https://nbr.khu.ac.ir/ Nova Biologica Reperta en daily 1 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article_9345.html Objective: Plants, as sessile organisms, are subjected to diverse abiotic stresses, including salinity, metal toxicity, thermal fluctuations, and hypoxia at different phases of plant growth. Plants can activate messenger molecules to initiate a signaling cascade in response to environmental stresses, resulting in either cell death or plant acclimation. Nitric oxide (NO) is a small, , gaseous, redox-active molecule that plays a plethora of physiological roles in plants and has emerged as a key regulator of plant growth, development, flowering, senescence, stomatal closure, dormancy, photosynthesis, geotropism, and responses to abiotic and biotic stressors. It can also facilitate alteration in protein function and reprogram the gene profiling by direct or indirect interaction with different target molecules. As a key redox molecule, nitric oxide is an important signaling molecule with diverse physiological functions in plants was classified as a phytohormone that might regulate plant growth. NO had physiological effects in plants, such as growth and development, dormancy, regulation of metabolism, aging, cell death, stomata, photosynthesis, geotropism, flowering, and response to abiotic and biotic stressors. Conclusions: This review discusses some aspects related to NO in plants, such as chemical properties, synthesis pathways, and physiological and biochemical changes that occur in plants under stress conditions. https://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article_9341.html Introduction: Due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, the use of antibacterial potential of bacteriophages has been considered as an effective approach in controlling the infections. Material and Method: After isolating lytic bacteriophage (PKpMa1/19) against K.pneumoniae PTCC1290 from Maragheh urban sewage by agar bilayer method, purification, titration and enrichment of the bacteriophage were performed. Morphological characteristics of PKpMa1/19 were determined using electron microscopy. One step growth, latent period, burst size, stability and finally host range of the bacteriophage was evaluated using spot test. Results: A bacteriophage with the morphological features of Tectiviridae family was isolated and purified. Its latent period and burst size were 20 min and 311 PFU respectively. Appropriate lytic effect of the bacteriophage was shown between -22 and 37 . Stability of the phage was high in pH= 4-10. The phage (PKpMa1/19), was effective against one of the 20 clinical isolates of K.pneumoniae (5% of K. pneumoniae isolates), but it showed antibacterial effect on 10 Pseudomonas aeroginosa ( 50% of P. aeruginosa isolates) and 16 Staphylococcus aureus isolates (80% of S. aureus isolates). Discussion and Conclusion: In spite of appropriate lytic effect and also, high stability to environmental conditions, Due to its narrow host range to K. pneumoniae clinical isolates, it needs to exactly determination of its host range and efficacy of the phage against problematic strains of bacteria for using it as phage therapy candidate. Detailed survey of molecular characteristics of the bacteriophage is necessary. https://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article_9342.html Ecosystems conservation requires knowing and monitoring habitats and study on their species. This goal is achieved when there is a suitable understanding of the current state of the environment and the living conditions of the species. In the present study, the distribution and biometry of adult and hatchlings of hawksbill turtles were investigated on Hendorabi Island, from March 2017 to July 2018. After observing turtles, species identification, biometry of adults including CCL and CCW and egg biometry including diameter and weight were measured. During this study, 28 turtles were examined biometrically. Some areas in the north and south of Hendorabi were identified as high-density nesting areas, while eastern part of the island was low-density nesting area. The average of CCL and CCW of the turtles were measured 70.38±3.27 and 64.84±2.53cm, respectively. On average, 87.6±21.7 eggs were laid per nest, and the highest and lowest numbers of eggs were recorded 110 and44, respectively. The number of normal and abnormal eggs were 74.2±9.02 and 13.6±5.81, respectively. Normal and abnormal eggs have an average diameters of 38.66±2.02 and 24.87±4.43mm and weights of 32.69±4.27 and 11.21±6.26gr respectively. In conclusion the hawksbill turtles of Hendorabi are smaller than those of other parts of the world. https://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article_9346.html Phylogenetic analyses of Avicennia species have been carried out using diverse molecular datasets, including chloroplast genome sequences and multilocus nuclear gene markers. These studies have contributed valuable insights into evolutionary relationships within the genus and clarified its placement in the Acanthaceae family. Concatenated sequence datasets provide broader genomic information and can enhance the resolution and reliability of phylogenetic trees. In parallel, the multispecies coalescent (MSC) model offers a robust framework for addressing evolutionary questions such as estimating species divergence times, population sizes, species tree topologies despite gene tree discordance, interspecific gene flow, and species delimitation.The genus Avicennia L., comprising approximately eight species, represents a key group of mangrove plants, some of which occur along the southern coasts of Iran. However, considerable uncertainty remains regarding the molecular phylogeny of these species. Therefore, this study applies both MSC-based and concatenation-based phylogenetic approaches to investigate species relationships within Avicennia, using molecular data from nuclear ITS and chloroplast psbA sequences. We constructed species trees using BEAST (StarBEAST), performed gene-based analyses in Mesquite, and generated maximum likelihood trees. The results revealed two major divergent clades, with evidence of deep coalescence, interspecific introgression, and structural DNA variations, suggesting a complex evolutionary history within the genus. https://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article_9343.html The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cofactor-bearing chitosan-coated and non-chitosan carbon nanotubes on induction of apoptosis of cervical cancer HELAcell line by measuring the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 genes as well as cell growth and proliferation. MTT test was used for cell proliferation assay. Expression changes of Bax and Bcl-2 genes were analyzed by Real Time PCR. The MTT results showed that the carbon nanotube coated with caffeic acid carrier chitosan and without caffeic