Anti-Apoptotic Machinery Protects the Necrotrophic Fungus Botrytis cinerea from Host-Induced Apoptotic-Like Cell Death during Plant Infection

Necrotrophic fungi are unable to occupy living plant cells. How such pathogens survive first contact with living host tissue and initiate infection is therefore unclear. Here, we show that the necrotrophic grey mold fungus Botrytis cinerea undergoes massive apoptotic-like programmed cell death (PCD) following germination on the host plant. Manipulation of an anti-apoptotic gene BcBIR1 modified fungal response to PCD-inducing conditions. As a consequence, strains with reduced sensitivity to PCD were hyper virulent, while strains in which PCD was over-stimulated showed reduced pathogenicity. Similarly, reduced levels of PCD in the fungus were recorded following infection of Arabidopsis mutants that show enhanced susceptibility to B. cinerea. When considered together, these results suggest that Botrytis PCD machinery is targeted by plant defense molecules, and that the fungal anti-apoptotic machinery is essential for overcoming this host-induced PCD and hence, for establishment of infection. As such, fungal PCD machinery represents a novel target for fungicides and antifungal drugs

Predecessors to the 2009 South Pacific tsunami in the Wallis and Futuna archipelago

Multi-proxy studies of trench sediments from Futuna island, in the Wallis and Futuna archipelago, have produced a record of two palaeotsunamis dated to around 1860-2000 BP and c. 470 BP. One of the most useful proxies in this study has been the archaeological data associated with occupations that immediately underlie the deposits associated with both palaeotsunamis. The reworking of the archaeological material into the palaeotsunami deposits and the additional chronological control provided by artefacts have added value to interpretations based upon more conventional earth science proxies. The identification of tsunamigenic sources for these events is tentative and based upon known potential sources. Based upon a comparison between the effects of the 2009 South Pacific tsunami and those recorded in the trenches, Event 1(1860-2000 BP) appears most likely to be associated with a large tsunami sourced from the Tonga-Kermadec Trench region. There are only rare contemporaneous events reported from around the region, although this appears to be largely due to a lack of similar research as opposed to a lack of evidence. Event 2 (c. 470 BP) is markedly larger than Event 1, with sedimentary evidence indicating significant inland inundation and runup around the entire island. There are several lines of evidence for a contemporaneous event in the South Pacific around 470 BP, although much of this needs further verification. Determining a source for this event is problematic because it must take in to account the regional signal and the significant impacts recorded on Futuna. We propose that the source for this younger event was either a larger Tonga-Kermadec Trench-related earthquake or the Kuwae caldera collapse in 1452/1453 AD. We recognise that as further research is carried out in the Pacific we will greatly improve our abilities to identify past sources and the magnitude and frequency of past events from these areas. This can only serve to improve our understanding of the regional risk from tsunamis

A patient-specific measurement technique to model shoulder joint kinematics

Measuring dynamic in vivo shoulder kinematics is crucial to better understanding numerous pathologies. Motion capture systems using skin-mounted markers offer good solutions for non-invasive assessment of shoulder kinematics during dynamic movement. However, none of the current motion capture techniques have been used to study translation values at the joint, which is crucial to assess shoulder instability. The aim of the present study was to develop a dedicated patient-specific measurement technique based on motion capture and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine shoulder kinematics accurately

Extending the terrestrial depositional record of marine geohazards in coastal NW British Columbia

Recurrent storms, floods, landslides, earthquakes and tsunamis challenge the development of resilient infrastructure and communities in coastal northwestern British Columbia. Vulnerability assessment first requires extended and improved understanding of geohazards in the Pacific Basin to constrain modelling of future events. An investigation of soils and bedrock structures in the Douglas Channel provides insight into the distribution of deposits attributed to geohazards in the region. Newly discovered marine inundation deposits corroborate numerical models and suggest that Pacific-sourced storms and earthquake-triggered tsunamis expend much of their energy in the outer coast and rarely reach far up the mainland fjords. Small-volume Foli-solic slides and rockfalls do not generate tsunamis of any consequence. In contrast, marine sediments deposited beyond storm berms at the fjord head are a record of local tsunamis generated by large-volume marine slumps. Deep-fractured bedrock mapped upslope from relict submarine features would trigger damaging tsunami waves if rapid failure into the fjord were to occur. The observations above suggest only great earthquakes, large landslides and seasonal storms above a certain threshold volume and impulse energy produce geomorphically significant inundation events. However, even small submarine landslides have tsunamigenic potential in Douglas Channel since they occur in shallow water

Behaviours of French amateur rugby players, lifestyle of the younger at higher risk for their heart?

International audienc