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Plant Physiology / Stress Physiology |
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Dr. U. V. Pathre
Scientist F
| Phone no. 91-522-2205831-35 Ext. 930 | uvpathre@nbri.res.in |
Dr. P. A. Shirke
Scientist E II
| Phone no. 91-522-2205831-35 Ext. 928 | pashirke@nbri.res.in |
Dr. Vivek Pandey
Scientist E I
| Phone no. 91-522-2205831-35 Ext. 929 | vivekpandey@nbri.res.in |
Dr. Soumit Kumar Behera
Scientist B
| Phone no. 91-522-2205831-35 Ext. 929 | soumitbehera@nbri.res.in |
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Group works on
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- Stress physiology and physiological ecology;
- Heavy metal stress on photosynthesis and respiratory metabolism;
- Mechanism of heavy metal toxicity and plant's defensive response: Free radicals
and reactive oxygen species generation under stressful conditions in relation to
plant's anti-oxidative defense system;
- Enzymes of ascorbate-glutathione cycle and their regulation;
- Plants photosynthesis and productivity as affected by UV-B and visible light;
- Environmental adaptation, diurnal and seasonal regulation of photosynthesis and
carbon partitioning;
- Sucrose and starch metabolism in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic tissues;
- Regulation of sucrose-phosphate synthase, sucrose synthase and invertase.
- Post harvest technology for storage of corms in exotic cultivars;
- Production of healthy spikes and corms in Gladiolus;
- Multiplication through root induction in difficult to root cultivars of Chrysanthemum;
- Genetic variability in Moringa seed oil content and composition, protein, carbohydrate
and vitamin c;
- Allelopathic influence of Parthenium hysterophorus on agricultural crops.
- Agro-techniques in plant propagation of ornamental plants and floriculture including
extending vase life of flowers.
- Agro-techniques of Moringa cultivation an essential oil bearing tree and its chemotaxonomy.
- Improvement of floriculture in Post harvest physiology
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Achievements
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The group has been doing work related to abiotic stress induced physiological and
biochemical changes in plants. Major emphasis of the group was on visible light
and UV-B effects on photosynthesis in algae and higher plants. Photoinhibition of
photosynthesis and its recovery was studied with reference to D1 and D2 protein
turnover in light and dark. Plant's response to increase in the terrestrial receipt
of UV-B has been extensively studied by our group to understand the mechanism of
UV-B action and ultimate effects of this harmful radiation on photosynthesis, biomass
productivity and grain yield. Studies were carried out on enhanced UV-B effects
on crop plants (wheat, rice and mustard) both under laboratory and field conditions.
The field studies pertained to physiological and biochemical changes in crop plants
that affected biomass productivity and grain yield. Studies carried on various cultivars
of wheat demonstrated intraspecific differences in UV-B sensitivity among crop cultivars
and implied the possibility of selecting crop cultivars with high tolerance to UV-B.
UV-B inhibition of photosynthesis and its reactivation (photoreactivation) was also
studied in green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CW 15 (cell wall less mutant).
The chloroplast proteins (D1, D2) and genes encoding these proteins (psbA,
psbD) were analyzed by western and northern blotting during UV-B inhibitions
of photosynthesis and its reactivation.
Presently, the group is involved in understanding the antioxidative responses during
deficiency and surplus of essential and non-essential metal ions. Emphasis has been
given to understand the mechanism(s) of heavy metal toxicity to plants. The study
is being carried out at whole plant level as well as at cellular and sub-cellular
level. Various biochemical parameters are being assayed in chloroplast, mitochondria
and plasmamembrane isolated from plants grown in metal deficient and surplus medium
to target the biomolecules interacting with metals. While generation of reactive
oxygen species (ROS) has been conclusively demonstrated in our study, attempts are
being made to correlate the antioxidative responses evident at cellular and sub-cellular
levels during heavy metal stress.
Another area of our interest is to understand the physiological, biochemical and
molecular mechanism of photosynthetic acclimation of plants under environmental
stress. Diurnal and seasonal changes in the photosynthesis reflect the ability of
a plant to maintain internal balance among the various metabolic processes in response
to changing environmental conditions. The long-term goal of our research is a mechanistic
understanding of how photosynthesis acclimates to overcome naturally occurring environmental
stresses in trees. We are addressing this goal by studying the ecophysiology and
carbon partition in a tree species Prosopis juliflora as a model tree. P.juliflora
(commonly called as mesquite) is a hardy tree and found to be performing under
harsh environmental conditions of northern India. We are also examining the significance,
location and control of Sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS) - key enzyme for sucrose
synthesis. We have gathered good deal of biochemical information about this enzyme
and found to be regulated by variety of signals during diurnal and seasonal changes
in the environment. We are characterizing the diurnal and seasonal patterns of SPS
activity at the mRNA, protein and activity levels. Since SPS display different kinetic
and regulatory behaviour in different species, in the second project, we are studying
the properties of SPS from different species with respect to its amino acid sequence.
The aim of the proteomic study is to get better understanding of how to manipulate
SPS gene for trangenics.
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Publications: 75 |
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Notable Publications
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- Shyam, R. and Sane, P.V. (1989) Photoinhibition of photosynthesis and its recovery
in low and high light acclimatized blue-green alga (cyanobacterium) Spirulina platensis.
Biochem. Physiol. Pflanzen. 185: 211-219.
- Shyam, R., Raghavendra, A. S. and Sane, P. V. (1993) Role of dark respiration in
photoinhibition of photosynthesis and its reactivation in the cyanobacterium Anacystis
nidulans. Physiol. Plantarum. 88: 446-452.
- Singh, K.K., Shyam, R. and Sane, P. V. (1996) Reactivation of photosynthesis in
the photoinhibited green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: Role
of dark respiration and of light. Photosynth. Res. 49: 11-20.
- Sinha A. K., Shirke P. A., Pathre U. V. and Sane P. V. (1997) Sucrose-phosphate
synthase (SPS) in tree species: Light/dark regulation involves a component of protein
turnover in Prosopis juliflora (Sw DC). Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
International 44: 421-431.
- Chaturvedi, R. and Shyam, R. (1998) Steady state levels of D1 protein and psbA
transcript during UV-B inactivation of photosystem II in wheat. Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology International 44: 925-932.
- Pathre, U. V., Sinha, A. K., Shirke, P. A., and Sane, P. V. (1998). Factors determining
the midday depression of photosynthesis in trees under monsoon climate. Trees
12: 472-481.
- Dixit, V, V. Pandey and R. Shyam (2001) Differential anti-oxidative response to
cadmium in roots and leaves of pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Azad).J.Exp.Bot.
52: 1101-1109.
- Dixit, V, V. Pandey and R. Shyam (2002) Chromium ions inactivate electron transport
and enhance superoxide generation in vivo in pea (Pisum sativum L.
cv. Azad) root mitochondria. Plant Cell Environ. 25: 687-693.
- Shirke, P. A. and Pathre U. V. (2003). Dirunal and seasonal changes in photosynthesis
and photosystem 2 photochemical efficiency in Prosopis juliflora leaves subjected
to natural environmental stress. Photosynthetica 41: 83-89.
- Shirke, P. A. and Pathre U. V. (2004). Influence of leaf-to-air vapour pressure
deficit (VPD) on the biochemistry and Physiology of photosynthesis in Prosopis juliflora.
Journal of Experimental Botany 55:2111-2120.
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