The effect of environment on level of resistance to Phomopsis leptostromiformis in lupins and implications for resistance breeding to this disease

Summary Four varieties of lupins were sown at three planting dates and the level of Phomopsis leptostromiformis measured on the mature stems. When averaged over planting dates the varieties did not differ in resistance to this disease, however there were highly significant interactions between varieties and planting dates for level of disease. The implications of this result for resistance breeding to Phomopsis leptostromiformis are discussed.     

Variation in inheritance of resistance to sorghum midge, Stenodiplosis sorghicola across locations in India and Kenya

Sorghum midge [Stenodiplosis sorghicola (Coquillett)] is an important pest of grain sorghum, and host plant resistance is one of the important components for the management of this pest. We studied the inheritance of resistance to this insect involving a diverse array of midge-resistant and midge-susceptible genotypes in India and Kenya. Testers IS 15107, TAM 2566, and DJ 6514, which were highly resistant to sorghum midge in India, showed a greater susceptibility to this insect in Kenya. The maintainer lines ICSB 88019 and ICSB 88020 were highly resistant to sorghum midge in India, but showed a susceptible reaction in Kenya; while ICSB 42 was susceptible at both the locations. General combining ability (GCA) effects for susceptibility to sorghum midge for ICSA 88019 and ICSA 88020 were significant and negative in India, but such effects were non-significant in Kenya. The GCA effects of ICSB 42 for susceptibility to sorghum midge were significant and positive at both the locations. The GCA effects were significant and positive for Swarna, and such effects for IS 15107 and TAM 2566 were negative at both the locations. GCA effect of DJ 6514 were significant and negative in India, but non-significant and positive in Kenya; while those of AF 28 were significant and positive during the 1994 season in India, but significant and negative in Kenya. Inheritance of resistance to sorghum midge is largely governed by additive type of gene action. Testers showing resistance to sorghum midge in India and/or Kenya did not combine with ICSA 88019 and ICSA 88020 to produce midge-resistant hybrids in Kenya. Therefore, it is essential to transfer location specific resistance into both parents to produce midge-resistant hybrids.     

对小麦白粉病菌生理小种三个鉴别寄主的抗性基因分析

采用基因推导法分析了三个鉴别寄主的抗性基因：白免３号和肯贵阿１号含有Ｐｍ４ａ：小白冬麦的抗性受一对隐性基因的控制，其抗谱不同于所有供试单基因系的抗谱。     

Levels of host plant resistance to banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in African Musa germplasm

Forty-five Musa clones, including endemic and introduced cultivars plus hybrids, were evaluated for resistance against the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus, in a field trial in Uganda. The predominant groups of staple crops, East African highland bananas (Musa spp. AAA) and plantains (Musaspp. AAB), as well as plantain-derived hybrids (AAB × AA), showed the highest levels of susceptibility to this pest. These were followed by dessert bananas (Musa spp. AAA), exotic bananas (Musa spp. ABB) and finally diploids of M. acuminata (AA). Hybrids of banana origin were highly resistant. Some East African highland cultivars, especially brewing types (e.g., Kabula, Bagandeseza, Ediirira), showed intermediate levels of resistance. Among the non-highland bananas, high levels of resistance were observed in Yangambi-Km5 (AAA), Cavendish (AAA), Gros Michel (AAA), Kayinja (ABB, Pisang Awak subgroup), Ndiizi (AB, Ney Poovan subgroup)and Kisubi (Ney Poovan subgroup). The highest resistance was observed in banana hybrids TMB2×7197-2, TMB2×8075-7 and the wild banana Calcutta-4 (AA). These were considered the best sources of resistance for a weevil resistance-breeding programme with the two hybrids commonly used as improved male parents. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

根据形态学和分子系统学特征界定拟盘多毛孢属的种

以拟盘多毛孢属108个ITS（内转录间区）序列建立了分子系统树,探讨拟盘多毛孢属的形态特征与分子系统树的相互关系.结果表明,拟盘多毛孢属首先按照分生孢子有色胞的颜色区分为暗色和淡色（同色）2个分支,暗色组再分成2个亚分支--同色亚分支和异色亚分支,淡色分支内进一步根据顶端附属丝特征和基部附属丝的有无区分为7个亚分支.寄主植物的某个分类单元在拟盘多毛孢属的分子系统树上并未形成特定的分支.通过对形态特征与分子系统树结合分析,重新界定小孢拟盘多毛孢（Pestalotiopsis microspora）、异色拟盘多毛孢（P.versicolor）和茶拟盘多毛孢（P.theae）.     

