GIGANTEA (GI) is a plant-specific nuclear protein that plays a pleiotropic role in the growth and development of plants. GI’s involvement in circadian clock function, flowering time regulation, and various types of abiotic stress tolerance has been well documented in recent years. Here, the role of GI in response to Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxysporum) infection is investigated at the molecular level comparing Col-0 WT with the gi-100 mutant in Arabidopsis thaliana. Disease progression, photosynthetic parameters, and comparative anatomy confirmed that the spread and damage caused by pathogen infection were less severe in gi-100 than in Col-0 WT plants. F. oxysporum infection induces a remarkable accumulation of GI protein. Our report showed that it is not involved in flowering time regulation during F. oxysporum infection. Estimation of defense hormone after infection showed that jasmonic acid (JA) level is higher and salicylic acid (SA) level is lower in gi-100 compared to Col-0 WT. Here, we show that the relative transcript expression of CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1 (COI1) and PLANT DEFENSIN1.2 (PDF1.2) as a marker of the JA pathway is significantly higher while ISOCHORISMATE SYNTHASE1 (ICS1) and NON-EXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES1 (NPR1), the markers of the SA pathway, are downregulated in the gi-100 mutants compared to Col-0 plants. The present study convincingly suggests that the GI module promotes susceptibility to F. oxysporum infection by inducing the SA pathway and inhibiting JA signaling in A. thaliana.
The scheduled areas (SA) of central and eastern India, many of which are affected by the Maoist violence, have been subjected to systematic deprivation of natural resources, long-standing marginalization, poverty and economic underdevelopment. Various development and governance schemes that are packaged with the brand of ‘Good Governance and Development’ in these areas have aggravated deprivation in terms of land alienation, lack of autonomy of the local communities and multiple exploitations. The Maoists who claim to represent the local communities are often seen imposing their authoritarian diktats over these communities. On the other hand, the Indian state uses a military approach to fight the Maoist violence along with promotion of development initiatives to address the local discontents. The prolonged conflict between the state and the Maoists exposes the local communities to continued exploitation and deprivation. This article highlights the contradictions between the governance mechanisms and development measures vis-à-vis the constitutional provisions related to the autonomy of local communities in the SA. Subsequently, the article interrogates the politics of control and management of natural resources through governance mechanisms and development initiatives. Second, the article identifies the commonalities between the state and the Maoists in terms of their control over the local communities. The article argues that the state-led initiatives and the Maoist movement are both instruments in sustaining the conflict and alienation of the local communities.
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