[Comparison of the efficacies of cross priming amplification and RealAmp with XpertMTB/RIF for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis at peripheral microscopic center]

Objective: To compare the efficacies of cross priming amplification (CPA) and RealAmp with XpertMTB/RIF for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis(TB) at peripheral microscopic centers. Methods: From December of 2014 to December of 2015, 3 193 patients suspected with TB were enrolled consecutively at 3 county level TB clinical clinics in Zhongmu, Xinmi and Dengzhou of Henan province. Totally 3 193 collected sputum samples were detected by smear microscopy, L-J media culture, CPA, RealAmp and Xpert MTB/RIF. The culture positive samples were tested by MPB64 for strain identification. The sensitivity and specificity of CPA, RealAmp and Xpert MTB/RIF were calculated according to L-J solid culture results and clinical diagnosis results. Results: The sensitivity of CPA, RealAmp and Xpert MTB/RIF were 85.5%(413/483), 85.5%(413/483) and 87.9%(422/480), respectively, compared with L-J solid culture, the difference among the 3 methods being not significant(χ(2)=1.6, P>0.05). The specificity of CPA, RealAmp and Xpert MTB/RIF were 96.8%(2 624/2 170), 93.2%(2 527/2 170) and 95.3%(2 567/2 170) compared with culture; and there was a significantly statistic difference among the 3 methods(χ(2)=37.8, P<0.001). The sensitivity of smear microscopy, culture, CPA, RealAmp and Xpert MTB/RIF was 21.7%(300/1 383), 34.9%(483/1 383), 34.6%(478/1 383), 39.2%(542/1 383) and 38.1%(526/1 381) compared with clinical diagnosis. The sensitivity of CPA, RealAmp and Xpert MTB/RIF was higher than that of smear (χ(2) =31.9, P<0.01), but there was no significantly statistic difference between the 3 molecular methods(χ(2)=2.9, P>0.05). The specificity of smear microscopy, L-J solid culture, CPA, RealAmp and Xpert MTB/RIF was 100%(1 810/1 810), 100%(1 810/1 810), 98.8%(1 789/1 810), 98.8%(1 756/1 810) and 97.0%(1 788/1 810), and there was no significantly statistic difference among the 3 molecular methods(χ(2)=0.16, P>0.05). Conclusion: The capability of CPA and RealAmp for diagnosing pulmonary TB was similar to Xpert MTB/RIF.The former 2 methods were more suitable to apply to the diagnoses of pulmonary TB in peripheral laboratories.

Describing the quality of life of boys with haemophilia in China: Results of a multicentre study using the CHO-KLAT

INTRODUCTION

The treatment of haemophilia varies across countries and across regions within some countries. Similar variation has been observed in health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). Relatively little is known about the HR-QoL of boys with haemophilia in China.

AIM

The aim of this study was to describe the HR-QoL of boys with haemophilia in China using the Canadian Haemophilia Outcomes-Kids Life Assessment Tool (CHO-KLAT).

METHODS

Boys (4-18 years of age) with haemophilia and their parents were enroled in a cross-sectional study. All parents/guardians of study subjects were requested to complete a CHO-KLAT questionnaire during a clinic visit, and report on several other clinical and socioeconomic factors in the past year. Boys who were > 7 years also completed the CHO-KLAT.

RESULTS

A total of 269 parents of boys with haemophilia, from 13 hospitals in 12 provinces, were enroled during 2014. The boys ranged from 4.0 to 17.9 years of age; 91% had haemophilia A, most had moderate (52%) or severe (36%) disease, and most were receiving sub-optimal on-demand therapy or low-dose prophylactic therapy. Child self-report CHO-KLAT scores were available for 171 boys ≥7 years of age and ranged from 24.2 to 85.3 with a mean of 57.6 (n = 171). Parent proxy-reported CHO-KLAT scores ranged from 25.0 to 88.7 with a mean of 55.1 (n = 269).

