Genes involved in hypersensitive cell death responses during fusarium crown rot infection in wheat

Hypersensitive plant cell death is activated by the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide, and is strictly controlled by several genes including cysteine proteases, hydrogen peroxide and superoxide scavengers, and cell death regulators. In contrast to biotrophic fungal pathogens, necrotrophic pathogens like Fusarium pseudograminearum and F. culmorum that cause Fusarium crown rot infections, benefit from plant cell death by utilising dying plant tissue to facilitate their spread throughout the plant

Photonuclear and radiation effects testing with a refurbished 20 MeV medical electron linac

An S-band 20 MeV electron linear accelerator formerly used for medical applications has been recommissioned to provide a wide range of photonuclear activation studies as well as various radiation effects on biological and microelectronic systems. Four radiation effect applications involving the electron/photon beams are described. Photonuclear activation of a stable isotope of oxygen provides an active means of characterizing polymer degradation. Biological irradiations of microorganisms including bacteria were used to study total dose and dose-rate effects on survivability and the adaptation of these organisms to repeated exposures. Microelectronic devices including bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and diodes were irradiated to study photocurrent from these devices as a function of peak dose rate with comparisons to computer modeling results. In addition, the 20 MeV linac may easily be converted to a medium energy neutron source which has been used to study neutron damage effects on transistors

Saprolegniaceae identified on amphibian eggs throughout the Pacific Northwest,USA, by internal transcribed spacer sequences and phylogenetic analysis

We assessed the diversity and phylogeny of Saprolegniaceae on amphibian eggs from the Pacific Northwest, with particular focus on Saprolegnia ferax, a species implicated in high egg mortality. We identified isolates from eggs of six amphibians with the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 5.8S gene regions and BLAST of the GenBank database. We identified 68 sequences as Saprolegniaceae and 43 sequences as true fungi from at least nine genera. Our phylogenetic analysis of the Saprolegniaceae included isolates within the genera Saprolegnia, Achlya and Leptolegnia. Our phylogeny grouped S. semihypogyna with Achlya rather than with the Saprolegnia reference sequences. We found only one isolate that grouped closely with S. ferax, and this came from a hatchery-raised salmon (Idaho) that we sampled opportunistically. We had representatives of 7-12 species and three genera of Saprolegniaceae on our amphibian eggs. Further work on the ecological roles of different species of Saprolegniaceae is needed to clarify their potential importance in amphibian egg mortality and potential links to population declines

Extremely radiation-resistant mutants of a halophilic archaeon with increased single-stranded DNA-binding protein (RPA) gene expression

Extremely halophilic archaea are highly resistant to multiple stressors, including radiation, desiccation and salinity. To study the basis of stress resistance and determine the maximum tolerance to ionizing radiation, we exposed cultures of the model halophile Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 to four cycles of irradiation with high doses of 18-20 MeV electrons. Two independently obtained mutants displayed an LD50 > 11 kGy, which is higher than the LD50 of the extremely radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans. Whole-genome transcriptome analysis comparing the mutants to the parental wild-type strain revealed up-regulation of an operon containing two single-stranded DNA-binding protein (RPA) genes, VNG2160 (rfa3) and VNG2162, and a third gene of unknown function, VNG2163. The putative transcription start site for the rfa3 operon was mapped ∼40 bp upstream of the ATG start codon, and a classical TATA-box motif was found centered about 25 bp further upstream. We propose that RPA facilitates DNA repair machinery and/or protects repair intermediates to maximize the ionizing radiation resistance of this archaeon