Evaluation of Diagnostic Potential of Recombinant Outer Membrane Protein (rOmp28) of Brucella Melitensis for Serodiagnosis of Ovine and Caprine Brucellosis

Brucella melitensis is the main causative agent of brucellosis in small ruminants. The diagnosis of brucellosis is mostly done by isolation of bacteria from aborted material, udder secretions or from tissues of infected animals. The presumptive diagnosis of Brucellosis is attempted by elucidating the serological responses to Brucella antigens. The present study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic potential of rOmp28 antigen of Brucella melitensis for ovine and caprine brucellosis. A total of 163 clinical samples (n=79 samples of ovine and n=84 samples of caprine) were tested in an indirect plate-ELISA format using rOmp28 antigen. Results of rOmp28 antigen based indirect ELISA were also compared with the native antigens [cell envelope antigen (CE) and whole cell sonicated antigen (SA)] based ELISA and with conventional Standard Tube Agglutination Test (STAT). Recombinant Omp28 antigen showed high sensitivity and specificity i.e., 71.4%, 97.7% for ovine samples and 74%, 87.8% for caprine samples as compared with CE antigen (40%, 75%) and (44%, 67.6%) and SA antigen (37.1%, 84%) and (42%, 70.5%) for ovine and caprine samples respectively. This study demonstrated that rOmp28 can be a good candidate antigen in the serodiagnosis of ovine and caprine brucellosis in India and also further in the development of rapid field-adaptable diagnostic assay for screening of ovine and caprine brucellosis

Osmolytes: Proline metabolism in plants as sensors of abiotic stress

Proline accumulation occurs in a large range of plant species in retaliation to the numerous abiotic stresses. An exclusive research pattern suggests there is a pragmatic relation between proline accumulation and plant stress tolerance. In this review, we will discuss the metabolism of proline accumulation and its role in stress tolerance in plants. Pertaining to the literature cited clearly indicates that not only does it acts as an osmolyte, it also plays important roles during stress as a metal chelator and an antioxidative defence molecule. Moreover, when applied exogenously at low concentrations, proline enhanced stress tolerance in plants. However, some reports point out adverse effects of proline when applied at higher doses. Role of proline gene in seed germination, flowering and other developmental programmes; thus creation of transgene overexpressing this gene would provide better and robust plants. In this context this review gives a detailed account of different proline gene over-expressed in all the trans-genic crops so far

In vitro effect of polyethylene glycol and sorbitol on two banana varieties viz. Grand naine and Nalla bontha to study drought stress

Water stress is one of the foremost categories of stress damaging plants’ overall growth and development. The aim of the present study was to explore and demonstrate stress-induced drought to calibrate changes in stress parameters of two banana plant varieties viz. Grand naine (G9)  and Nalla bontha were cultured in Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) media supplemented with stress inducers -Poly ethylene glycol (PEG)  and sorbitol. The different concentrations of inducers were used to induce drought stress in two varieties of banana with contrasting characters for drought condition. The study indicated that PEG contrived mild to moderate osmotic stress and so does the alditol i.e. sorbitol on in vitro banana plants.  The different concentrations of PEG and sorbitol produced significant effects on various parameters. The maximum decrease in shoot length was prominent in G9(52%) as compared to Nalla bontha (11%). When treated with 3% w/v sorbitol, even average root length showed the same level of damage with G9(59%) while in case of Nalla bontha there  was  a 17% decrease. The banana plantlet produced in vitro was estimated at one and two weeks after inoculation, respectively. Proline content tended to increase as the concentration of osmotic inducers increased (-44 % in G9 at 3% w/v sorbitol), whereas RWC (8.9% in G9 at 3% w/v Peg) showed an opposite effect. It was concluded that quantitative and qualitative changes in physiological (shoot and root length) and biochemical (Proline and relative water content, RWC) parameters played an important role in plants under drought stress conditions. This pattern varied from species to species. This work has been attempted for the first time in banana, especially Grand naine varieties with contrasting characters under induced drought stress.

