1ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow-226101, India. 2Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus. Corresponding e-mail: anju.bajpai@gmail.com; mtrivedi@lko.amity.edu
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.01
Key words: 2-DE, Flowering, Gene expression analysis, in silico comparative proteomics, mango, proteomics.
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Abstract: Proteome-based vegetative and flower bud formation characterization was utilized to identify and differentiate protein species with significant variable abundance during floral transition in mango cv. Dashehari using 2DE and corroborated the identified protein spots using gene expression analysis. Total soluble proteins were phenol-extracted from mango cv's vegetative and floral flush. Dashehari and separated on 2D gels at pH 4-7. The protein spots with variable intensity were identified through SameSpots software. The protein sequences of differentially accumulated spots were identified based on PI and MW using Citrus sinensis proteome isoelectric focusing database. Furthermore, these protein sequences were used to conduct (tBLASTn) against Mangifera indica to predict the protein. Real time gene expression was done to corroborate identified proteins. Total 301 spots were detected, out of which 16 were identified as differentially expressed (P?0.05) and a 2-fold change. These 16 protein spots were identified on the basis of in silico comparative mapping protein against genome of mango and citrus, a close relative. They were classified into eight categories: transcriptional regulation, phenylpropanoid pathway and cell wall /cytoskeleton metabolism-related proteins, hormone signalling, flowering time, signal-transduction, transport and protein synthesis to flowering. Five genes coding for shortlisted proteins were used for validation of results using gene expression analysis. SAM (S adenosyl methonine synthase) was found up-regulated in floral flush, involved in the biosynthesis of polyamines has association with flowering, and stress responses. Furthermore, ARF (Auxin Response Factor), serine/threonine kinase gene members were also found to play critical role in determining floral development process in mango, consistent with results obtained through 2DE. Protein species that are putatively involved in phenylpropanoid pathway were also identified, showing the process of mango flowering from a new perspective beyond the conventional view. This flowering related proteomics study provides an overview of the biological pathways and regulatory mechanisms associated with flowering developmental physiology.
1Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, University of Gondar, P.O. Box 196, Ethiopia. 2Department of Biology, College of Science, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 79, Ethiopia. 3Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 79, Ethiopia. 4Department of Statistics, College of Science, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 79, Ethiopia. Corresponding e-mail: animutmekuriaw39@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.05
Key words: Abiotic stress, drought, biochemical content, red pepper, root length, photosynthesis rate, proline content, chlorophyll content
Abstract: Drought is the most predominant abiotic factor that affects plant growth and development. The present research examined at how drought stress affected the growth, physiological, and biochemical responses of Local and Markofana red pepper (Capsicum annum L.) cultivars. Five-week-old cultivars were exposed to well-watered, low, moderate, and severe drought conditions, kept at 100, 80, 60 and 40% of field capacity, respectively. Nine-week-old cultivars were sampled to analyze the effects of the stress on different parameters of both cultivars. Compared with the control group, drought stress caused a reduction in growth, physiological and biochemical parameters; nevertheless, adverse effects of the stress were more noticeable in the Local cultivar. Severe drought stress significantly reduced shoot length in Markofana (53.71 %) compared to the control group. Significant variation was observed in relative water content in the Local cultivar (20.26 %) exposed to drought. In the Local cultivar, the total chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence declined significantly by 77.28 and 3.33 %, respectively. Therefore, the cultivar Markofana was relatively less affected by drought stress. In general, these differences in cultivar responses to drought stress may aid in developing drought tolerance genotypes that can withstand drought stress conditions with minimal yield losses.
