Ajay Kumar Goel

Changes in oxidative stress enzymes during artificial ageing in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seeds

The present study was carried out to elucidate the mechanism of seed deterioration in two cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars (HS6 and H1098). The seeds were artificially aged at 40 +/- 1 degree C and 100% relative humidity for 4 days. In both cultivars, germinability decreased, whereas membrane deterioration, as assayed by electrical conductivity of the seed leachates, increased progressively with artificial ageing. The decrease in germinability was well correlated with increased accumulation of total peroxide and malondialdehyde content and decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase. Hydropriming for 2 h and ascorbic acid priming for 12 h partially maintained germination and the activities of various antioxidant enzymes under artificial ageing and the accumulation of peroxide and MDA content was decreased. The results suggest that cotton seed deterioration during accelerated ageing is closely related to a decrease in activities of various peroxide scavenging enzymes and to lipid peroxidation.

A large cholera outbreak due to a new cholera toxin variant of the Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor biotype in Orissa, Eastern India.

A total of 32 Vibrio cholerae isolates were collected during a recent large cholera outbreak in Eastern India. Biochemical and serological studies revealed that all of the isolates belonged to serogroup O1, biotype El Tor, serotype Ogawa. Two multiplex PCR assays confirmed the presence of various toxigenic and pathogenic genes - ace, ctxAB, hlyA, ompU, ompW, rfbO1, rtx, tcp, toxR and zot - in all of the isolates. Sequencing of the ctxB gene from the isolates revealed a novel mutation in the gene. Sequencing also confirmed the presence of altered cholera toxin B of the classical biotype in all of the El Tor isolates, suggesting infection of isolates by classical CTXPhi. The molecular diversity of V. cholerae isolates studied by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence PCR, BOX-PCR and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis uniformly showed the clonal relationship among the outbreak V. cholerae O1 isolates. The results of this study suggest that cholera-causing V. cholerae strains are constantly evolving in epidemic areas, highlighting the potential of the emergence of more virulent strains.

A new variant of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor causing cholera in India

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Single multiplex polymerase chain reaction for environmental surveillance of toxigenic—Pathogenic O1 and Non-O1vibrio cholerae

A multiplex PCR assay was developed for the detection of toxigenic and pathogenicV. cholerae from direct water sources using specific primers targeting diverse genes,viz. outer membrane protein (ompW), cholera toxin (ctxB), ORF specific for O1 (rfbG), zonula occludens (zot) and toxin co-regulated pilus (tcpB); among these genes,ompW acts as internal control forV. cholerae, thectx gene as a marker for toxigenicity andtcp for pathogenicity. The sensitivity of multiplex PCR was 5 × 104V. cholerae cells per reaction. The procedure was simplified as direct bacterial cells were used as template and there was no need for DNA extraction. The assay was specific as no amplification occurred with the other bacteria used. ToxigenicV. cholerae were artificially spiked in different water samples, filtered through a 0.45 µm membrane, and the filters containing bacteria were enriched in APW for 6 h. PCR following filtration and enrichment could detect as little as 8V. cholerae cells per mL in different spiked water samples. Various environmental potable water samples were screened for the presence ofV. cholerae using this assay procedure. The proposed method is rapid, sensitive and specific for environmental surveillance for the presence of toxigenicpathogenic and nonpathogenicV. cholerae.

Surveillance methodology for Vibrio cholerae in environmental samples

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of Vibrio cholerae in environmental water samples by using a series of biochemical tests. A total of 223 V. cholerae-like bacteria were isolated from TCBS agar after spreading the alkaline peptone water enriched sewer (n = 21) and water (n = 16) samples. All oxidase positive isolates were subjected to confirmation for V. cholerae by seven other biochemical tests and polymerase chain reaction. Only 74.2% isolates were found to be V. cholerae by PCR using primers against an outer membrane protein (ompW) gene, out of which only 2 isolates were positive for cholera toxin (ctxAB) gene. Among the various biochemical tests studied, arginine hydrolysis, arabinose fermentation and string test showed 92 – 100% sensitivity and 42 – 67% specificity. Eight isolates including the toxigenic ones, showed agglutination with V. cholerae O1 antiserum. The present study showed that no biochemical test is 100% specific for V. cholerae. However, a few tests, if performed in a sequence after growing the alkaline peptone water enriched samples onto TCBS media can be used for screening of V. cholerae from the environmental samples. This study also showed that most of the environmental isolates are non-O1/non-O139 and the chances of presence of toxigenic V. cholerae are very rare in the environment.

Molecular characterization reveals involvement of altered El Tor biotype Vibrio cholerae O1 strains in cholera outbreak at Hyderabad, India.

Thirty-four Vibrio cholerae isolates collected from a cholera outbreak in Hyderabad, South India were found to belong to serogroup Ol biotype El Tor serotype Ogawa. The genotype of all the isolates was confirmed by PCR assays. All the isolates were found PCR positive for ctxAB, ompW, rflOl, rtxC, and tcpA genes. All the isolates but one harboured rstREl Tor allele. However, one isolate carried both rstREL Tor as well as rstRClassical alleles. Cholera toxin (ctxB) genotyping of the isolates confirmed the presence of altered cholera toxin B of classical biotype in all the isolates. All the isolates except VCH35 harboured an RS1-CTX prophage array on the large chromosome. The isolate VCH35 contained a tandem repeat of classical CTX prophage on the small chromosome. The clonal relationship among the V. cholerae isolates as carried out by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences PCR, BOX PCR and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA, uniformly showed a genetic relationship among the outbreak isolates. The results of this study suggest that altered El Tor biotype V. cholerae with the classical cholera toxin gene are involved in cholera outbreaks in India.

