Abstract The microRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small non-coding RNAs found in both plants and animals. Their functions and target genes have been identified in many plant species. It has been shown that miRNAs have crucial roles in stress responses of plants as much as other defence mechanisms. Throughout abiotic stress, miRNAs regulate their target genes and take part in signalling pathways. In this

Abstract Avenin-like storage proteins affect the rheological properties and processing quality of common wheat. Triticum urartu, the A-genome donor of polyploid wheat, shows abundant variation in its glutenin subunits. In this study, the variability in avenin-like b genes was evaluated in 74 T. urartu accessions. High levels of polymorphism were demonstrated in the analyzed sequence, resulting in the

Abstract Broad bean sauce with chili (BBSC) is a traditional condiment in Guizhou province of China. In order to solve some problems especially lack of dominant strains during the fermentation of BBSC, enzyme-producing strains were screened and identified from BBSC. The counts of bacteria, yeasts and molds achieved a relative equilibrium at the later period of fermentation, with more than 2.6 × 104

Abstract Synthesis of ethyl acetate (EA) using lipase as a catalyst, as an environmentally-friendly process, has attracted considerable attention. However, the slow rate of enzymatic reaction and higher cost limit its applications. Ultrasound irradiation (UI) is known as an effective tool for accelerating the rate of enzymatic reaction under mild conditions. To attain maximum yield, it is crucial to

Abstract Flavonoids are important polyphenols, and widely distributed in plants. Anthocyanidin reductase (ANR), a precursor enzyme in (-)- epicatechin synthesis, could play an important role in anthocyanins biosynthesis. In the present study, the ANR gene was cloned from Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon. Compared with VvANR (GenBank Accession No. NM_001280956.1), they differed in only 4 bp

Abstract This review presents an overview of the current status of the biotechnology sector in the Czech Republic (CR), its future trends and main challenges. CR is the country that laid down the principal laws of heredity, introduced the contact lens to the world and successfully developed the compounds on which current anti-AIDS drugs are based. The history of Czech biotechnology is strongly associated

Abstract Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is a well recognised member of human endogeneous free radical scavenging systems and its polymorphism and enzyme activity are attributed to various different cancer formations. We aimed to study the Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) polymorphism and enzyme activity in colorectal cancer patients. Peripheral blood samples for DNA extraction were collected from 54 colorectal cancer patients

Abstract Peptic ulcer is a common disorder of the gastrointestinal system affecting people of all ages worldwide. Ethanol is one of the most common causative agents for peptic ulcer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of two newly synthesized indole imines (389 and 393) against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Animals were orally administered different treatments: group

Abstract Salinity is one of major environmental constraints that adversely affect plant growth and pose a serious threat to crop productivity. One basic concern is related to tissue sensitivity differences to salt stress. It is intriguing that much more research efforts have been directed to shoots/leaves than roots, although roots are the first tissues directly encountering salt stress and acting

Abstract Leptin and adiponectin secreted by the adipose tissue act in conjunction with thyroid hormones. The adiponectin/leptin ratio is a strong biomarker for cardio-metabolic health. The interrelations between the thyroid gland and adipokines are not yet clear. This study investigated whether anti-diabetic drugs, Metformin and Empagliflozin, lead to changes in leptin, adiponectin and their ratio

Abstract Bladder cancer (BLCA) is a common malignancy and has a poor prognosis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes are closely associated with the tumorigenesis and tumor development and yet are not well illustrated in BLCA. In this study, we downloaded SNP‐related data and transcriptome profiling of BLCA from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and identified high frequency mutation

Abstract Cataract is a multifactorial disease with increasing prevalence with age. Adult diabetics develop cataract earlier. Lens epithelial cells (LECs) exposed to oxidative stress (ROS), increased calcium deposit and membrane damage, undergo apoptosis, which results in lens opacification. Remaining LECs post-surgery leads to posterior capsular opacification (PCO). This study’s aim was to investigate

Abstract The formation of adventitious roots (ARs) plays an important role in grass growth and production. Chicken alpha interferon (ChIFNα) is an animal glycoprotein with broad activities of immune control, gene induction, growth and development regulation. ChIFNα gene was transformed to Lotus japonicus and its expression was found to promote AR development. The primordia formation occurred 3–5 days

Abstract This mini review presents the standard methods for the analytical identification of virus species. These methods have been trusted and known as accredited methods. The development of new and improved analytical techniques is important to overcome the lack and the drawbacks of the well-known methods. Due to the uncertain and unprecedented time of pandemic, new approaches with high performance

