Study of Microflora in Malaysian Dried Fishes and Their Decontamination by Gamma-irradiation

The distribution of microorganisms in 10 samples of salted dried fish and the effects of irradiation of them were studied. The total aerobic bacteria in commercial dried fish were determined to be from 2 × 10⁴ to 3 × 10⁶ per gram. Mold counts were 1 × 10² to 7 × 10³ per gram with a lower amount of yeasts. In spoiled dried fish, total aerobic bacteria were determined to be 4× 10⁶ or 1 × 10⁷ per gram with a few yeasts. Coliforms were not isolated on MacConkey agar plates from any of the samples. The predominant bacteria occurring in spoiled dried fish were Pediococcus halophilus, Vibrio costicola and Planococcus sp. More than 50% of the molds consisted of the Aspergillus niger group, whereas lower amounts of the A. flavus, A. fumigatus and A. ochraceus groups, Penicillium chrysogenum series, etc. were also isolated from many samples of dried fish. All kinds of putrefactive microorganisms were radiation sensitive, and a dose of ca. 500 krad appears to be sufficient for extension of the shelf-life of dried fish from 2 to 4 times.     

High Coke-Resistance Pt/Mg1-xNixO Catalyst for Dry Reforming of Methane

A highly active and stable nano structured Pt/Mg_1-xNi_xO catalysts was developed by a simple co-precipitation method. The obtained Pt/Mg_1-xNi_xO catalyst exhibited cubic structure nanocatalyst with a size of 50–80 nm and realized CH₄ and CO₂ conversions as high as 98% at 900°C with excellent stability in the dry reforming of methane. The characterization of catalyst was performed using various kinds of analytical techniques including XRD, BET, XRF, TPR-H₂, TGA, TEM, FESEM, FT-IR, and XPS analyses. Characterization of spent catalyst further confirms that Pt/Mg_1-xNi_xO catalyst has high coke-resistance for dry reforming. Thus, the catalyst demonstrated in this study, offers a promising catalyst for resolving the dilemma between dispersion and reducibility of supported metal, as well as activity and stability during high temperature reactions.     

Identification,cDNA Cloning,and Characterization of Luteinizing Hormone Beta Subunit (lhb) Gene in Catla catla

Reproductive hormones play a significant role in the gonadal development and gametogenesis process of animals. In the present study luteinizing hormone beta, (lhb) subunit gene was cloned and characterized from the brain of Catla catla. The lhb full-length of cDNA sequence is 629 bp which consists of 43bp 5'-UTR (untranslated region) 447bp, ORF(open reading frame) and 139 bp of 3'-UTR respectively. The coding region of lhb gene encoded a peptide of 148 amino acids. The coding sequence of lhb gene consist of a single N-linked glycosylation site (NET) and 12 cysteine knot residues. Phylogenetic analysis of C. catla Lhβ deduced amino acid sequence showed high similarity with Carassius auratus followed by Gobiocypris rarus. 3D structure Lhβ protein comprises of five β-sheets and six coils/loops. The qPCR results revealed lhb mRNA is mainly expressed in the pituitary, ovary while moderate expression was observed in brain and testis. To best our knowledge, this is the first report on the identification, molecular characterization and structural information regarding luteinizing hormone in Indian major carp.     

Genetic variation,demographic history and phylogeography of tire track eel,Mastacembelus favus (Synbranchiformes: Mastacembelidae) in Southeast Asia

The complex climatic and geological history of Southeast Asia has been hypothesised to determine the most important aspects of the current phylogeographical structure and distribution of living organisms throughout the region. To test existing hypotheses, the genetic structure of the tire track eel, Mastacembelus favus, was investigated using 823 bp of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b from 469 individuals from 51 localities encompassing its native range. The results classified all haplotypes into two major lineages, Lineage 1, which was further divided into Lineages 1a (lower Mekong, eastern Gulf of Thailand and Malay—Thai Peninsula), 1b (Banpakong River), 1c (Chao Phraya, Gulf of Thailand and Malay—Thai Peninsula) and 1d (Khlang Yai River), and Lineage 2, the upper reaches of the lower Mekong and the middle Mekong. Strong genetic discontinuities dated approximately 5 MYA were discovered in the Mekong with limited geographical overlap, suggesting a historically dissected drainage between two sections and species colonisation via different routes. The widespread Lineage 1 showed a strong signature of population expansion during the Pleistocene climate oscillation. Haplotype characteristics in the Malay—Thai Peninsula are hypothesised to result from postglacial dispersal from the Mekong and Chao Phraya through an extended Pleistocene drainage network.

