An overview on the small heat shock proteins

In the last 25 years, a huge amount of literature has been accumulated describing the cell’s response to different kinds of environmental stress conditions, such as high temperatures, altered pH, exposure of the cell to toxins, starvation, oxygen, and water deprivation, among others. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are one of the main expressed products of the cell in response to stresses. HSPs can be classified into six structurally conserved classes according to their molecular weight namely, HSP100, HSP90, HSP70, HSP60, small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) and ubiquitin (8.5 kDa). In eukaryotes, different heat shock genes are expressed uncoordinatedly, whereas in prokaryote, heat shock genes form a regulon and appear simultaneously. sHSPs are associated with nuclei, cytoskeleton and membranes. They bind partially to denatured proteins, preventing irreversible protein aggregation during stress. In animals, only one sHSP gene has been located in yeast cells, ten in mammalian, two in birds and four genes have been found in Drosophila. However, in plants more than 20 sHSPs have been reported and they can be divided into 6 classes, of which, 3 classes (CI, CII and CIII) are in the cytosole or in the nucleus and the other three (CIV, CV and CVI) in the plastids, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Mitochondrial and chloroplast sHSPs protect electron transport chain. During development in animals, sHSP genes are normally regulated at late neurula and early tailbud stage and in plants during pollen development, seed maturation, seed imbibition and germination. Transcriptional regulation of sHSPs depends on particular activation of heat shock factors (HSF) which recognize the highly conserved heat-shock elements (HSEs). After the heat stress has been released, the sHSPs are quite stable, suggesting that sHSPs may be important for recovery as well

miRNA in the Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Adaptation to Acute Endurance Exercise in C57Bl/6J Male Mice

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved small non-coding RNA species involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation. In vitro studies have identified a small number of skeletal muscle-specific miRNAs which play a crucial role in myoblast proliferation and differentiation. In skeletal muscle, an acute bout of endurance exercise results in the up-regulation of transcriptional networks that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis, glucose and fatty acid metabolism, and skeletal muscle remodelling. The purpose of this study was to assess the expressional profile of targeted miRNA species following an acute bout of endurance exercise and to determine relationships with previously established endurance exercise responsive transcriptional networks. C57Bl/6J wild-type male mice (N = 7/group) were randomly assigned to either sedentary or forced-endurance exercise (treadmill run @ 15 m/min for 90 min) group. The endurance exercise group was sacrificed three hours following a single bout of exercise. The expression of miR- 181, 1, 133, 23, and 107, all of which have been predicted to regulate transcription factors and co-activators involved in the adaptive response to exercise, was measured in quadriceps femoris muscle. Endurance exercise significantly increased the expression of miR-181, miR-1, and miR-107 by 37%, 40%, and 56%, respectively, and reduced miR-23 expression by 84% (P≤0.05 for all), with no change in miR-133. Importantly, decreased expression of miRNA-23, a putative negative regulator of PGC-1α was consistent with increased expression of PGC-1α mRNA and protein along with several downstream targets of PGC-1α including ALAS, CS, and cytochrome c mRNA. PDK4 protein content remains unaltered despite an increase in its putative negative regulator, miR-107, and PDK4 mRNA expression. mRNA expression of miRNA processing machinery (Drosha, Dicer, and DGCR8) remained unchanged. We conclude that miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation is potentially involved in the complex regulatory networks that govern skeletal muscle adaptation to endurance exercise in C57Bl/6J male mice

