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Niaz Ahmad
Department of Biotechnology, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Science (PIEAS), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

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Review
Published: 07 August 2021 in Cells
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Salinity is a growing problem affecting soils and agriculture in many parts of the world. The presence of salt in plant cells disrupts many basic metabolic processes, contributing to severe negative effects on plant development and growth. This review focuses on the effects of salinity on chloroplasts, including the structures and function of these organelles. Chloroplasts house various important biochemical reactions, including photosynthesis, most of which are considered essential for plant survival. Salinity can affect these reactions in a number of ways, for example, by changing the chloroplast size, number, lamellar organization, lipid and starch accumulation, and interfering with cross-membrane transportation. Research has shown that maintenance of the normal chloroplast physiology is necessary for the survival of the entire plant. Many plant species have evolved different mechanisms to withstand the harmful effects of salt-induced toxicity on their chloroplasts and its machinery. The differences depend on the plant species and growth stage and can be quite different between salt-sensitive (glycophyte) and salt-tolerant (halophyte) plants. Salt stress tolerance is a complex trait, and many aspects of salt tolerance in plants are not entirely clear yet. In this review, we discuss the different mechanisms of salt stress tolerance in plants with a special focus on chloroplast structure and its functions, including the underlying differences between glycophytes and halophytes.

ACS Style

Abdul Hameed; Muhammad Ahmed; Tabassum Hussain; Irfan Aziz; Niaz Ahmad; Bilquees Gul; Brent Nielsen. Effects of Salinity Stress on Chloroplast Structure and Function. Cells 2021, 10, 2023 .

AMA Style

Abdul Hameed, Muhammad Ahmed, Tabassum Hussain, Irfan Aziz, Niaz Ahmad, Bilquees Gul, Brent Nielsen. Effects of Salinity Stress on Chloroplast Structure and Function. Cells. 2021; 10 (8):2023.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Abdul Hameed; Muhammad Ahmed; Tabassum Hussain; Irfan Aziz; Niaz Ahmad; Bilquees Gul; Brent Nielsen. 2021. "Effects of Salinity Stress on Chloroplast Structure and Function." Cells 10, no. 8: 2023.

Journal article
Published: 28 January 2021 in Protein & Peptide Letters
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Plastids in higher plants carry out specialized roles such as photosynthesis, nitrogen assimilation, biosynthesis of amino acids, fatty acids, isoprenoids, and various metabolites. Plastids arise from undifferentiated precursors known as proplastids, which are found in the root and shoot meristems. They are highly dynamic as they change their number, morphology, and physiology according to the tissue they are present. In addition to housing various metabolic activities, plastids also serve as a global sensor for both internal and external environmental cues including different stresses, and help plants to respond/adjust accordingly. They relay information to the nucleus, which then responds by changing the expression levels of specific genes. It has been shown that plants with impaired plastid functions exhibit abnormalities. One of the sources emanating these signals to the nucleus is plastid transcription. Normal plastid functioning is therefore critical for plant survival. Despite immense significance for plant acclimation, the plastid transcriptome is largely an unstudied research area. In this review, we discuss the importance of plastid transcriptomics for the acclimation of plants under changing environmental conditions and summarize the key literature published in this field.

ACS Style

Niaz Ahmad. Plastid Transcriptomics: An Important Tool For Plastid Functional Genomics. Protein & Peptide Letters 2021, 28, 1 -8.

AMA Style

Niaz Ahmad. Plastid Transcriptomics: An Important Tool For Plastid Functional Genomics. Protein & Peptide Letters. 2021; 28 ():1-8.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Niaz Ahmad. 2021. "Plastid Transcriptomics: An Important Tool For Plastid Functional Genomics." Protein & Peptide Letters 28, no. : 1-8.

Editorial
Published: 28 May 2020 in Plants
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Plant cells contain two double membrane bound organelles, plastids and mitochondria, that contain their own genomes. There is a very large variation in the sizes of mitochondrial genomes in higher plants, while the plastid genome remains relatively uniform across different species. One of the curious features of the organelle DNA is that it exists in a high copy number per mitochondria or chloroplast, which varies greatly in different tissues during plant development. The variations in copy number, morphology and genomic content reflect the diversity in organelle functions. The link between the metabolic needs of a cell and the capacity of mitochondria and chloroplasts to fulfill this demand is thought to act as a selective force on the number of organelles and genome copies per organelle. However, it is not yet clear how the activities of mitochondria and chloroplasts are coordinated in response to cellular and environmental cues. The relationship between genome copy number variation and the mechanism(s) by which the genomes are maintained through different developmental stages are yet to be fully understood. This Special Issue has several contributions that address current knowledge of higher plant organelle DNA. Here we briefly introduce these articles that discuss the importance of different aspects of the organelle genome in higher plants.

