May 2011
Highly heterogeneous Ty3/Gypsy-like retrotransposon sequences in the genome of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)
The use of PCR has enabled the survey of transposable elements in many plants; thereby making the study of their diversity and applications possible in species where the full genome sequence data are not yet available. In the present study, we used PCR primers anchored on the conserved domain of reverse transcriptase and endonuclease to amplify the Ty3/Gypsy-like polyprotein fragment from the genome of cassava...
May 2011
Genetics of trichomes and its association with fibre and agronomic traits in cotton
Hairiness/trichomes act as an important insect non-preference trait. The inheritance of this trait was studied in three cross combinations involving a common pilose parent with three sparse hairy parents which showed a theoretical monohybrid ratio of 1:2:1, showing incomplete dominance in F2. The positive correlation of number of trichomes with lint percentage and micronaire suggested that the selection for pilose...
May 2011
Quick and sensitive determination of gene expression of fatty acid synthase in vitro by using real-time polymerase chain reaction amplification (PCR)
Obesity results from an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, which leads to a pathological accumulation of adipose tissue, but the underlying mechanism at gene level, is far from being elucidated. The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between mRNA express from fatty acid synthase (FAS) with a different glucose level in primary adipocytes by real-time polymerase chain reaction...
May 2011
Characterization of a chestnut FLORICAULA/LEAFY homologous gene
The FLORICAULA/LEAFY (FLO/LFY) homologues’ genes are necessary for normal flower development and play a key role in diverse angiosperm species. In this paper, an orthologue of FLORICAULA/LEAFY, CmLFY (chestnut FLO/LFY), was isolated from the inflorescence of chestnut trees. Its expression was detected in various tissues. Furthermore, the flowering effectiveness of the gene...
May 2011
Overexpression of a foxtail millet Acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene in maize increases sethoxydim resistance and oil content
Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) plays a crucial role in fatty acid metabolism in plants, catalyzing the carboxylation of acetyl-CoA to produce malonyl-CoA. In grasses, the plastids ACCases are critical determinants of plant sensitivity to herbicide classes cyclohexanediones (CHDs) and aryloxyphenoxy propionates (APPs). We transformed the full-length cDNA of a plastid ACCase gene from foxtail millet (Setaria...
May 2011
Variation in nodulation and growth of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) on oxisols from land use systems of the humid forest zone in southern Cameroon
Improving biological nitrogen fixation through legume nodulating bacteria (LNB) inoculation requires knowledge on the abundance and effectiveness of indigenous population in the ferralsols. Nodulation of groundnut was examined under pots experiment in four location sites of the Humid-forest zone: Bertoua in the East; Ebolowa in the South; Bokito and Yaoundé in the Centre Regions of Cameroon and within each of the...
May 2011
Comparison of some anthropometric and biologic parameters in two groups of Tunisian infants (0 to 2 years)
Malnutrition still remains a preoccupying health problem that affects the most vulnerable age group (less than five years). The aim of this research is to establish the nutritional profile of the Tunisian infants less than 2 years, to specify the principal deficiencies and the possible origins of these deficiencies. In our transverse exploratory study carried out in a period of 12 months, two groups of infants...
May 2011
Isolation and molecular characterization of RcSERK1: A Rosa canina gene transcriptionally induced during initiation of protocorm-like bodies
A somatic embryogensis receptor-like kinase (SERK) gene was isolated from protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of Rosa canina by a rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) approach and was designated as RcSERK1. The RcSERK1 encodes a protein of 626 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 68.79 kDa and theoretical isoelectric point of 5.65. The amino acid sequence of RcSERK1shares all...
May 2011
Molecular cloning and expression of the luciferase coding genes of Vibrio fischeri
Vibrio fischeri is a symbiotic marine bacterium and a nonpathogenic member of theVibrionaceae which produces luminescence by expressing the lux operon. The lux operon encoding luciferase (luxAB) and proteins required to synthesize the aldehyde substrate (luxCDE), is controlled with luxR and luxI. In this study, we amplified the chromosomal fragment...
May 2011
Study of polymorphism of leptin gene receptor in Mazandaran fowls
In chickens, leptin is expressed mainly in the liver and adipose tissue. In Iran, Mazandaran native fowls are under recording and breeding programs, but according to the action modes and importance of the leptin receptor, its polymorphisms can be related to economical traits such as body weight. In this study, in order to identify allelic polymorphism in leptin gene receptor, a restriction fragment length polymorphism...
