Multiline varieties and disease control

Summary A general model for the evolution of pathogen populations on mixtures or multilines is developed. This model is used to extend previous analyses of the effects of the widespread cultivation of multilines on the evolution of virulence in obligate parasites to mixtures of lines carrying different numbers of resistance genes. It is concluded that the composition of an equilibrium pathogen population growing on a multiline may vary within wide limits and the prinicipal determinant of its composition is the number of components in the multiline and the resistance genes they carry. Other factors of importance are (i) the relative contribution made by each host class (with different numbers of resistance genes) to the pathogen spore pool each generation; (ii) the levels of stabilizing selection against unnecessary virulence genes; and (iii) the way in which unnecessary genes for virulence combine to reduce pathogen fitness. Conditions for the fixation of avirulent biotypes in the pathogen population and the evolution of a pathogen superrace are given for multilines of various compositions.Paper No. 9246 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, North Carolina. This investigation was supported in part by NIH Research Grant No. GM 11546 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences     

Multiline varieties and disease control

Summary Existing theoretical models have led to conflicting predictions concerning the likely effect of the widespread use of dirty crop multilines on the evolution of virulence in pathogen populations. Here we attempt to clarify these problems by extending existing models to include selection against unnecessary genes for virulence at two different stages in the life cycle of the pathogen. The results of these studies indicate that the stage of the life cycle at which selection occurs can significantly influence the evolution of virulence in pathogen populations growing on multiline varieties.     

The potential for rust infection to cause natural selection in apomictic Arabis holboellii (Brassicaceae)

Few studies have examined the potential for pathogens with complex life cycles to cause selection on their required alternate (=intermediate) hosts. Here we examine the effects of two fungal pathogens on an herbaceous mustard, Arabis holboellii. One pathogen species uses A. holboellii as a primary host, the other uses it as an alternate host. This plant-pathogen system is especially interesting because the host, A. holboellii, is apomictic; thus individuals reproduce exact copies of themselves. Despite this mode of reproduction, A. holboellii populations are surprisingly genetically diverse. Could frequency dependent selection by pathogens be maintaining clonal diversity? This study assesses the potential for selection by pathogens. In a controlled greehouse experiment we show that there is heritable variation in A. holboellii's resistance to the rust, Puccinia monoica, and that host fitness is severely reduced by P. monoica infection in both the greenhouse and under natural conditions. Field observations indicate that host clones are also differentially susceptible to the short-cycled rust, P. thlaspeos, and that host fitness is reduced by infection to this pathogen as well. Although the preconditions for pathogen-mediated selection are present, frequency-dependent selection by pathogens is unlikely to be important in structuring populations of Arabis holboellii because multiple host genotypes are susceptible to the same inoculum and the pathogen has a long generation time.     

Effects of stripe rust on the evolution of genetically diverse wheat populations

Summary Eighteen populations, composed of four wheat (Triticum aestivum) varieties that were originally mixed together at equal frequencies, were grown for one-to-three generations at two locations. In addition, pure stands of the four varieties were grown in each year. Populations were either exposed to two stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis) races, protected from stripe rust, or exposed to alternating years of diseased and disease-free conditions. Regression of the logit of a variety's frequency versus generation number was used to calculate the relative fitness of each variety in each population. These analyses suggest that the relative fitnesses of the wheat varieties were affected by disease and geographic location and were constant over time. However, frequency-changes of varieties in the mixtures were negatively correlated with their planting frequencies (0.0001 < P < 0.085 in 14 out of 16 cases), suggesting that fitnesses were frequency-dependent in both the presence and absence of disease. We hypothesize that failure to detect frequency-dependence of fitness in the logit analyses was due to a limited number of generations and a limited range of initial variety frequencies. This is supported by data from longer-term studies in the literature that provide evidence for frequency-dependence of fitness in plant mixtures. Analyses of currently available field data suggest that stable equilibria may be a more likely outcome for mixtures of varieties that are more closely related and/or more uniformly adapted to the environment in which they are grown.Paper No. 9820 of the journal series of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station.     

呼吸机相关性肺炎患者病原菌分布及血清sTREM 1和HMGB1的变化

目的探讨呼吸机相关性肺炎患者病原菌分布及血清高迁移率族蛋白1(HMGB1)和可溶性髓系细胞触发受体-1(sTREM-1)的变化。方法选取我院2016年3月至2019年5月收治的131例呼吸机相关性肺炎患者进行研究,检测入选患者病原菌感染情况,同时根据患者病情分为重症组与非重症组。另选取60例同期体检对象作为对照组,比较各组患者血清sTREM-1、HMGB1水平及临床肺部感染评分(CPIS),分析血清sTREM-1、HMGB1对呼吸机相关性肺炎的预测价值。结果 131例患者共检出病原菌415株,病原菌以革兰阴性菌为主,其次是革兰阳性菌,真菌的占比最低。革兰阴性菌中以铜绿假单胞菌和肺炎克雷伯菌为主,革兰阳性菌中以金黄色葡萄球菌为主。重症组、非重症组及对照组患者血清sTREM-1、HMGB1水平及CPIS评分依次递减,组间比较差异均有统计学意义(均P0.05)。Cochran Armitage趋势检验发现,血清sTREM-1、HMGB1水平及CPIS评分与呼吸机相关性肺炎严重程度呈线性增加趋势(Z=5.056、3.127、3.811,均P0.05)。诊断呼吸机相关性肺炎病情严重程度时,血清sTREM-1的AUC及敏感性、特异性最高,其次是CPIS和血清HMGB1,3个指标均对呼吸机相关性肺炎有一定诊断价值。结论革兰阴性菌是呼吸机相关性肺炎的主要致病菌,血清sTREM-1、HMGB1水平对呼吸机相关性肺炎的病情有一定诊断价值。     

