Gene characterization of Willd. and L. accessions: unmasking genetic diversity.

Unlabelled: The genus L. includes the domesticated seed crop Willd. and the semi-domesticated seed/fodder  L.

Characterization of Biomineralizing and Plant Growth-Promoting Attributes of Lithobiontic Bacteria.

The application of mineral-solubilizing, plant growth-promoting bacteria as inoculants offers a promising alternative to chemical fertilizers. In the present study, lithic bacterial isolates were evaluated for mineral solubilization and plant growth-promoting potential. Among the 57 lithic bacterial isolates associated with different rock samples collected from various locations in Meghalaya, India, nine K-solubilizing isolates, six S-solubilizing isolates, five P- and Si-solubilizing isolates, and three Zn-solubilizing isolates with notable indole-3-acetic acid and siderophore production, and ACC deaminase activity were selected for further study.

Beyond the Cereal Box: Breeding Buckwheat as a Strategic Crop for Human Nutrition.

While intensification of farming systems is essential for achieving the Millennium Development Goal of "Zero hunger", issues such as availability of nutritious foods would demand increased attention if any long-term form of food security is to be achieved. Since wheat, rice and maize have reached near to 80 percent of their yield potential and reliance on these crops alone would not be sufficient to close the gap between demand and supply, there is a need to bring other climate-resilient and nutritionally dense crops into agricultural portfolio. Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.

alleles in rice: relationship with apparent amylose content of starch and a possible role in rice domestication.

The locus of rice is a highly polymorphic region embedded with microsatellite repeats in the 5'UTR leader intron 1 region, 23-bp duplication ( motif) in exon 2, SNPs in exons 4, 6 and 10, element in intron 1 and element in inton 13. Of the 80 polymorphic sites detected on the gene, 24 are located in and elements, revealing a higher substitution rate of bases in these two regions. All the cultivars with chalky endosperm had the 5'-AGTTATA-3' haplotype in intron 1 and 'A' to 'G' substitution at ?497 in exon 4.

In silico molecular modelling, structural dynamics simulation and characterization of antifungal nature of β-glucosidase enzyme from .

β-glucosidase is an enzyme that has ability to cleave β-glycosidic bonds present in oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. They are known to be present across all domains of living organism and have important roles in many biological processes including plant defense mechanism. In the present study, a β-glucosidase enzyme identified from seeds of was characterized using various bioinformatics tools.

A multifocal approach towards understanding the complexities of carotenoid biosynthesis and accumulation in rice grains.

Carotenoids are mostly C40 terpenoids that participate in several important functions in plants including photosynthesis, responses to various forms of stress, signal transduction and photoprotection. While the antioxidant potential of carotenoids is of particular importance for human health, equally important is the role of β-carotene as the precursor for vitamin A in the human diet. Rice, which contributes upto 40% of dietary energy for mankind, contains very low level of β-carotene, thereby making it an important crop for enhancing β-carotene accumulation in its grains and consequently targeting vitamin A deficiency.

Comparative transcriptomics approach in elucidation of carotenoid biosynthesis regulation in grains of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Estimation of phytoene, lycopene, β-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin in grains of white, brown and purple cultivars of rice revealed marked differences in the levels of these carotenoid intermediates amongst the cultivars. Grains of white rice did not show any significant accumulation of carotenoid intermediates at any stage of development. On the other hand, grains of the purple cultivar accumulated 49.

Development and characterization of a new set of genomic microsatellite markers in rice bean (Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi and Ohashi) and their utilization in genetic diversity analysis of collections from North East India.

Rice bean [Vigna umbellate (Thumb.) Ohwi and Ohashi] is an underutilized crop believed to be domesticated in the Myanmar-Thailand region of Asia. In India, rice bean is mainly cultivated in the North-Eastern Hills, which is a hotspot for biological diversity.

Functional genomics of apocarotenoids in saffron: insights from chemistry, molecular biology and therapeutic applications.

Saffron is considered to be the costliest spice of the world. It has been regarded as highly valued medicinal plant in Ayurveda to treat various ailments. Over the past few years, considerable interest has developed in saffron because of its anticancer, antimutagenic, antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties.

Molecular modelling, dynamics simulation and characterization of antifungal chitinase from Sechium edule.

Chitinases are varied sized proteins which have the ability to degrade chitin and are present in a huge range of organisms like fungi, yeasts, arthropods, humans etc. and have been getting increased attention due to their biocontrol properties. In silico analysis sheds light on the extensive properties of this plant protein.

Deciphering ligand specificity of a Clostridium thermocellum family 35 carbohydrate binding module (CtCBM35) for gluco- and galacto- substituted mannans and its calcium induced stability.

This study investigated the role of CBM35 from Clostridium thermocellum (CtCBM35) in polysaccharide recognition. CtCBM35 was cloned into pET28a (+) vector with an engineered His6 tag and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells. A homogenous 15 kDa protein was purified by immobilized metal ion chromatography (IMAC).

Mycorrhizal status and diversity of fungal endophytes in roots of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and tartary buckwheat (F. tataricum).

To determine the mycorrhizal status and to identify the fungi colonising the roots of the plants, common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and tartary buckwheat (F. tataricum) were inoculated with an indigenous fungal mixture from a buckwheat field. Root colonisation was characterised by the hyphae and distinct microsclerotia of dark septate endophytes, with occasional arbuscules and vesicles of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Amino acid sequence of the 26 kDa subunit of legumin-type seed storage protein of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench): molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis.

The paper describes the amino acid sequence of a 26 kDa basic subunit of 13S globulin of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench). The protein has 93 and 75% sequence homology with 11S globulin of Coffea arabica and beta subunit of 11S globulin of Cucurbita pepo respectively. The subunit has the "globally conserved" N-terminal sequence consisting of Gly-Ile-Asp-Glu and the cysteine at P7' from the proteolytic processing site.