Differential gene expression analysis under salinity stress in the selected turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) cultivars for curcuminoid biosynthesis

BACKGROUND

Curcuminoids are the phenolic compounds found exclusively in turmeric. Their presence is known to increase immunity and resistance against certain cancers and neurological disorders in humans also, protecting the plant itself against salinity stress.

METHODS

In this experiment, we studied the expression levels of MAPK1 and DCS genes, their curcuminoid biosynthesis under salinity stress conditions so that the impact of individual genes can be understood using semi- quantitative PCR.

RESULTS

The expressions of the genes with respect to curcuminoid biosynthesis showed fluctuations in their band intensity values due to the production of curcuminoids, which is initiated first in the leaves followed by the rhizomes. Not all the genes responsible for the curcuminoid biosynthesis show positive regulation under salt stress conditions which is observed in response to the severity of the stress imposed on the cultivars.

CONCLUSIONS

In our findings, both the genes MAPK1 and DCS were down-regulated for curcuminoid biosynthesis compared to their controls in both the cultivars Vallabh Sharad and Selection 1.

Digital Gangrene is a Rare Presentation of Takayasu's Arteritis

Takayasu's arteritis is a chronic large vessel vasculitis that mainly affects the aorta and its major branches such as brachiocephalic, carotid, subclavian, vertebral, renal, coronary and pulmonary arteries. It most commonly occurs in female at child bearing age and female to male ratio is 8:2. Initial presentations of Takayasu's arteritis may be nonspecific like fever, malaise, weakness, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia and weight loss but in advanced stage there may be features of vascular inflammation like segmental stenosis, occlusion, dilatation and/or aneurysm. It is a sub acute process over months to years and usually with good collateral formation. So, critical limb ischemia due to acute onset of vascular stenosis is very rare. Here we are reporting a case of a 50-year- old male patient who presented with digital gangrene due to critical limb ischemia. Though the age of onset was at 50 years and the patient lacks clinical features like constitutional symptoms, bruit, claudication, asymmetrical blood pressure, the patient was diagnosed as a case of Takayasus's arteritis. The patient dramatically improved with oral glucocorticoid treatment. Although rare, takayasu's arteritis can presents only with digital gangrene without having other clinical features. The physicians should be aware of this unusual but limb threatening presentation and more studies are needed to find out the exact mechanism of this presentation.

Efficacy and Safety of Erbium-YAG Laser Ablation Therapy in Superficial Dermatoses: The Workhorse of Dermatology

Background

Erbium-YAG laser has been the working horse in dermatology for years. Surprisingly, data on the efficacy and adverse effects of this novel resurfacing and ablative technique of erbium-YAG laser for superficial dermatoses in Indian skin is limited.

Aim and Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of erbium-YAG laser ablation in superficial cutaneous lesions.

Materials and Methods

Two hundred and fifty patients of various superficial dermatoses, treatable by erbium-YAG laser, were recruited in the study. All the patients were subjected to erbium-YAG laser sessions. The number of laser sessions, fluence, frequency and other parameters were individualized as per the respective dermatosis. The clinical response was evaluated as grade 4 (100% lesion clearance), grade 3 (75-99%), grade 2 (50-75%) or grade 1 (<50%).

Results

The overall mean age of our study group was 37.70 years. In our study, 52.38% cases of verruca plana, 36.84% cases of seborrheic keratosis, 56.4% cases of xanthelasma palpebrarum, 22% cases of acquired melanocytic nevus, 23.8% cases of plantar wart and 40% cases of sebaceous hyperplasia showed complete clearance. The most common adverse effect was post-laser erythema in 50.4% of cases, followed by pain in 36.8%. Besides this, scarring and dyspigmentation were observed in 11.6% and 12% of cases, respectively. The rate of recurrence on 3 months follow-up was 9 (23.07%) cases in xanthelasma palpebrarum, 11 (28.9%) cases in seborrheic keratosis, 10 (23.8%) cases in verruca plana and 9 (42.8%) cases in plantar warts.

Conclusion

This study suggested that erbium-YAG ablation achieved good results for superficial lesions like verruca plana, seborrheic keratosis, xanthelasma palpebrarum, plantar wart, sebaceous hyperplasia and acquired melanocytic nevus. Thus, Er: YAG laser can offer a one-step procedure with better cosmetic results and a lesser rate of recurrence.

