The wheat Lr34 multipathogen resistance gene confers resistance to anthracnose and rust in sorghum

The ability of the wheat Lr34 multipathogen resistance gene (Lr34res) to function across a wide taxonomic boundary was investigated in transgenic Sorghum bicolor. Increased resistance to sorghum rust and anthracnose disease symptoms following infection with the biotrophic pathogen Puccinia purpurea and the hemibiotroph Colletotrichum sublineolum, respectively, occurred in transgenic plants expressing the Lr34res ABC transporter. Transgenic sorghum lines that highly expressed the wheat Lr34res gene exhibited immunity to sorghum rust compared to the low‐expressing single copy Lr34res genotype that conferred partial resistance. Pathogen‐induced pigmentation mediated by flavonoid phytoalexins was evident on transgenic sorghum leaves following P. purpurea infection within 24–72 h, which paralleled Lr34res gene expression. Elevated expression of flavone synthase II, flavanone 4‐reductase and dihydroflavonol reductase genes which control the biosynthesis of flavonoid phytoalexins characterized the highly expressing Lr34res transgenic lines 24‐h post‐inoculation with P. purpurea. Metabolite analysis of mesocotyls infected with C. sublineolum showed increased levels of 3‐deoxyanthocyanidin metabolites were associated with Lr34res expression, concomitant with reduced symptoms of anthracnose.     

The Influence of Hydrologic Residence Time on Lake Carbon Cycling Dynamics Following Extreme Precipitation Events

The frequency and magnitude of extreme events are expected to increase in the future, yet little is known about effects of such events on ecosystem structure and function. We examined how extreme precipitation events affect exports of terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (t-DOC) from watersheds to lakes as well as in-lake heterotrophy in three north-temperate lakes. Extreme precipitation events induced large influxes of t-DOC to our lakes, accounting for 45–58% of the seasonal t-DOC load. These large influxes of t-DOC influenced lake metabolism, resulting in lake net heterotrophy following 67% of the extreme precipitation events across all lakes. Hydrologic residence time (HRT) was negatively related to t-DOC load and heterotrophy; lakes with short HRT had higher t-DOC loads and greater net heterotrophy. The fraction of t-DOC mineralized within each lake following extreme precipitation events generally exhibited a positive relationship with lake HRT, similar to the previous studies of fractions mineralized at annual and supra-annual time scales. Event-associated turnover rate of t-DOC was higher than what is typically reported from laboratory studies and modeling exercises and was also negatively related to lake HRT. This study demonstrates that extreme precipitation events are ‘hot moments’ of carbon load, export, and turnover in lakes and that lake-specific characteristics (for example, HRT) interact with climatic patterns to set rates of important lake carbon fluxes.     

Respiratory transfer impedance and derived mechanical properties of conscious rats.

A setup is described for measuring the respiratory transfer impedance of conscious rats in the frequency range 16-208 Hz. The rats were placed in a restraining tube in which head and body were separated by means of a dough neck collar. The restraining tube was placed in a body chamber, allowing the application of pseudorandom noise pressure variations to the chest and abdomen. The flow at the airway opening was measured in a small chamber connected to the body chamber. The short-term reproducibility of the transfer impedance was tested by repeated measurements in nine Wistar rats. The mean coefficient of variation for the impedance did not exceed 10%. The impedance data were analyzed using different models of the respiratory system of which a three-coefficient resistance-inertance-compliance model provided the most reliable estimates of respiratory resistance (Rrs) and inertance (Irs). The model response, however, departed systematically from the measured impedance. A nine-coefficient model best described the data. Optimization of this model provided estimates of the respiratory tissue coefficients and upper and lower airway coefficients. Rrs with this model was 13.6 +/- 1.0 (SD) kPa.l-1.s, Irs was 14.5 +/- 1.3 Pa.l-1.s2, and tissue compliance (Cti) was 2.5 +/- 0.5 ml/kPa. The intraindividual coefficient of variation for Rrs and Irs was 11 and 18%, respectively. Because most of the resistance and inertance was located in the airways (85 and 81% of Rrs and Irs, respectively), the partitioning in tissue and upper and lower airway components was rather poor. Our values for Rrs and Irs of conscious rats were much lower and our values for Cti were higher than previously reported values for anesthetized rats.     

