Biotechnological Perspective of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-Mediated Stress Tolerance in Plants

All environmental cues lead to develop secondary stress conditions like osmotic and oxidative stress conditions that reduces average crop yields by more than 50% every year. The univalent reduction of molecular oxygen (O2) in metabolic reactions consequently produces superoxide anions (O2•−) and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) ubiquitously in all compartments of the cell that disturbs redox potential and causes threat to cellular organelles. The production of ROS further increases under stress conditions and especially in combination with high light intensity. Plants have evolved different strategies to minimize the accumulation of excess ROS like avoidance mechanisms such as physiological adaptation, efficient photosystems such as C4 or CAM metabolism and scavenging mechanisms through production of antioxidants and antioxidative enzymes. Ascorbate-glutathione pathway plays an important role in detoxifying excess ROS in plant cells, which includes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in detoxifying O2•−radical and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) respectively, monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and glutathione reductase (GR) involved in recycling of reduced substrates such as ascorbate and glutathione. Efficient ROS management is one of the strategies used by tolerant plants to survive and perform cellular activities under stress conditions. The present chapter describes different sites of ROS generation and and their consequences under abiotic stress conditions and also described the approaches to overcome oxidative stress through genomics and genetic engineering

Syntheses and Radiosyntheses of Two Carbon-11 Labeled Potent and Selective Radioligands for Imaging Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter

PURPOSE: The vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) is a specific biomarker for imaging presynaptic cholinergic neurons. The syntheses and C-11 labeling of two potent enantiopure VAChT inhibitors are reported here. PROCEDURES: Two VAChT inhibitors, (±)-2 and (±)-6, were successfully synthesized. A chiral HPLC column was used to resolve the enantiomers from each corresponding racemic mixture for in vitro characterization. The radiosyntheses of (−)-[(11)C]2 and (−)-[(11)C]6 from the corresponding desmethyl phenol precursor was accomplished using [(11)C]methyl iodide or [(11)C]methyl triflate, respectively. RESULTS: The synthesis of (−)-[(11)C]2 was accomplished with 40–50 % radiochemical yield (decay-corrected), SA>480 GBq/μmol (EOB), and radiochemical purity >99 %. Synthesis of (−)-[(11)C]6 was accomplished with 5–10 % yield, SA>140 GBq/μmol (EOB), and radiochemical purity >97 %. The radiosynthesis and dose formulation of each tracer was completed in 55–60 min. CONCLUSIONS: Two potent enantiopure VAChT ligands were synthesized and (11)C-labeled with good radiochemical yield and specific activity