The Ustilago maydis Nit2 homolog regulates nitrogen utilization and is required for efficient induction of filamentous growth.

Nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR) is a regulatory strategy found in microorganisms that restricts the utilization of complex and unfavored nitrogen sources in the presence of favored nitrogen sources. In fungi, this concept has been best studied in yeasts and filamentous ascomycetes, where the GATA transcription factors Gln3p and Gat1p (in yeasts) and Nit2/AreA (in ascomycetes) constitute the main positive regulators of NCR. The reason why functional Nit2 homologs of some phytopathogenic fungi are required for full virulence in their hosts has remained elusive. We have identified the Nit2 homolog in the basidiomycetous phytopathogen Ustilago maydis and show that it is a major, but not the exclusive, positive regulator of nitrogen utilization. By transcriptome analysis of sporidia grown on artificial media devoid of favored nitrogen sources, we show that only a subset of nitrogen-responsive genes are regulated by Nit2, including the Gal4-like transcription factor Ton1 (a target of Nit2). Ustilagic acid biosynthesis is not under the control of Nit2, while nitrogen starvation-induced filamentous growth is largely dependent on functional Nit2. nit2 deletion mutants show the delayed initiation of filamentous growth on maize leaves and exhibit strongly compromised virulence, demonstrating that Nit2 is required to efficiently initiate the pathogenicity program of U. maydis.

[Preoperative marking options]. / Optionen zur präoperativen Markierung.

In dermatosurgery, a large number of operations involve nonsterile preoperative marking and sterile intraoperative marking to define the surgical area. This includes marking of veins and sentinel lymph nodes as well as marking of borders of malignant or benign tumors. Ideally, the markings should be resistant to disinfectant without leaving a permanent tattoo on the skin. For this purpose, a variety of commercial and noncommercial, pre- as well as intraoperative color marking options are available, such as surgical color marking pens, xanthene dyes, autologous patient blood, or permanent markers. The permanent pen is suitable for preoperative marking. It is inexpensive and can be reused. Nonsterile surgical marking pens can also be used for this purpose, but they are more expensive to purchase. Patient blood, sterile surgical marking pens, and eosin are suitable for intraoperative marking. Eosin is inexpensive and has many advantages, such as good skin compatibility. The marking options presented are good alternatives to the use of expensive colored marking pens.

Loss of cytosolic NADP-malic enzyme 2 in Arabidopsis thaliana is associated with enhanced susceptibility to Colletotrichum higginsianum.

• While photosynthetic NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) has a prominent role in the C(4) cycle, the biological function of nonphotosynthetic isoforms remains elusive. Here, we analysed the link between Arabidopsis thaliana cytosolic NADP-ME2 and the plant defence response. • Arabidopsis thaliana plants with wild-type and modified NADP-ME2 expression levels were analysed after elicitation with pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and during the interaction with the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Colletotrichum higginsianum. • Under normal growth conditions, the lack or gain of NADP-ME2 activity produced large changes in plant metabolite pool sizes without any effect on morphology or development. Total NADP-ME activity and NADP-ME2 transcript level were enhanced after PAMP treatment and pathogen infection. During infection with C. higginsianum, loss-of-function mutants of NADP-ME2 (nadp-me2) showed enhanced susceptibility. Transient apoplastic reactive oxygen species (ROS) production after elicitation and callose papilla formation after infection were dampened in nadp-me2. Late salicylic acid (SA)-dependent and SA-independent defence responses were not affected. • Taken together, our results indicate that NADP-ME2 is an important player in plant basal defence, where it appears to be involved in the generation of ROS. Moreover, NADP-ME2 was found to be dispensable for later defence responses.

Tocopherol deficiency in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants leads to accelerated senescence.

alpha-Tocopherol constitutes the major lipophilic antioxidant in thylakoid membranes, which cooperates with the soluble antioxidant system to alleviate oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) during oxygenic photosynthesis. Tocopherol accumulates during leaf senescence, indicating the necessity for increased redox buffer capacity in senescent leaves, and tocopherol deficiency has been shown to restrict sugar export from source leaves by inducing callose plugging in the vasculature. We have generated tocopherol-deficient tobacco plants that contain as few as 1% of wild-type (WT) tocopherol in leaves by silencing homogentisate phytyltransferase (HPT). Employing HPT : RNAi plants, we have assessed the importance of tocopherol during leaf senescence and for sugar export. Irrespective of whorl position, the content of free sugars and starch was lower in HPT : RNAi leaves than in WT during the vegetative phase, and no accumulation of callose or a reduction in sugar exudation compared to WT was evident. Based on our observations, we discuss lipid peroxidation as a potential modulator of tocopherol-mediated signalling. Furthermore, senescence was accelerated in lower leaves of HPT transgenics, as indicated by elevated GS1 and reduced rbcS transcript amounts. Oxidative stress was increased in virescent lower source leaves, suggesting that the lack of tocopherol triggers premature senescence.