Response of Contrasting Rice Genotypes to Zinc Sources under Saline Conditions

Abiotic stresses are among the major limiting factors for plant growth and crop productivity. Among these, salinity is one of the major risk factors for plant growth and development in arid to semi-arid regions. Cultivation of salt tolerant crop genotypes is one of the imperative approaches to meet the food demand for increasing population. The current experiment was carried out to access the performance of different rice genotypes under salinity stress and Zinc (Zn) sources. Four rice genotypes were grown in a pot experiment and were exposed to salinity stress (7 dS m⁻¹), and Zn (15 mg kg⁻¹ soil) was applied from two sources, ZnSO₄ and Zn-EDTA. A control of both salinity and Zn was kept for comparison. Results showed that based on the biomass accumulation and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio, KSK-133 and BAS-198 emerged as salt tolerant and salt sensitive, respectively. Similarly, based on the Zn concentration, BAS-2000 was reported as Zn-in-efficient while IR-6 was a Zn-efficient genotype. Our results also revealed that plant growth, relative water content (RWC), physiological attributes including chlorophyll contents, ionic concentrations in straw and grains of all rice genotypes were decreased under salinity stress. However, salt tolerant and Zn-in-efficient rice genotypes showed significantly higher shoot K⁺ and Zn concentrations under saline conditions. Zinc application significantly alleviates the harmful effects of salinity by improving morpho-physiological attributes and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities, and the uptake of K and Zn. The beneficial effect of Zn was more pronounced in salt-tolerant and Zn in-efficient rice genotypes as compared with salt-sensitive and Zn-efficient genotypes. In sum, our results confirmed that Zn application increased overall plant’s performance under saline conditions, particularly in Zn in-efficient and tolerant genotypes as compared with salt-sensitive and Zn efficient rice genotypes.     

Renal effects of long-term leptin infusion and preventive role of losartan treatment in rats

BACKGROUND: Leptin has direct and indirect effects on renal pathophysiological characteristics. In the present study, the effects of long-term leptin infusion on the renal hemodynamics, renal excretory functions, and the expression of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels, and preventive effects of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist, losartan, on these renal changes were evaluated. METHODS: The study was performed by using forty Wistar albino rats. On day 0, osmotic mini-pumps filled with leptin or placebo were intraperitoneally placed under sterile conditions. The rats in Group L (Leptin group, n=15) and Group LL (Leptin-losartan group, n=15) were given recombinant murine leptin at a rate of 250 ng per hour for 28 days. Control rats (Group C, n=10) were administered placebo at the same infusion rate. The rats in Group LL were also administered losartan (10 mg kg(-1) d(-1)) perorally for 28 days. On day 28, the rats were placed in metabolic cages, and the food and water intakes were determined, and the urine was collected for 24 h. At the end of the study, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were determined directly from the left femoral artery, and renal blood flow (RBF) was recorded indirectly using a laser Doppler flow module. RESULTS: Leptin infusion did not produce any changes in systemic arterial blood pressures and urinary flow rate. The rates of creatinine (Cr), sodium (Na), and protein excretions of the animals infused leptin were significantly increased. The urinary Cr and Na excretions were decreased, while the urinary protein excretion was normalized with the losartan treatment. The rats infused leptin had also higher circulating ET-1 levels. ET-1 levels were also reversed to the normal values with the losartan treatment. Renal TGF-beta1 expression was determined immunohistochemically, and it was more prominent in the renal tubules from the rats treated with leptin. The losartan treatment had no effect on renal TGF-beta1 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that pathophysiological increases in plasma leptin concentrations cause enhanced renal Na, Cr and protein excretions, and high circulating ET-1 levels. Na and Cr excretions were decreased, while proteinuria and plasma ET-1 levels were normalized by losartan treatment, suggesting that renin-angiotensin system activation may have a role in leptin induced renal changes. TGF-beta1 may have an important role in leptin induced nephropathy.     

