HindIII Digestion Research Articles

SNP rs9387478 at ROS1-DCBLD1 Locus is Significantly Associated with Lung Cancer Risk and Poor Survival in Indian Population.

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) are relevant therapeutic targets in the treatment of lung cancer. Germline susceptibility variants that influence these RTKs may provide new insights into their regulation. rs9387478 is located in the genomic interval between two RTK-genes ROS1/DCBLD1, of which ROS1 alterations are implicated in lung carcinogenesis and treatment response while the latter remains poorly understood. Venous blood was drawn from 100 control and 231 case subjects. Genotype was scored by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), PCR amplification followed by HindIII digestion. Logistic regression was applied to compare the association between variables. Survival curve was plotted to draw a correlation between the genotype and overall survival. Also, eQTL and chromatin state changes were analyzed and correlated with the survival of patients using available datasets. In our population smoking correlated significantly with lung cancer [OR= 2.607] with the presence of the minor allele 'A' enhancing the nicotine dependence [CA (OR=3.23)]. Individuals with homozygous risk allele 'A' had a higher chance of developing lung cancer [OR=2.65] than individuals with CA/CC implying a recessive model of association. Patients with CC/CA genotype had better overall survival than patients with AA genotype [161 days/142 days vs 54 days, p=0.005]. The homozygous risk allele was significantly associated with increased DCBLD1 and ROS1 expression in lung cancer, with enriched active histone marks due to the polymorphism. Interestingly, increased DCBLD1 expression was associated with poor outcomes in lung cancer. Overall, our study provides strong evidence that rs9387478 is significantly associated with both nicotine dependence and lung cancer in our North Indian cohort. The association of the SNP with prognostic genes, DCBLD1 and ROS1 make rs9387478 a promising prognostic marker in the North Indian population. The results obtained are significant, however, the study needs to be performed in a larger sample size.

Bacteriophages Isolated From Turkeys Infecting Diverse Salmonella Serovars.

Salmonella is one of the leading causes of foodborne illnesses worldwide. The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella strains has increased global concern for salmonellosis. Recent studies have shown that bacteriophages (phages) are novel and the most promising antibacterial agents for biocontrol in foods because phages specifically kill target bacteria without affecting other bacteria, do not alter organoleptic properties or nutritional quality of foods, and are safe and environmentally friendly. Due to the vast variation in Salmonella serotypes, large numbers of different and highly virulent Salmonella phages with broad host ranges are needed. This study isolated 14 Salmonella phages from turkey fecal and cecal samples. Six phages (Φ205, Φ206, Φ207, ΦEnt, ΦMont, and Φ13314) were selected for characterization. These phages were from all three families in the Caudovirales order. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed that each phage had a unique structural protein profile. Each phage had a distinct host range. Φ207 and ΦEnt are both siphophages. They shared eight hosts, including seven different Salmonella serovars and one Shigella sonnei strain. These two phages showed different restriction banding patterns generated through EcoRI or HindIII digestion, but shared three bands from EcoRI digestion. ΦEnt displayed the broadest and very unusual host range infecting 11 Salmonella strains from nine serovars and three Shigella strains from two species, and thus was further characterized. The one-step growth curve revealed that ΦEnt had a short latent period (10 min) and relatively large burst size (100 PFU/infected cell). ΦEnt and its host showed better thermal stabilities in tryptic soy broth than in saline at 63 or 72°C. In the model food system (cucumber juice or beef broth), ΦEnt infection [regardless of the multiplicity of infections (MOIs) of 1, 10, and 100] resulted in more than 5-log10 reduction in Salmonella concentration within 4 or 5 h. Such high lytic activity combined with its remarkably broad and unusual host range and good thermal stability suggested that ΦEnt is a novel Salmonella phage with great potential to be used as an effective biocontrol agent against diverse Salmonella serovars in foods.

Isolation and Characterization of High-Ethanol-Tolerance Lactic Acid Bacteria from Australian Wine.

