Mitochondrial complex I activity in microglia sustains neuroinflammation.

Sustained smouldering, or low-grade activation, of myeloid cells is a common hallmark of several chronic neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis1. Distinct metabolic and mitochondrial features guide the activation and the diverse functional states of myeloid cells2. However, how these metabolic features act to perpetuate inflammation of the central nervous system is unclear. Here, using a multiomics approach, we identify a molecular signature that sustains the activation of microglia through mitochondrial complex I activity driving reverse electron transport and the production of reactive oxygen species. Mechanistically, blocking complex I in pro-inflammatory microglia protects the central nervous system against neurotoxic damage and improves functional outcomes in an animal disease model in vivo. Complex I activity in microglia is a potential therapeutic target to foster neuroprotection in chronic inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system3.

Control of Quantized Spontaneous Emission from Single GaAs Quantum Dots Embedded in Huygens' Metasurfaces.

Advancements in photonic quantum information systems (QIS) have driven the development of high-brightness, on-demand, and indistinguishable semiconductor epitaxial quantum dots (QDs) as single photon sources. Strain-free, monodisperse, and spatially sparse local-droplet-etched (LDE) QDs have recently been demonstrated as a superior alternative to traditional Stranski-Krastanov QDs. However, integration of LDE QDs into nanophotonic architectures with the ability to scale to many interacting QDs is yet to be demonstrated. We present a potential solution by embedding isolated LDE GaAs QDs within an Al0.4Ga0.6As Huygens' metasurface with spectrally overlapping fundamental electric and magnetic dipolar resonances. We demonstrate for the first time a position- and size-independent, 1 order of magnitude increase in the collection efficiency and emission lifetime control for single-photon emission from LDE QDs embedded within the Huygens' metasurfaces. Our results represent a significant step toward leveraging the advantages of LDE QDs within nanophotonic architectures to meet the scalability demands of photonic QIS.

Selenium and its nanoparticles modulate the metabolism of reactive oxygen species and morpho-physiology of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to combat oxidative stress under water deficit conditions.

BACKGROUND: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crop species worldwide, but its growth and development are adversely influenced by drought stress. However, the application of trace elements is known to improve plant physiology under water-limited conditions. In this study, the effects of drought stress on wheat plants were investigated, with a focus on potential mitigation by foliar application of selenium nanoparticles (Se(np)) and sodium selenate (Na2SeO4). The experiment was conducted in a net house using a completely randomized design with four replications. The treatments involved three levels of drought stress (mild, moderate, and severe) started at 30 days after sowing (DAS), with foliar sprays of Se(np) and Se (both 25 µM) initiated at 27 DAS and repeated 4 times at 7-day intervals until 55 DAS. RESULTS: Drought stress significantly reduced plant growth, whereas Se(np) and Se sprays enhanced it. Drought stress induced chlorophyll degradation, increased malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide levels, impaired membrane stability, and caused electrolyte leakage. Severe drought stress reduced the levels of antioxidants (e.g., proline, ascorbate, and glutathione by 4.18-fold, 80%, and 45%) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and others). Conversely, treatment with Se(np) and Se restored these parameters, for example, 1.23-fold higher total chlorophyll content with Se(np) treatment, 26% higher APX activity with Se treatment, 15% lower electrolyte leakage with Se treatment in wheat plants under severe drought stress. This Se-associated enhancement facilitated rapid scavenging of reactive oxygen species and reduced methylglyoxal toxicity, thereby diminishing oxidative stress and positively affecting the morphophysiological and biochemical responses of the plants under drought. CONCLUSIONS: Drought-stressed wheat plants exhibited reductions in physiological processes, including water uptake and photosynthetic activity. However, Se(np) and Se applied at 25 µM mitigated the detrimental effects of drought. The application of Se(np) was notably more effective than the application of Se in mitigating drought stress, indicating the potential of the application of Se(np) as a sustainable agricultural practice under water-limited conditions.

