Rapid Semiconducting Supramolecular Mg(II)-Metallohydrogel: Exploring Its Potential in Nonvolatile Resistive Switching Applications and Antiseptic Wound Healing Properties.

An effective strategy was employed for the rapid development of a supramolecular metallohydrogel of Mg(II) ion (i.e., Mg@PEHA) using pentaethylenehexamine (PEHA) as a low-molecular-weight gelator in aqueous medium under ambient conditions. The mechanical stability of the synthesized Mg@PEHA metallohydrogel was characterized by using rheological analysis, which showed its robustness across different angular frequencies and oscillator stress levels. The metallohydrogel exhibited excellent thixotropic behavior, which signifies that Mg@PEHA has a self-healing nature. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images were utilized to explore the rectangular pebble-like hierarchical network of the Mg@PEHA metallohydrogel. Elemental mapping through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of primary chemical constituents in the metallohydrogel. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectroscopy provided insights into the possible formation strategy of the metallohydrogel. In this work, Schottky diode structures in a metal-semiconductor-metal geometry based on a magnesium(II) metallohydrogel (Mg@PEHA) were constructed, and the charge transport behavior was observed. Additionally, a resistive random access memory (RRAM) device was developed using Mg@PEHA, which displayed bipolar resistive switching behavior at room temperature. The researchers investigated the switching mechanism, which involved the formation or rupture of conduction filaments, to gain insights into the resistive switching process. The RRAM device demonstrated excellent performance with a high ON/OFF ratio of approximately 100 and remarkable endurance of over 5000 switching cycles. RRAM devices exhibit good endurance, meaning they can endure a large number of read and write cycles without significant degradation in performance. RRAM devices have shown promising reliability in terms of long-term performance and stability, making them suitable for critical applications that require reliable memory solutions. Significant inhibitory activity against the drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia strain and its biofilm formation ability was demonstrated by Mg@PEHA. The minimum inhibitory concentration value of the metallohydrogel was determined to be 3 mg/mL when it was dissolved in 1% DMSO. To study the antibiofilm activity, an MTT assay was performed, revealing that biofilm inhibition (60%) commenced at 1 mg/mL of Mg@PEHA when dissolved in 1% DMSO. Moreover, in the mouse excisional wound model, Mg@PEHA played a crucial role in preventing postoperative wound infections and promoting wound healing.

Solvent- and Substrate-Induced Chiroptical Inversion in Amphiphilic, Biocompatible Glycoconjugate Supramolecules: Shape-Persistent Gelation, Self-Healing, and Antibacterial Activity.

We have shown solvent- and substrate-dependent chiral inversion of a few glycoconjugate supramolecules. (Z)-F-Gluco, in which d-glucosamine has been attached chemically to Cbz-protected l-phenylalanine at the C terminus, forms a self-healing hydrogel through intertwining of the nanofibers wherein the gelators undergo lamellar packing in the ß-sheet secondary structures with a single chiral handedness. Dihybrid (Z)-F-gluco nanocomposite gel was prepared by in-situ formation of silver nanoparticles AgNPs in the gel; this enhances the mechanical properties of the composite gel through physical crosslinking without altering the packing pattern. In contrast, (Z)-L-gluco bearing an l-leucine moiety does not form a hydrogel but an organogel. Interestingly, the chiral handedness of the aggregates of (Z)-L-gluco can be reversed by choosing suitable solvents. In addition to self-healing behavior, (Z)-L-gluco gel revealed shape persistency. Further, (Z)-F-gluco hydrogel is benign, nontoxic, non-immunogenic, and non-allergenic in animal cells. AgNP-loaded (Z)-F-gluco hydrogel showed antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Molecular Study of Indigenous Bacterial Community Composition on Exposure to Soil Arsenic Concentration Gradient.

