Genome organisation and sequence comparison suggest intraspecies incongruence in M RNA of Watermelon bud necrosis virus

Watermelon bud necrosis virus (WBNV), a member of the genus Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae is an important viral pathogen in watermelon cultivation in India. The complete genome sequence properties of WBNV are not available. In the present study, the complete M RNA sequence and the genome organisation of a WBNV isolate infecting watermelon in Delhi (WBNV-wDel) were determined. The M RNA was 4,794 nucleotides (nt) long and potentially coded for a movement protein (NSm) of 34.22 kDa (307 amino acids) on the viral sense strand and a Gn/Gc glycoprotein precursor of 127.15 kDa (1,121 amino acids) on the complementary strand. The two open reading frames were separated by an intergenic region of 402 nt. The 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions were 55 and 47 nt long, respectively, containing complementary termini typical of tospoviruses. WBNV-wDel was most closely related (79.1% identity) to Groundnut bud necrosis virus, an important tospovirus that occurs in several crops in India, and was different (63.3–75.2% identity) from the other cucurbit-infecting tospoviruses known to occur in Taiwan and Japan. Sequence analysis of NSm and Gn/Gc revealed phylogenetic incongruence between WBNV-wDel and another isolate originating from central India (WBNV-Wm-Som isolate). The Wm-Som isolate showed evolutionary divergence from the wDel isolate in the Gn/Gc protein (74.6% identity) potentially due to recombination with the other tospoviruses that are known to occur in India. This is the first report of a comparison of complete sequences of M RNA of WBNV.     

Temporal synergism of neurotransmitter affecting drugs and seasonal reproductive responses of Indian Palm Squirrel,Funambulus pennanti

Summary Daily injections of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA, dopamine precursor) given 12 hour after 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP, serotonin precursor) eliminated annual testicular regression in seasonally breeding sub-tropical Palm Squirrel that undergoes seasonal changes in responsiveness to day-length and humidity. Other temporal relations (L-DOPA given 0, 4, 8, 16 and 20 hours after 5-HTP administration) decreased/delayed the rate of regression and maintained the reproductive system at intermediate level. 12-hour-relation maintained full breeding condition (maximum gonad and accessory sex organs) unlike control, which exhibited complete atrophy of primary and accessory sex organs.It seems likely that these injections entrained the circadian serotonergic and dopaminergic oscillations and the interaction/phase relation of these two systems through their many circadian expressions (neural/hormonal) accounts for the seasonal interpretation of environmental factors. It is suggested that response in the present study is not a pharmacological effect of drugs but temporal synergism of neural acitivities affected the seasonality of reproduction as only 12-hour-relation of 5-HTP and L-DOPA maintained breeding activity during post reproductive phase of annual gonad cycle in Palm Squirrel.     

Standardization of Regeneration,Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation,and Introduction of Nucleocapsid Gene of Watermelon Bud Necrosis Virus in Watermelon

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - Seven types of explants (proximal cotyledon, distal cotyledon, distal cotyledon leaves, proximal cotyledon...     

Elimination of testicular regression by 12-hr temporal relationship of serotonergic and dopaminergic activity in Indian Palm Squirrel,Funambulus pennanti

Summary Specific temporal relationship (12-hr) of serotonin and dopamine activity was induced by precursor drugs (5-HTP and L-DOPA) in Indian Palm SquirrelFunambulus pennanti during testicular regression phase. This treatment established breeding condition unlike control, which experienced complete atrophy of testes and accessory sex organs.It is obvious that seasonal testicular regression of Indian Palm Squirrel can be eliminated by 12hr relation of 5-HTP and L-DOPA, which is not a pharmacological effect but actually is an alteration of seasonality in this annually breeding subtropical mammal. It may be concluded that specific phase relation (12-hr) between circadian serotonergic and dopaminergic oscillations may induce breeding condition in regressing gonad of Indian Palm Squirrel during post-reproductive phase of annual gonadal cycle. It is also suggested that inspite of the different environmental factors (photoperiod, humidity etc.) used by different species to time their annual reproduction, basic regulatory mechanism of seasonality appears to be the same, i.e., temporal synergism of neurotransmitter activity.