Lactic acid bacteria are very important in winemaking. In this study, 108 lactic acid bacteria isolates were obtained from high-ethanol-content (~17% (v/v)) Grenache wines during uninoculated malolactic fermentation (MLF). The 16S rRNA and species-specific PCR showed that 104 of these were Oenococcus oeni, three were Lactobacillus hilgardii, and one was Staphylococcus pasteuri. AFLP of HindIII and MseI digests of the genomic DNA of the O. oeni strains was developed for the first time to discriminate the strains. The results showed that the method was a suitable technique for discriminating the O. oeni strains. Based on the cluster analysis, nine O. oeni strains were chosen for inclusion in an ethanol tolerance assay involving monitoring of optical density (ABS600nm) and viable plating. Several O. oeni strains (G63, G46, G71, G39) survived and grew well in MRS-AJ with 17% (v/v) ethanol, while the commercial O. oeni reference strain did not. Strain G63 could also survive and grow for 168 h after inoculation in MRS-AJ medium with 19% (v/v) ethanol. These results suggest that O. oeni G63, G46, G71, and G39 could potentially be used as MLF starters for high-ethanol-content wines. All three L. hilgardii strains could survive and grow in MRS-AJ with 19% (v/v) ethanol, perhaps also indicating their suitability as next-generation MLF starter cultures.

Prevalence of Genotypes and Subtypes of Gardnerella vaginalis in South African Pregnant Women

Background Gardnerella vaginalis, a microorganism highly linked to bacterial vaginosis (BV), is understudied in terms of genotypic heterogeneity in South African populations. This study investigated the prevalence of G. vaginalis genotypes in BV-positive, BV-intermediate, and BV-negative South African pregnant women. Methods The study population included n = 354 pregnant women recruited from a public hospital in Durban, South Africa. The women provided self-collected vaginal swabs for BV diagnosis by Nugent scoring. For the genotyping assays, the 16S rRNA and sialidase A genes from BV-negative, BV-intermediate, and BV-positive samples were amplified with G. vaginalis-specific primers. The16S rRNA amplicon was digested with TaqI to generate genotyping profiles, and subtypes were determined by correlating BamHI and HindIII digestion profiles. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the 16S rRNA and sialidase A sequences. The data analysis was performed with R Statistical Computing software, version 3.6.2. Results Two different genotypes, GT1 and GT2, were detected. The most prevalent genotype was GT1. Four subtypes (1, 2B, 2AB, and 2C) were shown to be present. The most prevalent subtype was 2B, followed by subtypes 1, 2C, and 2AB. The phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA showed the presence of 5 clusters. The tree displayed clusters which contained sequences from the same BV group with different genotypes and subtypes. Clusters with sequences from across the BV groups carrying the same genotype and subtype were present. Diversity of the sialidase A across BV groups and genotypes was observed. Finally, the study did not find a significant association (p > 0.05) between reported symptoms of abnormal vaginal discharge and genotype harboured. Conclusion This study provided the first report on the diversity of G. vaginalis in South African pregnant women. Diversity assessments of G. vaginalis with respect to genotypes and virulence factors may aid in a greater understanding of the pathogenesis of this microorganism.

Phosphorus–nitrogen compounds part 33: in vitro cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities, DNA interactions, syntheses, and structural investigations of new mono(4-nitrobenzyl)spirocyclotriphosphazenes

The condensation reactions of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene, N3P3Cl6, with N-alkyl-N′-mono(4-nitrobenzyl)diamines (1–3), NO2PhCH2NH(CH2) n NHR1 (R1 = CH3 or C2H5), led to the formation of the mono(4-nitrobenzyl)spirocyclotriphosphazenes (4–6). The tetra-pyrrolidino (4a–6a), piperidino (4b–6b), and 1,4-dioxa-8-azaspiro[4,5]decaphosphazenes (4c–6c) were prepared from(for) the reactions of partly substituted compounds (4, 5, and 6) with excess pyrrolidine, piperidine, and 1,4-dioxa-8-azaspiro[4,5]decane (DASD), respectively. The partly substituted geminal (4d and 5d) and cis-morpholino (6d) phosphazenes were isolated from the reactions of excess morpholine in boiling THF and o-xylene, but the expected fully substituted compounds were not obtained. The structures of all the phosphazene derivatives were determined by elemental analyses, MS, FTIR, 1H, 13C{1H}, 31P{1H} NMR, HSQC, and HMBC techniques. The crystal structures of 4, 6, 4a, and 5a were verified by X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition, in vitro cytotoxic activities of fully substituted phosphazenes (4a–6c) against HeLa cervical cancer cell lines (ATCC CCL-2) and the compounds 4a and 4c against breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231) and L929 fibroblast cells were evaluated, respectively. Apoptosis effect was determined by MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines and fibroblast cells. The MIC values of the compounds were in the ranges of 9.8–19.5 µM. The compounds 6, 5a, 6a, 5b, and 6d have greater MIC activity against bacterial and yeast strain. The investigation of DNA binding with the phosphazenes was studied using plasmid DNA. The phosphazene derivatives inhibit the restriction endonuclease cleavage of plasmid DNA by BamHI and HindIII enzymes. BamHI and HindIII digestion results demonstrate that the compounds bind with G/G and A/A nucleotides.

