Can cognitive dissonance explain beliefs regarding meritocracy?

Why do economically disadvantaged people often regard inequality as fair? The literature on deliberative justice suggests that people regard inequality as fair when it is proportional to inequality in effort or other inputs - i.e. when it is meritocratic. But in the real-world there is substantial uncertainty over the distribution of income and merit - so what compels disadvantaged people to legitimate their own disadvantage? This paper suggests it is a reaction to cognitive dissonance. When inequality is high, and when people lack control, their only way to reduce dissonance is to convince themselves the distribution is fair. I implement an online experiment to test this theory. Results do not support a cognitive dissonance mechanism behind meritocracy. But they do indicate that disadvantaged individuals are more likely to regard inequality as fair when they lack control. Analysis of qualitative data indicates that deprivation of control engenders a fatalistic response to inequality.

Warmer ambient temperatures reduce protein intake by a mammalian folivore.

The interplay between ambient temperature and nutrition in wild herbivores is frequently overlooked, despite the fundamental importance of food. We tested whether different ambient temperatures (10°C, 18°C and 26°C) influenced the intake of protein by a marsupial herbivore, the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). At each temperature, possums were offered a choice of two foods containing different amounts of protein (57% versus 8%) for one week. Animals mixed a diet with a lower proportion of protein to non-protein (P : NP, 0.20) when held at 26°C compared to that at both 10°C and 18°C (0.22). Since detoxification of plant secondary metabolites imposes a protein cost on animals, we then studied whether addition of the monoterpene 1,8-cineole to the food changed the effect of ambient temperature (10°C and 26°C) on food choice. Cineole reduced food intake but also removed the effect of temperature on P : NP ratio and instead animals opted for a diet with higher P : NP (0.19 with cineole versus 0.15 without cineole). These experiments show the proportion of P : NP chosen by animals is influenced by ambient temperature and by plant secondary metabolites. Protein is critical for reproductive success in this species and reduced protein intake caused by high ambient temperatures may limit the viability of some populations in the future. This article is part of the theme issue 'Food processing and nutritional assimilation in animals'.

Plant secondary metabolites and primate food choices: A meta-analysis and future directions.

The role of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) in shaping the feeding decisions, habitat suitability, and reproductive success of herbivorous mammals has been a major theme in ecology for decades. Although primatologists were among the first to test these ideas, studies of PSMs in the feeding ecology of non-human primates have lagged in recent years, leading to a recent call for primatologists to reconnect with phytochemists to advance our understanding of the primate nutrition. To further this case, we present a formal meta-analysis of diet choice in response to PSMs based on field studies on wild primates. Our analysis of 155 measurements of primate feeding response to PSMs is drawn from 53 studies across 43 primate species which focussed primarily on the effect of three classes of PSMs tannins, phenolics, and alkaloids. We found a small but significant effect of PSMs on the diet choice of wild primates, which was largely driven by the finding that colobine primates showed a moderate aversion to condensed tannins. Conversely, there was no evidence that PSMs had a significant deterrent effect on food choices of non-colobine primates when all were combined into a single group. Furthermore, within the colobine primates, no other PSMs influenced feeding choices and we found no evidence that foregut anatomy significantly affected food choice with respect to PSMs. We suggest that methodological improvements related to experimental approaches and the adoption of new techniques including metabolomics are needed to advance our understanding of primate diet choice.

Homodinuclear copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes of a carboxylate-rich ligand as synthetic mimics of phosphoester hydrolase in aqueous solutions.

The synthesis, characterization and catalytic activities of two homodinuclear Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of a carboxylate-rich ligand, N,N'-Bis[2-carboxybenzomethyl]-N,N' -Bis[carboxymethyl]-1,3-diaminopropan-2-ol (H5ccdp) ligand towards the hydrolysis of (p-nitrophenyl phosphate) (PNPP) and bis(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate (BNPP) substrates in aqueous systems are described. Kinetic investigations were carried out using UV-Vis spectrophotometric techniques at 25 °C and 37 °C and different pH (7-10) conditions. The kinetic studies revealed that the turnover rate (kcat) values among the PNPP hydrolysis systems, the highest and the lowest kcat values were displayed by [Cu2(ccdp)(µ-OAc)]2- at 2.34 × 10-6 s-1 (pH 8 and 37 °C) and 2.13 × 10-8 s-1 (pH 8 and 25 °C), respectively. However, similar comparisons among the BNPP hydrolysis revealed that highest and the lowest kcat values were displayed by [Zn2(ccdp)(µ-OAc)]2- at 4.64 × 10-8 s-1 (pH 9 and 37 °C) and 2.38 × 10-9 (pH 9 and 25 °C). Significantly enough, the catalyst-substrate adduct species containing a metal bound PNPP and BNPP have been detected by ESI-MS techniques. Additionally, a PNPP-bound copper complex has been isolated and crystalized using single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. Based on the structural and activity information obtained in this study, reaction mechanisms for the hydrolysis of PNPP have been proposed.

