The Influence of Light Quality, Circadian Rhythm, and Photoperiod on the CBF-Mediated Freezing Tolerance

Maibam, Punyakishore,Nawkar, Ganesh M.,Park, Joung Hun,Sahi, Vaidurya Pratap,Lee, Sang Yeol,Kang, Chang Ho Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MD 2013 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES Vol.14 No.6

<P>Low temperature adversely affects crop yields by restraining plant growth and productivity. Most temperate plants have the potential to increase their freezing tolerance upon exposure to low but nonfreezing temperatures, a process known as cold acclimation. Various physiological, molecular, and metabolic changes occur during cold acclimation, which suggests that the plant cold stress response is a complex, vital phenomenon that involves more than one pathway. The C-Repeat Binding Factor (CBF) pathway is the most important and well-studied cold regulatory pathway that imparts freezing tolerance to plants. The regulation of freezing tolerance involves the action of phytochromes, which play an important role in light-mediated signalling to activate cold-induced gene expression through the CBF pathway. Under normal temperature conditions, CBF expression is regulated by the circadian clock through the action of a central oscillator and also day length (photoperiod). The phytochrome and phytochrome interacting factor are involved in the repression of the CBF expression under long day (LD) conditions. Apart from the CBF regulon, a novel pathway involving the Z-box element also mediates the cold acclimation response in a light-dependent manner. This review provides insights into the progress of cold acclimation in relation to light quality, circadian regulation, and photoperiodic regulation and also explains the underlying molecular mechanisms of cold acclimation for introducing the engineering of economically important, cold-tolerant plants.</P>

Tree Diversity, Distribution and Population Structure of a Riparian Forest from Certain Zones along the Dikhu River in Nagaland, India

Devlin Leishangthem,Maibam Romeo Singh 강원대학교 산림과학연구소 2018 Journal of Forest Science Vol.34 No.1

At present the biodiversity of the riparian forest is under threat due to various anthropogenic pressures. Hence study was conducted along the three unprotected zones of riparian forest in Dikhu river, Nagaland, north-east India in order to compared the diversity, distribution and population structure of riparian trees. In each zone 100×100 m2 plot were marked and subdivided into 20 plots of 10×10 m2. 10 plots on each side of the river were taken randomly covering 0.02 ha. Only tree with dbh ≥10 cm and dbh above 1.5 m above ground level were recorded as individual species. A total of 29 tree species belonging to 18 families were recorded from the three zones of the river. Tree species richness was highest at the middle zone (19) followed by upper (14) and lower zone (7). The most abundant species and family recorded at upper, middle and lower zones were Melia azaderach of Euphorbiaceae (380 stems ha-1), Terminalia chebula of Euphorbiaceae (432.5 stems ha-1) and Duabanga grandiflora of Lythraceae (365 stems ha-1) respectively. The ranges of diversity indices observed in the three zones were: Shannon-Wiener index (1.25-0.73), Simpson diversity index (0.42-0.93), Evenness index (0.47-0.37) and Index of co-dominance (0.75-0.94). Rest of other indices were also estimated and compared. Distribution of trees shows the contagious pattern common in the upper and middle zones and regular in the lower zone. The girth size class analysis demonstrated that the riparian forest is in less mature succession stage. This study emphasize the need for management and conservation of riparian forest by developing policy to declare the riparian zone as protected area to prevent further degradation and loss of biodiversity from these unregulated zones along the river.

Sulphur Free Radical Reactivity of Thioproline and Crude Extracts of Parkia timoriana (DC.) Merr.

