Maize Antifungal Protein AFP1 Elevates Fungal Chitin Levels by Targeting Chitin Deacetylases and Other Glycoproteins.

Pathogenic fungi convert chitin to chitosan to evade plant perception and disarm chitin-triggered immune responses. Whether plants have evolved factors to counteract this evasion mechanism remains obscure. Here, we decipher the mechanism underlying the antifungal activity of maize secretory mannose-binding ysteine-ich eceptor-like ecreted rotein (CRRSP), antifungal protein 1 (AFP1).

Xylanase Inhibitors: Defense Players in Plant Immunity with Implications in Agro-Industrial Processing.

Xylanase inhibitors (XIs) are plant cell wall proteins largely distributed in monocots that inhibit the hemicellulose degrading activity of microbial xylanases. XIs have been classified into three classes with different structures and inhibition specificities, namely xylanase inhibitors (TAXI), xylanase inhibitor proteins (XIP), and thaumatin-like xylanase inhibitors (TLXI). Their involvement in plant defense has been established by several reports.

Reduction of Allergenic Potential in Bread Wheat RNAi Transgenic Lines Silenced for , and Genes.

Although wheat is used worldwide as a staple food, it can give rise to adverse reactions, for which the triggering factors have not been identified yet. These reactions can be caused mainly by kernel proteins, both gluten and non-gluten proteins. Among these latter proteins, α-amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATI) are involved in baker's asthma and realistically in Non Celiac Wheat Sensitivity (NCWS).

Biosynthesis and tissue-specific partitioning of camphor and eugenol in Ocimum kilimandscharicum.

In Ocimum kilimandscharicum, the relative volatile composition of camphor in leaves was as high as 55%, while that of eugenol in roots was 57%. These metabolites were differentially partitioned between the aerial and root tissues. Global metabolomics revealed tissue-specific biochemical specialization, evident by the differential distribution of 2588 putative metabolites across nine tissues.

Structural, functional and evolutionary diversity of 4-coumarate-CoA ligase in plants.

The 4-coumarate-CoA ligases (4CL) contribute in channelizing flux of different phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathways. Expression of 4CL is optimized at developmental stages and in response to environmental triggers such as biotic and abiotic stresses. The enzyme is valuable in metabolic pathway engineering for curcuminoids, resveratrol, biofuel production and nutritional improvement.

Comprehensive metabolic and transcriptomic profiling of various tissues provide insights for saponin biosynthesis in the medicinally important Asparagus racemosus.

Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari), belongs to the family Asparagaceae and is known as a "curer of hundred diseases" since ancient time. This plant has been exploited as a food supplement to enhance immune system and regarded as a highly valued medicinal plant in Ayurvedic medicine system for the treatment of various ailments such as gastric ulcers, dyspepsia, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, as a galactogogue and against several other diseases. In depth metabolic fingerprinting of various parts of the plant led to the identification of 13 monoterpenoids exclusively present in roots.

Functional characterization and transient expression manipulation of a new sesquiterpene synthase involved in β-caryophyllene accumulation in Ocimum.

The genus Ocimum has a unique blend of diverse secondary metabolites, with major proportion of terpenoids including mono- and sesquiterpenes. Although, β-Caryophyllene, bicyclic sesquiterpene, is one of the major terpene found in Ocimum species and known to possess several biological activities, not much is known about its biosynthesis in Ocimum. Here, we describe isolation and characterization of β-caryophyllene synthase gene from Ocimum kilimandscharicum Gürke (OkBCS- GenBank accession no.

Insight into the role of grafting and arbuscular mycorrhiza on cadmium stress tolerance in tomato.

Physiological, biochemical, metabolite changes, and gene expression analysis of greenhouse tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) were investigated in two grafting combinations (self-grafted 'Ikram' and 'Ikram' grafted onto interspecific hybrid rootstock `Maxifort'), with and without arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM), exposed to 0 and 25 μM Cd. Tomato plants responded to moderate Cadmium (Cd) concentration by decreasing yield and crop growth parameters due to the accumulation of Cd in leaf tissue, inhibition of the PS II activity, reduced nutrients translocation, and also to the oxidative stress as evidenced by enhanced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation, ion leakage, and lipid peroxidation.

An update on polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein (PGIP), a leucine-rich repeat protein that protects crop plants against pathogens.

Polygalacturonase inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) are cell wall proteins that inhibit the pectin-depolymerizing activity of polygalacturonases secreted by microbial pathogens and insects. These ubiquitous inhibitors have a leucine-rich repeat structure that is strongly conserved in monocot and dicot plants. Previous reviews have summarized the importance of PGIP in plant defense and the structural basis of PG-PGIP interaction; here we update the current knowledge about PGIPs with the recent findings on the composition and evolution of pgip gene families, with a special emphasis on legume and cereal crops.