Plant-Entomopathogenic Fungi Interaction: Recent Progress and Future Prospects on Endophytism-Mediated Growth Promotion and Biocontrol.

Entomopathogenic fungi, often acknowledged primarily for their insecticidal properties, fulfill diverse roles within ecosystems. These roles encompass endophytism, antagonism against plant diseases, promotion of the growth of plants, and inhabitation of the rhizosphere, occurring both naturally and upon artificial inoculation, as substantiated by a growing body of contemporary research. Numerous studies have highlighted the beneficial aspects of endophytic colonization.

Alterations to the bovine bacterial ocular surface microbiome in the context of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis.

Background: Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is a common cause of morbidity in cattle, resulting in significant economic losses. This study aimed to characterize the bovine bacterial ocular surface microbiome (OSM) through conjunctival swab samples from Normal eyes and eyes with naturally acquired, active IBK across populations of cattle using a three-part approach, including bacterial culture, relative abundance (RA, 16 S rRNA gene sequencing), and semi-quantitative random forest modeling (real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)).

Results: Conjunctival swab samples were obtained from eyes individually classified as Normal (n = 376) or IBK (n = 228) based on clinical signs.

Assessing the urinary concentration of nitrofurantoin and its antibacterial activity against , , and isolated from dogs with urinary tract infections.

Nitrofurantoin, a broad-spectrum nitrofuran class antibiotic, is applied as a first-line antibiotic in treating human urinary tract infections (UTIs) due to its great efficacy and high achievable concentration. The interest in using this antibiotic in companion animals has increased due to the growing demand for effective antibiotics to treat UTIs caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Currently, the susceptibility interpretations for nitrofurantoin are based on the breakpoints set for humans, while the canine-specific breakpoints are still unavailable.

Development of a novel real-time PCR multiplex assay for detection of Streptococcus equi subspecies equi and Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus.

Strangles is a contagious bacterial disease of horses caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (SEE) that occurs globally. Rapid and accurate identification of infected horses is essential for controlling strangles. Because of limitations of existing PCR assays for SEE, we sought to identify novel primers and probes that enable simultaneous detection and differentiation of infection with SEE and S.

Biocontrol of the causal brown patch pathogen by GH1-13 and development of a bacterial strain specific detection method.

Brown patch caused by the basidiomycete fungus is an economically important disease of cool-season turfgrasses. In order to manage the disease, different types of fungicides have been applied, but the negative impact of fungicides on the environment continues to rise. In this study, the beneficial bacteria GH1-13 was characterized as a potential biocontrol agent to manage brown patch disease.

First Report of Binucleate AG-G Causing Root Rot of Japanese Bay Tree () in Korea.

Sieb. & Zucc., commonly known as Japanese bay tree, is a large evergreen tree belonging to the Lauraceae family and is widely distributed in Asia, including Korea in subtropical and tropical forest areas (Wu et al.

First report of post-harvest tuber rot of Medikus caused by in South Korea.

Medikus, a perennial vine legume native to North America, is known as 'Indian potato' or 'Apios' for their underground tubers that are used for human consumption in Korea (Choi et al., 2017). These tubers are known to be rich in isoflavones as well as other secondary products to have known several medicinal properties (Chu et al.

Cytogenetics and Consequences of Polyploidization on Different Biotic-Abiotic Stress Tolerance and the Potential Mechanisms Involved.

The application of polyploidy in sustainable agriculture has already brought much appreciation among researchers. Polyploidy may occur naturally or can be induced in the laboratory using chemical or gaseous agents and results in complete chromosome nondisjunction. This comprehensive review described the potential of polyploidization on plants, especially its role in crop improvement for enhanced production and host-plant resistance development against pests and diseases.

, a novel pathogen in farmed American alligators.

Increased acute mortality of farmed American alligators () was observed in various pens from 2 different farms in Louisiana over 2 years (2019-2021). A total of 14 alligators from multiple events of increased mortality were subjected to postmortem investigations. Except for one alligator with acute neurologic signs, no premonitory signs were observed.

Water sorption characteristics of freeze-dried bacteria in low-moisture foods.

Water sorption isotherms of bacteria reflect the water activity with the change of moisture content of bacteria at a specific temperature. The temperature-dependency of water activity change can help to understand the thermal resistance of bacteria during a thermal process. Thermal resistance of bacteria in low-moisture foods may differ significantly depending on the physiological characteristics of microorganisms, including cell structure, existence of biofilms, and growth state.

Fungi Associated with Postharvest Diseases of Sweet Potato Storage Roots and In Vitro Antagonistic Assay of against the Diseases.

Sweet potato is the 11th most important food crop in the world and an excellent source of nutrition. Postharvest diseases were monitored in sweet potato storage roots collected from the local markets in Korea during 2021. Several diseases including Fusarium surface and root rot, charcoal rot, dry rot, and soft rot were observed in the postharvest sweet potatoes.

Plant and Fungal Genome Editing to Enhance Plant Disease Resistance Using the CRISPR/Cas9 System.

