Effects of DL-Alpha-Difluoromethylornithine on Leishmania donovani Promastigotes1

ABSTRACT. Alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, has been demonstrated to be an effective agent against a variety of parasitic protozoa but not against Leishmania spp. In this report, we show that Leishmania donovani promastigotes in continuous culture are sensitive to the growth inhibitory and cytotoxic effects of DFMO. Incubation of the promastigotes with DFMO obliterates intracellular putrescine pools and depletes spermidine concentrations, which correlates with the onset of growth inhibition. The effects of DFMO on the growth and the intracellular polyamine pools can be reversed completely by the addition of 10 μM putrescine to the culture medium. These results suggest that the treatment of leishmaniasis may be amenable to chemotherapeutic manipulation by DFMO.     

Alternatives for gold wire electrodes in electronic measurement systems for studying insect probing behaviour

Single stranded materials including individual silk fibres and human hair were gold plated with a sputter coater and used in place of gold wire electrodes in electronic systems for monitoring insect feeding behaviour.     

Effects of the neem product, RD-Repelin, on settling behaviour and transmission of zucchini yellow mosaic virus by the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Homoptera: Aphididae)

The botanical product RD-Repelin® was highly repellent to pea aphids at concentrations of 1%, 4% or 10%. Repellency occurred prior to leaf contact by aphids at all three concentrations. RD-Repelin® delayed symptom expression of zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) in 81% of plants treated with 1% concentration, although virus transmission was not prevented. The effects of RD-Repelin® on aphid settling behaviour, symptom expression and potential for pest management are discussed.