Fungal Endophytes: Microfactories of Novel Bioactive Compounds with Therapeutic Interventions; A Comprehensive Review on the Biotechnological Developments in the Field of Fungal Endophytic Biology over the Last Decade.

The seminal discovery of paclitaxel from endophytic fungus Taxomyces andreanae was a milestone in recognizing the immense potential of endophytic fungi as prolific producers of bioactive secondary metabolites of use in medicine, agriculture, and food industries. Following the discovery of paclitaxel, the research community has intensified efforts to harness endophytic fungi as putative producers of lead molecules with anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, cardio-protective, and immunomodulatory properties. Endophytic fungi have been a valuable source of bioactive compounds over the last three decades. Compounds such as taxol, podophyllotoxin, huperzine, camptothecin, and resveratrol have been effectively isolated and characterized after extraction from endophytic fungi. These findings have expanded the applications of endophytic fungi in medicine and related fields. In the present review, we systematically compile and analyze several important compounds derived from endophytic fungi, encompassing the period from 2011 to 2022. Our systematic approach focuses on elucidating the origins of endophytic fungi, exploring the structural diversity and biological activities exhibited by these compounds, and giving special emphasis to the pharmacological activities and mechanism of action of certain compounds. We highlight the tremendous potential of endophytic fungi as alternate sources of bioactive metabolites, with implications for combating major global diseases. This underscores the significant role that fungi can play in the discovery and development of novel therapeutic agents that address the challenges posed by prevalent diseases worldwide.

CRISPR/Cas technology for improving nutritional values in the agricultural sector: an update.

BACKGROUND: The CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9) system was initially identified in bacteria and archaea as a defense mechanism to confer immunity against phages. Later on, it was developed as a gene editing tool for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells including plant cells. METHODS AND RESULTS: CRISPR/Cas9 approach has wider applications in reverse genetics as well as in crop improvement. Various characters involved in enhancing economic value and crop sustainability against biotic/abiotic stresses can be targeted through this tool. Currently, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing mechanism has been applied on around 20 crop species for improvement in several traits including yield enhancement and resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. In the last five years, maximum genome editing research has been validated in rice, wheat, maize and soybean. Genes targeted in these plants has been involved in causing male sterility, conferring resistance against pathogens or having certain nutritional value. CONCLUSIONS: Current review summarizes various applications of CRISPR/Cas system and its future prospects in plant biotechnology targeting crop improvement with higher yield, disease tolerance and enhanced nutritional value.

Probing Gallic Acid for Its Broad Spectrum Applications.

Gallic acid and its derivatives not only exhibit excellent antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antimutagenic, antimicrobial properties but also provide protection to the cells against oxidative stress. Gallic acid (3, 4, 5-trihydroxybenzoic acid), a low molecular triphenolic compound emerged as an efficient apoptosis inducing agent. The antimicrobial and other biological properties of gallic acid and its derivatives seemed to be linked with the hydrolysis of ester linkage between gallic acid and polyols like tannins hydrolyzed after ripening of many edible fruits. Gallic acid serves a natural defense mechanism against microbial infections and modulation of immune responses. The current review updates us with the diverse roles played by gallic acid, its antioxidant potential, action mechanism and more importantly the diverse array of applications in therapeutic and pharmaceutical areas.

Analytical profiling of mutations in quinolone resistance determining region of gyrA gene among UPEC.

Mutations in gyrA are the primary cause of quinolone resistance encountered in gram-negative clinical isolates. The prospect of this work was to analyze the role of gyrA mutations in eliciting high quinolone resistance in uropathogenic E.coli (UPEC) through molecular docking studies. Quinolone susceptibility testing of 18 E.coli strains isolated from UTI patients revealed unusually high resistance level to all the quinolones used; especially norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The QRDR of gyrA was amplified and sequenced. Mutations identified in gyrA of E.coli included Ser83Leu, Asp87Asn and Ala93Gly/Glu. Contrasting previous reports, we found Ser83Leu substitution in sensitive strains. Strains with S83L, D87N and A93E (A15 and A26) demonstrated norfloxacin MICs ≥1024mg/L which could be proof that Asp87Asn is necessary for resistance phenotype. Resistance to levofloxacin was comparatively lower in all the isolates. Docking of 4 quinolones (ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin and norfloxacin) to normal and mutated E.coli gyrase A protein demonstrated lower binding energies for the latter, with significant displacement of norfloxacin in the mutated GyrA complex and least displacement in case of levofloxacin.