Hedayat Bagheri | Bu-Ali Sina University (original) (raw)

Papers by Hedayat Bagheri

Cereal Research Communications

The environments in which plant species evolved are now generally understood to be dynamic rather... more The environments in which plant species evolved are now generally understood to be dynamic rather than static. Photosynthesis has to operate within these dynamic environments, such as sudden changes to light intensities. Plants have evolved photoprotection mechanisms that prevent damage caused by sudden changes to high light intensities. The extent of genetic variation within plants species to deal with these dynamic light conditions remains largely unexplored. Here we show that one accession ofA. thalianahas a more efficient photoprotection mechanism in dynamic light conditions, compared to six other accessions. The construction of a doubled haploid population and subsequent phenotyping in a dynamically controlled high-throughput system reveals up to 15 QTLs for photoprotection. Identifying the causal gene underlying one of the major QTLs shows that an allelic variant ofcpFtsYresults in more efficient photoprotection under high and fluctuating light intensities. Further analyses re...

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

Agricultural Biotechnology Journal, 2019

Endophytes are known as a potential source of active natural compounds for use in medicine, agric... more Endophytes are known as a potential source of active natural compounds for use in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Medicinal plants are valuable sources for the study of endophytes. One of the most important medicinal and industrial plants in Iran is the Barije; Ferula gummosa.boiss, whose endophytes have not been studied yet. Materials and methods In this study, 20 bacterial isolates were isolated from different organs of the plant. Endophytes were identified using morphological and then molecular characteristics. The antioxidant properties of endophytic extracts were investigated by degradation of free radicals DPPH (DiPhenyl-1-Picryl Hydrazyl free radical). Results The R4 bacterium with the IC50 value of 2.5 mg / ml had the highest and the SK6 bacterium with an IC50 value of 8.8 mg / ml had the lowest antioxidant activity. The molecular identification of R4 bacteria revealed 98% similarity to the bacterium Rahnella aquatilis. It was also observed by phytochemical analysis that endophytic extracts with phenolic compounds exhibit significant antioxidant activity.

Chapter 1 General introduction 1 Chapter 2 Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of a transposon ... more Chapter 1 General introduction 1 Chapter 2 Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of a transposon construct into 17 Brassica rapa Chapter 3 Identification of seed related QTLs in a new genetically segregating Brassica rapa F2 population Chapter 4 Genetic mapping and QTL analysis of plant morphology and seed related traits in new Brassica rapa recombinant inbred line population Chapter 5 Genetic analysis of the concentrations of health-related compounds 89 in Brassica rapa

doi: 10.3389/fpls.2012.00183 Genetic analysis of morphological traits in a new, versatile, rapid-... more doi: 10.3389/fpls.2012.00183 Genetic analysis of morphological traits in a new, versatile, rapid-cycling Brassica rapa recombinant inbred line population

Descurainia sophia and Sisymbrium irio , both from Brassicaceae family have potential medicinal e... more Descurainia sophia and Sisymbrium irio , both from Brassicaceae family have potential medicinal effects. Seeds are consumed widely across Iran in sweet drinks. To determine the morphological and molecular diversity, 55 genotypes from these two genera were studied. All 11 ISSR primers detected polymorphism and generated 274 polymorphic loci. The average values of Polymorphism Information Content (PIC), Marker Index (MI) and Resolving Power (Rp) for ISSR primers were 0.278, 6.899 and 11.57, respectively. The AMOVA analysis revealed a high genetic variation (58%) within each genus. The UPGMA clustering based on molecular analysis separated all 55 genotypes into two main groups, correlating with division of plants into two genera. Moreover, seven morphological traits were evaluated to distinguish all 55 genotypes. Among them, rosette figure showed the most significant differentiation between two genera. The highest correlation was observed between two traits of seed color and seed weigh...

Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 2013

To reveal the genetic variation, and loci involved, for a range of seed-related traits, a new F2 ... more To reveal the genetic variation, and loci involved, for a range of seed-related traits, a new F2 mapping population was developed by crossing Brassica rapa ssp. parachinensis L58 (CaiXin) with B. rapa ssp. trilocularis R-o-18 (spring oil seed), both rapid flowering and self-compatible. A linkage map was constructed using 97 AFLPs and 21 SSRs, covering a map distance of 757 cM with an average resolution of 6.4 cM, and 13 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected for nine traits. A strong seed colour QTL (LOD 26) co-localized with QTL for seed size (LOD 7), seed weight (LOD 4.6), seed oil content (LOD 6.6), number of siliques (LOD 3) and number of seeds per silique (LOD 3). There was only a significant positive correlation between seed colour and seed oil content in the yellow coloured classes. Seed coat colour and seed size were controlled by the maternal plant genotype. Plants with more siliques tended to have more, but smaller, seeds and higher seed oil content. Seed colour and seed oil content appeared to be controlled by two closely linked loci in repulsion phase. Thus, it may not always be advantageous to select for yellow-seededness when breeding for high seed oil content in Brassicas.

Biyutiknuluzhi-i kishavarzi, 2019

Endophytes are known as a potential source of active natural compounds for use in medicine, agric... more Endophytes are known as a potential source of active natural compounds for use in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Medicinal plants are valuable sources for the study of endophytes. One of the most important medicinal and industrial plants in Iran is the Barije; Ferula gummosa.boiss, whose endophytes have not been studied yet. Materials and methods In this study, 20 bacterial isolates were isolated from different organs of the plant. Endophytes were identified using morphological and then molecular characteristics. The antioxidant properties of endophytic extracts were investigated by degradation of free radicals DPPH (DiPhenyl-1-Picryl Hydrazyl free radical). Results The R4 bacterium with the IC50 value of 2.5 mg / ml had the highest and the SK6 bacterium with an IC50 value of 8.8 mg / ml had the lowest antioxidant activity. The molecular identification of R4 bacteria revealed 98% similarity to the bacterium Rahnella aquatilis. It was also observed by phytochemical analysis that endophytic extracts with phenolic compounds exhibit significant antioxidant activity.

Abstract: The genetic basis of the wide variation for nutritional traits in Brassica rapa is larg... more Abstract: The genetic basis of the wide variation for nutritional traits in Brassica rapa is largely unknown. A new Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL) population was profiled using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling seed tocopherol and seedling metabolite concentrations. RIL population parent L58 had a higher level of glucosinolates and phenylpropanoids, whereas levels of sucrose, glucose and glutamate were higher in the other RIL population parent, R-o-18. QTL related to seed tocopherol (α-, β-, γ-, δ-, α-⁄γ- and total tocopherol) concentrations were detected on chromosomes A3, A6, A9 and A10, explaining 11%–35 % of the respective variation. The locus on A3 co-locates with the BrVTE1gene, encoding tocopherol cyclase. NMR spectroscopy identified the presence of organic/amino acid, sugar/glucosinolate and aromatic compounds in seedlings. QTL positions were obtained for most of the...

Advances in horticultural science, 2019

A tissue culture system for acquiring high efficiency regeneration of Petunia was optimized. Leaf... more A tissue culture system for acquiring high efficiency regeneration of Petunia was optimized. Leaf explants of Alvan, Large Flower Alvan (LF Alvan) and Mahalat cultivars of Petunia hybrida were cultured separately on MS medium including various concentrations of TDZ and BA without auxin in order to assess direct shoot regeneration. Alvan showed the highest frequency of shoot regeneration (100%) and the highest mean number of shoots per explant (25.33) on MS containing 2 mg/l TDZ. For LF Alvan cultivar the highest percentage of shoot organogenesis (100%) and the highest mean number of shoots per explant (18.20) were observed when MS medium containing 1 mg/l BA was used. With the Mahalat cultivar the maximum rate of direct regeneration was obtained on MS supplemented with 0.5 and 1 mg/l BA (80%). The mean number of shoots per explant (9.63) was obtained when 2 mg/l TDZ was used. Regenerated shoots were successfully elongated (2 to 3 cm in length) and transferred into half-strength MS a...