Community structure of bacteria present in arsenic contaminated agricultural soil was studied with qPCR (quantitative PCR) and DGGE (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) as an indicator of extreme stresses. Copy number of six common bacterial taxa (Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, α-, ß- and γ-Proteobacteria, Firmicutes) was calculated using group specific primers of 16S rDNA. It revealed that soil contaminated with low concentration of arsenic was dominated by both Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria but a shift towards Proteobacteria was observed with increasing arsenic concentration, and number of Actinobacteria eventually decreases. PCA (Principle Component Analysis) plot of bacterial community composition indicated a distinct resemblance among high arsenic content samples, while low arsenic content samples remained separated from others. Cluster analysis of soil parameters identifies three clusters, each of them was related to the arsenic content. Further, cluster analysis of 16S rDNA based DGGE fingerprint markedly distributed the soil bacterial populations into low (< 10 ppm) and high (> 10 ppm) arsenic content subgroups. Following analysis of diversity indices shows significant variation in bacterial community structure. MDS (Multi Dimensional Scaling) plot revealed distinction in the distribution of each sample denoting variation in bacterial diversity. Phylogenetic sequence analysis of fragments excised from DGGE gel revealed the presence of γ-Proteobacteria group across the study sites. Collectively, our experiments indicated that gradient of arsenic contamination affected the shape of the soil bacterial population by significant structural shift.

A simple one pot purification of bacterial amylase from fermented broth based on affinity toward starch-functionalized magnetic nanoparticle.

Surface-functionalized adsorbant particles in combination with magnetic separation techniques have received considerable attention in recent years. Selective manipulation on such magnetic nanoparticles permits separation with high affinity in the presence of other suspended solids. Amylase is used extensively in food and allied industries. Purification of amylase from bacterial sources is a matter of concern because most of the industrial need for amylase is met by microbial sources. Here we report a simple, cost-effective, one-pot purification technique for bacterial amylase directly from fermented broth of Bacillus megaterium utilizing starch-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION). SPION was prepared by co-precipitation method and then functionalized by starch coating. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID, zeta potential, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The starch-coated nanoparticles efficiently purified amylase from bacterial fermented broth with 93.22% recovery and 12.57-fold purification. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed that the molecular mass of the purified amylase was 67 kD, and native gel showed the retention of amylase activity even after purification. Optimum pH and temperature of the purified amylase were 7 and 50°C, respectively, and it was stable over a range of 20°C to 50°C. Hence, an improved one-pot bacterial amylase purification method was developed using starch-coated SPION.

Localized surface plasmon resonance-based DNA detection in solution using gold-decorated superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanocomposite.

In the field of nucleic acid-based biosensor technology, DNA-conjugated nanocomposites have attracted much attention due to their unique properties and multimodal applicability. However, quantitative estimation of sequence-specific oligonucleotide in a simpler way is still a challenge. Precise positioning of DNA probes over the surface of the nanocomposite can overcome problems such as steric hindrance of the surface-bound molecules to enable further sensing as well as nonspecific folding of the DNA molecule over the surface of the gold (Au) nanolayer. Considering such objectives, we have developed glutathionated Fe3O4@Au core/shell nanocomposite, fabricated with DNA molecules and applied for sensing complementary oligo spectrophotometrically, using the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of the synthesized nanocomposite. When hybridization experiments were performed with 10 to 100 fM complementary DNA and DNA-conjugated nanocomposite, a strong linear relationship was observed between DNA concentration and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Discrimination even at the single-base level was also observed when further experiments were performed with complementary DNA, but with a sequential decrease of bases from the single level to the fifth level.

Surface-functionalized gold nanoparticles mediate bacterial transformation: a nanobiotechnological approach.

Transformation of bacteria is an important step in molecular biology. Viral and non-virus-based gene delivery techniques, including chemical/biological and physical approaches, have been applied to bacterial, mammalian and plant cells. E. coli is not competent to take up DNA; hence, different methods are used to incorporate plasmid DNA. A novel method has been developed using glutathione-functionalized gold nanoparticles to mediate transformation of plasmid DNA (pUC19) into E. coli DH5α that does not require the preparation of competent cells. The glutathione-functionalized gold nanoparticles acted as a vector and facilitated the entry of DNA into the host cell. The method also gave a higher transformation efficiency (4.2 × 10(7)/µg DNA) compared to 2.3 × 10(5)/µg DNA using the conventional CaCl2-mediated method. It was also non-toxic to the bacterium making it suitable for biotechnological applications.

Potential application of superparamagnetic nanoparticles for extraction of bacterial genomic DNA from contaminated food and environmental samples.

