bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phytotoxicity of Copper-Based Bactericides to Peach and Nectarine
Authors: Lalancette N. , McFarland K. A.
Published: August 2007

Organometallic copper, consisting of a mixture of copper abietate, copper linoleate, and copper oleate (CuALO), is important for postbloom management of bacterial spot in New Jersey peach and nectarine orchards. Rotation of CuALO with oxytetracycline reduces cost and helps prevent (or delay) resistant organisms. However, because copper is also phytotoxic, higher rates and inorganic coppers have not been utilized. A study was conducted on ‘Encore’ peach and ‘Redgold’ nectarine to determine the quantitative relationship between copper concentration (metallic equivalent) and phytotoxicity. Different rates of CuALO and copper hydroxide (CuOH) were applied seven times postbloom. Foliar injury and defoliation increased with number of applications and copper concentration. Maximum ‘Encore’ defoliation was 10 to 17%, while ‘Redgold’ sustained 30 to 35% leaf loss. CuOH caused similar or less leaf injury and defoliation than CuALO. No injury was observed on fruit, even at three times the labeled metallic copper rate of CuALO. Fruit size and soluble solids were not influenced by copper. Estimates of foliar density and tree volume indicated that sufficient photosynthetic capacity existed to allow acceptable leaf damage and loss from copper applications. These results showed that inorganic coppers may be viable alternatives to organometallic copper for postbloom bacterial spot control; nectarine may be more sensitive to copper injury than peach; and higher rates of metallic copper, above the current commercial rate, can be applied to peach. In the latter case, greater amounts of copper may provide longer residual activity and improved bacterial spot control on highly susceptible cultivars.
Investigation of an Outbreak of Fusarium Foot and Fruit Rot of Pumpkin Within the United States
Authors: Elmer Wade H. , Covert Sarah F. , O'Donnell Kerry
Published: August 2007

Isolates of two biologically and phylogenetically distinct species, referred to as Fusarium solani f. sp. cucurbitae race 1 (Fsc-1 = Nectria haematococca mating population I [MPI]) and F. solani f. sp. cucurbitae race 2 (Fsc-2 = N. haematococca mating population V [MPV]), were suspected of causing an outbreak of Fusarium foot and fruit rot of pumpkin during 2001 to 2003 in Connecticut, New York, Ohio, and Missouri. Both species affect the fruit, but Fsc-1 also affects the crown and causes a stem rot. In this study, 156 isolates from affected plants and from soil under diseased fruit that tentatively were identified morphologically as members of the F. solani species complex were assayed for pathogenicity on pumpkin seedlings and mature fruit. Results of the pathogenicity assay indicated that 81 of the isolates were Fsc-1. The remaining 74 isolates were either nonpathogenic or only weakly pathogenic on the fruit. A subset of 53 test isolates from soil and plants, plus reference isolates of Fsc-1 and Fsc-2 and an isolate from wheat reported to cause a seedling rot on cucurbits, were characterized phylogenetically by sequencing a portion of the translation elongation factor 1-α gene. A BLAST query of the FUSARIUM-ID database at Pennsylvania State University indicated that 42 of the 53 test isolates were Fsc-1, whereas none were typed as Fsc-2. A polymerase chain reaction assay for mating-type (MAT) idiomorph revealed that all of the Fsc-1 isolates were MAT-1-2, suggesting that the pathogen may be strictly clonal in the affected fields. These findings provide convincing evidence that the Fusarium foot and fruit rot outbreaks were incited by Fsc-1.
Quantifying the Effects of Lance Nematode Parasitism in Creeping Bentgrass
Authors: Settle D. M. , Fry J. D. , Milliken G. A. , Tisserat N. A. , Todd T. C.
Published: August 2007

We compared photosynthesis and multispectral radiometry (MSR) measurements with visual quality ratings for assessment of feeding injury to creeping bentgrass caused by the lance nematode (Hoplolaimus galeatus) using artificially infested microplots and a naturally infested putting green. Nematode feeding resulted in negative visual and MSR effects on creeping bentgrass in microplots. Visual quality ratings were correlated more consistently with nematode densities than either individual MSR variables or factor models of MSR variables. Threshold estimates for H. galeatus population densities associated with unacceptable bentgrass quality in microplots varied widely by month and year. Similarly, the relationship between H. galeatus population density and turf health indicators (including MSR measurements, visual ratings, and net photosynthetic rate) varied with cultivar and management practice (irrigation frequency and mowing height) in the naturally infested putting green. Notably, negative effects of nematode feeding were not consistently associated with more stressful management practices, suggesting that stress avoidance is not a reliable deterrent to H. galeatus damage in creeping bentgrass. Damage thresholds for this nematode–host association are dynamic and should be used with caution.
Characterization of Cylindrocarpon Species Associated with Black Foot Disease of Grapevine in Spain
Authors: Alaniz S. , León M. , Vicent A. , García-Jiménez J. , Abad-Campos P. , Armengol J.
Published: August 2007

In this work, 82 Cylindrocarpon isolates associated with black foot disease of grapevines in Spain were studied by means of phenotypical characterization, DNA analyses, and pathogenicity tests. Partial sequences of the beta-tubulin (BT) gene, BT1, were amplified using primers BT1a and BT1b. A unique and conserved 52-bp insertion in the BT1 sequence, which is a specific marker for C. macrodidymum, was found in 56 of the isolates. The rest of the isolates (26) were identified as C. liriodendri. The BT phylogeny grouped all the isolates of each species into two well-supported clades. Phenotypical data were subjected to multivariate factorial analysis. According to this study, the isolates were clearly separated into two groups which were in agreement with BT species identification. C. macrodidymum isolates were differentiated from C. liriodendri by producing fewer conidia, presenting longer and wider macroconidia, and lower growth rate at 5 and 10°C. Selected isolates of each species inoculated onto rooted cuttings of grapevine rootstock cv. 110 R caused typical black foot disease symptoms. This is the first report of C. liriodendri and C. macrodidymum causing black foot disease of grapevines in Spain.
Incidence and Relative Prevalence of Distinct Caulimoviruses (Genus Caulimovirus, Family Caulimoviridae) Associated with Dahlia Mosaic in Dahlia variabilis
Authors: Pahalawatta V. , Miglino R. , Druffel K. B. , Jodlowska A. , van Schadewijk A. R. , Pappu H. R.
Published: August 2007

Dahlia mosaic, caused by Dahlia mosaic virus (DMV), is one of the most important viral diseases of dahlia. Molecular characterization of DMV showed the association of two distinct caulimoviruses (DMV-D10, DMV-Portland) and a D10-like sequence variant (DMV-Holland) with the disease. Using primers specific to these two viruses and the sequence variant, a polymerase chain reaction–based assay was used to determine their relative incidence in several dahlia samples from the United States and the Netherlands. Testing was done on samples collected in 2005 and 2006 in the United States and in 2006 in the Netherlands. Results indicated the predominance of DMV-D10 over DMV-Portland and DMV-Holland in both the United States and the Netherlands. Using conserved regions of the viral genome, primers were designed and used to detect all three sequences. Results suggested that DMV-D10 is predominantly associated with dahlia mosaic, but diagnostics should also include testing for DMV-Portland and DMV-Holland.
First Report of Southern Blight of Silvery Messerschmidia Seedlings in Taiwan
Authors: Chen C. Y. , Fu C. H. , Hsiao W. W. , Sun E. J.
Published: August 2007

Silvery messerschmidia, Messerschmidia argentea (L.) Johnston, of the Boraginaceae, is indigenous to Taiwan and grown as an ornamental, for windbreaks, or as a shade tree. During the summer of 2005, a sudden wilt of 1-year-old plants was observed in a nursery in central Taiwan. Initial symptoms included stem necrosis at the collar, leaf yellowing, and tan discoloration of leaves. As stem necrosis progressed, infected plants wilted, defoliated, and died. Necrotic tissues were covered with whitish mycelium with clamp connections that formed reddish brown spherical (1 to 2.2 mm in diameter) sclerotia. A fungus was consistently recovered from the interface of diseased and healthy stem tissue, disinfested for 1 min in 0.5% NaOCl, and plated on Difco (Sparks, MD) potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with 100 ppm of ampicillin. Pure cultures were prepared by transferring single hyphal tips to PDA, and Sclerotium rolfsii (Sacc.) was identified (1). Pathogenicity of two S. rolfsii isolates was confirmed by inoculating 3-month-old silvery messerschmidia seedlings grown in pots. Inoculum consisted of a single agar disk of a 7-day-old culture used per pot or a single sclerotium produced in 10 days on PDA and added per pot. Both the mycelium on the 0.5-cm-diameter agar plug and the sclerotium touched the base of the plant stem. Four plants were inoculated with mycelia, four with sclerotia, and four were noninoculated controls. All plants were kept in a growth chamber at 25 to 35°C with relative humidity of more than 95%. Initially, the basal stems were covered by whitish mycelia growth with a fanlike pattern from the inoculum, and brown, water-soaked necrotic lesions developed near the soil line. Inoculated plants developed symptoms within 4 days, wilted gradually in 7 days, and all were eventually killed in 11 days. Plants inoculated with sclerotia developed disease at a slower rate and control plants remained symptomless. Sclerotia developed on diseased tissues and S. rolfsii was reisolated. This disease has been observed on many species of plants (2), but to our knowledge, this is the first report of southern blight of silvery messerschmidia seedlings caused by S. rolfsii in Taiwan.

References: (1) R. K. Jones and D. M. Benson, eds. Diseases of Woody Ornamentals and Trees in Nurseries. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 2001. (2) Y. P. Tsai, ed. List of Plant Diseases in Taiwan. The Plant Protection Society of the Republic of China and The Phytopathological Society of the Republic of China, 1991.
A First Report of Paulownia elongata as a Host of Meloidogyne spp. in Florida
Authors: Kaur R. , Brito J. A. , Dickson D. W.
Published: August 2007

Paulownia elongata S.Y. Hu (Scrophulariaceae) is a fast-growing tree cultivated for highly prized timber. In April 2007, root-knot nematodes were found to be infecting 5-year-old plants of P. elongata growing on a farm in Levy County, Florida. Symptoms included leaf yellowing, stunted growth, and reduced trunk diameter. Infected roots were severely galled and frequently rotted. Large and coalesced galls were observed on secondary roots and distinct galls were present on tertiary roots. Species identifications were done by morphological characters of females and isozyme phenotypes (esterase and malate dehydrogenase) extracted from young egg-laying females and resolved with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in a BioRad Mini Protean III system (BioRad, Hercules, CA). Four species of root-knot nematodes were found to be infecting P. elongata. Morphology of perineal patterns and the isozyme phenotypes were consistent with those of M. arenaria, M. incognita, M. javanica, and M. mayaguensis (1). M. incognita and M. javanica have been described earlier on P. fortunei and P. tomentosa (2), but to our knowledge, this is the first report of P. elongata as a host of these four Meloidogyne spp.

