We have utilized an efficient method to enrich cDNA libraries for novel genes and genes responsive to drought stress in rice (Oryza sativa L. subsp. indica). We separately constructed standard and normalized cDNA libraries from leaf tissue of rice seedlings grown under controlled drought stress. Sequencing from the 3' end was performed on 1000 clones from the normalized leaf cDNA library and 200 clones from the standard leaf cDNA library. For the first 200 clones, the clone redundancy in the non-normalized library was about 10%, compared with 3.5% in the normalized cDNA library. Comparison of these cDNAs with the sequences in public databases revealed that 28.2% of the expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from the normalized library were novel. Clones from the standard and normalized leaf libraries and a root library uncovered numerous cDNAs that are highly homologous to known drought-responsive genes including those that encode metallothioneins, late embroyonic abundant (LEA) proteins, heat-shock proteins, cytochrome P450 enzymes, catalases, peroxidases, kinases, phosphatases, and transcription factors.

Peanut is an important oilseed and food legume cultivated as a rain-fed crop in semi-arid tropics. Drought and high salinity are the major abiotic stresses limiting the peanut productivity in this region. Development of drought and salt tolerant peanut varieties with improved yield potential using biotechnological approach is highly desirable to improve the peanut productivity in marginal geographies. As abiotic stress tolerance and yield represent complex traits, engineering of regulatory genes to produce abiotic stress-resilient transgenic crops appears to be a viable approach. In the present study, we developed transgenic peanut plants expressing an Arabidopsis homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factor (AtHDG11) under stress inducible rd29A promoter. A stress-inducible expression of AtHDG11 in three independent homozygous transgenic peanut lines resulted in improved drought and salt tolerance through up-regulation of known stress responsive genes (LEA, HSP70, Cu/Zn SOD, APX, P5CS, NCED1, RRS5, ERF1, NAC4, MIPS, Aquaporin, TIP, ELIP) in the stress gene network, antioxidative enzymes, free proline along with improved water use efficiency traits such as longer root system, reduced stomatal density, higher chlorophyll content, increased specific leaf area, improved photosynthetic rates, and increased intrinsic instantaneous WUE. Transgenic peanut plants displayed high yield compared to non-transgenic plants under both drought and salt stress conditions. Holistically, our study demonstrates the potentiality of stress-induced expression of AtHDG11 to improve the drought, salt tolerance in peanut.

No abstract

CREB3L4 is a member of the CREB/ATF transcription factor family, characterized by their regulation of gene expression through the cAMP-responsive element. Previous studies identified this protein in mice and humans. Whereas CREB3L4 in mice (referred to as Tisp40) is found in the testes and functions in spermatogenesis, human CREB3L4 is primarily detected in the prostate and has been implicated in cancer. We conducted computational analyses to compare the structural homology between murine Tisp40α human CREB3L4. Our results reveal that the primary and secondary structures of the two proteins contain high similarity. Additionally, predicted helical transmembrane structure reveals that the proteins likely have similar structure and function. This study offers preliminary findings that support the translation of mouse Tisp40α findings into human models, based on structural homology.

Primary tumor cells often spread to other organs by metastasis. Despite of it, primary tumor cells break their surrounding extra cellular matrix (ECM) proteins and reach the destination organ by the process of intravasation and extravasation. Metastasized tumor cells induce the process of angiogenesis, this highly regulated process involves several ECM proteins. However, integrins are primarily involved in the blood vessel growth and repair. Therefore, integrins are promising angiogenesis targets. Integrins are receptors on cell surface, involved in signal transduction and attachments in extra cellular matrix (ECM). IntegrinαVβ3 and αVβ5 are implicated in tumor angiogenesis, metastasis, inflammation and bone resorption. The crystal structure of integrinαvβ5 is not available in protein structural databases, therefore; molecular model of integrinβ5 structure was prepared and stereo chemical model quality was checked. Integrin β5 active sites were identified based on insilico analysis tools. Further, molecular level interactions between integrinβ5 and ECM proteins were predicted. In the present study ECM proteins such as focal adhesion kinase 1 (FAK1), annexin A5 and P21 activated kinase 4 (PAK4) were considered for protein-protein docking, to understand inter molecular interactions. The predicted model is conceived to be stereo chemically good and can be used for molecular interaction studies of angiogenic inhibitors.