Improvement of fitness and biocontrol properties of Pseudomonas putida via an extracellular heme peroxidase.

The extracellular 373-kDa PehA heme peroxidase of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 has two enzymatic domains which depend on heme cofactor for their peroxidase activity. A null pehA mutant was generated to examine the impact of PehA in rhizosphere colonization competence and the induction of plant systemic resistance (ISR). This mutant was not markedly hampered in colonization efficiency.

Xenotransplanted Human Cortical Neurons Reveal Species-Specific Development and Functional Integration into Mouse Visual Circuits.

How neural circuits develop in the human brain has remained almost impossible to study at the neuronal level. Here, we investigate human cortical neuron development, plasticity, and function using a mouse/human chimera model in which xenotransplanted human cortical pyramidal neurons integrate as single cells into the mouse cortex. Combined neuronal tracing, electrophysiology, and in vivo structural and functional imaging of the transplanted cells reveal a coordinated developmental roadmap recapitulating key milestones of human cortical neuron development.

Comparative chemical screening and genetic analysis reveal tentoxin as a new virulence factor in Cochliobolus miyabeanus, the causal agent of brown spot disease on rice.

Brown spot disease, caused by Cochliobolus miyabeanus, is currently considered to be one of the most important yield reducers of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Despite its agricultural importance, little is known about the virulence mechanisms deployed by the fungus.

Virulence, Host-Selective Toxin Production, and Development of Three Cochliobolus Phytopathogens Lacking the Sfp-Type 4'-Phosphopantetheinyl Transferase Ppt1.

The Sfp-type 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase Ppt1 is required for activation of nonribosomal peptide synthetases, including α-aminoadipate reductase (AAR) for lysine biosynthesis and polyketide synthases, enzymes that biosynthesize peptide and polyketide secondary metabolites, respectively. Deletion of the PPT1 gene, from the maize pathogen Cochliobolus heterostrophus and the rice pathogen Cochliobolus miyabeanus, yielded strains that were significantly reduced in virulence to their hosts. In addition, ppt1 mutants of C.

Connecting growth and defense: the emerging roles of brassinosteroids and gibberellins in plant innate immunity.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) and gibberellins (GAs) are two groups of phytohormones that regulate many common developmental processes throughout the plant life cycle. Fueled by large-scale 'omics' technologies and the burgeoning field of plant computational biology, the past few years have witnessed paradigm-shifting advances in our understanding of how BRs and GA are perceived and their signals transduced. Accumulating evidence also implicates BR and GA in the coordination and integration of plant immune responses.