Pinofuranoxins A and B, Bioactive Trisubstituted Furanones Produced by the Invasive Pathogen Diplodia sapinea.

Two new bioactive trisubstituted furanones, named pinofuranoxins A and B (1 and 2), were isolated from Diplodia sapinea, a worldwide conifer pathogen causing severe disease. Pinofuranoxins A and B were characterized essentially by NMR and HRESIMS spectra, and their relative and absolute configurations were assigned by NOESY experiments and computational analyses of electronic circular dichroism spectra. They induced necrotic lesions on Hedera helix L., Phaseolus vulgaris L., and Quercus ilex L. Compound 1 completely inhibited the growth of Athelia rolfsii and Phytophthora cambivora, while 2 showed antioomycetes activity against P. cambivora. In the Artemia salina assay both toxins showed activity inducing larval mortality.

[Protection by some plant methanol extracts of cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum var. Cerasiforme) from fungic infection by Alternaria alternata]. / Utilisation d'extraits méthanoliques de plantes pour la protection des cultures de tomates-cerises (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) contre l'infection fongique par Alternaria alternata.

Cherry tomato is very susceptible to fungal infections that can cause considerable damage in crops and during storage. Alternaria infection is one of the most common and dangerous alterations for this fruit. They are caused by Alternaria alternata or some other species belonging to the same genus. In this work, we tested the antifungal activity of methanol extracts from five plants harvested in the region of Jijel (Algeria) on A. alternata. The activity was first tested in vitro and then on greenhouse cherry tomato plants: extracts were applied to healthy plants before infection in order to test their preventive action, and after infection to determine whether they are able to knock out Alternaria. Results showed that Rosmarinus officinalis and Lavandula angustifolia extracts were the most active in vitro on A. alternata. Microscopic observations of the mold indicated that these extracts inhibited the dictyospores production. The antifungal activity tested on the plants grown in greenhouse revealed that R. officinalis extract still was the most active. Extracts of L. angustifolia and Punica granatum did not protect the plants from Alternaria infection, but provided a total cure at the end of the treatment. Extracts from Quercus suber and Eucalyptus globulus were the least active. They did not bestow any protection nor complete healing of the plants. Dictyospores counting on fruits at the end of the treatment confirmed the results obtained for the greenhouse crops.

TITLE: Utilisation d'extraits méthanoliques de plantes pour la protection des cultures de tomates-cerises (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) contre l'infection fongique par Alternaria alternata. ABSTRACT: La tomate-cerise est un fruit très sujet aux infections fongiques qui peuvent causer des dégâts considérables dans les cultures et lors de la conservation. Les alternarioses comptent parmi les altérations les plus répandues et dangereuses pour ce fruit. Elles sont causées par Alternaria alternata ou d'autres espèces appartenant au même genre. Dans ce travail, nous avons testé l'activité antifongique d'extraits méthanoliques de cinq plantes récoltées dans la région de Jijel (Algérie) sur A. alternata. L'activité a d'abord été testée in vitro, puis sur des plants de tomates-cerises cultivés sous serre : les extraits ont été appliqués sur des plants sains, avant l'infection, afin de tester leur action préventive, et après l'infection pour déterminer s'ils sont capables de traiter l'alternariose. Les résultats ont montré que les extraits de Rosmarinus officinalis et Lavandula angustifolia étaient les plus actifs in vitro sur A. alternata. L'observation microscopique de la moisissure a indiqué que ces extraits agissaient en inhibant sa production de dictyospores. L'activité antifongique testée sur les plants cultivés sous serre a révélé que l'extrait de R. officinalis était toujours le plus actif. Venaient ensuite les extraits de L. angustifolia et Punica granatum qui n'ont pas permis la protection des plants contre l'alternariose, mais qui ont néanmoins donné une guérison totale à la fin du traitement. Les extraits de Quercus suber et Eucalyptus globulus étaient les moins actifs. Ils n'ont permis ni la prévention, ni la guérison complète des plants. Le comptage des dictyospores réalisé sur les fruits à la fin du traitement a confirmé les résultats obtenus pour les cultures sous serre.

Effects of exposure to winter oilseed rape grown from thiamethoxam-treated seed on the red mason bee Osmia bicornis.

There has been increasing interest in the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on wild bees. In solitary bee species the direct link between each individual female and reproductive success offers the opportunity to evaluate effects on individuals. The present study investigated effects of exposure to winter oilseed rape grown from thiamethoxam-treated seed on reproductive behavior and output of solitary red mason bees (Osmia bicornis) released in 6 pairs of fields over a 2-yr period and confined to tunnels in a single year. After adjustment to the number of females released, there was significantly lower production of cells and cocoons/female in tunnels than in open field conditions. This difference may be because of the lack of alternative forage within the tunnels. Under open field conditions, palynology of the pollen provisions within the nests demonstrated a maximum average of 31% oilseed rape pollen at any site, with Quercus (oak) contributing up to 86% of the pollen. There were no significant effects from exposure to oilseed rape grown from thiamethoxam-treated seed from nest establishment through cell production to emergence under tunnel or field conditions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1071-1083. © 2017 SETAC.

Plant species differ in early seedling growth and tissue nutrient responses to arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal fungi.

