Neo Planta, March 2019 (2)

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Microorganisms for you

Factors in Environment & Geographical Zones Medicinal Plants of the Month

Research Methodology— Ethnobotanical study

Facts: Inventions and Discoveries related to Plant Science

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Aspergillus terreus This saprophytic fungus is prevalent in warmer climates like tropical and subtropical regions. It is employed in the production of organic acids such as itaconic acid and cis aconitic acid, as well as enzymes like xylanase. It is prevalent in habitats like decomposing vegetation and dust. It is the initial source for the drug Mevinolin (Lovastatin), a drug lowering serum cholesterol. A.terreus is brownish in colour and gets darker on aging in the culture media. On Czapek or amlt extract agar (MEA) medium at 25ยบC, colonies will have the conditions to grow rapidly and have smooth walls. The conical heads are compact, biseriate and densely columnar.

The conidiophores are smooth and hyaline. Conidia are small, globose shaped, smooth walled and can vary from light yellow to hyaline. The unique nature of this species is the production of aleurioconidia, asexual spores produced directly on the hyphae that are larger than philoconidia.

It produces a number of secondary metabolites and mycotoxins, including territerm A, citrioviridin, Citrinin, gliotoxin, patulin, terrain, terreic acid and terretonin. The fungus also produces a secondary metabolite called lovastatin, a potent drug for lowering blood cholesterol levels in humans and animals. A.terreus uses glucose and glycerol as the carbon source for lovastatin production.

Azotobacter vinelandii

MICRO ORGANISMS FOR YOU

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It is a gram negative diazotroph that can fix nitrogen while growing aerobically. It is a large obligate aerobic soil dwelling organism. It is a free living nitrogen fixer known to produce many phytohormones and vitamins in the soil. It produces fluorescent pyroverdine pigments. It fixes nitrogen in the free living state and does not enter into symbiotic relationship with any plants. It undergoes differentiation to form cyst consists of a contracted cell known as central body that is surrounded by a capsule made up of a thin laminated outer layer, called the exxine and a thicker inner layer called the intine. The favourable carbon soures are sucrose and n-butanol. The preferable temperature is 30ยบC.

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Aspergillus brasilense It is a nitrogen fixing bacteria found in the rhizosphere of several grasses. It is a plant growth promoting bacteria. It is a free living soil bacterium and has the ability to affect the growth of the crops by excreting various hormones. Many countries use bacterial inoculants containing A.brasilense alone or in combination with other plant growth promoting bacteria. It is vibroid in shape and has a single polar flagellum attached to the cell making it motile. This flagellum is important in the absorption step of plant root attachment. It is capable of promoting growth of plants through secretion of phytohormones, the most common being IAA. A.brasilense produces IAA by utilizing the aminoacid tryptophan as a precursor. IAA along with various other phytohormones alter the metabolism and the morphology of the plant root system in favour for better mineral and water adsorption. It is capable of fixing nitrogen through assimilation of ammonium and the activity of nitrogenise. Nitrogen fixation occurs under microaerobic conditions where nitrogen is limited. It colonizes the surface of the plant root through a two step process: attachment and anchoring. A glycoprotein is used for attachment and a polysaccharide is used to anchor the bacterium to the plant root hair.

Bacillus It is a genus of gram positive rod shaped bacteria. The species can be obligate aerobe (oxygen reliant) or facultative anaerobes. It includes both free living (non parasitic) and parasitic pathogenic species.

All the species of Bacillus exhibit three stages in their life: Sporangium, Vegetative cell and free spore.

Many species of Bacillus can secrete enzymes which are used in different industries. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is the source of natural antibiotic protein barnase (a ribonuclease), alpha amylase used in starch hydrolysis, the protease used in detergents and the Bam H1 restriction enzyme used in DNA research. Bacillus species are almost ubiquitous in soil, but also occur in extreme environments such as high pH (B.alcalophilous), high temperature (B.thermophilous) or high salt concentrations (B.halodurans). B.thuringiensis produces a toxin that can kill insects and are used as an insecticide.

Some species of Bacillus are natural competent for DNA uptake by transformation.

Bacillus coagulans It is a gram positive rod, catalase positive, spore forming, motile and a facultatively anaerobic bacterium. It is a lactic acid forming bacterial species. B.W.Hammer in 1915 first isolated and described this species. It may appear gram negative when entering the stationary phase of growth. The optimum temperature for growth is 30-55ยบC. It has been added by EFSA to their qualified presumption of safety list. It is often used in vetenary applications as a probiotic in pigs, cattle, poultry and shrimp.

