Cryptic species of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis: impact on paracoccidioidomycosis immunodiagnosis

We aimed to evaluate whether the occurrence of cryptic species of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, S1, PS2, PS3 and Paracoccidioides lutzii, has implications in the immunodiagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM). Small quantities of the antigen gp43 were found in culture filtrates of P. lutzii strains and this molecule appeared to be more variable within P. lutzii because the synonymous-nonsynonymous mutation rate was lower, indicating an evolutionary process different from that of the remaining genotypes. The production of gp43 also varied between isolates belonging to the same species, indicating that speciation events are important, but not sufficient to fully explain the diversity in the production of this antigen. The culture filtrate antigen AgEpm83, which was obtained from a PS3 isolate, showed large quantities of gp43 and reactivity by immunodiffusion assays, similar to the standard antigen (AgB-339) from an S1 isolate. Furthermore, AgEpm83 was capable of serologically differentiating five serum samples from patients from the Botucatu and Jundiaí regions. These patients had confirmed PCM but, were non-reactive to the standard antigen, thus demonstrating an alternative for serological diagnosis in regions in which S1 and PS2 occur. We also emphasise that it is not advisable to use a single antigen preparation to diagnose PCM, a disease that is caused by highly diverse pathogens.     

Foliar nutrients explain goldspotted oak borer,Agrilus auroguttatus,adult feeding preference among four California oak species

Adults of the invasive goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), consumed foliar weight in no‐choice feeding tests of, in descending order, California black oak Quercus kelloggii Newb., Engelmann oak, Quercus engelmannii Greene, coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia Née, and canyon live oak, Quercus chrysolepis Liebm. (Fagaceae). Furthermore, significantly more foliar area was consumed of Q. kelloggii than of Q. chrysolepis. In dual‐choice feeding tests with isolated leaf disks, A. auroguttatus consumed significantly more foliar weight and area of Q. kelloggii relative to the other three oak species, and more foliar weight of Q. agrifolia than of Q. chrysolepis. In dual‐choice feeding tests with leaves on small branches, A. auroguttatus consumed more foliar weight of Q. kelloggii than of Q. engelmannii and Q. agrifolia. Thus, multiple experiments suggested that adults of A. auroguttatus preferred the foliage of Q. kelloggii over that of the other three oak species, and among the other three species they did not appear to have a strong feeding preference. Factor analysis reduced the quantities of 13 foliar nutrients into two new variables (factor 1 and factor 2). Factor 1 was weighted heavily on the quantities of nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and copper, whereas factor 2 was weighted heavily on the quantities of zinc, iron, and aluminum. Factor 1 varied by oak species, with Q. kelloggii having a higher factor 1 nutrient content than the other three species. Factor 2 response was higher in Q. kelloggii, Q. agrifolia, and Q. engelmannii than in Q. chrysolepis. The collective effects of four macronutrients (nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and potassium) and two micronutrients (zinc and copper) suggest that these might be the nutrients directing preferential feeding of A. auroguttatus adults on the foliage of Q. kelloggii. Leaf toughness might also play an important role in feeding preference. Female A. auroguttatus did not show an ovipositional preference among the four oak species.     

Land use intensification in grasslands: higher trophic levels are more negatively affected than lower trophic levels

Increasing land use intensity and human influence are leading to a reduction in plant and animal species diversity. However, little is known about how these changes may affect higher trophic levels, apart from simply reducing species numbers. Here we investigated, over 3 years, the influence of different land practices on a tritrophic system in grassland habitats. The system consisted of the host plant Plantago lanceolata L. (Plantaginaceae), two monophagous weevils, Mecinus labilis Herbst and Mecinus pascuorum Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and their parasitoid Mesopolobus incultus Walker (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). At over 70 sites across three geographic regions in Germany, we measured plant species diversity and vegetation structure, as well as abundance of P. lanceolata, the two weevils, and the parasitoid. Land use intensity (fertilization) and type (mowing vs. grazing) negatively affected not only plant species richness but also the occurrence of the two specialized herbivores and their parasitoid. In contrast, land use had a mostly positive effect on host plant size, vegetation structure, and parasitization rate. This study reveals that intensification of land use influences higher trophic organisms even without affecting the availability of the host plant. The observed relationships between land use, vegetation complexity, and the tritrophic system are not restricted locally; rather they are measureable along a broad range of environmental conditions and years throughout Germany. Our findings may have important implications for the conservation of insect species of nutrient‐poor grasslands.     