Robert Thangjam,Damayanti Devi Maibam 대한환경공학회 2012 Environmental Engineering Research Vol.17 No.-

Parkia timoriana (DC.) Merr. of the family Leguminosae (Fabaceae) and sub-family Mimosoideae, commonly known as tree bean is widely distributed throughout northeast India. It is considered to be a multipurpose tree, with various food and medicinal uses. The seeds are consumed at all developmental stages, and are considered to be a special delicacy due to their distinctive aroma and flavour. The characteristic sulphur aroma of the seeds is associated with the thiol amino acid derivative thioproline, which is a condensation product of formaldehyde and cysteine. In the present study, the presence of formaldehyde and thiol in the different developmental stages of the fruits were evaluated. The level of formaldehyde and thiol content was found to increase with the maturity of the seeds. The generation of sulfhydryl free radicals by thioproline and crude P. timoriana seed extracts on gamma irradiation were observed with the visible destruction of curcumin. The protection of DNA against gamma irradiation in the presence of thioproline in the present study also provides a new lead for investigations into protection against radiotherapy and reduction of risk for exposed individuals.

UV-Induced Cell Death in Plants

Nawkar, Ganesh M.,Maibam, Punyakishore,Park, Jung Hoon,Sahi, Vaidurya Pratap,Lee, Sang Yeol,Kang, Chang Ho MDPI 2013 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES Vol.14 No.1

<P>Plants are photosynthetic organisms that depend on sunlight for energy. Plants respond to light through different photoreceptors and show photomorphogenic development. Apart from Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR; 400–700 nm), plants are exposed to UV light, which is comprised of UV-C (below 280 nm), UV-B (280–320 nm) and UV-A (320–390 nm). The atmospheric ozone layer protects UV-C radiation from reaching earth while the UVR8 protein acts as a receptor for UV-B radiation. Low levels of UV-B exposure initiate signaling through UVR8 and induce secondary metabolite genes involved in protection against UV while higher dosages are very detrimental to plants. It has also been reported that genes involved in MAPK cascade help the plant in providing tolerance against UV radiation. The important targets of UV radiation in plant cells are DNA, lipids and proteins and also vital processes such as photosynthesis. Recent studies showed that, in response to UV radiation, mitochondria and chloroplasts produce a reactive oxygen species (ROS). <I>Arabidopsis metacaspase-8</I> (<I>AtMC8</I>) is induced in response to oxidative stress caused by ROS, which acts downstream of the <I>radical induced cell death</I> (<I>AtRCD1</I>) gene making plants vulnerable to cell death. The studies on salicylic and jasmonic acid signaling mutants revealed that SA and JA regulate the ROS level and antagonize ROS mediated cell death. Recently, molecular studies have revealed genes involved in response to UV exposure, with respect to programmed cell death (PCD).</P>

Tree Diversity, Distribution and Population Structure of a Riparian Forest from Certain Zones along the Dikhu River in Nagaland, India

Leishangthem, Devlin,Singh, Maibam Romeo Institute of Forest Science 2018 Journal of Forest Science Vol.34 No.1

At present the biodiversity of the riparian forest is under threat due to various anthropogenic pressures. Hence study was conducted along the three unprotected zones of riparian forest in Dikhu river, Nagaland, north-east India in order to compared the diversity, distribution and population structure of riparian trees. In each zone $100{\times}100m^2$ plot were marked and subdivided into 20 plots of $10{\times}10m^2$. 10 plots on each side of the river were taken randomly covering 0.02 ha. Only tree with dbh ${\geq}10cm$ and dbh above 1.5 m above ground level were recorded as individual species. A total of 29 tree species belonging to 18 families were recorded from the three zones of the river. Tree species richness was highest at the middle zone (19) followed by upper (14) and lower zone (7). The most abundant species and family recorded at upper, middle and lower zones were Melia azaderach of Euphorbiaceae ($380\;stems\;ha^{-1}$), Terminalia chebula of Euphorbiaceae ($432.5\;stems\;ha^{-1}$) and Duabanga grandiflora of Lythraceae ($365\;stems\;ha^{-1}$) respectively. The ranges of diversity indices observed in the three zones were: Shannon-Wiener index (1.25-0.73), Simpson diversity index (0.42-0.93), Evenness index (0.47-0.37) and Index of co-dominance (0.75-0.94). Rest of other indices were also estimated and compared. Distribution of trees shows the contagious pattern common in the upper and middle zones and regular in the lower zone. The girth size class analysis demonstrated that the riparian forest is in less mature succession stage. This study emphasize the need for management and conservation of riparian forest by developing policy to declare the riparian zone as protected area to prevent further degradation and loss of biodiversity from these unregulated zones along the river.

