Mechanisms and molecular approaches for heat tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under climate change scenario

Rice, a staple cereal crop in many parts of the world, has been confronted with multiple environmental stresses including high temperature, negatively impacts the booting as well as anthesis growth stages. The situation is further complicated by the changing climatic conditions, resulting in gradual escalation of temperature as well as changing the rainfall pattern and frequency, thus raising a concern of food security worldwide. The situation can be combat by developing rice varieties with excellent genetics with improved morpho-physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms, together can minimize the adverse effects of heat stress. Here, several strategies (encompassing genetic and genomic, and mechanisms involved) for mitigating the impact of high temperature on rice have been discussed. Finally, the utilization of genomic knowledge in augmenting the conventional breeding approaches have been comprehensively elaborated to develop heat tolerant germplasm.     

Effect of protection against hot climate on growth performance,physiological response and endocrine profile of growing lambs under semi-arid tropical environment

In the hot semi-arid tropical region, extreme summer is a major constraint in sheep production. The growth performance of growing lambs is impaired during the summer. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the effect of protection against hot climate on growth performance, physiological response, and endocrine profile of growing lambs under semi-arid tropical environment. All the data in the experiment were presented as mean ± SE. Thirty Malpura lambs with the age of 122.7 ± 6.05 days and body weight of 19.52 ± 0.42 kg were allotted into three groups, viz. G1 (control, lambs kept in open area under tree shade), G2 (lambs kept in conventional asbestos-roofed shed), and G3 (lambs kept in designed shed). The allotment was based on their initial body weight so that the mean body weight of each group was similar. In all three types of protection, lambs were provided with sufficient space to move and social interaction. In asbestos-roofed shed (G2), all the four sides from ground to the roof were fenced with strong galvanized iron chain link. But in G3, all the four sides were constructed in a manner that there was 0.13 m air space between inner and outer solid brick columns of the wall up to 1.37 m height, and rest up to the roof was fenced with bamboo splint net. The air space between the two columns of the wall was filled with sand, and it was kept in moist condition by continuous water drips which provide extra evaporative cooling. The designed shed was basically constructed with bamboo. Tree shade was assured under the natural shades of large trees. The shaded area was protected by wire fences. The experiment was conducted for 45 days during very high temperature (May–June). The lambs were provided with ad libitum green fodder, dry roughage, 300 g concentrate, and ad libitum drinking water. The respiration rate at morning and afternoon, pulse rate at morning and afternoon and rectal temperature at afternoon was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in lambs of G3 as compared to other groups. The final body weight did not differ significantly between the groups, but average daily gain (g/day) was higher in G3 (150.06 ± 11.13) as compared to the G1 (109.69 ± 18.10). The feed conversion rate (FCR) was significantly (P < 0.05) better in G3 (5.49 ± 0.08) as compared to G1 (7.65 ± 0.08) and G2 (6.60 ± 0.08). The hemoglobin level was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in G1. The endocrine profile did not vary significantly (P > 0.05) among the groups, but insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was higher in G3. It can be concluded from this study the lambs provided with better protection during summer remained in more comfortable condition, showed better FCR, and although not statistically significant showed better growth performance.

     

Enhanced <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium oxysporum</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">tuberosi</Emphasis> Resistance in Transgenic Potato Expressing a Rice GLP Superoxide Dismutase Gene

Germin like proteins (GLPs) are a large group of related and ubiquitous plant proteins which are considered to be involved in different processes important for plant development and defense. Multiple functional copies of this gene family have been reported in a number of species (wheat, barley, rice, soybean mosses and liverwort), and their role is being evaluated by gene regulation studies and transgenic approaches. To analyze the role of a rice (Oryza sativa) root expressed germin like protein1 OsRGLP1, for its antifungal activity, transgenic potato plants were developed. These transgenic potato plants were molecularly characterized and biologically assessed after inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tuberosi. Functional analysis showed high accumulation of H₂O₂, increased Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity and no oxalate oxidase activity (OxO) in transgenics in comparison to nontransformed control. This increased SOD activity, resistance to heat and sensitivity to H₂O₂ suggest it is a Fe-like SOD. OsRGLP1 expression in potato plants exhibited enhanced resistance in comparison to nontransformed wild type plants suggesting its role in providing protection against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tuberosi through elevated SOD level. Overall, results suggest that OsRGLP1 is a candidate for the engineering of potato plants with increased fungal tolerance however, the greater height and tuber number was observed. This phenotype associated with the resistance needs to be evaluated to determine if this is a positive or negative feature.     

Effect of dietary prebiotic inulin on histology,immuno‐haematological and biochemical parameters of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer)

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of supplementation of inulin on histology, immuno‐haematological and biochemical parameters of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) fingerlings with an initial average body weight of 7.14 ± 0.05 g. Inulin was supplemented at four different concentrations (control) 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 g/kg in the L. calcarifer diet containing 400 g/kg protein and 90 g/kg lipid. At the end of the 60 days feeding trial, the absorptive surface area of the intestine and glycogen deposition in liver were increased in fish fed inulin supplemented diets. The immune parameters lysozyme, alternative complement pathway, superoxide dismutase and nitroblue tetrazolium assay showed significant (p < 0.05) difference between control and treatment groups. Haematological parameters showed that red blood cells, white blood cells, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration levels increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the fish fed with inulin supplemented diets. The analysis of biochemical parameters revealed that glucose, urea, cholesterol, triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between control and treatments groups. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed for total protein among different treatments. The results of the study revealed that 15–20 g/kg inulin supplementation has a beneficial effect in the histology, immuno‐haematological, and biochemical parameters in L. calcarifer juveniles.     

Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Clonal Relatedness of Canine and Feline Escherichia coli Pathogens Expressing Multidrug Resistance in the United States

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is increasing among Escherichia coli isolates associated with spontaneous infection in dogs and cats. Objectives: To describe E. coli resistance phenotypes and clonal relatedness and their regional prevalence. Animals: Isolates of E. coli (n = 376) collected from dogs and cats in the United States between May and September 2005. Methods: Isolates submitted from the South, West, Northeast, and Midwest regions of the United States were prospectively studied. Phenotype was based on E‐test susceptibility to 7 antimicrobials. Isolates were classified as no (NDR), single (SDR), or multidrug resistance (MDR). Clonal relatedness was determined by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results: One hundred and ninety‐three (51%) isolates expressed resistance to at least 1 drug, yielding 42 phenotypes. SDR isolates (n = 84; 44%, 8 phenotypes), expressed resistance most commonly to amoxicillin (30%, n = 25) and least commonly to cefpodoxime (1%, n = 1). MDR isolates (n = 109; 56%, 31 phenotypes) were resistant to amoxicillin (96%, n = 105), amoxicillin‐clavulanate (85%, n = 93), and enrofloxacin (64%, n = 70); 18% (n = 20) were resistant to all drugs tested. The frequency of MDR did not differ regionally (P= .066). MDR minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were 6‐fold higher than SDR MICs (P < .0001). Dendrograms of 91 isolates representing 25 phenotypes revealed 62 different PFGE profiles. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: E. coli strains spontaneously infecting dogs and cats are genetically and phenotypically diverse. Given the current prevalence of MDR among clinical isolates of E. coli in United States, implementation of a robust surveillance program is warranted.     

Molecular Architecture and Biomedical Leads of Terpenes from Red Sea Marine Invertebrates

Marine invertebrates including sponges, soft coral, tunicates, mollusks and bryozoan have proved to be a prolific source of bioactive natural products. Among marine-derived metabolites, terpenoids have provided a vast array of molecular architectures. These isoprenoid-derived metabolites also exhibit highly specialized biological activities ranging from nerve regeneration to blood-sugar regulation. As a result, intense research activity has been devoted to characterizing invertebrate terpenes from both a chemical and biological standpoint. This review focuses on the chemistry and biology of terpene metabolites isolated from the Red Sea ecosystem, a unique marine biome with one of the highest levels of biodiversity and specifically rich in invertebrate species.     

Overexpression of Brassica napus cytosolic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase genes significantly enhanced tobacco growth and biomass

Elevated activities of cytosolic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase(cyFBPase) and sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase(SBPase)are associated with higher yields in plants. In this study, the expression levels of the cyFBPase and SBPase genes were increased by overexpressing rape(Brassica napus) cDNA in tobacco(Nicotiana tabacum) plants. The transgenic plants coexpressing cy FBPase and SBPase(Tp FS), or expressing single cy FBPase(Tp F) or SBPase(Tp S) had 1.77-, 1.55-, 1.23-fold cyFBPase and 1.45-, 1.12-, 1...     

