西南地区6种魔芋属植物基于cpDNA序列的遗传多样性研究

研究野生作物资源的遗传变异及分化机制对种质资源的收集与改良具有重要意义。魔芋是我国西南地区的特色经济作物,但由于受到人为活动干扰,野生种群不断衰退。为评估西南地区魔芋属(Amorphophallus)野生群体的遗传多样性,探究代表性物种的系统发育地位,该研究利用3个叶绿体DNA(cpDNA)片段,分析了魔芋6个物种的遗传多样性,重建了种间系统发育关系。结果表明:(1)西南地区野生魔芋群体的遗传多样性普遍较低,虽然单倍型多样性(H_d)均值为0.428,但近一半群体只有1个单倍型,6个物种整体水平上的单倍型多样性在0.704到0.983之间。(2)在6个物种间检测到高水平的遗传分化,遗传分化系数(F_ST)值在0.481到0.967之间。(3)系统发育分析表明,选取的27个魔芋种主要聚成3个分支:非洲分支、东南亚分支和东亚大陆分支。疣柄魔芋(A. paeoniifolius)隶属于东南亚分支,而东亚大陆分支A包含花魔芋(A. konjac)和西盟魔芋(A. krausei),东亚大陆分支B由东亚魔芋(A. kiusianus)、滇魔芋(A. yunnanensis)和东京魔芋(A. tonkinensis)构成。生境隔离与人为干扰造成了西南地区野生魔芋群体较低的遗传多样性,魔芋属东亚大陆分支的分化可能与早期的快速扩张和生态适应有关。该研究为西南地区魔芋资源的合理保护、可持续利用和杂交育种提供了参考资料。     

中国水韭属两个四倍体新种

水韭属(Isoëtes)是起源最为古老的水生维管植物,全属物种均被列为国家一级重点保护植物。通过对全国水韭属植物的调查和研究发现,不同产地的四倍体植株在形态上存在显著差异。基于形态学、孢粉学和细胞学证据,将分布于中国湖南省长沙地区和怀化地区的四倍体居群分别命名为隆平水韭(Isoëtes longpingii)和湘妃水韭(I. xiangfei),并详细描述了其形态特征。隆平水韭形态上与中华水韭(I. sinensis)相似,不同之处在于其大孢子具小的瘤状或冠状纹饰,叶细长而柔弱,长达60 cm; 该种也与六倍体东方水韭(I. orientalis)相似,不同之处在于其染色体44条,大孢子具瘤状或冠状纹饰。湘妃水韭的大孢子纹饰虽与二倍体云贵水韭(I. yunguiensis)相似,但在小孢子纹饰、孢子囊形状和染色体数目方面却不同。隆平水韭仅少数植株生长于湖南省宁乡市一处池塘,完全沉水生长,而湘妃水韭则分布于怀化市通道县和会同县的湿地。由于这两个新种的分布区狭窄,野生居群数量和个体数较少,栖息地环境受到人为干扰,因此根据IUCN红色名录评估标准,将隆平水韭评为极危(CR)等级,湘妃水韭评为易危(VU)等级。所编制的中国已知水韭属物种的分种检索表,为本属物种的鉴定和保护工作提供了重要参考。     

贵州稀有濒危种子植物物种多样性保护与利用的研究(附录)