BACKGROUND: Isolation of high-molecular-weight DNA is essential for many molecular biology applications. Owing to the presence of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) inhibitors, there is a scarcity of suitable protocols for PCR-ready DNA extraction from food and natural environments. The conventional chemical methods of DNA extraction are time consuming and laborious and the yield is very low. Thus the aim of this research was to develop a simple, rapid, cost-effective method of genomic DNA extraction from food (milk and fruit juice) and environmental (pond water) samples and to detect bacterial contaminants present in those samples. RESULTS: This approach is efficient for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria from all the studied samples. Herein super paramagnetic bare iron oxide nanoparticles were implemented for bacterial genomic DNA isolation. The method was also compared to the conventional phenol-chloroform method in the context of quality, quantity and timing process. This method took only half an hour or less to obtain high-molecular-weight purified DNA from minimum bacterial contamination. Additionally, the method was directly compatible to PCR amplification. CONCLUSION: The problem of availability of suitable generalized methods for DNA isolation from various samples including food and environmental has been solved by a nanobiotechnological approach that may prove to be extremely useful in biotechnological applications.

In Vitro Insight on Antifungal-Specific Potentiality of Ni(II) Complex against Colletotrichum siamense and Fusarium equisetum Phytopathogens.

In an initiation to investigate a prospective bioactive compound, a mononuclear Ni(II) complex with N, N, and O donor Schiff base ligand was synthesized and characterized in the present study through FTIR, ESI-mass, and X-ray crystallographic diffraction studies. A slightly distorted octahedral geometry has been obtained for the Ni(II) complex from X-ray crystallographic diffraction studies. In vitro comprehensive biological studies show the antifungal specific efficiency of the complex against Colletotrichum siamense (AP1) and Fusarium equisetum (F.E.) pathogens, which are responsible for anthracnose and wilt disease, respectively, but no inhibitory effect on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for these pathogens was observed to be 0.25 and 0.5 mM, respectively. The experiment also reveals that significant damage of mycelia and enlarged, misshaped damaged spores are noticed in comparison to hexaconazole, used as a positive control under a light microscope post 48 h treatment of AP1 and F.E. with the MIC of the complex. The binding interaction studies of the complex with DNA and BSA performed through a variety of spectroscopic techniques demonstrate a strong binding behavior of the complex for both the binding systems. The observed negative ΔH° and ΔS° values for DNA reveal the existence of hydrogen-bonding/van der Waals interactions for DNA which was also exemplified from the molecular docking and self-assembly studies of the complex. The positive ΔH° and ΔS° values for BSA demonstrate the hydrophobic interactions of the complex with BSA. However, cytotoxicity studies against the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line did not demonstrate any significant potentiality of the complex as an anticancer agent. All the bio-experimental studies provide clear evidence that the synthesized Ni(II) complex exhibits potential antifungal activity and could be used as a therapeutic fungicide agent in comparison to hexaconazole in agricultural practices.

Evaluation of machine learning classifiers for predicting essential genes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains.

Accurate investigation and prediction of essential genes from bacterial genome is very important as it might be explored in effective targets for antimicrobial drugs and understanding biological mechanism of a cell. A subset of key features data obtained from 14 genome sequence-based features of 20 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria whose essential gene information was downloaded from ePath and NCBI database for mapping and matching essential genes by using a genome extraction program. The selection of key features was performed by using Genetic Algorithm. For each of three classifiers, 80%, 10% and 10% of subset key features were used for training, validation and testing, respectively. Experimental results (10-f-cv) illustrated that DNN (proposed), DT, and SVM achieved AUC of 0.98, 0.88 and 0.82, respectively. DNN (proposed) outperformed DT and SVM. The higher prediction accuracy of classifiers was observed because of using only key features which also justified better generalizability of classifiers and efficiency of key features related to gene essentiality. Besides, DNN (proposed) also showed best prediction performance while compared with other predictors used in previous studies. The genome extraction program was developed for mapping and matching of essential genes between ePath and NCBI database.

Effect of iron oxide and gold nanoparticles on bacterial growth leading towards biological application.

