Identification and characterization of antibacterial compound(s) of cockroaches (Periplaneta americana)

Infectious diseases remain a significant threat to human health, contributing to more than 17 million deaths, annually. With the worsening trends of drug resistance, there is a need for newer and more powerful antimicrobial agents. We hypothesized that animals living in polluted environments are potential source of antimicrobials. Under polluted milieus, organisms such as cockroaches encounter different types of microbes, including superbugs. Such creatures survive the onslaught of superbugs and are able to ward off disease by producing antimicrobial substances. Here, we characterized antibacterial properties in extracts of various body organs of cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) and showed potent antibacterial activity in crude brain extract against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and neuropathogenic E. coli K1. The size-exclusion spin columns revealed that the active compound(s) are less than 10 kDa in molecular mass. Using cytotoxicity assays, it was observed that pre-treatment of bacteria with lysates inhibited bacteria-mediated host cell cytotoxicity. Using spectra obtained with LC-MS on Agilent 1290 infinity liquid chromatograph, coupled with an Agilent 6460 triple quadruple mass spectrometer, tissues lysates were analyzed. Among hundreds of compounds, only a few homologous compounds were identified that contained isoquinoline group, chromene derivatives, thiazine groups, imidazoles, pyrrole containing analogs, sulfonamides, furanones, flavanones, and known to possess broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, and possess anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, and analgesic properties. Further identification, characterization and functional studies using individual compounds can act as a breakthrough in developing novel therapeutics against various pathogens including superbugs

MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION AND BARCODING OF TWO SHRIMP SPECIES (PARAPENAEOPSIS SCULPTILLIS AND PARAPENAEOPSIS HARDWIKII) COLLECTED FROM GORAI CREEK OF MUMBAI, WEST COAST OF INDIA

Purpose. Molecular identification of two shrimp species (Parapenaeopsis sculptillis and Parapenaeopsis hardwikii) from Gorai creek, Mumbai, west coast of India. Methodology. The specimens of Shrimps Parapenaeopsis sculptillis and Parapenaeopsis hardwikii were collected from Gorai creek. The samples were morphologically identified as per the FAO guidelines manual and by using taxonomic keys. Genomic DNA was extracted from muscle tissue using DNA isolation kit (Hi Media, India). Molecular identification was carried out by using cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), gene sequencing by using specific primers LCO1490 and HCO2198. Phylogenetic tree was constructed by neighbour-joining method using mega 6 software to determine the relationship of the samples with known sequences in database. Findings. The P. sculptillis and P. hardwikii showed closest sequence similarities with P. cornuta (84%) and Thysanopoda obtusifrons (83%). A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on COI gene, which separates the populations into thirteen stable clades. The results on DNA barcoding and current distribution of P. culptillis and P. hardwikii and their haplotype P. cornuta and Thysanopoda obtusifrons showed phylogenetic relationship among them, providing insights into the adaptive evolution of DNA sequences. The phylogenetic divergence analyses of the selected specie showed worldwide distribution because the above said species and their haplotype species showed complex sequence diversities that are having functional relevance with energy metabolism and environmental adaptation. Originality. First attempt to use molecular genetic techniques for the identification of Parapenaeopsis sculptillis and Parapenaeopsis hardwikii and to compare their DNA sequences with other haplotype species such as P. cornuta and Thysanopoda obtusifrons. Practical value. The obtained data can be used for shrimp species identification and studies of their phylogenetics and population genetics

Analysis of genetic relatedness in <i style="">Gossypium </i>species using RAPD

41-46RAPD markers were employed to assess genetic relatedness in seven Gossypium species, which included G. hirsutum CMS lines and cultivars, G. arboreum GMS lines, cultivars, and wild species, G. raimondii, G. bickii, G. thurberii, G. captis-viridis and G. anomalum, Out of 45 RAPD primers tested, 24 oligonucleotide primers yielded monomorphic amplified products or did not show any amplification product in some of the genotypes. The remaining 21 primers amplified a total of 168 fragments with an average of 9.8 fragments per primer. Out of the 11 genotypes studied, G. arboreum (G 27) produced the maximum number of DNA amplified fragments and G. raimondii produced the lowest number. On the basis of similarity coefficients cluster analysis was performed using UPGMA method. Cluster analysis resulted in 4 main cluster groups. Cluster one contained two subclusters IA and IB. Subcluster IA consisted of G. hirsutum lines, which represent AD genome. Subcluster IB contained G. arboreum genotypes with A genome. Cluster II consisted of G. raimondii, G. thurberii, which belong to the D genome. Cluster III consisted of only G. bickii representing the C genome and cluster 4 consisted of G. anomalum and G. captis-viridis representing the B genome. The clustering pattern obtained using RAPD analysis in the present study is in conformity with available information based on cytogenetic relationship

