TY - JOUR TI - The genome of the migratory nematode, Radopholus similis, reveals signatures of close association to the sedentary cyst nematodes AU - Mathew, Reny AU - Opperman, Charles H. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - Radopholus similis, commonly known as the burrowing nematode, is an important pest of myriad crops and ornamentals including banana (Musa spp.) and Citrus spp. In order to characterize the potential role of putative effectors encoded by R. similis genes we compared predicted proteins from a draft R. similis genome with other plant-parasitic nematodes in order to define the suite of excreted/secreted proteins that enable it to function as a parasite and to ascertain the phylogenetic position of R. similis in the Tylenchida order. Identification and analysis of candidate genes encoding for key plant cell-wall degrading enzymes including GH5 cellulases, PL3 pectate lyases and GH28 polygalactouranase revealed a pattern of occurrence similar to other PPNs, although with closest phylogenetic associations to the sedentary cyst nematodes. We also observed the absence of a suite of effectors essential for feeding site formation in the cyst nematodes. Clustering of various orthologous genes shared by R. similis with other nematodes showed higher overlap with the cyst nematodes than with the root-knot or other migratory endoparasitic nematodes. The data presented here support the hypothesis that R. similis is evolutionarily closer to the cyst nematodes, however, differences in the effector repertoire delineate ancient divergence of parasitism, probably as a consequence of niche specialization. These similarities and differences further underscore distinct evolutionary relationships during the evolution of parasitism in this group of nematodes. DA - 2019/10/25/ PY - 2019/10/25/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0224391 VL - 14 IS - 10 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Comparative Genomics Reveals Shared Mutational Landscape in Canine Hemangiosarcoma and Human Angiosarcoma AU - Megquier, Kate AU - Turner-Maier, Jason AU - Swofford, Ross AU - Kim, Jong-Hyuk AU - Sarver, Aaron L. AU - Wang, Chao AU - Sakthikumar, Sharadha AU - Johnson, Jeremy AU - Koltookian, Michele AU - Lewellen, Mitzi AU - Scott, Milcah C. AU - Schulte, Ashley J. AU - Borst, Luke AU - Tonomura, Noriko AU - Alfoldi, Jessica AU - Painter, Corrie AU - Thomas, Rachael AU - Karlsson, Elinor K. AU - Breen, Matthew AU - Modiano, Jaime F. AU - Elvers, Ingegerd AU - Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin T2 - MOLECULAR CANCER RESEARCH AB - Abstract Angiosarcoma is a highly aggressive cancer of blood vessel–forming cells with few effective treatment options and high patient mortality. It is both rare and heterogenous, making large, well-powered genomic studies nearly impossible. Dogs commonly suffer from a similar cancer, called hemangiosarcoma, with breeds like the golden retriever carrying heritable genetic factors that put them at high risk. If the clinical similarity of canine hemangiosarcoma and human angiosarcoma reflects shared genomic etiology, dogs could be a critically needed model for advancing angiosarcoma research. We assessed the genomic landscape of canine hemangiosarcoma via whole-exome sequencing (47 golden retriever hemangiosarcomas) and RNA sequencing (74 hemangiosarcomas from multiple breeds). Somatic coding mutations occurred most frequently in the tumor suppressor TP53 (59.6% of cases) as well as two genes in the PI3K pathway: the oncogene PIK3CA (29.8%) and its regulatory subunit PIK3R1 (8.5%). The predominant mutational signature was the age-associated deamination of cytosine to thymine. As reported in human angiosarcoma, CDKN2A/B was recurrently deleted and VEGFA, KDR, and KIT recurrently gained. We compared the canine data to human data recently released by The Angiosarcoma Project, and found many of the same genes and pathways significantly enriched for somatic mutations, particularly in breast and visceral angiosarcomas. Canine hemangiosarcoma closely models the genomic landscape of human angiosarcoma of the breast and viscera, and is a powerful tool for investigating the pathogenesis of this devastating disease. Implications: We characterize the genomic landscape of canine hemangiosarcoma and demonstrate its similarity to human angiosarcoma. DA - 2019/12// PY - 2019/12// DO - 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-19-0221 VL - 17 IS - 12 SP - 2410-2421 SN - 1557-3125 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Lisinopril Preserves Physical Resilience and Extends Life Span in a Genotype-Specific Manner in Drosophila melanogaster AU - Gabrawy, Mariann M. AU - Campbell, Sarah AU - Carbone, Mary Anna AU - Morozova, Tatiana V AU - Arya, Gunjan H. AU - Turlapati, Lavanya B. AU - Walston, Jeremy D. AU - Starz-Gaiano, Michelle AU - Everett, Logan AU - Mackay, Trudy F. C. AU - Leips, Jeff AU - Abadir, Peter M. T2 - JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES AB - Abstract Physical resiliency declines with age and comorbid conditions. In humans, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) has been associated with attenuation of the decline in physical performance with age. ACE-inhibitor compounds, commonly prescribed for hypertension, often have beneficial effects on physical performance however the generality of these effects are unclear. Here, we tested the effects of the ACE-inhibitor Lisinopril on life span, and age-specific speed, endurance, and strength using three genotypes of the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel. We show that age-related decline in physical performance and survivorship varies with genetic background. Lisinopril treatment increased mean life span in all Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel lines, but its effects on life span, speed, endurance, and strength depended on genotype. We show that genotypes with increased physical performance on Lisinopril treatment experienced reduced age-related protein aggregation in muscle. Knockdown of skeletal muscle-specific Ance, the Drosophila ortholog of ACE, abolished the effects of Lisinopril on life span, implying a role for skeletal muscle Ance in survivorship. Using transcriptome profiling, we identified genes involved in stress response that showed expression changes associated with genotype and age-dependent responsiveness to Lisinopril. Our results demonstrate that Ance is involved in physical decline and demonstrate genetic variation in phenotypic responses to an ACE inhibitor. DA - 2019/12// PY - 2019/12// DO - 10.1093/gerona/glz152 VL - 74 IS - 12 SP - 1844-1852 SN - 1758-535X KW - Angiotensin KW - Aging KW - Locomotion KW - Muscle KW - Genetic variation ER - TY - JOUR TI - Elimination-based certificates for triangular equivalence and rank profiles AU - Dumas, Jean-Guillaume AU - Kaltofen, Erich AU - Lucas, David AU - Pernet, Clement T2 - JOURNAL OF SYMBOLIC COMPUTATION AB - In this paper, we give novel certificates for triangular equivalence and rank profiles. These certificates enable somebody to verify the row or column rank profiles or the whole rank profile matrix faster than recomputing them, with a negligible overall overhead. We first provide quadratic time and space non-interactive certificates saving the logarithmic factors of previously known ones. Then we propose interactive certificates for the same problems whose Monte Carlo verification complexity requires a small constant number of matrix-vector multiplications, a linear space, and a linear number of extra field operations, with a linear number of interactions. As an application we also give an interactive protocol, certifying the determinant or the signature of dense matrices, faster for the Prover than the best previously known one. Finally we give linear space and constant round certificates for the row or column rank profiles. DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// DO - 10.1016/j.jsc.2019.07.013 VL - 98 SP - 246-269 SN - 0747-7171 KW - Interactive certificate KW - Rank profile KW - Linear algebra KW - Triangular equivalence KW - Verifiable computing ER - TY - JOUR TI - Effects of Regulatory T Cell Depletion on NK Cell Responses against Listeria monocytogenes in Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infected Cats AU - Simoes, Rita D. AU - LaVoy, Alora AU - Dean, Gregg A. T2 - VIRUSES-BASEL AB - Regulatory T cells (Treg) are key players in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance, preventing autoimmune diseases and restraining chronic inflammatory diseases. Evidence suggests Treg cells and NK cells have important roles in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) pathogenesis; however, in vivo studies investigating the interplay between these two cell populations are lacking. We previously described innate immune defects in FIV-infected cats characterized by cytokine deficits and impaired natural killer cell (NK) and NK T cell (NKT) functions. In this study, we investigated whether in vivo Treg depletion by treatment with an anti-feline CD25 monoclonal antibody would improve the innate immune response against subcutaneous challenge with Listeria monocytogenes (Lm). Treg depletion resulted in an increased overall number of cells in Lm-draining lymph nodes and increased proliferation of NK and NKT cells in FIV-infected cats. Treg depletion did not normalize expression of perforin or granzyme A by NK and NKT cells, nor did Treg depletion result in improved clearance of Lm. Thus, despite the quantitative improvements in the NK and NKT cell responses to Lm, there was no functional improvement in the early control of Lm. CD1a+ dendritic cell percentages in the lymph nodes of FIV-infected cats were lower than in specific-pathogen-free control cats and failed to upregulate CD80 even when Treg were depleted. Taken together, Treg depletion failed to improve the innate immune response of FIV-infected cats against Lm and this may be due to dendritic cell dysfunction. DA - 2019/11// PY - 2019/11// DO - 10.3390/v11110984 VL - 11 IS - 11 SP - SN - 1999-4915 KW - feline immunodeficiency virus KW - NK cells KW - regulatory T cells KW - innate immunity KW - Treg depletion ER - TY - JOUR TI - Bacteriochlorin-bis(spermine) conjugate affords an effective photodynamic action to eradicate microorganisms AU - Ballatore, Maria B. AU - Milanesio, Maria E. AU - Fujita, Hikaru AU - Lindsey, Jonathan AU - Durantini, Edgardo N. T2 - JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS AB - Abstract A novel bacteriochlorin bearing two spermine units ( BCS ) was synthesized from 3,13‐dibromo‐8,8,18,18‐tetramethylbacteriochlorin ( BC‐Br 3,13 ). The synthesis involved the Suzuki coupling of BC‐Br 3,13 to obtain a bacteriochlorin‐dibenzaldehyde ( BCA ), which was subjected to reductive amination with spermine. The resulting bacteriochlorin BCS presents a strong near‐infrared absorption band at 747 nm, emits at 750 nm with fluorescence quantum yield of 0.14, and generates singlet molecular oxygen, O 2 ( 1 Δ g ), with a quantum yield of 0.27. Photokilling capacities mediated by BCS were evaluated in microbial cells. The viability of Staphylococcus aureus decreased 7 logs when cells were incubated with 1 μM BCS and irradiated for 15 minutes. Comparable photocytotoxic effect was obtained with Escherichia coli , when cells were treated for 30 minutes with visible light. BCS was also an effective photosensitizer to inactivate Candida albicans . In addition, this bacteriochlorin was able to eradicate bacteria at short incubation times. The structure of BCS contains eight basic amino groups that, when protonated in water, increase the binding to the cell envelope. In summary, the readily accessible bacteriochlorin BCS was highly effective at low concentrations as a broad‐spectrum antimicrobial photosensitizer. DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// DO - 10.1002/jbio.201960061 KW - bacteria KW - bacteriochlorin KW - photodynamic inactivation KW - photokilling KW - photosensitizer ER - TY - JOUR TI - Spread of the famine lineage of Phytophthora infestans into the African and Asian continents AU - Saville, Amanda C AU - Ristaino, Jean T2 - Plant Health 2019 DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// ER - TY - CONF TI - Noninvasive diagnosis of tomato late blight via smartphone fingerprinting of leaf volatiles AU - Li, Zheng AU - Paul, Rajesh AU - Tis, Taleb Ba AU - Saville, Amanda AU - Hansel, Jeana AU - Ristaino, Jean AU - Wei, Qingshan T2 - AMER CHEMICAL SOC 1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA C2 - 2019/// C3 - ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY DA - 2019/// VL - 257 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Non-invasive plant disease diagnostics enabled by smartphone-based fingerprinting of leaf volatiles AU - Li, Zheng AU - Paul, Rajesh AU - Tis, Taleb Ba AU - Saville, Amanda C AU - Hansel, Jeana C AU - Yu, Tao AU - Ristaino, Jean B AU - Wei, Qingshan T2 - Nature plants DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// VL - 5 IS - 8 SP - 856-866 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Phytophthora acaciae sp. nov., a new species causing gummosis of black wattle in Brazil AU - Alves, Tatiane C Albuquerque AU - Tessmann, Dauri J AU - Ivors, Kelly