Screening for pod shattering in mutant population of mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek)

Mungbean, (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) occupies a unique position in Indian agriculture and has been grown under various agro-ecological conditions. It is cultivated in 1.61mha with production of 3.38MT and productivi-ty of 474kg/ha in India. Mungbean pods are thin and brittle when dry, so shattering is a major problem. The loss of seeds by pod dehiscence is one of the major reasons for low yield in mungbean; thus, reducing the frequency of pod dehiscence is an important objective in mungbean breeding. Induced mutations, have offered a single and short alternative to conventional breeding including isolation, screening, selection and testing generation after generation. In this study, variability was induced by gamma rays and Ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) in two greengram geno-types viz., CO (Gg) 7 and NM 65. Screening for pod shattering was carried out in M2 and M3 populations of green-gram. The scoring for shattering was recorded at physiological maturity of the pod. The shattering percentage ranged from 14.56 (400 Gy) to 93.45 per cent (20 mM). A total of 100 shattering tolerant mutants were selected from field based on visual observation. These mutants were again scored under laboratory condition as per IITA method. A total of 12 mutants of CO (Gg) 7 and 10 mutants of NM 65 which were tolerant to pod shattering were identified in M2 generation and forwarded to M3 generation. These mutants were scored for pod shattering under laboratory con-dition and nine mutants viz., M26, M44, M46, M58, M70, M71, M84, M92 and M98 were found to be tolerant in M3 generation. This study on identification and screening of the mutants tolerant to pod shattering with high yielding potential will help to increase the production of the pods to a greater extent

Phenotypic diversity and stability of early maturing Barnyard Millet (Echinochloa sp.) germplasm for grain yield and its contributing traits

Barnyard millet is one of the oldest domesticated millets in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa. Developing early maturing cultivars is one of the important breeding goals in barnyard millet, which can fit well when main crops fail, or during the late onset of monsoon. Thus, this study was carried out to test the phenotypic diversity, character association and path coefficients, and stability of early maturing barnyard millet accessions. The MDU 1, a slightly late-maturing (95 days) cultivar, was used to identify early maturing accessions than the control with a considerably higher yield. Diversity as revealed by D2 analysis indicated that the trait grain yield had contributed the most towards the diversity followed by the traits such as thousand-grain weight and fodder yield per plant. The accessions IEc 350 and IEc 356 showed the highest fodder yield and grain yield per plant, and higher per day productivity than the control, MDU 1. Genotypic correlations revealed a significantly positive correlation of the grain yield with most traits investigated including days to maturity and fodder yield, and the trait fodder yield per plant showed a highly positive indirect effect on grain yield. Hence, these traits could be considered during the selection process for improving grain yield. Stability analysis identified two accessions, IEc 350 and IEc 356, and the MDU 1, as the stable high-yielding accessions. Hence, these high-yielding stable accessions can efficiently be used in barnyard millet improvement for developing early maturing varieties

Gene effects and heterosis for grain Fe and Zn content in barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea (Roxb.) link)

Barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea) is an unexplored nutri-rich crop that thrives well in harsh environments and supports many small farmers in Southern and Eastern Asia. Although it has rich sources of micronutrients, the genetic studies are very limited which further impedes in its genetic improvement. Therefore, we attempted to assess the genetic diversity for Fe and Zn content in 40 barnyard millet germplasm and to evaluate the combining ability and heterosis in sixteen F1 cross combinations through line × tester model. The Mahalanobis D2 analysis grouped the 40 genotypes into nine different clusters. Cluster III and I were the largest groups containing 22 and 6 genotypes, respectively and the rest of seven clusters were the lowest group containing one or two genotypes. Positive correlation was observed between Fe and Zn content though both had a non-significant association with grain yield. This indicate that there would not be any compromise on increase or decrease of grain yield while breeding for varieties high in micronutrient content. Combining ability analysis revealed that lines, testers, and their interaction components are significant. The predictability ratio indicated the predominance of additive variance for Fe and Zn content and non-additive variance in the inheritance of yield components. Genotypes, ACM 331, ACM 333, ACM 335 and MA 10 exhibited positive gca effects for Fe and Zn content and grain yield. Two cross combinations, ACM 331 × ACM 335 and ACM 331 × MA 10 involved one or both the parents with good gca effects exhibited, high mean, positive mid-parent heterosis and sca effects for Fe, Zn content and yield components. Thus, the present investigation provided a significant understanding of the gene action and the possibility of utilizing the selected parents and cross combination for exploiting micronutrient traits in barnyard millet crop