ACS Style

Niaz Ahmad; Brent L. Nielsen. Plant Organelle DNA Maintenance. Plants 2020, 9, 683 .

AMA Style

Niaz Ahmad, Brent L. Nielsen. Plant Organelle DNA Maintenance. Plants. 2020; 9 (6):683.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Niaz Ahmad; Brent L. Nielsen. 2020. "Plant Organelle DNA Maintenance." Plants 9, no. 6: 683.

Original research article
Published: 28 April 2020 in Frontiers in Plant Science
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The plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX) – an interfacial diiron carboxylate protein found in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts – oxidizes plastoquinol and reduces molecular oxygen to water. It is believed to play a physiologically important role in the response of some plant species to light and salt (NaCl) stress by diverting excess electrons to oxygen thereby protecting photosystem II (PSII) from photodamage. PTOX is therefore a candidate for engineering stress tolerance in crop plants. Previously, we used chloroplast transformation technology to over express PTOX1 from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in tobacco (generating line Nt-PTOX-OE). Contrary to expectation, growth of Nt-PTOX-OE plants was more sensitive to light stress. Here we have examined in detail the effects of PTOX1 on photosynthesis in Nt-PTOX-OE tobacco plants grown at two different light intensities. Under ‘low light’ (50 μmol photons m–2 s–1) conditions, Nt-PTOX-OE and WT plants showed similar photosynthetic activities. In contrast, under ‘high light’ (125 μmol photons m–2 s–1) conditions, Nt-PTOX-OE showed less PSII activity than WT while photosystem I (PSI) activity was unaffected. Nt-PTOX-OE grown under high light also failed to increase the chlorophyll a/b ratio and the maximum rate of CO2 assimilation compared to low-light grown plants, suggesting a defect in acclimation. In contrast, Nt-PTOX-OE plants showed much better germination, root length, and shoot biomass accumulation than WT when exposed to high levels of NaCl and showed better recovery and less chlorophyll bleaching after NaCl stress when grown hydroponically. Overall, our results strengthen the link between PTOX and the resistance of plants to salt stress.

ACS Style

Niaz Ahmad; Muhammad Omar Khan; Ejazul Islam; Zheng-Yi Wei; Lorna McAusland; Tracy Lawson; Giles N. Johnson; Peter J. Nixon. Contrasting Responses to Stress Displayed by Tobacco Overexpressing an Algal Plastid Terminal Oxidase in the Chloroplast. Frontiers in Plant Science 2020, 11, 501 .

AMA Style

Niaz Ahmad, Muhammad Omar Khan, Ejazul Islam, Zheng-Yi Wei, Lorna McAusland, Tracy Lawson, Giles N. Johnson, Peter J. Nixon. Contrasting Responses to Stress Displayed by Tobacco Overexpressing an Algal Plastid Terminal Oxidase in the Chloroplast. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2020; 11 ():501.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Niaz Ahmad; Muhammad Omar Khan; Ejazul Islam; Zheng-Yi Wei; Lorna McAusland; Tracy Lawson; Giles N. Johnson; Peter J. Nixon. 2020. "Contrasting Responses to Stress Displayed by Tobacco Overexpressing an Algal Plastid Terminal Oxidase in the Chloroplast." Frontiers in Plant Science 11, no. : 501.

