African Journal of Biological Sciences

1-8

Authors: Martin L. Nelwan

Introduction: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder inherited in accordance with the law of segregation. Detection tools for people with PKU can include Sanger Sequencing (SS) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). Diet therapy, Large Neutral Amino Acids (LNAA), and Specific Nutrient Combination (SNC) can help alleviate people with PKU. In the future, genetic manipulation techniques can help to eliminate PKU. Objectives: In this review, the author describes the progress in a study that focused on detection tools such as SS and NGS, the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene and mutations in the PAH gene, use of drugs for PKU, and genetic manipulation techniques such as Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) RNA-guided FokI nuclease system (FokI-dCas9 system). AAV is abbreviation of AAV. CRISPR system is abbreviation of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. Methods: The author searched the PubMed Database at National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) for articles on PKU disorder. These articles were published between 2014 and 2019. Articles were open access and in English. Searches were also done at Google and ScienceDirect. Results: PKU derives from mutations in the PAH gene. Features of PKU may include ataxia, intellectual ability, and seizures. MassARRAY method, minisequencing method, SS and NGS can detect PKU on humans. Diet therapy, BH4, LNAA, SNC, enzyme therapy can help patients with PKU. However, these drugs cannot treat PKU permanently. In the future, genetic manipulation techniques can be used. AAV vectors and FokI-dCas9 system can be useful to eliminate PKU disorder. Conclusion: Guthrie method, MassARRAY, minisequencing, SS and NGS are tools for detecting PKU. Treatments with such as diet therapy, LNAA, SNC, and enzyme therapy are useful for PKU disorder. AAV vectors and FokI-dCas9 system are methods that can be useful for eliminating PKU in the future.

18-27

Authors: Liatu Columbus Garba, Florence A Oyieke, Eunice Anyango Owino, Georgina Samuel Mwansat, and Williams Chintem, D.G.W

Diversity of species arises majorly from speciation and this has serious epidemiological implications to disease transmission. The study aimed to determine the species of anopheline vectors of malaria present in five locations along with different altitudes on the highlands of Mambilla Plateau Nigeria. These are; Nguroje (1,885 m), Yelwa (1,674 m), Gembu (1,584 m), Kakara (1,496 m) and Mayo-selbe (484 m) above sea level. Samples were collected by Center for Disease Control (CDC) light trap, Pyrethrum Spray Catches (PSC) and others were reared from larvae. A total of 878 female anopheline mosquitoes comprising of five species namely; Anopheles gambiae sl 757(86.22%), Anopheles coustani 73(8.31%), Anopheles funestus 29(3.30%), Anopheles pharoensis 18(2.05%) and Anopheles rufipes 1(0.11%). Mayo-selbe had the highest species abundance of 572 but lowest species diversity index of 0.24 An. gambiae dominated over other anopheline species 0.76. Yelwa had the least abundance but very high diversity index of 0.81 dominance was 0.41. Out of the 757 An. gambiae tested by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), 712(94.06%) were An. gambiae s.s., 192(25.37%) were M form and 520(68.69%) were S form. There was a very strong positive correlation between the M and S forms. As the M forms increase along the locations so also the S forms, r2 = 0.94204.

39-46

Authors: R. Gowthami, R. Amutha and V. Ravichandran

Drought or moisture stress reduces growth and yield of various crops by decreasing chlorophyll pigments, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance as well as transpiration rates. Under such water limited conditions, the productivity of the crop can be improved by foliar spray of plant growth regulating chemicals. In the present study, split plot design was employed with moisture stress as main plot (M0 – No stress, M1 – Moisture stress at vegetative stage, M2 – Moisture stress at reproductive stage) and foliar spray of plant growth regulating chemicals as sub plot (S1 – Control, S2 – Proline (50 mM), S3 – KCl (1%), S4 – Glycine betaine (50 mM), S5 – Ascorbic acid (100 ppm), S6 – Salicylic acid (100 ppm)) in three replicates. Among the physiological parameters observed, the maximum Relative Water Content (RWC) (89.8%) was observed with glycine betaine (50 mM) treatment at 40 Days. While the highest Chlorophyll Stability Index (CSI) (88.2%) was observed in proline (50 mM) treatment at 60 Days. Similarly, the Membrane Stability Index (MSI) (82.1%) was maximum with proline (50 mM) treatment at 40 Days. With respect to biochemical parameters, the higher leaf proline content of 315.9 µg g-1 was observed in proline (50 mM) treatment at 80 Days. The maximum leaf soluble protein content (17.1 mg g-1). While, the catalase activity was maximum (7.9 µg H2O2 g-1 min-1) with proline (50 mM) as well as ascorbic acid (100 ppm) at 60 Days.