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Estudiar el turismo comunitario a través de la resiliencia es una alternativa en la investigación para comprender los procesos de adaptación de las comunidades y, así, valorar su sostenibilidad. Este artículo tiene por objetivo comprender las prácticas de turismo comunitario que alimentan la resiliencia y al mismo tiempo aportan a los objetivos prácticos de la sostenibilidad, tomando como estudio de caso a la comunidad rural de Yunguilla (Ecuador), que tenía a la explotación maderera como principal actividad económica, lo que afectaba a su medio natural y a sus principales medios de vida. Utilizando la metodología cualitativa, con perspectiva etnográfica, que triangula entrevistas, observaciones participantes y otros documentos, el artículo reveló que el turismo comunitario es capaz de formular respuestas a las preocupaciones socioambientales y promover la racionalidad del uso de los recursos naturales. Se concluye que el turismo en Yunguilla, como modelo empresarial comunitario, es una estrategia de resiliencia que configura la sostenibilidad del sistema socioecológico.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of HIIT and SIT programmes on body composition, blood pressure, lipid profile, glucose, cardiorespiratory fitness, and strength of adolescents and to compare the effect between those different protocols.MethodsSixty adolescents were recruited from a high school and were randomly placed into three groups. SIT and HIIT undertook a training for 8 weeks, twice a week, for 12 min per session, during their Physical Education lessons. SIT group performed 6 sets of 60 s of work (90-95%HRmax) / 60 s of rest (50-55%HRmax), and HIIT group performed 3 sets of 2 min of work (80-85%HRmax) / 2 min of rest (50-55%HRmax).ResultsAfter adjustment by sex, both experimental groups exhibited a significant reduction in fat mass (p

En Chile los enfoques para la protección y ordenación de los glaciares se han ceñido a una categorización y caracterización desde el punto de vista técnico y científico, invisibilizando otras formas de conocimiento ligadas a la salvaguardia de los territorios. Poco se conoce sobre las prácticas de adaptación, relacionamiento, significados y saberes que los pueblos originarios atribuyen a los glaciares andinos. Justamente, en los Andes del sur de Chile, a partir de una investigación acción participativa desarrollada en territorio ancestral del pueblo Mapuche, donde se ubica el glaciar Pichillancahue, se ha buscado reconocer los saberes y prácticas de este pueblo respecto a dicho glaciar, para articularlos en una estrategia de protección de su patrimonio biocultural; en esta se funden y resignifican conocimientos científicos con su propio kimün (conocimiento), revelando respuestas locales y el potencial resiliente de las comunidades mapuche relacionadas a este glaciar. Todo esto, en un territorio que enfrenta conflictos y dinámicas territoriales diversas, producto del cambio climático, el estrés hídrico y la expansión del capital a través de nuevos ejes de acumulación como el turismo masivo.

Taekwondo, a traditional Korean martial art, has gained popularity worldwide and is recognized for its physical and mental benefits. This study investigates the influence of Taekwondo training on the psychological health and anti-frustration ability of college students. The primary aim is to examine how participation in Taekwondo classes affects the psychological well-being and anti-frustration ability of college students. This study utilized a pre-post intervention design, employing the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20) and the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) to assess participants' psychological health and resilience before and after Taekwondo training. Participants completed pre-training assessments, underwent a structured Taekwondo training program, and completed post-training assessments. Quantitative analysis compared pre- and post-training scores to determine any significant differences. Initial findings reveal a significant correlation between Taekwondo training and improved psychological health indicators, such as reduced anxiety and increased self-esteem. Moreover, participants demonstrate enhanced resilience in coping with academic and personal challenges. Taekwondo training emerges as a promising intervention for enhancing college students' psychological health and anti-frustration ability. By promoting physical fitness, self-discipline, and stress management techniques, Taekwondo fosters a holistic approach to well-being.

In 2021, the Chinese Ministry of Education introduced the "Double Reduction" policy to ease students' academic pressure while promoting increased engagement in sports activities. This policy has opened up fresh prospects for the non-disciplinary training sector, particularly in sports training. This study examines the extent of implementation of off-campus youth sports training in Chengdu following the enactment of the "Double Reduction" policy. It delves into the challenges and obstacles faced in executing such training programs. The study utilized quantitative and qualitative methods, involving 72 coaches and 36 club owners from 36 clubs across 12 districts in Chengdu. It analyzed factors like sex and education to assess the correlation between sports training implementation and the "Double Reduction" policy. It also conducted interviews to investigate challenges in off-campus youth sports training in Chengdu. Consensus exists among coaches and club owners regarding implementing off-campus youth sports training in Chengdu, with no significant differences observed in various aspects. However, significant differences were noted in perceptions of Chengdu's "Double Reduction" policy implementation, particularly concerning regulatory processes, service provision, and industry development. The study underscores governmental ambiguity and industry disarray in management, emphasizing the need to address homogenized training, limited service variety, and inadequate systems. Solutions involve implementing robust frameworks, enhancing owner competencies, addressing staff shortages, improving service quality, and diversifying marketing approaches to bolster resilience against risks.

