From Gene to Transcript and Peptide: A Deep Overview on Non-Specific Lipid Transfer Proteins (nsLTPs).

Non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) stand out among plant-specific peptide superfamilies due to their multifaceted roles in plant molecular physiology and development, including their protective functions against pathogens. These antimicrobial agents have demonstrated remarkable efficacy against bacterial and fungal pathogens. The discovery of plant-originated, cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides such as nsLTPs has paved the way for exploring the mentioned organisms as potential biofactories for synthesizing antimicrobial compounds.

The WRKY transcription factor family in cowpea: Genomic characterization and transcriptomic profiling under root dehydration.

Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] is one of the most tolerant legume crops to drought and salt stresses.

The Cowpea Kinome: Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis Under Biotic and Abiotic Stresses.

The present work represents a pioneering effort, being the first to analyze genomic and transcriptomic data from (cowpea) kinases. We evaluated the cowpea kinome considering its genome-wide distribution and structural characteristics (at the gene and protein levels), sequence evolution, conservation among Viridiplantae species, and gene expression in three cowpea genotypes under different stress situations, including biotic (injury followed by virus inoculation-CABMV or CPSMV) and abiotic (root dehydration). The structural features of cowpea kinases (VuPKs) indicated that 1,293 VuPKs covered 20 groups and 118 different families.

Reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR normalization of Cenostigma pyramidale roots under salt stress and mycorrhizal association.

Cenostigma pyramidale is a native legume of the Brazilian semiarid region which performs symbiotic association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), being an excellent model for studying genes associated with tolerance against abiotic and biotic stresses. In RT-qPCR approach, the use of reference genes is mandatory to avoid incorrect interpretation of the relative expression. This study evaluated the stability of ten candidate reference genes (CRGs) from C.

Transcriptome of Cenostigma pyramidale roots, a woody legume, under different salt stress times.

Salinity stress has a significant impact on the gain of plant biomass. Our study provides the first root transcriptome of Cenostigma pyramidale, a tolerant woody legume from a tropical dry forest, under three different salt stress times (30 min, 2 h, and 11 days). The transcriptome was assembled using the RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) de novo pipeline from GenPipes.

Salt tolerance of begins with immediate regulation of aquaporin activity in the root system.

Unlabelled: The ability to respond quickly to salt stress can determine the tolerance level of a species. Here, we test how rapidly the roots of react to high salinity conditions. In the first 24 h after saline exposure, the plants reduced stomatal conductance, increased CO assimilation, and water use efficiency.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) defensins: Prospection, structural analysis and tissue-specific expression under biotic/abiotic stresses.

Defensins are a prominent family of antimicrobial peptides. They play sophisticated roles in the defense against pathogens in all living organisms, but few works address their expression under different conditions and plant tissues. The present work prospected defensins of Manihot esculenta Crantz, popularly known as cassava.

Plant Antimicrobial Peptides: State of the Art, In Silico Prediction and Perspectives in the Omics Era.

Even before the perception or interaction with pathogens, plants rely on constitutively guardian molecules, often specific to tissue or stage, with further expression after contact with the pathogen. These guardians include small molecules as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), generally cysteine-rich, functioning to prevent pathogen establishment. Some of these AMPs are shared among eukaryotes (eg, defensins and cyclotides), others are plant specific (eg, snakins), while some are specific to certain plant families (such as heveins).

Reference genes selection for Calotropis procera under different salt stress conditions.

Calotropis procera is a perennial Asian shrub with significant adaptation to adverse climate conditions and poor soils. Given its increased salt and drought stress tolerance, C. procera stands out as a powerful candidate to provide alternative genetic resources for biotechnological approaches.

Plant Aquaporins: Diversity, Evolution and Biotechnological Applications.

The plasma membrane forms a permeable barrier that separates the cytoplasm from the external environment, defining the physical and chemical limits in each cell in all organisms. The movement of molecules and ions into and out of cells is controlled by the plasma membrane as a critical process for cell stability and survival, maintaining essential differences between the composition of the extracellular fluid and the cytosol. In this process aquaporins (AQPs) figure as important actors, comprising highly conserved membrane proteins that carry water, glycerol and other hydrophilic molecules through biomembranes, including the cell wall and membranes of cytoplasmic organelles.

