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PubMed2001

The ABC transporter BcatrB from Botrytis cinerea is a determinant of the activity of the phenylpyrrole fungicide fludioxonil.

This study demonstrates that the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter BcatrB from Botrytis cinerea influences the activity of phenlpyrrole fungicides against the pathogen. This conclusion is based on toxicity assays and northern analysis experiments which show that BcatrB replacement mutants, which do not express the BcatrB gene, show an increased sensitivity to the phenylpyrrole fungicides fludioxonil and fenpiclonil. Mutants overexpressing BcatrB exhibit a decreased sensitivity to these fungicides. In addition, accumulation of fludioxonil by BcatrB replacement mutants was higher than by wild-type isolates. For mutants overexpressing BcatrB the reverse was observed. Additional ABC and major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter genes were identified in an expressed sequence tag (EST) database, suggesting that B cinerea has gene families of ABC and MFS transporters. Corresponding fragments of ten ABC (BcatrC-BcatrN) and three MFS transporter genes (Bcmfs1-4) were cloned and characterised. Fludioxonil affected the transcript level of some members of these gene families in germlings during a short treatment with the fungicide at sub-lethal concentrations. Hence, other ABC and MFS transporters may affect the activity of phenylpyrrole fungicides as well. Other fungicides such as the anilinopyrimidine fungicide cyprodinil, the azole fungicide tebuconazole, the dicarboximide fungicide iprodione and the strobilurin fungicide trifloxystrobin also induced transcription of some of the ABC and MFS transporter genes identified. Therefore, we propose that various ABC and MFS transporters function in protection of the fungus against fungicides and are involved in multi-drug resistance development.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed2006

Effect of dose rate and mixtures of fungicides on selection for QoI resistance in populations of Plasmopara viticola.

Resistance to QoI fungicides (strobilurins, famoxadone and fenamidone) in populations of Plasmopara viticola (Berk & Curt) Berlese & de Toni developed soon after their introduction in France and Italy. Current resistance management strategies include limitation of the number of applications, use of mixtures and alternation of fungicides with different modes of action. The selection pressure resulting from QoI fungicides applied alone or in mixtures with non-QoI fungicides was investigated in whole plant experiments under controlled conditions. QoI-resistant populations of P. viticola gradually reverted to full sensitivity following consecutive transfers to untreated plants, suggesting that resistant phenotypes were less competitive than sensitive ones. When cycled on QoI-treated plants, reduction in sensitivity was greater for the QoI fungicide which had greater intrinsic activity on P. viticola. Sensitivity decreased at each subsequent cycle, resulting in almost full resistance after four generations. Mixture experiments indicated that selection pressure was affected most by the dose of the QoI fungicide and the nature of the partner fungicide. Folpet delayed selection pressure most effectively when it was associated with famoxadone or azoxystrobin. Mancozeb was least effective at reducing the rate of selection compared with the QoI alone, and fosetyl-aluminium was intermediate. Higher rates of selection were recorded when the dose of the QoI fungicide, solo or in a mixture, was increased from 1 to 4 microg ml(-1). Increasing the dose of the non-QoI partner fungicide in the mixture from 10 to 30 microg ml(-1) resulted in reduced selection pressure. These results suggest that the choice of the fungicide partner and its dosage in the mixture can significantly affect the success of QoI resistance management strategies under practical conditions.

Drug Interactions↗
PubMed2003

Effects of fludioxonil and pyrimethanil, two fungicides used against Botrytis cinerea, on carbohydrate physiology in Vitis vinifera L.

In Vitis vinifera L, photosynthesis and photosynthate partitioning are affected in the presence of fludioxonil and pyrimethanil, two fungicides commonly used in vineyards against Botrytis cinerea Pers. However, the effects were found to be different according to the model studied: plantlets (cv Chardonnay) grown in vitro, fruiting cuttings (cv Chardonnay) and plants grown in vineyards (cvs Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier). In the plantlets grown in vitro, both fungicides decreased gas exchanges, photosynthetic pigment and starch concentrations in the leaves, whereas soluble carbohydrates transiently accumulated, suggesting that plantlets mobilised starch in response to photosynthesis inhibition caused by fungicides. In the fruiting cuttings, the fungicides did not affect photosynthesis, although fludioxonil caused starch decrease in parallel with sucrose accumulation, suggesting that the fungicide effects were of lower intensity than in vitro. Conversely, in vineyard, the two fungicides stimulated photosynthesis and increased pigment concentrations in the three vine cultivars tested. In the meantime, glucose, fructose and starch levels of the leaves declined after fungicide exposure, whereas sucrose accumulated, indicating that sucrose synthesis increased in the leaves following the fungicide treatment. Among the three varieties, Chardonnay was the most sensitive to the fungicides as revealed by the intensity of the responses and the longer period for recovery. In vineyard, the results suggested that the two fungicides, in addition to inhibiting B cinerea development, had a beneficial effect on vine physiology through the stimulation of leaf carbon nutrition, which may further enable the plant to rapidly make use of its defence reactions.

