TERI University

The necrotrophic fungus, Rhizoctonia solani is the major cause of sheath blight, a disease that leads to a significant reduction in rice yield, posing a serious threat to food security. Traditional breeding approaches have struggled to develop effective resistance, highlighting the importance of transgenic technology as a promising solution. This study explored the relationship between enhanced lignin production and the overexpressing key lignin biosynthesis genes (OsCCR1, OsCOMT5, OsCAD2, and OsCCoAOMT1), demonstrating that increased lignin accumulation strengthens defense mechanisms against R. solani by preventing its penetration of the cell wall. Thioacidolysis analysis revealed higher lignin levels in the leaf sheath tissues of OX-OsCCR1 transgenic rice plants, which effectively blocked fungal hyphae invasion, as confirmed by confocal and scanning electron microscopy. Similarly, the cell walls of OX-OsCOMT5 transgenic lines accumulated significantly higher levels of cell wall-bound phenolics, which inhibited R. solani ingress and infection peg formation. Notably, OX-4C transgenic rice plants, overexpressing all four lignin biosynthesis genes, exhibited elevated levels of lignin in the leaf sheath during early infection, serving as a robust first line of defense. These findings underscore the critical role of cell wall restructuring, particularly through increased lignin deposition, in combating sheath blight infection and enhancing crop resilience. Engineering the lignin biosynthesis pathway provides a promising approach for developing broad-spectrum resistance to fungal pathogens in other economically important crops, paving the way for sustainable agriculture and food security.

Frequent droughts pose a significant threat to sustainable agricultural development, particularly in vulnerable regions. This study investigated the adoption and impacts of Sahbhagi Dhan , a drought-tolerant rice variety, among marginal and tribal farmers who heavily relied on rice farming for their livelihoods. Based on household survey data from 2710 households collected in 2017, the findings revealed that 37.7 % of the sample households adopted Sahbhagi Dhan between 2013 and 2016. Farmers who adopted this variety achieved higher yields and incomes compared to those cultivating other rice varieties. Notably, during drought years, yields losses of Sahbhagi Dhan were limited to only 13.6 % compared to yields under normal conditions, demonstrating its resilience. The adoption of Sahbhagi Dhan also contributed to a significant reduction in rice-fallow areas by improving land use efficiency during challenging climatic conditions. However, seed unavailability emerged as a major barrier, leading to the discontinuation of cultivation among farmers. To enhance food security and build drought resilience, it is essential to ensure the availability of climate-resilient varieties like Sahbhagi Dhan . Additionally, providing timely and relevant information can encourage adoption among non-adopters and support farmers who discontinued its use. • Approximately 37.7​ % of households adopted drought-tolerant rice varieties (DTRV) from 2013 to 2016. • Seed unavailability was the key reason for discontinuing DTRV adoption. • Adopters achieved higher yields and income than those cultivating other rice varieties. • DTRV performed well under dry spells, with only minimal yield penalties. • DTRV adoption reduced rice-fallow areas, increasing cropping intensity among adopters.

potentially contributing to abnormal autoimmune responses (1). Significant efforts are underway to discover specific and effective cGAS-STING inhibitors as researchers aim to blunt the cGAS-STING pathway in auto-immune disorders. A recent study showed that flavonoids are effective against the cGAS-STING pathway (6) and, in addition, flavonoids are known to have strong antiinflammatory activities (7). This research collection also highlights efficacy of Licorice extract and polysaccharide from Glycyrrhiza uralensis against cGAS-STING pathway (8,9).. Conversely, cGAS-STING agonists may offer therapeutic benefits; a recent study demonstrated that activating this pathway induces IFN-β and primes CD8+ T cells to target tumor cells, highlighting its potential in cancer immunotherapy (108). However, some research indicates that the cGAS-STING pathway may also facilitate tumorigenesis and metastasis (119).Chen et. al., offered a comprehensive review on the role of cGAS-STING in liver diseases such as viral hepatits B and hepatocellular carcinoma (12). During viral hepatitis, cGAS-STING signaling, and cytokine synthesis play a pivotal role in the antiviral-activity of hepatocytes. In hepatocellular carcinoma, the cGAS-STING pathway is activated by DNA damage, leading to IFN-1 release which in turn activates tumor-specific CD8 + T cell and helps induce systemic tumor immunity. Moreover, the authors suggest that the activation of the cGAS-IRF3 pathway is positively correlated with the severity of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Another comprehensive review article by Ramos et. al. discusses the role of cGAS in various gastrointestinal (GI) diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and in GI malignancy (13). The authors explain the contribution of cGAS-mediated autophagy activation on intestinal epithelial cell integrity and innate immunity responses. Interestingly, cGAS shows a contradictory role in GI-related cancers, showing both oncogenic and anti-oncogenic functions.Formatted: Font color: Red Formatted: Font color: Red Ramos et al. also discuss non-canonical activation of cGAS in various GI-related diseases (13).STING-independent activation of cGAS includes an interaction between cGAS and Beclin-1, autophagy activation and degradation of pathogenic DNA. On another note, cGAS mediated autophagy of micronuclei shows an interaction between cGAS and essential autophagy protein LC3. DNA damage in the nucleus can also trigger nuclear translocation of cGAS which inhibits homologous recombination of double strand breaks by interacting with PARP-1. The authors also summarize the potential antagonists and agonists used against cGAS in various cell lines and mouse models (13).In another cGAS-STING review, Colangelo et. al. explain the importance of cGAS-STING signaling in radiation therapy (14). The review gives an overview of the cGAS-STING pathway in tumor microenvironment after ionizing radiation exposure. DNA damage (nuclear or mitochondrial) from ionizing radiation releases to cytosol within a short period of time and activates cGAS-STING (14). The authors discuss the importance of immune cells in terms of STING activation, whether activated directly or by tumor-derived cGAMP (14)

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