Enhanced resistance to two stem borers in an aromatic rice containing a synthetic cryIA(b) gene

Rice cultivars of isozyme group V include high-quality, aromatic rices that are difficult to improve by traditional methods because of the loss of quality characters upon sexual hybridization. Their low-tillering plant type predisposes them to economic loss from attack by stem borers, a group of insects to which they are susceptible. We report here the enhancement of stem borer resistance in cv. Tarom Molaii through transformation by microprojectile bombardment. Embryogenic calli derived from mature seeds were bombarded with gold particles coated with plasmid pCIB4421, carrying a synthetic truncated toxin gene based on the cryIA(b) gene from Bacillus thuringiensis, and plasmid pHygII, carrying the hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt) selectable marker gene. Inclusion of 50 mg/l hygromycin B in culture media from bombardment through to rooting of plantlets eliminated escapes. The procedure generated three independent hpt transformants of which two also contained the cryIA(b) gene. One such line (No. 827) produced truncated (67 kDa) CryIA(b) protein equivalent to about 0.1% of total soluble protein. The cryIA(b) gene was controlled by the promoter of the maize C₄ PEP carboxylase gene and was expressed in leaf blades but was not expressed to a detectable level in dehulled mature grain. Line 827 contained about 3 copies of the cryIA(b) gene which segregated as a single dominant Mendelian locus in the second (T₁) and third (T₂) generations and co-segregated with enhanced resistance to first-instar larvae of striped stem borer (Chilo suppressalis) and yellow stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulas). T₂ line 827-6 homozygous for the cryIA(b) gene showed no dead hearts or whiteheads after infestation with stem borers, whereas T₂ line 827-25 lacking the gene averaged 7 dead hearts per plant and 2.25 whiteheads per plant. These results establish that transformation of high-quality rices of group V is a feasible alternative to sexual hybridization.     

LED light mediates phenolic accumulation and enhances antioxidant activity in Melissa officinalis L. under drought stress condition

The popularity of lemon balm in conventional medicine is suggested by the existence of two groups of compounds, namely essential oil and phenylpropanoids pathway derivatives. One of the promising approaches to improve tolerance to drought stress induced oxidative damage in seedlings grown in greenhouses and plant growth chambers is replacing the traditional and high-cost light technologies by recently developed light emitting diodes (LED). In this experiment, we analyzed the role of various LED lights including red (R), blue (B), red (70%) + blue (30%) (RB), and white (W) as well as normal greenhouse light (as control) to stimulate defense mechanisms against drought stress in two genotypes of Melissa officinalis L. The present study demonstrates that pre-treatment with LEDs with high-intensity output for 4 weeks alleviated harmful effects of drought stress in the two genotypes. Under drought stress, RB LED pre-treated plantlets of the two genotypes exhibited the highest relative growth index of shoot and root and total phenolic and anthocyanin content compared to those irradiated with other LEDs and greenhouse lights. The highest amount of malondialdehyde level was detected in R LED exposed plants. In response to drought, LED-exposed plants especially RB light-irradiated plants of the two genotypes maintained significantly higher antioxidant and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzyme activities and higher expression level of the PAL1 and 4CL-1 genes compared to those irradiated with greenhouse light. We concluded that RB LED light provides a better growth condition and resistance to drought stress for the two genotypes of lemon balm by the highest antioxidant activity and the least amount of damage to the cell membranes. Our data suggest that LED light pre-treatments as moderate stress activate antioxidant systems, enhance the scavenging of ROS and induce drought stress tolerance in the two genotypes of lemon balm plants.

     

Kinetic study of Lactococcus lactis strains (SLT6 and SLT10) growth on papain-hydrolysed whey

The effect of controlled whey hydrolysis by papain on growth of two lactic acid bacteria isolated from artisanal Leben: Lactococcus lactis var. diacetylactis (SLT6 and SLT10) was investigated. The higher biomass and maximum specific growth rate (μ _max) were obtained after 30 min of hydrolysis. HPLC analysis of peptides showed that whey hydrolysis reduced the amount of peptides of MW > 400 Da and increased those peptides of MW < 400 Da. The two studied strains exhibited different peptide requirements. The pH-controlled batch cultures in 30 min hydrolysed whey followed the Monod kinetic for growth and for lactate production. The values of the key kinetic constants were: maximum specific growth rate (μ _max), 1.08 and 0.56 h^?1; yield biomass on lactose (Y _x/s), 0.20 and 0.18 g g^?1 and saturation constant K _s, 4.2 and 2.8 g L^?1 for SLT6 and SLT10, respectively. When compared with batch experimental data, the model provided good predictions for growth, lactose utilisation and lactate production profiles.     

