Plant Probiotic Bacterial Endophyte,Alcaligenes faecalis,Modulates Plant Growth and Forskolin Biosynthesis in Coleus forskohlii

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - Coleus forskohlii is an herb, well-known for its medicinal compound forskolin present in its roots, with wide range of pharmaceutical applications. Here, we...     

Innate endophytic fungus,Aspergillus terreus as biotic elicitor of withanolide A in root cell suspension cultures of Withania somnifera

Molecular Biology Reports - In the present study, root cell suspension cultures of W. somnifera were elicited with mycelial extract (1% w/v) and culture filtrate (5% v/v) of their native endophytic...     

LtuCAD1 Is a Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase Ortholog Involved in Lignin Biosynthesis in Liriodendron tulipifera L., a Basal Angiosperm Timber Species

Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) is a key enzyme in lignin biosynthesis and catalyzes the final step in the synthesis of monolignols. Seven CAD homologs (LtuCAD1 to LtuCAD7) have been previously identified from a basal angiosperm species Liriodendron tulipifera L., which is an important timber tree species with significant ecological and economic values. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that LtuCAD1 is the only Liriodendron CAD grouped with the bona fide CADs, the primary CAD genes involved in lignification. In this study, the predicted protein sequence of LtuCAD1 was found to have conserved domains and the same key determinant site with the bona fide CADs in other plant species. Additionally, LtuCAD1 had the highest expression level in xylem as revealed by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The expression of beta-glucuronidase (GUS) driven by the LtuCAD1 promoter was largely localized in vascular tissues in Arabidopsis. In stem cross sections, GUS staining was found exclusively in xylem and phloem. When expressed in the Arabidopsis cad4 cad5 double mutant, LtuCAD1 was able to restore the total lignin content and decrease the S/G lignin ratio. Our data indicate that LtuCAD1 is a CAD ortholog involved in lignin biosynthesis in Liriodendron.     

Compatibility of Inherent Fungal Endophytes of Withania somnifera with Trichoderma viride and its Impact on Plant Growth and Withanolide Content

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), also known as Indian ginseng, is an important ancient medicinal plant, used in the Indian traditional systems of medicine. In...