A new study in Nature has identified a small molecule inhibitor for the oncogenic Wnt/beta-catenin pathway that is responsible for many human cancers. This inhibitor targets an unsuspected cellular enzyme, Tankyrase, which controls the destruction of a beta-catenin destructor.

The recently cloned NPR1 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana is a key regulator of acquired resistance responses. Upon induction, NPR1 expression is elevated and the NPR1 protein is activated, in turn inducing expression of a battery of downstream pathogenesis-related genes. In this study, we found that NPR1 confers resistance to the pathogens Pseudomonas syringae and Peronospora parasitica in a dosag...

BACKGROUND Managed, feral and wild populations of European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera, are currently facing severe colony losses globally. There is consensus that the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, that switched hosts from the Eastern honey bee Apis cerana to the Western honey bee A. mellifera, is a key factor driving these losses. For >20 years, breeding efforts have not produ...

Peronospora belbahrii is a biotrophic oomycete attacking sweet basil. It propagates asexually by producing spores on dichotomously branched sporophores emerging from leaf stomata. Sporulation occurs when infected plants are incubated for at least 7.5h in the dark in moisture-saturated atmosphere at 10-27°C. Exposure to light suppresses spore formation but allows sporophores to emerge from stoma...

Varroa destructor is the most harmful and widespread parasite that spreads disease in bees. Eucalyptus spp essential oils (EOs) have proved effective against V. destructor. Additionally, Lavender EOs treatment has caused mite mortality rates of 95% to 97% for same parasite. In this study, 20 mL each oil or placebo were distributed on two sheets papier-mâché located frames brood chamber inside...

Ninety-four microsatellites from enriched genomic libraries of Hessian fly (Hf, Mayetiola destructor [Say]) were localized to 170 cognate clones in an Hf bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library. These microsatellite-positive BAC clones were physically mapped to polytene chromosomes by fluorescent in situ hybridization. The mapped microsatellite loci can be used to study the genetic divers...

Seit Auftreten des Parasiten Varroa destructor in Bienenvölkern von Apis mellifera müssen Imker regelmäßig Akarizide einsetzen, um den Ektoparasiten unterhalb der Schadensschwelle zu halten. Zur Bekämpfung sind vorwiegend Coumafos und synthetische Pyrethroide verwendet worden. In den letzten 10 Jahren entwickelten sich in Europa zunehmend Resistenzen der Milben gegenüber den synthetischen Akari...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Little is known about the role of molecular diagnosis in house dust mite (HDM) allergy. In this study, we investigated the association between the sensitization profile of adolescent and adult HDM-allergic patients and asthma in a region with high rates of exposure to HDM. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of 384 HDM-allergic patients (38.5%, males; median ...