Botrytis↗
PubMed2004

Seed treatment and its implication for fungicide exposure assessment.

Farmers may be exposed to fungicides through both personal application and use of treated seed. Most epidemiology studies rely on personal application to assess exposure. We explored the extent of potential exposure via use of treated seed using data from a large cohort of licensed pesticide applicators from Iowa and North Carolina. Potential secondary fungicide exposure due to treated seed was calculated by crop by multiplying the average percent of seed treated by those reporting raising that crop but not applying fungicide. This potential exposure was present for every crop with treated seed (corn, soybean, wheat, cotton, potato, and peanut), and was highest for corn (71%) and soybean farmers (19%). Potential secondary fungicide exposure was more common in Iowa than in North Carolina since most Iowa farmers plant corn and soybeans and few report applying fungicides. Owing to its widespread use on corn, potential secondary captan exposure may occur among the 90% of the individuals planting corn. The relative intensity of secondary fungicide exposure associated with planting treated seed is anticipated to be lower than actively applying fungicide. Limited data suggest that exposure during planting may be approximately 4% of actively applying fungicide; while seed transfer operations may have similar levels of exposure to personal application (80-200%). Measurement data are necessary to characterize the patterns of exposure related to the use of fungicide-treated seed and to determine whether this route of exposure is an important contributor to fungicide exposure among farmers.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2004

Transformation of copper oxychloride fungicide into copper oxalate by tolerant fungi and the effect of nitrogen source on tolerance.

Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum were able to grow on Czapek Dox medium amended with elevated concentrations [up to 500 ppm active ingredient (ai)] of the fungicide copper oxychloride. Solubilization of the fungicide in solid medium was evident by the appearance of a clear (halo) zone underneath and around the growing colonies. The halo formed with A. niger, grown on fungicide-containing nitrate nitrogen medium, was found subsequently to enclose concentric rings of newly crystalline precipitate. These crystals were extracted, examined by scanning electron microscopy and IR, and identified as copper oxalate. The supplemented nitrogen source to the medium greatly affected both fungicide solubilization and fungal tolerance. Ratios of fungicide solubilization rate (R(S)) in relation to the colony growth rate (R(G)) were significantly higher on ammonium than on nitrate nitrogen medium for both fungal strains. Growth ratios (the colony extension rate in the presence of a given concentration of the fungicide in relation to the control colony growth rate) of A. niger were markedly lower on ammonium than on nitrate nitrogen medium. The cellular copper contents, taken up from the fungicide, and the medium titratable acidity were higher in ammonium than in nitrate medium for both fungi. These results suggested fungal possession of variable tolerance mechanisms to this fungicide by complexation and/or precipitation of copper in the medium. Additionally, this work emphasizes the activity of fungi in transformation of insoluble inorganic metal-containing fungicides into insoluble organic metal compounds, which has a potentiality in metal cycling in biogeochemical and environmental context.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed2005

An Os-1 family histidine kinase from a filamentous fungus confers fungicide-sensitivity to yeast.

Three groups of fungicides (phenylpyrroles, dicarboximides, aromatic hydrocarbons) are effective against filamentous fungi. The target of these fungicides is the osmotic stress signal transduction pathway, which is dependent on the Os-1 family of two-component histidine kinases. These fungicides usually have no fungicidal effect on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this report, we found that expression of Hik1, an Os-1 orthologue from rice blast fungus, can confer fungicide-sensitivity to yeast. This requires both the histidine kinase and the response regulator domains of Hik1. Analysis of yeast mutants indicated that this sensitivity is Hog1- and Ssk1-dependent. In addition, our studies revealed an interaction between Hik1 and Ypd1. These observations suggest that Hik1 is a direct target of the fungicides or is a mediator of fungicide action and that the fungicidal effect is transmitted to the Hog1 pathway via Ypd1.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Comparative acute renal effects of three N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)carboximide fungicides: N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide, vinclozolin and iprodione.

