Payyannur College is a government aided college located at Edat village in Payyannur, Kerala, India, which is affiliated to Kannur University under Payyanur Educational Society.
Fimbristylis prasadii, a new species of Cyperaceae is described from the Bhatkal Lateritic Plateau in Karnataka, India. It morphologically resembles F. pauciflora R.Br., but can be recognised by the well-developed ligulate leaves, membranous or subchartaceous glumes with 1-nerved keel, occurrence of 3 stamens, triquetrous nutlet with its prominent angles almost winged towards apex and subtruncate with a shallow depression at apex. Also, the epidermal cells on nutlet surface are transversely linear-oblong. A detailed description, distribution, phenology, images of the plant and its floral parts, and a comparison with related species are provided.
Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR) are the defense strategies that protect plants from a broad range of pathogens. Due to the ever-evolving and dynamic microbial diversity, the SAR/ISR genes are gifted with a competent regulatory mechanism. Promoters are one of the niche regulating areas of gene expression, which harbour numerous cis regulatory elements. While there are many reports on whole genome profiling of these regulatory features, studies focussing on the defense genes alone are few. Deeper analyses of a subset of genome provides less diluted and sharper perspective. Hence, in silico profiles of putative binding sites of 31 transcription factor families (TFFs), 17 pathogenesis-related transcription factors (PRTFs), and microRNAs were compared in 162 Arabidopsis thaliana SAR/ISR gene promoters. This study revealed new insights into defense gene regulation. The AT-Hook motif, and putative binding sites for NAC and MYB TFFs and TGA1a PRTFs had the highest frequencies. Previous studies on involvement of AT-Hook motif and TGA1a in A. thaliana defense are few. Potential multi gene-targeting role of certain microRNAs, such as MIR2934, is suggested. The possibility of certain microRNAs previously known for post-transcription regulation, to be involved in transcription regulation is proposed. Though there are reports on plant transcriptomes under various biotic stresses, the reason for temporal expression pattern similarity of certain genes under multiple stresses is unclear. To understand this phenomenon, the regulatory profiles of defense genes under nine biotic stresses fetched from EFP browser were analysed. Similarly expressing gene pairs did not necessarily have the same regulatory features, indicating a stochastic correlation of temporal expression patterns and PRTFs/microRNAs putative binding sites/DNA and histone methylation sites. A vague similarity in the histone modification patterns was observed in their promoters. The findings highlighted in this study could be harnessed for molecular fine tuning of genomic pathways to mitigate broad range biotic stresses.
The present study investigates the development of natural rubber nanocomposites reinforced with calcium oxide nanoparticles and cured using pentane-1,5-diylidenediamine, a green crosslinker derived from glutaraldehyde and ammonia. calcium oxide nanoparticles (0.02–0.16 wt
A new species of Arundinella is described from the state of Kerala in India. It resembles A. metzii Hochst. ex Miq. in having an effuse panicle and awned spikelets but differs from the latter due to its perennial habit, the presence of ovoid silky basal buds and stolons, its pilose culm internode, its broad leaf blade, culms that are pilose below the panicles, short pedicels of spikelets, and its scaberulous upper lemma with a short awn.
Within the context of the floristic study of tuberous plants of south Western Ghats, a new species, Chlorophytum vanapushpam is described. This species resembles C. glaucoides Blatter (1931: 361) but differs in many other characters, viz., cylindrical fusiform spongy roots, sessile broad leaves, long scape, ovate bracteoles with acute apex, 5-nerved outer perianth segments and 3-5-nerved inner perianth segments, anthers are slightly shorter than its filaments and seeds are large, 3-4 in each cells. The taxonomic description, morphological differences to allied taxa, key to the Indian Chlorophytum and colour photographs of the new species are provided to facilitate its easy identification in the field.
