Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Environ Radioact 2018 Dec 12;197:116-126. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

IRSN, PSE-ENV, Fontenay aux Roses, France.

There is a need to prioritise the requirements for data to assess the radiological risk for fauna and flora, as inevitable large data gaps occur due to the large number of combinations of radionuclides and organisms for which doses need to be assessed. The potentially most important dose-forming radionuclide-pathways combinations need to be identified to optimize filling these gaps. Few attempts have been made to classify the importance of isotopes with regard to radiation protection of the environment. Read More

Chemosphere 2018 Nov 26;219:510-516. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311300, PR China.

Pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of wood biochar (5%), bamboo biochar (5%), rice straw biochar (5%) and Chinese walnut shell biochar (5%) on growth, accumulation of heavy metals in moso bamboo, soil physical properties, and solubility of heavy metals in soil. The results revealed that dry weight of moso bamboo was significantly increased in treatments of wood biochar (5%), rice straw biochar (5%) and Chinese walnut shell biochar (5%) except bamboo biochar (5%). Application of straw biochar (5%) was most effective in enhancing plants biomass, with increase of 157%, 113% and 111% in leaves, roots and stems of moso bamboo. Read More

Environ Int 2018 Dec 12;123:282-291. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Laboratory of Comparative and Environmental Virology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.

Noroviruses are a leading cause of epidemic and pandemic acute gastroenteritis (AGE) worldwide, and contaminated food and water are important routes for its transmission. Raw sewage has been used for viral surveillance to monitor the emergence of new norovirus strains with the potential to cause epidemics. In this study, we investigated norovirus occurrence and norovirus RNA levels in 156 samples collected from May 2013 to May 2014, across three different stages (52 samples each) of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Read More

Environ Int 2018 Dec 11;123:273-281. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.

The exposure of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can cause wheat leaf chlorosis. Thus, we hypothesize that chloroplast inner structure damage is the reason for leaf chlorosis. This study was conducted with the wheat seedlings exposed to Hoagland nutrient solution containing 1. Read More

Aquat Toxicol 2018 Dec 5;207:91-100. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for plants and as such is vital to many metabolic processes. Nevertheless, when present at elevated concentrations, Cu can exert toxic effects on plants by disrupting protein functions and promoting oxidative stress. Due to their proximity to the urbanised estuaries, seagrasses are vulnerable to chemical contamination via industrial runoff, waste discharges and leachates. Read More

Plant Physiol Biochem 2018 Dec 4;135:174-181. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Division of Viticulture and Pomology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Konrad Lorenz Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.

Many plants respond to herbivore attacks by the formation of secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols. Grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliaeFitch) induces organoid root galls on fibrous root tips of tolerant Vitis spp. rootstocks. Read More

Plant Physiol Biochem 2018 Dec 7;135:167-173. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China. Electronic address:

Chilling stress is a critical environmental factor that limits plant growth, yield and distribution. Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important food and forage crop, and industrial raw material, in China. Read More

Plant Physiol Biochem 2018 Dec 10;135:160-166. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Department of Horticultural Sciences and Center for Coffee Research & Education, Texas A&M University, TAMU 2133, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.

A greenhouse study comparing the physiological responses and uptake of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) plants to foliar applications of zinc sulfate (ZnSO) and zinc nano-fertilizer (ZnO NPs) was conducted with the aim to understand their effects on plant physiology. One-year old coffee plants were grown in greenhouse conditions and treated with two foliar applications of 10 mg/L of Zn as either zinc sulfate monohydrate (ZnSO ‧ HO) or zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO NPs 20% w/t) and compared to untreated control plants over the course of 45 days. Read More

Protist 2018 Nov 10;170(1):21-37. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

Department of Bioenergetics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.

Plants, fungi, and some protists possess a more branched electron transport chain in their mitochondria compared to canonical one. In these organisms, the electron transport chain contains several rotenone-insensitive NAD(P)H dehydrogenases. Some are located on the outer surface, and others are located on the inner surface of the inner mitochondrial membrane. Read More

Eur J Pharm Sci 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, PR China. Electronic address:

Tannic acid, a hydrolysable tannin, exists commonly in food plants. Tannic acid has already been shown various anticancer mechanisms such as inhibiting the proliferation, inducing a higher apoptotic rate and slowing down the metastasis of different cancers. Moreover, tannic acid was reported to reduce the side effects caused by chemotherapeutics on patients. Read More

Microb Pathog 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Kriyasharir Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India.

