Competitive ability of maize pollen. Intergametophytic effects

Summary Intergametophytic influences on pollen competitive ability were studied by means of the pollen mixture technique: mixtures of pollen from different genetic sources, marked for the presence of the normal or the mutant allele of the opaque-2 gene, were used to pollinate o2o2 female plants. The variation of relative frequency of one of the two kernel types from apex to base of the resulting ear, made it possible to measure the competitive ability by regression coefficients.The effect of the pollen marker on the character was estimated by analyzing the progeny of heterozygous o2/+ plants self-pollinated through four generations. The o2 allele-bearing pollen revealed a slower germination rate than the dominant counterpart; no differences between the two pollen types were observed with regard to tube growth rate.The occurrence of intergametophytic interactions was confirmed: the competitive ability of a line varied according to the genotype of the competing pollen. Thus, this component has to be taken into account in considering male gametophyte fertilization ability.     

Didymozoid trematodes (including new genera and species) from marine fishes of the Waltair coast,Bay of Bengal

Summary Fifteen species of didymozoid trematodes are recorded form marine fishes off the Waltair coast, Bay of Bengal, India. These include three new genera, namely, Platocystoides, Indodidymozoon and Renodidymocystis and six new species, namely, Didymozoon lobatum from Euthynnus affinis, Allodidymozoon cylindricum from Sphyraena obtusata and S. picuda, A. operculare from Sphyraena obtusata and S. picuda, Indodidymozzon platycephali from Platycephalus scaber, Renodidymocystis yamagutii from Rastrelliger kanagurta and Metanematobothrioides branchialis from Pristipomoides typus. Other species reported are: Didymocystis wedli Ariola, 1902, Coeliodidymocystis kamegaii Yamaguti, 1970, Platocystoides polyaster (Job, 1962), Neometadidymozoon polymorphis (Oshmarin & Mamaev, 1963), Lobatocystis yaito Yamaguti, 1965, Metadidymozoon branchiale Yamaguti, 1970; Allonematobothrium epinepheli Yamaguti, 1965; Gonapodasmius spilonotopteri Yamaguti, 1970 and Pseudocolocyntotrema yaito Yamaguti, 1970. Two new combinations made are: Allodidymozoon apharyngi (Job, 1961) for Didymozoon apharyngi Job, 1961 and Platocystoides polyaster (Job, 1962) for Platocystis polyaster Job, 1962.     

Effect of imipramine hydrochloride on the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase in regions of the rat brain

The effect of intraperitoneal injection of imipramine hydrochloride on the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase was determined in three regions of the rat brain.The cerebral hemispheres did not show a significant change in the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase. Cerebellum and brain stem, both, however, showed a very significant decrease in the activity of the enzyme at 15 and 30 minutes after drug administration. At 90 minutes after drug administration, the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase had returned to nearly control values.     

Quantifying Policy Options for Reducing Future Coronary Heart Disease Mortality in England: A Modelling Study

Aims

To estimate the number of coronary heart disease (CHD) deaths potentially preventable in England in 2020 comparing four risk factor change scenarios.

Methods and Results

Using 2007 as baseline, the IMPACT_SEC model was extended to estimate the potential number of CHD deaths preventable in England in 2020 by age, gender and Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007 quintiles given four risk factor change scenarios: (a) assuming recent trends will continue; (b) assuming optimal but feasible levels already achieved elsewhere; (c) an intermediate point, halfway between current and optimal levels; and (d) assuming plateauing or worsening levels, the worst case scenario. These four scenarios were compared to the baseline scenario with both risk factors and CHD mortality rates remaining at 2007 levels. This would result in approximately 97,000 CHD deaths in 2020. Assuming recent trends will continue would avert approximately 22,640 deaths (95% uncertainty interval: 20,390-24,980). There would be some 39,720 (37,120-41,900) fewer deaths in 2020 with optimal risk factor levels and 22,330 fewer (19,850-24,300) in the intermediate scenario. In the worst case scenario, 16,170 additional deaths (13,880-18,420) would occur. If optimal risk factor levels were achieved, the gap in CHD rates between the most and least deprived areas would halve with falls in systolic blood pressure, physical inactivity and total cholesterol providing the largest contributions to mortality gains.

Conclusions

CHD mortality reductions of up to 45%, accompanied by significant reductions in area deprivation mortality disparities, would be possible by implementing optimal preventive policies.     

Phthalazinone inhibitors of inosine-5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase from Cryptosporidium parvum

Cryptosporidium parvum (Cp) is a potential biowarfare agent and major cause of diarrhea and malnutrition. This protozoan parasite relies on inosine 5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) for the production of guanine nucleotides. A CpIMPDH-selective N-aryl-3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-4-oxo-1-phthalazineacetamide inhibitor was previously identified in a high throughput screening campaign. Herein we report a structure–activity relationship study for the phthalazinone-based series that resulted in the discovery of benzofuranamide analogs that exhibit low nanomolar inhibition of CpIMPDH. In addition, the antiparasitic activity of select analogs in a Toxoplasma gondii model of C. parvum infection is also presented.     

Heat shock protein 27 controls apoptosis by regulating Akt activation

Activation of the serine-threonine kinase Akt by cytokines, chemokines, and bacterial products delays constitutive neutrophil apoptosis, resulting in a prolonged inflammatory response. We showed previously that Akt exists in a signaling complex with p38 MAPK, MAPK-activated protein kinase-2 (MAPKAPK-2), and heat shock protein-27 (Hsp27); and Hsp27 dissociates from the complex upon neutrophil activation. To better understand the regulation of this signaling module, the hypothesis that Akt phosphorylation of Hsp27 regulates its interaction with Akt was tested. The present study shows that Akt phosphorylated Hsp27 on Ser-82 in vitro and in intact cells, and phosphorylation of Hsp27 resulted in its dissociation from Akt. Additionally, the interaction between Hsp27 and Akt was necessary for activation of Akt in intact neutrophils. Constitutive neutrophil apoptosis was accelerated by sequestration of Hsp27 from Akt, and this enhanced rate of apoptosis was reversed by introduction of constitutively active recombinant Akt. Our results define a new mechanism by which Hsp27 regulates apoptosis, through control of Akt activity.     

Fatty acids derived from a marine crustacean Diogenes avarus (Heller) and their antiangiogenic activity

An organic extract from a marine crustacean D. avarus was examined for antiangiogenic activity by using the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The methanol extract (HCM) inhibited angiogenesis in a dose dependent manner. The extract was further fractionated by bioactivity-guided separation to purify the active fractions successively. This resulted in three fractions HCM1, HCM2 and HCM3. The 50% inhibition shown by HCM was 600 ng/disc, HCM1 was 100 ng/disc and of HCM3 was 2.7ng/disc. HCM3 which was separated by column chromatography and showed single spot on TLC was analysed by GLC and showed the presence of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids such as lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic. The antiangiogenic activity of the fatty acids obtained from a marine crustacean is reported for the first time.