不同黑莓品种果实形态和硬度分析及其解剖结构和微形态特征观察

以3个黑莓(Rubus spp.)品种‘Arapaho’、‘Boysenberry’和‘Kiowa’的成熟果实为实验材料,对果实的形状指标以及硬度进行了测定,并采用石蜡切片技术和扫描电子显微镜分别对3个品种果实的解剖结构以及外果皮及果肉的微形态特征进行了观察;在此基础上,对果实结构与果实硬度的关系进行了探讨.结果表明:品种‘Arapaho’果实的硬度值(0.79 lb·mm-2)大于品种‘Boysenberry’和‘Kiowa’果实的硬度值(0 lb·mm-2):品种‘Arapaho’果实的纵径、横径和单果质量均极显著小于‘Boysenberry’和‘Kiowa’果实.石蜡切片观察结果显示:3个品种的外果皮均较薄且无角质层覆盖,由1～2层表皮细胞组成;其中,品种‘Arapaho’果实的表皮细胞1层、短小且排列紧密,品种‘Boysenberry’果实的表皮细胞2层、细长且排列疏松整齐,品种‘Kiowa’果实的表皮细胞2层、胞壁有褶皱且果面局部凹陷.品种‘Arapaho’的中果皮由大量较完整的薄壁细胞组成并包含没有解体的维管束,而品种‘Boysenberry’和‘Kiowa’的中果皮内均匀分布着解体的薄壁细胞.扫描电镜观察结果显示:品种‘Boysenberry’外果皮具浅波状纹饰、表皮细胞形状不规则,并具稀疏的表皮毛和片状分泌物;品种‘Kiowa’外果皮表面有明显的不规则波纹状纹饰;品种‘Arapaho’外果皮表面纹理紧凑致密、表皮细胞轮廓清晰且形状规则.3个品种的果肉细胞均呈现不同程度的解体现象,但品种‘Arapaho’的果肉细胞中分布有没有解体的胶状物质.根据观察结果推测:黑莓果实果皮和果肉的解剖结构以及微形态特征与其硬度有一定的关系.     

Structure and content of pollutants in temporal surface sediments in small watersheds

ABSTRACT

Formation of gel-like surface sediments has been observed during spring and autumn in small watersheds in boreal areas with pH <5.7 and concentrations of humic substances above 3 mg L^?1. This structure efficiently accumulates dissolved, colloidal and particulate constituents. The gel consists of ferric (hydr)oxides and fulvic acid and has high viable counts of bacteria (notably Gallionella spp.) as well as fungal hyphae. The solid/solution distribution (log K_d; l kg^?1) for trace metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, V, Zn) ranges from 4 to 6.5 which indicate an efficient accumulation during periods with gel. The concentrations of adsorbable organic halogens in the gel were not different from forest soils in general.     

Bioherbicidal potential of a strain of Xanthomonas spp. for control of common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium)

Several isolates of a previously unreported bacterial pathogen were discovered on common cocklebur seedlings in Chicot County, AR and Washington County, MS. Diseased plants in nature exhibited angular-shaped leaf spotting symptoms on leaf margins and central leaf areas. The isolates were cultured from diseased leaf tissue and tentatively identified as Xanthomonas spp., and their virulence on common cocklebur seedlings compared. The most virulent isolate (LVA987) was used in studies to define disease progression on cocklebur seedlings and to carry out a host range evaluation on various weeds and crop plants. High virulence was found on common cocklebur > marestail (Conyza canadensis) > giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) ≥ and common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisifolia). These results suggest this pathogen may be useful for the biological control of these important species of weeds. This is also highly relevant since all of these weeds have evolved resistance to one or more synthetic herbicides and are thus becoming more difficult to control with conventional herbicides.     

