Serum Stable and Low Hemolytic Temporin-SHa Peptide Analogs Disrupt Cell Membrane of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - Anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) have attracted major attention due to their potential bio-activities against some multidrug resistant pathogens. The present...     

On the snow leopard Trails: Occupancy pattern and implications for management in the Pamir

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits one of the most challenging environments on Earth, referred to as the ‘third pole’. Only a fraction of its vast range has been explored thus far, owing to myriad of barriers inflicted by the remote terrain and socio-ecological realities of the landscapes. Understanding distribution patterns of species is essential to devise practical management measures. This study aimed to understand the distribution pattern and factors influencing occupancy of snow leopard in the Pamir Mountain range through sign-based occupancy modelling. Our study confirmed that the Pamir range is a snow leopard stronghold, with occupancy estimated at 0.57 ± 0.02. The topographic features positively influenced the detection probability (p = 0.37 ± 0.005) of snow leopards. Occupancy was influenced by mean annual precipitation (β = -6.12 ± 1.8), density of roads (β = -1.61 ± 0.6) and water sources (β = 0.74 ± 0.4). Our findings underpin that sign-based distribution surveys provide vigorous scientific knowledge about elusive species and merit replication being used for other species. We propose to redefine the protected area boundaries based on ecological knowledge and encourage transboundary cooperation to safeguard snow leopards at a landscape scale.     

Association study of CCR6 rs3093024 with Rheumatoid Arthritis in a Pakistani cohort

C-C Chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6), an important protein in inflammatory and immunological responses, has been previously reported to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, in order to replicate these findings, a case-control study was conducted on 500 subjects (including 250 RA patients and 250 healthy controls) of Pakistani origin. The aim of this study was to determine the association of CCR6 rs3093024 variant with RA and identify its role in splicing events using bioinformatics tools. The clinical and demographic characteristics of the patients were collected using a well-designed questionnaire. The genotype frequencies of CCR6 rs3093024 variant were determined using tetra-primer ARMS-PCR (amplification of refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction) method. A significant difference was found between CCR6 rs3093024 genotype frequencies [P = 0.0016, χ² = 12.915]. Similarly, a significant difference in the allele frequencies between RA patients and healthy controls was also observed [P = 0.0003 and OR (95% CI) = 0.63 (0.49–0.80)]. The stratification of patients showed that there was a significant increase in AA genotype against AG + GG in patients [P = 0.0014, OR (95% CI) = 2.0 (1.32–3.02)]. Furthermore, using bioinformatics analysis, it was found that CCR6 rs3093024 variant might create a potential splicing enhancer motif (SF2/ASF (IgM-BRCA1) with score of 77.92; Threshold 70.53), which might have important impact on the product of this gene. This study suggests that the A variant of CCR6 rs3093024 variant is significantly associated with RA-risk and its G variant is protective in Pakistani population but a multi-cohort large sized population study is needed to elucidate these results. Moreover, functional studies are needed to highlight the effects of this polymorphism on the function of CCR6 gene.     

Mapping species differences for adventitious rooting in a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corymbia torelliana</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corymbia citriodora</Emphasis> subspecies <Emphasis Type="Italic">variegata</Emphasis> hybrid

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection was carried out for adventitious rooting and associated propagation traits in a second-generation outbred Corymbia torelliana × Corymbia citriodora subspecies variegata hybrid family (n = 186). The parental species of this cross are divergent in their capacity to develop roots adventitiously on stem cuttings and their propensity to form lignotubers. For the ten traits studied, there was one or two QTL detected, with some QTL explaining large amounts of phenotypic variation (e.g. 66% for one QTL for percentage rooting), suggesting that major effects influence rooting in this cross. Collocation of QTL for many strongly genetically correlated rooting traits to a single region on linkage group 12 suggested pleiotropy. A three locus model was most parsimonious for linkage group 12, however, as differences in QTL position and lower genetic correlations suggested separate loci for each of the traits of shoot production and root initiation. Species differences were thought to be the major source of phenotypic variation for some rooting rate and root quality traits because of the major QTL effects and up to 59-fold larger homospecific deviations (attributed to species differences) relative to heterospecific deviations (attributed to standing variation within species) evident at some QTL for these traits. A large homospecific/heterospecific ratio at major QTL suggested that the gene action evident in one cross may be indicative of gene action more broadly in hybrids between these species for some traits.     

