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Sample records for huitlacoche ustilago maydis

  1. Nutritional value of huitlacoche, maize mushroom caused by Ustilago maydis

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    Mehmet AYDOĞDU

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Smutty maize cobs, caused by Ustilago maydis ((DC Corda., a fungus belonging to Basidiomycetes, can be seen wherever maize is grown. It is considered as a fungal disease limiting maize yield worldwide. However, in Mesoamerica, it is called as “huitlacoche” and evaluated as an edible mushroom. The present study was conducted to examine nutritional characteristics of this mushroom. In the study, smutty cobs naturally infected by U. maydis were randomly gleaned from plants in maize producing areas in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, in 2015. Huitlacoche was analyzed in terms of proximate composition, fatty acids, mineral elements, total phenolic and flavonoid matters and antioxidant activity. Average protein content was 12%, while fatty acids ranged from 0.44 to 42.49% (dry basis. Of the 11 fatty acids, oleic and linoleic acids had the highest percentages. Phosphorus (342.07 mg/kg and magnesium (262.69 mg/kg were found in high quantities. As for total phenolic and flavonoid matters were 113.11 mg GAE/kg and 28.51 mg CE/kg, respectively. The study suggests that huitlacoche has numerous good nutritional features for human diet, thus, it can be evaluated as a valuable food source in international cuisines.

  2. Cambios postcosecha del hongo comestible huitlacoche (Ustilago maydis (D. C. Corda

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    A. Martínez-Flores

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available El huitlacoche [(Ustilago maydis (D.C. Corda] ha sido un importante alimento en la dieta de los habitantes de la región Centro-Sur de México desde épocas precolombinas. Recientemente, su aceptación a nivel mundial se ha incrementado. A pesar de que es un producto muy perecedero no existen estudios postcosecha, por lo cual, el objetivo de este estudio fue identificar el cambio de parámetros físicos y fisiológicos en postcosecha de huitlacoche entero (mazorca y desgranado (agallas a temperatura ambiente, 3 y 10 °C, durante 11 días. Se evaluó el cambio de aspecto, color, pérdida de peso, respiración, producción de etileno y cambio en aminoácidos. La respiración promedio del huitlacoche entero a temperatura ambiente, 10 y 3 °C fue de 320.8, 120.8 y 71. 5 mlCO2·kg- 1·h-1, respectivamente; en tanto que para el desgranado fue de 372.8, 346.7 y 164.1 mlCO2·kg-1·h-1 a temperatura ambiente, 10 y 3 °C respectivamente. A los 7 días de almacenamiento, el hongo presentó pérdida de peso arriba del 80, 60 y 22 % a temperatura ambiente, 10 y 3 °C respectivamente. Se encontraron 18 aminoácidos, del contenido total los esenciales representaron 37.8 % de los cuales lisina representó el 27.2 %. Después del almacenamiento, el huitlacoche no mostró un cambio importante en el contenido de aminoácidos. A 3 °C el huitlacoche entero conservó mejor su apariencia, color y peso. No se detectó producción de etileno en las temperaturas evaluadas.

  3. Susceptibilidad y resistencia del maíz al hongo comestible huitlacoche (Ustilago maydis Cda. mejorando su virulencia

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    L. Martínez

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available El huitlacoche es un patógeno del maíz, muy apreciado como alimento humano en la región central de México. Actualmente seis industrias lo comercializan enlatado. El total de la producción industrial se abastece de la recolección espontánea del hongo en campos de cultivo de maíz para producción de grano. Debido a lo anterior, los objetivos planteados en este estudio fueron: evaluar y seleccionar patotipos de Ustilago maydis con una alta virulencia sobre maíz; evaluar y seleccionar familias de medios hermanos maternos de maíz de reacción susceptible y resistente al huitlacoche. En 1997, se evaluaron 100 aislamientos del hongo en un híbrido experimental, seleccionando 12 de ellos por su vigor, presentando en promedio 190 g del hongo por planta infectada, y 135.24 g por planta inoculada (8.11 t×ha-1, 60 000 plantas×ha-1, índice de severidad de 36.82 y una incidencia de 70.64%. De las 300 familias de medios hermanos maternos evaluadas (1998 por inoculación con la mezcla de los 12 aislamientos seleccionados (1997, se eligieron 16 familias susceptibles, que presentaron en promedio 154.97 g del hongo por planta infectada y 112.88 g por planta inoculada (6.67 t×ha-1, 76.67 % de incidencia y 34.82 de índice de severidad; así como 14 familias resistentes (0 % de incidencia al ataque del hongo.

  4. Ustilago maydis: ascenso de un hongo mexicano de la gastronomía local al mundo científico

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    José Ruiz Herrera

    2008-01-01

    En el presente trabajo se describe la naturaleza del hongo Ustilago maydis, su papel como causante de una enfermedad del maíz, su uso en la cocina mexicana y las condiciones que lo llevaron a convertirse en material de estudio científico, además de algunas características descollantes de su fisiología, genética y bioquímica. U. maydis es un hongo patógeno biotrófico específico del maíz, y el teozintle, siendo el agente causal del "huitlacoche" o carbón común, una enfermedad de distribución m...

  5. The role of repellents and hydrophobins in Ustilago maydis

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    Teertstra, W.R.

    2009-01-01

    Ustilago maydis is an important model organism to study fungal pathogenicity. U. maydis can grow yeast-like and filamentous. In the latter form this fungus infects maize. In my Thesis the expression and function of hydrophobins and repellents of U. maydis were studied. Hydrophobins are produced by

  6. The Corn Smut ('Huitlacoche' as a New Platform for Oral Vaccines.

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    Margarita Juárez-Montiel

    Full Text Available The development of new alternative platforms for subunit vaccine production is a priority in the biomedical field. In this study, Ustilago maydis, the causal agent of common corn smut or 'huitlacoche'has been genetically engineered to assess expression and immunogenicity of the B subunit of the cholera toxin (CTB, a relevant immunomodulatory agent in vaccinology. An oligomeric CTB recombinant protein was expressed in corn smut galls at levels of up to 1.3 mg g-1 dry weight (0.8% of the total soluble protein. Mice orally immunized with 'huitlacoche'-derived CTB showed significant humoral responses that were well-correlated with protection against challenge with the cholera toxin (CT. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using edible corn smut as a safe, effective, and low-cost platform for production and delivery of a subunit oral vaccine. The implications of this platform in the area of molecular pharming are discussed.

  7. Induction of infection in Teosinte (Zea diploperennis through the phytopathogen Ustilago maydis.

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    Martha Concepción Pérez Díaz

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The corn and teosinte share morphological and molecular similarities latter being those that support the theory of teosinte (Zea parviglumis as its predecessor, both species are attacked by specific pathogens like Ustilago maydis. Objective: To analyze the infectious process that presents U. maydis on the variety of the teosinte Zea diploperennis. Materials and Methods: We used the strain of U. maydis FB-D12, which was kept a culture media rich in nutrients (CPES pH 7.0. Viable cells without morphological alterations to the inoculation method of puncture in teosinte seedlings were used. Monitoring of infection was carried out every 24 hours by measuring concentration of chlorophyll and plant tissue through microscopic observation Results: In the seedlings of Zea diploperennis inoculated with U. maydis the symptoms of the infection were presented, wilt and chlorosis in the leaves; The chlorosis was confirmed with the low concentration of chlorophyll 12 days later to the inoculation. In the microscopic observation of cuts of the tissue plant was found mycelium long and branched from the third day of the inoculation, until the appearance of tumors in seedlings of 45 days. Conclusions: The typical signs of infection with Ustilago maydis in the variety of teosinte Zea diploperennis do not differ from those reported for corn. Ustilago maydis presents its full life cycle within the plant, confirming that the diploperennis variety is susceptible.

  8. Huitlacoche yield in some maize varieties in the Mediterranean region of Turkey

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    Mehmet Aydoğdu

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Huitlacoche is the Aztecs name given to the smut galls on ears of maize caused by the pathogenic plant fungus Ustilago maydis [(DC Corda.]. It is known as maize mushroom, and it has been considered a delicacy and in Mesoamerica. The aim of the present study was to determine the responses of some maize varieties to the growth of the fungus in order to evaluate the prospect production of these smutty ears as a maize mushroom. A 2-year study was conducted in the Mediterranean region of Turkey in 2010 and 2011. Inoculations were performed by injecting inoculum into the ear through the silk channel of plants in plots. Each treatment had control plots. Average ear-gall (huitlacoche severity and incidence of all the varieties were at the rates of 4.0 and 41.6%, respectively. However, the highest severity of ear-gall (6.5 and incidence (60.6% were found in Karadeniz Yıldızı flint maize variety; colossal smutty ears were formed in the maize cultivars. This study showed that certain maize cultivars (flint corn and dent corn can be used efficiently in the production of huitlacoche.

  9. Selection of aggressive pathogenic and solopathogenic strains of Ustilago maydis to improve Huitlacoche production

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    Porfirio Raúl Galicia-García

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Ustilago maydis is a basidiomycete known as the causative agent of 'common smut', worldwide disease of maize that is recognized by the galls it forms, which have considerable potential as a gourmet food. Results of infection are quite variable, even under optimal greenhouse conditions. In order to find pathogenic strains able to be used as a highly infective and stable inoculum for the successful production of galls either in greenhouses or in the field, ears with gall symptoms containing teliospores were recovered from maize plants. The teliospores were suspended in water and plated on nutrient-rich medium. Twenty-six colonies developed, containing three types of yeast-like colonies: saprotrophic, pathogenic, and solopathogenic. DAPI staining confirmed the presence of solopathogenic strains with diploid sporidia. Groups of different mating types were found when pairs of the 26 strains were arranged resembling partial-diallel combinations. Amplification of the partial b locus revealed that the strains found harbor the alleles b3 and b4, allowing the formation in dikaryotic strains of heterodimeric regulatory proteins associated with fungal development and pathogenicity. In this study, we isolated compatible haploid and solopathogenic diploid strains for their high capacity for inducing smut.

  10. Establishment of compatibility in the Ustilago maydis/maize pathosystem

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    Doehlemann, Gunther; Wahl, Ramon; Vranes, Miroslav; de Vries, Ronald P; Kämper, Jörg; Kahmann, Regine

    The fungus Ustilago maydis is a biotrophic pathogen parasitizing on maize. The most prominent symptoms of the disease are large tumors in which fungal proliferation and spore differentiation occur. In this study, we have analyzed early and late tumor stages by confocal microscopy. We show that

  11. Effect of huitlacoche (Ustilago maydis DC Corda paste addition on functional, chemical and textural properties of tortilla chips

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    Karla Yuritzi Amador-Rodríguez

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available AbstractThis study analyzed the addition of huitlacoche paste (HP in baked tortilla chips (TC, evaluating its effects on functional, physicochemical and structural changes during processing. Two blue corn grains were nixtamalized, stone milled, air dried and milled to obtain flour; commercial blue corn flour (TM1 and commercial TC (TM2 were used as controls. Additions of 0, 3, 6 and 9% of HP were formulated; masas were prepared at 55% moisture content (MC, precooked and baked in an industrial machine. TC crispiness was influenced by grain characteristics and percentage of HP. Huitlacoche paste addition caused an increase in total dietary fiber (from 5.27 to 14.54%, total soluble phenolics content (from 17.52 to 37.60 mg GAE/100 g and antioxidant capacity (from 6.74 to 7.98 μmol TE/g in TC. Results suggest that tortilla chips added with huitlacoche can be an alternative to prepare this traditional edible fungus and produce healthier snacks, not fried and enriched with bioactive compounds.

  12. Compensatory role for Rad52 during recombinational repair in Ustilago maydis

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    Kojic, Milorad; Mao, Ninghui; Zhou, Qingwen

    2008-01-01

    A single Rad52-related protein is evident by blast analysis of the Ustilago maydis genome database. Mutants created by disruption of the structural gene exhibited few discernible defects in resistance to UV, ionizing radiation, chemical alkylating or cross-linking agents. No deficiency was noted...

  13. Heterologous production and characterization of a chlorogenic acid esterase from Ustilago maydis with a potential use in baking.

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    Nieter, Annabel; Kelle, Sebastian; Takenberg, Meike; Linke, Diana; Bunzel, Mirko; Popper, Lutz; Berger, Ralf G

    2016-10-15

    Ustilago maydis, an edible mushroom growing on maize (Zea mays), is consumed as the food delicacy huitlacoche in Mexico. A chlorogenic acid esterase from this basidiomycete was expressed in good yields cultivating the heterologous host Pichia pastoris on the 5L bioreactor scale (reUmChlE; 45.9UL(-1)). In contrast to previously described chlorogenic acid esterases, the reUmChlE was also active towards feruloylated saccharides. The enzyme preferred substrates with the ferulic acid esterified to the O-5 position of arabinose residues, typical of graminaceous monocots, over the O-2 position of arabinose or the O-6 position of galactose residues. Determination of kcat/Km showed that the reUmChlE hydrolyzed chlorogenic acid 18-fold more efficiently than methyl ferulate, p-coumarate or caffeate. Phenolic acids were released by reUmChlE from natural substrates, such as destarched wheat bran, sugar beet pectin and coffee pulp. Treatment of wheat dough using reUmChlE resulted in a noticeable softening indicating a potential application of the enzyme in bakery and confectionery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. The promoter of the glucoamylase-encoding gene of Aspergillus niger functions in Ustilago maydis

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    Smith, T.L. (Dept. of Agriculture, Madison, WI (United States) Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison (United States)); Gaskell, J.; Cullen, D. (Dept. of Agriculture, Madison, WI (United States)); Berka, R.M.; Yang, M.; Henner, D.J. (Genentech Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States))

    1990-01-01

    Promoter sequences from the Aspergillus niger glucoamylase-encoding gene (glaA) were linked to the bacterial hygromycin (Hy) phosphotransferase-encoding gene (hph) and this chimeric marker was used to select Hy-resistant (Hy[sup R]) Ustilago maydis transformants. This is an example of an Ascomycete promoter functioning in a Basidiomycete. Hy[sup R] transformants varied with respect to copy number of integrated vector, mitotic stability, and tolerance to Hy. Only 216 bp of glaA promoter sequence is required for expression in U. maydis but this promoter is not induced by starch as it is in Aspergillus spp. The transcription start points are the same in U. maydis and A. niger.

  15. Plant surface cues prime Ustilago maydis for biotrophic development.

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    Daniel Lanver

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Infection-related development of phytopathogenic fungi is initiated by sensing and responding to plant surface cues. This response can result in the formation of specialized infection structures, so-called appressoria. To unravel the program inducing filaments and appressoria in the biotrophic smut fungus Ustilago maydis, we exposed cells to a hydrophobic surface and the cutin monomer 16-hydroxy hexadecanoic acid. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling at the pre-penetration stage documented dramatic transcriptional changes in almost 20% of the genes. Comparisons with the U. maydis sho1 msb2 double mutant, lacking two putative sensors for plant surface cues, revealed that these plasma membrane receptors regulate a small subset of the surface cue-induced genes comprising mainly secreted proteins including potential plant cell wall degrading enzymes. Targeted gene deletion analysis ascribed a role to up-regulated GH51 and GH62 arabinofuranosidases during plant penetration. Among the sho1/msb2-dependently expressed genes were several secreted effectors that are essential for virulence. Our data also demonstrate specific effects on two transcription factors that redirect the transcriptional regulatory network towards appressorium formation and plant penetration. This shows that plant surface cues prime U. maydis for biotrophic development.

  16. Microfungal spores (Ustilago maydis and U. digitariae) immobilised chitosan microcapsules for heavy metal removal.

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    Sargın, İdris; Arslan, Gulsin; Kaya, Murat

    2016-03-15

    Designing effective chitosan-based biosorbents from unexploited biomass for heavy metal removal has received much attention over the past decade. Ustilago, loose smut, is a ubiquitous fungal plant pathogen infecting over 4000 species including maize and weed. This study aimed to establish whether the spores of the phytopathogenic microfungi Ustilago spores can be immobilised in cross-linked chitosan matrix, and it reports findings on heavy metal sorption performance of chitosan/Ustilago composite microcapsules. Immobilisation of Ustilago maydis and U. digitariae spores (from maize and weed) in chitosan microcapsules was achieved via glutaraldehyde cross-linking. The cross-linked microcapsules were characterised using scanning electron microscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Sorption capacities of chitosan-U. maydis and chitosan-U. digitariae microcapsules were investigated and compared to cross-linked chitosan beads: Cu(II): 66.72, 69.26, 42.57; Cd(II): 49.46, 53.96, 7.87; Cr(III): 35.88, 49.40, 43.68; Ni(II): 41.67, 33.46, 16.43 and Zn(II): 30.73, 60.81, 15.04mg/g, respectively. Sorption experiments were conducted as a function of initial metal ion concentration (2-10mg/L), contact time (60-480min), temperature (25, 35 and 45°C), amount of the sorbent (0.05-0.25g) and pH of the metal solution. The microcapsules with spores exhibited better performance over the plain chitosan beads, demonstrating their potential use in water treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Biomass pretreatment affects Ustilago maydis in producing itaconic acid

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    Klement Tobias

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the last years, the biotechnological production of platform chemicals for fuel components has become a major focus of interest. Although ligno-cellulosic material is considered as suitable feedstock, the almost inevitable pretreatment of this recalcitrant material may interfere with the subsequent fermentation steps. In this study, the fungus Ustilago maydis was used to produce itaconic acid as platform chemical for the synthesis of potential biofuels such as 3-methyltetrahydrofuran. No studies, however, have investigated how pretreatment of ligno-cellulosic biomass precisely influences the subsequent fermentation by U. maydis. Thus, this current study aims to first characterize U. maydis in shake flasks and then to evaluate the influence of three exemplary pretreatment methods on the cultivation and itaconic acid production of this fungus. Cellulose enzymatically hydrolysed in seawater and salt-assisted organic-acid catalysed cellulose were investigated as substrates. Lastly, hydrolysed hemicellulose from fractionated beech wood was applied as substrate. Results U. maydis was characterized on shake flask level regarding its itaconic acid production on glucose. Nitrogen limitation was shown to be a crucial condition for the production of itaconic acid. For itaconic acid concentrations above 25 g/L, a significant product inhibition was observed. Performing experiments that simulated influences of possible pretreatment methods, U. maydis was only slightly affected by high osmolarities up to 3.5 osmol/L as well as of 0.1 M oxalic acid. The production of itaconic acid was achieved on pretreated cellulose in seawater and on the hydrolysed hemicellulosic fraction of pretreated beech wood. Conclusion The fungus U. maydis is a promising producer of itaconic acid, since it grows as single cells (yeast-like in submerged cultivations and it is extremely robust in high osmotic media and real seawater. Moreover, U. maydis can grow on

  18. The metabolome and transcriptome of the interaction between Ustilago maydis and Fusarium verticillioides in vitro

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    The metabolome and transcriptome of the maize-infecting fungi Ustilago maydis and Fusarium verticillioides were analyzed as the two fungi interact. Both fungi were grown for seven days in liquid medium alone or together in order to study how this interaction changes their metabolomic and transcripto...

  19. Identification of O-mannosylated virulence factors in Ustilago maydis.

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    Alfonso Fernández-Álvarez

    Full Text Available The O-mannosyltransferase Pmt4 has emerged as crucial for fungal virulence in the animal pathogens Candida albicans or Cryptococcus neoformans as well as in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis. Pmt4 O-mannosylates specific target proteins at the Endoplasmic Reticulum. Therefore a deficient O-mannosylation of these target proteins must be responsible for the loss of pathogenicity in pmt4 mutants. Taking advantage of the characteristics described for Pmt4 substrates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we performed a proteome-wide bioinformatic approach to identify putative Pmt4 targets in the corn smut fungus U. maydis and validated Pmt4-mediated glycosylation of candidate proteins by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. We found that the signalling mucin Msb2, which regulates appressorium differentiation upstream of the pathogenicity-related MAP kinase cascade, is O-mannosylated by Pmt4. The epistatic relationship of pmt4 and msb2 showed that both are likely to act in the same pathway. Furthermore, constitutive activation of the MAP kinase cascade restored appressorium development in pmt4 mutants, suggesting that during the initial phase of infection the failure to O-mannosylate Msb2 is responsible for the virulence defect of pmt4 mutants. On the other hand we demonstrate that during later stages of pathogenic development Pmt4 affects virulence independently of Msb2, probably by modifying secreted effector proteins. Pit1, a protein required for fungal spreading inside the infected leaf, was also identified as a Pmt4 target. Thus, O-mannosylation of different target proteins affects various stages of pathogenic development in U. maydis.

  20. Gene discovery and transcript analyses in the corn smut pathogen Ustilago maydis: expressed sequence tag and genome sequence comparison

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    Saville Barry J

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Ustilago maydis is the basidiomycete fungus responsible for common smut of corn and is a model organism for the study of fungal phytopathogenesis. To aid in the annotation of the genome sequence of this organism, several expressed sequence tag (EST libraries were generated from a variety of U. maydis cell types. In addition to utility in the context of gene identification and structure annotation, the ESTs were analyzed to identify differentially abundant transcripts and to detect evidence of alternative splicing and anti-sense transcription. Results Four cDNA libraries were constructed using RNA isolated from U. maydis diploid teliospores (U. maydis strains 518 × 521 and haploid cells of strain 521 grown under nutrient rich, carbon starved, and nitrogen starved conditions. Using the genome sequence as a scaffold, the 15,901 ESTs were assembled into 6,101 contiguous expressed sequences (contigs; among these, 5,482 corresponded to predicted genes in the MUMDB (MIPS Ustilago maydis database, while 619 aligned to regions of the genome not yet designated as genes in MUMDB. A comparison of EST abundance identified numerous genes that may be regulated in a cell type or starvation-specific manner. The transcriptional response to nitrogen starvation was assessed using RT-qPCR. The results of this suggest that there may be cross-talk between the nitrogen and carbon signalling pathways in U. maydis. Bioinformatic analysis identified numerous examples of alternative splicing and anti-sense transcription. While intron retention was the predominant form of alternative splicing in U. maydis, other varieties were also evident (e.g. exon skipping. Selected instances of both alternative splicing and anti-sense transcription were independently confirmed using RT-PCR. Conclusion Through this work: 1 substantial sequence information has been provided for U. maydis genome annotation; 2 new genes were identified through the discovery of 619

  1. Phytohormone Involvement in the Ustilago maydis- Zea mays Pathosystem: Relationships between Abscisic Acid and Cytokinin Levels and Strain Virulence in Infected Cob Tissue.

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    Erin N Morrison

    Full Text Available Ustilago maydis is the causative agent of common smut of corn. Early studies noted its ability to synthesize phytohormones and, more recently these growth promoting substances were confirmed as cytokinins (CKs. Cytokinins comprise a group of phytohormones commonly associated with actively dividing tissues. Lab analyses identified variation in virulence between U. maydis dikaryon and solopathogen infections of corn cob tissue. Samples from infected cob tissue were taken at sequential time points post infection and biochemical profiling was performed using high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI MS/MS. This hormone profiling revealed that there were altered levels of ABA and major CKs, with a marked reduction in CK glucosides, increases in methylthiol CKs and a particularly dramatic increase in cisZ CK forms, in U. maydis infected tissue. These changes were more pronounced in the more virulent dikaryon relative to the solopathogenic strain suggesting a role for cytokinins in moderating virulence during biotrophic infection. These findings highlight the fact that U. maydis does not simply mimic a fertilized seed but instead reprograms the host tissue. Results underscore the suitability of the Ustilago maydis- Zea mays model as a basis for investigating the control of phytohormone dynamics during biotrophic infection of plants.

  2. Systemic virus-induced gene silencing allows functional characterization of maize genes during biotrophic interaction with Ustilago maydis.

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    van der Linde, Karina; Kastner, Christine; Kumlehn, Jochen; Kahmann, Regine; Doehlemann, Gunther

    2011-01-01

    Infection of maize (Zea mays) plants with the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis leads to the formation of large tumors on the stem, leaves and inflorescences. In this biotrophic interaction, plant defense responses are actively suppressed by the pathogen, and previous transcriptome analyses of infected maize plants showed massive and stage-specific changes in host gene expression during disease progression. To identify maize genes that are functionally involved in the interaction with U. maydis, we adapted a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system based on the brome mosaic virus (BMV) for maize. Conditions were established that allowed successful U. maydis infection of BMV-preinfected maize plants. This set-up enabled quantification of VIGS and its impact on U. maydis infection using a quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR)-based readout. In proof-of-principle experiments, an U. maydis-induced terpene synthase was shown to negatively regulate disease development while a protein involved in cell death inhibition was required for full virulence of U. maydis. The results suggest that this system is a versatile tool for the rapid identification of maize genes that determine compatibility with U. maydis. © (2010) Max Planck Society. Journal compilation © New Phytologist Trust (2010).

  3. Cloning and characterization of the rec2 gene of Ustilago maydis

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    Bauchwitz, R.P.; Holloman, W.K.

    1989-01-01

    The authors are exploring the molecular basis for genetic recombination using the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis, from which the first two eucaryotic DNA repair and recombination mutants, rec1 and rec2, were described. Cells mutant at the rec2 locus are unable to repair lethal damage to their DNA from UV and X irradiation or from chemical alkylating agents such as N-methyl-nitrosoguanidine. Rec2 mutants retain only a residual level of DNA-damage inducible mitotic recombination, and are unable to complete meiosis. Using an autonomously replicating plasmid vector for Ustilago, they established the first nonintegrating plasmid library of the Ustilago genome. The rec2 locus was cloned by complementation of the rec2 mutation in vivo. One clone was found to restore all of the deficient activities. Although this rec2 complementing clone is present on a multicopy plasmid, the authors observed that it fully restored but did not further increase the fifty-fold inducibility of heteroallelic recombination at the nitrate reductase and inositol loci of rec2 or wild type cells. Northern blot analysis using the rec2 complementing clone revealed three UV inducible transcripts, one of which is absent in a rec2 mutant strain. This transcript organization resembles that of the yeast rad10 and the human ERCC-1 genes (MCB 9:1794), but sequence obtained to date from rec2 does not show homology with these genes. They have also observed that the rec2 mutation may alter the level of homologous integration of transformed DNA markers. Integration of a Leu1 complementing plasmid by Scott Fotheringham of the lab has shown that while much of plasmid integration in wild type Ustilago is nonhomologous, integration in at least some rec2 strains is entirely homologous. They are using the cloned rec2 gene to confirm that rec2 is indeed involved in altering the level of homologous integration in Ustilago, and if so, they plan to clone a mammalian analogue of rec2

  4. Pep1, a secreted effector protein of Ustilago maydis, is required for successful invasion of plant cells.

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    Gunther Doehlemann

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available The basidiomycete Ustilago maydis causes smut disease in maize. Colonization of the host plant is initiated by direct penetration of cuticle and cell wall of maize epidermis cells. The invading hyphae are surrounded by the plant plasma membrane and proliferate within the plant tissue. We identified a novel secreted protein, termed Pep1, that is essential for penetration. Disruption mutants of pep1 are not affected in saprophytic growth and develop normal infection structures. However, Deltapep1 mutants arrest during penetration of the epidermal cell and elicit a strong plant defense response. Using Affymetrix maize arrays, we identified 116 plant genes which are differentially regulated in Deltapep1 compared to wild type infections. Most of these genes are related to plant defense. By in vivo immunolocalization, live-cell imaging and plasmolysis approaches, we detected Pep1 in the apoplastic space as well as its accumulation at sites of cell-to-cell passages. Site-directed mutagenesis identified two of the four cysteine residues in Pep1 as essential for function, suggesting that the formation of disulfide bridges is crucial for proper protein folding. The barley covered smut fungus Ustilago hordei contains an ortholog of pep1 which is needed for penetration of barley and which is able to complement the U. maydis Deltapep1 mutant. Based on these results, we conclude that Pep1 has a conserved function essential for establishing compatibility that is not restricted to the U. maydis / maize interaction.

  5. The Filament-specific Rep1-1 Repellent of the Phytopathogen Ustilago maydis Forms Functional Surface-active Amyloid-like Fibrils

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Teertstra, Wieke R.; van der Velden, Gisela J.; de Jong, Jan F.; Kruijtzer, John A. W.; Liskamp, Rob M. J.; Kroon-Batenburg, Loes M. J.; Muller, Wally H.; Gebbink, Martijn F. B. G.; Wosten, Han A. B.

    2009-01-01

    Repellents of the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis are involved in formation of hydrophobic aerial hyphae and in cellular attachment. These peptides, called Rep1-1 to Rep1-11, are encoded by the rep1 gene and result from cleavage of the precursor protein Rep1 during passage of the secretion pathway.

  6. Deletion of the Ustilago maydis ortholog of the Aspergillus sporulation regulator medA affects mating and virulence through pheromone response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mating of compatible haploid cells of Ustilago maydis is essential for infection and disease development in the host. For mating and subsequent filamentous growth and pathogenicity, the transcription factor, prf1 is necessary. Prf1 is in turn regulated by the cAMP and MAPK pathways and other regul...

  7. The fungus Ustilago maydis and humans share disease-related proteins that are not found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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    Steinberg Gero

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis is a well-established model system for molecular phytopathology. In addition, it recently became evident that U. maydis and humans share proteins and cellular processes that are not found in the standard fungal model Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This prompted us to do a comparative analysis of the predicted proteome of U. maydis, S. cerevisiae and humans. Results At a cut off at 20% identity over protein length, all three organisms share 1738 proteins, whereas both fungi share only 541 conserved proteins. Despite the evolutionary distance between U. maydis and humans, 777 proteins were shared. When applying a more stringent criterion (≥ 20% identity with a homologue in one organism over at least 50 amino acids and ≥ 10% less in the other organism, we found 681 proteins for the comparison of U. maydis and humans, whereas the both fungi share only 622 fungal specific proteins. Finally, we found that S. cerevisiae and humans shared 312 proteins. In the U. maydis to H. sapiens homology set 454 proteins are functionally classified and 42 proteins are related to serious human diseases. However, a large portion of 222 proteins are of unknown function. Conclusion The fungus U. maydis has a long history of being a model system for understanding DNA recombination and repair, as well as molecular plant pathology. The identification of functionally un-characterized genes that are conserved in humans and U. maydis opens the door for experimental work, which promises new insight in the cell biology of the mammalian cell.

  8. Cloning of the PYR3 gene of Ustilago maydis and its use in DNA transformation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Banks, G.R.; Taylor, S.Y. (National Institute for Medical Research, London (England))

    1988-12-01

    The Ustilago maydis PYR3 gene encoding dihydroorotase activity was cloned by direct complementation of Escherichia coli pyrC mutations. PYR3 transformants of E. coli pyrC mutants expressed homologous transcripts of a variety of sizes and regained dihydroorotase activity. PYR3 also complemented Saccharomyces cerevisiae ura4 mutations, and again multiple transcripts were expressed in transformants, and enzyme activity was regained. A 1.25-kilobase poly(rA)+ PYR3 transcript was detected in U. maydis itself. Linear DNA carrying the PYR3 gene transformed a U. maydis pyr3-1 pyrimidine auxotroph to prototrophy. Hybridization analysis revealed that three different types of transformants could be generated, depending on the structure of the transforming DNA used. The first type involved exchange of chromosomal mutant gene sequences with the cloned wild-type plasmid sequences. A second type had integrated linear transforming DNA at the chromosomal PYR3 locus, probably via a single crossover event. The third type had integrated transforming DNA sequences at multiple sites in the U. maydis genome. In the last two types, tandemly reiterated copies of the transforming DNA were found to have been integrated. All three types had lost the sensitivity of the parental pyr3-1 mutant to UV irradiation. They had also regained dihydroorotase activity, although its level did not correlate with the PYR3 gene copy number.

  9. RNA polymerase activity of Ustilago maydis virus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yie, S.W.

    1986-01-01

    Ustilago maydis virus has an RNA polymerase enzyme which is associated with virion capsids. In the presence of Mg/sup 2 +/ ion and ribonucleotide triphosphate, the enzyme catalyzes the in vitro synthesis of mRNA by using dsRNA as a template. The products of the UmV RNA polymerase were both ssRNA and dsRNA. The dsRNA was determined by characteristic mobilities in gel electrophoresis, lack of sensitivity to RNase, and specific hybridization tests. The ssRNAs were identified by elution from a CF-11 column and by their RNase sensitivity. On the basis of the size of ssRNAs, it was concluded that partial transcripts were produced from H dsRNA segments, and full length transcripts were produced from M and L dsRNA segments. The following observations indicates that transcription occurs by strand displacement; (1) Only the positive strand of M2 dsRNA was labeled by the in vitro reaction. (2) The M2 dsRNA which had been labeled with /sup 32/''P-UTP in vitro could be chased from dsRNA with unlabeled UTP. The transcription products of three UmV strains were compared, and the overall pattern of transcription was very similar among them.

  10. Ustilago maydis: ascenso de un hongo mexicano de la gastronomía local al mundo científico

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    José Ruiz Herrera

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available En el presente trabajo se describe la naturaleza del hongo Ustilago maydis, su papel como causante de una enfermedad del maíz, su uso en la cocina mexicana y las condiciones que lo llevaron a convertirse en material de estudio científico, además de algunas características descollantes de su fisiología, genética y bioquímica. U. maydis es un hongo patógeno biotrófico específico del maíz, y el teozintle, siendo el agente causal del "huitlacoche" o carbón común, una enfermedad de distribución mundial que bajo ciertas condiciones puede causar severos daños económicos. Sin embargo, en México, las mazorcas infectadas han sido un alimento usado en la cocina tradicional desde la época pre-colombina, y actualmente también en la alta gastronomía del país y el extranjero. El hongo y sus huéspedes son nativos de la parte central de México, y fueron introducidos en Europa por los españoles, donde la enfermedad fue considerada como una alteración fisiológica de la planta. Su naturaleza como infección fúngica fue reconocida solo hasta la segunda mitad del siglo XIX. U. maydis se introdujo a los laboratorios de investigación a principios del Siglo XX, convirtiéndose en un modelo clásico para el estudio de las bases de la patogénesis fúngica en plantas, de la especificidad en el apareamiento y de la recombinación genética, entre otras. Esto fue debido a su facilidad de manejo, su corto ciclo de vida, y el ser posible su análisis mediante métodos de genética clásica y molecular. El ciclo de vida del hongo es complicado alternando formas de levadura haploide saprofítica y micelio dicariótico infeccioso. Este ciclo sexual solo se completa en su huésped natural, estando bajo el control de dos loci de apareamiento que controlan la fusión celular y la patogénesis. En condiciones de cultivo axénico, hemos demostrado que el hongo es capaz de infectar plantas filogenéticamente distantes del maíz; y hemos desarrollado

  11. Septins from the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis are required for proper morphogenesis but dispensable for virulence.

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    Isabel Alvarez-Tabarés

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Septins are a highly conserved family of GTP-binding proteins involved in multiple cellular functions, including cell division and morphogenesis. Studies of septins in fungal cells underpin a clear correlation between septin-based structures and fungal morphology, providing clues to understand the molecular frame behind the varied morphologies found in fungal world. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Ustilago maydis genome has the ability to encode four septins. Here, using loss-of-function as well as GFP-tagged alleles of these septin genes, we investigated the roles of septins in the morphogenesis of this basidiomycete fungus. We described that septins in U. maydis could assemble into at least three different structures coexisting in the same cell: bud neck collars, band-like structures at the growing tip, and long septin fibers that run from pole to pole near the cell cortex. We also found that in the absence of septins, U. maydis cells lost their elongated shape, became wider at the central region and ended up losing their polarity, pointing to an important role of septins in the morphogenesis of this fungus. These morphological defects were alleviated in the presence of an osmotic stabilizer suggesting that absence of septins affected the proper formation of the cell wall, which was coherent with a higher sensitivity of septin defective cells to drugs that affect cell wall construction as well as exocytosis. As U. maydis is a phytopathogen, we analyzed the role of septins in virulence and found that in spite of the described morphological defects, septin mutants were virulent in corn plants. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results indicated a major role of septins in morphogenesis in U. maydis. However, in contrast to studies in other fungal pathogens, in which septins were reported to be necessary during the infection process, we found a minor role of septins during corn infection by U. maydis.

  12. The telomerase reverse transcriptase subunit from the dimorphic fungus Ustilago maydis.

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    Dolores Bautista-España

    Full Text Available In this study, we investigated the reverse transcriptase subunit of telomerase in the dimorphic fungus Ustilago maydis. This protein (Trt1 contains 1371 amino acids and all of the characteristic TERT motifs. Mutants created by disrupting trt1 had senescent traits, such as delayed growth, low replicative potential, and reduced survival, that were reminiscent of the traits observed in est2 budding yeast mutants. Telomerase activity was observed in wild-type fungus sporidia but not those of the disruption mutant. The introduction of a self-replicating plasmid expressing Trt1 into the mutant strain restored growth proficiency and replicative potential. Analyses of trt1 crosses in planta suggested that Trt1 is necessary for teliospore formation in homozygous disrupted diploids and that telomerase is haploinsufficient in heterozygous diploids. Additionally, terminal restriction fragment analysis in the progeny hinted at alternative survival mechanisms similar to those of budding yeast.

  13. Identificación de las proteínas secretadas por el hongo Ustilago maydis (DeCandole Corda (Basidiomiceto cultivado en condiciones in vitro

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    Andrés Adolfo Estrada-Luna

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Introducción: Ustilago maydis es un hongo basidiomiceto que infecta al maíz y teozintle produciendo una enfermedad conocida como carbón común o huitlacoche. Actualmente no existen reportes acerca del secretoma del hongo cultivado bajo condiciones in vitro. Un estudio de esta naturaleza permitiría caracterizar los genes involucrados en varios procesos importantes, entre los que se tienen aquellos relacionados con la nutrición, la patogenicidad y la diferenciación del hongo. El objetivo de esta investigación fue identificar las proteínas secretadas al medio de cultivo por las formas de levadura o micelio de este hongo cultivado en dos condiciones de pH. Método: Se generaron las formas de micelio o levadura de Ustilago maydis (cepa FB2¿a2b2 a través del cultivo en medios mínimos con pH 3 y 7 respectivamente y se determinó su cinética de crecimiento. Las proteínas secretadas al medio se concentraron en una columna de fase reversa Sep-Pak Plus C18 y se eluyeron con una solución de acetonitrilo (60 % + ácido trifluoroacético (0.1 %, seguida de su liofilización parcial, y precipitación con ácido tricloroacético-acetona. Posteriormente las muestras fueron sometidas a electroforesis en poliacrilamida (SDS-PAGE y los geles teñidos con azul de Coomassie. Las bandas de proteína se cortaron del gel y se digirieron con tripsina. Las mezclas de péptidos fueron inyectados para su análisis en un espectrómetro de masas y el espectro MS/MS obtenido fue procesado en Masslynx 4.0 antes de someterlo al programa MASCOT (Matrix Science para realizar las búsquedas no-redundantes en la base de datos del National Center for Biotechnology Information. Resultados: El crecimiento de U. maydis a pH 7 fue mayor que a pH 3 (D.O. a 600 nm= 1.35 y 0.85, respectivamente a las 30 h de incubación. El proceso dimórfico de levadura a micelio a pH 3 se inició a las 8 h después de iniciados los cultivos. A las 30 h de cultivo se observó que el 100 % de

  14. Tartronate semialdehyde reductase defines a novel rate-limiting step in assimilation and bioconversion of glycerol in Ustilago maydis.

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    Yanbin Liu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Glycerol is a by-product of biodiesel production. Currently, it has limited applications with low bioconversion efficiency to most metabolites reported. This is partly attributed to the poor knowledge on the glycerol metabolic pathway in bacteria and fungi. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have established a fast screening method for identification of genes that improve glycerol utilization in Ustilago maydis. This was done by comparing the growth rates of T-DNA tagged mutant colonies on solid medium using glycerol as the sole carbon source. We present a detailed characterization of one of the mutants, GUM1, which contains a T-DNA element inserted into the promoter region of UM02592 locus (MIPS Ustilago maydis database, MUMDB, leading to enhanced and constitutive expression of its mRNA. We have demonstrated that um02592 encodes a functional tartronate semialdehyde reductase (Tsr1, which showed dual specificity to cofactors NAD(+ and NADP(+ and strong substrate specificity and enantioselectivity for D-glycerate. Improved glycerol assimilation in GUM1 was associated with elevated expression of tsr1 mRNA and this could be phenocopied by over-expression of the gene. Glycolipid accumulation was reduced by 45.2% in the knockout mutant whereas introduction of an extra copy of tsr1 driven by the glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase promoter increased it by 40.4%. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results demonstrate that tartronate semialdehyde reductase (TSR plays an important role in glycerol assimilation in U. maydis and defines a novel target in genetic engineering for improved conversion of glycerol to higher value products. Our results add significant depth to the understanding of the glycerol metabolic pathway in fungi. We have demonstrated, for the first time, a biological role of a eukaryotic TSR.

  15. Nucleic acid-binding glycoproteins which solubilize nucleic acids in dilute acid: re-examination of the Ustilago maydis glycoproteins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Unrau, P.; Champ, D.R.; Young, J.L.; Grant, C.E.

    1980-01-01

    Holloman reported the isolation from Ustilago maydis of a glycoprotein which prevented the precipitation of nucleic acids in cold 5% trichloroacetic acid. Two glycoprotein fractions from U. maydis with this nucleic acid-solubilizing activity were isolated in our laboratory using improved purification procedures. The activity was not due to nuclease contamination. The glycoproteins are distinguished by: their ability to bind to concanavalin A-Sepharose; their differential binding to double- and single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid, and to ribonucleic acid; their molecular weights (46,000 and 69,000); and the relative amounts present in growing versus nongrowing cells. Both fractions required sulfhydryl-reducing conditions for optimal yields, specific activity, and stability. Nucleic acid binding was cooperative, the minimum number of glycoproteins required to make a native T7 DNA molecule soluble in dilute acid being estimated at 2 and 15, respectively.

  16. Utilizing virus-induced gene silencing for the functional characterization of maize genes during infection with the fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Linde, Karina; Doehlemann, Gunther

    2013-01-01

    While in dicotyledonous plants virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is well established to study plant-pathogen interaction, in monocots only few examples of efficient VIGS have been reported so far. One of the available systems is based on the brome mosaic virus (BMV) which allows gene silencing in different cereals including barley (Hordeum vulgare), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and maize (Zea mays).Infection of maize plants by the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis leads to the formation of large tumors on stem, leaves, and inflorescences. During this biotrophic interaction, plant defense responses are actively suppressed by the pathogen, and previous transcriptome analyses of infected maize plants showed comprehensive and stage-specific changes in host gene expression during disease progression.To identify maize genes that are functionally involved in the interaction with U. maydis, we adapted a VIGS system based on the Brome mosaic virus (BMV) to maize at conditions that allow successful U. maydis infection of BMV pre-infected maize plants. This setup enables quantification of VIGS and its impact on U. maydis infection using a quantitative real-time PCR (q(RT)-PCR)-based readout.

  17. Compatibility in the Ustilago maydis-maize interaction requires inhibition of host cysteine proteases by the fungal effector Pit2.

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    André N Mueller

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The basidiomycete Ustilago maydis causes smut disease in maize, with large plant tumors being formed as the most prominent disease symptoms. During all steps of infection, U. maydis depends on a biotrophic interaction, which requires an efficient suppression of plant immunity. In a previous study, we identified the secreted effector protein Pit2, which is essential for maintenance of biotrophy and induction of tumors. Deletion mutants for pit2 successfully penetrate host cells but elicit various defense responses, which stops further fungal proliferation. We now show that Pit2 functions as an inhibitor of a set of apoplastic maize cysteine proteases, whose activity is directly linked with salicylic-acid-associated plant defenses. Consequently, protease inhibition by Pit2 is required for U. maydis virulence. Sequence comparisons with Pit2 orthologs from related smut fungi identified a conserved sequence motif. Mutation of this sequence caused loss of Pit2 function. Consequently, expression of the mutated protein in U. maydis could not restore virulence of the pit2 deletion mutant, indicating that the protease inhibition by Pit2 is essential for fungal virulence. Moreover, synthetic peptides of the conserved sequence motif showed full activity as protease inhibitor, which identifies this domain as a new, minimal protease inhibitor domain in plant-pathogenic fungi.

  18. In Silico Analysis of the Structural and Biochemical Features of the NMD Factor UPF1 in Ustilago maydis.

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    Nancy Martínez-Montiel

    Full Text Available The molecular mechanisms regulating the accuracy of gene expression are still not fully understood. Among these mechanisms, Nonsense-mediated Decay (NMD is a quality control process that detects post-transcriptionally abnormal transcripts and leads them to degradation. The UPF1 protein lays at the heart of NMD as shown by several structural and functional features reported for this factor mainly for Homo sapiens and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This process is highly conserved in eukaryotes but functional diversity can be observed in various species. Ustilago maydis is a basidiomycete and the best-known smut, which has become a model to study molecular and cellular eukaryotic mechanisms. In this study, we performed in silico analysis to investigate the structural and biochemical properties of the putative UPF1 homolog in Ustilago maydis. The putative homolog for UPF1 was recognized in the annotated genome for the basidiomycete, exhibiting 66% identity with its human counterpart at the protein level. The known structural and functional domains characteristic of UPF1 homologs were also found. Based on the crystal structures available for UPF1, we constructed different three-dimensional models for umUPF1 in order to analyze the secondary and tertiary structural features of this factor. Using these models, we studied the spatial arrangement of umUPF1 and its capability to interact with UPF2. Moreover, we identified the critical amino acids that mediate the interaction of umUPF1 with UPF2, ATP, RNA and with UPF1 itself. Mutating these amino acids in silico showed an important effect over the native structure. Finally, we performed molecular dynamic simulations for UPF1 proteins from H. sapiens and U. maydis and the results obtained show a similar behavior and physicochemical properties for the protein in both organisms. Overall, our results indicate that the putative UPF1 identified in U. maydis shows a very similar sequence, structural organization

  19. In Silico Analysis of the Structural and Biochemical Features of the NMD Factor UPF1 in Ustilago maydis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Montiel, Nancy; Morales-Lara, Laura; Hernández-Pérez, Julio M; Martínez-Contreras, Rebeca D

    2016-01-01

    The molecular mechanisms regulating the accuracy of gene expression are still not fully understood. Among these mechanisms, Nonsense-mediated Decay (NMD) is a quality control process that detects post-transcriptionally abnormal transcripts and leads them to degradation. The UPF1 protein lays at the heart of NMD as shown by several structural and functional features reported for this factor mainly for Homo sapiens and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This process is highly conserved in eukaryotes but functional diversity can be observed in various species. Ustilago maydis is a basidiomycete and the best-known smut, which has become a model to study molecular and cellular eukaryotic mechanisms. In this study, we performed in silico analysis to investigate the structural and biochemical properties of the putative UPF1 homolog in Ustilago maydis. The putative homolog for UPF1 was recognized in the annotated genome for the basidiomycete, exhibiting 66% identity with its human counterpart at the protein level. The known structural and functional domains characteristic of UPF1 homologs were also found. Based on the crystal structures available for UPF1, we constructed different three-dimensional models for umUPF1 in order to analyze the secondary and tertiary structural features of this factor. Using these models, we studied the spatial arrangement of umUPF1 and its capability to interact with UPF2. Moreover, we identified the critical amino acids that mediate the interaction of umUPF1 with UPF2, ATP, RNA and with UPF1 itself. Mutating these amino acids in silico showed an important effect over the native structure. Finally, we performed molecular dynamic simulations for UPF1 proteins from H. sapiens and U. maydis and the results obtained show a similar behavior and physicochemical properties for the protein in both organisms. Overall, our results indicate that the putative UPF1 identified in U. maydis shows a very similar sequence, structural organization, mechanical stability

  20. Uniparental mitochondrial DNA inheritance is not affected in Ustilago maydis Δatg11 mutants blocked in mitophagy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner-Vogel, Gaby; Lämmer, Frauke; Kämper, Jörg; Basse, Christoph W

    2015-02-06

    Maternal or uniparental inheritance (UPI) of mitochondria is generally observed in sexual eukaryotes, however, the underlying mechanisms are diverse and largely unknown. Recently, based on the use of mutants blocked in autophagy, it has been demonstrated that autophagy is required for strict maternal inheritance in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Uniparental mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) inheritance has been well documented for numerous fungal species, and in particular, has been shown to be genetically governed by the mating-type loci in the isogamous species Cryptococcus neoformans, Phycomyces blakesleeanus and Ustilago maydis. Previously, we have shown that the a2 mating-type locus gene lga2 is decisive for UPI during sexual development of U. maydis. In axenic culture, conditional overexpression of lga2 triggers efficient loss of mtDNA as well as mitophagy. To assess a functional relationship, we have investigated UPI in U. maydis Δatg11 mutants, which are blocked in mitophagy. This study has revealed that Δatg11 mutants are not affected in pathogenic development and this has allowed us to analyse UPI under comparable developmental conditions between mating-compatible wild-type and mutant strain combinations. Explicitly, we have examined two independent strain combinations that gave rise to different efficiencies of UPI. We demonstrate that in both cases UPI is atg11-independent, providing evidence that mitophagy is not critical for UPI in U. maydis, even under conditions of strict UPI. Until now, analysis of a role of mitophagy in UPI has not been reported for microbial species. Our study suggests that selective autophagy does not contribute to UPI in U. maydis, but is rather a consequence of selective mtDNA elimination in response to mitochondrial damage.