May 2011
Detection of genomic instability in hypospadias patients by random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) method
Hypospadias is a urogenital malformation, and it is a common inborn disorder in male individuals. The etiology of hypospadias is still unsolved. The present study is aimed to identify the genetic instability in hypospadias patients. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based technique, was adopted using ten random primers in twelve cases and twelve controls. The primer detectability...
May 2011
cDNA, genomic sequence cloning and overexpression of cytochrome c oxidase gene (COX6b1) from the Ailuropoda melanoleuca
Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) is a component of the mitochondria respiratory chain. COX6b1 is one of the COX small subunits encoded by nuclear genes. In currently study, the cDNA and the genomic sequence of COX6b1 were successfully cloned from the Ailuropoda melanoleuca with the RT-PCR technology and Touchdown-PCR, respectively. The length of cDNA fragment cloned is 341 bp in size, containing...
May 2011
Effect of plant growth regulators (PGRs) on micropropagation of a vulnerable and high value medicinal plant Hedychium spicatum
A complete micropropagation protocol was developed by applying different plant growth regulators (PGRs) of a vulnerable and high value aromatic medicinal plant,Hedychium spicatum. Three cytokinins, 6-benzyladenine (BA), kinetin (KN) and thidiazuron (TDZ) were used and among these, the lower concentration of TDZ (1.0 µM) was found to be the most effective treatment in relation to induction of high frequency...
May 2011
Genotype-dependent responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings to drought, UV-B radiation and their combined stresses
Experiments were conducted under controlled conditions to investigate the growth and physiological-biochemical responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings to UV-B, drought, and their combined stresses. Both UV-B and drought treatments retarded seedling growth with UV-B having worse impact on wheat plants. Chlorophyll content and relative water content (RWC) in leaves, as stress makers, were significantly...
May 2011
The effects of the regulated deficit irrigation on yield and some yield components of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under semi-arid conditions
During three consecutive years (2002 to 2004), common bean was grown to investigate the effects of the regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on the yield and yield parameters under semi-arid conditions. Field experiments were conducted on a clay soil. The growing season of common bean was divided into two phases: (1) Vegetative stage (V); from seed germination to the beginning of flowering and (2) reproductive stage (R);...
May 2011
Molecular cloning of a novel GSK3/shaggy-like gene from Triticum monococcum L. and its expression in response to salt, drought and other abiotic stresses
The glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3)/SHAGGY-like kinases are nonreceptor serine/threonine protein kinases that are involved in a variety of biological processes. Here, a novel GSK-3-like kinase encoding cDNA was isolated fromTriticum monococcum L. seedlings by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Sequence analysis showed that the full length of cDNA consist of 1,543 bp with an open reading...
May 2011
Some quality traits and neurotoxin β-N-oxalyl-L-α,β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) contents of Lathyrus sp. cultivated in Turkey
In this study, 52 landraces accessions belonging to the species of Lathyrus sativusand Lathyrus clymenum collected from different regions of Turkey and one released variety of Lathyrus sativus were evaluated for some quality traits like seed coat color, 1000 seed weight, crude protein and neurotoxin β-N-oxalyl-L-α,β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) content. Among the...
May 2011
Optimization of a plant regeneration protocol for broccoli
The factors which influence the regeneration of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) were studied using an orthogonal design. The results showed that the major factor was the explant type, followed by naphthylacetic acid (NAA), benzylaminopurine (BAP), sucrose and AgNO3 in turn. The maximum regeneration was on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium + NAA 0.107 µM + BAP 17.76 µM + 2% sucrose + 0.8% agar....
May 2011
Evaluation of bread wheat genotypes for salinity tolerance under saline field conditions
In two consecutive seasons (2007-08 and 2008-09), field experiments were conducted at Soil Salinity Research Institute, Pindi Bhattian and Biosaline Agricultural Research Station, Pakka Aana, Pakistan. During 2007-08, 103 wheat landrace genotypes were evaluated for salinity tolerance. During 2008-09, 47 selected genotypes were evaluated at the same locations. Combined analysis of both locations during both years...
May 2011
Antioxidant enzymes activities during secondary somatic embryogenesis in Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.)
