Antifungal properties of wheat histones (H1-H4) and purified wheat histone H1

Wheat ( Triticum spp.) histones H1, H2, H3, and H4 were extracted, and H1 was further purified. The effect of these histones on specific fungi that may or may not be pathogenic to wheat was determined. These fungi included Aspergillus flavus , Aspergillus fumigatus , Aspergillus niger , Fusarium oxysporum , Fusarium verticillioides , Fusarium solani , Fusarium graminearum , Penicillium digitatum , Penicillium italicum , and Greeneria uvicola . Non-germinated and germinating conidia of these fungi were bioassayed separately. The non-germinated and germinating conidia of all Fusarium species were highly susceptible to the mixture (H1-H4) as well as pure H1, with viability losses of 99-100% found to be significant (p < 0.001) at ≤10 μM or less for the histone mixture and pure H1. F. graminearum was the most sensitive to histone activity. The histones were inactive against all of the non-germinated Penicillium spp. conidia. However, they significantly reduced the viability of the germinating conidia of the Penicillium spp. conidia, with 95% loss at 2.5 μM. Non-germinated and germinating conidia viability of the Aspergillus spp. and G. uvicola were unaffected when exposed to histones up to 10 μM. Results indicate that Fusarium spp. pathogenic to wheat are susceptible to wheat histones, indicating that these proteins may be a resistance mechanism in wheat against fungal infection.     

Effect of dietary Sargassum wightii and its fucoidan-rich extract on growth,immunity, disease resistance and antimicrobial peptide gene expression in Labeo rohita

International Aquatic Research - This work aimed to appraise growth performance, immune responsiveness, bacterial disease resistance and mRNA expression of two antimicrobial peptides in Labeo...     

Red sandalwood(Pterocarpus santalinus L. f.): biology,importance, propagation and micropropagation

Pterocarpus santalinus L. f.(Fabaceae;red sanders) is prized for its wood whose colour and fragrance is due to the presence of santalins that have pharmaceutical and industrial uses. Red sanders is listed as an endangered plant species on the IUCN red data list as a result of the exploitation of its wood and essential oil. This review emphasizes the pollination biology, seed germination, vegetative propagation and micropropagation of P. santalinus. Excessive use of P. santalinus has also caused the emergence of various adulterants, so accurate identification is essential.     

Serodiagnosis of pearl millet resistance to downy mildew by quantitating cell wall P/HRGP using polyclonal antiserum Pab-P/HRGP

Proline/hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein (P/HRGP) level in pearl millet genotypes resistant to downy mildew increase after inoculation with the oomycete pathogen Sclerospora graminicola. Using purified P/HRGPs from pearl millet cell walls, polyclonal antibodies (Pab-P/HRGP) were raised in rabbit. Based on this antiserum, an enzyme immunoassay was developed that displays a linearity detection range from 0.01 to 10 μg P/HRGP. Western blot analysis, confirming the induction of three marker P/HRGPs in the infected resistant genotype, and immunocytochemical studies on P/HRGP localization either in epidermal peelings or in suspension-cultured cells demonstrated the specificity of the antiserum. Besides its characterization, Pab-P/HRGP was employed to screen various genotypes of pearl millet for fast, sensitive and specific detection of induced P/HRGPs upon infections. The results presented are discussed with presumed importance to downy mildew disease and the use of this new antiserum in pearl millet screening for disease resistance.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Santalum</Emphasis> molecular biology: molecular markers for genetic diversity,phylogenetics and taxonomy,and genetic transformation

Species of the Santalum genus are well known for their fragrant hardwood, which has great value in medicinal, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Sandalwood oil is derived from the heartwood of Santalum sp. and contains α-, β- and epi-β-santalols, which are responsible for its pleasant fragrance. Oil content can vary from species to species. Pressure on natural populations due to habitat loss, legal and illegal harvesting and disease is increasing. This paper highlights the development of molecular markers for the refinement of phylogenetic studies, identification of various Santalum and adulterant species, assessment of genetic diversity, genetic differentiation, clonality and management units within species, and for marker-assisted breeding. The identification of quantitative trait loci for sandal spike disease and for other traits such as specific rare secondary metabolites in the essential oil and related to its fragrance, would also benefit from molecular advances. RNA sequence analyses have already identified changes in gene expression and metabolic pathways in developing Santalum album L. haustoria.     

Synthesis and anti-mildew activity of 5-(2-aroyl)aryloxymethyl-2-phenyl-1 ,3,4-oxadiazoles against downy mildew of pearl millet

A manipulatively simple, rapid, high-yielding and environmentally benign method for the integration of a heterocyclic ring, 1,3,4-oxadiazole, at the benzophenone nucleus has been achieved through intramolecular cyclization of substituted aroylaryloxyacetohydrazides to substituted 5-(2-aroyl)aryloxymethyl-2-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles under solventless 'dry' conditions using montmorillonite K10 clay and microwave irradiation. A comparison is made of the microwave-accelerated reaction with conventional heating conditions. Certain of the derivatives tested showed significant anti-mildew activity against Sclerospora graminicola (Sacc) Schroeter, the downy mildew pathogen of pearl millet.     