L AU - Ristaino, Jean B AU - Santos, Álvaro F T2 - Mycologia DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// SP - 1-11 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genomic microsatellites evidence species diversity and origin of Peronospora tabacina, an important pathogen of tobacco AU - Nowicki, Marcin AU - Hadziabdic, Denita AU - Boggess, Sarah L AU - Runge, Fabian AU - Thines, Marco AU - Ristaino, Jean AU - Spring, Otmar AU - Trigiano, Robert N T2 - Plant Health 2019 DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// ER - TY - JOUR TI - Evaluation of a strain of Bacillus subtilis for management of Phytophthora blight of bell pepper AU - Hansel, Jeana AU - Ristaino, Jean T2 - Plant Health 2019 DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// ER - TY - JOUR TI - Detection of Phytophthora infestans by LAMP, real-time LAMP and droplet digital PCR AU - Ristaino, Jean Beagle AU - Saville, Amanda AU - Paul, Rajesh AU - Cooper, Donald AU - Wei, Qingshan T2 - Plant Disease DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// IS - ja ER - TY - JOUR TI - A Smartphone-Based Volatile Sensor Platform for Noninvasive Detection of Plant Pathogens AU - Li, Zheng AU - Paul, Rajesh AU - Tis, Taleb Ba AU - Saville, Amanda C AU - Hansel, Jeana AU - Ristaino, Jean AU - Wei, Qingshan T2 - Plant Health 2019 DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// ER - TY - CONF TI - Minimally Invasive Extraction of Plant DNA Via a Polymeric Microneedle Patch for on-Site Detection of Plant Pathogens AU - Paul, Rajesh AU - Saville, Amanda AU - Hansel, Jeana AU - Ye, Yanqi AU - Ball, Carmin AU - Williams, Alyssa AU - Chang, Xinyuan AU - Chen, Guojun AU - Gu, Zhen AU - Ristaino, Jean AU - others T2 - AIChE C2 - 2019/// C3 - 2019 AIChE Annual Meeting DA - 2019/// ER - TY - JOUR TI - Microneedle-based Rapid Plant DNA Extraction: Towards In-Field Detection of Plant Pathogens AU - Paul, Rajesh AU - Saville, Amanda C AU - Hansel, Jeana AU - Ye, Yanqi AU - Ball, Carmin AU - Williams, Alyssa AU - Xinyuan, Xinyuan AU - Chen, Guojun AU - Gu, Zhen AU - Ristaino, Jean AU - others T2 - Plant Health 2019 DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// ER - TY - JOUR TI - Molecular identification of vector-borne organisms in Ehrlichia seropositive Nicaraguan horses and first report of Rickettsia felis infection in the horse AU - Tyrrell, Jeffrey D. AU - Qurollo, Barbara A. AU - Tornquist, Susan J. AU - Schlaich, Kathryn G. AU - Kelsey, Jennifer AU - Chandrashekar, Ramaswamy AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B. T2 - ACTA TROPICA AB - Certain vector-borne organisms serve as etiological agents of equine disease. After previously identifying a new Ehrlichia species in horses from Mérida, we aimed to determine the infection frequency and screen for a wide range of vector-borne organisms from 93 tick-exposed, Ehrlichia seropositive horses in this region. PCR assays were performed to identify infection by organisms within the following genera: Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Leishmania, Mycoplasma, Neorickettsia, Rickettsia and Theileria. Overall, 90/93 horses (96.8%) were infected with one or more vector-borne organisms. Ninety (96.8%) horses were infected with Theileria equi and 21 (26.8%) with Babesia caballi. Nine (9.7%) horses were infected with the novel Ehrlichia species previously designated H7, reported in horses from Nicaragua and Brazil. Two horses (2.2%) were infected with Rickettsia felis. Anaplasma, Bartonella, Leishmania, Mycoplasma, or Neorickettsia species DNA was not amplified from any horse. Ticks collected from horses infected with vector-borne organisms were identified as Amblyomma cajennense sensu lato and Dermacentor nitens. Horses in Mérida are infected by a range of vector-borne organisms, including B. caballi, T. equi, Ehrlichia species H7, and R. felis. To the authors' knowledge, this constitutes the first report of molecular detection of R. felis in horses. DA - 2019/12// PY - 2019/12// DO - 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105170 VL - 200 SP - SN - 1873-6254 KW - Tick-borne disease KW - Equine rickettsiosis KW - Piroplasmosis KW - Babesia caballi KW - Theileria equi KW - Ehrlichia species H7 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Editorial: Forest Genomics and Biotechnology AU - Allona, Isabel AU - Kirst, Matias AU - Boerjan, Wout AU - Strauss, Steven AU - Sederoff, Ronald T2 - FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE AB - EDITORIAL article Front. Plant Sci., 11 October 2019Sec. Plant Biotechnology Volume 10 - 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01187 DA - 2019/10/11/ PY - 2019/10/11/ DO - 10.3389/fpls.2019.01187 VL - 10 SP - SN - 1664-462X KW - tree KW - forest plantation KW - conifers KW - angiosperms KW - wood ER - TY - JOUR TI - C/EBP beta suppresses keratinocyte autonomous type 1 IFN response and p53 to increase cell survival and susceptibility to UVB-induced skin cancer AU - Tam, Hann W. AU - Hall, Jonathan R. AU - Messenger, Zachary J. AU - Jima, Dereje D. AU - House, John S. AU - Linder, Keith AU - Smart, Robert C. T2 - CARCINOGENESIS AB - p53 is activated by DNA damage and oncogenic stimuli to regulate senescence, apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest, which are essential to prevent cancer. Here, we utilized UVB radiation, a potent inducer of DNA damage, p53, apoptosis and skin cancer to investigate the mechanism of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-β (C/EBPβ) in regulating p53-mediated apoptosis in keratinocytes and to test whether the deletion of C/EBPβ in epidermis can protect mice from UVB-induced skin cancer. UVB-treatment of C/EBPβ skin conditional knockout (CKOβ) mice increased p53 protein levels in epidermis and enhanced p53-dependent apoptotic activity 3-fold compared with UVB-treated control mice. UVB increased C/EBPβ levels through a p53-dependent pathway and stimulated the formation of a C/EBPβ-p53 protein complex; knockdown of C/EBPβ increased p53 protein stability in keratinocytes. These results suggest a p53-C/EBPβ feedback loop, whereby C/EBPβ, a transcriptional target of a p53 pathway, functions as a survival factor by negatively regulating p53 apoptotic activity in response to DNA damage. RNAseq analysis of UVB-treated CKOβ epidermis unexpectedly revealed that type 1 interferon (IFN) pathway was the most highly enriched pathway. Numerous pro-apoptotic interferon stimulated genes were upregulated including some known to enhance p53 apoptosis. Our results indicate that p53 and IFN pathways function together in response to DNA damage to result in the activation of extrinsic apoptosis pathways and caspase 8 cleavage. Last, we observed CKOβ mice were resistant to UVB-induced skin cancer. Our results suggest that C/EBPβ represses apoptosis through keratinocyte autonomous suppression of the type 1 IFN response and p53 to increase cell survival and susceptibility to UVB-induced skin cancer. DA - 2019/9// PY - 2019/9// DO - 10.1093/carcin/bgz012 VL - 40 IS - 9 SP - 1099-1109 SN - 1460-2180 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genetic Structure and Subclonal Variation of Extant and Recent U.S. Lineages of Phytophthora infestans AU - Saville, Amanda AU - Ristaino, Jean Beagle T2 - Phytopathology AB - The oomycete Phytophthora infestans is an important plant pathogen on potato and tomato crops. We examined the genetic structure of extant 20th and 21st century U.S. lineages of P. infestans and compared them with populations from South America and Mexico to examine genetic relationships and potential sources of lineages. US-23, currently the most prevalent lineage detected in the United States, shared genetic similarity primarily with the BR-1 lineage identified in the 1990s from Bolivia and Brazil. Lineages US-8, US-14, and US-24, predominantly virulent on potato, formed a cluster distinct from other U.S. lineages. Many of the other U.S. lineages shared significant genetic similarity with Mexican populations. The US-1 lineage, dominant in the mid-20th century, clustered with US-1 lineages from Peru. A survey of the presence of RXLR effector PiAVR2 revealed that some lineages carried PiAVR2, its resistance-breaking variant PiAVR2-like, or both. Minimum spanning networks developed from simple sequence repeat genotype datasets from USABlight outbreaks clearly showed the expansion of US-23 over a 6-year time period and geographic substructuring of some lineages in the western United States. Many clonal lineages of P. infestans in the United States have come from introductions from Mexico, but the US-23 and US-1 lineages were most likely introduced from other sources. DA - 2019/9// PY - 2019/9// DO - 10.1094/PHYTO-09-18-0357-R VL - 109 IS - 9 SP - 1614-1627 J2 - Phytopathology LA - en OP - SN - 0031-949X 1943-7684 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-09-18-0357-R DB - Crossref KW - ecology KW - epidemiology ER - TY - JOUR TI - Synthesis of the Ring C Pyrrole of Native Chlorophylls and Bacteriochlorophylls AU - Wang, Pengzhi AU - Nguyen, Khiem Chau AU - Lindsey, Jonathan S. T2 - JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AB - As part of a program to develop practical syntheses of members of the family of (bacterio)chlorophylls, two routes to 2-iodo-3-methyl-4-(3-methoxy-1,3-dioxopropyl)pyrrole, a precursor of the universal ring C, have been developed. The β-ketoester of ring C is expected to give rise to ring E upon Knoevenagel condensation and Nazarov cyclization with a ring D constituent as demonstrated in an analogue synthesis. Two viable routes were developed beginning with N-TIPS-pyrrole or with 4-oxo-2-pentene and TosMIC, affording multi-gram-quantities of this ostensibly simple pyrrole. DA - 2019/9/6/ PY - 2019/9/6/ DO - 10.1021/acs.joc.9b01650 VL - 84 IS - 17 SP - 11286-11293 SN - 1520-6904 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genome-wide DNA copy number analysis and targeted transcriptional analysis of canine histiocytic malignancies identifies diagnostic signatures and highlights disruption of spindle assembly complex AU - Kennedy, Katherine AU - Thomas, Rachael AU - Durrant, Jessica AU - Jiang, Tao AU - Motsinger-Reif, Alison AU - Breen, Matthew T2 - CHROMOSOME RESEARCH DA - 2019/9// PY - 2019/9// DO - 10.1007/s10577-019-09606-0 VL - 27 IS - 3 SP - 179-202 SN - 1573-6849 KW - Histiocytic sarcoma KW - Chromothripsis KW - MMP9 KW - Aurora kinase KW - Dendritic cell sarcoma ER - TY - JOUR TI - A polyketide synthase gene cluster associated with the sexual reproductive cycle of the banana pathogen, Pseudocercospora fijiensis AU - Noar, Roslyn D. AU - Thomas, Elizabeth AU - Xie, De-Yu AU - Carter, Morgan E. AU - Ma, Dongming AU - Daub, Margaret E. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - Disease spread of Pseudocercospora fijiensis, causal agent of the black Sigatoka disease of banana, depends on ascospores produced through the sexual reproductive cycle. We used phylogenetic analysis to identify P. fijiensis homologs (PKS8-4 and Hybrid8-3) to the PKS4 polyketide synthases (PKS) from Neurospora crassa and Sordaria macrospora involved in sexual reproduction. These sequences also formed a clade with lovastatin, compactin, and betaenone-producing PKS sequences. Transcriptome analysis showed that both the P. fijiensis Hybrid8-3 and PKS8-4 genes have higher expression in infected leaf tissue compared to in culture. Domain analysis showed that PKS8-4 is more similar than Hybrid8-3 to PKS4. pPKS8-4:GFP transcriptional fusion transformants showed expression of GFP in flask-shaped structures in mycelial cultures as well as in crosses between compatible and incompatible mating types. Confocal microscopy confirmed expression in spermagonia in leaf substomatal cavities, consistent with a role in sexual reproduction. A disruption mutant of pks8-4 retained normal pathogenicity on banana, and no differences were observed in growth, conidial production, and spermagonia production. GC-MS profiling of the mutant and wild type did not identify differences in polyketide metabolites, but did identify changes in saturated fatty acid methyl esters and alkene and alkane derivatives. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a polyketide synthase pathway associated with spermagonia. DA - 2019/7/25/ PY - 2019/7/25/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0220319 VL - 14 IS - 7 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Lack of influence by endosymbiont Wolbachia on virus titer in the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius AU - Fisher, Michael L. AU - Levine, Jay F. AU - Guy, James S. AU - Mochizuki, Hiroyuki AU - Breen, Matthew AU - Schal, Coby AU - Watson, David W. T2 - PARASITES & VECTORS AB - Abstract Background The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius , is an obligatory blood-feeding ectoparasite that requires a blood meal to molt and produce eggs. Their frequent biting to obtain blood meals and intimate association with humans increase the potential for disease transmission. However, despite more than 100 years of inquiry into bed bugs as potential disease vectors, they still have not been conclusively linked to any pathogen or disease. This ecological niche is extraordinarily rare, given that nearly every other blood-feeding arthropod is associated with some type of human or zoonotic disease. Bed bugs rely on the bacteria Wolbachia as an obligate endosymbiont to biosynthesize B vitamins, since they acquire a nutritionally deficient diet, but it is unknown if Wolbachia confers additional benefits to its bed bug host. In some insects, Wolbachia induces resistance to viruses such as Dengue, Chikungunya, West Nile, Drosophila C and Zika, and primes the insect immune system in other blood-feeding insects. Wolbachia might have evolved a similar role in its mutualistic association with the bed bug. In this study, we evaluated the influence of Wolbachia on virus replication within C. lectularius . Methods We used feline calicivirus as a model pathogen. We fed 40 bed bugs from an established line of Wolbachia -cured and a line of Wolbachia -positive C. lectularius a virus-laden blood meal, and quantified the amount of virus over five time intervals post-feeding. The antibiotic rifampicin was used to cure bed bugs of Wolbachia . Results There was a significant effect of time post-feeding, as the amount of virus declined by ~90% over 10 days in both groups, but no significant difference in virus titer was observed between the Wolbachia -positive and Wolbachia -cured groups. Conclusions These findings suggest that other mechanisms are involved in virus suppression within bed bugs, independent of the influence of Wolbachia , and our conclusions underscore the need for future research. DA - 2019/9/9/ PY - 2019/9/9/ DO - 10.1186/s13071-019-3694-2 VL - 12 IS - 1 SP - SN - 1756-3305 KW - Cimex lectularius KW - Wolbachia KW - Endosymbiont KW - Cimicidae KW - Virus suppression KW - ssRNA ER - TY - JOUR TI - Cellular localization of tolyporphins, unusual tetrapyrroles, in a microbial photosynthetic community determined using hyperspectral confocal fluorescence microscopy AU - Barnhart-Dailey, Meghan AU - Zhang, Yunlong AU - Zhang, Ran AU - Anthony, Stephen M. AU - Aaron, Jesse S. AU - Miller, Eric S. AU - Lindsey, Jonathan S. AU - Timlin, Jerilyn A. T2 - Photosynthesis Research DA - 2019/3/22/ PY - 2019/3/22/ DO - 10.1007/s11120-019-00625-w VL - 141 IS - 3 SP - 259-271 J2 - Photosynth Res LA - en OP - SN - 0166-8595 1573-5079 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11120-019-00625-w DB - Crossref KW - Bacteriochlorin KW - Chlorophyll KW - Cyanobacteria KW - Membrane KW - Multivariate curve resolution ER - TY - JOUR TI - Novel Noninvasive Diagnostics AU - Wiley, Claire AU - Wise, Catherine F. AU - Breen, Matthew T2 - VETERINARY CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA-SMALL ANIMAL PRACTICE AB - Molecular diagnostics have revolutionized human oncology to allow early detection, targeted therapy, monitoring throughout treatment, and evidence of recurrence. By identifying genetic signatures associated with cancers, liquid biopsy techniques have been developed to diagnose and monitor cancer in noninvasive or minimally invasive ways. These techniques offer new opportunities for improving cancer screening, diagnosis, and monitoring the impact of therapy on the patients over time. Liquid biopsy also drives drug development programs. Similar diagnostics hold promise for comparable results in the veterinary field. Several noninvasive/minimally invasive techniques have been described in veterinary medicine that could be referred to as liquid biopsy. DA - 2019/9// PY - 2019/9// DO - 10.1016/j.cvsm.2019.05.002 VL - 49 IS - 5 SP - 781-+ SN - 1878-1306 KW - Canine KW - Cancer KW - Liquid biopsy KW - Bladder KW - Prostate KW - BRAF KW - Lymphoma ER - TY - JOUR TI - Fourth cycle breeding and testing strategy for Pinus taeda in the NC State University Cooperative Tree Improvement Program AU - Isik, Fikret AU - McKeand, Steven E. T2 - TREE GENETICS & GENOMES DA - 2019/10// PY - 2019/10// DO - 10.1007/s11295-019-1377-y VL - 15 IS - 5 SP - SN - 1614-2950 KW - Breeding strategy KW - Mating design KW - Inbreeding KW - Coancestry KW - Loblolly pine ER - TY - JOUR TI - Pyogranulomatous Myocarditis and Diaphragmatic Myositis Associated with Bartonella Henselae in a Cat From Turkey AU - Gulbahar, M.Y. AU - Karaca, E. AU - Ciftci, A. AU - Inal, S AU - Ahmed, I AU - Balakrishnan, N AU - Breitshwerdt, E T2 - Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi AB - A case of pyogranulomatous myocarditis and diaphragmatic myositis caused by Bartonella henselae in an 18 months old tricolor female cat in Turkey was reported in this study. The cat had flea infestation before clinical disease onset. The cat showed clinical findings including lethargy, anorexia, dyspnea, hypersalivation, and polydipsia. At necropsy, the myocardium contained numerous 1 to 2 mm, discrete to coalescing, white-grey nodular foci with approximately 250 ml of serosanguineous fluid in the thorax. By Warthin-Starry silver staining, argyrophilic pleomorphic coccobacilli were seen within the myocardial and diaphragmatic pyogranulomatous lesions. B. henselae DNA was detected in heart, kidney and liver tissues by targeting the riboflavin synthase C ( rib C) gene by PCR. Using immunofluorescence technique, B. henselae was also visualized in myocardial tissues. This report provides additional evidence in support of an etiological association between pyogranulomatous myocarditis and diaphragmatic myositis and B. henselae infection in cats. DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// DO - 10.1501/vetfak_0000002894 VL - 66 IS - 1 SP - 103-107 SN - 1300-0861 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1501/vetfak_0000002894 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Developing a user community in the photosciences: a website for spectral data and access to PhotochemCAD AU - Guo, Yaxue AU - Xu, Zhen AU - Norcross, Ann Elizabeth AU - Taniguchi, Masahiko AU - Lindsey, Jonathan S. T2 - REPORTERS, MARKERS, DYES, NANOPARTICLES, AND MOLECULAR PROBES FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS XI AB - A new website, centered on absorption and fluorescence spectra, has been designed for the broad community of members in the photosciences. Spectral data lie at the heart of the vast field of the photosciences, yet collections of such data are sparse, scattered and often in print rather than digital form. Because many if not most searches for photochemical data begin with individual spectra, the website should constitute a photosciences nexus. The database of <500 spectra can be accessed via text or by viewing molecular structures. The spectral data on the website are identical with those in the database associated with the software program PhotochemCAD, but only the latter contains the rich trove of companion references to the originating scientific literature. PhotochemCAD, which contains modules for diverse calculations germane to the photosciences, can be freely downloaded from the new website. To develop a community of users in the photosciences, a curated and validated set of email addresses of photoscientists has been generated from the primary photochemistry literature since 2004. The literature surveyed (19 journals, <45,000 articles) encompasses the flagship publications of 15 scholarly societies. The present work represents a step toward fulfilling the long-term ambition of assembling all known spectral data worldwide, from print and digital sources, in one carefully curated collection of digital data in a readily accessible site. The advances should broaden awareness and increase availability of spectra for diverse studies in the field of photosciences, which encompasses art, astrobiology, biology, chemistry, ecology, engineering, medicine, physics, textiles, and zoochromy. DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// DO - 10.1117/12.2508077 VL - 10893 SP - SN - 1996-756X KW - Absorption spectra KW - Fluorescence spectra KW - Photochemistry KW - Fluorophores KW - Software KW - Website KW - PhotochemCAD KW - Web Design KW - Email Campaign KW - Search Engine Optimization ER - TY - JOUR TI - Effects of Five Growing Media and Two Fertilizer Levels on Polybag-Raised Camden Whitegum (Eucalyptus benthamii Maiden & Cambage) Seedling Morphology and Drought Hardiness AU - Shalizi, Mohammad Nasir AU - Goldfarb, Barry AU - Burney, Owen Thomas AU - Shear, Theodore Henry T2 - FORESTS AB - In developing countries, tree seedlings are often produced in polybags filled with mixtures of locally available materials. Seedling growth and quality can be affected by the type and amount of these substrates used in the mixture. Differences in seedling growth and quality can also be significantly affected when fertilization is employed during the nursery growing period. In this study, we assessed the effects of five different growing media and two fertilization regimes on nursery growth, seedling morphology and early post-planting response to drought of Eucalyptus benthamii (Maiden & Cambage) seedlings. First, we evaluated the effects of each media by fertilizer treatment combination on morphological attributes during a nursery growing period. Seedlings raised in fertilized media without rice hulls yielded higher growth, root dry mass, shoot dry mass, total dry mass, Dickson quality index (DQI) scores, and number of first order lateral roots (FOLRs). Root to shoot ratio (R:S ratio) was, however, greater in non-fertilized media that contained rice hulls. We then conducted a simulated outplanting and drought hardiness experiment, in which seedlings were planted in 13.2 L containers and irrigated for one month, followed by the imposition of drought stress. Seedlings in fertilized media composed of sand, topsoil and compost showed greater growth than those in rice hull-containing media, during the irrigation phase. With the discontinuation of irrigation and prevention of precipitation reaching the seedlings, seedlings grown in non-fertilized media containing rice hulls survived longer than those in other media. There were no large differences in survival among other media or between fertilized and other non-fertilized seedlings. Seedling total size and shoot height at the time of planting played a major role in survival. Smaller seedlings with smaller shoot sizes and greater R:S ratios survived longer. This study demonstrates that growing media and fertilization can be manipulated to affect seedling morphology in the nursery and, ultimately, seedling performance and survival under water stressed conditions. DA - 2019/7// PY - 2019/7// DO - 10.3390/f10070543 VL - 10 IS - 7 SP - SN - 1999-4907 KW - seedling growth KW - nutrition KW - seedling quality KW - survival KW - xylem water potential KW - reforestation ER - TY - JOUR TI - Trait-performance relationships of grassland plant species differ between common garden and field conditions AU - Breitschwerdt, Eva AU - Jandt, Ute AU - Bruelheide, Helge T2 - Ecology and Evolution AB - Abstract The way functional traits affect growth of plant species may be highly context‐specific. We asked which combinations of trait values are advantageous under field conditions in managed grasslands as compared to conditions without competition and land‐use. In a two‐year field experiment, we recorded the performance of 93 species transplanted into German grassland communities differing in land‐use intensity and into a common garden, where species grew unaffected by land‐use under favorable conditions regarding soil, water, and space. The plants’ performance was characterized by two independent dimensions (relative growth rates (RGR) of height and leaf length vs. aboveground biomass and survival) that were differently related to the eight focal key traits in our study (leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), height, leaf anatomy, leaf persistence, leaf distribution, vegetative reproduction, and physical defense). We applied multivariate procrustes analyses to test for the correspondence of the optimal trait–performance relationships between field and common garden conditions. RGRs were species‐specific and species ranks of RGRs in the field, and the common garden were significantly correlated. Different traits explained the performance in the field and the common garden; for example, leaf anatomy traits explained species performance only in the field, whereas plant height was found to be only important in the common garden. The ability to reproduce vegetatively, having leaves that are summer‐persistent and with high leaf dry matter content (LDMC) were traits of major importance under both settings, albeit the magnitude of their influence differed slightly between the field and the common garden experiment. All optimal models included interactions between traits, pointing out the necessity to analyze traits in combination. The differences between field and common garden clearly demonstrate context dependency of trait‐based growth models, which results in limited transferability of favorable trait combinations between different environmental settings. DA - 2019/1/28/ PY - 2019/1/28/ DO - 10.1002/ece3.4818 VL - 9 IS - 4 SP - 1691-1701 J2 - Ecol Evol LA - en OP - SN - 2045-7758 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4818 DB - Crossref KW - common garden experiment KW - land-use KW - managed grassland KW - plant functional traits KW - plant performance KW - relative growth rates ER - TY - JOUR TI - Prevalence of Babesia spp. and clinical characteristics of Babesia vulpes infections in North American dogs AU - Barash, Nanelle R. AU - Thomas, Brittany AU - Birkenheuer, Adam J. AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B. AU - Lemler, Erica AU - Qurollo, Barbara A. T2 - Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine AB - Abstract Background Babesiosis is an important cause of thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia in dogs. Babesia vulpes , reported in European dogs and North American foxes, rarely has been reported in domestic North American dogs. Newly optimized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers facilitate more sensitive amplification of B. vulpes DNA. Objectives To determine the prevalence of Babesia sp . infections in dogs being tested for Babesia infection, and to describe co‐infections and clinicopathologic abnormalities in B. vulpes positive dogs. Animals Dog blood or tissue samples (n = 9367) submitted to a diagnostic laboratory between June 2015 and June 2018 were tested using an optimized Babesia PCR assay. Methods Comprehensive canine vector‐borne disease diagnostic testing was performed on convenience samples. Results Babesia sp. DNA was amplified from 269/9367 (2.9%) North American dogs. Babesia sp. infections included B. gibsoni monoinfection (157; 1.7%), B. vulpes monoinfection (19; 0.20%), and B. gibsoni and B. vulpes coinfection (29; 0.31%). Forty‐three of the 48 total B. vulpes ‐infected dogs were American Pit Bull Terrier‐type breeds, of which 36 historically were involved with dog fights. Coinfections with Mycoplasma , Dirofilaria immitis , or Wolbachia and coexposures to Bartonella , Ehrlichia , and Rickettsia spp. were documented in B. vulpes ‐infected dogs. Clinicopathologic data in B. vulpes ‐infected dogs both with and without coinfections included anemia, thrombocytopenia, hyperglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and proteinuria. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Babesia vulpes infection in domestic North American dogs is commonly found in conjunction with other coinfections, including B. gibsoni and hemotropic Mycoplasma . Similar to B. gibsoni , dog‐to‐dog transmission of B. vulpes may be a frequent mode of transmission. DA - 2019/7/23/ PY - 2019/7/23/ DO - 10.1111/jvim.15560 VL - 7 J2 - J Vet Intern Med LA - en OP - SN - 0891-6640 1939-1676 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15560 DB - Crossref KW - B KW - vulpes KW - Babesia KW - hemolytic anemia KW - prevalence KW - tick KW - vector-borne disease ER - TY - JOUR TI - Evidence for vertical transmission of Mycoplasma haemocanis, but not Ehrlichia ewingii, in a dog AU - Lashnits, Erin AU - Grant, Sandra AU - Thomas, Brittany AU - Qurollo, Barbara AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B. T2 - Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine AB - Abstract A 2‐year‐old female intact pregnant Beagle was evaluated after the owner surrendered her to a shelter. Prepartum and 2 months postpartum at the time of routine spay, the dam was whole‐blood polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive for Ehrlichia ewingii . She was also whole‐blood PCR positive for Mycoplasma haemocanis prepartum and continuously for 5 months thereafter. The dam delivered 5 healthy puppies, 1 of which was whole‐blood PCR positive for M. haemocanis . All 5 puppies had antibodies against Ehrlichia spp. at 1 month of age but not thereafter, and all puppies were Ehrlichia spp. PCR negative for 5 months of follow‐up. Therefore, this study supports a potential role for vertical transmission in the maintenance of M. haemocanis in dogs as reservoir hosts. In contrast, in this case there was no evidence that E. ewingii was transmitted transplacentally or during the perinatal period. DA - 2019/5/24/ PY - 2019/5/24/ DO - 10.1111/jvim.15517 VL - 33 IS - 4 SP - 1747-1752 SN - 0891-6640 1939-1676 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15517 KW - bacterial species KW - hemotropic mycoplasma KW - perinatal KW - rickettsia KW - vector-borne ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genomic Selection with Allele Dosage in Panicum maximum Jacq. AU - Lara, Leticia A. de C. AU - Santos, Mateus F. AU - Jank, Liana AU - Chiari, Lucimara AU - Vilela, Mariane de M. AU - Amadeu, Rodrigo R. AU - Santos, Jhonathan P. R. AU - Pereira, Guilherme da S. AU - Zeng, Zhao-Bang AU - Garcia, Antonio Augusto F. T2 - G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS AB - Genomic selection is an efficient approach to get shorter breeding cycles in recurrent selection programs and greater genetic gains with selection of superior individuals. Despite advances in genotyping techniques, genetic studies for polyploid species have been limited to a rough approximation of studies in diploid species. The major challenge is to distinguish the different types of heterozygotes present in polyploid populations. In this work, we evaluated different genomic prediction models applied to a recurrent selection population of 530 genotypes of Panicum maximum, an autotetraploid forage grass. We also investigated the effect of the allele dosage in the prediction, i.e., considering tetraploid (GS-TD) or diploid (GS-DD) allele dosage. A longitudinal linear mixed model was fitted for each one of the six phenotypic traits, considering different covariance matrices for genetic and residual effects. A total of 41,424 genotyping-by-sequencing markers were obtained using 96-plex and Pst1 restriction enzyme, and quantitative genotype calling was performed. Six predictive models were generalized to tetraploid species and predictive ability was estimated by a replicated fivefold cross-validation process. GS-TD and GS-DD models were performed considering 1,223 informative markers. Overall, GS-TD data yielded higher predictive abilities than with GS-DD data. However, different predictive models had similar predictive ability performance. In this work, we provide bioinformatic and modeling guidelines to consider tetraploid dosage and observed that genomic selection may lead to additional gains in recurrent selection program of P. maximum. DA - 2019/8// PY - 2019/8// DO - 10.1534/g3.118.200986 VL - 9 IS - 8 SP - 2463-2475 SN - 2160-1836 KW - Plant Breeding KW - Guinea Grass KW - Quantitative Genotyping KW - Polyploidy KW - Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) KW - Recurrent Genomic Selection KW - Genomic Prediction KW - GenPred KW - Shared Data Resources ER - TY - JOUR TI - Statistical Analysis of Zero-Inflated Nonnegative Continuous Data: A Review AU - Liu, Lei AU - Shih, Ya-Chen Tina AU - Strawderman, Robert L. AU - Zhang, Daowen AU - Johnson, Bankole A. AU - Chai, Haitao T2 - STATISTICAL SCIENCE AB - Zero-inflated nonnegative continuous (or semicontinuous) data arise frequently in biomedical, economical, and ecological studies. Examples include substance abuse, medical costs, medical care utilization, biomarkers (e.g., CD4 cell counts, coronary artery calcium scores), single cell gene expression rates, and (relative) abundance of microbiome. Such data are often characterized by the presence of a large portion of zero values and positive continuous values that are skewed to the right and heteroscedastic. Both of these features suggest that no simple parametric distribution may be suitable for modeling such type of outcomes. In this paper, we review statistical methods for analyzing zero-inflated nonnegative outcome data. We will start with the cross-sectional setting, discussing ways to separate zero and positive values and introducing flexible models to characterize right skewness and heteroscedasticity in the positive values. We will then present models of correlated zero-inflated nonnegative continuous data, using random effects to tackle the correlation on repeated measures from the same subject and that across different parts of the model. We will also discuss expansion to related topics, for example, zero-inflated count and survival data, nonlinear covariate effects, and joint models of longitudinal zero-inflated nonnegative continuous data and survival. Finally, we will present applications to three real datasets (i.e., microbiome, medical costs, and alcohol drinking) to illustrate these methods. Example code will be provided to facilitate applications of these methods. DA - 2019/5// PY - 2019/5// DO - 10.1214/18-STS681 VL - 34 IS - 2 SP - 253-279 SN - 2168-8745 KW - Two-part model KW - Tobit model KW - health econometrics KW - semiparametric regression KW - joint model KW - cure rate KW - frailty model KW - splines ER - TY - JOUR TI - The Ion Delivery Manner Influences the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Silver Oligodynamic Iontophoresis AU - Tan, George Z. AU - Orndorff, Paul E. AU - Shirwaiker, Rohan A. T2 - JOURNAL OF MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING AB - Electrical activation of silver ions, known as oligodynamic iontophoresis, has shown broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. However, it is not clear how the ion delivery manner, which is controlled by the electrical activation, influences the iontophoresis process. This paper focuses on this knowledge gap, aiming to characterize the interactive effects of electric current intensity and activation duration on the antimicrobial efficacy of a silver-based iontophoresis prototype against Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (E. coli) strains respectively. The modified Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method was adopted to quantify the antimicrobial efficacy. A linear regression model was established and validated by empirical data. This study revealed that the antimicrobial activities of the device was more sensitive to current duration than current intensity, and the marginal antimicrobial efficacy of the device decreased as the current intensity increased. In addition, a sustained release of Ag + had superior antimicrobial efficacy compared to a fast release. These findings will contribute to the performance optimization of silver oligodynamic iontophoresis devices for antimicrobial applications. DA - 2019/8// PY - 2019/8// DO - 10.1007/s40846-018-0447-1 VL - 39 IS - 4 SP - 622-631 SN - 2199-4757 KW - Oligodynamic iontophoresis KW - Silver ion KW - Antimicrobial activities KW - Electrical activation ER - TY - JOUR TI - Computing Approximate Greatest Common Right Divisors of Differential Polynomials AU - Giesbrecht, Mark AU - Haraldson, Joseph AU - Kaltofen, Erich T2 - Foundations of Computational Mathematics AB - Differential (Ore) type polynomials with “approximate” polynomial coefficients are introduced. These provide an effective notion of approximate differential operators, with a strong algebraic structure. We introduce the approximate greatest common right divisor problem (GCRD) of differential polynomials, as a non-commutative generalization of the well-studied approximate GCD problem. Given two differential polynomials, we present an algorithm to find nearby differential polynomials with a non-trivial GCRD, where nearby is defined with respect to a suitable coefficient norm. Intuitively, given two linear differential polynomials as input, the (approximate) GCRD problem corresponds to finding the (approximate) differential polynomial whose solution space is the intersection of the solution spaces of the two inputs. The approximate GCRD problem is proven to be locally well posed. A method based on the singular value decomposition of a differential Sylvester matrix is developed to produce an initial approximation of the GCRD. With a sufficiently good initial approximation, Newton iteration is shown to converge quadratically to an optimal solution. Finally, sufficient conditions for existence of a solution to the global problem are presented along with examples demonstrating that no solution exists when these conditions are not satisfied. DA - 2019/6/13/ PY - 2019/6/13/ DO - 10.1007/s10208-019-09422-2 J2 - Found Comput Math LA - en OP - SN - 1615-3375 1615-3383 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10208-019-09422-2 DB - Crossref KW - Symbolic-numeric computation KW - Approximate polynomial computation KW - Approximate GCD KW - Differential polynomials KW - Linear differential operators ER - TY - JOUR TI - Extraction of Plant DNA by Microneedle Patch for Rapid Detection of Plant Diseases AU - Paul, Rajesh AU - Saville, Amanda C. AU - Hansel, Jeana C. AU - Ye, Yanqi AU - Ball, Carmin AU - Williams, Alyssa AU - Chang, Xinyuan AU - Chen, Guojun AU - Gu, Zhen AU - Ristaino, Jean B. AU - Wei, Qingshan T2 - ACS Nano AB - In-field molecular diagnosis of plant diseases via nucleic acid amplification is currently limited by cumbersome protocols for extracting and isolating pathogenic DNA from plant tissues. To address this challenge, a rapid plant DNA extraction method was developed using a disposable polymeric microneedle (MN) patch. By applying MN patches on plant leaves, amplification-assay-ready DNA can be extracted within a minute from different plant species. MN-extracted DNA was used for direct polymerase chain reaction amplification of plant plastid DNA without purification. Furthermore, using this patch device, extraction of plant pathogen DNA (Phytophthora infestans) from both laboratory-inoculated and field-infected leaf samples was performed for