BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (DANISH-I ZISTI-I IRAN)
Year:2009 | Volume:4 | Issue:1|Papers Count:8

Rhizomania is one of the most important sugar beet diseases in Iran and some other parts of the world, which has an important role in decreasing root yield and sugar content. One approach to combat this disease is the use of resistant varieties. Tagging resistance genes with molecular markers is necessary in breeding programs. In order to identify molecular markers associated with rhizomania resistance gene from the Holly source, a F2 population was developed by researchers at the Sugar Beet Seed Institute, Karaj, Iran.  In this study, pair combinations of 215 RAPD primers were used in bulk segregant analysis (BSA) of two bulks (resistant and susceptible) and F2 population individuals. Three primer pairs showed polymorphism in DNA bulks. After testing these primer pairs on single plants of the two susceptible and resistant bulks, they were then used to analyze the F2 single plants. Finally, the markers' distance from the resistance gene was estimated by using both the Mapmaker ver.3.0 and the frequency of recombinant plants method. The Rz1 gene was tagged using R2 marker which was 8.3 cM apart in repulsion phase and C2, C5 and C6 markers which were 32.87, 43.7 and 51.9 cM apart in coupling phase respectively. The data presented is discussed to the possibility of using RAPD markers in sugar beet breeding for resistance to rhizomania.

In the present study, the effect of the ethanolic extract of leaves of Allium ampeloprasum L. subsp. iranicum on body, kidney and liver weights, serum glucose and insulin levels were investigated in both normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic NMARI mice. The animals were made diabetic using by streptozotocin (175 mg/kg, i.p.). The ethanolic extract at doses 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 400 mg / kg, i.p. were administered for 16 days intraperitoneally. Blood samples were obtained from heart after 16 days. The groups of normal and diabetic mice were administered saline as control groups. Serum glucose and insulin levels were measured by enzymatic and radioimmunoassay methods, respectively. The results showed that the ethanolic extract of Allium ampeloprasum didn't change body, kidney and liver weights in treated diabetic and normal animals significantly. On the other hand, ethanolic extract of Allium ampeloprasum reduced the serum glucose, while increased serum insulin levels significantly. The significant compound of leek is unknown yet. The present data indicates that extract of Allium ampeloprasum has hypoglycaemic effect on diabetic animals. So, this plant should be considered in future therapeutic researches.

Depression is one of the most frequently occurring disorders, affecting about 10-15% of the population each year. The pharmacological approach to the treatment of depression includes a long-term employment of antidepressants, either in the form of monotherapy or as a combination of several antidepressants with various mechanisms of action Red ginseng constituents to be an effective alternative to other therapeutic agents in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Several constituents of the extract, such as ginsenosid seem to be important for this effect. The study the investigate antidepressant effect of Red ginseng root on female mice using the forced swimming (Fst) and the tail-suspension tests (Tst). Seven groups of mice were used in this experiment. The first group is control and second groups received saline and third group received fluoxetine (10 mg/kg/day). Four other groups were treated with one of the doses of root extract (25, 50, 100, 200 mg/kg/day) by intraperitoneal injection (ip) for five days. Groups treated with fluoxetine and extract of Red ginseng root had significantly shorter immobility times compared to the control group in Fst and Tst (p<0.05), i.e. the activity of the animals was higher. The results demonstrated that Red ginseng had specifically antidepressant-like effect in vivo. The activity of Red ginseng in antidepression may be mediated in part through up take inhibition of serotonin in mice brain. When animals forced to swim in a cylinder pool or tail suspension in this method, they, after awhile, became immobile which was an indicator of their depressive states.

Salman area covers of 6877 hectares located 35km West Qom. The main goal of this research to identify plant species and introduced flora of Salamn. For this purpose, plant samples from different habitats region during 2007-2008 collecting and using different flora were identified. The life forms were identified and biological spectrum was determined. Based on information obtained from the geographical distribution of species and resources, the position of regional phytogeography of Iran was investigated A total number of 169 taxa were identified. These include 1 gymnospermes, 150 dicotyledones and 18 monocotyledones. Altogether, 49 families and128 genera are known from the area. Therophytes with 36/6% are the most frequent life form in the area in Salman area. Most of species richness in the family’s Asteraceae Fabaceae, Poaceae, Boraginaceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, are seen. In the area between plants, therophytes with 36.6 percent, the most abundant life form. Distribution of 125 species (73.9 percent) Iranian Turanian region is unique to this number 13 species (10.4percent) endemic (native) Iran.

Saffron carotenoids have attracted research interests during recent decades. Crocin exists in saffron and has shown anti-tumor activity both in vitro and in vivo. Microtubular proteins have several functions in nearly all kinds of the cells such as cellular transport, cell motility and mitosis. In neurons microtubules are involved in neurotransmitter transport. Crocin interacts with cellular proteins and modulates their functions, but the exact targets of this carotenoid and the other compounds of the saffron have not been discovered yet. In this study we showed that the crocin affected the tubulin polymerization and the structure by using the ultraviolet spectrophotometry and fluorometry. Fluorescence spectroscopic data showed that significant conformational changes were produced in tubulin in presence of crocin.  Ultraviolet spectroscopy indicated that crocin increased polymerization of the tubulin. The aim of this study was to investigate whether crocin affects the cell proliferation and other cellular processes through cytoskeletal protein tubulin. The results can lead us to characterize the reole of crocin in cell proliferation as an opportunity to use this compound in cabcer therapy.

Pollution in the marine environment effects not only aquatic life as such but also poses a serious threat to all life on the planet. Persian Gulf is exposed to contamination by petroleum due to the presence of oil refining industry and off shore oil production and some maritime harbors. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most toxic components of petroleum products. After being taken up by an organism, hydrocarbons and their metabolic products may enhance the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by several mechanisms that can lead to cellular damage through protein oxidation, lipid petroxidation (LPO) and DNA and RNA damage. Antioxidant enzymes thus play a crucial role in maintaining cell homeostasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PAHs in variations of CAT, SOD in tissues of barnacles. For that, barnacles were collected from 8 sites with different levels of oil pollution. For determination of PAHs in barnacle tissues GC.MS was used. Also cayman Superoxidae dismutase assay kit (catalog no. 706002) was used for quantified antioxidant enzymes level in tissues of barnacles, and cayman catalase assay kit (catalog no. 707002) for quantified antioxidant enzymes level in tissues of barnacles. Environmental parameters determined from each site samples too. The highest concentration of PAHs was in Soroush platform (70/3ppb) and the lowest was in deylam (7/6ppb). Highest SOD Specific Activity was in Old Norooz platform (512 U/ml/mg proteins) with 59.1 ppb of PAHs concentrations and the lowest was in bahregan pier (4.95 U/ml/mg proteins) with 12.4 ppb of PAHs concentrations. The results show that correlation between SOD and accumulated PAHs concentration in tissue were positive (= 0.3). The highest CAT Specific Activity was in deylam (41.92 U/ml/mg proteins) and the lowest was in Old Norooz platform (11.96U/ml/mg protein). Specific Activity of CAT in Soroush platform was (18.71U/ml/mg protein). The results show that there were no correlation between CAT and accumulated total PAHs concentration in tissue(= 0.5). Also SOD could be a good biomarker for PAHs in barnacles, in bahregan.

Several methods have been suggested or shown to prevent or decrease aggregation during overproduction of recombinant protein in the host cell. One of these methods is coexpression of molecular chaperones. The molecular chaperones help in the mediation of proper folding of the target protein. In this study, we used coexpression of molecular chaperones along with Human Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor in Escherchia coli to reduce insoluble recombinant proteins. Two chaperone combinations comprise; GroEL/ GroES in pGro7 plasmid and GroEL/ GroES/ Dnak/ Dnaj / GrpE in pG-KJE8 plasmid Co-expressed with hbFGF and the effect of molecular chaperone combinations on hbFGF solubility is examined by SDS-PAGE, western blotting and ELISA. Our result proved that Co-expression of GroEL/ GroES/ Dank/ Dnaj / GrpE can act more effective on insoluble rhbFGF reduction.  Correct choice of the chaperone combinations can play an important role in the production of soluble recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli.  DnaK family has important role in the folding of target protein and increase solubility ratio of it while chaperonin increase rhbFGF stability and total yield of target protein.

In the present study the effects of NaCl, 50mM, and osmotic stress caused by polyethylenglycol (PEG) 6000, 64g/l, wich is isotonic with the salt solution, with or without gibberellins (GA3,10mg/ml), in germinating soybean(Glycine max L.cv. Pershing ) seeds have been investigated. Seeds were exposed to the above mentioned solutions, or distilled water as control, for 48 hours. In every 8 hours, seed germination percent and the content of arginine have been measured. Based on the results of the present work, salt and PEG treatments were able to make significant delay in seed germination, and GA3 could compensate such a delays. It seems that the salt treatment is responsible for delay, by making delays in increasing content of argentine. Slow and continious increase in the content of arginine in salt condition may be considered as the possible mechanism for decreasing the negative effects of these stresses during seed germination. Gibberellin alone or with the salt or PEG solutions, can maintain or increase the content of the measured solute. The physiological responses of seeds, in different time sections germination during 48 hours are not essentially similar.