Phosphorus–nitrogen compounds

The salicylic acid salts of fully substituted mono(4-fluorobenzyl)spirocyclotriphosphazenes (10–15) were prepared. The structures of these phosphazenium salts (10a–15a) were determined by elemental analyses, FTIR and 1H, 13C{1H}, 31P{1H} NMR techniques. The crystal structure of 14a was verified by X-ray diffraction analysis. The thermal properties of the salts were investigated using TG/DTA and DSC instruments. The results obtained from DSC indicated that the melting temperatures and latent heats of the compounds were in the ranges of 107.76–143.04 °C and 41.64–69.73 J g−1, respectively. The thermal stabilities of the phosphazenium salts (10a–15a) are found to be different, but they have a similar decomposition mechanism. The compounds 14a and 15a exhibit noticeable cytotoxic activity against DLD-1 cancer cells, and they seem to be good candidates for being anticancer agents. All of the compounds have an antimicrobial effect on bacterial and yeast strains within the ranges of 312–625 µM (bacterial strains) and 19.5–312 µM (yeast strains). It is found that compounds 13a–15a were most effective against yeast strains. Moreover, interactions between the salts and pBR322 plasmid DNA show that 14a and 15a cleave the DNA and decrease the intensity of form I. BamHI and HindIII digestion results demonstrate that the compounds are not bound with G/G and A/A nucleotides, respectively.

Construction of the mammalian expressing vector pEGFP-N1-P53 and its expression successful in chicken fibroblast cells and blastoderm.

The enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) pEGFP-N1-P53 eukaryotic expression vector, which contains the human tumor suppressor p53, was constructed and transfected into chicken fibroblast cells and stage-X blastoderm to analyze the transfection efficiency. The complementary DNA of the human p53 gene was cloned by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction from human peripheral blood and inserted into the pEGFP-N1 vector by HindIII and BamHI double digestion. The pEGFP-N1-P53 vector was transfected into chicken embryo fibroblasts by Lipofectamine 2000 liposomes, and the transfection efficiency was analyzed by fluorescence microscope after 36 h of transfection. The stage-X blastoderm was also transfected by blastoderm injection using Lipofectamine 2000 liposomes at room temperature after 12-24 h; then hatching occurred until seventh day, and the transfection efficiency was analyzed by fluorescence microscope in the dead embryo. A total of 90 hatching eggs were transfected by the pEGFP-N1-P53 vector, and 20 chicken embryos expressed the reporter gene, which indicated that recombinant pEGFP-N1-P53 could be transfected and expressed in stage-X blastoderm by liposomes. Chicken embryo fibroblasts were transfected and expressed the reporter gene. The pEGFP-N1-P53 vector was constructed successfully and could be transfected and expressed in chicken embryo fibroblasts and stage-X blastoderms efficiently.

Efficient Diagnosis and Treatment Follow-Up of Human Brucellosis by a Novel Quantitative TaqMan Real-Time PCR Assay: a Human Clinical Survey

