European Journal of Molecular Biotechnology

56-62

Authors: Grigory A. Gerashchenkov, Gulnar R. Yasybaeva, Nataliya A. Rozhnova, Aleksey V. Chemeris

Apomixis is asexual seed reproduction without both meiosis and fertilization based on the complex developmental processes such as apomeiosis, parthenogenesis and specific endosperm development. This investigation is aimed at engineering of apomixis in Arabidopsis thaliana with sexual seed reproduction. The fragments of known genes of endosperm formation MEA, FIE, FIS2 and gene of apomeiosis DYAD (as control) were isolated using Q5 high fidelity DNA polymerase. These gene fragments of interest at the antisense orientation were fused with isolated constitutive and meiosis specific promoters of Arabidopsis at NcoI sites. The fused promoter-gene fragment modules were cloned in pCambia1301 at SalI cites. The engineered constructions will be used for the floral dip transformation of Arabidopsis and down regulation of these genes at engineering of apomixis.

80-87

Authors: Da´ad Ali Hussain

One of these major genes is growth hormone and growth hormone receptor (GH, GHR) genes which are related to production and reproduction traits in livestock. Associations were analysed between the bovine growth hormone (GH) as well as growth hormone receptor (GHR) combined with their genotypes (GH/AluI& GHR/AluI). There is extensive literature on the genetic polymorphism of GH and GHR in cattle, but perusal of literature has indicated paucity of information on these two genes in buffalo. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic polymorphism within growth hormone and its receptor genes in Iraqi buffalo using PCR-RFLP technique. Genomic DNA extracted from 100 healthy buffaloes and amplified using primers that were designed from the cattle GH and GHR gene sequences. All tested buffalo DNA amplified fragments at 428bp for GH 5th exon. The digestion with AluI endonuclease gave three types of genotypes. The Distribution of the three genotypes and allele frequency was calculated according to Hardy-Weinberg equation, were LL=94 (94.09%), LV=6 (5.82%) and VV=0 (0.09%), so that most of buffaloes was homozygous (LL) due to the presence of the restriction site at position 52^53 (AG^CT) and less heterozygous was for the valine allele as compared with leucine allele homozygous. The amplified fragments of GHR gene obtained from all tested buffalo DNA at 342-bp were digested with AluI endonuclease. The result showed that all tested buffaloes are genotyped as GG for GHR gene, where amplified fragments were digested into two digested fragments at 241and 101-bp due to the presence of AluI restriction site at position (AG^CT).

103-114

Authors: Sajedeh Saeedfar, Marzieh Negahban, Mohammad Mahmoodi Soorestani

Plot trials were carried out in a research field in Tehran (Iran) to determine the effect of drought stress on the essential oil content and some of the plant biochemical characteristics of Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum [Pursh] Kuntze), which is a valuable medicinal plant. Drought stress was conducted at different levels including: well-water (100% FC), mild drought stress (85% FC), moderate drought stress (70% FC), severe drought stress (55% FC), 100% FC (vegetative stage) 85% FC (reproductive stage), 100% FC (vegetative stage) 70% FC (reproductive stage), and 85% FC (vegetative stage) 100% FC (reproductive stage). The experiment was arranged as a RCBD with three replications. The output results showed that, water deficit stress significantly (P≤0.05) increased activities of antioxidant enzymes (Superoxide Dismutase, Catalase, Glutathione Peroxidase) as well as Essential Oil yield and Abscisic Acid content. Lipid and protein oxidation (malondialdehyde and dityrosine contents) also increased significantly under severe water deficit stress. According to the results, severe drought conduction (55% FC) is the optimum level of soil moisture to plant Anise Hyssop under water deficit stress.