Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China. Electronic address:
Published: March 2020
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
The endophytic fungus Phomopsis liquidambaris efficiently promotes the nitrogen metabolism and growth of host plants such as rice and peanut. However, a lack of genetic tools limits further research regarding the mechanisms of interaction between P. liquidambaris and its host plants. Herein, a CRISPR/Cas9 system for targeted gene disruption in this strain was first constructed and optimized. The knock-out efficiency increased to over 60% when the ku70 or ku80 gene (involved in nonhomologous end-joining, NHEJ) was disrupted. Furthermore, the CRISPR/Cas9 system was applied to disrupt the PmkkA gene, encoding a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) in the cell-wall integrity (CWI) MAPK pathway of the strain. The ΔPmkkA mutant strain induced higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, chitinase activity and glucanase activity in rice seedlings than wild-type P. liquidambaris (WT), resulting in growth inhibition and strong resistance on rice. These results suggested that the PmkkA gene is crucial during the interaction with rice and may play a role in inhibiting the immune system of host plants. The CRISPR-Cas9 system will be of great use for the study of the interaction between P. liquidambaris and its host plants.
Background: Casuarina equisetifolia, a crucial species of coastal windbreaks, is highly susceptible to infestation by Anoplophora chinensis. This stem-boring pest poses a significant threat to the health and sustainability of Casuarina equisetifolia forests. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the host preference of A.
The paper elaborates theoretical basis of the origin of aphid cyclical parthenogenesis in view of the original life of these insects in strobiloid galls on spp. The period of gall opening is greatly extended in time, which prevents normal panmixia and creates a selective advantage for parthenogenetic reproduction. Migration of aphids to secondary host plants, on which closed galls never form, parthenogenetic reproduction on these plants, and the subsequent simultaneous return of "remigrants" to the main host plant make it possible to synchronize the development of the bisexual generation and achieve mass panmixia at the end of the life cycle only; it coincides with the end of summer growth shoots or the autumn end of the vegetation period as a whole.
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
Introduction: The striped hamster, often parasitized by ectoparasites in nature, is an ideal model for studying host-ectoparasite molecular interactions. Investigating the response to ectoparasites under laboratory conditions helps elucidate the mechanism of host adaptations to ectoparasite pressure.
Methods: Using transcriptome sequencing, we analyzed gene expression in striped hamsters after short-term (3 days) and long-term (28 days) flea () parasitism.
In our study, dead stems of two Asteraceae species (weeds) were collected from northern Thailand. Both morphology and multigene phylogeny were used to determine the identity of the taxa. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of combined LSU, SSU, ITS, and data revealed two new species , and with one new host record of .
Bacterial blight in pomegranate, caused by pv. (Xcp), is one of the most devastating diseases, leading to substantial economic losses in pomegranate production. Methods for blight management in pomegranate production are scarce and not well established.