BACKGROUND: Nanoparticle-metal oxide and gold represents a new class of important materials that are increasingly being developed for use in research and health related activities. The biological system being extremely critical requires the fundamental understanding on the influence of inorganic nanoparticles on cellular growth and functions. Our study was aimed to find out the effect of iron oxide (Fe3O4), gold (Au) nanoparticles on cellular growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and also try to channelize the obtained result by functionalizing the Au nanoparticle for further biological applications. RESULT: Fe3O4 and Au nanoparticles were prepared and characterized using Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Preliminary growth analysis data suggest that the nanoparticles of iron oxide have an inhibitory effect on E. coli in a concentration dependant manner, whereas the gold nanoparticle directly showed no such activity. However the phase contrast microscopic study clearly demonstrated that the effect of both Fe3O4 and Au nanoparticle extended up to the level of cell division which was evident as the abrupt increase in bacterial cell length. The incorporation of gold nanoparticle by bacterial cell was also observed during microscopic analysis based on which glutathione functionalized gold nanoparticle was prepared and used as a vector for plasmid DNA transport within bacterial cell. CONCLUSION: Altogether the study suggests that there is metal nanoparticle-bacteria interaction at the cellular level that can be utilized for beneficial biological application but significantly it also posses potential to produce ecotoxicity, challenging the ecofriendly nature of nanoparticles.

Effective Biocidal and Wound Healing Cogency of Biocompatible Glutathione: Citrate-Capped Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Against Multidrug-Resistant Pathogenic Enterobacteria.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) superficial bacterial infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacter sp. and Klebsiella sp. have emerged as major threats toward global health care management. In search of a novel antimicrobial, our main objectives were to explore the antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and wound healing potential of glutathione and citrate-capped copper oxide nanoparticles (CuNPs) against gram-negative MDR pathogens Klebsiella quasipneumoniae and Enterobacter sp., ensuring the lowest possible host cell nano-cytotoxicity and minimum susceptibility of the CuNPs toward oxidation. The CuNPs were found to elicit reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation within bacterial cells, inhibiting the bacterial growth and division. They contributed to the remodeling of the bacterial lipopolysaccharide, induced membrane lysis, and promoted antibiofilm activities by reduced cell-cell aggregation and matrix destabilization while displaying excellent biocompatibility against HEK-293 and HeLa cell lines. The CuNPs were also instrumental in preventing postsurgical wound infections and aiding in wound closure in the murine excisional wound model, as observed in albino Wistar rats, forcing us to believe that the CuNPs are bioactive in wound therapy. The results are encouraging and demands further experimental exploitation of the particles in treating other MDR gram-negative infections, irrespective of their resistance status.

Elucidating the resistance repertoire, biofilm production, and phylogenetic characteristics of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from community ponds: A study from West Bengal, India.

This study details about the phenotypic and molecular characteristics of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli in the fresh community pond water (n = 257) collected from three districts of West Bengal, India. In total, 57 isolates were MDR of which 38 emerged as extended spectrum and 7 as AmpC-type ß-lactamase producers in phenotypic assay. Among ß-lactamase genes, blaCTXM-1was predominant (87.71%) followed by blaAmpC (77.2%) and blaTEM-1 (22.8%). Six MDR strains carried metallo-ß-lactamase (MBL, blaNDM-1) gene. Tissue culture plate assay confirmed strong biofilm (SP) production in four MDR and one non-MDR isolates. In PCR-based replicon typing (PBRT), multiple plasmids of diverse replicon types (Frep, FIB, I1, FIA, K/B, HI1, and Y) were identified. The enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR)-based phylogenetic analysis revealed a high degree of genetic divergence among the MDR isolates. Multiplex PCR-based phylogrouping categorized 11 isolates as virulent (B2/D/F), which carried blaCTXM-1 gene and three had blaNDM-1 gene. Relative transcriptional activity of AcrAB efflux pump was significantly elevated among the SP and MBL producers. The presence of MDR E. coli isolates, particularly those resistant to carbapenem, in pond water used for daily domestic and household work, is a cause of concern as these pathogens may sneak into human food chain causing life-threatening infections. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Multidrug-resistant biofilm producing E. coli isolated from community pond water. A few of them were carbapenem-resistant and belonged to virulent (B2/D) types. Expression of AcrAB efflux pumps was found significantly elevated among biofilm producers and carbapenem-resistant population.

Culture-dependent study of arsenic-reducing bacteria in deep aquatic sediments of Bengal Delta.

