A taxonomic database for the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, and other Bursaphelenchus species

The main objective of this project is to develop an information database with the inclusion of text (research articles, keys, bibliography, etc.), images (jpeg files), video clips (mpeg files), in order to collect in one physical format (CD-ROM) all relevant information related to the taxonomy of pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, as well as other Bursaphelenchus species. Initially, all major research papers will be scanned in ‘pdf’ format. All available images of quality and importance to the subject will also be scanned from either journals, bulletins, reports, or obtained privately from colleagues’ image collections. In certain cases, image quality (brightness, contrast, colour) may be enhanced with Adobe Photoshop. Short video clips will be compressed to ‘mpeg’ format for inclusion in the CD-ROM. An updated and broad bibliography will be included, as well as an intuitive taxonomic key, based on classical dicotomous keys but with a better and more intuitive presentation. Pre-existing images will be used in most cases; however, nematode specimens may need to be observed and photographed (jpeg image) in the lab. All the incorporated elements will be interlinked for ease of search from text to image to video. The total collection of images may be viewed individually using ‘Extensis Portfolio’. The final product will be PC and Mac compatible. Future editions/updates will be developed. Ultimately, researchers, technicians and political decision-makers will have at their disposal a practical and readily available source of information on this extremely important pest and pathogen. Colleagues working with PWN are encouraged to provide materials for this task

COOPERATIVE OWNERSHIP AND THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT

In some urban communities, people are coming together to fight food insecurity by opening cooperatively owned groceries in neighborhoods where traditional grocery stores have closed. Historically, some cooperatives require owners to work without pay for a few hours a week, a month, or a year as a way to foster solidarity and keep down labor costs. These owner-work programs raise legal issues, however, because generally the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires for-profit cooperatives to pay their workers. Of course, every requirement has exceptions, and one potential exception that would allow cooperative owners to work at their grocery is classification as an owner rather than an employee covered by the FLSA. But the issue of whether a worker is an owner is much less often addressed than the issue of whether a worker is an independent contractor. The Department of Labor (DOL) and courts have not yet formulated a consistent test to govern the determination. This Article proposes a test drawing upon those traditional factors used to determine the economic reality of a worker’s situation in the independent contractor setting and on other factors proposed by the DOL and courts. Each cooperative will be different, and the multifactored test provides room to structure a cooperative in a manner that enables owners to work without pay. Generally, the thousands of consumer owners of a large cooperative grocery with a board of directors and professional management will be employees who must be paid. On the other hand, a small cooperative grocery run directly by the owners, who make financial and operations decisions, and work relatively independently of each other could decide not to pay any wages. Ultimately after considering all the factors, to work without pay the cooperative owners must be in business for themselves and choose to pay themselves nothing, like a sole proprietor, majority stakeholder in a closely held corporation, or true partner could

Meloidogyne brasilienis n. sp. (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae), a root-knot nematode parasiting tomato cv. Rossol in Brazil.

Meloidogyne brasilensis n. sp., Londrina and Brasilia populations, is described and illustrated from specimens from tomato cv. Rossol and pea cv. Mikado, respectively, in Brazil. Characteristically, the perineal pattern is elongated to ovoid with a attened to very high, squarish dorsal arch with widely spaced, coarse striae. The lateral elds may have wing-like striae on one or both sides. The female stylet is 14 ¹m long with narrow and elongated knobs that are distinctly set-off from the shaft. The excretory pore is variable in location, but generally opens near the anterior portion of the median bulb about 50 ¹m from the head end. The male is 1.89 mm long and has a high head cap that slopes posteriorly. The labial disc is separated from the medial lips by a deep, rounded groove. The delicate stylet of the male is 23 ¹m long and has small, rounded knobs that are distinctly set-off from the shaft which has numerous small, rounded projections. Mean second-stage juvenile length is 434 ¹m. The juvenile head cap is highly elevated, the medial lips are crescent-shaped and unequal in size, and the head region is not annulated. The stylet is 11 ¹m long and has small, rounded, posteriorly sloping knobs. The tail is 53 ¹m long; it is marked with large, irregular annules and ends in a bluntly rounded tip. The hyaline tail terminus is short (13 ¹m). Reproduction occurred on NC95 tobacco, tomato, pea, and bean, whereas pepper, watermelon, peanut, cotton, corn, and soybean were not hosts

Cooperative Principles and Fair Labor Standards: Volunteering for Food Co-ops

Article published in the Michigan State Law Review

Six First Reports of Pin Nematodes from Portugal, with an Update of the Systematics, Genetic Diversity, and Phylogeny of the Genus Paratylenchus (Nematoda: Tylenchulidae)

