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Olalekan Olanrewaju Bakare,1 Adewale Oluwaseun Fadaka,1 Marshall Keyster,2 Ashley Pretorius1 1Bioinformatics Research Group, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa; 2Biotechnology Department, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South AfricaCorrespondence: Olalekan Olanrewaju Bakare Tel +27 603112776Email lekanbakare77@gmail.comIntroduction: Several studies have explored the design of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for the development of therapeutic and diagnostic molecules for the treatment and identification of pathogenic diseases as well as cancer. Human cadherin-1 protein has been identified to be involved in adhesion-mediated signalling pathways in normal cells and its loss through genetic and epigenetic alterations can result in an enhanced invasion and metastasis of malignancy in tumours. Therefore, the identification of cadherin during treatment of cancer can be used as prognostic biomarker to establish the responsiveness of patients to treatment regimen. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer several compensatory advantages in biomedical applications and have been used for treatment of diseases, dietary supplements and diagnosis of diseases. The aim of this research work was to use in silico approaches to analyse retrieved human cadherin-1 as prognostic targets in cancer treatments using modelled putative anticancer AMPs.Methods: The structures of the putative AMPs and cadherin-1 were modelled using I-TASSER server and the protein overall quality was validated using PROCHECK. Thereafter, the protein motifs were predicted and the molecular interaction between the putative anticancer AMPs and protein was carried out using PatchDock.Results: The results revealed that all the AMPs were good prognostic molecules for cancer with BOO1 having the highest binding affinity of 15,874.Conclusion: This study revealed that all the generated AMPs have good prognostic value for monitoring the progress of cancer treatment using human cadherin-1 as receptor. This is the first report where AMPs were used in prognostics of cancer using human cadherin-1.Keywords: cancer, antimicrobial peptides, prognosis, homology, modelling, docking, physicochemical, binding, validation, cadherin-1

Transition metal (TM) distribution through the phloem is an essential part of plant metabolism and is required for systemic signaling and balancing source-to-sink relationships. Due to their reactivity, TMs are expected to occur in complexes within the phloem sap; however, metal speciation in the phloem sap remains largely unexplored. Here, we isolated phloem sap from Brassica napus and analyzed it via size exclusion chromatography coupled online to sector-field ICP-MS. Our data identified known TM-binding proteins and molecules including metallothioneins (MT), glutathione, and nicotianamine. While the main peak of all metals was low MW (∼1.5 kD), additional peaks ∼10 to 15 kD containing Cu, Fe, S, and Zn were also found. Further physicochemical analyses of MTs with and without affinity tags corroborated that MTs can form complexes of diverse molecular weights. We also identified and characterized potential artifacts in the TM-biding ability of B. napus MTs between tagged and non-tagged MTs. That is, the native BnMT2 binds Zn, Cu, and Fe, while MT3a and MT3b only bind Cu and Zn. In contrast, his-tagged MTs bind less Cu and were found to bind Co and Mn and aggregated to oligomeric forms to a greater extent compared to the phloem sap. Our data indicates that TM chemistry in the phloem sap is more complex than previously anticipated and that more systematic analyses are needed to establish the precise speciation of TM and TM-ligand complexes within the phloem sap., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Due to their stationary nature, plants are exposed to a diverse range of biotic and abiotic stresses, of which heavy metal (HM) stress poses one of the most detrimental abiotic stresses, targeting diverse plant processes. HMs instigate the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and to mitigate the adverse effects of ROS, plants induce multiple defence mechanisms. Besides the negative implications of overproduction of ROS, these molecules play a multitude of signalling roles in plants, acting as a central player in the complex signalling network of cells. One of the ROS-associated signalling mechanisms is the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, a signalling pathway which transduces extracellular stimuli into intracellular responses. Plant MAPKs have been implicated in signalling involved in stress response, phytohormone regulation, and cell cycle cues. However, the influence of various HMs on MAPK activation has not been well documented. In this review, we address and summarise several aspects related to various HM-induced ROS signalling. Additionally, we touch on how these signals activate the MAPK cascade and the downstream transcription factors that influence plant responses to HMs. Moreover, we propose a workflow that could characterise genes associated with MAPKs and their roles during plant HM stress responses., (© 2024 The Authors. Plant, Cell & Environment published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