References: (1) R. M. D. G. Carneiro et al. Nematology 6:287, 2004. (2) V. Sharma and M. D. Mehrotra. Indian J. For. 22:149, 1999.
First Report of the Anamorph of Glomerella acutata Causing Anthracnose on Avocado Fruits in Mexico
Authors: Avila-Quezada G. , Silva-Rojas H. V. , Teliz-Ortiz D.
Published: August 2007

Mexico is a major avocado (Persea americana) producer in the world. Glomerella cingulata (anamorph Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) has been reported as a causal agent of anthracnose on avocado fruits worldwide (3), while G. acutata (anamorph Colletotrichum acutatum) has been identified as the cause of this disease only in New Zealand (2) and Australia (4). This study was done with the objective to determine the Glomerella spp. involved as the causal agents of avocado anthracnose in Mexico. From 2003 to 2006, avocado fruits cv. Hass with anthracnose symptoms appearing as brown-black lesions on the pericarp and soft rot in the mesocarp were collected in 10 counties in Michoacan, the leading avocado-producing Mexican state. Glomerella spp. were isolated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) for molecular and morphological identification. A phylogenetic analysis was done by amplifying the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA for 28 of the isolates. Primers ITS5/NL4 was used and successfully amplified bands of approximately 1,000 bp. Each sequence corresponding to Glomerella spp. was compared with sequences deposited in the GenBank database using BLAST. The results from molecular approach indicated 86% of the isolates used in this study were G. cingulata and 14% were G. acutata. Sequences of both species were deposited in GenBank under Accession Nos. EF221828, EF221829, and EF221830 for G. cingulata and EF175780, EF221831, and EF221832 for G. acutata. Colonies of G. acutata that developed on PDA medium were pale gray, occasionally the lower surface was olive green, and the center was covered with orange-to-salmon pink masses of conidia and perithecia. Conidia grown in the same media were straight, fusiform, 8.2 to 16.5 μm long, and 2.7 to 4.0 μm wide (4). Pathogenicity tests of G. acutata were carried out by inoculating six healthy cv. Hass fruits (1) at three evenly spaced locations on the fruit surface with a needle dipped in a conidial mass from a 3-day-old monoconidial culture of G. acutata. Fruits were then incubated in a moist chamber for 3 days. Anthracnose symptoms were observed on healthy fruits inoculated with G. acutata, while control fruits inoculated with sterile water did not develop symptoms. The fungi were reisolated successfully to confirm the pathogen's identity using morphological key. To our knowledge, this is the first report of G. acutata causing anthracnose on avocado fruits in Mexico.

References: (1) R. Guetsky et al. Phytopathology 95:1341, 2005. (2) W. F. T. Hartill. N. Z. J. Crop Hortic. Sci. 19:297, 1991. (3) D. Prusky. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 34:413, 1996. (4) J. H. Simmonds. Qld. J. Agric. Anim. Sci. 22:437, 1965.
First Report of Ophiosphaerella korrae Causing Spring Dead Spot of Bermudagrass in Italy
Authors: Gullino M. L. , Mocioni M. , Titone P.
Published: August 2007

In the spring and summer of 2002, bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis) turf in two golf courses located in Sardinia and Apulia (central and southern Italy, respectively) exhibited circular patches that were 10 to 70 cm in diameter. Patches developed in the spring on cv. Santa Ana in Sardinia and cv. Tifway 419 in Apulia, after the turf broke winter dormancy. Although the turf partially recovered during the summer, damage was evident throughout the year in greens, tees, and fairways. Patches coalesced to form large areas of straw-colored, blighted turfgrass. The symptoms observed on single plants resembled those of spring dead spot (SDS), including the presence of root rotting. The upper leaf blades, upper leaf sheaths, and upper culms of the diseased bermudagrass plants were bleached and dessicated, or dead. Infected roots, stolons, and rhizomes were covered with black ectotrophic mycelium. Isolation from infected roots on potato dextrose agar (PDA), supplemented with 100 mg/liter of streptomycin sulfate, consistently yielded a fungus with gray, fluffy, aerial mycelium that was at first light gray and later becoming darker. The maximum daily growth rates of all isolates on PDA ranged from 3 to 4.5 mm at 25°C. The cultural characteristics and growth rates of the isolates corresponded to those described for Ophiosphaerella korrae (4). Pathogenicity tests were performed on 8-week-old C. dactylon × C. transvaalensis (cvs. Santa Ana and Tifway 419) grown in plastic pots (15 × 15 cm). The substrate (sandy soil/sphagnum peat/perlite, 50:35:15) was infested separately with three isolates of O. korrae grown on autoclaved oat kernels, using 10 infested kernels per pot. Three replicates were used. Blight symptoms developed on inoculated plants after 8 weeks. Noninoculated plants remained healthy. The pathogen was consistently reisolated from inoculated plants. The pathogenicity test was carried out twice. SDS incited by O. korrae was reported in Australia (4) and the United States (1,2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of SDS on warm-season turfgrass in Italy, as well as in Europe. SDS continued to be observed in the following years after its first detection (3). In 2006, the disease was observed in Apulia (southern Italy).

References: (1) J. N. Crayhay et al. Plant Dis. 72:945, 1988. (2) R. M. Endo et al. Plant Dis. 69:235, 1985 (3) P. Titone et al. Acta Hortic. 661:491, 2004. (4) J. Walker and A. M. Smith. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 58:459, 1972.
First Report of Durangan Dwarf Mistletoe, Arceuthobium vaginatum subsp. durangense, on Pinus cooperi and P. engelmannii in Mexico
Authors: Mathiasen R.
Published: August 2007

The Durangan dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium vaginatum subsp. durangense Hawksw. & Wiens, Viscaceae) parasitizes several species of pines (Pinus spp., Pinaceae) in the Mexican states of Durango, Sinaloa, and Jalisco (1,3). This mistletoe has primarily been reported from the western edge of the Sierra Madre Occidental in eastern Sinaloa and western Durango, but its distribution there is not well documented (3). In March 2007, I found Durangan dwarf mistletoe parasitizing Pinus engelmannii Carr., approximately 25 km north of Mexico Route 40 (24°00′51″N, 105°26′48″W, elevation 2,200 m), and on P. cooperi Blanco approximately 90 km north of Route 40 (24°24′40″N, 105°35′26″W, elevation 2,710 m) along the road to San Miguel de las Cruces, Durango. These populations are approximately 50 and 80 km northeast of the closest known population of Durangan dwarf mistletoe west of Buenos Aires along Route 40 in extreme western Durango. Infection of P. engelmannii was severe on 25 trees, but only severe on two trees of P. cooperi. No mortality associated with infection by Durangan dwarf mistletoe was observed at either location. Infection caused large, nonsystemic witches' brooms on P. engelmannii, but no brooms were observed on infected P. cooperi. To my knowledge, this is the first report of Durangan dwarf mistletoe on P. cooperi and P. engelmannii, and the first report of this mistletoe from the central Sierra Madre Occidental (3). Although Hawksworth and Wiens (2,3) treated Durangan dwarf mistletoe as a species (A. durangense Hawksw. & Wiens), I use the earlier classification of Durangan dwarf mistletoe as a subspecies of Mexican dwarf mistletoe (A. vaginatum (Willd.) Presl subsp. vaginatum) (1) because of recent molecular evidence (4) and morphological similarities with Mexican dwarf mistletoe. The principal difference between these mistletoes is that plants of Durangan dwarf mistletoe are bright orange while those of Mexican dwarf mistletoe are dark brown to black (1–3). Specimens of Durangan dwarf mistletoe on Pinus engelmannii and P. cooperi have been deposited at the Deaver Herbarium, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff (Accession Nos. 76455 and 76456, respectively).

References: (1) F. G. Hawksworth and D. Wiens, Brittonia 17:213, 1965. (2) F. G. Hawksworth and D. Wiens. Phytologia 66:3, 1989. (3) F. G. Hawksworth and D. Wiens. USDA For. Serv. Agric. Handb. 709, 1996. (4) D. L. Nickrent et al. Am. J. Bot. 91:125, 2004.
First Report of Capsicum chlorosis virus Causing Yellow Stripes on Calla Lilies in Taiwan
Authors: Chen C. C. , Huang C. H. , Chen T. C. , Yeh S. D. , Cheng Y. H. , Hsu H. T. , Chang C. A.
Published: August 2007

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and Calla lily chlorotic spot virus (CCSV) are two recognized species of the Tospovirus genus in the family Bunyaviridae infecting calla lily (Zantedeschia spp.). During 2005, 15 virus isolates were collected from different calla lily plants exhibiting yellow stripes on their leaves in Ho-Li, a major calla lily-production township in Taiwan. After three successive local lesion passages on Chenopodium quinoa Willd., diseased leaf tissues individually infected by these isolates were preserved in liquid nitrogen and used for subsequent identification studies. Using the tospovirus genus-specific primers gL3637 and gL4435c designed from the L RNA, an 800-bp DNA fragment was amplified in reverse transcription-PCR from all 15 isolates. Moreover, leaf extracts of the diseased calla lilies and the C. quinoa plants inoculated with the 15 virus isolates reacted with antisera against the nucleocapsid proteins (NP) of Capsicum chlorosis virus (CaCV)-gloxinia and Watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV), but not to monoclonal antibodies against the NP of TSWV, CCSV, Peanut chlorotic fan-spot virus (PCFV), or Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) in indirect ELISA. These results indicate that the 15 virus isolates are tospoviruses belonging to the WSMoV serogroup. Additionally, we amplified and sequenced the full-length N gene from these tospovirus isolates using primers WN2328 (5′-CCATTGGTTTGCCTCCG-3′) and WN3534 (5′-CGTCGACAGAGCAATCGAGGC-3′) designed from the S RNA of WSMoV. The deduced amino acid sequences of the N protein from these 15 tospovirus isolates showed a greater than 92% identity to that of CaCV (GenBank Accession No. NC-008301). Furthermore, results of phylogenetic analysis of the 15 isolates on the basis of amino acids sequences, both genetic distance and parsimony trees indicated that they were all genetically clustered within CaCV using INSV, TSWV, and WSMoV as outgroups. The results indicate that the virus causing yellow stripes in calla lilies is a strain of CaCV. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that CaCV can naturally infect calla lilies and cause yellow stripe symptoms.

