A distributed delay routine-based simulation model of Beauveria bassiana conidial stability in response to environmental stressors

Using published data and equations on therelationship between spore longevity of theentomopathogenic hyphomycetes, Metarhiziumanisopliae var. acridum and Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin(Deuteromycota: Hyphomycetes) and temperatureand moisture content, a model of sporeviability was constructed based on adistributed-delay routine. The model ismodified via average spore survival time or byincluding an additional attrition (mortality)rate. The model was parameterized usingpublished values from studies on M. a.var. acridum spores, and output comparedfavorably with germination data and with apreviously-developed model. After initializingthe model using parameter estimates of B.bassiana spores from the laboratory andpublished data on changes in (1) spore viabilitywith respect to temperature and moisturecontent, and (2) spore moisture content withrespect to temperature and relative humidity,the model was run using daily min/maxtemperature and relative humidity data andcompared with data from four field experimentsof Mycotech B. bassiana isolate GHAsprayed on canteloupe plants. For two of theexperiments, observed viability trends werecompared to model outputs using weather datafrom both a weather station and fromwithin-canopy temperature and humidity probes. Output using weather station data fitobservations much better than output usingwithin-canopy probe data. For the tworemaining sets of field data, both earlier inthe season, only weather station data wereavailable and the resulting output fitobservations poorly. An attrition rate of 98%was needed to fit output to field data early inthe growing season, and a rate of 74% wasneeded for data collected four weeks later. These attrition rates can be consideredestimates for the proportion of spores dyingfor reasons other than temperature and relativehumidity, and they were attributed largely toUVB radiation due to the more open canopyearlier in the season.     

Environmental factors impact temporal Passalora sequoiae conidia counts from Leyland cypress

Needle blight disease, caused by Passalora sequoiae, results in a progressive loss of leaf tissue on Leyland cypress (×Cupressocyparis leylandii) within container and field tree nurseries, in the landscape and on Christmas tree farms. Fungicide schedules have been developed in response to seasonal symptom progression and conidia dispersion without clarification of the influence of weather conditions on disease. Conidia count data of P. sequoiae were collected approximately weekly from June to December in 2001 in Watkinsville, GA, and in 2002 in Dearing, GA. Peak conidia numbers were trapped in September and October. Daily weather data summaries were obtained from a weather station at each location. Deterministic models were developed individually for summer (1 June to 30 September) and fall (1 October to 21 December) seasons. A three‐day moving average (MA) of average daily temperature (avgT) had a positive quadratic relationship with conidia counts in the summer season. A 10‐day MA of avgT, vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and total solar radiation (SolR) had a positive quadratic, a negative linear and positive linear relationship, respectively, with conidia counts in the fall season. The models show that the seasonal shift to cooler fall temperatures, along with lower VPD and SolR, favour production and dispersal of P. sequoiae conidia.     

纯培养下拟茎点霉分生孢子的形成及意义

以18种共23个拟茎点霉菌株为材料,比较了在25℃、12h光照(40w日光灯)/d条件下不同培养基上甲、乙型分生孢子的形成情况。结果表明,苜蓿煎汁+Czapek培养基能促使多数拟茎点霉菌株形成甲、乙两型分生孢子,其形态及大小也与自然寄主上的相一致。根据纯培养获得的形态特征对原始描述缺乙型分生孢子特征记载的Phomopsis durionis, homopsis sterculicola, Phomopsis macadamii, Phomopsis lucumicola和Phomopsis tinea进行了补充描述。     

Effects of a biocontrol agent of apple powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha) on the host plant and on non-target organisms: an insect pest (Cydia pomonella) and a pathogen (Venturia inaequalis)

A number of studies have focused on the selection and use of new biocontrol agents, but the effects of the introduction of these microorganisms on non-target organisms, including the crop plants themselves, are not well known. Non-target effects of sprayed applications of a potential biocontrol agent of apple powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha Ell. Et Ev.), on scab infections (Venturia inaequalis Cooke Winter), on codling moth [Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)] oviposition and damage and apple (Malus x domestica) fruit quality are examined. This biocontrol agent, an epiphytic yeast isolate called Y16, affected neither conidia germination of V. inaequalis nor their penetration of the leaf tissue but suppressed the disease caused by this pathogen. The quantity of eggs laid by the codling moth during its second flight period on yeast treated trees was significantly different to the quantity of eggs laid on the untreated trees. In the first season of the experiments, more eggs were laid on the treated trees, especially on those tree parts closest to the fruit. These results, however, were not confirmed the following season: fewer eggs were laid on the treated trees than on the untreated trees. These conflicting observations are attributed to year-to-year variation in environmental conditions, which may affect yeast survival and activity. A 2-month-long assay was conducted in the orchard during the codling moth's second flight period from mid-July until mid-September. The yeast treatment did not affect the damage caused by the codling moth to the fruits. Finally, the yeast treatment did not affect any of the examined fruit quality parameters.     