Spontaneous gene flow and population structure in wild and cultivated chicory, Cichorium intybus L.

Spontaneous gene flow between wild and cultivated chicory, Cichorium intybus L., may have implications for the genetic structure and evolution of populations and varieties. One aspect of this crop-wild gene flow is the dispersal of transgenes from genetically modified varieties, e.g. gene flow from GM chicory to natural chicory could have unwanted consequences. With the purpose to identify and quantify crop-wild gene flow in chicory, we analysed introgression in 19 wild chicory populations and 16 accessions of chicory varieties and landraces distributed across Northern, Central and Mediterranean Europe. The analysis used 281 AFLP markers and 75 SSAP markers giving a total of 356 polymorphic markers. Results from model based assignments with the program STRUCTURE indicated many incidents of recent gene flow. Gene flow was observed both between cultivars and wild populations, between landraces and wild populations, between different wild populations as well as between cultivars. Population structure visualized by distance-based clustering showed a North–South geographical structuring of the wild populations, and a general grouping of the cultivars corresponding to known origin. The results indicated, however, that the structuring between the two groups of wild and cultivated types was weak. As crop and wild recipients are genetically close and genes are transferred between the two types rather frequently, focus on mitigating crop-wild gene flow should be increased, before transgenic varieties are cultivated openly.     

水冲和节水农村公厕粪便资源化利用风险评估

为研究农村厕所粪便资源化利用时的生态安全性,选取目前农村厕改普遍采用的水冲型公厕和节水型公厕,开展粪便资源化潜力分析和环境生态风险评估。分析了粪便中营养组分以及有毒有害物(重金属和抗生素)的含量,并分别采用生态风险指数法和风险指数法评价了水冲型公厕和节水型公厕粪便资源化利用时重金属、抗生素残留带来的潜在生态风险。结果显示:尿液(节水型公厕)与粪液(水冲型公厕)中所含的重金属浓度范围分别为1.44～895.03μg·L~(-1)和1.04～18 519.34μg·L~(-1);就地发酵产品(节水型公厕)与粪渣(水冲型公厕)中重金属含量范围分别为3.96～3 185.07 mg·kg~(-1)和12.43～19 105.59 mg·kg~(-1)。尿液/粪液中抗生素浓度为0～128.13μg·L~(-1),好氧发酵产品/粪渣中抗生素含量则为0～32.32 mg·kg~(-1)。生态风险指数显示,尿液/粪液作为农肥施用时无生态风险(生态风险指数150),发酵产品/粪渣在施用时其所含的重金属存在极高的生态风险(生态风险指数≥600)。风险指数则表明,尿液/粪液以及粪便生态发酵产品/粪渣中所含的土霉素(OTC)、氧氟沙星(OFLO)以及环丙沙星(CIP)可能引发中、高风险(风险指数0.1),且节水公厕生态发酵产品和尿液中抗生素的生态风险比水冲公厕粪渣和粪液低,说明节水型公厕有利于减少抗生素带来的生态风险。研究表明,在土地施用时,发酵产品(节水公厕)和粪渣(水冲公厕)所含的重金属会引发严重的生态风险,且公厕的节水化运行有利于减少粪污中抗生素的生态风险。     

Mapping the global network of fisheries science collaboration

As socio‐environmental problems have proliferated over the past decades, one narrative which has captured the attention of policymakers and scientists has been the need for collaborative research that spans traditional boundaries. Collaboration, it is argued, is imperative for solving these problems. Understanding how collaboration is occurring in practice is important, however, and may help explain the idea space across a field. In an effort to make sense of the shape of fisheries science, here we construct a co‐authorship network of the field, from a data set comprising 73,240 scientific articles, drawn from 50 journals and published between 2000 and 2017. Using a combination of social network analysis and machine learning, the work first maps the global structure of scientific collaboration amongst fisheries scientists at the author, country and institutional levels. Second, it uncovers the hidden subgroups—here country clusters and communities of authors—within the network, detailing also the topical focus, publication outlets and relative impact of the largest fisheries science communities. We find that whilst the fisheries science network is becoming more geographically extensive, it is simultaneously becoming more intensive. The uncovered network exhibits characteristics suggestive of a thin style of collaboration, and groupings that are more regional than they are global. Although likely shaped by an array of overlapping micro‐ and macro‐level factors, the analysis reveals a number of political–economic patterns that merit reflection by both fisheries scientists and policymakers.