bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Kinesin-13 Proteins Kif2a, Kif2b, and Kif2c/MCAK Have Distinct Roles during Mitosis in Human Cells
Authors: Manning Amity L. , Ganem Neil J. , Bakhoum Samuel F. , Wagenbach Michael , Wordeman Linda , Compton Duane A.
Published: May 2007

The human genome has three unique genes coding for kinesin-13 proteins called Kif2a, Kif2b, and MCAK (Kif2c). Kif2a and MCAK have documented roles in mitosis, but the function of Kif2b has not been defined. Here, we show that Kif2b is expressed at very low levels in cultured cells and that GFP-Kif2b localizes predominately to centrosomes and midbodies, but also to spindle microtubules and transiently to kinetochores. Kif2b-deficient cells assemble monopolar or disorganized spindles. Chromosomes in Kif2b-deficient cells show typical kinetochore-microtubule attachments, but the velocity of movement is reduced ∼80% compared with control cells. Some Kif2b-deficient cells attempt anaphase, but the cleavage furrow regresses and cytokinesis fails. Like Kif2a-deficient cells, bipolar spindle assembly can be restored to Kif2b-deficient cells by simultaneous deficiency of MCAK or Nuf2 or treatment with low doses of nocodazole. However, Kif2b-deficient cells are unique in that they assemble bipolar spindles when the pole focusing activities of NuMA and HSET are perturbed. These data demonstrate that Kif2b function is required for spindle assembly and chromosome movement and that the microtubule depolymerase activities of Kif2a, Kif2b, and MCAK fulfill distinct functions during mitosis in human cells.
StrBioLib: a Java library for development of custom computational structural biology applications
Authors: Chandonia John-Marc
Published: May 2007

Summary: StrBioLib is a library of Java classes useful for developing software for computational structural biology research. StrBioLib contains classes to represent and manipulate protein structures, biopolymer sequences, sets of biopolymer sequences, and alignments between biopolymers based on either sequence or structure. Interfaces are provided to interact with commonly used bioinformatics applications, including (psi)-blast, modeller, muscle and Primer3, and tools are provided to read and write many file formats used to represent bioinformatic data. The library includes a general-purpose neural network object with multiple training algorithms, the Hooke and Jeeves non-linear optimization algorithm, and tools for efficient C-style string parsing and formatting. StrBioLib is the basis for the Pred2ary secondary structure prediction program, is used to build the astral compendium for sequence and structure analysis, and has been extensively tested through use in many smaller projects. Examples and documentation are available at the site below.

Availability: StrBioLib may be obtained under the terms of the GNU LGPL license from http://strbio.sourceforge.net/

Contact:  JMChandonia@lbl.gov
THE MYTH OF THE FEMALE DANDY
Authors: Gill Miranda
Published: May 2007

Much discussion of dandyism in nineteenth-century France has focused on the relationship between this concept and an implicitly monolithic model of masculine identity initially associated with Beau Brummell. This article questions this tendency in two ways. First, it argues that male dandyism was more historically and linguistically context-dependent than has typically been acknowledged. The shifting semantics of dandyism become evident once canonical representations are reintegrated into the non-literary genres and discourses from which they emerged, including journalism, the Parisian literary physiology, and contemporaneous writing on temperament and psychology. The typologies, terms and concepts which circulated within these amorphous discourses frequently shaped contemporaneous readers' responses to literary texts. Second, the article seeks to outline a body of neglected discourse about female dandies and related types such as the
lionne
, focusing on texts by Barbey d'Aurevilly produced during the 1840s. These problematic figures, it proposes, illustrate the intense ambivalence generated by the concept of female exception in mid-nineteenth-century France, a cultural context in which female anomaly was viewed at once as a logical impossibility, a pathology, and an instance of moral monstrosity or sin.
Microscopic and Macroscopic Studies of the Development of Puccinia hemerocallidis in Resistant and Susceptible Daylily Cultivars
Authors: Li Y. H. , Windham M. T. , Trigiano R. N. , Fare D. C. , Spiers J. M. , Copes W. E.
Published: May 2007

Infection and colonization of eight daylily cultivars, which varied in resistance to daylily rust, by Puccinia hemerocallidis was studied macroscopically and microscopically. After germination of urediniospores, appressoria formed at the tip of germ tubes and the fungus penetrated the host through stomatal openings 2 days after inoculation (DAI). Under the infection sites, intercellular hyphae aggregated and formed uredia, which released urediniospores 8 DAI. Resistant cultivars, characterized by the development of rapid death of host cells, were separated into three qualitative categories based on absence and presence of necrotic lesions without or with sporulation. In highly resistant cvs. Prairie Blue Eyes and Bertie Ferris, no macroscopic disease symptoms were observed on leaf surfaces although a few collapsed cells were detected microscopically. Both resistant and moderately resistant reactions were characterized by necrotic lesions with many collapsed cells under infection sites. The difference between these two reactions was that uredia and urediniospores were observed in the moderately resistant cv. Chicago Apache, but not in resistant cvs. Buttered Popcorn and Stella De Oro. Susceptible cultivars, characterized by the absence of a hypersensitive response, were separated into two qualitative categories based on restriction of intercellular hyphal growth that delayed development of uredia and formation of urediniospores. Compared to the susceptible cv. Pardon Me, moderately susceptible cvs. Mary Todd and Chorus Line had a delayed latent period and reduced amount of sporulation. The results indicate that hypersensitive cell death is one of the resistance responses to daylily rust. Necrotic lesions on leaf surfaces are associated with the number of collapsed host cells. Delayed latent period and reduced sporulation that resulted from restriction of intercellular hyphal growth could represent another type of resistance response in the daylily-rust pathosystem.
Identification of the Tobacco Blue Mold Pathogen, Peronospora tabacina, by Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Ristaino Jean Beagle , Johnson Andrea , Blanco-Meneses Monica , Liu Bo
Published: May 2007

