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  • The Journal of plant molecular breeding (JPMB) is an international English journal publishing two issues per year, de... moreedit
Trachyspermum copticum (Apiaceae) is an annual plant which grows in Iran. The fruits of T. copticum (Ajwain) traditionally were used as diuretic, carminative, and antihelmentic. Some biological effects of Ajwain such as antiviral,... more
Trachyspermum copticum (Apiaceae) is an annual plant which grows in Iran. The fruits of T. copticum
(Ajwain) traditionally were used as diuretic, carminative, and antihelmentic. Some biological effects of Ajwain such as
antiviral, antifungal and antioxidant activities have been confirmed. The objective of the present investigation was to
evaluate the antibacterial activity of extracts of callus and seed and essential oil of Ajwain against some bacterial strains
(Pseudomonas viridiflava, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and Escherichia coli). The extracts and essential oil were
prepared and the antibacterial activity was evaluated via growth inhibitory zone assay using disc diffusion agar technique.
Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was measured by micro broth
dilution assay. The results revealed no significant effect for callus extract, however, the effect of seed extract and essential
oil on tested bacterial strains was statistically significant. The greatest impact was observed for essential oil and inhibition
halo diameter was reported 28.5 mm for P. syringae pv. syringae, MIC and MBC were measured 1.56 and 3.12% v/v,
respectively.
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Cucurbits powdery mildew is one of the most detrimental diseases of cucumber plants worldwide. A detailed insight into the biological processes leading to resistance or susceptibility to the pathogen would pave the road for an efficient... more
Cucurbits powdery mildew is one of the most detrimental diseases of cucumber plants worldwide. A detailed
insight into the biological processes leading to resistance or susceptibility to the pathogen would pave the road for an
efficient disease-resistance breeding program. In the present study, the molecular and biochemical responses of a resistant
vs. a susceptible cucumber cultivar infected with Sphaerotheca fuliginea were investigated. The alterations in the activity
of two antioxidant enzymes i.e. superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were analyzed during different time
courses. The changing pattern of the expression of PR-8 gene (chitinase class III) was evaluated through qPCR. Results
showed that the PR-8 gene expression was raised in the leaves of both cultivars 96 hours post inoculation (hpi), however,
with a 6 times higher expression rate in resistant cultivar compared to the susceptible one. The results imply that PR-8
may be a key factor of resistance to the pathogen. For both cultivars, SOD showed similar activity pattern and was raised
at the early hours post inoculation and showed a peak 6 hours post inoculation with higher activity in the resistant cultivar.
In contrast, CAT showed distinct activity patterns between cultivars and showed comparatively higher activity in the
susceptible host. The possible reasons for these differences are discussed. The results of the present work give a more
clarified insight into the possible mechanisms behind the resistance to cucumber powdery mildew caused by S. fuliginea
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop and acts as model plant for fruit development studies. Besides that, post-harvest damage is a devastating phenomenon often associated with ripening process in tomato which in... more
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop and acts as model plant for fruit
development studies. Besides that, post-harvest damage is a devastating phenomenon often associated with ripening
process in tomato which in turn leads to greater yield loss. Understanding the genetics, molecular and biochemical
pathways is the key to overcome the existing situation. In the present study, we have identified a delayed ripening mutant
and used in identification of linked marker for delayed fruit ripening. Initially, BML-03 (delayed ripening mutant line)
was crossed with BIL-29 (normal ripening inbred line) to produce F2 population. Bulked segregate analysis was carried
out using 245 SSR markers. Out of which, five SSRs were found to be polymorphic between parental lines and respective
bulks along with a segregating genotype of mapping population. A population of 227 F2 plants was screened with five
polymorphic SSR markers and the data were used in linkage analysis. Three SSR markers were found to be co-segregating
with the delayed ripening phenotype and resulted in a linkage map which covered the map distance of 3.4 cM. Out of 3
markers TGS0070 was found to be closely linked to the fruit ripening locus and was successfully validated using other
ripening specific F2 population BML-28 x BIL-3.
Genomic relationships and diversity of 37 wild and cultivated wheat (Triticum sp.) possessing A genome include four T. urartu (Au), thirteen wild einkorn (Am), four cultivated einkorn (Am), seven durum wheat (BBAuAu), three T. zhukovskyi... more
Genomic relationships and diversity of 37 wild and cultivated wheat (Triticum sp.) possessing A genome
include four T. urartu (Au), thirteen wild einkorn (Am), four cultivated einkorn (Am), seven durum wheat (BBAuAu), three
T. zhukovskyi (AtAtAmAmGG) and six common wheat (BBAuAuDD) were evaluated by simple sequence repeats (SSR)
analysis. Genetic distance was calculated by Nei and Li using UPGMA for construct phylogenetic tree. 24 out of 35
primer pairs amplified and 22 pairs produced polymorphic amplicons (109 alleles). The highest amplified fragments (11
alleles) and polymorphism information content (0.90) was for Xgwm165-4A locus. The highest and the lowest genetic
distance within groups for T. urartu and T. zhukovskyi were 0.86 and 0.55, respectively. The most similarity was between
T. urartu and wild einkorn species (0.009). The highest dissimilarity observed between cultivated einkorn and common
wheat, although T. urartu was more close to durum and common wheat than other diploid species.
Apricot is grown in a wide range of climatic conditions in Iran, however, it is frequently damaged by late spring frost. In this case, identification of new genotypes tolerant to cold stress is indispensably needed. The objective of this... more
Apricot is grown in a wide range of climatic conditions in Iran, however, it is frequently damaged by late
spring frost. In this case, identification of new genotypes tolerant to cold stress is indispensably needed. The objective of
this study was to evaluate the genetic population and relationships among 27 apricot accessions (Prunus armeniaca) by
30 microsatellite markers and 11 morphological traits. Based on the PIC values, the SSR loci (UDP96001, UDP96003,
UDP98412 and UDP98411) were the most informative markers. The morphological traits were categorized into three
components which explained 91.23% of total variation. The two-dimensional PCA plot exhibited that the highest degree
of fruit quality and quantity belonged to the susceptible cultivar of Shahrood 48 which showed to be the favorable parent
for the production of resistant mutants with high value of fruit traits to late spring frost. Moreover, the close relatedness
of Shahrood 48 and its mutants according to the molecular analyses (including a Bayesian clustering approach and a
Partial repeated bisection) confirmed the results of fruit traits analysis. The findings suggest that the wide diversity present
in Iranian apricot genotypes could be used as a genetic resource for conservation and development of new cultivars
resistant to late spring frost and for designing further apricot breeding programs. The promising new mutant genotypes
tolerant to cold stress will be evaluated based on morphological markers in further breeding studies.
The present study demonstrates the potential of nutrient-alginate encapsulation of shoot tips of sunflower, Helianthus annuus (hyb. Azargol) for synthetic seed technology, which could be useful in germplasm distribution and exchange.... more
The present study demonstrates the potential of nutrient-alginate encapsulation of shoot tips of sunflower,
Helianthus annuus (hyb. Azargol) for synthetic seed technology, which could be useful in germplasm distribution and
exchange. Shoot tips from in vitro shoot cultures derived from mature seed explants were encapsulated in 3% sodium
alginate and 100 mM CaCl2. 2H2O are supplemented with three different matrices (include distilled water, liquid MS
medium and plant growth regulators) and they are stored for several periods (15, 30, 45 and 60 days) at 4°C. After each
storage period for regeneration and regrowth evaluation, encapsulated and non-encapsulated shoot tips were cultured on
hormone-free MS medium. The regrowth ability of encapsulated shoot tips affected by the storage duration and the
presence or absence of MS nutrients in calcium alginate beads. Percentage response for the conversion of encapsulated
and non-encapsulated shoot tips decreased gradually after storage at 4°C by increasing storage durations. Indeed,
encapsulated vegetative propagules showed a higher resistance to storage at 4°C than non-encapsulated. Addition of MS
nutrients in calcium alginate beads significantly improved encapsulated explants regrowth after storage periods.
