Application of ozone on induction of resistance in Vigna unguiculata cv. Co 6, against Fusarium wilt

Abstract

The efficacy of ozone in controlling Fusarium oxysporum, the casual agent of wilt disease, was evaluated in Vigna unguiculata (cowpea). Different concentrations of ozone (T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅) were passed to the Vigna unguiculata seedlings among which T₃ treatment reduced Fusarium wilt more effectively than other treatments by enhancing growth promotion along with the activation of the defense-related enzymes than other treatments. T₃ treatment provokes enhanced biomass production along with increased activity of chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase than other treatments relative to control seedlings. Moreover, this is the first report of ozone protecting seedlings against Fusarium wilt of Vigna unguiculata plants.     

Molecular diversity of native Trichoderma isolates against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Sacc.). A casual agent of Fusarium wilt in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Fusarium wilt in tomato caused by Fusarium oxysporum is the one of the problematic diseases. In this study, 12 native Trichoderma isolates were isolated from different land use types in Rayalaseema region of Andhrapradesh, India and were tested for antagonistic activity against F. oxysporum using dual culture method; the maximum inhibition occurred in WT₂ (78.4%) compared to the control. Molecular characterisation using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique reported 91.8% polymorphism among 12 isolates of Trichoderma. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA amplification with genus-specific ITS1 and ITS4 universal primers produced amplicon size from 569 bp in all the isolates. The study resulted in identification of good competitive Trichoderma isolates against F. oxysporum. A relationship was found between the polymorphism showed by the Trichoderma isolates and their hardness to F. oxysporum during antagonism. Also, exhibition of sufficient genetic polymorphism aids further exploitation in genomic fingerprinting.     

RVBs Are Required for Assembling a Functional TIP60 Complex

RVB1/RVB2 (RuvBL1/RuvBL2 or pontin/reptin) are enigmatic AAA⁺ ATPase proteins that are present in multiple cellular complexes. Although they have been implicated in many cellular functions, the exact molecular function of RVB proteins in the various complexes is not clear. TIP60 complex (TIP60.com) is a tumor suppressor chromatin-remodeling complex containing RVB proteins. RVBs are required for the lysine acetyltransferase activity of TIP60.com but not for that of the pure recombinant TIP60 polypeptide. Here we describe two molecular functions of RVBs in TIP60.com. First, RVBs negate the repression of catalytic activity of TIP60 by another protein in TIP60.com, p400. RVBs competitively displace the SNF2 domain of p400 from the TIP60 polypeptide. In addition RVBs are also required for heat stability of TIP60.com by a p400-independent pathway. RVB1 and RVB2 are redundant with each other for these functions and do not require their ATPase activities. Thus, RVB proteins act as molecular adaptors that can substitute for one another to facilitate the optimal assembly, heat stability, and function of the TIP60 complex.     

Absence of VEGFR-1/Flt-1 signaling pathway in mice results in insensitivity to discogenic low back pain in an established disc injury mouse model

Although degenerative disc disease (DDD) and related low back pain (LBP) are growing public health problems, the underlying disease mechanisms remain unclear. An increase in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in DDD has been reported. This study aimed to examine the role of VEGF receptors (VEGFRs) in DDD, using a mouse model of DDD. Progressive DDD was induced by anterior stabbing of lumbar intervertebral discs in wild type (WT) and VEGFR-1 tyrosine-kinase deficient mice (vegfr-1^TK−/−). Pain assessments were performed weekly for 12 weeks. Histological and immunohistochemical assessments were made for discs, dorsal root ganglions, and spinal cord. Both vegfr-1^TK−/− and WT mice presented with similar pathological changes in discs with an increased expression of inflammatory cytokines and matrix-degrading enzymes. Despite the similar pathological patterns, vegfr-1^TK−/− mice showed insensitivity to pain compared with WT mice. This insensitivity to discogenic pain was related to lower levels of pain factors in the discs and peripheral sensory neurons and lower spinal glial activation in the vegfr-1^TK−/⁻ mice than in the WT mice. Exogenous stimulation of bovine disc cells with VEGF increased inflammatory and cartilage degrading enzyme. Silencing vegfr-1 by small-interfering-RNA decreased VEGF-induced expression of pain markers, while silencing vegfr-2 decreased VEGF-induced expression of inflammatory and metabolic markers without changing pain markers. This suggests the involvement of VEGFR-1 signaling specifically in pain transmission. Collectively, our results indicate that the VEGF signaling is involved in DDD. Particularly, VEGFR-1 is critical for discogenic LBP transmission independent of the degree of disc pathology.     

Computational analysis of fluorescence induction curves in intact spinach leaves treated at different pH

Effects of change in pH have been investigated on spinach leaf discs by measuring fluorescence induction kinetics using plant efficiency analyzer (PEA). On the basis of computational analysis of the results, we have reported that acidic pH causes a significant inhibition of the donor and the acceptor side of PS II. Energy flux models have been presented using the software Biolyzer HP 3. Effects of pH were investigated on the antenna size heterogeneity of PS II and a relative change in the proportions of α, β, and γ centers was observed.     

Molecular characterization and expression of a gene encoding cytosolic Hsp90 from Pennisetum glaucum and its role in abiotic stress adaptation

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an abundant and highly conserved molecular chaperone that is essential for viability in eukaryotes. They have a crucial role in the folding of a set of proteins involved in the regulation of many essential cellular pathways and also re-folding of stress-denatured polypeptides. However, their exact function is still not clearly elucidated. In this study the full-length cDNA encoding for Hsp90 polypeptide and its corresponding gene was isolated from Pennisetum glaucum (designated PgHsp90). PgHsp90 cDNA encoded for a polypeptide of 698 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 80.3kDa and shared a high sequence homology (97-81%) to other plant cytosolic Hsp90s and shared less sequence homology (40-45%) to organelle and endoplasmic reticulum specific Hsp90 isoforms. A deduced amino acid sequence possessed three structural domains: N-terminus (1-211) ATP binding domain, middle (281-540) client protein interacting domain and C-terminus (541-698) dimerization domain; the N-terminus and middle domain is linked by a charged linker domain (212-280). It possesses the five-conserved amino acid signature sequence motifs characteristic of the Hsp90 family and a C-terminus MEEVD penta-peptide characteristic of the cytosolic Hsp90 isoform. The predicted quaternary architecture generated for PgHsp90 through molecular modeling was globally akin to that of yeast Hsp90. The PgHsp90 gene consists of 3 exons and 2 introns. The position and phasing of these introns were conserved in other plant cytosolic Hsp90 genes. Recombinant PgHsp90 protein was expressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity, which possessed in vitro chaperone activity. E. coli expressing PgHsp90 protein showed enhanced tolerance to heat, salt and dehydration stresses. The quantitative up-regulation of PgHsp90 gene expression positively correlates in response to different stresses to meet the additional demand for protein folding support. Cumulatively, the in vivo and in vitro experiments indicated that PgHsp90 plays an adaptive or protective role to counter the stress induced protein damage.     

Isolation and functional characterization of three abiotic stress-inducible (Apx,Dhn and Hsc70) promoters from pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.)

Molecular Biology Reports - Pearl millet is a C4 cereal crop that grows in arid and semi-arid climatic conditions with the remarkable abiotic stress tolerance. It contributed to the understanding...