Epitranscriptomic mechanisms linking tRNA function and the brain proteome to cognition and complex behaviors are not well described. Here, we report bi-directional changes in depression-related behaviors after genetic disruption of neuronal tRNA cytosine methylation, including conditional ablation and transgene-derived overexpression of Nsun2 in the mouse prefrontal cortex (PFC). Neuronal Nsun2-deficiency was associated with a decrease in tRNA m5C levels, resulting in deficits in expression of 70% of tRNAGly isodecoders. Altogether, 1488/5820 proteins changed upon neuronal Nsun2-deficiency, in conjunction with glycine codon-specific defects in translational efficiencies. Loss of Gly-rich proteins critical for glutamatergic neurotransmission was associated with impaired synaptic signaling at PFC pyramidal neurons and defective contextual fear memory. Changes in the neuronal translatome were also associated with a 146% increase in glycine biosynthesis. These findings highlight the methylation sensitivity of glycinergic tRNAs in the adult PFC. Furthermore, they link synaptic plasticity and complex behaviors to epitranscriptomic modifications of cognate tRNAs and the proteomic homeostasis associated with specific amino acids.

We discuss a case of idiopathic cervical epidural abscess, complicated by osteomyelitis, presenting with dysphagia as the main complaint. No predisposing factors were identified and blood cultures were negative. Case was treated conservatively by long course of IV antibiotics. We present a review of presentation of spinal epidural abscesses and indications for surgical intervention.

This study compares the electromyographic activity (EMG) of different muscle groups (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius) of the lower limbs when performing a traditional seated leg press (SLP) with a classic piece of outdoor fitness equipment (OFE-SLP), and with a new OFE leg press that allows the user to adjust the intensity of the exercise by means of a selectorized system (BIOFIT-LP). It was found that the EMG of the OFE-SLP was significantly lower than that of the SLP, but similar activations to those of the SLP were achieved with the BIOFIT-LP. In conclusion, the inclusion of a system to be able to change intensity of the exercise in OFE achieves an EMG activity similar to traditional machinery in trained young men.

Resumen: Introducción. El uso en pediatría de adhesivos tisulares como el cianocrilato para el cierre de heridas ofrece ventajas significativas. Es un procedimiento sencillo rápido e indoloro, conformándose como una alternativa en la población pediátrica debido a las características específicas de estos pacientes. Objetivo. Evaluar la efectividad del adhesivo tisular con cianocrilato en el cierre de heridas en zonas pilosas y mentón. Metodología. Se diseñó un estudio observacional prospectivo conformado por pacientes pediátricos que acudieron a urgencias con heridas que requerían sutura en zona mentoniana, ceja y cuero cabelludo. Se valoraron variables demográficas y clínicas, así como la colaboración del menor y grado de satisfacción de padres y profesionales tras la aplicación de cianocrilato. A los 3 meses se valoró la cicatrización. Los datos se analizaron mediante el programa estadístico SSPS. Resultados. Las heridas en zonas pilosas presentaron una correcta epitelización con un índice ≤ 2 según escala de Vancouver. Se establecieron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre la localización de la herida y su cicatrización (p