A large number of carboximides have been synthesized, tested and, in some cases, marketed as agricultural fungicidal agents. One carboximide fungicide N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide (NDPS) proved to be both highly efficacious as a fungicide and a nephrotoxin. The purpose of this study was to compare the acute nephrotoxic potential of three N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)carboximide fungicides [NDPS, vinclozolin (VCLZ) and iprodione (IPDO)] to determine if nephrotoxic potential correlated with fungicidal efficacy among this class of structurally-related agricultural agents. Male Fischer 344 rats (4 rats/group) received a single intraperitoneal injection of a fungicide (0.4 or 1.0 mmol/kg) or vehicle (sesame oil, 2.5 ml/kg), and renal function was monitored at 24 and 48 h. NDPS (0.4 or 1.0 mmol/kg)-induced renal effects were characterized by marked diuresis, increased proteinuria, elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration and kidney weights, decreased organic ion accumulation by renal cortical slices and proximal tubular necrosis. In contrast, IPDO and VCLZ (0.4 or 1.0 mmol/kg) administration resulted in only minor or no alterations in the renal function parameters studied and renal morphology. These results suggest that fungicidal efficacy does not correlate with acute nephrotoxic potential among the N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)carboximide fungicides.

Aminoimidazole Carboxamide↗
PubMed2002

The potential for enhanced fungicide resistance in Beauveria bassiana through strain discovery and artificial selection.

Our objectives were to determine the (1) natural variation in fungicide resistance among Beauveria bassiana strains, (2) potential to increase fungicide resistance in B. bassiana through artificial selection, and (3) stability of virulence in selected B. bassiana strains. Fungicides included dodine, fenbuconazole, and triphenyltin hydroxide, which are commonly used in pecan and other horticultural crops. Comparison of seven B. bassiana strains indicated some are substantially more resistant to fungicides than others; a commercial strain (GHA) was less resistant than all wild strains isolated from pecan orchards. Artificial selection resulted in enhanced fungicide resistance in the GHA strain but not in a mixed wild strain. Removal of selection pressure for three passages did not reduce the enhanced fungicide resistance. Sub-culturing with exposure to fungicides did not affect the GHA strain's virulence to pecan weevil, Curculio caryae, larvae, whereas fungicide exposure increased virulence in a mixed wild population of B. bassiana.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

The effects of fungicides on the phylloplane yeast populations of creeping bentgrass.

The effects of fungicides on population size and the development of fungicide resistance in the phylloplane yeast flora of bentgrass was investigated. In the spring of 2001, azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, flutolanil, and propiconazole were applied separately over a 6-week period to creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.). Total and fungicide-resistant yeast populations were assessed by dilution plating onto either potato dextrose agar or potato dextrose agar amended with the test fungicides. Total yeast populations in the fungicide-treated plots were significantly lower than the check plots on three out of four sample dates. In the fall, azoxystrobin or propiconazole were applied twice to the bentgrass over 3 weeks. Significantly larger total yeast populations were observed compared with resistant or highly resistant populations for each treatment on every sample date. Total yeast populations were significantly higher in the check plots compared with either the propiconazole- or azoxystrobin-treated plots on the first three of five sample dates. A collection of yeasts (N = 114) with no prior exposure to fungicides were more sensitive to chlorothalonil, propiconazole, flutolanil, and iprodione than a second group (N = 115) isolated from fungicide-treated turfgrass. These results suggest that fungicide resistance among phylloplane yeasts is widespread and could be an important factor in the development of biological control agents for turfgrass diseases.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗
PubMed2005

[Effects of fungicide on temporal and spatial niches of Rhizoctonia solani].

This paper studied the variation of the temporal and spatial niches of rice sheath blight-causing Rhizoctonia solani under spraying fungicide. The results showed that between fungicide treatments and control, the spatial niche breadth of Rhizoctonia solani was different, while its temporal niche breadth was similar. The spatial niche breadth of Rhizoctonia solani was 0.5240 when spraying fungicide at booting and full heading stages, 0.5742 at booting and milkfilling stages, and 0.8577 at tillering stage, while the control was 0.8563. Spraying fungicide had little effect on temporal niche breath. The spatial niche breath, percentage of diseased leaves and sheathes, index of disease, and control effect all suggested that spraying fungicide two times in rice growth period was better than spraying it one time. Spraying fungicide at booting and full heading stages and at booting stage and milkfilling stages had the best effects. Fungicide could not only narrow the spatial niche breadth, limit the spread of Rhizoctonia solani on top leaves which were important for the yield, but also narrow the temporal niche breadth, limit the spread of Rhizoctonia solani during the yield formation period of rice. But, spraying fungicide only changed the distribution of the fungus niches and narrowed the niches during rice yield formation period, with no changes in the whole niches of Rhizoctonia solani.

