Host range and variation in virulence of Mycosphaerella ligulicola

A soil-borne inoculum of Mycosphaerella ligulicola was found to be mildly pathogenic to leaves or stems of globe artichoke, rudbeckia, zinnia, sunflower and dahlia, but severely pathogenic to lettuce. This is the first report of an infection by this fungus of plants other than chrysanthemum or pyrethrum. It was found that, with successive passages of the fungus through lettuce and chrysanthemum respectively, an increase in virulence to these hosts occurred. After a single passage through lettuce a reduction in virulence to chrysanthemum resulted, but with further passages through lettuce there was no further reduction in virulence to chrysanthemum.     

Reliability of statistical analyses for estimating relative specificity in quantitative resistance in a model host-pathogen system

Summary The reliability of analyses of variance for evaluating host cultivar x pathogen isolate specificity in resistance controlled by polygenes with additive effects was tested with combinations of hypothetical host and pathogen genotypes in a model system. In each test, varying numbers of host and pathogen genotypes were combined in all combinations, the resulting disease severities were calculated according to the model, and those data were subjected to analysis of variance. The percentage of total variance accounted for by host x pathogen interaction decreased with increasing numbers of host and pathogen genotypes per test. Simulated selection for virulence among randomly generated pathogen genotypes increased the percentage of variance attributable to host x pathogen genotype interaction, but simulated selection for resistance among host genotypes decreased it. The percentage of variance accounted for by interaction was greatest when selection of resistant host genotypes was followed by selection of the most virulent pathogen genotype on each selected host genotype. When gene frequencies were varied in the model, the interaction variance was greatest at low frequencies of resistance genes and high frequencies of virulence genes, but the number of matches between genes for specific virulence and specific resistance was greatest for high frequencies of both resistance and virulence genes. A simplified method of analysis was developed to estimate the amount of specific resistance in a set of host genotypes inoculated in all combinations with a set of pathogen genotypes. This method, based on the variance of disease severity adjusted to remove general virulence, proved consistently accurate with varying numbers of genotypes in the set, varying numbers of loci for resistance and virulence, and varying frequencies of genes for resistance and virulence. The variance method is of comparable accuracy and is much simpler than the previously proposed methods based on regression analysis. Simulated selection for resistance in the host and for virulence in the pathogen population increased the accuracy of both the variance method and the regression method.     

Multiple components of the resistance of potatoes to potato leafroll virus

In glasshouse experiments the ranking of potato genotypes for resistance to infection with potato leafroll virus (PLRV) using three concentrations of aphid-borne inoculum was the same as their field resistance ratings. In field-grown plants this resistance to infection increased in all genotypes as the plants aged but its rate of increase differed between genotypes. In tests on field-grown plants infected by aphid- or graft-inoculation, the proportion of virus-free progeny tubers increased the later the date of inoculation but was greater in resistant than in susceptible genotypes. This trend was most pronounced in the resistant clone G7445(1), in which the virus failed to move from the foliage to the tubers of some plants infected in glasshouse tests. The spread of PLRV will thus be minimised in crops of resistant compared with susceptible genotypes for three reasons: plants have greater resistance to infection, systemic spread of virus from their foliage to tubers is less likely and, as shown previously, the low concentration of virus particles in leaf tissue makes infected plants less potent sources of inoculum for aphids.     

Screening for Spontaneous Virulent Mutants of Erysiphe graminis D.C. f.sp. hordei on Barley lines with Resistance Genes Ml-a1, Ml-a6, Ml-a12 and Ml-g

Seedlings of 4 barley lines with powdery mildew resistance genes Ml-a1, Ml-a6 Ml-a12 and Ml-g were inoculated with powdery mildew culture CR3 which is avirulent to the 4 host lines. The inoculation density was 1.2 infectious conidia per mm², and in total 50 million conidia were screened for the occurrence of virulent mutans. During 30 cycles of screening, 43 putative virulent mutants were selected, multiplied and tested. They could be grouped in 5 different genotypes according to virulence spectrum. Based on the virulence spectre, mating type, biochemical tests and analyses of test crosses, 3 of the types were rejected as being of mutational origin, and the verification of the remaining 2 were not consistent with the expectations deduced from a gene-for-gene interaction. Provided that none of the genotypes found were of mutational origin, the spontaneous mutation frequency from avirulence to virulence in barley powdery mildew is therefore below 2 × 10^–8. A reconstructation experiment showed that the density of avirulent inoculum did not reduce the survival rate of rate virulent genotypes     

Genotype variation and capsular serotypes of Porphyromonas gingivalis from chronic periodontitis and periodontal abscesses