Tobacco blue mold, caused by the oomycete pathogen Peronospora tabacina, is a highly destructive pathogen of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) seed beds, transplants, and production fields in the United States. The pathogen also causes systemic infection in transplants. We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the primers ITS4 and ITS5, sequencing, and restriction digestion to differentiate P. tabacina from other important tobacco pathogens, including Alternaria alternata, Cercospora nicotianae, Phytophthora glovera, P. parasitica, Pythium aphanidermatum, P. dissotocum, P. myriotylum, P. ultimum, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Sclerotium rolfsii, Thielaviopsis basicola, and related Peronospora spp. A specific PCR primer, called PTAB, was developed and used with ITS4 to amplify a 764-bp region of DNA that was diagnostic for P. tabacina. The PTAB/ITS4 primers did not amplify host DNA or the other tobacco pathogens and were specific for P. tabacina on tobacco. DNA was detected to levels of 0.0125 ng. The PTAB primer was useful for detection of the pathogen in fresh, air-dried, and cured tobacco leaves. This primer will be useful for disease diagnosis, epidemiology, and regulatory work to reduce disease spread among fields.
Major Gene Controls of Field Resistance to Spot Blotch in Wheat Genotypes ‘Milan/Shanghai #7’ and ‘Chirya.3’
Authors: Neupane R. B. , Sharma R. C. , Duveiller E. , Ortiz-Ferrara G. , Ojha B. R. , Rosyara U. R. , Bhandari D. , Bhatta M. R.
Published: May 2007

A number of exotic wheat (Triticum aestivum) genotypes resistant to spot blotch caused by Cochliobolus sativus are being used to improve the resistance of commercial cultivars in the warm regions of South Asia. The objective of the present study was to determine the inheritance of field resistance to spot blotch in two resistant (R) wheat genotypes, ‘Chirya.3’ and ‘Milan/Shanghai #7’ (MS#7), which were crossed to a susceptible (S) commercial cultivar, ‘BL1473.’ The two resistant genotypes also were crossed to determine allelic relationships for resistance between them. Spot blotch severity was recorded on the parents and on F1, F2, and F3 progenies. The F1 plants from the two crosses between susceptible and resistant genotypes had low disease severity like the resistant parents, indicating that resistance in Chirya.3 and MS#7 is conditioned by dominant gene action. The F2 plants segregated in 3R:1S ratios, and the F2:3 families showed the ratio of 1R:1S:2S, segregating for R and S, suggesting that resistance in the two resistant parents is conditioned by a single, dominant gene. The F1 plants from the cross between the two resistant genotypes were resistant, whereas their F2 progenies segregated in 15R:1S, suggesting that the resistance genes in MS#7 and Chirya.3 are nonallelic. These simply inherited sources of resistance could be useful for improving spot blotch resistance in the warm regions of South Asia and also may offer useful diversity to breeding programs for developing spot-blotch-resistant wheat cultivars in other regions.
Differential Response of Common Bean Cultivars to Phakopsora pachyrhizi
Authors: Miles M. R. , Pastor-Corrales M. A. , Hartman G. L. , Frederick R. D.
Published: May 2007

Soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) has been reported on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in Asia, South Africa, and the United States. However, there is little information on the interaction of individual isolates of Phakopsora pachyrhizi with common bean germplasm. A set of 16 common bean cultivars with known genes for resistance to Uromyces appendiculatus, the causal agent of common bean rust, three soybean accessions that were sources of the single gene resistance to P. pachyrhizi, and the moderately susceptible soybean ‘Ina’ were evaluated using seedlings inoculated with six isolates of P. pachyrhizi. Among the common bean cultivars, Aurora, Compuesto Negro Chimaltenango, and Pinto 114, were the most resistant to all six P. pachyrhizi isolates, with lower severity, less sporulation, and consistent reddish-brown (RB) lesions associated with resistance in soybean. A differential response was observed among the common bean cultivars, with a cultivar-isolate interaction for both severity and sporulation levels, as well as the presence or absence of the RB lesion type. This differential response was independent of the known genes that condition resistance to U. appendiculatus, suggesting that resistance to P. pachyrhizi was independent of resistance to U. appendiculatus.
Phytophthora spp. Associated with Forest Soils in Eastern and North-Central U.S. Oak Ecosystems
Authors: Balci Y. , Balci S. , Eggers J. , MacDonald W. L. , Juzwik J. , Long R. P. , Gottschalk K. W.
Published: May 2007

A survey of soils associated with oak species was conducted in 2003 and 2004 in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin to investigate the occurrence of Phytophthora spp. Soils taken from around the base of healthy and declining oak trees were flooded with H2O and Quercus robur leaflets were used as bait for Phytophthora spp. From 829 soil samples collected near trees, 21% were positive for Phytophthora spp., with 55% of the 125 sites surveyed yielding a Phytophthora sp. Phytophthora cinnamomi was the most frequently isolated species, representing 69.4% of the Phytophthora-infested sites surveyed. Other species, in decreasing order of isolation frequency were Phytophthora sp. 2, P. citricola, P. europaea, P. cambivora, P. quercina-like isolates, and Phytophthora sp. 1. No significant association was found between the presence of Phytophthora organisms and site characteristics such as latitude, elevation, soil pH, or the crown condition of the trees. However, in P. cinnamomi-infested sites, a significant association was found with the deteriorating crown status of Q. alba and the presence of P. cinnamomi. The absence of P. cinnamomi above the 40°N latitude range also was noteworthy.
Detection and Quantification of Phialophora gregata in Soybean and Soil Samples with a Quantitative, Real-Time PCR Assay
Authors: Malvick D. K. , Impullitti A. E.
Published: May 2007

