Muhammad Manjurul Karim

• PhD
• Professor (Full) at University of Dhaka

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) is a vital tool in molecular phylogenetics, evolutionary biology, and population genetics. Here, we present a protocol for extracting mitochondrial DNA from shrimp (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and prawn (Penaeus monodon) species using a differential centrifugation approach without relying on commercially availab...

Phytate, an antinutritional molecule in poultry feed, can be degraded by applying phytase, but its use in developing countries is often limited due to importation instead of local production. Here, inexpensive raw materials have been used to optimize the production of a thermostable phytase from an indigenous strain of Bacillus subtilis SP11 that w...

Priestia aryabhattai strain MS3, a salt-tolerant, plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium, was isolated from saline soil in Kalapara, Patuakhali, Bangladesh. This study presents the whole-genome sequencing of strain MS3, revealing a 5.296 Mb genome comprising 5,369 predicted protein-coding sequences and 46 RNA genes.

Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global health, exacerbated by the protective mechanisms of biofilms formed by drug-resistant bacteria. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by bacteria in biofilms serve as a formidable shield, impeding the efficacy of antimicrobial agents. Here, we investigated th...

We report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) from Bangladesh. The circular genome spans 15,979 base pairs, with a GC content of 29.04%, and encodes 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and 1 control region.

We report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) from Bangladesh. The circular genome is 15,766 base pairs long, with a GC content of 38.1%, and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 control region.

Background

Obesity is one of the most notable global public health challenges, and the association of hypertension and obesity leads to cardiovascular and kidney diseases, causing high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The correlation between the development of excess adipose tissue in the human body and high blood pressure is well documented, and some studi...

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by an intracellular parasite that is transmitted to humans by sandfly bites. It is prevalent throughout Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Mediterranean area, where 147 million people are at risk of contracting the illness. The manifestation of heterotrophic illness relies on both Leishmania implicated and the...

Introduction The ongoing global expansion of salt-affected land is a significant factor, limiting the growth and yield of crops, particularly rice (Oryza sativa L). This experiment explores the mitigation of salt-induced damage in rice (cv BRRI dhan100) following the application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Methods Rice seedling...

Aeromonas hydrophila is an important opportunistic pathogen to humans, and fish. Over the past decade, vast mortalities of farmed fish due to motile Aeromonas septicemia (MAS) have occurred in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) farmed in the United States and in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) farmed in China. While A. hydrophila is typical...

Violacein is a naturally-occurring bacterial secondary metabolite which is known to demonstrate a wide range of biological properties including antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral as well as anticancer and antitumor activities. Bacteria belonging to the genus Chromobacterium are the most studied microorganisms for violacein production. In this stu...

To feed the ever-increasing global population with the existing resources, improvement in food production using plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is gaining momentum nowadays. This association is found useful when the soil arability is challenged by abiotic stresses. Modifying the plant–microbe symbiotic relationship to provide sustainabi...

Introduction: The identification of the causative agents of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), notably Leishmania donovani and L. infantum, are typically predicated on Giemsa-stained smears of bone marrow, spleen aspirates, liver, or lymph node. The collection of these samples necessitates invasive procedures and the danger of internal hemorrhage. We rec...

Aeromonas hydrophila is an important opportunistic pathogen of fish and other aquatic species. Over the past decade vast mortalities of farmed fish due to Motile Aeromonas septicemia (MAS) have occurred in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) farmed in the United States and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and other carp species farmed in Chin...

Highly similar genetic and phenotypic traits of at least eight bacterial species forming the ‘Bacillus cereus group’ create their precise identification and differentiation quite difficult. The present study explores the applicability of a previously suggested multiplex-PCR method for the accurate identification of the candidate Bacillus species. O...

Diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) through the detection of its causative agents namely Leishmania donovani and L. infantum is traditionally based on immunochromatographic tests, microscopy of bone marrow, spleen aspirates, liver or lymph node and differential diagnosis. While the first process has low specificity, the later one carries the r...

Lymphatic filariasis is caused by parasitic nematodes transmitted to humans by mosquito bites. It is endemic in tropical and subtropical countries where more than a billion people are at risk of being infected, and some 51 million people are clinically affected. Infective filarial larvae entering human through mosquito bites develops in to adult wo...

Bacterial endotoxins are a major concern in periodontal health and diseases owing to their structure and biological activity. With up-to-date knowledge of endotoxins and the recent findings about the influence of endotoxins in dental health, their probable mode of pathogenesis, and standard detection methods, this review analyzes the potential effi...

