Allelic Variation within Single Podded Gene Characterized by STMS Marker in Chickpea

Chickpea （Cicer arietinum L.）, is an important grain legume crop throughout the world especially in developing countries. However the average yield worldwide is considered to be lower than its potential yield （Singh et al., 1994）. The average yield of chickpea is much lower in Pakistan, which is about 5500-650 kg/hm^2 due to various abiotic and biotic stresses （Shah et al., 2005）.     

Production of recombinant capsid protein of Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (r‐MCP43) of giant freshwater prawn,M. rosenbergii (de Man) for immunological diagnostic methods

White tail disease (WTD) caused by Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV) and extra small virus (XSV) is a serious problem in prawn hatcheries. The gene for capsid protein of MrNV (MCP43) was cloned into pRSET B expression vector. The MCP43 protein was expressed as a protein with a 6‐histidine tag in Escherichia coli GJ1158 with NaCl induction. This recombinant protein, which was used to raise the antiserum in rabbits, recognized capsid protein in different WTD‐infected post‐larvae and adult prawn. Various immunological methods such as Western blot, dot blot and ELISA techniques were employed to detect MrNV in infected samples using the antiserum raised against recombinant MCP43 of MrNV. The dot blot assay using anti‐rMCP43 was found to be capable of detecting MrNV in WTD‐infected post‐larvae as early as at 24 h post‐infection. The antiserum raised against r‐MCP43 could detect the MrNV in the infected samples at the level of 100 pg of total protein. The capsid protein of MrNV estimated by ELISA using anti‐rMCP43 and pure r‐MCP43 as a standard was found to increase gradually during the course of infection from 24 h p.i. to moribund stage. The results of immunological diagnostic methods employed in this study were compared with that of RT‐PCR to test the efficiency of antiserum raised against r‐MCP43 for the detection of MrNV. The Western blot, dot blot and ELISA detected all MrNV‐positive coded samples as detected by RT‐PCR.     

Lumpy skin disease of cattle: an emerging problem in the Sultanate of Oman

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a highly infectious disease of cattle caused by a virus belonging to the Capripoxvirus genus of the family Poxviridae. The purpose of this study is to place on record the first confirmation of LSD in the Sultanate. The disease was diagnosed and confirmed using polymerase chain reaction, histopathology, transmission electron microscopy and serum neutralization testing. The epizootic occurred in 2009 involving a large number of animals and covering a wide area including Nezwa, Alqabel, Sohar, Saham and Burimi. Morbidity and mortality rates of 29.7 and 26.3 %, and 13.6 and 15.4 % were observed at Nezwa and Sohar, respectively. The clinical signs were much more severe in Holstein–Friesian cattle compared to indigenous breeds and were characterized by multiple skin nodules covering the neck, back, perineum, tail, limbs and genital organs. Affected animals also exhibited lameness, emaciation and cessation of milk production. Oedema of limbs and brisket, and superficial lymph node enlargement were highly prominent. It is not known from where the virus originated, or how it spread to the Sultanate. The disease has become endemic in the country and is liable to extend to other Gulf Cooperation Council Countries and cause a pandemic. It is of major concern to the Omani dairy industry. Due to the widespread presence of screw worm, serious economic losses can follow outbreaks.     

Drainable surplus assessment in irrigated agriculture: field application of the groundwater approach

To assess the drainable surplus of an irrigated area, a methodologybased on a groundwater-balance approach was developed and appliedin Schedule I-B of the Fourth Drainage Project near Faisalabad inPakistan. To determine the seasonal net recharge in this area, anumerical groundwater model was run in inverse mode. The data inputfor the model consisted of the geometry of the aquifer system, theaquifer parameters, and historical watertable elevations. The seasonalnet recharge values, calculated from the individual recharge anddischarge components, were tuned with the results of the inversemodelling. The advantage of such an integrated approach is that allthese components are linked. The design net recharge was estimatedfrom the historical net recharge of the wettest monsoon in the studyperiod. Its rainfall recharge values were then substituted for those of adesign monsoon. In this substitution procedure, the rainfall rechargemethodology and parameters were adopted from the tuning procedure.From this design net recharge, estimates could be made of the requireddrainable surplus, with and without drainage simulation.     

