Papers by Shimaa El-Gamal
Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. G, Microbiology, Nov 3, 2023
INTRODUCTION Potato (Solanum tuberosum) stands out globally as a significant non-grain crop due t... more INTRODUCTION Potato (Solanum tuberosum) stands out globally as a significant non-grain crop due to its rich nutritional profile, abundance in many vitamins (B1, B6, and C) and minerals (potassium, manganese, phosphorus, and copper) (Camire et al., 2009 and McGill et al., 2013 and Vander Donckt & Chan, 2019). On one hand, Egypt relies heavily on potato cultivation for local consumption and exportation to Europe, with a recorded production of 5.2 million tons in 2020 (FAO, 2022). On the other hand, the global endeavor to increase potato production faces considerable challenges, particularly from salinity-related issues. Salinity poses a substantial threat to agricultural productivity worldwide. Projections suggest that by 2050, approximately 50% of arable land might encounter salinity concerns (Kumar and Sharma, 2020). Egypt, primarily reliant on Nile River irrigation, confronts escalating soil salinization due to intensive cultivation practices and inadequate drainage systems post the modifications in irrigation methods since the late 1960s, notably with the construction of the Aswan High Dam (Kalkhan et al., 2000).
This study carried out in Gene Silencing and Insect control Laboratory and insectory in Agricultu... more This study carried out in Gene Silencing and Insect control Laboratory and insectory in Agriculture Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI), Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt. The present study was aimed to produce a recombinant baculov
Egyptian Journal of Genetics and Cytology, 2018
Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) cannot infect the Egyptian cotton l... more Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) cannot infect the Egyptian cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis larvae per os. How-ever, successful infection can be observed via larvae haemocoel injection using AcMNPV BVs. Baculovirus enhancins, known also as viral enhancing factors (VEFs), have shown to enhance infectivi-ty of some baculoviruses toward non-natural hosts. In the present study, a re-combinant AcMNPV (vAcMNPV-enAg1) that expresses the Viral Enhancing Factor 1 (vef1) originated from an enhancin-rich Polish isolate of Agrotis segetum nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgseNPV-A) was constructed. The vef1 gene was expressed under the control of the p10 promoter in the presence of the polyhedrin gene. The recombinant vAcMNPV-enAg1 was gen-erated to examine the possible enhance-ment of AcMNPV lethality against S. littoralis larvae per os. Using RT-PCR, successful transcription of vef-1 mRNA was detected in a time course intervals, and occlusion bodies production was det...
European Journal of Entomology
http://www.eje.cz nine (NPA). Within the cell membrane, the protein folds and loops B and E protr... more http://www.eje.cz nine (NPA). Within the cell membrane, the protein folds and loops B and E protrude and are embed halfway in the cell membrane opposite each other where the two NPA motifs meet and form the pore through which water and other small molecules move. A second region, the aromatic/arginine (ar/R) selectivity fi lter, is located extracellularly close to the entrance of the pore and forms the narrowest part of the channel, which has a role in selecting solutes. The ar/R region is formed by four amino acids distributed over TMD2 (1 acid), TMD5 (1 acid) and loop E (2 acids). These four amino acids determine the type of channel, whether water selective AQP or glycerol permeable (aquaglyceroporin, Glp). The fi rst AQP identifi ed in insects is the Drosophila melanogaster big brain (Bib), which has a function in the nervous system of both embryonic and adult stages and has a role in cell adhesion (Rao et al., 1992; Tatsumi et al., 2009). Bib is not permeable to water but transports monovalent cations (Yanochko & Yool, 2002). Interest in studying insect AQPs started with plant sap sucking and blood sucking insects, as these insects imbibe large amount of fl uids during feeding. The fi rst AQP isolated for a sap Characterization, expression analysis and RNAi-mediated knockdown of two aquaporin genes in the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis
Aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane proteins belong to the Major Intrinsic Proteins (MIP) sup... more Aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane proteins belong to the Major Intrinsic Proteins (MIP) superfamily identified in different tissues from all living organisms including mammals, plants, invertebrates and microorganisms. Only few AQPs isolated and studied from terrestrial insects. In the present study, we report the cloning of a partial cDNA sequence of AQP1 gene from Spodoptera littoralis. The cDNA is 1148bp with an open reading frame of 684bp encoding for 227 amino acids with similarity of 98% and 76% to Spodoptera litura and Grapholita molesta, respectively. Protein structure analysis showed the presence of conserved features found in all studied AQPs such as six transmembrane domains, two conserved motifs of NPA, and the aromatic/arginine (ar/R) selectivity filter. Our study revealed that AQP1 gene is expressed in all insect developmental stages (eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults including males and females). Furthermore, AQP1 expression was detected in tissues of the digestiv...
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Papers by Shimaa El-Gamal