scholarly journals Apple blossoms from a Swiss orchard with low-input plant protection regime reveal high abundance of potential fire blight antagonists

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Gschwend ◽  
Andrea Braun-Kiewnick ◽  
Franco Widmer ◽  
Cosima Pelludat
Keyword(s):  
Fire Blight ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
High Abundance ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Low Input ◽  
Synthetic Chemicals ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Serious Disease ◽  
Bare Potential

Erwinia amylovora causes fire blight, a serious disease of Rosaceae plants including apples and pears. A predominant path of bacterial infection is entry through nectartodes after multiplication on the stigma. Depending on the inhibitory abilities of the native blossom microbiota, it may control the outbreak of fire blight and therefore may bare potential plant protection with reduced input of synthetic chemicals. Blossoms of five apple varieties in a low-input orchard, which had no fire blight history, despite disease outbreaks in close proximity, were analyzed to assess bacterial and fungal communities. Metabarcoding indicated low microbial diversity and the presence of few dominant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) including known fire blight antagonists such as Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Aureobasidium pullulans. The most dominant bacterial taxon (bOTU_01) was classified as Erwinia spp. To resolve sequences of species within bOTU_01, we used analyses of sequence variants and DNA signatures, i.e., nucleotide polymorphisms that are indicative for different species or species groups. These analyses revealed that more than 94.5% of the sequences of bOTU_01 derived from E. tasmaniensis, a potential E. amylovora antagonist. The latter was represented by up to 0.006% of the sequences. Cultivation based analyses confirmed the prevalence of E. tasmaniensis. The high abundance of native potential E. amylovora antagonists likely indicates that this special set of native apple blossom microbiota counteracted the establishment of E. amylovora in this low-input orchard. This may allow for a new approach to assess possible components of synthetic apple blossom communities to mitigate fire blight infections.

scholarly journals Identification and Functional Annotation of Genes Related to Bone Stability in Laying Hens Using Random Forests

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 702
Author(s):  
Simon Jansen ◽  
Ulrich Baulain ◽  
Christin Habig ◽  
Faisal Ramzan ◽  
Jens Schauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Random Forests ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Genetic Architecture ◽  
Laying Hens ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Mineral Density ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
Close Proximity

Skeletal disorders, including fractures and osteoporosis, in laying hens cause major welfare and economic problems. Although genetics have been shown to play a key role in bone integrity, little is yet known about the underlying genetic architecture of the traits. This study aimed to identify genes associated with bone breaking strength and bone mineral density of the tibiotarsus and the humerus in laying hens. Potentially informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were identified using Random Forests classification. We then searched for genes known to be related to bone stability in close proximity to the SNPs and identified 16 potential candidates. Some of them had human orthologues. Based on our findings, we can support the assumption that multiple genes determine bone strength, with each of them having a rather small effect, as illustrated by our SNP effect estimates. Furthermore, the enrichment analysis showed that some of these candidates are involved in metabolic pathways critical for bone integrity. In conclusion, the identified candidates represent genes that may play a role in the bone integrity of chickens. Although further studies are needed to determine causality, the genes reported here are promising in terms of alleviating bone disorders in laying hens.

scholarly journals Phylogeographic Analysis Reveals Multiple International transmission Events Have Driven the Global Emergence of Escherichia coli O157:H7

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 428-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eelco Franz ◽  
Ovidiu Rotariu ◽  
Bruno S Lopes ◽  
Marion MacRae ◽  
James L Bono ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Case ◽  
Whole Genome Sequencing Data ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Phylogeographic Analysis ◽  
International Distribution

