Connective tissue metabolism in chikungunya patients

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Axial control of protein reserve mobilization during germination of indian bean (Dolichos lablab L.) seeds

The influence of embryonic axis and exogenously applied plant growth hormones on protein mobilization and development of proteases have been investigated in Indian bean (Dolichos lablab L. var lignosus) seeds during germination and post-germinative growth up to 10 days. Accumulation of free amino acids synchronized with rapid proteolysis and higher levels were maintained throughout the germination period. The presence of proteases (acid, neutral and alkaline) with three different pH optima increased in the early stages of germination and decreased later. The axis-excision affected the activities of proteases and protein degradation. Furthermore, the free amino acid content increased continuously in detached cotyledons throughout the germination period. Treatment with 1% casein hydrolysate to simulate the accumulation of free amino acids had a telling inhibitory effect on the proteases in attached and detached cotyledons. Exogenously applied phytohormones BA (Benzyl adenine), GA3 (Gibberellic acid) or IAA (Indole acetic acid) resulted in stimulation of development of proteases as well as proteolysis in detached cotyledons. The two hypotheses, source-sink and hormonal stimulus both were influencing in the mobilization of food reserves and the growth of seedling. The results of the study supports the role of axis in protein mobilization regulating the development of proteases by providing phytohormone signals and regulation of their activity in vivo by a feedback mechanism

Purification of acidic protease from the cotyledons of germinating Indian bean (Dolichos lablab L. var lignosus) seeds

The positive correlation between the developments of acid, neutral and alkaline proteases (azocaseinolytic) with protein depletion suggest the involvement of these proteases in the degradation of proteins in germinating Indian bean. These proteases increased in the early stages of germination and decreased later. However, the activity of acid proteases was higher throughout the germination period compared with the activities of neutral and alkaline proteases. The acid protease from the cotyledons of 4-day old germinating Indian bean seedlings was purified to 152 folds by a five step procedure comprising - crude extract from cotyledons, (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, DEAE-cellulose, CM-cellulose and finally casein-agarose affinity chromatography. The molecular mass of acidic protease is 32 kDa.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (7), pp. 703-707, 200

Evaluation of oxidative stress in Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Free radical mediated oxidative stress is mainly involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Proteins and lipids are among the prime targets for oxidative stress. In the present study, we evaluated the oxidative stress in chronic IDDM patients by estimating the lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and antioxidants status.</p> <p>Subjects and design</p> <p>A total of 35 (15 IDDM + 20 normal healthy) children were examined in the study and estimated the lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and antioxidants – vitamin A (β-carotene, retinol), vitamin C, vitamin E and enzymatic antioxidants and nitric oxide.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A statistically significant higher values of protein carbonyl groups and MDA as lipid peroxides were observed in diabetic patients with slight reduction in the synthesis of nitric oxide. It is interesting to note that there was a decrease in the antioxidant levels with corresponding increased protein and lipid oxidation. On PAGE under native conditions, we observed decreased levels of proteins – albumin, transferrin, ceruloplasmin and heptoglobulins and variable GC globulin fractions in IDDM compared to normal healthy controls.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Hyperglycemia induces the overproduction of oxygen free radicals and consequently increases the protein oxidation and lipid oxidation. A significance difference in the mean plasma concentration of total antioxidant status was observed in IDDM patients. The findings of the present study suggest that diabetes in an altered metabolic state of oxidation-reduction and that it is convenient to give therapeutic interventions with antioxidants.</p

Mobilization of albumins and globulins during germination of Indian bean (Dolichos lablab L. var. lignosus) seeds