Reference: (1) F.-H. Chu et al. Phytopathology 91:361, 2001.
Iris yellow spot virus in Onion Seed Crops in South Africa
Authors: Toit L. J. du , Burger J. T. , McLeod A. , Engelbrecht M. , Viljoen A.
Published: August 2007

In December 2006, symptoms typical of iris yellow spot caused by Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV; genus Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae) were observed on scapes (seed stalks) in an onion (Allium cepa L.) seed crop in the Klein Karoo of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Symptoms included diamond-shaped chlorotic or necrotic lesions on the scapes, some of which had ‘green-islands’ with nested diamond-shaped lesions, as well as indistinct, circular to irregular, chlorotic or necrotic lesions of various sizes. At the time symptoms were observed, approximately 5% of the scapes had lodged as a result of extensive lesions resembling those caused by IYSV. The crop was 2 to 3 weeks from harvest. Symptomatic tissue from two plants (two samples from one plant and four samples from the other plant) was tested for IYSV by reverse-transcriptase (RT)-PCR. Total RNA was extracted from symptomatic scape tissue with the SV Total RNA Isolation System (Promega, Madison, WI) according to the manufacturer's instructions. First strand cDNA was synthesized with the RevertAid H Minus First Strand cDNA Synthesis kit (Fermentas Inc., Hanover, MD), followed by PCR amplification with primers IYSV-For (TGG YGG AGA TGY RGA TGT GGT) and IYSV-Rev (ATT YTT GGG TTT AGA AGA CTC ACC), which amplify the nucleocapsid (NP) gene of IYSV. An amplicon of expected size (approximately 750 bp) was observed for each of the symptomatic plants assayed and was sequenced. Comparison of the sequence (GenBank Accession No. EF579801) with GenBank sequences revealed 95% sequence identity with the NP gene of IYSV GenBank Accession No. EF419888, with eight amino acid differences. The known geographic distribution of IYSV in onion bulb or seed crops has increased rapidly in recent years in many areas of the world (1). To our knowledge, this is the first confirmation of IYSV in South Africa. Approximately 6,100 ha of onion bulb crops are grown annually in South Africa in the Western Cape, Kwazulu Natal, Limpopo, and Northern Cape provinces, and 600 ha of onion seed crops are grown primarily in the semi-arid regions of the Western Cape. Examination of an additional 10 onion seed crops in the Klein Karoo during January 2007 revealed the presence of iris yellow spot in three more crops at approximately 5% incidence in each crop. The four symptomatic crops had all been planted as bulb-to-seed crops, using vernalized bulbs produced on the same farm. This suggests that IYSV may have been disseminated into the seed crops on the vernalized bulbs, either as infected bulb tissue or in viruliferous thrips on the bulbs.

Reference: (1) D. H. Gent et al. Plant Dis. 90:1468, 2006.
Challenges in Adaptation of Plant Disease Warning Systems to New Locations: Re-Appraisal of Billing's Integrated System for Predicting Fire Blight in a Warm Dry Environment
Authors: Billing Eve
Published: August 2007

The purpose of this letter is to describe approaches and possible pitfalls when a fire blight model developed in one climatic area is evaluated in a new location where weather conditions are markedly different. A case is described where a modified form of Billing's integrated system, BIS95, which was developed in a cool moist climate, was tested in a country where weather is warmer and drier. Prior to this, some features of fire blight epidemiology, management, and risk assessment are outlined.
Identifying Pigmentation-Related Genes in Ophiostoma piceae Using Agrobacterium-Mediated Integration
Authors: Tanguay Philippe , Tangen Kristin , Breuil Colette
Published: August 2007

Wood sapstain, a cosmetic defect that results in significant economical loss to forest-products industries, is caused by mycelial melanization of the wood-colonizing ophiostomatoid fungi. To improve our understanding of how melanin biosynthesis is regulated in the cosmopolitan sapstaining fungus, Ophiostoma piceae, we used insertional mutagenesis. Insertional mutants were generated by restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) and Agrobacterium-mediated integration (AMI). We screened 1,053 REMI and 1,083 AMI transformants and found 30 mutants with impaired growth or pigmentation. We characterized four AMI transformants in more detail, in which the T-DNA integrated at a single locus. The albino mutant TOPA45 had incorporated the T-DNA in a polyketide synthase gene (PKS1). The mutants TOPA1 and TOPA1076 displayed reduced pigmentation. In TOPA1, the T-DNA was inserted into a gene that encodes a putative protein kinase activator whereas, for TOPA1076, it was inserted into a gene that encodes a protein with unknown function. Finally, the vegetative hyphae of mutant TOPA814 were not melanized, whereas the synnemata displayed the same level of pigmentation as the wild type. In the TOPA814 mutant, segregation analysis revealed that the mutant phenotype was not linked to the T-DNA insertion locus but to a translocation from the PIG1 locus to the left border of the T-DNA. The protein predicted for the PIG1 locus had a middle homology region that was specific to fungal transcription factors.
Edaphic Soil Levels of Mineral Nutrients, pH, Organic Matter, and Cationic Exchange Capacity in the Geocaulosphere Associated with Potato Common Scab
Authors: Lazarovits George , Hill Jacquelyn , Patterson Greg , Conn Kenneth L. , Crump Nigel S.
Published: August 2007