Department of Computer Education, Andong National University, Andong, South Korea. Corresponding e-mail: bsgim@anu.ac.kr
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.06
Key words: Lepton 3.5, LT-1T, warm-up time, accuracy
Abstract: Accurately monitoring leaf temperatures is becoming more and more critical as more studies use a crop's leaf temperature for irrigation, disease, and pest detection. In the present study, the accuracy of a module for camera warm-up times of 30 sec, 1 min, 2 min, 3 min, 3.5 min, and 4 min was compared when leaf temperature was periodically measured using a Lepton 3.5 module, a low-cost thermal imaging camera. The experiment was conducted for a plant in a laboratory, and a high-accuracy LT-1T thermistor sensor was used together to compare module accuracy. The power consumption of both sensors decreased by using the sleep mode of the module, and all measurements were conducted in intervals of five minutes. The accuracy was compared using the R-Squared, MAE, and RMSE of the two values measured by LT-1T and Lepton 3.5. As a result of the experiment, the accuracy was the highest when the warm-up time was 3.5 minutes showing the mean absolute error (MAE) and the root means squared error (RMSE) values of 0.56 ? and 0.59 ?, respectively. The accuracy was 2.5%, which was substantially higher than the 5% accuracy of the device specification.
1ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. 2ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, India. Corresponding e-mail: bsnarwariya87@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.07
Key words: Cabbage, planting method, cultivars, maturity indices
Abstract: The predominant method of cabbage harvesting in India is manual labor, which is both time-consuming and physically demanding. However, the introduction of mechanical harvesting could offer a viable solution to this problem. A plant physical properties database is needed before the developing mechanical harvesting system design. In view of this, a study was conducted to examine the effect of planting methods (flat, ridge-furrow and ridge-furrow with plastic mulch) on physical growth and harvesting age of crop and thereby find out the most suitable planting method for mechanical harvesting. For two cabbage cultivars (Syngenta BC-79 and S-996), the effect of planting methods on physical growth parameters (plant height, plant diameter, length of leaf stem, length of stem, stem diameter, head diameter, and head weight) and harvest maturity indices (compactness, specific gravity, total soluble solids, pH, and pattern of wrapper leaves) was studied. The planting methods had shown a significant effect on growth parameters such as plant height (270.56 mm), plant diameter (549.39 mm), stem length (58.61 mm), stem diameter (34.58 mm), head diameter (144.89 mm) and head weight (1.12 kg) at harvest. The maximum number of matured heads (83.66%) was recorded in ridge-furrow with mulch planting. The interaction effect of planting methods and cultivars was found to be non-significant for all physical growth indicators. The findings of this study provide a valuable planting method for cabbage growers from the perspective of mechanical harvesting.
1Department of Botany, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004, India. 2Associate Director (Seeds), Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004, India. Corresponding e-mail: tavisha-bot@pau.edu
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.08
Key words: Brinjal, seed, priming, germination, GA3, storage, vigour, KNO3, biochemical, PEG, Solanum melongena, viability, seedling vigour index
Abstract: The present study was on brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) seeds var. Punjab Nagina. The quality of brinjal seeds in terms of vigour and viability severely declines due to natural ageing during storage between harvesting and the next sowing season. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of various priming treatments on the quality and storability of brinjal seeds. The freshly harvested seed was divided into two lots. One of these seed lots was subjected to accelerated ageing to obtain low vigour seed and the other lot was considered to be high vigour. The high and low vigour seeds were primed with KNO3 (1%), GA3 (100ppm), KH2PO4 (0.1M), PEG 6000 (30%) and H2O, respectively for 12 hours at 25oC. The seeds were stored in moisture-impervious bags for 12 months in a refrigerator (4oC). The objective was to observe whether the priming treatments improve the seed vigour and retain the advantages obtained during storage. The seeds were drawn at three monthly intervals, viz., zero, three, six, nine and twelve months of storage to study germination percentage, speed of germination, mean days to germination, seedling length, root length, shoot length, seedling dry weight and seedling aand vigour index. With an increase in storage duration, a decline in the physiological aspect of seed quality was observed in both high and low vigour seeds. All the priming treatments improved the germination-related parameters in both high and low vigour seeds over control but the extent of improvement varied. Seed priming with GA3 (100ppm) and KNO3 (1%) were the best treatments for both high and low vigour seeds, even after storage for 12 months.
1Horticulture Research Institute – ARC –Giza – Egypt. 2Faculty of African Postgraduate Studies– Cairo University – Giza – Egypt. 3Faculty of Agriculture-plant Botany department-plant physiology division –Cairo University – Giza – Egypt. Corresponding e-mail: deyaaislam@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.09
Key words: Iris tingitana, seaweed extract, Garlic extract, water stress.
