Ring finger protein 138 inhibits transcription factor C/EBPα protein turnover leading to differentiation arrest in acute myeloid leukemia.

E3 ubiquitin ligase, ring finger protein 138 (RNF138) is involved in several biological processes; however, its role in myeloid differentiation or tumorigenesis remains unclear. RNAseq data from TNMplot showed that RNF138 mRNA levels are highly elevated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) bone marrow samples as compared with bone marrow of normal volunteers. Here, we show that RNF138 serves as an E3 ligase for the tumor suppressor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBPα) and promotes its degradation leading to myeloid differentiation arrest in AML. Wild-type RNF138 physically interacts with C/EBPα and promotes its ubiquitin-dependent proteasome degradation while a mutant RNF-138 deficient in ligase activity though interacts with C/EBPα, fails to down-regulate it. We show that RNF138 depletion enhances endogenous C/EBPα levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from healthy volunteers. Our data further shows that RNF138-mediated degradation of C/EBPα negatively affects its transactivation potential on its target genes. Furthermore, RNF138 overexpression inhibits all-trans-retinoic acid-induced differentiation of HL-60 cells whereas RNF138 RNAi enhances. In line with RNF138 inhibiting C/EBPα protein turnover, we also observed that RNF138 overexpression inhibited ß-estradiol (E2)-induced C/EBPα driven granulocytic differentiation in C/EBPα inducible K562-p42C/EBPα-estrogen receptor cells. Furthermore, we also recapitulated these findings in PBMCs isolated from AML patients where depletion of RNF138 increased the expression of myeloid differentiation marker CD11b. These results suggest that RNF138 inhibits myeloid differentiation by targeting C/EBPα for proteasomal degradation and may provide a plausible mechanism for loss of C/EBPα expression often observed in myeloid leukemia. Also, targeting RNF138 may resolve differentiation arrest by restoring C/EBPα expression in AML.

RING finger E3 ligase, RNF138 inhibits osteoblast differentiation by negatively regulating Runx2 protein turnover.

A few ubiquitin ligases have been shown to target Runx2, the key osteogenic transcription factor and thereby regulate bone formation. The regulation of Runx2 expression and function are controlled both at the transcriptional and posttranslational levels. Really interesting new gene (RING) finger ubiquitin ligases of which RNF138 is a member are important players in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, contributing to the regulation of protein turnover and cellular processes. Here, we demonstrated that RNF138 negatively correlated with Runx2 protein levels in osteopenic ovariectomized rats which implied its role in bone loss. Accordingly, RNF138 overexpression potently inhibited osteoblast differentiation of mesenchyme-like C3H10T1/2 as well primary rat calvarial osteoblast (RCO) cells in vitro, whereas overexpression of catalytically inactive mutant RNF138Δ18-58 (lacks RING finger domain) had mild to no effect. Contrarily, RNF138 depletion copiously enhanced endogenous Runx2 levels and augmented osteogenic differentiation of C3H10T1/2 as well as RCOs. Mechanistically, RNF138 physically associates within multiple regions of Runx2 and ubiquitinates it leading to its reduced protein stability in a proteasome-dependent manner. Moreover, catalytically active RNF138 destabilized Runx2 which resulted in inhibition of its transactivation potential and physiological function of promoting osteoblast differentiation leading to bone loss. These findings underscore the functional involvement of RNF138 in bone formation which is primarily achieved through its modulation of Runx2 by stimulating ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation. Thus, our findings indicate that RNF138 could be a promising novel target for therapeutic intervention in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Tunable long-range spin transport in a van der Waals Fe3GeTe2/WSe2/Fe3GeTe2 spin valve.

