A comparative account of floral diversity in midland and coastal sacred groves of north Malabar.

Asian Jr. of Microbiol. Biotech. Env. Sc. 12 (2),2010: 427-428.

Deepamol P.C. And K.M. Khaleel

Dept. of P.G. Studies & Research in Botany, sir Syed College, Taliparamba, Kannur (Dist.) Kerala, India.

Abstract: Sacred groves represent patches of forests protected by assigning them as abode of Gods and Goddesses. Many of the sacred groves have great species diversity and contained rare and endangered flora that are found else where. Sacred groves are minibiosphere reserve. We visited certain sacred groves in midland and coastal region of North Malabar. Among them Pungottu Kavu, (midland sacred grove) and Edayile Kadu (Coastal sacred grove)are very important. The present paper highlights a comparative account of floral diversity in midland and coastal sacred groves of North Malabar. For the taxonomic study we frequently field visited and with the help of authentic books and experts in the fields all the plants are identified. In Pungottu Kavu, the dominant family is the Myristicaceae. Important flora found at here are Myristica malabarica, Hopea parviflora, Holigaena aenottiana, Knema attinuata etc. It is a Myristica swamp. Rare and endemic taxa and botanically interesting giant specimens were recorded in this area. In Edayile Kadu, we found a dominant association of Diospyros perigrina, Holigarna arnottiana and Hopea parviflora. Presence of canebreaks is another peculiarity. Sacred groves deliver a number of ecosystem services. Conservation of biodiversity and maintenance of the ecosystem is very important for the existence of human race. So we must protect sacred groves.

Interacting Effect of Frankia and Azotobacter on the growth and yield of Casuarina Plants.

Asian Jr. of Microbiol. Biotech. Env. Sc. Vol12 (2), 2010,343-346.
Razia S. Ebrahim, Susan Panicker and D. Clarson
Department of Biochemistry, School of Medical Education, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India

Abstract: Two species of Casurina plants were inoculated with Frankia a root nodule inducing actinomycete and acetobactor, a non symbiotic soil bacteria in both single and dual treatments. The results indicated that in Casuarina equisetifolia inoculation with Frankia alone enhanced growth and yield whereas in Casuarina junghuhniana combined inoculation proved successful.

Photosynthetic efficiency of transgenic tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L.) over-expressing mtlD gene under drought and paraquat stress

Indian Journal of Plant Physiology15 (2),2010
AlamBadre 1, Jacob James1,Earl Hugh J.2,3

1Plant Physiology Division, Rubber Research Institute of India, Kottayam-686 009, India.
2Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Plant Sciences Building, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-7272, USA.
3Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
E Mail: badrealam@gmail.com

• Abstract:The objective of this study was to examine the performance of genetically transformed tobacco plants over-expressing mannitol 1-phosphate dehydrogenase (mtlD) in maintaining better photosynthetic activity than the untransformed wild plants during water deficit stress and in combination with paraquat stress. Inhibitions in the rates of net CO2 assimilation (PN) and the non-cyclic photosynthetic electron transport across photosystem II (ETR) due to water deficit stress were much smaller in the mtlD transformed plants (22% and 9%, respectively) than in the untransformed wild ones (55% and 52%, respectively). These differences were even more marked when the plants experiencing water deficit stress were treated with paraquat, which blocks the photosynthetic electron transfer chain and diverts the excitation energy into producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). The minimal inhibitions in the photochemical activity (9–10%) of mtlD transformed plants resulting from the environmental stresses agree with their expected efficient use of photosynthetic electrons. Results of the present study thus suggest that mtlD transformed tobacco plants tolerated the stress better than the untransformed wild plants which is noteworthy for further attention.
  

Tomato leaf curl Kerala virus (ToLCKeV) AC3 protein forms a higher order oligomer and enhances ATPase activity of replication initiator protein (Rep/A

Virology Journal 2010, 7:128, Published: 14 June 2010

Kalyan K Pasumarthy , Nirupam R Choudhury and Sunil K Mukherjee
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi -110067, India

Abstract

Background: Geminiviruses are emerging plant viruses that infect a wide variety of vegetable crops, ornamental plants and cereal crops. They undergo recombination during co-infections by different species of geminiviruses and give rise to more virulent species. Antiviral strategies targeting a broad range of viruses necessitate a detailed understanding of the basic biology of the viruses. ToLCKeV, a virus prevalent in the tomato crop of Kerala state of India and a member of genus Begomovirus has been used as a model system in this study.
Results:AC3 is a geminiviral protein conserved across all the begomoviral species and is postulated to enhance viral DNA replication. In this work we have successfully expressed and purified the AC3 fusion proteins from E. coli. We demonstrated the higher order oligomerization of AC3 using sucrose gradient ultra-centrifugation and gel-filtration experiments. In addition we also established that ToLCKeV AC3 protein interacted with cognate AC1 protein and enhanced the AC1-mediated ATPase activity in vitro.
Conclusions: Highly hydrophobic viral protein AC3 can be purified as a fusion protein with either MBP or GST. The purification method of AC3 protein improves scope for the biochemical characterization of the viral protein. The enhancement of AC1-mediated ATPase activity might lead to increased viral DNA replication.

Macroinvertebrate diversity of Veli and Kadinamkulam lakes, South Kerala, India

Journal of Environmental Biology, 31, 543-547, July 2010.

Latha C. and V. Salom Gnana Thanga
Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram - 695 581, India.
E Mail: salomshekin@rediffmail.com


Abstract: The diversity and distribution pattern of benthic macroinvertebrates in two backwaters viz., Veli and Kadinamkulam of Kerala were assessed using diversity indices. The samples were collected once in three months for a period of two years from six sampling sites (K1, K2, K3, V1, V2 and V3) and community variations were analyzed. Overall, 24 families were identified represented by mollusca, annelida and arthropoda (crustaceans and insects). Among this, dominant taxon was Mytilidae of molluscan family and site-wise dominance was maximum in sites V1 and V2. Richness and abundance were highest in site V2 and lowest in site K2. Diversity index ranged from 0.27 (K2) to 2.33 (V1). The diversity and distribution patterns of certain species were clearly related to water quality as evident from the present study.