3 Biotech

MADS-box genes take part in diverse biological functions especially in development of reproductiv... more MADS-box genes take part in diverse biological functions especially in development of reproductive structures and control of flowering time. Recently, Cardamine hirsuta has emerged as an exclusively powerful genetic system in comparative studies of development. Although the C. hirsuta genome sequence is available but a comprehensive analysis of its MADS-box family genes is still lacking. Here, we determined 50 Cardamine MADS-box genes through bioinformatics tools and classified them into 2 Mβ, 6 Mα and 2 Mγ and 40 MIKC-type (35 MIKCc and 5MIKC*) genes based on a phylogenetic analysis. The C. hirsuta MIKC subfamily could be further classified into 14 subgroups as Arabidopsis. However the number of MADS-box proteins was not equal among these subgroups. Based on the structural diversity among 50 MADS-box genes, 2 lineages were obtained, type I and type II. The lowest number of introns (0 or 1) was found in the Mα, Mβ, and Mγ groups of the type I genes. The most Cardamine MADS-box genes were randomly distributed on only three chromosomes. C. hirsuta had a relatively lower number of flowering MADS-box genes than A. thaliana and probably tandem duplication event resulted in the expansion of FLC, SQUA and TM3 family members in Arabidopsis. Moreover among the conserved motifs, ChMADS5 of SQUA, ChMADS34 of TM3 and ChMADS51 of AGL15 families had no K-domain. This study provides a basis for further functional investigation of MADS-box genes in C. hirsuta.

Environmental Pollution

Recent studies have indicated that Galleria mellonella larvae ingest polyethylene films and the d... more Recent studies have indicated that Galleria mellonella larvae ingest polyethylene films and the degradation mechanism could inspire biotechnological exploitation for degrading plastic to eliminate global pollution from plastic waste. In this study, we tested the chemical compositions of masticated and ingested different plastic types by G. mellonella. High throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene was used to characterize the alteration of the microbial communities derived from salivary glands, gut contents and whole G. mellonella larvae. Our results indicated that G. mellonella is able to masticate polyethylene (PE), expanded polystyrene (EPS) and polypropylene (PP) and convert it to small particles with very large and chemically modified surfaces. The characteristics of the polymer affect the rate of damage. Formation of functional carbonyl groups on the appearance of oxidized metabolic intermediates of polyolefins in the frass samples observed. We found that the mastication of EPS, PP or PE could significantly alter the microbial composition in the gut content while it did not appear to influence the salivary glands microbial community. Representatives of Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Enterobacter grew with the PE diet while mastication of polystyrene and polypropylene increased the abundance of Enterococcus. The evaluation of bacterial communities in whole larvae confirmed the obtained result and additionally showed that the abundance of Paenibacillus, Corynebacterium and Commamonadaceae increased by Styrofoam (EPS) consumption.

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants

Natural rubber is one of the most important polymers produced by plants, which contains cis-1,4-p... more Natural rubber is one of the most important polymers produced by plants, which contains cis-1,4-polyisoprene, protein and fatty acids. It has unique properties compared to synthetic rubber and has many different uses in industry. Here, natural rubber of Euphorbia macroclada was characterized due to its abundance in arid areas. Isolation of rubber was done using both acetone and hexane solvents. FT-IR and NMR further characterized and confirmed the structure of rubber as cis-1,4 polyisoprene. GPC analyses showed a molecular weight of 8.180E+2 with polydispersity of 1.287. These data is useful for better understanding of latex composition in family of Euphorbiaceae.

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, May 31, 2018

In order to evaluate the effect of inoculation and co-cultivation media elements on transformatio... more In order to evaluate the effect of inoculation and co-cultivation media elements on transformation frequency in Petunia hybrida, modified MS media with different elements were tested on Alvan and Large Flower Alvan (LF Alvan), two local cultivars. Leaf explants of both cultivars were inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 (pBI121) containing neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) and an intron-containing β-glucuronidase (gus) genes. When medium lacking KH2PO4, NH4NO3, KNO3, and CaCl2 was used as inoculation and co-cultivation medium, a higher frequency of transformation for Alvan (22%) and LF Alvan (16%) was obtained. Kanamycin resistant plantlets were stained blue by GUS assay. Furthermore, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed the presence of both gus and nptII genes in all putative transformants. Finally, southern blot hybridization confirmed insertion of 1–4 copies of gus gene in transgenic plants.

