Abstract:Wild cotton species can contribute a valuable gene pool for agronomically desirable cultivated tetraploid cultivars. In order to exploit diploid cotton a regeneration system is required to achieve transformation based goals. The present studies aimed at optimizing the conditions for regeneration of local varieties as well as wild species of cotton. Different callus induction media were tested with varying concentrations of hormones in which sucrose was used as nutritional source. Different explants (hypocotyls, cotyledon, root) were used to check the regeneration of both local cotton plants and wild relatives using T & G medium, BAP medium, CIM medium, EMMS medium, and cell suspension medium. Different stages of embryogenicity such as early torpedo stage, late torpedo stage, heart stage, globular stage and cotyledonary stage were observed in wild relatives of cotton. The results of this study pave the way for establishing future transformation methods.

Genetically transformed plants of virus-resistant genotype of Gossypium hirsutum L. CIM-443 were generated by using Agrobacterium and particle bombardment method. An insecticidal crylAb gene derived from Bacillus thuringiensis was introduced in the plants. Inoculated tissues were selected on MS medium containing kanamycin. The resultant plants showed protection against Lepidopteran insect Helicoverpa armigera. Molecular analysis showed the presence of crylAb gene in the genome of transformed plant. Immunological analysis of the transgenic plants indicated expression of Cry 1Ab protein upto 100-120 ng per mg of fresh leaf weight.

The functional antagonism between obestatin and ghrelin in the testis is under investigation. We investigated the ability of obestatin to counteract the inhibitory effect of ghrelin on basal and stimulated testosterone (T) secretion in vitro. Testicular strips from adult rats were incubated with 10 ng/ml and 100 ng/ml of obestatin alone, ghrelin alone and obestatin + ghrelin. Obestatin modulation of stimulated T secretion was evaluated by incubation of testicular samples with 10 ng/ml and 100 ng/ml obestatin, ghrelin and obestatin + ghrelin in the absence and presence of 10 IU of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). T concentrations in the hCG treated groups were significantly (P<0.0001) higher than those in the control groups. Obestatin caused a significant increase in basal T secretion in a dose-dependent manner; however, obestatin at the both 10 ng/ml and 100 ng/ml significantly (P<0.0001) increased hCG-stimulated T secretion. In contrast, ghrelin in a dose-dependent manner significantly (P<0.001) decreased both basal and hCG-induced T secretion by testicular slices. Obestatin opposed the inhibitory effect of ghrelin on T secretion under both basal and hCG-stimulated conditions at all doses tested. In conclusions, administration of obestatin was able to antagonize the inhibitory effect of ghrelin on testosterone secretion in vitro.

Cigarette smoke can provoke inflammation through stimulation of inflammatory cells which produce proinflammatory cytokines. Chronic inflammation is broadly recognized to generate cancer development through genotoxicity. 14 However, little is known about the correlation between the IL-6 and DNA damage in smokers.