Many references to use of this bacterium in humans exist, especially in improving the vaginal flora, improving abdominal pain and bloating in irritable bowel syndrome patients and increasing immune response to viral challenges. There is evidence from animal research that suggests that B.coagulans is effective in both treating as well as preventing recurrence of clostridium difficle associated diarrhoea.

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WISTERIA SINENSIS (Sims)A.P.de.Cand Family : Fabaceae Medicinal properties: Cardiac, diuretic; flowers are cooked. They are thoroughly washed and then boiled or made into filters. The flowers are also cured in sugar then mixed with flour and made into a famous local delicacy called ‘Teng Lo.’ The leaves contain allantoic acid and are used as a substitute to tea.

Phytochemicals reported from the plant: Wisterine, lecitine Medicinal plants of

Facts

the Month 

King and Street (1977) described the technique of cell separation by changing the nutritional composition of the medium.

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SESBANIA GRANDIFLORA L. Family : Fabaceae Medicinal properties: Plant– aperients, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, laxative, tonic. Root is used to cure inflammation. Bark– astringent. Leaves– anthelmintic, cures itching, leprosy, night blindness, epilepsy, gout, useful in ophthalmia. Flowers are used for cooling; improve appetite, cure quartan fever and also used to treat ozoena, bronchitis, gout, biliousness. Fruit – laxative, cures anaemia, tumors. An infusion of bark is given in small pox Phytochemicals reported from the plant: Oleanolic acid, protein, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, carbohydrates, stearic acid and linoleic acid.

Facts 

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Street in 1977 suggested that cell density should be

determined before subculturing.

Kurz and Constabel in 1979 have described the properties of cultured plant cell suspensions.

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SESBANIA SESBAN L. Family : Fabaceae Medicinal properties: Leaves and flowers are used in medicinal poultices and teas. They have an effect of astringence or contraction of body tissue. Paste of roots are used as contraceptive.

Phytochemicals reported from the plant: Protein, calcium, phosphorus, aminoacids, staric, arachidic, oleic and linoleic acid.

Facts Stewart et al in 1958 first induced somatic embryogenesis in suspension culture.

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MEDICAGO SATIVA L. Family : Fabaceae Medicinal properties: Used to reduce acidity and to improve appetite. Used to treat arthritis, atherosclerosis, bloating bowel problems, calcium deficiency and cholesterol. It is effective in diabetes. To treat fever, heart disease, indigestion, kidney problems, peptic ulcer and rheumatism. It cures ulcers, urinary problem.

Phytochemicals reported from the plant: Saponins, medicagenic acid, hederagenin, soyasapogenols A,B,C,D,E,F, oleanoic acid, glutamic acids, amino acids, N6-methylagmatine.

Facts 

Carlson in 1983 stated that the genetic heterogeneity of cells in a population represents continuity of genotypes, whereas phenotypically the population is represented as a discrete sum of subclones.

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Factors in environment and Geographical zones Physico chemical and Biological factors in environment: An environmental factor, ecological factor or ecofactor is any biotic or abiotic factor. The abiotic factors include all the physical and chemical factors of the environment. These include temperature, pH, water, sunlight, soil, redox potential, gases, nutrients and chemicals. The biotic factors include the living organisms of the environment– producers, consumers and decomposers.

Geographical zones: The five main latitudes of the Earth’s surface comprise the geographical zone.

The difference between them relates to climate.

North Frigid ZoneBetween the Arctic circle 66.5ºN and North pole 90ºN. It covers 4.12% of Earth’s surface.

North Temperate zone: Between Tropic of cancer 23.5ºN and Arctic circle 66.5ºN. It covers 25.99% of Earth’s surface.

Torrid zone: Between Tropic of cancer 23.5ºN and Tropic of Capricorn 23.5ºS. It covers 39.78% of Earth’s surface.

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South Temperate Zone: Between Tropic of Capricorn 23.5ºS and Antarctic circle 66.5ºS. It covers 25.99% of Earth’s surface.

South frigid zone: Between Antarctic circle 66.5ºS and South pole 90ºS. It covers 4.12% of Earth’s surface.

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Facts 

Constable in 1978 stated that when nuclei are fused the

cells are known as hybrid or synkaryocyte. 

Doods and Roberts in 1985 proposed that when only cytoplasms fuse and genetic information from one of the two nuclei is lost it is known as cybrid (i.e.) cytoplasmic hybrid or heteroplast.

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Gamborg and Nabors in 1978 described a number of variations in cell fusion as firstly, fusion of two protoplasts, each from cells with a normal parental ploidy, secondly, fusion of two protoplasts each obtained from haploid cell sources and thirdly, fusion of a protoplast with an enucleated protoplast.

