    The Hayman Fire in June 2002 was heavily influenced by antecedent regional weather conditions, culminating in a series of daily weather events that aligned to produce widely varying fire behavior. This review of weather conditions associated with the Hayman Fire consists of two parts: 1) A brief overview of prior conditions as described by a regional climate review and...

  14. FARSITE: a fire area simulator for fire managers

    Treesearch

    Mark A. Finney

    1995-01-01

    A fire growth model (FARSITE) has been developed for use on personal computers (PC’s). Because PC’s are commonly used by land and fire managers, this portable platform would be an accustomed means to bring fire growth modeling technology to management applications. The FARSITE model is intended for use in projecting the growth of prescribed natural fires for wilderness...

  15. Detection and Characterization of Low Temperature Peat Fires during the 2015 Fire Catastrophe in Indonesia Using a New High-Sensitivity Fire Monitoring Satellite Sensor (FireBird).

    PubMed

    Atwood, Elizabeth C; Englhart, Sandra; Lorenz, Eckehard; Halle, Winfried; Wiedemann, Werner; Siegert, Florian

    2016-01-01

    Vast and disastrous fires occurred on Borneo during the 2015 dry season, pushing Indonesia into the top five carbon emitting countries. The region was affected by a very strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate phenomenon, on par with the last severe event in 1997/98. Fire dynamics in Central Kalimantan were investigated using an innovative sensor offering higher sensitivity to a wider range of fire intensities at a finer spatial resolution (160 m) than heretofore available. The sensor is onboard the TET-1 satellite, part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) FireBird mission. TET-1 images (acquired every 2-3 days) from the middle infrared were used to detect fires continuously burning for almost three weeks in the protected peatlands of Sebangau National Park as well as surrounding areas with active logging and oil palm concessions. TET-1 detection capabilities were compared with MODIS active fire detection and Landsat burned area algorithms. Fire dynamics, including fire front propagation speed and area burned, were investigated. We show that TET-1 has improved detection capabilities over MODIS in monitoring low-intensity peatland fire fronts through thick smoke and haze. Analysis of fire dynamics revealed that the largest burned areas resulted from fire front lines started from multiple locations, and the highest propagation speeds were in excess of 500 m/day (all over peat > 2m deep). Fires were found to occur most often in concessions that contained drainage infrastructure but were not cleared prior to the fire season. Benefits of implementing this sensor system to improve current fire management techniques are discussed. Near real-time fire detection together with enhanced fire behavior monitoring capabilities would not only improve firefighting efforts, but also benefit analysis of fire impact on tropical peatlands, greenhouse gas emission estimations as well as mitigation measures to reduce severe fire events in the future.

  16. Combined inoculation of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma harzianum for enhancing plant growth of vanilla (Vanilla planifolia).

    PubMed

    Sandheep, A R; Asok, A K; Jisha, M S

    2013-06-15

    This study was conducted to evaluate the plant growth promoting efficiency of combined inoculation of rhizobacteria on Vanilla plants. Based on the in vitro performance of indigenous Trichoderma spp. and Pseudomonas spp., four effective antagonists were selected and screened under greenhouse experiment for their growth enhancement potential. The maximum percentage of growth enhancement were observed in the combination of Trichoderma harzianum with Pseudomonas fluorescens treatment followed by Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichoderma harzianum, Pseudomonas putida and Trichoderma virens, respectively in decreasing order. Combined inoculation of Trichoderma harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescens registered the maximum length of vine (82.88 cm), highest number of leaves (26.67/plant), recorded the highest fresh weight of shoots (61.54 g plant(-1)), fresh weight of roots (4.46 g plant(-1)) and dry weight of shoot (4.56 g plant(-1)) where as the highest dry weight of roots (2.0806 g plant(-1)) were achieved with treatments of Pseudomonas fluorescens. Among the inoculated strains, combined inoculation of Trichoderma harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescens recorded the maximum nitrogen uptake (61.28 mg plant(-1)) followed by the combined inoculation of Trichoderma harzianum (std) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (std) (55.03 mg plant(-1)) and the highest phosphorus uptake (38.80 mg plant(-1)) was recorded in dual inoculation of Trichoderma harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescens.

