Several toxigenic cyanobacteria produce the cyanotoxin (microcystin). Being a health and environmental hazard, screening of water sources for the presence of microcystin is increasingly becoming a recommended environmental procedure in many countries of the world. This study was conducted to assess the ability of freshwater cyanobacterial species Westiellopsis prolifica to produce microcystins in Iraqi freshwaters via using molecular and immunological tools. The toxigenicity of W. prolifica was compared via laboratory experiments with other dominant bloom-forming cyanobacteria isolated from the Tigris River: Microcystis aeruginosa, Chroococcus turigidus, Nostoc carneum, and Lyngbya sp. significant expression of mcyE gene and microcystin production was most evident in W. prolifica. Contrary to the prevailing concept that M. aeruginosa is a main microcystin producer in freshwaters around the world, no significant microcystin production was observed with this species throughout the time points studied in our laboratory methods. As for C. turigidus, N. carneum and Lyngbya sp., neither mcyE expression nor microcystin production was significant. Data from mcyE expression by RT-qPCR were generally in agreement with those obtained from microcystin quantification by ELISA. Interestingly, W. prolifica, which showed clear microcystin-producing ability in this study and which was not reported before in the literature to produce microcystin, can be added as a new microcystin producer to the list of toxigenic cyanobacteria.
This study estimated seven heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd, Cr) in water (dissolved and particulate phase), sediments and some aquatic organisms including two species from aquatic plants (Ceratophyllum demersum&Phragmites australis); one species of clam (Psedontopeses euphratics) and two species from fish (Oreochromis aureus& Leuciscus vorax)in four sites within Mashroo AL- Musayyib channel project/ branch of Euphrates river, Babylon , medial of Iraq . This aims to show the concentration of these elements, their fate and the mechanisms of their transmission through the food chain in this lotic aquatic system ; also in addition to examining some physicochemical properties of ri
... Show MoreThis is the first record of a new species of cyanobacteria Westiellopsis akinetica in the Iraqi environment, Samples were collected on June 2013 and the existence of it was not documented before. We isolated and purified this species ten years ago in Iraq, but we couldn't identify accurately based on all taxonomic handbooks. This is due to the species features being different from the other documented species in the available taxonomic lectures. It resembled many species by morphological characteristics such as Fischerella muscicola, Fischerella thermalis, Westiellopsis biateralis SA16. Westiellopsis interrupta, Westiellopsis persica SA33, Westiellopsis prolifica and Symphyonema bifilamentata. Describing a new species of the Westiellops
... Show MoreBackground: Candida albicans is the principal fungal infectious agent in human infection. Adhesion is thought to be an essential step for colonization and establishment of Candida infections.
Objectives: Identification and comparison of ALS1 virulence gene of adhesion family among different isolates of Candida albicans by PCR.
Patients and methods: One hundred eight samples were collected from different group of Iraqi patients. All samples were culture on Sabouraud′s agar, CHROMagar for identification while API Candida kit confirmatory test and extracted DNA was done for just Candida albicans isolates, detected the ALS1 gene, extracted RNA for synthesis of cDNA and detected of gene and compare between iso
The aim of this research is to use robust technique by trimming, as the analysis of maximum likelihood (ML) often fails in the case of outliers in the studied phenomenon. Where the (MLE) will lose its advantages because of the bad influence caused by the Outliers. In order to address this problem, new statistical methods have been developed so as not to be affected by the outliers. These methods have robustness or resistance. Therefore, maximum trimmed likelihood: (MTL) is a good alternative to achieve more results. Acceptability and analogies, but weights can be used to increase the efficiency of the resulting capacities and to increase the strength of the estimate using the maximum weighted trimmed likelihood (MWTL). In order to perform t
... Show MoreIn this research, production of ethanol from waste potatoes fermentation was studied using Saccharmyses cerevisiae. Potato Flour was prepared from potato tubers after cooking and drying at 85°C. Homogenous slurry of potato flour was prepared in water at solid liquid ratio 1:10. Liquefaction of potato flour slurry with α-amylase at 80°C for 40 min followed by saccharification with glucoamylase at 65°C for 2 hr .Fermentation of hydrolysate with Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 35°C for two days resulted in production of 33 g/l ethanol.
The parameters studied were; temperature, time of fermentation and pH. It was found that Saccharification process is affected by enzyme Amylo 300 conc
... Show MoreProtease enzyme production was studied and optimized as a first step to collect information about solid state fermenter) to produce protease enzyme. A local isolated Aspergillus niger was used for this study with constant spores feeding in every experiment at (105/g). Experiments carried out in conical flasks with (250 ml) containing (10 g) of wheat straw as a substrate with different conditions included temperature, pH, hydration ratio, and fermentation time, the results comprised by measuring protease activity (u). The results showed that the best activity can be obtained at (T = 32°C, t= 100 hrs, pH= 2.5 and hydration ratio is 1:3). On the other hand the results is courage to p
... Show MoreBackground: Hydatosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus dog tap worm is zoonotic infection and economic importance and to public health constitutes a major threat in certain regions of the Middle East. There is an establishment of preventive and control strategy for characterization of E.granulosus in all endemic area which is essential in all molecular studies, to check the DNA of the parasite.
Objective: Our study aimed to obtain the best from three extractions DNA methods from hydatid cyst protoscolecses isolated from sheep in Al-shawlla abattoir in Baghdad.
Subjects and Methods: Three methods were used to extract DNA samples (boiling, crushing and commercial) DNA samples were performed with electrophoreses on 1.3% agarose. Rega
The Tigris River is one of the longest rivers in Western Asia and runs through heavily populated areas, especially in Kut and Amara Cities, with nearly 8 million inhabitants. Due to the climatic change and altering the upstream hydrological conditions along the Tigris River, its discharge has severely declined in the last decade, combined with the climate change impact. Hence, studying the impact of climate change on the river and decreasing the annual flow is vital to understand their effect on the river water quality between Kut and Amara sites. The data of this study covers annual flow conditions of the Tigris River, the total dissolved solids (TDS), and the main ions on monthly bases for the period 2005-2010 for the two si
... Show MoreA study of non-diatom algal species composition in twelve sites from Greater Zab River path within
Erbil Province, was carried out from April 2021 to January 2022 with monthly sample collection in twelve studied sites. Among them site 4,5,6,7 and 9 are the first for algal study in this area. The 112 different species of algae belong to 33 genera, 25 families, 13 orders and 4 divisions have been identified. The predominant genera included Spirogyra and Cosmarium 17, 8 taxa respectively. 13 taxa were new recorded to Iraqi
Kurdistan algal flora and 9 of them were new recorded to Iraqi algal flora: Botryosphaerella sudetica, Muriella magna, Gloeotaenium loitlesbergianum, Apiocystis brauniana, Anabaena oscillarioides, C. distentum
Background: Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), including cefotaximases (CTX-M), mediate resistance to extended spectrum cephalosporins and significantly compromise the treatment tools for Shigellosis.
Objective: To determine the ESBLs production by Shigella spp. and its role in the resistance to third generation cephalosporins and to determine the occurrence of plasmid- borne blaCTX genes in ESBLS Shigella isolates by Multiplex PCR.
Methods: Susceptibility of 59 clinical Shigella isolates was tested by disk diffusion method to six antimicrobial agents. Presence of ESBL
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