AbstractBackgroundShiga toxin–producing Escherchia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is a zoonotic pathogen that causes numerous food and waterborne disease outbreaks. It is globally distributed, but its origin and the temporal sequence of its geographical spread are unknown.MethodsWe analyzed whole-genome sequencing data of 757 isolates from 4 continents, and performed a pan-genome analysis to identify the core genome and, from this, extracted single-nucleotide polymorphisms. A timed phylogeographic analysis was performed on a subset of the isolates to investigate its worldwide spread.ResultsThe common ancestor of this set of isolates occurred around 1890 (1845–1925) and originated from the Netherlands. Phylogeographic analysis identified 34 major transmission events. The earliest were predominantly intercontinental, moving from Europe to Australia around 1937 (1909–1958), to the United States in 1941 (1921–1962), to Canada in 1960 (1943–1979), and from Australia to New Zealand in 1966 (1943–1982). This pre-dates the first reported human case of E. coli O157:H7, which was in 1975 from the United States.ConclusionsInter- and intra-continental transmission events have resulted in the current international distribution of E. coli O157:H7, and it is likely that these events were facilitated by animal movements (eg, Holstein Friesian cattle). These findings will inform policy on action that is crucial to reduce the further spread of E. coli O157:H7 and other (emerging) STEC strains globally.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Susceptibility of Different Pear Hybrid Populations to Fire Blight (Erwinia amylovora)

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasemin EVRENOSOĞLU ◽  
Adalet MISIRLI ◽  
Hikmet SAYGILI ◽  
Emre BİLEN ◽  
Özlem BOZTEPE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fire Blight ◽  
Erwinia Amylovora ◽  
Open Pollination ◽  
Resistance Level ◽  
Class A ◽  
Class B ◽  
Artificial Inoculations ◽  
Serious Disease ◽  
Blight Disease ◽  
Santa Maria

Fire blight disease caused by pathogenic bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is the serious disease of pear, and there is not a certain chemical management against this disease except antibiotic-type compounds such as streptomycin. It is very important to improve new fire blight resistant cultivars in case of integrated disease management. With this purpose, different crosses have been made between Pyrus communis varieties that have good fruit characteristics and resistant cultigens. Besides, self and open pollination treatments have been carried out in maternal plants. The disease resistance level of the hybrids obtained from these combinations was determined by artificial inoculations by Erwinia amylovora in greenhouse conditions. A total of 3284 hybrids were inoculated, and 2631 of them survived and were distributed to different susceptibility classes. 19.88% of the inoculated hybrids was killed by Erwinia amylovora. Total distribution of the hybrids to susceptibility classes was as 6.18% in class “A- slightly susceptible”, 3.11% in class “B- less susceptible”, 8.89% in class “C- mid-susceptible”, 20.28% in class “D- susceptible”, and 61.54% in class “E- very susceptible”. Majority of class “A- slightly susceptible” hybrids were obtained from ‘Magness’ x ‘Ankara’ combination. ‘Kieffer’ x ‘Santa Maria’, ‘Kieffer’ open pollination, ‘Magness’ x ‘Akça’, ‘Magness’ x ‘Kieffer’, ‘Magness’ x ‘Santa Maria’, ‘Mustafa Bey’ x ‘Moonglow’ treatments displayed good results with respect to “A- slightly susceptible” character. It is very important to evaluate these hybrid pear populations through different fruit and tree characteristics in the future.

scholarly journals Candidate gene mapping identifies genomic variations in the fire blight susceptibility genes HIPM and DIPM across the Malus germplasm

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Tegtmeier ◽  
Valerio Pompili ◽  
Jugpreet Singh ◽  
Diego Micheletti ◽  
Katchen Julliany Pereira Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Candidate Gene ◽  
Fire Blight ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Genomic Diversity ◽  
Bacterial Disease ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Germplasm Collections ◽  
Apple Cultivars ◽  
Candidate Gene Mapping ◽  
In Fire

Abstract Development of apple (Malus domestica) cultivars resistant to fire blight, a devastating bacterial disease caused by Erwinia amylovora, is a priority for apple breeding programs. Towards this goal, the inactivation of members of the HIPM and DIPM gene families with a role in fire blight susceptibility (S genes) can help achieve sustainable tolerance. We have investigated the genomic diversity of HIPM and DIPM genes in Malus germplasm collections and used a candidate gene-based association mapping approach to identify SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) with significant associations to fire blight susceptibility. A total of 87 unique SNP variants were identified in HIPM and DIPM genes across 93 Malus accessions. Thirty SNPs showed significant associations (p < 0.05) with fire blight susceptibility traits, while two of these SNPs showed highly significant (p < 0.001) associations across two different years. This research has provided knowledge about genetic diversity in fire blight S genes in diverse apple accessions and identified candidate HIPM and DIPM alleles that could be used to develop apple cultivars with decreased fire blight susceptibility via marker-assisted breeding or biotechnological approaches.