Rapid and effective diagnosis of brucellosis is a challenge for clinicians. Even when diagnosis is on time and therapy is initiated, meticulous follow-up appointments are crucial for ensuring the efficacy of the treatment. Due to shortcomings of serological methods, molecular diagnosis, especially real-time PCR, is becoming a main approach in laboratory diagnostics. Thus, the development of efficient procedures and standardization of the PCR tests will have a great impact on the precise detection and quantification of bacterial DNA loads, which is valuable for the medical management of brucellosis patients. We developed a new TaqMan real-time PCR directed to bcsp31, a shared gene of the brucellae. The bcsp31 gene fragment was cloned into pJET1.2. Recombinant pJET1.2-bcsp31 was linearized by HindIII digestion, and the product was used for the preparation of a standard curve. A panel of Brucella spp. and non-Brucella pathogens was tested. No bacterial genomes other than those of the brucellae were detected. According to the results, specificity of the method was 100%. In a clinical assessment, the positive-control group comprised 37 patients with microbiologically confirmed brucellosis, and 25 healthy individuals served as the negative-control group. By the end of the treatment period, there was a significant decrease in the DNA load of the 37 brucellosis patients, which persisted for the 4 weeks of monitoring after treatment, suggesting that our proposed method is an efficient monitoring tool. Serum samples prior to any treatment were collected from the 25 serologically suspicious patients and assessed by our method; 72% of these patients tested positive for brucellosis.

Insights into new bacteriophages of Lactococcus garvieae belonging to the family Podoviridae.

Lactococcus garvieae is an emerging pathogen responsible for lactococcosis, a serious disease in trout aquaculture. The identification of new bacteriophages against L. garvieae strains may be an effective way to fight this disease and to study the pathogen's biology. Three L. garvieae phages, termed WP-1, WWP-2 and SP-2, were isolated from different environments, and their morphological features, genome restriction profiles and structural protein patterns were studied. Random cloning of HindIII-cut fragments was performed, and the fragments were partially sequenced for each phage. Although slight differences were observed by transmission electron microscopy, all of the phages had hexagonal heads and short non-contractile tails and were classified as members of the family Podoviridae. Restriction digestion analysis of the nucleic acids of the different phages revealed that the HindIII and AseI digests produced similar DNA fragment patterns. Additionally, SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the isolated phages have similar structural proteins. The sequence BLAST results did not show any significant similarity with other previously identified phages. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first molecular characterization of L. garvieae phages.

Phosphorus–nitrogen compounds part 27. Syntheses, structural characterizations, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, and DNA interactions of new phosphazenes bearing secondary amino and pendant (4-fluorobenzyl)spiro groups

A number of partly (7–9) and fully (10a–12d, Scheme 1) substituted mono(4-fluorobenzyl)spiro cyclotriphosphazenes was prepared. The structures of the compounds were determined by MS, FTIR, 1D and 2D NMR techniques. The crystal structures of 9, 11b and 12b were verified by X-ray diffraction analysis. In vitro cytotoxic activity of the phosphazenes (10a–12d) against HeLa cervical cancer cell lines was evaluated. Compound 12c was found to be the most effective, as it is a cytotoxic reagent that might activate apoptosis by altering mitochondrial membrane potential. Compounds 10b, 11b and 12b showed very good activity against yeast strains Candida tropicalis and Candida albicans. BamHI and HindIII digestion results demonstrate that the compounds (10a–12a, 10b–12b, 10d–12d), and (9, 10c–12c) bind with G/G and A/A nucleotides, respectively.

Identification and characterization of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and Haemaphysalis bispinosa ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of North East India by ITS2 and 16S rDNA sequences and morphological analysis

To investigate and identify the ticks prevalent in the North East part of India, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and DNA sequence of nuclear second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) and mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were used. Based on the morphological and molecular analysis, the ticks infesting cattle of North East India were found to be Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and Haemaphysalis bispinosa. ITS2 and 16S rDNA sequence from R. (B.) microplus and H. bispinosa were amplified using universal and gene specific primers, sequenced and analysed. The length of the amplified ITS2 sequence of R. (B.) microplus and H. bispinosa, were found to be approximately 1,500 and 1,700 bp, respectively. The length of the 16S rDNA sequences in both the ticks was found to be similar in size, but they differ in their base pair constitutions. This is the first report of the nucleotide sequences of ITS2 and 16S rDNA of H. bispinosa. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that H. bispinosa is a close relative of H. longicornis. A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism diagnostic tool was developed based on HindIII digestion of ITS2 in order to facilitate the identification of these two species which cannot be distinguished once it is fully-fed. Present study describes the use of SEM and 16S rDNA/ITS2 based molecular analysis in identification and differentiation of fully fed tick species.

