Polymorphic microsatellite and cryptic simple repeat sequence markers in pineapples (Ananas comosus var. comosus)

A rapid method for isolating microsatellite loci in pineapples, based on the 5′‐anchored polymerase chain reaction technique, revealed 137 microsatellite loci (consisting of 62 dinucleotide, 24 trinucleotide, 49 tetranucleotide and 2 hexanucleotide repeats) and 16 cryptically simple repeat sequences. We report on the characterization of 19 polymorphic microsatellite loci and one cryptic simple repeat loci in pineapples. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to four while the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.1705 to 1. These markers are useful as tools for detecting levels of genetic variation in pineapple varieties for germplasm management and crossbreeding purposes.     

Characterization of MTNR1A gene in terms of genetic variability in a panel of subtemperate and subtropical Indian sheep breeds

Seasonality of animals is an important adaptive trait for successful survival and production during limited food availability and extreme environmental conditions. Photoperiodic changes in day length are utilized by these seasonal animals as an important environmental cue for regulating their annual rhythms of reproduction cycles. Melatonin is an important hormone which is secreted by the pineal gland in proportion to darkness and its effect is mediated by melatonin receptor subtypes, principally MTNR1A. In the present study, polymorphism in the coding sequence at two important SNPs (C606T and G612A), known to be markers for out of season breeding in sheep were studied by PCR-RFLP in a panel of four breeds of sheep from subtemperate and subtropical arid conditions, respectively. The frequencies of ‘G’ and ‘A’ alleles with reference to G612A SNP did not differ considerably among all the breeds of sheep. Frequency of ‘T’ allele of the C606T SNP was found to be dominantly higher in subtemperate sheep breeds in comparison to subtropical sheep breeds. Identified SNPs in the coding region were mostly synonymous and did not lead to any change in conformation of the MTNR1A receptor protein.     

Morphological and Biochemical Investigations on Ipomoea Seedlings and their Species Interrelationships

Studies on seedling morphology and the isozyme profile of 12species ofIpomoea , undertaken with a view to tracing the linkageand homology between the species, revealed the concordance ofmorphological findings with biochemical analysis. The trendof clustering in the dendrogram based on isozyme profiles revealedtwo broad clusters or groups. Interrelationships and homologybetween the species revealed by the phyletic tree constructedfrom seedling morphology and from the dendrogram on isozymedata were comparable, with only minor variations. Ipomoea spp.; seedlings; morphology; isozymes; dendrogram; phyletic tree     

PHYCOLOGY AND HEAVY-METAL POLLUTION

1. All heavy metals, including those that are essential micronutrients (e.g. copper, zinc, etc.), are toxic to algae at high concentrations. 2. One characteristic feature of heavy-metal toxicity is the poisoning and inactivation of enzyme systems. Many of the physiological and biochemical processes, viz., photosynthesis, respiration, protein synthesis and chlorophyll synthesis, etc., are severely affected at high metal concentrations. 3. Some algae inhabit waters chronically polluted with heavy-metal-laden wastes from mining and smelting operations; Nodularia sp., Oscillatoria sp., Cladophora sp., Hormidium sp., Fucus sp. and Laminaria sp., etc., occur in metal-rich waters. These algal forms are probably more capable of combating the toxic levels of heavy metals and this attribute is a result of physiological and/or genetic adaptations. The sensitivity or tolerance to heavy metals varies amongst different algae. The phenomena of multiple tolerance and co-tolerance may be exhibited by some algae. 4. Heavy-metal pollution causes reduction in species diversity leading to the dominance of a few tolerant algal forms. The primary productivity also decreases after metal supplementation. 5. The uptake and accumulation of heavy metals can be active (energy-dependent), passive (energy-independent), or both. 6. Heavy metals can be safely stored as intranuclear complexes by some algae. Notwithstanding this, some changes in the cell wall can enable the algae to tolerate heavy metals by checking the entry of the metals (exclusion mechanism). 7. The metal content of algae growing in a waterbody may yield valuable information for simulating heavy metal pollution: several species of Cladophora and Fucus have been extensively used for this purpose. 8. Several factors affect and determine toxicity of heavy metals to algae. At low pH, the availability of heavy metals to algae is greatly increased, as a consequence of which pronounced toxicity is evident. Hard waters decrease metal toxicity. Some ions, e.g., calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, can alleviate toxicity of metals. 9. The presence of other metals can influence toxicity of a heavy metal through simple additive effect or by synergistic and antagonistic interactions. Similarly, other pollutants can influence heavy-metal toxicity. 10. The toxicity of heavy metals depends upon their chemical speciation. Various ionic forms of a metal characterized by different valency states, may be differentially toxic to a test alga. 11. Amino acids, organic matter, humic acids, fulvic acid, EDTA, NTA, etc. can complex with heavy metals and render them unavailable. This may eventually lead to less toxicity. 12. Heavy-metal toxicity largely depends upon algal population density: the denser the population the more numerous the cellular sites available, leading to decreased toxicity.     

