Publications by authors named "Leandro De Leon"

Cassava is a major crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is grown primarily by smallholder farmers. Cassava production is constrained by Cassava mosaic disease (CMD), which is caused by a complex of cassava mosaic begomoviruses (CMBs). A previous study showed that SEGS-1 (sequences enhancing geminivirus symptoms), which occurs in the cassava genome and as episomes during viral infection, enhances CMD symptoms and breaks resistance in cassava.

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Seed transmission can be of considerable relevance to the dissemination of plant viruses in nature and for their prevalence and perpetuation. Long-distance spread of isolates of the begomovirus species (genus , family ) has recently occurred from Asia to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Basin. Here, we investigated the possible transmission by melon ( L.

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' Liberibacter solanacearum' (CaLsol) is an uncultured bacterium, transmitted by psyllids and associated with several diseases in and crops. CaLsol detection in psyllids often requires insect destruction, preventing a subsequent morphological identification. In this work, we have assessed the influence on the detection of CaLsol by PCR in (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), of four specimen preparations (entire body, ground, cut-off head, and punctured abdomen) and seven DNA extraction methods (PBS suspension, squashing on membrane, CTAB, Chelex, TRIsure, HotSHOT, and DNeasy).

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Cassava mosaic disease (CMD), which is caused by single-stranded DNA begomoviruses, severely limits cassava production across Africa. A previous study showed that CMD symptom severity and viral DNA accumulation increase in cassava in the presence of a DNA sequence designated SEGS-2 (equence nhancing eminivirus ymptoms). We report here that when SEGS-2 is coinoculated with (ACMV) onto Arabidopsis thaliana, viral symptoms increase.

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is a bacterial group causing different diseases and disorders in plants. Among liberibacters, Liberibacter solanaceraum (CLso) produces disorders in several species mainly within Apiaceae and Solanaceae families. CLso isolates are usually grouped in defined haplotypes according to single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes associated with ribosomal elements.

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Isolates of the (TYLCV) species (genus , family ) infect tomato crops worldwide, causing severe economic damage. Members of the whitefly sibling species group are the vector of begomoviruses, including TYLCV. However, transmission of isolates of the type strain (Israel [IL]) of TYLCV (TYLCV-IL) by tomato seed has recently been reported based on infections occurring in Korea.

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Unlabelled: Cassava mosaic begomoviruses (CMBs) cause cassava mosaic disease (CMD) across Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Like all members of the geminivirus family, CMBs have small, circular single-stranded DNA genomes. We report here the discovery of two novel DNA sequences, designated SEGS-1 and SEGS-2 (forsequencesenhancinggeminivirussymptoms), that enhance symptoms and break resistance to CMD.

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Two phenolic triterpenoids, pristimerol (30 µg/mL) and 8- EPI-6-deoxoblepharodol (20 µg/mL), obtained by catalytic reduction of pristimerin, exhibited bacteriostatic action against Staphylococcus epidermidis. This activity was not dependent on the inoculum size and the growth phase although it showed a stronger effect when cells were growing actively. Addition of phenolic triterpenoids to S.

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Zeylasteral and demethylzeylasteral are 6-oxophenolic triterpenoids isolated from the root of Maytenus blepharodes, which have antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and the yeast Candida albicans. The time-kill curves for zeylasteral and demethylzeylasteral at concentrations twice their MICs, against Bacillus subtilis showed that the colony forming units were reduced in 3-log10 and > 4-log10 respectively. This reduction was dependent on inoculum size and the growth phase of cells, and was greater when the compounds were incorporated in the exponential phase, indicating a bacteriolytic effect.

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