Institutional Publications
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Item Genome sequencing efforts in minor millets: Current knowledge and emerging insights(Springer Nature Publishing AG, 2025) Singh, Roshan Kumar; Panchal, Anurag; Muthamilarasan, Mehanathan; Prasad, ManojSmall millets (or minor millets) include finger millet (Eleusine coracana), foxtail millet (Setaria italica), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum), barnyard millet (Echinochloa crus-galli), kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum), little millet (Panicum sumatrense), teff (Eragrostis tef), fonio (Digitaria exilis), job’s tears (Coix lacryma-jobi), guinea millet (Brachiaria deflexa), and browntop millet (Urochloa ramosa). These millets are highly nutritious and climate-resilient but marginally cultivated for the production and consumption of particular communities. Though called “poor men’s crops,” minor millets possess the potential to ensure food and nutritional security amid the threat of global climate change. Thus, scope exists to improve the agronomic traits of these minor millets for commercial cultivation; however, lack of genomic resources remains a bottleneck to this advancement. Genome sequencing not only provides an opportunity to decode the genes encoded by the genome, but also provides avenue for the development of genomic resources. The success of genome sequencing for resource development and further implementation of these resources have been proven in other crop plants. Among minor millets, genomes of a few species have been sequenced, including finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, barnyard millet, teff, fonio, and job’s tears. However, the genomes of kodo millet, little millet, guinea millet, and browntop millet remains to be sequenced. In this context, the chapter summarizes the outcomes of sequencing efforts and the application of genome sequence information in accelerating genomics studies in minor millets. The chapter also enumerates the status of transcriptome sequencing and its application in dissecting the genes underlying important traits.Item Targeted lipidome analysis reveals nutritionally enhanced foxtail millet genotypes across diverse grain colours(Springer Nature Publishing AG, 2026) Ramesh, Palakurthi; Seni, Sushmita; Singh, Roshan Kumar; Pandey, Ashutosh; Prasad, ManojFoxtail millet (Setaria italica), a small-grained cereal crop, is a rich source of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, fibers, and lipids, with lipid content ranging from 1–5% of the total grain composition. Whole grain is an excellent natural source of nutraceutical properties and health-beneficial components that significantly reduce chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Different grain colours in foxtail millet are associated with distinct metabolome composition. However, the relationship between lipid composition and grain colour remains largely unexplored. In this study, a comprehensive metabolomic analysis of eight differently coloured foxtail millet grains led to the identification of 352 distinct metabolites. Among these, 44 metabolites were chemically classified into categories such as fatty acids, steroids, hydrocarbons, benzenes, monoradylglycerols, quinones, and hydroquinones. Linoleic acid was identified as the predominant fatty acid, while lutein emerged as the most abundant carotenoid across all accessions. Gene expression profiling of carotenoid biosynthesis genes revealed significant genotype-specific variations, with SiPSY1, SiPSY2, SiPSY3, SiZDS, SiLCYB, and SiLCYE exhibiting markedly higher expression in the golden yellow genotype SI 101. Furthermore, several unique compounds, including decane 1-iodo, dodecane 4, 6-dimethyl, hexadecane, heptadecane, eicosane, heneicosane, bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, dotriacontane, 2-methylhexacosane, hexatriacontane, squalene, tetrapentacontane, and tetracosane, were identified in foxtail millet grains. These findings provide valuable insights into the metabolic diversity and the differential accumulation of bioactive compounds in among foxtail millet grains with different colours. The study also assists in selecting foxtail millet genotypes with desirable lipid traits for sustainable crop improvement.Item Millets for a sustainable future(Oxford University Press, 2025) Ghatak, Arindam; Pierides, Iro; Singh, Roshan Kumar; Srivastava, Rakesh K; Varshney, Rajeev K; Prasad, Manoj; Chaturvedi, Palak; Weckwerth, WolframOur current agricultural system faces a perfect storm-climate change, burgeoning population, and unpredictable outbreaks like COVID-19 disrupt food production, particularly for vulnerable populations in developing countries. A paradigm shift in agriculture practices is needed to tackle these issues. One solution is the diversification of crop production. While ~56% of the protein consumed from plants stems from three major cereal crops (rice, wheat and maize), underutilized crops such as millets, legumes and other cereals are highly neglected by farmers and the research community. Millets are one of the most ancient and versatile orphan crops with attributes like fast-growing, high-yielding, withstanding harsh environments, and rich in micronutrients such as iron and zinc, making them