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

The harsh environments of desert areas lead to natural selection of resistant creatures with obvi... more The harsh environments of desert areas lead to natural selection of resistant creatures with obvious characteristics. This experiment looked for salt-tolerant fungi from native halophyte plants. Forty fungi isolated from three halophyte plant families that were collected from desert areas of Yazd Province in Iran, and the most tolerant isolates were selected at concentrations of 1, 2, 3, 3.5 and 4 molar sodium chloride. Five selected superior isolates were assigned to the phylum Ascomycota based on internal transcribed spacers sequences and β-tubulin gene, as well as morphological characteristics of the genus and species. Aspergillus terreus showed superiority in terms of enzymes and antibacterial properties than other isolates. Other isolates were Acremonium , Paecilomyces , Microascus and Monosorascus . Aspergillus terreus also showed antifungal effects against Aspergillus fumigatus , a human pathogen.

The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology

ABSTRACT Plant regeneration ability was studied in the medicinal-ornamental plant, Cosmos bipinna... more ABSTRACT Plant regeneration ability was studied in the medicinal-ornamental plant, Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata white’, which is a dicotyledonous recalcitrant plant to shoot induction. Cotyledons were used as sources of explants to investigate plant regeneration. High frequency of direct shoot induction was obtained when BA (5 mg/l) and AgNO3 (5 mg/l) were used in combination with 20 mg/l adenine sulphate (73.8%) in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The highest shoot number per explant (5.7) was induced on MS medium supplemented with 5 mg/l BA, 5 mg/l AgNO3, and 40 mg/l adenine. Eight week-old shoots were transferred to root induction media containing MS and half-strength MS medium with different concentration of IBA. The highest rate of root induction (70.8%) was obtained on half-strength MS medium with 1.5 mg/l IBA within four weeks. The plantlets were transferred to pot and kept in the greenhouse condition. Seventy percent of the plantlets successfully acclimatised. Abbreviations: BA, 6-benzylaminopurine; IBA, Indole-3-butyric acid; MS, Murashige and Skoog; PGRs, plant growth regulators.

Biotechnology Advances, 2016

Cut flower markets are developing in many countries as the international demand for cut flowers i... more Cut flower markets are developing in many countries as the international demand for cut flowers is rapidly growing. Developing new varieties with modified characteristics is an important aim in floriculture. Production of transgenic ornamental plants can shorten the time required in the conventional breeding of a cultivar. Biotechnology tools in combination with conventional breeding methods have been used by cut flower breeders to change flower color, plant architecture, post-harvest traits, and disease resistance. In this review, we describe advances in genetic engineering that have led to the development of new cut flower varieties.

Plant Cell Reports, 2016

Modern powerful techniques in plant biotechnology have been developed in lilies (Lilium spp., Lil... more Modern powerful techniques in plant biotechnology have been developed in lilies (Lilium spp., Liliaceae) to propagate, improve and make new phenotypes. Reliable in vitro culture methods are available to multiply lilies rapidly and shorten breeding programs. Lilium is also an ideal model plant to study in vitro pollination and embryo rescue methods. Although lilies are recalcitrant to genetic manipulation, superior genotypes are developed with improved flower colour and form, disease resistance and year round forcing ability. Different DNA molecular markers have been developed for rapid indirect selection, genetic diversity evaluation, mutation detection and construction of Lilium linkage map. Some disease resistance-QTLs are already mapped on the Lilium linkage map. This review presents latest information on in vitro propagation, genetic engineering and molecular advances made in lily.

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, 2015

Descurainia sophia is a valuable medicinal plant in family of Brassicaceae. To determine the rang... more Descurainia sophia is a valuable medicinal plant in family of Brassicaceae. To determine the range of diversity amongst D. sophia in Iran, 32 naturally distributed plants belonging to six natural populations of the Iranian plateau were investigated by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The average percentage of polymorphism produced by 12 ISSR primers was 86 %. The PIC values for primers ranged from 0.22 to 0.40 and Rp values ranged between 6.5 and 19.9. The relative genetic diversity of the populations was not high (Gst =0.32). However, the value of gene flow revealed by the ISSR marker was high (Nm = 1.03). UPGMA clustering method based on Jaccard similarity coefficient grouped the genotypes into two major clusters. Graph results from Neighbor-Net Network generated after a 1000 bootstrap test using Jaccard coefficient, and STRUCTURE analysis confirmed the UPGMA clustering. The first three PCAs represented 57.31 % of the total variation. The high levels of genetic diversity were observed within populations, which is useful in breeding and conservation programs. ISSR is found to be an eligible marker to study genetic diversity of D. sophia.

Cereal Research Communications

The environments in which plant species evolved are now generally understood to be dynamic rather... more The environments in which plant species evolved are now generally understood to be dynamic rather than static. Photosynthesis has to operate within these dynamic environments, such as sudden changes to light intensities. Plants have evolved photoprotection mechanisms that prevent damage caused by sudden changes to high light intensities. The extent of genetic variation within plants species to deal with these dynamic light conditions remains largely unexplored. Here we show that one accession ofA. thalianahas a more efficient photoprotection mechanism in dynamic light conditions, compared to six other accessions. The construction of a doubled haploid population and subsequent phenotyping in a dynamically controlled high-throughput system reveals up to 15 QTLs for photoprotection. Identifying the causal gene underlying one of the major QTLs shows that an allelic variant ofcpFtsYresults in more efficient photoprotection under high and fluctuating light intensities. Further analyses re...

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

Agricultural Biotechnology Journal, 2019

Endophytes are known as a potential source of active natural compounds for use in medicine, agric... more Endophytes are known as a potential source of active natural compounds for use in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Medicinal plants are valuable sources for the study of endophytes. One of the most important medicinal and industrial plants in Iran is the Barije; Ferula gummosa.boiss, whose endophytes have not been studied yet. Materials and methods In this study, 20 bacterial isolates were isolated from different organs of the plant. Endophytes were identified using morphological and then molecular characteristics. The antioxidant properties of endophytic extracts were investigated by degradation of free radicals DPPH (DiPhenyl-1-Picryl Hydrazyl free radical). Results The R4 bacterium with the IC50 value of 2.5 mg / ml had the highest and the SK6 bacterium with an IC50 value of 8.8 mg / ml had the lowest antioxidant activity. The molecular identification of R4 bacteria revealed 98% similarity to the bacterium Rahnella aquatilis. It was also observed by phytochemical analysis that endophytic extracts with phenolic compounds exhibit significant antioxidant activity.

Chapter 1 General introduction 1 Chapter 2 Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of a transposon ... more Chapter 1 General introduction 1 Chapter 2 Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of a transposon construct into 17 Brassica rapa Chapter 3 Identification of seed related QTLs in a new genetically segregating Brassica rapa F2 population Chapter 4 Genetic mapping and QTL analysis of plant morphology and seed related traits in new Brassica rapa recombinant inbred line population Chapter 5 Genetic analysis of the concentrations of health-related compounds 89 in Brassica rapa

doi: 10.3389/fpls.2012.00183 Genetic analysis of morphological traits in a new, versatile, rapid-... more doi: 10.3389/fpls.2012.00183 Genetic analysis of morphological traits in a new, versatile, rapid-cycling Brassica rapa recombinant inbred line population

Descurainia sophia and Sisymbrium irio , both from Brassicaceae family have potential medicinal e... more Descurainia sophia and Sisymbrium irio , both from Brassicaceae family have potential medicinal effects. Seeds are consumed widely across Iran in sweet drinks. To determine the morphological and molecular diversity, 55 genotypes from these two genera were studied. All 11 ISSR primers detected polymorphism and generated 274 polymorphic loci. The average values of Polymorphism Information Content (PIC), Marker Index (MI) and Resolving Power (Rp) for ISSR primers were 0.278, 6.899 and 11.57, respectively. The AMOVA analysis revealed a high genetic variation (58%) within each genus. The UPGMA clustering based on molecular analysis separated all 55 genotypes into two main groups, correlating with division of plants into two genera. Moreover, seven morphological traits were evaluated to distinguish all 55 genotypes. Among them, rosette figure showed the most significant differentiation between two genera. The highest correlation was observed between two traits of seed color and seed weigh...

Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 2013

To reveal the genetic variation, and loci involved, for a range of seed-related traits, a new F2 ... more To reveal the genetic variation, and loci involved, for a range of seed-related traits, a new F2 mapping population was developed by crossing Brassica rapa ssp. parachinensis L58 (CaiXin) with B. rapa ssp. trilocularis R-o-18 (spring oil seed), both rapid flowering and self-compatible. A linkage map was constructed using 97 AFLPs and 21 SSRs, covering a map distance of 757 cM with an average resolution of 6.4 cM, and 13 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected for nine traits. A strong seed colour QTL (LOD 26) co-localized with QTL for seed size (LOD 7), seed weight (LOD 4.6), seed oil content (LOD 6.6), number of siliques (LOD 3) and number of seeds per silique (LOD 3). There was only a significant positive correlation between seed colour and seed oil content in the yellow coloured classes. Seed coat colour and seed size were controlled by the maternal plant genotype. Plants with more siliques tended to have more, but smaller, seeds and higher seed oil content. Seed colour and seed oil content appeared to be controlled by two closely linked loci in repulsion phase. Thus, it may not always be advantageous to select for yellow-seededness when breeding for high seed oil content in Brassicas.

Biyutiknuluzhi-i kishavarzi, 2019

Endophytes are known as a potential source of active natural compounds for use in medicine, agric... more Endophytes are known as a potential source of active natural compounds for use in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Medicinal plants are valuable sources for the study of endophytes. One of the most important medicinal and industrial plants in Iran is the Barije; Ferula gummosa.boiss, whose endophytes have not been studied yet. Materials and methods In this study, 20 bacterial isolates were isolated from different organs of the plant. Endophytes were identified using morphological and then molecular characteristics. The antioxidant properties of endophytic extracts were investigated by degradation of free radicals DPPH (DiPhenyl-1-Picryl Hydrazyl free radical). Results The R4 bacterium with the IC50 value of 2.5 mg / ml had the highest and the SK6 bacterium with an IC50 value of 8.8 mg / ml had the lowest antioxidant activity. The molecular identification of R4 bacteria revealed 98% similarity to the bacterium Rahnella aquatilis. It was also observed by phytochemical analysis that endophytic extracts with phenolic compounds exhibit significant antioxidant activity.

Abstract: The genetic basis of the wide variation for nutritional traits in Brassica rapa is larg... more Abstract: The genetic basis of the wide variation for nutritional traits in Brassica rapa is largely unknown. A new Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL) population was profiled using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling seed tocopherol and seedling metabolite concentrations. RIL population parent L58 had a higher level of glucosinolates and phenylpropanoids, whereas levels of sucrose, glucose and glutamate were higher in the other RIL population parent, R-o-18. QTL related to seed tocopherol (α-, β-, γ-, δ-, α-⁄γ- and total tocopherol) concentrations were detected on chromosomes A3, A6, A9 and A10, explaining 11%–35 % of the respective variation. The locus on A3 co-locates with the BrVTE1gene, encoding tocopherol cyclase. NMR spectroscopy identified the presence of organic/amino acid, sugar/glucosinolate and aromatic compounds in seedlings. QTL positions were obtained for most of the...

Advances in horticultural science, 2019

A tissue culture system for acquiring high efficiency regeneration of Petunia was optimized. Leaf... more A tissue culture system for acquiring high efficiency regeneration of Petunia was optimized. Leaf explants of Alvan, Large Flower Alvan (LF Alvan) and Mahalat cultivars of Petunia hybrida were cultured separately on MS medium including various concentrations of TDZ and BA without auxin in order to assess direct shoot regeneration. Alvan showed the highest frequency of shoot regeneration (100%) and the highest mean number of shoots per explant (25.33) on MS containing 2 mg/l TDZ. For LF Alvan cultivar the highest percentage of shoot organogenesis (100%) and the highest mean number of shoots per explant (18.20) were observed when MS medium containing 1 mg/l BA was used. With the Mahalat cultivar the maximum rate of direct regeneration was obtained on MS supplemented with 0.5 and 1 mg/l BA (80%). The mean number of shoots per explant (9.63) was obtained when 2 mg/l TDZ was used. Regenerated shoots were successfully elongated (2 to 3 cm in length) and transferred into half-strength MS a...

