TY - JOUR TI - Interim Diets for Specialist Predators of Hemlock Woolly Adelgids AU - Cohen, Allen C AU - Cheah, Carole T2 - Entomology, Ornithology & Herpetology: Current Research AB - We provide a rationale for diets that temporarily support populations of insects but not sustained rearing of target insects. We call such sustaining media, “interim diets”. We present formulation and performance details of such a diet, which sustains specialist adult predators of hemlock woolly adelgids (HWA) for several months. The diet base is ground, freeze-dried, cooked chicken breast, heat-treated chicken egg yolk with several nutritional and functional supplements. This diet has been tested in our laboratories for five years and has been validated in several mass-rearing laboratories where HWA predators are routinely produced. Although the current diet does not support complete development of HWA predators from egg to adult, it is useful as an economical and convenient means of keeping predators alive and healthy during periods when natural prey are not available. Unlike generalist predators, HWA predators would not accept factitious hosts such as scale, aphids, lepidopteran eggs or other foods that might have sustained them during “feeding droughts”. The predators studied here were beetles, Sasajiscymnus tsugae (Coccinellidae) and Laricobius nigrinus (Derodontidae). We experimented with several diet-presentation systems designed to fulfill the feeding requirements of the beetles and to preserve the diets by preventing desiccation and deterioration. We developed several forms of a hen’s egg-based diet and a diet-presentation system that included alginate gels and slurry diets that were made from adhering liquid materials to a solid/capture medium (freeze dried, powdered chicken breast). Some diets and diet-presentation systems induced strong feeding responses and allowed adult predators to stay alive and active for several months and to return to egg production days after being returned to HWA. The paper describes a stable, palatable diet and dietpresentation techniques that allow researchers and mass-rearing facilities to sustain healthy populations of predators during regular periods of prey scarcity. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.4172/2161-0983.1000153 VL - 04 IS - 02 SN - 2161-0983 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2161-0983.1000153 ER - TY - CHAP TI - Concept and history of genetic control AU - Scott, Maxwell J. AU - Benedict, Mark Q. T2 - Genetic control of malaria and dengue PY - 2015/// SP - 31-54 PB - Elsevier ER - TY - JOUR TI - CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of the white and Sex lethal loci in the invasive pest, Drosophila suzukii T2 - Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications AB - Drosophila suzukii (commonly called spotted wing Drosophila) is an invasive pest of soft-skinned fruit (e.g. blueberries, strawberries). A high quality reference genome sequence is available but functional genomic tools, such as used in Drosophila melanogaster, remain to be developed. In this study we have used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to introduce site-specific mutations in the D. suzukii white (w) and Sex lethal (Sxl) genes. Hemizygous males with w mutations develop white eyes and the mutant genes are transmissible to the next generation. Somatic mosaic females that carry mutations in the Sxl gene develop abnormal genitalia and reproductive tissue. The D. suzukii Sxl gene could be an excellent target for a Cas9-mediated gene drive to suppress populations of this highly destructive pest. DA - 2015/12// PY - 2015/12// DO - 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.12.081 ER - TY - JOUR TI - A checklist of the sap beetle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) fauna of Indiana, with notes on effective trapping methods AU - Powell, G.S. T2 - Insecta Mundi DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 424 SP - 1–9 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Additional North American Distribution Records for the Genus Pytho Latreille (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Pythidae) AU - Powell, Gareth S. AU - Brattain, R. Michael AU - Holland, Jeffrey D. T2 - The Coleopterists Bulletin AB - Five new state and province records for species of the genus Pytho Latreille in the USA and Canada are reported. Specimens for the new Indiana record were collected live under pine bark. The remaining four new state or province records were the result of gathering museum specimen or personal collection data to supplement knowledge of the known distribution of the genus Pytho. DA - 2015/12// PY - 2015/12// DO - 10.1649/0010-065x-69.4.761 VL - 69 IS - 4 SP - 761–765 SN - 0010-065X 1938-4394 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1649/0010-065x-69.4.761 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Beetles (Coleoptera) of Peru: A Survey of the Families. Nitidulidae AU - Cline, Andrew R. AU - Powell, Gareth S. AU - Audisio, Paolo R. T2 - Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society AB - Diversity in Peru: 4 subfamilies, 22 genera, 63 species. Recognition: This family may be recognized by the following combination of adult characters: maxilla lacking galea; antennae typically 11-segmented, with terminal three antennomeres forming a club; antennal insertions moderately to broadly separated; subocular antennal grooves on ventral surface of head present; procoxae transverse with exposed trochantins; prosternum transverse with intercoxal process extending between procoxal cavities, procoxae always separated; mesoventral procoxal rests present; typically five visible abdominal ventrites present; metendosternite stalk present; metasternum with discrimen present; and tarsal formula 5-5-5. Habitat: Several recent comprehensive reviews of Nitidulidae biology are available (Jelinek et al., 2010; Cline, 2005; Audisio et al., 2000; Audisio, 1993). Overall, nitidulid beetles exhibit a diverse set of life history strategies, including: fungivory, saprophagy, phytophagy, pollination activities, facultative predation, necrophagy, frugivory, and inquilinism with social insects. Nitidulids may be collected using a variety of directed (sweeping and beating vegetation/inflorescences, sifting leaf litter, searching under bark and various fungal substrates, as well as in nests of social Hymenoptera) and passive techniques (flight intercept traps, pitfall traps, malaise traps, and mercury vapor or black lights at night). Large numbers of nitidulids can typically be found in palm inflorescences (e.g., Mytrops and related genera); baited fruit or molasses traps (Carpophilus, Colopterus, Brachypeplus, Amphicrossus, Lobiopa, and Cryptarcha), and sifting leaf litter (Stelidota). Notes: Nitidulidae have long been confused with numerous other families of Cucujoidea. In particular, members of Cybocephalidae, Kateretidae, Monotomidae, Cryptophagidae, Biphyllidae, Smicripidae, and Erotylidae have been attributed to Nitidulidae. Recent and upcoming work on the New World Kateretidae (Cline and Audisio, 2010, and unpubl. data) will help improve the diagnostic capabilities for Nitidulidae. A recent treatment of Nitidulidae higher level phylogenetics formally elevated Cybocephalidae to family status and provided an extensive list of adult and larval characters to differentiate this group from Nitidulidae (Cline et al., 2014). Invasive species such as Urophorus humeralis (F.), Epuraea luteola Erichson, and Carpophilus hemipterus (L.) likely occur in the country as they have been transported around the world in various agricultural commodities, in conjunction with several other alien species more or less recently introduced into Peru (Carrasco, 1986; Leschen and Marris, 2005; EPPO, 2010). However, there are no existing records for DA - 2015/4// PY - 2015/4// DO - 10.2317/kent-88-02-217-220.1 VL - 88 IS - 2 SP - 217-220 J2 - Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society LA - en OP - SN - 0022-8567 1937-2353 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.2317/kent-88-02-217-220.1 DB - Crossref ER - TY - MGZN TI - Water quality - maybe the next 'hot potato' AU - Huseth, A.S. AU - Rl, Groves T2 - The Badger Common'Tater DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 65 M1 - 1 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Two distinct Epichloe species symbiotic with Achnatherum inebrians, drunken horse grass AU - Chen, L. AU - Li, X. AU - Li, C. AU - Swoboda, G. A. AU - Young, C. A. AU - Sugawara, K. AU - Leuchtmann, A. AU - Schardl, C. L. T2 - Mycologia AB - Achnatherum inebrians, colloquially known as drunken horse grass, is associated with livestock toxicity in northern China. Epichloë gansuensis (Eg) was described from endophyte isolates from A. inebrians in Sunan County, Gansu Province, whereas a morphologically distinct variety, E. gansuensis var. inebrians (Ei), was described based on two isolates from A. inebrians seeds collected in Urumqi County, Xinjiang Province. Genome sequencing and alkaloid analyses also distinguish these taxa; the Ei isolates produce neurotropic lysergic acid amides (ergot alkaloids), and an Eg isolate produces paxilline (an indole-diterpene alkaloid). To better elucidate the taxonomic diversity of Epichloë spp. symbiotic with A. inebrians, we surveyed eight populations in Xinjiang, Gansu and Inner Mongolia provinces of China and analyzed their genotypes by multiplex PCR for alkaloid biosynthesis genes and mating-type genes. Genotypes consistent with Ei were present in all eight populations, of which they dominated seven. The Ei isolates were all mating type A and tested positive for the ergot alkaloid gene, dmaW. In contrast Eg isolates were all mating type B and had the indole-diterpene gene, idtG. The genome was sequenced from an Ei isolate from seeds collected in Xiahe County, Gansu, and compared to that of the varietal ex type isolate from Urumqi. Alkaloid genes and four different housekeeping genes were nearly identical between the two sequenced Ei isolates and were distinct from a sequenced Eg isolate. Phylogenetic analysis placed Ei, Eg and Epichloë sibirica into respective subclades of a clade that emanated from the base of the Epichloë phylogeny. Given its chemotypic, genotypic, morphological and phylogenetic distinctiveness, its widespread occurrence in rangelands of northern China, and its importance in livestock toxicity, we propose raising Ei to species rank as Epichloë inebrians. DA - 2015/4// PY - 2015/4// DO - 10.3852/15-019 VL - 107 IS - 4 SP - 863-873 KW - Clavicipitaceae KW - endophytes KW - Epichloe gansuensis KW - E. inebrians KW - ergot alkaloids KW - genome sequence KW - grasses KW - Hypocreales KW - phylogenetics KW - rangelands KW - symbiosis KW - toxicosis ER - TY - JOUR TI - Endophytic Epichloë species and their grass hosts: from evolution to applications AU - Saikkonen, Kari AU - Young, Carolyn A. AU - Helander, Marjo AU - Schardl, Christopher L. T2 - Plant Mol Biol AB - The closely linked fitness of the Epichloë symbiont and the host grass is presumed to align the coevolution of the species towards specialization and mutually beneficial cooperation. Ecological observations demonstrating that Epichloë-grass symbioses can modulate grassland ecosystems via both above- and belowground ecosystem processes support this. In many cases the detected ecological importance of Epichloë species is directly or indirectly linked to defensive mutualism attributable to alkaloids of fungal-origin. Now, modern genetic and molecular techniques enable the precise studies on evolutionary origin of endophytic Epichloë species, their coevolution with host grasses and identification the genetic variation that explains phenotypic diversity in ecologically relevant characteristics of Epichloë-grass associations. Here we briefly review the most recent findings in these areas of research using the present knowledge of the genetic variation that explains the biosynthetic pathways driving the diversity of alkaloids produced by the endophyte. These findings underscore the importance of genetic interplay between the fungus and the host in shaping their coevolution and ecological role in both natural grass ecosystems, and in the agricultural arena. DA - 2015/11/5/ PY - 2015/11/5/ DO - 10.1007/s11103-015-0399-6 VL - 90 IS - 6 SP - 665-675 KW - Fungal endophytes KW - Grass KW - Genetic variation KW - Alkaloids KW - Coevolution ER - TY - JOUR TI - Vegetative Hyphal Fusion and Subsequent Nuclear Behavior in Epichloë Grass Endophytes AU - Shoji, Jun-ya AU - Charlton, Nikki D. AU - Yi, Mihwa AU - Young, Carolyn A. AU - Craven, Kelly D. T2 - PLoS ONE AB - Epichloë species (including the former genus Neotyphodium) are fungal symbionts of many agronomically important forage grasses, and provide their grass hosts with protection from a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses. Epichloë species include many interspecific hybrids with allodiploid-like genomes, which may provide the potential for combined traits or recombination to generate new traits. Though circumstantial evidence suggests that such interspecific hybrids might have arisen from nuclear fusion events following vegetative hyphal fusion between different Epichloë strains, this hypothesis has not been addressed empirically. Here, we investigated vegetative hyphal fusion and subsequent nuclear behavior in Epichloë species. A majority of Epichloë strains, especially those having a sexual stage, underwent self vegetative hyphal fusion. Vegetative fusion also occurred between two hyphae from different Epichloë strains. Though Epichloë spp. are uninucleate fungi, hyphal fusion resulted in two nuclei stably sharing the same cytoplasm, which might ultimately lead to nuclear fusion. In addition, protoplast fusion experiments gave rise to uninucleate putative hybrids, which apparently had two markers, one from each parent within the same nucleus. These results are consistent with the notion that interspecific hybrids arise from vegetative hyphal fusion. However, we also discuss additional factors, such as post-hybridization selection, that may be important to explain the recognized prevalence of hybrids in Epichloë species. DA - 2015/4/2/ PY - 2015/4/2/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0121875 VL - 10 IS - 4 SP - e0121875 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Disparate Independent Genetic Events Disrupt the Secondary Metabolism Gene perA in Certain Symbiotic Epichloë Species AU - Berry, Daniel AU - Takach, Johanna E. AU - Schardl, Christopher L. AU - Charlton, Nikki D. AU - Scott, Barry AU - Young, Carolyn A. T2 - Appl. Environ. Microbiol. AB - ABSTRACT Peramine is an insect-feeding deterrent produced by Epichloë species in symbiotic association with C 3 grasses. The perA gene responsible for peramine synthesis encodes a two-module nonribosomal peptide synthetase. Alleles of perA are found in most Epichloë species; however, peramine is not produced by many perA -containing Epichloë isolates. The genetic basis of these peramine-negative chemotypes is often unknown. Using PCR and DNA sequencing, we analyzed the perA genes from 72 Epichloë isolates and identified causative mutations of perA null alleles. We found nonfunctional perA -ΔR* alleles, which contain a transposon-associated deletion of the perA region encoding the C-terminal reductase domain, are widespread within the Epichloë genus and represent a prevalent mutation found in nonhybrid species. Disparate phylogenies of adjacent A2 and T2 domains indicated that the deletion of the reductase domain (R*) likely occurred once and early in the evolution of the genus, and subsequently there have been several recombinations between those domains. A number of novel point, deletion, and insertion mutations responsible for abolishing peramine production in full-length perA alleles were also identified. The regions encoding the first and second adenylation domains (A1 and A2, respectively) were common sites for such mutations. Using this information, a method was developed to predict peramine chemotypes by combining PCR product size polymorphism analysis with sequencing of the perA adenylation domains. DA - 2015/2// PY - 2015/2// DO - 10.1128/aem.03721-14 VL - 81 IS - 8 SP - 2797-2807 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genetics, Genomics and Evolution of Ergot Alkaloid Diversity AU - Young, Carolyn AU - Schardl, Christopher AU - Panaccione, Daniel AU - Florea, Simona AU - Takach, Johanna AU - Charlton, Nikki AU - Moore, Neil AU - Webb, Jennifer AU - Jaromczyk, Jolanta T2 - Toxins AB - The ergot alkaloid biosynthesis system has become an excellent model to study evolutionary diversification of specialized (secondary) metabolites. This is a very diverse class of alkaloids with various neurotropic activities, produced by fungi in several orders of the phylum Ascomycota, including plant pathogens and protective plant symbionts in the family Clavicipitaceae. Results of comparative genomics and phylogenomic analyses reveal multiple examples of three evolutionary processes that have generated ergot-alkaloid diversity: gene gains, gene losses, and gene sequence changes that have led to altered substrates or product specificities of the enzymes that they encode (neofunctionalization). The chromosome ends appear to be particularly effective engines for gene gains, losses and rearrangements, but not necessarily for neofunctionalization. Changes in gene expression could lead to accumulation of various pathway intermediates and affect levels of different ergot alkaloids. Genetic alterations associated with interspecific hybrids of Epichloë species suggest that such variation is also selectively favored. The huge structural diversity of ergot alkaloids probably represents adaptations to a wide variety of ecological situations by affecting the biological spectra and mechanisms of defense against herbivores, as evidenced by the diverse pharmacological effects of ergot alkaloids used in medicine. DA - 2015/4// PY - 2015/4// DO - 10.3390/toxins7041273 VL - 7 IS - 4 SP - 1273-1302 ER - TY - JOUR TI - De Novo Assembly and Characterization of Tall Fescue Transcriptome under Water Stress AU - Talukder, S. K. AU - Azhaguvel, P. AU - Mukherjee, S. AU - Young, C. A. AU - Tang, Y. AU - Krom, N. AU - Saha, M. C. T2 - The Plant Genome AB - Water stress is a fundamental problem for tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.] cultivation in the south-central United States. Genetic improvement of tall fescue for water-stress tolerance is the key strategy for improving its persistence in the region. Genotypes with contrasting characteristics for relative water content and osmotic potential were identified from a tall fescue population. Transcriptome profiling between water-stress-tolerant (B400) and water-stress-susceptible (W279) genotypes was performed to unravel the genetic regulatory mechanism of water-stress responses in tall fescue. RNA samples from leaf, shoot, root, and inflorescence were pooled and sequenced through Illumina paired-end sequencing. A total of 199,399 contigs were assembled with an average length of 585 bp. Between the two genotypes, 2986 reference transcripts (RTs) were significantly differentially expressed and 1048 of them could be annotated and found to associate with metabolic pathways and enzyme coding genes. In total, 175 differentially expressed RTs were reported for various stress-related functions. Among those, 65 encoded kinase proteins, 40 each encoded transposons, and transporter proteins were previously reported to be involved with abiotic stress responses. A total of 6348 simple sequence repeats and 6658 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in the contig sequences. Primers were developed from the corresponding sequences, which might be used as candidate gene markers in tall fescue. This study will lead to identification of genes or transcription factors related to water-stress tolerance and development of a comprehensive molecular marker system to facilitate marker-assisted breeding in tall fescue. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.3835/plantgenome2014.09.0050 VL - 8 IS - 2 SP - 0 ER - TY - JOUR TI - A mutualistic endophyte alters the niche dimensions of its host plant AU - Kazenel, M. R. AU - Debban, C. L. AU - Ranelli, L. AU - Hendricks, W. Q. AU - Chung, Y. A. AU - Pendergast, T. H. AU - Charlton, N. D. AU - Young, C. A. AU - Rudgers, J. A. T2 - AoB PLANTS AB - Mutualisms can play important roles in influencing species coexistence and determining community composition. However, few studies have tested whether such interactions can affect species distributions by altering the niches of partner species. In subalpine meadows of the Rocky Mountains, USA, we explored whether the presence of a fungal endophyte (genus Epichloë) may shift the niche of its partner plant, marsh bluegrass (Poa leptocoma) relative to a closely related but endophyte-free grass species, nodding bluegrass (Poa reflexa). Using observations and a 3-year field experiment, we tested two questions: (i) Do P. leptocoma and P. reflexa occupy different ecological niches? and (ii) Does endophyte presence affect the relative fitness of P. leptocoma versus P. reflexa in the putative niches of these grass species? The two species were less likely to co-occur than expected by chance. Specifically, P. leptocoma grew closer to water sources and in wetter soils than P. reflexa, and also had higher root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi. Endophyte-symbiotic P. leptocoma seeds germinated with greater frequency in P. leptocoma niches relative to P. reflexa niches, whereas neither endophyte-free (experimentally removed) P. leptocoma seeds nor P. reflexa seeds showed differential germination between the two niche types. Thus, endophyte presence constrained the germination and early survival of host plants to microsites occupied by P. leptocoma. However, endophyte-symbiotic P. leptocoma ultimately showed greater growth than endophyte-free plants across all microsites, indicating a net benefit of the symbiosis at this life history stage. Differential effects of endophyte symbiosis on different host life history stages may thus contribute to niche partitioning between the two congeneric plant species. Our study therefore identifies a symbiotic relationship as a potential mechanism facilitating the coexistence of two species, suggesting that symbiont effects on host niche may have community-level consequences. DA - 2015/1// PY - 2015/1// DO - 10.1093/aobpla/plv005 VL - 7 IS - 0 SP - plv005-plv005 KW - Epichloe KW - fungal endophyte KW - mutualism KW - Poa leptocoma KW - Poa reflexa KW - symbiosis ER - TY - JOUR TI - Long-Lasting Permethrin-Impregnated Clothing Protects Against Mosquito Bites in Outdoor Workers T2 - The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene AB - Outdoor exposure to mosquitoes is a risk factor for many diseases, including malaria and dengue. We have previously shown that long-lasting permethrin-impregnated clothing protects against tick and chigger bites in a double-blind randomized controlled trial in North Carolina outdoor workers. Here, we evaluated whether this clothing is protective against mosquito bites by measuring changes in antibody titers to mosquito salivary gland extracts. On average, there was a 10-fold increase in titer during the spring and summer when mosquito exposure was likely to be the highest. During the first year of the study, the increase in titer in subjects wearing treated uniforms was 2- to 2.5-fold lower than that of control subjects. This finding suggests that long-lasting permethrin-impregnated clothing provided protection against mosquito bites. DA - 2015/10/7/ PY - 2015/10/7/ DO - 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0130 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.15-0130 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Evidence forAedes aegypti(Diptera: Culicidae) Oviposition on Boats in the Peruvian Amazon T2 - Journal of Medical Entomology AB - Dengue vector Aedes aegypti L. is invading peri-urban and rural areas throughout Latin America. Our previous research in the Peruvian Amazon has shown that river boats are heavily infested with immature and adult Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, likely playing a major role in their long-distance dispersal and successful invasion. However, the presence of immature mosquitoes provides no information about the timing of oviposition, and whether it took place in the boats. Here, we used baited ovitraps deployed on river boats to test the hypothesis that Ae. aegypti oviposition occurs during boat travel. We deployed 360 ovitraps on 60 different barges during August and October of 2013, and February 2014 (with 20 barges sampled during each month). We found that Ae. aegypti mosquitoes in 22 individual ovitraps from 15 of the 60 barges (premise index 25%) across all sampling dates. Further, the distribution of Ae. aegypti egg abundance was highly aggregated: 2.6% of traps (N=7) were responsible for 71.8% of eggs found, and 1.5% of traps (N=4) were responsible for all (100%) of the larvae found. Similarly, 5% of boats were responsible for the 71.47% of eggs. Our results provide strong evidence that Ae. aegypti oviposition commonly occurs during boat travel. Baited ovitraps could represent a cost-effective means of monitoring and controlling mosquito populations on boats. DA - 2015/7// PY - 2015/7// DO - 10.1093/jme/tjv048 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjv048 KW - Aedes aegypti KW - oviposition KW - boat KW - ovitrap ER - TY - JOUR TI - Metagenomic analysis of the microbiota in the highly compartmented hindguts of six wood- or soil-feeding higher termites. AU - Rossmassler, K AU - Dietrich, C AU - Thompson, C AU - Mikaelyan, A AU - Nonoh, JO AU - Scheffrahn, RH AU - Sillam-Dussès, D AU - Brune, A AB - Termites are important contributors to carbon and nitrogen cycling in tropical ecosystems. Higher termites digest lignocellulose in various stages of humification with the help of an entirely prokaryotic microbiota housed in their compartmented intestinal tract. Previous studies revealed fundamental differences in community structure between compartments, but the functional roles of individual lineages in symbiotic digestion are mostly unknown.Here, we conducted a highly resolved analysis of the gut microbiota in six species of higher termites that feed on plant material at different levels of humification. Combining amplicon sequencing and metagenomics, we assessed similarities in community structure and functional potential between the major hindgut compartments (P1, P3, and P4). Cluster analysis of the relative abundances of orthologous gene clusters (COGs) revealed high similarities among wood- and litter-feeding termites and strong differences to humivorous species. However, abundance estimates of bacterial phyla based on 16S rRNA genes greatly differed from those based on protein-coding genes.Community structure and functional potential of the microbiota in individual gut compartments are clearly driven by the digestive strategy of the host. The metagenomics libraries obtained in this study provide the basis for future studies that elucidate the fundamental differences in the symbiont-mediated breakdown of lignocellulose and humus by termites of different feeding groups. The high proportion of uncultured bacterial lineages in all samples calls for a reference-independent approach for the correct taxonomic assignment of protein-coding genes. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1186/s40168-015-0118-1 VL - 3 SP - 56, UR - http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/26607965 KW - Metagenomics KW - Termites KW - Hindgut KW - Functional potential KW - Gut microbiota KW - Community structure ER - TY - JOUR TI - Diet is the primary determinant of bacterial community structure in the guts of higher termites. AU - Mikaelyan, A AU - Dietrich, C AU - Köhler, T AU - Poulsen, M AU - Sillam-Dussès, D AU - Brune, A T2 - Molecular ecology AB - The gut microbiota of termites plays critical roles in the symbiotic digestion of lignocellulose. While phylogenetically 'lower termites' are characterized by a unique association with cellulolytic flagellates, higher termites (family Termitidae) harbour exclusively prokaryotic communities in their dilated hindguts. Unlike the more primitive termite families, which primarily feed on wood, they have adapted to a variety of lignocellulosic food sources in different stages of humification, ranging from sound wood to soil organic matter. In this study, we comparatively analysed representatives of different taxonomic lineages and feeding groups of higher termites to identify the major drivers of bacterial community structure in the termite gut, using amplicon libraries of 16S rRNA genes from 18 species of higher termites. In all analyses, the wood-feeding species were clearly separated from humus and soil feeders, irrespective of their taxonomic affiliation, offering compelling evidence that diet is the primary determinant of bacterial community structure. Within each diet group, however, gut communities of termites from the same subfamily were more similar than those of distantly related species. A highly resolved classification using a curated reference database revealed only few genus-level taxa whose distribution patterns indicated specificity for certain host lineages, limiting any possible cospeciation between the gut microbiota and host to short evolutionary timescales. Rather, the observed patterns in the host-specific distribution of the bacterial lineages in termite guts are best explained by diet-related differences in the availability of microhabitats and functional niches. DA - 2015/10// PY - 2015/10// DO - 10.1111/mec.13376 VL - 24 IS - 20 SP - 5284–5295 UR - http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/26348261 KW - gut microbiota KW - insects KW - pyrosequencing KW - termites ER - TY - JOUR TI - Classifying the bacterial gut microbiota of termites and cockroaches: A curated phylogenetic reference database (DictDb). AU - Mikaelyan, A AU - Köhler, T AU - Lampert, N AU - Rohland, J AU - Boga, H AU - Meuser, K AU - Brune, A T2 - Systematic and applied microbiology AB - Recent developments in sequencing technology have given rise to a large number of studies that assess bacterial diversity and community structure in termite and cockroach guts based on large amplicon libraries of 16S rRNA genes. Although these studies have revealed important ecological and evolutionary patterns in the gut microbiota, classification of the short sequence reads is limited by the taxonomic depth and resolution of the reference databases used in the respective studies. Here, we present a curated reference database for accurate taxonomic analysis of the bacterial gut microbiota of dictyopteran insects. The Dictyopteran gut microbiota reference Database (DictDb) is based on the Silva database but was significantly expanded by the addition of clones from 11 mostly unexplored termite and cockroach groups, which increased the inventory of bacterial sequences from dictyopteran guts by 26%. The taxonomic depth and resolution of DictDb was significantly improved by a general revision of the taxonomic guide tree for all important lineages, including a detailed phylogenetic analysis of the Treponema and Alistipes complexes, the Fibrobacteres, and the TG3 phylum. The performance of this first documented version of DictDb (v. 3.0) using the revised taxonomic guide tree in the classification of short-read libraries obtained from termites and cockroaches was highly superior to that of the current Silva and RDP databases. DictDb uses an informative nomenclature that is consistent with the literature also for clades of uncultured bacteria and provides an invaluable tool for anyone exploring the gut community structure of termites and cockroaches. DA - 2015/10// PY - 2015/10// DO - 10.1016/j.syapm.2015.07.004 VL - 38 IS - 7 SP - 472–482 UR - http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/26283320 KW - Insects KW - Gut microbiota KW - Deep-sequencing KW - Termites KW - Cockroaches KW - 16S rRNA ER - TY - JOUR TI - Age polyethism drives community structure of the bacterial gut microbiota in the fungus-cultivating termite Odontotermes formosanus. AU - Li, H AU - Dietrich, C AU - Zhu, N AU - Mikaelyan, A AU - Ma, B AU - Pi, R AU - Liu, Y AU - Yang, M AU - Brune, A AU - Mo, J T2 - Environmental microbiology AB - Summary Fungus‐cultivating termites ( M acrotermitinae) possess an elaborate strategy of lignocellulose digestion. It involves a lignocellulose‐degrading fungal symbiont (genus T ermitomyces ), a diverse gut microbiota and a characteristic labour division in food processing. In this study, using pyrotag sequencing and electron microscopy, we analysed the bacterial microbiota in the hindgut of O dontotermes formosanus and its fungus comb to investigate the spatial organization, establishment and temporal succession of the bacterial communities colonizing specific microhabitats. Our results document strong differences between the communities at the hindgut epithelium and the luminal fluid of newly moulted, young and old worker termites. The differences in community structure were consistent with the density, morphology and spatial distribution of bacterial cells and the pools of microbial metabolites in the hindgut compartment, underlining that both gut development and the age‐specific changes in diet affect the composition and functional role of their gut microbiota. These findings provide strong support for the concept that changes in diet and gut environment are important determinants of community structure because they create new niches for microbial symbionts. DA - 2015/9// PY - 2015/9// DO - 10.1111/1462-2920.13046 UR - http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/26346907 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Physicochemical conditions, metabolites and community structure of the bacterial microbiota in the gut of wood-feeding cockroaches (Blaberidae: Panesthiinae). AU - Bauer, E AU - Lampert, N AU - Mikaelyan, A AU - Köhler, T AU - Maekawa, K AU - Brune, A T2 - FEMS microbiology ecology AB - While the gut microbiota of termites and its role in symbiotic digestion have been studied for decades, little is known about the bacteria colonizing the intestinal tract of the distantly related wood-feeding cockroaches (Blaberidae: Panesthiinae). Here, we show that physicochemical gut conditions and microbial fermentation products in the gut of Panesthia angustipennis resemble that of other cockroaches. Microsensor measurements confirmed that all gut compartments were anoxic at the center and had a slightly acidic to neutral pH and a negative redox potential. While acetate dominated in all compartments, lactate and hydrogen accumulated only in the crop. The high, hydrogen-limited rates of methane emission from living cockroaches were in agreement with the restriction of F420-fluorescent methanogens to the hindgut. The gut microbiota of both P. angustipennis and Salganea esakii differed strongly between compartments, with the highest density and diversity in the hindgut, but similarities between homologous compartments of both cockroaches indicated a specificity of the microbiota for their respective habitats. While some lineages were most closely related to the gut microbiota of omnivorous cockroaches and wood- or litter-feeding termites, others have been encountered also in vertebrates, reinforcing the hypothesis that strong environmental selection drives community structure in the cockroach gut. DA - 2015/2// PY - 2015/2// DO - 10.1093/femsec/fiu028 VL - 91 IS - 2 SP - 1–14 UR - http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/25764554 KW - cockroach KW - gut microbiota KW - diversity KW - lignocellulose KW - hydrogen ER - TY - JOUR TI - Tropical Strains of Ralstonia solanacearum Outcompete Race 3 Biovar 2 Strains at Lowland Tropical Temperatures AU - Huerta, Alejandra I. AU - Milling, Annett AU - Allen, Caitilyn T2 - Applied and Environmental Microbiology AB - Bacterial wilt, caused by members of the heterogenous Ralstonia solanacearum species complex, is an economically important vascular disease affecting many crops. Human activity has widely disseminated R. solanacearum strains, increasing their global agricultural impact. However, tropical highland race 3 biovar 2 (R3bv2) strains do not cause disease in tropical lowlands, even though they are virulent at warm temperatures. We tested the hypothesis that differences in temperature adaptation and competitive fitness explain the uneven geographic distribution of R. solanacearum strains. Using three phylogenetically and ecologically distinct strains, we measured competitive fitness at two temperatures following paired-strain inoculations of their shared host, tomato. Lowland tropical strain GMI1000 was only weakly virulent on tomato under temperate conditions (24°C for day and 19°C for night [24/19°C]), but highland tropical R3bv2 strain UW551 and U.S. warm temperate strain K60 were highly virulent at both 24/19°C and 28°C. Strain K60 was significantly more competitive than both GMI1000 and UW551 in tomato rhizospheres and stems at 28°C, and GMI1000 also outcompeted UW551 at 28°C. The results were reversed at cooler temperatures, at which highland strain UW551 generally outcompeted GMI1000 and K60 in planta. The superior competitive index of UW551 at 24/19°C suggests that adaptation to cool temperatures could explain why only R3bv2 strains threaten highland agriculture. Strains K60 and GMI1000 each produced different bacteriocins that inhibited growth of UW551 in culture. Such interstrain inhibition could explain why R3bv2 strains do not cause disease in tropical lowlands. DA - 2015/3// PY - 2015/3// DO - 10.1128/aem.04123-14 VL - 81 IS - 10 SP - 3542-3551 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Evaluation of boxwood cultivars for resistance to boxwood blight AU - Miller, M.E. AU - Norris, R. AU - Cubeta, M.A. T2 - Plant Disease Management Reports DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 10 SP - OT009 SN - 2330-3123 ER - TY - RPRT TI - The Use of Management Practices to Reduce Mycotoxin Contamination in Corn AU - Meyers, M. AU - Heiniger, R. AU - Boerema, L. AU - Carbone, I. A3 - North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// M1 - AG-807 M3 - NC State Extension Publication PB - North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service SN - AG-807 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Evaluation of diamide insecticides co-applied with other agrochemicals at various times to manageOstrinia nubilalisin processing snap bean AU - Huseth, Anders S AU - Groves, Russell L AU - Chapman, Scott A AU - Nault, Brian A T2 - Pest Management Science AB - BACKGROUND Multiple applications of pyrethroid insecticides are used to manage European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner, in snap bean, but new diamide insecticides may reduce application frequency. In a 2 year small-plot study, O. nubilalis control was evaluated by applying cyantraniliprole (diamide) and bifenthrin (pyrethroid) insecticides at one of three phenological stages (bud, bloom and pod formation) of snap bean development. Co-application of these insecticides with either herbicides or fungicides was also examined as a way to reduce the total number of sprays during a season. RESULTS Cyantraniliprole applications timed either during bloom or during pod formation controlled O. nubilalis better than similar timings of bifenthrin. Co-applications of insecticides with fungicides controlled O. nubilalis as well as insecticide applications alone. Insecticides applied either alone or with herbicides during bud stage did not control this pest. CONCLUSION Diamides are an alternative to pyrethroids for the management of O. nubilalis in snap bean. Adoption of diamides by snap bean growers could improve the efficiency of production by reducing the number of sprays required each season. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry DA - 2015/1/30/ PY - 2015/1/30/ DO - 10.1002/PS.3973 VL - 71 IS - 12 SP - 1649-1656 J2 - Pest. Manag. Sci. LA - en OP - SN - 1526-498X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/PS.3973 DB - Crossref KW - chlorantraniliprole KW - cyantraniliprole KW - European corn borer KW - Phaseolus vulgaris KW - pyrethroid alternative KW - tank-mix ER - TY - JOUR TI - Resurgence of Cucurbit Downy Mildew in the United States: A Watershed Event for Research and Extension AU - Holmes, Gerald J. AU - Ojiambo, Peter S. AU - Hausbeck, Mary K. AU - Quesada-Ocampo, Lina AU - Keinath, Anthony P. T2 - Plant Disease DA - 2015/1// PY - 2015/1// DO - 10.1094/pdis-09-14-0990-fe.testissue VL - 4015 IS - 1 SP - 1-14 ER - TY - JOUR TI - First Report of Phytophthora Fruit Rot on Bitter Gourd (Mormodica charantia) and Sponge Gourd (Luffa cylindrica) Caused by Phytophthora capsici AU - Kousik, Chandrasekar S. AU - Parada, Camilo AU - Quesada-Ocampo, Lina T2 - PHP AB - Luffa sponge (smooth gourd) and bitter gourds (bitter melon) are specialty vegetables grown in the U.S. on a small scale for select markets. Luffa gourds are also grown for sponges. In Sept. 2014, heavy rainfall resulted in rot of >50% of bitter gourd and >25% on sponge gourd in a field in Charleston, SC. The microbe causing the fruit rot was identified using microscopy and molecular tools. Prior to this study it was not known if this microbe could cause fruit rot of bitter gourd. This knowledge will be useful to suggest management strategies. Accepted for publication 17 March 2015. Published 6 May 2015. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1094/php-br-15-0005 ER - TY - JOUR TI - First Report of Downy Mildew on Buffalo Gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) Caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis in North Carolina AU - Wallace, E. AU - Adams, M. AU - Quesada-Ocampo, L. M. T2 - Plant Disease AB - HomePlant DiseaseVol. 99, No. 12First Report of Downy Mildew on Buffalo Gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) Caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis in North Carolina PreviousNext DISEASE NOTES OPENOpen Access licenseFirst Report of Downy Mildew on Buffalo Gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) Caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis in North CarolinaE. Wallace, M. Adams, and L. M. Quesada-OcampoE. WallaceSearch for more papers by this author, M. AdamsSearch for more papers by this author, and L. M. Quesada-Ocampohttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-9072-7531Search for more papers by this authorAffiliationsAuthors and Affiliations E. Wallace M. Adams L. M. Quesada-Ocampo , Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695. Published Online:1 Oct 2015https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-15-0348-PDNAboutSectionsSupplemental ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailWechat Cucurbita foetidissima (buffalo gourd) is a viny perennial crop native to the United States. This plant, characterized by long, triangular, gray-green leaves and fruits that are 5 to 10 cm in diameter and yellow at maturity, is feral and considered a weed to many. However, C. foetidissima serves several purposes in Native American cultures and its oil-rich seeds have potential economic profitability (Bemis et al. 1978; Clowney et al. 2013). C. foetidissima grows well in dry arid regions, but is widely distributed throughout the United States, growing in 22 states and Mexico (Bemis et al. 1978; USDA-NRCS PLANTS). In August through October of 2014, Pseudoperonospora cubensis was observed on C. foetidissima plants in Lenoir, Rowan, and Haywood counties in North Carolina. These plants were grown in sentinel plots as part of the CDM-IPM PIPE, the cucurbit downy mildew disease-forecasting system. The disease was characterized by irregular brown lesions with chlorotic halos and sporulation on the abaxial leaf surface. The oomycete was collected from infected leaves and observed with a microscope, revealing characteristic P. cubensis structures. An average sporangiophore trunk length of 307.6 µm and pigmented, papillated, lemon-shaped sporangia of 23.9 × 17.9 µm were observed. Sporangia collected from Lenoir County field samples were used to inoculate detached lab-grown C. foetidissima leaves. A 104/ml suspension of sporangia was applied to the abaxial surface of the leaves using a Preval sprayer. Inoculated leaves were kept in clear, acrylic boxes and placed in incubators set for a cycle of 12 h of light at 21°C then 12 h of dark at 18°C. Humidity was maintained by the addition of a damp paper towel in the box. Six days post inoculation, sporulation of the pathogen was observed on the abaxial side of the leaf. Species confirmation was also carried out molecularly. DNA was extracted from sporulating lesions and PCR was used to amplify nuclear and mitochondrial regions. PCR products were sequenced and BLAST searches showed Beta Tubulin (Btub), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (Nad1), and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (Nad5), had 100% identity to P. cubensis sequences in NCBI (GenBank Accession Nos. JF304706.1, KJ141003.1, and HQ636556.1, respectively). Sequences of P. cubensis isolates from C. foetidissima were added to GenBank (Accession Nos. KP970684, KP970682, and KP970683). Little is known about the impact of wild cucurbits in the yearly cucurbit downy mildew epidemic, which warrants further research. The perennial nature of C. foetidissima makes this host of particular importance, as it is believed P. cubensis may overwinter on wild cucurbits (Ojiambo et al. 2011). This is the first report of P. cubensis infecting C. foetidissima in field settings in the United States. Identifying noncommercial and wild cucurbits that host the downy mildew pathogen is an important factor to identify as we learn more about the pathogen and details of the disease cycle.References:Bemis, W., et al. 1978. Econ. Bot. 32:87. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02906733 Crossref, ISI, Google ScholarClowney, F. G., et al. 2013. Climbers: Cucurbita foetidissima. University of Michigan. Retrieved from http://climbers.lsa.umich.edu/?p=258, 11 August 2014. Google ScholarUSDA-NRCS. PLANTS Database. Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Retrieved from http://plants.usda.gov, 22 August 2014. Google ScholarOjiambo P.S., et al. 2011. Plant Health Progress https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-2011-0411-01-RV. Google ScholarDetailsFiguresLiterature CitedRelated Vol. 99, No. 12 December 2015SubscribeISSN:0191-2917e-ISSN:1943-7692 Metrics Article History Issue Date: 16 Dec 2015Published: 1 Oct 2015First Look: 15 Jun 2015Accepted: 7 Jun 2015 Pages: 1861-1861 Information© 2015 The American Phytopathological SocietyCited byCarboxylic Acid Amide but Not Quinone Outside Inhibitor Fungicide Resistance Mutations Show Clade-Specific Occurrence in Pseudoperonospora cubensis Causing Downy Mildew in Commercial and Wild CucurbitsK. N. D'Arcangelo, E. C. Wallace, T. D. Miles, and L. M. Quesada-Ocampo12 January 2023 | Phytopathology®, Vol. 113, No. 1Field Occurrence and Overwintering of Oospores of Pseudoperonospora cubensis in the Southeastern United StatesIsaack Kikway, Anthony P. Keinath, and Peter S. Ojiambo8 August 2022 | Phytopathology®, Vol. 112, No. 9Pseudoperonospora cubensis (cucumber downy mildew)CABI Compendium, Vol. CABI CompendiumDiseases of Cucumbers, Melons, Pumpkins, Squash, and Watermelons30 August 2022Fantastic Downy Mildew Pathogens and How to Find Them: Advances in Detection and Diagnostics25 February 2021 | Plants, Vol. 10, No. 3Clade-Specific Biosurveillance of Pseudoperonospora cubensis Using Spore Traps for Precision Disease Management of Cucurbit Downy MildewA. Rahman, J. R. Standish, K. N. D’Arcangelo, and L. M. Quesada-Ocampo16 January 2021 | Phytopathology®, Vol. 111, No. 2Assessment of fungicide product applications and program approaches for control of downy mildew on pickling cucumber in North CarolinaCrop Protection, Vol. 140Simultaneous detection of downy mildew and powdery mildew pathogens on Cucumis sativus and other cucurbits using duplex-qPCR and HRM analysis3 August 2020 | AMB Express, Vol. 10, No. 1Population Analyses Reveal Two Host-Adapted Clades of Pseudoperonospora cubensis, the Causal Agent of Cucurbit Downy Mildew, on Commercial and Wild CucurbitsE. C. Wallace, K. N. D’Arcangelo, and L. M. Quesada-Ocampo7 July 2020 | Phytopathology®, Vol. 110, No. 9QTL Analysis for Downy Mildew Resistance in Cucumber Inbred Line PI 197088Lixia Li, Huiqiang He, Zhirong Zou, and Yuhong Li27 April 2018 | Plant Disease, Vol. 102, No. 7Molecular approaches for biosurveillance of the cucurbit downy mildew pathogen, Pseudoperonospora cubensis9 August 2017 | Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, Vol. 39, No. 3Analysis of microsatellites from the transcriptome of downy mildew pathogens and their application for characterization of Pseudoperonospora populations2 May 2017 | PeerJ, Vol. 5Using Next-Generation Sequencing to Develop Molecular Diagnostics for Pseudoperonospora cubensis, the Cucurbit Downy Mildew PathogenS. Withers, E. Gongora-Castillo, D. Gent, A. Thomas, P. S. Ojiambo, and L. M. Quesada-Ocampo17 June 2016 | Phytopathology®, Vol. 106, No. 10 DA - 2015/12// PY - 2015/12// DO - 10.1094/PDIS-03-15-0348-PDN VL - 99 IS - 12 SP - 1861-1861 UR - https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-15-0348-PDN ER - TY - JOUR TI - Tombusviridae AU - Sit, Tim L AU - Lommel, Steven A T2 - eLS AB - Abstract The Tombusviridae is a relatively large and diverse family of plant viruses that have small single‐stranded, positive‐sense, RNA (ribonucleic acid) genomes which have been grouped together owing to the high degree of sequence identity displayed by their RNA ‐dependent RNA polymerases. Tombusvirid virion structures, gene expression strategies, replication, RNA recombination, virus movement and the support of satellite viruses/defective‐interfering RNAs have been particularly well characterised. All genera (with the exception of the Umbraviruses ) produce spherical virions with capsid proteins that can be subdivided by the presence (or absence) of a C ‐terminal protruding domain. Transmission of several members by fungal zoospores in a species‐specific manner has been reported while aphid transmission of Umbraviruses is completely dependent on a helper virus from the Luteoviridae . The virions of several members have been utilised for biotechnology purposes. Key Concepts Various genera most likely arose through RNA recombination. Tombusviridae species replicate to high titres within their host cells. RNA genomes are small with a limited number of gene products that serve multiple functions. RNA–RNA interactions control gene expression in several genera. Viral‐encoded suppressors of RNA silencing act at several different stages in the response cascade. Virions (if present) are non‐enveloped and extremely stable. Several members are transmitted through soil by specific fungal zoospores. DA - 2015/11// PY - 2015/11// DO - 10.1002/9780470015902.a0000756.pub3 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Development of abamectin loaded lignocellulosic matrices for the controlled release of nematicide for crop protection AU - Cao, Jing AU - Guenther, Richard H. AU - Sit, Tim L. AU - Lommel, Steven A. AU - Opperman, Charles H. AU - Willoughby, Julie A. T2 - Cellulose DA - 2015/11/9/ PY - 2015/11/9/ DO - 10.1007/s10570-015-0817-6 VL - 23 IS - 1 SP - 673-687 KW - Lignocellulosic matrix KW - Controlled release KW - Abamectin KW - Lignin KW - Crop protection ER - TY - JOUR TI - Evolution of the indoor biome AU - Martin, Laura J. AU - Adams, Rachel I. AU - Bateman, Ashley AU - Bik, Holly M. AU - Hawks, John AU - Hird, Sarah M. AU - Hughes, David AU - Kembel, Steven W. AU - Kinney, Kerry AU - Kolokotronis, Sergios-Orestis AU - Levy, Gabriel AU - McClain, Craig AU - Meadow, James F. AU - Medina, Raul F. AU - Mhuireach, Gwynne AU - Moreau, Corrie S. AU - Munshi-South, Jason AU - Nichols, Lauren M. AU - Palmer, Clare AU - Popova, Laura AU - Schal, Coby AU - Täubel, Martin AU - Trautwein, Michelle AU - Ugalde, Juan A. AU - Dunn, Robert R. T2 - Trends in Ecology & Evolution AB - •We review literature on evolution in the indoor biome. •The indoor biome is an expansive and expanding habitat. •Study of the indoor biome combines evolutionary biology, ecology, architecture, anthropology, building science, and human ecology. •Studies of the indoor biome are well suited for citizen science projects, public outreach, and large-scale international collaborations. Few biologists have studied the evolutionary processes at work in indoor environments. Yet indoor environments comprise approximately 0.5% of ice-free land area – an area as large as the subtropical coniferous forest biome. Here we review the emerging subfield of ‘indoor biome’ studies. After defining the indoor biome and tracing its deep history, we discuss some of its evolutionary dimensions. We restrict our examples to the species found in human houses – a subset of the environments constituting the indoor biome – and offer preliminary hypotheses to advance the study of indoor evolution. Studies of the indoor biome are situated at the intersection of evolutionary ecology, anthropology, architecture, and human ecology and are well suited for citizen science projects, public outreach, and large-scale international collaborations. Few biologists have studied the evolutionary processes at work in indoor environments. Yet indoor environments comprise approximately 0.5% of ice-free land area – an area as large as the subtropical coniferous forest biome. Here we review the emerging subfield of ‘indoor biome’ studies. After defining the indoor biome and tracing its deep history, we discuss some of its evolutionary dimensions. We restrict our examples to the species found in human houses – a subset of the environments constituting the indoor biome – and offer preliminary hypotheses to advance the study of indoor evolution. Studies of the indoor biome are situated at the intersection of evolutionary ecology, anthropology, architecture, and human ecology and are well suited for citizen science projects, public outreach, and large-scale international collaborations. Robert H. Whittaker first developed the biome concept to classify the different realms of life found on Earth. His classification scheme was based on two abiotic factors – precipitation and temperature – that he viewed to have the largest impact on the distribution of species and their traits and function. Subsequent biome classification systems have considered the biomes found in the absence of human agency and so exclude much of Earth's terrestrial area. One exception is the anthrome framework, which includes biomes engendered by humans [2]. However, even anthromes deal only with outdoor environments. the ecological realm comprising species that reside and can (although do not necessarily always) reproduce in enclosed and semi-enclosed built structures. the space enclosed by walled and roofed structures built by organisms to shelter themselves, their symbiotic partners, or stored goods. For the purposes of this review we focus on the indoor environments created by humans. DA - 2015/4// PY - 2015/4// DO - 10.1016/J.TREE.2015.02.001 VL - 30 IS - 4 SP - 223-232 J2 - Trends in Ecology & Evolution LA - en OP - SN - 0169-5347 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.TREE.2015.02.001 DB - Crossref KW - urban ecology KW - anthrome KW - microbiome KW - phylogeography KW - built environment ER - TY - JOUR TI - Shared and unique responses of insects to the interaction of urbanization and background climate AU - Diamond, Sarah E AU - Dunn, Robert R AU - Frank, Steven D AU - Haddad, Nick M AU - Martin, Ryan A T2 - Current Opinion in Insect Science AB - Urbanization profoundly alters biological systems; yet the predictability of responses to urbanization based on key biological traits, the repeatability of these patterns among cities, and how the impact of urbanization on biological systems varies as a function of background climatic conditions remain unknown. We use insects as a focal system to review the major patterns of responses to urbanization, and develop a framework for exploring the shared and unique features that characterize insect responses to urbanization and how responses to urbanization might systematically vary along background environmental gradients in climate. We then illustrate this framework using established patterns in insect macrophysiology. DA - 2015/10// PY - 2015/10// DO - 10.1016/J.COIS.2015.10.001 VL - 11 SP - 71-77 J2 - Current Opinion in Insect Science LA - en OP - SN - 2214-5745 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.COIS.2015.10.001 DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - Development of Abamectin Loaded Plant Virus Nanoparticles for Efficacious Plant Parasitic Nematode Control AU - Cao, Jing AU - Guenther, Richard H. AU - Sit, Tim L. AU - Lommel, Steven A. AU - Opperman, Charles H. AU - Willoughby, Julie A. T2 - ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces AB - Plant parasitic nematodes are one of the world’s major agricultural pests, causing in excess of $157 billion in worldwide crop damage annually. Abamectin (Abm) is a biological pesticide with a strong activity against a wide variety of plant parasitic nematodes. However, Abm’s poor mobility in the soil compromises its nematicide performance because of the limited zone of protection surrounding the growing root system of the plant. In this study, we manipulated Abm’s soil physical chemistry by encapsulating Abm within the Red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV) to produce a plant virus nanoparticle (PVN) delivery system for Abm. The transmission electron microscopic and dynamic light scattering characterization of Abm-loaded PVN (PVNAbm) indicated the resultant viral capsid integrity and morphology comparable to native RCNMV. In addition, the PVNAbm significantly increased Abm’s soil mobility while enabling a controlled release strategy for Abm’s bioavailability to nematodes. As a result, PVNAbm enlarged the zone of protection from Meloidogyne hapla root knot nematodes in the soil as compared to treating with free Abm molecules. Tomato seedlings treated with PVNAbm had healthier root growth and a reduction in root galling demonstrating the success of this delivery system for the increased efficacy of Abm to control nematode damage in crops. DA - 2015/5/5/ PY - 2015/5/5/ DO - 10.1021/ACSAMI.5B00940 VL - 7 IS - 18 SP - 9546-9553 J2 - ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces LA - en OP - SN - 1944-8244 1944-8252 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ACSAMI.5B00940 DB - Crossref KW - red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV) KW - plant virus nanoparticle (PVN) KW - abamectin KW - soil mobility KW - crop protection ER - TY - BOOK TI - Exploiting solved genomes of plant-parasitic nematodes to understand parasitism AU - Bird, D.M. AU - Williamson, V.M. AU - Opperman, C.H. AB - The growing portfolio of sequenced plant-parasitic nematodes genomes is helping to drive the research agenda for the discipline of plant nematology. Comparative genomics has confirmed much of what had been deduced from expressed sequence tag sequencing, and expanded our understanding of the extent of horizontal gene transfer as a source of novelty during the evolution of parasitism. Full catalogues have been annotated for various phytolytic and other enzymes, and the evolutionary history of those genes deduced. Beyond these direct analyses, the genome sequences serve to underpin genetic, biochemical and physiological approaches, and we suspect that this will prove to be an invaluable legacy of genome sequencing. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1016/bs.abr.2014.12.008 VL - 73 SE - 241-258 UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84925944538&partnerID=MN8TOARS ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genetic architecture of natural variation in cuticular hydrocarbon composition in Drosophila melanogaster AU - Dembeck, Lauren M AU - Böröczky, Katalin AU - Huang, Wen AU - Schal, Coby AU - Anholt, Robert R H AU - Mackay, Trudy F C T2 - eLife AB - Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) prevent desiccation and serve as chemical signals that mediate social interactions. Drosophila melanogaster CHCs have been studied extensively, but the genetic basis for individual variation in CHC composition is largely unknown. We quantified variation in CHC profiles in the D. melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and identified novel CHCs. We used principal component (PC) analysis to extract PCs that explain the majority of CHC variation and identified polymorphisms in or near 305 and 173 genes in females and males, respectively, associated with variation in these PCs. In addition, 17 DGRP lines contain the functional Desat2 allele characteristic of African and Caribbean D. melanogaster females (more 5,9-C27:2 and less 7,11-C27:2, female sex pheromone isomers). Disruption of expression of 24 candidate genes affected CHC composition in at least one sex. These genes are associated with fatty acid metabolism and represent mechanistic targets for individual variation in CHC composition. DA - 2015/11/14/ PY - 2015/11/14/ DO - 10.7554/eLife.09861 VL - 4 LA - en OP - SN - 2050-084X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09861 DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - Effects of recombination on densovirus phylogeny AU - Martynova, Elena U. AU - Schal, Coby AU - Mukha, Dmitry V. T2 - Archives of Virology DA - 2015/10/16/ PY - 2015/10/16/ DO - 10.1007/s00705-015-2642-5 VL - 161 IS - 1 SP - 63-75 J2 - Arch Virol LA - en OP - SN - 0304-8608 1432-8798 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00705-015-2642-5 DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - Gustatory adaptation affects sexual maturation in male German cockroaches, Blattella germanica AU - Jensen, Kim AU - Schal, Coby AU - Silverman, Jules T2 - Physiological Entomology AB - Abstract Adaptations to hazardous environmental factors are essential for survival, although they may be maladaptive in conditions where the hazard is absent. In German cockroach ( Blattella germanica L. ) populations, glucose aversion has evolved rapidly in response to glucose‐containing insecticidal baits, but little is known about the consequences of this behaviour in the absence of bait. In the present study, glucose‐averse ( GA ) and wild‐type ( WT ) male German cockroaches are restricted to a range of nutritionally defined diets containing either glucose or fructose as the sole carbohydrate source, and time to first expression of courtship is measured by stimulating the male antennae daily with isolated antennae from receptive, 6‐day‐old females. Glucose‐averse males that are restricted to glucose‐containing diets mature their courtship responses significantly later than GA males restricted to fructose‐containing diets, whereas there is no difference in maturation of courtship responses between GA males restricted to fructose‐containing diets and WT males restricted to diets containing either sugar type. Glucose‐averse males furthermore respond later to GA female antennae than to WT female antennae, all from 6‐day‐old females. This suggests that GA females are less sexually stimulating, and the results are also consistent with earlier findings showing that GA females contain less developed oocytes than WT females at this age. These findings demonstrate that an adaptive gustatory mutation conferring protection from a toxin may have comparatively detrimental effects under conditions where the toxin has vanished, both by delaying female sexual maturation and signalling and by delaying male sexual maturation and courtship under conditions where glucose is a major energy source. DA - 2015/11/2/ PY - 2015/11/2/ DO - 10.1111/phen.12122 VL - 41 IS - 1 SP - 19–23 SN - 0307-6962 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/phen.12122 KW - Adaptive behaviour KW - Blattodea KW - carbohydrate KW - courtship KW - developmental cost KW - fructose KW - glucose aversion KW - performance KW - taste evolution KW - toxin avoidance ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genetic structure and post-glacial expansion ofCornus floridaL. (Cornaceae): integrative evidence from phylogeography, population demographic history, and species distribution modeling AU - Call, Ashley AU - Sun, Yan-Xia AU - Yu, Yan AU - Pearman, Peter B. AU - Thomas, David T. AU - Trigiano, Robert N. AU - Carbone, Ignazio AU - Xiang, Qiu-Yun Jenny T2 - Journal of Systematics and Evolution AB - Abstract Repeated global climatic cooling and warming cycles during the Pleistocene played a major role in the distribution and evolution of the Earth biota. Here, we integrate phylogeography, coalescent‐based Bayesian estimation of demographic history, and species distribution modeling (SDM) to understand the genetic patterns and biogeography of the flowering dogwood, Cornus florida subsp. florida L., since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Natural populations of the species are severely threatened by dogwood anthracnose. We genotyped 306 plants from 73 locations of the species across most of its native distribution with three DNA regions from the plastid genome, ndhF‐rpl32 , rps16 and trnQ‐rps16 . The genealogy and haplotype network reconstruction revealed two haplotype lineages diverging ≈3.70 million years ago. We detected no clear geographic structuring of genetic variation, although significant local structure appeared to be evident, likely due to a combination of substantial localized seed dispersal by small mammals and small population size/limited sampling at a location. The spatial distribution of haplotype frequencies, estimated population demographic history, and results from hindcasting analysis using SDM suggested refugia in southeastern North America and population reduction during the LGM, followed by rapid post‐glacial expansion to the north. Forecasting analysis using SDM predicted range shifts to the north under ongoing global warming. Our results further suggested that gene flow via seed dispersal has been high but insufficient to counter the effect of genetic drift. This study demonstrates the benefit of integrating genetic data and species distribution modeling to obtain corroborative evidence in elucidating recent biogeographic history and understanding of genetic patterns and species evolution. DA - 2015/9/8/ PY - 2015/9/8/ DO - 10.1111/jse.12171 VL - 54 IS - 2 SP - 136-151 J2 - Jnl of Sytematics Evolution LA - en OP - SN - 1674-4918 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jse.12171 DB - Crossref KW - Bayesian skyride plot KW - Cornus florida KW - LGM KW - phylogeography KW - plastid DNA KW - post-glacial range expansion KW - species distribution modeling ER - TY - JOUR TI - RNA interference tools for the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis AU - Badillo-Vargas, Ismael E. AU - Rotenberg, Dorith AU - Schneweis, Brandi A. AU - Whitfield, Anna E. T2 - Journal of Insect Physiology AB - The insect order Thysanoptera is exclusively comprised of small insects commonly known as thrips. The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, is an economically important pest amongst thysanopterans due to extensive feeding damage and tospovirus transmission to hundreds of plant species worldwide. Geographically-distinct populations of F. occidentalis have developed resistance against many types of traditional chemical insecticides, and as such, management of thrips and tospoviruses are a persistent challenge in agriculture. Molecular methods for defining the role(s) of specific genes in thrips–tospovirus interactions and for assessing their potential as gene targets in thrips management strategies is currently lacking. The goal of this work was to develop an RNA interference (RNAi) tool that enables functional genomic assays and to evaluate RNAi for its potential as a biologically-based approach for controlling F. occidentalis. Using a microinjection system, we delivered double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) directly to the hemocoel of female thrips to target the vacuolar ATP synthase subunit B (V-ATPase-B) gene of F. occidentalis. Gene expression analysis using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed significant reductions of V-ATPase-B transcripts at 2 and 3 days post-injection (dpi) with dsRNA of V-ATPase-B compared to injection with dsRNA of GFP. Furthermore, the effect of knockdown of the V-ATPase-B gene in females at these two time points was mirrored by the decreased abundance of V-ATPase-B protein as determined by quantitative analysis of Western blots. Reduction in V-ATPase-B expression in thrips resulted in increased female mortality and reduced fertility, i.e., number of viable offspring produced. Survivorship decreased significantly by six dpi compared to the dsRNA-GFP control group, which continued decreasing significantly until the end of the bioassay. Surviving female thrips injected with dsRNA-V-ATPase-B produced significantly fewer offspring compared to those in the dsRNA-GFP control group. Our findings indicate that an RNAi-based strategy to study gene function in thrips is feasible, can result in quantifiable phenotypes, and provides a much-needed tool for investigating the molecular mechanisms of thrips–tospovirus interactions. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of RNAi for any member of the insect order Thysanoptera and demonstrates the potential for translational research in the area of thrips pest control. DA - 2015/5// PY - 2015/5// DO - 10.1016/J.JINSPHYS.2015.03.009 VL - 76 SP - 36-46 J2 - Journal of Insect Physiology LA - en OP - SN - 0022-1910 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.JINSPHYS.2015.03.009 DB - Crossref KW - Thrips KW - Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus KW - RNA interference KW - Plant-virus vector KW - Vacuolar ATP synthase ER - TY - JOUR TI - Disruption of insect transmission of plant viruses AU - Whitfield, Anna E AU - Rotenberg, Dorith T2 - Current Opinion in Insect Science AB - Plant-infecting viruses are transmitted by a diverse array of organisms including insects, mites, nematodes, fungi, and plasmodiophorids. Virus interactions with these vectors are diverse, but there are some commonalities. Generally the infection cycle begins with the vector encountering the virus in the plant and the virus is acquired by the vector. The virus must then persist in or on the vector long enough for the virus to be transported to a new host and delivered into the plant cell. Plant viruses rely on their vectors for breaching the plant cell wall to be delivered directly into the cytosol. In most cases, viral capsid or membrane glycoproteins are the specific viral proteins that are required for transmission and determinants of vector specificity. Specific molecules in vectors also interact with the virus and while there are few-identified to no-identified receptors, candidate recognition molecules are being further explored in these systems. Due to the specificity of virus transmission by vectors, there are defined steps that represent good targets for interdiction strategies to disrupt the disease cycle. This review focuses on new technologies that aim to disrupt the virus–vector interaction and focuses on a few of the well-characterized virus–vector interactions in the field. In closing, we discuss the importance of integration of these technologies with current methods for plant virus disease control. DA - 2015/4// PY - 2015/4// DO - 10.1016/J.COIS.2015.01.009 VL - 8 SP - 79-87 J2 - Current Opinion in Insect Science LA - en OP - SN - 2214-5745 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.COIS.2015.01.009 DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - Insect vector-mediated transmission of plant viruses AU - Whitfield, Anna E. AU - Falk, Bryce W. AU - Rotenberg, Dorith T2 - Virology AB - The majority of plant-infecting viruses are transmitted to their host plants by vectors. The interactions between viruses and vector vary in duration and specificity but some common themes in vector transmission have emerged: 1) plant viruses encode structural proteins on the surface of the virion that are essential for transmission, and in some cases additional non-structural helper proteins that act to bridge the virion to the vector binding site; 2) viruses bind to specific sites in or on vectors and are retained there until they are transmitted to their plant hosts; and 3) viral determinants of vector transmission are promising candidates for translational research aimed at disrupting transmission or decreasing vector populations. In this review, we focus on well-characterized insect vector-transmitted viruses in the following genera: Caulimovirus, Crinivirus, Luteovirus, Geminiviridae, Reovirus, Tospovirus, and Tenuivirus. New discoveries regarding these genera have increased our understanding of the basic mechanisms of virus transmission by arthropods, which in turn have enabled the development of innovative strategies for breaking the transmission cycle. DA - 2015/5// PY - 2015/5// DO - 10.1016/J.VIROL.2015.03.026 VL - 479-480 SP - 278-289 J2 - Virology LA - en OP - SN - 0042-6822 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.VIROL.2015.03.026 DB - Crossref KW - Capsid protein KW - Virus glycoprotein KW - Aphid KW - Whitefly KW - Thrips KW - Planthopper KW - Leafhopper KW - Hemipteran KW - Virus-vector interactions ER - TY - JOUR TI - Thrips transmission of tospoviruses AU - Rotenberg, Dorith AU - Jacobson, Alana L AU - Schneweis, Derek J AU - Whitfield, Anna E T2 - Current Opinion in Virology AB - One hundred years ago, the disease tomato spotted wilt was first described in Australia. Since that time, knowledge of this disease caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and transmitted by thrips (insects in the order Thysanoptera) has revealed a complex relationship between the virus, vector, plant host, and environment. Numerous tospoviruses and thrips vectors have been described, revealing diversity in plant host range and geographical distributions. Advances in characterization of the tripartite interaction between the virus, vector, and plant host have provided insight into molecular and ecological relationships. Comparison to animal-infecting viruses in the family Bunyaviridae has enabled the identification of commonalities between tospoviruses and other bunyaviruses in transmission by arthropod vectors and molecular interactions with hosts. This review provides a special emphasis on TSWV and Frankliniella occidentalis, the model tospovirus-thrips pathosystem. However, other virus-vector combinations are also of importance and where possible, comparisons are made between different viruses and thrips vectors. DA - 2015/12// PY - 2015/12// DO - 10.1016/J.COVIRO.2015.08.003 VL - 15 SP - 80-89 J2 - Current Opinion in Virology LA - en OP - SN - 1879-6257 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.COVIRO.2015.08.003 DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - The GEOTRACES Intermediate Data Product 2014 AU - The GEOTRACES Group: Mawji, E. AU - Schlitzer, R. AU - Masferrer Dodas, E. AU - Abadie, C. AU - Abouchami, W. AU - Anderson, R.F. AU - Baars, O. AU - Bakker, K.; Baskaran AB - The GEOTRACES Intermediate Data Product 2014 (IDP2014) is the first publicly available data product of the international GEOTRACES programme, and contains data measured and quality controlled before the end of 2013. It consists of two parts: (1) a compilation of digital data for more than 200 trace elements and isotopes (TEIs) as well as classical hydrographic parameters, and (2) the eGEOTRACES Electronic Atlas providing a strongly inter-linked on-line atlas including more than 300 section plots and 90 animated 3D scenes. The IDP2014 covers the Atlantic, Arctic, and Indian oceans, exhibiting highest data density in the Atlantic. The TEI data in the IDP2014 are quality controlled by careful assessment of intercalibration results and multi-laboratory data comparisons at cross-over stations. The digital data are provided in several formats, including ASCII spreadsheet, Excel spreadsheet, netCDF, and Ocean Data View collection. In addition to the actual data values the IDP2014 also contains data quality flags and 1-σ data error values where available. Quality flags and error values are useful for data filtering. Metadata about data originators, analytical methods and original publications related to the data are linked to the data in an easily accessible way. The eGEOTRACES Electronic Atlas is the visual representation of the IDP2014 data providing section plots and a new kind of animated 3D scenes. The basin-wide 3D scenes allow for viewing of data from many cruises at the same time, thereby providing quick overviews of large-scale tracer distributions. In addition, the 3D scenes provide geographical and bathymetric context that is crucial for the interpretation and assessment of observed tracer plumes, as well as for making inferences about controlling processes. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1016/j.marchem.2015.04.005 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304420315000997 KW - GEOTRACES KW - Trace elements KW - Isotopes KW - Electronic atlas ER - TY - JOUR TI - Interpretation of complexometric titration data: An intercomparison of methods for estimating models of trace metal complexation by natural organic ligands AU - Pizeta, I. AU - Sander, S. G. AU - Hudson, R. J. M. AU - Omanovic, D. AU - Baars, O. AU - Barbeau, K. A. AU - Buck, K. N. AU - Bundy, R. M. AU - Carrasco, G. AU - Croot, Peter AU - Garnier, C. AU - Gerringa, L. J. A. AU - Gledhill, Martha AU - Hirose, K. AU - Kondo, Y. AU - Laglera, L. M. AU - Nuester, J. AU - Rijkenberg, M. J. A. AU - Takeda, S. AU - Twining, B. S. AU - Wells, M. AB - With the common goal of more accurately and consistently quantifying ambient concentrations of free metal ions and natural organic ligands in aquatic ecosystems, researchers from 15 laboratories that routinely analyze trace metal speciation participated in an intercomparison of statistical methods used to model their most common type of experimental dataset, the complexometric titration. All were asked to apply statistical techniques that they were familiar with to model synthetic titration data that are typical of those obtained by applying state-of-the-art electrochemical methods – anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and competitive ligand equilibration-adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (CLE-ACSV) – to the analysis of natural waters. Herein, we compare their estimates for parameters describing the natural ligands, examine the accuracy of inferred ambient free metal ion concentrations ([Mf]), and evaluate the influence of the various methods and assumptions used on these results. The ASV-type titrations were designed to test each participant's ability to correctly describe the natural ligands present in a sample when provided with data free of measurement error, i.e., random noise. For the three virtual samples containing just one natural ligand, all participants were able to correctly identify the number of ligand classes present and accurately estimate their parameters. For the four samples containing two or three ligand classes, a few participants detected too few or too many classes and consequently reported inaccurate ‘measurements’ of ambient [Mf]. Since the problematic results arose from human error rather than any specific method of analyzing the data, we recommend that analysts should make a practice of using one's parameter estimates to generate simulated (back-calculated) titration curves for comparison to the original data. The root–mean–squared relative error between the fitted observations and the simulated curves should be comparable to the expected precision of the analytical method and upon visual inspection the distribution of residuals should not be skewed. Modeling the synthetic, CLE-ACSV-type titration dataset, which comprises 5 titration curves generated at different analytical windows or levels of competing ligand added to the virtual sample, proved to be more challenging due to the random measurement error that was incorporated. Comparison of the submitted results was complicated by the participants' differing interpretations of their task. Most adopted the provided ‘true’ instrumental sensitivity in modeling the CLE-ACSV curves, but several estimated sensitivities using internal calibration, exactly as is required for actual samples. Since most fitted sensitivities were biased low, systematic error in inferred ambient [Mf] and in estimated weak ligand (L2) concentrations resulted. The main distinction between the mathematical approaches taken by participants lies in the functional form of the speciation model equations, with their implicit definition of independent and dependent or manipulated variables. In ‘direct modeling’, the dependent variable is the measured [Mf] (or Ip) and the total metal concentration ([M]T) is considered independent. In other, much more widely used methods of analyzing titration data – classical linearization, best known as van den Berg/Ružić, and isotherm fitting by nonlinear regression, best known as the Langmuir or Gerringa methods – [Mf] is defined as independent and the dependent variable calculated from both [M]T and [Mf]. Close inspection of the biases and variability in the estimates of ligand parameters and in predictions of ambient [Mf] revealed that the best results were obtained by the direct approach. Linear regression of transformed data yielded the largest bias and greatest variability, while non-linear isotherm fitting generated results with mean bias comparable to direct modeling, but also with greater variability. Participants that performed a unified analysis of ACSV titration curves at multiple detection windows for a sample improved their results regardless of the basic mathematical approach taken. Overall, the three most accurate sets of results were obtained using direct modeling of the unified multiwindow dataset, while the single most accurate set of results also included simultaneous calibration. We therefore recommend that where sample volume and time permit, titration experiments for all natural water samples be designed to include two or more detection windows, especially for coastal and estuarine waters. It is vital that more practical experimental designs for multi-window titrations be developed. Finally, while all mathematical approaches proved to be adequate for some datasets, matrix-based equilibrium models proved to be most naturally suited for the most challenging cases encountered in this work, i.e., experiments where the added ligand in ACSV became titrated. The ProMCC program (Omanović et al., this issue) as well as the Excel Add-in based KINETEQL Multiwindow Solver spreadsheet (Hudson, 2014) have this capability and have been made available for public use as a result of this intercomparison exercise. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1016/j.marchem.2015.03.006 UR - http://oceanrep.geomar.de/28528/ KW - Metal ions KW - Organic ligands KW - Speciation KW - Complexation KW - Equilibrium constant KW - Titration KW - Voltammetry KW - Multi-window titration KW - Data analysis ER - TY - JOUR TI - Bioavailability and Electroreactivity of Zinc Complexed to Strong and Weak Organic Ligands AU - Kim, J.-M. AU - Baars, O. AU - Morel, F.M.M. T2 - Environmental Science and Technology AB - Laboratory experiments have established the importance of complexation by organic ligands in determining the bioavailability of trace metals to marine phytoplankton, while electrochemical measurements with field samples have demonstrated that a large fraction of bioactive trace metals are complexed to strong organic ligands in seawater. Using the model organic ligands, EDTA and histidine, we show a quantitative correspondence between the bioavailability of Zn to the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, and its reduction at -1.2 V (vs Ag/AgCl) on a hanging mercury drop electrode. Equilibrium calculations and polarographic data indicate that Zn bound in inorganic complexes and the 1:1 Zn-histidine complex, but not in the 1:2 Zn-histidine complex or the Zn-EDTA complexes, is taken up by the organism and reduced at the electrode surface, confirming a previous report of the bioavailability of weak Zn complexes. Electrochemical measurements of Zn speciation in seawater do not generally reveal the presence of weak (and potentially bioavailable) complexes; but such measurements (particularly by Anodic Stripping Voltammetry) should nonetheless often provide good estimates of the bioavailable Zn concentrations. These results can likely be generalized to other bioactive divalent trace metals. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1021/acs.est.5b02098 VL - 49 IS - 18 SP - 10894-10902 UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84941710645&partnerID=MN8TOARS ER - TY - JOUR TI - The Siderophore Metabolome of Azotobacter vinelandii AU - Baars, Oliver AU - Zhang, Xinning AU - Morel, François M. M. AU - Seyedsayamdost, Mohammad R. T2 - Applied and Environmental Microbiology AB - In this study, we performed a detailed characterization of the siderophore metabolome, or "chelome," of the agriculturally important and widely studied model organism Azotobacter vinelandii. Using a new high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach, we found over 35 metal-binding secondary metabolites, indicative of a vast chelome in A. vinelandii. These include vibrioferrin, a siderophore previously observed only in marine bacteria. Quantitative analyses of siderophore production during diazotrophic growth with different sources and availabilities of Fe showed that, under all tested conditions, vibrioferrin was present at the highest concentration of all siderophores and suggested new roles for vibrioferrin in the soil environment. Bioinformatic searches confirmed the capacity for vibrioferrin production in Azotobacter spp. and other bacteria spanning multiple phyla, habitats, and lifestyles. Moreover, our studies revealed a large number of previously unreported derivatives of all known A. vinelandii siderophores and rationalized their origins based on genomic analyses, with implications for siderophore diversity and evolution. Together, these insights provide clues as to why A. vinelandii harbors multiple siderophore biosynthesis gene clusters. Coupled with the growing evidence for alternative functions of siderophores, the vast chelome in A. vinelandii may be explained by multiple, disparate evolutionary pressures that act on siderophore production. DA - 2015/10/9/ PY - 2015/10/9/ DO - 10.1128/aem.03160-15 VL - 82 IS - 1 SP - 27-39 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Dissolved cobalt speciation and reactivity in the eastern tropical North Atlantic AU - Baars, Oliver AU - Croot, Peter L. T2 - Marine Chemistry AB - Recent studies highlight the role of cobalt (Co) as an important micro-nutrient with a complex scavenged type oceanic distribution. To better understand the biogeochemical cycle of Co we investigate the distribution, speciation and reactivity of dissolved Co in the eastern tropical North Atlantic in the upper 800 m of the water column. For this purpose, we complement classical Co ligand titrations that require a thermodynamic equilibrium with evaluations of ligand-exchange kinetics and reducibility of potential Co(III) species. The experiments include additions of the artificial Co binding ligands dimethylglyoxime or Nioxime and detection by cathodic stripping voltammetry. We find two pools of Co compounds: a labile fraction that exchanges Co within minutes and a strong/inert fraction that does not react within a 24-h period. No intermediate, slowly exchanging fraction is observed. Detection window experiments to determine complex stability constants show that the labile Co fraction is weak and likely consists of Co(II) complexes with no detectable free Co(II) ligands. The fraction of inert Co is always highest at the depth of the chlorophyll-a maximum. Addition of the reductant ascorbate increases the fraction of Co with rapid ligand-exchange kinetics and indicates the presence of dissolved reducible Co(III). The apparent Co(III) reducibility is highest at the chlorophyll-a maximum and decreases in deeper waters. Our results are in agreement with phytoplankton and associated bacteria being a source of Co(III) species, such as vitamin B12. The presented results have important implications for our understanding of the biological availability and the marine cycle of Co. DA - 2015/7// PY - 2015/7// DO - 10.1016/j.marchem.2014.10.006 VL - 173 SP - 310-319 KW - Marine cobalt cycle KW - Cobalt reducibility KW - Seawater cobalt complexes KW - Cobalt distribution KW - Trace metal speciation KW - Kinetics KW - Thermodynamics KW - Reactivity KW - Marine cobalt redox chemistry ER - TY - CONF TI - Population structure of the obligate biotroph Peronospora tabacina, the cause of blue mold of tobacco AU - Hadziabdic, D AU - Wadl, P AU - Runge, F AU - Ristaino, J AU - Spring, O AU - Trigiano, R T2 - AMER PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOC 3340 PILOT KNOB ROAD, ST PAUL, MN 55121 USA C2 - 2015/// C3 - PHYTOPATHOLOGY DA - 2015/// VL - 105 SP - 55-55 M1 - 11 ER - TY - JOUR TI - The Top 10 oomycete pathogens in molecular plant pathology AU - Kamoun, Sophien AU - Furzer, Oliver AU - Jones, Jonathan DG AU - Judelson, Howard S AU - Ali, Gul Shad AU - Dalio, Ronaldo JD AU - Roy, Sanjoy Guha AU - Schena, Leonardo AU - Zambounis, Antonios AU - Panabières, Franck AU - others T2 - Molecular plant pathology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 16 IS - 4 SP - 413-434 ER - TY - CONF TI - Molecular characterization and genetic diversity of Mycospharella fijiensis, in Costa Rica using sequence based nuclear markers AU - Chavan, S AU - Wyatt, M AU - Alpizar, LG AU - Munoz, ME AU - Ristaino, JB T2 - AMER PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOC 3340 PILOT KNOB ROAD, ST PAUL, MN 55121 USA C2 - 2015/// C3 - PHYTOPATHOLOGY DA - 2015/// VL - 105 SP - 27-27 M1 - 11 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Influence of organic waste amendments on selected soil physical and chemical properties. AU - Kabil, EM AU - Faize, M AU - Makroum, K AU - Assobhei, O AU - Rafrafi, M AU - Loizidou, M AU - Aajjane, A AU - Abdel-Fattah, MK AU - Merwad, AMA AU - Abedi, T AU - others T2 - Journal of Agronomy DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 14 IS - 4 SP - 1-11 ER - TY - CONF TI - Evolutionary origins of US and famine-era lineages of Phytophthora infestans AU - Ristaino, J AU - Saville, A AU - Martin, M AU - Gilbert, MTP T2 - AMER PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOC 3340 PILOT KNOB ROAD, ST PAUL, MN 55121 USA C2 - 2015/// C3 - PHYTOPATHOLOGY DA - 2015/// VL - 105 SP - 118-119 M1 - 11 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genomic Characterization of a South American Phytophthora Hybrid Mandates Reassessment of the Geographic Origins of Phytophthora infestans AU - Martin, Michael D. AU - Vieira, Filipe G. AU - Ho, Simon Y.W. AU - Wales, Nathan AU - Schubert, Mikkel AU - Seguin-Orlando, Andaine AU - Ristaino, Jean B. AU - Gilbert, M. Thomas P. T2 - Molecular Biology and Evolution AB - As the oomycete pathogen causing potato late blight disease, Phytophthora infestans triggered the famous 19th-century Irish potato famine and remains the leading cause of global commercial potato crop destruction. But the geographic origin of the genotype that caused this devastating initial outbreak remains disputed, as does the New World center of origin of the species itself. Both Mexico and South America have been proposed, generating considerable controversy. Here, we readdress the pathogen's origins using a genomic data set encompassing 71 globally sourced modern and historical samples of P. infestans and the hybrid species P. andina, a close relative known only from the Andean highlands. Previous studies have suggested that the nuclear DNA lineage behind the initial outbreaks in Europe in 1845 is now extinct. Analysis of P. andina's phased haplotypes recovered eight haploid genome sequences, four of which represent a previously unknown basal lineage of P. infestans closely related to the famine-era lineage. Our analyses further reveal that clonal lineages of both P. andina and historical P. infestans diverged earlier than modern Mexican lineages, casting doubt on recent claims of a Mexican center of origin. Finally, we use haplotype phasing to demonstrate that basal branches of the clade comprising Mexican samples are occupied by clonal isolates collected from wild Solanum hosts, suggesting that modern Mexican P. infestans diversified on Solanum tuberosum after a host jump from a wild species and that the origins of P. infestans are more complex than was previously thought. DA - 2015/11/17/ PY - 2015/11/17/ DO - 10.1093/molbev/msv241 VL - 33 IS - 2 SP - 478–491 SN - 0737-4038 1537-1719 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msv241 KW - Phytophthora infestans KW - Phytophthora andina KW - plant disease KW - population genomics KW - phylogenomics KW - pathogen ER - TY - JOUR TI - Five reasons to consider Phytophthora infestans a reemerging pathogen AU - Fry, WE AU - Birch, PRJ AU - Judelson, HS AU - Grünwald, NJ AU - Danies, G AU - Everts, KL AU - Gevens, AJ AU - Gugino, Beth Krueger AU - Johnson, DA AU - Johnson, SB AU - others T2 - Phytopathology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 105 IS - 7 SP - 966-981 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Epidemiology and population biology of Pseudoperonospora cubensis: a model system for management of downy mildews. AU - Ojiambo, PS AU - Gent, DH AU - Quesada-Ocampo, LM AU - Hausbeck, MK AU - Holmes, GJ T2 - Annual review of phytopathology AB - The resurgence of cucurbit downy mildew has dramatically influenced production of cucurbits and disease management systems at multiple scales. Long-distance dispersal is a fundamental aspect of epidemic development that influences the timing and extent of outbreaks of cucurbit downy mildew. The dispersal potential of Pseudoperonospora cubensis appears to be limited primarily by sporangia production in source fields and availability of susceptible hosts and less by sporangia survival during transport. Uncertainty remains regarding the role of locally produced inoculum in disease outbreaks, but evidence suggests multiple sources of primary inoculum could be important. Understanding pathogen diversity and population differentiation is a critical aspect of disease management and an active research area. Underpinning advances in our understanding of pathogen biology and disease management has been the research capacity and coordination of stakeholders, scientists, and extension personnel. Concepts and approaches developed in this pathosystem can guide future efforts when responding to incursions of new or reemerging downy mildew pathogens. DA - 2015/5// PY - 2015/5// DO - 10.1146/annurev-phyto-080614-120048 VL - 53 IS - 1 SP - 223-246 UR - http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/26002291 KW - Bayesian prediction KW - disease management KW - genomics KW - mating type KW - pathotype KW - risk assessment ER - TY - JOUR TI - The Top 10 oomycete pathogens in molecular plant pathology T2 - Molecular Plant Pathology AB - Oomycetes form a deep lineage of eukaryotic organisms that includes a large number of plant pathogens which threaten natural and managed ecosystems. We undertook a survey to query the community for their ranking of plant-pathogenic oomycete species based on scientific and economic importance. In total, we received 263 votes from 62 scientists in 15 countries for a total of 33 species. The Top 10 species and their ranking are: (1) Phytophthora infestans; (2, tied) Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis; (2, tied) Phytophthora ramorum; (4) Phytophthora sojae; (5) Phytophthora capsici; (6) Plasmopara viticola; (7) Phytophthora cinnamomi; (8, tied) Phytophthora parasitica; (8, tied) Pythium ultimum; and (10) Albugo candida. This article provides an introduction to these 10 taxa and a snapshot of current research. We hope that the list will serve as a benchmark for future trends in oomycete research. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1111/mpp.12190 VL - 16 IS - 4 SP - 413-434 UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84928215460&partnerID=MN8TOARS KW - oomycetes plant pathology KW - microbiology KW - diversity KW - genomics ER - TY - JOUR TI - Expanding Maize Genetic Resources with Predomestication Alleles: Maize–Teosinte Introgression Populations AU - Liu, Zhengbin AU - Cook, Jason AU - Melia-Hancock, Susan AU - Guill, Katherine AU - Bottoms, Christopher AU - Garcia, Arturo AU - Ott, Oliver AU - Nelson, Rebecca AU - Recker, Jill AU - Balint-Kurti, Peter AU - Larsson, Sara AU - Lepak, Nicholas AU - Buckler, E. Ed AU - Trimble, Loren AU - Tracy, William AU - McMullen, M.D. Michael D AU - Flint-Garcia, Sherry A S.A. T2 - The Plant Genome AB - Teosinte ( subsp. H. H. Iltis & Doebley) has greater genetic diversity than maize inbreds and landraces ( subsp. ). There are, however, limited genetic resources to efficiently evaluate and tap this diversity. To broaden resources for genetic diversity studies in maize, we developed and evaluated 928 near-isogenic introgression lines (NILs) from 10 teosinte accessions in the B73 background. Joint linkage analysis of the 10 introgression populations identified several large-effect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for days to anthesis (DTA), kernel row number (KRN), and 50-kernel weight (Wt50k). Our results confirm prior reports of kernel domestication loci and identify previously uncharacterized QTL with a range of allelic effects enabling future research into the genetic basis of these traits. Additionally, we used a targeted set of NILs to validate the effects of a KRN QTL located on chromosome 2. These introgression populations offer novel tools for QTL discovery and validation as well as a platform for initiating fine mapping. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.3835/plantgenome2015.07.0053 VL - 9 IS - 1 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3835/plantgenome2015.07.0053 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Maize Homologs of HCT, a Key Enzyme in Lignin Biosynthesis, Bind the NLR Rp1 Proteins to Modulate the Defense Response AU - Wang, Guan-Feng AU - He, Yijian AU - Strauch, Renee AU - Olukolu, Bode AU - Nielsen, Dahlia AU - Li, Xu AU - Balint-Kurti, Peter T2 - Plant Physiol. AB - In plants, most disease resistance genes encode nucleotide binding Leu-rich repeat (NLR) proteins that trigger a rapid localized cell death called a hypersensitive response (HR) upon pathogen recognition. The maize (Zea mays) NLR protein Rp1-D21 derives from an intragenic recombination between two NLRs, Rp1-D and Rp1-dp2, and confers an autoactive HR in the absence of pathogen infection. From a previous quantitative trait loci and genome-wide association study, we identified a single-nucleotide polymorphism locus highly associated with variation in the severity of Rp1-D21-induced HR. Two maize genes encoding hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HCT; a key enzyme involved in lignin biosynthesis) homologs, termed HCT1806 and HCT4918, were adjacent to this single-nucleotide polymorphism. Here, we show that both HCT1806 and HCT4918 physically interact with and suppress the HR conferred by Rp1-D21 but not other autoactive NLRs when transiently coexpressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. Other maize HCT homologs are unable to confer the same level of suppression on Rp1-D21-induced HR. The metabolic activity of HCT1806 and HCT4918 is unlikely to be necessary for their role in suppressing HR. We show that the lignin pathway is activated by Rp1-D21 at both the transcriptional and metabolic levels. We derive a model to explain the roles of HCT1806 and HCT4918 in Rp1-mediated disease resistance. DA - 2015/9// PY - 2015/9// DO - 10.1104/pp.15.00703 VL - 9 IS - 3 SP - pp.00703.2015 UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84946206925&partnerID=MN8TOARS ER - TY - JOUR TI - Effectiveness of Genes for Hessian Fly (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) Resistance in the Southeastern United States AU - Shukle, Richard H. AU - Cambron, Sue E. AU - Moniem, Hossam Abdel AU - Schemerhorn, Brandon J. AU - Redding, Julie AU - Buntin, G. David AU - Flanders, Kathy L. AU - Reisig, Dominic D. AU - Mohammadi, Mohsen T2 - Journal of Economic Entomology AB - The Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is the most important insect pest of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. subsp. aestivum) in the southeastern United States, and the deployment of genetically resistant wheat is the most effective control. However, the use of resistant wheat results in the selection of pest genotypes that can overcome formerly resistant wheat. We have evaluated the effectiveness of 16 resistance genes for protection of wheat from Hessian fly infestation in the southeastern United States. Results documented that while 10 of the genes evaluated could provide protection of wheat, the most highly effective genes were H12, H18, H24, H25, H26, and H33. However, H12 and H18 have been reported to be only partially effective in field evaluations, and H24, H25, and H26 may be associated with undesirable effects on agronomic traits when introgressed into elite wheat lines. Thus, the most promising new gene for Hessian fly resistance appears to be H33. These results indicate that identified highly effective resistance in wheat to the Hessian fly is a limited resource and emphasize the need to identify novel sources of resistance. Also, we recommend that the deployment of resistance in gene pyramids and the development of novel strategies for engineered resistance be considered. DA - 2015/10// PY - 2015/10// DO - 10.1093/jee/tov292 VL - 109 IS - 1 SP - 399-405 KW - Mayetiola destructor KW - plant resistance KW - wheat breeding ER - TY - JOUR TI - 2014 soybean insect losses in the Southern US AU - Musser, F.R. AU - Catchot, A. L. AU - Davis, J.A. AU - Herbert, D. A. AU - Lorenz, G. M. AU - Reed, T. AU - Reisig, D.D. AU - Stewart, S.D. T2 - Midsouth Entomol DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 8 SP - 35–48 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Gut bacteria mediate aggregation in the German cockroach AU - Wada-Katsumata, Ayako AU - Zurek, Ludek AU - Nalyanya, Godfrey AU - Roelofs, Wendell L. AU - Zhang, Aijun AU - Schal, Coby T2 - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences AB - Aggregation of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is regulated by fecal aggregation agents (pheromones), including volatile carboxylic acids (VCAs). We demonstrate that the gut microbial community contributes to production of these semiochemicals. Chemical analysis of the fecal extract of B. germanica revealed 40 VCAs. Feces from axenic cockroaches (no microorganisms in the alimentary tract) lacked 12 major fecal VCAs, and 24 of the remaining compounds were represented at extremely low amounts. Olfactory and aggregation bioassays demonstrated that nymphs strongly preferred the extract of control feces over the fecal extract of axenic cockroaches. Additionally, nymphs preferred a synthetic blend of 6 fecal VCAs over a solvent control or a previously identified VCA blend. To test whether gut bacteria contribute to the production of fecal aggregation agents, fecal aerobic bacteria were cultured, isolated, and identified. Inoculation of axenic cockroaches with individual bacterial taxa significantly rescued the aggregation response to the fecal extract, and inoculation with a mix of six bacterial isolates was more effective than with single isolates. The results indicate that the commensal gut microbiota contributes to production of VCAs that act as fecal aggregation agents and that cockroaches discriminate among the complex odors that emanate from a diverse microbial community. Our results highlight the pivotal role of gut bacteria in mediating insect-insect communication. Moreover, because the gut microbial community reflects the local environment, local plasticity in fecal aggregation pheromones enables colony-specific odors and fidelity to persistent aggregation sites. DA - 2015/12/7/ PY - 2015/12/7/ DO - 10.1073/pnas.1504031112 VL - 112 IS - 51 SP - 15678-15683 J2 - Proc Natl Acad Sci USA LA - en OP - SN - 0027-8424 1091-6490 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1504031112 DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - Snow cover has variable effects on persistence of fungicides and their suppression of microdochium patch on amenity turfgrass AU - Koch, P. L. AU - Stier, J. C. AU - Kerns, J. P. T2 - PLANT PATHOLOGY AB - Fungicides applied to turfgrass in temperate climates prior to snowfall are expected to suppress fungal diseases such as microdochium patch ( Microdochium nivale ) until infection conditions become unfavourable the following spring. However, mild winters with inconsistent snow cover may alter fungicide persistence and render the turf more susceptible to fungal infection. This study was conducted to determine the effect of snow cover on the persistence of the fungicides chlorothalonil and iprodione applied to creeping bentgrass ( Agrostis stolonifera ), maintained as a golf course fairway. The fungicides were applied 1 day prior to the first accumulating snowfall in Madison, Wisconsin, for four consecutive winters, beginning in 2009/10. Fungicide treatments were kept under continuous snow cover or maintained free of snow cover the entire winter to determine the effect of snow cover on fungicide persistence (2010/11 to 2012/13) and microdochium patch development in a controlled environment chamber (2009/10 to 2012/13). Iprodione concentration was not impacted by snow cover in 2010/11 but was reduced under snow cover relative to bare turf in 2011/12 and 2012/13. Chlorothalonil concentration was not impacted by snow cover in 2011/12 but was greater under snow cover in 2012/13. Microdochium patch severity in the controlled environment chamber was not impacted by snow cover with either fungicide in 2009/10 or 2011/12 but was slightly reduced under snow cover with both fungicides during 2010/11 and 2012/13. The majority of fungicide depletion occurred shortly after rainfall or snowmelt events, except in 2010/11 when both fungicides rapidly depleted during a warming trend without rainfall. DA - 2015/12// PY - 2015/12// DO - 10.1111/ppa.12379 VL - 64 IS - 6 SP - 1417-1428 SN - 1365-3059 KW - fungicide persistence KW - microdochium patch KW - turfgrass KW - winter ER - TY - JOUR TI - Maize homologs of hydroxycinnamoyltransferase, a key enzyme in lignin biosynthesis, bind the nucleotide binding leucine-rich repeat Rp1 proteins to modulate the defense response AU - Wang, G. F. AU - He, Y. J. AU - Strauch, R. AU - Olukolu, B. A. AU - Nielsen, D. AU - Li, X. AU - Balint-Kurti, P. J. T2 - Plant Physiology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 169 IS - 3 SP - 2230-2243 ER - TY - BOOK TI - Insect Diets: Science and Technology AU - Cohen, A.C. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// ET - 2nd PB - CRC Press SN - 9781466591950 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genetic Improvement of Peanut Cultivars for West Africa Evaluated with the CSM-CROPGRO-Peanut Model AU - Narh, Stephen AU - Boote, Kenneth J. AU - Naab, Jesse B. AU - Jones, J. W. AU - Tillman, Barry L. AU - Abudulai, Munnuni AU - Sankara, Philippe AU - Bertin, Zagre M'Bi AU - Burow, Mark D. AU - Brandenburg, Rick L. AU - Jordan, David L. T2 - AGRONOMY JOURNAL AB - Crop models are valuable tools for evaluating past genetic improvement as well as guiding future breeding strategies for target regions. The objective of this study was to use the CSM‐CROPGRO‐Peanut model to evaluate traits responsible for genetic improvement of peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes grown in West Africa. Data on19 cultivars were obtained from performance trials in 2010 and 2011 at two sites in Ghana and two sites in Burkina Faso. For all sites and years, pod yield, seed yield, shelling percentage, and seed size were determined at harvest, and leaf spot disease was recorded. Time‐series data on crop biomass, pod mass, and pod harvest index were measured at two Ghana sites in 2 yr. Data on phenology, e.g., first flower, first pod, and harvest maturity were observed at one site in Ghana in 2010. Optimization and calibration procedures were used with the CROPGRO‐Peanut model to estimate cultivar coefficients from the data. The derived cultivar coefficients simulated pod yields that agreed well with observed pod yields. Solved cultivar coefficients varied considerably among cultivars. With the derived cultivar coefficients, the CROPGRO‐Peanut model was able to simulate much of the genetic variation in pod yield among the 19 cultivars within eight site‐year combinations ( d statistic of 0.90 and RMSE of 299 kg ha −1 ). The derived cultivar coefficients illustrated that yield improvement leading to nearly twofold higher pod yield resulted from a combination of improved partitioning (leading to higher pod harvest index), higher photosynthesis, longer life cycle, longer seed‐filling duration, and improved leaf spot resistance. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.2134/agronj15.0047 VL - 107 IS - 6 SP - 2213-2229 SN - 1435-0645 ER - TY - ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genome sequences of three phytopathogenic species of the Magnaporthaceae family of fungi AU - Okagaki, L. H. AU - Nunes, C. C. AU - Sailsbery, J. AU - Clay, B. AU - Brown, D. AU - John, T. AU - Oh, Y. AU - Young, N. AU - Fitzgerald, M. AU - Haas, B. J. AU - Zeng, Q. D. AU - Young, S. AU - Adiconis, X. AU - Fan, L. AU - Levin, J. Z. AU - Mitchell, T. K. AU - Okubara, P. A. AU - Farman, M. L. AU - Kohn, L. M. T2 - G3-Genes Genomes Genetics DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 5 IS - 12 SP - 2539-2545 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Effect of diuron and fluometuron on grain sorghum and soybean as replacement crops following a cotton stand failure AU - Braswell, L. R. AU - York, A. C. AU - Jordan, D. L. AU - Seagroves, R. W. T2 - Journal of Cotton Science DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 19 IS - 3 SP - 613-621 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Attraction and oviposition preferences of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae), vector of Old-World cutaneous leishmaniasis, to larval rearing media AU - Marayati, Bahjat Fadi AU - Schal, Coby AU - Ponnusamy, Loganathan AU - Apperson, Charles S. AU - Rowland, Tobin E. AU - Wasserberg, Gideon T2 - Parasites & Vectors AB - As part of a project aimed at developing oviposition attractants for the control and surveillance of Phlebotomus papatasi (a vector of Old-World cutaneous leishmaniasis), we tested the hypothesis that gravid sand flies are attracted to chemical cues emanating from the growth medium of conspecific larvae - predominantly larvae-conditioned host feces that represents a suitable oviposition site. We report the results of a systematic assessment of media from various developmental stages of the sand fly using oviposition and olfactometer behavioral assays.We conducted multiple-choice oviposition assays in 500 mL Nalgene jars. Six treatments were placed on separate filter paper discs at the bottom of the jar: 2(nd)/3(rd) larval instar medium, 4(th) larval instar/pupae medium, frass from expired colonies, larval food (aged rabbit chow and rabbit feces mix), rabbit feces, and a solvent (water) control. Fifty gravid females were introduced into each jar. Cumulative number of eggs laid on each filter paper per jar was counted at different time intervals from digital images. Attraction of gravid sand flies to these six treatments was assayed with a 3-chamber linear olfactometer. Twenty gravid females were transferred to the middle chamber of the olfactometer and their distribution in treatment and control chambers was recorded after 3 h.Almost no eggs were oviposited during the first 72 h following a blood-meal. Cumulative egg deposition increased drastically in the next 24 h (hours 73-96), with a slight non-significant increasing trend thereafter. Comparing mean cumulative egg deposition among the six treatments, we found that significantly more eggs were oviposited on 2(nd)/3(rd) larval rearing medium followed by 4(th) instar/pupae rearing medium. Oviposition preference did not vary over time. The olfactometer results were consistent with the oviposition assays, with 2(nd)/3(rd) larval rearing medium being the most attractive, followed by 4(th) instar/pupae rearing medium.The key finding of this study is that gravid, laboratory reared, Ph. papatasi sand flies are significantly more attracted to rearing medium of the most biologically active larval stages (2(nd)/3(rd) instar and 4(th) instar/pupae). This finding indicates that sand fly-digested host food and feces is attractive to gravid females and suggests that the larvae and larval gut microbiome may be involved in conditioning the oviposition substrate and possibly the production of oviposition attractants and stimulants. DA - 2015/12// PY - 2015/12// DO - 10.1186/s13071-015-1261-z VL - 8 IS - 1 SP - J2 - Parasites Vectors LA - en OP - SN - 1756-3305 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-1261-z DB - Crossref KW - Leishmaniasis KW - Oviposition behavior KW - Sand flies KW - Semiochemicals KW - Bioassay KW - Olfactometer ER - TY - JOUR TI - Systemic Imidacloprid Affects Intraguild Parasitoids Differently AU - Taylor, Sally V. AU - Burrack, Hannah J. AU - Roe, R. Michael AU - Bacheler, Jack S. AU - Sorenson, Clyde E. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - Toxoneuron nigriceps (Viereck) (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) and Campoletis sonorensis (Cameron) (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) are solitary endoparasitoids of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). They provide biological control of H. virescens populations in Southeastern US agricultural production systems. Field and greenhouse experiments conducted from 2011–2014 compared parasitism rates of parasitoids that developed inside H. virescens larvae fed on tobacco plants treated with and without imidacloprid. The parasitoids in our study did not have a similar response. Toxoneuron nigriceps had reduced parasitism rates, but parasitism rates of C. sonorensis were unaffected. Preliminary data indicate that adult female lifespans of T. nigriceps are also reduced. ELISA was used to measure concentrations of neonicotinoids, imidacloprid and imidacloprid metabolites in H. virescens larvae that fed on imidacloprid-treated plants and in the parasitoids that fed on these larvae. Concentrations were detectable in the whole bodies of parasitized H. virescens larvae, T. nigriceps larvae and T. nigriceps adults, but not in C. sonorensis larvae and adults. These findings suggest that there are effects of imidacloprid on multiple trophic levels, and that insecticide use may differentially affect natural enemies with similar feeding niches. DA - 2015/12/14/ PY - 2015/12/14/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0144598 VL - 10 IS - 12 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Predator exclusion cage for turtle nests: A novel design AU - Buzuleciu, S. A. AU - Spencer, M. E. AU - Parker, S. L. T2 - Chelonian Conservation and Biology AB - Three predator exclusion devices were designed and deployed with the goal of denying raccoons access to simulated turtle nests (n = 116) for 48 hrs. A novel design, a roughly conical cage constructed using wooden dowels for bars, protected nests through 3 trials at rates of 100% (n = 4), 100% (n = 8), and 70% (n = 84). This new cage design offers a portable, inexpensive, and reusable alternative for protecting nests of diamondback terrapins and potentially other emydid species. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.2744/ccb-1163.1 VL - 14 IS - 2 SP - 196-201 ER - TY - JOUR TI - NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE CYPRESS WEEVIL, EUDOCIMINUS MANNERHEIMII (BOHEMAN, 1836) (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE: MOLYTINAE): REDESCRIPTION, RANGE EXPANSION, NEW HOST RECORDS, AND REPORT AS A POSSIBLE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF TREE MORTALITY AU - Skvarla, Michael J. AU - Bertone, Matthew A. AU - Fisher, J. Ray AU - Dowling, Ashley P. G. T2 - COLEOPTERISTS BULLETIN AB - The cypress weevil, Eudociminus mannerheimii (Boheman, 1836), is reported from northwestern Arkansas (new state record). The suspected host in this area is eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.), which represents a new host record. Additional new host records from arborvitae (Thuja L.) in North Carolina are reported. A brief redescription of the adult that expands upon the original description and photographs are included. Although cypress weevils are not generally considered pestiferous, a case of landscape trees likely killed by this species is included. DA - 2015/12// PY - 2015/12// DO - 10.1649/0010-065x-69.4.751 VL - 69 IS - 4 SP - 751-757 SN - 1938-4394 KW - distribution KW - range expansion KW - Interior Highlands KW - Ozark Mountains KW - Hylobiini ER - TY - JOUR TI - Characterization, Virulence, Epidemiology, and Management of Anthracnose in Celery AU - Rodriguez-Salamanca, Lina M. AU - Quesada-Ocampo, Lina M. AU - Naegele, Rachel P. AU - Hausbeck, Mary K. T2 - PLANT DISEASE AB - Leaf curling and petiole twisting of celery (Apium graveolens) were observed in several commercial fields in five Michigan counties in 2010 through 2012, causing significant crop damage and loss. Prior to this time, the pathogen Colletotrichum acutatum species complex had not been previously associated with celery in Michigan. In this study, the pathogen's genotype and phenotype were characterized, the influence of environmental conditions determined, and fungicides tested. Pathogen identification was based on conidial morphology and molecular identification using species-specific primers. Intersimple-sequence repeat (ISSR) banding patterns were similar between C. acutatum isolates from celery (n = 51) and blueberry (n = 1) but different from C. dematium and C. gloeosporioides. Four ISSR primers resulted in 4% polymorphism when tested on isolates from celery. Pathogenicity and virulence of C. acutatum sensu lato isolated from celery (n = 81), tomato (n = 2), and blueberry (n = 1) were evaluated in greenhouse experiments, which revealed differences in virulence among isolates but no significant differences specific to collection year, county, or field. In dew chambers and growth chambers, high temperatures (≥25°C) or long leaf wetness duration (>24 h) increased disease incidence. Twelve fungicides were tested in field studies over two growing seasons to determine their efficacy against celery anthracnose. The fungicides azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, mancozeb, and chlorothalonil reduced disease by 27 to 50% compared with the untreated control when disease pressure was moderate. DA - 2015/12// PY - 2015/12// DO - 10.1094/pdis-09-14-0994-re VL - 99 IS - 12 SP - 1832-1840 SN - 1943-7692 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Waiting on the gene revolution: Challenges for adopting GM crops in the developing world AU - Aghaee, Mohammad-Amir AU - Olkowski, Sandra M. AU - Shelomi, Matan AU - Klittich, Daniel S. AU - Kwok, Rosanna AU - Maxwell, Danica F. AU - Portilla, Maribel A. T2 - TRENDS IN FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AB - Ensuring food security in the developing world faces new challenges as climate change and population growth strain resources. Genetically modified (GM) crops are a promising technology but face opposition due to perceptions of possible health risks and external interests, which ultimately affect trade policies between nations. Additionally, the lack of appropriate infrastructure in food insecure regions—poor access to financing, inadequate government support for agricultural extension, and unenforced laws on land tenure—make growers reluctant to adopt new technologies. In this paper, we present these themes and their interactions to help inform the discussion on the adoption of GM technology in the developing world. We focus our review on Sub-Saharan Africa, as it is often the target of new agricultural redevelopment programs from developed nations. DA - 2015/11// PY - 2015/11// DO - 10.1016/j.tifs.2015.09.001 VL - 46 IS - 1 SP - 132-136 SN - 0924-2244 KW - Genetic modification KW - Food security KW - Agricultural development KW - Trade relations KW - Developing world ER - TY - JOUR TI - Urbanization Increases Pathogen Pressure on Feral and Managed Honey Bees AU - Youngsteadt, Elsa AU - Appler, R. Holden AU - Lopez-Uribe, Margarita M. AU - Tarpy, David R. AU - Frank, Steven D. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - Given the role of infectious disease in global pollinator decline, there is a need to understand factors that shape pathogen susceptibility and transmission in bees. Here we ask how urbanization affects the immune response and pathogen load of feral and managed colonies of honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus), the predominant economically important pollinator worldwide. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we measured expression of 4 immune genes and relative abundance of 10 honey bee pathogens. We also measured worker survival in a laboratory bioassay. We found that pathogen pressure on honey bees increased with urbanization and management, and the probability of worker survival declined 3-fold along our urbanization gradient. The effect of management on pathogens appears to be mediated by immunity, with feral bees expressing immune genes at nearly twice the levels of managed bees following an immune challenge. The effect of urbanization, however, was not linked with immunity; instead, urbanization may favor viability and transmission of some disease agents. Feral colonies, with lower disease burdens and stronger immune responses, may illuminate ways to improve honey bee management. The previously unexamined effects of urbanization on honey-bee disease are concerning, suggesting that urban areas may favor problematic diseases of pollinators. DA - 2015/11/4/ PY - 2015/11/4/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0142031 VL - 10 IS - 11 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - The potential impact of coinfection on antimicrobial chemotherapy and drug resistance (vol 23, pg 537, 2015) AU - Birger, R. B. AU - Kouyos, R. D. AU - Cohen, T. AU - Griffiths, E. C. AU - Huijben, S. AU - Mina, M. J. AU - Volkova, V. AU - Grenfell, B. AU - Metcalf, C. J. E. T2 - Trends in Microbiology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 23 IS - 11 SP - 742-742 ER - TY - JOUR TI - The influence of photoperiod on development rates of three species of forensically important blow flies AU - Fisher, M. L. AU - Higley, L. G. AU - Foster, J. E. T2 - Journal of Insect Science (Tucson, AZ) DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 15 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Seasonality and Diapause of Musca autumnalis (Diptera: Muscidae) at its Southern Limits in North America, With Observations on Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae) AU - Fowler, Fallon E. AU - Chirico, Jan AU - Sandelin, Broc A. AU - Mullens, Bradley A. T2 - JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY AB - The face fly (Musca autumnalis De Geer) and horn fly (Haematobia irritans ([L.])) were studied at the southern edge of the face fly's North American range, examining southern California geographic distribution, seasonal activity on cattle and in dung, and diapause. Face flies were common only at Pomona (34°03'N, 117°48'W). Other irrigated pastures, even those only slightly inland from Pomona, were probably too warm for face flies, due to a steep west (cooler) to east (warmer) temperature gradient. Horn flies were abundant at all sites. Adult densities on cattle, adults emerging from dung pats, and prevalence of fly-positive pats were assessed for both fly species throughout a year at Pomona. Summer adult horn fly densities of 500-2,000 flies per cow, or face fly densities of 3-10 flies per face, were common. Summer prevalence of face fly-positive pats and horn fly-positive pats was about 20-40% and 30-70%, respectively. Face fly adults diapaused from late October until late March and early April. Horn flies probably diapaused as pupae from late October or early November to early-mid March, although some emerged in winter. Experimental cohorts of October-emerging adult face flies were held in a representative overwintering site. They exhibited hypertrophied fat body and undeveloped oocytes, which are characteristics of diapause, and survived until the following spring. The dominant diapause cues in face and horn flies are probably photoperiod and temperature. Despite warm winter temperatures that would permit activity of both species, and despite relatively long winter day lengths, face flies and most horn flies still diapaused at this latitude. DA - 2015/11// PY - 2015/11// DO - 10.1093/jme/tjv123 VL - 52 IS - 6 SP - 1213-1224 SN - 1938-2928 KW - face fly KW - horn fly KW - diapause KW - seasonality KW - range ER - TY - JOUR TI - Relationship Between Piercing-Sucking Insect Control and Internal Lint and Seed Rot in Southeastern Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) AU - Medrano, Enrique G. AU - Bell, Alois A. AU - Greene, Jeremy K. AU - Roberts, Phillip M. AU - Bacheler, Jack S. AU - Marois, James J. AU - Wright, David L. AU - Esquivel, Jesus F. AU - Nichols, Robert L. AU - Duke, Sara T2 - JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY AB - In 1999, crop consultants scouting for stink bugs (Hemiptera spp.) in South Carolina discovered a formerly unobserved seed rot of cotton that caused yield losses ranging from 10 to 15% in certain fields. The disease has subsequently been reported in fields throughout the southeastern Cotton Belt. Externally, diseased bolls appeared undamaged; internally, green fruit contain pink to dark brown, damp, deformed lint, and necrotic seeds. In greenhouse experiments, we demonstrated transmission of the opportunistic bacterium Pantoea agglomerans by the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.). Here, green bolls were sampled from stink bug management plots (insecticide protected or nontreated) from four South Atlantic coast states (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida) to determine disease incidence in the field and its association with piercing-sucking insects feeding. A logistic regression analysis of the boll damage data revealed that disease was 24 times more likely to occur (P = 0.004) in bolls collected from plots in Florida, where evidence of pest pressure was highest, than in bolls harvested in NC with the lowest detected insect pressure. Fruit from plots treated with insecticide, a treatment which reduced transmission agent numbers, were 4 times less likely to be diseased than bolls from unprotected sites (P = 0.002). Overall, punctured bolls were 125 times more likely to also have disease symptoms than nonpunctured bolls, irrespective of whether or not plots were protected with insecticides (P = 0.0001). Much of the damage to cotton bolls that is commonly attributed to stink bug feeding is likely the resulting effect of vectored pathogens. DA - 2015/8// PY - 2015/8// DO - 10.1093/jee/tov156 VL - 108 IS - 4 SP - 1540-1544 SN - 1938-291X KW - pesticide KW - vector KW - disease ER - TY - JOUR TI - Quantifying the effects of wheat residue on severity of Stagonospora nodorum blotch and yield in winter wheat AU - Mehra, L. K. AU - Cowger, Christina AU - Weisz, R. AU - Ojiambo, Peter T2 - Phytopathology AB - Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB), caused by the fungus Parastagonospora nodorum, is a major disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum). Residue from a previously infected wheat crop can be an important source of initial inoculum, but the effects of infected residue on disease severity and yield have not previously been quantified. Experiments were conducted in Raleigh and Salisbury, North Carolina, in 2012, 2013, and 2014 using the moderately susceptible winter wheat cultivar DG Shirley. In 2014, the highly susceptible cultivar DG 9012 was added to the experiment and the study was conducted at an additional site in Tyner, North Carolina. Four (2012) or six (2013 and 2014) wheat residue treatments were applied in the field in a randomized complete block design with five replicates. Treatments in 2012 were 0, 30, 60, and 90% residue coverage of the soil surface, while 10 and 20% residue treatments were added in 2013 and 2014. Across site-years, disease severity ranged from 0 to 50% and increased nonlinearly (P < 0.05) as residue level increased, with a rapid rise to an upper limit and showing little change in severity above 20 to 30% soil surface coverage. Residue coverage had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on disease severity in all site-years. The effect of residue coverage on yield was only significant (P < 0.05) for DG Shirley at Raleigh and Salisbury in 2012 and for DG 9012 at Salisbury in 2014. Similarly, residue coverage significantly (P < 0.05) affected thousand-kernel weight only of DG 9012 in 2014 at Raleigh and Salisbury. Our results showed that when wheat residue was sparse, small additions to residue density produced greater increases in SNB than when residue was abundant. SNB only led to effects on yield and test weight in the most disease-conducive environments, suggesting that the economic threshold for the disease may be higher than previously assumed and warrants review. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1094/phyto-03-15-0080-r VL - 105 IS - 11 SP - 1417–1426 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Phylogenomics of polyploid Fothergilla (Hamamelidaceae) by RAD-tag based GBS-insights into species origin and effects of software pipelines AU - Qi, Zhe-Chen AU - Yu, Yi AU - Liu, Xiang AU - Pais, Andrew AU - Ranney, Thomas AU - Whetten, Ross AU - Xiang, Qiu-Yun T2 - JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION AB - Abstract Fothergilla (Hamamelidaceae) consists of Fothergilla gardenii (4 x ) from the coastal plains of the southeastern USA, F. major (6 x ) from the piedmont and mountains of the same region, and a few allopatric diploid populations of unknown taxonomic status. The objective of this study was to explore the relationships of the polyploid species with the diploid plants. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) was applied to generate genome‐wide molecular markers for phylogenetic and genetic structure analyses of 36 accessions of Fothergilla . Sanger sequencing of three plastid and one nuclear regions provided data for comparison with GBS‐based results. Phylogenetic outcomes were compared using data from different sequencing runs and different software workflows. The different data sets showed substantial differences in inferred phylogenies, but all supported a genetically distinct 6 x F. major and two lineages of the diploid populations closely associated with the 4 x F. gardenii . We hypothesize that the 4 x F. gardenii originated through hybridization between the Gulf coastal 2 x and an extinct (or undiscovered) 2 x lineage, followed by backcrosses to the Atlantic coastal 2 x before chromosome doubling, and the 6 x F. major also originated from the “extinct” 2 x lineage. Alternative scenarios are possible but are not as well supported. The origins and divergence of the polyploid species likely occurred during the Pleistocene cycles of glaciation, although fossil evidence indicates the genus might have existed for a much longer time with a wider past distribution. Our study demonstrates the power of combining GBS data with Sanger sequencing in reconstructing the evolutionary network of polyploid lineages. DA - 2015/9// PY - 2015/9// DO - 10.1111/jse.12176 VL - 53 IS - 5 SP - 432-447 SN - 1759-6831 KW - Fothergilla KW - hybridization KW - illumina sequencing KW - phylogenomics KW - RAD-tag-based GBS KW - polyploidy ER - TY - JOUR TI - Molecular Characterisation and Diagnosis of Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) from Turfgrasses in North Carolina, USA AU - Ye, Weimin AU - Zeng, Yongsan AU - Kerns, James T2 - PLOS ONE AB - Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are the most common and destructive plant-parasitic nematode group worldwide and adversely influence both crop quality and yield. In this study, a total of 51 root-knot nematode populations from turfgrasses were tested, of which 44 were from North Carolina, 6 from South Carolina and 1 from Virginia. Molecular characterisation was performed on these samples by DNA sequencing on the ribosomal DNA 18S, ITS and 28S D2/D3. Species-specific primers were developed to identify turfgrass root-knot nematode through simplex or duplex PCR. Four species were identified, including M. marylandi Jepson & Golden in Jepson, 1987, M. graminis (Sledge & Golden, 1964) Whitehead, 1968, M. incognita (Kofoid & White, 1919) Chitwood, 1949 and M. naasi Franklin, 1965 through a combined analysis of DNA sequencing and PCR by species-specific primers. M. marylandi has been reported from North Carolina and South Carolina for the first time. Molecular diagnosis using PCR by species-specific primers provides a rapid and cheap species identification approach for turfgrass root-knot nematodes. DA - 2015/11/24/ PY - 2015/11/24/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0143556 VL - 10 IS - 11 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Infection process of Puccinia psidii in Eucalyptus grandis leaves of different ages AU - Xavier, Adelica Aparecida AU - Silva, Andre Costa AU - Silva Guimaraes, Lucio Mauro AU - Matsuoka, Kiyoshi AU - Hodges, Charles S. AU - Alfenas, Acelino Couto T2 - TROPICAL PLANT PATHOLOGY DA - 2015/10// PY - 2015/10// DO - 10.1007/s40858-015-0043-7 VL - 40 IS - 5 SP - 318-325 SN - 1983-2052 KW - Eucalyptus rust KW - Host plant resistance KW - Phenology KW - Pre-infectional phase ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genes related to mitochondrial functions are differentially expressed in phosphine-resistant and -susceptible Tribolium castaneum AU - Oppert, Brenda AU - Guedes, Raul N. C. AU - Aikins, Michael J. AU - Perkin, Lindsey AU - Chen, Zhaorigetu AU - Phillips, Thomas W. AU - Zhu, Kun Yan AU - Opit, George P. AU - Hoon, Kelly AU - Sun, Yongming AU - Meredith, Gavin AU - Bramlett, Kelli AU - Hernandez, Natalie Supunpong AU - Sanderson, Brian AU - Taylor, Madison W. AU - Dhingra, Dalia AU - Blakey, Brandon AU - Lorenzen, Marce AU - Adedipe, Folukemi AU - Arthur, Frank T2 - BMC GENOMICS AB - Phosphine is a valuable fumigant to control pest populations in stored grains and grain products. However, recent studies indicate a substantial increase in phosphine resistance in stored product pests worldwide.To understand the molecular bases of phosphine resistance in insects, we used RNA-Seq to compare gene expression in phosphine-resistant and susceptible laboratory populations of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Each population was evaluated as either phosphine-exposed or no phosphine (untreated controls) in triplicate biological replicates (12 samples total). Pairwise analysis indicated there were eight genes differentially expressed between susceptible and resistant insects not exposed to phosphine (i.e., basal expression) or those exposed to phopshine (>8-fold expression and 90 % C.I.). However, 214 genes were differentially expressed among all four treatment groups at a statistically significant level (ANOVA, p < 0.05). Increased expression of 44 cytochrome P450 genes was found in resistant vs. susceptible insects, and phosphine exposure resulted in additional increases of 21 of these genes, five of which were significant among all treatment groups (p < 0.05). Expression of two genes encoding anti-diruetic peptide was 2- to 8-fold reduced in phosphine-resistant insects, and when exposed to phosphine, expression was further reduced 36- to 500-fold compared to susceptible. Phosphine-resistant insects also displayed differential expression of cuticle, carbohydrate, protease, transporter, and many mitochondrial genes, among others. Gene ontology terms associated with mitochondrial functions (oxidation biological processes, monooxygenase and catalytic molecular functions, and iron, heme, and tetrapyyrole binding) were enriched in the significantly differentially expressed dataset. Sequence polymorphism was found in transcripts encoding a known phosphine resistance gene, dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, in both susceptible and resistant insects. Phosphine-resistant adults also were resistant to knockdown by the pyrethroid deltamethrin, likely due to the increased cytochrome P450 expression.Overall, genes associated with the mitochondria were differentially expressed in resistant insects, and these differences may contribute to a reduction in overall metabolism and energy production and/or compensation in resistant insects. These data provide the first gene expression data on the response of phosphine-resistant and -susceptible insects to phosphine exposure, and demonstrate that RNA-Seq is a valuable tool to examine differences in insects that respond differentially to environmental stimuli. DA - 2015/11/18/ PY - 2015/11/18/ DO - 10.1186/s12864-015-2121-0 VL - 16 SP - SN - 1471-2164 KW - Anti-diuretic peptide KW - Cytochrome P450 KW - Deltamethrin KW - Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase KW - Fumigants KW - Insecticide resistance KW - Gene expression KW - Phosphine resistance KW - Red flour beetle KW - RNA-Seq KW - Stored product pests KW - Tribolium castaneum ER - TY - JOUR TI - Dosage Compensation of X-Linked Muller Element F Genes but Not X-Linked Transgenes in the Australian Sheep Blowfly AU - Linger, Rebecca J. AU - Belikoff, Esther J. AU - Scott, Maxwell J. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - In most animals that have X and Y sex chromosomes, chromosome-wide mechanisms are used to balance X-linked gene expression in males and females. In the fly Drosophila melanogaster, the dosage compensation mechanism also generally extends to X-linked transgenes. Over 70 transgenic lines of the Australian sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina have been made as part of an effort to develop male-only strains for a genetic control program of this major pest of sheep. All lines carry a constitutively expressed fluorescent protein marker gene. In all 12 X-linked lines, female larvae show brighter fluorescence than male larvae, suggesting the marker gene is not dosage compensated. This has been confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR for selected lines. To determine if endogenous X-linked genes are dosage compensated, we isolated 8 genes that are orthologs of genes that are on the fourth chromosome in D. melanogaster. Recent evidence suggests that the D. melanogaster fourth chromosome, or Muller element F, is the ancestral X chromosome in Diptera that has reverted to an autosome in Drosophila species. We show by quantitative PCR of male and female DNA that 6 of the 8 linkage group F genes reside on the X chromosome in L. cuprina. The other two Muller element F genes were found to be autosomal in L. cuprina, whereas two Muller element B genes were found on the same region of the X chromosome as the L. cuprina orthologs of the D. melanogaster Ephrin and gawky genes. We find that the L. cuprina X chromosome genes are equally expressed in males and females (i.e., fully dosage compensated). Thus, unlike in Drosophila, it appears that the Lucilia dosage compensation system is specific for genes endogenous to the X chromosome and cannot be co-opted by recently arrived transgenes. DA - 2015/10/27/ PY - 2015/10/27/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0141544 VL - 10 IS - 10 SP - e0141544 J2 - PLoS ONE LA - en OP - SN - 1932-6203 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0141544 DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - Do leaf domatia mediate intraguild predation and host plant resistance to Oligonychus aceris (Shimer) on Red Sunset Maple (Acer rubrum)? AU - Prado, Julia AU - Witte, Adam R. AU - Frank, Steven AU - Sadof, Clifford S. T2 - BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AB - The predatory mites Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) and Zetzellia mali (Ewing) (Acarina: Stigmaeidae) have the potential to suppress populations of Oligonychus aceris (Shimer) (Acarina: Tetranychidae) on maple cultivars under field conditions. Red Sunset red maples (Acer rubrum) are more resistant to O. aceris than ‘Autumn Blaze’ Freeman maple (Acer × fremanii). Examination of leaves indicated that the mite resistant Red Sunset trees had more leaf domatia than those from Autumn Blaze. Laboratory assays found that maple cultivars did not affect rates of O. aceris consumption by N. fallacis or Z. mali in a 24 h period. Each predator exhibited distinct preferences for O. aceris life stages. N. fallacis consumed significantly more protonymphs and adults of O. aceris, whereas Z. mali consumed more eggs. In contrast, maple cultivars significantly influenced rates of intraguild predation between phytoseiids and stigmaeids. Adult N. fallacis consumed more immature stages of Z. mali on Autumn Blaze than on Red Sunset maple, but adult Z. mali consumed the same numbers of N. fallacis nymphs on both cultivars. These findings provide a potential mechanism to explain the resistance of Red Sunset maples to O. aceris. On Red Sunset maples, where domatia provide Z. mali with refugia from predation by N. fallacis, both predators can contribute to the mortality of O. aceris. In contrast on Autumn Blaze maples Z. mali have no place to hide from N. fallacis, so the contribution of this stigmaeid to O. aceris mortality is greatly diminished. Thus, differential susceptibility of these cultivars to spider mites may be mediated by the capacity of leaf domatia to influence rates of intraguild predation among phytoseiid and stigmaeid predators. DA - 2015/11// PY - 2015/11// DO - 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2015.06.012 VL - 90 SP - 187-192 SN - 1090-2112 KW - Oligonychus aceris (Shimer) KW - Zetzellia mali (Ewing) KW - Predatory mites KW - Red Sunset KW - Autumn Blaze maple ER - TY - JOUR TI - Contact isolation is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism in trauma patients AU - Reed, Christopher R. AU - Ferguson, Robert A. AU - Peng, Yiming AU - Collier, Bryan R. AU - Bradburn, Eric H. AU - Toms, Alice R. AU - Fogel, Sandy L. AU - Baker, Christopher C. AU - Hamill, Mark E. T2 - JOURNAL OF TRAUMA AND ACUTE CARE SURGERY AB - Contact isolation (CI) is a series of precautions used to prevent the transmission of medically significant infectious pathogens in the health care setting. Our institution's implementation of CI includes limiting patient movement to the assigned room. Our objective was to define the association between CI and venous thromboembolism (VTE) at our Level I trauma center.Our institution's prospective trauma database was retrospectively queried for all patients admitted to the trauma service between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2012. Data including demographics, Injury Severity Score (ISS), preexisting medical conditions, injury type, and VTE development were collected. CI status data were obtained from our institution's infection control database. χ2 was used to examine the unadjusted relationship between CI status and VTE. As the groups were not equivalent, logistic regression was then used to examine the relationship between CI and VTE while adjusting for relevant covariates including sex, age, ISS, and comorbidities.Of the 4,423 trauma patients admitted during the study period, 4,318 (97.6%) had complete records and were included in subsequent analyses. A total of 249 (5.8%) of the patients were on CI. VTE occurred in 44 patients (17.7%) on CI versus 141 patients (3.5%) who were not isolated (p < 0.0001; odds ratio, 6.0; 95% confidence interval, 4.1-8.6). With the use of lasso [least absolute shrinkage and selection operator] regression to adjust for patient risk factors, this relationship remained highly significant (p < 0.0001; odds ratio, 2.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-4.0).CI, ISS, hospital length of stay, and cardiac comorbidity were associated with VTE. After adjustment for other risk factors, CI remained most strongly associated with VTE. Although any medical intervention may come with unintended consequences, the risks and benefits of CI in this population need to be reevaluated. Further study is planned to identify opportunities to mitigate this increased VTE risk.Prognostic/epidemiologic study, level III; therapeutic study, level IV. DA - 2015/11// PY - 2015/11// DO - 10.1097/ta.0000000000000835 VL - 79 IS - 5 SP - 833-837 SN - 2163-0763 KW - Contact isolation KW - venous thromboembolism (VTE) KW - deep venous thrombosis (DVT) KW - complications ER - TY - JOUR TI - Characterization of Cercospora nicotianae Hypothetical Proteins in Cercosporin Resistance AU - Beseli, Aydin AU - Noar, Roslyn AU - Daub, Margaret E. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - The photoactivated toxin, cercosporin, produced by Cercospora species, plays an important role in pathogenesis of this fungus to host plants. Cercosporin has almost universal toxicity to cells due to its production of reactive oxygen species including singlet oxygen. For that reason, Cercospora species, which are highly resistant to their own toxin, are good candidates to identify genes for resistance to cercosporin and to the reactive oxygen species it produces. In previous research, the zinc cluster transcription factor CRG1 (cercosporin resistance gene 1) was found to be crucial for Cercospora species’ resistance against cercosporin, and subtractive hybridization analysis identified 185 genes differentially expressed between Cercospora nicotianae wild type (wt) and a crg1 mutant. The focus of this work was to identify and characterize the hypothetical proteins that were identified in the Cercospora nicotianae subtractive library as potential resistance factors. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of the 20 genes encoding hypothetical proteins showed that two, 24cF and 71cR, were induced under conditions of cercosporin toxicity, suggesting a role in resistance. Transformation and expression of 24cF and 71cR in the cercosporin-sensitive fungus, Neurospora crassa, showed that 71cR provided increased resistance to cercosporin toxicity, whereas no significant increase was observed in 24cF transformants. Gene disruption was used to generate C. nicotianae 71cR mutants; these mutants did not differ from wt C. nicotianae in cercosporin resistance or production. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed induction of other resistance genes in the 71cR mutant that may compensate for the loss of 71cR. Analysis of 71cR conserved domains and secondary and tertiary structure identify the protein as having an NTF2-like superfamily DUF1348 domain with unknown function, to be intracellular and localized in the cytosol, and to have similarities to proteins in the steroid delta-isomerase family. DA - 2015/10/16/ PY - 2015/10/16/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0140676 VL - 10 IS - 10 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Assessment of environmental conditions and preferences for rearing the balsam woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) on host material AU - Mester, E. C. AU - Frampton, J. AU - Hain, F. P. T2 - Journal of Entomological Science AB - The optimal environmental conditions for rearing the balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges piceae (Ratzeburg) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), on its natural host, Fraser fir, Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir, was determined by varying temperature, photoperiod, and humidity as well as by evaluating texture and geotaxic preferences. Five locations with a set temperature and relative humidity (RH) were chosen to test for optimal environmental conditions: three environmental chambers maintained at 17, 20, and 25°C with 75% RH; an insectary maintained at 21.1°C and 72% RH; and a greenhouse with varying temperature and RH levels. Overall, 20°C appeared to be the optimal temperature for development, and 25°C was the least favorable of the temperatures tested. Comparing Fraser fir cuttings to seedlings, seedlings (15.51/cm) were five times more infested than cuttings (3.02/cm), and the percentage of adult survival was higher on seedlings (67%) than on cuttings (17%). The highest percentage of adelgids reaching full development occurred in adelgids that inserted around the buds. Although the numbers were very low, full development was reached on logs in all five environments. Texture of the bark plays a role in A. piceae preference, with twice the number of crawlers inserting into medium-textured bark compared to rough-textured bark. Adelges piceae showed positive geotaxis preference, with the most favorable insertion sites on the bottom sides of vertical bark discs. Future rearing of adelgids in the laboratory should be on logs or seedlings in an area of sufficient size to permit adequate airflow at 20°C and 75% RH. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.18474/jes14-32.1 VL - 50 IS - 3 SP - 157-167 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Action thresholds based on sweep-net sampling for management of the kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) AU - Seiter, N. AU - Valdiva, A.Del-Pozo AU - Greene, J. AU - Reay-Jones, F.P.F. AU - Roberts, P. AU - Reisig, D. T2 - J. Econ. Entomol AB - The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (F.), first discovered in the United States in 2009, has rapidly become a pest of commercial soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, throughout much of the southeast. Because of its recent arrival, management practices and recommendations are not well established. To develop action thresholds, we evaluated insecticide applications targeted at different densities of adults and nymphs determined using the standard 38-cm diameter sweep net sampling method in 12 soybean field trials conducted in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina from 2011 to 2013. Average peak densities of M. cribraria in the untreated controls reached as high as 63.5 ± 11.0 adults per sweep and 34.7 ± 8.0 nymphs per sweep. Insecticide applications triggered at densities of one adult or nymph of M. cribraria per sweep, two adults or nymphs per sweep, and one adult or nymph per sweep, with nymphs present, resulted in no yield reductions in most cases compared with plots that were aggressively protected with multiple insecticide applications. A single insecticide application timed at the R3 or R4 soybean growth stages also resulted in yields that were equivalent to the aggressively protected plots. Typically, treatments (excluding the untreated control) that resulted in fewer applications were more cost-effective. These results suggest that a single insecticide application targeting nymphs was sufficient to prevent soybean yield reduction at the densities of M. cribraria that we observed. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1093/jee/tov171 VL - 108 IS - 4 SP - 1818-1829 SN - 1938-291X KW - invasive species KW - cumulative insect day KW - economic benefit KW - yield component ER - TY - JOUR TI - A transgenic embryonic sexing system for the Australian sheep blow fly Lucilia cuprina AU - Yan, Ying AU - Scott, Maxwell J. T2 - Scientific Reports AB - Genetic approaches, including the sterile insect technique (SIT), have previously been considered for control of the Australian sheep blow fly Lucilia cuprina, a major pest of sheep. In an SIT program, females consume 50% of the diet but are ineffective as control agents and compete with females in the field for mating with sterile males, thereby decreasing the efficiency of the program. Consequently, transgenic sexing strains of L. cuprina were developed that produce 100% males when raised on diet that lacks tetracycline. However, as females die mostly at the pupal stage, rearing costs would not be significantly reduced. Here we report the development of transgenic embryonic sexing strains of L. cuprina. In these strains, the Lsbnk cellularization gene promoter drives high levels of expression of the tetracycline transactivator (tTA) in the early embryo. In the absence of tetracycline, tTA activates expression of the Lshid proapoptotic gene, leading to death of the embryo. Sex-specific RNA splicing of Lshid transcripts ensures that only female embryos die. Embryonic sexing strains were also made by combining the Lsbnk-tTA and tetO-Lshid components into a single gene construct, which will facilitate transfer of the technology to other major calliphorid livestock pests. DA - 2015/11/5/ PY - 2015/11/5/ DO - 10.1038/srep16090 VL - 5 IS - 1 SP - J2 - Sci Rep LA - en OP - SN - 2045-2322 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep16090 DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - The genetic basis of flecking and its relationship to disease resistance in the IBM maize mapping population AU - Vontimitta, Vijay AU - Olukolu, Bode A. AU - Penning, Bryan W. AU - Johal, Gurmukh AU - Balint-Kurti, P. J. T2 - THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS DA - 2015/11// PY - 2015/11// DO - 10.1007/s00122-015-2588-8 VL - 128 IS - 11 SP - 2331-2339 SN - 1432-2242 UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84938651542&partnerID=MN8TOARS ER - TY - JOUR TI - Suboptimal nutrient balancing despite dietary choice in glucose-averse German cockroaches, Blattella germanica AU - Jensen, Kim AU - Schal, Coby AU - Silverman, Jules T2 - Journal of Insect Physiology AB - Insects have evolved fine-tuned gustatory and post-ingestive physiological mechanisms that enable them to self-select an optimal composition of macronutrients. Their ability to forage optimally among multiple food sources and maximize fitness parameters depends on their ability not only to taste and perceive the nutritional value of potential foods but also to avoid deleterious components; the strength of such avoidance should reflect the severity of the perceived hazard. In German cockroaches (Blattella germanica), glucose aversion has evolved in some populations in response to anthropogenic selection with glucose-containing insecticidal baits. In four feeding treatments, we gave newly eclosed glucose-averse female cockroaches free choice to feed from two artificial, nutritionally complementary foods varying in protein and carbohydrate composition, with glucose or fructose as the sole carbohydrate source in either food. After 6days of feeding, we measured diet consumption and the length of basal oocytes as an estimate of sexual maturation. The females did not compromise on their aversion to glucose in order to balance their protein and carbohydrate intake, and experienced lower sexual maturation rates as a consequence. Nutrient specific hunger via feedback mechanisms, and adjustments to gustatory sensitivity thus do not override the deterrence of glucose, likely due to strong selection against ingesting even small amounts of toxin associated with glucose in baits. In the absence of baits, glucose aversion would be expected to incur a fitness cost compared to wild-type individuals due to lower overall food availability but also to larger difficulty in attaining a nutritionally balanced diet. DA - 2015/10// PY - 2015/10// DO - 10.1016/J.JINSPHYS.2015.07.001 VL - 81 SP - 42-47 J2 - Journal of Insect Physiology LA - en OP - SN - 0022-1910 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.JINSPHYS.2015.07.001 DB - Crossref KW - Carbohydrate KW - Deterrence KW - Geometric framework KW - Glucose aversion KW - Gustatory functioning KW - Oocyte development KW - Optimal foraging KW - Protein KW - Taste adaptation KW - Toxin avoidance ER - TY - JOUR TI - Predicting codling moth (Cydia pomonella) phenology in North Carolina on the basis of temperature and improved generation turnover estimates AU - Chappell, Thomas M. AU - Kennedy, George G. AU - Walgenbach, James F. T2 - PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AB - BACKGROUND The codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a major worldwide pest of apples, pears and walnuts. A temperature-driven phenological model of codling moth, developed in Michigan, has been utilized in North Carolina and other states for decades. Systematic inaccuracy of this model in predicting moth emergence in North Carolina suggests that the relationship between emergence and temperature differs between the American midwest and southeast, or that additional factors may influence the system. RESULTS A method was developed to optimize the estimation of generation turnover intervals. Emergence was modeled as a function of heat unit accumulation. Significant differences between emergence predictions based on the resultant model and the existing model developed in Michigan were found. CONCLUSION A new model of codling moth emergence, incorporating improved estimates for generation turnover for North Carolina, offers predictive improvement with practical importance to management. Differences between the emergence of susceptible and resistant moth populations were also investigated, leading to the suggestion that resistance to insecticides should be considered in future studies of emergence phenology. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry DA - 2015/10// PY - 2015/10// DO - 10.1002/ps.3947 VL - 71 IS - 10 SP - 1425-1432 SN - 1526-4998 KW - codling moth KW - phenology KW - model KW - emergence KW - apple ER - TY - JOUR TI - Physiological and molecular mechanisms of nutrition in honey bees AU - Wang, Y. AU - Li-Byarlay, H. T2 - Advances in insect physiology, vol 49 DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 49 SP - 25-58 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Oviposition responses of Aedes mosquitoes to bacterial isolates from attractive bamboo infusions AU - Ponnusamy, Loganathan AU - Schal, Coby AU - Wesson, Dawn M. AU - Arellano, Consuelo AU - Apperson, Charles S. T2 - Parasites & Vectors AB - The mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are vectors of pathogenic viruses that cause major human illnesses including dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya. Both mosquito species are expanding their geographic distributions and now occur worldwide in temperate and tropical climates. Collection of eggs in oviposition traps (ovitraps) is commonly used for monitoring and surveillance of container-inhabiting Aedes populations by public health agencies charged with managing mosquito-transmitted illness. Addition of an organic infusion in these traps increases the number of eggs deposited. Gravid females are guided to ovitraps by volatile chemicals produced from the breakdown of organic matter by microbes.We previously isolated and cultured 14 species of bacteria from attractive experimental infusions, made from the senescent leaves of canebrake bamboo (Arundinaria gigantea). Cultures were grown for 24 h at 28 °C with constant shaking (120 rpm) and cell densities were determined with a hemocytometer. Behavioral responses to single bacterial isolates and to a mix of isolates at different cell densities were evaluated using two-choice sticky-screen bioassay methods with gravid Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus.In behavioral assays of a mix of 14 bacterial isolates, significantly greater attraction responses were exhibited by Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus to bacterial densities of 10(7) and 10(8) cells/mL than to the control medium. When we tested single bacterial isolates, seven isolates (B1, B2, B3, B5, B12, B13 and B14) were significantly attractive to Ae. aegypti, and six isolates (B1, B5, B7, B10, B13 and B14) significantly attracted Ae. albopictus. Among all the isolates tested at three different cell densities, bacterial isolates B1, B5, B13 and B14 were highly attractive to both Aedes species.Our results show that at specific cell densities, some bacteria significantly influence the attraction of gravid Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus females to potential oviposition sites. Attractive bacterial isolates, when formulated for sustained release of attractants, could be coupled with an ovitrap containing a toxicant to achieve area-wide management of Aedes mosquitoes. DA - 2015/9/23/ PY - 2015/9/23/ DO - 10.1186/s13071-015-1068-y VL - 8 IS - 1 J2 - Parasites Vectors LA - en OP - SN - 1756-3305 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-1068-y DB - Crossref KW - Aedes aegypti KW - Aedes albopictus KW - Bacterial isolates KW - Behavioral assays KW - Attractants ER - TY - JOUR TI - Nuclear heterogeneity in conidial populations of Aspergillus flavus AU - Runa, Farhana AU - Carbone, Ignazio AU - Bhatnagar, Deepak AU - Payne, Gary A. T2 - FUNGAL GENETICS AND BIOLOGY AB - Aspergillus flavus is a major producer of aflatoxin and an opportunistic pathogen for a wide range of hosts. Understanding genotypic and phenotypic variation within strains of A. flavus is important for controlling disease and reducing aflatoxin contamination. A. flavus is multinucleate and predominantly haploid (n) and homokaryotic. Although cryptic heterokaryosis may occur in nature, it is unclear how nuclei in A. flavus influence genetic heterogeneity and if nuclear condition plays a role in fungal ecology. A. flavus mainly reproduces asexually by producing conidia. In order to observe whether conidia are homokaryotic or heterokaryotic, we labeled nuclei of A. flavus using two different nuclear localized fluorescent reporters. The reporter constructs (pYH2A and pCH2B), encode histones HH2A and HH2B fused at the C terminus with either yellow (EYFP) or cyan (ECFP) fluorescent proteins, respectively. The constructs were transformed into the double auxotrophic strain AFC-1 (−pyrG, −argD) to generate a strain containing each reporter construct. By taking advantage of the nutritional requirement for each strain, we were able to generate fusants between FR36 (−argD) expressing yellow fluorescence, and FR46 (−pyr4) expressing cyan fluorescence. Conidia from fusants between FR36 and FR46 showed three types of fluorescence: only EYFP, only ECFP or both EYFP + ECFP. Conidia containing nuclei expressing EYFP + ECFP were separated by Fluorescence-Activated Cell sorting (FACS) and were found to contain both yellow and cyan fluorescent markers in the same nucleus. Further characterization of conidia having only one nucleus but expressing both EYFP + ECFP fluorescence were found to be diploid (2n). Our findings suggest that A. flavus maintains nuclear heterogeneity in conidial populations. DA - 2015/11// PY - 2015/11// DO - 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.09.003 VL - 84 SP - 62-72 SN - 1096-0937 KW - Heterokaryosis KW - Ploidy KW - Heterokaryon KW - Diploid KW - A. flavus KW - Fluorescence microscopy KW - Flow cytometry ER - TY - JOUR TI - Molecular identification and pathogenicity of Rhizoctonia spp. from tobacco growing areas in northwestern Argentina AU - Mercado Cardenas, Guadalupe E. AU - Galvan, Marta Z. AU - Barrera, Viviana A. AU - Rodriguero, Marcela S. AU - Carmona, Marcelo A. AU - March, Guillermo J. AU - Ramallo, Ana C. AU - Shew, H. David T2 - TROPICAL PLANT PATHOLOGY AB - In Argentina, more than 60 % of the tobacco crops are grown in the northwestern part of the country and where Rhizoctonia solani leads to a reduction in crop yield and quality. In this study, 35 isolates of Rhizoctonia were obtained from 32 tobacco fields in northwestern Argentina and characterized by both morphological and molecular approaches. Based on the variability in the ITS region, isolates were identified as R. solani (80 %), Waitea circinata var. zeae (Rhizoctonia zeae) (8 %) and binucleate Rhizoctonia (8 %). Most isolates of R. solani belonged to the anastomosis groups (AGs) AG 4 HG-I (44 %), AG 2-1 (41 %) and AG 4 HG-III (13 %). Isolates of binucleate Rhizoctonia belonged to AG-F and AG-P of Ceratobasidium sp. Morphological variability was higher within isolates of AG 2-1 and AG 4 HG-III than within those of AG 4 HG-I. Aggressiveness of the isolates towards tobacco seedlings was assessed in the greenhouse. Isolates of AG 2-1 were the most aggressive on leaves, causing target spot, whereas isolates of AG 4 HG-I were the most aggressive on stems and roots, causing damping-off. DA - 2015/6// PY - 2015/6// DO - 10.1007/s40858-015-0035-7 VL - 40 IS - 3 SP - 160-168 SN - 1983-2052 KW - Nicotiana tabacum KW - ITS KW - Anastomosis group (AG) KW - Vegetative compatibility ER - TY - JOUR TI - Mitochondrial genome sequences reveal evolutionary relationships of the Phytophthora 1c clade species AU - Lassiter, Erica S. AU - Russ, Carsten AU - Nusbaum, Chad AU - Zeng, Qiandong AU - Saville, Amanda C. AU - Olarte, Rodrigo A. AU - Carbone, Ignazio AU - Hu, Chia-Hui AU - Seguin-Orlando, Andaine AU - Samaniego, Jose A. AU - Thorne, Jeffrey L. AU - Ristaino, Jean B. T2 - Current Genetics AB - Phytophthora infestans is one of the most destructive plant pathogens of potato and tomato globally. The pathogen is closely related to four other Phytophthora species in the 1c clade including P. phaseoli, P. ipomoeae, P. mirabilis and P. andina that are important pathogens of other wild and domesticated hosts. P. andina is an interspecific hybrid between P. infestans and an unknown Phytophthora species. We have sequenced mitochondrial genomes of the sister species of P. infestans and examined the evolutionary relationships within the clade. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the P. phaseoli mitochondrial lineage is basal within the clade. P. mirabilis and P. ipomoeae are sister lineages and share a common ancestor with the Ic mitochondrial lineage of P. andina. These lineages in turn are sister to the P. infestans and P. andina Ia mitochondrial lineages. The P. andina Ic lineage diverged much earlier than the P. andina Ia mitochondrial lineage and P. infestans. The presence of two mitochondrial lineages in P. andina supports the hybrid nature of this species. The ancestral state of the P. andina Ic lineage in the tree and its occurrence only in the Andean regions of Ecuador, Colombia and Peru suggests that the origin of this species hybrid in nature may occur there. DA - 2015/3/10/ PY - 2015/3/10/ DO - 10.1007/s00294-015-0480-3 VL - 61 IS - 4 SP - 567-577 J2 - Curr Genet LA - en OP - SN - 0172-8083 1432-0983 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00294-015-0480-3 DB - Crossref KW - Phytophthora 1 c clade KW - Mitochondria KW - Late blight KW - Phylogenetics ER - TY - JOUR TI - Microevolutionary patterns in the common caiman predict macroevolutionary trends across extant crocodilians AU - Okamoto, Kenichi W. AU - Langerhans, R. Brian AU - Rashid, Rezoana AU - Amarasekare, Priyanga T2 - BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY AB - Both extinct and extant crocodilians have repeatedly diversified in skull shape along a continuum, from narrow-snouted to broad-snouted phenotypes. These patterns occur with striking regularity, although it is currently unknown whether these trends also apply to microevolutionary divergence during population differentiation or the early stages of speciation. Assessing patterns of intraspecific variation within a single taxon can potentially provide insight into the processes of macroevolutionary differentiation. For example, high levels of intraspecific variation along a narrow-broad axis would be consistent with the view that cranial shapes can show predictable patterns of differentiation on relatively short timescales, and potentially scale up to explain broader macroevolutionary patterns. In the present study, we use geometric morphometric methods to characterize intraspecific cranial shape variation among groups within a single, widely distributed clade, Caiman crocodilus. We show that C. crocodilus skulls vary along a narrow/broad-snouted continuum, with different subspecies strongly clustered at distinct ends of the continuum. We quantitatively compare these microevolutionary trends with patterns of diversity at macroevolutionary scales (among all extant crocodilians). We find that morphological differences among the subspecies of C. crocodilus parallel the patterns of morphological differentiation across extant crocodilians, with the primary axes of morphological diversity being highly correlated across the two scales. We find intraspecific cranial shape variation within C. crocodilus to span variation characterized by more than half of living species. We show the main axis of intraspecific phenotypic variation to align with the principal direction of macroevolutionary diversification in crocodilian cranial shape, suggesting that mechanisms of microevolutionary divergence within species may also explain broader patterns of diversification at higher taxonomic levels. DA - 2015/12// PY - 2015/12// DO - 10.1111/bij.12641 VL - 116 IS - 4 SP - 834-846 SN - 1095-8312 KW - adaptive radiation KW - Caiman crocodilus KW - geometric morphometrics KW - intraspecific variation KW - skull shape ER - TY - JOUR TI - Membrane transporters in self resistance of Cercospora nicotianae to the photoactivated toxin cercosporin AU - Beseli, Aydin AU - Amnuaykanjanasin, Alongkorn AU - Herrero, Sonia AU - Thomas, Elizabeth AU - Daub, Margaret E. T2 - CURRENT GENETICS DA - 2015/11// PY - 2015/11// DO - 10.1007/s00294-015-0486-x VL - 61 IS - 4 SP - 601-620 SN - 1432-0983 KW - Perylenequinone KW - Photosensitizer resistance KW - ABC transporter KW - MFS transporter KW - Targeted gene disruption KW - CRG1 KW - CnATR1 KW - CnCFP ER - TY - JOUR TI - Late-instar Behavior of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Larvae in Different Thermal and Nutritive Environments AU - Reiskind, Michael H. AU - Janairo, M. Shawn T2 - JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY AB - The effects of temperature on ectotherm growth have been well documented. How temperature affects foraging behavior is less well explored, and has not been studied in larval mosquitoes. We hypothesized that temperature changes foraging behavior in the aquatic larval phase of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti L. Based on empirical results in other systems, we predicted that foraging effort would increase at higher temperatures in these insects. We tested this prediction over three temperature conditions at two food levels. We measured behaviors by video recording replicated cohorts of fourth-instar mosquitoes and assessing individual behavior and time budgets using an ethogram. We found both food level and temperature had significant impacts on larval foraging behavior, with more time spent actively foraging at low food levels and at low temperatures, and more occurrences of active foraging at both temperature extremes. These results are contrary to some of our predictions, but fit into theoretical responses to temperature based upon dynamic energy budget models. DA - 2015/9// PY - 2015/9// DO - 10.1093/jme/tjv088 VL - 52 IS - 5 SP - 789-796 SN - 1938-2928 KW - ecology & behavior KW - climate change KW - immature insects KW - mosquito borne diseases KW - metabolism KW - life processes ER - TY - JOUR TI - Eighteen New Candidate Effectors of the Phytonematode Heterodera glycines Produced Specifically in the Secretory Esophageal Gland Cells During Parasitism AU - Noon, Jason B. AU - Hewezi, Tarek AU - Maier, Thomas R. AU - Simmons, Carl AU - Wei, Jun-Zhi AU - Wu, Gusui AU - Llaca, Victor AU - Deschamps, Stephane AU - Davis, Eric L. AU - Mitchum, Melissa G. AU - Hussey, Richard S. AU - Baum, Thomas J. T2 - PHYTOPATHOLOGY AB - Heterodera glycines, the soybean cyst nematode, is the number one pathogen of soybean (Glycine max). This nematode infects soybean roots and forms an elaborate feeding site in the vascular cylinder. H. glycines produces an arsenal of effector proteins in the secretory esophageal gland cells. More than 60 H. glycines candidate effectors were identified in previous gland-cell-mining projects. However, it is likely that additional candidate effectors remained unidentified. With the goal of identifying remaining H. glycines candidate effectors, we constructed and sequenced a large gland cell cDNA library resulting in 11,814 expressed sequence tags. After bioinformatic filtering for candidate effectors using a number of criteria, in situ hybridizations were performed in H. glycines whole-mount specimens to identify candidate effectors whose mRNA exclusively accumulated in the esophageal gland cells, which is a hallmark of many nematode effectors. This approach resulted in the identification of 18 new H. glycines esophageal gland-cell-specific candidate effectors. Of these candidate effectors, 11 sequences were pioneers without similarities to known proteins while 7 sequences had similarities to functionally annotated proteins in databases. These putative homologies provided the bases for the development of hypotheses about potential functions in the parasitism process. DA - 2015/10// PY - 2015/10// DO - 10.1094/phyto-02-15-0049-r VL - 105 IS - 10 SP - 1362-1372 SN - 1943-7684 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Biotic community shifts explain the contrasting responses of microbial and root respiration to experimental soil acidification AU - Chen, Dima AU - Wang, Yang AU - Lan, Zhichun AU - Li, Jianjun AU - Xing, Wen AU - Hu, Shuijin AU - Bai, Yongfei T2 - SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY AB - Soil respiration is comprised primarily of root and microbial respiration, and accounts for nearly half of the total CO2 efflux from terrestrial ecosystems. Soil acidification resulting from acid deposition significantly affects soil respiration. Yet, the mechanisms that underlie the effects of acidification on soil respiration and its two components remain unclear. We collected data on sources of soil CO2 efflux (microbial and root respiration), above- and belowground biotic communities, and soil properties in a 4-year field experiment with seven levels of acid in a semi-arid Inner Mongolian grassland. Here, we show that soil acidification has contrasting effects on root and microbial respiration in a typical steppe grassland. Soil acidification increases root respiration mainly by an increase in root biomass and a shift to plant species with greater specific root respiration rates. The shift of plant community from perennial bunchgrasses to perennial rhizome grasses was in turn regulated by the decreases in soil base cations and N status. In contrast, soil acidification suppresses microbial respiration by reducing total microbial biomass and enzymatic activities, which appear to result from increases in soil H+ ions and decreases in soil base cations. Our results suggest that shifts in both plant and microbial communities dominate the responses of soil respiration and its components to soil acidification. These results also indicate that carbon cycling models concerned with future climate change should consider soil acidification as well as shifts in biotic communities. DA - 2015/11// PY - 2015/11// DO - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.08.009 VL - 90 SP - 139-147 SN - 0038-0717 KW - Plant functional group KW - Soil microbial communities KW - Plant-soil interactions KW - Carbon cycling models KW - Base mineral cations KW - Extracellular enzyme activity ER - TY - JOUR TI - Aggregation and Association of NDVI, Boll Injury, and Stink Bugs in North Carolina Cotton AU - Reisig, Dominic D. AU - Reay-Jones, F. P. F. AU - Meijer, A. D. T2 - JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE AB - Sampling of herbivorous stink bugs in southeastern U.S. cotton remains problematic. Remote sensing was explored to improve sampling of these pests and associated boll injury. Two adjacent 14.5-ha cotton fields were grid sampled in 2011 and 2012 by collecting stink bug adults and bolls every week during the third, fourth, and fifth weeks of bloom. Satellite remote sensing data were collected during the third week of bloom during both years, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values were calculated. Stink bugs were spatially aggregated on the third week of bloom in 2011. Boll injury from stink bugs was spatially aggregated during the fourth week of bloom in 2012. The NDVI values were aggregated during both years. There was a positive association and correlation between stink bug numbers and NDVI values, as well as injured bolls and NDVI values, during the third week of bloom in 2011. During the third week of bloom in 2012, NDVI values were negatively correlated with stink bug numbers. During the fourth week of bloom in 2011, stink bug numbers and boll injury were both positively associated and correlated with NDVI values. During the fourth week of bloom in 2012, stink bugs were negatively correlated with NDVI values, and boll injury was negatively associated and correlated with NDVI values. This study suggests the potential of remote sensing as a tool to assist with sampling stink bugs in cotton, although more research is needed using NDVI and other plant measurements to predict stink bug injury. DA - 2015/9/27/ PY - 2015/9/27/ DO - 10.1093/jisesa/iev119 VL - 15 IS - 1 SP - SN - 2250-2645 KW - boll injury KW - Euschistus servus (Say) KW - NDVI KW - SADIE ER - TY - JOUR TI - Transcriptomic changes in the plant pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani AG-3 in response to the antagonistic bacteria Serratia proteamaculans and Serratia plymuthica AU - Gkarmiri, Konstantia AU - Finlay, Roger D. AU - Alström, Sadhna AU - Thomas, Elizabeth AU - Cubeta, Marc A. AU - Högberg, Nils T2 - BMC Genomics AB - Improved understanding of bacterial-fungal interactions in the rhizosphere should assist in the successful application of bacteria as biological control agents against fungal pathogens of plants, providing alternatives to chemicals in sustainable agriculture. Rhizoctonia solani is an important soil-associated fungal pathogen and its chemical treatment is not feasible or economic. The genomes of the plant-associated bacteria Serratia proteamaculans S4 and Serratia plymuthica AS13 have been sequenced, revealing genetic traits that may explain their diverse plant growth promoting activities and antagonistic interactions with R. solani. To understand the functional response of this pathogen to different bacteria and to elucidate whether the molecular mechanisms that the fungus exploits involve general stress or more specific responses, we performed a global transcriptome profiling of R. solani Rhs1AP anastomosis group 3 (AG-3) during interaction with the S4 and AS13 species of Serratia using RNA-seq.Approximately 104,504 million clean 75-100 bp paired-end reads were obtained from three libraries, each in triplicate (AG3-Control, AG3-S4 and AG3-AS13). Transcriptome analysis revealed that approximately 10% of the fungal transcriptome was differentially expressed during challenge with Serratia. The numbers of S4- and AS13-specific differentially expressed genes (DEG) were 866 and 292 respectively, while there were 1035 common DEGs in the two treatment groups. Four hundred and sixty and 242 genes respectively had values of log2 fold-change > 3 and for further analyses this cut-off value was used. Functional classification of DEGs based on Gene Ontology enrichment analysis and on KEGG pathway annotations revealed a general shift in fungal gene expression in which genes related to xenobiotic degradation, toxin and antioxidant production, energy, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and hyphal rearrangements were subjected to transcriptional regulation.This RNA-seq profiling generated a novel dataset describing the functional response of the phytopathogen R. solani AG3 to the plant-associated Serratia bacteria S4 and AS13. Most genes were regulated in the same way in the presence of both bacterial isolates, but there were also some strain-specific responses. The findings in this study will be beneficial for further research on biological control and in depth exploration of bacterial-fungal interactions in the rhizosphere. DA - 2015/8/22/ PY - 2015/8/22/ DO - 10.1186/s12864-015-1758-z VL - 16 IS - 1 SP - J2 - BMC Genomics LA - en OP - SN - 1471-2164 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-1758-z DB - Crossref KW - Rhizoctonia solani (AG3 Rhs1AP) KW - Serratia proteamaculans (S4) KW - Serratia plymuthica (AS13) KW - Biological control KW - Bacterial-fungal interactions KW - RNA sequencing KW - Transcriptome KW - Fungal gene expression ER - TY - JOUR TI - The potential impact of coinfection on antimicrobial chemotherapy and drug resistance AU - Birger, R. B. AU - Kouyos, R. D. AU - Cohen, T. AU - Griffiths, E. C. AU - Huijben, S. AU - Mina, M. AU - Volkova, V. AU - Grenfell, B. AU - Metcalf, C. J. E. T2 - Trends in Microbiology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 23 IS - 9 SP - 537-544 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Resurgence of Cucurbit Downy Mildew in the United States: A Watershed Event for Research and Extension AU - Holmes, Gerald AU - Ojiambo, Peter AU - Hausbeck, Mary AU - Quesada-Ocampo, Lina AU - Keinath, Anthony T2 - PLANT DISEASE AB - In 2004, an outbreak of cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) caused by the oomycete Pseudoperonospora cubensis (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) Rostovzev resulted in an epidemic that stunned the cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) industry in the eastern United States. The disease affects all major cucurbit crops, including cucumber, muskmelon, squashes, and watermelon. Although the 2004 epidemic began in North Carolina, the cucumber crop from Florida to the northern growing regions in the United States was devastated, resulting in complete crop loss in several areas. Many cucumber fields were abandoned prior to harvest. The rapid spread of the disease coupled with the failure of fungicide control programs surprised growers, crop consultants, and extension specialists. The epidemic raised several fundamental questions about the potential causes for the resurgence of the disease. Some of these questions revolved around whether the epidemic would recur in subsequent years and the possible roles that changes in the host, pathogen, and environment may have played in the epidemic. DA - 2015/4// PY - 2015/4// DO - 10.1094/pdis-09-14-0990-fe VL - 99 IS - 4 SP - 428-441 SN - 1943-7692 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Occurrence of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on Wild Hosts in Nonmanaged Woodlands and Soybean Fields in North Carolina and Virginia AU - Bakken, A. J. AU - Schoof, S. C. AU - Bickerton, M. AU - Kamminga, K. L. AU - Jenrette, J. C. AU - Malone, S. AU - Abney, M. A. AU - Herbert, D. A. AU - Reisig, D. AU - Kuhar, T. P. AU - Walgenbach, J. F. T2 - ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY AB - Journal Article Occurrence of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on Wild Hosts in Nonmanaged Woodlands and Soybean Fields in North Carolina and Virginia Get access A. J. Bakken, A. J. Bakken 1 Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, 455 Research Dr., Mills River, NC 28759. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar S. C. Schoof, S. C. Schoof 1 Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, 455 Research Dr., Mills River, NC 28759. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar M. Bickerton, M. Bickerton 1 Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, 455 Research Dr., Mills River, NC 28759. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar K. L. Kamminga, K. L. Kamminga 2 Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech University, 170 Drillfield Dr., Blacksburg, VA 24061. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar J. C. Jenrette, J. C. Jenrette 3 Virginia Tech Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 33446 Research Drive, Painter, Virginia 23420. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar S. Malone, S. Malone 4 Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 6321 Holland Rd., Suffolk, VA 23437. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar M. A. Abney, M. A. Abney 5 Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 2360 Rainwater Rd., Tifton, GA 31793. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar D. A. Herbert, D. A. Herbert 4 Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 6321 Holland Rd., Suffolk, VA 23437. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar D. Reisig, D. Reisig 6 Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Vernon G. James Research & Extension Center, 207 Research Station Rd., Plymouth, NC 27962. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar T. P. Kuhar, T. P. Kuhar 2 Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech University, 170 Drillfield Dr., Blacksburg, VA 24061. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar ... Show more J. F. Walgenbach J. F. Walgenbach 7 1 Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, 455 Research Dr., Mills River, NC 28759. 7 Corresponding author, e-mail: jim_walgenbach@ncsu.edu . Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Environmental Entomology, Volume 44, Issue 4, August 2015, Pages 1011–1021, https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvv092 Published: 30 June 2015 Article history Received: 03 April 2015 Accepted: 29 May 2015 Published: 30 June 2015 DA - 2015/8// PY - 2015/8// DO - 10.1093/ee/nvv092 VL - 44 IS - 4 SP - 1011-1021 SN - 1938-2936 KW - Halyomorpha halys KW - brown marmorated stink bug KW - host plant KW - invasive species KW - phenology ER - TY - JOUR TI - Inhibition of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Growth by Transgenic Corn Expressing Bt Toxins and Development of Resistance to Cry1Ab AU - Reisig, Dominic D. AU - Reay-Jones, Francis P. F. T2 - ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY AB - Transgenic corn, Zea mays L., that expresses the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin Cry1Ab is only moderately toxic to Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and has been planted commercially since 1996. Growth and development of H. zea was monitored to determine potential changes in susceptibility to this toxin over time. Small plots of corn hybrids expressing Cry1F, Cry1F × Cry1Ab, Cry1Ab × Cry3Bb1, Cry1A.105 × Cry2Ab2 × Cry3Bb1, Cry1A.105 × Cry2Ab2, and Vip3Aa20 × Cry1Ab × mCry3A were planted in both 2012 and 2013 inNorth and South Carolina with paired non-Bt hybrids from the same genetic background. H. zea larvae were sampled on three time periods from ears and the following factors were measured: kernel area injured (cm(2)) by H. zea larvae, larval number per ear, larval weight, larval length, and larval head width. Pupae were sampled on a single time period and the following factors recorded: number per ear, weight, time to eclosion, and the number that eclosed. There was no reduction in larval weight, number of insect entering the pupal stadium, pupal weight, time to eclosion, and number of pupae able to successfully eclose to adulthood in the hybrid expressing Cry1Ab compared with a non-Bt paired hybrid. As Cry1Ab affected these in 1996, H. zea may be developing resistance to Cry1Ab in corn, although these results are not comprehensive, given the limited sampling period, size, and geography. We also found that the negative impacts on larval growth and development were greater in corn hybrids with pyramided traits compared with single traits. DA - 2015/8// PY - 2015/8// DO - 10.1093/ee/nvv076 VL - 44 IS - 4 SP - 1275-1285 SN - 1938-2936 KW - eclosion KW - larvae KW - pupae ER - TY - JOUR TI - Impact of Location, Cropping History, Tillage, and Chlorpyrifos on Soil Arthropods in Peanut AU - Cardoza, Yasmin J. AU - Drake, Wendy L. AU - Jordan, David L. AU - Schroeder-Moreno, Michelle S. AU - Arellano, Consuelo AU - Brandenburg, Rick L. T2 - ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY AB - Demand for agricultural production systems that are both economically viable and environmentally conscious continues to increase. In recent years, reduced tillage systems, and grass and pasture rotations have been investigated to help maintain or improve soil quality, increase crop yield, and decrease labor requirements for production. However, documentation of the effects of reduced tillage, fescue rotation systems as well as other management practices, including pesticides, on pest damage and soil arthropod activity in peanut production for the Mid-Atlantic US region is still limited. Therefore, this project was implemented to assess impacts of fescue-based rotation systems on pests and other soil organisms when compared with cash crop rotation systems over four locations in eastern North Carolina. In addition, the effects of tillage (strip vs. conventional) and soil chlorpyrifos application on pod damage and soil-dwelling organisms were also evaluated. Soil arthropod populations were assessed by deploying pitfall traps containing 50% ethanol in each of the sampled plots. Results from the present study provide evidence that location significantly impacts pest damage and soil arthropod diversity in peanut fields. Cropping history also influenced arthropod diversity, with higher diversity in fescue compared with cash crop fields. Corn rootworm damage to pods was higher at one of our locations (Rocky Mount) compared with all others. Cropping history (fescue vs. cash crop) did not have an effect on rootworm damage, but increased numbers of hymenopterans, acarina, heteropterans, and collembolans in fescue compared with cash crop fields. Interestingly, there was an overall tendency for higher number of soil arthropods in traps placed in chlorpyrifos-treated plots compared with nontreated controls. DA - 2015/8// PY - 2015/8// DO - 10.1093/ee/nvv074 VL - 44 IS - 4 SP - 951-959 SN - 1938-2936 KW - mite KW - springtail KW - Diabrotica KW - Arachis hypogaea KW - fescue ER - TY - JOUR TI - Functional mismatch in a bumble bee pollination mutualism under climate change AU - Miller-Struttmann, Nicole E. AU - Geib, Jennifer C. AU - Franklin, James D. AU - Kevan, Peter G. AU - Holdo, Ricardo M. AU - Ebert-May, Diane AU - Lynn, Austin M. AU - Kettenbach, Jessica A. AU - Hedrick, Elizabeth AU - Galen, Candace T2 - SCIENCE AB - Ecological partnerships, or mutualisms, are globally widespread, sustaining agriculture and biodiversity. Mutualisms evolve through the matching of functional traits between partners, such as tongue length of pollinators and flower tube depth of plants. Long-tongued pollinators specialize on flowers with deep corolla tubes, whereas shorter-tongued pollinators generalize across tube lengths. Losses of functional guilds because of shifts in global climate may disrupt mutualisms and threaten partner species. We found that in two alpine bumble bee species, decreases in tongue length have evolved over 40 years. Co-occurring flowers have not become shallower, nor are small-flowered plants more prolific. We argue that declining floral resources because of warmer summers have favored generalist foraging, leading to a mismatch between shorter-tongued bees and the longer-tubed plants they once pollinated. DA - 2015/9/25/ PY - 2015/9/25/ DO - 10.1126/science.aab0868 VL - 349 IS - 6255 SP - 1541-1544 SN - 1095-9203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - First Report of Trichodorus obtusus on Turfgrass in North Carolina, USA AU - Ye, W. AU - Zeng, Y. AU - Kerns, J. T2 - PLANT DISEASE AB - In May 2014, 11 sandy soil samples were collected at a depth of about 5 to 15 cm from a golf course community in Wilmington, NC, composed of Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) from the fairway, St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) from the lawn, and Zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica) from the tee, all of which showed spotted yellowing and necrosis. Plant-parasitic nematodes were extracted from soil samples by a combination of elutriation and sugar centrifugal-flotation methods at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Nematode Assay Lab, Raleigh, NC. The results revealed the presence of several plant-parasitic nematodes, with a stubby-root nematode (Trichodoridae) present. Population densities of stubby-root nematodes were 10 to 90 (average 50) nematodes per 500 cm 3 of soil. This species was clearly different from the parthenogenetic stubby-root nematode Nanidorus minor (Colbran, 1956) Siddiqi, 1974 commonly found in North Carolina because of the presence of males and larger body size. Morphological and molecular analyses of this nematode identified the species as Trichodorus obtusus Cobb, 1913. Morphological features of T. obtusus specimens were examined in glycerol permanent mounts. Males (n = 5) had a ventrally curved spicule, three ventromedian precloacal papillae (one ventromedian cervical papilla anterior to the excretory pore, one pair of lateral cervical pores at the level of the ventromedian cervical papilla), and a tail with a non-thickened terminal cuticle. Males were 860 to 1,120 (average 1,018) μm long, body width 38 to 48 (42) μm, onchiostyle 53 to 60 (56) μm, and spicule 54 to 62 (59) μm. Females (n = 5) had a pore-like vulva, a barrel-shaped vagina, and one or two postadvulvar lateral body pores on each side. Females were 990 to 1,330 (1,148) μm long, body width 43 to 56 (48) μm, onchiostyle 50 to 64 (58) μm, and V 49.0 to 57.5% (53.0%). The morphology agreed with the description of T. obtusus (2). DNA was prepared by squashing a single nematode (n = 3) on a microscope slide and collecting in 50 μl of AE buffer (10 mM Tris-Cl, 0.5 mM EDTA; pH 9.0). The 18S rDNA region was amplified with the forward primers 18S-G18S4 (5′ GCTTGTCTCAAAGATTAAGCC 3′), SSUF07 (AAAGATTAAGCCATGCATG), and 18S965 (GGCGATCAGATACCGCCCTAGTT) and reverse primers 18S-18P (TGATCCWKCYGCAGGTTCAC), SSUR26 (CATTCTTGGCAAATGCTTTCG), and 18S1573R (TACAAAGGGCAGGGACGTAAT). The 28S D2/D3 region was amplified with the forward primer 28S391a (AGCGGAGGAAAAGAAACTAA) and reverse primer 28S501 (TCGGAAGGAACCAGCTACTA) (4). The resulting 18S (1,547-bp) and 28S D2/D3 (925-bp) sequences were deposited in GenBank under the accession numbers KM276665 and KM276666. The 18S sequence data was 100% homologous with two populations of T. obtusus (JX279930, 898 bp, and JX289834, 897 bp) from South Carolina and one (AY146460, 634 bp) from an unknown source, each with a 1-bp difference in a Blastn search. The 28S D2/D3 sequence data was less than 90% homologous with many Trichodorus species, but no T. obtusus sequence data was available. T. obtusus is known to occur only in the United States and to damage turfgrasses. It is reported in the states of Virginia, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York, and South Dakota. This nematode has been reported as a pathogen of bermudagrass in Florida (1) and South Carolina (3), but pathogenicity to St. Augustinegrass and Zoysiagrass is unknown. To our knowledge, this is the first report of T. obtusus on turfgrasses in North Carolina. References: (1) W. T. Crow and J. K. Welch. Nematropica 34:31, 2004. (2) W. Decraemer. The Family Trichodoridae: Stubby Root and Virus Vector Nematodes. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1995. (3) J. B. Shaver et al. Plant Dis. 97:852, 2013. (4) G. R. Stirling et al. Nematology 15:401, 2013. DA - 2015/2// PY - 2015/2// DO - 10.1094/pdis-08-14-0830-pdn VL - 99 IS - 2 SP - 291-291 SN - 1943-7692 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Epidemiology and population biology of Pseudoperonospora cubensis: A model system for management of downy mildews AU - Ojiambo, P. S. AU - Gent, D. H. AU - Quesada-Ocampo, L. M. AU - Hausbeck, M. K. AU - Holmes, G. J. T2 - Annual review of phytopathology, vol 53 DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 53 SP - 223-246 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Electroantennogram Responses and Field Trapping of Asian Cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) with Blattellaquinone, Sex Pheromone of the German Cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) AU - Matos, Yvonne K. AU - Schal, Coby T2 - Environmental Entomology AB - The Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai Mizukubo, first introduced to Florida in 1986, has been spreading throughout the southeastern United States. Populations can reach extremely high densities and cause damage to crops as well as become a nuisance in residential settings. Because the German cockroach, Blattella germanica L., is its closest extant relative, we characterized the B. asahinai male response to blattellaquinone, the sex pheromone of the German cockroach, in an effort to develop monitoring tools for B. asahinai. Electroantennogram (EAG) analysis was conducted on B. asahinai and B. germanica males and females, and revealed that the antennae of males of both species responded significantly more to blattellaquinone than females, and in both males and females absolute EAG responses of B. asahinai were greater than in B. germanica males and females, respectively. However, normalized male EAG response curves and ED50 values (effective dose to elicit 50% of maximal response) did not differ significantly between the two species. Results of field trapping experiments demonstrated that male B. asahinai were more attracted to blattellaquinone than any other life stage, and 10 μg of blattellaquinone attracted the most males. These results suggest that blattellaquinone or a similar compound might be a component of the sex pheromone of B. asahinai females. DA - 2015/6/23/ PY - 2015/6/23/ DO - 10.1093/ee/nvv090 VL - 44 IS - 4 SP - 1155-1160 J2 - Environ Entomol LA - en OP - SN - 0046-225X 1938-2936 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvv090 DB - Crossref KW - Blattella asahinai KW - Blattella germanica KW - sex pheromone ER - TY - JOUR TI - DNA barcoding of Bradysia (Diptera: Sciaridae) for detection of the immature stages on agricultural crops AU - Shin, S. AU - Jung, S. AU - Heller, K. AU - Menzel, F. AU - Hong, T. K. AU - Shin, J. S. AU - Lee, S. H. AU - Lee, H. AU - Lee, S. T2 - Journal of Applied Entomology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 139 IS - 8 SP - 638-645 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Cytoplasmic and Nuclear Localizations Are Important for the Hypersensitive Response Conferred by Maize Autoactive Rp1-D21 Protein AU - Wang, Guan-Feng AU - Balint-Kurti, Peter J. T2 - MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS AB - Disease resistance (R) genes have been isolated from many plant species. Most encode nucleotide binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins that trigger a rapid localized programmed cell death called the hypersensitive response (HR) upon pathogen recognition. Despite their structural similarities, different NLR are distributed in a range of subcellular locations, and analogous domains play diverse functional roles. The autoactive maize NLR gene Rp1-D21 derives from an intragenic recombination between two NLR genes, Rp1-D and Rp1-dp2, and confers a HR independent of the presence of a pathogen. Rp1-D21 and its N-terminal coiled coil (CC) domain (CC D21 ) confer autoactive HR when transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. Rp1-D21 was predominantly localized in cytoplasm with a small amount in the nucleus, while CC D21 was localized in both nucleus and cytoplasm. Targeting of Rp1-D21 or CC D21 predominantly to either the nucleus or the cytoplasm abolished HR-inducing activity. Coexpression of Rp1-D21 or CC D21 constructs confined, respectively, to the nucleus and cytoplasm did not rescue full activity, suggesting nucleocytoplasmic movement was important for HR induction. This work emphasizes the diverse structural and subcellular localization requirements for activity found among plant NLR R genes. DA - 2015/9// PY - 2015/9// DO - 10.1094/mpmi-01-15-0014-r VL - 28 IS - 9 SP - 1023-1031 SN - 1943-7706 UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84942513115&partnerID=MN8TOARS ER - TY - JOUR TI - Characterization and distribution of mating-type genes of the turfgrass pathogen Sclerotinia homoeocarpa on a global scale AU - Putman, Alexander I. AU - Tredway, Lane P. AU - Carbone, Ignazio T2 - FUNGAL GENETICS AND BIOLOGY AB - Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Bennett is a filamentous member of Ascomycota that causes dollar spot, the most economically important disease of turfgrass worldwide. We sequenced and characterized the mating-type (MAT) locus of four recently-collected contemporary strains causing dollar spot, four historical type strains used to describe the fungus, and three species of Rutstroemiaceae. Moreover, we developed a multiplex PCR assay to screen 1019 contemporary isolates for mating-type. The organization of the MAT loci of all strains examined could be classified into one of four categories: (1) putatively heterothallic, as exemplified by all contemporary strains and three of four historical type strains; (2) putatively heterothallic with a deleted putative gene in the MAT1-2 idiomorph, as detected in strains from two recently-collected populations in the United Kingdom that show more similarity to historical strains; (3) putatively homothallic with close physical linkage between MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1, as found in one historical type strain of S. homoeocarpa and two strains of Rutstroemia cuniculi; and (4) an unresolved but apparently homothallic organization in which strains contained both MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 but linkage between these genes and between the two flanking genes could not be confirmed, as identified in R. paludosa and Poculum henningsianum. In contemporary S. homoeocarpa populations there was no significant difference in the frequency of the two mating types in clone-corrected samples when analyzed on regional and local scales, suggesting sex may be possible in this pathogen. However, two isolates from Italy and twenty from California were heterokaryotic for both complete heterothallic MAT idiomorphs. Results from this study contribute to knowledge about mating systems in filamentous fungi and enhance our understanding of the evolution and biology of an important plant pathogen. DA - 2015/8// PY - 2015/8// DO - 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.05.012 VL - 81 SP - 25-40 SN - 1096-0937 KW - Sclerotinia homoeocarpa KW - Mating type KW - Sexual reproduction KW - Turfgrass KW - Asexual KW - Rutstroemiaceae ER - TY - JOUR TI - A Review of Organic Lawn Care Practices and Policies in North America and the Implications of Lawn Plant Diversity and Insect Pest Management AU - Marshall, Sam AU - Orr, David AU - Bradley, Lucy AU - Moorman, Christopher T2 - HORTTECHNOLOGY AB - There are ≈40 million acres of turfgrass lawns throughout the United States, most of which are managed under chemical-intensive pest and fertilizer programs. “Organic lawn care” is being adopted more widely; however, unlike the formally defined policies and regulations that govern organic agriculture, the label organic lawn management has not been formally defined and is used to describe a variety of practices. Neighborhoods, cities, states, and provinces across North America are adopting policies regulating the use of pesticides and fertilizers in the landscape. In addition, a small but growing number of public institutions and individual consumers are successfully adopting alternative lawn care methods, including organic lawn care. Although perceived as environmentally friendly, the effects of organic management on insect diversity and pest management remain understudied. Organic lawn management may lead to increased lawn plant diversity, which in agroecosystems has enhanced ecological services provided by beneficial insect species. Effects of vegetative diversity on lawn pest management are less clear. Vegetative complexity and increased plant diversity in urban landscapes may enhance insect predator efficacy. The diversity of predatory insects varies between turfgrass varieties in response to prey populations. Mortality of insectivorous and granivorous ground beetles (Carabidae) while not directly impacted by pest management programs in turfgrass may be indirectly impacted by a reduction in the prevalence of plant species that provide alternative food resources. Previous studies have focused on herbivorous insects as well as predatory and parasitic insects that feed on them. Future studies should assess how lawn plant diversity resulting from organic management practices might impact insect communities in turfgrass. DA - 2015/8// PY - 2015/8// DO - 10.21273/horttech.25.4.437 VL - 25 IS - 4 SP - 437-446 SN - 1943-7714 KW - turfgrass KW - landscape ER - TY - JOUR TI - Weed Control in Cotton by Combinations of Microencapsulated Acetochlor and Various Residual Herbicides Applied Preemergence AU - Cahoon, Charles W. AU - York, Alan C. AU - Jordan, David L. AU - Everman, Wesley J. AU - Seagroves, Richard W. AU - Braswell, Lewis R. AU - Jennings, Katherine M. T2 - WEED TECHNOLOGY AB - Residual herbicides are routinely recommended to aid in control of glyphosate-resistant (GR) Palmer amaranth in cotton. Acetochlor, a chloroacetamide herbicide, applied PRE, controls Palmer amaranth. A microencapsulated (ME) formulation of acetochlor is now registered for PRE application in cotton. Field research was conducted in North Carolina to evaluate cotton tolerance and Palmer amaranth control by acetochlor ME alone and in various combinations. Treatments, applied PRE, consisted of acetochlor ME, pendimethalin, or no herbicide arranged factorially with diuron, fluometuron, fomesafen, diuron plus fomesafen, and no herbicide. The PRE herbicides were followed by glufosinate applied twice POST and diuron plus MSMA directed at layby. Acetochlor ME was less injurious to cotton than pendimethalin. Acetochlor ME alone or in combination with other herbicides reduced early season cotton growth 5 to 8%, whereas pendimethalin alone or in combinations injured cotton 11 to 13%. Early season injury was transitory, and by 65 to 84 d after PRE treatment, injury was no longer noticeable. Before the first POST application of glufosinate, acetochlor ME and pendimethalin controlled Palmer amaranth 84 and 64%, respectively. Control by acetochlor ME was similar to control by diuron plus fomesafen and greater than control by diuron, fluometuron, or fomesafen alone. Greater than 90% control was obtained with acetochlor ME mixed with diuron or fomesafen. Palmer amaranth control was similar with acetochlor ME plus a full or reduced rate of fomesafen. Acetochlor ME controlled large crabgrass and goosegrass at 91 and 100% compared with control at 83 and 91%, respectively, by pendimethalin. Following glufosinate, applied twice POST, and diuron plus MSMA, at layby, 96 to 99% control was obtained late in the season by all treatments, and no differences among herbicide treatments were noted for cotton yield. This research demonstrated that acetochlor ME can be safely and effectively used in cotton weed management programs. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1614/wt-d-15-00061.1 VL - 29 IS - 4 SP - 740-750 SN - 1550-2740 KW - Crop tolerance KW - herbicide mixtures KW - herbicide resistance management KW - herbicide-resistant weeds ER - TY - JOUR TI - Variation in the Microbiota of Ixodes Ticks with Regard to Geography, Species, and Sex AU - Van Treuren, Will AU - Ponnusamy, Loganathan AU - Brinkerhoff, R. Jory AU - Gonzalez, Antonio AU - Parobek, Christian M. AU - Juliano, Jonathan J. AU - Andreadis, Theodore G. AU - Falco, Richard C. AU - Ziegler, Lorenza Beati AU - Hathaway, Nicholas AU - Keeler, Corinna AU - Emch, Michael AU - Bailey, Jeffrey A. AU - Roe, R. Michael AU - Apperson, Charles S. AU - Knight, Rob AU - Meshnick, Steven R. T2 - APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY AB - ABSTRACT Ixodes scapularis is the principal vector of Lyme disease on the East Coast and in the upper Midwest regions of the United States, yet the tick is also present in the Southeast, where Lyme disease is absent or rare. A closely related species, I. affinis , also carries the pathogen in the South but does not seem to transmit it to humans. In order to better understand the geographic diversity of the tick, we analyzed the microbiota of 104 adult I. scapularis and 13 adult I. affinis ticks captured in 19 locations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, and New York. Initially, ticks from 4 sites were analyzed by 454 pyrosequencing. Subsequently, ticks from these sites plus 15 others were analyzed by sequencing with an Illumina MiSeq machine. By both analyses, the microbiomes of female ticks were significantly less diverse than those of male ticks. The dissimilarity between tick microbiomes increased with distance between sites, and the state in which a tick was collected could be inferred from its microbiota. The genus Rickettsia was prominent in all locations. Borrelia was also present in most locations and was present at especially high levels in one site in western Virginia. In contrast, members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were very common in North Carolina I. scapularis ticks but uncommon in I. scapularis ticks from other sites and in North Carolina I. affinis ticks. These data suggest substantial variations in the Ixodes microbiota in association with geography, species, and sex. DA - 2015/9// PY - 2015/9// DO - 10.1128/aem.01562-15 VL - 81 IS - 18 SP - 6200-6209 SN - 1098-5336 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.01562-15 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Resurgence of Pseudoperonospora cubensis: The Causal Agent of Cucurbit Downy Mildew AU - Cohen, Yigal AU - Langenberg, Kyle M. AU - Wehner, Todd C. AU - Ojiambo, Peter S. AU - Hausbeck, Mary AU - Quesada-Ocampo, Lina M. AU - Lebeda, Ales AU - Sierotzki, Helge AU - Gisi, Ulrich T2 - PHYTOPATHOLOGY AB - The downy mildew pathogen, Pseudoperonospora cubensis, which infects plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, has undergone major changes during the last decade. Disease severity and epidemics are far more destructive than previously reported, and new genotypes, races, pathotypes, and mating types of the pathogen have been discovered in populations from around the globe as a result of the resurgence of the disease. Consequently, disease control through host plant resistance and fungicide applications has become more complex. This resurgence of P. cubensis offers challenges to scientists in many research areas including pathogen biology, epidemiology and dispersal, population structure and population genetics, host preference, host−pathogen interactions and gene expression, genetic host plant resistance, inheritance of host and fungicide resistance, and chemical disease control. This review serves to summarize the current status of this major pathogen and to guide future management and research efforts within this pathosystem. DA - 2015/7// PY - 2015/7// DO - 10.1094/phyto-11-14-0334-fi VL - 105 IS - 7 SP - 998-1012 SN - 1943-7684 UR - http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/25844827 KW - disease outbreak KW - population changes ER - TY - JOUR TI - Reported co-infection deaths are more common in early adulthood and among similar infections AU - Griffiths, E. C. AU - Pedersen, A. B. AU - Fenton, A. AU - Petchey, O. L. T2 - BMC Infectious Diseases DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 15 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Registration of the Ki14 × B73 Recombinant Inbred Mapping Population of Maize AU - Pratt, R. C. AU - Holland, J. B. AU - Balint-Kurti, P. J. AU - Coles, N. D. AU - Zwonitzer, J. C. AU - Casey, M. A. AU - McMullen, M. D. T2 - Journal of Plant Registrations AB - The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center released Ki14 × B73 maize (Zea mays L.) mapping population (Reg. No. MP-2, MGS 9025066 MAP; Maize Genetics COOP Stock Center no. Z042), a set of 119 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), in 2007. The mapping population was derived from a biparental cross between tropical inbred Ki14 (NCRPIS accession Ames 27259) and temperate inbred B73 (Reg. No. PL-17, PI 550473). One hundred sixteen of the original RILs were used for mapping quantitative trait loci associated with host resistance to foliar pathogens inciting southern corn leaf blight [caused by Cochliobolus heterostrophus (Drechs.)], gray leaf spot, (caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis Tehon & E.Y. Daniels), and northern corn leaf blight [caused by Setosphaeria turcica (Luttrell) K.J. Leonard & E.G. Suggs], three traits associated with maturity—days to anthesis, days to silking, and anther silk interval—and two morphological traits, plant and ear height. The genetic marker data included 765 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 74 simple sequence repeat markers genotyped on all the RILs and constructed into a genetic map. It is envisioned that the high level of host resistance of Ki14 and the agronomic performance of B73 will invite use of the population as a germplasm source for improved host resistance of temperate zone, and increased yield potential, of tropical zone maize. Distribution of the RIL mapping population will allow public access to this resource for continued mapping, gene discovery, and plant breeding. DA - 2015/3/27/ PY - 2015/3/27/ DO - 10.3198/jpr2014.06.0041crmp VL - 9 IS - 2 SP - 262-265 J2 - Journal of Plant Registrations LA - en OP - SN - 1936-5209 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3198/jpr2014.06.0041crmp DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - Molecular Characterization and Phylogenetic Relationships of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes Associated with Turfgrasses in North Carolina and South Carolina, United States AU - Zeng, Yongsan AU - Ye, Weimin AU - Kerns, James AU - Tredway, Lane AU - Martin, Samuel AU - Martin, Matt T2 - PLANT DISEASE AB - The near-full-length 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene and internal transcribed spacer 1 region were amplified and sequenced from 52 nematode populations belonging to 28 representative species in 13 families recovered from turfgrasses in North Carolina (38 populations) and South Carolina (14 populations). This study also included 13 nematode populations from eight other plant hosts from North Carolina for comparison. Nematodes were molecularly characterized and the phylogenetic relationships were explored based on 18S rDNA sequences. Phylogenetic analysis using Bayesian inference was performed using five groups of the plant-parasitic nematode populations Tylenchids, Criconematids, Longidorids, Xiphinematids, and Trichodorids. The 65 nematode populations were clustered correspondingly within appropriate positions of 13 families, including Belonolaimidae, Caloosiidae, Criconematidae, Dolichodoridae, Hemicycliophoridae, Hoplolaimidae, Heteroderidae, Longidoridae, Meloidogynidae, Paratylenchidae, Pratylenchidae, Telotylenchidae, and Trichodoridae. This study confirms previous morphological-based identification of the plant-parasitic nematode species found in turfgrasses and provides a framework for future studies of plant-parasitic nematodes associated with turfgrasses based upon DNA sequences and phylogenetic relationships. DA - 2015/7// PY - 2015/7// DO - 10.1094/pdis-10-14-1060-re VL - 99 IS - 7 SP - 982-993 SN - 1943-7692 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Mefenoxam Sensitivity, Aggressiveness, and Identification of Pythium Species Causing Root Rot on Floriculture Crops in North Carolina AU - Lookabaugh, E. C. AU - Ivors, K. L. AU - Shew, B. B. T2 - PLANT DISEASE AB - Herbaceous ornamental plants exhibiting symptoms of Pythium root rot were collected from 26 greenhouses in 21 counties in North Carolina (NC) from 2010 to 2012. Plant symptoms ranged from mild stunting to severe wilting, root rot, and death. Roots were plated on selective media, and 356 isolates of Pythium were recovered from 34 host species. Selected isolates were identified by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA gene region. Seventeen Pythium species were identified, with P. aphanidermatum, P. irregulare, and P. myriotylum comprising 75% of the 320 isolates sequenced. Twelve of the 26 greenhouses had more than one species present. Mefenoxam sensitivity was tested in vitro by growing isolates in wells of microtiter plates containing clarified V8 agar amended with 100 µg a.i./ml mefenoxam. Colonization was scored after 24 to 48 h using a scale of 0 (no growth) to 5 (entire well colonized). Fifty-two percent of the isolates were resistant to mefenoxam (mean score ≥4). All 32 isolates of P. myriotylum were sensitive, whereas sensitivity varied among isolates of P. aphanidermatum and P. irregulare. Resistant and sensitive isolates of the same species were found within the same greenhouses. The aggressiveness of P. aphanidermatum and P. irregulare isolates was evaluated on poinsettia, Gerbera daisy, and petunia. P. aphanidermatum was more aggressive than P. irregulare on poinsettia and petunia; symptoms were mild and no differences in aggressiveness were observed on Gerbera daisy. Sensitivity to mefenoxam was not related to aggressiveness. DA - 2015/11// PY - 2015/11// DO - 10.1094/pdis-02-15-0232-re VL - 99 IS - 11 SP - 1550-1558 SN - 1943-7692 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Initial Inoculum and Spatial Dispersal of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, the Causal Agent of Strawberry Anthracnose Crown Rot AU - Rahman, Mahfuzur AU - Ojiambo, Peter AU - Louws, Frank T2 - PLANT DISEASE AB - Anthracnose crown rot (ACR), caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, is a serious disease of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) in nurseries and fruiting fields in the southeastern United States. This study was conducted to determine the potential of alternative hosts for initial inoculum source and spread that causes ACR in strawberry nurseries. Results indicated that Parthenocissus quinquefolia is a noncultivated host of C. gloeosporioides in North Carolina and may serve as an initial inoculum source for planting material. Sources of inoculum data were complemented with a 2-year study of disease incidence and spread in simulated nursery production experiments. Sixty days after inoculation of the mother plants in the nursery, three different inoculation levels showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.78, P < 0.004) with the quiescent infection (QI) incidence on the runner or daughter plants at the end of the nursery production cycle. Runner plant counts from different proportion of mother plants' inoculation treatments indicated that runner plant production was negatively and significantly (P < 0.001) affected by C. gloeosporioides. Infected tips used to produce transplants destined for fruit production resulted in 29.3 and 16.8% mortality in plug trays in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Tracking foliar QI incidence that resulted from dispersal of inoculum from an introduced point source in the nursery showed a sharp decline at 1 m and beyond from the inoculation focus. Although the exponential model (R 2 = 0.92 to 0.94) had slightly higher coefficients of determination than the modified power law (R 2 = 0.89 to 0.90), residual plots indicated that the modified power law model fit the disease gradient data better than the exponential model in both years. Results from our dispersal study indicated that rogueing of infected plants within a 4-m radius of infection foci would reduce the risk of transferring infected runner plants from the nursery to the fruiting field. DA - 2015/1// PY - 2015/1// DO - 10.1094/pdis-02-13-0144-re VL - 99 IS - 1 SP - 80-86 SN - 1943-7692 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Fungicide Sensitivity of US Genotypes of Phytophthora infestans to Six Oomycete-Targeted Compounds AU - Saville, Amanda AU - Graham, Kim AU - Gruenwald, Niklaus J. AU - Myers, Kevin AU - Fry, William E. AU - Ristaino, Jean Beagle T2 - PLANT DISEASE AB - Phytophthora infestans causes potato late blight, an important and costly disease of potato and tomato crops. Seven clonal lineages of P. infestans identified recently in the United States were tested for baseline sensitivity to six oomycete-targeted fungicides. A subset of the dominant lineages (n = 45) collected between 2004 and 2012 was tested in vitro on media amended with a range of concentrations of either azoxystrobin, cyazofamid, cymoxanil, fluopicolide, mandipropamid, or mefenoxam. Dose-response curves and values for the effective concentration at which 50% of growth was suppressed were calculated for each isolate. The US-8 and US-11 clonal lineages were insensitive to mefenoxam while the US-20, US-21, US-22, US-23, and US-24 clonal lineages were sensitive to mefenoxam. Insensitivity to azoxystrobin, cyazofamid, cymoxanil, fluopicolide, or mandipropamid was not detected within any lineage. Thus, current U.S. populations of P. infestans remained sensitive to mefenoxam during the displacement of the US-22 lineage by US-23 over the past 5 years. DA - 2015/5// PY - 2015/5// DO - 10.1094/pdis-05-14-0452-re VL - 99 IS - 5 SP - 659-666 SN - 1943-7692 UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84930615057&partnerID=MN8TOARS ER - TY - JOUR TI - Five Reasons to Consider Phytophthora infestans a Reemerging Pathogen AU - Fry, W. E. AU - Birch, P. R. J. AU - Judelson, H. S. AU - Grünwald, N. J. AU - Danies, G. AU - Everts, K. L. AU - Gevens, A. J. AU - Gugino, B. K. AU - Johnson, D. A. AU - Johnson, S. B. AU - McGrath, M. T. AU - Myers, K. L. AU - Ristaino, J. B. AU - Roberts, P. D. AU - Secor, G. AU - Smart, C. D. T2 - Phytopathology AB - Phytophthora infestans has been a named pathogen for well over 150 years and yet it continues to “emerge”, with thousands of articles published each year on it and the late blight disease that it causes. This review explores five attributes of this oomycete pathogen that maintain this constant attention. First, the historical tragedy associated with this disease (Irish potato famine) causes many people to be fascinated with the pathogen. Current technology now enables investigators to answer some questions of historical significance. Second, the devastation caused by the pathogen continues to appear in surprising new locations or with surprising new intensity. Third, populations of P. infestans worldwide are in flux, with changes that have major implications to disease management. Fourth, the genomics revolution has enabled investigators to make tremendous progress in terms of understanding the molecular biology (especially the pathogenicity) of P. infestans. Fifth, there remain many compelling unanswered questions. DA - 2015/7// PY - 2015/7// DO - 10.1094/phyto-01-15-0005-fi VL - 105 IS - 7 SP - 966-981 J2 - Phytopathology LA - en OP - SN - 0031-949X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-01-15-0005-FI DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - First Report of Plectosporium Blight on Pumpkin and Squash Caused by Plectosporium tabacinum in North Carolina AU - Quesada-Ocampo, L. M. AU - Withers, S. AU - Butler, S. AU - Birdsell, T. AU - Schultheis, J. T2 - PLANT DISEASE AB - HomePlant DiseaseVol. 