Pin nematodes (Paratylenchus spp.) currently comprise 132 species of polyphagous plant ectoparasites with at least seven species that are plant pathogenic emphasizing the need for correct identification to establish an appropriate management strategy. Sequences of highly conserved regions of ribosomal and mitochondrial RNA genes are a powerful species-level diagnostic tool within Tylenchulidae. A nematological survey was conducted from 2019 to 2021 in commercial vineyards distributed in four major wine-producing regions in the Central and South Portugal. Nine populations of Paratylenchus spp. were isolated from the rhizosphere of grapevines that were characterized from morphological data and molecular phylogenetic analysis using two rRNA genes (D2–D3 expansion segments of the 28S, and partial 18S) and a region partial of the COI mtRNA gene. Contrasting morphological hypotheses with molecular data provided rapid detection of six species, specifically P. goodeyi, P. hamatus, P. pedrami, P. tenicaudatus, P. variabilis, and P. veruculatus. Bayesian inference (BI) phylogenetic trees for these molecular markers established phylogenetic relationships underscore the importance of using genomic and molecular phylogenetic data for accurate pin nematode identification at the species level. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Paratylenchus spp. in Portugal, extending the geographical distribution of these species in the Mediterranean Basin, and the first record of P. goodeyi, P. pedrami, P. variabilis, P. veruculatus and P. tenicaudatus parasitizing grapevine

Description of Longidorus bordonensis sp. nov. from Portugal, with systematics and molecular phylogeny of the genus (Nematoda, Longidoridae)

The genus Longidorus currently comprises 176 species of polyphagous plant ectoparasites, including eight species that vector nepoviruses. Longidorus is one of the most difficult genera to accurately identify species because of the similar morphology and overlapping measurements and ratios among species. Sequences of ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-genes are a powerful level-species diagnostic tool for the genus Longidorus. From 2015 to 2019, a nematode survey was conducted in vineyards and agro-forest environments in Portugal. The populations of Longidorus spp. were characterized through an integrative approach based on morphological data and molecular phylogenetic analysis from rRNA genes (D2-D3 expansion segments of the 28S, ITS1, and partial 18S), including the topotype of L. vinearum. Longidorus bordonensis sp. nov., a didelphic species recovered from the rhizosphere of grasses, is described and illustrated. Longidorus vineacola, with cork oak and wild olive as hosts, is also characterized. This is the first time that L. wicuolea, from cork oak, is reported for Portugal. Bayesian inference (BI) phylogenetic trees for these three molecular markers established phylogenetic relationships among the new species with other Longidorus spp. Phylogenetic trees indicated that i) L. bordonensis sp. nov. is clustered together with other Longidorus spp. and forms a sister clade with L. pini and L. carpetanensis, sharing a short body and odontostyle length, and elongate to conical female tail, and ii) all the other species described and illustrated are phylogenetically associated, including the topotype isolate of L. vinearum

Identification of candidate effector genes of <i>Pratylenchus penetrans</i>

Pratylenchus penetrans is one of the most important species of root lesion nematodes (RLNs) because of its detrimental and economic impact in a wide range of crops. Similar to other plant‐parasitic nematodes (PPNs), P. penetrans harbours a significant number of secreted proteins that play key roles during parasitism. Here, we combined spatially and temporally resolved next‐generation sequencing datasets of P. penetrans to select a list of candidate genes aimed at the identification of a panel of effector genes for this species. We determined the spatial expression of transcripts of 22 candidate effectors within the oesophageal glands of P. penetrans by in situ hybridization. These comprised homologues of known effectors of other PPNs with diverse putative functions, as well as novel pioneer effectors specific to RLNs. It is noteworthy that five of the pioneer effectors encode extremely proline‐rich proteins. We then combined in situ localization of effectors with available genomic data to identify a non‐coding motif enriched in promoter regions of a subset of P. penetrans effectors, and thus a putative hallmark of spatial expression. Expression profiling analyses of a subset of candidate effectors confirmed their expression during plant infection. Our current results provide the most comprehensive panel of effectors found for RLNs. Considering the damage caused by P. penetrans, this information provides valuable data to elucidate the mode of parasitism of this nematode and offers useful suggestions regarding the potential use of P. penetrans‐specific target effector genes to control this important pathogen

First insights into the genetic diversity of the pinewood nematode in its native area and around the world.

The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is the causal agent of the pine wilt disease and is currently considered as one of the most important pests and pathogens in forest ecosystems. Native to North America, it has been introduced and it has spread in pine forests in Asia and more recently in Europe where it has now considerable economic and environmental impacts (annual loss of millions of pine trees worldwide). Anticipating the possibility of expansion of the PWN in European forests is essential. It is therefore important to decipher the invasion routes and better understand the invasion process of this species. To do this, 16 microsatellite markers have been developed and the study of genetic variability of the PWN was undertaken