In order to determine possible relationships between geocaulosphere soil properties and severity of common scab of potato caused by Streptomyces scabies, soils were collected from representative commercial potato fields in Canada: in Simcoe and Dufferin Counties, Ontario and across Prince Edward Island (PEI) in August 2004. Soils immediately adjacent to tubers were sampled and analyzed for select edaphic factors and for pathogen presence using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests with primers that amplify a region of the TxtA gene involved in regulating the biosynthesis of the thaxtomin toxin family. Individual tubers were assessed visually for scab severity. The relationships between soil chemical factors and disease severity were investigated for each region to detect the strongest relationships. Principal component analysis revealed a distinctive clustering of samples with respect to disease severity in PEI but not in Ontario soils. Total and percent saturation of K (%K) were the only factors found associated with high disease severity in soils from both provinces. In PEI soils, pH, Mg, Ca, Cu, and %K, %Mg, %Ca, and %Na were associated with high disease severity, whereas cation exchange capacity (CEC) and Al were correlated with low disease severity soils. In Ontario, high Mn content was strongly correlated with low disease severity soils, whereas %K and organic matter content were correlated with disease severity. Partitioning samples into presence or absence of the TxtA PCR product with corresponding high or low severity showed further significant relationships in the data. There was an excellent correlation between Streptomyces spp. presence as detected by PCR and disease severity in PEI soils; however, the relationship was not as clear in Ontario soils, where many PCR-positive soils had low disease incidence. Principal component and partial least square analysis indicated that disease severity was predicted by soil factors such as organic matter, CEC, pH, Al, %Ca, %Mg, and %K for PEI but not for Ontario soils. The data reveal that the relationship between scab severity and soil chemical components is complex and potentially soil specific.
Genetic Diversity and the Presence of Two Distinct Groups in Ophiostoma clavigerum Associated with Dendroctonus ponderosae in British Columbia and the Northern Rocky Mountains
Authors: Lee S. , Hamelin R. C. , Six D. L. , Breuil C.
Published: August 2007

The sapstaining fungal pathogen Ophiostoma clavigerum is associated with the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), which is currently the most destructive forest pest in North America. The genetic diversity of O. clavigerum populations collected from five sites in Canada and two sites in the United States was estimated with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. Genomic DNA from 170 O. clavigerum isolates was digested with EcoRI and PstI and amplified with six primer sets. A total of 469 AFLP markers consisting of 243 monomorphic and 226 polymorphic loci were scored. The overall genetic diversity of the O. clavigerum population was low (Hs = 0.0531) and the differentiation of the seven O. clavigerum populations was moderate (Φ = 0.143). Genetic distances among the populations were not significantly correlated with geographic distance (r = 0.3235, P = 0.074). Two genetically distinct groups in the O. clavigerum populations were shown by unique AFLP profiles and the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages. Further work to characterize biological differences between the two groups will be needed to confirm whether cryptic species are present in the O. clavigerum population.
Adrenergic modulation of olfactory bulb circuitry affects odor discrimination
Authors: Doucette Wilder , Milder Julie , Restrepo Diego
Published: August 2007

A rodent’s survival depends upon its ability to perceive odor cues necessary to guide mate selection, sexual behavior, foraging, territorial formation, and predator avoidance. Arguably, the need to discriminate odor cues in a complex olfactory environment requires a highly adaptable olfactory system. Indeed, it has been proposed that context-dependent modulation of the initial sensory relay could alter olfactory perception. Interestingly, 40% of the adrenergic innervation from the locus coeruleus, fibers that are activated by contextual cues, innervates the first relay station in the olfactory system (the main olfactory bulb). Here we utilize restricted pharmacological inhibition of olfactory bulb noradrenergic receptors in awake-behaving animals. We show that combined blockade of α and β adrenergic receptors does not impair two-odor discrimination behavior per se but does impair the ability to discriminate perceptually similar odors. Thus, contextual cues conveyed by noradrenergic fibers alter processing before the second synapse in the olfactory cortex, resulting in tuning of the ability to discriminate between similar odors.
The importance of social networks in their association to drug equipment sharing among injection drug users: a review
Authors: De Prithwish , Cox Joseph , Boivin Jean‐François , Platt Robert W. , Jolly Ann M.
Published: August 2007

Aim To examine the scientific evidence regarding the association between characteristics of social networks of injection drug users (IDUs) and the sharing of drug injection equipment.

Methods A search was performed on MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, Current Contents, PsycINFO databases and other sources to identify published studies on social networks of IDUs. Papers were selected based on their examination of social network factors in relation to the sharing of syringes and drug preparation equipment (e.g. containers, filters, water). Additional relevant papers were found from the reference list of identified articles.

Results Network correlates of drug equipment sharing are multi‐factorial and include structural factors (network size, density, position, turnover), compositional factors (network member characteristics, role and quality of relationships with members) and behavioural factors (injecting norms, patterns of drug use, severity of drug addiction). Factors appear to be related differentially to equipment sharing.

Conclusions Social network characteristics are associated with drug injection risk behaviours and should be considered alongside personal risk behaviours in prevention programmes. Recommendations for future research into the social networks of IDUs are proposed.
Genetic relationships among Kenyan and other East African indigenous chickens
Authors: Mwacharo J. M. , Nomura K. , Hanada H. , Jianlin H. , Hanotte O. , Amano T.
Published: August 2007

In this study, 30 microsatellite markers recommended by the International Society for Animal Genetics and the Food and Agriculture Organization were used to determine the extent of genetic differentiation and phylogenetic relationships among indigenous chicken populations sampled in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan. Genetic differentiation (FST) and chord genetic distances (DC) indicated that the indigenous chickens were genetically related but distinct from commercial broiler and egg layer lines. Genetic divergence among the indigenous chickens determined using the Mantel test was significantly influenced (P < 0.001) by geographic (reproductive) isolation. Genetic subdivisions were found between the Kenyan/Ugandan chicken populations and Ethiopian/Sudanese chicken populations. The Marsabit chicken population from northern Kenya was the most genetically distinct population within the Kenyan and Ugandan chicken cluster, thus warranting further investigation.
Genome‐wide association analysis reveals cryptic alleles as an important factor in heterosis for fatness in chicken F2 population
Authors: Abasht B. , Lamont S. J.
Published: August 2007

