Optimization of polyamine and mycorrhiza in sorghum plant for removal of hazardous cadmium.

Eco-friendly and sustainable practices must be followed while using the right plants and microbes to remove harmful heavy metals from the soil. The goal of the current study was to ascertain how effectively sorghum plants removed cadmium (Cd) from the soil using polyamines and mycorrhiza. Plant-biochemicals such as free amino acids, ascorbic acids, anthocyanin, proline, and catalase, APX, peroxidase activities were considered as markers in this study which revealed the adverse plant growth performance under 70 and 150 ppm of Cd concentration (w/w) after 30,60, and 90 days of treatment. The plants showed a mitigating effect against high Cd-concentration with exogenous use of mycorrhiza and putrescine. The treatment T17 (mycorrhiza +5 mM putrescine) showed a substantial decrease in the content of total free amino acid, ascorbic acid, catalase, APX, peroxidase by 228.36%, 39.79%, 59.06%, 182.79% 106.97%, respectively after 90 days as compared to T12 (150 ppm Cd). Anthocyanin content was negatively correlated (-0.503, -0.556, and -0.613) at p < 0.01 with other studied markers, with an increase by 10.52% in T17 treated plant as compared to T12. The concentration of Cd in root increased by 49.6% (141 ppm) and decreased in the shoot by 71% (17.8 ppm) in T17 treated plant as compared to T12 after 90 days. The application of mycorrhiza and putrescine significantly increased BCF (>1) and decreased TF (<1) for Cd translocation. The administration of mycorrhiza and putrescine boosted the Cd removal efficiency of sorghum plants, according to FTIR, XRD, and DSC analysis. As a result, this study demonstrates novel approaches for induced phytoremediation activity of plants via mycorrhiza and putrescine augmentation, which can be a promising option for efficient bioremediation in contaminated sites.

Revealing the hidden world of soil microbes: Metagenomic insights into plant, bacteria, and fungi interactions for sustainable agriculture and ecosystem restoration.

The future of agriculture is questionable under the current climate change scenario. Climate change and climate-related calamities directly influence biotic and abiotic factors that control agroecosystems, endangering the safety of the world's food supply. The intricate interactions between soil microorganisms, including plants, bacteria, and fungi, play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable agriculture and ecosystem restoration. Soil microbes play a major part in nutrient cycling, including soil organic carbon (SOC), and play a pivotal function in the emission and depletion of greenhouse gases, including CH4, CO2, and N2O, which can impact the climate. At this juncture, developing a triumphant metagenomics approach has greatly increased our knowledge of the makeup, functionality, and dynamics of the soil microbiome. Currently, the involvement of plants in climate change indicates that they can interact with the microbial communities in their environment to relieve various stresses through the innate microbiome assortment of focused strains, a phenomenon dubbed "Cry for Help." The metagenomics method has lately appeared as a new platform to adjust and encourage beneficial communications between plants and microbes and improve plant fitness. The metagenomics of soil microbes can provide a powerful tool for designing and evaluating ecosystem restoration strategies that promote sustainable agriculture under a changing climate. By identifying the specific functions and activities of soil microbes, we can develop restoration programs that support these critical components of healthy ecosystems while providing economic benefits through ecosystem services. In the current review, we highlight the innate functions of microbiomes to maintain the sustainability of agriculture and ecosystem restoration. Through this insight study of soil microbe metagenomics, we pave the way for innovative strategies to address the pressing challenges of food security and environmental conservation. The present article elucidates the mechanisms through which plants and microbes communicate to enhance plant resilience and ecosystem restoration and to leverage metagenomics to identify and promote beneficial plant-microbe interactions. Key findings reveal that soil microbes are pivotal in nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas modulation, and overall ecosystem health, offering novel insights into designing ecosystem restoration strategies that bolster sustainable agriculture. As this is a topic many are grappling with, hope these musings will provide people alike with some food for thought.

Efficient removal of total arsenic (As3+/5+) from contaminated water by novel strategies mediated iron and plant extract activated waste flowers of marigold.

In this investigation, marigold flower-waste was activated with iron salts (MG-Fe), subsequently marigold plant extract (MG-Fe-Ex) for the adsorptive elimination of As3+ and As5+ from contaminated water. The governing factor such as medium pH, temperature, pollutant concentration, reaction time, adsorbent dose were considered for the study. The complete elimination of As3+/5+ was recorded with MG-Fe-Ex at pH 8.0, 90 min, 30 °C, dose 4 g/L, 20 mg/L of As3+/5+ and shaking rate 120 rpm, while under the identical experimental condition, MG-Fe exhibited 98.4% and 73.3% removal for As5+ and As3+, respectively. The MG-Fe-Ex contains iron oxides (Fe2O3 and Fe3O4) as a result of iron ions reaction with plant bioactive molecules as evident from x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopic (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic study. The adsorption data of As3+/5+ on MG-Fe and MG-Fe-Ex was best fitted by pseudo-first order kinetic and freundlich isotherm except As5+ adsorption on MG-Fe-Ex that can be described by langmuir isotherm model. The prevailing mechanism in adsorption of As3+/5+ on both adsorbent might be hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction and complexation. From the above, it is confirmed that MG-Fe-Ex adsorbent has high potential and can be used for the adsorptive elimination of As3+/5+ from contaminated water in sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

Potassium: A key modulator for cell homeostasis.

Potassium (K) is the most vital and abundant macro element for the overall growth of plants and its deficiency or, excess concentration results in many diseases in plants. It is involved in regulation of many crucial roles in plant development. Depending on soil-root interactions, complex soil dynamics often results in unpredictable availability of the elements. Based on the importance index, K is considered to be the second only to nitrogen for the overall growth of plants. More than 60 enzymes within the plant system depend on K for its activation, in which K act as a key regulator. K helps plants to resist several abiotic and biotic stresses in the environment. We have reviewed the research progress about K's role in plants covering various important considerations of K highlighting the effects of microbes on soil K+; K and its contribution to adsorbed dose in plants; the importance of K+ deficiency; physiological functions of K+ transporters and channels; and interference of abiotic stressor in the regulatory role of K. This review further highlights the scope of future research regarding K.

Transcription factors in SOX family: Potent regulators for cancer initiation and development in the human body.

Transcription factors (TFs) have a key role in controlling the gene regulatory network that sustains explicit cell states in humans. However, an uncontrolled regulation of these genes potentially results in a wide range of diseases, including cancer. Genes of the SOX family are indeed crucial as deregulation of SOX family TFs can potentially lead to changes in cell fate as well as irregular cell growth. SOX TFs are a conserved group of transcriptional regulators that mediate DNA binding through a highly conserved high-mobility group (HMG) domain. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that cell fate and differentiation in major developmental processes are controlled by SOX TFs. Besides; numerous reports indicate that both up- and down-regulation of SOX TFs may induce cancer progression. In this review, we discuss the involvement of key TFs of SOX family in human cancers.