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The cotton bollworm causes severe mechanical damage to plants during feeding and leaves oral secretions (OSs) at the mechanical wounds. The role these OSs play in the invasion of plants is still largely unknown. Here, a novel H. armigera effector peptidyl prolyl trans‐isomerase 5 (PPI5) was isolated and characterized. PPI5 induces the programmed cell death (PCD) due to the unfolded protein response (UPR) in tobacco leaf. We reveal that PPI5 is important for the growth and development of cotton bollworm on plants, as it renders plants more susceptible to feeding. The GhFKBP17‐2, was identified as a host target for PPI5 with peptidyl‐prolyl isomerase (PPIase) activity. CRISPR/Cas9 knock‐out cotton mutant (CR‐GhFKBP17‐1/3), VIGS (TRV: GhFKBP17‐2) and overexpression lines (OE‐GhFKBP17‐1/3) were created and the data indicate that GhFKBP17‐2 positively regulates endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress‐mediated plant immunity in response to cotton bollworm infestation. We further confirm that PPI5 represses JA and SA levels by downregulating the expression of JA‐ and SA‐associated genes, including JAZ3/9, MYC2/3, JAR4, PR4, LSD1, PAD4, ICS1 and PR1/5. Taken together, our results reveal that PPI5 reduces plant defense responses and makes plants more susceptible to cotton bollworm infection by targeting and suppressing GhFKBP17‐2 ‐mediated plant immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: Microscopy is considered as the gold standard for malaria diagnosis, however sub-microscopic infections can only be detected by Polymerase chain reaction, which demands high cost and elaborate laboratory setup. The Micro-chip PCR based Truenat Malaria Pv-Pf and Pf assay is a portable solution for detection of sub-microscopic/asymptomatic cases of malaria in the field, three lots of which were evaluated for P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria. Methods: Three lots of Truenat® Malaria Pv-Pf and Pf assay (kits) were assessed using blood samples of P. vivax and P. falciparum as well as malaria negative blood samples. DNA was extracted from the blood samples using the Trueprep Auto v2 Universal Cartridge based sample prep device and real time qPCR was performed using Truelab DUO micro PCR Analyzer with three lots of Truenat® Malaria Pv-Pf and Pf Assays. Mean, Standard deviation and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the significance of inter-lot variability in Cycle threshold values. Results: The Truenat® Malaria Pv-Pf and Pf assays identified the malaria parasites with 100% accuracy. Based on the test for variance (ANOVA) the inter-lot variability in cycle threshold values were not significant, indicating a high degree of precision. Interpretation & conclusion: Based on high accuracy and precision between different lots, the Truenat® Malaria Pv-Pf and Pf assays were found to be suitable for the diagnosis of sub-microscopic infections in field conditions to provide support in elimination of malaria.

Liquid chromatographic separation technique coupled with fluorescence detector (LC-FLD) has been one of the primary sensitive and selective analytical techniques in various science areas including environmental, food, biological, biomedicine etc. Its significance relies on several analytical advantages including cost-effectiveness, enhanced sensitivity, and selectivity performance. However, the desired applications of this technique and detection limits are not always possible without target analytes derivatization. When analytes manipulation is carried out by mere light, the mechanism is called photoderivatization or photochemical reaction. This addition of photochemical reactor has significantly enhanced the LC-FLD capability for selective, sensitive, and reproducible determination of variety of analytes such as pesticides, pharmaceutical drugs, flavonoids, vitamins etc. as compared to chemical pre/post-column derivatization. Herein, we have comprehensively and systematically summarized the development, instrumentation and applications of liquid chromatography-photoinduced fluorescence technique (LC-hv-FLD) to analyze a large number of analytes-residues in various matrices published between the years i.e., 2000 to 2022 along with some outstanding and important contributions before this time span. Moreover, the essential characteristic, advantages/disadvantages, challenges, and future prospects have also been highlighted. We expect this manuscript to be a useful key reference for the future development in fluorescence based chromatographic analysis and inspire new ideas and discoveries in the direction of reagent-less and online derivatization of intrinsically non-fluorescent analytes.

Nanoparticles are promising alternatives to synthetic fertilizers in the context of climate change and sustainable agriculture. Maize plants were grown under gradient concentrations (50 μM, 100 μM, 200 μM, 500 μM, and 1 mM) of chitosan (Ch), fulvic acid (FA) or chitosan‐fulvic acid nanoparticles (Ch‐FANPs). Based on the overall phenotypic assessment, 100 μM was selected for downstream experiments. Maize plants grown under this optimized concentration were thereafter subjected to drought stress by water withholding for 14 days. Compared to the individual performances, the combined treatment of Ch‐FANPs supported the best plant growth over chitosan, fulvic acid, or sole watered plants and alleviated the adverse effects of drought by enhancing root and shoot growth, and biomass by an average 20%. In addition, Ch‐FANPs‐treated plants exhibited a significant reduction in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content (~10%), with a concomitant increase in ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity (>100%) while showing a reduced lipid peroxidation level observed by the decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) content (~100%) and low electrolyte leakage level. Furthermore, chlorophyll content increased significantly (>100%) in maize plants treated with Ch‐FANPs compared to Ch or FA and control in response to drought. The expression of drought‐induced transcription factors, ZmDREB1A, ZmbZIP1, and ZmNAC28, and the ABA‐dependent ZmCIPK3 was upregulated by Ch‐FANPs. Owing to the above, Ch‐FANPs are proposed as a growth‐promoting agent and elicitor of drought tolerance in maize via activation of antioxidant machinery and transcriptional reprogramming of drought‐related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]