Fungicides, Industrial↗
PubMed2003

Field relevance of a synergistic effect observed in the laboratory between an EBI fungicide and a chloronicotinyl insecticide in the honeybee (Apis mellifera L, Hymenoptera).

It had been found earlier that the chloronicotinyl insecticide thiacloprid (as the 480 g litre(-1) SC Calypso) poses a favourably low toxicity hazard to the honeybee, Apis mellifera L. As with pyrethroids, the metabolization of chloronicotinyl compounds involves monooxygenases, which are known to be inhibited by some ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitor (EBI) fungicides potentially co-applied with these insecticides. The potential synergistic enhancement of the toxicity of thiacloprid to honeybees when co-applied with such fungicides was therefore studied under laboratory and semi-field conditions. Fungicides of other chemical classes were also examined for synergistic potential to reveal other metabolic interactions. In the laboratory, only a slight synergistic effect was observed with the anilinopyrimidine fungicide examined, while a significant enhancement of thiacloprid toxicity to honeybees was found with EBI fungicides. In three tunnel tests conducted under different environmental conditions to simulate field exposure, no increased mortality was observed when honeybees were directly sprayed with thiacloprid (Calypso) alone or in combination with the EBI fungicide tebuconazole (250 g litre(-1) EW, Folicur). There was also no synergized reduction in the foraging intensity on the treated crop. In general, the foraging intensity decreased after thiacloprid treatment but was restored within 24-48 h. The hive vitality was not affected by either thiacloprid or its tank mix with tebuconazole. Our results suggest that, at the recommended use rates, thiacloprid poses a negligible lethal risk to honeybees when applied either alone or in tank mixes with fungicides of various chemical classes.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Impact of fungicides on active oxygen species and antioxidant enzymes in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) exposed to ozone.

Two modern fungicides, a strobilurin, azoxystrobin (AZO), and a triazole, epoxiconazole (EPO), applied as foliar spray on spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Scarlett) 3 days prior to fumigation with injurious doses of ozone (150-250 ppb; 5 days; 7 h/day) induced a 50-60% protection against ozone injury on leaves. Fungicide treatments of barley plants at growth stage (GS) 32 significantly increased the total leaf soluble protein content. Additionally, activities of the antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate-peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) were increased by both fungicides at maximal rates of 16, 75, 51 and 144%, respectively. Guiacol-peroxidase (POX) activity was elevated by 50-110% only in AZO treated plants, while this effect was lacking after treatments with EPO. This coincided with elevated levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) only in EPO and not in AZO treated plants. The enhancement of the plant antioxidative system by the two fungicides significantly and considerably reduced the level of superoxide (O2*-) in leaves. Fumigation of barley plants for 4 days with non-injurious ozone doses (120-150 ppb, 7 h/day) markedly and immediately stimulated O2*- accumulation in leaves, while H2O2 was increased only after the third day of fumigation. Therefore, O2*- itself or as precursor of even more toxic oxyradicals appears to be more indicative for ozone-induced leaf damage than H2O2. Ozone also induced significant increases in the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POX and CAT) after 2 days of fumigation in fungicide untreated plants, while after 4 days of fumigation these enzymes declined to a level lower than in unfumigated plants, due to the oxidative degradation of leaf proteins. This is the first report demonstrating the marked enhancement of plant antioxidative enzymes and the enhanced scavenging of potentially harmful O2*- by fungicides as a mechanism of protecting plants against noxious oxidative stress from the environment. The antioxidant effect of modern fungicides widely used in intense cereal production in many countries represents an important factor when evaluating potential air pollution effects in agriculture.

Acrylates↗
PubMed2003

Fungicidal property of Curcuma longa L. rhizome-derived curcumin against phytopathogenic fungi in a greenhouse.