Association studies in barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumenetacea (Roxb.) Link) for early maturity and yield contributing traits at high altitude region

Barnyard millet is an under-utilized minor millet which is being popularized nowadays bestowing with high nutrient content in grains. Fourty genotypes were evaluated in high altitude region to determine the correlation and path coefficient among the yield and yield attributing traits. Correlation analysis evinced that grain yield per plant had positive significant correlation with agro-morphological traits viz., plant height, days to flowering, days to maturity, number of nodes, stem diameter, length of flag leaf, width of flag leaf, length of inflorescence, width of inflorescence, length of lower racemes, number of racemes and thousand grain weight. The trait length of peduncle alone expressed negative significance with grain yield. The path coefficient estimation indicated that stem diameter had exposed high magnitude of direct effect on grain yield. Henceforth, the direct selection based on the flawless relationship between grain yield and these traits would benefit in selecting high yielding genotypes

Diversity and stability studies in barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea (Roxb).Link.) germplasm for grain yield and its contributing traits

Nutritionally, Barnyard millet is an important crop, it is probably originated in central Asia and spread from central Asia to Europe and America. Climate change will alert an extra constrains as many parts of the country are becoming drier with increasingly severe weather patterns. Developing better barnyard millet cultivars is always placing as an important strategy in crop improvement. This study was focused to evaluate the phenotypic diversity and stability of barnyard millet germplasm for yield and its attributing traits. Diversity as revealed by D2 analysis indicated that the trait grain yield had contributed maximum towards the diversity followed by days to maturity. The accessions M5P1, M36P1 and M37P1 exhibited the highest mean values for grain yield per plant, but no significance difference was found comparing checks. Stability analysis revealed that none of the accessions were showed stable performance, indicated that influence of environmental factors played a major role

Genetic variability and association studies for yield and its attributes in super-early pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (l.) Millsp.) Genotypes

Twenty-nine super-early pigeonpea genotypes along with an early duration check were evaluated for 12 quantitative traits to assess genetic variability, cause and effect for yield as well as yield contributing traits. High PCV and GCV was observed for the traits viz. plant height, number of branches per plant, pod bearing length, number of clusters per plant, number of number of pods per plant and single plant yield. High heritability associated with high genetic advance as per cent of mean (GAM) was observed for the traits like plant height, pod bearing length, number of clusters per plant and number of branches per plant indicating that these traits were controlled by additive gene action and selection for above traits is advisable. Correlation coefficient analysis revealed that the traits viz. number of number of pods per plant, pod length, number of seeds per pod and days to fifty per cent flowering can be the best selection indices for breeding programme as they show significant positive correlation in favour of single plant yield. Path coefficient analysis showcased the traits with direct and indirect effect on single plant yield as number of pods per plant, plant height, days to maturity, number of branches per plant and days to fifty per cent flowering

Genetic and genomic resources, and breeding for accelerating improvement of small millets: current status and future interventions

Current agricultural and food systems encourage research and development on major crops, neglecting regionally important minor crops. Small millets include a group of small- seeded cereal crops of the grass family Poaceae. This includes finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet, little millet, teff, fonio, job’s tears, guinea millet, and browntop millet. Small millets are an excellent choice to supplement major staple foods for crop and dietary diversity because of their diverse adaptation on marginal lands, less water requirement, lesser susceptibility to stresses, and nutritional superiority compared to major cereal staples. Growing interest among consumers about healthy diets together with climate-resilient features of small millets underline the necessity of directing more research and development towards these crops. Except for finger millet and foxtail millet, and to some extent proso millet and teff, other small millets have received minimal research attention in terms of development of genetic and genomic resources and breeding for yield enhancement. Considerable breeding efforts were made in finger millet and foxtail millet in India and China, respectively, proso millet in the United States of America, and teff in Ethiopia. So far, five genomes, namely foxtail millet, finger millet, proso millet, teff, and Japanese barnyard millet, have been sequenced, and genome of foxtail millet is the smallest (423-510 Mb) while the largest one is finger millet (1.5 Gb). Recent advances in phenotyping and genomics technologies, together with available germplasm diversity, could be utilized in small millets improvement. This review provides a comprehensive insight into the importance of small millets, the global status of their germplasm, diversity, promising germplasm resources, and breeding approaches (conventional and genomic approaches) to accelerate climate-resilient and nutrient-dense small millets for sustainable agriculture, environment, and healthy food systems

GRB 051028: an intrinsically faint GRB at high redshift?

