Determination of microRNAs associated with adverse left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry - Increasing evidence indicates that microRNA (miRNA) regulated mechanisms in myocardial healing and ventricular remodeling following acute myocardial infarction...     

Deciphering the diversity of culturable thermotolerant bacteria from Manikaran hot springs

The aim of this study was to analyze and characterize the diversity of culturable thermotolerant bacteria in Manikaran hot springs. A total of 235 isolates were obtained employing different media, and screened for temperature tolerance (40 °C–70 °C). A set of 85 isolates tolerant to 45 °C or above were placed in 42 phylogenetic clusters after amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (16S rRNA-ARDRA). Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene of 42 representative isolates followed by BLAST search revealed that the majority of isolates belonged to Firmicutes, followed by equal representation of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. Screening of representative isolates (42 ARDRA phylotypes) for amylase activity revealed that 26 % of the isolates were positive, while 45 % exhibited protease activity, among which one amylase and six protease producers were tolerant up to 70 °C. BIOLOG-based identification of 13 isolates exhibiting temperature tolerance up to 70 °C, using carbon utilization patterns and sensitivity to chemicals, revealed a high degree of correlation with identification based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing for all isolates, except one (M48). These promising isolates showing a range of useful metabolic attributes demand to be explored further for industrial and agricultural applications.     

Minerals solubilizing and mobilizing microbiomes: A sustainable approach for managing minerals’ deficiency in agricultural soil

Agriculture faces challenges to fulfil the rising food demand due to shortage of arable land and various environmental stressors. Traditional farming technologies help in fulfilling food demand but they are harmful to humans and environmental sustainability. The food production along with agro-environmental sustainability could be achieved by encouraging farmers to use agro-environmental sustainable products such as biofertilizers and biopesticides consisting of live microbes or plant extract instead of chemical-based inputs. The eco-friendly formulations play a significant role in plant growth promotion, crop yield and repairing degraded soil texture and fertility sustainably. Mineral solubilizing microbes that provide vital nutrients like phosphorus, potassium, zinc and selenium are essential for plant growth and development and could be developed as biofertilizers. These microbes could be plant associated (rhizospheric, endophytic and phyllospheric) or inhabit the bulk soil and diverse extreme habitats. Mineral solubilizing microbes from soil, extreme environments, surface and internal parts of the plant belong to diverse phyla such as Ascomycota, Actinobacteria, Basidiomycota, Bacteroidetes, Chlorobi, Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta, Euryarchaeota, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Mucoromycota, Proteobacteria and Tenericutes. Mineral solubilizing microbes (MSMs) directly or indirectly stimulate plant growth and development either by releasing plant growth regulators; solubilizing phosphorus, potassium, zinc, selenium and silicon; biological nitrogen fixation and production of siderophores, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, hydrolytic enzymes and bioactive compound/secondary metabolites. Biofertilizer developed using mineral solubilizing microbes is an eco-friendly solution to the sustainable food production system in many countries worldwide. The present review deals with the biodiversity of mineral solubilizing microbes, and potential roles in crop improvement and soil well-being for agricultural sustainability.     

Diversity and phylogenetic profiling of niche-specific Bacilli from extreme environments of India

The diversity of culturable, aerobic and heterotrophic Bacillus and Bacillus-derived genera (BBDG) was investigated in various extreme environments (including thermal springs, cold deserts, mangroves, salt lakes, arid regions, salt pans and acidic soils) of India. Heat treatment followed by enrichment in different media led to a total of 893 bacterial isolates. Amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) using three restriction enzymes AluI, MspI and HaeIII led to the clustering of these isolates into 12–74 groups for the different sites at 75 % similarity index, adding up to 559 groups. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing led to the identification of 392 bacilli, grouped in two families, Bacillaceae (89.03 %) and Paenibacillaceae (10.97 %), and included 13 different genera with 75 distinct species. It was found that among the thirteen genera, nine (Bacillus, Halobacillus, Lysinibacillus, Oceanobacillus, Pontibacillus, Salinibacillus, Sediminibacillus, Thalassobacillus and Virgibacillus) belonged to Bacillaceae and four (Ammoniphilus, Aneurinibacillus, Brevibacillus and Paenibacillus) belonged to Paenibacillaceae. Novel isolates tolerant to low and high pH and temperature, salt and low moisture were identified. The major outcome of the present investigation was the identification of niche-specific species and also the ubiquitous presence of selected species of BBDG, which illustrate the diversity and pervasive nature of BBDG in extreme environments.     

Transfer of grain softness from 5U-5A wheat-Aegilops triuncialis substitution line to bread wheat through induced homeologous pairing

Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Bread wheat sustains genes for grain softness on “Ha” locus of short arm of 5D chromosome. Pina-D1 and Pinb-D1 alleles of...     

A versatile Solid Phase Method For the Synthesis of Masked 3′-Thiol Group Containing Oligonucleotides

Abstract

A new solid phase method for the introduction of masked thiol group on to the 3′-end of the oligonucleotide is reported. The modified oligonucleotides thus obtained can be better resolved by reverse phase column chromatography.     

新疆玛纳斯河流域土壤螨类群落多样性

为探究玛纳斯河流域不同生境土壤螨类群落多样性及其时空特征,采用野外采样和改进的Tullgren法采集土壤螨类进行分类鉴定及比较分析。结果,共采集土壤螨类33208只,隶属4亚目86科140属。其中Ceratozetes和Oribatula为优势类群。不同垂直带生境土壤螨类个体数量和类群数量之间差异显著(P0.05),个体数依次为ⅥⅪⅧⅨⅠⅩⅦⅣⅤⅡⅢⅫ。垂直分布表明不同土层间的个体数差异极显著(P0.01),土壤螨类主要集中分布于表层土壤。不同生境土壤螨类在不同季节均有显著差异(P0.05),个体数依次为9月4月7月11月。在12种不同生境之间土壤螨类群落多样性指标均有显著差异(P0.05),Shannon-Wiener多样性指数(H)依次为ⅠⅤⅣⅥⅢⅩⅡⅨⅧⅦⅪⅫ,而Margalef(M)丰富度指数依次为ⅠⅥⅢⅩⅪⅧⅤⅣⅦⅡⅨⅫ。不同生境土壤螨类群落间的相似性处于中等不相似。结果表明研究流域不同垂直带生境土壤螨类群落多样性具有明显的生境和季节变化特征。