Research Interests:
The identification of genomic loci involved in control of quantitative traits receives growing attention in plant molecular breeding. The present study was carried out to evaluate the genetic variability among 48 rice genotypes and... more
The identification of genomic loci involved in control of quantitative traits receives growing attention in plant molecular breeding. The present study was carried out to evaluate the genetic variability among 48 rice genotypes and determine the genomic regions associated with ten grain related important traits. A total number of 63 alleles were detected by 18 selected SSR markers from different chromosomes with an average of 3.5 alleles per marker. A model-based Bayesian approach subdivided 48 evaluated rice genotypes into three major subgroups with the consideration of the highest value of ΔK. The mean r2 value for all loci pairs on the same chromosome was 0.053. A total of 38 significant marker-trait associations were identified (P< 0.05) that explaining more than 32% of the total variation. RM315, RM3428, RM289, RM16, RM574 and RM156 markers had highest R2 and most association with assayed traits, respectively. The findings of this study revealed association of grain properties in rice with some SSR markers that could serve as target genomic regions for further research such as MAS, fine mapping and candidate gene discovery in rice breeding programs.
KEYWORDS: Association analysis, Linkage disequilibrium, Rice, SSR.
Molecular information of K+ accumulation in grapes is strongly required. Under salinity condition potassium transporters are inhibited by Na+. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of salinity on the expression of K+... more
Molecular information of K+ accumulation in grapes is strongly required. Under salinity condition potassium transporters are inhibited by Na+. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of salinity on the expression of K+ transporter genes in grape. Based on the previous screening study on 18 grape genotypes, ‘H6’ and ‘Gharashani’ (tolerant) and ‘Shirazi’ and ‘GhezelUzum’ (sensitive) were selected. Plants were treated with 50 mM NaCl as a critical concentration that was not lethal for grapevine plants. Interestingly, the expression of VvKUP1, VvKUP2 and VvK1.1 genes highly increased in leaves of sensitive genotypes compared to tolerant ones. Also the expression of VvKUP1 and VvKUP2 genes were similar in the leaves of sensitive genotypes. There was a significant positive correlation (P<0.05) between the expression of K+ transporters –VvKUP1 and VvKUP2- and the accumulation of Na+ in the leaves of sensitive genotypes. Roots of all genotypes showed increase in expression of VvK1.1 under salinity. The findings highlighted a strong relationship between the accumulation of specific transcripts and the degree of stress tolerance.
KEYWORDS: Gene expression, Potassium transporters, Salt stress, Vitis
Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is an important medicinal plant which is widely distributed in Mazandaran province North of Iran. In this study, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers were... more
Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is an important medicinal plant which is widely distributed in Mazandaran province North of Iran. In this study, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers were used for detection of genetic polymorphism in Mazandaran nettle. Ten AFLP primer combinations and seventeen ISSR markers were utilized. AFLP produced 830 scorable bands out of which 90.21% were polymorphic. ISSR primers amplified 234 bands out of which 181 bands were being polymorphic (77.3%) and average heterozygosity for AFLP and ISSR markers were 0.25 and 0.23, respectively. Marker Index obtains 22.25 for AFLP and 15.57 for ISSR. The number of clusters computed was the same for both molecular markers, with different sample composition. In total, the comparison of two marker systems showed AFLP marker can be useful tool for detection of U. dioica genetic diversity.
KEYWORDS: Genetic variation, Medicinal plant, Molecular markers.
: A complete micropropagation protocol was developed for Pistacia vera cv. Ghazvini, an important rootstock in Pistachio orchards in Iran. In present study, the efficiency of a new medium called GNH (Garoosi, Nezami and Haddad) was... more
: A complete micropropagation protocol was developed for Pistacia vera cv. Ghazvini, an important rootstock in Pistachio orchards in Iran. In present study, the efficiency of a new medium called GNH (Garoosi, Nezami and Haddad) was investigated against some standard media. Different vitamins, calcium (Ca) sources and plant growth regulators (PGRs) were tested on in vitro shoot multiplication and root induction.  Results indicated that mean number of shoots (4.25 ± 0.25), and productivity (69.87 ± 9.19 mm) increased significantly when GNH medium formed the basal medium, compared to the standard media including Murashige and Skoog medium (MS), Juglans Medium (DKW), and McCown Woody Plant Medium (WPM). The most suitable concentration Ca and vitamin sources for shoot multiplication were 3.0 mM Ca gluconate and DKW-vitamins. The most suitable PGRs were a combination of 0.5 or 1.0 mg l-1 BAP and 0.1 mg l-1 IBA. The highest rooting parameters were obtained when 3.0 mM Ca gluconate or Fe-EDDHA (with 0.2 mM Fe) were incorporated into the GNH medium containing 2.0 mg l-1 α-naphthalenacetic acid (NAA). Finally, nearly 70% of the plantlets survived acclimatization in the greenhouse. The results suggested the GNH medium (supplemented with Ca gluconate and DKW-vitamins), as a considerable and specific medium for the rapid micropropagation of Pistacia vera cv. Ghazvini.
KEYWORDS: Ca gluconate, Ghazvini, GNH medium, Micropropagation, Minerals, Pistacia vera, Vitamins
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most significant cereal crops, about 3 billion people, nearly half the world's population; depend on rice for survival and it offers up to 80% of daily energy intake in most of the Asian countries.... more
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most significant cereal crops, about 3 billion people, nearly half the world's population; depend on rice for survival and it offers up to 80% of daily energy intake in most of the Asian countries. Knowledge of the distribution, extent and pattern of genetic variation is useful for estimation of any possible loss of genetic diversity and its role in breeding programs. This work assessed the genetic diversity among 25 coastal rice populations of five regions of Kerala (South India) using 18 microsatellite markers. A mean PIC value of 0.37 and an average of 3.5 alleles per loci were observed. Mean Heterozygosity value of 0.29 and gene diversity value of 0.41 was attained. AMOVA demonstrated that genetic differentiation was significant at P< 0.001 and FST index value of 0.035 was obtained. Of the total diversity, 57.76% was attributed within individuals, 38.71% was attributed among individuals within populations and 3.53% among populations. Information regarding the amount of genetic variations in these salt tolerant coastal accessions and genetic relationship between genotypes are essential for designing effective breeding programs. Especially, to meet the differentiated goals of plant breeding such as breeding for increasing yield, wider adaptation, desirable quality, pest and disease resistance.
KEYWORDS: AMOVA, Genetic Diversity, Heterozygosity, Microsatellite markers.
Low-phosphorus (P) stress as a key factor limiting plant growth and production is common in most agricultural soils. Most of the soil-applied phosphate will be rapidly immobilized and most of annually applied phosphate fertilizers are... more
Low-phosphorus (P) stress as a key factor limiting plant growth and production is common in most agricultural soils. Most of the soil-applied phosphate will be rapidly immobilized and most of annually applied phosphate fertilizers are fixed in the soil in organic forms by adsorption, sedimentation and transformation. However, excess P application may lead to contamination of water sources by enriching of water bodies with nutrients that cause eutrophication. Thus understanding the mechanisms that are used by plants to cope with low-P stress will be supportive to develop more competent breeding and genetic engineering schemes for generating improved phosphorus efficient crops. To cope with P deficiency and maintenance of phosphate homeostasis, plants have developed different adaptive mechanisms, including alterations in root morphology, recycling of inorganic phosphate (Pi) and induction of acid phosphatases (APases). To establish these strategies, numerous genes are involved in alternative metabolism pathways that are regulated by complex Pi signaling networks. In this review, we intend to summarize current advances in research on the mechanisms of P efficient crops and its breeding strategies, with a particular emphasis on APase and root architecture roles in response to low-P stress.