Investigation of a Protein Encoded by a Gene of Mus musculus and relating it to an Orthologous Protein in Homo sapiens

The gene of Mus musculus was cloned into plasmid vector (pYEUra3) of E.coli from the cDNA library which was then verified using colony PCR. The plasmid DNA was then purified and digested with EcoRI to check the presence of an insert. PICOGREEN assay, HindIII digestion and absorbance were used to quantify the DNA. The purified DNA was then sequenced and searched using different databases to find a match. Finally, the protein of interest was identified to be Sentrin-specific protease 2(SUMO-1 protease 1 ) which processes SUMO precursor into their mature form and also causes deSUMOylation from their target substrate.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijpls.v2i1.15131 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Vol.2(1) 2013: 10-21

Genetic Analysis of a Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strain Isolated in Iran

In their recent paper, Kobayashi et al. evaluated the emergence of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) by genomic analysis (1). Based on whole-genome sequencing data for all U.S. VRSA strains isolated to date (2), they proposed that the development of resistance to vancomycin is an independent event in VRSA strains. It was our pleasure to read their article. We found that our results are in concordance with their conclusions. Our VRSA isolate belongs to ST1283, CC8, Spa t037, SCCmec III, and agrI (3). These genetic features are specific to endemic Asian clones and distinct from those of U.S. VRSA isolates, which all belonged to CC5. Moreover, the plasmids of our VRSA isolate were different from routine VRSA plasmids, based on the HindIII digestion pattern and multiplex PCR for common staphylococcal or enterococcal plasmids (our unpublished data). Collectively, these data indicate that our VRSA isolate is different from previously described isolates and probably carries an uncommon type of vanA-containing plasmid. These findings support the assumption made by Kobayashi et al. regarding independent acquisition of vanA by S. aureus in different geographical areas. Hopefully, our future whole-genome sequencing of this strain will shed light on the matter.

Characterization of 4 T1-like lytic bacteriophages that lyse Shiga-toxin Escherichia coli O157:H7

Bacteriophages are associated with reduced fecal shedding of Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157:H7) in cattle. Four phages exhibiting activity against 12 of 14 STEC O157:H7 strains, representing 11 common phage types, were isolated. Phages did not lyse non-O157 E. coli, with 11 of the 12 STEC strains exhibiting extreme susceptibility (average multiplicity of infection (MOI) = 0.0003-0.0007). All phages had icosahedral heads with tapered, noncontractile tails, a morphology indicative of T1-like Siphoviridae. Genome size of all phages was ∼44 kb, but EcoRІ or HindIII digestion profiles differed among phages. Based on restriction enzyme digestion profiles, phages AHP24, AHS24, and AHP42 were more related (66.7%-82.4%) to each other than to AKS96, while AHP24 and AHS24, isolated from the same feedlot pen, exhibited the highest identity (88.9%-92.3%). Phages AHP24 and AHS24 exhibited the broadest host range and strongest lytic activity against STEC O157:H7, making them strong candidates for biocontrol of this bacterium in cattle.

Phosphorus–nitrogen compounds part 22. Syntheses, structural investigations, biological activities and DNA interactions of new mono and bis (4-fluorobenzyl) spirocyclophosphazenes

The reactions of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene, N 3P 3Cl 6, with mono ( 1 and 2) and bis(4-fluorobenzyl) diamines ( 3- 5), FPhCH 2NH(CH 2) n NHR (R H or FPhCH 2–), produce mono ( 1a and 2a) and bis(4-fluorobenzyl) monospirocyclophosphazenes ( 3a– 5a). The tetraaminomonospirocyclophosphazenes ( 1b– 2d) are obtained from the reactions of the partly substituted phosphazenes ( 1a and 2a) with excess pyrrolidine, morpholine and 1,4-dioxa-8-azaspiro[4,5]decane (DASD), respectively. The tetrachlorobis(4-fluorobenzyl) monospirocyclophosphazenes ( 4a and 5a) with excess pyrrolidine, morpholine and DASD afford the fully substituted bis(4-fluorobenzyl) monospirocyclophosphazenes ( 4b, 4d– 5d) in boiling THF. In addition, monochlorobis(4-fluorobenzyl) monospirocyclophosphazenes ( 4e and 4f) have also been isolated from the reactions with excess morpholine and DASD in boiling THF. The structural investigations of the compounds have been verified by elemental analyses, MS, FTIR, 1H, 13C, 19F (for 1d and 2d), 31P NMR, HSQC and HMBC techniques. The crystal structures of 3a, 4a, 5a and 2b have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The compounds 2a– 5a, 1b– 2d, 4b, 4d– 5d, 4e and 4f have been screened for antibacterial effects on bacteria and for antifungal activity against yeast strains. The compounds 1b and 4b showed antimicrobial activity against three species of bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, and two fungi, Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined for 1b and 4b. The MIC values were found to be 5000 μM for each bacteria. The most effective compound, 4b has exhibited activity with a MIC of 312 μM for C. albicans and 625 μM for C. tropicalis. DNA-binding and the nature of the interaction with pBR322 plasmid DNA are studied. All of the compounds induce changes on the DNA mobility and intensity. Prevention of HindIII digestion with the compounds indicates that the compounds bind with AT nucleotides in DNA.

