We investigated the role of interferon (IFN)- gamma , interleukin (IL)-1 beta , IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha , and transforming growth factor (TGF)- beta in clinically well-defined groups of Plasmodium falciparum-infected patients manifesting mild malaria (MM), severe noncerebral malaria (SM), or cerebral malaria (CM) and in control subjects from Gondia, a malaria-endemic site in India, as well as in healthy subjects from non-malaria-endemic areas. Two-way coupled cluster analysis revealed 2 clusters of cytokines relevant to clinical subgroups of disease. The first cluster was composed of IFN- gamma , IL-2, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-12, the levels of which were significantly increased during infection but were predominant in patients with MM and allowed us to distinguish them from patients with SM or CM. The second cluster was composed of TGF- beta , TNF- alpha , IL-10, and IL-1 beta , the levels of which were highly correlated with each other in the different clinical groups of patients and significantly increased with disease severity, particularly in CM. Discriminant analyses allowed us to propose a minimal model. Levels of cytokines such as IL-5, IL-1 beta , IL-10, and IL-2 increase with infection. Levels of IL-12, IL-5, and IL-6 discriminate severe forms of malaria from MM. Finally, levels of IL-1 beta , IL-12, and IFN- gamma are relevant for the discrimination of CM from SM: high IL-1 beta levels are associated with CM, and high IL-12 and IFN- gamma levels are associated with SM.

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P. falciparum encodes PfEMP-1 which is important in pathogenicity and virulence. We have analyzed the structure of the Duffy binding like (DBLalpha) domain of var genes and predicted the antigenic sites and T and B cell epitopes which present a highly variable picture with major implications in immune interactions and vaccine design.

Plasmodium falciparum synthesizes P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein-1 (PfEMP-1), a product of the multicopy var gene family, which localizes on the surface of infected erythrocytes. This protein plays an important role in cytoadherence and immune evasion. Comparative analysis of the molecular sequences of the DBLα domain of the var gene from different isolates of the parasite reveals variations in the number of cysteines and presence of small conserved motifs like DGEA, RGD, GAG-binding motifs. Phylogenetic analysis while highlighting the extensive diversity leads to clustered them in separate clades far apart from each other. Discriminant factor analysis of physicochemical properties of amino acid sequences revealed that the aliphatic index, isoelectric point, and instability index have more effect in deciding the variance of different isolates sequences. The origin of diverse repertoire of the DBLα domain in the parasites highlights the complexity of host-parasite relationship in the context of parasite survival.

By using Bioinformatic tools three sets of codehop, webprimer and manually, gene specific degenerate primers were designed for Sesamum desaturase. Through Gradient PCR approach maximum homology among desaturase sequences was observed to be with Arachis hypogaea than the other oil seed crops compared. Primers designed through Codehop and webprimershowed amplification of the gene sequence. The aim of this present study was to utilize bioinformatic tools for sesame improvement programs towards diversifying the fatty acid composition of the seed oil.

Thioesterases play a central role in determining chain lengths of fatty acids in oil storage tissues and have been isolated from a number of plant sources. TEs can be classified into two evolutionarily related families, namely FatA and FatB, with distinct substrate selectivity. With the help of bioinformatics tools alignment was done among the selected thioesterase genes from related oilseed crops. Degenerate primers were designed by manual, codehop and webprimer methods for the conserved regions. Gradient PCR with designed primers showed amplification with manual and codehop primers in sesamum DNA. Amplified DNA is transformed and plasmids are sequenced. Sequences are searched for homology with BLAST. The homology at the amino acid level for thioesterase sequences was observed to be with Helianthus annuus than with the other oil seed crops compared.