KEYWORDS: Low-P conditions, Root system architecture, APase activity, P-efficient plants, Pi acquisition.
Prunus rootstocks play an important role in modern horticulture and commercial orchards owing to their responsibility for a wide range of characters from compatibility with cultivars to adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this... more
Prunus rootstocks play an important role in modern horticulture and commercial orchards owing to their responsibility for a wide range of characters from compatibility with cultivars to adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, thirty Prunus rootstock samples were tested by 25 microsatellite markers in order to identify the genetic identity and relationships among them.17 SSR markers were useful in the discrimination of the samples on the basis of their unique molecular identities. Samples with similar codes such as (HS-401/HS-402/HS-403), (HS811/HS507/HS737/GF677), (HS126/HS-202), (HS-802/HS602) and (HS522/HS003/HS302) were shown mislabeled trees. Based on partial repeated bisection (RB) data, the samples were grouped into six clusters which the largest cluster contained nine genotypes (all APPL, APU2 and APPU3). The second largest cluster consisted of eight genotypes (all AM, all APL, APU1, APU3 and APH10). APH rootstocks were placed into clusters two, three and six as well as cluster one which included only APPU rootstocks. The highest amount of the average internal similarities (Isim) (0.973) belonged to cluster six, whereas the minimum amount of Isim (0.924) belonged to cluster three. The minimum level of the average external similarities (Esim) was related to groups one (0.664) and six (0.638) indicating, the highest genetic distance from other groups. The genetic identities and relatedness generated in this study provide a standard for further breeding attempts and will be used as a reference the cultivation of these promising newly released genotypes.

KEYWORDS: Promising Prunus rootstock, Genetic identity, SSR
Under osmotic stresses, proline accumulation is an important response of plants to these conditions. Proline is a compatible osmolyte which affects many cellular and molecular aspects of a plant in both normal and stressful situations.... more
Under osmotic stresses, proline accumulation is an important response of plants to these conditions.
Proline is a compatible osmolyte which affects many cellular and molecular aspects of a plant in both normal and
stressful situations. Proline is shown to be involved in plant development in normal conditions and in conferring
resistance to a plant under biotic and abiotic stresses. Therefore, many surveys have already been conducted to unveil
its mechanisms and signaling pathways, so that it might be considered as an insight into resolving growing challenges
of agriculture, drought and soil salinity. Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), one of the two main enzymes in
the proline biosynthesis pathway of the glutamate precursor, has been demonstrated to play a significant role in proline
accumulation in plants under water stresses. Regarding the role of P5CS under the osmotic stress, there are
controversial observations in various plants which casts doubts regarding whether P5CS is a rate-limiting enzyme in the
pathway or not. Obviously, transgene P5CS is proved to give higher resistance to transgenic plants under drought and
salinity, by elevating proline content. In this review of literature, proline and its identified various functions in plants,
characteristics of P5CS enzyme, signals, inducers and inhibitors of P5CS gene and the expression pattern of P5CS
under differential conditions in studied plant species are discussed. Finally, some of the important features of the
transgenic plants overexpressing P5CS have been summarized.
Research Interests:
One concern about using transgenic plants is the Un-uniformity that derived from somaclonal variation molecular markers play an important role in the efficient and effective determination of genetic variation. The present work was carried... more
One concern about using transgenic plants is the Un-uniformity that derived from somaclonal variation
molecular markers play an important role in the efficient and effective determination of genetic variation. The present
work was carried out to assess the genetic uniformity of transgenic cottons (Bt and chitinase lines), using RAPD, ISSR
molecular markers and SDS-PAGE analysis. Similarity matrix for RAPD marker based on Nei and Li’s coefficient
revealed that p-values for pairwise comparisons between Bt and chitinase cottons and their conventional counterpart plant
were 93% and 95% respectively. Also, similarity matrix for ISSR marker revealed that p-values for pairwise comparisons
between Bt and chitinase lines and their conventional counterpart were 94% and 96% respectively. Pairwise similarity
coefficient among two transgenic plants and their conventional counterparts ranged from 0.94 to 0.99 SDS-protein
patterns exhibiting four major bands. Also, molecular weight ranged from 10 KD to 35 KD. Similarity matrix for protein
patterns revealed that pairwise value between Bt and chitinase lines and their conventional counterpart was 100%. All
protein bands of three cultivars were the same and no polymorphic bands were detected. Pairwise similarity coefficient
among two transgenic plants and their conventional counterpart ranged from 0.94 to 0.99. These lines could be used for
more in-depth evaluation and new ways of commercializing biosafety studies can be proposed.
Research Interests:
Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses that limit crop growth and production. Salt stress influences plants in two ways: by affecting ion toxicity and increasing osmotic stress. Ion homeostasis, the excretion of Na+ and... more
Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses that limit crop growth and production. Salt stress
influences plants in two ways: by affecting ion toxicity and increasing osmotic stress. Ion homeostasis, the excretion of
Na+ and using antioxidant systems are the major strategies of salt tolerance in plants. Na+ and K+ transporters with
enzymes that are involved in detoxification of reactive oxygen species play key roles in salt tolerance in plants. The aim
of this study was to investigate the responses of high affinity K+ transporter2;1 gene (HKT2;1) which is involved in
regulation of ion homeostasis and L-gulonolactone oxidase (GLOase) which is involved in the ascorbic acid biosynthesis
pathway, under different concentrations of NaCl over different time points in Aeluropus littoralis shoots. Results from
Real Time PCR data showed that expressions of both genes were influenced by external and internal concentrations of
Na+ and the internal K+ content. AlHKT2;1 was significantly upregulated by increasing Na+ concentration at all time
points. Furthermore, its highest expression level in shoots occurred after 6 days in 300mM NaCl in shoots which was
25folds more than untreated shoots. AlGLOase expression levels increased 54 h after initiation of salt stress. These results
indicate that AlHKT2;1 and AlGLOase respond to different salinity conditions and probably are part of the mechanisms
involved in tolerance to high salt concentrations in A. littoralis
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The present study was carried out to investigate micropropagation possibility and determine the optimal medium composition and plant growth regulators (PGRs) combinations under in vitro conditions in Iranian cannabis. The cotyledon and... more
The present study was carried out to investigate micropropagation possibility and determine the optimal
medium composition and plant growth regulators (PGRs) combinations under in vitro conditions in Iranian cannabis. The
cotyledon and epicotyl explants obtained from 1 month old in vitro grown seedlings were used in MS medium containing
BA (0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 mg-1) and TDZ (0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 mg-1) either alone or in combination with 0.5 mg-1
IBA. Callus formation had priority over direct regeneration in most of the PGRs treatments. Comparing the two explants,
cotyledon had higher callus formation frequency and the largest callus volume was obtained for this explant in MS
medium supplemented with 3 mg-1 TDZ + 0.5 mg-1 IBA. The highest callus fresh weight (3.15 gr) was obtained for
cotyledon explant treated with 2 mg-1 TDZ+ 0.5 mg-1 IBA. In shoot formation step, the highest rate of shoot regeneration
was achieved in the calli produced from epicotyl explant treated with 2 mg-1 BA + 0.5 mg-1 IBA; and the highest length
of regenerated shoots (1.23 cm) was observed in 2 mg-1 BA + 0.5 mg-1 IBA treatment. In general, cotyledon was the best
explant and TDZ in combination with IBA was the best treatment for callus formation. Epicotyl explant also showed
better regeneration compared to cotyledon.
