The velvet family proteins mediate low resistance to isoprothiolane in Magnaporthe oryzae.

Isoprothiolane (IPT) resistance has emerged in Magnaporthe oryzae, due to the long-term usage of IPT to control rice blast in China, yet the mechanisms of the resistance remain largely unknown. Through IPT adaptation on PDA medium, we obtained a variety of IPT-resistant mutants. Based on their EC50 values to IPT, the resistant mutants were mainly divided into three distinct categories, i.e., low resistance (LR, 6.5 ≤ EC50 < 13.0 µg/mL), moderate resistance 1 (MR-1, 13.0 ≤ EC50 < 25.0 µg/mL), and moderate resistance 2 (MR-2, 25.0 ≤ EC50 < 35.0 µg/mL). Molecular analysis of MoIRR (Magnaporthe oryzae isoprothiolane resistance related) gene demonstrated that it was associated only with the moderate resistance in MR-2 mutants, indicating that other mechanisms were associated with resistance in LR and MR-1 mutants. In this study, we mainly focused on the characterization of low resistance to IPT in M. oryzae. Mycelial growth and conidial germination were significantly reduced, indicating fitness penalties in LR mutants. Based on the differences of whole genome sequences between parental isolate and LR mutants, we identified a conserved MoVelB gene, encoding the velvet family transcription factor, and genetic transformation of wild type isolate verified that MoVelB gene was associated with the low resistance. Based on molecular analysis, we further demonstrated that the velvet family proteins VelB and VeA were indispensable for IPT toxicity and the deformation of the VelB-VeA-LaeA complex played a vital role for the low IPT-resistance in M. oryzae, most likely through the down-regulation of the secondary metabolism-related genes or CYP450 genes to reduce the toxicity of IPT.

Unusual enantioselective cytoplasm-to-nucleus translocation and photosensitization of the chiral Ru(II) cationic complex via simple ion-pairing with lipophilic weak acid counter-anions.

Targeted and enantioselective delivery of chiral diagnostic-probes and therapeutics into specific compartments inside cells is of utmost importance in the improvement of disease detection and treatment. The classical DNA 'light-switch' ruthenium(II)-polypyridyl complex, [Ru(DIP)2(dppz)]Cl2 (DIP = 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline, dppz = dipyridophenazine) has been shown to be accumulated only in the cytoplasm and membrane, but excluded from its intended nuclear DNA target. In this study, the cationic [Ru(DIP)2(dppz)]2+ is found to be redirected into live-cell nucleus in the presence of lipophilic 3,5-dichlorophenolate or flufenamate counter-anions via ion-pairing mechanism, while maintaining its original DNA recognition characteristics. Interestingly and unexpectedly, further studies show that only the Δ-enantiomer is selectively translocated into nucleus while the Λ-enantiomer remains trapped in cytoplasm, which is found to be mainly due to their differential enantioselective binding affinities with cytoplasmic proteins and nuclear DNA. More importantly, only the nucleus-relocalized Δ-enantiomer can induce obvious DNA damage and cell apoptosis upon prolonged visible-light irradiation. Thus, the use of Δ-enantiomer can significantly reduce the dosage needed for maximal treatment effect. This represents the first report of enantioselective targeting and photosensitization of classical Ru(II) complex via simple ion-pairing with suitable weak acid counter-anions, which opens new opportunities for more effective enantioselective cancer treatment.

Bioproducts of Pseudomonas chlororaphis Suppress DMI Fungicide-Induced CsCYP51A and CsCYP51B Gene Expression in Colletotrichum siamense and Generate Synergistic Effects with Metconazole and Propiconazole.

Mixtures of fungicides with different modes of action are commonly used as disease and resistance management tools, but little is known of mixtures of natural and synthetic products. In this study, mixtures of metabolites from the rhizobacterium Pseudomonas chlororaphis strain ASF009 formulated as Howler EVO with below-label rates (50 µg/ml) of conventional sterol demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides were investigated for control of anthracnose of cherry (Prunus avium) caused by Colletotrichum siamense. Howler mixed with metconazole or propiconazole synergistically reduced disease severity through lesion growth. Real-time PCR showed that difenoconazole, flutriafol, metconazole, and propiconazole induced the expression of DMI target genes CsCYP51A and CsCYP51B in C. siamense. The addition of Howler completely suppressed the DMI fungicide-induced expression of both CYP51 genes. We hypothesize that the downregulation of DMI fungicide-induced expression of the DMI target genes may, at least in part, explain the synergism observed in detached fruit assays.

