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We present the experimental study of free-space optical control of the optical beam phase shift caused by the formation of a layered structure in an elementary controllable cell made of phase-change material Ge2Sb2Te5 subjected to the controlling effect of pulsed laser radiation. The phase change of the signal optical beam passing through the controlled cell from phase-change material relative to the control beam in the Jamin interferometer is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygonum cuspidatum, alternatively known as Fallopia japonica or Reynoutria japonica, is a perennial herb belonging to the Polygonaceae family. Commonly called Japanese knotweed or Asian knotweed, this plant is native to East Asia, particularly in regions such as Korea, China, and Japan. It has successfully adapted to a wide range of habitats, resulting in it being listed as a pest and invasive species in several countries in North America and Europe. This study focuses on analysing the composition of the bacterial and fungal endophytic communities associated with Japanese knotweed growing in the Russian Far East, employing next-generation sequencing (NGS) and a cultivation-based method (microbiological sowing). The NGS analysis showed that the dominant classes of endophytic bacteria were Alphaproteobacteria (28%) and Gammaproteobacteria (28%), Actinobacteria (20%), Bacteroidia (15%), and Bacilli (4%), and fungal classes were Agaricomycetes (40%), Dothideomycetes (24%), Leotiomycetes (10%), Tremellomycetes (9%), Pezizomycetes (5%), Sordariomycetes (3%), and Exobasidiomycetes (3%). The most common genera of endophytic bacteria were Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Parabukholderia, Sphingomonas, Hydrotalea, Methylobacterium-Metylorubrum, Cutibacterium, and Comamonadaceae, and genera of fungal endophytes were Marasmius, Tuber, Microcyclosporella, Schizothyrium, Alternaria, Parastagonospora, Vishniacozyma, and Cladosporium. The present data showed that the roots, leaves, and stems of P. cuspidatum have a greater number and diversity of endophytic bacteria and fungi compared to the flowers and seeds. Thus, the biodiversity of endophytic bacteria and fungi of P. cuspidatum was described and analysed for the first time in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA interference (RNAi) is a regulatory and protective mechanism that plays a crucial role in the growth, development, and control of plant responses to pathogens and abiotic stresses. In spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS), exogenous double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA) are used to efficiently regulate target genes via plant surface treatment. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of specific exogenous dsRNAs on silencing different regions (promoter, protein-coding and intron) of the target SlTRY tomato gene, encoding an R3-type MYB repressor of anthocyanin biosynthesis. We also assessed the impact of targeting different SlTRY regions on the expression of genes involved in anthocyanin and flavonoid biosynthesis. This study demonstrated the critical importance of selecting the appropriate gene target region for dsRNA action. The highest inhibition of the SlTRY gene expression and activation of anthocyanin biosynthesis was achieved by dsRNA complementary to the protein-coding region of SlTRY gene, compared with dsRNAs targeting the SlTRY promoter or intron regions. Silencing the SlTRY gene increased the content of anthocyanins and boosted levels of other substances in the phenylpropanoid pathway, such as caffeoyl putrescine, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid glucoside, feruloyl quinic acid, and rutin. This study is the first to examine the effects of four different dsRNAs targeting various regions of the SlTRY gene, an important negative regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report the development of a concise and efficient synthetic protocol for the preparation of 1H-perimidin-2-amine derivatives that contain an N-(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)carboxamide substituent near the amino group. These compounds' synthesis method is based on the interaction of naphthalene-1,8-diamine with N-(2,2,2-trichloro-1-isothiocyanatoethyl)carboxamides under reflux in acetonitrile medium for 15 minutes. This transformation is likely to pass through the stage of formation of the intermediate thiourea, which further eliminates hydrogen sulfide, which is accompanied by the closure of the perimidine cycle. Using the developed protocol, we synthesized nine new 1H-perimidin-2-amine derivatives. The yield of synthesized compounds was 67-82%. IR,1H NMR,13C NMR, 1H-1H COSY, 1H-13C HSQC, and 1H-13C HMBC spectroscopy data proved their structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) to plant surfaces has emerged as a promising tool for manipulating gene expression in plants and pathogens, offering new opportunities for crop improvement. While research has shown the capability of exogenous dsRNAs to silence genes, the full spectrum of their impact, particularly on the intricate network of microRNAs (miRNAs), remains largely unexplored. Here, we show that the exogenous application