Profile of the in silico secretome of the palm dieback pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis, a fungus that puts natural oases at risk.

Understanding biotic changes that occur alongside climate change constitute a research priority of global significance. Here, we address a plant pathogen that poses a serious threat to life on natural oases, where climate change is already taking a toll and severely impacting human subsistence. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis is a pathogen that causes dieback disease on date palms, a tree that provides several critical ecosystem services in natural oases; and consequently, of major importance in this vulnerable habitat. Here, we assess the current state of global pathogen spread, we annotate the genome of a sequenced pathogen strain isolated from the native range and we analyse its in silico secretome. The palm dieback pathogen secretes a large arsenal of effector candidates including a variety of toxins, a distinguished profile of secreted in xylem proteins (SIX) as well as an expanded protein family with an N-terminal conserved motif [SG]PC[KR]P that could be involved in interactions with host membranes. Using agrobiodiversity as a strategy to decrease pathogen infectivity, while providing short term resilient solutions, seems to be widely overcome by the pathogen. Hence, the urgent need for future mechanistic research on the palm dieback disease and a better understanding of pathogen genetic diversity.

[Unadjusted and customized fetal growth curves: a comparative study in a sub-Saharan population]. / Courbes de croissance fœtale non ajustées et personnalisées: une étude comparative dans une population du Sud du Sahara.

The purpose of this study was to compare the unadjusted EPOPé M0 curve with the customized Gardosi curve in the diagnosis of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses in a sub-Saharan population. We compared the Gardosi et al. and EPOPé M0 classifications. Classification differences were analyzed according to patient characteristics and obstetric conditions. Data collected from FileMaker software were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and R Studio software. The statistical tests were carried out according to applicability conditions. Alpha risk was set at 0.05. The Gardosi curve showed that the rate of SGA newborns was higher (31.4% versus 28.9%) and did not differ between overweight and normal-weight women. The rate of severe SGA in preterm infants was also higher (23.6 versus 19.7%). Diseases were more frequent in newborns classified as severe SGA by the customized growth curve. The customized curve is recommended for the sub-Saharan Africa population.