  17. Assessment of Fire Occurrence and Future Fire Potential in Arctic Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    French, N. H. F.; Jenkins, L. K.; Loboda, T. V.; Bourgeau-Chavez, L. L.; Whitley, M. A.

    2014-12-01

    An analysis of the occurrence of fire in Alaskan tundra was completed using the relatively complete historical record of fire for the region from 1950 to 2013. Spatial fire data for Alaskan tundra regions were obtained from the Alaska Large Fire Database for the region defined from vegetation and ecoregion maps. A detailed presentation of fire records available for assessing the fire regime of the tundra regions of Alaska as well as results evaluating fire size, seasonality, and general geographic and temporal trends is included. Assessment of future fire potential was determined for three future climate scenarios at four locations across the Alaskan tundra using the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI). Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2) weather variables were used for historical (1850-2005) and future (2006-2100) time periods. The database includes 908 fire points and 463 fire polygons within the 482,931 km2 of Alaskan tundra. Based on the polygon database 25,656 km2 (6,340,000 acres) has burned across the six tundra ecoregions since 1950. Approximately 87% of tundra fires start in June and July across all ecoregions. Combining information from the polygon and points data records, the estimated average fire size for fire in the Alaskan Arctic region is 28.1 km2 (7,070 acres), which is much smaller than in the adjacent boreal forest region, averaging 203 km2 for high fire years. The largest fire in the database is the Imuruk Basin Fire which burned 1,680 km2 in 1954 in the Seward Peninsula region (Table 1). Assessment of future fire potential shows that, in comparison with the historical fire record, fire occurrence in Alaskan tundra is expected to increase under all three climate scenarios. Occurrences of high fire weather danger (>10 FWI) are projected to increase in frequency and magnitude in all regions modeled. The changes in fire weather conditions are expected to vary from one region to another in seasonal occurrence as well as severity and frequency

  18. [Risk factors for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, resistant to carbapenem].

    PubMed

    Ghibu, Laura; Miftode, Egidia; Teodor, Andra; Bejan, Codrina; Dorobăţ, Carmen Mihaela

    2010-01-01

    Since their introduction in clinical practice,carbapenems have been among the most powerful antibiotics for treating serious infections cased by Gram-negative nosocomial pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The emergence of betalactamases with carbapenem-hydrolyzing activity is of major clinical concern. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of nosocomial infection. Risk factors for colonization with carbapenems-resistant Pseudomonas in hospital are: history of P. aeruginosa infection or colonization within the previous year, (length of hospital stay, being bedridden or in the ICU, mechanical ventilation, malignant disease, and history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have all been identified as independent risk factors for MDR P. aeruginosa infection. Long-term-care facilities are also reservoirs of resistant bacteria. Risk factors for colonization of LTCF residents with resistant bacteria included age > 86 years, antibiotic treatment in the previous 3 months, indwelling devices, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, physical disability, and the particular LTCF unit.

  19. Catabolism of Naphthalenesulfonic Acids by Pseudomonas sp. A3 and Pseudomonas sp. C22

    PubMed Central

    Brilon, C.; Beckmann, W.; Knackmuss, H.-J.

    1981-01-01

    Naphthalene and two naphthalenesulfonic acids were degraded by Pseudomonas sp. A3 and Pseudomonas sp. C22 by the same enzymes. Gentisate is a major metabolite. Catabolic activities for naphthalene, 1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, and 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid are induced by growth with naphthalene, 1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid, methylnaphthalene, or salicylate. Gentisate is also an inducer in strain A3. Inhibition kinetics show that naphthalene and substituted naphthalenes are hydroxylated by the same naphthalene dioxygenase. Substrates with nondissociable substituents such as CH3, OCH3, Cl, or NO2 are hydroxylated in the 7,8-position, and 4-substituted salicylates are accumulated. If CO2H, CH2CO2H, or SO3H are substituents, hydroxylation occurs with high regioselectivity in the 1,2-position. Thus, 1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydronaphthalene-2-carboxylic acids are formed quantitatively from the corresponding naphthalenecarboxylic acids. Utilization of naphthalenesulfonic acids proceeds by the same regioselective 1,2-dioxygenation which labilizes the C—SO3− bond and eliminates sulfite. PMID:16345814