Brown stem rot of soybean, caused by the soilborne fungus Phialophora gregata, is a common and widespread disease of soybean (Glycine max) in the midwestern United States. This pathogen is challenging to study due to a long latent period and slow growth. A TaqMan probe-based quantitative, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was developed for sensitive and specific detection and quantification of genotypes A and B of P. gregata in plant and soil samples. It is sensitive with detection limits of 50 fg of pure genomic DNA, 100 copies of the target DNA sequence, and approximately 400 conidia. The qPCR assay is approximately 1,000 times more sensitive in detecting DNA and conidia of P. gregata, and is more rapid and less sensitive to PCR inhibitors from soybean stems than a standard PCR (sPCR) assay. Using this single-step qPCR assay, low levels of infection were detected in soybean stems at least 1 to 2 weeks prior to symptom development and before P. gregata was detected with sPCR. This assay also was used to detect the pathogen in field-grown plants and in naturally infested field soils. This new qPCR assay is a powerful tool for rapid, specific, and sensitive detection, diagnosis, and quantification of P. gregata in plants and soil, and for advancing studies of the ecology of P. gregata and its interactions with host plants.
Sensitivity of Populations of Phytophthora capsici from South Carolina to Mefenoxam, Dimethomorph, Zoxamide, and Cymoxanil
Authors: Keinath Anthony P.
Published: May 2007

In summer and fall 2003, Phytophthora blight and crown rot, caused by Phytophthora capsici, was found in three fields each of summer squash and pepper on three farms in two counties in South Carolina. Although this disease had been confirmed previously in the state, five of these outbreaks were in fields thought to be free of P. capsici. The objectives of this study were to determine whether isolates of P. capsici in South Carolina were sensitive to mefenoxam and to determine baseline sensitivities to dimethomorph, zoxamide, and cymoxanil, fungicides recently registered to control Phytophthora blight. Of 120 isolates tested for sensitivity to mefenoxam at 100 mg/liter, 8 isolates were resistant (relative colony diameter [RCD] > 90% of nonamended control), 60 isolates were sensitive (RCD < 30%), and 52 isolates were intermediately sensitive. Only sensitive isolates were found in two fields in which no mefenoxam-containing fungicides had ever been used. Intermediately sensitive or resistant isolates were found in the four fields in which mefenoxam had been applied previously. In all, 15 to 61 isolates were tested for sensitivity to dimethomorph, zoxamide, and cymoxanil. The concentrations at which RCD, percent cyst germination, and relative zoospore production were reduced to 50% (EC50 values) for mycelial growth were 0.19 ± 0.02 (± standard deviation) mg/liter for dimethomorph, 0.50 ± 0.50 mg/liter for zoxamide, and mostly >50 mg/liter for cymoxanil. EC50 values for zoospore cyst germination were 0.07 ± 0.02 mg/liter for dimethomorph and >50 mg/liter for cymoxanil. EC50 values for zoospore production were 0.63 ± 0.42 mg/liter for dimethomorph, 0.47 ± 0.51 mg/liter for zoxamide, and <50 mg/liter for cymoxanil. Sensitivity values obtained in this South Carolina study can be used as a comparative baseline to monitor shifts in sensitivity to the fungicides mefenoxam, dimethomorph, zoxamide, and cymoxanil in populations of P. capsici.
Xiphinema rivesi from Slovania Transmit Tobacco ringspot virus and Tomato ringspot virus to Cucumber Bait Plants
Authors: Širca S. , Stare B. Geric , Pleško I. Mavrič , Marn M. Viršček , Urek G. , Javornik B.
Published: May 2007

The dagger nematode, Xiphinema rivesi Dalmasso, a member of the X. americanum group, was detected in 2002 for the first time in Slovenia and for the fourth time in Europe (4). X. rivesi is a vector of at least four North American nepoviruses including Cherry rasp leaf virus (CRLV), Tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV), Tomato ringspot virus (ToRSV), and Peach rosette mosaic virus (PRMV) (1,2). All of these viruses are included on the EPPO and EU lists of quarantine organisms, but none of the Xiphinema species found in Europe have been reported to transmit these nepoviruses. Three virus isolates, including TRSV (from Lobelia spp.; virus collection of the Plant Protection Service, Wageningen, The Netherlands), ToRSV (grapevine isolate PV-0381; DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany), and Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV) (from Vinca spp.; virus collection of the Plant Protection Service), were used in transmission tests with a population of X. rivesi found in Slovenia. X. rivesi is not known to transmit ArMV and this virus was included as a check. The nematodes were extracted from peach orchard soil collected near the village of Dornberk, and transmission tests fulfilled the set of criteria proposed by Trudgill et al. (3). Cucumis sativus cv. Eva, grown in a growth chamber at 25°C, was used as acquisition hosts and transmission bait plants. The acquisition hosts were mechanically inoculated and showing systemic symptoms before the introduction of nematodes. Noninoculated acquisition plants were included as controls. After a 10-day acquisition feeding period, the nematodes were transferred to healthy bait plants and allowed a 14-day inoculation feeding period. X. rivesi transmitted TRSV and ToRSV but not ArMV. TRSV and ToRSV bait plants developed systemic symptoms 4 to 6 weeks after the nematodes were transferred. Transmission of TRSV and ToRSV was confirmed by testing leaf and root sap of bait plants in a double antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA. High virus concentrations were detected in the roots and leaves of TRSV and ToRSV symptomatic plants. DAS-ELISA on bait plants from nematodes that had been allowed to feed on ArMV-infected or the virus-free control acquisition plants gave negative results. No symptoms appeared on bait plants used for ArMV transmission or the control bait plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of transmission of TRSV and ToRSV with a Xiphinema population from Europe.

