Pollen of Ceratostema (Ericaceae, Vaccinieae): tetrads without septa.

The pollen morphology of two species of the Neotropical genus Ceratostema (Ericaceae) was examined by light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The Ceratostema species examined have 3-colporate pollen grains united in permanent tetrahedral tetrads that show a common condition encountered in the Ericaceae. But the septal exine was absent between two neighboring grains in each pollen tetrad of Ceratostema. The pollen tetrads without septa are the first report for the Ericaceae as well as other angiosperm families.

Suppression of damping-off disease in host plants by the rhizoplane bacterium Lysobacter sp. strain SB-K88 is linked to plant colonization and antibiosis against soilborne Peronosporomycetes.

We previously demonstrated that xanthobaccin A from the rhizoplane bacterium Lysobacter sp. strain SB-K88 suppresses damping-off disease caused by Pythium sp. in sugar beet. In this study we focused on modes of Lysobacter sp. strain SB-K88 root colonization and antibiosis of the bacterium against Aphanomyces cochlioides, a pathogen of damping-off disease. Scanning electron microscopic analysis of 2-week-old sugar beet seedlings from seeds previously inoculated with SB-K88 revealed dense colonization on the root surfaces and a characteristic perpendicular pattern of Lysobacter colonization possibly generated via development of polar, brush-like fimbriae. In colonized regions a semitransparent film apparently enveloping the root and microcolonies were observed on the root surface. This Lysobacter strain also efficiently colonized the roots of several plants, including spinach, tomato, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Amaranthus gangeticus. Plants grown from both sugar beet and spinach seeds that were previously treated with Lysobacter sp. strain SB-K88 displayed significant resistance to the damping-off disease triggered by A. cochlioides. Interestingly, zoospores of A. cochlioides became immotile within 1 min after exposure to a SB-K88 cell suspension, a cell-free supernatant of SB-K88, or pure xanthobaccin A (MIC, 0.01 microg/ml). In all cases, lysis followed within 30 min in the presence of the inhibiting factor(s). Our data indicate that Lysobacter sp. strain SB-K88 has a direct inhibitory effect on A. cochlioides, suppressing damping-off disease. Furthermore, this inhibitory effect of Lysobacter sp. strain SB-K88 is likely due to a combination of antibiosis and characteristic biofilm formation at the rhizoplane of the host plant.

Zoosporicidal activity of polyflavonoid tannin identified in Lannea coromandelica stem bark against phytopathogenic oomycete Aphanomyces cochlioides.

In a survey of nonhost plant secondary metabolites regulating motility and viability of zoospores of the Aphanomyces cochlioides, we found that stem bark extracts of Lannea coromandelica remarkably inhibited motility of zoospores followed by lysis. Bioassay-guided fractionation and chemical characterization of Lannea extracts by MALDI-TOF-MS revealed that the active constituents were angular type polyflavonoid tannins. Commercial polyflavonoid tannins, Quebracho and Mimosa, also showed identical zoosporicidal activity. Against zoospores, the motility-inhibiting and lytic activities were more pronounced in Lannea extracts (MIC 0.1 microg/mL) than in Quebracho (MIC 0.5 microg/mL) and Mimosa (MIC 0.5 microg/mL). Scanning electron microscopic observation visualized that both Lannea and commercial tannins caused lysis of cell membrane followed by fragmentation of cellular materials. Naturally occurring polyflavonoid tannin merits further study as potential zoospore regulating agent or as lead compound. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of zoosporicidal activity of natural polyflavonoid tannins against an oomycete phytopathogen.