A plant miRNA contributes to antibacterial resistance by repressing auxin signaling

Plants and animals activate defenses after perceiving pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) such as bacterial flagellin. In Arabidopsis, perception of flagellin increases resistance to the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae, although the molecular mechanisms involved remain elusive. Here, we show that a flagellin-derived peptide induces a plant microRNA (miRNA) that negatively regulates messenger RNAs for the F-box auxin receptors TIR1, AFB2, and AFB3. Repression of auxin signaling restricts P. syringae growth, implicating auxin in disease susceptibility and miRNA-mediated suppression of auxin signaling in resistance.     

A synthetic fraction of feline facial pheromones calms but does not reduce struggling in cats before venous catheterization

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a synthetic analogue of feline facial pheromone (FFP) calms cats before, and reduces struggling during intravenous catheterization. DESIGN: Block-randomized, 'blinded' clinical trial. ANIMALS: Seventy-seven healthy cats presented for elective surgery. PROCEDURE: Cats given glycopyrrolate and oxymorphone were assigned to one of four treatments: acepromazine and exposure to FFP (aceFFP); acepromazine and exposure to a placebo (acePlac); exposure to FFP only (FFP) and exposure to placebo only (Plac). The behaviour of cats was recorded on videotape for evaluation by assessors unaware of treatment group. Cats' veins were then catheterized by veterinary students unaware of the study protocol. Based on each cat's response to catheterization, the student independently decided whether intramuscular ketamine was required. RESULTS: Cats in the aceFFP group appeared to be calmer than acePlac cats on the basis of head position and their location in the cage (suggesting benefit from FFP among cats receiving acepromazine) but appeared to be less sedated. Cats in the aceFFP group also appeared to be calmer than FFP cats on the basis of head position and location in the cage. Feline facial pheromone cats were also calmer than Plac cats when compared using body and leg position. Exposure to FFP did not significantly reduce struggling at catheterization, nevertheless, the students were able to catheterize the veins in all cats. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There were no detrimental behavioural effects associated with either FFP or acepromazine. The FFP had additional calming effects in cats given acepromazine and, to a lesser degree, helped to calm cats that were not given acepromazine. Feline facial pheromone helps to calm cats in unfamiliar surroundings.     

A case study of capture-recapture methodology using scrapie surveillance data in Great Britain

We applied capture–recapture methodology (CRC) to data from three surveillance sources (statutory notification, abattoir survey (AS) and fallen stock (FS) survey) to estimate the number of holdings infected with scrapie in Great Britain and to assess the sensitivity of the surveillance network. Between January 1, 2002 and March 31, 2003, 144 holdings were identified by the three sources. Using CRC modelling techniques, we estimated a minimum lower bound for the total number of holdings infected as 642. A biologically plausible positive dependence between the statutory reporting and the fallen stock survey was found statistically significant. The sensitivity of the three sources combined was very low. The integration of the three overlapping sources provided a better understanding of the interactions within the surveillance network. However, the scarcity of the data and reduced overlapping among sources only allowed for very cautious inferences to be drawn about the true proportion of scrapie affected holdings in the national population. Future surveys and surveillance activities should be planned such that the resulting data can be used more effectively as part of CRC modelling approaches.     

Psettarium anthicum sp. n. (Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) from the heart of cobia Rachycentron canadum (Rachycentridae) in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Psettarium anthicum sp. n. (Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) infects the myocardium and atrial wall of the cobia Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus, 1766) (Rachycentridae) in the northern Gulf of Mexico off Mississippi, USA. It is the first member of Psettarium Goto et Ozaki, 1930 reported from other than the Indian Ocean or Pacific Ocean and the second species of the genus reported from cobia. It differs from its congeners by the combination of having posterior caeca with lateral projections appearing as thorns in lateral view and the male pore anterior to the o?type. The species of Psettarium, P. japonicum (Goto et Ozaki, 1929) (type species), P. tropicum Manter, 1940, P. sebastodorum Holmes, 1971, P. rachycentri (Lebedev et Parukhin, 1972) comb. n. (syn. Psettarioides rachycentri Lebedev et Parukhin, 1972) and P. anthicum sp. n., differ from other sanguinicolids by the combination of having an elongate body with a sinistral posterolateral protuberance, minute, straight tegumental body spines in ventrolateral transverse rows, posterior caeca greater than seven time the anterior caeca length, the o6type near the posterior end of the body, a uterus primarily between the ovary and o?type and an oviduct and vitelline duct extending posteriad primarily between the uterus and dextral body margin. We emend Psettarium and provide a diagnostic key to the species. Psettarioides is regarded as a junior synonym of Psettarium because herein we return its type species, P. tropicum, to Psettarium. Regarding the three other sanguinicolids formerly of Psettarioides, we suspect that P. pseudupenei Lebedev et Parukhin, 1972 belongs to Psettarium but include it only tentatively pending an examination of type or other material; we tentatively place P. kurochkini Parukhin, 1976 in Cardicola Short, 1952; and we designate P. grandis (Lebedev et Mamaev, 1968) as incertae sedis pending examination of type or other appropriate material.     

