Observations on the infection and rotting of apples var. Bramley's Seedliong by Diaporthe perniciosa

In N. Ireland Diaporthe perniciosa March is a common inhabitant of the dead wood of Bramley's Seedling apple trees, and its pycnospores, extruded throughout the growing season, are responsible for fruit infections which result in stalk-end rots during storage.
Pycnidia were produced in culture only after exposure to light, near-UV radiation being particularly favourable. The carbon source in the medium influenced pycnidia production: high yields were obtained where mannitol was used. Only a -spores germinated under the conditions tested, giving optimum germination at 25 C. in a water film. No germination occurred at less than 98% R.H. Germ tubes and hyphae developed appressoria after germination on artificial surfaces but on apple skin most spores produced only a protuberance from which penetration hyphae developed directly. The cuticle and epidermal cells of apples of all ages were penetrated within a few days of inoculation. Intact surfaces and lenticels were penetrated equally. Susceptibility to further rotting increased with age of the fruit. Apples loaded with spores early in the season rotted later than similar apples loaded just before picking. Polygalacturonase was detected in sap expressed from rotted apples of various ages, the level of activity being correlated with the susceptibility of the fruit.     

Estimation of the Outcrossing Rate on Dryobalanops aromatica Gaertn. f. in Primary and Secondary Forests in Brunei, Borneo, Southeast Asia

Abstract Dryobalanops aromatica is an emergent canopy tree species with hermaphroditic bee-pollinated flowers. This species is distributed in the lowland dipterocarp forests of Malaya, Sumatra, Rhio Archipelago and Borneo. The flowering of many different dipterocarp species was observed in some parts of Brunei in 1991, and all over Brunei in 1992. The outcrossing rates of D, aromatica were estimated in 1991 and 1992 in the secondary forest, and in 1992 in the primary forest. Selective harvesting of D. aromatica has occurred in the secondary forest about 20 years ago. Four enzyme systems with a total of six isozyme loci were used to estimate the single locus and the multilocus outcrossing rates. The multilocus outcrossing estimates ranged from 0.794 to 0.856, with a mean of 0.816. These estimates are similar to those for other tropical tree species. Although the flowering density of D. aromatica in the secondary forest was lower than in the primary forest, the multilocus outcrossing estimates were not significantly different. The variation between years in the secondary forest was also not significant. These findings may be largely the result of the high flowering tree density of this species, even in the secondary forest. In this study, the outcrossing rates of D. aromatica were maintained by high flowering density regardless of the size structure or the topography of the habitat.     

Bioinformatics Analysis of Key micro-RNAs and mRNAs under the Hand,Foot, and Mouth Disease Virus Infection

To clarify crucial key micro-RNAs and mRNAs associated with hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) virus infection, we conducted this bioinformatics analysis from four GEO datasets. The following datasets were used for the analysis: {"type":"entrez-geo","attrs":{"text":"GSE85829","term_id":"85829"}}GSE85829, {"type":"entrez-geo","attrs":{"text":"GSE94551","term_id":"94551"}}GSE94551, {"type":"entrez-geo","attrs":{"text":"GSE52780","term_id":"52780"}}GSE52780, and {"type":"entrez-geo","attrs":{"text":"GSE45589","term_id":"45589"}}GSE45589. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were acquired, and the analysis of functional and pathway enrichment and the relative regulatory network were conducted. After screening common differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs), five key miRNAs were acquired: miR-100-3p, miR-125a-3p, miR-1273g-3p, miR-5585-3p, and miR-671-5p. There were three common enriched GO terms between miRNA-derived prediction and mRNA-derived analysis: biosynthetic process, cytosol, and nucleoplasm. There was one common KEGG pathway, i.e., cell cycle shared between miRNA-based and mRNA-based enrichment. Using TarBase V8 in DIANA tools, we acquired 1,520 potential targets (mRNA) from the five key DE-miRNAs, among which the159 DE-mRNAs also included 11 DEGs. These common DEGs showed a PPI network mainly connected by SMC1A, SMARCC1, SF3B3, LIG1, and BRMS1L. Together, changes in five key miRNAs and 11 key mRNAs may play crucial roles in HFMD progression. A combination of these roles may benefit the early diagnosis and treatment of HFMD.Key words: HFMD, micro-RNA, protein-protein interaction, microarray, regulatory network     

