Phenotyping reference set of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) for agronomic traits including resistance to legume pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera)

Chickpea is an important grain legume..

Development of composite collection and genotyping of foxtail millet [Setaria italic (L.) Beauv.] composite collection

Foxtail millet belongs to family Poaceae and subfamily Panicoideae • A self-pollinating crop with chromosome number 2n=18 • Domesticated in highlands of central China, possibly about 4000 BC • Cultivated in 26 countries, and ranks second in total world production of millets • Produces six million tons of food mainly in southern Europe and in temperate, subtropical, and tropical Asia (Marathee 1993) • An important crop in China, India, CIS countries, and Syria • Possesses high nutrient quality...........

Functional interaction of diphenols with polyphenol oxidase - Molecular determinants of substrate/inhibitor specificity SO FEBS JOURNAL

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) catalyzes the oxidation of o-diphenols to their respective quinones. The quinones autopolymerize to form dark pigments, an undesired effect. PPO is therefore the target for the development of antibrowning and antimelanization agents. A series of phenolic compounds experimentally evaluated for their binding affinity and inhibition constants were computationally docked to the active site of catechol oxidase. Docking studies suggested two distinct modes of binding, dividing the docked ligands into two groups. Remarkably, the first group corresponds to ligands determined to be substrates and the second group corresponds to reversible inhibitors. Analyses of the complexes provide structural explanations for correlating subtle changes in the position and nature of the substitutions on o-diphenols to their functional properties as substrates and inhibitors. Higher reaction rates and binding are reckoned by additional interactions of the substrates with key residues that line the hydrophobic cavity. The docking results suggest that inhibition of oxidation stems from an interaction between the aromatic carboxylic acid group and the apical His 109 of the four coordinates of the trigonal pyramidal coordination polyhedron of CuA. The spatial orientation of the hydroxyl in relation to the carboxylic group either allows a perfect fit in the substrate cavity, leading to inhibition, or because of a steric clash flips the molecule vertically, facilitating oxidation. This is the first study to explain, at the molecular level, the determinants Of substrate and inhibitor specificity of a catechol oxidase, thereby providing a platform for the design of selective inhibitors useful to both the food and pharmaceutical industries

Detection of genetically modified soya and maize: impact of heat processing

The analysis of processed foods entails a number of complications, which negatively affect the performance of DNA based detection methods. Heat-processing methods viz. autoclaving and micro-waving, that mimic processing and manufacturing, as model unit operation systems were used to study their effect on the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This study confirms the premise that high temperature and/or pressure significantly reduce the level of detectable DNA. PCR methods were developed and adapted to target varying amplicon sizes of the trait, construct and event specific gene sequences that occur in MON-810 maize and Roundup Ready® soybean. Integrity of DNA, recovery and PCR amplicon size (<200 bp) are major factors that direct the successful detection of GMOs in processed foods. The model systems used provide a platform to devise better strategies in developing detection protocols, especially for processed foods containing GMOs