Screening and validation of salt-stress responsive cg-SSR markers in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) germplasm of Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Soil salinity has been affecting wheat production worldwide over past few decades. Evaluation of wheat genotypes for salinity tolerance at germination and vegetative growth level is crucial. Marker assisted selection is a technique used extensively for choosing salt-tolerant genotypes from breeding populations to introduce novel genes. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The current study's main goal was to discover salt-stress resistant genes; genetic divergence and genome-wide connection by using recently designed candidate gene-based simple-sequence-repeat markers (cg-SSRs). The phenotypic connection of morphological features during the germination growth stage i.e., germination period, root length/weight and shoot length/weight, and vegetative growth stages i.e., root length/weight and shoot length/weight were tested in a group of 50 wheat genotypes. Significant difference was observed in germination rate, root length and weight among control and saline treatments. CONCLUSION: Total 30 SSR markers were utilized to test salinity resistance genes in wheat genotypes. Three (10%) of which were monomorphic, one (3.34%) showed no result, and the other 26 (86%) were polymorphic. Using 30 polymorphic markers discovered total 37 alleles. The polymorphic information content (PIC), quantifies each SSR locus capacity to discriminate between wheat, varied from 0.00 to 0.38 with an average of 0.19. Association analysis revealed that 26 primers were associated with morphological features, 03 with root length and the remaining 23 with germination. Utilizing morphological data, stress tolerance index (STI) was designed concluding that Auqab-2000, Margala-99 and Ufaq showed better resistance against salinity among other wheat genotypes. Cluster analysis demonstrated that wheat genotypes have vast genetic variability.

Report-Physicochemical and Antimicrobial properties of canola (Brassica napus L.) seed oil.

Canola oil has been used in the Pakistan for the treatment of various diseases and skin infections. Oil was extracted with n-hexane from the seeds of canola (Brassica napus L.) and was evaluated for free fatty acid value. Four microorganisms namely; Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas originals, and Klebsiella pneumonia, has known to cause some infections treatable with these oils were investigated. The results showed that all oil shown inhibitory effects against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas originals but no inhibitory effects was found against Staphylococcus aureus.

Kushneria pakistanensis sp. nov., a novel moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from rhizosphere of a plant (Saccharum spontaneum) growing in salt mines of the Karak area in Pakistan.

The taxonomic position of a Gram-stain negative, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated NCCP-934(T), was investigated using polyphasic taxonomic approach. The strain NCCP-934(T) was isolated from rhizosphere of a plant (Saccharum spontaneum, family Poaceae) growing in salt mines area in the Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Cells of strain NCCP-934(T) are rod shaped and motile. The bacterium is strictly aerobic, can grow at a temperature range of 10-40 °C (optimum at 30-33 °C) and in a pH range of 6.0-10.5 (optimum pH 7.0-9.0). The strain can tolerate 1-30 % (w/v) NaCl (optimal growth occurs in the presence of approximately 3-9 % NaCl). The phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, showed that strain NCCP-934(T) belongs to the genus Kushneria with the highest sequence similarity to K. marisflavi SW32(T) (98.9 %), K. indalinina CG2.1(T) (98.7 %), K. avicenniae MW2a(T) (98.4 %) and less than 97 % similarity with other related species (94.7 % with the type species of the genus, K. aurantia A10(T)). DNA-DNA relatedness between strain NCCP-934(T) and the type strains of the closely related species was lower than 18 %. The chemotaxonomic data (major respiratory quinone, Q9; predominant fatty acids, C18:1 ω7c and C16:0 followed by C12:0 3-OH and Summed features 3 (C16:1 ω7c/iso-C15:0 2-OH); major polar lipids, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanol, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol and three polar lipid of unknown structure) supported the affiliation of strain NCCP-934(T) within the genus Kushneria. The DNA G+C content of strain NCCP-934(T) was 59.2 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain NCCP-934(T) can be distinguished from the closely related taxa and thus represents a novel species in the genus Kushneria, for which the name Kushneria pakistanensis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain NCCP-934(T) (=LMG 28525(T) = KCTC 42082(T) = JCM 18802(T)).

Physicochemical characteristics, functional properties, and nutritional benefits of peanut oil: a review.

The legume Arachis hypogaea, commonly known as peanut or groundnut, is a very important food crop throughout the tropics and subtropics. Peanut is one of the most widely used legumes due to its nutrition and taste, and it occupies a rank of major oilseed crop in the world. It has been recognized as a functional food due to its role in a health promoting effect. Peanut oil contains a well-balanced fatty acid and antioxidant profile that provide protection against harmful substances especially free radicals. This paper gives an overview of scientific literature available on phytochemical and functional properties of peanut oil. Owing to its unique organoleptic properties associated with its cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, peanut oil has found, recently, its place on the highly competitive international edible oil market.

Proteomics analysis of sensitive and tolerant barley genotypes under drought stress.

Drought is a severe environmental constraint to plant productivity and an important factor limiting barley yield. To investigate the initial response of barley to drought stress, changes in protein profile were analyzed using a proteomics technique. Three-day-old barley seedlings of sensitive genotype 004186 and tolerant genotype 004223 were given two treatments, one with 20 % polyethylene glycol and the second with drought induced by withholding water. After 3 days of treatments, proteins were extracted from shoots and separated by 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Metabolism related proteins were decreased in the sensitive genotype under drought; however, they were increased in the tolerant genotype. Photosynthetic related proteins were decreased and increased among the three sensitive and three tolerant genotypes, respectively. In addition, amino acid synthesis and degradation related proteins were increased and decreased among the three tolerant genotypes. These results suggest that chloroplastic metabolism and energy related proteins might play a significant role in the adaptation process of barley seedlings under drought stress.

Allelic variation at the Vrn-A1, Vrn-B1, Vrn-D1, Vrn-B3 and Ppd-D1a loci of Pakistani spring wheat cultivars

Flowering time in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is controlled by vernalization and photoperiod response, and earliness per se genes. The genetic basis of flowering time has not been investigated in Pakistani bread wheat. This study was, therefore, conducted to determine the allelic composition at Vrn-A1, Vrn-B1, Vrn-D1, Vrn-B3 and Ppd-D1a loci of 59 Pakistani spring bread wheat cultivars. These cultivars, along with 4 isogenic lines for vernalization genes were characterized with previously reported DNA markers designed for detecting allelic variation at 4 Vrn (Vernalization) and 1 Ppd (Photoperiod) loci. Spring habit Vrn-A1a allele was found in 36 percent cultivars either alone or with spring habit Vrn-B1 and Vrn-D1 alleles. Two wheat cultivars had the dominant Vrn-A1c allele, whereas none of the cultivars had Vrn-A1b. Spring habit Vrn-B1 was the most frequent allele (64 percent) present either alone or with Vrn-A1a, Vrn-A1c and Vrn-D1. Spring habit Vrn-D1 was found in 61 percent cultivars. Vrn-D1 was singly found in 25 percent cultivars and along with Vrn-B1 in 29 percent cultivars. Dominant Vrn-B3 was absent in all cultivars studied. All cultivars except Era had the photoperiod insensitive allele Ppd-D1a. We did not find any association between the flowering time and Vrn allelic composition of the studied cultivars. This indicated that the partial vernalization requirement of cultivars with Vrn-B1 and Vrn-D1 alleles is probably fulfilled during Pakistani growing season. Earliness per se and the photoperiod sensitive loci other than Ppd-D1 need to be investigated to further understand the genetic basis of flowering time in Pakistani wheat.