of chalcone synthase (CHS)-encoding dsRNA to the rosette leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana induced extensive alterations in the miRNA profile, while non-specific bacterial neomycin phosphotransferase II (NPTII) dsRNA had a minimal effect. Two days after treatment, we detected 60 differentially expressed miRNAs among the 428 miRNAs found in the A. thaliana genome. A total of 59 miRNAs were significantly changed after AtCHS-dsRNA treatment compared with water and NPTII-dsRNA, and 1 miRNA was significantly changed after AtCHS-dsRNA and NPTII-dsRNA compared with the water control. A comprehensive functional enrichment analysis revealed 17 major GO categories enriched among the genes potentially targeted by the up- and downregulated miRNAs. These categories included processes such as aromatic compound biosynthesis (a pathway directly related to CHS activity), heterocycle biosynthesis, RNA metabolism and biosynthesis, DNA transcription, and plant development. Several predicted targets of upregulated and downregulated miRNAs, including APETALA2, SCL27, SOD1, GRF1, AGO2, PHB, and PHV, were verified by qRT-PCR. The analysis showed a negative correlation between the expression of miRNAs and the expression of their predicted targets. Thus, exogenous plant gene-specific dsRNAs induce substantial changes in the plant miRNA composition, ultimately affecting the expression of a wide range of genes. These findings have profound implications for our understanding of the effects of exogenously induced RNA interference, which can have broader effects beyond targeted mRNA degradation, affecting the expression of other genes through miRNA regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought poses a significant challenge to plant growth and productivity, particularly in arid regions like northern Kazakhstan. Dehydration-responsive element-binding (DREB) transcription factors play an important role in plant response to drought and other abiotic stresses. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the DREB subfamily consists of six groups, designated DREB1 to DREB6. Among these, DREB2 is primarily associated with drought and salinity tolerance. In the chickpea genome, two DREB genes, CaDREB2c and CaDREB2h, have been identified, exhibiting high sequence similarity to Arabidopsis DREB2 genes. We investigated the nucleotide sequences of CaDREB2c and CaDREB2h genes in several chickpea cultivars commonly grown in northern Kazakhstan. Interestingly, the CaDREB2h gene sequence was identical across all varieties and corresponded to the sequence deposited in the GenBank. However, the CaDREB2c gene sequence exhibited variations among the studied varieties, categorized into three groups: the first group (I), comprising 20 cultivars, contained a CaDREB2c gene sequence identical to the GenBank (Indian cultivar CDC Frontier). The second group (II), consisting of 4 cultivars, had a single synonymous substitution (T to C) compared to the deposited CaDREB2c gene sequence. The third group, encompassing 5 cultivars, displayed one synonymous substitution (C to T) and two non-synonymous substitutions (G to T and G to A). Furthermore, we assessed the gene expression patterns of CaDREB2c and CaDREB2h in different chickpea varieties under drought conditions. Chickpea cultivars 8 (III), 37 (I), 6 (III), and 43 (I) exhibited the highest drought resistance. Our analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between drought resistance and CaDREB2h gene expression under drought stress. Our findings suggest that the chickpea's adaptive responses to water deprivation are associated with changes in CaDREB2 gene expression. To further elucidate the mechanisms underlying drought tolerance, we propose future research directions that will delve into the molecular interactions and downstream targets of CaDREB2 genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most serious problems for cultivated grapes are pathogenic microorganisms, which reduce the yield and quality of fruit. One of the most widespread disease of grapes is "gray mold", caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. Some strains of Bacillus, such as Bacillus halotolerans, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Bacillus velezensis, are known to be active against major post-harvest plant rots. In this study, we showed that the endophytic bacteria B. velezensis strain AMR25 isolated from the leaves of wild grapes Vitis amurensis Rupr. exhibited antimicrobial activity against grape pathogens, including B. cinerea. The genome of B. velezensis AMR25 has one circular chromosome with a length of 3,909,646 bp. with 3689 open reading frames. Genomic analysis identified ten gene clusters involved in the nonribosomal synthesis of polyketides (macrolactin, bacillene, and difficidin), lipopeptides (surfactin, fengycin, and bacillizin), and bacteriocins (difficidin). Also, the genome under study contains a number of genes involved in root colonization, biofilm formation, and biosynthesis of phytohormones. Thus, the endophytic bacteria B. velezensis strain AMR25 shows great promise in developing innovative biological products for enhancing plant resistance against various pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]