Sensitivity of Meloidogyne incognita and Rotylenchulus reniformis to Fluopyram

Fluopyram is a succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide that is being evaluated as a seed treatment and in-furrow spray at planting on row crops for management of fungal diseases and its effect on plant-parasitic nematodes. Currently, there are no data on nematode toxicity, nematode recovery, or effects on nematode infection for Meloidogyne incognita or Rotylenchulus reniformis after exposure to low concentrations of fluopyram. Nematode toxicity and recovery experiments were conducted in aqueous solutions of fluopyram, while root infection assays were conducted on tomato. Nematode paralysis was observed after 2 hr of exposure at 1.0 µg/ml fluopyram for both nematode species. Using an assay of nematode motility, 2-hr EC₅₀ values of 5.18 and 12.99 µg/ml fluopyram were calculated for M. incognita and R. reniformis, respectively. Nematode recovery in motility was greater than 50% for M. incognita and R. reniformis 24 hr after nematodes were rinsed and removed from a 1-hr treatment of 5.18 and 12.99 µg/ml fluopyram, respectively. Nematode infection of tomato roots was reduced and inversely proportional to 1-hr treatments with water solutions of fluopyram at low concentrations, which ranged from 1.3 to 5.2 µg/ml for M. incognita and 3.3 to 13.0 µg/ml for R. reniformis. Though fluopyram is nematistatic, low concentrations of the fungicide were effective at reducing the ability of both nematode species to infect tomato roots.     

Nuclear gene trees and the phylogenetic relationships of the mangabeys (Primates: Papionini)

Phylogenetic relationships of mangabeys within the Old World monkey tribe Papionini are inferred from analyses of nuclear DNA sequences from five unlinked loci. The following conclusions are strongly supported, based on congruence among trees derived for the five separate gene regions: (1) mangabeys are polyphyletic within the Papionini; (2) Cercocebus is the sister taxon to the genus Mandrillus; and (3) Lophocebus belongs to a clade with Papio and Theropithecus, with Papio as its most likely sister taxon. Morphologically based phylogenies positing mangabey monophyly were evaluated by mapping the sequences for each locus on these trees. The data seem to fit these trees poorly in both maximum-parsimony and likelihood analyses. Incongruence among nuclear gene trees occurred in the interrelationships among Lophocebus, Papio, and Theropithecus. Several factors that may account for this incongruence are discussed, including sampling error, random lineage sorting, and introgression.      

Evolutionary constraints mediate extinction risk under climate change

Mounting evidence suggests that rapid evolutionary adaptation may rescue some organisms from the impacts of climate change. However, evolutionary constraints might hinder this process, especially when different aspects of environmental change generate antagonistic selection on genetically correlated traits. Here, we use individual-based simulations to explore how genetic correlations underlying the thermal physiology of ectotherms might influence their responses to the two major components of climate change—increases in mean temperature and thermal variability. We found that genetic correlations can influence population dynamics under climate change, with declines in population size varying three-fold depending on the type of correlation present. Surprisingly, populations whose thermal performance curves were constrained by genetic correlations often declined less rapidly than unconstrained populations. Our results suggest that accurate forecasts of the impact of climate change on ectotherms will require an understanding of the genetic architecture of the traits under selection.     

PPCMatrix: a PowerPC dotmatrix program to compare large genomic sequences against protein sequences

Summary : An interactive dotmatrix program for the MacOS was designed that allows comparison of DNA to protein sequences using nested 3-frame translations. Availability : Shareware, available at http://copan.bioz.unibas.ch/software/ Contact : burglin@ubaclu. unibas.ch      

The anabolic action of intermittent parathyroid hormone on cortical bone depends partly on its ability to induce nitric oxide‐mediated vasorelaxation in BALB/c mice

There is strong evidence that vasodilatory nitric oxide (NO) donors have anabolic effects on bone in humans. Parathyroid hormone (PTH), the only osteoanabolic drug currently approved, is also a vasodilator. We investigated whether the NO synthase inhibitor L‐NAME might alter the effect of PTH on bone by blocking its vasodilatory effect. BALB/c mice received 28 daily injections of PTH[1–34] (80 µg/kg/day) or L‐NAME (30 mg/kg/day), alone or in combination. Hindlimb blood perfusion was measured by laser Doppler imaging. Bone architecture, turnover and mechanical properties in the femur were analysed respectively by micro‐CT, histomorphometry and three‐point bending. PTH increased hindlimb blood flow by >30% within 10 min of injection (P < 0.001). Co‐treatment with L‐NAME blocked the action of PTH on blood flow, whereas L‐NAME alone had no effect. PTH treatment increased femoral cortical bone volume and formation rate by 20% and 110%, respectively (P < 0.001). PTH had no effect on trabecular bone volume in the femoral metaphysis although trabecular thickness and number were increased and decreased by 25%, respectively. Co‐treatment with L‐NAME restricted the PTH‐stimulated increase in cortical bone formation but had no clear‐cut effects in trabecular bone. Co‐treatment with L‐NAME did not affect the mechanical strength in femurs induced by iPTH. These results suggest that NO‐mediated vasorelaxation plays partly a role in the anabolic action of PTH on cortical bone. © 2016 The Authors. Cell Biochemistry and Function published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High-throughput DNA isolation method for detection of Xylella fastidiosa in plant and insect samples

We report an inexpensive, high-throughput method for isolating DNA from insect and plant samples for the purpose of detecting Xylella fastidiosa infection. Existing methods often copurify inhibitors of DNA polymerases, limiting their usefulness for PCR-based detection assays. When compared to commercially available kits, the method provides enhanced pathogen detection at a fraction of the cost.