Egyptian Journal of Genetics And Cytology

ESTABLISHMENT OF HIGHLY REPRODUCIBLE PROTOCOL OF HARMAL (PEGANUM HARMALA L.) THROUGH IN VITRO PROPAGATION

REEM S. EL-GHANNAM, GIHAN M. H. HUSSEIN, RABAB A. ABDULHAI, ZINAB A. ABDELGWAD — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Since ancient times, medicinal plants have been essential to human civilization, and they are still essential now. Peganum harmala L. regarded as one of the most significant medicinal plants. This perennial herb is indigenous to Central Asia and the Mediterranean region and is a member of the Nitraraiceae family. Peganum harmala L. is widely distributed in Egypt along the left bank of the Mediterranean, in Sinai, the Eastern Desert, and in open areas with disturbed ground. Recent reports indicate that this plant contain beta-carbolines alkaloids such as harmaline, harmine and harmalol therefore, it has antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. The main challenges to the sustainable propagation and supply of this valuable herb are the short seed viability period and unrestricted large collection. In this study for multiple shoot induction and plant regeneration of Peganum harmala L. has been successfully developed using shoot apex and cotyledonary node explants. This study also demonstrates that preconditioning of explant stimulates production of multiple shoots from shoot apex explant were excised from seedlings germinated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with benzylamino purine (BAP)1.0 mg/l and subsequently cultured on MS media with 0.5 mg/l BAP exhibited higher multiple shoot development than the cotyledonary explants, which, produced 8.1 shoots/explant (93.3%) and had no hyper-hydricity among all treatments. After cultivation on MS with 0.5 mg/l IAA followed by cultivation on hormone-free MS medium, roots were produced with an efficiency of (84%). Rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatized at the greenhouse conditions (25±2 °C).

The first record of Apis mellifera jemenitica IN EGYPT AS AN EXOTIC RACE

ELHOSSENY E. NOWAR, SOBHY I. KASEM, SAUD A. M. ALJUWEER, TAMER A. ELAKKAD — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0600

The Arabian or Nubian honeybee, scientifically known as Apis mellifera jemenitica (A. m. jemenitica), is a distinct subspecies of the western honeybee. A. m. jemenitica is indigenous to several tropical locations, including Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Somalia. A. m. jemenitica has not been recorded before in Egypt. Therefore, this work aimed to validate the visual observation of the beginning of the appearance of Yemeni bees in Egypt. Fifteen morphometric measures and two molecular markers (Simple Sequence Repeats; SSRs and 16SrRNA) were used to establish morphological and genetic identity among A. m. jemenitica samples collected in Egypt and those acquired in Saudi Arabia as a reference. Morphometric and molecular analyses revealed close similarities between the studied bees, which confirm our hypothesis about the presence of Yemeni bees in Egypt.

MOLECULAR PROFILING AND GENETIC DIVERSITY OF SHEEP POX AND LUMBY SKIN DISEASE VIRUS

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0600

The objective of this research was to investigate the molecular genetic similarities between LSDV and SPV, which have spread extensively in Egypt. The aim was to identify these viruses through the propagation of LSDV on MDBK cells and SPV on VERO cells, as well as through PCR analysis and sequencing for G-protein-coupled chemokine receptor (GPCR) specific for LSDV and viral envelope protein gene (P32) specific for SPV of the isolated viruses. The obtained sequences were then compared using a phylogenetic tree to determine any immunogenic factors that could explain why cattle exhibit immunity when vaccinated with the sheep pox vaccine rather than the traditional vaccine prepared using LSDV. The study was conducted as follows: 1-LSDV and SPV were isolated from the clinical cases. 2-The isolated virus was propagated through five passages on MDBK cells for LSDV and VERO cells for SPV until cytopathic effects (CPE) were observed. 3-Determination of the viral titer for the isolated viruses. 4-Conducting antigenic characterization for the isolated viruses. 5-DNA extraction of the isolated viruses, followed by PCR amplification for genes GPCR and p32 and sequencing for the purified fragments using an automated sequencer. 6-Phylogenetic analysis using the partial sequences of the amplified genes. The analysis of the sequences obtained and the antigenic characterization revealed the high degree of relatedness between LSDV and SPV. This information, along with the phylogenetic analysis, supports the possibility of vaccinating cattle with sheep pox vaccine.

BIODIVERSITY STUDY OF Zilla spinosa (L.) IN EGYPT

AMANY S. ABDO, SHAFIK D. IBRAHIM, MONA E. ABD EL-GAWAD — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Zilla is a monospecific genus in the flora of Egypt represented by Zilla spinosa. The field observations of Zilla spinosa populations showed the presence of a high degree of morphological diversity. The taxonomic problem of this species is mainly related to its confused infra-specific treatments in different floras. Our taxonomic revision of Z. spinosa was carried out on 15 recently collected populations covered the geographical range of this species in Egypt, in addition to 33 old herbarium specimens from different localities dating to nine decades ago. Herbarium specimens and recently obtained populations were grouped together by morphological studies under two distinct morphotypes depending mainly on fruit characters. SCoT-PCR technique was used to study the genetic diversity of the two morphotypes and separate two main clusters, and according to molecular results we treated the morphotypes as two distinct subspecies: subsp. spinosa, and subsp. biparmata. Pollen grains characters of the two subspecies were studied for the first-time using SEM. Chromosome numbers of the two subspecies of Z. spinosa were counted. The chromosome lengths and centromeric positions as obtained from mitotic chromosomal preparations were used to establish the first report of the two examined subspecies karyotype.