detection of late blight disease in tomato. MN extraction achieved 100% detection rate of late blight infections for samples after 3 days of inoculation when compared to the conventional gold standard cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-based DNA extraction method and 100% detection rate for all blind field samples tested. This simple, cell-lysis-free, and purification-free DNA extraction method could be a transformative approach to facilitate rapid sample preparation for molecular diagnosis of various plant diseases directly in the field. DA - 2019/6/9/ PY - 2019/6/9/ DO - 10.1021/acsnano.9b00193 VL - 13 IS - 6 SP - 6540-6549 J2 - ACS Nano LA - en OP - SN - 1936-0851 1936-086X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.9b00193 DB - Crossref KW - plant disease KW - DNA extraction KW - microneedle patch KW - Phytophthora infestans KW - nucleic acid amplification KW - point-of-care diagnostics ER - TY - JOUR TI - Interferon-lambda 3 Promotes Epithelial Defense and Barrier Function Against Cryptosporidium parvum Infection AU - Ferguson, Sylvia H. AU - Foster, Derek M. AU - Sherry, Barbara AU - Magness, Scott T. AU - Nielsen, Dahlia M. AU - Gookin, Jody L. T2 - CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY AB - Background & AimsThe epithelial response is critical for intestinal defense against Cryptosporidium, but is poorly understood. To uncover the host strategy for defense against Cryptosporidium, we examined the transcriptional response of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) to C parvum in experimentally infected piglets by microarray. Up-regulated genes were dominated by targets of interferon (IFN) and IFN-λ3 was up-regulated significantly in infected piglet mucosa. Although IFN-λ has been described as a mediator of epithelial defense against viral pathogens, there is limited knowledge of any role against nonviral pathogens. Accordingly, the aim of the study was to determine the significance of IFN-λ3 to epithelial defense and barrier function during C parvum infection.MethodsThe significance of C parvum–induced IFN-λ3 expression was determined using an immunoneutralization approach in neonatal C57BL/6 mice. The ability of the intestinal epithelium to up-regulate IFN-λ2/3 expression in response to C parvum infection and the influence of IFN-λ2/3 on epithelial defense against C parvum invasion, intracellular development, and loss of barrier function was examined using polarized monolayers of a nontransformed porcine-derived small intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2). Specifically, changes in barrier function were quantified by measurement of transepithelial electrical resistance and transepithelial flux studies.ResultsImmunoneutralization of IFN-λ2/3 in C parvum–infected neonatal mice resulted in a significantly increased parasite burden, fecal shedding, and villus blunting with crypt hyperplasia during peak infection. In vitro, C parvum was sufficient to induce autonomous IFN-λ3 and interferon-stimulated gene 15 expression by IECs. Priming of IECs with recombinant human IFN-λ3 promoted cellular defense against C parvum infection and abrogated C parvum–induced loss of barrier function by decreasing paracellular permeability to sodium.ConclusionsThese studies identify IFN-λ3 as a key epithelial defense mechanism against C parvum infection. The epithelial response is critical for intestinal defense against Cryptosporidium, but is poorly understood. To uncover the host strategy for defense against Cryptosporidium, we examined the transcriptional response of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) to C parvum in experimentally infected piglets by microarray. Up-regulated genes were dominated by targets of interferon (IFN) and IFN-λ3 was up-regulated significantly in infected piglet mucosa. Although IFN-λ has been described as a mediator of epithelial defense against viral pathogens, there is limited knowledge of any role against nonviral pathogens. Accordingly, the aim of the study was to determine the significance of IFN-λ3 to epithelial defense and barrier function during C parvum infection. The significance of C parvum–induced IFN-λ3 expression was determined using an immunoneutralization approach in neonatal C57BL/6 mice. The ability of the intestinal epithelium to up-regulate IFN-λ2/3 expression in response to C parvum infection and the influence of IFN-λ2/3 on epithelial defense against C parvum invasion, intracellular development, and loss of barrier function was examined using polarized monolayers of a nontransformed porcine-derived small intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2). Specifically, changes in barrier function were quantified by measurement of transepithelial electrical resistance and transepithelial flux studies. Immunoneutralization of IFN-λ2/3 in C parvum–infected neonatal mice resulted in a significantly increased parasite burden, fecal shedding, and villus blunting with crypt hyperplasia during peak infection. In vitro, C parvum was sufficient to induce autonomous IFN-λ3 and interferon-stimulated gene 15 expression by IECs. Priming of IECs with recombinant human IFN-λ3 promoted cellular defense against C parvum infection and abrogated C parvum–induced loss of barrier function by decreasing paracellular permeability to sodium. These studies identify IFN-λ3 as a key epithelial defense mechanism against C parvum infection. DA - 2019/// PY - 2019/// DO - 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2019.02.007 VL - 8 IS - 1 SP - 1-20 SN - 2352-345X KW - Cryptosporidiosis KW - Cytokine KW - Enterocyte KW - Protozoa ER - TY - JOUR TI - Self-assembly with fluorescence readout in a free base dipyrrin-polymer triggered by metal ion binding in aqueous solution AU - Liu, Rui AU - Vairaprakash, Pothiappan AU - Lindsey, Jonathan S. T2 - NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY AB - Profound morphological and fluorogenic changes ensue upon binding of a zinc ion by two polymers, each of which bears a single dipyrrin at one terminus, forming the bis(dipyrrinato)Zn(ii) complex. DA - 2019/6/28/ PY - 2019/6/28/ DO - 10.1039/c9nj01787a VL - 43 IS - 24 SP - 9711-9724 SN - 1369-9261 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi in American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) Backcross Populations that Descended from Two Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima) Sources of Resistance AU - Westbrook, Jared W. AU - James, Joseph B. AU - Sisco, Paul H. AU - Frampton, John AU - Lucas, Sunny AU - Jeffers, Steven N. T2 - PLANT DISEASE AB - Restoration of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) depends on combining resistance to both the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) and Phytophthora cinnamomi, which causes Phytophthora root rot, in a diverse population of C. dentata. Over a 14-year period (2004 to 2017), survival and root health of American chestnut backcross seedlings after inoculation with P. cinnamomi were compared among 28 BC 3 , 66 BC 4 , and 389 BC 3 F 3 families that descended from two BC 1 trees (Clapper and Graves) with different Chinese chestnut grandparents. The 5% most resistant Graves BC 3 F 3 families survived P. cinnamomi infection at rates of 75 to 100% but had mean root health scores that were intermediate between resistant Chinese chestnut and susceptible American chestnut families. Within Graves BC 3 F 3 families, seedling survival was greater than survival of Graves BC 3 and BC 4 families and was not genetically correlated with chestnut blight canker severity. Only low to intermediate resistance to P. cinnamomi was detected among backcross descendants from the Clapper tree. Results suggest that major-effect resistance alleles were inherited by descendants from the Graves tree, that intercrossing backcross trees enhances progeny resistance to P. cinnamomi, and that alleles for resistance to P. cinnamomi and C. parasitica are not linked. To combine resistance to both C. parasitica and P. cinnamomi, a diverse Graves backcross population will be screened for resistance to P. cinnamomi, survivors bred with trees selected for resistance to C. parasitica, and progeny selected for resistance to both pathogens will be intercrossed. DA - 2019/7// PY - 2019/7// DO - 10.1094/PDIS-11-18-1976-RE VL - 103 IS - 7 SP - 1631-1641 SN - 1943-7692 KW - backcross breeding KW - chestnut blight KW - Cryphonectria parasitica KW - heritability KW - host resistance KW - ink disease KW - Phytophthora root rot ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genetics of cocaine and methamphetamine consumption and preference in Drosophila melanogaster AU - Highfill, Chad A. AU - Baker, Brandon M. AU - Stevens, Stephenie D. AU - Anholt, Robert R. H. AU - Mackay, Trudy F. C. T2 - PLOS GENETICS AB - Illicit use of psychostimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, constitutes a significant public health problem. Whereas neural mechanisms that mediate the effects of these drugs are well-characterized, genetic factors that account for individual variation in susceptibility to substance abuse and addiction remain largely unknown. Drosophila melanogaster can serve as a translational model for studies on substance abuse, since flies have a dopamine transporter that can bind cocaine and methamphetamine, and exposure to these compounds elicits effects similar to those observed in people, suggesting conserved evolutionary mechanisms underlying drug responses. Here, we used the D. melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel to investigate the genetic basis for variation in psychostimulant drug consumption, to determine whether similar or distinct genetic networks underlie variation in consumption of cocaine and methamphetamine, and to assess the extent of sexual dimorphism and effect of genetic context on variation in voluntary drug consumption. Quantification of natural genetic variation in voluntary consumption, preference, and change in consumption and preference over time for cocaine and methamphetamine uncovered significant genetic variation for all traits, including sex-, exposure- and drug-specific genetic variation. Genome wide association analyses identified both shared and drug-specific candidate genes, which could be integrated in genetic interaction networks. We assessed the effects of ubiquitous RNA interference (RNAi) on consumption behaviors for 34 candidate genes: all affected at least one behavior. Finally, we utilized RNAi knockdown in the nervous system to implicate dopaminergic neurons and the mushroom bodies as part of the neural circuitry underlying experience-dependent development of drug preference. DA - 2019/5// PY - 2019/5// DO - 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007834 VL - 15 IS - 5 SP - SN - 1553-7404 ER - TY - JOUR TI - New molecular design for blue BODIPYs AU - Wu, Zhiyuan AU - Fujita, Hikaru AU - Magdaong, Nikki Cecil M. AU - Diers, James R. AU - Hood, Don AU - Allu, Srinivasarao AU - Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M. AU - Kirmaier, Christine AU - Bocian, David F. AU - Holten, Dewey AU - Lindsey, Jonathan S. T2 - NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY AB - Dihydro analogues of BODIPYs exhibit spectral features (Φf ∼ 0.4–0.9) resembling aminocoumarins and suggest applications for broad-band photosensitization or where large Stokes shifts are desired. DA - 2019/5/21/ PY - 2019/5/21/ DO - 10.1039/c9nj01114e VL - 43 IS - 19 SP - 7233-7242 SN - 1369-9261 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Annulated bacteriochlorins for near- infrared photophysical studies AU - Fujita, Hikaru AU - Jing, Haoyu AU - Krayer, Michael AU - Allu, Srinivasarao AU - Veeraraghavaiah, Gorre AU - Wu, Zhiyuan AU - Jiang, Jianbing AU - Diers, James R. AU - Magdaong, Nikki Cecil M. AU - Mandal, Amit K. AU - Roy, Arpita AU - Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M. AU - Kirmaier, Christine AU - Bocian, David F. AU - Holten, Dewey AU - Lindsey, Jonathan S. T2 - NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY AB - Bacteriochlorins with phenaleno or benzo annulation absorb at 913 or 1033 nm and exhibit excited-state lifetimes of 150 or 7 ps, suggesting applications in photoacoustic imaging. DA - 2019/5/21/ PY - 2019/5/21/ DO - 10.1039/c9nj01113g VL - 43 IS - 19 SP - 7209-7232 SN - 1369-9261 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Presence of Phytophthora species in Swedish Christmas tree plantations AU - Pettersson, Martin AU - Frampton, John AU - Roennberg, Jonas AU - Brurberg, May Bente AU - Talgo, Venche T2 - EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY DA - 2019/4// PY - 2019/4// DO - 10.1007/s10658-018-01638-2 VL - 153 IS - 4 SP - 1221-1236 SN - 1573-8469 KW - Phytophthora cryptogea KW - Phytophthora megasperma KW - Phytophthora plurivora KW - Abies KW - Picea KW - Root rot ER - TY - JOUR TI - Ecological and Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Bartonella henselae Exposure in Dogs Tested for Vector-Borne Diseases in North Carolina AU - Lashnits, Erin W. AU - Dawson, Daniel E. AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward AU - Lanzas, Cristina T2 - Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases AB - Bartonella henselae is a zoonotic vector-borne pathogen affecting both humans and