Characterisation of Pectobacterium carotovorum causing soft rot on Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnierii in Malaysia

Soft rot disease can be found worldwide on fleshy storage tissues of fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. The soft rot Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) is an important pathogen of Kalanchoe spp. and other ornamental plants. The disease occurs on crops in the field, greenhouses and during transit, resulting great economic damages. The economic importance of crop loss by soft rot bacteria varies by severity of the disease and value of the crop. A destructive disease on Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnierii was observed in commercial ornamental plant greenhouses in Cameron highland and Melaka, Malaysia in 2011. Samples suspected to be infested with Pectobacterium spp. were brought to the laboratory. In pathogenicity test, a suspension of 10^6?CFU/ml of strains was able to cause soft rot on leaves and stems. A 434?bp banding pattern on 1% agarose gel was produced in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of pectate lyase encoding gene (Pel gene). PCR amplification of the intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS) (16S–23S rRNA) ITS region with G₁ and L₁ primers produced two main bands at about 540 and 570?bp. The ITS-PCR products were digested with RsaI restriction enzyme. For discrimination of the P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) from P. carotovorum subsp. odoriferum (Pco), all isolates subjected to α-methyl glucoside test. All isolates were identified as Pcc based on phenotypic and molecular methods. This is the first report of soft rot disease caused by P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum on K. gastonis-bonnierii, in Malaysia.     

A critical review of the application of white rot fungus to environmental pollution control

Research on white rot fungi for environmental biotechnology has been conducted for more than 20 years. In this article, we have reviewed processes for cell growth and enzyme production including the factors influencing enzyme productivity and the methods for enhancement of enzyme production. Significant progress has been achieved in molecular biology related to white rot fungi, especially related to the extraction of genetic material (RNA and DNA), gene cloning and the construction of genetically engineered microorganisms. The development of biotechnologies using white rot fungi for environmental pollution control has been implemented to treat various refractory wastes and to bioremediate contaminated soils. The current status and future research needs for fundamentals and application are addressed in this review.     

Current Status of Cereal Root Diseases in Western Australia Under Intensive Cereal Production and Their Comparison with the Historical Survey Conducted During 1976–1982

Two separate surveys of root diseases of cereals in the Western Australian (WA) cereal belt were conducted: the first conducted annually for wheat and barley during 1976–1982 and the second for wheat during 2005–2007. For the 1976–1982 survey, the cereal belt was divided into 15 zones based on the location and rainfall. Sampling was representative of the actual cropping area, with both wheat and barley sampling sites selected by zone as a percentage of total sites. Over 31 000 plants were assessed from a total of 996 fields. Average take‐all incidence ranged from 3% in the northern low rainfall zone to 57% in the southern high rainfall zone. Other root diseases assessed included rhizoctonia root rot, fusarium crown rot and subcrown internode discolouration. During the 2005–2007 survey, around 20 000 plants from a total of 210 fields being intensively cropped with cereals were surveyed for take‐all, rhizoctonia root rot, fusarium crown rot, common root rot, root lesion nematode and cereal cyst nematode. The 2005–2007 survey results indicated that root and crown diseases prevailed in paddocks frequently cropped with cereals and occurred at damaging levels across all WA cropping districts surveyed. The more recent root disease survey identified that the fungal diseases rhizoctonia root rot and fusarium crown rot and the root lesion nematode were the most serious impediments to intensive cereal production, particularly in the southern region of WA. Comparing the 2005–2007 results with the previous survey of 1976–1982, the relative importance of take‐all appears to have declined over the past 30 years.     

Phytophthora cinnamomi Associated with Root and Crown Rot of Walnut in Turkey

Walnut decline caused by Phytophthora sp. occurred in an orchard in Sakarya province in Turkey. Affected young trees showed poor growth, leaf discolouration, root and crown rot and eventual death. A Phytophthora sp. isolated from necrotic taproots and crown tissues. The causal agent of the disease was identified as Phytophthora cinnamomi by morphological characteristics and comparing sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Upon conducting pathogenicity test, averaging 7.8‐cm‐long canker developed on basal stem within 2 weeks, while no cankers developed in the control plants.     

Lignicolous freshwater fungi along a north–south latitudinal gradient in the Asian/Australian region; can we predict the impact of global warming on biodiversity and function?

Fungi play a key role in decomposition of submerged wood in streams, breaking down lignocelluloses and releasing nutrients, and are important in ecosystem functioning. These wood decay fungi are known as freshwater lignicolous fungi and are usually studied by collecting submerged woody litter, followed by incubation in a moist chamber. This review explains what are freshwater lignicolous fungi, their decay mechanisms, roles and physiological attributes. Asian/Australasian lignicolous freshwater fungi have been relatively well-surveyed and enable an account of their distribution along a latitudinal transect. Unlike freshwater leaf-dwelling fungi their diversity in water bodies is greater towards the Equator which suggests they are important for decaying submerged wood in the tropics. Riparian vegetation, disturbances such as pollution, streams drying and study methods, may all affect the diversity of freshwater lignicolous fungi, however, the overall trend is a higher diversity in the tropics and subtropics. Climate changes together with increasing deposition of woody debris from human activities, and alteration of environmental factors (such as water pollution, and dam building) will impact freshwater lignicolous fungi. Changing diversity, structure and activities of freshwater fungal communities can be expected, which will significantly impact on aquatic ecosystems, particularly on nutrient and carbon cycles. There is a great opportunity to monitor changes in freshwater fungi communities along latitudinal (north to south) and habitat gradients (from human disturbed to natural habitats), and study ecological thresholds and consequences of such changes, particularly its feedback on nutrient and carbon cycles in freshwater systems.     