Journal article
Published: 29 November 2019 in Plants
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In vitro regeneration is a pre-requisite for developing transgenic plants through tissue culture-based genetic engineering approaches. Huge variations among different genotypes of the genus Brassica necessitate the identification of a set of regeneration conditions for a genotype, which can be reliably used in transformation experiments. In this study, we evaluated the morphogenesis potential of four commercial cultivars (Faisal canola, Punjab canola, Aari canola, Nifa Gold) and one model, Westar, from four different explants namely cotyledons, hypocotyls, petioles and roots on three different Brassica regeneration protocols, BRP-I, -II and -III. The regeneration efficiency was observed in the range of 6–73%, 4–79.3%, 0–50.6%, and 0–42.6% from cotyledons, petioles, hypocotyls and roots, respectively, whereas, the regeneration response in terms of average shoots per explant was found to be 0.76–10.9, 0.2–3.2, 0–3.4 and 0–2.7 from these explants. Of the commercial varieties tested, almost all varieties showed poorer regeneration than Westar except Aari canola. In comparison to Westar, its regeneration frequency from cotyledons was up to 7.5-fold higher on BRP-I, while it produced up to 21.9-fold more shoots per explant. Our data show that the explant has strong influence on the regeneration response, ranging from 24% to 92%. While the growth of commercial cultivars was least affected by the regeneration conditions provided, the effect on Westar was twice that of the commercial cultivars. After determining the optimal explant type and regeneration conditions, we also determined the minimum kanamycin concentration levels required to selectively inhibit the growth of untransformed cells for these cultivars. Regenerated shoots of Aari canola could be successfully grown to maturity within 16–18 weeks, with no altered phenotype noted and normal seed yields obtained. Therefore, the commercial variety, Aari canola, could be a good candidate for future genetic transformation studies.

ACS Style

Nisma Farooq; Muhammad Asif Nawaz; Zahid Mukhtar; Iftikhar Ali; Penny Hundleby; Niaz Ahmad. Investigating the In Vitro Regeneration Potential of Commercial Cultivars of Brassica. Plants 2019, 8, 558 .

AMA Style

Nisma Farooq, Muhammad Asif Nawaz, Zahid Mukhtar, Iftikhar Ali, Penny Hundleby, Niaz Ahmad. Investigating the In Vitro Regeneration Potential of Commercial Cultivars of Brassica. Plants. 2019; 8 (12):558.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nisma Farooq; Muhammad Asif Nawaz; Zahid Mukhtar; Iftikhar Ali; Penny Hundleby; Niaz Ahmad. 2019. "Investigating the In Vitro Regeneration Potential of Commercial Cultivars of Brassica." Plants 8, no. 12: 558.

Review
Published: 21 September 2019 in Plants
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Mitochondria and chloroplasts perform essential functions in respiration, ATP production, and photosynthesis, and both organelles contain genomes that encode only some of the proteins that are required for these functions. The proteins and mechanisms for organelle DNA replication are very similar to bacterial or phage systems. The minimal replisome may consist of DNA polymerase, a primase/helicase, and a single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB), similar to that found in bacteriophage T7. In Arabidopsis, there are two genes for organellar DNA polymerases and multiple potential genes for SSB, but there is only one known primase/helicase protein to date. Genome copy number varies widely between type and age of plant tissues. Replication mechanisms are only poorly understood at present, and may involve multiple processes, including recombination-dependent replication (RDR) in plant mitochondria and perhaps also in chloroplasts. There are still important questions remaining as to how the genomes are maintained in new organelles, and how genome copy number is determined. This review summarizes our current understanding of these processes.

ACS Style

Stewart A. Morley; Niaz Ahmad; Brent L. Nielsen. Plant Organelle Genome Replication. Plants 2019, 8, 358 .

AMA Style

Stewart A. Morley, Niaz Ahmad, Brent L. Nielsen. Plant Organelle Genome Replication. Plants. 2019; 8 (10):358.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stewart A. Morley; Niaz Ahmad; Brent L. Nielsen. 2019. "Plant Organelle Genome Replication." Plants 8, no. 10: 358.

Review article
Published: 20 September 2019 in Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry
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The last few years have seen an ever‐increasing interest in the exploitation of microalgae as alternative platform to produce high‐value products, including biofuels, industrial enzymes, therapeutic proteins, including antibodies, hormones, and vaccines. Due to some unique attractive features, engineering of the chloroplast genome provides a promising platform for the production of high value targets because it allows manipulation of metabolic processes in ways that would be impossible, or at least prohibitively difficult through traditional approaches. Since its initial demonstration in 1988 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, genetic tools have been developed which have made it possible to produce high‐value molecules in different species. However, the commercial application of microalgae as production platform is hindered by many factors like poor biomass, low product yields and costly downstream processing methodologies. In this review, we discuss the potential of microalgae to use as an alternative production platform for high value targets using chloroplast transformation technology. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

ACS Style

Ayesha Siddiqui; Zhengyi Wei; Marko Boehm; Niaz Ahmad. Engineering microalgae through chloroplast transformation to produce high‐value industrial products. Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 2019, 67, 30 -40.

