Plant contents and quality of makhana (Euryale ferox)

Summary As a part of integrated study of makhana, the mineral contents of the plant parts and the fruits of makhana (Euryale ferox) have been presented here. It has been observed that the fruits were not only rich in minerals but also in protein. The plant parts also contained high amounts of micronutrients. Its fruits are, therefore, a good supplement for minerals which are produced from otherwise agriculturally waste (water-logged) areas.     

In vitro regeneration of Ruscus hypophyllum L. plants

Callus cultures were established from stem explants of Ruscus hypophyllum on a modified basal medium of Murashige and Skoog (1962) supplemented with 1 mg l^-1 2,4-D+0.1 mg l^-1 BAP. The optimal 2,4-D concentration for promoting shoot bud formation and growth was 0.05 mg l^-1 along with 0.5 mg l^-1 BAP. Sixty percent of rootless shoots produced flowers on the regenerating medium. Rooting was induced when shoots were transferred to half strength MS inorganic salts supplemented with 2 mg l^-1 IBA. Eighty percent of plants transferred to soil have survived.     

The effect of 2-deoxy-D-glucose on insulin release by neonatal rat B cells in culture

The culture for 7 days in medium with 5.5 mM glucose and 1 mM 2-deoxy-D-glucose enhanced the glucose sensitivity of neonatal rat B cells, and even stimulated their growth in vitro. Also, 2-deoxy-D-glucose supplementation maintained insulin release evoked by leucine and 2-ketoisocaproate from B cells at day 7 at levels several times higher than at day 1. The effect of leucine was greatly augmented by glutamine, whereas that of the 2-keto acid remained almost unchanged irrespective of the presence of glutamine. These results suggest an increase in oxidative catabolism of medium nutrients in B cells grown in medium with 2-deoxy-D-glucose for 7 days, and such metabolic changes may promote the growth of B cells in vitro.     

Design of Peptides Using α,β-Dehydro-residues: Synthesis,Crystal Structure and Molecular Conformation of N-Boc-L-Val-ΔPhe–ΔPhe-L-Ala-OCH3

To obtain general rules of peptide design using α,β-dehydro-residues, a sequence with two consecutive ΔPhe-residues, Boc-L -Val-ΔPhe–ΔPhe- L -Ala-OCH₃, was synthesized by azlactone method in solution phase. The peptide was crystallized from its solution in an acetone/water mixture (70:30) in space group P6₁ with a=b=14.912(3) Å, c= 25.548(5) Å, V=4912.0(6) ų. The structure was determined by direct methods and refined by a full matrix least-squares procedure to an R value of 0.079 for 2891 observed [I?3σ(I)] reflections. The backbone torsion angles ?₁=?54(1)°, ψ₁= 129(1)°, ω₁=?177(1)°, ?₂ =57(1)°, ψ₂=15(1)°, ω₂ =?170(1)°, ?₃=80(1)°, ψ₃ =7(2)°, ω₃=?177(1)°, ?₄ =?108(1)° and ψ^T₄=?34 (1)° suggest that the peptide adopts a folded conformation with two overlapping β-turns of types II and III′. These turns are stabilized by two intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the CO of the Boc group and the NH of ΔPhe³ and the CO of Val¹ and the NH of Ala⁴. The torsion angles of ΔPhe² and ΔPhe³ side chains are similar and indicate that the two ΔPhe residues are essentially planar. The folded molecules form head-to- tail intermolecular hydrogen bonds giving rise to continuous helical columns which run parallel to the c-axis. This structure established the formation of two β-turns of types II and III′ respectively for sequences containing two consecutive ΔPhe residues at (i+2) and (i+3) positions with a branched β-carbon residue at one end of the tetrapeptide.     

Rhizogenesis fromNigella sativa protoplasts

Summary Protoplasts were isolated for the first time from cell suspensions ofNigella sativa. These were then cultured in media and observed at regular intervals. Different concentrations of auxin and kinetin were tried with success to obtain root from the callus tissues of the protoplasts.     

Spoil characteristics and vegetation development of an age series of mine spoils in a dry tropical environment

A series of coal mine spoils (5, 10, 12, 16 and 20-yr old) in a dry tropical environment was sampled to assess the changes with time in spoil characteristics, species composition and plant biomass. Coarse fragments (>2 mm) decreased with age of mine spoil while the proportion of 0.2–0.1 mm particles increased. Total soil N, mineral N, NaHCO₃-extractable Pi, and exchangeable K increased with age of mine spoil and these parameters were lower in mine spoils than native forest soil even after 20 years of succession. Exchangeable Na decreased with age of mine spoil and in 20-yr old spoil it was higher than native forest soil. Plant community composition changed with age. Only a few species participated in community formation. Species richness increased with age, while evenness and species diversity declined from 5-yr old to 16-yr old community with an increase in the 20-yr old community. A reverse trend occurred for concentration of dominance. Area-weighted shoot and root biomass of other species increased with the age of the mine spoil while that of Xanthium strumarium patches declined with age. Data collected on spoil features, microbial C, N and P, and shoot and root biomass when subjected to Discriminant Analysis indicated a continued profound effect of age. 10 and 12-yr old mine spoils were closer to each other, and 5 and 20-yr old spoils were farthest apart.     

Regulation of endomembrane biogenesis in arabidopsis by phospatidic acid hydrolase

Coordination of membrane lipid biosynthesis is important for cell function during plant growth and development. Here we summarize our recent work on PHOSPHATIDIC ACID PHOSPHOHYDROLASE (PAH) which suggests that this enzyme is a key regulator of phosphaticylcholine (PC) biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. Disruption of PAH activity elevates phosphatidic acid (PA) levels and stimulates PC biosynthesis and biogenesis of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Furthermore, the activity of PHOSPHOCHOLINE CYTIDYLYLTRANSFERASE (CCT), which is the key enzyme controlling the rate of PC biosynthesis, is directly stimulated by PA and expression of a constitutively active version of CCT replicates the effects of PAH disruption. Hence PAH activity can control the abundance of PA, which in turn can modulate CCT activity to govern the rate of PC biosynthesis. Crucially it is not yet clear how PAH activity is regulated in Arabidopsis but there is evidence that PAH1 and PAH2 are both phosphorylated and further work will be required to investigate whether this is functionally significant.     

Subtractive Proteome Analysis of Candida albicans Divulges Promising Antifungal Targets

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Candida albicans is the most common nosocomial systemic fungal infections causing high mortality/morbidity. Existing antifungal...