Regulation of class II MHC gene expression by macrophages from Bcgr and Bcgs mice

The presence of class II mRNA was determined following stimulation of macrophages from Bcgr and Bcgs mice with rIFN-gamma. Despite the continuous expression of surface I-A glycoprotein by macrophages from Bcgr mice, class II mRNA was no longer present. The transient expression of I-A by macrophages from Bcgs mice, however, was accompanied by the disappearance of class II mRNA from the cells. Restimulation of macrophages from Bcgs mice, with rIFN-gamma resulted in the reappearance of class II mRNA and surface I-A expression. The reappearance of class II mRNA and the surface expression of I-A glycoprotein was inhibited by PGE2. These results indicate that differences in I-A expression by macrophages from Bcgr and Bcgs are not at the level of class II gene expression.     

Peroxiredoxins: a less studied component of hydrogen peroxide detoxification in photosynthetic organisms

Peroxiredoxins (Prx) are ubiquitous thiol-dependent peroxidases capable of reducing a broad range of toxic peroxides and peroxinitrites. A cysteinyl residue of peroxiredoxins reacts with the peroxides as primary catalytic center and oxidizes to sulfenic acid. The regeneration of the reduced form of Prx is required as a next step to allow its entry into next catalytic cycle. Several proteins, such as thioredoxin, glutaredoxin, cyclophilin, among others, are known to facilitate the regeneration of the reduced (catalytically active) form of Prx in plants. Based on the cysteine residues conserved in the deduced amino acid sequence and their catalytic mechanisms, four groups of peroxiredoxins have been distinguished in plants, namely, 1-Cys Prx, 2-Cys Prx, Type II Prx and Prx Q. Peroxiredoxins are known to play an important role in combating the reactive oxygen species generated at the level of electron transport activities in the plant exposed to different types of biotic and abiotic stresses. In addition to their role in antioxidant defense mechanisms in plants, they also modulate redox signaling during development and adaptation. Besides these general properties, peroxiredoxins have been shown to protect DNA from damage in vitro and in vivo. They also regulate metabolism in thylakoids and mitochondria. The present review summarizes the most updated information on the structure and catalysis of Prx and their functional importance in plant metabolism.     

Plant growth promotion and suppression of charcoal‐rot fungus (Macrophomina phaseolina) in velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L.) by root nodule bacteria

Root‐nodulating bacteria are intimate associates of legumes. From a pool of rhizobia isolated from root nodules of Mucuna pruriens (Velvet bean/Kaunch), RMP66 and BMP17 were found to be capable of promoting siderophore and IAA production and phosphate solubilization (insoluble tri‐calcium). Both symbionts were studied further to determine their abilities to promote plant growth and to control root‐rot in Mucuna pruriens caused by the pathogenic plant fungus Macrophomina phaseolina. RMP66 and BMP17 were selected based on their excellent inhibitory activities against M. phaseolina (by 78% and 71%, respectively) in dual culture and in agar‐well assays using cell‐free culture filtrate (CFCF) (by 76% and 62%, respectively). Both strains inhibited fungal growth to a greater extent in iron‐deficient medium (51% and 69%) than in iron‐supplemented medium (37% and 0%), respectively. CFCFs of RMP66 and BMP17 obtained from Pikovskaya's broth and tryptophan‐amended YEM broth inhibited fungal growth by 80%‐55% and 70%‐43%, respectively, and were identified as Sinorhizobium meliloti RMP66 and Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens BMP17 by 16S rDNA sequencing. Centrifuged and pelleted cells harvested from exponentially grown cultures of S. meliloti RMP66 and B. diazoefficiens BMP17 were used to bacterize seeds of M. pruriens, which then showed enhanced seed germination (by up to 17% and 12%, respectively), and subsequent increases in other plant growth parameters in field trials. Considerable increases in seedling vigour indices (62%: 53% and 110%: 130%) and biomass (8%: 13% and 25%: 28%) were also observed for bacterial treatments. Tn5‐mediated antibiotic‐resistant marker strains showed enhanced nodule occupancy by up to 72% and 68%, respectively. This study describes a multifunctional legume nodule rhizobia that could be utilized in multicropping systems under different agroclimatic conditions as a bioinoculant and alternative to fertilizers.     

Additional evidence implicating Triticum searsii as the B-genome donor to wheat

In vitro DNA:DNA hybridizations and hydroxyapatite thermal-elution chromatography were employed to identify the diploid wheat species ancestral to the B genome of Triticum turgidum. ³H-T. turgidum DNA was hybridized to the unlabeled DNAs of T. urartu, T. speltoides, T. sharonensis, T. bicorne, T. longissimum, and T. searsii. ³H-Labeled DNAs of T. monococcum and a synthetic tetraploid AADD were hybridized with unlabeled DNAs of T. urartu and T. searsii to determine the relationship of the A genome of polyploid wheat and T. urartu. The heteroduplex thermal stabilities indicated that T. searsii was most closely related to the B genome of T. turgidum (AB) and that the genome of T. urartu and the A genome have a great deal of base-sequence homology. Thus, it appears that T. searsii is the B-genome donor to polyploid wheat or a major chromosome donor if the B genome is polyphyletic in origin.Published with the approval of the Director of The West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station as Scientific Paper No. 1837.     

