Revisiting the role of phospholipases in alzheimer's: crosstalk with processed food.

Phospholipases such as phospholipase-A, phospholipase-B, phospholipase-C and phospholipase-D are important functional enzymes of the cell membrane responsible for a variety of functions such as signal transduction, production of lipid mediators, metabolite digestion and playing a pathological role in central nervous system diseases. Phospholipases have shown an association with Alzheimer's disease and these enzymes have found a correlation with several metabolic pathways that can lead to the activation of inflammatory signals via astrocytes and microglial cells. We also highlighted unhealthy practices like smoking and consuming processed foods, rich in nitroso compounds and phosphatidic acid, which contribute to neuronal damage in AD through phospholipases. A few therapeutic approaches such as the use of inhibitors of phospholipase-D,phospholipase A2 as well as autophagy-mediated inhibition have been discussed to control the onset of AD. This paper serves as a crosstalk between phospholipases and their role in neurodegenerative pathways as well as their influence on other biomolecules of lipid membranes, which are acquired through unhealthy diets and possible methods to treat these anomalies occurring due to their metabolic disorder involving phospholipases acting as major signaling molecules.

Trace elements in the Upper Indus River Basin (UIRB) of Western Himalayas: Quantification, sources modeling, and impacts.

This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of trace element concentrations in the Upper Indus River Basin (UIRB), a glacier-fed region in the Western Himalayas (WH), aiming to discern their environmental and anthropogenic sources and implications. Despite limited prior data, 69 samples were collected in 2019 from diverse sources within the UIRB, including mainstream, tributaries, and groundwater, to assess trace element concentrations. Enrichment factor (EF) results and comparisons with regional and global averages suggest that rising levels of Zn, Cd, and As may pose safety concerns for drinking water quality. Advanced multivariate statistical techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA), absolute principal component scores (APCS-MLR), Monte Carlo simulation (MCS), etc were applied to estimate the associated human health hazards and also identified key sources of trace elements. The 95th percentile of the MCS results indicates that the estimated total cancer risk for children is significantly greater than (>1000 times) the USEPA's acceptable risk threshold of 1.0 × 10-6. The results classified most of the trace elements into two distinct groups: Group A (Li, Rb, Sr, U, Cs, V, Ni, TI, Sb, Mo, Ge), linked to geogenic sources, showed lower concentrations in the lower-middle river reaches, including tributaries and downstream regions. Group B (Pb, Nb, Cr, Zn, Be, Al, Th, Ga, Cu, Co), influenced by both geogenic and anthropogenic activities, exhibited higher concentrations near urban centers and midstream areas, aligning with increased municipal waste and agricultural activities. Furthermore, APCS-MLR source apportionment indicated that trace elements originated from natural geogenic processes, including rock-water interactions and mineral dissolution, as well as anthropogenic activities. These findings underscore the need for targeted measures to mitigate anthropogenic impacts and safeguard water resources for communities along the IRB and WH.

Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) as potential mechanical vectors of the protozoan cyst and helminthic eggs in Kashmir Himalaya, India.

Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are an important group of non-biting flies that are potential mechanical vectors of protozoan and helminthic pathogens. The present study was carried out to isolate and identify protozoan cysts and helminthic eggs transmitted by blowflies. Surveys were carried out at six different sites, viz., butcher shops, fish markets, garbage piles, water bodies, and open vegetation in the Kashmir Himalaya. The flies were collected with the help of a sweeping net and using day-old beef liver as bait from March 2021 to February 2023. A total of 968 blowflies were collected, out of which 83 were found carrying at least one protozoan cyst and helminthic egg with six identified species of parasites. Garbage piles were recorded with the highest number of positive cases (10.81%), while human habitation had the highest transmission rate (3.3%). Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) was reported to have the highest number of parasitic cysts and ova (one protozoan cyst and three helminthic eggs), while Ascaris lumbricoides and Entamoeba coli were found to be the most abundant parasites reported from the surface of these flies. The number of parasites isolated from the surface of the blowflies was statistically significant (F = 9.073, df = 1, and p = 0.014), indicating a positive association between the number of parasites isolated from blowflies and the collection sites. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12639-024-01663-5.