AMA Style

Ayesha Siddiqui, Zhengyi Wei, Marko Boehm, Niaz Ahmad. Engineering microalgae through chloroplast transformation to produce high‐value industrial products. Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry. 2019; 67 (1):30-40.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ayesha Siddiqui; Zhengyi Wei; Marko Boehm; Niaz Ahmad. 2019. "Engineering microalgae through chloroplast transformation to produce high‐value industrial products." Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry 67, no. 1: 30-40.

Review
Published: 10 July 2019 in Journal of Cellular Physiology
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Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based genome editing, derived from prokaryotic immunity system, is rapidly emerging as an alternative platform for introducing targeted alterations in genomes. The CRISPR-based tools have been deployed for several other applications including gene expression studies, detection of mutation patterns in genomes, epigenetic regulation, chromatin imaging, etc. Unlike the traditional genetic engineering approaches, it is simple, cost-effective, and highly specific in inducing genetic variations. Despite its popularity, the technology has limitations such as off-targets, low mutagenesis efficiency, and its dependency on in-vitro regeneration protocols for the recovery of stable plant lines. Several other issues such as persisted CRISPR activity in subsequent generations, the potential for transferring to its wild type population, the risk of reversion of edited version to its original phenotype particularly in cross-pollinated plant species when released into the environment and the scarcity of validated targets have been overlooked. This article briefly highlights these undermined aspects, which may challenge the wider applications of this platform for improving crop genetics.

ACS Style

Niaz Ahmad; Mehboob‐Ur Rahman; Zahid Mukhtar; Yusuf Zafar; Baohong Zhang. A critical look on CRISPR‐based genome editing in plants. Journal of Cellular Physiology 2019, 235, 666 -682.

AMA Style

Niaz Ahmad, Mehboob‐Ur Rahman, Zahid Mukhtar, Yusuf Zafar, Baohong Zhang. A critical look on CRISPR‐based genome editing in plants. Journal of Cellular Physiology. 2019; 235 (2):666-682.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Niaz Ahmad; Mehboob‐Ur Rahman; Zahid Mukhtar; Yusuf Zafar; Baohong Zhang. 2019. "A critical look on CRISPR‐based genome editing in plants." Journal of Cellular Physiology 235, no. 2: 666-682.

Journal article
Published: 30 July 2018 in Pakistan Journal of Botany
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ACS Style

Muhammad Baqir Hussain; Zahir Ahmad Zahir; Ijaz Mehboob; Sajid Mehmood; Niaz Ahmad; Tanveer Ul Haq; Iftikhar Ahmad; Muhammad Imran. Mesorhizobium ciceri-CR-39 inoculation to wheat for drought tolerance at critical growth stages. Pakistan Journal of Botany 2018, 51, 1 .

AMA Style

Muhammad Baqir Hussain, Zahir Ahmad Zahir, Ijaz Mehboob, Sajid Mehmood, Niaz Ahmad, Tanveer Ul Haq, Iftikhar Ahmad, Muhammad Imran. Mesorhizobium ciceri-CR-39 inoculation to wheat for drought tolerance at critical growth stages. Pakistan Journal of Botany. 2018; 51 (1):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Muhammad Baqir Hussain; Zahir Ahmad Zahir; Ijaz Mehboob; Sajid Mehmood; Niaz Ahmad; Tanveer Ul Haq; Iftikhar Ahmad; Muhammad Imran. 2018. "Mesorhizobium ciceri-CR-39 inoculation to wheat for drought tolerance at critical growth stages." Pakistan Journal of Botany 51, no. 1: 1.

Journal article
Published: 02 May 2018 in Protein & Peptide Letters
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ACS Style

Muhammad Omar Khan; Muhammad Aamer Mehmood; Zahid Mukhtar; Niaz Ahmad. Chloroplasts as Cellular Factories for the Cost-effective Production of Cellulases. Protein & Peptide Letters 2018, 25, 129 -135.