  20. Biosurfactant production by Pseudomonas strains isolated from floral nectar.

    PubMed

    Ben Belgacem, Z; Bijttebier, S; Verreth, C; Voorspoels, S; Van de Voorde, I; Aerts, G; Willems, K A; Jacquemyn, H; Ruyters, S; Lievens, B

    2015-06-01

    To screen and identify biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas strains isolated from floral nectar; to characterize the produced biosurfactants; and to investigate the effect of different carbon sources on biosurfactant production. Four of eight nectar Pseudomonas isolates were found to produce biosurfactants. Phylogenetic analysis based on three housekeeping genes (16S rRNA gene, rpoB and gyrB) classified the isolates into two groups, including one group closely related to Pseudomonas fluorescens and another group closely related to Pseudomonas fragi and Pseudomonas jessenii. Although our nectar pseudomonads were able to grow on a variety of water-soluble and water-immiscible carbon sources, surface active agents were only produced when using vegetable oil as sole carbon source, including olive oil, sunflower oil or waste frying sunflower oil. Structural characterization based on thin layer chromatography (TLC) and ultra high performance liquid chromatography-accurate mass mass spectrometry (UHPLC-amMS) revealed that biosurfactant activity was most probably due to the production of fatty acids (C16:0; C18:0; C18:1 and C18:2), and mono- and diglycerides thereof. Four biosurfactant-producing nectar pseudomonads were identified. The active compounds were identified as fatty acids (C16:0; C18:0; C18:1 and C18:2), and mono- and diglycerides thereof, produced by hydrolysis of triglycerides of the feedstock. Studies on biosurfactant-producing micro-organisms have mainly focused on microbes isolated from soils and aquatic environments. Here, for the first time, nectar environments were screened as a novel source for biosurfactant producers. As nectars represent harsh environments with high osmotic pressure and varying pH levels, further screening of nectar habitats for biosurfactant-producing microbes may lead to the discovery of novel biosurfactants with broad tolerance towards different environmental conditions. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  1. Pseudomonas japonica sp. nov., a novel species that assimilates straight chain alkylphenols.

    PubMed

    Pungrasmi, Wiboonluk; Lee, Haeng-Seog; Yokota, Akira; Ohta, Akinori

    2008-02-01

    A bacterial strain, WL(T), which was isolated from an activated sludge, was able to degrade alkylphenols. 16S rDNA sequence analysis indicated that strain WL(T) belonged to the genus Pseudomonas (sensu stricto) and formed a monophyletic clade with the type strain of Pseudomonas graminis and other members in the Pseudomonas putida subcluster with sequence similarity values higher than 97%. Genomic relatedness based on DNA-DNA hybridization of strain WL(T) to these strains is 2-41%. Strain WL(T) contained ubiquinone-9 as the main respiratory quinone, and the G+C content of DNA was 66 mol%. The organism contained hexadecanoic acid (16:0), hexadecenoic acid (16:1) and octadecenoic acid (18:1) as major cellular fatty acids. The hydroxy fatty acids detected were 3-hydroxydecanoic acid (3-OH 10:0), 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid (3-OH 12:0) and 2-hydroxydodecanoic acid (2-OH 12:0). These results, as well as physiological and biochemical characteristics clearly indicate that the strain WL(T) represents a new Pseudomonas species, for which the name Pseudomonas japonica is proposed. The type strain is strain WL(T) (=IAM 15071T=TISTR 1526T).

  2. Fire-driven alien invasion in a fire-adapted ecosystem

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Keeley, Jon E.; Brennan, Teresa J.

    2012-01-01

    Disturbance plays a key role in many alien plant invasions. However, often the main driver of invasion is not disturbance per se but alterations in the disturbance regime. In some fire-adapted shrublands, the community is highly resilient to infrequent, high-intensity fires, but changes in the fire regime that result in shorter fire intervals may make these communities more susceptible to alien plant invasions. This study examines several wildfire events that resulted in short fire intervals in California chaparral shrublands. In one study, we compared postfire recovery patterns in sites with different prefire stand ages (3 and 24 years), and in another study we compared sites that had burned once in four years with sites that had burned twice in this period. The population size of the dominant native shrub Adenostoma fasciculatum was drastically reduced following fire in the 3-year sites relative to the 24-year sites. The 3-year sites had much greater alien plant cover and significantly lower plant diversity than the 24-year sites. In a separate study, repeat fires four years apart on the same sites showed that annual species increased significantly after the second fire, and alien annuals far outnumbered native annuals. Aliens included both annual grasses and annual forbs and were negatively correlated with woody plant cover. Native woody species regenerated well after the first fire but declined after the second fire, and one obligate seeding shrub was extirpated from two sites by the repeat fires. It is concluded that some fire-adapted shrublands are vulnerable to changes in fire regime, and this can lead to a loss of native diversity and put the community on a trajectory towards type conversion from a woody to an herbaceous system. Such changes result in alterations in the proportion of natives to non-natives, changes in functional types from deeply rooted shrubs to shallow rooted grasses and forbs, increased fire frequency due to the increase in fine fuels