First report of milkweed (Euphorbia geniculata) as an alternative host for Colletotrichum truncatum in soybean fields in India

Soybean (Glycine max, L.), a major oilseed crop of India faces anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum truncatum (Nataraj et al. 2021). Several weeds serve as alternative hosts for Colletotrichum spp. (Hartman et al. 1986). Around 24.67% of soybean fields in the study area were infested with Euphorbia geniculata (Kutariye et al. 2021). In September 2021, milkweed plants died in the field, showing irregular circular lesions with wavy margins on the stem, change in color of veins and veinlets from brown to black and leaves exhibiting a twisted appearance at ICAR-Indian Institute of Soybean Research, India. Later on plants completely died and acervuli of average size 284 µm were visualized under stereo microscopy. Twenty milkweed samples were collected, rinsed, and surface sterilized with NaOCl (1%). Fungus isolation was done from leaf and stem and transferred to sterilized Petri plates with Potato dextrose agar (PDA). The plates were incubated at 25 ± 2°C for 48 h with dark/light (10h/14h) cycle. The fungi produced circular, raised, black to light grey colonies. Sickle shaped aseptate conidia, measuring 23.14 µm length, 3.18 µm width and hyphal width 5.49 µm were confirmed using a compound microscope with 20X magnification. The fungus was purified via hyphal tip method and pure culture was maintained on PDA at (26 ± 2°C). Milkweed seedlings in clay pots were inoculated with a conidial suspension of the fungus (106 conidia/mL) prepared from ten days old culture using serial dilution technique. Soybean variety JS 95-60 was inoculated by atomizing 20 ml of the same suspension on each plant. The negative controls for both milkweed and soybean were inoculated with sterile distilled water. Veinal necrosis and acervuli formation were observed on both milkweed and soybean, but no signs or symptoms of disease were observed in the controls. The re-isolated fungus from both the diseased hosts resembled original culture as they produced black to light grey colonies, sickle shaped aseptate conidia and ITS sequence (OR124845) exhibiting 100% resemblance to C. truncatum isolate C-17 (MN736513), thus confirming Koch's postulates. The pathogen was classified as Colletotrichum spp. based on morphological and cultural characters and the pathogenicity test (Rajput et al. 2021). To confirm identity of the pathogen infecting milkweed, DNA was extracted from the reisolated fungus using the HiPurA Fungal DNA Purification Kit (HiMedia, India). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, beta-tubulin (TUB2) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) genes were amplified (Kumar et al. 2021). The GAPDH gene was amplified under similar reaction conditions except for annealing temp 59°C. For species level identification, the ITS, TUB2 and GAPDH gene sequences were submitted to GenBank with accession numbers OR004468, OQ869780 and OQ869781, respectively. The BLAST analysis of TUB2 and GAPDH gene showed sequence homology of 100% and 98.43% respectively with C. truncatum culture-collection CBS:151.35 (GU228156, GU228254). The isolate was identified as C. truncatum on the basis of molecular analysis, corroborating the above morphological identification. This is the first report of C. truncatum infecting milkweed in India, indicating milkweed as an alternative host in soybean fields, potentially raising inoculum levels and carryover between crops.

Elucidation of the population structure and genetic diversity of Bipolaris oryzae associated with rice brown spot disease using SSR markers

Brown spot disease, caused by Bipolaris oryzae, is one of the several disastrous diseases affecting rice. The brown spot fungus illustrates substantial pathogenic and genetic variability. To the best of our knowledge, extensive analysis utilizing specific SSR primers for B. oryzae genome is quite inadequate for the population structure and genetic diversity of Indian B. oryzae isolates. A total of 84 brown spot isolates were collected from rice-cultivating areas across southern and eastern Indian states, viz., Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The pathogenicity and virulence characteristics of these isolates were assessed with the susceptible cultivar CR Dhan 201. Twelve genome-specific SSR markers of B. oryzae warranted the investigation of the population structure and genetic diversity among the isolates. These isolates were categorized based on their disease grade as highly virulent isolates (4 nos.), virulent isolates (8 nos.), moderately virulent isolates (47 nos.) and less virulent isolates (25 nos.). PCR amplification and DNA sequencing confirmed the isolates to be B. oryzae. PCR amplification and DNA sequencing confirmed the isolates to be B. oryzae. The SSR markers produced a total of 35 alleles with 1 to 4 alleles per locus with a gene diversity ranging between 0.00 and 0.687 and a major allele frequency variation of 0.425-0.975. The PIC value ranged from 0.00 to 0.638 having a mean value of 0.34. Cluster analysis technique was applied to group the brown spot isolates into four distinct clusters. Principal coordinate and structure analysis identified two genetic clusters of B. oryzae isolates for individual states with some degree of distinctness complying with their virulence. Analysis of molecular variance revealed more genetic variation within populations and less among populations. The study outcome would expedite the comprehension of genetic diversity of B. oryzae across the southern and eastern states of India. Furthermore, we anticipate its guidance in the development of more effective disease management strategies as well as in the generation of novel resistant varieties through marker-assisted breeding.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-022-03347-4.

