Alternaria on cruciferous plants. 4.Alternaria species on seed of some cruciferous crops and their pathogenicity

The incidence ofAlternaria spp. on seed samples of cruciferous vegetable crops was surveyed between 1990 and 1992. Some commercial seed lots of crucifers which are commonly grown in Japan were infested withAlternaria species. ThreeAlternaria species were encountered on the seed samples ofBrassica campestris, B. orelacea, andRaphanus sativus. The most frequently detected species wereA. japonica andA. alternata onB. campestris, A. brassicicola onB. oleracea, andA. japonica andA. alternata onR. sativus, respectively.Alternaria brassicae was not detected in this study.Alternaria brassicicola isolates from these crops produced necrotic lesions on all of the crucifer seedlings inoculated, whileA. japonica induced different reactions in different plants or plant parts depending on isolates used in inoculation tests. In contrast, most isolates ofA. alternata could not produce necrotic lesions on foliage leaves of crucifers inoculated, although some of them produced clear lesions only on cotyledons.Alternaria alternata associated with these cruciferous crop seeds was considered to be an oppotunistic parasite of these crops.     

链格孢Alternaria alternata侵染导致瓜类幼苗白化的机制

用分离自无症状瓜类植物的27株链格孢属Alternaria真菌接种黄瓜,有14株引起了黄瓜幼苗的白化,这些菌株均属于链格孢A. alternata。为揭示A. alternata引起黄瓜幼苗白化的机制,对代表菌株5F29经固体发酵后提取其次级代谢产物,将粗提物按一定量混入基质进行盆栽实验。结果表明,黄瓜、丝瓜和甜瓜对该粗提物敏感,出现白化苗;小白菜和辣椒对粗提物不敏感,生长正常。植物幼苗用粗提物处理的结果与用产生菌接种的结果相一致。粗提物经硅胶柱层析、葡聚糖凝胶柱层析及高效液相色谱（HPLC）等方法分离纯化得到一种活性化合物,经测定该化合物引起黄瓜幼苗白化的最低浓度为12.5μmol/L。该化合物在此浓度下可引起黄瓜幼苗生长点白化,在15μmol/L的浓度下可引起黄瓜幼苗大部分组织白化,致使幼苗很快死亡。应用核磁共振和质谱技术,确定了该化合物的结构,鉴定为一种植物毒素——腾毒素（tentoxin）。研究结果揭示了A. alternata引起瓜类幼苗白化的机制以及不同植物对于腾毒素的不同敏感性。     

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β expression is increased in the brain during HIV-1-infection and contributes to regulation of astrocyte tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1

ABSTRACT: Selective inhibition of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptor (GluN2BR) in spinal dorsal horn effectively alleviates inflammatory pain, suggesting the up-regulation of GluN2BR function involved in central sensitization. Previous studies have demonstrated that the increase in GluN2BR synaptic expression serves as a key step to enhance GluN2BR function after intradermal injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA). Here, we showed that cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) played an important role in redistributing GluN2BR at synapses, because inhibition of PKA activity impaired GluN2BR accumulation at post-synaptic density (PSD)-enriched fraction in CFA-injected mice, and direct stimulation of PKA in na?ve mice mimicked the effect of CFA by recruiting GluN2BR at PSD fraction to evoke pain sensitization. Analysis of PKA-initiated signalings unraveled that PKA was able to activate Src-family protein tyrosine kinases member Fyn, possibly by disrupting Fyn association with its inhibitory partner striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase 61. The active Fyn then promoted GluN2B phosphorylation at Tyr1472, a molecular event known to prevent GluN2BR endocytosis. As a result, pharmacological or genetic manipulation of Fyn activity greatly depressed GluN2BR accumulation at PSD-enriched fraction and ameliorated mechanical allodynia induced by PKA. Our data thus elucidated a critical role of PKA/Fyn/GluN2B signaling in triggering GluN2BR hyperfunction and pain hypersensitivity.     

Crosstalk between PKA and PKG controls pH‐dependent host cell egress of Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii encodes three protein kinase A catalytic (PKAc1‐3) and one regulatory (PKAr) subunits to integrate cAMP‐dependent signals. Here, we show that inactive PKAc1 is maintained at the parasite pellicle by interacting with acylated PKAr. Either a conditional knockdown of PKAr or the overexpression of PKAc1 blocks parasite division. Conversely, down‐regulation of PKAc1 or stabilisation of a dominant‐negative PKAr isoform that does not bind cAMP triggers premature parasite egress from infected cells followed by serial invasion attempts leading to host cell lysis. This untimely egress depends on host cell acidification. A phosphoproteome analysis suggested the interplay between cAMP and cGMP signalling as PKAc1 inactivation changes the phosphorylation profile of a putative cGMP‐phosphodiesterase. Concordantly, inhibition of the cGMP‐dependent protein kinase G (PKG) blocks egress induced by PKAc1 inactivation or environmental acidification, while a cGMP‐phosphodiesterase inhibitor circumvents egress repression by PKAc1 or pH neutralisation. This indicates that pH and PKAc1 act as balancing regulators of cGMP metabolism to control egress. These results reveal a crosstalk between PKA and PKG pathways to govern egress in T. gondii.     