Reinwardtia indica (Lineceae) is a medicinal plant cultivated in the Himalayan region. It is effectively used in folk medicines for the treatment of various health complications. In the present study, the shade dried leaves and stem were extracted in three different solvents such as ethyl acetate, ethanol, and hydro-alcoholic. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, 34054, Korea; Department of Pathology, College of Korean Medicine, Sangji University, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26339, Korea. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Anthriscus sylvestris L. Hoffmann (AS) is a perennial plant that grows in Asia and Eastern Europe. Its dried root is used to treat conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and cough. Read More

Genomics 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440020, India. Electronic address:

Metagenome from refinery wastewater treatment plant running under nitrogen stress was analyzed for mining of novel aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. The sequence data were assembled using metaspade followed by binning using the Metabat tool to assemble genome; where coverage and depth were calculated using bowtie and samtools. The analysis picked a novel genome belonging to family Bradyrhizobiaceae, identified based on 16S rDNA gene which was supported by CheckM and Kraken analysis. Read More

Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China. Electronic address:

To consistently and objectively delineate species-level divergence from population subdivision has been a challenge in systematics. This is particularly evident in naturally fragmented and allopatric systems in which small population size often leads to extreme population structuring. Here we evaluated the robustness of the species delimitation methods implemented in BEAST, BPP, and iBPP in the Primulina hochiensis complex comprising four described and one candidate species (five taxa in total) distributed in karst landscapes of southern China. Read More

New Phytol 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.

Plants mount coordinated immune responses to defend against pathogens. However, the cellular components required for plant immunity are not fully understood. The jasmonate-mimicking coronatine (COR) toxin produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. Read More

Plant Biotechnol J 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

State Key Lab of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, 311400, P.R. China.

Identification of seed development regulatory genes is the key for the genetic improvement of rice grain quality. NF-Ys are important transcription factors, but their roles in rice grain quality control and the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we report the functional characterization a rice NF-Y heterotrimer complex NF-YB1-YC12-bHLH144, which is formed by the binding of NF-YB1 to NF-YC12 and then bHLH144 in a sequential order. Read More

Plant J 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

SynBioC Research Group, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Campus Coupure, Ghent University Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.

Strigolactones (SLs) are a family of terpenoid allelochemicals that were recognized as plant hormones only a decade ago. They influence a myriad of both above- and belowground developmental processes, and are an important survival strategy for plants in nutrient-deprived soils. A rapidly emerging approach to gain knowledge on hormone signaling is the use of traceable analogs. Read More

Plant J 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Center for Crop Disease and Insect Pests, Rice Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.

The extrahaustorial membrane (EHM) is a host-derived interfacial membrane encasing the haustorium of powdery mildew fungi. The Arabidopsis thaliana RESISTANCE TO POWDERY MILDEW 8.2 (RPW8. Read More

Plant J 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Key Laboratory of Potato Biology and Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Countryside, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China.

The transition to tuberization contributes greatly to the adaptability of potato to a wide range of environments. Phytochromes are important light receptors for the growth and development of plants, but the detailed functions of Phytochromes remain unclear in potato. In this study, we first confirmed that phytochrome F (StPHYF) played essential roles in photoperiodic tuberization in potato. Read More

New Phytol 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Davis, CA, 95618.

Secondary growth from a vascular cambium, present today only in seed plants and isoetalean lycophytes, has a 400-million-year evolutionary history that involves considerably broader taxonomic diversity, most of it hidden in the fossil record. Approaching vascular cambial growth as a complex developmental process, we review data from living plants and fossils that reveal diverse modes of secondary growth. These are consistent with a modular nature of secondary growth, when considered as a tracheophyte-wide structural feature. Read More

J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Institute of Animal Nutrition, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

The aim of the study was to investigate nutritional, physiological and immunological effects of a plant-derived blend of isoquinoline alkaloids (Sangrovit® Extra) in healthy dogs. Two groups of healthy, adult beagles (N = 10) were tested in a cross-over experiment, lasting two consecutive three-week periods. The experimental group received 1. Read More

Physiol Plant 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências Agrarias e Veterinárias -FCAV, Departamento de Biologia Aplicada a Agropecuária (DBAA), 14884-900 Jaboticabal São Paulo, Brazil.

Agricultural activities are affected by many biotic and abiotic stresses associated with global climate change. Predicting the response of plants to abiotic stress under future climate scenarios requires an understanding of plant biochemical performance in simulated stress conditions. In this study the antioxidant response of Panicum maximum Jacq. Read More

Dev Psychobiol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

The environment may modulate genetic influences on behavioral expression. We investigated whether the physical rearing environment modulates anxiety and exploratory behavior in four populations, representing three species, of the striped mouse Rhabdomys. One population originated from an arid, open habitat and the others from grassy, covered habitats, and two species occurred in sympatry. Read More

Am J Bot 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, CZ-128 01, Prague, Czech Republic.

Premise Of The Study: Genome duplication is associated with multiple changes at different levels, including interactions with pollinators and herbivores. Yet little is known whether polyploidy may also shape belowground interactions.

Methods: To elucidate potential ploidy-specific interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), we compared mycorrhizal colonization and assembly of AMF communities in roots of diploid and tetraploid Centaurea stoebe s. Read More

J Microbiol 2018 Sep 6. Epub 2018 Sep 6.

Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London, NW4 4BT, UK.

When Salmonella enterica is not in a planktonic state, it persists in organised communities encased in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), defined as biofilms. Environmental conditions ultimately dictate the key properties of the biofilms such as porosity, density, water content, charge, sorption and ion exchange properties, hydrophobicity and mechanical stability. S. Read More

Bull Math Biol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Mathematics, University of California, Riverside, USA.

One of the central problems in animal and plant developmental biology is deciphering how chemical and mechanical signals interact within a tissue to produce organs of defined size, shape, and function. Cell walls in plants impose a unique constraint on cell expansion since cells are under turgor pressure and do not move relative to one another. Cell wall extensibility and constantly changing distribution of stress on the wall are mechanical properties that vary between individual cells and contribute to rates of expansion and orientation of cell division. Read More

Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

ICAR-National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, India.

Citrate synthase (CS) and NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-ICDH) have been considered as candidate enzymes to provide carbon skeletons for nitrogen assimilation, i.e., production of 2-oxoglutarate required by the glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase cycle. Read More

Mol Biol Rep 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

School of Foreign Languages, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.

Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses, which affects the yield and quality of banana (Musa paradisiaca). To understand the salinity tolerance mechanisms of banana, the iTRAQ technique is employed to reveal the proteomic response of Brazil banana under different durations of 60 mmol/L NaCl stress. We have identified 77 DEPs and classified them into nine functional categories, compared with control (0 mmol/L NaCl treatment). Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Laboratory of Metabolomics and Isotope Analyses, Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, 603 00, Brno, Czech Republic.

Early stages of ontogenesis determining subsequent growth, development, and productivity of crops can be affected by wastewater and sludge contaminated with pharmaceuticals. Diclofenac (DCF) and paracetamol (PCT; both 0.0001 to 10 mg/L) did not affect seed germination and primary root length of onion, lettuce, pea, and tomato. Read More

J Nat Med 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuyama University, Sanzo, 1, Gakuen-cho, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, 729-0292, Japan.

New eight endophytic filamentous fungi were isolated from the young stems of Cinchona ledgeriana (Rubiaceae) cultivated in Japan. They were classified into four genera based on phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2), including the 5.8S ribosomal DNA region. Read More

Planta 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China.

Main Conclusion: Cotton GaTOP6B is involved in cellular endoreduplication and a positive response to drought stress via promoting plant leaf and root growth. Drought is deemed as one of adverse conditions that could cause substantial reductions in crop yields worldwide. Since cotton exhibits a moderate-tolerant phenotype under water-deficit conditions, the plant could therefore be used to characterize potential new genes regulating drought tolerance in crop plants. Read More

Planta 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Faculty of Science, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia.

