Low-Temperature Stress in Plants: Molecular Responses, Tolerance Mechanisms, Plant Biodesign and Breeding Applications
Low-Temperature Stress in Plants: Molecular Responses, Tolerance Mechanisms, Plant Biodesign and Breeding Applications

Author: Jin Xu

Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

Published: 2024-05-17

Total Pages: 155

ISBN-13: 2832549195

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Low-temperature stress is the primary abiotic stress that affects the growth and development of plants and their geographical distribution. This can lead to the solidification of membrane lipids and decrease of enzymatic reaction rate in plants in a relatively short time, or indirectly affect the imbalance of respiration and photosynthesis, accumulation of toxic substances, ATP depletion, cell solute leakage and wilting due to water loss. Low-temperature stress can be divided into chilling stress and freezing stress according to the damage caused to plants. Both chilling and freezing stress drastically threaten global food security and species diversity in the northern and frigid temperate zones. Once plants experience low-temperature stress, the regulation mechanism of gene expression is rapidly activated to cope with the adverse environment.

Agrobacterium: From Biology to Biotechnology
Agrobacterium: From Biology to Biotechnology

Author: Tzvi Tzfira

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2007-12-25

Total Pages: 768

ISBN-13: 0387722904

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Agrobacterium is a plant pathogen which causes the “crown-gall” disease, a neoplastic growth that results from the transfer of a well-defined DNA segment (“transferred DNA”, or “T-DNA”) from the bacterial Ti (tumor-inducing) plasmid to the host cell, its integration into the host genome, and the expression of oncogenes contained on the T-DNA. The molecular machinery, needed for T-DNA generation and transport into the host cell and encoded by a series of chromosomal (chv) and Ti-plasmid virulence (vir) genes, has been the subject of numerous studies over the past several decades. Today, Agrobacterium is the tool of choice for plant genetic engineering with an ever expanding host range that includes many commercially important crops, flowers, and tree species. Furthermore, its recent application for the genetic transformation of non-plant species, from yeast to cultivated mushrooms and even to human cells, promises this bacterium a unique place in the future of biotechnological applications. The book is a comprehensive volume describing Agrobacterium's biology, interactions with host species, and uses for genetic engineering.

Plant Gene Regulatory Networks
Plant Gene Regulatory Networks

Author: Kerstin Kaufmann

Publisher: Humana

Published: 2017-06-17

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781493971244

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This volume presents protocols that analyze and explore gene regulatory networks (GRNs) at different levels in plants. This book is divided into two parts: Part I introduces different experimental techniques used to study genes and their regulatory interactions in plants. Part II highlights different computational approaches used for the integration of experimental data and bioinformatics-based predictions of regulatory interactions. This part of the book also provides information on essential database resources that grant access to gene-regulatory and molecular interactions in different plant genomes, with a specific focus on Arabidopsis thaliana. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Thorough and cutting-edge, Plant Gene Regulatory Networks: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for scientists and researchers interested in expanding their knowledge of GRNs.

Photosynthesis: Structures, Mechanisms, and Applications
Photosynthesis: Structures, Mechanisms, and Applications

Author: Harvey J.M. Hou

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-05-16

Total Pages: 424

ISBN-13: 3319488732

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To address the environmental, socioeconomic, and geopolitical issues associated with increasing global human energy consumption, technologies for utilizing renewable carbon-free or carbon-neutral energy sources must be identified and developed. Among renewable sources, solar energy is quite promising as it alone is sufficient to meet global human demands well into the foreseeable future. However, it is diffuse and diurnal. Thus effective strategies must be developed for its capture, conversion and storage. In this context, photosynthesis provides a paradigm for large-scale deployment. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria and has evolved over 3 billion years. The process of photosynthesis currently produces more than 100 billion tons of dry biomass annually, which equates to a global energy storage rate of ~100 TW. Recently, detailed structural information on the natural photosynthetic systems has been acquired at the molecular level, providing a foundation for comprehensive functional studies of the photosynthetic process. Likewise, sophisticated spectroscopic techniques have revealed important mechanistic details. Such accomplishments have made it possible for scientists and engineers to construct artificial systems for solar energy transduction that are inspired by their biological counterparts. The book contains articles written by experts and world leaders in their respective fields and summarizes the exciting breakthroughs toward understanding the structures and mechanisms of the photosynthetic apparatus as well as efforts toward developing revolutionary new energy conversion technologies. The topics/chapters will be organized in terms of the natural sequence of events occurring in the process of photosynthesis, while keeping a higher-order organization of structure and mechanism as well as the notion that biology can inspire human technologies. For example, the topic of light harvesting, will be followed by charge separation at reaction centers, followed by charge stabilization, followed by chemical reactions, followed by protection mechanisms, followed by other more specialized topics and finally ending with artificial systems and looking forward. As shown in the table of contents (TOC), the book includes and integrates topics on the structures and mechanisms of photosynthesis, and provides relevant information on applications to bioenergy and solar energy transduction.

Gene Drives on the Horizon
Gene Drives on the Horizon

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2016-08-28

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 0309437873

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Research on gene drive systems is rapidly advancing. Many proposed applications of gene drive research aim to solve environmental and public health challenges, including the reduction of poverty and the burden of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue, which disproportionately impact low and middle income countries. However, due to their intrinsic qualities of rapid spread and irreversibility, gene drive systems raise many questions with respect to their safety relative to public and environmental health. Because gene drive systems are designed to alter the environments we share in ways that will be hard to anticipate and impossible to completely roll back, questions about the ethics surrounding use of this research are complex and will require very careful exploration. Gene Drives on the Horizon outlines the state of knowledge relative to the science, ethics, public engagement, and risk assessment as they pertain to research directions of gene drive systems and governance of the research process. This report offers principles for responsible practices of gene drive research and related applications for use by investigators, their institutions, the research funders, and regulators.