AMA Style

Muhammad Omar Khan, Muhammad Aamer Mehmood, Zahid Mukhtar, Niaz Ahmad. Chloroplasts as Cellular Factories for the Cost-effective Production of Cellulases. Protein & Peptide Letters. 2018; 25 (2):129-135.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Muhammad Omar Khan; Muhammad Aamer Mehmood; Zahid Mukhtar; Niaz Ahmad. 2018. "Chloroplasts as Cellular Factories for the Cost-effective Production of Cellulases." Protein & Peptide Letters 25, no. 2: 129-135.

Review
Published: 01 October 2017 in Genomics
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An alarming increase in the human population necessitates doubling the world food production in the next few decades. Although a number of possible biotechnological measures are under consideration, central to these efforts is the development of transgenic crops to produce more food, and the traits with which plants could better adapt to adverse environmental conditions in a changing climate. The emergence of new tools for the introduction of foreign genes into plants has increased both our knowledge and the capacity to develop transgenic plants. In addition, a better understanding of genetic modifications has allowed us to study the impact that genetically modified crop plants may have on the environment. This article discusses different techniques routinely used to carry out genetic modifications in plants while highlighting challenges with them, which future research must address to increase acceptance of GM crops for meeting food security challenges effectively.

ACS Style

Niaz Ahmad; Zahid Mukhtar. Genetic manipulations in crops: Challenges and opportunities. Genomics 2017, 109, 494 -505.

AMA Style

Niaz Ahmad, Zahid Mukhtar. Genetic manipulations in crops: Challenges and opportunities. Genomics. 2017; 109 (5-6):494-505.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Niaz Ahmad; Zahid Mukhtar. 2017. "Genetic manipulations in crops: Challenges and opportunities." Genomics 109, no. 5-6: 494-505.

Book chapter
Published: 01 January 2017 in Advances in Bioenergy
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ACS Style

Muhammad Aamer Mehmood; Ayesha Shahid; Liang Xiong; Niaz Ahmad; Chenguang Liu; Fengwu Bai; Xinqing Zhao. Development of Synthetic Microbial Platforms to Convert Lignocellulosic Biomass to Biofuels. Advances in Bioenergy 2017, 2, 233 -278.

AMA Style

Muhammad Aamer Mehmood, Ayesha Shahid, Liang Xiong, Niaz Ahmad, Chenguang Liu, Fengwu Bai, Xinqing Zhao. Development of Synthetic Microbial Platforms to Convert Lignocellulosic Biomass to Biofuels. Advances in Bioenergy. 2017; 2 ():233-278.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Muhammad Aamer Mehmood; Ayesha Shahid; Liang Xiong; Niaz Ahmad; Chenguang Liu; Fengwu Bai; Xinqing Zhao. 2017. "Development of Synthetic Microbial Platforms to Convert Lignocellulosic Biomass to Biofuels." Advances in Bioenergy 2, no. : 233-278.

Review
Published: 03 October 2016 in Journal of Experimental Botany
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Plastid transformation has emerged as an alternative platform to generate transgenic plants. Attractive features of this technology include specific integration of transgenes—either individually or as operons—into the plastid genome through homologous recombination, the potential for high-level protein expression, and transgene containment because of the maternal inheritance of plastids. Several issues associated with nuclear transformation such as gene silencing, variable gene expression due to the Mendelian laws of inheritance, and epigenetic regulation have not been observed in the plastid genome. Plastid transformation has been successfully used for the production of therapeutics, vaccines, antigens, and commercial enzymes, and for engineering various agronomic traits including resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, these demonstrations have usually focused on model systems such as tobacco, and the technology per se has not yet reached the market. Technical factors limiting this technology include the lack of efficient protocols for the transformation of cereals, poor transgene expression in non-green plastids, a limited number of selection markers, and the lengthy procedures required to recover fully segregated plants. This article discusses the technology of transforming the plastid genome, the positive and negative features compared with nuclear transformation, and the current challenges that need to be addressed for successful commercialization.

ACS Style

Niaz Ahmad; Franck Michoux; Andreas G. Lössl; Peter Nixon. Challenges and perspectives in commercializing plastid transformation technology. Journal of Experimental Botany 2016, 67, 5945 -5960.

AMA Style

Niaz Ahmad, Franck Michoux, Andreas G. Lössl, Peter Nixon. Challenges and perspectives in commercializing plastid transformation technology. Journal of Experimental Botany. 2016; 67 (21):5945-5960.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Niaz Ahmad; Franck Michoux; Andreas G. Lössl; Peter Nixon. 2016. "Challenges and perspectives in commercializing plastid transformation technology." Journal of Experimental Botany 67, no. 21: 5945-5960.

