The non-specific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP) transfers a variety of lipids between membranes and plays an important role in membrane biogenesis and regulating intra cellular fatty acid pools. However, the mechanism of lipid transfer remained enigmatic.
Microbial attachment to host surfaces is a critical step in colonization. Hence, interfering with the initial attachment is considered as one of the attractive and efficient approaches in improving health and combating infections. Towards providing the essential foundations for this approach, Dr Krishnan’s structural biology group currently focus on hair-like surface organelles called pili or fimbriae that enable bacteria to establish the initial contacts with the host surfaces for colonization and biofilm formation.
DJ-1 is a deglycase enzyme which exhibits a redox-sensitive chaperone-like activity. The partially oxidized state of DJ-1 is active in inhibiting the aggregation of α-synuclein, a key protein associated with Parkinson’s disease. The underlying molecular mechanism behind α-synuclein aggregation inhibition remains unknown. Here we report that the partially oxidized DJ-1 possesses an adhesive surface which sequesters α-synuclein monomers and blocks the early stages of α-synuclein aggregation and also restricts the elongation of α-synuclein fibrils.
Phytopathogens infect a large number of economically important plants resulting in massive yield loss globally. The effective and early detection strategy is the first measure to control the disease outbreak. Currently, the diagnosis of phytopathogenic fungus relies on traditional staining and culture techniques, however, they face major limitations such as – need to culture the infectious organism, error-prone and time-consuming. Therefore, there is a need for a fast and inexpensive alternative for the detection of pathogenic fungi.
Pseudomonas sp. strain CK-NBRI-02 is a potential plant growth-promoting Gram-negative rhizobacterium isolated from the rhizosphere of maize plants growing in fields in Srinagar, Jammu, and Kashmir, India. Here, we report a 5.25-Mb draft assembly of the genome sequence of Pseudomonas sp. strain CK-NBRI-02(or P2; GenBank ID: VSJH00000000) with an average G+C content of 62.47%. Deeper analysis of its genome sequences revealed important plant-beneficial traits.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) belong to a class of small non-coding endogenous RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. These small RNAs recognize sequences within 3′ untranslated regions of target mRNAs in complexes referred to as a miRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC). Drosophila melanogaster has served as an indispensable model system for defining the diverse biological roles of miRNAs, their mechanism of action as well as the role of miRNA biogenesis factors. In this chapter, Dr.
Drosophila melanogaster larval development is characterized by considerable growth and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is crucial for this process because it helps to maintain redox balance within cells by regenerating NAD+ from NADH. As part of Dr. Jason Tennessen’s team at Indiana University, Dr. Geetanjali Chawla participated in a study that highlight’s the metabolic flexibility of Drosophila larval development. This study shows that flies compensate for the absence of LDH function by upregulating GPDH1 activity.
Powdery mildew is a serious fungal disease of legumes. A research article published in Genomics by Dr. Chandran’s group provides novel insights into powdery mildew pathogenesis and host resistance mechanisms.