scholarly journals Climate Change Promotes the Emergence of Serious Disease Outbreaks of Filarioid Nematodes

EcoHealth ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sauli Laaksonen ◽  
Jyrki Pusenius ◽  
Jouko Kumpula ◽  
Ari Venäläinen ◽  
Raine Kortet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Serious Disease

scholarly journals Drinking Water Standards and Their Implementation—A Critical Assessment

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 2918
Author(s):  
Charikleia Tsaridou ◽  
Anastasios J. Karabelas
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Emerging Contaminants ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Biological Species ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Limit Values ◽  
Synthetic Chemicals ◽  
Scientific Technical

Diminishing clean water resources and their pollution (due to human activities and climatic change) are of great concern on a global basis. Under such conditions, the adequacy of drinking water (DW) standards and their meticulous implementation are issues of utmost importance in safeguarding human health. Unfortunately, the significant number of disease outbreaks (and of other suspected/potential health effects) related to DW, even in developed countries, attests to the fact that these issues require vigilance and continuous re-appraisal, particularly considering the assorted emerging contaminants and the ever-improving technological tools to cope with them. Therefore, the present comprehensive assessment addresses the main issues and concerns regarding DW standards and implementation thereof. Emphasis is placed on identifying the inherent deficiencies of standards (due to neglect of potential toxic contaminants and to debatable specifications/limit values) and regulations for their implementation and the monitoring of DW quality (due to weaknesses of available analytical/measurement techniques and inadequacies of tools and protocols). Rather serious deficiencies on these aspects are evident regarding the main categories of contaminants, i.e., synthetic chemicals and biological species. In regard to addressing these issues, progress made in recent years at the scientific/technical level and the main challenges are outlined toward the goal of an improvement in standards and their implementation.

scholarly journals Assessment of Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) for Identification of Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum from Different Host Plants in Spain

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1446
Author(s):  
Ana Ruiz-Padilla ◽  
Cristina Redondo ◽  
Adrián Asensio ◽  
Jerson Garita-Cambronero ◽  
Carmen Martínez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Analysis ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Housekeeping Genes ◽  
Multilocus Sequence Analysis ◽  
Complete Analysis ◽  
Evolutionary Divergence ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Candidatus Liberibacter ◽  
Potato Crops

Liberibacter is a bacterial group causing different diseases and disorders in plants. Among liberibacters, Candidatus Liberibacter solanaceraum (CLso) produces disorders in several species mainly within Apiaceae and Solanaceae families. CLso isolates are usually grouped in defined haplotypes according to single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes associated with ribosomal elements. In order to characterize more precisely isolates of CLso identified in potato in Spain, a Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) was applied. This methodology was validated by a complete analysis of ten housekeeping genes that showed an absence of positive selection and a nearly neutral mechanism for their evolution. Most of the analysis performed with single housekeeping genes, as well as MLSA, grouped together isolates of CLso detected in potato crops in Spain within the haplotype E, undistinguishable from those infecting carrots, parsnips or celery. Moreover, the information from these housekeeping genes was used to estimate the evolutionary divergence among the different CLso by using the concatenated sequences of the genes assayed. Data obtained on the divergence among CLso haplotypes support the hypothesis of evolutionary events connected with different hosts, in different geographic areas, and possibly associated with different vectors. Our results demonstrate the absence in Spain of CLso isolates molecularly classified as haplotypes A and B, traditionally considered causal agents of zebra chip in potato, as well as the uncertain possibility of the present haplotype to produce major disease outbreaks in potato that may depend on many factors that should be further evaluated in future works.

scholarly journals The National Plant Diagnostic Network: Partnering to Protect Plant Systems

Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 708-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Stack ◽  
Richard M. Bostock ◽  
Raymond Hammerschmidt ◽  
Jeffrey B. Jones ◽  
Eileen Luke
Keyword(s):  
Plant Protection ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Agricultural Plant ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
State And Local

