Chitinase-mediated inhibitory activity of Brassica transgenic on growth of Alternaria brassicae

Chitinase, capable of degrading the cell walls of invading phytopathogenic fungi, plays an important role in plant defense response, particularly when this enzyme is overexpressed through genetic engineering. In the present study, Brassica plant (Brassica juncea L.) was transformed with chitinase gene tagged with an overexpressing promoter 35 S CaMV. The putative transgenics were assayed for their inhibitory activity against Alternaria brassicae, the inducer of Alternaria leaf spot of Brassica both in vitro and under polyhouse conditions. In in vitro fungal growth inhibition assays, chitinase inhibited the fungal colony size by 12-56% over the non-trangenic control. The bioassay under artificial epiphytotic conditions revealed the delay in the onset of disease as well as reduced lesion number and size in 35S-chitinase Brassica as compared to the untransformed control plants.     

Intrauterine hypertension decreases lung VEGF expression and VEGF inhibition causes pulmonary hypertension in the ovine fetus

Although vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a vital role in lung vascular growth in the embryo, its role in maintaining endothelial function and modulating vascular structure during late fetal life has not been studied. We hypothesized that impaired lung VEGF signaling causes pulmonary hypertension, endothelial dysfunction, and structural remodeling before birth. To determine whether lung VEGF expression is decreased in an experimental model of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), we measured lung VEGF and VEGF receptor protein content from fetal lambs 7-10 days after ductus arteriosus ligation (132-140 days gestation; term = 147 days). In contrast with the surge in lung VEGF expression during late gestation in controls, chronic intrauterine pulmonary hypertension reduced lung VEGF expression by 78%. To determine whether VEGF inhibition during late gestation causes pulmonary hypertension, we treated fetal lambs with EYE001, an aptamer that specifically inhibits VEGF(165). Compared with vehicle controls, EYE001 treatment elevated pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance by 22 and 50%, respectively, caused right ventricular hypertrophy, and increased wall thickness of small pulmonary arteries. EYE001 treatment reduced lung endothelial nitric oxide synthase protein content by 50% and preferentially impaired the pulmonary vasodilator response to ACh, an endothelium-dependent agent. We conclude that chronic intrauterine pulmonary hypertension markedly decreases lung VEGF expression and that selective inhibition of VEGF(165) mimics the structural and physiological changes of experimental PPHN. We speculate that hypertension downregulates VEGF expression in the developing lung and that impaired VEGF signaling may contribute to the pathogenesis of PPHN.     

NO and prostaglandin interactions during hemodynamic stress in the fetal ovine pulmonary circulation

Nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI(2)) are potent fetal pulmonary vasodilators, but their relative roles and interactions in the regulation of the perinatal pulmonary circulation are poorly understood. We compared the separate and combined effects of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition during acute hemodynamic stress caused by brief mechanical compression of the ductus arteriosus (DA) in chronically prepared fetal lambs. Nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA; NOS antagonist), meclofenamate (Mec; COX inhibitor), combined drugs (L-NNA-Mec), or saline (control) was infused into the left pulmonary artery (LPA) before DA compression. In controls, DA compression decreased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) by 43% (P < 0.01). L-NNA, but not Mec, treatment completely blocked vasodilation and caused a paradoxical increase in PVR (+31%; P < 0.05). The effects of L-NNA-Mec and L-NNA on PVR were similar. To determine if the vasodilator effect of PGI(2) is partly mediated by NO release, we studied PGI(2)-induced vasodilation before and after NOS inhibition. L-NNA treatment blocked the PGI(2)-induced rise in LPA blood flow by 73% (P < 0.001). We conclude that NO has a greater role than PGs in fetal pulmonary vasoregulation during acute hemodynamic stress and that PGI(2)-induced pulmonary vasodilation is largely mediated by NO release in the fetal lung.     

Purification and characterization of a bacteriocin-like compound (Lichenin) produced anaerobically by Bacillus licheniformis isolated from water buffalo

AIMS: To characterize a bacteriocin-like factor from Bacillus licheniformis 26 L-10/3RA isolated from buffalo rumen. METHODS AND RESULTS: The culture supernatant exhibited the antibacterial activity against a number of indicator organisms in a cut-well agar assay under anaerobic conditions. The inhibitory component was purified by following ammonium sulphate precipitation, gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography and confirmed to be a single peptide. A single band on tricine-sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis confirmed that the peptide was purified to homogeneity and having an estimated molecular mass of approximately 1400 dalton. Complete amino acid sequence of the peptide yielded 12 amino acids from the N-terminal end (ISLEICXIFHDN). No homology with previously reported bacteriocins was observed and has been designated as Lichenin. Lichenin was found to be hydrophobic, sensitive to atmospheric oxygen, retained biological activity even after boiling for 10 min and was active over a pH range of 4.0-9.0. CONCLUSIONS: The Lichenin represents the first anaerobiosis specific expression of bacteriocin-like compound isolated from Bacillus licheniformis 26 L-10/3RA of buffalo rumen origin. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Lichenin could be a potential candidate for manipulating the rumen function at molecular level intended for improving the productivity of the ruminant.     

