Drought is a critical factor limiting the productivity of legumes worldwide. Legumes can enter into a unique tripartite symbiotic relationship with root-nodulating bacteria of genera Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, or Sinorhizobium and colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Rhizobial symbiosis provides nitrogen necessary for growth. AMF symbiosis enhances uptake of diffusion-limited nutrients such as P, Zn, Cu, etc., and also water from the soil via plant-associated fungal hyphae. Rhizobial and AMF symbioses can act synergistically in promoting plant growth and fitness, resulting in overall yield benefits under drought stress. One of the approaches that rhizobia use to survive under stress is the accumulation of compatible solutes, or osmolytes, such as trehalose. Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide and an osmolyte reported to accumulate in a range of organisms. High accumulation of trehalose in bacteroids during nodulation protects cells and proteins from osmotic shock, desiccation, and heat under drought stress. Manipulation of trehalose cell concentrations has been directly correlated with stress response in plants and other organisms, including AMF. However, the role of this compound in the tripartite symbiotic relationship is not fully explored. This review describes the biological importance and the role of trehalose in the tripartite symbiosis between plants, rhizobia, and AMF. In particular, we review the physiological functions and the molecular investigations of trehalose carried out using omics-based approaches. This review will pave the way for future studies investigating possible metabolic engineering of this biomolecule for enhancing abiotic stress tolerance in plants.

Introduction:Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. ED, like other sexual disorders, is often under-reported and under-diagnosed, as talking about sex is considered a taboo in our society.Methodology:All the male patients with diabetes mellitus (with or without active complaints of ED) attending Medicine or Psychiatry OPD of the institute during the study period were enrolled in the study. They were investigated for their body-mass index (BMI), blood sugar and lipid profile; and were assessed on HAM-D, General Health Questionnaire-30, IIEF, sex myth checklist and QOL Instrument for Indian Diabetes Patients (QOLID).Result and Discussion:In the present study, a total of 138 diabetic patients were assessed, and those with severe ED were found to have poor glycemic control, worse lipid profile, higher body mass index, later age of onset, and longer duration of untreated diabetes as compared to non-ED patients. ED patients also scored higher on depression rating scale, had poorer general health and quality of life (QOL). Early attention to ED in diabetic patients can improve general health and QOL of the sufferers.Conclusion:DM patients with poor glycemic control and advanced age have a higher propensity of developing severe ED, which further deteriorates the already compromised health & QOL.

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