Fungicidal activity of Curcuma longa rhizome-derived materials against Botrytis cineria, Erysiphe graminis, Phytophthora infestans, Puccinia recondita, Pyricularia oryzae, and Rhizoctonia solani was tested using a whole plant method in vivo. It was compared with synthetic fungicides and four commercially available compounds derived from C. longa. The response varied with the tested plant pathogen. At 1000 mg/L, the hexane extract of C. longa showed fungicidal activities against E.graminis, P. infestans, and R. solani, and the ethyl acetate extract of C. longa showed fungicidal activities against B. cineria, P. infestans, Pu. recondita, and R. solani. Curcumin was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction using chromatographic techniques and showed fungicidal activities against P. infestans, Pu. recondita, and R. solani with 100, 100, and 63% control values at 500 mg/L and 85, 76, and 45% control values at 250 mg/L, respectively. In the test with components derived from C. longa, turmerone exhibited weak activity against E. graminis, but no activity was observed from treatments with borneol, 1,8-cineole, sabinene, and turmerone. In comparison, potent fungicidal activity with chlorothalonil against P. infestans at 50 mg/L and dichlofluanid against B. cinerea at 50 mg/L was exhibited. These results may be an indication of at least one of the fungicidal actions of curcumin derived from C. longa.

Curcuma↗
PubMed2006

Two-component response regulators Ssk1p and Skn7p additively regulate high-osmolarity adaptation and fungicide sensitivity in Cochliobolus heterostrophus.

Filamentous ascomycetous fungi possess many histidine kinases and two conserved response regulators, Ssk1p and Skn7p, in their two-component signaling systems. We previously reported that the fungus unique group III histidine kinase regulates high-osmolarity adaptation and iprodione/fludioxonil fungicide sensitivity by controlling the phosphorylation of Hog1-type mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in filamentous ascomycetes. Here, we have characterized the response regulator genes ChSsk1 and ChSkn7 in the southern corn leaf blight fungus Cochliobolus heterostrophus. Both ChSsk1- and ChSkn7-disrupted mutants showed little sensitivity to high-osmolarity stress and moderate resistance to the iprodione/fludioxonil fungicides. The phosphorylation of Hog1-type MAPK BmHog1p induced by high-osmolarity stress and fungicide treatments was only regulated by ChSsk1p, indicating that ChSkn7p has roles in high-osmolarity adaptation and fungicide sensitivity that are independent from the activation of BmHog1p. The Chssk1 Chskn7 double mutants clearly showed higher sensitivity to osmolar stress and higher resistance to fungicides than the single mutants. The dose responses of the double mutants fit well with those of the group III histidine kinase-deficient strain. These results suggest that in filamentous ascomycetes, the Ssk1- and Skn7-type response regulators control high-osmolarity adaptation and fungicide sensitivity additively with differential mechanisms under the regulation of the group III histidine kinase. This study provides evidence that filamentous fungi have a unique two-component signaling system that is different from that of yeast and is responsible for high-osmolarity adaptation and fungicide sensitivity.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2002

Design of novel peptide analogs with potent fungicidal activity, based on PMAP-23 antimicrobial peptide isolated from porcine myeloid.

PMAP-23 is a 23-mer peptide derived from porcine myeloid. To develop novel antifungal peptides useful as therapeutic drugs, it would require a strong fungicidal activity against pathogenic fungal cells. To this goal, several analogs, with amino acid substitutions, were designed to increase the net hydrophobicity by Trp (W)-substitution at positions 10, 13, or 14 at the hydrophilic face of PMAP-23 without changing the hydrophobic helical face. The Trp (W)-substitution (P6) showed an enhanced fungicidal and antitumor activities, with the fungicidal activity inhibited by salts and the respiratory inhibitor, NaN(3). The results suggested that the increase of hydrophobicity of the peptides correlated with fungicidal activity. The fungicidal effects of analog peptides were further investigated using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) as a membrane probe. In Candida albicans, the analog peptide (P6) exerted its fungicidal effect on the blastoconidia in 20% fetal bovine serum by disrupting the mycelial forms. Furthermore, P6 caused significant morphological changes, and these facts suggested that the fungicidal function of the novel analog peptide (P6) was by damaging the fungal cell membranes. Thus, this peptide may provide a useful template for designing novel antifungal peptides useful for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Fungicidal versus fungistatic activity of terbinafine and itraconazole: an in vitro comparison.

