Zinc (Zn) biofortification of rice can address Zn malnutrition in Asia. Identification and introgression of QTLs for grain Zn content and yield (YLD) can improve the efficiency of rice Zn biofortification. In four rice populations we detected 56 QTLs for seven traits by inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM), and 16 QTLs for two traits (YLD and Zn) by association mapping. The phenotypic variance (PV) varied from 4.5

In the present investigation, phenotypic evaluation of blast disease reaction was conducted at Ponnampet and Mandya districts of Karnataka, India, which indicated that the rice varieties such as IR64, Jaya, KMP153, IR30864, Mandya Sona-1, Mandya Sona-2, KCP-1, Dodda Byra, and Malgudi Sanna were susceptible to both leaf and neck blasts. Further, the rice varieties that were resistant to leaf blast such as KMP200, DHMAS70Q164-1b, Karibatta, Coimbatore Sanna and others showed susceptible reaction to neck blast only. In contrast, the varieties such as JyothixBR2655, Punkutt Kodi, Sirsi, 222 and Gangadale which were resistant to neck blast were found to be susceptible to leaf blast also. Only one variety, BR2655 showed resistance to both leaf and neck blast diseases. The genotypic studies using simple sequence repeat markers showed that the analysis of the distribution of resistance genes and genotyping of the selected rice varieties, and traditional rice varieties from different ecological regions with allele specific markers helped to identify 20 major blast resistance genes. The individual gene frequencies of the 20 major rice blast resistance genes varied from 10.34 to 100%. Less and more frequency of resistance gene distribution occurred in Pi9 and Pizt gene, respectively. The result of this study would help to create strategies for improving rice blast resistance through genetic studies and plant‒pathogen interaction.

Rice is one of the important food crops and provides an essential part of the daily dietary intake for nearly half of the world’s population (Maclean et al., 2002). However, rice production worldwide is affected by various biotic and abiotic stresses (Richa et al., 2016). Among biotic stresses, diseases are considered as major constraints for rice production as 10 to 30 per cent of the annual rice harvest is lost due to infection by many diseases. (Skamnioti and Gurr, 2009). Of different diseases, the most common and severe diseases in rice are blast and sheath blight (Wopereis et al., 2009). Rice sheath blight disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani has led to large scale yield losses, especially in U.S.A, Japan, China, and India, where intensive agricultural practices are being followed (Gautam et al., 2003). While, under favourable environmental conditions, sheath blight fungus can reduce yield by up to 50 % (Richa et al., 2016).

Rice is the staple food for more than half of the world’s population. Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae (Anamorph = Pyricularia grisea) with high pathogen plasticity and mutation rate considered as most damaging disease in rice. Blast resistance, tended to be unreliable, with resistance often failing, or broken down, under field conditions, therefore there is always continuous search for resistant donors/lines. TRVs are considered to be source of resistance for many biotic and abiotic stresses. So in present study 30 TRVs along with resistant (Tetep) and susceptible check (HR 12) were screened for blast resistance by artificial inoculation in Uniform Blast Nursery (UBN) and screening was done by following 0-9 Standard Evaluation Scale (SES) for leaf blast. None of the TRVs shown to be highly resistant and resistant, but two TRVs viz. Baigan Munji and Adri Batta were shown moderately resistant and Tetep shown resistant reaction against blast.

Salmonella enterica is a facultative intracellular pathogen that survives and proliferates in the Salmonella-containing vacuole (SCV), yet how these vacuolar bacteria acquire nutrition remains to be determined. Intracellular Salmonella convert the host endosomal system into an extensive network of interconnected tubular vesicles, of which Salmonella-induced filaments (SIFs) are the most prominent. We found that membranes and lumen of SIFs and SCVs form a continuum, giving vacuolar Salmonella access to various types of endocytosed material. Membrane proteins and luminal content rapidly diffuse between SIFs and SCVs. Salmonella in SCVs without connection to SIFs have reduced access to endocytosed components. On a single-cell level, Salmonella within the SCV-SIF continuum were found to exhibit higher metabolic activity than vacuolar bacteria lacking SIFs. Our data demonstrate that formation of the SCV-SIF continuum allows Salmonella to bypass nutritional restriction in the intracellular environment by acquiring nutrients from the host cell endosomal system.