  1. Insights into Host Cell Modulation and Induction of New Cells by the Corn Smut Ustilago maydis

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    Amey Redkar

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Many filamentous fungal pathogens induce drastic modulation of host cells causing abnormal infectious structures such as galls, or tumors that arise as a result of re-programming in the original developmental cell fate of a colonized host cell. Developmental consequences occur predominantly with biotrophic phytopathogens. This suggests that these host structures result as an outcome of efficient defense suppression and intimate fungal–host interaction to suit the pathogen’s needs for completion of its infection cycle. This mini-review mainly summarizes host cell re-programming that occurs in the Ustilago maydis – maize interaction, in which the pathogen deploys cell-type specific effector proteins with varying activities. The fungus senses the physiological status and identity of colonized host cells and re-directs the endogenous developmental program of its host. The disturbance of host cell physiology and cell fate leads to novel cell shapes, increased cell size, and/or the number of host cells. We particularly highlight the strategies of U. maydis to induce physiologically varied host organs to form the characteristic tumors in both vegetative and floral parts of maize.

  2. Characterization of ApB73, a virulence factor important for colonization of Zea mays by the smut Ustilago maydis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stirnberg, Alexandra; Djamei, Armin

    2016-12-01

    The biotrophic fungus Ustilago maydis, the causal agent of corn smut disease, uses numerous small secreted effector proteins to suppress plant defence responses and reshape the host metabolism. However, the role of specific effectors remains poorly understood. Here, we describe the identification of ApB73 (Apathogenic in B73), an as yet uncharacterized protein essential for the successful colonization of maize by U. maydis. We show that apB73 is transcriptionally induced during the biotrophic stages of the fungal life cycle. The deletion of the apB73 gene results in cultivar-specific loss of gall formation in the host. The ApB73 protein is conserved among closely related smut fungi. However, using virulence assays, we show that only the orthologue of the maize-infecting head smut Sporisorium reilianum can complement the mutant phenotype of U. maydis. Although microscopy shows that ApB73 is secreted into the biotrophic interface, it seems to remain associated with fungal cell wall components or the fungal plasma membrane. Taken together, the results show that ApB73 is a conserved and important virulence factor of U. maydis that localizes to the interface between the pathogen and its host Zea mays. © 2016 THE AUTHORS. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY PUBLISHED BY BRITISH SOCIETY FOR PLANT PATHOLOGY AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

  3. Two phosphodiesterases from Ustilago maydis share structural and biochemical properties with non-fungal phosphodiesterases

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    Charu eAgarwal

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The dependence of Protein Kinase A (PKA activity on cAMP levels is an important facet of the dimorphic switch between budding and filamentous growth as well as for pathogenicity in some fungi. To better understand these processes in the pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis, we characterized the structure and biochemical functions of two phosphodiesterase (PDE genes. Phosphodiesterases are enzymes involved in cAMP turnover and thus, contribute to the regulation of the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway. Two predicted homologues of PDEs were identified in the genome of U. maydis and hypothesized to be involved in cAMP turnover, thus regulating activity of the PKA catalytic subunit. Both umpde1 and umpde2 genes contain domains associated with phosphodiesterase activity predicted by InterPro analysis. Biochemical characterization of recombinantly produced UmPde1 (U. maydis Phosphodiesterase I and UmPde2 demonstrated that both enzymes have phosphodiesterase activity in vitro, yet neither was inhibited by the phosphodiesterase inhibitor IBMX. Moreover, UmPde1 is specific for cAMP, while UmPde2 has broader substrate specificity, utilizing cAMP and cGMP as substrates. In addition, UmPde2 was also found to have nucleotide phosphatase activity that was higher with GMP compared to AMP. These results demonstrate that UmPde1 is a bona fide phosphodiesterase, while UmPde2 has more general activity as a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and/or GMP/AMP phosphatase. Thus, UmPde1 and UmPde2 likely have important roles in cell morphology and development and share some characteristics with a variety of non-fungal phosphodiesterases.

  4. Lipid droplets accumulation and other biochemical changes induced in the fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis under nitrogen-starvation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar, Lucero Romero; Pardo, Juan Pablo; Lomelí, Mónica Montero; Bocardo, Oscar Ivan Luqueño; Juárez Oropeza, Marco A; Guerra Sánchez, Guadalupe

    2017-10-01

    In many organisms, the growth under nitrogen-deprivation or a poor nitrogen source impacts on the carbon flow distribution and causes accumulation of neutral lipids, which are stored as lipid droplets (LDs). Efforts are in progress to find the mechanism of LDs synthesis and degradation, and new organisms capable of accumulating large amounts of lipids for biotechnological applications. In this context, when Ustilago maydis was cultured in the absence of a nitrogen source, there was a large accumulation of lipid bodies containing mainly triacylglycerols. The most abundant fatty acids in lipid bodies at the stationary phase were palmitic, linoleic, and oleic acids, and they were synthesized de novo by the fatty-acid synthase. In regard to the production of NADPH for the synthesis of fatty acids, the cytosolic NADP + -dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase and the glucose-6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases couple showed the highest specific activities, with a lower activity of the malic enzyme. The ATP-citrate lyase activity was not detected in any of the culture conditions, which points to a different mechanism for the transfer of acetyl-CoA into the cytosol. Protein and RNA contents decreased when U. maydis was grown without a nitrogen source. Due to the significant accumulation of triacylglycerols and the particular composition of fatty acids, U. maydis can be considered an alternative model for biotechnological applications.

  5. The Hos2 Histone Deacetylase Controls Ustilago maydis Virulence through Direct Regulation of Mating-Type Genes.

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    Alberto Elías-Villalobos

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Morphological changes are critical for host colonisation in plant pathogenic fungi. These changes occur at specific stages of their pathogenic cycle in response to environmental signals and are mediated by transcription factors, which act as master regulators. Histone deacetylases (HDACs play crucial roles in regulating gene expression, for example by locally modulating the accessibility of chromatin to transcriptional regulators. It has been reported that HDACs play important roles in the virulence of plant fungi. However, the specific environment-sensing pathways that control fungal virulence via HDACs remain poorly characterised. Here we address this question using the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis. We find that the HDAC Hos2 is required for the dimorphic switch and pathogenic development in U. maydis. The deletion of hos2 abolishes the cAMP-dependent expression of mating type genes. Moreover, ChIP experiments detect Hos2 binding to the gene bodies of mating-type genes, which increases in proportion to their expression level following cAMP addition. These observations suggest that Hos2 acts as a downstream component of the cAMP-PKA pathway to control the expression of mating-type genes. Interestingly, we found that Clr3, another HDAC present in U. maydis, also contributes to the cAMP-dependent regulation of mating-type gene expression, demonstrating that Hos2 is not the only HDAC involved in this control system. Overall, our results provide new insights into the role of HDACs in fungal phytopathogenesis.

  6. Patterns of variation at Ustilago maydis virulence clusters 2A and 19A largely reflect the demographic history of its populations.

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    Ronny Kellner

    Full Text Available The maintenance of an intimate interaction between plant-biotrophic fungi and their hosts over evolutionary times involves strong selection and adaptative evolution of virulence-related genes. The highly specialised maize pathogen Ustilago maydis is assigned with a high evolutionary capability to overcome host resistances due to its high rates of sexual recombination, large population sizes and long distance dispersal. Unlike most studied fungus-plant interactions, the U. maydis - Zea mays pathosystem lacks a typical gene-for-gene interaction. It exerts a large set of secreted fungal virulence factors that are mostly organised in gene clusters. Their contribution to virulence has been experimentally demonstrated but their genetic diversity within U. maydis remains poorly understood. Here, we report on the intraspecific diversity of 34 potential virulence factor genes of U. maydis. We analysed their sequence polymorphisms in 17 isolates of U. maydis from Europe, North and Latin America. We focused on gene cluster 2A, associated with virulence attenuation, cluster 19A that is crucial for virulence, and the cluster-independent effector gene pep1. Although higher compared to four house-keeping genes, the overall levels of intraspecific genetic variation of virulence clusters 2A and 19A, and pep1 are remarkably low and commensurate to the levels of 14 studied non-virulence genes. In addition, each gene is present in all studied isolates and synteny in cluster 2A is conserved. Furthermore, 7 out of 34 virulence genes contain either no polymorphisms or only synonymous substitutions among all isolates. However, genetic variation of clusters 2A and 19A each resolve the large scale population structure of U. maydis indicating subpopulations with decreased gene flow. Hence, the genetic diversity of these virulence-related genes largely reflect the demographic history of U. maydis populations.

  7. Two members of the Ustilago maydis velvet family influence teliospore development and virulence on maize seedlings.

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    Karakkat, Brijesh B; Gold, Scott E; Covert, Sarah F

    2013-12-01

    Members of the fungal-specific velvet protein family regulate sexual and asexual spore production in the Ascomycota. We predicted, therefore, that velvet homologs in the basidiomycetous plant pathogen Ustilago maydis would regulate sexual spore development, which is also associated with plant disease progression in this fungus. To test this hypothesis, we studied the function of three U. maydis velvet genes, umv1, umv2 and umv3. Using a gene replacement strategy, deletion mutants were made in all three genes in compatible haploid strains, and additionally for umv1 and umv2 in the solopathogenic strain, SG200. None of the mutants showed novel morphological phenotypes during yeast-like, in vitro growth. However, the Δumv1 mutants failed to induce galls or teliospores in maize. Chlorazol black E staining of leaves infected with Δumv1 dikaryons revealed that the Δumv1 hyphae did not proliferate normally and were blocked developmentally before teliospore formation. The Δumv2 mutants were able to induce galls and teliospores in maize, but were slow to do so and thus reduced in virulence. The Δumv3 mutants were not affected in teliospore formation or disease progression. Complementation of the Δumv1 and Δumv2 mutations in the SG200 background produced disease indices similar to those of SG200. These results indicate that two U. maydis velvet family members, umv1 and umv2, are important for normal teliospore development and disease progression in maize seedlings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Activation of the cell wall integrity pathway promotes escape from G2 in the fungus Ustilago maydis.

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    Natalia Carbó

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available It is widely accepted that MAPK activation in budding and fission yeasts is often associated with negative effects on cell cycle progression, resulting in delay or arrest at a specific stage in the cell cycle, thereby enabling cells to adapt to changing environmental conditions. For instance, activation of the Cell Wall Integrity (CWI pathway in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae signals an increase in CDK inhibitory phosphorylation, which leads cells to remain in the G2 phase. Here we characterized the CWI pathway of Ustilago maydis, a fungus evolutionarily distant from budding and fission yeasts, and show that activation of the CWI pathway forces cells to escape from G2 phase. In spite of these disparate cell cycle responses in S. cerevisiae and U. maydis, the CWI pathway in both organisms appears to respond to the same class cell wall stressors. To understand the basis of such a difference, we studied the mechanism behind the U. maydis response. We found that activation of CWI pathway in U. maydis results in a decrease in CDK inhibitory phosphorylation, which depends on the mitotic phosphatase Cdc25. Moreover, in response to activation of the CWI pathway, Cdc25 accumulates in the nucleus, providing a likely explanation for the increase in the unphosphorylated form of CDK. We also found that the extended N-terminal domain of Cdc25, which is dispensable under normal growth conditions, is required for this G2 escape as well as for resistance to cell wall stressors. We propose that the process of cell cycle adaptation to cell stress evolved differently in these two divergent organisms so that each can move towards a cell cycle phase most appropriate for responding to the environmental signals encountered.

  9. The Ustilago maydis effector Pep1 suppresses plant immunity by inhibition of host peroxidase activity.

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    Christoph Hemetsberger

    Full Text Available The corn smut Ustilago maydis establishes a biotrophic interaction with its host plant maize. This interaction requires efficient suppression of plant immune responses, which is attributed to secreted effector proteins. Previously we identified Pep1 (Protein essential during penetration-1 as a secreted effector with an essential role for U. maydis virulence. pep1 deletion mutants induce strong defense responses leading to an early block in pathogenic development of the fungus. Using cytological and functional assays we show that Pep1 functions as an inhibitor of plant peroxidases. At sites of Δpep1 mutant penetrations, H₂O₂ strongly accumulated in the cell walls, coinciding with a transcriptional induction of the secreted maize peroxidase POX12. Pep1 protein effectively inhibited the peroxidase driven oxidative burst and thereby suppresses the early immune responses of maize. Moreover, Pep1 directly inhibits peroxidases in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. Using fluorescence complementation assays, we observed a direct interaction of Pep1 and the maize peroxidase POX12 in vivo. Functional relevance of this interaction was demonstrated by partial complementation of the Δpep1 mutant defect by virus induced gene silencing of maize POX12. We conclude that Pep1 acts as a potent suppressor of early plant defenses by inhibition of peroxidase activity. Thus, it represents a novel strategy for establishing a biotrophic interaction.

  10. Fungal Secretome Analysis via PepSAVI-MS: Identification of the Bioactive Peptide KP4 from Ustilago maydis

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    Kirkpatrick, Christine L.; Parsley, Nicole C.; Bartges, Tessa E.; Cooke, Madeline E.; Evans, Wilaysha S.; Heil, Lilian R.; Smith, Thomas J.; Hicks, Leslie M.

    2018-05-01

    Fungal secondary metabolites represent a rich and largely untapped source for bioactive molecules, including peptides with substantial structural diversity and pharmacological potential. As methods proceed to take a deep dive into fungal genomes, complimentary methods to identify bioactive components are required to keep pace with the expanding fungal repertoire. We developed PepSAVI-MS to expedite the search for natural product bioactive peptides and herein demonstrate proof-of-principle applicability of the pipeline for the discovery of bioactive peptides from fungal secretomes via identification of the antifungal killer toxin KP4 from Ustilago maydis P4. This work opens the door to investigating microbial secretomes with a new lens, and could have broad applications across human health, agriculture, and food safety. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  11. LOCATION OF ACYL GROUPS ON TWO PARTLY ACYLATED GLYCOLIPIDS FROM STRAINS OF USTILAGO (SMUT FUNGI),

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    erythritol from Ustilago sp. (probably U. nuda (Jens.) Rostr. = U. tritici (Pers.) Rostr.) PRL-627 were acetalated with methyl vinyl ether, deacylated...Partly acylated ustilagic acids 8 (from Ustilago maydis (DC) Corda (= U. zeae Unger) PRL-119), consisting of partially esterified beta-cellobiosyl

  12. Response of Ustilago maydis against the Stress Caused by Three Polycationic Chitin Derivatives

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    Dario Rafael Olicón-Hernández

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Chitosan is a stressing molecule that affects the cells walls and plasma membrane of fungi. For chitosan derivatives, the action mode is not clear. In this work, we used the yeast Ustilago maydis to study the effects of these molecules on the plasma membrane, focusing on physiologic and stress responses to chitosan (CH, oligochitosan (OCH, and glycol-chitosan (GCH. Yeasts were cultured with each of these molecules at 1 mg·mL−1 in minimal medium. To compare plasma membrane damage, cells were cultivated in isosmolar medium. Membrane potential (Δψ as well as oxidative stress were measured. Changes in the total plasma membrane phospholipid and protein profiles were analyzed using standard methods, and fluorescence-stained mitochondria were observed. High osmolarity did not protect against CH inhibition and neither affected membrane potential. The OCH did produce higher oxidative stress. The effects of these molecules were evidenced by modifications in the plasma membrane protein profile. Also, mitochondrial damage was evident for CH and OCH, while GCH resulted in thicker cells with fewer mitochondria and higher glycogen accumulation.

  13. Characterization of the largest effector gene cluster of Ustilago maydis.

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    Thomas Brefort

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available In the genome of the biotrophic plant pathogen Ustilago maydis, many of the genes coding for secreted protein effectors modulating virulence are arranged in gene clusters. The vast majority of these genes encode novel proteins whose expression is coupled to plant colonization. The largest of these gene clusters, cluster 19A, encodes 24 secreted effectors. Deletion of the entire cluster results in severe attenuation of virulence. Here we present the functional analysis of this genomic region. We show that a 19A deletion mutant behaves like an endophyte, i.e. is still able to colonize plants and complete the infection cycle. However, tumors, the most conspicuous symptoms of maize smut disease, are only rarely formed and fungal biomass in infected tissue is significantly reduced. The generation and analysis of strains carrying sub-deletions identified several genes significantly contributing to tumor formation after seedling infection. Another of the effectors could be linked specifically to anthocyanin induction in the infected tissue. As the individual contributions of these genes to tumor formation were small, we studied the response of maize plants to the whole cluster mutant as well as to several individual mutants by array analysis. This revealed distinct plant responses, demonstrating that the respective effectors have discrete plant targets. We propose that the analysis of plant responses to effector mutant strains that lack a strong virulence phenotype may be a general way to visualize differences in effector function.

  14. Applying Unconventional Secretion in Ustilago maydis for the Export of Functional Nanobodies

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    Marius Terfrüchte

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Exploiting secretory pathways for production of heterologous proteins is highly advantageous with respect to efficient downstream processing. In eukaryotic systems the vast majority of heterologous proteins for biotechnological application is exported via the canonical endoplasmic reticulum–Golgi pathway. In the endomembrane system target proteins are often glycosylated and may thus be modified with foreign glycan patterns. This can be destructive for their activity or cause immune reactions against therapeutic proteins. Hence, using unconventional secretion for protein expression is an attractive alternative. In the fungal model Ustilago maydis, chitinase Cts1 is secreted via an unconventional pathway connected to cell separation which can be used to co-export heterologous proteins. Here, we apply this mechanism for the production of nanobodies. First, we achieved expression and unconventional secretion of a functional nanobody directed against green fluorescent protein (Gfp. Second, we found that Cts1 binds to chitin and that this feature can be applied to generate a Gfp-trap. Thus, we demonstrated the dual use of Cts1 serving both as export vehicle and as purification tag. Finally, we established and optimized the production of a nanobody against botulinum toxin A and hence describe the first pharmaceutically relevant target exported by Cts1-mediated unconventional secretion.

  15. Three regulators of G protein signaling differentially affect mating, morphology and virulence in the smut fungus Ustilago maydis.

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    Moretti, Marino; Wang, Lei; Grognet, Pierre; Lanver, Daniel; Link, Hannes; Kahmann, Regine

    2017-09-01

    Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins modulate heterotrimeric G protein signaling negatively. To broaden an understanding of the roles of RGS proteins in fungal pathogens, we functionally characterized the three RGS protein-encoding genes (rgs1, rgs2 and rgs3) in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis. It was found that RGS proteins played distinct roles in the regulation of development and virulence. rgs1 had a minor role in virulence when deleted in a solopathogenic strain. In crosses, rgs1 was dispensable for mating and filamentation, but was required for teliospore production. Haploid rgs2 mutants were affected in cell morphology, growth, mating and were unable to cause disease symptoms in crosses. However, virulence was unaffected when rgs2 was deleted in a solopathogenic strain, suggesting an exclusive involvement in pre-fusion events. These rgs2 phenotypes are likely connected to elevated intracellular cAMP levels. rgs3 mutants were severely attenuated in mating, in their response to pheromone, virulence and formation of mature teliospores. The mating defect could be traced back to reduced expression of the transcription factor rop1. It was speculated that the distinct roles of the three U. maydis RGS proteins were achieved by direct modulation of the Gα subunit-activated signaling pathways as well as through Gα-independent functions. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Post-genomic analyses of fungal lignocellulosic biomass degradation reveal the unexpected potential of the plant pathogen Ustilago maydis

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    Couturier Marie

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Filamentous fungi are potent biomass degraders due to their ability to thrive in ligno(hemicellulose-rich environments. During the last decade, fungal genome sequencing initiatives have yielded abundant information on the genes that are putatively involved in lignocellulose degradation. At present, additional experimental studies are essential to provide insights into the fungal secreted enzymatic pools involved in lignocellulose degradation. Results In this study, we performed a wide analysis of 20 filamentous fungi for which genomic data are available to investigate their biomass-hydrolysis potential. A comparison of fungal genomes and secretomes using enzyme activity profiling revealed discrepancies in carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes sets dedicated to plant cell wall. Investigation of the contribution made by each secretome to the saccharification of wheat straw demonstrated that most of them individually supplemented the industrial Trichoderma reesei CL847 enzymatic cocktail. Unexpectedly, the most striking effect was obtained with the phytopathogen Ustilago maydis that improved the release of total sugars by 57% and of glucose by 22%. Proteomic analyses of the best-performing secretomes indicated a specific enzymatic mechanism of U. maydis that is likely to involve oxido-reductases and hemicellulases. Conclusion This study provides insight into the lignocellulose-degradation mechanisms by filamentous fungi and allows for the identification of a number of enzymes that are potentially useful to further improve the industrial lignocellulose bioconversion process.

  17. Differential chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA synthesis in temperature-sensitive mutants of Ustilago maydis

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    Unrau, P.

    1977-01-01

    The amount and type of residual DNA synthesis was determined in eight temperature-sensitive mutants of the smut fungus Ustilago maydis after incubation at the restrictive temperature (32/sup 0/C) for eight hours. Mutants ts-220, ts-207, ts-432 and ts-346 were found to have an overall reduction in the synthesis of both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA in comparison to the wild-type. In mutants ts-20, tsd 1-1, ts-84 and pol 1-1 nuclear DNA synthesis was depressed relative to mitochondrial synthesis. The DNA-polymerase mutant pol 1-1 had persistent nuclear synthesis at about 50% of the rate of synthesis of mitochondrial DNA and similar behavior was observed in a diploid homozygous strain. Mutant ts-84 had an initial burst of DNA synthesis which was reduced for nuclear but not mitochondrial synthesis after three hours preincubation at 32/sup 0/C. tsd 1-1 and ts-20 had nuclear residual synthesis amounting to about 25% of the relative rate of mitochondrial synthesis which correlates to increasing UV sensitivity of these strains on incubation at 32/sup 0/C. A pol 1-1 ts-84 double mutant had an additive loss of nuclear DNA synthesis which indicates that the steps of replication involved may be sequential.

  18. The WOPR Protein Ros1 Is a Master Regulator of Sporogenesis and Late Effector Gene Expression in the Maize Pathogen Ustilago maydis.

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    Marie Tollot

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The biotrophic basidiomycete fungus Ustilago maydis causes smut disease in maize. Hallmarks of the disease are large tumors that develop on all aerial parts of the host in which dark pigmented teliospores are formed. We have identified a member of the WOPR family of transcription factors, Ros1, as major regulator of spore formation in U. maydis. ros1 expression is induced only late during infection and hence Ros1 is neither involved in plant colonization of dikaryotic fungal hyphae nor in plant tumor formation. However, during late stages of infection Ros1 is essential for fungal karyogamy, massive proliferation of diploid fungal cells and spore formation. Premature expression of ros1 revealed that Ros1 counteracts the b-dependent filamentation program and induces morphological alterations resembling the early steps of sporogenesis. Transcriptional profiling and ChIP-seq analyses uncovered that Ros1 remodels expression of about 30% of all U. maydis genes with 40% of these being direct targets. In total the expression of 80 transcription factor genes is controlled by Ros1. Four of the upregulated transcription factor genes were deleted and two of the mutants were affected in spore development. A large number of b-dependent genes were differentially regulated by Ros1, suggesting substantial changes in this regulatory cascade that controls filamentation and pathogenic development. Interestingly, 128 genes encoding secreted effectors involved in the establishment of biotrophic development were downregulated by Ros1 while a set of 70 "late effectors" was upregulated. These results indicate that Ros1 is a master regulator of late development in U. maydis and show that the biotrophic interaction during sporogenesis involves a drastic shift in expression of the fungal effectome including the downregulation of effectors that are essential during early stages of infection.

  19. A novel high-affinity sucrose transporter is required for virulence of the plant pathogen Ustilago maydis.

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    Ramon Wahl

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Plant pathogenic fungi cause massive yield losses and affect both quality and safety of food and feed produced from infected plants. The main objective of plant pathogenic fungi is to get access to the organic carbon sources of their carbon-autotrophic hosts. However, the chemical nature of the carbon source(s and the mode of uptake are largely unknown. Here, we present a novel, plasma membrane-localized sucrose transporter (Srt1 from the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis and its characterization as a fungal virulence factor. Srt1 has an unusually high substrate affinity, is absolutely sucrose specific, and allows the direct utilization of sucrose at the plant/fungal interface without extracellular hydrolysis and, thus, without the production of extracellular monosaccharides known to elicit plant immune responses. srt1 is expressed exclusively during infection, and its deletion strongly reduces fungal virulence. This emphasizes the central role of this protein both for efficient carbon supply and for avoidance of apoplastic signals potentially recognized by the host.

  20. Production of itaconic acid by Ustilago maydis from agro wastes in solid state fermentation

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    MOKULA MD. RAFI

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Itaconic acid (IA is one of the hopeful substances within the cluster of organic acids. IA is used in artificial glass, bioactive compounds in pharmacy, medicine, agriculture, for the synthesis of fiber, resin, plastic, rubber, paints, surfactant, ion-exchange resins and lubricant. Most recurrently used microorganism for commercial production of IA is Aspergillus terreus. Some filamentous fungi belonging to Ustilaginales also produce IA. In the present work, an attempt was made to produce IA by Ustilago maydis employing Solid State Fermentation (SSF from various agro wastes like ground nut shells, rice bran, rice husk, orange pulp, ground nut oil cake, orange pulp and sugarcane bagasse as carbon substrates, which were used after pretreatment. 10 g of each substrate was taken in a 500 ml conical flasks separately and supplemented with 20 mL nutrient solution containing glucose, at pH 3. One milliliter inoculum containing 1×107 spores was added and moisture was maintained at 60%. After incubation at 32°C for 5 days, the acid production was estimated by spectrophotometric method and by HPLC analysis. Interestingly, the yield of itaconic acid was promising with all the above substrates, where orange pulp, sugarcane bagasse and rice bran supported higher yields.

  1. Evidence for a Ustilago maydis Steroid 5α-Reductase by Functional Expression in Arabidopsis det2-1 Mutants1

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    Basse, Christoph W.; Kerschbamer, Christine; Brustmann, Markus; Altmann, Thomas; Kahmann, Regine

    2002-01-01

    We have identified a gene (udh1) in the basidiomycete Ustilago maydis that is induced during the parasitic interaction with its host plant maize (Zea mays). udh1 encodes a protein with high similarity to mammalian and plant 5α-steroid reductases. Udh1 differs from those of known 5α-steroid reductases by six additional domains, partially predicted to be membrane-spanning. A fusion protein of Udh1 and the green fluorescent protein provided evidence for endoplasmic reticulum localization in U. maydis. The function of the Udh1 protein was demonstrated by complementing Arabidopsis det2-1 mutants, which display a dwarf phenotype due to a mutation in the 5α-steroid reductase encoding DET2 gene. det2-1 mutant plants expressing either the udh1 or the DET2 gene controlled by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter differed from wild-type Columbia plants by accelerated stem growth, flower and seed development and a reduction in size and number of rosette leaves. The accelerated growth phenotype of udh1 transgenic plants was stably inherited and was favored under reduced light conditions. Truncation of the N-terminal 70 amino acids of the Udh1 protein abolished the ability to restore growth in det2-1 plants. Our results demonstrate the existence of a 5α-steroid reductase encoding gene in fungi and suggest a common ancestor between fungal, plant, and mammalian proteins. PMID:12068114

  2. The SPF27 homologue Num1 connects splicing and kinesin 1-dependent cytoplasmic trafficking in Ustilago maydis.

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    Nikola Kellner

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The conserved NineTeen protein complex (NTC is an integral subunit of the spliceosome and required for intron removal during pre-mRNA splicing. The complex associates with the spliceosome and participates in the regulation of conformational changes of core spliceosomal components, stabilizing RNA-RNA- as well as RNA-protein interactions. In addition, the NTC is involved in cell cycle checkpoint control, response to DNA damage, as well as formation and export of mRNP-particles. We have identified the Num1 protein as the homologue of SPF27, one of NTC core components, in the basidiomycetous fungus Ustilago maydis. Num1 is required for polarized growth of the fungal hyphae, and, in line with the described NTC functions, the num1 mutation affects the cell cycle and cell division. The num1 deletion influences splicing in U. maydis on a global scale, as RNA-Seq analysis revealed increased intron retention rates. Surprisingly, we identified in a screen for Num1 interacting proteins not only NTC core components as Prp19 and Cef1, but several proteins with putative functions during vesicle-mediated transport processes. Among others, Num1 interacts with the motor protein Kin1 in the cytoplasm. Similar phenotypes with respect to filamentous and polar growth, vacuolar morphology, as well as the motility of early endosomes corroborate the genetic interaction between Num1 and Kin1. Our data implicate a previously unidentified connection between a component of the splicing machinery and cytoplasmic transport processes. As the num1 deletion also affects cytoplasmic mRNA transport, the protein may constitute a novel functional interconnection between the two disparate processes of splicing and trafficking.

  3. The transcription factor Rbf1 is the master regulator for b-mating type controlled pathogenic development in Ustilago maydis.

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    Kai Heimel

    Full Text Available In the phytopathogenic basidiomycete Ustilago maydis, sexual and pathogenic development are tightly connected and controlled by the heterodimeric bE/bW transcription factor complex encoded by the b-mating type locus. The formation of the active bE/bW heterodimer leads to the formation of filaments, induces a G2 cell cycle arrest, and triggers pathogenicity. Here, we identify a set of 345 bE/bW responsive genes which show altered expression during these developmental changes; several of these genes are associated with cell cycle coordination, morphogenesis and pathogenicity. 90% of the genes that show altered expression upon bE/bW-activation require the zinc finger transcription factor Rbf1, one of the few factors directly regulated by the bE/bW heterodimer. Rbf1 is a novel master regulator in a multilayered network of transcription factors that facilitates the complex regulatory traits of sexual and pathogenic development.

  4. MRN- and 9-1-1-Independent Activation of the ATR-Chk1 Pathway during the Induction of the Virulence Program in the Phytopathogen Ustilago maydis.

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    María Tenorio-Gómez

    Full Text Available DNA damage response (DDR leads to DNA repair, and depending on the extent of the damage, to further events, including cell death. Evidence suggests that cell differentiation may also be a consequence of the DDR. During the formation of the infective hypha in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis, two DDR kinases, Atr1 and Chk1, are required to induce a G2 cell cycle arrest, which in turn is essential to display the virulence program. However, the triggering factor of DDR in this process has remained elusive. In this report we provide data suggesting that no DNA damage is associated with the activation of the DDR during the formation of the infective filament in U. maydis. We have analyzed bulk DNA replication during the formation of the infective filament, and we found no signs of impaired DNA replication. Furthermore, using RPA-GFP fusion as a surrogate marker of the presence of DNA damage, we were unable to detect any sign of DNA damage at the cellular level. In addition, neither MRN nor 9-1-1 complexes, both instrumental to transmit the DNA damage signal, are required for the induction of the above mentioned cell cycle arrest, as well as for virulence. In contrast, we have found that the claspin-like protein Mrc1, which in other systems serves as scaffold for Atr1 and Chk1, was required for both processes. We discuss possible alternative ways to trigger the DDR, independent of DNA damage, in U. maydis during virulence program activation.

  5. The mitochondrial LSU rRNA group II intron of Ustilago maydis encodes an active homing endonuclease likely involved in intron mobility.

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    Anja Pfeifer

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The a2 mating type locus gene lga2 is critical for uniparental mitochondrial DNA inheritance during sexual development of Ustilago maydis. Specifically, the absence of lga2 results in biparental inheritance, along with efficient transfer of intronic regions in the large subunit rRNA gene between parental molecules. However, the underlying role of the predicted LAGLIDADG homing endonuclease gene I-UmaI located within the group II intron LRII1 has remained unresolved. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have investigated the enzymatic activity of I-UmaI in vitro based on expression of a tagged full-length and a naturally occurring mutant derivative, which harbors only the N-terminal LAGLIDADG domain. This confirmed Mg²⁺-dependent endonuclease activity and cleavage at the LRII1 insertion site to generate four base pair extensions with 3' overhangs. Specifically, I-UmaI recognizes an asymmetric DNA sequence with a minimum length of 14 base pairs (5'-GACGGGAAGACCCT-3' and tolerates subtle base pair substitutions within the homing site. Enzymatic analysis of the mutant variant indicated a correlation between the activity in vitro and intron homing. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that putatively functional or former functional I-UmaI homologs are confined to a few members within the Ustilaginales and Agaricales, including the phylogenetically distant species Lentinula edodes, and are linked to group II introns inserted into homologous positions in the LSU rDNA. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present data provide strong evidence that intron homing efficiently operates under conditions of biparental inheritance in U. maydis. Conversely, uniparental inheritance may be critical to restrict the transmission of mobile introns. Bioinformatic analyses suggest that I-UmaI-associated introns have been acquired independently in distant taxa and are more widespread than anticipated from available genomic data.

  6. Unfolded Protein Response (UPR Regulator Cib1 Controls Expression of Genes Encoding Secreted Virulence Factors in Ustilago maydis.

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    Martin Hampel

    Full Text Available The unfolded protein response (UPR, a conserved eukaryotic signaling pathway to ensure protein homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER, coordinates biotrophic development in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis. Exact timing of UPR activation is required for virulence and presumably connected to the elevated expression of secreted effector proteins during infection of the host plant Zea mays. In the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, expression of UPR target genes is induced upon binding of the central regulator Hac1 to unfolded protein response elements (UPREs in their promoters. While a role of the UPR in effector secretion has been described previously, we investigated a potential UPR-dependent regulation of genes encoding secreted effector proteins. In silico prediction of UPREs in promoter regions identified the previously characterized effector genes pit2 and tin1-1, as bona fide UPR target genes. Furthermore, direct binding of the Hac1-homolog Cib1 to the UPRE containing promoter fragments of both genes was confirmed by quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation (qChIP analysis. Targeted deletion of the UPRE abolished Cib1-dependent expression of pit2 and significantly affected virulence. Furthermore, ER stress strongly increased Pit2 expression and secretion. This study expands the role of the UPR as a signal hub in fungal virulence and illustrates, how biotrophic fungi can coordinate cellular physiology, development and regulation of secreted virulence factors.

  7. Mre11 and Blm-Dependent Formation of ALT-Like Telomeres in Ku-Deficient Ustilago maydis.

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    Eun Young Yu

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available A subset of human cancer cells uses a specialized, aberrant recombination pathway known as ALT to maintain telomeres, which in these cells are characterized by complex aberrations including length heterogeneity, high levels of unpaired C-strand, and accumulation of extra-chromosomal telomere repeats (ECTR. These phenotypes have not been recapitulated in any standard budding or fission yeast mutant. We found that eliminating Ku70 or Ku80 in the yeast-like fungus Ustilago maydis results initially in all the characteristic telomere aberrations of ALT cancer cells, including C-circles, a highly specific marker of ALT. Subsequently the ku mutants experience permanent G2 cell cycle arrest, accompanied by loss of telomere repeats from chromosome ends and even more drastic accumulation of very short ECTRs (vsECTRs. The deletion of atr1 or chk1 rescued the lethality of the ku mutant, and "trapped" the telomere aberrations in the early ALT-like stage. Telomere abnormalities are telomerase-independent, but dramatically suppressed by deletion of mre11 or blm, suggesting major roles for these factors in the induction of the ALT pathway. In contrast, removal of other DNA damage response and repair factors such as Rad51 has disparate effects on the ALT phenotypes, suggesting that these factors process ALT intermediates or products. Notably, the antagonism of Ku and Mre11 in the induction of ALT is reminiscent of their roles in DSB resection, in which Blm is also known to play a key role. We suggest that an aberrant resection reaction may constitute an early trigger for ALT telomeres, and that the outcomes of ALT are distinct from DSB because of the unique telomere nucleoprotein structure.

  8. Mycosarcoma (Ustilaginaceae), a resurrected generic name for corn smut (Ustilago maydis) and its close relatives with hypertrophied, tubular sori

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    McTaggart, Alistair R; Shivas, Roger G; Boekhout, Teun; Oberwinkler, Franz; Vánky, Kálmán; Pennycook, Shaun R; Begerow, Dominik

    2016-01-01

    Ustilago is a polyphyletic genus of smut fungi found mainly on Poaceae. The development of a taxonomy that reflects phylogeny requires subdivision of Ustilago into smaller monophyletic genera. Several separate systematic analyses have determined that Macalpinomyces mackinlayi, M. tubiformis,

  9. Mutation avoidance and DNA repair proficiency in Ustilago maydis are differentially lost with progressive truncation of the REC1 gene product

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    Onel, K.; Thelen, M.P.; Ferguson, D.O.; Bennett, R.L.; Holloman, W.K. [Cornell Univ. Medical College, NY, NY (United States)

    1995-10-01

    The REC1 gene of Ustilago maydis has an uninterrupted open reading frame, predicted from the genomic sequence to encode a protein of 522 amino acid residues. Nevertheless, an intron is present, and functional activity of the gene in mitotic cells requires an RNA processing event to remove the intron. This results in a change in reading frame and production of a protein of 463 amino acid residues. The 3{prime}{r_arrow}5{prime} exonuclease activity of proteins derived form the REC1 genomic open reading frame, the intronless open reading frame, and several mutants was investigated. The mutants included a series of deletions constructed by removing restriction fragments at the 3{prime} end of the cloned REC1 gene and a set of mutant alleles previously isolated in screens for radiation sensitivity. The results indicated that elimination of the C-terminal third of the protein did not result in a serious reduction in 3{prime}{r_arrow}5{prime} exonuclease activity, but deletion into the midsection caused a severe loss of activity. The biological activity of the rec1-1 allele, which encodes a truncated polypeptide with full 3{prime}{r_arrow}5{prime} exonuclease activity, and the rec1-5 allele, which encodes a more severely truncated polypeptide with no exonuclease activity, was investigated. The two mutants were equally sensitive to the lethal effect of UV light, but the spontaneous mutation rate was elevated 10-fold over the wild-type rate in the rec1-1 mutant and 100-fold in the rec1-5 mutant. The elevated spontaneous mutation rate correlated with the ablation of exonuclease activity, but the radiation sensitivity did not. These results indicate that the C-terminal portion of the Rec1 protein is not essential for exonuclease activity but is crucial in the role of REC1 in DNA damage repair. 49 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

  10. KP4 to control Ustilago tritici in wheat: Enhanced greenhouse resistance to loose smut and changes in transcript abundance of pathogen related genes in infected KP4 plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quijano, Carolina Diaz; Wichmann, Fabienne; Schlaich, Thomas; Fammartino, Alessandro; Huckauf, Jana; Schmidt, Kerstin; Unger, Christoph; Broer, Inge; Sautter, Christof

    2016-09-01

    Ustilago tritici causes loose smut, which is a seed-borne fungal disease of wheat, and responsible for yield losses up to 40%. Loose smut is a threat to seed production in developing countries where small scale farmers use their own harvest as seed material. The killer protein 4 (KP4) is a virally encoded toxin from Ustilago maydis and inhibits growth of susceptible races of fungi from the Ustilaginales. Enhanced resistance in KP4 wheat to stinking smut, which is caused by Tilletia caries, had been reported earlier. We show that KP4 in genetically engineered wheat increased resistance to loose smut up to 60% compared to the non-KP4 control under greenhouse conditions. This enhanced resistance is dose and race dependent. The overexpression of the transgene kp4 and its effect on fungal growth have indirect effects on the expression of endogenous pathogen defense genes.

  11. KP4 to control Ustilago tritici in wheat: Enhanced greenhouse resistance to loose smut and changes in transcript abundance of pathogen related genes in infected KP4 plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina Diaz Quijano

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Ustilago tritici causes loose smut, which is a seed-borne fungal disease of wheat, and responsible for yield losses up to 40%. Loose smut is a threat to seed production in developing countries where small scale farmers use their own harvest as seed material. The killer protein 4 (KP4 is a virally encoded toxin from Ustilago maydis and inhibits growth of susceptible races of fungi from the Ustilaginales. Enhanced resistance in KP4 wheat to stinking smut, which is caused by Tilletia caries, had been reported earlier. We show that KP4 in genetically engineered wheat increased resistance to loose smut up to 60% compared to the non-KP4 control under greenhouse conditions. This enhanced resistance is dose and race dependent. The overexpression of the transgene kp4 and its effect on fungal growth have indirect effects on the expression of endogenous pathogen defense genes.

  12. Septation of infectious hyphae is critical for appressoria formation and virulence in the smut fungus Ustilago maydis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johannes Freitag

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Differentiation of hyphae into specialized infection structures, known as appressoria, is a common feature of plant pathogenic fungi that penetrate the plant cuticle. Appressorium formation in U. maydis is triggered by environmental signals but the molecular mechanism of this hyphal differentiation is largely unknown. Infectious hyphae grow on the leaf surface by inserting regularly spaced retraction septa at the distal end of the tip cell leaving empty sections of collapsed hyphae behind. Here we show that formation of retraction septa is critical for appressorium formation and virulence in U. maydis. We demonstrate that the diaphanous-related formin Drf1 is necessary for actomyosin ring formation during septation of infectious hyphae. Drf1 acts as an effector of a Cdc42 GTPase signaling module, which also consists of the Cdc42-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor Don1 and the Ste20-like kinase Don3. Deletion of drf1, don1 or don3 abolished formation of retraction septa resulting in reduced virulence. Appressorium formation in these mutants was not completely blocked but infection structures were found only at the tip of short filaments indicating that retraction septa are necessary for appressorium formation in extended infectious hyphae. In addition, appressoria of drf1 mutants penetrated the plant tissue less frequently.

  13. Septation of infectious hyphae is critical for appressoria formation and virulence in the smut fungus Ustilago maydis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freitag, Johannes; Lanver, Daniel; Böhmer, Christian; Schink, Kay Oliver; Bölker, Michael; Sandrock, Björn

    2011-05-01

    Differentiation of hyphae into specialized infection structures, known as appressoria, is a common feature of plant pathogenic fungi that penetrate the plant cuticle. Appressorium formation in U. maydis is triggered by environmental signals but the molecular mechanism of this hyphal differentiation is largely unknown. Infectious hyphae grow on the leaf surface by inserting regularly spaced retraction septa at the distal end of the tip cell leaving empty sections of collapsed hyphae behind. Here we show that formation of retraction septa is critical for appressorium formation and virulence in U. maydis. We demonstrate that the diaphanous-related formin Drf1 is necessary for actomyosin ring formation during septation of infectious hyphae. Drf1 acts as an effector of a Cdc42 GTPase signaling module, which also consists of the Cdc42-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor Don1 and the Ste20-like kinase Don3. Deletion of drf1, don1 or don3 abolished formation of retraction septa resulting in reduced virulence. Appressorium formation in these mutants was not completely blocked but infection structures were found only at the tip of short filaments indicating that retraction septa are necessary for appressorium formation in extended infectious hyphae. In addition, appressoria of drf1 mutants penetrated the plant tissue less frequently.

  14. Lipid, membrane, and mitochondrial characteristics of Ustilago maydis following exposure to ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Waterfield, W.F. III

    1986-01-01

    Pencoazole at 0.5 ..mu..g/ml inhibited ergosterol biosynthesis in U. maydis. Polar lipids of sporidia grown with 0.5 ..mu..g/ml penconazole for 7.5 or 22 hr or 1.0 ..mu..g/ml fenarimol for 7.5 hr contained more 18:2 than 18:1 fatty acids. There was usually more 18:1 than 18:2 fatty acids in polar lipids of untreated sporidia but this ratio was influenced by culture cell density. The high 18:2 to 18:1 ratio in the polar lipids from penconazole grown cells was unaffected by cell density. There was an increase in free fatty acids and these were enriched with 18:2 members in cells grown with 0.5 ..mu..g/ml penconazole for 22 hr. Unsaturation of triglycerides fatty acids did not differ appreciably from that of untreated sporidia. Untreated WT U. maydis protoplasts lysed more slowly in 0.3 M sorbitol than those prepared from WT sporidia grown for 16 hr with 1.0 ..mu..g/ml penconazole or 2.0 ..mu..g/ml fenarimol or from untreated erg-40 sporidia. Protoplasts were more permeable to crystal violet than were those from untreated WT sporidia. Mitochondria from untreated WT sporidia oxidizing pyruvate plus malate or succinate yielded higher ADP/O rations than mitochondria from erg-40 or penconazole grown WT sporidia. The mitochondrial ATPase of control cells had a Km of 0.8 mM ATP whereas the mitochondrial ATPase of penconazole grown WT and erg-40 had a Km value of 3.7 and 3.2 mM ATP, respectively. When the mitochondrial catalytic subunit of the ATPase from these mitochondria were solubilized, the Km did not differ. These studies suggest that changes in sterols and membrane fatty acids resulting from treatments with EBI fungicides cause increased membrane fluidity which affects membrane stability, permeability and activity of the mitochondrial ATPase.

  15. Cephalosporium maydis is a distinct species in the Gaeumannomyces-Harpophora species complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saleh, Amgad A; Leslie, John F

    2004-01-01

    Cephalosporium maydis is an important plant pathogen whose phylogenetic position relative to other fungi has not been established clearly. We compared strains of C. maydis, strains from several other plant-pathogenic Cephalosporium spp. and several possible relatives within the Gaeumannomyces-Harpophora species complex, to which C. maydis has been suggested to belong based on previous preliminary DNA sequence analyses. DNA sequences of the nuclear genes encoding the rDNA ITS region, β-tubulin, histone H3, and MAT-2 support the hypothesis that C. maydis is a distinct taxon within the Gaeumannomyces-Harpophora species complex. Based on amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) profiles, C. maydis also is distinct from the other tested species of Cephalosporium, Phialophora sensu lato and members of Gaeumannomyces-Harpophora species complex, which supports its classification as Harpophora maydis. Oligonucleotide primers for H. maydis were developed that can be used in a PCR diagnostic protocol to rapidly and reliably detect and identify this pathogen. These diagnostic PCR primers will aid the detection of H. maydis in diseased maize because this fungus can be difficult to detect and isolate, and the movement of authentic cultures may be limited by quarantine restrictions.

  16. Sienten Phyllachora maydis Maubl. ja Monographella maydis Müller & Samuels aiheuttaman asfalttilaikkutaudin esiintyvyys maissilla (Zea mays L.) Nicaraguassa

    OpenAIRE

    Höckerstedt, Layla

    2014-01-01

    Maissi (Zea mays L.) on yksi maailman merkittävimmistä ravintokasveista. Nicaraguassa maissia tuottavat lähinnä pienviljelijät, joilla ei ole mahdollisuutta käyttää maatalouskemikaaleja tautien torjuntaan. Suurin osa maissille tauteja aiheuttavista patogeeneistä on sieniä, kuten myös mustalaikkua aiheuttava ehdoton loissieni Phyllachora maydis Maubl. Yhdessä endofyyttisen sienen Monographella maydis Müller & Samuels kanssa, nämä yksinään melko harmittomat sienet voivat aiheuttaa asfalttilaiku...

