FBIS: A regional DNA barcode archival & analysis system for Indian fishes

DNA barcode is a new tool for taxon recognition and classification of biological organisms based on sequence of a fragment of mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase I (COI). In view of the growing importance of the fish DNA barcoding for species identification, molecular taxonomy and fish diversity conservation, we developed a Fish Barcode Information System (FBIS) for Indian fishes, which will serve as a regional DNA barcode archival and analysis system. The database presently contains 2334 sequence records of COI gene for 472 aquatic species belonging to 39 orders and 136 families, collected from available published data sources. Additionally, it contains information on phenotype, distribution and IUCN Red List status of fishes. The web version of FBIS was designed using MySQL, Perl and PHP under Linux operating platform to (a) store and manage the acquisition (b) analyze and explore DNA barcode records (c) identify species and estimate genetic divergence. FBIS has also been integrated with appropriate tools for retrieving and viewing information about the database statistics and taxonomy. It is expected that FBIS would be useful as a potent information system in fish molecular taxonomy, phylogeny and genomics

Fish Karyome: A karyological information network database of Indian Fishes

‘Fish Karyome’, a database on karyological information of Indian fishes have been developed that serves as central source for karyotype data about Indian fishes compiled from the published literature. Fish Karyome has been intended to serve as a liaison tool for the researchers and contains karyological information about 171 out of 2438 finfish species reported in India and is publically available via World Wide Web. The database provides information on chromosome number, morphology, sex chromosomes, karyotype formula and cytogenetic markers etc. Additionally, it also provides the phenotypic information that includes species name, its classification, and locality of sample collection, common name, local name, sex, geographical distribution, and IUCN Red list status. Besides, fish and karyotype images, references for 171 finfish species have been included in the database. Fish Karyome has been developed using SQL Server 2008, a relational database management system, Microsoft's ASP.NET-2008 and Macromedia's FLASH Technology under Windows 7 operating environment. The system also enables users to input new information and images into the database, search and view the information and images of interest using various search options. Fish Karyome has wide range of applications in species characterization and identification, sex determination, chromosomal mapping, karyo-evolution and systematics of fishes

Toxicity of the Herbicide Atrazine: Effects on Lipid Peroxidation and Activities of Antioxidant Enzymes in the Freshwater Fish Channa Punctatus (Bloch)

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the toxicity and effects of a commercial formulation of the herbicide atrazine (Rasayanzine) on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme system in the freshwater air breathing fish Channa punctatus. The 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h LC50 of atrazine, calculated by probit analysis, were determined to be 77.091, 64.053, 49.100, 44.412 and 42.381 mg·L−1, respectively, in a semi static system with significant difference (p < 0.05) in LC10–90 values obtained for different times of exposure. In addition to concentration and time dependent decrease in mortality rate, stress signs in the form of behavioral changes were also observed in response to the test chemical. In fish exposed for 15 days to different sublethal concentrations of the herbicide (1/4 LC50 = ∼10.600 mg·L−1, 1/8 LC50 = ∼5.300 mg·L−1 and 1/10 LC50 = ∼4.238 mg·L−1) induction of oxidative stress in the liver was evidence by increased lipid peroxidation levels. The antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR) responded positively in a concentration dependent pattern, thus, suggesting the use of these antioxidants as potential biomarkers of toxicity associated with contaminations exposure in freshwater fishes

