Ultrasound Guided Transplantation of Enriched and Cryopreserved Spermatogonial Cell Suspension in Goats

Spermatogonial stem cells transplantation provides a unique approach for studying spermatogenesis. Initially developed in mice, this technique has now been extended in farm animals and provides an alternative means to preserve valuable male germ line and to produce transgenic animals. The aim of this study was to enrich type A spermatogonial cells amongst the isolated cells from goat testis, to cryopreserve these enriched populations of cells and their subsequent transplantation in unrelated recipient goats under ultrasound guidance. The cells were isolated enzymatically and enriched by differential plating and separation on discontinuous percoll gradient. Ultrasound guided injection of trypan blue dye into rete testis resulted in 20–30% filling of the seminiferous tubules. Prior to transplantation, the cells were labelled with a fluorescent dye to trace donor cells in recipient seminiferous tubules after transplantation. The fluorescent‐labelled cells were observed up to 12 weeks after transplantation.     

Stimulatory effect of phosphate-solubilizing fungal strains (Aspergillus awamori and Penicillium citrinum) on the yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. cv. GPF2)

The effect of six phosphate-solubilizing fungi (PSF, two strains of Aspergillus awamori, and four of Penicillium citrinum) isolated from rhizosphere of various crops, was observed on the growth and seed production of chickpea plants (Cicer arietinum L. cv. GPF2) in pot experiments. The phosphate (P) solubilizing activity of PSF in liquid varied from 38 to 760 μg ml^?1 for tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and 28–248 μg ml^?1 for mussoorie rock phosphate (MRP). All PSF isolates were biocompatible and produced growth-promoting hormone, Indole acetic acid (IAA), varying in concentration from 2.5 to 9.8 μg ml^?1. Of the various pot experiments carried out in green house, maximum stimulatory effect on chickpea plants growth was observed by inoculation of two A. awamori strains. This treatment resulted in 7–12% increase in shoot height, nearly three-fold increase in seed number and two-fold increase in seeds weight as compared to the control (un-inoculated) plants. Inoculation of four strains of P. citrinum exhibited lesser stimulatory effect. It showed 7% increase in shoot height, two-fold increase in seed number and 87% increase in seeds weight as compared to the control plants. However, a consortium of all the six fungal isolates showed no stimulatory effect on chickpea plants growth.     

Relative efficacy of dietary administration of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) to different stages of an Indian major carp, Cirrhina mrigala (Hamilton): growth and economics

Different stages of an Indian major carp, Cirrhina mrigala (Hamilton), i.e. hatchling, fry and fingerling, were fed diets supplemented with 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T₃) at doses of 0, 1, 5 and 10 mg kg^?1 diet for 60 days, and then reared on a hormone-free diet for 120 days to study the growth performance of fish during the treatment period (TP) and post-treatment period (PTP). Oral administration of T₃ at all the stages resulted in a significantly higher specific growth rate (SGR) and better food conversion ratio (FCR) in comparison to the control group (P<0.05). However, the growth response of C. mrigala towards T₃ administration appeared to be stage-specific. At the end of the experimental period of 180days (60days TP+120days PTP), the optimum dosage of T₃ appeared to be 5.0 mg kg^?1 diet for both hatchlings and fry, and 1.0 mg kg^?1 diet for fingerlings, resulting in 62.08%, 30.22% and 13.33% higher weights than in the control group, respectively. The cost of hormone for production of 1 kg of fish was lowest in the case of hatchlings (Rs 0.54), followed by fry (Rs 7.00) and fingerlings (Rs 16.07). Hence, based on the degree of growth response of the fish towards T₃ administration in addition to its economics, only incorporation of T₃ in the diet of hatchlings appeared to be economical.     

Effects of anthelmintics onHaemonchus contortus (Nematoda: Trichostrongylidae)

The review summarizes and evaluates recent information about the effects of anthelmintics onHaemonchus contortus. The topic is discussed under the headings effects of drugs on the absorptive surfaces, effects of drugs on metabolism, effects of drugs on the neuromuscular system, effects of drugs on developmental stages, anthelmintic efficacy, and resistant strains. Possible future lines of work are suggested in the conclusions.     

Effect of Increasing Concentration of Inorganic Phosphate (Pi) and Pyrophosphate (PPi) on Growth and Phosphatases of Germinating Chickpea Seeds

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seedlings growing on different concentrations of inorganic phosphate and pyrophosphate in agar based MS-medium were studied for their growth and activities of phosphatases in cotyledon, shoots and roots. Growth of seedlings was affected with both Inorganic Phosphate (Pi) and Pyrophosphate (PPi). Germination was completely inhibited beyond 100 mM monopotassium phosphate (KH₂PO₄) and 20 mM sodium pyrophosphate. Specific activities of acid phosphatases of cotyledons, shoots and roots decreased under high Pi-supply however alkaline phosphatases were not affected. Addition of PPi increased specific activities of acid phosphatases of roots and shoots at 3 days after germination (DAG) stage, but decreased at later stages of seedling growth. There was an appearance of PPi-specific acid phosphatase in roots under PPi-supply.     