The National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) has developed into a critical component of the plant biosecurity infrastructure of the United States. The vision set forth in 2002 for a distributed but coordinated system of plant diagnostic laboratories at land grant universities and state departments of agriculture has been realized. NPDN, in concept and in practice, has become a model for cooperation among the public and private entities necessary to protect our natural and agricultural plant resources. Aggregated into five regional networks, NPDN laboratories upload diagnostic data records into a National Data Repository at Purdue University. By facilitating early detection and providing triage and surge support during plant disease outbreaks and arthropod pest infestations, NPDN has become an important partner among federal, state, and local plant protection agencies and with the industries that support plant protection.

scholarly journals Fluopyram Controls Shoot-galling Caused by Pacific Shoot-gall Nematode and Improves Turf Quality in Annual Bluegrass Putting Greens

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 709-718
Author(s):  
Paweł Petelewicz ◽  
Paweł M. Orliński ◽  
Marco Schiavon ◽  
Manuel Mundo-Ocampo ◽  
J. Ole Becker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Protection ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Golf Courses ◽  
Putting Greens ◽  
Annual Bluegrass ◽  
Turf Quality ◽  
Alternative Product ◽  
Application Frequency ◽  
The Impact

Golf courses in coastal regions of northern California are often faced with severe injury caused by pacific shoot-gall nematodes (Anguina pacificae) on their annual bluegrass (Poa annua) host in putting greens. For years, fenamiphos was used for mitigating disease outbreaks until its registration was withdrawn in 2008. An alternative product containing azadirachtin was intended for nematode suppression. Still, it required repeated applications throughout the year with questionable efficacy, making attempts to lessen the impact of the pathogen costly. This study evaluated fluopyram as a novel nematicide for control of pacific shoot-gall disease. Various application frequencies and rates were tested at several golf courses affected by the nematode. Results revealed that fluopyram applied once at 0.22 lb/acre reduced the number of new shoot-galls and improved annual bluegrass appearance for several months. Increased rates and application frequency occasionally improved the efficacy further. Although the visual quality of turf treated with this plant protection compound was tremendously enhanced, and the number of new shoot-galls was reduced, rarely a significant effect was observed on the population density of several soil-dwelling plant-parasitic nematodes, including pacific shoot-gall nematode. It is hypothesized that fluopyram did not move significantly past the thatch layer and into the soil. However, it effectively reduced the ability of pacific shoot-gall nematode juveniles to induce new shoot galls. Due to its long half-life, it likely protected against both new nematode infections and dissemination of pacific shoot-gall nematode when the shoot-galls decomposed.

scholarly journals The Potential of Toll-Like Receptors to Modulate Avian Immune System: Exploring the Effects of Genetic Variants and Phytonutrients

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Saif-ur Rehman ◽  
Saif ur Rehman ◽  
Wasim Yousaf ◽  
Faiz-ul Hassan ◽  
Waqas Ahmad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Toll Like Receptors ◽  
Nutrient Metabolism ◽  
Nutritional Interventions ◽  
Potential Association ◽  
Potential Applications

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pathogen recognition receptors, and primitive sources of innate immune response that also play key roles in the defense mechanism against infectious diseases. About 10 different TLRs have been discovered in chicken that recognize ligands and participate in TLR signaling pathways. Research findings related to TLRs revealed new approaches to understand the fundamental mechanisms of the immune system, patterns of resistance against diseases, and the role of TLR-specific pathways in nutrient metabolism in chicken. In particular, the uses of specific feed ingredients encourage molecular biologists to exploit the relationship between nutrients (including different phytochemicals) and TLRs to modulate immunity in chicken. Phytonutrients and prebiotics are noteworthy dietary components to promote immunity and the production of disease-resistant chicken. Supplementations of yeast-derived products have also been extensively studied to enhance innate immunity during the last decade. Such interventions pave the way to explore nutrigenomic approaches for healthy and profitable chicken production. Additionally, single-nucleotide polymorphisms in TLRs have shown potential association with few disease outbreaks in chickens. This review aimed to provide insights into the key roles of TLRs in the immune response and discuss the potential applications of these TLRs for genomic and nutritional interventions to improve health, and resistance against different fatal diseases in chicken.

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