First European Report of a Leaf Spot on Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) Caused by a Phoma sp

Common ragweed, native to North America, has recently become invasive in some parts of Europe. In Hungary, it has become the most widespread agricultural weed species and the most important producer of allergenic pollen since the 1990s. During surveys for its fungal plant pathogens to be evaluated as potential biological control agents (1), ragweed plants exhibiting necrotic spots on the leaves and stems were repeatedly found in Heves and Vas counties in Hungary in September 2004 and 2006. Numerous globose and ostiolate pycnidia, 68 to 115 μm in diameter, containing hyaline, unicellular conidia, 3 to 8 μm long, were found in necrotic tissues. On the basis of these characteristics, the fungus was identified as a Phoma sp., and 21 isolates were obtained on Czapek-Dox medium supplemented with 2% malt and 0.5% tetracycline in 2004 and 2006. Two well-sporulating isolates, designated Ph-5 and Ph-17, were selected for further studies. DNA was extracted from mycelium with a Qiagen DNeasy Plant Kit (Hilden, Germany) and the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences were amplified and determined as described by Szentiványi et al. (2). The ITS sequences were identical in these two isolates and were 97 to 98% similar to those of Didymella bryoniae (anamorph Phoma cucurbitacearum), a pathogen of cucurbits, and also to those of other Phoma spp. No ITS sequences identical to those determined in Phoma isolates Ph-5 and Ph-17 were found in GenBank. Sequence data were deposited in GenBank (No. FJ794609). To test the pathogenicity of Ph-17 grown on Czapek-Dox medium with 2% malt, a 2 to 6 × 10⁵ conidia/ml aqueous suspension was used to inoculate 2-month-old potted ragweed plants and 1-month-old cucumber cv. Rajnai fürtös, bottle gourd (Lagenaria leucantha) cv. Minibottle, and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) cv. Sugar Baby, which were all grown from seeds in a greenhouse. Plants were kept in transparent plastic chambers for 6 weeks. Five pots with one to three plants each were used for each plant species tested and the experiment was carried out twice. Noninoculated plants, two pots with one to three individuals for each species kept in the same way, served as controls. Necrotic spots with pycnidia developed on 38 to 47% of the leaves of all inoculated ragweed plants 18 to 25 days after inoculation, whereas all the cucurbitaceous plants tested, as well as the control ragweed plants, did not develop disease symptoms. Although the Phoma isolate Ph-17 was, based on ITS sequence data, closely related to D. bryoniae, it was not pathogenic to cucurbits. The pathogen was reisolated from two diseased ragweed plants. Several Phoma spp. strains were isolated from Ambrosia artemisiifolia in the United States and Canada (3,4), but to our knowledge, none were isolated outside North America. One of the strains has already been used as a potential biological control agent of ragweed in Canada, but then lost its virulence in culture (3). The biocontrol potential of the Hungarian Phoma sp. isolate Ph-17 against A. artemisiifolia is currently being investigated. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a Phoma sp. on A. artemisiifolia in Europe. References: (1) L. Kiss. Biocontrol Sci. Technol. 17:535, 2007. (2) O. Szentiványi et al. Mycol. Res. 109:429, 2005. (3) M. P. Teshler et al. Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Common Ragweed (Asteraceae) in: Biological Control Programmes in Canada, 1981-2000. CABI, Wallingford, UK, 2002. (4) L. Zhou et al. Mycologia 97:612, 2005.

Rapid 'glycaemic swings' induce nitrosative stress, activate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and impair endothelial function in a rat model of diabetes mellitus

AIM/HYPOTHESIS

Postpandrial hyperglycaemia is a significant risk factor for the development of macrovascular diseases. There is no clear agreement in the field whether these alterations result from hyperglycaemic episodes or from exaggerated alterations ('glycaemic swings') in blood glucose. We compared the effect of stable high glucose with a model of poorly maintained insulin-controlled diabetes (on average lower glucose, but with large glycaemic swings) on the development of endothelial dysfunction in rats.