CONCLUSION

HR-QoL scores in boys with haemophilia in China were substantially lower than reported from Canadian and European boys with haemophilia. Longer term prospective studies are required to examine the factors impacting the HR-QoL for boys with haemophilia in China.

[Characteristics and Sources of Elements in Atmospheric Dust Fall in Zhuzhou City, Central China]

To study the concentration characteristics as well as sources of elements and heavy metal pollution in atmospheric dust fall in Zhuzhou City, 144 samples from 12 sites in the Zhuzhou urban area were collected from January to December in 2012 and 28 kinds of elements in the samples were analyzed. The results showed that the dust fall quantities of the industrial areas and mixed commercial and residential (MCR) areas were, respectively, 89.46 g·m^-2 and 33.20 g·m^-2 and the range of all sample points was 23.14-114.67 g·m^-2. There were 10 elements (Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Zn, Pb) in the industrial areas as well as 8 elements in the MCR areas, for which the contents greatly exceeded 1000 mg·m^-1 in the atmospheric dust fall. The Zn and Pb contents exceeded 10000 mg·kg^-1 in the dust fall of the industrial areas, which were far higher than those in the Earth's crust. The main sources of dust fall in Zhuzhou City were metal smelting, shallow ground dust, vehicle emissions, construction dust, and industrial production with specific elements (Mo, Ba). Correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and analysis of transportation characteristics showed that 13 elements (Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Tl, Pb) in dust fall mainly came from waste gas emissions of industrial areas in Zhuzhou, in which 7 heavy metal elements (Cu, Zn, As, Ag, Cd, Sb, Pb) caused serious pollution. The contents of heavy metals in the industrial areas were 7.4 to 4079.4 times the contents defined in China soil elements background values, whereas those in the MCR areas were 3.6 to 1413.4 times the soil background values. Cd was the highest background ratio element. The degree of contamination was clearly higher in the industrial areas than in the MCR areas.

Promoter analysis and tissue expression of the chicken ASB15 gene

1. This study was conducted to explore the promoter region of the chicken ASB15 gene by detecting the activities of the dual luciferase reporter gene and to assess expression profiles of the ASB15 gene in 10 different tissues from Gushi chickens. 2. Five dual luciferase reporter gene vectors were constructed and transfected into DF1 cells. The activities of recombined plasmids were measured and the core promoter was confirmed by bioinformatic analysis. Total RNA was extracted and the relative expression of the ASB15 gene was examined. 3. Data analysis indicated that the promoter was located from -955 to -212 bp. Results showed that the chicken ASB15 gene was expressed in heart, breast muscle and leg muscle. 4. This study has confirmed the promoter region and the expression profile of the chicken ASB15 gene, which provides a foundation for further exploring its transcriptional regulation and function.

[Association and interaction of heat shock proteins B1 gene and tumor-suppressor protein p53 gene with chromosome damage levels among coke oven workers]

