The response of transgenic Brassica species to salt stress: a review.

Salt stress is considered one of the main abiotic factors to limit crop growth and productivity by affecting morpho-physiological and biochemical processes. Genetically, a number of salt tolerant Brassica varieties have been developed and introduced, but breeding of such varieties is time consuming. Therefore, current focus is on transgenic technology, which plays an important role in the development of salt tolerant varieties. Various salt tolerant genes have been characterized and incorporated into Brassica. Therefore, such genetic transformation of Brassica species is a significant step for improvement of crops, as well as conferring salt stress resistance qualities to Brassica species. Complete genome sequencing has made the task of genetically transforming Brassica species easier, by identifying desired candidate genes. The present review discusses relevant information about the principles which should be employed to develop transgenic Brassica species, and also will recommend tools for improved tolerance to salinity.

Approaches based on miRNAs in Behçet's Disease: Unveiling pathogenic mechanisms, diagnostic strategies, and therapeutic applications.

Behçet's Disease (BD) is an intricate medical puzzle, captivating researchers with its enigmatic pathogenesis. This complex ailment, distinguished by recurrent mouth and genital lesions, eye irritation, and skin injuries, presents a substantial obstacle to therapeutic research. This review explores the complex interaction of microRNAs (miRNAs) with BD, highlighting their crucial involvement in the disease's pathophysiology. miRNAs, recognized for regulatory influence in diverse biological processes, hold a pivotal position in the molecular mechanisms of autoimmune diseases, such as BD. The exploration begins with examining miRNA biogenic pathways and functions, establishing a foundational understanding of their regulatory mechanisms. Shifting to the molecular landscape governing BD, the review highlights miRNA-mediated impacts on critical signaling pathways like Notch, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), offering insights into intricate pathophysiological mechanisms. Dissecting the immunological landscape reveals the profound influence of miRNAs on BD, shedding light on the intricate modulation of immune responses and offering novel perspectives on disease etiology and progression. Beyond molecular intricacies, the review explores the clinical relevance of miRNAs in BD, emphasizing their potential as diagnostic and prognostic indicators. The discussion extends to the promising realm of miRNA-based therapeutic interventions, highlighting their potential in alleviating symptoms and altering disease progression. This comprehensive review, serving as a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders, aims to decipher the intricate molecular tapestry of BD and explore the therapeutic potential of miRNAs.

Variation of rice starch structure and physicochemical properties in response to high natural temperature during the reproductive stage.

Climate warming affects rice growth at different phenological stages, thereby increasing rice chalkiness and protein content and reducing eating and cooking quality (ECQ). The structural and physicochemical properties of rice starch played important roles in determining rice quality. However, differences in their response to high temperature during the reproductive stage have been rarely studied. In the present study, they were evaluated and compared between two contrasting natural temperature field conditions, namely, high seasonal temperature (HST) and low seasonal temperature (LST), during the reproductive stage of rice in 2017 and 2018. Compared with LST, HST significantly deteriorated rice quality, including increased grain chalkiness, setback, consistence, and pasting temperature and reduced taste values. HST considerably reduced the total starch and increased the protein content. Likewise, HST significantly reduced the short amylopectin chains [degree of polymerization (DP) <12] and increased the long amylopectin chains (DP > 12) and relative crystallinity. The starch structure, total starch content, and protein content explained 91.4%, 90.4%, and 89.2% of the total variations in pasting properties, taste value, and grain chalkiness degree, respectively. In conclusion, we suggested that rice quality variations were closely associated with the changes in chemical composition content (total starch and protein content) and starch structure in response to HST. These results indicated that we should improve the resistance of rice to high temperature during the reproductive stage to improve the fine structure of rice starch in further breeding and practice.

Response of Source-Sink Characteristics and Rice Quality to High Natural Field Temperature During Reproductive Stage in Irrigated Rice System.