References: (1) D. J. F. Brown et al. Phytopathology 84:646, 1994. (2) L.W. Stobbs et al. Plant Dis. 80:105, 1996. (3) D. L. Trudgill et al. Rev. Nematol. 6:133, 1983. (4) G. Urek et al. Plant Dis. 87:100, 2002.
First Report of Verticillium Wilt Caused by Verticillium dahliae on Lettuce in Italy
Authors: Garibaldi A. , Gilardi G. , Gullino M. L.
Published: May 2007

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is an important crop used for fresh and processing markets in Italy and is grown on more than 21,000 ha. During October and November of 2006, wilt symptoms were observed on field-grown lettuce, cv. Estelle, in Forlì, Emila Romagna (northeastern Italy) and on cv. Ballerina grown under plastichouses in Piedmont (northwestern Italy). Both lettuce cultivars were of a butterhead type. Affected plants were stunted and developed yellow leaves with brown or black streaks in the vascular tissue. Yellowing started from the external leaves. Discoloration was observed in the vascular tissue of roots, crown, and leaves. A fungus was consistently and readily isolated from symptomatic vascular tissue, previously disinfested in 1% sodium hypochlorite, when cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Microscopic observations revealed hyaline hyphae with many ovoid, dark microsclerotia measuring 32 to 43 × 16 to 26 μm developing after 15 days of growth at 18°C in the dark. Conidiophores showed two verticils of three elements. Conidia were hyaline, elliptical, single celled, and measured 3.5 to 8.5 × 1.8 to 4.3 μm (average 5.5 × 2.5 μm). According to its morphological characteristics, the fungus was identified as Verticillium dahliae (2). Healthy, 20-day-old lettuce plants, cvs. Principessa and Maxima, both belonging to the butterhead type, were separately inoculated by root dip with a conidial suspension (106/ml) of two isolates of V. dahliae isolated, respectively, at Forlì and Torino. Noninoculated lettuce plants served as control treatments. Plants (10 per treatment) were grown in pots (10-liter vol.) in a steam-disinfested peat/perlite/sand (3:1:1 vol/vol) substrate and were maintained in a glasshouse at temperatures ranging between 17 and 22°C and relative humidity ranging between 60 and 70%. First wilt symptoms and vascular discoloration in the roots, crown, and veins developed 40 days after the artificial inoculation. Forty percent of the plants were affected in the case of cv. Maxima and 30% for cv. Principessa. Noninoculated plants remained healthy. The pathogenicity tests were repeated twice. To our knowledge, this is the first report in Italy of Verticillium wilt on lettuce. The disease has been previously reported in Greece (1) and the United States (3). Currently, Verticillium wilt of lettuce seems restricted in Italy to very few farms in the two locations; moreover, its incidence is very low (0.05%).

References: (1) E. K. Ligoxigakis et al. Phytoparasitica 30:141, 2002. (2) G. F. Pegg and B. L. Brady. Verticillium Wilts. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK, 2002. (3) G. E. Vallad et al. Plant Dis. 89:317, 2005.
First Report of Target Spot of Vaccinium corymbosum Caused by Corynespora cassiicola
Authors: Hongn S. , Ramallo A. , Baino O. , Ramallo J. C.
Published: May 2007

During March of 2006, in Famailla, Province of Tucuman, Argentina, a new foliar disease was observed on Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv. O'Neal causing severe premature leaf drop. Symptoms consisted of circular to irregular reddish brown necrotic spots varying from specks to mature lesions of 10 to 15 mm in diameter. Larger spots frequently exhibited a zonate pattern with lighter centers and darker margins that are surrounded by a black, oily halo that is consistent with target spot (3). Lesions often coalesced to form irregularly shaped necrotic areas that reached the petioles. Leaf abscission occurred soon after >50% of the foliar area was affected. No stem lesions were observed. Conidiophores were erect, brown, single or in clusters, one to seven septa, 6 to 9 × 70 to 684 μm (shorter in culture), and arose on the abaxial surface of diseased leaves; conidia were borne singly or in chains of 2 to 5, varying from cylindrical to broadest at the base and tapering toward the apex, straight to slightly curved, 3 to 20 pseudosepta, 75 to 330 × 5 to 9 μm (mean of 153 × 7 μm, shorter in culture), with conspicuous hilum. On potato dextrose agar (PDA), the rate of growth was moderate (colonies reach 25 mm in diameter after 7 days grown at 27°C) with conidia production 5 days after the culture was started. Microscopic characters and cultural patterns conformed to the description of Corynespora cassiicola (Berk & M. A. Curtis) C.T. Wei (2,4) and were identical to isolates of C. cassicola from lesions of soybean target spot. A conidial suspension (104 conidia/ml) of C. cassicola was prepared from a 2-week-old culture grown on PDA and sprayed on surface-disinfected excised blueberry stems, each with 10 healthy leaves per stem. The stems were placed in hydroponia and incubated at 27 ± 2°C with permanent light. All sprayed leaves showed symptoms within 3 days following inoculation. Within 5 days, leaves were conspicuously infected, soon followed by defoliation. C. cassicola was reisolated from the inoculated-leaves lesions and was identical morphologically to the original isolate sprayed on test leaves. Another Corynespora species, C. arctespora (Cooke & Ellis) Carris (1), was described on Vaccinium spp. stems with a distinctive feature of a phialidic synanamorph formation. This synanamorph character was not found in our isolate. C. cassiicola has a broad hosts range, but to our knowledge, has not been recorded before on V. corymbosum as the causal agent of target spot.

References: (1) L. M. Carris. Mycotaxon 30:127, 1987. (2) L. S. Olive et al. Phytopathology 35:822, 1945. (3) J. B. Sinclair. Target spot. Page 27 in: Compendium of Soybean Diseases. G. L Hartman et al., eds. The American Phytopathological Society. St. Paul, MN, 1999. (4) J. A. Spencer and H. J. Walters. Phytopathology 59:58, 1969.
First Report of Canker and Dieback Disease of Grevillea robusta in East Africa Caused by Botryosphaeria spp.
Authors: Toljander Y. K. , Nyeko P. , Stenström E. , Ihrmark K. , Barklund P.
Published: May 2007

An outbreak of a canker and dieback disease was observed for the first time on Grevillea robusta in Uganda during October of 2001. Disease symptoms included dieback of shoots and branches, lesions and canker formation on the stems, clear or yellow-to-red exudates on stems and branches, formation of clusters of small and deformed leaves, and sapling and tree mortality. Isolations were made from the inner bark and wood of stems and branches in the Masaka and Rakai districts of Uganda in March and August to October of 2003. Samples from the border between healthy and necrotic tissues were plated on potato dextrose agar, vegetable juice agar, and water agar as well as on selective Phytophthora medium. Fungal isolates from several of the symptomatic trees were identified as belonging to the genus Botryosphaeria on the basis of morphological characteristics. Botryosphaeria-like fungi were not isolated from healthy trees. The internal transcribed spacer regions of the ribosomal DNA, as well as parts of the beta-tubulin and elongation factor 1-alpha genes, were sequenced from eight of these isolates. Five isolates matched Botryosphaeria parva in GenBank and one isolate matched B. rhodina. Two isolates matched an unidentified Botryosphaeria sp. previously isolated from Eucalyptus grandis in Uganda (GenBank Accession Nos. AY228102 and AY226852). Pathogenicity tests were performed by inoculating 10 18-month-old G. robusta seedlings with each isolate. A 10-mm3 malt agar plug with mycelium was inserted into a cut in the bark and the wound was sealed using grafting tape. One month after inoculation, the number of seedlings displaying death from the point of inoculation to the top (TM) and whole seedling mortality (SM) were recorded. Six of the isolates produced pathogenic responses in the seedlings: Botryosphaeria sp. isolate 1 (TM 10, SM 2), Botryosphaeria sp. isolate 2 (TM 10, SM 1), B. parva isolate 1 (TM 6, SM 1), B. parva isolate 2 (TM 3, SM 1), B. parva isolate 3 (TM 3, SM 0), and B. parva isolate 4 (TM1, SM 0). Inoculation with B. parva isolate 5 and B. rhodina, as well as sterile agar plugs, resulted in no TM or SM. The canker and dieback disease seems to be widespread in the East African Region since typical symptoms have been observed on G. robusta in Kenya (February 2004) and Ethiopia (February 2006). Botryosphaeria spp. are known to have multiple hosts and have been isolated from several other species in this region, including Eucalyptus spp. (1,2). From these findings, it appears that the same species of Botryosphaeria, which are previously known to be pathogenic on Eucalyptus, also cause serious disease on G. robusta.

References: (1) A. Gezahgne et al. S. Afr. J. Sci. 99:29, 2003. (2) J. Roux et al. S. Afr. J. Sci. 97:16, 2001.
Detection ofEutypa lataandEutypella vitisin Grapevine by Nested Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Catal M. , Jordan S. A. , Butterworth S. C. , Schilder A. M. C.
Published: May 2007

Two fungi were isolated from grapevines in Michigan vineyards with Eutypa dieback symptoms: Eutypa lata and Eutypella vitis. These fungi are difficult to distinguish morphologically but are genetically distinct as determined by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. The ITS regions of 25 Eutypa lata and 15 Eutypella vitis isolates were sequenced. Eutypa lata sequences were more variable than those of Eutypella vitis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were designed for each species and evaluated against isolates of both fungi as well as 11 closely related Diatrypaceous fungi and 23 isolates of other fungi representing various pathogenic, saprophytic, and endophytic genera on grape and other small fruit crops. The primers were specific for their intended species. A nested multiplex PCR protocol was developed and used to successfully detect these fungi in wood samples from cankers with and without stromata from naturally infected vines as well as in artificially inoculated, potted canes. The primers developed in this study will assist in our abilities to diagnose and study the roles of Eutypa lata and Eutypella vitis in Eutypa dieback development.
Relationship Between Sugarcane Rust Severity and Soil Properties In Louisiana
Authors: Johnson Richard M. , Grisham Michael P. , Richard Edward P.
Published: May 2007

