Minireview
Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Vol. 43, April 2006, pp. 69-81
Contribution of genomics and proteomics in understanding the role of modifying factors in Parkinson’s disease
M P Singh*, S Patel, M Dikshit# and Y K Gupta
Received 7 June 2005; revised 13 March 2006
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurological disorder, characterized by selective degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. It is a multi-factorial disease, contributed by a combination of age, genetic and environmental factors. Etiology of sporadic PD and mechanism underlying selective loss of dopaminergic neurons has not yet been clearly understood. Recent developments in genomics and proteomics have revolutionized the research on PD at genetic level. Differential gene expression patterns (DNA biochip technology), age-dependent complex genetic patterns (SNP genotyping), and protein expression profiles (proteomics) of PD patients have started providing the specific and rigorous molecular explanation and role of modifying factors in PD. Genomics and proteomics are further expected to help in developing biomarkers for diagnosis of early onset PD and also to develop valuable and potential therapeutic strategies for its treatment. In this review, we have discussed the progress made by genomics and proteomics, in understanding the role of modifying factors in PD.
Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, genomics, microarray, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), proteomics
E-mail: singhmahendrapratap@rediffmail.com
Papers
Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Vol. 43, April
2006, pp. 82-87
Isoproterenol ameliorates workstress-induced rat skeletal muscle degeneration
Asha Garg and Sushma Sharma*
Received 16 August 2005; revised 9 January 2006
b-Agonists though have been widely studied for their protein anabolic effects in skeletal muscles, but the lipid status under work stress and agonist treatment have not been understood well in the skeletal muscles and heart of rat. In the present study, adult male Wistar rats were subjected to work overload stress and b agonist isoproterenol treatment (2 mg kg-1 day-1 intraperitoneally) to examine, whether it attenuates work stress-induced changes or not. Simultaneously, b2 antagonist butoxamine (2 mg kg-1 day-1 intraperitoneally) was administered to another isoproterenol-treated group. Work stress led to myofibrillar degeneration as well as rapid utilization of lipid to meet increased energy demands and for muscle repair, which was reflected through histochemical localization of lipids and biochemical estimation of cholesterol and triglycerides. Significantly decreased cholesterol levels in skeletal muscles and heart muscles were noticed. As expected, isoproterenol reversed the conditions by raising cholesterol and triglyceride levels significantly in the skeletal muscles and also by ameliorating the degenerative changes in muscle fibres as induced by work overload. However, severe accumulation of lipids in heart infers towards deleterious effects of isoproterenol on heart and thus remains a limiting factor for its immediate clinical application. Further research is needed to separate desirable effects of β agonists on skeletal muscles from any undesirable effects on the heart, so as to optimize their therapeutic potential.
Keywords: Isoproterenol, butoxamine,
lipids, work stress.
E-mail:
sushma_bio_sci@rediffmail.com
Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Induction, purification and characterization of an antibacterial peptide scolopendrin I from the venom of centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans
Ren Wenhua1, Zhang Shuangquan1*, Song Daxiang2, Zhou Kaiya2
and Yang Guang2
Received 15 June 2005; revised 17 November 2005
The crude venom of the centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans, injected with Escherichia coli K12D31
for 3-4 days showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against
Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. It showed good antibacterial
activity against E. coli K12D31 at different temperatures, pH, and ionic strengths. The
crude venom was heated at 100°C
for 30 min, centrifuged at 10,000
rpm for 30 min at 4°C and the supernatants were obtained, from which an
antibacterial fraction having a molecular
mass of 3000-5000 Da, was further
separated by ultrafiltration. A
homogeneous antibacterial peptide named scolopendrin I, having a molecular
mass of 4,498 Da, was isolated using
cation-exchange chromatography and two steps of reverse-phase high performance
liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Scolopendrin I did not show any hemolytic and
agglutination activities at the concentration below 30 μM.
Keywords: Centipede, Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans, antibacterial peptide, scolopendrin I, venom, E. coli K12D31, induction, hemolytic activity, agglutination activity
E-mail: spidervenom@163.com
Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Vol. 43, April
2006, pp. 94-97
Ficus cunia
agglutinin for recognition of bacteria
M Adhya, B Singha and B P Chatterjee*
Received 24 August 2005;
revised 7 March 2006
Interaction of bacteria with lectin using anti-lectin
antibody by ELISA is an established method. In the present study, we have
devised a simple ELISA using a biotinylated lectin and antibiotin-HRP. Ficus cunia agglutinin (FCA), which has
shown the specificity towards a/b anomers of GlcNAc and other –NAc containing
sugars like LacNAc and GlcNAcb(1-4/6)GlcNAc, was used as a model lectin for
the study of interaction with immobilized microorganisms on ELISA plate. The
bacterial cells of E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella
pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis and
Staphylococcus aureus showed binding
with FCA and the degree of binding was dependent on the bacterial surface
antigen. This method is considered a simple technique to study the
lectin-bacteria interaction.
Keywords: Ficus cunia,
agglutinin, bacteria, ELISA
E-mail: bcbpc@mahendra.iacs.res.in
Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Vol. 43, April 2006, pp. 98-104
Discrete
analysis of bile acid in serum and bile with 3a-hydroxysteroid
dehydrogenase and diaphorase immobilized onto alkylamine glass beads
Kirti Rani, P Garg† and C S Pundir*
Received 18 July 2005; revised 31 January 2006
3α-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3α-HSD) from Pseudomonas testosteronei and
diaphorase (lipoyl dehydrogenase) from
Clostridium spp were immobilized
individually onto alkylamine glass beads through glutaraldehyde coupling. A
cost-effective enzymic colorimetric method for determination of bile acid in
the serum and bile was developed employing mixture of the immobilized enzymes.
