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We report for the first time the occurrence of an Eutypella species on cotton in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The putative Eutypella was isolated from dead cotton plants that exhibited atypical symptoms of either Fusarium or Verticillium wilt. Dead plants had symptoms resembling lightning strike damage with blackened outer bark around the fifth node zone. Internal vascular discoloration was reddish grey and often occurred in V-shaped sections. Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) revealed a 93.7–94.1% similarity to Eutypella scoparia, indicating that the NSW cotton isolates represented a putatively novel species within the Eutypella genus. Pathogenicity of the isolated Eutypella was assessed on cotton stem cuts and living plants inoculated with culture agar plugs. Typical black necroses on outer bark and reddish vascular discoloration were reinduced in both Eutypella-inoculated stem cuts and living plants. Subsequently, the same Eutypella pathogen was successfully recovered, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. The detection of Eutypella on NSW cotton is believed to be an independent event from a recently reported occurrence of Eutypella on Queensland cotton. The Queensland detection occurred in the same 2017/18 cropping season at approximately 730 km apart and was associated with distinct Eutypella isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding landscape connectivity and population genetic parameters is imperative for threatened species management. However, such information is lacking for the snow leopard (Panthera uncia). This study sought to explore hierarchical snow leopard gene flow patterns and drivers of genetic structure in Mongolia and China. A total of 97 individuals from across Mongolia and from the north-eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in Gansu Province to the middle of Qinghai Province in China were genotyped across 24 microsatellite loci. Distance-based frameworks were used to determine a landscape scenario best explaining observed genetic structure. Spatial and non-spatial methods were used to investigate fine-scale autocorrelation and similarity patterns as well as genetic structure and admixture. A genetic macro-division between populations in China and Mongolia was observed, suggesting that the Gobi Desert is a substantial barrier to gene flow. However, admixture and support for a resistance-based mode of isolation suggests connective routes that could facilitate movement. Populations in Mongolia had greater connectivity, indicative of more continuous habitat. Drivers of genetic structure in China were difficult to discern, and fine-scale sampling is needed. This study elucidates snow leopard landscape connectivity and helps to prioritize conservation areas. Although contact zones may have existed and occasional crossings can occur, establishing corridors to connect these areas should not be a priority. Focus should be placed on maintaining the relatively high connectivity for snow leopard populations within Mongolia and increasing research efforts in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black root rot disease of cotton seedlings caused by Thielavioposis basicola was first reported in New South Wales (NSW), Australia in 1990. In 2018, T. basicola was reclassified into a new genus Berkeleyomyces, accommodating two closely related species: B. basicola and B. rouxiae. However, species status of cotton-T. basicola in NSW remains unsolved. Ninety-five isolates recovered from black root rot diseased cotton seedlings sampled across NSW in 2017/18 season was subjected to morphological, multigene sequencing (ITS, MCM7, RPB2), and pathogenicity assessments for their species identification. Berkeleyomyces rouxiae was accurately identified as the causal agent of black root rot of cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to DNA metabarcoding can greatly increase the understanding of predator–prey dynamics and the conflict between wildlife and humans, but remains underutilized for carnivores such as the threatened snow leopard (Panthera uncia). To date, this technique was hindered by the difficulty in discerning closely related caprines (Caprinae). We identified a segment of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (MT-CO1) to differentiate these prey, and used this marker in tandem with a portion of mitochondrial 12S rRNA (MT-RNR1) to determine dietary items in 165 genetically confirmed snow leopard scats from four range countries. Identified prey species consisted of ten medium to large mammals, three small mammals, and two birds. The dominant prey consumed varied by country, with markhor (Capra falconeri) most prevalent in Pakistan, Siberian ibex (C. sibirica) in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan, and blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) in China. Livestock comprised 31% of diet occurrences from Pakistan and 15% from Mongolia. Domestic livestock included goat (C. aegagrus hircus), sheep (Ovis aries), bovids (Bos taurus, B. grunniens, and potentially hybrids), and horse (Equus caballus). Protection and management of regionally specific wild prey is crucial for sustaining snow leopard populations, although overall dietary breadth suggests that snow leopards may exploit other species if necessary, including livestock. Additional sampling efforts across seasons, years, regions, and areas with varying degrees of livestock depredation are needed. MT-CO1 in conjunction with MT-RNR1 can be applied to other carnivore diet studies, making it an important tool for conservation and research, particularly in ecosystems with pastoral communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton is a billion-dollar crop in Australia, especially in the regional areas of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland. Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov) is of an important disease on cotton globally and in Australia. The Australian cotton industry is currently adopting highly resistant cultivars to Fov. Therefore, it is expected that Fusarium wilt pressure will be minimal on the cotton crop. However, we recovered a total of 186 putative Fusarium isolates from cotton seedlings exhibiting atypical symptoms of either Fusarium damping-off or Fusarium wilt sampled across NSW during the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons. On a basis of sequence analysis of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1), eight Fusarium species were identified that being Fusarium oxysporum and F. equiseti species complex, F. falciforme, F. nygamai, F. brachygibbosum, F. acuminatum, F. chlamydosporum, and F. redolens. Of these, F. oxysporum species complex (FOSC) accounted for over 80% of the total number of isolates recovered. The predominant number of isolates (78.5%) were clustered with non-Australian Fov races 1–8. The remaining 21.5% of the FOSC isolates in our study was clustered with the Australian Fov biotypes, a unique phylogenetic group within the FOSC. Our study is the first TEF1-based assessment of Fusarium diversity associated with collar rot diseased cotton seedlings sampled across NSW, Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular markers that can effectively identify noninvasively collected samples and provide genetic information are critical for understanding the distribution, status, and ecology of snow leopards ( Panthera uncia). However, the low DNA quantity and quality in many noninvasive samples such as scats makes PCR amplification and genotyping challenging. We therefore designed primers for 9 microsatellites loci previously isolated in the domestic cat ( Felis catus) specifically for snow leopard studies using noninvasive samples. The loci showed moderate levels of variation in two Mongolian snow leopard populations. Combined with seven other loci that we previously described, they have sufficient variation (H = 0.504, A = 3.6) for individual identification and population structure analysis. We designed a species-specific PCR assay using cytochrome b for identification of unknown snow leopard samples. These molecular markers facilitate in depth studies to assess distribution, abundance, population structure, and landscape connectivity of this endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate (i) dietary patterns associated with consumption of vegetable oils rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and (ii) the risk of prostate cancer associated with consumption of these oils. Methods: A population-based case–control study was conducted in Auckland, New Zealand, involving 317 prostate cancer cases and 480 controls. A food-frequency questionnaire was used to collect data concerning consumption of MUFA-rich vegetable oils (including olive oil, canola or peanut oil) and other dietary variables. Biomarkers for fatty acids were measured in erythrocytes. Results: The group of participants who reported regular consumption of greater than 5.5 ml of MUFA-rich vegetable oils per day had a diet relatively high in monounsaturated fat, vegetables, lycopene, vitamin E, selenium, and n-3 fish oils. Increasing levels of MUFA-rich vegetable oil intake were associated with a progressive reduction in prostate cancer risk (multivariate relative risk = 0.5; 95% confidence interval 0.3–0.9; > 5.5 ml per day vs. non-consumption, p trend = 0.005), and similar trends were observed across all strata of socioeconomic status. Prostate cancer risk was not associated with intake of total MUFA or the major animal food sources of MUFA. Conclusion: This finding may be explained by the protective effect of an associated dietary pattern high in antioxidants and fish oils, an independent protective effect of MUFA-rich vegetable oils unrelated to the MUFA component, or a combination of these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]