Establishment and characterization of a continuous cell line from caudal fin of Labeo calbasu (Hamilton, 1822)

Labeo calbasu is an important food fish and candidate species for diversification of carp aquaculture. In the present study, we have established a continuous cell line, designated as L. calbasu fin (LCF), from caudal fin of L. calbasu using explant method. The cell line has been subcultured for over 73 passages and the LCF cells show optimal growth in Leibovitz's L-15 medium supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum at a temperature of 28°C. In karyotype analysis, the modal chromosome number of LCF cells at 35th passage was found to be 50. The amplification and sequencing of partial fragments of mitochondrial genes, namely 16S rRNA and COI from LCF cells confirmed the origin of cell line from L. calbasu. The LCF cells could be successfully transfected with GFP reporter gene, indicating suitability of these cells for expression of foreign genes. Further, following inoculation with supernatant from Tilapia lake virus (TiLV) infected cell line, no cytopathic effects were observed in the LCF cells and cell pellet was negative for TiLV in RT-PCR, indicating that LCF cells were not susceptible to TiLV. The developed cell line has been submitted to National Repository of Fish Cell Lines being maintained at ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow (accession no. NRFC063). The newly developed LCF cell line would be helpful in investigating diseases affecting this candidate species particularly the ones suspected to be of viral etiology, and for cytotoxicity and transgenic studies.

Multilocus sequence analysis and identification of mating-type idiomorphs distribution in Magnaporthe oryzae population of Karnataka state of India

AIMS

To investigate the genetic diversity, population structure, and mating-type distribution among the eco-distinct isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae from Karnataka, India.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A set of 38 isolates of M. oryzae associated with leaf blast disease of rice were collected from different rice ecosystems of Karnataka, India, and analyzed for their diversity at actin, β-tubulin, calmodulin, translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF-1-α), and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genes/region. The isolates were grouped into two clusters based on the multilocus sequence diversity, the majority being in cluster-IA (n=37), and only one isolate formed cluster-IB. Population structure was analyzed using 123 SNP data to understand the genetic relationship. Based on K=2 and ancestry threshold of >70%, blast strains were classified into two subgroups (SG1 and SG2) whereas, based on K=4 and ancestry threshold of >70%, blast strains were classified into four subgroups (SG1, SG2, SG3, and SG4). We have identified 13 haplotype groups where haplotype-group-2 was predominant (n=20) in the population. The Tajima's and Fu's Fs neutrality tests exhibited many rare alleles. Further, the mating-type analysis was also performed using MAT1 gene-specific primers to find the potentiality of sexual reproduction in different ecosystems. The majority of the isolates (54.5%) had MAT1-2 idiomorph, whereas 45.5 per cent of the isolates possessed MAT1-1 idiomorph.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study found the genetically homogenous population of M. oryzae by multilocus sequence analysis. Both mating types, MAT1-1 and MAT1-2, were found within the M. oryzae population of Karnataka.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY

The study on the population structure and sexual mating behavior of M. oryzae is important in developing region-specific blast-resistant rice cultivars. This is the first report of MAT1 idiomorphs distribution in the M. oryzae population in any Southern state of India.

Morpho-molecular diversity and avirulence genes distribution among the diverse isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae from Southern India

AIMS

To investigate the diversity of eco-distinct isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae for their morphological, virulence and molecular diversity and relative distribution of five Avr genes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Fifty-two M. oryzae isolates were collected from different rice ecosystems of southern India. A majority of them (n = 28) formed a circular colony on culture media. Based on the disease reaction on susceptible cultivar (cv. HR-12), all 52 isolates were classified in to highly virulent (n = 28), moderately virulent (n = 11) and less-virulent (13) types. Among the 52 isolates, 38 were selected for deducing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence diversity. For deducing phylogeny, another set of 36 isolates from other parts of the world was included, which yielded two distinct phylogenetic clusters. We identified eight haplotype groups and 91 variable sites within the ITS sequences, and haplotype-group-2 (Hap_2) was predominant (n = 24). The Tajima's and Fu's Fs neutrality tests exhibited many rare alleles. Furthermore, PCR analysis for detecting the presence of five Avr genes in the different M. oryzae isolates using Avr gene-specific primers in PCR revealed that Avr-Piz-t, Avr-Pik, Avr-Pia and Avr-Pita were present in 73.68%, 73.68%, 63.16% and 47.37% of the isolates studied, respectively; whereas, Avr-Pii was identified only in 13.16% of the isolates.

CONCLUSIONS

Morpho-molecular and virulence studies revealed the significant diversity among eco-distinct isolates. PCR detection of Avr genes among the M. oryzae population revealed the presence of five Avr genes. Among them, Avr-Piz-t, Avr-Pik and Avr-Pia were more predominant.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The study documented the morphological and genetic variability of eco-distinct M. oryzae isolates. This is the first study demonstrating the distribution of the Avr genes among the eco-distinct population of M. oryzae from southern India. The information generated will help plant breeders to select appropriate resistant gene/s combinations to develop blast disease-resistant rice cultivars.