The method was based upon measurement of NADH generated from NAD+
during oxidation of bile acid by immobilized 3α-HSD with a color reagent
consisting of nitrobluetetrazolium (NBT) chloride salt and immobilized
diaphorase in 0.065 M sodium
phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). The
minimum detection limit of the method was 4.8 μmol/L in the serum and 19.5
μmol/L in bile. The per cent recovery of added bile acid in the serum and
bile was 89.1 and 95.0, respectively. Within and between batch coefficients of
variation (CV) for bile acid determination were <1.0% and <0.2% in the
serum and <0.2% and <0.6% in bile, respectively. A good correlation for
bile acid in the serum (r1= 0.95) and
in bile (r2 = 0.93) was obtained by a standard chemical method (a
commonly used method in India) and the present method. The mixture of
immobilized 3α-HSD and diaphorase lost 30% of its initial activity after 4
months of regular use. The cost of bile acid determination for 100 the serum
and bile samples by the present method was found to be lower than by a
commercially available method (Sigma kit 450-A)
Keywords: Bile acid, 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, diaphorase, immobilization, alkylamine glass beads, serum, bile, gallstone
E mail: pundircs@rediffmail.com
Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Vol. 43, April 2006, pp. 105-118
Exploring selectivity requirements for peripheral versus central benzodiazepine receptor binding affinity: QSAR modeling of 2-phenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine acetamides using topological and physicochemical descriptors
Manoj Kumar Dalai, J Thomas Leonard and Kunal Roy*
Received 9 September 2005; revised 16 March 2006
Considering the
potential of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) ligands in therapeutic
applications and clinical benefit in the management of a large spectrum of different
indications, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study has been
attempted to explore the structural and physicochemical requirements for
selectivity of 2-phenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridineacetamides for binding with
peripheral over central benzodiazepine receptors (CBRs). For PBR binding
affinity, molar refractivity (MR)
shows a parabolic relation with binding affinity suggesting that binding
affinity increases with increase in volume of the compounds, until it reaches
the critical value, after which the affinity decreases. The negative
coefficients of S_aaN and S_ssNH indicate that binding affinity
increases with decrease in E-state value of 
(aromatic nitrogen) and HN< (secondary amino group)
fragments. The coefficient
of 3χvc
and JX term indicates the importance
of shape and branching for binding affinity. For CBR
binding affinity, lipophilicity of molecules is detrimental to the binding
affinity, while presence of hydrogen at Y position is conducive to the
activity. Selectivity pattern of these ligands for peripheral (cortex) over
central receptors requires the presence and absence of methyl group at R2 and R3 positions
respectively, and shows the importance of MR
and shape parameter. Similarly, selectivity of these ligands for peripheral
(ovary) over central receptors requires the presence and absence of methyl
group at R2 and
R3 positions
respectively, presence of phenyl group at R1
and R2 positions and
selectivity relation shows importance of MR,
shape and branching.
Keywords: Quantitative structure-activity relationship, peripheral and
central benzodiazepine receptor binding,
2-phenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridineacetamides
E-mail:
kunalroy_in@yahoo.com
Notes
Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Vol. 43, April 2006, pp. 119-122
Rapid
regulatory effect of tri-iodothyronine (T3) on antioxidant enzyme
activities in a fish Anabas testudineus
(Bloch): Short-term in vivo and in vitro study
P
Sreejith and O V Oommen*
Received 13 September 2005; revised 13 February 2006
The short-term action of
thyroid hormone tri-iodothyronine (T3) was studied in vivo and in vitro on antioxidant enzyme activities in a teleost Anabas testudineus (Bloch). T3
injection in vivo (200 ng) in normal
fish decreased the lipid peroxidation products and increased superoxide
dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities after 30
min. T3 in vitro (10-6
M) increased the antioxidant
activities of catalase, glutathione reductase (GR), GPx and glutathione level
after 15/30 min, except SOD, substantiating in
vivo effects in normal fish. The results suggest a rapid regulatory effect
of thyroid hormone in vivo and in vitro, in the removal of reactive
oxygen species in
A. testudineus.
Keywords: Anabas
testudineus, antioxidant enzyme, fish, free radicals, lipid
peroxidation, thyroid, tri-iodothyronine
E-mail: oommen@bigfoot.com
Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Vol. 43, April 2006, pp. 123-126
Effect of endosulfan on growth, a
amylase activity and plasmids amplification
in Bacillus subtilis
Veysel Tolan* and Yavuz
Ensari
Received 19 January 2005; revised 20
January 2006
Endosulfan, a chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide of cyclodiene
subgroup acts as a contact poison in a wide variety of organisms. In the
present study, the effect of endosulfan on the growth, a amylase activity
and plasmid amplification was investigated in Bacillus subtilis system. The bacteria were grown in medium,
incubated with different concentrations (32, 48, 64 and 80 mg/mL) of
endosulfan. The bacterial growth was gradually seen after 1st day at
up to 48 mg/L endosulfan. The 48 mg/L endosulfan
inhibited approximately 50% of the bacterial growth. No growth was observed at
and after 64 mg/L endosulfan, for all days (1-5). Also, no a amylase activity
was found in the supernatant of the culture medium containing 64 and 80 mg/L endosulfan,
whereas slight activity was observed with 32 and 48 mg/L endosulfan
concentration. The amount of plasmid increased up to 50% in the presence of 32 mg/L endosulfan.
Endosulfan had no effect on the a amylase activity in vitro.
Keywords: Endosulfan, Bacillus
subtilis, α amylase, plasmid.
E mail: vtolan@dicle.edu.tr