Fungicide resistance in Colletotrichum fructicola and Colletotrichum siamense causing peach anthracnose in China.

Peach is one of the popular and economically important fruit crops in China. Peach cultivation is hampered due to attacks of anthracnose disease, causing significant economic losses. Colletotrichum fructicola and Colletotrichum siamense belong to the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex and are considered major pathogens of peach anthracnose. Application of different groups of fungicides is a routine approach for controlling this disease. However, fungicide resistance is a significant drawback in managing peach anthracnose nowadays. In this study, 39 isolates of C. fructicola and 41 isolates of C. siamense were collected from different locations in various provinces in China. The sensitivity of C. fructicola and C. siamense to some commonly used fungicides, i.e., carbendazim, iprodione, fluopyram, and propiconazole, was determined. All the isolates of C. fructicola collected from Guangdong province showed high resistance to carbendazim, whereas isolates collected from Guizhou province were sensitive. In C. siamense, isolates collected from Hebei province showed moderate resistance, while those from Shandong province were sensitive to carbendazim. On the other hand, all the isolates of C. fructicola and C. siamense showed high resistance to the dicarboximide (DCF) fungicide iprodione and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide fluopyram. However, they are all sensitive to the demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicide propiconazole. Positive cross-resistance was observed between carbendazim and benomyl as they are members of the same methyl benzimidazole carbamate (MBC) group. While no correlation of sensitivity was observed between different groups of fungicides. No significant differences were found in each fitness parameter between carbendazim-resistant and sensitive isolates in both species. Molecular characterization of the ß-tubulin 2 (TUB2) gene revealed that in C. fructicola, the E198A point mutation was the determinant for the high resistance to carbendazim, while the F200Y point mutation was linked with the moderate resistance to carbendazim in C. siamense. Based on the results of this study, DMI fungicides, e.g., propiconazole or prochloraz could be used to control peach anthracnose, especially at locations where the pathogens have already developed the resistance to carbendazim and other fungicides.

Pseudomonas chlororaphis Metabolites Reduce MfCYP51 Expression and Yield Synergistic Efficacy in Mixture with Reduced Rates of Propiconazole Against DMI-Resistant Monilinia fructicola Isolates.

Brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola is one of the most important diseases affecting peach production in the southeastern United States. Management often involves the use of demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides, but efficacy can be compromised because of overexpression of the MfCYP51 gene encoding the 14α-demethylase of the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the biorational fungicide Howler EVO containing Pseudomonas chlororaphis ASF009 metabolites on the expression of MfCYP51 in M. fructicola and associated synergy with a DMI fungicide for control of DMI-resistant strains. Mycelia from two DMI-sensitive and three DMI-resistant M. fructicola isolates were exposed or not to propiconazole (0.3 µg/ml), Howler (88.1 µg/ml), or the combination propiconazole + Howler for 6 h prior to RNA extraction. Real-time PCR indicated that Howler reduced the constitutive expression of MfCYP51 in DMI-sensitive and two of three DMI-resistant isolates. Propiconazole-induced expression of the DMI target gene was significantly reduced by Howler and by the mixture of Howler plus propiconazole in all isolates. Detached fruit studies on apple revealed that the combination of Howler plus a reduced label rate of Mentor (50 µg/ml propiconazole) was synergistic against brown rot caused by a DMI-resistant isolate in high and low inoculum spore concentration experiments (synergy values of 40.1 and 4.9, respectively). We hypothesize that the synergistic effects against M. fructicola resistant to DMI fungicides based on MfCYP51 gene overexpression can be attributed to reduced 14α demethylase production due to transcription inhibition, which may necessitate fewer DMI fungicide molecules to arrest fungal growth. The use of Howler/DMI mixtures for brown rot control warrants further investigation because such mixtures could potentially allow for reduced DMI fungicide use rates in the field without compromising yield or increased resistance selection.

Assessment of 13 essential and toxic trace elements in tumor and peritumoral brain tissues from human glioblastoma.