Fundamental dietary specialisation explains differential use of resources within a koala population.

The diets of individual animals within populations can differ, but few studies determine whether this is due to fundamental differences in preferences or capacities to eat specific foods, or to external influences such as dominance hierarchies or spatial variation in food availability. The distinction is important because different drivers of dietary specialisation are likely to have different impacts on the way in which animal populations respond to, for example, habitat modification. We used a captive feeding study to investigate the mechanisms driving individual dietary specialisation in a population of wild koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in which individuals predominantly ate either Eucalyptus viminalis or Eucalyptus obliqua foliage. All six koalas that primarily ate E. viminalis in the wild avoided eating E. obliqua for more than 1 month in captivity. In contrast, all seven koalas that primarily ate E. obliqua could be maintained exclusively on this species in captivity, although they ate less from individual trees with higher foliar concentrations of unsubstituted B-ring flavanones (UBFs). Our results show that fundamental differences between individual animals allow some to exploit food resources that are less suitable for others. This could reduce competition for food, increase habitat carrying capacity, and is also likely to buffer the population against extinction in the face of habitat modification. The occurrence of fundamental individual specialisation within animal populations could also affect the perceived conservation value of different habitats, translocation or reintroduction success, and population dynamics. It should therefore be further investigated in other mammalian herbivore species.

Using the pandemic to decolonize nature: Interrogating pragmatic education.

This article seeks to use Dewey's interpretation of pragmatism and education as a model for how dominant notions of school exemplify a colonizing theory of nature. The article argues that Dewey sought to commodify nature as a tool for human progress. This aspect of Dewey's beliefs is further demonstrated in the kind of schooling that is being implemented through globalization. The article draws on Indigenous concepts of the nature and the Earth, for decolonizing science instruction in an elementary classroom.

Food intake: an overlooked driver of climate change casualties?

Reduced voluntary food intake is a common response of endotherms to warmer temperatures. However, the implications of this are rarely considered for wild animals exposed to higher temperatures caused by climate change. We provide a conceptual model to demonstrate the potential consequences of elevated temperatures on food intake and survival.

Characterization of terpene biosynthesis in Melaleuca quinquenervia and ecological consequences of terpene accumulation during myrtle rust infection.

Plants use a wide array of secondary metabolites including terpenes as defense against herbivore and pathogen attack, which can be constitutively expressed or induced. Here, we investigated aspects of the chemical and molecular basis of resistance against the exotic rust fungus Austropuccinia psidii in Melaleuca quinquenervia, with a focus on terpenes. Foliar terpenes of resistant and susceptible plants were quantified, and we assessed whether chemotypic variation contributed to resistance to infection by A. psidii. We found that chemotypes did not contribute to the resistance and susceptibility of M. quinquenervia. However, in one of the chemotypes (Chemotype 2), susceptible plants showed higher concentrations of several terpenes including α-pinene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, and viridiflorol compared with resistant plants. Transcriptome profiling of these plants showed that several TPS genes were strongly induced in response to infection by A. psidii. Functional characterization of these TPS showed them to be mono- and sesquiterpene synthases producing compounds including 1,8-cineole, ß-caryophyllene, viridiflorol and nerolidol. The expression of these TPS genes correlated with metabolite data in a susceptible plant. These results suggest the complexity of resistance mechanism regulated by M. quinquenervia and that modulation of terpenes may be one of the components that contribute to resistance against A. psidii.

The distribution and abundance of an unusual resource for koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in a sodium-poor environment.

