Enhanced α1 Microglobulin Secretion from Hepatitis E Virus ORF3-expressing Human Hepatoma Cells Is Mediated by the Tumor Susceptibility Gene 101

Viruses are known to exploit the host cell machinery for their benefit during different stages of their life cycle within the infected host. One of the major challenges for a virus during the early stages of infection is to escape recognition by the host immune system. Viruses have adopted many novel strategies to evade the host immune response or to create an immune suppressed environment. An earlier study in our laboratory has demonstrated that the ORF3 protein of the hepatitis E virus expedites the secretion of alpha1 microglobulin, an immunosuppressant molecule. Based on this observation, we proposed that enhanced secretion of alpha1 microglobulin may help maintain an immunosuppressed milieu around the infected hepatocyte (Tyagi, S., Surjit, M., Roy, A. K., Jameel, S., and Lal, S. K. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 29308-29319). In the present study, we discovered that the ability of the ORF3 protein to expedite alpha1 microglobulin secretion is attributed to the PSAP motif present at the C terminus of the former. The ORF3 protein was able to associate with the tumor susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101) through the PSAP motif. Further, a PSAP motif-mutated ORF3 protein was unable to associate with TSG101 and also lost its ability to enhance the secretion of alpha1 microglobulin. In addition, the ORF3 protein was found to associate simultaneously with TSG101 and alpha1 microglobulin because all three of them were co-precipitated as a ternary complex. Finally, a dominant negative mutant of the VPS4 protein was shown to block the enhanced alpha1 microglobulin secretion in ORF3-expressing hepatocytes. These results suggest a mechanism by which the ORF3 protein exploits the endosomal sorting machinery to enhance the secretion of an immunosuppressant molecule (alpha1 microglobulin) from the cultured hepatocytes

Exploring potato seed research: a bibliometric approach towards sustainable food security

IntroductionPotato is considered to be complete food that will not only ensure food security but also alleviate poverty. Seed production of potato requires specific temperatures and conditions. In response to the growing emphasis on sustainable production, there has been an increasing focus on research on tuber seed production.MethodsIn our study, we have employed bibliometric analysis to investigate the trends in potato seed research and assess its correlation with sustainable development. Tabular analysis and network analysis are employed in the study to understand the prominent authors and institutions and research trends across time. For this purpose, Biblioshiny and Vosviewer software were used. The steps of bibliometric analysis were used, which included data retrieval from Dimensions software. Owing to its limitations, a major analysis was conducted without affecting the results.Result and discussionIt was found from the analysis that it was SDG 2 that was mostly linked with the theme of potato seed production. The results depicted an increasing trend of publications and citations. Co-authorship analysis of authors showed high linkage among groups of authors that formed clusters while other authors remained disconnected. Among countries United States, China and the United Kingdom had a higher impact on publications and citations. Our analysis showed that there is still scope for collaboration among countries as there is no evidence of multidisciplinary interlinkages. By understanding the current research landscape, identifying influential works and authors, and uncovering collaboration patterns, we can pave the way for future advancements in potato seed production. Ultimately, this research contributes to achieving sustainable agriculture and ensuring food security for future generations

Cytokinin and abiotic stress tolerance -What has been accomplished and the way forward?

More than a half-century has passed since it was discovered that phytohormone cytokinin (CK) is essential to drive cytokinesis and proliferation in plant tissue culture. Thereafter, cytokinin has emerged as the primary regulator of the plant cell cycle and numerous developmental processes. Lately, a growing body of evidence suggests that cytokinin has a role in mitigating both abiotic and biotic stress. Cytokinin is essential to defend plants against excessive light exposure and a unique kind of abiotic stress generated by an altered photoperiod. Secondly, cytokinin also exhibits multi-stress resilience under changing environments. Furthermore, cytokinin homeostasis is also affected by several forms of stress. Therefore, the diverse roles of cytokinin in reaction to stress, as well as its interactions with other hormones, are discussed in detail. When it comes to agriculture, understanding the functioning processes of cytokinins under changing environmental conditions can assist in utilizing the phytohormone, to increase productivity. Through this review, we briefly describe the biological role of cytokinin in enhancing the performance of plants growth under abiotic challenges as well as the probable mechanisms underpinning cytokinin-induced stress tolerance. In addition, the article lays forth a strategy for using biotechnological tools to modify genes in the cytokinin pathway to engineer abiotic stress tolerance in plants. The information presented here will assist in better understanding the function of cytokinin in plants and their effective investigation in the cropping system

Saccharification and fermentation of cull potatoes for the production of fermentable sugars and bioethanol

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A Bibliometric Analysis of Groundwater Access and Its Management: Making the Invisible Visible

The sustainable management of groundwater resources is required to avoid a water crisis. The current study focused on a bibliometric analysis of groundwater access and management to assess research progress. The study was based on data from Dimensions.ai generated using the search terms “Groundwater”, “access”, and “management” for the period from 1985 to 2022. A total of 534 documents were identified as relevant and retrieved in CSV format. The intellectual structure of the retrieved data was visualized and analyzed using VoS viewer software (version 1.6.18). The analysis showed that the field of earth sciences had the highest number of publications on groundwater access and management (358), followed by the environmental sciences (155). Most of the articles (267) were about Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on ensuring access to clean water and sanitation. The co-authorship analysis for the countries indicated that the United States has the most impact and research, and all other countries have established clusters around it. The citation analysis of the organizations showed that the International Water Management Institute, Charles Sturt University, and Wageningen University and Research were the top three organizations in terms of total citations (825, 611, and 584, respectively), indicating the most effect. The citation analysis for the sources indicated that the “Water” journal had a greater impact on readers with respect to groundwater research. Numerous parties are involved in the groundwater investigation; hence, a broad multidisciplinary approach is required. Therefore, researchers should work together rather than alone to address the problem of sustainable groundwater management

Exploring the molecular basis of resistance to Botrytis cinerea in chickpea genotypes through biochemical and morphological markers

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important pulse crop around the globe and a valuable source of protein in the human diet. However, it is highly susceptible to various plant pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses, which can cause significant damage from the seedling phase until harvest, leading to reduced yields and affecting its production. Botrytis cinerea can cause significant damage to chickpea crops, especially under high humidity and moisture conditions. This fungus can cause grey mould disease, which can lead to wilting, stem and pod rot, and reduced yields. Chickpea plants have developed specific barriers to counteract the harmful effects of this fungus. These barriers include biochemical and structural defences. In this study, the defence responses against B. cinerea were measured by the quantification of biochemical metabolites such as antioxidant enzymes, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, glutathione (GSH), H2O2, ascorbic acid (AA) and total phenol in the leaf samples of chickpea genotypes (one accession of wild Cicer species, viz. Cicer pinnatifidum188 identified with high level of resistance to Botrytis grey mould (BGM) and a cultivar, Cicer arietinumPBG5 susceptible to BGM grown in the greenhouse). Seedlings of both the genotypes were inoculated with (1 × 104 spore mL−1) inoculum of isolate 24, race 510 of B. cinerea and samples were collected after 1, 3, 5, and 7 days post-inoculation (dpi). The enhanced enzymatic activity was observed in the pathogen-inoculated leaf samples as compared to uninoculated (healthy control). Among inoculated genotypes, the resistant one exhibited a significant change in enzymatic activity, total phenolic content, MDA, proline, GSH, H2O2, and AA, compared to the susceptible genotype. The study also examined the isozyme pattern of antioxidant enzymes at various stages of B. cinerea inoculation. Results from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed that BGM had a more significant impact on susceptible genotypes compared to resistant ones when compared to the control (un-inoculated). In addition, SEM and FTIR spectroscopy analyses confirmed the greater severity of BGM on susceptible genotypes compared to their resistant counterparts. Our results suggest the role of antioxidant enzymes and other metabolites as defence tools and biochemical markers to understand compatible and non-compatible plant-pathogen interactions better. The present investigation will assist future plant breeding programs aimed at developing resistant varieties

Phenolics profile, anti-nephrolithiasis, and antioxidant activities of Monodora myristica seed: impact of endogenous proteins and lipids

Abstract The bioactive compounds in a food matrix can exist either in their free form or bound to other endogenous compounds, which may affect their bioactivities. This study investigated the impact of endogenous proteins and lipids on the phenolics profile, anti-nephrolithiasis, and antioxidant activities of Monodora myristica (African nutmeg) seed. Endogenous proteins and lipids in M. myristica seed flour were removed by deproteinization and defatting, to obtain the deproteinized, defatted, and deproteinized-defatted flours. The native flour served as a control. Phenolics compounds in the flours were quantified using HPLC-DAD, while nephrolithiasis-associated enzymes (xanthine oxidase and urease) inhibitory and antioxidant activities were determined using a spectrophotometer. Nine phenolic compounds (gallic, chlorogenic, caffeic, p-coumaric, ellagic acids, catechin, rutin, quercetin and luteolin) were detected in the native flour, with quercetin as the most abundant. The concentrations of the phenolic compounds, nephrolithiasis-associated enzymes inhibitory, and antioxidant activities of the flour decreased significantly due to deproteinization and defatting. Overall, the native flour had the highest concentrations of phenolics and the most potent enzymes inhibitory and antioxidant activities, followed by the defatted, deproteinized, and deproteinized-defatted flours. Hence, endogenous proteins and lipids may enhance the phenolics profile, anti-nephrolithiasis and antioxidant activities of M. myristica seed. This could have application in the development of functional food products and nutraceuticals targeting nephrolithiasis. Graphical Abstrac

Combinatorial effect of heat processing and phytic acid on mineral bioavailability in rice grain

Brown rice is superior to milled rice in terms of bioactive compounds and minerals but also has phytic acid (PA) that may reduce the bioavailability of minerals. Further, various household cooking methods of rice also change the starch matrix, affecting mineral availability. The effect of PA and heat processing methods on Fe and Zn bioavailability from milled rice grain was investigated. Rice with contrasting PA was analyzed for Fe and Zn bioavailability in milled and cooked rice. The genotype Khira, with the lowest PA (2.0 g kg−1), exhibited high Fe and Zn bioavailability, while Phalguni, with the highest PA (11.2 g kg−1), showed low Fe and Zn bioavailability. The PA had a significant negative correlation with Fe and Zn bioavailability. Among three common household cooking methods used (pressure cooking, microwave-assisted cooking and boiling), pressure cooking exerted more remarkable effects on mineral bioavailability than other two methods. Screening rice genotypes for low PA and high Fe, Zn bioavailability can solve the problem of micronutrient malnutrition in countries where people depend on rice as the main staple food. The selection of appropriate cooking methods is also helps to enhance mineral bioavailability

Salt stress influences the proliferation of Fusarium solani and enhances the severity of wilt disease in potato

Soil salinity has emerged as a critical abiotic stress in potato production, whereas wilt disease, caused by Fusarium solani, is the significant biotic stress. An experiment was performed to decipher the occurrence of wilt incidence by F. solani FJ1 under the influence of salinity in both in vitroand pot culture conditions. High salt concentration negatively influenced root and shoot development in the variety “Kufri Jyoti” but positively affected the mycelial growth and sporulation behaviours of F. solani FJ1. There was abundant whitish mycelial growth with enhanced biomass and high sporulation (microconidia production) in F. solani FJ1 cultured on salt-supplemented media. Moreover, under high salinity conditions (EC 2–8 dS m−1), severe wilting and rotting of vascular bundles were observed in plants artificially inoculated with F. solani FJ1. The mortality rate of potato plants was significantly higher under individual and combined stresses as compared to control. The wilt index of individual and combined stressed plants was also substantially higher compared to the control. Additionally, compared to the control, there was a significant decrease in total chlorophyll content and membrane stability index of the leaves under combined stress. However, the total phenols were increased under stress conditions. The total sugar content of potato plants decreased in infected plants, but increased when exposed to salt stress or a combination of salt stress and pathogen infection. F. solani infection also increased the activity of peroxidase (POX) and decreased the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and catalase (CAT). These results suggest that Fusarium wilt and dry rot will be a more severe disease for potato cultivation in saline soils