Somatic embryogenesis was achieved from immature cotyledon explants of Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.) cave. "Chandler" on DKW medium. Secondary somatic embryogenesis, the process by which adventitious embryos are formed from primary somatic embryos, is frequent during somatic embryogenesis in Persian walnut. It has certain advantages compared with primary somatic embryogenesis such as high...
May 2011
Sugar beet genotype effect on potential of bioethanol production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation
In order to study the effect of genotype on sugar beet ethanol production potential, ten beet varieties including diploid, triploid and tetraploid, multigerm, monogerm sugar beet and fodder beet were planted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in Khoy Agricultural Research Center for two years (2008 to 2009). Some morphological and physiological traits were recorded. The fresh root and raw...
May 2011
Modeling and experiment to threshing unit of stripper combine
The aim of this study was to establish the mathematical models to axial threshing unit of stripper combine harvester. The exponential distribution model of the un-threshed grain, free grain and cumulative gain along the axial threshing drum was obtained. The loss of separation was the free grain which had reached the end of the threshing unit but still not separated....
May 2011
Yield responses of forage sorghums to salinity and irrigation frequency
Water stress restricts crop yield in both the arid and semi-arid zones of the world. In particular, water stress is associated with low availability of water, as well as osmotic effects associated with salinity. The response of forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] varieties to salinity and irrigation frequency were studied from December 2007 to December 2008. Speedfeed and KFS4 were grown under salinity...
May 2011
Isolation and characterization of a novel sulfur-oxidizing chemolithoautotroph Halothiobacillus from Pb polluted paddy soil
A new mesophilic and chemolithoautotrophic sulfur oxidizing bacterium (SOB) strain HT1 was isolated from a rice rhizosphere soil polluted by Pb using thiosulfate as electron donor at pH 7.0. The 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the new isolate was a sulfur oxidizing obligate chemolithotroph belonging to Gammaproteobacteria, Halothiobacillus and utilizing different reduced sulfur compounds (sulfide,...
May 2011
Biomonitoring of some heavy metal contaminations from a steel plant by above ground plants tissue
Soil and plants growing in the vicinity of industrial areas display increased concentrations of heavy metals and give an indication of the environmental quality. The contamination source for aluminum, iron, nickel and lead in the Botanical garden of Mobarakeh Steel Company was recognized by analyzing the leaves and topsoil of two evergreen species: Quercus brantii and Ligustrum vulgare. Availability...
May 2011
Isolation, purification and identification of bacteria from the shoes worn by children
13 strains of bacteria were isolated from 12 shoes that were worn by children aged 6 to 12 for more than half a year. Through morphological observation, physiological and biochemical measurements, as well as 16SrRNA sequence analysis, the bacteria were identified as follows: Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis (5 subspecies), Bacillus spore (3 subspecies), Bacillus...
May 2011
Analyzing the two-dimensional plot of the interannual climate variability for detection of the climate change in the Large Karoun River Basin, Iran
In most studies on climate change, the first problem often faced by the researcher is detecting the climate change of the study area during the past periods and attributing it to the greenhouse gases. In this study, an attempt has been made to introduce a method for detecting the climate change during the past periods in regional scale and attributing it to greenhouse gases with regard to climate processes in a region....
May 2011
Screening and optimization of extracellular lipases by Acinetobacter species isolated from oil-contaminated soil in South Korea
A total of 53 strains of bacteria were isolated from oil contaminated soil collected in South Korea. The isolated bacteria were screened using spirit blue agar and Rhodamine-B agar media. Two of the isolated strains exhibited a greater clear zone than the others, indicating higher lipase activity. Therefore, these two strains (BK43 and BK44) were selected and identified based on their morphological...
May 2011
Antifungal activity of selected plant leaves crude extracts against a pepper anthracnose fungus, Colletotrichum capsici (Sydow) butler and bisby (Ascomycota: Phyllachorales)
The antifungal activities of the leaves extract of 15 selected medicinal plants; Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd., Alstonia spatulata Blume., Annona muricata L., Blechnumorientale L., Blumea balsamifera L., Centella asiatica L., Dicranopteris linearis(Burm. f.) Underw., Dillenia suffruticosa (Griff ex Hook.f. and Thomson) Martelli, Litsea...
May 2011
Isolation, identification and application in lignin degradation of an ascomycete GHJ-4
This study was undertaken to isolate an ascomycete producing ligninolytic enzyme and characterize its lignin degradation capability. Among 20 isolates, GHJ-4 was isolated from decayed wood of Salix matsudana Koidz in Mount Tai, China, by different indicator compounds assay. The taxonomy of the fungi wasParaconiothyrium variabile Damm, Verkley and Crous, which had been confirmed by both morphological and...