Environmentally available sodium tends to decrease with increasing elevation, and sodium resources in these sodium-poor environments are critical for the survival of herbivores. Eucalypt leaves in the subalpine Monaro region of NSW, Australia contain much less sodium than eucalypt leaves at lower elevations, and subalpine koalas obtain this much needed resource by eating the bark from some Eucalyptus mannifera trees. To better understand the availability of salty-barked trees, we searched for evidence of koala bark chewing at 100 randomly generated locations in the region. We found 318 E. mannifera trees with koala chew marks. We also analysed sodium concentrations in the bark of three unchewed E. mannifera trees from each site to determine whether there were trees with high bark sodium content that had not yet been utilized by koalas. Although 90% of unchewed trees had sodium concentrations less than 225.4 mg.kg-1 DM, some unchewed trees contained high sodium concentrations (up to 1213.1 mg.kg-1 DM). From the random survey, we can extrapolate that 11% of trees in this area have bark sodium above 300 mg.kg-1 DM, which is based on the concentration of bark sodium observed in at least moderately chewed trees. We would expect to find 0.24 of these trees per 200 m2, or 720,000 salty-barked trees in the 30 km by 20 km study area. Bark chewing by koalas is widespread in the area, and trees with salty bark are more common than initially thought. We discuss correlations with the occurrence of salty-barked trees and other landscape attributes; however, questions remain about why some E. mannifera trees have much more bark sodium than others. Studies such as this one should be expanded to identify sodium resources and their availability for other herbivorous species, since many are predicted to move to higher elevations in response to climate change.

Aortic Remodeling and Clinical Outcomes Following Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injury.

BACKGROUND: There is currently limited data assessing the long-term consequences of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in otherwise healthy aortic segments remote from the site of endograft coverage. The aim of this study is to retrospectively evaluate aortic remodeling and long-term outcomes of blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) patients treated with TEVAR. Our hypothesis is that significant changes to the aorta proximal to the graft-covered segment are suspected following TEVAR. METHODS: An institutional review board-approved retrospective review of patients who underwent TEVAR for BTAI at a level I trauma center from 2004 to 2018 was performed. Forty-six patients were identified and of these, 32 patients with high-resolution computed tomographic angiography imaging follow-up were included in the study. Computed tomographic angiography measurements of aortic dimensions and branch vessels proximal, distal, and adjacent to the stent grafted segment were recorded preprocedure and postprocedure and analyzed. Primary device-related outcomes such as birdbeaking, mural thrombus, stent migration, and persistent endoleak were assessed. Patient outcomes including mortality, graft-related morbidity, and need for secondary interventions were also analyzed. RESULTS: Mean follow-up of the selected patients in the study was 1.52 y (range, 0.06-8.0 y). Following TEVAR, the ascending aortic length increased significantly (mean 5.7 ± 4.6 mm, P < 0.001). The mean diameters of the ascending aorta (1.5 ± 1.5, P < 0.001 mm), the midaortic arch (1.3 ± 1.7 mm, P < 0.001), and proximal and the distal endograft landing zones (1.9 ± 2.1 mm and 2.2 ± 1.6 mm, respectively, P < 0.001) also increased significantly following TEVAR. Clinically relevant device-related outcomes occurred with the presence of endograft infolding and subsequent development of endograft mural thrombus (P < 0.001). The need for secondary intervention following TEVAR for BTAI was associated with endograft mural thrombus (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TEVAR for BTAI causes significant geometric changes in the aorta proximal to the stented grafted segment of the aorta. Direct consequences of the graft at the stented segment includes mural thrombus development within the endograft which was associated with the need for secondary intervention. Although clinical significance is yet to be determined, post-TEVAR changes in aortic architecture warrant continued aortic surveillance following BTAI.

A phylogenomic approach reveals a low somatic mutation rate in a long-lived plant.

Somatic mutations can have important effects on the life history, ecology, and evolution of plants, but the rate at which they accumulate is poorly understood and difficult to measure directly. Here, we develop a method to measure somatic mutations in individual plants and use it to estimate the somatic mutation rate in a large, long-lived, phenotypically mosaic Eucalyptus melliodora tree. Despite being 100 times larger than Arabidopsis, this tree has a per-generation mutation rate only ten times greater, which suggests that this species may have evolved mechanisms to reduce the mutation rate per unit of growth. This adds to a growing body of evidence that illuminates the correlated evolutionary shifts in mutation rate and life history in plants.

