Two aerobic bacterial strains, designated SP1PR4(T) and SP1PR5, were isolated from tundra soil samples collected from Saana fjeld, North-western Finland (69° 03' N 20° 50' E). Cells of both strains were Gram-negative, non-motile rods. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the strains belong to the genus Terriglobus in subdivision 1 of the phylum Acidobacteria. Strains SP1PR4(T) and SP1PR5 shared...

Identification of molecular markers of monoterpenoid indole alkaloid (MIA) accumulation in cell-suspension cultures of Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don) was performed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Comparison of the protein patterns from alkaloid-producing and non-producing cells showed the specific occurrence of a 28 kDa polypeptide restricted to c...

The low yield and high market price of the pharmaceutically important alkaloids of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don viz. vincristine, vinblastine and ajmalicine have created interest in improved alternative routes for their production such as using cell and tissue culture. The callus developed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with different concentrations of auxins and cytokinins w...

Two closely related thermophilic bacterial strains, designated YIM 78023T and YIM 78058, were isolated from samples collected from two alkaline hot springs in Tengchong county, Yunnan province, south-west China. The novel isolates were Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic ovoid- to coccoid-shaped and non-spore-forming. Strain YIM 78023T grew at 20-60 ºC and pH 6.0-9.0 with optimal growth ob...

Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) is the sole source of the anticancer drugs vinblastine and vincristine, bisindole alkaloids derived from the dimerization of the terpenoid indole alkaloids vindoline and catharanthine. Full elucidation of the biosynthetic pathways of these compounds is a prerequisite for metabolic engineering efforts that will improve production of these costly molecu...

Diabetes has been known since ages in Ayurveda by Shushruta. It is a chronic metabolic disorder which results in an increased cane of sugar in blood. In the present investigation phytochemical screening of pollens of some selected plants with known antidiabetic properties was carried out like Catheranthus roseus, Momordica charentia, Butea monosperma and Syzygium cuminii. As pollen is very impo...

Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus L.) (Family: Apocyanaceae) is a ornamental plants with great medicinal properties. Although it is represented by seven species, little work has been carried out on its genetic characterization due to non-availability of reliable molecular markers. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) have been widely applied as molecular markers in genetic studies. With the rapid incre...