Microbiota-brain axis: Exploring the role of gut microbiota in psychiatric disorders - A comprehensive review.

Mental illness is a hidden epidemic in modern science that has gradually spread worldwide. According to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 10% of the world's population suffers from various mental diseases each year. Worldwide, financial and health burdens on society are increasing annually. Therefore, understanding the different factors that can influence mental illness is required to formulate novel and effective treatments and interventions to combat mental illness. Gut microbiota, consisting of diverse microbial communities residing in the gastrointestinal tract, exert profound effects on the central nervous system through the gut-brain axis. The gut-brain axis serves as a conduit for bidirectional communication between the two systems, enabling the gut microbiota to affect emotional and cognitive functions. Dysbiosis, or an imbalance in the gut microbiota, is associated with an increased susceptibility to mental health disorders and psychiatric illnesses. Gut microbiota is one of the most diverse and abundant groups of microbes that have been found to interact with the central nervous system and play important physiological functions in the human gut, thus greatly affecting the development of mental illnesses. The interaction between gut microbiota and mental health-related illnesses is a multifaceted and promising field of study. This review explores the mechanisms by which gut microbiota influences mental health, encompassing the modulation of neurotransmitter production, neuroinflammation, and integrity of the gut barrier. In addition, it emphasizes a thorough understanding of how the gut microbiome affects various psychiatric conditions.

Prevalence and clinical correlates of restless legs syndrome in psychiatric patients: A cross-sectional study from North India.

Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neuro-sensorimotor disorder which is scarcely researched and is commonly missed in routine psychiatry practice. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of RLS and its correlates in patients with anxiety, depression, and somatoform disorders. Methods: A cross-sectional single-center study was undertaken in patients aged 18-65 years suffering from ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases-10th edition) diagnosis of anxiety, depressive, and somatoform disorders. RLS was evaluated by using diagnostic criteria of International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) and severity measured on IRLSSG scale. Depression and anxiety were rated on Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scales respectively, insomnia severity measured by Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and quality of life measured by WHO Quality of Life-Brief version (WHO-QOL BREF) scale. Serum ferritin levels were measured for evaluating iron deficiency. Results: The rate of RLS was 66.7%, 50%, and 48% in patients with depressive, anxiety, and somatoform disorders, respectively, with no significant inter-group difference. Nearly one-third of patients suffered from severe to very severe symptoms of RLS, and quality of life was poorest in those with depressive disorders. RLS was significantly higher in females (P = 0.019), who were married (P = 0.040), diagnosed with severe depression (P = 0.029), and abused benzodiazepines (P = 0.045). On binary logistic regression, female gender and presence of clinical insomnia predicted occurrence of RLS. Conclusion: The prevalence of RLS is very high in patients with common psychiatric disorders which is often missed. Clinical enquiry and examination for reversible causes such as iron deficiency may assist in its diagnosis and improve clinical outcome.

Nanotechnology in sustainable agriculture: A double-edged sword.

Nanotechnology is a rapidly developing discipline that has the potential to transform the way we approach problems in a variety of fields, including agriculture. The use of nanotechnology in sustainable agriculture has gained popularity in recent years. It has various applications in agriculture, such as the development of nanoscale materials and devices to boost agricultural productivity, enhance food quality and safety, improve the efficiency of water and nutrient usage, and reduce environmental pollution. Nanotechnology has proven to be very beneficial in this field, particularly in the development of nanoscale delivery systems for agrochemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers, and growth regulators. These nanoscale delivery technologies offer various benefits over conventional delivery systems, including better penetration and distribution, enhanced efficacy, and lower environmental impact. Encapsulating agrochemicals in nanoscale particles enables direct delivery to the targeted site in the plant, thereby reducing waste and minimizing off-target effects. Plants are fundamental building blocks of all ecosystems and evaluating the interaction between nanoparticles (NPs) and plants is a crucial aspect of risk assessment. This critical review therefore aims to provide an overview of the latest advances regarding the positive and negative effects of nanotechnology in agriculture. It also explores potential future research directions focused on ensuring the safe utilization of NPs in this field, which could lead to sustainable development. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Unlocking the plant ER stress code: IRE1-proteasome signaling cohort takes the lead.

In the intricate landscape of cellular function, proper protein folding is pivotal for cellular processes, particularly within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In a recent study, Ko et al. reveal a signaling role for inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) in ER stress and identify PHOSPHATASE TYPE 2CA (PP2CA)-INTERACTING RING FINGER PROTEIN 1 (PIR1) as a crucial plant-specific regulator, balancing the unfolded protein response (UPR) and ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) by modulating ABI5 stability, unveiling intricate stress response connections.