Porphyromonas gingivalis is considered an important pathogen in periodontal disease. While this organism expresses a number of virulence factors, no study combining different virulence polymorphisms has, so far, been conducted. The occurrence of combined virulence (Cv) genotypes in 62 isolates of P. gingivalis was investigated from subjects displaying either chronic periodontitis or periodontal abscess. The Cv genotypes, based on gene variation of fimbriae (fimA), Lys-specific cystein proteinase (kgp) and Arg-specific cystein proteinase (prpR1/rgpA), were evaluated by PCR. The isolates were also subjected to capsular polysaccharide K-serotyping. A total of 18 Cv genotype variants based on fimA: kgp: rgpA were identified, of which II:I:A and II:II:A Cv genotypes (53.3%) were the two most frequently detected combinations. Moreover, 36% of the isolates were K-typeable, with the K6 serotype being the most prevalent (23%). Two isolates had the same genotype as the virulent strain W83. The results indicate that chronic periodontitis is not associated with a particularly virulent clonal type. A highly virulent genotype (e.g. strain W83) of P. gingivalis can be found in certain periodontitis patients.     

Multigenic polymorphism as a source of adaptively restricted population variability

Among 400 Drosophila melanogaster flies individually analysed for nine gene–enzyme systems, a total of 160 different genotypes were found: 78 were repeatedly observed in two to 22 individuals, and 82 appeared only once. An increase in the frequency of rare alleles could be observed in such groups of genotypes that were less frequent. Among 24 most frequent genotypes (in 189 individuals) only four different combinations of five third-chromosomal genes are present, and 12 different combinations of three second-chromosomal genes. Among 82 unique genotypes these combinations were much more versatile: 29 at the third, 22 at the second, and three at the first chromosomes. The proportion of heterozygotes was increasing from most frequent toward unique genotypes (1.5–2.1 ± 0.1), primarily due to heterozygosity in five third-chromosomal loci (0.4–1.1 ± 0.06). When the number of genotypes in 100, 200, 300 and 400 sampled flies was extrapolated to larger samples, it became clear that this increase has an asymptotic character. It must be assumed that for our nine-loci model a total of approximately 200–220 different genotypes may exist in a population of a few thousands individuals, which means that adaptive variation for such a complex gene–enzyme system must be very much limited.     

Development of SCAR markers to the PVY resistance gene Ryadg based on a common feature of plant disease resistance genes.

Sequence-characterized amplified regions (SCARs) were developed, based on nucleotide differences within resistance gene-like fragments isolated from a potato plant carrying the Ryadg gene, which confers extreme resistance to potato Y potyvirus (PVY). It originates from Solanum tuberosum subsp. andigena, and a susceptible potato plant. SCARs were tested using 103 potato breeding lines and cultivars with diverse genetic backgrounds derived from Europe, North America, and Japan. Two markers showed high accuracy for detection of the Ryadg gene. The SCAR marker RYSC3 was generated only in genotypes carrying Ryadg. The SCAR marker RYSC4 was detected in all genotypes carrying Ryadg but also in four PVY-susceptible genotypes. Neither marker was detected in genotypes carrying other Ry genes originating from different species than S. tuberosum subsp. andigena. Therefore, these SCAR markers should be powerful tools in marker-assisted selection for Ryadg in potato breeding programs, and should also be useful for cloning of the Ryadg gene.     

Intra-specific Variation in Virulence and In Vitro Production of Macromolecular Toxins Active Against Locust Among Beauveria bassiana Strains and Effects of In Vivo and In Vitro Passage on These Factors

Strains of Beauveria bassiana isolated from locust or from the soil varied considerably in their virulence and their ability to produce in vitro toxic metabolites against Locusta migratoria. Among the pathogenic isolates, only culture filtrates of 90/2-Dm, 92/11-Dm and 0023-Su were toxic by injection, a result which demonstrates that isolates of B. bassiana can be pathogenic for L. migratoria whether they secrete toxic metabolites in vitro or not. Toxic metabolites secreted by strains 90/2-Dm and 92/11-Dm were macromoleculer as they were retained by dialysis (cutoff of 6./8 kDa for globular proteins), whereas those secreted by 0023-Su were not. The effect of in vitro passage on virulence and on toxicogenic activity of isolate 90/2-Dm was dependent on the mycological media the inoculum was produced on. The virulence of isolate 90/2-Dm was significantly reduced after two passages through Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA&rpar whereas two passages through Malt Agar (MA) increased its virulence and its toxicogenic activity. Nevertheless, the most aggressive conidia and the most toxic macromolecules were obtained after two passages of the isolate 90/2-Dm through the host. The bioactive macromolecules present in the crude filtrate of isolate 90/2-Dm were precipitated by 90% saturation of ammonium sulphate, and the insecticidal activity was exclusively detected in high molecular mass fraction after gel filtration on Sephadex G-25. In addition, the insecticidal effect of the Sephadex G-25 fraction was significantly reduced after exposure for 2 h at 608C and 20 min at 1208C, suggesting that the insecticidal metabolites in the culture filtrates of isolate 90/2-Dm were proteinaceous.     