Heat Stress Tolerance in Plants
Heat Stress Tolerance in Plants

Author: Shabir H. Wani

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2020-04-06

Total Pages: 315

ISBN-13: 1119432367

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Demystifies the genetic, biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms underlying heat stress tolerance in plants Heat stress—when high temperatures cause irreversible damage to plant function or development—severely impairs the growth and yield of agriculturally important crops. As the global population mounts and temperatures continue to rise, it is crucial to understand the biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms of thermotolerance to develop ‘climate-smart’ crops. Heat Stress Tolerance in Plants provides a holistic, cross-disciplinary survey of the latest science in this important field. Presenting contributions from an international team of plant scientists and researchers, this text examines heat stress, its impact on crop plants, and various mechanisms to modulate tolerance levels. Topics include recent advances in molecular genetic approaches to increasing heat tolerance, the potential role of biochemical and molecular markers in screening germplasm for thermotolerance, and the use of next-generation sequencing to unravel the novel genes associated with defense and metabolite pathways. This insightful book: Places contemporary research on heat stress in plants within the context of global climate change and population growth Includes diverse analyses from physiological, biochemical, molecular, and genetic perspectives Explores various approaches to increasing heat tolerance in crops of high commercial value, such as cotton Discusses the applications of plant genomics in the development of thermotolerant ‘designer crops’ An important contribution to the field, Heat Stress Tolerance in Plants is an invaluable resource for scientists, academics, students, and researchers working in fields of pulse crop biochemistry, physiology, genetics, breeding, and biotechnology.

New Challenges in Seed Biology
New Challenges in Seed Biology

Author: Susana Araújo

Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand

Published: 2016-10-12

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 953512658X

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New Challenges in Seed Biology - Basic and Translational Research Driving Seed Technology combines different aspects of basic and translational research in seed biology. A collection of eight chapters written by seed biology experts from the field of seed physiology, ecology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and seed technology was gathered. We hope that this book will attract the attention of researchers and technologists from academia and industry, providing points for interactive and fruitful discussion on this fascinating topic.

Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology
Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2019-01-05

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13: 0309465184

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Scientific advances over the past several decades have accelerated the ability to engineer existing organisms and to potentially create novel ones not found in nature. Synthetic biology, which collectively refers to concepts, approaches, and tools that enable the modification or creation of biological organisms, is being pursued overwhelmingly for beneficial purposes ranging from reducing the burden of disease to improving agricultural yields to remediating pollution. Although the contributions synthetic biology can make in these and other areas hold great promise, it is also possible to imagine malicious uses that could threaten U.S. citizens and military personnel. Making informed decisions about how to address such concerns requires a realistic assessment of the capabilities that could be misused. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology explores and envisions potential misuses of synthetic biology. This report develops a framework to guide an assessment of the security concerns related to advances in synthetic biology, assesses the levels of concern warranted for such advances, and identifies options that could help mitigate those concerns.

Advances in Wheat Genetics: From Genome to Field
Advances in Wheat Genetics: From Genome to Field

Author: Yasunari Ogihara

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-09-15

Total Pages: 421

ISBN-13: 4431556753

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This proceedings is a collection of 46 selected papers that were presented at the 12th International Wheat Genetics Symposium (IWGS). Since the launch of the wheat genome sequencing project in 2005, the arrival of draft genome sequences has marked a new era in wheat genetics and genomics, catalyzing rapid advancement in the field. This book provides a comprehensive review of the forefront of wheat research, across various important topics such as germplasm and genetic diversity, cytogenetics and allopolyploid evolution, genome sequencing, structural and functional genomics, gene function and molecular biology, biotic stress, abiotic stress, grain quality, and classical and molecular breeding. Following an introduction, 9 parts of the book are dedicated to each of these topics. A final, 11th part entitled “Toward Sustainable Wheat Production” contains 7 excellent papers that were presented in the 12th IWGS Special Session supported by the OECD. With rapid population growth and radical climate changes, the world faces a global food crisis and is in need of another Green Revolution to boost yields of wheat and other widely grown staple crops. Although this book focuses on wheat, many of the newly developed techniques and results presented here can be applied to other plant species with large and complex genomes. As such, this volume is highly recommended for all students and researchers in wheat sciences and related plant sciences and for those who are interested in stable food production and food security.

Agrobacterium biology and its application to transgenic plant production
Agrobacterium biology and its application to transgenic plant production

Author: Hau-Hsuan Hwang

Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

Published: 2015-06-26

Total Pages: 167

ISBN-13: 2889195740

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The broad host range pathogenic bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens has been widely studied as a model system to understand horizontal gene flow, secretion of effector proteins into host cells, and plant-pathogen interactions. Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation also is the major method for generating transgenic plants for research and biotechnology purposes. Agrobacterium species have the natural ability to conduct interkingdom genetic transfer from bacteria to eukaryotes, including most plant species, yeast, fungi, and even animal cells. In nature, A. tumefaciens causes crown gall disease resulting from expression in plants of auxin and cytokinin biosynthesis genes encoded by the transferred (T-) DNA. Gene transfer from A. tumefaciens to host cells requires virulence (vir) genes that reside on the resident tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid. In addition to T-DNA, several Virulence (Vir) effector proteins are also translocated to host cells through a bacterial type IV secretion system. These proteins aid in T-DNA trafficking through the host cell cytoplasm, nuclear targeting, and T-DNA integration. Genes within native T-DNAs can be replaced by any gene of interest, making Agrobacterium species important tools for plant research and genetic engineering. In this research topic, we provided updated information on several important areas of Agrobacterium biology and its use for biotechnology purposes.