Induced resistance by the mutualistic endophyte, Fusarium oxysporum strain 162, toward Meloidogyne incognita on tomato

The non-pathogenic endophytic fungus, Fusarium oxysporum strain 162, originally isolated from the endorhiza of tomato roots, reduces damage caused by Meloidogyne incognita, by inhibiting juvenile penetration of and development in the root. However, little is known about the mode of action of this endophyte fungus against the nematode. This study aimed at investigating how the endophyte affects nematode motility and survival and if induced resistance plays a role in the relationship. In a previous study, F. oxysporum strain 162 decreased nematode penetration of tomato up to 60%. In experiments using a split-root chamber to test for induced resistance, nematode penetration, number of galls, and number of egg masses were investigated 2 and 5 weeks after nematode inoculation. Split-root plants treated with F. oxysporum strain 162 showed 26-45% less nematode penetration, 21-36% less galls and a 22-26% reduction in the number of egg masses in the roots not directly inoculated with the fungus when compared to untreated control plants in repeated tests. In conclusion, inoculation of tomato plants with the non-pathogenic fungal endophyte F. oxysporum strain 162 resulted in a signficant reduction of nematode infection, which was in part due to induced resistance in the first 2-3 weeks after fungal inoculation.     

Comparative phylogeography and speciation of dung beetles from the Australian Wet Tropics rainforest

In tropical rainforests, insects show especially high species richness and local endemism of species relative to vertebrates. One possible cause is that insects respond to historical fluctuations of rainforests on a smaller spatial scale than do vertebrates. To evaluate this hypothesis, we combine environmental niche models and mitochondrial DNA phylogeography for two pairs of sister species of the dung beetle genus Temnoplectron (T. aeneopiceum-T. subvolitans and T. politulum-T. reyi) from the rainforests of northeastern Australia, where climate-driven rainforest fluctuations in the Quaternary have strongly influenced genetic and species diversity of vertebrates. Within both species pairs, the bioclimatic niche was conserved, but the T. aeneopiceum-T. subvolitans species pair had the narrower environmental range, and thus more restricted potential distribution. Coalescent analyses indicated Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene divergences for both species pairs, and earlier speciation in (T. aeneopiceum-T. subvolitans) than in (T. politulum-T. reyi). Phylogeographic structure in (T. aeneopiceum-T. subvolitans) was more pronounced than in (T. politulum-T. reyi), with significant isolation-by-distance in the former species-pair only. Nested clade and coalescence analyses indicated local range expansions for the T. aeneopiceum-subvolitans species pair and range-wide expansion for both T. politulum and T. reyi. We suggest that stronger phylogeographic structure and earlier divergence in (T. aeneopiceum-T. subvolitans) than in (T. politulum-T. reyi) reflects a stronger influence of environmental barriers to gene flow under the present climate and greater sensitivity to warmer and drier periods of the Quaternary. The two species pairs evidently responded to Quaternary rainforest fluctuations at spatial scales similar to those seen within low-vagility species of vertebrate. Despite this similarity of scale, these insect lineages are reproductively isolated at parapatric boundaries, whereas analogous lineages of vertebrates often are not. We suggest that rapid evolution of genitalia may facilitate geographic speciation in rainforest beetles.     

FgAP‐2 complex is essential for pathogenicity and polarised growth and regulates the apical localisation of membrane lipid flippases in Fusarium graminearum

