Xylanase SMXL1 from Stenocarpella maydis: Purification and biochemical characterization

This study aimed to develop a method for the purification of a xylanase called SMXL1 produced by Stenocarpella maydis and its biochemical characterization. The enzyme was purified using a Rotofor preparative chamber and one chromatographic step in an ion exchange column coupled to equipment FPLC. Posteriorly the protein was characterized, and its effect on the birchwood xylan degradation was determine by HPLC. The purified enzyme showed a molecular weight of 55 kDa calculated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The purification process obtained a yield of 6.5  0.3 %. The activity was stable at a pH range of 4 to 10 and temperatures of 45 to 60 °C. The optimum values of temperature and pH were 55 °C and 4, respectively. The Michaelis constant (Km) value was 2.61 mg/mL and the Vmax was 3.02 µmol/mL/min using birchwood xylan as substrate and the Michaelis-Menten equation. The enzyme is inhibited by the cations Mn2+ and by Fe3+ and degrades the birchwood xylan being the principal products the xylobiose and the xylose. This work is the first report of the purification and biochemical characterization of a xylanase called SMXL1 produced by S. maydis.

Yield losses in off-season corn crop due to stalk rot disease

The objective of this work was to assess yield losses due to stalk rot in corn (Zea mays) hybrids, as well as to identify the main pathogenic fungi responsible for the disease during the off-season, in the state of Tocantins, Brazil. Two field experiments were carried out, one with five hybrids, in 2015, and another with four, in 2016. Ears of healthy and stalk rot-infected plants were collected from each plot, at harvest. Ear size, grain and ear weights, and grain moisture content were measured. From each diseased plant, a stalk piece with two to three nodes was removed for pathogen identification and quantification. The most common pathogens were: Fusarium graminearum, Stenocarpella maydis, and Macrophomina phaseolina. All yield parameters were significantly lower in stalk rot-infected plants, with average losses of 30.6%, in 2015, and of 34.3% in 2016. The highest yield losses are observed in hybrids with the highest grain/ear weight ratio.

Genetic Diversity of Stenocarpella maydis in the Major Corn Production Areas of the United States

The fungus Stenocarpella maydis (Berk.) B. Sutton, causal agent of Diplodia ear rot, is a prevalent corn (Zea mays L.) pathogen in the United States. Although S. maydis reduces grain quality, causes yield loss, and can produce mycotoxins in some countries, few studies have examined its biology and genetic diversity. We analyzed the genetic diversity of 174 S. maydis isolates sampled across the major corn production areas in the United States using nine different microsatellites. In all, 55 unique multilocus genotypes (MLG) were observed out of the 174 S. maydis isolates tested. After conducting a Bayesian clustering analysis by STRUCTURE, it was observed that the most probable number of genetic groups was two; however, no separation by their geographical location was identified. According to the minimum spanning network, the S. maydis population is linked across geographic regions of the United States but also contains private genotypes. Temporal diversity in the inoculum source was also observed at one location across 4 years. The haploid stage of S. maydis was confirmed and both mating type genes were amplified among selected isolates with unique MLG. We theorize that, although S. maydis is primarily an asexual fungus, sporadic cryptic recombination may occur, which could contribute to the genetic diversity observed in this study.