Protein changes during ethanol induced seed germination in Aconitum heterophyllum

A review on efforts for improvement in medicinally important chemical constituents inAconitum through biotechnological interventions

The genus Aconitum belongs to the family Ranunculaceae, is endowed with more than 350 species on the earth. Medicinally important aconitine type of diterpenoid alkaloids are the characteristic compounds in most of the Aconitum species. The present review endeavored the major research carried out in the field of genetic resource characterization, pharmacological properties, phytochemistry, major factors influencing quantity, biosynthetic pathways and processing methods for recovery of active ingredients, variety improvement, propagation methods, and important metabolite production through cell/organ culture of various Aconitum species. More than 450 derivatives of aconitine-type C19 and C20-diterpenoid alkaloids along with a few other non-alkaloidal compounds, such as phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and fatty acids, have been identified in the genus. A few Aconitum species and their common diterpenoid alkaloid compounds are also well characterized for analgesic, inflammatory and cytotoxic properties. However, the different isolated compound needs to be validated for supporting other traditional therapeutical uses of the plant species. Aconitine alkaloids shared common biosynthesis pathway, but their diversification mechanism remains unexplored in the genus. Furthermore, the process needs to be developed on secondary metabolite recovery, mass-scale propagation methods, and agro-technologies for maintaining the quality of products. Many species are losing their existence in nature due to over-exploitation or anthropogenic factors; thus, temporal monitoring of the population status in its habitat, and suitable management programs for ascertaining conservation needs to be developed.

Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. ex Royle: A critically endangered medicinal herb with rich potential for use in medicine

Aconitum heterophyllum (Patrees) is a critically endangered medicinal herb of the northwestern Himalayas and has enormous pharmacological potential. It is the only nonpoisonous member of the genus Aconitum, and has been used as a medicinal herb since ancient times. A. heterophyllum is an important ingredient in many traditional systems of medicine. Mostly, it is harvested for its roots, and its medicinal properties are due to the presence of diverse bioactive secondary metabolites, commonly known as aconites. Our understanding of the pharmacological properties of this intriguing genus is continuously growing due to its broad chemical diversity. The therapeutic uses identified by traditional medicinal practice are receiving extensive study. Multiple in vitro experimental investigations of A. heterophyllum have reported the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiarrhythmic, antiparasitic and anticancer properties, as well as its effects on the central nervous system. In this review, we highlight the classification, distribution, commerce, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and conservation measures relevant to this species. Additionally, this review includes the biosynthetic pathways of A. heterophyllum's key constituents, which could be targeted to enhance the expression levels of desired metabolites via genetic interventions. Studying the genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomic aspects of this species would be helpful in developing highly designed genotypes and chemotypes of this species to be used in commercial production.

The Relevance of a Physiological-Stage Approach Study of the Molecular and Environmental Factors Regulating Seed Germination in Wild Plants

Germination represents the culmination of the seed developmental program and is affected by the conditions prevailing during seed maturation in the mother plant. During maturation, the dormancy condition and tolerance to dehydration are established. These characteristics are modulated by the environment to which they are subjected, having an important impact on wild species. In this work, a review was made of the molecular bases of the maturation, the processes of dormancy imposition and loss, as well as the germination process in different wild species with different life histories, and from diverse habitats. It is also specified which of these species present a certain type of management. The impact that the domestication process has had on certain characteristics of the seed is discussed, as well as the importance of determining physiological stages based on morphological characteristics, to face the complexities of the study of these species and preserve their genetic diversity and physiological responses.

Birth of plant proteomics in India: a new horizon

In the post-genomic era, proteomics is acknowledged as the next frontier for biological research. Although India has a long and distinguished tradition in protein research, the initiation of proteomics studies was a new horizon. Protein research witnessed enormous progress in protein separation, high-resolution refinements, biochemical identification of the proteins, protein-protein interaction, and structure-function analysis. Plant proteomics research, in India, began its journey on investigation of the proteome profiling, complexity analysis, protein trafficking, and biochemical modeling. The research article by Bhushan et al. in 2006 marked the birth of the plant proteomics research in India. Since then plant proteomics studies expanded progressively and are now being carried out in various institutions spread across the country. The compilation presented here seeks to trace the history of development in the area during the past decade based on publications till date. In this review, we emphasize on outcomes of the field providing prospects on proteomic pathway analyses. Finally, we discuss the connotation of strategies and the potential that would provide the framework of plant proteome research.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The past decades have seen rapidly growing number of sequenced plant genomes and associated genomic resources. To keep pace with this increasing body of data, India is in the provisional phase of proteomics research to develop a comparative hub for plant proteomes and protein families, but it requires a strong impetus from intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and government agencies. Here, we aim to provide an overview of past, present and future of Indian plant proteomics, which would serve as an evaluation platform for those seeking to incorporate proteomics into their research programs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteomics in India.

Re-analysis of protein data reveals the germination pathway and up accumulation mechanism of cell wall hydrolases during the radicle protrusion step of seed germination in Podophyllum hexandrum- a high altitude plant

Podophyllum hexandrum Royle is an important high-altitude plant of Himalayas with immense medicinal value. Earlier, it was reported that the cell wall hydrolases were up accumulated during radicle protrusion step of Podophyllum seed germination. In the present study, Podophyllum seed Germination protein interaction Network (PGN) was constructed by using the differentially accumulated protein (DAP) data set of Podophyllum during the radicle protrusion step of seed germination, with reference to Arabidopsis protein-protein interaction network (AtPIN). The developed PGN is comprised of a giant cluster with 1028 proteins having 10,519 interactions and a few small clusters with relevant gene ontological signatures. In this analysis, a germination pathway related cluster which is also central to the topology and information dynamics of PGN was obtained with a set of 60 key proteins. Among these, eight proteins which are known to be involved in signaling, metabolism, protein modification, cell wall modification, and cell cycle regulation processes were found commonly highlighted in both the proteomic and interactome analysis. The systems-level analysis of PGN identified the key proteins involved in radicle protrusion step of seed germination in Podophyllum.

Plant proteomics in India and Nepal: current status and challenges ahead

Plant proteomics has made tremendous contributions in understanding the complex processes of plant biology. Here, its current status in India and Nepal is discussed. Gel-based proteomics is predominantly utilized on crops and non-crops to analyze majorly abiotic (49 %) and biotic (18 %) stress, development (11 %) and post-translational modifications (7 %). Rice is the most explored system (36 %) with major focus on abiotic mainly dehydration (36 %) stress. In spite of expensive proteomics setup and scarcity of trained workforce, output in form of publications is encouraging. To boost plant proteomics in India and Nepal, researchers have discussed ground level issues among themselves and with the International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO) to act in priority on concerns like food security. Active collaboration may help in translating this knowledge to fruitful applications.