Microbiological interactions with cold plasma

There is a diverse range of microbiological challenges facing the food, healthcare and clinical sectors. The increasing and pervasive resistance to broad‐spectrum antibiotics and health‐related concerns with many biocidal agents drives research for novel and complementary antimicrobial approaches. Biofilms display increased mechanical and antimicrobial stability and are the subject of extensive research. Cold plasmas (CP) have rapidly evolved as a technology for microbial decontamination, wound healing and cancer treatment, owing to the chemical and bio‐active radicals generated known collectively as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This review outlines the basics of CP technology and discusses the interactions with a range of microbiological targets. Advances in mechanistic insights are presented and applications to food and clinical issues are discussed. The possibility of tailoring CP to control specific microbiological challenges is apparent. This review focuses on microbiological issues in relation to food‐ and healthcare‐associated human infections, the role of CP in their elimination and the current status of plasma mechanisms of action.     

Frequency of a natural truncated allele of <Emphasis Type="Italic">MdMLO19</Emphasis> in the germplasm of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Malus domestica</Emphasis>

Podosphaera leucotricha is the causal agent of powdery mildew (PM) in apple. To reduce the amount of fungicides required to control this pathogen, the development of resistant apple cultivars should become a priority. Resistance to PM was achieved in various crops by knocking out specific members of the MLO gene family that are responsible for PM susceptibility (S-genes). In apple, the knockdown of MdMLO19 resulted in PM resistance. However, since gene silencing technologies such as RNAi are perceived unfavorably in Europe, a different approach that exploits this type of resistance is needed. This work evaluates the presence of non-functional naturally occurring alleles of MdMLO19 in apple germplasm. The screening of the re-sequencing data of 63 apple individuals led to the identification of 627 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in five MLO genes (MdMLO5, MdMLO7, MdMLO11, MdMLO18, and MdMLO19), 127 of which were located in exons. The T-1201 insertion of a single nucleotide in MdMLO19 caused the formation of an early stop codon, resulting in a truncated protein lacking 185 amino acids, including the calmodulin-binding domain. The presence of the insertion was evaluated in 115 individuals. It was heterozygous in 64 and homozygous in 25. Twelve of the 25 individuals carrying the insertion in homozygosity were susceptible to PM. After barley, pea, cucumber, and tomato, apple would be the fifth species for which a natural non-functional mlo allele has been found.     

QTL mapping for tuberous stem formation of kohlrabi (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica oleracea</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">gongylodes</Emphasis> L.)

The tuberous stem of kohlrabi is an important quantitative trait, which affects its yield and quality. Genetic control of this trait has not yet been unveiled. To identify the QTLs controlling stem swelling of kohlrabi, a BC₁ population of 92 plants was developed from a cross of broccoli DH line GCP04 and kohlrabi var. Seine. A wide range of variation in tuberous stem diameter was observed among the mapping populations. We constructed a genetic map of nine linkage groups (LGs) with different types of markers, spanning a total length of 913.5 cM with an average marker distance of 7.55 cM. Four significant QTLs for radial enlargement of kohlrabi stem, namely, REnBo1, REnBo2, REnBo3, and REnBo4 were detected on C02, C03, C05, and C09, respectively, and accounted for the phenotypic variation of 59% for the stem diameter and 55% for the qualitative grading of tuberous stem in classes. Then, we confirmed the stability of identified QTLs using BC₁S₁ populations derived from the BC₁ plants having heterozygous alleles at the target QTL and homozygous kohlrabi alleles at the remaining QTLs. REnBo1and REnBo2 using 128 plants of BC₁68S₁ and 94 plants of BC₁43S₁, respectively, and REnBo3 and REnBo4 using 152 plants of BC₁57S₁ were detected at the same positions as the respective QTLs of the BC₁ population. Confirmation of QTLs in two successive generations indicates that the QTLs are persistent. The QTLs obtained in this study could be useful in marker-assisted selection of kohlrabi breeding, and to understand the genetic mechanisms of stem swelling and storage organ development in kohlrabi and other Brassica species.     

Climate change and alpine stream biology: progress,challenges, and opportunities for the future

In alpine regions worldwide, climate change is dramatically altering ecosystems and affecting biodiversity in many ways. For streams, receding alpine glaciers and snowfields, paired with altered precipitation regimes, are driving shifts in hydrology, species distributions, basal resources, and threatening the very existence of some habitats and biota. Alpine streams harbour substantial species and genetic diversity due to significant habitat insularity and environmental heterogeneity. Climate change is expected to affect alpine stream biodiversity across many levels of biological resolution from micro‐ to macroscopic organisms and genes to communities. Herein, we describe the current state of alpine stream biology from an organism‐focused perspective. We begin by reviewing seven standard and emerging approaches that combine to form the current state of the discipline. We follow with a call for increased synthesis across existing approaches to improve understanding of how these imperiled ecosystems are responding to rapid environmental change. We then take a forward‐looking viewpoint on how alpine stream biologists can make better use of existing data sets through temporal comparisons, integrate remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) technologies, and apply genomic tools to refine knowledge of underlying evolutionary processes. We conclude with comments about the future of biodiversity conservation in alpine streams to confront the daunting challenge of mitigating the effects of rapid environmental change in these sentinel ecosystems.     

Secondary biochemical and morphological consequences in lysosomal storage diseases

More than 50 hereditary lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are currently described. Most of these disorders are due to a deficiency of certain hydrolases/glycosidases and subsequent accumulation of nonhydrolyzable carbohydrate-containing compounds in lysosomes. Such accumulation causing hypertrophy of the lysosomal compartment is a characteristic feature of affected cells in LSDs. The investigation of biochemical and cellular parameters is of particular interest for understanding “life” of lysosomes in the normal state and in LSDs. This review highlights the wide spectrum of biochemical and morphological changes during developing LSDs that are extremely critical for many metabolic processes inside the various cells and tissues of affected persons. The data presented will help establish new complex strategies for metabolic correction of LSDs.