Objective: To investigate the association and interaction of heat shock proteins B1(HSPB1)gene rs2868371 and tumor-suppressor protein p53(TP53)gene rs1042522 polymorphisms with chromosome damage levels among coke oven workers. Methods: We recruited 1 333 male workers from a state-run coke oven plant in Wuhan in September-October 2010. Among them, 949 who had worked in coke oven workplaces, including auxiliary facilities and bottom, side, and top ovens, were nominated as coke oven workers(i.e., exposed), and 384 administrative or medical staff whose workplaces were offices were used as controls. General characteristics and 5 ml of venous blood were collected from each participant. The plasma concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene-diolepoxide(BPDE)-albumin adducts and the lymphocytic micronucleus(MN)frequencies for each individual were detected by ELISA and cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay, respectively. Gene polymorphisms were genotyped using TaqMan assays via quantitative PCR(ABI Prism 7900HT), and the corresponding frequency ratios(FR)with 95% confidence intervals(CI)were computed for all assays. Results: In the exposed group, the MN frequencies were higher in HSPB1 rs2868371 GC, CC, and GC+ CC genotype carriers((3.88 ± 2.88)‰,(4.00 ± 2.66)‰, and(3.91 ± 2.83)‰, respectively)than in rs2868371 GG genotype carriers((3.52±2.67)‰; FR=1.10, 1.13, and 1.11; 95% CI: 1.02-1.19, 1.02-1.25, and 1.03-1.19, respectively), and the HSPB1 rs2868371C allele was associated with increased MN frequency(P_trend=0.006). Further, in the exposed group, the MN frequencies were lower in TP53 rs1042522 CG and CG+GG genotype carriers((3.63±2.61)‰ and(3.66±2.61)‰, respectively)than in TP53 rs1042522 CC genotype carriers(3.95±3.06)‰(FR=0.87 and 0.90; 95% CI: 0.83-0.96 and 0.84-0.97, respectively). The effect of gene-gene interaction between HSPB1, rs2868371, and TP53 rs1042522 on MN frequency was significant among coke oven workers(P=0.001). Further stratified analyses showed that the effects of the HSPB1 rs2868371C allele in increasing MN frequencies were robust in subjects aged >40 years(FR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.01-1.12), those working >20 years(FR=1.08, 95% CI: 1.02-1.14), those with BMI ≤24 kg/m²(FR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.01-1.13), drinkers(FR=1.09, 95% CI: 1.02-1.16), and workers with higher BPDE-albumin adduct levels(FR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.01-1.13)(P_trend=0.023, 0.013, 0.029, and 0.020, respectively). The decreasing effect of the TP53 rs1042522 G allele on MN frequencies was robust in subjects aged >40 years(FR=0.94, 95% CI: 0.89-0.99), those with BMI ≤24 kg/m²(FR=0.94, 95% CI: 0.88-0.99), and drinkers(FR=0.94, 95% CI: 0.88-1.00)(P_trend=0.031, 0.023, and 0.038, respectively). In addition, there were interactions between HSPB1 rs2868371 and age and between HSPB1 rs2868371 and working years in terms of MN frequency(P=0.030 and 0.013, respectively). Conclusion: In coke oven workers, the HSPB1 rs2868371 C and TP53 rs1042522 G alleles were associated with increased and decreased chromosome damage levels, respectively, and their interaction effect on chromosome damage levels was significant.

Comparison of the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel benzene sulfonate and clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate in stable coronary heart disease

Clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate (CHS) is a thienopyridine, which can be used to prevent cardiovascular complications alone or in combination with acetyl salicylic acid as an important antiplatelet agent. Clopidogrel benzene sulfonate (CB) is a special clopidogrel salt that can be used as a conventional drug for antiplatelet effects, but the mechanism is still unknown. This study aimed to compare the antiplatelet effects of CHS and CB in stable coronary artery disease patients. Stable coronary artery disease patients (N = 119) were randomly divided into two groups receiving CHS (N = 67) or CB (N = 52). The patients were administered the drugs (600 mg dosage) and monitored for 12 to 14 h to detect antiplatelet effects. Antiplatelet response was evaluated by the P2Y12 response unit (PRU) and P2Y12 suppression percentage. In addition, all patients' CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3, and CYP3A5 polymorphisms were studied. Similar clinical manifestations were observed in the two groups. No obvious difference was detected in the platelet levels of patients given CHS or CB. The antiplatelet response (PRU and P2Y12 evaluation) of the patients using CHS and CB was not significantly different. In the two groups, the CYP2C19*2 polymorphic heterozygote number and antiplatelet response were similar. CB and CHS presented similar antiplatelet effects in stable coronary artery disease patients, and there was no difference in the CYP2C19*2 heterozygous polymorphism.