  17. Malazy, a degenerate, species-specific transposable element in Cercospora zeae-maydis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shim, Won-Bo; Dunkle, Larry D

    2005-01-01

    Two fungal pathogens, Cercospora zeae-maydis Groups I and II, cause gray leaf spot of maize. During the sequencing of a cosmid library from C. zeae-maydis Group I, we discovered a sequence with high similarity to Maggy, a transposable element from Magnaporthe grisea. The element from C. zeae-maydis, named Malazy, contained 194-base-pair terminal repeats and sequences with high similarity to reverse transcriptase and integrase, components of the POL gene in the gypsy-like retrotransposons in fungi. Sequences with similarity to other POL gene components, protease and ribonuclease, were not detected in Malazy. A single copy of the element was detected by PCR and Southern analyses in all six North American isolates of C. zeae-maydis Group I but was not detected in the four isolates of C. zeae-maydis Group II from three continents or in phylogenetically related species. Fragments of the core domains of reverse transcriptase and integrase contained a high frequency of stop codons that were conserved in all six isolates of Group I. Additional C:G to T:A transitions in occasional isolates usually were silent mutations, while two resulted in isolate-specific stop codons. The absence of Malazy from related species suggests that it was acquired after the divergence of C. zeae-maydis Groups I and II. The high frequency of stop codons and the presence of a single copy of the element suggest that it was inactivated soon after it was acquired. Because the element is inactive and because reading frames for other genes were not found in sequences flanking the element, Malazy does not appear to be the cause of differences leading to speciation or genetic diversity between C. zeae-maydis Groups I and II.

  18. On a difference in the antifungal activity of tridemorph and its formulated product Calixin

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kerkenaar, A.; Kaars Sijpesteijn, A.

    1979-01-01

    The antifungal effects of tridemorph and its formulated product Calixin were compared in vitro on Ustilago maydis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Torulopsis candida, Botrytis allii, and Cladosporium cucumerinum. MIC values for both products were about the same. In liquid media the products were somewhat

  19. Kinesin-3 and dynein cooperate in long-range retrograde endosome motility along a nonuniform microtubule array

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schuster, M.; Kilaru, S.; Fink, G.; Collemare, J.A.R.; Roger, Y.; Steinberg, G.

    2011-01-01

    The polarity of microtubules (MTs) determines the motors for intracellular motility, with kinesins moving to plus ends and dynein to minus ends. In elongated cells of Ustilago maydis, dynein is thought to move early endosomes (EEs) toward the septum (retrograde), whereas kinesin-3 transports them to

  20. On the antifungal mode of action of tridemorph

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kerkenaar, A.; Barug, D.; Kaars Sijpesteijn, A.

    1979-01-01

    Tridemorph (2,6-dimethyl-N-tridecylmorpholine) was active against representative of nearly all taxonomic groups of fungi; gram-positive bacteria were also sensitive although gram-negative were not. Tridemorph, 3–10 μg/ml, inhibited the multiplication of sporidia of Ustilago maydis more strongly than

  1. Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Diversity in Cephalosporium maydis from Egypt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saleh, Amgad A; Zeller, Kurt A; Ismael, Abou-Serie M; Fahmy, Zeinab M; El-Assiuty, Elhamy M; Leslie, John F

    2003-07-01

    ABSTRACT Cephalosporium maydis, the causal agent of late wilt of maize, was first described in Egypt in the 1960s, where it can cause yield losses of up to 40% in susceptible plantings. We characterized 866 isolates of C. maydis collected from 14 governates in Egypt, 7 in the Nile River Delta and 7 in southern (Middle and Upper) Egypt, with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. The four AFLP primer-pair combinations generated 68 bands, 25 of which were polymorphic, resulting in 52 clonal haplotypes that clustered the 866 isolates into four phylogenetic lineages. Three lineages were found in both the Nile River Delta and southern Egypt. Lineage IV, the most diverse group (20 haplotypes), was recovered only from governates in the Nile River Delta. In some locations, one lineage dominated (up to 98% of the isolates recovered) and, from some fields, only a single haplotype was recovered. Under field conditions in Egypt, there is no evidence that C. maydis reproduces sexually. The nonuniform geographic distribution of the pathogen lineages within the country could be due to differences in climate or in the farming system, because host material differs in susceptibility and C. maydis lineages differ in pathogenicity.

  2. Genome comparison of barley and maize smut fungi reveals targeted loss of RNA silencing components and species-specific presence of transposable elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laurie, John D; Ali, Shawkat; Linning, Rob; Mannhaupt, Gertrud; Wong, Philip; Güldener, Ulrich; Münsterkötter, Martin; Moore, Richard; Kahmann, Regine; Bakkeren, Guus; Schirawski, Jan

    2012-05-01

    Ustilago hordei is a biotrophic parasite of barley (Hordeum vulgare). After seedling infection, the fungus persists in the plant until head emergence when fungal spores develop and are released from sori formed at kernel positions. The 26.1-Mb U. hordei genome contains 7113 protein encoding genes with high synteny to the smaller genomes of the related, maize-infecting smut fungi Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum but has a larger repeat content that affected genome evolution at important loci, including mating-type and effector loci. The U. hordei genome encodes components involved in RNA interference and heterochromatin formation, normally involved in genome defense, that are lacking in the U. maydis genome due to clean excision events. These excision events were possibly a result of former presence of repetitive DNA and of an efficient homologous recombination system in U. maydis. We found evidence of repeat-induced point mutations in the genome of U. hordei, indicating that smut fungi use different strategies to counteract the deleterious effects of repetitive DNA. The complement of U. hordei effector genes is comparable to the other two smuts but reveals differences in family expansion and clustering. The availability of the genome sequence will facilitate the identification of genes responsible for virulence and evolution of smut fungi on their respective hosts.

  3. The cAMP Signaling and MAP Kinase Pathways in Plant Pathogenic Fungi

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mehrabi, R.; Zhao, X.; Kim, Y.; Xu, J.R.

    2009-01-01

    The key components of the well conserved cyclic AMP signaling and MAP kinase pathways have been functionally characterized in the corn smut Ustilago maydis, rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea, and a few other fungal pathogens. In general, the cAMP signaling and the MAP kinase cascade homologous to

  4. The effect of local population of Ustilago trichophora on Echinochloa crus-galli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wojciech Pusz

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Ustilago trichophora is a pathogenic fungus infecting the grass of Echinochloa genus. The effect of this pathogen on the growth of Echinochloa was not yet described. Ustilago trichophora was found and described first time in Poland in 1998 on Echinochloa crus-galli specimen. ThenU. trichophora was found in several places in the region of Lower Silesia in the following years. The aim of the investigation was to study the effects of Ustilago trichophora on the biometric parameters of plants as well as of seeds of Echinochloa crus-galli. The infected specimens of barnyards grass were found lower, they displayed poorer tillering and they produced a smaller number of panicles than the healthy plants. Seeds from infected bunches weight, were characterized by lower germination and energy capacity than the control ones.

  5. A New Perspective on Radiation Resistance Based on Deinococcus radiodurans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-03-01

    tolerate 3,000–5000 Gy, but are rendered sterile. As a haploid, the basidiomycete fungus Ustilago maydis carries a single set of chromosomes per...salinarum NRC-1. Environ. Microbiol. 5 Jan 2009 (doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01828.x). 21. Chan, H. L. et al. Proteomic analysis of UVC irradiation

  6. Genome Comparison of Barley and Maize Smut Fungi Reveals Targeted Loss of RNA Silencing Components and Species-Specific Presence of Transposable Elements[W

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laurie, John D.; Ali, Shawkat; Linning, Rob; Mannhaupt, Gertrud; Wong, Philip; Güldener, Ulrich; Münsterkötter, Martin; Moore, Richard; Kahmann, Regine; Bakkeren, Guus; Schirawski, Jan

    2012-01-01

    Ustilago hordei is a biotrophic parasite of barley (Hordeum vulgare). After seedling infection, the fungus persists in the plant until head emergence when fungal spores develop and are released from sori formed at kernel positions. The 26.1-Mb U. hordei genome contains 7113 protein encoding genes with high synteny to the smaller genomes of the related, maize-infecting smut fungi Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum but has a larger repeat content that affected genome evolution at important loci, including mating-type and effector loci. The U. hordei genome encodes components involved in RNA interference and heterochromatin formation, normally involved in genome defense, that are lacking in the U. maydis genome due to clean excision events. These excision events were possibly a result of former presence of repetitive DNA and of an efficient homologous recombination system in U. maydis. We found evidence of repeat-induced point mutations in the genome of U. hordei, indicating that smut fungi use different strategies to counteract the deleterious effects of repetitive DNA. The complement of U. hordei effector genes is comparable to the other two smuts but reveals differences in family expansion and clustering. The availability of the genome sequence will facilitate the identification of genes responsible for virulence and evolution of smut fungi on their respective hosts. PMID:22623492

  7. Basidiomycosis: a review of the literature Basidiomicoses: revisão da literatura

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos da Silva Lacaz

    1996-10-01

    Full Text Available The basidiomycosis, fungal infections provoked by basidiomycetes or agaric fungi have been recorded at growing frequencies in the medical literature, especially after the advent of AIDS in 1991. The basidiospores of these fungi, scattered in the atmosphere and transported by winds or air currents, reach the maxillary sinuses through the nasal route, most of the times causing signs and symptoms of chronic sinusitis. Basidiomycetes have also been isolated from sputum, especially Schizophyllum commune. Lesions of the buccal mucosa, brain abscesses, onychomycosis and endocarditis have been described, with a growing interest in this type of deep mycosis on the part of mycologists and infectologists. The present paper reports descriptions of mycetism as well as infectious processes caused by basidiomycetes, such as Schizophyllum commune, Ustilago maydis (= Ustilago zeae and Coprinus cinereusAs basidiomicoses, infecções fúngicas provocadas por basidiomicetos ou agáricos vêm sendo registradas cada vez com maior frequência na literatura médica, principalmente após o advento da AIDS/SIDA, em 1981. Os basidiosporos desses fungos, espalhados na atmosfera e veiculados através do vento ou de correntes aéreas, atingem por via nasal os seios maxilares, provocando quadros de sinusite crônica, na maioria das vezes. Do escarro também têm sido isolados basidiomicetos, principalmente o Schizophyllum commune. Lesões da mucosa da boca, abscessos cerebrais, onicomicoses e endocardites já foram descritas, aumentando o interesse dos micologistas e infectologistas para este tipo de micose profunda. O presente trabalho assinala, ao lado dos quadros dc micetismo, processos infecciosos provocados por basidiomicetos, a exemplo do Schizophyllum commune, Ustilago maydis (= Ustilago zeae e Coprinus cinereus.

  8. Aggressiveness between genetic groups I and II of isolates of Cercospora zeae-maydis Agressividade entre isolados dos grupos genéticos I e II de Cercospora zeae-maydis

    OpenAIRE

    Sandra Marisa Mathioni; Carvalho; Kátia Regiane Brunelli; André Beló; Luis Eduardo Aranha Camargo

    2006-01-01

    For many years, the gray leaf spot disease (GLS) caused by the fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis Tehon & Daniels, was not considered an important pathogen of maize (Zea mays, L.) in Brazil. However, the recent adoption of agronomical practices such as no-tillage and cultivation under central pivot irrigation systems increased the incidence and severity to the extent that GLS is now one of the most important diseases of maize. Isolates of C. zeae-maydis can be distinguished by two genetic groups (...

  9. An Immunity-Triggering Effector from the Barley Smut Fungus Ustilago hordei Resides in an Ustilaginaceae-Specific Cluster Bearing Signs of Transposable Element-Assisted Evolution

    KAUST Repository

    Ali, Shawkat

    2014-07-03

    The basidiomycete smut fungus Ustilago hordei was previously shown to comprise isolates that are avirulent on various barley host cultivars. Through genetic crosses we had revealed that a dominant avirulence locus UhAvr1 which triggers immunity in barley cultivar Hannchen harboring resistance gene Ruh1, resided within an 80-kb region. DNA sequence analysis of this genetically delimited region uncovered the presence of 7 candidate secreted effector proteins. Sequence comparison of their coding sequences among virulent and avirulent parental and field isolates could not distinguish UhAvr1 candidates. Systematic deletion and complementation analyses revealed that UhAvr1 is UHOR_10022 which codes for a small effector protein of 171 amino acids with a predicted 19 amino acid signal peptide. Virulence in the parental isolate is caused by the insertion of a fragment of 5.5 kb with similarity to a common U. hordei transposable element (TE), interrupting the promoter of UhAvr1 and thereby changing expression and hence recognition of UhAVR1p. This rearrangement is likely caused by activities of TEs and variation is seen among isolates. Using GFP-chimeric constructs we show that UhAvr1 is induced only in mated dikaryotic hyphae upon sensing and infecting barley coleoptile cells. When infecting Hannchen, UhAVR1p causes local callose deposition and the production of reactive oxygen species and necrosis indicative of the immune response. UhAvr1 does not contribute significantly to overall virulence. UhAvr1 is located in a cluster of ten effectors with several paralogs and over 50% of TEs. This cluster is syntenous with clusters in closely-related U. maydis and Sporisorium reilianum. In these corn-infecting species, these clusters harbor however more and further diversified homologous effector families but very few TEs. This increased variability may have resulted from past selection pressure by resistance genes since U. maydis is not known to trigger immunity in its corn host.

  10. An immunity-triggering effector from the Barley smut fungus Ustilago hordei resides in an Ustilaginaceae-specific cluster bearing signs of transposable element-assisted evolution.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shawkat Ali

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The basidiomycete smut fungus Ustilago hordei was previously shown to comprise isolates that are avirulent on various barley host cultivars. Through genetic crosses we had revealed that a dominant avirulence locus UhAvr1 which triggers immunity in barley cultivar Hannchen harboring resistance gene Ruh1, resided within an 80-kb region. DNA sequence analysis of this genetically delimited region uncovered the presence of 7 candidate secreted effector proteins. Sequence comparison of their coding sequences among virulent and avirulent parental and field isolates could not distinguish UhAvr1 candidates. Systematic deletion and complementation analyses revealed that UhAvr1 is UHOR_10022 which codes for a small effector protein of 171 amino acids with a predicted 19 amino acid signal peptide. Virulence in the parental isolate is caused by the insertion of a fragment of 5.5 kb with similarity to a common U. hordei transposable element (TE, interrupting the promoter of UhAvr1 and thereby changing expression and hence recognition of UhAVR1p. This rearrangement is likely caused by activities of TEs and variation is seen among isolates. Using GFP-chimeric constructs we show that UhAvr1 is induced only in mated dikaryotic hyphae upon sensing and infecting barley coleoptile cells. When infecting Hannchen, UhAVR1p causes local callose deposition and the production of reactive oxygen species and necrosis indicative of the immune response. UhAvr1 does not contribute significantly to overall virulence. UhAvr1 is located in a cluster of ten effectors with several paralogs and over 50% of TEs. This cluster is syntenous with clusters in closely-related U. maydis and Sporisorium reilianum. In these corn-infecting species, these clusters harbor however more and further diversified homologous effector families but very few TEs. This increased variability may have resulted from past selection pressure by resistance genes since U. maydis is not known to trigger immunity

  11. An Immunity-Triggering Effector from the Barley Smut Fungus Ustilago hordei Resides in an Ustilaginaceae-Specific Cluster Bearing Signs of Transposable Element-Assisted Evolution

    KAUST Repository

    Ali, Shawkat; Laurie, John D.; Linning, Rob; Cervantes-Chá vez, José Antonio; Gaudet, Denis; Bakkeren, Guus

    2014-01-01

    The basidiomycete smut fungus Ustilago hordei was previously shown to comprise isolates that are avirulent on various barley host cultivars. Through genetic crosses we had revealed that a dominant avirulence locus UhAvr1 which triggers immunity in barley cultivar Hannchen harboring resistance gene Ruh1, resided within an 80-kb region. DNA sequence analysis of this genetically delimited region uncovered the presence of 7 candidate secreted effector proteins. Sequence comparison of their coding sequences among virulent and avirulent parental and field isolates could not distinguish UhAvr1 candidates. Systematic deletion and complementation analyses revealed that UhAvr1 is UHOR_10022 which codes for a small effector protein of 171 amino acids with a predicted 19 amino acid signal peptide. Virulence in the parental isolate is caused by the insertion of a fragment of 5.5 kb with similarity to a common U. hordei transposable element (TE), interrupting the promoter of UhAvr1 and thereby changing expression and hence recognition of UhAVR1p. This rearrangement is likely caused by activities of TEs and variation is seen among isolates. Using GFP-chimeric constructs we show that UhAvr1 is induced only in mated dikaryotic hyphae upon sensing and infecting barley coleoptile cells. When infecting Hannchen, UhAVR1p causes local callose deposition and the production of reactive oxygen species and necrosis indicative of the immune response. UhAvr1 does not contribute significantly to overall virulence. UhAvr1 is located in a cluster of ten effectors with several paralogs and over 50% of TEs. This cluster is syntenous with clusters in closely-related U. maydis and Sporisorium reilianum. In these corn-infecting species, these clusters harbor however more and further diversified homologous effector families but very few TEs. This increased variability may have resulted from past selection pressure by resistance genes since U. maydis is not known to trigger immunity in its corn host.

  12. Genetic diversity of Ustilago scitaminea Syd. in Southern China ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The polymorphism and similarity relationships among 35 mating-type isolates of Ustilago scitaminea collected from Southern China were determined with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analyses. These fungal isolates were collected from 16 sugarcane cultivars ...

  13. Aggressiveness of Cephalosporium maydis causing late wilt of maize in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Carneros, A B; Girón, I; Molinero-Ruiz, L

    2012-01-01

    Late wilt of maize, caused by the vascular and soilborne pathogen Cephalosporium maydis, was identified in the Iberian Peninsula in 2008. During the last years the incidence and economical impact of the disease has importantly increased both in Portugal and Spain. Varieties of maize displaying tolerance to the pathogen are available, but the effectiveness can be dependent on the virulence of the fungus (i.e. ability to cause disease on a specific genotype). On the other hand, strains of crop pathogens from different geographic origins can differ with regard to the degree of disease caused on a specific genotype (i.e. aggressiveness). Our working hypothesis was that isolates of C. maydis from different maize growing areas may differ in aggressiveness towards maize plants. Seven fungal strains were isolated in 2009 from diseased plants collected in the most important maize growing regions of Spain and used to inoculate two susceptible maize varieties grown in shadehouse from March to July 2010. The experimental unit consisted of two 4-day-old seedlings planted in an 8-liter pot filled with sand/silt previously infested with 200 g of wheat grains colonized by the fungi. Non colonized wheat grains were used for the control treatments. Six replications (pots) were established for each variety/isolate combination according to a complete randomized 2 x 8 factorial design. The percentage of necrotic and dry aboveground tissues was recorded 14 weeks after inoculation and thereafter weekly until physiological senescence of the control plants. At the end of the experiment, weights of roots and aboveground parts of the plants were recorded. Initial occurrence of symptoms in the plants was significantly dependent on the isolate of C. maydis and on the maize variety. However, final severity of aboveground symptoms (leaf necroses and drying up) was only dependent on the fungal isolate. All the isolates significantly reduced the root weight of both varieties of maize. The highest

  14. Aggressiveness between genetic groups I and II of isolates of Cercospora zeae-maydis Agressividade entre isolados dos grupos genéticos I e II de Cercospora zeae-maydis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandra Marisa Mathioni

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available For many years, the gray leaf spot disease (GLS caused by the fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis Tehon & Daniels, was not considered an important pathogen of maize (Zea mays, L. in Brazil. However, the recent adoption of agronomical practices such as no-tillage and cultivation under central pivot irrigation systems increased the incidence and severity to the extent that GLS is now one of the most important diseases of maize. Isolates of C. zeae-maydis can be distinguished by two genetic groups (I and II based on AFLP markers and on polymorphisms of the ITS and 5.8S rDNA regions. Until now, however, the biological implications of this distinction remain unclear. This study investigated whether isolates from the two genetic groups differ in aggressiveness towards maize. For this, symptoms of a susceptible hybrid were evaluated under greenhouse conditions with 9 and 11 isolates of C. zeae-maydis from groups I and II, respectively. Plants in the V3 growth stage were inoculated by placing sorghum seeds colonized with the pathogen in the leaf whorl and symptoms were evaluated with a visual rating scale 30 days later. On average, isolates of genetic group II were more aggressive than those of group I, with mean disease scores of 3.1 and 2.3, respectively. Differences were also observed between experiments, which suggested that group I and II might also differ in their fitness under different environments. This is the first report on differences in aggressiveness between the two genetic groups of C. zeae-maydis.Durante muitos anos, a cercosporiose, causada pelo fungo Cercospora zeae-maydis Tehon & Daniels, não foi considerada importante para a cultura do milho (Zea mays, L. no Brasil. Entretanto, a recente utilização de práticas culturais como o plantio direto e o cultivo sob pivôs centrais favoreceram o aumento de sua severidade e incidência, de forma que a doença é hoje considerada uma das mais importantes da cultura. Isolados de C. zeae-maydis

  15. F-16 Microbially Influenced Corrosion (MIC) Characterization & Prevention Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-12

    Staphylococcus epidermidis Fungal Consortium Aspergillus fumigatus Fusarium oxysporum Penicillium oxalicum Rhodoturula sp . Trichoderma sp . Control... sp . (FI-18) – Hypocrea jecorina (FI-1) Penicillium oxalicum (FI-12) – Pleosporacea sp . (FI-17) Rhodoturala mucilaginosa (FI-7) – Ustilago maydis (FI...Growth, or Soil and Dirt Accumulation • Fungal Consortium – Aspergillus sp (FI-19) Aureobasidium pullulans (FI-16) – Fusarium oxysporum (FI-6) Fusarium

  16. Aggressiveness between genetic groups I and II of isolates of Cercospora zeae-maydis

    OpenAIRE

    Mathioni, Sandra Marisa; Carvalho,; Brunelli, Kátia Regiane; Beló, André; Camargo, Luis Eduardo Aranha

    2006-01-01

    For many years, the gray leaf spot disease (GLS) caused by the fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis Tehon & Daniels, was not considered an important pathogen of maize (Zea mays, L.) in Brazil. However, the recent adoption of agronomical practices such as no-tillage and cultivation under central pivot irrigation systems increased the incidence and severity to the extent that GLS is now one of the most important diseases of maize. Isolates of C. zeae-maydis can be distinguished by two genetic groups (...

  17. Aggressiveness between genetic groups I and II of isolates of Cercospora zeae-maydis

    OpenAIRE

    Mathioni,Sandra Marisa; Carvalho,; Brunelli,Kátia Regiane; Beló,André; Camargo,Luis Eduardo Aranha

    2006-01-01

    For many years, the gray leaf spot disease (GLS) caused by the fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis Tehon & Daniels, was not considered an important pathogen of maize (Zea mays, L.) in Brazil. However, the recent adoption of agronomical practices such as no-tillage and cultivation under central pivot irrigation systems increased the incidence and severity to the extent that GLS is now one of the most important diseases of maize. Isolates of C. zeae-maydis can be distinguished by two genetic grou...

  18. Microbial Influenced Corrosion (MIC) Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-23

    fumigatus Fusarium oxysporum Fungal Consortium Penicillium oxalicum Rhodoturula sp . Trichoderma sp . Dosed with microbes known to influence Control...Hypocrea jecorina (FI-1) Penicillium oxalicum (FI-12) – Pleosporacea sp . (FI-17) Rhodoturala mucilaginosa (FI-7) – Ustilago maydis (FI-13) T t S t• es...and Dirt Accumulation • Fungal Consortium – Aspergillus sp (FI-19) Aureobasidium pullulans (FI-16) – Fusarium oxysporum (FI-6) Fusarium sp . (FI-18

  19. Genética de la resistencia al complejo Phyllachora maydis Maubl., Monographella maydis Müller & Samuels y Coniothyrium phyllachorae Maubl., en diversos genotipos de maíz (Zea mays L.).

    OpenAIRE

    Hernández Ramos, Lervin

    2014-01-01

    El complejo de la mancha de asfalto del maíz, inducido por los hongos Phyllachora maydis y Monographella maydis, es una enfermedad de importancia económica en México y Centroamérica, debido a que provoca severas pérdidas en el rendimiento y deteriora la calidad del forraje. El mejoramiento genético de la resistencia del hospedante a través de la generación de genotipos resistentes representa la medida de control más eficiente para el control de la enfermedad. Se conoce poco respecto a la base...

  20. Regulation of stomatal tropism and infection by light in Cercospora zeae-maydis: evidence for coordinated host/pathogen responses to photoperiod?

    OpenAIRE

    Hun Kim; John B Ridenour; Larry D Dunkle; Burton H Bluhm

    2011-01-01

    Cercospora zeae-maydis causes gray leaf spot of maize, which has become one of the most widespread and destructive diseases of maize in the world. C. zeae-maydis infects leaves through stomata, which is predicated on the ability of the pathogen to perceive stomata and reorient growth accordingly. In this study, the discovery that light was required for C. zeae-maydis to perceive stomata and infect leaves led to the identification of CRP1, a gene encoding a putative blue-light photoreceptor ho...

  1. Analyses of expressed sequence tags from the maize foliar pathogen Cercospora zeae-maydis identify novel genes expressed during vegetative, infectious, and reproductive growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bluhm, Burton H; Dhillon, Braham; Lindquist, Erika A; Kema, Gert Hj; Goodwin, Stephen B; Dunkle, Larry D

    2008-11-04

    The ascomycete fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis is an aggressive foliar pathogen of maize that causes substantial losses annually throughout the Western Hemisphere. Despite its impact on maize production, little is known about the regulation of pathogenesis in C. zeae-maydis at the molecular level. The objectives of this study were to generate a collection of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from C. zeae-maydis and evaluate their expression during vegetative, infectious, and reproductive growth. A total of 27,551 ESTs was obtained from five cDNA libraries constructed from vegetative and sporulating cultures of C. zeae-maydis. The ESTs, grouped into 4088 clusters and 531 singlets, represented 4619 putative unique genes. Of these, 36% encoded proteins similar (E value zeae-maydis, providing specific targets for characterization by molecular genetics and functional genomics. The EST data establish a foundation for future studies in evolutionary and comparative genomics among species of Cercospora and other groups of plant pathogenic fungi.

  2. The role of certain oxidative enzymes, catalase, and beta-glucosidase on virulence of Cephalosporium maydis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abd-Elrazik, A; Darweish, F A; Rushdi, M H

    1978-01-01

    Isolates of Cephalosporium maydis varied in their pathogenicity to D.C. 67 maize cultivar from highly to weakly pathogenic. Highly pathogenic isolates showed lower activity of polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, cytochrome oxidase, and beta-glucosidase enzymes and higher activity of catalase and dehydrogenase than weakly pathogenic isolates. Enzymes production by the tested isolates increased as the culture age increased; except in case of catalase enzyme, the reverse action was detected. The role of these enzymes in the virulence of C. maydis is suggested and discussed.

  3. Analyses of expressed sequence tags from the maize foliar pathogen Cercospora zeae-maydis identity novel genes expressed during vegetative infectious, and repoductive growth

    OpenAIRE

    Bluhm, B.H.; Lindquist, E.; Kema, G.H.J.; Goodwin, S.B.; Dunkle, L.D.

    2008-01-01

    The ascomycete fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis is an aggressive foliar pathogen of maize that causes substantial losses annually throughout the Western Hemisphere. Despite its impact on maize production, little is known about the regulation of pathogenesis in C. zeae-maydis at the molecular level. The objectives of this study were to generate a collection of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from C. zeae-maydis and evaluate their expression during vegetative, infectious, and reproductive growth. R...

  4. Analyses of expressed sequence tags from the maize foliar pathogen Cercospora zeae-maydis identify novel genes expressed during vegetative, infectious, and reproductive growth

    OpenAIRE

    Bluhm, Burton H; Dhillon, Braham; Lindquist, Erika A; Kema, Gert HJ; Goodwin, Stephen B; Dunkle, Larry D

    2008-01-01

    Abstract Background The ascomycete fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis is an aggressive foliar pathogen of maize that causes substantial losses annually throughout the Western Hemisphere. Despite its impact on maize production, little is known about the regulation of pathogenesis in C. zeae-maydis at the molecular level. The objectives of this study were to generate a collection of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from C. zeae-maydis and evaluate their expression during vegetative, infectious, and re...

  5. Genetic Relatedness of African and United States Populations of Cercospora zeae-maydis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunkle, L D; Levy, M

    2000-05-01

    Two taxonomically identical but genetically distinct sibling species, designated groups I and II, of Cercospora zeae-maydis cause gray leaf spot of maize in the United States. Isolates of the gray leaf spot pathogen from Africa were compared with isolates from the United States by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis and restriction digests of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and 5.8S ribosomal DNA (rDNA), as well as by morphological and cultural characteristics. The isolates from Africa were morphologically indistinguishable from the U.S. isolates in both groups, but like isolates of group II, they grew more slowly and failed to produce detectable amounts of cercosporin in culture. Analysis of restriction fragments from the ITS and rDNA regions digested with five endonucleases indicated that all of the African isolates shared the profile of the C. zeae-maydis group II population from the eastern United States and, thus, are distinct from the group I population, which is more prevalent in the United States and other parts of the world. Cluster analysis of 85 AFLP loci confirmed that the African and U.S. group II populations were conspecific (greater than 97% average similarity) with limited variability. Among all group II isolates, only 8 of 57 AFLP loci were polymorphic, and none was specific to either population. Thus, although gray leaf spot was reported in the United States several decades prior to the first record in Africa, the relative age of the two populations on their respective continents could not be ascertained with confidence. The absence of C. zeae-maydis group I in our samples from four countries in the major maize-producing region of Africa as well as the greater AFLP haplotype diversity found in the African group II population, however, suggest that Africa was the source of C. zeae-maydis group II in the United States. The overall paucity of AFLP variation in this sibling species further suggests that its origin is

  6. Regulation of stomatal tropism and infection by light in Cercospora zeae-maydis: evidence for coordinated host/pathogen responses to photoperiod?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hun Kim

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Cercospora zeae-maydis causes gray leaf spot of maize, which has become one of the most widespread and destructive diseases of maize in the world. C. zeae-maydis infects leaves through stomata, which is predicated on the ability of the pathogen to perceive stomata and reorient growth accordingly. In this study, the discovery that light was required for C. zeae-maydis to perceive stomata and infect leaves led to the identification of CRP1, a gene encoding a putative blue-light photoreceptor homologous to White Collar-1 (WC-1 of Neurospora crassa. Disrupting CRP1 via homologous recombination revealed roles in multiple aspects of pathogenesis, including tropism of hyphae to stomata, the formation of appressoria, conidiation, and the biosynthesis of cercosporin. CRP1 was also required for photoreactivation after lethal doses of UV exposure. Intriguingly, putative orthologs of CRP1 are central regulators of circadian clocks in other filamentous fungi, raising the possibility that C. zeae-maydis uses light as a key environmental input to coordinate pathogenesis with maize photoperiodic responses. This study identified a novel molecular mechanism underlying stomatal tropism in a foliar fungal pathogen, provides specific insight into how light regulates pathogenesis in C. zeae-maydis, and establishes a genetic framework for the molecular dissection of infection via stomata and the integration of host and pathogen responses to photoperiod.

  7. Regulation of stomatal tropism and infection by light in Cercospora zeae-maydis: evidence for coordinated host/pathogen responses to photoperiod?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hun; Ridenour, John B; Dunkle, Larry D; Bluhm, Burton H

    2011-07-01

    Cercospora zeae-maydis causes gray leaf spot of maize, which has become one of the most widespread and destructive diseases of maize in the world. C. zeae-maydis infects leaves through stomata, which is predicated on the ability of the pathogen to perceive stomata and reorient growth accordingly. In this study, the discovery that light was required for C. zeae-maydis to perceive stomata and infect leaves led to the identification of CRP1, a gene encoding a putative blue-light photoreceptor homologous to White Collar-1 (WC-1) of Neurospora crassa. Disrupting CRP1 via homologous recombination revealed roles in multiple aspects of pathogenesis, including tropism of hyphae to stomata, the formation of appressoria, conidiation, and the biosynthesis of cercosporin. CRP1 was also required for photoreactivation after lethal doses of UV exposure. Intriguingly, putative orthologs of CRP1 are central regulators of circadian clocks in other filamentous fungi, raising the possibility that C. zeae-maydis uses light as a key environmental input to coordinate pathogenesis with maize photoperiodic responses. This study identified a novel molecular mechanism underlying stomatal tropism in a foliar fungal pathogen, provides specific insight into how light regulates pathogenesis in C. zeae-maydis, and establishes a genetic framework for the molecular dissection of infection via stomata and the integration of host and pathogen responses to photoperiod.

  8. The 'PhenoBox', a flexible, automated, open-source plant phenotyping solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czedik-Eysenberg, Angelika; Seitner, Sebastian; Güldener, Ulrich; Koemeda, Stefanie; Jez, Jakub; Colombini, Martin; Djamei, Armin

    2018-04-05

    There is a need for flexible and affordable plant phenotyping solutions for basic research and plant breeding. We demonstrate our open source plant imaging and processing solution ('PhenoBox'/'PhenoPipe') and provide construction plans, source code and documentation to rebuild the system. Use of the PhenoBox is exemplified by studying infection of the model grass Brachypodium distachyon by the head smut fungus Ustilago bromivora, comparing phenotypic responses of maize to infection with a solopathogenic Ustilago maydis (corn smut) strain and effector deletion strains, and studying salt stress response in Nicotiana benthamiana. In U. bromivora-infected grass, phenotypic differences between infected and uninfected plants were detectable weeks before qualitative head smut symptoms. Based on this, we could predict the infection outcome for individual plants with high accuracy. Using a PhenoPipe module for calculation of multi-dimensional distances from phenotyping data, we observe a time after infection-dependent impact of U. maydis effector deletion strains on phenotypic response in maize. The PhenoBox/PhenoPipe system is able to detect established salt stress responses in N. benthamiana. We have developed an affordable, automated, open source imaging and data processing solution that can be adapted to various phenotyping applications in plant biology and beyond. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

  9. Bean polygalacturonase inhibitor protein-1 (PGIP-1) inhibits polygalacturonases from Stenocarpella maydis

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Berger, DK

    2000-07-01

    Full Text Available Stenocarpella maydis, a fungal pathogen of maize, produced polygalacturonases (PGs) when grown on pectin or maize cell walls. An extract from bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) which contained an active inhibitor of Aspergillus niger PG, also inhibited S...

  10. Analyses of expressed sequence tags from the maize foliar pathogen Cercospora zeae-maydis identity novel genes expressed during vegetative infectious, and repoductive growth

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bluhm, B.H.; Lindquist, E.; Kema, G.H.J.; Goodwin, S.B.; Dunkle, L.D.

    2008-01-01

    The ascomycete fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis is an aggressive foliar pathogen of maize that causes substantial losses annually throughout the Western Hemisphere. Despite its impact on maize production, little is known about the regulation of pathogenesis in C. zeae-maydis at the molecular level. The

  11. Przenoszenie się grzyba Ustilago perennans Bostr. z nasionami rajgrasu wyniosłego [Transmission of Ustilago perennans Rostr. with tall oat grass seeds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. W. Tomala-Bednarek

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available It was established that the mycelium of Ustilago perennans does not grow into the pericarp and seed coat of Arrhenatherum elatius caryopses. The main source of seedling infection at this year .seeds sowing were mycelium and gemmes present in hull tissues whereas ait last-year seeds sowing-the spores wintering on the hull and caryopsis surfaces, as they proved to be more survived. The ability of the fungus to seedling infection was decreasing gradually with the seed ageing.

  12. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation as an efficient tool for insertional mutagenesis of Cercospora zeae-maydis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yuanyuan; Xiao, Shuqin; Wang, Fen; Sun, Jiaying; Zhao, Likun; Yan, Libin; Xue, Chunsheng

    2017-02-01

    An efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) approach was developed for the plant pathogenic fungus, Cercospora zeae-maydis, which is the causative agent of gray leaf spot in maize. The transformation was evaluated with five parameters to test the efficiencies of transformation. Results showed that spore germination time, co-cultivation temperature and time were the significant influencing factors in all parameters. Randomly selected transformants were confirmed and the transformants were found to be mitotically stable, with single-copy T-DNA integration in the genome. T-DNA flanking sequences were cloned by thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR. Thus, the ATMT approach is an efficient tool for insertional mutagenesis of C. zeae-maydis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Mutagenesis-based research aimed at obtaining resistance to Helminthosporium maydis, straint T, in maize with Texas male sterile cytoplasm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cornu, A.; Vuillaume, E.; Cassini, R.; Berville, A.

    1977-01-01

    Mutagenesis was used on the French line F7T, with Texas male sterile cytoplasm, in order to obtain plants resistant to Helminthosporium maydis. The M 3 seedlings were screened for resistance either by using a fungus culture filtrate or through contamination with the fungus itself. In the first tests, carried out after the seeds had been treated with an aqueous solution of EMS, a number of families exhibiting original types of resistance to Helminthosporium maydis, strain T, were isolated. (author)

  14. Detection of Ustilago nuda (Jensen) Rostrup in winter barley seed

    OpenAIRE

    Ignjatov Maja; Petrović Dragana; Vujaković Milka; Taški-Ajduković Ksenija; Nikolić Zorica; Jovičić Dušica

    2011-01-01

    Barley is one of the most important cereals grown in our agroecological conditions. The causal agent of loose smut on barley Ustilago nuda (Jensen) Rostrup occurs frequently as varieties susceptible to this pathogen are present in the production. Disease symptoms are manifested on barley head (spike). Parasite is transmitted by seed (seedborne) and stays in the embryo tissue of the infected kernel as dormant mycelium. Recommended method for detection of U. nuda is given by ISTA Rules (method ...

  15. Siderophores as iron storage compounds in the yeasts Rhodotorula minuta and Ustilago sphaerogena detected by in vivo Moessbauer spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matzanke, B.F.; Winkelmann, G.; Bill, E.; Trautwein, A.X.

    1990-01-01

    In the yeasts Rhodotorula minuta and Ustilago sphaerogena siderophores represent the main intracellular iron pool. We suggest a ferritin substituting function of these siderophores in addition to their role as iron transport agents. In Rhodotorula transport and storage siderophore is the same compound whereas in Ustilago the iron-storage siderophore is ferrichrome. Besides siderophores, merely two iron metabolites can be observed. Other iron-requiring compounds are at least one order of magnitude less abundant in these yeasts. The ferrous metabolite has been detected in many other microbial systems and seems to be of general occurence and importance. (orig.)

  16. Evidence for resistance polymorphism in the Bromus tectorum/Ustilago bullata pathosystem: implications for biocontrol

    Science.gov (United States)

    S. E. Meyer; D. L. Nelson; S. Clement

    2001-01-01

    Bromus tectorum L. (cheatgrass or downy brome) is an important exotic weed in natural ecosystems as well as in winter cereal cropland in semiarid western North America. The systemic, seedling-infecting head smut pathogen Ustilago bullata Berk. commonly infects cheatgrass stands, often at epidemic levels. We examined factors...

  17. Capacidade de combinação em milho para resistência a Cercospora zeae-maydis Combining ability in maize for resistance to the Cercospora zeae-maydis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcio José Engelsing

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available A resistência obtida pelo componente genético é um dos métodos mais eficientes de controle das doenças foliares da cultura do milho. Para avaliar a capacidade geral de combinação (CGC, capacidade específica de combinação (CEC, recíprocos, efeito materno e não-materno para resistência a Cercospora zeae-maydis, cinco linhagens (A, B, C, D e E foram cruzadas e os vinte híbridos obtidos foram utilizados em experimentos conduzidos em três ambientes. Foram avaliados a severidade da cercosporiose (CP no estádio fenológico R5 e o rendimento de grãos (RG na colheita. A análise dialélica demonstrou que ocorreu interação significativa (P The resistance due to genetic component is the most efficient method to control maize leaf diseases. The general combining ability (GCA, the specific combining ability (SCA, the reciprocal, the maternal and the not-maternal were evaluated for resistance to the Cercospora zeae-maydis at twenty hybrids. The hybrids were originated from crosses of five parents (A, B, C, D and E. The experiment was conducted in three environments. The resistance to Cercospora zeae-maydis was evaluated using grain yield (RG in the harvest and the severity of Gray leaf spot (GLS at physiological maturation, using the scale proposed by Agroceres (1996. The dialelic analysis demonstrated a significant interaction (P < 0,05 between hybrids versus places for GLS and RG. For the variable GLS, the GCA demonstrated that the best genitors had been D and E, different of that observed in grain yield (A and B. When considering SCA, the best hybrids combinations at the average places were AxD, BxE, AxE and BxC, and should be recommended the maintenance of these hybrids in the company breeding program.

  18. Siderophores as iron storage compounds in the yeasts Rhodotorula minuta and Ustilago sphaerogena detected by in vivo Mössbauer spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matzanke, B. F.; Bill, E.; Trautwein, A. X.; Winkelmann, G.

    1990-07-01

    In the yeasts Rhodotorula minuta and Ustilago sphaerogena siderophores represent the main intracellular iron pool. We suggest a ferritin substituting function of these siderophores in addition to their role as iron transport agents. In Rhodotorula transport and storage siderophore is the same compound whereas in Ustilago the iron-storage siderophore is ferrichrome. Besides siderophores, merely two iron metabolites can be observed. Other iron-requiring compounds are at least one order of magnitude less abundant in these yeasts. The ferrous metabolite has been detected in many other microbial systems and seems to be of general occurence and importance.

  19. Analyses of expressed sequence tags from the maize foliar pathogen Cercospora zeae-maydis identify novel genes expressed during vegetative, infectious, and reproductive growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kema Gert HJ

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The ascomycete fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis is an aggressive foliar pathogen of maize that causes substantial losses annually throughout the Western Hemisphere. Despite its impact on maize production, little is known about the regulation of pathogenesis in C. zeae-maydis at the molecular level. The objectives of this study were to generate a collection of expressed sequence tags (ESTs from C. zeae-maydis and evaluate their expression during vegetative, infectious, and reproductive growth. Results A total of 27,551 ESTs was obtained from five cDNA libraries constructed from vegetative and sporulating cultures of C. zeae-maydis. The ESTs, grouped into 4088 clusters and 531 singlets, represented 4619 putative unique genes. Of these, 36% encoded proteins similar (E value ≤ 10-05 to characterized or annotated proteins from the NCBI non-redundant database representing diverse molecular functions and biological processes based on Gene Ontology (GO classification. We identified numerous, previously undescribed genes with potential roles in photoreception, pathogenesis, and the regulation of development as well as Zephyr, a novel, actively transcribed transposable element. Differential expression of selected genes was demonstrated by real-time PCR, supporting their proposed roles in vegetative, infectious, and reproductive growth. Conclusion Novel genes that are potentially involved in regulating growth, development, and pathogenesis were identified in C. zeae-maydis, providing specific targets for characterization by molecular genetics and functional genomics. The EST data establish a foundation for future studies in evolutionary and comparative genomics among species of Cercospora and other groups of plant pathogenic fungi.

  20. Population studies of Cercospora zeae-maydis and related Cercospora fungi

    OpenAIRE

    Okori, Patrick

    2004-01-01

    Grey leaf spot caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis is considered a global threat to maize production. In Africa, the disease was first reported just over 10 years ago, but has rapidly spread to most maize growing countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Being a rapidly spreading new disease in the region, demands for a quick but effective control strategy. Since pathogen populations cause epiphytotics, it is logical that control strategies should target populations rather than individuals. Effectiveness...

  1. Damages caused by Bipolaris maydis in Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia Dano causado por Bipolaris maydis em Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gilmar Franzener

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to evaluate the damage caused by Bipolaris maydis in the quantity and quality of the Tanzania grass production. Tanzania grass plants were cultivated in pots of PVC tubes (50 cm of height x 15 cm of diameter containing a mixture of soil and sand (3:1. The plants were inoculated with spore pathogen suspension containing 102, 104 and 106 conidia/mL to obtain different levels of disease. Severity and number of tillers were evaluated weekly. After four weeks, it were evaluated the weight of the fresh matter of leaves (FM, percentage of dry matter (DM, crude protein (CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF and acid detergent fiber (ADF. The disease reduced significantly the plant tillering and FM after the second evaluation (P O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o dano causado por Bipolaris maydis (helmintosporiose na quantidade e qualidade da produção do capim Tanzânia. Plantas de capim Tanzânia foram cultivadas em vasos de tubos de PVC (50 cm de altura x 15 cm de diâmetro contendo mistura solo/areia (3:1. As plantas foram inoculadas com suspensões de esporos do patógeno com diferentes concentrações (102, 104 e 106 conídios/mL, visando obter gradiente de severidade de manchas foliares. Foram realizadas avaliações semanais da severidade e do número de perfilhos. Após quatro semanas avaliou-se o peso da matéria fresca de folhas (MF, porcentagem de matéria seca (PMS, de proteína bruta (PB, de fibra em detergente neutro (FDN e de fibra em detergente ácido (FDA. A doença reduziu significativamente o perfilhamento e MF a partir da segunda avaliação (P < 0,05. Não houve correlação significativa entre as variáveis PMS, FDA e área abaixo da curva de progresso da doença (AACPD. No entanto, houve correlação positiva (P < 0,01 e negativa (P < 0 ,05 entre PB e FDN, respectivamente, com a AACPD, como possível resultado da atividade do patógeno. Estes resultados indicam que B. maydis inibe o desenvolvimento do

  2. Effecf of pH and some cations on activity of acid phosphatase secreted from Ustilago sp. isolated from acid sulphate soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chairatana Nilnond

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Acid phosphatase secreted from Ustilago sp. is able to hydrolyze organic phosphorus. These soil yeast microorganisms were isolated from rice roots grown in acid sulphate soil that generally contains highamount of aluminum (Al, iron (Fe and manganese (Mn ions. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to examine the effect of pH and some cations on acid phosphatase activity. Two isolates of Ustilago sp., AR101and AR102, were cultured in 100 mL of modified Pikovskaya's broth containing Na-phytate, pH 4, and acid phosphatase activity was determined at pH 2.0-7.0. Effect of Al, Fe, and Mn, including calcium (Ca ions,on growth of AR101 and AR102, secreted acid phosphatase activity, and the ability of acid phosphatase on the phosphorus release from Na-phytate by Ustilago sp. were investigated. It was found that the optimum pH for acid phosphatase activity was 3.5-4.5. The activity of acid phosphatase secreted from AR101 (3,690nmol min-1 mL-1 was remarkably higher than that from AR102 (956 nmol min-1 mL-1. Aluminum, iron, manganese and calcium ions in the medium did not affect the growth of either isolate. The activity of secretedacid phosphatase of AR101 was inhibited by Al and Ca ion, and synthesis of acid phosphatase of Ustilago sp. AR102 was possibly stimulated by Fe ion. Both AR101 and AR102 solubilized Na-phytate, resulting in therelease of P. However, some amount of released P was then precipitated with Al and Fe ions as the highly insoluble Fe- or Al- phosphate.

  3. Use of nuclear techniques for mutation and selection of fungi for high protein yield utilizing carbon from inexpensive agricultural waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Georgopulos, S.

