Lukas VFN 🇪🇺Jan 10, 2025

How a #parasite plays matchmaker
https://elifesciences.org/digests/98992/how-a-parasite-plays-matchmaker paper: https://elifesciences.org/articles/98992

"The parasitic bacterium #phytoplasma helps male and female #leafhoppers find each other so they can breed and increase the population of #insects that spread the #parasites to new hosts... Protein SAP54 attracted female leafhoppers to the leaves, but only when males were also present. SAP54 also suppressed the plant’s defences when males were on the leaves, making the plant more inviting to females."

How a parasite plays matchmaker

The parasite phytoplasma helps male and female leafhoppers find each other so they can breed and increase the population of insects that spread the parasite to new hosts.

eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Show threadAlbert CardonaAug 18, 2024

This pine tree forest harboured a surprise:

Phytoplasma pini, a bacterium (!!?!?) that makes enormous structures, over half a meter in diameter, known as pine-witches’ broom:

http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/236496606
#iNaturalist #bacteria #Phytoplasma

Pine Witches' Broom Phytoplasma (Phytoplasma pini)

Pine Witches' Broom Phytoplasma from Otok Hvar, Vrisnik, 17, HR on August 18, 2024 at 09:12 AM by Albert Cardona

iNaturalist
PestinfoMar 8, 2024
Review of the biology and management of #leafhopper #vectors (Colladonus species) transmitting the destructive Western X-disease of stone fruits (Cand. #Phytoplasma pruni) in the western United States - article in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management (@entsocamerica) by Abigail E. Clarke and others - https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmae005
Colladonus spp. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) vectors of X-disease: biology and management in Western United States

Abstract. The US cherry and stone fruit industries have periodically experienced devastating outbreaks of X-disease phytoplasma (XDP) since the 1930s, with an o

OUP Academic
CellBioNewsDec 23, 2023

Review of research on the #fruit #tree #disease jujube witches' broom.

#phytoplasma #mycoplasma #Candidatus #16SrV_B #transcriptome #proteome #SJP

https://phys.org/news/2023-12-fruit-tree-disease-jujube-witches.html

Review of research on the fruit tree disease jujube witches' broom

A review in Fruit Research by researchers from Henan Agricultural University, China, explores the state of art of research on jujube witches' broom ("Zaofeng") disease, a fruit tree disease associated with phytoplasma.

Miguel CorreaDec 14, 2023

Happy to be able to share more of my work conducted during my PhD program at Wageningen University! In this paper, we investigated the network of protein interactions that phytoplasma, a pathogen that manipulates plant development, establishes with host proteins. Our findings revealed a strong preference of phytoplasma effectors towards targeting transcription factors associated with plant development.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/tpj.16546

#protein #bioinformatics #phytopathology #phytoplasma

CellBioNewsDec 7, 2023

From infamy to ingenuity—#bacterial hijack mechanisms as advanced #genetic tools.

#phytoplasma #biotechnology #SAP05 #26S_proteasome #ubiquitin

https://phys.org/news/2023-12-infamy-ingenuitybacterial-hijack-mechanisms-advanced.html

From infamy to ingenuity—bacterial hijack mechanisms as advanced genetic tools

Researchers have uncovered the intricate molecular mechanism used by parasitic phytoplasma bacteria, known for inducing "zombie-like" effects in plants. This detailed revelation opens new horizons for groundbreaking applications in biotechnology and even in biomedicine.

Miguel CorreaJul 24, 2023

For those of you interested in host-pathogen interactions or #phytopathology, we have updated our preprint on #phytoplasma - Arabidopsis protein-protein interactions. Published manuscript hopefully coming soon!

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.13.946517v2

Colin PurringtonJun 22, 2023
Photographs from Smith Rock State Park in Oregon. #spiders #insects #galls #lichens #phytoplasma #nature #photography #Oregon https://colinpurrington.com/2023/06/misery-ridge-nature-walk/
Misery Ridge nature walk »

Some nature pics from a June hike at Smith Rock State Park in Terrebonne, Oregon. The first thing I encountered was this slender crab spider (Tibellus), a member of the running crab spider family (Philodromidae). I’m trying to key it out to species but experts advise me to give it up. I think this is […]

CellBioNewsJun 1, 2023

Study leads to milestone advances in understanding lethal bronzing of #palm trees.

#signalling #pheromones #semiochemistry #bacteria #Phytoplasma #phytopathology

https://phys.org/news/2023-05-milestone-advances-lethal-bronzing-palm.html

Study leads to milestone advances in understanding lethal bronzing of palm trees

Palm trees infected with lethal bronzing disease emit signals that warn nearby healthy palms of the threat. Those healthy palms produce their own defense that University of Florida scientists one day hope to harness to protect palms against the disease.

Phys.org