Clinical and Metabolic Profile of Obese Children at a Tertiary Care Hospital

ABSTRACT Objective: The aims of our study were to find out the physical features and biochemical complications of obese children presenting to our hospital. Methodology: This Cross-sectional study was conducted in outpatient department (OPD) of POF hospital Wah Cantt from January 2019 to June 2020.Non probability convenient sampling was used to include obese children less than 14 years of age. Child was labeled obese as per W.H.O. criteria. History and complete physical examination was done according to pre designed proforma of all the participants. Blood samples were sent for analysis after taking consent. Results: Total of 100 obese children was included in the study out of whom 62 % were females and 38% were males. Majority were under 10 years of age (70%). Arthralgia (55%) was the most common complaint and Acanthosis Nigricans (31%) was the most common physical finding. Vitamin D deficiency was present in 60% of the cases. Iron deficiency was found more in females (64.5 %) (p value 0.01) and children under 10 years of age (62.8 %) (p value 0.02). Conclusion: Obesity can lead to various health complications. Early detection and prevention of these complications can decrease the associated morbidities and mortalities in adulthood. Key words: Obesity, vitamin D deficiency, Iron deficiency, Anemia, Acanthosis Nigricans   &nbsp

Frequency and Progression of Gliomas in Pregnancy in Population Presenting at Lahore General Hospital, Pakistan

Objective:  To study the frequency and progression of gliomas in pregnant patients in our population. Materials and Methods:  A retrospective study of 30 pregnant patients between 18 to 40 years of age with confirmed gliomas from July 2015 to July 2020 was conducted at the Department of Neurosurgery, Punjab Institute of Neurosciences, Lahore. Time of diagnosis, grade of glioma, the outcome of pregnancy, and mode of treatment were studied in these patients. Results:  Out of 30 patients, 29 were freshly diagnosed during pregnancy. All patients underwent cesarean section. If the patient presented before 30 weeks of pregnancy, irrespective of the outcome of the baby, the caesarian section was done. If a patient presented after 7 months, in case of low-grade glioma, the patient was in-house transferred and operated for tumor after delivery. A total of 17 patients had low-grade glioma and 12 patients had high-grade glioma. One patient had a recurrent disease during pregnancy, with the progression of tumor from low grade to high grade. Conclusion:  There is an association between pregnancy and the incidence of gliomas. They can be both high or low grades. The mode of delivery is preferably the caesarian section because the stress of labor causes an increase in the frequency of seizures. There is the possibility of recurrence as well as progression to higher grade during pregnancy

Phylogenetics of HCV: Recent advances

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a virus present in human population from indefinite time period, has affected millions of people globally, by causing liver infection which in majority of cases leads to chronicity, cirrhosis, end stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The disease burden is expected to increase in the developing and under developed world in future. The distribution of HCV genotypes is changing, as are the modes of transmission. Evolution of HCV is a highly dynamic process as it exploits all known mechanisms of genetic variation including recombination and mutation, to ensure its survival. It occurs both through multiple processes of adaptive selection that drive sequence change and through drift, in which phenotypically neutral sequence changes accumulate over time without altering the phenotype or behaviour of the virus. However, despite its potential to change rapidly, the longer-term evolution of HCV appears to be remarkably conservative. Phylogenetic and statistical models of viral evolution are useful in reconstructing mutational pathways of drug resistance. The two major divisions of viral heterogeneity include genotypes and quasispecies. The rate of nucleotide changes varies significantly among the different regions of the viral genome. The present HCV classification is incomplete, as new genotypes and variants are being identified till yet. Diversification of HCV occurred over time but with different rates. Host immune pressure is thought to be a main factor driving diversification in HCV quasispecies. Core and hypervariable regions are more diverse while 5' un-translated region (UTR) and 3' UTR are highly conserved across the genotypes.Keywords: HCV, phylogeny, 5' UTR, viral evolution, recombination, quasispeciesAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 9(36), pp. 5792-5799, 6 September, 201

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Temperature in the Punjab Province, Pakistan

Identifying the temperature change at a regional level is one of the essential parameters to determine the intensity of climate change. The current investigation provides an examination of changing trends of temperature in the Punjab province from 1970 to 2019. Sen's slope estimator method is applied to monthly data of mean temperature (Tmean), maximum temperature (Tmax), and minimum temperature (Tmin) to calculate the rate of temperature change. Statistical methods were used to find out the level of significance in terms of negative or positive trends to examine the variability among various weather observatories. Moreover, predicted values have also been observed for a detailed analysis of temperature variability and trends. Significant and pronounced changes in the mean temperature (T mean) are distinguished all over the Punjab regions with an increasing trend from North to South Punjab. In the case of maximum temperature (Tmax), a faster rate of rising in temperature is observed over the Southern and Western regions of Punjab. In contrast, the minimum temperature (Tmin) shows an increasing trend in Central Punjab. The findings provide detailed insight to policymakers for the planning of mitigating efforts and adaptation strategies in response to climate change

