Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the Brassinazole-resistant (BZR) Gene Family and Its Expression in the Various Developmental Stage and Stress Conditions in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Brassinosteroids (BRs) play crucial roles in various biological processes, including plant developmental processes and response to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. However, no information is currently available about this gene family in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In the present investigation, we identified the BZR gene family in wheat to understand the evolution and their role in diverse developmental processes and under different stress conditions. In this study, we performed the genome-wide analysis of the BZR gene family in the bread wheat and identified 20 TaBZR genes through a homology search and further characterized them to understand their structure, function, and distribution across various tissues. Phylogenetic analyses lead to the classification of TaBZR genes into five different groups or subfamilies, providing evidence of evolutionary relationship with Arabidopsis thaliana, Zea mays, Glycine max, and Oryza sativa. A gene exon/intron structure analysis showed a distinct evolutionary path and predicted the possible gene duplication events. Further, the physical and biochemical properties, conserved motifs, chromosomal, subcellular localization, and cis-acting regulatory elements were also examined using various computational approaches. In addition, an analysis of public RNA-seq data also shows that TaBZR genes may be involved in diverse developmental processes and stress tolerance mechanisms. Moreover, qRT-PCR results also showed similar expression with slight variation. Collectively, these results suggest that TaBZR genes might play an important role in plant developmental processes and various stress conditions. Therefore, this work provides valuable information for further elucidate the precise role of BZR family members in wheat

Reliable fluorescence technique to detect the antibiotic colistin, a possible environmental threat due to its overuse

Colistin, considered a drug of last resort as it is effective towards multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. Oral administration of colistin in the poultry industry is a common practice, not only to prevent and reduce bacterial infections, but also as a rapid-growth promoter. Long-term exposure to any antibiotic will eventually lead to the development of bacterial resistance towards all antibiotics through various mechanisms in the physiological system and environment. Chicken is the most consumed source of animal protein for humans throughout the world. In addition, the manure of poultry, containing traces of the used antibiotics, is being used in farming. Exposure to excess amounts of colistin causes a great concern not only to the humans but to the environment as a whole. In the present contribution, colistin has been detected in chicken hepatocyte cells through in vivo confocal microscopy. In addition, the amount of colistin in the chicken excrements has been estimated. A simple chemosensor NAF, a dye-based on napthaldehyde furfural, was developed for the detection of colistin, supplemented with experimental evidence and theoretical calculations.peerReviewe