Papers by Barbara Manachini
Methods in molecular biology, 2024
Abstract Indagini sulla diffusione di GFLV (Grapevine Fanleaf Virus) e di ArMV (Arabis Mosaic Vir... more Abstract Indagini sulla diffusione di GFLV (Grapevine Fanleaf Virus) e di ArMV (Arabis Mosaic Virus) in un vigneto dell'Oltrepò pavese/A. Zorloni, B. Manachini, S. Prati, PA Bianco, G. Belli.-In: Italus Montus.-14: 3 (2007).-p. 235-237.((Intervento presentato al 1. Convegno ...
Integrated plant protection in stone fruit IOBC/wprs Bulletin Vol. 27 (5) 2004 pp. 25-28 25 On th... more Integrated plant protection in stone fruit IOBC/wprs Bulletin Vol. 27 (5) 2004 pp. 25-28 25 On the transmissibility of PPV by Myzus varians Davidson (Homoptera: Aphididae) to Clematis vitalba L.(Ranunculaceae) Manachini, B.*, Lozzia, GC*, Casati, P.**, Bianco, PA**, Longoni, ...
Journal of Economic Entomology, Aug 1, 2007
… management of Bt-maize in Europe, …, 2007
Bt-Maize management plan for Europe : resistance management of Bt-maize in Europe / DA Andow, S. ... more Bt-Maize management plan for Europe : resistance management of Bt-maize in Europe / DA Andow, S. Andreadis, M. Barta, D. Bourguet, L. Cagan, P. Castañera, H. Engels, B. Escriche, J. Ferré, D. Heckel, P. Hernández, GC Lozzia, B. Manachini, F. Ortego, C. Saeglitz, M. ...
EFSA Journal, 2016
The Scientific Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms of the European Food Safety Authority (GMO... more The Scientific Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms of the European Food Safety Authority (GMO Panel) has evaluated the overall safety of genetically modified (GM) carnation FLO-40685-2 cut flowers to be imported into the EU for ornamental use. The genetic modification results in the flowers having purple petals. The stability of the newly introduced trait (purple flower colour) was observed over multiple vegetative generations. The purple colour of the petals comes from the altered expression levels of anthocyanins, common pigments found in edible fruits and vegetables. Considering the intended use of the GM carnation and the possible routes of exposure, the GMO Panel did not find indications that the genetic modification will increase the risk of allergy among those coming into contact with carnations. Overall there are no reasons for safety concerns of carnation FLO-40685-2 for humans. The GMO Panel also considered whether viable seed or pollen from GM carnation cut flowers could be dispersed into the environment and whether GM carnation can be propagated by rooting. Owing to the limited environmental exposure and the biology of the plant, the GMO Panel did not identify any environmental safety concerns and agrees with the scope of the post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) plan. The GMO Panel concludes that the import, distribution and retailing of the GM carnation will not cause adverse effects on human health or the environment.
EFSA Journal, 2017
This document provides supplementary guidance on specific topics for the allergenicity risk asses... more This document provides supplementary guidance on specific topics for the allergenicity risk assessment of genetically modified plants. In particular, it supplements general recommendations outlined in previous EFSA GMO Panel guidelines and Implementing Regulation (EU) No 503/2013. The topics addressed are non-IgE-mediated adverse immune reactions to foods, in vitro protein digestibility tests and endogenous allergenicity. New scientific and regulatory developments regarding these three topics are described in this document. Considerations on the practical implementation of those developments in the risk assessment of genetically modified plants are discussed and recommended, where appropriate.
Pathogens
Using plant extracts as eco-friendly reducing and stabilizing agents for the synthesis of nanopar... more Using plant extracts as eco-friendly reducing and stabilizing agents for the synthesis of nanoparticles has gained significant attention in recent years. The current study explores the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the Avena fatua extract and evaluates their antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (Fol), a fungal plant pathogen. A green and sustainable approach was adopted to synthesize silver nanoparticles before these nanoparticles were employed for anti-fungal activity. The primary indication that AgNPs had formed was performed using UV-vis spectroscopy, where a strong peak at 425 nm indicated the effective formation of these nanoparticles. The indication of important functional groups acting as reducing and stabilizing agents was conducted using the FTIR study. Additionally, morphological studies were executed via SEM and AFM, which assisted with more effectively analyzing AgNPs. Crystalline behavior and size were estimated using ...
