Quantification of the biocontrol agent Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf153 in soil using a quantitative competitive PCR assay unaffected by variability in cell lysis- and DNA-extraction efficiency

Although often neglected, variability in cell lysis efficiency and DNA extraction yield represents the major hurdles of any polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based quantification protocol in soil and other natural environments. In this study we developed a technique that minimizes the effects of these constraints, providing at the same time a reliable internal control to distinguish between PCR-inhibition and negative results. We used Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf153, a root-colonizing bacterium that shows biocontrol activity against tobacco and cucumber black root rot, as the target organism for PCR quantification. Prior to DNA extraction, the genetically engineered, cognate reference strain P. fluorescens CHA0/c2 was inoculated in a reference soil. CHA0/c2 in the reference soil and Pf153 in the soil sample were lysed in parallel and afterward the lysates were mixed in known proportions. CHA0/c2 carries the plasmid pME6031-cmp2 that contains an allelic variant (competitor) of the Pf153 specific sequence Pf153_2. In a quantitative competitive PCR (QC-PCR) assay the competitor allows the quantification of the target strain down to 0.66 Pf153 CFU/mg soil. Processing the reference strain in the same way as Pf153 enables the exact quantification of the target strain in biocontrol assays performed in natural soil, overcoming differences in DNA extraction efficiency and PCR amplification from different soil environments. This technique is easily adaptable to other Pseudomonas strains simply by replacing the competitor used here with one derived from a SCAR-marker which is specific for the strain of choice.     

Control of Phytophthora cryptogea in the hydroponic forcing of witloof chicory with the rhamnolipid-based biosurfactant formulation PRO1

Rhamnolipids, extracellular metabolites of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with surfactant properties, proved to be very effective in controlling the spread of brown root rot disease caused by Phytophthora cryptogea in the hydroponic forcing system of witloof chicory ( Cichorium intybus var. foliosum ). The biosurfactant was applied as the product PRO1, a formulation of 25% rhamnolipids in oil. Both an in vitro screening and in vivo experiments in a mini-hydroponic system demonstrated the ability of PRO1 to control brown root rot. A 25  µ g mL⁻¹ rhamnolipids nutrient solution was enough to obtain good control of an artificial infection with a zoospore suspension of P. cryptogea . The biosurfactant PRO1 performed well in a semicommercial system under growers' conditions. A treatment of 25  µ g mL⁻¹ rhamnolipids (100  µ g mL⁻¹ PRO1) reduced the disease incidence significantly in two independent experiments. However, PRO1 was not effective when a mycelial suspension was used as inoculum. Rhamnolipids have good potential to limit the spread of P. cryptogea in the hydroponic forcing system of witloof chicory, and can be used as a preventive measure against brown root rot.     

Growth Complementation of hrpXo Mutants of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae by Virulent Strains in Rice Cultivars Resistant and Susceptible to the Parental Strain

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (X. o. pv. oryzae) T7174 is virulent on rice cultivar IR24 and avirulent on IR-BB2. From recent reports, some virulence and avirulence factors of plant pathogenic bacteria are transferred to plant cells through the hrp-dependent type III secretion system. In this study, we investigated the involvement of hrp genes in the compatible and the incompatible interactions between rice and X. o. pv. oryzae after co-inoculation with hrpXo mutants derived from T7174 and virulent strains. Growth of the mutants, named 74ΔHrpXo and 76ΔHrpXo, was repressed in IR24 when the mutants were applied alone. However, growth of the mutants was complemented by co-inoculation with virulent strains. Growth of bioluminescent hrpXo mutant 76ΔHrpXo in IR24 and its growth in IR-BB2 after co-inoculation with T7133, which is virulent on both cultivars, was equally complemented, as detected by bioluminescence from the mutant. On the other hand, only partial complementation of growth of T7174L76, which is a bioluminescent and pathogenic derivative of T7174, by T7133 was observed in IR-BB2. Thus, growth of the hrpXo mutant of X. o. pv. oryzae was complemented by virulent strains in both susceptible and resistant rice leaves with the parental strain. Received 21 July 2000/ Accepted in revised form 26 October 2000     