ABSTRACTAsexual spores are the main vehicle used by fungi to disperse to new niches. The Eurotiomycete Aspergillus nidulans is the main reference for the study of the genetic/molecular control of asexual development. In this species, Flb proteins control the expression of the master gene brlA, and thus, loss-of-function mutations in flb (upstream developmental activation [UDA]) genes block brlA transcription and, consequently, the production of conidiophores, the structures bearing asexual spores known as conidia. However, the aconidial phenotype of specific flb mutants, such as that of the ΔflbB strain, is reverted under salt-stress conditions. Previously, we generated a collection of second-site mutants of ΔflbB unable to conidiate on culture medium supplemented with NaH2PO4 (0.65 M). Here, we identified a Gly347Stop mutation within flpA as responsible for the FLIP57 phenotype and characterized the role of the putative cyclin FlpA and the remaining putative components of the C-terminal domain kinase-1 (CTDK-1) complex in A. nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus. FlpA, Stk47, and FlpB are necessary (i) for timely germination, (ii) in the transition from metulae to phialides (the cells generating conidia) during conidiophore development, and (iii) for the development of sexual structures (cleistothecia) in A. nidulans. The three proteins are nuclear, and the nucleoplasmic localization of Stk47 depends on the activity of FlpA, which correlates with the retention of Stk47 by FlpA in pull-down assays. Overall, this work links the putative CTDK-1 complex of aspergilli with growth and developmental control. Identification of a mutation in flpA as inhibitor of conidiation in A. nidulans and functional characterization of FlpA, Stk47 and FlpB as putative members of the C-terminal domain kinase complex CTDK-1 in A. nidulans and A. fumigatus.IMPORTANCEAspergillus fumigatus has been included by the World Health Organization in the priority list of fungal pathogens because (i) it causes 90% of invasive aspergillosis cases, with a high mortality rate, and (ii) infections are becoming increasingly resistant to azole antifungals. A. nidulans is an opportunistic pathogen and a saprotroph which has served during the last 80 years as a reference system for filamentous fungi. Here, we characterized the role in morphogenesis and development of the putative transcriptional cyclin/kinase complex CTDK-1 in both aspergilli. The null mutants of the corresponding genes showed delayed germination, aberrant conidiophore development, and inhibition of cleistothecia production. While in higher eukaryotes this complex is formed only by a cyclin and a kinase, the fungal complex would incorporate a fungal-specific third component, FlpB, which would enable the interaction between the kinase (Stk47) and the cyclin (FlpA) and may be used as a target for antifungals.

Gran número de trabajos sobre umbrales de lluvia para el desencadenamiento de inestabilidades de ladera se ha desarrollado en áreas del norte de Portugal y España. Como resultado de una revisión, se han recopilado 103 umbrales. Más del 30% aún no han sido publicados. La comparación de cuatro umbrales regionales pone de manifiesto importantes diferencias ligadas al uso de múltiples metodologías para definir las condiciones críticas de lluvia.

Background: Rare endocrine cancers such as Adrenocortical Carcinoma (ACC) present a serious diagnostic and prognostication challenge. The knowledge about ACC pathogenesis is incomplete, and patients have limited therapeutic options. Identification of molecular drivers and effective biomarkers is required for timely diagnosis of the disease and stratify patients to offer the most beneficial treatments. In this study we demonstrate how machine learning methods integrating multi-omics data, in combination with system biology tools, can contribute to the identification of new prognostic biomarkers for ACC.Methods: ACC gene expression and DNA methylation datasets were downloaded from the Xena Browser (GDC TCGA Adrenocortical Carcinoma cohort). A highly correlated multi-omics signature discriminating groups of samples was identified with the data integration analysis for biomarker discovery using latent components (DIABLO) method. Additional regulators of the identified signature were discovered using Clarivate CBDD (Computational Biology for Drug Discovery) network propagation and hidden nodes algorithms on a curated network of molecular interactions (MetaBase™). The discriminative power of the multi-omics signature and their regulators was delineated by training a random forest classifier using 55 samples, by employing a 10-fold cross validation with five iterations. The prognostic value of the identified biomarkers was further assessed on an external ACC dataset obtained from GEO (GSE49280) using the Kaplan-Meier estimator method. An optimal prognostic signature was finally derived using the stepwise Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) that allowed categorization of samples into high and low-risk groups.Results: A multi-omics signature including genes, micro RNA's and methylation sites was generated. Systems biology tools identified additional genes regulating the features included in the multi-omics signature. RNA-seq, miRNA-seq and DNA methylation sets of features revealed a high power to classify patients from stages I-II and stages III-IV, outperforming previously identified prognostic biomarkers. Using an independent dataset, associations of the genes included in the signature with Overall Survival (OS) data demonstrated that patients with differential expression levels of 8 genes and 4 micro RNA's showed a statistically significant decrease in OS. We also found an independent prognostic signature for ACC with potential use in clinical practice, combining 9-gene/micro RNA features, that successfully predicted high-risk ACC cancer patients.Conclusion: Machine learning and integrative analysis of multi-omics data, in combination with Clarivate CBDD systems biology tools, identified a set of biomarkers with high prognostic value for ACC disease. Multi-omics data is a promising resource for the identification of drivers and new prognostic biomarkers in rare diseases that could be used in clinical practice.

