Research Title: Characterization of glucokinase polymorphisms associated with Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY2) in Jordanian population

Author: Raida W. Khalil, Published Year: 2009

Cytology and Genetics, 43

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) is a monogenic form of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) characterized by an autosomal dominant inheritance, onset usually before 25 years of age and a primary defect in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, Glucokinase (GCK) acts as a glucose sensor in the pancreatic beta cell and regulates insulin secretion. The mutation in the gene encoding GCK results in enzyme inactivation cause MODY2. Functional studies of naturally occurring GCK mutations associated with hyperglycaemia provide further insight into the biochemical basis of glucose sensor regulation. In this study 100 diabetic Jordanian patients with MODY2 phenotype and 150 Normal control subjects were screened for the presence of GCK gene mutations including the missense mutations at position Thr228Ala in exon 7, Gly299Arg in exon 8 and nonsense mutation Ser383Ter in exon 9, utilizing polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. The results shows no Thr228Ala, Gly299Arg and Ser383Ter mutations were detected in both groups, which was differ from the results obtained for Italian and Caucasian from the Oxford region in UK MODY2 patients. Our data indicated that the previously studied mutations in Italian and Caucasian patients in the GCK gene are not common in MODY Jordanian population, suggesting a racial difference can be found in the frequency of the GCK polymorphism.

Keywords: Fast Blood Sugar Glucokinase mutation

Research Title: The Effect of Crataegus Aronica Aqueous Extract in Rabbits Fed with High Cholesterol Diet

Author: Raida W. Khalil, Published Year: 2008

European Journal of Scientific Research , 22

Faculty: Science

Abstract: The hypolipidemic activity of hawthorn fruits belong to Crataegus aronica, a wild Jordanian plant in Jordan, was studied. Three groups of New Zealand white rabbits were given as follows: The first group was fed a reference diet with no cholesterol (DNC), the second group was fed diet with high cholesterol (1.5 g/100 g, DHC) and group 3 was fed high cholesterol diet and given hawthorn fruit extract (10% w/v) twice daily 10 mg/Kg for 6 weeks (DHCH). After 6 weeks, serum total cholesterol (TC), triacyglycerol (TG), and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were decreased 22.9%, 20% and 21.4%, respectively in the hawthorn fed rabbits in comparison to the DHC rabbits, while 12.5% elevation of high density lipoprotein (HDL) was obtained. Hawthorn administration cause 25.7, 22.4 and 22.7% reduction of aortic cholesterol, cholesterol ester, and hepatic cholesterol, respectively. In addition, hawthorn fed-rabbits showed 76.6% inhibition of intestinal AcylCOA cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity but no effect on 3-hydroxt 3-methyl glutaryl CO A reductase (HMGR) and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (C-hx). These results are comparable to other hawthorn species with respect to their hypolipidemic activities.

Keywords: Crataegus aronica, Cholesterol HDL, LDL, Triglycerides

Research Title: Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Arabs in Jordan: a comparative study between Jordanians and Palestinians

Author: Raida W. Khalil, Published Year: 1996

Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 135

Faculty: Science

Abstract: In a 2-year hospital-based study in Jordan 131 Arab multiple sclerosis patients were identified including 84 Palestinians and 36 Jordanians. Based on case ratio, multiple sclerosis was found to be twice as common among Palestinians than Jordanians. Other than the less marked female preponderance among Jordanian patients, the disease had the same clinical and paraclinical characteristics in both groups. It was more likely for Palestinian and Jordanian patients to originate from the northern parts of their countries, to be Rh negative and to be HLA-DR2 positive than their controls. Palestinians (patients and controls) did not show significant differences from Jordanians (patients and controls) in relation to their eye color, ABO and Rh blood groups distribution nor the HLA-DR or HLA-DQ (apart from HLA-DQ3) epitopes frequency, thus not offering any significant difference in the genetic-racial markers studies to explain the difference in the observed disease susceptibility. Previous studies demonstrated that 2 racially different populations sharing the same environment can have different risk of developing multiple sclerosis, but this study has shown that this can also be true for 2 racially similar populations sharing the same environment.

Keywords: Multiple sclerosis Epidemiology Comparative study Arabs Jordan

Research Title: Multiple sclerosis in Arabs in Jordan

Author: Raida W. Khalil, Published Year: 1995

Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 131

Faculty: Science

Abstract: In a 2-year hospital-based study (1992 and 1993), there were 131 multiple sclerosis patients attending 2 large referral hospitals in Jordan. Based on case ratios an overall rate of 32.1 (95% CI 19.7–55.2) was estimated. There were 126 Arabs of whom 84 were Palestinians and 36 indigenous Jordanians. Comparison of these subgroups, which had a similar age distribution revealed that the disease was twice as frequent in Palestinians (estimated (CI 2.8–90.8)) among Jordanians (estimated (CI 9.5–47.2)). Clinical presentation, pattern of disease, disability and HLA association were similar to that in the disease reported in Caucasians in the West. All investigations including neurophysiology and imaging were also very similar to Western reports.

Keywords: Multiple sclerosis Epidemiology HLA Arabs Jordan

Research Title: Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of some species of Aegilops.

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2004

Dirasat, Agriculture Sciences , 31

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of some species of Aegilops.

Keywords: RAPD, Aegilops

Research Title: Genetic diversity in some Aegilops species in Jordan revealed using RAPD.

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2004

Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter , 139

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Genetic diversity in some Aegilops species in Jordan revealed using RAPD.

