Identification and characterization of drought responsive miRNAs in a drought tolerant upland rice cultivar KMJ 1-12-3.

Shortfall of rain that creates drought like situation in non-irrigated agriculture system often limits rice production, necessitating introduction of drought tolerance trait into the cultivar of interest. The mechanism governing drought tolerance is, however, largely unknown, particularly the involvement of miRNAs, the master regulators of biochemical events. In this regard, response study on a drought tolerant rice variety KMJ 1-12-3 to 20% PEG (osmolality- 315 mOsm/kg) as drought stress revealed significant changes in abundance of several conserved miRNAs targeting transcription factors like homeodomain-leucine zipper, MADS box family protein, C2H2 zinc finger protein and Myb, well known for their importance in drought tolerance in plants. The response study also revealed significant PEG-induced decrease in abundance of the miRNAs targeting cyclin A, cyclin-dependent kinase, guanine nucleotide exchange factor, GTPase-activating protein, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase and indole-3-acetic beta-glucosyl transferase indicating miRNA-regulated role of the cell cycle regulators, G-protein signalling and the plant hormones ethylene and IAA in drought tolerance in plants. The study confirmed the existence of four novel miRNAs, including osa-miR12470, osa-miR12471, osa-miR12472 and osa-miR12473, and the targets of three of them could be successfully validated. The PEG-induced decrease in abundance of the novel miRNAs osa-miR12470 and osa-miR12473 targeting RNA dependent RNA polymerase and equilibrative nucleoside transporter, respectively suggested an overall increase in both degradation and synthesis of nucleic acids in plants challenged with drought stress. The drought-responsive miRNAs identified in the study may be proved useful in introducing the trait in the rice cultivars of choice by manipulation of their cellular abundance.

LogMPIE, pan-India profiling of the human gut microbiome using 16S rRNA sequencing.

The "Landscape Of Gut Microbiome - Pan-India Exploration", or LogMPIE study, is the first large-scale, nationwide record of the Indian gut microbiome. The primary objective of the study was to identify and map the Indian gut microbiome baseline. This observational study was conducted across 14 geographical locations in India. Enrolled subjects were uniformly distributed across geographies (north, east, west and south) and body mass index (obese and non-obese). Furthermore, factors influencing the microbiome, such as age and physical activity, were also considered in the study design. The LogMPIE study recorded data from 1004 eligible subjects and reported 993 unique microorganisms across the Indian microbiome diaspora. The data not only map the Indian gut microbiome baseline but also function as a useful resource to study, analyse and identify signatures characterizing the physiological dispositions of the subjects. Furthermore, they provide insight into the unique features describing the Indian microbiome. The data are open and may be accessed from the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) portal of the European Bioinformatics Institute (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/data/view/PRJEB25642).

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Extensively Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Strains Isolated from Pus Samples.

We report the draft genomes of two extensively drug-resistant (XDR)Acinetobacter baumanniistrains isolated from pus samples of two patients with surgical site infections at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram, India. The average genomic size and G+C content are 4 Mbp and 38.96% (AB28) and 4 Mbp and 38.94% (AB30), respectively.

Draft Genome Sequence of a Clinically Isolated Extensively Drug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain.

We present the draft genome assembly of an extensively drug-resistant (XDR)Pseudomonas aeruginosastrain isolated from a patient with a history of genito urinary tuberculosis. The draft genome is 7,022,546 bp with a G+C content of 65.48%. It carries 7 phage genomes, genes for quorum sensing, biofilm formation, virulence, and antibiotic resistance.

Resilience and receptivity worked in tandem to sustain a geothermal mat community amidst erratic environmental conditions.

To elucidate how geothermal irregularities affect the sustainability of high-temperature microbiomes we studied the synecological dynamics of a geothermal microbial mat community (GMMC) vis-à-vis fluctuations in its environment. Spatiotemporally-discrete editions of a photosynthetic GMMC colonizing the travertine mound of a circum-neutral hot spring cluster served as the model-system. In 2010 a strong geyser atop the mound discharged mineral-rich hot water, which nourished a GMMC continuum from the proximal channels (PC) upto the slope environment (SE) along the mound's western face. In 2011 that geyser extinguished and consequently the erstwhile mats disappeared. Nevertheless, two relatively-weaker vents erupted in the southern slope and their mineral-poor outflow supported a small GMMC patch in the SE. Comparative metagenomics showed that this mat was a relic of the 2010 community, conserved via population dispersal from erstwhile PC as well as SE niches. Subsequently in 2012, as hydrothermal activity augmented in the southern slope, ecological niches widened and the physiologically-heterogeneous components of the 2011 "seed-community" split into PC and SE meta-communities, thereby reclaiming either end of the thermal gradient. Resilience of incumbent populations, and the community's receptiveness towards immigrants, were the key qualities that ensured the GMMC's sustenance amidst habitat degradation and dispersal to discrete environments.

Draft Genome Sequence of Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, Isolated from a Postoperative Endophthalmitis Patient.

We present the draft genome assembly of an Elizabethkingia meningoseptica strain isolated from a 67-year-old postoperative endophthalmitis patient who suffered loss of vision in the right eye. The draft genome assembly has 167 contigs with a total size of 4,019,665 bp encoding multiple drug-resistant genes.

Draft Genome Sequence of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Strain W2 Associated with Crocus sativus (Saffron).

Bacillus sp. strain W2 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium isolated from saffron fields of Kashmir, India. Here, we report the draft genome sequence (3.9 Mb) of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain W2 having 65 contigs (3, 997, 511 bp), 4,163 coding sequences, and an average 46.45% GC content. Despite the 99% identity of the 16S rRNA gene with that of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42, the genome comparison revealed that only 48.7% of the W2 genome has homology with that of FZB42.

ClassAMP: a prediction tool for classification of antimicrobial peptides.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are gaining popularity as anti-infective agents. Information on sequence features that contribute to target specificity of AMPs will aid in accelerating drug discovery programs involving them. In this study, an algorithm called ClassAMP using Random Forests (RFs) and Support Vector Machines (SVMs) has been developed to predict the propensity of a protein sequence to have antibacterial, antifungal, or antiviral activity. ClassAMP is available at http://www.bicnirrh.res.in/classamp/.