Colleterial glands of Sesamia nonagrioides as a source of the host-recognition kairomone for the egg parasitoid Telenomus busseolae

Abstract.  The maize stemborer Sesamia nonagrioides glues its egg masses under the leaf sheaths or ear bracts using colleterial gland secretion. In spite of such concealed oviposition sites, these eggs are parasitized by Telenomus busseolae. The colleterial glands of S. nonagrioides are investigated as a possible source of the host-recognition kairomone for T. busseolae . This secretion, applied on glass beads, elicits intense antennal drumming and oviposition probing behaviour in the parasitoid. Through an histochemical study, neutral and acid glycoconjugates are identified as components of the secretion. Finally, using ultrastructural techniques, the colleterial glands are described and classified as comprising class 3 secretory cells.     

中国真棒恙螨属一新种：蜱螨亚纲：恙螨科

潍坊真棒恙螨,新种Euschōengastia weifangensis sp.nov.采自山东省潍坊地区褐家鼠Ratius norvegicus 的耳壳。正模♀保存于山东中医学院寄生虫学教研室。     

Role of the plant–conspecific complex in host location and intra-specific communication of Lygus rugulipennis

Abstract.  Wind tunnel and vertical open Y-shaped olfactometer studies are used to test whether volatile cues from the host plant ( Vicia faba ), from conspecific bugs, and from a plant–conspecifics combination, would elicit behavioural responses in mated males and females of Lygus rugulipennis . In the olfactometer, females move towards volatiles from healthy plants but they do not respond to volatiles released by oviposition- and/or feeding-damaged plants without conspecifics, nor to conspecifics alone. Both in the wind tunnel and olfactometer, females respond to volatiles emitted by the plant–insect complex. By contrast, in the wind tunnel, both sexes move significantly towards damaged host plants, even if the presence of conspecifics on these plants enhances only the female response. However, the presence of eggs from conspecifics on host plants reduces the responses of both sexes in the wind tunnel. Finally, males, as well as females, are less responsive to conspecifics alone compared with damaged plants, especially when conspecifics are present on the host plants (host plant– Lygus complex). The results suggest that volatiles emitted by plants and conspecifics influence L.   rugulipennis behaviour, giving information to both sexes on the presence of suitable host plants that have been colonized by other conspecifics acting as pioneers, or providing information on the presence of an already exploited host plant (presence of eggs), thus preventing competition. Males also can use this information to increase the probability of encountering mature females.     

彩虹锹甲不同发育阶段肠道真菌群落特征研究北大核心

【目的】肠道微生物中的真菌群落在宿主生命活动中具有多种功能。锹甲是常见的腐食性甲虫,但目前对其肠道真菌群落的研究较少,本研究分析彩虹锹甲(Phalacrognathus muelleri)不同发育阶段的肠道真菌群落结构和多样性,试图阐明彩虹锹甲在不同发育阶段中肠道真菌群落的特征。【方法】本研究通过高通量测序(Illumina MiSeq)技术对彩虹锹甲不同发育阶段(包括新生幼虫、成熟幼虫、成虫)之间肠道真菌群落结构进行比较研究,分析其α多样性、β多样性和功能预测。【结果】彩虹锹甲肠道优势真菌类群为假丝酵母属(Candida)、Phialocephala、青霉属(Penicillium)、烧瓶状霉属(Lecythophora)。肠道真菌群落组成与多样性在幼虫期和成虫期存在显著差异,成虫与幼虫食性差别可能是导致肠道真菌群落组成和多样性差异的重要原因。功能预测结果显示,幼虫肠道中含有更高的内共生菌多样性与相对丰度,说明幼虫可能更加依赖其肠道有益真菌来获得充分的养分。β零模型结果显示,成虫肠道对其真菌群落具有更强的过滤作用,从而选择特定的肠道真菌类群,导致成虫肠道真菌群落共现网络具有更高的稳定性,增强成虫对环境波动的适应能力。【结论】本研究发现彩虹锹甲不同发育阶段参与食物降解的功能真菌类型不同,幼虫可能对肠道真菌的依赖性更强,而成虫肠道较强的选择作用有助于选择特定真菌类群和保持肠道真菌群落稳定。本研究有助于更好理解锹甲肠道真菌群落的多样性,为开展腐栖甲虫作为生态系统重要功能群的利用与保护提供更多理论参考。