dogs. Little is known about the epidemiology of B. henselae in dogs, including risk factors associated with exposure. The objectives of this study were to map the current distribution of B. henselae in dogs in North Carolina (NC) and to identify ecological and socioeconomic factors influencing B. henselae seroreactivity. Results from 4446 B. henselae serology samples from dogs in NC submitted by veterinarians for clinical diagnostic testing to the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine Vector Borne Disease Diagnostic Laboratory between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. These results were used to generate a map of B. henselae seroreactivity. To account for sparsely sampled areas, statistical smoothing using head banging and areal interpolation kriging was performed. Using previously described risk factors for exposure to canine tick-borne diseases, eight multivariable logistic regression models based on biologically plausible hypotheses were tested, and a final model was selected using an Akaike's Information Criterion weighted-average approach. Seroreactivity among dogs tested for vector-borne disease was variable across the state: higher along the southern/eastern coastal plains and eastern Piedmont, and lower in the western mountains. Of 25 explanatory factors considered, the model combining demographic, socioeconomic, climatic, and land use variables fits best. Based on this model, female intact sex and increasing percentage of the county with low-intensity development and evergreen forest were associated with higher seroreactivity. Conversely, moderate development, increasing median household income, and higher temperature range and relative humidity were associated with lower seroreactivity. This model could be improved, however, by including local and host-scale factors that may play a significant role in dogs' exposure. DA - 2019/8// PY - 2019/8// DO - 10.1089/vbz.2018.2397 VL - 19 IS - 8 SP - 582-595 J2 - Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases LA - en OP - SN - 1530-3667 1557-7759 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2018.2397 DB - Crossref KW - canine KW - seroreactivity KW - tick KW - flea KW - zoonoses KW - vector-borne ER - TY - JOUR TI - Analysis of the antigenic determinants of the OspC protein of the Lyme disease spirochetes: Evidence that the C10 motif is not immunodominant or required to elicit bactericidal antibody responses AU - Izac, Jerilyn R. AU - Camire, Andrew C. AU - Earnhart, Christopher G. AU - Embers, Monica E. AU - Funk, Rebecca A. AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B. AU - Marconi, Richard T. T2 - Vaccine AB - As Ixodes ticks spread to new regions, the incidence of Lyme disease (LD) in companion animals and humans will increase. Preventive strategies for LD in canines center on vaccination and tick control (acaricides). Both subunit and bacterin based LD veterinary vaccines are available. Outer surface protein C (OspC), a potent immunogen and dominant early antigen, has been demonstrated to elicit protective antibody (Ab) responses. However, a single OspC protein elicits a relatively narrow range of protection. There are conflicting reports as to whether the immunodominant epitopes of OspC reside within variable or conserved domains. A detailed understanding of the antigenic determinants of OspC is essential for understanding immune responses to this essential virulence factor and vaccinogen. Here, we investigate the contribution of the conserved C-terminal C10 motif in OspC triggered Ab responses. Using a panel of diverse recombinant full length OspC proteins and their corresponding C10 deletion variants (OspCΔC10), we demonstrate that the C10 motif does not significantly contribute to immunization or infection induced Ab responses in rabbits, rats, canines, horses and non-human primates. Furthermore, the C10 motif is not required to trigger potent bactericidal Ab responses. This study provides insight into the antigenic structure of OspC. The results enhance our understanding of immune responses that develop during infection or upon vaccination and have implications for interpretation of LD diagnostic assays that employ OspC. DA - 2019/4// PY - 2019/4// DO - 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.02.007 VL - 37 IS - 17 SP - 2401-2407 J2 - Vaccine LA - en OP - SN - 0264-410X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.02.007 DB - Crossref KW - Borreliella KW - Lyme disease KW - OspC KW - Lyme disease vaccine KW - Borrelia ER - TY - JOUR TI - The Evolution of a Seedling Market for Genetically Improved Loblolly Pine in the Southern United States AU - McKeand, Steven E. T2 - JOURNAL OF FORESTRY AB - Landowners in the southern United States have witnessed unprecedented changes in the availability of genetically improved loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings. Landowners can now purchase the most advanced seedlings bred by tree improvement programs to have increased productivity, improved stem and wood quality, and enhanced disease resistance. Until the mid-2000s, the best genetics were typically planted by forest product companies on their own lands to capture the maximum benefit from their investment in tree breeding. Other forest landowners typically did not have access to the very best genetics. Since the large, vertically integrated forest products companies no longer own or manage much of the land, virtually all seedling families are now available to all landowners. With the evolution of a more open market for seedlings, differential prices developed rapidly. The highest performing full-sibling families now sell for more than four times more than open-pollinated families of lower performance. Landowners who choose to invest in improved genetics are reaping the benefits of many years of selective breeding, which increases their own profitability as well as contributes to the long-term sustainability of cooperative tree improvement programs. DA - 2019/5// PY - 2019/5// DO - 10.1093/jofore/fvz006 VL - 117 IS - 3 SP - 293-301 SN - 1938-3746 UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvz006 KW - economics KW - genetic gain KW - nurseries KW - Pinus taeda L. KW - tree improvement ER - TY - JOUR TI - Phytophthora acaciae sp. nov., a new species causing gummosis of black wattle in Brazil AU - Alves, Tatiane C. Albuquerque AU - Tessmann, Dauri J. AU - Ivors, Kelly L. AU - Ristaino, Jean B. AU - dos Santos, Álvaro F. T2 - Mycologia AB - A new Phytophthora species was found associated with gummosis in black wattle plantations in the subtropical, humid, south of Brazil. The new species Phytophthora acaciae is formally named herein based on phylogenetic and morphological analyses. This is the fourth Phytophthora species found from this pathogen complex in black wattle plantations causing gummosis in Brazil. The other three species are P. nicotianae, P. boehmeriae, and P. frigida. Phytophthora acaciae is heterothallic with amphigynous antheridia, noncaducous, papillate sporangia and is placed in the Phytophthora clade 2 based on nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS) sequences. Maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of P. acaciae isolates based on multigene sequences, including partial DNA sequences of three nuclear protein-coding genes (β-tubulin, translation elongation factor-1α, and ras-related protein), two mitochondrial protein-coding genes (cytochrome c oxidase subunits I and II), in addition to ITS sequence data, support the delimitation of this new species on Acacia mearnsii from the other previously described clade 2 Phytophthora species. Pathogenicity trial confirmed that the new species causes necrotic lesions on the plant stem, with either the presence or absence of gum. DA - 2019/4/9/ PY - 2019/4/9/ DO - 10.1080/00275514.2019.1575685 VL - 111 IS - 3 SP - 445-455 J2 - Mycologia LA - en OP - SN - 0027-5514 1557-2536 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2019.1575685 DB - Crossref KW - Forest fungi KW - Oomycetes KW - phylogenetics KW - Straminipila KW - taxonomy KW - 1 new taxon ER - TY - JOUR TI - Clinicopathological findings in 41 dogs (2008‐2018) naturally infected with Ehrlichia ewingii AU - Qurollo, Barbara A. AU - Buch, Jesse AU - Chandrashekar, Ramaswamy AU - Beall, Melissa J. AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B. AU - Yancey, Caroline B. AU - Caudill, Alexander H. AU - Comyn, Alaire T2 - Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine AB - Background Ehrlichia ewingii is the most seroprevalent Ehrlichia ‐infecting dogs in the southern and mid‐western United States. Fever, lameness, and polyarthritis are commonly reported findings in dogs naturally infected with E. ewingii . Objectives To evaluate clinicopathologic findings in a population of dogs naturally infected with E. ewingii . Animals Forty‐one dogs PCR positive for E. ewingii and PCR negative for other targeted vector‐borne organisms. Methods Retrospective study. Clinical and clinicopathologic data including physical examination findings, CBC, serum biochemistry, urinalysis (UA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), and vector‐borne disease diagnostic results were reviewed. Results Frequent clinical diagnoses other than ehrlichiosis (28/41; 68.3%) were renal disease (7/41; 17.1%) and immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) (6/41; 14.6%). The most frequent physical examination finding was joint pain (14/41; 34.1%). Prominent hematologic and biochemical abnormalities included abnormal lymphocyte counts (22/36; 61.1%); neutrophilia (21/37; 56.8%); increased alkaline phosphatase (20/35; 57.1%) and alanine transaminase (14/35; 40%) activities; and increased SDMA concentration (11/34; 32.4%). Urinalysis abnormalities included proteinuria (20/27; 74%), most with inactive sediments (16/20; 80%). Dogs were seroreactive by Ehrlichia canis immunofluorescence assay (IFA; 17/39; 43.6%) and Ehrlichia ELISA (34/41; 82.9%). Seroreactivity by IFA for other vector‐borne pathogens included Bartonella (1/39; 2.6%), Rickettsia rickettsii (spotted‐fever group rickettsiae) (12/39; 30.8%), and Borrelia burgdorferi by ELISA (1/41; 2.4%). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Renal disease, IMHA, proteinuria, neutrophilia, abnormal lymphocytes, and increased liver enzyme activities were common in this group of E. ewingii ‐infected dogs. Studies are needed to determine if E. ewingii contributes to comorbidities or is a precipitating factor in clinical syndromes in persistently infected dogs. DA - 2019/1/2/ PY - 2019/1/2/ DO - 10.1111/jvim.15354 VL - 33 IS - 2 SP - 618-629 J2 - J Vet Intern Med LA - en OP - SN - 0891-6640 1939-1676 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15354 DB - Crossref KW - canine KW - granulocytic ehrlichiosis KW - tick borne ER - TY - JOUR TI - Bartonella spp. Bloodstream Infection in a Canadian Family AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B. AU - Maggi, Ricardo G. AU - Quach, Caroline AU - Bradley, Julie M. T2 - Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases AB - Historically, Bartonella spp. have been associated with febrile illness (Oroya fever, trench fever, and cat scratch disease), endocarditis (numerous Bartonella spp.), and vasoproliferative lesions (Bartonella bacilliformis, Bartonella quintana, Bartonella henselae, and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii), occurring most often but not exclusively in immunocompromised patients. Recently, bloodstream infections with various Bartonella spp. have been documented in nonimmunocompromised individuals in association with a spectrum of cardiovascular, neurologic, and rheumatologic symptoms. As documented in this family, symptoms for which the medical implications remain unclear can occur in multiple family members infected with one or more Bartonella spp. Serial serologic and molecular microbiological findings supported exposure to or infection with Bartonella spp. in all seven family members. Either antibiotics failed to eliminate bacteremic infection, resulted in partial resolution of symptoms, or potentially reinfection occurred during the 19-month study period. There is a substantial need for clinical research to clarify the extent to which Bartonella spp. bacteremia induces nonspecific cardiovascular, neurologic, or rheumatologic symptoms, for ongoing improvement in the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic testing, and clarification as to if, when, and how to treat patients with documented Bartonella spp. bacteremia. DA - 2019/4// PY - 2019/4// DO - 10.1089/vbz.2018.2353 VL - 19 IS - 4 SP - 234-241 J2 - Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases LA - en OP - SN - 1530-3667 1557-7759 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2018.2353 DB - Crossref KW - infection KW - bacteria KW - family KW - transmission KW - vectors ER - TY - JOUR TI - An update on the treatment of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis) AU - Mylonakis, Mathios E. AU - Harrus, Shimon AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B. T2 - VETERINARY JOURNAL AB - Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME), caused by Ehrlichia canis, a gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium, is a tick-borne disease of worldwide