Production of monoclonal antibody against recombinant bovine sex-determining region Y (SRY) and their preferential binding to Y chromosome-bearing sperm

Separation of X and Y chromosome-bearing sperm is an appropriate method for the selection of desired sex of offspring to increase the profit in livestock industries. The purpose of this study was the production of a monoclonal antibody against recombinant bovine sex-determining region Y protein for separation Y sperm. The hybridoma cells from splenocytes of immunized female's balb/C mice and Sp2/0 cells were made. The binding affinity of our monoclonal antibody (mAbSRY2) was compared with mouse monoclonal SRY-15. The Western blot method indicated that mAbSRY2 successfully detected the rbSRY protein. The specificity and sensitivity of mAbSRY2 is comparable to SRY-15 commercially ones. The SRY gene in 100% of bull semen contains the Y chromosome that had the strongest binding affinity to mAbSRY2 was synthesized. In other words, the binding affinity of semen contains the X sperms near the negative control. In general, this immunological method can help to separate X from Y sperms. However, the mAbSRY2 is bind to Y-bearing sexed sperm, but in the future; the sexed sperms need to apply in farms.     

Site-Specific Nitrogen Management in Rice Using Remote Sensing and Geostatistics

Proper doses of nitrogenous fertilizer are most important for rice production system because a large part of the nitrogen may be lost if it is not applied judiciously. A study was conducted covering five blocks of Balasore and two blocks of Bhadrak districts. Soil samples were collected randomly, and field visit was conducted during peak vegetative stage of rice. Two approaches have been used in this study for estimating the site-specific nitrogen (N) requirement in the study area. In one approach, geostatisical analysis and kriging was used to develop the soil test–based N recommendation map by which a minimum of 72 kg N ha^?1 and maximum of 94 kg N ha^?1 were recommended. In a second approach, remote sensing was used and N recommendation map was developed using the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) leaf area index (LAI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) satellite data, and a minimum requirement of 60 kg N ha^?1 and maximum of 120 kg N ha^?1 was estimated through this approach.     

Evaluation of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Labeo rohita</Emphasis> as an immunomodulator: in vitro expression model

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) or type II interferon is a cytokine that is critical for innate and adaptive immunity against viral and some bacterial and protozoal infections. The importance of IFN-γ in the immune system lies in its ability to inhibit viral replication directly and most importantly from its immunomodulatory effects. Previously, we successfully co-administered IFN-γ along with GAPDH gene of Edwardsiella tarda as bicistronic DNA vaccine in Labeo rohita. In order to ascertain the individual role of IFN-γ, the present study involves cloning and expression of 552-bp IFN-γ open-reading frame (ORF) of L. rohita in striped snakehead (SSN-1) cell line using eukaryotic expression vector system (pQE-TriSystem) followed by transfection in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBMCs) to evaluate its immunomodulatory ability in comparison to polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C)-treated PBMCs. The 18.7-kDa protein, expressed in the pQE-IFNγ-transfected SSN-1 cells, reacted with anti-His antibody in Western blot confirming it to be recombinant IFN-γ, whereas the relative expression of IFN-γ, iNOS, Mx, and IL-1β genes in PBMCs was quantified at 24 h and 48 h post treatment by qPCR. The comparative kinetics of all four genes showed significantly (p?<?0.05) high upregulation pattern in both pQE-IFNγ-transfected cell group and Poly I:C-treated cell group demonstrating recombinant IFN-γ as an equally efficient inducer like Poly I:C. Thus, our in vitro experiment results highlight the immunomodulatory potential of recombinant IFN-γ as an analogue to synthetic Poly I:C which warranted future studies to further explore the potential of recombinant IFN-γ as an effective vaccine adjuvant against different microbial invasion.     

