Comparative performance of bread wheat and hexaploid triticale cytoplasms

Summary Thirteen wheat-like advanced-generation triticale x wheat derivatives, having tetraploid wheat cytoplasm from triticale, were reciprocally crossed with three improved bread wheats, and the resulting F₁s were evaluated for determining the comparative performance of the bread wheat and triticale cytoplasms for different traits. Significant reciprocal differences in the mean performance were observed for days to heading, days to maturity, spikes/plant, flag-leaf area, peduncle length, plant height, spike length, grains/spike, 1,000-grain weight, grain yield and grain protein content, and most of them were in favour of hexaploid wheat cytoplasm. However, this superiority of the hexaploid cytoplasm was not universal for a particular trait, implying that the differences in the performance of the evaluated reciprocal crosses depended not solely on the cytoplasmic background, but also on the interplay of the specific genotype with the cytoplasm.     

Lactic acid production from whey permeate by immobilized Lactobacillus casei

Two matrices have been assessed for their ability to immobilize Lactobacillus casei cells for lactic acid fermentation in whey permeate medium. Agar at 2% concentration was found to be a better gel than polyacrylamide in its effectiveness to entrap the bacterial cells to carry out batch fermentation up to three repeat runs. Of the various physiological parameters studied, temperature and pH were observed to have no significant influence on the fermentation ability of the immobilized organism. A temperature range of 40–50°C and a pH range of 4.5–6.0 rather than specific values, were found to be optimum when fermentation was carried out under stationary conditions. In batch fermentation ～90% conversion of the substrate (lactose) was achieved in 48 h using immobilized cell gel cubes of 4 × 2 × 2 mm size, containing 400 mg dry bacterial cells per flask and 4.5% w/v (initial) whey lactose content as substrate. However, further increase in substrate levels tested (>4.5% w/v) did not improve the process efficiency. Supplementation of Mg²⁺ (1 mM) and agricultural by-products (mustard oil cake, 6%) in the whey permeate medium further improved the acid production ability of the immobilized cells under study.     

Development of the pollen grain and tapetum of wheat (Triticum aestivum) in untreated plants and plants treated with chemical hybridizing agent RH0007

Summary A study of pollen development in wheat was made using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Microspores contain undifferentiated plastids and mitochondria that are dividing. Vacuolation occurs, probably due to the coalescence of small vacuoles budded off the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). As the pollen grain is formed and matures, the ER becomes distended with deposits of granular storage material. Mitochondria proliferate and become filled with cristae. Similarly, plastids divide and accumulate starch. The exine wall is deposited at a rapid rate throughout development, and the precursors appear to be synthesized in the tapetum. Tapetal cells become binucleate during the meiosis stage, and Ubisch bodies form on the plasma membrane surface that faces the locule. Tapetal plastids become surrounded by an electron-translucent halo. Rough ER is associated with the halo around the plastids and with the plasma membrane. We hypothesize that the sporopollenin precursors for both the Ubisch bodies and exine pollen wall are synthesized in the tapetal plastids and are transported to the tapetal cell surface via the ER. The microspore plastids appear to be involved in activities other than precursor synthesis: plastid proliferation in young microspores, and starch synthesis later in development. Plants treated with the chemical hybridizing agent RH0007 show a pattern of development similar to that shown by untreated control plants through the meiosis stage. In the young microspore stage the exine wall is deposited irregularly and is thinner than that of control plants. In many cases the microspores are seen to have wavy contours. With the onset of vacuolation, microspores become plasmolyzed and abort. The tapetal cells in RH0007-treated locules divide normally through the meiosis stage. Less sporopollenin is deposited in the Ubisch bodies, and the pattern is less regular than that of the control. In many cases, the tapetal cells expand into the locule. At the base of one of the locules treated with a dosage of RH0007 that causes 95% male sterility, several microspores survived and developed into pollen grains that were sterile. The conditions at the base of the locule may have reduced the osmotic stress on the microspores, allowing them to survive. Preliminary work showed that the extractable quantity of carotenoids in RHOOO7-treated anthers was slightly greater than in controls. We concluded that RH0007 appears to interfere with the polymerization of carotenoid precursors into the exine wall and Ubisch bodies, rather than interfering with the synthesis of the precursors.     

Alterations in G-proteins in congestive heart failure in cardiomyopathic (UM-X7.1) hamsters

In order to explain the attenuated sympathetic support during the development of heart failure, the status of -adrenergic mechanisms in the failing myocardium was assessed by employing cardiomyopathic hamsters (155–170 days old) at moderate degree of congestive heart failure. The norepinephrine turnover rate was increased but the norepinephrine content was decreased in cardiomyopathic hearts. The number and the affinity of receptors in the sarcolemmal preparations were not changed in these hearts at moderate stage of congestive heart failure. While the basal adenylyl cyclase activity was not altered in sarcolemma, the stimulation of enzyme activity by NaF, forskolin, Gpp(NH)p or epinephrine was depressed in hearts from these cardiomyopathic hamsters. Since G-proteins are involved in modifying the adenylyl cyclase activity, the functional and bioactivities as well as contents of both Gs and Gi proteins were determined in the cardiomyopathic heart sarcolemma. The functional stimulation of adenylyl cyclase by cholera toxin, which activates Gs proteins, was markedly depressed whereas that by Pertussis toxin, which inhibits Gi proteins, was markedly augmented in cardiomyopathic hearts. The cholera toxin and pertussis toxin catalyzed ADP-ribosylation was increased by 37 and 126%, respectively; this indicated increased bioactivities of both Gs and Gi proteins in experimental preparations. The immunoblot analysis suggested 74 and 124% increase in Gs and Gi contents in failing hearts, respectively. These results suggest that depressed adenylyl cyclase activation in cardiomyopathic hamsters may not only be due to increased content and bioactivity of Gi proteins but the functional uncoupling of Gs proteins from the adenylyl cyclase enzyme may also be involved at this stage of heart failure.     