Editorial
Published: 15 September 2016 in Frontiers in Plant Science
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Editorial: Advances in Plastid Biology and Its Applications

ACS Style

Niaz Ahmad; Steven J. Burgess; Brent L. Nielsen. Editorial: Advances in Plastid Biology and Its Applications. Frontiers in Plant Science 2016, 7, 1 .

AMA Style

Niaz Ahmad, Steven J. Burgess, Brent L. Nielsen. Editorial: Advances in Plastid Biology and Its Applications. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2016; 7 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Niaz Ahmad; Steven J. Burgess; Brent L. Nielsen. 2016. "Editorial: Advances in Plastid Biology and Its Applications." Frontiers in Plant Science 7, no. : 1.

Book chapter
Published: 08 July 2016 in Environmental Stresses in Soybean Production
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The sustainable production of the soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) is at stake due to increased salinization, frequent drought periods, flooding, unusual fluctuations in temperature, and rainfall pattern and frequency. The negative consequences of the changing climate are further complicating the situation. Conventionally, different traits such as root length, photosynthetic rate, seed size, etc. have been used as selection criteria for selecting resilient genotypes. Since 1995, DNA markers associated with different traits have been used for selecting the genotypes with excellent genetics; however, complex traits like tolerance to different abiotic stresses need further investigation to identify QTLs, which can be used confidently in initiating marker-assisted breeding in soybeans. A number of studies explored the various adaptation mechanisms at the molecular level, which help soybean plants to counter the abiotic stresses. For example, a number of transcription factors (TFs) including DREBs, ERFs, ZIP, WRKY, and MYB have been identified in soybeans. In another study, the role of the HD-Zip gene family in conferring drought and saline environments was described in soybeans. Similarly, a total of 61 HSP70 genes located unevenly on 17 different chromosomes were identified, which have a role in imparting tolerance to heat stress. Reports for transferring the genes and or TFs involved in conferring tolerance to abiotic stresses in soybeans are scanty. A P5CR gene, DREB1DTF, and the NTR1 gene were introduced in soybeans, which showed improved tolerance to drought. The expression of an Arabidopsis vacuolar Na+/H+antiporter gene (AtNHX1) in soybeans demonstrated improved tolerance to salt. Overexpression of a Solanumtorvum Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase gene (StP5CS) in soybeans resulted in a higher level of salt tolerance. In the future, utilization of untapped genetic diversity available in the wild germplasm accessions, understanding genetic mechanisms using TILLING approach, identification of new DNA markers using next-gen sequencing tools, precise editing of the soybean genome using new editing tools like ZFNs and CRISPR-Cas9, and exploitation of the chloroplast-based transformation approach would be the ultimate choice for improving genetics of soybeans for mitigating the abiotic stresses.

ACS Style

G. Raza; Niaz Ahmad; M. Hussain; Y. Zafar; M. Rahman. Role of Genetics and Genomics in Mitigating Abiotic Stresses in Soybeans. Environmental Stresses in Soybean Production 2016, 205 -228.

AMA Style

G. Raza, Niaz Ahmad, M. Hussain, Y. Zafar, M. Rahman. Role of Genetics and Genomics in Mitigating Abiotic Stresses in Soybeans. Environmental Stresses in Soybean Production. 2016; ():205-228.

Chicago/Turabian Style

G. Raza; Niaz Ahmad; M. Hussain; Y. Zafar; M. Rahman. 2016. "Role of Genetics and Genomics in Mitigating Abiotic Stresses in Soybeans." Environmental Stresses in Soybean Production , no. : 205-228.

Journal article
Published: 02 July 2016 in Frontiers in Life Science
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The present study was focussed on selection of fast-growing microalgae with higher lipid content using cheaper growth media, aimed to reduce the cost of algal biomass production. Samples were collected from 40 different sites from fresh and wastewater bodies. Based on morphological differences, two microalgae (SSG and SA) from wastewater and three (OP, DFM and JRC) from fresh water habitat were selected for further characterization. The specific growth rates (g Day −1 L−1) of the OP, DFM, JRC, SA and SSG were found to be 0.614, 0.638, 0.734, 1.06 and 1.02, respectively, whereas the doubling time (Td) was shown to be as 39.30, 36.48, 22.08, 12.24 and 12.98 h, respectively, when cultured without controlled temperature and CO2 supply, in a locally designed photobioreactor. All five microalgae shown considerable growth at a range of pH 6.0–9.0 with a peak activity within pH range 7.5–8.5. The OP, DFM and JRC contained 27%, whereas SSG and SA shown 39% lipid content. The phylogenetic analyses based on the 18S rRNA gene sequence have shown that studied microalgal strains may be novel species.