appealing to achieve agronomic sustainability. Here, we highlight the contribution of millet to agriculture and pay attention to the latest research on the genetic diversity of millet, genomic resources, and next-generation omics and their applications under various stress conditions. Additionally, integrative omics technologies could identify and develop millets with desirable phenotypes having high agronomic value and mitigating climate change. Here, we emphasize that biotechnological interventions, such as genome-wide association, genomic selection, genome editing, and artificial intelligence/machine learning, can improve and breed millets more effectively.Item Improving nutrient use efficiency (NtUE) in crops: an overview(Springer Nature Publishing AG, 2024) Maurya, Jyoti; Singh, Roshan Kumar; Prasad, ManojNutrients are essential components for plant growth, development, and survival, directly affecting crop yields. Ever-increasing global population has resulted into surged food demands while shrinking agricultural lands have led to soil nutrient depletion, causing deficiencies in plants and reduced yields. To bridge this gap, fertilizer applications have flowed, but excessive usage has severe environmental, economic, and health consequences. Minimizing fertilizer application without compromising crop yields due to nutrient deficiency is a pressing issue. To address this, understanding and enhancing Nutrient Use Efficiency (NtUE) in crops is essential. The present article discusses the fundamental of NtUE and its components, target traits to be taken into account for NtUE improvement, and holistic strategies to improve NtUE in crops. By improving intrinsic NtUE of crops, we can reduce fertilizer waste, mitigate environmental impacts, and ensure sustainable agricultural productivity.Item Major transcription factor families at the nexus of regulating abiotic stress response in millets: a comprehensive review(Springer Nature Publishing AG, 2024) Prusty, Ankita; Panchal, Anurag; Singh, Roshan Kumar; Prasad, ManojMillets stand out as a sustainable crop with the potential to address the issues of food insecurity and malnutrition. These small-seeded, drought-resistant cereals have adapted to survive a broad spectrum of abiotic stresses. Researchers are keen on unravelling the regulatory mechanisms that empower millets to withstand environmental adversities. The aim is to leverage these identified genetic determinants from millets for enhancing the stress tolerance of major cereal crops through genetic engineering or breeding. This review sheds light on transcription factors (TFs) that govern diverse abiotic stress responses and play role in conferring tolerance to various abiotic stresses in millets. Specifically, the molecular functions and expression patterns of investigated TFs from various families, including bHLH, bZIP, DREB, HSF, MYB, NAC, NF-Y and WRKY, are comprehensively discussed. It also explores the potential of TFs in developing stress-tolerant crops, presenting a comprehensive discussion on diverse strategies for their integration.Item Multi-environment GWAS identifies genomic regions underlying grain nutrient traits in foxtail millet (Setaria italica)(Springer Nature Publishing AG, 2024) Jaiswal, Vandana; Bandyopadhyay, Tirthankar; Singh, Roshan Kumar; Gahlaut, Vijay; Muthamilarasan, Mehanathan; Prasad, ManojA total of 104 foxtail millet accessions were evaluated for 11 nutrients in three environments and 67 high-confidence marker-trait associations (MTAs) were identified. Six SNPs showed pleiotropic effect and associated with two or more nutrients, whereas 24 candidate genes were identified for 28 MTAs involving seven traits. Millets are known for their better nutritional profiles compared to major cereals. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is rich in nutrients essential to circumvent malnutrition and hidden hunger. However, the genetic determinants underlying this trait remain elusive. In this context, we evaluated 104 diverse foxtail millet accessions in three different environments (E1, E2, and E3) for 11 nutrients and genotyped with 30K SNPs. The genome-wide association study showed 67 high-confidence (Bonferroni-corrected) marker-trait associations (MTAs) for the nutrients except for phosphorus. Six pleiotropic SNPs were also identified, which were associated with two or more nutrients. Around 24 candidate genes (CGs) were identified for 28 MTAs involving seven nutrients. A total of 17 associated SNPs were present within the gene region, and five (5) were mapped in the exon of the CGs. Significant SNPs, desirable alleles and CGs identified in the present study will be useful in breeding programmes for trait improvement.Item Histone deacetylase 9 interacts with SiHAT3.1 and SiHDA19 to repress dehydration responses through H3K9 deacetylation in foxtail millet(Oxford University Press, 2024) Kumar, Verandra; Singh, Babita; Singh, Roshan Kumar; Sharma, Namisha; Muthamilarasan, Mehanathan; Sawant, Samir V; Prasad, ManojClimate change inflicts several stresses on plants, of which dehydration stress severely affects growth and productivity. C4 plants possess better adaptability to dehydration stress; however, the role of epigenetic modifications underlying this trait is unclear. Particularly, the molecular links between