METHODS

Intermediate- or long-acting insulin was used to reduce mean blood glucose levels. One group of animals had stable low glucose levels, while animals in the other group exhibited rapid changes ('swings') in their blood glucose concentration. Acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation of the thoracic aorta was measured. Immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis and flow cytometry were used to determine nitrotyrosine formation and poly(ADP-ribose) accumulation in the aorta, in circulating leucocytes and in bone marrow cells.

RESULTS

Steady normalisation of blood glucose levels (a model of well-controlled diabetes) protected against the development of endothelial dysfunction, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation and nitrotyrosine production. However, impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxation was found in the animals undergoing glycaemic swings, even though the fructosamine levels in these animals were lower than in the untreated diabetic rats. This was associated with elevated PARP activation in the aorta and in bone marrow cells that was similar to or even more pronounced than that seen in the untreated diabetic animals.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Large glycaemic swings exert deleterious cardiovascular effects in diabetes mellitus, in part via enhanced activation of the PARP pathway.

First Report of Powdery Mildew (Oidium sp.) on Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa columbaria) in New York

Scabiosa columbaria (Dipsacaceae) is a popular perennial ornamental in the United States. It is native to Europe and was introduced to North America by nursery trade only recently. In the spring of 2006, symptoms of powdery mildew infection were observed on overwintered plants of S. columbaria cv. Butterfly Blue in a nursery in Cutchogue, NY. White powdery mildew mycelia with abundant sporulation were observed on upper and lower leaf surfaces. The portions of leaves with powdery mildew colonies often showed purplish discoloration. Conidia were cylindric to doliiform, measured 20 to 33 × 10 to 15 μm, and were produced singly on 60 to 130 μm long conidiophores consisting of a foot-cell measuring 20 to 50 × 6 to 10 μm, followed by one to three, 12 to 40 μm long cells. Hyphal appressoria were lobed or multilobed. The teleomorph stage was not found. On the basis of these characteristics, the pathogen was identified as an Oidium sp. belonging to the subgenus Pseudoidium. Recently, an anamorphic powdery mildew fungus with similar morphological characteristics, identified as Erysiphe knautiae, was reported on S. columbaria cv. Butterfly Blue in Washington (2). E. knautiae is a common powdery mildew species of dipsacaceous plants such as Scabiosa spp. and Knautia spp. in Europe and Asia (1). To determine whether the fungus reported here was E. knautiae, DNA was extracted from its mycelium, and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA was amplified and sequenced as described earlier (4). No ITS sequences are available in public DNA databases for E. knautiae, thus, we determined this sequence in a specimen of E. knautiae collected from Knautia arvensis in The Netherlands. Herbarium specimens of the Oidium sp. infecting S. columbaria in New York and E. knautiae from the Netherlands were deposited at the U.S. National Fungus Collections under accession numbers BPI 878259 and BPI 878258, respectively. The ITS sequence from Oidium sp. infecting S. columbaria in New York (GenBank Accession No. EU377474) differed in two nucleotides from that of E. knautiae infecting K. arvensis in the Netherlands (GenBank Accession No. EU377475). These two ITS sequences were also more than 99% similar to those of some newly emerged anamorphic powdery mildew fungi: Oidium neolycopersici and other Oidium spp. infecting Chelidonium majus, Passiflora caerulea, and some crassulaceous plants (3,4). Thus, it is unclear whether the fungus reported here was E. knautiae known from Eurasia or an Oidium sp. that has acquired pathogenicity to S. columbaria. To our knowledge, this is the first report of powdery mildew on S. columbaria in New York. References: (1) U. Braun. Beih. Nova Hedwigia 89:1, 1987. (2) D. A. Glawe and G. G. Grove. Online publication. doi:10.1094/PHP-2005-1024-01-BR. Plant Health Progress, 2005. (3) B. Henricot. Plant Pathol. 57:779, 2008. (4) T. Jankovics et al. Phytopathology 98:529, 2008.