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Not AvailableChlorpyrifos (O,O-diethyl O-3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridylphosphorothioate) is one of the organophosphate pesticides widely used in agricultural practices throughout world and irreversible inhibitor of cholinesterase in all animal species. Limited efforts have been made to study acute genotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos (CPF) in different tissues of fish using genotoxic biomarkers. Therefore, the present investigation was aimed to study the induction of DNA damage by CPF in freshwater teleost fish Channapunctatus using micronucleus assay (MN assay) and alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). The value of LC(50) - 96 h of CPF was determined as 811.98 microgl(-1) for C. punctatus, in a semi-static system and on the basis of LC(50) value three acute concentrations viz., 203, 406 and 609 microgl(-1) were determined. The fishes were exposed to the different concentrations of CPF for 96 h and samplings were done at regular intervals for assessment of the MN frequencies and DNA damage. In general, significant effects (P<0.01) from both concentrations and time of exposure were observed in exposed fishes. It was found that the micronucleus induction was highest on 96 h at all concentrations in the peripheral blood. Similar trend was observed for the DNA damage measured in terms of the percentage of tail DNA in the lymphocyte and gill cells. This study explored the combined use of micronucleus assay and comet assay for in vivo laboratory studies using fresh water fish for screening the genotoxic potential of xenobiotics.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableIncreased Metallothionein (MT) synthesis is associated with increased capacity for binding metals such as copper, zincand cadmium, as well as protection against metal toxicity. A study was carried out using quantitative real-time reversetranscriptase polymerase chain reaction (q-RT-PCR) in freshwater teleost, Channa punctata (Bloch), after exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of cadmium. Post 14 days exposure, the heightened MT mRNA expression was seen only in kidney, whereas in contaminated liver and gills, the MT gene expression collapsed significantly below the basal level.The difference in the effect of various concentrations of cadmium on MT mRNA transcript level in the tissues under study was found significant. The study indicates that the expression of MT mRNA in C. punctata occurs in tissue specific and dose dependent manner.University Grants Commission, New Delhi, Indi

Dinámica de la ecología reproductiva del pez Ompok bimaculatus (Siluriformes: Siluridae) en seis ríos tropicales de la cuenca del Ganges, India.

The silurid butter catfish, Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1794), is widely distributed in the plains and sub-mountain regions of India, but not enough is known about its reproductive potential is still insufficient. The present study evaluated the comparative reproductive potential (in terms of sex ratio, spawning season, body size at first go­nadal maturity, gonadosomatic index, fecundity, egg dimension, egg weight etc.) of fish (n=1223) from six tropical tributaries of the Ganges basin during January 2011-December 2013. The females had relatively greater weight and length. The body size at 50% first gonadal matu­rity (L50%) ranged between 228-262mm in females and 198-247mm in males. The population has high and low fecundities. The correlations between absolute fecundity and total length, as well as between body weight and gonad weight, were significant (p&lt;0.05) and positive in all the population.El pez bagre de mantequilla, Ompok bima­culatus (Bloch, 1794), está ampliamente distribuído en las planicies y regiones submontañosas de la India, pero el conocimiento sobre su potencial reproductivo es deficiente. Este estudio evalua el potencial reproductivo comparativo (en términos de proporción de sexos, época de desove, tamaño del cuerpo a la primera madurez gonadal, índice gonadosomático, fecundidad, dimensión del huevo, peso de los hue­vos, etc.) de los peces muestreados (n=1223) de seis ríos tropicales de la cuenca del Ganges durante enero 2011 y diciembre 2013. Las hembras tenían peso y longitud relativamente mayor que los machos. El tama­ño corporal al 50% de la primera madurez gonadal (L50%) osciló entre 228-262mm en las hembras y 198-247mm en los machos. La estrategia reproductiva tiene dos categorías, es decir, fecundidades altas y bajas. Las correlaciones entre la fecundidad absoluta y la longitud total, así como el peso corporal y el peso de las gónadas, fueron significativas (p &lt;0,05) y positivas en toda la población

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Not AvailableThe tannery industries are the reason of major environmental concerns as they release toxic heavy metals, like chromium, in rivers posing risks of genotoxicity and mutagenicity in aquatic organism and indirectly in humans through food chain. In the present analysis, the freshwater inhabitant fishes of River Ganges, viz., Labeo calbasu, Puntius sophore, and Mystus vittatus, were examined for assessing the genotoxic, mutagenic, and bioaccumulative potentials of tannery effluents. For genotoxicity assessment, the blood and gill samples of fishes prevailed from polluted sites of River Ganges adjoining Kanpur city were utilized for comet assay and micronucleus test. The present investigation revealed the presence of significantly (p < 0.05) higher micronuclei induction and % tail DNA in erythrocytes and gill cells of the fishes collected from the polluted sites.The bioaccumulation studies revealed chromium concentration in muscle (0.89 mg/g) and gill tissues (0.24 mg/g) of L. calbasu; muscle (0.44 mg/g) and gills (1.23 mg/g) of P. sophore; and muscle (0.9617 mg/g) and gills (0.3628 mg/g) of M. vittatus, quite higher than the permissible limits of the World Health Organization. Consequently, the present study indicates strongly that River Ganges is contaminated with harmful tannery pollutants causing genotoxicity and mutagenicity in freshwater fishes.Uttar Pradesh Council of Science and Technology (UP-CST), Lucknow, India

