Association of IFN-gamma and IL-10 gene variants with the risk of extrapulmonary tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is a chronic infectious disease. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is an important cytokine imparting resistance to mycobacterial diseases. It is believed that IFN-γ and Interleukin-10 (IL-10) play divergent roles in the host immune system against MTB infection. IL-10 is an important inhibitory cytokine and helps balancing the inflammatory and immune responses. IL-10 is involved in down regulation of Th1 cytokines, MHC class II antigen and co-stimulatory molecular expression on macrophages, while IFN-γ results in macrophage activation allowing them to exert the microbicidal role. The objectives were to find out the association of IL-10 (?1082 A/G) and IFN-γ (+874 A/T) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with extrapulmonary tuberculosis in ethnic Kashmiri population. A total of 100 extrapulmonary tuberculosis cases and 102 healthy controls were analyzed for IL-10 (?1082 A/G) and IFN- γ (+874 A/T) SNPs using Allele-Specific PCR. We found a significant association of IFN-γ + 874 ‘TT’ genotype with extrapulmonary tuberculosis (p = 0.006) and in case of IL-10 (?1082 A/G) we found a significant association with extrapulmonary tuberculosis under recessive model (GG vs GA + AA) (p = 0.03) in Kashmiri population. IL-10 (?1082 A/G) and IFN-γ (+874 A/T) have a significant association with extrapulmonary tuberculosis in ethnic Kashmiri population.     

ASF1A and ATM regulate H3K56-mediated cell-cycle checkpoint recovery in response to UV irradiation

Successful DNA repair within chromatin requires coordinated interplay of histone modifications, chaperones and remodelers for allowing access of repair and checkpoint machineries to damaged sites. Upon completion of repair, ordered restoration of chromatin structure and key epigenetic marks herald the cell’s normal function. Here, we demonstrate such a restoration role of H3K56 acetylation (H3K56Ac) mark in response to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of human cells. A fast initial deacetylation of H3K56 is followed by full renewal of an acetylated state at ~24–48 h post-irradiation. Histone chaperone, anti-silencing function-1 A (ASF1A), is crucial for post-repair H3K56Ac restoration, which in turn, is needed for the dephosphorylation of γ-H2AX and cellular recovery from checkpoint arrest. On the other hand, completion of DNA damage repair is not dependent on ASF1A or H3K56Ac. H3K56Ac restoration is regulated by ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) checkpoint kinase. These cross-talking molecular cellular events reveal the important pathway components influencing the regulatory function of H3K56Ac in the recovery from UV-induced checkpoint arrest.     

MicroRNA-377 Regulates Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Induced Angiogenesis in Ischemic Hearts by Targeting VEGF

MicroRNAs have been appreciated in various cellular functions, including the regulation of angiogenesis. Mesenchymal-stem-cells (MSCs) transplanted to the MI heart improve cardiac function through paracrine-mediated angiogenesis. However, whether microRNAs regulate MSC induced angiogenesis remains to be clarified. Using microRNA microarray analysis, we identified a microRNA expression profile in hypoxia-treated MSCs and observed that among all dysregulated microRNAs, microRNA-377 was decreased the most significantly. We also validated that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a target of microRNA-377 using dual-luciferase reporter assay and Western-blotting. Knockdown of endogenous microRNA-377 promoted tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. We then engineered rat MSCs with lentiviral vectors to either overexpress microRNA-377 (MSC^miR-377) or knockdown microRNA-377 (MSC^Anti-377) to investigate whether microRNA-377 regulated MSC-induced myocardial angiogenesis, using MSCs infected with lentiviral empty vector to serve as controls (MSC^Null). Four weeks after implantation of the microRNA-engineered MSCs into the infarcted rat hearts, the vessel density was significantly increased in MSC^Anti-377-hearts, and this was accompanied by reduced fibrosis and improved myocardial function as compared to controls. Adverse effects were observed in MSC^miR-377-treated hearts, including reduced vessel density, impaired myocardial function, and increased fibrosis in comparison with MSC^Null-group. These findings indicate that hypoxia-responsive microRNA-377 directly targets VEGF in MSCs, and knockdown of endogenous microRNA-377 promotes MSC-induced angiogenesis in the infarcted myocardium. Thus, microRNA-377 may serve as a novel therapeutic target for stem cell-based treatment of ischemic heart disease.     

