The Impact of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) on the Risk of Developing Ovarian Cancer and Thyroid Disorders: A Comprehensive Review.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder that affects women. It is characterized by hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovarian morphology, and other related disorders. It is associated with various health conditions, such as infertility and increased risk of heart problems. Ovarian cancer is also a significant concern, as it is the fifth leading cause of death in women. While there is evidence suggesting a potential association between PCOS and ovarian cancer, the exact nature of this relationship remains unclear. Thyroid disorders, particularly hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, have also been linked to PCOS. The presence of hypothyroidism can contribute to the development of polycystic ovarian morphology, affecting ovulation and hormone balance. Many works have shown a higher ubiquity of autoimmune thyroid disease in PCOS patients, indicating a potential association between the two conditions. The occurrence of PCOS, hirsutism, and acne underscores the frequency of endocrine disorders in women. This review paper examines the present relevant work on the association between PCOS and ovarian cancer as well as PCOS and thyroid disorders. A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar database, to identify peer-reviewed publications pertaining to PCOS, ovarian cancer, and thyroid disorders. While some studies have delineated a significant link between PCOS and ovarian cancer or thyroid disorders, others have yielded inconclusive results. Further research is necessary to establish a definitive causal relationship between these conditions. Understanding the relationship between PCOS, ovarian cancer, and thyroid disorders is crucial for early detection, accurate diagnosis, and effective management of these conditions. Identifying potential risk factors and developing appropriate screening strategies can improve women's health outcomes and reduce the burden associated with these disorders.

Combating fungal phytopathogens with human salivary antimicrobial peptide histatin 5 through a multi-target mechanism.

Blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is a major contributor to decreased crop yield and rice production globally. The use of chemical fungicides to combat crop pathogens is not only unsafe but also promotes the emergence of pathogenic variants, leading to recurrent host infections. To address plant diseases, antimicrobial peptides have emerged as a promising alternative as they are effective, safe, and biodegradable antifungal agents. This study examines the antifungal activity and mechanism of action of the human salivary peptide histatin 5 (Hst5) on M. oryzae. Hst5 causes morphogenetic defects in the fungus, including non-uniform chitin distribution on the fungal cell wall and septa, deformed hyphal branching, and cell lysis. Importantly, a pore-forming mechanism of Hst5 in M. oryzae was ruled out. Furthermore, the interaction of Hst5 with the M. oryzae genomic DNA suggests that the peptide may also influence gene expression in the blast fungus. In addition to its effects on morphogenetic defects and cell lysis, Hst5 also inhibits conidial germination, appressorium formation, and the appearance of blast lesions on rice leaves. The elucidated multi-target antifungal mechanism of Hst5 in M. oryzae provides an environmentally friendly alternative to combating blast infections in rice by preventing fungal pathogenicity. The promising antifungal characteristics of the AMP peptide may also be explored for other crop pathogens, making it a potential biofungicide for the future.

Relation of vitamin D to COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic has lasted for more than a year now and still remains the leading cause of concern, worldwide. The causal agent; SARS- CoV-2, leads to the development of respiratory distress in the lower respiratory tract, sometimes leading to fatalities. Keeping in mind the discovery of mutant strains across the world, as well as the delay in vaccinations across vast populations, most people speculate boosting their immune systems as a preventive and precautionary measure. One of the most commonly observed conditions that hamper immunity; Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the onset and the alteration of course of the disease in patients and is also being explored as a potential drug supplement. These surmises make it essential to study deep into the speculations. This review aims to overview the possible correlations between Vitamin D and COVID-19.

Molecular Detection of Magnaporthe oryzae from Rice Seeds.

Rice blast disease caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most devastating diseases of rice worldwide. Blast pathogen infects all stages of rice causing leaf, collar, neck, and panicle blast symptoms. Seedlings infested by M. oryzae serve as an inoculum source, which gradually causes the disease symptoms on rice leaves. Hence, for the blast disease management, it is crucial to detect the pathogen in rice seeds, particularly at the presymptomatic stage. Early pathogen diagnosis enhances the accuracy and timing of fungicide applications, thereby improving their efficiency. Moreover, detection of infested seeds is important for the quarantine purposes to ensure the flow of quality rice seeds to the market. In this chapter, a PCR-based assay is described to detect the blast pathogen from rice seeds. The ability of this molecular method in reliably detecting pathogens can prevent the spread of blast disease because of its increased sensitivity and the reduction of diagnostic time.

