Publications by authors named "A Rakotondrafara"

Article Synopsis
  • Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) effectively kill mosquitoes like Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi, primarily through cuticle penetration; however, the effects of orally administered EPF on these species have not been well-studied.
  • This research evaluated the oral administration of EPF, particularly Beauveria pseudobassiana 42-51, on several biological aspects of both mosquito species, leading to significant reductions in blood feeding (63% for A. aegypti; 43% for A. stephensi) and egg hatchability (83% and 74%, respectively).
  • Additionally, the study found that B. pseudobassiana caused abnormal follicle development and reduced attraction to host odors
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Potato virus Y (PVY, Potyviridae) is among the most important viral pathogens of potato. The potato resistance gene Ny confers hypersensitive resistance to the ordinary strain of PVY (PVY), but not the necrotic strain (PVY). Here, we unveil that residue 247 of PVY helper component proteinase (HCPro) acts as a central player controlling Ny strain-specific activation.

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Iris severe mosaic virus (ISMV, ) can threaten the sustainability of iris production and the marketability of the plants. Effective intervention and control strategies require rapid and early detection of viral infections. The wide range of viral symptoms, from asymptomatic to severe chlorosis of the leaves, renders diagnosis solely based on visual indicators ineffective.

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Regulation of protein synthesis is a strong determinant of potyviral pathogenicity. The Potyviridae family is the largest family of plant-infecting positive sense RNA viruses. Similar to the animal-infecting Picornaviridae family, the potyviral RNA genome lacks a 5' cap, and instead has a viral protein (VPg) linked to its 5' end.

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Low or excessive soil fertility is a major constraint to potato production. The influence of each individual nutrient element on potato plants under field studies remains ambiguous due to the influence of environmental variations. Creating an in vitro model plant with deficient or excessive nutrient content will provide a more controlled study and allow for a better understanding of how the concentration of one element can affect the uptake of other elements.

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