ROP18 and ROP5 alleles combinations are related with virulence of T. gondii isolates from Argentina

The allelic combination of ROP18/ROP5 genes of Toxoplasma gondii has been shown to be highly predictive of mouse virulence in canonical isolates and strains. The aims of this study were to analyze the alleles present in the ROP18/ROP5 genes from T. gondii isolates obtained in Argentina, to associate the results with the virulence registered in mouse model, and to compare with other isolates and reference strains using a phylogenetic network. Fourteen T. gondii isolates from Argentina were analyzed by nPCR-RFLP for ROP18/ROP5. Phylogenetic network analysis was inferred using the ToxoDB genotypes and the ROPs molecular markers. All isolates and reference strains were categorized as lethal or non-lethal. As results, combinations 2/2, 3/3 and 4/3 for ROP18/ROP5 were detected in 12 isolates, whereas only alleles 1 and 2 of ROP5 were detected in 2 isolates. The majority of the isolates had a mouse virulence matching to that predicted by the ROP18/ROP5 allele combination. The 3 isolates that differed from the expected virulence presented non-clonal genotypes. ROPs incorporation increased the accuracy of the phylogenetic network relations among the T. gondii samples, prevailing the clustering according to regions. Our results indicate a predominance of type 3 allele in both ROP18 and ROP5 markers and an association of allelic profiles 3/3 and 4/3 of non-clonal genotypes from Argentina, both with virulent and avirulent profiles in mice.     

Virulence factors in food,clinical and reference Enterococci: A common trait in the genus?

The occurrence of several virulence traits (cytolysin, adhesins and hydrolytic enzymes) was investigated in a collection of 164 enterococci, including food and clinical isolates (from human and veterinary origin), as well as type and reference strains from 20 enterococcal species. Up to fifteen different cyl genotypes were found, as well as silent cyl genes. The occurrence of the cyl operon and haemolytic potential seems to be widespread in the genus. A significant association of this virulent trait with clinical isolates was found (p < 0.05). High levels of incidence were also observed for genes encoding surface adhesins (esp, efaA(fs), efaA(fm)), agg and gelE, irrespectively of species allocation and origin of strains. Although gelE behaves as silent in the majority of the strains, gelatinase activity predominates in clinical isolates, whereas lipase and DNase were mainly detected in food isolates pointing to their minor role as virulence determinants. No hyaluronidase activity was detected for all strains. Numerical hierarchic data analysis grouped the strains in three main clusters, two of them including a total of 50 strains with low number of virulence determinants (from 2 to 7) and the other with 114 strains with a high virulence potential (up to 12 determinants). No statistical association was found between virulence clusters and species allocation (p > 0.10), strongly suggesting that virulence determinants are a common trait in the genus Enterococcus. Clinical strains seem to be significantly associated with high virulence potential, whereas food, commensal and environmental strains harbour fewer virulence determinants (p < 0.01). A high level of relative diversity in virulence patterns was observed (Shannon's index varies from 0.95 to 1.0 among clusters), reinforcing the strain-specific nature of the association of virulence factors. Although a low risk seems to be associated with the use of enterococci in long-established artisanal cheeses, screening of virulence traits and their cross-synergies must be performed, particularly for commercial starters, probiotic strains and products to be used by high risk population groups.     

Loss of virulence genes in Escherichia coli populations during manure storage on a commercial swine farm

Confined livestock production farms typically store their wastes prior to land application. Here, we employed three complementary approaches to evaluate changes in the population structure and stability of virulence genes in Escherichia coli during manure storage on a commercial farm that housed healthy swine. Isolates were genotyped by repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR using the BOXA1R primer and evaluated for the presence of selected virulence genes by PCR. Isolates obtained from the manure holding tank (n = 392) carried estB, fedA, stx(2e), astA, paa, aida-I, and sepA at lower frequencies than isolates obtained from fresh feces (n = 412). Fresh fecal material from the barn was added into diffusion chambers and immersed in the manure holding tank for 7 weeks. The fecal E. coli population was initially dominated by a single genotype, all isolates of which carried fedA and aida-I. After 7 weeks, a genotype that did not carry any virulence genes dominated the surviving population. In a second experiment, 48 fecal isolates of E. coli that varied in their genotypes and virulence gene complement were incubated in diffusion chambers in the manure holding tank for 3 weeks. Over 95% of the inoculum population carried at least one virulence gene, whereas after 3 weeks 90% of the recovered isolates carried no virulence genes. Taken together, these results indicate that during commercial manure storage, there was a significant reduction in the carriage of these virulence genes by E. coli. We propose that loss of virulence genes from enteric pathogens in the farm and in natural environments may, if generalized, contribute to the attenuation of a public health risk from contamination with agricultural wastes.     

