Tissue Specific Localization of Several Oil Palm Genes During Flower Development

Flowering is the first introductory step to fruit formation and is a fundamental part of the plants reproduction system. Flowers and fruit are also an integral part of seed production. In most crops, the control of flowering is an important aspect of growth and development. If oil palm flowering could be controlled, yield could be improved by stimulating flowering in accordance to permissive environmental factors. In order to determine the factors that influence flowering of oil palm, the physiological background and the flowering process must be studied. However, oil palm micropropagation had come up against a major difficulty with the discovery of a floral morphogenesis abnormality induced by in vitro regeneration (Corley et al., 1986; Toruan-Mathius et al., 1998). From the examination of both morphology and anatomy of oil palm flower development, 9 key stages of normal and abnormal flower development has been classified to assist in the study of tissue specific expression of flowering genes. As plant organ systems are composed of anatomically similar cells and tissues, in situ hybridization was chosen as a method of determining gene expression based on its sensitivity and ability to determine the specific location of an mRNA. Examinations carried out on 4 oil palm flowering genes provide more information about the processes occurring during normal and abnormal flower formation of oil palm. OPSOC1, an oil palm homologue of AGL20 and OPLFY, the LFY homologue of oil palm, are both expressed throughout flower initiation and development. OPRLK5, a member of the receptor kinase gene family, is expressed throughout flower development. The last gene, OPUIP2, which encodes a UFO-interacting protein, is also expressed throughout flower development but it is not needed during inflorescence meristem development. Combined with other studies in this area, it is hoped that an understanding of the floral abnormality may be within reach in the near future. Attempts to isolate flower specific genes from an oil palm floral cDNA library however have been unsuccessful. The choice of cDNA library and conventional molecular tools might not be applicable in isolating these types of genes. Nevertheless, with advanced molecular and genetic tools such as yeast one and two-hybrid system that are being developed, isolation and the determination of function of such genes can be achieved

Optimized extraction and identification of functional Orthosiphon stamineus proteins

The plant, Orthosiphon stamineus (cat whiskers) is a medicinal herb belonging to the family Lamiaceae, and the plant leaves are commonly used as the herbal tea, popularly known as Java tea. It is used as a diuretic agent and for treatment against heat rheumatism. Currently, there are no protein profile data available for this important plant species. This study focused on the optimization of total protein extraction using four different extraction methods; QB buffer, phenol/sodium dodecyl sulfate with three pre-washed steps, phenol/sodium dodecyl sulfate without pre-wash steps and sigma protein extraction kit, it is aimed at determining the best protein extraction method, determine patterns and theoretically identify proteins. Overall, phenol/sodium dodecyl sulfate with three pre-wash steps result in better protein quality and pattern of separation. A total of 104 functional proteins were identified, each containing at least one unique peptide. Among the distinct proteins, rubisco activase and triosephosphate isomerase correspond to the chloroplastic protein of photosynthesis/carbohydrate metabolism, while phosphoglycerate kinase and glyceraldehyde are cytosolic enzymes of glycolysis pathway which were found to be significant housekeeping proteins in of the leaf tissue. The result of this study will be useful for advanced pharmaceutical research and could serve as a baseline for further proteomics work on O. stamineus and similar plant species

Evaluation of effective protein extraction procedure to profile petiole of Moringa oleifera

Moringa oleifera is widely known as multipurpose tree since all of its parts confer multiple functions. The leaf is highly favourable among consumers while the petiole is mostly wasted. There are numerous studies on the flavonoid and antioxidant property of the stem and twig. However, study on the petiole has never been done. There-upon, this study was conducted to develop protein profiling of the petiole. In this study, 6 different protein extraction methods were tested on the fresh petiole before its protein quantity and quality were checked via Bradford assay and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) respectively. The in-solution digestion was then done prior to LC-MS/MS analysis. The protein electrophoretic pattern from the SDS-PAGE proves that method 6 using Tris HCl buffer with incorporation of dithiothreitol (DTT) and phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) confers the best quality of protein. It produced the highest number of visible individual bands compared to other methods. Meanwhile, 93 proteins were successfully identified via LCMS analysis where the protein, signal response and carbohydrate metabolism categories confer the highest percentage. High quality and content of the protein extracted from the petiole including the antioxidant, anticancer and antidiabetic protein identified suggested that consuming this part of the plant could enhance nutrients of human body