Abstract An enclosed air-lift photobioreactor (ALPBR) is considered an efficient lab-scale bioreactor for microalgae cell growth and lipid biosynthesis. However, fluid-induced shear stress and mixing are two main factors that affect physiological metabolism in microalgal cell cultures. Herein, a 50-L ALPBR after being designed and manufactured was evaluated for microalgal suspension culture. Moreover

Abstract A crude extract (B10) of Aspergillus niger spores showed effective antibacterial activity against Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-37. The inhibition rate was 98.22%, and the half maximal inhibitory concentration was 0.035 ± 0.018 mg/mL. To study the primary antibacterial mechanism, this study used relative electric conductivity, release of proteins and nucleic acids, sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide

Abstract Geum urbanum L. is a medicinal plant used from ancient time against gastro-intestinal disorders, bleeding and inflammation of mucous membranes, gums (gingivitis), etc. In our previous works, we demonstrated the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts in vitro. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of the EtOAc fraction from aerial parts to

Abstract Hepatitis C is a public health problem worldwide, affecting chronically about 71 million people, or 1% of the world population. The early detection of infection in clinical practice routine and blood donors is still important, being necessary for the development of new specific, sensitive, reliable tests that can improve the screening of HCV infection. Flow cytometry beads assay opens the

Abstract The potential applications of β-mannanase in bioenergy, biorefinery, detergent, fodder, food processing, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper and textile industries, and the high cost of commercially available enzyme have attracted considerable research efforts to identify potent microbial strains for cost-effective production of this enzyme. The advantage of microbial biocatalyst is

Abstract The conversion of bacterial CRISPR/Cas defense system into a simple and efficient tool for genome manipulations brought experimental biology into new dimensions. Suddenly, genome editing reached many groups most of which were interested in it but not able to employ the available time- and labor-consuming approaches of the pre-CRISPR era. In plant biology and biotechnology, CRISPR/Cas gene

Abstract The awnless trait is the favorite trait for wheat breeding in Qinghai, China, but the major gene underlying the trait is unknown. This study aimed to analyze a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population containing 112 lines by crossing common wheat varieties GY448 (awnless) and GY115 (awned) using genotyping-by-sequencing analysis. A total of 56.62 Gb of clean sequence data were generated. A

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging human beta-coronavirus that caused the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease − 19) pandemic, the most significant health and social crisis in the last 100 years. SARS-CoV-2 is not only a respiratory virus; the symptoms of COVID-19 can include gastrointestinal, neurological, renal, cardiovascular and other complications. A large part of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals are

Abstract The off-label use of medicines is neither prohibited nor explicitly allowed, according to the current European Union (EU) pharmaceutical legislation. This can cause confusion in physicians’ practice as well as lead to patients’ dissatisfaction. The purpose of this survey is to assess the knowledge and experience of Bulgarian physicians with the off-label use of medicines. The survey was performed

Abstract To investigate the expression and role of nicotinic acetylcholine α7 subunit (nAChRα7) in the hippocampus of rats with Parkinson's disease (PD) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). PD model was established with 6-hydroxydopa. Then, methyllycaconitine was further used to prepare a PDD model. The behavioral indexes and malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were measured

Abstract The 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing technique is a key aspect of studies of microbial communities but does not provide direct evidence of a community’s functional capabilities. This work aimed to assess the structure of the uncultured bacterial communities from two locations in Lake Tuz in Turkey to provide information on their roles in the lake ecosystem. The most abundant phyla in the lake

Abstract Due to their antimicrobial activity Enterococcus faecium strains have a growing record of use as beneficial adjunct cultures in animal nutrition or components of probiotic preparations for humans. However, safety concerns accompany the application of enterococci, as clinical strains associated with infection have been isolated, especially antibiotic resistant cultures. With the increasing

Abstract The structural stability of the hеmocyanin purified from the hеmolymph of gаrden snаils Helix lucorum (HlH) was investigated by means of far-UV circular dichroism (CD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For the first time, TEM analyses showed the presence of tubular polymers in hemocyanins after three-day dialysis against a stabilizing buffer

Abstract S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is an important compound in living organisms and has a number of different roles, such as polyamine synthesis. It can also be used for the treatment of diseases. Gene targeting with homologous recombination in Komagataella phaffii (K. phaffii) created DAS1 and DAS2 gene knockout strains, which use the methanol pathway to generate more ATP and increase SAM production

Abstract In the context of the current pandemic caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, it is essential to note that a new human respiratory virus has been identified almost every year in the last two decades. This brief summary outlines the airborne respiratory viruses discovered among the human population in recent years and their pandemic potential. The focus falls on the coronaviruses: cell interaction