May 2011
Improved taxol production in Nodulisporium sylviforme derived from inactivated protoplast fusion
Inactivated protoplast fusion by UV irradiation and UV+LiCl mutation was conducted using Nodulisporium sylviforme strain UV40-19 and UL50-6 to breed a high taxol-producing fungus. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of taxol production was confirmed using thin-layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The protoplasts of UV40-19 and UL50-6were fully...
May 2011
Production of ethanol from mango (Mangifera indica L.) peel by Saccharomyces cerevisiae CFTRI101
Mango fruit processing industries generate two types of waste, including solid waste (peel and stones) and liquid waste (juice and wash water). Utilization of this waste is both a necessity and challenge. This work was aimed to investigate the suitability of dried mango peel for ethanol production. The mango peel contained good amount of reducing sugars up to 40% (w/v). Direct fermentation of mango peel extract gave...
May 2011
Secretory expression of Rhizopus oryzae α-amylase in Kluyveromyces lactis
Kluyveromyces lactis is a non-conventional yeast species extensively used in the expression of heterologous genes. In this study, a genetically modified K. lactis with high-level expression of α-amylase from Rhizopus oryzae was obtained, which could successfully hydrolyze and use starch for growth very well. Shake flask fermentation indicated that, the recombinant yeast was able to produce...
May 2011
Volatile compounds of maari, a fermented product from baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) seeds
The volatile compounds associated with baobab seeds fermentation for Maari production were extracted and analysed by Likens-Nickerson simultaneous steam distillation-extraction method and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. Furthermore, the titratable acidity, tannin content and proximate composition were evaluated. A total of 96 compounds were identified with esters, acids, alcohols...
May 2011
Antioxidant activities of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil obtained by hydro-distillation and solvent free microwave extraction
The essential oils of Rosmarinus officinalis L. growing in a rural area within the Nkonkobe Municipality of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, were extracted using the solvent free microwave extractor (SFME) and hydro-distillation (HD) methods. The antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity of the obtained oils were tested by means of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH+) assay and β-carotene...
May 2011
Effects of bagging on sugar metabolism and the activity of sugar metabolism related enzymes during fruit development of Qingzhong loquat
To investigate the effects of bagging on sugar metabolism and the activity of sugar metabolism related enzymes in Qingzhong loquat fruit development, the contents of sucrose, glucose and soluble solids as well as the activities of sugar metabolism related enzymes were evaluated. The content of sucrose, glucose and soluble solids increased, while the content of fructose, sorbitol and titratable acidity decreased in ripe...
May 2011
Anti-inflammatory evaluation of immature fruit and seed aqueous extracts from several populations of Tunisian Citrullus colocynthis Schrad
Plant extracts are some of the most attractive sources of new drugs and have shown promising results for the treatment of inflammation and immune-related diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae) endemic in Tunisia, is widely used in folk medicine to treat many inflammation disorders. The aim of this study is to quantify the alkaloid and the flavonoid levels...
May 2011
Effects of artemether on the plasma and urine concentrations of some electrolytes in rats
This study was carried out to determine the changes in the urine levels of sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), and calcium (Ca2+) of rats during a week of intramuscular administration of artemether (12.5 to 50.0 mg/kg/day), another one week thereafter and their concentrations in the plasma at the end of the study. At 12.5 and 25.0 mg/kg of artemether, urine Na+ concentration was significantly increased throughout the...
May 2011
Expression of biological active VHH camelid single domain antibody in transgenic tobacco
Functional VHH single domain antibody lacking light chains occur naturally in Camelidae. The single domain nature of VHH gives rise to several unique features when compared to antigen-binding derivatives of conventional antibodies. The level of expression in Escherichia coli was found to be too low for therapeutic purposes. Therefore, there is a need to examine other production systems such as plants. Several...
May 2011
Aloe arborescens aqueous gel extract alters the activities of key hepatic enzymes and blood concentration of triglycerides, glucose and insulin in alloxan-induced diabetic rats
The present study investigated the antidiabetic activity and the possible mechanisms of action of aqueous extract of Aloe arborescens leaf gel (AALGEt) on normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in 12 h fasted rats by intraperitoneal injection of 140 mg/kg body weight of alloxan. Blood glucose levels, body weight and water intake were determined on day 7, 14 and 21 of AALGEt treatment....
