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Clinical predictors for successful weaning of patients from Impella heart pump have not been clarified. We aimed to elucidate the relationship between pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) parameters at the time of Impella weaning and subsequent outcomes.We enrolled consecutive patients who had received Impella for cardiogenic shock. PAC data were collected immediately before Impella weaning. Patients were classified as non-survivors if they died or required any mechanical circulatory support reintroduction within 30 days of weaning.Of 81 patients enrolled, 61 underwent Impella weaning. Of these, 16 were non-survivors. Predictive indicators of non-survival were high pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP; hazard ratio [HR] per 5 mm Hg 1.97, 95% CI 1.35-2.80; p 0.001), high mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP; HR per 5 mm Hg 1.90, 1.38-2.58; p 0.001), and low cardiac power output (CPO; HR per 0.1 Watts 0.71, 0.52-0.92; p = 0.006). Cutoff values of PAWP 20 mm Hg, MPAP 22 mm Hg, and CPO 0.59 Watts showed strong associations with 30-day non-survival risk (low risk 8% in patients with low PAWP and high CPO or 4% in patients with low MPAP and high CPO; high risk 100% in patients with high PAWP and low CPO or 82% in patients with high MPAP and low CPO).PAWP or MPAP higher than the cutoff with CPO below the cutoff at Impella weaning were associated with worse outcomes. We proposed a risk classification model for successful Impella weaning using PAC.

Native T1 mapping is used to assess myocardial tissue characteristics without gadolinium contrast agents. The focal T1 high-intensity region can indicate myocardial alterations. This study aimed to identify the association between the native T1 mapping including the native T1 high region and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) recovery in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Patients with newly diagnosed DCM (LVEF of 5 SD in the remote myocardium. Recovered EF was defined as a follow-up LVEF of ≥ 45% and an LVEF increase of ≥ 10% after 2 years from baseline. Seventy-one patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. Forty-four patients (61.9%) achieved recovered EF. Logistic regression analysis showed that the native T1 value (OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96–0.99; P = 0.014) and the native T1 high region (OR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.05–0.55; P = 0.002), but not late gadolinium enhancement, were independent predictors of recovered EF. Compared with native T1 value alone, combined native T1 high region and native T1 value improved the area under the curve from 0.703 to 0.788 for predicting recovered EF. Myocardial damage, which was quantified using native T1 mapping and the native T1 high region were independently associated with recovered EF in patients with newly diagnosed DCM.

Leaf mold disease caused by Cladosporium fulvum appeared on tomato cultivars carrying the Cf-9 resistance gene in Nara Prefecture, Japan, in 2018. We inoculated a differential set of tomato cultivar with six isolates of the fungus and identified two isolates as race 2.9 and four as 2.4.9. We also sequenced their Avr and mating-type genes. All Avr alleles have been found previously in Japanese populations of C. fulvum, but the genotypes of both races were new, suggesting that these isolates have newly emerged in Nara Prefecture.

The entomopathogenic fungus

Background: In patients with heart failure (HF), discontinued medical therapy because of adverse events (AE) is associated with high mortality. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have a lower risk of HF, but AE sometimes occur with the introduction of SGLT2i. In order to use SGLT2i safely in patients with HF, we investigated factors associated with AE following the introduction of SGLT2i. Methods and Results: AE were defined as hypotension or an increase in serum creatinine ≥0.3 mg/dL by the fifth day after SGLT2i introduction. Sixty-four hospitalized patients with HF and T2DM treated with an SGLT2i were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into 2 groups: with AE (n=13, 20.3%) and without (n=51, 79.7%). On logistic regression analysis, female sex, hemoglobin ≥15.2 g/dL, serum creatinine ≥1.05 mg/dL, and cardiac index on echocardiography ≤2.15 L/min/m2, were significantly associated with AE. A scoring system was constructed to predict AE according to significant variables (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.83; P