p -Coumaric acid ( p -CA) is a phenolic compound that plays a crucial role in mediating multiple signaling pathways. It serves as a defense strategy against plant wounding and is also presumed to play a role in plant development and lignin biosynthesis. This study aimed to investigate the physiological and ionomic effect of p -CA on chia seedlings under salt stress. To this end, chia seedlings were supplemented with Nitrosol ® containing 100 μM of p -CA, 100 of mM NaCI, and their combined (100 mM NaCI + 100 μM p -CA) solutions in 2-day intervals for a period of 14 days along with a control containing Nitrosol ® only. The treatment of chia seedlings with 100 mM of NaCI decreased their growth parameters and the content of the majority of the essential macro-elements (K, P, Ca, and Mg), except for that of sodium (Na). The simultaneous application of p -CA and a salt stress treatment ( p -CA + NaCI) alleviated the effect of salt stress on chia seedlings' shoots, and this was indicated by the increase in chia biomass. Furthermore, this combined treatment significantly enhanced the levels of the essential microelements Mg and Ca. In summary, this brief report is built on the foundational work of our previous study, which demonstrated that p -CA promotes growth in chia seedlings via activation of O 2 - . In this brief report, we further show that p -CA not only promotes growth but also mitigates the effects of salt stress on chia seedlings. This mitigation effect may result from the presence of Mg and Ca, which are vital nutrients involved in regulating metabolic pathways, enzyme activity, and amino acid synthesis.