acid carrier and crude carbon nanotube and caffeic acid induce apoptosis and cell toxicity. The results showed that caffeic acid with a chitosan-coated carbon nanotube carrier increased Bax expression and decreased Bcl-2 gene expression, so that the expression ratio of Bcl-2 / Bax compared to free caffeic acid to significantly increase. The results show that the death of cancer cells treated with caffeic acid with chitosan-coated carbon nanotube carries an increase in Bcl-2 / Bax expression ratio and thus induces apoptosis in HELA cancer cells. . Also, the use of caffeic acid as a drug and carbon nanotube-coated carbon nanotube carriers of caffeic acid can be considered as a promising strategy in the treatment of cervical cancer. https://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article_9344.html Objective: This research was conducted to investigate the effects of sowing date and different seed priming treatments on morpho-physiological traits and grain yield of Simin wheat cultivar under late spring cold stress conditions in West Azerbaijan province.Methods: The experiment was carried out as a factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replications during the 2024-2025 growing season. The first factor included two sowing dates (November 21 and December 22) and the second factor consisted of seed priming treatments.Results: The results indicated that the first sowing date showed significant superiority in all traits and led to a 38% increase in grain yield compared to the second sowing date. Among priming treatments, melatonin was identified as the most effective treatment with 37% and 42% increase in grain yield in the first and second sowing dates, respectively. In contrast, salicylic acid treatment in the second sowing date caused 92% reduction in grain yield ratio and 75% reduction in biomass production efficiency. Conclusion: Optimal sowing date along with the application of priming treatments such as melatonin and gibberellic acid can be recommended as an effective strategy for improving grain yield and late spring cold stress tolerance in wheat. https://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article_11105.html Technological advances in three-dimensional (3D) cell culture have reshaped both basic research and translational applications in biomedicine. Unlike conventional two-dimensional (2D) systems, which cannot reproduce tissue architecture, biochemical gradients, or complex cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions, 3D platforms better recapitulate the native microenvironment and physiological dynamics that drive differentiation, gene expression, and drug responses. Within this family of models, spheroids—relatively simple, homogeneous multicellular aggregates—serve as practical and cost-effective tools for drug screening and cancer biology, whereas organoids derived from differentiated stem cells capture higher-order organotypic structure and function, making them especially valuable for disease modeling and precision medicine. Emerging technologies such as 3D bioprinting and organ-on-a-chip systems extend these capabilities by enabling precise architectural control, programmable microenvironments, and dynamic physiological cues under in vitro conditions. This review provides a critical, integrated analysis of principal 3D culture classes, compares their strengths and limitations, and examines recent progress in 3D bioprinting and organ-on-a-chip technologies with particular emphasis on bioink engineering, functional vascularization, and strategies to promote tissue maturation. By synthesizing current evidence, we outline a practical framework to guide the translation from simple laboratory constructs toward robust, human-relevant tissue models for research and therapeutic development. https://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article_11546.html Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of adding cysteine to an Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)-based extender on some quality parameters of goat sperm after freezing. Method: This study was conducted in a completely randomized design with four treatments, including: egg yolk-based extender without cysteine (EY), LDL-based extender containing zero (LDL-C0), five (LDL-C5), and 10 (LDL-C10) mM cysteine, and six replicates. Semen samples after dilution with the aforementioned extenders, were frozen. Results: After thawing, total and progressive motility, sperm plasma membrane integrity, functionality, and sperm morphology were evaluated. Total motility was higher in LDL-C5 compared to EY and LDL-C10 (P <0.05). Progressive motility in all treatments using LDL-based extender was significantly higher than EY. Other motility parameters were higher in LDL-C5 compared to EY (P <0.05). However, no significant differences were observed between the LDL-C0, LDL-C5, and LDL-C10, except for the VSL, which was significantly lower in LDL-C0 compared to LDL-C5 (P <0.05). Sperm plasma membrane integrity, functionality, and sperm morphology were higher in all treatments using LDL-based extender compared to EY (P <0.05), with the highest values observed in LDL-C5. Conclusions: Overall, the results showed that adding 5 mM cysteine to the LDL-based extender can improve some quality parameters of goat sperm and using semen from this group may enhance both in vitro and in vivo fertility. https://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article_11114.html Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among reproductive-age women, with a prevalence of 6–13%. The precise molecular network structure and central driver genes in PCOS pathogenesis remain incompletely understood. Method: A total of 200 differentially expressed genes linked to PCOS were retrieved from multiple transcriptomic studies. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed using the STRING database (confidence score >0.40) and further analyzed in Cytoscape version 3.10.2. Hub genes were identified by CytoHubba plugin based on degree, betweenness, and closeness centrality measures. Pathway enrichment analysis was conducted using KEGG, Gene Ontology, Reactome, and WikiPathways databases; only terms with FDR <0.05 were considered significant. Results: The resulting network consisted of 200 nodes and 4,979 edges. Four core genes—PIK3CA, PIK3CD, AKT1, and PIK3CB—were present in all eight highly dysregulated pathways (PI3K-Akt, AMPK, longevity regulating, AGE-RAGE, FoxO, insulin resistance, HIF-1, and TNF signaling), with PI3K-Akt showing the strongest enrichment (29 genes, FDR=3.28×10⁻¹⁰). Three additional biomarkers (INSR, INS, IL6) overlapped in six pathways. Conclusions: PIK3CA, PIK3CD, AKT1, and PIK3CB emerge as central molecular hubs and promising therapeutic targets in PCOS. Extensive pathway convergence on these nodes highlights the systemic metabolic-inflammatory basis of the disorder.