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The root endophytic fungus, Piriformospora indica, colonizes roots of a large number of plant species including Cereals and Brasicaceae. There are several reports indicating that P. indica protects roots from different pathogens. In the... more
The root endophytic fungus, Piriformospora indica, colonizes roots of a large number of plant species
including Cereals and Brasicaceae. There are several reports indicating that P. indica protects roots from different pathogens. In the present study, rice plants were pre-inoculated with P. indica and were subsequently infected with Fusarium
proliferatum, as the causal agent of root rot and crown rot (Bakanae) disease. The effects of P. indica on the protection
of rice plants against F. proliferatum were evaluated. Transcription levels of some pathogenesis-related genes such as
NPR1, PR1, PR4 and PR5, as well as two transcriptional factor genes namely WRKY62 and WRKY85 were quantified
via quantitative real time PCR in rice roots. Pre-inoculated and challenged rice plants showed mild disease symptoms
with two weeks delay compared to non P. indica colonized plants. Quantification of Fusarium in roots via q-PCR confirmed the higher quantity of the fungi in non pre-inoculated plants. Expression analysis revealed a faster induction of
pathogenesis related genes following F. proliferatum inoculation of pre-inoculated plants i.e. priming of these genes is a part of mechanism of P. indica induced systemic resistance.
Research Interests:
Among abiotic stresses, salinity has been increasing over the time for many reasons like using chemical fertilizers, global warming and rising sea levels. Under salinity stress, the loss of water availability, toxicity of Na+ and ion... more
Among abiotic stresses, salinity has been increasing over the time for many reasons like using chemical fertilizers, global warming and rising sea levels. Under salinity stress, the loss of water availability, toxicity of Na+ and ion imbalance directly reduces carbon fixation and biomass production in plants. K+ is a major agent that can counteract Na+ stresses, thus the potential of plants to tolerate salinity is strongly dependent on their potassium nutrition. HKTs (High-affinity K+ transporters) are a family of transporters that mediate Na+-specific or Na+-K+ transport and play a key role in the regulation of ion homeostasis. In this study, we intended to focus on Electrolyte Leakage, ratio of K+/Na+, transcriptomic responses of a subclass two HKT in the roots of Aeluropus littoralis under salt stress. We investigated a noticeably different expression pattern over studied time points and found a snappy increase of AlHKT and rebalance of K+ concentration. It can be suggested that the early and high response of a Na+-K+ coupled transporter acted as a part of A. littoralis salt tolerance.
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There is no functional annotation for the majority of the several hundreds of receptor-like kinases in plants. A direct way of inferring the function of these proteins is to study the phenotype that results from loss of function mutants... more
There is no functional annotation for the majority of the several hundreds of receptor-like kinases in plants. A direct way of inferring the function of these proteins is to study the phenotype that results from loss of function mutants such as T-DNA mutant lines. In this research a function (phenotype) to At2g37050 gene that encodes a receptor like kinase in Arabidopsis T-DNA line was assigned. This phenotype has a shorter primary root length at later stages of development. Transcription study of the gene showed some tissue specificity with more expression level in the root in comparison with other tissues. To study genes co-expressed with At2g37050, ATTED-II web tool was used. It was found that the CLASP gene is co-expressed with At2g37050 with a Pearson correlation > 0.6. In kinematic analysis of the difference in root growth, the length between the root tip and the first epidermal cell with a visible root hair bulge for 8 day-old seedlings of wild type plants was 1327± 76.50 µm (n=6) and for the mutant plants, was 1109± 72.28. This parameter of the wild type and the mutant plants shows that loose of function of At2g37050 gene, reduce cell elongation in the elongation zone of root.
Many agriculturally important traits are complex, affected by many genes and the environment. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping is a key tool for studying the genetic structure of complex traits in plants. In the present study QTLs... more
Many agriculturally important traits are complex, affected by many genes and the environment. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping is a key tool for studying the genetic structure of complex traits in plants. In the present study QTLs associated with yield and agronomical traits such as leaf number, leaf length, leaf width, plant height, stem and head diameter were identified by using 70 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from the cross (♀) PAC2 × RHA266(♂). RILs and their parents were evaluated in a rectangular 89 lattice design with two replications. High genetic variability and transgressive segregation were observed in all studied traits. Genetic gain representing the difference between 10% of selected RILs and their parents was significant for most of the studied traits. Positive and significant genotypic and phenotypic correlations were observed among the studied traits. QTL analysis was performed using a recently developed SSR and SNP sunflower linkage map. The map consists of 210 SSRs and 11 SNP markers placed in 17 linkage groups (LGs). The total map length is 1,653.1 cM with a mean density of 1 marker per 7.44 cM. Composite interval mapping (CIM) procedure detected 21 QTLs involved in genetic control of studied traits. The phenotypic variance explained by the identified QTLs varied from 1.13 to 73.70%. QTLs such as HMBPP associated with the expression of more than one trait could increase the efficiency of marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genetic progress in sunflower. Abbreviations: AFLP: amplified fragment length polymorphism, BIO: total dry mater, CIM: composite interval mapping, DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid, DHs: doubled haploids, F 2 : second filial generation, Gb: giga base pairs = 1,000,000,000 bp, GLM: general linear model, GYP: grain yield per plant, HD: head diameter, INDEL: Insertion-deletion polymorphisms as genetic markers in natural populations, LAF: leaf area at flowering, LAD: leaf area duration, LL: leaf length, LGs: linkage groups, LOD: logarithm (base 10) of odds, LW: leaf width, NL: number of leaf, PL: petiole length, PH: plant height, OP: osmotic potential; QTL: quantitative trait loci, RAPD: random amplified polymorphic DNA, RFLP: restriction fragment length polymorphism, RILs: recombinant inbred lines, SD: stem diameter, SF: days from sowing to flowering, SSR: simple sequence repeat, SNP: single nucleotide polymorphism, TRAP: target region amplification polymorphism.
DNA methylation as epigenetic mark plays a key role in normal differential and developmental processes as well as in dynamic gene regulation at the genomic level. To assess DNA methylation pattern in different developmental stages of... more
DNA methylation as epigenetic mark plays a key role in normal differential and developmental processes as well as in dynamic gene regulation at the genomic level. To assess DNA methylation pattern in different developmental stages of Aeluropus littoralis, methylation sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) was used. Methylation and demethylation status at the CCGG recognition site were tracked by two sets of cytosine methylation-sensitive enzymes (MspI and HpaII), which were classified into three types. The percentage of total bands per type I (non methylation), type II (CpG methylation) and type III (CpCpG methylation) fragments were 75.7, 19.4 and 4.9, respectively. The most frequent methylation events (19.4%) were observed in type II fragment in which full methylation pattern occurred. Out of 480 bands, 33 bands showed methylation alterations between differential developmental stages in all three types of detectable methylation levels. In this study, polymorphic bands had two main directions associated with methylation or demethylation patterns in which methylation level increased during plant development. The methylation and demethylation events at CG sites could be related to developmental stage-specific gene regulation.
Literatures have reported that a lot of drought related genes were cloned and individual gene showed positive effects under controlled stress experiments, but were not much effective in the field. Although, the progresses by conventional... more
Literatures have reported that a lot of drought related genes were cloned and individual gene showed positive effects under controlled stress experiments, but were not much effective in the field. Although, the progresses by conventional breeding approaches were achievable as some drought varieties have been released to the farmers in the recent years but this is not adequate to cope up with the future demand of high yield for rice, as drought seems to spread to more regions and seasons. Therefore, marker assisted selection came into lime light for accelerating and giving pace to plant breeding.From the cross (Sarjoo-52× Nagina-22) × Sarjoo-52, plants were selected on the basis of presence of gene MQTL 1.1 responsible for the drought tolerance. These lines have been subjected to further breeding and trial tests. Agronomic performances and physiological behavior of these lines are also under track. The results showed that the variety Sarjoo 52 could be efficiently converted to a drought tolerant variety in a backcross generation followed by selfing and selection, involving a time of two to three years. Polymorphic markers for foreground and background selection were identified for the high yielding variety to develop a wider range of drought tolerant variety to meet the needs of farmers in the drought-prone regions. This approach demonstrates the effective use of marker assisted selection for a major QTL in a molecular breeding program.