Polarization pulling in Raman assisted fiber optical parametric amplifiers

We proposed a theoretical model to investigate the polarization pulling effect in bi-directionally pumped degenerate Raman assisted fiber optical parameter amplifiers (RA-FOPAs) using randomly birefringent fibers. The contributions of chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion (PMD), Raman gain, and nonlinear effects to the phase matching in RA-FOPAs are investigated. We characterize four different states of polarization pulling in RA-FOPAs. We found that broadband polarization attraction can be obtained in the optimum phase-matching state of the bi-directionally pumped RA-FOPAs when the parametric pump power is chosen to avoid deep saturation of the Raman gain.

Polarized fiber optical parametric amplification in randomly birefringent fibers

A comprehensive theoretical model to investigate phase matching in degenerate polarized fiber optical parametric amplifiers (FOPAs) in randomly birefringent fibers is developed. We show that in the small signal region, simulation results from the proposed model agree well with the experimental results. It was also shown that four waves mixing (FWM) effect could compensate polarization mode dispersion (PMD) induced phase mismatch. Similar to counter-propagating fiber Raman amplifiers (FRAs), the degree of polarization of FOPAs approaches unity exponentially with the gain but at a larger rate 1/Γ. Thus larger polarization-pulling can be achieved in FOPAs than the counter-propagating FRAs for the same gain.

Nodular pulmonary light chain deposition disease: an entity associated with Sjögren syndrome or marginal zone lymphoma

Background

Light chain deposition disease (LCDD) is usually a systemic disorder characterised by non-amyloid monoclonal immunoglobulin light chain deposition in tissues. Localised nodular pulmonary (NP) LCDD is a rare and poorly characterised entity and, owing to the difficulties in diagnosis, limited data are available.

Methods

We investigated the clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics of a series of six confidently diagnosed cases of NPLCDD.

Results

There were three men and three women with ages ranging from 33 to 74 years. In all cases there were single or multiple pulmonary nodules, in one case associated with cysts. Two patients had no previous history of a lymphoproliferative or autoimmune disorder, two had Sjögren syndrome (SS) and two had extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma). Lung biopsies led to diagnoses of MALT lymphoma in four patients, including both of those with a previous history of lymphoma and one with SS. In five cases the diagnosis was confirmed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and in one by electron microscopy. There was no evidence of systemic LCDD in any of the cases. Five patients had an indolent course in spite of limited therapeutic intervention while, in the patient who died, the cause of death was related to the spread of the lymphoma and was not due to the pulmonary lesions.

Conclusions

NPLCDD is an indolent disease, in most cases associated with MALT lymphoma or autoimmune disease.

Assessment of correlation between pre-miRNA-1757 polymorphism and chicken performance traits

Single nucleotide polymorphism in microRNAs (miRNA) may influence their target gene selection and regulation efficiency, leading to animal phenotypic variation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the miRNA-1757 gene precursor region (pre-mir-1757) on economic-related traits in chicken. Genotyping was performed using Sequenom MassArray® iPLEX GOLD System. Association analysis was performed using SPSS19.0. The data showed that the G/C polymorphism was significantly correlated with semi-evisceration weight, evisceration weight, carcass weight, body weight at 10 weeks of age, shank length at 4 weeks of age, pectoral angle at 8 weeks of age, and body slanting length and pelvis breadth at 12 weeks of age (P < 0.05), and led to the alteration of the RNA secondary structure of pre-mir-1757. Our results provide useful information for further annotation studies of miRNA function.

A retrospective clinical study of bevacizumab combined with gemcibabine or paclitaxel in the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Bevacizumab, a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks angiogenesis by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor A, was described to be effective in the treatment of recurrent or platinum-resistance ovarian cancer. The present retrospective study was performed to further evaluate the clinical efficacy and toxicity of bevacizumab in the treatment of Chinese recurrent ovarian cancer patients who had been previously treated by platinum-based chemotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We reviewed the hospital database and finally included 26 recurrent ovarian cancer patients who were treated with bevacizumab combined with gemcibabine or paclitaxel or single agent. All included patients received >3 cycle of bevacizumab treatment. The tumor response, overall survival, and toxicities were documented.

