Assessment of genetic homogeneity of in-vitro propagated apple root stock MM 104 using ISSR and SCoT primers.

Apple is an important fruit crop that is always in demand due to its commercial and nutraceutical value. Also, the requirement for quality planting material for this fruit crop for new plantations is increasing continuously. In-vitro propagation is an alternative approach, which may help to produce genetically identical high grade planting material. In this study, for the first time, an efficient and reproducible propagation protocol has been established for apple root stock MM 104 via axillary bud. Culturing axillary buds on Murashige and Skoog apple rootstock (MM 104) resulted in better in-vitro propagation. (MS) basal medium supplemented with 3.0% (w/v) sucrose and 0.8% (w/v) agar. The axillary buds were established in MS basal medium with BA (5.0 µM), NAA (1.0 µM) and further used to establish invitro propagation protocol. Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs), BA (1.0 µM) in combination with NAA (1.0 µM) was found most efficient for shoot multiplication (100%) and produced 9.8 shoots/explants with an average shoot length of (2.4 ± cm). All the shoots produced roots in 0.1 µM IBA with a 5-day dark period. Acclimatization of in-vitro raised plantlets was obtained with vermiculite: perlite: sand: soil (2:2:1:1) resulting in 76% survival under field conditions. The study showed that the use of axillary bud is efficient for multiple-shoot production of apple rootstock (MM 104). This is the first comprehensive report on in-vitro growth of apple root stock MM 104 with an assessment of genetic stability using DNA fingerprinting profiles based on Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) and Start Codon Targeted (SCoT). The genetic stability of in-vitro-produced plants, as determined by SCoT and ISSR primers, demonstrated genetic closeness to the mother plant.

Cholinesterase activity as a potential biomarker for neurotoxicity induced by pesticides in vivo exposed Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia): assessment tool for organophosphates and synthetic pyrethroids.

Organophosphates (OPs) and synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) are the most popular broad spectrum pesticides, used in agriculture as they have a strong pesticidal activity while also being biodegradable in the environment. The present study aimed to demonstrate the effects of these pesticides on the Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in brain, gills and body muscles of Oreochromis niloticus - an important enzyme for the assessment and biomonitoring pollution caused by neurotoxins in the environment. The fish were exposed for 24 and 48 h to the LC0 concentrations of the malathion (1.425 mg/L), the chlorpyrifos (0.125 mg/L) and the λ-cyhalothrin (0.0039 mg/L), respectively. The activity of the AChE was significantly increased (p < 0.05) at 24 h and decreased at 48 h (except for the chlorpyrifos-treated brain and gills while tissues had shown no activity at 48 h's exposure) in all pesticides-treated tissues. The maximum increase in the activity and inhibition in the AChE activity were recorded as +92% and -52% in the chlorpyrifos and the lambda-cyhalothrin exposed brain tissues, respectively. Thus, the alterations in the AChE activities indicated that the applied pesticides are highly neurotoxic to fish and the enzyme (AChE) could be used as a useful biomarker for estimation of water pollution.