Marker assisted selection (MAS) is a tool for breeding, screening, and genetic characterization of germplasm. Allelic variation of both high and low molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW/LMW-GS) is associated with the rheological... more
Marker assisted selection (MAS) is a tool for breeding, screening, and genetic characterization of germplasm. Allelic variation of both high and low molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW/LMW-GS) is associated with the rheological properties of wheat flour. In this study, we investigated glutenin pattern using SDS-PAGE and their PCR based on DNA markers in 60 advanced wheat lines and cultivars with different origins. Specific DNA markers regarding to Glu-1 loci, such as 1319 bp, 669 bp and 450 bp fragments were respectively validated for 2*, 17+18, 5+10 alleles. These alleles showed the highest allelic percentage in Glu-1 loci in studied cultivars. However the Null, 7+8 and 5+10 alleles showed the highest allelic percentage in advanced lines. In this study, 23%, 40% and 37% of cultivars respectively, got good (10), moderate (8-9) and weak (4-7) quality scores. In advanced lines, 18%, 44% and 38% got good, moderate and weak quality scores respectively. Ten specific DNA PCR markers were also detected for genotyping Glu-B3 alleles. The most frequent Glu-B3 alleles in wheat cultivars were i, a, b and d with 24%, 21%, 20% and 12%, respectively.Specific PCR markers regarding to the reported Glu-B3 alleles were produced as 621bp, 1095bp, 1570 bp and 662bp consequently. The most frequent Glu-B3 alleles in advanced lines belonged to a, i and d alleles with 35%, 26% and 21% respectively. The results provided useful information for breeding program to improve breadmaking quality and develop new cultivars.
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a very dangerous livestock disease which causes a serious loss in the production of milk and meat. Therefore, producing an effective recombinant subunit vaccine virus this disease is of great importance.... more
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a very dangerous livestock disease which causes a serious loss in the production of milk and meat. Therefore, producing an effective recombinant subunit vaccine virus this disease is of great importance. Transient gene expression is a valuable tool to reach rapid and acceptable recombinant vaccine. An Agrobacterium-mediated transient gene expression assay was carried out in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) leaves for expression of a chimeric gene encoding a part of capsid protein of Foot and Mouth Disease virus called VP1. The plant leaves were transformed via agroinfiltration procedure. The presence of foreign gene and its expression in transformed plants were confirmed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real time PCR, protein Dot blot and ELISA. The results obtained in this examination showed quite a high level of gene expression in spinach leaves, showing that transient gene expression can be applied as an effective and time-saving procedure for the production of recombinant proteins. The procedures for transformation, detection of recombinant protein and its application for molecular experiments are described in the study.
The plant-pathogen interaction is a multifactor process that may lead to resistance or susceptible responses of plant to pathogens. During the arms race between plant and pathogens, various biochemical, molecular and physiological events... more
The plant-pathogen interaction is a multifactor process that may lead to resistance or susceptible responses of plant to pathogens. During the arms race between plant and pathogens, various biochemical, molecular and physiological events are triggered in plant cells such as ROS signaling, hormone activation and gene expression reprogramming. In plants, microRNAs (miRNAs) are key post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and are involved in several cellular processes including response to environmental stress. In recent years, plant pathologists have presented a logical approach of plant immune system as zigzag based model that includes two phases of immunity, PTI and ETI in which miRNA molecules are determinant regulators. Here, we present an overview of miRNA biology, a brief explanation of plant immune systems in zigzag model, the role of phytohormones and miRNAs in plant immunity with a main focus on Arabidopsis-Pseudomonas interactions and finally we discuss our results on miRNA expression in lemon-Xanthomonas interactions.
In this study, genetic diversity of 20 wheat genotypes was evaluated using 126 simple sequence repeats (SSR) alleles, covering all three wheat genomes. A total of 1557 allelic variants were detected for 126 SSR loci. The number of alleles... more
In this study, genetic diversity of 20 wheat genotypes was evaluated using 126 simple sequence repeats (SSR) alleles, covering all three wheat genomes. A total of 1557 allelic variants were detected for 126 SSR loci. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 19 and the allelic polymorphism information content (PIC) varied from 0.66 (Xgwm429) to 0.94 (Xgwm212 and Xgwm515). The highest polymorphism was observed in Xgwm212 and Xgwm515 primers with 19 alleles, while the lowest polymorphism belonged to Xgwm429 with 4 alleles. The highest number of alleles per locus was detected in the genome A with 594 , compared to 552 and 411 for B and D genomes, respectively. Dendrogram was constructed using Dice similarity coefficient and UPGMA algorithm by NTSYSpc2.0 software and genotypes were grouped in to six clusters. The knowledge about the genetic relationships of genotypes provides useful information to address breeding programs and germplasm resource management. This study also confirms the usefulness of SSR markers to study wheat genetic diversity.
Iron is one of the most important nutrients in the human diet. According to the high consumption of staple foods such as wheat, the deficiency of iron in these crops would lead to nutritional disorders and related complications. To... more
Iron is one of the most important nutrients in the human diet. According to the high consumption of staple foods such as wheat, the deficiency of iron in these crops would lead to nutritional disorders and related complications. To identify microsatellite markers associated with wheat grain iron content,38Iranian prevalent wheat genotypes were assessed using 30 pairs of genomic and EST microsatellite markers. Based on field experiments, significant difference was observed among studied genotypes for grain iron content which ranged from 34-53 mg/Kg. in the molecular experiment, the range of alleles per SSR locus was 2-9 with a mean of 4.5 and the mean of polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.55. The stepwise regression analysis has been used for estimating the relationship between microsatellite markers and grain iron content. The results indicated that Xwmc617 (4A, 4B, 4D), Xgwm160 (4A) and Xbarc146 (6D,6B,6A) were significantly correlated with wheat grain iron content. The results of this research can be used in further studies and marker assisted breeding of wheat to increase grain iron content.
A complete diallel cross of nine cotton genotypes (Gossypium hirsutum L. & Gossypium barbadense L.) viz Delinter, Sindose-80, Omoumi, Bulgare-539, Termez-14, Red leaf (Native species), B-557, Brown fiber and Siokra-324 having diverse... more
A complete diallel cross of nine cotton genotypes (Gossypium hirsutum L. & Gossypium barbadense L.) viz Delinter, Sindose-80, Omoumi, Bulgare-539, Termez-14, Red leaf (Native species), B-557, Brown fiber and Siokra-324 having diverse genetic origins was conducted over two years to determine the potential for the improvement of yield, its components, oil and fiber quality traits by means of genetic analysis, combining ability, heritability and heterotic effects. The detailed studies were based on F 1 generations where crossed seeds in the first year were used for F 1 generation in the second year. The successful hybrids were recognized and distinguished by morphological markers such as flower color, spot position and their colors in petal, fiber color, seed linter, leaf color and their shapes. Analysis of variance for Simple Square Lattice Design (SSLD) showed highly significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) among various genotypes which allowed genetic analysis by Griffing, Hayman and Hayman-Jinks , method. Additive-dominance model and related correlation (Wr, Vr) were adequate for majority of the traits and partially adequate for some traits. Majority of the traits were influenced by non-additive gene action in F 1 generation. These results are encouraging for practical improvement through hybrid breeding programs and the contributions of additive genes through selection method. Significant variation for general combining ability (GCA) effects, specific combining ability (SCA) effects (P ≤ 0.05) and high narrow sense heritability indicates the potential for improvement through selection. On the other hand, over-dominance gene action, low and moderate rate of narrow-sense heritability for some traits suggests that improvements should be made utilizing a combination and hybrid breeding approach.
