Relative shifts in mobility in anionic peroxidase isoenzymes between stem base and apex of flax genotrophs

Anionic peroxidase isoenzymes, separated on acrylamide gels, were examined in two flax genotrophs and in their reciprocal F₂ hybrids. Isoenzyme 1 exhibited a significant difference in R_m between stem base and apex and there was a gradient of decreasing R_m and activity between base and apex. Isoenzyme 2 displayed only the activity gradient. The parents differed significantly in the R_m's and activities of isoenzymes 1 and 2, and the F₂'s showed complete dominance of the L parent for R_m, with activities being approximately intermediate.     

HPV16-E7 Protein T Cell Epitope Prediction and Global Therapeutic Peptide Vaccine Design Based on Human Leukocyte Antigen Frequency: An In-Silico Study

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Cervical cancer is the second most common leading cause of women's death due to cancer worldwide, about 528,000 patients’...     

Application of Bacillus pumilus as a potential biocontrol agent of Fusarium wilt of tomato

The current study aimed at evaluating the possibility of native Bacillus pumilus species to control Fusarium wilt in tomato and examine its effect on plant growth. Biocontrol traits of B. pumilus strains, biofilm assay, root colonisation and in vivo studies under pot conditions were determined. Strain ToIrMA-KC806242 formed biofilm efficiently and could colonise and survive on tomato rhizosphere (3.1 × 10⁴ CFU/g of root). The amount of auxin production was recorded 29.7 μg/ml at the 96th hour of incubation. Siderophore production was determined positive, while ToIrMA was not able to solubilise phosphate compounds or produce cyanide hydrogen. Statistical analysis of data revealed that the increase in root and shoot length was recorded 60 and 84%, respectively, over control. In addition, about 73% reduction in disease incidence was determined in vivo experiments. In conclusion, this study suggests B. pumilus ToIrMA strain as a possible biocontrol agent in the field experiments.     

Copper Oxide Nanomaterials Derived from Zanthoxylum armatum DC. and Berberis lycium Royle Plant Species: Characterization,Assessment of Free Radical Scavenging and Antibacterial Activity

Copper oxide nanomaterials were synthesized by a facile sustainable biological method using two plant species (Zanthoxylum armatum DC. and Berberis lycium Royle ). The formation of materials was confirmed by FT‐IR, ATR, UV‐visible, XRD, TEM, SEM, EDX, TGA and PL. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by agar well diffusion method to ascertain the efficacy of plant species extract and extract derived copper oxide nanomaterials against six Gram‐positive bacteria namely Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyogenes, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Corynebacterium xerosis, Bacillus cereus and four Gram‐negative bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris against the standard drug, Ciprofloxacin for Gram‐positive and Gentamicin for Gram‐negative bacteria, respectively. In both cases, copper oxide nanomaterials were found to be sensitive in all the bacterial species. Sensitivity of copper oxide nanomaterials shows an be higher as compared to plant species extract against different bacteria. Scavenging activity of plant extracts along with nanomaterials have been accessed using previously reported protocols employing ascorbic acid as standard. Scavenging activity of copper oxide nanomaterials shows an increase with increase in concentration. The biological activity (bactericidal and scavenging efficiency) of plant derived copper oxide nanomaterials revealed that these materials can be used as potent antimicrobial agent and DPPH scavengers in industrial as well as pharmacological fields.     

The genetic association study of TP53 polymorphisms in Saudi obese patients

Obesity is a multifactorial metabolic disorder characterized by low grade chronic inflammation. Rare and novel mutations in genes which are vital in several key pathways have been reported to alter the energy expenditure which regulates body weight. The TP53 or p53 gene plays a prominent role in regulating various metabolic activities such as glycolysis, lipolysis, and glycogen synthesis. Recent genome-wide association studies reported that tumor suppressor gene p53 variants play a critical role in the predisposition of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Till date, no reports are available from the Arabian population; hence the present study was intended to assess the association between p53 variants with risk of obesity development in the Saudi population. We have selected three p53 polymorphisms, rs1642785 (C > G), and rs9894946 (A > G), and rs1042522 (Pro72Arg; C > G) and assessed their association with obesity risk in the Saudi population. Phenotypic and biochemical parameters were also evaluated to check their association with p53 genotypes and obesity. Genotyping was carried out on 136 obese and 122 normal samples. We observed that there is significantly increased prevalence p52 Pro72Arg (rs1042522) polymorphism in obese persons when compared to controls at GG genotype in overall comparison (OR: 2.169, 95% CI: 1.086-4.334, p = 0.02716). Male obese subjects showed three-fold higher risk at GG genotype (OR: 3.275, 95% CI: 1.230-8.716, p = 0.01560) and two-fold risk at G allele (OR: 1.827, 95% CI: 1.128-2.958, p = 0.01388) of p53 variant Pro72Arg respectively. This variant has also shown significant influence on cholesterol, LDL level, and random insulin levels in obese subjects (p ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, p53 Pro72Arg variant is highly prevalent among obese individuals and may act as a genetic modifier for obesity development among Saudis.     

Confirmation of House Crows Corvus splendens laying immaculate blue eggs

House Crows Corvus splendens lay eggs with bluish-green ground colour and black or brown blotches and only one egg morph was believed to exist. Here, we confirm the existence of an immaculate, spotless blue egg morph that is clearly different from the regular egg morph.     

Field performance of bacterial inoculants to alleviate water stress effects in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Plant and Soil - Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase can play an important role in abiotic stress tolerance in plants, particularly...     

Induction of systemic resistance in tomato against broomrape (Phelipanche aegyptiaca)

Rhizosphere dwelling bacteria can increase plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and they promote plant growth through various mechanisms. In this study, three bioassays were conducted including the following: (a) screening for effective bacterial isolates in the suppression of broomrape, (b) evaluating induced systemic resistance against broomrape and (c) comparing the selected bacterium isolate with plant chemical inducers. Fifteen plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) were examined to assess their biocontrol potential against Egyptian broomrape (Phelipanche aegyptiaca). Ten isolates significantly reduced the broomrape biomass compared to the control. The Lysinibacillus boronitolerans B124 reduced the dry weight of broomrape plants from 2.15 g in control to 0.45 g. Bacillus megaterium B6 was the best isolate in reducing the number of broomrape tubercles. In addition, the activity of three selected bacterial isolates was investigated in induced systemic resistance to broomrape by split‐root method. The Bacillus pumilus INR7 reduced the number of visible broomrape tubercles by 90%, and B. megaterium B71 and L. boronitolerans B124 were the next two in rank. Compared with the control, L. boronitolerans B124 reduced the dry weight of broomrape from 1.49 g in control to 0.39 g. In a subsequent experiment, L. boronitolerans B124 was evaluated along with some resistance‐inducing volatile compounds. Lysinibacillus boronitolerans B124 decreased the number of broomrapes by 87% on average, while the lowest dry weight of broomrape was observed in methyl jasmonate treatment. In conclusion, PGPR have considerable potential to be used in the integrated management of broomrape. It is also possible to use a mixture of rhizobacteria and defence inducers, such as biogenic volatiles as a promising approach in the management of this noxious parasitic weed.