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Not AvailableThe cytotaxonomic analyses of four species of genus Puntius, viz. P. chola, P. conchonius, P. sophore and P. ticto from central India was carried out for the first time. The metaphase chromosomes were prepared from kidney and gill tissues. The diploid chromosome number and karyotype formula (KF) were found to be 50 & 2m + 4sm + 2st + 42t in P. chola; 50 & 14m + 28sm + 8st in P. conchonius; 48 & 4m + 2st + 42t in P. sophore and 50 & 14m + 24sm + 8st + 4t in P. ticto. Based on KF, the fundamental arm number were determined as 56, 92, 52 and 88, respectively, for these species. The karyomorphological features indicated that P. conchonius and P. ticto are closely related and the same holds true for P. chola and P. sophore. The chromosomes of all the four species exhibited constitutive heterochromatic blocks at their centromeric position, as detected by Cbanding technique. Variations in number of NORs were observed with presence of single pair of NORs in P. chola and P. conchonius, whereas in P. sophore and P. ticto multiple NORs were observed. Thus, based on the karyological features it can be hypothesized that P. conchonius and P. ticto may be in advanced stage of karyo-evolution.UGC, New Delh

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Not AvailableThe present study was undertaken to evaluate the lethal toxicity and stress of commercial formulations of carbosulfan (Aatank) insecticide, glyphosate (Roundup) and atrazine (Rasayanzine) herbicides toward freshwater air-breathing fish Channa punctatus (Bloch). The 96 h LC50 values, determined in a semi-static system by probit analysis as 0.268, 32.540 and 42.380 mg/l for carbosulfan, glyphosate and atrazine, respectively, indicated that the fish were more sensitive to carbosulfan than the other two herbicides. There were large variations in the safe levels estimated by different methods for the pesticides. In addition to dose and dose-time dependent increase in mortality rate, stress signs in the form of behavioral changes were observed in response to the test pesticidesNot Availabl

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Not AvailableMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA molecules that bind to the mRNA of the target genes and regulate the expression of the gene at the post-transcriptional level. Zebrafish is an economically important freshwater fish species globally considered as a good predictive model for studying human diseases and development. The present study focused on uncovering known as well as novel miRNAs, target prediction of the novel miRNAs and the differential expression of the known miRNA using the small RNA sequencing data of the brain and pineal gland (dark and light treatments) obtained from NCBI SRA. A total of 165, 151 and 145 known zebrafish miRNAs were found in the brain, pineal gland (dark treatment) and pineal gland (light treatment), respectively. Chromosomes 4 and 5 of zebrafish reference assembly GRCz10 were found to contain maximum number of miR genes. The miR-181a and miR-182 were found to be highly expressed in terms of number of reads in the brain and pineal gland, respectively. Other ncRNAs, such as tRNA, rRNA and snoRNA, were curated against Rfam. Using GRCz10 as reference, the subsequent bioinformatic analyses identified 25, 19 and 9 novel miRNAs from the brain, pineal gland (dark treatment) and pineal gland (light treatment), respectively. Targets of the novel miRNAs were identified, based on sequence complementarity between miRNAs and mRNA, by searching for antisense hits in the 3′-UTR of reference RNA sequences of the zebrafish. The discovery of novel miRNAs and their targets in the zebrafish genome can be a valuable scientific resource for further functional studies not only in zebrafish but also in other economically important fishes.Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology,Gov. of India, New Delhi, India vide Sanction Grant No. BT/PR3688/AAQ/3/571/201