RNA challenges for computational chemists

Some experimental results for the thermodynamics of RNA folding cannot be explained by simple pairwise hydrogen-bonding models. Such effects include the stabilities of isoguanosine-isocytidine (iG-iC) base pairs and of various 2 x 2 nucleotide internal loops. Presumably, these results can be explained by base stacking effects, which can be partitioned into Coulombic and overlap effects. We review experimental measurements that provide benchmarks for testing the approximations and theories used for modeling nucleic acids. Quantitative agreement between experiment and theory will indicate understanding of the interactions determining RNA stability and structure.     

The impact of factor XIIIa V34L polymorphism on plasma factor XIII activity in the Chinese and Asian Indians from Singapore

Factor XIII (FXIII) is a plasma transglutaminase that is essential for normal haemostasis and fibrinolysis. A few polymorphic sites have been identified in the gene, one of them being a point mutation (V34L) in exon 2 of the FXIIIa subunit gene leading to an amino acid change of valine to leucine. We have examined the role of this polymorphism in relation to plasma FXIII activity in a total of 532 healthy individuals belonging to two ethnic groups in Singapore. The frequency of the L34 allele was significantly higher (P<0.001) among the Asian Indians (0.08) when compared with the Chinese (0.005). No significant difference in frequency of the L34 allele was observed between Asian Indian CAD patients and controls. The mean FXIII levels were significantly higher (P<0.0005) among the Asian Indians (148.4%±35.5) when compared with Chinese (111.2%±26.7). The L34 variant was associated with increased FXIII activity among Asian Indian females. This study shows that both racial and genetic components play a significant role in determining plasma FXIII activity. The effect of V34L polymorphism on FXIII activity in the Indian females is independent of the effects of the P564L and E651Q polymorphic sites in the FXIIIa gene.C.-K. Heng and S. Lal contributed equally to this work     

Impact of rapid urbanization on the floral diversity and agriculture land of district Dir,Pakistan

In the World urbanization is a serious problem especially in developing countries which creates serious environmental problems like climatic and ecological changes in the ecosystem. The present paper aims to explain urbanization that causes loss of agriculture lands, biodiversity, soil erosions and grazing in District Dir. Urbanization decreased species richness such as Salix alba and Populus alba in the last few years in the local area. Soil of local area was divided into three different zones and was tested for soil texture and mineral percentage. Zone I soil showed sandy loamy texture with a pH of 8.3, Nitrogen 0.012%, Phosphorus 5.0% and organic matter was 0.74 (ppm). Zone II soil was loamy sand in texture with pH 8.1, Nitrogen 0.011%, Phosphorus 6.2%, and organic matter was 0.24 (ppm) while Zone III soil texture was silty clay loam with a pH of 8.1, Nitrogen 0.032%, Phosphorus 11.3%, and organic matter was 0.60 (ppm). The current work concludes that urbanizations affect natural biodiversity and agriculture lands, and that soil erosion and watering-points trampled by livestock is one of the significant problems in district Dir, and that the main degrading factor is the overexploitation of vegetation for fuel-wood and livestock grazing.     

Circulating tumor cell isolation,culture, and downstream molecular analysis

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are a major contributor of cancer metastases and hold a promising prognostic significance in cancer detection. Performing functional and molecular characterization of CTCs provides an in-depth knowledge about this lethal disease. Researchers are making efforts to design devices and develop assays for enumeration of CTCs with a high capture and detection efficiency from whole blood of cancer patients. The existing and on-going research on CTC isolation methods has revealed cell characteristics which are helpful in cancer monitoring and designing of targeted cancer treatments. In this review paper, a brief summary of existing CTC isolation methods is presented. We also discuss methods of detaching CTC from functionalized surfaces (functional assays/devices) and their further use for ex-vivo culturing that aid in studies regarding molecular properties that encourage metastatic seeding. In the clinical applications section, we discuss a number of cases that CTCs can play a key role for monitoring metastases, drug treatment response, and heterogeneity profiling regarding biomarkers and gene expression studies that bring treatment design further towards personalized medicine.     

Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein and Related Glycoconjugates in Developing Cat Peripheral Nerve: A Correlative Biochemical and Morphometric Study

The expression and accumulation of the myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and other glycoconjugates have been studied during myelination in the developing cat peripheral nervous system. The glycoconjugates studied have in common a similar carbohydrate determinant which is bound by many antibodies, including the mouse monoclonal antibody HNK-1, and human IgM paraproteins from patients with neuropathy. In addition to MAG, the reactive glycoconjugates include a 60-kilodalton (kD) glycoprotein and a group of 20-26 kD glycoproteins, as well as a group of recently identified acidic glycolipids, the major one of which is sulfate-3-glucuronyl paragloboside (SGPG). The accumulation of these glycoproteins and glycolipids is compared with the established myelin proteins P0, P1, and P2 and with morphometric indices of myelin volume and axonal perimeter. The study demonstrates that MAG appears and accumulates very early during myelination, being present at 15% of the maximum level prior to the appearance of P0, and at 80% of the maximum level when P0 is at 30% of its maximum level. In the adult, the level of MAG falls to 60% maximum. The 60 kD and 20-26 kD glycoproteins accumulate at the same time as or later than P0, suggesting that they are either compact myelin proteins or in membranes closely associated with compact myelin. SGPG accumulates with P0 early in myelination, but falls to 60% of maximum in the adult. By comparing biochemical and morphometric data, we demonstrate that P0 and other compact myelin proteins accumulate synchronously with the increase in myelin area. MAG accumulation, however, is closely related to changes in axonal perimeter, consistent with a predominant localization of MAG to the periaxonal membranes in the peripheral nervous system.     

Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein Shares an Antigenic Determinant with a Glycoprotein of Human Melanoma Cells

A sulfated 100K-dalton glycoprotein has been shown to be released into the culture medium of melanoma cells. Monoclonal antibodies 10C5 and 11B5, which were raised to human melanoma cells, as well as HNK-1 bind to this glycoprotein. It is shown here that mouse anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) carbohydrate antibodies raised to human MAG and a human IgM paraprotein associated with neuropathy also bind to the same 100K molecule. However, anti-MAG antibodies recognizing peptide epitopes do not appear to react with this glycoprotein of melanoma cells, a result suggesting that its similarity to MAG is restricted to shared carbohydrate moieties. The anti-melanoma antibodies (10C5 and 11B5) resemble HNK-1 in binding to MAG and to some 19-28K-dalton glycoproteins and sulfated, glucuronic acid-containing sphingoglycolipids of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). In addition, the anti-melanoma antibodies cross-react with neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM), an observation emphasizing the shared antigenicity between MAG and other adhesion molecules. The results demonstrate that the anti-melanoma antibodies fall into a class of monoclonal antibodies (including HNK-1, human IgM paraproteins associated with neuropathy, anti-human MAG antibodies, and L2 antibodies) that are characterized by reactivity against related carbohydrate determinants shared by human MAG, N-CAM, and several protein and lipid glycoconjugates of the PNS.     

Structure of sulfated glucuronyl glycolipids in the nervous system reacting with HNK-1 antibody and some IgM paraproteins in neuropathy

Novel sulfated glucuronic acid-containing glycolipids have been identified in the nervous system. These glycolipids are highly antigenic and share antigenic determinants with several nervous system glycoproteins, such as neural cell adhesion molecules, myelin-associated glycoprotein, and ependymins. The structure of the major antigenic glycolipid from human peripheral nerve was determined by chemical and enzymatic degradation, incorporation studies, sugar analysis after permethylation, pertrimethylsilylation, and gas liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques as well as fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry of the native antigen. The following structure was established for the major antigenic glycolipid. sulfate-3-GlcA beta(1---3)Gal beta(1----4)GlcNAc beta(1----3)Gal beta(1----4)Glc beta(1----1)-ceramide. The major fatty acids in the ceramide were 18:0, 18:1, 24:0, and 24:1, with C18-sphingenine as the long chain base.     

The monoclonal antibody HNK-1 reacts with a human peripheral nerve ganglioside

The monoclonal HNK-1 antibody, a marker for human natural killer cells, strongly reacted with human peripheral nerve gangliosides in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Autoradiography after the binding of HNK-1 to thin-layer chromatograms of peripheral nerve gangliosides followed by radioiodinated goat anti-mouse IgM revealed that HNK-1 was reacting with a minor ganglioside that chromatographed between GM1 and GD1a. The antigen was insensitive to digestion with neuraminidase and pronase.