Competition between effective and less effective strains of Bradyrhizobium spp. for nodulation on Vigna radiata

Local and exotic cowpea bradyrhizobial strains were examined for their effectiveness and competitive ability on the cultivated Vigna radiata (mungbean) variety NM-51. The seven most efficient N₂-fixing strains were then evaluated for their competitiveness against two less effective strains in a pair-wise inoculation experiment. Nodule occupancy was determined using fluorescent antibodies. The most efficient strain, Vr-2, could not compete with less effective strains for nodule occupancy, so the biomass and N yield were low. Bradyrhizobial strain M-55 had good competitive ability, as it occupied almost 50% of nodules in comparison with less effective strains and improved the biomass and N yield of mungbean significantly. Competitiveness/compatibility is one of the vital parameters for the selection of inocula strains, therefore, M-55, K-92 and Vr-6 are recommended as good inocula of commercial quality because of their competitiveness along with their highly efficient N₂-fixation.     

Development and characterization of five novel cell lines from snubnose pompano,Trachinotus blochii (Lacepede, 1801), and their application in gene expression and virological studies

Five novel permanent cell lines have been established from gill, heart, kidney, eye and fin of snubnose pompano, Trachinotus blochii. They were designated as snubnose pompano gill (SPG), snubnose pompano heart (SPH), snubnose pompano kidney (SPK), snubnose pompano eye (SPE) and snubnose pompano fin (SPF), respectively. All these cell lines were characterized and cryopreserved successfully at different passage levels. Cell lines were passaged every alternate day; SPG, SPH, SPK, SPE and SPF cell lines attained passage levels of 68, 74, 82, 79 and 106, respectively, since the initiation of their development in 2019. The cell lines grew well in Leibovitz's 15 medium containing 15% foetal bovine serum at 28°C. Immunophenotyping of the cell lines revealed the presence of fibronectin and pancytokeratin. No mycoplasma contamination was found. The transfection study revealed the gene expression efficiency of these cell lines by expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP). The authentication on origin of cell lines from T. blochii was confirmed by amplification of species-specific mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene. The results showed the susceptibility of these cell lines to fish nodavirus (FNV) and tilapia lake virus (TiLV) and resistance to cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2). The FNV infection in the cell lines was confirmed by RT-PCR, Western blot, ELISA and immunocytochemistry, while TiLV infection was confirmed by RT-PCR assay. These results revealed that these cell lines are suitable for virological and foreign gene expression studies.     

Glutamate wastewater as a culture medium for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Azospirillum rugosum</Emphasis> production and its impact on plant growth

Monosodium glutamate wastewater (MSGW) was used as a culture medium for Azospirillum rugosum strain IMMIB AFH-6 inoculant (In) by optimizing the dilution at 2.5% and pH 7.0 ± 0.1. A. rugosum growth studies were carried out in shake flasks and subsequently tested for plant growth promotion by seed germination bioassay and greenhouse pot experiments. The highest colony-forming units (cfu) 8.58 and 8.87 log cfu mL⁻¹, respectively, at 48 h of growth were recorded in MSGW and MSGW with yeast extract 0.04%. Seed bioassay results revealed that A. rugosum grown on MSGW stimulated the root and shoot elongation of maize (Zea mays L.) and pai tsai (Brassica chinensis L.). Pai tsai recorded significantly higher dry matter production when treated with A. rugosum and chemical fertilizers than control. The MSGW is a suitable culture medium for A. rugosum growth, and it is comparable to commercial media when tested for agricultural production.     