Alternaria alternata is an opportunistic phytopathogen that negatively impact the growth and production of a wide variety of host plants. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal potential of biogenic ZnO, and bimetallic silver and zinc oxide (Ag/ZnO) nanoparticles synthesized using seed extract of Abrus precatorious and characterized using different analytical tools. In vitro antifungal potentials of ZnO and Ag/ZnO nanoparticles were carried out using the food poison technique. Morphological and ultrastructure of the A. alternata treated with the nanoparticles were carried out using high resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy (HRSEM and HRTEM). In addition, changes in polysaccharide production, chitin content and enzymatic (cellulase and lipase) activities of A. alternata were assayed. Double peak signifying a UV max of 353.88 and 417.25 nm representing Ag and ZnO respectively was formed in the bimetallic nanoparticles. HRSEM and HRTEM results shows agglomerated nanoparticles with particle and crystallite size of 23.94 and 16.84 nm for ZnO nanoparticles, 35.12 and 28.99 nm for Ag/ZnO nanoparticles respectively. In vitro antifungal assay shows a significant concentration-dependent inhibition (p < 0.05) of A. alternata mycelia with highest percentage inhibition of 73.93 % (ZnO nanoparticles) and 68.26 % (Ag/ZnO nanoparticles) at 200 ppm. HRSEM and HRTEM micrographs of the treated A. alternata mycelia shows alteration of the cellular structure, clearance of the cytoplasmic organelles and localization of the nanoparticles within the cell. A. alternata treated with 200 ppm nanoparticles show a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the polysaccharides and chitin contents, cellulase and lipase activities. The results suggests that ZnO and Ag/ZnO nanoparticles mode of action may be via alteration of the fungal cell wall through the inhibition of polysaccharides, chitin, cellulases and lipases synthesis. ZnO and Ag/ZnO nanoparticles may be a promising tool for the management and control of disease causing fungal phytopathogens., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Ashwil Klein reports financial support was provided by 10.13039/100016962South Africa Department of Science and Innovation (GB0200065). Marshall Keyster reports financial support was provided by 10.13039/100016962South Africa Department of Science and Innovation (GB0200066). Augustine Innalegwu Daniel reports financial support was provided by Tertiary Education Trust Fund. Marshall Keyster reports financial support was provided by 10.13039/501100001321NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (Project ID: 170202). If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Main Conclusion: Plant Biomarkers are objective indicators of a plant's cellular state in response to abiotic and biotic stress factors. They can be explored in crop breeding and engineering to produce stress-tolerant crop species. Global food production safely and sustainably remains a top priority to feed the ever-growing human population, expected to reach 10 billion by 2050. However, abiotic and biotic stress factors negatively impact food production systems, causing between 70 and 100% reduction in crop yield. Understanding the plant stress responses is critical for developing novel crops that can adapt better to various adverse environmental conditions. Using plant biomarkers as measurable indicators of a plant's cellular response to external stimuli could serve as early warning signals to detect stresses before severe damage occurs. Plant biomarkers have received considerable attention in the last decade as pre-stress indicators for various economically important food crops. This review discusses some biomarkers associated with abiotic and biotic stress conditions and highlights their importance in developing stress-resilient crops. In addition, we highlighted some factors influencing the expression of biomarkers in crop plants under stress. The information presented in this review would educate plant researchers, breeders, and agronomists on the significance of plant biomarkers in stress biology research, which is essential for improving plant growth and yield toward sustainable food production., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Plant immobility renders plants constantly susceptible to various abiotic and biotic stresses. Abiotic and biotic stresses are known to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause comparable cellular secondary reactions (osmotic or oxidative stress), leading to agricultural productivity constraints worldwide. To mitigate the challenges caused by these stresses, plants have evolved a variety of adaptive strategies. Phenolic acids form a key component of these strategies, as they are predominantly known to be secreted by plants in response to abiotic or biotic stresses. Phenolic acids can be divided into different subclasses based on their chemical structures, such as hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids. This review analyzes hydroxycinnamic acids and their derivatives as they increase under stressful conditions, so to withstand environmental stresses they regulate physiological processes through acting as signaling molecules that regulate gene expression and biochemical pathways. The mechanism of action used by hydroxycinnamic acid involves minimization of oxidative damage to maintain cellular homeostasis and protect vital cellular components from harm. The purpose of this review is to highlight the potential of hydroxycinnamic acid metabolites/derivatives as potential antioxidants. We review the uses of different secondary metabolites associated with hydroxycinnamic acid and their contributions to plant growth and development.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the leading causes of cancer mortality. The lifetime risk of developing CRC is about 5% in adult males and females. CRC is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, and at this point therapy has a limited impact on cure rates and long-term survival. Novel and/or improved CRC therapeutic options are needed. The involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer development has been reported, and their regulation in many oncogenic pathways suggests their potent tumor suppressor action. Although miRNAs provide a promising therapeutic approach for cancer, challenges such as biodegradation, specificity, stability and toxicity, impede their progression into clinical trials. Nanotechnology strategies offer diverse advantages for the use of miRNAs for CRC-targeted delivery and therapy. The merits of using nanocarriers for targeted delivery of miRNA-formulations are presented herein to highlight the role they can play in miRNA-based CRC therapy by targeting different stages of the disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Fungal and bacterial pathogens represent some of the greatest challenges facing crop production globally and account for about 20-40 % crop losses annually. This review highlights the use of ZnO NPs as antimicrobial agents and explores their mechanisms of actions against disease causing plant fungal pathogens. The behavior of ZnO NPs in soil and their interactions with the soil components were also highlighted. The review discusses the potential effects of ZnO NPs on plants and their mechanisms of action on plants and how these mechanisms are related to their physicochemical properties. In addition, the reduction of ZnO NPs toxicity through surface modification and coating with silica is also addressed. Soil properties play a significant role in the dispersal, aggregation, stability, bioavailability, and transport of ZnO NPs and their release into the soil. The transport of ZnO NPs into the soil might influence soil components and, as a result, plant physiology. The harmful effects of ZnO NPs on plants and fungi are caused by a variety of processes, the most important of which is the formation of reactive oxygen species, lysosomal instability, DNA damage, and the reduction of oxidative stress by direct penetration/liberation of Zn 2+ ions in plant/fungal cells. Based on these highlighted areas, this review concludes that ZnO NPs exhibit its antifungal activity via generations of reactive oxygen species, coupled with the inhibition of various metabolic pathways. Despite the numerous advantages of ZnO NPs, there is need to regulate its uses to minimize the harmful effects that may arise from its applications in the soil and plants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We write to declare interest to submit our manuscript in your Journal. We have no competing interest to declare in this review and will be will to provide all the necessary and available information on request., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Raphanus sativus also known as radish is a member of the Brassicaceae family which is mainly cultivated for human and animal consumption. R. sativus growth and development is negatively affected by heavy metal stress. The metal zirconium (Zr) have toxic effects on plants and tolerance to the metal could be regulated by known signaling molecules such as methylglyoxal (MG). Therefore, in this study we investigated whether the application of the signaling molecule MG could improve the Zr tolerance of R. sativus at the seedling stage. We measured the following: seed germination, dry weight, cotyledon abscission (%), cell viability, chlorophyll content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, conjugated diene (CD) content, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) content, superoxide (O 2 •- ) content, MG content, hydroxyl radical (·OH) concentration, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, glyoxalase I (Gly I) activity, Zr content and translocation factor. Under Zr stress, exogenous MG increased the seed germination percentage, shoot dry weight, cotyledon abscission, cell viability and chlorophyll content. Exogenous MG also led to a decrease in MDA, CD, H 2 O 2 , O 2 •- , MG and ·OH, under Zr stress in the shoots. Furthermore, MG application led to an increase in the enzymatic activities of APX, SOD and Gly I as well as in the complete blocking of cotyledon abscission under Zr stress. MG treatment decreased the uptake of Zr in the roots and shoots. Zr treatment decreased the translocation factor of the Zr from roots to shoots and MG treatment decreased the translocation factor of Zr even more significantly compared to the Zr only treatment. Our results indicate that MG treatment can improve R. sativus seedling growth under Zr stress through the activation of antioxidant enzymes and Gly I through reactive oxygen species and MG signaling, inhibiting cotyledon abscission through H 2 O 2 signaling and immobilizing Zr translocation., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Infectious diseases are constantly evolving to bypass antibiotics or create resistance against them. There is a piercing alarm for the need to improve the design of new effective antimicrobial agents such as antimicrobial peptides which are less prone to resistance and possess high sensitivity. This would guard public health in combating and overcoming stubborn pathogens and mitigate incurable diseases; however, the emergence of antimicrobial peptides' shortcomings ranging from untimely degradation by enzymes to difficulty in the design against specific targets is a major bottleneck in achieving these objectives. This review is aimed at highlighting the recent progress in antimicrobial peptide development in the area of nanotechnology-based delivery, selectivity indices, synthesis and characterization, their doping and coating, and the shortfall of these approaches. This review will raise awareness of antimicrobial peptides as prospective therapeutic agents in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, such as the sensitive treatment of diseases and their utilization. The knowledge from this development would guide the future design of these novel peptides and allow the development of highly specific, sensitive, and accurate antimicrobial peptides to initiate treatment regimens in patients to enable them to have accommodating lifestyles.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that affects the body's ability to produce or use insulin. This study evaluated the hypoglycaemic activity of biosynthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) in alloxan-induced diabetic Wister rats., Methods: CuO-NPs were synthesized via the green route and characterized using different analytical tools. Diabetes was induced intraperitoneally using 90 mg/kg body weight of alloxan monohydrate in albino rats. Thirty (30) rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of 6 rats each and orally treated for 21 days. Groups I and II were treated with 300 mg/kg bwt Cereus hildmannianus extract and CuO-NPs, respectively. Groups III and IV received 5 mg/kg bwt of Glibenclamide and 2 mL of normal saline, respectively, while Group V was left untreated as the diabetic control. Blood glucose (BG) levels and body weight changes were monitored at 3- and 7-day intervals, respectively, throughout 21-day treatment period. Lipid profiles, enzyme assays and histopathological studies of the liver were also carried out., Results: Spheroidal tenorite phase of CuO-NPs with a crystallite size of 62.57 nm, surface area (20.64 m 2 /g) and a UV-maximum absorption at 214.27 nm was formed. The diabetic rats treated with 300 mg/kg bwt CuO-NPs had the highest BG lowering ability (from 482.75 ± 27.70 to 124.50 ± 2.50 mg/dL). A significant difference (p < 0.05) in weight gain and serum enzymes was also observed in the CuO-NPs treated group compared with other groups. The CuO-NPs-treated group had a significant increase (p < 0.05) in HDL-cholesterol and a decrease in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol compared with other groups., Conclusion: The green synthesized CuO-NPs nanoparticles significantly reduced (p < 0.05) blood glucose levels in rats and other associated indices and could serve as drug lead in the treatment of diabetes., (© 2023 The Authors. Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The use of biological control agents as opposed to synthetic agrochemicals to control plant pathogens has gained momentum, considering their numerous advantages. The aim of this study is to investigate the biocontrol potential of plant bacterial isolates against Fusarium oxysporum , Fusarium proliferatum , Fusarium culmorum, and Fusarium verticillioides . Isolation, identification, characterization, and in vitro biocontrol antagonistic assays of these isolates against Fusarium species were carried out following standard protocols. The bacterial endophytes were isolated from Glycine max. L leaves (B1), Brassica napus. L seeds (B2), Vigna unguiculata seeds (B3), and Glycine max . L seeds (B4). The bacterial isolates were identified using 16S rRNA PCR sequencing. A phylogenetic analysis shows that the bacterial isolates are closely related to Bacillus subtilis (B1) and Bacillus tequilensis (B2-B4), with an identity score above 98%. All the bacterial isolates produced a significant amount ( p < 0.05) of indole acetic acid (IAA), siderophores, and protease activity. In vitro antagonistic assays of these isolates show a significant ( p < 0.05) growth inhibition of the fungal mycelia in the following order: F. proliferatum > F. culmorum > F. verticillioides > F. oxysporum, compared to the control. The results suggest that these bacterial isolates are good biocontrol candidates against the selected Fusarium species.

