Performance of Sclerodermus brevicornis,a parasitoid of invasive longhorn beetles,when reared on rice moth larvae

Biological control efficiency can be improved by developing effective mass‐rearing systems to produce large numbers of high‐quality parasitoids. This study explored an alternative host for rearing Sclerodermus brevicornis (Kieffer) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), a potential biocontrol agent for the suppression of exotic and invasive wood‐boring longhorn beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) populations in the European agroforestry ecosystems. We tested larvae of the rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica Stainton (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), as host for the parasitoid. We quantified the probability and timing of host attack and parasitism as well as reproductive success, offspring production, and the characteristics of adult offspring. As S. brevicornis is a quasi‐social species (multiple females, communally produced offspring broods), we also explored the effects of varying the number of females to which individual hosts were presented, with the aim of determining the optimal female‐to‐host ratio. As time to host attack can be a limiting factor in S. brevicornis rearing protocols, we tested the use of adult females of another bethylid species, Goniozus legneri Gordh, to paralyse C. cephalonica larvae prior to presentation. We identified the conditions within our experiment that maximized offspring production per host and offspring production per adult female parasitoid. We found that C. cephalonica is suitable as a factitious host and, as it is considerably more straightforward for laboratory rearing than cerambycid species, it is a good candidate for adoption by future S. brevicornis mass‐rearing and release programmes.     

植物-固定化菌剂联合修复多环芳烃污染土壤

以火凤凰根际土壤中发现的3种优势菌[分枝杆菌(Ⅰ)、产黄纤维单胞菌(Ⅱ)、少动鞘氨醇单胞菌(Ⅲ)]构建的多菌剂体系为供试菌剂,针对大港油田原油污染土壤,将固定化供试菌剂接种于修复植物火凤凰根际,探讨供试菌剂强化火凤凰修复多环芳烃(PAHs)污染土壤的效果。结果表明: 处理ⅠⅢ(有效活菌数为10⁹ cfu·mL^-1)和ⅠⅡⅢ(有效活菌数为10⁷ cfu·mL^-1)对PAHs的降解有促进作用,PAHs降解率分别为32.2%和41.4%,均显著高于相应对照处理。此外,处理ⅠⅡⅢ对火凤凰的地下生物量有明显促进作用,比对照处理增加了31.2%。表明由3种优势菌构建的多菌剂ⅠⅡⅢ可以作为火凤凰修复PAHs污染土壤的强化手段,为微生物强化植物修复技术提供了新的修复思路及方法。     

Investigating the bioactivity of cells and cell-free extracts of Streptomyces griseus towards Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 4

The antifungal activity of viable cells of Streptomyces griseus (St 4) and its cell-free extracts were investigated against the pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 4 (FOC race 4), causal agent of wilt disease in bananas. Results from in vitro and soil assays showed cells and cell-free extracts of S. griseus were able to inhibit FOC race 4 with varying degree of success. Antifungal activity was attributed to chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase, detected in both cells and cell-free extracts, which caused lysis of fungal cell wall and inhibited sporulation. Interestingly, β-1,3-glucanase and chitinase activities were significantly higher in cell-free extracts compared to cells, with 8.30 and 5.43 against 7.96 and 4.95 U mL⁻¹, respectively. Application to soil however, showed inoculation using S. griseus cells were more effective in suppressing growth of FOC race 4 than crude extracts, with 6 log₁₀ CFU of FOC race 4 g⁻¹ soil enumerated compared to 7 log₁₀ CFU of FOC race 4 g⁻¹ soil after 20 days. To summarize, this study has shown that cell-free extracts of S. griseus have antifungal properties but may not be suitable for soil application in its current form (liquid suspension). Further investigations on bioformulation may address this limitation.     

Computer-Intensive Statistical Procedures

The overall goal of this review is to summarize the current body of knowledge about the structure and function of major proteins of Bacillus anthracis and/or similar spore-forming organisms. B. anthracis is a key spore-forming biological threat agent, as well as human and animal Gram-positive bacterial pathogen. The structural information described here is limited to approximately the last 5 years. This information is then related to the role of the selected proteins in pathogenesis and in the possible development of novel vaccine and/or other antimicrobial agents against spore-forming organisms, including anthrax, a disease caused by B. anthracis.