全球性生物多样性保护与利用正逐步走向高质量发展,拥有丰富物种资源已成为夺取生物科技制高点的关键,因此,贵州稀有濒危种子植物多样性保护与利用的研究具有重要意义。在对贵州稀有濒危种子植物资源调查的基础上,选取具有重要应用价值的小黄花茶(Camellia luteoflora)、贵州红山茶(C. kweichowensis)等103种贵州稀有濒危植物,采用模式标本产地植物追溯、现存分布区及种群散布特征调查、物种濒危等级评估、混合采种迁地保育、生物资源测试分析与资源评价相结合的方法,开展了植物物种多样性编目及其迁地保护、种子生物学特性与种子散布及分布动态变化、种苗繁育与应用栽培试验等研究。结果表明:(1)调查评估的103种贵州稀有濒危种子植物都采取了就地保护措施,但迄今为止对濒危威胁程度减轻的效应不明显,抢救性迁地保护依然必要,其中极危(CR)23种、濒危(EN)30种、易危(VU)40种、近危(NT)7种、无危(LC)3种; 采用同一地理种源迁地保护有效种群P_n≥L_f·E_e·A_m的栽培方法,在贵州省植物园开展了迁地保护引种栽培试验。其中,国家重点保护野生植物33种、3 650株,引种栽培平均成活率为95.47%,贵州及毗邻川、滇、桂极少数地区特有分布的种子植物70种、11 010株,引种栽培平均成活率为95.80%,并且建成了活植物保育圃30 200 m²。(2)搜集文献大数据结合GIS信息追踪调查研究,发现了小黄花茶新分布区2.5 km²、长柱红山茶(C. longistyla)新分布区1.5 km²、美丽红山茶(C. delicata)新分布区1.0 km²、皱叶瘤果茶(C. rhytidophylla)新分布区6.0 km²、红花瘤果茶(C. rubituberculata)新分布区50.0 km²、贵州槭(Acer guizhouensis)新分布区0.3 km²; 新分布区种群增量对其减轻濒危程度的评估效果影响不明显。(3)选择了小黄花茶、贵州红山茶等20种具有贵州高原区域环境特色的经济植物开展了种苗繁育和应用栽培试验,建立种苗繁育基地13.4 hm²,繁育种苗73万余株,在林业绿化工程应用中示范栽培140.0 hm²(31万株),≥2年生苗木应用栽培存活率92.00%～98.00%,这为有关稀有濒危植物的科学研究及种质创新利用提供科学参考。     

花魔芋软腐病原真菌分离鉴定

魔芋软腐病是魔芋生产过程中的重要病害,也是限制魔芋产业发展的主要因素。目前,已有报道魔芋软腐病主要由细菌引起,鲜有真菌引起魔芋球茎软腐发病的报道。为明确云南曲靖市花魔芋(Amorphophallus konjac)软腐病的病原种类和侵染特征,该研究通过组织分离法,对采集自云南曲靖市的花魔芋病样进行了真菌的分离,通过形态学结合基于ITS与LSU序列分析的分子鉴定方法对分离真菌进行鉴定,并根据柯赫氏法则进行致病性测定,并对鉴定出的病原真菌同魔芋软腐病原细菌进行了双回接试验分析。结果表明:(1)从形态学和分子水平鉴定了轮纹镰刀菌(Fusarium concentricum)、尖孢镰刀菌(F. oxysporum)和F. ambrosium 3种镰刀菌,1种毛霉属真菌(Mucor sp.),1种根霉属真菌(Rhizopus sp.),1种青霉属真菌(Penicillium sp.)和1种粉红螺旋聚孢霉属真菌(Clonostachys sp.)。(2)统计分析发现,轮纹镰刀菌的相对丰度最高,为45.45%。(3)柯赫氏法则检测发现轮纹镰刀菌具有致病性。(4)轮纹镰刀菌和病原细菌胡萝卜果胶杆菌(Pectobacterium aroidearum)双接种魔芋球茎发现软腐病发病更快,病变组织重量显著高于单接种轮纹镰刀菌或果胶杆菌处理。综上表明,魔芋软腐病可能是由真菌和细菌复合侵染引发。该研究结果为魔芋软腐病的防治提供了理论依据。     

浙江淳安千岛湖发现一例白化乌鸫

黄腹角雉(Tragopan caboti)为我国特有雉类，国家一级重点保护野生动物。2010至2021年通过视频监测技术、红外相机监测与人工观察，对浙江省乌岩岭国家级自然保护区内的黄腹角雉巢卵被天敌危害情况进行了调查。基于42个黄腹角雉人工巢监测数据(36巢视频远程监控，2巢红外相机监测，4巢人工观察)，野生黄腹角雉巢被天敌破坏的比率为54.8%，其中91.3%被破坏巢中的卵为王锦蛇(Elaphe carinata)所捕食，表明王锦蛇是黄腹角雉巢卵最主要的天敌。捕食黄腹角雉卵的天敌还包括松鸦(Garrulus glandarius)与黄喉貂(Martes flavigula)，可能的天敌有灰树鹊(Dendrocitta formosae)、黄腹鼬(Mustela kathiah)及短尾猴(Macaca arctoides)等。本研究基于视频资料揭示了野生黄腹角雉种群的天敌情况，结合文献资料，我们推测黄腹角雉较长的孵卵期与离巢时间可能是造成其巢卵损失率高的主要原因，本研究结果对这一濒危物种的保护与繁育工作具有重要意义。     