Albumin and globulin fractions of Indian bean seeds exhibit different mobilization patterns during the 8-day germination period. The albumin degradation was lesser in the early stage and reached a maximum in the later stages of germination. However, the globulins were degraded steadily from the start of imbibition. The influence of the embryonic axis on albumin and globulin degradation was also evaluated by using axis-attached and axis-detached cotyledons. The overall loss of globulins and albumins in axis-detached cotyledons was only 49%and 60%of the basal level, while in axis-attached cotyledons it was 81 % and 94 %. These results were confirmed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), and reveal the faster degradation of high molecular weight (HMW) polypeptides of globulins in the early stages of germination with increased utilization of albumins in the later stages. The results obtained showed the role of the embryonic axis in seed storage protein mobilization

Purification and characterization of cysteine protease from germinating cotyledons of horse gram

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Proteolytic enzymes play central role in the biochemical mechanism of germination and intricately involved in many aspects of plant physiology and development. To study the mechanism of protein mobilization, undertaken the task of purifying and characterizing proteases, which occur transiently in germinating seeds of horse gram.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Cysteine protease (CPRHG) was purified to homogeneity with 118 fold by four step procedure comprising Crude extract, (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, DEAE-Cellulose and CM-sephacel chromatography from the 2 day germinating cotyledons of horse gram (<it>Macrotyloma uniflorum </it>(Lam.) Verdc.). CPRHG is a monomer with molecular mass of 30 k Da, was determined by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration. The purified enzyme on IEF showed two isoforms having pI values of 5.85 and 6.1. CPRHG composed of high content of aspartic acid, glutamic acid and serine. The enzyme activity was completely inhibited by pCMB, iodoacetate and DEPC indicating cysteine and histidine residues at the active site. However, on addition of sulfhydryl reagents (cysteine, dithiothreitol, glutathione and beta-ME) reverse the strong inhibition by pCMB. The enzyme is fairly stable toward pH and temperature. Immunoblot analysis shows that the enzyme synthesized as zymogen (preproenzyme with 81 kDa) and processed to a 40 kDa proenzyme which was further degraded to give 30 kDa active enzyme.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It appears that the newly synthesized protease is inactive, and activation takes place during germination. CPRHG has a broad substrate specificity and stability in pH, temperature, etc. therefore, this protease may turn out to be an efficient choice for the pharmaceutical, medicinal, food, and biotechnology industry.</p

Genetic predisposition to chikungunya – a blood group study in chikungunya affected families

Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of CHIKV virus infected Aedes mosquitoes. During monsoon outbreak of chikungunya fever, we carried out the genetic predisposition to chikungunya in disease affected 100 families by doing blood group (ABO) tests by focusing on individuals who were likely to have a risk of chikungunya and identified the blood group involved in susceptibility/resistance to chikungunya. In the present study, based on blood group antigens, the individuals were kept in four groups – A (108), B (98), AB (20) and O (243). The result obtained was showed all Rh positive blood group individuals are susceptible to chikungunya fever. Among ABO group, the blood group O +ve individuals are more susceptible to chikungunya than other blood groups. No blood group with Rh negative was affected with chikungunya, it indicates Rh -ve more resistance to chikungunya

Next-generation development and application of codon model in evolution

To date, numerous nucleotide, amino acid, and codon substitution models have been developed to estimate the evolutionary history of any sequence/organism in a more comprehensive way. Out of these three, the codon substitution model is the most powerful. These models have been utilized extensively to detect selective pressure on a protein, codon usage bias, ancestral reconstruction and phylogenetic reconstruction. However, due to more computational demanding, in comparison to nucleotide and amino acid substitution models, only a few studies have employed the codon substitution model to understand the heterogeneity of the evolutionary process in a genome-scale analysis. Hence, there is always a question of how to develop more robust but less computationally demanding codon substitution models to get more accurate results. In this review article, the authors attempted to understand the basis of the development of different types of codon-substitution models and how this information can be utilized to develop more robust but less computationally demanding codon substitution models. The codon substitution model enables to detect selection regime under which any gene or gene region is evolving, codon usage bias in any organism or tissue-specific region and phylogenetic relationship between different lineages more accurately than nucleotide and amino acid substitution models. Thus, in the near future, these codon models can be utilized in the field of conservation, breeding and medicine