Trace elements within the brain are important for proper neurological function, but their imbalance has been rarely investigated in glioblastoma. This study enrolled a total of 14 patients with glioblastoma, and the tumor and peritumoral brain tissues were collected while undergoing surgery. The concentrations of Mg, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, As, Cd, Tl and Pb were determined using a well-evaluated ICP-MS method. The Cu- and Cd-binding proteomes were further analyzed using the anatomic transcriptional atlas from Ivy GAP. Histological evaluation was based on rubeanic acid staining and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The 13 trace element concentrations were obtained, and the highest were Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn and Cu, ranging from a few to dozens of ug/g. Correlation analysis suggested the existence of two intra-correlated clusters: essential metals (Cu-Ca-Zn-Mg) and heavy metals (Pb-As-Cd-Tl-Co-Cr-Mn). Compared to the tumor samples, significantly higher levels of Cu and Cd were observed in the peritumoral region. Further analysis of the Cu- and Cd-binding proteins from the anatomic view suggested that DBH and NOS1 were obviously increased in the leading edge than the central tumor region. Consistent with the above findings, histological evaluation of Cu and DBH further confirmed more copper and DBH expressions in the peritumoral area compared to the tumor core. Trace elements differ in tumor and peritumoral brain zone in glioblastoma, which may associate with tumor angiogenesis.

Melatonin targets MoIcl1 and works synergistically with fungicide isoprothiolane in rice blast control.

Melatonina natural harmless molecule-displays versatile roles in human health and crop disease control such as for rice blast. Rice blast, caused by the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is one devastating disease of rice. Application of fungicides is one of the major measures in the control of various crop diseases. However, fungicide resistance in the pathogen and relevant environmental pollution are becoming serious problems. By screening for possible synergistic combinations, here, we discovered an eco-friendly combination for rice blast control, melatonin, and the fungicide isoprothiolane. These compounds together exhibited significant synergistic inhibitory effects on vegetative growth, conidial germination, appressorium formation, penetration, and plant infection by M. oryzae. The combination of melatonin and isoprothiolane reduced the effective concentration of isoprothiolane by over 10-fold as well as residual levels of isoprothiolane. Transcriptomics and lipidomics revealed that melatonin and isoprothiolane synergistically interfered with lipid metabolism by regulating many common targets, including the predicted isocitrate lyase-encoding gene MoICL1. Furthermore, using different techniques, we show that melatonin and isoprothiolane interact with MoIcl1. This study demonstrates that melatonin and isoprothiolane function synergistically and can be used to reduce the dosage and residual level of isoprothiolane, potentially contributing to the environment-friendly and sustainable control of crop diseases.

Site-directed transformants with E407K substitution in Bcmdl1 possesses different fitness from field anilinopyrimidine resistant isolates with E407K mutation in Botrytis cinerea.

Botrytis cinerea is the causal agent of devastating disease gray mold on numerous crops worldwide. To control gray mold, anilinopyrimidine (AP) fungicides have been widely applied since the 1990s. However, the development of resistance in B. cinerea brought a new challenge to this disease control. Due to the unknown mode of action, the mechanism of AP resistance is still ambiguous. In our previous study, mutation E407K in Bcmdl1 was identified to be associated with AP resistance. Since this mutation is the major mechanism of AP resistance in our cases, it is essential to investigate the fitness of E407K strains before designing anti-resistance management strategies. Besides using field-resistant isolates with the E407K mutation, strains with E407K substitution obtained by site-directed mutagenesis were also used to estimate the specific effect of this mutation or substitution on fitness. The fitness of E407K strains were evaluated by determining mycelial growth, sporulation, conidial germination, virulence, acid production, osmotic and oxidative sensitivity, and sclerotial production and viability. Field resistant isolates with E407K mutation produced fewer sclerotia on intermediate medium (IM) but more conidia on PDA when compared with sensitive isolates, whereas site-directed transformants with E407K substitution did not show any fitness costs. The competitive ability of E407K strains was also evaluated on apple fruit using conidial mixtures at three initial ratios of resistant and sensitive isolates at 1:9, 1:1, and 9:1, respectively. Similar with fitness, impaired competitive ability was observed in field resistant isolates but not site-directed transformants at all initial ratios tested. These results indicated that field strains associated with AP resistance suffer a fitness penalty not linked directly to the E407K substitution in Bcmdl1.

