Unraveling the impact of genome assembly on bacterial typing: a one health perspective.

Background: In the context of pathogen surveillance, it is crucial to ensure interoperability and harmonized data. Several surveillance systems are designed to compare bacteria and identify outbreak clusters based on core genome MultiLocus Sequence Typing (cgMLST). Among the different approaches available to generate bacterial cgMLST, our research used an assembly-based approach (chewBBACA tool).

The distribution and type B trichothecene chemotype of Fusarium species associated with head blight of wheat in South Africa during 2008 and 2009.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat occurs commonly in irrigation regions of South Africa and less frequently in dryland regions. Previous surveys of Fusarium species causing FHB identified isolates using morphological characters only. This study reports on a comprehensive characterisation of FHB pathogens conducted in 2008 and 2009.

Targeted MinION sequencing of transgenes.

The presence of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is commonly assessed using real-time PCR methods targeting the most common transgenic elements found in GMOs. Once the presence of GM material has been established using these screening methods, GMOs are further identified using a battery of real-time PCR methods, each being specific of one GM event and usually targeting the junction of the plant genome and of the transgenic DNA insert. If, using these specific methods, no GMO could be identified, the presence of an unauthorized GMO is suspected.

Overview and detectability of the genetic modifications in ornamental plants.

The market of ornamental plants is extremely competitive, and for many species genetic engineering can be used to introduce original traits of high commercial interest. However, very few genetically modified (GM) ornamental varieties have reached the market so far. Indeed, the authorization process required for such plants has a strong impact on the profitability of the development of such products.

Targeted Next Generation Sequencing to study insert stability in genetically modified plants.

The EU directive 2001/18/EC requires any genetically modified (GM) event to be stable. In the present work, a targeted Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) approach using barcodes to specifically tag each individual DNA molecules during library preparation was implemented to detect mutations taking into account the background noise due to amplification and sequencing errors. The method was first showed to be efficient in detecting the mutations in synthetic samples prepared with custom-synthesized mutated or non-mutated P35S sequences mixed in different proportions.

Defense Compounds Rather Than Nutrient Availability Shape Aggressiveness Trait Variation Along a Leaf Maturity Gradient in a Biotrophic Plant Pathogen.

Foliar pathogens face heterogeneous environments depending on the maturity of leaves they interact with. In particular, nutrient availability as well as defense levels may vary significantly, with opposing effects on the success of infection. The present study tested which of these factors have a dominant effect on the pathogen's development.

A European Database of Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum Trichothecene Genotypes.

Fusarium species, particularly Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum, are the main cause of trichothecene type B contamination in cereals. Data on the distribution of Fusarium trichothecene genotypes in cereals in Europe are scattered in time and space.

Optimization of a real-time PCR assay for the detection of the quarantine pathogen Melampsora medusae f. sp. deltoidae.

Melampsora medusae (Mm), one of the causal agents of poplar rust, is classified as an A2 quarantine pest for European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) and its presence in Europe is strictly controlled. Two formae speciales have been described within Mm, Melampsora medusae f. sp.

Sanitation of a South African Forestry Nursery Contaminated with Fusarium circinatum Using Hydrogen Peroxide at Specific Oxidation Reduction Potentials.

Pitch canker, caused by Fusarium circinatum, was first reported in a forestry nursery in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa in 1990, and it has since spread to almost all forestry nurseries in the country, where it causes significant economic losses. The aim of the current study was to (i) identify sources of F. circinatum contamination in the Karatara forestry nursery in the Western Cape Province and (ii) manage the disease by implementing an oxidation reduction potential (ORP)-based sanitation method using hydrogen peroxide.

Cinnamic-derived acids significantly affect Fusarium graminearum growth and in vitro synthesis of type B trichothecenes.

The impact of five phenolic acids (ferulic, coumaric, caffeic, syringic, and p-hydroxybenzoic acids) on fungal growth and type B trichothecene production by four strains of Fusarium graminearum was investigated. All five phenolic acids inhibited growth but the degree of inhibition varied between strains. Our results suggested that the more lipophilic phenolic acids are, the higher is the effect they have on growth.

Ferulic acid, an efficient inhibitor of type B trichothecene biosynthesis and Tri gene expression in Fusarium liquid cultures.

The effect of ferulic acid, the most abundant phenolic acid in wheat bran, was studied in vitro on type B trichothecene biosynthesis by Fusarium. It was demonstrated that ferulic acid is an efficient inhibitor of mycotoxin production by all strains of Fusarium tested, including different chemotypes and species. To analyse the mechanism of toxin biosynthesis inhibition by ferulic acid, expression of representative Tri genes, involved in the trichothecene biosynthesis pathway, was monitored by real-time RT-PCR.