Genome‐wide association studies have become possible in the chicken because of the recent availability of the complete genome sequence, a polymorphism map and high‐density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping platforms. We used these tools to study the genetic basis of a very high level of heterosis that was previously observed for fatness in two F2 populations established by crossing one outbred broiler (meat‐type) sire with dams from two unrelated, highly inbred, light‐bodied lines (Fayoumi and Leghorn). In each F2 population, selective genotyping was carried out using phenotypically extreme males for abdominal fat percentage (AF) and about 3000 SNPs. Single‐point association analysis of about 500 informative SNPs per cross showed significant association (P < 0.01) of 15 and 24 markers with AF in the Broiler × Fayoumi and Broiler × Leghorn crosses respectively. These SNPs were on 10 chromosomes (GGA1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15 and 27). Interestingly, of the 39 SNPs that were significantly associated with AF, there were about twice as many homozygous genotypes associated with higher AF that traced back to the inbred lines alleles, although the broiler line had on average higher AF. These SNPs are considered to be associated with QTL with cryptic alleles. This study reveals cryptic alleles as an important factor in heterosis for fatness observed in two chicken F2 populations, and suggests epistasis as the common underlying mechanism for heterosis and cryptic allele expression. The results of this study also demonstrate the power of high marker‐density SNP association studies in discovering QTL that were not detected by previous microsatellite‐based genotyping studies.
Two calcineurin B‐like calcium sensors, interacting with protein kinase CIPK23, regulate leaf transpiration and root potassium uptake in Arabidopsis
Authors: Cheong Yong Hwa , Pandey Girdhar K. , Grant John J. , Batistic Oliver , Li Legong , Kim Beom‐Gi , Lee Sung‐Chul , Kudla Jörg , Luan Sheng
Published: August 2007

Calcium signalling involves sensor proteins that decode temporal and spatial changes in cellular Ca2+ concentration. Calcineurin B‐like proteins (CBLs) represent a unique family of plant calcium sensors that relay signals by interacting with a family of protein kinases, designated as CBL‐interacting protein kinases (CIPKs). In a reverse genetic screen for altered drought tolerance, we identified a loss‐of‐function allele of CIPK23 as exhibiting a drought‐tolerant phenotype. In the cipk23 mutant, reduced transpirational water loss from leaves coincides with enhanced ABA sensitivity of guard cells during opening as well as closing reactions, without noticeable alterations in ABA content in the plant. We identified the calcium sensors CBL1 and CBL9 as CIPK23‐interacting proteins that targeted CIPK23 to the plasma membrane in vivo. Expression analysis of the CIPK23, CBL1 and CBL9 genes suggested that they may function together in diverse tissues, including guard cells and root hairs. In addition, expression of the CIPK23 gene was induced by low‐potassium conditions, implicating a function of this gene product in potassium nutrition. Indeed, cipk23 mutants displayed severe growth impairment on media with low concentrations of potassium. This phenotype correlates with a reduced efficiency of K+ uptake into the roots. In support of the conclusion that CBL1 and CBL9 interact with and synergistically serve as upstream regulators of CIPK23, the cbl1 cbl9 double mutant, but not the cbl1 or cbl9 single mutants, exhibit altered phenotypes for stomatal responses and low‐potassium sensitivity. Together with the recent identification of the potassium channel AKT1 as a target of CIPK23, these results imply that plasma membrane‐localized CBL1– and CBL9–CIPK23 complexes simultaneously regulate K+ transport processes in roots and in stomatal guard cells.
Involving consumers successfully in NHS research: a national survey
Authors: Barber Rosemary , Boote Jonathan D. , Cooper Cindy L.
Published: August 2007

Objectives  To investigate how far and in what way consumers are involved in NHS research.

Background  There is guidance from the UK Department of Health on involving consumers in research, but it is not known how these policies have been implemented.

Design  A national postal survey was conducted of 884 researchers selected randomly from the National Research Register, 16 researchers registered on the INVOLVE database and 15 consumers nominated by researchers who collaborated in the same research projects.

Setting  The survey participants were drawn from diverse settings including NHS organizations and universities.

Participants  Researchers and consumers collaborating in the same projects.

Main outcome measures  Details of how consumers were involved and the number of projects that met previously developed consensus‐derived indicators of successful consumer involvement in NHS research.

Results  Of the 900 researchers who were sent a postal questionnaire, 518 responded, giving a response rate of 58%. Nine of the 15 consumers responded. Eighty‐eight (17%) researchers reported involving consumers, mainly as members of a project steering group, designing research instruments and/or planning or designing the research methods. Most projects met between one and four indicators.

