Antiviral activity of ancient system of ayurvedic medicinal plant Cissus quadrangularis L. (Vitaceae)

Partially purified methanolic extract of Cissus quadrangularis (belonging to Vitaceae member, South Indian medicinal plant) have been explored for antiviral activity and their phytochemical characterisation. In vitro antiviral activity against HSV type1 and 2, and Vero cells at non-cytotoxic concentration were determined. HSV1 and HSV2 showed more sensitivity against the partially purified compound. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of the Steroids and Terpenoids.

Transgenic resistance by N gene of a Peanut bud necrosis virus isolate of characteristic phylogeny

The nucleocapsid protein (N) gene of a Tospovirus devastating tomato crop in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu was cloned and characterized. The high identity of the cloned sequence to a Peanut bud necrosis virus (PBNV) tomato isolate (97.8/99.6% nucleotide/amino acid) and a PBNV peanut isolate (94.4/96.3% nucleotide/amino acid) identified the Tospovirus as an isolate of PBNV, designated PBNV Coimbatore tomato (PBNV CT) isolate. Phylogenetic analysis of PBNV CT N gene provided useful insights into the movement and evolution of PBNV within Indian Territory. The characteristic phylogeny of PBNV CT N gene implied its potential to be an efficient transgene to confer effective PBNV resistance on crop plants. The efficacy of PBNV CT N gene in conferring PBNV resistance was studied by generating tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Wisconsin) lines transgenic to the sense or antisense version of the gene. Several transgenic lines showed transgenic mRNA and/or protein accumulation, ranging from very high to undetectable levels, accompanied by different degrees of PBNV resistance. The undetectable or very low levels of transgene transcripts in certain PBNV-resistant sense or antisense N gene transgenic lines suggested RNA-mediated resistance by post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) mechanism. However, PBNV resistance of certain transgenic lines with high levels of N gene transcripts was suggestive of possible operation of RNA-mediated non-PTGS mechanism(s) of resistance in those lines. Moreover, the high levels of N protein in certain PBNV-resistant sense N gene transgenic lines suggested protein-mediated resistance. The results predict the potential of PBNV CT N gene to confer effective PBNV resistance on tomato and other economically important crops.

Pyramiding transgenic resistance in elite indica rice cultivars against the sheath blight and bacterial blight

Elite indica rice cultivars were cotransformed with genes expressing a rice chitinase (chi11) and a thaumatin-like protein (tlp) conferring resistance to fungal pathogens and a serine-threonine kinase (Xa21) conferring bacterial blight resistance, through particle bombardment, with a view to pyramiding sheath blight and bacterial blight resistance. Molecular analyses of putative transgenic lines by polymerase chain reaction, Southern Blot hybridization, and Western Blotting revealed stable integration and expression of the transgenes in a few independent transgenic lines. Progeny analyses showed the stable inheritance of transgenes to their progeny. Coexpression of chitinase and thaumatin-like protein in the progenies of a transgenic Pusa Basmati1 line revealed an enhanced resistance to the sheath blight pathogen, Rhizoctonia solani, as compared to that in the lines expressing the individual genes. A transgenic Pusa Basmati1 line pyramided with chi11, tlp, and Xa21 showed an enhanced resistance to both sheath blight and bacterial blight.

Developing an algorithm of informative markers for evaluation of chimerism after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Analysis of chimerism by polymerase chain reaction amplification of STR or VNTR has become a routine procedure for the evaluation of engraftment after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Knowledge of the frequency of different STR or VNTR alleles in unrelated individuals in a population is useful for forensic work. In the context of HLA identical sibling bone marrow transplantation the informativeness of these markers needs to be evaluated. We evaluated five STRs (THO1, VWA, FES, ACTBP2, and F13A1) and 1 VNTR (APOB) for informativeness in stem cell transplants from HLA identical sibling donors. All four markers used individually allowed us to discriminate 20-56% of the patient donor pairs. Using a combination of all these markers along with a polymorphic marker in the beta-globin gene and the sex chromosome specific amelogenin marker, we were able to discriminate 99% of the patient donor pairs. We have established an algorithm for evaluating chimerism following HLA identical sibling donor transplants in the Indian population using molecular markers in 310 patients. Analysis of heterozygote frequencies in different populations is similar suggesting that this algorithm can be used universally for transplant centers to evaluate chimerism following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Randomized trial of two different conditioning regimens for bone marrow transplantation in thalassemia – the role of busulfan pharmacokinetics in determining outcome