The cellulose-binding domain of endoglucanase A (CenA) from Cellulomonas fimi: evidence for the involvement of tryptophan residues in binding

Cellulomonas fimi endo-β-1, 4-glucanase A (CenA) contains a discrete N-terminal cellulose-binding domain (CBD_cenA)- Related CBDs occur In at least 16 bacterial glycanases and are characterized by four highly conserved Trp residues, two of which correspond to W14 and W68 of CBDcenA- The adsorption of CBD_cenA to Crystalline cellulose was compared with that of two Trp mutants (W14A and W68A). The affinities of the mutant CBDs for cellulose were reduced by approximately 50- and 30-fold, respectively, relative to the wild type. Physical measurements indicated that the mutant CBDs fold normally. Fluorescence data indicated that W14 and W68 were exposed on the CBD, consistent with their participation in binding to cellobiosyl residues on the cellulose surface.     

Synthesis, antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, β-hematin inhibition, cytotoxicity and methemoglobin (MetHb) formation activities of bis(8-aminoquinolines)

In continuing our search of potent antimalarials based on 8-aminoquinoline structural framework, three series of novel bis(8-aminoquinolines) using convenient one to four steps synthetic procedures were synthesized. The bisquinolines were evaluated for in vitro antimalarial (Plasmodiumfalciparum), antileishmanial (Leishmaniadonovani), antimicrobial (a panel of pathogenic bacteria and fungi), cytotoxicity, ??-hematin inhibitory and methemoglobin (MetHb) formation activities. Several compounds exhibited superior antimalarial activities compared to parent drug primaquine. Selected compounds (44, 61 and 79) when tested for in vivo blood-schizontocidal antimalarial activity (Plasmodiumberghei) displayed potent blood-schizontocial activities. The bisquinolines showed negligible MetHb formation (0.2-1.2%) underlining their potential in the treatment of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient patients. The bisquinoline analogues (36, 73 and 79) also exhibited promising in vitro antileishmanial activity, and antimicrobial activities (43, 44 and 76) against a panel of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The results of this study provide evidence that bis(8-aminoquinolines), like their bis(4-aminoquinolines) and artemisinin dimers counterparts, are a promising class of antimalarial agents.     

Population genetic structure and phylogeography of the oak gall wasp Andricus chodjaii (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in Turkey as inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences

Sequence data of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and nuclear ITS2 region were used to assess genetic diversity, intraspecific phylogeography and population genetic structure of the oak gall wasp Andricus chodjaii from Turkey. We examined 293 individuals from 21 localities which generated 57 cyt b haplotypes and 8 ITS2 alleles. The average genetic diversity was 0.575 for cyt b and 0.202 ITS2, and the average nucleotide diversity 0.015 for cyt b gene and 0.001 for the ITS2 region. Phylogenetic analyses of cyt b haplotypes produced mostly similar topologies with geographically significant groupings. The ITS2 data provided less resolution without robust and apparent geographic structure. Population demographic analysis indicated that some eastern populations expanded, however, some others underwent either expansion or decline resulting in genetically structured populations. Molecular clock applied to the mtDNA data indicated that ingroup haplotypes diversified from the outgroup haplotypes around Early Pliocene. Further diversification events throughout Pleistocene resulted in major clade formations. It appears that geographic formations and glacial and interglacial cycles of Pleistocene were crucial for shaping the phylogeographic structure of A. chodjaii in Turkey.