Saqib Mahmood

Hyper-production of alkaline protease by mutagenic treatment of Bacillus subtilis M-9 using agroindustrial wastes in submerged fermentation.

Green chemistry technologies are the powerful tool for the management of environmental wastes challenges. Agro industrial residues are composed of complex polysaccharides that support the microbial growth for the production of useful products (enzymes, organic acids, drugs, etc.). Disposal and environment friendly management of these wastes has become a global priority. The aim of present investigation was to improve the alkaline protease yield by treating the parent Bacillus subtilis M-9 strain with different mutagens UV-irradiations, N-methyl-N-nitro- N-nitrosoguinidine (NTG), Ethidium bromide (EB), using agroindustrial wastes (banana stalk and corn stover) in submerged fermentation. Fifteen positive mutants were selected on skim milk agar plates for shake flask experiments. BSU-5 mutant strain showed 81.21± 3.24 PU/mL alkaline protease activity higher than parent strain (23.57 ± 1.19 PU/mL) in optimized fermentation medium. The fermentation profile like pH (9), temperature (45°C), inoculum size (2 mL), incubation time (24 hrs, and kinetic parameters such as u (h-1), Yp/s, Yp/x, Yx/s, qs, Qs, qp also confirmed the hyper proteolytic activity of alkaline protease produced from BSU-5 mutant strain over parent strain and other mutants. Finally, the BSU-5 mutant strain was immobilized by entrapping it in calcium alginate beads and agar. Alkaline protease production and stability of biocatalyst were investigated in both free and immobilized cells. It was concluded from the study, immobilized cells were more efficient for enzyme production then free cells when used repeatedly.

Comparative evaluation of biochemical changes in different safflower varieties (Carthamus tinctorius L.) under water deficit.

Studies to determine drought induced biochemical changes in safflower and their utilization in identifying stress tolerant genotypes were conducted under water deficit (60% field capacity) conditions at Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Nitrate Reductase (NRA) and Nitrite Reductase (NiRA) activities, total soluble proteins, DNA contents, fresh and dry biomass of plant and plant yield were adversely affected by drought stress in all safflower genotypes. However, genotypes Thori 78 and PI-387820 showed less reduction in these attributes. Total free amino acids, reducing, non reducing sugars and total sugars increased in all genotypes under drought stress. Comparison among safflower genotypes indicated that V1 (with greater biomass, yield, high NiRA, proteins and DNA level) performed best under drought stress followed by V6 (with high NiRA, proteins and unsaturation/saturation level). V3 proved itself poorer upon the basis of growth and biochemical parameters. From the results it can be concluded that biochemical markers can be used to select drought tolerant safflower genotypes.

Dynamic Proline Metabolism: Importance and Regulation in Water-Limited Environments

Abstract Proline is an important imino acid that accumulates in plants in response to different environmental constraints including water-limited conditions. The literature shows a positive association between proline accumulation and drought tolerance in plants. However, some recent findings highlighted that induction of drought tolerance in plants is not only due to proline accumulation and turnover, but also due to metabolism of proline that is responsible for maintaining plant growth during drought conditions. Plants mutant for enzymes involved in the biosynthesis Δ1-pyrroli [pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase 1 (P5CS1)] and catabolism [proline dehydrogenase 1 (ProDH1)] of proline exhibited significant growth reduction under drought conditions. Plants exposed to drought show accumulation of proline that in turn maintains the redox status. A variety of cellular processes mediate the biosynthesis and catabolism of proline. Presently, only a few mechanisms dealing with this imino acid are fully elucidated. For instance, highly abscisic acid (ABA)-induced protein phosphatase 2Cs differentially influenced the endogenous levels of PDH1 and P5CS1 proteins apart from the same increase in the cellular levels of proline. Proline biosynthetic (P5CS1) and catabolic (PDH1) genes are regulated via some posttranslational changes that are not fully known. In this chapter, we have discussed proline metabolism in plants under limited water regimes. We have also provided the details of proline association with other key physiochemical attributes under water deficit conditions.

Temperature Based Spatiotemporal Growth Monitoring of Rice Plant from Germination-Ripening Stage Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Rice (Oryza sativa) is the second staple food largely grown and widely consumed in Pakistan. About 10% of the total crop area of Pakistan is cultivated by rice that takes a part in value addition of almost 1.3% - 1.6% in the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Due to global warming, temperature has a profound impact on rice crop phenology. Low temperature is the main factor of delay in rice plant growth and very high temperature results in stressed and short heighted plant so the crop sown in a region at the same time is not ready to harvest at same hours but a delay is observed. The study area under investigation was district Sheikhupura, Nankana, Lahore, Gujranawala and Hafizabad, which are famous for rice productivity. Landsat 7, 8 freely available thermal dataset are used to calculated pixel based temperature values to evaluate growth using agricultural growth indicators. The total covered area was 13,480 km2 in which 484 km2 area was marked as less growth rate area with low temperature values due to water body and excess of vegetation over there. About 7960 km2 area is marked as good for growth experiencing optimum temperature for rice plant. Approximately 4944 km2 area is marked as stressed rice plant area experiencing high temperature values adjacent to urban population. An attempt is made here to map this effect of temperature-based growth variability of the rice plant across the study area.

Tyrosine-priming modulates phenylpropanoid pathway in maize grown under different pH regimes

Alkaline and acidic pH of soil limit crop yield. Products of phenylpropanoid pathway play a key part in plant abiotic stress tolerance. It was aimed to assess efficacy of tyrosinepriming for activation of enzyme involved in phenolic accumulation induction of pH tolerance in maize seedlings. Seeds of two maize cultivars, namely Sadaf (pH tolerant) and S-2002 (pH sensitive), were grown under three pH levels (3, 7 and 11). Eight and twelve days old seedlings were harvested and parted into roots and shoots for the assessment of growth, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. PAL activity was directly correlated with total soluble phenolics, flavonoids, growth and seedling vigour. Lower accumulation of phenolics and PAL activity in the pH sensitive (S-2002) cultivar indicated greater oxidative damage caused by pH extremes. Priming improved antioxidative potential by enhancing PAL activity and phenolics accumulation and hence increased growth in maize seedlings.