    1976-12-01

    The report briefly describes work carried out on the following subjects: Determination of protein in fungal strains (including Fusarium and Aspergillus niger); induction and selection of mutants (Aspergillus niger) giving higher yields of biomass and/or higher protein content; ability of fungi (Candida tropicalis) to utilize water extracts of carob bean pods; growth of Fusarium monoliforme at the expense of carob sugars; the use of alternate oxidase-negative mutants (of Ustilago maydis), for better utilization of substrates for growth (electron transport pathways in reoxidation of reduced coenzymes); kinetics of batch and continuous cultivation of Fusarium moniliforme (cultivated on aqueous carob extracts)

  4. Ecological genetics of the Bromus tectorum (Poaceae) - Ustilago Bullata (Ustilaginaceae): A role for frequency dependent selection?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Susan E. Meyer; David L. Nelson; Suzette Clement; Alisa Ramakrishnan

    2010-01-01

    Evolutionary processes that maintain genetic diversity in plants are likely to include selection imposed by pathogens. Negative frequency-dependent selection is a mechanism for maintenance of resistance polymorphism in plant - pathogen interactions. We explored whether such selection operates in the Bromus tectorum - Ustilago bullata pathosystem. Gene-for-gene...

  5. Aggressiveness of Cephalosporium maydis causing late wilt of maize in Spain

    OpenAIRE

    García-Carneros, Ana B.; Girón, I.; Molinero-Ruiz, Leire

    2012-01-01

    Late wilt of maize, caused by the vascular and soilborne pathogen Cephalosporium maydis, was identified in the Iberian Peninsula in 2008. During the last years the incidence and economical impact of the disease has importantly increased both in Portugal and Spain. Varieties of maize displaying tolerance to the pathogen are available, but the effectiveness can be dependent on the virulence of the fungus (i.e. ability to cause disease on a specific genotype). On the other hand, strains of crop ...

  6. Occurrence of a Carboxin-Resistant Strain of Ustilago nuda in Italy

    OpenAIRE

    J. Menzies; R. McLeod; L. Tosi; C. Cappelli

    2005-01-01

    Loose smut of barley, caused by Ustilago nuda (Jens.) Rostr., is commonly controlled through the use of systemic seed-treatment fungicides. The most widely used active ingredient in these fungicides has been carboxin. However, isolates of U. nuda resistant to carboxin have been reported in France. In 1996 and 1997, unsatisfactory levels of loose smut of barley were observed near Perugia (central Italy), despite the treatment of the barley seed with a carboxin-based fungicide. An i...

  7. Use of inter-simple sequence repeats and amplified fragment length polymorphisms to analyze genetic relationships among small grain-infecting species of ustilago.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menzies, J G; Bakkeren, G; Matheson, F; Procunier, J D; Woods, S

    2003-02-01

    ABSTRACT In the smut fungi, few features are available for use as taxonomic criteria (spore size, shape, morphology, germination type, and host range). DNA-based molecular techniques are useful in expanding the traits considered in determining relationships among these fungi. We examined the phylogenetic relationships among seven species of Ustilago (U. avenae, U. bullata, U. hordei, U. kolleri, U. nigra, U. nuda, and U. tritici) using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) to compare their DNA profiles. Fifty-four isolates of different Ustilago spp. were analyzed using ISSR primers, and 16 isolates of Ustilago were studied using AFLP primers. The variability among isolates within species was low for all species except U. bullata. The isolates of U. bullata, U. nuda, and U. tritici were well separated and our data supports their speciation. U. avenae and U. kolleri isolates did not separate from each other and there was little variability between these species. U. hordei and U. nigra isolates also showed little variability between species, but the isolates from each species grouped together. Our data suggest that U. avenae and U. kolleri are monophyletic and should be considered one species, as should U. hordei and U. nigra.

  8. Significant characteristics of the new maize hybrid Rubin-7

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeličić Zora

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available The Rubin-7 maize hybrid belongs to the FAO 700 maturity group. It is characterized by high yield potential for kernels, which was proven during investigations by the Committee for Species. During the three year monitoring period, from 1999 to 2001, the average yield of kernel was 9.412 t/ha which is 5% above the ZP 704 standard, and was highly statistically significant. Resistance to disease was high for Ustilago maydis 0.49, Fusarium spp. 0.13, and Exerohilum turcicum 1.25. Tolerance against Ostrinia nubilalis is 3-33. All of the above parameters and the agreeable phenotype of this hybrid indicate the value of Rubin-7. .

  9. Capacidade de combinação em milho para resistência a Cercospora zeae-maydis Combining ability in maize for resistance to the Cercospora zeae-maydis

    OpenAIRE

    Marcio José Engelsing; Diane Simon Rozzetto; Jefferson Luís Meirelles Coimbra; Claitson Gustavo Zanin; Altamir Frederico Guidolin

    2011-01-01

    A resistência obtida pelo componente genético é um dos métodos mais eficientes de controle das doenças foliares da cultura do milho. Para avaliar a capacidade geral de combinação (CGC), capacidade específica de combinação (CEC), recíprocos, efeito materno e não-materno para resistência a Cercospora zeae-maydis, cinco linhagens (A, B, C, D e E) foram cruzadas e os vinte híbridos obtidos foram utilizados em experimentos conduzidos em três ambientes. Foram avaliados a severidade da cercosporiose...

  10. La marchitez tardía del maíz (Zea mays L. causada por Cephalosporium maydis en la Península Ibérica, y otros hongos asociados

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen Maria Ortiz-Bustos

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Las especies de hongos de suelo asociadas a Cephalosporium maydis como agente causal de la marchitez tardía del maíz en la Península Ibérica se identificaron muestreando 19 campos con síntomas de marchitez en las principales zonas de cultivo entre 2011 y 2012. En el 47% de los campos no se identificó C. maydis, pero sí Fusarium graminearum, F. verticillioides, F. equiseti, F. proliferatum, Macrophomina phaseolina, Rhizoctonia solani y Trichoderma harzianum infectando las plantas de maíz. En los campos restantes, junto a C. maydis se identificaron otros hongos de suelo en porcentajes apreciables: F. verticillioides (19%, F. proliferatum (19%, F.equiseti (9%, F. oxysporum (9% y Pythium oligandrum (9%. El crecimiento vascular de C. maydis y de otras especies fúngicas en plantas de maíz se confirmó analizando plantas con marchitez procedentes de tres campos diferentes. Tanto C. maydis como F. graminearum, F. equiseti, F. proliferatum y T. harzianum se aislaron de la inserción entre la raíz y tallo y a 10 cm de altura en el tallo de las plantas. El efecto de la infección por C. maydis sobre la producción de las plantas de maíz se cuantificó en macetas y condiciones seminaturales en el 2011. En plantas inoculadas se obtuvo una reducción del peso de las mazorcas del 54%, además de pesos de raíz y de parte aérea (tallo y hojas significativamente menores en comparación con el control no inoculado, lo que sugiere el gran impacto económico que puede tener la marchitez tardía en condiciones naturales. Asimismo este trabajo pone de manifiesto el grado de complejidad de la etiología de la marchitez tardía, que debería ser estudiado mediante la confirmación de la patogenicidad de los hongos de suelo identificados en maíz, con el fin de determinar el papel que puede jugar cada una de estas especies en el desarrollo de la enfermedad y/o severidad de los síntomas.

  11. Resistance in barley against Drechslera teres induced by Bipolaris maydis and Septoria nodorum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Hans Jørgen Lyngs; Lobeck, P.S.; Thordal-Christensen, Hans

    1998-01-01

    1.4.31 RESISTANCE IN BARLEY AGAINST DRECHSLERA TERES INDUCED BY BIPOLARIS MAYDIS AND SEPTORIA NODORUM HJL JORGENSEN, PS LOBECK, H THORDAL-CHRISTENSEN, E de NEERGAARD and V SMEDEGAARD-PETERSEN Department of Plant Biology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Thorvaidsensvej 40, DK-1871 Fr...

  12. A Novel Radiation-Resistant Yeast, Filobasidium elegans RRY1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Harinder; Kim, Ha Ram; Song, Hyun Pa; Lim, Sang Yong; Kim, Dong Ho [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-05-15

    The tolerance to ionizing radiation stress is present among different classes and species of organisms. As listed by Rainey et al., ionizing radiation resistant organisms were isolated from a variety of different sources like processed/canned food items, paper industry, soil and water samples. Apart from extensively reported bacteria and Archea group, many fungal species like Aspergillus, Curvularia, Alternaria, Cryptococcus, and Ustilago maydis have been found to be resistant to ionizing radiation. However, different environmental sources are constantly been explored for novel radioresistant organisms, which can help in understanding the molecular mechanism behind these extreme stress responses. On the basis of this, present study was initiated to find novel radiation resistant yeast from sea water source

  13. Chemical Genetics — A Versatile Method to Combine Science and Higher Level Teaching in Molecular Genetics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Björn Sandrock

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Phosphorylation is a key event in many cellular processes like cell cycle, transformation of environmental signals to transcriptional activation or polar growth. The chemical genetics approach can be used to analyse the effect of highly specific inhibition in vivo and is a promising method to screen for kinase targets. We have used this approach to study the role of the germinal centre kinase Don3 during the cell division in the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis. Due to the easy determination of the don3 phenotype we have chosen this approach for a genetic course for M.Sc. students and for IMPRS (International Max-Planck research school students. According to the principle of “problem-based learning” the aim of this two-week course is to transfer knowledge about the broad spectrum of kinases to the students and that the students acquire the ability to design their own analog-sensitive kinase of interest. In addition to these training goals, we benefit from these annual courses the synthesis of basic constructs for genetic modification of several kinases in our model system U. maydis.

  14. Microcycle Conidiation in Cercospora zeae-maydis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapaire, Carrie L; Dunkle, Larry D

    2003-02-01

    ABSTRACT Conidia of Cercospora zeae-maydis are the primary inoculum causing gray leaf spot of maize. On nutrient-deficient substrates, but not on water on the leaf surface, conidia germinate and develop secondary conidia on conidiophores produced from germ tubes or conidial cells. A population of conidia increases its numbers more than twofold by 2 days on the surface of a water droplet and by fourfold on trichomes. This microcycle conidiation is suppressed by hydrogen peroxide and ammonium compounds but not by nitrate compounds, amino acids, or simple sugars. Microcycle conidiation is sensitive to alpha-amanitin and cycloheximide, suggesting that new RNA and proteins must be synthesized. Upon transfer from a humid to a dry atmosphere, secondary conidia and conidiophores dehydrate and collapse. Mature, dehydrated, secondary conidia are liberated by wind speeds approximately one-third those required to liberate hydrated conidia. The dispersed secondary conidia can rehydrate and germinate normally. Because this microcycle conidiation occurs at the expense of endogenous reserves, the ability to produce secondary conidia is lost after four successive cycles without a period of growth on nutrient media. This alternative method of maintaining inoculum potential during periods of fluctuating relative humidity may have epidemiological consequences when primary conidia fail to infect.

  15. Heritability and Components of Resistance to Cercospora zeae-maydis Derived from Maize Inbred VO613Y.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Stuart G; Lipps, Patrick E; Pratt, Richard C

    2006-06-01

    ABSTRACT Gray leaf spot (GLS), caused by the fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis, is one of the most important foliar diseases of maize. This study was undertaken to estimate heritability of C. zeae-maydis resistance and examine the relationship between previously identified resistance loci and certain components of resistance including incubation period, lesion number, and maximum lesion length. Partially inbred progenies arising from hybridization between maize inbred lines VO613Y (high level of partial resistance) and Pa405 (susceptible) were examined in Ohio and South Africa. Heritability estimates of resistance were calculated based on severity and incubation period values. The range of heritability estimates based on severity was broad, with values ranging from approximately 0.46 to 0.81 (mean = 0.59). Estimates of mean heritability for incubation period were lowest (0.18), indicating that this component would likely be unsuitable for selection of germ plasm intended for deployment in diverse regions. Length of GLS lesions was significantly affected by host genotype, with resistant genotypes having shorter lesions from one site in Ohio during two seasons. Genotype also had a significant effect on incubation period and lesion number; the lower values for these components also were associated with resistant genotypes. The combined action of these resistance components resulted in lower overall disease severity.

  16. Efeito do meio de cultura e do regime de luz na esporulação de Cercospora zeae-maydis Effect of culture media and light exposure on the sporulation of Cercospora zeae-maydis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kátia Regiane Brunelli

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Algumas espécies fúngicas não esporulam satisfatoriamente em meio de cultura, a exemplo de Cercospora zeae-maydis, agente causal da cercosporiose do milho. A esporulação deste patógeno foi avaliada em sete meios de cultura agarizados (V8, suco de tomate temperado, água de coco, aveia, BDA, extrato de folha de milho e extrato de folha de milho + CaCO3 sob dois regimes luminosos (fotoperíodo de 12 horas e seqüencial - 6 dias claro/3 dias escuro. O ensaio foi conduzido em esquema fatorial 7 x 2, com os tratamentos dispostos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com cinco repetições. A parcela experimental compreendeu uma placa de petri contendo 20 mL de meio de cultura sobre o qual foram colocados 200 mL de uma suspensão de 8 x 10(4 esporos/mL. As culturas foram posteriormente incubadas a 27ºC durante nove dias. Os meios V8 e suco de tomate temperado (STT sob regime de fotoperíodo 12h/12h, foram aqueles que apresentaram melhor indução de esporulação, resultando na produção de 22,4 x 10(4 conídios/ mL e 28,62 x 10(4 conídios/mL, respectivamente.Some fungal species, like Cercospora zeae-maydis, causal agent of maize gray leaf spot, do not satisfactorily produce spores in artificial media. The conidial production of C. zeae-maydis was evaluated on seven culture media (V8, tomato juice, coconut water, oat, PDA, maize leaf extract and maize leaf extract plus CaCO3 under two light exposure regimens (12-hours photoperiod or six days under continuous light followed by three days of continuous darkness. The experiment was arranged as a 7 x 2 factorial design in a completely randomized design with five replicates. A single petri dish containing 20 mL of culture media inoculated with 200 mL of conidial suspension (8 x 10(4 conidia/mL comprised the experimental unit. Plates were incubated at 27ºC for nine days. The highest conidial production was obtained on V8 and tomato juice media under 12-hours photoperiod, resulting in the

  17. Researches on detection of barley varieties and lines against Ustilago nuda hordei “Jens.â€? Rostr. Schaffn.in Marmara Region

    OpenAIRE

    Gümüştekin, H.; Akın, K.

    2008-01-01

    This research has been started in 1994 to test barley varieties and lines against Ustilago nuda hordei “Jens.â€? Rostr. Schaffn. In 1994, 14 barley varieties and lines and in 1995 23 barley varieties and lines were tested. After testing 37 varieties and lines, 27 of them were found resistant (R), and 10 of them susceptible (S).

  18. Genetics of Ustilago violacea. I. Carotenoid mutants and carotenogenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garber, E.D.; Baird, M.L.; Chapman, D.J.

    1975-01-01

    Wild-type strains of Ustilago violacea produce pink colonies on laboratory medium and yield white, orange, pumpkin, and yellow colonies after uv mutagenesis. The wild-type strains contain neurosporene and lycopene; one orange mutant, γ-carotene; and one yellow mutant, β-carotene. One white mutant had no detectable carotenoids. Diploid colonies heterozygous for wild type and orange, pumpkin, yellow, or white are phenotypically wild type. Diploid colonies heterozygous for yellow and orange are also phenotypically wild type. Diploid colonies heterozygous for white and orange; white and yellow; and white, yellow, and orange are phenotypically light orange, light yellow, and orange-yellow, respectively. The white mutants give a circular complementation map; the color mutants fit a linear complementation map. We propose a multienzyme of four identical dehydrogenases and one or two identical cyclases for carotenogenesis in this species. The white and color mutants represent structural mutations altering the conformation of the dehydrogenase or cyclase, respectively. Furthermore, cyclases may or may not aggregate in association with the dehydrogenase aggregate to form the multienzyme aggregate responsible for the color mutants

  19. Detection of Ustilago nuda (Jensen Rostrup in winter barley seed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ignjatov Maja

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Barley is one of the most important cereals grown in our agroecological conditions. The causal agent of loose smut on barley Ustilago nuda (Jensen Rostrup occurs frequently as varieties susceptible to this pathogen are present in the production. Disease symptoms are manifested on barley head (spike. Parasite is transmitted by seed (seedborne and stays in the embryo tissue of the infected kernel as dormant mycelium. Recommended method for detection of U. nuda is given by ISTA Rules (method 7-013. In tests, nine samples (weighing 120 g each of naturally infected barley seed (about 1000 seeds, depending on the absolute mass of seed were examined, observed and described using a Zeiss microscope with sub stage illumination with magnification range x 40 or higher. Mycelium of the fungus approximately 3 μ thick, golden brown in colour was detected and visible without a stain. The percentage of infected embryos in the examined samples of barley seeds ranged from 0.8% to 5.2%.

  20. Efeito do meio de cultura e do regime de luz na esporulação de Cercospora zeae-maydis Effect of culture media and light exposure on the sporulation of Cercospora zeae-maydis

    OpenAIRE

    Kátia Regiane Brunelli; Ana Carolina Fazza; Cândido Athayde Sobrinho; Luis Eduardo Aranha Camargo

    2006-01-01

    Algumas espécies fúngicas não esporulam satisfatoriamente em meio de cultura, a exemplo de Cercospora zeae-maydis, agente causal da cercosporiose do milho. A esporulação deste patógeno foi avaliada em sete meios de cultura agarizados (V8, suco de tomate temperado, água de coco, aveia, BDA, extrato de folha de milho e extrato de folha de milho + CaCO3) sob dois regimes luminosos (fotoperíodo de 12 horas e seqüencial - 6 dias claro/3 dias escuro). O ensaio foi conduzido em esquema fatorial 7 x ...

  1. Brh2-Dss1 interplay enables properly controlled recombination in Ustilago maydis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kojic, Milorad; Zhou, Qingwen; Lisby, Michael

    2005-01-01

    after DNA damage was almost fully restored by a chimeric form of Brh2 having a DNA-binding domain from RPA70 fused to the Brh2 N-terminal domain, but Rad51 focus formation and mitotic recombination were elevated above wild-type levels. The results provide evidence for a mechanism in which Dss1 activates...

  2. Corn silk (Stigma maydis) in healthcare: a phytochemical and pharmacological review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasanudin, Khairunnisa; Hashim, Puziah; Mustafa, Shuhaimi

    2012-08-13

    Corn silk (Stigma maydis) is an important herb used traditionally by the Chinese, and Native Americans to treat many diseases. It is also used as traditional medicine in many parts of the world such as Turkey, United States and France. Its potential antioxidant and healthcare applications as diuretic agent, in hyperglycemia reduction, as anti-depressant and anti-fatigue use have been claimed in several reports. Other uses of corn silk include teas and supplements to treat urinary related problems. The potential use is very much related to its properties and mechanism of action of its plant's bioactive constituents such as flavonoids and terpenoids. As such, this review will cover the research findings on the potential applications of corn silk in healthcare which include its phytochemical and pharmacological activities. In addition, the botanical description and its toxicological studies are also included.

  3. Development of a UPLC-MS/MS Method for Simultaneous Determination of Six Flavonoids in Rat Plasma after Administration of Maydis stigma Extract and Its Application to a Comparative Pharmacokinetic Study in Normal and Diabetic Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin-Bin Wei

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Maydis stigma is an important medicine herb used in many parts of the world for treatment of diabetes mellitus, which main bioactive ingredients are flavonoids. This paper describes for the first time a study on the comparative pharmacokinetics of six active flavonoid ingredients of Maydis stigma in normal and diabetic rats orally administrated with the decoction. Therefore, an efficient and sensitive ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of six anti-diabetic ingredients (cynaroside, quercetin, luteolin, isorhamnetin, rutin and formononetin of Maydis stigma in rat plasma has been developed and validated in plasma samples, which showed good linearity over a wide concentration range (r2 > 0.99, and gave a lower limit of quantification of 1.0 ng·mL−1 for the analytes. The intra- and interday assay variability was less than 15% for all analytes. The mean extraction recoveries and matrix effect of analytes and IS from rats plasma were all more than 85.0%. The stability results showed the measured concentration for six analytes at three QC levels deviated within 15.0%. The results indicated that significant differences in the pharmacokinetic parameters of the analytes were observed between the two groups of animals, whereby the absorptions of these analytes in the diabetic group were all significantly higher than those in the normal group, which provides an experimental basis for the role of Maydis stigma in anti-diabetic treatment.

  4. The effect of some organic substances on the mycelium of the fungus Ustilago nuda (Jens.) Rostr.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krátká, J

    1976-01-01

    Research was performed for studying the effect of some organic compounds, considered by many authors as the products ob barley seed metabolism generated after anaerobic seed treatment, on the mycelium of the fungus Ustilago nuda (Jens.) Rostr. The author examined the effectiveness of ethylacohol, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, and hydroquinone in concentrations from 1 M to 10(-6) M, and the effectiveness of extracts from disinfected seeds in doses from 10 g to 0.001 g/l. The effect of the mentioned solutions was examined as exerted on the growth of dicaryotic mycelium and on the growth of the haploid promycelium of the fungus. The dicaryotic mycelium of Ustilago nuda (Jens.) Rostr. was cultivated on potato agar with benzoic acid. The presence of the acid prevents mitosis, and the chlamydospores germinate on the nutritive medium with two fibres having binuclear cells. The haploid promycelium was cultivated on potato agar; chlamydospores germinated with one four-cell fibre, and individual cells are mononuclear and haploid. Only later, a dicarytic mycelium is created in a complex process. In all the substances used, the concentration of 1 M was found to stop further growth of mycelium. The concentration of 10(-1) M of acetic acid and hydroquinone also stopped growth, the same concentration of acetaldehyde, lactic acid, succinic acid, ethylacohol stimulated mycelium growth in comparison with the control. The concentration of 10(-6) M stimulated mycelium growth in a majority of cases. Extracts from disinfected seeds did not influence mycelium growth significantly in all cases in comparison with the control. The results were similar in the two types of mycelium.

  5. Stable carbon isotope discrimination in the smut fungus Ustilago violacea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Will, O.H. III; Tieszen, L.L.; Kellen, M.; Gerlach, T.

    1986-01-01

    Haploid strains 15.10, I.C429, and I.C2y and diploid strain JK2 of Ustilago Piolacea were grown on one or more of the following carbon sources: glucose, sucrose, maltose, inulin, starch, inositol, glycerol, casein, and yeast extract. The media, both before and after fungal growth, and the fungal cells were analyzed for 13 C/ 12 C content (δ 13 values) using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer after combustion to CO 2 . In all cases, the used and unused media had identical δ 13 C values. Strain 15.10 had significantly less 13 C than the media when grown on glucose, sucrose, maltose, and inositol; significantly more 13 C when grown on inulin, starch, and glycerol; and no significant difference in δ 13 C values when grown on casein and yeast extract media. Other haploid strains responded similarly to 15.10. Diploid strain JK2 was also depleted in 13 C when grown on glucose and enriched in 13 C when grown on glycerol; however, JK2 was slightly depleted in 13 C when grown on casein, whereas all the tested haploid strains were enriched in 13 C

  6. Occurrence of a Carboxin-Resistant Strain of Ustilago nuda in Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Menzies

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available Loose smut of barley, caused by Ustilago nuda (Jens. Rostr., is commonly controlled through the use of systemic seed-treatment fungicides. The most widely used active ingredient in these fungicides has been carboxin. However, isolates of U. nuda resistant to carboxin have been reported in France. In 1996 and 1997, unsatisfactory levels of loose smut of barley were observed near Perugia (central Italy, despite the treatment of the barley seed with a carboxin-based fungicide. An isolate of U. nuda (97-255 was collected from this field to determine if the pathogen had developed resistance to carboxin. Germination tests on carboxin-amended agar media indicated that isolate 97- 255 was more resistant to carboxin than a wild type isolate of U. nuda collected in Canada. In tests in which isolate 97-255 was inoculated onto barley cv. Regal, the percentage of smutted plants arising from the inoculated seed was not reduced by a carboxin seed treatment. This is the first report of resistance to carboxin in populations of U. nuda from Italy.

  7. Crop Management Practices in the Humid Hills from Northeastern Brazil between 670-530 Yrs BP: Palynological Evidences from Archaeological Site Evaristo I

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline Gonçalves Freitas

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The first cultural traces of ancient pottery towns in the Serra de Baturité are presented. The pollen spectrum of sediments reveals a mosaic of moist mountainous vegetation, xerophytes, annual nitrophilous, hygrophilous and bog plants. Useful pollen recovered from ceramic, such as cassava (Manihot type, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea type, cotton (Gossypium type, palm trees and fruitful (Arecaceae, cf. Astronium and Anacardium type, together with pathogenic microfungi corn, cotton and some tubers (Curvularia type, Alternaria, Puccinia type and cf. Ustilago maydis indicate agricultural and livelihood activities. The coprophilous fungi of humans and other animals (Cercophora type Gelasinospora type and Sordariaceae reflect the time spent by these groups in the archaeological area. The Gelasinospora fungus also shows the use of fire as fuel for agricultural practices and hunting. These data demonstrate the use of ceramics in funerary and domestic contexts.

  8. The general transcriptional repressor Tup1 is required for dimorphism and virulence in a fungal plant pathogen.

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    Alberto Elías-Villalobos

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available A critical step in the life cycle of many fungal pathogens is the transition between yeast-like growth and the formation of filamentous structures, a process known as dimorphism. This morphological shift, typically triggered by multiple environmental signals, is tightly controlled by complex genetic pathways to ensure successful pathogenic development. In animal pathogenic fungi, one of the best known regulators of dimorphism is the general transcriptional repressor, Tup1. However, the role of Tup1 in fungal dimorphism is completely unknown in plant pathogens. Here we show that Tup1 plays a key role in orchestrating the yeast to hypha transition in the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis. Deletion of the tup1 gene causes a drastic reduction in the mating and filamentation capacity of the fungus, in turn leading to a reduced virulence phenotype. In U. maydis, these processes are controlled by the a and b mating-type loci, whose expression depends on the Prf1 transcription factor. Interestingly, Δtup1 strains show a critical reduction in the expression of prf1 and that of Prf1 target genes at both loci. Moreover, we observed that Tup1 appears to regulate Prf1 activity by controlling the expression of the prf1 transcriptional activators, rop1 and hap2. Additionally, we describe a putative novel prf1 repressor, named Pac2, which seems to be an important target of Tup1 in the control of dimorphism and virulence. Furthermore, we show that Tup1 is required for full pathogenic development since tup1 deletion mutants are unable to complete the sexual cycle. Our findings establish Tup1 as a key factor coordinating dimorphism in the phytopathogen U. maydis and support a conserved role for Tup1 in the control of hypha-specific genes among animal and plant fungal pathogens.

  9. Resistance of Hordeum chilense against loose smuts of wheat and barley (Ustilago tritici and U. nuda) and its expression in amphiploids with wheat

    OpenAIRE

    Rubiales, Diego; Moral, Ana

    2011-01-01

    Hordeum chilense is wild barley with high potential for cereal breeding purposes given its high crossability with other members of the Triticeae tribe. It is resistant to loose smuts of wheat (Ustilago tritici). The resistance is expressed in xTritordeum amphipoids, offering perspectives for its utilization both in tritordeum breeding and for its transfer to wheat. H. chilense and tritordeums are also resistant to barley loose smut (U. nuda). © 2010 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  10. CZK3, a MAP kinase kinase kinase homolog in Cercospora zeae-maydis, regulates cercosporin biosynthesis, fungal development, and pathogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shim, Won-Bo; Dunkle, Larry D

    2003-09-01

    The fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis causes gray leaf spot of maize and produces cercosporin, a photosensitizing perylenequinone with toxic activity against a broad spectrum of organisms. However, little is known about the biosynthetic pathway or factors that regulate cercosporin production. Analysis of a cDNA subtraction library comprised of genes that are up-regulated during cercosporin synthesis revealed a sequence highly similar to mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases in other fungi. Sequencing and conceptual translation of the full-length genomic sequence indicated that the gene, which we designated CZK3, contains a 4,119-bp open reading frame devoid of introns and encodes a 1,373-amino acid sequence that is highly similar to Wis4, a MAP kinase kinase kinase in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Targeted disruption of CZK3 suppressed expression of genes predicted to participate in cercosporin biosynthesis and abolished cercosporin production. The disrupted mutants grew faster on agar media than the wild type but were deficient in conidiation and elicited only small chlorotic spots on inoculated maize leaves compared with rectangular necrotic lesions incited by the wild type. Complementation of disruptants with the CZK3 open reading frame and flanking sequences restored wild-type levels of conidiation, growth rate, and virulence as well as the ability to produce cercosporin. The results suggest that cercosporin is a virulence factor in C. zeae-maydis during maize pathogenesis, but the pleiotropic effects of CZK3 disruption precluded definitive conclusions.

  11. Corn Silk (Stigma Maydis in Healthcare: A Phytochemical and Pharmacological Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuhaimi Mustafa

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Corn silk (Stigma maydis is an important herb used traditionally by the Chinese, and Native Americans to treat many diseases. It is also used as traditional medicine in many parts of the world such as Turkey, United States and France. Its potential antioxidant and healthcare applications as diuretic agent, in hyperglycemia reduction, as anti-depressant and anti-fatigue use have been claimed in several reports. Other uses of corn silk include teas and supplements to treat urinary related problems. The potential use is very much related to its properties and mechanism of action of its plant’s bioactive constituents such as flavonoids and terpenoids. As such, this review will cover the research findings on the potential applications of corn silk in healthcare which include its phytochemical and pharmacological activities. In addition, the botanical description and its toxicological studies are also included.

  12. A Gene Cluster for Biosynthesis of Mannosylerythritol Lipids Consisted of 4-O-β-D-Mannopyranosyl-(2R,3S-Erythritol as the Sugar Moiety in a Basidiomycetous Yeast Pseudozyma tsukubaensis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azusa Saika

    Full Text Available Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs belong to the glycolipid biosurfactants and are produced by various fungi. The basidiomycetous yeast Pseudozyma tsukubaensis produces diastereomer type of MEL-B, which contains 4-O-β-D-mannopyranosyl-(2R,3S-erythritol (R-form as the sugar moiety. In this respect it differs from conventional type of MELs, which contain 4-O-β-D-mannopyranosyl-(2S,3R-erythritol (S-form as the sugar moiety. While the biosynthetic gene cluster for conventional type of MELs has been previously identified in Ustilago maydis and Pseudozyma antarctica, the genetic basis for MEL biosynthesis in P. tsukubaensis is unknown. Here, we identified a gene cluster involved in MEL biosynthesis in P. tsukubaensis. Among these genes, PtEMT1, which encodes erythritol/mannose transferase, had greater than 69% identity with homologs from strains in the genera Ustilago, Melanopsichium, Sporisorium and Pseudozyma. However, phylogenetic analysis placed PtEMT1p in a separate clade from the other proteins. To investigate the function of PtEMT1, we introduced the gene into a P. antarctica mutant strain, ΔPaEMT1, which lacks MEL biosynthesis ability owing to the deletion of PaEMT1. Using NMR spectroscopy, we identified the biosynthetic product as MEL-A with altered sugar conformation. These results indicate that PtEMT1p catalyzes the sugar conformation of MELs. This is the first report of a gene cluster for the biosynthesis of diastereomer type of MEL.

  13. Resistance to radiation, recombination, repair of DNA and chromosome organisation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fletcher, H L [East Anglia Univ., Norwich (UK). School of Biological Sciences

    1981-01-01

    The model advanced here proposes that death is caused by destructive lesions, mainly double-strand breaks, in all the inter-repairable copies so close together that recombination repair cannot function. Death is related to the exponential of dose where r is the number of copies of the genome. A graph of ln(-ln survival) against ln dose is used to produce a linear dose-survival relationship, the slope of which gives the number of inter-repairable copies of the genome (= number of hits per lethal event). In Ustilago maydis it seems that unless all the chromatids are broken within a few thousand base pairs all ds breaks are repaired. The size of this critical target is similar to the size of a gene. Meiotic pairing in fungi starts outside the genes, and it is therefore suggested that specific pairing sites between genes define the ends of the targets. The model also describes the radiation-induced death of Micrococcus radiodurans and Sacchromyces cerevisiae. Cultured mammalian cells also show a linear ln(-ln survival)/ln dose relationship with a slope of 1.5 showing that both 1st and 2nd order killing occured. Sublethal radiation induces recombination in heterozygous diploid U. maydis proportional to the square of the dose. Sister-chromatid repair is preferred. Polyploid yeast can only use pairs of chromosomes for repair, showing that chromosome pairing is required for recombination repair, and mitotic pairing is restricted to bivalents in the same way that meiotic pairing is.

  14. Inverse pH regulation of plant and fungal sucrose transporters: a mechanism to regulate competition for sucrose at the host/pathogen interface?

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    Kathrin Wippel

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Plant sucrose transporter activities were shown to respond to changes in the extracellular pH and redox status, and oxidizing compounds like glutathione (GSSG or H(2O(2 were reported to effect the subcellular targeting of these proteins. We hypothesized that changes in both parameters might be used to modulate the activities of competing sucrose transporters at a plant/pathogen interface. We, therefore, compared the effects of redox-active compounds and of extracellular pH on the sucrose transporters UmSRT1 and ZmSUT1 known to compete for extracellular sucrose in the Ustilago maydis (corn smut/Zea mays (maize pathosystem. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We present functional analyses of the U. maydis sucrose transporter UmSRT1 and of the plant sucrose transporters ZmSUT1 and StSUT1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae or in Xenopus laevis oocytes in the presence of different extracellular pH-values and redox systems, and study the possible effects of these treatments on the subcellular targeting. We observed an inverse regulation of host and pathogen sucrose transporters by changes in the apoplastic pH. Under none of the conditions analyzed, we could confirm the reported effects of redox-active compounds. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data suggest that changes in the extracellular pH but not of the extracellular redox status might be used to oppositely adjust the transport activities of plant and fungal sucrose transporters at the host/pathogen interface.

  15. Inheritance of Carboxin Resistance in a European Field Isolate of Ustilago nuda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newcombe, G; Thomas, P L

    2000-02-01

    ABSTRACT Two carboxin-resistant field isolates of Ustilago nuda from Europe were crossed with a carboxin-sensitive field isolate from North America. Meiotic tetrads isolated from germinating F(1) teliospores of one of the hybrids were tested for carboxin resistance and mating type. Carboxin resistance was shown to be controlled by a single gene (CBX1R), because a 1:1 segregation of carboxin resistance was observed in all 27 tetrads. Tetrad analysis indicated that the loci for carboxin resistance (Cbx1) and mating type (MAT1) segregate independently but may be located on the same chromosome. Tetrad analysis was not possible with the F(1) hybrid of he other field isolate, and its resistance cannot yet be attributed to CBX1R. Carboxin resistance was qualitatively dominant to sensitivity in vitro, as demonstrated by triad analysis of germinating F(1) teliospores. Quantitative in planta infection percents supported the conclusion that CBX1R is dominant, although incompletely, in the F(1) hybrid of one of the field isolates. Also, fewer than expected carboxin-sensitive F(2) individuals were observed in planta. However, inoculations of host plants with U. nuda have resulted in similar, unexpected variation in the past.

  16. The Corn Smut (‘Huitlacoche’) as a New Platform for Oral Vaccines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juárez-Montiel, Margarita; Romero-Maldonado, Andrea; Monreal-Escalante, Elizabeth; Becerra-Flora, Alicia; Korban, Schuyler S.; Rosales-Mendoza, Sergio; Jiménez-Bremont, Juan Francisco

    2015-01-01

    The development of new alternative platforms for subunit vaccine production is a priority in the biomedical field. In this study, Ustilago maydis, the causal agent of common corn smut or ‘huitlacoche’has been genetically engineered to assess expression and immunogenicity of the B subunit of the cholera toxin (CTB), a relevant immunomodulatory agent in vaccinology. An oligomeric CTB recombinant protein was expressed in corn smut galls at levels of up to 1.3 mg g-1 dry weight (0.8% of the total soluble protein). Mice orally immunized with ‘huitlacoche’-derived CTB showed significant humoral responses that were well-correlated with protection against challenge with the cholera toxin (CT). These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using edible corn smut as a safe, effective, and low-cost platform for production and delivery of a subunit oral vaccine. The implications of this platform in the area of molecular pharming are discussed. PMID:26207365

  17. Dss1 interaction with Brh2 as a regulatory mechanism for recombinational repair

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhou, Qingwen; Kojic, Milorad; Cao, Zhimin

    2007-01-01

    Brh2, the BRCA2 ortholog in Ustilago maydis, enables recombinational repair of DNA by controlling Rad51 and is in turn regulated by Dss1. Interplay with Rad51 is conducted via the BRC element located in the N-terminal region of the protein and through an unrelated domain, CRE, at the C terminus....... Mutation in either BRC or CRE severely reduces functional activity, but repair deficiency of the brh2 mutant can be complemented by expressing BRC and CRE on different molecules. This intermolecular complementation is dependent upon the presence of Dss1. Brh2 molecules associate through the region...... overlapping with the Dss1-interacting domain to form at least dimer-sized complexes, which in turn, can be dissociated by Dss1 to monomer. We propose that cooperation between BRC and CRE domains and the Dss1-provoked dissociation of Brh2 complexes are requisite features of Brh2's molecular mechanism...

  18. Caractéristiques des souches d'Ustilago nuda, agent du charbon nu de l'orge, résistantes à la carboxine

    OpenAIRE

    Leroux , Pierre

    1986-01-01

    Des souches d’Ustilago nuda, agent du charbon nu de l’orge, résistantes à la carboxine ont été détectées en France et dans d’autres pays européens. Une résistance croisée positive s’observe entre ce fongicide, le fenfuram, la pyracarbolide et divers autres analogues structuraux ; le mépronil se singularise car il est plus toxique pour les isolats résistants à la carboxine que pour les isolats sensibles. Toutes les souches sont affectées de la même manière par l’antimycine A, l’azide de so...

  19. Resistance to radiation, recombination, repair of DNA and chromosome organisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fletcher, H.L.

    1981-01-01

    The model advanced here proposes that death is caused by destructive lesions, mainly double-strand breaks, in all the inter-repairable copies so close together that recombination repair cannot function. Death is related to the exponential of dose where r is the number of copies of the genome. A graph of ln(-ln survival) against ln dose is used to produce a linear dose-survival relationship, the slope of which gives the number of inter-repairable copies of the genome (= number of hits per lethal event). In Ustilago maydis it seems that unless all the chromatids are broken within a few thousand base pairs all ds breaks are repaired. The size of this critical target is similar to the size of a gene. Meiotic pairing in fungi starts outside the genes, and it is therefore suggested that specific pairing sites between genes define the ends of the targets. The model also describes the radiation-induced death of Micrococcus radiodurans and Sacchromyces cerevisiae. Cultured mammalian cells also show a linear ln(-ln survival)/ln dose relationship with a slope of 1.5 showing that both 1st and 2nd order killing occured. Sublethal radiation induces recombination in heterozygous diploid U. maydis proportional to the square of the dose. Sister-chromatid repair is preferred. Polyploid yeast can only use pairs of chromosomes for repair, showing that chromosome pairing is required for recombination repair, and mitotic pairing is restricted to bivalents in the same way that meiotic pairing is. (orig./AJ)

  20. Isolation of Bacteria with Antifungal Activity against the Phytopathogenic Fungi Stenocarpella maydis and Stenocarpella macrospora

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petatán-Sagahón, Iván; Anducho-Reyes, Miguel Angel; Silva-Rojas, Hilda Victoria; Arana-Cuenca, Ainhoa; Tellez-Jurado, Alejandro; Cárdenas-Álvarez, Isabel Oyuki; Mercado-Flores, Yuridia

    2011-01-01

    Stenocarpella maydis and Stenocarpella macrospora are the causal agents of ear rot in corn, which is one of the most destructive diseases in this crop worldwide. These fungi are important mycotoxin producers that cause different pathologies in farmed animals and represent an important risk for humans. In this work, 160 strains were isolated from soil of corn crops of which 10 showed antifungal activity against these phytopathogens, which, were identified as: Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas spp., Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Pantoea agglomerans by sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and the phylogenetic analysis. From cultures of each strain, extracellular filtrates were obtained and assayed to determine antifungal activity. The best filtrates were obtained in the stationary phase of B. subtilis cultures that were stable to the temperature and extreme pH values; in addition they did not show a cytotoxicity effect against brine shrimp and inhibited germination of conidia. The bacteria described in this work have the potential to be used in the control of white ear rot disease. PMID:22016606

  1. Isolation of Bacteria with Antifungal Activity against the Phytopathogenic Fungi Stenocarpella maydis and Stenocarpella macrospora

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    Yuridia Mercado-Flores

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Stenocarpella maydis and Stenocarpella macrospora are the causal agents of ear rot in corn, which is one of the most destructive diseases in this crop worldwide. These fungi are important mycotoxin producers that cause different pathologies in farmed animals and represent an important risk for humans. In this work, 160 strains were isolated from soil of corn crops of which 10 showed antifungal activity against these phytopathogens, which, were identified as: Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas spp., Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Pantoea agglomerans by sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and the phylogenetic analysis. From cultures of each strain, extracellular filtrates were obtained and assayed to determine antifungal activity. The best filtrates were obtained in the stationary phase of B. subtilis cultures that were stable to the temperature and extreme pH values; in addition they did not show a cytotoxicity effect against brine shrimp and inhibited germination of conidia. The bacteria described in this work have the potential to be used in the control of white ear rot disease.

  2. Cloning and molecular characterization of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-encoding gene and cDNA from the plant pathogenic fungus Glomerella cingulata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Templeton, M D; Rikkerink, E H; Solon, S L; Crowhurst, R N

    1992-12-01

    The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (gpdA) has been identified from a genomic DNA library prepared from the plant pathogenic fungus Glomerella cingulata. Nucleotide sequence data revealed that this gene codes for a putative 338-amino-acid protein encoded by two exons of 129 and 885 bp, separated by an intron 216 bp long. The 5' leader sequence is also spliced by an intron of 156 bp. A cDNA clone was prepared using the polymerase chain reaction, the sequence of which was used to confirm the presence of the intron in the coding sequence and the splicing of the 5' leader sequence. The transcriptional start point (tsp) was mapped at -253 nt from the site of the initiation of translation by primer extension and is adjacent to a 42-bp pyrimidine-rich region. The general structure of the 5' flanking region shows similarities to gpdA from Aspergillus nidulans. The putative protein product is 71-86% identical at the aa level to GPDs from Aspergillus nidulans, Cryphonectria parasitica, Curvularia lunata, Podospora anserina and Ustilago maydis.

  3. The ESCRT regulator Did2 maintains the balance between long-distance endosomal transport and endocytic trafficking.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carl Haag

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available In highly polarised cells, like fungal hyphae, early endosomes function in both endocytosis as well as long-distance transport of various cargo including mRNA and protein complexes. However, knowledge on the crosstalk between these seemingly different trafficking processes is scarce. Here, we demonstrate that the ESCRT regulator Did2 coordinates endosomal transport in fungal hyphae of Ustilago maydis. Loss of Did2 results in defective vacuolar targeting, less processive long-distance transport and abnormal shuttling of early endosomes. Importantly, the late endosomal protein Rab7 and vacuolar protease Prc1 exhibit increased shuttling on these aberrant endosomes suggesting defects in endosomal maturation and identity. Consistently, molecular motors fail to attach efficiently explaining the disturbed processive movement. Furthermore, the endosomal mRNP linker protein Upa1 is hardly present on endosomes resulting in defects in long-distance mRNA transport. In conclusion, the ESCRT regulator Did2 coordinates precise maturation of endosomes and thus provides the correct membrane identity for efficient endosomal long-distance transport.

  4. Maize EMBRYO SAC family peptides interact differentially with pollen tubes and fungal cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woriedh, Mayada; Merkl, Rainer; Dresselhaus, Thomas

    2015-08-01

    EMBRYO SAC1-4 (ES1-4) peptides belong to the defensin subgroup of cysteine-rich peptides known to mediate pollen tube burst in Zea mays (maize). ES1-4 are reported here to also be capable of inhibiting germination and growth of the maize fungal pathogens Fusarium graminearum and Ustilago maydis at higher concentrations. Dividing the peptides into smaller pieces showed that a 15-amino-acid peptide located in a highly variable loop region lacking similarity to other defensins or defensin-like peptides binds to maize pollen tube surfaces, causing swelling prior to burst. This peptide fragment and a second conserved neighbouring fragment showed suppression of fungal germination and growth. The two peptides caused swelling of fungal cells, production of reactive oxygen species, and finally the formation of big vacuoles prior to burst at high peptide concentration. Furthermore, peptide fragments were found to bind differently to fungal cells. In necrotrophic F. graminearum, a peptide fragment named ES-d bound only at cell surfaces whereas the peptide ES-c bound at cell surfaces and also accumulated inside cells. Conversely, in biotrophic U. maydis, both peptide fragments accumulated inside cells, but, if applied at higher concentration, ES-c but not ES-d accumulated mainly in vacuoles. Mapping of peptide interaction sites identified amino acids differing in pollen tube burst and fungal response reactions. In summary, these findings indicate that residues targeting pollen tube burst in maize are specific to the ES family, while residues targeting fungal growth are conserved within defensins and defensin-like peptides. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

  5. Genetics of Ustilago violacea. XXXII. Genetic evidence for transposable elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garber, E D; Ruddat, M

    1994-12-01

    Crosses between Ustilago violacea mutant strains with different color phenotypes that were derived from the 1.A1 and 2.A2 laboratory strains yielded, as expected, bisectored teliospore colonies with the parental colors as well as the a-1 and the a-2 mating-types. Generally, wild teliospore collections usually produced sporidia of both mating-types, providing two-mating-type (TMT) strains. Occasionally, however, sporidia with only one mating-type allele, a-1 or a-2, were obtained from teliospores, providing one-mating-type (OMT) strains. Crosses between OMT and laboratory strains with different color phenotypes gave (1) bisectored teliospore colonies with the parental colors or colonies with a parental color and a nonparental color and (2) nonsectored colonies with the nonparental color or with the parental color. The frequencies for the occurrence of non-parental color ranged from 41% to 93%, depending on the strain. The yield of teliospore colonies was usually reduced for these crosses. In many of these teliospore colonies, morphologically-altered sporidia (MAS phenotype) were observed. The morphology and the size of the sporidia with the MAS phenotype differed from those of teliospore colonies of the crosses between the laboratory strains. In addition, these sporidia did not form conjugants. A cross involving the TMT strains C449 yielded the MAS phenotype as well as a high incidence of tetrad colonies with a nonparental color. The high degree of instability of the parental color phenotypes, and the high frequency of the appearance of nonparental color phenotypes as well as the appearance of the MAS phenotype, are in accord with the presence of active and inactive transposable elements in the OMT strains, TMT strains, and laboratory strains.

  6. Aspects of DNA repair and nucleotide pool imbalance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holliday, R.

    1985-01-01

    Evidence that optimum repair depends on adequate pools of deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) comes from the study of pyrimidine auxotrophs of Ustilago maydis. These strains are sensitive to UV light and X-rays, and for pyr1-1 it has been shown that the intracellular concentration of dTTP is reduced about 7-fold. The survival curve of pyr1-1 after UV-treatment, and split dose experiments with wild-type cells, provide evidence for an inducible repair mechanism, which probably depends on genetic recombination. Although inducible repair saves cellular resources, it has the disadvantage of becoming ineffective at doses which are high enough to inactivate the repressed structural gene(s) for repair enzymes. It is clear that a wide variety of repair mechanisms have evolved to remove lesions which arise either spontaneously or as a result of damage from external agents. Nevertheless, it would be incorrect to assume that all species require all possible pathways of repair. It is now well established that the accuracy of DNA and protein synthesis depends on proof-reading or editing mechanisms. Optimum accuracy levels will evolve from the balance between error avoidance in macromolecular synthesis and physiological efficiency in growth and propagation.