A novel computerised image analysis method for the measurement of production of conidia from the aphid pathogenic fungus Erynia neoaphidis

A semi-automated method has been developed for the quantification and measurement of conidia discharged by the aphid pathogen Erynia neoaphidis. This was used to compare conidiation by E. neoaphidis-mycosed pea aphid cadavers, mycelial plugs cut from agar plates, mycelial pellets from shake flasks and by mycelial pellets from different phases of liquid batch fermenter culture. Aphid cadavers discharged significantly more and significantly smaller conidia than plugs or pellets. The volume of conidia discharged was stable over the period of discharge (80 h), but more detailed analysis of the size frequency distribution showed that more very small and very large conidia were discharged after 5 h incubation than after 75 h incubation. Biomass harvested at the end of the exponential growth phase in batch fermenter culture produced significantly more conidia than biomass from any other growth phase. The implications of these findings for the development of production and formulation processes for E. neoaphidis as a biological control agent are discussed.     

Deletion of the Delta12-oleic acid desaturase gene of a nonaflatoxigenic Aspergillus parasiticus field isolate affects conidiation and sclerotial development

AIMS: To investigate how linoleic acid affects conidial production and sclerotial development in a strictly mitotic Aspergillus parasiticus field isolate as related to improving biocompetitivity of atoxigenic Aspergillus species. METHODS AND RESULTS: We disrupted A. parasiticusDelta12-oleic acid desaturase gene (odeA) responsible for the conversion of oleic acid to linoleic acid. We examined conidiation and sclerotial development of SRRC 2043 and three isogenic mutant strains deleted for the odeA gene (DeltaodeA), either with or without supplementing linoleic acid, on one complex potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and on two defined media: nitrate-containing Czapek agar (CZ) and Cove's ammonium medium (CVN). The DeltaodeA mutants produced less conidia than the parental strain on all media. Linoleic acid supplementation (as sodium linoleate at 0.3 and 1.2 mg ml(-1)) restored the DeltaodeA conidial production comparable to or exceeding the unsupplemented parental level, and the effect was medium dependent, with the highest increase on CVN and the least on PDA. SRRC 2043 and the DeltaodeA mutants were unable to produce sclerotia on CVN. On unsupplemented PDA and CZ, DeltaodeA sclerotial mass was comparable to that of SRRC 2043, but sclerotial number increased significantly to two- to threefold. Supplementing linoleic acid to media, in general, tended to decrease wild type and DeltaodeA sclerotial mass and sclerotial number. CONCLUSIONS: Linoleic acid stimulates conidial production but has an inhibitory effect on sclerotial development. The relationship between the two processes in A. parasiticus is complex and affected by multiple factors, such as fatty acid composition and nitrogen source. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: Conditions that promote sclerotial development differ from those required to promote maximum conidial production. Manipulation of content and availability of linoleic acid at different fungal growth phases might optimize conidial and sclerotial production hence increasing the efficacy of biocompetitive Aspergillus species.     

头骨三项非测量特征在中国古代人群中的分布差异

本文对11组中国古代人群头骨面部的犬齿窝、颧骨缘突和梨状孔上外侧部膨隆三项非测量特征进行了群体间出现率的差异性检验, 以探讨其在区分群体变异时是否有意义。应用两样本率差异的χ2检验,比较了这三项非测量特征在性别、人群和种族方面的差异。研究结果表明,男性犬齿窝的出现率所反映的种族差异比较明显。颧骨缘突的出现率在进行人群间比较时更具有意义。汉代以来, 梨状孔上外侧部膨隆在中国北方新疆地区的欧罗巴人种男性与华北北部地区及东北地区的蒙古人种男性间存在着显著性差异。笔者发现, 犬齿窝和梨状孔上外侧部膨隆这两项特征可能存在着比较紧密的相关性,即犬齿窝越发育, 梨状孔上外侧部也会较为膨隆。对于犬齿窝和梨状孔上外侧部膨隆的相关性及其产生机制, 笔者提出了两种假说: 其一是鼻部形态的改变引起了梨状孔上外侧部膨隆, 并进而导致了犬齿窝的发育; 其二是因为颌部特别是犬齿的功能减退,造成犬齿后上方的区域凹陷, 进而引起了梨状孔上外侧部膨隆状态。     

草菇VvLaeA调控球孢白僵菌的生长发育

食用真菌草菇[Volvariella volvacea(Bull.ex.Fr.)Sing.]VvLaeA在调控真菌发育方面的功能并不清楚。本研究在对草菇VvLaeA进行生物信息学分析基础上,通过聚合酶链式反应(polymerase chain reaction,PCR)的方法将超量表达启动子Vvgpd和草菇VvlaeA基因的开放阅读框(open reading frame,ORF)进行融合,并将融合片段克隆入pK2(bar)载体。采用农杆菌介导的转化方法将重组载体pK2(bar)-OEVvlaeA转入球孢白僵菌中进行表达,测定转化子的菌株发育情况。结果表明,草菇VvLaeA与其他真菌的蛋白同源性较低;和野生型相比,转化菌株的菌落直径显著增大,色素减少,分生孢子产量和萌发率均显著下降,对胁迫反应的敏感性增强。进一步研究发现,转化菌株分生孢子的细胞壁结构成分发生改变,和分生孢子发育相关基因的表达被显著下调。提示草菇VvLaeA能提高球孢白僵菌菌株的生长速率,而负调控色素沉积和分生孢子发育,这为草菇基因功能鉴定提供了启示。