Morpho-molecular and mating-type locus diversity of Ustilaginoidea virens: an incitant of false smut of rice from Southern parts of India

AIMS

To characterize the geo-distinct isolates of Ustilaginoidea virens for morpho-molecular and mating-type locus diversity.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Sixty-one isolates of U. virens collected from Southern India exhibited significant diversity in mycelial width (3·45-5·50 µm), colony colour (yellow, pale yellow, and white), and growth pattern (thick leather mat, raised-fluffy, flat-fluffy, and raised). Field-borne chlamydospores of each isolate were significantly smaller in size (3·34-5·26 µm² ) compared to those formed on culture media (18·6-100·89 µm² ). The phylogenetic study based on internal transcribed sequences revealed two clusters; however, most isolates (n = 54) were grouped in cluster-I, indicating common ancestral origin. We also identified 42 haplotypes; among them, Hap_3 has the highest number of isolates (n = 19). Mating-type locus (MAT1) analysis revealed all sixty-one isolates as heterothallic, wherein 37 and 24 isolates belonging to MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 heterothallic mating types, respectively. The microsynteny analysis of MAT1 loci of one of the Indian strain (Uv-Gvt) along with Uv-8b (China) strain revealed synteny conservation at MAT1 locus, which is flanked by conserved genes SLA2 and a hypothetical protein in the upstream and APN2, COX12 and APC5 in the downstream of the locus.

CONCLUSIONS

Morpho-molecular study revealed the significant diversity among geo-distinct isolates, and MAT1 loci analysis indicated the distribution of heterothallic mating types in south Indian paddy fields. And also, complete synteny conservation between Indian and Chinese strain was observed at the MAT1 locus.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This is the first report describing the sexuality of Indian strains of the U. virens, which would help better understand the genetic diversity of the U. virens prevailing in Southern India and aid in developing resistant rice cultivars against this pathogen population.

Comparative genomics of rice false smut fungi Ustilaginoidea virens Uv-Gvt strain from India reveals genetic diversity and phylogenetic divergence

False smut disease of rice caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, is an emerging threat to rice cultivation worldwide due to its detrimental effects on grain yield and quality. False smut disease severity was 4.44‒17.22% during a roving survey in Kharif 2016 in the four different rice ecosystems of Karnataka, India. Further, 15 pathogen isolates representing four different ecosystems were studied for their virulence and morphometric diversity. Among the 15 strains studied, most virulent strains Uv-Gvt was selected for whole genome sequencing in Illumina NextSeq 500 platform using 2 × 150 bp sequencing chemistry. The total assembled genome of Uv-Gvt was 26.96 Mb, which comprised of 9157 scaffolds with an N50 value of 15,934 bp and 6628 protein-coding genes. Next, the comparative genomic study revealed a similar gene inventory as UV-8b and MAFF 236576 strains reported from China and Japan, respectively. But, 1756 genes were unique to Uv-Gvt strain. The Uv-Gvt genome harbors 422 putative host-pathogen interacting genes compared to 359 and 520 genes in UV-8b and MAFF 236576 strains, respectively. The variant analysis revealed low genetic diversity (0.073‒0.088%) among U. virens strains. Further, phylogenetic analysis using 250 single copy orthologs genes of U. virens revealed a distinct phylogeny and an approximate divergence time. Our study, report the genomic resource of rice false smut pathogen from India, where the disease originated, and this information will have broader applicability in understanding the pathogen population diversity.

Extremely low dark current and detection range extension of Ga2O3 UV photodetector using Sn alloyed nanostructures

A unique metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector has been fabricated using Sn incorporation in Ga2O3 forming Sn x Ga1-x O nanostructures (Ns) with platinum (Pt) metal as contacts. The mixed nanostructures (MNs) has been attributed to an increment in the detection range of UV (254-302 nm) with ultra-low dark current, hence a potential device in the field of long range deep-UV detector. Sn x Ga1-x O Ns are deposited on c-plane sapphire using low-pressure chemical vapour deposition. From the x-ray diffraction (XRD) results, existence of both Sn x Ga1-x O and tetragonal SnO2 MNs are confirmed. The XRD peak shifts in Sn x Ga1-x O are attributed to the integration of Sn with Ga forming a Sn x Ga1-x O alloy with x to be ∼7.3% determined from the Vegard's law. The field effect scanning eletron microscope images show the thick diameter wire-shaped nanostructures. The absorption spectra show a trace of two absorption edges corresponding to both Sn x Ga1-x O and SnO2 Ns. Photo to dark current ratio (PDCR) of the fabricated photodetector is large (103) at 2 V bias with fast fall time of 0.18 s. The detector reveals self-powered behaviour also with PDCR >104 at 0 V bias. The dark current is ultra-low (13 pA at 5 V) due to high barrier height of Pt and the UV detection range has been extended from 254-302 nm with a very small drop in PDCR owing to incorporation of Sn.