Effects of Zinc Supplement on Plasma Homocysteine Level in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients: a Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Increased homocysteine (hCys) level is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular complications in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate effect of zinc (Zn) supplement on serum hCys level in ESRD patients. One hundred ESRD patients with Zn deficiency were enrolled in this double-blind randomized clinical trial. They were randomly subdivided into two groups and supplemented with Zn (Zn group) or placebo (control group) for 6 weeks. Fasting plasma hCys and Zn levels were measured before and at 43rd days after the start of the study. Serum Zn levels increased significantly (p?<?0.0001), in Zn-treated group in comparison to placebo-treated group. In the Zn-treated group, serum hCys levels reduced significantly (p?<?0.0001), compared to placebo group (p?>?0.05). There was a significant (p?<?0.0001) reduction of mean percentage of hCys in Zn-treated group compared to the placebo group. Our study showed that Zn supplementation decreases serum hCys levels in ESRD patients with Zn deficiency.     

Microsporum fulvum, an Ignored Pathogenic Dermatophyte: A New Clinical Isolation from Iran

Misidentifying with Microsporum gypseum has for a long time been accounted for less prevalence of the geophilic species, Microsporum fulvum in human dermatophytosis. We describe a new case of infection with the species in an Iranian young man. Direct examination of skin scrapings revealed a tinea corporis, and morphological study of the recovered isolate from the culture resulted in the identification of M. gypseum. However, PCR amplification of ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 region and subsequent ITS-RFLP and sequencing were indicative of M. fulvum as the true causative agent. To recognize M. fulvum in human infections and to validate the morphologically distinguished isolates of M. gypseum, the genetic-based identification is strongly recommended.     

Efficiency of direct and indirect shoot organogenesis in different genotypes of Rosa hybrida

To optimize indirect regeneration (IR) and direct regeneration (DR) in Rosa hybrida cv. Apollo different explant types and different concentrations of plant growth regulators were investigated. Among the different auxins studied and over all explant types, 10???M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) promoted the highest frequency of callus production for IR. The highest frequency of regeneration (60.8?%) was obtained when calli were transferred to Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 2.5???M thidiazuron (TDZ) and 2???M gibberellic acid. The highest frequency of regeneration (80.2?%) for DR was obtained from leaves cultured on the medium containing 10???M TDZ. The efficiency of IR and DR were compared in four different rose cultivars including ??Apollo??, ??Black Baccara??, ??Maroussia?? and ??Amanda??. The frequency of regeneration in all four cultivars was significantly higher in DR compared to IR. Also shoots regenerated by DR appeared earlier than the shoots regenerated by IR. The results of flow cytometry showed that the shoots derived from IR to DR were tetraploid like the original cultivars.     

Factors that influence the radiofrequency power output of GSM mobile phones

Epidemiological studies of mobile phone use and risk of brain cancer have relied on self-reported use, years as a subscriber, and billing records as exposure surrogates without addressing the level of radiofrequency (RF) power output. The objective of this study was to measure environmental, behavioral and engineering factors affecting the RF power output of GSM mobile phones during operation. We estimated the RF-field exposure of volunteer subjects who made mobile phone calls using software-modified phones (SMPs) that recorded output power settings. Subjects recruited from three geographic areas in the U.S. were instructed to log information (place, time, etc.) for each call made and received during a 5-day period. The largest factor affecting energy output was study area, followed by user movement and location (inside or outside), use of a hands-free device, and urbanicity, although the two latter factors accounted for trivial parts of overall variance. Although some highly statistically significant differences were identified, the effects on average energy output rate were usually less than 50% and were generally comparable to the standard deviation. These results provide information applicable to improving the precision of exposure metrics for epidemiological studies of GSM mobile phones and may have broader application for other mobile phone systems and geographic locations.     

Production of Soluble and Functional Anti-TNF-α Fab' Fragment in Cytoplasm of E. coli: Investigating the Effect of Process Conditions on Cellular Biomass and Protein Yield Using Response Surface Methodology

The Protein Journal - With the increasing dominance of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in the biopharmaceutical industry and smaller antibody fragments bringing notable advantages over full-length...