ACS Style

Saba Shahid Gill; Muhammad Aamer Mehmood; Niaz Ahmad; Muhammad Ibrahim; Umer Rashid; Shafaqat Ali; Imededdine Nehdi. Strain selection, growth productivity and biomass characterization of novel microalgae isolated from fresh and wastewaters of upper Punjab, Pakistan. Frontiers in Life Science 2016, 9, 190 -200.

AMA Style

Saba Shahid Gill, Muhammad Aamer Mehmood, Niaz Ahmad, Muhammad Ibrahim, Umer Rashid, Shafaqat Ali, Imededdine Nehdi. Strain selection, growth productivity and biomass characterization of novel microalgae isolated from fresh and wastewaters of upper Punjab, Pakistan. Frontiers in Life Science. 2016; 9 (3):190-200.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Saba Shahid Gill; Muhammad Aamer Mehmood; Niaz Ahmad; Muhammad Ibrahim; Umer Rashid; Shafaqat Ali; Imededdine Nehdi. 2016. "Strain selection, growth productivity and biomass characterization of novel microalgae isolated from fresh and wastewaters of upper Punjab, Pakistan." Frontiers in Life Science 9, no. 3: 190-200.

Original research article
Published: 21 June 2016 in Frontiers in Plant Science
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A key step in the repair of photoinactivated oxygen-evolving photosystem II (PSII) complexes is the selective recognition and degradation of the damaged PSII subunit, usually the D1 reaction centre subunit. FtsH proteases play a major role in D1 degradation in both cyanobacteria and chloroplasts. In the case of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, analysis of an N-terminal truncation mutant of D1 lacking 20 amino-acid residues has provided evidence that FtsH complexes can remove damaged D1 in a processive reaction initiated at the exposed N-terminal tail. To test the importance of the N-terminal D1 tail in higher plants, we have constructed the equivalent truncation mutant in tobacco using chloroplast transformation techniques. The resulting mutant grew poorly and only accumulated about 25 % of wild-type levels of PSII in young leaves which declined as the leaves grew so that there was little PSII activity in mature leaves. Truncating D1 led to the loss of PSII supercomplexes and dimeric complexes in the membrane. Extensive and rapid non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) was still induced in the mutant, supporting the conclusion that PSII complexes are not required for NPQ. Analysis of leaves exposed to high light indicated that PSII repair in the truncation mutant was impaired at the level of synthesis and/or assembly of PSII but that D1 could still be degraded. These data support the idea that tobacco plants possess a number of back-up and compensatory pathways for removal of damaged D1 upon severe light stress.

ACS Style

Franck Michoux; Niaz Ahmad; Zheng-Yi Wei; Erica Belgio; Alexander V. Ruban; Peter J. Nixon. Testing the Role of the N-Terminal Tail of D1 in the Maintenance of Photosystem II in Tobacco Chloroplasts. Frontiers in Plant Science 2016, 7, 844 .

AMA Style

Franck Michoux, Niaz Ahmad, Zheng-Yi Wei, Erica Belgio, Alexander V. Ruban, Peter J. Nixon. Testing the Role of the N-Terminal Tail of D1 in the Maintenance of Photosystem II in Tobacco Chloroplasts. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2016; 7 ():844.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Franck Michoux; Niaz Ahmad; Zheng-Yi Wei; Erica Belgio; Alexander V. Ruban; Peter J. Nixon. 2016. "Testing the Role of the N-Terminal Tail of D1 in the Maintenance of Photosystem II in Tobacco Chloroplasts." Frontiers in Plant Science 7, no. : 844.

Book chapter
Published: 22 March 2016 in Applied Molecular Biotechnology
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ACS Style

Niaz Ahmad; Muhammad Aamer Mehmood; Steven Burgess; Muhammad Khan. Engineering genomes for biofuels. Applied Molecular Biotechnology 2016, 569 -597.