The seamless integration of two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic materials with similar or dissimilar materials can widen the scope of low-power spintronics. In this regard, a vertical van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure of 2D ferromagnets with semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) forms magnetic junctions with exceptional stability and electrical control. Interestingly, 2D metallic Fe3GeTe2 (FGT) reveals above room temperature Curie temperatures and has large magneto anisotropy due to spin-orbit coupling. In addition, it also possesses topological states and a large Berry curvature. Herein, we designed the FGT/WSe2/FGT vdW heterostructure with a uniform and sharp interface so that FGT could maintain its inherent electronic properties. Also, the uniform thickness of the barrier provides a smooth flow of spins through the junctions as tunneling exponentially decays with an increasing barrier thickness. However, strong energy-dependent spin polarization is crucial for achieving optimum spin valve properties, such as large tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) along with the manipulation of the magnitude and sign reversal. We have observed a shifting of high-energy localized minority spin states toward low-energy regions, which causes spin polarization fluctuation between -42.5% and 41% over a wide range of bias voltage. This leads to a negative TMR% of ∼-100% at 0.1 V Å-1 and also a large positive TMR% at 0.2 V Å-1 and -0.4 V Å-1. Besides, the system exhibits a highly tunable large anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) of 626 S cm-1. Interestingly, such unprecedented electronic behaviour with large and switchable spin polarization, anomalous Hall conductivity and TMR can be incorporated into MTJ devices, which provide electrical control and long-range spin transport. Additionally, the system emerges as a standout candidate in low-power spintronic devices (e.g., MRAM and magnetic sensors) owing to its distinctive energy-dependent electronic structure with a wide range of external bias.

Cadmium toxicity: its' uptake and retaliation by plant defence system and ja signaling.

Cadmium (Cd+2) renders multifarious environmental stresses and highly toxic to nearly all living organisms including plants. Cd causes toxicity by unnecessary augmentation of ROS that targets essential molecules and fundamental processes in plants. In response, plants outfitted a repertory of mechanisms to offset Cd toxicity. The main elements of these are Cd chelation, sequestration into vacuoles, and adjustment of Cd uptake by transporters and escalation of antioxidative mechanism. Signal molecules like phytohormones and reactive oxygen species (ROS) activate the MAPK cascade, the activation of the antioxidant system andsynergistic crosstalk between different signal molecules in order to regulate plant responses to Cd toxicity. Transcription factors like WRKY, MYB, bHLH, bZIP, ERF, NAC etc., located downstream of MAPK, and are key factors in regulating Cd toxicity responses in plants. Apart from this, MAPK and Ca2+signaling also have a salient involvement in rectifying Cd stress in plants. This review highlighted the mechanism of Cd uptake, translocation, detoxification and the key role of defense system, MAPKs, Ca2+ signals and jasmonic acid in retaliating Cd toxicity via synchronous management of various other regulators and signaling components involved under stress condition.

Enzyme-linked carbon nanotubes as biocatalytic tools to degrade and mitigate environmental pollutants.

A wide array of organic compounds have been recognized as pollutants of high concern due to their controlled or uncontrolled presence in environmental matrices. The persistent prevalence of diverse organic pollutants, including pharmaceutical compounds, phenolic compounds, synthetic dyes, and other hazardous substances, necessitates robust measures for their practical and sustainable removal from water bodies. Several bioremediation and biodegradation methods have been invented and deployed, with a wide range of materials well-suited for diverse environments. Enzyme-linked carbon-based materials have been considered efficient biocatalytic platforms for the remediation of complex organic pollutants, mostly showing over 80% removal efficiency of micropollutants. The advantages of enzyme-linked carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in enzyme immobilization and improved catalytic potential may thus be advantageous for environmental research considering the current need for pollutant removal. This review outlines the perspective of current remediation approaches and highlights the advantageous features of enzyme-linked CNTs in the removal of pollutants, emphasizing their reusability and stability aspects. Furthermore, different applications of enzyme-linked CNTs in environmental research with concluding remarks and future outlooks have been highlighted. Enzyme-linked CNTs serve as a robust biocatalytic platform for the sustainability agenda with the aim of keeping the environment clean and safe from a variety of organic pollutants.

Efficacy and safety of spironolactone versus bicalutamide in female pattern hair loss: A retrospective comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Female-pattern hair loss (FPHL) is characterized by decreased scalp hair density, thinning of hair shafts, and progressive miniaturization of hair follicles. OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and efficacy of spironolactone versus bicalutamide in female pattern hair loss [FPHL]. METHODS: The study design was retrospective, and all eligible females aged between 18 years and 50 years with FPHL were included. We identified 120 patients from our database who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and patients were then categorized into two groups, Group A comprising patients who were taking 100 mg of spironolactone once daily and Group B comprising patients who were taking 50 mg of bicalutamide once daily along with topical minoxidil 2% in both groups. Patient were analysed at approximately at 24 weeks from the commencement of the treatment. RESULTS: Mean reduction in hair loss severity score on Sinclair scale was 19.51% in spironolactone group compared to 28.20% in bicalutamide group at 24 weeks, which was statistically significant. On global photographic assessment, marked improvement was seen in bicalutamide group compared to spironolactone group (p = 0.139). CONCLUSIONS: Our study, though limited by its retrospective design and small sample size, showed that bicalutamide has greater efficacy and better safety profile in comparison to spironolactone in the treatment of FPHL.