Uncovering sources, distribution, and seasonal patterns of trace element deposition: the elemental puzzle of the western Himalayas.

The transport and deposition of atmospheric pollutants in the Himalayas have a adverse impact on the climate, cryosphere, ecosystem, and monsoon patterns. Unfortunately, there is a insufficiency of data on trace element concentrations and behaviors in the high-altitude Himalayan region, leading to limited research in this area. This study presents a comprehensive and detailed comprehension of trace element deposition, its spatial distribution, seasonal variations, and anthropogenic signals in the high-altitude Kashmir region of the Western Himalayas. Our investigation involved the analysis of 10 trace elements (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in glacier ice, snow pits, surface snow, and rainwater collected at various sites including Kolahoi, Thajwas, Pahalgam (Greater Himalayan ranges), and Kongdori and Shopian (Pir Panjal Ranges) during 2021. The study reveals distinct ranges of concentrations for the trace elements at different sampling sites. Our analysis of trace element concentration depth profiles in snow pits reveals seasonal fluctuations during the deposition year. The highest concentrations were found in the autumn (below 20 cm) and summer (top layer), compared to the winter concentration (10-20 cm). The high enrichment factors (EFs) suggest the severity of human-induced trace metal deposition in the western Himalayan region, relative to surrounding regions. Surprisingly, the concentrations and EFs of trace elements showed seasonal contradictions, with lower concentration values and higher EFs during the non-monsoon season and vice versa. A source apportionment analysis using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) technique identified five sources of trace element deposition in the region, including crustal sources (32.33%), coal combustion (15.62%), biomass burning (17.63%), traffic emission (18.8%), and industrial sources (15.6%). Additionally, the study incorporated backward trajectories coupled with δ18O using the NOAA HYSPLIT model to estimate moisture sources in the region, which suggests atmospheric pollutants predominately deposited from the large-scale atmospheric circulation from westerlies (75%) during non-monsoon season. These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced monitoring and research efforts in the future.

Dual Antifungal and Antiproliferative Activities of a Novel Protein Fraction from a Medicinally Important Herb Trillium govanianum Wall. ex. D. Don.

Antimicrobial resistance of microorganisms and the unwanted side effects of chemoradiation therapy in cancer are major issues in healthcare. In recent times, protein-based drugs have emerged as promising candidates due to their high specificity, less side effects, etc. In this context, the rhizome of Trillium govanianum was first explored for biologically active proteins/peptides. For this, three protein fractions namely Aqueous protein fraction (APF), Hexane-Methanol-treated aqueous protein fraction (HMAPF), and Methanol-treated aqueous protein fraction (MAPF) were prepared and evaluated for antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities. In antifungal activity, HMAPF showed the lowest MIC90 values of 1.56 µg/ml against Candida parapsilosis and Candida glabrata and 3.12 µg/ml against Candida albicans and Candida auris. The antifungal activity was further confirmed by a chitinase assay, a growth kinetics and a proteinase inhibitory assay. Surprisingly, none of the three protein fractions exhibited antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, APF exhibited potent antiproliferative and antioxidant activities with IC50 values of 18 µg/ml and 227 µg /ml, respectively. For HMAPF, an IC50 value of 70 µg/ml against the MDA-MB-231 cell line was observed. The present results demonstrate that the protein fractions, particularly HMAPF and APF, might serve as potential sources of a dual antifungal and antiproliferative protein-based drug.

Nano-Osmolyte Conjugation: Tailoring the Osmolyte-Protein Interactions at the Nanoscale.