Association of Apple necrotic mosaic virus (ApNMV) with mosaic disease in commercially grown cultivars of apple (Malus domestica Borkh) in India

During the course of survey, an incidence of 7.14-90% of apple mosaic disease (AMD) was recorded in apple orchards in Jammu and Kashmir among various commercially grown cultivars. The maximum incidence of mosaic disease was observed in cultivar Golden Delicious. In addition to mosaic, symptoms of chlorosis, necrosis and ring spots were also observed. In the present study association of Apple necrotic mosaic virus (ApNMV) was confirmed by RT-PCR and sequencing of whole coat protein gene in samples tested negative for Apple mosaic virus (ApMV) in DAS-ELISA. Out of 18 samples tested in RT-PCR, ten were found positive for ApNMV. Out of ten ApNMV positive samples, amplicon of 680 bp of samples representing five cultivars were sequenced and sequence analysis showed 89-91% sequence identity with ApNMV. The phylogenetic analysis grouped Indian isolates into two sub-clusters under one major cluster (ApNMV group). The sub-cluster-I, included ApNMV isolates from cultivars, Oregon Spur, Red Delicious and Fuji Aztec along with Chinese and Korean isolates. Sub-cluster-II included ApNMV isolates associated with Golden Delicious and Royal Delicious. The comparison of coat protein gene-based sequence identity matrix showed maximum and minimum similarity of 89-99% with ApNMV isolates from China. It also showed maximum identity with PNRSV (61.6%) and ApMV (52.8%) under subgroup 3 of genus Illarvirus. Our study indicates that the ApNMV is commonly associated with AMD in India and may be a major cause of the mosaic disease in apple cultivars. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the association of ApNMV with apple mosaic disease from India.

Possible activation of NRF2 by Vitamin E/Curcumin against altered thyroid hormone induced oxidative stress via NFĸB/AKT/mTOR/KEAP1 signalling in rat heart

Oxidative stress is implicated in both hypo- and hyper-thyroid conditions. In the present study an attempt has been made to elucidate possible interaction between vitamin E or/and curcumin (two established antioxidants) with active portion (redox signaling intervening region) of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) as a mechanism to alleviate oxidative stress in rat heart under altered thyroid states. Fifty Wistar strain rats were divided into two clusters (Cluster A: hypothyroidism; Cluster B: hyperthyroidism). The hypo- (0.05% (w/v) propylthiouracil in drinking water) and hyper- (0.0012% (w/v) T4 in drinking water) thyroid rats in both clusters were supplemented orally with antioxidants (vitamin E or/and curcumin) for 30 days. Interactive least count difference and principal component analyses indicated increase in lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione level, alteration in the activities and protein expression of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase under altered thyroid states. However, the expression of stress survival molecules; nuclear factor κB (NFκB) and the serine-threonine kinase B (Akt), in hyper-thyroidism only points towards different mechanisms responsible for either condition. Co-administration of vitamin E and curcumin showed better result in attenuating expression of mammalian target for rapamycin (mTOR), restoration of total protein content and biological activity of Ca²⁺ ATPase in hyperthyroid rats, whereas, their individual treatment showed partial restoration. Since NRF2 is responsible for activation of antioxidant response element and subsequent expression of antioxidant enzymes, possible interactions of both vitamin E or/and curcumin with the antioxidant enzymes, NRF2 and its regulator Kelch ECH associating protein (KEAP1) were studied in silico. For the first time, a modeled active portion of the zipped protein NRF2 indicated its interaction with both vitamin E and curcumin. Further, curcumin and vitamin E complex showed in silico interaction with KEAP1. Reduction of oxidative stress by curcumin and/or vitamin E may be due to modulation of NRF2 and KEAP1 function in rat heart under altered thyroid states.

Effect of immunization of rohu Labeo rohita with inactivated germinated zoospores in providing protection against Aphanomyces invadans

Infection with Aphanomyces invadans is one of the most destructive diseases of freshwater fishes. Indian major carps, the dominant cultured species in the Indian sub-continent are highly susceptible to this disease. Till date, there is no effective treatment for control of this disease and immunization can be one of the strategies to reduce disease-related losses. In the present study, inactivated germinated zoospores of A. invadans were evaluated as antigen in conjunction with and without adjuvant Montanide™ ISA 763 A VG, for assessing their efficacy in rendering protection against A. invadans infection. For the experiment, rohu Labeo rohita, (n = 160, 74 ± 12 g) were divided into 4 groups (C, A, G and GA) with 40 fish in each group. The fish in groups i.e., C, A, G and GA were injected intraperitoneally with PBS, adjuvant emulsified with PBS, inactivated germinated zoospores, and inactivated germinated zoospores emulsified with adjuvant, respectively. After 21 days of immunization, the fish were given a booster dose as above. After 7 days of the booster dose, the fish were challenged with zoospores of A. invadans to determine the relative percent survival (RPS). The results revealed that all the fish in C, A and G group succumbed to infection (0% RPS), although there was delayed mortality in fish from A and G groups in comparison to the C group. However, the fish in GA group showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) protection (66.7% RPS). In addition, following booster immunization (before challenge), the antibody level in the GA group was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the control group. In western blotting, sera from G and GA groups showed reactivity with peptides of about 54 KDa. Following challenge (on 14th day), the antibody level as well as total antiprotease activity in fish of all the groups was significantly decreased in comparison to pre-challenge, except fish in GA group not exhibiting any gross lesions. In addition, sera of surviving fish of GA group showed significant inhibition of germination of zoospores and germlings growth in comparison to other groups (P < 0.05). Further, histopathological examination of the muscle tissue revealed that, in fish of GA group without any gross lesions, there were well developed granulomas and extensive mononuclear cell infiltration restricted to the site of injection, whereas in other groups, there was extensive myonecrosis with proliferating hyphae. These preliminary findings indicate that inactivated germinated zoospores of A. invadans in combination with adjuvant could stimulate good immune response and confer remarkable protection in rohu.

