Mating-Type Genes Control Sexual Reproduction, Conidial Germination, and Virulence in Cochliobolus lunatus.

Cochliobolus lunatus (anamorph: Curvularia lunata) is a major pathogenic fungus that causes the Curvularia leaf spot of maize. ClMAT1-1-1 and ClMAT1-2-1, the C. lunatus orthologs of C. heterostrophus ChMAT1-1-1 and ChMAT1-2-1, were investigated in the present study to uncover their functions in C. lunatus. Southern blot analysis showed that these mating-type MAT genes exist in the C. lunatus genome as a single copy. ClMAT1-1-1 and ClMAT1-2-1 were knocked out and complemented to generate ΔClmat1-1-1 and ΔClmat1-2-1 and ΔClmat1-1-1-C and ΔClmat1-2-1-C, respectively. The mutant strains had defective sexual development and failed to produce pseudothecia. There were no significant differences in growth rate or conidia production between the mutant and wild-type strains. However, the aerial mycelia and mycelial dry weight of ΔClmat1-1-1 and ΔClmat1-2-1 were lower than those of wild type, suggesting that MAT genes affect asexual development. ClMAT genes were involved in the responses to cell wall integrity and osmotic adaptation. ΔClmat1-2-1 had a lower conidial germination rate than the wild-type strain CX-3. The virulence of ΔClmat1-2-1 and ΔClmat1-1-1 was also reduced compared with the wild-type. Complementary strains could restore all the phenotypes.

Beneficial effects of enriched environment following status epilepticus in immature rats.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that enriching the environment can improve cognitive and motor deficits following a variety of brain injuries. Whether environmental enrichment can improve cognitive impairment following status epilepticus (SE) is not known. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the environment in which animals are raised influences cognitive function in normal rats and rats subjected to SE. METHODS: Rats (n = 100) underwent lithium-pilocarpine-induced SE at postnatal (P) day 20 and were then placed in either an enriched environment consisting of a large play area with toys, climbing objects, and music, or in standard vivarium cages for 30 days. Control rats (n = 32) were handled similarly to the SE rats but received saline injections instead of lithium-pilocarpine. Rats were then tested in the water maze, a measure of visual-spatial memory. A subset of the rats were killed during exposure to the enriched or nonenriched environment and the brains examined for dentate granule cell neurogenesis using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and phosphorylated cyclic AMP response element binding protein (pCREB) immunostaining, a brain transcription factor important in long-term memory. RESULTS: Both control and SE rats exposed to the enriched environment performed significantly better than the nonenriched group in the water maze. There was a significant increase in neurogenesis and pCREB immunostaining in the dentate gyrus in both control and SE animals exposed to the enriched environment compared to the nonenriched groups. Environmental enrichment resulted in no change in SE-induced histologic damage. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to an enriched environment in weanling rats significantly improves visual-spatial learning. Even following SE, an enriched environment enhances cognitive function. An increase in neurogenesis and activation of transcription factors may contribute to this enhanced visual-spatial memory.

[Observation on the efficacy of combined use of some new antimalarials for the treatment of falciparum malaria in Hainan Province].

Field trials were carried out to assess the therapeutic effects including the combined use of piperaquine (PQ) with nitroquine (NQ) and pyronaridine (PYR) with NQ against falciparum malaria in regions of Hainan Province with chloroquine-resistance in 3 successive autumns from 1985 to 1987. In an evaluation of PQ 750 mg with NQ 25 mg therapy in 33 falciparum malaria patients, the average fever subsidence time and parasite clearance time were 39 hours and 49 hours respectively, but within 28 days after medication, the recrudescence rates were 0-47% in different regions. In evaluations of PYR 600 mg with NQ 25 mg in 11 cases, PYR 800 mg with NQ 40 mg in 43 cases, PYR 800 mg with NQ 80 mg in 31 cases, the fever subsidence time were 31-35 hours, the parasite clearance time were 46-53 hours and the 28 days recrudescence rates were 13-18%. In the control, the use of PYR 1,200 mg alone in 42 cases, the average fever subsidence time and parasite clearance time were 33 hours and 48 hours respectively, the 28 days recrudescence rate was 12%. There was no statistically significant difference among them in their effects. The side-effects of all groups were mild.