Quantitative resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans in Brassica napus was investigated in field and controlled environments using cultivars Darmor (with quantitative resistance) and Eurol (without quantitative resistance). In field experiments, numbers of phoma leaf spot lesions in autumn/winter and severity of stem canker the following summer were assessed in three growing seasons. There were no differences between Darmor and Eurol in number of leaf lesions in autumn/ winter. However, stem cankers were less severe on Darmor than Eurol at harvest the following summer. In controlledenvironment experiments, development of leaf lesions at different temperatures (5-25 ° C) and wetness durations (12 -72 h) was investigated using ascospore inoculum; symptomless growth of L. maculans along leaf petioles towards the stem was quantified using quantitative PCR and visualized using GFP-expressing L. maculans ; growth of L. maculans within stem tissues was investigated using GFP-expressing L. maculans . There were more leaf lesions on Darmor than Eurol, although there was no difference between Darmor and Eurol in L. maculans incubation period. There were no differences between Darmor and Eurol in either distance grown by L. maculans along leaf petioles towards the stem or quantity of L. maculans DNA in leaf petioles, but L. maculans colonized stem tissues less extensively on Darmor than Eurol. It was concluded that quantitative resistance to L. maculans operates during colonization of B. napus stems by the pathogen.

SummaryThe ascomycete fungus Mycosphaerella graminicola is the causal agent of Septoria Tritici Blotch disease of wheat and can grow as yeast-like cells or as hyphae depending on environmental conditions. Hyphal growth is however essential for successful leaf infection. A T-DNA mutagenesis screen performed on haploid spores identified a mutant, which can undergo yeast-like growth but cannot switch to hyphal growth. For this reason the mutant was non-pathogenic towards wheat leaves. The gene affected, MgAlg2, encoded a homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ScAlg2, an alpha-1,2-mannosyltransferase, which functions in the early stages of asparagine-linked protein (N-) glycosylation. Targeted gene deletion and complementation experiments confirmed that loss of MgAlg2 function prevented the developmental growth switch. MgAlg2 was able to functionally complement the S. cerevisiae ScAlg2-1 temperature sensitive growth phenotype. Spores of DMgAlg2 mutants were hypersensitive to the cell wall disrupting agent Calcofluor white and produced abnormally hypo-Nglycosylated proteins. Gene expression, proteome and glycoproteome analysis revealed that DMgAlg2 mutant spores show responses typically associated with the accumulation of mis-folded proteins. The data presented highlight key roles for protein N-glycosylation in regulating the switch to hyphal growth, possibly as a consequence of maintaining correct folding and localization of key proteins involved in this process.

The definitive version can be found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ Copyright Association of Applied BiologistsDevelopment of phoma leaf spot (caused by Leptosphaeria maculans) on winter oilseed rape (canola, Brassica napus) was assessed in two experiments at Rothamsted in successive years (2003-04 and 2004-05 growing seasons). Both experiments compared oilseed rape cultivars Eurol, Darmor, Canberra and Lipton, which differ in their resistance to L. maculans. Data were analysed to describe disease development in terms of increasing numbers of leaves affected over thermal time from sowing. The cultivars showed similar patterns of leaf spot development in the 2003-04 experiment when inoculum concentration was relatively low (up to 133 ascospores m-3 air), Darmor developing 5.3 diseased leaves per plant by 5 May 2004, Canberra 6.6, Eurol 6.8 and Lipton 7.5. Inoculum concentration was up to sevenfold greater in 2004-05, with Eurol and Darmor developing 2.4 diseased leaves per plant by 16 February 2005, whereas Lipton and Canberra developed 2.8 and 3.0 diseased leaves, respectively. Based on three defined periods of crop development, a piece-wise linear statistical model was applied to the progress of the leaf spot disease (cumulative diseased leaves) in relation to appearance ('birth') and death of leaves for individual plants of each cultivar. Estimates of the thermal time from sowing until appearance of the first leaf or death of the first leaf, the rate of increase in number of diseased leaves and the area under the disease progress line (AUDPL) for the first time period were made. In 2004-05, Canberra (1025 leaves x degrees C days) and Lipton (879) had greater AUDPL values than Eurol (427) and Darmor (598). For Darmor and Lipton, the severity of leaf spotting could be related to the severity of stem canker at harvest. Eurol had less leaf spotting but severe stem canker, whereas Canberra had more leaf spotting but less severe canker

In response to reports of fragmentation in care, treatment delays and concern over the safety of patients receiving blood transfusion support, a collaborative project between NHS Blood and Transplant and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service explored the feasibility of nurses and midwives extending their role to prescribe blood components. The project identified that there were no legal barriers to role development and, following extensive consultation, a governance framework to support safe practice is now available for all NHS trusts and boards.