Keywords: Aegilops species

Research Title: Performance of some Aegilops species under different water regimes (Research note)

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2003

Dirasat, Agriculture Sciences , 30

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Performance of some Aegilops species under different water regimes (Research note)

Keywords: Aegilops species

Research Title: Specificity of different PCR primers for Verticillium dahliae isolated from olive trees in Jordan

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2002

Mu’tah Lil-Buhuth wad-Dirasat , 17

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Three pairs of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were compared to amplify characteristic DNA fingerprints of Verticillium dahliae Kleb. (the causal agent of olive vascular wilt disease). The primers include several combinations of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of nuclear ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and one pair from repetitive nuclear DNA sequences. Deoxyoligonucleotide primers specific to V. dahliae were synthesized based on the identified variable nucleotide sequences of the nuclear ITS regions of different Verticillium species that cause vascular wilt diseases. The PCR primers of nuclear repetitive DNA showed variable band intensities for the different isolates of V. dahliae isolated from olive trees in Jordan. This suggests genetic variabilities of the local isolates collected from olive. Primers based on the ITS sequences produced more consistently homogeneous and characteristic fingerprints using purified DNA from V. dahliae isolates. The detection limit of these ITS primers was further improved using nested PCR and to show the high specificity of the ITS primers. The first amplification reaction of nested PCR contained primers from the highly conserved DNA sequences of the 18S and 28S genes that flank the ITS regions. No PCR amplification produced using DNA isolated from different fungi in the same taxonomic class or other classes. These ITS-specific primer pair may be useful in developing diagnostic procedures of Verticillium wilt disease using single or nested PCR. تمت مقارنة ثلثة أزواج من بادئات تفاعل البلمرة التسلسلي(PCR (لتضخيم بصصصمات وراثية خاصة بفطر الفيرتسيليوم دالي المسبب لمرض الذبول الوعائي في الزيتصصون . أشصصتملت البادئات على مزيج من تسلسل المناطق المستنسخة والفاصلة بين جينات بناء الريبوسومات (ITS( وزوج بادئات من تسلسل النيوكليتدات المكررة فصصي الحصصامض النصصووي الريبصصوزي منقصصوص الوكسجين (DNA . (تم تحديد وبناء بادئات من مناطق (ITS (خاصة بالفيرتسيليوم دالي وفصصي المناطق التي تختلف بالتسلسل عن الفطريات الخرى التي تسصبب الصذبول الوعصائي . أنتجصت البادئات من تسلسل النيوكليتدات المكررة وباستعمال أل (PCR (حزم تختلف مصن حيصث الحصدة للعزلت المختلفة من الزيتون في الردن ، ومما يشير لختلفات وراثية بيصن عصزلت الفطصر المختلفة ، بينما أنتجت بادئات أل(ITS (حزم متجانسة لهذه العزلت . كما تم زيادة الحد الدنصصى للكشف عن DNA الفطر باستعمال(PCR (مزدوج وباستعمال بادئات في التفاعل الول مصن جينات (18S (و (28S (المحيطة في منطقة أل (ITS (واستعمال بادئات أل(ITS (في التفاعل الثاني . استعمل هذا الفحص لتأكيد خصوصية البادئات لفطر الفيرتسيليوم دالي وليس لفطريصصات أخرى في نفس الصف التصنيفي أو صفوف أخرى . وسيكون استعمال هذه البادئات في تفاعصصل مفرد أو مزدوج من أل(PCR (مفيدا في تطوير طرق تشخيصية لمرض الذبول الوعصصائي فصصي الزيتون .

Keywords: olive vascular wilt disease

Research Title: Over-expression of cinnamate 4-hydroxylase leads to increased accumulation of acetosyringone in elicited tobacco cell-suspension cultures.

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2002

Planta, 214

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Cell-suspension cultures were produced from transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. ) plants harboring a constitutively expressed alfalfa cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) transgene. Increased levels of C4H enzyme activity in the transgenic cultures were observed only following exposure of the cells to yeast elicitor, although alfalfa C4H transcripts were expressed at a high level from the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter in the absence of elicitation. Increased expression of C4H in elicited cell-suspension cultures had no appreciable effect on the HPLC profiles of soluble phenolic compounds. However, levels of one compound, subsequently identified as 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy acetophenone (acetosyringone), were strongly elevated in the wall-bound phenolic fraction. The results are discussed in relation to the correlation between C4H activity and the synthesis of 3,5-dimethylated hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives in tobacco.

Keywords: Cell-suspension cultures, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase

Research Title: Altering expression of cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase in transgenic plants identifies a feedback loop at the entry point into the phenylpropanoid pathway

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2000

Plant Physiology , 122

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Pharmacological evidence implicates trans-cinnamic acid as a feedback modulator of the expression and enzymatic activity of the first enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway, Lphenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). To test this hypothesis independently of methods that utilize potentially non-specific inhibitors, we generated transgenic tobacco lines with altered activity levels of the second enzyme of the pathway, cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (C4H), by sense or antisense expression of an alfalfa C4H cDNA. PAL activity and levels of phenylpropanoid compounds were reduced in leaves and stems of plants in which C4H activity had been genetically down-regulated. However, C4H activity was not reduced in plants in which PAL activity had been down-regulated by gene silencing. In crosses between a tobacco line over-expressing PAL from a bean PAL transgene and a C4H antisense line, progeny populations harboring both the bean PAL sense and C4H antisense transgenes had significantly lower extractable PAL activity than progeny populations harboring the PAL transgene alone. Our data provide genetic evidence for a feedback loop at the entry point into the phenylpropanoid pathway that had previously been inferred from potentially artifactual pharmacological experiments.

Keywords: phenylpropanoid pathway, cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase