Evolutionary Insights into the Enzymes involved in the Biosynthesis of the Volatile Organic Compounds Isoprene and Pinene in Plants

Volatile organic compounds (often abbreviated as VOCs) are emitted as secondary metabolites by plants, and contribute to a wide range of ecological processes, owing to their pivotal role in plant interactions with biotic and abiotic variables. As a result, they differ greatly between species and explain disparities in ecological strategy. In an effort to comprehend their genesis and assess potential evolutionary trends, this work probes into the enzymatic pathways that lead to their synthesis. Correspondingly, we adopt and propose an in-silico approach to analyze connections between the species evolution and the gene evolution of two major plant volatile organic compounds. We lay focus on isoprene and pinene, volatile organic compounds synthesized by two common yet compartmentally isolated pathways - the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway and the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway, respectively. Analyses of gene-specific and protein-specific phylogenetic trees of the enzymes involved in these pathways thereby indicate a mixed trend in the evolution as per the APG IV (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV) system. These results and the in-silico pipeline thus provide us with future opportunities to explore different networks of plant communication for a holistic understanding of intraspecific and interspecific interactions in different natural ecosystems

Age-related Variations in Anthropometry, Body Composition and Nutritional Status among the Adult Kheria Sabar Males of Purulia, West Bengal, India

Undernutrition and ageing may have a significant effect on body composition. A cross sectional study was conducted to explore the age-related variations among different anthropometric and body composition characteristics amongst the adult Kheria Sabar males of Purulia district of West Bengal. From fifteen villages, 304 apparently healthy adult males aged 18–60 years were selected at random. Subjects were categorized into four age groups and standard anthropometric measurements were used like height (HT), weight (WT), mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) and skinfolds of biceps (BSF), triceps (TSF) and sub-scapular (SSSF) region. Derived variables of body mass index (BMI), per cent body fat (PBF), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass index (FMI) and fat-free mass index (FFMI) were also calculated. Majority of the variables were found to be inversely correlated with age. Positive (HT, WT, MUAC, BMI, FFM and FFMI) and negative (FM and FMI) significant differences were observed across different age groups. It was also observed that the frequency of undernutrition (62.6%) was the highest among the elderly people with 47.6% overall prevalence. This study clearly indicates that among the undernourished individuals, older people were more vulnerable to malnutrition and thus immediate nutritional intervention is required

Screening and Identification of putative long non coding RNAs from transcriptome data of a high yielding blackgram (Vigna mungo), Cv. T9

Blackgram (Vigna mungo) is one of primary legumes cultivated throughout India, Cv.T9 being one of its common high yielding cultivar. This article reports RNA sequencing data and a pipeline for prediction of novel long non-coding RNAs from the sequenced data. The raw data generated during sequencing are available at Sequence Read Archive (SRA) of NCBI with accession number- SRX1558530 Keywords: Blackgram, Long non-coding RNA, Legumes, RNA sequencing dat

Metagenome analysis of the root endophytic microbial community of Indian rice (O. sativa L.)

This study reports the root endophytic microbial community profile in rice (Oryza sativa L.), the largest food crop of Asia, using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Metagenome of OS01 and OS04 consisted of 11,17,900 sequences with 300 Mbp size and average 55.6% G + C content. Data of this study are available at NCBI Bioproject (PRJNA360379). The taxonomic analysis of 843 OTU's showed that the sequences belonged to four major phyla revealing dominance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria and Actinobacteria. Results reveal the dominance of Bacillus as major endophytic genera in rice roots, probably playing a key role in Nitrogen fixation