60Co gamma ray induced mutants of cowpea and assessment of genetic variability by SCoT marker

Mutagenesis is a well-known technique for introducing new variants into crop plants. In the present study, M2 populations were generated in the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) variety CO7 using gamma irradiation. The M2 progeny were used to investigate the effectiveness of the gamma irradiation doses and examined for the agronomic traits. The genomic variation present in the mutants and their parents was analysed using five SCoT markers. Marker analysis revealed a total of 87 amplicons and among these, 20 amplicons showed polymorphism. The highest numbers of amplicons were observed at SCoT10 (39), while the lowest number of amplicons was produced by SCoT09 (07). The percentage of polymorphism ranged from 18.18% to 28.57%, with an average of 21.12%. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.197 to 0.345. Analysis of Molecular Variation (AMOVA) showed 12% and 88% between the genotypes and within the genotypes respectively. The constructions of 4 clusters were identified through Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) dendrogram tree based on the genetic distance deduced from SCoT marker analysis. Analysis of the genetic relatedness between parent and mutants through Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) revealed two main groups. The present study concludes that the genetic variability induced by gamma irradiation and inherited in the next generations. This research investigation supports that gamma irradiation alters the growth and yield traits, which is helpful for generating the cowpea improvement

Impact of different nutrient management strategies on growth, yield components and yield of coloured cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cv. Vaidehi 1

Cotton (Gossypium spp.), often referred to as “white gold” and “the king of fibers”, is a major commercial fiber crop cultivated across various agroclimatic conditions, primarily used in the textile industry to manufacture fabrics. However, conventional white cotton production is associated with several environmental challenges including excessive water consumption, reliance on synthetic chemicals and the use of synthetic dyes, which contribute to soil degradation, water pollution and health hazards for farmers. In contrast, organic coloured cotton presents a sustainable alternative by naturally producing coloured fibres without the need for synthetic dyes. Additionally, it enhances soil fertility, conserves water and minimizes chemical inputs, providing ecological benefits while supporting the well-being of farming communities. The field experiments were carried out at the Central Farm, Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, during the Kharif 2023 and Summer 2024 seasons. The present study aimed to evaluate the impacts of various nutrient management practices on the growth characteristics, yield attributes and yield of coloured cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cv. Vaidehi 1. The experiment was designed using a randomized block design with nine treatments based on N-equivalence using different organic manures compared to inorganic fertilizers and replicated three times. The results indicated a significant increase in the growth characters (plant height, number of vegetative branches plant−1 and number of fruiting branches plant−1), yield attributes (number of fruiting points plant−1, number of bolls plant−1, number of bolls m−2, boll setting % and boll weight) and yield (seed cotton yield, lint cotton yield, stalk yield and biological yield) of coloured cotton with the application of 100% NPK applied through site-specific recommendation (T2), which was statistically on par with 100% NPK through blanket recommendation (T1). These were followed by the organic treatments like complete organic package (T9), cover crop with vermicompost (T4), cover crop with poultry manure (T5) and all other organic treatments during both seasons. No significant variations were recorded in the first fruiting node, length of fruiting branches as well as harvest index and lint percentage across the different nutrient management strategies

Regulation of cell cycle transition and induction of apoptosis in HL-60 leukemia cells by lipoic acid: role in cancer prevention and therapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lipoic acid (LA), a potent antioxidant, has been used as a dietary supplement to prevent and treat many diseases, including stroke, diabetes, neurodegenerative and hepatic disorders. Recently, potent anti-tumorigenic effects induced by LA were also reported and evident as assayed by suppression of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in malignant cells. However, the mechanism by which LA elicits its chemopreventive effects remains unclear.</p> <p>Methods and Results</p> <p>Herein, we investigated whether LA elicits its anti-tumor effects by inducing cell cycle arrest and cell death in human promyelocytic HL-60 cells. The results showed that LA inhibits both cell growth and viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Disruption of the G₁/S and G₂/M phases of cell cycle progression accompanied by the induction of apoptosis was also observed following LA treatment. Cell cycle arrest by LA was correlated with dose-dependent down regulation of Rb phosphorylation, likely via suppression of E2F-dependent cell cycle progression with an accompanying inhibition of cyclin E/cdk2 and cyclin B1/cdk1 levels. Evidence supporting the induction of apoptosis by LA was based on the appearance of sub-G₁peak in flow cytometry analysis and the cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) from its native 112-kDa form to the 89-kDa truncated product in immunoblot assays. Apoptosis elicited by LA was preceded by diminution in the expression of anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2 and increased expression of apoptogenic protein bax, and also the release and translocation of apoptosis inducing factor AIF and cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the nucleus, without altering the subcellular distribution of the caspases.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study provides evidence that LA induces multiple cell cycle checkpoint arrest and caspase-independent cell death in HL-60 cells, in support of its efficacious potential as a chemopreventive agent.</p