Isolation of Mare's Milk Oligosaccharide Fraction of Colostrum,Transitional, and Mature Phases Promotes In Vitro Oxidative Burst in Murine Macrophages

Present preliminary findings demonstrate in vitro stimulation of splenic lymphocytes of BALB/c mice after exposure to oligosaccharide fractions isolated from mare's milk during colostrum, transitional, and mature lactation periods, which shows immunostimulatory action of oligosaccharide content present in mares' milk. Oligosaccharide fractions caused more pronounced oxidative burst at a much lower concentration (0.1 μg/mL) compared with that shown by levamisole (standard immunostimulant) at a much higher concentration of 10 μg/mL. In this study, it was observed that oligosaccharides fraction of colostrum phase attaining high potency of immunostimulatory property.     

Characterization of natural orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) populations of the Thrace Region of Turkey based on ploidy and DNA polymorphisms

Determining the ploidy and geneticdiversity of a germplasm is necessarybefore initiating breeding or geneticstudies. This study was conducted tocharacterize the ploidy level of 57 naturalpopulations of orchardgrass (Dactylisglomerata L.) collected from the ranges ofThrace region of Turkey and the diversityamong populations based on RAPD (RandomAmplified Polymorphic DNA) markers. Flowcytometry was used to determine nuclear DNAcontent (pg 2C^-1 = DNA content of adiploid somatic nucleus) of 6 plants foreach population. Nuclear DNA contents werecorrelated to ploidy level with root tipchromosome counts on selected plants. Onthe basis of this study, mean nuclear DNAcontent of orchardgrass was determined as9.57 ± 0.33 (with 95% confidenceinterval) while all the plants used inchromosome counting were determined to betetraploid, with 2n = 28 mitoticchromosomes, suggesting that diploidorchardgrass plants are likely very rare orabsent in ranges of Thrace region ofTurkey. In the RAPD assay, over 40polymorphic fragments were generated whichallowed some populations to bedistinguished from the rest by uniquemarkers. A cluster analysis was performedusing Nei's (1972) genetic distance indexwith an unweighted pair group method witharitmetic mean (UPGMA). The clusteranalysis indicated that there is a highlevel of gene flow among naturalorchardgrass populations and thereforegenes distributed quite homogeneouslythrough out the region. The results of thisstudy can be useful in the development ofDactylis germ plasm collectionstrategies in Thrace region for breedingpurpose.     

Effect of acibenzolar-S-methyl, strobilurins and other fungicide treatments on phylloplane fungi of crops

Strobilurins, broad-spectrum fungicides used to control various diseases, may also inhibit the growth of nontarget fungi in the natural environment. Acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) is a plant activator; however, the effect of ASM on the growth of microflora on the leaf surface is not clear yet. ASM, strobilurins and other fungicides were sprayed on Japanese pear and cucumber plants in the field. Variations in the morphological characteristics and rDNA-ITS nucleotide sequence of isolated phylloplane fungi were evaluated. The isolation frequency of Alternaria spp., Aureobasidium spp., Cladosporium spp. and Myrothecium spp. on Japanese pear leaves treated with kresoxim-methyl and polycarbamate was lower than on nontreated pear leaves. Moreover, the frequency of Alternaria spp., Cladosporium spp., Epicoccum spp. and Fusarium spp. on leaves of two cucumber cultivars treated with azoxystrobin, triflumizole and mancozeb was lower than the frequency of fungal isolation on nontreated cucumber leaves. The effect of ASM on fungal isolation frequency was not significantly different from that on nontreated pear or cucumber leaves. The fungal genera observed and isolation frequency on the leaves treated with polycarbamate, azoxystrobin, triflumizole and mancozeb tended to be reduced compared to the no-spray treatment.     

Oocyte-specific deletion of Pten causes premature activation of the primordial follicle pool

In the mammalian ovary, progressive activation of primordial follicles from the dormant pool serves as the source of fertilizable ova. Menopause, or the end of female reproductive life, occurs when the primordial follicle pool is exhausted. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying follicle activation are poorly understood. We provide genetic evidence that in mice lacking PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) in oocytes, a major negative regulator of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), the entire primordial follicle pool becomes activated. Subsequently, all primordial follicles become depleted in early adulthood, causing premature ovarian failure (POF). Our results show that the mammalian oocyte serves as the headquarters of programming of follicle activation and that the oocyte PTEN-PI3K pathway governs follicle activation through control of initiation of oocyte growth.