Intestinal microbiota differentially affect brush border enzyme activity and gene expression in the neonatal gnotobiotic pig

To study microbial influence on intestinal development pertaining to nutrient digestion, two separate gnotobiotic experiments were performed, each with 16 piglets allocated to four treatment groups: germfree (GF), monoassociation with Escherichia coli, monoassociation with Lactobacillus fermentum or conventionalization with faecal bacteria (CV). Enzyme activity and gene expression of lactase phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) and aminopeptidase N (APN) were measured in isolated enterocytes, harvested on day 14, using specific substrates and quantitative PCR respectively. Enterocytes of CV pigs had reduced APN activity, but had increased gene expression relative to GF, making the specific activity:mRNA (A:G) ratio dramatically lower (p < 0.05). Similarly, LPH A:G ratio was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in enterocytes of CV pigs as compared with GF. The results of co‐incubation of L. fermentum, E. coli and faecal bacteria with APN indicate a direct relationship between enzyme inactivation and specific A:G ratio in enterocytes. We conclude that enterocyte up‐regulation of APN expression occurs as either a direct response to microbial colonization or as a feedback mechanism in response to reduced enzyme activity through microbial degradation. This mechanism may play a role in ensuring effective competition of the host with the intestinal microbiota for available nutrients.     

Ecological fitness and strategies of adaptation of Bartonella species to their hosts and vectors

Bartonella spp. are facultative intracellular bacteria that cause characteristic host-restricted hemotropic infections in mammals and are typically transmitted by blood-sucking arthropods. In the mammalian reservoir, these bacteria initially infect a yet unrecognized primary niche, which seeds organisms into the blood stream leading to the establishment of a long-lasting intra-erythrocytic bacteremia as the hall-mark of infection. Bacterial type IV secretion systems, which are supra-molecular transporters ancestrally related to bacterial conjugation systems, represent crucial pathogenicity factors that have contributed to a radial expansion of the Bartonella lineage in nature by facilitating adaptation to unique mammalian hosts. On the molecular level, the type IV secretion system VirB/VirD4 is known to translocate a cocktail of different effector proteins into host cells, which subvert multiple cellular functions to the benefit of the infecting pathogen. Furthermore, bacterial adhesins mediate a critical, early step in the pathogenesis of the bartonellae by binding to extracellular matrix components of host cells, which leads to firm bacterial adhesion to the cell surface as a prerequisite for the efficient translocation of type IV secretion effector proteins. The best-studied adhesins in bartonellae are the orthologous trimeric autotransporter adhesins, BadA in Bartonella henselae and the Vomp family in Bartonella quintana. Genetic diversity and strain variability also appear to enhance the ability of bartonellae to invade not only specific reservoir hosts, but also accidental hosts, as shown for B. henselae. Bartonellae have been identified in many different blood-sucking arthropods, in which they are typically found to cause extracellular infections of the mid-gut epithelium. Adaptation to specific vectors and reservoirs seems to be a common strategy of bartonellae for transmission and host diversity. However, knowledge regarding arthropod specificity/restriction, the mode of transmission, and the bacterial factors involved in arthropod infection and transmission is still limited.     

广西根结线虫病害的病原鉴定

从广西不同地区采集的28种植物根结线虫病的病原,按病原线虫的主要形态学特征和寄主反应的鉴定方法,对每种病原进行了分类鉴定。其中穗状鸡冠花、胡椒、蕹菜、胡萝卜,芭蕉芋、鸡蛋果、莞荽(香菜)、苋苯、荷包豆、吉庆果、黄麻、黄穗鸡冠等根结线虫病的病原都是属南方根结线虫1号小种;风仙花、辣椒、蕹菜、番茄、独头鸡冠花、红穗鸡冠、罗汉果、黄麻、芹菜根结线虫有一种是南方根结线虫1号小种,另一种是爪哇根结线虫;甜叶菊、姜根结线虫病的病原有一种是南方根结线虫1号小种,另一种是花生根结线虫1号小种;吉庆果、四季海棠、茄、棕竹、柳树的根结线虫病的病原是爪哇根结线虫;罗汉果、丝瓜、红麻根结线虫病的病原有一种是爪哇根结线虫,另一种是花生根结线虫1号小种;花生根结线虫病的病原是花生根结线虫1号小种。发现二个新种:即水稻根结线虫病的病原是林氏根结线虫;柑桔根结线虫病的病原是孔氏根结线虫。