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The aim of this study was to determine the antiviral activity of cannabidiol (CBD) against SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. CBD is the second most studied cannabinoid obtained from Cannabis plants. We investigated the potential use of CBD, which has so far proven to have a positive effect on different diseases, in the SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. To test this, in vivo studies were carried out using K18‐hACE2 transgenic mice. To reveal the potential therapeutic effect of the CBD at the histopathological and molecular level challenge experiments were performed. The study was designed with two groups (n = 10) and in the treatment group animals were infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 virus strain B.1.1.7 alpha before the administration of CBD. While the disease progressed and resulted in death in the control group that was infected by the virus alone, it was observed that the infection slowed down and the survival rate increased in the mice treated with CBD along with the virus. In this study, K18‐hACE2 transgenic mice infected with the wild SARS‐CoV‐2 virus were used to investigate and prove the antiviral activity of CBD.

Papaver somniferum L., a medicinal plant renowned for its pharmaceutical alkaloids, has captivated scientific interest due to its rich secondary metabolite profile. This study explores a novel approach to manipulating alkaloid biosynthesis pathways by integrating virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) with macerozyme enzyme pretreatment. Targeting key genes in the benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA) pathway (CODM, T6ODM, COR, DIOX2), the research aimed to elucidate the transformative potential of enzymatic preconditioning in somatic embryo cultures. To address the cell wall barrier, a known limitation in genetic manipulation, macerozyme pretreatment was employed, significantly enhancing gene silencing efficacy. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR analyses revealed significant alterations in gene expression profiles with macerozyme pretreatment, whereas no changes were observed in its absence. The T6ODM + DIOX combination was the most effective, reducing CODM, T6ODM, and DIOX2 expression by 72%, 65%, and 60%, respectively. Conversely, T6ODM expression increased by up to 107% in the CODM treatment. Notably, COR expression displayed dual regulatory dynamics, with suppression (47% decrease in T6ODM + DIOX) and enhancement (49% increase in CODM+DIOX) observed under different conditions. These findings underscore the complex interplay of gene regulation in the morphine biosynthesis pathway. This study highlights the critical role of macerozyme enzymatic pretreatment in overcoming cell wall barriers, enabling effective VIGS applications in somatic suspension cultures. The combination of VIGS and enzymatic pretreatment provides a robust platform for targeted metabolic engineering, offering insights into the regulation of morphine biosynthesis and paving the way for advancements in pharmaceutical alkaloid production and functional genomics in medicinal plants.

Most of the commercialized Bt crops express cry genes under 35S promoter that induces strong gene expression in all plant parts. However, targeted foreign gene expression in plants is esteemed more important as public may be likely to accept ‘less intrusive’ expression of transgene. We developed plant expression constructs harboring cry1Ac gene under control of wound-inducible promoter (AoPR1) to confine Bt gene expression in insect wounding parts of the plants in comparison with cry1Ac gene under the control of 35S promoter. The constructs were used to transform four Turkish cotton cultivars (GSN-12, STN-468, Ozbek-100 and Ayhan-107) through Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains GV2260 containing binary vectors p35SAcBAR.101 and AoPR1AcBAR.101 harboring cry1Ac gene under control of 35S and AoPR1, respectively. Phosphinothricin (PPT) was used at concentration of 5 mg L⁻¹ for selection of primary transformants. The primary transformants were analyzed for transgene presence and expression standard molecular techniques. The transformants exhibited appreciable mortality rates against larvae of Spodoptera exigua and S. littoralis. It was found that mechanical wounding of T ₁ transgenic plants was effective in inducing expression of cry1Ac protein as accumulated levels of cry1Ac protein increased during post-wounding period. We conclude that use of wound-inducible promoter to drive insecticidal gene(s) can be regarded as a valuable insect-resistant management strategy since the promoter activity is limited to insect biting sites of plant. There is no Bt toxin accumulation in unwounded plant organs, seed and crop residues, cotton products and by-products, thus minimizing food and environmental concerns.

Bu çalışmanın amacı; ekmeklik buğdayda kuraklık ve yüksek sıcaklık stresine toleranslılığa yönelik moleküler markör geliştirilmesi, kuraklık, yüksek sıcaklık ve kuraklık+sıcaklık stres koşulları altında buğdayda nişasta biyosentezinde meydana gelen değişimlerin moleküler düzeyde araştırılmasıdır. Bu amaçla çalışmada, kuraklık ve yüksek sıcaklık stresine toleranslı Zubkov ile bu stres koşullarına hassas olan Atay 85 buğday çeşidi çalışmada kullanılmıştır. Nişasta sentez yolağında AGPaz, nişasta sentez, nişasta dallanma enzimi, dallanma bozucu enzim, amilaz enzimlerinin yanı sıra sukroz mekanizması için önemli bazı genlerin ifade düzeyleri RT-PCR yöntemiyle belirlenmiştir. Stres koşulları altında Atay 85 ve Zubkov çeşitleri arasında önemli nişasta biyosentezi ile ilgili genlerde ifade farklılıkları saptanmıştır. Atay 85 çeşidi kontrol bireylerinde nişasta biyosentezinin yüksek olduğu, ancak tüm test edilen stres koşullarından oldukça olumsuz etkilendiği, Zubkov çeşidinin tüm stres koşullarına daha toleranslı olduğu, nişasta biyosentez mekanizmasında büyük bir gerileme olmadan, fotosentetik aktivitesine devam ettiği görülmüştür. Benzer olarak, total nişasta ve şeker içeriklerinin hassas Atay 85 çeşidinde kıyasla toleranslı Zubkov çeşidinde stresten daha az etkilendiği belirlenmiştir.Markör geliştirme çalışmalarında kuraklık, sıcaklık, kuraklık+sıcaklık streslerine toleranslılığı ve hassasiyeti temsil edecek ve KASP genotipleme analizlerinde kullanılabilecek markör geliştirme çalışmaları kapsamında, sıcaklık stresine hassasiyeti temsil eden 1 adet ve sıcaklık stresine toleransı temsil eden 1 adet olmak üzere 2 adet ümit var markör dizisi elde edilmiştir.