Evaluation of the Potential of five Housekeeping Genes for Identification of Quarantine Pseudomonas syringae

The Pseudomonas syringae species, containing approximately 60 pathovars, causes bacterial plant diseases on numerous crops and results in great economic losses. It is difficult to rapidly and accurately identify and detect P. syringae due to its complicated classification system. It has also been shown that housekeeping genes have great potential in phylogenetic analysis and classification of bacteria. In this study, phylogenetic analyses of five housekeeping genes, including 16S rRNA, rpoD, gapA, gltA and gyrB, were performed for 100 Pseudomonas strains. Our results showed that two housekeeping genes (rpoD and gapA) had the maximum ability in distinguishing the majority of Pseudomonas pathovars, whereas rpoD exhibited the best for precise and efficient detection of five P. syringae strains, which is of quarantine significance to China.     

Identification and molecular characterization of twin-arginine translocation system (Tat) in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xanthomonas oryzae</Emphasis> pv. <Emphasis Type="Italic">oryzae</Emphasis> strain PXO99

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae causes bacterial leaf blight, one of the most widespread and destructive bacterial diseases in rice. This study identified and characterized the contribution of the twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway to motility, chemotaxis, extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production and virulence in X. oryzae pv. oryzae strain PXO99. The tatC disruption mutant (strain TCM) of strain PXO99 were generated, and confirmed both by PCR and Southern blotting. Strain PXO99 cells were highly motile in NYGB 0.3% soft agar plate. In contrast, the tatC mutation impaired motility. Furthermore, strain TCM cells lacked detectable flagella and exhibited almost no chemotaxis toward glucose under aerobic conditions, indicating that the Tat secretion pathway contributed to flagellar biogenesis and chemotactic responses. It was also observed that strain TCM exhibited a reductive production of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) and a significant reduction of virulence on rice plants when compared with the wild type PXO99. However, the tatC mutation in strain PXO99 did not affect growth rate and the ability to induce hypersensitive response (HR) in nonhost tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Samsun). Our findings indicated that the Tat system of X. oryzae pv. oryzae played an important role in the pathogen’s virulence. L. Chen, B. Hu, and G. Qian contributed equally to this research.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">luxS</Emphasis> Gene Is Involved in AI-2 Production,Pathogenicity, and Some Phenotypes in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Erwinia amylovora</Emphasis>

Erwinia amylovora causes fire blight of apple, pear, and other members of the Rosaceae family. The enzyme LuxS catalyzes the last step in the production of autoinducer-2 (AI-2), a molecule implicated with quorum sensing in many bacterial species. It is now well recognized that LuxS also plays a central role in sulfur metabolism and in the activated methyl cycle, which is responsible for the generation of S-adenosyl-l-methionine. A research paper has reported that luxS is not involved with quorum sensing in Er. amylovora, but in our study, Er. amylovora strain NCPPB1665 (Ea1665) produced luxS-dependent extracellular AI-2 activity. Additionally, the maximal AI-2 activity occurred during late-exponential and early-stationary growth phases and diminished during the stationary phase. The luxS mutant of Ea1665 was constructed, and the phenotypes of a defined luxS mutant have been characterized. Inactivation of luxS in Ea1665 impaired motility, extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production, and tolerance for hydrogen peroxide, and reduced virulence on pear leaves. Yan Gao and Junxian Song contributed equally to this research.     

基于地理信息系统的红火蚁在中国适生区的预测

应用地理信息系统(GIS)对红火蚁在中国的适生区进行了预测.以高于发育起点温度的天数和有效积温作为决定性因子,年均降水量、海拔高度作为限制性因子,应用GIS中的Kriging空间插值功能将红火蚁在我国的适生性分布情况分为高度适生区、适生区、轻度适生区和非适生区.结果表明,广东大部、广西中南部、云南南部的少数地区、海南、台湾、香港和澳门是红火蚁的高度适生区.云南南部、两广北部、河南最南部、安徽西部、浙江大部、湖北中东部、重庆、湖南、江西和福建是红火蚁的适生区.轻度适生区分布于河北中东部、山东中东部、北京、天津、江苏中北部、安徽大部、河南大部、浙江西北部、湖北西北部、陕西南部、四川东部、贵州中西部和云南中部的少数地区.我国的西北、东北和华北的大部分地区为红火蚁的非适生区.     

利用GARP生态位模型预测桔小实蝇（Bactrocera dorsalis）在中国的适生区域

桔小实蝇Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)是一种多食性害虫,明确其可能适生的区域对该虫的科学监测及防治意义重大。利用桔小实蝇在我国的已知分布点数据和亚洲地区的14个环境地理变量图层,运用GARP生态位模型结合GIS空间分析模块预测了该虫在亚洲的地理分布。结果表明桔小实蝇可分布在中国、日本、菲律宾、马来西亚、泰国北部、越南、柬埔寨、老挝、缅甸、尼泊尔、巴基斯坦、孟加拉国和斯里兰卡,这与EPPO报道的分布区域一致。将拟合过程中获得的生态位运算法则投影到我国,并考虑模型间的一致性,预测桔小实蝇在我国各省及市县范围的分布：云南大部、四川南部和东部、贵州大部、重庆大部、广西、广东、台湾、香港、澳门、海南、福建、江西、浙江大部、湖南大部、湖北大部、上海、江苏南部、河南局部及安徽部分地区为桔小实蝇的适生区。次适生区沿适生区周围分布,为四川、贵州、重庆、湖北北部、河南南部和江苏南部的一些零星地区。适生区和次适生区大多有较高密度的寄主果树,为桔小实蝇的生存提供了条件。预测结果经独立验证数据的适合性测验表明,选择的最优模型具有显著的统计学意义,显示了很好的预测能力。GARP生态位模型可以解决生态学、生物地理学和环境保护方面的一系列问题,具有广泛的应用前景,为物种已知基础分布点资料的综合分析以及有害生物的适生性分析、监测和防治提供了技术平台。     