The number and diversity of drugs in the tuberculosis (TB) drug development process has increased over the years, yet the attrition rate remains very high, signaling the need for continued research in drug discovery. In this study, crude secondary metabolites from marine fungi associated with ascidians collected from Saldanha and False Bays (South Africa) were investigated for antimycobacterial activity. Isolation of fungi was performed by sectioning thin inner-tissues of ascidians and spreading them over potato dextrose agar (PDA). Solid state fermentation of fungal isolates on PDA was then performed for 28 days to allow production of secondary metabolites. Afterwards, PDA cultures were dried and solid-liquid extraction using methanol was performed to extract fungal metabolites. Profiling of metabolites was performed using untargeted liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS/MS). The broth microdilution method was used to determine antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis mc 2 155 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, while in silico flexible docking was performed on selected target proteins from M. tuberculosis . A total of 16 ascidians were sampled and 46 fungi were isolated. Only 32 fungal isolates were sequenced, and their sequences submitted to GenBank to obtain accession numbers. Metabolite profiling of 6 selected fungal extracts resulted in the identification of 65 metabolites. The most interesting extract was that of Clonostachys rogersoniana MGK33 which inhibited Mycobacterium smegmatis mc 2 155 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv growth with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.125 and 0.2 mg/mL, respectively. These results were in accordance with those from in silico molecular docking studies which showed that bionectin F produced by C. rogersoniana MGK33 is a potential inhibitor of M. tuberculosis β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (MabA, PDB ID = 1UZN), with the docking score observed as -11.17 kcal/mol. These findings provided evidence to conclude that metabolites from marine-derived fungi are potential sources of bioactive metabolites with antimycobacterial activity. Even though in silico studies showed that bionectin F is a potent inhibitor of an essential enzyme, MabA, the results should be validated by performing purification of bionectin F from C. rogersoniana MGK33 and in vitro assays against MabA and whole cells ( M. tuberculosis )., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Studying the mechanisms through which endophytic fungi confer protection to host plants against parasites will contribute toward elucidating the endophytic fungi−plant−pathogen relationship. In this study, we evaluated the effects of endophytic Beauveria bassiana on the antioxidant activity, oxidative stress, and growth of tomatoes infected with the fusarium wilt pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL). Tomato seedlings were inoculated with B. bassiana conidia and then contaminated with FOL experimentally. Four treatments (Control [T1], FOL only [T2], B. bassiana only [T3], and B. bassiana and FOL [T4]) were assessed. The plants from the B. bassiana and FOL treatment (T4) were significantly taller (DF = 3, 56; p < 0.001) and produced more leaves and aerial part biomass than those treated with only FOL (T2). Remarkably, plants in the two treatments with FOL (T2 and T4) had the lowest antioxidant activities; meanwhile, plants from the FOL treatment (T2) had the lowest ROS (superoxide and hydroxyl radicals) contents. Broadly, strong positive correlations between ROS and all the plant growth parameters were recorded in this study. While the current results revealed that the endophytic entomopathogen B. bassiana enhanced antioxidant capacity in plants, it did not improve the antioxidant capacity of F. oxysporum-infected plants. It is possible that the pathogenic FOL employed a hiding strategy to evade the host immune response and the antagonistic actions of endophytic B. bassiana. In conclusion, B. bassiana inoculum enhanced the growth of tomatoes infected with FOL, induced higher oxidative stress in both F. oxysporum-infected and -uninfected tomatoes, and improved antioxidant activities in plants inoculated with B. bassiana only.

