Efficient detection of pathogen virus in sand dabs,Paralichthys olivaceus using loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP)

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus（VHSV） and marine birnavirus（MABV） are the causative pathogens for some of the most explosive epidemics of emerging viral diseases in many Asian countries, leading to huge economic losses in aquaculture. Rapid molecular detection for surveillance or diagnosis has been a critical component in reducing the prevalence of pathogen infection. The loop-mediated isothermal amplification（LAMP） of DNA is currently one of the most commonly used molecular diagnostic tools, as it is simple, quick, and easy to amplify target DNA under isothermal conditions. In the present study, a novel and highly specific LAMP assay for the sensitive and rapid detection of VHSV and MABV infection in fish was developed. Using a set of synthesized primers matching a specific region of the genome, the efficiency and specificity of the LAMP assay were optimized in terms of the reaction temperature and DNA polymerase concentration, as they are the main determinants of the sensitivity and specificity of the LAMP assay. In particular, we demonstrated that our assay could be applied to efficient detection of VHSV and MABV infection in the wild fish, Paralichthys olivaceus. Our results demonstrate the simplicity and convenience of this method for the detection of viral infection in aquatic organisms.

Forensic Identification of Four Indian Snake Species Using Single Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction

Among different endangered animal species,snakes are the most neglected creature looked at with apathy and therefore,are ruthlessly killed,illegally trafficked,and poached for their venom,lucrative skin,meat,and bones for manufacturing of medicines,accessories,and food items.Establishing the identity of the endangered snake species is important for punishing the offenders under Wildlife Protection Act(WPA)(1972)but morphological characters fail to establish identity as they are often altered.The technique of identification of snake species at molecular level holds very effective conclusion in punishing offender.Here,we have constructed and demonstrated a novel multiplexing polymerase chain reaction technique,using 16S rRNA and C-mos gene for identification of four Indian snake species,namely Ptyas mucosa,Daboia russellii,Naja naja,and Xenochrophis piscator.They are listed in Appendix-II and III of convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora and Schedule II;Part II of Indian WPA,1972.Therefore,it may be considered a functional tool for establishing species-specific identity of four Indian snake species and promising to be useful for their conservation.

Microbial Function, Enzymatic Activities and Diversity in an Anaerobic-Anoxic-Aerobic Reactor System

Enzymatic activities of beta-gincosidase （ β-GLC ）, （ LAP）, and alkaline phosphatase （ APA）, corresponding to nutrient eliminations, and the microbial community structures were analyzed in an anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic reactor system. Results showed that most activity of β-GLC （64.2 μmoi/（ L · h ）） associated with the largest fraction of small- molecular-weight carbohydrates was found in the aerobic reactor, indicating the existence of coupled hydrolysis-uptake mechanism in the aerobic bacteria. Similar activities of LAP presented in the anoxic and aerobic environments, whose increases accompanied by increments in nitrogen uptake rates greatly accelerated the processes of aerobic nitrification and anoxic denitrification. The highest APA activity displayed in the anaerobic reactor, however, dephosphorization performance was mainly achieved under aerobic condition. Microbial community fingerprints generated by polymerase chain reaction amplification and denaturing gradient gel dectrophoresls （ PCR-DGGE ） revealed that Proteobacterium, Actinobacterium, and Nitrosplra were the predominant classes in the activated sindge and there was no evidence of community variations among each function reactor in the system with biomass recycling.

DNA extraction from fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffinembedded human brain tissue

Both fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed,paraffinembedded（FFPE）human brain tissues are invaluable resources for molecular genetic studies of central nervous system diseases,especially neurodegenerative disorders.To identify the optimal method for DNA extraction from human brain tissue,we compared methods on differently-processed tissues.Fragments of LRRK2 and MAPT（257 bp and 483 bp/245 bp）were amplified for evaluation.We found that for FFPE samples,the success rate of DNA extraction was greater when using a commercial kit than a laboratory-based method（successful DNA extraction from 76%versus 33%of samples）.PCR amplicon size and storage period were key factors influencing the success rate of DNA extraction from FFPE samples.In the fresh-frozen samples,the DNA extraction success rate was 100%using either a commercial kit（QIAamp DNA Micro）or a laboratorybased method（sample boiling in 0.1 mol/L NaOH,followed by proteinase K digestion,and then DNA extraction using Chelex-100）regardless of PCR amplicon length or tissue storage time.Although the present results demonstrate that PCR-amplifiable genomic DNA can be extracted from both fresh-frozen and FFPE samples,fresh brain tissue is recommended for DNA extraction in future neuropathological studies.