Development of novel 9H-carbazole-4H-chromene hybrids as dual cholinesterase inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting mental ability and neurocognitive functions. Cholinesterase enzymes affect concentration of acetylcholine in the brain, leading to dementia. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel dual cholinesterase inhibitors as possible anti-AD drugs. Herein, we have designed and synthesized a novel series of 9H-carbazole-4H-chromenes 4(a-l) through a one-pot three-component reaction of salicylaldehydes (1), hydroxycarbazole (2) and N-methyl-1-(methylthio)-2-nitroethenamine (3) using triethylamine as a catalyst in ethanol. Synthetic transformation involves the formation of two C-C bonds and one C-O bond in a single step to obtain desired analogs. The rapid one-pot reaction does not require chromatographic purification, proceeds under mild conditions, and exhibits good tolerance toward various functional groups with high synthetic yields. Synthesized compounds were screened for cytotoxicity using MTT assay in BV-2 microglial cells. These compounds were then in-vitro screened against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinestrase (BuChE) enzymes. Most of these ligands have shown dual cholinesterase inhibitory activity compared to the standard drug. In-vitro results showed that the compounds 4a and 4d have promising anticholinesterase response against both cholinesterase enzymes (4a, AChE IC50: 5.76 µM, BuChE IC50: 48.98 µM; 4d, AChE IC50: 3.58 µM, BuChE IC50: 42.73 µM). In-vitro results were validated by molecular docking and dynamic simulation at 100 ns. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation study strongly supported structural features present in these analogs. Together, these analogs could be exploited to develop dual anti-cholinesterase candidates to treat AD in combination with other drugs.

Assessment of universal thermal climate index (UTCI) using the WRF-UCM model over a metropolitan city in India.

Rapid urbanization increases urban air temperature, considerably affecting health, comfort, and the quality of life in urban spaces. The accurate assessment of outdoor thermal comfort is crucial for urban health. In the present study, a high-resolution mesoscale model coupled with a layer Urban Canopy Model (WRF-UCM) is implemented over the city of Hyderabad (17.3850° N, 78.4867° E) to simulate urban meteorological conditions during the summer and winter period of 2009 and 2019. The universal thermal climate index (UTCI) has been estimated using the model-derived atmospheric variables and a human biometeorology parameter to assess the linkages between the outdoor environment and thermal comfort. Results revealed that during summer, the city experiences nearly 50 h of very strong thermal stress, whereas about 120 h of slight cold stress are experienced during winter. The urban area in Hyderabad expanded from 5 to 15% during the study period, leading to a 2.5℃ (2.8 ℃) increase in land surface temperature, and a 1.2 (1.9 ℃) rise in air temperature at 2 m height and 1.5 (2.5 ℃) UTCI during summer (winter) time. The analysis reveals that the maximum UTCI values were noticed over built-up areas compared to other land classes during daytime and nighttime. The results derived from the present study have shown that the performance of WRF-UCM-derived UTCI reasonably portrayed the significant impact of urbanization on thermal comfort over the city and provided useful insights with regard to urban comfort and welfare.

Machine learning ensembles, neural network, hybrid and sparse regression approaches for weather based rainfed cotton yield forecast.

Cotton is a major economic crop predominantly cultivated under rainfed situations. The accurate prediction of cotton yield invariably helps farmers, industries, and policy makers. The final cotton yield is mostly determined by the weather patterns that prevail during the crop growing phase. Crop yield prediction with greater accuracy is possible due to the development of innovative technologies which analyses the bigdata with its high-performance computing abilities. Machine learning technologies can make yield prediction reasonable and faster and with greater flexibility than process based complex crop simulation models. The present study demonstrates the usability of ML algorithms for yield forecasting and facilitates the comparison of different models. The cotton yield was simulated by employing the weekly weather indices as inputs and the model performance was assessed by nRMSE, MAPE and EF values. Results show that stacked generalised ensemble model and artificial neural networks predicted the cotton yield with lower nRMSE, MAPE and higher efficiency compared to other models. Variable importance studies in LASSO and ENET model found minimum temperature and relative humidity as the main determinates of cotton yield in all districts. The models were ranked based these performance metrics in the order of Stacked generalised ensemble > ANN > PCA ANN > SMLR ANN > LASSO> ENET > SVM > PCA SMLR > SMLR SVM > SMLR. This study shows that stacked generalised ensembling and ANN method can be used for reliable yield forecasting at district or county level and helps stakeholders in timely decision-making.

Retrieval of high-resolution aerosol optical depth (AOD) using Landsat 8 imageries over different LULC classes over a city along Indo-Gangetic Plain, India.

