Abstract Background The development of genetically modified crops has made significant contributions to addressing challenges in disease and pest control as well as weed management. However, the integration of exogenous DNA into plant genomes may introduce unintended effects. In this study, we investigated three transgenic papaya lines approved for biosafety certification in China—Huanong No. 1, YK1601, and 55-1—through analyses at both DNA and transcriptional levels. Results Examination of T-DNA insertion sites and sequences revealed that integration events not only caused local genomic deletions but also incorporated unintended fragments derived from the transformation vector or host genome. Moreover, T-DNA integration displayed site preference, favoring AT-rich genomic regions. Compared with the 55-1 line generated via particle bombardment, the Huanong No. 1 and YK1601 lines produced through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation exhibited relatively minor structural alterations at insertion sites. Transcriptomic analysis further indicated that T-DNA integration did not significantly affect the expression of flanking genes near the insertion loci. Nevertheless, several disease-resistance genes associated with plant immunity and defense responses were upregulated in the transgenic lines. Conclusions Collectively, this study provides a systematic molecular characterization of T-DNA integration in multiple transgenic papaya lines and evaluates the broader transcriptomic impacts. These findings not only provide a molecular theoretical basis for the biosafety assessment of transgenic papaya but also offer valuable references for evaluating unintended effects in other genetically modified crops.
Exploratory field expeditions and herbarium research have led to the discovery of four new species of Drymonia (Gesneriaceae), distinguished by laterally compressed corollas, elongate inflorescence axes, and a nomadic climbing habit. These species, found in Andean forests of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, are unique within the Gesneriaceae for bearing inflorescences on a leafless portion of the stem near the ground, while their foliage is restricted to the subcanopy. Named in honor of visionary and inspirational leaders dedicated to advancing conservation, science, and education, the new species are Drymonia clavijoiae J.L.Clark, sp. nov., D. katzensteiniae J.L.Clark, sp. nov., D. rominieckiae J.L.Clark, sp. nov., and D. silvaniae J.L.Clark, sp. nov.
Viral infections exert a complex influence on plant growth, modifying tolerance to abiotic stresses, with effects varying depending on the specific virus. Pseudostellaria heterophylla, a medicinal herb, is often infected by Turnip mosaic virus and Broad bean wilt virus 2, leading to mosaic disease. This study comprehensively investigated the effects of diverse viral infections on plant growth and response to environmental factors, evaluating specific leaf weight, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, yield, aqueous extract, and polysaccharide content. Results indicate that Turnip mosaic virus and Broad bean wilt virus 2 co-infection result in decreased chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, yield, and polysaccharide content in Pseudostellaria heterophylla, compared with Broad bean wilt virus 2 infection alone. Broad bean wilt virus 2 alone only reduces chlorophyll and polysaccharide content. Plants infected with both viruses show a reduced response to leaf-air vapor pressure deficit in stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate compared to singly infected plants. Thus, the eradication of Turnip mosaic virus should be prioritized for Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation.
Introduction: The management of Diabetes mellitus is a major contest for clinicians in nowadays. Uncontrolled hyperglycaemia increases the risk of numerous complications in the body. Although a number of antidiabetic drugs are available for therapeutic intervention, herbal management for diabetes is encouraged due to its low side effects and effectiveness, throughout the world. This current in-vitro study is a comparative evaluation of antimicrobial activities of four selected anti-diabetic medicinal plant seeds namely Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels, Sinapis alba L., Trigonella foenum-graecum L. and Nigella sativa L. which are commonly found in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka. Materials and method: Crude ethanol extract of seeds was investigated for their antibacterial activity against three bacterial strains as Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by using agar well diffusion method in three replicates. The statistical analysis was carried out using one-way Analysis of variance. Results: The seeds extract of S. cumini showed maximum zone of inhibitions (24.70, 16.147, 10.37 mm) and S. alba represented minimum zone of inhibitions (1.08, 1.08, 0 mm) against all three types of human pathogens (E. faecalis, S. aureus and E. coli) respectively. Results showed that significant amount of inhibition zone was obtained against all the selected bacterial species which were comparable with positive control streptomycin. Conclusion: The chances of discovering antimicrobial activities in seeds of S.cumini extract is the highest and it is proposed that the plants which presented significant antimicrobial activities should be tested in detail to reveal their potential as probable antibiotics against particular pathogens. Therefore, this current research process demonstrates the S.cumini seeds can be used for developing nutraceutical products and long-term storage herbal drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases as well as diabetes in future.
