Prioritization of candidate genes regulating the dwarfness in rice by integration of whole-genome and transcriptome analyses.

Dwarfism is a major trait for developing lodging-resistant rice cultivars. Gamma irradiation-induced mutagenesis has proven to be an effective method for generating dwarf rice mutants. In this research, we isolated a dwarf mutant from Anna R (4) in the M generation and subsequently stabilized the trait through successive selfing of progeny across the M-M generations.

A colorimetric hydroxy naphthol blue based loop-mediated isothermal amplification detection assay targeting the β-tubulin locus of infecting rice seed.

Sarocladium oryzae is a widely prevalent seed-borne pathogen of rice. The development of a rapid and on-site detection method for is therefore important to ensure the health of rice seeds. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is ideal for field-level diagnosis since it offers quick, high-specific amplification of target template sequences at a single temperature.

Response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars to elevated ozone stress.

The plant response to elevated ozone stress reveals inter-species and intra-species disparity. Ozone-induced crop yield loss is predicted to increase in the future, posing a threat to the world economy. This study aims to evaluate the cultivar specific variation in rice exposed to elevated ozone.

Gene Pyramiding for Achieving Enhanced Resistance to Bacterial Blight, Blast, and Sheath Blight Diseases in Rice.

Bacterial blight, blast, and sheath blight are the commonest diseases causing substantial yield loss in rice around the world. Stacking of broad-spectrum resistance genes/QTLs into popular cultivars is becoming a major objective of any disease resistance breeding program. The varieties ASD 16 and ADT 43 are the two popular, high yielding, and widely grown rice cultivars of South India, which are susceptible to bacterial blight (BB), blast, and sheath blight diseases.

Improvement of Stable Restorer Lines for Blast Resistance through Functional Marker in Rice ( L.).

Two popular stable restorer lines, CB 87 R and CB 174 R, were improved for blast resistance through marker-assisted back-cross breeding (MABB). The hybrid rice development program in South India extensively depends on these two restorer lines. However, these restorer lines are highly susceptible to blast disease.

The facile and simple synthesis of poly(3,4ethylenedioxythiophene) anchored reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for biochemical analysis.

In this article, we demonstrate the potentiostatic electrodeposition of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) to develop a nanocomposite-modified electrode that separates three coexisting biofluids - ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA) - in a 0.1 M Phosphate buffer solution at a physiological pH (7.4).

Functional Marker Assisted Improvement of Stable Cytoplasmic Male Sterile Lines of Rice for Bacterial Blight Resistance.

Bacterial blight (BB), caused by .oryzae is one among the major diseases in rice, which in severe condition cause losses up to 60% in total yield. Marker assisted pyramiding of three broad spectrum BB resistance genes (, and ) in prominent rice varieties is the most economical and effective strategy for the management of the BB disease.

Experimental investigation of electro-rheological properties of modeled vegetable oils.

Vegetable oil becomes polarized on oxidation and polymerization resulting in the formation of peroxide, triglycerides, etc. The quality and reusable state were investigated for sunflower, sesame, rice bran oil and model oil with the addition of oleic acid (2, 4 and 6 %) and antioxidants (citric and tert-Butyl hydroquinone-TBHQ). Excessive reclaims of cooking oil produce toxic by-products due to chemical breakdown that induce the production of polar compounds in oil.

Discovery of a latent calcineurin inhibitory peptide from its autoinhibitory domain by docking, dynamic simulation, and in vitro methods.

Autoinhibitory domain (AID) of calcineurin (CN) was discovered two decades ago. Fewer investigations are reported to find out shortest possible peptide from the AID for CN inhibition. Hence, this study has focused on screening of nearly 150 peptide fragments derived from the AID using in silico method.

Impedimetric detection of alcohol vapours using nanostructured zinc ferrite.

A comparative study on the sensing characteristics of nanostructured zinc ferrite to three primary alcohols viz. methanol, ethanol and propanol has been carried out. The zinc ferrite has been prepared by a combustion method and characterized by XRD, FTIR, AFM and SEM.

A novel assay method for calcium calmodulin dependent phosphatase from bovine brain extract.

Calcium calmodulin dependent protein ser/thr phosphatase, also referred to as protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B), is rich in neural tissue, and plays an important role in the overall function of the nervous system. Routinely phosphatase assay employs, para-Nitrophenlylphosphate (p-NPP), as a substrate, is also extended to assay PP2B. However, in the present study, the differential spectral characterstic property of tyrosine and phopshotyrosine has been exploited to employ the latter as a candidate substrate for the PP2B assay.