Evaluation of interconversion pharmacokinetics of 16α-hydroxycleroda-3,13(14)Z-dien-15,16-olide - a novel HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and its acid metabolite using multi-compartmental pharmacokinetic model in mice

16α-Hydroxycleroda-3,13(14)Z-dien-15,16-olide (4655K-09 or K-09) is a novel clerodane diterpene lactone reported for its anti-hyperlipidemic efficacy. The objective of the present study was to investigate the probable reversible metabolism of 4655K-09 and evaluate its effects on pharmacokinetic (PK) properties. The PK studies were carried out through intravenous (IV) bolus administration of 4655K-09 and K-9T in mice at a dose of 3, 6 and 12 mg/kg separately. The oral PK study of 4655K-09 was carried out at therapeutic dose of 25 mg/kg. The % AUC of metabolite converted to parent upon its administration % AUCK-09K-9T was found to be 27.28 ± 2.67. The multi-compartmental interconversion model defined reversible and irreversible clearances along with volumes of distribution for parent and metabolite. The results emphasized that hydrolysis of lactone to acid was more efficient than back conversion to parent due to greater extent of irreversible elimination of acid. Further, the role of interconversion in pharmacokinetics of 4655K-09 was evaluated through secondary parameters like conversion coefficients of parent to metabolite ( KK-9TK-09:0.08 ± 0.02 ), metabolite to parent ( KK-09K-9T : 0.019 ± 0.001), exposure enhancement (EE: 1.04 ± 0.006), and recycled fraction (RF: 0.042 ± 0.007), highlighted the minimal role of interconversion. The estimation of oral bioavailability remains unaffected when calculated through considering reversible metabolism. The present model-based interconversion pharmacokinetics of 4655K-09 in mice could be further extended to other species to support its development as anti-hyperlipidemic agent.

Adsorptive removal of arsenic by novel iron/olivine composite: Insights into preparation and adsorption process by response surface methodology and artificial neural network

Olivine, a low-cost natural material, impregnated with iron is introduced in the adsorptive removal of arsenic. A wet impregnation method and subsequent calcination were employed for the preparation of iron/olivine composite. The major preparation process parameter, viz., iron loading and calcination temperature were optimized through the response surface methodology coupled with a factorial design. A significant variation of adsorption capacity of arsenic (measured as total arsenic), i.e., 63.15 to 310.85 mg/kg for arsenite [As(III)^T] and 76.46 to 329.72 mg/kg for arsenate [As(V)^T] was observed, which exhibited the significant effect of the preparation process parameters on the adsorption potential. The iron loading delineated the optima at central points, whereas a monotonous decreasing trend of adsorption capacity for both the As(III)^T and As(V)^T was observed with the increasing calcination temperature. The variation of adsorption capacity with the increased iron loading is more at lower calcination temperature showing the interactive effect between the factors. The adsorbent prepared at the optimized condition of iron loading and calcination temperature, i.e., 10% and 200 °C, effectively removed the As(III)^T and As(V)^T by more than 96 and 99%, respectively. The material characterization of the adsorbent showed the formation of the iron compound in the olivine and increase in specific surface area to the tune of 10 multifold compared to the base material, which is conducive to the enhancement of the adsorption capacity. An artificial neural network was applied for the multivariate optimization of the adsorption process from the experimental data of the univariate optimization study and the optimized model showed low values of error functions and high R² values of more than 0.99 for As(III)^T and As(V)^T. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics followed Langmuir model and pseudo second order model, respectively demonstrating the chemisorption in this study.