越南荨麻科楼梯草属和赤车属植物新记录

报道了7个楼梯草属和赤车属植物(荨麻科)新纪录,它们分别为锐齿楼梯草(E. cyrtandrifolium),变黄楼梯草(E. xanthophyllum),对叶楼梯草(E. sinense),宽叶楼梯草(E. platyphyllum),托叶楼梯草(E. nasutum),短叶赤车(P. brevifolia)和华南赤车(P. grijsii)。列出了各个物种的标本引证和地理分布情况。     

管叶槽舌兰新鲜及硅胶干燥根样内生菌多样性研究

管叶槽舌兰(Holcoglossum kimballianum)是一种珍稀濒危兰科植物,其野生种群亟需保护。内生菌对兰科植物的生长发育至关重要,为评估管叶槽舌兰内生菌的多样性、分析采样方式对其内生菌的影响,该文采用高通量测序技术对迁地保育状态下新鲜与硅胶干燥的管叶槽舌兰根内生菌进行研究。结果表明:(1)新鲜及干燥管叶槽舌兰根内生菌物种组成明显不同,管叶槽舌兰内生真菌注释到6门46科51属,内生细菌注释到15门105科178属; 干燥后管叶槽舌兰根内生真菌注释到6门88科116属,内生细菌注释到21门154科336属。(2)迁地保育状态的管叶槽舌兰根样内生菌具有丰富的多样性,并且内生细菌群落丰富度和多样性远比内生真菌群落高; 经硅胶干燥后,内生真菌α多样性指数升高、β多样性指数降低,而内生细菌的α多样性指数降低、β多样性指数则升高。(3)差异显著性真菌黄盖小脆柄菇(Psathyrella candolleana)和刺盘孢属(Colletotrichum)的C. tofieldiae只存在于新鲜根样中,新鲜管叶槽舌兰差异显著性细菌是马赛菌属(Massilia),干燥根样中差异显著性细菌类群包括拜叶林克氏菌科(Beijerinckiaceae)、黄色杆菌科(Xanthobacteraceae)及慢生根瘤菌属(Bradyrhizobium)。(4)共发生网络分析显示,经干燥后管叶槽舌兰根样内生菌群落中占互作主导地位的优势物种和互作模式都发生了改变。综上认为,不同采样处理会影响管叶槽舌兰根内生菌的群落结构,在研究兰科植物根样内生菌时宜使用新鲜的根样。该研究结果为管叶槽舌兰野生种群保护及人工栽培提供了内生菌数据基础,也为兰科植物内生微生物采样方法提供了参考。     

基于形态与微形态分析确认枝毛野牡丹(野牡丹科)系一独立的种

枝毛野牡丹(Melastoma dendrisetosum)属于野牡丹科野牡丹属,首次发表于1983年,而Chen & Renner(2007)则将其归入了毛菍(M. sanguineum)。为弄清二者的区别及枝毛野牡丹的分类地位,该研究采用野生地实地考察、各大标本馆标本比较鉴定、引种地植株形态测定以及微形态扫描电镜观察,现已证实:枝毛野牡丹是明显区别于毛菍的一个独立的植物种,该种自然分布区极其狭窄,正处于极度濒危的生存状态。该文对枝毛野牡丹进行了最新的形态描述,为正确识别、积极保护该物种奠定了基础。     

中国苔藓植物濒危等级的评估原则和评估结果

本文阐述了中国苔藓植物濒危等级的评估原则。这一原则主要参考"IUCN物种红色名录濒危等级和标准(3.1版)",同时也吸收了其他苔藓学家的评估指南和结果。作者将10年内发表的新分类群暂评为数据缺乏(DD)等级,根据馆藏标本份数估计栖息地物种成熟个体数。在此基础上,对3,221个中国苔藓植物分类群进行评估,结果为:极危(CR)16种;濒危(EN)58种;易危(VU)112种;近危(NT)214种;无危(LC)1,900种;数据缺乏(DD)921种。极危、濒危和易危等级的受威胁苔藓植物合计186种,占中国苔藓植物种数的5.77%。     

