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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

First Report Of Hog-Plum (Spondias Pinnata) Leaf Spot Disease, Kunal Mandal Dec 2011

First Report Of Hog-Plum (Spondias Pinnata) Leaf Spot Disease, Kunal Mandal

Kunal Mandal

Hog–plum is a tree species with edible fruits. The plant is naturally distributed in the tropical areas of the Indian subcontinent. Our effort to introduce it in the semi– arid conditions of western India failed as the plants developed severe shot–hole type leaf spot symptoms. Association of a fungus with the disease was detected and its pathogenicity was established. The pathogen was identified to the genus level (Colletotrichum) based on the morphological and molecular markers.


Isolation And Partial Characterization Of A Novel Lectin From Aegle Marmelos Fruit And Its Effect On Adherence And Invasion Of Shigella To Ht29 Cells, Raja Sb, Murali Mr, Kumar Nk, Devaraj Sn Jan 2011

Isolation And Partial Characterization Of A Novel Lectin From Aegle Marmelos Fruit And Its Effect On Adherence And Invasion Of Shigella To Ht29 Cells, Raja Sb, Murali Mr, Kumar Nk, Devaraj Sn

Murali Malliga Raman

Lectins are a class of ubiquitous proteins/glycoproteins that are abundantly found in nature. Lectins have unique carbohydrate binding property and hence have been exploited as drugs against various infectious diseases. We have isolated one such novel lectin from the fruit pulp of Aegle marmelos. The isolated lectin was partially characterised and its effect against Shigella dysenteriae infection was evaluated. The isolated lectin was found to be a dimeric protein with N-acetylgalactosamine, mannose and sialic acid binding specificity. The effect of Aegle marmelos fruit lectin on the adherence of Shigella dysenteriae to human colonic epithelial cells (HT29 cells) was evaluated by …


Phenotypic, Pathogenic, Molecular And Phylogenetic Comparisons Of Bacteria Causing Aloe Rot From Three Countries, Yogeshwar Kumar, Jatindra Nath Samanta, Kunal Mandal, Narendra A. Gajbhiye Jan 2011

Phenotypic, Pathogenic, Molecular And Phylogenetic Comparisons Of Bacteria Causing Aloe Rot From Three Countries, Yogeshwar Kumar, Jatindra Nath Samanta, Kunal Mandal, Narendra A. Gajbhiye

Kunal Mandal

Bacterial soft rot disease of Aloe caused by heterogeneous genus Erwinia was reported from different parts of the world. In the recent past the genus underwent major taxonomic modifications. In the present study, four Aloe pathogenic bacterial strains isolated from India, The Netherlands and Yugoslavia have been compared. Different cultural, biochemical, physiological and pathological characters and protein/lipid profiles indicated that the strains belonged to two different genera, Pectobacterium and Dickeya. Species specific amplification of pel gene sequences also supported this. Phylogenetic analysis of rRNA gene (rDNA) sequence placed these Dickeya strains close to D. dieffenbachiae and D. zeae. On the …


Capsular Serotyping Of Pasteurella Multocida From Various Animal Hosts - A Comparison Of Phenotypic And Genotypic Methods, Thong Kwai Lin Jan 2011

Capsular Serotyping Of Pasteurella Multocida From Various Animal Hosts - A Comparison Of Phenotypic And Genotypic Methods, Thong Kwai Lin

Thong Kwai Lin

One hundred and fourteen strains of Pasteurella multocida were isolated from different domestic animals species (cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, pig, rabbit, dog, cat), avian species (chicken, duck, turkey) and wild animals (deer, tiger, orang utan, marmoset). The serogroups of P multocida were determined by both conventional capsular serotyping and a multiplex PCR assay targeting specific capsular genes. Based on the conventional serotyping method, the 114 strains of P multocida were subtyped into 55 species-specific (untypeable strains) P. multocida, 15 serogroup A, 23 serogroup B and 21 serogroup D. Based on the multiplex PCR assay on the specific capsular genes associated …


Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiling And Genomic Diversity Of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii Isolates From A Teaching Hospital In Malaysia, Thong Kwai Lin Jan 2011

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiling And Genomic Diversity Of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii Isolates From A Teaching Hospital In Malaysia, Thong Kwai Lin

Thong Kwai Lin

The resistance phenotypes and genomic diversity of 185 Acinetobacter baumannii isolates obtained from the intensive care unit (ICU) of a local teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur from 2006 to 2009 were determined using antimicrobial susceptibility testing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Antibiogram analyses showed that the isolates were fully resistant to beta-lactam antimicrobials and had high resistance rates to the other antimicrobial agents tested. However, the isolates were susceptible to polymyxin B. Resistance to cefoperazone/sulbactam was only detected in strains isolated from 2007 to 2009. Some environmental isolates and an isolate from the hands of a healthcare worker (HCW) had …


A Quantitative Method For Fungal Ligninolytic Enzyme, Teck Nam Ang Dr., Gek Cheng Ngoh Dr, Adeline Seak May Chua Dr Jan 2011

A Quantitative Method For Fungal Ligninolytic Enzyme, Teck Nam Ang Dr., Gek Cheng Ngoh Dr, Adeline Seak May Chua Dr

Teck Nam Ang Dr.

Screening is conducted to select a fungus with desired characteristics intended for various applications, e.g. bioremediation and enzyme production. A qualitative method was used in this study for screening of fungal ligninolytic enzymes activities. The fungal ligninolytic activity was correlated with its growth from the screenings to identify a suitable fungus for solid substrate fermentation. Four strains of fungi, namely Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Pycnoporus sanguineus, Phlebia radiata and Pleurotus sajor-caju, were screened for their ligninolytic enzymes activities using guaiacol and Remazol Brilliant Blue-R (RBB-R) as screening reagents. The screenings were conducted at both the optimal growth temperature of each fungus and …


Imperatorin A Furocoumarin Inhibits Periplasmic Cu-Zn Sod Of Shigella Dysenteriae Their By Modulates Its Resistance Towards Phagocytosis During Host Pathogen Interaction, Raja Sb, Murali Mr, Roopa K, Devaraj Sn Jan 2011

Imperatorin A Furocoumarin Inhibits Periplasmic Cu-Zn Sod Of Shigella Dysenteriae Their By Modulates Its Resistance Towards Phagocytosis During Host Pathogen Interaction, Raja Sb, Murali Mr, Roopa K, Devaraj Sn

Murali Malliga Raman

Shigella dysenteriae continues to be a major health problem, which leads to death, due to diarrhoea and dysentery, predominantly in children below the age of 5. Bacterial invasion of the colonic epithelium leads to severe inflammation together with bacterial dissemination generates abscesses and ulcerations. Periplasmic copper, zinc super oxide dismutase of Shigella protects it from exogenous superoxide produced by host, during its invasion. Hence, in present study an attempt was made to study the effect of aqueous extract of Aegle marmelos on host and pathogen defence. Histology analysis of rat ileal loop showed the loss of virulence in aqueous extract …


Socioeconomic Characteristics And Perceptions Of Cattle Keepers And Constraints To Cattle Production In Western Kenya, Joshua O. Amimo, S Thumbi, B O. Inyangala, J O. Junga, R O. Mosi Jan 2011

Socioeconomic Characteristics And Perceptions Of Cattle Keepers And Constraints To Cattle Production In Western Kenya, Joshua O. Amimo, S Thumbi, B O. Inyangala, J O. Junga, R O. Mosi

Joshua O Amimo

No abstract provided.


Factors Influencing Reproductive Performance Of Cows From Different Nguni Ecotypes In Southern Mozambique, S Maciel, O Mwai, Joshua O. Amimo, S Moyo, M Scholtz, F Neser, M Martins Jan 2011

Factors Influencing Reproductive Performance Of Cows From Different Nguni Ecotypes In Southern Mozambique, S Maciel, O Mwai, Joshua O. Amimo, S Moyo, M Scholtz, F Neser, M Martins

Joshua O Amimo

No abstract provided.


Environmental Evidence For Net Methane Production And Oxidation In Putative Anaerobic Methanotrophic (Anme) Archaeaemi_, Karen Lloyd, Marc J. Alperin, Andreas Teske Jan 2011

Environmental Evidence For Net Methane Production And Oxidation In Putative Anaerobic Methanotrophic (Anme) Archaeaemi_, Karen Lloyd, Marc J. Alperin, Andreas Teske

Karen Lloyd

Uncultured ANaerobic MEthanotrophic (ANME) archaea are often assumed to be obligate methanotrophs that are incapable of net methanogenesis, and are therefore used as proxies for anaerobic methane oxidation in many environments in spite of uncertainty regarding their metabolic capabilities. Anaerobic methane oxidation regulates methane emissions in marine sediments and appears to occur through a reversal of a methane-producing metabolism. We tested the assumption that ANME are obligate methanotrophs by detecting and quantifying gene transcription of ANME-1 across zones of methane oxidation versus methane production in sediments from the White Oak River estuary, North Carolina. ANME-1 consistently transcribe 16S rRNA and …


Niche Of Harmful Alga Aureococcus Anophagefferens Revealed Through Ecogenomics, Christopher Gobler, Dianna Berry, Sonya Dyhrman, Steven Wilhelm Jan 2011

Niche Of Harmful Alga Aureococcus Anophagefferens Revealed Through Ecogenomics, Christopher Gobler, Dianna Berry, Sonya Dyhrman, Steven Wilhelm

Steven Wilhelm

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) cause significant economic and ecological damage worldwide. Despite considerable efforts, a comprehensive understanding of the factors that promote these blooms has been lacking, because the biochemical pathways that facilitate their dominance relative to other phytoplankton within specific environments have not been identified. Here, biogeochemical measurements showed that the harmful alga Aureococcus anophagefferens outcompeted co-occurring phytoplankton in estuaries with elevated levels of dissolved organic matter and turbidity and low levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen. We subsequently sequenced the genome of A. anophagefferens and compared its gene complement with those of six competing phytoplankton species identified through metaproteomics. …