Optimizing in vitro surface sterilization of Cyathea latebrosa spore

Cyathea latebrosa is one of the lowland tree fern species found in Peninsular Malaysia. This fern species is highly demanded in ornamental landscaping. The in vitro cultures are an important tool for propagation which may contribute toward the reduction of over-exploitation. To overcome these problems, an effective spore surface disinfection protocol is crucial to allow the germination stage to be carried out. This studied had carried out three types of methods which are the packet method (PM), centrifuged method (CM), and soak method (SM) with difference percent of concentration (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 10 & 30) Mercury Chloride (HgCl2) and Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). In contrast, the method and concentration of disinfection affect germination. Our results showed that the soak method in both types of disinfection is a significant difference due to statistical analysis (MANOVA) which gives a positive effect on the germination of the spore. This method is efficient for sterilizing which spore loss is kept to a minimum and has a higher rate of germination (HgCl2-90% & NaOCl-80%). The optimum concentration of HgCl2 was 0.1%, then followed by 0.5% and 1.0%, while for NaOCl was 30%, 20%, and 10%

Constitutive expression of cyclotide kalata B1 gene in transgenic rice conferring resistance to golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata)

The golden apple snail, also known as Siput Gondang Emas in Malaysia, is a serious pest of paddy fields and native aquatic plants throughout Southeast Asia. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was used to transform a synthetic Oak 1 gene encoding kalata B1 (kB1), which is toxic to golden apple snails, into Malaysian indica rice MR219. The synthetic Oak 1 gene was placed under the control of a strong constitutive Zea mays ubiquitin promoter. Twelve transgenic lines containing the Oak 1 gene were obtained from the regenerated calli selected on hygromycin. Oak 1 gene expression was determined using quantitative reverse transcriptase- PCR (RT-qPCR). The resistance of the transgenic line to snail infestation was evaluated by feeding experiments. One dimensional 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy revealed that the kB1 produced in transgenic rice is in the form of an acyclic peptide. Phenotypic analysis of the transgenic plants revealed that they have fewer leaves and grains than wild-type MR219. In a molluscicidal activity bioassay, feeding juvenile snails with different concentrations of leaf extracts resulted in molluscicidal activity against snails that was comparable to the synthetic molluscicide metaldehyde, thus farmers can overcome the golden apple snail infestation problem by using genetically modified rice containing the kB1-encoding gene. This technology also has the potential to reduce the toxic effects of chemically synthesized molluscicides on the environment and ecosystem

Influence of boron on the growth and biochemical changes in plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) inoculated banana plantlets

The effects of rhizobacteria inoculation in modified MS medium containing boron (1 and 10 lM) on the biochemical components, physiological characteristics and mineral content of the in vitro banana plantlets were carried out. The presence of rhizobacteria in the medium supplemented with boron at two concentrations: 1 and 10 lM resulted in an improvement in growth and root biomass compared to the control (uninoculated). Rhizobacteria inoculation also produced an increase in protein, nitrate, soluble nitrogen and chlorophyll contents of the plantlets cultured in MS modified medium containing boron. An increase in percentage of growth ([295%) was shown when boron was applied into medium inoculated with Bacillus sphaericus UPMB10. The effectiveness of inoculation is increased when associated with boron, nitrogen or carbon into the medium. Thus, these bacterial strains could be used as a bioenhancer for growth of in vitro banana plantlets

Efficient callus induction and plant regeneration of Malaysian indica rice MR219 using anther culture

Rice plant regeneration via anther culture possess several difficulties, these included early anther necrosis and high albinism frequency. In the present study, several biotic and abiotic factors were studied to develop an efficient protocol for the regeneration of Malaysian indica rice MR 219 variety. Callus initiation of anther cultures was evaluated using different N6 media supplemented with 2,4-D in combination with 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), kinetin (Kin) or 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The present study revealed that incorporation of 1.0 mg/L of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) with 3.0 mg/L of NAA significantly elevated callus induction rate with 8.45%. Callus development was further enhanced with the application of 1.0 mg/L of 2,4-D in combination with 1.0 mg/L of BAP, which resulted in 80.83% of globular callus formation rate. Formation of rooty callus (70.83%) was initiated by 0.5 mg/L of 2,4-D in conjunction with 0.5 mg/L of BAP treatment. The highest somatic embryogenesis rate (25.83%) and regeneration frequency (10.92%) was achieved under 4 °C during 7th day, together with the formation of 2.17 green rice plantlets. Nevertheless, culture browning frequency increased over time and reached the highest (100.00%) at 29th day for both 4 and 8 °C treatments. The highest number of albino plantlets was recorded at 18.17 for in vitro cultures maintained under 8 °C at 14th day. The study herein developed an efficient protocol which enhanced callus development as well as the regeneration of green indica rice plantlets while minimizing albinism

Physiological and Biochemical Changes of Vitro Propagated Bahana Plantlets Inoculated with Rhizobacteria and Agrobacteria

