Substrate utilization of stress tolerant methylotrophs isolated from revegetated heavy metal polluted coalmine spoil

We analyzed methylotrophs in Bina natural vegetation (BNV), and revegetated overburden dump of four (ROBD4) and 12 years (ROBD12), at Bina coal mine in Sonbhadra district. The cultured strains identified as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Stenotrophomonas and Cellvibrio (γ-Proteobacteria), Methylophilus, Ralstonia, Burkholderia (α-Proteobacteria) Methylobacterium and Inquilinus (β-Proteobacteria), Bacillus (Firmicutes) and Flexibacter (Sphingobacteria) in their 16s rRNA gene sequence similarity. The strains differed in citrate, lactose, formate, urea and xylose utilization. Methanol utilization by Stenotrophomonas, Inquilinus, Cellvibrio and Flexibacter is for first time. The preferred N- sources were proline, glutamate and nitrate for most of the strains. All strains tolerated (2.5 % NaCl) and SDS (0.2 %); 16 strains survived in crystal violet (0.01 %) and nine strains in sodium azide (0.02 %. Methylotrophic population trend was BNV > ROBD12 > ROBD4. The presence of majority of strain of BNV at ROBD12 and ROBD4 indicated restoration of soil methylotrophic functional diversity in revegetated dumps.     

Overexpression of WsSGTL1 Gene of Withania somnifera Enhances Salt Tolerance,Heat Tolerance and Cold Acclimation Ability in Transgenic Arabidopsis Plants

Background

Sterol glycosyltrnasferases (SGT) are enzymes that glycosylate sterols which play important role in plant adaptation to stress and are medicinally important in plants like Withania somnifera. The present study aims to find the role of WsSGTL1 which is a sterol glycosyltransferase from W. somnifera, in plant’s adaptation to abiotic stress.

Methodology

The WsSGTL1 gene was transformed in Arabidopsis thaliana through Agrobacterium mediated transformation, using the binary vector pBI121, by floral dip method. The phenotypic and physiological parameters like germination, root length, shoot weight, relative electrolyte conductivity, MDA content, SOD levels, relative electrolyte leakage and chlorophyll measurements were compared between transgenic and wild type Arabidopsis plants under different abiotic stresses - salt, heat and cold. Biochemical analysis was done by HPLC-TLC and radiolabelled enzyme assay. The promoter of the WsSGTL1 gene was cloned by using Genome Walker kit (Clontech, USA) and the 3D structures were predicted by using Discovery Studio Ver. 2.5.

Results

The WsSGTL1 transgenic plants were confirmed to be single copy by Southern and homozygous by segregation analysis. As compared to WT, the transgenic plants showed better germination, salt tolerance, heat and cold tolerance. The level of the transgene WsSGTL1 was elevated in heat, cold and salt stress along with other marker genes such as HSP70, HSP90, RD29, SOS3 and LEA4-5. Biochemical analysis showed the formation of sterol glycosides and increase in enzyme activity. When the promoter of WsSGTL1 gene was cloned from W. somnifera and sequenced, it contained stress responsive elements. Bioinformatics analysis of the 3D structure of the WsSGTL1 protein showed functional similarity with sterol glycosyltransferase AtSGT of A. thaliana.

Conclusions

Transformation of WsSGTL1 gene in A. thaliana conferred abiotic stress tolerance. The promoter of the gene in W.somnifera was found to have stress responsive elements. The 3D structure showed functional similarity with sterol glycosyltransferases.     

Study of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering of Single Molecule Adsorbed on the Surface of Metal Nanogeometries: Electrostatic Approach

Plasmonics - In this paper, we have studied the surface enhanced raman scattering (SERS) from a molecule adsorbed on coated and non-coated spherical shape metallic nanoparticles. We have accounted...     

Molecular characterization and diversity analysis of bacterial communities associated with Dialeurolonga malleswaramensis (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) adults using 16S rDNA amplicon pyrosequencing and FISH

Dialeurolonga malleswaramensis Sundararaj (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a phytophagous sap sucking insect. It infests Polyalthia longifolia, an important avenue tree of India, effective in alleviating noise pollution and having immense medicinal importance. Samples of this insect were collected from Polyalthia longifolia. The cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (mtCO1) helped in the molecular characterization of the insect. This study reports the bacterial diversity in D. malleswaramensis adults by high throughput 16S rDNA amplicon pyrosequencing. The major genera identified were Portiera and Arsenophonus. Other bacterial genera detected were uncultured alpha proteobacterium, Sphingopyxis and Methylobacterium. We also employed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in whole mount samples to confirm the presence of dominant endosymbionts Portiera and Arsenophonus to the bacteriocyte of D. malleswaramensis. This study concludes that combining techniques like 16S rDNA amplicon pyrosequencing and FISH reveal both dominant and rare bacteria. The data also predict the evolutionary position of this pest with respect to other whitefly species using a mitochondrial marker.     

Induction of IL-10 and TGFβ from CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T Cells Correlates with Parasite Load in Indian Kala-azar Patients Infected with Leishmania donovani

Background

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is distinguished by a complex interplay of immune response and parasite multiplication inside host cells. However, the direct association between different immunological correlates and parasite numbers remains largely unknown.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We examined the plasma levels of different disease promoting/protective as well as Th17 cytokines and found IL-10, TGFβ and IL-17 to be significantly correlated with parasite load in VL patients (r = 0.52, 0.53 and 0.51 for IL-10, TGFβ and IL-17, respectively). We then extended our investigation to a more antigen-specific response and found leishmanial antigen stimulated levels of both IL-10 and TGFβ to be significantly associated with parasite load (r = 0.71 and 0.72 for IL-10 and TGFβ respectively). In addition to cytokines we also looked for different cellular subtypes that could contribute to cytokine secretion and parasite persistence. Our observations manifested an association between different Treg cell markers and disease progression as absolute numbers of CD4⁺CD25⁺ (r = 0.55), CD4⁺CD25^hi (r = 0.61) as well as percentages of CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ T cells (r = 0.68) all correlated with parasite load. Encouraged by these results, we investigated a link between these immunological components and interestingly found both CD4⁺CD25⁺ and CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ Treg cells to secrete significantly (p<0.05) higher amounts of not only IL-10 but also TGFβ in comparison to corresponding CD25^- T cells.

Conclusions/Significance

Our findings shed some light on source(s) of TGFβ and suggest an association between these disease promoting cytokines and Treg cells with parasite load during active disease. Moreover, the direct evidence of CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ Treg cells as a source of IL-10 and TGFβ during active VL could open new avenues for immunotherapy towards cure of this potentially fatal disease.     

Endophytes of opium poppy differentially modulate host plant productivity and genes for the biosynthetic pathway of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids

Planta - Endophytes reside in different parts of the poppy plant and perform the tissue-specific functions. Most leaf endophytes modulate photosynthetic efficiency, plant growth, and productivity...