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

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

Assessment of a new qPCR tool for the detection and identification of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii by an international test performance study

WOS: 000366635400008Rapid and reliable tools for detection and identification of plant parasitic nematodes are needed to prevent the introduction and spread of quarantine nematodes. A fast and simple DNA extraction method for target nematodes in nematode suspensions obtained from soil samples and a new quantitative real-time PCR method (qPCR) for the specific detection, identification and potential quantification of M. enterolobii were tested in an inter-laboratory comparison (ring test) to allow for a thorough evaluation of these molecular diagnostic tools. A test performance study involving seven laboratories was conducted to validate the developed protocols and to identify possible difficulties when implemented by diagnostic laboratories or national reference centers. Validation included test performance in terms of accuracy, analytical specificity, analytical sensitivity, repeatability, and reproducibility as defined by European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) standard PM7/98. All positive and negative results for detection, identification and specificity were consistent between different laboratories despite different equipment used. Accuracy of real-time PCR was 100 % because test results and accepted reference values were in agreement. Analytical sensitivity results also matched between laboratories independent of the equipment used. The smallest amount of target DNA tested, two second-stage juveniles of M. enterolobii in a background of 500 non-target nematodes, was reliably detected by all labs. In addition, the repeatability and reproducibility of test results between laboratories was 100 %, even at the limit of detection. Thus, the inter-laboratory comparison showed the robustness of the developed methods and confirmed the in-house validation data.EUPHRESCO II framework, project "Development and validation of innovative diagnostic tools for detection and identification of the quarantine nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii in support of integrated plant protection strategies in the EU member states"; Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture; Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food ChainThis research project was performed within the EUPHRESCO II framework, project "Development and validation of innovative diagnostic tools for detection and identification of the quarantine nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii in support of integrated plant protection strategies in the EU member states",, via a non-competitive funding mechanism. We thank all colleagues for sharing nematode populations and the Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture as well as the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain for financial support

Involvement of Lsp, a Member of the LraI-Lipoprotein Family in Streptococcus pyogenes, in Eukaryotic Cell Adhesion and Internalization

Three open reading frames (ORFs) were identified by a genome walking strategy in the genomes of serotype M49 group A streptococcal (GAS) strains CS101 and 591. These ORFs were located between the mga core regulon and the dipeptide permease operon. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequences contained signature sequences indicative of a lipoprotein (306 aa), an intracellular protein (823 aa), and a secreted peptide (66 aa), respectively. ORF1 (named Lsp for lipoprotein of Streptococcus pyogenes) and ORF2 exhibited a high degree of homology to the lmb/ORF2 genes of S. agalactiae (B. Spellerberg et al., Infect. Immun. 67:871-878, 1999). The three ORFs were found to be present in each of the 27 GAS serotype strains tested. Transcription analysis revealed a polycistronic lsp/ORF2 and a monocistronic ORF3 message that were detected primarily at the transition from exponential to stationary growth phase. lsp and ORF2 mutants, ORF2- and ORF3-luciferase reporter fusions, and antiserum against recombinant Lsp were produced to examine the biological role of these genes. Although high Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) ion concentrations decreased lsp operon expression, Lsp did not transport divalent cations as described for other LraI-type operons. The lsp mutant had reduced fibronectin binding. Although no direct binding of Lsp to fibronectin could be demonstrated, the lsp mutant showed decreased transcription of prtF2 encoding the fibronectin-binding protein F2. Both the lsp and ORF2 mutants showed decreased laminin binding. Adherence to and internalization into A549 epithelial cells of both mutants was reduced without a detectable effect on eukaryotic cell viability. The transcription of a number of virulence factors was altered in the lsp mutants and ORF2 mutants. The changes in laminin binding and eukaryotic cell internalization could be explained by changes in transcription of speB (cysteine protease) and/or the global regulators mga, csrRS, and nra