A comprehensive profile of genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 isolates from the state of Telangana, India.

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19 has rapidly turned into a pandemic, infecting millions and causing 1 157 509 (as of 27 October 2020) deaths across the globe. In addition to studying the mode of transmission and evasion of host immune system, analysing the viral mutational landscape constitutes an area under active research. The latter is expected to impart knowledge on the emergence of different clades, subclades, viral protein functions and protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions during replication/transcription cycle of virus and response to host immune checkpoints.

A stress recovery signaling network for enhanced flooding tolerance in .

Abiotic stresses in plants are often transient, and the recovery phase following stress removal is critical. Flooding, a major abiotic stress that negatively impacts plant biodiversity and agriculture, is a sequential stress where tolerance is strongly dependent on viability underwater and during the postflooding period. Here we show that in accessions (Bay-0 and Lp2-6), different rates of submergence recovery correlate with submergence tolerance and fecundity.

Variation in Arabidopsis flooding responses identifies numerous putative "tolerance genes".

Plant survival in flooded environments requires a combinatory response to multiple stress conditions such as limited light availability, reduced gas exchange and nutrient uptake. The ability to fine-tune the molecular response at the transcriptional and/or post-transcriptional level that can eventually lead to metabolic and anatomical adjustments are the underlying requirements to confer tolerance. Previously, we compared the transcriptomic adjustment of submergence tolerant, intolerant accessions and identified a core conserved and genotype-specific response to flooding stress, identifying numerous 'putative' tolerance genes.

MicroRNA functions in plant embryos.

Plant miRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that mediate the repression of hundreds of genes. The basic plant body plan is established during early embryogenesis, and recent results have demonstrated that miRNAs play pivotal roles during both embryonic pattern formation and developmental timing. Multiple miRNAs appear to specifically repress transcription factor families during early embryogenesis.

Transgenic expression of plant chitinases to enhance disease resistance.

Crop plants have evolved an array of mechanisms to counter biotic and abiotic stresses. Many pathogenesis-related proteins are expressed by plants during the attack of pathogens. Advances in recombinant DNA technology and understanding of plant-microbe interactions at the molecular level have paved the way for isolation and characterization of genes encoding such proteins, including chitinases.

Plant β-1,3-glucanases: their biological functions and transgenic expression against phytopathogenic fungi.

β-1,3-Glucanases are abundant in plants and have been characterized from a wide range of species. They play key roles in cell division, trafficking of materials through plasmodesmata, in withstanding abiotic stresses and are involved in flower formation through to seed maturation. They also defend plants against fungal pathogens either alone or in association with chitinases and other antifungal proteins.

Molecular characterization of the submergence response of the Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia.

• A detailed description of the molecular response of Arabidopsis thaliana to submergence can aid the identification of genes that are critical to flooding survival. • Rosette-stage plants were fully submerged in complete darkness and shoot and root tissue was harvested separately after the O(2) partial pressure of the petiole and root had stabilized at c. 6 and 0.