Cyclization of All-E- and 2Z-Geranylfarnesols by a Bacterial Triterpene Synthase: Insight into Sesterterpene Biosynthesis in Aleuritopteris Ferns

Aleuritopteris ferns produce triterpenes and sesterterpenes with tricyclic cheilanthane and tetracyclic 18-episcalarane skeletons. The structural and mechanistic similarities between both classes of fern terpene suggest that their biosynthetic enzymes may be closely related. We investigate here whether a triterpene synthase is capable of recognizing geranylfarnesols as a substrate, and is able to convert them to cyclic sesterterpenes. We found that a bacterial triterpene synthase converted all-E-geranylfarnesol (1b) into three scalarane sesterterpenes with 18αH stereochemistry (5, 7 and 8), as well as mono- and tricyclic sesterterpenes (6 and 9). In addition, 2Z-geranylfarnesol (4) was converted into an 18-episcalarane derivative (10), whose skeleton can be found in sesterterpenes isolated from Aleuritopteris ferns. These results provide insight into sesterterpene biosynthesis in Aleuritopteris ferns.     

Indirect effects of domestic and wild herbivores on butterflies in an African savanna

Indirect interactions driven by livestock and wild herbivores are increasingly recognized as important aspects of community dynamics in savannas and rangelands. Large ungulate herbivores can both directly and indirectly impact the reproductive structures of plants, which in turn can affect the pollinators of those plants. We examined how wild herbivores and cattle each indirectly affect the abundance of a common pollinator butterfly taxon, Colotis spp., at a set of long‐term, large herbivore exclosure plots in a semiarid savanna in central Kenya. We also examined effects of herbivore exclusion on the main food plant of Colotis spp., which was also the most common flowering species in our plots: the shrub Cadaba farinosa. The study was conducted in four types of experimental plots: cattle‐only, wildlife‐only, cattle and wildlife (all large herbivores), and no large herbivores. Across all plots, Colotis spp. abundances were positively correlated with both Cadaba flower numbers (adult food resources) and total Cadaba canopy area (larval food resources). Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that floral resources drove the abundance of Colotis butterflies. Excluding browsing wildlife increased the abundances of both Cadaba flowers and Colotis butterflies. However, flower numbers and Colotis spp. abundances were greater in plots with cattle herbivory than in plots that excluded all large herbivores. Our results suggest that wild browsing herbivores can suppress pollinator species whereas well‐managed cattle use may benefit important pollinators and the plants that depend on them. This study documents a novel set of ecological interactions that demonstrate how both conservation and livelihood goals can be met in a working landscape with abundant wildlife and livestock.     

Impact of Chlorophorus caragana damage on nutrient contents of Caragana korshinskii

The amino acid, protein, carbohydrate, and mineral element contents and composition of the xylem, phloem, and leaves of healthy and insect-damaged Caragana korshinskii plants were analyzed to evaluate the changes in the nutrient content of C. korshinskii after damage by Chlorophorus caragana. The amino acid content decreased in the leaf and phloem but increased in the xylem in response to damage, while the protein content did not change in the leaf, increased in the xylem, and decreased in the phloem. The carbohydrate content increased slightly in the leaf but decreased in the xylem and phloem. The six mineral elements analyzed, namely, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, and iron decreased in the xylem, phloem, and leaf. The present results may provide a basis for understanding the mechanisms underlying the effect of C. caragana on the loss of viability of C. korshinskii.     

一中国白酒酒曲中的丝状真菌菌群

采用6种不同的培养基,分别于25℃、32℃、42℃以及50℃培养分离从而对某一中国白酒酒曲中的丝状真菌菌群进行研究.从酒曲中共分离得到886株丝状真菌,分属于接合菌,子囊菌和无性型真菌的20属,45种.其中最为丰富的是无性型真菌(28种),其次是接合菌(10种)和子囊菌(7种).对发酵起主要作用的为那些嗜热和耐热的种属,包括:宛氏拟青霉,伞枝梨头霉,梳棉状嗜热丝孢菌,微小根毛霉,金孢霉属一种和红曲属的几个种.文中还对一些在发酵中起重要作用的丝状真菌的特性进行了探讨.