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Carlson in 1972 succeeded in carrying out protoplast fusion of Nicotiana glauca X N.langsdorfii.

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Kuchko in 1985 achieved somatic hybrid through inter specific cross of wild and cultivated varieties of potatoes (i.e.)

Solanum tuberosum X S.chacoense.

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Facts 

In 1978, Melchers et al., developed first intergenic somatic hybrids between potato (Solanum tuberosum), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum ). The somatic hybrid was called Pomato or Topato.

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Tulecke in 1951 cultured pollen grains of Ginkgo biloba (Gymnosperms) and succeeded to induce the development of haploid cells.

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Sunderlandt in 1979 has described that the anthers to be cultured should be one of the three categories namely, premitotic, mitotic and post mitotic.

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In 1949, La Rue succeeded in producing callus from immature endosperm.

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T. Murashige of the USA for the first time gave the concept of artificial seeds at a symposium in Belgium in 1977.

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Facts 

Kitto and Janick in 1985 produced citrus embryos invitro and tested 8 copounds for their synthetic coating properties on embryos out of the chemicals tested, a polyethyleneoxide (polyox WSR-N75) revealed good encapsulating properties.

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Sood and Palni in 1992 got early flowering in tissue culture raised and virus tested Easter Lily plant (Lilium longoflrum).

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Morel and Martin for the first time in 1952, successfully obtained a virus free plant through shoot meristem culture.

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Behnke in 1980 has shown that the leaves of potato regenerates produced from calli and selected for resistance to culture filtrate of P.infestans exhibited greater resistance to this filtrate than the leaves of control.

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Holsten et al in 1971, obtained active rhizobia in the absence of nodules, leghaemoglobin and bacteroids which were apparently necessary in the intact plants. They established Rhizobium japonicum on cell suspension of soybean roots.

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Ethnobotanical Study Methodology Categories describing the land, people and conservation status of a research site are as follows: Land: 

Geographical location and map

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Surface area in kilometer

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Longitude and latitude

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Geological information

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Elevation range

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Major geographical land marks

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Soil types

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Climate zones and seasons.

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Vegetation types and seasonal succession stages.

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People 

Population size and distribution

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Languages spoken

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History of settlement

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Major social groups

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Productive activities

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Subsistence and commercial groups.

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System of land tenure

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Rates of migration

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Conservation status 

Size and status of protected areas

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Transportation infrastructure

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Natural and human caused disasters

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Colonization

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Agriculture

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Logging

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Alternative land use schemes

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Nature tourism

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Extra activism.

Record activities that threaten large tracts of land like mining and hydroelectric projects. If non timber forest products are being extracted from the region, state who is collecting the affected species and the approximate amount of material that is being removed.

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Facts 

Moose in 1962 for the first time, reported the establishment of two member culture.

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Yamakawa et al in 1982 isolated Anthocyanin pigment from grape cell culture.

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Roger Beachy et al introduced coat protein (CP) gene of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) into the tobacco and observed the development of TMV resistance in transgenic plants.

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Hiatt et al in 1989 for the first time produced antibodies in plants which could produce positive immunization.

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C.J. Arntzen et al in 1992, expressed hepatitis B surface antigen in Tobacco to produce immunologically active ingredients via genetic engineering of plants.

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Ma et al in 1995 successfully produced multimeric secretary IgA (SIgA) molecules in plants which represent the predominant form of immunoglobulin in mucosal secretions.

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Facts 

Williams et al in 1991 developed Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique.

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To achieve cryopreservation, a plant cell bank has been suggested by Bajaj and Reinert in 1977 and by Popov in 1985.

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Cagniard—Latour and Schwann reported that the fermentation of wine and beer is accomplished by yeast cells.

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It was L. Pasteur who observed microbes associated with fermentation and causing many diseases in human beings.

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Scheele in 1789 reported the isolation and crystallization of sour product from lemon juice.

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Wehmer in 1893, reported the wide occurrence of citric acid in the microbial metabolites.

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Mollliard in 1922, confirmed the accumulation of citric acid in the cultures of Aspergillus niger under the conditions of nutrient deficiency.

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Louis Pasteur demonstrated the fermentation of sugar by micro organisms.

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Darani Vasudevan daraniauthor.ga

Hi readers, I am a Botanist and writer. This magazine is an outcome of the topics that interested me a lot while doing my research works. I chose this magazine as a platform for sharing many interesting facts related to plant Science and microorganisms.