Protocols for DNA electroporation in Leishmania promastigote cells are well established. More recently, in vitro culture of axenic Leishmania amastigotes became possible. We have established conditions for DNA transformation of axenically grown Leishmania infantum amastigotes. Parameters for DNA electroporation of Leishmania axenic amastigotes were systematically studied using luciferase-mediat...

The mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) has a requirement for a "casing layer" that has specific physical, chemical and microbiological properties which stimulate and promote the initiation of primordia. Some of these primordia then may develop further into sporophores, involving differentiation of tissue. Wild and commercial strains of A. bisporus were cultured in axenic and nonaxenic microcosms, usi...

A simple, rapid, and inexpensive method for evaluation of host-parasite interactions, based on monoxenic cultures, is described. Axenic root explants of Glycine max (L.) Merr., cultured on a holidic agar medium, were inoculated with axenic second-stage larvae of Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, Race 3. A clear separation of susceptible and resistant cultivars, based on numbers of mature female nem...

A modulation of the phagocytic activity of hemocytes from the common periwinkle Littorina littorea by secretory-excretory products (SEP) released by trematode rediae during axenic in vitro cultivation was studied. The SEP released by the parasites Himasthla elongata (Echinostomatidae) and Cryptocotyle lingua (Heterophyidae) were found to inhibit the phagocytosis of zymozan particles by periwink...

The fungus Schizoxylon albescens occurs both as lichen and as saprobe. Lichenized colonies grow on the bark of Populus tremula; saprotrophic morphs grow on dead Populus branches. We wanted to (1) test whether lichenized and saprotrophic S. albescens are genetically distinct, (2) investigate photobiont association and diversity, (3) investigate the interactions between fungi and algae that occur...

Previous results from this laboratory [Kao et al, (1976) Biochem. J. 154, 471-480] demonstrated that a low-molecular-weight DNA species, "sDNA", present in high concentrations during rapid larval growth of the yellow-fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, may be an intermediate in DNA replication. We have now determined the life-span profiles of synthetic rates and the steady-state contents of sDNA and...

Prolonged culturing of many microorganisms leads to the loss of virulence and a reduction of their infective capacity. However, little is known about the changes in the pathogenic strains of Acanthamoeba after long culture periods. Our study evaluated the effect of prolonged culturing on the invasiveness of different isolates of Acanthamoeba in an in vivo rat model. ATCC strains of Acanthamoeba...

Background and objectives: Leishmaniasis is caused by the genus of Leishmania and is one of the important health problems worldwide. Serious side effects, the lack of effective vaccines and the emergence of drug resistance are the major weak points of leishmaniasis treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate leishmanicidal effects of Allium giganteum ...

Effect of Drought, Flooding, and Potassium Stress on the Quantity and Composition of Root Exudates in Axenic Culture

The amounts of carbon allocated to the fungal partner in ectomycorrhizal associations can vary substantially depending on the plant growth and the soil nutrient conditions, and the fungus may frequently be confronted with limitations in carbon. We used chemical analysis and transcriptome profiling to examine the physiological response of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus to carbon s...