Investigating the Role of Osteopontin (OPN) in the Progression of Breast, Prostate, Renal and Skin Cancers

Background/Objectives: Cancer is caused by disruptions in the homeostatic state of normal cells, which results in dysregulation of the cell cycle, and uncontrolled growth and proliferation in affected cells to form tumors. Successful development of tumorous cells proceeds through the activation of pathways promoting cell development and functionality, as well as the suppression of immune signaling pathways; thereby providing these cells with proliferative advantages, which subsequently metastasize into surrounding tissues. These effects are primarily caused by the upregulation of oncogenes, of which SPP1 (secreted phosphoprotein 1), a non-collagenous bone matrix protein, is one of the most well-known. Methods: In this study, we conducted a further examination of the transcriptomic expression profile of SPP1 (Osteopontin) during the progression of cancer in four human tissues, breast, prostate, renal and skin, in order to understand the circumstances conducive to its activation and dysregulation, the biological pathways and other mechanisms involved as well as differences in its splicing patterns influencing its expression and functionality. Results: A significant overexpression of SPP1, as well as a set of other highly correlated genes, was seen in most of these tissues, indicating their extensive implication in cancer. Increased expression was observed with higher tumor stages, especially in renal and skin cancer, while applying therapeutic modalities targeting these genes dampened this effect in breast, prostate and skin cancer. Pathway analyses showed gene signatures related to cell growth and development enriched in tumorigenic conditions and earlier cancer stages, while later stages of cancer showed pathways associated with weakened immune response, in all cancers studied. Moreover, the utilization of therapeutic methods showed the activation of immunogenic pathways in breast, prostate and skin cancer, thereby confirming their viability. Further analyses of differential transcript expression levels in these oncogenes showed their exonic regions to be selectively overexpressed similarly in tumorigenic samples in all cancers studied, while also displaying significant differences in exon selectivity between constituent transcripts, providing a basis for their high degree of multifunctionality in cancer. Conclusions: Overall, this study corroborates the entrenched role of SPP1 in the progression of these four types of cancer, as confirmed by its overexpression and activation of related oncogenes, their co-involvement in key cellular pathways, and predisposition to exhibit differential splicing between their transcripts, while the above effects were found to be highly inhibitable through treatment methods, thereby highlighting its promising role in therapeutic development

Effects of LA on cell cycle phase distribution and the expression of various cell cycle regulatory proteins in HL-60 cells

(A) Cells were treated with 0, 2.5 and 5 mM LA for 24 and 48 h and analyzed by flow cytometry. Cells with hypodiploid DNA content (sub-G) represent apoptotic cell fractions. (B) Western blot analysis of total Rb, pRB (ser780), pRB (ser 807/811) and E2F expression in cell lysate treated with LA for 48 h. (C) The level of immunoreactive cyclins B1, E, cdk1 and cdk2 in LA-treated HL-60. The intensity of the specific immunoreactive bands were quantified by densitometry and expressed as a fold difference against actin.<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Regulation of cell cycle transition and induction of apoptosis in HL-60 leukemia cells by lipoic acid: role in cancer prevention and therapy"</p><p>http://www.jhoonline.org/content/1/1/4</p><p>Journal of Hematology and Oncology 2008;1():4-4.</p><p>Published online 30 May 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2438439.</p><p></p

Induction of apoptosis by LA and analysis on poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage, AIF/cytochrome c expression, and bax/bcl-2 ratio and subcellular distribution of AIF/cytochrome c by LA

