Prevalence and identification of Candida sp. in pregnant women using VITEK-2

Background: Candida sp. is seen in several areas of body such as, mouth, groin area including vagina and digestive tract as thrush or gastroenteritis. The slide-culture technique and the VITEK-2 automated system were used for species-identification of the fungus; nonetheless, a gold standard or any first identification method would have inherent errors in arriving at a correct identification of a microorganism at species level.Methods: Morphological fungal criteria were ascertained with germ tubes, glucose agar, sugar fermentation and sugar assimilation tests Candida from vaginal swabs and other clinical samples of 85 infected pregnant women with diabetes, by growing swab lots on Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar (SDA) plates, the slide culture technique and the VITEK-2 automated system.Results: Of 85 patients, 122 isolates in SDA culture were determined as 7 Candida sp.  with number of isolates of each species, as follows: 47 C. albicans, 9 C. famata, 11 C. glabrata, 13 C. guilliermondii, 8 C. krusei, 3 C. parapsilosis and 37 C. tropicalis from vaginal swabs. From 60 vaginal swabs, 46 urine samples and 12 throat swabs it was seen that C. albicans was most prevalent. However, withVITEK-2, 201 fungal strains were identified; Candida sp. was isolated in all samples: 59 C. albicans, 19 C. famata, 21 C. glabrata, 23 C. guilliermondii,18 C. krusei, 13 C. parapsilosis and 48 C. tropicalis.Conclusions: The most prevalent species among the isolated fungi was C. albicans, causing VC in diabetic pregnant women

Polysaccharide binding sites in hyaluronate lyase-crystal structures of native phage-encoded hyaluronate lyase and its complexes with ascorbic acid and lactose

Hyaluronate lyases are a class of endoglycosaminidase enzymes with a high level of complexity and heterogeneity. The main function of the Streptococcus pyogenes bacteriophage protein hyaluronate lyase, HylP2, is to degrade hyaluronan into unsaturated disaccharide units. HylP2 was cloned, over-expressed and purified to homogeneity. The recombinant HylP2 exists as a homotrimer with a molecular mass of approximately 110 kDa under physiological conditions. The HylP2 was crystallized and the crystals were soaked in two separate reservoir solutions containing ascorbic acid and lactose, respectively. The crystal structures of native HylP2 and its two complexes with ascorbic acid and lactose have been determined. HylP2 folds into four distinct domains with a central core consisting of 16 antiparallel β-strands forming an irregular triangular tube designated as triple-stranded β-helix. The structures of complexes show that three molecules each of ascorbic acid and lactose bind to protein at the sugar binding groove in the triple-stranded β-helix domain. Both ascorbic acid and lactose molecules occupy almost identical subsites in the long saccharide binding groove. Both ligands are involved in several hydrogen bonded interactions at each subsite. The binding characteristics and stereochemical properties indicate that Tyr264 may be involved in the catalytic activity of HylP2. The mutation of Tyr264 to Phe264 supports this observation

Dependence of reaction center-type energy-dependent quenching on photosystem II antenna size

AbstractThe effects of photosystem II antenna size on reaction center-type energy-dependent quenching (qE) were examined in rice plants grown under two different light intensities using both wild type and qE-less (OsPsbS knockout) mutant plants. Reaction center-type qE was detected by measuring non-photochemical quenching at 50 μmol photons m−2 s−1 white light intensity. We observed that in low light-grown rice plants, reaction center-type qE was higher than in high light-grown plants, and the amount of reaction center-type qE did not depend on zeaxanthin accumulation. This was confirmed in Arabidopsis npq1–2 mutant plants that lack zeaxanthin due to a mutation in the violaxanthin de-epoxidase enzyme. Although the electron transport rate measured at a light intensity of 50 μmol photons m−2 s−1 was the same in high light- and low light-grown wild type and mutant plants lacking PsbS protein, the generation of energy-dependent quenching was completely impaired only in mutant plants. Analyses of the pigment content, Lhcb proteins and D1 protein of PSII showed that the antenna size was larger in low light-grown plants, and this correlated with the amount of reaction center-type qE. Our results mark the first time that the reaction center-type qE has been shown to depend on photosystem II antenna size and, although it depends on the existence of PsbS protein, the extent of reaction center-type qE does not correlate with the transcript levels of PsbS protein. The presence of reaction center-type energy-dependent quenching, in addition to antenna-type quenching, in higher plants for dissipation of excess light energy demonstrates the complexity and flexibility of the photosynthetic apparatus of higher plants to respond to different environmental conditions

The Tintinnids (Protozoa:Ciliata of the Bahuda estuary, east coast of India

219-221Seasonal variations in species composition and population density of Tintinnids (Protozoa: Ciliata) in Bahuda estuary, a shallow tidal estuary situated on the south Orissa coast, are described in this communication. A total of 23 species, belonging to 12 genera, were encountered. Consipicuous seasonal variation was noticed both in species composition as well as population density of Tintinnids in this estuary. Tintinopsis and Favella have emerged as the dominant genera represented by 12 and 2 species respectively. Population density ranged from 650-1,6500 organisms m-3. Maximal and minimal density values were noticed in Feb. 1991 and Sept. 1991 respectively. Annual cycle showed a unimodel oscillation. Salinity was found as the key factor controlling the qualitative and quantitative distribution of Tintinnids.</span

