CfCpmd1 Regulates Pathogenicity and Sexual Development of Plus and Minus Strains in Colletotrichum fructicola Causing Glomerella Leaf Spot on Apple in China

Colletotrichum fructicola is a devastating fungal pathogen of diverse plants. Sexually compatible plus and minus strains occur in the same ascus. However, the differentiation mechanism of plus and minus strains remains poorly understood. Here, we characterized a novel Cys2-His2-containing transcription factor CfCpmd1. The plus CfCpmd1 deletion mutant (Δ+CfCpmd1) resulted in slow hyphal growth and a fluffy cotton-like colony, and the minus deletion mutant (Δ-CfCpmd1) exhibited characters similar to the wild type (WT). Δ+CfCpmd1 led to defective perithecial formation, whereas Δ-CfCpmd1 produced more and smaller perithecia. The normal mating line was developed by pairing cultures of Δ-CfCpmd1 and plus WT, whereas a weak line was observed between Δ+CfCpmd1 and minus WT. Conidial production was completely abolished in both plus and minus mutants. When inoculated on non-wounded apple leaves with mycelial plugs, Δ-CfCpmd1 was nonpathogenic because of failure to develop conidia and appressoria, while Δ+CfCpmd1 could infect apple leaves by appressoria differentiated directly from hyphal tips, even though no conidia formed. Collectively, our results demonstrate that CfCpmd1 of C. fructicola is an important gene related to plus and minus strain differentiation, which also affects hyphal growth, sporulation, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity.

Comparison of two skin imaging analysis instruments: The VISIA® from Canfield vs the ANTERA 3D® CS from Miravex

BACKGROUND

The skin imaging analysis instruments are widely used to record and measure the surface and subsurface skin conditions. The main aim of this study is to reveal the differences and correlations in measuring wrinkle, skin texture, coloration/evenness, vascular features, and pore between two commercially available instruments.

METHODS

Twenty-eight subjects were enrolled in the study. A 2*2 cm cardboard was used to make sure the two instruments analyze the same area. Pictures were taken and analyzed by the VISIA^® from Canfield and the ANTERA 3D^® CS from Miravex, in sequence.

RESULTS

The spot, ultraviolet spot, brown spot, red area, texture values measured with VISIA^® were positively correlated with age, while the pore and wrinkle values showed no significance. The wrinkle, texture, melanin, hemoglobin, pore index, pore volume values measured with ANTERA 3D^® had a significantly positive correlation with age. The spot, brown spot values from VISIA^® were positively correlated with the melanin value from ANTERA 3D^® . Texture value measured with the two instruments revealed positive linear correlation. Strong correlation was found between the red area value from VISIA^® and the hemoglobin value from ANTERA 3D^® . Ultraviolet spot from VISIA^® showed no linear correlation with the melanin value from ANTERA 3D^® . Neither of the wrinkle and pore measured with the two instruments showed linear correlation.

CONCLUSIONS

ANTERA 3D^® relies on multidirectional illumination obtained by LEDs of different wavelengths from different directions which make it advanced at the qualitative evaluation of various dermatologic conditions. Compared with VISIA^® , ANTERA 3D^® is more sensitive in the assessment of wrinkle and it may also be available to evaluate the aging-related enlarged pore.