TWiP 115: The Cuscuta Factor

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin

The TWiPlets solve the sad case of the Boy Who Went Swimming, and explain why the tomato is resistant to the plant parasite Cuscuta.

Links for this episode:

• Detection of plant parasite by a tomato receptor (Science)
• Dodder (Wikipedia)
• Mixed messages (TWiP 77)
• Image credit
• Letters read on TWiP 115

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Case Study for TWiP 115

This week's case is more challenging, but with a better outcome than last time. Thailand: 32 year old Thai man from southern coastal part of country, comes to ID hospital in Bangkok with two months of watery diarrhea. Rapid onset. Looks emaciated, protuberant belly. Ten times per day, has trouble flushing feces in toilet, floats. Eats normal fare, boat noodles, fish, rice, vegetables. Som tam - fish sauce from raw fish. Also with salted crab, not well cooked. No unusual past med history, healthy fisherman, no medication. Married with kids, everyone healthy. No bad habits. Monogamous. HIV negative. Liver, spleen not enlarged. Abdominal xray with contrast: loss of villi. Good appetite. No abdominal pain. Too weak to work. No vomiting.

Send your case diagnosis, questions and comments to twip@microbe.tv