COMPARATIVE IN SILICO ANALYSIS OF ATP1A3 GENE IN MAMMALS

Progress in the field of bioinformatics is useful to understand the global network of genes and their protein products. Genetic variants of the ATP1A3 gene have been suggested to be involved in the salt hypertension and feed intake, all of which may evidently affect heat production, heat loss and water mineral balance. In the present study, comparative analysis of ATP1A3 (ATPase Na+/K+ Transporting Subunit Alpha 3) proteins of different livestock species were carried out using bioinformatics tools. The results of this study indicate that most of physico-chemical properties were almost same in pig and cat. The global network analysis of ATP1A3 gene by, STRING 10 tool speculated its interaction with several other proteins like - ATP1A1, ATP1A2, ATP1A4, ATP1B1, ATP1B3, FXYD2 in different livestock species having high confidence score. The strong interaction was seen between ATP1B1 and ATP1A3 with a high score in pig. Molecular docking between ATP1A3 and ATP1B1 of pig has been carried out. Conserved region was present in all the nine studied different livestock species protein sequences despite speciation due to evolution. The present study will further support to understand the role of associated proteins in various cellular pathways in cattle. This work is also useful for the study of structural and functional analysis of ATP1A3 protein

The use of mosquito repellents at three sites in India with declining malaria transmission: surveys in the community and clinic

BACKGROUND: Repellents such as coils, vaporizers, mats and creams can be used to reduce the risk of malaria and other infectious diseases. Although evidence for their effectiveness is limited, they are advertised as providing an additional approach to mosquito control in combination with other strategies, e.g. insecticide-treated nets. We examined the use of repellents in India in an urban setting in Chennai (mainly Plasmodium vivax malaria), a peri-urban setting in Nadiad (both P. vivax and P. falciparum malaria), and a more rural setting in Raurkela (mainly P. falciparum malaria). METHODS: The use of repellents was examined at the household level during a census, and at the individual level in cross-sectional surveys and among patients visiting a clinic with fever or other symptoms. Factors associated with their use were examined in a multivariate analysis, and the association between malaria and the use of repellents was assessed among survey- and clinic participants. RESULTS: Characteristics of participants differed by region, with more people of higher education present in Chennai. Use of repellents varied between 56-77 % at the household level and between 32-78 % at the individual level. Vaporizers were the main repellents used in Chennai, whereas coils were more common in Nadiad and Raurkela. In Chennai and Nadiad, vaporizers were more likely to be used in households with young male children. Vaporizer use was associated with higher socio-economic status (SES) in households in Chennai and Nadiad, whereas use of coils was greater in the lower SES strata. In Raurkela, there was a higher use of coils among the higher SES strata. Education was associated with the use of a repellent among survey participants in Chennai and clinic study participants in Chennai and Nadiad. Repellent use was associated with less malaria in the clinic study in Chennai and Raurkela, but not in the surveys, with the exception of the use of coils in Nadiad. CONCLUSIONS: Repellents are widely used in India. Their use is influenced by the level of education and SES. Information on effectiveness and guidance on choices may improve rational use

The burden of submicroscopic and asymptomatic malaria in India revealed from epidemiology studies at three varied transmission sites in India.

Malaria in India, while decreasing, remains a serious public health problem, and the contribution of submicroscopic and asymptomatic infections to its persistence is poorly understood. We conducted community surveys and clinic studies at three sites in India differing in their eco-epidemiologies: Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Nadiad (Gujarat), and Rourkela (Odisha), during 2012-2015. A total of 6,645 subject blood samples were collected for Plasmodium diagnosis by microscopy and PCR, and an extensive clinical questionnaire completed. Malaria prevalence ranged from 3-8% by PCR in community surveys (24 infections in Chennai, 56 in Nadiad, 101 in Rourkela), with Plasmodium vivax dominating in Chennai (70.8%) and Nadiad (67.9%), and Plasmodium falciparum in Rourkela (77.3%). A proportional high burden of asymptomatic and submicroscopic infections was detected in community surveys in Chennai (71% and 71%, respectively, 17 infections for both) and Rourkela (64% and 31%, 65 and 31 infections, respectively). In clinic studies, a proportional high burden of infections was identified as submicroscopic in Rourkela (45%, 42 infections) and Chennai (19%, 42 infections). In the community surveys, anemia and fever were significantly more common among microscopic than submicroscopic infections. Exploratory spatial analysis identified a number of potential malaria hotspots at all three sites. There is a considerable burden of submicroscopic and asymptomatic malaria in malarious regions in India, which may act as a reservoir with implications for malaria elimination strategies