A note on phytotoxicity of homodestruxin B – a compound produced by Alternaria brassicae

L'homodestruxine B, un composé produit par l’Alternaria brassicae, agent pathogène de la tache noire du colza, est reconnue pour sa phytotoxicité envers les feuilles du Brassica napus. Nous avons trouvé que sa phytotoxicité était comparable à celle de la destruxine B, une autre toxine produite par l'agent pathogène lorsque vérifié sur le B. napus. L'homodestruxine B a causé des symptômes de diverses gravités sur les feuilles de plusieurs plantes non-hôtes. Ceci suggère que l'homodestruxine B est une toxine non-spécifique à une plante-hôte.Homodestruxin B, a compound produced by Alternaria brassicae, the causal organism of the blackspot disease of rapeseed, is known to be phytotoxic to the leaves of Brassica napus. In this study we found that its phytotoxicity was comparable to that of destruxin B, another toxin produced by the pathogen when tested on B. napus. Homodestruxin B caused symptoms of different severities in leaves of various non-host plants. The results suggestthat homodestruxin B is a non-host-specific toxin

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Mapping the phosphoinositide-binding site on chick cofilin explains how PIP2 regulates the cofilin-actin interaction

Cofilin plays a key role in the choreography of actin dynamics via its ability to sever actin filaments and increase the rate of monomer dissociation from pointed ends. The exact manner by which phosphoinositides bind to cofilin and inhibit its interaction with actin has proven difficult to ascertain. We determined the structure of chick cofilin and used NMR chemical shift mapping and structure-directed mutagenesis to unambiguously locate its recognition site for phosphoinositides (Pis). This structurally unique recognition site requires both the acyl chain and head group of the PI for a productive interaction, and it is not inhibited by phosphorylation of cofilin. We propose that the interaction of cofilin with membrane-bound Pis abrogates its binding to both actin and actin-interacting protein 1, and facilitates spatiotemporal regulation of cofilin activity