RESULTS

Under the treatment of bevacizumab combined with gemcibabine or paclitaxel, 2 complete response (7.7%), 8 partial response (30.8%), 7 stable disease (26.9%) and 9 progression disease (34.6%) was documented with the objective response rate of 38.5% and disease control rate of 65.4%. The median overall survival from the first application of bevacizumab was 15.3 months [Figure 1] for all of the 26 patients. The median overall survival time was 16.2 and 14.0 months for bevacizumab + gemcitabine and bevacizumab + paclitaxel treatment schedule respectively. The overall survival was not different between bevacizumab + gemcitabine and bevacizumab + paclitaxel treatment regimen hazard ratio = 0.80 (95% confidence interval: 0.32-2, P = 0.64). The hypertension and proteinuria were the major bevacizumab related toxicities.

CONCLUSIONS

Bevacizumab combined with gemcibabine or paclitaxel was a promising treatment schedule for platinum-resistance recurrent ovarian cancer.

Association of older paternal age with earlier onset among co-affected schizophrenia sib-pairs

BACKGROUND

Advanced paternal age is associated with increased risk of schizophrenia. This study aimed to explore whether older paternal age is associated with earlier onset among co-affected schizophrenia sib-pairs with the same familial predisposition.

METHOD

A total of 1297 patients with schizophrenia from 630 families, which were ascertained to have at least two siblings affected, throughout Taiwan were interviewed using the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies. Both inter-family comparisons, a hierarchical regression model allowing for familial dependence and adjusting for confounders, and within-family comparisons, examining the consistency between onset order and birth order, were performed.

RESULTS

An inverted U shape was observed between paternal age and onset of schizophrenia. Affected offspring with paternal age of 20-24 years had the oldest onset. As paternal age increased over 25 years, older paternal age exhibited a linear decrease in the onset of schizophrenia. On average, the onset was lowered by 1.5 years for paternal age of 25-29 years and by 5.5 years for paternal age ⩾50 years (p = 0.04; trend test). The proportion of younger siblings with earlier onset (58%) was larger than that of older siblings with earlier onset (42%) (p = 0.0002).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that paternal age older than 25 years and younger than 20 years were both associated with earlier onset among familial schizophrenia cases. The associations of advanced paternal age with both increased susceptibility to schizophrenia and earlier onset of schizophrenia are consistent with the rate of increases in spontaneous mutations in sperm as men age.

Identification of an SCAR marker related to female phenotype in Idesia polycarpa Maxim

Idesia polycarpa Maxim. is a dioecious species. Because of the lack of morphological and cytological methods available for identifying its sex during the long juvenile stage, the application of molecular markers in sex identification may facilitate sex determination in the seedling stage. The objective of this study was to use sequence-related amplified polymorphism to identify sex-linked markers in I. polycarpa and convert these markers into sequence-characterized amplified region markers, which are much easier to identify. A total of 342 primer combinations were screened and 2770 bands were examined. Only me14/em8 could amplify a specific fragment (210 base pairs) in all female but none in male plants. We analyzed this fragment using GenBank and found that the sequence similarity was 80% to the Populus trichocarpa clone POP006-H09 (sequence ID: gb|AC212923.1|) and that of the deduced amino acid sequence was 73% to the integrase of Mendicago truncatula (sequence ID: gb|ABD28291.1|) and 71% to the predicted retrotransposon integrase-like protein 1-like in Cicer arietinum (sequence ID: ref|XP 004515460.1|) (NCBI database through December 17, 2013). This fragment was converted into a stable and simple sequence-characterized amplified region marker approximately 200 base pairs in length. This marker can be utilized for early sexual identification in I. polycarpa, which will facilitate future breeding programs.