Alpha7 cholinergic-agonist prevents systemic inflammation and improves survival during resuscitation

Severe haemorrhage is a common cause of death despite the recent advances in critical care. Conventional resuscitation fluids are designed to re-establish tissue perfusion, but they fail to prevent inflammatory responses during resuscitation. Our previous studies indicated that the vagus nerve can modulate systemic inflammation via the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (alpha7nAchR). Here, we report that the alpha7nAChR-agonist, GTS, restrains systemic inflammation and improves survival during resuscitation. Resuscitation with GTS rescued all the animals from lethal haemorrhage in a concentration-dependent manner. Unlike conventional resuscitation fluids, GTS inhibited the production of characteristic inflammatory and cardiodepressant factors including tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and high mobility group B protein-1 (HMGB1). Resuscitation with GTS was particularly effective in restraining systemic TNF responses and inhibiting its production in the spleen. At the molecular level, GTS inhibited p65RelA but not RelB NF-kappaB during resuscitation. Unlike non-specific nicotinic agonists, GTS inhibited serum protein TNF levels in both normal and splenectomized, haemorrhagic animals. Resuscitation with GTS inhibited poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and systemic HMGB1 levels. Our studies suggest that GTS provides significant advantages as compared with non-specific nicotinic agonists, and it could be a promising anti-inflammatory supplement to improve survival during resuscitation.

Oidium longipes, A New Powdery Mildew Fungus on Petunia in the USA: A Potential Threat to Ornamental and Vegetable Solanaceous Crops

This is the first North American report of Oidium longipes, an anamorphic powdery mildew species described recently in Europe. It was found on vegetatively propagated petunia grown in a commercial greenhouse in New Jersey, USA, where it caused a rapidly spreading disease. The pathogen might have originated offshore and may have already been distributed in the United States through horticultural trade. During field surveys in Europe, it was found on petunia in Hungary and Austria as well; this is the first report of O. longipes from these two countries. A detailed light microscopy study of American and European specimens of O. longipes, including freshly collected samples and authentic herbarium specimens, revealed that its conidiophore morphology is more variable than illustrated in the original species description or in subsequent works. Microcycle conidiation, a process not yet known to occur in powdery mildews, was repeatedly observed in O. longipes. The rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences were identical in colonies containing different conidiophore types as well as in a total of five specimens collected from petunia in the United States, Austria, Hungary, Germany, and Switzerland. A phylogenetic analysis of the ITS sequences revealed that the closest known relative of O. longipes is O. lycopersici, known to infect tomato only in Australia. Cross-inoculation tests showed that O. longipes from petunia heavily infected tobacco cv. Xanthi, while the tomato and eggplant cultivars tested were moderately susceptible to this pathogen. These results indicate that its spread represents a potential danger to a number of solanaceous crops. Our ad hoc field surveys conducted in 2006 and 2007 did not detect it outside New Jersey in the United States; all the other powdery mildew-infected petunias, collected in New York and Indiana, were infected by Podosphaera xanthii. In Europe, most of the powdery mildew-infected petunias examined in this study were infected by P. xanthii or Golovinomyces orontii. Our multiple inoculation tests revealed that the same petunia plants and even the same leaves can be infected concomitantly by O. longipes, O. neolycopersici, G. orontii, and P. xanthii. Thus, it is at present unclear to what extent O. longipes contributes to the powdery mildew epidemics that develop year after year on solanaceous plants in many parts of the world.

Oidium neolycopersici: intraspecific variability inferred from amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis and relationship with closely related powdery mildew fungi infecting various plant species