Osmolytes are small organic compounds accumulated at higher concentrations in the cell under various stress conditions like high temperature, high salt, high pressure, etc. Osmolytes mainly include four major classes of compounds including sugars, polyols, methylamines, and amino acids and their derivatives. In addition to their ability to maintain protein stability and folding, these osmolytes, also termed as chemical chaperones, can prevent protein misfolding and aggregation. Although being efficient protein folders and stabilizers, these osmolytes exhibit certain unavoidable limitations such as nearly molar concentrations of osmolytes being required for their effect, which is quite difficult to achieve inside a cell or in the extracellular matrix due to nonspecificity and limited permeability of the blood-brain barrier system and reduced bioavailability. These limitations can be overcome to a certain extent by using smart delivery platforms for the targeted delivery of osmolytes to the site of action. In this context, osmolyte-functionalized nanoparticles, termed nano-osmolytes, enhance the protein stabilization and chaperone efficiency of osmolytes up to 105 times in certain cases. For example, sugars, polyols, and amino acid functionalized based nano-osmolytes have shown tremendous potential in preventing protein aggregation. The enhanced potential of nano-osmolytes can be attributed to their high specificity at low concentrations, high tunability, amphiphilicity, multivalent complex formation, and efficient drug delivery system. Keeping in view the promising potential of nano-osmolytes conjugation in tailoring the osmolyte-protein interactions, as compared to their molecular forms, the present review summarizes the recent advancements of the nano-osmolytes that enhance the protein stability/folding efficiency and ability to act as artificial chaperones with increased potential to prevent protein misfolding disorders. Some of the potential nano-osmolyte aggregation inhibitors have been highlighted for large-scale screening with future applications in aggregation disorders. The synthesis of nano-osmolytes by numerous approaches and future perspectives are also highlighted.

Novel insights on perils and promises of miRNA in understanding colon cancer metastasis and progression.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third highest frequent malignancy and ultimate critical source of cancer-associated mortality around the world. Regardless of latest advances in molecular and surgical targeted medicines that have increased remedial effects in CRC patients, the 5-year mortality rate for CRC patients remains dismally low. Evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) execute an essential part in the development and spread of CRC. The miRNAs are a type of short non-coding RNA that exhibited to control the appearance of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. miRNA expression profiling is already being utilized in clinical practice as analytical and prognostic biomarkers to evaluate cancer patients' tumor genesis, advancement, and counteraction to drugs. By modulating their target genes, dysregulated miRNAs are linked to malignant characteristics (e.g., improved proliferative and invasive capabilities, cell cycle aberration, evasion of apoptosis, and promotion of angiogenesis). This review presents an updated summary of circulatory miRNAs, tumor-suppressive and oncogenic miRNAs, and the potential reasons for dysregulated miRNAs in CRC. Further we will explore the critical role of miRNAs in CRC drug resistance.

Nutritional and bioactive characteristics of buckwheat, and its potential for developing gluten-free products: An updated overview.

In the present era, food scientists are concerned about exploiting functional crops with nutraceutical properties. Buckwheat is one of the functional pseudocereals with nutraceutical components used in the treatment of health-related diseases, malnutrition, and celiac diseases. As a preferred diet as a gluten-free product for celiac diseases, buckwheat is a good source of nutrients, bioactive components, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. The general characteristics and better nutritional profile of buckwheat than other cereal family crops were highlighted by previous investigations. In buckwheats, bioactive components like peptides, flavonoids, phenolic acids, d-fagomine, fagopyritols, and fagopyrins are posing significant health benefits. This study highlights the current knowledge about buckwheat and its characteristics, nutritional constituents, bioactive components, and their potential for developing gluten-free products to target celiac people (1.4% of the world population) and other health-related diseases.

Urea ameliorates trimethylamine N-oxide-Induced aggregation of intrinsically disordered α-casein protein: the other side of the urea-methylamine counteraction.