The extent of spatial and temporal variability of sugarcane rust (Puccinia melanocephala) infestation was related to variation in soil properties in five commercial fields of sugarcane (interspecific hybrids of Saccharum spp., cv. LCP 85–384) in southern Louisiana. Sugarcane fields were grid-soil sampled at several intensities and rust ratings were collected at each point over 6 to 7 weeks. Soil properties exhibited significant variability (coefficients of variation = 9 to 70.1%) and were spatially correlated in 39 of 40 cases with a range of spatial correlation varying from 39 to 201 m. Rust ratings were spatially correlated in 32 of 33 cases, with a range varying from 29 to 241 m. Rust ratings were correlated with several soil properties, most notably soil phosphorus (r = 0.40 to 0.81) and soil sulfur (r = 0.36 to 0.68). Multiple linear regression analysis resulted in coefficients of determination that ranged from 0.22 to 0.73, and discriminant analysis further improved the overall predictive ability of rust models. Finally, contour plots of soil properties and rust levels clearly suggested a link between these two parameters. These combined data suggest that sugarcane growers that apply fertilizer in excess of plant requirements will increase the incidence and severity of rust infestations in their fields.
Mapping and Comparative Analysis of QTL for Crown Rust Resistance in an Italian × Perennial Ryegrass Population
Authors: Sim S. , Diesburg K. , Casler M. , Jung G.
Published: May 2007

Crown rust (Puccinia coronata f. sp. lolli) is a serious fungal foliar disease of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and Italian ryegrass (L. multiflorum Lam.), which are important forage and turf species. A number of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for crown rust resistance previously were identified in perennial ryegrass under growth chamber or greenhouse conditions. In this study, we conducted a QTL mapping for crown rust resistance in a three-generation Italian × perennial ryegrass interspecific population under natural field conditions at two locations over 2 years. Through a comparative mapping analysis, we also investigated the syntenic relationships of previously known crown rust resistance genes in other ryegrass germplasms and oat, and genetic linkage between crown rust resistance QTL and three lignin genes: LpOMT1, LpCAD2, and LpCCR1. The interspecific mapping population of 156 progeny was developed from a cross between two Italian × perennial ryegrass hybrids, MFA and MFB. Because highly susceptible reactions to crown rust were observed from all perennial ryegrass clones, including two grandparental clones and eight clones from different pedigrees tested in this study, two grandparent clones from Italian ryegrass cv. Floregon appeared to be a source of the resistance. Two QTL on linkage groups (LGs) 2 and 7 in the resistant parent MFA map were detected consistently regardless of year and location. The others, specific to year and location, were located on LGs 3 and 6 in the susceptible parent MFB map. The QTL on LG2 was likely to correspond to those previously reported in three unrelated perennial ryegrass mapping populations; however, the other QTL on LGs 3, 6, and 7 were not. The QTL on LG7 was closely located in the syntenic genomic region where genes Pca cluster, Pcq2, Pc38, and Prq1b resistant to crown rust (P. coronata f. sp. avenae) in oat (Avena sativa L.) were previously identified. Similarly, the QTL on LG3 was found in a syntenic region with oat genes resistant to crown rust isolates PC54 and PC59. This indicates that the ortholoci for resistance genes to different formae speciales of crown rust might be present between two distantly related grass species, ryegrass and oat. In addition, we mapped four restriction fragment length polymorphism loci for three key ryegrass lignin genes encoding caffeic acid-O-methyltransferase, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, and cinnamoyl CoA-reductase on LG7. These loci were within a range of 8 to 17 centimorgans from the QTL on LG7, suggesting no tight linkage between them. The putative ortholoci for those lignin biosynthesis genes were identified on segments of rice (Oryza sativa L.) chromosomes 6 and 8, which are the counterparts of ryegrass LG7. Results from the current study facilitate understanding of crown rust resistance and its relationship with lignin biosynthesis, and also will benefit ryegrass breeders for improving crown rust resistance through marker-assisted selection.
Violations of transitivity under fitness maximization
Authors: Houston Alasdair I , McNamara John M , Steer Mark D
Published: May 2007

We present a novel demonstration that violations of transitive choice can result from decision strategies that maximize fitness. Our results depend on how the available options, including options not currently chosen, influence a decision-maker's expectations about the future. In particular, they depend on how the presence of an option may act as an insurance against a run of bad luck in the future.
Bayesian inference of population expansions in domestic bovines
Authors: Finlay E.K , Gaillard C , Vahidi S.M.F , Mirhoseini S.Z , Jianlin H , Qi X.B , El-Barody M.A.A , Baird J.F , Healy B.C , Bradley D.G
Published: May 2007

The past population dynamics of four domestic and one wild species of bovine were estimated using Bayesian skyline plots, a coalescent Markov chain Monte Carlo method that does not require an assumed parametric model of demographic history. Four domestic species share a recent rapid population expansion not visible in the wild African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). The estimated timings of the expansions are consistent with the archaeological records of domestication.
The olfactory receptor gene repertoires in secondary-adapted marine vertebrates: evidence for reduction of the functional proportions in cetaceans
Authors: Kishida Takushi , Kubota Shin , Shirayama Yoshihisa , Fukami Hironobu
Published: May 2007