Our aim is to clarify the factors for early diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) in patients with complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) and its impact on cardiac function after corticosteroid therapy.A total of 15 CS patients with CAVB who underwent corticosteroid therapy were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the time from the first CAVB onset to the diagnosis of CS. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between the early diagnosis group (within 1 year; group E, n = 10) and the late diagnosis group (over 1 year; group L, n = 5).The history of extracardiac sarcoidosis (60 versus 0%, P = 0.0440) and abnormal findings on echocardiography (70 versus 0%, P = 0.0256) at the CAVB onset were significantly more frequent in group E than in group L. The change of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels was significantly better in group E than in group L (0.8 ± 2.8 versus -32.4 ± 3.9%, P < 0.0001; -11.1 ± 16.0 versus 161.8 ± 35.8 pg/mL, P = 0.0013, respectively). After corticosteroid therapy, the LVEF and BNP levels were also significantly better in group E than in group L (53.3 ± 10.7 versus 37.0 ± 9.3%, P = 0.0128; 63.0 ± 46.4 versus 458.8 ± 352.0 pg/mL, P = 0.0027).The diagnosis may be delayed in CS patients with CAVB without history of extracardiac sarcoidosis. Abnormal findings on echocardiography contributed to the early diagnosis of CS. Therefore, the diagnosis of CS may be missed or delayed in patients without them. Time delay from the CAVB onset to the CS diagnosis may exacerbate the cardiac function.

Re-worsening left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is observed in some patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) despite initial improvements in LVEF. We analyzed cardiac outcomes and clinical variables associated with this re-worsening LVEF. A total of 180 newly diagnosed DCM patients who received only pharmacotherapy were enrolled. Echocardiography was performed after 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after initiation of pharmacotherapy. Patients were divided into three groups: (1) Improved: (n = 113, 63%), defined as those > 10% increase in LVEF after 12 months and no decrease (> 10%) between 12 and 36 months; (2) Re-worse: (n = 12, 7%), those with > 10% increase in LVEF after 12 months but with decrease (> 10%) between 12 and 36 months; and (3) Not-improved: (n = 55: 30%), those with no increase in LVEF (> 10%) after 12 months. Patients with re-worse group were older (P = 0.04) and had higher brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels after 12 months (P = 0.002) than those in the Improved group. Major cardiac events (sudden death, implantation of a ventricular assist device, and death due to heart failure,) were observed in 13 (7%) patients after 36 months of pharmacotherapy. Multivariate analysis revealed that the Re-worse group had a higher risk for cardiac events (hazard ratio 11.7, 95% confidence interval 1.9-90.7, P = 0.01) than the Improved group, but had a similar risk compared with the Not-improved group. Re-worsening LVEF was associated with poor cardiac outcomes in newly diagnosed DCM patients. Age and persistently high-BNP levels after improvement in LVEF were significantly associated with re-worsening LVEF.

An interaction between the intestine and cardiovascular disease has been suggested. We thought to clarify the association between intestinal conditions and clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). Hemodynamic parameters in intestinal vessels [superior mesenteric artery (SMA), inferior mesenteric artery (IMA), and portal vein (PV)] and average colon wall thickness (aCWT) from the ascending colon to sigmoid colon were evaluated in 224 hospitalized HF patients. Echocardiographic parameters and composite event rates (all-cause mortality, readmission for HF deterioration, major ventricular arrhythmias) were also examined. Higher PV congestion index (CI) and aCWT were observed in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III/IV. Higher PVCI [hazard ratio (HR) per + 1 standard deviation (SD) 1.50, p 0.01] and aCWT (HR per + 1 SD 1.45, p 0.01) were independently associated with higher composite event rates during the follow-up of 122 ± 68 days. None of SMA/IMA hemodynamic parameters were associated with NYHA class or composite event rates. Higher right ventricular end-diastolic dimension (38 ± 7 vs 34 ± 9 mm, p 0.01) and lower tricuspid annual plane systolic excursion (15 ± 5 vs 19 ± 5 mm, p 0.001) were observed in patients with higher PVCI ( 0.031 cm s) and aCWT ( 2.8 mm) relative to those in others. In conclusion, increased portal congestion and intestinal edema were associated with severe HF symptoms and poor outcomes in hospitalized HF patients, in addition to being associated with impaired right-sided cardiac function.

