In recent years\ considerable emphasis has been placed on the devel! opment of molecular markers to be used for a variety of objectives[ This review attempts to give an account of di}erent molecular markers * restriction fragment length polymorphisms "RFLPs#\ random ampli_ed polymorphic DNAs "RAPDs#\ sequence!tagged sites "STS#\ DNA ampli_cation _ngerprinting "DAF#\ ampli_ed fragment length poly! morphisms "AFLPs# and microsatellites "STMS# * currently available for genome mapping and for tagging di}erent traits in wheat[ Other markers\ including microsatellite!primed polymerase chain reaction "MP!PCR#\ expressed sequence tags "ESTs# and single nucleotide poly! morphisms "SNPs# are also discussed[ Recent information on synteny in cereal genomes\ marker!assisted selection\ marker validation and their relevance to cereal breeding in general and wheat breeding in particular are also examined[

The present study was designed to investigate the antihyperglycemic effect of Umbelliferone (UMB) in normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in adult male albino rats of the Wistar strain, weighing 180-200 g, by administration of STZ (40 mg/kg of body weight) intraperitoneally. Diabetic rats showed an increase in levels of blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) and activities of gluconeogenic enzymes such as glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, and a decrease in levels of plasma insulin, hemoglobin (Hb), and liver glycogen and activities of glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Intraperitoneal administration of UMB (10, 20, and 30 mg/kg of body weight) and glibenclamide (600 micro g/kg of body weight) in 10% dimethyl sulfoxide dissolved in water, for 45 days, produced significantly decreased levels of blood glucose and HbA(1c) and activities of glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, while elevating levels of plasma insulin, Hb, and liver glycogen and activities of glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase to near normal levels in STZ-diabetic rats when compared with normal control rats. Normal rats treated with UMB (30 mg/kg of body weight) also showed a significant effect on glycemic control. Thus, our results show that UMB at 30 mg/kg of body weight possesses a promising antihyperglycemic effect that is comparable with glibenclamide.

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The maize landraces in the North East Himalayan (NEH) region in India, especially in the Sikkim state, are morphologically highly diverse. The present study provides details of phenotypic and molecular characterization of a set of 48 selected maize landrace accessions, including the 'Sikkim Primitives' which have a unique habit of prolificacy (5-9 ears on a single stalk). Multi-location phenotypic evaluation of these 48 accessions revealed significant genetic variability for grain yield and its components, leading to identification of several promising accessions. Cluster analysis and PCA using nine morpho-agronomic characters clearly separated 'Sikkim Primitives' from the rest of the accessions. PCA revealed two principal components describing 90% of the total variation, with hundred kernel weight, ear length, ear diameter, number of kernels per ear and flowering behaviour forming the most discriminatory traits. The accessions were genotyped using 42 microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers using a 'population bulk DNA fingerprinting strategy', with allele resolution using an automated DNA Sequencer. The study revealed a high mean number of alleles per SSR locus (13.0) and high Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) value of 0.60. The analysis also led to identification of 163 private/unique alleles, differentiating 44 out of 48 accessions. Six highly frequent SSR alleles were detected at different loci (phi014, phi062, phi090, umc1266, umc1367 and umc2250) with individual frequencies >/=0.75. Some of these SSR loci were reported to tag specific genes/QTL for some important traits, indicating that chromosomal regions harboring these SSR alleles were not selectively neutral. Cluster analysis using Rogers' genetic distance also revealed distinct genetic identity of the 'Sikkim Primitives' from the rest of the accessions in India, including Sikkim. Mantel's test revealed significant and positive correlation between the phenotypic and molecular genetic dissimilarity matrices. The study was the first to portray the patterns of phenotypic and molecular diversity in the maize landraces from the NEH region in India.

Background:The ability of autotransporter (AT) to translocate polypeptides with multiple disulfide bonds is controversial. Results: Surface display of functional chymotrypsin (4 S-S) and M18 scFv (2 S-S) was quantitatively characterized. Conclusion: Surface display of functional recombinant protein with multiple disulfide bonds can be achieved using AT system. Significance: Displaying recombinant proteins with disulfide bonds enhances utility of ATs.

The present study was carried out to assess the influence of sesame oil on blood glucose, lipid peroxidation, and status of antioxidants in normal and streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in adult female albino Wistar rats weighing 180-200 g by administration of STZ (40 mg/kg of body weight) intraperitonially. Both normal and diabetic rats were fed with a commercial diet containing 2% oil supplemented with 6% sesame oil for 42 days. Diabetic rats had elevated levels of blood glucose (322.61 +/- 9.49 mg/dL), glycosylated hemoglobin, vitamin E, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and lipid hydroperoxides and decreased levels of hemoglobin, vitamin C, and reduced glutathione (GSH). An increase in glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activities and a decrease in hexokinase activity were observed in liver and kidney tissues. When diabetic rats fed with sesame oil were compared with diabetic rats, a significant reduction in levels of blood glucose (222.02 +/- 8.27 mg/dL), glycosylated hemoglobin, TBARS, and lipid hydroperoxides and glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activities and an elevation in hemoglobin, vitamin E, and GSH levels and hexokinase activity were observed. Thus, sesame oil consumption influences beneficially the blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant levels in diabetic rats.