A series of experiments were carried out to observe the effects of rhizobacterial and agrobacterial inoculation, singly or combined on the total content, concentration and distribution of the biochemical components (total soluble protein, soluble nitrogen, proline, peroxidase activity, total soluble phenolic, nitrate reductase activity, nitrate, chlorophyll), physiological characteristics (percentages of growth, number of roots, fresh and dry weight of roots, maximum and total length of roots) and mineral contents (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) of in vitro banana plantlets using MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) basal medium. The effects of rhizobacterial inoculation in modified MS medium containing sodium chloride (0.2%) and boron (1 yM and 10 pM) on the biochemical components, physiological characteristics and mineral content of the in vitro banana plantlets were also studied. Growth of banana plantlets cultured in modified MS liquid medium supplemented with different forms and concentrations of nitrogen or carbon sources and inoculated with Bacillus sphaericus UPMBl 0 was estimated. Results from the inoculation study using MS basal medium indicated that inoculation with rhizobacteria (Azospirillum brasilense Sp7, Bacillus sphaericus UPMBlO and Microbacterium oxydens UPMB11) or agrobacteria ( Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains AR9402 and A4) showed positive response on growth of in vitro banana plantlets compared to uninoculation after one month of culture. The inoculation treatment also increased the number of root, fresh and dry weight of roots and total length of root. At the same time, with inoculation the total content or concentration of the respective biochemical activity as total soluble protein, peroxidase, nitrate reductase, proline, nitrate, soluble nitrogen, phenolic and chlorophyll of the host plants increased and varied according to the type of bacteria used. Inoculation with these bacteria also enhanced the accumulation of N and P in the plantlets. Co-inoculation with rhizobacteria (Azospirillum brasilense Sp7, Bacillus sphaericus UPMB 1 0 and Microbacterium oxydens UPMB 1 1) and agrobacteria (Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains AR9402 and A4) also showed similar response as in single inoculation; UPMBlO+AR9402 treatment was the most effective treatment. The presence of rhizobacteria in the medium supplemented with 0.2% sodium chloride resulted in an improvement in growth and root biomass compared to the control (uninoculated). This rhizobacterial inoculation also produced an increase in protein, nitrate, soluble nitrogen and chlorophyll contents of the plantlets cultured in MS modified medium containing 0.2% sodium chloride. The descending order of effectiveness of the rhizobacteria in medium containing 0.2% sodium chloride was:UPMB 1 1 NPMB 1 O>Sp7. Similar response was shown when Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO was inoculated into medium containing boron at two concentrations: 1 pM and 10 pM. An increase in percentage of growth (> 295%) was shown when boron was applied into medium inoculated with Bacillus sphericus UPMB10. Results fiom the experiment of modified MS medium supplemented with different concentrations and forms of nitrogen also strongly indicated that inoculation with Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO has the potential to improve the in vitro plant growth especially in the absence of nitrogen. Inoculation with Bacillus sphericus UPME310 showed significant increased plant growth in treatment without nitrogen (- nitrogen) at 166% compared to un-inoculated only at 115%. Inoculation with Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO to enhance growth of in vitro plantlets could partly replace the expensive chemical nitrogen requirement for the plants. Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO seem to have the ability to increase growth of plantlets in medium supplemented with asparagine, potassium nitrate and urea. The descending order of effects of rhizobacterial inoculation on growth of plantlets varied according to the following N-sources in the MS modified media: asparagine (392%) > potassium nitrate (376%)> urea 291%. There was a negative response of Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO inoculation in promoting growth of plantlets in media containing KN03 (a range of 0 mM -300 mM) or (NH,+)2S04 (a range of 0 mM- 80mM) at all concentrations used. At 1.5% to 6.0% concentrations of sucrose, inoculated plantlets with Bacillus sphericus UPMBlO showed increased growth within a range of 250% to 304% compared to un-inoculated plantlets. It also indicate that inoculation with Bacillus sphaericus UPMBlO into the media containing carbon successfidly enhanced growth of in vitro plantlets. The descending order of effect of UPMBlO inoculation on plant growth varied according to the following carbon sources in the MS modified media: hctose (421%)> sucrose (356%)> glucose (354%)> maltose (221%)> sorbitol (78%)> rnannitol(51%). Therefore, inoculation with Bacillus sphaericus UPMBlO into the medium containing carbon sources produced positive response on the host plant, an effect which is dependent on the forms and concentrations of the carbon sources. The above finding provided evidence that Azospiriflum brasilense Sp7, BacilIus sphaericus UPMB 10, Microbacterium oxydens UPMBl 1, Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains AR9402 and A4, singly or combined are potentially effective in promoting growth of in vitro banana plantlets. Inoculation of rhizobacteria were showed beneficial to the plantlet in saline conditions through increment of growth and improvement in rooting system The effectiveness of inoculation is increased when associated with boron, nitrogen or carbon into the medium. Thus these bacterial strains could be used as a bioenhancer for growth of in vitro banana plantlets

Keberkesanan pendekatan Narrow Reading terhadap kefahaman membaca teks Islamik

Pelajar pengajian Islam perlu cekap menguasai sumber primer bidang pengajian Islam yang hampir keseluruhannya dalam bahasa Arab. Hal ini boleh direalisasikan melalui pembentukan dasar pengajaran dan pembelajaran pengajian Islam yang betul. Pendekatan Narrow Reading (NR) adalah salah satu teknik pemilihan teks bacaan ekstensif yang bertujuan meningkatkan kecekapan membaca berdasarkan topik atau bidang tertentu. Kajian ini bertujuan menilai keberkesanan teknik NR dalam meningkatkan kefahaman membaca teks Islamik oleh pelajar pengajian Islam. Seramai 47 pelajar fakulti pengajian Islam telah dipilih sebagai sampel. Reka bentuk kajian eksperimental digunakan dengan melaksanakan intervensi kepada sampel kajian. Hasil kajian diperolehi menerusi analisis Paired t-test dan eta squared. Dapatan menunjukkan perbezaan yang signifikan dalam kefahaman teks Islamik setelah intervensi NR diterapkan dan saiz kesan intervensi juga besar. Dapatan diperkukuhkan dengan analisis linguistik teks bacaan yang digunakan. Kajian mendedahkan beberapa implikasi penting dan mencadangkan kajian lanjutan sebagai kesahan keberkesanan teknik NR kepada pelajar pengajian Islam

An Integration of Transcriptomic Data and Modular Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis Uncovers Drought Stress-Related Hub Genes in Transgenic Rice Overexpressing OsAbp57

Auxin receptor plays a significant role in the plant auxin signalling pathway in response to abiotic stress. Recently, we found that transgenic rice overexpressing ABP57 had higher drought tolerance than the wild-type cultivar, MR219, due to the fact of its enhanced leaf photosynthetic rate and yields under drought stress. We performed a microarray study on this line to investigate the underlying mechanisms contributing to the observed phenotype. After microarray data filtering, 3596 genes were subjected to modular gene co-expression network (mGCN) development using CEMiTool, an R package. We identified highly related genes in 12 modules that could act to specific responses towards drought or any of the abiotic stress types. Gene set enrichment and overrepresentation analyses for modules extracted two highly upregulated modules that are involved in drought-related biological processes such as transmembrane transport of metal ions and response to oxidative stress. Finally, 123 hub genes were identified in all modules after integrating co-expression information with physical interaction data. In addition, the interplay of significant pathways between the metabolism of chlorophyll and flavonoid and the signalling pathways of MAPK, IAA, and SA inferred the concurrent involvement of stress tolerance response. Collectively, our findings seek new future directions for breeding strategies in rice tolerant improvements

Usability of QiraahBot for extensive Arabic reading activities

Today’s changing learning landscape urges the integration of mobile phone technology and Arabic learning as a foreign language. Learning through mobile phones is seen as a potential teaching aids which demonstrate effectiveness in teaching and learning activities. A QiraahBot prototype was built to aid the implementation of extensive Arabic reading activities. The user’s perspective on QiraahBot’s usability is essential for the effectiveness of learning through mobile phone applications. This study aims to identify the level of usability of the QiraahBot application prototype and to explore the deeper experience of users using the application. Therefore, a group of 30 student users was involved in the study. They were assigned tasks to be completed within the specified periods via the application, and then given an open-ended questionnaire adapted from the System Usability Scale. The findings show that the QiraahBot usability level is moderate. The study also revealed some of the advantages of QiraahBot as easy to use and the ability to help the learning process. In addition, there are weaknesses in applications, especially aspects of application usability, which needs to be improved in the next version. The researcher has provided some suggestions for further studies that are more comprehensive in the future

Usability of QiraahBot for extensive Arabic reading activities

Today’s changing learning landscape urges the integration of mobile phone technology and Arabic learning as a foreign language. Learning through mobile phones is seen as a potential teaching aids which demonstrate effectiveness in teaching and learning activities. A QiraahBot prototype was built to aid the implementation of extensive Arabic reading activities. The user’s perspective on QiraahBot’s usability is essential for the effectiveness of learning through mobile phone applications. This study aims to identify the level of usability of the QiraahBot application prototype and to explore the deeper experience of users using the application. Therefore, a group of 30 student users was involved in the study. They were assigned tasks to be completed within the specified periods via the application, and then given an open-ended questionnaire adapted from the System Usability Scale. The findings show that the QiraahBot usability level is moderate. The study also revealed some of the advantages of QiraahBot as easy to use and the ability to help the learning process. In addition, there are weaknesses in applications, especially aspects of application usability, which needs to be improved in the next version. The researcher has provided some suggestions for further studies that are more comprehensive in the future