Changes of PKA and PDK1 in the principal piece of boar spermatozoa treated with a cell-permeable cAMP analog to induce flagellar hyperactivation

A cAMP-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation and flagellar hyperactivation are controlled via complicated signaling cascades in mammalian spermatozoa. For instance, these events seem to be regulated positively by the PKA-mediated signaling and negatively by the PI3K/PDK1-mediated signaling. In this article, we have shown molecular changes of PKA and PDK1 in cAMP analog (cBiMPS)-treated boar spermatozoa in order to disclose possible roles of these kinases in protein tyrosine phosphorylation and hyperactivation. Ejaculated spermatozoa were incubated with cBiMPS, and then they were used for biochemical analyses of sperm kinases by Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence and for assessment of flagellar movement. The first 30-min incubation with cBiMPS highly activated PKA of the principal piece to the accompaniment of autophosphorylation on Thr-197 of catalytic subunits. However, protein tyrosine phosphorylation and hyperactivation were fully induced in the sperm samples after the 180-min incubation. A potentially active form of PDK1 (54/55-kDa phospho-PDK1) was detected in the principal piece of the spermatozoa during the 90-min incubation. Another potentially active form (59-kDa phospho-PDK1) gradually increased during the same incubation period. However, the PDK1 suddenly became inactive by the dephosphorylation after the 180-min incubation, namely coincidently with full induction of protein tyrosine phosphorylation and hyperactivation. Additionally, existence of PI3K-dependently suppressing mechanisms for protein tyrosine phosphorylation was confirmed in the principal piece by pharmacological experiments with LY294002 and biochemical analyses with anti-PI3K p85 antibodies. These findings suggest that dephosphorylation of PDK1 may be a molecular switch for enhancement of protein tyrosine phosphorylation and flagellar hyperactivation in boar spermatozoa.     

In vitro efficacy of some fungicides on mycelial growth of Alternaria alternata and Mucor pyriformis

Various chemical fungicides, systemic and non-systemic, were tested against fruit rot pathogens viz. Alternaria alternata and Mucor pyriformis for the evaluation of inhibition of mycelial growth. In A. alternata, among the systemic fungicides used, hexaconozole showed highest inhibition of mycelial growth followed by carbendazim and least effective was myclobutanil. While in M. pyriformis, hexaconozole showed highest inhibition and least effective was bitertanol. Among the non-systemic fungicides tested in both A. alternata and M. pyriformis, mancozeb showed highest inhibition of mycelial growth followed by capton and the least inhibition was shown by zineb.     

Two cases of cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis by Alternaria alternata and Alternaria tenuissima

Two cases of cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis, one with a nodular appearance and the other with an erythematous infiltrating patch, are reported in immunocompromised patients. Diagnosis was based on histological examination, which revealed hyphae and round-shaped fungal cells in a granulomatous dermal infiltrate, and on identification of the moulds when biopsy fragments were cultured on Sabouraud-dextrose agar without cycloheximide. The pathogens were Alternaria tenuissima in the first case and A. alternata in the second. The fungi were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The patients were checked for bone and lung involvement and were then treated with surgical excision and itraconazole, and itraconazole only, respectively, with clinical and mycological resolution. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

cAMP介导的梨果表皮物化信号对链格孢侵染的调控

采用药理学方法,用cAMP抑制剂阿托品（atropine）处理链格孢Alternaria alternata孢子悬浮液,通过体外试验分析cAMP信号级联通路在链格孢响应梨果皮蜡质疏水性、化学组分和外源乙烯利等刺激后启动孢子萌发、附着胞形成的调控作用,并通过体内试验研究其对链格孢致病性的调控。结果表明,高疏水性表面和梨果蜡涂膜表面及1μmol/L的乙烯利均可显著促进链格孢的孢子萌发和附着胞形成。cAMP信号级联通路抑制剂atropine处理后显著抑制了表皮疏水性、蜡质和外源乙烯介导的链格孢的孢子萌发和附着胞形成,其中抑制剂处理后4h,链格孢在疏水性、果蜡涂膜表面和乙烯等处理中附着胞形成率分别较对照降低了75.3%、63.7%和74.3%,同时抑制剂处理还可抑制损伤接种链格孢早酥梨黑斑病的扩展。外源cAMP可以部分恢复抑制剂的作用,外源cAMP+atropine处理后4h,在高疏水性（108°）和果蜡涂膜表面,链格孢附着胞形成率为抑制剂atropine单独处理的2.4倍和1.6倍,表明cAMP信号级联通路可通过调控侵染结构的形成而影响链格孢对梨果表皮物理化学信号的识别和应答。     

