Flavonoids are nearly ubiquitous in plants and are recognized as the pigments responsible for the colors of leaves, especially in autumn. They are rich in seeds, citrus fruits, olive oil, tea, and red wine. They are low molecular weight compounds composed of a three-ring structure with various substitutions. This basic structure is shared by tocopherols (vitamin E). Flavonoids can be subdivided according to the presence of an oxy group at position 4, a double bond between carbon atoms 2 and 3, or a hydroxyl group in position 3 of the C (middle) ring. These characteristics appear to also be required for best activity, especially antioxidant and antiproliferative, in the systems studied. The particular hydroxylation pattern of the B ring of the flavonoles increases their activities, especially in inhibition of mast cell secretion. Certain plants and spices containing flavonoids have been used for thousands of years in traditional Eastern medicine. In spite of the voluminous literature available, however, Western medicine has not yet used flavonoids therapeutically, even though their safety record is exceptional. Suggestions are made where such possibilities may be worth pursuing.

The Effects of Plant Flavonoids on Mammalian Cells:Implications for Inflammation, Heart Disease, and Cancer

The biochemistry and medical significance of the flavonoids.

Tetraodon nigroviridis is a freshwater puffer fish with the smallest known vertebrate genome. Here, we report a draft genome sequence with long-range linkage and substantial anchoring to the 21 Tetraodon chromosomes. Genome analysis provides a greatly improved fish gene catalogue, including identifying key genes previously thought to be absent in fish. Comparison with other vertebrates and a urochordate indicates that fish proteins have diverged markedly faster than their mammalian homologues. Comparison with the human genome suggests ∼900 previously unannotated human genes. Analysis of the Tetraodon and human genomes shows that whole-genome duplication occurred in the teleost fish lineage, subsequent to its divergence from mammals. The analysis also makes it possible to infer the basic structure of the ancestral bony vertebrate genome, which was composed of 12 chromosomes, and to reconstruct much of the evolutionary history of ancient and recent chromosome rearrangements leading to the modern human karyotype.

/pdf/genome-duplication-in-the-teleost-fish-tetraodon-qw9iuo5jxx.pdf

Genome duplication in the teleost fish Tetraodon nigroviridis reveals the early vertebrate proto-karyotype

Copper toxicity, oxidative stress, and antioxidant nutrients.

Neurospora crassa is a central organism in the history of twentieth-century genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Here, we
report a high-quality draft sequence of the N. crassa genome. The approximately 40-megabase genome encodes about 10,000
protein-coding genes—more than twice as many as in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and only about 25% fewer
than in the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. Analysis of the gene set yields insights into unexpected aspects of Neurospora biology
including the identification of genes potentially associated with red light photobiology, genes implicated in secondary metabolism,
and important differences in Ca21 signalling as compared with plants and animals. Neurospora possesses the widest array of
genome defence mechanisms known for any eukaryotic organism, including a process unique to fungi called repeat-induced
point mutation (RIP). Genome analysis suggests that RIP has had a profound impact on genome evolution, greatly slowing the
creation of new genes through genomic duplication and resulting in a genome with an unusually low proportion of closely related
genes.

/pdf/the-genome-sequence-of-the-filamentous-fungus-neurospora-2jw3s2832k.pdf

The genome sequence of the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa

Toxic effects of cesium chloride on plant chromosomes

The C-bands of Lathyrus sphaericus are present in the centromeric region of all the 14 chromosomes and the satellited region of the nucleolar pair. Orientation of interphase chromosomes is non-random and late anaphase arrangement of chromosomes is maintained up to next late prophase through interphase. At interphase, centromeric regions form a ring-like arrangement towards one pole and chromosomes remain polarised. The chromosomes may be present singly or 2-3 centro-meres may associate to form 5-7 centromeric masses. Regularity of spatial relationshipof chromosomes throughout the division cycle is indicated. Non-random arrangement of interphase chromosomes and organization of a structure like centromeric ring for maintaining the spatial relationship have been demonstrated.

Centromeric ring and arrangement of centromeres in interphase of Lathyrus sphaericus as detected by C-banding.

Genetic markers in relation to different exposures

In this study we have constructed a class of economical block designs called regular graph generalized neighbor designs for circular blocks of size 4 and v ≤ 50. This class of design can provide an efficient alternative of universally optimal neighbor designs. These designs will increase the applications of regular graph designs particularly in the fields of serology, agro forestry and agriculture, etc. In terms of efficiency factor, proposed designs are more efficient as compared with other generalized neighbor designs. The two best designs, for v =26 and v =50, have percentage of upper bound 99.91% and 99.93% respectively.

http://www.thenucleuspak.org.pk/index.php/Nucleus/article/download/529/732

Chromosomes—to date

Publisher Summary
This chapter provides an overview of chromosome analysis from malignant tissues. The development of techniques for the study of cancer chromosomes and their behavior was principally stimulated by the discovery that certain human abnormalities or diseases, such as mongoloid idiocy, can be correlated with certain chromosomal irregularities, and since then, various techniques have been developed for the study of cancer chromosomes from tissues extracted from individuals, or after growing them in culture. In addition to blood and bone marrow, only biopsies for studying the chromosomes can be taken from patients suffering from cancer in various organs. The different methods by which a carcinogen can be administered into tissue to induce cancerous growth in animals are: (1) feeding—applied in a specific dose in the food, (2) intraperitoneal injection, (3) subcutaneous injection, and (4) rubbing into the skin. To study the behavior of chromosomes and cell division in different subcultures obtained from the primary tumors, the following methods may be applied: ascitic fluid and single-cell subculturing from ascitic fluid.

Archana Sharma

Papers

Toxic effects of cesium chloride on plant chromosomes

Centromeric ring and arrangement of centromeres in interphase of Lathyrus sphaericus as detected by C-banding.

Genetic markers in relation to different exposures

Chromosomes—to date

Chromosome analysis from malignant tissues