     

Investigation of deleterious effects of nsSNPs in the POT1 gene: a structural genomics-based approach to understand the mechanism of cancer development

Protection of telomere 1 (POT1) is one of the key components of shelterin complex, implicated in maintaining the telomere homeostasis, and thus stability of the eukaryotic genome. A large number of non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) in the POT1 gene have been reported to cause varieties of human diseases, including cancer. In recent years, a number of mutations in POT1 has been markedly increased, and interpreting the effect of these large numbers of mutations to understand the mechanism of associated diseases seems impossible using experimental approaches. Herein, we employ varieties of computational methods such as PROVEAN, PolyPhen-2, SIFT, PoPMuSiC, SDM2, STRUM, and MAESTRO to identify the effects of 387 nsSNPs on the structure and function of POT1 protein. We have identified about 183 nsSNPs as deleterious and termed them as “high-confidence nsSNPs.” Distribution of these high-confidence nsSNPs demonstrates that the mutation in oligonucleotide binding domain 1 is highly deleterious (one in every three nsSNPs), and high-confidence nsSNPs show a strong correlation with residue conservation. The structure analysis provides a detailed insights into the structural changes occurred in consequence of conserved mutations which lead to the cancer progression. This study, for the first time, offers a newer prospective on the role of POT1 mutations on the structure, function, and their relation to associated diseases.     

Synergism of cellulase enzymes in mixed culture solid substrate fermentation

Sugar cane bagasse was subjected to a mixed culture, solid substrate fermentation with Trichoderma reesei QM9414 and Aspergillus terreus SUK-1 to produce cellulase and reducing sugars. The highest cellulase activity and reducing sugar amount were obtained in mixed culture. The percentage of substrate degradation achieved employing mixed culture was 26% compared to 50% using separate cultures of the two molds. This suggests that the synergism of enzymes in mixed culture solid substrate fermentation have lower synergism than in pure culture.     

Biological kinetics evaluation of anaerobic stabilization pond treatment of palm oil mill effluent

Biological kinetic (bio-kinetic) study of the anaerobic stabilization pond treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME) was carried out in a laboratory anaerobic bench scale reactor (ABSR). The reactor was operated at different feed flow-rates of 0.63, 0.76, 0.95, 1.27, 1.9 and 3.8 l of raw POME for a day. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) as influent substrates was selected for bio-kinetic study. The investigation showed that the growth yield (Y_G), specific biomass decay (b), maximum specific biomass growth rate (μ_max), saturation constant (K_s) and critical retention time (Θ_c) were in the range of 0.990 g VSS/g COD_removed day, 0.024 day⁻¹, 0.524 day⁻¹, 203.433 g COD l⁻¹ and 1.908 day, respectively.     

Online flow cytometry for monitoring apoptosis in mammalian cell cultures as an application for process analytical technology

Apoptosis is the main driver of cell death in bioreactor suspension cell cultures during the production of biopharmaceuticals from animal cell lines. It is known that apoptosis also has an effect on the quality and quantity of the expressed recombinant protein. This has raised the importance of studying apoptosis for implementing culture optimization strategies. The work here describes a novel approach to obtain near real time data on proportion of viable, early apoptotic, late apoptotic and necrotic cell populations in a suspension CHO culture using automated sample preparation in conjunction with flow cytometry. The resultant online flow cytometry data can track the progression of apoptotic events in culture, aligning with analogous manual methodologies and giving similar results. The obtained near-real time apoptosis data are a significant improvement in monitoring capabilities and can lead to improved control strategies and research data on complex biological systems in bioreactor cultures in both academic and industrial settings focused on process analytical technology applications.