Nocardia acididurans sp. nov., an acid-tolerant actinobacterium isolated from bio-fertilizer of Musa species

A novel acid-tolerant actinobacterium (strain LPG 2T), which formed fragmented substrate mycelia, was isolated from bio-fertiliser of Musa spp. collected from Lampang Province, Thailand. Its morphological and chemotaxonomic properties, e.g., the presence of mycolic acid and MK-8 (H4ω-cycl) in the cells, showed that strain LPG 2T was a member of the genus Nocardia . 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that this strain was closely related to Nocardia otitidiscaviarum NBRC 14405T (98.7 %). The low average nucleotide identity–blast and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values (<78.6 and <24.0 %, respectively), and several phenotypic differences between strain LPG 2T and its related Nocardia type strains, indicated that the strain merits classification as representing a novel species of the genus Nocardia , for which we propose the name Nocardia acididurans sp. nov. The type strain is LPG 2T (=TBRC 11242T=NBRC 114293T).

Establishment of a Standard Micropropagation Protocol for the Production of Uniform Planting Material in Musa Laterita (Section: Rhodochlamys).

Musa laterita is one of the dwarf statured, ornamental Musa species, which belongs to the section Rhodochlamys. It is immune to Sigatoka leaf spot and Fusarium wilt diseases and also exhibits tolerance to moisture deficit stress. Among the fungal diseases, fusarium wilt especially race TR4 is highly threatening the banana industry worldwide and hence the TR4 resistant gene should be identified on priority for use in banana improvement programmes. Though, it is a wild seeded type which can be easily propagated through seeds, the off springs are not genetically uniform making it unfit for any molecular analysis. In vitro micro propagation of ornamental banana including Musa laterita is limited due to poor multiplication rates compared to commercial cultivars. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to establish an in vitro protocol for plant regeneration from shoot tip explants. Efforts were made to enhance the multiplication efficiency using MS media fortified with BAP, TDZ, NAA, IAA and IBA in different combinations so as to obtain maximum numbers of plantlets in minimum duration. The plantlets produced would be used to study the molecular mechanism behind Fusarium wilt resistance (TR4), through transcriptome analysis.

The pharmacological potentials of Musa paradisiaca Linn.

Musa paradisiaca Linn. (Plantain or cooking banana) is among the major crops that are being cultivated by farmers and serve as the main food crop for both animals and humans in some parts of the world. It shows several beneficial properties. In traditional medicine, the fruits in addition to the other parts of the plant such as the stalk, peel, pulp and leaf are used to treat different diseases in humans. This review presents the scientific information on the pharmacological potentials, possible nutritional values and phytochemicals of this Musa species. It is a source of carbohydrate that can easily be digestible and also provides vital vitamins like vitamin B complex, vitamin C and a lot of minerals like potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) etc. Most of the in vitro studies, in vivo (animal model) studies and clinical trials, propose that innumerable banana and plantain parts have been utilized in traditional medicine for the treatment of countless non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, atherosclerosis, ulcers, urolithiasis and Alzheimer’s infection. Also, this review reports the phytocompounds isolated through the use of different solvents for extraction of the plant’s parts. A comprehensive assessment of the biological activities of different extracts is included and possible mechanisms and phytochemicals involved have been correlated.

Assessment of genetic diversity of Musa species accessions with variable genomes using ISSR and SCoT markers

Assessing the effectiveness of different molecular markers is essential for identification of appropriate ones for crop improvement and conservation, hence, inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and start codon targeted (SCoT) markers were used for this study. Sixty-six accessions with different genomes obtained from International Transit Center, Belgium, were used for DNA extraction, amplification with ISSR and SCoT markers and agarose gel electrophoresis. The reproducible bands were scored for analyses. We identified high allelic richness of 299 (ISSR) and 326 (SCoT). Polymorphic information contents (ISSR: 0.9225; SCoT: 0.9421) were high but SCoT exhibited higher level of informativeness. The two markers demonstrated high percentage polymorphic loci (ISSR: 91.21–100%; SCoT: 96.97–100%). Other genetic indicators including effective number of alleles, Nei’s genetic diversity, and Shannon information index were higher in SCoT and further elucidated the usefulness of the markers. Intraspecific genetic diversity, interspecific genetic diversity, coefficient of gene differentiation and level of gene flow revealed extensive gene flow and larger variability within the accessions. Both ISSR and SCoT grouped the accessions via dendrogram, biplot and structure analyses. Though the two marker systems varied in their informativeness, they demonstrated high effectiveness in resolving genetic diversity (GD) of the different accessions, with higher efficiency in SCoT markers. Due to higher GD indices exhibited by SCoT, AS is the most genetically endowed one. Our study showed that SCoT markers are more informative than ISSR for GD exploration, assessment and cluster resolution of Musa species, thereby revealing the potential of SCoT markers for improved breeding and conservation.

Potentials of Musa Species Fruits against Oxidative Stress-Induced and Diet-Linked Chronic Diseases: In Vitro and In Vivo Implications of Micronutritional Factors and Dietary Secondary Metabolite Compounds

Nutritional quality and the well-being of the body system are directly linked aspects of human survival. From the unborn foetus to adulthood, the need for sustainable access to micronutrient-rich foods is pertinent and the global consumption of banana and plantain fruits, in effect, contributes to the alleviation of the scourge of malnutrition. This review is particularly aimed at evaluating the pharmacological dimensions through the biological mechanisms of Musa fruits in the body, which represent correlations with their constituent micronutrient factors and dietary polyphenolic constituents such as minerals, vitamin members, anthocyanins, lutein, α-,β- carotenes, neoxanthins and cryptoxanthins, epi- and gallo catechins, catecholamines, 3-carboxycoumarin, β-sitosterol, monoterpenoids, with series of analytical approaches for the various identified compounds being highlighted therein. Derivative value-products from the compartments (flesh and peel) of Musa fruits are equally highlighted, bringing forth the biomedicinal and nutritional relevance, including the potentials of Musa species in dietary diversification approaches.

Chromosome Painting in Cultivated Bananas and Their Wild Relatives (Musa spp.) Reveals Differences in Chromosome Structure

Edible banana cultivars are diploid, triploid, or tetraploid hybrids, which originated by natural cross hybridization between subspecies of diploid Musa acuminata, or between M. acuminata and diploid Musa balbisiana. The participation of two other wild diploid species Musa schizocarpa and Musa textilis was also indicated by molecular studies. The fusion of gametes with structurally different chromosome sets may give rise to progenies with structural chromosome heterozygosity and reduced fertility due to aberrant chromosome pairing and unbalanced chromosome segregation. Only a few translocations have been classified on the genomic level so far, and a comprehensive molecular cytogenetic characterization of cultivars and species of the family Musaceae is still lacking. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome-arm-specific oligo painting probes was used for comparative karyotype analysis in a set of wild Musa species and edible banana clones. The results revealed large differences in chromosome structure, discriminating individual accessions. These results permitted the identification of putative progenitors of cultivated clones and clarified the genomic constitution and evolution of aneuploid banana clones, which seem to be common among the polyploid banana accessions. New insights into the chromosome organization and structural chromosome changes will be a valuable asset in breeding programs, particularly in the selection of appropriate parents for cross hybridization.