Sources of resistance to Verticillium wilt in Capsicum

Summary A total of 125 novel accessions of Capsicum annuum L. and Capsicum baccatum L. were screened for sources of resistance to Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae Kleb). A soil infestation method with 2000 microsclerotia of V. dahliae per gram of planting medium, and a soil temperature of 25±3°C, identified 27 Capsicum accessions with resistance to Verticillium wilt. P.I. 215699 (a mixture of Capsicum baccatum var. microcarpum and Capsicum annuum), P.I. 535616 (Capsicum annuum), and P.I. 555614 (Capsicum annuum), had the lowest disease severity and the highest percentage of resistant plants.     

Observations on interspecific compatibility and meiotic chromosome behavior of Capsicum buforum and C. lanceolatum

The wild species, Capsicum buforum Hunz. and C. lanceolatum(Greenm. ex J.D. Sm.) Morton and Standl. were hybridized to nine different Capsicum species to understand their taxonomic and genetic relationships. With C. buforum as the male parent, the compatibility to the nine species varied from species to species and ranged from producing under-developed embryo, seed coat, seedless fruit, to no fruit set. When C. buforum was the female parent, it was incompatible (no fruit set) to the nine Capsicum species tested. When C. lanceolatum was the female parent, the hybridizations to the other species ranged from aborted embryo, seed coat, seedless fruit or no fruit. As a pollen parent, C. lanceolatum was incompatible (no fruit set) to the species investigated. In pollen mother cells (PMCs) of C. buforum, 24 chromosomes (n = 12) paired as 12 bivalents with chromosome lagging at meiotic anaphase-I. Twenty-six chromosomes (n = 13) were detected in PMCs of C. lanceolatum. In C. lanceolatum most chromosomes paired as bivalents, but one quadrivalent was observed in some cells. C. buforum was found to be self-incompatible, while C. lanceolatum was self-compatible.     

Clinicopathological findings associated with feline infectious peritonitis in Sydney, Australia: 42 cases (1990-2002)

Objectives To review the clinicopathological findings in naturally-occurring, histopathologically confirmed cases of feline infectious peritonitis in client-owned cats in Sydney, Australia, with the purpose of identifying factors assisting in the diagnosis of this complex disease syndrome and to characterise the disease as it occurs in this region.
Design Retrospective clinical study: the clinical records of all cats with histopathologically confirmed feline infectious peritonitis at the University Veterinary Centre Sydney and a private cat hospital in Sydney between 1990 and 2002 were reviewed for signalment, history, physical findings, diagnostic test results and the distribution of histological lesions throughout the body at necropsy.
Results Forty-two cats met the inclusion criteria. Significant features of this study that unique to the contemporary literature are i) the over-representation of certain breeds (Burmese, Australian Mist, British Shorthaired, and Cornish Rex) and the under-representation of other breeds (Domestic Shorthaired, Persian); ii) the overrepresentation of males; iii) the tendency for effusive disease in Australian Mist cats and non-effusive disease in Burmese; iv) the even age distribution of disease seen in cats older than 2 years-of-age; and v) the presence of fulminant immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia in two cats in this study.
Conclusion The study highlights the diverse range of clinical manifestations and the complexities experienced by clinicians in diagnosing this fatal disease. Some aspects of the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of feline infectious peritonitis appear different to the disease encountered in Europe and North America, most notably the over-representation of specific breeds and the presence of immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia.     

Recombinant inbred line differential identifies race-specific resistance to phytophthora root rot in Capsicum annuum

A differential series is the normal method for identification of races within a plant pathogen and a host interaction. A host differential is extremely useful for phytopathological as well as breeding purposes. A set of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were developed and characterized for race differentiation of Phytophthora root rot caused by Phytophthora capsici. The highly resistant Capsicum annuum accession Criollo de Morelos-334 was hybridized to a susceptible cultivar, Early Jalapeno, to generate the RIL population. The host differential characterized 17 isolates of P. capsici into 13 races. The establishment of a stable host differential for the P. capsici and C. annuum interaction will assist researchers in understanding the complex inheritance of resistance to Phytophthora root rot and to develop resistant cultivars.     

Recommendations for designing and conducting veterinary clinical pathology biologic variation studies

The recent creation of a veterinary clinical pathology biologic variation website has highlighted the need to provide recommendations for future studies of biologic variation in animals in order to help standardize and improve the quality of published information and to facilitate review and selection of publications as standard references. The following recommendations are provided in the format and order commonly found in veterinary publications. A checklist is provided to aid in planning, implementing, and evaluating veterinary studies on biologic variation (Appendix  S1 ). These recommendations provide a valuable resource for clinicians, laboratorians, and researchers interested in conducting studies of biologic variation and in determining the quality of studies of biologic variation in veterinary laboratory testing.     

Capsicum tovarii, a new member of the Capsicum baccatum complex

Interspecific hybrid performance and meiotic chromosome behavior of F₁ hybrids were studied to elucidate the genetic relationship between C. tovarii and the other Capsicum species. C. tovarii was hybridized, as a female and a male parent, to C. annuum, C. chinense, C. frutescens, C. chacoense, C. galapogense, C. baccatum, C. praetermissum, C. cardenasii, C. eximium and C. pubescens. When the hybridization of C. baccatum × C. tovarii was performed, F₁, F₂ and backcross progenies were successfully obtained. In addition, a successful hybridization of C. praetermissum × C. tovarii was also obtained. A cytological investigation of F₁ hybrids of C. baccatum × C. tovarii revealed that most meiotic chromosomes paired as bivalents. However, multivalents, chromosome bridges, and chromosome lags were observed. These results suggest that C. baccatum differs from C. tovarii by at least a chromosomal reciprocal translocation. Crosses of C. tovarii to C. chinense and C. frutescens produced plump seeds, but none of the seeds germinated. Hybridizations of C. tovarii to C. pubescens, C. eximium and C. cardenasii did not produce seed. These hybridization results indicate that C. tovarii is genetically more closely related to the C. baccatum complex than to the C. annuum complex or the C. pubescens complex. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Difference between USA and French isolates of tobacco etch virus and pepper mottle virus displayed by doubled haploid line analysis

Summary Doubled haploid peppers resistant in France to specific strains of tobacco etch virus (TEV) and pepper mottle virus (PeMV) were indexed for resistance to USA strains of TEV and PeMV. The doubled haploids were inoculated when four to six true leaves had developed. The peppers were indexed after an incubation period, and a disease index was calculated. Plants without viral symptoms were reinoculated. Plants challenged to TEV were inoculated four times. Doubled haploids, TEV-resistant in France, were susceptible to the USA strain by the fourth screening. All doubled haploid lines showed TEV symptoms after the fourth inoculation. Two doubled haploids lines, no. 4 and no. 8, had about 6% resistance to TEV after the fourth inoculation. Doubled haploid line no. 5 was 100% resistant to PeMV. The results confirm that the USA PeMV and the USA TEV isolates are different pathotypes than the French ones used originally to screen the doubled haploids. In addition, the use of doubled haploids to identify pathotypes of PeMV and TEV is demonstrated.