A large number of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from different organisms have been characterized to date. AMPs are small molecular weight proteins with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Several diseases in plants could result in serious losses and decreasing quality and safety of agricultural products. Being an agent for plant defense, AMPs kill target cells through diverse mechanisms once in a target microbial membrane. Cathelicidins, defensins and thionins are the three major groups of epidermal AMPs in human and plants. Plant AMPs are structurally and functionally diverse and can be directed against other organisms, like herbivorous insects. The biological activity of plant AMPs primarily depends on interactions with membrane lipids. Several antimicrobial peptides have been expressed in transgenic plants to confer disease protection. Antimicrobial peptides are interesting compounds that can be efficiently exploited for disease control in plants in a way that complies with the strict regulations on the efficacy and safety of disease control strategy.
Citations
A total of 310 BC2F2 lines derived from the cross of OM5930/N22 were evaluated for heat stress at flowering. Genetic map was set up with 264 polymorphic SSRs to detect linkage to the target traits. The map covers 2,741.63 cM with an average interval of 10.55 cM between two marker loci. Markers associated with heat tolerance were located mostly on chromosomes 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11. The proportion of phenotypic variation explained by each QTL ranged from 17.1% for RM160 to 36.2% for RM3586. Four QTLs were detected for filled grains per panicle on chromosome 4 at the interval of RM468 - RM7076 and RM241 - RM26212, explaining 13.1 and 31.0% of the total phenotypic variation, respectively. Two QTLs controling unfilled grain percentage was also detected at loci RM554 and RM3686 on chromosome 3 explaining 25.0 and 11.2% of the total phenotypic variance. One QTL was detected for 1,000-grain weight located at the locus RM103 on chromosome 6, explaining 30.6% of the total phenotypic variance. Also, a QTL at the locus RM5749 on chromosome 4 was identified which explained 10.8% of the total phenotypic variance of grain yield. A single QTL at the interval of RM3586- RM160 on chromosome 3 was detected in conformity with the QTL findings for heat tolerance in previous studies.
Citations
C3HC4-type RING zinc finger proteins are known to be essential in the regulation of plant processes, including responses to abiotic stress. In order to explore the potential of the
Citations
Sunflower is one of the most widely cultivated oil crops. It produces seeds which have abundant health benefits. The
objective
of this research was to determine the effects of two growing years and five planting dates on agronomic traits and chemical compositions in sunflower accessions. In this study, genotype by year interaction was significant for days to flowering, weight of seeds per plant, oil, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, all tocopherol and phytosterol components. The major source of variation in most agronomic traits and chemical compositions in sunflower was attributed by variation among genotypes. Days to flowering, head length, and weight of seeds per plant decreased when planting date was delayed. Oil content, stearic acid, oleic acid, α-tocopherol, total tocopherol, β-sitosterol, and total sterol contents decreased but linoleic acid increased when planting date was delayed. From this study, valuable information will be provided for sunflower breeders and growers in developing and producing functional food resources and products.
Citations
Indian spinach (
Citations
The purpose of this study was to investigate responses of pear cultivars ‘Niitaka’ and ‘Chuwhangbae’ under short period heating on cold resistance level of flower buds. Experiment was conducted using annual shoots flower bud which were artificially heated (AH) during 72 hour at room condition (18–20°C). To assay for cold resistance, the cultivars were treated and observed under negative temperatures −10, −15, −20 and −25°C during the winter period in 2012 and 2013. Our findings revealed that ‘Chuwhangbae’ which was treated under control and artificial heating treatments was more resistant to low temperature than ‘Niitaka’ showing decreasing level of flower buds damages by mid-January although in early March an increasing level of damages was observed again. Cold resistant cultivar ‘Chuwhangbae’ responded more sensitively to external environments. This means that ‘Chuwhangbae’ restructures the plant protoplasts and process the transition to the new metabolic energy level in an efficient manner when triggered by effective negative temperatures thereby resulting in hardening process. We assume that this might be closely related with dormancy period, concentration of the mineral elements, water potential and transition processes of metabolism to the new energetic level. With a rise in temperature, cold tolerance in pear cultivars significantly decreased and this is related to intensive development of the floral organs. The chilling requirements for blossoming of ‘Niitaka’ was higher than ‘Chuwhangbae’.
Wild soybeans (
Citations
Sesame (
Citations
Rice (
Citations