CONSTITUTIVE MODELLING OF SANDS UNDER MONOTONIC LOADING

This paper presents the drained and undrained behavior of soils using a modified version of the original cam clay constitutive model. The strain hardening behavior of soils is one of the major challenges in geotechnical engineering. The constitutive equations are numerically integrated over fixed time steps to apply effective stress to the derived elastoplastic soil model. Convergence of solution is controlled by a constitutive relation, namely the associated flow rule. This study provides step by step Python and octave programs to solve for q"-" p by solving the associated non-linear system. The problem is formulated by assuming small strains in the elastic region and large strains in the plastic region. The transition from over-consolidated to normally consolidated states is predicted to be smooth by this elastoplastic model. The model is recognized and solved as a boundary value problem with only two effective stress variables namely q"-" p which is an approximation of three-dimensional invariants

Short Communication Effect of Probiotic and Growth Promoters on Chemical Composition of Broiler Carcass

ABSTRACT Experiment was performed to study the effect of probiotics and growth promoters (Protexin, Albac & Dried Curd) on the chemical composition of broiler carcass. Birds were reared under similar environmental and managemental conditions up to 42 days of age except treatments. Chemical composition of all four treatment groups (Randomly divided in to 12 experimental units) was done in the Laboratory for Moisture percentage, Crude protein, Lipids, Ash and Nitrogen Free Extract. The birds using diets supplemented with Protexin, Albac and Dried Curd showed significant effect on the moisture levels in tissue or carcass. The experimental birds using diets supplemented with Protexin, Albac and Dried Curd also revealed a positive effect on the crude protein contents. The range of lipids was observed highest under Albac feeding while its level remained almost in the same range under Protexin and Dried Curd feeding compared to non-treated birds. Ash contents of the broilers, which were not fed any growth promoters or probiotics were noted surprisingly higher than treated birds. However, negligible difference regarding ash contents was observed between the Protexin and Dried Curd fed birds. The matter may be referred to further studies

Management of Chili leaf curl disease (ChiLCD) through resistant germplasm and Nutrients in relation to Environmental Factors

Chili (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important commercial spicy crop grown in many regions across the world. Six chili varieties such as Zinia F1, Desi (Jalalpuri), Desi (Jalalpuri 2), Wonder Hot, Summer Queen F1, and Faisalabad Selection was evaluated against the most devastating and catastrophic Chili’s leaf curl disease caused by Begomovirus Chili leaf curl virus (ChiLCV). Out of all six varieties, Wonder Hot and Summer Queen F1 showed moderately resistant (MR) response whereas three varieties including Zinia F1, Desi (Jalalpuri) and Desi (Jalalpuri 2) had a moderately susceptible (MS) response, and only one variety namely Faisalabad Selection, expressed resistant (R) response. Four varieties; Desi (Jalalpuri), Desi (Jalalpuri 2), Zinia F1, and Wonder Hot, were used for management purposes with four micronutrients in combinations, namely T1 (ZnSO4 + CuSO4), T2 (MnSO4 + CuSO4), T3 (Boric Acid + CuSO4) and T4 (ZnSO4 + CuSO4 + MnSO4 + Boric Acid). When compared to control (58.14%), only T4 demonstrated minimum disease severity (11.63%). In the case of disease incidence, T4 gave the best results with minimum disease incidence (35.65%) as compared to control (92.59%). Treatments were able to decrease the disease progression even in the existing of favorable environmental factors.There was significant (p˂0.05) but positive correlation between wind speed and disease severity. Wind speed was highly correlated with the disease severity of variety Wonder Hot (r=0.91). We concluded that the application of micronutrient activate the plant defense system and at the same time suppress the vector populations