Analysis of Genetic Variations and Genomic Instabilities in Magnaporthe oryzae.

Retrotransposons are major components of the Magnaporthe oryzae genome; their high copy number and property of stable insertion in genome make them ideal tools to develop molecular markers. Retrotransposon-based marker techniques mainly rely on the amplification of DNA sequences present between the retrotransposon termini and some component of flanking genomic DNA. In this chapter, two marker systems known as inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism (IRAP) and retrotransposon-microsatellite amplified polymorphism (REMAP) are described for genetic diversity studies in M. oryzae. In the IRAP method, DNA profiles are generated using outward-facing primers from two nearby retrotransposons, while REMAP produces DNA profiles from genomic segments present in retrotransposons and microsatellite repeats. These marker techniques are simple, cost-effective, and easy to develop for polymorphism studies among M. oryzae isolates, races, or populations. In addition, the chapter also describes the utility of these retrotransposon-based DNA markers to study stress-induced genomic instabilities in M. oryzae.

Genetic differentiation and phylogenetic potential of Ty3/Gypsy LTR retrotransposon markers in soil and plant pathogenic fungi.

Genetic diversity studies are crucial for understanding the genetic structure and evolutionary dynamics of fungal species and communities. Fungal genomes are often reshaped by their repetitive components such as transposable elements. These elements are key players in genomic rearrangements and are ideal targets for genetic diversity and evolutionary studies. Herein, we used three Ty3/Gypsy long terminal repeat retrotransposons, Grasshopper, Maggy, and Pyret, for genetic differentiation and diversity in soil and plant pathogenic fungi, representing diverse species, order, and phyla. Pyret DNA markers showed the highest gene diversity and Shannon's information indices, followed by Maggy and Grasshopper. The observed high levels of multilocus polymorphism indicate the continuous mobility of these elements after their transfer in the new host. In conclusion, this study presents novel markers for genetic differentiation and evolutionary studies of fungi, and sheds light on the prevalence of gene acquisition phenomenon in field fungi.

Genome-wide analysis of cytochrome P450s of Trichoderma spp.: annotation and evolutionary relationships.

BACKGROUND: Cytochrome P450s form an important group of enzymes involved in xenobiotics degradation and metabolism, both primary and secondary. These enzymes are also useful in industry as biotechnological tools for bioconversion and a few are reported to be involved in pathogenicity. Trichoderma spp. are widely used in industry and agriculture and are known for their biosynthetic potential of a large number of secondary metabolites. For realising the full biosynthetic potential of an organism, it is important to do a genome-wide annotation and cataloguing of these enzymes. RESULTS: Here, we have studied the genomes of seven species (T. asperellum, T. atroviride, T. citrinoviride, T. longibrachiatum, T. reesei , T. harzianum and T. virens) and identified a total of 477 cytochrome P450s. We present here the classification, evolution and structure as well as predicted function of these proteins. This study would pave the way for functional characterization of these groups of enzymes and will also help in realization of their full economic potential. CONCLUSION: Our CYPome annotation and evolutionary studies of the seven Trichoderma species now provides opportunities for exploration of research-driven strategies to select Trichoderma species for various applications especially in relation to secondary metabolism and degradation of environmental pollutants.

Transposable elements as stress adaptive capacitors induce genomic instability in fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae.