  7. The Top 10 fungal pathogens in molecular plant pathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dean, Ralph; Van Kan, Jan A L; Pretorius, Zacharias A; Hammond-Kosack, Kim E; Di Pietro, Antonio; Spanu, Pietro D; Rudd, Jason J; Dickman, Marty; Kahmann, Regine; Ellis, Jeff; Foster, Gary D

    2012-05-01

    The aim of this review was to survey all fungal pathologists with an association with the journal Molecular Plant Pathology and ask them to nominate which fungal pathogens they would place in a 'Top 10' based on scientific/economic importance. The survey generated 495 votes from the international community, and resulted in the generation of a Top 10 fungal plant pathogen list for Molecular Plant Pathology. The Top 10 list includes, in rank order, (1) Magnaporthe oryzae; (2) Botrytis cinerea; (3) Puccinia spp.; (4) Fusarium graminearum; (5) Fusarium oxysporum; (6) Blumeria graminis; (7) Mycosphaerella graminicola; (8) Colletotrichum spp.; (9) Ustilago maydis; (10) Melampsora lini, with honourable mentions for fungi just missing out on the Top 10, including Phakopsora pachyrhizi and Rhizoctonia solani. This article presents a short resumé of each fungus in the Top 10 list and its importance, with the intent of initiating discussion and debate amongst the plant mycology community, as well as laying down a bench-mark. It will be interesting to see in future years how perceptions change and what fungi will comprise any future Top 10. © 2012 THE AUTHORS. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY © 2012 BSPP AND BLACKWELL PUBLISHING LTD.

  8. Application of quasi-steady state methods to molecular motor transport on microtubules in fungal hyphae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dauvergne, Duncan; Edelstein-Keshet, Leah

    2015-08-21

    We consider bidirectional transport of cargo by molecular motors dynein and kinesin that walk along microtubules, and/or diffuse in the cell. The motors compete to transport cargo in opposite directions with respect to microtubule polarity (towards the plus or minus end of the microtubule). In recent work, Gou et al. (2014) used a hierarchical set of models, each consisting of continuum transport equations to track the evolution of motors and their cargo (early endosomes) in the specific case of the fungus Ustilago maydis. We complement their work using a framework of quasi-steady state analysis developed by Newby and Bressloff (2010) and Bressloff and Newby (2013) to reduce the models to an approximating steady state Fokker-Plank equation. This analysis allows us to find analytic approximations to the steady state solutions in many cases where the full models are not easily solved. Consequently, we can make predictions about parameter dependence of the resulting spatial distributions. We also characterize the overall rates of bulk transport and diffusion, and how these are related to state transition parameters, motor speeds, microtubule polarity distribution, and specific assumptions made. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Toxicological evaluations of Stigma maydis (corn silk) aqueous extract on hematological and lipid parameters in Wistar rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saheed, Sabiu; Oladipipo, Ajani E; Abdulazeez, Abubakar A; Olarewaju, Sulyman A; Ismaila, Nurain O; Emmanuel, Irondi A; Fatimah, Quadri D; Aisha, Abubakar Y

    2015-01-01

    Despite the acclaimed phytotherapeutic attributes of Stigma maydis in folkloric medicine, there is paucity of information on its toxicity profile on hematological and lipid parameters. The toxicological effect of aqueous extract of corn silk at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight on hematological indices in Wistar rats were evaluated progressively at 24 h after 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Lipid parameters were also analyzed at the end of the experimental period. We observed that the extract did not exhibit any significant ( p  > 0.05) effect on red blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and mean platelet volume at all the tested doses. The study however showed a significant increase in the serum levels of white blood cell, platelet, lymphocytes, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; as well as feeding pattern in the animals, while the concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and artherogenic index value were significantly lowered. These findings are suggestive of non-hematotoxic potential of the extract. Overall, the effect exhibited by corn silk extract in this study proved that, it is unlikely to be hematotoxic and could be a good candidature in the management of coronary heart diseases if consumed at the doses investigated.

  10. Rec2 Interplay with both Brh2 and Rad51 Balances Recombinational Repair in Ustilago maydis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kojic, M.; Zhou, Q.; Lisby, M.

    2006-01-01

    and allelic recombination are elevated. The Dss1-independent Brh2-RPA70 fusion protein is also active in restoring radiation sensitivity of rec2 but is hyperactive to an extreme degree in allelic recombination and in suppressing the meiotic block of rec2. However, the high frequency of chromosome...

  11. Calcium homeostasis and signaling in fungi and their relevance for pathogenicity of yeasts and filamentous fungi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Tisi

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Though fungi show peculiarities in the purposes and specific traits of calcium signaling pathways, the general scheme and the most important players are well conserved if compared to higher eukaryotes. This provides a powerful opportunity either to investigate shared features using yeast as a model or to exploit fungal specificities as potential targets for antifungal therapies. The sequenced genomes from yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa were already published more than ten years ago. More recently the genome sequences of filamentous fungi of Aspergillus genus, some of which threatening pathogens, and dimorphic fungi Ustilago maydis were published, giving the chance to identify several proteins involved in calcium signaling based on their homology to yeast or mammalian counterparts. Nonetheless, unidentified calcium transporters are still present in these organisms which await to be molecularly characterized. Despite the relative simplicity in yeast calcium machinery and the availability of sophisticated molecular tools, in the last years, a number of new actors have been identified, albeit not yet fully characterized. This review will try to describe the state of the art in calcium channels and calcium signaling knowledge in yeast, with particular attention to the relevance of this knowledge with respect to pathological fungi.

  12. Principles of mRNA transport in yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heym, Roland Gerhard; Niessing, Dierk

    2012-06-01

    mRNA localization and localized translation is a common mechanism by which cellular asymmetry is achieved. In higher eukaryotes the mRNA transport machinery is required for such diverse processes as stem cell division and neuronal plasticity. Because mRNA localization in metazoans is highly complex, studies at the molecular level have proven to be cumbersome. However, active mRNA transport has also been reported in fungi including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Ustilago maydis and Candida albicans, in which these events are less difficult to study. Amongst them, budding yeast S. cerevisiae has yielded mechanistic insights that exceed our understanding of other mRNA localization events to date. In contrast to most reviews, we refrain here from summarizing mRNA localization events from different organisms. Instead we give an in-depth account of ASH1 mRNA localization in budding yeast. This approach is particularly suited to providing a more holistic view of the interconnection between the individual steps of mRNA localization, from transcriptional events to cytoplasmic mRNA transport and localized translation. Because of our advanced mechanistic understanding of mRNA localization in yeast, the present review may also be informative for scientists working, for example, on mRNA localization in embryogenesis or in neurons.

  13. The Vip1 inositol polyphosphate kinase family regulates polarized growth and modulates the microtubule cytoskeleton in fungi.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Pöhlmann

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Microtubules (MTs are pivotal for numerous eukaryotic processes ranging from cellular morphogenesis, chromosome segregation to intracellular transport. Execution of these tasks requires intricate regulation of MT dynamics. Here, we identify a new regulator of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe MT cytoskeleton: Asp1, a member of the highly conserved Vip1 inositol polyphosphate kinase family. Inositol pyrophosphates generated by Asp1 modulate MT dynamic parameters independent of the central +TIP EB1 and in a dose-dependent and cellular-context-dependent manner. Importantly, our analysis of the in vitro kinase activities of various S. pombe Asp1 variants demonstrated that the C-terminal phosphatase-like domain of the dual domain Vip1 protein negatively affects the inositol pyrophosphate output of the N-terminal kinase domain. These data suggest that the former domain has phosphatase activity. Remarkably, Vip1 regulation of the MT cytoskeleton is a conserved feature, as Vip1-like proteins of the filamentous ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans and the distantly related pathogenic basidiomycete Ustilago maydis also affect the MT cytoskeleton in these organisms. Consistent with the role of interphase MTs in growth zone selection/maintenance, all 3 fungal systems show aspects of aberrant cell morphogenesis. Thus, for the first time we have identified a conserved biological process for inositol pyrophosphates.

  14. Toxicological evaluations of Stigma maydis (corn silk aqueous extract on hematological and lipid parameters in Wistar rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabiu Saheed

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Despite the acclaimed phytotherapeutic attributes of Stigma maydis in folkloric medicine, there is paucity of information on its toxicity profile on hematological and lipid parameters. The toxicological effect of aqueous extract of corn silk at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight on hematological indices in Wistar rats were evaluated progressively at 24 h after 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Lipid parameters were also analyzed at the end of the experimental period. We observed that the extract did not exhibit any significant (p > 0.05 effect on red blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and mean platelet volume at all the tested doses. The study however showed a significant increase in the serum levels of white blood cell, platelet, lymphocytes, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; as well as feeding pattern in the animals, while the concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and artherogenic index value were significantly lowered. These findings are suggestive of non-hematotoxic potential of the extract. Overall, the effect exhibited by corn silk extract in this study proved that, it is unlikely to be hematotoxic and could be a good candidature in the management of coronary heart diseases if consumed at the doses investigated.

  15. PHL1 of Cercospora zeae-maydis encodes a member of the photolyase/cryptochrome family involved in UV protection and fungal development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bluhm, B H; Dunkle, L D

    2008-10-01

    DNA photolyases harvest light energy to repair genomic lesions induced by UV irradiation, whereas cryptochromes, presumptive descendants of 6-4 DNA photolyases, have evolved in plants and animals as blue-light photoreceptors that function exclusively in signal transduction. Orthologs of 6-4 photolyases are predicted to exist in the genomes of some filamentous fungi, but their function is unknown. In this study, we identified two putative photolyase-encoding genes in the maize foliar pathogen Cercospora zeae-maydis: CPD1, an ortholog of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) photolyases described in other filamentous fungi, and PHL1, a cryptochrome/6-4 photolyase-like gene. Strains disrupted in PHL1 (Deltaphl1) displayed abnormalities in development and secondary metabolism but were unaffected in their ability to infect maize leaves. After exposure to lethal doses of UV light, conidia of Deltaphl1 strains were abolished in photoreactivation and displayed reduced expression of CPD1, as well as RAD2 and RVB2, orthologs of genes involved in nucleotide excision and chromatin remodeling during DNA damage repair. This study presents the first characterization of a 6-4 photolyase ortholog in a filamentous fungus and provides evidence that PHL1 regulates responses to UV irradiation.

  16. Reacción de 100 variedades de caña de azúcar (saccharum officinarum) del banco de germoplasma del cincae, al carbón (ustilago scitaminea sydow), roya (puccinia melanocephala sydow) y mosaico (sugarcane mosaic virus) en la zona del cantón el triunfo

    OpenAIRE

    Fiallos Encalada, Freddy Fabian; Quilambaqui Jara, Miguel

    2009-01-01

    El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo determinar la reacción de 100 variedades de Caña de Azúcar del Banco de Germoplasma del CINCAE inoculadas, al Carbón (Ustilago scitaminea Sydow), Roya (Puccinia melanocephala Sydow) y Mosaico (Sugarcane Mosaic Virus), las cuales son enfermedades que han causado enormes pérdidas en la producción del cultivo. El ensayo se realizó en el Centro de Investigación de la Caña de Azúcar del Ecuador (CINCAE), ubicado en el cantón El Triunfo, provincia del Guayas. ...

  17. Efficacy of Newer Molecules, Bioagents and Botanicals against Maydis Leaf Blight and Banded Leaf and Sheath Blight of Maize

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malik, Vinod Kumar; Singh, Manjeet; Hooda, Karambir Singh; Yadav, Naresh Kumar; Chauhan, Prashant Kumar

    2018-01-01

    Maize (Zea mays L.; 2N=20) is major staple food crop grown worldwide adapted to several biotic and abiotic stresses. Maydis leaf blight (MLB) and banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB) are serious foliar fungal diseases may cause up to 40% and 100% grain yield loss, respectively. The present studies were undertaken to work out the efficacy of chemicals, botanicals and bioagents for the management of MLB and BLSB under field condition for two seasons Kharif 2014 and 2015. Five molecules (propiconazole 25 EC, hexaconazole 25 EC, carbendazim 50 WP, mancozeb 75 WP and carbedazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP), two bioagents i.e. Trichoderma harzianum and T. viridae and three botanicals namely azadirachtin, sarpagandha and bel pathar were tested for their efficacy against MLB. Eight newer fungicides viz., difenconazole 250 SC, hexaconazole 5 EC, carbendazim 50WP, validamycin 3 L, tebuconazole 250 EC, trifloxystrobin 50 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG, azoxystrobin 250 EC and pencycuron 250 SC were evaluated against BLSB. Analysis revealed significant effects of propiconazole at 0.1%, carbendazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP at 0.125% and sarpagandha leaves at 10% against MLB pathogen, whereas validamycin at 0.1% and trifloxystrobin 25 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG at 0.05% were found effective against BLSB. The slow rate of disease control virtually by the bioagents might have not shown instant effect on plant response to the yield enhancing components. The identified sources of management can be used further in strengthening the plant protection in maize against MLB and BLSB. PMID:29628818

  18. Efficacy of Newer Molecules, Bioagents and Botanicals against Maydis Leaf Blight and Banded Leaf and Sheath Blight of Maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malik, Vinod Kumar; Singh, Manjeet; Hooda, Karambir Singh; Yadav, Naresh Kumar; Chauhan, Prashant Kumar

    2018-04-01

    Maize ( Zea mays L.; 2N=20) is major staple food crop grown worldwide adapted to several biotic and abiotic stresses. Maydis leaf blight (MLB) and banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB) are serious foliar fungal diseases may cause up to 40% and 100% grain yield loss, respectively. The present studies were undertaken to work out the efficacy of chemicals, botanicals and bioagents for the management of MLB and BLSB under field condition for two seasons Kharif 2014 and 2015. Five molecules (propiconazole 25 EC, hexaconazole 25 EC, carbendazim 50 WP, mancozeb 75 WP and carbedazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP), two bioagents i.e. Trichoderma harzianum and T. viridae and three botanicals namely azadirachtin, sarpagandha and bel pathar were tested for their efficacy against MLB. Eight newer fungicides viz., difenconazole 250 SC, hexaconazole 5 EC, carbendazim 50WP, validamycin 3 L, tebuconazole 250 EC, trifloxystrobin 50 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG, azoxystrobin 250 EC and pencycuron 250 SC were evaluated against BLSB. Analysis revealed significant effects of propiconazole at 0.1%, carbendazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP at 0.125% and sarpagandha leaves at 10% against MLB pathogen, whereas validamycin at 0.1% and trifloxystrobin 25 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG at 0.05% were found effective against BLSB. The slow rate of disease control virtually by the bioagents might have not shown instant effect on plant response to the yield enhancing components. The identified sources of management can be used further in strengthening the plant protection in maize against MLB and BLSB.

  19. Efficacy of Newer Molecules, Bioagents and Botanicals against Maydis Leaf Blight and Banded Leaf and Sheath Blight of Maize

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Maize (Zea mays L.; 2N=20 is major staple food crop grown worldwide adapted to several biotic and abiotic stresses. Maydis leaf blight (MLB and banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB are serious foliar fungal diseases may cause up to 40% and 100% grain yield loss, respectively. The present studies were undertaken to work out the efficacy of chemicals, botanicals and bioagents for the management of MLB and BLSB under field condition for two seasons Kharif 2014 and 2015. Five molecules (propiconazole 25 EC, hexaconazole 25 EC, carbendazim 50 WP, mancozeb 75 WP and carbedazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP, two bioagents i.e. Trichoderma harzianum and T. viridae and three botanicals namely azadirachtin, sarpagandha and bel pathar were tested for their efficacy against MLB. Eight newer fungicides viz., difenconazole 250 SC, hexaconazole 5 EC, carbendazim 50WP, validamycin 3 L, tebuconazole 250 EC, trifloxystrobin 50 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG, azoxystrobin 250 EC and pencycuron 250 SC were evaluated against BLSB. Analysis revealed significant effects of propiconazole at 0.1%, carbendazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP at 0.125% and sarpagandha leaves at 10% against MLB pathogen, whereas validamycin at 0.1% and trifloxystrobin 25 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG at 0.05% were found effective against BLSB. The slow rate of disease control virtually by the bioagents might have not shown instant effect on plant response to the yield enhancing components. The identified sources of management can be used further in strengthening the plant protection in maize against MLB and BLSB.

  20. Proteomic analysis of the metabolic adaptation of the biocontrol agent Pseudozyma flocculosa leading to glycolipid production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bélanger Richard R

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The yeast-like epiphytic fungus Pseudozyma flocculosa is known to antagonize powdery mildew fungi through proliferation on colonies presumably preceded by the release of an antifungal glycolipid (flocculosin. In culture conditions, P. flocculosa can be induced to produce or not flocculosin through manipulation of the culture medium nutrients. In order to characterize and understand the metabolic changes in P. flocculosa linked to glycolipid production, we conducted a 2-DE proteomic analysis and compared the proteomic profile of P. flocculosa growing under conditions favoring the development of the fungus (control or conducive to flocculosin synthesis (stress. A large number of protein spots (771 were detected in protein extracts of the control treatment compared to only 435 matched protein spots in extracts of the stress cultures, which clearly suggests an important metabolic reorganization in slow-growing cells producing flocculosin. From the latter treatment, we were able to identify 21 protein spots that were either specific to the treatment or up-regulated significantly (2-fold increase. All of them were identified based on similarity between predicted ORF of the newly sequenced genome of P. flocculosa with Ustilago maydis' available annotated sequences. These proteins were associated with the carbon and fatty acid metabolism, and also with the filamentous change of the fungus leading to flocculosin production. This first look into the proteome of P. flocculosa suggests that flocculosin synthesis is elicited in response to specific stress or limiting conditions.

  1. Pathogen Trojan Horse Delivers Bioactive Host Protein to Alter Maize Anther Cell Behavior in Situ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Linde, Karina; Timofejeva, Ljudmilla; Egger, Rachel L; Ilau, Birger; Hammond, Reza; Teng, Chong; Meyers, Blake C; Doehlemann, Gunther; Walbot, Virginia

    2018-03-01

    Small proteins are crucial signals during development, host defense, and physiology. The highly spatiotemporal restricted functions of signaling proteins remain challenging to study in planta. The several month span required to assess transgene expression, particularly in flowers, combined with the uncertainties from transgene position effects and ubiquitous or overexpression, makes monitoring of spatiotemporally restricted signaling proteins lengthy and difficult. This situation could be rectified with a transient assay in which protein deployment is tightly controlled spatially and temporally in planta to assess protein functions, timing, and cellular targets as well as to facilitate rapid mutagenesis to define functional protein domains. In maize ( Zea mays ), secreted ZmMAC1 (MULTIPLE ARCHESPORIAL CELLS1) was proposed to trigger somatic niche formation during anther development by participating in a ligand-receptor module. Inspired by Homer's Trojan horse myth, we engineered a protein delivery system that exploits the secretory capabilities of the maize smut fungus Ustilago maydis , to allow protein delivery to individual cells in certain cell layers at precise time points. Pathogen-supplied ZmMAC1 cell-autonomously corrected both somatic cell division and differentiation defects in mutant Zm mac1-1 anthers. These results suggest that exploiting host-pathogen interactions may become a generally useful method for targeting host proteins to cell and tissue types to clarify cellular autonomy and to analyze steps in cell responses. © 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

  2. Membrane Stabilization and Detoxification of Acetaminophen-Mediated Oxidative Onslaughts in the Kidneys of Wistar Rats by Standardized Fraction of Zea mays L. (Poaceae), Stigma maydis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabiu, S.; O'Neill, F. H.

    2016-01-01

    This study evaluated membrane stabilization and detoxification potential of ethyl acetate fraction of Zea mays L., Stigma maydis in acetaminophen-induced oxidative onslaughts in the kidneys of Wistar rats. Nephrotoxic rats were orally pre- and posttreated with the fraction and vitamin C for 14 days. Kidney function, antioxidative and histological analyses were thereafter evaluated. The acetaminophen-mediated significant elevations in the serum concentrations of creatinine, urea, uric acid, sodium, potassium, and tissue levels of oxidized glutathione, protein-oxidized products, lipid peroxidized products, and fragmented DNA were dose-dependently assuaged in the fraction-treated animals. The fraction also markedly improved creatinine clearance rate, glutathione, and calcium concentrations as well as activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase in the nephrotoxic rats. These improvements may be attributed to the antioxidative and membrane stabilization activities of the fraction. The observed effects compared favorably with that of vitamin C and are informative of the fraction's ability to prevent progression of renal pathological conditions and preserve kidney functions as evidently supported by the histological analysis. Although the effects were prominently exhibited in the fraction-pretreated groups, the overall data from the present findings suggest that the fraction could prevent or extenuate acetaminophen-mediated oxidative renal damage via fortification of antioxidant defense mechanisms. PMID:27579048

  3. Membrane Stabilization and Detoxification of Acetaminophen-Mediated Oxidative Onslaughts in the Kidneys of Wistar Rats by Standardized Fraction of Zea mays L. (Poaceae, Stigma maydis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Sabiu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study evaluated membrane stabilization and detoxification potential of ethyl acetate fraction of Zea mays L., Stigma maydis in acetaminophen-induced oxidative onslaughts in the kidneys of Wistar rats. Nephrotoxic rats were orally pre- and posttreated with the fraction and vitamin C for 14 days. Kidney function, antioxidative and histological analyses were thereafter evaluated. The acetaminophen-mediated significant elevations in the serum concentrations of creatinine, urea, uric acid, sodium, potassium, and tissue levels of oxidized glutathione, protein-oxidized products, lipid peroxidized products, and fragmented DNA were dose-dependently assuaged in the fraction-treated animals. The fraction also markedly improved creatinine clearance rate, glutathione, and calcium concentrations as well as activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase in the nephrotoxic rats. These improvements may be attributed to the antioxidative and membrane stabilization activities of the fraction. The observed effects compared favorably with that of vitamin C and are informative of the fraction’s ability to prevent progression of renal pathological conditions and preserve kidney functions as evidently supported by the histological analysis. Although the effects were prominently exhibited in the fraction-pretreated groups, the overall data from the present findings suggest that the fraction could prevent or extenuate acetaminophen-mediated oxidative renal damage via fortification of antioxidant defense mechanisms.

  4. Histone deacetylases: revealing the molecular base of dimorphism in pathogenic fungi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Elías-Villalobos

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Fungi, as every living organism, interact with the external world and have to adapt to its fluctuations. For pathogenic fungi, such interaction involves adapting to the hostile environment of their host. Survival depends on the capacity of fungi to detect and respond to external stimuli, which is achieved through a tight and efficient genetic control. Chromatin modifications represent a well-known layer of regulation that controls gene expression in response to environmental signals. However, less is known about the chromatin modifications that are involved in fungal virulence and the specific cues and signalling pathways that target chromatin modifications to specific genes. In a recently published study, our research group identified one such regulatory pathway. We demonstrated that the histone deacetylase (HDAC Hos2 is involved in yeast-to-hyphal transition (dimorphism and it is associated with the virulence of the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis, the causative agent of smut disease in corn. Hos2 activates mating-type genes by directly binding to their gene bodies. Furthermore, Hos2 acts downstream of the nutrient-sensing cyclic AMP-Protein Kinase A pathway. We also found that another HDAC, Clr3, contributes to this regulation, possibly in cooperation with Hos2. As a whole, our data suggest that there is a direct link between changes in the environment and acetylation of nucleosomes within certain genes. We propose that histone acetylation is critical to the proper timing and induction of transcription of the genes encoding factors that coordinate changes in morphology with pathogenesis.

  5. Identification of multiple ear-colonizing insect and disease resistance in CIMMYT maize inbred lines with varying levels of silk maysin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ni, Xinzhi; Krakowsky, Matthew D; Buntin, G David; Rector, Brian G; Guo, Baozhu; Snook, Maurice E

    2008-08-01

    Ninety four corn inbred lines selected from International Center for the Improvement of Maize and Wheat (CIMMYT) in Mexico were evaluated for levels of silk maysin in 2001 and 2002. Damage by major ear-feeding insects [i.e., corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae); maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say); southern green stink bugs, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)], and common smut [Ustilago maydis DC (Corda)] infection on these inbred lines were evaluated in 2005 and 2006 under subtropical conditions at Tifton, GA. Ten inbred lines possessing good agronomic traits were also resistant to the corn earworm. The correlation between ear-feeding insect damage or smut infection and three phenotypic traits (silk maysin level, husk extension, and husk tightness of corn ears) was also examined. Corn earworm and stink bug damage was negatively correlated to husk extension, but not to either silk maysin levels or husk tightness. In combination with the best agronomic trait ratings that show the least corn earworm and stink bug damage, lowest smut infection rate, and good insect-resistant phenotypic traits (i.e., high maysin and good husk coverage and husk tightness), 10 best inbred lines (CML90, CML92, CML94, CML99, CML104, CML108, CML114, CML128, CML137, and CML373) were identified from the 94 lines examined. These selected inbred lines will be used for further examination of their resistance mechanisms and development of new corn germplasm that confers multiple ear-colonizing pest resistance.

  6. Population studies of fungal plant pathogens: Perspectives for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Using grey leaf spot of maize (Cercospora zeae-maydis) as a case study, we show how these techniques can be used to generate information on genetic variability, providing for logical development of a durable IDM programme. Key words: Cercospora zeae-maydis, disease management, genetic tools, molecular markers

  7. Molecular variability in the maize grey leaf spot pathogens in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kátia R. Brunelli

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Isolates of Cercospora species from leaves displaying symptoms of grey leaf spot were collected in maize-producing areas of south-central Brazil in 2001 and 2002. Restriction digests of the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA detected the presence of the same two Cercospora species described on maize in the United States, namely C. zeae-maydis and the recently described species, C. zeina . Genetic variability among isolates was assessed by analysing 104 amplified fragment length polymorphism loci. Cluster analysis confirmed the genetic separation of isolates into two species with a mean similarity of 35%. Similarity levels within species were high, averaging 93% and 92% among isolates of C. zeae-maydis and C. zeina , respectively. The mean genetic similarity between C. zeae-maydis and C. zeina and two isolates of C. sorghi f. sp. maydis was 45% and 35%, respectively. Results of this study showed that populations of the grey leaf spot pathogens in Brazil are similar to those in the United States regarding species composition and that C. zeina is also present in Brazil.

  8. Kinetics of α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory potential of Zea mays Linnaeus (Poaceae), Stigma maydis aqueous extract: An in vitro assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabiu, S; O'Neill, F H; Ashafa, A O T

    2016-05-13

    Corn silk (Zea mays L., Stigma maydis) is an important herb used traditionally in many parts of the world to treat array of diseases including diabetes mellitus. Inhibitors of α-amylase and α-glucosidase offer an effective strategy to modulate levels of post prandial hyperglycaemia via control of starch metabolism. This study evaluated α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory potentials of corn silk aqueous extract. Active principles and antioxidant attributes of the extract were also analysed. The α-amylase inhibitory potential of the extract was investigated by reacting its different concentrations with α-amylase and starch solution, while α-glucosidase inhibition was determined by pre-incubating α-glucosidase with different concentrations of the extract followed by addition of p-nitrophenylglucopyranoside. The mode(s) of inhibition of the enzymes were determined using Lineweaver-Burke plot. In vitro analysis of the extract showed that it exhibited potent and moderate inhibitory potential against α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively. The inhibition was concentration-dependent with respective half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 5.89 and 0.93mg/mL. Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, tannins and phytosterols as probable inhibitory constituents. Furthermore, the extract remarkably scavenges reactive oxygen species like DPPH and nitric oxide radicals, elicited good reducing power and a significant metal chelating attributes. Overall, the non-competitive and uncompetitive mechanism of action of corn silk extract is due to its inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively. Consequently, this will reduce the rate of starch hydrolysis, enhance palliated glucose levels, and thus, lending credence to hypoglycaemic candidature of corn silk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Efektivitas Formula Bacillus subtilis TM4 untuk Pengendalian Penyakit pada Tanaman Jagung

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nurasiah Djaenuddin

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB and maydis leaf blight (MLB caused by Rhizoctonia solani and Bipolaris maydis, respectively are considered as important diseases in maize.   The use of biopesticides is an alternative method to control the diseases. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of bacterial formula Bacillus subtilis to inhibit the development of BLSB and MLB on the plant. Testing of biopesticide formula was done in two different applications, i.e. seed treatment for BLSB control and leaf spraying in the field for MLB. The results showed that the B.subtilis formula effectively suppressed the development of BLSB but it was not effectively suppressed the development of MLB .Key words: Bacillus subtilis, biopesticide, Bipolaris maydis, leaf blight diseaseBanded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB and maydis leaf blight (MLB caused by Rhizoctonia solani and Bipolaris maydis, respectively are considered as important diseases in maize.   The use of biopesticides is an alternative method to control the diseases. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of bacterial formula Bacillus subtilis to inhibit the development of BLSB and MLB on the plant. Testing of biopesticide formula was done in two different applications, i.e. seed treatment for BLSB control and leaf spraying in the field for MLB. The results showed that the B.subtilis formula effectively suppressed the development of BLSB but it was not effectively suppressed the development of MLB.

  10. Conversion of BAC Clones into Binary BAC (BIBAC) Vectors and Their Delivery into Basidiomycete Fungal Cells Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens

    KAUST Repository

    Ali, Shawkat

    2014-09-19

    The genetic transformation of certain organisms, required for gene function analysis or complementation, is often not very efficient, especially when dealing with large gene constructs or genomic fragments. We have adapted the natural DNA transfer mechanism from the soil pathogenic bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens, to deliver intact large DNA constructs to basidiomycete fungi of the genus Ustilago where they stably integrated into their genome. To this end, Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) clones containing large fungal genomic DNA fragments were converted via a Lambda phage-based recombineering step to Agrobacterium transfer-competent binary vectors (BIBACs) with a Ustilago-specific selection marker. The fungal genomic DNA fragment was subsequently successfully delivered as T-DNA through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation into Ustilago species where an intact copy stably integrated into the genome. By modifying the recombineering vector, this method can theoretically be adapted for many different fungi.

  11. Identification of growth stage molecular markers in Trichoderma sp. 'atroviride type B' and their potential application in monitoring fungal growth and development in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendoza-Mendoza, Artemio; Steyaert, Johanna; Nieto-Jacobo, Maria Fernanda; Holyoake, Andrew; Braithwaite, Mark; Stewart, Alison

    2015-11-01

    Several members of the genus Trichoderma are biocontrol agents of soil-borne fungal plant pathogens. The effectiveness of biocontrol agents depends heavily on how they perform in the complex field environment. Therefore, the ability to monitor and track Trichoderma within the environment is essential to understanding biocontrol efficacy. The objectives of this work were to: (a) identify key genes involved in Trichoderma sp. 'atroviride type B' morphogenesis; (b) develop a robust RNA isolation method from soil; and (c) develop molecular marker assays for characterizing morphogenesis whilst in the soil environment. Four cDNA libraries corresponding to conidia, germination, vegetative growth and conidiogenesis were created, and the genes identified by sequencing. Stage specificity of the different genes was confirmed by either Northern blot or quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis using RNA from the four stages. con10, a conidial-specific gene, was observed in conidia, as well as one gene also involved in subsequent stages of germination (L-lactate/malate dehydrogenase encoding gene). The germination stage revealed high expression rates of genes involved in amino acid and protein biosynthesis, while in the vegetative-growth stage, genes involved in differentiation, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase similar to Kpp7 from Ustilago maydis and the orthologue to stuA from Aspergillus nidulans, were preferentially expressed. Genes involved in cell-wall synthesis were expressed during conidiogenesis. We standardized total RNA isolation from Trichoderma sp. 'atroviride type B' growing in soil and then examined the expression profiles of selected genes using qRT-PCR. The results suggested that the relative expression patterns were cyclic and not accumulative.

  12. Gene Network Polymorphism Illuminates Loss and Retention of Novel RNAi Silencing Components in the Cryptococcus Pathogenic Species Complex.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marianna Feretzaki

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available RNAi is a ubiquitous pathway that serves central functions throughout eukaryotes, including maintenance of genome stability and repression of transposon expression and movement. However, a number of organisms have lost their RNAi pathways, including the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis, the human pathogen Cryptococcus deuterogattii, and some human parasite pathogens, suggesting there may be adaptive benefits associated with both retention and loss of RNAi. By comparing the RNAi-deficient genome of the Pacific Northwest Outbreak C. deuterogattii strain R265 with the RNAi-proficient genomes of the Cryptococcus pathogenic species complex, we identified a set of conserved genes that were lost in R265 and all other C. deuterogattii isolates examined. Genetic and molecular analyses reveal several of these lost genes play roles in RNAi pathways. Four novel components were examined further. Znf3 (a zinc finger protein and Qip1 (a homolog of N. crassa Qip were found to be essential for RNAi, while Cpr2 (a constitutive pheromone receptor and Fzc28 (a transcription factor are involved in sex-induced but not mitosis-induced silencing. Our results demonstrate that the mitotic and sex-induced RNAi pathways rely on the same core components, but sex-induced silencing may be a more specific, highly induced variant that involves additional specialized or regulatory components. Our studies further illustrate how gene network polymorphisms involving known components of key cellular pathways can inform identification of novel elements and suggest that RNAi loss may have been a core event in the speciation of C. deuterogattii and possibly contributed to its pathogenic trajectory.

  13. Molecular characterization of a bipartite double-stranded RNA virus and its satellite-like RNA co-infecting the phytopathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

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    Lijiang eLiu

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available A variety of mycoviruses have been found in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. In this study, we report a novel mycovirus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum botybirnavirus 1 (SsBRV1 that was originally isolated from the hypovirulent strain SCH941 of S. sclerotiorum. SsBRV1 has rigid spherical virions that are ~38 nm in diameter, and three dsRNA segments (dsRNA1, 2 and 3 with lengths of 6.4, 6.0 and 1.7 kbp, respectively were packaged in the virions. dsRNA1 encodes a cap-pol fusion protein, and dsRNA2 encodes a polyprotein with unknown functions but contributes to the formation of virus particles. The dsRNA3 is dispensable and may be a satellite-like RNA (SatlRNA of SsBRV1. Although phylogenetic analysis of the RdRp domain demonstrated that SsBRV1 is related to Botrytis porri RNA virus 1 (BpRV1 and Ustilago maydis dsRNA virus-H1 (UmV-H1, the structure proteins of SsBRV1 do not have any significant sequence similarities with other known viral proteins with the exception of those of BpRV1. SsBRV1 carrying dsRNA3 seems to have no obvious effects on the colony morphology, but can significantly reduce the growth rate and virulence of S. sclerotiorum. Notably, a growth hormone receptor binding domain (GHBP, Pfam12772 is detected in ORF2-encoded protein of SsBRV1, which have not been reported in any other viruses. These findings provide new insights into the virus taxonomy, virus evolution and the interactions between SsBRV1 and the fungal hosts.

  14. Comparative Analysis Highlights Variable Genome Content of Wheat Rusts and Divergence of the Mating Loci

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    Christina A. Cuomo

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Three members of the Puccinia genus, Puccinia triticina (Pt, P. striiformis f.sp. tritici (Pst, and P. graminis f.sp. tritici (Pgt, cause the most common and often most significant foliar diseases of wheat. While similar in biology and life cycle, each species is uniquely adapted and specialized. The genomes of Pt and Pst were sequenced and compared to that of Pgt to identify common and distinguishing gene content, to determine gene variation among wheat rust pathogens, other rust fungi, and basidiomycetes, and to identify genes of significance for infection. Pt had the largest genome of the three, estimated at 135 Mb with expansion due to mobile elements and repeats encompassing 50.9% of contig bases; in comparison, repeats occupy 31.5% for Pst and 36.5% for Pgt. We find all three genomes are highly heterozygous, with Pst [5.97 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs/kb] nearly twice the level detected in Pt (2.57 SNPs/kb and that previously reported for Pgt. Of 1358 predicted effectors in Pt, 784 were found expressed across diverse life cycle stages including the sexual stage. Comparison to related fungi highlighted the expansion of gene families involved in transcriptional regulation and nucleotide binding, protein modification, and carbohydrate degradation enzymes. Two allelic homeodomain pairs, HD1 and HD2, were identified in each dikaryotic Puccinia species along with three pheromone receptor (STE3 mating-type genes, two of which are likely representing allelic specificities. The HD proteins were active in a heterologous Ustilago maydis mating assay and host-induced gene silencing (HIGS of the HD and STE3 alleles reduced wheat host infection.

  15. Survey and analysis of simple sequence repeats in the Laccaria bicolor genome, with development of microsatellite markers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Labbe, Jessy L [ORNL; Murat, Claude [INRA, Nancy, France; Morin, Emmanuelle [INRA, Nancy, France; Le Tacon, F [UMR, France; Martin, Francis [INRA, Nancy, France

    2011-01-01

    It is becoming clear that simple sequence repeats (SSRs) play a significant role in fungal genome organization, and they are a large source of genetic markers for population genetics and meiotic maps. We identified SSRs in the Laccaria bicolor genome by in silico survey and analyzed their distribution in the different genomic regions. We also compared the abundance and distribution of SSRs in L. bicolor with those of the following fungal genomes: Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Coprinopsis cinerea, Ustilago maydis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus nidulans, Magnaporthe grisea, Neurospora crassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using the MISA computer program, we detected 277,062 SSRs in the L. bicolor genome representing 8% of the assembled genomic sequence. Among the analyzed basidiomycetes, L. bicolor exhibited the highest SSR density although no correlation between relative abundance and the genome sizes was observed. In most genomes the short motifs (mono- to trinucleotides) were more abundant than the longer repeated SSRs. Generally, in each organism, the occurrence, relative abundance, and relative density of SSRs decreased as the repeat unit increased. Furthermore, each organism had its own common and longest SSRs. In the L. bicolor genome, most of the SSRs were located in intergenic regions (73.3%) and the highest SSR density was observed in transposable elements (TEs; 6,706 SSRs/Mb). However, 81% of the protein-coding genes contained SSRs in their exons, suggesting that SSR polymorphism may alter gene phenotypes. Within a L. bicolor offspring, sequence polymorphism of 78 SSRs was mainly detected in non-TE intergenic regions. Unlike previously developed microsatellite markers, these new ones are spread throughout the genome; these markers could have immediate applications in population genetics.

  16. Impact of applying edible oils to silk channels on ear pests of sweet corn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ni, Xinzhi; Sparks, Alton N; Riley, David G; Li, Xianchun

    2011-06-01

    The impact of applying edible oils to corn silks on ear-feeding insects in sweet corn, Zea mays L., production was evaluated in 2006 and 2007. Six edible oils used in this experiment were canola, corn, olive, peanut, sesame, and soybean. Water and two commercial insecticidal oils (Neemix neem oil and nC21 Sunspray Ultrafine, a horticultural mineral oil) were used as the controls for the experiment. Six parameters evaluated in this experiment were corn earworm [Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] damage rating, the number of sap beetle [Carpophilus spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)] adults and larvae, the number of corn silk fly (or picture-winged fly) (Diptera: Ulidiidae) larvae, common smut [Ustilago maydis (D.C.) Corda] infection rate, and corn husk coverage. Among the two control treatments, neem oil reduced corn earworm damage at both pre- and postpollination applications in 2006, but not in 2007, whereas the mineral oil applied at postpollination treatments reduced corn earworm damage in both years. The mineral oil also reduced the number of sap beetle adults, whereas the neem oil applied at postpollination attracted the most sap beetle adults in 2007. Among the six edible oil treatments, the corn and sesame oils applied at postpollination reduced corn earworm damage only in 2007. The application of the peanut oil at postpollination attracted more sap beetle adults in 2006, and more sap beetle larvae in 2007. Olive and neem oils significantly reduced husk coverage compared with the water control in both years. The mineral oil application consistently increased smut infection rate in both 2006 and 2007. Ramifications of using oil treatments in ear pest management also are discussed.

  17. Comparative EST analysis provides insights into the basal aquatic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii

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    Gomes Suely L

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Blastocladiella emersonii is an aquatic fungus of the Chytridiomycete class, which is at the base of the fungal phylogenetic tree. In this sense, some ancestral characteristics of fungi and animals or fungi and plants could have been retained in this aquatic fungus and lost in members of late-diverging fungal species. To identify in B. emersonii sequences associated with these ancestral characteristics two approaches were followed: (1 a large-scale comparative analysis between putative unigene sequences (uniseqs from B. emersonii and three databases constructed ad hoc with fungal proteins, animal proteins and plant unigenes deposited in Genbank, and (2 a pairwise comparison between B. emersonii full-length cDNA sequences and their putative orthologues in the ascomycete Neurospora crassa and the basidiomycete Ustilago maydis. Results Comparative analyses of B. emersonii uniseqs with fungi, animal and plant databases through the two approaches mentioned above produced 166 B. emersonii sequences, which were identified as putatively absent from other fungi or not previously described. Through these approaches we found: (1 possible orthologues of genes previously identified as specific to animals and/or plants, and (2 genes conserved in fungi, but with a large difference in divergence rate in B. emersonii. Among these sequences, we observed cDNAs encoding enzymes from coenzyme B12-dependent propionyl-CoA pathway, a metabolic route not previously described in fungi, and validated their expression in Northern blots. Conclusion Using two different approaches involving comparative sequence analyses, we could identify sequences from the early-diverging fungus B. emersonii previously considered specific to animals or plants, and highly divergent sequences from the same fungus relative to other fungi.

  18. Mapping and validation of quantitative trait loci for resistance to Cercospora zeae-maydis infection in tropical maize (Zea mays L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pozar, Gilberto; Butruille, David; Silva, Heyder Diniz; McCuddin, Zoe Patterson; Penna, Julio Cesar Viglioni

    2009-02-01

    Breeding for resistance to gray leaf spot, caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis (Cz) is paramount for many maize environments, in particular under warm and humid growing conditions. In this study, we mapped and characterized quantitative trait loci (QTL) involved in the resistance of maize against Cz. We confirmed the impact of the QTL on disease severity using near-isogenic lines (NILs), and estimated their effects on three major agronomic traits using their respective near isogenic hybrids (NIHs), which we obtained by crossing the NILs with an inbred from a complementary heterotic pool. We further validated three of the four QTL that were mapped using the Multiple Interval Mapping approach and showed LOD values>2.5. NILs genotype included all combinations between favorable alleles of the two QTL located in chromosome 1 (Q1 in bin 1.05 and Q2 in bin 1.07), and the allele in chromosome 3 (Q3 in bin 3.07). Each of the three QTL separately significantly reduced the severity of Cz. However, we found an unfavorable epistatic interaction between Q1 and Q2: presence of the favorable allele at one of the QTL allele effectively nullified the effect of the favorable allele at the other. In contrast, the interaction between Q2 and Q3 was additive, promoting the reduction of the severity to a greater extent than the sum of their individual effects. When evaluating the NIH we found significant individual effects for Q1 and Q3 on gray leaf spot severity, for Q2 on stalk lodging and grain yield, and for Q3 on grain moisture and stalk lodging. We detected significant epitasis between Q1 and Q2 for grain moisture and between Q1 and Q3 for stalk lodging. These results suggest that the combination of QTL impacts the effectiveness of marker-assisted selection procedures in commercial product development programs.

  19. Marmara Bölgesi'nde Arpa açık rastığı (Ustilago nuda hordei “Jens.â€? Rostr. Schaffn.)'na karşı arpa çeşit ve hatlarının reaksiyonlarının tespiti üzerinde araştırmalar.

    OpenAIRE

    Gümüştekin, H.; Akın, K.

    2008-01-01

    Arpa çeşit ve hatlarının, arpa açık rastık hastalığı (Ustilago nuda hordei “Jens.â€? Rostr. Schaffn.)'na karşı göstermiş olduğu reaksiyonları tespit etmek amacı ile bu çalışma 1994 yılında başlamıştır. 1994 Yılında 14 arpa çeşit ve hattı, 1995 yılında 23 arpa çeşit ve hattı kullanılmıştır. Denemelerde kullanılan 37 çeşit ve hattan 27'si hastalığa karşı dayanıklı (R) bulunurken, 10'u hassas (S) bulunmuştur.

  20. Mating type gene analysis in apparently asexual Cercospora species is suggestive of cryptic sex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groenewald, Marizeth; Groenewald, Johannes Z; Harrington, Thomas C; Abeln, Edwin C A; Crous, Pedro W

    2006-12-01

    The genus Cercospora consists of numerous important, apparently asexual plant pathogens. We designed degenerate primers from homologous sequences in related species to amplify part of the C. apii, C. apiicola, C. beticola, C. zeae-maydis and C. zeina mating type genes. Chromosome walking was used to determine the full length mating type genes of these species. Primers were developed to amplify and sequence homologous portions of the mating type genes of additional species. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences revealed little variation among members of the C. apii complex, whereas C. zeae-maydis and C. zeina were found to be dissimilar. The presence of both mating types in approximately even proportions in C. beticola, C. zeae-maydis and C. zeina populations, in contrast to single mating types in C. apii (MAT1) and C. apiicola (MAT2), suggests that a sexual cycle may be active in some of these species.

  1. High abundance of Serine/Threonine-rich regions predicted to be hyper-O-glycosylated in the secretory proteins coded by eight fungal genomes

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    González Mario

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background O-glycosylation of secretory proteins has been found to be an important factor in fungal biology and virulence. It consists in the addition of short glycosidic chains to Ser or Thr residues in the protein backbone via O-glycosidic bonds. Secretory proteins in fungi frequently display Ser/Thr rich regions that could be sites of extensive O-glycosylation. We have analyzed in silico the complete sets of putatively secretory proteins coded by eight fungal genomes (Botrytis cinerea, Magnaporthe grisea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Ustilago maydis, Aspergillus nidulans, Neurospora crassa, Trichoderma reesei, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in search of Ser/Thr-rich regions as well as regions predicted to be highly O-glycosylated by NetOGlyc (http://www.cbs.dtu.dk. Results By comparison with experimental data, NetOGlyc was found to overestimate the number of O-glycosylation sites in fungi by a factor of 1.5, but to be quite reliable in the prediction of highly O-glycosylated regions. About half of secretory proteins have at least one Ser/Thr-rich region, with a Ser/Thr content of at least 40% over an average length of 40 amino acids. Most secretory proteins in filamentous fungi were predicted to be O-glycosylated, sometimes in dozens or even hundreds of sites. Residues predicted to be O-glycosylated have a tendency to be grouped together forming hyper-O-glycosylated regions of varying length. Conclusions About one fourth of secretory fungal proteins were predicted to have at least one hyper-O-glycosylated region, which consists of 45 amino acids on average and displays at least one O-glycosylated Ser or Thr every four residues. These putative highly O-glycosylated regions can be found anywhere along the proteins but have a slight tendency to be at either one of the two ends.