股骨短缩截骨全髋置换术治疗青年Crowe IV 型髋关节发育不良

目的：总结股骨短缩截骨结合全髋关节置换术治疗青年Crowe IV 型髋关节发育不良（DDH）的近期疗效。方法：2009 年1 月 至2015 年1 月期间我院收治的22 例（24 髋）青年Crowe IV 型髋关节发育不良患者,其中男4 例（5 髋）,女18 例（19 髋）,年龄 17~27 岁,平均22 岁。记录患者术前、术后髋关节功能Harris评分、髋关节疼痛VAS评分和下肢长度差异。收集患者临床及影像 学资料。结果：22 例患者均获随访,随访时间6～72 个月,平均38 个月。截骨端均骨性愈合,愈合时间3～ 6 个月,平均3.2 个月。 Harris 评分由术前（43.2 ± 2.7）分改善至（95.3 ± 2.8）分,效果显著（P＜0.01）,髋关节疼痛VAS评分由术前(6. 0 ± 1. 0)分改善至 (1.0 ± 0.5) 分,疼痛明显缓解（P＜0.05）,下肢长度差异由术前（55.5± 15.5）mm减少至（16.5± 5.5）mm,显著改善（P＜0.01）。术后2 例合并坐骨神经麻痹,但6 个月内症状完全缓解,6 例遗留轻度跛行。随访期间均无假体翻修,未发现材料与宿主的生物相容性反 应。结论：股骨短缩截骨全髋置换术治疗青年Crowe IV 型髋关节发育不良的近期疗效满意,术中综合考虑软组织松解程度与短缩 截骨方式及长度可有效的解决患者肢体短缩、避免神经血管损伤及改善患者术后髋关节功能。     

白腐菌及黑曲霉所产的纤维素复合酶对稻草秸秆的生物降解

研究了白腐菌及纤维素复合酶对稻草秸秆的协同生物降解。结果表明,利用黄孢原毛平革菌固态发酵稻草秸秆的过程中,LiP和MnP的最大活力可以达到28.3U/g和12.6U/g,同时,秸秆中的木质素能被有效降解,但纤维素、半纤维素降解率较低。添加黑曲霉所产的纤维素复合酶能有效地促进秸秆腐熟程度。在接入白腐菌培养10天后,每克稻草添加3 IU纤维素酶液并酶解48h可以使稻草秸秆中纤维素降解53.8%,半纤维素降解57.8%,木质素降解44.5%,干物质损失46.3%。此时细胞壁出现大范围破损,整个组织变得松散,秸秆完全腐熟。     

文心兰OnFNR基因的克隆及抗软腐病功能鉴定北大核心CSCD

为了解铁氧还蛋白-NADP+氧化还原酶(FNR)在文心兰抵御软腐病过程中的作用,该研究采用RACE技术从文心兰‘小樱桃’中克隆到一条OnFNR基因(登录号为KX461908),分析其序列特性和编码蛋白亚细胞定位情况,利用实时荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)分析其在不同组织部位以及不同软腐病感病阶段的表达模式,构建OnFNR过表达载体并转化文心兰原球茎(PLBs),对转基因原球茎进行软腐病抗性评价。结果显示:(1)文心兰OnFNR基因开放阅读框长为1080 bp,预测可编码含359个氨基酸、分子量为40066.14 Da、等电点为8.72的碱性蛋白;OnFNR具有典型的FAD结合结构域和NADP+结合结构域,定位于叶绿体。(2)多序列比对和进化树分析发现,OnFNR与其他植物LFNR聚为一类,并与小兰屿蝴蝶兰LFNR的相似度最高(89.1%)。(3)qRT-PCR结果显示,OnFNR在文心兰叶中的表达量最高,其次是假鳞茎与花,根中最低;文心兰植株接种软腐病病原菌1 d后叶片和假鳞茎的OnFNR基因表达量呈现极显著下调,并且在5个感病阶段的表达量均低于健康植株。(4)成功构建过表达载体pCAMBIA1301-OnFNR,并经农杆菌EHA105侵染成功转入文心兰PLBs,获得过表达OnFNR转基因原球茎16个;在过表达OnFNR文心兰PLBs中,OnFNR与Fd基因表达均呈现极显著上调,尤其是Fd表达量上调至对照(非转基因PLBs)的3.67倍,且过表达OnFNR的PLBs在软腐病病原菌侵染第4天的存活率仍有48.88%,而对照的存活率只有6.66%。研究表明,文心兰OnFNR是一个定位于叶绿体的光合型铁氧还蛋白-NADP+氧化还原酶,过表达OnFNR能够明显提高文心兰植株的抗病性,推测OnFNR在植物抵抗病毒以及ROS爆发中具有重要作用,且过表达OnFNR可能通过提高LET的电子传递效率,进而提高Fd的表达量达到促进MAPK通路信号传导的效果。