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Author(s): Salim S. Abdool Karim 1,2,*, Segenet Kelemu 3, Cheryl Baxter 1 Introduction The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically changed everyone's lives, highlighting the fragility of systems providing [...]

Anthracnose is a very limiting disease affecting production, as well as postharvest quality of numerous fruit crops in Colombia. The current management practices for this disease are partially effective due to limited information about the etiology, the inoculum sources, population structure and variation of the pathogen. A total of 293 Colletotrichum isolates were obtained from symptomatic tissues collected from Tahiti lime, tamarillo and mango orchards. To determine the Colletotrichum species causing the symptoms, amplification, and PCR product analysis for intergenic regions of the ribosomal DNA were conducted. Genetic diversity of the fungal population was assessed with Random Amplified Microsatellites (RAMS). Results of this study indicated that anthracnose in Tahiti lime and tamarillo are caused by Colletotrichun acutatum whereas symptoms on mango were induced by the species Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, which was also fund in fewcitrus samples. RAMS data analysis indicated the existence of two distinct species groups, with a low similarity index (35%). RAM profiles also showed a clear host differentiation of isolates. The C. acutatum population originated from tamarillo exhibited a narrow and homogeneous genetic base, while the C. acutatum population from Tahiti lime was more heterogeneous and genetically complex, as determined by the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and of Ni-Li coefficient. The C. gloeosporioides population originated from mango and Tahiti lime was heterogeneous and highly diverse, with clear host differentiation according to RAM profiles. Collectively, the results from this study provide new insight into the general characteristics of Colletotrichum populations on various hosts; this type of knowledge will prove useful in designing more effective management practices.

Two sets of independently regulated pectate lyase isozymes capable of macerating plant tissues were produced by Erwinia chrysanthemi EC16. Mutant CUCPB5012, which directs mutations in all the known enzymes in all clearing alpha-1,4 galacturonosyl linkages, is constructed to seek the unknown components of the pectolytic activity of E.chrysanthemi EC16. A novel set of pel isozymes in inoculated chrysanthemum cuttings and in minimal medium supplemented with crysanthemum cell walls is produced by the mutant which retains some ability to macerate chrysanthemum tissues.

Microsatellite sequences are one of the best options for the study of genetic diversity in plant species. However, because of the high cost of their development, it is important to test whether existing sequences from related species can be exploited. Enset (Ensete ventricosum(Welw.) Cheesman) has remained largely unimproved partly due to lack of its genetic information, thus there is a need to study the genetic diversity of current accessions and build on it to develop new cultivars/varieties with desired agronomic traits. Transferability of 71 SSR loci from banana (Musa accuminata) to enset was investigated using 220 Enset accessions. Among the 71 SSRs tested, 12 (16.9%) were successfully transferable to enset. Eleven (16.9%) of these were used to examine the diversity of the 220 enset accessions that had been collected from eight different zones in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The pan-tropical grass genus Brachiaria comprises about 100 species, several of which are forages of economic importance, particularly in tropical America. Acremonium implicatum is a fungus that forms an endophytic association with at least some of these economically important grasses. To ascertain whether A. implicatum can be seed transmitted in Brachiaria species, we vegetatively propagated, under greenhouse conditions, 20 tillers from an endophyte-infected mother plant obtained from each of 14 Brachiaria hybrids and species. Ten tillers of each genotype were treated with the fungicide tebuconazole to eliminate the endophyte, and the other 10 were left untreated. Seeds were then harvested individually from all 20 of these genetically identical plants, germinated, and the seedlings grown. A previously developed polymerase chain reaction-based method used a pair of endophyte-specific primers to amplify a diagnostic 500-bp DNA fragment. The seedlings generated from seeds harvested from endophyte-infected plants also tested positive, whereas those from seeds of endophyte-free plants showed no amplification products. This is the first report of A. implicatum being transmitted through seeds of Brachiaria grasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses education and profession in plant pathology based on the studies initiated by the American Phytopathological Society (APS). Undergraduate students enrolled in plant pathology courses were driven by factors like work experience, words from families and friends, and initial interest. The attributes of a graduate student that employers look for include work experience in molecular biology and biotechnology. Attracting students in plant pathology is a major challenge to face.