  2. The cultural significance of wild mushrooms in San Mateo Huexoyucan, Tlaxcala, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background We performed an ethnomycological study in a community in Tlaxcala, Central Mexico to identify the most important species of wild mushrooms growing in an oak forest, their significance criteria, and to validate the Cultural Significance Index (CSI). Methods Thirty-three mestizo individuals were randomly selected in San Mateo Huexoyucan and were asked seven questions based on criteria established by the CSI. Among the 49 mushroom species collected in the oak forest and open areas, 20 species were mentioned most often and were analyzed in more detail. Ordination and grouping techniques were used to determine the relationship between the cultural significance of the mushroom species, according to a perceived abundance index, frequency of use index, taste score appreciation index, multifunctional food index, knowledge transmission index, and health index. Results The mushrooms with highest CSI values were Agaricus campestris, Ramaria spp., Amanita aff. basii, Russula spp., Ustilago maydis, and Boletus variipes. These species were characterized by their good taste and were considered very nutritional. The species with the lowest cultural significance included Russula mexicana, Lycoperdon perlatum, and Strobylomyces strobilaceus. The ordination and grouping analyses identified four groups of mushrooms by their significance to the people of Huexoyucan. The most important variables that explained the grouping were the taste score appreciation index, health index, the knowledge transmission index, and the frequency of use index. Conclusions A. aff. basii and A. campestris were the most significant wild mushrooms to the people of San Mateo. The diversity of the Russula species and the variety of Amanita and Ramaria species used by these people was outstanding. Environments outside the forest also produced useful resources. The CSI used in Oaxaca was useful for determining the cultural significance of mushrooms in SMH, Tlaxcala. This list of mushrooms can be used in

  3. Characterization and comparative analysis of the genome of Puccinia sorghi Schwein, the causal agent of maize common rust.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rochi, Lucia; Diéguez, María José; Burguener, Germán; Darino, Martín Alejandro; Pergolesi, María Fernanda; Ingala, Lorena Romina; Cuyeu, Alba Romina; Turjanski, Adrián; Kreff, Enrique Domingo; Sacco, Francisco

    2018-03-01

    Rust fungi are one of the most devastating pathogens of crop plants. The biotrophic fungus Puccinia sorghi Schwein (Ps) is responsible for maize common rust, an endemic disease of maize (Zea mays L.) in Argentina that causes significant yield losses in corn production. In spite of this, the Ps genomic sequence was not available. We used Illumina sequencing to rapidly produce the 99.6Mbdraft genome sequence of Ps race RO10H11247, derived from a single-uredinial isolate from infected maize leaves collected in the Argentine Corn Belt Region during 2010. High quality reads were obtained from 200bppaired-end and 5000bpmate-paired libraries and assembled in 15,722 scaffolds. A pipeline which combined an ab initio program with homology-based models and homology to in planta enriched ESTs from four cereal pathogenic fungus (the three sequenced wheat rusts and Ustilago maydis) was used to identify 21,087 putative coding sequences, of which 1599 might be part of the Ps RO10H11247 secretome. Among the 458 highly conserved protein families from the euKaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG) that occur in a wide range of eukaryotic organisms, 97.5% have at least one member with high homology in the Ps assembly (TBlastN, E-value⩽e-10) covering more than 50% of the length of the KOG protein. Comparative studies with the three sequenced wheat rust fungus, and microsynteny analysis involving Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst, wheat stripe rust fungus), support the quality achieved. The results presented here show the effectiveness of the Illumina strategy for sequencing dikaryotic genomes of non-model organisms and provides reliable DNA sequence information for genomic studies, including pathogenic mechanisms of this maize fungus and molecular marker design. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Common motifs in the response of cereal primary metabolism to fungal pathogens are not based on similar transcriptional reprogramming

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    Lars Matthias Voll

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available During compatible interactions with their host plants, biotrophic plant pathogens subvert host metabolism to ensure the sustained provision of nutrient assimilates by the colonized host cells. To investigate, whether common motifs can be revealed in the response of primary carbon and nitrogen metabolism towards colonization with biotrophic fungi in cereal leaves, we have conducted a combined metabolome and transcriptome study of three quite divergent pathosystems, the barley powdery mildew fungus (Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei, the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis and the maize anthracnose fungus Colletotrichum graminicola, the latter being a hemibiotroph that only exhibits an initial biotrophic phase during its establishment.Based on the analysis of 42 water-soluble metabolites, we were able to separate early biotrophic from late biotrophic interactions by hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis, irrespective of the plant host. Interestingly, the corresponding transcriptome dataset could not discriminate between these stages of biotrophy, irrespective, of whether transcript data for genes of central metabolism or the entire transcriptome dataset was used. Strong differences in the transcriptional regulation of photosynthesis, glycolysis, the TCA cycle, lipid biosynthesis, and cell wall metabolism were observed between the pathosystems. Increased contents of Gln, Asn, and glucose as well as diminished contents of PEP and 3-PGA were common to early post-penetration stages of all interactions. On the transcriptional level, genes of the TCA cycle, nucleotide energy metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis exhibited consistent trends among the compared biotrophic interactions, identifying the requirement for metabolic energy and the rearrangement of amino acid pools as common transcriptional motifs during early biotrophy. Both metabolome and transcript data were employed to generate models of leaf primary metabolism during

  5. Complementation of CTB7 in the Maize Pathogen Cercospora zeina Overcomes the Lack of In Vitro Cercosporin Production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swart, Velushka; Crampton, Bridget G; Ridenour, John B; Bluhm, Burt H; Olivier, Nicholas A; Meyer, J J Marion; Berger, Dave K

    2017-09-01

    Gray leaf spot (GLS), caused by the sibling species Cercospora zeina or Cercospora zeae-maydis, is cited as one of the most important diseases threatening global maize production. C. zeina fails to produce cercosporin in vitro and, in most cases, causes large coalescing lesions during maize infection, a symptom generally absent from cercosporin-deficient mutants in other Cercospora spp. Here, we describe the C. zeina cercosporin toxin biosynthetic (CTB) gene cluster. The oxidoreductase gene CTB7 contained several insertions and deletions as compared with the C. zeae-maydis ortholog. We set out to determine whether complementing the defective CTB7 gene with the full-length gene from C. zeae-maydis could confer in vitro cercosporin production. C. zeina transformants containing C. zeae-maydis CTB7 were generated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation and were evaluated for in vitro cercosporin production. When grown on nitrogen-limited medium in the light-conditions conducive to cercosporin production in other Cercospora spp.-one transformant accumulated a red pigment that was confirmed to be cercosporin by the KOH assay, thin-layer chromatography, and ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Our results indicated that C. zeina has a defective CTB7, but all other necessary machinery required for synthesizing cercosporin-like molecules and, thus, C. zeina may produce a structural variant of cercosporin during maize infection.

  6. Incidence of Fusarium moniliforme Sheld. in Zea mays L. in the rainforest zone of Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iloba, C

    1979-01-01

    45 seed samples from 7 states of the rainforest zone of Nigeria (Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Bendel, Anambra, Imo, and Cross River) were screened for phytopathogen incidence. Whereas Drechslera maydis was found in 30 and Cephalosporium maydis in 79% of the samples were infected by Fusarium moniliforme, with 70% of the samples showing heavy infection. In view of the widespread nature of this economically important fungus on maize in the main cultivation area of Nigeria, the necessity for routine laboratory seed health tests is clearly indicated.

  7. Characterization of pathogenic races of the sugarcane smut fungus by neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amire, O.A.; Schmitt, R.A.; Trione, E.J.

    1982-01-01

    Representative samples of five major races of Ustilago scitaminea, the causal organism of the smut disease of sugarcane, were obtained from infected sugarcane fields in the Western hemisphere. The variations in concentration of 10 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, and Zn) in the sporidial yeast-like cells of this fungal pathogen were analyzed by neutron activation analysis. Comparative analysis of the elemental compositions in the different races of the fungus showed that the five pathogenic races of Ustilago scitaminea may be distinguished from each other on the basis of elemental compositions. (author)

  8. Genome-Wide Annotation and Comparative Analysis of Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenases in Basidiomycete Biotrophic Plant Pathogens.

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    Lehlohonolo Benedict Qhanya

    Full Text Available Fungi are an exceptional source of diverse and novel cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s, heme-thiolate proteins, with catalytic versatility. Agaricomycotina saprophytes have yielded most of the available information on basidiomycete P450s. This resulted in observing similar P450 family types in basidiomycetes with few differences in P450 families among Agaricomycotina saprophytes. The present study demonstrated the presence of unique P450 family patterns in basidiomycete biotrophic plant pathogens that could possibly have originated from the adaptation of these species to different ecological niches (host influence. Systematic analysis of P450s in basidiomycete biotrophic plant pathogens belonging to three different orders, Agaricomycotina (Armillaria mellea, Pucciniomycotina (Melampsora laricis-populina, M. lini, Mixia osmundae and Puccinia graminis and Ustilaginomycotina (Ustilago maydis, Sporisorium reilianum and Tilletiaria anomala, revealed the presence of numerous putative P450s ranging from 267 (A. mellea to 14 (M. osmundae. Analysis of P450 families revealed the presence of 41 new P450 families and 27 new P450 subfamilies in these biotrophic plant pathogens. Order-level comparison of P450 families between biotrophic plant pathogens revealed the presence of unique P450 family patterns in these organisms, possibly reflecting the characteristics of their order. Further comparison of P450 families with basidiomycete non-pathogens confirmed that biotrophic plant pathogens harbour the unique P450 families in their genomes. The CYP63, CYP5037, CYP5136, CYP5137 and CYP5341 P450 families were expanded in A. mellea when compared to other Agaricomycotina saprophytes and the CYP5221 and CYP5233 P450 families in P. graminis and M. laricis-populina. The present study revealed that expansion of these P450 families is due to paralogous evolution of member P450s. The presence of unique P450 families in these organisms serves as evidence of how a host

  9. The mating type locus (MAT and sexual reproduction of Cryptococcus heveanensis: insights into the evolution of sex and sex-determining chromosomal regions in fungi.

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    Banu Metin

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Mating in basidiomycetous fungi is often controlled by two unlinked, multiallelic loci encoding homeodomain transcription factors or pheromones/pheromone receptors. In contrast to this tetrapolar organization, Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii have a bipolar mating system, and a single biallelic locus governs sexual reproduction. The C. neoformans MAT locus is unusually large (>100 kb, contains >20 genes, and enhances virulence. Previous comparative genomic studies provided insights into how this unusual MAT locus might have evolved involving gene acquisitions into two unlinked loci and fusion into one contiguous locus, converting an ancestral tetrapolar system to a bipolar one. Here we tested this model by studying Cryptococcus heveanensis, a sister species to the pathogenic Cryptococcus species complex. An extant sexual cycle was discovered; co-incubating fertile isolates results in the teleomorph (Kwoniella heveanensis with dikaryotic hyphae, clamp connections, septate basidia, and basidiospores. To characterize the C. heveanensis MAT locus, a fosmid library was screened with C. neoformans/C. gattii MAT genes. Positive fosmids were sequenced and assembled to generate two large probably unlinked MAT gene clusters: one corresponding to the homeodomain locus and the other to the pheromone/receptor locus. Strikingly, two divergent homeodomain genes (SXI1, SXI2 are present, similar to the bE/bW Ustilago maydis paradigm, suggesting one or the other homeodomain gene was recently lost in C. neoformans/C. gattii. Sequencing MAT genes from other C. heveanensis isolates revealed a multiallelic homeodomain locus and at least a biallelic pheromone/receptor locus, similar to known tetrapolar species. Taken together, these studies reveal an extant C. heveanensis sexual cycle, define the structure of its MAT locus consistent with tetrapolar mating, and support the proposed evolutionary model for the bipolar Cryptococcus MAT locus revealing

  10. Essential oils on the control of stem and ear rot in maize

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    Glauco Antonio Teixeira

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Stem and ear rot caused by Stenocarpella maydis are responsible for severe losses in maize production. Treatment of seeds with fungicides may induce environmental damage. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of essential oils extracted from Cymbopogon winterianus, Thymus vulgaris, Cymbopogon citratus, Corymbia citriodora, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Syzygium aromaticum on the development of in vitro S. maydis. In addition, maize seeds were treated with these essential oils to determine their possible mode of action and effects. The oils from S. aromaticum, C. zeylanicum, and T. vulgaris inhibited fungal development at concentrations higher than 0.025%. The oils from S. aromaticum and C. zeylanicum showed seed germination rates of 89.0% and 84.5%, which were higher than that of the control. The oils from S. aromaticum and C. zeylanicum reduced the pathogen incidence in the seeds to 39.0% and 28.0%, respectively. Further, these oils as well as that from T. vulgaris produced lower reduction of maize stand. Scanning electron microscopy examination revealed that essential oils from S. aromaticum and T. vulgaris acted directly on the conidia, impeding germination. The findings suggest that the oils from S. aromaticum, C. zeylanicum, and T. vulgaris are potential alternatives for maize seed treatment in the control of S. maydis.

  11. Description of 5-liter stainless-steel fermentors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roxburgh, J M; Spencer, J F.T.; Sallans, H R

    1956-01-01

    Fermentors are described which are suitable for scale-up design. The same rate of oxidation of sodium sulfite and of production of ustilagic acid from Ustilago zeae per unit volume as in 200-gallon pilot-plant fermentation units.

  12. An Endophytic Bacterial Strain Isolated from Eucommia ulmoides Inhibits Southern Corn Leaf Blight

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    Ting Ding

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus subtilis DZSY21 isolated from the leaves of Eucommia ulmoides oliv. was labeled by antibiotic marker and found to effectively colonize the leaves of maize plant. Agar diffusion assays and biocontrol effect experiments showed that strain DZSY21 and its lipopeptides had antagonistic activity against Bipolaris maydis, as well as high biocontrol effects on southern corn leaf blight caused by B. maydis. Using MALDI-TOF-MS analysis, we detected the presence of antimicrobial surfactin A, surfactin B, and fengycin in the strain DZSY21. Signaling pathways mediated by DZSY21 were analyzed by testing the expression of key plant genes involved in regulation of salicylic acid (SA or JA/ET pathways, the defense-related genes PR1 and LOX were concurrently expressed in the leaves of DZSY21-treated plants; this corresponded to slight increase in the expression level of PDF1.2 and decreases in ERF gene transcription levels. The results indicated an induced systemic response that is dependent on the SA and jasmonic acid (JA pathways. Thus, we hypothesized that the strain DZSY21 inhibits B. maydis by producing antifungal lipopeptides and activating an induced systemic response through SA- and JA-dependent signaling pathways. This work describes a mechanism behind reduced disease severity in plants inoculated with the endophytic bacteria DZSY21.

  13. Incidence and distribution of seed-borne fungi associated with ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Isolation and identification of seed-borne fungi were conducted according to standard tests described by the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA). ... tritici, Ustilago tritici, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium culmorum, Microdochium nivale, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Alternaria alternata, Curvularia sp., Aspergillus niger, ...

  14. Use of IPM in the control of multiple diseases in maize: Strategies for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Pyramiding of quantitative resistance factors using molecular breeding techniques will be facilitated through cooperative research efforts and adoption of appropriate experimental designs. Key Words: Cercospora zeae-maydis, Exserohilum turcicum, gene pyramiding, molecular breeding, resistance breeding, Setosphaeria ...

  15. A kingdom-specific protein domain HMM library for improved annotation of fungal genomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliver Stephen G

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pfam is a general-purpose database of protein domain alignments and profile Hidden Markov Models (HMMs, which is very popular for the annotation of sequence data produced by genome sequencing projects. Pfam provides models that are often very general in terms of the taxa that they cover and it has previously been suggested that such general models may lack some of the specificity or selectivity that would be provided by kingdom-specific models. Results Here we present a general approach to create domain libraries of HMMs for sub-taxa of a kingdom. Taking fungal species as an example, we construct a domain library of HMMs (called Fungal Pfam or FPfam using sequences from 30 genomes, consisting of 24 species from the ascomycetes group and two basidiomycetes, Ustilago maydis, a fungal pathogen of maize, and the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. In addition, we include the Microsporidion Encephalitozoon cuniculi, an obligate intracellular parasite, and two non-fungal species, the oomycetes Phytophthora sojae and Phytophthora ramorum, both plant pathogens. We evaluate the performance in terms of coverage against the original 30 genomes used in training FPfam and against five more recently sequenced fungal genomes that can be considered as an independent test set. We show that kingdom-specific models such as FPfam can find instances of both novel and well characterized domains, increases overall coverage and detects more domains per sequence with typically higher bitscores than Pfam for the same domain families. An evaluation of the effect of changing E-values on the coverage shows that the performance of FPfam is consistent over the range of E-values applied. Conclusion Kingdom-specific models are shown to provide improved coverage. However, as the models become more specific, some sequences found by Pfam may be missed by the models in FPfam and some of the families represented in the test set are not present in FPfam

  16. Amino Acid Permeases and Virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin Felipe Cruz Martho

    Full Text Available Fungal opportunistic pathogens colonize various environments, from plants and wood to human and animal tissue. Regarding human pathogens, one great challenge during contrasting niche occupation is the adaptation to different conditions, such as temperature, osmolarity, salinity, pressure, oxidative stress and nutritional availability, which may constitute sources of stress that need to be tolerated and overcome. As an opportunistic pathogen, C. neoformans faces exactly these situations during the transition from the environment to the human host, encountering nutritional constraints. Our previous and current research on amino acid biosynthetic pathways indicates that amino acid permeases are regulated by the presence of the amino acids, nitrogen and temperature. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans have twenty-four and twenty-seven genes encoding amino acid permeases, respectively; conversely, they are scarce in number in Basidiomycetes (C. neoformans, Coprinopsis cinerea and Ustilago maydis, where nine to ten permease genes can be found depending on the species. In this study, we have demonstrated that two amino acid permeases are essential for virulence in C. neoformans. Our data showed that C. neoformans uses two global and redundant amino acid permeases, Aap4 and Aap5 to respond correctly to thermal and oxidative stress. Double deletion of these permeases causes growth arrest in C. neoformans at 37°C and in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The inability to uptake amino acid at a higher temperature and under oxidative stress also led to virulence attenuation in vivo. Our data showed that thermosensitivity caused by the lack of permeases Aap4 and Aap5 can be remedied by alkaline conditions (higher pH and salinity. Permeases Aap4 and Aap5 are also required during fluconazole stress and they are the target of the plant secondary metabolite eugenol, a potent antifungal inhibitor that targets amino acid permeases. In summary, our work

  17. Knowledge and use of edible mushrooms in two municipalities of the Sierra Tarahumara, Chihuahua, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quiñónez-Martínez, Miroslava; Ruan-Soto, Felipe; Aguilar-Moreno, Ivonne Estela; Garza-Ocañas, Fortunato; Lebgue-Keleng, Toutcha; Lavín-Murcio, Pablo Antonio; Enríquez-Anchondo, Irma Delia

    2014-09-17

    The Sierra Madre Occidental of Chihuahua in Northern Mexico is inhabited by indigenous Raramuris, mestizos, and other ethnic groups. The territory consists of canyons and ravines with pine, oak and pine-oak forests in the higher plateaus. A great diversity of potentially edible mushrooms is found in forests of the Municipalities of Bocoyna and Urique. Their residents are the only consumers of wild mushrooms in the Northern Mexico; they have a long tradition of collecting and eating these during the "rainy season." However, despite the wide diversity of edible mushrooms that grow in these areas, residents have a selective preference. This paper aims to record evidence of the knowledge and use of wild potentially edible mushroom species by inhabitants of towns in the Sierra Tarahumara of Chihuahua, Mexico. Using a semi-structured technique, we surveyed 197 habitants from seven locations in Urique, Bocoyna, and the Cusarare area from 2010 to 2012. Known fungi, local nomenclature, species consumed, preparation methods, appreciation of taste, forms of preservation, criteria for differentiating toxic and edible fungi, other uses, economic aspects, and traditional teaching were recorded. To identify the recognized species, photographic stimuli of 22 local edible species and two toxic species were used. The respondents reported preference for five species: Amanita rubescens, Agaricus campestris, Ustilago maydis, Hypomyces lactifluorum, and the Amanita caesarea complex. No apparent differences were found between ethnic groups in terms of preference, although mestizos used other species in Bocoyna (Boletus edulis and B. pinophilus). Some different uses of fungi are recognized by respondents, i.e. home decorations, medicine, as food in breeding rams, etc. The studied population shows a great appreciation towards five species, mainly the A. caesarea complex, and an apparent lack of knowledge of nearly 20 species which are used as food in other areas of Mexico. There are no

  18. Assessment of Genetic Variation Among East African Cercospora ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Rapid flagement length polymorphism (RFLP) and amplified flagement length polymorphism (AFLP) analyses were used to study genetic diversity of Cercospora zeae-maydis isolates collected from Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. For comparative purposes, isolates from Zimbabwe and the United States of America (USA) ...

  19. Species of Cercospora associated with grey leaf spot of maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crous, Pedro W; Groenewald, Johannes Z; Groenewald, Marizeth; Caldwell, Pat; Braun, Uwe; Harrington, Thomas C

    2006-01-01

    Grey leaf spot is a serious yield-reducing disease of maize (Zea mays) in many parts of the world where this crop is cultivated. The causal organism associated with the disease is Cercospora zeae-maydis. Two potential sibling species have been recognized as Groups I and II. The DNA sequences for the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 & ITS2), the 5.8S rRNA gene, elongation factor 1-alpha, histone H3, actin and calmodulin gene regions suggest that Groups I and II are two distinct species. Furthermore, Cercospora zeae-maydis (Group I) can be distinguished from C. zeina sp. nov. (Group II) by its faster growth rate on artificial media, the ability to produce cercosporin, longer conidiophores, and broadly fusiform conidia. A PCR-based test that distinguishes the two species was developed using species-specific primers designed from the histone H3 gene.

  20. Isolation and screening of glycolipid biosurfactant producers from sugarcane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morita, Tomotake; Fukuoka, Tokuma; Imura, Tomohiro; Hirose, Naoto; Kitamoto, Dai

    2012-01-01

    Forty-three fungal producers for glycolipid biosurfactants, mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), were isolated from leaves and smuts of sugarcane plants. These isolates produced MELs with sugarcane juice as nutrient source. The strains were taxonomically categorized into the genera Pseudozyma and Ustilago on the basis of partial sequences of the ribosomal RNA gene.

  1. Systemic fungicidal activity of 1,4-oxathiin derivatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmeling, B V; Kulka, M

    1966-04-29

    Treatment of pinto bean and barley seed with 1,4-oxathiin derivatives gave disease control by systemic fungicidal action of such pathogenic fungi as Uromyces phaseoli and Ustilago nuda. The two chemicals, D735 and F461, were highly specific and selective against the pathogens without injury of the hosts.

  2. Mating type gene analysis in apparently asexual Cercospora species is suggestive of cryptic sex

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groenewald, M.; Groenewald, J.Z.; Harrington, T.C.; Abeln, E.C.A.; Crous, P.W.

    2006-01-01

    The genus Cercospora consists of numerous important, apparently asexual plant pathogens. We designed degenerate primers from homologous sequences in related species to amplify part of the C. apii, C. apiicola, C. beticola, C. zeae-maydis and C. zeina mating type genes. Chromosome walking was used to

  3. Identification and characterization of endophytic bacteria from corn (Zea mays L.) roots with biotechnological potential in agriculture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szilagyi-Zecchin, Vivian Jaskiw; Ikeda, Angela Cristina; Hungria, Mariangela; Adamoski, Douglas; Kava-Cordeiro, Vanessa; Glienke, Chirlei; Galli-Terasawa, Lygia Vitória

    2014-01-01

    Six endophytic bacteria of corn roots were identified as Bacillus sp. and as Enterobacter sp, by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Four of the strains, CNPSo 2476, CNPSo 2477, CNPSo 2478 and CNPSo 2480 were positive for the nitrogen fixation ability evaluated through the acetylene reduction assay and amplification of nifH gene. Two Bacillus strains (CNPSo 2477 and CNPSo 2478) showed outstanding skills for the production of IAA, siderophores and lytic enzymes, but were not good candidates as growth promoters, because they reduced seed germination. However, the same strains were antagonists against the pathogenic fungi Fusarium verticillioides, Colletotrichum graminicola, Bipolaris maydis and Cercospora zea-maydis. As an indication of favorable bacterial action, Enterobacter sp. CNPSo 2480 and Bacillus sp. CNPSo 2481 increased the root volume by 44% and 39%, respectively, and the seed germination by 47% and 56%, respectively. Therefore, these two strains are good candidates for future testing as biological inoculants for corn.

  4. ORF Sequence: NC_001147 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available is loaded onto partial duplex DNA; homolog of human and S. pombe Rad1 and U. maydis Rec1 proteins; Rad17p [...the activation of the DNA damage and meiotic pachytene checkpoints; with Mec3p and Ddc1p, forms a clamp that

  5. The use of simple sequence repeats markers to study genetic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SERVER

    2007-07-18

    Jul 18, 2007 ... of varietal development (Dreher et al., 2000; Welz and. Geigerb, 2002). These techniques utilize molecular mar- kers linked to quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that confer resistance to diseases. In Kenya, gray leaf spot caused by Cercospora zeae- maydis (Theon and Daniels) results in significant yield losses of ...

  6. Zhang et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. (2013) 10(5):401 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    cadewumi

    Stigma maydis polysaccharides can improve the symptoms of weight loss ... convergence activity, zeaxanthin that have vitamin A activity and other nutrient .... 2 d later, blood was sampled from caudal vein to determine the blood ... In comparison, mice in the normal control group had bright fur and hair, good spirit, normal.

  7. Browse Title Index

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Items 51 - 100 of 1000 ... Vol 11, No 2 (2003), Assessment of Genetic Variation Among East African Cercospora zeae-maydis Populations, Abstract. P. Okori, J. Fahleson, P.R. Rubaihayo, E. Adipala, C. Dixelius. Vol 21, No 1 (2013), Assessment of invasive fruit fly fruit infestation and damage in Cabo Delgado province, ...

  8. Species of Cercospora associated with grey leaf spot of maize

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Crous, P.W.; Groenewald, J.Z.; Groenewald, M.; Caldwell, P.; Braun, U.; Harrington, T.C.

    2006-01-01

    Grey leaf spot is a serious yield-reducing disease of maize (Zea mays) in many parts of the world where this crop is cultivated. The causal organism associated with the disease is Cercospora zeae-maydis. Two potential sibling species have been recognized as Groups I and II. The DNA sequences for the

  9. Species of Cercospora associated with grey leaf spot of maize.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Crous, P.W.; Groenewald, J.Z.; Groenewald, M.; Caldwell, P.; Braun, U.; Harrington, T.C.

    2006-01-01

    Grey leaf spot is a serious yield-reducing disease of maize (Zea mays) in many parts of the world where this crop is cultivated. The causal organism associated with the disease is Cercospora zeae-maydis. Two potential sibling species have been recognized as Groups I and II. The DNA sequences for the

  10. A Technical and Practical Study of Composting as a Solid Waste Management Alternative for the Air Force

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-09-01

    52 0C Phvsoderma zeae- Brown spot of corn > 80C maydis Giberella zeae Seedling blight of corn > 651C ascospores Glomeralla gossypii Cotton anthracnose ...Pyrenophora teres Net blotch, barley 45°C conidia 55°C mycelium Septoria lycopersici Leafspot, tomatoes 43°C spores (2:221) 44 The extent of

  11. Diallel crosses among maize lines with emphasis on resistance to foliar diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Elisa Ayres Guidetti Zagatto Paterniani

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available Ten elite maize (Zea mays L. lines were crossed in a complete diallel scheme and the single-cross hybrids obtained were assessed at four experimental stations of the Agronomic Institute of Campinas, in São Paulo State, Brazil. The experiments were set up in a randomized complete block design with three replications, including four commercial checks. The experimental plots consisted of two 5-m rows spaced at 0.9 m, with a total of 50 plants. The traits assessed included: days to mid-tassel pollen shed (DPS, plant height (PH, ear height (EH, grain yield, corrected for a 50-plant stand and 14% moisture (GY corr., and resistance to Phaeosphaeria maydis and Puccinia polysora. General and specific combining ability effects (GCA and SCA were determined. There was extensive genetic variability among hybrids with the best hybrids (HS 04 x 10 and HS 10 x 11 not differing from the commercial checks. The lines with the greatest potential for hybrid synthesis included: L 10, L 11 and L 13, because they had higher GCA for yield, moderate resistance to P. maydis and reduced EH. The greatest contribution to reduction of the Phaeosphaeria stain was obtained with L 5. The magnitude of the GCA relative to the total variation indicated that additive effects predominated for resistance to P. maydis and P. polysora. Significant SCA (P Cruzaram-se dez linhagens-elite de milho em esquema dialélico completo e os híbridos simples obtidos foram avaliados em quatro Núcleos Experimentais do Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, SP, Brasil. Os ensaios foram instalados sob delineamento de blocos casualizados com três repetições, incluindo quatro testemunhas comerciais. As parcelas consistiram em duas linhas de 5 m espaçadas por 0,90 m, contendo 50 plantas. Avaliaram-se os caracteres: dias para o florescimento masculino (DPS, altura da planta (PH e da espiga (EH, produtividade de grãos corrigida para estande ideal de 50 plantas e 14% de umidade (GY corr. e resistência a

  12. 80-86 Performance of Variety Cross Hybrids of Maize

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Gray leaf spot (Cercospora zeae-maydis), Turcicum leaf blight (Exserohilum turcicum) and common rust. (Puccinia sorghi) were scored on a scale of 1 (clean, no infestation) to 5 (severely diseased). Grain yield was recorded from all ears in the harvest area at harvest. Then grain yield (t ha-1) was calculated using average ...

  13. Binding of host-selective toxin analogs to mitochondria from normal and Texas male sterile cytoplasm maize

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frantzen, K.A.; Daly, J.M.; Knoche, H.W.

    1987-01-01

    Tritium-labeled toxin analogs were prepared by reduction with NaB 3 H 4 of either the toxin from Helminthosporium maydis race T or a toxin component from Phyllosticta maydis. These reduced analogs had high radiochemical specific activities, high biological activities, and plant specificities identical to the native toxins. A filtration assay was developed to test the binding of these labeled analogs to isolated mitochondria. Binding was not energy dependent nor was there measurable matrical uptake. The analogs were shown to be lipophilic, a characteristic which gave rise to considerable nondisplaceable binding. Under conditions limiting nondisplaceable binding, the displaceable binding was shown to be linear with respect to toxin concentration and unsaturable. No significant differences were observed in the binding characteristics between the mitochondria from normal and male-sterile (Texas) cytoplasm maize. The findings suggest that, at physiologically relevant concentrations, these toxin analogs permeate the membranes of susceptible and resistant mitochondria alike. The lack of demonstrable specific binding does not rule out the involvement of a classical receptor site but does indicate that other kinds of molecular interactions may be involved in the mechanisms for toxicity and specificity

  14. An ultrastructural study of Paraphysoderma sedebokerense (Blastocladiomycota), an epibiotic parasite of microalgae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Letcher, Peter M; Lee, Philip A; Lopez, Salvador; Burnett, Micheal; McBride, Robert C; Powell, Martha J

    2016-03-01

    Successful algal cultivation for biofuel production is one path in the transition to a renewable energy economy. The green alga Scenedesmus dimorphus is a candidate for biofuel production, but is subject to parasitism and subsequent population crash when cultivated in open ponds. From an open pond cultivating S. dimorphus for biofuel production in New Mexico, USA, an amoeboid parasite was isolated, designated as isolate FD61, and its rDNA operon sequenced. A BLAST search for nuc 18S rDNA (18S) sequence similarity identified the parasite as Paraphysoderma sedebokerense (Blastocladiomycota). Here, we examine the ultrastructure of P. sedebokerense and compare it with that of a sister taxon, Physoderma maydis. The parasite has thin-walled vegetative sporangia and thick-walled resting sporangia. Our observations indicate that amoeboid swarmers are produced in the vegetative phase, while either amoeboid swarmers or zoospores are the product of meiosis in resting sporangia. Meiosis is confirmed by the presence of synaptonemal complexes in resting sporangia nuclei. Notably, P. sedebokerense has a Golgi apparatus with stacked cisternae, a feature reported for P. maydis, but which is absent in all other examined taxa in Blastocladiomycota. This report furthers our knowledge of the life cycle of P. sedebokerense. Copyright © 2015 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Gene discovery in EST sequences from the wheat leaf rust fungus Puccinia triticina sexual spores, asexual spores and haustoria, compared to other rust and corn smut fungi

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    leaf rust Melampsora species, and the corn smut fungus, Ustilago maydis (Um). While extensive homologies were found, many genes appeared novel and species-specific; over 40% of genes did not match any known sequence in existing databases. Focusing on spore stages, direct comparison to Um identified potential functional homologs, possibly allowing heterologous functional analysis in that model fungus. Many potentially secreted protein genes were identified by similarity searches against genes and proteins of Pgt and Melampsora spp., revealing apparent orthologs. Conclusions The current set of Pt unigenes contributes to gene discovery in this major cereal pathogen and will be invaluable for gene model verification in the genome sequence. PMID:21435244

  16. Gene discovery in EST sequences from the wheat leaf rust fungus Puccinia triticina sexual spores, asexual spores and haustoria, compared to other rust and corn smut fungi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wynhoven Brian

    2011-03-01

    . tritici (Pst, and poplar leaf rust Melampsora species, and the corn smut fungus, Ustilago maydis (Um. While extensive homologies were found, many genes appeared novel and species-specific; over 40% of genes did not match any known sequence in existing databases. Focusing on spore stages, direct comparison to Um identified potential functional homologs, possibly allowing heterologous functional analysis in that model fungus. Many potentially secreted protein genes were identified by similarity searches against genes and proteins of Pgt and Melampsora spp., revealing apparent orthologs. Conclusions The current set of Pt unigenes contributes to gene discovery in this major cereal pathogen and will be invaluable for gene model verification in the genome sequence.

  17. Opportunities in Tajikistan to breed wheat varieties resistant to seed-borne diseases and improved baking quality

    OpenAIRE

    Husenov, Bahromiddin

    2013-01-01

    Wheat seed-borne diseases and options for improving baking quality of wheat, as well as the role of genotypes for breeding to achieve high yield and quality are the key issues discussed in this introductory paper. The importance of wheat for Tajikistan and how to achieve food security goals in the country is also elucidated. Wheat seed-borne diseases are caused mostly by fungi. Loose Smut (Ustilago tritici), Common Bunt (Tilletia laevis and T.caries), Karnal Bunt (T.indica), Dwarf Bunt (T....

  18. Loose smut of barley grown in three types of farming

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Nedelcheva

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract. Over the period of 2014-2015, on the experimental field of the Institute of Agriculture in Karnobat, Bulgaria, was set a field trial with twenty cultivars of barley – 15 two-row: Obzor, Emon, Perun, Orfey, Lardeya, Asparuh, Kuber, Zagorets, Imeon, Sayra, Devinya, Sitara, Krami, Vicky, Potok; 3 four-row: Veslets, Aheloy 2, Tamaris; and 2 six-row cultivars – IZ Bori and Bozhin. All the cultivars were grown in three types of farming: conventional, organic and biodynamic. In conventional farming were applied pesticides and nitrogen fertilization. In the organic production were not used pesticides, mineral and organic fertilizers; and in biodynamic farming was applied biodynamic compost prepared from manure and biodynamic preparations (also organic. In conventional farming, the seeds were disinfected before sowing with Kinto plus (Triticonazole 20 g/l + Prochloraz 60 g/l, at a rate of 150 ml/100 kg seeds. In organic and biodynamic farming were used nondisinfected seeds. In the phenophase of full maturity of barley was conducted monitoring survey for plants infected with loose smut in all 2 the trial variants, the number of infected plants per m were counted and the infection rates were calculated. Infected plants of Tamaris grown in the three types of farming underwent microscopic analysis and measurement of 100 teliospores from each variant. The aim of this experiment was to investigate varietal susceptibility of barley to Ustilago nuda, grown in three types of farming, and to establish if the growing method affects the size of the teliospores of the pathogen. With two-row barley were found plants of Lardeya, Kuber, Devinya, Krami and Vicky infected with Ustilago nuda. Krami manifested the lowest resistance in the three types of farming. With four-row barley, Tamaris was found to be highly susceptible and Veslets was poorly resistant. Both cultivars expressed weaker susceptibility in conventional and biodynamic farming and stronger in

  19. Importance and Status of Sugarcane Smut (Ustilago scitaminea) in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    smut management with special emphasis on use of disease-free planting material ... practices, the number of smut affected stools is increasing from time to time ... Effects of Crop Commercial Orientation on Productivity of Smallholder Farmers.

  20. A review on threat of gray leaf spot disease of maize in Asia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narayan Bahadur Dhami

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Biotic and biotic constraints are yield limiting factors in maize producing regions. Among these gray leaf spot is a yield limiting foliar disease of maize in high land regions of Asia. This review is done from related different national and international journals, thesis, books, research papers etc. The objectives of this review are to become familiar with genetics and inheritance, epidemiology, symptoms and disease management strategies etc. High relative humidity, temperature, minimum tillage and maize monoculture are important factors responsible for disease development. The sibling species of Cercospora zeae-maydis (Tehon and Daniels, 1925 Group I and Group II and Cercospora sorghai var. maydis (Chupp, 1954 are associated with this disease. Pathogens colonize in maize debris. Conidia are the source of inoculums for disease spread. Severe blighting of leaves reduces sugars, stalk lodging and causes premature death of plants resulting in yield losses of up to 100%. Disease management through cultural practices is provisional. The use of fungicides for emergencies is effective however; their prohibitive cost and detrimental effects on the environment are negative consequences. The inheritance of tolerance is quantitative with small additive effects. The introgression of resistant genes among the crosses of resistant germplasm enhances the resistance. The crosses of resistant and susceptible germplasm possess greater stability than the crosses of susceptible and resistant germplasm. The development of gray leaf spot tolerant populations through tolerance breeding principle is an economical and sustainable approach to manage the disease.

  1. Microflora fúngica de sementes de milho em ambientes de armazenamento

    OpenAIRE

    Tanaka, Maria Aparecida de Souza; Maeda, Jocely Andreuccetti; Plazas, Isabel Helena de Almeida Zeituni

    2001-01-01

    Durante o armazenamento, vários fungos podem permanecer associados às sementes de milho, causando deterioração ou se mantendo viáveis, infectando posteriormente a plântula. Objetivou-se neste trabalho verificar a sobrevivência de fungos associados às sementes de milho durante 12 meses de armazenamento, em câmara fria (14ºC; 40% UR) e em ambiente não controlado. Observaram-se com maior freqüência os fungos de campo Alternaria alternata, Bipolaris maydis, Cephalosporium acremonium, Cladosporium...

  2. Comparative Genomics of Smut Pathogens: Insights From Orphans and Positively Selected Genes Into Host Specialization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Benevenuto

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Host specialization is a key evolutionary process for the diversification and emergence of new pathogens. However, the molecular determinants of host range are poorly understood. Smut fungi are biotrophic pathogens that have distinct and narrow host ranges based on largely unknown genetic determinants. Hence, we aimed to expand comparative genomics analyses of smut fungi by including more species infecting different hosts and to define orphans and positively selected genes to gain further insights into the genetics basis of host specialization. We analyzed nine lineages of smut fungi isolated from eight crop and non-crop hosts: maize, barley, sugarcane, wheat, oats, Zizania latifolia (Manchurian rice, Echinochloa colona (a wild grass, and Persicaria sp. (a wild dicot plant. We assembled two new genomes: Ustilago hordei (strain Uhor01 isolated from oats and U. tritici (strain CBS 119.19 isolated from wheat. The smut genomes were of small sizes, ranging from 18.38 to 24.63 Mb. U. hordei species experienced genome expansions due to the proliferation of transposable elements and the amount of these elements varied among the two strains. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Ustilago is not a monophyletic genus and, furthermore, detected misclassification of the U. tritici specimen. The comparison between smut pathogens of crop and non-crop hosts did not reveal distinct signatures, suggesting that host domestication did not play a dominant role in shaping the evolution of smuts. We found that host specialization in smut fungi likely has a complex genetic basis: different functional categories were enriched in orphans and lineage-specific selected genes. The diversification and gain/loss of effector genes are probably the most important determinants of host specificity.

  3. 31-40 Importance of Loose Smut [Ustilago nuda (Jensen) Rostrup

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    tosheba

    feed and the stem stubbles and straw can be used for roof thatching and ... problems and various high yielding and disease resistant .... suitable plastic container and washed in warm water to separate the .... Use of farmer-saved untreated seed and suitable environmental conditions might be responsible for high levels of ...

  4. Fungicide selective for basidiomycetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edgington, L V; Walton, G S; Miller, P M

    1966-07-15

    Concentrations of 2,3-dihydro-5-carboxanilido-6-methyl-1,4-oxathiin lower than 8 parts per million prevented mycelial growth of a number of Basidiomycetes. By contrast, mycelial growth of various other fungi-Phycomycetes, Ascomycetes, and Deuteromycetes-was 50 percent inhibited only by concentrations of 32 ppm or higher. Two exceptions to this pattern of selective fungitoxicity were found:an isolate of Rhizoctonia solani was not as sensitive as other Basidiomycetes, and the deuteromycete Verticillium alboatrum was inhibited by lower concentrations than affected other fungi in this group. Spore germination of two Basidiomycetes, Uromyces phaseoli and Ustilago nuda, was inhibited 95 percent or more at 10 ppm.

  5. A Survey of Phytopathogenic Fungi and Oomycetes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arya Widyawan

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available A survey of phytopathogenic fungi and Oomyceteswas conducted in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia duringOctober 2008 – May 2009. Total of 223 samples were collectedfrom four regions; Al-Kharj, Oyaynah, Old Diriyah, and Al Amariyah. Isolation was done using Potato Dextrose Agar(PDA. Infected parts were cut then sterilized in chlorox(10%, then were put in petridish that contain PDA andincubated at 25-27 °C. A total twelve genera of fungi andsingle genera of Oomycetes were isolated from the infectedplants and identifi ed as Fusarium spp., Alternaria spp.,Helmintosphorium (Bipolaris spp., Sclerotium spp., Rhizoctoniaspp., Cladosporium spp., Mauginiella scattae, Erysiphe spp.,Leveillula spp., Macrophomina phaseolina, Ustilago spp.,Ulocladium spp., and Phytium spp.

  6. Potencial de híbridos simples de milho para extração de linhagens Potential of maize single hybrids to generate inbred lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Odair Bison

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available A utilização de híbridos simples comerciais de milho é uma das opções de populações para a extração de linhagens, porque são adaptados e provavelmente concentram alta freqüência de alelos favoráveis já fixados. Mesmo nos locos que estão segregando, a freqüência de alelos favoráveis é 0,5. Assim, a identificação de populações promissoras, derivadas de híbridos simples superiores, é uma boa estratégia para aumentar a eficiência dos programas de melhoramento. As populações derivadas dos híbridos simples comerciais AG9012 e C333 foram avaliadas com o objetivo de verificar o potencial dessas para extração de linhagens superiores, por meio das estimativas de parâmetros genéticos e fenotípicos, da estimativa de m+a e a metodologia proposta por Jinks & Pooni (1976. Foram avaliadas 169 famílias S1 de cada população, durante a safra agrícola de 1999/2000, na área experimental do Departamento de Biologia da UFLA, em Lavras - MG, em látice simples 13x13, sendo as parcelas constituídas por uma linha de 3 m. As características analisadas foram incidência de Phaeosphaeria maydis em duas épocas, altura de plantas, altura de espigas e produtividade de espigas despalhadas. Foi constatado que há possibilidade de se obterem linhagens com bom desempenho per se, sendo a população derivada do C333 a mais promissora, por associar resistência a Phaeosphaeria maydis e possuir média mais alta e maior probabilidade de obtenção de linhagens superiores. A metodologia proposta por Jinks & Pooni (1976 mostrou-se mais informativa do que a estimativa de m+a para a escolha de populações, mas, quando possível, as duas podem ser utilizadas simultaneamente para auxiliar na decisão dos melhoristas.Populations derived from commercial single hybrids are one of the breeder options for inbred line extraction because of their adaptation and probable high frequency of loci with fixed favorable alleles. Even the segregating loci carry

  7. Sibling species of cercospora associated with gray leaf spot of maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, J; Levy, M; Dunkle, L D

    1998-12-01

    ABSTRACT Monoconidial isolates of the fungus causing gray leaf spot of maize were obtained from diseased leaves collected throughout the United States and analyzed for genetic variability at 111 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) loci. Cluster analysis revealed two very distinct groups of Cercospora zeae-maydis isolates. Both groups were found to be relatively uniform internally with an average genetic similarity among isolates of approximately 93 and 94%, respectively. The groups were separated from each other by a genetic distance of approximately 80%, a distance greater than that separating each group from the sorghum pathogen, C. sorghi (67 to 70%). Characteristics and dimensions of conidia and conid-iophores produced on infected plants or nutrient media were unreliable criteria for taxonomic differentiation of isolates composing the two groups of C. zeae-maydis. Nucleotide sequences of 5.8S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were identical within each group but different between the two groups and different from C. sorghi. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms generated by digestion of the 5.8S rDNA and ITS regions with TaqI readily distinguished each group and C. sorghi. Isolates in one group were generally distributed throughout maize-producing regions of the United States; isolates in the other group were localized in the eastern third of the country. Both types were present in the same fields at some locations. The genetic distance based on AFLP profiles and different ITS nucleotide sequences between the two morphologically indistinguishable groups indicate that they are sibling species. Although it is unlikely that breeding for resistance to gray leaf spot will be confounded by local or regional variation in the pathogen, a vigilant approach is warranted, because two pathogenic species exist with unknown abilities to evolve new pathotypes.

  8. The heterothallic sugarbeet pathogen Cercospora beticola contains exon fragments of both MAT genes that are homogenized by concerted evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolton, Melvin D; de Jonge, Ronnie; Inderbitzin, Patrik; Liu, Zhaohui; Birla, Keshav; Van de Peer, Yves; Subbarao, Krishna V; Thomma, Bart P H J; Secor, Gary A

    2014-01-01

    Dothideomycetes is one of the most ecologically diverse and economically important classes of fungi. Sexual reproduction in this group is governed by mating type (MAT) genes at the MAT1 locus. Self-sterile (heterothallic) species contain one of two genes at MAT1 (MAT1-1-1 or MAT1-2-1) and only isolates of opposite mating type are sexually compatible. In contrast, self-fertile (homothallic) species contain both MAT genes at MAT1. Knowledge of the reproductive capacities of plant pathogens are of particular interest because recombining populations tend to be more difficult to manage in agricultural settings. In this study, we sequenced MAT1 in the heterothallic Dothideomycete fungus Cercospora beticola to gain insight into the reproductive capabilities of this important plant pathogen. In addition to the expected MAT gene at MAT1, each isolate contained fragments of both MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 at ostensibly random loci across the genome. When MAT fragments from each locus were manually assembled, they reconstituted MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 exons with high identity, suggesting a retroposition event occurred in a homothallic ancestor in which both MAT genes were fused. The genome sequences of related taxa revealed that MAT gene fragment pattern of Cercospora zeae-maydis was analogous to C. beticola. In contrast, the genome of more distantly related Mycosphaerella graminicola did not contain MAT fragments. Although fragments occurred in syntenic regions of the C. beticola and C. zeae-maydis genomes, each MAT fragment was more closely related to the intact MAT gene of the same species. Taken together, these data suggest MAT genes fragmented after divergence of M. graminicola from the remaining taxa, and concerted evolution functioned to homogenize MAT fragments and MAT genes in each species. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  9. Phylogenetic analysis of cercospora and mycosphaerella based on the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodwin, S B; Dunkle, L D; Zismann, V L

    2001-07-01

    ABSTRACT Most of the 3,000 named species in the genus Cercospora have no known sexual stage, although a Mycosphaerella teleomorph has been identified for a few. Mycosphaerella is an extremely large and important genus of plant pathogens, with more than 1,800 named species and at least 43 associated anamorph genera. The goal of this research was to perform a large-scale phylogenetic analysis to test hypotheses about the past evolutionary history of Cercospora and Mycosphaerella. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence data (ITS1, 5.8S rRNA gene, ITS2), the genus Mycosphaerella is monophyletic. In contrast, many anamorph genera within Mycosphaerella were polyphyletic and were not useful for grouping species. One exception was Cercospora, which formed a highly supported monophyletic group. Most Cercospora species from cereal crops formed a subgroup within the main Cercospora cluster. Only species within the Cercospora cluster produced the toxin cercosporin, suggesting that the ability to produce this compound had a single evolutionary origin. Intraspecific variation for 25 taxa in the Mycosphaerella clade averaged 1.7 nucleotides (nts) in the ITS region. Thus, isolates with ITS sequences that differ by two or more nucleotides may be distinct species. ITS sequences of groups I and II of the gray leaf spot pathogen Cercospora zeae-maydis differed by 7 nts and clearly represent different species. There were 6.5 nt differences on average between the ITS sequences of the sorghum pathogen Cercospora sorghi and the maize pathogen Cercospora sorghi var. maydis, indicating that the latter is a separate species and not simply a variety of Cercospora sorghi. The large monophyletic Mycosphaerella cluster contained a number of anamorph genera with no known teleomorph associations. Therefore, the number of anamorph genera related to Mycosphaerella may be much larger than suspected previously.

  10. Microflora fúngica de sementes de milho em ambientes de armazenamento

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanaka Maria Aparecida de Souza

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Durante o armazenamento, vários fungos podem permanecer associados às sementes de milho, causando deterioração ou se mantendo viáveis, infectando posteriormente a plântula. Objetivou-se neste trabalho verificar a sobrevivência de fungos associados às sementes de milho durante 12 meses de armazenamento, em câmara fria (14ºC; 40% UR e em ambiente não controlado. Observaram-se com maior freqüência os fungos de campo Alternaria alternata, Bipolaris maydis, Cephalosporium acremonium, Cladosporium herbarum, Fusarium moniliforme e Rhizoctonia solani, além de Rhizopus spp. e Trichoderma spp., cuja sobrevivência decresceu ao longo do armazenamento, de modo muito mais acentuado em condição de ambiente não controlado, em comparação à câmara fria. Aspergillus e Penicillium tiveram suas incidências aumentadas ao longo do período, principalmente em ambiente não controlado. Nessa condição, a sobrevivência de Fusarium moniliforme foi reduzida gradativamente até o final dos doze meses; comparativamente, em câmara fria, a viabilidade do fungo foi menos afetada. Bipolaris maydis manteve-se viável na maioria dos lotes, durante todo o armazenamento em câmara fria; em ambiente não controlado, o fungo sobreviveu durante quatro a dez meses, dependendo do lote avaliado. O armazenamento em ambiente não controlado, embora tenha provocado a redução do inóculo de F. moniliforme e outros fungos importantes, poderia acelerar o processo de deterioração das sementes. Em câmara fria, por outro lado, a viabilidade dos fungos é favorecida, comprometendo a qualidade sanitária das sementes.

  11. Effect of Maize Hybrid and Foliar Fungicides on Yield Under Low Foliar Disease Severity Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallowa, Sally O; Esker, Paul D; Paul, Pierce A; Bradley, Carl A; Chapara, Venkata R; Conley, Shawn P; Robertson, Alison E

    2015-08-01

    Foliar fungicide use in the U.S. Corn Belt increased in the last decade; however, questions persist pertaining to its value and sustainability. Multistate field trials were established from 2010 to 2012 in Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, and Wisconsin to examine how hybrid and foliar fungicide influenced disease intensity and yield. The experimental design was in a split-split plot with main plots consisting of hybrids varying in resistance to gray leaf spot (caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis) and northern corn leaf blight (caused by Setosphaera turcica), subplots corresponding to four application timings of the fungicide pyraclostrobin, and sub-subplots represented by inoculations with either C. zeae-maydis, S. turcica, or both at two vegetative growth stages. Fungicide application (VT/R1) significantly reduced total disease severity relative to the control in five of eight site-years (P<0.05). Disease was reduced by approximately 30% at Wisconsin in 2011, 20% at Illinois in 2010, 29% at Iowa in 2010, and 32 and 30% at Ohio in 2010 and 2012, respectively. These disease severities ranged from 0.2 to 0.3% in Wisconsin in 2011 to 16.7 to 22.1% in Illinois in 2010. The untreated control had significantly lower yield (P<0.05) than the fungicide-treated in three site-years. Fungicide application increased the yield by approximately 6% at Ohio in 2010, 5% at Wisconsin in 2010 and 6% in 2011. Yield differences ranged from 8,403 to 8,890 kg/ha in Wisconsin 2011 to 11,362 to 11,919 kg/ha in Wisconsin 2010. Results suggest susceptibility to disease and prevailing environment are important drivers of observed differences. Yield increases as a result of the physiological benefits of plant health benefits under low disease were not consistent.

  12. Use of HPLC for the detection of iron chelators in cultures of bacteria, fungi, and algae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boyer, G.L.; Speirs, R.J.; Morse, P.D.

    1990-01-01

    Iron is essential for the growth of living cells. To meet biochemical needs, microorganisms, including algae, produce high affinity chelators termed siderophores. These compounds solubilize Fe and increase its bioavailability. We have developed a new method to study siderophore formation in cultured and natural environments. Based on the fact siderophores tightly bind 55-Fe, the radioactive complexes can be separated by HPLC using an inert PRP-1 column and detected by scintillation counting. This method cleanly resolves several known siderophores, including ferrichrome A, ferrichrome, desferal, and rhodotorulic acid. The optimization of the method and its use for analysis of siderophore formation in bacteria (E. coli, and Bacillus megaterium), fungi (Ustilago sphaerogena), and cyanobacteria (Anabaena flos-aqua UTEX 1444 and Anabaena sp. ATCC 27898) will be presented

  13. Metabolic engineering of Ustilago trichophora TZ1 for improved malic acid production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thiemo Zambanini

    2017-06-01

    These results open up a wide range of possibilities for further optimization, especially combinatorial metabolic engineering to increase the flux from pyruvate to malic acid and to reduce by-product formation.

  14. Resistance to gray leaf spot of maize: genetic architecture and mechanisms elucidated through nested association mapping and near-isogenic line analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, Jacqueline M; Poland, Jesse A; Benson, Brent M; Stromberg, Erik L; Nelson, Rebecca J

    2015-03-01

    Gray leaf spot (GLS), caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis and Cercospora zeina, is one of the most important diseases of maize worldwide. The pathogen has a necrotrophic lifestyle and no major genes are known for GLS. Quantitative resistance, although poorly understood, is important for GLS management. We used genetic mapping to refine understanding of the genetic architecture of GLS resistance and to develop hypotheses regarding the mechanisms underlying quantitative disease resistance (QDR) loci. Nested association mapping (NAM) was used to identify 16 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for QDR to GLS, including seven novel QTL, each of which demonstrated allelic series with significant effects above and below the magnitude of the B73 reference allele. Alleles at three QTL, qGLS1.04, qGLS2.09, and qGLS4.05, conferred disease reductions of greater than 10%. Interactions between loci were detected for three pairs of loci, including an interaction between iqGLS4.05 and qGLS7.03. Near-isogenic lines (NILs) were developed to confirm and fine-map three of the 16 QTL, and to develop hypotheses regarding mechanisms of resistance. qGLS1.04 was fine-mapped from an interval of 27.0 Mb to two intervals of 6.5 Mb and 5.2 Mb, consistent with the hypothesis that multiple genes underlie highly significant QTL identified by NAM. qGLS2.09, which was also associated with maturity (days to anthesis) and with resistance to southern leaf blight, was narrowed to a 4-Mb interval. The distance between major leaf veins was strongly associated with resistance to GLS at qGLS4.05. NILs for qGLS1.04 were treated with the C. zeae-maydis toxin cercosporin to test the role of host-specific toxin in QDR. Cercosporin exposure increased expression of a putative flavin-monooxygenase (FMO) gene, a candidate detoxification-related gene underlying qGLS1.04. This integrated approach to confirming QTL and characterizing the potential underlying mechanisms advances the understanding of QDR and will facilitate the

  15. Resistance to gray leaf spot of maize: genetic architecture and mechanisms elucidated through nested association mapping and near-isogenic line analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline M Benson

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Gray leaf spot (GLS, caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis and Cercospora zeina, is one of the most important diseases of maize worldwide. The pathogen has a necrotrophic lifestyle and no major genes are known for GLS. Quantitative resistance, although poorly understood, is important for GLS management. We used genetic mapping to refine understanding of the genetic architecture of GLS resistance and to develop hypotheses regarding the mechanisms underlying quantitative disease resistance (QDR loci. Nested association mapping (NAM was used to identify 16 quantitative trait loci (QTL for QDR to GLS, including seven novel QTL, each of which demonstrated allelic series with significant effects above and below the magnitude of the B73 reference allele. Alleles at three QTL, qGLS1.04, qGLS2.09, and qGLS4.05, conferred disease reductions of greater than 10%. Interactions between loci were detected for three pairs of loci, including an interaction between iqGLS4.05 and qGLS7.03. Near-isogenic lines (NILs were developed to confirm and fine-map three of the 16 QTL, and to develop hypotheses regarding mechanisms of resistance. qGLS1.04 was fine-mapped from an interval of 27.0 Mb to two intervals of 6.5 Mb and 5.2 Mb, consistent with the hypothesis that multiple genes underlie highly significant QTL identified by NAM. qGLS2.09, which was also associated with maturity (days to anthesis and with resistance to southern leaf blight, was narrowed to a 4-Mb interval. The distance between major leaf veins was strongly associated with resistance to GLS at qGLS4.05. NILs for qGLS1.04 were treated with the C. zeae-maydis toxin cercosporin to test the role of host-specific toxin in QDR. Cercosporin exposure increased expression of a putative flavin-monooxygenase (FMO gene, a candidate detoxification-related gene underlying qGLS1.04. This integrated approach to confirming QTL and characterizing the potential underlying mechanisms advances the understanding of QDR and will

  16. A survey of pre-harvest ear rot diseases of maize and associated mycotoxins in south and central Zambia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukanga, Mweshi; Derera, John; Tongoona, Pangirayi; Laing, Mark D

    2010-07-15

    Maize ear rots reduce grain yield and quality with implication on food security and health. Some of the pathogenic fungi produce mycotoxins in maize grain posing a health risk to humans and livestock. Unfortunately, the levels of ear rot and mycotoxin infection in grain produced by subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan countries are not known. A survey was thus conducted to determine the prevalence of the ear rot problem and levels of mycotoxins in maize grain. A total of 114 farmsteads were randomly sampled from 11 districts in Lusaka and southern provinces in Zambia during 2006. Ten randomly picked cobs were examined per farmstead and the ear rot disease incidence and severity were estimated on site. This was followed by the standard seed health testing procedures for fungal isolation in the laboratory. Results indicated that the dominant ear rots were caused by Fusarium and Stenocarpella. Incidence of Fusarium verticillioides ranged from 2 to 21%, whereas that of Stenocarpella maydis reached 37% on ear rot diseased maize grain. In addition, 2-7% F. verticillioides, and 3-18% Aspergillus flavus, respectively, were recovered from seemingly healthy maize grain. The mean rank of fungal species, from highest to lowest, was F. verticillioides, S. maydis, A. flavus, Fusarium graminearum, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp., Botrydiplodia spp., and Cladosporium spp. The direct competitive ELISA-test indicated higher levels of fumonisins than aflatoxins in pre-harvest maize grain samples. The concentration of fumonisins from six districts, and aflatoxin from two districts, was 10-fold higher than 2 ppm and far higher than 2 ppb maximum daily intake recommended by the FAO/WHO. The study therefore suggested that subsistence farmers and consumers in this part of Zambia, and maybe also in similar environments in sub-Saharan Africa, might be exposed to dangerous levels of mycotoxins due to the high levels of ear rot infections in maize grain. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights

  17. Capsule Formulation of Ethanolic Extract of Pasak Bumi (Eurycoma Longifolia Jack., and its Effect on Human Health Vital Signs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laela Hayu Nurani

    2017-08-01

    cover the bitter taste of E. longifolia. Clinical trials in this study use design pre-post treatment in healthy humans. Subjects used were male - healthy men and healthy women who met inclusion criteria and were subjected with formulated capsule for 14 days. The study resulted capsule formula comprising of the ethanolic extract of E. longifolia 300 mg, vivapur 101 300 mg, 58 mg maydis starch, aerosil 3%, talc 2%, and Mg stearate 1%. The results showed that the capsule of E. longifolia did not affect the value of heart rate, respiration rate, body temperature and weight (P > 0.05, based on paired t-test, but they causes a decrease in blood pressure of healthy human. The ethanol extract of E. longifolia caused vasodilation of blood vessels that can be used in antihypertensive therapy.

  18. Genetics Ustilago violacea. XXXIII. Genetic evidence for insertional mutations in the magenta locus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garber, E.D.; Ruddat, M.

    1996-01-01

    Three spontaneous mutants (m-1, m-2, and m-31) with a new sporidial colony color (magenta, m) were found in the stable pink 1.A1 a-1 and 2.A2 a-2 laboratory strains. The m-1 and white (w) mutations were very closely linked (<0.1 cM); the m locus was assumed to be distal from the w locus and in the same chromosome arm. The color mutations formed a map of very closely linked (<1 cM), centromere-linked loci: orange (o)-pumpkin (p)-yellow (y)-centr-wA-wB-m. Crosses between the m-1 and m-2 mutants, between the m-2 mutant and laboratory strains with a different color, and between the m-2 mutant and strains from the herbarium/field collections gave nonsectored and sectored teliospore colonies with a nonparental color. All of the teliospores colonies from cross AV13 involving strains 1.C417* y and 2.C413 p had a nonparental color or different nonparental colors, including magenta. The UV-irradiation of m-1, m-2, and m-31 sporidia gave mostly pink (+) colonies, ranging from 9% to 48%. Occasional nonsectored w and p colonies as well as one bisectored m/+ and one w/+ colony were found. Approximately 103 m-1 sporidia were UV-irradiated, and the following colonies with a nonparental color were found: w (one), p (three), o (one), +f (one), ms (supermagenta) (one), and m/+ (one). Crosses involving the m-2 mutant and the +f, ms, p, w, and y mutants indicated that the +f and ms mutants resulted from an insertional mutation and the others from a genic mutation. Sites of element insertion were (1) most likely in the pericentric regions to give the pink phenotype, (2) less likely in the y and p loci in the same chromosome arm and in the complex w locus, and (3) least likely in the o locus in one arm and m locus in the other arm. These observations were explained by proposing the transcentric transposition of a cryptic or a transactive element in the homologous chromosome with the color mutations during meiosis and to the UV-induced transposition of an element in sporidia

  19. Frequency-Dependent Disease Transmission and the Dynamics of the Silene-Ustilago Host-Pathogen System

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thrall, P.H.; Biere, A.; Uyenoyama, M.K.

    1995-01-01

    Models incorporating density-dependent disease transmission functions generally provide a good fit for airborne and directly transmitted bacterial or viral diseases. However, the transmission dynamics of sexually transmitted and vector-borne diseases are likely to be frequency- rather than density-

  20. High protein mutants of winter fodder barley induced by radiation and chemical mutagens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yankulov, M.; Genchev, K.; Nikolov, Kh.

    1982-01-01

    Several induced mutants of winter fodder barley with higher rpotein content are described. These mutants were produced by treating seeds of cvs. Vogelsaenger Gold, Ager and 468 with gamma-rays, sodium azide and ethyl methanesulfonate (alone and in combinations) and with ethylene and formamide. The gamma-ray induced mutants of winter fodder barley have 1-4% higher protein content. The mutant line 109 has, besides high protein content (17,37%), 5.96 lysine per 100 g protein, but its endosperm is wrinkeled. Mutants produced by chemical mutagens have 6-7% higher protein content than the initial cultivars. All induced mutants have 85-95 cm high stems, i.e. they are by 10-20 cm shorter than the initial cultivars. Some of these mutants are now resistant to the diseases Helminthosporium gramineum and Ustilago nuda. The recommended mutants could be successfully used in breeding programs for producing of higher protein content and quality in winter fodder barley.

  1. High protein mutants of winter fodder barley induced by radiation and chemical mutagens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yankulov, M.; Genchev, K.; Nikolov, Kh.

    1982-01-01

    Several induced mutants of winter fodder barley with higher rpotein content are described. These mutants were produced by treating seeds of cvs. Vogelsaenger Gold, Ager and 468 with gamma-rays, sodium azide and ethyl methanesulfonate (alone and in combinations) and with ethylene and formamide. The gamma-ray induced mutants of winter fodder barley have 1-4% higher protein content. The mutant line 109 has, besides high protein content (17,37%), 5.96 lysine per 100 g protein, but its endosperm is wrinkeled. Mutants produced by chemical mutagens have 6-7% higher protein content than the initial cultivars. All induced mutants have 85-95 cm high stems, i.e. they are by 10-20 cm shorter than the initial cultivars. Some of these mutants are now resistant to the diseases Helminthosporium gramineum and Ustilago nuda. The recommended mutants could be successfully used in breeding programs for producing of higher protein content and quality in winter fodder barley

  2. Pathogenic microorganisms of medicinal herbal drugs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stević Tatjana

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available All the parts of plants (root, leaf, flower naturally have a high level of microorganisms, bacteria and fungi, especially molds. Microbial contamination could be a result of inappropriate harvesting, cleaning of the raw plant material, unhygienic processing of the plants, unsuitable transport and storage. After examination of over 40 dried medicinal plant species, the lowest microbial quality was determined for Maydis stigma, Mentha leaf and herb, Equisetum herb, Calendula flower, Urtica leaf, Melissa leaf, Serpylli herb, Chamomilla flower etc. Although mixed infections are recorded with different types of fungus, Fusarium was observed as the most dominant genus in most of the tested drugs, followed by Aspergillus and Alternaria. In addition to these fungi species from the following genera were identified: Phoma, Cephalosporium, Nigrospora, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Gliocladium, Myrothecium, Cercospora, Phomopsis, Verticillium, Dreschlera (=Bipolaris, Rhizoctonia, Septoria, Trichoderma, Curvularia, Stachybotrys, Trichothecium, Puccinia, Botrytis, Mucor and Rhizopus sp., depending on plant species.

  3. Ингибирующее действие экстрактов из растений на возбудителей снежной плесени (Fusarum nivale), головни проса (sphaceotheca cruenta) и ячменя (Ustilago nuda)

    OpenAIRE

    МОХАМЕД НАДЖИ САЛЕХ АЛЬ-СААДИ; Келдыш, М.; Помазков, Ю.

    2008-01-01

    Проведена оценка пестицидной активности 16 видов тропических растений из 13 семейств, произрастающих в республике Йемен, в отношении головни проса (Sphacelotheca cruenta) и ячменя (Ustilago nuda), а также возбудителя снежной плесени (Fusarium nivale). Показано, что соединения, синтезируемые некоторыми видами растений, способны подавлять развитие патогенов, препятствуя тем самым их накоплению и распространению. Ингибирующее действие на прорастание спор и формирование ростковых трубочек возбуди...

  4. Desfolha, população de plantas e precocidade do milho afetam a incidência e a severidade de podridões de colmo Defoliation, plant population, and earliness of maize affect the incidence and severity of stalk rots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Eduardo Bassay Blum

    2003-10-01

    Full Text Available As relações entre fonte e dreno interferem sobre a ocorrência de podridões de colmo na cultura do milho (Zea mays. O estudo foi conduzido em Lages, SC, para avaliar o efeito da desfolha, população de plantas e híbridos sobre as podridões do colmo do milho. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos ao acaso com parcelas sub-subdivididas e três repetições. Os híbridos P32R21 (superprecoce, Premium (precoce e C333B (tardio foram testados sem desfolha e com 50% de desfolha no estágio de espigamento nas populações de 25.000, 50.000, 75.000 e 100.000 plantas ha-1. Avaliaram-se a incidência e a severidade das podridões do colmo causadas por Colletotrichum graminicola, Diplodia maydis e Fusarium moniliforme. O híbrido P32R21 foi o mais afetado pelos fungos causadores de podridões. Nos híbridos P32R21 e Premium, as plantas desfolhadas foram mais severamente infectadas pelos patógenos do que as intactas. O aumento da população de plantas aumentou a intensidade (incidência ou severidade de podridões de colmo nas plantas intactas e diminuiu a ocorrência nas desfolhadas.The relationship between source and sink interferes on maize (Zea mays stalk rot occurrence. This study was conducted in Lages, SC, Brazil, to evaluate the effect of defoliation, plant population, and hybrids on the intensity (incidence or severity of maize stalk rots. The experiment was set in a randomized complete block design (three replications with a split-split-plot arrangement. The hybrids P32R21 (very early, Premium (early and C333B (late were tested without defoliation and with 50% defoliation on ear formation stage at plant populations of 25,000, 50,000, 75,000, and 100,000 plants ha-1. The incidence and severity of Colletotrichum graminicola, Diplodia maydis and Fusarium moniliforme stalk rots were evaluated. The hybrid P32R21 was the most affected by stalk rots. Defoliation enhanced rots on P32R21 and Premium. Enhancements in plant population increased

  5. Ketahanan Beberapa Jamur Patogen terhadap Fungisida

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christanti Sumardiyono

    1995-12-01

    Full Text Available Chemical control of plant pathogens have been done for a long time using contact and systemic fungicides. Resistance of the pathogens to fungicides may caused failure of disease control program. Studies by in vitro, in green house and fields were done at Yogyakarta to know the fungal which were resistant to several fungicides after treatment. The pathogen tested to fungicides were Colletotrichum capsici on red pepper to propineb, mancozeb, mixture of carbendazim and mancozeb, and thiophanate methyl, Alternaria porri on garlic to thiophanate methyl, Phytophthora palmivora on cocoa to Al-fosetyl, metalaxyl, mancozeb, and Copper Oxychloride, and Peronosclerospora maydis on corn to metalaxyl. The study indicated that C. capsici was resistant to propineb, mancozeb, and mixture of carbendazim and mancozeb, but sensitive to thiophanate methyl. A. porri from plant treated with thiophanate methyl indicated resistant to the fungicides. ED50 of Al-fosetyl and metalaxyl on P. palmivora were higher than on mancozeb and copper oxychloride, so that it was resistance strain. Key words: contact fungicides, systemic fungicides, resistance

  6. Genetic characterization and linkage disequilibrium mapping of resistance to gray leaf spot in maize (Zea mays L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liyu Shi

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Gray leaf spot (GLS, caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis, is an important foliar disease of maize (Zea mays L. worldwide, resistance to which is controlled by multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL. To gain insights into the genetic architecture underlying the resistance to this disease, an association mapping population consisting of 161 inbred lines was evaluated for resistance to GLS in a plant pathology nursery at Shenyang in 2010 and 2011. Subsequently, a genome-wide association study, using 41,101 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, identified 51 SNPs significantly (P < 0.001 associated with GLS resistance, which could be converted into 31 QTL. In addition, three candidate genes related to plant defense were identified, including nucleotide-binding-site/leucine-rich repeat, receptor-like kinase genes similar to those involved in basal defense. Two genic SNPs, PZE-103142893 and PZE-109119001, associated with GLS resistance in chromosome bins 3.07 and 9.07, can be used for marker-assisted selection (MAS of GLS resistance. These results provide an important resource for developing molecular markers closely linked with the target trait, enhancing breeding efficiency.

  7. Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources database 1 January 2009-30 April 2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abercrombie, L G; Anderson, C M; Baldwin, B G; Bang, I C; Beldade, R; Bernardi, G; Boubou, A; Branca, A; Bretagnolle, F; Bruford, M W; Buonamici, A; Burnett, R K; Canal, D; Cárdenas, H; Caullet, C; Chen, S Y; Chun, Y J; Cossu, C; Crane, C F; Cros-Arteil, S; Cudney-Bueno, R; Danti, R; Dávila, J A; Della Rocca, G; Dobata, S; Dunkle, L D; Dupas, S; Faure, N; Ferrero, M E; Fumanal, B; Gigot, G; González, I; Goodwin, S B; Groth, D; Hardesty, B D; Hasegawa, E; Hoffman, E A; Hou, M L; Jamsari, A F J; Ji, H J; Johnson, D H; Joseph, L; Justy, F; Kang, E J; Kaufmann, B; Kim, K S; Kim, W J; Koehler, A V; Laitung, B; Latch, P; Liu, Y D; Manjerovic, M B; Martel, E; Metcalfe, S S; Miller, J N; Midgley, J J; Migeon, A; Moore, A J; Moore, W L; Morris, V R F; Navajas, M; Navia, D; Neel, M C; De Nova, P J G; Olivieri, I; Omura, T; Othman, A S; Oudot-Canaff, J; Panthee, D R; Parkinson, C L; Patimah, I; Pérez-Galindo, C A; Pettengill, J B; Pfautsch, S; Piola, F; Potti, J; Poulin, R; Raimondi, P T; Rinehart, T A; Ruzainah, A; Sarver, S K; Scheffler, B E; Schneider, A R R; Silvain, J F; Siti Azizah, M N; Springer, Y P; Stewart, C N; Sun, W; Tiedemann, R; Tsuji, K; Trigiano, R N; Vendramin, G G; Wadl, P A; Wang, L; Wang, X; Watanabe, K; Waterman, J M; Weisser, W W; Westcott, D A; Wiesner, K R; Xu, X F; Yaegashi, S; Yuan, J S

    2009-09-01

    This article documents the addition of 283 microsatellite marker loci to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Agalinis acuta; Ambrosia artemisiifolia; Berula erecta; Casuarius casuarius; Cercospora zeae-maydis; Chorthippus parallelus; Conyza canadensis; Cotesia sesamiae; Epinephelus acanthistius; Ficedula hypoleuca; Grindelia hirsutula; Guadua angustifolia; Leucadendron rubrum; Maritrema novaezealandensis; Meretrix meretrix; Nilaparvata lugens; Oxyeleotris marmoratus; Phoxinus neogaeus; Pristomyrmex punctatus; Pseudobagrus brevicorpus; Seiridium cardinale; Stenopsyche marmorata; Tetranychus evansi and Xerus inauris. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Agalinis decemloba; Agalinis tenella; Agalinis obtusifolia; Agalinis setacea; Agalinis skinneriana; Cercospora zeina; Cercospora kikuchii; Cercospora sorghi; Mycosphaerella graminicola; Setosphaeria turcica; Magnaporthe oryzae; Cotesia flavipes; Cotesia marginiventris; Grindelia Xpaludosa; Grindelia chiloensis; Grindelia fastigiata; Grindelia lanceolata; Grindelia squarrosa; Leucadendron coniferum; Leucadendron salicifolium; Leucadendron tinctum; Leucadendron meridianum; Laodelphax striatellus; Sogatella furcifera; Phoxinus eos; Phoxinus rigidus; Phoxinus brevispinosus; Phoxinus bicolor; Tetranychus urticae; Tetranychus turkestani; Tetranychus ludeni; Tetranychus neocaledonicus; Tetranychus amicus; Amphitetranychus viennensis; Eotetranychus rubiphilus; Eotetranychus tiliarium; Oligonychus perseae; Panonychus citri; Bryobia rubrioculus; Schizonobia bundi; Petrobia harti; Xerus princeps; Spermophilus tridecemlineatus and Sciurus carolinensis. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. Estimating the abundance of airborne pollen and fungal spores at variable elevations using an aircraft: how high can they fly?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damialis, Athanasios; Kaimakamis, Evangelos; Konoglou, Maria; Akritidis, Ioannis; Traidl-Hoffmann, Claudia; Gioulekas, Dimitrios

    2017-03-16

    Airborne pollen and fungal spores are monitored mainly in highly populated, urban environments, for allergy prevention purposes. However, their sources can frequently be located outside cities' fringes with more vegetation. So as to shed light to this paradox, we investigated the diversity and abundance of airborne pollen and fungal spores at various environmental regimes. We monitored pollen and spores using an aircraft and a car, at elevations from sea level to 2,000 m above ground, in the region of Thesssaloniki, Greece. We found a total of 24 pollen types and more than 15 spore types. Pollen and spores were detected throughout the elevational transect. Lower elevations exhibited higher pollen concentrations in only half of plant taxa and higher fungal spore concentrations in only Ustilago. Pinaceae and Quercus pollen were the most abundant recorded by airplane (>54% of the total). Poaceae pollen were the most abundant via car measurements (>77% of the total). Cladosporium and Alternaria spores were the most abundant in all cases (aircraft: >69% and >17%, car: >45% and >27%, respectively). We conclude that pollen and fungal spores can be diverse and abundant even outside the main source area, evidently because of long-distance transport incidents.

  9. Mutation breeding in sugar-cane (Saccharum sp. hybrid) by gamma irradiation of cuttings and tissue cultures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siddiqui, S.H.; Javed, M.

    1982-01-01

    The sugar-cane variety Co 547, which is highly susceptible to smut disease (Ustilago scitaminea Syd.) and is also late maturing, was exposed to different doses of gamma radiation to study its radiosensitivity and to induce smut disease resistance and early maturity. The radiosensitivity of the variety showed that an optimum dose (LD 50 ) was 2.0 kR and the working dose range was found to be 1.5-3.0 kR, whereas doses higher than 4.0 kR drastically affected the growth and germination. A broad spectrum of variability in reaction to disease resistance was observed after radiation exposure. This facilitated the isolation of disease-resistant mutants. Twenty-three mutants showing varied reaction to smut under field infection conditions were tested for two years by artificial inoculation using the dip method. From these studies 15 stable mutants were isolated. Of 15 mutants, seven showed promising performance in cane yield and sucrose contents. The tissue culture technique was used to determine the potential of different commercial clones for callusing. In test explants callusing was achieved readily and proliferation of callus was fairly good in all the clones. (author)

  10. First report of an anti-tumor, anti-fungal, anti-yeast and anti-bacterial hemolysin from Albizia lebbeck seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Sze Kwan; Ng, Tzi Bun

    2011-05-15

    A monomeric 5.5-kDa protein with hemolytic activity toward rabbit erythrocytes was isolated from seeds of Albizia lebbeck by using a protocol that involved ion-exchange chromatography on Q-Sepharose and SP-Sepharose, hydrophobic interaction chromatography on Phenyl-Sepharose, and gel filtration on Superdex 75. It was unadsorbed on both Q-Sepharose and SP-Sepharose, but adsorbed on Phenyl-Sepharose. Its hemolytic activity was fully preserved in the pH range 0-14 and in the temperature range 0-100 °C, and unaffected in the presence of a variety of metal ions and carbohydrates. The hemolysin reduced viability of murine splenocytes and inhibited proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells and HepG2 hepatoma cells with an IC₅₀ of 0.21, 0.97, and 1.37 μM, respectively. It impeded mycelial growth in the fungi Rhizoctonia solani with an IC₅₀ of 39 μM but there was no effect on a variety of other filamentous fungi, including Fusarium oxysporum, Helminthosporium maydis, Valsa mali and Mycosphaerella arachidicola. Lebbeckalysin inhibited growth of Escherichia coli with an IC₅₀ of 0.52 μM. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  11. Semiautomated confocal imaging of fungal pathogenesis on plants: Microscopic analysis of macroscopic specimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minker, Katharine R; Biedrzycki, Meredith L; Kolagunda, Abhishek; Rhein, Stephen; Perina, Fabiano J; Jacobs, Samuel S; Moore, Michael; Jamann, Tiffany M; Yang, Qin; Nelson, Rebecca; Balint-Kurti, Peter; Kambhamettu, Chandra; Wisser, Randall J; Caplan, Jeffrey L

    2018-02-01

    The study of phenotypic variation in plant pathogenesis provides fundamental information about the nature of disease resistance. Cellular mechanisms that alter pathogenesis can be elucidated with confocal microscopy; however, systematic phenotyping platforms-from sample processing to image analysis-to investigate this do not exist. We have developed a platform for 3D phenotyping of cellular features underlying variation in disease development by fluorescence-specific resolution of host and pathogen interactions across time (4D). A confocal microscopy phenotyping platform compatible with different maize-fungal pathosystems (fungi: Setosphaeria turcica, Cochliobolus heterostrophus, and Cercospora zeae-maydis) was developed. Protocols and techniques were standardized for sample fixation, optical clearing, species-specific combinatorial fluorescence staining, multisample imaging, and image processing for investigation at the macroscale. The sample preparation methods presented here overcome challenges to fluorescence imaging such as specimen thickness and topography as well as physiological characteristics of the samples such as tissue autofluorescence and presence of cuticle. The resulting imaging techniques provide interesting qualitative and quantitative information not possible with conventional light or electron 2D imaging. Microsc. Res. Tech., 81:141-152, 2018. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. A novel and exploitable antifungal peptide from kale (Brassica alboglabra) seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Peng; Ng, Tzi Bun

    2008-10-01

    The aim of this study was to purify and characterize antifungal peptides from kale seeds in view of the paucity of information on antifungal peptides from the family Brassicaceae, and to compare its characteristics with those of published Brassica antifungal peptides. A 5907-Da antifungal peptide was isolated from kale seeds. The isolation procedure comprised affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, ion exchange chromatography on SP-Sepharose and Mono S, and gel filtration on Superdex Peptide. The peptide was adsorbed on the first three chromatographic media. It inhibited mycelial growth in a number of fungal species including Fusarium oxysporum, Helminthosporium maydis, Mycosphaerella arachidicola and Valsa mali, with an IC(50) of 4.3microM, 2.1microM, 2.4microM, and 0.15microM, respectively and exhibited pronounced thermostability and pH stability. It inhibited proliferation of hepatoma (HepG2) and breast cancer (MCF7) cells with an IC(50) of 2.7microM and 3.4microM, and the activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with an IC(50) of 4.9microM. Its N-terminal sequence differed from those of antifungal proteins which have been reported to date.

  13. Simple sequence repeat markers useful for sorghum downy mildew (Peronosclerospora sorghi and related species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Odvody Gary N

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A recent outbreak of sorghum downy mildew in Texas has led to the discovery of both metalaxyl resistance and a new pathotype in the causal organism, Peronosclerospora sorghi. These observations and the difficulty in resolving among phylogenetically related downy mildew pathogens dramatically point out the need for simply scored markers in order to differentiate among isolates and species, and to study the population structure within these obligate oomycetes. Here we present the initial results from the use of a biotin capture method to discover, clone and develop PCR primers that permit the use of simple sequence repeats (microsatellites to detect differences at the DNA level. Results Among the 55 primers pairs designed from clones from pathotype 3 of P. sorghi, 36 flanked microsatellite loci containing simple repeats, including 28 (55% with dinucleotide repeats and 6 (11% with trinucleotide repeats. A total of 22 microsatellites with CA/AC or GT/TG repeats were the most abundant (40% and GA/AG or CT/TC types contribute 15% in our collection. When used to amplify DNA from 19 isolates from P. sorghi, as well as from 5 related species that cause downy mildew on other hosts, the number of different bands detected for each SSR primer pair using a LI-COR- DNA Analyzer ranged from two to eight. Successful cross-amplification for 12 primer pairs studied in detail using DNA from downy mildews that attack maize (P. maydis & P. philippinensis, sugar cane (P. sacchari, pearl millet (Sclerospora graminicola and rose (Peronospora sparsa indicate that the flanking regions are conserved in all these species. A total of 15 SSR amplicons unique to P. philippinensis (one of the potential threats to US maize production were detected, and these have potential for development of diagnostic tests. A total of 260 alleles were obtained using 54 microsatellites primer combinations, with an average of 4.8 polymorphic markers per SSR across 34

  14. Simple sequence repeat markers useful for sorghum downy mildew (Peronosclerospora sorghi) and related species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perumal, Ramasamy; Nimmakayala, Padmavathi; Erattaimuthu, Saradha R; No, Eun-Gyu; Reddy, Umesh K; Prom, Louis K; Odvody, Gary N; Luster, Douglas G; Magill, Clint W

    2008-11-29

    A recent outbreak of sorghum downy mildew in Texas has led to the discovery of both metalaxyl resistance and a new pathotype in the causal organism, Peronosclerospora sorghi. These observations and the difficulty in resolving among phylogenetically related downy mildew pathogens dramatically point out the need for simply scored markers in order to differentiate among isolates and species, and to study the population structure within these obligate oomycetes. Here we present the initial results from the use of a biotin capture method to discover, clone and develop PCR primers that permit the use of simple sequence repeats (microsatellites) to detect differences at the DNA level. Among the 55 primers pairs designed from clones from pathotype 3 of P. sorghi, 36 flanked microsatellite loci containing simple repeats, including 28 (55%) with dinucleotide repeats and 6 (11%) with trinucleotide repeats. A total of 22 microsatellites with CA/AC or GT/TG repeats were the most abundant (40%) and GA/AG or CT/TC types contribute 15% in our collection. When used to amplify DNA from 19 isolates from P. sorghi, as well as from 5 related species that cause downy mildew on other hosts, the number of different bands detected for each SSR primer pair using a LI-COR- DNA Analyzer ranged from two to eight. Successful cross-amplification for 12 primer pairs studied in detail using DNA from downy mildews that attack maize (P. maydis & P. philippinensis), sugar cane (P. sacchari), pearl millet (Sclerospora graminicola) and rose (Peronospora sparsa) indicate that the flanking regions are conserved in all these species. A total of 15 SSR amplicons unique to P. philippinensis (one of the potential threats to US maize production) were detected, and these have potential for development of diagnostic tests. A total of 260 alleles were obtained using 54 microsatellites primer combinations, with an average of 4.8 polymorphic markers per SSR across 34 Peronosclerospora, Peronospora and Sclerospora

  15. Pest management program for sugarcane at the Sugar Enterprise “Melanio Hernández

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamara Milagros Rodríguez Cardoso

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The research objective was to diagnose and identify pests, diseases and weeds in sugarcane cultivars at the Sugar Enterprise ‘Melanio Hernández’ in Sancti Spíritus in order to develop a pest management program that started from the identification of phytosanitary-related problems and the available resources in the agroecosystem. As primary pests, Diatraea saccharalis Fab., three species of rodents, the Yellowing Leaf Syndrome (YLS, Ustilago scitaminea H. Sydow and seven species of weeds, were identified. As secondary pests, the cuters species ( Leucania sp., L. unipuncta, L. inconspicua, L. cinericolis and the sugar cane rust(Puccinia melanocephala H.y P. Sydow., were identified. The levels of incidence of primary and secondary pests showed differences among the varieties and among the three agricultural cooperatives at the Enterprise. Seven species of natural enemy of borer (bioregulators Leucania spp and Mocis spp., primary or secondary crop pests, were observed to be associated to sugarcane. 16 plant species were determined to show repellent properties or phytopesticides in this sugar cane agroecosystem, but only Eucalyptus showed to have its push effect on borer. A system of pest management program for sugar cane was developed that included measures starting from the local resources identified in the agroecosystem.

  16. A RALDH-like enzyme involved in Fusarium verticillioides development

    KAUST Repository

    Dí az-Sá nchez, Violeta; Carmen Limó n, M.; Schaub, Patrick; Al-Babili, Salim; Avalos, Javier

    2015-01-01

    Retinaldehyde dehydrogenases (RALDHs) convert retinal to retinoic acid, an important chordate morphogen. Retinal also occurs in some fungi, such as Fusarium and Ustilago spp., evidenced by the presence of rhodopsins and β–carotene cleaving, retinal-forming dioxygenases. Based on the assumption that retinoic acid may also be formed in fungi, we searched the Fusarium protein databases for RALDHs homologs, focusing on Fusarium verticillioides. Using crude lysates of Escherichia coli cells expressing the corresponding cDNAs, we checked the capability of best matches to convert retinal into retinoic acid in vitro. Thereby, we identified an aldehyde dehydrogenase, termed CarY, as a retinoic acid-forming enzyme, an activity that was also exerted by purified CarY. Targeted mutation of the carY gene in F. verticillioides resulted in alterations of mycelia development and conidia morphology in agar cultures, and reduced capacity to produce perithecia as a female in sexual crosses. Complementation of the mutant with a wild-type carY allele demonstrated that these alterations are caused by the lack of CarY. However, retinoic acid could not be detected by LC-MS analysis either in the wild type or the complemented carY strain in vivo, making elusive the connection between CarY enzymatic activity and retinoic acid formation in the fungus.

  17. A RALDH-like enzyme involved in Fusarium verticillioides development

    KAUST Repository

    Díaz-Sánchez, Violeta

    2015-12-11

    Retinaldehyde dehydrogenases (RALDHs) convert retinal to retinoic acid, an important chordate morphogen. Retinal also occurs in some fungi, such as Fusarium and Ustilago spp., evidenced by the presence of rhodopsins and β–carotene cleaving, retinal-forming dioxygenases. Based on the assumption that retinoic acid may also be formed in fungi, we searched the Fusarium protein databases for RALDHs homologs, focusing on Fusarium verticillioides. Using crude lysates of Escherichia coli cells expressing the corresponding cDNAs, we checked the capability of best matches to convert retinal into retinoic acid in vitro. Thereby, we identified an aldehyde dehydrogenase, termed CarY, as a retinoic acid-forming enzyme, an activity that was also exerted by purified CarY. Targeted mutation of the carY gene in F. verticillioides resulted in alterations of mycelia development and conidia morphology in agar cultures, and reduced capacity to produce perithecia as a female in sexual crosses. Complementation of the mutant with a wild-type carY allele demonstrated that these alterations are caused by the lack of CarY. However, retinoic acid could not be detected by LC-MS analysis either in the wild type or the complemented carY strain in vivo, making elusive the connection between CarY enzymatic activity and retinoic acid formation in the fungus.

  18. Multilocus Sequence Analysis of Cercospora spp. from Different Host Plant Families

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Floreta Fiska Yuliarni

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Identification of the genus Cercospora is still complicated due to the host preferences often being used as the main criteria to propose a new name. We determined the relationship between host plants and multilocus sequence variations (ITS rDNA including 5.8S rDNA, elongation factor 1-α, and calmodulin in Cercospora spp. to investigate the host specificity. We used 53 strains of Cercospora spp. infecting 12 plant families for phylogenetic analysis. The sequences of 23 strains of Cercospora spp. infecting the plant families of Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Solanaceae were determined in this study. The sequences of 30 strains of Cercospora spp. infecting the plant families of Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae, Apiaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Malvaceae, Cistaceae, Plantaginaceae, Lamiaceae, and Poaceae were obtained from GenBank. The molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the majority of Cercospora species lack host specificity, and only C. zinniicola, C. zeina, C. zeae-maydis, C. cocciniae, and C. mikaniicola were found to be host-specific. Closely related species of Cercospora could not be distinguished using molecular analyses of ITS, EF, and CAL gene regions. The topology of the phylogenetic tree based on the CAL gene showed a better topology and Cercospora species separation than the trees developed based on the ITS rDNA region or the EF gene.

  19. A model-based approach to preplanting risk assessment for gray leaf spot of maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, P A; Munkvold, G P

    2004-12-01

    ABSTRACT Risk assessment models for gray leaf spot of maize, caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis, were developed using preplanting site and maize genotype data as predictors. Disease severity at the dough/dent plant growth stage was categorized into classes and used as the response variable. Logistic regression and classification and regression tree (CART) modeling approaches were used to predict severity classes as a function of planting date (PD), amount of maize soil surface residue (SR), cropping sequence, genotype maturity and gray leaf spot resistance (GLSR) ratings, and longitude (LON). Models were development using 332 cases collected between 1998 and 2001. Thirty cases collected in 2002 were used to validate the models. Preplanting data showed a strong relationship with late-season gray leaf spot severity classes. The most important predictors were SR, PD, GLSR, and LON. Logistic regression models correctly classified 60 to 70% of the validation cases, whereas the CART models correctly classified 57 to 77% of these cases. Cases misclassified by the CART models were mostly due to overestimation, whereas the logistic regression models tended to misclassify cases by underestimation. Both the CART and logistic regression models have potential as management decision-making tools. Early quantitative assessment of gray leaf spot risk would allow for more sound management decisions being made when warranted.

  20. [Tablets and tablet production - with special reference to Icelandic conditions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skaftason, Jóhannes F; Jóhannesson, Thorkell

    2013-04-01

    Modern tablet compression was instituted in England in 1844 by William Brockedon (1787-1854). The first tablets made according to Brockedon´s procedures contained watersoluble salts and were most likely compressed without expedients. In USA a watershed occurred around 1887 when starch (amylum maydis) was introduced to disperse tablets in aqueous milieu in order to corroborate bioavailability of drugs in the almentary canal. About the same time great advances in tablet production were introduced by the British firm Burroughs Wellcome and Co. In Denmark on the other hand tablet production remained on low scale until after 1920. As Icelandic pharmacies and drug firms modelled themselves mostly upon Danish firms tablet production was first instituted in Iceland around 1930. The first tablet machines in Iceland were hand-driven. More efficent machines came after 1945. Around 1960 three sizeable tablet producers were in Iceland; now there is only one. Numbers of individual tablet species (generic and proprietary) on the market rose from less than 10 in 1913 to 500 in 1965, with wide variations in numbers in between. Tablets have not wiped out other medicinal forms for peroral use but most new peroral drugs have been marketed in the form of tablets during the last decades.

  1. Biological activity of sedaxane---a novel broad-spectrum fungicide for seed treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeun, Ronald; Scalliet, Gabriel; Oostendorp, Michael

    2013-04-01

    Sedaxane is a new broad-spectrum seed treatment fungicide developed by Syngenta Crop Protection for control of seed- and soil-borne diseases in a broad range of crops. Its physicochemical properties and activity spectrum have been optimised for use as a seed treatment providing both local and systemic protection of the seed and roots of target crops. Sedaxane inhibits respiration by binding to the succinate dehydrogenase complex in the fungal mitochondrium. Its activity spectrum covers seed-borne fungi such as Ustilago nuda, Tilletia caries, Monographella nivalis and Pyrenophora graminea, as well as the soil-borne fungi Rhizoctonia solani, R. cerealis and Typhula incarnata. Under greenhouse conditions, sedaxane showed high levels and consistent protection against U. nuda, P. graminea and Rhizoctonia spp. Under field conditions, efficacy against Rhizoctonia spp. resulted in increased yield compared with the untreated check. Efficacy against snow mould has been shown under very high disease pressure conditions. The combination of sedaxane plus fludioxonil against snow mould can provide resistance management for sustainable use. The broad spectrum and high level of activity in combination with excellent crop tolerance allow the use of sedaxane as a seed treatment in a wide variety of crops. It is a potential tool for precautionary resistance management when combined with other fungicides, especially against pathogens showing a potential for resistance development, such as M. nivalis. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

  2. Tuber indicum shapes the microbial communities of ectomycorhizosphere soil and ectomycorrhizae of an indigenous tree (Pinus armandii)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qiang; Zhao, Jian; Xiong, Chuan; Li, Xiaolin; Chen, Zuqin; Li, Ping; Huang, Wenli

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an ectomycorrhizal fungus (Tuber indicum) on the diversity of microbial communities associated with an indigenous tree, Pinus armandii, and the microbial communities in the surrounding ectomycorhizosphere soil. High-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the richness of microbial communities in the roots or rhizosphere of treatments with or without ectomycorrhizae. The results indicated that the bacterial diversity of ectomycorhizosphere soil was significantly lower compared with the control soil. Presumably, the dominance of truffle mycelia in ectomycorhizosphere soil (80.91%) and ectomycorrhizae (97.64%) was the main factor that resulted in lower diversity and abundance of endophytic pathogenic fungi, including Fusarium, Monographella, Ustilago and Rhizopus and other competitive mycorrhizal fungi, such as Amanita, Lactarius and Boletus. Bacterial genera Reyranena, Rhizomicrobium, Nordella, Pseudomonas and fungal genera, Cuphophyllus, Leucangium, Histoplasma were significantly more abundant in ectomycorrhizosphere soil and ectomycorrhizae. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the similarities between rhizosphere and ectomycorrhizosphere soil based on the soil properties differed significantly, indicating the mycorrhizal synthesis may have a feedback effect on soil properties. Meanwhile, some soil properties were significantly correlated with bacterial and fungal diversity in the rhizosphere or root tips. Overall, this work illustrates the interactive network that exists among ectomycorrhizal fungi, soil properties and microbial communities associated with the host plant and furthers our understanding of the ecology and cultivation of T. indicum. PMID:28410376

  3. QTL mapping of resistance to gray leaf spot in maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yan; Xu, Ling; Fan, Xingming; Tan, Jing; Chen, Wei; Xu, Mingliang

    2012-12-01

    Gray leaf spot (GLS), caused by the causal fungal pathogen Cercospora zeae-maydis, is one of the most serious foliar diseases of maize worldwide. In the current study, a highly resistant inbred line Y32 and a susceptible line Q11 were used to produce segregating populations for both genetic analysis and QTL mapping. The broad-sense heritability (H (2)) for GLS resistance was estimated to be as high as 0.85, indicating that genetic factors played key roles in phenotypic variation. In initial QTL analysis, four QTL, located on chromosomes 1, 2, 5, and 8, were detected to confer GLS resistance. Each QTL could explain 2.53-23.90 % of the total phenotypic variation, predominantly due to additive genetic effects. Two major QTL, qRgls1 and qRgls2 on chromosomes 8 and 5, were consistently detected across different locations and replicates. Compared to the previous results, qRgls2 is located in a 'hotspot' for GLS resistance; while, qRgls1 does not overlap with any other known resistance QTL. Furthermore, the major QTL-qRgls1 was fine-mapped into an interval of 1.4 Mb, flanked by the markers GZ204 and IDP5. The QTL-qRgls1 could enhance the resistance percentages by 19.70-61.28 %, suggesting its usefulness to improve maize resistance to GLS.