Abstract Mallomonas is the largest and most speciose genus within the Synurales, a monophyletic clade of siliceous scale-bearing organisms within the class Chrysophyceae. The genus consists of unicellular, motile, photosynthetic organisms found in freshwater localities worldwide. Mallomonas diverged from other synurophytes during the lower Cretaceous at approximately 130 Ma. Recent discoveries of fossil species were used to examine shifts in scale and cell size over geologic time. On average, scales of fossil species were 2.5 times larger than those produced by modern species. However, a smaller subset of extinct fossil taxa lacking modern analogs had scales over four times larger than modern species, and the largest recorded specimens were six times larger. Data from modern species were further used to develop a model relating scale size to cell size, and applied to the fossil specimens. Based on the model, the mean size of fossil cells was almost twice as long and 50% wider compared to modern species, and cells of taxa lacking modern analogs close to three times as large. These large cells, covered with robust siliceous scales, were likely slow swimmers requiring significant energy to maintain their position in the water column, and possibly prone to increased predation.
Roberta Calone, Simone Bregaglio, Rabab Sanoubar
et al.
Owing to the high interspecific biodiversity, halophytes have been regarded as a tool for understanding salt tolerance mechanisms in plants in view of their adaptation to climate change. The present study addressed the physiological response to salinity of six halophyte species common in the Mediterranean area: <i>Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia vulgaris, Atriplex halimus, Chenopodium album, Salsola komarovii</i>, and <i>Sanguisorba minor</i>. A 161-day pot experiment was conducted, watering the plants with solutions at increasing NaCl concentration (control, 100, 200, 300 and 600 mM). Fresh weight (FW), leaf stomatal conductance (GS), relative water content (RWC) and water potential (WP) were measured. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to describe the relationships involving the variables that accounted for data variance. <i>A. halimus</i> was shown to be the species most resilient to salinity, being able to maintain FW up to 300 mM, and RWC and WP up to 600 mM; it was followed by <i>C. album</i>. Compared to them, <i>A. vulgaris</i> and <i>S. komarovii</i> showed intermediate performances, achieving the highest FW (<i>A. vulgaris</i>) and GS (<i>S. komarovii)</i> under salinity. Lastly, <i>S. minor</i> and <i>A. absinthium</i> exhibited the most severe effects with a steep drop in GS and RWC. Lower WP values appeared to be associated with best halophyte performances under the highest salinity levels, i.e., 300 and 600 mM NaCl.
Abstract Background Pollination accelerate sepal development that enhances plant fitness by protecting seeds in female spinach. This response requires pollination signals that result in the remodeling within the sepal cells for retention and development, but the regulatory mechanism for this response is still unclear. To investigate the early pollination-induced metabolic changes in sepal, we utilize the high-throughput RNA-seq approach. Results Spinach variety ‘Cornel 9’ was used for differentially expressed gene analysis followed by experiments of auxin analog and auxin inhibitor treatments. We first compared the candidate transcripts expressed differentially at different time points (12H, 48H, and 96H) after pollination and detected significant difference in Trp-dependent auxin biosynthesis and auxin modulation and transduction process. Furthermore, several auxin regulatory pathways i.e. cell division, cell wall expansion, and biogenesis were activated from pollination to early developmental symptoms in sepals following pollination. To further confirm the role auxin genes play in the sepal development, auxin analog (2, 4-D; IAA) and auxin transport inhibitor (NPA) with different concentrations gradient were sprayed to the spinach unpollinated and pollinated flowers, respectively. NPA treatment resulted in auxin transport weakening that led to inhibition of sepal development at concentration 0.1 and 1 mM after pollination. 2, 4-D and IAA treatment to unpollinated flowers resulted in sepal development at lower concentration but wilting at higher concentration. Conclusion We hypothesized that sepal retention and development might have associated with auxin homeostasis that regulates the sepal size by modulating associated pathways. These findings advanced the understanding of this unusual phenomenon of sepal growth instead of abscission after pollination in spinach.
This paper investigates the wealth of medicinal plants used by the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. Apatani have traditionally settled in seven villages in the Ziro valley of Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayan region of India. The present study has resulted in the documentation of 158 medicinal plant species used by the Apatani group of villages. These medicinal plant species were distributed across 73 families and 124 genera. Asteraceae was the most dominant family (19 species, 11 genera) of medicinal plants, followed by Zingiberaceae, Solanaceae, Lamiaceae and Araceae. For curing ailments, the use of aboveground plant parts was higher (80%) than the belowground plant parts in the Apatani group of villages. Of the aboveground plant parts, leaf was used in the majority of cases (56 species), followed by fruit. Different belowground plant forms such as root, tuber, rhizome, bulb and pseudo-bulb were used by Apatani as a medicine. About 52 types of ailments were cured by using these 158 medicinal plant species. The results of this study are further discussed in the changing socio-economic contexts.