Crop production has been substantially reduced by devastating fungal and oomycete pathogens, and these pathogens continue to threaten global food security. Although chemical and cultural controls have been used for crop protection, these involve continuous costs and time and fungicide resistance among plant pathogens has been increasingly reported. The most efficient way to protect crops from plant pathogens is cultivation of disease-resistant cultivars.

Control of Plant Viral Diseases by CRISPR/Cas9: Resistance Mechanisms, Strategies and Challenges in Food Crops.

Protecting food crops from viral pathogens is a significant challenge for agriculture. An integral approach to genome-editing, known as CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR associated protein 9), is used to produce virus-resistant cultivars. The CRISPR/Cas9 tool is an essential part of modern plant breeding due to its attractive features.

First Report of Post-Harvest Tuber Rot of American Groundnut (Apios americana) Caused by Fusarium acuminatum.

Apios americana Medik, commonly known as American groundnut, is a leguminous perennial vine crop native to North America and is cultivated in Japan and Korea (Chu et al. 2019). Its tubers are edible and believed to be very nutritious, especially for women just after childbirth.

The occurrence of Salmonella, extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli and carbapenem resistant non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria in a backyard poultry flock environment.

Increase in the number of small-scale backyard poultry flocks in the USA has substantially increased human-to-live poultry contact, leading to increased public health risks of the transmission of multi-drug resistant (MDR) zoonotic and food-borne bacteria. The objective of this study was to detect the occurrence of Salmonella and MDR Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in the backyard poultry flock environment. A total of 34 backyard poultry flocks in Washington State (WA) were sampled.

Occurrence of Sweetpotato () Wilt and Surface Rot Disease and Determining Resistance of Selected Varieties to the Pathogen in Korea.

Fusarium wilt and Fusarium surface rot caused by Schltdl are the major diseases of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) and was surveyed in different locations (Cheongju, Heanam, Iksan, Icheon, Kimje, Nonsan, Yeoungam, and Yeoju) in Korea from 2015 to 2017 in the field, after harvesting and in storehouse. The wilt incidence in the early stage represented 17.9%, 5.

Biosolids and Tillage Practices Influence Soil Bacterial Communities in Dryland Wheat.

Class B biosolids are used in dryland wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in eastern Washington as a source of nutrients and to increase soil organic matter, but little is known about their effects on bacterial communities and potential for harboring human pathogens. Moreover, conservation tillage is promoted to reduce erosion and soil degradation.

Genomic organization and role of SPI-13 in nutritional fitness of Salmonella.

Salmonella pathogenicity island 13 (SPI-13) contributes to the virulence of Salmonella. The majority of the SPI-13 genes encode proteins putatively involved in bacterial metabolism, however, their functions largely remain uncharacterized. It is currently unknown if SPI-13 contributes to metabolic fitness of Salmonella and, if so, what are the metabolic substrates for the protein encoded by genes within SPI-13.

Dimethyl adenosine transferase (KsgA) contributes to cell-envelope fitness in Salmonella Enteritidis.

We previously reported that inactivation of a universally conserved dimethyl adenosine transferase (KsgA) attenuates virulence and increases sensitivity to oxidative and osmotic stress in Salmonella Enteritidis. Here, we show a role of KsgA in cell-envelope fitness as a potential mechanism underlying these phenotypes in Salmonella. We assessed structural integrity of the cell-envelope by transmission electron microscopy, permeability barrier function by determining intracellular accumulation of ethidium bromide and electrophysical properties by dielectrophoresis, an electrokinetic tool, in wild-type and ksgA knock-out mutants of S.

sp. nov. Isolated from subsp. in Korea.

A new species belonging to the genus was isolated from the necrotic leaf spots of subsp. in Yuseong district, Daejeon, Korea. It is an occasional isolate, not an etiological agent, which is morphologically similar to , but differs in conidial size and conidiophore shape.

Draft Genome Sequences of 12 Clinical and Environmental Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Strains Isolated from a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Washington State.

Methicillin-resistant (MRSP) is a globally emergent multidrug-resistant pathogen of dogs associated with nosocomial transmission in dogs and with potential zoonotic impacts. Here, we report the draft whole-genome sequences of 12 hospital-associated MRSP strains and their resistance genotypes and phenotypes.

Complete Genome Sequence of a Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Kentucky Sequence Type 198 Strain, PU131, Isolated from a Human Patient in Washington State.

Strains of the ciprofloxacin-resistant (Cip) subsp. serovar Kentucky sequence type 198 (ST198) have rapidly and extensively disseminated globally to become a major food safety and public health concern. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of a Cip Kentucky ST198 strain, PU131, isolated from a human patient in Washington State (USA).

Draft Genome Sequences of 11 Serovar Typhimurium Strains Isolated from Human Systemic and Nonsystemic Sites in Brazil.

serovar Typhimurium strains isolated from systemic sites outside sub-Saharan Africa have been rarely sequenced. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of  Typhimurium sequence type 19 (ST19) ( = 9), ST1649 ( = 1), and ST313 ( = 1) strains isolated from human systemic (e.g.