Proteomic analysis of the Mycocentrospora acerina-carrot interaction during storage

During post harvest storage, a large proportion of carrots (more than 50%) may have to be discarded due to the development of liquorice rot caused by Mycocentrospora acerina. This fungus is soil borne and brought into the store in to soil adhering to the root. Liquorice rot development is mainly related to physiological or structural resistance of carrot, therefore the control of this storage disease is based on cultural practices and storage conditions. It is believed that carrots at the beginning of storage can resist disease developments due to chemical defence mechanisms involving some proteins, peptides and secondary metabolites. The hypothesis is that proteome changes during storage of carrots are related to the susceptibility to M. acerina. During root-pathogen interactions, several genes have been reported to provide resistance against pathogens but only few proteins have been identified using proteomic approaches. Little is known about proteins involved during M. acerina - carrot interaction. The carrots used in this study are grown under two different agricultural practices (one conventional, one organic) in order to investigate the effect of the cropping system on the susceptibility to liquorice rot. We developed a bioassay for infection studies of M. acerina on conventional and organic carrots in order to determine the important time points of the infection process. Then the proteome is investigated at these different time points. The protocol for extraction of proteins has been improved so that it can be used to obtain an optimal recovery of proteins from both plant and pathogen on their own as well as from infected carrot roots. Proteomes of carrot and of M. acerina are characterized by two dimensional gel electrophoreses and the proteins whose synthesis varies significantly in the course of pathogen infection are identified by mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF-TOF)

Catholic Identity and Mission in Post Ex Corde Ecclesiae Catholic Highter Education: The Perceptions and Experiences of Lay Faculty at a Jesuit University

The history of Catholic higher education in the United States details the substantial contribution of bishops, priests, brothers, and sisters dedicated to teaching and leadership at Catholic institutions of higher education. The past several decades have seen a decline of religious members\u27 involvement and the laicization of faculty members at Catholic colleges and universities. Opponents of this transition fear the loss of religious identity that is critical to the mission of Catholic institutions. Others argue that lay faculty members can sustain the mission of adhering to religious traditions and identity while fostering a high quality academic environment. The purpose of the study was to understand the impact of the laicization phenomenon and the meaning lay faculty members attributed to their lived experiences at a Catholic university. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 12 lay faculty members provided the data foundation for the study. A hermeneutic phenomenological methodology involved lay faculty members at a Catholic, Jesuit University. Phenomenological research describes the essence or underlying meaning of the lay faculty experience that can inform, support, or challenge institutional policies, practices, and mission. Three themes emerged from the data analysis, University is a Noun, Catholic is an Adjective; Heart of a Teacher; and The Big Tent. First, University is a Noun, Catholic is an Adjective captures the meaning and tensions associated with balancing a corporate identity and Catholic religious identity. Second, Heart of a Teacher presents the roles and responsibilities of lay faculty members and the influences that impact their personal identity and sense of integrity at a Catholic, Jesuit university. Finally, The Big Tent examines the openness, sense of community, caring, and values that define a Catholic, Jesuit university based on the perceptions and lived experiences of the study participants. The findings of this study identify the challenges and complexity of sustaining a Catholic, Jesuit cultural identity intertwined with the influences of the laicization phenomenon. The study informs institutional leaders as they develop policies and practices to foster Catholic, Jesuit traditions and preserve Catholic cultural identity within higher education

Functional Compost

The aim of the research program Functional Compost is to develop and test compost, which have been enriched with chitin, for plant growth promoting properties and to recognise specific mechanisms. Two types of compost were included in the program: source separated biodegradable municipal solid waste compost (DM = 62 %) and garden and park waste compost (DM = 66 %). Chitin was added in trace amounts during the maturity phase, combined with two levels of trace amounts immediately before adding the compost to the growth medium. The research program includes several parallel experiments. In experiment I, compost (20 vol. %) was added to soil (no plants) and incubated at 15 C for 5 month, under regular determination of microbial respiration and gross and net N mineralization. There was a significant increase in respiration due to chitin enrichment, which could not be explained by the amount of C derived from the chitin, which therefore suggest a priming effect. The N analyses are still being processed in the laboratory, but data are expected to be available at the conference. In experiment II, compost was mixed with sand, put into pots in a climate chamber, and spring barley seeds infected with Fusarium culmorum were sown in the pots. After 3 weeks of growth, the health of the plants was determined, and the chitinase activity in the sand was measured. The health of the plants and the chitinase activity was significantly higher in the treatments receiving municipal waste compared to the treatments receiving garden waste compost. However, there was no clear effect of the chitin enrichment. Additionally, the microbial community structure of the two types of compost, with and without early chitin, was determined by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). There was a clear separation between compost types, and with or without early chitin amendment. Experiment III is a regular growth experiment, and is running right now. Compost has been incorporated into soil, put into pots in the greenhouse, and spring barley is grown for 2 month before determination for wet and dry weight and N uptake. Data from experiment III is expected to be available at the conference

Gulerodens farefulde vej fra marken til forbrugeren

Kølelagring af Lammefjords-gulerødder muligør, at der kan leveres danskproducerede gulerødder i perioden fra november til april. Sidst på lagringssæsonen kan mere ed 50% af rødderne dog være kassable på grund af lagersygdomme. I marken angribes rødderne af forskellige jordboende svampe, der allerede ved høst kan resultere i kassable rødder. I lagerperioden kan tilsyneladende raske gulerøder dog også udvikle sygdomme forårsaget af de mikrosvampe der forkommer naturligt på rødderne. Sår på rodoverfladen fremmer angreb under lagring og desuden reduceres gulerøddernes modstandsdygtighed overfor sygdomme i takt med røddernes aldring. I artiklen beskrives de mest betydende sygdomsfremkaldende organismer (patogener), faktorer der er af betydning for udvikling af lagersygdomme samt muligheder for forbedret lagerkvalitet ved hjælp af biologiske forebyggelsesmetoder

Mobilization of Pollutant-Degrading Bacteria by Eukaryotic Zoospores

This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2010-22068-C02-01 and CGL2013- 44554-R), the Andalusian Government (RNM 2337), and the CSIC JAE Program (RS). PvW has funding support from the BBSRC and NERC. Thanks are also given to Sara Hosseini of the Uppsala BioCenter, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden for a useful discussion on oomycete zoospores.Peer reviewedPostprin