Cloning of the Lentinula edodes B mating-type locus and identification of the genetic structure controlling B mating

During the life cycle of heterothallic tetrapolar Agaricomycetes such as Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler, the mating type system, composed of unlinked A and B loci, plays a vital role in controlling sexual development and resulting formation of the fruit body. L. edodes is produced worldwide for consumption and medicinal purposes, and understanding its sexual development is therefore of great importance. A considerable amount of mating type factors has been indicated over the past decades but few genes have actually been identified, and no complete genetic structures of L. edodes B mating-type loci are available. In this study, we cloned the matB regions from two mating compatible L. edodes strains, 939P26 and 939P42. Four pheromone receptors were identified on each new matB region, together with three and four pheromone precursor genes in the respective strains. Gene polymorphism, phylogenetic analysis and distribution of pheromone receptors and pheromone precursors clearly indicate a bipartite matB locus, each sublocus containing a pheromone receptor and one or two pheromone precursors. Detailed sequence comparisons of genetic structures between the matB regions of strains 939P42, 939P26 and a previously reported strain SUP2 further supported this model and allowed identification of the B mating type subloci borders. Mating studies confirmed the control of B mating by the identified pheromone receptors and pheromones in L. edodes.     

Screening tomato-associated bacteria for biological control of grey mold on tomato

Aiming at discovering effective biocontrol agents (BCAs) against grey mold on tomato caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers., we selected 819 bacterial isolates from the surface as well as the interior of the roots, stems, and leaves of tomato plants grown in B. cinerea-infested fields. In a dual-culture assay, 116 isolates (14.16%) showed antagonism against B. cinerea and fewer ones against five additional tomato-associated fungal pathogens – Pythium ultimum, Phytophthora capsici, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Ralstonia solanacearum. Thirty-one isolates with antagonism to B. cinerea and at least one of the five additional pathogens were assessed for their efficacy in controlling grey mold on tomato in a greenhouse test. Thirteen of them attained the efficacy over 50% and were subjected to the second greenhouse test, in which 12 isolates consistently accomplished the biocontrol efficacy over 50%, with isolates ABc28 and ABc22 achieving the efficacy of 66.71% and 64.90%, respectively. Under greenhouse conditions, the above two as well as isolates ABc2, ABc11 and ABc17 increased tomato biomass by more than 20% in comparison with the control. The 12 antagonistic isolates accomplishing the biocontrol efficacy over 50% in both greenhouse tests were considered potential BCAs against grey mold, which were identified as Pseudomonas spp., Pantoea spp., Bacillus spp. and Chryseobacterium spp. Ten of them were found to produce at least one of the three hydrolytic enzymes (protease, cellulase and chitinase) and/or siderophore, which might be involved in their mechanisms of suppressing the disease. Based on the origin of these 12 strains, the leaf tissue, especially the leaf interior, of tomato plants grown in a B. cinerea-infested field appears to be a good source of potential BCAs against grey mold.     

陕西省烟草灰霉病病原及云芝多糖对其防治研究

采用形态学观察和分子鉴定方法对2011年在陕西省发生的一种烟草未知病害的病原菌进行鉴定。从病叶组织分离纯化得到病原菌,通过致病性测定以及人工接种后再分离病菌,证明编号LJL007的菌株为该病的致病菌。依据病原菌的形态学和培养特征,将菌株LJL007鉴定为灰葡萄孢Botrytis cinerea Pers.,其有性型为富氏葡萄孢盘菌Botryotinia fuckeliana Whetzel。通过核糖体DNAITS序列分析,分离菌株LJL007序列(登录号:HM17900)与富氏葡萄孢盘菌序列(登录号:HM849615)同源性达100%,进一步证明该病原菌是灰葡萄孢Botrytis cinerea。云芝多糖在离体条件下,对灰葡萄孢的菌丝生长和孢子萌发均无直接抑制作用。云芝多糖对烟草灰霉病有较好预防保护作用,其预防效果可达56.29%。云芝多糖可显著提高烟草体内几丁质酶和β-1,3-葡聚糖酶活性,其活性峰值分别比对照提高56.89%和429.83%,说明云芝多糖可诱导植物产生抗病性。     