In silico study on <i>Arabidopsis BAG</i> gene expression in response to environmental stresses

Nawkar, Ganesh M.,Maibam, Punyakishore,Park, Joung Hun,Woo, Su Gyeong,Kim, Cha Young,Lee, Sang Yeol,Kang, Chang Ho Springer Vienna 2017 Protoplasma Vol.254 No.1

<P>BAG (Bcl-2 athanogene) family proteins are conserved in a wide range of eukaryotes, and they have been proposed to play a crucial role in plant programmed cell death (PCD). During the past decade, with the help of advanced bioinformatics tools, seven homologs of <I>BAG</I> genes have been identified in the <I>Arabidopsis</I> genome; these genes are involved in pathogen attack and abiotic stress conditions. In this study, gene expression of <I>Arabidopsis BAG</I> family members under environmental stresses was analyzed using the Botany Array Resource (BAR) expression browser tool and the in silico data were partially confirmed by qRT-PCR analysis for the selected stress- and hormone-treated conditions related to environmental stresses. Particularly, the induction of <I>AtBAG6</I> gene in response to heat shock was confirmed by using GUS reporter lines. The loss of the <I>AtBAG6</I> gene resulted into impairment in basal thermotolerance of plant and showed enhanced cell death in response to heat stress. To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of <I>BAG</I> genes, we analyzed ∼1-kbp promoter regions for the presence of stress-responsive elements. Our transcription profiling finally revealed that the <I>Arabidopsis BAG</I> genes differentially respond to environmental stresses under the control of specifically organized upstream regulatory elements.</P><P><B>Electronic supplementary material</B></P><P>The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00709-016-0961-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.</P>

HY5, a positive regulator of light signaling, negatively controls the unfolded protein response in <i>Arabidopsis</i>

Nawkar, Ganesh M.,Kang, Chang Ho,Maibam, Punyakishore,Park, Joung Hun,Jung, Young Jun,Chae, Ho Byoung,Chi, Yong Hun,Jung, In Jung,Kim, Woe Yeon,Yun, Dae-Jin,Lee, Sang Yeol National Academy of Sciences 2017 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF Vol.114 No.8

<P>Light influences essentially all aspects of plant growth and development. Integration of light signaling with different stress response results in improvement of plant survival rates in ever changing environmental conditions. Diverse environmental stresses affect the protein-folding capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), thus evoking ER stress in plants. Consequently, the unfolded protein response (UPR), in which a set of molecular chaperones is expressed, is initiated in the ER to alleviate this stress. Although its underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown, light is believed to be required for the ER stress response. In this study, we demonstrate that increasing light intensity elevates the ER stress sensitivity of plants. Moreover, mutation of the ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5), a key component of light signaling, leads to tolerance to ER stress. This enhanced tolerance of hy5 plants can be attributed to higher expression of UPR genes. HY5 negatively regulates the UPR by competing with basic leucine zipper 28 (bZIP28) to bind to the G-box-like element present in the ER stress response element (ERSE). Furthermore, we found that HY5 undergoes 26S proteasome-mediated degradation under ER stress conditions. Conclusively, we propose a molecular mechanism of crosstalk between the UPR and light signaling, mediated by HY5, which positively mediates light signaling, but negatively regulates UPR gene expression.</P>

Functional response and reproductive attributes of the aphidophagous ladybird beetle, Harmonia dimidiata (Fabricius) in oak trees of sericultural importance

Basant K. Agarwala,Thangjam K. Singh,Rajkumari K. Lokeshwari,Maibam Sharmila 한국응용곤충학회 2009 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.12 No.3