Biocontrol of bacterial soft rot of calla lily by elicitor HarpinXoo and N-acyl homoserine lactonase (AttM)

Bacterial soft rot caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum is a serious plant disease in Zantedeschia spp. (also called calla lily). In this study, two independent genes (a N-acyl homoserine lactonase gene attM from Agrobacterium tumefaciens and a hypersensitive response and pathogenicity gene hrf1 from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae), transcribed by a strong and constitutive Escherichia coli promoter P _lpp , respectively, were cloned into plasmid pUC19, and was transformed into E. coli, creating strain JM109/pPHA. The result of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) assay showed that both genes (hrf1 and attM) were successfully expressed in one plasmid system in strain JM109/pPHA. The expressed Harpin_Xoo (Hrf1) and AttM protein had the ability of inducing hypersensitive response (HR) in nonhost tobacco and degrading the N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) produced by P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, respectively, whereas Harpin_Xoo and AttM protein did not seem to interfere with the normal growth of this pathogen. In planta, strain JM109/pPHA could significantly reduce the soft rot disease severity on dormant tubers (control efficiency: 92.8%) or potted plants (control efficiency: 92.4%) of calla lily. We have first demonstrated the both biocontrol effects of Harpin_Xoo and AttM proteins (also described as Quorum interference) on the bacterial soft rot disease of calla lily, caused by P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. This work provided a potential way to control this serious plant disease.     

Identification of antifungal substances secreted by Bacillus subtilis Z-14 that suppress Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici

Bacillus subtilis strain Z-14 has biological control activity against the take-all fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt). In Petri dishes, the crude extract from B. subtilis Z-14 culture filtrate reduced take-all severity in roots of wheat seedlings by 91.3% and potted plants by 69.8% compared to the Ggt-inoculated control. Treatment with the crude extract also significantly (P?<?.05) increased growth of roots’ average length, and fresh weight in comparison with those of the Ggt-inoculated control. B. subtilis Z-14 culture filtrate was relatively thermally stable with 88.2% of the antifungal activity being retained after being heated at 100°C for 30?min. Meanwhile, the antifungal activity remained almost unchanged (>95%) when the culture filtrate was exposed to a pH ranging from 3 to 8, but significantly reduced in basic conditions. This activity was not transferred to the organic solvent phase after treatment with organic extraction agents. B. subtilis Z-14 culture filtrate exhibited a broad spectrum of antifungal activities against various phytopathogenic fungi. Three homologs of iturin A (C14–16) were characterised by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry collision-induced dissociation (ESI-MS/MS CID).     

水稻细菌性条斑病菌中受DSF 调控的鞭毛基因flgD、flgE 的功能分析

[目的]为了阐明可扩散性信号分子(diffusible signal factor,DSF)调控的鞭毛基因对水稻细菌性条斑病菌(Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzicola,Xoc)Rs105的致病性等方面的影响.[方法]采用PCR的方法克隆靶标基因flgDxoc和flgExoc,用同源重组法构建缺失突变体,测定突变体及其互补菌株的菌体形态、运动性、致病性及过敏性反应等表型,用反转录PCR(RT-PCR)的方法验证Rs105和ArpfFxoc(rpfFxoc基因的缺失突变体,不产生DSF)中flgDxoc、、flgExoc表达量的差异.[结果]从Rs105基因组中克隆到flgDxoc、flgExoc基因,并证实这两个基因在基因组中均为单拷贝.PCR和Southern杂交结果显示,flgDxoc、flgExoc基因被成功敲除.与野生型相比,突变体的鞭毛产生能力丧失,游动性和趋化性能力减弱,接种水稻叶片显示其致病性部分减弱,基因互补可使其恢复.生长能力和对烟草叶片的致敏性无明显改变.RT-PCR结果显示,flgDxoc、flgExoc基因在△rpfFxoc中的转录水平明显降低.[结论]本试验表明:FlgD、FlgE是水稻细菌性条斑病菌鞭毛形成所必需的因子;进一步证明了DSF通过调控flgDxoc、flgExoc基因表达,从而影响条斑病菌的致病性等表型.为深入认识DSF对细菌性条斑病菌鞭毛基因簇的调控提供了科学依据.     

扩散或不扩散：雄性太行山猕猴繁殖成功比较研究

典型的猕猴（Macaca multta）社群为多雄多雌型,雌性留群并形成母系单元,雄性多在亚成年或成年期离开出生群,而群内成年雄性多为外部迁入个体。雄性的迁出被认为可降低近亲繁殖或提升繁殖成功。然而,诸多野外数据显示,少数本群出生雄性个体会居留于出生群一年或数年。尽管驱动雄性离群的因素较复杂（如社会关系、近亲回避、繁殖成功）,但繁殖成功的差异可能是驱动雄性离群的主导因素。为探讨居留于出生群是否影响雄性的繁殖成功,于2010年3月至2014年1月,在太行山猕猴国家级自然保护区王屋山地区,以一群野生太行山猕猴为研究对象,采用非损伤取样法并结合分子生物学方法,分析了群内出生和迁入成年雄性个体的繁殖成功（以子代数量评估）。研究发现：(1)群内51只子代个体中有36只个体可以匹配到其遗传学父亲;(2)4个迁入雄性繁衍了34个子代,仅1只群内出生雄性ZM繁衍了2只子代,但群内出生的雄性BB未匹配到子代。本研究提示,迁入雄性较本群出生雄性的繁殖成功较高,即迁移有助于繁殖成功的提升。