Previous works indicated a considerable variation in the pathogenicity, virulence, and host range of Oidium neolycopersici isolates causing tomato powdery mildew epidemics in many parts of the world. In this study, rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) patterns were analyzed in 17 O. neolycopersici samples collected in Europe, North America, and Japan, including those which overcame some of the tomato major resistance genes. The ITS sequences were identical in all 10 samples tested and were also identical to ITS sequences of eight previously studied O. neolycopersici specimens. The AFLP analysis revealed a high genetic diversity in O. neolycopersici and indicated that all 17 samples represented different genotypes. This might suggest the existence of either a yet unrevealed sexual reproduction or other genetic mechanisms that maintain a high genetic variability in O. neolycopersici. No clear correlation was found between the virulence and the AFLP patterns of the O. neolycopersici isolates studied. The relationship between O. neolycopersici and powdery mildew anamorphs infecting Aquilegia vulgaris, Chelidonium majus, Passiflora caerulea, and Sedum alboroseum was also investigated. These anamorphs are morphologically indistinguishable from and phylogenetically closely related to O. neolycopersici. The cross-inoculation tests and the analyses of ITS sequences and AFLP patterns jointly indicated that the powdery mildew anamorphs collected from the above mentioned plant species all represent distinct, but closely related species according to the phylogenetic species recognition. All these species were pathogenic only to their original host plant species, except O. neolycopersici which infected S. alboroseum, tobacco, petunia, and Arabidopsis thaliana, in addition to tomato, in cross-inoculation tests. This is the first genome-wide study that investigates the relationships among powdery mildews that are closely related based on ITS sequences and morphology. The results indicate that morphologically indistinguishable powdery mildews that differed in only one to five single nucleotide positions in their ITS region are to be considered as different taxa with distinct host ranges.

First Report of Powdery Mildew on Pyrus calleryana Caused by Podosphaera leucotricha

Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana Decne.) is native to Asia and its varieties are planted as ornamentals in urban areas worldwide. It is also used as a source of resistance to fireblight in some breeding programs. In April 2007, symptoms of powdery mildew infection were observed on the foliage of almost every P. calleryana cv. Chanticleer tree planted along a 1.5-km road in Budapest, Hungary. These trees were planted 5 to 6 years ago and were the first callery pears used as ornamentals in Hungary. Powdery mildew infections were also detected on P. calleryana trees planted in other parts of the city. White powdery mildew mycelium appeared on the lower and sometimes upper leaf surfaces, especially on young shoots, and caused chlorotic spots on the upper leaf surfaces and severe distortions of leaves. The spread of the infection was monitored between April and August of 2007 in several sample sites. More than 100 trees that were examined became heavily infected by May 2007. Powdery mildew conidiophores were typical of the genus Oidium subgen. Fibroidium, the anamorph of the teleomorph genus Podosphaera (2). Conidia developed in chains, contained fibrosin bodies, germinated at one of their ends with germ tubes terminating in unlobed appressoria, and measured 16 to 27 × 10 to 15 μm. Hyphal appressoria were nipple shaped or inconspicuous. The teleomorph was not found. To precisely identify the pathogen, DNA was extracted from conidia collected with a sterile brush from a single leaf using a Qiagen DNeasy Plant Kit (Hilden, Germany), and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of the ribosomal DNA was amplified and determined as described by Szentiványi et al. (3). The ITS sequence, deposited in GenBank under Accession No. EU148597, was identical to those determined in Podosphaera leucotricha (Ell. & Ev.) Salmon collected from apple in Australia (GenBank Accession No. AF073353) and Canada (GenBank Accession No. AY157844) and also from pear in Canada (GenBank Accession No. AY157845). Thus, the pathogen was identified as Podosphaera leucotricha on the basis of the host genus, morphology of the anamorph, and ITS sequence. Specimens were deposited under Accession No. BPI878262 at the U.S. National Fungus Collection. To our knowledge, Podosphaera leucotricha has not been reported on P. calleryana in any parts of the world so far. An Oidium sp. infecting this plant in Australia was listed by Amano (1), but the exact identity of that fungus is not known. Thus, this is the first report of an identified powdery mildew fungus on P. calleryana. References: (1) K. Amano. Host Range and Geographical Distribution of the Powdery Mildew Fungi. Japan Scientific Societies Press, Tokyo, 1986. (2) U. Braun et al. Pages 13-55 in: The Powdery Mildews: A Comprehensive Treatise. R. R Bélanger et al., eds. American Phytopathological Society, St Paul, MN, 2002. (3) O. Szentiványi et al. Mycol. Res. 109:429, 2005.

