Rapid development and wide applications of nanotechnology brought about a significant increment on the number of engineered nanomaterials (ENs) inevitably entering our living system. Plants comprise of a very important living component of the terrestrial ecosystem. Studies on the influence of engineered nanomaterials (carbon and metal/metal oxides based) on plant growth indicated that in the excess content, engineered nanomaterials influences seed germination. It assessed the shoot-to-root ratio and the growth of the seedlings. From the toxicological studies to date, certain types of engineered nanomaterials can be toxic once they are not bound to a substrate or if they are freely circulating in living systems. It is assumed that the different types of engineered nanomaterials affect the different routes, behavior, and the capability of the plants. Furthermore, different, or even opposing conclusions, have been drawn from most studies on the interactions between engineered nanomaterials with plants. Therefore, this paper comprehensively reviews the studies on the different types of engineered nanomaterials and their interactions with different plant species, including the phytotoxicity, uptakes, and translocation of engineered nanomaterials by the plant at the whole plant and cellular level.

One of the most valuable traits in high-quality rice is aroma or fragrance, which is important for consumer preference and global trade. Aromatic rice is unique and recognized as a badge of honor and an asset in many countries. Among more than 100 volatile components, 2acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) is believed to be the main aromatic compound in rice. The principal gene contributing to 2AP is badh2, which was mapped on chromosome 8 by map-based cloning. A deletion in this gene truncates and makes non-functional the BADH2 protein.Thus, the mutant badh2 transcript leads to 2AP accumulation in aromatic rice. The discovery of the gene has led to the clarification of the biochemistry, molecular genetics and evolution of fragrant rice. The breeding of fragrant rice is now faster because of marker assisted selection (MAS), which is based on recognized genes. For a more extensive elucidation of all effective and fundamental factors contributing to rice fragrance, it is essential to further explore target quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and their inheritance and locations.

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Herbicidal potential of aerial parts of Tinospora tuberculata on germination and seedling growth of seven test plant species, namely rice (Oryza sativa L.); two rice weeds, barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli L.) and weedy rice (O. sativa f. spontanea); and four vegetable crops, lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) were evaluated. Six concentrations of methanol extract (3.12, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 g L −1 ) were compared with the control (distilled water). The rate of seed germination and the radicle and hypocotyl length of 7-day-old test plant seedlings were reduced as the concentration of extracts increased compared to the control. Generally, the degree of toxicity of extracts derived from the leaves was more than the extracts derived from the stem. Cluster analysis and the concentrations required for 50% inhibition (defined as EC 50 ) of all parameters showed that radicle growth was more suppressed than germination and hypocotyl growth. Lettuce and carrot were observed as the most sensitive plants while rice showed the highest tolerance to both extracts. Moreover, the dicot target plants were affected more severely than the monocots when treated with leaf extract. The chemical composition of the T. tuberculata methanolic extracts was analyzed by a GC-MS system. A total of 92 and 22 constituents (not previously identified) were found in the leaves and stem, respectively. The results showed that 17 of the 92 components in the leaves, as compared to 4 of 22 compounds in the stem, are known as toxic compounds. These results suggest that T. tuberculata contains a significant source of plant growth inhibitors with potential for the development of future natural herbicide.

Oriented cell divisions are critical for the formation and maintenance of structured epithelia. Proper mitotic spindle orientation relies on polarised anchoring of force generators to the cell cortex by the evolutionarily conserved protein complex formed by the Gαi subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins, the Leucine-Glycine-Asparagine repeat protein (LGN) and the nuclear mitotic apparatus protein. However, the polarity cues that control cortical patterning of this ternary complex remain largely unknown in mammalian epithelia. Here we identify the membrane-associated protein Annexin A1 (ANXA1) as an interactor of LGN in mammary epithelial cells. Annexin A1 acts independently of Gαi to instruct the accumulation of LGN and nuclear mitotic apparatus protein at the lateral cortex to ensure cortical anchoring of Dynein-Dynactin and astral microtubules and thereby planar alignment of the mitotic spindle. Loss of Annexin A1 randomises mitotic spindle orientation, which in turn disrupts epithelial architecture and luminogenesis in three-dimensional cultures of primary mammary epithelial cells. Our findings establish Annexin A1 as an upstream cortical cue that regulates LGN to direct planar cell divisions during mammalian epithelial morphogenesis.