Genetic engineering of soybean trypsin inhibitor gene in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) for induced resistance to insect pests

By using various concentrations of auxins and cytokinins it was found that 3 mg/L BAP+lmg/L NAA is ideal for regeneration of the leaflet explants of groundnut.Transformation of the leaflet explants of groundnut with soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) gene had been done through Agrobacteriwn.The leaflet explants of groundnut had also been transformed with SBTI gene through Biolistics.The putatively transformed leaflet explants were assayed histochemically for the presence of this gene in the transformants

Frequency Analysis of the Splice Site Regions in Different Organisms

We have carried out a comparative analysis of the sub-sequences of size six| ten at the (donor| acceptor) splice site regions of five different organisms. The frequency analysis of the unique sub-sequences at the donor and acceptor regions suggests that the distribution of their occurrence is approximately exponential. We have observed that the number of unique sub-sequences (occurring with different frequencies) at the donor region are less than at the acceptor, suggesting that the sub-sequences at the acceptor region are more variable. The sub-sequences with high percentage of occurrence (uniqueness) are considered to be highly involved in splicing. Our analysis suggests that sub-sequences of length ~6-8 nucleotides (nt) at the splice sites – with six bases in intron (including the two central, conserved dinucleotides) and two bases in exon are optimal for the efficient assembly and binding of the spliceosomal complex during the process of splicing. The score pattern obtained by the alignment of the nucleotides at the donor region with the acceptor and vice-versa also suggests that a single sub-sequence at the donor region have different degree of similarity with sub-sequences at the acceptor thus determining that the donor sub-sequences are more crucial in pairing with the corresponding acceptor sub-sequences during the process of splicing

1/f Correlations in viral genomes – A Fast-Fourier Transformation (FFT) study

137-142We have studied the presence of long-range correlations in the complete genomes of ten different dsDNA viruses and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (bakers’ yeast) chromosome I. We have also studied the correlation between the distribution of the gene length and the domain of “1/f region” of their genomes. Linear regression analysis was done for the power-law region of these organisms and the slope values obtained were ~ -1, which signify the existence of “1/f noise” in the low and medium (intermediate) frequency regions. This suggests the presence of long-range correlations in their genomes. The presence of 1/f noise in a given frequency interval indicates the existence of a fractal (self-similar) structure in the corresponding range of wavelengths. The results of our study suggest that genes have correlations within themselves, and the correlations appear to be related with the scaling exponent ⍺

Abstracts of the International Chemical Engineering Conference 2021: 100 Glorious Years of Chemical Engineering & Technology

This book presents the selected abstracts of the International Chemical Engineering Conference 2021, hosted from the 16th to 19th of September 2021 in virtual mode by the Department of Chemical Engineering, NIT Jalandhar, India. Conference Title: International Chemical Engineering Conference 2021Conference Acronym: ICheEC2021Theme: 100 Glorious Years of Chemical Engineering & TechnologyConference Date: 16-19 September 2021Conference Location: OnlineConference Organizer: Department of Chemical Engineering, NIT Jalandhar, Indi

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among the general population and healthcare workers in India, December 2020–January 2021

Background: Earlier serosurveys in India revealed seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) of 0.73% in May–June 2020 and 7.1% in August–September 2020. A third serosurvey was conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the general population and healthcare workers (HCWs) in India. Methods: The third serosurvey was conducted in the same 70 districts as the first and second serosurveys. For each district, at least 400 individuals aged ≥10 years from the general population and 100 HCWs from subdistrict-level health facilities were enrolled. Serum samples from the general population were tested for the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against the nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S1-RBD) proteins of SARS-CoV-2, whereas serum samples from HCWs were tested for anti-S1-RBD. Weighted seroprevalence adjusted for assay characteristics was estimated. Results: Of the 28,598 serum samples from the general population, 4585 (16%) had IgG antibodies against the N protein, 6647 (23.2%) had IgG antibodies against the S1-RBD protein, and 7436 (26%) had IgG antibodies against either the N protein or the S1-RBD protein. Weighted and assay-characteristic-adjusted seroprevalence against either of the antibodies was 24.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 23.0–25.3%]. Among 7385 HCWs, the seroprevalence of anti-S1-RBD IgG antibodies was 25.6% (95% CI 23.5–27.8%). Conclusions: Nearly one in four individuals aged ≥10 years from the general population as well as HCWs in India had been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 by December 2020

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field