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Abstract: In recent years a role for EphB receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrinB ligands in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity in the CNS has been identified. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that EphB receptor activation in the adult rat spinal cord is involved in synaptic plasticity and processing of nociceptive inputs, through modulation of the function of the glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate). In particular, EphB receptor activation would induce phosphorylation of the NR2B subunit of the NMDA receptor by a Src family non-receptor tyrosine kinase. Intrathecal administration of ephrinB2-Fc in adult rats, which can bind to and activate EphB receptors and induce behavioral thermal hyperalgesia, led to NR2B tyrosine phosphorylation, which could be blocked by the Src family kinase inhibitor PP2. Furthermore animals pre-treated with PP2 did not develop behavioral thermal hyperalgesia following EphrinB2-Fc administration, suggesting that this pathway is functionally significant. Indeed, EphB1-Fc administration, which competes with the endogenous receptor for ephrinB2 binding and prevents behavioral allodynia and hyperalgesia in the carrageenan model of inflammation, also inhibited NR2B phosphorylation in this model. Taken together these findings support the hypothesis that EphB–ephrinB interactions play an important role in NMDA-dependent, activity-dependent synaptic plasticity in the adult spinal cord, inducing the phosphorylation of the NR2B subunit of the receptor via Src family kinases, thus contributing to chronic pain states. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The conformation adopted by the plasma protein fibrinogen upon its adsorption onto synthetic surfaces has been implicated to play an important role in determining the blood compatibility of biomaterials. It has recently been shown that adsorbed fibrinogen undergoes biologically significant conformational changes with increasing residence time on the surface of selected biomaterials. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of co-adsorbed proteins and shear forces on such timedependent functional changes in fibrinogen adsorbed onto polyethylene (PE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and silicone rubber (SR). Fibrinogen was adsorbed onto these materials for 1 min and then allowed to 'reside' on these surfaces for up to 2 h prior to assessing its biological activity. Changes in fibrinogen reactivity were determined by measuring the adhesion of [sup 51]Cr-labeled platelets and the ability of blood plasma to displace previously adsorbed fibrinogen. The magnitude of platelet adhesion to substrates adsorbed with pure fibrinogen increased in the presence of shear, compared with static conditions; at the lowest shear rate of 200 s[sup -1], samples exhibited a 20-fold increase in adhered platelet levels. In contrast, at a higher shear rate of 1000 s[sup -1], the three polymers supported minimal levels of platelet attachment. Surfaces pre-adsorbed with 10% plasma did not promote a significant increase in the number of adherent platelets with increasing shear when compared with the pure fibrinogencoated substrates. The presence of shear also significantly altered the materials' ability to retain fibrinogen. Under static conditions, the amount of fibrinogen retained following incubation in blood plasma increased on all materials with increasing fibrinogen residence time. However, the materials varied distinctly in their ability to retain adsorbed fibrinogen with increasing fibrinogen residence time, shear rate, and nature of the co-adsorbed proteins. Thus, the results from this study indicate that fluid shear, residence time of the adsorbed protein, nature of the co-adsorbed proteins, and surface chemistry of the material all play important roles in influencing platelet–surface interactions and that they act in a complex manner to influence the biocompatibility of a material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diploid backcross population derived from a cross between Solanum tuberosum and Solanum berthaultii segregated for monogenic dominant hypersensitivity to Potato virus Y (PVY). We propose the symbol Nytbr for this locus because plants carrying this gene develop necrosis after inoculation with PVY and the allele originated in S. tuberosum. The gene mapped to chromosome IV between TG316 and TG208 at LOD=2.72. This location does not correspond to any other mapped resistance genes in potato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report describes a simple, rapid and inexpensive procedure for sampling large numbers of dormant tubers for analysis of potato leafroll luteovirus (PLRV) infection. The procedure uses a common electric drill to simultaneously remove and macerate tuber-eye samples for detection of PLRV by the enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). By using these sampling and analysis approaches, 19 of 20 different PLRV isolates were detected in dormant tubers from plants with primary infections. Results from the dormant tuber analysis, were verified by planting the tubers and testing leaf tissue by ELISA and PCR. Similar sampling and testing done on healthy dormant tubers and sprouts from the tubers consistently gave negative results as expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymerase chain reaction linked automated sequencing was used to compare the relatedness of Brazilian (BR) potato leafroll luteovirus (PLRV) isolates. By comparing PLRV genomic sequences from Holland, Poland, Canada, Scotland, and Australia (GeneBank), three primer pairs were designed and made that would hybridize to all five isolates, and amplifying three variable regions which display distinctive nucleotide variations in each isolate. These primer pairs were used in the reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to analyze analogous variable regions in three PLRV isolates from around Sao Paulo State, BR (two from field potatoes grown 500 km apart, one from Datura stramonium). Each primer pair amplified a DNA product of predicted size from the BR isolates and a Wisconsin (USA) isolate, and all PCR products were directly sequenced. Comparisons of the variable region sequences from the three Brazilian isolates to the five isolates from GenBank and the one from Wisconsin revealed that the BR isolates were approximately 99% homologous with each other, 97% with the European and Canadian isolates, and 95% with the USA and Australian isolates. These results suggest that the primer pairs utilized in this study can be used to detect PLRV (by RTPCR) for diagnostic purposes, and can further be used to differentiate between different PLRV isolates (when RTPCR is linked to automated sequencing) for epidemiological purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of American Potato Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of American Potato Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of American Potato Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Infection with Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus reduced transpiration and xylem function in potato plants ( Solanum tuberosum) prior to and during wilting. Transpiration depression and subsequent wilting of infected plants appears to result from reduced xylem function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato viruses are prevalent worldwide and cause substantial economical losses in the potato crop (Solanum tuberosum L.). Therefore, various types of resistance to potato viruses identified in cultivated and wild potato species are used in potato breeding programs and are briefly reviewed in this paper. However, the current nomenclature of virus resistance specificities is confusing because it was adopted at an earlier time when several virus strain groups were believed to represent individual virus species and because it does not distinguish between strain-specific and comprehensive resistance specificities. A consistent nomenclature is desirable to distinguish both currently known virus resistances and any novel virus resistances detected in the future. A descriptive and systematic nomenclature for resistance specificities is proposed which denotes (1) type of resistance (2) identity of virus (3) the virus strain group(s) against which the resistance is effective (4) the virus strain group(s) against which the resistance is not effective, and (5) the potato species in which the resistance is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance to potato viruses was examined in the F1 hybrids (TET) obtained from a cross between a diploid (2n = 24), tuber-bearing inter-specific hybrid 87HW13.7 (Solanum tuberosum W231 × S. multidissectum PI 473354) and a diploid (2n = 24), nontuber-bearing wild potato species (S. brevidens CPC 2451) using S. phureja IvP35 (2n = 24) for rescue pollination. The parental plants were susceptible to PVX, whereas two hybrids (TET38.2 and TET38.9) and S. phureja IvP35 reacted with hypersensitivity to PVX. Two hybrids (TET 38.9 and TET 38.12) were extremely resistant to PVY0, which was similar to S. brevidens and S. phureja IvP35, whereas the remaining two hybrids were moderately resistant to PVY0. No resistance to PVA and PLRV was observed in the progenies, in contrast to S. brevidens which was extremely resistant to PVA and PLRV. Hypersensitivity to PVX in two progenies suggested (1) integration by somatic translocation or heterofertilization and expression of genes from the rescue pollinator S. phureja IvP35, or (2) transgressive or complementary gene action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]