BACKGROUND: The ratio of fungicidal to fungistatic activity of two new antifungal agents, itraconazole and terbinafine, against the causative organisms in onychomycosis may have clinical relevance. OBJECTIVE: This study compared the fungistatic and fungicidal activity of terbinafine and itraconazole against clinical isolates of dermatophytes and Candida species causing onychomycosis. METHODS: The antifungal agent was added to suspensions of dermatophyte conidia and hyphal fragments (5 x 10(3) to 5 x 10(4) fungal elements/ml) that had been preincubated to allow hyphal formation. Cell suspensions of Candida species (1 to 5 x 10(3) cells/ml) were not preincubated before drug exposure. Macrobroth and macrobroth dilution assays were used to test antifungal susceptibility of dermatophytes and yeasts, respectively. An agent was considered fungicidal if the minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) to minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ratio was < or = 4 and fungistatic if the ratio was > 4. Cell death was also visualized by a vital stain. RESULTS: For both itraconazole and terbinafine, the MIC for dermatophytes was low. The MFCs and MFC/MIC ratios for terbinafine against dermatophytes were lower than for itraconazole; the fungicidal activity of terbinafine was excellent and initiated rapidly (by 7 hours) and that of itraconazole was poor (fungicidal activity was not evident until 10 to 12 hours). For yeasts, the MICs were higher than for dermatophytes, and the differences between itraconazole and terbinafine were less pronounced. CONCLUSION: Both itraconazole and terbinafine inhibit growth of dermatophytes. The more rapid fungicidal activity of terbinafine may have clinical relevance in the treatment of onychomycosis.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed1999

Invasion thresholds for fungicide resistance: deterministic and stochastic analyses

Fungicide resistance is an important practical problem, but one that is poorly understood at the population level. Here we introduce a simple nonlinear model for fungicide resistance in botanical epidemics which includes the dynamics of the chemical control agent and the host population, while also allowing for demographic stochasticity in the host-parasite dynamics. This provides a mathematical framework for analysing the risk of fungicide resistance developing by including the parameters for the amount applied, longevity and application frequency of the fungicide. The model demonstrates the existence of thresholds for the invasion of the resistant strain in the parasite population which depend on two quantities: the relative fitness of the resistant strain and the effectiveness of control. This threshold marks a change from definite elimination of the resistant strain below the threshold to a finite probability of invasion which increases above the threshold. The fungicide decay rate, the amount of fungicide applied and the period between applications affect the effectiveness of control and, consequently, they influence whether or not resistance develops and the time taken to achieve a critical frequency of resistance. All three parameters are amenable to control by the grower or by coordinating the activity of a population of growers. Providing crude estimates of the effectiveness of control and relative fitness are available, the results can be used to predict the consequences of changing these parameters for the risk of invasion and the proportion of sites at which this might be expected to occur. Although motivated for fungicide resistance, the model has broader application to herbicide, antibiotic and antiviral resistance. The modelling approach and results are discussed in the context of resistance to chemical control in general.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Modulation of water activity on fungicide effect on Aspergillus niger growth in Sabouraud dextrose agar medium*.

AIMS: To examine whether water activity (aw) in combination with low concentration of fungicides can be used to effectively control Aspergillus niger van Tieghem growth in cultural medium, the Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA). The data would be used as baseline information for reducing A. niger contamination in insect artificial diets. METHODS AND RESULTS: Aspergillus niger was isolated from an insect artificial diet. Four concentration levels (i.e. 0, 1, 10 and 20 micromol) of two fungicides (i.e. amphotericin B and itraconazole) were tested against A. niger under four aw levels (i.e. 0.994, 0.961, 0.921 and 0.859) adjusted by including 0, 12.5, 25 and 38% of glycerol in the medium mixture. Aspergillus niger growth was significantly reduced at low fungicide concentration (1 micromol), and at reduced aw. The spore germination was prevented with either higher fungicide concentration (>10 micromol), or low aw in the medium (aw < 0.921). The two ecological determinants (fungicides and aw) showed a significant impact on A. niger survival in the medium (P < 0.0001). Itraconazole is more effective than amphotericin B in controlling A. niger contamination in the agar medium. CONCLUSION: Adjustment of aw (with 12.5% of glycerol) in combination with 1 mumol of itraconazole can effectively prevent A. niger growth in the SDA cultural medium. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Aspergillus niger contaminations have frequently affected the quality of insects produced from mass rearing facilities. Low aw in combination with low fungicide concentration has the potential to become one of the most cost-effective management strategies to prevent A. niger contamination in insect artificial diets. The effect of fungicides and low aw in artificial diets on insect biology needs to be further examined.

Antifungal Agents↗