Profilin protein is present ubiquitously in all forms of life and is allied with allergic responses among atopic individuals. In addition to this, profilins from various food sources are also ...associated with IgE cross-reactivity and are thus classified as pan-allergens. The present study unravels the physicochemical basis of differential amino acid usage patterns observed in the profilin gene family. Correspondence analysis based on amino acid usage of allergen and non-allergen profilins revealed discrete clusters among them, signifying differential patterns of amino acid usage. The amino acids, namely methionine, proline, histidine, glutamine, glutamic acid, tryptophan and glycine were found to be more frequently utilised by the allergen profilins compared to the non-allergens. Correlation analysis revealed that physicochemical features like protein disorder, trypsin digestion and solubility differed significantly among the allergen and non-allergen profilins, thus supporting the observations from correspondence analysis. In addition, comprehensive sequence analysis revealed that the allergen profilins possess conserved motifs which may correlate with their distinct physicochemical features. An in-depth structural analysis revealed that the over-represented amino acids in allergen profilins have a propensity of being exposed on the surface, which may be attributed to their distinct allergenic characteristics. The distinguished physicochemical features observed among allergens and non-allergens can be employed as descriptors to develop machine learning-based allergenicity prediction models.
The coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, appears as a major pandemic having adverse impact on public health and economic ...activities. Since viral replication in human enterocytes results in its faecal shedding, wastewater surveillance is an ideal, non-invasive, cost-effective and an early warning epidemiological approach to detect the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we review techniques for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in municipal wastewater, and disinfectants used to control viral spread. For detection, concentration of ribonucleic acid involves ultrafiltration, ultracentrifugation and polyethylene glycol precipitation. Identification is done by reverse transcriptase amplification, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, helicase dependent amplification, loop-mediated isothermal amplification, recombinase polymerase amplification, high throughput screening and biosensor assays. Disinfectants include ultraviolet radiations, ozone, chlorine dioxide, hypochlorites and hydrogen peroxide. Wastewater surveillance data indicates viral presence within longer detection window, and provides transmission dynamics earlier than classical methods. This is particularly relevant for pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases.
Pesticides are chemical substances intended for preventing or controlling pests. These are toxic substances which contaminate soil, water bodies and vegetative crops. Excessive use of pesticides may ...cause destruction of biodiversity. In plants, pesticides lead to oxidative stress, inhibition of physiological and biochemical pathways, induce toxicity, impede photosynthesis and negatively affect yield of crops. Increased production of reactive oxygen species like superoxide radicals, O
−
2
hydrogen peroxide, H
2
O
2
; singlet oxygen, O
2
; hydroxyl radical, OH
−
; and hydroperoxyl radical HO
2−
, causes damage to protein, lipid, carbohydrate and DNA within plants. Plant growth regulators (PGR) are recognized for promoting growth and development under optimal as well as stress conditions. PGR combat adverse effect by acting as chemical messenger and under complex regulation, enable plants to survive under stress conditions. PGR mediate various physiological and biochemical responses, thereby reducing pesticide-induced toxicity. Exogenous applications of PGRs, such as brassinosteroid, cytokinins, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, etc., mitigate pesticide toxicity by stimulating antioxidant defense system and render tolerance towards stress conditions. They provide resistance against pesticides by controlling production of reactive oxygen species, nutrient homeostasis, increase secondary metabolite production, and trigger antioxidant mechanisms. These phytohormones protect plants against oxidative damage by activating mitogen-stimulated protein kinase cascade. Current study is based on reported research work that has shown the effect of PGR in promoting plant growth subjected to pesticide stress. The present review covers the aspects of pesticidal response of plants and evaluates the contribution of PGRs in mitigating pesticide-induced stress and increasing the tolerance of plants. Further, the study suggests the use of PGRs as a tool in mitigating effects of pesticidal stress together with improved growth and development.
Salinity is a major constraint of agricultural productivity globally and is recognized to be severely elevated by alterations in the climatic conditions. High salinity levels cause osmotic pressure ...and ionic imbalance and adversely affects plant’s morphological, physiological and biochemical aspects, which subsequently hampers plant growth or death of the plant. Furthermore, as alterations in soil properties lead to an acceleration in salinity levels, our concern of how plants cope with salinity stress is becoming progressively meaningful. In this context, various signaling moieties and cross-talk between several sensors and signal transduction pathways, are required to increase plant tolerance against salinity stress. To protect from salinity, plants secrete different signaling moieties that trigger several stress-adaptation responses and cause either plant acclimation or programmed cell death. Among these signaling molecules, nitric oxide (NO) is a multifaceted, small gaseous reactive moiety that regulates numerous plant developmental progressions and provides endurance to different abiotic factors, including salinity stress. NO is known to be significant for plants exposed to salinity stress. It improves plant potential to cope with salinity by boosting plant growth, photosynthetic activity, stomatal conductance, accumulation of compatible solutes, maintains ion homeostasis, and reverse oxidative damage by stimulating anti-oxidant defense apparatus. It also alters the expression of defense-associated genes, thereby influence the phenotypic response of plant genotypes. Thus, it was concluded that NO is a crucial signaling molecule which remarkably mitigate salinity-induced adverse effects in plants by regulating various developmental aspects in plants. The aim of the present review is to provide an overall update on the NO mediated salinity stress tolerance in plants including NO metabolism, signal transduction via inducing various genes and post-translational modifications (PTMs), plant growth, photosynthetic activity, mineral nutrition, anti-oxidant defense system, gene expression and its cross-talk with phytohormones and with hydrogen sulfide.
Thiamethoxam, a broad spectrum, neonicotinoid insecticide, is used on various crops including Brassica juncea L. to protect from intruding insects such as leaf-hoppers, aphids, thrips and ...white-flies. Exposure to thiamethoxam causes acute malady such as tumour development, cell apoptosis, liver damage and neurotoxicity. Melatonin is entailed in umpteen developmental processes of plants, including stress responses. The pleiotropic effects of melatonin in modulating plant growth validate it’s imperative contribution as multi-regulatory substance. Exiguous information is known about the role of Pseudomonas putida in improving plant growth under thiamethoxam stress. Taking these aspects into consideration the contemporary study investigates the role of melatonin and Pseudomonas putida strain MTCC 3315 in alleviating the thiamethoxam induced toxicity in B. juncea plant. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis uncloaked that thiamethoxam induced stress primarily affects the protein content of plant as compared to lipids, carbohydrates and cell wall components. Organic acid profiling of the treated samples carried-out by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), reported an upregulation in the level of organic acids, malic acid (110%), citric acid (170%), succinic acid (81%), fumaric acid (40%) and ascorbic acid (55%) in thiamethoxam treated plants compared to the investigational untreated plants. The melatonin treated seedlings grown under thiamethoxam stress, exhibit increased level of malic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid and ascorbic acid by 81%, 0.94%, 11%, 21% and 6% respectively. Further, thiamethoxam stressed plants inoculated with Pseudomonas putida showed stupendous up-regulation by 161% (malic acid), by 14% (citric acid), by 33% (succinic acid), by 30% (fumaric acid), by 100% (oxalic acid) respectively. Lastly, the combinatorial application of melatonin and Pseudomonas putida resulted in prodigious upsurge of malic acid by 165%, succinic acid by 69%, fumaric acid by 42% respectively in contrast to distinct melatonin and Pseudomonas putida treatments. The accumulation of organic acids ascertains the defence against thiamethoxam stress and corresponds to meet the energy generation requirement to skirmish thiamethoxam mediated abiotic stress in Brassica juncea plant.
Phytoremediation is a technique for reducing or stabilizing hazardous chemicals in polluted soil or ground water. There is a loss of agricultural products and a degradation in food quality as a ...result of abiotic stresses, such as those generated by heavy metals and pesticides that have an effect on plants. These toxic compounds are extensively employed in agriculture, and they have a significant influence on both human health and agricultural output. The accumulation of these toxic, persistent, and poorly biodegradable compounds causes soil and ecological disparities. PGRs, or plant growth regulators, are an appealing possibility for increasing the efficacy of phytoremediation. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), a ubiquitous root microbiome, is widely used as a biocontrol agent. They have the ability to improve plant growth by colonizing plant roots, which can benefit the plant. Several PGPRs, including
P. aeruginosa
,
B.gladioli
, and
P.pseudoalcali,
have been shown to be resistant to biotic and abiotic stressors. Because of their ability to digest xenobiotic chemicals, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a promising candidate for use in the phytoremediation process. Microorganisms inhabiting the rhizosphere participate in plant resistance mechanisms by secreting and generating a variety of important compounds such as siderophores, phytohormones, and metal-binding proteins. Rhizobacteria play an important role in phytoremediation of pesticide- and heavy metal-polluted soil by decomposing toxicants and promoting plant development via mechanisms such as chelation, acidification, and phosphate solubilization. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) increase plant biomass while reducing the negative impacts of contaminants and boosting growth in harsh settings. The use of certain PGRs as exogenous treatments have also been investigated as a potential way to improving crop stress tolerance; however the efficiency varies depending on the specific stress and plant type. Several plant growth regulators, such as brassinosteroids, melatonin, strigolactones, and others, have been proven to be useful in overcoming abiotic stress. The current review focuses on the utilization of PGRs and PGPRs in phytoremediation of heavy metal and pesticide-polluted soils.
Insecticides are extensively exploited by humans to destroy the pests one such compound thiamethoxam is widely used over crops to offer control over wide-array of sucking insect pests. The present ...study unravels the detoxification potential of Pseudomonas putida in thiamethoxam exposed B. juncea seedlings. The thiamethoxam application curtailed the fresh weight, dry weight and seedling length by 106.22%, 80.29% and 116.78% while P. putida revived these growth parameters in thiamethoxam exposed B. juncea seedlings by 59.65%, 72.99% and 164.56% respectively. The exogenous supplementation of P. putida resuscitated the photosynthetic efficiency of B. juncea seedlings exposed to thiamethoxam as total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoid, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents were enhanced by 169.42%, 62.90%, 72.89%, 78.53%, 47.36% and 515.15% respectively in contrast to TMX exposed seedlings. Further, P. putida pre-treatment reinvigorated the osmoprotectant content in B. juncea seedlings grown in thiamethoxam as trehalose, glycine betaine and proline contents were thrusted by 21.20%, 58.98% and 34.26% respectively. The thiamethoxam exposure exorbitated the superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide and MDA levels by 223.03%, 130.18% and 74.63% while P. putida supplementation slackened these oxidative burst levels by 41.75%, 3.79% and 29.09% respectively in thiamethoxam treated seedlings. Notably, P. putida inoculation in thiamethoxam exposed seedlings upregulated the enzymatic antioxidant and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities as SOD, CAT and glutathione were enhanced by 163.76%, 99.29% and 114.91% respectively in contrast to thiamethoxam treated seedlings. The gene expression analysis exhibited the negative impact of thiamethoxam on B. juncea seedlings as conferred by upregulation of chlorophyllase by 443.86 folds whereas P. putida application in thiamethoxam exposed seedlings downregulated the chlorophyllase expression by 248.73 folds and upregulated CXE, GST, NADH and POD genes by 0.44, 4.07, 1.43 and 0.98 folds respectively suggesting the molecular-level thiamethoxam detoxification efficiency of P. putida.
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•Thiamethoxam treatment affected the growth of Brassica juncea seedling by reducing fresh weight, dry weight, and seedling length.•Thiamethoxam exposure impaired photosynthesis, induced oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in Brassica juncea seedlings.•Pseudomonas putida application improved photosynthetic efficiency, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant levels of thiamethoxam stressed Brassica juncea seedlings.•Application of Pseudomonas putida in thiamethoxam stressed Brassica juncea seedlings upregulated the expression of genes involved in enzyme mediated pesticide detoxification.
Melatonin (
N
-acetyl-5-methoxy-tryptamine), derivative of tryptophan, manifested as a conserved domain, which is ubiquitously apportioned from bacteria to higher organisms extending to fungi and ...algae as well. Melatonin is entailed in umpteen developmental processes of plants, including stress responses. The pleiotropic impact of melatonin in regulating transcripts of manifold genes validate its imperative contribution as multi-regulatory substance. Albeit, the progressive research regarding plants is yet prelusive in contrast to orthodox melatonin physiology in animals. This reinforces the exigency for comprehensive reassessment pertaining to its potential in biochemical and physiological processes, anti-stress response against abiotic stimulators (temperatures, salinity, drought, toxins, etc.), detoxification mechanism, and its other salubrious effect. Stressors are known to create RNS and ROS, which induces oxidative damage in plants. Cellular deterioration and mortality are a result of negligence toward oxidative damage. Tremendous quantum leap has been made in comprehending, how melatonin safeguards plants against abiotic stress. Here, focus will be on mechanistic basis of melatonin-mediated protection to abate abiotic stress. Abiotic stress induces melatonin synthesis and this redeeming upsurge in melatonin succors plant to thrive under stress conditions. Melatonin is considered an excellent antioxidant because it effectively scavenges a wide range of RNS and ROS. Melatonin maintains ROS levels in peculiar ways: (a) chemical interaction between melatonin and ROS, causing their inactivation and (b) melatonin-induced activation of SOD, POD, APX, CAT, and GPX leads to ROS detoxification. The contemporary study gives a comprehensive review on abiotic stress response of melatonin, particularly, its mitigating impact when applied exogenously in plants under environmental stress conditions. The commentary will allow the researchers to comprehend the prevailing plant stress conditions and further contemplate the tendency of phytomelatonin in crop research.
The ‘String of Pearls’ strategy attributed to China for growing its relations with the states situated around the Indian Ocean (IO) in order to neutralise Indian influence. Furthermore, protecting ...economic and strategic interests are also the key factors that China is maintaining its presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). After the completion of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it is predicted that Gwadar Port will be the most precious pearl of the string. With the increased Chinese influence, the United States (US) will not fall behind and will have to revise strategy to maintain its supremacy in the IO and keep Chinese influence under check. However, Chinese presence will enhance economic prospects in the IO but may also pose some challenges for regional peace and security. In this paper, an analytical study would be undertaken on such questions.
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