Treatment with insulin inhibits poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase activation in a rat model of endotoxemia

In critically ill patients various conditions may lead to the activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). By promoting cellular energetic dysfunction, and by enhancing pro-inflammatory gene expression, PARP activation significantly contributes to the pathogenesis of shock. PARP activation is usually triggered by DNA strand breakage, which is typically the result of the overproduction of various reactive oxidant species. One of the pathophysiological conditions associated with PARP activation is hyperglycemia, where the reactive species are produced from the mitochondria and other cellular sources. In the present study we tested whether endotoxin-induced PARP activation and pro-inflammatory mediator production can be modified by insulin therapy. Rats subjected to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with or without insulin co-treatment were studied. LPS-induced PARP activation in circulating lymphocytes was measured by flow cytometry, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) production was measured by ELISA. The direct effect of insulin on the PARP activity of mononuclear leukocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in elevated glucose conditions was tested in vitro. LPS-induced significant hyperglycemic response activated PARP in circulating lymphocytes and induced TNF-alpha production. Insulin treatment prevented LPS-induced hyperglycemic response, blocked PARP activation and blunted LPS-induced TNF-alpha response. Insulin treatment caused a slight reduction in the PARP activity of mononuclear cells and HUVECs in vitro. We demonstrate that insulin treatment blocks LPS-induced PARP activation in vivo. We propose that this effect is mainly indirect, and occurs due to the prevention of stress induced hyperglycemia, with a direct cellular effect of insulin playing a potential minor supplemental role. The current findings may have significant implications in the context of the emerging concept of tight glycemic control and insulin treatment for critically ill patients.

Hydrogen sulfide attenuates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by preservation of mitochondrial function

The recent discovery that hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is an endogenously produced gaseous second messenger capable of modulating many physiological processes, much like nitric oxide, prompted us to investigate the potential of H(2)S as a cardioprotective agent. In the current study, we demonstrate that the delivery of H(2)S at the time of reperfusion limits infarct size and preserves left ventricular (LV) function in an in vivo model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI-R). This observed cytoprotection is associated with an inhibition of myocardial inflammation and a preservation of both mitochondrial structure and function after I-R injury. Additionally, we show that modulation of endogenously produced H(2)S by cardiac-specific overexpression of cystathionine gamma-lyase (alpha-MHC-CGL-Tg mouse) significantly limits the extent of injury. These findings demonstrate that H(2)S may be of value in cytoprotection during the evolution of myocardial infarction and that either administration of H(2)S or the modulation of endogenous production may be of clinical benefit in ischemic disorders.

S-nitrosoglutathione-containing hydrogel increases dermal blood flow in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

BACKGROUND

Endothelial dysfunction is characterized by decreased vasodilatory capacity of the arterioles mainly due to the reduced release of nitric oxide (NO). Application of NO donors may prevent or even reverse the consequences of endothelial dysfunction, such as diabetic leg ulcers.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the vasodilatory capacity and the possible side-effects of topical application of an NO donor-containing hydrogel in diabetic rats.

METHODS

S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) was incorporated in Pluronic F127 hydrogel and applied on the foot sole skin of healthy and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Blood flow was monitored using a laser-Doppler probe. Nitrotyrosine formation, a possible side-effect of GSNO action, was evaluated by Western blotting of skin protein extracts. Systemic circulatory side-effects were investigated by monitoring blood pressure and heart rate during the application.

RESULTS

The hydrogel alone did not induce any changes in microvascular flow, while GSNO-containing hydrogel caused a twofold increase in perfusion. This effect was similar in diabetic and healthy animals. Topical GSNO application did not increase the nitrotyrosine content of skin proteins, nor did it have any effect on blood pressure or heart rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Dermal application of GSNO may be an effective treatment for promoting the local vasodilation in both healthy and diabetic states, without inducing protein nitration or alterations in blood pressure or heart rate.

Human heart mitochondria do not produce physiologically relevant quantities of nitric oxide

Previous studies raised the possibility that nitric oxide synthase is present in heart mitochondria (mtNOS) and the existence of such an enzyme became generally accepted. However, original experimental evidence is rather scarce and positive identification of the enzyme is lacking. We aimed to detect an NOS protein in human and mouse heart mitochondria and to measure the level of NO released from the organelles. Western blotting with 7 different anti-NOS antibodies failed to detect a NOS-like protein in mitochondria. Immunoprecipitation or substrate-affinity purification of the samples concentrated NOS in control preparations but not in mitochondria. Release of NO from live respiring human mitochondria was below 2 ppb after 45 min of incubation. In a bioassay system, mitochondrial suspension failed to cause vasodilation of human mammary artery segments. These results indicate that mitochondria do not produce physiologically relevant quantities of NO in the heart and are unlikely to have any physiological importance as NO donors, nor do they contain a recognizable mtNOS enzyme.

