Exogenous cholesterol prevents cryocapacitation-like changes,membrane fluidity,and enhances in vitro fertility in bubaline spermatozoa

A study was conducted to determine the optimum dosage of the exogenous cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrins (CLC) to get maximum cryoprotection for bubaline spermatozoa. In the present study, 120 × 10⁶ spermatozoa were incubated in 2, 3 and 4 mg of CLC as grouped as Gr II, III and IV, respectively, and sperm progressive motility, intracellular Ca²⁺, capacitation status by protein tyrosine phosphorylation (PTP) assay and zona binding per cent (ZBP) and cleavage rate (CR) of the cryopreserved buffalo spermatozoa by in vitro fertility assay were assessed in comparison with an untreated control group (Gr I). Results revealed that there was a significant (p < .05) linear decrease in percentage of sperm population with higher intracellular Ca²⁺ and percentage of sperm population with medium or high capacitated by PTP in CLC treated from 2 to 3 mg and then increased to 4 mg/120 × 10⁶ spermatozoa whereas sperm progressive motility, percentage of sperm population with low capacitated, ZBP and CR were increased significantly (p < .05) in sperm population treated from 2 to 3 mg CLC and then decreased to 4 mg/120 × 10⁶ spermatozoa. The study has clearly indicated that CLC at 3 mg/120 × 10⁶ spermatozoa has maximum beneficial effects in protection of sperm progressive motility, membrane fluidity (low intracellular Ca²⁺); prevention of cryocapacitation (low capacitation pattern in immunolocalization) and enhancement of in vitro ZBP and CR. Post-thaw motility of the CLC-treated sperm has shown positively significant (p < .05) correlation with sperm population with low intracellular Ca²⁺, low capacitated sperm population, ZBP and CR, whereas it was negatively (p < .05) correlated with sperm population with high intracellular Ca²⁺, medium or high capacitated sperm. The present study has revealed for the first time that incubation of spermatozoa with CLC of higher dose (>3 mg/120 × 10⁶ spermatozoa) had adverse effects on sperm cryopreservation, although incubation of sperm with 3 mg/120 million prior to processing had minimised the freezing–thawing-associated damages in bubaline species.     

The modification of sex expression in papaya (Carica papaya L.)

Field trials with six times normal nitrogen supply produced a significant increase in the proportion of female papaya plants. The addition of nitrogen to the soil increased the leaf nitrogen content but had no effect on the amino acid content. Leaves of male plants contained more nitrogen than female plants but no difference could be detected in the contents of amino acids in the leaves and flower buds. Foliar application of 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 2-chloroethyl-trimethyl ammonium chloride (CCC) resulted in a higher female : male ratio, but maleic hydrazide (MH) and gibberellic acid (GA₃) enhanced maleness. The animal sex hormone stilboesterol dipropionate had no apparent effect on sex expression but the application of testosterone propionate increased the proportion of male plants.     

Effect of various levels of dissolved oxygen on reactive oxygen species and cryocapacitation‐like changes in bull sperm

The present investigation was carried out to study the effect of various levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cryocapacitation‐like changes in bull sperm. Egg yolk–Tris–glycerol (EYTG) extender was split into four subextenders; viz., Extender I (control; no flushing with liquid nitrogen (LN₂)), Extender II, Extender III and Extender IV were flushed with LN₂ for 40, 16 and 8 min, respectively. The DO levels were standardized to 11.7, 2, 4 and 8 ppm, respectively, in control (Extender I), Extender II, Extender III and Extender IV. Ejaculates with mass motility of ≥ 3+ were divided into group I (diluted with Extender I), group II (diluted with Extender II), group III (diluted with Extender III) and group IV (diluted with Extender IV) up to 80 × 10⁶ sperm/ml. Extended semen samples were packed in French mini straws (0.25 ml), equilibrated and cryopreserved. Semen samples were evaluated at prefreeze and post‐thaw stage for various parameters (DO, progressive motility (PM), viability (VIB), acrosomal integrity (AI), hypo‐osmotic swelling (HOS) test, ROS, cholesterol (C) and phospholipid (P). The percentage of PM, VIB, AI, HOS test, cholesterol (C) and phospholipid (P) levels, and capacitated sperm were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in groups III and IV as compared to groups I and II. However, the acrosome‐reacted sperm (%; pattern AR) were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in group III as compared to all other groups. Besides the proportion of sperm displaying tyrosine‐phosphorylated pattern, EA (fluorescence at both equatorial and anterior acrosomal regions, i.e. high capacitation level) was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in group III compared to all other groups. In conclusion, varying DO levels in the extender significantly affect sperm quality, ROS production and capacitation‐like changes in bulls.     