Multidrug resistant Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor carrying classical ctxB allele involved in a cholera outbreak in South Western India.

Cholera is a fatal diarrheal disease characterized with enormous fluid loss through stools. A total of 41 Vibrio cholerae isolates collected from a recent cholera outbreak in Solapur, South Western India were found to belong to serogroup O1, biotype El Tor and serotype Ogawa. Molecular analysis revealed the prevalence of different toxigenic and pathogenic genes in the isolates. All the isolates harboured rstR(El)(Tor) allele indicating the presence of CTXΦ(El)(Tor). However, cholera toxin (ctxB) gene sequencing and a ctxB allele specific PCR of the isolates confirmed the presence of ctxB of classical biotype. The antibiogram profile revealed the resistance for several antibiotics including nalidixic acid, polymyxin B, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, rifampicin and vibriostatic agent 2,4-diamino-6,7-diisopropylpteridine (O/129). All the isolates were PCR positive for class 1 integron and SXT elements also. Fingerprinting analysis revealed the clonal relationship among the outbreak isolates. The results suggested the involvement of multidrug resistant V. cholerae El Tor biotype isolates having ctxB gene of classical biotype in the cholera outbreak.

Electrochemical immunosensor based on bismuth nanocomposite film and cadmium ions functionalized titanium phosphates for the detection of anthrax protective antigen toxin

Bacillus anthracis is a bioterrorism agent classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Herein, a novel electrochemical immunosensor for the sensitive, specific and easy detection of anthrax protective antigen (PA) toxin in picogram concentration was developed. The immunosensor consists of (i) a Nafion-multiwall carbon nanotubes-bismuth nanocomposite film modified glassy carbon electrodes (BiNPs/Nafion-MWCNTs/GCE) as a sensing platform and (ii) titanium phosphate nanoparticles-cadmium ion-mouse anti-PA antibodies (TiP-Cd(2+)-MαPA antibodies) as signal amplification tags. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), thermogravimmetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform-infra red spectroscopy (FT-IR), zeta-potential analysis, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were employed to characterize the synthesized TiP nanoparticles and modified electrode surfaces. The immunosensing performance of BiNPs/Nafion-MWCNTs/GCE was evaluated based on sandwich immunoassay protocol. A square wave voltammetry (SWV) scan from -1.2 to -0.3 V in HAc-NaAc buffer solution (pH 4.6) without stripping process was performed to record the electrochemical responses at -0.75 V corresponding to high content of Cd(2+) ions loaded in TiP nanoparticles for the measurement of PA toxin. Under optimal conditions, the currents increased with increasing PA toxin concentrations in spiked human serum samples and showed a linear range from 0.1 ng/ml to 100 ng/ml. The limit of detection of developed immunosensor was found to be 50 pg/ml at S/N=3. The total time of analysis was 35 min.

Direct immunofluorescence assay for rapid environmental detection ofVibrio cholerae O1

An immunofluorescence assay for direct detection ofV. cholerae O1 was developed using polyclonal antibodies raised against outer membrane proteins (OMPs) ofV. chloerae O1. Production of OMPs varied with growth media used; maximum production was found in tryptic soy broth. The detection system was specific because no cross-reactivity was observed with other bacteria includingV. cholerae O139,E. coli, S. dysenteriae andSalmonella enterica subsp.enterica serovar Typhi. The technique was able to detect 240 CFU/mL ofV. cholerae O1 suspended in phosphate-buffered saline. The assay coupled with bacterial enrichment in APW for 6 h detected as few as 5 CFU ofV. cholerae in spiked samples. Moreover, a 2-h incubation of enriched bacterial cells in 0.1 % yeast extract with 10 ppm nalidixic acid enhanced the bacterial size and helped in morphological identification ofV. cholerae. Among 32 potable water samples from afflicted hand pumps and wells collected from a cholera-plagued area 12 were found to be contaminated withV. cholerae by immunofluorescence assay as well as by conventional culture methods. The proposed method could thus be employed in environmental surveillance ofV. cholerae O1.

Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa El Tor strains with the ctxB7 allele driving cholera outbreaks in south-western India in 2012

Cholera has been a recurrent epidemic disease in human populations for the past 200years. We present herein a comparative characterization of clinical Vibrio cholerae strains isolated from two consecutive cholera outbreaks in 2012 and associated environmental strains from western India. The clinical and toxigenic environmental isolates were identified as hybrid V. cholerae O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor carrying the variant ctxB7 allele. Partial sequences of SXT integrase from the isolates revealed 100% identity to ICEVchInd5 (Sevagram, India, 1994) and VC1786ICE (Haiti, 2013). The full clonal relationship of the strains established by RAPD, Box PCR, ERIC PCR and MLST (pyrH, recA and rpoA) analyses, and the short time between the two outbreaks, strongly supported that both outbreaks were due to a single strain. The study corroborated that faecal contamination of the potable water supply was the main reason for the first outbreak, which further spread to other areas and resulted in the second outbreak. The study concluded that the circulating El Tor variant strains of epidemic potential in the region can be a serious concern in the future.