The clinical impact of left ventricular (LV) segmental wall motion abnormalities (SWMA) in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) has not been well elucidated.Among 100 consecutive IDCM patients with follow-up visits, we enrolled 85 after excluding those with left bundle branch block and/or ventricular pacemaker implantation. LV wall motion was assessed using left ventriculography scored for 7 segments according to the American Heart Association classification as follows: 0, normokinesis; 1, hypokinesis; 2, akinesis; and 3, dyskinesis. SWMA were defined as a score dispersion of more than 1 degree among the segments.SWMA was exhibited by 26 patients. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that the patients with SWMA (SWMA+) had a significantly higher cardiac event-free rate than the patients without SWMA (P < 0.001). Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that SWMA+ was an independent predictor of cardiac events (P = 0.03; hazard ratio = 3.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-10.8). Furthermore, multiple regression analysis showed that SWMA+ was an independent predictor of decreased LV end-systolic dimension index after optimal pharmacotherapy (β = -0.24; 95%CI, -9.12 to -0.73; P = 0.02).SWMA is common in patients with IDCM and is independently associated with a poor prognosis and less morphometric and functional improvement of LV in response to pharmacotherapy.

We aimed to elucidate the relationship between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), cardiac systolic/diastolic function, and heart failure (HF) prognosis during guideline-directed medical therapy in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). We evaluated 283 hospitalized NIDCM patients, who were grouped according to baseline (BL) and 1-year (1Y) levels of HbA1c (

The rhizosphere microbial community in a multiple parallel mineralization (MPM) system contributes to suppression of root-borne diseases. We hypothesized this phenomenon can be attributed to the interplay of non-antagonistic bacteria rather than to a single antagonistic microbe. In this study, we tested this hypothesis by investigating the potential roles of bacterial interplay in a subset of MPM microbiota in the suppression of the fungal phytopathogen Fusarium oxysporum. Bacterial strains isolated from the MPM system were subjected to in vitro and in planta tests on F. oxysporum. A community of seven bacterial strains (Kaistia sp. TBD58, Sphingopyxis sp. TBD84, Bosea sp. TBD101, Ancylobacter sp. TBD132, Cupriavidus sp. TBD162, Brevibacillus sp. TBD179 and Sphingopyxis sp. TBD181) suppressed F. oxysporum growth. None of the strains alone was antagonistic against F. oxysporum, whereas several pairs of those non-antagonistic strains inhibited its growth. Morphological observations showed the formation of swollen F. oxysporum cells in the presence of these bacterial pairs. The same bacterial pairs also suppressed Fusarium wilt disease in Arabidopsis thaliana. These results indicate that a complex bacterial interplay among non-antagonistic bacteria can significantly contribute to the development of antagonism against F. oxysporum in the context of the MPM system.

Decongestion is an important goal of heart failure (HF) management. Blood cell concentration is a recognized indicator for guiding decongestive treatment for HF. We aimed to assess the clinical impact of hemodilution and hemoconcentration after initial treatment in acute decompensated HF (ADHF) patients. We retrospectively evaluated hemoglobin levels and body weight obtained before admission, on admission, 3 days after admission, and at discharge in 102 consecutive patients admitted with ADHF. Patients were then stratified into hemodilution (n = 55) and hemoconcentration (n = 47) groups based on whether their hemoglobin levels decreased or increased, respectively, during the first 3 days after admission. From before admission to admission, hemoglobin levels decreased less in the hemodilution group (-0.16 ± 0.98 g/dL) than in the hemoconcentration group (-0.88 ± 1.11 g/dL) (P < 0.001); however, there was no significant difference in body weight (P≥ 0.05). More patients in the hemodilution group (85%) had grade III/IV pulmonary edema (Turner's criteria) compared with the hemoconcentration group (63%) (P < 0.01). Rate of readmission for HF within 180 days of discharge was higher in the hemodilution group (34%) compared with the hemoconcentration group (9%) (P < 0.01). Hemodilution after initial treatment for ADHF was associated with severe pulmonary edema at admission and higher readmission rates.

Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) are useful modalities to study the characteristics of myocardial tissue. However, the prognostic impact of both diagnostic tools to predict subsequent left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) has not been well elucidated. A total of 187 consecutive patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) who were treated by optimal pharmacotherapy (OPT) and underwent EMB of the LV wall were investigated. The myocardial specimens were semiquantitatively evaluated measuring cardiomyocyte degeneration (CD), interstitial fibrosis (IF), and hypertrophy. In addition, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE)-CMR was performed in 78 (48 %) patients. Seventy-eight (48 %) patients developed LVRR, defined as a ≥10 % increase in LV ejection fraction with a ≥10 % decrease in indexed LV end-diastolic dimension at 12 months after OPT. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that CD (P = 0.003), but not IF (P = 0.320), was an independent predictor of LVRR. In the patients with not only EMB but also CMR, the CD score and LGE area were independent predictors of LVRR (odds ratios/P values 0.268/0.010, 0.855/

Tomato cultivar Reiyo, that possesses Cf-9 among other resistance genes but lacks Cf-4, was newly found to be infected with a novel race of the leaf mold pathogen, Passalora fulva after pale to olive mycelia were first observed on chlorotic spots on abaxial leaf surfaces in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, 2011. In this study, we identified the isolates as races 2.5.9 and 4.5.9. To our knowledge, this is the first report of these races in Japan.

The recovery of the cardiac function under mechanical support has not been well documented from a histopathological point of view. We herein report a case of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in which the patient showed a complete recovery of the systolic function following treatment with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for deteriorated heart failure. A light microscopic observation showed marked regression of hypertrophic myocytes with significant intracellular vacuolization and scarcity at the time of LVAD implantation after the administration of mechanical support. Furthermore, an electron microscopic observation revealed that these findings were regulated primarily by volumetric regression and morphometric improvements in cardiomyocytic mitochondria.

The present study aimed to identify the clinical significance of differences in detection timings of left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) on heart failure (HF) prognosis in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM). We investigated 207 patients with IDCM who underwent pharmacotherapeutic treatment. LVRR was defined as improvements in both LV ejection fraction ≥10 % and indexed LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDDi) ≥10 %. Patients were stratified into 3 groups by LVRR timing: patients with LVRR

Dicyma pulvinata strain 414-3, isolated from the surface of a tomato leaf, is a mycoparasitic fungus of Cladosporium fulvum, which causes leaf mold of tomato. We report here the draft genome sequence of strain 414-3, which will contribute to elucidating the molecular mechanisms involved in the mycoparasitism.

Fusarium oxysporum produces three kinds of asexual spores: microconidia, macroconidia and chlamydospores. We previously analysed expressed sequence tags during vegetative growth and conidiation in F. oxysporum and found 42 genes that were markedly upregulated during conidiation compared to vegetative growth. One of the genes, FVS1 , encodes a protein with a sterile alpha motif (SAM) domain, which functions in protein–protein interactions that are involved in transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulation and signal transduction. Here, we made FVS1 -disrupted mutants from the melon wilt pathogen F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis . Although the mutants produced all three kinds of asexual spores with normal morphology, they formed markedly fewer microconidia and macroconidia than the wild type. The mutants appeared to have a defect in the development of the conidiogenesis cells, conidiophores and phialides, required for the formation of microconidia and macroconidia. In contrast, chlamydospore formation was dramatically promoted in the mutants. The growth rates of the mutants on media were slightly reduced, indicating that FVS1 is also involved in, but not essential for, vegetative growth. We also observed that mutation of FVS1 caused defects in conidial germination and virulence, suggesting that the Fvs1 has pleiotropic functions in F. oxysporum .