贵州省两栖动物生存状况评价及其保护需求初探

针对我国野生动物保护的实情,为便于各省区有关部门制订野生濒危动物的保护等级,通过对国内外物种濒危等级标准的全面分析,建议省级保护物种濒危等级的数量标准为:濒危级En分布面积为1个县;易危级T分布面积小于3个县;关注级C分布面积小于5个县.结合贵州省两栖动物已有文献资料数据及作者近三十年来野外考察数据,按上述指标对贵州省已知的72种两栖动物的濒危等级进行了评估.     

Phylogeny of cardinalfishes (Teleostei: Gobiiformes: Apogonidae) and the evolution of visceral bioluminescence

The cardinalfishes (Apogonidae) are a diverse clade of small, mostly reef-dwelling fishes, for which a variety of morphological data have not yielded a consistent phylogeny. We use DNA sequence to hypothesize phylogenetic relationships within Apogonidae and among apogonids and other acanthomorph families, to examine patterns of evolution including the distribution of a visceral bioluminescence system. In conformance with previous studies, Apogonidae is placed in a clade with Pempheridae, Kurtidae, Leiognathidae, and Gobioidei. The apogonid genus Pseudamia is recovered outside the remainder of the family, not as sister to the superficially similar genus Gymnapogon. Species sampled from the Caribbean and Western Atlantic (Phaeoptyx, Astrapogon, and some Apogon species) form a clade, as do the larger-bodied Glossamia and Cheilodipterus. Incidence of visceral bioluminescence is found scattered throughout the phylogeny, independently for each group in which it is present. Examination of the fine structure of the visceral bioluminescence system through histology shows that light organs exhibit a range of morphologies, with some composed of complex masses of tubules (Siphamia, Pempheris, Parapriacanthus) and others lacking tubules but containing chambers formed by folds of the visceral epithelium (Acropoma, Archamia, Jaydia, and Rhabdamia). Light organs in Siphamia, Acropoma, Pempheris and Parapriacanthus are distinct from but connected to the gut; those in Archamia, Jaydia, and Rhabdamia are simply portions of the intestinal tract, and are little differentiated from the surrounding tissues. The presence or absence of symbiotic luminescent bacteria does not correlate with light organ structure; the tubular light organs of Siphamia and chambered tubes of Acropoma house bacteria, those in Pempheridae and the other Apogonidae do not.     

Tracking down the "head blob": comparative analysis of wingless expression in the developing insect procephalon reveals progressive reduction of embryonic visual system patterning in higher insects

The evolution of larval head morphology in holometabolous insects is characterized by reduction of antennal appendages and the visual system components. Little insight has been gained into molecular developmental changes underlying this morphological diversification. Here we compare the expression of the segment polarity gene wingless (wg) in the pregnathal head of fruit fly, flour beetle and grasshopper embryos. We provide evidence that wg activity contributes to segment border formation, and, subsequently, the separation of the visual system and protocerebrum anlagen in the anterior procephalon. In directly developing insects like grasshopper, seven expression domains are formed during this process. The activation of four of these, which correspond to polar expression pairs in the optic lobe anlagen and the protocerebral ectoderm, has shifted to postembryonic stages in flour beetle and Drosophila. The remaining three domains map to the protocerebral neuroectoderm, and form by disintegration of a large precursor domain in flour beetle and grasshopper. In Drosophila, the precursor domain remains intact, constituting the previously described “head blob”. These data document major changes in the expression of an early patterning gene correlated with the dramatic evolution of embryonic visual system development in the Holometabola.     

