BLAST-XYPlot Viewer: A Tool for Performing BLAST in Whole-Genome Sequenced Bacteria/Archaea and Visualize Whole Results Simultaneously.

One of the most commonly used tools to compare protein or DNA sequences against databases is BLAST. We introduce a web tool that allows the performance of BLAST-searches of protein/DNA sequences in whole-genome sequenced bacteria/archaea, and displays a large amount of BLAST-results simultaneously. The circular bacterial replicons are projected as horizontal lines with fixed length of 360, representing the degrees of a circle. A coordinate system is created with length of the replicon along the x-axis and the number of replicon used on the y-axis. When a query sequence matches with a gene/protein of a particular replicon, the BLAST-results are depicted as an "x,y" position in a specially adapted plot. This tool allows the visualization of the results from the whole data to a particular gene/protein in real time with low computational resources.

A review of recent patents on macroorganisms as biological control agents.

The indiscriminate use of synthetic pesticides has brought undesired problems to human health, agriculture, and the environment. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Biological Control (BC) programs, which are based on minimum use of pesticides, are seen as alternative, more ecological solutions to the unintended problems associated with pesticide use. These programs combine the introduction, augmentation, and/or conservation of pest natural enemies, with other protection tools. Although patents and the process of commercialization of microorganisms has been the subject of various reviews, macroorganisms used for pest and disease control have stimulated less comprehensive analyses. From our review of patents, there has been an enormous increase in the number of macroorganism-related patents registered in the last two decades. Private companies own 65% of all these patents. Rearing methods and crop protection strategies are the main intellectual property patented, with parasitoid wasps and predatory mites being the primary Biological Control Agent (BCA) focus of patents. Among countries, Japan was the first country with these types of patents, followed by the United States, Canada and China. Increasing concern for pesticide risks by governments and the public is seen as the main impetus for change in "traditional" crop protection practices and for investment in other more ecological products like BCAs.

CARACTERIZACIÓN DE LAS LARVAS DE DOS ESPECIES DE ParanomalaY UNA ESPECIE DE Strigoderma (COLEOPTERA: MELOLONTHIDAE: RUTELINAE) DE PUEBLA, MÉXICO / Descriptions of the Larvae of Two Species of Paranomala and One Species of Strigoderma (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae: Rutelinae) from Puebla, Mexico

Se presentan las descripciones de la larva de tercer estadio de Paranomala flavilla (Bates), P. hoepfneri (Bates) y Strigoderma costulipennis Bates, recolectadas en el estado de Puebla, México, en suelos con cultivo de amaranto (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.). Se incluyen ilustraciones distintivas y comentarios sobre las diferencias con las larvas de otras especies de los géneros estudiados en México.

The third instar larvae of Paranomala flavilla (Bates), P. hoepfneri (Bates) and Strigoderma costulipennis Bates, collected in Puebla, Mexico, in soils cultivated with amaranth are described. Illustrations of the diagnostic structures and comments on the differences with other larvae of the genera studied in Mexico are included.

Oclusión de haces vasculares para evaluar resistencia de caña de azúcar a xanthomonas albilineans / Vascular bundle occlusion as a measure of sugarcane resistance to xanthomonas albilineans / Oclusão de feixes vasculares para avaliar resistência de cana de açucar a xanthomonas albilineans

La evaluación de resistencia de caña de azúcar (Saccharum officinarum L.) a escaldadura de la hoja ha sido realizada sin consideración del porcentaje de daño al sistema vascular. En el presente estudio se analizó la oclusión de haces vasculares del tallo, en la parte basal y apical de la caña de azúcar, para evaluar resistencia a Xanthomonas albilineans (Xa). Se utilizó caña de azúcar de la variedad susceptible Mex 64-1487 y la resistente Co 997, distribuidas en un diseño de bloques al azar con cuatro repeticiones. La inoculación se realizó por inyección en la parte media del tallo de plantas de tres meses de edad, con 3ml de Xa con 2x10(5)UFC/ml o agua estéril. Los muestreos se realizaron a 0, 30, 60, 110 y 213 días después de la inoculación (ddi), cortando dos tallos al azar por repetición. De cada tallo se tomó un nudo de la parte basal y otro de la parte apical, los cuales se colocaron en formaldehido-alcohol-ácido acético. La oclusión se analizó utilizando un diseño completamente al azar con arreglo factorial 2³ con tres repeticiones. La identificación de Xa se realizó utilizando Bio-PCR (colonias bacterianas en la PCR), con los iniciadores PGBL1 y PGBL2, específicos para DNA de Xa. El mayor porcentaje de haces vasculares ocluidos se detectó a los 110 ddi en la parte basal (p£0,05) de ambas variedades. La oclusión de haces vasculares permitió evaluar correctamente la resistencia de Mex 64-1487 y Co 997(p£0,05) utilizando la parte basal del tallo.

The sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) resistance to leaf scald has been studied without consideration of the percentage of damage to the vascular system. In the present study the occlusion of vascular bundles in the basal and apical parts of the sugarcane stalk was analyzed to evaluate the resistance to Xanthomonas albilineans (Xa). The susceptible sugarcane variety Mex 64-1487 and the resistant variety Co 997 were used under a randomized design with four replications. Inoculation was carried out by injection in the middle of the stalk of 3 month old plants, using 3ml of a 2x10(5)UFC/ml bacterial suspension or sterile water. The sampling was done at 0, 30, 60, 110 and 213 days after the inoculation, cutting two stalks by replication. In each plant two nodes from the basal part and two from the apical part were sampled and kept in a formaldehide-alcohol-acetic acid solution, to determine occlusion with a complete randomized design in factorial composition 2³ with three replications. The Xa diagnosis was done employing Bio-PCR (bacterial cells in the PCR) and PGBL1 and PGBL2 DNA specific primers for Xa. The percentage of vascular bundle occlusion was larger in the basal part of the stalk in both varieties (p£0,05). The determination of the vascular bundle occlusion allowed a correct evaluation of the resistance of both Mex 64-1487 and Co 997 (p£0,05), analyzing the lower basal part of the stalk.

A avaliação de resistência de cana de açucar (Saccharum officinarum L.) a escaldadura da folha tem sido realizada sem consideração da porcentagem de dano ao sistema vascular. No presente estudo se analisou a oclusão de feixes vasculares do caule, na parte basal e apical da cana de açucar, para avaliar resistência a Xanthomonas albilineans (Xa). Utilizou-se cana de açucar da variedade suscetível Mex 64-1487 e a resistente Co 997, distribuidas em um desenho aleatório de blocos com quatro repetições. A inoculação se realizou por injeção na parte média do caule de plantas de três meses de idade, com 3ml de Xa com 2x10(5)UFC/ml ou agua estéril. As amostragens foram realizdas a 0, 30, 60, 110 e 213 dias após a inoculação (dai), cortando dois caules aleatoriamente por repetição. De cada caule foi retirado um nó da parte basal e outro da parte apical, os quais foram colocados em formaldehido-álcool-ácido acético. A oclusão se analisou utilizando um desenho completamente aleatório com arranjo fatorial 2³ com três repetições. A identificação de Xa se realizou utilizando Bio-PCR (colônias bacterianas na PCR), com os iniciadores PGBL1 e PGBL2, específicos para DNA de Xa. A maior porcentagem de feixes vasculares ocluídos foi detectada aos 110 dai na parte basal (p£0,05) de ambas as variedades. A oclusão de feixes vasculares permitiu avaliar corretamente a resistência de Mex 64-1487 e Co 997(p£0,05) utilizando a parte basal do caule.