Aerosol optical depth (AOD) serves as a crucial indicator for assessing regional air quality. To address regional and urban pollution issues, there is a requirement for high-resolution AOD products, as the existing data is of very coarse resolution. To address this issue, we retrieved high-resolution AOD over Kanpur (26.4499°N, 80.3319°E), located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) region using Landsat 8 imageries and implemented the algorithm SEMARA, which combines SARA (Simplified Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm) and SREM (Simplified and Robust Surface Reflectance Estimation). Our approach leveraged the green band of the Landsat 8, resulting in an impressive spatial resolution of 30 m of AOD and rigorously validated with available AERONET observations. The retrieved AOD is in good agreement with high correlation coefficients (r) of 0.997, a low root mean squared error of 0.035, and root mean bias of - 4.91%. We evaluated the retrieved AOD with downscaled MODIS (MCD19A2) AOD products across various land classes for cropped and harvested period of agriculture cycle over the study region. It is noticed that over the built-up region of Kanpur, the SEMARA algorithm exhibits a stronger correlation with the MODIS AOD product compared to vegetation, barren areas and water bodies. The SEMARA approach proved to be more effective for AOD retrieval over the barren and built-up land categories for harvested period compared with the cropping period. This study offers a first comparative examination of SEMARA-retrieved high-resolution AOD and MODIS AOD product over a station of IGP.

Protective effects of vanillic acid on letrozole-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome: A comprehensive study in female wistar rats.

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the known causes of anovulatory fertility in the world. Previous research has linked oxidative stress could contribute to PCOS, and vanillic acid has shown antioxidant potential. Hence, the present study evaluated the effect of vanillic acid on letrozole-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome in female rats. Materials and methods: PCOS was induced in Wistar female rats with letrozole (1 mg/kg, orally) in carboxymethoxycellulose (1 % w/v), administered for 21 days. After induction, the standard group received clomiphene citrate (1 mg/kg, orally) while other treatment groups were administered with vanillic acid at doses 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, orally for 15 days, and without treatment was considered a negative control group. Different parameters studied were body weight, ovary weight, blood glucose, lipid profile, hormonal levels [luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone], markers for oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, catalase, and malonaldehyde), and histopathology of the ovary. Statistical analysis was done for the results and p < 0.05 was considered to indicate the significance. Results: Vanillic acid-treated animals showed a concentration-dependent activity on the tested parameters. The highest tested dose (100 mg/kg) produced a more prominent effect in significantly (P < 0.001) decreasing the body weight, and ovary weight and improving the hormonal imbalance. Also, vanillic acid significantly (P < 0.01) reduced elevated blood sugar and lipid levels. Additionally, vanillic acid reduced oxidative stress significantly (P < 0.001) in the ovaries of female rats. Histopathological reports showed a reduction in cystic follicles and appearance of normal healthy follicles at different stages of development after the administration of vanillic acid. Furthermore, these effects were observed to be comparable with those recorded for standard drug, clomiphene. Conclusion: The current study data suggests that vanillic acid has protected the letrozole-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome. In the event of several side effects associated with conventional treatments used for PCOS, the findings of this study suggest the promising role of vanillic acid. More research in this direction might identify the true potency of vanillic acid in the treatment of PCOS.

GluN2B subunit selective N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor ligands: Democratizing recent progress to assist the development of novel neurotherapeutics.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) play essential roles in vital aspects of brain functions. NMDARs mediate clinical features of neurological diseases and thus, represent a potential therapeutic target for their treatments. Many findings implicated the GluN2B subunit of NMDARs in various neurological disorders including epilepsy, ischemic brain damage, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's chorea, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Although a large amount of information is growing consistently on the importance of GluN2B subunit, however, limited recent data is available on how subunit-selective ligands impact NMDAR functions, which blunts the ability to render the diagnosis or craft novel treatments tailored to patients. To bridge this gap, we have focused on and summarized recently reported GluN2B selective ligands as emerging subunit-selective antagonists and modulators of NMDAR. Herein, we have also presented an overview of the structure-function relationship for potential GluN2B/NMDAR ligands with their binding sites and connection to CNS functionalities. Understanding of design rules and roles of GluN2B selective compounds will provide the link to medicinal chemists and neuroscientists to explore novel neurotherapeutic strategies against dysfunctions of glutamatergic neurotransmission.

Terahertz Pulse Generation with Binary Phase Control in Nonlinear InAs Metasurface.

The effect of terahertz (THz) pulse generation has revolutionized broadband coherent spectroscopy and imaging at THz frequencies. However, THz pulses typically lack spatial structure, whereas structured beams are becoming essential for advanced spectroscopy applications. Nonlinear optical metasurfaces with nanoscale THz emitters can provide a solution by defining the beam structure at the generation stage. We develop a nonlinear InAs metasurface consisting of nanoscale optical resonators for simultaneous generation and structuring of THz beams. We find that THz pulse generation in the resonators is governed by optical rectification. It is more efficient than in ZnTe crystals, and it allows us to control the pulse polarity and amplitude, offering a platform for realizing binary-phase THz metasurfaces. To illustrate this capability, we demonstrate an InAs metalens, which simultaneously generates and focuses THz pulses. The control of spatiotemporal structure using nanoscale emitters opens doors for THz beam engineering and advanced spectroscopy and imaging applications.

