INPPO Actions and Recognition as a Driving Force for Progress in Plant Proteomics: Change of Guard,INPPO Update,and Upcoming Activities

The International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO) is a non‐profit organization whose members are scientists involved or interested in plant proteomics. Since the publication of the first INPPO highlights in 2012, continued progress on many of the organization's mandates/goals has been achieved. Two major events are emphasized in this second INPPO highlights. First, the change of guard at the top, passing of the baton from Dominique Job, INPPO founding President to Ganesh Kumar Agrawal as the incoming President. Ganesh K. Agrawal, along with Dominique Job and Randeep Rakwal initiated the INPPO. Second, the most recent INPPO achievements and future targets, mainly the organization of first the INPPO World Congress in 2014, tentatively planned for Hamburg (Germany), are mentioned.     

Plant proteomics in India and Nepal: current status and challenges ahead

Plant proteomics has made tremendous contributions in understanding the complex processes of plant biology. Here, its current status in India and Nepal is discussed. Gel-based proteomics is predominantly utilized on crops and non-crops to analyze majorly abiotic (49 %) and biotic (18 %) stress, development (11 %) and post-translational modifications (7 %). Rice is the most explored system (36 %) with major focus on abiotic mainly dehydration (36 %) stress. In spite of expensive proteomics setup and scarcity of trained workforce, output in form of publications is encouraging. To boost plant proteomics in India and Nepal, researchers have discussed ground level issues among themselves and with the International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO) to act in priority on concerns like food security. Active collaboration may help in translating this knowledge to fruitful applications.     

Expression analysis on mycoparasitism related genes during antagonism of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichoderma</Emphasis> with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum falcatum</Emphasis> causing red rot in sugarcane

Present study was aimed to select a suitable Trichoderma isolate as candidate antagonist based on its efficacy in producing cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs), its mycoparasitism activity and expression of related genes against the red rot pathogen caused by Colletotrichum falcatum in sugarcane. For which, six different isolates of Trichoderma selected from our earlier studies (T. harzianum, T. asperullum) were evaluated based on their capability in releasing cell wall degrading enzymes individually and during antagonism with C. falcatum in dual plate. Amongst T. harzianum (T20) exhibited the greatest mycoparasitic potential against the C. falcatum, by producing higher concentration of  CWDEs viz., chitinase and β-1, 3-glucanase, slightly lower amounts of cellulase and protease with significant reduction in polygalacturonase produced by pathogen. Further microscopic observation on interaction of C. falcatum with the selected isolate of T. harzianum (T20) exhibited the mycoparasitic activity of antagonist over pathogen in dual culture and inhibition of C. falcatum pathogenesis in detached sugarcane leaves. In addition, expression pattern of eight genes coding various enzymes involved in mycoparasitism by T. harzianum over C. falcatum were analyzed using qRT-PCR in vitro and on sugarcane leaves. In in vitro interactions, five genes of  cell wall degrading enzymes viz., chitinase (chit33), endochitinase (endo42), β-1, 3-glucanase (glu), exochitinase 1 (exc1), exochitinase 2 (exc2), were upregulated during and after contact as compared to before contact, while three genes related with proteases such as alkaline proteinase (prb1), trypsin-like protease (Pra1), subtilin-like serine protease (ssp), genes were upregulated during the contact with C. falcatum and slightly down regulated after contact. In detached leaves, seven genes were potentially upregulated except subtilin-like serine protease, which was down regulated during interaction of C. falcatum and T. harzianum as compared to T. harzianum inoculation alone. All these biochemical and molecular results confirm the efficacy of T. harzianum (T20) against C. falcatum and justify the right selection of candidate antagonist for our further studies on identification of antifungal genes/proteins against C. falcatum in sugarcane.     

Review on Challenges and Recent Advances in the Electrochemical Performance of High Capacity Li‐ and Mn‐Rich Cathode Materials for Li‐Ion Batteries

Li and Mn‐rich layered oxides, xLi₂MnO₃·(1–x)LiMO₂ (M=Ni, Mn, Co), are promising cathode materials for Li‐ion batteries because of their high specific capacity that can exceed 250 mA h g^?1. However, these materials suffer from high 1^st cycle irreversible capacity, gradual capacity fading, low rate capability, a substantial charge‐discharge voltage hysteresis, and a large average discharge voltage decay during cycling. The latter detrimental phenomenon is ascribed to irreversible structural transformations upon cycling of these cathodes related to potentials ≥4.5 V required for their charging. Transition metal inactivation along with impedance increase and partial layered‐to‐spinel transformation during cycling are possible reasons for the detrimental voltage fade. Doping of Li, Mn‐rich materials by Na, Mg, Al, Fe, Co, Ru, etc. is useful for stabilizing capacity and mitigating the discharge‐voltage decay of xLi₂MnO₃·(1–x)LiMO₂ electrodes. Surface modifications by thin coatings of Al₂O₃, V₂O₅, AlF₃, AlPO₄, etc. or by gas treatment (for instance, by NH₃) can also enhance voltage and capacity stability during cycling. This paper describes the recent literature results and ongoing efforts from our groups to improve the performance of Li, Mn‐rich materials. Focus is also on preparation of cobalt‐free cathodes, which are integrated layered‐spinel materials with high reversible capacity and stable performance.     

Novel function of transcription factor Nrf2 as an inhibitor of RON tyrosine kinase receptor-mediated cancer cell invasion

Recepteur d' origine nantais (RON), a tyrosine kinase receptor, is aberrantly expressed in human tumors and promotes cancer cell invasion. RON receptor activation is also associated with resistance to tamoxifen treatment in breast cancer cells. Nrf2 is a positive regulator of cytoprotective genes. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and site-directed mutagenesis studies of the RON promoter, we identified Nrf2 as a negative regulator of RON gene expression. High Nrf2 and low RON expression was observed in normal mammary tissue whereas high RON and low or undetectable expression of Nrf2 was observed in breast tumors. The Nrf2 inducer sulforaphane (SFN) as well as ectopic Nrf2 expression or knock-down of the Nrf2 negative regulator keap1, which stabilizes Nrf2, inhibited RON expression and invasion of carcinoma cells. Consequently, our studies identified a novel functional role for Nrf2 as a "repressor" and RON kinase as a molecular target of SFN, which mediates the anti-tumor effects of SFN. These results are not limited to breast cancer cells since the Nrf2 inducer SFN stabilized Nrf2 and inhibited RON expression in carcinoma cells from various tumor types.     

Hypoglycemic activity of Cajanus cajan (seeds) in mice.

The effect of roasted and unroasted seeds of C. cajan on serum glucose levels of normal and alloxan diabetic mice were studied. Single doses of unroasted seeds (60% and 80%) on administration to normal as well as alloxanized mice showed significant reduction in the serum glucose levels after 1-2 hr and a significant rise at 3 hr. In case of roasted seeds, on other hand there was a significant increase in serum glucose levels during 3 hr experimental period. It is therefore concluded that roasting of seeds at high temperature for an half hour period resulted in the total loss of hypoglycemic principle but not the hyperglycemic principle present in the seeds.     

Heat shock and iron limitation modulate the metabolic profile of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa NIES-88

The freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa NIES-88, which can produce microcystins, micropeptins, and argicyclamides, was subjected to a one strain many compounds (OSMAC) analysis. We report its response to two environmental stressors, temperature and iron limitation, by means of untargeted and targeted metabolomics. The results demonstrated a slower specific growth rate of 0.20 per day and 0.16 per day in adverse conditions of 37°C and iron limitation, respectively. The metabolic signature of M. aeruginosa was highly dependent on incubation temperatures. Production of microcystins LR and RR was severely downregulated while that of argicyclamide B was significantly upregulated, with a highest 10-fold increase on day 14 of heat shock treatment. M. aeruginosa NIES-88 was found to produce a new compound, argicyclamide D (1), in iron limited medium, which has the same macrocyclic structure as the previously reported analogs. Hence, it is proposed that acclimation of M. aeruginosa to environmental stressors might be mediated by a change in the metabolic pathways as well as modulation of the levels of their expressed metabolites.