Abstract: A study was carried out for two seasons (2020/21 and 2021/22) to examine the effect of various natural extracts individually or in combination on the drought resistance of Iris tingitana cv. Wedgewood. A mixture of sand and clay (1:1 v/v) was prepared as a growth media. The treatments were (0, 25, and 50 % water drought) with liquid active biostimulants (garlic and seaweed) five times intervals after two weeks from bulb germination. The results revealed that plants at different soil moisture with various biostimulants succeeded in producing flowers of the best quality. Water drought at 25% also increased chlorophyll (a & b) and carotenoids in leaves, while drought at 0% recorded the highest increase in gibberellic acid. At 25% drought, vegetative growth and flower parameters were at their highest levels. Moreover, water drought at 50 % increased abscisic acid (ABA), proline, and catalase. Additionally, increases in vegetative growth, the number of leaves, flower parameters, chlorophyll (a & b), and carotenoids in leaves were noted as a result of applying seaweed extract at a concentration of 10 mL L-1; however, the best results for gibberellic acid were obtained using the highest concentration of garlic extract (500 mL L-1). The interactions between treatments indicated the superiority of growing bulbs at 25 % water drought with applying seaweed extracted at 10 mL L-1 that improved vegetative growth and most of the flower parameters. Meanwhile, treating plants at 25 % water drought with either seaweed at 5 mL L-1 or garlic extract at 500 mL L-1 realized the higher chlorophyll (a & b), carotenoids, and gibberellic acid (GA3) content.
1Department of Biotechnology, Telangana University, Dichpally, Nizamabad, Telangana, 503322, India. 2Department of Botany, Telangana University, Dichpally, Nizamabad, Telangana, 503322, India.3Plant Biotechnology Research Unit, SLN Biologicals LLP, Nizamabad, Telangana, 503002, India. Corresponding e-mail: prasannadhondi@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.10
Key words: Acclimatization, antioxidant defenses;, Curcuma longa, oxidative stress, Trichoderma viride
Abstract: Curcuma longa L. is a spice crop with enormous medicinal and cosmetic properties cultivated across the world. It was propagated vegetatively by means of rhizomes, as these were underneath soil prone to soil borne fungal diseases. Treatment of such diseases using chemical fungicides would hinder their nutritional and medicinal value. To overcome such challenges, there are a few alternatives, the major among them was the deployment of disease-free in vitro raised plantlets and the other was biopriming of these plantlets with Trichoderma viride. Besides fungicidal action, T. viride has a prominent role in alleviating several biotic/abiotic stresses and it was more often used during acclimatization. In this study, we studied the role of T. viride on successful acclimatization of in vitro C. longa plantlets by modulating plant antioxidant defense systems. We determined the stress levels (MDA and chlorophyll contents) and monitored the antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, APX and GR) in both T. viride-treated and untreated micropropagated plantlets at four different time points (0, 15, 30, 45, 60 days) of acclimatization period. Our results depicted clear enhancement in the antioxidant enzyme activities in T.viride treated than untreated plantlets, which signify the role of T. viride in activating defense mechanisms to combat against oxidative stress. Thus this study would give clear understanding of the influence of T. viride on in vitro raised plantlets in sustaining adverse acclimatization conditions.
1Jiexiu Modern Agricultural Industry Development Center, Jiexiu 032000, Shanxi, P.R. China. 2CSD Laboratory, Customer Solutions Development Co., Ltd., West 6F, Kanagawa Science Park 3-2-1, Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 213-0012, Japan. Corresponding e-mails: tsiaoybhua@163.com; ke_nagasaka@csd.comway.co.jp
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.11
Key words: Intelligent, efficiency, automated fruit harvesting robot
Abstract: Robotic harvesting offers suitable solutions for optimizing scheduling, selection enabling, increasing operation efficiency and finally reduce the labor costs. These attributes allow the users of robot harvesters to maximize production efficiency and profits. This article reviews two automated fruit harvesting systems used for sweet pepper and apple as an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of recent patents on intelligent automatic harvesting robots in horticulture.
