Heterogeneity of peach rust disease progress within the tree canopy

Peach rust (Tranzschelia discolor) is a major foliar disease of peach that can cause severe defoliation. Few epidemiological studies have been conducted on peach rust, and there is no information concerning the spatial distribution of the disease within the canopy. This study aimed to characterise the onset and temporal progress of peach rust in three height strata in peach trees grown in two different orchards: one treated with fungicide and the second non-treated. Evaluations were conducted fortnightly between November and April for two consecutive years. Positional information for the disease within the canopy was obtained by assessing the incidence and severity of peach rust on leaves in both orchards. A linear mixed model with the position of shoots as the fixed effect and cultivars and blocks as random effects was adopted for the data analysis over both seasons, in the fungicide-treated orchard incidence and severity ranged from 60 to 90 % and 0.5 to 2 %, respectively, while in the non-treated orchard incidence and severity ranged from 90 to 100 % and 10 to 15 %, respectively. The area under the disease progress curve was greater for the upper shoots compared to the lower shoots, but the disease progress rates were similar. The logistic and exponential models best fitted the incidence and severity data, respectively. Urediniospores were detected by traps within the experimental area between late winter and early spring. Predominance of autoinfection or alloinfection is discussed.     

Fungicide sensitivity and monocyclic parameters related to the Phakopsora pachyrhizi–soybean pathosystem from organic and conventional soybean production systems

The failure of chemical control of soybean rust has been related to the selection of less sensitive isolates, and the infection capacity of such isolates could have implications for the management of the disease. The aims of the present study were to compare the sensitivity to tebuconazole and azoxystrobin and the monocycle of soybean rust using isolates of Phakopsora pachyrhizi from two soybean fields with different production systems (organic and conventional) in 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons, and to monitor mutations in the CYP51 gene. To assess the sensitivity to tebuconazole and azoxystrobin, detached leaf tests and in vitro germination, respectively, were used. To evaluate the monocycle, detached leaves were inoculated with a urediniospore suspension and evaluated daily by counting the number of uredia. The occurrence of the mutations in CYP51 was investigated by a pyrosequencing assay. In both 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons, the EC₅₀ to tebuconazole was lower for the population from the organic system (0.41 and 0.10 μg mL^?1, respectively) compared to the conventional system (1.60 and 4.44 μg mL^?1, respectively), while the EC₅₀ to azoxystrobin was similar for both populations. The lower sensitivity to tebuconazole and azoxystrobin was associated with F120L + Y131H mutations in CYP51, and the F129L mutation in CYTB, respectively. The monomolecular model fitted to monocycle data and parameters related to the maximum asymptote and the AUDPC were superior for organic than the conventional system.     

Determination of adulteration in apple juice by HPLC with novel optical rotation detector

A simple HPLC method for the determination of adulteration in apple juice was developed. The method is based on the detection of D-malate, derived from racemic malic acid, which is added as an acidulant. A variable-wavelength optical rotation detector was used to determine the enantiomeric excess (ee). Using anion-exchange chromatography with a phosphate buffer eluent and UV (210 nm) detection, the limit of detection for L-malate was 2 microg. With an injection of 13.4 microg of malate, the standard deviation of the ee calibration curve was 2.5%. Several apple juice samples were analyzed according to the proposed procedure, and the results agreed with those obtained using enzymatic kits for food analysis.     

Flagellin glycosylation is ubiquitous in a broad range of phytopathogenic bacteria

Glycosylation of flagellin is known to be involved in filament stabilization, motility, and virulence in Pseudomonas syringae. Here we investigated flagellin glycosylation in other phytopathogenic bacteria. Analyses of deduced amino acid sequences, glycostaining, and molecular masses of purified flagellins revealed that flagellins from all phytopathogenic bacteria investigated were glycosylated. Furthermore, the flagellin in a glycosylation-defective mutant of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) had a reduced molecular mass, and motility and virulence of the mutant toward host leaves decreased. These results suggest that flagellin glycosylation is ubiquitous in most phytopathogenic bacteria and that flagellin glycosylation is required for virulence in Xcc.     

Studies on a red-colored soil derived from basaltic andesite of Shibayama

In the preceding papers (1, 2), the specificities of Shibayama red soil clarified by chemical and mineralogical studies were described.     