New approaches to tannin analysis of leaves can be used to explain in vitro biological activities associated with herbivore defence.

Although tannins have been an important focus of studies of plant-animal interactions, traditional tannin analyses cannot differentiate between the diversity of structures present in plants. This has limited our understanding of how different mixtures of these widespread secondary metabolites contribute to variation in biological activity. We used UPLC-MS/MS to determine the concentration and broad composition of tannins and polyphenols in 628 eucalypt (Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora) samples, and related these to three in vitro functional measures believed to influence herbivore defence: protein precipitation capacity, oxidative activity at high pH and capacity to reduce in vitro nitrogen (N) digestibility. Protein precipitation capacity was most strongly correlated with concentrations of procyanidin subunits in proanthocyanidins (PAs), and late-eluting ellagitannins. Capacity to reduce in vitro N digestibility was affected most by the subunit composition and mean degree of polymerisation (mDP) of PAs. Finally, concentrations of ellagitannins and prodelphinidin subunits of PAs were the strongest determinants of oxidative activity. The results illustrate why measures of total tannins rarely correlate with animal feeding responses. However, they also confirm that the analytical techniques utilised here could allow researchers to understand how variation in tannins influence the ecology of individuals and populations of herbivores, and, ultimately, other ecosystem processes.

High marker density GWAS provides novel insights into the genomic architecture of terpene oil yield in Eucalyptus.

Terpenoid-based essential oils are economically important commodities, yet beyond their biosynthetic pathways, little is known about the genetic architecture of terpene oil yield from plants. Transport, storage, evaporative loss, transcriptional regulation and precursor competition may be important contributors to this complex trait. Here, we associate 2.39 million single nucleotide polymorphisms derived from shallow whole-genome sequencing of 468 Eucalyptus polybractea individuals with 12 traits related to the overall terpene yield, eight direct measures of terpene concentration and four biomass-related traits. Our results show that in addition to terpene biosynthesis, development of secretory cavities, where terpenes are both synthesized and stored, and transport of terpenes were important components of terpene yield. For sesquiterpene concentrations, the availability of precursors in the cytosol was important. Candidate terpene synthase genes for the production of 1,8-cineole and α-pinene, and ß-pinene (which comprised > 80% of the total terpenes) were functionally characterized as a 1,8-cineole synthase and a ß/α-pinene synthase. Our results provide novel insights into the genomic architecture of terpene yield and we provide candidate genes for breeding or engineering of crops for biofuels or the production of industrially valuable terpenes.

Occurrence and distribution of unsubstituted B-ring flavanones in Eucalyptus foliage.

A group of plant specialised metabolites (PSMs) collectively known as unsubstituted B-ring flavanones (UBFs) have previously been found in the foliage of some species from the genus Eucalyptus L'Hér. (Myrtaceae), specifically from the subgenus Eucalyptus (monocalypts). Captive feeding studies using artificial diets suggest that these compounds may potentially influence the feeding preferences of marsupial folivores, such as koalas. Understanding natural variation in the composition and concentration of UBFs in eucalypt foliage is a first step to deciding whether, through their effects on herbivory, they might have broader effects on ecosystem dynamics. We used ESI-LCMS/MS and HPLC to characterise and quantify UBFs in 351 individual trees from 25 monocalypt species. We found large variation in the total UBF concentration both between and within species. For example, the mean concentration of UBFs in Eucalyptus muelleriana was 0.2 mg g-1 dry wt, whereas it was 105.7 mg g-1 dry wt, with a range of 78.2-141.3 mg g-1 dry wt, in Eucalyptus mediocris. Different eucalypt species contained different subsets of ten UBFs, and three species showed potential chemotypic variation between individuals within species. Our results suggest that UBFs naturally vary between monocalypt species and individuals at concentrations that could realistically be expected to affect the feeding dynamics of marsupial eucalypt folivores. UBFs could be measured relatively rapidly and cheaply in future studies using near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy, as we were able to successfully predict the total UBF concentration of samples from their NIR spectra, with an r2 value of 0.98 and a standard error of prediction (SEP) of 6.07. This work further solidifies NIR spectroscopy as a powerful tool enabling ecologists to analyse the chemical composition of large numbers of samples.

Faecal inoculations alter the gastrointestinal microbiome and allow dietary expansion in a wild specialist herbivore, the koala.

BACKGROUND: Differences between individuals in their gastrointestinal microbiomes can lead to variation in their ability to persist on particular diets. Koalas are dietary specialists, feeding almost exclusively on Eucalyptus foliage but many individuals will not feed on particular Eucalyptus species that are adequate food for other individuals, even when facing starvation. We undertook a faecal inoculation experiment to test whether a koala's gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome influences their diet. Wild-caught koalas that initially fed on the preferred manna gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) were brought into captivity and orally inoculated with encapsulated material derived from faeces from koalas feeding on either the less preferred messmate (E. obliqua; treatment) or manna gum (control). RESULTS: The gastrointestinal microbiomes of wild koalas feeding primarily on manna gum were distinct from those feeding primarily on messmate. We found that the gastrointestinal microbiomes of koalas were unresponsive to dietary changes because the control koalas' GI microbiomes did not change even when the nocturnal koalas were fed exclusively on messmate overnight. We showed that faecal inoculations can assist the GI microbiomes of koalas to change as the treatment koalas' GI microbiomes became more similar to those of wild koalas feeding on messmate. There was no overall difference between the control and treatment koalas in the quantity of messmate they consumed. However, the greater the change in the koalas' GI microbiomes, the more messmate they consumed after the inoculations had established. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that dietary changes can only lead to changes in the GI microbiomes of koalas if the appropriate microbial species are present, and/or that the koala gastrointestinal microbiome influences diet selection.

Accuracy of Genomic Prediction for Foliar Terpene Traits in Eucalyptus polybractea.

Unlike agricultural crops, most forest species have not had millennia of improvement through phenotypic selection, but can contribute energy and material resources and possibly help alleviate climate change. Yield gains similar to those achieved in agricultural crops over millennia could be made in forestry species with the use of genomic methods in a much shorter time frame. Here we compare various methods of genomic prediction for eight traits related to foliar terpene yield in Eucalyptus polybractea, a tree grown predominantly for the production of Eucalyptus oil. The genomic markers used in this study are derived from shallow whole genome sequencing of a population of 480 trees. We compare the traditional pedigree-based additive best linear unbiased predictors (ABLUP), genomic BLUP (GBLUP), BayesB genomic prediction model, and a form of GBLUP based on weighting markers according to their influence on traits (BLUP|GA). Predictive ability is assessed under varying marker densities of 10,000, 100,000 and 500,000 SNPs. Our results show that BayesB and BLUP|GA perform best across the eight traits. Predictive ability was higher for individual terpene traits, such as foliar α-pinene and 1,8-cineole concentration (0.59 and 0.73, respectively), than aggregate traits such as total foliar oil concentration (0.38). This is likely a function of the trait architecture and markers used. BLUP|GA was the best model for the two biomass related traits, height and 1 year change in height (0.25 and 0.19, respectively). Predictive ability increased with marker density for most traits, but with diminishing returns. The results of this study are a solid foundation for yield improvement of essential oil producing eucalypts. New markets such as biopolymers and terpene-derived biofuels could benefit from rapid yield increases in undomesticated oil-producing species.

Foliar Terpene Chemotypes and Herbivory Determine Variation in Plant Volatile Emissions.

Plants that synthesize and store terpenes in specialized cells accumulate large concentrations of these compounds while avoiding autotoxicity. Stored terpenes may influence the quantity and profile of volatile compounds that are emitted into the environment and the subsequent role of those volatiles in mediating the activity of herbivores. The Australian medicinal tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia, occurs as several distinct terpene chemotypes. We studied the profile of its terpene emissions to understand how variations in stored foliar terpenes influenced emissions, both constitutive and when damaged either by herbivores or mechanically. We found that foliar chemistry influenced differences in the composition of terpene emissions, but those emissions were minimal in intact plants. When plants were damaged by herbivores or mechanically, the emissions were greatly increased and the composition corresponded to the constitutive terpenes and the volatility of each compound, suggesting the main origin of emissions is the stored terpenes and not de novo biosynthesized volatiles. However, herbivores modified the composition of the volatile emissions in only one chemotype, probably due to the oxidative metabolism of 1,8-cineole by the beetles. We also tested whether the foliar terpene blend acted as an attractant for the specialized leaf beetles Paropsisterna tigrina and Faex sp. and a parasitoid fly, Anagonia zentae. None of these species responded to extracts of young leaves in an olfactometer, so we found no evidence that these species use plant odor cues for host location in laboratory conditions.