1Division of Postharvest Technology and Agricultural Engineering, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru-560089, India. 2 Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Agriculture College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Madurai - 625104, India. 3Centre of Innovation, Department. of Biotechnology, Agriculture College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Madurai-625104, India. Corresponding e-mail: Pushpa.Chethan@icar.gov.in
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.12
Key words: Pomegranate RTS beverage, sucralose, bioactive compounds, germinated millet flour
Abstract: The study aimed to develop a pomegranate beverage by substituting sucrose with an artificial sweetener sucralose and incorporating germinated flour from foxtail and little millet to enhance nutritional quality. The developed beverage was analyzed for physicochemical, bioactive, and sensory parameters. The result showed that substituting 100 % sucrose with sucralose had less total soluble solid content. Total and reducing sugar content was significantly high in control samples compared to sucralose-added treatments. However, total polyphenols and antioxidant activity were 20 and 18.50 % less in sucralose treatments, respectively, compared to the control. Incorporating germinated millet flour did not significantly increase the bioactive compounds of the pomegranate beverage. Further, substituting sucrose with sucralose was not accepted organoleptically, however, there was no change in the taste due to the incorporation of germinated millet flours. Hence, the substitution of sucrose with sucralose depends on the fruit type in the preparation of RTS (Ready-to-serve) beverage and the incorporation of germinated millet flours depends on the concentration to enhance the bioactive compounds of the beverage.
1Department of Oil, Gas and Energy Management, Charmo University, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. 2Bakrajo Technical Institute, Polytechnic University of Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. 3 College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.Corresponding e-mail: hemin.neima@univsul.edu.iq
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.13
Key words: Farm-scale, agricultural water, mulch, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, adaptation approach
Abstract: Water productivity refers to the yield produced per cubic meter of fresh water for a given crop. It is not recorded for most crops in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), where water shortages have recently forced farmers to switch from conventional farming methods like surface irrigation on bare soil to modern farming methods like drip irrigation and mulching. This study is the first effort in Iraq and KRI to determine and report the water productivity for melons (Cucumis melo L>) grown on farms using drip irrigation and plastic mulch. Data on the production, the number of irrigations, the length of each irrigation, as well as the cost and benefit of production were collected from 24 farmers who produced melons in 2022 on an area of 56 ha. Then, the yield, the amount of water applied, and the water productivity were determined. The mean value was 37.4 tons ha-1 for yield, 5,486 m3 ha-1 for water applied, and 7.1 kg m-3 for water productivity. Hence, 140 litres of water were applied to produce 1 kilogram of melon. A cost-benefit analysis showed that water applied accounted for 18% of the overall production benefits, production expenses for 37%, and net benefits for 45%. Therefore, melon production is a profitable rising business in the region. In light of the present water shortage in the area, it is concluded that the recent switch from bare soil surface irrigation to drip irrigation and mulching is a successful adaptation approach.
1Southern Horticultural Research Institute, Tien Giang, Vietnam, 2Department of Postharvest Management, BCKV, West Bengal, India. 3Department of Fruit Science, BCKV, West Bengal, India. Corresponding e-mail: kbiswajitbckv@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.14
Key words: Edible coating, perforated packaging, mango, chilling injury, disease, quality, suboptimal temperature.