[Isolated injury of the gallbladder. A rare cause of hemorrhagic shock after blunt abdominal trauma in a patient with liver cirrhosis]

Isolated injuries to the gallbladder are extremely rare in blunt abdominal trauma, with a reported incidence of less than 2%. We report a case with partial avulsion of the gallbladder and subsequent hemorrhagic shock in a patient with liver cirrhosis. Although the gallbladder injury was demonstrated on CT images (with contrast enhancement in the bed of the gallbladder), the correct diagnosis was not established preoperatively. Emergency laparotomy revealed partial avulsion of the gallbladder and the underlying condition of severe liver cirrhosis with ascites. We estimate that the gallbladder avulsion occurred due to compressional waves of the ascites (during blunt abdominal injury) which may have sheared off the gallbladder from the cirrhotic liver. The patient received cholecystectomy, which is recommended as standard in case of gallbladder injury.

Effects of 7-ketocholesterol on the activity of endothelial poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and on endothelium-dependent relaxant function

Oxidative and nitrosative stress play an important role in the development of endothelial vascular dysfunction during early atherosclerosis. Oxidative stress activates the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in endothelial cells. In patients with atherosclerosis the level of oxidized LDL in the plasma is elevated. In oxidized LDL various oxysterols have been identified, such as 7-ketocholesterol (7K). 7K has been shown to induce PARP activation in microglial cells. The aim of the current study was to clarify the effects of 7K on the activity of endothelial PARP and on the endothelium-dependent relaxant function of blood vessels. We treated human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVEC) cells with 2-16 microg/ml 7K as well as vascular rings harvested from BALB/c mouse thoracic aorta with 90 microg/ml 7K for 2 h. A group of mice was treated with 7K subcutaneously for 1 week (10 mg/kg/day). We also conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments using pretreatment with buthionine sulphoximine (BSO), a glutathione-lowering agent. The activity of PARP was calculated by measurement of tritiated NAD incorporation. The activity of PARP increased significantly in 7K-treated HUVEC cells. After BSO pretreatment, this increase was higher. Isolated vascular rings demonstrated no change in endothelium-dependent relaxant function after 2 h of incubation with 7K, even after BSO pretreatment. In vivo treatment with 7K for 1 week had no effect on the relaxant function. Our experimental results suggest that although 7-ketocholesterol can activate PARP enzyme in endothelial cells, it is not sufficient on its own to cause impairment in the endothelium-dependent vascular reactivity.

A morphologically ill-founded powdery mildew species, Pleochaeta indica, is recognized as a phylogenetic species based on the analysis of the nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences

Morphological characteristics of a powdery mildew fungus found on Celtis australis in the Indian Himalayas coincided with those of Pleochaeta indica, described from this tree species in India, as well with those of P. shiraiana, known to infect C. australis and other plant species in Asia. This suggested that the original description of P. indica based on morphological patterns was not well founded and this taxon could be reduced to synonymy with P. shiraiana. However, phylogenetic analyses of the rDNA 28S and ITS sequences determined in some Indian Pleochaeta specimens from C. australis showed that this fungus is closely related, but not identical to P. shiraiana infecting C. sinensis in Japan which served as the basis of the original description of P. shiraiana. Molecular clock analysis of the ITS region and that of the 28S rDNA indicated that the split between the Japanese P. shiraiana infecting C. sinensis and Pleochaeta sp. infecting C. australis in India may have occurred 2.0-8.5 million years ago in the Pliocene and may have coincided with the formation of the Himalayan mountains and the global cooling of the Earth during the late Tertiary. Thus, P. indica is recognized in this study as a distinct phylogenetic species, although our morphological study showed that its description as a morphological species was not well founded. This is a striking example of a cryptic species which is genetically different from close relatives but cannot be distinguished from them based on morphology.

