Isolation and characterization of a novel postsynaptic/cytotoxic neurotoxin from Daboia russelli russelli venom.

A postsynaptic neurotoxin was purified from Daboia russelli russelli venom using gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The N-terminal sequence, molecular mass and pharmacological activities of the neurotoxin/cytotoxin indicate that it is a short-chain neurotoxin like that found in Elapid venom. This is the first report on the presence of such a postsynaptic neurotoxin from D. r. russelli venom.     

Short Note: Production and properties of pectinolytic enzymes from the thermophilic fungus, Thermomyces lanuginosus

Maximal pectinolytic activity was detected in the culture filtrates of Thermomyces lanuginosus when grown in medium containing pectin and sucrose. The pectinolytic enzyme system was optimally active at pH 5.5 and at 70°C with potassium pectate and at pH 4.5 at 50°C with pectin as substrates. Zymogram analyses showed two activity bands with pectin and three with potassium pectate.     

Biological Decolourization of Textile and Paper Effluents by Pleurotus florida and Agaricus bisporus (White-rot Basidiomycetes)

Summary The extracellular ligninolytic enzymes of white-rot fungi are thought to catalyse the initial steps during the degradation of highly complex compounds like lignin or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We studied the ability of Pleurotus florida isolated from the foothills of the Western Ghats, India to decolourize the three dyestuffs, Reactive Green, Yellow and Blue, which are widely used in the textile industry around Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. The crude culture filtrate of Pleurotus florida when incubated with different concentrations of dye decolourized it efficiently on the third day. The highest colour removal was found in the case of Reactive Blue. However, when Agaricus bisporus extract was supplemented with Pleurotus florida filtrate, the efficiency increased. The dye decolourization was advanced to the second day and the efficiency of dye decolourization of Reactive Yellow was 89% followed by Reactive Green, which was 45% when a dye concentration of 0.5% was used. Pleurotus florida filtrate alone and in combination with Agaricus bisporus extract reduced the aromatic compounds in textile and paper industry effluents on the first day with >90% efficiency.     

Green fluorescent protein as a reporter system in the transformation of barley cultivars

A cereal transformation vector, pN1473, containing the strong constitutive rice actin promoter Act-1 , a multiple cloning site, and the nos terminator, was constructed. Fusion of a plant-optimized gfp gene to Act-1 in pN1473 resulted in the vector pN1473GFP. To assess the suitability of pN1473, and GFP as a reporter system in barley transformation, two barley cultivars (Baronesse and Golden Promise) were transformed by microprojectile bombardment. Transient gfp expression in transformed embryogenic callus material was detectable by fluorescence microscopy less than 12 h after transformation. The presence of the gfp gene in callus and regenerated plantlets was confirmed by PCR amplification and DNA gel-blot analysis.