Morphological and physiological response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to natural and synthetic cytokinin sources: a comparative study

Among the natural plant growth stimulants, moringa has attained enormous attention due to its leaf composition being enriched with cytokinin, antioxidants and minerals. Exogenous application of moringa leaf extract (MLE) improves productivity in many crops. This study investigated the potential of MLE with different dilutions, i.e., MLE0, MLE10, MLE20 and MLE30 (0, 10, 20 and 30 times diluted in water, respectively) to improve the performance of tomato. Foliage-applied water and benzylaminopurine (BAP, 50 mg L^?1) were taken as controls. Among treatments, foliar-applied MLE30 produced maximum vegetative and flowering branches, number of flowers and heaviest fruits per plant of tomato in comparison with synthetic BAP and other treatments. A similar increase in vegetative and flowering branches was recorded for root-applied MLE20 including BAP. Foliage-applied MLE30 also increased chlorophyll (a) pigments and leaf total soluble proteins than other stimulants used. This increase was followed by enhanced antioxidant activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), total phenolics in leaves and fruit lycopene contents of tomato. In general, foliar application of MLE30 was more effective as natural biostimulant to improve growth, productivity and fruit quality of tomato as compared to synthetic BAP and its root application.     

Effect of photoperiod on growth and gonadal development of juvenile Topmouth Gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva

In this study, we investigated the effect of photoperiod on growth and gonadal development of juvenile topmouth gudgeon, Pseudorasbora parva. Seven different photoperiods (light:dark, L:D) were tested: 0L:24D, 4L:20D, 8L:16D, 12L:12D, 16L:8D, 20L:4D and 24L:0D, from November to January. Throughout the study, light intensity was kept at 400 lx on the water surface, and the fish were fed a commercial diet twice a day. Weight gain, feed intake, specific growth rate, and feed conversion efficiency were significantly higher under the constant–long day photoperiods (24L:0D, 20L:4D and 16L:8D) than those under the short–no day photoperiods (12L:12D, 8L:16D, 4L:20D, 0L:24D) (p?<?0.05). The highest mean female gonadosomatic index (GSI) and mean oocyte size were observed under 24L:0D followed by 20L:4D and 16L:8D photoperiods, and these parameters were significantly higher than those of fish cultured under the short–no day photoperiod regimes (p?<?0.05). Proportion of females with GSI?>?9 % were 50.00 %, 46.67 %, 48.48 %, in 24L:0D, 20L:4D and 16L:8D, respectively. These results demonstrate that the growth of juvenile P. parva can be stimulated significantly by constant–long photoperiods and that these photoperiods can advance sexual maturity of females by approximately 2 months.     

Medium-chain fatty acids undergo elongation before beta-oxidation in fibroblasts

Although mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation (FAO) is considered to be well understood, further elucidation of the pathway continues through evaluation of patients with FAO defects. The FAO pathway can be examined by measuring the 3-hydroxy-fatty acid (3-OHFA) intermediates. We present a unique finding in the study of this pathway: the addition of medium-chain fatty acids to the culture media of fibroblasts results in generation of 3-OHFAs which are two carbons longer than the precursor substrate. Cultured skin fibroblasts from normal and LCHAD-deficient individuals were grown in media supplemented with various chain-length fatty acids. The cell-free medium was analyzed for 3-OHFAs by stable-isotope dilution gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry. Our finding suggests that a novel carbon chain-length elongation process precedes the oxidation of medium-chain fatty acids. This previously undescribed metabolic step may have important implications for the metabolism of medium-chain triglycerides, components in the dietary treatment of a number of disorders.     

Exogenously applied 5-aminolevulinic acid modulates growth,secondary metabolism and oxidative defense in sunflower under water deficit stress

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants - The present experiment was set-up to appraise protective role of ALA in sunflower cultivars (FH-1581 and FH-1572) under water scarcity stress....     

Analogues of Azepinomycin: Inhibitors of Guanase

Abstract

Synthesis and guanase inhibitory activity of two novel 5:7-fused heterocyles, 15 and 16, containing the imidazo[4,5-e][1,4]diazepine ring system, have been reported.     

