Overcoming heat shock protein inhibition at critical temperature vital for survival in Solanum tuberosum L. in vivo condition

Heat stress proteins (HSPs) and related cognates are candidates mediating and preventing cellular damage  from heat-stress, but their expression can be inhibited midway. The time-based occurrence pattern for heat mediated inhibition underlying HSPs expression at 41.5°C and revival subsequent stress was studied in vivo for four Solanum tuberosum L. cultivars viz. Kufri Pukhraj, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Chandramukhi and Kufri Ashoka. Our  results show that the inhibition process is a functional variance of time and genetic variability characterized by differential down-regulation of housekeeping proteins (HKPs) of about 55.7 and 43.5 KD in some cultivars and  complete inhibition of a prominent 19.9 KD HKP in Kufri Jyoti at all stressed time. Furthermore, the results  strongly suggest HSPs inhibition process bridges the gap between normal proteome and spur expression  maxima for stress proteome and may last for about 1 h for cultivars that effectively eludes the process  upgrading their thermotolerance in vivo.Key words: Solanum tuberosum L., heat-mediated inhibition, heat shock proteins, housekeeping proteins

Design of a Two-level Adaptive Multi-Agent System for Malaria Vectors driven by an ontology

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The understanding of heterogeneities in disease transmission dynamics as far as malaria vectors are concerned is a big challenge. Many studies while tackling this problem don't find exact models to explain the malaria vectors propagation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To solve the problem we define an Adaptive Multi-Agent System (AMAS) which has the property to be elastic and is a two-level system as well. This AMAS is a dynamic system where the two levels are linked by an Ontology which allows it to function as a reduced system and as an extended system. In a primary level, the AMAS comprises organization agents and in a secondary level, it is constituted of analysis agents. Its entry point, a User Interface Agent, can reproduce itself because it is given a minimum of background knowledge and it learns appropriate "behavior" from the user in the presence of ambiguous queries and from other agents of the AMAS in other situations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Some of the outputs of our system present a series of tables, diagrams showing some factors like Entomological parameters of malaria transmission, Percentages of malaria transmission per malaria vectors, Entomological inoculation rate. Many others parameters can be produced by the system depending on the inputted data.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our approach is an intelligent one which differs from statistical approaches that are sometimes used in the field. This intelligent approach aligns itself with the distributed artificial intelligence. In terms of fight against malaria disease our system offers opportunities of reducing efforts of human resources who are not obliged to cover the entire territory while conducting surveys. Secondly the AMAS can determine the presence or the absence of malaria vectors even when specific data have not been collected in the geographical area. In the difference of a statistical technique, in our case the projection of the results in the field can sometimes appeared to be more general.</p

Can free open access resources strengthen knowledge-based emerging public health priorities, policies and programs in Africa? [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Tackling emerging epidemics and infectious diseases burden in Africa requires increasing unrestricted open access and free use or reuse of regional and global policies reforms as well as timely communication capabilities and strategies. Promoting, scaling up data and information sharing between African researchers and international partners are of vital importance in accelerating open access at no cost. Free Open Access (FOA) health data and information acceptability, uptake tactics and sustainable mechanisms are urgently needed. These are critical in establishing real time and effective knowledge or evidence-based translation, proven and validated approaches, strategies and tools to strengthen and revamp health systems.  As such, early and timely access to needed emerging public health information is meant to be instrumental and valuable for policy-makers, implementers, care providers, researchers, health-related institutions and stakeholders including populations when guiding health financing, and planning contextual programs

Report of foliar necrosis of potato caused by Cochliobolus lunatus in India

During the winter season of 2011, Cochliobolus lunatus was isolated from necrotized leaves of potato in potato plantations of Burdwan District, West Bengal State, India. The isolate was identified using standard monographs and taxonomic keys and confirmed molecularly using the Ribosomal Deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) sequence data. The Koch’s postulate was confirmed through pathogenicity test on potato cultivar ‘Kufri Jyoti’. This is the first report of C. lunatus causing brown-to-black spots disease of potato in India.Keywords: Brown-to-black spots, pathogenicity, rDNA, Solanum tuberosum L., Cochliobolus lunatusAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(8), pp. 833-83

Grain Characteristics, Moisture, and Specific Peptides Produced by <i>Ustilaginoidea virens</i> Contribute to False Smut Disease in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.)