Multi-location evaluation of field pea in Indian climates: eco-phenological dynamics, crop-environment relationships, and identification of mega-environments.

Characterization of crop-growing environments in relation to crop's genotypic performance is crucial to harness positive genotype-by-environment interactions (GEI) in systematic breeding programs. Given that, the study aimed to delineate the impact of diverse environments on crop phenology and yield traits of dwarf-statured field pea, pinpointing location(s) favoring higher yield and distinctiveness within breeding lines. We tested twelve field pea breeding lines across twenty locations in India, covering Central Zone (CZ), North Western Plain Zone (NWPZ), North Eastern Plain Zone (NEPZ), and Northern Hill Zone (NHZ). Across these locations, maximum and minimum temperatures during flowering (TMAXF, TMINF) and reproductive period (TMAXRP, TMINRP) ranged 18.9-28.3, 3.3-18.0, 15.0-30.8, and 7.9-22.1oC, respectively. Meanwhile, notable variations in phenological and agronomic traits (coefficient of variation) were observed: flowering (31%), days to maturity (21%), reproductive period (18%), grain yield (48%), and 100-seed weight (18%). Combined ANOVA demonstrated an oversized impact of environment (81%) on yield, while genotype and GEI effects were 2% and 14%, respectively. The variables TMINF, TMINRP, and cumulative growing degree-day showed positive correlations with yield, while extended vegetative and maturity durations negatively influenced yield (p < 0.05). Additionally, linear mixed-models and PCA results explained that instability in crop phenology had significant influence on field pea yield. Seed weight was markedly varied within the locations (9.9-20.8 g) and both higher and lower seed weights were associated with lower yields (Optimal = 17.1 g). HA-GGE biplot-based on environment focus-scaling demonstrated three mega-environments and specific locations viz. Kota (CZ), SK Nagar (CZ), Raipur (CZ), Sehore (CZ), and Pantnagar (NWPZ) as the ideal testing-environments with high efficiency in selecting new genotypes with wider adaptability. The study findings highlight distinct impact of environments on crop phenology and agronomic traits of field pea (dwarf-type), hold substantial value in designing efficient field pea (dwarf-type) breeding program at mega-environment scale.

Use of shear wave imaging with intestinal ultrasonography in patients with chronic diarrhea.

OBJECTIVE: A retrospective study was designed to determine the role of shear wave elastography (SWE) and intestinal ultrasonography to differentiate between inflammatory and fibrotic bowel strictures by determining Young's modulus (E) and shear wave dispersion (SWD) and to compare its role with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in patients with chronic diarrhea and pain abdomen. METHODS: Seventy-six patients who had increased small bowel thickness (SBWT) >3 mm, and large bowel wall thickness (LBWT) >4 mm on intestinal ultrasonography (IUS) were evaluated in a two-step manner. The first step involved classifying patients with increased SBWT >3 mm and LBWT >4 mm by use of SWE and dispersion into three groups that is group I (fibrotic), group II (inflammatory) thickening, and group III (mixed-fibrosis and inflammatory) wall thickening. In the second step, etiological classification was done using six gray scale features of IUS that is length and degree of bowel thickening, presence of bowel stratification, Limberg grade of vascularity, status of mesenteric fat, juxta bowel status-nodes, fluid, and fistula formation to reach to a definitive diagnosis. These findings were compared with findings on CECT. Twenty-three patients had diagnosis confirmed by biopsy while 18 underwent surgery with histologic confirmation of operative findings. The sensitivity, specificity and AUROC for both modalities were compared. RESULTS: Group I that is fibrotic group had 33 patients with fibrotic strictures of which fibrotic Crohn's disease (CD)and tuberculosis of the bowel were the dominant types followed by neoplastic and infective causes. In Group II that is inflammatory there were 32 patients with predominantly infective ileo-colitis, and ulcerative colitis patients while 11 patients were present in group III that is (mixed fibrotic and inflammatory) type of bowel wall thickening and were patients of inflammatory CD, infective ileo-colitis. The presence of length of bowel involvement, Limberg grade, mesenteric fat proliferation, and SBWT>9 mm were the statistically significant parameters on IUS which helped to reach to final diagnosis. The sensitivity and specificity of combined SWE with SWD and IUS were 100% and 99% while that of CECT was 78% and 96% respectively with AUROC of 100% and 64%. CONCLUSION: SWI combined with IUS in a two-step manner is an accurate way to evaluate patients with chronic diarrhea who have increased SBWT and is not only able to differentiate inflammatory from fibrotic bowel wall thickening but also helps to form an etiological diagnosis.