Diselenide-derivative of 3-pyridinol targets redox enzymes leading to cell cycle deregulation and apoptosis in A549 cells.

The aim of present study was to understand the mechanism of action of 2,2'-diselenobis(3-pyridinol) or DISPOL in human lung cancer (A549) cells. A549 cells were treated with 10 µM (∼IC50) of DISPOL for varying time points to corelate the intracellular redox changes with its cytotoxic effect. The results indicated that DISPOL treatment led to a time dependant decrease in the basal level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, DISPOL treatment elevated the ratio of reduced (GSH) and oxidised (GSSG) glutathione by upregulating gamma-glutamylcysteine ligase (γ-GCL) involved in GSH biosynthesis and inhibiting the activities of redox enzymes responsible for GSH utilization and recycling, such as glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR). Molecular docking analysis suggests putative interactions of DISPOL with GST and GR which could account for its inhibitory effect on these enzymes. Further, DISPOL induced reductive environment preceded G1 arrest and apoptosis as evidenced by decreased expression of cell cycle genes (Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E1) and elevation of p21 and apoptotic markers (cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved PARP). The combinatorial experiments involving DISPOL and redox modulatory agents such as N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) indeed confirmed the role of reductive stress in DISPOL-induced cell death. Finally, Lipinski's rule suggests attributes of drug likeness in DISPOL. Taken together, DISPOL exhibits a novel mechanism of reductive stress-mediated cell death in A549 cells that warrants future exploration as anticancer agent.

Kernel weight contribution to yield genetic gain of maize: a global review and US case studies.

Over the past century of maize (Zea mays L.) breeding, grain yield progress has been the result of improvements in several other intrinsic physiological and morphological traits. In this study, we describe (i) the contribution of kernel weight (KW) to yield genetic gain across multiple agronomic settings and breeding programs, and (ii) the physiological bases for improvements in KW for US hybrids. A global-scale literature review concludes that rates of KW improvement in US hybrids were similar to those of other commercial breeding programs but extended over a longer period of time. There is room for a continued increase of kernel size in maize for most of the genetic materials analysed, but the trade-off between kernel number and KW poses a challenge for future yield progress. Through phenotypic characterization of Pioneer Hi-Bred ERA hybrids in the USA, we determine that improvements in KW have been predominantly related to an extended kernel-filling duration. Likewise, crop improvement has conferred on modern hybrids greater KW plasticity, expressed as a better ability to respond to changes in assimilate availability. Our analysis of past trends and current state of development helps to identify candidate targets for future improvements in maize.

A single bout of cycling exercise induces nucleosome repositioning in the skeletal muscle of lean and overweight/obese individuals.

AIM: To compare the molecular and metabolic effects of a single exercise bout in the skeletal muscle between lean and overweight/obese (Ov/Ob) individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants recruited were men, aged 19-30 years, who were either lean (body mass index [BMI] < 25, 18.5-24.1 kg/m2 ; n = 15) or Ov/Ob (BMI ≥ 25, 25.5-36.9 kg/m2 ; n = 15). Four hours after a high-carbohydrate breakfast (7 kcal/kg; 60% carbohydrate, 25% fat, 15% protein), participants performed a cycling exercise (50% VO2 max, expending ~650 kcal). Muscle biopsies and peripheral blood samples were collected 30 minutes before the meal and immediately after exercise. Blood analysis, and muscle acylcarnitine profiles, transcriptomics, and nucleosome mapping by micrococcal nuclease digestion with deep sequencing were performed. RESULTS: A single exercise bout improved blood metabolite profiles in both lean and Ov/Ob individuals. Muscle long-chain acylcarnitines were increased in Ov/Ob compared with lean participants, but were not altered by exercise. A single exercise bout increased the mRNA abundance of genes related to mitochondria and insulin signalling in both lean and Ov/Ob participants. Nucleosome mapping by micrococcal nuclease digestion with deep sequencing revealed that exercise repositioned the -1 nucleosome away from the transcription start site of the PGC1a promoter and of other mitochondrial genes, but did not affect genes related to insulin signalling, in both lean and Ov/Ob participants. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that a single exercise bout induced epigenetic alterations in skeletal muscle in a BMI-independent manner.