Cowpea and abiotic stresses: identification of reference genes for transcriptional profiling by qPCR.

Background: Due to cowpea ability to fix nitrogen in poor soils and relative tolerance to drought and salt stresses, efforts have been directed to identifying genes and pathways that confer stress tolerance in this species. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) has been widely used as the most reliable method to measure gene expression, due to its high accuracy and specificity. In the present study, nine candidate reference genes were rigorously tested for their application in normalization of qPCR data onto roots of four distinct cowpea accessions under two abiotic stresses: root dehydration and salt (NaCl, 100 mM).

Biofilm production by clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and structural changes in LasR protein of isolates non biofilm-producing.

Introduction: Biofilm production is an important mechanism for the survival of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its relationship with antimicrobial resistance represents a challenge for patient therapeutics. P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen frequently associated to nosocomial infections, especially in imunocompromised hosts.

Plant Elite Squad: First Defense Line and Resistance Genes - Identification, Diversity and Functional Roles.

Plants exhibit sensitive mechanisms to respond to environmental stresses, presenting some specific and non-specific reactions when attacked by pathogens, including organisms from different classes and complexity, as viroids, viruses, bacteria, fungi and nematodes. A crucial step to define the fate of the plant facing an invading pathogen is the activation of a compatible Resistance (R) gene, the focus of the present review. Different aspects regarding R-genes and their products are discussed, including pathogen recognition mechanisms, signaling and effects on induced and constitutive defense processes, splicing and post transcriptional mechanisms involved.

Plants Defense-related Cyclic Peptides: Diversity, Structure and Applications.

Plant growth is prone to several unfavorable factors that may compromise or impair development and survival, including abiotic or biotic stressors. Aiming at defending themselves, plants have developed several strategies to survive and adapt to such adversities. Cyclotides are a family of plant-derived proteins that exhibit a diverse range of biological activities including antimicrobial and insecticidal activities that actively participate in plant defense processes.

Expression dynamics and genome distribution of osmoprotectants in soybean: identifying important components to face abiotic stress.

Background: Despite the importance of osmoprotectants, no previous in silico evaluation of high throughput data is available for higher plants. The present approach aimed at the identification and annotation of osmoprotectant-related sequences applied to short transcripts from a soybean HT-SuperSAGE (High Throughput Super Serial Analysis of Gene Expression; 26-bp tags) database, and also its comparison with other transcriptomic and genomic data available from different sources.

Methods: A curated set of osmoprotectants related sequences was generated using text mining and selected seed sequences for identification of the respective transcripts and proteins in higher plants.

Mining plant genome browsers as a means for efficient connection of physical, genetic and cytogenetic mapping: An example using soybean.

Physical maps are important tools to uncover general chromosome structure as well as to compare different plant lineages and species, helping to elucidate genome structure, evolution and possibilities regarding synteny and colinearity. The increasing production of sequence data has opened an opportunity to link information from mapping studies to the underlying sequences. Genome browsers are invaluable platforms that provide access to these sequences, including tools for genome analysis, allowing the integration of multivariate information, and thus aiding to explain the emergence of complex genomes.

In silico identification of known osmotic stress responsive genes from Arabidopsis in soybean and Medicago.

Plants experience various environmental stresses, but tolerance to these adverse conditions is a very complex phenomenon. The present research aimed to evaluate a set of genes involved in osmotic response, comparing soybean and medicago with the well-described Arabidopsis thaliana model plant. Based on 103 Arabidopsis proteins from 27 categories of osmotic stress response, comparative analyses against Genosoja and Medicago truncatula databases allowed the identification of 1,088 soybean and 1,210 Medicago sequences.

An overall evaluation of the Resistance (R) and Pathogenesis-Related (PR) superfamilies in soybean, as compared with Medicago and Arabidopsis.

Plants have the ability to recognize and respond to a multitude of pathogens, resulting in a massive reprogramming of the plant to activate defense responses including Resistance (R) and Pathogenesis-Related (PR) genes. Abiotic stresses can also activate PR genes and enhance pathogen resistance, representing valuable genes for breeding purposes. The present work offers an overview of soybean R and PR genes present in the GENOSOJA (Brazilian Soybean Genome Consortium) platform, regarding their structure, abundance, evolution and role in the plant-pathogen metabolic pathway, as compared with Medicago and Arabidopsis.