Life Sciences Commons^™

Identification And Characterization Of The Rat Dvl2 Gene Using Bioinformatic Tools, Lokman Varişli, Osman Çen

Turkish Journal of Biology

We identified and characterized the rat DVL2 gene using bioinformatics. In addition to the structure and chromosomal localization of the rat DVL2 gene, the transcribed and translated protein product of the gene was analyzed in silico. Results showed that the rat DVL2 gene consists of 15 exons and is located on the rat genomic contig WGA1854.3 on chromosome 10. Database searches using the rat DVL2 amino acid sequence as a query showed a number of homologous protein sequences in different species, including M. musculus, P. troglodytes, C. familiaris, H. sapiens, B. taurus, D. rerio, X. laevis, and T. nigroviridis. DAX, …

In Vitro Antibacterial Studies Of Ciprofloxacin-Imines And Their Complexes With Cu(Ii),Ni(Ii),Co(Ii), And Zn(Ii), Muhammad Imran, Javed Iqbal, Shahid Iqbal, Nazia Ijaz

Turkish Journal of Biology

Some new transition metal complexes of ciprofloxacin-imines derived from ciprofloxacin and p-substituted anilines were synthesized and characterized on the basis of physical properties, conductance measurements, elemental analysis, UV/Vis., infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These ligands as well as their metal complexes were also evaluated for their antibacterial activity against several bacterial strains, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilus, Salmonella typhae, and E. coli. It was found that metal complexes are more antibacterial as compared to uncomplexed ligands. The present study was carried out in search of a target antibiotic instead of a broad spectrum one.

Molecular Characterization Of Borrelia Burgdorferi Linear Plasmids By Dna Hybridization, Pcr, Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis, And Electron Microscopy, Ali̇ Karami, Seyed Javad Hosseyni, Yaser Kiarudi

Turkish Journal of Biology

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the predominant cause of Lyme disease. B. burgdorferi strains carry several linear and circular plasmids and this may be also used as a distinguishing property of the bacteria. The presence of a mixed population of linear and circular plasmids makes separation and characterization of each kind very difficult. In this study, 7 clinical strains of skin and CSF isolates were determined by clonal selection and plasmid profile of B. burgdorferi by electron microscopy and 2-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis. The results demonstrate that the skin isolate (DK1) has 2 different phenotypes A and B, but the …

Maternal Transfer Of Photoperiodic Information Regulates The Postnatal Reproductive System Development Of The Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones Unguiculatus), Alper Karakaş, Bülent Gündüz

Turkish Journal of Biology

We investigated whether photoperiodic information is transferred from mother to young and whether the pineal gland and its hormone, melatonin, are involved in this transfer in Mongolian gerbils. Adult female gerbils were paired with males and housed in photoperiods of 12L:12D or 8L:16D. Three groups of pregnant gerbils in each photoperiod were prepared: one group was the sham-operated control, one group consisted of pinealectomized gerbils, and one group consisted of pinealectomized gerbils that were treated with melatonin. Pinealectomy was performed before pairing the animals and melatonin injections were applied to the pinealectomized group from day 8 of gestation until parturition. …

Protective Potential Of Glimepiride And Nerium Oleander Extract On Lipid Profile, Body Growth Rate, And Renal Function In Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats, Maged M. Yassin, Saleh N. Mwafy

Turkish Journal of Biology

This study aimed to assess the protective potential of glimepiride and Nerium oleander extract on lipid profile, body growth rate, and renal function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The animals were divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group was rendered diabetic by intraperitoneal injection of a single dose of 50 mg/kg body weight streptozotocin. Rats with glucose levels >200 mg/dl were subdivided into 3 sub-groups. Rats in the first sub-group remained without treatment and were considered diabetic. Those in the second and third subgroups were orally administered 0.1 mg/kg body weight daily glimepiride and 250 mg/kg body weight daily …

Photosynthetic And Yield Responses Of Nigella Sativa L. To Pre-Sowing Seed Treatment With Ga3, Shoukat H. Shah

Turkish Journal of Biology

Surface sterilized seeds of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) were soaked in 10^{-6}, 10^{-5}, or 10^{-4} M aqueous solution of gibberellic acid (GA_3) for 5, 10, or 15 h and sown in pots with sandy loam soil. The plants were then sampled at 50, 70, and 90 days after sowing, for the analysis of shoot length, leaf area, dry mass, carbonic anhydrase activity (E.C. 4.2.1.1), leaf chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, and net photosynthetic rate. Seed yield was recorded at harvest (130 DAS). All parameters were found to be significantly enhanced by the hormone (GA_3) treatment, with maximum stimulation being noted …