The rhizosphere microbial community in a hydroponics system with multiple parallel mineralization (MPM) can potentially suppress root-borne diseases. This study focused on revealing the biological nature of the suppression against Fusarium wilt disease, which is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, and describing the factors that may influence the fungal pathogen in the MPM system. We demonstrated that the rhizosphere microbiota that developed in the MPM system could suppress Fusarium wilt disease under in vitro and greenhouse conditions. The microbiological characteristics of the MPM system were able to control the population dynamics of F. oxysporum, but did not eradicate the fungal pathogen. The roles of the microbiological agents underlying the disease suppression and the magnitude of the disease suppression in the MPM system appear to depend on the microbial density. F. oxysporum that survived in the MPM system formed chlamydospores when exposed to the rhizosphere microbiota. These results suggest that the microbiota suppresses proliferation of F. oxysporum by controlling the pathogen's morphogenesis and by developing an ecosystem that permits coexistence with F. oxysporum.

Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) and late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) imaging performed at baseline are both used to evaluate the extent of myocardial fibrosis. However, no study has directly compared the effectiveness of these diagnostic tools in the prediction of left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) and prognosis in response to therapy in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM). Seventy-five patients with newly diagnosed IDCM who were undergoing optimal therapy were assessed at baseline using LGE-CMR imaging and EMB; the former measured LGE area and the latter measured collagen volume fraction (CVF) as possible predictive indices of LVRR and cardiac event-free survival. Among all the baseline primary candidate factors with P < 0.2 as per univariate analysis, multivariate analysis indicated that only LGE area was an independent predictor of subsequent LVRR (β = 0.44; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.87–2.53; P < 0.001), as indicated by decreasing left ventricular end-systolic volume index over the 1-year follow-up. Kaplan–Meier curves indicated significantly lower cardiac event-free survival rates in patients with LGE at baseline than in patients without (P < 0.01). By contrast, there was no significant difference in prognosis between patients with CVF values above (severe fibrosis) and below (mild fibrosis) the median of 4.9 %. Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that LGE area was an independent predictor of subsequent cardiac events (hazard ratio 1.06; 95 % CI 1.02–1.10; P ≤ 0.01). The degree of myocardial fibrosis estimated by baseline LGE-CMR imaging, but not that estimated by baseline EMB, can predict LVRR and cardiac event-free survival in response to therapy in patients with newly diagnosed IDCM.

Rhizobium sp. strain TBD182, isolated from a novel hydroponics system, is an antagonistic bacterium that inhibits the mycelial growth of Fusarium oxysporum but does not eliminate the pathogen. We report the draft genome sequence of TBD182, which may contribute to elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of its fungistatic activity.

Prognostic significance of temporal change in myocardial tissue characterization by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has not been elucidated in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).Sixty-eight patients with newly-diagnosed DCM who underwent CMR including late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) both at baseline and during follow-up period were enrolled. LGE score was defined by a signal intensity of ≥5 standard deviations above the remote reference myocardium mean. Left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) defined as a LV ejection fraction increase of ≥10% and a decrease in indexed LV end-diastolic diameter of ≥10% compared to those at baseline was detected in 38% of the patients. There was no significant difference in LGE score between baseline and follow-up (5.8% vs. 7.3%; p=0.38). The change in LGE area (delta-LGE) was significantly lower in patients with LVRR than those without (-0.5%±3.4% vs. 3.0±7.4%; p=0.02). On the other hand, T2 ratio during the follow-up significantly reduced (1.95±0.48 vs. 1.67±0.56; p0.01); however, there was no significant difference in the change in T2 ratio between patients with LVRR and those without (-0.29±0.73 vs. -0.27±0.66; p=0.88). Multivariate logistic analysis indicated that baseline LGE score [odds ratio; 0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66 to 0.90; p0.01] together with delta-LGE (odds ratio; 0.77; 95% CI 0.61 to 0.92; p=0.01) were independently associated with subsequent LVRR (p0.01).The temporal change of LGE-CMR score during the clinical course was significantly correlated with following LVRR.