Background Diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) through the detection of its causative agents namely Leishmania donovani and L. infantum is traditionally based on Giemsa-stained smears of bone marrow, spleen aspirates, liver or lymph node. Collection of these samples involve invasive procedures and carries the risk of fatal hemorrhage especiall...

Considering the fact that publications serve as an important criterion to evaluate the scientific accomplishments of an individual within respective fields in academia, there has been an increasing trend to publish scientific articles whereby multiple authors are defined as primary, co-, or corresponding authors according to the roles performed. Th...

Genome sequence study of an industrially-important strain, Bacillus subtilis M9, a mutant version of wild strain Bacillus subtilis MZK05 was conducted to uncover genetic factors responsible for enhanced serine proteases expression in addition to its other industrial enzymes, metabolites and bacteriocins producing efficacy. The wild type and the mut...

Plastics are among the most commonly used materials by humans on a global scale. Massive production, poor biodegradability, little recycling have led to extensive contamination of our environment by plastic and its smaller degradation products, microplastics (MPs), and nanoplastics. MPs are simply ubiquitous in the air, water, and soil ecosystems;...

As far as comorbidity is concerned, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) appear to be accounted for the highest prevalence, severity, and fatality among COVID 19 patients. A wide array of causal links connecting CVD and COVID-19 baffle the overall prognosis as well as the efficacy of the given therapeutic interventions. At the centre of this puzzle lies A...

Serological analysis is an integral part of laboratory practice nowadays. The present study was aimed to develop and validate a modified Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for determination of IgG antibody against Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) using dried blood spots (DBS) and corresponding plasma samples. A total of 65 samples (45 HEV patients, 2...

The application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as vital components for plant growth promotion against biotic and abiotic stresses could be a promising strategy to improve crop production in areas vulnerable to increasing salinity. Here, we isolated Seventy-five endophytic bacteria from roots of healthy Oryza sativa grown in a saline...

Iron (Fe) bioavailability to plants is reduced in saline soils; therefore, plants growing in arid soils face two major challenges for poor crop productivity: high salinity and Fe deficiency. Siderophore-producing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could be a promising alternative to chemical fertilizers that could tackle salt stress and Fe...

Objectives To determine IgG immune responses and hepatitis E viral load and explore association with pregnancy. Methods Total 121 HEV infected women (57 pregnant, 64 non-pregnant) were analyzed. RT-qPCR done for 78 HEV IgM positive patients to determine viral load and Sanger sequencing performed for 62 HEV-RNA positive patients to confirm genotypi...

A 58-year-old man was tested positive for COVID-19 with mild clinical symptoms. Although symptoms resolved within 2 days, the patient was tested positive again on day 29 post-illness after a negative test. It took more than 40 days to become a negative carrier of SARS-CoV-2. Such asymptomatic cases raise questions on the recommended isolation perio...

The human gut is colonized by an inherent group of microorganisms that cohabits with us and plays a critical role in maintaining homeostasis. Evidence is being piled up, showing the roles of gut micro-flora in the severity and consequences of COVID-19. The gut-lung cross talk is thought to mediate this outcome resulting in an alteration of gut-micr...

Despite the widely used author contribution criteria, unethical authorship practices such as guest, ghost, and honorary authorship remains largely unsolved. We have identified six major reasons by analyzing 78 published papers addressing unethical authorship practice. Those are lack of: (i) awareness about and (ii) compliance with authorship criter...

As far as the comorbidity is concerned, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) appear to be accounted for the highest prevalence, severity, and fatality among COVID 19 patients. A wide array of causal links connecting CVD and COVID-19 baffle the overall prognosis as well as the efficacy of the given therapeutic interventions. At the centre of this puzzle li...

Although Hepatitis E viral illness is usually self-limiting, higher rates of morbidity and mortality are frequently observed during pregnancy in South Asian countries including Bangladesh. Of the four common variants, hepatitis E virus genotype 1 is mainly prevalent in South Asian countries. Pregnant women usually suffer from a state of immunosuppr...

Growth and productivity of rice are negatively affected by soil salinity. However, some salt-tolerant rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria can improve salt resistance of plants, thereby augmenting plant growth and production. Here, we isolated a total of 53 plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) from saline and non-saline areas in Bangladesh where...

