Background: The shift to a parasitic lifestyle in plants often leaves distinct marks on their plastid genomes, given the central role plastids play in photosynthesis. Studying these unique adaptations in parasitic plants is essential for understanding the mechanisms and evolutionary patterns driving plastome reduction in angiosperms. By exploring these changes, we can gain deeper insights into how parasitism reshapes the genomic architecture of plants. Method: This study analyzed and compared the plastomes of 113 parasitic plants from different families. Results: The Orobanchaceae family (hemiparasitic plants) displayed the largest plastome size, while Apodanthaceae exhibited the shortest. Additionally, Orobanchaceae showcased little to no gene loss in their plastomes. However, holoparasitic species typically had reduced plastome sizes. Convolvulaceae exhibited significantly reduced plastome sizes due to high gene loss, and Apodanthaceae retained only a few genes. Gene divergence among different families was also investigated, and rps15, rps18, and rpl33 in Orobanchaceae; acc D and ycf1 in Convolvulaceae; atp F and ccs A i n Loranthaceae; and rpl32 in Santalaceae showed greater divergence. Additionally, Orobanchaceae had the highest numbers of all repeat types, whereas Loranthaceae and Convolvulaceae exhibited the lowest repeat numbers. Similarly, more simple sequence repeats were reported in Loranthaceae and Santalaceae. Our phylogenetic analysis also uncovered a distinct clade comprising Loranthaceae, with a single Schoepfiaceae species clustering nearby. Contrary to expectations, parasitic and hemiparasitic plants formed mixed groupings instead of segregating into separate clades. Conclusions: These findings offer insights into parasitic plants' evolutionary relationships, revealing shared and divergent genomic features across diverse lineages.

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Odorant receptors (ORs) are important class of proteins involved in olfactory behaviour of insects. These are GPCR-like heptahelical transmembrane proteins with inverted topology compared to GPCR and require a co-receptor (ORco) for their function. OR function can be modulated through small molecules and negative modulation can be beneficial in case of disease vectors like Aedes aegypti . OR4 of A. aegypti is implicated in host recognition through human odour. Aedes aegypti is a vector for viruses that spread diseases like dengue, Zika and Chikungunya. In this study, we have attempted to model the full-length structure of OR4 and the ORco of A. aegypti due to lack of experimental structure. Further, we have screened a library of natural compounds (>0.3 million) along with known repellent molecules against ORco and OR4. Many natural compounds, including those from plants like Ocimum tenuiflorum (Holy Basil) and Piper nigrum (Black pepper) , were found to have better binding affinity towards ORco compared to known repellents like DEET providing an alternative to existing repellent molecules. For specific inhibitor of OR4, several natural compounds (including those from plant like Mulberry) were identified. Further, we have utilized multiple docking approaches and conservation analysis to understand the interaction between OR4 and ORco. It was observed that the residues from the seventh transmembrane helix of OR4 and pore forming helix of ORco could play an important role along with known intracellular loop 3 residues in mediating the heteromer formation of OR and ORco.

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Background The genus Verbascum L. (Scrophulariaceae) is distributed in Africa, Europe, and parts of Asia, with the Mediterranean having the most species variety. Several researchers have already worked on the phylogenetic and taxonomic analysis of Verbascum by using ITS data and chloroplast genome fragments and have produced different conclusions. The taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of this genus are unclear. Results The complete plastomes (cp) lengths for V. chaixii, V. songaricum, V. phoeniceum, V. blattaria, V. sinaiticum, V. thapsus, and V. brevipedicellatum ranged from 153,014 to 153,481 bp. The cp coded 114 unique genes comprising of 80 protein-coding genes, four ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and 30 tRNA genes. We detected variations in the repeat structures, gene expansion on the inverted repeat, and single copy (IR/SC) boundary regions. The substitution rate analysis indicated that some genes were under purifying selection pressure. Phylogenetic analysis supported the sister relationship of (Lentibulariaceae + Acanthaceae + Bignoniaceae + Verbenaceae + Pedaliaceae) and (Lamiaceae + Phyrymaceae + Orobanchaceae + Paulowniaceae + Mazaceae) in Lamiales. Within Scrophulariaceae, Verbascum was sister to Scrophularia, while Buddleja formed a monophyletic clade from (Scrophularia + Verbascum) with high bootstrap support values. The relationship of the nine species within Verbascum was highly supported. Conclusion Based on the phylogenetic results, we proposed to reinstate the species status of V. brevipedicellatum (Engl.) Hub.-Mor. Additionally, three genera (Mazus, Lancea, and Dodartia) placed in the Phyrymaceae family formed a separate clade within Lamiaceae. The classification of the three genera was supported by previous studies. Thus, the current study also suggests the circumscription of these genera as documented previously to be reinstated. The divergence time of Lamiales was approximated to be 86.28 million years ago (Ma) (95% highest posterior density (HPD), 85.12-89.91 Ma). The complete plastomes sequence data of the Verbascum species will be important for understanding the Verbascum phylogenetic relationships and evolution in order Lamiales.