Global warming greatly affects the development of rice at different growth stages, thereby deteriorating rice quality. However, the effect of high natural field temperature during reproductive stages on rice quality is unclear. Thus, grain filling dynamics, source-sink characteristics and quality-related traits were compared between two contrasting natural field temperature conditions namely normal (low temperature) (LRT) and hot (high temperature) growth season (HRT) during reproductive stage. Compared with LRT, HRT significantly increased chalky grain rate (about 1.6-3.1%), chalkiness level (about 4.7-22.4%), protein content (about 0.93-1.07%), pasting temperature, setback, and consistence, and decreased total starch content (about 4.6-6.2%). Moreover, HRT significantly reduced the leaf area index (LAI, about 0.54-1.11 m2 m-2), specific leaf weight (SLW, about 1.27-1.44 mg cm-2) and source-sink ratio (leaf-sink ratio and/or stem-sink ratio), shortened the active grain filling period by 3.1-3.2 days, and reduced the rations of dry matter translocation to grain (RDMs). In conclusion, we suggested that significant reduction in assimilate translocation after flowering, resulting in the reduced active grain-filling duration and the poor rice quality (high chalkiness and the poor eating and cooking quality), modulated by source-sink characteristics in response to high natural field temperature during reproductive stage. These results enriched the study of high temperature-stressed rice and served as an important reference for selecting high-quality, heat-tolerant varieties and protecting rice quality under high-temperature conditions.

Cloning and sequencing of lsaE efflux pump gene from MDR Enterococci and its role in erythromycin resistance.

Enterococci are opportunistic members of intestinal microbiota with notable ability to transmit antimicrobial resistance genes. Among the different resistance mechanisms, multidrug efflux is evolving as a huge problem in conferring multidrug resistance to bacterial cells because these pumps extrude a broad range of antimicrobials. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate role of efflux pumps in the development of multi-drug resistance in Enterococci through studying the antimicrobial resistance profiles of Enterococci isolates, phenotypically and genotypically investigating the role of active efflux pumps in development of resistance, in addition to characterizing the most common efflux pump genes. The study involved the recovery of 149 Enterococci isolates from specimens of patients suffering infections in some hospitals in Egypt. Antimicrobial resistance profiles of isolates showed that only 1.3% of the isolates were resistant to each of linezolid, daptomycin, and fosfomycin. The highest resistance was to ampicillin (60.4%) while 47 of the isolates (31.54%) were found to be multidrug-resistant. Efflux pumps have shown to have a significant role in erythromycin resistance in 11 isolates (23.4% of MDR isolates) as indicated by an 8 or more fold decrease in minimum inhibitory concentration in the presence of the efflux pump inhibitor, carbonyl cyanide m- chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). End point PCR was used to detect efflux pump genes lsaE, msrC, and mefA in the 11 isolates at which efflux pumps were found to play a significant role in resistance. Nine out of the 11 isolates (81.8%) were found to carry lsaE gene. This gene was inserted into pUC21 vector and cloned into DH5α E. coli resulting in successful transformation and expression of erythromycin resistance in this host. Finally, sequencing of the lsaE gene was carried out. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the cloning of lsaE gene from MDR Enterococcus isolates.

Modulation of salinity impact on early seedling stage via nano-priming application of zinc oxide on rapeseed (Brassica napus L.).