Parasporal crystalline inclusion proteins of some Bacillus spp. are of paramount importance due to their insecticidal, nematocidal, and cancer cell killing capabilities. Here, we present a brief report of the complete genome sequence of Bacillus sp. BD59S, a bacterium that produced HeLa cell-killing parasporal crystalline inclusion proteins. From g...

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death in the

Oral cavity is a very suitable habitat for a wide range of bacteria of which a significant proportion is facultative or strict anaerobes. In healthy individuals, specific sites of the oral cavity are colonized by specific microbial communities, and a balance of the species within the community, known as “microbial homeostasis”, is maintained. When...

Nutritional immunity describes mechanisms for withholding essential transition metals as well as directing the toxicity of these metals against infectious agents. Zinc is one of these transition elements that are essential for both humans and microbial pathogens. At the same time, Zn can be toxic both for man and microbes if its concentration is hi...

Objective: To establish a suitable method of diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) using peripheral blood, spleen or bone marrow aspirates. Methods: Peripheral blood, bone marrow and spleen aspirate samples were collected from clinically suspected VL patients (n = 26). A new PCR primer pair (MK1F/R) was designed targeting kinetoplast mini cir...

Following an incidence of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii postlarvae (PL) mortality in hatcheries in summer 2012, samples from dead PL, rearing water and prawn feed from two south-west coastal districts of Bangladesh were collected to isolate, identify and characterize the agents causing PL mortality. Antibiogram profile of sixteen rando...

Aims Bacillus licheniformis MZK-05 is a keratinolytic bacterium having potential in dehairing of leather and feather hydrolysis. The present study aimed at to improving the production level of keratinase through gene cloning and expression of recombinant keratinase. Methodology and Result Bacillus licheniformis MZK-05 produced an amplicon of 1,156...

This study investigated whether tuberculous prostatitis is common among patients with different prostatic lesions including prostate cancer in Bangladesh. None of the 85 biopsy sample revealed acid fast bacilli on Ziehl-Neelsen (Z-N) microscopy or the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis on polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Moreover, eight samples...

Bacillus licheniformis MZK-05 produces keratianses which have importane in eco-friendly leather manufacture, cosmetics, nutrachemicals and dietary supplements, feather derived polymers and degradation of prion. The bacterium produced an amplicon of 1,156 bp in a polymerase chain reaction while targeting the gene, kerA, responsible for the enzyme ke...

The molecular basis of antagonistic activity of a number of probiotic bacteria was analyzed using plasmid curing method. Earlier, six bacteria having potential probiotic activity under laboratory conditions were screened from 96 isolates which were obtained from shrimp rearing environment from south-west coastal region of Bangladesh. Among the isol...

The concept of gene therapy involves the transfer of genetic material into a cell, tissue, or whole organ, with a view to curing a disease or at least improving the clinical status of a patient. Much of its success relies heavily on the development of an effective delivery system that is capable of efficient gene transfer in a variety of tissues, w...

_______________________________________________________________________ Shrimp is the second largest exportable commodity in Bangladesh and the giant freshwater prawn commonly known as Golda (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) is one of the most important commercially produced crustaceans in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, frequent outbreaks of microbial disease...

Hospital and agriculture wastewater is mostly responsible for causing environmental pollution by spreading un-metabolized antibiotics and resistant bacteria, especially in Bangladesh. Here, we studied the influence of the most frequently prescribed antibiotic, fluoroquinolone (~72%), on the development of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli....

The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens as a result of uncontrolled use of antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infections is a major concern for shrimp industries. Probiotics-friendly bacteria with a host of benefits can be an alternative to chemicals and antibiotics uses urging us to isolate some probiotic bacteria from shrimp niches. Six...

Keywords: Nipah virus; infection; outbreaks; prevention; awarenessDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjpath.v26i1.9147 BJPATH 2011; 26(1): 23-25

Terminalia chebula is a popular medicinal plant according to Ayurveda for its broad spectrum medicinal value including in the treatment of enteric disorders. Leaf extracts in water as well as in various organic solvents (namely me-thanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform) were analyzed to testify its antibacterial activities against four diffe...

The use of chemotherapeutic agents has been questioned for disease management in shrimp aquaculture due to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and enduring residual effects in the environments. Instead, microbial interventions in sustainable aquaculture have been proposed, and among them, the use of probiotics as an alternative to antibiotics...

Somatic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations have been reported in many types of cancer cells, but very few reports document the prevalence of inherited mtDNA polymorphisms including NADH-dehydrogenase (ND3) subunit polymorphisms in cancer patients compared to healthy control populations. Although, few mitochondrial ND3 subunit polymorphisms were...