A major QTL located on chromosome V associates with in vitro tuberization in a tetraploid potato population

The cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an autotetraploid species. The complexity of tetrasomic inheritance and the lack of pure lines increase the difficulty of genetic analysis of the inherited characteristics. Tuberization is the determinant step for economic yield of potato. To understand the complex genetic basis of tuberization of the cultivated potato, we developed linkage maps for a tetraploid population (F1) of 237 genotypes and mapped QTLs for the percent of in vitro tuberized plantlets (% IVT). The paternal map for E108 (well tuberized) covered 948 cM and included 12 linkage groups, all of which contained all four homologous chromosomes. The maternal map for E20 (nontuberized) covered 1,286 cM and included 14 linkage groups, 12 of which contained all four homologous chromosomes. All 12 chromosomes of potato were tagged using the SSR markers. A major QTL (MT05) with additive effect was detected on chromosome V of E108 which explained 16.23 % of the variation for % IVT, and two minor QTLs (mt05 and mt09) displaying simplex dominant effects were located on chromosome V and chromosome IX of E20 which explained 5.33 and 4.59 % of the variation for % IVT, respectively. Based on the additive model of MT05, the segregation ratio of the gametic genotypes (Q?: qq = 5:1) matched the ratio of the tuberized genotypes to the nontuberized genotypes in the population suggesting that the segregation of in vitro tuberization in this population is controlled by a major-effect gene or genes. The mapping results of three important candidate genes indicated that the QTL causal genes detected in our study are new. In this study, we developed the almost complete linkage maps of a tetraploid population, identified a major QTL on chromosome V affecting in vitro tuberization, suggested a major-effect gene with minor modifiers model controlling this trait and found that the QTLs identified here correspond to new tuberization genes. Our work provides new and useful information about the genetic basis for tuberization of this autotetraploid crop.     

Factors Affecting Race Prevalence of Melampsora lini1

No correlation was found between virulence of races and their prevalence, although races which attacked one or two genes for resistence only constituted more than 71% of the isolates studied. Differences in race prevalence were not associated with their incubation or latent period. Uredospore germination of races differing in virulence indicated that a race of narrow virulence and wide prevalence germinated better over a wider range of temperature than races of higher virulence and showed better germ tube elongation at extreme temperatures. These factors may be in part responsible for the wider prevalence of some races.     

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

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 CO₂ 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.     

Susceptibility of five strains of mice to Babesia microti of human origin.

One outbred (CF1) and four inbred (BALB/c, C57, CBA and C3H) strains of mice were tested for susceptibility to Babesia microti of human origin. Of these, intact C3H mice developed higher parasitemia than all other intact mice, while BALB/c mice developed the highest parasitemia among splenectomized mice. Susceptibility was not related to H-2 haplotype in any obvious way. Because C3H and BALB/c mice developed relatively high initial peak parasitemias, the parasite was serially passaged in both of these mouse strains in an attempt to increase parasite virulence. After 30 passages in BALB/c and 49 passages in C3H mice over a period of 12 months, maximum parasitemias were 50 times higher than those observed initially. After the peak parasitemias of these two mouse-adapted parasites had stabilized, the relationship between onset and level of maximum parasitemia and number of parasites inoculated was determined. With both C3H- and BALB/c-adapted parasites, as inoculum size increased, the time required to reach maximum parasitemia decreased and the level of maximum parasitemia increased. Studies involving infection of either mouse strain with parasites adapted to the heterologous mouse strain indicated that C3H mice were more susceptible than BALB/c mice to homologous or heterologous parasites. These data suggest that the virulence of B. microti to the mouse can be increased by prolonged passage in this host. Once adaptation to this host species has occurred, virulence appears to be more dependent on the innate susceptibility of the mouse strain than on adaptation of the parasites to a particular strain of mouse.     

