Molecular docking analysis of flavonoids with aldose reductase

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders that has risen to become the third most common cause in humans in recent years. The development of new bioactive substances from natural sources is a relatively new area. Flavonoids are believed to have a variety of beneficial properties in nature, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and anti-HIV properties. 15 naturally occurring flavonoids docked with the selected target aldose reductase. We report the optimal binding of Acumitin, Agathisflavone, Agehoustin B, and alpha-Toxicarol with aldose reductase for further consideration in drug discovery for T2DM.     

Identification of a CYP84 family of cytochrome P450-dependent mono-oxygenase genes in Brassica napus and perturbation of their expression for engineering sinapine reduction in the seeds

CYP84 is a recently identified family of cytochrome P450-dependent mono-oxygenases defined by a putative ferulate-5-hydroxylase (F5H) from Arabidopsis. Until recently F5H has been thought to catalyze the hydroxylation of ferulate to 5-OH ferulate en route to sinapic acid. Sinapine, a sinapate-derived ester in the seeds, is antinutritional and a target for elimination in canola meal. We have isolated three F5H-like genes (BNF5H1-3) from a cultivated Brassica napus, whose amphidiploid progenitor is considered to have arisen from a fusion of the diploids Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea. Two cultivated varieties of the diploids were also found to contain BNF5H3 and additionally either BNF5H1 or BNF5H2, respectively. Whereas all three are >90% identical in their coding sequence, BNF5H1 and BNF5H2 are closer to each other than to BNF5H3. This and additional data suggest that the two groups of genes have diverged in an ancestor of the diploids. B. napus showed maximal F5H expression in the stems, least in the seeds, and subtle differences among the expression profiles of the three genes elsewhere. Transgenic B. napus with cauliflower mosaic virus 35S-antisense BNF5H contained up to 40% less sinapine, from 9.0 +/- 0.3 mg in the controls to 5.3 +/- 0.3 mg g(-1) seed. F5H from Arabidopsis and a similar enzyme from sweetgum (Liquidamber styraciflua) has recently been shown to have coniferaldehyde hydroxylase activity instead of F5H activity. Thus the supply of 5-OH coniferaldehyde or 5-OH ferulate has a bearing on sinapine accumulation in canola seeds.     

Genetic studies of water buffalo blood markers. I. Red cell acid phosphatase,albumin, catalase,red cell α-esterase-3, group-specific component,and protease inhibitor

We have developed the methodologies for typing and family studies to establish the modes of inheritance of water buffalo red cell acid phosphatase (Acp), protease inhibitor (Pi), and group-specific component (Gc) on isoelectric focusing and albumin (Alb), red cell -esterase-3 (Est-3), and catalase (Cat) on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Family studies showed that Pi, Gc, Alb, and Cat are coded by autosomal genes with two codominant alleles, while Est-3 is autosomal with two codominant alleles and a recessive null allele and Acp exhibits three codominant alleles.This project was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research through Grant PN 8364 and the Malaysian programme for Intensification of Research in Priority Areas through Grant IRPA 1-07-05-057.     

A survey of nucleotide cyclases in actinobacteria: unique domain organization and expansion of the class III cyclase family in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Cyclic nucleotides are well-known second messengers involved in the regulation of important metabolic pathways or virulence factors. There are six different classes of nucleotide cyclases that can accomplish the task of generating cAMP, and four of these are restricted to the prokaryotes. The role of cAMP has been implicated in the virulence and regulation of secondary metabolites in the phylum Actinobacteria, which contains important pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. leprae, M. bovis and Corynebacterium, and industrial organisms from the genus Streptomyces. We have analysed the actinobacterial genome sequences found in current databases for the presence of different classes of nucleotide cyclases, and find that only class III cyclases are present in these organisms. Importantly, prominent members such as M. tuberculosis and M. leprae have 17 and 4 class III cyclases, respectively, encoded in their genomes, some of which display interesting domain fusions seen for the first time. In addition, a pseudogene corresponding to a cyclase from M. avium has been identified as the only cyclase pseudogene in M. tuberculosis and M. bovis. The Corynebacterium and Streptomyces genomes encode only a single adenylyl cyclase each, both of which have corresponding orthologues in M. tuberculosis. A clustering of the cyclase domains in Actinobacteria reveals the presence of typical eukaryote-like, fungi-like and other bacteria-like class III cyclase sequences within this phylum, suggesting that these proteins may have significant roles to play in this important group of organisms.     

Zinc silicate phosphor: Insights of X-ray induced and temperature enabled luminescence

The present investigation deals with the effect of calcination temperature on the structural and thermoluminescent (TL) properties of Zn₂SiO₄ materials. For this study, Zn₂SiO₄ was prepared via a simple hydrothermal route and calcinated at temperatures from 700°C to 1100°C in an air atmosphere. TL data of all Zn₂SiO₄ samples showed two peaks at around 240°C and 330°C due to the formation of the luminescence centre during X-ray irradiation. More interestingly, the Zn₂SiO₄ sample calcinated at 900°C exhibited a shift in the TL peak (282°C and 354°C) with an optimal TL intensity attributed to its good crystallinity with a well-defined hexagonal plate-like morphology. X-ray-irradiated Zn₂SiO₄ samples calcinated at 900°C exhibited a high-temperature TL glow curve peak, suggesting that the present material could be used for high-temperature dosimetry applications.