293FT is a highly suitable mammalian cell line for the in vitro enzymatic activity analysis of typical P450 proteins

Mammalian cells have been widely used for the in vitro evaluation of the functional effect of allelic variants of cytochrome P450 (CYP). The aim of this study was to determine the most suitable mammalian cell line for the in vitro drug metabolism analysis of CYP variants. Three reported cell lines (COS-7, HepG2, 293T) and one fast-growing variant of the 293 cell line 293FT were transfected with vectors expressing green fluorescent protein or typical variants of CYP2C9, CYP2C19 or CYP2D6 to investigate the protein expression levels and the catalytic activity of expressed CYP allelic variants. The transfected 293FT cells had the highest protein expression level and exhibited the highest enzymatic activity, while HepG2 cells showed the lowest activity among the four tested cell lines. Simultaneously, 293FT cells still maintained the similar relative enzymatic ratio among three typical CYP2C9 variants to that of the commonly used COS-7 cells. In addition, 293FT cells could also be used for the in vitro functional evaluation of two other typical P450 proteins, CYP2C19 and CYP2D6. Therefore, the 293FT cell line is more suitable for the in vitro enzymatic activity analysis of typical P450 proteins than any other reported mammalian cell lines.

Genetic diversity and relationships among Chinese Eucommia ulmoides cultivars revealed by sequence-related amplified polymorphism, amplified fragment length polymorphism, and inter-simple sequence repeat markers

Sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to estimate the genetic diversity and relationships among Eucommia ulmoides cultivars in China. A total of 240, 192, and 150 DNA fragments were detected by 10 SRAP primer combinations, 10 AFLP primer combinations, and 10 ISSR primers, among which 89.2, 65.1, and 88.0% of the fragments were polymorphic, respectively. Cluster analysis revealed that Qinzhong No. 3, Xiaoyeci, Qinzhong No. 1, and Qinzhong No. 2 formed independent clusters. The other 15 cultivars exhibited two clusters. The results of this study will help in the selection of parents for both genome mapping and crossbreeding purposes.

Relationship between progeny growth performance and molecular marker-based genetic distances in Eucommia ulmoides parental genotypes

Progeny performances, variations and combining abilities for growth traits were evaluated in a factorial mating design of Eucommia ulmoides. Three marker systems, sequence-related amplified polymorphism, amplified fragment length polymorphism, and inter-simple sequence repeat, were used to determine genetic distances between parents. Correlations of genetic distances with progeny performances, within-family coefficients of variation and specific-combining abilities were established for height and basal diameter traits. Significant positive correlations were found between progeny performances of growth traits and genetic distances of parents based on sequence-related amplified polymorphism markers or a combination of all 3 marker systems. This revealed that crosses between genetically distant parents produced progenies with excellent growth performances. The lack of correlations between parental genetic distances and within-family coefficients of variation or specific-combining abilities suggested that these characteristics were unpredictable. The results of this study represent a potential criterion to predict progeny performances and choose parents in the breeding program.

Expression of ERCC1 and BRCA1 predict the clinical outcome of non-small cell lung cancer in patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy

We examined mRNA expression levels of ERCC1, BRCA1, RRM1, and human β-tubulin-III (TUBB3) in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients and investigated the association between expression of these genes and the clinical outcome of NSCLC treatment. A total of 366 patients who underwent surgery for NSCLC were included in this study. All patients received third-generation platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment. The relative cDNA quantification for ERCC1, RRM1, BRCA1, and TUBB3 was determined using a fluorescence-based, real-time detection method. We found that low expression of ERCC1 and BRCA1 was associated with a good response to platinum-based chemotherapy, with an odds ratio [95% confidence interval (CI)] of 2.09 (1.33-3.27) and 2.92 (1.85-4.62), respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that patients with low expression of ERCC1 and BRCA1 attained a longer overall survival time than those with high expression, with a hazard ratio (95%CI) of 0.42 (0.23-0.77) and 0.39 (0.21-0.71), respectively. However, RMM1 and TUBB2 expressions were not correlated with clinical outcome of NSCLC. In conclusion, we found that low expression of ERCC1 and BRCA1 can be useful for selecting NSCLC patients who would benefit from chemotherapy and warrants further investigation in prospective studies.