Among spore-forming bacteria, Bacillus and Clostridium species are the predominant spore-forming bacilli that cause serious diseases. The biochemical properties and mechanism of catalysis of the novel spore germination protease that degrades small, acid-soluble proteins protecting DNA against damage, a cofactor independent phosphoglycerate mutase, NAD⁺ synthetase, and the three know B. anthracis toxins, protective antigen, lethal factor, and edema factor are described. The studies described in this work review and unify selected information critical for the prevention of microbial diseases such as anthrax. A strategy for the structure-guided development of new prophylactic and therapeutic agents is discussed.     

DNA staining in agarose and polyacrylamide gels by methyl green

ABSTRACT

Methyl green (MG) is an inexpensive, nonproprietary, traditional histological stain for cell nuclei. When bound to DNA and upon excitation with orange-red light, it fluoresces brightly in the far red region. We compared MG with ethidium bromide (EtBr), the conventional stain for DNA in gels, and Serva DNA stain G? (SDsG), a proprietary stain marketed as a safer alternative to EtBr for staining of electrophoresed DNA bands in agarose and polyacrylamide gels. DNA-MG fluorescence was recorded and 2.4 μg/ml MG produced crisp images of electrophoresed DNA after incubation for 10 min. Stain solutions were stable and detection limits for faint bands as well as relative densitometric quantitation were equivalent to EtBr. MG, EtBr and SDsG cost 0.0192, 0.024 and 157.5 US cents/test, respectively. MG is an effective stain for visualizing DNA in agarose and polyacrylamide gels. Its major advantages including low cost, comparable quality of staining, storage at room temperature, photo-resistance and low mutagenic profile outweigh its disadvantages such as staining of tracking dye and requirement for a gel documentation system with a red filter.     

Synthesis of monooxime-monocarbamoyl bispyridinium compounds bearing (E)-but-2-ene linker and evaluation of their reactivation activity against tabun- and paraoxon-inhibited acetylcholinesterase

Six AChE monooxime-monocarbamoyl reactivators with an (E)-but-2-ene linker were synthesized using modification of currently known synthetic pathways. Their potency to reactivate AChE inhibited by the nerve agent tabun and insecticide paraoxon was tested in vitro. The reactivation efficacies of pralidoxime, HI-6, obidoxime, K048, K075 and the newly prepared reactivators were compared. According to the results obtained, one reactivator seems to be promising against tabun-inhibited AChE and two reactivators against paraoxon-inhibited AChE. The best results were obtained for bisquaternary substances with at least one oxime group in position four.     

Synthesis of Six-Membered Nucleoside Analogs. Part 1: Pyrimidine Nucleosides Based on the 1,3-Dioxane Ring System

Abstract

The synthesis of pyrimidine nucleosides, cis-N-1-[(2-hydroxymethyl)-1,3-dioxan-5-yl]uracil (4) cis-N-1-[(2-hydroxymethyl)-1,3-dioxan-5-yl]thymine (5) and cis-N-1-[(2-hydroxymethyl)-1,3-dioxan-5-yl]cytosine (6) and their corresponding trans isomers is described. Compound 4 showed modest, selective activity against human immunodeficiency virus in acutely infected primary human lymphocytes.     

Design and Synthesis of Dually Branched 5′-Norcarbocyclic Adenosine Phosphonodiester Analogue as a New Anti-HIV Prodrug

A novel 3′,4′-dimethyl-5′-norcarbocyclic adenosine phosphonic acid was prepared using acyclic stereoselective route from 4-hydroxybutan-2-one (4). To improve the cellular permeability and enhance the anti-HIV activity of this phosphonic acid, a (bis)SATE phosphonodiester nucleoside prodrug (20) was prepared and its chemical stability was evaluated. The newly synthesized bis(SATE) analogue (20) and its parent nucleoside phosphonic acid (18) were assayed for anti-HIV activity using an in vitro assay system in a CEM cell line.     

Synthesis and Evaluation of Pyrrole Polyamide- 2′-Deoxyguanosine 5′-Phosphate Hybrid

Pyrrole polyamide-2′-deoxyguanosine 5′-phosphate hybrid (Hybrid 4) was synthesized and evaluated in terms of the inhibition of mouse mammary carcinoma FM3A cell growth. Hybrid 4 was found to exhibit dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth.