Assessment of crop loss in Arabica coffee due to white stem borer, Xylotrechus quadripes Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) infestation

The coffee white stem borer (CWSB) is the most dreaded pest of Arabica coffee in India. Due to the concealed nature of this pest, the management measures are difficult and require the timely implementation of control measures. The recommended practices for the management of CWSB mainly targets on eggs and early instar larvae, apart from tracing and uprooting of infested plants before the commencement of flight periods (April-May and Oct-Dec). In general, youngArabica coffee plants infested by CWSB die within a year, whereas aged plants withstand the attack for few more years. However, such plants become less productive, susceptible to diseases and also serve as inoculum for further spreading of the infestation. A study was undertaken to assess the crop loss due to CWSB infestation on established Arabica plantation in Tamil Nadu. The result indicated a significant difference between healthy and infested plants and the crop loss was to the tune of 17.7 per cent. Further, quantitative data on out-turn percentages recorded at different stages of coffee processing (right from harvesting of fruits to marketable green coffee bean) are discussed in this paper

QTL mapping of stay-green in two sorghum recombinant inbred populations

The stay-green trait is a reported component of tolerance to terminal drought stress in sorghum. To map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for stay-green, two sorghum recombinant inbred populations (RIPs) of 226 F3:5 lines each were developed from crosses (1) IS9830 × E36-1 and (2) N13 × E36-1. The common parental line, E36-1 of Ethiopian origin, was the stay-green trait source. The genetic map of RIP 1 had a total length of 1,291 cM, with 128 markers (AFLPs, RFLPs, SSRs and RAPDs) distributed over ten linkage groups. The map of RIP 2 spanned 1,438 cM and contained 146 markers in 12 linkage groups. The two RIPs were evaluated during post-rainy seasons at Patancheru, India, in 1999/2000 (RIP 2) and 2000/2001 (RIP 1). The measures of staygreen mapped were the green leaf area percentages at 15, 30 and 45 days after flowering (% GL15, % GL30 and % GL45, respectively). Estimated repeatabilities for % GL15, % GL30 and % GL45 amounted to 0.89, 0.81 and 0.78 in RIP 1, and 0.91, 0.88 and 0.85 in RIP 2, respectively. The number of QTLs for the three traits detected by composite interval mapping ranged from 5 to 8, explaining 31% to 42% of the genetic variance. In both RIPs, both parent lines contributed stay-green alleles. Across the three measures of the stay-green trait, three QTLs on linkage groups A, E and G were common to both RIPs, with the stay-green alleles originating from E36-1. These QTLs were therefore consistent across the tested genetic backgrounds and years. After QTL validation across sites and verification of the general benefit of the stay-green trait for grain yield performance and stability in the target areas, the corresponding chromosomal regions could be candidates for marker-assisted transfer of stay-green into elite material

Phthalocyanine-peptide conjugates for epidermal growth factor receptor targeting

Four phthalocyanine (Pc)-peptide conjugates designed to target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were synthesized and evaluated in vitro using four cell lines: human carcinoma A431 and HEp2, human colorectal HT-29, and kidney Vero (negative control) cells. Two peptide ligands for EGFR were investigated: EGFR-L1 and -L2, bearing 6 and 13 amino acid residues, respectively. The peptides and Pc-conjugates were shown to bind to EGFR using both theoretical (Autodock) and experimental (SPR) investigations. The Pc-EGFR-L1 conjugates 5a and 5b efficiently targeted EGFR and were internalized, in part due to their cationic charge, whereas the uncharged Pc-EGFR-L2 conjugates 4b and 6a poorly targeted EGFR maybe due to their low aqueous solubility. All conjugates were nontoxic (IC50 \u3e 100 μM) to HT-29 cells, both in the dark and upon light activation (1 J/cm2). Intravenous (iv) administration of conjugate 5b into nude mice bearing A431 and HT-29 human tumor xenografts resulted in a near-IR fluorescence signal at ca. 700 nm, 24 h after administration. Our studies show that Pc-EGFR-L1 conjugates are promising near-IR fluorescent contrast agents for CRC and potentially other EGFR overexpressing cancers. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Targeting of the epidermal growth factor receptor with mesoporphyrin IX-peptide conjugates

© 2016 World Scientific Publishing Company. The synthesis and in vitro evaluation of four mesoporphyrin IX-peptide conjugates designed to target EGFR, over-expressed in colorectal and other cancers, are reported. Two peptides with known affinity for EGFR, LARLLT (1) and GYHWYGYTPQNVI (2), were conjugated to mesoporphyrin IX (MPIX, 3) via one or both the propionic side chains, directly (4, 5) or with a triethylene glycol spacer (7, 8). The conjugates were characterized using NMR, MS, CD, SPR, UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. Energy minimization and molecular dynamics suggest different conformations for the conjugates. SPR studies show that conjugate 4, bearing two LARLLT with no PEG spacers, has the greatest affinity for binding to EGFR, followed by conjugate 7with two PEG and two LARLLT sequences. Molecular modeling and docking studies suggest that both conjugates 4 and 7 can bind to monomer and dimer EGFR in open and closed conformations. The cytotoxicity and cellular targeting ability of the conjugates were investigated in human HEp2 cells over-expressing EGFR. All conjugates showed low dark-and photo-toxicities. The cellular uptake was highest for conjugates 4 and 8 and lowest for 7 bearing two LARLLT linked via PEG groups, likely due to decreased hydrophobicity. Among the conjugates investigated, 4 is the most efficient EGFR-targeting agent, and therefore the most promising for the detection of cancers that over-express EGFR

Phthalocyanine–Peptide Conjugates for Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Targeting

Four phthalocyanine (<i>Pc</i>)–peptide conjugates designed to target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were synthesized and evaluated in vitro using four cell lines: human carcinoma A431 and HEp2, human colorectal HT-29, and kidney Vero (negative control) cells. Two peptide ligands for EGFR were investigated: EGFR-L1 and -L2, bearing 6 and 13 amino acid residues, respectively. The peptides and <i>Pc</i>-conjugates were shown to bind to EGFR using both theoretical (Autodock) and experimental (SPR) investigations. The <i>Pc</i>–EGFR-L1 conjugates <b>5a</b> and <b>5b</b> efficiently targeted EGFR and were internalized, in part due to their cationic charge, whereas the uncharged <i>Pc</i>–EGFR-L2 conjugates <b>4b</b> and <b>6a</b> poorly targeted EGFR maybe due to their low aqueous solubility. All conjugates were nontoxic (IC₅₀ > 100 μM) to HT-29 cells, both in the dark and upon light activation (1 J/cm²). Intravenous (iv) administration of conjugate <b>5b</b> into nude mice bearing A431 and HT-29 human tumor xenografts resulted in a near-IR fluorescence signal at ca. 700 nm, 24 h after administration. Our studies show that <i>Pc</i>–EGFR-L1 conjugates are promising near-IR fluorescent contrast agents for CRC and potentially other EGFR overexpressing cancers