'Omics' approaches in developing combined drought and heat tolerance in food crops.

Global climate change will significantly increase the intensity and frequency of hot, dry days. The simultaneous occurrence of drought and heat stress is also likely to increase, influencing various agronomic characteristics, such as biomass and other growth traits, phenology, and yield-contributing traits, of various crops. At the same time, vital physiological traits will be seriously disrupted, including leaf water content, canopy temperature depression, membrane stability, photosynthesis, and related attributes such as chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll fluorescence. Several metabolic processes contributing to general growth and development will be restricted, along with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that negatively affect cellular homeostasis. Plants have adaptive defense strategies, such as ROS-scavenging mechanisms, osmolyte production, secondary metabolite modulation, and different phytohormones, which can help distinguish tolerant crop genotypes. Understanding plant responses to combined drought/heat stress at various organizational levels is vital for developing stress-resilient crops. Elucidating the genomic, proteomic, and metabolic responses of various crops, particularly tolerant genotypes, to identify tolerance mechanisms will markedly enhance the continuing efforts to introduce combined drought/heat stress tolerance. Besides agronomic management, genetic engineering and molecular breeding approaches have great potential in this direction.

Targeted (PCR-based) screening of antibiotic resistance genes' prevalence in the gut microbiota of tribal people of Nabarangpur, Odisha, India.

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern worldwide. The gut microbiota harbours multiple antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) that contribute to the existing and future microbial population in a community or ecosystem. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of 35 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the gut microbiota of the tribal people of Nabarangpur, Odisha, India. A total of 83 faecal samples were collected from three different tribes (Bhatra, Gond, and Paraja). Total faecal DNA was extracted, and the simplex polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect selected ARGs. Further analysis was done to estimate the incidence of these ARGs across these tribes based on alcohol consumption habits. We identified a higher prevalence of tetracycline resistance genes (tetW, tetQ and tetM) in the gut microbiota among three populations. Furthermore, a significant (P = 0·024) difference in ARG prevalence against vancomycin in individuals with and without alcohol consumption habits was noticed. The overall distribution of ARGs among the three major tribes of this location was found to be very similar. Together, irrespective of the tribes, the people of this location have gut microbiota harbouring different kinds of ARGs and tetracycline-resistant genes are the most commonly found ARGs.

Impacts, Tolerance, Adaptation, and Mitigation of Heat Stress on Wheat under Changing Climates.

Heat stress (HS) is one of the major abiotic stresses affecting the production and quality of wheat. Rising temperatures are particularly threatening to wheat production. A detailed overview of morpho-physio-biochemical responses of wheat to HS is critical to identify various tolerance mechanisms and their use in identifying strategies to safeguard wheat production under changing climates. The development of thermotolerant wheat cultivars using conventional or molecular breeding and transgenic approaches is promising. Over the last decade, different omics approaches have revolutionized the way plant breeders and biotechnologists investigate underlying stress tolerance mechanisms and cellular homeostasis. Therefore, developing genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics data sets and a deeper understanding of HS tolerance mechanisms of different wheat cultivars are needed. The most reliable method to improve plant resilience to HS must include agronomic management strategies, such as the adoption of climate-smart cultivation practices and use of osmoprotectants and cultured soil microbes. However, looking at the complex nature of HS, the adoption of a holistic approach integrating outcomes of breeding, physiological, agronomical, and biotechnological options is required. Our review aims to provide insights concerning morpho-physiological and molecular impacts, tolerance mechanisms, and adaptation strategies of HS in wheat. This review will help scientific communities in the identification, development, and promotion of thermotolerant wheat cultivars and management strategies to minimize negative impacts of HS.

Biogenic Sulfur-Based Chalcogenide Nanocrystals: Methods of Fabrication, Mechanistic Aspects, and Bio-Applications.

Bio-nanotechnology has emerged as an efficient and competitive methodology for the production of added-value nanomaterials (NMs). This review article gathers knowledge gleaned from the literature regarding the biosynthesis of sulfur-based chalcogenide nanoparticles (S-NPs), such as CdS, ZnS and PbS NPs, using various biological resources, namely bacteria, fungi including yeast, algae, plant extracts, single biomolecules, and viruses. In addition, this work sheds light onto the hypothetical mechanistic aspects, and discusses the impact of varying the experimental parameters, such as the employed bio-entity, time, pH, and biomass concentration, on the obtained S-NPs and, consequently, on their properties. Furthermore, various bio-applications of these NMs are described. Finally, key elements regarding the whole process are summed up and some hints are provided to overcome encountered bottlenecks towards the improved and scalable production of biogenic S-NPs.

