Early body weight of five strains of White Leghorn.

1. The means, standard errors and coefficients of variation for body weight at fortnightly intervals from day 1 to day 90 of five indigenous strains of White Leghorn were estimated. 2. The differences between the strain and body weight were significant at all ages while the differences between sex were significant from day 45. 3. Phenotypic correlations between body weight at day 1 with that of day 30, 60 and 90 were 0-237, -0-007 and -0.07. 4. The heritability by paternal half-sib method ranged from 0-32 to 0-54 for body weights from day 1 to day 90.     

Association of induction of protease and chitinase in chickpea roots with resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri

To improve the breeding of chickpea varieties with resistance to Fusarium wilt, an attempt was made to analyse the biochemical basis of disease resistance by measuring levels of chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, protease and proteinase inhibitor activities in dry and soaked seeds and in root and shoot tissues of wilt-resistant and wilt-susceptible cultivars. Marginal variation was observed in the levels of the candidate proteins in dry or soaked seeds. Chitinase activity was higher in roots than in shoots or cotyledons. No proteinase inhibitor activity was detected in root and shoot tissue of any of the cultivars. When the levels of these proteins were analysed in resistant (Vijay) and susceptible (JG-62) cultivars during development of wilt by growing plants in soil infested with F. oxysporum f.sp. ciceri , race 1, both cultivars showed induction of chitinase activity in the roots. However, the induced activity in JG-62 (3.82 U g⁻¹) was equivalent to the constitutive level in Vijay (3.90 U g⁻¹) and much lower than that induced in Vijay (5.18 U g⁻¹). Induction of protease activity was observed only in root extracts of Vijay when challenged by the pathogen. The root extract of Vijay showed in vitro antifungal activity in a plate assay. Simultaneous induction of proteolytic and chitinolytic activities specifically in the resistant cultivar was correlated with antifungal properties of root extracts effective in conferring resistance.     

Kinetics of Interferon-Gamma Production and its Comparison with Anti-Listeriolysin O Detection in Experimental Bovine Listeriosis

The kinetics of the production of interferon gamma (IFN-) in whole blood culture and its comparison with anti-listeriolysin O (ALLO) detection by ELISA were studied during oral infection of calves with Listeria monocytogenes. Culture filtrate antigen (CFA), listeriolysin O (LLO), and sonicated antigen (SA) were used to prime the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the plasma from orally infected calves. IFN- and ALLO appeared as early as day 7 of an oral infection. IFN- was detected earlier with LLO than with SA. The Max50 interleukin (IL-2) activity and IFN- estimated in the culture supernatant from PBMCs primed in vitro with different antigens of L. monocytogenes revealed high induction of IL-2 and IFN- by CFA, LLO and live antigen. IFN- assay and ALLO detection were used for testing cases of repeat breeding in dairy cattle. It appeared that detection of IFN- employing LLO can be used to diagnose listerial infections.     

Evaluation of cell-mediated immunity during chronic organophosphate pesticide intoxication in mice and goats

The status of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) after pesticide exposure was assessed in mice with the help of skin sensitivity and graft versus host reaction tests. It was observed that at 24 hours post-challenge CMI values did not differ significantly from the control, indicating no effect of quinalphos treatment in mice. Goats receiving monocrotophos at a dose rate of 1.0 mg kg-1 body mass for 40 days gave a similar result when CMI was tested with the help of the chemical sensitizer dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB). Thus the results clearly indicate that the tested organophosphates do not interfere with cellular immunity in the intoxicated animals.