Genetic Diversity, Linkage Disequilibrium and Population Structure of Bulgarian Bread Wheat Assessed by Genome-Wide Distributed SNP Markers: From Old Germplasm to Semi-Dwarf Cultivars.

Genetic diversity and population structure are key resources for breeding purposes and genetic studies of important agronomic traits in crops. In this study, we described SNP-based genetic diversity, linkage disequilibrium and population structure in a panel of 179 bread wheat advanced cultivars and old accessions from Bulgaria, using an optimized wheat 25K Infinium iSelect array. Out of 19,019 polymorphic SNPs, 17,968 had а known chromosome position on the A (41%), B (42%) and D (11%) genome, and 6% were not assigned to any chromosome.

Elevated Temperature Induced Adaptive Responses of Two Lupine Species at Early Seedling Phase.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of climate warming on hormonal traits of invasive and non-invasive plants at the early developmental stage. Two different lupine species-invasive Lindl. and non-invasive L.

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Modify Leaf Micromorphology, Chloroplast Ultrastructure and Photosynthetic Activity of Pea Plants.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) emerge as promising novel carbon-based nanoparticles for use in biomedicine, pharmacology and precision agriculture. They were shown to penetrate cell walls and membranes and to physically interact and exchange electrons with photosynthetic complexes in vitro. Here, for the first time, we studied the concentration-dependent effect of foliar application of copolymer-grafted SWCNTs on the structural and functional characteristics of intact pea plants.

Neonicotinoid insecticides exert diverse cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on cultivated sunflower.

Contamination with neonicotinoids is a global problem affecting environment and target and non-target organisms including plants. The present study explored the potential genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of the insecticides Actara 25 WD and Nuprid 200 SL containing the active substances thiamethoxam (TMX) and imidacloprid (IMI), respectively, on cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).

A common F-box gene regulates the leucine homeostasis of Medicago truncatula and Arabidopsis thaliana.

The F-box domain is a conserved structural protein motif that most frequently interacts with the SKP1 protein, the core of the SCFs (SKP1-CULLIN-F-box protein ligase) E3 ubiquitin protein ligases. As part of the SCF complexes, the various F-box proteins recruit substrates for degradation through ubiquitination. In this study, we functionally characterized an F-box gene (MtF-box) identified earlier in a population of Tnt1 retrotransposon-tagged mutants of Medicago truncatula and its Arabidopsis thaliana homolog (AtF-box) using gain- and loss-of-function plants.

The Interplay between Light Quality and Biostimulant Application Affects the Antioxidant Capacity and Photosynthetic Traits of Soybean ( L. Merrill).

This paper evaluates the combined effect of biostimulant and light quality on bioactive compound production and seedling growth of soybean ( L. Merrill) plants. Germinated seeds pre-treated with different concentrations (0.

Assessment of the Biochemical Responses of Wheat Seedlings to Soil Drought after Application of Selective Herbicide.

Drought is a major environmental constrain with a deleterious effect on plant development leading to a considerable reduction of crop productivity worldwide. Wheat is a relatively drought tolerant crop during the vegetative stage. The herbicide Serrate (Syngenta) is a preparation containing two active chemical substances with different modes of action, which inhibit the biosynthesis of fatty and amino acids.

PEGylated Nanographene Oxide in Combination with Near-Infrared Laser Irradiation as a Smart Nanocarrier in Colon Cancer Targeted Therapy.

Anti-cancer therapies that integrate smart nanomaterials are the focus of cancer research in recent years. Here, we present our results with PEGylated nanographene oxide particles (nGO-PEG) and have studied their combined effect with near-infrared (NIR) irradiation on low and high invasive colorectal carcinoma cells. The aim is to develop nGO-PEG as a smart nanocarrier for colon cancer-targeted therapy.

Optimal Nitrogen Supply Ameliorates the Performance of Wheat Seedlings under Osmotic Stress in Genotype-Specific Manner.

Strategies and coping mechanisms for stress tolerance under sub-optimal nutrition conditions could provide important guidelines for developing selection criteria in sustainable agriculture. Nitrogen (N) is one of the major nutrients limiting the growth and yield of crop plants, among which wheat is probably the most substantial to human diet worldwide. Physiological status and photosynthetic capacity of two contrasting wheat genotypes (old Slomer and modern semi-dwarf Enola) were evaluated at the seedling stage to assess how N supply affected osmotic stress tolerance and capacity of plants to survive drought periods.

The Diverse Salt-Stress Response of Arabidopsis and Ethylene Signaling Mutants Is Linked to Altered Root Auxin Homeostasis.

We explored the interplay between ethylene signals and the auxin pool in roots exposed to high salinity using wild-type plants (Col-0), and the ethylene-signaling mutants (constitutive) and (insensitive). The negative effect of salt stress was less pronounced in individuals, which was concomitant with augmented auxin signaling both in the controls and after 100 mM NaCl treatment. The R2D2 auxin sensorallowed mapping this active auxin increase to the root epidermal cells in the late Cell Division (CDZ) and Transition Zone (TZ).

Nitrogen assimilation and photosynthetic capacity of wheat genotypes under optimal and deficient nitrogen supply.

The performance of two contrasting Bulgarian wheat varieties (Slomer, an old tall cultivar, and Enola, a modern semi-dwarf one) to nitrogen deficiency was compared by measuring biochemical parameters characterizing N uptake and assimilation as well as growth and photosynthetic activity of young seedlings. The old genotype displayed better photosynthetic capacity, higher N assimilation expressed by elevated amino acid synthesis and better overall performance under N limitation. This could be explained by the fact that selection of old varieties was performed mostly in environments with low nutrient availability and consequently these genotypes proved to be more suitable for growing on low-input conditions.