Candidatus Actinochlamydia pangasiae sp. nov. (Chlamydiales, Actinochlamydiaceae), a bacterium associated with epitheliocystis in Pangasianodon hypophthalmus

Chlamydial infections are recognised as causative agent of epitheliocystis, reported from over 90 fish species. In the present study, the farmed striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (14-15 cm, 70-90 g) with a history of cumulative mortality of about 23% during June and July 2015, were brought to the laboratory. The histopathological examination of gills from the affected fish revealed presence of granular basophilic intracellular inclusions, mostly at the base of the interlamellar region and in gill filaments. A concurrent infection with Trichodina spp., Ichthyobodo spp. and Dactylogyrus spp. was observed in the gills. The presence of chlamydial DNA in the gills of affected fish was confirmed by amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. BLAST-n analysis of these amplicons revealed maximum similarity (96%) with Candidatus Actinochlamydia clariae. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, it was inferred that the epitheliocystis agents from striped catfish were novel and belonged to the taxon Ca. Actinochlamydia. It is proposed that epitheliocystis agents from striped catfish will be named as Ca. Actinochlamydia pangasiae. The 16S rRNA gene amplicons from novel chlamydiae were labelled and linked to inclusions by in situ hybridisation. This is the first report of epitheliocystis from India in a new fish host P. hypophthalmus.

First report of cutaneous infiltrative lipoma in goldfish Carassius auratus

Goldfish Carassius auratus is the most popular ornamental species, widely present in private and public aquaria. In the present case, 2 goldfish exhibited bilateral, multiple, variably sized, round, pale-white, soft, protruding masses on the body. The microscopic examination of the masses revealed well-differentiated adipocytes infiltrating the subcutaneous skeletal muscle bundles. The histological lesions were consistent with infiltrative lipoma. To our knowledge, this is the first report of cutaneous infiltrative lipoma in goldfish.

Sonogashira (Cu and amine free) and Suzuki coupling in air catalyzed via nanoparticles formed in situ from Pd(ii) complexes of chalcogenated Schiff bases of 1-naphthaldehyde and their reduced forms

The activation of the coupling reactions with the Pd(ii)-complexes (0.05–0.01 mol% loading) is significant in 1–2 h under mild conditions.

Innate immune response against an oomycete pathogen Aphanomyces invadans in common carp (Cyprinus carpio), a fish resistant to epizootic ulcerative syndrome

Infection with Aphanomyces invadans, also known as epizootic ulcerative syndrome, is a destructive disease of freshwater and brackishwater fishes. Although more than 130 species of fish have been confirmed to be susceptible to this disease, some of the commercially important fish species like common carp, milk fish and tilapia are reported to be resistant. Species that are naturally resistant to a particular disease, provide a potential model to study the mechanisms of resistance against that disease. In the present study, following experimental infection with A. invadans in common carp Cyprinus carpio, sequential changes in various innate immune parameters and histopathological alterations were monitored. Some of the studied innate immunity parameters viz. respiratory burst, alternative complement and total antiproteases activities of the infected common carp were higher compared to control fish, particularly at early stages of infection. On the other hand, some parameters such as myeloperoxidase, lysozyme and alpha-2 macroglobulin activities were not altered. Histopathological examination of the muscle at the site of injection revealed well developed granulomas at 12 days post infection, with subsequent regeneration of muscle fibers. From the results, it could be inferred that innate defense mechanisms of common carp are able to neutralize the virulence factors secreted by A. invadans, thereby, preventing its invasive spread and containing the infection. The results obtained here will help to better understand the mechanisms underlying resistance against A. invadans infection.

Genome wide in silico characterization of Dof gene families of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp.)

The DNA binding with One Finger (Dof) protein is a plant specific transcription factor involved in the regulation of wide range of processes. The analysis of whole genome sequence of pigeonpea has identified 38 putative Dof genes (CcDof) distributed on 8 chromosomes. A total of 17 out of 38 CcDof genes were found to be intronless. A comprehensive in silico characterization of CcDof gene family including the gene structure, chromosome location, protein motif, phylogeny, gene duplication and functional divergence has been attempted. The phylogenetic analysis resulted in 3 major clusters with closely related members in phylogenetic tree revealed common motif distribution. The in silico cis-regulatory element analysis revealed functional diversity with predominance of light responsive and stress responsive elements indicating the possibility of these CcDof genes to be associated with photoperiodic control and biotic and abiotic stress. The duplication pattern showed that tandem duplication is predominant over segmental duplication events. The comparative phylogenetic analysis of these Dof proteins along with 78 soybean, 36 Arabidopsis and 30 rice Dof proteins revealed 7 major clusters. Several groups of orthologs and paralogs were identified based on phylogenetic tree constructed. Our study provides useful information for functional characterization of CcDof genes.