What Is The Relationship Within The Family Lamnidae?, Mi̇ne Dosay Akbulut

Turkish Journal of Biology

Uncertainties remain about the relationship within the family Lamnidae, which includes the white shark, 2 makos, the porbeagle, and salmon shark. Several alternative hypotheses have been suggested related to the Lamnidae phylogeny. The aim of this study was to find an accurate answer to the family Lamnidae interrelationship. To that extend, the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was studied in all the Lamnidae species and 2 outgroups from the families Alopiidae and Odontaspididae. The monophyly of 2 makos were obtained from both DNA and amino acid (AA) parsimony analysis. Based on our analysis, first the white shark joins this group, which …

Defoliation Effects On Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus L.) Seed Yield And Oil Quality, Sabri̇ Erbaş, Hasan Baydar

Turkish Journal of Biology

The objective of the present study was to determine the influence of artificial defoliation on sunflower seed yield, oil content, and fatty acid composition. The research was carried out at Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey, during 2002 and 2003. Six defoliation levels [0 (control), 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 leaves per plant] were applied at the preflowering stage from bottom to top leaves. The results demonstrate a close relationship between yield reduction and the defoliation levels. The higher the defoliation level, the higher the yield reduction. Complete and partial leaf removal treatments reduced oil percentage of seed when compared …

Modified Path To High Lint Yield In Upland Cotton (Gossypium Hirsutum L.) Under Two Temperature Regimes, Saeed Rauf, Tariq Manzoor Khan, Abdul Naveed, Hassan Munir

Turkish Journal of Biology

In this study 23 genotypes, including 8 cultivars and 15 advanced lines were consecutively grown under 2 temperature regimes in 2004 and 2005 at the Post Graduate Agriculture Research Station, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Lint yield and its component traits, i.e. lint weight per boll, lint weight per seed, fiber length, fibers per seed, fibers per unit surface area, lint weight per unit surface area, and fiber weight per unit surface area, were measured and analyzed for heritability, genetic advance, and correlations. Phenotypic correlations were also partitioned into path coefficients, keeping lint yield as the resultant variable and other …

Changes In Growth, Biochemical Constituents, And Antioxidant Potentials In Radish (Raphanus Sativus L.) Under Cobalt Stress, Kaliyamoorthy Jayakumar, Cheruth Abdul Jaleel, Packirisamy Vijayarengan

Turkish Journal of Biology

The effects of cobalt (Co) stress on seedling vigor, photosynthetic pigment content, biochemical constituents, mineral status, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in Raphanus sativus L. were studied. The plants were raised in earthen pots containing soils amended with different concentrations of Co (50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mg kg^{-1}). Growth parameters (root and shoot length, and total leaf area), photosynthetic pigments content (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll), biochemical constituents (total sugar, amino acid, and protein content), mineral content (macro- and micronutrients), and the activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO)) were …

Cadmium-Induced Changes In The Growth And Carbonic Anhydrase Activity Of Chickpea, Syed Aiman Hasan, Barket Ali, Shamsul Hayat, Aqil Ahmad

Turkish Journal of Biology

The seedlings of Cicer arietinum, grown in sand culture, were supplied with 0, 50, 100 or 150 µM of cadmium in the form of cadmium chloride at 5, 15 or 25 day stage and assessed for specific characteristics, 10 days after each treatment. It was a general observation in all the samplings that length, fresh and dry mass of both root and shoot and activity of carbonic anhydrase in leaf decreased, whereas proline content both in leaf and root increased. The intensity of the damage was proportionate with the concentration of the metal but was prominent at the earliest stage …

Purification And Partial Characterization Of Intracellular Fructosyltransferase From A Novel Strain Of Aureobasidium Pullulans, Agbaje Lateef, Julius Kola Oloke, Siddalingaiya G. Prapulla

Turkish Journal of Biology

The intracellular fructosyltransferase (FTase) of a novel strain of Aureobasidium pullulans (CFR 77) capable of producing 59% of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) within 9 h of reaction time was obtained by wet-milling, and then purified and characterized. The purified FTase revealed 2 bands of 147 and 170 KD; its activity was optimum at an approximate pH of 5.0 and temperature of 55 °C. The specific activity of the final purified material was 42, representing a purification factor of 79.44 and yield of 43%. The enzyme is very stable, retaining more than 80% of its original activity at the optimum reaction conditions after …

Effect Of Nigella Sativa Extract And Oil On Aflatoxin Production By Aspergillus Flavus, Anwar Maraqa, Najwa F. Al-Sharo'a, Husni Farah, Wafa M. Elbjeirami, Ashok K. Shakya, Abdul-Karim J. Sallal