Abstract Because the genomic information of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) is not available, the mechanism underlying the flavonoid metabolism in the fruits of this species is still unknown. The objective of this study was to obtain a comprehensive transcriptome assembly during lingonberry fruit development and characterize the key genes associated with the flavonoid metabolism in lingonberry

Abstract The animal gut has a remarkable abundance of microbes. These microbes have strong potential for biosynthesis of promising drug candidates, and these small bioactive molecules often medicate important host–microbe and microbe–microbe interactions. To understand the evolution of the animal gut microbes and their biosynthetic gene clusters, we characterized 24 faecal samples from different herbivores

ABSTRACT: The global pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome, COVID-19 affects the world’s economics, social and health systems and has a great impact on every person’s life. In an attempt to control the spread of the disease, regular usage of face masks became an ordinary routine. A large proportion of the population is reporting ocular symptoms through the period of mask-wearing that are still

Abstract Bacillus subtilis HLZ-68 can produce l-amino acid oxidase (l-AAO), and dl-arginine can be degraded asymmetrically by suspending the wet bacterial biomass in the degradation liquid. By adding oxygen-vectors to the fermentation medium, the collected amount of wet bacterial biomass can be increased. Taking n-dodecane, n-hexadecane, oleic acid, paraffin and n-hexane as oxygen-vectors, the optimal

Abstract The adaptations that halophilic microorganisms have developed due to their extreme habitat, promote the production of active natural compounds with the potential to control microorganisms causing infections associated with health care. The prime purpose of this study was to isolate and identify extremophilic black yeast Hortaea werneckii from intertidal decayed leaves of Avicennia marina located

Abstract Visual cortex functional deficits can be observed in schizophrenia patients and in individuals at high risk of schizophrenia. However, to date, few studies have investigated methods to improve these functional deficits. This study aimed to investigate the pathological change in the primary visual cortex of a prenatal MK-801-induced high-risk mouse model of schizophrenia (HRMMS) and to test

Abstract The calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs, also termed CPKs) are a large, diverse protein family that play significant roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants. However, CDPKs in citrus are relatively unknown, as are their responses to drought stress (abiotic stress) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization. In this study, the citrus CDPKs were characterized by

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and 2-mercaptoethanol (ME) added to buffalo semen samples after thawing for 1 h and 2 h incubation. Ejaculates (n = 20) from eight Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes were frozen in pellets and straws at a final sperm concentration of 80 × 106 mL. We investigated the effect of supplementations on the motility, morphology

Abstract Correctly identifying the protein-ATP binding site is valuable for both protein function annotation and new drug discovery. However, the number of non-ATP-binding residues is much more than the number of ATP-binding residues, which makes the prediction a classical imbalanced learning problem. Previous studies often apply the under-sampling technique to construct a relatively balanced dataset

Abstract Certain biological mechanisms of Glehnia littoralis, an endangered medicinal plant in China, may be underlying its endangered status and this has attracted extensive attention from researchers. In this study, nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (nrDNA ITS) sequences and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) were investigated to determine the genetic diversity of G. littoralis

Abstract The genetic and flower volatile diversity of 59 plants from two natural populations of Hyssopus officinalis L. situated 73 km away from each other in typical growing regions for this species in Bulgaria were analysed. Analysis with 10 sequence related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) primer combinations scored a total of 1045 peaks of which 88.7% were polymorphic. Principal Coordinate Analysis

Abstract Strain CG-9, isolated from human saliva and identified as Enterococcus faecalis, produced a component that inhibits the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The active peptide from the cell-free supernatant of Enterococcus faecalis CG-9 was purified in three steps: (1) precipitation with 70% saturated ammonium sulfate: (2) cation-exchange chromatography, (3) gel filter chromatography

Abstract The study aimed to identify key genes involved in cerebral vasospasm (CVS) after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). GSE46696 of basilar arteries of SAH mice and normal controls were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Integrated microarray analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed with

Abstract Elevated CO2 can stimulate plant growth in greenhouses, but the molecular mechanism behind this response is unclear, especially in eggplants. In this study, we evaluated the physiological and photosynthetic response of the eggplant variety ‘Shenyuan 3’ under elevated CO2, and the candidate genes related to this response were identified by transcriptomic analysis. The results showed that elevated

Abstract Polyploidization events are prevalent in plants and act as an important evolutionary force for speciation, adaptation and diversification. During this process, the genome undergoes reorganization and large changes. However, the evolutionary characteristics of specific gene families are still not well investigated. Cultivated peanut is an allotetraploid that evolved from a diploid. In this