Main Conclusion: In hybrids of Arabidopsis, cotyledons influence the amount and proportion of hybrid vigor in total plant growth. We found Arabidopsis cotyledons are essential for plant growth and in some hybrids for hybrid vigor. In hybrids between C24 and Landsberg erecta (Ler), biomass vigor (heterosis) occurs in the first few days after sowing (DAS), with hybrid cotyledons being larger than those of their parents. Read More

Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

Nowadays, cancer remains a major cause of death affecting millions of people. Currently, the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as potent anticancer therapeutic agents offer specificity and low levels of side effects in cancer therapy. In the present study, a cationic chimeric peptide (cLFchimera), derived from camel lactoferrin, was expressed as a secretory peptide using P170 expression system in L. Read More

Plant Foods Hum Nutr 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

School of Studies in Chemistry/Environmental Science, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, CG, 492010, India.

The seeds of nine species belonging to the Fabaceae family (Cassia alata, Cassia uniflora, Cassia obtusifolia, Cassia tora, Crotalaria albida, Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria pallida, Indigofera tinctoria, and Tephrosia purpurea) were studied. The oil yield ranged from 2.0 to 9. Read More

Plant Foods Hum Nutr 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Penthorum chinense Pursh (PCP), a medicinal and edible plant, is traditionally used for liver protection and treatment of liver diseases. In this study, we compared the differences of composition and activity of flowers, stems and leaves of PCP to select a bioactive part. The stems of PCP with stronger antioxidant activity (6. Read More

J Plant Res 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.

We provide here the first full chloroplast genome sequence, i.e., the plastome, for a species belonging to the fern order Hymenophyllales. Read More

Ecotoxicology 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada.

It has been demonstrated that a number of metals including mercury (Hg), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and nickel (Ni) decrease seed germination rates and plant growth. The threshold levels of metal toxicity on seed germination, plant development, and gene regulation have not been studied in detail. The main objective of this study was to assess in vitro and in vivo the effects of different doses of nickel on Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) seed germination and regulation of the high affinity nickel transporter family protein (AT2G16800) gene. Read More

Anal Bioanal Chem 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Institute of Plant Protection and Agro-Product Safety, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Safety Risk Evaluation (Hefei), Ministry of Agriculture, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, China.

A novel fluorescent sensor based on bovine serum albumin stabilized gold/silver nanoclusters (BSA-Au/Ag NCs) was developed for sensitive and facile detection of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. For this fluorescent sensor, ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AAP) was decomposed into ascorbic acid (AA) and phosphate by catalysis with ALP. The initial red fluorescence of the BSA-Au/Ag NCs was effectively quenched by KMnO and then the fluorescence was recovered by addition of AA. Read More

Theor Appl Genet 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

State Plant Breeding Institute, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 21, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany.

Genomic selection is an approach that uses whole-genome marker data to predict breeding values of genotypes and holds the potential to improve the genetic gain in breeding programs. In this study, two winter wheat populations (DS1 and DS2) consisting of 438 and 585 lines derived from six and eight bi-parental families, respectively, were genotyped with genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism markers and phenotyped for Fusarium head blight and Septoria tritici blotch severity, plant height and heading date. We used ridge regression-best linear unbiased prediction to investigate the potential of genomic selection under different selection scenarios: prediction across each winter wheat population, within- and among-family prediction in each population, and prediction from DS1 to DS2 and vice versa. Read More

Plant Cell Rep 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.

Key Message: CLV3p-mediated phosphorylation of MPK3 and MPK6 occurs via CLV1 and BAM1 receptors to regulate the maintenance of SAM development. The CLAVATA peptide-receptor (CLV3p-CLV1) pathway modulates a homeodomain master regulator WUSCHEL (WUS) transcription factor in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) with poorly defined signaling mechanisms. Here, we report that mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs, also known as MPKs in plants) act in an intracellular signaling cascade to play an important role in the maintenance of SAM development. Read More

Microb Ecol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Graduate Program in Microbiology, University of California, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.

Managed pollinators such as the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata, are essential to the production of a wide variety of agricultural crops. These pollinators encounter a diverse array of microbes when foraging for food and nest-building materials on various plants. To test the hypothesis that food and nest-building source affects the composition of the bee-nest microbiome, we exposed M. Read More

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Mi'gmawe'l Tplu'taqnn Incorporated (MTI), 40 MicMac Road, Eel Ground, Miramichi, NB, E1V4B1, Canada.