Turkish Journal of Biology

: Crude extract of Nigella sativa, N. sativa oil, ground coffee beans and caffeine were tested for their effects on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus. Crude extract of N. sativa inhibited the production of three types of aflatoxins (B1, B2 and G1) at 5% (w/v) concentration, while N. sativa oil inhibited all four types of aflatoxins using 3% (v/v) concentration. However, coffee inhibited the production of B1, G1 and G2 aflatoxins at 6% (w/v), while caffeine inhibited only G1 and G2 aflatoxin. Our results suggest the investigated ingredients may have a significant fungal antitoxic activity which can be exploited as …

Reduction Of Chromium(Vi) By Locally Isolated Pseudomonas Sp. C-171, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Shereen Gul, Mohammad Zahoor Ul Haq

Turkish Journal of Biology

A strain of Pseudomonas sp. C-171 capable of tolerating hexavalent chromium (Cr^{+6}) up to 2000 ppm as potassium dichromate was isolated from domestic sewage. The Cr^{+6} reduction was checked by growing the isolated strain in a medium containing potassium dichromate as Cr^{+6} source. The rate of growth of Pseudomonas sp. C-171 decreased with the increase in Cr^{+6} concentration of the medium. The maximum rate of chromium reduction was observed during the log phase of bacterium growth. The reduction of hexavalent chromium was inoculum concentration dependent. The accumulation of chromium hydroxide around the bacterial cells and slight elongation of cells were …

Antibacterial, Antifungal And Cytotoxic Activities Of Tuberous Roots Of Amorphophallus Campanulatus, Alam Khan, Moizur Rahman, Shariful Islam

Turkish Journal of Biology

Antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activities of ethanol extract of tuberous roots of Amorphophallus campanulatus were studied. Disc diffusion technique was used to determine in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities. Cytotoxicity was determined against brine shrimp nauplii. In addition, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using serial dilution technique to determine antibacterial potency. The extract showed significant antibacterial activities against four gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus b-haemolyticus) and six gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella sonnei, Shigella flexneri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi). The MIC values against these bacteria ranged from 16 to 128 µg/ml. The antifungal …

Genetic Identification Of Diploid And Tetraploid Wheat Species With Rapd Markers, Rami̇z Tagi̇ Ali̇yev, Mehraj Ali̇ Abbasov, Alamdar Charkaz Mammadov

Turkish Journal of Biology

The genetic diversity of 10 diploid and tetraploid wheat species was estimated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Two species from diploid [Triticum boeticum (wild), Triticum monococcum] and five from tetraploid wheats [Triticum dicoccoides var. arabicum (wild), Triticum dicoccum var. farrum, Triticum dicoccum var. atratum, Triticum durum var. hordeiforme (Bereketli 95), Triticum durum var. leucurum (Sharq), Triticum turgidum var. alboyadurum, Triticum turgidum var. salomonis and Triticum persicum] were included for the analyses. Jacard's cluster analysis algorithm was used to determine genetic similarities. There were two main classes in dendrogram: the varieties [T. boeticum, T. dicoccoides var. arabicum, T. dicoccum …

Ems Induced Karyomorphological Variations In Maize (Zea Mays L.) Inbreds, Girjesh Kumar, Prashant Kumar Rai

Turkish Journal of Biology

Chemical mutagen induced chromosomal variations were broadly observed from the point of view of understanding the mechanics of EMS induced anomalies and biological dosimetry in Zea mays L. Seeds of 6 inbred lines of maize, i.e. CM-135, CM-136, CM-137, CM-138, CM-142, and CM-213 inbreds, were first presoaked in distilled water and then these seeds were treated with 0.5% solution of EMS for 3 durations, i.e. 3, 5, and 7 h, and genetic segregations were carefully observed. During the present investigation, through EMS treatment, many chromosomal anomalies, namely precocious movements, stickiness, univalents, bridges, laggards, multivalents etc., were induced in all the …

Determination Of Mercury Levels In Edible Tissues Of Various Fish Samples From Sır Dam Lake, Özlem Turgay

Turkish Journal of Biology

Mercury (Hg) levels in Cyprinus carpio (carp) (n: 20) and Siluris glanis (wels) (n: 13) from Sır Dam Lake, Kahramanmaraş, were measured during 2002 and 2003. The fish samples were obtained from fishermen. Hg levels ranged from 0.03 to 0.18 µg/g dry weight in carp samples and from 0.16 to 0.38 µg/g dry weight in wels samples. Even though no high levels of Hg were determined in the fish, a possible hazard may occur in the future depending on the agricultural and industrial development in this area.

