Exploring soybean cultivar susceptibility to sudden death syndrome: Insights into isoflavone responses and biocontrol potential.

Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) caused by Fusarium tucumaniae is a significant threat to soybean production in Argentina. This study assessed the susceptibility of SY 3 × 7 and SPS 4 × 4 soybeans cultivars to F. tucumaniae and studied changes in root isoflavone levels after infection. Additionally, the biocontrol potential of plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) against SDS was also examined. Our results demonstrated that the SY 3 × 7 cultivar exhibited higher disease severity and total fresh weight loss than SPS 4 × 4. Both cultivars showed induction of daidzein, glycitein, and genistein in response to infection, with the partially resistant cultivar displaying significantly higher daidzein levels than the susceptible cultivar at 14 days post infection (dpi) (2.74 vs 2.17-fold), declining to a lesser extent at 23 dpi (0.94 vs 0.35-fold, respectively). However, daidzein was not able to inhibit F. tucumaniae growth in in vitro assays probably due to its conversion to an isoflavonoid phytoalexin which would ultimately be an effective fungal inhibitor. Furthermore, the PGPR bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BNM340 displayed antagonistic activity against F. tucumaniae and reduced SDS symptoms in infected plants. This study sheds light on the varying susceptibility of soybean cultivars to SDS, offers insights into isoflavone responses during infection, and demonstrates the potential of PGPR as a biocontrol strategy for SDS management, providing ways for disease control in soybean production.

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) population as reservoirs for deleterious mutations in the RYR1 gene associated with Porcine Stress Syndrome.

Porcine Stress Syndrome (PSS) is a disorder codified by the ryanodine receptor 1 gene (RYR1) and affects both animal welfare and the quality of the meat product. As a consequence, individuals with this syndrome generate great worldwide economic losses in the porcine industry. In Argentina, the Buenos Aires Province is the most involved on this activity, and productions are to be in open field with a higher frequency of pigs with diverse pathologies. On the other hand, the biggest and oldest wild pigs population is located on the Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires Province, which presents a continuous bidirectional flow of individuals with the productive areas nearby. The aim of this study is to detect the presence of the RYR1 deleterious allele in the wild population from the Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires, in order to evaluate its possible role as a genetic reservoir for said allele. For this purpose, 106 wild pigs from 28 sites were studied, finding a 6.6% of carrier individuals, indicating that the wild population is not free of this allele. This constitutes the first analysis to detect the presence of the RYR1 deleterious allele, associated to the PSS in wild pigs from Argentina, being one of the few studies to report it worldwide and suggesting wild pigs populations to be a possible genetic reservoir for this disease.

The adaptive immune response to Clostridioides difficile: A tricky balance between immunoprotection and immunopathogenesis.

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is the major cause of hospital-acquired gastrointestinal infections in individuals following antibiotics treatment. The pathogenesis of C. difficile infection (CDI) is mediated mainly by the production of toxins that induce tissue damage and host inflammatory responses. While innate immunity is well characterized in human and animal models of CDI, adaptive immune responses remain poorly understood. In this review, the current understanding of adaptive immunity is summarized and its influence on pathogenesis and disease outcome is discussed. The perspectives on what we believe to be the main pending questions and the focus of future research are also provided. There is no doubt that the innate immune response provides a first line of defense to CDI. But, is the adaptive immune response a friend or a foe? Probably it depends on the course of the disease. Adaptive immunity is essential for pathogen eradication, but may also trigger uncontrolled or pathological inflammation. Most of the understanding of the role of T cells is based on findings from experimental models. While they are a very valuable tool for research studies, more studies in human are needed to translate these findings into human disease. Another main challenge is to unravel the role of the different T cell populations on protection or induction of immunopathogenesis.