3 Biotech

MADS-box genes take part in diverse biological functions especially in development of reproductiv... more MADS-box genes take part in diverse biological functions especially in development of reproductive structures and control of flowering time. Recently, Cardamine hirsuta has emerged as an exclusively powerful genetic system in comparative studies of development. Although the C. hirsuta genome sequence is available but a comprehensive analysis of its MADS-box family genes is still lacking. Here, we determined 50 Cardamine MADS-box genes through bioinformatics tools and classified them into 2 Mβ, 6 Mα and 2 Mγ and 40 MIKC-type (35 MIKCc and 5MIKC*) genes based on a phylogenetic analysis. The C. hirsuta MIKC subfamily could be further classified into 14 subgroups as Arabidopsis. However the number of MADS-box proteins was not equal among these subgroups. Based on the structural diversity among 50 MADS-box genes, 2 lineages were obtained, type I and type II. The lowest number of introns (0 or 1) was found in the Mα, Mβ, and Mγ groups of the type I genes. The most Cardamine MADS-box genes were randomly distributed on only three chromosomes. C. hirsuta had a relatively lower number of flowering MADS-box genes than A. thaliana and probably tandem duplication event resulted in the expansion of FLC, SQUA and TM3 family members in Arabidopsis. Moreover among the conserved motifs, ChMADS5 of SQUA, ChMADS34 of TM3 and ChMADS51 of AGL15 families had no K-domain. This study provides a basis for further functional investigation of MADS-box genes in C. hirsuta.

Environmental Pollution

Recent studies have indicated that Galleria mellonella larvae ingest polyethylene films and the d... more Recent studies have indicated that Galleria mellonella larvae ingest polyethylene films and the degradation mechanism could inspire biotechnological exploitation for degrading plastic to eliminate global pollution from plastic waste. In this study, we tested the chemical compositions of masticated and ingested different plastic types by G. mellonella. High throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene was used to characterize the alteration of the microbial communities derived from salivary glands, gut contents and whole G. mellonella larvae. Our results indicated that G. mellonella is able to masticate polyethylene (PE), expanded polystyrene (EPS) and polypropylene (PP) and convert it to small particles with very large and chemically modified surfaces. The characteristics of the polymer affect the rate of damage. Formation of functional carbonyl groups on the appearance of oxidized metabolic intermediates of polyolefins in the frass samples observed. We found that the mastication of EPS, PP or PE could significantly alter the microbial composition in the gut content while it did not appear to influence the salivary glands microbial community. Representatives of Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Enterobacter grew with the PE diet while mastication of polystyrene and polypropylene increased the abundance of Enterococcus. The evaluation of bacterial communities in whole larvae confirmed the obtained result and additionally showed that the abundance of Paenibacillus, Corynebacterium and Commamonadaceae increased by Styrofoam (EPS) consumption.

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants

Natural rubber is one of the most important polymers produced by plants, which contains cis-1,4-p... more Natural rubber is one of the most important polymers produced by plants, which contains cis-1,4-polyisoprene, protein and fatty acids. It has unique properties compared to synthetic rubber and has many different uses in industry. Here, natural rubber of Euphorbia macroclada was characterized due to its abundance in arid areas. Isolation of rubber was done using both acetone and hexane solvents. FT-IR and NMR further characterized and confirmed the structure of rubber as cis-1,4 polyisoprene. GPC analyses showed a molecular weight of 8.180E+2 with polydispersity of 1.287. These data is useful for better understanding of latex composition in family of Euphorbiaceae.

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, May 31, 2018

In order to evaluate the effect of inoculation and co-cultivation media elements on transformatio... more In order to evaluate the effect of inoculation and co-cultivation media elements on transformation frequency in Petunia hybrida, modified MS media with different elements were tested on Alvan and Large Flower Alvan (LF Alvan), two local cultivars. Leaf explants of both cultivars were inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 (pBI121) containing neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) and an intron-containing β-glucuronidase (gus) genes. When medium lacking KH2PO4, NH4NO3, KNO3, and CaCl2 was used as inoculation and co-cultivation medium, a higher frequency of transformation for Alvan (22%) and LF Alvan (16%) was obtained. Kanamycin resistant plantlets were stained blue by GUS assay. Furthermore, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed the presence of both gus and nptII genes in all putative transformants. Finally, southern blot hybridization confirmed insertion of 1–4 copies of gus gene in transgenic plants.