Complete metagenome sequencing based bacterial diversity and functional insights from basaltic hot spring of Unkeshwar, Maharashtra, India

Unkeshwar hot springs are located at geographical South East Deccan Continental basalt of India. Here, we report the microbial community analysis of this hot spring using whole metagenome shotgun sequencing approach. The analysis revealed a total of 848,096 reads with 212.87 Mbps with 50.87% G + C content. Metagenomic sequences were deposited in SRA database with accession number (SUB1242219). Community analysis revealed 99.98% sequences belonging to bacteria and 0.01% to archaea and 0.01% to Viruses. The data obtained revealed 41 phyla including bacteria and Archaea and including 719 different species. In taxonomic analysis, the dominant phyla were found as, Actinobacteria (56%), Verrucomicrobia (24%), Bacteriodes (13%), Deinococcus-Thermus (3%) and firmicutes (2%) and Viruses (2%). Furthermore, functional annotation using pathway information revealed dynamic potential of hot spring community in terms of metabolism, environmental information processing, cellular processes and other important aspects. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of each contig sequence by assigning KEGG Orthology (KO) numbers revealed contig sequences that were assigned to metabolism, organismal system, Environmental Information Processing, cellular processes and human diseases with some unclassified sequences. The Unkeshwar hot springs offer rich phylogenetic diversity and metabolic potential for biotechnological applications. Keywords: hot spring, metagenome, shotgun sequencing, microbial diversity, Unkeshwa

Complete metagenome sequencing based bacterial diversity and functional insights from basaltic hot spring of Unkeshwar, Maharashtra, India

Unkeshwar hot springs are located at geographical South East Deccan Continental basalt of India. Here, we report the microbial community analysis of this hot spring using whole metagenome shotgun sequencing approach. The analysis revealed a total of 848,096 reads with 212.87 Mbps with 50.87% G + C content. Metagenomic sequences were deposited in SRA database with accession number (SUB1242219). Community analysis revealed 99.98% sequences belonging to bacteria and 0.01% to archaea and 0.01% to Viruses. The data obtained revealed 41 phyla including bacteria and Archaea and including 719 different species. In taxonomic analysis, the dominant phyla were found as, Actinobacteria (56%), Verrucomicrobia (24%), Bacteriodes (13%), Deinococcus-Thermus (3%) and firmicutes (2%) and Viruses (2%). Furthermore, functional annotation using pathway information revealed dynamic potential of hot spring community in terms of metabolism, environmental information processing, cellular processes and other important aspects. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of each contig sequence by assigning KEGG Orthology (KO) numbers revealed contig sequences that were assigned to metabolism, organismal system, Environmental Information Processing, cellular processes and human diseases with some unclassified sequences. The Unkeshwar hot springs offer rich phylogenetic diversity and metabolic potential for biotechnological applications. Keywords: hot spring, metagenome, shotgun sequencing, microbial diversity, Unkeshwa

Not Available

Not AvailableNot AvailableNot Availabl

Determining the association between stress and periodontal disease: A pilot study

Aim: To evaluate the relationship between stress and periodontal disease. Materials and Methods: This study included fifty chronic periodontitis subjects. The clinical parameters assessed for the full-mouth periodontal examination were as follows: Plaque index (PI), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL). The subjects were provided with a questionnaire for the assessment of stress based on the Zung's self-rating depression and anxiety scale, the scores of which were correlated with the periodontal findings. Results: The number of subjects showing depression and anxiety were significantly less and the severity of depression and anxiety was mild in them. The clinical parameters (PI, PD, CAL) showed no significant differences among the subjects with varying levels of stress. There was no statistical significance for stress to be contributing toward the periodontal disease. Conclusion: The present study showed no association between stress and periodontal disease, and future longitudinal studies directed at larger population, might yield conclusive results

Adversarial Risk Analysis to Allocate Optimal Defense Resources for Protecting Cyber–Physical Systems from Cyber Attacks

International audienceDefenders have to enforce defense strategies by taking decisions on allocation of resources to protect the integrity and survivability of cyber–physical systems (CPSs) from intentional and malicious cyber attacks. In this work, we propose an adversarial risk analysis approach to provide a novel one‐sided prescriptive support strategy for the defender to optimize the defensive resource allocation, based on a subjective expected utility model, in which the decisions of the adversaries are uncertain. This increases confidence in cyber security through robustness of CPS protection actions against uncertain malicious threats compared with prescriptions provided by a classical defend–attack game‐theoretical approach. We present the approach and the results of its application to a nuclear CPS, specifically the digital instrumentation and control system of the advanced lead‐cooled fast reactor European demonstrator