Harmonia dimidiata (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is the dominant predator of the aphid species Cervaphis quercus Takahashi. This aphid is a serious pest of oak trees in several parts of north-east India. Young leaves of oak trees are used in sericulture by rural people and by industry in several parts of north-east India. The effect of different aphid densities on food consumption and fecundity of H. dimidiata was studied in the laboratory. Female beetles were maintained from the time of eclosion till death at a fixed density of 25, 50, 75,100 or 125 aphids. Both the functional response and the reproductive numerical response showed the upper asymptote at 100 adult aphids/female. At this density, females matured earlier and produced more eggs over a longer reproductive period. At lower prey densities, females matured late and they either did not produce eggs or produced fewer eggs. At the higher prey densities, females did not produce more eggs than the asymptote. Results suggested that H. dimidiata are an effective predator of C. quercus aphids on oak trees and could be exploited as a biological control agent in the rising phase of aphid population growth. Harmonia dimidiata (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is the dominant predator of the aphid species Cervaphis quercus Takahashi. This aphid is a serious pest of oak trees in several parts of north-east India. Young leaves of oak trees are used in sericulture by rural people and by industry in several parts of north-east India. The effect of different aphid densities on food consumption and fecundity of H. dimidiata was studied in the laboratory. Female beetles were maintained from the time of eclosion till death at a fixed density of 25, 50, 75,100 or 125 aphids. Both the functional response and the reproductive numerical response showed the upper asymptote at 100 adult aphids/female. At this density, females matured earlier and produced more eggs over a longer reproductive period. At lower prey densities, females matured late and they either did not produce eggs or produced fewer eggs. At the higher prey densities, females did not produce more eggs than the asymptote. Results suggested that H. dimidiata are an effective predator of C. quercus aphids on oak trees and could be exploited as a biological control agent in the rising phase of aphid population growth.

Molecular and functional properties of three different peroxiredoxin isotypes in Chinese cabbage

Kim, Sun Young,Jung, Young Jun,Shin, Mi Rim,Park, Jung Hoon,Nawkar, Ganesh M.,Maibam, Punyakishore,Lee, Eun Seon,Kim, Kang-San,Paeng, Seol Ki,Kim, Woe Yeon,Lee, Kyun Oh,Yun, Dae-Jin,Kang, Chang Ho,Lee Springer-Verlag 2012 Molecules and cells Vol.33 No.1

Molecular and Functional Properties of Three Different Peroxiredoxin Isotypes in Chinese Cabbage

Sun Young Kim,이상열,정영준,Mi Rim Shin,Jung Hoon Park,Ganesh M. Nawkar,Punyakishore Maibam,Eun Seon Lee,Kang-San Kim,Seol Ki Paeng,김외연,이균오,윤대진,강창호 한국분자세포생물학회 2012 Molecules and cells Vol.33 No.1

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs), which are classified into three isotypes in plants, play important roles in protection systems as peroxidases or molecular chaperones. The three Prx isotypes of Chinese cabbage, namely C1C-Prx, C2C-Prx, and C-PrxII, have recently been identified and characterized. The present study compares their molecular properties and biochemical functions to gain insights into their concerted roles in plants. The three Prx isotype genes were differentially expressed in tissue- and developmental stage-specific manners. The transcript level of the C1C-Prx gene was abundant at the seed stage, but rapidly decreased after imbibitions. In contrast, the C2C-Prx transcript was not detected in the seeds, but its expression level increased at germination and was maintained thereafter. The C-PrxII transcript level was mild at the seed stage, rapidly increased for 10 days after imbibitions, and gradually disappeared thereafter. In the localization analysis using GFP-fusion proteins, the three isotypes showed different cellular distributions. C1C-Prx was localized in the cytosol and nucleus, whereas C2C-Prx and C-Prx were found mainly in the chloroplast and cytosol, respectively. In vitro thiol-dependent antioxidant assays revealed that the relative peroxidase activities of the isotypes were C-PrxII > C2C-Prx > C1C-Prx. C1C-Prx and C2C-Prx, but not C-PrxII, prevented aggregation of malate dehydrogenase as a molecular chaperone. Taken together, these results suggest that the three isotypes of Prx play specific roles in the cells in timely and spatially different manners, but they also cooperate with each other to protect the plant.