Alternaria Brown Spot of Minneola in Greece; Evaluation of Citrus Species Susceptibility

During the last three years, a new disease was observed in northwestern Greece on Minneola trees, hybrid of mandarin and grapefruit. On May small brown necrotic leaf spots surrounded by yellow halo areas of various sizes appeared and covered a major portion of the leaves with extension of necrosis into the veins. On young fruits small, slightly depressed black spots were the first symptoms, which later became 2–7 mm in diameter. Brown spots were observed on the leaves and fruits in several orchards in the same area, causing leaves and fruits to drop. In some orchards over 50% of the fruits were affected. From the fruit and leaf spots the typical small-spore species Alternaria alternata was isolated. Pathogenicity tests were performed by artificially inoculating fruits of Minneola, common mandarin and Clementine. The symptoms of the disease were reproduced only on fruits of Minneola hybrids by the specific strain of the fungus Alternaria alternata pv. citri. Different citrus susceptibility tests indicated that mandarins Minneola, Nova and Page were very susceptible to tested isolates while Clementine SRA and Poros Clementine were not. All lemons and lime Seedless were not susceptible. Grapefruit New Hall was not susceptible, while the Star Ruby was. Orange Lane Late, Navel Late, Oval Poros, Olinda, Navel Athos were not susceptible and only Moro showed reaction being slightly susceptible only to one isolate.     

水稻白叶枯病菌毒素对水稻不育系珍汕97A的专化毒性

 采用乙酸乙酯法提取对珍汕97不育胞质具有专化毒性的白叶枯病菌AH28、GX50和非专化毒性的OS14菌株的毒素。以不同浓度的毒素处理珍汕97不育系和保持系的种子或幼苗,可引起水稻叶片褪绿和细胞坏死,产生与接种病菌相似的症状,在蚕豆叶片上形成过敏性坏死斑;毒素可导致水稻幼苗萎蔫、胚根胚芽生长受抑和根冠细胞死亡;毒素的毒性与毒素浓度和产毒素菌株的致病力成正比;专化性毒素AT对珍汕97不育系的毒害程度显著高于对保持系的毒害。     

Molecular characterization of the incitant of cowpea bacterial blight and pustule, Xanthomonas campestris pv. vignicola

Strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vignicola (Xcv), isolated from cowpea leaves with blight or minute pustules and collected from various geographic areas, were selected on the basis of pathological and physiological features. All strains were analyzed for genotypic markers by two methods: ribotyping with EcoRI endonuclease, and RFLP analysis with a plasmid probe (pthB) containing a gene required for pathogenicity from Xanthomonas campestris pv. manihotis. Ribotyping revealed a unique pattern for all the strains that corresponded to the previously described ribotype rRNA7. Based on polymorphism detected by pthB among Xcv strains, nine haplotypes were defined. The observed genetic variation was independent of the geographic origin of the strains and of pathogenic variation. Some haplotypes were widely distributed, whereas others were localized. In some cases, we could differentiate strains isolated from blight symptoms and pustules according to haplotypic composition. However, in most cases, no significant differences were observed. Our results and the previous pathogenic and biochemical characterizations suggest that the strains isolated from leaves with blight symptoms or minute pustules belong to the same pathovar. We provide information on pathogen diversity that can be used to identify and characterize resistant germplasm.     

