ß-1,6-linked Galactofuranose- rich peptidogalactomannan of Fusarium oxysporum is important in the activation of macrophage mechanisms and as a potential diagnostic antigen.

A peptidogalactomannan (PGM) from Fusarium oxysporum was structurally characterized by a combination of chemical and spectroscopic methods, including one and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1D and 2D NMR). The galactomannan component consists of a main chain containing (1→6)-linked ß-D-galactofuranose residues with side chains containing (1→2)-linked α-D-Glcp, (1→2)-linked -ß-D-Manp (1→2) and ß-D-Manp terminal nonreducing end units and differs from that of Aspergillus fumigatus and Cladosporium resinae that present a main chain containing (1→6)-linked α-D-Manp residues presenting ß-D-Galf as side chains of 3-4 units that are (1→5)-interlinked. The importance of the carbohydrate moiety of the F. oxysporum PGM was demonstrated. Periodate oxidation abolished much of the PGM antigenic activity. A strong decrease in reactivity was also observed with de-O-glycosylated PGM. In addition, de-O-glycosylated PGM was not able to inhibit F. oxysporum phagocytosis, suggesting that macrophages recognize and internalize F. oxysporum via PGM. F. oxysporum PGM triggered TNF-α release by macrophages. Chemical removal of O-linked oligosaccharides from PGM led to a significant increase of TNF-α cytokine levels, suggesting that their removal could exposure another PGM motifs able to induce a higher secretion of TNF-α levels. Interestingly, F. oxysporum conidia, intact and de-O-linked PGM were not able to induce IL-10 cytokine release. The difference in patient serum reativity using a PGM from F. oxysporum characterized in the present study as compared with a PGM from C. resinae, that presents the same epitopes recognized by serum from patients with aspergillosis, could be considered a potential diagnostic antigen and should be tested with more sera.

Breeding for soil-borne pathogen resistance impacts active rhizosphere microbiome of common bean.

Over the past century, plant breeding programs have substantially improved plant growth and health, but have not yet considered the potential effects on the plant microbiome. Here, we conducted metatranscriptome analysis to determine if and how breeding for resistance of common bean against the root pathogen Fusarium oxysporum (Fox) affected gene expression in the rhizobacterial community. Our data revealed that the microbiome of the Fox-resistant cultivar presented a significantly higher expression of genes associated with nutrient metabolism, motility, chemotaxis, and the biosynthesis of the antifungal compounds phenazine and colicin V. Network analysis further revealed a more complex community for Fox-resistant cultivar and indicated Paenibacillus as a keystone genus in the rhizosphere microbiome. We suggest that resistance breeding in common bean has unintentionally co-selected for plant traits that strengthen the rhizosphere microbiome network structure and enrich for specific beneficial bacterial genera that express antifungal traits involved in plant protection against infections by root pathogens.

Molecular signatures at imminent death: hemocyte gene expression profiling of shrimp succumbing to viral and fungal infections.

Infectious diseases represent the most serious threat to shrimp farming worldwide. Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving shrimp-pathogen interactions is necessary for developing strategies to control disease outbreaks in shrimp production systems. In the current study, we experimentally reproduced mortality events using standardized infections to characterize the hemocyte transcriptome response of the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei succumbing to infectious diseases. By using a high-throughput microfluidic RT-qPCR approach, we identified molecular signatures in shrimp during lethal infections caused by the White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) or the filamentous fungus Fusarium solani. We successfully identified gene expression signatures shared by both infections but also pathogen-specific gene responses. Interestingly, whereas lethal WSSV infection induced the expression of antiviral-related genes, the transcript abundance of many antimicrobial effectors was reduced by lethal F. solani infection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the immune-gene repertoire of infected shrimp at the brink of death.

Identification of immunity related genes to study the Physalis peruviana--Fusarium oxysporum pathosystem.

The Cape gooseberry (Physalisperuviana L) is an Andean exotic fruit with high nutritional value and appealing medicinal properties. However, its cultivation faces important phytosanitary problems mainly due to pathogens like Fusarium oxysporum, Cercosporaphysalidis and Alternaria spp. Here we used the Cape gooseberry foliar transcriptome to search for proteins that encode conserved domains related to plant immunity including: NBS (Nucleotide Binding Site), CC (Coiled-Coil), TIR (Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor). We identified 74 immunity related gene candidates in P. peruviana which have the typical resistance gene (R-gene) architecture, 17 Receptor like kinase (RLKs) candidates related to PAMP-Triggered Immunity (PTI), eight (TIR-NBS-LRR, or TNL) and nine (CC-NBS-LRR, or CNL) candidates related to Effector-Triggered Immunity (ETI) genes among others. These candidate genes were categorized by molecular function (98%), biological process (85%) and cellular component (79%) using gene ontology. Some of the most interesting predicted roles were those associated with binding and transferase activity. We designed 94 primers pairs from the 74 immunity-related genes (IRGs) to amplify the corresponding genomic regions on six genotypes that included resistant and susceptible materials. From these, we selected 17 single band amplicons and sequenced them in 14 F. oxysporum resistant and susceptible genotypes. Sequence polymorphisms were analyzed through preliminary candidate gene association, which allowed the detection of one SNP at the PpIRG-63 marker revealing a nonsynonymous mutation in the predicted LRR domain suggesting functional roles for resistance.

Fumonisins: probable role as effectors in the complex interaction of susceptible and resistant maize hybrids and Fusarium verticillioides.

Fusarium verticillioides is best known for its worldwide occurrence on maize resulting in highly variable disease symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic to severe rotting and wilting and fumonisin production. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of hybrid genotypes in the early stages of F. verticillioides infection, and the role of fumonisins as effectors in the outcome of this complex interaction. Disease symptoms, growth parameters, root morphology, and fungal colonization were evaluated at 7, 14, and 21 days after planting in seedlings from maize seeds of resistant (RH) and susceptible (SH) hybrids inoculated with F. verticillioides or watered with solutions of fumonisins. F. verticillioides induced growth enhancement or retardation depending on the plant genetic background and the fungal colonization rate, while fumonisins caused severe reduction in biomass and fitness. Seedlings watered with high fumonisin concentrations displayed lesions similar to those seen in F. verticillioides maize seedling disease, and also elicited inhibitory effects on root growth and morphology and on functional properties. In summary, these data strongly suggest a dual role for fumonisins in the F. verticillioides-maize interaction, acting as pathogenic factors at high concentrations, or triggering the plant detoxification mechanisms at low levels.

Alpha2-macroglobulin from an Atlantic shrimp: biochemical characterization, sub-cellular localization and gene expression upon fungal challenge.

In this study, we report on the isolation and characterization of an alpha2-macroglobulin (α2M) from the plasma of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis, its sub-cellular localization and transcriptional changes after infection by fungi. The molecular mass of the α2M was estimated at 389 kDa by gel filtration and 197 kDa by SDS-PAGE, under reducing conditions, suggesting that α2M from F. paulensis consists of two identical sub-units, covalently linked by disulphide bonds. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the α2M from F. paulensis was very similar to those of other penaeid shrimps, crayfish and lobster (70-90% identity) and to a less extent with that of freshwater prawn (40% identity). A monoclonal antibody raised against the Marsupenaeus japonicus α2M made it possible to demonstrate that α2M of F. paulensis is stored in the vesicles of the shrimp granular hemocytes (through immunogold assay). Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis showed that α2M mRNA transcripts significantly increased 24 h after an experimental infection with the shrimp pathogen Fusarium solani and it returned to the basal levels at 48 h post-injection. This is the first report on a α2M characterization in an Atlantic penaeid species and its expression profile upon a fungal infection.

Immediate skin test reactivity to common aeroallergens in patients with respiratory allergies: a comparative analysis of allergen-induced skin reactions and their histamine controls.

The results of the immediate skin test response to a panel of 16 common aeroallergens performed in a group of 659 consecutive patients with symptoms suggestive of a respiratory allergy were analyzed. A group of 108 healthy individuals served as control subjects. Ninety-four percent of the patients and 87% of the control subjects had at least one allergen-induced reaction (wheal greater than or equal to 2 by 2 mm). The prevalence of positive skin reactions to each aeroallergen was equally high in both groups. However, if a skin reaction is considered as positive only when an allergen-induced wheal is equal or larger compared to the 50% of the wheal obtained with the histamine control in that individual, 70% of the patients had positive skin reactions and only 38% of the control subjects were positive (p less than 0.05). Similarly, the prevalence rates to five aeroallergens (pollen, Fusarium, Mucor, Pullularia, and Curvularia) in the patient group were reduced to those levels observed with the control group, suggesting they are clinically less important. The age and not the sex influenced both the prevalence rates (p less than 0.001) and the mean size (p less than 0.01) of allergen and histamine-induced skin reactions. Lower prevalence rates and mean size values were observed in the youngest group (0 to 9 years). Moreover, there was an inverse relationship between lower skin reactivity with more younger subjects in our patient population. These results indicate that patients and healthy individuals have similar mechanisms for skin reactivity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)