Abstract Grain yield improvement in wheat (Triticum aestivum L) requires understanding of the genetic control of grain yield components and other related traits. In this study, a total of 82 and 314 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were associated with grain yield and grain yield components after harvest and photosynthetic traits at the seedling, heading and grain filling stages from a recombinant inbred

Abstract Drought is one of the most severe environmental stressors hampering maize (Zea mays L.) production worldwide. Therefore, revealing the molecular mechanisms underpinning maize drought tolerance is critical for guiding drought resistance breeding and ensuring global food security. Herein, we performed a data-independent acquisition (DIA) proteomics-based comparative analysis of the proteome

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the extraction of antibacterial substances from Galla chinensis (ASGC) that act against the aquatic pathogen Vibrio harveyi, to identify the chemical composition and explore the mechanism of action. The optimal extraction process was as follows: anhydrous methanol, liquid/material ratio (mL/g) 26:1, extraction temperature 98 °C and extraction time 157 min

Abstract Schisandra chinensis, classed as a climbing woody vine, is representative of the Schisandraceae family regarded as a significant plant in Chinese herbal medicine. However, the application of molecular breeding is constrained by the fact that the number of genetic markers is small for this species. In this study, transcriptome sequencing of S. chinensis was performed using the Illumina HiSeq

Abstract To assess the current regulatory frameworks of cannabidiol-containing products/preparations on the European market, we analyzed data gathered from 19 European countries using the functionalities of the computer software EPITT (European Pharmacovigilance Issues Tracking Tool). In addition, we investigated pharmacists’ knowledge, awareness and attitudes toward cannabidiol (CBD) in Bulgaria.

Recent publications and studies propose using decision-making algorithms in choosing the optimal approach for each individual case of tuberculum sellae meningioma (TSM). Minimally invasive endoscopic approaches offer the possibility of early devascularization, reduced brain and nerve retraction and speedy patient recovery. We used the decision-making algorithm proposed in the literature to choose between

In this study, we investigated the effect of genotype × environment interaction (GEI) on the grain yield of 15 different sesame genotypes on four test areas (Arak, Birjand, Karaj and Shiraz) in two years (2017–2018). We observed significant differences in all sources of combined variance analysis. The interaction items in AMMI (additive main effects and multiplicative interactions) analysis of variance

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an important economic crop worldwide. The lignin content of flax stems directly determines the quality of flax fiber, and excessively high lignin content in the fiber leads to pollutant discharge by the textile industry. Flax seeds also contain lignans, a group of compounds that are structurally similar to lignin and highly beneficial for human health. The biosynthesis

Carotenoids belong to a major family of isoprenoids which play vital roles in plant growth and development. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is not only a vegetable and condiment grown worldwide, but also can be used as a model organism in fruit color research. In this study, 61 genes known to be involved in mevalonate (MVA), plastidial 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) and carotenoid metabolism

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, is one of the most destructive pests of citrus and the primary vector of Candidatus Liberibacter spp., which cause citrus Huanglongbing (HLB). Microbial insecticides based on entomopathogenic fungi are safer alternatives to chemical pesticides. They can mitigate the spread of HLB by suppressing D. citri populations in citrus groves. Purpureocillium

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) cultivars that produce black grains are thought to be more nutritious and contain powerful antioxidant properties, but little is known about the chemical foundation and the genetic mechanism behind this trait. In this research, widely-targeted metabolome and transcriptome analyses were employed to unveil the chemical and genetic differences between black and white

This study explored whether inflammatory gene including C-reactive protein (CRP) and growth arrest-specific gene 6 (GAS6) are related to the etiology of ischemic stroke (IS), and to verify their potential interaction upon susceptibility to IS in Chinese population. A total of 236 patients with IS and 291 non-IS subjects were enrolled. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in two candidate genes

Sophora tonkinensis is an important source of herbal medicine for treatment of swelling and pain in the throat. Its chemical composition has been extensively studied; however, there are still gaps in the research on genetic diversity of S. tonkinensis which can provide insights for better utilization and conservation of genetic resources. In this study, 23 populations of diverse locations from southern

The “Zaoheibao” fruit with rich rose-scented grapes was used as the main material to optimize the fermentation process of “Zaoheibao” wine. Its composition in volatile aroma compounds was determined by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis, indicating that “Zaoheibao” wine has strong ester, fruity and floral characteristics. The addition

This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of globally diverse mini core collection of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) using agro-morphological, sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and simple-sequence repeats (SSR) molecular markers. Field experiment results showed significant differences between genotypes for agro-morphological traits such