Welcome to National Botanical Research Institute: NBRI Lucknow

R & D Area > Biotechnology & Plant Physiology

Plant Physiology / Stress Physiology

Group Leader	Contact
Group Leader	Work	Home
Dr. Radhey Shyam Sci 'F'	91-522- 2205840, 2205835 Ext 298	91-522-2392351
Dr. S. C. Verma Sci 'F'	91-522-2205831-35 Ext 346	91-522-2391088

Other Scientists of the Group

Dr. Uday V. Pathre, Scientist EII
Dr. Pramod Shirke, Scientist EI
Dr. Vivek Pandey, Scientist C

Group works on

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
- Gladiolus
- Chrysanthemum

Achievements

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.

Publications: 75

Notable Publications

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.