Tomato leaf mold caused by Passalora fulva was found on two tomato varieties carrying the Cf-9 gene in Japan, in 2007. The isolates obtained from Chiba and Fukushima were identified as race 4.9.11, and those from Gunma were races 4.9 or 4.9.11. This is the first report in Japan of tomato leaf mold caused by P. fulva strains that can overcome the Cf-9 gene.

Fusarium oxysporum produces three kinds of asexual spores, macroconidia, microconidia, and chlamydospores. We previously identified two genes, REN1 and FoSTUA, which encode different types of transcription regulators essential for conidiation in F. oxysporum. We also performed expressed sequence tag analysis during vegetative growth and conidiation and identified 496 genes specifically detected in the conidiation cDNA library. Here, we selected genes with expression levels affected by a mutation in REN1 or FoSTUA in F. oxysporum. The transcription levels of 496 conidiation library-specific genes were compared between the wild-type strain and the ΔREN1 mutant or the ΔFoSTUA mutant by cDNA dot–blot differential hybridization and real-time quantitative PCR analyses. We found 23 and 12 genes, which had transcription levels more than tenfold lower and higher, respectively, in the ΔREN1 mutant than in the wild type. This result suggested that the 23 were positively and 12 genes negatively regulated by Ren1. We also found three genes positively regulated by FoStuA: the transcription levels of these genes were more than tenfold lower in the ΔFoSTUA mutant. The Ren1-regulated genes included genes that were also upregulated specifically under conidiation conditions in the wild-type strain. These genes provide candidates for further studies directed at understanding fungal conidiogenesis and its molecular regulation.

This study aimed to identify the association between the time course of left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) and late gadolinium enhancement in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-cMRI) in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM). We identified 214 IDCM patients treated by optimal pharmacotherapies. LVRR was defined as ≥10 % increment in LV ejection fraction along with ≥10 % reduction in LV end-diastolic dimension. Findings of LGE-cMRI focusing on presence and extent of LGE were evaluated at baseline. Echocardiographic evaluation for detecting LVRR was performed in all patients for 3 years. The primary endpoint was defined as composite events (CEs) including readmission for heart failure, detection of major ventricular arrhythmia, and all-cause mortality. LVRR was found at

As part of their defense strategy against fungal pathogens, plants secrete chitinases that degrade chitin, the major structural component of fungal cell walls. Some fungi are not sensitive to plant chitinases because they secrete chitin-binding effector proteins that protect their cell wall against these enzymes. However, it is not known how fungal pathogens that lack chitin-binding effectors overcome this plant defense barrier. Here, we investigated the ability of fungal tomato pathogens to cleave chitin-binding domain (CBD)-containing chitinases and its effect on fungal virulence. Four tomato CBD chitinases were produced in Pichia pastoris and were incubated with secreted proteins isolated from seven fungal tomato pathogens. Of these, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, Verticillium dahliae, and Botrytis cinerea were able to cleave the extracellular tomato chitinases SlChi1 and SlChi13. Cleavage by F. oxysporum removed the CBD from the N-terminus, shown by mass spectrometry, and significantly reduced the chitinase and antifungal activity of both chitinases. Both secreted metalloprotease FoMep1 and serine protease FoSep1 were responsible for this cleavage. Double deletion mutants of FoMep1 and FoSep1 of F. oxysporum lacked chitinase cleavage activity on SlChi1 and SlChi13 and showed reduced virulence on tomato. These results demonstrate the importance of plant chitinase cleavage in fungal virulence.

Overproduced proteins from Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) were efficiently released with virulent bacteriophages. Leviviridae-like bacteriophages were isolated from soil and used to lyse BL21(DE3) cells transformed with beta-glucosidase, chitinase, or chitosanase genes. This method caused lysis of bacterial cells similar to that by conventional sonication and enabled us to effectively recover and purify the enzymes.