A new diagrammatic scale for the assessment of northern corn leaf blight

A diagrammatic scale was developed to assess the severity of northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), which is caused by the fungus Setosphaeria turcica. The validation of this new scale in relation to accuracy and precision was carried out by eight evaluators who estimated the severity of the infection on maize leaves showing NCLB symptoms, with and without the use of the scale. The new scale was also evaluated in relation to a published NCLB assessment scale. The precision and accuracy of the assessments were determined by linear regression, relating the estimated versus actual severity of NCLB as determined by image analysis. Using the new diagrammatic scale, evaluators were able to improve the precision and accuracy of NCLB assessments.     

Antifungal and herbicidal properties of essential oils and n-hexane extracts of Achillea gypsicola Hub-Mor. and Achillea biebersteinii Afan. (Asteraceae)

The chemical composition of essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Achillea gypsicola Hub-Mor., Achillea biebersteinii Afan. and n-hexane extracts obtained from the flowers of A. gypsicola and A. biebersteinii Afan. was analyzed by GC and GC–MS. Camphor (40.17–23.56%, respectively), 1,8-cineole (22.01–38.09%, respectively), piperitone (11.29–0.37%, respectively), borneol (9.50–5.88%, respectively) and α-terpineol (1.56–5.15%, respectively) were found to be the main constituents in A. gypsicola and A. biebersteinii essential oils. Furthermore, hexane extracts of A. gypsicola and A. biebersteinii consist of mainly camphor (37.78–27.88%, respectively), 1,8-cineole (13.43–24.78%, respectively), piperitone (15.57%-tr, respectively), n-eicosane (1.61–9.68%, respectively), n-heneicosane (2.56–9.55%, respectively), n-tricosane (3.46–10.04%, respectively), linoleic acid (6.19–3.17%, respectively) and borneol (5.66–5.58%, respectively). Although the oils and extracts were characterized relatively by high content of oxygenated monoterpenes, hexane extracts of the plant samples relatively rich in n-alkanes, fatty acids and fatty acid esters as compared with the oil. The oils and hexane extracts were also tested against 12 phytopathogenic fungi and the oils found to be more toxic as compared with hexane extracts of the plant samples. A. gypsicola oil only did not inhibit the growth of Fusarium graminearum. The extracts also strongly increased the growth of Fusarium equiseti and F. graminearum. Therefore, the antifungal activity of the oils can be attributed to their relatively high content of oxygenated monoterpenes. The results of herbicidal assays of the essential oils and hexane extracts of the plant samples against five important weeds in cultivated areas, Amaranthus retroflexus L., Chenopodium album L., Cirsium arvense L. (Scop.), Lactuca serriola L. and Rumex crispus L. showed that, in particular, the oils had inhibitory effects on the seed germination and seedling growth of A. retroflexus, C. arvense and L. serriola. The hexane extracts also showed lower herbicidal effect against the weeds in comparison to that of the oils. The findings of the present study suggest that the essential oils have a potential to be used as herbicide as well as fungicide.     

玉米BTB家族基因的鉴定与表达规律分析

 本研究利用生物信息学方法对玉米BTB家族基因进行系统发育、保守结构域、组织特异性以及在玉米抵抗生物和非生物胁迫过程中的表达规律进行分析。发现玉米70个BTB家族蛋白除AC206223.3外均含有保守的BTB结构域,可分为11个亚家族。玉米BTB家族基因具有明显的组织表达特性,在高温、低温、紫外、高盐和干旱胁迫下以及拟轮枝镰孢(Fusarium verticillioide)侵染过程中的表达水平呈现出明显的差异。BTB-TAZ亚家族基因在水杨酸、茉莉酸、乙烯处理后表达水平发生明显的变化。结果表明BTB家族基因在玉米抵抗生物和非生物胁迫中发挥重要的作用,为阐明玉米BTB家族基因的功能及其机制奠定了基础。     

谷瘟病菌无毒基因AVR1-CO39序列变异及遗传多样性分析

 谷瘟病是谷子上毁灭性病害之一,为了探讨不同地区谷瘟病菌群体的遗传多样性,对我国11个省(自治区)171株谷瘟病菌的无毒基因AVR1-CO39进行扩增测序,并利用ClustalX2.0和DnaSP5.0软件对测序结果进行分析。结果表明,171株谷瘟病菌单孢菌株AVR1-CO39的CDS编码区共有40个多态性位点,依据序列之间的核苷酸差异划分为37个单倍型,H1型为绝对优势单倍型。我国11个省份谷瘟病菌群体的AVR1-CO39具有较高的遗传多态性,由于存在较为频繁的基因交流,种群之间没有明显的遗传分化。种群内部的遗传分化是谷瘟病菌遗传分化的主要方式,错配分布检测结果显示进化过程中可能出现群体扩张,并且谷瘟病菌的聚类与地理来源没有显著的关系。研究结果表明,谷瘟病菌无毒基因AVR1-CO39具有较高的变异性,以H1为核心单倍型在不断地变异衍生出新的等位基因类型,并且这种变异衍生趋势并不受地理隔离的影响。研究结果可为谷子抗病品种选育,揭示谷瘟病菌无毒基因与谷子抗病基因之间的互作机制提供理论支持。     