Conventional methods of pear breeding, largely based on intra-and inter-specific hybridization, are difficult because pear is highly heterozygous, polygenic and has a long juvenile period. Genetic improvements of pear cultivars are... more
Conventional methods of pear breeding, largely based on intra-and inter-specific hybridization, are difficult because pear is highly heterozygous, polygenic and has a long juvenile period. Genetic improvements of pear cultivars are possible through induction of mutations and gene transfer by genetic engineering. A general prerequisite for these approaches is to establish an efficient plant regeneration system. In the present study, the effect of two basal media (MS and NN) and different concentrations of TDZ (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 µM) or BAP (0, 4, 8, 16 µM) in combination with NAA (1 µM) on direct shoot regeneration of two pear (Pyrus communis L.) genotypes 'Bartlett' and 'Dargazi' was investigated. The obtained results showed that 'Dargazi' had higher rates of shoot regeneration than 'Bartlett' and in both cultivars the highest percent of shoot regeneration was observed from lower sections of the leaves. Although the highest percent of shoot regeneration in 'Bartlett' (38%) was attained in the NN medium containing 2.5 µM TDZ and 1 µM NAA, the differences in shoot regeneration between this medium and the NN media containing 5 or 7.5 µM TDZ and 1 µM NAA were not significant. The highest percent of shoot regeneration in 'Dargazi' (56%) was obtained in NN medium containing 7.5 µm TDZ and 1 µm NAA. It can be concluded that genotypes, explant types and culture media composition could effect on direct shoot regeneration of pear.
Codon bias refers to the differences in the frequency of occurrence of synonymous codons in coding DNA. Pattern of codon and optimum codon utilization is significantly different between the lives. This difference is due to the long term... more
Codon bias refers to the differences in the frequency of occurrence of synonymous codons in coding DNA. Pattern of codon and optimum codon utilization is significantly different between the lives. This difference is due to the long term function of natural selection and evolution process. Genetics drift, mutation and regulation of gene expression are the main reasons for codon bias. In this study, the codon bias analysis was done on photosynthesis and respiratory related genes of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME), pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK), glycerate kinase (GK) (nuclear genes), rubisco, NADH-dehydrogenase subunit F and cytochrome-C (chloroplast genes) from Aeluropus littoralis plant. Nuclear gene sequences were obtained after partial isolation and for chloroplast genes obtained from nucleotide database. Calculation of codon adaptation index (CAI) showed that studied genes with direct or indirect association with photosynthesis, had high level of gene expression and had also a tendency to optimum codon utilization. The results also showed the difference in codon bias between genes encoded in nucleus and chloroplast for some amino acids.
Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. Lycopersici is one of the major obstacles to the production of tomato which causes huge losses in tomato products worldwide. In order to increase the tolerance to this disease, a triple... more
Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. Lycopersici is one of the major obstacles to the production of tomato which causes huge losses in tomato products worldwide. In order to increase the tolerance to this disease, a triple structure containing PR1, chitinase and glucanase genes controlled by 35S promoter was transferred to tomato. Eight days after planting on pre-culture medium, explants were inoculated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 containing the aforementioned plasmid. When the regenerated shoots grew to 2-3 cm, they were cut and transferred to rooting medium.The plantlets were then transferred to pots filled with a soil mixture of peat moss and perlite for further acclimatization. The putative transgenic plant lines were analyzed by multiplex PCR and the transcription of the transgenes was confirmed by RT-PCR method using the specific primers. The estimated value for the frequency of the simultaneous transfer of chitinase, glucanase and PR1 genes to tomato was 2.7%. Protein extracts of transgenic plants expressing chitinase, glucanase and PR1 genes inhibited in vitro hyphal growth of F. oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici. Compared with non-transgenic control plants, despite some alterations in chlorophyll content no other morphological changes were observed in transgenic plants. The total content of chlorophyll " a " and " b " in transgenic plants were 31.8 and 36.2 % higher than that of control plants, respectively, which may be attributed to metabolic changes due to simultaneous expression of three transgenes.
Leaf senescence constitutes the last stage of leaf development in plants and proceeds through a highly regulated program in order to redistribution of micro- and macro-nutrients from the senescing leaves to the developing/growing plant... more
Leaf senescence constitutes the last stage of leaf development in plants and proceeds through a highly regulated program in order to redistribution of micro- and macro-nutrients from the senescing leaves to the developing/growing plant organs. Initiation and progression of leaf senescence is accompanied by massive sequential alterations at various levels of leaf biology including leaf morphology and physiology,
cell metabolism and structure, and gene transcription. In this regard, comprehensive expression analysis of senescence-associated genes (SAGs) and the identification of leaf senescence related mutants has
revealed that leaf senescence is a complex genetically controlled program. In this review, we present important findings about the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying leaf senescence in various plants with a main focus on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Functional analysis of leaf senescence mutants has provided new insights into the key processes that regulate the onset and progression of leaf senescence, thus allowing categorization of the various regulatory factors into several signalling pathways.
Mutation induction is considered as an effective way to enrich plant genetic variation, particularly for traits with a very low level of genetic variation. This research was conducted to assess genetic variation induced by gamma radiation... more
Mutation induction is considered as an effective way to enrich plant genetic variation, particularly for traits with a very low level of genetic variation. This research was conducted to assess genetic variation induced by gamma radiation in M 2 and M 3 mutant lines of canola (Brassica napus L.) by SSR and morphological characteristics and to identify useful mutants in terms of agronomic traits. Sixty-two mutant lines derived from gamma mutagenesis and their wild-type progenitors ('RGS003' and 'Sarigol' cvs) were used. Twenty-five polymorphic SSR primers were used in this study. Results of cluster analysis based on both morphological traits comprising plant height, days to flowering, days to maturity, number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pod, 1000-seed weight and seed yield/plant and SSR data revealed a separate grouping of mutant lines from control cultivars. SSR data analysis of mutant lines and controls demonstrated a considerable genetic variation among mutant lines, where 83% of primers generated polymor-phic bands with 3.32 alleles per locus. The genetic distance calculated between mutant lines and their controls indicated a significant difference between mutant lines and controls. Although both morphological and SSR markers successfully discriminated mutant lines from controls, SSR primers could further discriminate between the mutant lines derived from the related cultivar. Mutant lines 24 derived from 'RGS003' and 16 and 26 from 'Sarigol' were considered as superior for breeding canola, which could be utilized in future genetic and breeding programs. Distinct classification of genotypes based on agro-morphological and SSR data in the present study implies that morphological and SSR markers reflected different aspects of genetic variation among mutant lines.