Abstract: Mango fruit (Mangifera indica cv.Cat Chu) is generally susceptible to chilling injury (CI), and postharvest deterioration induces limits in its commercial potential. This study aimed to find the effects of edible coating and perforated packaging on the quality and storability of mango fruit stored at a suboptimal temperature of 8 oC for 35 days and ripening for five days at 20 oC of each seven days of storage. The edible coatings (chitosan (0.5 %) combined with lemongrass essential oil (0.025 %) (chitosan) and carnauba wax (0.5 %) (carnauba)), perforated packaging (Low-density polyethylene (25 µM) needle-perforated ten holes (0.5 mm diameter) (LDPE); LDPE perforated eight holes (0.4 cm diameter) (control)), and combination between the coating and perforated packaging (Chitosan and LDPE (needle-perforated) (Chi-LDPE); carnauba wax and LDPE (needle-perforated) (Car-LDPE)) investigated in this study. The results showed mango cv. Cat Chu in needle-perforated packaging and combination with coating had the lowest weight loss, followed by control, chitosan, and carnauba wax with the highest weight loss. The CI symptom was white-corky in the pulp of ripened mango, which appeared in all treatments except chitosan coating for 35 days at 8 oC and ripening fruit at 20 oC. The chitosan coating inhibited the respiration rate and electrolyte leakage and decreased the disease index in mango fruit during storage. The quality of ripening mango fruit was highly maintained during the extended duration of cold storage. This result revealed that the chitosan coating improved chilling tolerance and prolonged the shelf life of mango at the suboptimal temperature of 8 oC for 35 days. This application might be a green means of fruit preservation, but further enhancement of disease control is needed.
Department of Post Harvest Technology, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur 680656, Kerala, India. Corresponding e-mail: malikongwathati@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.15
Key words: Banana; intermediate moisture; osmotic agent; physical characteristics
Abstract: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of different osmotic agents on the physical attributes of Intermediate Moisture (IM) fruit, using six cultivars of banana (Musa spp.) belonging to different genomic groups viz. Nendran (AAB), Pisang Lilin (AA), Karpooravalli (ABB), Njalipoovan (AB), Grand Naine (ABB) and Yangambi km5 (AAA). Banana fruits were cut into longitudinal slices of 8mm thickness to evaluate the physical quality using seven osmotic agents (sucrose, glucose, sucrose + sorbitol, glucose + sorbitol, palm sugar, honey, sucrose + NaCl). The fruits were steam blanched for 2 minutes before being immersed in osmotic solutions for an 8-hour duration at a fruit: osmotic solution ratio of 1:2 and subsequently dried for two hours using a tray drier at 60oC. A significant difference (p=0.05) in water loss was only for the variety Grand Naine (62.12%) in fruits treated with honey and the lowest (29.77%) in the variety Karpooravalli in fruit slices immersed in sucrose. Higher (23.55%) solid gain was recorded in the variety Grand Naine in fruit slices immersed in glucose syrup and lowest (5.83%) in the variety Karpooravalli in fruit slices treated with honey. IM banana of variety Pisang Lilin had the highest (45.40%) weight loss in fruit slices immersed in honey and the lowest (19.13%) in variety Pisang Lilin in fruit slices immersed in glucose+sorbitol. IM banana from variety Njalipoovan had the highest (27.46%) moisture content in fruit slices immersed in palm sugar (T5) solution and the lowest (13.53%) in variety Nendran in fruit slices immersed in sucrose+NaCl. A higher value for water activity was in IM banana variety ‘Pisang Lilin’ treated with sucrose (0.86) and the lowest (0.79) was recorded in varieties Nendran and Grand Naine. IM banana developed from all six varieties treated with honey and combinations of sucrose, glucose, and sorbitol had the lowest water activity. It can be concluded that the more the ‘A’ genome in banana varieties, the higher its permeability for mass transfer. IM banana treated with honey, a combination of sucrose and glucose, and sorbitol had higher values for water loss, solid gain and weight loss and lower values for moisture content and water activity.
1ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Regional Station, Appangala, Madikeri, Karnataka, India– 571 201. 2ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, Kerala, India – 673012. Corresponding e-mail: faisal.tnau@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.16
Key words: Anthracnose; Peroxidase; Polyphenol oxidase; Catalase; phenylalanine ammonia-lyase; Superoxide dismutase
Abstract: Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in Black pepper is a severe disease that causes even up to 100 percent crop losses under epidemic conditions. Most of the cultivated varieties of black pepper are highly susceptible to the disease, especially Panniyur 1, the most predominant variety grown in the country. Our study tested 11 black pepper genotypes for their biochemical defense reaction to anthracnose disease. Field observations were initially recorded for two consecutive years in alternate germplasm sites, and the disease incidence ranged between 4.00 and 21.33. The disease incidence under glasshouse conditions upon challenge inoculation was minimal for the variety IISR Girimunda. Upon inoculation with C. gloeosporioides, resistant cultivars exhibited significantly higher activity levels of antioxidant enzymes such as peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, catalase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and superoxide dismutase compared to local check and uninoculated control plants. This suggests that the variety IISR Girimunda’s resistance to anthracnose may be attributed to its possession of robust biochemical defense molecules.
