Fatty acids identified in the Burmese python promote beneficial cardiac growth

Burmese pythons display a marked increase in heart mass after a large meal. We investigated the molecular mechanisms of this physiological heart growth with the goal of applying this knowledge to the mammalian heart. We found that heart growth in pythons is characterized by myocyte hypertrophy in the absence of cell proliferation and by activation of physiological signal transduction pathways. Despite high levels of circulating lipids, the postprandial python heart does not accumulate triglycerides or fatty acids. Instead, there is robust activation of pathways of fatty acid transport and oxidation combined with increased expression and activity of superoxide dismutase, a cardioprotective enzyme. We also identified a combination of fatty acids in python plasma that promotes physiological heart growth when injected into either pythons or mice.     

Redsen: A new bright red-skinned potato cultivar

Redsen is a smooth, round, bright red-skinned potato cultivar with medium to high yield potential. It has resistance to race 0 of late blight (Phytophthora infestons) and is moderately resistant to some strains of silver scurf (Helminthosporium solanum) and common scab (Streptomyces scabies). The red color resists fading during storage and Redsen retains excellent marketability during storage.     

Inheritance of mefenoxam resistance in selfed populations of the homothallic oomycetePhytophthora erythroseptica (Pethybr.), cause of pink rot of potato

The inheritance of mefenoxam resistance in the oomycetePhytophthora erythroseptica, causal organism of pink rot of potato, was investigated in two successive selfed generations of single oospore isolates. Fourteen parental isolates from three mefenoxam-sensitivity phenotypes (sensitive, intermediately resistant, and resistant) were used to produce S1 and S2 progeny isolates by selfing each isolate and germinating single oospore cultures from each isolate. The two generations of isolates were tested for mefenoxam sensitivity using the radial growth inhibition assay and calculating EC₅₀ values. Twenty-four-hundred isolates from S1 and S2 generations were tested for mefenoxam sensitivity. Results demonstrated the lack of segregation for mefenoxam sensitivity among S1 and S2 progeny isolates from the resistant and sensitive parents. The majority of the S1 progeny isolates from the parents with intermediate resistance also possessed intermediate resistance, but demonstrated substantial quantitative shifts in response to mefenoxam more often toward increased insensitivity. A few isolates from the S1 progeny were sensitive to mefenoxam, and one isolate was mefenoxam-resistant. Similarly, the majority of the S2 progeny isolates from intermediately resistant parents also possessed intermediate resistance with some quantitative shifts in sensitivity to mefenoxam similar to those observed in S1 progeny, as well as a few isolates that were sensitive to mefenoxam. These results do not support the hypothesis that resistance to mefenoxam inP. erythroseptica is controlled by a single gene exhibiting incomplete dominance. Alternative hypotheses are proposed such as the genetics of mefenoxam resistance inP. erythroseptica is probably under the control of more than one major gene and perhaps some minor genes of additive effect.     

Wound healing,decay and chemical treatment of cut potato tuber tissue

Potato tuber tissue inoculated at cutting withFusarium spp. orErwinia carotovora and exposed to conditions favorable for infection did not heal rapidly enough to prevent decay. Seven days of wound healing at 20 C and high relative humidity prior to inoculation were necessary to provide protection againstFusarium and two days were required to protect againstErwinia. Histological examination of cut and chemically treated tuber tissue revealed that the wound healing process was only minimally affected by mancozeb, zineb-streptomycin, zineb-fir bark, captan, captan-mertect, captan-fir bark, and sodium hypochlorite. Ethylmercury p-toluene-sulfonanalide and pyrrolidine induced formation of discontinuous wound periderm after 21 days of healing. Streptomycin and captan-rhodamine had very detrimental effects on wound healing and suberin formation. In general, the seed-piece treatment chemicals tested had only minor effects on normal wound healing. It is concluded that wound healing alone may not be sufficient to controlFusarium caused seed piece decay and chemical treatment is recommended to provide protection until wound healing can occur. At least two days of wound healing are required for control of decay caused byErwinia carotovora.