链格孢菌毒素对紫茎泽兰的致病机理

以叶圆片法分析链格孢菌[Alternaria alternata(Fr.)Keissler]毒素对紫茎泽兰（Eupatorium adenophorum Spreng.)叶组织细胞膜透性、过氧化物酶（POD）、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶（APX）和过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性以及丙二醛（MDA）含量的影响,结果表明,链格孢菌毒素使紫茎泽兰叶组织细胞膜透性上升,Na^ 和K^ 渗漏量增加,膜脂过氧化加强,MDA含量上升;链格孢菌毒素处理的紫茎泽兰叶片中POD、APX和CAT的活性均较对照降低。     

Microarray phenotyping places cyclase associated protein CAP at the crossroad of signaling pathways reorganizing the actin cytoskeleton in Dictyostelium

Large-scale gene expression analysis has been applied recently to uncover groups of genes that are co-regulated in particular processes. Here we undertake such an analysis on CAP, a protein that participates in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and in cAMP signaling in Dictyostelium. microarray analysis revealed that loss of CAP altered the expression of many cytoskeletal components. One of these, the Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor RhoGDI1, was analyzed further. RhoGDI1 null cells expressed lower amounts of CAP, which failed to accumulate predominantly at the cell cortex. To further position CAP in the corresponding signal transduction pathways we studied CAP localization and cellular functioning in mutants that have defects in several signaling components. CAP showed correct localization and dynamics in all analyzed strains except in mutants with deficient cAMP dependent protein kinase A activity, where CAP preferentially accumulated in crown shaped structures. Ectopic expression of CAP improved the efficiency of phagocytosis in Gβ-deficient cells and restored the pinocytosis, morphology and actin distribution defects in a PI3 kinase double mutant (pi3k1/2 null). Our results show that CAP acts at multiple crossroads and links signaling pathways to the actin cytoskeleton either by physical interaction with cytoskeletal components or through regulation of their gene expression.     

A phyloproteomic characterization of in vitro autophosphorylation in calcium-dependent protein kinases

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are a novel class of signaling molecules that have been broadly implicated in relaying specific calcium-mediated responses to biotic and abiotic stress as well as developmental cues in both plants and protists. Calcium-dependent autophosphorylation has been observed in almost all CDPKs examined, but a physiological role for autophosphorylation has not been demonstrated. To date, only a handful of autophosphorylation sites have been mapped to specific residues within CDPK amino acid sequences. In an attempt to gain further insight into this phenomenon, we have mapped autophosphorylation sites and compared these phosphorylation patterns among multiple CDPK isoforms. From eight CDPKs and two CDPK-related kinases from Arabidopsis thaliana and Plasmodium falciparum, 31 new autophosphorylation sites were characterized, which in addition to the previously described sites, allowed the identification of five conserved loci. Of the 35 total sites analyzed approximately one-half were observed in the N-terminal variable domain. Homology models were generated for the protein kinase and calmodulin-like domains, each containing two of the five conserved sites, to allow intelligent speculation regarding subsequent lines of investigation.     

链格孢柑橘致病型过氧化物酶体对接复合体蛋白AaPex13和AaPex14的生物学功能

过氧化物酶体是存在于真核细胞中的一类单层膜细胞器,参与多种生理生化代谢过程,而Pex13和Pex14是过氧化物酶体膜上的对接复合体蛋白,参与基质蛋白-受体复合体的跨膜运输。目前,Pex13和Pex14在大多数植物病原真菌中的生物学功能尚不清楚。本研究鉴定了柑橘褐斑病菌链格孢柑橘致病型(the tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata)的对接复合体蛋白Pex13和Pex14,并构建基因敲除突变体与回补菌株,探究其生物学功能。结果表明,与野生型和回补菌株相比,ΔAaPex13和ΔAaPex14营养生长、分生孢子形成显著下降,分生孢子的萌发率显著降低,抗氧化能力和抗细胞壁胁迫能力也显著减弱,病菌的ACT毒素产量分别降低30%和33%,在离体叶片上丧失致病力。此外,AaPex13和AaPex14的缺失导致基质蛋白无法定位到过氧化物酶体,过氧化物酶体生物发生存在缺陷。本研究明确了AaPex13和AaPex14在病菌生长发育、过氧化物酶体形成、ACT毒素产生以及维持致病力方面都具有重要的调控作用。