Regular physical activity is vital for the health and disease prevention of older adults. Outdoor fitness equipment has gained popularity for natural exercise spaces among middle-aged and older individuals.This narrative review demonstrates that these programs have the potential to improve cardiovascular health, muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and reduce falls, while also enhancing quality of life, alleviating depression and anxiety, and boosting self-esteem. However, our understanding is hindered by limited rigorous experimental studies.Future directions include implementing standardized measurements, conducting long-term studies, and addressing equipment limitations to enable better adjustment of training intensity and promote correct postures on machines.New, more rigorous research is needed to comprehensively understand the psychophysiological and social effects on health. Additionally, suggested modifications could render the machines more effective and safer. The primary objective is to enhance this type of machinery to encourage its use in outdoor spaces, thus aiding adults and older individuals in achieving overall health and enjoying a healthy aging process.

This project will investigate the effectiveness of an 8-week outdoor fitness equipment (OFE) programme on health parameters in healthy community-dwelling middle and older adults, corresponding to the present paper to the study protocol, which follows a single-blind randomised controlled trial design. The training intervention will involve participation in an OFE programme implemented over 8 weeks, two sessions/week. Rating of perceived exertion, heart rate, training volume and adherence to the exercise programme will be registered each session. The control group will not receive any structured exercise programme. Blinded examiners will evaluate before and after the training programme muscle strength with both maximum knee extension and elbow flexion isometric tests, handgrip strength test and five time sit-to-stand test; cardiovascular fitness with 400-metre walking test; postural stability with the balance tests of the short physical performance battery (SPPB) battery; dynamic balance with Timed Up and Go (TUG) test; body composition with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; functional performance by gait speed, TUG and SPPB battery; blood pressure; and sagittal spine disposition and pelvic tilt. Information will also be collected about demographic characteristics, health-related quality of life, satisfaction with life and adherence to the Mediterranean diet questionnaires. After that, sarcopenia, osteoporosis and fracture risk will be calculated. The results derived from this research will increase the knowledge of the effectiveness of OFE training for improving the health of healthy community-dwelling middle and older adults.

In the filamentous ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans, at least three high hierarchy transcription factors are required for growth at extracellular alkaline pH: SltA, PacC and CrzA. Transcriptomic profiles depending on alkaline pH and SltA function showed that pacC expression might be under SltA regulation. Additional transcriptional studies of PacC and the only pH-regulated pal gene, palF, confirmed both the strong dependence on ambient pH and the function of SltA. The regulation of pacC expression is dependent on the activity of the zinc binuclear (C6) cluster transcription factor PacX. However, we found that the ablation of sltA in the pacX− mutant background specifically prevents the increase in pacC expression levels without affecting PacC protein levels, showing a novel specific function of the PacX factor. The loss of sltA function causes the anomalous proteolytic processing of PacC and a reduction in the post-translational modifications of PalF. At alkaline pH, in a null sltA background, PacC72kDa accumulates, detection of the intermediate PacC53kDa form is extremely low and the final processed form of 27 kDa shows altered electrophoretic mobility. Constitutive ubiquitination of PalF or the presence of alkalinity-mimicking mutations in pacC, such as pacCc14 and pacCc700, resembling PacC53kDa and PacC27kDa, respectively, allowed the normal processing of PacC but did not rescue the alkaline pH-sensitive phenotype caused by the null sltA allele. Overall, data show that Slt and PacC/Pal pathways are interconnected, but the transcription factor SltA is on a higher hierarchical level than PacC on regulating the tolerance to the ambient alkalinity in A. nidulans.

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry increasingly demands the availability of semantic and interactive digital models with the environment, capable of simulating decision-making during its life cycle and representing the results achieved. This motivates the need to develop models that integrate spatial information (GIS) and construction information (HBIM), favouring the achievement of the Smart City and Digital Twin concepts. GIS & HBIM platform is a useful tool, with potential applications in the world of built heritage; but it still has certain inefficiencies related to interoperability, the semantics of the formats and the geometry of the models. The objective of this contribution is to suggest a procedure for the generation of 3D visualization models of existing cities by integrating HBIM models in GIS environments. For this, three software and two types of data sources (existing plans and point cloud) are used. The methodology is tested in four locations of different dimensions, managing to identify the advantages/disadvantages of each application.

