a b s t r a c tWe studied a-synuclein (aS) aggregation in giant vesicles, and observed dramatic membrane disintegration, as well as lipid incorporation into micrometer-sized suprafibrillar aggregates. In the presence of dye-filled vesicles, dye leakage and fibrillization happen concurrently. However, growing fibrils do not impair the integrity of phospholipid vesicles that have a low affinity for aS. Seeding aS aggregation accelerates dye leakage, indicating that oligomeric species are not required to explain the observed effect. The evolving picture suggests that fibrils that appear in solution bind membranes and recruit membrane-bound monomers, resulting in lipid extraction, membrane destabilization and the formation of lipid-containing suprafibrillar aggregates.

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We investigated the role of vitamin-D receptor gene (VDR) and calcitonin receptor (CTR) gene polymorphism in childhood nephrolithiasis in the north Indian population. A control group of 60 healthy paediatric individuals (age range 4-16 years) and 50 paediatric patients (age range 2-14 years) with kidney stones were examined. Polymorphism in both genes (VDR and CTR) was detected by using PCR-based restriction analysis. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups for the genotypes of the VDR gene Fok-I polymorphism (P =0.007) and the CTR gene (P =0.048) polymorphism. The odds ratio (95% Confidence Interval) for the C allele in those at risk of stone disease was 1.83 (0.82-4.09) in VDR gene polymorphism and 1.99 (0.90-4.39) in the case of CTR gene polymorphism. Our results suggest that the effects of VDR (Fok-I) and CTR gene polymorphism contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of urinary calculi. It is also suggestive of a potential candidate gene in the search for genetic causes of paediatric calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis.

Half diallel analysis of eight parents was carried out to identify the high heterotic crosses and their relationship in terms of general and specific combining ability (GCA & SCA) in Brassica juncea L. Czern and Coss at IARI, New Delhi, during 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. The relative heterosis and heterobeltiosis were observed to be the highest with respect to seed yield per 100 siliquae and days from sowing to 50% flowering in case of cross IC-199715  IC-199714, EC-289602  Prakash in the number of primary branches per plant and harvest index, Agra Local  Pusa Bahar in the length of main axis, Poorbijaya  Agra Local in the number of siliquae on main axis and EC-289602  Pusa Bahar in the biologic yield per plant and seed yield per plant. Different cross combinations exhibited the maximum value of better and mid-parent heterosis for the remaining traits, viz., days to maturity, number of secondary branches per plant, plant height and 1000-seed weight. GCA and SCA variances were significant in all characters. The variance of GCA (s 2 g) was observed to be higher from sowing to 50% flowering and maturity in plant height and 1000-seed weight, whereas the variance of SCA (s 2 s) was higher in seed yield and other remaining parameters.

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