An olfactory receptor (OR) multigene family is responsible for the well-developed sense of smell possessed by terrestrial tetrapods. Mammalian OR genes had diverged greatly in the terrestrial environment after the fish–tetrapod split, indicating their importance to land habitation. In this study, we analysed OR genes of marine tetrapods (minke whaleBalaenoptera acutorostrata, dwarf sperm whaleKogia sima, Dall's porpoisePhocoenoides dalli, Steller's sea lionEumetopias jubatusand loggerhead sea turtleCaretta caretta) and revealed that the pseudogene proportions of OR gene repertoires in whales were significantly higher than those in their terrestrial relative cattle and also in sea lion and sea turtle. On the other hand, the pseudogene proportion of OR sequences in sea lion was not significantly higher compared with that in their terrestrial relative (dog). It indicates that secondary perfectly adapted marine vertebrates (cetaceans) have lost large amount of their OR genes, whereas secondary-semi-adapted marine vertebrates (sea lions and sea turtles) still have maintained their OR genes, reflecting the importance of terrestrial environment for these animals.
Male soldier caste larvae are non-aggressive in the polyembryonic waspCopidosoma floridanum
Authors: Giron David , Harvey Jeffrey A , Johnson Jena Anne , Strand Michael R
Published: May 2007

Polyembryonic wasps are the only parasitoids in which sociality has evolved. Theory implicates both competition and sex ratio manipulation in the evolution of a sterile soldier caste. However, investment in soldiers by males and females is predicted to differ depending upon how offspring are allocated to hosts and the mating system. Here, we compared male and female soldiers in the polyembryonic waspCopidosoma floridanum. We found that male and female soldiers are morphologically identical. Unlike females, however, male soldiers were non-aggressive towards all competitors. We discuss these results in relation to theory and polyembryonic wasp biology.
Effects of heterogeneity in infection-exposure history and immunity on the dynamics of a protozoan parasite
Authors: Severins Maite , Klinkenberg Don , Heesterbeek Hans
Published: May 2007

Infection systems where traits of the host, such as acquired immunity, interact with the infection process can show complex dynamic behaviour with counter-intuitive results. In this study, we consider the traits ‘immune status’ and ‘exposure history’, and our aim is to assess the influence of acquired individual heterogeneity in these traits. We have built an individual-based model of
Eimeria acervulina
infections, a protozoan parasite with an environmental stage that causes coccidiosis in chickens. With the model, we simulate outbreaks of the disease under varying initial contaminations. Heterogeneity in the traits arises stochastically through differences in the dose and frequency of parasites that individuals pick up from the environment. We find that the relationship between the initial contamination and the severity of an outbreak has a non-monotonous ‘wave-like’ pattern. This pattern can be explained by an increased heterogeneity in the host population caused by the infection process at the most severe outbreaks. We conclude that when dealing with these types of infection systems, models that are used to develop or evaluate control measures cannot neglect acquired heterogeneity in the host population traits that interact with the infection process.
Springs and wire plants: anachronistic defences against Madagascar's extinct elephant birds
Authors: Bond William J , Silander John A
Published: May 2007

The extinction of large vertebrates in the last few millennia has left a legacy of evolutionary anachronisms. Among these are plant structural defences that persist long after the extinction of the browsers. A peculiar, and controversial, example is a suite of traits common in divaricate (wide-angled branching) plants from New Zealand. Divaricate architecture has been interpreted as an adaptive response to cold climates or an anachronistic defence against the extinct moas. Madagascar, a larger tropical island, also had a fauna of large flightless birds, the elephant birds. If these extinct ratites selected for similar plant defences, we expected to find convergent features between New Zealand and Malagasy plants, despite their very different climates. We searched the southern thickets of Madagascar for plants with putative anti-ratite defences and scored candidate species for a number of traits common to many New Zealand divaricates. We found many Malagasy species in 25 families and 36 genera shared the same suite of traits, the ‘wire plant’ syndrome, as divaricates in New Zealand that resist ratite browsing. Neither ecologically, nor phylogenetically, matched species from South Africa shared these traits. Malagasy wire plants differ from many New Zealand divaricates in lacking the distinctive concentration of leaves in the interior of shrubs. We suggest that New Zealand divaricates have a unique amalgam of traits that acted as defences and also confer tolerance to cold. We conclude that many woody species in the thickets of southern Madagascar share, with New Zealand, anachronistic structural defences against large extinct bird browsers.
Fine needle aspiration cytology of medullary thyroid carcinoma: a review of 18 cases
Authors: ZEPPA P. , VETRANI A. , MARINO M. , FULCINITI F. , BOSCHI R. , DE ROSA G. , PALOMBINI L.
Published: May 2007

A series of 18 consecutive medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTC) diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is described. The most important diagnostic cytologic criteria were the dispersed cell pattern, the polygonal appearance of the cells, binucleated cells and the presence of amyloid. Other less common cytologic features are reported and the variable microscopic appearance of MTC is pointed out. The possibility that this cytologic variability of MTC may be by itself an important diagnostic feature is proposed.
Fine needle aspiration cytology of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thymus
Authors: TANAKA T. , MORISHITA Y. , MORI Y. , SHIMONAKA E.
Published: May 2007

Primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thymus developing in an 80‐year‐old Japanese man is described. This is the third case report of this rare tumour which was diagnosed following fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of a metastatic lesion in the left humerus. FNA showed the typical cytological findings of mucoepidermoid carcinoma, that is the presence of squamous, glandular and intermediate neoplastic cells. Histology at autopsy confirmed these findings.
Diagnosis of a peripheral neuroectodermal tumour by fine needle aspiration
Authors: AUGER M. , BEDARD Y. C. , KEATING S.
Published: May 2007