我国部分常用玉米种质资源对镰孢菌病害的抗性评价

【目的】玉米穗腐病、茎腐病和鞘腐病是我国玉米产区普遍发生的三大镰孢菌（Fusarium spp.）病害,近年来有严重混和发生的趋势,三大病害主要致病菌分别为拟轮枝镰孢（F. verticillioides）、禾谷镰孢（F. graminearum）和层出镰孢（F. proliferatum）。种植抗病品种是控制该类病害最经济有效的方法,本研究旨在筛选出单抗或兼抗穗腐病、茎腐病和鞘腐病的玉米种质,为玉米品种的科学选育和合理布局提供参考。【方法】选取我国玉米种质B73、B37、郑58、昌7-2、齐319等16个常用育种自交系,将玉米穗腐病主要病原菌拟轮枝镰孢、茎腐病主要病原菌禾谷镰孢及鞘腐病主要病原菌层出镰孢分别接种于玉米果穗、茎秆及叶鞘,具体方法为待整株长到吐丝期用连动注射器将拟轮枝镰孢孢子悬浮液沿花丝通道注射到健康玉米果穗;将健康玉米地上第一节的茎部用针扎孔后向其中注射禾谷镰孢孢子悬浮液;将层出镰孢孢子悬浮液沿健康玉米植株叶基部接种到地上2—5节间的叶鞘内。以上各种接种方式均使用无菌水作为对照。在2016年和2018年度进行人工田间接种试验,通过评价穗腐病、鞘腐病的病情指数以及茎腐病发病面积,评估所选自交系对以上镰孢菌引起的穗腐病、茎腐病和鞘腐病的抗性级别。【结果】供试自交系中吉853、OH43和X178对穗腐病表现为中抗,B73、B37、PH6WC、掖478、郑58、9058、昌7-2、浚928、Mo17、A619、PH4CV、齐319和13-1077共13份材料为感病或高感;齐319、PH4CV、Mo17、9058、B37、B73、昌7-2和13-1077共8份材料对茎腐病表现为中抗或高抗,郑58、掖478、PH6WC、浚928、吉853、A619和OH43共7份材料表现为感病或高感;B73、B37、郑58、掖478、PH6WC、9058、昌7-2、吉853、浚928、Mo17、A619、PH4CV、OH43、齐319和13-1077共15份材料对鞘腐病表现为中抗或抗病。从16个自交系所在种群来看,瑞德群对穗腐病表现为感病,兰卡斯特群和唐四平头群对鞘腐病表现为抗病,其他群对3种镰孢菌病害抗性水平的离散程度较大,无明显规律。【结论】供试自交系吉853和OH43对鞘腐病和穗腐病表现为中抗或抗性,齐319、PH4CV、Mo17、9058、B37、B73、昌7-2和13-1077共8份材料对鞘腐病和茎腐病表现为中抗、抗性或高抗,但尚未筛选到对3种病害均有较好抗性的材料,有待于进一步筛选其他种质资源。     

Melanin,DNA replication,and autophagy affect appressorium development in Setosphaeria turcica by regulating glycerol accumulation and metabolism

Setosphaeria turcica (syn. Exserohilum turcicum) is the pathogenic fungus of maize (Zea mays) that causes northern leaf blight, which is a major maize disease worldwide. Melanized appressoria are highly specialized infection structures formed by germinated conidia of S. turcica that infect maize leaves. The appressorium penetrates the plant cuticle by generating turgor, and glycerol is known to be the main source of the turgor. Here, the infection position penetrated by the appressorium on maize leaves was investigated, most of the germinated conidia entered the leaf interior by directly penetrating the epidermal cells, and the appressorium structure was necessary for the infection, whether it occurred through epidermal cells or stomata. Then, to investigate the effects of key factors in the development of the appressorium, we studied the effects of three inhibitors, including a melanin inhibitor (tricyclazole, TCZ), a DNA replication inhibitor (hydroxyurea, HU), and an autophagy inhibitor (3-methyladenine, 3-MA), on appressorium turgor and glycerol content. As results, appressorium turgor pressure and glycerol concentration in the appressorium reached their highest levels at the mature stage of the appressorium under the control and inhibitor treatments. The three inhibitors had the greatest effects on appressorium turgor pressure at this stage. Glycogen and liposomes are the main substances producing glycerol. It was also found inhibitors affected the distribution of glycogen and liposomes, which were detected in the conidia, the germ tube, and the appressorium during appressorium development. This study provides profound insight into the relationship between appressorium turgor pressure and glycerol content, which was affected by the synthesis of melanin, DNA replication, and autophagy in the developing appressorium during a S. turcica infection.     