We report the draft whole-genome sequence of the putative endophytic fungus Penicillium simplicissimum A4, isolated from the roots of Echium plantagineum plants. The genome was sequenced using PacBio technology with an estimated genome size of 39 Mb.

Abiotic and biotic stress factors negatively influence the growth, yield, and nutritional value of economically important food and feed crops. These climate-change-induced stress factors, together with the ever-growing human population, compromise sustainable food security for all consumers across the world. Agrochemicals are widely used to increase crop yield by improving plant growth and enhancing their tolerance to stress factors; however, there has been a shift towards natural compounds in recent years due to the detrimental effect associated with these agrochemicals on crops and the ecosystem. In view of these, the use of phenolic biostimulants as opposed to artificial fertilizers has gained significant momentum in crop production. Seaweeds are marine organisms and excellent sources of natural phenolic compounds that are useful for downstream agricultural applications such as promoting plant growth and improving resilience against various stress conditions. In this review, we highlight the different phenolic compounds present in seaweed, compare their extraction methods, and describe their downstream applications in agriculture.

Fusarium solani is worrisome because it severely threatens the agricultural productivity of certain crops such as tomatoes and peas, causing the general decline, wilting, and root necrosis. It has also been implicated in the infection of the human eye cornea. It is believed that early detection of the fungus could save these crops from the destructive activities of the fungus through early biocontrol measures. Therefore, the present work aimed to build a sensitive model of novel anti- Fusarium solani antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against the fungal cutinase 1 (CUT1) protein for early, sensitive and accurate detection. Fusarium solani CUT1 receptor protein 2D secondary structure, model validation, and functional motifs were predicted. Subsequently, anti- Fusarium solani AMPs were retrieved, and the HMMER in silico algorithm was used to construct a model of the AMPs. After their structure predictions, the interaction analysis was analyzed for the Fusarium solani CUT1 protein and the generated AMPs. The putative anti- Fusarium solani AMPs bound the CUT1 protein very tightly, with OOB4 having the highest binding energy potential for HDock. The pyDockWeb generated high electrostatic, desolvation, and low van der Waals energies for all the AMPs against CUT1 protein, with OOB1 having the most significant interaction. The results suggested the utilization of AMPs for the timely intervention, control, and management of these crops, as mentioned earlier, to improve their agricultural productivity and reduce their economic loss and the use of HMMER for constructing models for disease detection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Bakare, Gokul, Jimoh, Klein and Keyster.)

Pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of infectious mortality and significant economic losses among our growing population. The lack of specific biomarkers for correct and timely diagnosis to detect patients' status is a bane towards initiating a proper treatment plan for the disease; thus, current biomarkers cannot distinguish between pneumonia and other associated conditions such as atherosclerotic plaques and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are potential candidates for detecting numerous illnesses due to their compensatory roles as theranostic molecules. This research sought to generate specific data for parental AMPs to identify viral and bacterial pneumonia pathogens using in silico technology. The parental antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) used in this work were AMPs discovered in our previous in silico analyses using the HMMER algorithm, which were used to generate derivative (mutated) AMPs that would bind with greater affinity, in order to detect the bacterial and viral receptors using an in silico site-directed mutagenesis approach. These AMPs' 3D structures were subsequently predicted and docked against receptor proteins. The result shows putative AMPs with the potential capacity to detect pneumonia caused by these pathogens through their binding precision with high sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity for possible use in point-of-care diagnosis. These peptides' tendency to detect receptor proteins of viral and bacterial pneumonia with precision justifies their use for differential diagnostics, in an attempt to reduce the problems of indiscriminate overuse, toxicity due to the wrong prescription, bacterial resistance, and the scarcity and high cost of existing pneumonia antibiotics.

There is a direct correlation between population growth and food demand. As the global population continues to rise, there is a need to scale up food production to meet the food demand of the population. In addition, the arable land over time has lost its naturally endowed nutrients. Hence, alternative measures such as fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides are used to fortify the soil and scale up the production rate. As efforts are being made to meet this food demand and ensure food security, it is equally important to ensure food safety for consumption. Food safety measures need to be put in place throughout the food production chain lines. One of the fundamental measures is the use of biofertilizers or plant growth promoters instead of chemical or synthesized fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides that poise several dangers to human and animal health. Biofertilizers competitively colonize plant root systems, which, in turn, enhance nutrient uptake, increase productivity and crop yield, improve plants' tolerance to stress and their resistance to pathogens, and improve plant growth through mechanisms such as the mobilization of essential elements, nutrients, and plant growth hormones. Biofertilizers are cost-effective and ecofriendly in nature, and their continuous usage enhances soil fertility. They also increase crop yield by up to about 10-40% by increasing protein contents, essential amino acids, and vitamins, and by nitrogen fixation. This review therefore highlighted different types of biofertilizers and the mechanisms by which they elicit their function to enhance crop yield to meet food demand. In addition, the review also addressed the role of microorganisms in promoting plant growth and the various organisms that are beneficial for enhancing plant growth.

The quest for an extraordinary array of defense strategies is imperative to reduce the challenges of microbial attacks on plants and animals. Plant antimicrobial peptides (PAMPs) are a subset of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). PAMPs elicit defense against microbial attacks and prevent drug resistance of pathogens given their wide spectrum activity, excellent structural stability, and diverse mechanism of action. This review aimed to identify the applications, features, production, expression, and challenges of PAMPs using its structure-activity relationship. The discovery techniques used to identify these peptides were also explored to provide insight into their significance in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and their expression against disease-causing pathogens. This review creates awareness for PAMPs as potential therapeutic agents in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, such as the sensitive treatment of bacterial and fungal diseases and others and their utilization in preserving crops using available transgenic methods in the agronomical field. PAMPs are also safe to handle and are easy to recycle with the use of proteases to convert them into more potent antimicrobial agents for sustainable development.

p -Coumaric acid synthesis in plants involves the conversion of phenylalanine to trans -cinnamic acid via phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), which is then hydroxylated at the para-position under the action of trans -cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase. Alternatively, some PAL enzymes accept tyrosine as an alternative substrate and convert tyrosine directly to p- coumaric acid without the intermediary of trans -cinnamic acid. In recent years, the contrasting roles of p- coumaric acid in regulating the growth and development of plants have been well-documented. To understand the contribution of trans -cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase activity in p -coumaric acid-mediated plant growth, mineral content accumulation and the regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), we investigated the effect of piperonylic acid (a trans -cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase inhibitor) on plant growth, essential macroelements, osmolyte content, ROS-induced oxidative damage, antioxidant enzyme activities and phytohormone levels in chia seedlings. Piperonylic acid restricted chia seedling growth by reducing shoot length, fresh weight, leaf area measurements and p -coumaric acid content. Apart from sodium, piperonylic acid significantly reduced the accumulation of other essential macroelements (such as K, P, Ca and Mg) relative to the untreated control. Enhanced proline, superoxide, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde contents were observed. The inhibition of trans -cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase activity significantly increased the enzymatic activities of ROS-scavenging enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and guaiacol peroxidase. In addition, piperonylic acid caused a reduction in indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid content. In conclusion, the reduction in chia seedling growth in response to piperonylic acid may be attributed to a reduction in p -coumaric acid content coupled with elevated ROS-induced oxidative damage, and restricted mineral and phytohormone (indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic) levels., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.)

Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient whose uptake is tightly regulated to prevent either deficiency or toxicity. Cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential element that induces both Fe deficiency and toxicity; however, the mechanisms behind these Fe/Cd-induced responses are still elusive. Here we explored Cd- and Fe-associated responses in wild-type Arabidopsis and in a mutant that overaccumulates Fe (opt3-2). Gene expression profiling revealed a large overlap between transcripts induced by Fe deficiency and Cd exposure. Interestingly, the use of opt3-2 allowed us to identify additional gene clusters originally induced by Cd in the wild type but repressed in the opt3-2 background. Based on the high levels of H2O2 found in opt3-2, we propose a model where reactive oxygen species prevent the induction of genes that are induced in the wild type by either Fe deficiency or Cd. Interestingly, a defined cluster of Fe-responsive genes was found to be insensitive to this negative feedback, suggesting that their induction by Cd is more likely to be the result of an impaired Fe sensing. Overall, our data suggest that Fe deficiency responses are governed by multiple inputs and that a hierarchical regulation of Fe homeostasis prevents the induction of specific networks when Fe and H2O2 levels are elevated., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Pneumonia is the main reason for mortality among children under five years, causing 1.6 million deaths every year; late research has exhibited that mortality is increasing in the elderly. A few biomarkers used for its diagnosis need specificity and precision, as they are related to different infections, for example, pulmonary tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus. There is a quest for new biomarkers worldwide to diagnose the disease to defeat these previously mentioned constraints. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising indicative specialists against infection. This research work used AMPs as biomarkers to detect viral pneumonia pathogens, for example, Respiratory syncytial virus, Influenza A and B viruses utilizing in silico technologies, such as Hidden Markov Model (HMMER). HMMER was used to distinguish putative anti-viral pneumonia AMPs against the recognized receptor proteins of Respiratory syncytial virus, Influenza A, and B viruses. The physicochemical parameters of these putative AMPs were analyzed, and their 3-D structures were determined utilizing I-TASSER. Molecular docking interaction of these AMPs against the recognized viral pneumonia proteins was carried out using the PATCHDOCK and HDock servers. The results demonstrated 27 anti-viral AMPs ranked based on their E values with significant physicochemical parameters in similarity with known experimentally approved AMPs. The AMPs additionally had a high anticipated binding potential to the pneumonia receptors of these microorganisms sensitively. The tendency of the putative anti-viral AMPs to bind pneumonia proteins showed that they would be promising applicant biomarkers to identify these viral microorganisms in the point-of-care (POC) pneumonia diagnostics. The high precision observed for the AMPs legitimizes HMM's utilization in the disease diagnostics' discovery process., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The seriousness and menace of the worldwide weight of 'Alzheimer's disease have been related to a few factors, which incorporate antioxidant system depletion, mutation of proteins, and high expression of cholinesterases due to aging, environmental influence, diet, infectious agents, and hormonal imbalance. Overexpression of cholinesterases has been emphatically connected to 'Alzheimer's disease because of the unreasonable hydrolysis of acetylcholine and butyrylcholine. Certain plant phytochemicals, for example, beta-carotenoids, lutein, neoxanthin, and viola-xanthine from Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Var. esculentum (ESC) and Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Var. cerasiforme (CER) has been utilized altogether as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of 'Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, this research sought to investigate the drug-likeness of the individual carotenoids as detailed for cholinesterase inhibition in the treatment of 'Alzheimer's disease. Four potential cholinesterase inhibitors from ESC and CER were retrieved from the PubChem database. Investigation of their drug-likeness, toxicity prediction, molecular docking, and dynamic simulations were carried out using Molinspiration, PreADMET V.2.0, Patchdock server, and Schrodinger Maestro software respectively. Neoxanthin was ranked the safest with a greater tendency to inhibit the cholinesterases with high binding affinity. In addition, its stability after simulation in a mimicked biological environment suggests its relevance as a potential drug candidate for the treatment of 'Alzheimer's disease through the inhibition of cholinesterases., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The global increase in cancer mortality and economic losses necessitates the cautious quest for therapeutic agents with compensatory advantages over conventional therapies. Anticancer peptides (ACPs) are a subset of host defense peptides, also known as antimicrobial peptides, which have emerged as therapeutic and diagnostic candidates due to several compensatory advantages over the non-specificity of the current treatment regimens. This review aimed to highlight the ravaging incidence of cancer, the use of ACPs in cancer treatment with their mechanisms, ACP discovery and delivery methods, and the limitations for their use. This would create awareness for identifying more ACPs with better specificity, accuracy and sensitivity towards the disease. It would also promote their efficacious utilization in biotechnology, medical sciences and molecular biology to ease the severity of the disease and enable the patients living with these conditions to develop an accommodating lifestyle.

