Molecular interaction of nitrate transporter proteins with recombinant glycinebetaine results in efficient nitrate uptake in the cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120

Deciphering molecular regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) signalling networks in Oryza genus amid environmental stress

The Oryza genus, containing Oryza sativa L., is quintessential to sustain global food security. This genus has a lot of sophisticated molecular mechanisms to cope with environmental stress, particularly during vulnerable stages like flowering. Recent studies have found key involvements and genetic modifications that increase resilience to stress, including exogenous application of melatonin, allantoin, and trehalose as well as OsSAPK3 and OsAAI1 in the genetic realm. Due to climate change and anthropogenic reasons, there is a rise in sea level which raises a concern of salinity stress. It is tackled through osmotic adjustment and ion homeostasis, mediated by genes like P5CS, P5CR, GSH1, GSH2, and SPS, and ion transporters like NHX, NKT, and SKC, respectively. Oxidative damage is reduced by a complex action of antioxidants, scavenging RONS. A complex action of genes mediates cold stress with studies highlighting the roles of OsWRKY71, microRNA2871b, OsDOF1, and OsICE1. There is a need to research the mechanism of action of proteins like OsRbohA in ROS control and the action of regulatory genes in stress response. This is highly relevant due to the changing climate which will raise a lot of environmental changes that will adversely affect production and global food security if certain countermeasures are not taken. Overall, this study aims to unravel the molecular intricacies of ROS and RNS signaling networks in Oryza plants under stress conditions, with the ultimate goal of informing strategies for enhancing stress tolerance and crop performance in this important agricultural genus.

Concurrent enhancement of biomass production and phycocyanin content in salt-stressed Arthrospira platensis: A glycine betaine- supplementation approach

In industrial-scale cultivation of microalgae, salinity stress often stimulates high-value metabolites production but decreases biomass yield. In this research, we present an extraordinary response of Arthrospira platensis to salinity stress. Specifically, we observed a significant increase in both biomass production (2.58 g L-1) and phycocyanin (PC) content (22.31%), which were enhanced by 1.26-fold and 2.62-fold, respectively, compared to the control, upon exposure to exogenous glycine betaine (GB). The biochemical analysis reveals a significant enhancement in carbonic anhydrase activity and chlorophyll a level, concurrent with reductions in carbohydrate content and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Further, transcriptomic profiling indicates a downregulation of genes associated with the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and an upregulation of genes linked to nitrogen assimilation, hinting at a rebalanced carbon/nitrogen metabolism favoring PC accumulation. This work thus presents a promising strategy for simultaneous enhancement of biomass production and PC content in A. platensis and expands our understanding of PC biosynthesis and salinity stress responses in A. platensis.

Evaluation of Total Isoflavones in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Sprouts Germinated under Precursors (p-Coumaric Acid and L-Phenylalanine) Supplementation

Cicer arietinum L. (Bengal gram, chickpea) is one of the major pulse crops and an important part of traditional diets in Asia, Africa, and South America. The present study was conducted to determine the changes in total isoflavones during sprouting (0, 3, and 7 days) along with the effect of two precursor supplementations, p-coumaric acid (p-CA) and L-phenylalanine (Phe), in C. arietinum. It was observed that increasing sprouting time up to the seventh day resulted in ≈1282 mg 100 g-1 isoflavones, which is approximately eight times higher than chickpea seeds. The supplementation of Phe did not affect the total length of sprouts, whereas the supplementation of p-CA resulted in stunted sprouts. On the third day of supplementation with p-CA (250 mg L-1), the increase in the total phenolic content (TPC) (80%), daidzein (152%), and genistin (158%) contents were observed, and further extending the supplementation reduced the growth of sprouts. On the seventh day of supplementation with Phe (500 mg L-1), the increase in TPC by 43% and genistin content by 74% was observed compared with non-treated sprouts; however, the total isoflavones content was found to be 1212 mg 100 g-1. The increased TPC was positively correlated with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (r = 0.787) and ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) (r = 0.676) activity. This study suggests that chickpea sprouts enriched in TPC and antioxidants can be produced by the appropriate quantity of precursor supplementation on a particular day. The results indicated major changes in the phytochemical content, especially daidzein and genistin. It was also concluded that the consumption of 100 g of seventh-day sprouts provided eight times higher amounts of isoflavones in comparison to chickpea seeds.