Impaired immunoproteasome assembly and immune responses in PA28-/- mice

In vitro PA28 binds and activates proteasomes. It is shown here that mice with a disrupted PA28b gene lack PA28a and PA28b polypeptides, demonstrating that PA28 functions as a hetero-oligomer in vivo. Processing of antigenic epitopes derived from exogenous or endogenous antigens is altered in PA28-/- mice. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses are impaired, and assembly of immunoproteasomes is greatly inhibited in mice lacking PA28. These results show that PA28 is necessary for immunoproteasome assembly and is required for efficient antigen processing, thus demonstrating the importance of PA28-mediated proteasome function in immune responses.     

Quality evaluation of different honey samples produced in Peshawar valley

The present study was designed to evaluate different honey samples obtained from local market for their quality parameters for assessment of their feasibility for foreign export by comparing it with international standards. The study was conducted at PCSIR laboratories complex, Peshawar, during 2006. The tested samples were evaluated for moisture content, Ash percentage, acid content, HMF and reducing sugars percentage. The moisture content of locally produced honey was in the range of 14.5 to 18.23%. The ash content of locally produced honey samples ranged between 0.047-0.35 which is within the standard limits. The acid content of the honey samples ranged between 19.5 and 38.0 meq kg(-1). The HMF contents of locally produced honeys ranged from 5.3 to 23.20 mg kg(-1). The content of reducing sugar of the tested samples ranged between 43.14 and 81.40% for the tested samples of locally produced honey. All of the samples were found to be in acceptable range of international standards for all of the tested parameters except for only one sample with lower reducing sugars. These samples were marked to be according to the international standards and are healthy for human consumption.     

Effect of bovine growth hormone on incorporation of [14C]acetate into lipids by co-cultures of bovine mammary, liver, and adipose tissue explants

Incorporation of [14C]acetate into lipids was measured in 24 hr co-cultures of mammary, liver and adipose tissue from Holstein cows at 53, 210 and 318 d of lactation in the presence or absence of bovine growth hormone. Little (less than 1%) of the labeled lipids appeared in the media relative to that incorporated into the tissue. In mammary tissue, incorporation of [14C]acetate was highest into triglycerides (16,298 cpm/mg mammary tissue), followed by phospholipids (1,887 cpm), free fatty acids (1,252 cpm), diglycerides (708 cpm), free cholesterol (360 cpm) and monoglycerides (93 cpm). Bovine growth hormone did not increase incorporation of [14C]acetate when mammary or adipose tissue were incubated separately. However, in the presence of liver and adipose tissue, bovine growth hormone significantly increased the incorporation of [14C]acetate into triglycerides, diglycerides, free fatty acids and free cholesterol by mammary tissue. These results suggest that bovine growth hormone acts on mammary tissue indirectly through liver and adipose tissue to increase lipid synthesis. This mechanism may play a role in the action of bovine growth hormone in vivo to increase milk and milk fat production.     

Promotion of growth,yield and fiber quality attributes of Egyptian cotton by bacillus strains in combination with mineral fertilizers

Abstract

Implementation of proper management practices using biological approaches is important to maintain soil quality and cotton yield in sandy desert soils of Egypt. This experiment was conducted at the Agriculture Experimental farm, Kafer El-Sheikh governorate, Cotton Research Institute of Egypt during 2016–2017 seasons to study the effect of inoculation with bacterial strains of Bacillus circulance (BC) and Bacillus megatherium (BM) and their co-inoculation in combinations with 50% and 100% of recommended dose fertilization (RDF) on growth, yield, and fiber properties of Egyptian cotton Giza-94. Results showed that all important morphological attributes of cotton such as plant growth, number of fruit sympodial branches, number of bolls per plant, boll weight, lint cotton yield and fiber properties significantly increased with the increase rate of RDF, and inoculation of cotton seeds with the bacterial strains exerted additive effects. The highest increase of cotton yield was observed at the combined use of bacterial strains BC?+?BM with 50% RDF followed by BC?+?BM with 100% RDF treatment which attributed on the cotton yield increase by 33% and 15% compared to the respective control. The application of Bacillus strains as a biofertilizer could be an alternative option to reduce considerable amounts of chemical fertilizers input by enhancing nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and, thereby, improves cotton productivity.