Electrically Controlled Bimetallic Junctions for Atomic-Scale Electronics.

Forming atomic-scale contacts with attractive geometries and material compositions is a long-term goal of nanotechnology. Here, we show that a rich family of bimetallic atomic-contacts can be fabricated in break-junction setups. The structure and material composition of these contacts can be controlled by atomically precise electromigration, where the metal types of the electron-injecting and sink electrodes determine the type of atoms added to, or subtracted from, the contact structure. The formed bimetallic structures include, for example, platinum and aluminum electrodes bridged by an atomic chain composed of platinum and aluminum atoms as well as iron-nickel single-atom contacts that act as a spin-valve break junction without the need for sophisticated spin-valve geometries. The versatile nature of atomic contacts in bimetallic junctions and the ability to control their structure by electromigration can be used to expand the structural variety of atomic and molecular junctions and their span of properties.

AIP4 regulates adipocyte differentiation by targeting C/EBPα for ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation.

Adipogenesis, that is, the formation of terminally differentiated adipocytes is intricately regulated by transcription factors where CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) plays a key role. In the current study, we demonstrate that E3 ubiquitin ligase AIP4 negatively regulates C/EBPα protein stability leading to reduced adipogenesis. While AIP4 overexpression in 3T3-L1 cells preadipocytes inhibited lipid accumulation when treated with differentiation inducing media (MDI), AIP4 depletion was sufficient to partially promote lipid accumulation even in the absence of MDI. Mechanistically, overexpression of AIP4 inhibited protein levels of both ectopically expressed as well as endogenous C/EBPα while catalytically inactive AIP4 failed. On the contrary, AIP4 depletion profoundly enhanced endogenous C/EBPα protein levels. The observation that AIP4 levels decrease with concomitant increase in C/EBPα levels during adipocyte differentiation further indicated that AIP4 negatively regulates C/EBPα levels. We further show that AIP4 physically interacts with C/EBPα and ubiquitinates it leading to its proteasomal degradation. AIP4 promoted K48-linked ubiquitination of C/EBPα while catalytically inactive AIP4-C830A failed. Taken together, our data demonstrate that AIP4 inhibits adipogenesis by targeting C/EBPα for ubiquitin-mediated proteasome degradation.

Genome mining to identify valuable secondary metabolites and their regulation in Actinobacteria from different niches.

Actinobacteria are the largest bacteria group with 18 significant lineages, which are ubiquitously distributed in all the possible terrains. They are known to produce more than 10,000 medically relevant compounds. Despite their ability to make critical secondary metabolites and genome sequences' availability, these two have not been linked with certainty. With this intent, our study aims at understanding the biosynthetic capacity in terms of secondary metabolite production in 528 Actinobacteria species from five different habitats, viz., soil, water, plants, animals, and humans. In our analysis of 9,646 clusters of 59 different classes, we have documented 64,000 SMs, of which more than 74% were of unique type, while 19% were partially conserved and 7% were conserved compounds. In the case of conserved compounds, we found the highest distribution in soil, 79.12%. We found alternate sources of antibiotics, such as viomycin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, fosfomycin, ficellomycin and patulin, and antitumour compounds, such as doxorubicin and tacrolimus in the soil. Also our study reported alternate sources for the toxin cyanobactin in water and plant isolates. We further analysed the clusters to determine their regulatory pathways and reported the prominent presence of the two component system of TetR/AcrR family, as well as other partial domains like CitB superfamily and HTH superfamily, and discussed their role in secondary metabolite production. This information will be helpful in exploring Actinobacteria from other environments and in discovering new chemical moieties of clinical significance.

