Anthropogenic activities and geographic locations regulate microbial diversity, community assembly and species sorting in Canadian and Indian freshwater lakes.

Freshwater lakes are important reservoirs and sources of drinking water globally. However, the microbiota, which supports the functionality of these ecosystems is threatened by the influx of nutrients, heavy metals and other toxic chemical substances from anthropogenic activities. The influence of these factors on the diversity, assembly mechanisms and co-occurrence patterns of bacterial communities in freshwater lakes is not clearly understood. Hence, samples were collected from six different impacted lakes in Canada and India and examined by 454-pyrosequencing technology. The trophic status of these lakes was determined using specific chemical parameters. Our results revealed that bacterial diversity and community composition was altered by both the lake water chemistry and geographic distance. Anthropogenic activities pervasively influenced species distribution. Dispersal limitation (32.3%), homogenous selection (31.8%) and drift (20%) accounted for the largest proportions of the bacterial community assembly mechanisms. Homogenous selection increased in lakes with higher nutrient concentration, while stochasticity reduced. Community functional profiles revealed that deterministic processes dominated the assembly mechanisms of phylotypes with higher potential for biodegradation, while stochasticity dominated the assembly of phylotypes with potential for antimicrobial resistance. Bacteroidota (44%) and Proteobacteria (34%) were the most abundant phyla. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that complexity increased in more impacted lakes, while competition and the nature of anthropogenic activity contributed to species sorting. Overall, this study demonstrates that bacterial community changes in freshwater lakes are linked to anthropogenic activities, with corresponding consequences on the distribution of phylotypes of environmental and human health interest.

Saffron: A potential drug-supplement for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (COVID) management.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), came as a significant health care challenge for humans in 2019-20. Based on recent laboratory and epidemiological studies, a growing list of mutations in the virus has the potential to enhance its transmission or help it evade the immune response. To further compound the problems, there are considerable challenges to the availability of effective, affordable, safe vaccines on a mass scale. These impediments have led some to explore additional options available in traditional medicines, especially immune-boosting natural products. Saffron has been used for centuries to treat fever, bronchitis, cold and other immune, respiratory disorders. Herein, we discuss the potential role of saffron during and after COVID-19 infection, focusing on immunomodulation, respiratory, renal, and cardiovascular functions. As a nutraceutical or drug supplement, it can alleviate the magnitude of COVID-19 symptoms in patients. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other medicinal properties attributed to saffron bioactive compounds can help in both pre-and post-infection management strategies. The abnormalities associated with COVID-19 survivors include anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Saffron can help manage these post-hospitalization abnormalities (sub-acute and chronic) too, owing to its anti-depressant property. It can help common people boost immunity and manage depression, stress and anxiety caused due to prolonged lockdown, isolation or quarantine.

Next Generation High Throughput Sequencing to Assess Microbial Communities: An Application Based on Water Quality.

Traditional techniques to identify different contaminants (biological or chemical) in the waters are slow, laborious, and can require specialized expertise. Hence, the rapid determination of water quality using more sensitive and reliable metagenomic based approaches attains special importance. Metagenomics deals with the study of genetic material that is recovered from microbial communities present in environmental samples. In traditional techniques cultivation-based methodologies were used to describe the diversity of microorganisms in environmental samples. It has failed to function as a robust marker because of limited taxonomic and phylogenetic implications. In this backdrop, high-throughput DNA sequencing approaches have proven very powerful in microbial source tracking because of investigating the full variety of genome-based analysis such as microbial genetic diversity and population structure played by them. Next generation sequencing technologies can reveal a greater proportion of microbial communities that have not been reported earlier by traditional techniques. The present review highlights the shift from traditional techniques for the basic study of community composition to next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms and their potential applications to the biomonitoring of water quality in relation to human health.

Phenotypic Variability and Genetic Diversity of Phragmites australis in Quebec and Kashmir Reveal Contrasting Population Structure.

The origin of differences in traits influencing competitive success between invasive and native wild populations of alien species is subject of debate. Herbarium-based information sources from 2005 onwards about nativity and distributional range of Phragmites australis were used to survey putative native populations of the species in Quebec, and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) PCR-RFLP analyses identified only one native population, whereas the same analyses revealed that the Kashmir populations are invasive. We compared the native population of P. australis in Quebec (QN), ten populations invasive to Quebec (QE), and five populations invasive in Kashmir, India (KE) using morphometric traits. Using nine cpDNA microsatellite loci, we also compared nine KE populations, ten QE populations, and the QN population. Phenotypic variation was observed among and within populations. Only dry mass of flowers varied across regions. Characterization of morphotypes defined three distinct haplotypes. A bimodal distribution of stem diameter (SD), internode length (IL), leaf length (LL), and leaf width (LW) suggests that a major gene may control growth traits or occurrence of co-selection. High genetic differentiation was observed between populations (RST = 0.353) and haplotypes (RST = 0.133 to 0.418), indicating limited gene flow and probable local adaptation. Principal coordinates analysis and the neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree clearly distinguished the three haplotypes. Among-populations phenotypic difference (PST) was lower than overall RST for plant height, SD, and fresh and dry mass of flowers and seeds, whereas PST estimates for LL and LW exceeded among-populations RST, suggesting divergent selection, while local adaptation might have occurred in IL, LL, and flower masses. Genetic drift probably influenced among-populations IL differences.

Differential Bioaccumulation of Select Heavy Metals from Wastewater by Lemna minor.

The capacity of Lemna minor to remediate toxic heavy metals from wastewater is reasonably well documented. In view of the pivotal role of this species in the environmental clean-up, here we evaluated the bioaccumulation potential of L. minor for cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) through a controlled experiment. L. minor tolerated the metals Cd, Ni, and Pb up to 0.5, 5, and 8 mg/L, respectively, and beyond these concentrations the toxicity symptoms appeared. Bio-concentration factor varied at different concentrations of heavy metals tested. Overall, L. minor showed good phytoremediation potential for all the three tested heavy metals (Cd, Ni, and Pb), though in relative terms it was more effective in extracting Ni and Cd, as compared to Pb, both in single and mixed concentrations. In view of the growing pollution in Kashmir Himalayan aquatic habitats the phytoremediation by invasive species such as L. minor promises to be one of the best choices than other native plants for cleaning up of polluted soils/water because of its fast growth rate, high abundance, easy handling, and wide distribution in Kashmir Himalayan aquatic ecosystems.

cpDNA microsatellite markers for Lemna minor (Araceae): Phylogeographic implications.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: A lack of genetic markers impedes our understanding of the population biology of Lemna minor. Thus, the development of appropriate genetic markers for L. minor promises to be highly useful for population genetic studies and for addressing other life history questions regarding the species. • METHODS AND RESULTS: For the first time, we characterized nine polymorphic and 24 monomorphic chloroplast microsatellite markers in L. minor using DNA samples of 26 individuals sampled from five populations in Kashmir and of 17 individuals from three populations in Quebec. Initially, we designed 33 primer pairs, which were tested on genomic DNA from natural populations. Nine loci provided markers with two alleles. Based on genotyping of the chloroplast DNA fragments from 43 sampled individuals, we identified one haplotype in Quebec and 11 haplotypes in Kashmir, of which one occurs in 56% of the genotypes, one in 8%, and nine in 4%, respectively. There was a maximum of two alleles per locus. • CONCLUSIONS: These new chloroplast microsatellite markers for L. minor and haplotype distribution patterns indicate a complex phylogeographic history that merits further investigation.