Parameatal urethral cyst.

Parameatal urethral cyst is a rare clinical entity, resulting in asymptomatic cosmetic concerns, distortion of urinary stream or difficulty in urination. Though they cause considerable parental concerns, natural history is to resolve spontaneously or rarely surgical excision is needed. We report a neonate with asymptomatic parameatal urethral cyst.

Gene expression analysis of volatile-rich male flowers of dioecious Pandanus fascicularis using expressed sequence tags.

Pandanus fascicularis is dioecious with the female plant producing a non-scented fruit while the male produces a flower rich in volatiles. The essential oil extracted from the flowers is economically exploited as a natural flavouring agent as well as for its therapeutic properties. Molecular dissection of this distinct flower for identifying the genes responsible for its aroma by way of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) has not been initiated in spite of its economic viability. A male flower-specific cDNA library was constructed and 977 ESTs were generated. CAP3 analysis performed on the dataset revealed 83 contigs (549 ESTs) and 428 singlets, thereby yielding a total of 511 unigenes. Functional annotation using the BLAST2GO software resulted in 1952 Gene ontology (GO) functional classification terms for 621 sequences. Unknown proteins were further analysed with InterProScan to determine their functional motifs. RNA gel blot analysis of 26 functionally distinct transcripts potentially involved in flowering and volatile generation, using vegetative and reproductive tissues of both the sexes, revealed differential expression profiles. In addition to an overview of genes expressed, candidate genes with expression that are modulated predominantly in the male inflorescence were also identified. This is the first report on generation of ESTs to determine the subset of genes that can be used as potential candidates for future attempts aimed towards its genetic and genome analysis including metabolic engineering of floral volatiles in this economically important plant.

Identification of a sex-specific SCAR marker in dioecious Pandanus fascicularis L. (Pandanaceae).

Pandanus fascicularis L. is a dioecious plant native to South Asia with significant numbers in coastal areas. With the aim of distinguishing male genotypes from female genotypes early in the vegetative growth phase, the current study was initiated using molecular markers. Based on the principle of bulked segregant analysis, the sampled plants were separated into 2 bulks depending on their sex. Of the 89 random amplified polymorphic DNA and inter-simple sequence repeat markers used, one decamer (OPO-08) consistently amplified a 1263 bp band in the males that was absent in the females. Its DNA sequence did not exhibit significant similarity to previously characterized sequences, but the presence of mononucleotide and dinucleotide repeats suggested that it was a repeat-rich region. A sequence-characterized amplified region marker (MSSRF-01) designed for this fragment continued to amplify the specific allele in all the male plants. Southern hybridization performed using the sex-specific fragment as a probe yielded results consistent with those previously obtained by polymerase chain reaction. These results strongly suggest that MSSRF-01 is a male-specific molecular marker. With no information available on the presence of sex chromosomes in Pandanus, this marker can be used to differentiate the sexes.

Candidate genes for drought tolerance and improved productivity in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Candidate genes are sequenced genes of known biological action involved in the development or physiology of a trait. Twenty-one putative candidate genes were designed after an exhaustive search in the public databases along with an elaborate literature survey for candidate gene products and/or regulatory sequences associated with enhanced drought resistance. The downloaded sequences were then used to design primers considering the flanking sequences as well. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) performed on 10 diverse cultivars that involved Japonica, Indica and local accessions, revealed 12 polymorphic candidate genes. Seven polymorphic candidate genes were then utilized to genotype 148 individuals of CT9993 x IR62266 doubled haploid (DH) mapping population. The segregation data were tested for deviation from the expected Mendelian ratio (1:1) using a Chi-square test (less than 1%). Based on this, four candidate genes were assessed to be significant and the remaining three, as non-significant. All the significant candidate genes were biased towards CT9993, the female parent in the DH mapping population. Single-marker analysis strongly associated (less than 1%) them to different traits under both well-watered and low-moisture stress conditions. Two candidate genes, EXP15 and EXP13, were found to be associated with root number and silicon content in the stem respectively, under both well-watered and low-moisture stress conditions.