One case of malignant peripheral neuroectodermal tumour successfully diagnosed by cytology is presented. Although a Papanicolaou stained smear could not lead to a diagnosis more specific than a malignant small cell tumour, ancillary analytic methods performed on the cytologic material including immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy yielded the correct diagnosis of peripheral neuroectodermal tumour. This case demonstrates that a precise categorization of small round cell tumours may be achieved by cytology as long as some material is kept for immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies.
Carcinoid tumour of male breast diagnosed by fine needle aspiration
Authors: SCHMITT F. C. , BRANDÃO M.
Published: May 2007

A primary carcinoid tumour of the breast in a 66‐year‐old man was diagnosed by fine‐needle aspiration cytology. The nature of the lesion was proved by histochemical and immunocytochemical studies. The importance of a conclusive diagnosis is discussed and the value of immunocytochemical analysis as an aid to cytomorphologic diagnosis is demonstrated.
Nucleolar organizer regions in the fine needle aspirates of lung tumours
Authors: ASCOLI V. , BARSOTTI P. , FACCIOLO F. , NARDI F. , MARINOZZI V.
Published: May 2007

Nucleolar organizer region associated proteins (AgNOR proteins) have been identified by means of an argyrophil technique in smears of 60 consecutive fine needle aspirates from lung tumours. AgNOR proteins were visualized as silver‐positive granules distributed in loose, intranuclear aggregates. Variations in the number as well as differences in the distribution pattern of AgNOR granules were found among different types of tumours. Except for small cell lung carcinoma, the count of AgNOR granules increased when the differentiation of tumours decreased. In particular well differentiated tumours had relatively few AgNOR granules, distributed in cohesive aggregates. Poorly differentiated tumours had many AgNOR granules organized in loose clusters and small cell lung carcinoma had relatively few granules dispersed throughout the nucleoplasm, showing characteristics unique among all lung neoplasms. The application of the AgNOR technique in cyto‐preparations is useful in discriminating between small cell and non‐small cell lung carcinomas. Moreover, the pattern of distribution of AgNOR proteins may be of diagnostic value in the assessment of tumours displaying overlap in AgNOR counts.
Fine needle aspiration cytodiagnosis of anaplastic carcinoma and malignant haemangioendothelioma of the thyroid in an endemic goitre area
Authors: LUZE T. , TÖTSCH M. , BANGERL I. , HITTMAIR A. , SANDBICHLER P. , LADURNER D. , SCHMID K. W.
Published: May 2007

Between 1970 and 1987,20 028 fine needle aspirates (FNA) of the thyroid have been examined in the Department of Pathology of the University of Innsbruck, Austria. During this period 92 cases of anaplastic carcinoma and 16 cases of malignant haemangioendothelioma (MHE) of the thyroid were diagnosed. Forty‐three out of these 108 highly malignant tumours of the thyroid underwent FNA pre‐operatively (39.1%). Thirty‐seven FNA contained numerous cells of a highly malignant tumour. Five specimens (11.8%) contained only necrotic material and inflammatory cells. In one case of an anaplastic carcinoma no malignant cells could be demonstrated in FNA. We conclude that pre‐operative FNA of highly malignant thyroid tumours may contribute substantially to subsequent clinical management.
Carcinoma in situ of the cervix and its malignant potential. A lesson from New Zealand
Authors: CHANG A. R.
Published: May 2007

An overview of studies attempting to define the natural history of carcinoma in situ of the cervix suggests that 20–30% of lesions progress to invasive carcinoma within 5–10 years. This risk of invasion and the inability to predict when invasion might occur has been reinforced by a judicial enquiry in New Zealand so that protocols that include withholding treatment are no longer justifiable. Once a diagnosis of cervical carcinoma in situ is established appropriate treatment is mandatory.
Fine Needle Aspiration Cytodiagnosis As A Pre‐Requisite For Primary Medical Treatment of Breast Cancer
Authors: POWLES T. J. , TROTT P. A. , CHERRYMAN G. , CLARKE S. , ASHLEY S. , COOMBES R. C. , JONES A. L. , SINNETT H. D. , NASH A. G.
Published: May 2007

The accurate non‐surgical diagnosis of breast lumps allows assessment of breast cancer patients for conservation or neoadjuvant primary treatment before surgical intervention. We have analysed the accuracy of clinical assessment, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and mammography in over 868 women seen in a symptomatic breast clinic. Clinical examination by an experienced breast physician, together with FNAC, detected over 99% of the cancers with a 12% false positive rate. A cytological diagnosis of definite carcinoma was obtained in 69% of women with breast cancer with no false positive result from the women with benign conditions producing a 100% positive predictive value. These results indicate that it would be acceptable to give pre‐surgical systemic endocrine or chemotherapy to women with positive cytology which is therefore a prerequisite for a neoadjuvant therapy programme.
Comparative Ploidy Studies Using Cytological and Paraffin Section Preparations
Authors: WILLIAMS R. A. , CHARLTON I. G. , RODE J.
Published: May 2007

The ploidy profiles of benign and malignant tumours can be obtained using image analysis. However, the results of ploidy studies have varied according to the type of specimen used. We compared the ploidy profiles of paraffin embedded thin sections, cytospin preparations of disaggregated cells, and cytological smears from the same specimen as defined by image analysis. Ten benign breast lesions, 10 breast carcinomas and 10 malignant melanomas were investigated in this way. Preparations stained by the Feulgen technique were examined using the MD20 video image analysis densitometry system. Ploidy profiles were obtained by measuring the integrated optical density of at least 200 nuclei. By paying proper attention to the quality of fixation and presence or absence of cytoplasm around cells, comparable results were found for all preparations in each case. We therefore conclude that if careful attention is paid to the technical quality of the material, reliable ploidy results can be obtained by image analysis.