Browsing by Author "Vikas Kumar Yadav"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Application of CRISPR-cas technique in enhancing the phytochemicals production
(Bentham Science Publishers, 2024) Harshita Sahoo; Manisha Malhotra; Vikas Kumar Yadav; Vikash Maurya; Shweta; Akhilesh Kumar
Plants possess a remarkable skill in the generation of secondary metabolites, which are commonly referred to as phytochemicals. These bioactive molecules are non-nutritive and essential for the growth and expansion of plants. However, these phytochemicals play a critical role in plant resistance against both biotic and abiotic stress. Furthermore, they possess a vast array of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical properties, making them commercially and economically significant. Unfortunately, the synthesis of these compounds is not abundant and can be challenging to extract through a cumbersome chemically synthetic process that is both inefficient and expensive. Fortunately, second-generation CRISPR/Cas technology has proven to be a gateway to enhancing the production of phytochemicals due to its simplicity, efficiency, and target specificity. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to discuss the mechanistic role of CRISPR/Cas9, its application in base editing, and its ability to enhance the production of phytochemicals. © 2024 Bentham Science Publishers. All rights reserved.
Arginyltransferase1 drives a mitochondria-dependent program to induce cell death
(Springer Nature, 2025) Akhilesh Kumar; Corin R. O’Shea; Vikas Kumar Yadav; Ganapathi Kandasamy; Balaji T. Moorthy; Evan A. Ambrose; Aliya Mulati; Flavia Fontanesi; Fangliang Zhang
Cell death regulation is essential for stress adaptation and/or signal response. Past studies have shown that eukaryotic cell death is mediated by an evolutionarily conserved enzyme, arginyltransferase1 (Ate1). The downregulation of Ate1, as seen in many types of cancer, prominently increases cellular tolerance to a variety of stress conditions. Conversely, in yeast and mammalian cells, Ate1 is elevated under acute oxidative stress conditions, and this change appears to be essential for triggering cell death. However, studies of Ate1 were conventionally focused on its function in inducing protein degradation via the N-end rule pathway in the cytosol, leading to an incomplete understanding of the role of Ate1 in cell death. Our recent investigation shows that Ate1 dually exists in the cytosol and mitochondria, the latter of which has an established role in cell death initiation. Here, by using budding yeast as a model organism, we found that mitochondrial translocation of Ate1 is promoted by the presence of oxidative stressors, and this process is essential for inducing cell death preferentially through the apoptotic pathway. Also, we found that Ate1-induced cell death is dependent on the formation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and at least partly dependent on the action of mitochondria-contained factors, including the apoptosis-inducing factor, but is not directly dependent on mitochondrial electron transport chain activity or reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from it. Furthermore, our evidence suggests that, contrary to widespread assumptions, the cytosolic protein degradation pathways, including ubiquitin-proteasome, autophagy, or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, has little or negligible impacts on Ate1-induced cell death in the tested conditions. We conclude that Ate1 controls the mitochondria-dependent cell death pathway. © The Author(s) 2025.
Lignocellulolytic enzymes: Potential biocatalysts to pre-treat lignocellulosic biomass for its biotechnological and industrial applications
(Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2024) Manisha Malhotra; Karishma Mittal; Vikas Kumar Yadav; Vikash Maurya; Shweta; Akhilesh Kumar
Lignocellulosic biomass, otherwise considered waste from agricultural and forest areas, has found its potential application in various sectors such as biomedical, cosmeceutical, pharmaceutical sectors, etc. Moreover, they can be utilized to produce bioplastic and can be used as a sustainable alternative for energy production. However, the lignin content present in the lignocellulosic biomass poses a hindrance in its complete utilization. Therefore, to delignify the lignocellulosic biomass, traditionally, various physical and chemical pre-treatment methods have been introduced, which again are not only expensive but also prove to be hazardous for the environment as the chemical treatment of the lignocellulosic biomass may result in harmful end products. Hence, to eliminate these problems, research has now been focused on utilizing biological methods to delignify and detoxify the lignocellulosic biomass which includes various lignocellulosic enzymes such as laccase, lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and versatile peroxidase for its pretreatment. This chapter, therefore, aims to summarize the introduction of various lignocellulosic enzymes and their potential role in the pretreatment of the lignocellulosic biomass, in order to make the biomass applicable for various biotechnological and industrial applications as well as for the production of bioethanol. © 2024 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Metabolomics quantitative trait loci mapping of medicinal plants and crops
(Bentham Science Publishers, 2024) Pratiksha Verma; Vikash Maurya; Vikas Kumar Yadav; Manisha Malhotra; Shweta; Akhilesh Kumar
Genetic association studies and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis serve as indispensable tools for identifying genes and genomic regions associated with various traits. The rapid development of genomics and its application in plant breeding has profoundly impacted the field, fostering discoveries and revolutionizing breeding strategies. For a better understanding of plant physiology, complete information on biochemical pathways is imperative across different organizational levels, encompassing simple to intricate networks that regulate trait expression. Over the past decades, the emergence of metabolomics as a vital branch of "omics" has played a pivotal role in determining and quantifying metabolites governing cellular processes. The combination of metabolomics and post-genomic approaches has recently allowed proficient examination of genetic and phenotypic associations in cultivated crops. A novel and powerful methodology, Metabolomic Quantitative Trait Locus (mQTL) mapping, has emerged as an approach to unravel the genetic components and loci contributing to the variability in metabolic profiles. This chapter provides an in-depth exploration of mQTL mapping in both medicinal and crop plants, elucidating its significance in unraveling the intricate interplay between genetics and metabolic pathways. © 2024 Bentham Science Publishers. All rights reserved.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae: A yeast cell factory for the production of biofuel from agricultural wastes
(Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2024) Vikas Kumar Yadav; Vikash Maurya; Manisha Malhotra; Karishma Mittal; Shweta; Akhilesh Kumar
The dependency of human beings on fossil fuels is increasing gradually. The burning of fossil fuels (non-renewable sources of energy) releases greenhouse gases that cause environmental pollution and contributes to climate change. Therefore, biofuel can act as an alternative to fossil fuels, as it is a renewable source of energy, and its combustion does not produce greenhouse gases. The most prevalent biofuel is bioethanol, which is produced through fermentation with the help of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Due to metabolic engineering, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae can currently produce a variety of sophisticated biofuels. Based on the raw material used in fermentation to produce biofuel, it can be categorized as first-generation (traditional feedstock), secondgeneration (lignocellulosic biomass), third-generation, or advanced biofuel (algal biomass). Agricultural wastes like wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, and rice, are rich sources of cellulose that can be utilized as raw material to produce biofuels. Different kinds of agricultural waste that can be used to produce bioethanol (biofuel), with yeast-mediated fermentation are discussed in this chapter. © 2024 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.