Decreased mRNA levels found in men with substance use disorders.

gene (fragile X mental retardation 1) represents a genetic and epigenetic factor in a number of human diseases. Though the role of gene in substance use disorders (SUDs) is not well studied, a number of investigations indicate that SUDs and -accociated disorders may share common underlying mechanisms. We examined the relative mRNA levels and their sex-distribution in leukocytes from patients with alcohol and drug dependence compared to healthy controls.

Scop. induces cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, genotoxic effects, thermodynamic and epigenetic events in MCF7 breast cancer cells.

Current plant-derived anticancer therapeutics aim to reach higher effectiveness, to potentiate chemosensitivity and minimize the toxic side effects compared to conventional chemotherapy. Scop. is a herb with high pharmacological potential, widely applied in traditional phytotherapy.

Effects of cadmium on two wheat cultivars depending on different nitrogen supply.

Heavy metal pollution as well as improper fertilization management represent serious threats to a clean environment and healthy food. This study was conducted to investigate how nitrogen supply influences a plant's ability to cope with cadmium stress in the two wheat cultivars - the modern cv. Katya (carrier of the semi-dwarfing gene Rht8) and the old cv.

Characterization and potential antitumor effect of a heteropolysaccharide produced by the red alga .

Taking into account the rising trend of the incidence of cancers of various organs, effective therapies are urgently needed to control human malignancies. However, almost all chemotherapy drugs currently on the market cause serious side effects. Fortunately, several studies have shown that some non-toxic biological macromolecules, including algal polysaccharides, possess anti-cancer activities or can increase the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy drugs.

Overexpression of the Gene Encoding a NudC Domain Protein Enhances Root Growth and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in .

The family of NudC proteins has representatives in all eukaryotes and plays essential evolutionarily conserved roles in many aspects of organismal development and stress response, including nuclear migration, cell division, folding and stabilization of other proteins. This study investigates an undescribed homolog of the gene, named (for ), which shares high sequence similarity to other plant and mammalian -like genes. Expression of was highly upregulated in response to several abiotic stress factors, such as heat shock, drought and high salinity.

Soybean recovery from stress imposed by multigenerational growth in contaminated Chernobyl environment.

Ionizing radiation is a genotoxic anthropogenic stressor. It can cause heritable changes in the plant genome, which can be either adaptive or detrimental. There is still considerable uncertainty about the effects of chronic low-intensity doses since earlier studies reported somewhat contradictory conclusions.

The effects of putrescine pre-treatment on osmotic stress responses in drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive wheat seedlings.

Recent studies have demonstrated that exogenous polyamines have protective effects under various stress condition. A broader understanding of the role of the polyamine pool fine regulation and the alterations of polyamine-related physiological processes could be obtained by comparing the stress effects in different genotypes. In this study, the impact of pre-treatment with putrescine in response to osmotic stress was investigated in the drought-tolerant Katya and drought-sensitive Zora wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars.

Functional and Structural Leaf Plasticity Determine Photosynthetic Performances during Drought Stress and Recovery in Two Platanus orientalis Populations from Contrasting Habitats.

In the context of climatic change, more severe and long-lasting droughts will modify the fitness of plants, with potentially worse consequences on the relict trees. We have investigated the leaf phenotypic (anatomical, physiological and biochemical) plasticity in well-watered, drought-stressed and re-watered plants of two populations of , an endangered species in the west of the Mediterranean area. The two populations originated in contrasting climate (drier and warmer, Italy (IT) population; more humid and colder, Bulgaria (BG) population).

Antiviral, Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Effects of L. Crude Extract In Vitro.

Introduction: Due to the high prevalence of viral infections having no specific treatment and the constant emergence of resistant viral strains, searching for effective antiviral compounds is crucial. The present study explores in vitro the antiviral activity of ethanolic extract from aerial parts of.

Aim: The aim of the current study was to evaluate antiviral activity of ethanolic extract from herbaceous plant.

Molecular background of cadmium tolerance in Rht dwarf wheat mutant is related to a metabolic shift from proline and polyamine to phytochelatin synthesis.

Plant height is among the most important agronomic traits influencing crop yield. Wheat lines carrying Rht genes are important in plant breeding due to their both higher yield capacity and better tolerance to certain environmental stresses. However, the effects of dwarf-inducing genes on stress acclimation mechanisms are still poorly understood.

Bacterial Natural Disaccharide (Trehalose Tetraester): Molecular Modeling and in Vitro Study of Anticancer Activity on Breast Cancer Cells.

Isolation and characterization of new biologically active substances affecting cancer cells is an important issue of fundamental research in biomedicine. Trehalose lipid was isolated from strain and purified by liquid chromatography. The effect of trehalose lipid on cell viability and migration, together with colony forming assays, were performed on two breast cancer (MCF7-low metastatic; MDA-MB231-high metastatic) and one "normal" (MCF10A) cell lines.

Foliar Application of Polyamines Modulates Winter Oilseed Rape Responses to Increasing Cold.

Cold stress is one of the most common abiotic stresses experienced by plants and is caused by low temperature extremes and variations. Polyamines (PAs) have been reported to contribute in abiotic stress defense processes in plants. The present study investigates the survival and responses of PA-treated non-acclimated (N) and acclimated (A) winter oilseed rape to increasing cold conditions.

The Hordeum bulbosum 25S-18S rDNA region: comparison with Hordeum vulgare and other Triticeae.

Hordeum vulgare and Hordeum bulbosum are two closely related barley species, which share a common H genome. H. vulgare has two nucleolar organizer regions (NORs), while the NOR of H.