Homologous Elements hs3a and hs3b in the 3′ Regulatory Region of the Murine Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain (Igh) Locus Are Both Dispensable for Class-switch Recombination

Immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) genes are formed, tested, and modified to yield diverse, specific, and high affinity antibody responses to antigen. The processes involved must be regulated, however, to avoid unintended damage to chromosomes. The 3' regulatory region of the Igh locus plays a major role in regulating class-switch recombination (CSR), the process by which antibody effector functions are modified during an immune response. Loss of all known enhancer-like elements in this region dramatically impairs CSR, but individual element deletions have no effect on this process. In the present study, we explored the hypothesis that an underlying functional redundancy in the homologous elements hs3a and hs3b was masking the importance of either element to CSR. Several transgenic mouse lines were generated, each carrying a bacterial artificial chromosome transgene that mimicked Igh locus structure but in which hs3a was missing and hs3b was flanked by loxP sites. Matings to Cyclization Recombination Enzyme-expressing mice established "pairs" of lines that differed only in the presence or absence of hs3b. Remarkably, CSR remained robust in the absence of both hs3a and hs3b, suggesting that the remaining two elements of the 3' regulatory region, hs1.2 and hs4, although individually dispensable for CSR, are, together, sufficient to support CSR.

Construction of banana bunchy top nanovirus-DNA-3 encoding the coat protein gene and its introducing into banana plants cv. Williams

Banana ( Musa sp.) is considered as one of the most important fruit crops worldwide as well as in Egypt. The main goal of this study was to construct the open reading frame (ORF) of banana bunchy top nanovirus (BBTV)-DNA-3 that encodes the viral coat protein ( cp ) gene for banana transformation. The previously sequenced BBTV-G-DNA-3-ORF that cloned into plasmid pH1 was used as a template for PCR amplification using two specific primers containing Bam H1 site. A new plasmid called pRHA1 containing the amplified ORF under the control of maize polyubiquitin ( ubi ) promoter was created. The bar gene (herbicide-resistance gene as a selectable marker) cassette ( bar gene, Cauliflower mosaic caulimovirus (CaMV) 35S promoter and nos terminator) was released from plasmid pAB6 using Hind III-digestion and subcloned into the Hind III-digested plasmid pRHA1 to create the plasmid pRHA2 via the microprojectile bombardment transformation system. The plasmid pRHA2 was successfully introduced in the applied banana cultivar. Leaf painting test was conducted to confirm the expression of the bar gene in the putative transformed banana lines. The presence and expression of BBTV-G- cp gene were also detected using some molecular (polymerase chain reaction and dot blot using a cold DNA probe) and serological (ELISA and western blot) techniques, respectively, in the obtained transgenic banana lines.