Intraspecific Variation in Nutritional Composition Affects the Leaf Age Preferences of a Mammalian Herbivore.

Ecologists have long been interested in how the nutritional composition of leaves changes as they age, and whether this affects herbivore feeding preferences. As a consequence, the literature abounds with reports that younger leaves contain higher concentrations of nitrogen and plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) than do older leaves. Most of these studies, however, base their conclusions on average values that often mean little to herbivores. We examined this issue in the well-studied marsupial-eucalypt system, using Eucalyptus melliodora and captive common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) offered branches from individual trees containing both young and mature leaves. Like many plants, the concentrations of N and PSMs differed among individual E. melliodora. Although young leaves were, on average, "better defended" by the PSM sideroxylonal than were mature leaves, some trees produced leaves that were relatively undefended at both ages. In response, possums chose different proportions of young and mature leaves depending on the chemistry of the individual tree. Possums did not always prefer leaves with lower concentrations of sideroxylonal (mature leaves) or those with higher concentrations of available N (young leaves). Instead, the sideroxylonal concentration of young leaves dictated their choice: possums preferred young leaves with low sideroxylonal concentrations, but not with high concentrations. By skewing their feeding toward trees producing young leaves with low concentrations of PSMs, possums may influence plant fitness. Researchers will detect these potentially important interactions only if they are aware that measuring variation among plants discloses more information than do average relationships.

A hot lunch for herbivores: physiological effects of elevated temperatures on mammalian feeding ecology.

Mammals maintain specific body temperatures (Tb ) across a broad range of ambient temperatures. The energy required for thermoregulation ultimately comes from the diet, and so what animals eat is inextricably linked to thermoregulation. Endothermic herbivores must balance energy requirements and expenditure with complicated thermoregulatory challenges from changing thermal, nutritional and toxicological environments. In this review we provide evidence that plant-based diets can influence thermoregulation beyond the control of herbivores, and that this can render them susceptible to heat stress. Notably, herbivorous diets often require specialised digestive systems, are imbalanced, and contain plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). PSMs in particular are able to interfere with the physiological processes responsible for thermoregulation, for example by uncoupling mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, binding to thermoreceptors, or because the pathways required to detoxify PSMs are thermogenic. It is likely, therefore, that increased ambient temperatures due to climate change may have greater and more-specific impacts on herbivores than on other mammals, and that managing internal and external heat loads under these conditions could drive changes in feeding ecology.

Transcriptome Profiling of Melaleuca quinquenervia Challenged by Myrtle Rust Reveals Differences in Defense Responses Among Resistant Individuals.

Plants have developed complex defense mechanisms to protect themselves against pathogens. A wide-host-range fungus, Austropuccinia psidii, which has caused severe damage to ecosystems and plantations worldwide, is a major threat to Australian ecosystems dominated by members of the family Myrtaceae. In particular, the east coast wetland foundation tree species Melaleuca quinquenervia, appears to be variably susceptible to this pathogen. Understanding the molecular basis of host resistance would enable better management of this rust disease. We identified resistant and susceptible individuals of M. quinquenervia and explored their differential gene expression in order to discover the molecular basis of resistance against A. psidii. Rust screening of germplasm showed a varying degree of response, with fully resistant to highly susceptible individuals. We used transcriptome profiling in samples collected before and at 5 days postinoculation (dpi). Differential gene expression analysis showed that numerous defense-related genes were induced in susceptible plants at 5 dpi. Mapping reads against the A. psidii genome showed that only susceptible plants contained fungal-derived transcripts. Resistant plants exhibited an overexpression of candidate A. psidii resistance-related genes such as receptor-like kinases, nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat proteins, glutathione S-transferases, WRKY transcriptional regulators, and pathogenesis-related proteins. We identified large differences in the expression of defense-related genes among resistant individuals.