An efficient and reproducible method for regeneration of whole plants from mature seeds of a high yielding Indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety PAU 201

Tissue culture is one of the tools necessary for genetic engineering and many other breeding programs. Moreover, selection of high regenerating rice varieties is a pre-requisite for success in rice biotechnology. In this report we established a reproducible plant regeneration system through somatic embryogenesis. The explants used for regeneration were embryogenic calli derived from mature seeds cultured on callus induction media. For callus induction mature seeds were cultured on MS medium containing 30 g/l sucrose combined with 560 mg/l proline and 1.5-3.5 mg/l 2,4-D and 0.5-1.5 mg/l Kin. For plant regeneration, embryogenic calli were transferred to MS medium containing 30 g/l sucrose, supplemented with 1.0-3.0 mg/l BAP, 0.5-1.5 mg/l Kin and 0.5-1.5 mg/l NAA. The highest frequency of callus induction (44.4%) was observed on the MS medium supplemented with 2.5 mg/l 2,4-D, 0.5 mg/l Kin, 560 mg/l proline and 30 g/l sucrose. The highest frequency of shoot regeneration (42.5%) was observed on the MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l BAP, 0.5 mg/l NAA and 0.5 mg/l Kin. The plantlets were hardened and transferred to soil in earthen pots. The developed method was highly reproducible. The in vitro developed plants showed normal growth and flowering under glasshouse conditions.     

Centriolar SAS-5 is required for centrosome duplication in C. elegans

Centrosomes, the major microtubule-organizing centres (MTOCs) of animal cells, are comprised of a pair of centrioles surrounded by pericentriolar material (PCM). Early in the cell cycle, there is a single centrosome, which duplicates during S-phase to direct bipolar spindle assembly during mitosis. Although crucial for proper cell division, the mechanisms that govern centrosome duplication are not fully understood. Here, we identify the Caenorhabditis elegans gene sas-5 as essential for daughter-centriole formation. SAS-5 is a coiled-coil protein that localizes primarily to centrioles. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments with green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to SAS-5 (GFP-SAS-5) demonstrated that the protein shuttles between centrioles and the cytoplasm throughout the cell cycle. Analysis of mutant alleles revealed that the presence of SAS-5 at centrioles is crucial for daughter-centriole formation and that ZYG-1, a kinase that is also essential for this process, controls the distribution of SAS-5 to centrioles. Furthermore, partial RNA-interference (RNAi)-mediated inactivation experiments suggest that both sas-5 and zyg-1 are dose-dependent regulators of centrosome duplication.     

Effect of legume-based cropping systems on nitrogen mineralization potential of Vertisol

The quantity and patterns of net mineralization of soil nitrogen (N) were studied in Vertisols under different cropping systems in the semi-arid tropical areas. Eight cropping systems were selected; three contained pigeonpea (PP), one contained PP and cowpea (COP), and two contained chickpea (CP) as legume component crops, one included sequence cropping with nonlegumes during the rainy and postrainy seasons, and one system was kept fallow (F) during the rainy season and sown to sorghum (S) during the postrainy season. Cropping systems with PP as a component crop increased mineralizable N(N _o ) content two-fold in the soil compared with fallow + sorghum (F+S)–F+S system. The N mineralization rate constant (k) was not significantly affected by previous cropping history of the soil; however, a numerically higher rate constant was observed in the COP/PP intercrop, followed by sequential S+safflower (SF) system as compared to the other soils. Mineral N accumulation curves for six soils were more accurately described by the exponential model than the linear model. The active N fraction (N _o /N_tot %) varied between 8 and 16% for different systems and a direct relationship was observed between N _o /N_tot and total N for the soils under diverse cropping systems.ICRISAT JA (1638)     

Regeneration of plants from the culture of leaves and axillary buds in mulberry (Morus indica L.)

Stem segments, axillary buds and leaves excised from established shoot cultures of Morus indica were soaked in MS liquid medium containing benzyladenine (0.5, 1, 2 mg/1) and were cultured subsequently on semi solid medium of the same composition. Numerous shoot buds differentiated from leaf and axillary buds but stem segments were unresponsive. The shoot buds on isolation and culture developed into plantlets. Callus tissues which developed at the base of the leaf explant upon subculture also differentiated numerous shoot buds.Abbreviations BA benzyl adenine - CM coconut milk - 2, 4-D 2, 4 dichlorophenoxy acetic acid - Kn kinetin - MS Murashige and Skoog - Z zeatin     

Mechanistic regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition through RAS signaling pathway and therapeutic implications in human cancer

RAS effector signaling instead of being simple, unidirectional and linear cascade, is actually recognized as highly complex and dynamic signaling network. RAF-MEK-ERK cascade, being at the center of complex signaling network, links to multiple scaffold proteins through feed forward and feedback mechanisms and dynamically regulate tumor initiation and progression. Three isoforms of Ras harbor mutations in a cell and tissue specific manner. Besides mutations, their epigenetic silencing also attributes them to exhibit oncogenic activities. Recent evidences support the functions of RAS oncoproteins in the acquisition of tumor cells with Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) features/ epithelial plasticity, enhanced metastatic potential and poor patient survival. Google Scholar electronic databases and PubMed were searched for original papers and reviews available till date to collect information on stimulation of EMT core inducers in a Ras driven cancer and their regulation in metastatic spread. Improved understanding of the mechanistic basis of regulatory interactions of microRNAs (miRs) and EMT by reprogramming the expression of targets in Ras activated cancer, may help in designing effective anticancer therapies. Apparent lack of adverse events associated with the delivery of miRs and tissue response make ‘drug target miRNA’ an ideal therapeutic tool to achieve progression free clinical response.