  4. The effects of meteorological factors on airborne fungal spore concentration in two areas differing in urbanisation level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, M.; Ribeiro, H.; Delgado, J. L.; Abreu, I.

    2009-01-01

    Although fungal spores are an ever-present component of the atmosphere throughout the year, their concentration oscillates widely. This work aims to establish correlations between fungal spore concentrations in Porto and Amares and meteorological data. The seasonal distribution of fungal spores was studied continuously (2005-2007) using volumetric spore traps. To determine the effect of meteorological factors (temperature, relative humidity and rainfall) on spore concentration, the Spearman rank correlation test was used. In both locations, the most abundant fungal spores were Cladosporium, Agaricus, Agrocybe, Alternaria and Aspergillus/Penicillium, the highest concentrations being found during summer and autumn. In the present study, with the exception of Coprinus and Pleospora, spore concentrations were higher in the rural area than in the urban location. Among the selected spore types, spring-autumn spores ( Coprinus, Didymella, Leptosphaeria and Pleospora) exhibited negative correlations with temperature and positive correlations both with relative humidity and rainfall level. On the contrary, late spring-early summer (Smuts) and summer spores ( Alternaria, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Ganoderma, Stemphylium and Ustilago) exhibited positive correlations with temperature and negative correlations both with relative humidity and rainfall level. Rust, a frequent spore type during summer, had a positive correlation with temperature. Aspergillus/Penicillium, showed no correlation with the meteorological factors analysed. This knowledge can be useful for agriculture, allowing more efficient and reliable application of pesticides, and for human health, by improving the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory allergic disease.

  5. Microbial Production of Malic Acid from Biofuel-Related Coproducts and Biomass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas P. West

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The dicarboxylic acid malic acid synthesized as part of the tricarboxylic acid cycle can be produced in excess by certain microorganisms. Although malic acid is produced industrially to a lesser extent than citric acid, malic acid has industrial applications in foods and pharmaceuticals as an acidulant among other uses. Only recently has the production of this organic acid from coproducts of industrial bioprocessing been investigated. It has been shown that malic acid can be synthesized by microbes from coproducts generated during biofuel production. More specifically, malic acid has been shown to be synthesized by species of the fungus Aspergillus on thin stillage, a coproduct from corn-based ethanol production, and on crude glycerol, a coproduct from biodiesel production. In addition, the fungus Ustilago trichophora has also been shown to produce malic acid from crude glycerol. With respect to bacteria, a strain of the thermophilic actinobacterium Thermobifida fusca has been shown to produce malic acid from cellulose and treated lignocellulosic biomass. An alternate method of producing malic acid is to use agricultural biomass converted to syngas or biooil as a substrate for fungal bioconversion. Production of poly(β-l-malic acid by strains of Aureobasidium pullulans from agricultural biomass has been reported where the polymalic acid is subsequently hydrolyzed to malic acid. This review examines applications of malic acid, metabolic pathways that synthesize malic acid and microbial malic acid production from biofuel-related coproducts, lignocellulosic biomass and poly(β-l-malic acid.

  6. Tuber indicum shapes the microbial communities of ectomycorhizosphere soil and ectomycorrhizae of an indigenous tree (Pinus armandii.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiang Li

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an ectomycorrhizal fungus (Tuber indicum on the diversity of microbial communities associated with an indigenous tree, Pinus armandii, and the microbial communities in the surrounding ectomycorhizosphere soil. High-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the richness of microbial communities in the roots or rhizosphere of treatments with or without ectomycorrhizae. The results indicated that the bacterial diversity of ectomycorhizosphere soil was significantly lower compared with the control soil. Presumably, the dominance of truffle mycelia in ectomycorhizosphere soil (80.91% and ectomycorrhizae (97.64% was the main factor that resulted in lower diversity and abundance of endophytic pathogenic fungi, including Fusarium, Monographella, Ustilago and Rhizopus and other competitive mycorrhizal fungi, such as Amanita, Lactarius and Boletus. Bacterial genera Reyranena, Rhizomicrobium, Nordella, Pseudomonas and fungal genera, Cuphophyllus, Leucangium, Histoplasma were significantly more abundant in ectomycorrhizosphere soil and ectomycorrhizae. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the similarities between rhizosphere and ectomycorrhizosphere soil based on the soil properties differed significantly, indicating the mycorrhizal synthesis may have a feedback effect on soil properties. Meanwhile, some soil properties were significantly correlated with bacterial and fungal diversity in the rhizosphere or root tips. Overall, this work illustrates the interactive network that exists among ectomycorrhizal fungi, soil properties and microbial communities associated with the host plant and furthers our understanding of the ecology and cultivation of T. indicum.

  7. Bioprospecting and evolving alternative xylose and arabinose pathway enzymes for use in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sun-Mi; Jellison, Taylor; Alper, Hal S

    2016-03-01

    Bioprospecting is an effective way to find novel enzymes from strains with desirable phenotypes. Such bioprospecting has enabled organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae to utilize nonnative pentose sugars. Yet, the efficiency of this pentose catabolism (especially for the case of arabinose) remains suboptimal. Thus, further pathway optimization or identification of novel, optimal pathways is needed. Previously, we identified a novel set of xylan catabolic pathway enzymes from a superior pentose-utilizing strain of Ustilago bevomyces. These enzymes were used to successfully engineer a xylan-utilizing S. cerevisiae through a blended approach of bioprospecting and evolutionary engineering. Here, we expanded this approach to xylose and arabinose catabolic pathway engineering and demonstrated that bioprospected xylose and arabinose catabolic pathways from U. bevomyces offer alternative choices for enabling efficient pentose catabolism in S. cerevisiae. By introducing a novel set of xylose catabolic genes from U. bevomyces, growth rates were improved up to 85 % over a set of traditional Scheffersomyces stipitis pathway genes. In addition, we suggested an alternative arabinose catabolic pathway which, after directed evolution and pathway engineering, enabled S. cerevisiae to grow on arabinose as a sole carbon source in minimal medium with growth rates upwards of 0.05 h(-1). This pathway represents the most efficient growth of yeast on pure arabinose minimal medium. These pathways provide great starting points for further strain development and demonstrate the utility of bioprospecting from U. bevomyces.

  8. Entwicklung von Immunochemischen und PCR-Methoden zum Qualitativen Nachweis von Tilletia-Arten und Ustilago nuda in Saatgut

    OpenAIRE

    Kellerer, Thomas Georg

    2010-01-01

    Weizensteinbrand (Tilletia caries), Weizenzwergsteinbrand (Tilletia controversa) und der Quarantäneorganismus Indischer Steinbrand (Tilletia indica) sind Brandkrankheiten, die einen erheblichen Einfluss auf die Qualität und Quantität vor allem in Öko-Saatgut haben. Ein Nachweis und die Unterscheidung waren bisher nur schwer und nicht immer eindeutig unter dem Mikroskop durchführbar. Anhand des HSP60 Gens wurden drei spezifische Primerpaare für einen PCR-Nachweis sowie polyklonale Antikörper f...

  9. Preparation and mechanism analysis of an environment-friendly maize seed coating agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Defang; Fan, Zhao; Tian, Xu; Wang, Wenjin; Zhou, Mingchun; Li, Haochuan

    2018-06-01

    Traditional seed coating agents often contain toxic ingredients, which contaminate the environment and threaten human health. This paper expounds a method of preparing a novel environment-friendly seed coating agent for maize and researches its mechanism of action. The natural polysaccharide polymer, which is the main active ingredient of this environment-friendly seed coating agent, has the characteristics of innocuity and harmlessness, and it can replace the toxic ingredients used in traditional seed coating agents. This environment-friendly seed coating agent for maize was mainly made up of the natural polysaccharide polymer and other additives. The field trials results showed that the control efficacy of Helminthosporium maydis came to 93.72%, the anti-feeding rate of cutworms came to 81.29%, and the maize yield was increased by 17.75%. Besides, the LD 50 value (half the lethal dose in rats) of this seed coating agent was 10 times higher than that of the traditional seed coating agents. This seed coating agent could improve the activity of plant protective enzymes (peroxidase, catalase and superoxidase dismutase) and increase the chlorophyll content. This seed coating agent has four characteristics of disease prevention, desinsectization, increasing yield and safety. Results of mechanism analyses showed that this seed coating agent could enhance disease control effectiveness by improving plant protective enzymes activity and increase maize yield by improving chlorophyll content. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  10. Diallel analyze of yield and progress of the severity of leaf diseases in maize hybrids in two population density

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Ventura Faria

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Seven commercial maize hybrids (AS1575, 2B688, Penta, GNZ2004, AG8021, Sprint e P30F53 were intercrossed in a complete diallel, excluded reciprocal, obtaining 21 crosses. The 28 treatments were evaluated in two environments characterized by different densities (62,500 and 90,000 plants ha-1, with the aim of selecting the most promising parents for generating base population to obtain lines. Two experiments were carried out in Guarapuava-PR, at randomized block design with three replications. We estimated the general (GCA and specific (SCA combining abilities for yield and disease severity assessed by the area under the common rust (Puccinia sorghi progress curve (AURPC and the area under the leaf spot (Cercospora zeae-maydis progress curve (AULPC. The effects of GCA and SCA were significant for grain yield and diseases severity in both densities, revealing the importance of both additive and non-additive effects. There GCA x densities interaction was significant only for grain yield. Crossings P30F53 x AG8021 and P30F53 x Penta had negative estimates of SCA for AURPC and AULPC on the environments average. Hybrids GNZ 2004 and P30F53 stood out showing positive GCA for grain yield and negative for AURPC and AULPC in both densities and therefore are recommended for generating base populations for obtaining lines adapted for both densities, conventional and denser plantings, given the current trends in management of maize.

  11. A circadian rhythm regulating hyphal melanization in Cercospora kikuchii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bluhm, Burton H; Burnham, A Michele; Dunkle, Larry D

    2010-01-01

    Many metabolic and developmental processes in fungi are controlled by biological rhythms. Circadian rhythms approximate a daily (24 h) cycle and have been thoroughly studied in the model fungus, Neurospora crassa. However relatively few examples of true circadian rhythms have been documented among other filamentous fungi. In this study we describe a circadian rhythm underlying hyphal melanization in Cercospora kikuchii, an important pathogen of soybean. After growth in light or light : dark cycles, colonies transferred to darkness produced zonate bands of melanized hyphae interspersed with bands of hyaline hyphae. Rhythmic production of bands was remarkably persistent in the absence of external cues, lasting at least 7 d after transfer to darkness, and was compensated over a range of temperatures. As in N. crassa, blue light but not red light was sufficient to entrain the circadian rhythm in C. kikuchii, and a putative ortholog of white collar-1, one of the genes required for light responses in N. crassa, was identified in C. kikuchii. Circadian regulation of melanization is conserved in other members of the genus: Similar rhythms were identified in another field isolate of C. kikuchii as well as field isolates of C. beticola and C. sorghi, but not in wild-type strains of C. zeae-maydis or C. zeina. This report represents the first documented circadian rhythm among Dothideomycete fungi and provides a new opportunity to dissect the molecular basis of circadian rhythms among filamentous fungi.

  12. The ethyl acetate fraction of corn silk exhibits dual antioxidant and anti-glycation activities and protects insulin-secreting cells from glucotoxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Chia-Chuan; Yuan, Wei; Roan, Hsiao-Yuh; Chang, Jia-Ling; Huang, Hsiu-Chen; Lee, Yu-Ching; Tsay, Huey Jen; Liu, Hui-Kang

    2016-11-03

    In this study, we aimed to develop a Stigmata Maydis (corn silk) fraction with dual bio-activities against oxidative stress and protein glycation to protect β-cells from diabetes-induced failure. Corn silk fractions were prepared by partition and chemically characterised by thin-layer chromatography. Free radical scavenging assay, glycation assay, and cell-based viability test (neutral red) were employed to decide the best fraction. Cell death analysis was executed by annexin V/ Propidium iodide staining. Cell proliferation was measured by WST-1. Finally, β-cell function was evaluated by β-cell marker gene expression (RT-PCR) and acute insulin secretion test. Four corn silk fractions were prepared from an ethanolic crude extract of corn silk. In vitro assays indicate ethyl acetate fraction (YMS-EA) was the most potent fraction. YMS-EA also attenuated the hydrogen peroxide- or methylglyoxal-induced induction of reactive oxygen species, reduction of cell viability, and inhibition of cell proliferation. However, YMS-EA was unable to prevent hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis or advanced glycation end-products-induced toxicity. Under hyperglycemic conditions, YMS-EA effectively reduced ROS levels, improved mRNA expression of insulin, glucokinase, and PDX-1, and enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. The similarity of bioactivities among apigenin, luteolin, and YMS-EA indicated that dual activities of YMS-EA might be derived from those compounds. We concluded that YMS-EA fraction could be developed as a preventive food agent against the glucotoxicity to β-cells in Type 2 diabetes.

  13. Fine mapping and identification of a candidate gene for the barley Un8 true loose smut resistance gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zang, Wen; Eckstein, Peter E; Colin, Mark; Voth, Doug; Himmelbach, Axel; Beier, Sebastian; Stein, Nils; Scoles, Graham J; Beattie, Aaron D

    2015-07-01

    The candidate gene for the barley Un8 true loose smut resistance gene encodes a deduced protein containing two tandem protein kinase domains. In North America, durable resistance against all known isolates of barley true loose smut, caused by the basidiomycete pathogen Ustilago nuda (Jens.) Rostr. (U. nuda), is under the control of the Un8 resistance gene. Previous genetic studies mapped Un8 to the long arm of chromosome 5 (1HL). Here, a population of 4625 lines segregating for Un8 was used to delimit the Un8 gene to a 0.108 cM interval on chromosome arm 1HL, and assign it to fingerprinted contig 546 of the barley physical map. The minimal tilling path was identified for the Un8 locus using two flanking markers and consisted of two overlapping bacterial artificial chromosomes. One gene located close to a marker co-segregating with Un8 showed high sequence identity to a disease resistance gene containing two kinase domains. Sequence of the candidate gene from the parents of the segregating population, and in an additional 19 barley lines representing a broader spectrum of diversity, showed there was no intron in alleles present in either resistant or susceptible lines, and fifteen amino acid variations unique to the deduced protein sequence in resistant lines differentiated it from the deduced protein sequences in susceptible lines. Some of these variations were present within putative functional domains which may cause a loss of function in the deduced protein sequences within susceptible lines.

  14. The role of Cercospora zeae-maydis homologs of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 1O2-resistance genes in resistance to the photoactivated toxin cercosporin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beseli, Aydin; Goulart da Silva, Marilia; Daub, Margaret E

    2015-01-01

    The photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides and plant pathogenic fungus Cercospora nicotianae have been used as models for understanding resistance to singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)), a highly toxic reactive oxygen species. In Rhodobacter and Cercospora, (1)O(2) is derived, respectively, from photosynthesis and from the (1)O(2)-generating toxin cercosporin which the fungus produces to parasitize plants. We identified common genes recovered in transcriptome studies of putative (1)O(2)-resistance genes in these two systems, suggesting common (1)O(2)-resistance mechanisms. To determine if the Cercospora homologs of R. sphaeroides (1)O(2)-resistance genes are involved in resistance to cercosporin, we expressed the genes in the cercosporin-sensitive fungus Neurospora crassa and assayed for increases in cercosporin resistance. Neurospora crassa transformants expressing genes encoding aldo/keto reductase, succinyl-CoA ligase, O-acetylhomoserine (thiol) lyase, peptide methionine sulphoxide reductase and glutathione S-transferase did not have elevated levels of cercosporin resistance. Several transformants expressing aldehyde dehydrogenase were significantly more resistant to cercosporin. Expression of the transgene and enzyme activity did not correlate with resistance, however. We conclude that although the genes tested in this study are important in (1)O(2) resistance in R. sphaeroides, their Cercospora homologs are not involved in resistance to (1)O(2) generated from cercosporin. © FEMS 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Levels of some microelements and essential heavy metals in herbal teas in Serbia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mihaljev, Zeljko; Zivkov-Balos, Milica; Cupić, Zeljko; Jaksić, Sandra

    2014-01-01

    Levels of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, Co, Ni, Se, Sn and Al were determined in 14 medicinal plants from Serbia, which are widely used in phytopharmacy as herbal teas. The following plants were investigated: yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.), basil (Ocimum hasilicum L.), St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.), peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.), field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.), thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.), maize silk (Zea mays L. - Maydis stigma), hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), marshmallow (Althaea officinalis L.), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.), rosehip/dog rose (Rosa canina L.), winter savory (Satureja montana L.) and spearmint (Mentha spicata L.). A total of 16 samples of different parts of medicinal plants (root, leaf, flower, herba) were examined, whereby 13 samples were delivered in original package and three samples were loose leaf herbs. Samples were prepared using the microwave digestion technique, and measurements were performed applying the atomic absorption spectrometry and mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. Contents of microelements in the examined samples were in the range: Mn (23.86 - 453.71 mg/kg); Fe (61.87 - 673.0 mg/kg); Cu (6.68 - 24.46 mg/kg); Zn (16.11 - 113.81 mg/kg); Mo (0.576 - 4.265 mg/kg); Co (0.039 - 0.532 mg/kg); Se (0.036 - 0.146 mg/kg); Ni (0.738 - 6.034 mg/kg); Al (154.0 - 3015.0 mg/kg) and Sn (2.68 - 10.22 mg/kg). According to determined amounts of microelements, the investigated samples of herbal teas are considered safe for human consumption.

  16. Diallel analysis of leaf disease resistance in inbred Brazilian popcorn cultivars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira, R A; Scapim, C A; Moterle, L M; Tessmann, D J; Conrado, T V; Amaral Júnior, A T

    2009-12-01

    We estimated general and specific combining abilities and examined resistance to northern leaf blight (Exserohilum turcicum) and to gray leaf spot (Cercospora zeae-maydis) in a set of nine inbred popcorn lines. These inbreds were crossed in a complete diallel scheme without reciprocals, which produced 36 F(1) hybrids. Two experiments with a square lattice design and three replications were conducted during the 2008/2009 crop season, in Maringá, PR, Brazil. The severity of northern leaf blight and gray leaf spot was assessed under natural infestation conditions. Data were examined by individual and joint analysis of variance. Individual and joint Griffing's diallel analyses were carried out for adjusted means. General combining ability and specific combining ability were significant (P < 0.10) by the F-test for northern leaf blight and gray leaf spot infestation levels. This denotes that additive and non-additive gene effects both contributed to resistance to these diseases, but that the additive gene effects were more important. Among the inbred lines, P(8) and P(9) gave the highest resistance to northern leaf blight, and P(3) and P(4.3) gave the highest resistance to gray leaf spot. The hybrids P(7.4) x P(8) and P(4.3) x P(9) could be exploited by reciprocal recurrent selection to provide genotypes with both northern leaf blight and gray leaf spot resistance. Significant interaction between general combining ability and crop season (P < 0.10) denotes the importance of environment, even though the disease levels in the hybrids were quite consistent.

  17. Spatial expression dynamics of Men-9 delineate the third floral whorl in male and female flowers of dioecious Silene latifolia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, S E; Li, Y; Scutt, C P; Willis, M E; Gilmartin, P M

    1997-07-01

    Sex determination in Silene latifolia is controlled by heteromorphic sex chromosomes. Female flowers have five fused carpels and ten arrested stamen primordia. The male-determining Y chromosome overrides female development to suppress carpel formation and promote stamen development. The isolation and characterization of two S. latifolia. Male enhanced cDNAs, Men-9a and Men-9b, which probably represent different alleles of a novel gene are reported here. Men-9a and Men-9b share 91.8% coding sequence nucleotide identity, yet only 85.4% amino acid identity. The Men-9 cDNAs are related to the previously reported MROS3 cDNA from S. latifolia. However, MROS3 is not present in the S. latifolia population used in these studies and the expression dynamics of Men-9a and Men-9b contrast dramatically with those reported for MROS3. Men-9 cDNAs are expressed primarily in anthers of young male flowers, with highest expression in 1-2 mm buds. Men-9 expression is also observed at a low level in female flowers. In situ hybridization analysis reveals two phases of Men-9 expression. The first phase is during a common stage of early stamen development in male and female flowers prior to stamen arrest in female flowers. The second phase of Men-9 expression is maximal in the epidermis and endothecium of Y chromosome- and Ustilago violacea-induced stamens; expression in male and female flowers extends to the epidermis of the staminal nectaries with strict boundaries at the second and fourth whorls, Men-9 gene expression therefore delineates the boundaries of the third floral whorl in S. latifolia flowers.

  18. Quimio e termoterapia em sementes e aplicação de fungicidas em Brachiaria brizantha como estratégias no manejo do carvão Chemical and thermal therapy in seeds and application of fungicides in Brachiaria brizantha as strategies for managing smut

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Eduardo Marchi

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Objetivou-se estudar os potenciais dos tratamentos térmico e químico em sementes de Brachiaria brizantha cv. Piatã, preconizados como eficientes na superação da dormência física das mesmas, na redução do inóculo de carvão (Ustilago operta. Amostras de sementes foram expostas ao ácido sulfúrico por tempo variando de 0 a 10 min, ou imersas em água à temperatura variável (27 a 60 ºC por 5 ou 10 min. Avaliaram-se os efeitos dos tratamentos no número de teliósporos de U. operta remanescentes e na freqüência de germinação das sementes tratadas. À medida que se prolongou a escarificação química das sementes se evidenciou decréscimo do inóculo de carvão. Menor número de teliósporos foi observado nas sementes submetidas à quimioterapia por 10 min. Em geral, a exposição das sementes ao H2SO4 não levou ao decréscimo da capacidade germinativa das mesmas. Os resultados da termoterapia não foram tão evidentes como os observados para a quimioterapia, sejam na redução do número de teliósporos ou na superação da dormência. É provável que o tempo de exposição das sementes não tenha sido o suficiente. Paralelamente, verificou-se a eficiência da aplicação de fungicidas na parte aérea das plantas no controle da incidência do carvão. Foram testados os fungicidas: 1 - tiofanato metílico + chlorothalonil; 2 - mancozeb; 3 - tebuconazole; 4 - triadimenol; 5 - azoxystrobin + cyproconazole; 6 - pyraclostrobin + epoxyconazole; 7 - trifloxystrobin + cyproconazole; 8 - carboxin + thiram; 9 - tiofanato metílico + flutriafol; 10 - carbendazin, e 11 - difenoconazole. Mesmo com a ocorrência de baixa incidência de carvão na área experimental (máximo de 15%, observaram-se diferenças entre os fungicidas quanto ao controle da doença. O fungicida tebuconazole e as formulações pyraclostrobin + epoxyconazole e trifloxystrobin + cyproconazole foram os mais promissores.This work investigated the potentials of the thermal

  19. Traditionally used medicinal plants against uncomplicated urinary tract infections: Are unusual, flavan-4-ol- and derhamnosylmaysin derivatives responsible for the antiadhesive activity of extracts obtained from stigmata of Zea mays L. against uropathogenic E. coli and Benzethonium chloride as frequent contaminant faking potential antibacterial activities?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rafsanjany, Nasli; Sendker, Jandirk; Lechtenberg, Matthias; Petereit, Frank; Scharf, Birte; Hensel, Andreas

    2015-09-01

    The dried stigmata from Zea mays L. are used traditionally for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections. A recent screening has indicated that hydroalcoholic extract of the herbal material inhibits the adhesion of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) to T24 bladder cells. For verification of these data EtOH-water (1:1) extracts from 4 different batches of Maydis stigmata were investigated. Within an in vitro adhesion assay (UPEC strain 2980 and human T24 bladder cells) a dose-dependent antiadhesive activity against UPEC was verified (IC50 1040μg/mL). Bioassay guided fractionation of M. stigmata, batch S1, by EtOH-water extraction, followed by chromatography on Sephadex LH20 revealed two active fractions (I and XI). Further purification of fraction I and structure elucidation of the isolated compound revealed the presence of significant amounts of the biocide benzethonium chloride as contaminant. Benzethonium chloride was also identified in subsequent investigations in 2 different batches of M. stigmata. The presence of such nondeclared and illegal contaminants in the herbal raw material market has to be discussed intensively. From benzethonium-free raw material (batch S2) as well as from batch S1 fraction XI was further fractionated by MPLC and preparative HPLC, leading to a still complex subfraction XIG, which was analyzed by UHPLC/+ESI-QTOF-MS analysis. Advanced data processing and species-metabolite relationship database revealed the tentatively existence of the unusual C-glycosidic flavones derhamnosylmaysin (6), 3'-deoxyrhamnosylmaysin (4), 3'-O-methylderhamnosylmaysin (3), apiferol (2) and alternanthin (8) which might be related to the antiadhesive activity of this subfraction against UPEC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Regression and artificial neural network modeling for the prediction of gray leaf spot of maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, P A; Munkvold, G P

    2005-04-01

    ABSTRACT Regression and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling approaches were combined to develop models to predict the severity of gray leaf spot of maize, caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis. In all, 329 cases consisting of environmental, cultural, and location-specific variables were collected for field plots in Iowa between 1998 and 2002. Disease severity on the ear leaf at the dough to dent plant growth stage was used as the response variable. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to select potentially useful predictor variables. Predictors from the best 9 of 80 regression models were used to develop ANN models. A random sample of 60% of the cases was used to train the networks, and 20% each for testing and validation. Model performance was evaluated based on coefficient of determination (R(2)) and mean square error (MSE) for the validation data set. The best models had R(2) ranging from 0.70 to 0.75 and MSE ranging from 174.7 to 202.8. The most useful predictor variables were hours of daily temperatures between 22 and 30 degrees C (85.50 to 230.50 h) and hours of nightly relative humidity >/=90% (122 to 330 h) for the period between growth stages V4 and V12, mean nightly temperature (65.26 to 76.56 degrees C) for the period between growth stages V12 and R2, longitude (90.08 to 95.14 degrees W), maize residue on the soil surface (0 to 100%), planting date (in day of the year; 112 to 182), and gray leaf spot resistance rating (2 to 7; based on a 1-to-9 scale, where 1 = most susceptible to 9 = most resistant).

  1. High-resolution mapping and characterization of qRgls2, a major quantitative trait locus involved in maize resistance to gray leaf spot.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Ling; Zhang, Yan; Shao, Siquan; Chen, Wei; Tan, Jing; Zhu, Mang; Zhong, Tao; Fan, Xingming; Xu, Mingliang

    2014-08-31

    Gray leaf spot (GLS) caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis (Czm) or Cercospora zeina (Cz) is a devastating maize disease and results in substantial yield reductions worldwide. GLS resistance is a quantitatively inherited trait. The development and cultivation of GLS-resistant maize hybrids are the most cost-effective and efficient ways to control this disease. We previously detected a major GLS resistance QTL, qRgls2, in bin 5.03-04, which spans the whole centromere of chromosome 5 encompassing a physical distance of ~110-Mb. With advanced backcross populations derived from the cross between the resistant Y32 and susceptible Q11 inbred lines, a sequential recombinant-derived progeny testing strategy was adapted to fine map qRgls2. We narrowed the region of qRgls2 from an initial ~110-Mb to an interval of ~1-Mb, flanked by the markers G346 and DD11. qRgls2 showed predominantly additive genetic effects and significantly increased the resistance percentage by 20.6 to 24.6% across multiple generations. A total of 15 genes were predicted in the mapped region according to the 5b.60 annotation of the maize B73 genome v2. Two pieces of the mapped qRgls2 region shared collinearity with two distant segments on maize chromosome 4. qRgls2, a major QTL involved in GLS resistance, was mapped to a ~1-Mb region close to the centromere of chromosome 5. There are 15 predicted genes in the mapped region. It is assumed that qRgls2 could be widely used to improve maize resistance to GLS.

  2. Synthesis and Antifungal Activity of Novel 3-Caren-5-One Oxime Esters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Min; Duan, Wen-Gui; Lin, Gui-Shan; Li, Kun; Hu, Qiong

    2017-09-12

    A series of novel 3-caren-5-one oxime esters were designed and synthesized by multi-step reactions in an attempt to develop potent antifungal agents. Two E - Z stereoisomers of the intermediate 3-caren-5-one oxime were separated by column chromatography for the first time. The structures of all the intermediates and target compounds were confirmed by UV-Vis, FTIR, NMR, ESI-MS, and elemental analysis. The antifungal activity of the target compounds was preliminarily evaluated by the in vitro method against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum , Physalospora piricola , Alternaria solani , Cercospora arachidicola , Gibberella zeae, Rhizoeotnia solani , Bipolaris maydis , and Colleterichum orbicalare at 50 µg/mL. The target compounds exhibited best antifungal activity against P. piricola , in which compounds ( Z )- 4r (R = β -pyridyl), ( Z )- 4q (R = α -thienyl), ( E )- 4f' (R = p -F Ph), ( Z )- 4i (R = m -Me Ph), ( Z )- 4j (R = p -Me Ph), and ( Z )- 4p (R = α -furyl) had inhibition rates of 97.1%, 87.4%, 87.4%, 85.0%, 81.9%, and 77.7%, respectively, showing better antifungal activity than that of the commercial fungicide chlorothanil. Also, compound ( Z )- 4r (R = β -pyridyl) displayed remarkable antifungal activity against all the tested fungi, with inhibition rates of 76.7%, 82.7%, 97.1%, 66.3%, 74.7%, 93.9%, 76.7% and 93.3%, respectively, showing better or comparable antifungal activity than that of the commercial fungicide chlorothanil. Besides, the E-Z isomers of the target oxime esters were found to show obvious differences in antifungal activity. These results provide an encouraging framework that could lead to the development of potent novel antifungal agents.

  3. Fungal spores in four catholic churches in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Nuevo León State, Mexico – First study

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    Alejandra Rocha Estrada

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. About 500,000 species of fungi have been described to-date, although an estimated between 1 – 1.5 million species may occur. They have a wide distribution in nature, contributing to the decomposition of organic matter and playing a part in the biogeochemical cycles of major nutrients. A small number are considered pathogens of animals and plants. There is ample historical evidence that certain types of allergies are associated with fungi; exposure to fungal allergens occurs in both outdoor and indoor spaces. Many indoor allergens are the same as those found outside buildings, entering through windows and doors, ventilation systems, or through cracks or other fissures in the walls. Objective. To determine the diversity and abundance of fungal spores inside four churches in the metropolitan area of Monterrey city in Mexico. Materials and methods. The study was carried out from July 2009 – January 2010 using a Hirst type volumetric collector (Burkard Manufacturing Co Ltd. Results. A total of 31,629 spores from 54 taxa were registered in the four churches. The building that showed the highest amount of spores was the Santa Catarina Mártir Church with 12,766 spores, followed by Cristo Rey with 7,155 and Nuestra Señora del Roble with 6,887. Regularly high concentrations of spores were recorded from 14:00 – 20:00 hours. The highest concentration value was observed at the church of Santa Catarina Mártir at 16:00 hours with 1153 spores/m 3 air. Conclusions. The most abundant spores in the four churches studied corresponded to Cladosporium, the [i]Aspergillus/Penicillium complex[/i], [i]Coprinus[/i], [i]Ganoderma[/i], [i]Curvularia and Ustilago[/i].

  4. Synthesis and Antifungal Activity of Novel 3-Caren-5-One Oxime Esters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min Huang

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available A series of novel 3-caren-5-one oxime esters were designed and synthesized by multi-step reactions in an attempt to develop potent antifungal agents. Two E-Z stereoisomers of the intermediate 3-caren-5-one oxime were separated by column chromatography for the first time. The structures of all the intermediates and target compounds were confirmed by UV-Vis, FTIR, NMR, ESI-MS, and elemental analysis. The antifungal activity of the target compounds was preliminarily evaluated by the in vitro method against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum, Physalospora piricola, Alternaria solani, Cercospora arachidicola, Gibberella zeae, Rhizoeotnia solani, Bipolaris maydis, and Colleterichum orbicalare at 50 µg/mL. The target compounds exhibited best antifungal activity against P. piricola, in which compounds (Z-4r (R = β-pyridyl, (Z-4q (R = α-thienyl, (E-4f′ (R = p-F Ph, (Z-4i (R = m-Me Ph, (Z-4j (R = p-Me Ph, and (Z-4p (R = α-furyl had inhibition rates of 97.1%, 87.4%, 87.4%, 85.0%, 81.9%, and 77.7%, respectively, showing better antifungal activity than that of the commercial fungicide chlorothanil. Also, compound (Z-4r (R = β-pyridyl displayed remarkable antifungal activity against all the tested fungi, with inhibition rates of 76.7%, 82.7%, 97.1%, 66.3%, 74.7%, 93.9%, 76.7% and 93.3%, respectively, showing better or comparable antifungal activity than that of the commercial fungicide chlorothanil. Besides, the E-Z isomers of the target oxime esters were found to show obvious differences in antifungal activity. These results provide an encouraging framework that could lead to the development of potent novel antifungal agents.

  5. Probabilities for profitable fungicide use against gray leaf spot in hybrid maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munkvold, G P; Martinson, C A; Shriver, J M; Dixon, P M

    2001-05-01

    ABSTRACT Gray leaf spot, caused by the fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis, causes considerable yield losses in hybrid maize grown in the north-central United States and elsewhere. Nonchemical management tactics have not adequately prevented these losses. The probability of profitably using fungicide application as a management tool for gray leaf spot was evaluated in 10 field experiments under conditions of natural inoculum in Iowa. Gray leaf spot severity in untreated control plots ranged from 2.6 to 72.8% for the ear leaf and from 3.0 to 7.7 (1 to 9 scale) for whole-plot ratings. In each experiment, fungicide applications with propiconazole or mancozeb significantly reduced gray leaf spot severity. Fungicide treatment significantly (P

  6. FUNGICIDES IN SECOND HARVEST CORN: CERCOSPORIOSE CONTROL AND BLOTCH, PRODUCTIVITY, ECONOMIC RETURN AND GRAIN QUALITY

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    P. Rezende

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Os objetivos desse trabalho foram avaliar a eficiência de The aim of this study was evaluate efficacy fungicides to control cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora zeae-maydis and helminthosporium leaf blight (Exserohilumturcicum, productivity, economic returns and quality of grain of corn culture of second crop in Farm Bandeirantes at Feliz Natal/MT. The treatments evaluated were: pyraclostrobina+epoxiconazol (0,7 L ha-1, trifloxistrobina+protioconazol (0,3L ha-1, azoxistrobina+cyproconazol(0,3 L ha-1, azoxystrobina (0,25 L ha-1, trifloxistrobina+ciproconazol (0,2 L ha-1 and control. Theapplicationof products occurred when corn was with 55 days, with a high propelled sprayer. The experimental design was a randomized block, with 6 treatments and 3 replications. The severity of each disease was visually determined through periodic analyses and ten plants were marked in each repetition, which were evaluated during the entire crop cycle. The data of severity obtained were used to calculate the area under disease progress curve (AUDPC. It was also obtained the production per ha, the economic return (R$ ha-1 and physiological quality of grain was evaluated by germination tests and accelerated aging of the grains. All treatments had significant difference compared to the control sample in controlling cercospora leaf spot about the control of helminthosporiumleat blight, the fungicides trifloxystrobin+prothioconazol and trifloxystrobin+cyproconazol were not efficient, and the fungicides pyraclostrobina+epoxiconazol, azoxystrobina, azoxistrobina+cyproconazol were efficient. The treatments that had major production are from the group of triazoles+strobilurine and the fungicide pyraclostrobin+epoxyconazol showed greater economic viability. Not were differences among fungicides, and neither of the treatments compared to control, in germination and accelerated aging tests, showing that the grains have good quality characteristics

  7. The effect of low doses of gamma irradiation on common bunt and covered smut diseases in wheat and barley seeds (Tilletia Caries, T. Foetida and Ustilago Hordei)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohammed, F.A.

    1991-12-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of seeds treated by low doses of gamma irradiation (5-45 GY) in reducing the infection caused by pathagens transferred on wheat and barley seeds. Field experiments included 4 varieties of wheat (Mexipak, Fl. Aurore, Haurani, Jezira 17) and one variety of barley (WI 2291). Laboratory experiments were also carried out where fungal spores were germinated in soil-extract agar after the exposure to radiation. Field experiments included planting of irradiated seeds before and after inoculation, seed inculated by irradiated spores and seeds planted in soil contaminated by spores. In other experiments, irradiated seeds were planted after inoculation by spores of T. Caries and another time by the spores of T. Foetida. Results for 1988-89 and 1989-90 show that irradiation at doses used have a clear effect on reducing the infection by common bunt in wheat and covered smut in barley, where reductions reached between 15-60% compared with the control. The effects of 30 and 40 GY were more obvious. This study has also shown that the effect of radiation on the rate of infection (Mexipak, Fl. Aurore) was higher than in varieties which are more disease-resistent (Haurani, Jazira 17). Field and laboratory experiments indicate that this reduction in infection may be attributed to the effect of radiation on seeds and their germination and not on the fungi spores. There have been no significant differences between the rate of infection caused by T. Caries and T. Foetida after irradiation treatment. (author). 61 refs., 28 figs., 7 tabs

  8. High-density genetic mapping of a major QTL for resistance to multiple races of loose smut in a tetraploid wheat cross

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Sachin; Knox, Ron E.; Singh, Asheesh K.; DePauw, Ron M.; Campbell, Heather L.; Isidro-Sanchez, Julio; Clarke, Fran R.; Pozniak, Curtis J.; N’Daye, Amidou; Meyer, Brad; Sharpe, Andrew; Ruan, Yuefeng; Cuthbert, Richard D.; Somers, Daryl; Fedak, George

    2018-01-01

    Loose smut, caused by Ustilago tritici (Pers.) Rostr., is a systemic disease of tetraploid durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.). Loose smut can be economically controlled by growing resistant varieties, making it important to find and deploy new sources of resistance. Blackbird, a variety of T. turgidum L. subsp. carthlicum (Nevski) A. Love & D. Love, carries a high level of resistance to loose smut. Blackbird was crossed with the loose smut susceptible durum cultivar Strongfield to produce a doubled haploid (DH) mapping population. The parents and progenies were inoculated with U. tritici races T26, T32 and T33 individually and as a mixture at Swift Current, Canada in 2011 and 2012 and loose smut incidence (LSI) was assessed. Genotyping of the DH population and parents using an Infinium iSelect 90K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array identified 12,952 polymorphic SNPs. The SNPs and 426 SSRs (previously genotyped in the same population) were mapped to 16 linkage groups spanning 3008.4 cM at an average inter-marker space of 0.2 cM in a high-density genetic map. Composite interval mapping analysis revealed three significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) for loose smut resistance on chromosomes 3A, 6B and 7A. The loose smut resistance QTL on 6B (QUt.spa-6B.2) and 7A (QUt.spa-7A.2) were derived from Blackbird. Strongfield contributed the minor QTL on 3A (QUt.spa-3A.2). The resistance on 6B was a stable major QTL effective against all individual races and the mixture of the three races; it explained up to 74% of the phenotypic variation. This study is the first attempt in durum wheat to identify and map loose smut resistance QTL using a high-density genetic map. The QTL QUt.spa-6B.2 would be an effective source for breeding resistance to multiple races of the loose smut pathogen because it provides near-complete broad resistance to the predominant virulence on the Canadian prairies. PMID:29485999

  9. High-density genetic mapping of a major QTL for resistance to multiple races of loose smut in a tetraploid wheat cross.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sachin Kumar

    Full Text Available Loose smut, caused by Ustilago tritici (Pers. Rostr., is a systemic disease of tetraploid durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.. Loose smut can be economically controlled by growing resistant varieties, making it important to find and deploy new sources of resistance. Blackbird, a variety of T. turgidum L. subsp. carthlicum (Nevski A. Love & D. Love, carries a high level of resistance to loose smut. Blackbird was crossed with the loose smut susceptible durum cultivar Strongfield to produce a doubled haploid (DH mapping population. The parents and progenies were inoculated with U. tritici races T26, T32 and T33 individually and as a mixture at Swift Current, Canada in 2011 and 2012 and loose smut incidence (LSI was assessed. Genotyping of the DH population and parents using an Infinium iSelect 90K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP array identified 12,952 polymorphic SNPs. The SNPs and 426 SSRs (previously genotyped in the same population were mapped to 16 linkage groups spanning 3008.4 cM at an average inter-marker space of 0.2 cM in a high-density genetic map. Composite interval mapping analysis revealed three significant quantitative trait loci (QTL for loose smut resistance on chromosomes 3A, 6B and 7A. The loose smut resistance QTL on 6B (QUt.spa-6B.2 and 7A (QUt.spa-7A.2 were derived from Blackbird. Strongfield contributed the minor QTL on 3A (QUt.spa-3A.2. The resistance on 6B was a stable major QTL effective against all individual races and the mixture of the three races; it explained up to 74% of the phenotypic variation. This study is the first attempt in durum wheat to identify and map loose smut resistance QTL using a high-density genetic map. The QTL QUt.spa-6B.2 would be an effective source for breeding resistance to multiple races of the loose smut pathogen because it provides near-complete broad resistance to the predominant virulence on the Canadian prairies.

  10. Sugarbeet leaf spot disease (Cercospora beticola Sacc.)dagger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiland, John; Koch, Georg

    2004-05-01

    SUMMARY Leaf spot disease caused by Cercospora beticola Sacc. is the most destructive foliar pathogen of sugarbeet worldwide. In addition to reducing yield and quality of sugarbeet, the control of leaf spot disease by extensive fungicide application incurs added costs to producers and repeatedly has selected for fungicide-tolerant C. beticola strains. The genetics and biochemistry of virulence have been examined less for C. beticola as compared with the related fungi C. nicotianae, C. kikuchii and C. zeae-maydis, fungi to which the physiology of C. beticola is often compared. C. beticola populations generally are not characterized as having race structure, although a case of race-specific resistance in sugarbeet to C. beticola has been reported. Resistance currently implemented in the field is quantitatively inherited and exhibits low to medium heritability. Cercospora beticola Sacc.; Kingdom Fungi, Subdivision Deuteromycetes, Class Hyphomycetes, Order Hyphales, Genus Cercospora. Circular, brown to red delimited spots with ashen-grey centre, 0.5-6 mm diameter; dark brown to black stromata against grey background; pale brown unbranched sparingly septate conidiophores, hyaline acicular conidia, multiseptate, from 2.5 to 4 microm wide and 50-200 microm long. Propagative on Beta vulgaris and most species of Beta. Reported on members of the Chenopodiaceae and on Amaranthus. Disease symptoms: Infected leaves and petioles of B. vulgaris exhibit numerous circular leaf spots that coalesce in severe cases causing complete leaf collapse. Dark specks within a grey spot centre are characteristic for the disease. Older leaves exhibit a greater number of lesions with larger spot diameter. During the latter stage of severe epiphytotics, new leaf growth can be seen emerging from the plant surrounded by prostrate, collapsed leaves. Fungicides in the benzimidazole and triazole class as well as organotin derivatives and strobilurins have successfully been used to control Cercospora

  11. Fungal Endophyte Diversity and Bioactivity in the Indian Medicinal Plant Ocimum sanctum Linn.

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    Kanika Chowdhary

    Full Text Available Endophytic mycopopulation isolated from India's Queen of herbs Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum were explored and investigated for their diversity and antiphytopathogenic activity against widespread plant pathogens Botrytis cinerea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum. 90 fungal isolates, representing 17 genera were recovered from 313 disease-free and surface sterilised plant segments (leaf and stem tissues from three different geographic locations (Delhi, Hyderabad and Mukteshwar during distinct sampling times in consequent years 2010 and 2011 in India. Fungal endophytes were subjected to molecular identification based on rDNA ITS sequence analysis. Plant pathogens such as F. verticillioides, B. maydis, C. coarctatum, R. bataticola, Hypoxylon sp., Diaporthe phaseolorum, Alternaria tenuissima and A. alternata have occurred as endophyte only during second sampling (second sampling in 2011 in the present study. Bi-plot generated by principal component analysis suggested tissue specificity of certain fungal endophytes. Dendrogram revealed species abundance as a function of mean temperature of the location at the time of sampling. Shannon diversity in the first collection is highest in Hyderabad leaf tissues (H' = 1.907 whereas in second collection it was highest from leaf tissues of Delhi (H' = 1.846. Mukteshwar (altitude: 7500 feet reported least isolation rate in second collection. Nearly 23% of the total fungal isolates were considered as potent biocontrol agent. Hexane extract of M. phaseolina recovered from Hyderabad in first collection demonstrated highest activity against S. sclerotiorum with IC50 value of 0.38 mg/ml. Additionally, its components 2H-pyran-2-one, 5,6-dihydro-6-pentyl and palmitic acid, methyl ester as reported by GC-MS Chromatogram upon evaluation for their antiphytopathogenic activity exhibited IC50 value of 1.002 and 0.662 against respectively S. sclerotiorum indicating their significant role in

  12. Herencia de la resistencia al complejo Cercospora spp. en líneas de maíz tropical

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    Narro L. Luis

    2005-09-01

    collected suggested that maternal or cytoplasmic effects are important in controlling disease resistance. Accumulation of resistance genes through the development of synthetic varieties is an alternative to be implemented in maize breeding programs workin towards the development of gray leaf spot resistant tropical maize germplasm. Key words: Zea mays, Cercospora zeae maydis, gray leaf spot of maize, diallel mating, general combining ability, specific combining ability, reciprocal effects.

  13. Combining powers of linkage and association mapping for precise dissection of QTL controlling resistance to gray leaf spot disease in maize (Zea mays L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mammadov, Jafar; Sun, Xiaochun; Gao, Yanxin; Ochsenfeld, Cherie; Bakker, Erica; Ren, Ruihua; Flora, Jonathan; Wang, Xiujuan; Kumpatla, Siva; Meyer, David; Thompson, Steve

    2015-11-10

    Gray Leaf Spot (GLS causal agents Cercospora zeae-maydis and Cercospora zeina) is one of the most important foliar diseases of maize in all areas where the crop is being cultivated. Although in the USA the situation with GLS severity is not as critical as in sub-Saharan Africa or Brazil, the evidence of climate change, increasing corn monoculture as well as the narrow genetic base of North American resistant germplasm can turn the disease into a serious threat to US corn production. The development of GLS resistant cultivars is one way to control the disease. In this study we combined the high QTL detection power of genetic linkage mapping with the high resolution power of genome-wide association study (GWAS) to precisely dissect QTL controlling GLS resistance and identify closely linked molecular markers for robust marker-assisted selection and trait introgression. Using genetic linkage analysis with a small bi-parental mapping population, we identified four GLS resistance QTL on chromosomes 1, 6, 7, and 8, which were validated by GWAS. GWAS enabled us to dramatically increase the resolution within the confidence intervals of the above-mentioned QTL. Particularly, GWAS revealed that QTLGLSchr8, detected by genetic linkage mapping as a locus with major effect, was likely represented by two QTL with smaller effects. Conducted in parallel, GWAS of days-to-silking demonstrated the co-localization of flowering time QTL with GLS resistance QTL on chromosome 7 indicating that either QTLGLSchr7 is a flowering time QTL or it is a GLS resistance QTL that co-segregates with the latter. As a result, this genetic linkage - GWAS hybrid mapping system enabled us to identify one novel GLS resistance QTL (QTLGLSchr8a) and confirm with more refined positions four more previously mapped QTL (QTLGLSchr1, QTLGLSchr6, QTLGLSchr7, and QTLGLSchr8b). Through the novel Single Donor vs. Elite Panel method we were able to identify within QTL confidence intervals SNP markers that would be