Occurrence and molecular characterization of Potato spindle tuber viroid(PSTVd) isolates from potato plants in North China

China is the largest potato producing country worldwide,with this crop representing the fourth largest staple food crop in China.However,the steady presence of Potato spindle tuber viroid（PSTVd） over the past five decades has a significant economic impact on potato production.To determine why PSTVd control measures have been ineffective in China,more than 1 000 seed potatoes collected between 2009 and 2014 were subjected to PSTVd detection at the Supervision and Testing Center for Virus-free Seed Potatoes Quality,Ministry of Agriculture,China.A high PSTVd infection rate（6.5%） was detected among these commercial seed potatoes.Some breeding lines of potato collected from 2012 to 2015 were also tested for PSTVd infection,revealing a high rate of PSTVd contamination in these potato propagation materials.Furthermore,comparison of the full-length sequences of 71 different Chinese PSTVd isolates revealed a total of 74 predominant PSTVd variants,which represented 42 different sequence variants of PSTVd.Comparative sequence analysis revealed 30 novel PSTVd sequence variants specific to China.Comprehensive phylogenetic analysis uncovered a close relationship between the Chinese PSTVd sequence variants and those isolated from Russia.It is worth noting that three intermediate strains and six mild strains were identified among these variants.These results have important implications for explaining the ineffective control of PSTVd in China and thus could serve as a basic reference for designing more effective measures to eliminate PSTVd from China in the future.

A Host KH RNA-Binding Protein Is a Susceptibility Factor Targeted by an RXLR Effector to Promote Late Blight Disease

Plant pathogens deliver effector proteins that alter host processes to create an environment conducive to colonization. Attention has focused on identifying the targets of effectors and how their manipulation facil- itates disease. RXLR effector Pi04089 from the potato blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans accumu- lates in the host nucleus and enhances colonization when transiently expressed in planta. Its nuclear local- ization is required for enhanced P. infestans colonization. Pi04089 interacts in yeast and in planta with a putative potato K-homology （KH） RNA-binding protein, StKRBPI. Co-localization of Pi04089 and StKRBP1, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation between them, indicate they associate at nuclear speckles. StKRBP1 protein levels increased when it was co-expressed with Pi04089. Indeed, such accumu- lation of StKRBP1 was observed also on the first day of leaf colonization by the pathogen. Remarkably, overexpression of StKRBP1 significantly enhances P. infestans infection. Mutation of the nucleotide- binding motif GxxG to GDDG in all three KH domains of StKRBP1 abolishes its interaction with Pi04089, its localization to nuclear speckles, and its increased accumulation when co-expressed with the effector. Moreover, the mutant StKRBP1 protein no longer enhances leaf colonization by P. infestans, implying that nucleotide binding is likely required for this activity. We thus argue that StKRBP1 can be regarded as a sus- ceptibility factor, as its activity is beneficial to the pathogen.

Identification and expression profiles analysis of odorant-binding proteins in soybean aphid,Aphis glycines(Hemiptera:Aphididae)

The soybean aphid,Aphis glycines,is an extreme specialist and an important invasive pest that relies on olfaction for behaviors such as feeding,mating,and foraging.Odorant-binding proteins(OBPs)play a vital role in olfaction by binding to volatile compounds and by regulating insect sensing of the environment.In this work we used rapid amplification of complementary DNA ends technology to identify and characterize 10 genes encoding A.glycines OBPs(AglyOBPs)belonging to 3 subfamilies,including 4 classic OBPs,5 Plus-C OBPs,and one Minus-C OBP.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction demonstrated variable specific expression patterns for the 10 genes based on developmental stage and aphid tssue sampled.Expression levels of 7 AglyOBPs(2,3,4,5,7,9,and 10)were highest in the 4th instar,indicating that the 4th nymphal instar is an important developmental period during which soybean aphids regulate feeding and search for host plants.Tissue-specific expression results demonstrated that AglyOBP2,7,and 9 exhibited significantly higher expression levels in antennae.Meanwhile,ligand-binding analysis of5 OBPs demonstrated binding of AglyOBP2 and AglyOBP3 to a broad spectrum of volatiles released by green leaf plants,with bias toward 6-to 8-carbon chain volatiles and strong binding of AglyOBP7 to trans-B-farnesene.Taken together,our findings build a foundation of knowledge for use in the study of molecular olfaction mechanisms and prov ide insights to guide future soybean aphid research.

Complete genome sequence of a novel bacteriophage infecting Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens USDA110

Dear Editor,The nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria, rhizobia are the most important beneficial bacteria in soil, as they form nodules with host legume plants to fix nitrogen to maintain soil fertility and facilitate plant growth. Although these bacteria are critically important to agriculture, bacteriophages of rhizobia (rhizobiophages) are commonly present in soils, rhizosphere,and nodules, which have major influences on the composition and population of rhizobia in soils and affect nodulation and nitrogen fixation. Despite the importance of rhizobiophages,only 23 phage full genomes have been sequenced.

Oomycetes Seek Help from the Plant：Phytophthora infestans Effectors Target Host Susceptibility Factors

Plants have a sophisticated immune system to defend against a wide range of invaders,including insects,nematodes,bacteria,oomycetes,fungi,and viruses.Microbes may manipulate or suppress immunity by delivering effector proteins,either to the inside or outside of plant cells.Much attention has been focused on identifying the targets of effector proteins in the host and on characterizing how effector activities suppress immunity.