First Report of Homothallic Isolates of Phytophthora infestans in Commercial Potato Crops (Solanum tuberosum) in the Toluca Valley, Mexico.

Phytophthora infestans causes severe symptoms of wilt disease on potato crops (Solanum tuberosum) in the Toluca Valley (Mexico) despite the use of fungicides. P. infestans oospores produced by sexual reproduction can survive in the soil for many years, resisting harsh environments. In many agroecosystems, oospores germinate in the beginning of a season, which represents the initial inoculum for epidemics. The sexual cycle of the pathogen allows the generation of recombinant genotypes that can be more pathogenic or even resistant to chemicals. This paper presents a study of 20 isolates of P. infestans collected from potato crops in the Toluca Valley within the municipality of Zinacantepec (Mexico State). Isolates were obtained from potato foliar infected tissues. The pathogen was confirmed as P. infestans on the basis of morphological characters (1). Sporangia were caducous, ovoid, limoniform, semipapillate, and were 28.4 ± 1.3 × 17.6 ± 1.2 µm (height × width). Mycelium was coenocytic with hyphal diameter of 5 to 8 µm. Five isolates were collected in 2011, and 15 in 2012. Isolates were transferred by hyphal tip to culture medium plates with V8 juice agar and incubated at 19°C. All the isolates were mated to determine the mating type with the reference isolates J104 (A1) and J204 (A2), which were provided by the Michoacana University of San Nicolás de Hidalgo (Mx). Isolates that produced oospores with both A1 and A2 testers (J104 and J204) and in a single culture were designated homothallic. Results show that two out of the five isolates collected in 2011 were homothallic and the other three were type A1. Regarding the 15 isolates collected in 2012, six were typed as A1, five as A2, and four were homothallic. The heterothallic isolates only produce oospores when mated with the opposite mating type. The homothallic isolates possessed the ability to act as A1 and A2 during heterothallic mating and were found capable of producing sexual structures (oogonia and amphigynous antheridia) in a single culture, a phenomenon not observed in isolates that are strictly A1 or A2. Oospores formed were aplerotic and measured 32.2 ± 3.3 µm in diameter. Single-sporangium progeny were produced from the six homothallic isolates to be analyzed to confirm the occurrence of the self-fertility. Assessment of 48 single-sporangium progeny from the homothallic isolates resulted in 22 homothallic, 12 A1, 10 A2, and four sterile. These results differ from those found by Grünwald et al. (3), who conducted a study with isolates collected from the Toluca Valley region in 1997 and 1998, finding a 1:1 frequency between compatibility types A1 and A2. Fernandez et al. (2) studied a broad population of 27 isolates from potato crops in the state of Michoacán (Mx), and found two homothallic isolates among heterothallic isolates; the ratio was 1:1. Also, homothallic isolates have been found in Spain and China (4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence of homothallic P. infestans isolates in commercial potato crops (S. tuberosum) in the Toluca Valley, Mexico. References: (1) D. C. Erwin and O. K. Ribeiro, Page 346 in: Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide. The American Phytopathological Society. St. Paul, MN, 1996. (2) S. P. Fernández et al. Rev. Mexicana Fitopatol. 23:191, 2005. (3) N. J. Grünwald et al. Phytopathology 91:883, 2001. (4) M. Han et al. J. Eukaryotic Microbiol. 60:79, 2013.

Diaphragm pacing with a quadripolar phrenic nerve electrode: an international study.

We sought to determine the international experience with the quadripolar diaphragm pacer system and to test two hypotheses: the incidence of pacer complications would be (1) increased among pediatric as compared to adult patients; and (2) highest among active pediatric patients with idiopathic congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS). Data were collected via a questionnaire coupled with the Atrotech Registry data for a total of 64 patients (35 children and 29 adults) from 14 countries. Thoracic implantation of electrodes and bilateral pacer use each occurred in 94% of all subjects. Tetraplegic (vs pediatric CCHS) patients were more typically paced 24 hours/day (P = 0.001). Pacing duration averaged 2.0 +/- 1.0 years among children and 2.2 +/- 1.1 years among adults. Infections occurred among 2.9% of surgical procedures, all in pediatric CCHS patients (vs pediatric tetraplegic patients, P = 0.01). The incidence of mechanical trauma was 3.8%, without significant differences among patient groups. The incidence of presumed electrode and receiver failure were 3.1% and 5.9%, respectively, with internal component failure greater among pediatric CCHS than pediatric tetraplegic patients (P < 0.01). Intermittent or absent function of 0-4 electrode combinations occurred among 19% of all patients, with increased frequency among pediatric CCHS than pediatric tetraplegic patients (P < 0.03). Complication-free successful pacing occurred in 60% of pediatric and 52% of adult patients. In all, 94% of the pediatric and 86% of the adult patients paced successfully after the necessary intervention. Although pacer complications were not increased among pediatric as compared to adult patients, the incidence of complications was highest among the active pediatric patients with CCHS. Longitudinal study of these patients will provide invaluable information for modification and improvement of the quadripolar system.

Atropine-induced multilevel block in acute inferior myocardial infarction. A possible indication for prophylactic pacing.

The degree of A-V block increased after intravenous administration of atropine in 10 nondigitalized patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction who had narrow QRS complexes during periods of 1:1 A-V conduction. Short episodes of 3:1, 4:1 and 5:1 A-V block were seen to emerge: (a) in 6 patients, directly from Wenckebach periods; (b) in 3 patients, from alternating Wenckebach periods; and (c) in 1 patient, from a 3:2 Wenckebach period which led to a short-lived alternating Wenckebach period. Apparently, the predominance of the chronotropic effects on the sinus node over the dromotropic effects on the A-V node led to a tachycardia-dependent (more ischemic than vagal) process, exposing or producing multi- (two, three or four) level block involving the A-V node (and perhaps the His bundle). Subsequently, therapeutic pacing was instituted in 9/10 patients because they developed spontaneous symptomatic advanced A-V block. Therefore, it is possible that the early effects of atropine identified a narrowly-defined subset of patients in whom prophylactic pacing may be indicated. However, more studies are necessary to corroborate these assumptions.