Bt cotton producing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab does not harm the parasitoid Aenasius arizonensis (Girault): a host-mediated tritrophic assay

Phytoparasitica - Transgenic crops with genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner, a soil bacterium producing δ-endotoxin that is lethal to several phytophagous insects. Concerns related...     

Screening Luffa germplasm and advanced breeding lines for resistance to Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus

The two cultivated Luffa species can be severely infected by Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) with up to 100% yield loss. Here, 52 Luffa genotypes were screened for ToLCNDV resistance after natural field infection. Mean vulnerability index (VI) ranged from 0.00 to 75.33; genotypes IIHR-137 and IIHR-138 had no symptoms (VI 0), 16 genotypes were resistant (VI 0–25), 15 were moderately resistant (VI 26–50), and 19 were moderate to susceptible (VI?>?50). Ten of the most resistant genotypes and five susceptible checks were then challenge-inoculated using whiteflies or sap in an insect-proof net house; only IIHR-137 [L. cylindrica (L.) Roem.] was symptomless (VI 0.00), and 3–5% of plants of IIHR-138 [L. cylindrica (L.) Roem.] and IIHR-Sel-1 [L. acutangula (L.) Roxb.] had only mild symptoms; genotype Arka Prasan was most susceptible (VI 80.96). Asymptomatic plants were confirmed as infected using polymerase chain reaction. Susceptible genotypes rapidly developed leaf curling, then a severe mosaic 10 days post-inoculation. The resistant inbred lines identified are good candidates for a breeding program for ToLCNDV-resistant cultivars.

     

Enzymatic Process for Corn Dry‐Grind High‐Solids Fermentation

A modified dry‐grind process that combined the use of conventional amylases (glucoamylase [GA]), phytase, and granular starch hydrolyzing enzymes (GSHE) to achieve low liquefaction viscosities and low glucose concentrations during simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with a high slurry solids content (>33% w/w) was developed. Doses of GSHE and GA were optimized for the modified process. At 35% solids content, the modified process had 80% lower slurry viscosity, 24% lower peak glucose concentration, 7.5% higher final ethanol concentration, and 51% higher fermentation rate compared with the conventional dry‐grind process. At 40% solids content, the modified process had lower viscosities, lower peak and residual glucose concentrations, and higher ethanol concentrations than the conventional process; however, the results were in contrast to those for 35% solids content. At 40% solids content, SSF did not run to completion for conventional or modified processes, and more than 2.5% w/v of residual glucose was left in the fermentation broth. Final ethanol concentration achieved with the modified process at 40% solids content was 19.5% v/v, similar to the ethanol concentration achieved with the modified process at 35% solids content. At 35% slurry solids content, a GSHE level of 1.25 μL/g db of corn and a GA level of 0.25 μL/g db of corn were selected as optimum enzyme doses for the modified process.     

α-Amylase inhibitor in local Himalyan collections of Colocasia: Isolation, purification, characterization and selectivity towards α-amylases from various sources

The α-amylase inhibitor from corms of Colocasia collected from Bhota village of Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh was purified to 17.21 folds with 61.61% recovery using ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration chromatography (sephadex G-200) and ion exchange chromatography (DEAE-sephadex). A single band of the purified inhibitor was obtained by Native-PAGE. SDS-PAGE revealed the purified inhibitor to be a monomer with molecular weight of 13,900 daltons. The nature of inhibition was found to be of non-competitive type as determined by Lineweaver-Burk plot and a K_i value of 0.54 nmole was obtained by Dixon’s plot. The inhibitor was found to be heat stable and retained 81.50% activity at 70 °C temperature. Inhibitor was found to have pH optima of 6.9. The purified inhibitor was found to have inhibitory activity against α-amylases extracted from the larvae of Callosobruchus chinensis, Tribolium castaneum, Corcyra cephalonica and midgut α-amylase of Spodoptera littoralis. 100% larval mortality of C. cephalonica was observed when fed on wheat flour mixed with 0.0036% (w/w) of purified inhibitor. Purified α-amylase inhibitor was found to inhibit the activity of human salivary α-amylase. It also had inhibitory activity against potato α-amylases and reduced sugar content in treated potato slices. The purified inhibitor was found to be a glycoprotein. In the present study, the ability of the inhibitor to inhibit insect amylases highlights its possible role in pest resistance and post harvest decay of crop plants. Inhibitory activity of α-amylase inhibitor against mammalian amylases could suggest its potential in treatment of diabetes and cure of nutritional problems, which result in obesity.