  3. Fire-driven alien invasion in a fire-adapted ecosystem.

    PubMed

    Keeley, Jon E; Brennan, Teresa J

    2012-08-01

    Disturbance plays a key role in many alien plant invasions. However, often the main driver of invasion is not disturbance per se but alterations in the disturbance regime. In some fire-adapted shrublands, the community is highly resilient to infrequent, high-intensity fires, but changes in the fire regime that result in shorter fire intervals may make these communities more susceptible to alien plant invasions. This study examines several wildfire events that resulted in short fire intervals in California chaparral shrublands. In one study, we compared postfire recovery patterns in sites with different prefire stand ages (3 and 24 years), and in another study we compared sites that had burned once in four years with sites that had burned twice in this period. The population size of the dominant native shrub Adenostoma fasciculatum was drastically reduced following fire in the 3-year sites relative to the 24-year sites. The 3-year sites had much greater alien plant cover and significantly lower plant diversity than the 24-year sites. In a separate study, repeat fires four years apart on the same sites showed that annual species increased significantly after the second fire, and alien annuals far outnumbered native annuals. Aliens included both annual grasses and annual forbs and were negatively correlated with woody plant cover. Native woody species regenerated well after the first fire but declined after the second fire, and one obligate seeding shrub was extirpated from two sites by the repeat fires. It is concluded that some fire-adapted shrublands are vulnerable to changes in fire regime, and this can lead to a loss of native diversity and put the community on a trajectory towards type conversion from a woody to an herbaceous system. Such changes result in alterations in the proportion of natives to non-natives, changes in functional types from deeply rooted shrubs to shallow rooted grasses and forbs, increased fire frequency due to the increase in fine fuels

  4. Spacecraft Fire Safety

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Margle, Janice M. (Editor)

    1987-01-01

    Fire detection, fire standards and testing, fire extinguishment, inerting and atmospheres, fire-related medical science, aircraft fire safety, Space Station safety concerns, microgravity combustion, spacecraft material flammability testing, and metal combustion are among the topics considered.

  5. 2-Heptyl-4-Quinolone, a Precursor of the Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal Molecule, Modulates Swarming Motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa▿

    PubMed Central

    Ha, Dae-Gon; Merritt, Judith H.; Hampton, Thomas H.; Hodgkinson, James T.; Janecek, Matej; Spring, David R.; Welch, Martin; O'Toole, George A.

    2011-01-01

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen capable of group behaviors, including biofilm formation and swarming motility. These group behaviors are regulated by both the intracellular signaling molecule c-di-GMP and acylhomoserine lactone quorum-sensing systems. Here, we show that the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) system also contributes to the regulation of swarming motility. Specifically, our data indicate that 2-heptyl-4-quinolone (HHQ), a precursor of PQS, likely induces the production of the phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA), which in turn acts via an as-yet-unknown downstream mechanism to repress swarming motility. We show that this HHQ- and PCA-dependent swarming repression is apparently independent of changes in global levels of c-di-GMP, suggesting complex regulation of this group behavior. PMID:21965567

  6. Genotyping-by-sequencing to re-map QTL for type II Fusarium head blight and leaf rust resistance in a wheat-tall wheatgrass introgression recombinant inbred population

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fusarium graminaerum (Fusarium head blight; FHB) and Puccinia recondita Roberge ex Desmaz. f. sp. tritici Eriks. & E. Henn (leaf rust; LR) are two major fungal pathogens threatening the wheat crop; consequently identifying resistance genes from various sources is always of importance to wheat breede...

  7. Post-fire vegetation and fuel development influences fire severity patterns in reburns.

    PubMed

    Coppoletta, Michelle; Merriam, Kyle E; Collins, Brandon M

    2016-04-01

    In areas where fire regimes and forest structure have been dramatically altered, there is increasing concern that contemporary fires have the potential to set forests on a positive feedback trajectory with successive reburns, one in which extensive stand-replacing fire could promote more stand-replacing fire. Our study utilized an extensive set of field plots established following four fires that occurred between 2000 and 2010 in the northern Sierra Nevada, California, USA that were subsequently reburned in 2012. The information obtained from these field plots allowed for a unique set of analyses investigating the effect of vegetation, fuels, topography, fire weather, and forest management on reburn severity. We also examined the influence of initial fire severity and time since initial fire on influential predictors of reburn severity. Our results suggest that high- to moderate-severity fire in the initial fires led to an increase in standing snags and shrub vegetation, which in combination with severe fire weather promoted high-severity fire effects in the subsequent reburn. Although fire behavior is largely driven by weather, our study demonstrates that post-fire vegetation composition and structure are also important drivers of reburn severity. In the face of changing climatic regimes and increases in extreme fire weather, these results may provide managers with options to create more fire-resilient ecosystems. In areas where frequent high-severity fire is undesirable, management activities such as thinning, prescribed fire, or managed wildland fire can be used to moderate fire behavior not only prior to initial fires, but also before subsequent reburns.

  8. Vaccines for preventing infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis.

    PubMed

    Johansen, Helle Krogh; Gøtzsche, Peter C

    2015-08-23

    Chronic pulmonary infection in cystic fibrosis results in progressive lung damage. Once colonisation of the lungs with Pseudomonas aeruginosa occurs, it is almost impossible to eradicate. Vaccines, aimed at reducing infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, have been developed. This is an update of a previously published review. To assess the effectiveness of vaccination against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis. We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group Trials Register using the terms vaccines AND pseudomonas (last search 30 March 2015). We previously searched PubMed using the terms vaccin* AND cystic fibrosis (last search 30 May 2013). Randomised trials (published or unpublished) comparing Pseudomonas aeruginosa vaccines (oral, parenteral or intranasal) with control vaccines or no intervention in cystic fibrosis. The authors independently selected trials, assessed them and extracted data. Six trials were identified. Two trials were excluded since they were not randomised and one old, small trial because it was not possible to assess whether is was randomised. The three included trials comprised 483, 476 and 37 patients, respectively. No data have been published from one of the large trials, but the company stated in a press release that the trial failed to confirm the results from an earlier study and that further clinical development was suspended. In the other large trial, relative risk for chronic infection was 0.91 (95% confidence interval 0.55 to 1.49), and in the small trial, the risk was also close to one. In the large trial, one patient was reported to have died in the observation period. In that trial, 227 adverse events (4 severe) were registered in the vaccine group and 91 (1 severe) in the control group. In this large trial of a vaccine developed against flagella antigens, antibody titres against the epitopes contained in the vaccine were higher in the vaccine group compared to the placebo group (P < 0.0001). Vaccines

  9. 40 CFR 180.1145 - Pseudomonas syringae; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1145 Pseudomonas syringae; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. Pseudomonas syringae is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance on all raw agricultural...

  10. 40 CFR 180.1145 - Pseudomonas syringae; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1145 Pseudomonas syringae; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. Pseudomonas syringae is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance on all raw agricultural...

  11. Fire intensity impacts on post-fire temperate coniferous forest net primary productivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sparks, Aaron M.; Kolden, Crystal A.; Smith, Alistair M. S.; Boschetti, Luigi; Johnson, Daniel M.; Cochrane, Mark A.