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is generally accumulated by organisms and cells to cope with denaturing effects of urea/hydrodynamic pressure on proteins and can even reverse misfolded or aggregated proteins so as to sustain proteostasis. However, most of the work regarding this urea-TMAO counteraction has been performed on folded proteins. Compelling evidence of aggregation of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) like tau, α-synuclein, amyloid ß etc., by TMAO and its potential to impact various protein processes in absence of stressing agents (such as urea) suggests that the contrary feature of interaction profiles of urea and TMAO maximizes their chances of offsetting the perturbing effects of each other. Recently, our lab observed that TMAO induces aggregation of α-casein, a model IDP. In this context, the present study, for the first time, evaluated urea for its potential to counteract the TMAO-induced aggregation of α-casein. It was observed that, at the biologically relevant ratios of 2:1 or 3:1 (urea:TMAO), urea was able to inhibit TMAO-induced aggregation of α-casein. However, urea did not reverse the effects of TMAO on α-casein. In addition to this, α-casein in presence of 1:1 and 2:1 urea:TMAO working ratios show aggregation-induced cytotoxic effect on HEK-293, Neuro2A and HCT-116 cell lines but not in presence of 3:1 working ratio, as there was no aggregation at all. The study infers that the accumulation of TMAO alone in the cells, in absence of stress (such as urea), might result in loss of conformational flexibility and aggregation of IDPs in TMAO accumulating organisms.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Implications of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and Betaine in Human Health: Beyond Being Osmoprotective Compounds.

Osmolytes are naturally occurring small molecular weight organic molecules, which are accumulated in large amounts in all life forms to maintain the stability of cellular proteins and hence preserve their functions during adverse environmental conditions. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and N,N,N-trimethylglycine (betaine) are methylamine osmolytes that have been extensively studied for their diverse roles in humans and have demonstrated opposing relations with human health. These osmolytes are obtained from food and synthesized endogenously using dietary constituents like choline and carnitine. Especially, gut microbiota plays a vital role in TMAO synthesis and contributes significantly to plasma TMAO levels. The elevated plasma TMAO has been reported to be correlated with the pathogenesis of numerous human diseases, including cardiovascular disease, heart failure, kidney diseases, metabolic syndrome, etc.; Hence, TMAO has been recognized as a novel biomarker for the detection/prediction of several human diseases. In contrast, betaine acts as a methyl donor in one-carbon metabolism, maintains cellular S-adenosylmethionine levels, and protects the cells from the harmful effects of increased plasma homocysteine. Betaine also demonstrates antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and has a promising therapeutic value in several human diseases, including homocystinuria and fatty liver disease. The present review examines the multifarious functions of TMAO and betaine with possible molecular mechanisms towards a better understanding of their emerging and diverging functions with probable implications in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases.

C10Pred: A First Machine Learning Based Tool to Predict C10 Family Cysteine Peptidases Using Sequence-Derived Features.

Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus (GAS), a gram-positive bacterium, is implicated in a wide range of clinical manifestations and life-threatening diseases. One of the key virulence factors of GAS is streptopain, a C10 family cysteine peptidase. Since its discovery, various homologs of streptopain have been reported from other bacterial species. With the increased affordability of sequencing, a significant increase in the number of potential C10 family-like sequences in the public databases is anticipated, posing a challenge in classifying such sequences. Sequence-similarity-based tools are the methods of choice to identify such streptopain-like sequences. However, these methods depend on some level of sequence similarity between the existing C10 family and the target sequences. Therefore, in this work, we propose a novel predictor, C10Pred, for the prediction of C10 peptidases using sequence-derived optimal features. C10Pred is a support vector machine (SVM) based model which is efficient in predicting C10 enzymes with an overall accuracy of 92.7% and Matthews' correlation coefficient (MCC) value of 0.855 when tested on an independent dataset. We anticipate that C10Pred will serve as a handy tool to classify novel streptopain-like proteins belonging to the C10 family and offer essential information.

Comparative RNA-Seq analysis reveals insights in Salmonella disease resistance of chicken; and database development as resource for gene expression in poultry.