Systemic signaling in relation to regulation of flowering time

In Arabidopsis thaliana, phloem proteome study is gaining recognition. An optimised EDTA exudation technique from excised leaves was incorporated in this study to formulate a method of obtaining sufficient phloem exudate protein. Total phloem exudate protein and excised gel bands from 1D SDS-PAGE yielded 221 identified proteins via analysis by LC-MS/MS. The majority of the proteins identified have functions in metabolic processes, stress response and defense mechanism. These may have been induced by wounding nevertheless many of these proteins may have been present within the companion cell and sieve element. Similar findings were reported in earlier Arabidopsis and other plant phloem proteome studies. A comprehensive list of Arabidopsis phloem exudate protein from three studies is presented here. Although the florigen protein FT was not identified in the main study, a different approach using MRM proved the presence of FT in the phloem exudate of Arabidopsis. An attempt to quantify FT was performed using MRM to test out if varying level of FT protein in response to photoperiod is produced in accordance to its mRNA expression as previously reported. Level of FT protein detected showed a pattern of expression different from FT mRNA level of expression. In an effort to detect long-distance movement of FT protein, transgenic lines carrying FT fused to Dendra2 and mediated by SUC2 and GAS1 promoters were generated. In spite of evidence of transcription of transgene, this experiment was unsuccessful with only weak expression detected in a few lines. Further validation could not be made due to time constraint. In summary, the protein data obtained from this study and the comprehensive list of compiled proteins serve as the basis of an Arabidopsis phloem proteome, and showed that quantification of level of FT protein in response to photoperiod is possible

Improvement of shoot regeneration of potentially medicinal plant melaleuca alternifolia via axillary shoot

The aim of this study is to establish an improved shoot regeneration of potential medicinal plants, Melaleuca alternifolia. The essential oil of these plants is useful in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Despite the importance of this species, in vitro regeneration was limited. Therefore, the present study use various concentrations of plant growth regulators to improve shoot regeneration of these plants. The present study shows that axillary shoot gave the best response to the treatment containing 0.5mg/L BAP and 0.1mg/L NAA. The average number of shoots is 23 with 77% of shooting. For rooting experiment, 35% of axillary shoot were rooted when cultured on MS medium supplemented with 1.5mg/L IBA. In vitro plantlet was later developed after 3 months

Protein Profiling of Orthosiphon stamineusEmbryogenic Callus using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

Orthosiphon stamineusis one of the most prominent medicinal herbs widely grown in Southeast Asia. Propagation of O. stamineus using tissue culture technique helps to rapidly produce samples for research purposes, increase the production of secondary metabolites and is considered as one of the strategies in plant genetic improvement. Despite vast information on O. stamineuspharmacological properties, the protein pro-file of this species is currently underexplored. In the present study, proteins expressed in embryogenic callus developed from O. stamineusleaves in Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1-naphthaleneacetic acid(NAA) and 2,4-dichlorophe-noxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were identified via Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The presence of embryogenic callus was confirmed with microscope observation and Evan Blue assay. Using this proteomic approach, we identified peptides that represent 22 proteins localizedto different cell compartments and involved in various biological and metabolic functions in plants. This finding is useful to improve our understanding of protein functions, thus their future applications could be further explored

Evaluation of the in-vitro anthelmintic activity of Leucas zeylanica extracts on earthworms