DIA-MS Based Proteomics Combined with RNA-Seq Data to Unveil the Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Human Glioblastoma.

Mitochondrial dysfunctions underlie the pathogenesis in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Comprehensive proteomic profiling of mitochondria-specific changes in human GBM is still insufficient. This study carried out a DIA-MS based proteomic analysis on the mitochondria isolated from human primary GBM and peritumoral tissue (as paired control), and further compared those findings with the transcriptomic datasets. A total of 538 mitochondrion-specific proteins were rigorously confirmed, among which 190 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Co-regulations of the mitochondrial dysfunction pathway networks were observed, including significant up-regulations of mitochondrial translation and apoptosis, as well as down-regulations of OXPHOS and mitochondrial dynamics. Proteins related to FA, AA metabolism and ROS also showed significant variations. Most of these alterations were consistent in trend when compared the proteomics findings with the RNA-Seq datasets, while the changes at protein levels appeared to be more dramatic. Potentially key proteins in GBM were identified, including up-regulated pro-apoptotic protein CASP3, BAX, fatty acid oxidation enzymes CPT1A, CPT2, ACADM, serine-glycine enzymes SHMT2, GATM, ROS-related protein SOD2, GPX1, and CAT; and down-regulated dynamin-related protein MFN1, MFN2, OPA1, and OXPHOS components; and also several differentially expressed ALDH isoforms. This study systematically profiled the mitochondrial dysfunctions by combining proteomic findings and mRNA datasets, which would be a valuable resource to the community for further thorough analyses.

Gap-Free Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genomes of Ustilaginoidea virens JS60-2, a Fungal Pathogen Causing Rice False Smut.

Rice false smut (RFS), caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, has become a major disease in recent years, and mycotoxins produced by U. virens often threaten food safety. To study fungal pathogenesis and identify potential targets for developing new fungicides, gap-free nuclear and complete mitochondrial genomes of U. virens JS60-2 were sequenced and assembled. Using the second and third generation sequencing data, we assembled a 38.02-Mb genome that consists of seven contigs with the contig N50 being 6.32-Mb. In total, 8,486 protein-coding genes were annotated in the genome, including 21 secondary metabolism gene clusters. We also assembled the complete mitochondrial genome, which is 102,498 bp, with 28% GC content. The JS60-2 genomes assembled in this study will facilitate research on U. virens and contribute to RFS control. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Benzimidazole-Resistant Isolates with E198A/V/K Mutations in the ß-Tubulin Gene Possess Different Fitness and Competitive Ability in Botrytis cinerea.

Previous studies in Botrytis cinerea showed that resistance to methyl benzimidazole carbamates (MBCs) was mainly related to E198A/V/K and F200Y mutations of the ß-tubulin gene, and E198V was the dominant mutation in the resistant subpopulation in Hubei Province of China, indicating that resistant mutations might influence fitness. However, little is known about the effect of each E198A/V/K mutation on fitness. In this study, the fitness and competitive ability of isolates with E198A/V/K mutations were investigated. Results showed that E198A/V/K isolates and wild-type isolates shared similar fitness components in terms of virulence, sporulation, conidial germination, oxidative sensitivity, and sclerotial production and viability. However, slower mycelial growth at 4°C, higher sensitivity to 4% NaCl, and increased sclerotial production percentage at 4°C were observed in the isolates with E198V, E198K, and E198A mutations, respectively. Competitive analysis showed that the wild-type subpopulation became dominant after three disease cycles in the absence of fungicide selection pressure, whereas the resistant subpopulation seized the space of the sensitive subpopulation upon MBC application. Unexpectedly, the frequency of E198V isolates decreased dramatically after the first disease cycle with or without fungicide selection pressure. These results suggest that MBC-resistant isolates suffer little fitness penalty but possess competitive disadvantages in the absence of fungicide selection pressure. Under fungicide selection pressure, E198V isolates could not compete with E198A/K isolates. According to the current results, there is a great possibility that the E198V mutation will lose dominance in the future in China.

Liraglutide Attenuates Restenosis After Vascular Injury in Rabbits With Diabetes Via the TGF-ß/Smad3 Signaling Pathway.