Salmonella, one of the major infectious diseases in poultry, causes considerable economic losses in terms of mortality and morbidity, especially in countries that lack effective vaccination programs. Besides being resistant to diseases, indigenous chicken breeds are also a potential source of animal protein in developing countries. For understanding the disease resistance, an indigenous chicken line Kashmir faverolla, and commercial broiler were selected. RNA-seq was performed after challenging the chicken with Salmonella Typhimurium. Comparative differential expression results showed that following infection, a total of 3153 genes and 1787 genes were differentially expressed in the liver and spleen, respectively. The genes that were differentially expressed included interleukins, cytokines, NOS2, Avß-defensins, toll-like receptors, and other immune-related gene families. Most of the genes and signaling pathways involved in the innate and adaptive immune responses against bacterial infection were significantly enriched in the Kashmir faverolla. Pathway analysis revealed that most of the enriched pathways were MAPK signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, TLR signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway, endocytosis, etc. Surprisingly some immune-related genes like TLRs were upregulated in the susceptible chicken breed. On postmortem examination, the resistant birds showed small lesions in the liver compared to large necrotic lesions in susceptible birds. The pathological manifestations and RNA sequencing results suggest a balancing link between resistance and infection tolerance in Kashmir faverolla. Here we also developed an online Poultry Infection Database (https://skuastk.org/pif/index.html), the first publicly available gene expression resource for disease resistance in chickens. The available database not only shows the data for gene expression in chicken tissues but also provides quick search, visualization and download capacity.

Brain Metabolite, Myo-inositol, Inhibits Catalase Activity: A Mechanism of the Distortion of the Antioxidant Defense System in Alzheimer's disease.

A strong correlation between brain metabolite accumulation and oxidative stress has been observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. There are two central hypotheses for this correlation: (i) coaccumulation of toxic amyloid-ß and Myo-inositol (MI), a significant brain metabolite, during presymptomatic stages of AD, and (ii) enhanced expression of MI transporter in brain cells during oxidative stress-induced volume changes in the brain. Identifying specific interactive effects of MI with cellular antioxidant enzymes would represent an essential step in understanding the oxidative stress-induced AD pathogenicity. This study demonstrated that MI inhibits catalase, an essential antioxidant enzyme primarily inefficient in AD, by decreasing its k cat (turnover number) and increasing K m (Michaelis-Menten constant) values. This inhibition of catalase by MI under in vivo studies increased cellular H2O2 levels, leading to decreased cell viability. Furthermore, MI induces distortion of the active heme center with an overall loss of structure and stability of catalase. MI also alters distances of the vital active site and substrate channel residues of catalase. The present study provides evidence for the involvement of MI in the inactivation of the antioxidant defense system during oxidative stress-induced pathogenesis of AD. Regulation of MI levels, during early presymptomatic stages of AD, might serve as a potential early-on therapeutic strategy for this disease.

Effect of polyol osmolytes on the structure-function integrity and aggregation propensity of catalase: A comprehensive study based on spectroscopic and molecular dynamic simulation measurements.

Owing to the ability of catalase to function under oxidative stress vis-à-vis its industrial importance, the structure-function integrity of the enzyme is of prime concern. In the present study, polyols (glycerol, sorbitol, sucrose, xylitol), were evaluated for their ability to modulate structure, activity and aggregation of catalase using in vitro and in silico approaches. All polyols were found to increase catalase activity by decreasing Km and increasing Vmax resulting in enhanced catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of the enzyme. Glycerol was found to be the most efficient polyol with a kcat/Km increase from 4.38 × 104 mM-1 S-1 (control) to 5.8 × 105 mM-1 S-1. Correlatively with this, enhanced secondary structure with reduced hydrophobic exposure was observed in all polyols. Furthermore, increased stability, with an increase in melting temperature by 15.2 °C, and almost no aggregation was observed in glycerol. Overall, ability to regulate structure-function integrity and aggregation propensity was highest for glycerol and lowest for xylitol. Simulation studies were performed involving structural dynamics measurement, principal component analysis and free energy landscape analysis. Altogether, all polyols were stabilizing in nature and glycerol, in particular, has potential to efficiently prevent not only the aggregation of the antioxidant defense system but might also serve as a stability aid during industrial processing of catalase.

Distinguishing Mountain Front and Mountain Block Recharge in an Intermontane Basin of the Himalayan Region.