distribution. Experimentally, the course of E. canis infection can be sequentially divided into acute, subclinical and chronic phases, although distinction of these phases is challenging in the clinical setting. Spontaneous clinical recovery of acutely infected dogs is common; however, dogs at this stage require medical treatment in order to hasten their clinical recovery, and to prevent clinical exacerbation or death. An unpredictable proportion of subclinically infected dogs will eventually develop the chronic, severe form of ehrlichiosis, characterized by aplastic pancytopenia and high mortality. The aims of antimicrobial treatment in CME include the achievement of clinical remission, resolution of the clinicopathologic abnormalities, and eradication of the infection, although the latter is not always feasible or diagnostically confirmable. Treatment of dogs with aplastic pancytopenia should be undertaken with the clear understanding that medical management will require long-term care, will be expensive, and may eventually prove ineffective. This manuscript reviews the current state of knowledge regarding treatment of ehrlichiosis, caused by E. canis infection in dogs, provides expert opinion guidelines for the management of the CME-associated aplastic pancytopenia, and outlines methods for evaluation of treatment outcomes. DA - 2019/4// PY - 2019/4// DO - 10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.01.015 VL - 246 SP - 45-53 SN - 1532-2971 KW - Aplastic pancytopenia KW - Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis KW - Dog KW - Ehrlichia canis KW - Treatment ER - TY - JOUR TI - Bartonella henselae Bloodstream Infection in a Boy With Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B AU - Greenberg, Rosalie AU - Maggi, Ricardo G AU - Mozayeni, B Robert AU - Lewis, Allen AU - Bradley, Julie M T2 - Journal of Central Nervous System Disease AB - Background: With the advent of more sensitive culture and molecular diagnostic testing modalities, Bartonella spp. infections have been documented in blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid specimens from patients with diverse neurological symptoms. Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) is characterized by an unusually abrupt onset of cognitive, behavioral, or neurological symptoms. Between October 2015 and January 2017, a 14-year-old boy underwent evaluation by multiple specialists for sudden-onset psychotic behavior (hallucinations, delusions, suicidal and homicidal ideation). Methods: In March 2017, Bartonella spp. serology (indirect fluorescent antibody assays) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, DNA sequencing, and Bartonella enrichment blood culture were used on a research basis to assess Bartonella spp. exposure and bloodstream infection, respectively. PCR assays targeting other vector-borne infections were performed to assess potential co-infections. Results: For 18 months, the boy remained psychotic despite 4 hospitalizations, therapeutic trials involving multiple psychiatric medication combinations, and immunosuppressive treatment for autoimmune encephalitis. Neurobartonellosis was diagnosed after cutaneous lesions developed. Subsequently, despite nearly 2 consecutive months of doxycycline administration, Bartonella henselae DNA was PCR amplified and sequenced from the patient’s blood, and from Bartonella alphaproteobacteria growth medium enrichment blood cultures. B henselae serology was negative. During treatment with combination antimicrobial chemotherapy, he experienced a gradual progressive decrease in neuropsychiatric symptoms, cessation of psychiatric drugs, resolution of Bartonella-associated cutaneous lesions, and a return to all pre-illness activities. Conclusions: This case report suggests that B henselae bloodstream infection may contribute to progressive, recalcitrant neuropsychiatric symptoms consistent with PANS in a subset of patients. DA - 2019/1// PY - 2019/1// DO - 10.1177/1179573519832014 VL - 11 SP - 117957351983201 J2 - J Cent Nerv Syst Dis LA - en OP - SN - 1179-5735 1179-5735 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1179573519832014 DB - Crossref KW - Bacteria KW - psychosis KW - transmission KW - stretch marks KW - Bartonella KW - schizophrenia ER - TY - JOUR TI - Geminiviral V2 Protein Suppresses Transcriptional Gene Silencing through Interaction with AGO4 AU - Wang, Yunjing AU - Wu, Yuyao AU - Gong, Qian AU - Ismayil, Asigul AU - Yuan, Yuxiang AU - Lian, Bi AU - Jia, Qi AU - Han, Meng AU - Deng, Haiteng AU - Hong, Yiguo AU - Hanley-Bowdoin, Linda AU - Qi, Yijun AU - Liu, Yule T2 - JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY AB - In plants, RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM)-mediated transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) is a natural antiviral defense against geminiviruses. Several geminiviral proteins have been shown to target the enzymes related to the methyl cycle or histone modification; however, it remains largely unknown whether and by which mechanism geminiviruses directly inhibit RdDM-mediated TGS. In this study, we showed that Cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMuV) V2 directly interacts with Nicotiana benthamiana AGO4 (NbAGO4) and that the L76S mutation in V2 (V2L76S) abolishes such interaction. We further showed that V2, but not V2L76S, can suppresses RdDM and TGS. Silencing of NbAGO4 inhibits TGS, reduces the viral methylation level, and enhances CLCuMuV DNA accumulation. In contrast, the V2L76S substitution mutant attenuates CLCuMuV infection and enhances the viral methylation level. These findings reveal that CLCuMuV V2 contributes to viral infection by interaction with NbAGO4 to suppress RdDM-mediated TGS in plants.IMPORTANCE In plants, the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway is a natural antiviral defense mechanism against geminiviruses. However, how geminiviruses counter RdDM-mediated defense is largely unknown. Our findings reveal that Cotton leaf curl Multan virus V2 contributes to viral infection by interaction with NbAGO4 to suppress RNA-directed DNA methylation-mediated transcriptional gene silencing in plants. Our work provides the first evidence that a geminiviral protein is able to directly target core RdDM components to counter RdDM-mediated TGS antiviral defense in plants, which extends our current understanding of viral counters to host antiviral defense. DA - 2019/3// PY - 2019/3// DO - 10.1128/JVI.01675-18 VL - 93 IS - 6 SP - SN - 1098-5514 KW - Argonaute 4 KW - CLCuMuV KW - RdDM pathway KW - TGS KW - V2 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Current Advances in Seed Orchard Layouts: Two Case Studies in Conifers AU - Chaloupkova, Katerina AU - Stejskal, Jan AU - El-Kassaby, Yousry A. AU - Frampton, John AU - Lstiburek, Milan T2 - FORESTS AB - Currently, there has been an increasing demand on seed orchard designs with respect to mitigating inbreeding in advanced generations or facing severe mortality at sites. Optimum Neighborhood Algorithm design (ONA) excels in solving these issues, as shown in two case studies. The first demonstrates the application of the ONA for populating empty positions in an existing orchard. Following this concept, the ONA can be used for upgrading existing orchards, where only high-value parents are retained and new parents are introduced, thus avoiding the genetic penalty associated with the establishment of new-generation seed orchards. The second illustrates benefits of combining the ONA with the Minimum Inbreeding (MI) seed orchard design. Utilizing the MI, distances among clonal rows of selected clones were maximized on the orchard grid while the remaining single-tree positions were populated by ONA. DA - 2019/2// PY - 2019/2// DO - 10.3390/f10020093 VL - 10 IS - 2 SP - SN - 1999-4907 KW - optimum neighborhood algorithm design KW - minimum inbreeding design KW - orchard upgrading KW - spatial arrangements KW - clonal rows KW - panmixia ER - TY - JOUR TI - CAD1 and CCR2 protein complex formation in monolignol biosynthesis in Populus trichocarpa AU - Yan, Xiaojing AU - Liu, Jie AU - Kim, Hoon AU - Liu, Baoguang AU - Huang, Xiong AU - Yang, Zhichang AU - Lin, Ying-Chung Jimmy AU - Chen, Hao AU - Yang, Chenmin AU - Wang, Jack P. AU - Muddiman, David C. AU - Ralph, John AU - Sederoff, Ronald R. AU - Li, Quanzi AU - Chiang, Vincent L. T2 - NEW PHYTOLOGIST AB - Lignin is the major phenolic polymer in plant secondary cell walls and is polymerized from monomeric subunits, the monolignols. Eleven enzyme families are implicated in monolignol biosynthesis. Here, we studied the functions of members of the cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR) families in wood formation in Populus trichocarpa, including the regulatory effects of their transcripts and protein activities on monolignol biosynthesis. Enzyme activity assays from stem-differentiating xylem (SDX) proteins showed that RNAi suppression of PtrCAD1 in P. trichocarpa transgenics caused a reduction in SDX CCR activity. RNAi suppression of PtrCCR2, the only CCR member highly expressed in SDX, caused a reciprocal reduction in SDX protein CAD activities. The enzyme assays of mixed and coexpressed recombinant proteins supported physical interactions between PtrCAD1 and PtrCCR2. Biomolecular fluorescence complementation and pull-down/co-immunoprecipitation experiments supported a hypothesis of PtrCAD1/PtrCCR2 heterodimer formation. These results provide evidence for the formation of PtrCAD1/PtrCCR2 protein complexes in monolignol biosynthesis in planta. DA - 2019/4// PY - 2019/4// DO - 10.1111/nph.15505 VL - 222 IS - 1 SP - 244-260 SN - 1469-8137 KW - co-immunoprecipitation KW - enzyme activity KW - monolignol biosynthetic pathway KW - nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) KW - Populus trichocarpa KW - stem-differentiating xylem protein ER - TY - JOUR TI - Heuristics from Modeling of Spectral Overlap in Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) AU - Qi, Qi AU - Taniguchi, Masahiko AU - Lindsey, Jonathan S. T2 - JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL INFORMATION AND MODELING AB - Among the photophysical parameters that underpin Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), perhaps the least explored is the spectral overlap term (J). While by definition J increases linearly with acceptor molar absorption coefficient (ε(A) in M–1 cm–1), is proportional to wavelength (λ4), and depends on the degree of overlap of the donor fluorescence and acceptor absorption spectra, the question arose as to the value of J for the case of perfect spectral overlap versus that for representative fluorophores with incomplete spectral overlap. Here, Gaussian distributions of absorption and fluorescent spectra have been modeled that encompass varying degrees of overlap, full-width-at-half-maximum (fwhm), and Stokes shift. For ε(A) = 105 M–1 cm–1 and perfect overlap, the J value (in M–1 cm–1 nm4) ranges from 1.15 × 1014 (200 nm) to 7.07 × 1016 (1000 nm), is almost linear with λ4 (average of λabs and λflu), and is nearly independent of fwhm. For visible-region fluorophores with perfectly overlapped Gaussian spectra, the resulting value of J (JG–0) is ∼0.71 ε(A)λ4 (M–1 cm–1 nm4). The experimental J values for homotransfer, as occurs in light-harvesting antennas, were calculated with spectra from a static database of 60 representative compounds (12 groups, 5 compounds each) and found to range from 4.2 × 1010 (o-xylene) to 5.3 × 1016 M–1 cm–1 nm4 (a naphthalocyanine). The degree of overlap, defined by the ratio of the experimental J to the model JG–0 for perfectly overlapped spectra, ranges from ∼0.5% (coumarin 151) to 77% (bacteriochlorophyll a). The results provide insights into how a variety of factors affect the resulting J values. The high degree of spectral overlap for (bacterio)chlorophylls prompts brief conjecture concerning the relevance of energy transfer to the question “why chlorophyll”. DA - 2019/2// PY - 2019/2// DO - 10.1021/acs.jcim.8b00753 VL - 59 IS - 2 SP - 652-667 SN - 1549-960X ER - TY - PCOMM TI - Genetic loci determining total immunoglobulin E levels from birth through adulthood AU - Yao, Tsung-Chieh AU - Chung, Ren-Hua AU - Lin, Chung-Yen AU - Tsai, Pei-Chien AU - Chang, Wei-Chiao AU - Yeh, Kuo-Wei AU - Tsai, Ming-Han AU - Liao, Sui-Ling AU - Hua, Man-Chin AU - Lai, Shen-Hao AU - Chen, Li-Chen AU - Chang, Su-Wei AU - Yu, Ya-Wen AU - Hsu, Jing-Ya AU - Chang, Su-Ching AU - Cheng, Wen-Chih AU - Hu, Donglei AU - Hong, Xiumei AU - Burchard, Esteban G. AU - Wang, Xiaobin AU - Tzeng, Jung-Ying AU - Tsai, Hui-Ju AU - Huang, Jing-Long AB - Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article. DA - 2019/3// PY - 2019/3// DO - 10.1111/all.13654 SP - 621-625 ER - TY - JOUR TI - A novel polyketide synthase gene cluster in the plant pathogenic fungus Pseudocercospora fijiensis AU - Noar, Roslyn D. AU - Thomas, Elizabeth AU - Daub, Margaret E. T2 - PLOS ONE AB - Pseudocercospora fijiensis, causal agent of black Sigatoka of banana, produces polyketide synthase (PKS) pathways shown to be important in disease development by related Dothideomycete fungi. Genome analysis of the P. fijiensis PKS8-1 gene identified it as part of a gene cluster including genes encoding two transcription factors, a regulatory protein, a