In total, 94 patients with homozygous beta thalassemia were randomized to two different conditioning regimens: busulfan 600 mg/m2 + cyclophosphamide 200 mg/kg or busulfan 16 mg/kg + cyclophosphamide 200 mg/kg and antilymphocyte globulin (47 in each group), for bone marrow transplantation, to see whether increased myeloablation or increased immunosuppression would reduce rejection. Busulfan pharmacokinetics in determining outcome was evaluated. There was no significant difference in engraftment, graft-versus-host disease, rejection, and overall and disease-free survival in the two groups. Systemic exposure to busulfan was significantly higher in the 600 mg/m2 group, but in both groups there was a wide interindividual variation in the busulfan kinetics. Six patients rejected the graft, two in the busulfan 600 mg group and four in busulfan 16 mg group (P = 0.677 CI -0.17, 0.07), but in five patients (pharmacokinetic data not available in one patient) who rejected the graft busulfan first dose trough level (C(min)-1) was below 150 ng/ml while it was above this level in the 66 of 68 patients with successful engraftment (P < or = 0.001). This randomized trial shows that rejection is influenced by busulfan levels and suggests that monitoring of busulfan levels and dose adjustment based on first-dose kinetics may reduce the risk of rejection.

"Yes" to abortion but "no" to sexual rights: the paradoxical reality of married women in rural Tamil Nadu, India

This study in rural Tamil Nadu, India, explored the reasons why many married women in India undergo induced abortions rather than use reversible contraception to space or limit births in terms of women's sexual and reproductive rights within marriage, and in the context of gender relations between couples more generally. It is based on in-depth interviews with two generations of ever-married women, some of whom had had abortions and others who had not, from 98 rural hamlets. The respondents were 66 women and 44 of their husbands. Non-consensual sex, sexual violence and women's inability to refuse their husband's sexual demands appeared to underlie the need for abortion in both younger and older women. Many men seemed to believe that sex within marriage was their right, and that women had no say in the matter. The findings raise questions about the presumed association between legal abortion and the enjoyment of reproductive and sexual rights. A large number of women who had abortions in this study were denied their sexual rights but were permitted, even forced, to terminate their pregnancies for reasons unrelated to their right to choose abortion. The study brings home the need for activism to promote women's sexual rights and a campaign against sexual violence in marriage.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide stimulates oligomerization, interaction with adenovirus E1A and an intrinsic dehydrogenase activity of CtBP

The C-terminal region of adenovirus E1A interacts with the transcriptional corepressor, CtBP. The mechanism of transcriptional regulation by CtBP is not known. CtBP shares a significant homology with NAD(+)-dependent D2-hydroxy acid dehydrogenases. CtBP binds to NAD(+) and NADH. Both forms of the dinucleotide stimulate oligomerization of native CtBP and enhance complex formation with E1A. CtBP also has a slow dehydrogenase activity. Interaction of CtBP with E1A reduces the dehydrogenase activity. Our results raise the possibility that the oxidation/reduction reactions of CtBP may regulate transcription. Thus, CtBP is a unique transcriptional regulator with an enzymatic activity similar to metabolic dehydrogenases. The levels of intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide may modulate transcriptional activity of CtBP.

Immunology of the pathogen virulence and phytotoxin production in relation to disease severity: a case study in sheath blight of rice

Polyclonal antibodies against purified Rhizoctonia solani toxin obtained from infected rice sheath tissues (sheath blight toxin, SBT) and culture filtrates (culture filtrate toxin, CFT) were developed in rabbit and chicken. The IgG was isolated from serum and egg yolk of rabbit and chicken, respectively, and their specificity was investigated by indirect ELISA. Antibodies developed against CFT and SBT in rabbits exhibited relatively higher titer values when compared to chicken antibodies. Positive correlation was observed between the degree of sheath blighting and the levels of antigens induced by each isolate during sheath blight symptom development as detected by rabbit SBT antibody and the isolate RS7 was identified as most virulent. Optimization of incubation period for maximum toxin production in liquid medium and rice sheaths indicated that the production of CFT and SBT is maximum after 15 d and 6 d of pathogen inoculation. Studies of the possible translocation of RS-toxin in rice plants upon inoculation with R. solani showed downward translocation as detected by rabbit/chicken SBT antibodies. Since plant inoculation required a higher concentration of inoculum and maintenance of plants, serological assay by ELISA is more sensitive than whole-plant assays in detecting RS-toxin, with the advantage that ELISA also allows rapid determination of RS-toxin production.