Studies on serum groups in the Kumaon region,India

Summary A total of 469 individuals belonging to 4 endogamous groups (Brahamins, Rajputs, Doms and Tharus) from the Kumaon region (North India) were tested for Hp, Gc, Gm and Inv systems.The frequency of the Hp¹ allele is low (0.130–0.220) in all 4 groups as in the case of other Indian populations. The absence of the Gm⁵ allele and high frequency of Inv(1) (49.34%) confirm the Mongoloid affiliations of the Tharus. Brahamins, Rajputs and Doms possess 4 alleles (Gm¹, Gm^1,2, Gm^1,5 and Gm⁵) at the Gm locus and the frequency of Gm^1,2 allele is very low (0.067–0.106) for these groups. The frequency of Inv(1) for Brahamins (19.61%) and Doms (22.78%) lies within the range of variation of European populations. Rajputs, however, show a higher Inv(1) frequency (38.76%).Genetic distances calculated with the help of Hp, Gc and Gm systems demonstrate similarity between Brahamins, Rajputs and Doms and a deviant position for the Tharus.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

AB0 blood groups,inv serum groups,and serum proteins in leprosy patients from West Bengal (India)

Summary The associations between ABO blood groups and prevalence as well as type and severity of the leprosy infection were examined in 1034 Indians from West Bengal (leprosy patients and normal controls). There are no associations in the present series; combined analysis of 41 series from the literature (ours included) gives a slightly, but significantly higher frequency of groups A and AB as compared to B and 0 in leprosy patients. Groups A, B, and AB are also somewhat more frequent in lepromatous as compared with nonlepromatous leprosy.A lower level of ₂-globulins in the serum of leprosy patients of groups A and AB as compared with patients of groups B and 0, which had been described earlier in 683 leprosy patients from Thailand, was confirmed in the present series.In the Thai series of patients, a significant association between the AB0 blood groups and the Inv serum groups was observed: Persons having blood group A and AB as well as the Inv (1) type were significantly more frequent than expected. This association, however, was not confirmed in the Indian material.

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Zusammenfassung Die Beziehungen zwischen AB0-Blutgruppen sowie Häufigkeit, Typ und Verlauf der Lepraerkrankung wurden an 1034 Indern aus West-Bengalen (Lepra-Patienten und normalen Kontrollen) untersucht. In dieser Serie fanden sich keine Beziehungen. Eine kombinierte Analyse von 41 Serien aus der Literatur (unsere eingeschlossen) gibt eine gering, aber signifikant erhöhte Häufigkeit der Gruppen A und AB im Vergleich zu B und 0 bei Lepra-Patienten. Die Gruppen A, B und AB sind im Gesamtmaterial ebenfalls etwas häufiger bei lepromatöser im Vergleich zu nichtlepromatöser Lepra.Bei 683 Lepra-Patienten aus Thailand hatten wir zuvor eine Verminderung der ₂-globuline bei Gruppen A und AB im Vergleich zu B und 0 beschrieben. Dieser Befund wurde an dem indischen Material bestätigt.Bei den thailändischen Patienten fanden sich auch Hinweise für eine Beziehung zwischen AB0- und Serum Inv-Gruppen: Personen, die sowohl A oder AB als auch den Typ Inv (1) aufwiesen, waren signifikant häufiger als erwartet. Dieser Befund konnte jedoch in dem indischen Material nicht bestätigt werden.

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This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Further studies on the distribution of some serum protein and enzyme groups in South India

Summary The distribution of electrophoretic variants of 2 serum proteins and 5 red cell enzyme systems have been examined in 4 population groups from Tamilnadu.In the Haptoglobin system Hp ¹ was found in low frequency for all the 4 groups, Nadar (0.037), Reddiar (0.182), Thevar (0.100) and Miscellaneous (0.104). All samples were found to be of the TfC phenotype for the Transferrin system.The AK ² gene in the Adenylate kinase system is relatively more frequent in Miscellaneous (0.075) and Thevar (0.065), and has a lower frequency among the Nadar (0.051) and Reddiar (0.034). No variants were found at the PGM₂ locus in the Phosphoglucomutase system. For the PGM₁ locus, PGM ₁ ¹ frequencies were 0.721, 0.804, 0.796 and 0.639 for the Nadar, Reddiar, Thevar and Miscellaneous groups respectively.For the 6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase system, PGD ^c frequencies were 0.048, 0.007, 0.006 and 0.012 for the Nadar, Reddiar, Thevar and Miscellaneous respectively. A single case of the Hackney was found among the Miscellaneous group. Calcutta-1 variant of the Lactate dehydrogenase was frequent in the Nadar (0.024) and Miscellaneous (0.019) and absent in the Reddiar and Thevar.The PHs ^B frequencies in the Acid Phosphatase system were 0.800, 0.794, 0.639 and 0.764 for the Nadar, Reddiar, Thevar and Miscellaneous groups respectively. 1 AC and 1 BC were found among the Nadar and Thevar respectively.