May 2011
Increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in rats with spinal cord injury by transplantation of bone marrow stromal cells
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a well known angiogenic factor, has been shown to have direct and/or indirect influence on spinal cord injury (SCI). The purpose of this study is to observe VEGF expression changes in rats with SCI bybone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) treatment. The mRNA expression of VEGF in rats was analyzed by semi-quantitative RT- PCR and the protein expression...
May 2011
In-ovo evaluation of the antiviral activity of methanolic root-bark extract of the African Baobab (Adansonia digitata Lin)
Application of ethnoveterinary medicine in the control of poultry diseases is being embraced in many parts of the world for more profitable production. This study investigated the antiviral property of the root-bark extract of the African Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata Lin) against Newcastle disease virus. One hundred and seventy five specific antibody negative embryonated chicken eggs and a field strain of...
May 2011
Effect of gamma radiation on different stages of Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella Hübner is one of the most important stored products pests in the world. In this research, the effect of gamma irradiation was studied on different developmental stages of this pest and the doses required to prevent each of these developmental stages was investigated. From the results, required dose to prevent larval emergence from irradiated 1 to 24 h eggs was...
May 2011
Body composition of freshwater Wallago attu in relation to body size, condition factor and sex from southern Punjab, Pakistan
Wallago attu is one of the large freshwater catfish found in Pakistan. The rapid growth and high nutritional quality encouraged investigation into the aquaculture potential of this excellent food fish. It was observed that body size had a positive influence on percent ash, percent fat and percent protein contents (wet weight) but there was no significant effect on percent water content. The condition factor...
May 2011
Rhizopus stolonifer exhibits dimorphism
This study showed that multiple morphologies could be induced from sporangiospores of Rhizopus stolonifer in minimal medium. These included moniliform hyphae, septate hyphae and terminal budding yeast cells. When considered along the normal coenocytic filamentous growth form, the study showed that R. stolonifer could be polymorphic. Key words: Rhizopus stolonifer, polymorphic,...
May 2011
Genetic variation and bottleneck in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) strains using twelve microsatellite markers
The genetic structure of four strains of Japanese quail (Pharach, Panda, Tuxedo and Golden) was investigated by 12 microsatellite markers in Iran. Whole blood samples were collected from 200 individuals belonging to four strains and genomic DNA was extracted by salting out procedure. The 12 microsatellite markers were amplified through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results indicated that the average...
May 2011
Evaluation of the effects of bovine herpesvirus-1 VP22 gene adjuvant in the inhibin DNA vaccine for improving follicular development and litter size in mice
The objective of this study is to investigate whether bovine herpesvirus-1 VP22 gene acts as a gene adjuvant for enhancing the immune responses of inhibin DNA vaccine in Kunming mice. In this study, the inhibin DNA vaccine pEGISI was constructed with two inhibin a (1 to 32) fragments that were inserted into the 112 to 113 amino acids and the C termination of Hepatitis B surface antigen. In...
May 2011
Productive performance of laying hens fed wheat-based diets included olive pulp with or without a commercial enzyme product
Olive pulp (OP) is the remainder of olive cake (the raw material resulting from extraction of olive oil) after the removal of the seed fractions. It can be achieved by sieving the dry olive cake to separate most of the seeds. To assess effects of dietary inclusion of OP supplementing with a cocktail commercial enzyme on performance of laying hens and egg quality characteristics, one hundred and twenty 80-week-old...
May 2011
An investigation on natural radioactivity from mining industry
The environmental problem of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) is omnipresent on earth and their radioactivity may become concentrated as a result of human activities. Various industries produce concentrated radioactivity in their by-products. Mining originating industries such as the coal industries, petroleum extraction and processing and natural gas, mining enrichment waste, phosphate, etc...
May 2011
Effect of extracellular calcium chloride on sporangiospore-yeast transformation of Rhizopus stolonifer
Previous studies showed that zinc and myoinositol, which are intracellular, serve as components of signalling elements in many eukaryotes, and participate in stimulating the induction and proliferation of yeast cells from sporangiospores of fungi. It was thought that a transmembrane-pH-gradient, similar to what is obtained in bacterial mitochondrion or proton-substrate symport in yeasts, permitted influx/efflux of...
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