Los errores en el establecimiento del sexo cromosómico, gonadal o fenotípico/genital causan una diferenciación sexual anormal. Se presentan varios patrones: desde genitales ambiguos hasta genitales aparentemente normales con esterilidad. Se presenta un caso clínico de hermafroditismo en un Bulldog Francés con su expresión clínica, las imágenes radiológicas, la resolución quirúrgica y el análisis anatomopatológico.

Introducción. La pandemia del SARS-CoV-2 ha supuesto un fuerte impacto en la población, incluida la pediátrica, a pesar de que esta se ve menos afectada por la COVID-19. Para poder cubrir el aumento de la demanda sanitaria, fue necesaria la reorganización de todo el sistema sanitario, especialmente en los servicios de críticos y urgencias. Material y métodos. Estudio observacional descriptivo longitudinal trata de evaluar el impacto de la pandemia en el servicio de urgencias pediátricas de un hospital público de tercer nivel de Castilla y León, analizando las características de los pacientes menores de 14 años que fueron atendidos entre el 2019 y 2020 en dicho servicio. Se registraron datos demográficos y asistenciales de cada una de esas visitas en una base de datos. Resultados. Los datos mostraron un fuerte descenso en el número de atenciones a pesar de lo cual se produjo un aumento en la proporción de ingresos. La afluencia según los diferentes motivos de consulta, niveles de triaje y grupos de edad mostró una tendencia similar entre los dos años, a pesar de la disminución en números absolutos. Se observó un repunte en la proporción de atenciones clasificadas con niveles de gravedad más urgente. Discusión. La bibliografía consultada constata la disminución en el número de urgencias y el aumento de gravedad de los niveles de triaje, que se refleja en un aumento del porcentaje de ingresos. Parece evidenciarse una disminución de las enfermedades infecciosas y traumatológicas y un repunte de problemas de salud mental y convulsiones. ABSTRACT Introduction. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had a strong impact on the population, including the pediatric population, despite the fact that it is less affected by COVID-19. In order to cover the increase in health demand, it was necessary to reorganize the entire health system, especially in critical and emergency services. Material and methods. This longitudinal descriptive observational study tries to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the pediatric emergency service of the HCUV by analyzing the characteristics of patients under 14 years of age who were treated between 2019 and 2020 in said service. Demographic and care data from each of these visits were recorded in a database. Results. The data show a strong decrease in the number of visits, despite which there was an increase in the proportion of income. The influx according to the different reasons for consultation, triage levels and age groups shows a similar trend between the two years, despite the decrease in absolute numbers. A rebound is observed in the proportion of care classified as more urgent levels of severity. Discussion. The bibliography consulted confirms the decrease in the number of emergencies and the increase in severity of triage levels, which is reflected in an increase in the percentage of admissions. There seems to be a decrease in infectious and traumatic diseases and a rebound in mental health problems and seizures.

The optimization of genetically engineered biological constructs is a key step to deliver high-impact biotechnological applications. The use of high-throughput DNA assembly methods allows the construction of enough genotypic variants to successfully cover the target design space. This, however, entails extra workload for researchers during the screening stage of candidate variants. Despite the existence of commercial colony pickers, their high price excludes small research laboratories and budget-adjusted institutions from accessing such extensive screening capability. In this work we present COPICK, a technical solution to automatize colony picking in an open-source liquid handler Opentrons OT-2. COPICK relies on a mounted camera to capture images of regular Petri dishes and detect microbial colonies for automated screening. COPICK’s software can then automatically select the best colonies according to different criteria (size, color and fluorescence) and execute a protocol to pick them for further analysis. Benchmark tests performed for E. coli and P. putida colonies delivers a raw picking performance over pickable colonies of 82% with an accuracy of 73.4% at an estimated rate of 240 colonies/h. These results validate the utility of COPICK, and highlight the importance of ongoing technical improvements in open-source laboratory equipment to support smaller research teams.

To explore the developmental reorganization of the three-dimensional genome of the brain in the context of neuropsychiatric disease, we monitored chromosomal conformations in differentiating neural progenitor cells. Neuronal and glial differentiation was associated with widespread developmental remodeling of the chromosomal contact map and included interactions anchored in common variant sequences that confer heritable risk for schizophrenia. We describe cell type-specific chromosomal connectomes composed of schizophrenia risk variants and their distal targets, which altogether show enrichment for genes that regulate neuronal connectivity and chromatin remodeling, and evidence for coordinated transcriptional regulation and proteomic interaction of the participating genes. Developmentally regulated chromosomal conformation changes at schizophrenia-relevant sequences disproportionally occurred in neurons, highlighting the existence of cell type-specific disease risk vulnerabilities in spatial genome organization.