    2018-02-01

    Fire is a dynamic ecological process in forests and impacts the carbon (C) cycle through direct combustion emissions, tree mortality, and by impairing the ability of surviving trees to sequester carbon. While studies on young trees have demonstrated that fire intensity is a determinant of post-fire net primary productivity, wildland fires on landscape to regional scales have largely been assumed to either cause tree mortality, or conversely, cause no physiological impact, ignoring the impacted but surviving trees. Our objective was to understand how fire intensity affects post-fire net primary productivity in conifer-dominated forested ecosystems on the spatial scale of large wildland fires. We examined the relationships between fire radiative power (FRP), its temporal integral (fire radiative energy - FRE), and net primary productivity (NPP) using 16 years of data from the MOderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) for 15 large fires in western United States coniferous forests. The greatest NPP post-fire loss occurred 1 year post-fire and ranged from -67 to -312 g C m-2 yr-1 (-13 to -54 %) across all fires. Forests dominated by fire-resistant species (species that typically survive low-intensity fires) experienced the lowest relative NPP reductions compared to forests with less resistant species. Post-fire NPP in forests that were dominated by fire-susceptible species were not as sensitive to FRP or FRE, indicating that NPP in these forests may be reduced to similar levels regardless of fire intensity. Conversely, post-fire NPP in forests dominated by fire-resistant and mixed species decreased with increasing FRP or FRE. In some cases, this dose-response relationship persisted for more than a decade post-fire, highlighting a legacy effect of fire intensity on post-fire C dynamics in these forests.

  12. Fire and fire ecology: Concepts and principles

    Treesearch

    Mark A. Cochrane; Kevin C. Ryan

    2009-01-01

    Fire has been central to terrestrial life ever since early anaerobic microorganisms poisoned the atmosphere with oxygen and multicellular plant life moved onto land. The combination of fuels, oxygen, and heat gave birth to fire on Earth. Fire is not just another evolutionary challenge that life needed to overcome, it is, in fact, a core ecological process across much...

  13. Detection and Characterization of Low Temperature Peat Fires during the 2015 Fire Catastrophe in Indonesia Using a New High-Sensitivity Fire Monitoring Satellite Sensor (FireBird)

    PubMed Central

    Atwood, Elizabeth C.; Englhart, Sandra; Lorenz, Eckehard; Halle, Winfried; Wiedemann, Werner; Siegert, Florian

    2016-01-01

    Vast and disastrous fires occurred on Borneo during the 2015 dry season, pushing Indonesia into the top five carbon emitting countries. The region was affected by a very strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate phenomenon, on par with the last severe event in 1997/98. Fire dynamics in Central Kalimantan were investigated using an innovative sensor offering higher sensitivity to a wider range of fire intensities at a finer spatial resolution (160 m) than heretofore available. The sensor is onboard the TET-1 satellite, part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) FireBird mission. TET-1 images (acquired every 2–3 days) from the middle infrared were used to detect fires continuously burning for almost three weeks in the protected peatlands of Sebangau National Park as well as surrounding areas with active logging and oil palm concessions. TET-1 detection capabilities were compared with MODIS active fire detection and Landsat burned area algorithms. Fire dynamics, including fire front propagation speed and area burned, were investigated. We show that TET-1 has improved detection capabilities over MODIS in monitoring low-intensity peatland fire fronts through thick smoke and haze. Analysis of fire dynamics revealed that the largest burned areas resulted from fire front lines started from multiple locations, and the highest propagation speeds were in excess of 500 m/day (all over peat > 2m deep). Fires were found to occur most often in concessions that contained drainage infrastructure but were not cleared prior to the fire season. Benefits of implementing this sensor system to improve current fire management techniques are discussed. Near real-time fire detection together with enhanced fire behavior monitoring capabilities would not only improve firefighting efforts, but also benefit analysis of fire impact on tropical peatlands, greenhouse gas emission estimations as well as mitigation measures to reduce severe fire events in the future. PMID:27486664

  14. Plasmid Content of Isolates of Erwinia amylovora from Orchards in Washington and Oregon in the USA

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Washington (WA) and Oregon (OR) represent a major pome fruit production region of the United States, and streptomycin-resistant isolates of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora are common in orchards in this region. We examined the plasmid content of a collection of more than 200 isolates of ...

  15. HOPX1 Ea (Eop3) in Erwinia Amylovora functions as an avirulence gene in apple and is regulated by HRPL

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fire blight is a devastating disease of rosaceous plants caused by the Gram-negative bacterium E. amylovora. This pathogen delivers virulence proteins into host cells utilizing the Type-Three Secretion System (T3SS). Expression of the T3SS and associated substrates are activated by the alternative s...