A fundamental problem in fungal pathogenesis is to elucidate the evolutionary forces responsible for genomic rearrangements leading to races with fitter genotypes. Understanding the adaptive evolutionary mechanisms requires identification of genomic components and environmental factors reshaping the genome of fungal pathogens to adapt. Herein, Magnaporthe oryzae, a model fungal plant pathogen is used to demonstrate the impact of environmental cues on transposable elements (TE) based genome dynamics. For heat shock and copper stress exposed samples, eight TEs belonging to class I and II family were employed to obtain DNA profiles. Stress induced mutant bands showed a positive correlation with dose/duration of stress and provided evidences of TEs role in stress adaptiveness. Further, we demonstrate that genome dynamics differ for the type/family of TEs upon stress exposition and previous reports of stress induced MAGGY transposition has underestimated the role of TEs in M. oryzae. Here, we identified Pyret, MAGGY, Pot3, MINE, Mg-SINE, Grasshopper and MGLR3 as contributors of high genomic instability in M. oryzae in respective order. Sequencing of mutated bands led to the identification of LTR-retrotransposon sequences within regulatory regions of psuedogenes. DNA transposon Pot3 was identified in the coding regions of chromatin remodelling protein containing tyrosinase copper-binding and PWWP domains. LTR-retrotransposons Pyret and MAGGY are identified as key components responsible for the high genomic instability and perhaps these TEs are utilized by M. oryzae for its acclimatization to adverse environmental conditions. Our results demonstrate how common field stresses change genome dynamics of pathogen and provide perspective to explore the role of TEs in genome adaptability, signalling network and its impact on the virulence of fungal pathogens.

Secreted aspartic protease cleavage of Candida albicans Msb2 activates Cek1 MAPK signaling affecting biofilm formation and oropharyngeal candidiasis.

Perception of external stimuli and generation of an appropriate response are crucial for host colonization by pathogens. In pathogenic fungi, mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways regulate dimorphism, biofilm/mat formation, and virulence. Signaling mucins, characterized by a heavily glycosylated extracellular domain, a transmembrane domain, and a small cytoplasmic domain, are known to regulate various signaling pathways. In Candida albicans, the mucin Msb2 regulates the Cek1 MAPK pathway. We show here that Msb2 is localized to the yeast cell wall and is further enriched on hyphal surfaces. A msb2Δ/Δ strain formed normal hyphae but had biofilm defects. Cek1 (but not Mkc1) phosphorylation was absent in the msb2Δ/Δ mutant. The extracellular domain of Msb2 was shed in cells exposed to elevated temperature and carbon source limitation, concomitant with germination and Cek1 phosphorylation. Msb2 shedding occurred differentially in cells grown planktonically or on solid surfaces in the presence of cell wall and osmotic stressors. We further show that Msb2 shedding and Cek1 phosphorylation were inhibited by addition of Pepstatin A (PA), a selective inhibitor of aspartic proteases (Saps). Analysis of combinations of Sap protease mutants identified a sap8Δ/Δ mutant with reduced MAPK signaling along with defects in biofilm formation, thereby suggesting that Sap8 potentially serves as a major regulator of Msb2 processing. We further show that loss of either Msb2 (msb2Δ/Δ) or Sap8 (sap8Δ/Δ) resulted in higher C. albicans surface ß-glucan exposure and msb2Δ/Δ showed attenuated virulence in a murine model of oral candidiasis. Thus, Sap-mediated proteolytic cleavage of Msb2 is required for activation of the Cek1 MAPK pathway in response to environmental cues including those that induce germination. Inhibition of Msb2 processing at the level of Saps may provide a means of attenuating MAPK signaling and reducing C. albicans virulence.

Histatin 5 uptake by Candida albicans utilizes polyamine transporters Dur3 and Dur31 proteins.

