Groundwater contamination with cadmium concentrations in some West U.P. Regions,India

Water is considered a vital resource because it is necessary for all aspects of human and ecosystem survival. However, due to natural processes and anthropogenic activities, various pollutants have been added to the ground water system. Among these, heavy metals are some of the most serious pollutants. Cd, a toxic heavy metal used in Ni-Cd batteries, the colouration of plastic and various discarded electronic products released into the water system causes serious health issues. The chronic exposure to Cd produces a wide variety of acute and chronic effects in humans. Cd accumulates in the human body, especially in the kidneys, resulting in kidney damage (renal tubular damage), which is a critical health effect. Other effects of Cd exposure are disturbances in calcium metabolism, hypercalciuria and the formation of kidney stones. High exposure to Cd can lead to lung cancer and prostate cancer; hence, poor quality water that may result in Cd toxicity has become a global concern. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine the concentration of Cd in underground water sources in western U.P. regions. Water samples were acidified to 1% with nitric acid and then stored in double-capped polyethylene bottles for further analysis by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. After comparing the data to the WHO (2011) permissible limit, the study revealed that the concentration of Cd was higher than the regulatory threshold; therefore, the underground water system is seriously affected by Cd toxicity.     

Antibacterial activity of selected medicinal plants of northwest Pakistan traditionally used against mastitis in livestock

The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of traditionally used anti-mastitis plants (Allium sativum, Bunium persicum, Oryza sativa and Triticum aestivum) in northwest Pakistan against bacterial pathogens. Selected plants were phytochemically screened for Alkaloids, Flavonoids, and Saponins and checked for in vitro antibacterial activity at concentration of 50 mg/ml against S. aureus, E. coli and K. pneumoniae by agar well diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration was determined against multidrug resistant bacteria using tube dilution method. All extracts were found to significantly inhibit (p < 0.01, p < 0.05) the activity against bacterial strains examined. Among phytochemicals, alkaloids of all tested antimastitis plants produced significantly higher inhibition zones against bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of phytochemicals and crude methanolic extracts against tested bacterial strains ranged between 12.5–50 mg/ml and 25–50 mg/ml, respectively. Medicinal plants traditionally used against mastitis are therapeutically active against bacterial pathogens. A. sativum and B. persicum were found to be potential candidate species for the development of novel veterinary drugs with low cost and fewer side effects.     

Endophytic bacterium Bacillus subtilis (BERA 71) improves salt tolerance in chickpea plants by regulating the plant defense mechanisms

Plant growth-promoting endophytic bacteria can stimulate the growth, nutrient acquisition, symbiotic performance and stress tolerance of chickpea plants under saline soil conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the stress-adaptive mechanisms of chickpea plants mediated by Bacillus subtilis (BERA 71) under saline conditions. Inoculation with BERA 71 enhanced plant biomass and the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments and reduced the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation in plants under conditions of stress. Furthermore, the activities of ROS-scavenging antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase and glutathione reductase), the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants (ascorbic acid and glutathione) and the total phenol content were increased in stressed plants during bacterial association. The bacteria decreased sodium accumulation and enhanced the nitrogen, potassium, calcium and magnesium content in the plants. The suppression of ROS generation and of lipid peroxidation and the accumulation of proline in BERA-71-inoculated plants enhanced the membrane stability under salinity stress and non-stress conditions.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and abiotic stress in plants: A review

Abiotic stresses (such as salinity, drought, cold, heat, mineral deficiency and metals/metalloids) have become major threats to the global agricultural production. These stresses in isolation and/or combination control plant growth, development and productivity by causing physiological disorders, ion toxicity, and hormonal and nutritional imbalances. Some soil microorganisms like arbuscular mycorhizal fungi (AMF) inhabit the rhizosphere and develop a symbiotic relationship with the roots of most plant species. AMF can significantly improve resistance of host plants to varied biotic and abiotic stresses. Taking into account recent literature, this paper: (a) overviews major abiotic stresses and introduces the arbuscular mycorrhizae symbiosis (b) appraises the role and underlying major mechanisms of AMF in plant tolerance to major abiotic stresses including salinity, drought, temperature regimes (cold and heat), nutrient-deficiency, and metal/metalloids; (c) discusses major molecular mechanisms potentially involved in AMF-mediated plant-abiotic stress tolerance; and finally (d) highlights major aspects for future work in the current direction.     

