Identification and characterization of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene superfamily in garlic and expression profiling in response to drought, salinity, and ABA

Identification, characterization, and evolutionary analysis of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) genes superfamily in Medicago truncatula L

Aldehydes are reactive compounds that play crucial roles in various metabolic processes within plants. However, their accumulation can lead to toxic effects, Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) represent a diverse family of enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids. ALDHs help mitigate the toxic effects of these compounds and maintain cellular homeostasis in plants. In this study, a bioinformatics analysis of the Medicago truncatula genome identified 27 MtALDHs, which were classified into ten distinct groups based on their phylogenetic relationships. The distribution of these families across the chromosomes of M. truncatula is uneven, with segmental duplications being the primary factor contributing to the expansion of this gene family within the species. The gene structure and motif analysis within each ALDH family in M. truncatula, along with its orthologous genes in Arabidopsis, exhibits a high degree of conservation. The promoter region analysis of these genes reveals a rich abundance of cis-regulatory elements that respond to various environmental stresses and hormones. Furthermore, examination of the expression patterns of MtALDH genes using available microarray data indicated that several of these genes exhibit high expression levels throughout all developmental stages in M. truncatula. Additionally, some genes display tissue-specific expression and are induced in response to salt stress, suggesting a significant role for these genes in growth processes and stress responses within M. truncatula. The findings from this study provide essential insights and data necessary for the functional evaluation of each MtALDH gene during developmental stages and in response to environmental stresses.

Genome-wide identification, characterization and expression analysis of the bZIP transcription factors in garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Introduction

The bZIP genes (bZIPs) are essential in numerous biological processes, including development and stress responses. Despite extensive research on bZIPs in many plants, a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of bZIPs in garlic has yet to be undertaken.

Methods

In this study, we identified and classified 64 AsbZIP genes (AsbZIPs) into 10 subfamilies. A systematic analysis of the evolutionary characteristics of these AsbZIPs, including chromosome location, gene structure, conserved motifs, and gene duplication, was conducted. Furthermore, we also examined the nucleotide diversity, cis-acting elements, and expression profiles of AsbZIPs in various tissues and under different abiotic stresses and hormone treatments.

Results and Discussion

Our findings revealed that gene replication plays a crucial role in the expansion of AsbZIPs, with a minor genetic bottleneck observed during domestication. Moreover, the identification of cis-acting elements suggested potential associations of AsbZIPs with garlic development, hormone, and stress responses. Several AsbZIPs exhibited tissue-preferential and stress/hormone-responsive expression patterns. Additionally, Asa7G01972 and Asa7G01379 were notably differentially expressed under various stresses and hormone treatments. Subsequent yeast two-hybridization and yeast induction experiments validated their interactions with Asa1G01577, a homologue of ABI5, reinforcing their importance in hormone and abiotic stress responses. This study unveiled the characteristics of the AsbZIP superfamily and lays a solid foundation for further functional analysis of AsbZIP in garlic.

New benzimidazole derivative compounds with in vitro fasciolicidal properties

BACKGROUND

Control of the zoonotic food-borne parasite Fasciola hepatica remains a major challenge in humans and livestock. It is estimated that annual economic losses due to fasciolosis can reach US$3.2 billion in agriculture and livestock. Moreover, the wide distribution of drug-resistant parasite populations and the absence of a vaccine threaten sustainable control, reinforcing the need for novel flukicides.

METHODS

The present work analyses the flukicidal activity of a total of 70 benzimidazole derivatives on different stages of F. hepatica. With the aim to select the most potent ones, and screenings were first performed on eggs at decreasing concentrations ranging from 50 to 5 µM and then on adult worms at 10 µM. Only the most effective compounds were also evaluated using a resistant isolate of the parasite.

RESULTS

After the first screenings at 50 and 10 µM, four hit compounds (BZD31, BZD46, BZD56, and BZD59) were selected and progressed to the next assays. At 5 µM, all hit compounds showed ovicidal activities higher than 71% on the susceptible isolate, but only BZD31 remained considerably active (53%) when they were tested on an albendazol-resistant isolate, even with values superior to the reference drug, albendazole sulfoxide. On the other hand, BZD59 displayed a high motility inhibition when tested on adult worms from an albendazole-resistant isolate after 72 h of incubation.

CONCLUSIONS

BZD31 and BZD59 compounds could be promising candidates for the development of fasciolicidal compounds or as starting point for the new synthesis of structure-related compounds.