99, No. 5First Report of Plectosporium Blight on Pumpkin and Squash Caused by Plectosporium tabacinum in North Carolina PreviousNext DISEASE NOTES OPENOpen Access licenseFirst Report of Plectosporium Blight on Pumpkin and Squash Caused by Plectosporium tabacinum in North CarolinaL. M. Quesada-Ocampo, S. Withers, S. Butler, T. Birdsell, and J. SchultheisL. M. Quesada-OcampoSearch for more papers by this author, S. WithersSearch for more papers by this author, S. ButlerSearch for more papers by this author, T. BirdsellSearch for more papers by this author, and J. SchultheisSearch for more papers by this authorAffiliationsAuthors and Affiliations L. M. Quesada-Ocampo S. Withers S. Butler , Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695 T. Birdsell , Cooperative Extension, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695 J. Schultheis , Department of Horticulture, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695. Published Online:29 May 2015https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-14-0770-PDNAboutSectionsSupplemental ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailWechat Cucurbits are among the most important vegetable crops in North Carolina. Plectosporium blight, caused by Plectosporium tabacinum, can significantly reduce marketable fruit in squash and pumpkin (1). Since 1988, when Plectosporium blight was first reported in the United States in Tennessee, the disease has been confirmed in New York, Alabama, Louisiana, Virginia, and Illinois (4). In July of 2013, approximately15% of zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo ‘Zephyr’ and ‘Senator’) grown in an organic commercial field in Davidson County, NC, showed spindle-shaped, corky, sunken, tan lesions on the stems and petioles; and circular, corky, raised, tan lesions on the leaves and fruit. In September of 2013, approximately 10 to 20% of the pumpkin plants (C. pepo ‘Field Trip’) at research station fields in Ashe and Haywood Counties, NC, also showed stem, leaf, and fruit lesions characteristic of Plectosporium blight (4). After surface-sterilization with 70% ethanol, four to five lesions were excised from petioles and fruit of each cultivar, placed on potato dextrose agar, and incubated under constant fluorescent light at room temperature (21°C). Tan to light pink colonies with white aerial mycelium grew on the plates after a week, and after single-sporing, one representative isolate from each of three cultivars, Zephyr, Senator, and Field Trip, was retained for analysis. One- and two-celled, hyaline, elongate, ellipsoid, slightly curved conidia (n = 10), each with a narrow base that measured 7.4 to 10.2 × 2.1 to 3 μm were observed for the three isolates at 100× magnification. Branched, hyaline conidiophores (n = 5) with elongate, slightly sinuous, apical phialides and conidia in mucilaginous heads at the tip of each conidiophore identified the isolates as P. tabacinum (synonyms Microdochium tabacinum, Fusarium tabacinum, and Plectosphaerella cucumerina) (2). To confirm the identity of the isolates, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA was amplified and sequenced with the ITS4 and ITS5 primers (3). The sequence was compared with sequences in GenBank using a BLAST alignment, which revealed that the isolates had 98% identity with ITS sequences of P. cucumerina (AB266250.1), the teleomorph of P. tabacinum. The ITS sequences of the three isolates were deposited in GenBank under accession numbers KJ130026, KJ130027, and KJ130028. No official report has been published of P. tabacinum on C. pepo in NC; however, Plectosporium blight can be misidentified as mechanical injury, e.g., from sand blasting, and it is likely that the pathogen has previously been encountered but not yet reported officially in NC. While it is uncommon for Plectosporium blight to result in devastating yield losses, the disease can cause significant reduction in marketable fruit, which may warrant applications of effective fungicides in fields where the pathogen has been found.References:(1) Mullen, J. M., and Sikora, E. J. 2003. Plant Dis. 87:749. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS.2003.87.6.749A Link, ISI, Google Scholar(2) Palm, M. E., et al. 1995. Mycologia 87:397. https://doi.org/10.2307/3760837 Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar(3) White, T. J., et al. 1990. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. M. A. Innis et al., eds. Academic Press, San Diego, CA. Crossref, Google Scholar(4) Zitter, T. A. 1996. Page 28 in: Compendium of Cucurbit Diseases. T. A. Zitter, D. L. Hopkins, and C. E. Thomas, eds. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN. Google ScholarDetailsFiguresLiterature CitedRelated Vol. 99, No. 5 May 2015SubscribeISSN:0191-2917e-ISSN:1943-7692 Metrics Article History Issue Date: 29 May 2015Published: 29 May 2015First Look: 11 Dec 2014Accepted: 3 Dec 2014 Page: 724 Information© 2015 The American Phytopathological SocietyCited byPlectosphaerella cucumerinaCABI Compendium, Vol. CABI CompendiumDiseases of Chrysanthemum7 January 2018Diseases of Chrysanthemum24 May 2017 DA - 2015/5// PY - 2015/5// DO - 10.1094/pdis-07-14-0770-pdn VL - 99 IS - 5 SP - 724-725 SN - 1943-7692 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Effects of nitrogen enrichment on belowground communities in grassland: Relative role of soil nitrogen availability vs. soil acidification AU - Chen, Dima AU - Lan, Zhichun AU - Hu, Shuijin AU - Bai, Yongfei T2 - SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY AB - Terrestrial ecosystems worldwide are receiving increasing amounts of biologically reactive nitrogen (N) as a consequence of anthropogenic activities. This intended or unintended fertilization can have a wide range of impacts on the above- and belowground communities. An increase in high N availability has been assumed to be a major mechanism enhancing the abundance of above- and belowground communities. In addition to increasing available N, however, N enrichment causes soil acidification, which may negatively affect above- and belowground communities. The relative importance of increased N availability vs. increased soil acidity for above- and belowground communities in natural ecosystems experiencing N enrichment is unclear. In a 12-year N enrichment experiment in a semi-arid grassland, N enrichment substantially increased both above- and belowground plant biomass mainly via the N availability-induced increase in biomass of perennial rhizome grasses. N enrichment also dramatically suppressed bacterial, fungal, and actinobacteria biomass mainly via the soil acidification pathway (acidification increased concentrations of H+ ions and Al3+ and decreased concentrations of mineral cations). In addition, N enrichment also suppressed bacterial-, fungal-feeding, and omnivorous + carnivorous nematodes mainly via the soil acidification pathway (acidification reduced nematode food resources and reduced concentrations of mineral cations). The positive effects resulting from the increase in belowground carbon allocation (via increase in quantity and quality of plant production) on belowground communities were outweighed by the negative effects resulting from soil acidification, indicating that N enrichment weakens the linkages between aboveground and belowground components of grassland ecosystems. Our results suggest that N enrichment-induced soil acidification should be included in models that predict biota communities and linkages to carbon and nitrogen cycling in terrestrial ecosystems under future scenarios of N deposition. DA - 2015/10// PY - 2015/10// DO - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.06.028 VL - 89 SP - 99-108 SN - 0038-0717 KW - Plant-soil interactions KW - Belowground food web KW - Trophic levels KW - Plant functional groups KW - Soil microbial communities KW - Soil nematode communities KW - Belowground communities KW - Base mineral cations ER - TY - JOUR TI - Degree-day models for development of the dung beetles Onthophagus nuchicornis, O. taurus, and Digitonthophagus gazella (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), and the likelihood of O. taurus establishment in southern Alberta, Canada AU - Floate, K. D. AU - Watson, D. W. AU - Coghlin, P. AU - Olfert, O. T2 - CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST AB - Abstract Three studies were performed to assess the likelihood of establishing the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus (Schreber) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in southern Alberta, Canada. This European species was first reported in Florida in the 1970s and now occurs as far north as Michigan, United States of America. Its ability to establish in Canada is unknown, but is desired to accelerate the degradation of cattle dung on pastures. The first study examined egg-to-adult development at temperatures of 10–32 °C (in increments of 2 °C) to develop degree-day models for O. taurus and for two other closely related species of dung beetles. Onthophagus nuchicornis (Linnaeus), used as a positive control, is a European species common across Canada. Digitonthophagus gazella (Fabricius), used as a negative control, is an Afro-Asian species whose distribution is restricted in North America to the southern United States of America. The second study examined the overwintering ability of O. taurus and D. gazella in outdoor field cages. The third study compared climate parameters between southern Alberta and the northernmost recorded distribution of O. taurus . Results combined across the three studies show that O. taurus can complete egg-to-adult development and overwinter in southern Alberta. However, high overwintering mortality is predicted to prevent establishment of O. taurus in the region. DA - 2015/10// PY - 2015/10// DO - 10.4039/tce.2014.70 VL - 147 IS - 5 SP - 617-627 SN - 1918-3240 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Bottom-up regulation of malaria population dynamics in mice co-infected with lung-migratory nematodes AU - Griffiths, E. C. AU - Fairlie-Clarke, K. AU - Allen, J. E. AU - Metcalf, C. J. E. AU - Graham, A. L. T2 - Ecology Letters DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 18 IS - 12 SP - 1387-1396 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Tissue-specific gene expression in maize seeds during colonization by Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides AU - Shu, Xiaomei AU - Livingston, David P., III AU - Franks, Robert G. AU - Boston, Rebecca S. AU - Woloshuk, Charles P. AU - Payne, Gary A. T2 - MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY AB - Summary A spergillus flavus and F usarium verticillioides are fungal pathogens that colonize maize kernels and produce the harmful mycotoxins aflatoxin and fumonisin, respectively. Management practice based on potential host resistance to reduce contamination by these mycotoxins has proven difficult, resulting in the need for a better understanding of the infection process by these fungi and the response of maize seeds to infection. In this study, we followed the colonization of seeds by histological methods and the transcriptional changes of two maize defence‐related genes in specific seed tissues by RNA in situ hybridization. Maize kernels were inoculated with either A . flavus or F . verticillioides 21–22 days after pollination, and harvested at 4, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h post‐inoculation. The fungi colonized all tissues of maize seed, but differed in their interactions with aleurone and germ tissues. RNA in situ hybridization showed the induction of the maize pathogenesis‐related protein , maize seed ( PRms ) gene in the aleurone and scutellum on infection by either fungus. Transcripts of the maize sucrose synthase‐encoding gene, shrunken‐1 ( S h1 ), were observed in the embryo of non‐infected kernels, but were induced on infection by each fungus in the aleurone and scutellum. By comparing histological and RNA in situ hybridization results from adjacent serial sections, we found that the transcripts of these two genes accumulated in tissue prior to the arrival of the advancing pathogens in the seeds. A knowledge of the patterns of colonization and tissue‐specific gene expression in response to these fungi will be helpful in the development of resistance. DA - 2015/9// PY - 2015/9// DO - 10.1111/mpp.12224 VL - 16 IS - 7 SP - 662-674 SN - 1364-3703 KW - Aspergillus flavus KW - Fusarium verticillioides KW - histology KW - maize KW - PRms KW - RNAinsitu hybridization KW - Sh1 ER - TY - JOUR TI - The plant parasite Pratylenchus coffeae carries a minimal nematode genome AU - Burke, Mark AU - Scholl, Elizabeth H. AU - Bird, David McK. AU - Schaff, Jennifer E. AU - Colman, Steven D. AU - Crowell, Randy AU - Diener, Stephen AU - Gordon, Oksana AU - Graham, Steven AU - Wang, Xinguo AU - Windham, Eric AU - Wright, Garron M. AU - Opperman, Charles H. T2 - NEMATOLOGY AB - Here we report the genome sequence of the lesion nematode, Pratylenchus coffeae , a significant pest of banana and other staple crops in tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide. Initial analysis of the 19.67 Mb genome reveals 6712 protein encoding genes, the smallest number found in a metazoan, although sufficient to make a nematode. Significantly, no developmental or physiological pathways are obviously missing when compared to the model free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans , which possesses approximately 21 000 genes. The highly streamlined P. coffeae genome may reveal a remarkable functional plasticity in nematode genomes and may also indicate evolutionary routes to increased specialisation in other nematode genera. In addition, the P. coffeae genome may begin to reveal the core set of genes necessary to make a multicellular animal. Nematodes exhibit striking diversity in the niches they occupy, and the sequence of P. coffeae is a tool to begin to unravel the mechanisms that enable the extraordinary success of this phylum as both free-living and parasitic forms. Unlike the sedentary endoparasitic root-knot nematodes ( Meloidogyne spp.), P. coffeae is a root-lesion nematode that does not establish a feeding site within the root. Because the P. coffeae nematode genome encodes fewer than half the number of genes found in the genomes of root-knot nematodes, comparative analysis to determine genes P. coffeae does not carry may help to define development of more sophisticated forms of nematode-plant interactions. The P. coffeae genome sequence may help to define timelines related to evolution of parasitism amongst nematodes. The genome of P. coffeae is a significant new tool to understand not only nematode evolution but animal biology in general. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1163/15685411-00002901 VL - 17 IS - 6 SP - 621-637 SN - 1388-5545 UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84938097712&partnerID=MN8TOARS KW - Caenorhabditis elegans KW - lesion nematode KW - Meloidogyne hapla KW - migratory endoparasitic nematodes KW - nematode evolution KW - protein encoding genes ER - TY - JOUR TI - The Cyst Nematode Effector Protein 10A07 Targets and Recruits Host Posttranslational Machinery to Mediate Its Nuclear Trafficking and to Promote Parasitism in Arabidopsis AU - Hewezi, Tarek AU - Juvale, Parijat S. AU - Piya, Sarbottam AU - Maier, Tom R. AU - Rambani, Aditi AU - Rice, J. Hollis AU - Mitchum, Melissa G. AU - Davis, Eric L. AU - Hussey, Richard S. AU - Baum, Thomas J. T2 - PLANT CELL AB - Plant-parasitic cyst nematodes synthesize and secrete effector proteins that are essential for parasitism. One such protein is the 10A07 effector from the sugar beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii, which is exclusively expressed in the nematode dorsal gland cell during all nematode parasitic stages. Overexpression of H. schachtii 10A07 in Arabidopsis thaliana produced a hypersusceptible phenotype in response to H. schachtii infection along with developmental changes reminiscent of auxin effects. The 10A07 protein physically associates with a plant kinase and the IAA16 transcription factor in the cytoplasm and nucleus, respectively. The interacting plant kinase (IPK) phosphorylates 10A07 at Ser-144 and Ser-231 and mediates its trafficking from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Translocation to the nucleus is phosphorylation dependent since substitution of Ser-144 and Ser-231 by alanine resulted in exclusive cytoplasmic accumulation of 10A07. IPK and IAA16 are highly upregulated in the nematode-induced syncytium (feeding cells), and deliberate manipulations of their expression significantly alter plant susceptibility to H. schachtii in an additive fashion. An inactive variant of IPK functioned antagonistically to the wild-type IPK and caused a dominant-negative phenotype of reduced plant susceptibility. Thus, exploitation of host processes to the advantage of the parasites is one mechanism by which cyst nematodes promote parasitism of host plants. DA - 2015/3// PY - 2015/3// DO - 10.1105/tpc.114.135327 VL - 27 IS - 3 SP - 891-907 SN - 1532-298X ER - TY - JOUR TI - Suppression subtractive hybridization and comparative expression of a pore-forming toxin and glycosyl hydrolase genes in Rhizoctonia solani during potato sprout infection AU - Chamoun, Rony AU - Samsatly, Jamil AU - Pakala, Suman B. AU - Cubeta, Marc A. AU - Jabaji, Suha T2 - MOLECULAR GENETICS AND GENOMICS DA - 2015/6// PY - 2015/6// DO - 10.1007/s00438-014-0962-x VL - 290 IS - 3 SP - 877-900 SN - 1617-4623 KW - Suppression subtractive hybridization KW - Rhizoctonia solani KW - Solanum tuberosum KW - Delta-endotoxin CytB KW - Glycosyl hydrolase ER - TY - JOUR TI - Response to Comment on "Phylogenomics resolves the timing and pattern of insect evolution" AU - Kjer, K. M. AU - Ware, J. L. AU - Rust, J. AU - Wappler, T. AU - Lanfear, R. AU - Jermiin, L. S. AU - Zhou, X. AU - Aspock, H. AU - Aspock, U. AU - Beutel, R. G. AU - Blanke, A. AU - Donath, A. AU - Flouri, T. AU - Frandsen, P. B. AU - Kapli, P. AU - Kawahara, A. Y. AU - Letsch, H. AU - Mayer, C. AU - McKenna, D. D. T2 - Science DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 349 IS - 6247 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Registration of 'Sugg' Peanut AU - Isleib, Thomas G. AU - Milla-Lewis, Susana R. AU - Pattee, Harold E. AU - Copeland, Susan C. AU - Zuleta, M. Carolina AU - Shew, Barbara B. AU - Hollowell, Joyce E. AU - Sanders, Timothy H. AU - Dean, Lisa O. AU - Hendrix, Keith W. AU - Balota, Maria AU - Chapin, Jay W. AU - Monfort, W. Scott T2 - JOURNAL OF PLANT REGISTRATIONS AB - ‘Sugg’ (Reg. No. CV-125, PI 666112) is a large-seeded virginia-type peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. subsp. hypogaea var. hypogaea) cultivar with partial resistance to four diseases that occur commonly in the Virginia–Carolina production area: early leafspot caused by Cercospora arachidicola S. Hori, Cylindrocladium black rot caused by Cylindrocladium parasiticum Crous, Wingfield & Alfenas, Sclerotinia blight caused by Sclerotinia minor Jagger, and tomato spotted wilt caused by the Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus. Sugg was developed as part of a program of selection for multiple disease resistance funded by growers, seed dealers, shellers, and processors. Sugg was tested under the experimental designation N03091T and released by the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service (NCARS) in 2009. Sugg was tested by the NCARS, the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, and five other state agricultural experiment stations and the USDA–ARS units participating in the Uniform Peanut Performance Tests. Sugg has alternate branching pattern, intermediate runner growth habit, medium green foliage, and high contents of fancy pods and medium virginia-type seeds. It has seeds with pink testa averaging 957 mg seed−1, approximately 40% jumbo and 46% fancy pods, and extra-large kernel content of ∼47%. Sugg is named in honor of Norfleet “Fleet” Sugg and the late Joseph “Joe” Sugg, cousins who served consecutively as executive directors of the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association from 1966 through 1993. DA - 2015/1// PY - 2015/1// DO - 10.3198/jpr2013.09.0059crc VL - 9 IS - 1 SP - 44-52 SN - 1940-3496 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Regional-scale patterns of soil microbes and nematodes across grasslands on the Mongolian plateau: relationships with climate, soil, and plants AU - Chen, Dima AU - Cheng, Junhui AU - Chu, Pengfei AU - Hu, Shuijin AU - Xie, Yichun AU - Tuvshintogtokh, Indree AU - Bai, Yongfei T2 - ECOGRAPHY AB - Belowground communities exert major controls over the carbon and nitrogen balances of terrestrial ecosystems by regulating decomposition and nutrient availability for plants. Yet little is known about the patterns of belowground communities and their relationships with environmental factors, particularly at the regional scale where multiple environmental gradients co‐vary. Here, we describe the patterns of belowground communities (microbes and nematodes) and their relationships with environmental factors based on two parallel studies: a field survey with two regional‐scale transects across the Mongolia plateau and a water‐addition experiment in a typical steppe. In the field survey, soils and plants were collected across two large‐scale transects (a 2000‐km east–west transect and a 900‐km south–north transect). At the regional‐scale, the variations in soil microbes (e.g. bacterial PLFA, fungal PLFA, and F/B ratio) were mainly explained by precipitation and soil factors. In contrast, the variation in soil nematodes (e.g. density of trophic groups and the bacterial‐feeding/fungal‐feeding nematode ratio) were primarily explained by precipitation. These variations of microbe or nematode variables explained by environmental factors at regional scale were derived from different vegetation types. Along the gradient from nutrient‐poor to nutrient‐rich vegetation types, the total variation in soil microbes explained by precipitation increased and that explained by plant and soil decreased, while the opposite was true for soil nematodes. Experimental water addition, which increased rainfall by 30% during the growing season, increased biomass or density of belowground communities, with the nematodes being more responsive than the microbes. The different responses of soil microbial and nematode communities to environmental gradients at the regional scale likely reflect their different adaptations to climate, soil nutrients, and plants. Our findings suggest that the soil nematode and microbial communities are strongly controlled by bottom‐up effects of precipitation alone or in combination with soil conditions. DA - 2015/6// PY - 2015/6// DO - 10.1111/ecog.01226 VL - 38 IS - 6 SP - 622-631 SN - 1600-0587 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Phylogenetic, taxonomic and functional diversity of fungal denitrifiers and associated N2O production efficacy AU - Mothapo, Nape AU - Chen, Huaihai AU - Cubeta, Marc A. AU - Grossman, Julie M. AU - Fuller, Fred AU - Shi, Wei T2 - SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY AB - Fungi generally dominate microbial biomass in various soils and play critical roles in ecosystem functioning including nutrient cycling, disease ecology and food production. Therefore, fungal denitrification, phenotypically typified by nitrous oxide (N2O) production, presents another avenue other than N mineralization and heterotrophic nitrification for progress to better understand the multiple roles of fungi in sustaining the biosphere. The discovery of N2O production and consequently denitrification in Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl. in early 1970's has led to identification of many taxonomically diverse species of N2O-producing fungi. This review evaluates the current status of knowledge on species composition of fungal denitrifiers and their N2O-producing activity. Here we describe challenges with assessment of fungal N2O-producing activity across genera and suggest prospects for future studies. We also discuss species diversity in order to gain knowledge of important taxonomic and phylogenetic groups mediating N2O production and provide insight on ecological cues associated with fungal N2O production. Currently, the extent to which species phylogeny and the functional trait, i.e. N2O-producing activity, are linked remains to be determined; even so, it is evident that some related taxa exhibit similar N2O production efficacy than distant relatives. DA - 2015/4// PY - 2015/4// DO - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.02.001 VL - 83 SP - 160-175 SN - 0038-0717 KW - Fungal denitrification KW - Nitrous oxide KW - Fusarium KW - Aspergillus KW - Sordariomycetes KW - Eurotiomycetes ER - TY - JOUR TI - Non-Native Ambrosia Beetles as Opportunistic Exploiters of Living but Weakened Trees AU - Ranger, Christopher M. AU - Schultz, Peter B. AU - Frank, Steven D. AU - Chong, Juang H. AU - Reding, Michael E. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - Exotic Xylosandrus spp. ambrosia beetles established in non-native habitats have been associated with sudden and extensive attacks on a diverse range of living trees, but factors driving their shift from dying/dead hosts to living and healthy ones are not well understood. We sought to characterize the role of host physiological condition on preference and colonization by two invaders, Xylosandrus germanus and Xylosandrus crassiusculus. When given free-choice under field conditions among flooded and non-flooded deciduous tree species of varying intolerance to flooding, beetles attacked flood-intolerant tree species over more tolerant species within 3 days of initiating flood stress. In particular, flood-intolerant flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) sustained more attacks than flood-tolerant species, including silver maple (Acer saccharinum) and swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor). Ethanol, a key host-derived attractant, was detected at higher concentrations 3 days after initiating flooding within stems of flood intolerant species compared to tolerant and non-flooded species. A positive correlation was also detected between ethanol concentrations in stem tissue and cumulative ambrosia beetle attacks. When adult X. germanus and X. crassiusculus were confined with no-choice to stems of flood-stressed and non-flooded C. florida, more ejected sawdust resulting from tunneling activity was associated with the flood-stressed trees. Furthermore, living foundresses, eggs, larvae, and pupae were only detected within galleries created in stems of flood-stressed trees. Despite a capability to attack diverse tree genera, X. germanus and X. crassiusculus efficiently distinguished among varying host qualities and preferentially targeted trees based on their intolerance of flood stress. Non-flooded trees were not preferred or successfully colonized. This study demonstrates the host-selection strategy exhibited by X. germanus and X. crassiusculus in non-native habitats involves detection of stress-induced ethanol emission and early colonization of living but weakened trees. DA - 2015/7/2/ PY - 2015/7/2/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0131496 VL - 10 IS - 7 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Influence of soil inorganic nitrogen and root diameter size on legume cover crop root decomposition and nitrogen release AU - Jani, Arun D. AU - Grossman, Julie M. AU - Smyth, Thomas J. AU - Hu, Shuijin T2 - PLANT AND SOIL DA - 2015/8// PY - 2015/8// DO - 10.1007/s11104-015-2473-x VL - 393 IS - 1-2 SP - 57-68 SN - 1573-5036 KW - Legume cover crops KW - Root decomposition KW - Fine and coarse roots KW - Nitrogen release ER - TY - JOUR TI - Enhanced diversity and aflatoxigenicity in interspecific hybrids of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus AU - Olarte, Rodrigo A. AU - Worthington, Carolyn J. AU - Horn, Bruce W. AU - Moore, Geromy G. AU - Singh, Rakhi AU - Monacell, James T. AU - Dorner, Joe W. AU - Stone, Eric A. AU - Xie, De-Yu AU - Carbone, Ignazio T2 - MOLECULAR ECOLOGY AB - Abstract Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are the two most important aflatoxin‐producing fungi responsible for the contamination of agricultural commodities worldwide. Both species are heterothallic and undergo sexual reproduction in laboratory crosses. Here we examine the possibility of interspecific matings between A. flavus and A. parasiticus . These species can be distinguished morphologically and genetically, as well as by their mycotoxin profiles. Aspergillus flavus produces both B aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid ( CPA ), B aflatoxins or CPA alone, or neither mycotoxin; Aspergillus parasiticus produces B and G aflatoxins or the aflatoxin precursor O ‐methylsterigmatocystin, but not CPA . Only four of forty‐five attempted interspecific crosses between opposite mating types of A. flavus and A. parasiticus were fertile and produced viable ascospores. Single ascospore strains from each cross were shown to be recombinant hybrids using multilocus genotyping and array comparative genome hybridization. Conidia of parents and their hybrid progeny were haploid and predominantly monokaryons and dikaryons based on flow cytometry. Multilocus phylogenetic inference showed that experimental hybrid progeny were grouped with naturally occurring A. flavus L strain and A. parasiticus . Higher total aflatoxin concentrations in some F1 progeny strains compared to midpoint parent aflatoxin levels indicate synergism in aflatoxin production; moreover, three progeny strains synthesized G aflatoxins that were not produced by the parents, and there was evidence of allopolyploidization in one strain. These results suggest that hybridization is an important diversifying force resulting in the genesis of novel toxin profiles in these agriculturally important fungi. DA - 2015/4// PY - 2015/4// DO - 10.1111/mec.13153 VL - 24 IS - 8 SP - 1889-1909 SN - 1365-294X KW - allopolyploid KW - array comparative genome hybridization KW - flow cytometry KW - meiosis KW - population ER - TY - JOUR TI - Elevated Genetic Diversity in the Emerging Blueberry Pathogen Exobasidium maculosum AU - Stewart, Jane E. AU - Brooks, Kyle AU - Brannen, Phillip M. AU - Cline, William O. AU - Brewer, Marin T. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - Emerging diseases caused by fungi are increasing at an alarming rate. Exobasidium leaf and fruit spot of blueberry, caused by the fungus Exobasidium maculosum, is an emerging disease that has rapidly increased in prevalence throughout the southeastern USA, severely reducing fruit quality in some plantings. The objectives of this study were to determine the genetic diversity of E. maculosum in the southeastern USA to elucidate the basis of disease emergence and to investigate if populations of E. maculosum are structured by geography, host species, or tissue type. We sequenced three conserved loci from 82 isolates collected from leaves and fruit of rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum), highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum), and southern highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum hybrids) from commercial fields in Georgia and North Carolina, USA, and 6 isolates from lowbush blueberry (V. angustifolium) from Maine, USA, and Nova Scotia, Canada. Populations of E. maculosum from the southeastern USA and from lowbush blueberry in Maine and Nova Scotia are distinct, but do not represent unique species. No difference in genetic structure was detected between different host tissues or among different host species within the southeastern USA; however, differentiation was detected between populations in Georgia and North Carolina. Overall, E. maculosum showed extreme genetic diversity within the conserved loci with 286 segregating sites among the 1,775 sequenced nucleotides and each isolate representing a unique multilocus haplotype. However, 94% of the nucleotide substitutions were silent, so despite the high number of mutations, selective constraints have limited changes to the amino acid sequences of the housekeeping genes. Overall, these results suggest that the emergence of Exobasidium leaf and fruit spot is not due to a recent introduction or host shift, or the recent evolution of aggressive genotypes of E. maculosum, but more likely as a result of an increasing host population or an environmental change. DA - 2015/7/24/ PY - 2015/7/24/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0132545 VL - 10 IS - 7 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Divergent host preferences of above- and below-ground Culex pipiens mosquitoes and their hybrid offspring AU - Fritz, M. L. AU - Walker, E. D. AU - Miller, J. R. AU - Severson, D. W. AU - Dworkin, I. T2 - Medical and Veterinary Entomology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 29 IS - 2 SP - 115-123 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Diet quality mitigates intraspecific larval competition in Drosophila suzukii AU - Hardin, Jesse A. AU - Kraus, Dylan A. AU - Burrack, Hannah J. T2 - ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA AB - Abstract The invasive frugivore D rosophila suzukii ( M atsumura) ( D iptera: D rosophilidae) utilizes a wide range of host plants and damages important fruit crops, including blueberries, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Field infestations of D . suzukii often exceed one larva per berry, suggesting that intraspecific competition may frequently occur. Because dietary resources are also likely to vary across the host range of D . suzukii , we designed a laboratory assay to measure larval performance across diets of varying quality: a standard artificial diet, a fruit‐based medium, a low‐protein, and a low‐carbohydrate diet. We manipulated egg density across these diets to provide increasing levels of competition and measured larval performance by observing survival to pupation and adulthood, and development times for both life stages. Although increasing density generally negatively impacted D . suzukii performance across diets, the magnitude of these impacts varied by diet type. D rosophila suzukii performance was generally similar in fruit and standard diets, although larval development was more rapid in fruit diets at lower densities. Even at low densities (5 or 10 eggs per arena), survival was reduced and development time increased in low‐protein diets relative to standard and fruit diets. At the two highest larval densities (20 or 40 eggs per arena), survivorship was reduced in low‐carbohydrate diets as compared to standard and fruit diets. There is evidence that larvae compensated in both low‐quality diets by extending development time, which could have consequences for population dynamics. Population models for use in D . suzukii management may need to account for both host nutritional quality and relative competition to accurately predict turnover and geographic expansion. DA - 2015/7// PY - 2015/7// DO - 10.1111/eea.12311 VL - 156 IS - 1 SP - 59-65 SN - 1570-7458 KW - nutrition KW - development KW - carbohydrates KW - sterols KW - invasive species KW - raspberry KW - Rubus idaeus KW - Diptera KW - Drosophilidae KW - spotted wing drosophila KW - Rosaceae ER - TY - JOUR TI - Characterization and colonization of endomycorrhizal Rhizoctonia fungi in the medicinal herb Anoectochilus formosanus (Orchidaceae) AU - Jiang, Jr-Hau AU - Lee, Yung-I AU - Cubeta, Marc A. AU - Chen, Lung-Chung T2 - Mycorrhiza AB - The medicinal effects and techniques for cultivating Anoectochilus formosanus are well-documented, but little is known about the mycorrhizal fungi associated with A. formosanus. Rhizoctonia (Thanatephorus) anastomosis group 6 (AG-6) was the most common species isolated from fungal pelotons in native A. formosanus and represented 67 % of the sample. Rhizoctonia (Ceratobasidium) AG-G, P, and R were also isolated and represent the first occurrence in the Orchidaceae. Isolates of AG-6, AG-R, and AG-P in clade I increased seed germination 44–91 % and promoted protocorm growth from phases III to VI compared to asymbiotic treatments and isolates of AG-G in clade II and Tulasnella species in clade III. All isolates in clades I to III formed fungal pelotons in tissue-cultured seedlings of A. formosanus, which exhibited significantly greater growth than nonmycorrhizal seedlings. An analysis of the relative effect of treatment ( $$ {\widehat{p}}_i $$ ) showed that the low level of colonization ( $$ {\widehat{p}}_i = 0.30\hbox{--} 0.47 $$ ) by isolates in clade I resulted in a significant increase in seedling growth compared to isolates in clades II (0.63–0.82) and III (0.63–0.75). There was also a negative correlation (r = −0.8801) with fresh plant weight and fungal colonization. Our results suggest that isolates in clade I may represent an important group associated with native populations of A. formosanus and can vary in their ability to establish a symbiotic association with A. formosanus. The results presented here are potentially useful for advancing research on the medicinal properties, production, and conservation of A. formosanus in diverse ecosystems. DA - 2015/1/11/ PY - 2015/1/11/ DO - 10.1007/s00572-014-0616-1 VL - 25 IS - 6 SP - 431-445 J2 - Mycorrhiza LA - en OP - SN - 0940-6360 1432-1890 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00572-014-0616-1 DB - Crossref KW - Orchid mycorrhizae KW - Rhizoctonia KW - Anastomosis group KW - Symbiotic germination KW - Tissue-cultured seedling ER - TY - JOUR TI - Characterisation of, and entomopathogenic studies on, Pristionchus aerivorus (Cobb in Merrill & Ford, 1916) Chitwood, 1937 (Rhabditida: Diplogastridae) from North Carolina, USA AU - Ye, Weimin AU - Yu, Qing AU - Kanzaki, Natsumi AU - Adams, Paul R. AU - Cardoza, Yasmin J. T2 - NEMATOLOGY AB - During a survey of entomopathogenic nematodes in North Carolina, USA, a Pristionchus species was recovered using the Galleria bait method. Morphological studies with light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, mating tests with reference strains, as well as molecular analyses of the near-full-length small subunit rRNA gene (18S) and D2-D3 expansion segments of the large subunit rRNA gene (28S) identified this isolate as Pristionchus aerivorus . Exposed Galleria larvae were killed within 48 h and high numbers of nematodes were recovered from the cadavers about 5 days later. Preliminary tests revealed that this nematode is capable of infecting at least two other insect species ( Helicoverpa zea and Tenebrio molitor ) under laboratory conditions. The status of the genus Chroniodiplogaster is discussed and confirmed as a junior synonym of Pristionchus based on morphological observation and molecular phylogenetic analysis. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1163/15685411-00002891 VL - 17 SP - 567-580 SN - 1388-5545 KW - Chroniodiplogaster KW - description KW - DNA sequencing KW - molecular KW - morphology KW - phylogeny KW - SEM KW - taxonomy ER - TY - JOUR TI - Adaptive contraction of diet breadth affects sexual maturation and specific nutrient consumption in an extreme generalist omnivore AU - Jensen, K. AU - Schal, C. AU - Silverman, J. T2 - Journal of Evolutionary Biology AB - Abstract Animals balance their intake of specific nutrients, but little is known about how they do so when foraging in an environment with toxic resources and whether toxic foods promote adaptations that affect life history traits. In German cockroach ( Blattella germanica ) populations, glucose aversion has evolved in response to glucose‐containing insecticidal baits. We restricted newly eclosed glucose‐averse ( GA ) and wild‐type ( WT ) female cockroaches to nutritionally defined diets varying in protein‐to‐carbohydrate (P : C) ratio (3 : 1, 1 : 1, or 1 : 3) or gave them free choice of the 3 : 1 and 1 : 3 diets, with either glucose or fructose as the sole carbohydrate source. We measured consumption of each diet over 6 days and then dissected the females to measure the length of basal oocytes in their ovaries. Our results showed significantly lower consumption by GA compared to WT cockroaches when restricted to glucose‐containing diets, but also lower fructose intake by GA compared to WT cockroaches when restricted to high fructose diets or given choice of fructose‐containing diets. Protein intake was regulated tightly regardless of carbohydrate intake, except by GA cockroaches restricted to glucose‐containing diets. Oocyte growth was completely suppressed in GA females restricted to glucose‐containing diets, but also significantly slower in GA than in WT females restricted to fructose‐containing diets. Our findings suggest that GA cockroaches have adapted to reduced diet breadth through endocrine adjustments which reduce requirements for energetic fuels. Our study illustrates how an evolutionary change in the chemosensory system may affect the evolution of other traits that govern animal life histories. DA - 2015/3/31/ PY - 2015/3/31/ DO - 10.1111/jeb.12617 VL - 28 IS - 4 SP - 906-916 J2 - J. Evol. Biol. LA - en OP - SN - 1010-061X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jeb.12617 DB - Crossref KW - adaptation KW - deterrence KW - fructose KW - geometric framework KW - glucose aversion KW - life history evolution KW - nutritional ecology KW - oocyte development KW - protein KW - toxin ER - TY - JOUR TI - A Critical Assessment of Vector Control for Dengue Prevention AU - Achee, Nicole L. AU - Gould, Fred AU - Perkins, T. Alex AU - Reiner, Robert C., Jr. AU - Morrison, Amy C. AU - Ritchie, Scott A. AU - Gubler, Duane J. AU - Teyssou, Remy AU - Scott, Thomas W. T2 - PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES AB - Recently, the Vaccines to Vaccinate (v2V) initiative was reconfigured into the Partnership for Dengue Control (PDC), a multi-sponsored and independent initiative. This redirection is consistent with the growing consensus among the dengue-prevention community that no single intervention will be sufficient to control dengue disease. The PDC's expectation is that when an effective dengue virus (DENV) vaccine is commercially available, the public health community will continue to rely on vector control because the two strategies complement and enhance one another. Although the concept of integrated intervention for dengue prevention is gaining increasingly broader acceptance, to date, no consensus has been reached regarding the details of how and what combination of approaches can be most effectively implemented to manage disease. To fill that gap, the PDC proposed a three step process: (1) a critical assessment of current vector control tools and those under development, (2) outlining a research agenda for determining, in a definitive way, what existing tools work best, and (3) determining how to combine the best vector control options, which have systematically been defined in this process, with DENV vaccines. To address the first step, the PDC convened a meeting of international experts during November 2013 in Washington, DC, to critically assess existing vector control interventions and tools under development. This report summarizes those deliberations. DA - 2015/5// PY - 2015/5// DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003655 VL - 9 IS - 5 SP - SN - 1935-2735 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Volatility of mutator phenotypes at single cell resolution AU - Kennedy, S. R. AU - Schultz, E. M. AU - Chappell, T. M. AU - Kohrn, B. AU - Knowels, G. M. AU - Herr, A. J. T2 - PLoS Genetics DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 11 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Seasonal cycles, phylogenetic assembly, and functional diversity of orchid bee communities AU - Ramirez, Santiago R. AU - Hernandez, Carlos AU - Link, Andres AU - Lopez-Uribe, Margarita M. T2 - ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION AB - Abstract Neotropical rainforests sustain some of the most diverse terrestrial communities on Earth. Euglossine (or orchid) bees are a diverse lineage of insect pollinators distributed throughout the American tropics, where they provide pollination services to a staggering diversity of flowering plant taxa. Elucidating the seasonal patterns of phylogenetic assembly and functional trait diversity of bee communities can shed new light into the mechanisms that govern the assembly of bee pollinator communities and the potential effects of declining bee populations. Male euglossine bees collect, store, and accumulate odoriferous compounds (perfumes) to subsequently use during courtship display. Thus, synthetic chemical baits can be used to attract and monitor euglossine bee populations. We conducted monthly censuses of orchid bees in three sites in the Magdalena valley of Colombia – a region where Central and South American biotas converge – to investigate the structure, diversity, and assembly of euglossine bee communities through time in relation to seasonal climatic cycles. In particular, we tested the hypothesis that phylogenetic community structure and functional trait diversity changed in response to seasonal rainfall fluctuations. All communities exhibited strong to moderate phylogenetic clustering throughout the year, with few pronounced bursts of phylogenetic overdispersion that coincided with the transition from wet‐to‐dry seasons. Despite the heterogeneous distribution of functional traits (e.g., body size, body mass, and proboscis length) and the observed seasonal fluctuations in phylogenetic diversity, we found that functional trait diversity, evenness, and divergence remained constant during all seasons in all communities. However, similar to the pattern observed with phylogenetic diversity, functional trait richness fluctuated markedly with rainfall in all sites. These results emphasize the importance of considering seasonal fluctuations in community assembly and provide a glimpse to the potential effects that climatic alterations may have on both pollinator communities and the ecosystem services they provide. DA - 2015/5// PY - 2015/5// DO - 10.1002/ece3.1466 VL - 5 IS - 9 SP - 1896-1907 SN - 2045-7758 KW - Biodiversity patterns KW - euglossini KW - orchid bees KW - pollinators ER - TY - JOUR TI - Relationship between invasion success and colony breeding structure in a subterranean termite AU - Perdereau, E. AU - Bagneres, A. -G. AU - Vargo, E. L. AU - Baudouin, G. AU - Xu, Y. AU - Labadie, P. AU - Dupont, S. AU - Dedeine, F. T2 - MOLECULAR ECOLOGY AB - Abstract Factors promoting the establishment and colonization success of introduced populations in new environments constitute an important issue in biological invasions. In this context, the respective role of pre‐adaptation and evolutionary changes during the invasion process is a key question that requires particular attention. This study compared the colony breeding structure (i.e. number and relatedness among reproductives within colonies) in native and introduced populations of the subterranean pest termite, Reticulitermes flavipes . We generated and analysed a data set of both microsatellite and mt DNA loci on termite samples collected in three introduced populations, one in France and two in Chile, and in the putative source population of French and Chilean infestations that has recently been identified in New Orleans, LA . We also provided a synthesis combining our results with those of previous studies to obtain a global picture of the variation in breeding structure in this species. Whereas most native US populations are mainly composed of colonies headed by monogamous pairs of primary reproductives, all introduced populations exhibit a particular colony breeding structure that is characterized by hundreds of inbreeding reproductives (neotenics) and by a propensity of colonies to fuse, a pattern shared uniquely with the population of New Orleans. These characteristics are comparable to those of many invasive ants and are discussed to play an important role during the invasion process. Our finding that the New Orleans population exhibits the same breeding structure as its related introduced populations suggests that this native population is pre‐adapted to invade new ranges. DA - 2015/5// PY - 2015/5// DO - 10.1111/mec.13094 VL - 24 IS - 9 SP - 2125-2142 SN - 1365-294X KW - breeding structure KW - invasion genetics KW - microsatellites KW - neoteny KW - Reticulitermes flavipes KW - sociality ER - TY - JOUR TI - Origin of termite eusociality: trophallaxis integrates the social, nutritional, and microbial environments AU - Nalepa, Christine A. T2 - ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY AB - 1. Numerous cladistic analyses have converged: termites are a monophyletic clade embedded within the paraphyletic cockroaches, and sister group to the biparental, wood‐feeding cockroach Cryptocercus . The latter is, therefore, an appropriate model for testing assumptions regarding early termite evolution. 2. The ground plan of the termite ancestor is reviewed based on shared characters of ecology, life history, and behaviour in Cryptocercus and incipient termite colonies, and includes two levels of dependence: a reliance of all individuals on gut microbiota, and dependence of early instars on parental care. Both these conditions co‐evolved with parent‐to‐offspring proctodeal trophallaxis. 3. The termite ancestor lived in a single log serving as food and nest. This ‘one‐piece’ nesting ecology prioritises nitrogen conservation and strongly influences interacting social, nutritional, and microbial environments. Each of these environments individually and in combination profoundly affect cockroach development. 4. Proctodeal trophallaxis integrates the social, nutritional, and microbial environments. A change in trophallactic behaviour, from parental to alloparental, can, therefore, shift developmental trajectories, ultimately adding a third level of dependence. The death of gut protists during the host molting period and consequent interdependence of family members shifted the hierarchical level at which selection acted; fixation of eusociality quickly followed. 5. The basic nesting ecology did not change when termites evolved eusociality, the change occurred in the allocation and use of existing resources within the social group, driven by nitrogen scarcity, mediated by trophallaxis, and made possible by a strongly lineage‐specific set of life history characteristics. DA - 2015/8// PY - 2015/8// DO - 10.1111/een.12197 VL - 40 IS - 4 SP - 323-335 SN - 1365-2311 KW - Alloparental care KW - microbiome KW - nitrogen conservation KW - one piece nest KW - social environment KW - subsociality KW - symbionts KW - trophallaxis ER - TY - JOUR TI - Nourishment level affects caste-related gene expression in Polistes wasps AU - Berens, Ali J. AU - Hunt, James H. AU - Toth, Amy L. T2 - BMC GENOMICS AB - Social insects exhibit striking phenotypic plasticity in the form of distinct reproductive (queen) and non-reproductive (worker) castes, which are typically driven by differences in the environment during early development. Nutritional environment and nourishment during development has been shown to be broadly associated with caste determination across social insect taxa such as bees, wasps, and termites. In primitively social insects such as Polistes paper wasps, caste remains flexible throughout adulthood, but there is evidence that nourishment inequalities can bias caste development with workers receiving limited nourishment compared to queens. Dominance and vibrational signaling are behaviors that have also been linked to caste differences in paper wasps, suggesting that a combination of nourishment and social factors may drive caste determination. To better understand the molecular basis of nutritional effects on caste determination, we used RNA-sequencing to investigate the gene expression changes in response to proteinaceous nourishment deprivation in Polistes metricus larvae.We identified 285 nourishment-responsive transcripts, many of which are related to lipid metabolism and oxidation-reduction activity. Via comparisons to previously identified caste-related genes, we found that nourishment restriction only partially biased wasp gene expression patterns toward worker caste-like traits, which supports the notion that nourishment, in conjunction with social environment, is a determinant of developmental caste bias. In addition, we conducted cross-species comparisons of nourishment-responsive genes, and uncovered largely lineage-specific gene expression changes, suggesting few shared nourishment-responsive genes across taxa.Overall, the results from this study highlight the complex and multifactorial nature of environmental effects on the gene expression patterns underlying plastic phenotypes. DA - 2015/3/25/ PY - 2015/3/25/ DO - 10.1186/s12864-015-1410-y VL - 16 SP - SN - 1471-2164 KW - Phenotypic plasticity KW - Nourishment KW - Social castes KW - Transcriptomics KW - Polistes ER - TY - JOUR TI - Nest Suitability, Fine-Scale Population Structure and Male-Mediated Dispersal of a Solitary Ground Nesting Bee in an Urban Landscape AU - Lopez-Uribe, Margarita M. AU - Morreale, Stephen J. AU - Santiago, Christine K. AU - Danforth, Bryan N. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - Bees are the primary pollinators of flowering plants in almost all ecosystems. Worldwide declines in bee populations have raised awareness about the importance of their ecological role in maintaining ecosystem functioning. The naturally strong philopatric behavior that some bee species show can be detrimental to population viability through increased probability of inbreeding. Furthermore, bee populations found in human-altered landscapes, such as urban areas, can experience lower levels of gene flow and effective population sizes, increasing potential for inbreeding depression in wild bee populations. In this study, we investigated the fine-scale population structure of the solitary bee Colletes inaequalis in an urbanized landscape. First, we developed a predictive spatial model to detect suitable nesting habitat for this ground nesting bee and to inform our field search for nests. We genotyped 18 microsatellites in 548 female individuals collected from nest aggregations throughout the study area. Genetic relatedness estimates revealed that genetic similarity among individuals was slightly greater within nest aggregations than among randomly chosen individuals. However, genetic structure among nest aggregations was low (Nei’s GST = 0.011). Reconstruction of parental genotypes revealed greater genetic relatedness among females than among males within nest aggregations, suggesting male-mediated dispersal as a potentially important mechanism of population connectivity and inbreeding avoidance. Size of nesting patch was positively correlated with effective population size, but not with other estimators of genetic diversity. We detected a positive trend between geographic distance and genetic differentiation between nest aggregations. Our landscape genetic models suggest that increased urbanization is likely associated with higher levels of inbreeding. Overall, these findings emphasize the importance of density and distribution of suitable nesting patches for enhancing bee population abundance and connectivity in human dominated habitats and highlights the critical contribution of landscape genetic studies for enhanced conservation and management of native pollinators. DA - 2015/5/7/ PY - 2015/5/7/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0125719 VL - 10 IS - 5 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Molecular and Functional Analyses of a Maize Autoactive NB-LRR Protein Identify Precise Structural Requirements for Activity AU - Wang, Guan-Feng AU - Ji, Jiabing AU - EI-Kasmi, Farid AU - Dangl, Jeffery L. AU - Johal, Guri AU - Balint-Kurti, Peter J. T2 - PLOS Pathogens AB - Plant disease resistance is often mediated by nucleotide binding-leucine rich repeat (NLR) proteins which remain auto-inhibited until recognition of specific pathogen-derived molecules causes their activation, triggering a rapid, localized cell death called a hypersensitive response (HR). Three domains are recognized in one of the major classes of NLR proteins: a coiled-coil (CC), a nucleotide binding (NB-ARC) and a leucine rich repeat (LRR) domains. The maize NLR gene Rp1-D21 derives from an intergenic recombination event between two NLR genes, Rp1-D and Rp1-dp2 and confers an autoactive HR. We report systematic structural and functional analyses of Rp1 proteins in maize and N. benthamiana to characterize the molecular mechanism of NLR activation/auto-inhibition. We derive a model comprising the following three main features: Rp1 proteins appear to self-associate to become competent for activity. The CC domain is signaling-competent and is sufficient to induce HR. This can be suppressed by the NB-ARC domain through direct interaction. In autoactive proteins, the interaction of the LRR domain with the NB-ARC domain causes de-repression and thus disrupts the inhibition of HR. Further, we identify specific amino acids and combinations thereof that are important for the auto-inhibition/activity of Rp1 proteins. We also provide evidence for the function of MHD2, a previously uncharacterized, though widely conserved NLR motif. This work reports several novel insights into the precise structural requirement for NLR function and informs efforts towards utilizing these proteins for engineering disease resistance. DA - 2015/2/26/ PY - 2015/2/26/ DO - 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004674 VL - 11 IS - 2 SP - e1004674 J2 - PLoS Pathog LA - en OP - SN - 1553-7374 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1004674 DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - Bacterial etiolation of creeping bentgrass as influenced by biostimulants and trinexapac-ethyl AU - Roberts, Joseph A. AU - Kerns, James P. AU - Ritchie, David F. T2 - CROP PROTECTION AB - Bacterial etiolation, caused by Acidovorax avenae and Xanthomonas translucens, has become a widespread problem in turfgrass throughout the U.S. Various management tactics are used in managing this disease and differ among turfgrass managers. The use of biostimulants and trinexapac-ethyl (TE) has become a staple in putting green management and many products have been associated with etiolation outbreaks. Experiments performed in field and controlled environments evaluated the impact of commercial biostimulants and TE on etiolation of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L. c.v. ‘Penn A-1’) caused by both A. avenae and X. translucens. In the field, a factorial study was arranged as a split-plot randomized complete block design with 4 replications. The main plot consisted of biostimulants (Knife Plus, CytoGro, Astron, Nitrozyme, PerkUp, BioMax, and none) applied at label rates while the subplot treatments consisted of TE application frequency (0.049 kg ha−1 applied at 7 d, 14 d, and none). For controlled environment experiments, biostimulant and TE treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. Bacterial etiolation was measured regularly when present using a grid count to determine the percent area exhibiting etiolation in the field while etiolated turfgrass plants were counted individually in controlled environments. Turf quality was also rated using a scale of 1–9 with 1 = completely dead, 9 = best, and 5 = minimum acceptable turf quality for all experiments. Biostimulant treatments did not have a significant effect on etiolation caused by either bacterium. Trinexapac-ethyl decreased etiolation caused by X. translucens and increased etiolation caused by A. avenae. These results support the necessity of identifying bacteria associated with etiolation as variable effects were observed with TE treatments. These factors should be considered when developing plant growth regulator programs if etiolation is problematic. Future research to evaluate phytohormone production in these bacteria may improve our understanding of etiolation development while improving methods for control. DA - 2015/6// PY - 2015/6// DO - 10.1016/j.cropro.2015.03.009 VL - 72 SP - 119-126 SN - 1873-6904 KW - Turfgrass KW - Disease KW - Bacteria KW - Etiolation KW - Biostimulant KW - Trinexapac-ethyl ER - TY - JOUR TI - Transcriptome changes in Fusarium verticillioides caused by mutation in the transporter-like gene FST1 AU - Niu, C. X. AU - Payne, G. A. AU - Woloshuk, C. P. T2 - BMC Microbiology AB - Fusarium verticillioides causes an important seed disease on maize and produces the fumonisin group of mycotoxins, which are toxic to humans and livestock. A previous study discovered that a gene (FST1) in the pathogen affects fumonisin production and virulence. Although the predicted amino acid sequence of FST1 is similar to hexose transporters, previous experimental evidence failed to prove function. Three new phenotypes were identified that are associated with the FST1 mutant of F. verticillioides (Δfst1), namely reduction in macroconidia production, increased sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide, and reduced mycelial hydrophobicity. A transcriptome comparison of the wild type and strain Δfst1 grown on autoclaved maize kernels for six days identified 2677 genes that were differentially expressed. Through gene ontology analysis, 961 genes were assigned to one of 12 molecular function categories. Sets of down-regulated genes in strain Δfst1 were identified that could account for each of the mutant phenotypes. The study provides evidence that disruption of FST1 causes several metabolic and developmental defects in F. verticillioides. FST1 appears to connect the expression of several gene networks, including those involved in secondary metabolism, cell wall structure, conidiogenesis, virulence, and resistance to reactive oxygen species. The results support our hypothesis that FST1 functions within the framework of environmental sensing. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1186/s12866-015-0427-3 VL - 15 ER - TY - JOUR TI - The rise of partisanship and super-cooperators in the US house of representatives AU - Andris, C. AU - Lee, D. AU - Hamilton, M. J. AU - Martino, M. AU - Gunning, C. E. AU - Selden, J. A. T2 - PLoS One DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 10 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Spatial and Temporal Potato Intensification Drives Insecticide Resistance in the Specialist Herbivore, Leptinotarsa decemlineata AU - Huseth, Anders S. AU - Petersen, Jessica D. AU - Poveda, Katja AU - Szendrei, Zsofia AU - Nault, Brian A. AU - Kennedy, George G. AU - Groves, Russell L. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - Landscape-scale intensification of individual crops and pesticide use that is associated with this intensification is an emerging, environmental problem that is expected to have unequal effects on pests with different lifecycles, host ranges, and dispersal abilities. We investigate if intensification of a single crop in an agroecosystem has a direct effect on insecticide resistance in a specialist insect herbivore. Using a major potato pest, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, we measured imidacloprid (neonicotinoid) resistance in populations across a spatiotemporal crop production gradient where potato production has increased in Michigan and Wisconsin, USA. We found that concurrent estimates of area and temporal frequency of potato production better described patterns of imidacloprid resistance among L. decemlineata populations than general measures of agricultural production (% cropland, landscape diversity). This study defines the effects individual crop rotation patterns can have on specialist herbivore insecticide resistance in an agroecosystem context, and how impacts of intensive production can be estimated with general estimates of insecticide use. Our results provide empirical evidence that variation in the intensity of neonicotinoid-treated potato in an agricultural landscape can have unequal impacts on L. decemlineata insecticide insensitivity, a process that can lead to resistance and locally intensive insecticide use. Our study provides a novel approach applicable in other agricultural systems to estimate impacts of crop rotation, increased pesticide dependence, insecticide resistance, and external costs of pest management practices on ecosystem health. DA - 2015/6/1/ PY - 2015/6/1/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0127576 VL - 10 IS - 6 SP - e0127576 J2 - PLoS ONE LA - en OP - SN - 1932-6203 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0127576 DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - Sequence and spatiotemporal expression analysis of CLE-motif containing genes from the reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis Linford & Oliveira) AU - Wubben, M. J. AU - Gavilano, L. AU - Baum, T. J. AU - Davis, E. L. T2 - Journal of Nematology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 47 IS - 2 SP - 159-165 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Phylogenomics of Xanthomonas field strains infecting pepper and tomato reveals diversity in effector repertoires and identifies determinants of host specificity AU - Schwartz, Allison R. AU - Potnist, Neha AU - Milsina, Sujan AU - Wilson, Mark AU - Patane, Jose AU - Martins, Joaquim, Jr. AU - Minsavage, Gerald V. AU - Dahlbeck, Douglas AU - Akhunova, Alina AU - Almeida, Nalvo AU - Vallad, Gary E. AU - Barak, Jeri D. AU - White, Frank F. AU - Miller, Sally A. AU - Ritchie, David AU - Goss, Erica AU - Bart, Rebecca S. AU - Setubal, Joao C. AU - Jones, Jeffrey B. AU - Staskawicz, Brian J. T2 - FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY AB - Bacterial spot disease of pepper and tomato is caused by four distinct Xanthomonas species and is a severely limiting factor on fruit yield in these crops. The genetic diversity and the type III effector repertoires of a large sampling of field strains for this disease have yet to be explored on a genomic scale, limiting our understanding of pathogen evolution in an agricultural setting. Genomes of 67 Xanthomonas euvesicatoria (Xe), Xanthomonas perforans (Xp), and Xanthomonas gardneri (Xg) strains isolated from diseased pepper and tomato fields in the southeastern and midwestern United States were sequenced in order to determine the genetic diversity in field strains. Type III effector repertoires were computationally predicted for each strain, and multiple methods of constructing phylogenies were employed to understand better the genetic relationship of strains in the collection. A division in the Xp population was detected based on core genome phylogeny, supporting a model whereby the host-range expansion of Xp field strains on pepper is due, in part, to a loss of the effector AvrBsT. Xp-host compatibility was further studied with the observation that a double deletion of AvrBsT and XopQ allows a host range expansion for Nicotiana benthamiana. Extensive sampling of field strains and an improved understanding of effector content will aid in efforts to design disease resistance strategies targeted against highly conserved core effectors. DA - 2015/6/3/ PY - 2015/6/3/ DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00535 VL - 6 SP - SN - 1664-302X KW - Xanthomonas KW - type III effector repertoire KW - phylogenomics KW - host specificity KW - bacterial spot disease KW - AvrBsT KW - XopQ ER - TY - JOUR TI - Multistate Comparison of Attractants for Monitoring Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Blueberries and Caneberries AU - Burrack, Hannah J. AU - Asplen, Mark AU - Bahder, Luz AU - Collins, Judith AU - Drummond, Francis A. AU - Guedot, Christelle AU - Isaacs, Rufus AU - Johnson, Donn AU - Blanton, Anna AU - Lee, Jana C. AU - Loeb, Gregory AU - Rodriguez-Saona, Cesar AU - Timmeren, Steven AU - Walsh, Douglas AU - McPhie, Douglas R. T2 - ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY AB - Drosophila suzukii Matsumara, also referred to as the spotted wing drosophila, has recently expanded its global range with significant consequences for its primary host crops: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, and strawberries. D. suzukii populations can increase quickly, and their infestation is difficult to predict and prevent. The development of effective tools to detect D. suzukii presence in new areas, to time the beginning of activity within a crop, to track seasonal activity patterns, and to gauge the effectiveness of management efforts has been a key research goal. We compared the efficiency, selectivity, and relationship to fruit infestation of a range of commonly used homemade baits and a synthetic formulated lure across a wide range of environments in 10 locations throughout the United States. Several homemade baits were more efficient than apple cider vinegar, a commonly used standard, and a commercially formulated lure was, in some configurations and environments, comparable with the most effective homemade attractant as well as potentially more selective. All alternative attractants also captured flies between 1 and 2 wk earlier than apple cider vinegar, and detected the presence of D. suzukii prior to the development of fruit infestation. Over half the Drosophila spp. flies captured in traps baited with any of the attractants were not D. suzukii, which may complicate their adoption by nonexpert users. The alternative D. suzukii attractants tested are improvement on apple cider vinegar and may be useful in the development of future synthetic lures. DA - 2015/6// PY - 2015/6// DO - 10.1093/ee/nvv022 VL - 44 IS - 3 SP - 704-712 SN - 1938-2936 KW - insect monitoring KW - fermentation bait KW - integrated pest management KW - invasive species ER - TY - JOUR TI - Movement of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae) adults between huanglongbing-infected and healthy citrus AU - Wu, F. N. AU - Cen, Y. J. AU - Deng, X. L. AU - Chen, J. C. AU - Xia, Y. L. AU - Liang, G. W. T2 - Florida Entomologist DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 98 IS - 2 SP - 410-416 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Mole cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) mating calls: Characteristics in recently expanded geographic areas AU - Reynolds, D. S. AU - Verburgt, L. AU - Schoeman, A. S. AU - Brandenburg, R. L. T2 - Journal of Entomological Science AB - Mole crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) damage warm-season turfgrasses throughout the southeastern United States. The two most destructive species are the southern mole cricket, Scapteriscus borellii Giglio-Tos, and the tawny mole cricket, S. vicinus Scudder. Both species use mating calls to attract and locate potential mates. Male mating calls have often been used to distinguish among different species of crickets. Calling characteristics can vary within a species due to numerous factors, including climate. There has been no research conducted on the call characteristics of mole crickets as they have expanded their range of inhabitance to North Carolina. Male calls of southern and tawny mole crickets were recorded at night in 2009 and 2010. Analysis of the calls indicated that there was little change in the calling characteristics from previous research. This allows us to continue to expand our management plans for this pest and coordinate our efforts with other regions where mole crickets are located. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.18474/jes14-23.1 VL - 50 IS - 2 SP - 106-109 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Impact of cultivation and subsequent burial on Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Conotrachelus nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) AU - Baughman, W. B. AU - Nelson, P. N. AU - Grieshop, M. J. T2 - Journal of Economic Entomology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 108 IS - 3 SP - 1215-1220 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Generation of a Transcriptome in a Model Lepidopteran Pest, Heliothis virescens, Using Multiple Sequencing Strategies for Profiling Midgut Gene Expression AU - Perera, Omaththage P. AU - Shelby, Kent S. AU - Popham, Holly J. R. AU - Gould, Fred AU - Adang, Michael J. AU - Jurat-Fuentes, Juan Luis T2 - PLOS ONE AB - Heliothine pests such as the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), pose a significant threat to production of a variety of crops and ornamental plants and are models for developmental and physiological studies. The efforts to develop new control measures for H. virescens, as well as its use as a relevant biological model, are hampered by a lack of molecular resources. The present work demonstrates the utility of next-generation sequencing technologies for rapid molecular resource generation from this species for which lacks a sequenced genome. In order to amass a de novo transcriptome for this moth, transcript sequences generated from Illumina, Roche 454, and Sanger sequencing platforms were merged into a single de novo transcriptome assembly. This pooling strategy allowed a thorough sampling of transcripts produced under diverse environmental conditions, developmental stages, tissues, and infections with entomopathogens used for biological control, to provide the most complete transcriptome to date for this species. Over 138 million reads from the three platforms were assembled into the final set of 63,648 contigs. Of these, 29,978 had significant BLAST scores indicating orthologous relationships to transcripts of other insect species, with the top-hit species being the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and silkworm (Bombyx mori). Among identified H. virescens orthologs were immune effectors, signal transduction pathways, olfactory receptors, hormone biosynthetic pathways, peptide hormones and their receptors, digestive enzymes, and insecticide resistance enzymes. As an example, we demonstrate the utility of this transcriptomic resource to study gene expression profiling of larval midguts and detect transcripts of putative Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxin receptors. The substantial molecular resources described in this study will facilitate development of H. virescens as a relevant biological model for functional genomics and for new biological experimentation needed to develop efficient control efforts for this and related Noctuid pest moths. DA - 2015/6/5/ PY - 2015/6/5/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0128563 VL - 10 IS - 6 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Extensive Mitochondrial Heteroplasmy in Natural Populations of a Resurging Human Pest, the Bed Bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) AU - Robison, G. A. AU - Balvin, O. AU - Schal, C. AU - Vargo, E. L. AU - Booth, W. T2 - Journal of Medical Entomology AB - Homoplasmy, the occurrence of a single mitochondrial DNA haplotype within an individual, has been the accepted condition across most organisms in the animal kingdom. In recent years, a number of exceptions to this rule have been reported, largely due to the ease with which single nucleotide polymorphisms can be detected. Evidence of heteroplasmy-two or more mitochondrial variants within a single individual-has now been documented in a number of invertebrates; however, when present, heteroplasmy usually occurs at low frequencies both within individuals and within populations. The implications of heteroplasmy may be far reaching, both to the individual in relation to its health and fitness, and when considering the evolutionary dynamics of populations. We present novel evidence for frequent mtDNA heteroplasmy in the bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae). Our findings show that heteroplasmy is common, with 5 of 29 (17%) populations screened exhibiting two mitochondrial variants in a ∼1:2 ratio within each individual. We hypothesize that the mechanism underlying heteroplasmy in bed bugs is paternal leakage because some haplotypes were shared among unrelated populations and no evidence for nuclear mitochondrial DNA sequences was detected. DA - 2015/5/25/ PY - 2015/5/25/ DO - 10.1093/jme/tjv055 VL - 52 IS - 4 SP - 734-738 J2 - J Med Entomol LA - en OP - SN - 0022-2585 1938-2928 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjv055 DB - Crossref KW - cytochrome oxidase I KW - paternal leakage KW - Cimex lectularius KW - Hemiptera KW - Cimicidae ER - TY - JOUR TI - Evidence for Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) oviposition on boats in the Peruvian Amazon AU - Guagliardo, S. A. AU - Morrison, A. C. AU - Barboza, J. L. AU - Wesson, D. M. AU - Ponnusamy, L. AU - Astete, H. AU - Vazquez-Prokopec, G. AU - Kitron, U. T2 - Journal of Medical Entomology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 52 IS - 4 SP - 726-729 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Deposition from ultra-low volume application of public health insecticides in a hot desert environment AU - Fisher, M. L. AU - Hoel, D. F. AU - Farooq, M. AU - Walker, T. W. T2 - Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 31 IS - 2 SP - 155-163 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Attraction of the invasive Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to traps baited with semiochemical stimuli across the United States AU - Leskey, T. C. AU - Agnello, A. AU - Bergh, J. C. AU - Dively, G. P. AU - Hamilton, G. C. AU - Jentsch, P. AU - Khrimian, A. AU - Krawczyk, G. AU - Kuhar, T. P. AU - Lee, D. H. AU - Morrison, W. R. AU - Polk, D. F. AU - Rodriguez-Saona, C. AU - Shearer, P. W. AU - Short, B. D. AU - Shrewsbury, P. M. T2 - Environmental Entomology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 44 IS - 3 SP - 746-756 ER - TY - JOUR TI - The next generation of rodent eradications: Innovative technologies and tools to improve species specificity and increase their feasibility on islands AU - Campbell, Karl J. AU - Beek, Joe AU - Eason, Charles T. AU - Glen, Alistair S. AU - Godwin, John AU - Gould, Fred AU - Holmes, Nick D. AU - Howald, Gregg R. AU - Madden, Francine M. AU - Ponder, Julia B. AU - Threadgill, David W. AU - Wegmann, Alexander S. AU - Baxter, Greg S. T2 - BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION AB - Rodents remain one of the most widespread and damaging invasive alien species on islands globally. The current toolbox for insular rodent eradications is reliant on the application of sufficient anticoagulant toxicant into every potential rodent territory across an island. Despite significant advances in the use of these toxicants over recent decades, numerous situations remain where eradication is challenging or not yet feasible. These include islands with significant human populations, unreceptive stakeholder communities, co-occurrence of livestock and domestic animals, or vulnerability of native species. Developments in diverse branches of science, particularly the medical, pharmaceutical, invertebrate pest control, social science, technology and defense fields offer potential insights into the next generation of tools to eradicate rodents from islands. Horizon scanning is a structured process whereby current problems are assessed against potential future solutions. We undertook such an exercise to identify the most promising technologies, techniques and approaches that might be applied to rodent eradications from islands. We highlight a Rattus-specific toxicant, RNA interference as species-specific toxicants, rodenticide research, crab deterrent in baits, prophylactic treatment for protection of non-target species, transgenic rodents, virus vectored immunocontraception, drones, self-resetting traps and toxicant applicators, detection probability models and improved stakeholder community engagement methods. We present a brief description of each method, and discuss its application to rodent eradication on islands, knowledge gaps, challenges, whether it is incremental or transformative in nature and provide a potential timeline for availability. We outline how a combination of new tools may render previously intractable rodent eradication problems feasible. DA - 2015/5// PY - 2015/5// DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2014.10.016 VL - 185 SP - 47-58 SN - 1873-2917 KW - Rattus KW - Mus musculus KW - Control methods KW - Pest eradication KW - Island restoration ER - TY - JOUR TI - The Top 10 oomycete pathogens in molecular plant pathology AU - Kamoun, S. AU - Furzer, O. AU - Jones, J. D. G. AU - Judelson, H. S. AU - Ali, G. S. AU - Dalio, R. J. D. AU - Roy, S. G. AU - Schena, L. AU - Zambounis, A. AU - Panabieres, F. AU - Cahill, D. AU - Ruocco, M. AU - Figueiredo, A. AU - Chen, X. R. AU - Hulvey, J. AU - Stam, R. AU - Lamour, K. AU - Gijzen, M. T2 - Molecular Plant Pathology DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 16 IS - 4 SP - 413-434 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Should Invertebrates Receive Greater Inclusion in Wildlife Research Journals? AU - Grodsky, Steven M. AU - Iglay, Raymond B. AU - Sorenson, Clyde E. AU - Moorman, Christopher E. T2 - JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AB - ABSTRACT Invertebrates are among the most diverse organisms on Earth, significantly contribute to ecosystem function and integrity, and possess high potential as bioindicators. By definition, invertebrates also are wildlife. Yet, inclusion of invertebrates in peer‐reviewed wildlife journals has not been investigated. As such, our objective was to assess inclusion of invertebrates in prominent wildlife journals published in the last decade. Based on our review and first‐hand experience, we also aimed to provide recommendations for integration of invertebrates into wildlife science, education, and peer‐reviewed literature. We performed a systematic literature review by manually searching all issues and articles from 2003–2013 of the following journals: European Journal of Wildlife Research , Journal of Wildlife Management , South African Journal of Wildlife Research , Wildlife Biology , Wildlife Research , and Wildlife Society Bulletin . We analyzed data derived from our review to elucidate trends in the inclusion of invertebrates in these journals. We identified 4,916 articles that involved animal taxa, of which 122 (2.5%) included invertebrates and <1% included invertebrates as focal taxa. Our results indicated invertebrates are included in a minute portion of articles in top wildlife journals. We recommend a paradigm shift to a less taxonomically homogenized and vertebrate‐centric approach to wildlife science and education, integrating invertebrates into wildlife studies, and publishing results of those studies in wildlife journals to facilitate effective management of all wildlife species. © 2015 The Wildlife Society. DA - 2015/5// PY - 2015/5// DO - 10.1002/jwmg.875 VL - 79 IS - 4 SP - 529-536 SN - 1937-2817 KW - insects KW - invertebrates KW - literature inclusion KW - systematic review KW - wildlife science ER - TY - JOUR TI - Say goodbye to tribes in the new house fly classification: A new molecular phylogenetic analysis and an updated biogeographical narrative for the Muscidae (Diptera) AU - Haseyama, Kirstern L. F. AU - Wiegmann, Brian M. AU - Almeida, Eduardo A. B. AU - Carvalho, Claudio J. B. T2 - MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION AB - House flies are one of the best known groups of flies and comprise about 5000 species worldwide. Despite over a century of intensive taxonomic research on these flies, classification of the Muscidae is still poorly resolved. Here we brought together the most diverse molecular dataset ever examined for the Muscidae, with 142 species in 67 genera representing all tribes and all biogeographic regions. Four protein coding genes were analyzed: mitochondrial CO1 and nuclear AATS, CAD (region 4) and EF1-α. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches were used to analyze five different partitioning schemes for the alignment. We also used Bayes factors to test monophyly of the traditionally accepted tribes and subfamilies. Most subfamilial taxa were not recovered in our analyses, and accordingly monophyly was rejected by Bayes factor tests. Our analysis consistently found three main clades of Muscidae and so we propose a new classification with only three subfamilies without tribes. Additionally, we provide the first timeframe for the diversification of all major lineages of house flies and examine contemporary biogeographic hypotheses in light of this timeframe. We conclude that the muscid radiation began in the Paleocene to Eocene and is congruent with the final stages of the breakup of Gondwana, which resulted in the complete separation of Antarctica, Australia, and South America. With this newly proposed classification and better understanding of the timing of evolutionary events, we provide new perspectives for integrating morphological and ecological evolutionary understanding of house flies, their taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography. DA - 2015/8// PY - 2015/8// DO - 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.04.006 VL - 89 SP - 1-12 SN - 1095-9513 KW - Bayes factor KW - Biogeography KW - Calyptratae KW - Divergence time estimation KW - Gondwana KW - Taxonomy ER - TY - JOUR TI - Reproductive interference explains persistence of aggression between species AU - Drury, J. P. AU - Okamoto, K. W. AU - Anderson, C. N. AU - Grether, G. F. T2 - Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 282 IS - 1804 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Quantitative Differences in Nourishment Affect Caste-Related Physiology and Development in the Paper Wasp Polistes metricus AU - Judd, Timothy M. AU - Teal, Peter E. A. AU - Hernandez, Edgar Javier AU - Choudhury, Talbia AU - Hunt, James H. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - The distinction between worker and reproductive castes of social insects is receiving increased attention from a developmental rather than adaptive perspective. In the wasp genus Polistes, colonies are founded by one or more females, and the female offspring that emerge in that colony are either non-reproducing workers or future reproductives of the following generation (gynes). A growing number of studies now indicate that workers emerge with activated reproductive physiology, whereas the future reproductive gynes do not. Low nourishment levels for larvae during the worker-rearing phase of the colony cycle and higher nourishment levels for larvae when gynes are reared are now strongly suspected of playing a major role in this difference. Here, we present the results of a laboratory rearing experiment in which Polistes metricus single foundresses were held in environmental conditions with a higher level of control than in any previously published study, and the amount of protein nourishment made available to feed larvae was the only input variable. Three experimental feeding treatments were tested: restricted, unrestricted, and hand-supplemented. Analysis of multiple response variables shows that wasps reared on restricted protein nourishment, which would be the case for wasps reared in field conditions that subsequently become workers, tend toward trait values that characterize active reproductive physiology. Wasps reared on unrestricted and hand-supplemented protein, which replicates higher feeding levels for larvae in field conditions that subsequently become gynes, tend toward trait values that characterize inactive reproductive physiology. Although the experiment was not designed to test for worker behavior per se, our results further implicate activated reproductive physiology as a developmental response to low larval nourishment as a fundamental aspect of worker behavior in Polistes. DA - 2015/2/23/ PY - 2015/2/23/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0116199 VL - 10 IS - 2 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Population Structure of the Blueberry Pathogen Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi in the United States AU - Burchhardt, Kathleen M. AU - Cubeta, Marc A. T2 - PHYTOPATHOLOGY AB - The fungus Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi causes disease of blueberry (Vaccinium section Cyanococcus) shoots, flowers, and fruit. The objective of our research was to examine the population biology and genetics of M. vaccinii-corymbosi in the United States. A total of 480 samples of M. vaccinii-corymbosi were collected from 18 blueberry fields in 10 states; one field in Georgia, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington and nine fields in North Carolina. Analysis with 10 microsatellite markers revealed 247 unique multilocus haplotypes (MLHs), with 244 MLHs detected within 11 fields in the Northeast, Northwest, Midwest, and Southeast and three MLHs detected within seven fields in the Southeast United States. Genetic similarity and low genetic diversity of M. vaccinii-corymbosi isolates from the seven fields in the Southeast United States suggested the presence of an expansive, self-fertile population. Tests for linkage disequilibrium within 10 fields that contained ≥12 MLHs supported random mating in six fields and possible inbreeding and/or self-fertilization in four fields. Analysis of molecular variance, discriminate analysis of principal components, and Bayesian cluster analysis provided evidence for population structure and restricted gene flow among fields. This research represents the first comprehensive investigation of the genetic diversity and structure of field populations of M. vaccinii-corymbosi. DA - 2015/4// PY - 2015/4// DO - 10.1094/phyto-03-14-0074-r VL - 105 IS - 4 SP - 533-541 SN - 1943-7684 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Phylogenetic structure and host abundance drive disease pressure in communities AU - Parker, Ingrid M. AU - Saunders, Megan AU - Bontrager, Megan AU - Weitz, Andrew P. AU - Hendricks, Rebecca AU - Magarey, Roger AU - Suiter, Karl AU - Gilbert, Gregory S. T2 - NATURE AB - Pathogens play an important part in shaping the structure and dynamics of natural communities, because species are not affected by them equally. A shared goal of ecology and epidemiology is to predict when a species is most vulnerable to disease. A leading hypothesis asserts that the impact of disease should increase with host abundance, producing a 'rare-species advantage'. However, the impact of a pathogen may be decoupled from host abundance, because most pathogens infect more than one species, leading to pathogen spillover onto closely related species. Here we show that the phylogenetic and ecological structure of the surrounding community can be important predictors of disease pressure. We found that the amount of tissue lost to disease increased with the relative abundance of a species across a grassland plant community, and that this rare-species advantage had an additional phylogenetic component: disease pressure was stronger on species with many close relatives. We used a global model of pathogen sharing as a function of relatedness between hosts, which provided a robust predictor of relative disease pressure at the local scale. In our grassland, the total amount of disease was most accurately explained not by the abundance of the focal host alone, but by the abundance of all species in the community weighted by their phylogenetic distance to the host. Furthermore, the model strongly predicted observed disease pressure for 44 novel host species we introduced experimentally to our study site, providing evidence for a mechanism to explain why phylogenetically rare species are more likely to become invasive when introduced. Our results demonstrate how the phylogenetic and ecological structure of communities can have a key role in disease dynamics, with implications for the maintenance of biodiversity, biotic resistance against introduced weeds, and the success of managed plants in agriculture and forestry. DA - 2015/4/23/ PY - 2015/4/23/ DO - 10.1038/nature14372 VL - 520 IS - 7548 SP - 542-+ SN - 1476-4687 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Phosphoproteome Analysis Links Protein Phosphorylation to Cellular Remodeling and Metabolic Adaptation during Magnaporthe oryzae Appressorium Development AU - Franck, William L. AU - Gokce, Emine AU - Randall, Shan M. AU - Oh, Yeonyee AU - Eyre, Alex AU - Muddiman, David C. AU - Dean, Ralph A. T2 - JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH AB - The rice pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae, undergoes a complex developmental process leading to formation of an appressorium prior to plant infection. In an effort to better understand phosphoregulation during appressorium development, a mass spectrometry based phosphoproteomics study was undertaken. A total of 2924 class I phosphosites were identified from 1514 phosphoproteins from mycelia, conidia, germlings, and appressoria of the wild type and a protein kinase A (PKA) mutant. Phosphoregulation during appressorium development was observed for 448 phosphosites on 320 phosphoproteins. In addition, a set of candidate PKA targets was identified encompassing 253 phosphosites on 227 phosphoproteins. Network analysis incorporating regulation from transcriptomic, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic data revealed new insights into the regulation of the metabolism of conidial storage reserves and phospholipids, autophagy, actin dynamics, and cell wall metabolism during appressorium formation. In particular, protein phosphorylation appears to play a central role in the regulation of autophagic recycling and actin dynamics during appressorium formation. Changes in phosphorylation were observed in multiple components of the cell wall integrity pathway providing evidence that this pathway is highly active during appressorium development. Several transcription factors were phosphoregulated during appressorium formation including the bHLH domain transcription factor MGG_05709. Functional analysis of MGG_05709 provided further evidence for the role of protein phosphorylation in regulation of glycerol metabolism and the metabolic reprogramming characteristic of appressorium formation. The data presented here represent a comprehensive investigation of the M. oryzae phosphoproteome and provide key insights on the role of protein phosphorylation during infection-related development. DA - 2015/6// PY - 2015/6// DO - 10.1021/pr501064q VL - 14 IS - 6 SP - 2408-2424 SN - 1535-3907 KW - Magnaporthe oryzae KW - quantitative phosphoproteomics KW - appressorium formation KW - network analysis KW - transcription factors ER - TY - JOUR TI - The Role of Host Phylogeny Varies in Shaping Microbial Diversity in the Hindguts of Lower Termites AU - Tai, Vera AU - James, Erick R. AU - Nalepa, Christine A. AU - Scheffrahn, Rudolf H. AU - Perlman, Steve J. AU - Keeling, Patrick J. T2 - APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY AB - The hindguts of lower termites and Cryptocercus cockroaches are home to a distinct community of archaea, bacteria, and protists (primarily parabasalids and some oxymonads). Within a host species, the composition of these hindgut communities appears relatively stable, but the evolutionary and ecological factors structuring community composition and stability are poorly understood, as are differential impacts of these factors on protists, bacteria, and archaea. We analyzed the microbial composition of parabasalids and bacteria in the hindguts of Cryptocercus punctulatus and 23 species spanning 4 families of lower termites by pyrosequencing variable regions of the small-subunit rRNA gene. Especially for the parabasalids, these data revealed undiscovered taxa and provided a phylogenetic basis for a more accurate understanding of diversity, diversification, and community composition. The composition of the parabasalid communities was found to be strongly structured by the phylogeny of their hosts, indicating the importance of historical effects, although exceptions were also identified. Particularly, spirotrichonymphids and trichonymphids likely were transferred between host lineages. In contrast, host phylogeny was not sufficient to explain the majority of bacterial community composition, but the compositions of the Bacteroidetes, Elusimicrobia, Tenericutes, Spirochaetes, and Synergistes were structured by host phylogeny perhaps due to their symbiotic associations with protists. All together, historical effects probably resulting from vertical inheritance have had a prominent role in structuring the hindgut communities, especially of the parabasalids, but dispersal and environmental acquisition have played a larger role in community composition than previously expected. DA - 2015/2// PY - 2015/2// DO - 10.1128/aem.02945-14 VL - 81 IS - 3 SP - 1059-1070 SN - 1098-5336 ER - TY - JOUR TI - New insight into a complex plant–fungal pathogen interaction AU - Balint-Kurti, Peter J AU - Holland, James B T2 - Nature Genetics DA - 2015/1/28/ PY - 2015/1/28/ DO - 10.1038/ng.3203 VL - 47 IS - 2 SP - 101-103 J2 - Nat Genet LA - en OP - SN - 1061-4036 1546-1718 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.3203 DB - Crossref ER - TY - JOUR TI - Monitoring cotton bollworm resistance to Cry1Ac in two counties of northern China during 2009-2013 AU - An, Jingjie AU - Gao, Yulin AU - Lei, Chaoliang AU - Gould, Fred AU - Wu, Kongming T2 - PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AB - Transgenic cotton that expresses a gene derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been deployed for combating cotton bollworm in China since 1997. As a follow-up on research started in 2002, the quantitative shifts in larval Cry1Ac resistance of field Helicoverpa armigera populations were monitored from 2009-2013 using bioassays of isofemale lines.A total of 2837 lines from Xiajin and 2055 lines from Anci were screened for growth rate on normal artificial diet and on a diet containing 1.0 µg mL(-1) of Cry1A(c) toxin. In 2009-2013, the mean relative average development rates (RADRs) of H. armigera larvae in the Xiajin population were 0.62, 0.59, 0.59, 0.58 and 0.62 respectively, and in the Anci population 0.54, 0.58, 0.60, 0.53 and 0.62 respectively.Compared with previous results in 2002, there was an increase in the RADR of H. armigera during 2009-2013, with ratios of 1.53-1.63 and 1.77-2.07 in the respective Xiajin and Anci populations, suggesting that resistance to Cry1Ac has increased in H. armigera populations in northern China. DA - 2015/3// PY - 2015/3// DO - 10.1002/ps.3807 VL - 71 IS - 3 SP - 377-382 SN - 1526-4998 KW - Cry1Ac KW - Helicoverpa armigera KW - Bt cotton KW - RADR ER - TY - JOUR TI - Mapping of powdery mildew resistance gene Pm53 introgressed from Aegilops speltoides into soft red winter wheat AU - Petersen, Stine AU - Lyerly, Jeanette H. AU - Worthington, Margaret L. AU - Parks, Wesley R. AU - Cowger, Christina AU - Marshall, David S. AU - Brown-Guedira, Gina AU - Murphy, J. Paul T2 - THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS DA - 2015/2// PY - 2015/2// DO - 10.1007/s00122-014-2430-8 VL - 128 IS - 2 SP - 303-312 SN - 1432-2242 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Geographic variation in polyandry of the eastern honey bee, Apis cerana, in Thailand AU - DeFelice, D. S. AU - Ross, C. AU - Simone-Finstrom, M. AU - Warrit, N. AU - Smith, D. R. AU - Burgett, M. AU - Sukumalanand, P. AU - Rueppell, O. T2 - Insectes Sociaux DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 62 IS - 1 SP - 37-42 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genome-wide profiling of DNA methylation provides insights into epigenetic regulation of fungal development in a plant pathogenic fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae AU - Jeon, Junhyun AU - Choi, Jaeyoung AU - Lee, Gir-Won AU - Park, Sook-Young AU - Huh, Aram AU - Dean, Ralph A. AU - Lee, Yong-Hwan T2 - SCIENTIFIC REPORTS AB - Abstract DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification that regulates development of plants and mammals. To investigate the roles of DNA methylation in fungal development, we profiled genome-wide methylation patterns at single-nucleotide resolution during vegetative growth, asexual reproduction and infection-related morphogenesis in a model plant pathogenic fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae . We found that DNA methylation occurs in and around genes as well as transposable elements and undergoes global reprogramming during fungal development. Such reprogramming of DNA methylation suggests that it may have acquired new roles other than controlling the proliferation of TEs. Genetic analysis of DNA methyltransferase deletion mutants also indicated that proper reprogramming in methylomes is required for asexual reproduction in the fungus. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis showed that DNA methylation is associated with transcriptional silencing of transposable elements and transcript abundance of genes in context-dependent manner, reinforcing the role of DNA methylation as a genome defense mechanism. This comprehensive approach suggests that DNA methylation in fungi can be a dynamic epigenetic entity contributing to fungal development and genome defense. Furthermore, our DNA methylomes provide a foundation for future studies exploring this key epigenetic modification in fungal development and pathogenesis. DA - 2015/2/24/ PY - 2015/2/24/ DO - 10.1038/srep08567 VL - 5 SP - SN - 2045-2322 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Functional characterization of calliphorid cell death genes and cellularization gene promoters for controlling gene expression and cell viability in early embryos AU - Edman, R. M. AU - Linger, R. J. AU - Belikoff, E. J. AU - Li, F. AU - Sze, S. -H. AU - Tarone, A. M. AU - Scott, M. J. T2 - INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AB - Abstract The New World screwworm fly, C ochliomyia hominivorax , and the A ustralian sheep blow fly, L ucilia cuprina , are major pests of livestock. The sterile insect technique was used to eradicate C . hominivorax from North and Central A merica. This involved area‐wide releases of male and female flies that had been sterilized by radiation. Genetic systems have been developed for making ‘male‐only’ strains that would improve the efficiency of genetic control of insect pests. One system involves induction of female lethality in embryos through activation of a pro‐apoptotic gene by the tetracycline‐dependent transactivator. Sex‐specific expression is achieved using an intron from the transformer gene, which we previously isolated from several calliphorids. In the present study, we report the isolation of the promoters from the C . hominivorax slam and L ucilia sericata bnk cellularization genes and show that these promoters can drive expression of a GFP reporter gene in early embryos of transgenic L . cuprina . Additionally, we report the isolation of the L . sericata pro‐apoptotic hid and rpr genes, identify conserved motifs in the encoded proteins and determine the relative expression of these genes at different stages of development. We show that widespread expression of the L . sericata pro‐apoptotic genes was lethal in D rosophila melanogaster . The isolated gene promoters and pro‐apoptotic genes could potentially be used to build transgenic embryonic sexing strains of calliphorid livestock pests. DA - 2015/2// PY - 2015/2// DO - 10.1111/imb.12135 VL - 24 IS - 1 SP - 58-70 SN - 1365-2583 KW - genetic sexing KW - transgenic KW - cellularization gene KW - sterile insect technique ER - TY - JOUR TI - The ABCs of Eye Color in Tribolium castaneum: Orthologs of the Drosophila white, scarlet, and brown Genes AU - Grubbs, Nathaniel AU - Haas, Sue AU - Beeman, Richard W. AU - Lorenzen, Marce D. T2 - GENETICS AB - Abstract In Drosophila melanogaster, each of the three paralogous ABC transporters, White, Scarlet and Brown, is required for normal pigmentation of the compound eye. We have cloned the three orthologous genes from the beetle Tribolium castaneum. Conceptual translations of Tribolium white (Tcw), scarlet (Tcst), and brown (Tcbw) are 51, 48, and 32% identical to their respective Drosophila counterparts. We have identified loss-of-eye-pigment strains that bear mutations in Tcw and Tcst: the Tcw gene in the ivory (i) strain carries a single-base transversion, which leads to an E → D amino-acid substitution in the highly conserved Walker B motif, while the Tcst gene in the pearl (p) strain has a deletion resulting in incorporation of a premature stop codon. In light of these findings, the mutant strains i and p are herein renamed whiteivory (wi) and scarletpearl (stp), respectively. In addition, RNA inhibition of Tcw and Tcst recapitulates the mutant phenotypes, confirming the roles of these genes in normal eye pigmentation, while RNA interference of Tcbw provides further evidence that it has no role in eye pigmentation in Tribolium. We also consider the evolutionary implications of our findings. DA - 2015/3// PY - 2015/3// DO - 10.1534/genetics.114.173971 VL - 199 IS - 3 SP - 749-+ SN - 1943-2631 KW - ABC transporters KW - eye pigmentation KW - evolution of development ER - TY - JOUR TI - Overwintering refuge sites for Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) AU - Lahiri, S. AU - Orr, D. AU - Sorenson, C. AU - Cardoza, Y. T2 - Journal of Entomological Science AB - Megacopta cribraria F. (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) was first reported in the United States near Atlanta, Georgia, in fall 2009 (Suiter et al. 2010, J. Integr. Pest Manag. 1: 1–4) and has since spread throughout the southeastern United States (http:// www.kudzubug.org/distribution_map.cfm). In Asia and the United States, it is commonly associated with its preferred host plant, kudzu, Pueraria montana Lour (Merr.) var. lobata (Willd.) (Fabales: Fabaceae) (Medal et al. 2013, Fla. Entomol. 96: 631–633). Nonetheless, M. cribraria has emerged as a significant pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill and may damage a few other legumes in the United States (Eger et al. 2010, Insecta Mundi 0121: 1–11; Hu and Carroll 2012, htpp://agfax.com/2012/05/18/Alabama-soybean-kudzubugs-making-their-move/). In Georgia and South Carolina, yield losses in untreated soybean fields averaged 18% and ranged up to 59.6% (Greene et al. 2012, United Soybean Board, Chesterfield, MO; Seiter et al. 2012, J. Econ. Entomol. 106: 1676–1683). Apart from being odoriferous, crushed nymphs have reportedly caused skin rashes, thereby raising health concerns for workers in soybean fields (Ruberson et al. 2013, Appl Entomol Zool. 48: 3–13). Megacopta cribraria is also viewed as a nuisance pest in fall through spring when adults aggregate on or around homes to overwinter, apparently close to kudzu patches (Eger et al. 2010, Insecta Mundi 0121: 1–11; Ruberson et al. 2013). Little is known about the biology and ecology of M. cribraria in North America. Prominently, we do not understand their behavior and population dynamics when host plants are not available, as in the winter. Knowledge of the overwintering behavior and biology of this species could inform surveillance and management. This study was undertaken to identify overwintering refuge areas preferred by M. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.18474/0749-8004-50.1.69 VL - 50 IS - 1 SP - 69-73 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Lepidoptera (Crambidae, Noctuidae, and Pyralidae) injury on corn containing pure single and pyramided Bt traits and non-Bt hybrids compared to a refuge blend with non-Bt and pyramided Bt hybrids, in the southern United States AU - Reisig, D. D. AU - Akin, D. S. AU - All, J. N. AU - Bessin, R. T. AU - Brewer, M. J. AU - Buntin, D. G. AU - Catchot, A. L. AU - Cook, D. AU - Flanders, K. L. AU - Huang, F. -N. AU - Johnson, D. W. AU - Leonard, B. R. AU - Mcleod, P. J. AU - Porter, R. P. AU - Reay-Jones, F. P. F. AU - Tindall, K. V. AU - Stewart, S. D. AU - Troxclair, N. N. AU - Youngman, R. R. AU - Rice, M. E. T2 - J. Econ. Entomol AB - Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae); corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea Boddie (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae); southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar (Lepidoptera: Crambidae); sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis F. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae); and lesser cornstalk borer, Elasmopalpus lignosellus Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), are lepidopteran pests of corn, Zea mays L., in the southern United States. Blended refuge for transgenic plants expressing the insecticidal protein derivative from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has recently been approved as an alternative resistance management strategy in the northern United States. We conducted a two-year study with 39 experiments across 12 states in the southern United States to evaluate plant injury from these five species of Lepidoptera to corn expressing Cry1F and Cry1Ab, as both single and pyramided traits, a pyramid of Cry1Ab×Vip3Aa20, and a pyramid of Cry1F×Cry1Ab plus non-Bt in a blended refuge. Leaf injury and kernel damage from corn earworm and fall armyworm, and stalking tunneling by southwestern corn borer, were similar in Cry1F×Cry1Ab plants compared with the Cry1F×Cry1Ab plus non-Bt blended refuge averaged across five-plant clusters. When measured on an individual plant basis, leaf injury, kernel damage, stalk tunneling (southwestern corn borer), and dead or injured plants (lesser cornstalk borer) were greater in the blended non-Bt refuge plants compared to Cry1F×Cry1Ab plants in the non-Bt and pyramided Cry1F×Cry1Ab blended refuge treatment. When non-Bt blended refuge plants were compared to a structured refuge of non-Bt plants, no significant difference was detected in leaf injury, kernel damage, or stalk tunneling (southwestern corn borer). Plant stands in the non-Bt and pyramided Cry1F×Cry1Ab blended refuge treatment had more stalk tunneling from sugarcane borer and plant death from lesser cornstalk borer compared to a pyramided Cry1F×Cry1Ab structured refuge treatment. Hybrid plants containing Cry1F×Cry1Ab within the pyramided Cry1F×Cry1Ab blended refuge treatment had significantly less kernel damage than non-Bt structured refuge treatments. Both single and pyramided Bt traits were effective against southwestern corn borer, sugarcane borer, and lesser cornstalk borer. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.1093/jee/tou009 VL - 108 IS - 1 SP - 157–165 SN - 1938-291X KW - blended refuge KW - structured refuge KW - Helicoverpa zea KW - Spodoptera frugiperda ER - TY - JOUR TI - Iron-Binding E3 Ligase Mediates Iron Response in Plants by Targeting Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors AU - Selote, Devarshi AU - Samira, Rozalynne AU - Matthiadis, Anna AU - Gillikin, Jeffrey W. AU - Long, Terri A. T2 - PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AB - Iron uptake and metabolism are tightly regulated in both plants and animals. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), BRUTUS (BTS), which contains three hemerythrin (HHE) domains and a Really Interesting New Gene (RING) domain, interacts with basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that are capable of forming heterodimers with POPEYE (PYE), a positive regulator of the iron deficiency response. BTS has been shown to have E3 ligase capacity and to play a role in root growth, rhizosphere acidification, and iron reductase activity in response to iron deprivation. To further characterize the function of this protein, we examined the expression pattern of recombinant ProBTS::β-GLUCURONIDASE and found that it is expressed in developing embryos and other reproductive tissues, corresponding with its apparent role in reproductive growth and development. Our findings also indicate that the interactions between BTS and PYE-like (PYEL) basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors occur within the nucleus and are dependent on the presence of the RING domain. We provide evidence that BTS facilitates 26S proteasome-mediated degradation of PYEL proteins in the absence of iron. We also determined that, upon binding iron at the HHE domains, BTS is destabilized and that this destabilization relies on specific residues within the HHE domains. This study reveals an important and unique mechanism for plant iron homeostasis whereby an E3 ubiquitin ligase may posttranslationally control components of the transcriptional regulatory network involved in the iron deficiency response. DA - 2015/1// PY - 2015/1// DO - 10.1104/pp.114.250837 VL - 167 IS - 1 SP - 273-+ SN - 1532-2548 ER - TY - JOUR TI - How inhibiting nitrification affects nitrogen cycle and reduces environmental impacts of anthropogenic nitrogen input AU - Qiao, Chunlian AU - Liu, Lingli AU - Hu, Shuijin AU - Compton, Jana E. AU - Greaver, Tara L. AU - Li, Quanlin T2 - GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY AB - Abstract Anthropogenic activities, and in particular the use of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer, have doubled global annual reactive N inputs in the past 50–100 years, causing deleterious effects on the environment through increased N leaching and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and ammonia ( NH 3 ) emissions. Leaching and gaseous losses of N are greatly controlled by the net rate of microbial nitrification. Extensive experiments have been conducted to develop ways to inhibit this process through use of nitrification inhibitors ( NI ) in combination with fertilizers. Yet, no study has comprehensively assessed how inhibiting nitrification affects both hydrologic and gaseous losses of N and plant nitrogen use efficiency. We synthesized the results of 62 NI field studies and evaluated how NI application altered N cycle and ecosystem services in N‐enriched systems. Our results showed that inhibiting nitrification by NI application increased NH 3 emission (mean: 20%, 95% confidential interval: 33–67%), but reduced dissolved inorganic N leaching (−48%, −56% to −38%), N 2 O emission (−44%, −48% to −39%) and NO emission (−24%, −38% to −8%). This amounted to a net reduction of 16.5% in the total N release to the environment. Inhibiting nitrification also increased plant N recovery (58%, 34–93%) and productivity of grain (9%, 6–13%), straw (15%, 12–18%), vegetable (5%, 0–10%) and pasture hay (14%, 8–20%). The cost and benefit analysis showed that the economic benefit of reducing N's environmental impacts offsets the cost of NI application. Applying NI along with N fertilizer could bring additional revenues of $163 ha −1 yr −1 for a maize farm, equivalent to 8.95% increase in revenues. Our findings showed that NI s could create a win‐win scenario that reduces the negative impact of N leaching and greenhouse gas production, while increases the agricultural output. However, NI 's potential negative impacts, such as increase in NH 3 emission and the risk of NI contamination, should be fully considered before large‐scale application. DA - 2015/3// PY - 2015/3// DO - 10.1111/gcb.12802 VL - 21 IS - 3 SP - 1249-1257 SN - 1365-2486 KW - cost-benefit analysis KW - ecosystem services KW - N2O emission KW - NH3 emission KW - nitrogen fertilizer KW - nitrogen leaching KW - nitrogen management KW - NO emission ER - TY - JOUR TI - Host association drives genetic divergence in the bed bug, Cimex lectularius AU - Booth, Warren AU - Balvín, Ondřej AU - Vargo, Edward L. AU - Vilímová, Jitka AU - Schal, Coby T2 - Molecular Ecology AB - Abstract Genetic differentiation may exist among sympatric populations of a species due to long‐term associations with alternative hosts (i.e. host‐associated differentiation). While host‐associated differentiation has been documented in several phytophagus insects, there are far fewer cases known in animal parasites. The bed bug, Cimex lectularius , a wingless insect, represents a potential model organism for elucidating the processes involved in host‐associated differentiation in animal parasites with relatively limited mobility. In conjunction with the expansion of modern humans from Africa into Eurasia, it has been speculated that bed bugs extended their host range from bats to humans in their shared cave domiciles throughout Eurasia. C. lectularius that associate with humans have a cosmopolitan distribution, whereas those associated with bats occur across Europe, often in human‐built structures. We assessed genetic structure and gene flow within and among populations collected in association with each host using mt DNA , microsatellite loci and knock‐down resistance gene variants. Both nuclear and mitochondrial data support a lack of significant contemporary gene flow between host‐specific populations. Within locations human‐associated bed bug populations exhibit limited genetic diversity and elevated levels of inbreeding, likely due to human‐mediated movement, infrequent additional introduction events per infestation, and pest control. In contrast, populations within bat roosts exhibit higher genetic diversity and lower levels of relatedness, suggesting populations are stable with temporal fluctuations due to host dispersal and bug mortality. In concert with previously published evidence of morphological and behavioural differentiation, the genetic data presented here suggest C. lectularius is currently undergoing lineage divergence through host association. DA - 2015/2/16/ PY - 2015/2/16/ DO - 10.1111/mec.13086 VL - 24 IS - 5 SP - 980–992 SN - 0962-1083 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.13086 KW - ancestral host species KW - Cimicidae KW - host-associated differentiation KW - host-parasite KW - speciation ER - TY - JOUR TI - Habitat and species identity, not diversity, predict the extent of refuse consumption by urban arthropods AU - Youngsteadt, Elsa AU - Henderson, Ryanna C. AU - Savage, Amy M. AU - Ernst, Andrew F. AU - Dunn, Robert R. AU - Frank, Steven D. T2 - GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY AB - Urban green spaces provide ecosystem services to city residents, but their management is hindered by a poor understanding of their ecology. We examined a novel ecosystem service relevant to urban public health and esthetics: the consumption of littered food waste by arthropods. Theory and data from natural systems suggest that the magnitude and resilience of this service should increase with biological diversity. We measured food removal by presenting known quantities of cookies, potato chips, and hot dogs in street medians (24 sites) and parks (21 sites) in New York City, USA. At the same sites, we assessed ground-arthropod diversity and abiotic conditions, including history of flooding during Hurricane Sandy 7 months prior to the study. Arthropod diversity was greater in parks (on average 11 hexapod families and 4.7 ant species per site), than in medians (nine hexapod families and 2.7 ant species per site). However, counter to our diversity-based prediction, arthropods in medians removed 2-3 times more food per day than did those in parks. We detected no effect of flooding (at 19 sites) on this service. Instead, greater food removal was associated with the presence of the introduced pavement ant (Tetramorium sp. E) and with hotter, drier conditions that may have increased arthropod metabolism. When vertebrates also had access to food, more was removed, indicating that arthropods and vertebrates compete for littered food. We estimate that arthropods alone could remove 4-6.5 kg of food per year in a single street median, reducing its availability to less desirable fauna such as rats. Our results suggest that species identity and habitat may be more relevant than diversity for predicting urban ecosystem services. Even small green spaces such as street medians provide ecosystem services that may complement those of larger habitat patches across the urban landscape. DA - 2015/3// PY - 2015/3// DO - 10.1111/gcb.12791 VL - 21 IS - 3 SP - 1103-1115 SN - 1365-2486 KW - ants KW - arthropods KW - biodiversity KW - ecosystem service KW - hurricane KW - urban food waste KW - urbanization ER - TY - JOUR TI - Do cities simulate climate change? A comparison of herbivore response to urban and global warming AU - Youngsteadt, Elsa AU - Dale, Adam G. AU - Terando, Adam J. AU - Dunn, Robert R. AU - Frank, Steven D. T2 - GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY AB - Cities experience elevated temperature, CO2 , and nitrogen deposition decades ahead of the global average, such that biological response to urbanization may predict response to future climate change. This hypothesis remains untested due to a lack of complementary urban and long-term observations. Here, we examine the response of an herbivore, the scale insect Melanaspis tenebricosa, to temperature in the context of an urban heat island, a series of historical temperature fluctuations, and recent climate warming. We survey M. tenebricosa on 55 urban street trees in Raleigh, NC, 342 herbarium specimens collected in the rural southeastern United States from 1895 to 2011, and at 20 rural forest sites represented by both modern (2013) and historical samples. We relate scale insect abundance to August temperatures and find that M. tenebricosa is most common in the hottest parts of the city, on historical specimens collected during warm time periods, and in present-day rural forests compared to the same sites when they were cooler. Scale insects reached their highest densities in the city, but abundance peaked at similar temperatures in urban and historical datasets and tracked temperature on a decadal scale. Although urban habitats are highly modified, species response to a key abiotic factor, temperature, was consistent across urban and rural-forest ecosystems. Cities may be an appropriate but underused system for developing and testing hypotheses about biological effects of climate change. Future work should test the applicability of this model to other groups of organisms. DA - 2015/1// PY - 2015/1// DO - 10.1111/gcb.12692 VL - 21 IS - 1 SP - 97-105 SN - 1365-2486 KW - Acer rubrum KW - climate change KW - global warming KW - herbivory KW - historical comparison KW - Melanaspis tenebricosa KW - urban ecosystem KW - urban warming ER - TY - JOUR TI - Comparative Transcriptomics of Convergent Evolution: Different Genes but Conserved Pathways Underlie Caste Phenotypes across Lineages of Eusocial Insects AU - Berens, Ali J. AU - Hunt, James H. AU - Toth, Amy L. T2 - MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION AB - An area of great interest in evolutionary genomics is whether convergently evolved traits are the result of convergent molecular mechanisms. The presence of queen and worker castes in insect societies is a spectacular example of convergent evolution and phenotypic plasticity. Multiple insect lineages have evolved environmentally induced alternative castes. Given multiple origins of eusociality in Hymenoptera (bees, ants, and wasps), it has been proposed that insect castes evolved from common genetic "toolkits" consisting of deeply conserved genes. Here, we combine data from previously published studies on fire ants and honey bees with new data for Polistes metricus paper wasps to assess the toolkit idea by presenting the first comparative transcriptome-wide analysis of caste determination among three major hymenopteran social lineages. Overall, we found few shared caste differentially expressed transcripts across the three social lineages. However, there is substantially more overlap at the levels of pathways and biological functions. Thus, there are shared elements but not on the level of specific genes. Instead, the toolkit appears to be relatively "loose," that is, different lineages show convergent molecular evolution involving similar metabolic pathways and molecular functions but not the exact same genes. Additionally, our paper wasp data do not support a complementary hypothesis that "novel" taxonomically restricted genes are related to caste differences. DA - 2015/3// PY - 2015/3// DO - 10.1093/molbev/msu330 VL - 32 IS - 3 SP - 690-703 SN - 1537-1719 KW - convergent evolution KW - phenotypic plasticity KW - social insects KW - castes KW - gene expression KW - transcriptome ER - TY - JOUR TI - The Influence of Habitat Manipulations on Beneficial Ground-Dwelling Arthropods in a Southeast US Organic Cropping System AU - Fox, Aaron F. AU - Orr, David B. AU - Cardoza, Yasmin J. T2 - ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY AB - Journal Article The Influence of Habitat Manipulations on Beneficial Ground-Dwelling Arthropods in a Southeast US Organic Cropping System Get access Aaron F. Fox, Aaron F. Fox 3 1 Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7620, Raleigh, NC. 2 Current address: Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, 578 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI 48824. 3 Corresponding author, e-mail: aaronfox@msu.edu . Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar David B. Orr, David B. Orr 4 Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Yasmin J. Cardoza Yasmin J. Cardoza 4 Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Environmental Entomology, Volume 44, Issue 1, February 2015, Pages 114–121, https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvu002 Published: 10 January 2015 Article history Received: 08 April 2014 Accepted: 01 October 2014 Published: 10 January 2015 DA - 2015/2// PY - 2015/2// DO - 10.1093/ee/nvu002 VL - 44 IS - 1 SP - 114-121 SN - 1938-2936 KW - habitat manipulation KW - Amara cupreolata KW - Megacephala carolina KW - Araneae KW - Collembola ER - TY - JOUR TI - Sexual recombination in Aspergillus tubingensis AU - Olarte, Rodrigo A. AU - Horn, Bruce W. AU - Singh, Rakhi AU - Carbone, Ignazio T2 - MYCOLOGIA AB - Aspergillus tubingensis from section Nigri (black Aspergilli) is closely related to A. niger and is used extensively in the industrial production of enzymes and organic acids. We recently discovered sexual reproduction in A. tubingensis, and in this study we demonstrate that the progeny are products of meiosis. Progeny were obtained from six crosses involving five MAT1-1 strains and two MAT1-2 strains. We examined three loci, including mating type (MAT), RNA polymerase II (RPB2) and β-tubulin (BT2), and found that 84% (58/69) of progeny were recombinants. Recombination associated with sexual reproduction in A. tubingensis provides a new option for the genetic improvement of industrial strains for enzyme and organic acid production. DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// DO - 10.3852/14-233 VL - 107 IS - 2 SP - 307-312 SN - 1557-2536 KW - Aspergillus niger KW - mating type KW - multilocus sequence typing KW - sexual reproduction ER - TY - JOUR TI - Protein and carbohydrate intake influence sperm number and fertility in male cockroaches, but not sperm viability AU - Bunning, H. AU - Rapkin, J. AU - Belcher, L. AU - Archer, C. R. AU - Jensen, K. AU - Hunt, J. T2 - Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B DA - 2015/// PY - 2015/// VL - 282 IS - 1802 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Molecular characterization of a new powdery mildew resistance gene Pm54 in soft red winter wheat AU - Hao, Yuanfeng AU - Parks, Ryan AU - Cowger, Christina AU - Chen, Zhenbang AU - Wang, Yingying AU - Bland, Dan AU - Murphy, J. Paul AU - Guedira, Mohammed AU - Brown-Guedira, Gina AU - Johnson, Jerry T2 - THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS DA - 2015/3// PY - 2015/3// DO - 10.1007/s00122-014-2445-1 VL - 128 IS - 3 SP - 465-476 SN - 1432-2242 ER - TY - JOUR TI - EFFECTS OF NH4+- N/NO3--N RATIOS ON PHOTOSYNTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS, DRY MATTER YIELD AND NITRATE CONCENTRATION OF SPINACH AU - Xing, Suzhi AU - Wang, Jianfei AU - Zhou, Yi AU - Bloszies, Sean A. AU - Tu, Cong AU - Hu, Shuijin T2 - EXPERIMENTAL AGRICULTURE AB - SUMMARY Most plants prefer nitrate (NO 3 − –N) to ammonium (NH 4 + –N). However, high NO 3 − –N in soil and water systems is a cause of concern for human health and the environment. Replacing NO 3 − –N in plant nutrition regimes with an appropriate amount of NH 4 + –N may alleviate these concerns. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different NH 4 + –N/NO 3 − –N ratios on chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, Rubisco activity, net photosynthetic rate, dry matter yield and NO 3 − –N accumulation in spinach grown hydroponically. The NH 4 + –N/NO 3 − –N percentage ratios were 0:100 (control), 25:75, 50:50, 75:25 and 100:0. Chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll, stomatal conductance, initial activity and activation state of Rubisco and net photosynthetic rate in spinach leaves were all reduced by increased NH 4 + –N/NO 3 − –N ratios. Significant correlation existed between these measurements. However, no statistical differences in dry matter yield were revealed between the 0:100 and 25:75 treatments. Leaf nitrate concentrations were reduced by 38% at the 25:75 treatment relative to the 0:100 treatment. These findings suggest that lowering the relative proportion of NO 3 − –N in fertilizer could effectively reduce NO 3 − –N contents in leafy vegetables without decreasing their yields. DA - 2015/1// PY - 2015/1// DO - 10.1017/s0014479714000192 VL - 51 IS - 1 SP - 151-160 SN - 1469-4441 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Signatures of adaptation to plant parasitism in nematode genomes AU - Bird, David Mc K. AU - Jones, John T. AU - Opperman, Charles H. AU - Kikuchi, Taisei AU - Danchin, Etienne G. J. T2 - Parasitology AB - SUMMARY Plant-parasitic nematodes cause considerable damage to global agriculture. The ability to parasitize plants is a derived character that appears to have independently emerged several times in the phylum Nematoda. Morphological convergence to feeding style has been observed, but whether this is emergent from molecular convergence is less obvious. To address this, we assess whether genomic signatures can be associated with plant parasitism by nematodes. In this review, we report genomic features and characteristics that appear to be common in plant-parasitic nematodes while absent or rare in animal parasites, predators or free-living species. Candidate horizontal acquisitions of parasitism genes have systematically been found in all plant-parasitic species investigated at the sequence level. Presence of peptides that mimic plant hormones also appears to be a trait of plant-parasitic species. Annotations of the few genomes of plant-parasitic nematodes available to date have revealed a set of apparently species-specific genes on every occasion. Effector genes, important for parasitism are frequently found among those species-specific genes, indicating poor overlap. Overall, nematodes appear to have developed convergent genomic solutions to adapt to plant parasitism. DA - 2015/2// PY - 2015/2// DO - 10.1017/s0031182013002163 VL - 142 IS - S1 SP - S71–S84 SN - 0031-1820 1469-8161 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031182013002163 KW - nematodes KW - genomes KW - plant parasitism KW - adaptation KW - convergence ER -