Conclusions  This national survey revealed that only a small proportion of NHS researchers were actively involving consumers. This study provides a useful marker of how far the Department of Health’s policy on consumer involvement in NHS research has been implemented and in what way.
Temporal changes in functional diversity of culturable bacteria populations in Sitka spruce stumps
Authors: Murray A. C. , Woodward S.
Published: August 2007

Changes in culturable aerobic bacterial communities of Sitka spruce stumps between 1 and 10 years old were investigated by isolating from the top 55 mm of the stumps. High numbers of bacteria were recovered from 15 mm below the surface of 1‐ and 2‐year‐old stumps, particularly in the sapwood, after which numbers dropped by an order of magnitude. Proportions of colony‐forming units (cfu) capable of degrading cellulose and chitin increased with stump age, whereas siderophore producers decreased. Colony‐forming units were grouped on the basis of 13 phenotypic characteristics, including colony form and colour, Gram stain, heat tolerance, siderophore production and production of various enzymes. Four groups of bacteria were identified; the proportions of the three Gram‐negative groups varied with stump age. A quadratic relationship between bacterial diversity and stump age was detected using the Shannon–Weaver diversity index. Bacterial diversity was higher 15 mm below the stump surface than in deeper sampling points. The results are discussed in terms of the possible influence of prokaryotic organisms on the development of decay communities in Sitka spruce stumps.
Terpene response of Picea abies and Abies alba to infection with Heterobasidion s.l.
Authors: Zamponi L. , Michelozzi M. , Capretti P.
Published: August 2007

The monoterpene composition of Picea abies and Abies alba resin was analysed in relation to growth by Heterobasidion spp. Fifteen‐year‐old P. abies and A. alba trees were inoculated on branches with three species of Heterobasidion annosum s.l. After 4 months of incubation, each host was colonized to a significantly greater degree by the pathogen specific to that host (H. parviporum on P. abies, H. abietinum on A. alba) than by the other fungi. Analysis of the enantiomeric monoterpene profiles in the spruce and fir showed that the response in terms of the relative proportions of the monoterpene compounds in the resin differed between tree species. Following challenge with Heterobasidion spp., A. alba trees did not show changes in monoterpene composition in addition to those in the wounding response (increase in (−)‐α‐pinene and (−)‐camphene, and decrease in β‐phellandrene). In P.abies, (−)‐α‐pinene, (+)‐α‐pinene and δ‐3‐carene increased following Heterobasidion attack but not after wounding alone.
Exploring the Effect of Cognitive Biases on Customer Support Services
Authors: Gebauer Heiko , Krempl Regine , Fleisch Elgar
Published: August 2007

In order to meet the increasingly more complex needs of customers and respond to decreasing product margins, product‐oriented firms have developed a growing interest in extending their service business. Over the last couple of years, most product‐oriented companies have explored the numerous opportunities offered by traditional customer service and product‐related services. Currently, these opportunities have reached a certain level of maturity. A number of practitioners and theorists stress the growing importance of customer support services. However, the entry point to the theorizing is the observation that very few product‐oriented firms have already innovated customer support services successfully. In most firms, cognitive biases limit the motivation of managers to facilitate creative potential for new customer support services. In this paper, four cognitive biases are elaborated through 12 mini‐cases and 8 in‐depth cases. The results suggest that disbelief in the financial potential, risk aversion, tendency to set over‐ambitious objectives, and fundamental attribution error plays a critical role in creating customer support services. These four cognitive biases, and the key factors in overcoming them, provide guidance for managers who aim to facilitate creative potential for customer support services.
COORDINATION OF MONETARY AND FISCAL POLICY IN A MONETARY UNION: POLICY ISSUES AND ANALYTICAL MODELS
Authors: CANZONERI MATTHEW B.
Published: August 2007

The European Monetary Union raises new and interesting questions about the coordination of monetary and fiscal policy. In this lecture, I discuss some of these questions and the answers that a new class of models—new neoclassical synthesis (NNS) models—is currently giving to them. I will argue that the new questions expose some weaknesses in current NNS modeling; in particular, the models do not seem to explain the positive correlation between national inflation and growth differentials that has been observed in the European data. I also review some recent work that has been done on policy coordination within a currency union.
III. NICKEL
Authors: Bradbury E. J.
Published: August 2007

Reference is made to previous publications dealing with the use of nickel and alloys of nickel in the dairy industry. General discussion of corrosion‐testing is given, with emphasis on the need for care in the interpretation of the results of tests. A summary of the points to be considered when choosing a material for the construction of plant follows, with examples taken from the dairy industry.
EXPERIMENTS ON MILKING TECHNIQUE
Authors: Dodd F. H. , Foot A. S.
Published: August 2007

1. During the first 2 weeks and last 2 weeks of a 9‐week period nine cows, milked by machine, were prepared for milking by hosing and washing the udders with cold water 15 min. to 1 hr. before milking, while in the intervening 5 weeks the udders only were washed with water at 115 to 120oF. immediately before milking.

2. The hot‐water routine had no pronounced effect on the yield and quality of the milk from the majority of the cows, although one reacted unfavourably to a change back to the cold water routine and had to be stripped by hand.

3. The gradual restriction, over an interval of 4–6 weeks, in the milking time from 100 to 60% of the previous normal flow period for three cows in mid‐lactation had no great influence on the maximum rate of milk flow from the udder, even when hot‐water washing of the udder immediately before milking was introduced late in the experiment. The maximum rate of flow was, however, reached slightly sooner after putting on the teat cups.

4. The restriction in milking time caused only a small reduction in yield as the flow during the latter part of the flow period had in any case been small.

5. The fat content of the milk of the cows whose milking time was restricted fell somewhat while the solids‐not‐fat content remained steady.

6. Washing the udder with hot water or restricting milking time showed no clear‐cut effect on the incidence of mastitis.

Our thanks are due to Dr. S. J. Rowland, who carried out the tests for chemical quality of the milk, and to Mr. F. K. Neave, who carried out the bacteriological examination for mastitis. We wish also to record our appreciation of the help given by Messrs. J. Povey and Sons, of Swallow‐field, who not only provided cows for the second experiment but co‐operated willingly in the collection of data.