A genome survey of Moniliophthora perniciosa gives new insights into Witches' Broom Disease of cacao

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The basidiomycete fungus <it>Moniliophthora perniciosa </it>is the causal agent of Witches' Broom Disease (WBD) in cacao (<it>Theobroma cacao</it>). It is a hemibiotrophic pathogen that colonizes the apoplast of cacao's meristematic tissues as a biotrophic pathogen, switching to a saprotrophic lifestyle during later stages of infection. <it>M. perniciosa</it>, together with the related species <it>M. roreri</it>, are pathogens of aerial parts of the plant, an uncommon characteristic in the order Agaricales. A genome survey (1.9× coverage) of <it>M. perniciosa </it>was analyzed to evaluate the overall gene content of this phytopathogen.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Genes encoding proteins involved in retrotransposition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) resistance, drug efflux transport and cell wall degradation were identified. The great number of genes encoding cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (1.15% of gene models) indicates that <it>M. perniciosa </it>has a great potential for detoxification, production of toxins and hormones; which may confer a high adaptive ability to the fungus. We have also discovered new genes encoding putative secreted polypeptides rich in cysteine, as well as genes related to methylotrophy and plant hormone biosynthesis (gibberellin and auxin). Analysis of gene families indicated that <it>M. perniciosa </it>have similar amounts of carboxylesterases and repertoires of plant cell wall degrading enzymes as other hemibiotrophic fungi. In addition, an approach for normalization of gene family data using incomplete genome data was developed and applied in <it>M. perniciosa </it>genome survey.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This genome survey gives an overview of the <it>M. perniciosa </it>genome, and reveals that a significant portion is involved in stress adaptation and plant necrosis, two necessary characteristics for a hemibiotrophic fungus to fulfill its infection cycle. Our analysis provides new evidence revealing potential adaptive traits that may play major roles in the mechanisms of pathogenicity in the <it>M. perniciosa</it>/cacao pathosystem.</p

Glandular Odontogenic Cyst: Report of Two Cases and Review of Literature

Glandular odontogenic cyst (GOC) is an uncommon jaw bone cyst of odontogenic origin described in 1987 by Gardner et al. It is a cyst having an unpredictable and potentially aggressive behaviour. It also has the propensity to grow to a large size and tendency to recur with only 111 cases having been reported thus far. The first case occurred in a 42-year-old female and presented as a localized swelling extending from 19 to 29 regions. There was a history of traumatic injury at the site. There was evidence of bicortical expansion and radiographs revealed a multilocular radiolucency. The second case occurred in a 21-year-old male, as a large swelling in the mandible and radiograph revealed radiolucency in the region. On histopathological examination, these lesions were diagnosed as GOC. It was concluded that, two cases submitted by us correlate with the existing literature that GOC’s affect more commonly in the middle age group, having predilection for mandible and that trauma could be a precipitating factor for its occurrence. The increased recurrence rates can be due to its intrinsic biological behavior, multilocularity of the cyst, and incomplete removal of the lining following conservative treatment

In Vitro and In Vivo High-Throughput Assays for the Testing of Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi Compounds

The treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi infection (the cause of human Chagas disease) remains a significant challenge. Only two drugs, both with substantial toxicity, are available and the efficacy of these dugs is often questioned – in many cases due to the limitations of the methods for assessing efficacy rather than to true lack of efficacy. For these reasons relatively few individuals infected with T. cruzi actually have their infections treated. In this study, we report on innovative methods that will facilitate the discovery of new compounds for the treatment of T. cruzi infection and Chagas disease. Utilizing fluorescent and bioluminescent parasite lines, we have developed in vitro tests that are reproducible and facile and can be scaled for high-throughput screening of large compound libraries. We also validate an in vivo screening test that monitors parasite replication at the site of infection and determines the effectiveness of drug treatment in less than two weeks. More importantly, results in this rapid in vivo test show strong correlations with those obtained in long-term (e.g. 40 day or more) treatment assays. The results of this study remove one of the obstacles for identification of effective and safe compounds to treat Chagas disease