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Background Ecological migration serves as an important measure for poverty eradication as well as for the protection, inheritance, and utilization of traditional ecological knowledge. This study investigated and cataloged the traditional forage plant resources and recorded the associated traditional knowledge of immigrant villages in Hongsibu District of Ningxia, China. The diversity of traditional forage plant resources and the changes in associated traditional ecological knowledge were compared among ecological immigrant villages from different emigration areas, with a hope of providing a reference for forage development, the conservation of wild forage plant resources, and the development of regional animal husbandry. Methods From March 2018 to May 2019, a field investigation was conducted in six villages in Ningxia. Through the snowball technique, a total of 315 immigrants were interviewed using various methods, including semistructured interviews and key person interviews, which included opportunities for free listing. The changes in the utilization of traditional forage plants were compared between the ecological migrants and the original inhabitants, and the causes underlying the changes were analyzed. In addition, the major forage plant species in the research area were investigated and evaluated. Results (1) The six investigated villages reported 224 traditional forage plant species that belong to 42 families and 150 genera. Compared with their original living areas, the number of traditional forage plant species used in the immigrant villages decreased with the increase in the relocation distance. (2) The utilization of traditional forage plants varied among the immigrants who moved to Hongsibu District from forest areas, loess hilly areas, and semiarid desertified areas. The smaller the difference was in ecological environment between the immigration and emigration areas, the more the traditional forage plant knowledge had been retained. (3) The diversity and associated knowledge of traditional forage plants retained by ecological migrants are closely correlated to gender, age, education level, and occupation. Conclusion This study revealed that the diversity of traditional forage plants and associated knowledge retained after migration vary among ecological immigrants from different areas; generally, the immigrants that relocated from a closer place retained more ecological knowledge. In the immigrant villages with significantly different natural resources and a long distance from the migrants' original locations, the diversity of traditional forage plants decreased, and the traditional knowledge about forage plants showed signs of being forgotten and abandoned by the younger generation. Therefore, measures are urgently needed to document and protect the forage plant resources and preserve the traditional knowledge of ecological immigrants.

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Exposure to hypobaric hypoxia causes oxidative stress, neuronal degeneration and apoptosis that leads to memory impairment. Though oxidative stress contributes to neuronal degeneration and apoptosis in hypobaric hypoxia, the ability for phenylethanoid glycosides of Pedicularis muscicola Maxim (PhGs) to reverse high altitude memory impairment has not been studied. Rats were supplemented with PhGs orally for a week. After the fourth day of drug administration, rats were exposed to a 7500 m altitude simulation in a specially designed animal decompression chamber for 3 days. Spatial memory was assessed by the 8-arm radial maze test before and after exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. Histological assessment of neuronal degeneration was performed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Changes in oxidative stress markers and changes in the expression of the apoptotic marker, caspase-3, were assessed in the hippocampus. Our results demonstrated that after exposure to hypobaric hypoxia, PhGs ameliorated high altitude memory impairment, as shown by the decreased values obtained for reference memory error (RME), working memory error (WME), and total error (TE). Meanwhile, administration of PhGs decreased hippocampal reactive oxygen species levels and consequent lipid peroxidation by elevating reduced glutathione levels and enhancing the free radical scavenging enzyme system. There was also a decrease in the number of pyknotic neurons and a reduction in caspase-3 expression in the hippocampus. These findings suggest that PhGs may be used therapeutically to ameliorate high altitude memory impairment.

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