Inhibited Long-Distance Movement of Potato Leafroll Virus to Tubers in Potato Genotypes Expressing Combined Resistance to Infection, Virus Multiplication and Accumulation

Plants of two potato clones which, in preliminary greenhouse assessments, showed resistance to multiplication and accumulation of potato leafroll virus (PLRV) were graft or aphid inoculated with the virus and grown in the greenhouse; plants of a moderately susceptible cultivar were used for comparison in all experiments. A high concentration of aphid‐borne inoculum was used to ensure strong infection pressure. Clone M62759 appeared to be highly resistant to PLRV infection, whereas clone PS1706 was more susceptible. Both clones expressed a high level of resistance to virus multiplication, when primary or secondary infection was assayed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, PLRV was detected in only few or none of the progeny plants of clone M62759, which thus strongly inhibited virus transport to tubers. The study on PLRV translocation from aphid‐inoculated shoots to uninoculated shoots sprouted from the same tubers showed that no specific mechanisms are likely to impair PLRV movement through the tubers of the resistant genotypes. These results indicate that three valuable components of the resistance to PLRV are probably closely linked in the genotype, a combination that seems to occur rather rarely in potato clones. Nevertheless, selecting potato genotypes for the complex resistance to PLRV may prove to be a worthwhile part of breeding programmes, provided that the genetic mechanisms governing particular types of resistance are better recognized.     

Host Genetic Analysis by Using Puccinia recondita tritici Induced Mutants for Increased Virulence

Monogenic lines derived by recombination from Buck Manantial wheat, a cultivar which has durable resistance, were used as hosts to detect Puccinia recondita tritici induced mutants for increased virulence. After treatments with ethyl methane sulphonate on clone 66 of P. recondita 9 types of mutants were obtained at approximate frequencies of 1 × 10^?4 and host lines were grouped in 6 classes, No increase virulence was obtained against B. Manantial after 2 cycles of treatments, but different combinations of virulences were observed on monogenic lines derived from it. Simultaneity of occurrence of some mutational events suggests complexity of virulence genes in the pathogen. At least 4 genes for incompatibility are present in B. Manantial when confronted with clone 66 and 4 to 7 mutational points are recognized in the pathogen. The specific relationships tending to equate the number of genes in both organisms would not be a general rule. Durable resistance can be explained by a combination of several specific disease reaction genes for which the pathogen population has not been able to accumulate all the corresponding alleles for virulence.     

四川省马铃薯晚疫病菌群体表型和遗传变异的分析

致病疫霉Phytophthora infestans引起的晚疫病是马铃薯的一种毁灭性病害。为了对四川省近年马铃薯晚疫病菌进行系统多样性分析,本研究从表现型和基因型两个方面鉴定了四川省马铃薯晚疫病菌的群体多态性。交配型、甲霜灵敏感性和生理小种的鉴定结果发现A1交配型菌株只有2份,A2型有29份,自育型12份;甲霜灵敏感菌株3株,中抗菌株22株,高抗菌株18株;共测定出11个生理小种,其中全毒力小种发生频率最高,占供试菌株的25.58%。基因型鉴定结果表明,43份材料共发现了10种SSR基因型,5个SSR标记在该种群上共产生了16个SSR位点,每个标记平均有3.2个位点,多态性信息含量平均值为0.46,SSR4是多态性最丰富的标记。本试验中A2菌株和自育型的基因型SSR相同,其中全毒力小种是当地的优势致病菌,该研究为今后四川马铃薯晚疫病的有效防控提供理论依据。     

Combinations of SNPs related to signal transduction in bipolar disorder

Any given single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a genome may have little or no functional impact. A biologically significant effect may possibly emerge only when a number of key SNP-related genotypes occur together in a single organism. Thus, in analysis of many SNPs in association studies of complex diseases, it may be useful to look at combinations of genotypes. Genes related to signal transmission, e.g., ion channel genes, may be of interest in this respect in the context of bipolar disorder. In the present study, we analysed 803 SNPs in 55 genes related to aspects of signal transmission and calculated all combinations of three genotypes from the 3×803 SNP genotypes for 1355 controls and 607 patients with bipolar disorder. Four clusters of patient-specific combinations were identified. Permutation tests indicated that some of these combinations might be related to bipolar disorder. The WTCCC bipolar dataset were use for replication, 469 of the 803 SNP were present in the WTCCC dataset either directly (n = 132) or by imputation (n = 337) covering 51 of our selected genes. We found three clusters of patient-specific 3×SNP combinations in the WTCCC dataset. Different SNPs were involved in the clusters in the two datasets. The present analyses of the combinations of SNP genotypes support a role for both genetic heterogeneity and interactions in the genetic architecture of bipolar disorder.