A single gene inherited trait confers metabolic resistance to chlorsulfuron in grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor).

MAIN CONCLUSION: This study confirms a high level of metabolic resistance to the herbicide chlorsulfuron, inherited by a single dominant gene in a sorghum genotype (GL-1). Chlorsulfuron, an acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibitor, effectively controls post-emergence grass and broadleaf weeds but is not registered for use in sorghum because of crop injury. The objectives of this study were to characterize the inheritance and mechanism of chlorsulfuron resistance in the sorghum genotype GL-1. Chlorsulfuron dose-response experiments were conducted using GL-1 along with BTx623 (susceptible check), and Pioneer 84G62 (commercial sorghum hybrid). The F1 and F2 progeny were generated by crossing GL-1 with BTx623. To assess if the target site alterations bestow resistance, the ALS gene, the molecular target of chlorsulfuron, was sequenced from GL-1. The role of cytochrome P450 (CYP) in metabolizing chlorsulfuron, using malathion, a CYP-inhibitor was tested. The chlorsulfuron dose-response assay indicated that GL-1 and F1 progeny were ~ 20-fold more resistant to chlorsulfuron relative to BTx623. The F2 progenies segregated 3:1 (resistance: susceptibility) suggesting that chlorsulfuron resistance in GL-1 is a single dominant trait. No mutations in the ALS gene were detected in the GL-1; however, a significant reduction in biomass accumulation was found in plants pre-treated with malathion indicating that metabolism of chlorsulfuron contributes to resistance in GL-1. Also, GL-1 is highly susceptible to other herbicides (e.g., mesotrione and tembotrione) compared to Pioneer 84G62, suggesting the existence of a negative cross-resistance in GL-1. Overall, these results confirm a high level of metabolic resistance to chlorsulfuron inherited by a single dominant gene in GL-1 sorghum. These results have potential for developing chlorsulfuron-tolerant sorghum hybrids, with the ability to improve post-emergence weed control.

High night temperature effects on wheat and rice: Current status and way forward.

Rapid increases in minimum night temperature than in maximum day temperature is predicted to continue, posing significant challenges to crop productivity. Rice and wheat are two major staples that are sensitive to high night-temperature (HNT) stress. This review aims to (i) systematically compare the grain yield responses of rice and wheat exposed to HNT stress across scales, and (ii) understand the physiological and biochemical responses that affect grain yield and quality. To achieve this, we combined a synthesis of current literature on HNT effects on rice and wheat with information from a series of independent experiments we conducted across scales, using a common set of genetic materials to avoid confounding our findings with differences in genetic background. In addition, we explored HNT-induced alterations in physiological mechanisms including carbon balance, source-sink metabolite changes and reactive oxygen species. Impacts of HNT on grain developmental dynamics focused on grain-filling duration, post-flowering senescence, changes in grain starch and protein composition, starch metabolism enzymes and chalk formation in rice grains are summarized. Finally, we highlight the need for high-throughput field-based phenotyping facilities for improved assessment of large-diversity panels and mapping populations to aid breeding for increased resilience to HNT in crops.

Plant-based stearidonic acid as sustainable source of omega-3 fatty acid with functional outcomes on human health.

Dietary omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA) like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) are known to be potent biological regulators with therapeutic and preventive effects on human health. Many global health organizations have recommended consuming marine based omega-3 sources for neonatal brain development and reducing the risk of various chronic diseases. However, due to concerns regarding the origin, sustainable supply and safety of the marine sources, alternative n-3 PUFA sources are being explored. Recently, plant-based omega-3 sources are gaining much importance because of their sustainable supply and dietary acceptance. α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) rich seed oils are the major omega-3 fatty acid source available for human consumption. But, efficiency of conversion of ALA to n-3 LC-PUFAs in humans is limited due to a rate-limiting step in the n-3 pathway catalyzed by Δ6-desaturase. Botanical stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n-3) rich oils are emerging as a sustainable omega-3 source with efficient conversion rate to n-3 LC-PUFA especially to EPA, as it bypasses the Δ6-desaturase rate limiting step. Several recent studies have identified the major plant sources of SDA and explored its potential health benefits and preventive roles in inflammation, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. This systematic review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the sources, nutraceutical roles, food-based applications and the future perspectives of botanical SDA.