We present multiwavelength observations of the gamma-ray burst GRB 051028 detected by HETE-2 in order to derive its afterglow emission parameters and to determine the reason for its optical faintness when compared to other events. Observations were taken in the optical (2.0m Himalayan Chandra Telescope, 1.34m Tautenburg, 4.2m William Herschel Telescope) and in X-rays (Swift/XRT) between 2.7 hours and 10 days after the onset of the event. The data can be interpreted by collimated emission in a jet with a typical value of $p$ = 2.4 which is moving in an homogeneous interstellar medium and with a cooling frequency nu_{c} still above the X-rays at 0.5 days after the burst onset. GRB 051028 can be classified as a ``gray'' or ``potentially dark'' GRB. On the basis of the combined optical and Swift/XRT data, we conclude that the reason for the optical dimness is not extra absorption in the host galaxy, but rather the GRB taking place at high-redshift.We also notice the very striking similarity with the optical lightcurve of GRB 050730, a burst with a spectroscopic redshift of 3.967, although GRB 051028 is about 3 mag fainter. We suggest that the bump could be explained by multiple energy injection episodes and that the burst is intrinsically faint when compared to the average afterglows detected since 1997. The non-detection of the host galaxy down to R = 25.1 is also consistent with the burst arising at high redshift, compatible with the published pseudo-z of 3.7 +/- 1.8

Cellular Model of Warburg Effect Identifies Tumor Promoting Function of UCP2 in Breast Cancer and Its Suppression by Genipin

The Warburg Effect is characterized by an irreversible injury to mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and an increased rate of aerobic glycolysis. In this study, we utilized a breast epithelial cell line lacking mitochondrial DNA (rho0) that exhibits the Warburg Effect associated with breast cancer. We developed a MitoExpress array for rapid analysis of all known nuclear genes encoding the mitochondrial proteome. The gene-expression pattern was compared among a normal breast epithelial cell line, its rho0 derivative, breast cancer cell lines and primary breast tumors. Among several genes, our study revealed that over-expression of mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2 in rho0 breast epithelial cells reflects gene expression changes in breast cancer cell lines and in primary breast tumors. Furthermore, over-expression of UCP2 was also found in leukemia, ovarian, bladder, esophagus, testicular, colorectal, kidney, pancreatic, lung and prostate tumors. Ectopic expression of UCP2 in MCF7 breast cancer cells led to a decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased tumorigenic properties as measured by cell migration, in vitro invasion and anchorage independent growth. Consistent with in vitro studies, we demonstrate that UCP2 over-expression leads to development of tumors in vivo in an orthotopic model of breast cancer. Genipin, a plant derived small molecule, suppressed the UCP2 led tumorigenic properties, which were mediated by decreased reactive oxygen species and down-regulation of UCP2. However, UCP1, 3, 4 and 5 gene expression was unaffected. UCP2 transcription was controlled by SMAD4. Together, these studies suggest a tumor-promoting function of UCP2 in breast cancer. In summary, our studies demonstrate that i) the Warburg Effect is mediated by UCP2; ii) UCP2 is over-expressed in breast and many other cancers; iii) UCP2 promotes tumorigenic properties in vitro and in vivo and iv) genipin suppresses the tumor promoting function of UCP2

Mitochondrial Disease in Autism Spectrum Disorder Patients: A Cohort Analysis

Previous reports indicate an association between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and disorders of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. One study suggested that children with both diagnoses are clinically indistinguishable from children with idiopathic autism. There are, however, no detailed analyses of the clinical and laboratory findings in a large cohort of these children. Therefore, we undertook a comprehensive review of patients with ASD and a mitochondrial disorder.We reviewed medical records of 25 patients with a primary diagnosis of ASD by DSM-IV-TR criteria, later determined to have enzyme- or mutation-defined mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) dysfunction. Twenty-four of 25 patients had one or more major clinical abnormalities uncommon in idiopathic autism. Twenty-one patients had histories of significant non-neurological medical problems. Nineteen patients exhibited constitutional symptoms, especially excessive fatigability. Fifteen patients had abnormal neurological findings. Unusual developmental phenotypes included marked delay in early gross motor milestones (32%) and unusual patterns of regression (40%). Levels of blood lactate, plasma alanine, and serum ALT and/or AST were increased at least once in 76%, 36%, and 52% of patients, respectively. The most common ETC disorders were deficiencies of complex I (64%) and complex III (20%). Two patients had rare mtDNA mutations of likely pathogenicity.Although all patients' initial diagnosis was idiopathic autism, careful clinical and biochemical assessment identified clinical findings that differentiated them from children with idiopathic autism. These and prior data suggest a disturbance of mitochondrial energy production as an underlying pathophysiological mechanism in a subset of individuals with autism