Background: Pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata; Cucurbitaceae) are valued for their fruits and seeds and are rich in nutrients. Carotenoids and sugar contents, as main feature of pumpkin pulp, are used to determine the fruit quality. Results: Two pumpkin germplasms, CMO-X and CMO-E, were analyzed regarding the essential quality traits such as dry weight, soluble solids, organic acids, carotenoids and sugar contents. For the comparison of fruit development in these two germplasms, fruit transcriptome was analyzed at 5 different developmental stages from 0 d to 40 d in a time course manner. Putative pathways for carotenoids biosynthesis and sucrose metabolism were developed in C. moschata fruit and homologs were identified for each key gene involved in the pathways. Gene expression data was found consistent with the accumulation of metabolites across developmental stages and also between two germplasms. PSY, PDS, ZEP, CRTISO and SUS, SPS, HK, FK were found highly correlated with the accumulation of carotenoids and sucrose metabolites, respectively, at different growth stages of C. moschata as shown by whole transcriptomic analysis. The results of qRT-PCR analysis further confirmed the association of these genes. Conclusion: Developmental regulation of the genes associated with the metabolite accumulation can be considered as an important factor for the determination of C. moschata fruit quality. This research will facilitate the investigation of metabolic profiles in other cultivars.

The situation of drug resistance has become more complicated due to the scarcity of plant resistance genes, and overcoming this challenge is imperative. Isatis indigotica has been used for the treatment of wounds, viral infections, and inflammation for centuries. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are found in all classes of life ranging from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. To identify AMPs, I. indigotica was explored using a novel, sensitive, and high-throughput Bacillus subtilis screening system. We found that IiR515 and IiR915 exhibited significant antimicrobial activities against a variety of bacterial (Xanthomonas oryzae, Ralstonia solanacearum, Clavibacter michiganensis, and C. fangii) and fungal (Phytophthora capsici and Botrytis cinerea) pathogens. Scanning electron microscope and cytometric analysis revealed the possible mechanism of these peptides, which was to target and disrupt the bacterial cell membrane. This model was also supported by membrane fluidity and electrical potential analyses. Hemolytic activity assays revealed that these peptides may act as a potential source for clinical medicine development. In conclusion, the plant-derived novel AMPs IiR515 and IiR915 are effective biocontrol agents and can be used as raw materials in the drug discovery field.

This investigation characterizes an acyltransferase enzyme responsible for the pathogenicity of Phytophthora melonis. The protein was characterized in vitro for its physicochemical properties. The biochemical characterization, including thermal and pH stability, revealed the 35 °C temperature and 7.0 pH as the optimum conditions for the enzyme. Applying the Tween-80 solution enhanced the activity up to 124.9%. Comprehensive structural annotation revealed two domains, A (ranging from residues 260 to 620) and B (ranging from 141 to 219). Domain A had transglutaminase (T-Gase) elicitor properties, while B possessed antifreeze features. Rigorous sequence characterization of the acyltransferase tagged it as a low-temperature-resistant protein. Further, the taxonomic distribution analysis of the protein highlighted three genera in Oomycetes, i.e., Pythium, Phytophthora, and Plasmopara, bearing this protein. However, some taxonomic groups other than Oomycetes (i.e., archaea and bacteria) also contained the protein. Functional studies of structurally analogous proteins spanned 10 different taxonomic groups. These revealed TGase elicitors (10%), phytopathogen effector proteins RxLR (4%), transporter family proteins (3%), and endonucleases (1%). Other analogues having one percent of their individual share were HIV tat-specific factor 1, protocadherin fat 4, transcription factor 1, and 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase. Because the plant infection by P. melonis is a complex process regulated by a profusion of extracellular signals secreted by both host plants and the pathogen, this study will be of help in interpreting the cross-talk in the host–pathogen system.

With the advancements in agriculture, farming community less or more started to rely on synthetic chemicals to increase the crop production and protection. But the negative impact of these chemicals on environment and cropping system urges the scientists to discover some new ways to combat with crop disease. By keeping in view, garlic is a well-known economically important vegetable throughout the world and recognized as reservoir for a number of bioactive compounds to treat various diseases; scientists have developed a strategy to identify and isolate antimicrobial genes from garlic. By using B. subtilis expression systems, a total of 48 antimicrobial genes, including AsR 416, were identified with the potential to significantly retard the growth of economically important fungal and bacterial pathogens. Furthermore, these antimicrobial genes exhibited the thermal stability along with nontoxic effects on mammalian blood cells, which indicate its potential use in the development of human medicines. These genes can revolutionize the way to treat with pathogens and also give a new wave of knowledge to explore the other organisms for the search of antimicrobial genes. This will also help to search the other cost-effective ways for the treatment of plant and human diseases.