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

The harsh environments of desert areas lead to natural selection of resistant creatures with obvi... more The harsh environments of desert areas lead to natural selection of resistant creatures with obvious characteristics. This experiment looked for salt-tolerant fungi from native halophyte plants. Forty fungi isolated from three halophyte plant families that were collected from desert areas of Yazd Province in Iran, and the most tolerant isolates were selected at concentrations of 1, 2, 3, 3.5 and 4 molar sodium chloride. Five selected superior isolates were assigned to the phylum Ascomycota based on internal transcribed spacers sequences and β-tubulin gene, as well as morphological characteristics of the genus and species. Aspergillus terreus showed superiority in terms of enzymes and antibacterial properties than other isolates. Other isolates were Acremonium , Paecilomyces , Microascus and Monosorascus . Aspergillus terreus also showed antifungal effects against Aspergillus fumigatus , a human pathogen.

The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology

ABSTRACT Plant regeneration ability was studied in the medicinal-ornamental plant, Cosmos bipinna... more ABSTRACT Plant regeneration ability was studied in the medicinal-ornamental plant, Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata white’, which is a dicotyledonous recalcitrant plant to shoot induction. Cotyledons were used as sources of explants to investigate plant regeneration. High frequency of direct shoot induction was obtained when BA (5 mg/l) and AgNO3 (5 mg/l) were used in combination with 20 mg/l adenine sulphate (73.8%) in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The highest shoot number per explant (5.7) was induced on MS medium supplemented with 5 mg/l BA, 5 mg/l AgNO3, and 40 mg/l adenine. Eight week-old shoots were transferred to root induction media containing MS and half-strength MS medium with different concentration of IBA. The highest rate of root induction (70.8%) was obtained on half-strength MS medium with 1.5 mg/l IBA within four weeks. The plantlets were transferred to pot and kept in the greenhouse condition. Seventy percent of the plantlets successfully acclimatised. Abbreviations: BA, 6-benzylaminopurine; IBA, Indole-3-butyric acid; MS, Murashige and Skoog; PGRs, plant growth regulators.

Biotechnology Advances, 2016

Cut flower markets are developing in many countries as the international demand for cut flowers i... more Cut flower markets are developing in many countries as the international demand for cut flowers is rapidly growing. Developing new varieties with modified characteristics is an important aim in floriculture. Production of transgenic ornamental plants can shorten the time required in the conventional breeding of a cultivar. Biotechnology tools in combination with conventional breeding methods have been used by cut flower breeders to change flower color, plant architecture, post-harvest traits, and disease resistance. In this review, we describe advances in genetic engineering that have led to the development of new cut flower varieties.

Plant Cell Reports, 2016

Modern powerful techniques in plant biotechnology have been developed in lilies (Lilium spp., Lil... more Modern powerful techniques in plant biotechnology have been developed in lilies (Lilium spp., Liliaceae) to propagate, improve and make new phenotypes. Reliable in vitro culture methods are available to multiply lilies rapidly and shorten breeding programs. Lilium is also an ideal model plant to study in vitro pollination and embryo rescue methods. Although lilies are recalcitrant to genetic manipulation, superior genotypes are developed with improved flower colour and form, disease resistance and year round forcing ability. Different DNA molecular markers have been developed for rapid indirect selection, genetic diversity evaluation, mutation detection and construction of Lilium linkage map. Some disease resistance-QTLs are already mapped on the Lilium linkage map. This review presents latest information on in vitro propagation, genetic engineering and molecular advances made in lily.

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, 2015

Descurainia sophia is a valuable medicinal plant in family of Brassicaceae. To determine the rang... more Descurainia sophia is a valuable medicinal plant in family of Brassicaceae. To determine the range of diversity amongst D. sophia in Iran, 32 naturally distributed plants belonging to six natural populations of the Iranian plateau were investigated by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The average percentage of polymorphism produced by 12 ISSR primers was 86 %. The PIC values for primers ranged from 0.22 to 0.40 and Rp values ranged between 6.5 and 19.9. The relative genetic diversity of the populations was not high (Gst =0.32). However, the value of gene flow revealed by the ISSR marker was high (Nm = 1.03). UPGMA clustering method based on Jaccard similarity coefficient grouped the genotypes into two major clusters. Graph results from Neighbor-Net Network generated after a 1000 bootstrap test using Jaccard coefficient, and STRUCTURE analysis confirmed the UPGMA clustering. The first three PCAs represented 57.31 % of the total variation. The high levels of genetic diversity were observed within populations, which is useful in breeding and conservation programs. ISSR is found to be an eligible marker to study genetic diversity of D. sophia.