Diversity of bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance profile among commensal rodents in Qatar

Rodents are sources of many zoonotic pathogens that are of public health concern. This study investigated bacterial pathogens and assessed their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns in commensal rodents in Qatar. A total of 148 rodents were captured between August 2019 and February 2020, and blood, ectoparasites, and visceral samples were collected. Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from the intestines, and blood plasma samples were used to detect antibodies against Brucella spp., Chlamydophila abortus, and Coxiella burnetii. PCR assays were performed to detect C. burnetii, Leptospira spp., Rickettsia spp., and Yersinia pestis in rodent tissues and ectoparasite samples. Antimicrobial resistance by the isolated intestinal bacteria was performed using an automated VITEK analyzer. A total of 13 bacterial species were isolated from the intestine samples, namely Acinetobacter baumannii, Aeromonas salmonicida, Citrobacter freundii, Citrobacter koseri, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Hafnia alvei, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Providencia stuartii, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella enterica. The majority of them were E. coli (54.63%), followed by P. mirabilis (17.59%) and K. pneumoniae (8.33%). Most of the pathogens were isolated from rodents obtained from livestock farms (50.46%), followed by agricultural farms (26.61%) and other sources (22.94%). No antibodies (0/148) were detected against Brucella spp., C. abortus, or C. burnetii. In addition, 31.58% (6/19) of the flea pools and one (1/1) mite pool was positive for Rickettsia spp., and no sample was positive for C. burnetii, Leptospira spp., and Y. pestis by PCR. A total of 43 (38%) bacterial isolates were identified as multidrug resistant (MDR), whereas A. salmonicida (n?=?1) did not show resistance to any tested antimicrobials. Over 50% of bacterial MDR isolates were resistant to ampicillin, cefalotin, doxycycline, nitrofurantoin, and tetracycline. The presence of MDR pathogens was not correlated with rodent species or the location of rodent trapping. Seven (11.86%) E. coli and 2 (22.2%) K. pneumoniae were extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producers. These findings suggest that rodents can be a source of opportunistic bacteria for human and animal transmission in Qatar. Further studies are needed for the molecular characterization of the identified bacteria in this study.

     

Accumulative effects of humic acid and multinutrient foliar fertilizers on the vegetative and reproductive attributes of citrus (Citrus reticulata cv. kinnow mandarin)

Abstract

Field trials were performed to investigate the effects of humic acid (HA) and multinutrient foliar fertilizer “Micro Power” (MP) coupled with farmer’s practices ( FP ), addressed in single and/or split dose frames at different plant phenological stages on various vegetative, reproductive, and physiological attributes of citrus trees (Citrus reticulata cv. kinnow mandarin). The results exhibited a profound response of treatments on various growth parameters (32.5% increase in plant height, 22.2% increase in fruit set branch^?1, 5.25% decrease in fruit drop percentage, 89.81% increase in fruit yield (kg), etc.) of citrus trees when compared to the control (FP). Likewise, a significant positive response was observed regarding various plant physiological parameters (leaf nutrients, total chlorophyll content, etc.) and physicochemical characteristics (ascorbic acid, total sugars, etc.) of citrus fruits. This study confirmed the reproducibility of HA and MP applications to improve the yield/quality of citrus and can lead to an organically sustainable citriculture.     

Effect of chemical and physical treatments on the inactivation of Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus and extra small virus

White tail disease (WTD) is found to cause immense economic losses in hatcheries, with mortalities often reaching 100% within 4 or 5 days. The pathogenic agents have been identified as Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV) associated with extra small virus (XSV), which are 27 and 15 nm in diameter respectively. The effects of some chemical disinfectants hydrogen ions (pH), heat and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on the inactivation of MrNV and XSV were investigated. The viral inoculum exposed to UV irradiation for a period of 5 min and more was totally inactivated and failed to cause mortality in postlarvae of prawn. The viruses were totally inactivated by this high pH (8.5, 9 and 10). The viral suspension treated with sodium hypochloride, formalin, Benzalkonium chloride and Benzethonium chloride at the concentration of 200 ppm caused 100% mortality in postlarvae of prawn. Iodine was found to be effective to inactivate MrNV and XSV at the concentration of 100 ppm or more, whereas the viral suspension treated with iodine at the concentration of 50 ppm or less caused mortality in postlarvae. The infected postlarvae in treated and positive control groups showed positive by RT‐PCR for these viruses.