JBiopest 7(2):110-123(2014) Management of early blight of tomato JBiopest 5(1): 1-6 ©449 Cinnamomum zeylanicum extracts and their formulations control early blight of tomato

ABSTRACT Alternaria solani causes early blight in plants belonging to family Solanaceae

Delayed diagnosis and recovery of fulminant immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis on VA-ECMO support

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Synthesis of γ-, δ-, and ε-Lactams by Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of N-(tert-Butylsulfinyl)iminoesters

Highly enantiomerically enriched γ- and δ-lactams have been prepared by a simple and very efficient procedure that involves the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of N-(tert-butylsulfinyl)iminoesters followed by desulfinylation of the nitrogen atom and spontaneous cyclization to the desired lactams during the basic workup procedure. Five- and six-membered ring lactams bearing aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic substituents have been obtained in very high yields and ee’s up to >99%. A slight modification of the procedure also allowed the preparation of ε-lactams in good yields and very high enantioselectivities. Both enantiomers of the final lactams could be prepared with equal efficiency by changing the absolute configuration of the sulfinyl chiral auxiliary

The EHEC Type III Effector NleL Is an E3 Ubiquitin Ligase That Modulates Pedestal Formation

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 causes hemorrhagic colitis and may result in potentially fatal hemolytic uremia syndrome in humans. EHEC colonize the intestinal mucosa and promote the formation of actin-rich pedestals via translocated type III effectors. Two EHEC type III secreted effectors, Tir and EspFu/TccP, are key players for pedestal formation. We discovered that an EHEC effector protein called Non-LEE-encoded Ligase (NleL) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase. In vitro, we showed that the NleL C753 residue is critical for its E3 ligase activity. Functionally, we demonstrated that NleL E3 ubiquitin ligase activity is involved in modulating Tir-mediated pedestal formation. Surprisingly, EHEC mutant strain deficient in the E3 ligase activity induced more pedestals than the wild-type strain. The canonical EPEC strain E2348/69 normally lacks the nleL gene, and the ectopic expression of the wild-type EHEC nleL, but not the catalytically-deficient nleL(C753A) mutant, in this strain resulted in fewer actin-rich pedestals. Furthermore, we showed that the C. rodentium NleL homolog is a E3 ubiquitin ligase and is required for efficient infection of murine colonic epithelial cells in vivo. In summary, our study demonstrated that EHEC utilizes NleL E3 ubiquitin ligase activity to modulate Tir-mediated pedestal formation.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant AI078092)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant AI068655

Efficacy of Major Plant Extracts/Molecules on Field Insect Pests

Insect pests are considered the major hurdle in enhancing the production and productivity of any farming system. The use of conventional synthetic pesticides has led to the emergence of pesticide-resistant insects, environmental pollution, and negative effects on natural enemies, which have caused an ecological imbalance of the predator-prey ratio and human health hazards; therefore, eco-friendly alternative strategies are required. The plant kingdom, a rich repertoire of secondary metabolites, can be tapped as an alternative for insect pest management strategies. A number of plants have been documented to have insecticidal properties against various orders of insects in vitro by acting as antifeedants, repellents, sterilant and oviposition deterrents, etc. However, only a few plant compounds are applicable at the field level or presently commercialised. Here, we have provided an overview of the broad-spectrum insecticidal activity of plant compounds from neem, Annona, Pongamia, and Jatropha. Additionally, the impact of medicinal plants, herbs, spices, and essential oils has been reviewed briefl