玉米大斑病菌SC35同源基因表达规律与互作分析

【目的】获得玉米大斑病菌（Setosphaeria turcica）SC35类剪接因子的基因,并分析该基因家族之间的相互作用及在病菌不同生长发育时期与侵染过程中的表达规律,为明确剪接因子SC35家族与真菌生长发育的关系打下基础。【方法】以拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）SC35编码的氨基酸序列为探针序列,在玉米大斑病菌全基因组数据库进行同源比对,获得玉米大斑病菌中潜在的SC35蛋白;利用生物信息学方法对其保守结构域、系统进化关系进行分析;分别收集接种在感病玉米叶片表面不同时间及玉米大斑病菌菌丝、分生孢子、芽管、附着胞及侵入丝等不同发育时期的材料,利用实时荧光定量PCR（qRT-PCR）技术分析在对玉米叶片侵染不同时间及不同发育时期可变剪接因子的转录水平;利用酵母双杂交技术明确玉米大斑病菌可变剪接因子之间的相互作用。【结果】在玉米大斑病菌中获得了8个潜在的SC35类蛋白基因,其编码的氨基酸具有典型的SR蛋白（Ser-Arg rich protein）结构域,而StSC1 C端具有2个RRM基序。8个基因位于染色体组的不同物理位置,不具有连锁关系。系统进化分析表明8个剪接因子分布于不同进化支,同源性较低。在病菌侵染寄主叶片过程中,StSC1、StSC2、StSC3、StSC4、StSC5、StSC6、StSC8在侵染18 h时表现为表达上调趋势,StSC7呈下调趋势,StSC4在6—18 h表现出较高表达活性;不同生长时期中,StSC1在病菌附着胞及侵染丝形成时期表达水平极显著上调（P＜0.001）,是分生孢子时期的24.44、8.25倍,其余7个可变剪接因子在病菌的生长过程中表达水平均呈下调趋势。酵母双杂交结果表明StSC4与StSC6、StSC3与StSC8、StSC3与StSC4、StSC8与StSC4有体外互作关系。【结论】在玉米大斑病菌侵染过程中及不同发育时期可变剪接因子的表达模式不同,StSC4在病菌整个侵染过程均活跃表达;StSC1、StSC4和StSC6对病菌附着胞和侵入丝的形成发挥比较重要的调控作用;StSC4与StSC6、StSC3与StSC8、StSC3与StSC4、StSC8与StSC4通过互作,调控剪接复合体的形成。     

StKU80, a component in the NHEJ repair pathway,is involved in mycelial morphogenesis,conidiation, appressorium development,and oxidative stress reactions in Exserohilum turcicum

Homologous recombination(HR) and nonhomologous end joining(NHEJ) are considered the two main double-strand break(DSB) repair approaches in eukaryotes. Inhibiting the activities of the key component in NHEJ commonly enhances the efficiency of targeted gene knockouts or affects growth and development in higher eukaryotes. However, little is known about the roles of the NHEJ pathway in foliar pathogens. Here we identified a gene designated St KU80, which encodes a putative DNA end-binding protein homologous to yeast Ku80, in the foliar pathogen Exserohilum turcicum. Conserved domain analysis showed that the typical domains VWA, Ku78 and Ku-PK-bind are usually present in Ku70/80 proteins in eukaryotes and are also present in St Ku80. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that St Ku80 is most closely related to Ku80(XP_001802136.1) from Parastagonospora nodorum, followed by Ku80(AGF90044.1) from Monascus ruber. Furthermore, the gene knockout mutants ΔSt KU80-1 and ΔSt KU80-2 were obtained. These mutants displayed longer septas, thinner cell walls, smaller amounts of substances on cell wall surfaces, and more mitochondria per cell than the wild-type(WT) strain but similar HT-toxin activity. The mutants did not produce conidia and mature appressoria. On the other hand, the mutants were highly sensitive to H_2O_2, but not to ultraviolet radiation. In summary, the St KU80 plays devious roles in regulating the development of E. turcicum.     

灰葡萄孢致病基因BcPDR1与Gα亚基基因的关系研究

为了探究灰葡萄孢致病基因BcPDR1与病菌G蛋白α亚基基因之间的关系,利用qRT-PCR技术分析BcPDR1基因突变对Gα亚基基因BcBCG2和BcBCG3表达的影响以及BcBCG2、BcBCG3基因突变对BcPDR1基因表达的影响;在敲除突变体ΔBcpdr1的基础上,构建BcBCG2、BcBCG3基因过表达菌株ΔBcpdr1/BcBCG2-OE、ΔBcpdr1/BcBCG3-OE,对过表达菌株的表型和致病力进行分析。结果发现,BcPDR1基因的缺失突变体中BcBCG2、BcBCG3基因的表达水平显著升高,BcBCG2、BcBCG3基因沉默突变体中的BcPDR1基因的表达水平显著降低;BcBCG2、BcBCG3基因的过表达菌株的菌落形态、菌丝形态、生长速率、产孢量和致病力均与野生型BC22菌株基本一致,而与ΔBcpdr1突变体存在显著差异。结果表明,灰葡萄孢BcPDR1与Gα亚基基因BcBCG2、BcBCG3之间密切相关,BcPDR1负调控BcBCG2、BcBCG3基因的表达,BcBCG2、BcBCG3正调控BcPDR1基因的表达。研究结果为阐明灰葡萄孢致病基因BcPDR1调控病菌生长发育和致病力的机制奠定了基础。