Use Of Avicennia Marina (Forsk.) Vierh In The Control Of Root Knot Nematode Meloidogyne Javanica (Treub) Chitwood On Okra And Mash Bean, Marium Tariq, Shahnaz Dawar, Fatima S. Mehdi, Muhammad Javed Zaki

Turkish Journal of Biology

Aqueous and ethanol extracts of Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. plant parts, namely leaves, stem and pneumatophore, were tested for their nematicidal activity against root knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica (Treub) Chitwood. Results showed that A. marina exerted more lethal effect in mortality of juveniles compared to hatching of juveniles. Stem showed more nematicidal effect compared to leaves and pneumatophore in aqueous extract, whereas pneumatophore showed more nematicidal activity in ethanol extract. Soil amendment at the rates of 0.1, 1 and 5% w/w was carried out with dried powder of leaves, stem and pneumatophore of A. marina for the control of root …

Antibacterial Activities Of Some Medicinal Plants Of The Western Region Of India, Rathish Nair, Sumitra Chanda

Turkish Journal of Biology

Ten medicinal plants, namely Commiphora wightii, Hibiscus cannabinus, Anethum gravelons, Emblica officinalis, Ficus religiosa, Ficus racemosa, Ficus benghalensis, Ficus tisela, Mentha arvensis and Mimusops elengi, were screened for potential antibacterial activity against medically important bacterial strains, namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Alcaligenes faecalis and Salmonella typhimurium. The antibacterial activity was determined in aqueous and ethanol extracts using both agar disc diffusion and agar well diffusion methods. The ethanol extracts were more potent than aqueous extracts of all the plants studied. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium were the most resistant strains while the most susceptible bacterial strains …

In Vitro Study Of Ethanolic Extract Of Hypericum Perforatum L. On Growth And Sporulation Of Some Bacteria And Fungi, Tanja Milosevic, Slavica Solujic-Sukdolak, Slobodan Sukdolak

Turkish Journal of Biology

The antibacterial activity of an ethanolic extract of Hypericum perforatum L. was investigated against 8 Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas phaseolicola, Pseudomonas glycinea, Erwinia carotovora, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Azotobacter chrococcum) and 2 Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus subtilis) by the disc-diffusion and broth tube dilution methods. Ethanol was used for extraction of the plant. The species Pseudomonas glycinea and Azotobacter chrococcum showed extreme sensitivity to the extract of H. perforatum, while no effect was observed on bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the ethanolic extract varied between 1.25 and 3.5 mg/ml. The antifungal activity of …

The Effects Of Microwave Frequency Electromagnetic Fields On The Fecundity Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Emel Atli, Hacer Ünlü

Turkish Journal of Biology

In this study, the effects of microwave frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) on the fecundity of Drosophila melanogaster were investigated. The Oregon strain females of Drosophila melanogaster were exposed to 10 GHz EMF continuously (3 h, 4 h and 5 h) and discontinuously (3 h exposure + 30 min interval + 3 h exposure). The fecundity of females were determined. In the 4 h and 5 h exposed groups, it was found a statistically significant decrease in mean fecundity as compared to the control (P < 0.05). There was a reduction in the 3 h and 3 + 3 h exposed groups but this reduction was not significant statistically (P > 0.05).

Expression Analysis Of Genes In The Nif Cluster Of Clostridium Beijerinckii, Murat Kasap, Jiann Shin Chen

Turkish Journal of Biology

The nif genes of Clostridium beijerinckii NRRL B593 occupy a region of about 16 kilobases. Besides the two glnB-like genes, five other genes are interspersed between the nifNB and the nifVw genes. An expression analysis of the nif genes in nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing cells with probes generated from various regions of the nif cluster by northern blot analysis revealed the presence of four different transcripts in nitrogen-fixing cells. Two of these transcripts had the predicted sizes spanning from nifH to nifK and from nifVw to nifVa, respectively. The other two transcripts did not have the expected sizes, but they suggested …

Comparative Genotoxic Potential Of Mercury And Cadmium In Soybean, Girjesh Kumar, Priyanka Rai

Turkish Journal of Biology

Genotoxic effects of two heavy metals viz. mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd) on somatic and gametic cells of soybean were investigated. Seeds were treated with different doses of these heavy metals. Treatments with Hg and Cd not only reduced the frequency of dividing cells but a wide spectrum of chromosomal abnormalities were also recorded. Pollen fertility was found to be significantly correlated with meiotic irregularities found in the metal treatment sets. It was found that both of these heavy metals are capable of inducing chromosomal aberrations, but Hg is much more genotoxic than Cd, since it induces greater abnormalities.