Ormeloxifene, a nonsteroidal antifertility drug promotes megakaryocyte differentiation in leukemia cell line K562.

Ormeloxifene (ORM) (3,4-trans-2,2-dimethyl-3-phenyl-4-p-(ß-pyrrolidinoethoxy) phenyl-7-methoxychroman), world's first nonsteroidal selective estrogen receptor modulator approved for contraception in India has been shown to have potential anticancer activities. Here, we show that ORM can induce megakaryocyte and myeloid (granulocytic) but not erythroid differentiation in multipotent human myeloid leukemia cell line K562. We show that ORM at an IC50 of 7.5 µM can induce morphological changes similar to megakaryocytes in K562 cells. ORM led to increase in levels of megakaryocytic differentiation markers (CD41 and CD61) as well as key transcription factors GATA1 and AML1. We further show that ORM induces megakaryocytic differentiation in K562 cells through ERK activation and induction of autophagy in a fashion similar to other known inducers of megakaryocytic differentiation such as phorbol esters. In addition, as shown earlier, we yet again observed that ORM led to activation of caspases since their inhibition through pan-caspase inhibitor mitigated megakaryocytic differentiation as they led to significant decrease in CD41 and CD61. Because induction of megakaryocytic differentiation in K562 involves growth arrest and exit from cell cycle, we also observed an increase in levels of p21 and p27 with decrease in c-Myc protein levels in K562 cells treated with 7.5 µM ORM for 24 and 48 h, respectively. Taken together, these findings indicate that ORM can markedly induce megakaryocytic differentiation in K562 cells.

Long-term adaptation of ParA, RelE/ParE partition system, replication protein and phage proteins encoding low-cost plasmids of Escherichia species isolated from diarrheic children of North East India.

AIMS: The prevalent distribution of plasmid-mediated ß-lactam resistance is the most pressing global problem in enteric diseases. The current work aims to characterize plasmid-carrying ß-lactam resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates from North East India for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and plasmid adaptation study. METHODS AND RESULTS: In vitro transconjugation and transformation showed overall high conjugation frequency (4.11 × 10-1-9.2 × 10-1) and moderate transformation efficiency/µg DNA (1.02 × 102 -1 × 103), and the highest conjugation frequency (9.2 × 10-1) and transformation efficiency (1 × 103) for Escherichia species S-10. Intra/intergenus plasmid transformation efficiency was highest for the transformation of Klebsiella pneumoniae S-2 to Shigellaflexneri S-42 (1.3 × 103) and lowest for Escherichia species S-10 to Escherichia fergusonii S-30 (2 × 102). In the plasmid stability test, S-10 was detected with the highest plasmid carrying frequency (83.44%) and insignificant segregational loss rate (0.0004) until the 60th day with low plasmid cost on the host. The above findings were also validated by whole-plasmid sequencing of Escherichia species S-10. The genome was identified with two plasmids constituting multiple phage proteins, relaxosomal protein NikA, replication protein RepA, and the plasmid maintenance proteins (ParA, RelE/ParE), thus assisting stable plasmid maintenance. CONCLUSIONS: The results thus indicate that the high conjugation ability and low plasmid fitness cost might lead to horizontal gene transfer of the plasmid to the environment due to their prolonged adaptation in nonselective conditions, intensifying the infection's severity.

Bio-mitigation of organic pollutants using horseradish peroxidase as a promising biocatalytic platform for environmental sustainability.

A wide array of environmental pollutants is often generated and released into the ecosystem from industrial and human activities. Antibiotics, phenolic compounds, hydroquinone, industrial dyes, and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are prevalent pollutants in water matrices. To promote environmental sustainability and minimize the impact of these pollutants, it is essential to eliminate such contaminants. Although there are multiple methods for pollutants removal, many of them are inefficient and environmentally unfriendly. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) has been widely explored for its ability to oxidize the aforementioned pollutants, both alone and in combination with other peroxidases, and in an immobilized way. Numerous positive attributes make HRP an excellent biocatalyst in the biodegradation of diverse environmentally hazardous pollutants. In the present review, we underlined the major advancements in the HRP for environmental research. Numerous immobilization and combinational studies have been reviewed and summarized to comprehend the degradability, fate, and biotransformation of pollutants. In addition, a possible deployment of emerging computational methodologies for improved catalysis has been highlighted, along with future outlook and concluding remarks.