An extensive review on antifungal approaches in the treatment of mucormycosis

During the period of COVID-19, the occurrences of mucormycosis in immunocompromised patients have increased significantly. Mucormycosis (black fungus) is a rare and rapidly progressing fungal infection associated with high mortality and morbidity in India as well as globally. The causative agents for this infection are collectively called mucoromycetes which are the members of the order Mucorales. The diagnosis of the infection needs to be performed as soon as the occurrence of clinical symptoms which differs with types of Mucorales infection. Imaging techniques magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scan, culture testing, and microscopy are the approaches for the diagnosis. After the diagnosis of the infection is confirmed, rapid action is needed for the treatment in the form of antifungal therapy or surgery depending upon the severity of the infection. Delaying in treatment declines the chances of survival. In antifungal therapy, there are two approaches first-line therapy (monotherapy) and combination therapy. Amphotericin B ( 1 ) and isavuconazole ( 2 ) are the drugs of choice for first-line therapy in the treatment of mucormycosis. Salvage therapy with posaconazole ( 3 ) and deferasirox ( 4 ) is another approach for patients who are not responsible for any other therapy. Adjunctive therapy is also used in the treatment of mucormycosis along with first-line therapy, which involves hyperbaric oxygen and cytokine therapy. There are some drugs like VT-1161 ( 5 ) and APX001A ( 6 ), Colistin, SCH 42427, and PC1244 that are under clinical trials. Despite all these approaches, none can be 100% successful in giving results. Therefore, new medications with favorable or little side effects are required for the treatment of mucormycosis.     

Basic fibroblast growth factor is cardioprotective in ischemia-reperfusion injury

To examine whether basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) administered to the heart by perfusion can improve cardiac resistance to injury we employed an isolated rat heart model of ischemia-reperfusion injury and determined the extent of functional recovery in bFGF-treated and control hearts. Global ischemia was simulated by interruption of flow for 60 min. Recovery of developed force of contraction (DF), recorded after reestablishment of flow for 30 min, reached 63.8±1.5% and 96.5±3.5% of preischemic levels in control and bFGF-treated hearts (10 g/heart), respectively, indicating that bFGF induced significantly improved recovery of mechanical function. Recoveries of the rates of contraction or relaxation were also significantly improved in bFGF-treated hearts. Extent of myocardial injury, assessed by determination of phosphocreatine kinase in the effluent, was reduced as a result of bFGF treatment. As a first step towards understanding the mechanism and direct cellular target(s) of bFGF-induced cardioprotection, we investigated its fate after perfusion. Perfusion of 10 g bFGF/heart resulted in a 4-fold increase in bFGF associated with the heart compared to control levels, as estimated by biochemical fractionation and immunoblotting. Immunofluorescent staining of the bFGF-perfused hearts revealed intense anti-bFGF staining in association with blood vessels as well as the periphery of cardiomyocytes, suggesting that the latter may be a target for direct bFGF action. In conclusion, our findings of bFGF-induced increases in cardiac resistance to, and improved functional recovery from, ischemia-reperfusion injury indicate that bFGF may have clinical applications in the treatment of ischemic heart disease.     

Production of neutralizing antibody to rabies and vesicular stomatitis viruses by hybrid cell lines

Hybrid cell lines were obtained following fusion of P 3 × 63 Ag-8 myeloma cells with spleen cells derived from BALB/c mice immunized either with rabies virus or with vesicular stomatitis virus. Hybrid cell lines were selected which continued to secrete rabies virus or vesicular stomatitis virus neutralizing antibody specifically directed against coat glycoprotein of respective viruses.     

Cross-neutralization reactions of Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae enterotoxins as studied by rabbit skin inoculation test.

Neutralization of enterotoxins of Vibrio cholerae 569 B and Escherichia coli 10407 by antitoxins to V. cholerae 569 B, E. coli 334, 408-3 and 10407 was studies by intradermal inoculation test in the rabbit. Neutralization of V. cholerae enterotoxin by homologous as well as heterologous antisera of E. coli was observed, except that there was no neutralization of the enterotoxin by antiserum to E. coli 408-3 enterotoxin. Neutralization of E. coli enterotoxin to a varied extent by homologous as well as all heterologous antisera, including that of V. cholerae 569 B antitoxin, was also observed.     

Simulation of fermentation conditions for vitamin B12 biosynthesis from whey

Vitamin B₁₂ production in fermentation of Propionibacterium shermanii and Propionibacterium arl AKU 1251 in whey permeate medium has been studied. The observed results and simulated expected values obtained by fitting statistical equations to the recorded data showed that 24 h old inoculum, 5 mg iron l^?1 and 4% whey lactose were optimal for vitamin B₁₂ biosynthesis in both strains when fermentation was carried out under anerobic (84 h) and aerobic (84 h) conditions at 30°C. The supplementation of whey medium with 0.5% (NH₄)₂HPO₄ enhanced further the metabolite yield; however, the preference for a mixed carbon source (lactose + d-glucose or lactose + d-fructose) at different levels varied in the strains under study. P. shermanii, under optimal cultural conditions, was found to be a better strain than Propionibacterium arl AKU, 1251 in fermenting whey lactose for product (vitamin B₁₂) formation.