Pathogens

North Carolina is a leading fresh-market strawberry producer in the southeastern United States, with increasing cultivation driven by consumer demand. In recent years, Neopestalotiopsis-associated diseases have emerged as a major threat to strawberry production, yet limited information is available on their distribution, species diversity, and pathogenic variation in the region. This study investigated the occurrence and characterization of Neopestalotiopsis species associated with strawberry crown rot samples submitted to the North Carolina State University Plant Disease and Insect Clinic during 2023–2024. Crowns of diseased plants collected from 27 counties, representing 17 cultivars, were cultured. Neopestalotiopsis was the predominant genus (n = 114), represented by N. hispanica (n = 67), species from the N. rosae complex (n = 44), N. clavispora (n = 1), N. scalabiensis (n = 1), and N. longiappendiculata (n = 1). Greenhouse pathogenicity assays confirmed that the tested Neopestalotiopsis isolates were able to cause disease on the strawberry cultivar ‘Fresca’. These findings provide the first comprehensive overview of Neopestalotiopsis species associated with strawberry crown rot in North Carolina and highlight their genetic and pathogenic diversity, contributing to improved understanding and management of this emerging disease.

The relationship between the oral microbiome and autoimmune diseases (ADs) has attracted considerable research interest. This study employed two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate causal relationships between oral microbiota and six ADs, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), type 1 diabetes (T1D), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and Sjögren’s syndrome (SS). Using genome-wide association study data from oral microbiome features and ADs, we applied inverse-variance weighted estimation complemented by sensitivity analyses and reverse MR to assess robustness and reverse causation. Analysis of 309 tongue dorsum and 285 salivary microbial features identified four tongue dorsum and five salivary taxa with genome-wide significant causal effects. Specific microbial taxa from both oral niches demonstrated protective or risk-enhancing effects for RA, T1D, IBD, and MS, while no causal associations were found for SLE or SS. These findings establish the causal role of specific oral microbiota in autoimmune pathogenesis and highlight priority candidates for further investigation as potential microbial biomarkers.

The transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) plays a critical role in regulating cellular defense against oxidative stress and maintaining redox homeostasis. In the context of viral infections, Nrf2 signaling emerges as a double-edged sword. On one hand, it activates a broad spectrum of antioxidant and cytoprotective genes, contributing to host defense and antiviral immunity. On the other hand, certain viruses exploit the Nrf2 pathway to create a favorable environment for replication, persistence, or immune evasion. This review summarizes the current understanding of Nrf2’s antiviral and proviral roles in both RNA and DNA virus infections, delineates the underlying mechanisms, and discusses the therapeutic implications of targeting Nrf2. We emphasize the need for context-dependent modulation of Nrf2 activity and highlight future directions in precision antiviral strategies.