Histatin 5 (Hst 5) is a salivary gland-secreted cationic peptide with potent fungicidal activity against Candida albicans. Hst 5 kills fungal cells following intracellular translocation, although its selective transport mechanism is unknown. C. albicans cells grown in the presence of polyamines were resistant to Hst 5 due to reduced intracellular uptake, suggesting that this cationic peptide may enter candidal cells through native yeast polyamine transporters. Based upon homology to known Saccharomyces cerevisiae polyamine permeases, we identified six C. albicans Dur polyamine transporter family members and propose a new nomenclature. Gene deletion mutants were constructed for C. albicans polyamine transporters Dur3, Dur31, Dur33, Dur34, and were tested for Hst 5 sensitivity and uptake of spermidine. We found spermidine uptake and Hst 5 mediated killing were decreased significantly in Δdur3, Δdur31, and Δdur3/Δdur31 strains; whereas a DUR3 overexpression strain increased Hst 5 sensitivity and higher spermidine uptake. Treatment of cells with a spermidine synthase inhibitor increased spermidine uptake and Hst 5 killing, whereas protonophores and cold treatment reduced spermidine uptake. Inhibition assays showed that Hst 5 is a competitive analog of spermidine for uptake into C. albicans cells, and that Hst 5 Ki values were increased by 80-fold in Δdur3/Δdur31 cells. Thus, Dur3p and Dur31p are preferential spermidine transporters used by Hst 5 for its entry into candidal cells. Understanding of polyamine transporter-mediated internalization of Hst 5 provides new insights into the uptake mechanism for C. albicans toxicity, and further suggests design for targeted fungal therapeutic agents.

Biochemical, microbiological and physiological changes in Jamun (Syzyium cumini L.) kept for long term storage under modified atmosphere packaging.

Jamun or Indian blackberry (Syzygium cumini L.) is a minor and highly perishable fruit enriched with flavonoids, essential oils, anthocyanins phenolic compounds and other antioxidants. The quantitative and qualitative losses in this seasonal fruit are tremendous and can be reduced by appropriate packaging and storage techniques which have not been applied hitherto. This study was undertaken to extend the shelf-life as well as to assess the biochemical, microbiological and physiological changes in jamun fruit under perforated and non-perforated modified atmosphere (MA) conditions. Fruits were stored under differential MA in macro-perforated (1 and 2 perforations, 0.3 mm dia. each) and non-perforated polypropylene (PP) film packages (Thickness: 35 µm, bag area: 0.036 m(2)) at 5 °C and 75% relative humidity (RH) for 23 days. Sachets containing white silica gel beads were placed inside all the packages to check water accumulation, if any. Different physiological, biochemical and microbiological characteristics which generally affect the post-harvest life of the produce were monitored during the storage period. Results of the study suggested most of the subjectively and objectively determined qualitative parameters to be retained satisfactorily under macro-perforated packaging treatments. Further, the microbiological analysis, surmised that the fruits could be stored for long term using packages with 1 macro-perforation.

Informativeness of dinucleotide repeat-based primers in fungal pathogen of rice Magnaporthe grisea.

Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) occur ubiquitously and show complex patterns in length, motif size and sequence. Among SSRs, dinucleotide repeats occur in high abundance in fungi with shorter length as compared to other organisms. In this study, multilocus profiles obtained in Magnaporthe grisea, a model plant pathogen were evaluated. The results showed lower rate of polymorphism by (GT)(n)/(TG)(n) repeat-based primers and suggested occurrence of (GA)(n)/(AG)(n) repeats as integral repeats and (TC)(n)/(CT)(n) and (AC)(n)/(CA)(n) as non-integral repeats. Low repeat length variation was found to be correlated with less number of repeat motifs. The study provides an insight into the possibility of molecular coevolution of mobile elements and dinucleotide repeats in fungi. The study could be applied to other species for wider applications including evolutionary and population genetics.

Retrotransposon-microsatellite amplified polymorphism (REMAP) markers for genetic diversity assessment of the rice blast pathogen (Magnaporthe grisea).

This present study is the first report of the application of the retrotransposon-microsatellite amplified polymorphism (REMAP) technique in fungi. Genome fingerprinting has a major role in the characterization of population structure and in the analysis of the variability in fungi. Retrotransposon-microsatellite amplified polymorphism assay was used in virulent isolates of a rice blast pathogen (Magnaporthe grisea) as a new assay system for genetic variability studies that overcomes the limitations of previous techniques. The high polymorphism observed in REMAP could be due to past or recent actions of retrotransposon in M. grisea. Retrotransposon-microsatellite amplified polymorphism, with its superior marker utility, was concluded to be the marker of choice for characterizing M. grisea isolates.