Unraveling the potential of the strigolactones-NSP1/NSP2 friendship in crop improvement.

Strigolactones (SLs) are fundamental to the ability of plants to cope with phosphate deficiency. A recent study by Yuan et al. indicates that the genetic module PHR2/NSP1/NSP2 is crucial in activating SL biosynthesis and signaling under inorganic phosphate (Pi) deficiency. Furthermore, this genetic module is essential for improving Pi and nitrogen homeostasis in rice.

Neuroimaging Genomics a Predictor of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

Depression is a complex psychiatric disorder influenced by various genetic and environmental factors. Strong evidence has established the contribution of genetic factors in depression through twin studies and the heritability rate for depression has been reported to be 37%. Genetic studies have identified genetic variations associated with an increased risk of developing depression. Imaging genetics is an integrated approach where imaging measures are combined with genetic information to explore how specific genetic variants contribute to brain abnormalities. Neuroimaging studies allow us to examine both structural and functional abnormalities in individuals with depression. This review has been designed to study the correlation of the significant genetic variants with different regions of neural activity, connectivity, and structural alteration in the brain as detected by imaging techniques to understand the scope of biomarkers in depression. This might help in developing novel therapeutic interventions targeting specific genetic pathways or brain circuits and the underlying pathophysiology of depression based on this integrated approach can be established at length.

Harnessing the Potential of Symbiotic Associations of Plants in Phosphate-Deficient Soil for Sustainable Agriculture.

Many plants associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi for nutrient acquisition, and most legumes also associate with nitrogen-fixing rhizobial bacteria for nitrogen acquisition. The association of plants with AM fungi and rhizobia depends on the perception of lipo-chitooligosaccharides (LCOs) produced by these micro-symbionts. Recent studies reveal that cereals can perceive LCOs better in soil deprived of phosphate (Pi) and nitrogen to activate symbiosis signaling and form efficient AM symbiosis. Nevertheless, the Pi deficiency in the soil hinders the symbiotic association of legumes with rhizobia, ultimately reducing nitrogen fixation. Here, we discuss a mechanistic overview of the factors regulating root nodule symbiosis under Pi-deficient conditions and further emphasize the possible ways to overcome this hurdle. Ignoring the low Pi problem not only can compromise the functionality of the nitrogen cycle by nitrogen fixation through legumes but can also put food security at risk globally. This review aims to bring the scientific community's attention toward the detrimental response of legumes toward Pi-deficient soil for the formation of root nodule symbiosis and hence reduced nitrogen fixation. In this review, we have highlighted the recent studies that have advanced our understanding of these critical areas and discussed some future directions. Furthermore, this review highlights the importance of communicating science with farmers and the agriculture community to fully harness the potential of the symbiotic association of plants in nutrient-deficient soil for sustainable agriculture.

Role of Nod factor receptors and its allies involved in nitrogen fixation.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Lysin motif (LysM)-receptor-like kinase (RLK) and leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-RLK mediated signaling play important roles in the development and regulation of root nodule symbiosis in legumes. The availability of water and nutrients in the soil is a major limiting factor affecting crop productivity. Plants of the Leguminosae family form a symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing Gram-negative soil bacteria, rhizobia for nitrogen fixation. This symbiotic relationship between legumes and rhizobia depends on the signal exchange between them. Plant receptor-like kinases (RLKs) containing lysin motif (LysM) and/or leucine-rich repeat (LRR) play an important role in the perception of chemical signals from rhizobia for initiation and establishment of root nodule symbiosis (RNS) that results in nitrogen fixation. This review highlights the diverse aspects of LysM-RLK and LRR receptors including their specificity, functions, interacting partners, regulation, and associated signaling in RNS. The activation of LysM-RLKs and LRR-RLKs is important for ensuring the successful interaction between legume roots and rhizobia. The intracellular regions of the receptors enable additional layers of signaling that help in the transduction of signals intracellularly. Additionally, symbiosis receptor-like kinase (SYMRK) containing the LRR motif acts as a co-receptor with Nod factors receptors (LysM-RLK). Cleavage of the malectin-like domain from the SYMRK ectodomain is a mechanism for controlling SYMRK stability. Overall, this review has discussed different aspects of legume receptors that are critical to the perception of signals from rhizobia and their subsequent role in creating the mutualistic relationship necessary for nitrogen fixation. Additionally, it has been discussed how crucial it is to extrapolate the knowledge gained from model legumes to crop legumes such as chickpea and common bean to better understand the mechanism underlying nodule formation in crop legumes. Future directions have also been proposed in this regard.

