Adinpunya Mitra

Salicylic acid-induced resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato

We demonstrated that exogenous application of 200 microM salicylic acid through root feeding and foliar spray could induce resistance against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lycopersici (Fol) in tomato. Endogenous accumulation of free salicylic acid in tomato roots was detected by HPLC and identification was confirmed by LC-MS/MS analysis. At 168h of salicylic acid treatment through roots, the endogenous salicylic acid level in the roots increased to 1477ngg(-1) FW which was 10 times higher than control plants. Similarly, the salicylic acid content was 1001ngg(-1) FW at 168h of treatment by foliar spray, which was 8.7 times higher than control plants. The activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5) and peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7) were 5.9 and 4.7 times higher, respectively than the control plants at 168h of salicylic acid feeding through the roots. The increase in PAL and POD activities was 3.7 and 3.3 times higher, respectively at 168h of salicylic acid treatments through foliar spray than control plants. The salicylic acid-treated tomato plants challenged with Fol exhibited significantly reduced vascular browning and leaf yellowing wilting. The mycelial growth of Fol was not significantly affected by salicylic acid. Significant increase in basal level of salicylic acid in noninoculated plants indicated that tomato root system might have the capacity to assimilate and distribute salicylic acid throughout the plant. The results indicated that the induced resistance observed in tomato against Fol might be a case of salicylic acid-dependent systemic acquired resistance.

Detection of major phenolic acids from dried mesocarpic husk of mature coconut by thin layer chromatography

Abstract This is a report of extraction and identification of phenolic acids present in the dried mesocarpic husks of mature coconut fruit. The total phenolic content of the husk material was 13.0 mg/g dry wt. 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA) and ferulic acid contents were identified and analysed in the husk fractions extracted by mild alkali hydrolysis (with 0.1 M NaOH). Detection of ether-linked phenolic acids (by treatment with 2 M NaOH) yielded 2.2 mg/g dry wt. of 4-HBA and 0.1 mg/g dry wt. of ferulic acid. Our results demonstrate that mesocarpic husk materials can form an alternative source of 4-HBA.

Accumulation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in hairy roots of Daucus carota 2: confirming biosynthetic steps through feeding of inhibitors and precursors.

Biosynthesis of hydroxybenzoates even at enzymatic level is poorly understood. In this report, effect of feeding of putative biosynthetic precursors and pathway-specific enzyme inhibitors of early phenylpropanoid pathway on p-hydroxybenzoic acid accumulation in chitosan-elicited hairy roots of Daucus carota was studied. Three selective metabolic inhibitors of plant phenylpropanoid pathway, namely, aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA), piperonylic acid (PIP) and 3,4-methylenedioxycinnamic acid (MDCA), which are known to inhibit phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H) and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) respectively, the three early enzymes of phenylpropanoid metabolism, were chosen with the anticipation that selective inhibition of these enzymes in vivo may provide information on the metabolic route to p-hydroxybenzoic acid formation. Supplementation of AOAA (0.2-1.0 mM) and PIP (0.2-1.0 mM) resulted in the reduced accumulation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in the wall-bound fraction. However, addition of MDCA (0.2-1.25 mM), did not suppress p-hydroxybenzoic acid accumulation but suppressed lignin and total flavonoid accumulation, suggesting that 4CL enzyme activity is not required for p-hydroxybenzoic acid formation. Feeding of elicited hairy roots with phenylalanine, coumaric acid and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde had a stimulatory effect on p-hydroxybenzoic acid accumulation; however, maximum stimulatory effect was shown by p-hydroxybenzaldehyde. This suggests that p-hydroxybenzaldehyde might be the immediate precursor in p-hydroxybenzoic acid biosynthesis. Finally, in vitro conversion of p-coumaric acid to p-hydroxybenzoic acid with p-hydroxybenzaldehyde as intermediate using cell-free extract provided an unequivocal support for CoA-independent and non-beta-oxidative route of p-hydroxybenzoic acid biosynthesis in Daucus carota.

Accumulation of phenylpropanoid derivatives in chitosan-induced cell suspension culture of Cocos nucifera.

Chitosan-induced elicitation responses of dark-incubated Cocos nucifera (coconut) endosperm cell suspension cultures led to the rapid formation of phenylpropanoid derivatives, which essentially mimics the defense-induced biochemical changes in coconut palm as observed under in vivo conditions. An enhanced accumulation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid as the major wall-bound phenolics was evident. This was followed by p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid. Along with enhanced peroxidases activities in elicited lines, the increase in activities of the early phenylpropanoid pathway enzymes such as, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), p-coumaroyl-CoA ligase (4CL) and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde dehydrogenase (HBD) in elicited cell cultures were also observed. Furthermore, supplementation of specific inhibitors of PAL, C4H and 4CL in elicited cell cultures led to suppressed accumulation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which opens up interesting questions regarding the probable route of the biosynthesis of this phenolic acid in C. nucifera.

Hairy root culture of Plumbago indica as a potential source for plumbagin

Hairy roots of Plumbago indica were established at high frequency (90 %) by infecting leaf explants with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain ATCC 15834. The axenic root cultures were established under darkness in hormone-free liquid Murashige and Skoog medium containing 3 % sucrose. The highest plumbagin content was found to accumulate in roots at their exponential phase of growth. A low pH (4.6) and a low concentration of sucrose (1 %) were beneficial for root growth in darkness, while pH 5.6 and 3 % sucrose under continuous irradiance enhanced plumbagin accumulation in roots up to 7.8 mg g−1(d.m.). Direct shoot regeneration from hairy root culture was also achieved under continuous irradiance, thus indicated an easy way of obtaining transformed P. indica plants.

