Cleome monophylla essential oil and its constituents as tick (Rhipicephalus appendiculatus) and maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais) repellents

The repellency of the essential oil of the shrubCleome monophylla (Family: Capparidaceae) and identified constituents of the oil were evaluated against the livestock tick,Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and the maize weevil,Sitophillus zeamais. In a tick climbing repellency bioassay, the oil ofC. monophylla exhibited repellency which, at the highest dose, was comparable to that of the commercial arthropod repellent N,N-diethyl toluamide (DEET). In a Y-tube olfactometer bioassay,C. monophylla oil showed higher or comparable repellency againstS. zeamais relative to DEET at all the doses tested. 14 Compounds were identified in theC. monophylla oil by GC, GC-MS and coinjection with authentic samples. Terpenolene was found to occur in largest quantity (14%) followed by 1-α-terpeneol (10%), pentacosane (9%), (α+β)-humulene (8%), phytol (5%) and 2-dodecanone (4%). The most repellent components againstR. appendiculatus andS. zeamais were 1-α-terpeneol and 2-dodecanone. The overall pattern of repellency activity of theC. monophylla constituents with respect to the two arthropods was, however, different. The potential ofC. monophylla in tick and maize weevil control is discussed.     

Microbiological Analyses of Traditional Alcoholic Beverage (Chhang) and its Starter (Balma) Prepared by Bhotiya Tribe of Uttarakhand,India

Present article depicts microbiology of starter (Balma) used in traditional solid-state fermentation of alcoholic beverage (Chhang) by Bhotiya tribe of Uttarakhand. It also highlights the importance of herbs in Balma preparation and kinetics of lactic acid and ethanol fermentation under Chhang preparation using Balma. Balma contains 214 × 10⁶ cfu/g yeasts, 2.54 × 10⁶ cfu/g lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and 1.4 × 10⁶ cfu/g other mesophilic bacteria. ITS sequence analysis revealed a rich diversity of yeast comprising of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Saccharomycopsis malanga in Balma. 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed Lactobacillus pentosus and Pediococcus pentosaceus among LAB, while amylolytic Bacillus subtilis and B. aerophilus among other bacteria in Balma. Based on the results, it is speculated that herbs such as Inula cuspidata, Micromeria biflora, Origanum vulgare, Rubus sp. and Thymus linearis used earlier by Bhotiya in Balma preparation contribute as a source of yeasts, LAB and amylolytic bacilli. Study also demonstrates that Bhotiya tribe is rational in preparation of starter as they have circumvented the need of plants by using previous year Balma as inoculum and possibility of deficient quality of Balma due to weak colonization of phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbiota. Results suggest that simultaneous saccharification and lactic acid–ethanol fermentation take place in traditional cereal based Chhang fermentation system of Bhotiya.     

Cost-effective production of cellulose hydrolysing enzymes from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichoderma</Emphasis> sp. RCK65 under SSF and its evaluation in saccharification of cellulosic substrates

Trichoderma sp. is a potential cellulase producing mesophilic fungi which grow under mild acidic condition. In this study, growth and nutritional conditions were manipulated for the maximum and cost-effective production of cellulase using lab strain Trichoderma sp. RCK65 and checked for its efficiency in hydrolysis of Prosopis juliflora (a woody substrate). Preliminary studies suggested that when 48 h old secondary fungal culture (20 % v/w) was inoculated in wheat bran moistened with mineral salt solution (pH 4.5 and 1:3 solid to moisture ratio), incubated at 30 °C and after 72 h, it produced maximum cellulase (CMCase 145 U/gds, FPase 38 U/gds and β-glucosidase 105 U/gds). However, using statistical approach a S:L ratio (1:1) was surprisingly found to be optimum that improved cellulase that is CMCase activity by 6.21 %, FPase activity by 23.68 % and β-glucosidase activity by 37.28 %. The estimated cost of crude enzyme (Rs. 5.311/1000 FPase units) seems to be economically feasible which may be due to high enzyme titre, less cultivation time and low media cost. Moreover, when the crude enzyme was used to saccharify pretreated Prosopis juliflora (a woody substrate), it resulted up to 83 % (w/w) saccharification.     

