Search Results (5)

Tubulins are essential cytoskeletal components involved in plant cell division and expansion, yet their evolutionary dynamics across plant lineages and potential roles in horticultural seed/kernel development remain insufficiently understood. Here, we identified 2535 tubulin-related genes from 97 plant genomes and performed an integrated phylogenomic analysis. Phylogenetic and synteny network analyses resolved four ancient clades, including α-, β-,γ-tubulin and FtsZ, all of which were predominantly subjected to purifying selection. The α- and β-tubulin subfamilies exhibited lineage-specific expansion in angiosperms, particularly in eudicots, and these expansions were associated with ancient WGD and WGT events while retaining relatively conserved chromosomal contexts. By employing a pyramid-structured microsynteny framework across 12 Rosaceae genomes, we further traced the orthologous conservation and lineage-specific rearrangements of tubulin loci, with Prunus armeniaca as a reference. Spatiotemporal transcriptome profiling of Siberian apricot and kernel apricot revealed a group of tubulin genes highly expressed during key stages of kernel development, highlighting PaTUA1 as a priority candidate gene. Transient overexpression of PaTUA1 in wounded developing apricot kernels was associated with short-term increases in average phytohormone concentrations, including IAA, GA₃, BR, and cytokinins. Together, these results suggest that PaTUA1 represents a promising candidate gene associated with hormone-related responses during apricot kernel development, providing a basis for future functional validation rather than direct evidence of kernel-size determination. Full article

Vector-borne diseases account for over 17% of reported infectious diseases worldwide and are associated with approximately 700,000 deaths annually. The main vectors include mosquitoes, moths, sand flies, black flies, and ticks. Ticks deserve special attention because they transmit a wide range of pathogens, including viruses of major medical importance, such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (Orthoflavivirus encephalitidis) and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (Orthonairovirus haemorrhagiae), as well as animal-borne pathogens, such as African swine fever virus (Asfivirus haemorrhagiae). Recent advances in next-generation sequencing have expanded the ability to detect and characterize tick-borne viruses, revealing increasing viral diversity. However, for many of these viruses, aspects such as pathogenic potential, main vectors, and natural hosts remain unclear. To address this gap, we conducted an integrative literature review using the PubMed, SciELO, BVSalud, and Patuá-IEC databases. We analyzed 336 articles addressing various species of tick-borne viruses. The Flaviviridae, Phenuiviridae, and Nairoviridae families were the most frequently identified among the viral agents detected. Furthermore, we identified that as-yet-unclassified viruses have been frequently detected in different tick species, which sparks significant interest in investigating their potential interactions and public health implications. Investigating viral agents in tick populations is crucial for understanding viral diversity and assessing potential public health risks, especially in the current context of climate change. Full article

The traditional interpretations of the Ramayana have been critiqued for preserving and promoting patriarchal gender structures by emphasising masculine heroism and often portraying female characters as unidimensional symbols of selflessness, purity, and honour. This paper analyses how Samhita Arni and Chitrakar’s graphic novel Sita’s Ramayana offers a retelling that foregrounds Sita’s perspective to question and reinterpret the social constructs. By analysing the text through a feminist literary lens, this paper examines how the novel adapts the traditional narrative to provide centre stage to Sita’s various encounters with instances of oppression. The findings reveal how Arni’s retelling employs unique aesthetics that combine texts and Chitrakar’s patua art illustrations to question the traditional male-centred versions, making this novel a part of a broader structure of feminist reinterpretations that aim to highlight female agency in cultural canons. This paper examines Sita’s stance against societal expectations for women, such as self-sacrifice, while also tracking her personal growth, which is symbolically represented by her reunion with Mother Earth. The novel contributes to the ongoing tradition of literary revisionism by offering a nuanced critique of the patriarchal foundations within classical myths. This is underscored by the novel’s reinterpretation of the epic in a way that points out the plasticity of the Ramayana, which can be reshaped to support more progressive views, encouraging discourse on existing gender norms present in contemporary societies. Full article

The genus Culex has 817 species subdivided into 28 subgenera. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, being most abundant in countries with a tropical climate. Understanding the ecology and diversity of viruses circulating in the species of this genus is important for understanding their role as arbovirus vectors in Brazil. To conduct an integrative review to identify the importance of the Culex genus as arbovirus vectors in Brazil. A search was carried out for scientific papers in the PubMed, BVSalud, Patuá-IEC and International Catalogue of Arboviruses: including certain other viruses of vertebrates databases. 36 publications describing arbovirus detections in Culex mosquitoes collected in the field in Brazil were evaluated. A total of 42 arbovirus species were detected, as well as studies analyzing the vector competence of C. quinquefasciatus for the transmission of four different arboviruses. The study of the Culex genus and its role as a vector of arboviruses in Brazil is essential for understanding transmission cycles, with the main aim of reducing cases of human infection. Thus, entomovirological surveillance guides the implementation of actions to detect circulating arboviruses among vectors to anticipate measures aimed at preventing or reducing the risk of arbovirus outbreaks in the country. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensely impacted art production and the art market all around the world. This is dramatically visible inside the Patua or Patachitra communities in Medinipur, West Bengal, where Patachitras’ scrolls characterise the economy of folk-art communities in the so-called villages of painters. Patachitras’ singing pictures belong to an ancestral tradition of storytelling and performing art. For centuries, new themes have been embodied inside the Patuas’ repertoire, creating a living heritage that has always reflected the political, religious, cultural, and social main events and, ultimately, COVID-19. Resilience has always been an important component of this heritage, as social changes and new kinds of entertainment have changed the audience addressed and the performances’ function. In the last few decades, the role of travelling artists has resisted and been readapted to the global art market by approaching art fairs and festivals both inside and outside the villages. Now, the impact of COVID-19 on the economy of these artists has been severe, as art fairs and exhibitions have been cancelled, and lockdown orders have stopped tourism and travels, significantly reducing their income. Thus, new approaches and virtual spaces of exhibiting are being experimented with to support the survival of these artists and keep the performances’ essence alive. This article aims to address how the pandemic has affected Patuas’ art market and production both from an economic and social perspective. The difficulties encountered due to the restrictive measures and the impossibility of performing will be analysed through an empirical approach. Based on telephonic interviews conducted with 30 hereditary Patuas from Naya between April 2020 to April 2021 as part of the project “Folk Artists in the Time of Coronavirus”, the article hopes to shed light on the impact of the pandemic on hereditary, performing castes in India, which might mirror the experiences of similar groups in the rest of South Asia. The article will also try to outline the future perspectives for the art market of these folk artists. The article consists of two parts: the first traces the transformative journey of Patachitra and Patachitrakars, and the second focuses on the impact of the pandemic through deploying the concepts of precarity, precariousness, and resilience. Full article