Drought stress is one of the serious problems that restricted agronomic plant production worldwide. In molecular level, the harmful effect of drought stress is mostly caused by producing of large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS).... more
Drought stress is one of the serious problems that restricted agronomic plant production worldwide. In molecular level, the harmful effect of drought stress is mostly caused by producing of large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Catalase and Metallothionein genes have a crucial role to mope the hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) resulting reducing oxidative damage. In this research the gene expression pattern of Catalase and Metallothionein was studied in response to drought stress treatments. The treatments included-0.3 bar,-0.9 bar,-8 bar and-12 bar and wheat varieties included Zagros (drought tolerant), Moghan (semi-tolerant) and Tajan (drought sensitive). The amount of cellular oxidative levels (TBARM) increased steady by intensify of drought stress levels. Real time PCR analysis showed different expression pattern for catalase and metallothionein encoded genes. Catalase gene expression was increased during drought stress up to-8 bar and reduced in-12 bar treatment, in all cultivars specially in Tajan cultivar. Metallothionein gene expression was linearly reduced during different levels of drought treatments especially in Zagros and Tajan cultivars. The most activity for both genes has observed in Zagros cultivar at-0.9 bar treatment. Whereas, Moghan cultivar showed most transcription for both genes at-8 bar treatment. Overall gene activities, content of chlorophyll (a, b) and whole plants appearance declined by high level of drought stress e.g.-12 bar treatment in all cultivars particularly in Tajan variety. Whereas, the moderate levels of drought stress treatments induced genes activitiy.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), an important medicinal plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, has a wide distribution in Iran and other parts of the world. The medicinal and pharmacological effects of chamomile are mainly associated... more
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), an important medicinal plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, has a wide distribution in Iran and other parts of the world. The medicinal and pharmacological effects of chamomile are mainly associated with its essential oil content and it is widely used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Despite its wide geographical distribution in Iran, little is known about its molecular genetic diversity and distribution. In this study, intron-exon splice junction (ISJ) markers, including both intron-targeted (IT) and exon-targeted (ET) primers, were used to assess the genetic diversity of thirty-one chamomile populations, including 28 populations from different parts of Iran, one Hungarian population, and two of unknown origin. Twenty-six out of thirty-five primers used in the study, were reliable, producing a total number of 566 sharp and precise bands, of which 557 bands were polymorphic (98%). The average polymorphic information content (PIC) and the average marker index (MI) were calculated at 0.33 and 7.34, respectively. The average total genetic diversity (H T), average genetic diversity within population (H ST) and gene differentiation coefficient (G st) were 0.293, 0.219, and 0.251, respectively. The diversity data revealed that the Matricaria chamomilla species exhibited the closest relationship with the Tripleurospermum disciforme and Tripleurospermum sevanense species.
Narrow genetic variability may lead to genetic vulnerability of field crops against biotic and abiotic stresses which can cause yield reduction. In this study a set of 37 wheat microsatellite markers linked with identified QTLs for... more
Narrow genetic variability may lead to genetic vulnerability of field crops against biotic and abiotic stresses which can cause yield reduction. In this study a set of 37 wheat microsatellite markers linked with identified QTLs for salinity tolerance were used for the assessment of genetic diversity for salinity in 30 promising lines of hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A total of 438 alleles were detected with an average allele number of 11.84 per locus using 37 microsatellite markers. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to twenty, the maximum number of alleles was observed at Xgwm312. Gene diversity statistic for 37 microsatellite loci was varied from 0.66 to 0.94 and also polymorphic information content value was varied from 0.64 to 0.93 for Xgwm445 and Xgwm312 respectively. Result showed Xgwm312 SSR marker with the highest PIC value was distinguished as the best marker for genetic diversity analysis to improve of salinity tolerance. Obtained dendrogram by UPGMA method categorized genotypes in to 3 different groups, which had different reaction to salinity. A wide range of genomic diversity was observed among all the genotypes. Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) also confirmed this pattern of genetic diversity, proving them can be use as the prime candidates in order to improve of salinity tolerance in breeding programs of wheat. The present study also indicates that microsatellite markers permit the fast and high throughput fingerprinting of numbers of genotypes from a germplasm collection in order to assess genetic diversity.
Identification of genes with invariant levels of gene expression is a prerequisite for validating transcriptomic changes accompanying development. Ideally expression of these genes should be independent of the morphogenetic process or... more
Identification of genes with invariant levels of gene expression is a prerequisite for validating transcriptomic changes accompanying development. Ideally expression of these genes should be independent of the morphogenetic process or environmental condition.We report here the validation of internal control gene i.e.TPS (trehalose 6-phosphate-synthase) in cotton (Gossypium spp), using TaqMan system in quantitative Real Time PCR (qRT-PCR). The Gene expression was tested in five different G. hirsutum cultivars including Coker 312, Acala SJ, ZETA 2, Taghva, Neishabour and a diploid wild type; G. barbadense. Identical amplicons were obtained within these cultivars. No amplifications was achieved when DNA samples from barley (Hordeum vulgare), maize (Zea mays), rice (Oryza sativa), Fig (Ficus carica), pistachio (Pistacia vera), yew (Taxus baccata), wheat (Tirticum aestivum), rose (Rosa hybrida) and soybean (Glycine max) were used as template. Therefore, it was confirmed that the primers and probes designed in this study were specific for the identification and quantification of internal control gene. These results reveal the possibility of using the TPS gene as an internal control in cotton. In another word, this gene would be a suitable candidate as a reference gene in examination of gene expression, detection of transgenic cotton and determining e the zygosity as well as the copy number of the transgene.
Abstract Expressed sequence tags simple sequence repeats (EST-SSRs) are important sources for investigation of genetic diversity and molecular marker development. Similar to genomic SSRs, the EST-SSRs are useful markers for many... more
Abstract
Expressed sequence tags simple sequence repeats (EST-SSRs) are important sources for investigation of genetic diversity and molecular marker development. Similar to genomic SSRs, the EST-SSRs are useful markers for many applications in genetics and plant breeding such as genetic diversity analysis, molecular mapping and cross-transferability across related species and genera. In spite of low polymorphism, these markers show variation in the expressed part of the genome. In this study, Medicago truncatula EST-SSRs were used for investigation of transferability between M. truncatula and some chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes, also genetic diversity between used chickpea genotypes was determined. In this research, 650 M. truncatula ESTs were searched to find simple sequence repeats (SSRs). A total of 131 EST-SSRs were contained di-and trinucleotide motif SSRs. In this study, thirty pairs of primers were designed to amplify over 10 chickpea genotypes. Thirteen primer pairs (43%) generated reproducible bands in at least one chickpea genotype that eight bands (61.5%) were polymorphic in the chickpea genotypes. A total of 24 alleles were amplified with an average of 3 alleles per primer. The average of polymorphism information content (PIC) was 78.75% and transferability across M. truncatula and C. arietinum was 43.32%. The results indicate that the developed EST-SSR markers from M. truncatula as a model plant are valuable genetic markers for legume species such as chickpea. In addition to suitability of EST-SSR markers for genetic diversity analysis, their broad range of transferability also proved their potential for comparative genomics studies.
Study of genetic relationships is a prerequisite for plant breeding activities as well as for conservation of genetic resources. In the present study, genetic diversity among and within 15 Iranian native Ajowan (Carum copticum L.)... more
Study of genetic relationships is a prerequisite for plant breeding activities as well as for conservation of genetic resources. In the present study, genetic diversity among and within 15 Iranian native Ajowan (Carum copticum L.) populations were determined using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Twelve selected primers produced 153 discernible bands, with 93 (60.78%) being polymorphic, indicating considerable genetic diversity at the population level. Number of polymorphic bands per primer ranged from 4 to 11 with an average of 7.75. The largest percentage of polymorphic loci was 78.57% for primer UBC818. Based on an un-weighted pair-group method using arithmetic average (UPGMA) clustering algorithm, four distinct groups were established. Results of the principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) corresponded to those obtained through cluster analysis. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that the genetic variation was found mainly within populations (61%), but variance among populations was only 39%. This study has detected significant genetic differentiation among C. copticum populations. The current study confirmed the importance of molecular studies in detecting genetic variation among genotypes in selecting diverse parents to carry out crossing program successfully.