Optimization of protease production from Bacillus halodurans under solid state fermentation using agrowastes

Marine microbes are potential source for novel metabolites. They are efficient in producing these metabolites utilizing agrowastes. Protease is one of the enzymes which find wide industrial applications. In the present study, protease producing bacteria was isolated from marine sediments and the organism was identified as Bacillus halodurans. The organism was subjected to protease production under solid state fermentation (SSF) using different agrowastes as substrates. Among the substrates used, wheat bran yielded maximum quantity of protease. The fermentation process was carried out under different cultural conditions to optimize the parameters influencing the enzyme production. The results of the stain removal studies by the enzyme revealed the increased efficiency of the microbial enzyme than the commercial detergent.     

Detection of New Point Mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in Breast Cancer Patients

This study included 20 selected female patients with breast cancer, 30 of their female relatives (sisters and daughters), and 10 healthy females as a control group. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes of all the subjects, and the polymerase chain reaction was carried out using specific primers for BRCA1 (exons 2 and 8) and BRCA2 (exons 9, 11, and 21). The mutations were detected using a single-strand conformation polymorphism assay and heteroduplex analysis. Finally, the sample variants and their controls were sequenced. Mutations were detected in 44% of the study population, with 18% found in the BRCA1 gene and 26% attributed to BRCA2. Five sequence variants were identified, including two frameshift mutations, one nonsense mutation, and two missense mutations. Therefore, we conclude that germline mutations in two major genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, may have an important influence on the predisposition and development of familial breast cancer.     

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of some new substituted pyrido[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]-pyrimidinone derivatives

A series of new 3-substituted-7-(2-chloro-6-ethoxypyridin-4-yl)-9-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-methylpyrido[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one derivatives were synthesized as antimicrobial agents using 7-(2-chloro-6-ethoxypyridin-4-yl)-9-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-methyl-4H-pyrido[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]-[1,3]oxazin-4-one as a starting compound. Its condensation with substituted aniline derivatives or phenyl hydrazine gave the corresponding N-substituted derivatives. Treatment of the starting compound with hydrazine hydrate afforded the corresponding N-amino derivative, which was reacted with substituted phenylisocyanate and phenylisothiocyanate derivatives to give the corresponding semicarbazides and thiosemicarbazide derivatives. All the newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities in comparison to streptomycin and fusidic acid as positive controls. The structure assignments of the new compounds are based on chemical and spectroscopic evidence.     

Sequencing and Utilization of the Gossypium Genomes

Revealing the genetic underpinnings of cotton productivity will require understanding both the prehistoric evolution of spinnable fibers, and the results of independent domestication processes in both the Old and New Worlds. Progress toward a reference sequence for the smallest Gossypium genome is a logical stepping-stone toward revealing diversity in the remaining seven genomes (A, B, C, E, F, G, K) that permitted Gossypium species to adapt to a wide range of ecosystems in warmer arid regions of the world, and toward identifying the emergent properties that account for the superior productivity and quality of tetraploid cottons. The greatest challenge facing the cotton community is not genome sequencing per se but the conversion of sequence to knowledge.     

Screening for and isolation and identification of malathion-degrading bacteria: cloning and sequencing a gene that potentially encodes the malathion-degrading enzyme,carboxylestrase in soil bacteria

Five malathion-degrading bacterial strains were enriched and isolated from soil samples collected from different agricultural sites in Cairo, Egypt. Malathion was used as a sole source of carbon (50 mg/l) to enumerate malathion degraders, which were designated as IS1, IS2, IS3, IS4, and IS5. They were identified, based on their morphological and biochemical characteristics, as Pseudomonas sp., Pseudomonas putida, Micrococcus lylae, Pseudomonas aureofaciens, and Acetobacter liquefaciens, respectively. IS1 and IS2, which showed the highest degrading activity, were selected for further identification by partial sequence analysis of their 16S rRNA genes. The 16S rRNA gene of IS1 shared 99% similarity with that of Alphaprotoebacterium BAL284, while IS2 scored 100% similarity with that of Pseudomonas putida 32zhy. Malathion residues almost completely disappeared within 6 days of incubation in IS2 liquid cultures. LC/ESI-MS analysis confirmed the degradation of malathion to malathion monocarboxylic and dicarboxylic acids, which formed as a result of carboxylesterase activity. A carboxylesterase gene (CE) was amplified from the IS2 genome by using specifically designed PCR primers. The sequence analysis showed a significant similarity to a known CE gene in different Pseudomonas sp. We report here the isolation of a new malathion-degrading bacteria from soils in Egypt that may be very well adapted to the climatic and environmental conditions of the country. We also report the partial cloning of a new CE gene. Due to their high biodegradation activity, the bacteria isolated from this work merit further study as potential biological agents for the remediation of soil, water, or crops contaminated with the pesticide malathion.