The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier, Coleoptera, Curculionidae) is the ... more The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier, Coleoptera, Curculionidae) is the major pest of palm trees in the Mediterranean area. Damages are caused mainly by the endophytophagous larvae that consume the palm tender soft tissues making galleries and producing a wet \u201cfrass\u201d with a characteristic fermented odour. The culturable bacterial community associated to the frass produced by RPW larvae inside Phoenix canariensis trees is mainly composed of facultative anaerobe gamma-proteobacteria that have their closest phylogenetic relatives in the gut microbiome of other endophytophagous and xilophagous coleopteran as bark beetles and other plant biomass-degrading insects (leaf-cutter ants). In RPW-bored galleries, these enterobacteria together with lactic acid bacteria, could be responsible for the synthesis of organic volatiles such as ethyl esters that are attractants for adults that deposit their eggs on the palm. The hypothesis that the frass-associated bacteria might be inoculated by the RPW larvae in order to obtain benefits for the insect (i.e. attraction of adults, plant polymers degradation, protection against fungal invasion, etc.) is under investigation. To this aim we started to characterize the bacterial community of the RPW larval gut by culture-based and culture-independent methods. Bacterial and DNA isolation was carried out from RPW larval guts after sterilization and dissection. About 107 CFU/gut were detected on Nutrient Agar plates and the phylogenetic analysis of 48 isolates is in progress. Cellulosolytic and hemicellulosolytic proteobacteria and actinobacteria were isolated from gut enrichment cultures on carboxymethyl cellulose and sterile filter paper but no cellulolytic activity was detected in the frass-associated bacterial community. Total gut DNA was used in 16S rRNA gene analysis by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and for the construction of a ribosomal gene library that is under screening
Diversi OGM possono potenzialmente entrare nel mercato e in generale nell\u2019ambiente italiano.... more Diversi OGM possono potenzialmente entrare nel mercato e in generale nell\u2019ambiente italiano. In particolare i candidati pi\uf9 prossimi sono le piante geneticamente modificate (PGM) tolleranti agli erbicidi e resistenti agli insetti, ma sono in corso di valutazione anche insetti e pesci transgenici per i quali l\u2019Autorita\u2019 Europea per la Sicurezza Alimentare (EFSA) ha gi\ue0 dato mandato per una revisione scientifica dello stato dell\u2019arte e per lo studio della valutazione del rischio (EFSA, 2008 e 2009). Accanto ai benefici dello sviluppo di questi organismi \ue8 importante ricordare alcuni rischi ambientali collegati proprio al loro sviluppo: trasmissione del gene modificato ad altre piante attraverso l\u2019impollinazione, perdita di biodiversit\ue0, selezione di insetti resistenti; queste sono solo alcune delle problematiche legate al rilascio deliberato di un OGM. L'articolo 15 del Protocollo di Cartagena richiede che la valutazione del rischio sia conforme a criteri di scientificit\ue0 e trasparenza e che il processo di valutazione adotti un approccio multidisciplinare, inoltre cita ed inserisce il Principio di Precauzione (art. 10.6): "La mancanza di certezza scientifica dovuta ad insufficienti informazioni e conoscenze scientifiche pertinenti riguardanti l'entit\ue0 dei possibili effetti negativi di un organismo vivente modificato sulla conservazione e l'utilizzazione durevole della diversit\ue0 biologica nella Parte importatrice......\u201d. Data la delicatezza della valutazione, ogni OGM dovrebbe essere valutato caso per caso, sebbene all\u2019interno di metodiche ben stabilite e validate. Tra i punti pi\uf9 critici, gli Organismi Non Bersaglio (NTO), gli effetti a lungo termine, le prove sul campo per il rilievo, il PFo (Problem Formulation), gli effetti inattesi e/o ritardati. Gli aspetti da valutare nell\u2019ERA (Environmental Risk Assessment) sul comparto zoologico sono molteplici. In figura 1 vengono esemplificate solo alcune delle possibili interazioni fra la PGM e gli artropodi. Si tenga presente inoltre che nel moderno concetto di agroecositema gli effetti delle pratiche agricole non si esauriscono al campo, ma va nno tenute in considerazione sia le aree marginali che il paesaggio agrario nel suo complesso, e per questo \ue8 ancora pi\uf9 importante quando si considerano le PGM che sono \u201cprodotti\u201d molto recenti (Garcia e Altieri, 2005). Uno degli aspetti messi maggiormente in evidenza nei EFSA (2008) \ue8 quello che un\u2019appropriata ERA necessita di una adeguata conoscenza della \u201cbaseline\u201d indicando con questo termine il valore di base o attuale al quale fare riferimento il quale comprende i diversi livelli di biodiversit\ue0 (specie, popolazione comunit\ue0 etc..) e le diverse funzioni ecologiche (EFSA, 2008). Ne consegue che i risultati dei differenti mon\u131toraggi passati e futuri sono fondamentali per un continuo aggiornamento dell\u2019ERA, soprattutto in vista di una analisi degli effetti a lungo termine e/o di quelli inattesi. La Sicilia e\u2019 una delle regioni mediterranee con la maggior biodiversita\u2019 sia faunistica che floristica la cui conservazione, potr\ue0 dipendere anche da un attento piano di ERA, che potr\ue0 e dovr\ue0 valere anche per la valutazione di altri xenobiotici. Poich\ue9 l\u2019argometo \ue8 vasto e le problematiche sono molteplice,si riportano alcuni esempi relativi al possibile impatto delle PGM ad azione insetticida sull\u2019entomofauna