Background: Lower limb ischemia due to arterial stenosis is a major complication in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Liraglutide is a long-acting analogue of a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist used for lowering blood glucose in patients with DM, and is believed to possess cardiovascular protective effects. The aim of this study was to investigate whether liraglutide has a protective effect on blood vessels and alleviates vascular intimal hyperplasia in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced rabbits with DM and its molecular mechanism. Methods: Rabbits with DM were induced by STZ, and a lower limb ischemia model was established. The animals were divided into a control group, DM-injury group and liraglutide treatment group. Pathological staining was used to observe the intimal growth, analyze the oxidation levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and analyze the changes in expression of marker proteins and signaling pathway proteins by Western blotting. A hyperglycemia (HG)-injured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) model was established to analyze reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, Cell-Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to analyze cell proliferation, scratch assay and Transwell Migration Assay to analyze cell migration, flow cytometry to analyze apoptosis and Western blotting was used to analyze changes in the expression of marker and signaling pathway proteins. Results: The results of pathological staining showed that intimal hyperplasia was severe after diabetes-induced lower limb ischemia in rabbits at 4 weeks, and liraglutide treatment reduced symptoms. Liraglutide treatment significantly decreased MDA content, increased SOD, GSH-Px content, and augmented total antioxidant capacity levels in tissues. The results of Western blotting analysis showed that E-cadherin, mitochondrial membrane potential 9 (MMP-9), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and type I collagen protein expression levels were significantly decreased after liraglutide treatment compared with the DM injury group. The results indicated that liraglutide inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression, vascular cell proliferation and migration and collagen production. Liraglutide inhibits transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1)/Smad3 signaling pathway protein expression. In vitro assays have shown that liraglutide reduces cellular ROS levels, inhibits cell proliferation and migration and promotes apoptosis. Liraglutide down-regulated the expression of E-cadherin, MMP-9, PCNA, type I collagen protein as well as the TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling pathway, but this effect could be reversed by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Conclusion: Liraglutide can significantly improve tissue antioxidant capacity, reduce vascular cell proliferation and migration via the TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling pathway, inhibit the EMT and collagen production processes, and alleviate hyperglycemia(HG)-induced lower limb ischemia and intimal hyperplasia.

Identification of Monilia Species in Tibet and Characterization of M. yunnanensis in China.

Samples of peach and plum fruits with brown rot symptoms were collected from Tibet in 2019 and 2020, and the causal agent was identified as Monilia yunnanensis, which represents the first characterization of Monilia spp. on peach and plum in Tibet. Morphological investigation showed that some conidia from naturally diseased fruits were larger than those observed in previously isolated M. yunnanensis. Some conidia of M. yunnanensis isolates from Tibet produced more than two, even up to six germ tubes from different parts of each conidium, instead of one or two germ tubes developing from the pointy sides of each conidium. The alignment of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region sequences revealed that some isolates from Tibet displayed a mutation at the 374th position from adenine (A) to cytosine (C). Although abovementioned differences were observed between isolates from Tibet and other regions, phylogenetic analysis indicated that all of the M. yunnanensis isolates from different stone fruits and different regions in China were clustered together without obvious genetic differentiation. These results revealed that hosts and geographic environments did not play a major role in the evolution of M. yunnanensis.

Cytological Observation of the Infectious Process of Venturia carpophila on Peach Leaves.

Peach scab caused by Venturia carpophila is one of the most destructive fungal diseases of peach worldwide, and it seriously affects peach production. Until now,the infectious process and pathogenesis of V. carpophila on peach have remained unclear. Here we present the infection behavior of V. carpophila at the ultrastructural and cytological levels in peach leaves with combined microscopic investigations (i.e., light microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy). V. carpophila germinated at the tip of conidia and produced short germ tubes on peach leaf surfaces at 2 days post inoculation (dpi). At 3 dpi, swollen tips of germ tubes differentiated into appressoria. At 5 dpi, penetration pegs produced by appressoria broke through the cuticle layer and then differentiated into thick subcuticular hyphae in the pectin layer of the epidermal cell walls. At 10 dpi, the subcuticular hyphae extensively colonized in the pectin layer. The primary hyphae ramified into secondary hyphae and proliferated along with the incubation. At 15 dpi, the subcuticular hyphae divided laterally to form stromata between the cuticle layer and the cellulose layer of the epidermal cells. At 30 dpi, conidiophores developed from the subcuticular stromata. Finally, abundant conidiophores and new conidia appeared on leaf surfaces at 40 dpi. These results provide useful information for further a understanding of V. carpophila pathogenesis.