Molecular phylogeny of Phebalium (Rutaceae: Boronieae) and related genera based on the nrDNA regions ITS 1+2

Parsimony analyses of the internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS 1 & ITS 2) for 38 taxa sampled from the Phebalium group (Rutaceae: Boronieae) and two outgroups confirm that, with the exception of Phebalium sensu stricto and Rhadinothamnus, six of the currently recognised genera within the group are monophyletic. The data indicate that Phebaliums. str. is paraphyletic with respect to Microcybe, and Rhadinothamnus is paraphyletic with respect to Chorilaena. Rhadinothamnus and Chorilaena together are the sister group to Nematolepis. Drummondita, included as an outgroup taxon, clustered within the ingroup as sister to Muiriantha and related to Asterolasia.The phylogeny suggests that the evolution of major clades within a number of these genera (e.g. Phebalium) relates to vicariance events between eastern and south-western Australia. Leionema is an eastern genus, with the most basal taxon being the morphologically distinct Leionema ellipticum from northern Queensland. Leionema also includes one species from New Zealand, but this species (as with some others) proved difficult to sequence and its phylogenetic position remains unknown. Taxonomic changes at the generic level are recommended.The authors wish to thank Paul G.Wilson, PERTH, for advice and discussion, and Paul Forster, BRI, for collecting and providing material of Leionema ellipticum. The project was supported by a Melbourne University Postgraduate Award (to BM), the Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS), Australian Systematic Botany Society and Wolf Den (Australia) Investments.     

Foreign exploration for Scirtothrips perseae Nakahara (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and associated natural enemies on avocado (Persea americana Miller)

Scirtothrips perseae Nakahara was discovered attacking avocados in California, USA, in 1996. Host plant surveys in California indicated that S. perseae has a highly restricted host range with larvae being found only on avocados, while adults were collected from 11 different plant species. As part of a management program for this pest, a “classical” biological control program was initiated and foreign exploration was conducted to delineate the home range of S. perseae, to survey for associated natural enemies and inventory other species of phytophagous thrips on avocados grown in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, and Brazil. Foreign exploration efforts indicate that S. perseae occurs on avocados grown at high altitudes (>1500 m) from Uruapan in Mexico south to areas around Guatemala City in Guatemala. In Costa Rica, S. perseae is replaced by an undescribed congener as the dominant phytophagous thrips on avocados grown at high altitudes (>1300 m). No species of Scirtothrips were found on avocados in the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, or Brazil. In total, 2136 phytophagous thrips were collected and identified, representing over 47 identified species from at least 19 genera. The significance of these species records is discussed. Of collected material 4% were potential thrips biological control agents. Natural enemies were dominated by six genera of predatory thrips (Aeolothrips, Aleurodothrips, Franklinothrips, Leptothrips, Scolothrips, and Karnyothrips). One genus each of parasitoid (Ceranisus) and predatory mite (Balaustium) were found. Based on the results of our sampling techniques, prospects for the importation of thrips natural enemies for use in a “classical” biological control program in California against S. perseae are not promising.     

A molecular phylogeny of Hebeloma species from Europe

In order to widen the scope of existing phylogenies of the ectomycorrhizal agaric genus Hebeloma a total of 53 new rDNA ITS sequences from that genus was generated, augmented by sequences retrieved from GenBank, and analysed using Bayesian, strict consensus and neighbour joining methods. The lignicolous Hebelomina neerlandica, Gymnopilus penetrans, and two species of Galerina served as outgroup taxa. Anamika indica, as well as representatives of the genera Hymenogaster and Naucoria, were included to test the monophyly of Hebeloma, which is confirmed by the results. Hebeloma, Naucoria, Hymenogaster and Anamika indica cluster in a strongly supported monophyletic hebelomatoid clade. All trees largely reflect the current infrageneric classification within Hebeloma, and divide the genus into mostly well-supported monophyletic groups surrounding H. crustuliniforme, H. velutipes, H. sacchariolens, H. sinapizans, and H. radicosum, with H. sarcophyllum being shown at an independent position; however this is not well supported. The section Indusiata divides with strong support into three groups, the position of the pleurocystidiate Hebeloma cistophilum suggests the possible existence of a third subsection within sect. Indusiata. Subsection Sacchariolentia is raised to the rank of section.     

Molecular identification of Taenia spp. in wolves (Canis lupus), brown bears (Ursus arctos) and cervids from North Europe and Alaska

Taenia tapeworms of Finnish and Swedish wolves (Canis lupus) and Finnish brown bears (Ursus arctos), and muscle cysticerci of Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), Alaskan Grant's caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) and Alaskan moose (Alces americanus) were identified on the basis of the nucleotide sequence of a 396 bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Two species were found from wolves: Taenia hydatigena and Taenia krabbei. The cysticerci of reindeer, caribou and one moose also represented T. krabbei. Most of the cysticercal specimens from Alaskan moose, however, belonged to an unknown T. krabbei-like species, which had been reported previously from Eurasian elks (Alces alces) from Finland. Strobilate stages from two bears belonged to this species as well. The present results suggest that this novel Taenia sp. has a Holarctic distribution and uses Alces spp. as intermediate and ursids as final hosts.     

