Assessing the Role of Detergents in Pond Ecosystem.

Detergents are used as a part of our daily life routine. Though they are widely used but their active ingredients which are highly toxic and persist in the environment for long are an important cause of environmental pollution. In our current work, we have studied the harmful effects of a combination of some commonly used detergents which find their way into the water bodies especially the pond ecosystem through everyday activities like washing clothes, utensils, and bathing in water. This water is the home to many flora and fauna especially the fishes like Cirrhinus mrigala. In our work, we have analysed the levels of the hepatic enzymes Alanine Transaminase and Aspartate Aminotransferase as well as the histology of gill and liver tissues. We have also analysed the presence of micronucleus in the fish blood. It was observed that the presence of detergents has increased the enzyme level as well as resulted in destruction of gill and liver tissue morphology. Detergents also increased the presence of micronucleus in fish blood. These results are indicators of deterioration of fish health due to detergent pollution.

CRISPR-Based Gene Editing: a Modern Approach for Study and Treatment of Cancer.

The development and emergence of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) as a genome-editing technology have created a plethora of opportunities in genetic engineering. The ability of sequence-specific addition or removal of DNA in an efficient and cost-effective manner has revolutionized modern research in the field of life science and healthcare. CRISPR is widely used as a genome engineering tool in clinical studies for observing gene expression and metabolic pathway regulations in detail. Even in the case of transgenic research and personalized gene manipulation studies, CRISPR-based technology is used extensively. To understand and even to correct the underlying genetic problem is of cancer, CRISPR-based technology can be used. Various kinds of work is going on throughout the world which are attempting to target different genes in order to discover novel and effective methodologies for the treatment of cancer. In this review, we provide a brief overview on the application of CRISPR gene editing technology in cancer treatment focusing on the key aspects of cancer screening, modelling and therapy techniques.

Role of mi RNA in Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals and Metal Induced Stress Alleviation.

Anthropogenic activities have contributed hugely in enhancing various types of environmental toxicity. One of these is higher accumulation of toxic heavy metals in soil and plant tissues. Although many heavy metals act as essential component for the growth and development of plants when present in low concentrations but at higher concentrations it becomes cytotoxic. Several innate mechanisms have evolved in plants to cope with it. In recent years the mechanism of using miRNA to combat metal induced toxicity has come to fore front. The miRNA or the microRNA regulates different physiological processes and induces a negative control in expressing the complementary target genes. The cleavage formation by post-transcriptional method and the inhibition of targeted translational mRNA are the two main procedures by which plant miRNAs function. The heavy and enhanced metal accumulation in plants has increased the production of different kinds of free radicals like reactive nitrogen and oxygen which damage the plants oxidatively. Several plant miRNA are capable of targeting and reducing the expression of those genes which are responsible for higher metal accumulation and storage. This can reduce the metal load and hence its negative impact on plant can also be reduced. This review depicts the biogenesis, the mode of action of miRNA, and the control mechanisms of miRNA in metal induced stress response in plant. A detailed review on the role of plant miRNA in alleviation of metal induced stress is discussed in this present study.

Drugs for COVID-19 Treatment: A New Challenge.

COVID-19 infection is a new disease and our knowledge is limited; day in and day out more and more interesting yet diverse observations are reported by the different research groups from different corners of the world. So, there is an urgent requirement of the invention of some effective and efficient drugs that can carry out the end of the deadly viral infection. Throughout the world, there have been many efforts carried out in different labs to invent such a drug and also identifying any pre-existing drugs which can carry out the killing of the virus. In this review, an effort has been made to understand the potential drugs which can be used against the SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. Again, the strategies on the current and the future drug discovery mechanisms against the SARS-CoV-2 are also mentioned. The different drugs made and the drugs re-used and also the drugs which are in the making process in different research laboratories across the world are also mentioned. To combat this unexpected crisis, we still need some more efforts from the different scientific communities around the world for finding a cure against this viral infection and this is needed to be done for the prevention of more loss of human life.

Progeria-a Rare Genetic Condition with Accelerated Ageing Process.

Progeria is a rare genetic disease which is characterised by accelerated ageing and reduced life span. There are differing types of progeria, but the classic type is Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). Within a year of birth, people suffering from it start showing several features such as very low weight, scleroderma, osteoporosis and loss of hair. Their life expectancy is highly reduced and the average life span is around 14.6 years. Research is going on to understand the genetic and molecular level causes of this disease. Apart from that, several studies are also going on to discover therapeutic techniques and drugs to treat this disease but the success rate is very low. To gain a better understanding about research developments of progeria more experimental models, drugs and molecular technologies are under trial. Different important aspects and recent developments in epidemiology, genetic causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options of progeria are discussed in this review.

