Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is a private university located in&nbsp;Tamil Nadu, India. Founded in 1984, as Vellore Engineering College, the institution offers 20 undergraduate, 34 postgraduate, four integrated and four research programs. It has campuses in Vellore, Amravati, Bhopal and Chennai.

VIT is one of the top ranked private universities in India according to NIRF, THE and QS Rankings.&nbsp;Govt. of India has recognized&nbsp;VIT, Vellore as an&nbsp;Institution of Eminence. This has allowed VIT to take independent quality initiatives and move up in world ranking.

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VIT University

Department of Biotechnology

Reactivation of dormant meristem in banjhi (dormant) shoots is important to enhance the quality and quantity of tea production. The field grown tea bushes were subjected to treatment with dormancy breaking agents such as potassium nitrate (KNO3), thiourea, sodium nitro prusside (SNP), the phytohormones kinetin (Kn) and gibberellins (GA). The efficacy of Kn and GA were comparatively lesser than KNO3 while the combination of Kn and GA (50 and100 ppm respectively) resulted in better dormancy reduction in tea buds. This observation was supported by our results from gene expression study where accumulation patterns of mRNAs corresponding to histones (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4), cyclins (B2, D1 and D3), cyclin-dependent kinase (CDKA), ubiquitination enzymes (FUS, EXT CE2), cyclophilin, E2F, and tubulin were analyzed during growth-dormancy cycles in tea apical buds under the influence of Kn, GA and their combinations. The level of these mRNAs was low in dormant buds, which was significantly increased by foliar application of GA and Kn combination. The present study indicated that the foliar application of GA in combination with Kn will help to improve quality and quantity of tea production by breaking dormancy and stimulating the bud growth. © 2020, Prof. H.S. Srivastava Foundation for Science and Society.

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School of Bio Sciences and Technology

Vellore Campus

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Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants

Synergistic effect of cytokinin and gibberellins stimulates release of dormancy in tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) bud

Rice plants under field conditions experience various biotic and abiotic stresses and are adapted to survive using a molecular cross-talk of genes and their protein products based on the severity of a given stress. Seedlings of cultivated variety ASD16 (resistant to fungal disease, blast; tolerant to abiotic stress, salinity) were subjected to salt, drought, high temperature and low temperature stress as well as infection by Rhizoctonia solani and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (causing reemerging diseases such as sheath blight and leaf blight), respectively, the sheath blight and bacterial leaf blight pathogens. Leaf proteome was analyzed using two-dimensional electrophoresis and differentially expressed proteins were identified using mass spectrometry. In addition to many other differentially expressed proteins, acidic endochitinase was found to be upregulated during fungal infection and drought treatment, and a germin-like protein upregulated during fungal infection and high temperature stress. These two proteins were further validated at the gene expression level using reverse transcription-PCR in dual stress experiments. Pot culture plants were subjected to fungal infection followed by drought and drought followed by fungal infection to validate chitinase gene expression. Similarly, plants subjected to fungal infections followed by high temperature stress and vice versa were used to validate the expression of germin-like protein-coding gene. The results of the present study indicate that chitinase and germin-like protein are potential targets for further exploration to develop rice plants resistant or tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses. © 2020 The American Phytopathological Society.

Phytopathology

Proteome responses to individual pathogens and abiotic conditions in rice seedlings

Extracellular α-amylase and protease were coproduced from halo tolerant Virgibacillus dokdonensis VITP14 with banana peels (2% w/v) as substrate. The pH optima for α-amylase and protease were 6.5 and 7.0, respectively. The temperature optima of α-amylase and protease were 30 and 50 °C, respectively. Both the enzymes were active in the presence of various metal ions (1 mM of Ni2+, Ca2+, Ba2+, Sr2+, and Mg2+), detergents (Tween 20, Tween 80, Triton X-100), and other additives (2-mercaptoethanol and urea). Both the enzymes followed Michaelis–Menten type enzyme kinetics with Vmax of 121.40 and 4.17 μmol Min−1 mL−1 and Km of 0.59 and 0.28 mg mL−1 for amylase and protease, respectively. Amylase showed higher activation energy for inactivation (75.55 kJ mol−1 compared to 59.70 kJ mol−1 for protease) and higher thermal stability (reflected by longer half-life 53.23 Min compared to 0.11 Min for protease) at 60 °C. The coexistence of amylase and protease could be attributed to the difference in the optimum temperatures of activity and thermal stability of the two enzymes. © 2020 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry

Virgibacillus dokdonensis VITP14 produces α-amylase and protease with a broader operational range but with differential thermodynamic stability

For a long time, vaccines have been the main mode of defense and protection against several bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases. However, the process of production and purification makes them expensive and unaffordable to many developing nations. An edible vaccine is when the antigen is expressed in the edible part of the plant. This reduces the cost of production of the vaccine because of ease of culturing. In this article, various types of edible vaccines that include algal and probiotics in addition to plants are discussed. Various diseases against which research has been carried out are also reviewed. This article focused on the conception of edible vaccines highlighting the various ways by which vaccines can be delivered. © 2020, Associacao Brasileira de Divulgacao Cientifica. All rights reserved.

Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research

A review on edible vaccines and their prospects

Municipal solid waste (MSW) leachate, mostly comprised of organic and inorganic substances originated from discarded organic matters, chemicals, and liquors at MSW dumpsite. Pollutant composition and toxic compounds of leachate necessitate the effective treatment before its disposal. In the current study, advanced oxidation processes; ozonation, peroxone process and photolytic ozonation were employed for the treatment of complex MSW leachate. Central Composite Design (CCD) of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the various operating parameters in the treatment system. The optimized condition of pH: 9.0; contact time: 60 min and Ozone dose: 5 g/h for a litre of leachate provided the maximum COD and NH3–N reduction of 72 % and 80 % respectively for photolytic ozonation (under 15 W–UVC; λ:254 nm) whereas under the same operating conditions, ozonation process provided 45 % of COD removal and 50 % of NH3-N removal. Peroxone process with H2O2 concentration of 800 mg/L, showed the maximum COD and NH3-N removal efficiencies of 61 % and 59.7 % respectively. The developed models have confirmed the interaction between the selected parameters; have good agreement with each other; have the best fit. The present approach provided the knowledge to adopt an efficient way of treatment to the complex MSW leachate to proceed further for pilot-scale treatment. © 2020 Institution of Chemical Engineers

Process Safety and Environmental Protection

A feasibility study on optimization of combined advanced oxidation processes for municipal solid waste leachate treatment

Tumor dissemination and relapse in lung cancer were found to be due to the existence of cancer stem cells. In particular, the β-catenin pathway is found to be one of the crucial pathways in maintaining the stem-like properties of the cells. Thus, targeting the β-catenin family of proteins is a significant therapeutic route in the treatment of lung cancer. Therefore, in the present study, a pharmacophore-based drug repurposing approach was accomplished to pinpoint potent β-catenin inhibitors from the DrugBank database. Primarily, ligand-based pharmacophore hypothesis (AAHHR) was generated using existing β-catenin inhibitors available in the literature and utilized for library screening. Subsequently, the inhibitory activity of the screened compounds was examined by the hierarchical docking process and the Prime MM-GBSA algorithm. Moreover, quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations were executed to analyze the inhibitory effects of the screened hit molecule. The results indicate that hit molecule, DB08047 was found to possess better binding free energy, favorable ligand strain energy, satisfactory pharmacokinetic properties and superior free energy landscape profile. Eventually, the pIC50 values of the lead compounds were predicted by the AutoQSAR algorithm. It is noteworthy to mention that DB08047 was found to possess pyrazole scaffolds which could downregulate β-catenin pathway and thus facilitate the controlled cell growth/inhibit tumor growth. © 2020 World Scientific Publishing Company.

Journal of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry

Molecular simulation strategies for the discovery of selective inhibitors of β -catenin

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has emerged as a global threat with mortality risk ranging from 48%-71% worldwide. The emergence of MBL resistance is threatening as carbapenem is one of the last line antibiotics. A total 24 variants of NDM resistance raises a concern to the clinicians and epidemiologists worldwide. Objective: The study aims at identifying MBL resistance (NDM, IMP, VIM, GIM, SPM, and SIM) and its coexistence in clinical isolates in a single tertiary care center. Methodology: Forty five clinical isolates characterized phenotypically for Carbapenem resistance obtained from PSG Institute of Medical Science and Research (PSG IMSR), Coimbatore, between February to March 2018 were taken for analysis. Results: Out of the 45 Clinical isolates, 38 isolates (84%) were detected as MBL carriers. VIM, NDM, GIM, and SPM were the predominant resistance genes, with detection rates of 48.8%, 28.8%, 24.4%, and 22.2% respectively. Fifteen isolates were observed to harbor more than one MBL gene in coexistence. Two isolates-U42 and R714 (K. pneumoniae) were found to harbor all 5 MBL variants in combination. Conclusion: 33% of clinical isolates harboring multiple MBL variants is a concern in clinical set-tings. The presence of SPM and GIM gene amongst isolates in this geographical location within India is an indicator demanding continuous monitoring of these resistance determinants. © 2020 Bentham Science Publishers.

Anti-Infective Agents

Coexistence of Metallo Beta Lactamase resistant gene variants among clinical isolates in Tertiary care hospital

Carotenoids: Properties, Processing and Applications

Overview of carotenoids and beneficial effects on human health

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are highly flexible and undergo disorder to order transition upon binding. They are highly abundant in human proteomes and play critical roles in cell signaling and regulatory processes. This review mainly focuses on the dynamics of disordered proteins including their conformational heterogeneity, protein–protein interactions, and the phase transition of biomolecular condensates that are central to various biological functions. Besides, the role of RNA-mediated chaperones in protein folding and stability of IDPs were also discussed. Finally, we explored the dynamic binding interface of IDPs as novel therapeutic targets and the effect of small molecules on their interactions. © 2020, Indian Academy of Sciences.

Journal of Biosciences

Dynamic conformational flexibility and molecular interactions of intrinsically disordered proteins

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths across the globe.1.33% of all NSCLC cases occur due to an alter-ation in RET protein. Commonly occurring RET fusion partners include KIF5B, CCDC6, NCOA4, and TRIM33. Numerous multikinase inhibitors are active against rearranged RET. However, mutations in the RET-fusion protein can result in adverse effects in terms of drug resistance against NSCLC. In this con-text, molecular docking algorithm is certainly important to support the drug discovery pipelines. However, availability of huge number of algorithms in the literature limits the researchers to proceed further in drug discovery develop-ment. Thus, the present study focuses on finding the best docking algorithm among ArgusLab, PatchDock, AutoDock 4.0 and AutoDock Vina for drug discovery process against RET fusion cancers using Pearson’s correlation coeffi-cient. We believe that our study will be a valuable source of information for carrying out further computational studies on RET fusion cancer, both mutant and wild type. © 2020, J. K. Welfare and Pharmascope Foundation. All rights reserved.