(A) HL-60 cells were treated with 0, 2.5 and 5 mM LA for 24 to 48 h; LA induced cell death, evident by the flow cytometric measured sub-G1 fraction was calculated and shown as % of total cell population. (B) Western blot analysis revealed down regulation of PARP expression at accompanied by appearance of 89 kDa cleaved PARP fragment in ≥ 2.5 mM, 48 h LA treated cells. (C) AIF and cytochrome c (Cyt C) expression in 48 h LA treated cells. (D) The actin-adjusted level of bax and bcl-2 and changes in the ratio of bax to bcl-2 in HL-60 cells treated for 48 h with increasing dose of LA. (E) Subcellular distribution of immunoreactive AIF and Cyt C in the cytosol, mitochondria and nucleus in control and 24 and 48 h LA-treated HL-60 cells. Actin and histone was used as loading control for cytosol and nucleus fractions, respectively. For mitochondria fraction verification was performed as detailed in Methods.<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Regulation of cell cycle transition and induction of apoptosis in HL-60 leukemia cells by lipoic acid: role in cancer prevention and therapy"</p><p>http://www.jhoonline.org/content/1/1/4</p><p>Journal of Hematology and Oncology 2008;1():4-4.</p><p>Published online 30 May 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2438439.</p><p></p

60Co gamma ray induced mutants of cowpea and assessment of genetic variability by SCoT marker

Mutagenesis is a well-known technique for introducing new variants into crop plants. In the present study, M2 populations were generated in the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) variety CO7 using gamma irradiation. The M2 progeny were used to investigate the effectiveness of the gamma irradiation doses and examined for the agronomic traits. The genomic variation present in the mutants and their parents was analysed using five SCoT markers. Marker analysis revealed a total of 87 amplicons and among these, 20 amplicons showed polymorphism. The highest numbers of amplicons were observed at SCoT10 (39), while the lowest number of amplicons was produced by SCoT09 (07). The percentage of polymorphism ranged from 18.18% to 28.57%, with an average of 21.12%. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.197 to 0.345. Analysis of Molecular Variation (AMOVA) showed 12% and 88% between the genotypes and within the genotypes respectively. The constructions of 4 clusters were identified through Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) dendrogram tree based on the genetic distance deduced from SCoT marker analysis. Analysis of the genetic relatedness between parent and mutants through Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) revealed two main groups. The present study concludes that the genetic variability induced by gamma irradiation and inherited in the next generations. This research investigation supports that gamma irradiation alters the growth and yield traits, which is helpful for generating the cowpea improvement.</jats:p

Abstract 1100: p53 blocks TGFβ-induced breast cancer metastasis by downregulating angiopoietin-like 4

Abstract Transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) is a multifunctional growth factor with a complex dual role in tumorigenesis. During the early stages of tumor formation, TGFβ1 acts as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis in tumor cells. In advanced stage of cancer, many tumor cells become unresponsive to the growth-inhibitory actions of TGFβ1 and become more motile, more invasive, and resistant to apoptosis. The molecular mechanism responsible for the conversion of TGFβ1-associated tumor suppression into TGFβ1-associated pro-oncogenic and pro-metastatic signaling is not known. Thus, identification of the signaling pathway responsible for this process would have a potential impact in developing novel breast cancer therapy. Recent studies have shown that TGFβ1 induces ANGPTL4 expression, which leads to lung metastasis of breast cancer through disruption of the endothelial barrier. ANGPTL4, also known as fasting-induced adipose factor (FIAF), is a circulating protein; it plays a role in adipogenesis, angiogenesis, carcinogenesis and metastasis. The expression of ANGPTL4 is dramatically induced in human metastatic breast cancer cell line MB231 by TGFβ1. While studying the molecular mechanisms that control the TGFβ1-associated ANGPTL4 induction, we found that p53 functions as a potent negative regulator of TGFβ1 dependent induction of ANGPTL4 expression. In human breast cancer cells, TGFβ1 induces ANGPTL4 expression only in p53-null cell lines like MB453 and MB468, and in cell lines which express non-functional p53 like T47D and MB231. TGFβ1 is unable to induce ANGPTL4 expression in cells expressing the functional p53. To identify the mechanism by which p53 inhibits ANGPTL4 expression, we cloned 2.2 kb human ANGPTL4 promoter fragment into luciferase (pGL3-Luc) and GFP (pU3RII-pEGFP) reporter plasmids, and we used these constructs for reporter assays in p53 inducible (p53-Tet-On) MB453 cell line. The results showed that functional expression of p53 in MB453 cells effectively blocks the ability of TGFβ1 to induce the transcriptional activation of ANGPTL4, and suggest that p53 serves as a molecular dictator to block the tumor-suppressive and pro-metastatic actions of TGFβ in breast tissue. These studies describe the molecular processes involved in the regulation of ANGPTL4 expression in breast cancer, and will be helpful in the design and development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1100.</jats:p