Relationship between stock market performance and macroeconomic variables has intrigued and is of pertinent importance to policy makers, regulators, academicians, researchers and investment community. This paper presents a comprehensive theoretical framework underpinning this relationship and also provides an extensive critical analysis of existing literature on the subject. Theory suggests that stock market performance has positive relationship with GDP, Money Supply, Industrial Production, Foreign Exchange Reserves, Balance of Trade, Net FPI and FDI Inflows. It is negatively related with Inflation, Interest Rate, Gold Price and Oil Prices. Relationship of stock market with exchange rate and fiscal deficit is not clear. Critical examination of literature on various bases suggests that while this relationship is clearly established for developed markets, there is no unanimity for this relationship regarding emerging markets. Also, while some prominent macroeconomic variables which affect stock market performance can be identified, an exhaustive list of macroeconomic variables cannot be drawn. There has been a shift in econometric methods applied from basic tools to more advanced second generation financial econometric techniques Future researches should focus on examining this relationship for emerging markets, consider a comprehensive set of macroeconomic and stock market performance variables, take a fairly long study period, apply modern financial econometric techniques, explore this relation at sectoral level and incorporate impact of recent global financial crisis in their study.

In a one of its kind study on the subject, weak form efficient market hypothesis (EMH) and Samuelson’s dictum has been analyzed for seven major developed (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, UK and USA) and developing markets (Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa) by means of panel and individual time series. Our study period ranged from April 2003 to December 2014 which was further subdivided into a Pre-crisis period (April 2003 to July 2007) and a Post crisis period (August 2007 to December 2014). The analysis was carried out using Unit root tests (ADF, PP and KPSS); Lo-MacKinlay and Wright’s (2000) Variance ratio tests based on Ranks and Sign. Various Unit Root Tests (Im, Pesaran & Shin; Levin, Lin & Chu; PP-Fisher and ADF-Fisher) were also applied on panel data. The results reveal that all markets under study individually exhibited weak form efficiency across the total, pre-crisis and post-crisis periods. No major impact of global financial crisis was found on efficiency of these stock markets individually. Similar results were obtained from panel data analysis, with the exception that panel of all countries and developing countries showed inefficiency for the total study period. These findings have significant implications for policy makers, regulators, investors, academicians and researchers. Market reforms of policy makers and market regulators have resulted in these markets remaining efficient even while withstanding the tsunami of global financial crisis. Investors, mutual fund and portfolio managers have a lesson to learn that developed and even developing markets have matured as a massive global financial crisis also could not provide them any major exploitable arbitrage opportunities which they could use to consistently beat the market. Inefficiency of panel of all countries and developing countries in the total period proves that Samuelson’s Dictum of macro-inefficiency in presence of microefficiency largely holds true in present context.

Financial Literacy means knowledge of basic economic and financial concepts, as well as the ability to use that knowledge and other financial skills to manage financial resources effectively for a lifetime of financial comfort. In this paper, an attempt is made to examine the burning issue of “financial literacy among investors,” from multiple perspectives. Accordingly the existing literature on the subject has been reviewed and critically analyzed on various bases i.e., definitions developed, importance elucidated, determinants identified, demographics studied, impact of financial education and various geographical locations covered. To conclude, it can be said that the eminent area of financial literacy holds many unexplored dimensions which researchers can take up in future.u0000

During the intracellular life of Salmonella enterica, a unique membrane-bound compartment termed Salmonella-containing vacuole, or SCV, is formed. By means of translocated effector proteins, intracellular Salmonella also induce the formation of extensive, highly dynamic membrane tubules termed Salmonella-induced filaments or SIF. Here we report the first detailed ultrastructural analyses of the SCV and SIF by electron microscopy (EM), EM tomography and live cell correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM). We found that a subset of SIF is composed of double membranes that enclose portions of host cell cytosol and cytoskeletal filaments within its inner lumen. Despite some morphological similarities, we found that the formation of SIF double membranes is independent from autophagy and requires the function of the effector proteins SseF and SseG. The lumen of SIF network is accessible to various types of endocytosed material and our CLEM analysis of double membrane SIF demonstrated that fluid phase markers accumulate only between the inner and outer membrane of these structures, a space continual with endosomal lumen. Our work reveals how manipulation of the endosomal membrane system by an intracellular pathogen results in a unique tubular membrane compartmentalization of the host cell, generating a shielded niche permissive for intracellular proliferation of Salmonella.