Penicillium rubens strain 212 (PO212) is a filamentous fungus belonging to the division Ascomycete. PO212 acts as an effective biocontrol agent against several pathogens in a variety of horticultural crops including Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici, causing vascular wilt disease in tomato plants. We assembled draft genomes of two P. rubens strains, the biocontrol agent PO212 and the soil isolate S27, which lacks biocontrol activity. We also performed comparative analyses of the genomic sequence of PO212 with that of the other P. rubens and P. chrysogenum strains. This is the first Penicillium strain with biocontrol activity whose genome has been sequenced and compared. PO212 genome size is 2,982 Mb, which is currently organized into 65 scaffolds and a total of 10,164 predicted Open Reading Frames (ORFs). Sequencing confirmed that PO212 belongs to P. rubens clade. The comparative analysis of the PO212 genome with the genomes of other P. rubens and Penicillium chrysogenum strains available in databases showed strong conservation among genomes, but a correlation was not found between these genomic data and the biocontrol phenotype displayed by PO212. Finally, the comparative analysis between PO212 and S27 genomes showed high sequence conservation and a low number of variations mainly located in ORF regions. These differences found in coding regions between PO212 and S27 genomes can explain neither the biocontrol activity of PO212 nor the absence of such activity in S27, opening a possible avenue toward transcriptomic and epigenetic studies that may shed light on this mechanism for fighting plant diseases caused by fungal pathogens. The genome sequences described in this study provide a useful novel resource for future research into the biology, ecology, and evolution of biological control agents.

In fungi, conserved homeobox-domain proteins are transcriptional regulators governing development. In Aspergillus species, several homeobox-domain transcription factor genes have been identified, among them, hbxA/hbx1. For instance, in the opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, hbxA is involved in conidial production and germination, as well as virulence and secondary metabolism, including production of fumigaclavines, fumiquinazolines, and chaetominine. In the agriculturally important fungus Aspergillus flavus, disruption of hbx1 results in fluffy aconidial colonies unable to produce sclerotia. hbx1 also regulates production of aflatoxins, cyclopiazonic acid and aflatrem. Furthermore, transcriptome studies revealed that hbx1 has a broad effect on the A. flavus genome, including numerous genes involved in secondary metabolism. These studies underline the importance of the HbxA/Hbx1 regulator, not only in developmental processes but also in the biosynthesis of a broad number of fungal natural products, including potential medical drugs and mycotoxins. To gain further insight into the regulatory scope of HbxA in Aspergilli, we studied its role in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Our present study of the A. nidulans hbxA-dependent transcriptome revealed that more than one thousand genes are differentially expressed when this regulator was not transcribed at wild-type levels, among them numerous transcription factors, including those involved in development as well as in secondary metabolism regulation. Furthermore, our metabolomics analyses revealed that production of several secondary metabolites, some of them associated with A. nidulans hbxA-dependent gene clusters, was also altered in deletion and overexpression hbxA strains compared to the wild type, including synthesis of nidulanins A, B and D, versicolorin A, sterigmatocystin, austinol, dehydroaustinol, and three unknown novel compounds.

Light represents a powerful signal for the regulation of virulence in many microbial pathogens. Monilinia fructicola is the most virulent species causing brown rot in stone fruit crops. To understand the influence of light on M. fructicola, we measured the effect of white light and photoperiods on the colonial growth and sporulation of the model M. fructicola strain 38C on solid cultures. Searches in the M. fructicola 38C genome predicted a complete set of genes coding for photoreceptors possibly involved in the perception of all ranges of wavelengths. Since white light had an obvious negative effect on vegetative growth and the asexual development of M. fructicola 38C on potato dextrose agar, we studied how light influences photoresponse genes in M. fructicola during early peach infection and in liquid culture. The transcriptomes were analyzed in “Red Jim” nectarines infected by M. fructicola 38C and subjected to light pulses for 5 min and 14 h after 24 h of incubation in darkness. Specific light-induced genes were identified. Among these, we confirmed in samples from infected fruit or synthetic media that blue light photoreceptor vvd1 was among the highest expressed genes. An unknown gene, far1, coding for a small protein conserved in many families of Ascomycota phylum, was also highly induced by light. In contrast, a range of well-known photoreceptors displayed a low transcriptional response to light in M. fructicola from nectarines but not on the pathogen mycelium growing in liquid culture media for 6 days.