Advances in somatic embryogenesis using apical shoot buds of mature conifers have brought mass clonal propagation of the top commercial trees closer to reality, and efficient gene transfer systems have been developed for a number of conifers. Embryogenic tissue derived from the cloning of mature pines serves as the best starting material for genetic transformation studies in conifers. The first transgenic trees were produced in an Indian pine P roxbwghri following biolistic gene transfer using embryogenic tissue of mature tees, followedby the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation ofembryogenic tissue ofmature Himalayan blue pine (P wallichiana).This is the major breakthrough in forestbiotechnoloryandmighthelp insolving the currentproblems oftransformationofrecalcitiant pines and has many potential applications in commercial forestry. In another development, the homeobox tanscription factor W"USCHEL (WUS) has been shown to cause dedifferentiation when expressed on somatic cells derived from apical meristematic tissue followed by a production of new cells that can lead to somatic embryogenesis in P roxburyhii has many practical applications in commercial forestry. Therefore, there is a possibility of utilizing this WTIS gene in dfis sl6ning of mature conifers.
Present study conducted to evaluate the antibacterial activity of crude ethanolic extracts of seven edible and medicinal plants against Bac itlus subtitis. Among tested plants , Tinospora cordfolia (TC) and Syzygium aromaticum showed antibacterial activity. The MICs of these plants were found to be l2.iPg and 25pg disc-r, respectively by disc diffirsion method. While, MICs from broth dilution methods were found to be 1.5 mg ml-r, and2.5 mg ml-r, respectively. TheMIC values reveled TC has more antibacterial potential than.S. qromaticum. Antibacterial activity of TC was further evaluated against different microbes like Staphytococcus aureaus, Escherichia ioli, pseudomonos aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas desmolyticum, Proteus vulgaris and yellow cells. DiffereJ crude solvent extracts of TC (Hexane, Dichloromethane, Acetone and Methanol) were screened for their antibacterial activity. In which acetone extract exhibited highest inhibitory activity for all tested microorganisms. The TLC of acetone extract of TC showed four different spots among which only 4ft spot (Rr:0. 14) from solvent front showed promising antibacterial activity.
