Effects of dieldrin and sumithion on the amino acid nitrogen and proteins in the haemolymph of desert locust Schistocerca gregaria Forsk

The changes in amino acid nitrogen, proline, and proteins in the haemolymph of desert locusts at different stages of dieldrin and sumithion posioning are reported using techniques of colorimetry, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Sephadex gel chromatography, and electro-gel chromatography.Both the insecticides did not alter amino acid nitrogen and proline titers during the initial stages of poisoning. However, drastic changes were noted at the later stages. In comparison to amino acid nitrogen, the depletion in proline content was of much higher magnitude. Initially the protein content of haemolymph depleted and increased significantly at the acute poisoning stage. Several changes in the electrophoregrams and protein elution profiles were noted in the haemolymph samples of treated insects. Many new proteins were detected in treated insects and their molecular weights, diffusion coefficients, and Stoke's radii are reported.These results are discussed in relation to current ideas of protein metabolism in insects. Further, a possible role of haemolymph proteins as insecticide carriers has been postulated.     

Progeny evaluation of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata with comparison to bioproductivity and biodiesel parameters

Progeny studies of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata were carried with respect to bioproductivity,pod and seed characters which is one of the selection methods in tree improvement programmes. Variations in bioproductivity and biodiesel parameters of both the plants were compared every 6 months for 4 years of investigation and analyzed by analysis of variance and correlation coefficient by Pearson’s method using software Graphpad instat 3.06(for Windows and Mac). P. pinnata has better germination rate(71.4 %), 100 pod weight(PW)(311.59 g) and 100 seed weight(SW)(173.46 g) as compared to J. curcas for germination rate(43.2 %), 100 PW(111.29 g) and 100 SW(67.46 g). P. pinnata has strong correlation for plant height to canopy growth(CG)(0.948), collar diameter(CD)(0.994), number of branches per plant(NBP)(0.995) and to number of leaves per branch(NLB)(0.862) as compared to J.curcas which showed good correlation among plant height to CG(0.976), CD(0.970), NBP(0.988), NLB(0.920) and to number of pods per branch(0.657). However, J. curcas depicted negative correlation for pod breadth to seed length(SL)(-0.447), seed breadth(-0.248) and to seed thickness(ST)(-0.364) and among the 100 PW to SL(-0.199), ST(-0.220) and to 100 SW(-0.704). About 4 kg of P. pinnata seeds were required for each liter of crude oil which yields896 ml of biodiesel on transesterification as compared to5.66 kg of J. curcas seeds for a liter of crude oil, producing about 663 ml of biodiesel. The quality of biodiesel meets the major specification of American Society for Testing and Materials(ASTM) standards for biodiesel. The crude glycerin and seed cake obtained as byproduct during biodiesel production were also measured which can be purified and used in composting, animal feeds, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industries.     

The shaping of modern human immune systems by multiregional admixture with archaic humans

Whole genome comparisons identified introgression from archaic to modern humans. Our analysis of highly polymorphic human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I, vital immune system components subject to strong balancing selection, shows how modern humans acquired the HLA-B*73 allele in west Asia through admixture with archaic humans called Denisovans, a likely sister group to the Neandertals. Virtual genotyping of Denisovan and Neandertal genomes identified archaic HLA haplotypes carrying functionally distinctive alleles that have introgressed into modern Eurasian and Oceanian populations. These alleles, of which several encode unique or strong ligands for natural killer cell receptors, now represent more than half the HLA alleles of modern Eurasians and also appear to have been later introduced into Africans. Thus, adaptive introgression of archaic alleles has significantly shaped modern human immune systems.     

Evidence for phenotypic assortative mating for flower colour in periwinkle

Two experiments were conducted with periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus, to determine the extent of natural outcrossing. Three white-flowered, fully self-fertile, monogenic recessive mutants, namely, dwarf, wavy leaf margin and curved leaf were used, together with their parental white-flowered variety, ‘Nirmal’, and a normal pink-flowered variety, PS-1. The extent of total outcrossing ranged from 43.4 to 79.3% among mutants. Outcrossing between white × white-flowered plants ranged from 28.3 to 65.3% and was two to four times greater than that between white × pink-flowered plants in the three mutants. The extent of out-crossing between white × pink-flowered plants was similar “02.2-15.0%” in all mutants and also similar to that in the normal white-flowered variety,‘Nirmal’(00.4%), where white × white flower out-crossing could not be estimated. There were no large differences in the number of seeds per fruit, percentage fruit set and germination percentage of seeds obtained from self, white × white and white × pink flower crosses made in the glasshouse. There were also no significant differences in the number of flowers produced by the genotypes used in the study. The observed higher frequency of white × white flower matings compared with white × pink flower matings appeared to be due to the constancy of flower colour exhibited by the butterfly pollinators Pachliopta hector and Catopsilia pyranthae during their flower visits. Observations made on the occurrence of natural self-pollination revealed that automatic self-pollination did not occur in periwinkle.     

