A non-Mendelian inheritance of resistance to strobilurin fungicides in Ustilago maydis

Mutants of Ustilago maydis (DC) Corda with high resistance to azoxystrobin (RF 164 to 4714, based on EC50 values), an inhibitor of mitochondrial electron transport at the cytochrome bc1 complex, were isolated in a mutation frequency of 2.3 x 10(-7) after nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis and selection on media containing 1 microgram ml-1 azoxystrobin in addition to 0.5 mM salicylhydroxamate (SHAM), a specific inhibitor of cyanide-resistant (alternative) respiration. Oxygen uptake in whole cells was strongly inhibited in the wild-type strains by azoxystrobin (1.5 micrograms ml-1) in addition to SHAM (1 mM), but not in the mutant isolates. Genetic analysis with nine such mutant isolates resulted in progeny phenotypes which did not follow Mendelian segregation, but satisfied the criteria of non-Mendelian (cytoplasmic) heredity. In crosses between three mutant isolates with the compatible wild-type strains, the sensitivity was inherited by progeny maternally from the wild-type parent strain (criterion of uniparental inheritance). In crosses between wild-type strains and remaining mutant isolates, a continuous distribution of sensitivity in the progeny was found (criterion of vegetative segregation). The third criterion of cytoplasmic resistance (criterion of intracellular selection) was fulfilled by experiments on the stability of resistance phenotypes. With two exceptions, a reduction of resistance was observed in the mutant strains when they were grown on inhibitor-free medium. Recovery of the high resistance level was observed after they were returned to the selection medium. Cross-resistance studies with other fungicides, which also inhibit electron transport through complex III of respiratory chain, showed that mutations for resistance to azoxystrobin were also responsible for reduced sensitivity to kresoxim-methyl (RF 18 to 1199) and to antimycin-A (RF 20 to 305), which act at the Qo and Qi sites of the cytochrome bc1 complex, respectively. Studies of the fitness of azoxystrobin-resistant isolates showed that these mutations appeared to be pleiotropic, having significant adverse effects on growth in liquid culture and pathogenicity on young corn plants.     

Could European marine conservation policy benefit from systematic conservation planning?

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Towards sweet cherry (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus avium</Emphasis> L.) breeding: phenotyping evaluation of newly developed hybrids

An increasing demand for cherry production (Prunus avium L.) in Greece led to the development of new high quality sweet cherry cultivars. Self-incompatibility in cherry is one of the most challenging issues for the species’ cultivation and top breeding priority. Τhe present study focuses on the development of new hybrids with improved traits such as productivity, fruit size, organoleptic characteristics and self-compatibility. For this purpose, thirty different cultivars were crossed and produced hybrids that were evaluated according to 34 morpho-physiological characteristics. The results were analyzed using the XLSTAT (version 2014.1) software and a dendrogram was constructed using the agglomerative hierarchical clustering method. Optimal hybrid clustering was achieved when characteristics of great economic importance such as fruit shape and size, growth habit and days to blooming were included in the analysis. Based on the results, new sweet cherry hybrids with the special character of self-compatibility were developed. Our findings provide crucial new information for sweet cherry future breeding programs and cultivation.     

On sightings of (vagrant?) monk seals,Monachus monachus,in the Mediterranean Basin and their importance for the conservation of the species

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Development of a robust,VdNEP gene-based molecular marker to differentiate between pathotypes of Verticillium dahliae

Verticillium dahliae is a soilborne fungus that causes Verticillium wilt disease in a plethora of crops. Based on symptoms that develop on cotton, olive and okra, V. dahliae isolates are categorized into two pathotypes, namely defoliating and nondefoliating, with the former showing increased virulence and causing severe defoliation. Reliable differentiation between V. dahliae pathotypes is crucial for the management of Verticillium wilt in cotton and olive. In the present study, a polymorphism was detected among isolates of defoliating and nondefoliating pathotypes in Southern blots using the VdNEP gene as a probe. The regions flanking this gene were isolated by inverse PCR and sequence differences in the 3′ untranslated region (3′-UTR) of the VdNEP gene were detected between the two pathotypes. Based on these sequences, primers were designed and assessed to develop a multiplex PCR detection assay. Using this assay, a collection of cotton and olive V. dahliae isolates from Greece and Cyprus was screened, revealing that the defoliating pathotype is present in several regional units of Greece. Thus, this work presents a new, sensitive molecular marker for the differentiation between V. dahliae pathotypes based on the VdNEP gene. Because the 3′-UTR is involved in the phenotypes displayed by the pathotypes, an expression experiment was conducted under conditions simulating the xylem of a host plant. Expression of the VdNEP gene was elevated at all time points in the defoliating compared to the nondefoliating strain, suggesting a possible involvement of VdNEP expression in the defoliation process.