Biogeochemical release of soil-bound arsenic (As) governs mobilization of the toxic metalloid into the groundwater. The present study has examined AsV-reduction ability of bacteria from anoxic aquatic sediments that might contribute to arsenic mobilization in the Bengal Delta. Arsenic-reducing bacteria from deep layers of pond sediment were enriched and isolated in anaerobic environments and AsV reduction was assessed in culture medium. The pond sediment enrichments harboured AsV-reducing bacteria belonging to the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria with dominance of Paraclostridium benzoelyticum and P. bifermentans. Among total 17 isolates, the respiratory reductase genes were not detected by the most common primers and only 3 strains had arsenic reductase ArsC gene suggesting involvement of resistance and some unknown mechanisms in AsV reduction. Presence of high levels of organic matter, As, and As-reducing bacteria might make deep aquatic sediments a hot spot of As mobilization and aquifer contamination.

The destructive spontaneous ingression of tunable silica nanosheets through cancer cell membranes.

Robust inorganic graphene analogues with atomic level sharp edges have seldom been investigated to decipher the interaction of two-dimensional materials with the cell membrane. Silica nanosheets (NSs) with four different thicknesses between 2.9 nm and 11.1 nm were synthesized by microwave irradiation and these colloidal NSs were able to spontaneously penetrate the cell membrane leaving membrane perforations at their sites of entry. The NS-ingression was most effective with the thinnest NSs, when studied in vitro. The atomistic details of the NS-membrane interaction were revealed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, which showed that the extraction of phospholipids was most favored when NSs were oriented vertically with respect to the membrane surface. While the folic acid modified NSs demonstrated a riveting tendency to penetrate the cancer cell membrane, co-modification with doxorubicin (DOX) unexpectedly reduced their capability. Migrating away from a conventional drug delivery approach, here we show that silica NSs can kill cancer cells primarily by mechanical scalpelling. Targeted ingress could be achieved through antibody conjugation on the NSs and thus only cancerous HeLa cells are affected by this treatment, leaving the normal HEK-293 cells intact. This destructive ingress through limited oxidative stress offers a previously unexplored route to treat fatal diseases without the necessity of transporting expensive drugs or radiation therapy, thereby bypassing deleterious side effects on healthy cells.

A bio-relevant supramolecular Co(ii)-complex for selective fluorescence sensing of µM range inorganic As(iii) in aqueous medium and its intracellular tracking in bacterial systems.

A novel Co(ii)-complex {i.e. [Co(n-BuM)(DPA)(H2O)2]·H2O} [n-BuMH2 = n-butylmalonic acid and DPA = 2,2'-dipyridylamine] was synthesized. The supramolecular feature, i.e. a metal coordinated and free guest water mediated hydrogen-bonding interaction assisted supramolecular ππ assembly, has been observed in the crystal structure of the Co(ii)-complex in the solid state. The role of different water molecules (metal coordinated and free guest water molecules) had also been scrutinized via theoretical studies. The fluorescent nature of the aqueous solution of the Co(ii)-complex has been utilized for selective µM range toxic inorganic As(iii)-sensing in aqueous medium. The Co(ii)-probe is very specific towards toxic As(OH)3 even in the presence of several ions and other arsenic sources like inorganic As(v)-oxoanions and organic arsenic species like cacodylic acid. The bio-relevant nature of the fluorescent probe of the Co(ii)-complex has also been examined. The luminous Co(ii)-probe has been employed for the intracellular tracking of As(iii) in bacterial systems including As(iii)-resistant bacteria Bacillus aryabhattai and As(iii) non-resistant bacteria Bacillus subtilis.

Enhancement of anticancer activity and drug delivery of chitosan-curcumin nanoparticle via molecular docking and simulation analysis.

Computational analyses followed by traditional wet-bench experiments have become a method of choice due to successful results. To enhance the solubility and bioavailability of curcumin within chitosan nanoparticle, we have exploited computational methodologies i.e. docking, BBD-RSM and MD simulation for the polymer selection, NPs' formulation, optimization and their stability confirmation in an aqueous medium, respectively. Formulated CSCur NPs were assessed for in-vitro release, which exhibited a sustained release pattern and four-fold higher cytotoxic activity in a nanoparticulated system. Enhanced uptake, apoptotic effect of CSCur NPs were established by morphological changes in cells as observed by fluorescence microscopy and FE-SEM. DNA damage, cell-cycle blockage and elevated ROS levels further confirm the anticancer activity of the CSCur NPs following apoptotic pathways. In-vivo study on Danio rerio, for uptake and toxicity reveal the particle's biocompatibility and nontoxicity. Therefore, CSCur NPs could be the potential formulation for a safe chemotherapeutic drug for cancer.