Cytotoxic And Antitumor Potential Of Fagonia Cretica L., Ahsan Hussain, Muhammad Zia, Bushra Mirza

Turkish Journal of Biology

According to traditional knowledge, Fagonia cretica has medicinal potential, especially against cancer and tumors. In the present study, this information was analyzed at laboratory level by performing cytotoxic, antitumor (potato disc) and DNA damage assay. Significant cytotoxic activity was found against brine shrimps at LD_50 118.89 ppm, while antitumor assay showed that the extract inhibited tumor induction on potato discs. Significant antitumor activity was found against all the tumor-inducing Agrobacterium strains tested (At6, At10 and At77), with maximum tumor inhibition (77.04%) against At10. However, the extract did not show any lethal activity against Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains, and furthermore, no DNA …

Volatile Compounds Of Therapeutic Importance Produced By Leuconostoc Paramesenteroides, A Native Laboratory Isolate, Rani P. Shobha, Renu Agrawal

Turkish Journal of Biology

Probiotics are a community of nutraceuticals. Their potential in functional foods serves to promote health or to prevent diseases. Ramping up of flavor profile is an ongoing trend in modern dairy, so designer products are at the forefront towards desired health, wellness and sensorial enjoyment of everyday life. In the present work, volatile compounds of a potentially beneficial culture, Leuconostoc paramesenteroides, isolated from cheddar cheese were studied for 21 days. Culture grown in MRS broth was taken out periodically and was extracted in dichloromethane in order to study the formation of volatile compounds over time. The results showed the presence …

Variation Of Callus Induction Through Anther Culture In Water Chestnut (Trapa Sp.), Aminul Hoque, Manosh Kumar Biswas, Shamiul Alam

Turkish Journal of Biology

Effects of culture media and genotypes of water chestnut (Trapa sp.) on the frequency of callus induction from anther culture were investigated. Results revealed that the N_6 media supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BA, 0.5 mg/l NAA and 0.1 mg/l GA_3 were suitable for callus induction. Callus yielded poorly in MS-containing media compared to that of N_6 media. No callus was induced on 2, 4-D containing media. Among the tested 18 genotypes, only 15 genotypes produced calli.

The Growth Of Spirulina Platensis In Different Culture Systems Under Greenhouse Condition, Tolga Göksan, Ayşegül Zekeri̇yaoğlu, İlknur Ak

Turkish Journal of Biology

We aimed in this experiment to compare the growth characteristics of Spirulina, which was cultivated in different culture vessels under greenhouse condition. Three types of culture vessels, i.e. transparent jars, polyethylene bags and raceway ponds, were used in the experiment. The jar cultures supported higher cell densities due to their higher culture temperature compared to the others. The dry weight amount in jar cultures was 0.99 g L^{-1} at the end of the experiment, while it was 0.5 g L^{-1} in the others. Specific growth rates were found to be 0.32, 0.21 and 0.20 day^{-1} in the jar, bag and …

Characterization Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Central Asian Strain 1 Using Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit Genotyping, Asho Ali, Zahra Hasan, Mahnaz Tanveer, Amna Siddiqui, Solomon Ghebremichael, Gunilla Kallenius, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background:
The Central Asian Strain1 (CAS1) genogroup of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is the most prevalent in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing is a reliable and reproducible method for differentiation of MTB isolates. However, information of its utility in determining the diversity of CAS1 strain is limited. We performed standard 12 loci based MIRU-VNTR typing on previously spoligotyped CAS1 strains and 'unique' strains in order to evaluate its discriminatory power for these isolates.
Methods:
Twelve loci based MIRU- VNTR typing was used to type178 CAS1 and 189 'unique' MTB strains. The discriminatory …

Comparative Predictive Value Of Three Prognostic Markers--S-Phase Fraction, Pcna And Mitotic Count On Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis In Carcinoma Breast, Shahid Pervez, Muhammad Nadeem Khan, Muhammad Israr Nasir

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Axillary lymph node metastasis is the single most important prognostic factor in carcinoma of the breast. Therefore, prognostic markers that may reliably predict probability of lymph node (LN) metastases are of great value. This study was conducted to compare the predictive value of two novel prognostic / proliferative markers i.e. S-phase fraction (SPF) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in parallel with mitotic index.

Methods: Data of consecutive cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) breast diagnosed from July 2003 to July 2004 at the section of the Histopathology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, were reviewed. A total of …