A vibrational spectroscopic investigation of interactions of agonists with GluR0, a prokaryotic glutamate receptor

We have used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to provide a detailed picture of the interactions between the carboxylate groups of the ligands, glutamate, serine, and glutamine, with the ligand-binding domain of a prokaryotic ionotropic glutamate receptor (GluR0). The vibrational spectra indicate that the noncovalent interactions between the 1C(alpha)-carboxylate moiety of the ligand and the protein are stronger for glutamate than for serine and glutamine. These results correlate well with the higher affinity of glutamate for GluR0-S1S2 relative to the affinities of serine and glutamine. In addition, all three ligands induce similar changes in the vibrational spectra and intrinsic fluorescence of the protein, which indicates that all three ligands induce the same structural changes in the protein. These results are consistent with the recent crystal structures of the glutamate and serine bound forms of GluR0-S1S2 and in addition provide insights into the structure of the glutamine bound form of the protein.     

Early embryonic development of the vulnerable Shalyni barb,Pethia shalynius (Yazdani & Talukdar, 1975)

The present study provides the first detailed early embryonic development of the Shalyni barb, Pethia shalynius (Yazdani & Talukdar, 1975), a vulnerable cyprinid fish occurring in streams and lentic waters of Meghalaya, northeast India. Induced spawning by synthetic hormone injection in May 2019 was conducted to a pair of mature female and male P. shalynius under controlled conditions in a well-aerated aquarium. Fertilized eggs were spherical, 0.75–0.80 mm (approx.) in diameter, transparent, unpigmented and non-adhesive. A total of 22 developmental stages could be categorized under seven broad periods, viz. the zygote, cleavage, blastula, gastrula, segmentation, pharyngula and hatchling. The first cleavage occurred at 15 min post fertilization (mpf), followed by blastulation at 01:23 hr post-fertilization (hpf), gastrulation at 04:20 hpf, initial somite formation at 07:00 hpf, and pharyngula period at 19:20 hpf, respectively. Embryos hatched between 26–27 hpf and the newly-hatched larvae ranged 2.2–2.5 mm in total length. For naturally-declining populations of this vulnerable fish species, inferences drawn from the present study will help provide a baseline data for its conservation and management, and aid the research fields of developmental biology, biotechnology, molecular biology as well as taxonomy of this species.     

查谟-克什米尔地区查谟后西瓦立克沉积中的亚洲象化石(英文)

描述了一件象属( Elephas) 的右上臼齿化石。标本产自查谟紧靠上西瓦立克亚群巨砾岩组( Boulder Conglomerate Formation) 之上的砂质、粉砂质泥岩夹砾石层中,化石地点位于查谟市南10 km,Kharian 村北约500 m 处。根据齿板数、齿脊频率、釉质层厚度、冠高指数、绝对大小和齿长/齿高指数等牙齿形态参数,暂时将之归为 Elephas cf. E. maximus indicus。还简短讨论了象属的地理分布和地质时代。     

Ancient wolf lineages in India

All previously obtained wolf (Canis lupus) and dog (Canis familiaris) mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequences fall within an intertwined and shallow clade (the 'wolf-dog' clade). We sequenced mtDNA of recent and historical samples from 45 wolves from throughout lowland peninsular India and 23 wolves from the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau and compared these sequences with all available wolf and dog sequences. All 45 lowland Indian wolves have one of four closely related haplotypes that form a well-supported, divergent sister lineage to the wolf-dog clade. This unique lineage may have been independent for more than 400,000 years. Although seven Himalayan wolves from western and central Kashmir fall within the widespread wolf-dog clade, one from Ladakh in eastern Kashmir, nine from Himachal Pradesh, four from Nepal and two from Tibet form a very different basal clade. This lineage contains five related haplotypes that probably diverged from other canids more than 800,000 years ago, but we find no evidence of current barriers to admixture. Thus, the Indian subcontinent has three divergent, ancient and apparently parapatric mtDNA lineages within the morphologically delineated wolf. No haplotypes of either novel lineage are found within a sample of 37 Indian (or other) dogs. Thus, we find no evidence that these two taxa played a part in the domestication of canids.     

Possible mitochondrial involvement in mechanism of cytoplasmic male sterility in maize (Zea mays L.)

The mechanism of cytoplasmic male sterility was investigated in maize by isolating mitochondria from seedlings and various anther stages and analyzing cytochrome oxidase and succinic dehydrogenase biochemically and electrophoretically. Sterile anthers exhibited a lack of biochemical activity and fewer isozymatic bands for cytochrome oxidase. No apparent differences were detected biochemically or electrophoretically between fertile and sterile anthers for succinate dehydrogenase.     

Insulin adsorption onto zinc oxide nanoparticle mediates conformational rearrangement into amyloid-prone structure with enhanced cytotoxic propensity

Background

Injection localized amyloidosis is one of the most prevalent disorders in type II diabetes mellitus (TIIDM) patients relying on insulin injections. Previous studies have reported that nanoparticles can play a role in the amyloidogenic process of proteins. Hence, the present study deals with the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP) on the amyloidogenicity and cytotoxicity of insulin.