中国鬼伞类真菌的分类

鬼伞类真菌涉及蘑菇科的鬼伞属Coprinus以及小脆柄菇科的小鬼伞属Coprinellus、拟鬼伞属Coprinopsis、近地伞属Parasola、刺毛鬼伞属Tulosesus和心孢鬼伞属Narcissea。基于标本研究和文献记载,确认我国该类真菌57种：小鬼伞属9种,刺毛鬼伞属10种,心孢鬼伞属3种,拟鬼伞属25种,近地伞属8种,鬼伞属2种。本文记载1个新组合——速亡型心孢鬼伞Narcissea ephemeroides,中国新记录种11个：黄鳞小鬼伞Coprinellus ellisii、甜味小鬼伞Coprinellus saccharinus、锐突拟鬼伞Coprinopsis acuminata、非洲雪白拟鬼伞Coprinopsis afronivea、美丽拟鬼伞Coprinopsis bellula、钟孢拟鬼伞Coprinopsis mitraespora、麻醉拟鬼伞Coprinopsis narcotica、厚壁拟鬼伞Coprinopsis pachyderma、近雪白拟鬼伞Coprinopsis pseudonivea、施罗特近地伞Parasola schroeteri和刺毛近地伞Parasola setulosa。编制了中国鬼伞类真菌分种检索表,对新组合和中国新记录种进行形态学描述,并提供线条图。结合ITS和LSU序列片段,采用了最大似然法和贝叶斯分析法建立系统发育树,反映各类群之间的系统演化关系。     

Induction of Reactive Oxygen Species and Phytoalexins in Onion (Allium cepa) Cell Culture by Biotic Elicitors Derived from the Fungus Botrytis cinerea

Metabolites of a phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea Pers. were analyzed for the presence of biotic elicitors. Three groups of elicitors competent in inducing defense responses inAllium cepa cells were identified and partly purified. The recognition of the elicitor signal in onion cells was shown to elevate the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), namely, superoxide anion-radical (O₂^{\overset{-}.}) and hydrogen peroxide (₂₂). The intensity of ROS release depended on chemical identity of elicitor and its concentration. The most active ROS production in onion cells was induced by a protein fraction isolated from the medium for fungus culturing. The carbohydrate elicitors extracted from the fungus cytoplasm and cell walls of mycelia were much less effective. The dynamics of ROS generation comprised two stages. The first stage represented fast and low-amplitude changes that peaked in 15 min after the elicitor treatment. The second stage was more durable and extensive; it occurred in 1.5–6 h after the treatment.     

Lactones. 6. Microbial lactonization of gamma,delta-epoxy esters

The ability of 19 microorganisms to perform the enantioselective lactonization of racemic gamma,delta-epoxy ester 3a and its 7-methyl homolog 3b was checked. It was found that Rhodotorula rubra preferentialy transformed both substrates to (-)-enantiomers of trans delta-hydroxy-gamma-lactones with ee 76% for 3a and 24% for 3b. The best efficiency (20-30%) and enantioselectivity (ee 60-100%) of formation of (-)-gamma-hydroxy-delta-lactones 6a and 6b was observed for lactonization by Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium semitectum, respectively.     

A proteomic study of pectin‐degrading enzymes secreted by Botrytis cinerea grown in liquid culture

Botrytis cinerea is a pathogenic filamentous fungus, which infects more than 200 plant species. The enzymes secreted by B. cinerea play an important role in the successful colonization of a host plant. Some of the secreted enzymes are involved in the degradation of pectin, a major component of the plant cell wall. A total of 126 proteins secreted by B. cinerea were identified by growing the fungus on highly or partially esterified pectin, or on sucrose in liquid culture. Sixty‐seven common proteins were identified in each of the growth conditions, of which 50 proteins exhibited a SignalP motif. Thirteen B. cinerea proteins with functions related to pectin degradation were identified in both pectin growth conditions, while only four were identified in sucrose. Our results indicate it is unlikely that the activation of B. cinerea from the dormant state to active infection is solely dependent on changes in the degree of esterification of the pectin component of the plant cell wall. Further, these results suggest that future studies of the B. cinerea secretome in infections of ripe and unripe fruits will provide important information that will describe the mechanisms that the fungus employs to access nutrients and decompose tissues.     

Wounding induces resistance to pathogens with different lifestyles in tomato: role of ethylene in cross-protection

Many reports point to the existence of a network of regulatory signalling occurring in plants during the interaction with micro-organisms (biotic stress) and abiotic stresses such as wounding. However, the focus is on shared intermediates/components and/or common molecular outputs in differently triggered signalling pathways, and not on the degree and modes of effective influence between abiotic and biotic stresses nor the range of true plant-pathogen interactions open to such influence. We report on local and systemic wound-induced protection in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to four pathogens with a range of lifestyles (Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici, Phytophthora capsici and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato). The role of ethylene (ET) in the phenomenon and in the induction by wounding of several markers of defense was investigated by using the never-ripe tomato mutant plants impaired in ET perception. We showed that PINIIb, PR1b, PR5, PR7 and peroxidase (POD) are influenced locally and/or systemically by wounding and, with the exception of POD activity, by ET perception. We also demonstrated that ET, although not essential, is positively (B. cinerea, P. capsici) or negatively (F. oxysporum, P. syringae pv. tomato) involved not only in basal but also in wound-induced resistance to each pathogen.