Mitochondrial NO and reactive nitrogen species production: Does mtNOS exist?

It is more than 10 years now that mitochondria are suspected to be sources of nitric oxide (NO). This hypothesis is intriguing since NO has multiple targets within the organelle and it is even suggested that mitochondria are the primary targets of NO in the cell. Most remarkably, nanomolar concentrations of NO can inhibit mitochondrial respiration, so even a small amount of NO in the mitochondrial matrix may regulate ATP synthesis. Therefore, the idea that mitochondria themselves are capable of NO production is an important concept in several physiological and pathological mechanisms. However, this field of research generates surprisingly few original papers and the published studies contain conflicting results. The reliability of the results is frequently questioned since they are seldom reproduced by independent investigators. Until 2003, all papers published in this field showed affirmative results but since then several studies directly challenged the existence of a mitochondrial nitric oxide synthase. The present review aims to summarize the most recent developments in mitochondrial NO production, highlights a few unsolved questions, and proposes new directions for future work in this research area.

Ampelomyces mycoparasites from apple powdery mildew identified as a distinct group based on single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis of the rDNA ITS region

Pycnidial fungi belonging to the genus Ampelomyces are the most common natural antagonists of powdery mildews worldwide. During a study of the interactions between apple powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha) and Ampelomyces mycoparasites, 52 new Ampelomyces isolates were obtained from P. leucotricha and, in addition, 13 new isolates from other species of the Erysiphaceae in four European countries. Their genetic diversity was screened using single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA). For comparison, 24 isolates obtained from genetic resource collections or other sources were included in this study. Based on the ITS-SSCP patterns, the isolates were placed in eight groups. The isolates belonged to two types based on their growth in culture. The faster-growing and the slower-growing isolates were included in different SSCP groups. A phylogenetic analysis of the ITS sequences of representatives of these groups confirmed the results obtained with the SSCP method, and showed that the faster-growing isolates do not belong to Ampelomyces as suggested by earlier studies. All the isolates from P. leucotricha fell into a distinct SSCP group of genetically homogeneous isolates. This suggests that Ampelomyces mycoparasites which occur in apple powdery mildew are slightly different from the other Ampelomyces groups which contain mycoparasites from various powdery mildew species. This may be because the main growth period of Ampelomyces mycoparasites in apple powdery mildew is isolated in time from that of Ampelomyces isolates that occur in other species of the Erysiphaceae. P. leucotricha starts its life-cycle early in the season, usually in March-April, while most powdery mildews are active in the same environments only late in the year.

Molecular phylogeny and evolution of the maple powdery mildew (Sawadaea, Erysiphaceae) inferred from nuclear rDNA sequences

To understand the phylogenetic relationships and evolution of the powdery mildew genus Sawadaea (Ascomycota: Erysiphaceae), obligate parasitic fungi of maples, we performed molecular phylogenetic analyses based on 47 ITS and ten 28S rDNA sequences. Seven major clades of Sawadaea, each represented by powdery mildew specimens collected from a single or a small number of closely related sections of Acer (maples), were identified in this study, suggesting that a close evolutionary relationship exists between Acer (host) and Sawadaea (parasite). A 6-11-base insertion/deletion was found in the ITS1 region of Sawadaea, and the presence or absence of the indel was consistent within the respective clades. Because the outgroup genera Podosphaera and Cystotheca have no deletions in these sites, deletion of the sequences may have occurred during the divergence of the respective clades of Sawadaea. The seven clades of Sawadaea were divided into two geographical groups, viz. an East Asian and a global group, based on the countries of collection. Calculation of the evolutionary timing of Sawadaea using molecular clocks showed that the divergence of different species of Acer occurred many millions of years before the radiation of Sawadaea. Thus, the close evolutionary relationship between Sawadaea and Acer found in this study might not be due to a true coevolutionary process. Powdery mildew fungi belonging to Sawadaea may have jumped onto Acer spp. long after the radiation of the major sections of these trees, and then expanded their host ranges according to the phylogeny and geographical distribution of Acer.