兔绿脓假单胞菌性肺炎的诊断与防治

本文报道近年来我省某试验养兔场兔群中流行一种生前以呼吸困难、口鼻出现血样分泌物症状,死后剖检以肺组织变性坏死为特征的疫情,经临床观察、实验诊断、病理剖检和病理组织学检查、流行病学调查及动物致病性实验研究,鉴定为绿脓假单胞菌(Ps.aeruginosa)引起的肺炎,该病特点传染快、死亡率高。通过流行病学调查,探索该病发病流行规律,为防治本病提供科学依据。     

适用于猪场沼液处理的好氧反硝化菌筛选及其脱氮特性评价

试验旨在筛选适合于猪场沼液处理的好氧反硝化菌。从活性污泥中分离获得 16 株好氧反硝化菌,其中菌株 ZH-14 的总氮(TN)和硝酸盐氮的去除效果最好,分别达到 50.73%和 99.99%。该菌株经过平板形态观察、功能基因和 16S rDNA 基因分析,鉴定为施氏假单胞菌(Pseudomonas stutzeri)。结果表明:菌株 ZH-14 在硝酸钾为唯一氮源培养基中生长时,48 h 后硝酸盐氮与 TN 的降解率分别为 100%和41.76%;以亚硝酸钠为唯一氮源培养时,亚硝酸盐氮降解率为 99.24%;以氨氮为唯一氮源培养时,氨氮的降解率达 94.1%;使用菌株 ZH-14 处理畜禽沼液,当其接种终浓度为 107 CFU/mL 时,经过 48 h 处理,氨氮、硝酸盐氮和化学需氧量的去除率分别为 54.4%、97.7%和 77.9%。综上表明,菌株 ZH-14 具有较强的反硝化和处理猪场沼液的能力,具有良好的应用开发前景。     

养殖鱼塘中铜绿假单胞菌致病性及耐药相关基因的研究

旨在分析养殖鱼塘水体中铜绿假单胞菌(Pseudomonas aeruginosa,PA)分离菌株的致病性、耐药性及其可能机制,为保障水产食品的安全提供科学依据。使用美国临床与实验室标准研究所的标准纸片扩散法,以及聚合酶链反应技术对PA分离菌株进行了抗菌素耐药性,以及毒性、固有和获得性耐药相关基因的检测与分析。结果显示,受试PA分离菌株的50%为exoS+/exoU-侵染型分子型,无临床分离菌株的exoS-/exoU+的细胞毒型分子型。PA菌株对6大类9种抗菌素的耐药性存在明显差异,其中甲氧胺苄嘧啶和利福平的耐药率最高为100%,其次是氨苄西林、卡那霉素和四环素,分别为90%、90%和80%,庆大霉素的耐药率最低为10%。多药抗性PA菌株均含有MexAB-OprM、MexXY-OprM和MexVW-OprM外排泵系统,其中20%菌株检测为β-内酰胺酶基因(ampC)阳性;而MexEF-OprN、MexJK-OprM、MexCD-OprJ和MexGHI-OpmD外排泵基因全部或部分缺失。此外,在PA菌株中均未检测到Ⅰ～Ⅲ类整合子的整合酶基因(comINT),但是整合接合元件(ICEs)保守模块功能基因(ICEint、soj、pilS2、pilD)均检测为阳性,提示PA菌株携带的ICEs具有潜在的转移活性,为进一步探讨PA多药抗性的散播奠定了基础。     

互补野油菜黄单胞菌野油菜致病型T113突变体胞外多糖产生的DNA片段的克隆

以从野油菜黄单胞菌野油菜致病型（Ｘａｎｔｈｏｍｏｎａｓｃａｍｐｅｓｔｒｉｓｐｖ．ｃａｍｐｅｓｔｒｉｓ）胞外多糖突变体Ｔ１１３中克隆的含转座子Ｔｎ５ｇｕｓＡ５及其两侧相邻序列的１２．３ｋｂＥｃｏＲＩＤＮＡ片段为探针,从野生型菌株８００４中克隆到与突变位点相对应的６．５ｋｂＥｃｏＲＩ片段,克隆于载体ｐＬＡＦＲ３上的该片段能反式互补突变株Ｔ１１３的胞外多糖产生,说明该片段上含有至少一个与胞外多糖产生有关的基因。