Nutrient utilisation,growth performance and blood metabolites in Murrah buffalo calves (Bubalus bubalis) divergently selected for residual feed intake

The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in efficiency of feed utilisation between buffalo calves with low and high residual feed intake (RFI) by comparing feed intake, nutrient digestibility, growth traits and blood metabolites. Eighteen male Murrah buffalo calves (aged 4–6 months; 70 ± 1.0 kg body weight) were fed ad libitum with a total mixed ration for 120 d. Based on linear regression models involving dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG) and mid-test metabolic body size, calves were assigned into low and high RFI groups. The RFI varied from ?0.33 to +0.28 kg DM/d with an average RFI of ?0.14 and 0.14 kg DM/d in low and high RFI calves, respectively. Calves had a mean DMI of 1.9 and 2.4 kg/d and an ADG of 0.5 and 0.6 kg/d in low and high RFI groups, respectively. Low RFI calves ate 19.0% less DM each day and required significantly less metabolisable energy for maintenance compared with high RFI calves (12.5 vs. 16.7 MJ/d). Nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance did not differ among low and high RFI calves. In more efficient animals (low RFI calves) higher (p < 0.05) plasma level of growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), triiodothyronine (T₃) and lower concentration of thyroxin hormone were detected. No significant differences in levels of insulin, hydroxyproline, plasma and urine creatinine, total protein and albumin between high and low RFI groups were found. Blood metabolites showed significant (p < 0.05) differences at initial and final stages of study in both groups. At final stage of study, RFI showed negative correlations with growth hormone, IGF-1, T₃, urine creatinine and albumin. Low RFI buffalo calves are more efficient in feed utilisation and the differences in blood metabolites are probably due to differences in feed intake and body metabolism.     

The induction of allophanate lyase during the vegetative cell cycle in light-synchronized cultures of Chlamydomonas reinhardi.

Allophanate lyase can be induced by urea or acetamide 20-40-fold within 4 h in NH4 + -deprived cultures of Chlamydomonas reinhardi. In light-synchronized cultures, allophanate lyase induction appeared to be limited to the light phase of the cell cycle, provided that culture samples were induced under ongoing illumination conditions (i.e. light induction of light phase cells and dark induction of dark phase cells). However, when culture samples were induced under constant light conditions this cell cycle pattern was abolished. Light was found to be required for allophanate lyase induction and this was shown to be due, in part, to the light requirement for inducer uptake. The relationship between allophanate lyase induction and gametogenesis is discussed.     

Lung lamellar bodies maintain an acidic internal pH

The internal pH of lung lamellar bodies was investigated with membrane permeable basic amines. Isolated granular pneumocytes and isolated lung lamellar bodies exhibited fluorescence when exposed to 8 microM quinacrine, suggesting accumulation of this dye due to an acidic internal pH. Uptake of [14C]methylamine by isolated lung lamellar bodies was measured to quantitate the intralamellar body pH. In KCl-ATP (10 mM) medium (pH 7.0), the accumulation ratio of methylamine (inside/outside) during 2-min incubation was 8.1 +/- 0.47 (mean +/- S.E., n = 8) indicating an internal pH of 6.1. Lamellar bodies accumulated methylamine almost 30-fold in K+-free mannitol medium indicating an internal pH of 5.6. The pH gradient across the lamellar body membrane decreased when external pH was decreased or when ATP was omitted. The pH gradient was also decreased by the addition of 10 mM NH4Cl, 2 micrograms/ml nigericin, 0.02 mM N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, or 1 mM N'-ethylmaleimide. These observations indicate that lamellar bodies maintain an acidic interior (pH 6.1 or below) which is generated by an energy-dependent process.     

Degradation and reutilization of alveolar phosphatidylcholine by rat lungs

We have shown previously that phospholipids instilled through the trachea are removed from the air spaces in isolated rat lungs by a process that is stimulated by beta-adrenergic agonists. In this study, we evaluated the fate of radiolabeled lipid vesicles [50% [3H]dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), 25% phosphatidylcholine (PC), 15% cholesterol, and 10% phosphatidylglycerol (PG)]. Vesicles were instilled through the trachea of anesthetized rats, and the lungs removed for perfusion. The percent of instilled 3H that could not be removed from lungs by extensive lung lavage increased progressively; at 3 h this fraction was 25.8 +/- 0.63% (mean +/- SE; n = 8). The percent of dpm in the lung homogenate accounted for by PC decreased progressively while dpm in lyso-PC, unsaturated PC, and aqueous soluble metabolites [choline, choline phosphate, glycerophosphorycholine, and cytidine 5'-diphosphate (CDP) choline (CDP-choline) increased. The dpm in microsomal and lamellar body fractions isolated from lung homogenates also increased progressively with time of perfusion. The presence of 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-BrcAMP) significantly stimulated both uptake of DPPC and the appearance of radioactivity in metabolites and subcellular organelles. This effect of 8-BrcAMP was not due to stimulation of phospholipase A activity. These results indicate that exogenous phospholipids instilled into the air spaces of rat lungs are internalized and degraded by a process that is stimulated by cAMP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Maize leaf temperature responses to drought: Thermal imaging and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping

Leaf temperature has been shown to vary when plants are subjected to water stress conditions. Recent advances in infrared thermography have increased the probability of recording drought tolerant responses more accurately. The aims of this study were to identify the effects of drought on leaf temperature using infrared thermography. Furthermore, the genomic regions responsible for the expression of leaf temperature variation in maize seedlings (Zea mays L.) were explored. The maize inbred lines Zong3 and 87-1 were evaluated using infrared thermography and exhibited notable differences in leaf temperature response to water stress. Correlation analysis indicated that leaf temperature response to water stress played an integral role in maize biomass accumulation. Additionally, a mapping population of 187 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between Zong3 and 87-1 was constructed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) responsible for physiological traits associated with seedling water stress. Leaf temperature differences (LTD) and the drought tolerance index (DTI) of shoot fresh weight (SFW) and shoot dry weight (SDW) were the traits evaluated for QTL analysis in maize seedlings. A total of nine QTL were detected by composite interval mapping (CIM) for the three traits (LTD, RSFW and RSDW). Two co-locations responsible for both RSFW and RSDW were detected on chromosomes 1 and 2, respectively, which showed common signs with their trait correlations. Another co-location was detected on chromosome 9 between LTD and shoot biomass, which provided genetic evidence that leaf temperature affects biomass accumulation. Additionally, the utility of a thermography system for drought tolerance breeding in maize was discussed.     

An evidence of laccases in archaea

Laccases (benzenediol:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.10.3.2) are a diverse group of multicopper oxidases that catalyze the oxidation of a variety of aromatic compounds. Here we present evidence for distribution of laccases among archaea and their probable functions. Putative laccase genes have been found in different archaeal groups that might have branched off early during evolution, e.g. Haloarcula marismortui ATCC 43049, Natronomonas pharaonis DSM2160, Pyrobaculum aerophilum IM2, Candidatus Nitrosopumilus maritimus SCM1, Halorubrum lacusprofundi ATCC 49239. Most of the archaeal multicopper oxidases reported here are of Type 1 and Type 2 whereas type 3 copper-binding domain could be found in Pyrobaculum aerophilum IM2 and Halorubrum lacusprofundi ATCC49239. An analysis of the genome sequence database revealed the presence of novel types of two-domain laccases in archaea. ed using this method. CyMVin the positive samples of Phalaenopsis sp. and Arachnis sp. was confirmed by DNA sequencing and cp gene homeology blast. The results showed that CyMV extracted from the leaves of orchid in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, could be derived from Kunming city (KM), Yunnan Province, China. This method characterized by high sensitivity, specificity, and precision is suitable for early diagnosis and quantitative detection of CyMV.     

Molecular systematics and paleobiogeography of the South American sigmodontine rodents [published erratum appears in Mol Biol Evol 1998 Feb;15(2):224]

The murid rodent subfamily Sigmodontinae contains 79 genera which are distributed throughout the New World. The time of arrival of the first sigmodontines in South America and the estimated divergence time(s) of the different lineages of South American sigmodontines have been controversial due to the lack of a good fossil record and the immense number of extant species. The "early-arrival hypothesis" states that the sigmodontines must have arrived in South America no later than the early Miocene, at least 20 MYA, in order to account for their vast present-day diversity, whereas the "late-arrival hypothesis" includes the sigmodontines as part of the Plio-Pleistocene Great American Interchange, which occurred approximately 3.5 MYA. The phylogenetic relationships among 33 of these genera were reconstructed using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data from the ND3, ND4L, arginine tRNA, and ND4 genes, which we show to be evolving at the same rate. A molecular clock was calibrated for these genes using published fossil dates, and the genetic distances were estimated from the DNA sequences in this study. The molecular clock was used to estimate the dates of the South American sigmodontine origin and the main sigmodontine radiation in order to evaluate the "early-" and "late-arrival" scenarios. We estimate the time of the sigmodontine invasion of South America as between approximately 5 and 9 MYA, supporting neither of the scenarios but suggesting two possible models in which the invading lineage was either (1) ancestral to the oryzomyines, akodonts, and phyllotines or (2) ancestral to the akodonts and phyllotines and accompanied by the oryzomyines. The sigmodontine invasion of South America provides an example of the advantage afforded to a lineage by the fortuitous invasion of a previously unexploited habitat, in this case an entire continent.