Polyketide Quinones Are Alternate Intermediate Electron Carriers during Mycobacterial Respiration in Oxygen-Deficient Niches.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) adaptation to hypoxia is considered crucial to its prolonged latent persistence in humans. Mtb lesions are known to contain physiologically heterogeneous microenvironments that bring about differential responses from bacteria. Here we exploit metabolic variability within biofilm cells to identify alternate respiratory polyketide quinones (PkQs) from both Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msmeg) and Mtb. PkQs are specifically expressed in biofilms and other oxygen-deficient niches to maintain cellular bioenergetics. Under such conditions, these metabolites function as mobile electron carriers in the respiratory electron transport chain. In the absence of PkQs, mycobacteria escape from the hypoxic core of biofilms and prefer oxygen-rich conditions. Unlike the ubiquitous isoprenoid pathway for the biosynthesis of respiratory quinones, PkQs are produced by type III polyketide synthases using fatty acyl-CoA precursors. The biosynthetic pathway is conserved in several other bacterial genomes, and our study reveals a redox-balancing chemicocellular process in microbial physiology.

Management of scalp arteriovenous malformations: a rising trend towards percutaneous direct puncture embolization technique-our experience.

BACKGROUND: Scalp arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), or cirsoid aneurysms of the scalp, usually present with troublesome symptoms and cosmetic disfigurement. Endovascular/percutaneous embolization has evolved as a sole treatment method or adjunct to surgical excision in the management of scalp AVMs with an excellent outcome. PURPOSE: To discuss minimally invasive techniques for treating scalp AVMs as well as to highlight the role of embolization before surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 50 patients with scalp AVM who underwent embolization (percutaneous/endovascular) during 2010-2019 at a tertiary care center. n-butyl cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) was used as an embolizing agent in all the cases and the patients were followed up at three- and six-month intervals with Doppler evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 50 patients were included in the study. The occipital region was the most common location; 82% were Schobinger class II lesions and 18% were class III lesions. Thirteen patients had small-sized AVMs and 37 patients had large-sized AVMs. Post-embolization surgery was performed in 36 patients. Of the patients, 28 underwent percutaneous embolization, 20 underwent endovascular embolization, and two underwent both to achieve complete embolization of the lesion. The number of percutaneous procedures increased in the latter half of the study period as the safety and efficacy of the technique were established. No major complications were seen in this study. CONCLUSION: Embolization of scalp AVMs is a safe and effective technique and can be used in isolation for small lesions and as an adjunct procedure to surgery for large-sized lesions.

Forensic characterization of 124 SNPs in the central Indian population using precision ID Identity Panel through next-generation sequencing.

With the advent of next-generation sequencing technology, SNP markers are being explored as a useful alternative to conventional capillary electrophoresis-based STR typing. Low mutation rate and short-sized amplicons are added advantages of SNP markers over the STRs. However, to achieve a sufficient level of discrimination among individuals, a higher number of SNPs need to be characterized simultaneously. Hence, the NGS technique is highly useful to analyze a sufficiently higher number of SNPs simultaneously. Though the technique is in its nascent stage, an attempt has been made to assess its usability in the central Indian population by analyzing 124 SNPs (90 autosomal and 34 Y-chromosome) in 95 individuals. Various quality parameters such as locus balance, locus strand balance, heterozygosity balance, and noise level showed a good quality sequence obtained from the Ion GeneStudio S5 instrument. Obtained frequency of SNP alleles ranged from 0.001 to 0.377 in autosomal SNPs. rs9951171 was found to be the most informative SNP in the studied population with the highest PD and lowest MP value. The cumulative MP of 90 SNPs was found to be 4.76698 × 10-37. Analysis of 34 Y-chromosome SNPs reveals 11 unique haplogroups in 54 male samples with R1a1 as the most frequent haplogroup found in 22.22% of samples. Interpopulation comparison by FST analysis, PCA plot, and STRUCTURE analysis showed genetic stratification of the studied population suggesting the utility of SNP markers present in the Precision ID Identity Panel for forensic demands of the Indian population.