Solid-state characterization studies and effect of PEG 20000 and P90G on particle size reduction and stability of complexed glimepiride nanocrystals.

Objective: The objective of the present study is to formulate and characterize the properties of complexed glimepiride nanocrystals (GLP) by various techniques at different stages of its development, and to study the effect of PEG 20000 and P90G on particle size reduction and stability of nanocrystals.

Method: Precipitated (GLP-PEG) and complexed NCs (GLP-PEG-P90G) of glimepiride were characterized for particle size, size distribution, zeta potential and stability assessment using photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS). The crystallinity was analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray powder diffraction spectroscopy (XRPD).

Direct electrochemistry of myoglobin at reduced graphene oxide-multiwalled carbon nanotubes-platinum nanoparticles nanocomposite and biosensing towards hydrogen peroxide and nitrite.

We described the preparation of a novel nanobiocomposite, reduced graphene oxide- multiwalled carbon nanotubes-platinum nanoparticles/myoglobin (RGO-MWCNT-Pt/Mb) for the direct electrochemistry of myoglobin and its application towards determination of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitrite (NO2(-)). RGO-MWCNT-Pt nanocomposite has been prepared by simple solution based approach and its structure was characterized. RGO-MWCNT-Pt/Mb nanobiocomposite was prepared and attained the direct electrochemistry of Mb with pair of well-defined redox peaks with the formal potential of -0.

Development and characterization of lecithin stabilized glibenclamide nanocrystals for enhanced solubility and drug delivery.

Novel LNCs (lipid nanocrystals) were developed with an aim to improve the solubility, stability and targeting efficiency of the model drug glibenclamide (GLB). PEG 20000, Tween 80 and soybean lecithin were used as polymer, surfactant and complexing agent, respectively. GLB nanocrystals (NCs) were prepared by precipitation process and complexed using hot and cold melt technique.

Simultaneous optimization of multiple performance characteristics in coagulation-flocculation process for Indian paper industry wastewater.

The goal of this study was to optimize the coagulation-flocculation process in wastewater generated from the paper and pulp industry using a grey relational analysis (GRA)-based Taguchi method. Process parameters included types and doses of natural coagulants and coagulant aid, and pH. To track the efficiency of the treatment process, the following responses were chosen for optimization: chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved solids (TDS) and turbidity of wastewater, alone or in combination or all together.

Mycobacterial stress regulation: The Dps "twin sister" defense mechanism and structure-function relationship.

In this work, we have tried to emphasize the connection between mycobacterial growth and regulation of gene expression. Utilization of multiple carbon sources and diauxic growth helps bacteria to regulate gene expression at an optimum level so that the inhospitable conditions encountered during nutrient depletion can be circumvented. These aspects will be discussed with respect to mycobacterial growth in subsequent sections.

The mycobacterial MsDps2 protein is a nucleoid-forming DNA binding protein regulated by sigma factors sigma and sigma.

The Dps (DNA-binding protein from starved cells) proteins from Mycobacterium smegmatis MsDps1 and MsDps2 are both DNA-binding proteins with some differences. While MsDps1 has two oligomeric states, with one of them responsible for DNA binding, MsDps2 has only one DNA-binding oligomeric state. Both the proteins however, show iron-binding activity.

Structural studies on the second Mycobacterium smegmatis Dps: invariant and variable features of structure, assembly and function.

A second DNA binding protein from stationary-phase cells of Mycobacterium smegmatis (MsDps2) has been identified from the bacterial genome. It was cloned, expressed and characterised and its crystal structure was determined. The core dodecameric structure of MsDps2 is the same as that of the Dps from the organism described earlier (MsDps1).

Role of N and C-terminal tails in DNA binding and assembly in Dps: structural studies of Mycobacterium smegmatis Dps deletion mutants.

Mycobacterium smegmatis Dps degrades spontaneously into a species in which 16 C-terminal residues are cleaved away. A second species, in which all 26 residues constituting the tail were deleted, was cloned, expressed and purified. The first did not bind DNA but formed dodecamers like the native protein, while the second did not bind to DNA and failed to assemble into dodecamers, indicating a role in assembly also for the tail.

Size-selective voltammetry: modification of the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions by zeolite Y.

Size- and charge-selective ion transfer across the zeolite-Y-modified interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ZM-ITIES) is described. The zeolite-Y membrane is prepared from pressed disks by healing with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Size- and charge-selective transfer of the tetraethylammonium cation, size-selective exclusion of tetrabutylammonium cation, and charge-selective exclusion of the tetrafluoroborate and perchlorate anions are demonstrated at the ZM-ITIES.