Occurrence and characteristics of inorganic ions and microorganisms in potable water from Jamaica

Water samples were collected from seven areas across Jamaica and they were analyzed for inorganic ions using the Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption (GF-AA) analytical technique. The samples were tested for the presence of ions and microbes followed by gel electrophoresis. Iron and phosphate concentrations were higher in urban areas. Increased concentration of these inorganic ions has been linked to hemachromatosis, hypertension, tachycardia and central nervous system defects. The alkaline values in the pH may favor the growth of gram negative organisms. An increase in total chlorine concentration in Mandeville has implications for the incidence of diseases of the cardiovascular system. The values of the Lead and Cadmium that were detected in St. Thomas and St. Elizabeth exceeded acceptable concentrations. Copper concentration was highest in the urban areas. Five gram negative pathogens were identified which caused urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal diseases. EcoRI and HindIII digests showed varying banding patterns with a common band of 2,060 bps. The results of the study indicate that the potable water samples taken from selected urban and rural areas were contaminated with chemicals and microbes which are known to have a significant impact on the occurrence of various diseases in the population. Effective water treatment methods should be implemented in order to reduce this health risk to the population. Further studies should be done to determine the origin of the contamination and the types of groups at risk.

Phosphorus−Nitrogen Compounds. 21. Syntheses, Structural Investigations, Biological Activities, and DNA Interactions of New N/O Spirocyclic Phosphazene Derivatives. The NMR Behaviors of Chiral Phosphazenes with Stereogenic Centers upon the Addition of Chiral Solvating Agents

The reactions of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazatriene, N(3)P(3)Cl(6), with N/O-donor-type N-alkyl (or aryl)-o-hydroxybenzylamines (1a-1e) produce mono- (2a-2e), di- (3a-3d), and tri- (4a and 4b) spirocyclic phosphazenes. The tetrapyrrolidino monospirocyclic phosphazenes (2f-2i) are prepared from the reactions of partly substituted compounds (2a-2d) with excess pyrrolidine. The dispirodipyrrolidinophosphazenes (3e-3h) and trispirophosphazenes (3i-3k) are obtained from the reactions of trans-dispirophosphazenes with excess pyrrolidine and sodium (3-amino-1-propanoxide), respectively. Compounds 3a-3d have cis and trans geometric isomers. Only the trans isomers of these compounds are isolated. Compounds 3a-3h have two stereogenic P atoms. They are expected to be in cis (meso) and trans (racemic) geometric isomers. In the trans trispiro compounds (3i-3k), there are three stereogenic P atoms. They are expected to be in racemic mixtures. The stereogenic properties of 3a-3k are confirmed by (31)P NMR spectroscopy upon the addition of the chiral solvating agent; (S)-(+)-2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(9'-anthryl)ethanol. The molecular structures of 3i-3k, 4a, and 4b look similar to a propeller, where the chemical environment of one P atom is different from that of others. Additionally, 4a and 4b are also expected to exist as cis-trans-trans and cis-cis-cis geometric isomers, but both of them are found to be in cis-trans-trans geometries. The solid-state structures of 2a, 2e, 2f, 3e, and 3f are determined by X-ray crystallography. The compounds 2f-2i, 3e-3i, and 3k are screened for antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and for antifungal activity against yeast strains. These compounds (except 3f) have shown a strong affinity against most of the bacteria. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) are determined for 2f-2i, 3e-3i, and 3k. DNA binding and the nature of interaction with pUC18 plasmid DNA are studied. The compounds 2f-2i, 3e-3i, and 3k induce changes on the DNA mobility. The prevention of BamHI and HindIII digestion (except 2g) with compounds indicates that the compounds bind with nucleotides in DNA.

Screening and sequence analysis of the hemolysin gene of Fusobacterium necrophorum

Fusobacterium necrophorum is the main pathogen that causes numerous necrobacilloses. Hemolysin is one of the major virulence factors involved in fusobacterial infections. In order to investigate the genetic basis of hemolytic activity and the regulation mechanism of the hemolysin expression, a genomic library was constructed from F. necrophorum DNA by ligating DNA fragments generated by partial HindIII digestion with pUC18 vector. The screening of the genomic library with polymerase chain reaction, DNA sequencing and sequence assembly led to a 7.45 kb sequence which includes the putative hly gene and upstream sequence. Clustered putative genes encoding short chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (Scad) and electron transfer flavoprotein (Etf) α and β subunits locate upstream of hly. A 535 bp non-coding sequence, possibly with some cis-regulatory elements involved in the regulation of the hemolysin expression in F. necrophorum, locates between etf-β and hly. The nucleotide sequence of the hly gene indicates it encodes hemolysin. It is the first characterized hemolysin coding gene in F. necrophorum.