Salinity stress negatively affects the plant's developmental stages through micronutrient imbalance. As an essential micronutrient, ZnO can substitute Na+ absorption under saline conditions. Therefore, nanoparticles as technological innovation, improve the plant growth efficiency under biotic and abiotic stresses. Nano-priming has become widely applicable in agricultural research during the last decade. The current study was conducted to highlight the impact of ZnONPs priming on seedling biological processes under 150 mM of NaCl using two rapeseed cultivars during the early seedling stage. All concentrations of ZnONPs increased the germination parameters i.e., FG%, GR, VI (I), and VI (II). Meanwhile, the high concentration (ZnO 100%) showed the highest increase in shoot length (9.60% and 25.63%), root length (41.64% and 48.17%) for Yang You 9 and Zhong Shuang 11 over hydro-priming, respectively, as well as biomass. Additionally, nano-priming improved the proline, soluble sugar, and soluble protein contents as a result of osmotic protection modulation. Moreover, nano-priming alleviated ROS and biosynthesis pigments through the reduction of accumulated (H2O2) and (O2-), and chlorophyll degradation, respectively, also enhanced antioxidant adjustment via improving the plant defense system. Nano-priming substituted the Na+ by Zn2+, K+, and Ca2+, and compensated the deficit of micronutrients, thus reduced the Na+ toxicity in the cell cytosol. To track the effects of priming during seed imbibition, it noticed that ZnO 100% and ZnO 100%+S increased the Linoleic and Linolenic acids among the studied fatty acids composition by 12.02%, 7.59%, 13.27%, and 10.38% (Yang You 9), 7.42%, 2.77%, 2.93%, and 1.49% (Zhong Shuang 11) over the hydro-priming, respectively. Moreover, the gene expression patterns of BnCAM and BnPER reflected the enhancement of germination levels, notably under the influence of ZnO 100% priming, which increased the level of BnCAM by 70.42% and 111.9% in Yang You 9 and Zhong Shuang 11, respectively. Consequently, ZnO nano-priming enhanced the seedling development through the biosynthesis of pigments, osmotic protection, reduction of ROS accumulation, adjustment of antioxidant enzymes, and improvement of the nutrient absorption, thus enhancing the economic yield under saline conditions.

γ-Aminobutyric Acid Promotes Chloroplast Ultrastructure, Antioxidant Capacity, and Growth of Waterlogged Maize Seedlings.

γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a small signaling molecule that accumulates rapidly in plants exposed to various stresses; however, it has not been applied in regulating waterlogging tolerance in maize seedlings. Here, the effect of exogenous application of GABA in the determined optimal concentration was performed on seedlings of two maize cultivars under waterlogging treatments initiated at 3-leaf (V3) and 5-leaf stages (V5) in repeated experiments in 2016 and 2017. Chloroplast ultrastructure, photosynthesis, antioxidant capacity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the leaves were examined and compared with the corresponding values under normal soil water treatment (CK) and waterlogging treatment (WL). Compared with WL treatment, application of GABA significantly increased aboveground and root dry matter by 19.0% and 61.0%, promoted photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content by 19.8% and 36.0%, increased the number of grana per chloroplast by 36.0%, fortified antioxidants (SOD, POD, CAT, GR, APX, VC) activities by 14.7-42.7%, and reduced the content of MDA, H2O2, and O2- by 30.5%, 32.5%, and 21.8%, respectively (p < 0.05). Collectively, GABA application was shown to promote the growth of maize seedlings under waterlogging, by down regulating ROIs-producing enzymes, activating antioxidant defense systems, and improving chloroplast ultrastructure and photosynthetic traits.

Semantic annotation for biological information retrieval system.

Online literatures are increasing in a tremendous rate. Biological domain is one of the fast growing domains. Biological researchers face a problem finding what they are searching for effectively and efficiently. The aim of this research is to find documents that contain any combination of biological process and/or molecular function and/or cellular component. This research proposes a framework that helps researchers to retrieve meaningful documents related to their asserted terms based on gene ontology (GO). The system utilizes GO by semantically decomposing it into three subontologies (cellular component, biological process, and molecular function). Researcher has the flexibility to choose searching terms from any combination of the three subontologies. Document annotation is taking a place in this research to create an index of biological terms in documents to speed the searching process. Query expansion is used to infer semantically related terms to asserted terms. It increases the search meaningful results using the term synonyms and term relationships. The system uses a ranking method to order the retrieved documents based on the ranking weights. The proposed system achieves researchers' needs to find documents that fit the asserted terms semantically.