Dermal cryptococcosis in a guinea pig

A case of cryptococcosis in a guinea pig with lesions confined to the dorsum of the nose is described. Results of clinical, postmortem and histological examination are discussed. The diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities and problems of cryptococcosis are mentioned.     

Inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation reduces endoplasmic reticulum stress and alters lysosomal morphology and distribution

Disturbances in proteostasis are observed in many neurodegenerative diseases. This leads to activation of protein quality control to restore proteostasis, with a key role for the removal of aberrant proteins by proteolysis. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a protein quality control mechanism of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that is activated in several neurodegenerative diseases. Recently we showed that the major proteolytic pathway during UPR activation is via the autophagy/lysosomal system. Here we investigate UPR induction if the other major proteolytic pathway of the ER -ER associated degradation (ERAD)-is inhibited. Surprisingly, impairment of ERAD results in decreased UPR activation and protects against ER stress toxicity. Autophagy induction is not affected under these conditions, however, a striking relocalization of the lysosomes is observed. Our data suggest that a protective UPR-modulating mechanism is activated if ERAD is inhibited, which involves lysosomes. Our data provide insight in the cross-talk between proteolytic pathways involved in ER proteostasis. This has implications for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease where disturbed ER proteostasis and proteolytic impairment are early phenomena in the pathology.     

The Nobel Prize as a Reward Mechanism in the Genomics Era: Anonymous Researchers,Visible Managers and the Ethics of Excellence

The Human Genome Project (HGP) is regarded by many as one of the major scientific achievements in recent science history, a large-scale endeavour that is changing the way in which biomedical research is done and expected, moreover, to yield considerable benefit for society. Thus, since the completion of the human genome sequencing effort, a debate has emerged over the question whether this effort merits to be awarded a Nobel Prize and if so, who should be the one(s) to receive it, as (according to current procedures) no more than three individuals can be selected. In this article, the HGP is taken as a case study to consider the ethical question to what extent it is still possible, in an era of big science, of large-scale consortia and global team work, to acknowledge and reward individual contributions to important breakthroughs in biomedical fields. Is it still viable to single out individuals for their decisive contributions in order to reward them in a fair and convincing way? Whereas the concept of the Nobel prize as such seems to reflect an archetypical view of scientists as solitary researchers who, at a certain point in their careers, make their one decisive discovery, this vision has proven to be problematic from the very outset. Already during the first decade of the Nobel era, Ivan Pavlov was denied the Prize several times before finally receiving it, on the basis of the argument that he had been active as a research manager (a designer and supervisor of research projects) rather than as a researcher himself. The question then is whether, in the case of the HGP, a research effort that involved the contributions of hundreds or even thousands of researchers worldwide, it is still possible to “individualise” the Prize? The “HGP Nobel Prize problem” is regarded as an exemplary issue in current research ethics, highlighting a number of quandaries and trends involved in contemporary life science research practices more broadly.     

Effect of insecticides,acaricides and fungicides onMormoniella vitripennis walker (Hym. Pteromalidae)

Zusammenfassung In Versuchen über die Anf?lligkeit von Schlupfwespen für Bek?mpfungsmittel wurdeMormoniella vitripennis benutzt. Eine Spritzbelagmethode wurde angewandt. Die Ergebnisse in Tabellen I, II und III zeigen eine sehr geringe Giftwirkung von Captan, Karathane, Thiram und die Sauerstoffanalogon von Eradex, dagegen gaben Thiodan und Sevin eine sehr hohe Mortalit?t. Ryanicide, Chlorbenside und Isolan waren in den angewandten Konzentrationen nicht gef?hrlich für diesen Parasit.