Gametogenesis is a highly regulated process in all organisms. In Drosophila, a meiotic checkpoint which monitors double-stranded DNA breaks and involves Drosophila ATR and Chk2 coordinates the meiotic cell cycle with signaling events that establish the axis of the egg and embryo. Checkpoint activity regulates translation of the transforming growth-factor-alpha-like Gurken signaling molecule whi...

Genetic studies of Drosophila melanogaster have provided a paradigm for RNA interference (RNAi) in arthropods, in which the microRNA and antiviral pathways are each mediated by a single Argonaute (Ago1 and Ago2) and germline suppression of transposable elements is mediated by a trio of Piwi-subfamily Argonaute proteins (Ago3, Aub, and Piwi). Without a suitable evolutionary context, deviations f...

Eggplant is the fifth economically most important vegetable in Solanaceae family after tomato, potato, chili, and tobacco. Apart from well-cultivated brinjal or aubergine eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), two other underutilized species, African (S. macrocarpon L.) scarlet aethiopicum were also cultivated with local importance where leaves fruits are used for food medicinal purposes. The major o...

Diploid sexual reproduction involves segregation of allelic pairs, ensuring equal representation of genotypes in the gamete pool. Some genes, however, are able to "cheat" the system by promoting their own transmission. The Segregation distorter (Sd) locus in Drosophila melanogaster males is one of the best-studied examples of this type of phenomenon. In this system the presence of Sd on one cop...

Genetic studies have shown that Aubergine (Aub), one of the Piwi subfamily of Argonautes in Drosophila, is essential for germ cell formation and maintaining fertility. aub mutations lead to the accumulation of retrotransposons in ovaries and testes, and Stellate transcripts in testes. Aub in ovaries associates with a variety of Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) derived from repetitive intergenic e...

Brinjal little leaf (BLL) is a widespread disease of phytoplasma etiology in India that induces severe economic losses. Surveys were conducted in eight brinjal-growing states of India during July 2014 to September 2015 and eighteen BLL samples showing little leaf, phyllody and witches' broom symptoms were collected for phytoplasma identification. Presence of phytoplasmas was confirmed in all th...

The present study was designed to assess the comparative profitability of four winter vegetables namely cauliflower, cabbage, tomato and brinjal in five villages under Keranigonj Thana of Dhaka district. Four dominant winter vegetables in the study were considered. A simple purposive sampling technique was applied. Five villages were purposively selected for the collection of data. In all, 120 ...

An experiment was conducted in the laboratory and farm of the Department of Biotechnology, Gauhati University to explore the potentiality of an indigenous strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens as a bio-control agent in the management of bacterial wilt disease of brinjal under local conditions. Different organic materials were evaluated for their potential as substrate carriers in the formulation of...