Recombinant variants of cotton leaf curl Multan virus is associated with the breakdown of leaf curl resistance in cotton in northwestern India.

Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), caused by a begomovirus species complex, is a major constraint to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) production in northwestern India. During 2006 to 2010, a surveillance was conducted to monitor the spread of CLCuD in Haryana and Rajasthan. Six different field symptoms, upward curling, downward curling, enation, vein thickening, severe curling and mild curling were documented. Six isolates associated with these symptom types were tested positive in PCR to cotton leaf curl Rajasthan virus. The isolates were successfully transmitted through whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) at the rate up to 73.3% to the resistant cotton cultivar, RS2013. All these six isolates were further characterised based on the complete nucleotide sequences of the viral genome and the associated betasatellites. These virus isolates shared highest sequence identity (86-99%) with the cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMuV) and the associated betasatellites also shared highest sequence identity (78-92%) with cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite (CLCuMuB). Based on the sequence identity and phylogenetic analysis of the viral genome and betasatellite, these isolates were identified as variants of CLCuMuV. Recombination analysis revealed significant recombination events in these isolates with the other cotton infecting begomoviruses. The isolate, Mo-Raj-2 has been identified as a resistant breaking strain having a major recombination in the coding regions of both viral genome and betasatellite. The natural occurrence of disease symptoms, transmission of the virus isolates through whitefly and complete genome analysis of the virus revealed the association of recombinant variant of CLCuMuV with the breakdown of resistance in cotton in Rajasthan and Haryana, the major cotton belt of India.

Silent killer HCV and its early detection can stop its propagation: a case study.

Though regular blood transfusion improves the overall survival of patients with ß-thalassemia which is one of the most common genetic diseases in the world, carries a definite risk of infection with blood-borne viruses. World Health Organization (WHO) reported that there is about 3% beta thalassemia carrier and more than two thousand thalassemic children are born every year in Bangladesh. Master Akib of age 15 years was the known case of Beta Thalassemia taking blood from his 3rd Birth Day from Mymensingh Combined Military Hospital, Bangladesh. Day care centre of Transfusion Medicine Department of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital started HBV, HCV, HIV screening of Thalassemic patient from 1st July, 2012. After screening of his blood, we found his blood contains HCV which is 3-4 times repeated positive with three other companies' reagent (rapid immuno-chromatographic assay) and result is confirmed. His treatment started and continues for 24 weeks and after 24 weeks, to monitor treatment response, his blood again test for Serum HCV-RNA which was not detected. Now Master Akib free from HCV infection and HCV diagnose accidentally because it remain silent for long time. We recommend that in public sector hospitals and health care units ELISA should be preferred for anti-HCV detection over ICT.

Cloning and Characterization of a Member of the Xanthomonas avr/pth Gene Family That Evades All Commercially Utilized Cotton R Genes in the United States.

ABSTRACT The highly virulent African strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum are quarantined pathogens in the United States and can evade or overcome all commercially utilized resistance (R) genes in cotton grown in the United States including the entire set of host differential lines used to distinguish 19 races of the pathogen. Nevertheless, the African strains carry multiple DNA fragments that strongly hybridize with members of the Xanthomonas avirulence (avr)/pathogenicity (pth) gene family. Since all previously tested members of the gene family confer avirulence against one or more R genes in cotton, strains carrying multiple members might not be expected to evade so many different R genes. The hybridizing DNA fragments were cloned from African strain XcmN and found to confer water-soaking ability to a nearly asymptomatic mutant strain of the pathogen. Restriction mapping, Southern hybridization, and DNA sequencing of the cloned fragments from XcmN were used to identify two water-soaking genes, pthN and pthN2, as new members of the Xanthomonas avr/pth gene family. The complete DNA sequence of pthN was obtained, and it is >94% identical with all other sequenced members of the gene family. Gene fusions of pthN with avrb6 (another family member) and other experiments revealed that the ability of African strain XcmN to water-soak cotton and avoid recognition by commercially used cotton R genes is determined by the specific repeats of multiple functional members of the Xanthomonas avr/pth gene family.

Molecular basis for increased synthesis of albumin in rat liver after thioacetamide administration.

Administration of thioacetamide to rats for 4 days has been shown previously to increase the activity of liver messenger RNA (mRNA) and to disproportionately increase the activity of albumin mRNA in the wheat germ translation system. We have explored the possibility that administration of thioacetamide quantitatively alters the transcription of rat liver unique DNA. Nucleic acid hybridization between the radioactive rat liver unique DNA and RNA from untreated as well as 4-day thioacetamide-treated rat liver indicates that the normal extent of transcription is not altered by the drug treatment. We also investigated the possibility that thioacetamide treatment increases the level of mRNA in general or of albumin mRNA in particular. Albumin mRNA, which is th most abundantly represented population in rat liver cytoplasmic mRNA, was further enriched by sucrose gradient fractionation of the liver mRNA. Synthesis of complementary DNA (cDNA) and then use of the strategy of limited hybridization yielded the cDNA corresponding to albumin mRNA. Hybridization of the fractionated cDNA with mRNA from untreated livers as well as from livers with increasing days of treatment shows no change in the level of albumin mRNA. The results indicate that drug treatment induces the augmented synthesis of albumin by disproportionately increasing the translational activity of albumin mRNA. Quantitation of gene dosage by comparison of hybridization kinetics of fractionated cDNA and unique [3H]DNA with total rat cellular DNA indicates that there are not more than two copies of the albumin gene present in the rat genome.