Huntington's Chorea-a Rare Neurodegenerative Autosomal Dominant Disease: Insight into Molecular Genetics, Prognosis and Diagnosis.

Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative autosomal disease results due to expansion of polymorphic CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene. Phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor 4E-BP results in the alteration of the translation control leading to unwanted protein synthesis and neuronal function. Consequences of mutant huntington (mhtt) gene transcription are not well known. Variability of age of onset is an important factor of Huntington's disease separating adult and juvenile types. The factors which are taken into account are-genetic modifiers, maternal protection i.e excessive paternal transmission, superior ageing genes and environmental threshold. A major focus has been given to the molecular pathogenesis which includes-motor disturbance, cognitive disturbance and neuropsychiatric disturbance. The diagnosis part has also been taken care of. This includes genetic testing and both primary and secondary symptoms. The present review also focuses on the genetics and pathology of Huntington's disease.

RNAi Technology and Investigation on Possible Vaccines to Combat SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, taking place globally, occurs as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 viral infection which has caused death of innumerable numbers of people and is responsible for a massive drop in the global economy. Millions of people are infected, and the death rate is also quite high in different countries. So, there is an urgent requirement of the invention of some effective and efficient drugs that can be effective against this deadly viral infection. The invention of new drugs and vaccine has become a matter of utmost importance to stop the mayhem of coronavirus pandemic. In the middle of such a deadly pandemic, the necessity of development of a vaccine is of high importance in this context. Among all the popular methods of vaccine development, the mRNA vaccines turned out to be the one of the most versatile vaccine with quick responses. However, in this review, we have explained all the possible types of vaccines available including DNA vaccines, RNA vaccines, and live and attenuated vaccines. Their effectiveness, importance, and application of the vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been discussed. Research is also being conducted in the field of gene silencing, and one of the best possible ways to combat the virus at the molecular level is by applying RNAi technology. The modified siRNA molecules can be used to silence the gene expression of the virus. A summarization of the virus's behavior, characteristics, and the methods by which RNAi technology can be administered to control the virus is depicted in this study.

Antioxidant activity and high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of phenolic compounds during in vitro callus culture of Plantago ovata Forsk. and effect of exogenous additives on accumulation of phenolic compounds.

BACKGROUND: Plantago ovata, commonly called psyllium, is known to be a rich source of polyphenolic compounds. The present study was aimed at determining polyphenol content and studying their antioxidant activities in P. ovata during in vitro callus culture. An attempt was also made to enhance polyphenol content using external additives. The role of PAL gene in polyphenol accumulation was also studied. RESULTS: The study indicated the presence of significant amounts of polyphenols, including flavonoids, in P. ovata callus. A gradual increase in polyphenol and flavonoid content was observed up to the third passage (63 days) of callus culture, which declined at the next passage. The third-passage callus showed highest antioxidant activity. High-performance liquid chromatographic results indicated the presence of high amounts of gallic acid and rutin in P. ovata calli; however, other polyphenols were also present but to a lesser extent. Additive supplementation was effective in enhancing polyphenol production and in increasing antioxidant activity in P. ovata callus. CONCLUSION: The present research reported accumulation of polyphenols in callus culture of P. ovata, which could be applied to isolation of polyphenols for various beneficial purposes. It also indicated enhancement in the production of several polyphenols and also an increase in antioxidant activity in the additive-treated callus.

Cross-adaptation to cadmium stress in Plantago ovata by pre-exposure to low dose of gamma rays: Effects on metallothionein and metal content.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of gamma pre-exposure on cadmium accumulation in Plantago ovata seedlings. Metallothionein (MT) localization was also studied following Cadmium (Cd) treatment in P. ovata. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DNA damage was determined by alkaline comet assay. MT gene and protein expression were studied by real-time polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry, respectively, in root and shoot tissues. Metal accumulation (Cd, zinc [Zn], iron [Fe]) was evaluated by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. RESULTS: Cd treatment decreased seed germination rate, biomass and free radical scavenging activity and increased DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner. When P. ovata seeds were pre- exposed to 5 Gy gamma dose (prior to Cd treatment) seed germination rate, biomass and free radical scavenging activity increased significantly. MT genes (PoMT1, PoMT2 and PoMT3) and MT protein expression enhanced when 5 Gy gamma-irradiated seeds were grown in Cd containing medium and Cd accumulation also increased in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: Higher Cd accumulation in P. ovata seedlings may be attributed to the upregulation of PoMT genes in gamma pretreated seedlings. Localization of metallothionein in cytosol and nucleus indicated its positive role against Cd-mediated cytotoxic and genotoxic effects.