PROTHIOCONAZOLE TOLERANT \u3ci\u3eCRYPTOCOCCUS FLAVESCENS\u3c/i\u3e STRAINS FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT

Strains of Cryptococcus flavescens which are superior antagonists of F. graminearum for suppression and control of FHB in cereals, particularly in wheat and barley, are described. The strains are prothioconazole tolerant variants of previously described C. flavescens OH 182.9 (NRRL Y-30216). Moreover, these prothioconazole tolerant variants exhibit significantly increased efficacy against F. graminearum in comparison to the parent strain OH 182.9

Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratio and Carbon Loading of Production Media Influence Freeze-Drying Survival and Biocontrol Efficacy of \u3ci\u3eCryptococcus nodaensis\u3c/i\u3e OH 182.9

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Gibberella zeae, is a devastating disease of wheat worldwide. Cryptococcus nodaensis OH 182.9 is an effective biocontrol agent for this disease. Development of a dried product of OH 182.9 would have potential advantages of ease of handling, favorable economics, and acceptance by end users. Isolate OH 182.9 was grown for 48 and 72 h in semi-defined complete liquid (SDCL) medium with carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios of 6.5:1, 9:1, 11:1, 15:1, and 30:1, and in SDCL C/N 30:1 media with varied carbon loadings of 7, 14, 21, and 28 g/liter. Total biomass production and cell survival at 15 days after freeze-drying were evaluated. Biomass production of OH 182.9 (CFU per milliliter) was not different for all cultivation time by medium C/N or carbon loading combinations. In general, cells harvested at 48 h survived freeze-drying better than those harvested at 72 h. Survival of freeze-dried cells was greatest for cells grown for 48 h in C/N 30:1 medium. Cells produced in C/N 6.5:1 medium generally exhibited the poorest survival. For the C/N 30:1 media, cells from 7 g/liter carbon loading medium harvested after 48 h had the best survival after freezedrying. The difference in freeze-dried cell populations between superior and inferior treatments was typically 1 to 2 log units at 15 days after freeze-drying. The biomass of OH 182.9 produced in SDCL with varied C/N ratios and in SDCL C/N 30:1 media with differing carbon loadings was tested for biocontrol efficacy against FHB in greenhouse studies. The biomass harvested from SDCL C/N 9:1, 11:1, and 15:1 media after 48 h significantly reduced symptoms of FHB. None of the treatments with cells harvested at 72 h consistently reduced FHB severity (P ≤ 0.05). Cells grown in SDCL C/N 30:1 media with 7 and 14 g/liter carbon loading significantly reduced FHB disease severity. Cells harvested from SDCL C/N 9:1, 11:1, and 30:1 with 14 g/liter carbon increased the 100-kernel weight compared with the disease control. The potential of improving OH 182.9 product quality via management of the nutritional environment of the production medium is demonstrated in this study

Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratio and Carbon Loading of Production Media Influence Freeze-Drying Survival and Biocontrol Efficacy of \u3ci\u3eCryptococcus nodaensis\u3c/i\u3e OH 182.9

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Gibberella zeae, is a devastating disease of wheat worldwide. Cryptococcus nodaensis OH 182.9 is an effective biocontrol agent for this disease. Development of a dried product of OH 182.9 would have potential advantages of ease of handling, favorable economics, and acceptance by end users. Isolate OH 182.9 was grown for 48 and 72 h in semi-defined complete liquid (SDCL) medium with carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios of 6.5:1, 9:1, 11:1, 15:1, and 30:1, and in SDCL C/N 30:1 media with varied carbon loadings of 7, 14, 21, and 28 g/liter. Total biomass production and cell survival at 15 days after freeze-drying were evaluated. Biomass production of OH 182.9 (CFU per milliliter) was not different for all cultivation time by medium C/N or carbon loading combinations. In general, cells harvested at 48 h survived freeze-drying better than those harvested at 72 h. Survival of freeze-dried cells was greatest for cells grown for 48 h in C/N 30:1 medium. Cells produced in C/N 6.5:1 medium generally exhibited the poorest survival. For the C/N 30:1 media, cells from 7 g/liter carbon loading medium harvested after 48 h had the best survival after freezedrying. The difference in freeze-dried cell populations between superior and inferior treatments was typically 1 to 2 log units at 15 days after freeze-drying. The biomass of OH 182.9 produced in SDCL with varied C/N ratios and in SDCL C/N 30:1 media with differing carbon loadings was tested for biocontrol efficacy against FHB in greenhouse studies. The biomass harvested from SDCL C/N 9:1, 11:1, and 15:1 media after 48 h significantly reduced symptoms of FHB. None of the treatments with cells harvested at 72 h consistently reduced FHB severity (P ≤ 0.05). Cells grown in SDCL C/N 30:1 media with 7 and 14 g/liter carbon loading significantly reduced FHB disease severity. Cells harvested from SDCL C/N 9:1, 11:1, and 30:1 with 14 g/liter carbon increased the 100-kernel weight compared with the disease control. The potential of improving OH 182.9 product quality via management of the nutritional environment of the production medium is demonstrated in this study