Copepods of Bahuda estuary (Orissa), east coast of India

98-102Copepods of the Bahuda river estuary were studied during Dec. 1990-Nov. 1992 and the population was represented by 58 species blonging to calanoids (33), Cyclopoids (15) and harpacticoids (10). Marked seasonal variations have been observed with respect to the species composition of the Copepod fauna. Higher species diversity was encountered during the premonsoon season, when the estuary was under marine influence (average sai. 32.5-34.3 x 10(-3)), while an opposite trend was observed during monsoon season (average sal. 6.5-15.4 x 10(-3)). Based on their salinity tolerance, the copeppod fauna could be grouped as marine or orthostenohaline forms (6), euryhaline forms (26), brackish water forms (15) and limnetic forms (11)

Zooplankton ecology of the Bahuda estuary (Orissa), east coast of India

297-301Ecology of zooplankton in Bahuda estuary, a shallow tidal estuary situated along the south Orissa coast, was investigated during December 1990-November 1992. Zooplankton volume, density, species composition and the relative abundance of major constituents showed well marked seasonal variations. The annual cycle showed bimodal oscillations with a major peak during May/June and secondary peak in November. The distribution of zooplankton was significantly influenced by variations in salinity. A total of 100 species of holoplankton and 7 meroplankton were encountered. Copepods constituted the most dominant group. They were represented by 58 species belonging to 32 genera of 25 families. Tintinnids formed the second richest group comprising 23 species. The other major holoplankters were ostracods. lucifers, amphipods, decapods, cladocerans, siphonophores, chaetognaths, dolioloids and salps. The monsoon season crop was represented by a mixture of some oligo-stenohaline, limnetic and euryhaline forms.</span

Occurrence of diatom blooms in Bahuda estuary, east coast of India

99-101Blooms of Asterionella glacialis, Thallassiothrix fraunfeldii, Coscinodiscus centralis and C. excentricus were encountered successively in May 1991, September 1991 and June 1992. Cell counts of these bloom forming species accounted for about 80, 93 and 46% of total phytoplankton density of 2.67 x 10(6), 2.16 x 10(6) and 3.69 x 10(5) cells.l(-1) respectively. Thallasiothrix bloom occurred under low salinity (13.9 +/- 2.7 x 10(-3)), while the other species bloomed under typical marine conditions (< 30 x 10(-3)). A record fair of NO3--N was observed during Asterionella glacialis bloom

Physico-chemical characteristics of the Bahuda estuary (Orissa), east coast of India

75-77All the physico-chemical parameters [transparency, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and nutrients (nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and silicate)] showed well marked seasonal as well as spatial variations being influenced by monsoon cycle and tidal rhythm. The estuary remained marine dominated during premonsoon (Feb.-June) season, whereas freshwater dominance prevailed during monsoon (July-Sept). A prominent vertical salinity gradient was noticed during monsoon season

Book Review

262-263Chlorophyll a Fluorescence: A Signature of Photosynthesis: Edited by: George C Papageorgiou and Govindjee, Published by: Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 2004; ISBN: 1-4020-32170XHB; Hard Copy: Bound, Page - 818; Price: Euro 240 (Rs. 14, 000 Approx.

A comparative investigation of differential scanning calorimetric transitions of O₂-evolving photosystem II enriched membranes isolated from beet spinach <i>(Beta vulgaris palanga) </i>leaves and greened cucumber <i>(Cucumis sativus) </i>cotyledons

61-65PS II is a multicomponent thylakoid membrane protein complex which converts solar radiation into chemical potential. PS II enriched membrane preparations lose their oxygen evolution activity upon thermal denaturation of their associated proteins. PS II enriched membranes were prepared from beet spinach (Beta vulgaris palanga) leaves, and 6 day and 20 day old greened cotyledons of Cucumis salivus. SDS-PAGE profiles of these PS II preparations are similar and devoid of any PS I contamination. The thermal denaturation of PS II enriched membrane preparations from beet spinach and greened C. sativus cotyledons were monitored by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The DSC profiles of PS II preparations from spinach gave rise to the characteristic five endothermic transitions (A1 A2, B, C and D) in the 30°-70°C temperature range whereas in the greened cotelydons of C. sativus peak AI was not resolved. However, the other four transitions are similar although we observed a considerable shift in the endothermic transition peaks of PS II preparations from both 6 and 20 day old greened cucumis cotyledons compared to that from spinach leaves. The highest transition peaks (the C, 0 peaks) of PS II enriched membrane preparations were observed at 62.9°, 66.8°C and 67.7°C for .beet spinach, 6 and 20 day old greened cucumis cotyledons, respectively. The difference in the position of highest transition peaks indicates the presence of better heat stability in the PS II protein system in the greened cotyledons of C. sativus.  </span