Use of pyrethroid analogues to identify key structural features for enhanced esterase resistance in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

It has been reported previously that the major resistance mechanism to pyrethroid insecticides by the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) in Australia is a consequence of overproduction of esterase isoenzymes. This paper reports structure-activity relationships that support such a view, based on in vivo bioassays conducted with a range of pyrethroid structures containing a variety of acid and alcohol moieties and the correlation with in vitro esterase inhibition assays against the same structures, and identifies the critical regions of the molecule with regard to esterase inhibition, and hence resistance. The implications of this work in terms of possible resistance management are evaluated and discussed.     

Deposit structure and efficacy of pesticide application. 1: Interactions between deposit size,toxicant concentration and deposit number

Application of pesticides through a hydraulic nozzle produces deposits on a plant surface which have a spatial structure with elements of deposit size, number per area, and toxin per deposit. To investigate the relative contributions of these elements to the interaction of deposit structure and toxicant efficacy, we used a stochastic cellular automaton model of diamondback moth feeding on Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-treated cabbage – the Pesticide Dose Simulator (PDS) model. Data were analyzed using a specialized response surface approach called a mixture design. The advantage of this design was that it integrated the effects of deposit size, number per area and toxin per deposit on toxicant efficacy. Results from PDS simulations led to the following conclusions: (1) Deposit structure plays a major role in toxin efficacy. (2) Small deposits are not always the most efficacious. (3) Uniform coverage is not the best deposit structure if one is forced to limit application rates and field persistence. (4) Since uniform deposit structures allow an insect to live longer, uniform deposit structures should result in more insects acquiring sub-lethal doses. This may result in an interaction between ‘uniform coverage’ and the development of pesticide resistance in insect populations. (5) Percentage mortality and the level of crop protection are not necessarily correlated. Overall, these results help reconcile laboratory observations that small droplets are more efficacious with field observations that application of small droplets (eg from spinning disk sprayers) does not necessarily increase field efficacy. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

In vitro characterization andin vivo detection ofRigidoporus lignosus,the causal agent of white root disease inHevea brasiliensis,by ELISA techniques

The aim of these studies is to develop a method for early detection ofRigidopoms lignosus (Basidiomycete, Polyporaceae), the causative agent of white root disease of rubber tree. Two polyclonal sera were produced against soluble mycelial proteins of twoR. lignosus isolates, one from Africa (FCI2), the other from Asia (FID2). The specificity of the antisera was tested using isoelectric focusing (IEF)/Western-blot and DAS-ELISA. The two sera recognized all 20R. lignosus isolates from various geographical origins. The banding patterns obtained by Western-blot enabled a distinction to be made between isolates from Africa and those from Asia. In DAS-ELISA and Western-blot analyses, strong cross reactions were observed withR. ulmarius. Only slight reactions were observed in Western-blot analysis toR. lineatus andP. noxius, both causative agents of root rot inHevea. These cross reactions were not observed under our DAS-ELISA analysis conditions. Finally, no cross reactions were obtained with 9 otherPolyporaceae orHevea root pathogen species. The sensitivity threshold of the DAS-ELISA method was 5 ng ml^–1 ofR. lignosus protein. An initial approach to using the DAS-ELISA test for the detection ofR. lignosus in infected plants was carried out on artificially inoculated root samples. The DAS-ELISA protocol enabled detection ofR. lignosus in the root systems of diseased plants. Moreover, no cross reaction was observed with healthy plant extracts.     

Testing variability in pathogenicity of Phytophthora cinnamomi

Forty eight isolates of Phytophthora cinnamomi from various host plants in France (35 isolates) and in other countries were tested for pathogenicity. Seedlings of chestnut, northern red oak, pine and eucalyptus were infected by soil contamination. Taproots, stems and bark strips of plants of chestnut and different oak species were inoculated with mycelium agar disks. Results of the different experiments were in good agreement. All isolates appeared pathogenic to all the different test species but with variable levels of virulence. Isolates with consistent low or high level of virulence, which could be used as standards in further studies, were identified. Interaction between P. cinnamomi isolates and host plant species was significant in terms of lesion lengths. These interactions could not be related to host from which P. cinnamomi was isolated. Consistent with this, in Quercus rubra, the isolate-provenance interaction was not significant. This feature is encouraging for provenance screening for resistance to P. cinnamomi in this species. The variation in virulence was not related to other isolate characteristics (mating type, electrophoretic type, age).