Leucas zeylanica known as Ketumbit has a wide range of medical applications. This fact includes the traditional practice of L. zeylanica for the treatment of worm infections successfully, however to date, the anthelmintic effect has still not been scientifically proven. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of L. zeylanica. The study began with the extraction of L. zeylanica extracts using methanol, ethanol, and aqueous. Subsequently, experiments were conducted to evaluate the possible in vitro anthelmintic activity of various extracts of L. zeylanica against earthworms. Various concentrations (25, 50 & 100 mg/mL) of extracts were tested and results were expressed in terms of the time of paralysis and time of death of worms. All extracts of the plant exhibited considerable anthelmintic activities in a dose-dependent manner. Of them all, methanolic extract at 100 mg/mL showed the most efficacious anthelmintic activity that was comparable to the reference drug (albendazole, 25 mg/mL). Therefore, we conclude that methanolic extract at the concentration of 100 mg/mL could be considered a candidate for worm treatment apart from the standard medication. This work may provide a framework for further study of L. zeylanica as an alternative treatment for worm infection

MyRice: pangkalan data pengetahuan padi Malaysia

Pada masa ini, semua maklumat mengenai penyelidikan padi di Malaysia bertaburan di penerbitan yang berbeza, depositori dan pangkalan data dengan menggunakan pelbagai format digital dan analog. Walaupun terdapat pangkalan data antarabangsa mengenai penyelidikan padi, data tersebut tidak dipautkan dengan dengan geolokasi dan maklumat arkib asas lain yang diperlukan penyelidik untuk membawa penyelidikan ke peringkat yang lebih tinggi. Kami mempersembahkan MyRice, sebuah pangkalan data atas talian Malaysia untuk kegunaan penyelidik dan orang awam. Pembangunan pangkalan data ini akan membolehkan penyelidik saintifik untuk mengesan kembali maklumat penyelidikan padi dan lokasi ia ditanam. Ia dibina menggunakan saluran pendigitalan yang membolehkan pendigitalan pemprosesan berkelajuan tinggi data arkib dan dihubungkan terus dengan enjin carian penerbitan seperti Google Scholar. Fungsi utama termasuk bibliografi, pemetaan dan pemuat naik media untuk penyelidik berkongsi video dan imej. Kami percaya MyRice yang akan menyumbang kepada ekosistem pengetahuan digital di kalangan penyelidik padi tempatan untuk meningkatkan akses kepada pengetahuan dan menjadi tumpuan utama untuk memacu penyelidikan padi Malaysia ke arah sebuah negara berstatus sara diri dalam keterjaminan makanan. Pangkalan data dapat dilayari di http://biodiversity.fbb.utm.my/myrice/

Bioactive metabolites produced by cyanobacteria for growth adaptation and their pharmacological properties

Cyanobacteria are the most abundant oxygenic photosynthetic organisms inhabiting various ecosystems on earth. As with all other photosynthetic organisms, cyanobacteria release oxygen as a byproduct during photosynthesis. In fact, some cyanobacterial species are involved in the global nitrogen cycles by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Environmental factors influence the dynamic, physiological characteristics, and metabolic profiles of cyanobacteria, which results in their great adaptation ability to survive in diverse ecosystems. The evolution of these primitive bacteria resulted from the unique settings of photosynthetic machineries and the production of bioactive compounds. Specifically, bioactive compounds play roles as regulators to provide protection against extrinsic factors and act as intracellular signaling molecules to promote colonization. In addition to the roles of bioactive metabolites as indole alkaloids, terpenoids, mycosporine-like amino acids, non-ribosomal peptides, polyketides, ribosomal peptides, phenolic acid, flavonoids, vitamins, and antimetabolites for cyanobacterial survival in numerous habitats, which is the focus of this review, the bioactivities of these compounds for the treatment of various diseases are also discussed

Covid-19 pandemic in the lens of food safety and security

The recently emerged coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has been characterised as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), is impacting all parts of human society including agriculture, manufacturing, and tertiary sectors involving all service provision industries. This paper aims to give an overview of potential host reservoirs that could cause pandemic outbreak caused by zoonotic transmission. Amongst all, continues surveillance in slaughterhouse for possible pathogens transmission is needed to prevent next pandemic outbreak. This paper also summarizes the potential threats of pandemic to agriculture and aquaculture sector that control almost the total food supply chain and market. The history lesson from the past, emerging and reemerging infectious disease including the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002, Influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) in 2009, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012 and the recent COVID-19 should give us some clue to improve especially the governance to be more ready for next coming pandemic