Three cycles of honeycomb selection for herb yield in davana (Artemisia pallens Wall.)

Summary Three cycles of honeycomb selection for herb yield, applied on widely spaced individual plants of davana (Artemisia pallens Wall.), resulted in an increase in yield of 12.4% per cycle when the resulting populations were evaluated at commercial plant density. The selection had no adverse effect on essential oil content, davanone content in oil and plant height.     

Genetics of novel corolla colours in periwinkle

Inheritance of a novel corolla colour in periwinkle [Catharanthus roseus (L) G. Don], viz. magenta, was studied by crossing an accession MJ, possessing this corolla colour, with cultivar Nirmal, possessing white corolla. The accession MJ was also crossed with another accession OR, possessing another novel corolla colour, viz. orange-red, to determine the relationship between genes governing magenta corolla and orange-red corolla. The F₁ plants of the cross MJ× Nirmal had pink corolla and red eye. In the F₂ generation, five kinds of corolla colours were observed: (i) pink corolla and red eye, (ii) rose corolla and red eye, (iii) magenta corolla and red eye, (iv) white corolla and red eye and (v) white corolla. The observed frequencies of the five kinds of plants fitted a ratio of 144:27:9:12:64. The progeny of the backcross, F₁ × MJ, segregated into three kinds of plants, (i) pink corolla and red eye, (ii) rose corolla and red eye and (iii) magenta corolla and red eye, in the ratio of 2:1:1, while the backcross, F₁ × Nirmal, segregated into two kinds of plants, (i) pink corolla and red eye and (ii) white corolla, in the ratio of 1:1. Two new genes (proposed symbols O^m and J) appeared to be involved in the determination of magenta and rose corolla colours. Interaction between four independent genes R, W, O^m and J, appeared to explain the observed segregation in the cross MJ × Nirmal. The F₁ plants of the cross MJ × OR had scarlet-red corolla and red eye. The segregation data of F₂ and backcross generations suggested that genes governing orange-red corolla and magenta corolla were allelic to each other. Two new and non-parental corolla colours viz., rose corolla and scarlet-red corolla, were observed in the progeny of the crosses of the present study.     

Inheritance of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac toxin in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from India

BACKGROUND: The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), is one of the most serious insect pests of cotton. It has developed resistance to almost all groups of chemical insecticides because of their intensive use. The failure of insecticides to control H. armigera has been a strong incentive for the adoption of transgenic cotton (Bt cotton). However, the value of Bt could be diminished by widespread resistance development to Bt toxins in insect populations. Therefore, understanding the genetic basis of resistance is essential for developing and implementing strategies to delay and monitor resistance. RESULTS: A resistant strain designated as BM‐R was obtained from the cross of adults from Bathinda () and Muktsar (), Punjab, India, which showed the highest survival (60.68%) and LC₅₀ value (1.396 µg mL^?1 diet). Similarly, a laboratory‐maintained strain from Hoshiarpur, Punjab, showed maximum susceptibility to Cry1Ac toxin with the lowest LC₅₀ value (0.087 µg mL^?1), and was designated as HP‐S. The genetic purity of both strains was confirmed by RAPD profile analysis at each generation, and genetic similarity reached more than 90% after the third generation. Continuous maintenance of the resistant BM‐R strain on Cry1Ac resulted in an increase in LC₅₀ from 0.531 µg mL^?1 in F₀ to 4.28 µg mL^?1 in F₁₄ and 7.493 µg mL^?1 in F₁₉, while the LC₅₀ values for HP‐S larvae on diet without Cry1Ac increased to 0.106 and 0.104 µg mL^?1, which lay within the fiducial limits of the baseline LC₅₀ value. The mode of inheritance of resistance was elucidated through bioassay response of resistant, susceptible heterozygotes and backcross progeny to Cry1Ac incorporated in semi‐synthetic diet. CONCLUSION: Based on dominance, degree of dominance and backcross values, resistance was inferred to be polygenic, autosomal and inherited as a recessive trait. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry