Academia Journal of Biology

First record of \(\textit{Opisthotropis durandi}\) Teynié, Lottier, David, Nguyen & Vogel, 2014 (Squamata: Natricidae) from Vietnam

2022-10-06T02:43:59+07:00

We provide the first country record of Opisthotropis durandi Teynié, Lottier, David, Nguyen & Vogel, 2014 from Vietnam based on a single snake specimen from Dien Bien province. The species previously was only known from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos). DNA sequence data of a male specimen from Vietnam match those of one a specimen of O. durandi from Phongsali province, Laos, and the newly collected individual from Vietnam also corresponds O. durandi in terms of diagnostic morphological features, except for a slightly higher ventral number (185 versus 177−181).

Study on the role of \(\textit{TDRD1}\) variants in male infertility among 310 Vietnamese individuals

2023-02-27T12:01:12+07:00

Infertility is a global reproductive health burden affected by various genetic factors, including spermatogenic defects. The instability of the germ cells’ genome caused by the unregulated replication of transposable elements is one of the causes of spermatogenic impairment. Tudor domain-containing 1 (TDRD1) expressed only in germ cells plays a significant role in the piRNA (PIWI-interacting RNA) pathway to maintain genome integrity via suppressing transposon elements during spermatogenesis. Despite the protein’s role in male germline development, TDRD1 has not been studied intensively. In this study, we established the relationship between male infertility and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TDRD1 (rs541192490, rs77559927) among 310 Vietnamese men (160 infertile patients and 150 healthy controls). Genotypes of single nucleotide polymorphisms of the TDRD1 gene (SNPs) were identified using the PCR-RFLP method. The results showed that TDRD1 SNPs were not associated with male infertility in all three test models (additive, dominant, and recessive) (p-value > 0.05). Haplotype analysis of the two SNPs also showed similar findings. This study would contribute to the knowledge of TDRD1’s association with male infertility in the Vietnamese population.

Characterization of chalcone isomerase 4A \(\textit{(CHI4A)}\) gene in \(\textit{Pueraria mirifica}\)

2023-03-27T09:56:41+07:00

Pueraria mirifica is a popular medicinal plant and is rich in phytoestrogens, especially isoflavonoids. The chalcone isomerase (CHI) gene is well-known as a key factor in biosynthetic pathways such as flavonoid, isoflavonoid, and anthocyanin biosynthesis. Among four CHI subfamilies, group IV remained largely uncharacterized in P. mirifica. By isolation and gene cloning, the CHI4A gene was amplified and sequenced. A dataset that included CHI4A genes from isolation, transcriptome, and Glycine max CHI4A was constructed for analysis. A total of 31 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) was detected among sequences and 14 SNPs were found in P. mirifica subgroups. Thirteen SNPs changed the amino acid sequences of CHI4A genes; however, they do not affect core active residues in the protein structure. Two active sites typical for group 4 CHI in the Fabaceae family: Ile50 and Tyr106; and one conserved site Asn113, were found in this study, which is similar to the result of the previous study on CHI4. A three-dimensional protein model of isolated P. mirifica CHI4A enzyme was constructed with a high confidence level. The result provides more information about the variation and protein profile of the CHI4A gene for further experiments.

Genome mining reveals chitin degradation potential of \(\textit{Streptomyces parvulus}\) VCCM 22513

2023-01-13T14:35:29+07:00

The genus Streptomyces is not only known as a natural producer of antibiotics but also a prolific source of chitinolytic enzymes that digest recalcitrant chitin to chitooligosaccharides. However, only a few reports have used whole-genome sequencing to study chitin degradation of Streptomyces to date. In the present study, out of 22 Streptomyces strains, Streptomyces parvulus VCCM 22513 produced the highest chitinase activity. Time courses of incubation revealed that the maximum chitinase (0.91 ± 0.04 U/mL) of this strain was observed after 96 hours in the yeast extract salts medium supplemented with 10.0 g/L colloidal chitin. Additional genomic analysis of VCCM 22513 was also conducted to discover the genomic information related to chitin degradation. The VCCM 22513 genome consists of 341 CAZy genes divided into 6 families including glycoside hydrolase (134 genes), carbohydrate-binding module (88 genes), glycosyl transferase (87 genes), carbohydrate esterase (18 genes), polysaccharide lyase (7 genes), and auxiliary activity (7 genes). Further genome mining revealed the presence of 10 chitinases, 4 lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases, and 14 β-N-acetylhexosaminidases, which mainly contribute to the degradation of chitin polymers. This is the first report revealing the mechanism underlying the chitin degradation of S. parvulus. Further investigations are required to characterize chitinolytic enzymes found in this study for the bioeconomic production of high-quality chitooligosaccharides from chitin food wastes.

First report of root-knot nematode \(\textit{Meloidogyne enterolobii }\) infecting pomelo (\(\textit{Citrus maxima}\) (Burm.) Merri) in Vietnam

2023-02-25T19:56:25+07:00

Meloidogyne enterolobii Yang & Eisenback, 1983 is amongst the most aggressive root-knot nematodes, causing significant annual losses worldwide to many crops and emerging in many countries recently. Although plants belonging to the citrus family such as grapefruit and citrus have been reported as non-hosts or poor hosts for M. enterolobii, our study recorded the heavy infection of a root-knot nematode that resembles M. enterolobii on pomelo, a species in the citrus family. The molecular data of D2-D3 of 28S rRNA region, morphometrics, and morphological features of second-stage juveniles, males, and females in the present study have confirmed that the root-knot nematode recovered from pomelo in Vietnam belongs to M. enterolobii. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first report of M. enterolobii infecting pomelo, providing new insight into the host status of this important pest.

\(\textit{In vitro}\) regeneration of \(\textit{Renanthera imschootiana}\) Rolfe from protocorm-like body

2022-05-19T10:28:55+07:00

Renanthera imschootiana Rolfe is an extremely rare and endangered tropical epiphytic orchid. Studies on in vitro culture of R. imschootiana were conducted in order to conserve and increase the genetic pool of this wild orchid species. In this study, the effect of plant growth regulators (BA and NAA), ripe bananas in combination with potato, humic acid, and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were investigated to find a suitable condition for in vitro plant regeneration from R. imschootiana protocorm-like body (PLB). The results showed that after 45 days of culture, MS medium supplemented with 100 g ripe banana/liter and 100 g potato/liter was suitable for regenerating shoots from the protocorm-like body (PLB) (17.56 shoots/PLBs and 100.00% of shoot-regenerating PLBs); MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L BA, 0.3 mg/L NAA and 4 ppm AgNPs was the most suitable for the growth of shoots after 60 days of culture (10.00 leaves/shoot and shoot length of 4.22 cm). The in vitro shoots were transferred to half-strength MS supplemented with humic acid and AgNPs to investigate the root formation of R. imschootiana. After 60 days of culture, the best rooting was obtained at 2.0 mg/L humic acid and 6 ppm AgNPs (8.33 roots/shoot; root length of 4.00 cm and 100.00% root formation). The findings suggest that the in vitro micropropagation from R. imschootiana protocorm-like body provides a useful alternative tool for the conservation of this endangered species.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of \(\textit{Antheroporum harmandii}\) Gagnep. collected from Quang Tri province

2023-01-31T16:12:10+07:00

Antheroporum harmandii Gagnep. is a native plant species of Vietnam, belonging to a small genus of the Fabaceae family. In this study, the bioactivities of different extracts from twigs and seeds of A. harmandii plants collected from Dakrong, Quang Tri province were evaluated. Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of plant extracts had been done using an agar well diffusion method and DPPH assay. The results showed that methanol, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts from twigs and methanol extract from seeds exerted activities to significantly inhibit two out of nine tested microorganisms. Particularly, the dichloromethane extract from the twigs sample exhibited the highest activity to Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus aureus strains with inhibition zones of 4.7 ± 0.3 mm and 2.3 ± 0.2 mm, respectively, at concentrations of 50 mg/mL. The lowest MIC values (500 µg/mL) and 50% inhibition concentration values (IC₅₀) against M. luteus and S. aureus were recorded for the methanol and dichloromethane extracts of twigs. Among tested extracts, the ethyl acetate extract of twigs was the strongest antioxidant, showing radical scavenging potential with IC₅₀ of 117.24 μg/mL. Therefore, A. harmandii species can be suggested as a new source for the isolation of valuable natural compounds.

\(\textit{Aristolochia austroyunnanensis}\) S. M. Hwang, a new record for the flora of Vietnam

2022-10-05T13:56:25+07:00

Aristolochia austroyunnanensis S. M. Hwang (Aristolochiaceae), a species endemic to southern China (Yunnan and Guangxi provinces), is newly recorded for the flora of Vietnam. This newly recorded species belongs to subgenus Siphisia and is most similar to Aristolochia petelotii O. C. Schmidt and A. fangchi C. Wu ex L. D. Chow & S. M. Hwang. Detailed morphological description and color illustrations, together with information on distribution, habitat, phenology, and taxonomic notes are also given.

Association of the 65-bp indel polymorphism in \(\textit{GOGLB1}\) gene with body weight of Vietnamese Noi chickens

2023-04-26T14:24:12+07:00

Noi chicken is one of the indigenous fighting-cock breeds of Vietnam with many valuable properties. In chicken, the Golgin subfamily B member 1 (GOLGB1) gene, which locates on chromosome 1, encodes the coat protein 1 vesicle inhibiting factor. A previous study showed that the 65-bp insertion/deletion in the GOLGB1 gene was significantly associated with chicken body weight, neck weight, abdominal fat weight, abdominal fat percentage and the yellow index b of the breast in Chinese indigenous chicken (N409-breed). In this study, 65-bp indel polymorphism in the GOLGB1gene was evaluated in association with body weight in Noi chickens. The live body weight of 170 chickens (90 females, 80 males) at continuous ages of 7-day intervals (from 28 to 84 days) was recorded. A 65-bp indel polymorphism in the GOLGB1 gene was analyzed using the PCR method. The results of PCR and sequencing revealed two alleles (I and D) corresponding to three genotypes: II, ID, DD, in which, the I allele appears with the highest frequency (0.79) in the studied population. An association study using Minitab software showed that genotype was significantly associated with body weight in Noi chickens at days 35 to 84 (P < 0.05). Individuals with more allele “I” have higher live body weight than others. Both factors (sex and genotype) simultaneously affected the body weight of Noi chickens. The results of this study suggested that the 65-bp indel in the GOLGB1 gene could be considered a potential marker for Noi chicken breeding.

Indigenous knowledge of poisonous plants from Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups in Quang Tri province, Vietnam

2023-03-03T14:55:27+07:00

Poisonous plants are known for toxicity to humans and animals. They comprise a large group of plants in the world. This study aims to collect and systematically document the traditional knowledge of poisonous plants by interviewing Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic communities in Quang Tri province. A total of 56 poisonous plant species (27 herbs, 15 shrubs and 14 woody plants) of flowering plants belonging to 26 families and 50 genera were found in the study site. Based on the Recorded Poisonous Plant Proportion (RPPP) values, 25 commonly recorded poisonous plants were selected for analyzing Fidelity Level (FL) and Informants Consensus Factor (ICF). The ICF value of eye irritation, neurologic category, skin irritation, gastrointestinal category and respiratory/cardiovascular category was 0.97, 0.97, 0.96, 0.93 and 0.92, respectively. The most notable species (FL: 100%) in the gastrointestinal category were Ricinus communis L. and Millettia erythrocalyx Gagnep. In the respiratory/cardiovascular category, the most important species (FL: 100%) were Gelsemium elegans (Gardner & Champ.) Benth. and Strychnos vanprukii Craib. The presented results will provide fundamental information for further phytochemical and biological investigation to ascertain the toxic compounds of poisonous plants that may be used for the treatment of appropriate diseases.

Greenhouse gases concentrations influence on vertical distribution of nematode communities in the Ba Lai river, Vietnam

2023-05-22T11:55:36+07:00

Vertical distribution of free–living nematodes from the tropical region are still poorly documented, especially in Vietnam. Field sampling was conducted at the Ba Lai river, a tributary of the Mekong river, to insight into the regularity of the vertical pattern of nematode assemblages. Furthermore, some sediment environmental characteristics such as greenhouse gases were also detected in order to understand how to influence nematode distribution. The study found that nematode composition differed significantly between the upper and deeper layers of sediment but not among the deeper layers. Nematode density showed spatial variability across layers, with higher values in the upper layer. Nematode diversity decreased with increasing depth. Non–selective deposit feeders (1B) were dominated in the surface layers, while the predator–omnivores feeders (2B) was numerous in the deeper layers. In the dry season, both methane and hydrogen sulfur were found negatively affecting nematode diversity in sediment profile, particularly, methane effects negatively also to species richness, densities, and evenness. However, only methane has a significant correlation to the diversity, species richness, densities, and evenness of the nematode communities.

Spawning season of milkfish \(\textit{Chanos chanos}\) (Forsskål, 1775) in the nature

2023-04-06T14:23:31+07:00

The spawning season of the milkfish Chanos chanos (Forsskål, 1775) of the family Chanidae in the Central Coast of Vietnam was determined. A total of 220 specimens (3.20 to 4.50 g body weight, BW) was collected from seven provinces (Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan) from January to December 2021. Results showed that the Gonado Somatic Index (GSI) ranged from 2.03 to 16.02 in females and 1.15 to 9.87 in males and had two peaks, one in April–May (13.47–16.02 for females and 8.03–9.87 for males) and another in August-September (11.45–12.32 for females and 6.75–7.98 for males). Conditional factors in females and males ranged from 3.68×10^-2 to 4.11×10^-2 and 3.02×10^-2 to 3.43×10^-2, respectively with the highest values found in May (4.11×10^-2 for females and 3.46×10^-2 for males) and September (3.92×10^-2 for females and 3.34×10^-2 for males). The Fulton’s and Clark’s indexes were highest in November, 1.82% and 1.67%, respectively and these were then decreased in the following months; the lowest values were recorded between August to September and April to June (0.66–0.74% Fulton and 0.49–0.72 Clark). The gonadal development stages III and IV in females and males were observed from April to June and August to September of the year. Our findings suggest that the main spawning seasons of milkfish take place from April to June and August to September.