Ion transporters and their regulatory signal transduction mechanisms for salinity tolerance in plants.

Soil salinity is one of the most serious threats to plant growth and productivity. Due to global climate change, burgeoning population and shrinking arable land, there is an urgent need to develop crops with minimum reduction in yield when cultivated in salt-affected areas. Salinity stress imposes osmotic stress as well as ion toxicity, which impairs major plant processes such as photosynthesis, cellular metabolism, and plant nutrition. One of the major effects of salinity stress in plants includes the disturbance of ion homeostasis in various tissues. In the present study, we aimed to review the regulation of uptake, transport, storage, efflux, influx, and accumulation of various ions in plants under salinity stress. We have summarized major research advancements towards understanding the ion homeostasis at both cellular and whole-plant level under salinity stress. We have also discussed various factors regulating the function of ion transporters and channels in maintaining ion homeostasis and ionic interactions under salt stress, including plant antioxidative defense, osmo-protection, and osmoregulation. We further elaborated on stress perception at extracellular and intracellular levels, which triggers downstream intracellular-signaling cascade, including secondary messenger molecules generation. Various signaling and signal transduction mechanisms under salinity stress and their role in improving ion homeostasis in plants are also discussed. Taken together, the present review focuses on recent advancements in understanding the regulation and function of different ion channels and transporters under salt stress, which may pave the way for crop improvement.

Shaping the root system architecture in plants for adaptation to drought stress.

Root system architecture plays an important role in plant adaptation to drought stress. The root system architecture (RSA) consists of several structural features, which includes number and length of main and lateral roots along with the density and length of root hairs. These features exhibit plasticity under water-limited environments and could be critical to developing crops with efficient root systems for adaptation under drought. Recent advances in the omics approaches have significantly improved our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of RSA remodeling under drought and the identification of genes and other regulatory elements. Plant response to drought stress at physiological, morphological, biochemical, and molecular levels in root cells is regulated by various phytohormones and their crosstalk. Stress-induced reactive oxygen species play a significant role in regulating root growth and development under drought stress. Several transcription factors responsible for the regulation of RSA under drought have proven to be beneficial for developing drought tolerant crops. Molecular breeding programs for developing drought-tolerant crops have been greatly benefitted by the availability of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with the RSA regulation. In the present review, we have discussed the role of various QTLs, signaling components, transcription factors, microRNAs and crosstalk among various phytohormones in shaping RSA and present future research directions to better understand various factors involved in RSA remodeling for adaptation to drought stress. We believe that the information provided herein may be helpful in devising strategies to develop crops with better RSA for efficient uptake and utilization of water and nutrients under drought conditions.

AtUSP17 negatively regulates salt stress tolerance through modulation of multiple signaling pathways in Arabidopsis.

AtUSP17 is a multiple stress-inducible gene that encodes a universal stress protein (USP) in Arabidopsis thaliana. In the present study, we functionally characterized AtUSP17 using its knock-down mutant, Atusp17, and AtUSP17-overexpression lines (WTOE). The overexpression of AtUSP17 in wild-type and Atusp17 mutant Arabidopsis plants resulted in higher sensitivity to salt stress during seed germination than WT and Atusp17 mutant lines. In addition, the WTOE and FC lines exhibited higher abscisic acid (ABA) sensitivity than Atusp17 mutant during germination. The exogenous application of ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) was able to rescue the salt hypersensitive phenotype of WTOE lines. In contrast, AgNO3 , an ethylene action inhibitor, further blocked the effect of ACC during germination. The addition of ACC under salt stress resulted in reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, expression of ABA-responsive genes, improved proline synthesis, increased expression of positive regulators of ethylene signaling and antioxidant defense genes with enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities. The WTOE lines exhibited salt sensitivity even at the adult plant stage, while Atusp17 mutant exhibited higher salt tolerance with higher chlorophyll, relative water content and lower electrolyte leakage as compared with WT. The BAR interaction viewer database and available literature mining identified AtUSP17-interacting proteins, which include RGS1, RACK1C and PRN1 involved in G-protein signaling, which play a crucial role in salt stress responses. Based on the present study and available literature, we proposed a model in which AtUSP17 negatively mediates salt tolerance in Arabidopsis through modulation of ethylene, ABA, ROS, and G-protein signaling and responses.