Sensitivity of Colletotrichum nymphaeae to Six Fungicides and Characterization of Fludioxonil-Resistant Isolates in China.

Colletotrichum nymphaeae is the dominant species causing anthracnose disease of peach in China. In this study, 140 isolates of C. nymphaeae were assessed for their sensitivity to six fungicides. It was found that C. nymphaeae was highly resistant to carbendazim, procymidone, and boscalid but sensitive to pyraclostrobin and prochloraz. For fludioxonil, the fungus exhibited differential sensitivities (i.e., approximately 14% of isolates were resistant to fludioxonil and the resistance was stable). Fludioxonil-resistant isolates had a mean EC50 value of 2.2380 µg/ml, whereas the mean EC50 value was 0.0194 µg/ml in fludioxonil-sensitive isolates. The mean EC50 values of C. nymphaeae for pyraclostrobin and prochloraz were 0.0083 µg/ml and 0.002 µg/ml, respectively. No cross-resistance was observed between fungicides from different groups. Mycelial growth rate, control efficacy, and osmotic stress responses were significantly different (P < 0.05) between fludioxonil-sensitive (FluS) and -resistant (FluR) isolates, but no significant difference was observed (P > 0.05) in virulence and sporulation between FluS and FluR isolates. No mutation was detected in coding regions of the CnOs-1, Cal, Hk1, Hog1, TPI, and Mrr1 genes. Interestingly, with fludioxonil treatment, the expression of ABC transporter gene atrB was significantly overexpressed in some resistant isolates. However, overexpression of the atrB gene was not detected in one moderately and one highly resistant isolate, indicating that other unknown mechanisms may be involved. Current findings uncovered several effective chemicals and provided the foundation for designing management strategies to practically control peach anthracnose with the most effective demethylation inhibitor fungicides and quinone outside inhibitor fungicides.

Identification, Genetic Diversity, and Chemical Control of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni in China.

Peach bacterial spot caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni has become widespread in most peach-producing areas of China and has caused devastating losses to the peach industry. However, little is known about the population biology and epidemiology of X. arboricola pv. pruni in China, thus no effective management strategy is available. Altogether, 321 symptomatic samples of peach bacterial spot from 12 provinces in China were collected from which 612 bacterial isolates were obtained. Based on 16S rDNA sequence comparison in GenBank, the obtained isolates were identified as Pantoea spp. (514) and Xanthomonas spp. (98). The pathogenicity test demonstrated that the causal agent of the peach bacterial spot was the Xanthomonas spp. instead of the Pantoea spp. Based on morphological observation, physiological and biochemical characterization, and molecular identification, the Xanthomonas spp. were further identified to be X. arboricola pv. pruni. Then, 41 X. arboricola pv. pruni isolates representing different populations were selected and analyzed with repetitive element sequence based-PCR and intersimple sequence repeat markers to understand the genetic diversity and population structure along with four X. arboricola pv. pruni isolates from plum and three isolates of X. arboricola pv. juglandis as comparison. A total of 98 polymorphic alleles were identified, with a mean value of percentage of polymorphic loci of 14. Genetic diversity and phylogenetic analysis revealed the profound heterogeneity between X. arboricola pv. juglandis and X. arboricola pv. pruni, moderate genetic differentiation within X. arboricola pv. pruni, and obvious host specificity but weak geographical differentiation in X. arboricola population. Finally, the efficiency of bactericides on X. arboricola pv. pruni was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The parallel repeated field trials in two orchards demonstrated that 80% Mancozeb (1:800) and 47% Kocide (1:800, 1:1,500, and 1:2,000) had excellent control efficacies for X. arboricola pv. pruni, especially as the control efficacy of Kocide could even reach 90%. This study conducted a systematic investigation for the occurrence, population variance, and chemical control of X. arboricola pv. pruni. It improved the understanding of the pathogen populations of peach bacterial spot in China and provided solid theoretical and practical guidance for X. arboricola pv. pruni control.