泌尿系统结石合并感染患者尿路病原菌分布及危险因素分析

目的分析泌尿系统结石合并感染患者尿路病原菌分布及其危险因素,为后续研究提供参考。方法收集2016年1月至2019年1月我院诊治的430例泌尿系统结石患者为研究对象,根据患者是否发生感染分为感染组(n=34)和非感染组(n=396)。分析两组患者的临床特征和感染组患者病原菌分布情况,同时对影响患者感染的高危因素进行Logistic回归分析。结果感染组患者共计检出84株病原菌,其中革兰阳性球菌20株(23.81%),革兰阴性杆菌60株(71.43%),其他4株(4.76%)。两组患者白细胞水平、尿路梗阻情况、血肌酐水平、尿pH7.0比例、血尿素氮水平、合并肾积水情况、结石位置、结石直径、抗菌药物使用种类差异均有统计学意义(均P0.05)。合并肾积水、尿路梗阻、白细胞计数(≤10×10~9个/L)、尿pH(7.0)、血尿素氮(≥7.15 mmol/L)、结石位置(上尿路)、抗菌药物使用种类(≥3种)均为泌尿系统结石合并尿路感染的高危因素,而血肌酐水平,结石直径与泌尿系统结石合并尿路感染无明显相关性。结论泌尿系统结石患者易并发尿路感染,其病原菌以革兰阴性杆菌为主。导致尿路感染的因素较多,临床上应提前制定预防措施,降低结石患者尿路感染发生率。     

小儿下呼吸道感染痰培养标本病原菌构成分析

目的了解小儿下呼吸道感染病原菌的分布及对常用抗菌药物的耐药状况。方法对2710例小儿下呼吸道感染患者痰标本进行培养,用VITEK-2Compact微生物鉴定系统鉴定菌种和药敏试验,WHO-NET5．4软件对数据进行分析。结果共分离病原菌675株,革兰阴性杆菌457株,占67．7％,主要为大肠埃希菌、肺炎克雷伯菌;革兰阳性球菌159株,占23．5％,主要为金黄色葡萄球菌、肺炎链球菌;真菌59株,占8．7％,主要为白色假丝酵母菌。结论小儿下呼吸道感染病原菌以革兰阴性杆菌为主,耐药性较为严重,应不断加强耐药性监测,合理使用抗菌药物。     

血液科感染患者致病菌的临床资料分析

目的：探讨血液病患者的感染特点,为临床治疗提供病原学依据。方法：回顾性分析北京友谊医院2008年7月至2011年7月血液科住院患者临床分离出病原菌的情况。结果：原发病以血液系统恶性肿瘤为主。共培养出致病菌357株,包括革兰阴性杆菌（40.8%）;革兰阳性球菌（24.1%）;真菌（35.1%）。引起感染最常见的革兰阴性杆菌为铜绿假单胞菌,最常见的革兰阳性球菌为粪肠球菌,最常见的真菌为白色假丝酵母菌。革兰阴性杆菌来源为血29.4%,痰46.6%,尿10.3%;革兰阳性球菌来源为血14%,痰47.7%,尿10.4%;真菌来源为血8%,痰60.8%,尿4%。66.4%真菌感染患者中性粒细胞〈1.5×109/L。结论：血液病感染的致病菌以革兰阴性杆菌为主,呼吸道是主要感染部位。对于中性粒细胞减少的血液病感染患者,真菌感染的几率明显增加,经验性抗真菌治疗具有一定的意义。     

Quorum sensing inhibitors as antipathogens: biotechnological applications

The mechanisms through which microbes communicate using signal molecules has inspired a great deal of research. Microbes use this exchange of information, known as quorum sensing (QS), to initiate and perpetuate infectious diseases in eukaryotic organisms, evading the eukaryotic defense system by multiplying and expressing their pathogenicity through QS regulation. The major issue to arise from such networks is increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics, resulting from QS-dependent mediation of the formation of biofilm, the induction of efflux pumps, and the production of antibiotics. QS inhibitors (QSIs) of diverse origins have been shown to act as potential antipathogens. In this review, we focus on the use of QSIs to counter diseases in humans as well as plants and animals of economic importance. We also discuss the challenges encountered in the potential applications of QSIs.