AMA Style

Niaz Ahmad, Muhammad Aamer Mehmood, Steven Burgess, Muhammad Khan. Engineering genomes for biofuels. Applied Molecular Biotechnology. 2016; ():569-597.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Niaz Ahmad; Muhammad Aamer Mehmood; Steven Burgess; Muhammad Khan. 2016. "Engineering genomes for biofuels." Applied Molecular Biotechnology , no. : 569-597.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2014 in Carbohydrate Research
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In the present study, a biosurfactant was synthesized by using a bacterial strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in minimal media provided with n-heptadecane as sole carbon source under shake-flask conditions. The biosurfactant was isolated (by acid precipitation, solvent extraction, and rotary evaporation), purified (by column chromatography and TLC), identified (by FAB-MS, FTIR, and 1D-(1)H NMR), and chemo-physical characterized (by tensiometry). Two principal rhamnolipid congeners were identified as dirhamnolipid RRC10C10 and monorhamnolipid RC10C10 with a CMC of 50mg/L. The biosurfactant, hence produced, was applied in sole and in combination with pectinase in scouring of cotton fabric in contrast to conventional scouring agents of NaOH and anionic surfactant SDS. The scoured cotton fabric was investigated for its weight loss, residual oil and grease, wettability, whiteness, and tensile strength. The results were compared both for conventional and biological approaches. The scouring with biosurfactant plus pectinase was equivalent to or better in efficiency than conventional alkaline scouring. The former process is additionally environmentally friendly and bio-compatible. Scanning electron microscopy of cotton fabric showed that the alkaline scouring deteriorates the fabric texture whereas bioscouring with biosurfactant plus pectinase gently removes hydrophobic impurities from the cotton fabric.

ACS Style

Zulfiqar Ali Raza; Aisha Rehman; Muhammad Tahir Hussain; Rashid Masood; Anwar Ul Haq; Muhammad Tahir Saddique; Amjed Javid; Niaz Ahmad. Production of rhamnolipid surfactant and its application in bioscouring of cotton fabric. Carbohydrate Research 2014, 391, 97 -105.

AMA Style

Zulfiqar Ali Raza, Aisha Rehman, Muhammad Tahir Hussain, Rashid Masood, Anwar Ul Haq, Muhammad Tahir Saddique, Amjed Javid, Niaz Ahmad. Production of rhamnolipid surfactant and its application in bioscouring of cotton fabric. Carbohydrate Research. 2014; 391 ():97-105.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zulfiqar Ali Raza; Aisha Rehman; Muhammad Tahir Hussain; Rashid Masood; Anwar Ul Haq; Muhammad Tahir Saddique; Amjed Javid; Niaz Ahmad. 2014. "Production of rhamnolipid surfactant and its application in bioscouring of cotton fabric." Carbohydrate Research 391, no. : 97-105.

Journal article
Published: 11 November 2013 in Bioinformation
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ACS Style

Ujala Sehar; Muhammad Aamer Mehmood; Khadim Hussain; Salman Nawaz; Shahid Nadeem; Muhammad Hussnain Siddique; Habibullah Nadeem; Munazza Gull; Niaz Ahmad; Iqra Sohail; Saba Shahid Gill; Summera Majeed. Domain wise docking analyses of the modular chitin binding protein CBP50 from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar konkukian S4. Bioinformation 2013, 9, 901 -907.

AMA Style

Ujala Sehar, Muhammad Aamer Mehmood, Khadim Hussain, Salman Nawaz, Shahid Nadeem, Muhammad Hussnain Siddique, Habibullah Nadeem, Munazza Gull, Niaz Ahmad, Iqra Sohail, Saba Shahid Gill, Summera Majeed. Domain wise docking analyses of the modular chitin binding protein CBP50 from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar konkukian S4. Bioinformation. 2013; 9 (18):901-907.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ujala Sehar; Muhammad Aamer Mehmood; Khadim Hussain; Salman Nawaz; Shahid Nadeem; Muhammad Hussnain Siddique; Habibullah Nadeem; Munazza Gull; Niaz Ahmad; Iqra Sohail; Saba Shahid Gill; Summera Majeed. 2013. "Domain wise docking analyses of the modular chitin binding protein CBP50 from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar konkukian S4." Bioinformation 9, no. 18: 901-907.