Relationship between bacterial translocation and isolation of enteric bacteria from extraintestinal organs in slaughtered pigs

Enteric bacteria, especially Escherichia coli, have been isolated from porcine livers affected with ascariasis. We hypothesized that reason for this bacterial isolation was due to bacterial translocation (BT). In order to clarify the association between ascariasis and isolation of Enterobacteriaceae in the livers,12 pigs with ascariasis (ascariasis group), 12 pigs without ascariasis (non-ascariasis A group) were used. Jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, livers, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), and portal blood were obtained from these pigs. Furthermore, in order to confirm the presence of BT in pigs, the samples mentioned above as well as spleens were obtained from 11 pigs without ascariasis (non-ascariasis B group) and 6 specific pathogen free (SPF) pigs without ascariasis (non-ascariasis SPF group). In the first experiment, the gram-negative bacteria were isolated from livers (66.7%), MLN (91.7%), and portal blood (55.6%) regardless the presence of ascariasis. In the second experiment, isolation rates of gram-negative and -positive bacteria were 52.9 and 66.7% for livers, 52.9 and 80% for MLN, 11.8 and 26.7% for spleens, and 40 and 20% for portal blood of the pigs examined, respectively. E. coli and Staphylococcus were the predominant isolates from these pigs. A large number of antigens immunodetected by E. coli polyclonal antibody were found in the damaged cecal mucosa. These findings present evidence that BT is generally observed in slaughtered pigs regardless the presence of ascariasis. This has challenged our notion that extraintestinal organs of pigs are usually maintained as sterile.     

Biomass and taxonomic composition of micronekton in the western tropical–subtropical Pacific

The biomass distribution, community structure and species composition of the dominant micronektonic animals were determined in the western tropical Pacific, using day/night sampling from upper 200 m depth with a commercial midwater otter trawl in fall‐winter of 1994, 1995 and 1997. Night‐time micronekton biomass was significantly higher than daytime biomass except for a few cases. All the night‐time catches had similar taxonomic composition, dominated by myctophid fishes, small squids, shrimps and euphausiids. Night‐time micronekton biomass in the upper 200 m was assumed to be higher in the North Equatorial Counter Current than in the North Equatorial Current, reflecting the zooplankton biomass distribution which micronektons feed on at night. A total of 42 species of myctophid fishes, 34 species of squids, 27 species of shrimps and six species of euphausiids were collected. Community types of each dominant taxonomic group were classified by cluster analysis based on the species composition. A station located north of the subtropical convergence zone was distinct from other tropical stations south of the convergence zone, having significantly different species composition in three of the four dominant taxonomic groups (myctophids, squids and shrimps). The interaction between the larvae of commercially important fishes and micronektonic animals is discussed.     

High inoculum of Monilinia fructicola is a threat to peach production in the tropics due to fruit susceptibility at all development stages

Brown rot is the main disease of stone fruits in Brazil, but the susceptibility of peaches to brown rot at different stages of development in the field has not been studied under subtropical conditions. This information is relevant to guide the management of the disease. The objective of this research was to determine the influence of inoculating peaches with Monilinia fructicola at different stages of development on the infection and progress of brown rot at postharvest. Two experiments were carried out: one ex vivo with two cultivars and the other in the field for two seasons. Peaches were inoculated at different sizes for both experiments. In the field, peaches were bagged to avoid natural infection, and M. fructicola inoculum was monitored. The ex vivo incidence of the disease was lower at pit hardening than at other fruit stages for both cultivars. The incidence of brown rot for peaches attached to the trees increased with fruit ripening. Conversely, the time for symptom expression was reduced according to peach diameter. Peaches inoculated with a diameter smaller than 2 cm showed a lower incidence of brown rot and longer periods for disease expression than fruit inoculated near harvest. In conclusion, in areas with high inoculum in the orchard, a common condition in the subtropics, the grower must prevent infection at all stages of fruit development, thus avoiding losses during marketing.     

Anti-hyperglycemic effect of diacylated anthocyanin derived from Ipomoea batatas cultivar Ayamurasaki can be achieved through the alpha-glucosidase inhibitory action

To clarify a postprandial glucose suppression effect of diacylated anthocyanin with alpha-glucosidase (AGH) inhibitory activity, a single oral administration study of it in male 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats was performed. The diacylated anthocyanin used in this study was peonidin 3-O-[2-O-(6-O-E-feruloyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-6-O-E-caffeoyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside]-5-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside isolated from storage roots of the purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas cv. Ayamurasaki), which showed a potent maltase inhibitory activity with an IC(50) value of 200 microM preferable to sucrase inhibition. When the diacylated anthocyanin (100 mg/kg) was administered following maltose (2 g/kg), a maximal blood glucose level (BGL) at 30 min was significantly decreased by 16.5% (P < 0.01) compared to vehicle. A minimum 10 mg/kg dose of the anthocyanin was necessary for the suppression of glycemic rise, and the ED(20) (69 mg/kg) was estimated to be approximately 30-fold lower than that of the therapeutic drug acarbose (ED(20) = 2.2 mg/kg). A reduction of serum insulin secretion was also observed corresponding to the decrease in BGL. No significant change in BGL was observed when sucrose or glucose was ingested, suggesting that the anti-hyperglycemic effect of the anthocyanin was achieved by maltase inhibition, not by sucrase or glucose transport inhibition at the intestinal membrane.