Experimental induction of equine protozoan myeloencephalitis (EPM) in the horse: effect of Sarcocystis neurona sporocyst inoculation dose on the development of clinical neurologic disease

The effect of inoculation dose of Sarcocystis neurona sporocysts on the development of clinical neurologic disease in horses was investigated. Twenty-four seronegative weanling horses were subjected to the natural stress of transport and then randomly assigned to 6 treatment groups of 4 horses each. Horses were then immediately inoculated with either 10(2), 10(3), 10(4), 10(5), or 10(6) S. neurona sporocysts or placebo using nasogastric tube and housed indoors. Weekly neurologic examinations were performed by a blinded observer. Blood was collected weekly for antibody determination by Western blot analysis. Cerebrospinal fluid was collected before inoculation and before euthanasia for S. neurona antibody determination.Horses were killed and necropsied between 4 and 5 wk after inoculation. Differences were detected among dose groups based on seroconversion times, severity of clinical neurologic signs, and presence of microscopic lesions. Seroconversion of challenged horses was observed as early as 14 days postinfection in the 10(6) sporocyst dose group. Mild to moderate clinical signs of neurologic disease were produced in challenged horses from all groups, with the most consistent signs seen in the 10(6) sporocyst dose group. Histologic lesions suggestive of S. neurona infection were detected in 4 of the 20 horses fed sporocysts. Parasites were not detected in equine tissues by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, or bioassay in gamma-interferon gene knockout mice. Control horses remained seronegative for the duration of the study and had no histologic evidence of protozoal infection.     

The proteolytic release of genotoxins from cooked beef

Dietary factors are important in the aetiology of human cancer and carcinogens, mostly heterocyclic aromatic amines, have been isolated from cooked proteinaceous foodstuffs. Whilst such carcinogens have induced tumours in rodent bioassays, the dosages required were much higher than estimates of human exposure levels. We have examined the possibility that genotoxins, which were not extractable prior to enzymic digestion, may be released from cooked beef by proteolysis. Dichloromethane and/or a solid-phase tandem extraction procedure were used with aqueous homogenates of pan-fried or uncooked beef, both before and after proteolysis (proteinase K). Genotoxicity was measured using the alkaline single cell-gel electrophoresis ('Comet') assay in MCL-5 cells and mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA1538 or YG1019. Proteolysis released significant amounts of DNA-damaging material that was not extractible prior to enzymic digestion, suggesting that human exposures to diet-derived genotoxins may have been underestimated.     

Distribution of cells bearing B-cell alloantigen(s) in North Indian rheumatic fever/rheumatic heart disease patients

Numerous investigators have developed monoclonal antibodies against B-cell alloantigen(s) of rheumatic fever. However, the developed monoclonals do not have the same significance in all the populations. We have developed a battery of monoclonals against B-cell alloantigens of North Indian rheumatic fever patients. In the present study, we have used these monoclonals to examine the frequency of rheumatic antigens in 30 patients with recurrence of rheumatic activity (RRA), 30 of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) patients and 50 controls using alkaline phosphatase anti-alkaline phosphatase (APAAP) technique. These patients were examined at the time of registry and after three months follow up. RRA patients showed higher percentage of lymphocyte positive as compare to RHD and controls. Interestingly, On follow-up RRA patients showed significant decline in positive lymphocyte as compare to first visit whereas no such change was observed in RHD patients. There were 90–93% of RRA and RHD patients positive with these monoclonals. A significant age variation of rheumatic cells was also noticed in all groups of rheumatic patients. We conclude that monoclonals raised from the same ethnic population are highly specific and cost effective to use them to develop an easy field test system such as APAAP, to identify the individual at risk, to develop rheumatic fever. It is also suggested that the alloantigen marker may persist through out life and gets activated after recurrence of the disease.     

Estradiol improves pulmonary hemodynamics and vascular remodeling in perinatal pulmonary hypertension

Partial ligation of the ductus arteriosus (DA) in the fetal lamb causes sustained elevation of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and hypertensive structural changes in small pulmonary arteries, providing an animal model for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. Based on its vasodilator and antimitogenic properties in other experimental studies, we hypothesized that estradiol (E(2)) would attenuate the pulmonary vascular structural and hemodynamic changes caused by pulmonary hypertension in utero. To test our hypothesis, we treated chronically instrumented fetal lambs (128 days, term = 147 days) with daily infusions of E(2) (10 microg; E(2) group, n = 6) or saline (control group, n = 5) after partial ligation of the DA. We measured intrauterine pulmonary and systemic artery pressures in both groups throughout the study period. After 8 days, we delivered the study animals by cesarean section to measure their hemodynamic responses to birth-related stimuli. Although pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures were not different in utero, fetal PVR immediately before ventilation was reduced in the E(2)-treated group (2.43 +/- 0.79 vs. 1.48 +/- 0.26 mmHg. ml(-1). min, control vs. E(2), P < 0.05). During the subsequent delivery study, PVR was lower in the E(2)-treated group in response to ventilation with hypoxic gas but was not different between groups with ventilation with 100% O(2). During mechanical ventilation after delivery, arterial partial O(2) pressure was higher in E(2) animals than controls (41 +/- 11 vs. 80 +/- 35 Torr, control vs. E(2), P < 0. 05). Morphometric studies of hypertensive vascular changes revealed that E(2) treatment decreased wall thickness of small pulmonary arteries (59 +/- 1 vs. 48 +/- 1%, control vs. E(2), P < 0.01). We conclude that chronic E(2) treatment in utero attenuates the pulmonary hemodynamic and histological changes caused by DA ligation in fetal lambs.