Innate immune response of Indian major carp, Labeo rohita infected with oomycete pathogen Aphanomyces invadans

The fish pathogenic oomycete Aphanomyces invadans is the causative agent of epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS), a fish disease of international significance and reportable to the World Organisation for Animal Health. In spite of the current and potential impact of A. invadans infection on fisheries and aquaculture sectors of the world, very little is known about the host-A. invadans interactions. In the present study, following experimental infection with A. invadans in one of the Indian major carps, Labeo rohita, sequential changes in various innate immune parameters were monitored. The results indicated that at early stages of infection, no significant changes in any of the studied innate immune parameters were observed. However, at the advanced stages of infection from 6 to 12 days post infection (dpi), the respiratory burst and alternate complement activity were significantly higher whereas lysozyme, antiproteases and α-2 macroglobulin values were significantly lower than the control group and also from the infected group at earlier stages of infection. Since, the possibility of vaccination of fish against A. invadans appears remote due to difficulties in eliciting a specific antibody response, the information generated in the present study could be useful for developing strategies for improving resistance to A. invadans infection by stimulating the innate immunity through immunomodulation.

Epitaxial Fe films on ZnSe(001): effect of the substrate surface reconstruction on the magnetic anisotropy

It is well known that Fe films deposited on a c(2 × 2)-reconstructed ZnSe(001) surface show a strong in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. Here, the effect of the substrate reconstruction on the magnetic anisotropy of Fe has been studied by in situ Brillouin light scattering. We found that the in-plane uniaxial anisotropy is strongly reduced for Fe films grown on a (1 × 1)-unreconstructed ZnSe substrate while the in-plane biaxial one is nearly unaffected by the substrate reconstruction. Calculations of magnetic anisotropy energies within the framework of ab initio density functional theory reveal that the strong suppression of anisotropy at the (1 × 1) interface occurs due to complex atomic relaxations as well as the competing effects originating from magnetocrystalline anisotropy and dipole-dipole interactions. For both sharp and intermixed c(2 × 2) interfaces, the magnetic anisotropy is enhanced compared to the (1 × 1) case due to the further lowering of symmetry. The theoretical results are in agreement with the experimental findings.

Detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from nasal samples by multiplex real-time PCR based on dual priming AT-rich primers

In this study, we reported on the design of a multiplex real-time PCR assay based on SYBR Green I, incorporating dual priming adenine-thymine (AT)-rich primers for direct detection of MRSA from nasal samples. The multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay reported in this study is based on SYBR Green I with incorporation of six dual priming AT-rich primers designed from the SCCmec/orf junction. A string (4-6 bp) of low-melting bases, such as adenine and thymine, was incorporated into the primers, which virtually divided a single primer in two functional regions, thus decreasing non-specific PCR products. The analytical sensitivity and specificity of the RT-PCR assay was determined with genomic DNA of reference strains (MRSA, MSSA, and MRCoNS). RT-PCR assay was performed for analysis of 72 nasal swab specimens, and the results were confirmed by use of a culture method. Furthermore, the results of RT-PCR were compared with LightCycler MRSA advance test. The multiplex RT-PCR assay reproducibly detected a minimum of 1 pg genomic DNA (31.5 copy of genome) of MRSA reference strains and clinical isolates, with a specific melting peak at 83.5 ± 1.5°C, and neither fluorescence nor a melting peak was detected in non-target isolates. The concordance rate between RT-PCR assay and culture method was 87.5% with Cohen's kappa value (κ) 0.75, which showed good agreement between the two assays. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the assay were 93.5%, 82.9%, 80.5%, and 94.4%, respectively. In a comparative study for the detection of 72 nasal samples, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the multiplex RT-PCR assay with respect to LightCycler MRSA advance test was 84.2%, 88.2%, 89%, and, 83.3%, respectively. The results of RT-PCR assay demonstrated high specificity (88.2%) and positive predictive value (89%) for the direct detection of MRSA from nasal samples.

Pulseless cardiomyopathy

Takayasu arteritis can have myriads of presentation, depending on site and extent of disease. As no age is immune for this disease, it is important to keep a high index of suspicion, otherwise the diagnosis can be missed. We hereby describe a case of Takayasu arteritis, which presented as dilated cardiomyopathy.

Enhanced proteolysis leads to pre-mature cell death under the influence of elicitor like mycelial components from karnal bunt (tilletia indica) pathogen in wheat callus cultures

Calli raised from mature embryos of susceptible wheat cultivar WH 542 were used in the present study as in vitro bioassay system to study the influence of disease determinant(s) of Karnal bunt (Tilletia indica), a semi-biotrophic fungal pathogen of wheat. Influence of elicitor and conditioned medium (CM) prepared from fungal cultures of T. indica was investigated on induction of programmed cell death (PCD). Induction of PCD was observed as hypersensitive response (HR) in terms of browning at localized regions of callus cultures and induction of proteolytic enzyme(s). Elicitor treated calli showed higher induction of protease activity than untreated and CM-treated cultures, which showed not much change in the activity. It was further substantiated by gel protease assay and activation of caspase-3 like protein(s) in callus cultures that clearly suggested the presence of signaling molecule(s) in the fungal elicitor preparation rather than in conditioned medium. This study further demonstrated that only elicitor preparation possesses such molecule(s), which might be cell wall bound components, rather than secretory in nature as CM was unable to induce PCD in wheat callus cultivars.