Phylogeny and Megasystematics of Phagotrophic Heterokonts (Kingdom Chromista)

Heterokonts are evolutionarily important as the most nutritionally diverse eukaryote supergroup and the most species-rich branch of the eukaryotic kingdom Chromista. Ancestrally photosynthetic/phagotrophic algae (mixotrophs), they include several ecologically important purely heterotrophic lineages, all grossly understudied phylogenetically and of uncertain relationships. We sequenced 18S rRNA genes from 14 phagotrophic non-photosynthetic heterokonts and a probable Ochromonas, performed phylogenetic analysis of 210–430 Heterokonta, and revised higher classification of Heterokonta and its three phyla: the predominantly photosynthetic Ochrophyta; the non-photosynthetic Pseudofungi; and Bigyra (now comprising subphyla Opalozoa, Bicoecia, Sagenista). The deepest heterokont divergence is apparently between Bigyra, as revised here, and Ochrophyta/Pseudofungi. We found a third universal heterokont signature sequence, and deduce three independent losses of ciliary hairs, several of 1-2 cilia, 10 of photosynthesis, but perhaps only two plastid losses. In Ochrophyta, heterotrophic Oikomonas is sister to the photosynthetic Chrysamoeba, whilst the abundant freshwater predator Spumella is biphyletic; neither clade is specifically related to Paraphysomonas, indicating four losses of photosynthesis by chrysomonads. Sister to Chrysomonadea (Chrysophyceae) is Picophagea cl. nov. (Picophagus, Chlamydomyxa). The diatom-parasite Pirsonia belongs in Pseudofungi. Heliozoan-like actinophryids (e.g. Actinosphaerium) are Opalozoa, not related to pedinellids within Hypogyristea cl. nov. of Ochrophyta as once thought. The zooflagellate class Bicoecea (perhaps the ancestral phenotype of Bigyra) is unexpectedly diverse and a major focus of our study. We describe four new biciliate bicoecean genera and five new species: Nerada mexicana, Labromonas fenchelii (=Pseudobodo tremulans sensu Fenchel), Boroka karpovii (=P. tremulans sensu Karpov), Anoeca atlantica and Cafeteria mylnikovii; several cultures were previously misidentified as Pseudobodo tremulans. Nerada and the uniciliate Paramonas are related to Siluania and Adriamonas; this clade (Pseudodendromonadales emend.) is probably sister to Bicosoeca. Genetically diverse Caecitellus is probably related to Anoeca, Symbiomonas and Cafeteria (collectively Anoecales emend.). Boroka is sister to Pseudodendromonadales/Bicoecales/Anoecales. Placidiales are probably divergent bicoeceans (the GenBank Placidia sequence is a basidiomycete/heterokont chimaera). Two GenBank ‘opalinid’ sequences are fungal; Pseudopirsonia is cercozoan; two previous GenBank ‘Caecitellus’ sequences are Adriamonas. Electronic Supplementary Material Electronic Supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users. [Reviewing Editior: Patnck J. Keeling]     

Removal of wastewater pathogen indicators in a constructed wetland in Leon, Spain

This paper studies the seasonal presence and removal of the pathogenous micro-organisms Escherichia coli, total coliforms (TC), Clostridium perfringens (Cp), faecal streptococci (FS), Giardia cysts, Cryptosporidium oocysts and helminth eggs, in a constructed wetland treatment system. The removal efficiency of this system with respect to the indicator micro-organisms achieved maximum values in spring and autumn at 99.9% for E. coli and TC, respectively, in winter at 97.0% for FS, in summer at 100% for Clostridium and throughout the year, also at 100%, in the case of Giardia cysts, Cryptosporidium oocysts and helminth eggs. In general, very low protozoan and helminth egg counts were found, and the system demonstrated efficient reduction of the wastewater indicator pathogens.