Establishment of an efficient and reproducible regeneration protocol is one of the basic prerequisites for genetic transformation of any crop plant. In vitro culture of lentil has proven to be difficult. In spite of a number of reports on... more
Establishment of an efficient and reproducible regeneration protocol is one of the basic prerequisites for genetic transformation of any crop plant. In vitro culture of lentil has proven to be difficult. In spite of a number of reports on the regeneration of this plant, very few satisfying and reproducible protocol has yet been reported. This study carried out for investigation of different hormone treatments and explants in order to establish a reproducible protocol for indirect in vitro regeneration of the cultivar Gachsaran (commonly grown in Iran). For this purpose, the effects of 13 different hormone treatments and 4 explants on callus induction and regeneration were studied. Callus with the highest fresh and dry weight was produced on modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 1 mg/L α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)and 1 mg/L Zeatin (medium E). Among the explants, decapitated embryos attached to 1/4 of the cotyledon (DEAC) produced callus with the highest fresh and dry weights. In the regeneration stage, calli induced on media supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) alone or in combination with other hormones did not result in shooting or rooting responses. The highest shooting and rooting responses (75%) were observed for callus induction medium E, using decapitated embryos with a quarter of the cotyledon as the explant.
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A significant portion of the world's cultivated land is affected by salinity that reduces crop productivity in these areas. Breeding for salt tolerance is one of the important strategies to overcome this problem. Recently, genetic... more
A significant portion of the world's cultivated land is affected by salinity that reduces crop productivity in these areas. Breeding for salt tolerance is one of the important strategies to overcome this problem. Recently, genetic engineering is becoming a promising approach to improving salt tolerance. In order to improve the yield performance of canola in saline soils, we transformed canola with Arabidopsis vacuolar Na + /H + antiporter gene AtNHX1 which enhances the plant capacity for reducing cytosolic Na + by transporting Na + into the vacuole. Southern analysis of putative transgenic plants indicated that only one copy of the gene integrated into the plant genome. Overexpression of the AtNHX1 gene was shown in T 1 transgenic plants. Under salinity conditions, stem and root length and overall biomass of transgenic plants were significantly higher compared to those of nontransgenic plants. Moreover, salt treated transgenic plants contained high proline and K + , but less Na + compared to wild type.
The hydrophobic proteins of plant plasma membrane still remain largely unknown. For example in the Arabidopsis genome, receptor-like kinases (RLKs) are plasma membrane proteins, functioning as the primary receptors in the signaling of... more
The hydrophobic proteins of plant plasma membrane still remain largely unknown. For example in the Arabidopsis genome, receptor-like kinases (RLKs) are plasma membrane proteins, functioning as the primary receptors in the signaling of stress conditions, hormones and the presence of pathogens form a diverse family of over 610 genes. A limited number of these proteins have appeard in protein profiles. The detection of these proteins and thus the determination of their dynamics and tissue specificity, is technically challenging due to their low abundance and association to a lipid membrane. To identify new putative membrane proteins especially receptor systems, we used a gel free proteomic strategy based on mass spectrometry analyses of a plasma membrane fraction enriched in hydrophobic proteins. We produced from Arabidopsis leaf a highly purified plasma membrane fraction with the aqueous two-phase partitioning technique. By separating the proteins in the plasma membrane fraction with ion exchange and reverse phase chromatography and analyzing the resulting fractions on a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer, over 900 proteins were detected. The plasma membrane proteome generated by this approach contains numerous plasma membrane integral proteins, one-third displaying at least four trans-membrane segments. An in silico analysis shows a correlation between the putative functions of the identified proteins and the expected roles for plasma membrane in transport, signaling, cellular traffic and metabolism. Of these proteins, 304 were annotated as membrane proteins, 69 were RLKs, distributed among the different receptor families in proportions reflecting the distribution in the genome. Of the RLKs that were identified, most are reported for the first time at the protein level and will constitute interesting targets for further functional studies.
DNA methylation as an epigenetic mediator plays the important role in spatial and temporal gene regulation and ensures the stability and the plasticity of organism. In this investigation, methylation sensitive amplification polymorphism... more
DNA methylation as an epigenetic mediator plays the important role in spatial and temporal gene regulation and ensures the stability and the plasticity of organism. In this investigation, methylation sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) were assessed in CCGG sites on a halophytic plant, Aeluropus littoralis in response to different temperature stresses including freezing, low and high temperatures. A combination of 13 primers were able to produce 500 bands, of which 74%, 20.8% and 5.2% were of type I (non methylated fragments), type II (CpG methylated fragments) and type III (CpCpG methylated fragments), respectively. Among these bands, 130 bands were methylated fragments with the highest occurrence of methylation at CpG internal cytosine. The results showed that up to 2% of all methylated bands were polymorphic, which belonged to types II and III. Highest levels of methylation alternations were detected under high and freezing temperatures. The results suggest that apart from cis regulatory logic plant response to the environmental temperatures may be regulated by methylation of CCGG sites of stress-related loci.
Gamma irradiation was used at different doses (80, 160 and 240 Gy) on Glycine Max (L.) Merrill cv. Hill homogenous seeds. A single suitable M 2 plant was selected and evaluated at M 3 and M 4 along with its parent and three other... more
Gamma irradiation was used at different doses (80, 160 and 240 Gy) on Glycine Max (L.) Merrill cv. Hill homogenous seeds. A single suitable M 2 plant was selected and evaluated at M 3 and M 4 along with its parent and three other varieties as control in RCBD experiment in Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University's experimental field. M-80-709 and M-160-3429 mutant lines were significantly shorter (55.05 and 72.04 cm respectively). Their branch numbers were however significantly more (8.70 and 11.53 respectively) compared to the parent cultivar (80.82 cm and 6.10 respectively) and other genotypes (p≤0.05), when calculated on per plant basis. Besides, the M-160-3429 was characterized by highest grain yield and oil content (38.25 g and 19.22% respectively), in compare with its parent (12.73 g and 19.09% respectively) and all others control cultivars (p≤0.05). The M-160-3429 mutant line with high grain yield and oil content accompanied with some other favorite morphological traits can be considered as a new promising line of soybean for future studies. Results from this study suggested that mutation breeding procedures at the ranges of 80 to 160 Gy is a capable method for breeding higher grain yield including increasing the oil content as well.
World population has already exceeded 6.5 billion, out of which about 850 million (13 percent) are undernourished. With the current growth rate, the world community faces even a greater challenge of hunger and food security as the... more
World population has already exceeded 6.5 billion, out of which about 850 million (13 percent) are undernourished. With the current growth rate, the world community faces even a greater challenge of hunger and food security as the estimated the population will catch 9 billion by the year 2050 with doubled needs for food. At the same time, preservation of biodiversity, stopping deforestation and reduced environmental footprint caused by agricultural practice are the main concerns towards sustainable agriculture. The progressive adoption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) including GM crops and trees can make a decisive contribution to improve harvest and alleviate hunger and poverty. In addition to the environmental benefits, the introduced GMOs can improve water use efficiency and reduce the need for fossil based fuels and pesticide application and reduce thousands of tons of emissions of green house gases. In this respect, several social issues are still of concern. On one hand, many beneficial advantages of GMOs have encouraged a wide spectrum of large or small farmers to cultivate transgenic plants which is translated to food security and job opportunities. On the other hand, while ideological debates have hindered, or even ceased, technology provisions in developing and underdeveloped countries, GMO seed and food productions are monopolized by a quite small number of transnational companies. For instance, seeds that were previously available at low or no cost, mainly through public institutes, international entities or seed exchange among farmers, would be offered at higher prices due to exclusive right of producers and additional cost of patent royalties. Cartagena protocol is going to regulate the relationship among countries aiming at preservation of world biodiversity. Although the developing countries outnumbered developed nations that cultivate transgenic plants in recent years, current statistic shows that around 84 percent of GMO crops are cultivated by only four countries, USA, Brazil, Argentina and Canada. Scientist and scholars, particularly in Islamic states, as well as decision makers are the major responsible bodies that must take roles for the current and future situations. Despite the fact that most of scientists or scholars are not in navigation positions, however, they can discuss socioeconomic issues and raise public awareness in order to harmonize their efforts towards proper utilization of biotech products in their society and towards a reliable point for food security and safety.