Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University

About: Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University is a education organization based out in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Thermal decomposition & Lymnaea acuminata. The organization has 1032 authors who have published 1591 publications receiving 21734 citations. The organization is also known as: Gorakhpur University.

Influence of PNA containing 8-aza-7-deazaadenine on structure stability and binding affinity of PNA·DNA duplex: insights from thermodynamics, counter ion, hydration and molecular dynamics analysis

Abstract: This paper describes the synthesis of a novel 8-aza-7-deazapurin-2,6-diamine (DPP)-containing peptide nucleic acid (PNA) monomer and Boc protecting group-based oligomerization of PNA, replacing adenine (A) with DPP monomers in the PNA strand. The PNA oligomers were synthesized against the biologically relevant SV40 promoter region (2494-AATTTTTTTTATTTA-2508) of pEGFP-N3 plasmid. The DPP-PNA·DNA duplex showed enhanced stability as compared to normal duplex (A-PNA·DNA). The electronic distribution of DPP monomer suggested that DPP had better electron donor properties over 2,6-diamino purine. UV melting and thermodynamic analysis revealed that the PNA oligomer containing a diaminopyrazolo(3,4-d)pyrimidine moiety (DPP) stabilized the PNA·DNA hybrids compared to A-PNA·DNA. DPP-PNA·DNA duplex showed higher water activity (Δnw = 38.5) in comparison to A-PNA·DNA duplex (Δnw = 14.5). The 50 ns molecular dynamics simulations of PNA·DNA duplex containing DPP or unmodified nucleobase-A showed average H-bond distances in the DPP–dT base pair of 2.90 A (O⋯H–N bond) and 2.91 A (N⋯H–N bond), which were comparably shorter than in the A–dT base pair, in which the average distances were 3.18 A (O⋯H–N bond) and 2.97 A (N⋯H–N bond), and there was one additional H-bond in the DPP–dT base pair of around 2.98 A (O2⋯H–N2 bond), supporting the higher stability of DPP-PNA·DNA. The analysis of molecular dynamics simulation data showed that the system binding free energy increased at a rate of approximately −4.5 kcal mol−1 per DPP base of the PNA·DNA duplex. In summary, increased thermal stability, stronger hydrogen bonding and more stable conformation in the DPP-PNA·DNA duplex make it a better candidate as antisense/antigene therapeutic agents.

Ultimobranchial gland of freshwater catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis, in response to calcitonin administration

Abstract: The absence o!!f a hypocalcemic effect of calcitonin (CT) in fishes has been suggested due to exceedingly high plasma levels of CT; the fish may be saturated with respect of circulating CT and therefore unable to respond to exogenously administered CT. Earlier it has been suggested that a hypocalcemic action of injected CT may be obscured by changes in the release of endogenous CT and other calcium regulating hormones. In this study we have used artificial freshwater, calcium-deficient freshwater and calcium-rich freshwater and injected the fish with CT. The aim behind selecting these media were (i) in calcium-deficient medium there would be reduced circulating levels of CT, (ii) in calcium-rich medium there would be diminished secretion of prolactin (this hormone is hypercalcemic in fish), and (iii) by keeping the fish in calcium-rich medium we can test the antihypercalcemic action of CT. Moreover, the present study would reveal the changes in the ultimobranchial gland (UBG) after keeping the fish in all the above three media and/or injecting the fish with CT. Freshwater catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis, were administered intraperitoneally daily with vehicle or 0.5 U/100g body wt of salmon calcitonin (CT) and kept in artificial freshwater, calcium-rich freshwater and calcium-deficient freshwater for 10 days. Blood samples were collected on 1, 3, 5, and 10 days following the treatment and analyzed for serum calcium levels. The ultimobranchial gland (UBG) was also fixed for histological studies on these intervals. In artificial freshwater there was no change in the serum calcium levels of calcitonin-injected fish. The ultimobranchial gland of calcitonin-injected fish exhibited a progressive decrease in the nuclear volume from day 5 onwards. On day 10 vacuolization in the gland was also noticed. In vehicle-injected fish (control) kept in calcium-rich freshwater hypercalcemia has been noticed which persists till the end of the experiment. In calcitonin-treated fish maintained in calcium-rich freshwater there is no change in serum calcium level as compared to vehicle-injected fish. In vehicle-injected fish the UBG depicts decreased staining response and increased nuclear volume at day 5. On day 10 the nuclear volume is further increased and few degenerating cells have been noticed. Calcitonin fails to induce any histological change in the UBG as compared to control. In vehicle-injected fish kept in calcium-deficient freshwater the serum calcium levels decrease from day 1 to day 3. The levels exhibit hypercalcemia on day 10. CT treatment to the fish kept in calcium-deficient freshwater evokes a decrease in the calcium levels on day 1 and day 3. A significant hypercalcemia has been noticed on day 5 and day 10. In vehicle-injected fish kept in calcium-deficient freshwater the UBG reveals a decreased staining response on day 10. In CT-injected fish maintained in calcium-deficient freshwater the UBG depicts an increased nuclear volume and few exhausted cells on day 10. It can be concluded that CT can provoke hypocalcemia only when the fish is kept in medium which reduces the circulating levels of this hormone. The UBG of the fish kept in different calcemic media responded in a manner to indicate that it produces hypocalcemic factor - CT.

Computational studies on the thermal decomposition of the CH2FOCHFO radical

Abstract: Theoretical studies have been carried out on the kinetics and thermochemistry of the thermal decomposition of the CH2FOCHFO radical formed during the photo-oxidation of CH2FOCH2F (HFE-152E) using the dual-level method of obtaining the optimised structure at DFT(M06-2X)/6-311++G(d,p) followed by a single-point energy calculation at the G3 level of theory. The rate constant for different reaction channels involved during the decomposition processes of CH2FOCHFO is evaluated at 298 K and 1 atm using canonical transition-state theory. The results point out that the C–H bond scission is the dominant path involving an energy barrier of 9.5 kcal mol−1 determined at the G3 level of theory. A potential energy diagram is constructed and the results are compared with the data available from the literature for a structurally similar molecule.

Toxicity of Bauhinia variegata and Mimusops elengi with plant molluscicides against Lymnaea acuminata

Abstract: Molluscicidal activity of binary combination of Bauhinia variegata and Mimusops elengi with other plant molluscicides Saraca asoca and Thuja orientalis against snail Lymnaea acuminata have been studied. It was observed that toxicity of binary combinations of plant molluscicides with other plant molluscicides were toxic against fresh water snail L. acuminata. Among all combinations of toxicity Mimusops elengi leaf + Saraca asoca bark (24h LC50: 98.25 mg/l; 96h LC50: 40.40 mg/l) and Bauhinia variegata leaf powder + Saraca asoca leaf (24h LC50: 123.98 mg/l; 96h LC50: 57.91 mg/l) was more toxic than other binary combinations of plant molluscicides. Mimusops elengi leaf powder + Saraca asoca leaf powder and Bauhinia variegata leaf powder + Saraca asoca leaf powder are more potent molluscicides.