Experiments with plant species that can host both arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) are important to separating the roles of fungal type and plant species and understanding the influence of the types of symbioses on plant growth and nutrient acquisition. We examined the effects of mycorrhizal fungal type on the growth and tissue nutrient content of two tree species (Eucalyptus grandis and Quercus costaricensis) grown under four nutrient treatments (combinations of low versus high nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) with different N:P ratios) in the greenhouse. Trees were inoculated with unidentified field mixtures of AMF or EMF species cultivated on root fragments of AMF- or EMF-specific bait plants. In E. grandis, inoculation with both AMF and EMF positively affected belowground plant dry weight and negatively affected aboveground dry weight, while only inoculation with AMF increased tissue nutrient content. Conversely, Q. costaricensis dry weight and nutrient content did not differ significantly among inoculation treatments, potentially due to its dependence on cotyledon reserves for growth. Mineral nutrition of both tree species differed with the ratio of N to P applied while growth did not. Our results demonstrate that both tree species' characteristics and the soil nutrient environment can affect how AMF and EMF interact with their host plants. This research highlights the importance of mycorrhizal fungal-tree-soil interactions during early seedling growth and suggests that differences between AMF and EMF associations may be crucial to understanding forest ecosystem functioning.

Effect of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide on viability and morphology of oak pollen.

BACKGROUND: Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) generated by excessive coal combustion and motor vehicle emissions are major air pollutants in the large cities of China. The objective of our study was to determine the effects of the exposure of oak pollens (Quercusmongolica) to several concentrations of NO2 or SO2. METHODS: Pollen grains were exposed to 0.5 ppm to 5.0 ppm NO2 or SO2 for 4 hours and assessed for morphological damage by field emission scanning electron microscopy and for viability using the trypan blue stain. Morphological changes in pollen grains were also examined after contact with acid solutions at pH 4.0 to pH 7.0. RESULTS: Exposure to NO2 or SO2 significantly damaged pollen grains at all concentrations investigated, compared to exposure to air; with exposure to concentrations of 0.5 ppm to 2 ppm resulting in fissures or complete breaks in the exine and a concentration of 5 ppm resulting in complete breakdown and release of pollen cytoplasmic granules. Significantly greater amounts of pollen grain were damaged after exposure to SO2 (15.5-20.4%) than after exposure to NO2 (7.1-14.7%). Similarly, exposure to NO2 or SO2 significantly decreased the viability of pollen grains, compared with exposure to air; with SO2 being slightly more detrimental than NO2. Exposure to acid solutions also induced pollen damage, which appeared to be pH-dependent (from 24.6% at pH 6.0 to 55.8% at pH 4.0; compared to 3.8% at pH 7.0). CONCLUSION: Short-term exposure of oak pollen to high concentrations of SO2 or NO2 significantly increases their fragility and disruption, leading to subsequent release of pollen cytoplasmic granules into the atmosphere. These results suggest that heightened air pollution during the oak pollen season may possibly increase the incidence of allergic airway disease in sensitized individuals by facilitating the bioavailability of airborne pollen allergens.

Physiological strategies of co-occurring oaks in a water- and nutrient-limited ecosystem.

Oak species are well suited to water-limited conditions by either avoiding water stress through deep rooting or tolerating water stress through tight stomatal control. In co-occurring species where resources are limited, species may either partition resources in space and/or time or exhibit differing efficiencies in the use of limited resources. Therefore, this study seeks to determine whether two co-occurring oak species (Quercus prinus L. and Quercus velutina Lam.) differ in physiological parameters including photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, water-use (WUE) and nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE), as well as to characterize transpiration and average canopy stomatal responses to climatic variables in a sandy, well-drained and nutrient-limited ecosystem. The study was conducted in the New Jersey Pinelands and we measured sap flux over a 3-year period, as well as leaf gas exchange, leaf nitrogen and carbon isotope concentrations. Both oak species showed relatively steep increases in leaf-specific transpiration at low vapor pressure deficit (VPD) values before maximum transpiration rates were achieved, which were sustained over a broad range in VPD. This suggests tight stomatal control over transpiration in both species, although Q. velutina showed significantly higher leaf-level and canopy-level stomatal conductance than Q. prinus. Average daytime stomatal conductance was positively correlated with soil moisture and both oak species maintained at least 75% of their maximum canopy stomatal conductance at soil moistures in the upper soil layer (0-0.3 m) as low as 0.03 m(3) m(3)(-3). Quercus velutina had significantly higher photosynthetic rates, maximum Rubisco-limited and electron-transport-limited carboxylation rates, dark respiration rates and nitrogen concentration per unit leaf area than Q. prinus. However, both species exhibited similar WUEs and NUEs. Therefore, Q. prinus has a more conservative resource-use strategy, while Q. velutina may need to exploit niches that are locally higher in nutrients and water. Likewise, both species appear to tap deep, stable water sources, highlighting the importance of rooting depth in modeling transpiration and stomatal conductance in many oak ecosystems.

An exploratory study of the nutritional composition of Tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) acorns after potassium phosphonate treatment.

Native American Pomo communities who live in the Northern Coastal range of California and consume acorns from tanoak trees as part of traditional diets are facing the potential loss of many culturally important trees to sudden oak death. Pomo and other Native American communities are reluctant to use the protective fungicide, potassium phosphonate, on trees used for acorn collection without information on how the treatment affects acorn properties. In this study, select macronutrients and polyphenolics were quantified in tanoak acorns to evaluate the influence of potassium phosphonate treatment on the composition and nutritional value of tanoak acorns. Of the fatty acids tested from C14:0 to C20:1, only C17:0 was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the nontreated and treated acorns after the first year. There were no differences detected in total phenolic content, gallic acid content, or ellagic acid content. Protein, phosphorus, and potassium levels were not significantly affected by fungicide treatment. Soluble glucose and fructose levels were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in both nontreated and treated groups after the first year; soluble sucrose levels did not change. Total glucose, starch, and total nonstructural carbohydrates increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the nontreated group after the first year but not in the treatment group; however, the treatment group values did not differ significantly from the control group values at baseline. The lack of any negative significant differences between acorns from treated and untreated tanoak trees implies that sodium phosphonate application for the prevention of sudden oak death does not impact the predominant polyphenolics or macronutrient quality of tanoak acorns.