温度和光周期影响两种同域发生瓢虫同种和异种组合时的猎物消耗量和利用率（英文）

【目的】印度次大陆是世界上最脆弱的地理景观。气候条件的略微变动可能对其季节周期可能产生不良影响,并引起农业生态系统中蚜虫的大暴发。七星瓢虫Coccinella septempunctata L.和狭臀瓢虫C.transversalis Fab.是该次大陆上广泛分布、同域发生的两种食蚜性瓢虫。【方法】设计异地试验,来探究同种和/或异种组合时的这两种瓢虫用共同的猎物资源(豌豆蚜)饲养时,对增加的温度(15,20,25,30和35℃)和光周期(8L∶16D,12L∶12D和16L∶8D)的响应。【结果】结果表明,在这5个不同温度和3个不同光周期条件下,同种或异种组合时这两种瓢虫表现出了拮抗作用。尽管表现出拮抗作用,但是同种或异种组合的两捕食动物在25℃和长光周期(16L∶8D)条件下消耗、转化和利用的猎物生物量最大。然而,它们的猎物消耗率、转化效率和生长速率在异种组合中最高。在5个不同温度下,4龄幼虫均更有效地利用猎物生物量,将其转变成自身生物量,而雌成虫在3个不同光周期条件下也是如此。【结论】因此可以推断,增加的温度和光周期条件可能不会阻止同种和异种组合中的瓢虫发生拮抗作用,但是在25℃和长光周期(16L∶8D)条件下,相互作用的瓢虫的猎物消耗量和利用率为最佳。     

Cytosine hypomethylation at CHG and CHH sites in the pleiotropic mutants of Mendelian inheritance in Catharanthus roseus

The 5S and 18S rDNA sequences of Catharanthus roseus cv ‘Nirmal’ (wild type) and its leafless inflorescence (lli), evergreen dwarf (egd) and irregular leaf lamina (ill) single mutants and lli egd, lli ill and egd ill double mutants were characterized. The lli, egd and ill mutants of Mendelian inheritance bore the names after their most conspicuous morphological feature(s). They had been chemically induced and isolated for their salt tolerance. The double mutants were isolated as morphological segregants from crosses between single mutants. The morphological features of the two parents accompanied salt tolerance in the double mutants. All the six mutants were hypomethylated at repeat sequences, upregulated and downregulated for many genes and carried pleiotropic alterations for several traits. Here the 5S and 18S rDNAs of C. roseus were found to be relatively low in cytosine content. Cytosines were preponderantly in CG context (53%) and almost all of them were methylated (97%). The cytosines in CHH and CHG (where H = A, T or C) contexts were largely demethylated (92%) in mutants. The demethylation was attributable to reduced expression of RDR2 and DRM2 led RNA dependant DNA methylation and CMT3 led maintenance methylation pathways. Mutants had gained some cytosines by substitution of C at T sites. These perhaps arose on account of errors in DNA replication, mediated by widespread cytosine demethylation at CHG and CHH sites. It was concluded that the regulation of cytosine methylation mechanisms was disturbed in the mutants. ILL, EGD and LLI genes were identified as the positive regulators of other genes mediating the RdDM and CMT3 pathways, for establishment and maintenance of cytosine methylation in C. roseus.     

Dose‐dependent fate of GFP‐expressing Escherichia coli in the alimentary canal of adult house flies

The adult house fly Musca domestica (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) can disseminate bacteria from microbe‐rich substrates to areas in which humans and domesticated animals reside. Because bacterial abundance fluctuates widely across substrates, flies encounter and ingest varying amounts of bacteria. This study investigated the dose‐dependent survival of bacteria in house flies. Flies were fed four different ‘doses’ of green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐expressing Escherichia coli (GFP E. coli) (very low, low, medium, high) and survival was determined at 1, 4, 10 and 22 h post‐ingestion by culture and epifluorescent microscopy. Over 22 h, the decline in GFP E. coli was significant in all treatments (P < 0.04) except the very low dose treatment (P = 0.235). Change in survival (ΔS) did not differ between flies fed low and very low doses of bacteria across all time‐points, although ΔS in both treatments differed from that in flies fed high and medium doses of bacteria at several time‐points. At 4, 10 and 22 h, GFP E. coli ΔS significantly differed between medium and high dose‐fed flies. A threshold dose, above which bacteria are detected and destroyed by house flies, may exist and is likely to be immune‐mediated. Understanding dose‐dependent bacterial survival in flies can help in predicting bacteria transmission potential.