Identification of New PCR Targets and its Validation for Development of Nucleic Acid-based Detection Assay for Melioidosis

Burkholderia pseudomallei the gram negative, soil saprophyte is the causative agent of melioidosis in human and animals. Development of rapid, sensitive, species specific and cost effective molecular assays are needed for detection of B. pseudomallei from clinical and environmental samples and to differentiate it from other closely related bacterial species. In this study, insilico approach was used to identify new species specific gene targets for molecular diagnosis of B. pseudomallei. The identified targets were then analyzed by SYBR Green real time PCR assay for their specificity, sensitivity and presence across different Indian clinical and soil isolates of B. pseudomallei. Out of the three targets studied SYBR Green real time PCR assay targeting bpss0091 gene of B. pseudomallei was found 100% specific, having detection limit of 12.3fg/µl DNA. The bpss0091 gene target was present in all clinical and soil isolates of B. pseudomallei tested thus suggesting bpss0091 gene based SYBR Green real time PCR assay will be useful for detection of B. pseudomallei in different geographical regions

Pulmonary Artery Narrowing: A Less Known Cause for Massive Hemoptysis

Chronic pulmonary artery narrowing may result from diverse causes; congenital as well as acquired. The relative hypoperfusion of the lung results in hypertrophy of multiple systemic arteries. Such patients can present with recurrent hemoptysis from hypertrophied systemic arteries, most commonly bronchial arteries. These patients remain undiagnosed for a long time because of the lack of awareness of this entity. We present three cases of chronic pulmonary artery narrowing presenting with massive hemoptysis

Mercaptophosphonic acids as efficient linkers in quantum dot sensitized solar cells

This work was supported by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche, project QuePhélec (ANR-13-BS10-0011-01). MTS and IDWS are thankful to ERC for financial support for exciton diffusion project, grant number 321305. AKB and IDWS also acknowledge financial support from EPSRC programme grant: structured light, EP/J01771X.Control over the deposition of quantum dots (QDs) on nanostructured semiconductors is very important for the photovoltaic performance of QD sensitized solar cells. The best control is typically achieved using bifunctional molecular linkers, such as mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), to attach the QDs to metal oxides in a specific manner; however some materials, such as ZnO, are not compatible with these molecules due to their pH sensitivity. We have developed new linkers, mercaptophosphonic acids of different length, which allow efficient functionalization of ZnO nanowires and also mesoporous TiO2 without damaging their surface. Detailed XPS and contact angle studies of the mechanism of self-assembly of these acids show that their strong chelation of the oxide surface prevents protonic attack and etching. Using these linkers, we show that colloidal ternary quantum dots, CuInS2, can be conformally and homogeneously deposited on the functionalized metal oxides. Photophysical studies by means of time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy confirm efficient electron transfer from the QDs to the metal oxides with the rate and efficiency scaling with respect to the linker length and nature. The efficiency of the QD sensitized solar cells fabricated with such assemblies also strongly depends on the linkers used and follows the trends observed for the charge transfer.PostprintPeer reviewe

Chemical modification of L-glutamine to alpha-amino glutarimide on autoclaving facilitates Agrobacterium infection of host and non-host plants: A new use of a known compound

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Accidental autoclaving of L-glutamine was found to facilitate the <it>Agrobacterium </it>infection of a non host plant like tea in an earlier study. In the present communication, we elucidate the structural changes in L-glutamine due to autoclaving and also confirm the role of heat transformed L-glutamine in <it>Agrobacterium </it>mediated genetic transformation of host/non host plants.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>When autoclaved at 121°C and 15 psi for 20 or 40 min, L-glutamine was structurally modified into 5-oxo proline and 3-amino glutarimide (α-amino glutarimide), respectively. Of the two autoclaved products, only α-amino glutarimide facilitated <it>Agrobacterium </it>infection of a number of resistant to susceptible plants. However, the compound did not have any <it>vir </it>gene inducing property.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We report a one pot autoclave process for the synthesis of 5-oxo proline and α-amino glutarimide from L-glutamine. Xenobiotic detoxifying property of α-amino glutarimide is also proposed.</p