Regulation of Correlative Senescence in Arachis hypogaea L. by Source-Sink Alteration through Physical and Hormonal Means

Amongst the plants ( Arachis hypogaea ) subjected to differential reproductive manipulations, the leaf levels of chlorophyll and sugar and the dry weight of the aerial plants increased more (except sugar level in defruited plant) in the deflorated plants than either in the defruited or control plants, and the order of senescence was: control > defruited > deflorated. Seed yield per plant increased in deflorated plants as a result of increase in the number of pods (sink size) and reduction in the sink strength (seed wt per pod). While 75 % defoliation caused a decrease in all the parameters relating to senescence (chlorophyll, protein, reduced nitrogen, sugar and dry wt), 25% defoliation caused a slight decrease of chlorophyll level of leaf and aerial plant weight. However, the level of protein and reduced nitrogen in the leaf and sugar in the stem increased by the latter (through 25% defoliation). Defoliation up to 25% reduced seed yield by only 2%. Whereas the level of chlorophyll and aerial plant dry weight were not significantly changed by either kinetin or ABA, the level of protein and reduced nitrogen in the leaf and sugar level in both leaf and stem increased by kinetin. GA₃ increased almost all the parameters studied. All the three phytohormones increased the yield, mainly by increasing the sink size rather than the sink strength. It is concluded that the aerial flowers are more lethal than the underground fruits in inducing whole plant senescence where the leaf senescence is uncoupled from fruit maturation in normal condition possibly due to sink limitation.     

Performance of Rapeseed-mustard Cultivars under Various Moisture Regimes on the Gangetic Alluvial Plain of West Bengal

A Field trial was conducted during 1988–89 and 1989–90 at Water Management Research Station, Memari. Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Burdwan, to study the effect of three different irrigation regimes, namely rainfed (I₁) (No irrigation), one irrigation (I₂) at flowering and two irrigations (I₃ at flowering and at sihqua formation stages) on the grain yield and water expenses on four different rapeseed-mustard cultivars, namely Pusa Bold, Pusa Baroni, Varuna and DIR 247. The variety DIR 247 recorded maximum grain yield (12.1 qha') followed by Pusa Baroni (11.8 q ha⁻¹). The variety Varuna showed the lowest water use efficiency (48.1 kg ha⁻¹ cm⁻¹) while DIR 247 showed the maximum value of 57.0 kg ha⁻¹ cm⁻¹. The number of irrigations significantly increased the grain yield. Two irrigations, one at flowering and at siliqua formation stage increased grain yield by 28 % over the rainfed plots. During the crop growth period the actual water expenses among the cultivars in any moisture regime were more or less similar. The interaction between varieties and irrigation levels were, however, not significant.     

The soil degradation of the herbicide florasulam

The route and rate of degradation of florasulam, a low‐rate triazolopyrimidine sulfonanilide herbicide, was investigated in six soil types under aerobic conditions at 20 or 25 °C. Degradation products were isolated and identified by mass spectroscopy. Florasulam was rapidly degraded by microbial action with an average half‐life of 2.4 days (range 0.7 to 4.5 days). The first step in the degradation pathway involved conversion of the methoxy group on the triazolopyrimidine ring to a hydroxy group to form N‐(2,6‐difluorophenyl)‐8‐fluoro‐5‐hydroxy[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5‐c]pyrimidine‐2‐sulfonamide. This metabolite degraded, with a half‐life of 10 to 61 days, via partial breakdown of the triazolopyrimidine ring to form N‐(2,6‐difluorophenyl)‐5‐aminosulfonyl‐1H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐carboxylic acid. This was followed by cleavage of the sulfonamide bridge to form 5‐(aminosulfonyl)‐1H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐carboxylic acid. Other degradation processes involved decarboxylation of the carboxylic acid metabolites and mineralisation to form carbon dioxide and non‐extractable residues. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Tree chitinases – stress‐ and developmental‐driven gene regulation

In recent years, a considerable number of studies have harnessed the power of genomics to decipher the role of pathogenesis‐related (PR) proteins in plant defence against various biotic and abiotic stresses. Chitinases are PR antifungal proteins expressed constitutively at low levels in plants and induced during biotic pressures and are demonstrated to be involved in the plant defence responses. Remarkable induction of chitinase enzymes by various abiotic agents (salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, ethylene and ozone) and biotic components (pathogens, insect pest, fungal cell wall components and oligosaccharides) is well demonstrated in plants. Several reviews on plant chitinase expression during host–pathogen interaction are available for annual species, whilst reports of their expression in tree species are limited to a few woody perennials: Populus, Pinus, Picea, Eucalyptus, Castanea and Pseudotsuga. The aim of this paper is to review the induction of chitinase during various stresses and developmental processes in forest tree species.