The diets of Indigenous people rely on food and medicinal plants harvested directly from the land and there is increasing concern from Indigenous knowledge holders over changes to the appearance and flavor of wild harvested food and medicinal plants. We collected samples of muskrat root, considered an important medicinal plant, at 11 traditional collection locations to quantify contaminants of concern. There were no spatial or temporal trends apparent and the risk via consumption was found to be very low. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 14;8(1):17850. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Traditional Chinese Medicine College, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun City, Jilin Province, 130118, China.

Asarum spp. are important medicinal plants that have the potential for use in treating various types of fevers. Aristolochic acid is one of the main toxic compounds present in these plants. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 14;8(1):17843. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, The Laboratory of Melon Crops, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450009, China.

Fine mapping and discovery of candidate genes underlying seed size are important for modern watermelon breeding. Here, by using a high-resolution genetic map and whole-genome genetic variation detection aided by genome survey sequencing, we fine mapped and discovered candidate genes for seed size in watermelon. QTL (quantitative trait locus) mapping identified two pleiotropic QTLs for seed size, namely, qSS4 and qSS6, using a high-density genetic map constructed by specific length amplified fragment sequencing. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 14;8(1):17844. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Plant Molecular Biology Group, Biotechnology Department, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, India.

Apple scab disease caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis is a devastating disease that seriously affects quality and yield of apples. In order to understand the mechanisms involved in scab resistance, we performed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry based metabolomics analysis of the cell culture of scab resistant cultivar 'Florina' and scab susceptible cultivar 'Vista Bella' both prior -to and -following treatment with V. inaequalis elicitor (VIE). Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 14;8(1):17857. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment - University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

Repellents are a main tool to prevent the outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases that represents a threat for millions of people worldwide. Plant-based products are very promising, low-toxic and eco-friendly alternative to synthetic repellents. Here, we performed an olfactory screening of the essential oils (EOs) of Artemisia verlotiorum Lamotte (Asteraceae), Lavandula dentata L. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 14;8(1):17847. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are a large class of enzymes that play essential roles in metabolic processes such as hormone synthesis and the catabolism of toxins and other chemicals in insects. In the present study, we identified 82 P450 genes using comprehensive RNA sequencing in the flea beetle Agasicles hygrophila, and all of the sequences were validated by cloning and sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the P450 genes in A. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 14;8(1):17879. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

CIRAD, BGPI, Montpellier, France.

We here assessed the capability of the MinION sequencing approach to detect and characterize viruses infecting a water yam plant. This sequencing platform consistently revealed the presence of several plant virus species, including Dioscorea bacilliform virus, Yam mild mosaic virus and Yam chlorotic necrosis virus. A potentially novel ampelovirus was also detected by a complimentary Illumina sequencing approach. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 14;8(1):17853. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

University of Leiden, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Einsteinweg 55, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands.

The solid-state photo-CIDNP (photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization) effect allows for increase of signal and sensitivity in magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR experiments. The effect occurs in photosynthetic reaction centers (RC) proteins upon illumination and induction of cyclic electron transfer. Here we show that the strength of the effect allows for observation of the cofactors forming the spin-correlated radical pair (SCRP) in isolated proteins, in natural photosynthetic membranes as well as in entire plants. Read More

Nat Commun 2018 Dec 14;9(1):5331. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Posttranscriptional Gene Regulation, Cancer Research and Experimental Haemostasis, University Medical Centre Mainz, Mainz, 55131, Germany.

Diversification at the transcriptome 3'end is an important and evolutionarily conserved layer of gene regulation associated with differentiation and dedifferentiation processes. Here, we identify extensive transcriptome 3'end-alterations in neuroblastoma, a tumour entity with a paucity of recurrent somatic mutations and an unusually high frequency of spontaneous regression. Utilising extensive RNAi-screening we reveal the landscape and drivers of transcriptome 3'end-diversification, discovering PCF11 as critical regulator, directing alternative polyadenylation (APA) of hundreds of transcripts including a differentiation RNA-operon. Read More