CHOLINE-UTILIZING MICROBLAL STRAINS FOR BIOLOGICALLY CONTROLLING FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT

Three choline utilizing strains of microorganisms isolated from the anthers of wheat, Aureobasidium pullulans strainAS 55.2, Arthrobacter species strain OH 221.3, and Pseudomonas species strain AS 64.4, are superior antagonists of F. graminearum. These microorganisms are effective for suppression and control of FHB in cereals, particularly in wheat and barley

Co-culture of Yeast Antagonists of Fusarium Head Blight and their Effect on Disease Development in Wheat

Multistrain mixtures of biocontrol agents which can reduce plant disease to a greater extent than the individual strains of the mixture, commonly, are prepared by blending separately produced fermentation products. Co-cultivation of strains to equivalent biomass yields would provide mixture advantages without incurring the cost disadvantages of multiple fermentation and processing protocols. Fusariwn Head Blight (FHB) antagonists Cryptococcus flavescens OR 182.9 (NRRL Y-302l6), C. aureus OH 181.1 (NRRL Y-302l5) and C. aureus OR 181.1 (NRRL Y -30215), were grown in two- and three-strain co-cultures to assess the quality and efficacy of the fermentation end products produced. Final cell counts of component strains of all co-cultures produced were equivalent when plated on a medilllll that contained the trisaccharide melezitose as a sole carbon source and produced colonies of strain-distinguishable sizes. Co-cultures of C. flavescens OH 182.9 and C. aureus OH 71.4 significantly reduced FHB disease severity (32%, p = 0.05, Dunnett\u27s t-test) when averaged across four greenhouse studies. In wheat field trials, biomass from co-cultures of these two strains reduced FHB incidence in some cases but rarely other FHB disease parameters (p = 0.05, Bonferoni mean separation). Relative Performance Index (RPI) analysis of the overall effect of treatments at both field sites revealed that treatment with the OH 71.4 and OH 182.9 co-culture significantly reduced FHB, as evidence by a higher RPI value than for the control, while the individual strains did not. The potential for obtaining superior efficacy and cost benefits with multi-strain cultures of biocontrol agents justifies additional research effort

ARID1a-DNA Interactions Are Required for Promoter Occupancy by SWI/SNF

Every known SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex incorporates an ARID DNA binding domain-containing subunit. Despite being a ubiquitous component of the complex, physiological roles for this domain remain undefined. Here, we show that disruption of ARID1a-DNA binding in mice results in embryonic lethality, with mutant embryos manifesting prominent defects in the heart and extraembryonic vasculature. The DNA binding-defective mutant ARID1a subunit is stably expressed and capable of assembling into a SWI/SNF complex with core catalytic properties, but nucleosome substrate binding and promoter occupancy by ARID1a-containing SWI/SNF complexes (BAF-A) are impaired. Depletion of ARID domain-dependent, BAF-A associations at THROMBOSPONDIN 1 (THBS1) led to the concomitant upregulation of this SWI/SNF target gene. Using a THBS1 promoter-reporter gene, we further show that BAF-A directly regulates THBS1 promoter activity in an ARID domain-dependent manner. Our data not only demonstrate that ARID1a-DNA interactions are physiologically relevant in higher eukaryotes but also indicate that these interactions facilitate SWI/SNF binding to target sites in vivo. These findings support the model wherein cooperative interactions among intrinsic subunit-chromatin interaction domains and sequence-specific transcription factors drive SWI/SNF recruitment

Human amylin proteotoxicity impairs protein biosynthesis, and alters major cellular signaling pathways in the heart, brain and liver of humanized diabetic rat model in vivo

Chronic hypersecretion of the 37 amino acid amylin is common in type 2 diabetics (T2D). Recent studies implicate human amylin aggregates cause proteotoxicity (cell death induced by misfolded proteins) in both the brain and the heart

Are the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Associated With Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors?: Twenty-year findings from the CARDIA study

OBJECTIVE To examine the prospective association between accordance with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) and subsequent diabetes incidence and changes in cardiometabolic risk factors

Blood pressure–associated polymorphism controls ARHGAP42 expression via serum response factor DNA binding

We recently demonstrated that selective expression of the Rho GTPase-activating protein ARHGAP42 in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) controls blood pressure by inhibiting RhoA-dependent contractility, providing a mechanism for the blood pressure–associated locus within the ARHGAP42 gene. The goals of the current study were to identify polymorphisms that affect ARHGAP42 expression and to better assess ARHGAP42’s role in the development of hypertension. Using DNase I hypersensitivity methods and ENCODE data, we have identified a regulatory element encompassing the ARHGAP42 SNP rs604723 that exhibits strong SMC-selective, allele-specific activity. Importantly, CRISPR/Cas9–mediated deletion of this element in cultured human SMCs markedly reduced endogenous ARHGAP42 expression. DNA binding and transcription assays demonstrated that the minor T allele variation at rs604723 increased the activity of this fragment by promoting serum response transcription factor binding to a cryptic cis-element. ARHGAP42 expression was increased by cell stretch and sphingosine 1-phosphate in a RhoA-dependent manner, and deletion of ARHGAP42 enhanced the progression of hypertension in mice treated with DOCA-salt. Our analysis of a well-characterized cohort of untreated borderline hypertensive patients suggested that ARHGAP42 genotype has important implications in regard to hypertension risk. Taken together, our data add insight into the genetic mechanisms that control blood pressure and provide a potential target for individualized antihypertensive therapies