Targeting heterochromatin formation to transposable elements in Drosophila: potential roles of the piRNA system

Successful heterochromatin formation is critical for genome stability in eukaryotes, both to maintain structures needed for mitosis and meiosis and to silence potentially harmful transposable elements. Conversely, inappropriate heterochromatin assembly can lead to inappropriate silencing and other deleterious effects. Hence targeting heterochromatin assembly to appropriate regions of the genome is of utmost importance. Here we focus on heterochromatin assembly in Drosophila melanogaster, the model organism in which variegation, or cell-to-cell variable gene expression resulting from heterochromatin formation, was first described. In particular, we review the potential role of transposable elements as genetic determinants of the chromatin state and examine how small RNA pathways may participate in the process of targeted heterochromatin formation.

First Report of Corynespora Leaf Spot Caused by C. cassiicola on Golden Vicary Privet (Ligustrum × vicaryi) in China

Golden vicary privet (Ligustrum × vicaryi Rehd.), a hybrid between L. ovalifolium 'Aureum' Rehd. and L. vulgare L., is widely used as a landscape shrub for horticultural ornamentation. From 2009 to 2011, a leaf spot disease of L. × vicaryi was observed in the parks in Luoyang, Henan Province, China. Lesions were initially brown and punctiform, and with age the lesions turned into elliptic, subcircular to irregular and pale brown, faintly zonate, and depressed. Fully mature lesions were mostly irregular to circular, 5 to 15 mm in diameter, centers tan to dark brown, with reddish brown to reddish purple margins of varying width. The disease eventually caused substantial premature defoliation. After infected leaves were collected from parks and maintained in a humid atmosphere, a layer of black mold developed on the surface of the lesions. Conidiophores were cylindrical, straight to slightly curved, brown, unbranched (2 to 7 septa), and were 98.5 to 403.9 μm in length, 4.5 to 6.6 μm in width. Conidia were solitary or in short chains containing two to five spores, and were cylindrical or obclavate, straight or flexuose (3 to 19 pseudosepta), pale olivaceous brown or brown when mature, and were 78.8 to 315.2 μm in length by 5.3 to 12.3 μm in width. Morphological characteristics of the fungus were similar to those of Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & Curt.) Wei (1). Lesions on leaves were excised, surface sterilized, and plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25°C for 2 to 3 days. A fungus was isolated from the lesions, and pure isolates that were obtained after from single spored isolates were cultured on PDA. Colonies on PDA formed concentric growth rings, abundant aerial mycelia, and were grey or dark brown in color. The isolate ST1 was selected as a representative for molecular identification. The ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of the isolate was amplified by PCR with primers ITS1/ITS4 (3) and sequenced. BLAST analysis of the 559 bp amplicon (GenBank Accession No. KC138855) indicated 100% sequence similarity with C. cassiicola (GU138988) (2). To validate Koch's postulates, pathogenicity tests were performed by spraying leaves of five healthy potted L. vicaryi with a 10⁶ conidia per ml aqueous suspension. Control plants were inoculated with sterile water. Plants were covered with plastic bags for 24 h after inoculation and maintained at 25°C. After 3 days, all inoculated plants showed typical symptoms, whereas water sprayed controls remained healthy. C. cassiicola was consistently reisolated from these lesions. The reisolated conidia showed the same morphological characteristics as described above. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot caused by C. cassiicola on L. × vicaryi in China. Its confirmation is a significant step toward management recommendations for growers. References: (1) M. B. Ellis et al. Corynespora cassiicola. CMI Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria, no. 303. Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, UK, 1971. (2) X. B. Liu et al. Plant Dis. 94:916, 2010. (3) T. J. White et al. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press, San Diego, 1990.