AP‐2 complex is widely distributed in eukaryotes in the form of heterotetramer that functions in the uptake of membrane proteins during mammalian/plant clathrin‐mediated endocytosis. However, its biological function remains mysterious in pathogenic fungi. In this study, the wheat scab fungus, Fusarium graminearum, was used to characterise the biological function of the AP‐2 complex. Our study shows that FgAP‐2 complex plays a critical role in the maintenance of hyphal polarity. Lack of any subunit (FgAP2^α, FgAP2^β, FgAP2^σ, and FgAP2^mu) of the FgAP‐2 complex significantly affects the fungal vegetative growth, conidial morphology, and germination. Remarkably, FgAP‐2 complex is important for the fungal pathogenicity, especially during colonisation and extension after infecting the host. The FgAP‐2 complex is expressed ubiquitously at all developmental stages but having more concentrated protein distribution at the subapical collar and septa in young growing hyphae. Although FgAP‐2 complex displays similar dynamic behaviour to the actin patch components and accumulates at endocytic sites, it is dispensable for general endocytosis. We further demonstrated that FgAP‐2 complex is required for polar localisation of the lipid flippases FgDnfA and FgDnfB, which led to the proposal that FgAP‐2 functions as a cargo‐specific adaptor that promotes polar growth and colonising ability of F. graminearum.     

Salicylic acid‐enhanced biosynthesis of pharmacologically important lignans and neo lignans in cell suspension culture of Linum ussitatsimum L

Linum usitatsimum L. (flax) is a perennial herb with magnitude of medicinal and commercial applications. In the present study, we investigated the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on biosynthesis of lignans (secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) and lariciresinol diglucoside (LDG)) and neolignans (dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol glucoside (DCG) and guaiacylglycerol‐β‐coniferyl alcohol ether glucoside (GGCG)) in cell cultures of flax. Moderate concentration of SA (50 μM) enhanced biomass accumulation (10.98 g/L dry weight (DW)), total phenolic content (37.81 mg/g DW), and antioxidant potential (87.23%) to two‐fold than their respective controls after 72 h of exposure. However, higher levels of total flavonoid content (5.32 mg/g DW) were noted after 48 h of exposure to 50 μM of SA. HPLC analyses revealed that 50 μM SA, significantly enhanced biosynthesis of SDG (7.95 mg/g DW), LDG (7.52 mg/g DW), DCG (54.90 mg/g DW), and GGCG (16.78 mg/g DW), which was almost 2.7, 1.8, 3.88, and 3.98 fold higher than their respective controls after 72 h of exposure time, respectively. These results indicated that moderate concentrations of SA had significant effects on biosynthesis and productivity of lignans and neolignans in cell culture of L. usitatissimum.     

Lipase immobilization on O-propargyl and O-pentynyl dextrans and its application for the synthesis of click beetle pheromones

Lipase of Rhizopus arrhizus was immobilized on O-propargyl dextran (PgD) and O-pentynyl dextran (PyD). Compared with Lewatit VP OC 1600 cation ion exchange resin, wood shaves, fuller earth, silica and alumina, PgD with degree of substitution (DS) of 0.68 and a surface of 10 m²/g was found to be the most effective immobilization support and an excellent biocatalyst for esterification reactions in organic solvents as the synthesis of click beetle pheromone geranyl octanoate. PyD (DS 0.44) with a surface of 3.3 m²/g was of similar high efficiency. For the enzymatic esterification the optimum concentration of geraniol and octanoic acid was 0.4 mol L^?1 each. The biocatalyst worked the best in hexane at a moisture level of 0.02%. The enzyme could be repeatedly used and conversion dropped from 80% to 70% after four cycles, while reaction rate even increased when repeatedly employed.     

Microbiological analysis of a mummy from the archeological museum in Zagreb

In this paper we report the results of the microbiological analysis of the samples taken from the mummy from the collection of the Archaeological museum in Zagreb, Croatia. Samples were taken from specific places such as oral, orbital, abdominal cavity and bandages surrounding the mummy, and analyzed in Department of Microbiology and Hospital Infections in University Hospital "Dubrava" in Zagreb and in National Reference Laboratory for systemic mycoses of Croatian National Institute of Public Health in Zagreb. The analysis indicated that all of the found organisms were non-primary pathogenic and are not harmful for healthy humans. Isolated microorganisms mainly belonged to the group of saprophytic fungi as listed: Monilia spp., Penicillium spp., Alternaria spp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus nidulans, Rhizopus spp. and Chrysosporium spp. and to the genus of saprophytic bacteria, Bacillus spp.