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Zusammenfassung An 4 Populationsstichproben aus Tamilnadu (Südindien) wurde die Verteilung der elektrophoretischen Varianten von 2 Serumprotein- und 5 erythrocytären Enzymsystemen untersucht. Dabei ergaben sich die folgenden wichtigen Ergebnisse. Das Hp¹-Allel ist in allen 4 Stichproben nur in geringer Häufigkeit vertreten (Nadar 0,037, Reddiar 0,182, Thevar 0,100, Sonstige 0,104). In keiner dieser Stichproben fanden sich Transferrin-Varianten. Das AK²-Allel läßt bei den Thevar (0,065) sowie in der Gruppe der Sonstigen (0,075) eine höhere Frequenz erkennen als bei den Nadar (0,051) und den Reddiar (0,034). Varianten am PGM₂-Locus konnten nicht beobachtet werden. Bezüglich des PGM ₁ ¹ -Allels wurden folgende Frequenzen ermittelt: 0,721 (Nadar), 0,804 (Reddiar), 0,796 (Thevar) und 0,639 (Sonstige). Die PGD^c-Frequenzen betragen: 0,048 (Nadar), 0,007 (Reddiar), 0,006 (Thevar) und 0,012 (Sonstige). Darüber hinaus wurde in der Gruppe der Sonstigen ein einziger Hackney-Fall gefunden. Die Calcutta-1-Variante im LDH-System fehlt in den Stichproben der Reddiar und Thevar, während ihre Häufigkeit bei den Nadar und der Gruppe der Sonstigen 0,024 bzw. 0,019 beträgt. Das Allel ph^B des Systems der sauren Erythrocytenphosphatasen kommt bei den Nadar zu 0,800 vor, bei den Reddiar zu 0,794, bei den Thevar zu 0,639 und bei den Sonstigen zu 0,764. Jeweils ein AC-bzw. BC-Phänotyp wurde bei den Nadar und Thevar beobachtet.

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Formed part of a Ph. D. Thesis. The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.     

Studies on fungi in the root region

Summary A study of the colonization of barley root surfaces by sterile dark fungi is described in which the root washing-segment plating technique and direct observation were employed to study the pattern of root colonization. Data are presented showing sterile dark fungi to be rapid colonizers of young roots and to persist on the roots with increasing root age.     

Studies on fungi in the root region

Summary Aqueous extracts of adventitious roots ofAllium sativum L. (garlic), seedling roots ofAllium porrum L. (leek), and both adventitious and seedling roots ofAllium cepa L. (onion), were tested for antibiotic activity against three root-surface fungi,Cylindrocarpon radicicola Wollenw.,Gliocladium roseum (Link) Thom andFusarium culmorum (W. G. Smith) Sacc. by means of two different techniques.With a filter-paper disc technique, root extracts sterilised by membrane-filtration produced zones of inhibition of the test fungi, whereas root extracts sterilised by autoclaving showed no activity. Garlic root extract produced inhibition zones with all the test fungi, whereas extracts of onion adventitious roots and leek seedling roots produced inhibition zones with only one of the test fungi. The extract of onion seedling roots produced no inhibition zones. Root extracts of all theAllium species, when sterilised by membrane filtration, generally inhibited spore-germination of all the test fungi.     

Studies on fungi in the root region

Summary Fungal isolations were made from roots ofPhaseolus vulgaris after washing in sterile water, at monthly intervals throughout the life of the plant, and from other roots after dissection and after surface sterilization at certain plant ages only. A table is provided showing the relative importance of the most common species isolated in each of four clearly distinct microhabitats — the root surface, the cortex, the outer stele and the inner stele.Fusarium oxysporum andCylindrocarpon radicicola were the most frequently isolated fungi from the roots.Fusarium oxysporum was most abundant on young roots and seemed to be associated, particularly, with the root surface and cortical tissues.Cylindrocarpon radicicola, although common on young roots, was more abundant on older roots and was an important initial colonist of the stelar tissues. Sterile mycelia were isolated mainly from older roots and seemed to be responsible, withC. radicicola, for the initial colonization of the stele. Microscopic examination of roots showed the cortical tissues to be increasingly penetrated by fungal hyphae with plant age but extensive fungal penetration of the endodermis and stelar tissues did not occur until the plants were at least five months old.     

Studies on fungi in the root region

Summary Data are given on the fungi isolated from 30-day-old adventitious roots and seedling roots of severalAllium species by means of the root-washing technique. These fungi were typical root-surface forms includingCylindrocarpon, Fusarium, and sterile forms. The amount of root colonization observed, however, was not so great as with other higher plant roots.The nature and role of bulb surface contaminants is discussed in relation to the colonization of young roots, and is compared with the role of seed-coat contaminants in such colonization.     

Studies on fungi in the root region

Summary Tabulated information on the colonization of roots of barley, cabbage and dwarf bean by fungi during the first 10 days of root development is given. These data, obtained by isolation and direct observation studies, are discussed in relation to previous observations on the association of fungi with the roots of healthy crop plants.The results indicate that initial root colonization may be by any of a wide range of soil fungi, but that this mixed population rapidly gives way to a stable and typical root-surface mycoflora (dominated by such fungi asFusarium spp.,Cylindrocarpon radicicola, Gliocladium spp., andPenicillium spp.     

Studies on anaerobic proteolytic bacteria of Leh,India

Five anaerobic proteolytic bacteria were isolated from water bodies of Leh, India, where the ambient temperature varies from –25 to 25 °C. Isolates showed growth at all temperatures ranging from 5 to 37 °C except SPL-4 and SPL-5 which showed no growth at 5 °C. The cultures could grow and produce proteases on various protein substrates and the yield varied with the substrates. Two of the cultures showed the presence of spores. Acetate was the dominant VFA during hydrolysis of protein substrates.