Aligarh Muslim University

About: Aligarh Muslim University is a education organization based out in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Adsorption. The organization has 8218 authors who have published 16416 publications receiving 289068 citations. The organization is also known as: AMU.

Nanoparticles as Efflux Pump and Biofilm Inhibitor to Rejuvenate Bactericidal Effect of Conventional Antibiotics

Abstract: The universal problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotic reflects a serious threat for physicians to control infections. Evolution in bacteria results in the development of various complex resistance mechanisms to neutralize the bactericidal effect of antibiotics, like drug amelioration, target modification, membrane permeability reduction, and drug extrusion through efflux pumps. Efflux pumps acquire a wide range of substrate specificity and also the tremendous efficacy for drug molecule extrusion outside bacterial cells. Hindrance in the functioning of efflux pumps may rejuvenate the bactericidal effect of conventional antibiotics. Efflux pumps also play an important role in the exclusion or inclusion of quorum-sensing biomolecules responsible for biofilm formation in bacterial cells. This transit movement of quorum-sensing biomolecules inside or outside the bacterial cells may get interrupted by impeding the functioning of efflux pumps. Metallic nanoparticles represent a potential candidate to block efflux pumps of bacterial cells. The application of nanoparticles as efflux pump inhibitors will not only help to revive the bactericidal effect of conventional antibiotics but will also assist to reduce biofilm-forming capacity of microbes. This review focuses on a novel and fascinating application of metallic nanoparticles in synergy with conventional antibiotics for efflux pump inhibition.

An Insight into the Role of Salicylic Acid and Jasmonic Acid in Salt Stress Tolerance

Abstract: Phytohormones are organic compounds that in small amount promote, inhibit, or modify physiological processes in plants. Researchers have recognized salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) as a potential hormone. Application of SA and JA could provide tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses such as salinity, temperature stress, heavy metal stress, etc. The role of SA and JA in the protection against abiotic stress is played by its ability to induce expression of genes coding proteins. A low concentration of SA and JA appears to be effective in tolerance to stress by enhancing physiological processes and improving salt tolerance by its effect on biochemical and molecular mechanisms. The present review gives an insight into the role of SA and JA in inducing various physiological responses in plants under salinity stress, and an interaction between these two phytohormones is also discussed.

Drought-Enhanced Xylem Sap Sulfate Closes Stomata by Affecting ALMT12 and Guard Cell ABA Synthesis

Abstract: Water limitation of plants causes stomatal closure to prevent water loss by transpiration. For this purpose, progressing soil water deficit is communicated from roots to shoots. Abscisic acid (ABA) is the key signal in stress-induced stomatal closure, but ABA as an early xylem-delivered signal is still a matter of debate. In this study, poplar plants (Populus × canescens) were exposed to water stress to investigate xylem sap sulfate and ABA, stomatal conductance, and sulfate transporter (SULTR) expression. In addition, stomatal behavior and expression of ABA receptors, drought-responsive genes, transcription factors, and NCED3 were studied after feeding sulfate and ABA to detached poplar leaves and epidermal peels of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The results show that increased xylem sap sulfate is achieved upon drought by reduced xylem unloading by PtaSULTR3;3a and PtaSULTR1;1, and by enhanced loading from parenchyma cells into the xylem via PtaALMT3b. Sulfate application caused stomatal closure in excised leaves and peeled epidermis. In the loss of sulfate-channel function mutant, Atalmt12, sulfate-triggered stomatal closure was impaired. The QUAC1/ALMT12 anion channel heterologous expressed in oocytes was gated open by extracellular sulfate. Sulfate up-regulated the expression of NCED3, a key step of ABA synthesis, in guard cells. In conclusion, xylem-derived sulfate seems to be a chemical signal of drought that induces stomatal closure via QUAC1/ALMT12 and/or guard cell ABA synthesis.