bZIP proteins are one of the largest transcriptional regulators playing crucial roles in plant development, physiological processes, and biotic/abiotic stress responses. Despite the availability of recently published draft genome sequence of Cucumis sativus, no comprehensive investigation of these family members has been presented for cucumber. We have identified 64 bZIP transcription factor-encoding genes in the cucumber genome. Based on structural features of their encoded proteins, CsbZIP genes could be classified into 6 groups. Cucumber bZIP genes were expanded mainly by segmental duplication rather than tandem duplication. Although segmental duplication rate of the CsbZIP genes was lower than that of Arabidopsis, rice and sorghum, it was observed as a common expansion mechanism. Some orthologous relationships and chromosomal rearrangements were observed according to comparative mapping analysis with other species. Genome-wide expression analysis of bZIP genes indicated that 64 CsbZIP genes were differentially expressed in at least one of the ten sampled tissues. A total of 4 CsbZIP genes displayed higher expression values in leaf, flowers and root tissues. The in silico micro-RNA (miRNA) and target transcript analyses identified that a total of 21 CsbZIP genes were targeted by 38 plant miRNAs. CsbZIP20 and CsbZIP22 are the most targeted by miR165 and miR166 family members, respectively. We also analyzed the expression of ten CsbZIP genes in the root and leaf tissues of drought-stressed cucumber using quantitative RT-PCR. All of the selected CsbZIP genes were measured as increased in root tissue at 24th h upon PEG treatment. Contrarily, the down-regulation was observed in leaf tissues of all analyzed CsbZIP genes. CsbZIP12 and CsbZIP44 genes showed gradual induction of expression in root tissues during time points. This genome-wide identification and expression profiling provides new opportunities for cloning and functional analyses, which may be used in further studies for improving stress tolerance in plants.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

In plant tissue culture studies, obtaining new plantlets from different parts of plant is a very important feature with direct or indirect ways of regeneration. The plant show different regeneration capacities from species to species. In this present study, in-vitro direct shoots development from embryonic axis of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Lashata) were comparatively studied. Embryonic axis, embryonic hypocotyl and plumule obtained from five days old in-vitro grown seeds. All explants were cultured on MS media supplemented with 1- 4 mg/l Benzyl amino purine (BAP) + 0.1 mg/l Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 3 mg/l activated charcoal. Cultured explants were kept at growth chamber with photoperiod for 16 hours light and 8 hours dark, at 25oC. Reproducible in-vitro plant regeneration was obtained from embryonic axis when cultured onto MS medium supplemented 1 mg/l BAP + 0.1 mg/l NAA and 3 g/l Activated charcoal. Shoot induction was to be noted 53.3%, 36.7% and 12.3 in embryonic axis, plumule and embryonic hypocotyl respectively. All these shoots were capable of rooting on MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/l NAA, and establishing in soil 3-4 weeks.

Plants need different macro and micro nutrient elements to grow and reproduce. Their malnutrition results in unhealthy growth. The soils of Naqadeh area, Iran are deficient in micronutrient elements. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of micronutrients application on some qualitative and quantitative parameters of economically important monogerm sugar beet cv. Sonja. The plants were foliar sprayed with iron, boron, zinc, and manganese. The studied traits were potassium, sodium, nitrogen, extraction coefficient, sugar percent, recoverable sugar, alkalinity, molasses, root yield, and white sugar recovery yield. The effect of micronutrients was significant on all studied traits. The highest extraction coefficient of 89.31 was related to the foliar application of iron (Fe) and the highest recoverable sugar percent (16.91%) was obtained from Zn application. Also, the highest mean root yield (74.120 t ha-1) and white sugar yield (12.137 t ha-1) were noted after foliar treatments of boron (B) and Fe, respectively.

Iris species have great economic importance for their use in ornamental and pharmaceutical industry. Flora of Turkey reports about 43 local taxons of which 16 are endemic. Iris suaveolens Boiss. et Reuter is an endemic species with high seed dormancy and has high tolerance to cold and drought. This study focused on seed dormancy break of I. suaveolens under in vitro conditions. In the first experiment, the seeds were given stratification treatment on MS medium containing different concentrations of BAP with or without NAA. The 2nd experiment reports effects of alternative combinations of cold (at 4°C, 24 h dark) – warm (16 h light photoperiod) conditions on medium containing different concentrations of plant growth regulators on agar solidified MS medium. Both experiments showed about 8.33% seed germination against 64.5% seed viability as confirmed by tetrazolium test. All germinating seeds were abnormal and very weak. In the third experiment, 10 minutes acid scarified seeds cultured at 24°C in 16 h light photo period on MS medium achieved 60.0% germination. Similar treatment under cold + dark condition was inhibitory and failed to show identical results. This underlines the importance of acid scarification, photoperiod and warm treatments of I. suaveolens seeds to break seed dormancy. All germinated seeds showed normal growth and development under field conditions.

No abstract