Search

The present study is an endeavour to document the pattern of comparative advantage and structural changes of Indian exports with Africa with the help of revealed comparative advantage index and the constant market share model for the period 1980–2021. The results indicate that India possesses a comparative advantage in a large number of export products to markets in Africa. However, most of these exports belong to the category of low-tech and resource-based goods. Considering its abundant labour, it is to be expected for India to have a comparative advantage in these low-skilled and labour-intensive traditional exports. The commodities with maximum advantage in the African market are medicinal and pharmaceutical products followed by sugar, sugar preparations, and honey. In the category of technology-intensive products, India has strengthened its market power only in the export of organic chemicals and dyes, and colouring materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes play a pivotal role in the biosynthesis of oxylipins. The phyto-oxilipins have been implicated in diverse aspects of plant biology, from regulating plant growth and development to providing tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses. C. sativa is renowned for its bioactive secondary metabolites, namely cannabinoids. LOX route is assumed to be involved in the biosynthesis of hexanoic acid, which is one of the precursors of cannabinoids of C. sativa. For obvious reasons, the LOX gene family deserves thorough investigation in the C. sativa. Genome-wide analysis revealed the presence of 21 LOX genes in C. sativa , which can be further grouped into 13-LOX and 9-LOX depending upon their phylogeny as well as the enzyme activity. The promoter regions of the CsLOX genes were predicted to contain cis -acting elements involved in phytohormones responsiveness and stress response. The qRT-PCR-based expression analysis of 21 LOX genes revealed their differential expression in different plant parts (root, stem, young leaf, mature leaf, sugar leaf, and female flower). The majority of CsLOX genes displayed preferential expression in the female flower, which is the primary site for the biosynthesis of cannabinoids. The highest LOX activity and expression level of a jasmonate marker gene were reported in the female flowers among all the plant parts. Several CsLOX genes were found to be upregulated by MeJA treatment. Based on the transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana and the development of stable Nicotiana tabacum transgenic lines, we demonstrate that CsLOX13 encodes functional lipoxygenase and play an important role in the biosynthesis of oxylipins. • C. sativa genome encodes 21 Lipoxygenase (CsLOX) genes, displaying differential expression in different plant parts. • Female flowers display the highest LOX enzyme activity and the expression level of jasmonate marker gene among different plant parts of C. sativa. • CsLOX gene promoters contain cis-acting elements involved in stress and phytohormone responses. • Several CsLOX genes are responsive to the methyl jasmonate treatment (MJ). • CsLOX13 encodes a functional lipoxygenase that plays an important role in the biosynthesis of jasmonates and possibly in hexanoic acid pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) behave as signaling molecules and induce biosynthesis of many secondary metabolites, including apocarotenoids, which play critical roles in stress tolerance through radical scavenging. However, the mechanism that regulates ROS responsive apocarotenoid metabolism and subsequent stress response is unknown. In this study, an R2R3‐MYB transcription factor (CstMYB14) was identified from Crocus sativus L., which acts as a regulator of apocarotenoid biosynthesis. CstMYB14 expression increases in response to H2O2 in a concentration and time‐dependent manner. CstMYB14 localizes to the nucleus and acts as a transcriptional activator. Over‐expression of CstMYB14 in Crocus stigmas enhanced apocarotenoid biosynthesis. Yeast‐one‐hybrid demonstrated binding of CstMYB14 to promoters of two apocarotenoid pathway genes (phytoene synthase and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 2). Nicotiana benthamiana plants overexpressing CstMYB14 showed better growth and higher stress tolerance than wild type plants. Higher antioxidant activity in CstMYB14‐Ox plants indicated that stress tolerance might be due to ROS scavenging. These results establish a molecular link between ROS signaling, apocarotenoid metabolism and stress tolerance. Further, CstMYB14 is shown to act as a key regulator which modulates ROS responsive biosynthesis of apocarotenoids which in turn impart stress tolerance through ROS scavenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabis sativa L. is an economically important plant which is renowned for its wide range of uses. Anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids, impart pigmentation to the plant parts and play important roles in plant environment interactions. However, to the best of our knowledge, the molecular basis of anthocyanin biosynthesis in C. sativa remains elusive. Since MYB family of transcription factors plays a vital role in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis, herein, we identified 99 R2R3-MYB genes in the C. sativa genome. Based on the phylogeny as well as the expression profiling of genes in two accessions of C. sativa differing in the content of anthocyanin pigmentation in sugar leaves, two putative regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis, named as CsMYB33 and CsMYB78 were identified. Transient overexpression of CsMYB33 and CsMYB78 activate anthocyanin biosynthesis in the leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. As compared to CsMYB78, CsMYB33 was found to be stronger in terms of activation of anthocyanin biosynthesis. Constitutive expression of CsMYB33 also resulted in the enhanced anthocyanin pigmentation in the leaves and sepals of transgenic lines of Nicotiana tabacum. Taken together, the present study provides valuable insights into the regulatory genes of anthocyanin biosynthesis in C. sativa , which will be useful for its biotechnological improvement. • A total of 99 R2R3-MYB family of transcription factor genes were identified in Cannabis sa tiva L. genome. • The phylogeny, gene structure and gene expression analyses revealed putative function of some of the R2R3-CsMYB genes. • CsMYB33 and CsMYB78 are the two key transcriptional activators of anthocyanin biosynthesis in C. sativa. • In comparison of CsMYB78, CsMYB33 was found to be more effective in activation of anthocyanin biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the high economic value of the monoterpene-rich essential oils from different genotypes of Cymbopogon , the knowledge about the genes and metabolic route(s) involved in the biosynthesis of aromatic monoterpenes in this genus is limited. In the present study, a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of four genotypes of Cymbopogon , displaying diverse quantitative and qualitative profiles of volatile monoterpenes in their essential oils has been carried out. The comparative analysis of the deduced protein sequences corresponding to the transcriptomes of the four genotypes revealed 4609 genotype-specific orthogroups, which might contribute in defining genotype-specific phenotypes. The transcriptome data mining led to the identification of unigenes involved in the isoprenogenesis. The homology searches, combined with the phylogenetic and expression analyses provided information about candidate genes concerning the biosynthesis of monoterpene aldehyde, monoterpene alcohol, and monoterpene esters. In addition, the present study suggests a potential role of geranial reductase like enzyme in the biosynthesis of monoterpene aldehyde in Cymbopogon spp. The detailed analysis of the candidate pathway genes suggested that multiple enzymatic routes might be involved in the biosynthesis of aromatic monoterpenes in the genus Cymbopogon. The present study provides deeper insights into the biosynthesis of monoterpenes, which will be useful for the genetic improvement of these aromatic grasses. • Transcriptome assemblies of four genotypes of Cymbopogon have been developed. • Genotypes-specific orthogroups have been identified in the four genotypes. • Multiple routes might be involved in the aromatic monoterpene biosynthesis. • Geranial reductase is a candidate gene associated with aromatic monoterpene biosynthesis. • SSR markers have been identified for the four genotypes of Cymbopogon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]