Research on the mechanism of sodium separation in bauxite residue synergy preparation of potassium-containing compound fertilizer raw materials by the hydrothermal method.

Bauxite residue poses an increasingly serious ecological safety problem in the alumina industry. A novel process for removing sodium in bauxite residue synergistic preparation of potassium-containing compound fertilizer raw materials was proposed to relieve pressure on the fertilizer industry. In this paper, synthetic sodalite and katoite were used to simulate the main mineral phases of bauxite residue to determine the suitable conditions for the method, and the transformation mechanism of the process was researched by analyzing the phase structure and microscopic morphology of the samples using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and specific surface area detection. The results show that the ideal reaction condition is 320 g/L K2O with solid reactants at 200 °C for 1 h. The separation rate of Na in the sodalite-katoite mixture reached 93.60%, with potassium aluminum silicate and katoite being the primary phases of the product, with a mesoporous structure and easy to be absorbed by crops. The bauxite residue transformation residue consisted of katoite and kaliophilite. With a total effective K2O, CaO, and SiO2 content of 38.22%, the Na2O content was 0.54%, meeting the requirements of compound fertilizer content on the market. The transformation mechanism is a dissolution-precipitation controlled sodium-potassium ion replacement reaction. This study provides theoretical guidance for the preparation of mineral fertilizer from bauxite residue and has practical production potential, opening up a new perspective for bauxite residue resource usage in the agricultural field.

Research on Bayer Red Mud Slurry Electrolysis.

The Bayer red mud is the solid waste generated during the production of alumina by the Bayer process. At present, the stock of red mud in China exceeds 1.1 billion tons, covering an area of more than 120,000 mu, and the annual production volume is increasing by 100 million tons. The comprehensive utilization of red mud is still a difficult problem. Therefore, it is of great significance to actively explore new methods for removing sodium from red mud. In this study, the traditional red mud desalination process and the slurry electrolysis process are combined, and the influence of three different leaching agents on the leaching and sodium removal of red mud slurry in the presence of an electric field is explored. In the slurry electrolysis experiment, it was found that the sodium removal rate obtained by different leaching agents was CaO > CaCl2 > HCl. The red mud leached with pure dilute hydrochloric acid has the highest Na removal rate, which is 93.11%. In view of this situation, a pre-slurry-electrolysis cycle process with HCl as leaching agent was proposed. The core of slurry electrolysis is electrolyzing NaCl solution, and HCl only participates in the process as circulating medium. The design of this process reduces cost and increases efficiency.

Study on Iron Extraction from High Iron Bauxite Residue by Pyrite Reduction.

A new method of solid-phase reduction magnetic separation with pyrite as a reducing agent was proposed in order to realize resource utilization of high iron bauxite residue while reducing environmental harm. FeS2 powder and high iron bauxite residue powder were uniformly blended and roasted in a closed environment. A magnetic separator was utilized to separate the magnetic iron concentrate at 2400 GS, and the recovery rates were calculated. Experimental results show that the best iron recovery was 91.5% at 1:6 roasted bauxite: residue at 800℃ for 2 h. The recovery of Fe can be improved by reducing high iron bauxite residue with pyrite, and iron in both pyrite and high iron bauxite residue can be recovered simultaneously, alleviating the pressure of iron ore resources and improving its utilization value.

Research on the Dealkalization Treatment of Bauxite Residue and Deep Extraction of Alumina.

Bauxite residue is the bulk solid waste generated by the alumina industry, and the environmental treatment of bauxite residue has always been a focus of attention. In this study, in the high calcium system, the bauxite residue was intensively digestion by the calcification-carbonation method, and the mole ratio of solution, the mass ratio of CaO/SiO2 of the digestion process were changed, so that the high-efficiency dealkalization of bauxite residue was realized and the aluminum oxide in bauxite residue was deeply extracted. The experimental results showed that the calcification process could achieve the recovery of 17.83% alumina at 260°C, reaction duration of 60 min, liquid-solid ratio = 5:1, the mass ratio of CaO/SiO2 = 3.5, and 200 g/L NaOH solution. The whole process can recover 49.61% of alumina from bauxite residue, and 94.4% of alkali in bauxite residue can be removed.