Mitashree Mitra

Background Reticulocyte binding protein-like homologs (RHs) are currently being evaluated as anti-erythrocytic stage vaccine targets against Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Present study explores the possible evolutionary drivers shaping the genetic organization of Pfrhs in Indian parasite population. It simultaneously evaluates a putative gain-of-function variant of PfRH5, a keystone member of PfRH family. Methods Receptor binding regions of Pfrh1, Pfrh2a/b, Pfrh4 and whole Pfrh5 were amplified using blood samples of P. falciparum malaria patients from Chhattisgarh and West Bengal and sequenced. Assembled sequences were analysed using MEGA7 and DnaSPv6. Binding affinities of recombinant PfRH5 proteins with basigin (BSG) were compared using in silico (CHARMM and AUTODOCK) and in vitro (Circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry) methods. Results Pfrh1 (0.5), Pfrh2a/b (0.875), Pfrh4 (0.667) and Pfrh5 (0.778) sequence changes corresponded to low ...

Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are two major parasites responsible for malaria which remains a threat to almost 50% of world's population despite decade-long eradication program. One possible reason behind this conundrum is that the bases of clinical variability in malaria caused by either species are complex and poorly understood. Whole-genome transcriptome was analyzed to identify the active and predominant pathways in the PBMC of P. falciparum and P. vivax infected malaria patients. Deregulated genes were identified and annotated using R Bioconductor and DAVID/KEGG respectively. Genetic and functional regulation of CD14, a prioritized candidate, were established by quantitative RT-PCR, genotyping using RFLP and resequencing, mapping of transcription factor binding using CONSITE and TFBIND, dual luciferase assay, western blot analysis, RNAi- mediated gene knockdown and chromatin-immunoprecipation. The study highlighted that deregulation of host immune and inflammat...

Anthropometric somatotype of women players of Chhattisgarh, India has been studied during 2006-2008 to evaluate the somatotype status following modified Heath and Carter method (1990). A cross-sectional study on sample of 366 women aged 18 to 25 years was considered for the present study. Out of them 123 were inter-university level player (IUP) (National level players) and 129 were inter- college level players (ICP) (State level players). These women players participated in various sports category and represented their educational institutes at state and national level. Remaining 114 were age –sex matched healthy control subjects (CS) from various colleges who never participated in any sports activity and physical training program. National level players are more mesomorphic then state level players whereas control subjects are more endomorphic. Key Words: Cross-sectional study, Somatotype, Women player, Chhattisgarh.

Anthropometric somatotype of women players from Chhattisgarh, India was studied to evaluate somatotype status. A cross-sectional sample of 366 women (18 to 25 years) was considered for the present study. Out of them, 123 were inter-university level players and 129 were inter-college level players (ICP). These women participated in various sports category and represented their educational institutes at inter-college level and inter-university level competitions. The remaining 114 were age –sex matched healthy control subjects (CS). Results of somatotype rating were calculated for each subject using Heath-Carter method of somatotypes. The somatotype rating shows that inter-university level players are more mesomorphic than inter-college level players whereas control subjects are more endomorphic. The ANOVA indicates that in height and weight all the groups were same however, height-weight ratio and somatotype (endomorphy, mesomorphy and ectomorphy) did show a significant difference (p...

Present cross sectional study was conducted to assess the nutritional and health status on 379 (180 Gond and 199 Kawar) tribal preschool children of Chhattisgarh, India. The studied children were compared with other tribal and caste preschool children of the same area. Nutrition and health assessment was done through diet survey, nutritional deficiency signs and also by nutritional anthropometric indices such as weight for age, height for age and weight for height. The study reveals that there were lower consumption in several macro and micro nutrients intake compared to Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) of India, which may be reflected through high prevalence of nutritional deficiency signs among them. According to nutritional anthropometric indices, both sexes of Gond and Kawar preschool children were suffered by different grades of malnutrition within which girls were suffered comparatively more than boys specifically among Gond tribe. Irrespective of sex, Gond preschool child...

In July-November, 1986, Saryupari Brahmins of Chhattisgarh (Central India) have been investigated for the distribution of ABO blood groups, Rh factor, ABH secretion, PTC taste sensitivity and seven morphological traits. The important findings in brief are as follows: 1. The frequency of O blood group is slightly dominant (38.91%) and gene frequency exhibit r > q > p pattern. Statistical analysis (D/sigma = 0.5447) show that the population is in genetic equilibrium. 2. Estimation of the expected rate of erythroblastosis foetalis occurred in this population is calculated to be 8-16 cases in every 10,000 pregnancies. 3. High incidence (53.82%) of non-secretors of ABH substances in saliva suggest that this group may belong to Caucasoid stock. 4. The ability to taste the chemical PTC has a high frequency (61.81%) in this group. 5. R/L type of handclasping (58.15%), leg folding (65.38%) and L/R type of arm folding (58.93%) is dominant. L-type of handedness (5.48%) is moderately high...

A genetic survey has been conducted among the Rawats and Telis, two endogamous caste populations of Chhattisgarh, Central India. Using the gene frequency data for three genetic loci, genetic distance among ten population groups have been calculated. The gene differentiation among these population groups is only about 2 per cent.

Development of a vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum infection is an urgent priority particularly because of widespread resistance to most traditionally used drugs. Multiple evidences point to apical membrane antigen-1(AMA-1) as a prime vaccine candidate directed against P. falciparum asexual blood-stages. To gain understanding of the genetic and demographic forces shaping the parasite sequence diversity in Kolkata, a part of Pfama-1 gene covering domain-I was sequenced from 100 blood samples of malaria patients. Statistical and phylogenetic analyses of the sequences were performed using DnaSP and MEGA. Very high haplotype diversity was detected both at nucleotide (0.998±0.002) and amino-acid (0.996±0.001) levels. An abundance of low frequency polymorphisms (Tajima's D=-1.190, Fu & Li's D(∗) and F(∗)=-3.068 and -2.722), unimodal mismatch distribution and a star-like median-joining network of ama-1 haplotypes indicated a recent population expansion among Kolkata parasites. The high minimum number of recombination events (Rm=26) and a significantly high dN/dS of 3.705 (P<0.0001) in Kolkata suggested recombination and positive selection as major forces in the generation and maintenance of ama-1 allelic diversity. To evaluate the impact of observed non-synonymous substitutions in the context of AMA-1 functionality, PatchDock and FireDock protein-protein interaction solutions were mapped between PfAMA-1-PfRON2 and PfAMA-1-host IgNAR. Alterations in the desolvation and global energies of PfAMA-1-PfRON2 interaction complexes at the hotspot contact residues were observed together with redistribution of surface electrostatic potentials at the variant alleles with respect to referent Pf3D7 sequence. Finally, a comparison of P. falciparum subpopulations in five Indian regional isolates retrieved from GenBank revealed a significant level of genetic differentiation (FST=0.084-0.129) with respect to Kolkata sequences. Collectively, our results indicated a very high allelic and haplotype diversity, a high recombination rate and a signature of natural selection favoring accumulation of non-synonymous substitutions that facilitated PfAMA-1-PfRON2 interaction and hence parasite growth in Kolkata clinical isolates.