Intermontane basin aquifers worldwide, particularly in the Himalayan region, are recharged largely by the adjoining mountains. Recharge in these basins can occur either by water infiltrating from streams near mountain fronts (MFs) as mountain front recharge (MFR) or by sub-surface mountain block infiltration as mountain block recharge (MBR). MFR and MBR recharge are challenging to distinguish and are least quantified, considering the lack of extensive understanding of the hydrological processes in the mountains. This study used oxygen and hydrogen isotopes (δ18 O and δ2 H), electrical conductivity (EC) data, hydraulic head, and groundwater level data to differentiate MFR and MBR. Groundwater level data provide information about the groundwater-surface water interactions and groundwater flow directions, whereas isotopes and EC data are used to distinguish and quantify different recharge sources. The present methodology is tested in an intermontane basin of the Himalayan region. The results suggest that karst springs (KS) and deep groundwater (DGW) recharge are dominated by snowmelt (47% ± 10% and 46% ± 9%) as MBR from adjacent mountains, insignificantly affected by evaporation. The hydraulic head data and isotopes indicate Quaternary shallow groundwater (SGW) aquifer system recharge as MFR of local meteoric water with significant evaporation. The results indicate several flow paths in the aquifer system, a local flow for KS, intermediate flow for SGW, and regional flow for DGW. The findings will significantly impact water resource management in the area and provide vital baseline knowledge for sustainable groundwater management in other Himalayan intermontane basins.

Climate change impact on cryosphere and streamflow in the Upper Jhelum River Basin (UJRB) of north-western Himalayas.

The critical significance of keeping the current information about the extent and dynamics of the cryosphere in the Himalayas cannot be understated. The climate of the Himalayas is vulnerable and interlinked with global-scale climate changes, and the hydrology of the region mainly depends on the cryosphere. This is the first study that has created glacier and glacier lake inventory that links the impact of cryosphere on streamflow to land system dynamic changes under the changing climate of the Upper Jhelum River Basin (UJRB) of the Kashmir Himalayan region. This study uses a series of satellite data (1980-2016) to assess the depletion of snow cover area (SCA), deglaciation, and dynamics of glacial lakes. Moreover, observational long-term hydrometeorological data were used to understand the variability in temperature, precipitation, and track changes of land system dynamics under depletion of streamflow. The results suggested an overall rise in temperature (TMax = 0.05 ºC a-1; TMin = 0.02 ºC a-1; Tavg = 0.06 ºC a-1) and a decrease in precipitation (2.9 mm a-1) between 1980 and 2016 with a significant increase in annual average temperature and decrease in annual precipitation at stations located at higher altitudes. The SCA showed a significantly decreasing (p < 0.01) trend in the glacierized sub-basins with an annual rate of decrease of -0.78% a-1, -0.15% a-1, -0.03% a-1 -0.90% a-1 for Lidder, Sindh, Vishow, and Rambiara sub-basins, respectively. The findings of this study reveal the high occurrence of glacier disintegration and deglaciation. During the period 2010-2016, a rapid rate of deglaciation was observed (18.34 ± 0.14 km2), followed by 1992-2000 (15.61 ± 0.13 km2). The average rate of retreat was observed to be 6.81 ± 1.5 m a-1 with a total retreat of 267 ± 80 m during 1980-2016, which is higher than reported from surrounding mountain ranges in the Himalayas. The mapped 244 glacial and high-altitude lake inventory covers a total surface area of around 15 km2, with 5.87 km2 (40%) covered by 25 bedrock-dammed lakes. The glacial expansion and creation of new lakes are observed to be because of increasing glacier and snow melting between 1980 and 2016, which increases the risk of GLOF events in the future. The annual average discharge in UJRB significantly increased from 1991 to 1998 and was observed to be higher than the annual average of the respected gauge stations but shows significant depletion from 1998 onwards. The streamflow depletion under climate change is one of the reasons for land system dynamics in UJRB. The area under agriculture has decreased up to 63% with a massive expansion of built-up (399%), aquatic vegetation (523%), and plantation (765%) between 1992 and 2015.

The gut metabolite, trimethylamine N-oxide inhibits protein folding by affecting cis-trans isomerization and induces cell cycle arrest.

Trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO) is an important metabolite, which is derived from choline, betaine, and carnitine in various organisms. In humans, it is synthesized through gut microbiota and is abundantly found in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Although TMAO is a stress protectant especially in urea-rich organisms, it is an atherogenic agent in humans and is associated with various diseases. Studies have also unveiled its exceptional role in protein folding and restoration of mutant protein functions. However, most of these data were obtained from studies carried on fast-folding proteins. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of TMAO on the folding behavior of a well-characterized protein with slow folding kinetics, carbonic anhydrase (CA). We discovered that TMAO inhibits the folding of this protein via its effect on proline cis-trans isomerization. Furthermore, TMAO is capable of inducing cell cycle arrest. This study highlights the potential role of TMAO in developing proteopathies and associated diseases.

Aquatic geochemistry of a major freshwater lake in the Kashmir Himalaya: solute acquisition and denudation process in the lacustrine system.

Lakes, the main entities of lacustrine environments, are a rich archive of environmental and geogenic changes in terms of compositional variation of water and sediment. Water and sediment samples (N = 173) were collected during 2013-2014 from the Wular Lake, one of the important fresh lakes within the Indian landmass. The study provides insights on the solutes acquisition mechanism and provenance of ionic constituents within the lake water and the sediments. Besides, the impact of catchment attributes on the lake system was in addition assessed. The hydrochemical results suggest that the chemical weathering of silicate and carbonates within the catchment shapes the lake water chemistry and characterizes the facies pattern into a hybrid type. The geochemical results of the lake sediments demonstrate that the improved abrasion rates and ensuant settling of detritus into the lake are closely linked with the prominent physical weathering over chemical weathering. The new finding of the present study is that sediments represent an unweathered basalt compositional trend, plausible provenance from mafic rocks, experiencing low to moderate degree of chemical weathering. The study found that increased encroachment within the lake catchment due to continued anthropogenic forcing is the primary source contributing the organic matter (OM) as well as the higher levels of Cl, NO3, SO4, and P to the lake. These findings corroborate with the land use-land cover changes (from the last 50 years) within the lake catchment in significantly deteriorating the lake system. The study recommends that the ongoing conversion of lake peripheral areas into urban settlement and agro-horticulture land by filling activities should be restricted.

Morphological, Biochemical, and Proteomic Studies Revealed Impact of Fe and P Crosstalk on Root Development in Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Mineral stress is one of the major abiotic stresses faced by crop plants. The present study was undertaken to investigate the impact of mineral stress (iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P)) on various morphological and biochemical responses of the shoot and root tissues and root architecture of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). This study also leads us to the identification of P stress responsive proteins. The study was conducted under in vitro conditions, in which seeds of Shalimar French Bean-1 (SFB-1) variety were cultured on four different MGRL medium (control (P1Fe1), iron deficient (P1Fe0), phosphorus deficient (P0Fe1), and phosphorus and iron deficient (P0Fe0)). Chlorophyll content of leaves, Fe/P content of root tissues, total sugars, proline, length, and weight of shoot and root tissues were assessed and compared within and between the treatments. The analyzed data revealed significant difference between control and other three treatments. Chlorophyll content of shoots was found significantly decreased under mineral stress treatments P0Fe1, P1Fe0, and P0Fe0 than control. Length and weight of shoot and root were also observed significantly decreased under P0Fe1, P1Fe0, and P0Fe0 as compared to control. Total sugar was significantly higher in P0Fe1 of roots in comparison to control. Proline content was significantly higher in both tissues of shoots and roots of plants grown under P1Fe0, P0Fe1, and P0Fe0 than control condition. Furthermore, we unexpectedly observed the recovery of roots (mainly primary roots) under P0Fe0 as compared to P1Fe0 and P0Fe1. Interestingly higher concentration of Fe was also observed in P0Fe1 compared to other treatments and also higher concentration of P was observed in P1Fe1. These findings suggested that there is a crosstalk between Fe and P and also revealed that there is a disruption in the ability of PR (primary root) to sense local P deficiency in the absence of Fe. Furthermore, proteomics analysis (SDS-PAGE followed by MALDI MS) helped in identification of defensive proteins in P stress condition compared to control.