histone modifiers and their regulation remain elusive. In this study, genome-wide H3K9 acetylation (H3K9ac) enrichment using ChIP-seq was performed in two foxtail millet cultivars contrastingly differing in dehydration tolerance (IC403579; cv. IC4 – tolerant, and IC480117; cv. IC41 – sensitive). It revealed that a histone deacetylase, SiHDA9, was significantly up-regulated in the sensitive cultivar. Further characterization indicated that SiHDA9 interacts with SiHAT3.1 and SiHDA19 to form a repressor complex. SiHDA9 might be recruited through the SiHAT3.1 recognition sequence onto the upstream of dehydration-responsive genes to decrease H3K9 acetylation levels. The silencing of SiHDA9 resulted in the up-regulation of crucial genes, namely, SiRAB18, SiRAP2.4, SiP5CS2, SiRD22, SiPIP1;4 and SiLHCB2.3, which imparted dehydration tolerance in the sensitive cultivar (IC41). Overall, the study provides mechanistic insights into SiHDA9-mediated regulation of dehydration stress response in foxtail millet.Item Dynamics of epigenetic control in plants via SET domain containing proteins: Structural and functional insights(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Seni, Sushmita; Singh, Roshan Kumar; Prasad, ManojPlants control expression of their genes in a way that involves manipulating the chromatin structural dynamics in order to adapt to environmental changes and carry out developmental processes. Histone modifications like histone methylation are significant epigenetic marks which profoundly and globally modify chromatin, potentially affecting the expression of several genes. Methylation of histones is catalyzed by histone lysine methyltransferases (HKMTs), that features an evolutionary conserved domain known as SET [Su(var)3-9, E(Z), Trithorax]. This methylation is directed at particular lysine (K) residues on H3 or H4 histone. Plant SET domain group (SDG) proteins are categorized into different classes that have been conserved through evolution, and each class have specificity that influences how the chromatin structure operates. The domains discovered in plant SET domain proteins have typically been linked to protein-protein interactions, suggesting that majority of the SDGs function in complexes. Additionally, SDG-mediated histone mark deposition also affects alternative splicing events. In present review, we discussed the diversity of SDGs in plants including their structural properties. Additionally, we have provided comprehensive summary of the functions of the SDG-domain containing proteins in plant developmental processes and response to environmental stimuli have also been highlighted.Item Feeding the future: role of OsAUX5 in enhancing rice nutritional value(Springer Nature Publishing AG, 2023) Mondal, Kongkong; Tiwari, Manish; Singh, Roshan Kumar; Prasad, Manoj; Dey, NarottamEssential amino acids (EAAs) such as valine, leucine, isole-ucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, threonine, lysine, methio-nine, and histidine are not synthesized in the human body. They, therefore, need to be acquired from either plant or animal sources (Sá etal. 2020). Although plant proteins sup-ply the required amount of EAAs, they are often identified as nutritionally inferior compared to animal proteins.Item Comparative transcriptome profiling of two contrasting foxtail millet cultivars provides insights into molecular mechanisms underlying dehydration stress response(Springer Nature Publishing AG, 2023) Muthamilarasan, Mehanathan; Suresh, Bonthala Venkata; Singh, Roshan Kumar; Choudhary, Pooja; Aggarwal, Pooja Rani; Prasad, ManojFoxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) has emerged as a model system to understand its adaptation to environmental stresses in the past decade. However, studies on understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the adaptation to dehydration stress and the regulatory network involved in the process remain elusive. In the present study, RNA-seq was performed during dehydration stress in the tolerant (IC4) and sensitive (IC41) cultivars at different time points (0, 6, and 12 h). A total of 2467 and 3318 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in IC4, and 2535 and 5572 in IC41 at 6 h and 12 h compared to control (0 h), respectively. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that the DEGs were enriched in water transport, response to water deprivation, oxidative stress, amino acid and sugar transport, lipid biosynthesis, and regulation of stomatal opening. Pathway analysis suggested a significant modulation of genes involved in the metabolism of glutathione and tryptophan and biosynthesis of flavonoid, ascorbate, arginine, and proline in IC4 compared to IC41. Genes encoding for DIVARICATA, SBP family protein (teosinte glume architecture 1), and SRS family proteins (LATERAL ROOT PRIMORDIUM 1 and SHI-RELATED SEQUENCE 1) were found to be exclusively upregulated in IC4 during dehydration stress. Gene co-expression networks constructed based on the expression data showed the key modules and hubs that play critical roles during dehydration stress. Altogether, the present study has identified key genes, pathways, and regulatory modules that would serve as a base for further studies to gain insights into the dehydration-responsive molecular circuitry in foxtail millet.