Elevated concentrations of heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) have a negative impact on staple crop production due to their ability to elicit cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on plants. In order to understand the relationship between Cd stress and plants in an effort to improve Cd tolerance, studies have identified genetic mechanisms which could be important for conferring stress tolerance. In recent years epigenetic studies have garnered much attention and hold great potential in both improving the understanding of Cd stress in plants as well as revealing candidate mechanisms for future work. This review describes some of the main epigenetic mechanisms involved in Cd stress responses. We summarize recent literature and data pertaining to chromatin remodeling, DNA methylation, histone acetylation and miRNAs in order to understand the role these epigenetic traits play in cadmium tolerance. The review aims to provide the framework for future studies where these epigenetic traits may be used in plant breeding and molecular studies in order to improve Cd tolerance.

Fusarium oxysporum remains one of the leading causes of economic losses and poor crop yields; its detection is strained due to its presentation in various morphological and physiological forms. This research work sought to identify novel biomarkers for the detection of Fusarium oxysporum using in silico approaches. Experimentally validated anti- Fusarium oxysporum antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were used to construct a profile against Fusarium oxysporum . The performance and physicochemical parameters of these peptides were predicted. The gene for the Fusarium oxysporum receptor protein PR-1-like Protein, Fpr1, was identified and translated. The resulting protein model from the translation was then validated. The anti- Fusarium oxysporum AMPs and Fusarium oxysporum receptor protein 3-D structures were characterized, and their docking interaction analyses were carried out. The HMMER in silico tool identified novel anti- Fusarium oxysporum antimicrobial peptides with good performance in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. These AMPs also displayed good physicochemical properties and bound with greater affinity to Fusarium oxysporum protein receptor PR-1-like Protein. The tendency of these AMPs to precisely detect Fusarium oxysporum PR-1-like Protein, Fpr1, would justify their use for the identification of the fungus. This study would enhance and facilitate the identification of Fusarium oxysporum to reduce problems associated with poor crop yield, economic losses, and decreased nutritional values of plants to keep up with the growing population.

3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) belongs to a family of indole glucosinolate compounds that have been shown to improve Brassica napus growth through the modulation of reactive oxygen species when applied exogenously. The B. napus cultivar AV Garnet was previously identified as a vanadium-sensitive cultivar. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether exogenous DIM could improve the vanadium tolerance of AV Garnet. We performed the following experiments: seed germination assessment, dry weight assessment, cell viability assay, chlorophyll content assay, malondialdehyde (MDA) assay, conjugated diene (CD) content assay, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) content assay, superoxide (O 2 - ) content determination, methylglyoxal (MG) content determination, hydroxyl radical ( · OH) concentration determination, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity assay, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity assay, glyoxalase I (Gly I) activity assay, glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity assay and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) analysis for vanadium content determination. Under vanadium stress, exogenous DIM increased the seed germination percentage, shoot dry weight, cell viability and chlorophyll content. Exogenous DIM also led to a decrease in MDA, CD, H 2 O 2 , O 2 - , MG and · OH, under vanadium stress in the shoots. Furthermore, DIM application led to an increase in the enzymatic activities of APX, SOD, Gly I and GST under vanadium stress. Interestingly, under vanadium stress, DIM treatment did not alter vanadium content in B. napus shoots. Our results indicate that exogenous application of DIM can improve B. napus seedling shoot growth and biomass under vanadium stress by priming the antioxidant enzymes via reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling.

Here, we present the draft genome sequence (∼4.7 Mb) of the endopyhtic bacterium Pantoea agglomerans strain R6, which was isolated from surface-sterilized roots of Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce)., (Copyright © 2021 Istain et al.)

The mining of heavy metals from the environment leads to an increase in soil pollution, leading to the uptake of heavy metals into plant tissue. The build-up of toxic metals in plant cells often leads to cellular damage and senescence. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to produce plants with improved tolerance to heavy metals for food security, as well as to limit heavy metal uptake for improved food safety purposes. To achieve this goal, our understanding of the signaling mechanisms which regulate toxic heavy metal uptake and tolerance in plants requires extensive improvement. In this review, we summarize recent literature and data on heavy metal toxicity (oral reference doses) and the impact of the metals on food safety and food security. Furthermore, we discuss some of the key events (reception, transduction, and response) in the heavy metal signaling cascades in the cell wall, plasma membrane, and cytoplasm. Our future perspectives provide an outlook of the exciting advances that will shape the plant heavy metal signaling field in the near future.