Physical Mapping of the Murine Casein Locus Reveals the Gene Order as a-b-g-e-k

Physical Mapping of the Murine Casein Locus Reveals the Gene Order as a-b-g-e-k

*Sisilamma George, A. John Clark, Alan L. Archibald
Roslin Institute (Edinburgh), Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PS, Scotland, UK.

DNA and Cell Biology. APRIL 1997, 16(4): 477- 484.

* Professor, Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur.
e-mail ID: sisilamma@yahoo.com
The murine casein locus has been characterized by long-range restriction mapping and the analysis of large fragment genomic clones. Cloned sequences from five mouse casein genes (α, β, γ, ε, κ) were used to screen a murine (strain 129) genomic library in a bacterial artificial chromosome vector (BAC). Of the nine clones isolated, two contained three casein genes α, α, β, γ and γ, ε, κ, respectively. The following combinations were found in other clones: α + β, β + γ, and γ + ε. Thus, the gene order in the locus can be deduced to be α-β-γ-εκ. This order was confirmed by restriction analysis of the clones. A contig map of the clones and flanking sequences has been established by characterizing seven BAC clones, which together span ~470 kb. Longrange restriction analysis of genomic DNA indicates that the murine casein locus is confined to a 250-kb partial Xho I fragment. The α and β casein genes were shown to be arranged in a tail-to-tail orientation.
Hypolipidaemic and Antioxidant Effects of Fruits of Musa AAA (Chenkadali) in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats

Smitha Kaimal, Sujatha, K. S1, Sisilamma George
Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, 1Department of Statistics, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Thrissur 680 651, Mannuthy.

Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, February 2010 48(02): 165-173


Hypolipidaemic and antioxidant effects of ethanol extract of mature green fruits of Musa AAA (Chenkadali) was evaluated in alloxan induced diabetic rats. The effect of extract at two doses, 500 mg/kg body weight and 1000 mg/kg body weight was analysed and compared with a standard drug, glibenclamide. Rats administered with alloxan showed significantly increased levels of serum triacylglycerol, total cholesterol and alanine amino transferase (ALT) activity. Lipid peroxides increased significantly while reduced glutathione (GSH) decreased considerably in liver and pancreas. Oral administration of the ethanol extract of fruits of Musa AAA (Chenkadali) significantly decreased the levels of serum triacylglycerol, cholesterol and ALT activity. Significant decrease was also observed in the level of lipid peroxides while GSH content increased substantially in liver and pancreas. The effect was dose independent and rats treated with 500 mg/kg body weight showed comparable levels of serum triacylglycerol, cholesterol, ALT activity and liver lipid peroxides to that of normal control and glibenclamide treated groups. Although, there was no significant difference, treatment with 500 mg/kg body weight of the extract showed a higher content of GSH and lower level of lipid peroxides in pancreas compared with glibenclamide. Histopathological examination of pancreas and liver revealed regeneration of islet cells and hepatocytes respectively, which correlate with the biochemical findings. The present study shows that ethanol extract of mature green fruits of Musa AAA (Chenkadali) has antioxidant and hypolipidaemic properties and may be used for treating diabetes mellitus.

Defective Interleukin-2 R Gene Expression in Gastric Carcinoma Patients.

Suresh K, *Jayavardhanan KK, Vasudevan DM.
Department of Biochemistry Medical College, Trichur, Kerala, India.
Immunological Investigations, May 1995, 24(4): 565-571.
*Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur.
e-mail ID: drkkjayan@yahoo.com

Peripheral blood T lymphocytes from 15 patients with gastric carcinoma and 6 normal healthy controls were evaluated for Interleukin-2 R gene expression. Total RNA was extracted from T cell-enriched fractions of patients as well as from control peripheral blood lymphocytes, with or without mitogenic stimulation. The presence of mRNA for IL-2 R alpha evaluated by Northern blot analysis revealed that unstimulated T cells expressed lower levels of IL-2 R mRNA than PHA stimulated T cells. Expression of both IL-2 R alpha transcripts (3.5 and 1.5 Kb) were either not detectable or only weakly detectable on T lymphocytes from patients even after mitogenic stimulation. In contrast, a significant rise in the expression of both IL-2 R alpha transcripts was observed on T cells from normal controls followed by mitogenic challenge. This paper reports on the defective IL-2 R alpha gene expression in gastric carcinoma patients, which may explain one of the causes of immunodeficiency associated with neoplastic transformation and progression.

Immunomodulatory and Antitumour Properties of Psoralea corylifolia seeds.

Latha PG, Evans DA, Panikkar KR, Jayavardhanan KK.
Ethnomedicine and Ethnopharmacology Division, Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Palode, Trivandrum, India.
Fitoterapia, June 2000, 71(3): 223-231.
Psoralea corylifolia seed extract has been found to stimulate the immune system in mice. Administration of the extract was found to inhibit EAC ascitic tumour growth and stimulate natural killer cell activity, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, antibody-forming cells and the antibody complement-mediated cytotoxicity during tumour development.

Antioxidant Enzymes During In-Vitro Capacitation and In Relation to Fertility Status of Buffalo Spermatozoa

*Uma R. and S. K. Atreja
Animal Biochemistry Division, National Dairy research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India

Indian Journal of Dairy Science, May-June 2006, 59 (3): 163-166

*Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur.
e-mail ID: umaandrahul@gmail.com

Buffalo spermatozoa were in vitro capacitated in the presence of heparin over a period of six hours incubation. Antioxidant enzymes viz., superoxide dismutase (SOD); catalase, (CAT); glutathione peroxidase, (GP) were assayed at different intervals during capacitation and also in the spermatozoa and seminal plasma collected from fertile, subfertile and infertile buffalo bulls to show their regulation during capacitation and relating with fertility levels. Catalase was found to be absent in spermatozoa and present in seminal plasma. 31.9% more activity of catalase was observed in the seminal plasma of fertile group compared to the infertile group. SOD activity increased throughout the incubation. The antioxidant enzymes in spermatozoa and seminal plasma exhibited a direct relationship with the increasing fertility level. The respective percent increased levels were 25 & 16; 18.8 & 19 were observed in glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in spermatozoa and seminal plasma of fertile group compared to infertile group.