Biotransformation of p-coumaric acid by Paecilomyces variotii

Aims:  To investigate the biotransformation of p‐coumaric acid into p‐hydroxybenzoic acid (p‐HBA) by Paecilomyces variotii Bainier MTCC 6581.

An efficient isocratic separation of hydroxycinnamates and their corresponding benzoates from microbial and plant sources by HPLC

A rapid HPLC‐based separation method was developed to analyse phenolic flavour components. In the present study, ferulic acid, 4‐coumaric acid, 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid, 4‐hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillic acid and vanillin were chromatographed on various C18 columns (Prodigy™ ODS2, Synergi™ Hydro‐RP, Lichrosorb® and Columbus™). A dual‐wavelength UV detector was used for the precise identification of the eluted components. An isocratic elution with aqueous trifluoroacetic acid (1 mM)/methanol (17:8) at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min separated all the above six phenolic compounds within 21 min on a C18 reverse‐phase column (Synergi™ Hydro‐RP) with stable baseline resolution.

Development of a transgenic hairy root system in jute (Corchorus capsularis L.) with gusA reporter gene through Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated co-transformation.

Transgenic hairy root system is important in several recalcitrant plants, where Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated plant transformation and generation of transgenic plants are problematic. Jute (Corchorus spp.), the major fibre crop in Indian subcontinent, is one of those recalcitrant plants where in vitro tissue culture has provided a little success, and hence, Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation remains to be a challenging proposition in this crop. In the present work, a system of transgenic hairy roots in Corchorus capsularis L. has been developed through genetic transformation by Agrobacterium rhizogenes harbouring two plasmids, i.e. the natural Ri plasmid and a recombinant binary vector derived from the disarmed Ti plasmid of A. tumefaciens. Our findings indicate that the system is relatively easy to establish and reproducible. Molecular analysis of the independent lines of transgenic hairy roots revealed the transfer of relevant transgenes from both the T-DNA parts into the plant genome, indicating the co-transformation nature of the event. High level expression and activity of the gusA reporter gene advocate that the transgenic hairy root system, thus developed, could be applicable as gene expression system in general and for root functional genomics in particular. Furthermore, these transgenic hairy roots can be used in future as explants for plantlet regeneration to obtain stable transgenic jute plants.

Benzaldehyde dehydrogenase from chitosan-treated Sorbus aucuparia cell cultures.

Cell cultures of Sorbus aucuparia respond to the addition of chitosan with the accumulation of the biphenyl phytoalexin aucuparin. The carbon skeleton of this inducible defense compound is formed by biphenyl synthase (BIS) from benzoyl-CoA and three molecules of malonyl-CoA. The formation of benzoyl-CoA proceeds via benzaldehyde as an intermediate. Benzaldehyde dehydrogenase (BD), which converts benzaldehyde into benzoic acid, was detected in cell-free extracts from S. aucuparia cell cultures. BD and BIS were induced by chitosan treatment. The preferred substrate for BD was benzaldehyde (K(m)=49 microM). Cinnamaldehyde and various hydroxybenzaldehydes were relatively poor substrates. BD activity was strictly dependent on the presence of NAD(+) as a cofactor (K(m)=67 microM).

Biostimulation of Indigenous Microbial Community for Bioremediation of Petroleum Refinery Sludge

Nutrient deficiency severely impairs the catabolic activity of indigenous microorganisms in hydrocarbon rich environments (HREs) and limits the rate of intrinsic bioremediation. The present study aimed to characterize the microbial community in refinery waste and evaluate the scope for biostimulation based in situ bioremediation. Samples recovered from the wastewater lagoon of Guwahati refinery revealed a hydrocarbon enriched [high total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH)], oxygen-, moisture-limited, reducing environment. Intrinsic biodegradation ability of the indigenous microorganisms was enhanced significantly (>80% reduction in TPH by 90 days) with nitrate amendment. Preferred utilization of both higher- (>C30) and middle- chain (C20-30) length hydrocarbons were evident from GC-MS analysis. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and community level physiological profiling analyses indicated distinct shift in community’s composition and metabolic abilities following nitrogen (N) amendment. High throughput deep sequencing of 16S rRNA gene showed that the native community was mainly composed of hydrocarbon degrading, syntrophic, methanogenic, nitrate/iron/sulfur reducing facultative anaerobic bacteria and archaebacteria, affiliated to γ- and δ-Proteobacteria and Euryarchaeota respectively. Genes for aerobic and anaerobic alkane metabolism (alkB and bssA), methanogenesis (mcrA), denitrification (nirS and narG) and N2 fixation (nifH) were detected. Concomitant to hydrocarbon degradation, lowering of dissolve O2 and increase in oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) marked with an enrichment of N2 fixing, nitrate reducing aerobic/facultative anaerobic members [e.g., Azovibrio, Pseudoxanthomonas and Comamonadaceae members] was evident in N amended microcosm. This study highlighted that indigenous community of refinery sludge was intrinsically diverse, yet appreciable rate of in situ bioremediation could be achieved by supplying adequate N sources.