1Department of Chemical Engineering and Sustainability, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, P.O. Box 10, 50728 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, Marmara Research Center, Tubitak Gebze Campus, P.O. Box 21, 41470 Kocaeli, Turkey. Corresponding e-mail: azlinsu76@iium.edu.my
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2023.v25i01.17
Key words: Lactic acid, Rhizopus sp., air-pulsation, airlift reactor, loofah sponge, immobilization, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation
Abstract: The demand for lactic acid (LA) in various fields has increased significantly due to its functional properties. Rhizopus sp. IIUM-G05 has been used before to produce lactic acid using various substrates, but the low production yield remains an issue. This is due to the difficulty in finding a suitable low-cost substrate and controlling the fungal morphology during fermentation to maintain high oxygen concentration. Therefore, this study aimed to address these issues by selecting the best substrate for higher LA yield and using loofah immobilized Rhizopus sp. to increase the yield through semi-continuous simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) in an air pulsed airlift reactor (ALR). The study compared banana peel (BaP) and beet pulp (BeP) as substrates and found that BaP produced a 3-fold higher yield than BeP. The study also tested different air pulsation frequencies in loofah immobilized ALR with BaP to increase LA yield. The results showed that the 0.0384 s-1 frequency was the best to increase LA yield to 0.091 g/g after three days of fermentation, which was 2.1-fold higher than the free-cell non-pulsed shake flask culture in the first part of the study. SEM images showed that the 0.1667 s-1 frequency resulted in oxygen transfer limitation in the ALR due to irregular formation and trapped BaP particles between mycelium. This study demonstrates that BaP can be used for LA production by Rhizopus sp. The air pulsation system with suitable pulsing frequency may help improve production yield by controlling fungal growth inside submerged cultures.
Sandeep Jaiswal1,2, K. Venkat Raman1, Manjesh Saakre1,2, Krishnayan Paul1,2, Jyotsana Tilgam1,2, Sougata Bhattacharjee1,2, Joshitha Vijayan1, Rohini Sreevathsa1
1ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, India. 2ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. Corresponding e-mail: debasispattanayak@yahoo.co.in
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2022.v24i03.62
Key words: Diurnal regulation, UDP-Glucose pyrophosphorylase, StUGPase2, gene expression, potato, promoter.
Abstract: Diurnal regulation of gene expression encoding the dominant isoform of UDP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase, StUGPase2, was studied in potato leaves at different developmental stages (pre-tuberization, tuber initiation, and tuber bulking). Across the developmental stages, the StUGPase2 steady-state mRNA level increased gradually from morning (6 AM) to noon (12 PM), followed by a transient drop at 2 PM. The mRNA level increased thereafter, and the highest transcript abundance was recorded at 8:00 PM. A sharp decline in StUGPase2 transcript abundance at 2 PM in all the stages studied is believed to be associated with the previous reports of diurnal behaviour of sucrose concentration and light responsiveness of sucrose synthase enzyme. Moreover, in all three stages, a steady state increase of StUGPase2 transcript despite a consistent decrease in irradiance after 12 PM, suggests the presence of more complex transcriptional regulation. Comparatively higher StUGPase2 transcript abundance at the tuberization initiation stage as compared to the pre and post-tuberization stages indicates the prominent role of the gene during tuber development. Bioinformatics analysis of the StUGPase2 promoter region predicted the presence of various light-responsive cis-regulatory nucleotide sequences, which are considered to be associated with the light-mediated diurnal change in StUGPase2 gene expression. This research will aid in understanding the pattern of UGPase gene regulation, which is ultimately connected to potato tuber yield and bulking attributes.