  16. Analysis of apple (Malus) responses to bacterial pathogens using an oligo microarray

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fire blight is a devastating disease of apple (Malus x domestica) caused by the bacterial pathogen Erwinia amylovora (Ea). When infiltrated into host leaves, Ea induces reactions similar to a hypersensitive response (HR). Type III (T3SS) associated effectors, especially DspA/E, are suspected to ha...

  17. American chestnut as an allelopath in the southern Appalachians

    Treesearch

    D.B. Vandermast; David H. van Lear; B.D. Clinton

    2002-01-01

    Prior to the chestnut blight (Crypkonectria parasitica), American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) was the most common overstory tree in eastern deciduous forests. Chestnut's dominance has often been attributed to its resistance to fire and subsequent propensity to sprout vigorously and grow rapidly. Its role as an allelopath has...

  18. Overview of the 2013 FireFlux II grass fire field experiment

    Treesearch

    C.B. Clements; B. Davis; D. Seto; J. Contezac; A. Kochanski; J.-B. Fillipi; N. Lareau; B. Barboni; B. Butler; S. Krueger; R. Ottmar; R. Vihnanek; W.E. Heilman; J. Flynn; M.A. Jenkins; J. Mandel; C. Teske; D. Jimenez; J. O' Brien; B. Lefer

    2014-01-01

    In order to better understand the dynamics of fire-atmosphere interactions and the role of micrometeorology on fire behaviour the FireFlux campaign was conducted in 2006 on a coastal tall-grass prairie in southeast Texas, USA. The FireFlux campaign dataset has become the international standard for evaluating coupled fire-atmosphere model systems. While FireFlux is one...

  19. Isolation and evaluation of potent Pseudomonas species for bioremediation of phorate in amended soil.

    PubMed

    Jariyal, Monu; Gupta, V K; Jindal, Vikas; Mandal, Kousik

    2015-12-01

    Use of phorate as a broad spectrum pesticide in agricultural crops is finding disfavor due to persistence of both the principal compound as well as its toxic residues in soil. Three phorate utilizing bacterial species (Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 4.3, Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 5.1, Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 5.2) were isolated from field soils. Comparative phorate degradation analysis of these species in liquid cultures identified Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 5.1 to cause complete metabolization of phorate during seven days as compared to the other two species in 13 days. In soils amended with phorate at different levels (100, 200, 300 mg kg(-1) soil), Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 5.1 resulted in active metabolization of phorate by between 94.66% and 95.62% establishing the same to be a potent bacterium for significantly relieving soil from phorate residues. Metabolization of phorate to these phorate residues did not follow the first order kinetics. This study proves that Pseudomonas sp. strain Imbl 5.1 has huge potential for active bioremediation of phorate both in liquid cultures and agricultural soils. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. RAV transcription factors are essential for disease resistance against cassava bacterial blight via activation of melatonin biosynthesis genes.

    PubMed

    Wei, Yunxie; Chang, Yanli; Zeng, Hongqiu; Liu, Guoyin; He, Chaozu; Shi, Haitao

    2018-01-01

    With 1 AP2 domain and 1 B3 domain, 7 MeRAVs in apetala2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) gene family have been identified in cassava. However, the in vivo roles of these remain unknown. Gene expression assays showed that the transcripts of MeRAVs were commonly regulated after Xanthomonas axonopodis pv manihotis (Xam) and MeRAVs were specifically located in plant cell nuclei. Through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in cassava, we found that MeRAV1 and MeRAV2 are essential for plant disease resistance against cassava bacterial blight, as shown by the bacterial propagation of Xam in plant leaves. Through VIGS in cassava leaves and overexpression in cassava leave protoplasts, we found that MeRAV1 and MeRAV2 positively regulated melatonin biosynthesis genes and the endogenous melatonin level. Further investigation showed that MeRAV1 and MeRAV2 are direct transcriptional activators of 3 melatonin biosynthesis genes in cassava, as evidenced by chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR in cassava leaf protoplasts and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Moreover, cassava melatonin biosynthesis genes also positively regulated plant disease resistance. Taken together, this study identified MeRAV1 and MeRAV2 as common and upstream transcription factors of melatonin synthesis genes in cassava and revealed a model of MeRAV1 and MeRAV2-melatonin biosynthesis genes-melatonin level in plant disease resistance against cassava bacterial blight. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.