Intracellular Salmonella enterica induce a massive remodeling of the endosomal system in infected host cells. One dramatic consequence of this interference is the induction of various extensive tubular aggregations of membrane vesicles, and tubules positive for late endosomal/lysosomal markers are referred to as Salmonella-induced filaments or SIF. SIF are highly dynamic in nature with extension and collapse velocities of 0.4–0.5 µm x sec−1. The induction of SIF depends on the function of the Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 2 (SPI2) encoded type III secretion system (T3SS) and a subset of effector proteins. In this study, we applied live cell imaging and electron microscopy to analyze the role of individual effector proteins in SIF morphology and dynamic properties of SIF. SIF in cells infected with sifB, sseJ, sseK1, sseK2, sseI, sseL, sspH1, sspH2, slrP, steC, gogB or pipB mutant strains showed a morphology and dynamics comparable to SIF induced by WT Salmonella. SIF were absent in cells infected with the sifA-deficient strain and live cell analyses allowed tracking of the loss of the SCV membrane of intracellular sifA Salmonella. In contrast to analyses in fixed cells, in living host cells SIF induced by sseF- or sseG-deficient strains were not discontinuous, but rather continuous and thinner in diameter. A very dramatic phenotype was observed for the pipB2-deficient strain that induced very bulky, non-dynamic aggregations of membrane vesicles. Our study underlines the requirement of the study of Salmonella-host interaction in living systems and reveals new phenotypes due to the intracellular activities of Salmonella.

During intracellular life, the bacterial pathogen Salmonella enterica translocates a complex cocktail of effector proteins by means of the SPI2-encoded type III secretions system. The effectors jointly modify the endosomal system and vesicular transport in host cells. SseF and SseG are two effectors encoded by genes within Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 2 and both effector associate with endosomal membranes and microtubules and are involved in the formation of Salmonella-induced filaments. Our previous deletional analyses identified protein domains of SseF required for the effector function. Here we present a detailed mutational analysis that identifies a short hydrophobic motif as functionally essential. We demonstrate that SseF and SseG are still functional if translocated as a single fusion protein, but also mediate effector function if translocated in cells co-infected with sseF and sseG strains. SseF has characteristics of an integral membrane protein after translocation into host cells.

Salmonella enterica is a frequent gastrointestinal pathogen with ability to cause diseases ranging from local gastrointestinal inflammation and diarrhea to life-threatening typhoid fever. Salmonella is an invasive, facultative intracellular pathogen that infects various cell types of the host and can survive and proliferate in different populations of immune cells. During pathogenesis, Salmonella is confronted with various lines of immune defense. To successfully colonize host organisms, the pathogen deploys a set of sophisticated mechanisms of immune evasion and direct manipulation of immune cell functions. In addition to resistance against innate immune mechanisms, including the ability to avoid killing by macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs), Salmonella interferes with antigen presentation by DCs and the formation of an efficient adaptive immune response. In this review, we describe the current understanding of Salmonella virulence factors during intracellular life and focus on the recent advances in the understanding of interference of intracellular Salmonella with cellular functions of immune cells.

ABSTRACTStaphylococcus aureusis a major cause of a variety of both local and systemic infections. It can invade human host cells, a process that may account for disseminated and recurrent infections.S. aureuspostinvasion events in nonprofessional phagocytes are only partially understood. While morphological data suggest a phagosomal escape, there is a lack of corroborating functional data. Using a combination of pH determination and morphological techniques, we have tested the integrity ofStaphylococcus-containing phagosomes in 293 (HEK-293), HeLa, and EA.hy926 cells over time. Rapid acidification ofS. aureus-containing phagosomes occurred and was sustained for up to 24 h. AllS. aureusstrains tested displayed equally sustained intraphagosomal pH levels without exhibiting any correlation with pH level and hemolytic activity. The membrane morphology of the phagosomal compartment was heterogeneous, even under conditions where acidic pH was fully maintained, an observation incompatible with phagolysosomal membrane destruction. As an exception,S. aureusstrain 6850 showed a reduced phagosomal acidification signal 6 h after invasion. Additionally, only strain 6850 failed to localize to LAMP-1-positive vesicles in HeLa cells, although this was observed only rarely. Several other strongly beta-hemolytic strains did not modulate phagolysosomal pH, suggesting thatS. aureusα-toxin and β-toxin are not sufficient for this process. Taken together, our data suggest thatS. aureus-containing phagolysosomes generally remain functionally intact in nonprofessional phagocytes, thereby contrasting with transmission electron micrographic results.