Genome Wide Analysis of Heat Shock Factors (HSF) Gene Family of Arabidopsis Thaliana

Heat shock factors (HSF) are one of the most important regulators which control heat stress, damage and other biological processes. In HSF family, genes have been properly characterized in tomato and many other plants. In this study, the genome wide analysis of heat shock factors was performed in Arabidopsis thaliana family to understand the genomic information of HSF. Twenty-four members of HSF family were retrieved in Arabidopsis thaliana after structural characteristics and phylogenetic comparison. Twenty-four members of HSF divided into three subclasses according to conservation in structure. Plant Transcriptional factor database (TFDB) analysis was also used to find out location of uneven distribution of HSF five chromosomes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Further, conserved motifs and domain of HSF family were characterized. Gene structure analysis was used for intron and exon number and their location information of all genes of HSF. On the bases of promoter analysis, five cis-regulatory elements have been selected and then figured out on thousand base pairs of promoter sequence. Depending upon this information, one would be able to understand the genomic analysis of HSF family in Arabidopsis thaliana and can be further used for comparison to other species. This whole study contains the knowledge about the genome wide analysis of genes of Heat Stress factors in the Arabidopsis thaliana, and it also elaborate that how the HSF works and plays an important role in the heat stress conditions. Keywords: HSF, Arabidopsis thaliana, domain, genome wide analysi

Isolation and Characterization of Iron and Sulfur Oxidizing Bacteria from Coal Mines

The present study is aimed at to isolate the sulfur and iron oxidizing bacteria that can be used to remove the pollutant like as FeSO4; MgSO4 etc. Four bacterial isolates were isolated from coal samples called from Choa Saidan Shah, Punjab, Pakistan (Sp31, Sp41, Sp53 and Sp62) evaluated on the basis of biochemical and morphological tests. Most of the isolates showed medium sized colonies with round shape, irregular margin, creamy in color expect Sp62 formed yellow colored colonies. All the strains were Gram +ve rods and Spore former, Motile, Catalase producers, Starch hydrolyzing, Nitrate reducer except the SP62. Strains SP31 and SP41 were sensitive against (Ampicillin-300 µg ml-1, Tetracycline 25 µg ml-1, Streptomycin 500 µg ml-1, Chloramphenicol 5 µg ml-1) antibiotics. Maximal growth was observed at pH 7.0 except SP53 at pH 5.0, the optimum temperature was 42°C except SP53at 37°C. After sequencing analysis as Bacillus subtilis (SP31), Bacillus subtilis (SP4)1, Pseudomonas sp (SP53) and Stenotrophomonas (SP62) respectively were identified. So these isolates can be exploited for bioremediation of coal. Keywords: Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas sp, Stenotrophomonas, bioremediation, coal, sulfur.

Selenite detoxification by Bacillus spp isolated from indigenous polluted sites

This investigation was proposed to monitor the ability of isolated Bacillus spp. to transform toxic forms of selenium (selenium oxyanions) to non toxic selenium. These strains reduced up to 89% selenite on average at 37ºC after time of incubation. At higher initial concentrations (100, 200, 400, 600 and 800 µg ml-1), reduction value dropped to 31%. In the presence of other metals stresses (Co, Hg and Cr at a concentration of), the average selenite reduction percentage was 48%. This reduction value shifts from 87% to 94% with the increase in incubation time (from hrs to hrs). Reduction potential of these strains decreased 81% to 27% at various initial selenium concentrations in N-broth and acetate minimal media, respectively. With the increase in the sodium concentration of the media, the measured selenite reduction was above 95%. After exposure to the UV treatment B. pichinoty lost its ability to reduce selenite while B. endophyticus and B. foraminis reduced up to 96% and 71%, of selenite, respectively. Keywords: Selenite, bacteria, Bacillus, Bioremediation, heavy metal

A Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) Masking the miR-145-5p Binding Site of the 3'UTR of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) mRNA Enhances CFTR Expression in Calu-3 Cells

Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) have been demonstrated to be very useful tools for gene regulation at different levels and with different mechanisms of action. In the last few years the use of PNAs for targeting microRNAs (anti-miRNA PNAs) has provided impressive advancements. In particular, targeting of microRNAs involved in the repression of the expression of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which is defective in cystic fibrosis (CF), is a key step in the development of new types of treatment protocols. In addition to the anti-miRNA therapeutic strategy, inhibition of miRNA functions can be reached by masking the miRNA binding sites present within the 3'UTR region of the target mRNAs. The objective of this study was to design a PNA masking the binding site of the microRNA miR-145-5p present within the 3'UTR of the CFTR mRNA and to determine its activity in inhibiting miR-145-5p function, with particular focus on the expression of both CFTR mRNA and CFTR protein in Calu-3 cells. The results obtained support the concept that the PNA masking the miR-145-5p binding site of the CFTR mRNA is able to interfere with miR-145-5p biological functions, leading to both an increase of CFTR mRNA and CFTR protein content

Discovery of novel fetal hemoglobin inducers for β-thalassemia by small chemical library screening

The screening of chemical libraries based on cellular biosensors is a useful approach to identify new hits for novel therapeutic targets involved in rare genetic pathologies, such as β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease. In particular, pharmacologically mediated stimulation of human γ-globin gene expression, and increase of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) production, have been suggested as potential therapeutic strategies for these hemoglobinopathies. In this article, we screened a small chemical library, constituted of 150 compounds, using the cellular biosensor K562.GR, carrying enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) and red fluorescence protein (RFP) genes under the control of the human γ-globin and β-globin gene promoters, respectively. Then the identified compounds were analyzed as HbF inducers on primary cell cultures, obtained from β-thalassemia patients, confirming their activity as HbF inducers, and suggesting these molecules as lead compounds for further chemical and biological investigations