The fungus Ustilaginoidea virens, the causative agent of false smut in rice (Oryza sativa L.), is responsible for one of the severe grain diseases that lead to significant losses worldwide. In this research, microscopic and proteomic analyses were performed by comparing U. virens infected and non-infected grains of the susceptible and resistant rice varieties to provide insights into the molecular and ultrastructural factors involved in false smut formation. Prominent differentially expressed peptide bands and spots were detected due to false smut formation as revealed by sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) SDS-PAGE profiles and were identified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The proteins identified from the resistant grains were involved in diverse biological processes such as cell redox homeostasis, energy, stress tolerance, enzymatic activities, and metabolic pathways. It was found that U. virens produces diverse degrading enzymes such as β-1, 3-endoglucanase, subtilisin-like protease, putative nuclease S1, transaldolase, putative palmitoyl-protein thioesterase, adenosine kinase, and DNase 1 that could discretely alter the host morphophysiology resulting in false smut. The fungus also produced superoxide dismutase, small secreted proteins, and peroxidases during the smut formation. This study revealed that the dimension of rice grain spikes, their elemental composition, moisture content, and the specific peptides produced by the grains and the fungi U. virens play a vital role in the formation of false smut

Data from: Invasion of Solanum tuberosum L. by Aspergillus terreus: a microscopic and proteomics insight on pathogenicity

Background: Aspergillus terreus is one of the most harmful filamentous fungal pathogen of humans, animals and plants. Recently, researchers have discovered that A. terreus can cause foliar blight disease in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). We used light and scanning electron microscopy, and performed proteomics analysis in an attempt to dissect the invasion process of A. terreus in this important crop. Results: Microscopic study revealed that invasion of leaf tissue is marked by rapid germination of A. terreus phialidic conidia (PC) by 4 h after inoculation. By 8 h after inoculation, primary germ tubes from PC differentiated into irregular protuberance, often displayed stomata atropism, and failed to penetrate via the epidermal cells. Colonization of leaf tissues was associated with high rate of production of accessory conidia (AC). These analyses showed the occurrence of a unique opposing pattern of AC, tissue-specific and produced on melanized colonizing hyphae during the infection of leaf tissue. A significant proteome change hallmarked by differential expression of class I patatin, lipoxygenase, catalase-peroxidase complex, and cysteine proteinase inhibitor were observed during tuber colonization. These proteins are often involved in signal transduction pathways and crosstalk in pathogenic responses. Conclusion: A. terreus abundantly produced AC and multipolar germinating PC to invade potato leaf tissue. Additionally, A. terreus differentially induced enzymes in potato tuber during colonization which facilitates rapid disease development

Invasive Aspergillus terreus morphological transitions and immunoadaptations mediating antifungal resistance

Louis Bengyella,1&ndash;3 Elsie Laban Yekwa,4 Muhammad Nasir Subhani,5 Ernest Tambo,6,7 Kiran Nawaz,5 Bakoena Ashton Hetsa,2 Sehrish Iftikhar,5 Sayanika Devi Waikhom,1 Pranab Roy8 1Department of Biomedical Science, The School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana; 2Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences, Vaal University of Technology, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa; 3Department of Biotechnology, University of Burdwan, Bardhaman, India; 4Division of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa; 5Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan; 6Department of Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universit&eacute; des Montagnes, Bangangt&eacute;, 7Department of Communications, Africa Disease Intelligence and Surveillance, Communication and Response Institute, Yaound&eacute;, Cameroon; 8Department of Biotechnology, Haldia Institute of Technology, Haldia, India Background and aims: Aspergillus terreus Thom is a pathogen of public health and agricultural importance for its seamless abilities to expand its ecological niche. The aim of this study was holistically to investigate A. terreus morphological and immunoadaptations and their implication in antifungal resistance and proliferation during infection.Materials and methods: In-depth unstructured mining of relevant peer-reviewed literature was performed for A. terreus morphological, immune, resistance, and genetic diversity based on the sequenced calmodulin-like gene.Results: Accessory conidia and phialidic conidia produced by A. terreus confer discrete antifungal resistance that ensures survivability during therapies. Interestingly, by producing unique metabolites such as Asp&ndash;melanin and terretonin, A. terreus is capable of hijacking macrophages and scavenging iron, respectively. As such, A. terreus has established a rare mechanism to mitigate phagocytosis and swing the interaction dynamics in favor of its proliferation and survival in hosts.Conclusion: It is further unraveled that besides A. terreus genetic diversity, morphological, biochemical, and immunologic adaptations associated with conidia germination and discharge of chemical signals during infection enable masking of the host defense as an integral part of its strategy to survive and rapidly colonize hosts. Keywords: HSP70, terrein, terretonin, Asp&ndash;melanin, virulence, stomata atropis