glyoxylase/beta-lactamase-like protein, an MFS transporter, a cytochrome P450, two aldo/keto reductases, a dehydrogenase, and a decarboxylase. Genome analysis of the related pathogens Pseudocercospora musae, Pseudocercospora eumusae, and Pseudocercospora pini-densiflorae, identified orthologous clusters containing a nearly identical combination of genes. Phylogenetic analysis of PKS8-1 identified homology to PKS proteins in the monodictyphenone and cladofulvin pathways in Aspergillus nidulans and Cladosporium fulvum, respectively. Analysis of clustered genes showed that the PKS8-1 cluster shares genes for enzymes involved in the production of the emodin intermediate in the monodictyphenone and cladofulvin pathways, but differs in many genes, suggesting production of a different metabolic product. Time course analysis of gene expression in infected banana showed up-regulation of PKS8-1 and four of eight clustered genes as early as 2 weeks post-inoculation and remaining high through 9 weeks. Overexpression of the pathway through constitutive expression of an aflR-like transcription factor gene in the cluster resulted in increased expression in culture of PKS8-1 as well as the four clustered genes that are up-regulated in infected plants. No differences were seen in timing or severity of disease symptoms with the overexpression strains relative to controls, however gene expression analysis showed no difference in expression in planta by an overexpression strain relative to controls. Thus constitutive expression of the aflR-like gene is not sufficient to upregulate the pathway above normal expression in planta. Pathway expression during all phases of disease development and conservation of the pathway in related Pseudocercospora species support a role for this pathway in disease. DA - 2019/2/8/ PY - 2019/2/8/ DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0212229 VL - 14 IS - 2 SP - SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Pasteurella canis infective endocarditis in a dog AU - Kern, Zachary T. AU - Swartley, Olivia M. AU - Neupane, Pradeep AU - Balakrishnan, Nandhakumar AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B. T2 - Veterinary Microbiology AB - Infective endocarditis, an infrequent clinical syndrome in dogs, is typically associated with nondescript clinical signs such as fever, malaise and loss of appetite. Although an uncommonly reported infection in dogs, Pasteurella canis is an emerging pathogen with increasing relevance in the human microbiology literature. The goal of this study is to detail the clinical presentation and microbiological findings associated with a novel causative agent of infective endocarditis in the dog. Diagnostic evaluation as well as conventional, automated and molecular microbiological methods are highlighted. The recent literature regarding P. canis and infective endocarditis in companion animals and humans is reviewed. Although an unusual etiologic agent of infective endocarditis, awareness of P. canis as a diagnostic possibility is crucial to accurate microbial surveillance. DA - 2019/2// PY - 2019/2// DO - 10.1016/j.vetmic.2018.12.001 VL - 229 SP - 14-19 J2 - Veterinary Microbiology LA - en OP - SN - 0378-1135 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2018.12.001 DB - Crossref KW - Pasteurella cards KW - Infective vegetative endocarditis KW - Sepsis KW - Vasculitis KW - 16S rDNA PCR KW - MAIDLTOF ER - TY - JOUR TI - Single-Polymer-Single-Cargo Strategy Packages Hydrophobic Fluorophores in Aqueous Solution with Retention of Inherent Brightness AU - Liu, Rui AU - Lindsey, Jonathan S. T2 - ACS MACRO LETTERS AB - A strategy for encapsulating hydrophobic organic entities in aqueous solution has been developed through use of a self-assembling heterotelechelic amphiphilic random copolymer. The polymer (∼40 kDa), prepared by living radical polymerization, contains orthogonally reactive terminal groups and pendant hydrophobic (dodecyl), nonionic hydrophilic (PEG9), and ionic hydrophilic (sulfonate-terminated) groups. Covalent conjugation of a hydrophobic entity to the polymer terminus has been demonstrated for 8 classes of organic fluorophores. The resulting "pod-fluorophore" architecture is unimeric (∼15 nm in diameter) in aqueous solution with spectral features and fluorescence brightness resembling those of the benchmark fluorophore in organic solution. This strategy separates the functional design of the packaged molecular entity ("cargo") from the often vexing challenge of water solubilization and in so doing creates a unitary (one-pod-one-cargo) platform architecture for potential applications in cytometry, biomedical imaging, environmental sensing, and supramolecular chemistry. DA - 2019/1// PY - 2019/1// DO - 10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00907 VL - 8 IS - 1 SP - 79-83 SN - 2161-1653 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Regional prevalences of Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia bissettiae, and Bartonella henselae in Ixodes affinis, Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis in the USA AU - Maggi, Ricardo G. AU - Toliver, Marcee AU - Richardson, Toni AU - Mather, Thomas AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B. T2 - TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES AB - The objective of this work was to determine the prevalence of Borrelia and Bartonella species in Ixodes spp. ticks collected from 16 USA states. Genus PCR amplification and sequence analysis of Bartonella and Borrelia 16SsRNA-23SsRNA intergenic regions were performed on DNA extracted from 929 questing adult ticks (671 Ixodes scapularis, 155 Ixodes affinis, and 103 Ixodes pacificus). Overall, 129/929 (13.9%) Ixodes ticks were PCR positive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, 48/929 for B. bissettiae whereas 23/929 (2.5%) were PCR positive for a Bartonella henselae. Borrelia bissettiae or B. burgdorferi s.s. and B. henselae co-infections were found in I. affinis from North Carolina at a rate of 4.5%; in a single I. scapularis from Minnesota, but not in I. pacificus. For both bacterial genera, PCR positive rates were highly variable depending on geographic location and tick species, with Ixodes affinis (n = 155) collected from North Carolina, being the tick species with the highest prevalence’s for both Borrelia spp. (63.2%) and B. henselae (10.3%). Based on the results of this and other published studies, improved understanding of the enzootic cycle, transmission dynamics, and vector competence of Ixodes species (especially I. affinis) for transmission of Borrelia spp. and B. henselae should be a public health research priority. DA - 2019/2// PY - 2019/2// DO - 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.11.015 VL - 10 IS - 2 SP - 360-364 SN - 1877-9603 KW - Borrelia KW - B. bissettiae KW - Bartonella KW - Ixodes KW - I.affinis KW - I. scapularis ER - TY - JOUR TI - Bartonella quintana and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. vinsonii bloodstream co-infection in a girl from North Carolina, USA AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B. AU - Maggi, Ricardo G. T2 - MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY DA - 2019/2// PY - 2019/2// DO - 10.1007/s00430-018-0563-0 VL - 208 IS - 1 SP - 101-107 SN - 1432-1831 UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00430-018-0563-0 KW - Bartonella quintana KW - Bartonella vinsonii subsp KW - vinsonii KW - Bacteria KW - Vector KW - Equestrian ER - TY - JOUR TI - Genome-Wide Association Study of Circadian Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster AU - Harbison, Susan T. AU - Kumar, Shailesh AU - Huang, Wen AU - McCoy, Lenovia J. AU - Smith, Kirklin R. AU - Mackay, Trudy F. C. T2 - BEHAVIOR GENETICS AB - Circadian rhythms influence physiological processes from sleep-wake cycles to body temperature and are controlled by highly conserved cycling molecules. Although the mechanistic basis of the circadian clock has been known for decades, the extent to which circadian rhythms vary in nature and the underlying genetic basis for that variation is not well understood. We measured circadian period (Ʈ) and rhythmicity index in the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and observed extensive genetic variation in both. Seven DGRP lines had sexually dimorphic arrhythmicity and one line had an exceptionally long Ʈ. Genome-wide analyses identified 584 polymorphisms in 268 genes. We observed differences among transcripts for nine genes predicted to interact among themselves and canonical clock genes in the long period line and a control. Mutations/RNAi knockdown targeting these genes also affected circadian behavior. Our observations reveal that complex genetic interactions influence high levels of variation in circadian phenotypes. DA - 2019/1// PY - 2019/1// DO - 10.1007/s10519-018-9932-0 VL - 49 IS - 1 SP - 60-82 SN - 1573-3297 KW - Drosophila melanogaster KW - Circadian rhythms KW - Genome-wide association KW - Period KW - Rhythmicity index ER - TY - JOUR TI - Enzyme-Enzyme Interactions in Monolignol Biosynthesis AU - Wang, Jack P. AU - Liu, Baoguang AU - Sun, Yi AU - Chiang, Vincent L. AU - Sederoff, Ronald R. T2 - FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE AB - The enzymes that comprise the monolignol biosynthetic pathway have been studied intensively for more than half a century. A major interest has been the role of pathway in the biosynthesis of lignin and the role of lignin in the formation of wood. The pathway has been typically conceived as linear steps that convert phenylalanine into three major monolignols or as a network of enzymes in a metabolic grid. Potential interactions of enzymes have been investigated to test models of metabolic channeling or for higher order interactions. Evidence for enzymatic or physical interactions has been fragmentary and limited to a few enzymes studied in different species. Only recently the entire pathway has been studied comprehensively in any single plant species. Support for interactions comes from new studies of enzyme activity, co-immunoprecipitation, chemical crosslinking, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, yeast 2-hybrid functional screening, and cell type-specific gene expression based on light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation capture microdissection. The most extensive experiments have been done on differentiating xylem of Populus trichocarpa, where genomic, biochemical, chemical, and cellular experiments have been carried out. Interactions affect the rate, direction, and specificity of both 3 and 4-hydroxylation in the monolignol biosynthetic pathway. Three monolignol P450 mono-oxygenases form heterodimeric and heterotetrameric protein complexes that activate specific hydroxylation of cinnamic acid derivatives. Other interactions include regulatory kinetic control of 4-coumarate CoA ligases through subunit specificity and interactions between a cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase and a cinnamoyl-CoA reductase. Monolignol enzyme interactions with other pathway proteins have been associated with biotic and abiotic stress response. Evidence challenging or supporting metabolic channeling in this pathway will be discussed. DA - 2019/1/11/ PY - 2019/1/11/ DO - 10.3389/fpls.2018.01942 VL - 9 SP - SN - 1664-462X KW - monolignol biosynthesis KW - protein-protein interaction KW - lignin KW - enzyme kinetics KW - BiFC KW - co-immunoprecipitation ER - TY - JOUR TI - High-Strength Antibacterial Chitosan-Cellulose Nanocrystal Composite Tissue Paper AU - Tyagi, Preeti AU - Mathew, Reny AU - Opperman, Charles AU - Jameel, Hasan AU - Gonzalez, Ronalds AU - Lucia, Lucian AU - Hubbe, Martin AU - Pal, Lokendra T2 - LANGMUIR AB - A heightened need to control the spread of infectious diseases prompted the current work in which functionalized and innovative antimicrobial tissue paper was developed with a hydrophobic spray-coating of chitosan (Ch) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) composite. It was hypothesized that the hydrophobic nature of chitosan could be counterbalanced by the addition of CNC to maintain fiber formation and water absorbency. Light-weight tissue handsheets were prepared, spray-coated with Ch, CNC, and their composite coating (ChCNC), and tested for antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and a microbial sample from a human hand after using the rest room. Water absorption and strength properties were also analyzed. To activate the surface of cationized tissue paper, an oxygen/helium gas atmospheric plasma treatment was employed on the best performing antimicrobial tissue papers. The highest bactericidal activity was observed with ChCNC-coated tissue paper, inhibiting up to 98% microbial growth. Plasma treatment further improved the antimicrobial activity of the coatings. Water absorption properties were reduced with Ch but increased with CNC. This "self-disinfecting" bactericidal tissue has the potential to be one of the most innovative products for the hygiene industry because it can dry, clean, and resist the infection of surfaces simultaneously, providing significant societal benefits. DA - 2019/1/8/ PY - 2019/1/8/ DO - 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02655 VL - 35 IS - 1 SP - 104-112 SN - 0743-7463 ER -