Identification and evaluation of air-pollution-tolerant plants around lignite-based thermal power station for greenbelt development.

INTRODUCTION: Thermal power plants emit various gaseous and particulate pollutants into the atmosphere. It is well known that trees help to reduce air pollution. Development of a greenbelt with suitable plant species around the source of emission will mitigate the air pollution. Selection of suitable plant species for a greenbelt is very important. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Present study evaluates different plant species around Neyveli thermal power plant by calculating the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) which is based on their significant biochemical parameters. Also Anticipated Performance Index (API) was calculated for these plant species by combining APTI values with other socio-economic and biological parameters. DISCUSSION: Based on these indices, the most appropriate plant species were identified for the development of a greenbelt around the thermal power plant to mitigate air pollution. Among the 30 different plant species evaluated, Mangifere indica L. was identified as keystone species which is coming under the excellent category. CONCLUSION: Ambient air quality parameters were correlated with the biochemical characteristics of plant leaves and significant changes were observed in the plants biochemical characteristics due to the air pollution stress.

Dlxin-1, a member of MAGE family, inhibits cell proliferation, invasion and tumorigenicity of glioma stem cells.

We have previously reported the presence of Dlxin-1, a member of the melanoma antigen gene (MAGE) family, in the brain and showed its function as a cell cycle arrest protein, suggesting that Dlxin-1 may have anti-proliferative functions in rapidly growing tumors. Using the cancer stem cell hypothesis, which attributes the initiation and progression of brain tumors to the cancer-initiating stem cells, we have investigated the role of Dlxin-1 in the glioma stem cells propagated by us as a cell culture system comprising of HNGC-2 cells. Our studies provide evidence about the role of Dlxin-1 as an anti-tumorigenic protein in the highly chemo-resistant glioma stem cells. Next, we show that these anti-proliferative effects are manifested by Dlxin-1 through down regulation of the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and through interaction of Dlxin-1 with its target protein P311 that is involved in glioma cell invasion. In summary, we establish the roles for Dlxin-1, one as an anti-tumorigenic and anti-invasive protein in high-grade gliomas and the other as an inducer of differentiation of glioma stem cells. These two attributes, in conjunction, result in conversion of the drug-resistant brain tumor stem cells to the tumor-attenuated cells that may now be more amenable to effective therapeutic targeting.