AUR1 and its pals: orchestration of intracellular rhizobia infection in legume for nitrogen fixation.

KEY MESSAGE: We highlight the newly emerged regulatory role of a mitotic kinase AUR1, its activator, and its microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) in infection thread formation for root nodule symbiosis.

A nodule peptide confiscates haem to promote iron uptake in rhizobia.

Nodule cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides have a major role in the differentiation of endocytosed bacteria into nitrogen-fixing bacteroids. A recent paper by Sankari et al. indicates that NCR247 is essential for the uptake of iron, a mineral nutrient required for nitrogenase activity. Furthermore, the special ability of NCR247 to sequester haem suggests potential applications for human health.

Discovering the genetic modules controlling root nodule symbiosis under abiotic stresses: salinity as a case study.

Legumes form a symbiotic association with rhizobia and fix atmospheric nitrogen in specialized root organs known as nodules. It is well known that salt stress inhibits root nodule symbiosis by decreasing rhizobial growth, rhizobial infection, nodule number, and nitrogenase activity in diverse legumes. Despite this knowledge, the genetic and molecular mechanisms governing salt stress's inhibition of nodulation and nitrogen fixation are still elusive. In this Viewpoint, we summarize the most recent knowledge of the genetic mechanisms that shape this symbiosis according to the salt levels in the soil. We emphasize the relevance of modulating the activity of the transcription factor Nodule Inception to properly shape the symbiosis with rhizobia accordingly. We also highlight the knowledge gaps that are critical for gaining a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the adaptation of the root nodule symbiosis to salt-stress conditions. We consider that filling these gaps can help to improve legume nodulation and harness its ecological benefits even under salt-stress conditions.

Can Quantitative Electroencephalography and Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy be a Good Guide in Kleine-Levin Syndrome?

There is scarce literature on functional neuroimaging data in Kleine-Levin syndrome. The current case report presents the electrical and metabolic status of cortical activity utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) before and after treatment of symptomatic phase of illness with modafinil.

Integrated physiological and comparative proteomics analysis of contrasting genotypes of pearl millet reveals underlying salt-responsive mechanisms.

Salinity stress poses a significant risk to plant development and agricultural yield. Therefore, elucidation of stress-response mechanisms has become essential to identify salt-tolerance genes in plants. In the present study, two genotypes of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) with contrasting tolerance for salinity exhibited differential morpho-physiological and proteomic responses under 150 mM NaCl. The genotype IC 325825 was shown to withstand the stress better than IP 17224. The salt-tolerance potential of IC 325825 was associated with its ability to maintain intracellular osmotic, ionic, and redox homeostasis and membrane integrity under stress. The IC 325825 genotype exhibited a higher abundance of C4 photosynthesis enzymes, efficient enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant system, and lower Na+ /K+ ratio compared with IP 17224. Comparative proteomics analysis revealed greater metabolic perturbation in IP 17224 under salinity, in contrast to IC 325825 that harbored pro-active stress-responsive machinery, allowing its survival and better adaptability under salt stress. The differentially abundant proteins were in silico characterized for their functions, subcellular-localization, associated pathways, and protein-protein interaction. These proteins were mainly involved in photosynthesis/response to light stimulus, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, and stress responses. Proteomics data were validated through expression profiling of the selected genes, revealing a poor correlation between protein abundance and their relative transcript levels. This study has provided novel insights into salt adaptive mechanisms in P. glaucum, demonstrating the power of proteomics-based approaches. The critical proteins identified in the present study could be further explored as potential objects for engineering stress tolerance in salt-sensitive major crops.

Assessment of mental health issues among geriatric population during COVID19 pandemic, Indian perspective.

OBJECTIVES: Study was aimed to assess magnitude of mental health problems among geriatric population during COVID19 pandemic. METHODOLOGY: Study was a cross-sectional observational study, total of 106 participants (Age ≥60 years) of either gender included in study. Mental health variables depressive and anxiety were assessed using GDS and HAM-A. RESULTS: On GDS, 20(18.87%) patients had depressive symptoms and on HAM-A, 24(22.6%) patients were having anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: Study highlight that Geriatric population have significant mental health issues during COVID19 pandemic, it should not be overlooked. It's necessary to provide elderly psychological intervention measures to improve their wellbeing.