Influence of tillage and crop residue on soil physical properties and yields of rice and wheat under shallow water table conditions

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of tillage and residue incorporation on soil properties and yields of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in rotation for 4 years on a silty clay loam of an Aquic Hapludoll with natural water table fluctuating between 0.05 and 0.97 m depth The rice experiment was laid out in split plot design with four levels of tillage, viz. conventional puddling (CP), puddling by four passes of rotavator (PR), reduced puddling by two passes of rotavator (ReP), and direct seeding without puddling (DSWP) and two levels of residue, viz. residue incorporation (RI) and residue removal (RR) in four replications. The treatments for wheat were zero tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT) with RI and RR superimposed over the plots of rice. Tillage for rice increased puddling index and bulk density (BD) over the years. The increase was significantly higher in CP and PR than in ReP. In wheat season, BD was higher under ZT than under CT but the differences were not significant. Puddling decreased saturated hydraulic conductivity with time, which became significantly lower in CP and PR in the fourth year than in ReP in the first year. Infiltration rate (IR) also decreased with time and was lowest in CP and PR. In wheat season, IR was at par under ZT and CT. Rice yield in PR was maximum and at par with that in ReP. But wheat yield was lowest in PR and highest in DSWP, and was at par in DSWP and ReP. Thus, rice yields were optimum under ReP, in which changes in soil properties were least, and wheat yields were optimum both under ZT and CT in the DSWP and ReP plots of rice under shallow water table conditions of the silty clay loam.     

Pharmacokinetics of Enrofloxacin and Its Metabolite Ciprofloxacin after Intramuscular Administration of Enrofloxacin in Goats

The pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and its active metabolite ciprofloxacin were investigated in goats after a single intramuscular administration of enrofloxacin at 2.5 mg/kg body weight. The plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were determined simultaneously by a HPLC method. The peak concentrations (C _max) of enrofloxacin (1.13 g/ml) and ciprofloxacin (0.24 g/ml) were observed at 0.8 and 1.2 h, respectively. The elimination half-life (t _1/2), volume of distribution (V _d(area)), total body clearance (Cl_B) and mean residence time (MRT) of enrofloxacin were 0.74 h, 1.42 L/kg, 1329 ml/h per kg and 1.54 h, respectively. The t _1/2, area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) and the MRT of ciprofloxacin were 1.38 h, 0.74 g h/ml and 2.73 h, respectively. The metabolic conversion of enrofloxacin to ciprofloxacin was appreciable (36%) and the sum of the plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin was maintained at or above 0.1 g/ml for up to 4 h. Enrofloxacin appears to be useful for the treatment of goat diseases associated with pathogens sensitive to this drug.     

Understanding genetic diversity in blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] collections of Indian National Genebank

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] is a protein rich pulse crop of Indian origin. The crop is cultivated in diverse range of agro-ecological regions,...     

TDP-43 mutations in familial and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disorder characterized pathologically by ubiquitinated TAR DNA binding protein (TDP-43) inclusions. The function of TDP-43 in the nervous system is uncertain, and a mechanistic role in neurodegeneration remains speculative. We identified neighboring mutations in a highly conserved region of TARDBP in sporadic and familial ALS cases. TARDBPM337V segregated with disease within one kindred and a genome-wide scan confirmed that linkage was restricted to chromosome 1p36, which contains the TARDBP locus. Mutant forms of TDP-43 fragmented in vitro more readily than wild type and, in vivo, caused neural apoptosis and developmental delay in the chick embryo. Our evidence suggests a pathophysiological link between TDP-43 and ALS.     

Composite site-productivity functions for Northeastern Ontario black spruce

Data from 122 northeastern Ontario plots were used to develop composite site-productivity functions for black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.). A logistic model produced the best fit to the data. The resulting equations produce sets of polymorphic site-productivity curves with subsets of three curves, one for each of Ontario's Forest Ecosystem Classification Operational Groups (FEC OGs) 11, 12 and 14. For direct estimates of site productivity, site index was expressed as a function of stand height, age and FEC OG by employing the reciprocal of the logistic model. Application of the resulting equations and tables is demonstrated in an example. The procedures employed may be used to develop ecologically based site-productivity functions for other areas.