Significance of Dopaminergic Gene Variants in the Male Biasness of ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: ADHD is frequently detected in boys though there is no established cause. One possibility is that genes predisposing to ADHD have sexually dimorphic effects. With an aim to find out the reason for this male biasness, contribution of 14 functional polymorphisms was investigated in ADHD subjects. METHOD: Genomic DNA of probands, their parents, and ethnically matched controls was subjected to analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms and variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs). RESULTS: Case-control analysis revealed significant higher occurrence of DAT1 intron 8 VNTR "5R" allele ( p = .028), DBH rs1108580 "A" allele ( p = .027), and MAOA-u VNTR-rs6323 3R-T haplotype ( p = .007) in male probands. Family-based analysis showed significant preferential transmission of Dopamine receptor D4 exon 3 VNTR-rs1800955 7R-T haplotype from parents to male probands ( p = .008). Interaction between DBH gene variants and low enzymatic activity was also noticed, especially in male probands. CONCLUSION: Data obtained may partly answer the male biasness of ADHD.

SPION-mediated soil DNA extraction and comparative analysis with conventional and commercial kit-based protocol.

Direct isolation of soil DNA comes as an emerging technology to understand the microbial diversity of a particular environment circumventing the dependency on culturable methods. Soil DNA isolation is tough due to the presence of various organic components present in soil which interfere in extraction procedure. Here, we report a novel direct soil DNA extraction protocol utilizing bare superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and its comparison with conventional and commercial kit-based soil DNA extraction methods. The quality, quantity and feasibility of the recovered DNA from all the three methods towards various molecular techniques were checked. Our magnetic nanoparticle-based soil DNA extraction successfully yields pure DNA without any RNA or protein contamination as revealed by the nanodrop spectrophotometer and agarose gel electrophoretic study. Different methods of soil DNA extraction were evaluated on the basis of PCR, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and real-time PCR. Soil DNA extracted using conventional method fails to carry out critical molecular biology techniques where as magnetic nanoparticle-based soil DNA extraction gave good results which is comparable to commercial kit. This comparative study suggests that protocol described in this report is novel, less time consuming, cost effective with fewer handling steps and yields high quantity, good quality DNA from soil.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Aquatic Phosphorus-Solubilizing and -Mineralizing Bacterium Bacillus sp. Strain CPSM8.

Bacillus sp. strain CPSM8 is an efficient solubilizer and mineralizer of phosphorus. Here, we present the 4.39-Mb draft genome sequence of the strain, providing insight into the phosphorus-releasing genes related to productivity in aquatic habitats.

Catecholaminergic gene variants: contribution in ADHD and associated comorbid attributes in the eastern Indian probands.

Contribution of genes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been explored in various populations, and several genes were speculated to contribute small but additive effects. We have assessed variants in four genes, DDC (rs3837091 and rs3735273), DRD2 (rs1800496, rs1801028, and rs1799732), DRD4 (rs4646984 and rs4646983), and COMT (rs165599 and rs740603) in Indian ADHD subjects with comorbid attributes. Cases were recruited following the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-IV-TR after obtaining informed written consent. DNA isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes of ADHD probands (N = 170), their parents (N = 310), and ethnically matched controls (n = 180) was used for genotyping followed by population- and family-based analyses by the UNPHASED program. DRD4 sites showed significant difference in allelic frequencies by case-control analysis, while DDC and COMT exhibited bias in familial transmission (P < 0.05). rs3837091 "AGAG," rs3735273 "A," rs1799732 "C," rs740603 "G," rs165599 "G" and single repeat alleles of rs4646984/rs4646983 showed positive correlation with co-morbid characteristics (P < 0.05). Multi dimensionality reduction analysis of case-control data revealed significant interactive effects of all four genes (P < 0.001), while family-based data showed interaction between DDC and DRD2 (P = 0.04). This first study on these gene variants in Indo-Caucasoid ADHD probands and associated co-morbid conditions indicates altered dopaminergic neurotransmission in ADHD.