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), known as the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) and acc... more Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), known as the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) and accidentally introduced in the Mediterranean areas, is considered a quarantine pest for tree palms especially in the urban environment. In order to understand the relationship among potential pathogens and RPW several studies were carried out on RPW immune system. Here we report the results of a preliminary study undertaken to investigate the effect of naturally occurring antimicrobial activities present both in the cell free hemolymph and in hemocytes lysate supernatant of RPW. The hemolymph was extracted from the older larvae sampled from infested palm trees. The protein fractions were extracted from hemolymph and hemocyte lysate supernatant by acidic precipitation. Antimicrobial activity was tested against a group of medical, veterinary and entomo-pathogenic bacterial strains. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by determining minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against planktonic form of the isolates using a standard micro-method. Data from this research could be useful to help for screening selection of entomopathogenic as well to search potential antimicrobial peptides against human or veterinary pathogens from insect sources
Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are rapidly synthesized within stressed cells after exposure to an env... more Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are rapidly synthesized within stressed cells after exposure to an environmental stressor. A variety of environmental stresses, including heat, cold, trace-metal exposure, xenobiotics have been reported to modulate Hsps expression in various organisms. Hsps are grouped into several families based on their protein size. Most organisms have several genes encoding members of this Hsp family. In particularly Hsp70 can be induced quickly under stressful conditions, but return to a normal expression level under non-stressful conditions. Few studies have been done to detect the Hsp70 expression in phytophagous insects towards pathogens. Since a preliminary research disclosed that Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) negatively interacts with R. ferrugineus circulating hemocytes so that their number was dramatically decreased. In the present research we examine the expression of Hsp70 in hemocytes from R. ferrugineus larvae feed with a commercial product based on Bt. Western blot analyses using monoclonal anti-HSP 70 antibody showed that the expression of Hsp 70 was modulated reaching the highest value, seven times highest to the control, after 3h from the treatment. The Hsp70 values had the same value of the control at 6 hours. Monitoring the Hsp70 for 48 hours we notice a further decrement. This result highlights a stress condition, caused by Bt, as showed also by the reduction of the larval weight. So Hsp70 may be a suitable tool to detect rapidly stress condition induced by potential entomopathogens
A wide range of crop plants and trees have been transformed with genes derived from the soil bact... more A wide range of crop plants and trees have been transformed with genes derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to express insecticidal proteins (insect-resistant Bt plants). Whereas the adoption of Bt plants constitutes one of the most common uses of transgenic plants in agriculture, the environmental benefits and risks remain an issue. To preserve the natural reserve and their fauna UE proposed that in future the Member State specify a minimum separation distance of metres between fields of GM plants and nature reserves or to forbid cultivation of GM plant in particular area based on scientific data. Natural reserve in Sicily have many endemism and rare species so next steps also in Italy should consider this before adaptation of GM crops. One first step is to obtain a listing of lepidopteran species that feed on these crops and their wild relatives, and to determine the host range of the larvae. Second to assess Bt toxin susceptibility for these lepidopterans. Only few species of Lepidoptera have been tested for susceptibility; and the literature suggests that generalizations about susceptibility among taxa are difficult due to the variability within families. However a similar approach could be interesting also for Bt as commercial product. We report the data on the susceptibility to Cry IAb and to Bt as spray for some not target lepidopteran species
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Papers by Barbara Manachini