A Convenient Method for the Synthesis of (Prop-2-Ynyloxy)Benzene Derivatives via Reaction with Propargyl Bromide,Their Optimization,Scope and Biological Evaluation

A highly convenient method has been developed for the synthesis of (prop-2-ynyloxy) benzene and its derivatives. Differently substituted phenol and aniline derivatives were allowed to react with propargyl bromide in the presence of K₂CO₃ base and acetone as solvent. The compounds were synthesized in good yields (53–85%). Low cost, high yields and easy availability of compounds helped in the synthesis. Electron withdrawing groups favor the formation of stable phenoxide ion thus in turn favors the formation of product while electron donating groups do not favor the reaction. Phenol derivatives gave good yields as compared to that of aniline. As aprotic polar solvents favor S_N2 type reactions so acetone provided best solvation for the reactions. K₂CO₃ was proved to be good for the synthesis. Antibacterial, Antiurease and NO scavenging activity of synthesized compounds were also examined. 4-bromo-2-chloro-1-(prop-2-ynyloxy)benzene 2a was found most active compound against urease enzyme with a percentage inhibition of 82.00±0.09 at 100 µg/mL with IC₅₀ value of 60.2. 2-bromo-4-methyl-1-(prop-2-ynyloxy)benzene 2d was found potent antibacterial against Bacillus subtillus showing excellent inhibitory action with percentage inhibition of 55.67±0.26 at 100 µg/ml wih IC₅₀ value of 79.9. Based on results, it can be concluded that some of the synthesized compounds may have potential antiurease and antibacterial effects against several harmful substances.     

Cloning, identification and accurate normalization expression analysis of PPARα gene by GeNorm in Megalobrama amblycephala

Megalobrama amblycephala suffers from serious liver diseases recently and PPARα gene has been reported to play an important role in the immune system of animal liver. On the basis of these facts, we have cloned and identified full-length cDNA of PPARα and examined its expression patterns at different embryo developmental stages and in different tissues of adult and young fish in order to improve liver disease immunity of M. amblycephala. We also accurately normalized seven reference genes by GeNorm and calculated their gene expression normalization factors. The total length of PPARα cDNA was 2021 bp, comprising of 214-bp 5'-untranslated region; 1404-bp open reading frame (encoding 467-amino acids); and 403-bp 3'-untranslated region. PPARα peptide was predicted to consist of 4 domains, i.e. A/B, C, D, and E/F. PPARα mRNAs were detected in different tissues of adult and young fish including adipose tissue, gill, heart, liver, spleen, kidney, white muscle, intestine, brain and gonad. In adult fish, the expression of PPARα in white muscles was highest followed by liver and it was lowest in gonads. Its expression in male gonads was significantly higher than female gonads. In young fish, the expression of PPARα was highest in brain, followed by intestines and it was lowest in spleen. At different embryo developmental stages, the expression of PPARα was highest at 2 cells stage and it was lowest at gastrula stage, but it increased on first day after hatching. In unfertilized spermatozoa, the expression of PPARα was higher than unfertilized ovum.     

De novo genome sequencing and comparative genomics of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

Date palm is one of the most economically important woody crops cultivated in the Middle East and North Africa and is a good candidate for improving agricultural yields in arid environments. Nonetheless, long generation times (5-8 years) and dioecy (separate male and female trees) have complicated its cultivation and genetic analysis. To address these issues, we assembled a draft genome for a Khalas variety female date palm, the first publicly available resource of its type for a member of the order Arecales. The ～380 Mb sequence, spanning mainly gene-rich regions, includes >25,000 gene models and is predicted to cover ～90% of genes and ～60% of the genome. Sequencing of eight other cultivars, including females of the Deglet Noor and Medjool varieties and their backcrossed males, identified >3.5 million polymorphic sites, including >10,000 genic copy number variations. A small subset of these polymorphisms can distinguish multiple varieties. We identified a region of the genome linked to gender and found evidence that date palm employs an XY system of gender inheritance.