Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br., syn. Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone], is a staple food for over 90 million poor farmers in arid and semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. We report the ~1.79 Gb genome sequence of reference genotype Tift 23D2B1-P1-P5, which contains an estimated 38,579 genes. Resequencing analysis of 994 (963 inbreds of the highly cross-pollinated cultigen, and 31 wild accessions) provides insights into population structure, genetic diversity, evolution and domestication history. In addition we demonstrated the use of re-sequence data for establishing marker trait associations, genomic selection and prediction of hybrid performance and defining heterotic pools. The genome wide variations and abiotic stress proteome data are useful resources for pearl millet improvement through deploying modern breeding tools for accelerating genetic gains in pearl millet.publishersversionPeer reviewe

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Chemical composition, antioxidant potential and corresponding lipid preoxidation of Indian commercial beers were evaluated. The presence of polyphenolic compounds such as tannic acid, gallic acid, catechol, vanillin, caffeic acid, quercetin, p-coumaric acid and rutin was quantified using LC-MS while the organic acids including tartaric, malic, acetic, citric and succinic acids were analysed using HPLC. Beer sample B8 had the greatest concentration of phenolic and flavonoid components (0.620 ± 0.084 mg/mL and 0.379 ± 0.020 mg/mL respectively) among the beer samples studied. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed in the range of 68.34 ± 0.85 % to 89.90 ± 0.71 % and ABTS radical cation scavenging activity was in the range of 59.75 ± 0.20 % to 76.22 ± 0.50 %. Percent protection in lipid peroxidation was quantified to be maximum (54.45 ± 3.39 %) in sample B5. Total phenolic content positively correlates with antioxidant assays, DPPH and ABTS (r = 0.35 and r = 0.58 respectively) with p < 0.001 and also with lipid peroxidation (r = 0.04) with p < 0.001. Negative correlation was observed between total flavonoid content with ABTS and lipid peroxidation (r = -0.1 and r = -0.05) respectively. The process of brewing warrants additional research to determine how the concentration of selected phenolic compounds can be increased.

Drought stress is the most limiting factor for plant growth and crop production worldwide. At the same time drought susceptible cereal crops are among the largest producers worldwide. In contrast, Pearl millet is a drought and salt tolerant cereal crop especially used in arid and semi-arid regions by small farmers. The multifactorial molecular mechanisms of this unique drought tolerance are not known. Here, we employ shotgun proteomics for a first characterization of the Pearl millet drought stress proteome. The experimental setup and the data set generated from this study reveal comprehensive physiological and proteomic responses of the drought stressed Pearl millet plants. Our study reveals statistically significant tissue-specific protein signatures during the adaptation to drought conditions. Thus, the work provides a first reference study of the drought stress proteome and related drought responsive proteins (DRP's) in Pearl millet.

International audienceSesuvium portulacastrum L. is a pioneer plant species, used for sand-dune fixation, desalination and phytoremediation along coastal regions. The plant tolerates abiotic constraints such as salinity, drought and toxic metals. S. portulacastrum is also used as a vegetable, fodder for domestic animals and as an ornamental plant. S. portulacastrum grows luxuriantly at 100–400 mM NaCl concentrations. It further grows at severe salinity of 1000 mM NaCl without any toxic symptoms on the leaves. The plant also produces 20-hydroxyecdysone, an insect molting hormone for use in sericulture industry. This review analyses research undertaken during last two to three decades in physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology and biotechnology, to unravel the plasticity of the plant tolerance mechanism. Physiological and biochemical studies evidence the tolerance potential of the plant to abiotic stresses and reveal molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance. Biotechnological studies show the efficacy of the plant to produce pharmaceuticals. Large-scale multiplication of S. portulacastrum in the arid and semiarid regions should reduce the load of saline salts and heavy metals

Tagetes patula L. (Marigold) hairy roots were selected among few hairy root cultures from other plants tested for the decolorization of Reactive Red 198. Hairy roots of Tagetes were able to remove dye concentrations up to 110 mg L(-l) and could be successively used at least for five consecutive decolorization cycles. The hairy roots of Tagetes decolorized six different dyes, viz. Golden Yellow HER, Methyl Orange, Orange M2RL, Navy Blue HE2R, Reactive Red M5B and Reactive Red 198. Significant induction of the activity of biotransformation enzymes indicated their crucial role in the dye metabolism. UV-vis spectroscopy, HPLC and FTIR spectroscopy analyses confirmed the degradation of Reactive Red 198. A possible pathway for the biodegradation of Reactive Red 198 has been proposed with the help of GC-MS and metabolites identified as 2-aminonaphthol, p-aminovinylsulfone ethyl disulfate and 1-aminotriazine, 3-pyridine sulfonic acid. The phytotoxicity study demonstrated the non-toxic nature of the extracted metabolites. The use of such hairy root cultures with a high ability for bioremediation of dyes is discussed.

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is one of the most important field crops grown in the tropics and sub-tropics. More than half of the world's sugar is derived from sugar cane. Conventional methods have greatly contributed to crop improvement; however limitations such as complex genome, narrow genetic base, poor fertility, susceptibility to biotic and abiotic stresses and long duration to breed elite cultivars still impose a challenge. Sugarcane, thus, is a suitable candidate for application of biotechnology and genetic engineering tools. In this direction, in vitro culture systems and related biotechnologies have been developed as novel strategies for sugarcane improvement. Studies have been conducted towards employing in vitro culture combined with radiation/chemical induced mutagenesis for mutant isolation. Advancements in genomics tools have paved the way for a detailed understanding of the mechanism underlying biotic and abiotic stress responses. The potential of the current genomics programs, aimed at elucidating the structure, function, and interactions of the sugarcane genes, will revolutionize the application of biotechnology to crop improvement. Genetically modified sugarcane with increased resistance to agronomic traits including biotic and abiotic stresses, yield and juice could become useful in breeding for better varieties. This review outlines some of the biotechnological developments that are in place and tailored to address important issues related to sugarcane improvement.