Infuence of chemically synthesized copper nanoparticles and cupric ions on oxalate oxidation system in germinating Sorghum grain

58-63We have earlier reported the effects of chemically synthesized copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) on oxalate oxidase (OxOx) activity, extracted from the shoot tissue of germinating grain sorghum i.e. in vitro. Here, we tried to study this effect in vivo and compare it with those of Cu2+. We describe herein, characterization of CuNPs and their effects on oxalate oxidation system i.e. OxOx activity, total oxalate and H2O2 content in vivo i.e. in shoot tissues/leaves of germinating grain Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare L). To achieve it, grain sorghum seeds were grown up to 10 days in laboratory, irrigated with Hoagland’s solution containing either CuNPs (1.0 ppm) or Cu2+ (1.0 ppm) after 4 days of germination. Control were irrigated with Hoagland solution only. The shoot/leaves of the seedling plants were harvested at 4, 6, 8 and 10 day of germination and analysed quantitatively for OxOx activity, soluble protein, H2O2 and total oxalate. The growth of the Sorghum seedling plants supplemented with CuNPs and Cu2+ was decreased significantly (P 2+. CuNPs decreased the activity of OxOx but Cu2+ had no effect at day 10. Both CuNPs and Cu2+ decreased the specific activity of OxOx and H2O2 content but increased total oxalate content at day 10. The decrease in H2O2 content in both CuNPs and Cu2+ supplemented shoot tissues with concomitant increase in oxalate content confirmed the decreased activity of OxOx in CuNPs and Cu2+ supplemented seedling plants

Antixenosis and antibiosis mechanisms of resistance to pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera in wild relatives of chickpea, Cicer arietinum

The noctuid pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera is one of the most damaging pests of chickpea, Cicer arietinum. The levels of resistance to H. armigera in the cultivated chickpea are low to moderate, but the wild relatives of chickpea have exhibited high levels of resistance to this pest. To develop insect-resistant cultivars with durable resistance, it is important to understand the contribution of different components of resistance, and therefore, we studied antixenosis and antibiosis mechanisms of resistance to H. armigera in a diverse array of wild relatives of chickpea. The genotypes IG 70012, PI 599046, IG 70022, PI 599066, IG 70006, IG 70018 (C. bijugum), ICC 506EB, ICCL 86111 (cultivated chickpea), IG 72933, IG 72953 (C. reticulatum), IG 69979 (C. cuneatum) and IG 599076 (C. chrossanicum) exhibited non preference for oviposition by the females of H. armigera under multi-choice, dual-choice and no-choice cage conditions. Based on detached leaf assay, the genotypes IG 70012, IG 70022, IG 70018, IG 70006, PI 599046, PI 599066 (C. bijugum), IG 69979 (C. cuneatum), PI 568217, PI 599077 (C. judaicum) and ICCW 17148 (C. microphyllum) suffered significantly lower leaf damage, and lower larval weights indicating high levels of antibiosis than on the cultivated chickpea. Glandular and non-glandular trichomes showed negative correlation with oviposition, while the glandular trichomes showed a significant and negative correlation with leaf damage rating. Density of non-glandular trichomes was negatively correlated with larval survival. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprints of leaf surface exudates showed a negative correlation of oxalic acid with oviposition, but positive correlation with malic acid. Both oxalic acid and malic acid showed a significant negative correlation with larval survival. The wild relatives exhibiting low preference for oviposition and high levels of antibiosis can be used as sources of resistance to increase the levels and diversify the basis of resistance to H. armigera in cultivated chickpea

Chickpea

The narrow genetic base of cultivated chickpea warrants systematic collection, documentation and evaluation of chickpea germplasm and particularly wild Cicer species for effective and efficient use in chickpea breeding programmes. Limiting factors to crop production, possible solutions and ways to overcome them, importance of wild relatives and barriers to alien gene introgression and strategies to overcome them and traits for base broadening have been discussed. It has been clearly demonstrated that resistance to major biotic and abiotic stresses can be successfully introgressed from the primary gene pool comprising progenitor species. However, many desirable traits including high degree of resistance to multiple stresses that are present in the species belonging to secondary and tertiary gene pools can also be introgressed by using special techniques to overcome pre- and post-fertilization barriers. Besides resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses, the yield QTLs have also been introgressed from wild Cicer species to cultivated varieties. Status and importance of molecular markers, genome mapping and genomic tools for chickpea improvement are elaborated. Because of major genes for various biotic and abiotic stresses, the transfer of agronomically important traits into elite cultivars has been made easy and practical through marker-assisted selection and marker-assisted backcross. The usefulness of molecular markers such as SSR and SNP for the construction of high-density genetic maps of chickpea and for the identification of genes/QTLs for stress resistance, quality and yield contributing traits has also been discussed

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Prussian blue nanocubes/carbon nanospheres heterostructure composite for biosensing of metformin

Jagriti Narang,1 Nitesh Malhotra,2 Chaitali Singhal,1 Gajendra Singh,3 Chandra Shekhar Pundir4 1Amity Institute of Nanotechnology, 2Amity Institute of Physiotherapy, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 3Department of Pharmacy, University of Health Sciences, 4Department of Biochemistry, M. D. University, Rohtak, Haryana, India Abstract: This paper reports the fabrication of highly sensitive metformin sensor based on Prussian blue (PB) nanocubes/carbon nanosphere (CNS) heterostructures composed of a perfect cube and spherical composite on a fluorine-doped tin oxide surface. Due to the excellent biocompatibility of PB nanocubes the PB/CNS based Mf sensor exhibited a wide linear range of 0.001–10 mM with a response duration of less than 5 s and a detection limit (based on signal to noise ratio) of 0.1 µM. Keywords: metformin, PB nanocubes, carbon nanospheres, sensor, FTO electrod

Modeling based on the structure of vicilins predicts a histidine cluster in the active site of oxalate oxidase

It is known that germin, which is a marker of the onset of growth in germinating wheat, is an oxalate oxidase, and also that germins possess sequence similarity with legumin and vicilin seed storage proteins. These two pieces of information have been combined in order to generate a 3D model of germin based on the structure of vicilin and to examine the model with regard to a potential oxalate oxidase active site. A cluster of three histidine residues has been located within the conserved beta-barrel structure. While there is a relatively low level of overall sequence similarity between the model and the vicilin structures, the conservation of amino acids important in maintaining the scaffold of the beta-barrel lends confidence to the juxtaposition of the histidine residues. The cluster is similar structurally to those found in copper amine oxidase and other proteins, leading to the suggestion that it defines a metal-binding location within the oxalate oxidase active site. It is also proposed that the structural elements involved in intermolecular interactions in vicilins may play a role in oligomer formation in germin/oxalate oxidase