A total of 1106 stool samples collected from diarrhoea patients admitted to Dhaka hospital of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, during January–December 2008 were analysed for the presence of rotavirus-specific RNA by PAGE. The group B-specific RNA migration pattern was detected in 26 patients (2.4 %) and group A-...

A total of 1106 stool samples collected from diarrhoea patients admitted to Dhaka hospital of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, during January-December 2008 were analysed for the presence of rotavirus-specific RNA by PAGE. The group B-specific RNA migration pattern was detected in 26 patients (2.4%) and group A-s...

Organic aquaculture utilizing probiotics for disease control and bioremediation has gained global acceptance in recent years. A preliminary study was conducted to isolate indigenous bacteria antagonistic to pathogenic vibrios as putative probiotics for shrimp hatcheries and grow-out systems. These efforts resulted in the isolation of a Gram-positiv...

The abundance and community structure of microorganisms associated with the commercial brands of brine shrimp, Artemia, cysts were studied in a microbiologically-monitored controlled environment for hatching the cysts. The cysts, treated with chlorine, showed no presence of microorganisms during the pre-hatching stage, contrary to those which were...

Penaeid shrimp hatcheries often beset with diseases, mainly with the bacterial infections. Most of the symptoms agree with the Vibriosis, which is considered as one of the fatal causes for the mass mortality in the penaeid shrimp hatcheries. In this study we collected a total of eighteen samples from different hatcheries of Cox’s Bazar during July...

Penaeid shrimp hatcheries often beset with diseases, mainly with the bacterial infections. Most of the symptoms agree with the Vibriosis, which is considered as one of the fatal causes for the mass mortality in the penaeid shrimp hatcheries. In this study we collected a total of eighteen samples from different hatcheries of Cox’s Bazar during July...

Dengue virus, a member of the flavivirus family, is a mosquito-borne viral pathogen for which any specific treatment or control of infection by vaccination is yet to be conclusive. The envelope glycoprotein, E, mediates viral entry by membrane fusion. Elucidation of post-translational modification sites in E protein followed by sequence alignment p...

Shrimp export is the second largest exportable commodity in Bangladesh. However, frequent outbreaks of microbial diseases over the last few years challenged its prospect to flourish. The use of antimicrobial chemicals have led to the emergence of more virulent pathogens, with the eventual transfer of antimicrobial resistance to human pathogens. The...

Extracts in organic solvents (namely methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform) of two medicinal plants - Achyranthes aspera and Cassia alata were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella typhi and Staphylococcus aureus. These were carried out by taking the organic e...

Bird flu, synonym of avian influenza (AI) caused by influenza A virus, become concern across the world for the possible incidence of the next human influenza pandemic. The latent danger of AI pandemic remains very real, though, the precise timing of occurrence and severity is uncertain. Each avian influenza type A (AIA) contains one of the 16 subty...

The eukaryotic mRNA 3′ poly(A) tail and the 5′ cap cooperate to synergistically enhance translation. This interaction is mediated by the cap-binding protein eIF4E, the poly(A) binding protein (PABP), and eIF4G, a scaffolding protein that bridges between eIF4E and PABP to bring about the circularization of the mRNA. The translational repressor, Paip...

Translation initiation in eukaryotes is a complicated process involving some of the largest cellular structures, the ribosomes, together with approx. 11 initiation factors, and a poorly characterized set of other proteins. The concerted action of all these components ultimately results in the formation of an 80 S ribosomal complex on the AUG codon...

Translation initiation is a key point of regulation in eukaryotic gene expression. 4E-binding proteins (4E-BPs) inhibit initiation by blocking the association of eIF4E with eIF4G, two integral components of the mRNA cap-binding complex. Phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 reduces its ability to bind to eIF4E and thereby to compete with eIF4G. A novel combina...

The immunoglobulin subclass responses to homologous lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and to cholera toxin (CT) in adult patients infected with Vibrio cholerae O1 and V. cholerae O139 were studied. LPS-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASC) of both the immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) and IgA2 subclasses were seen, with the IgA1 ASC response predominating in both...

Eukaryotic translation initiation involves recognition of the 5' end of cellular mRNA by the cap-binding complex known as eukaryotic initiation factor 4F (eIF4F). Initiation is a key point of regulation in gene expression in response to mechanisms mediated by signal transduction pathways. We have investigated the molecular interactions underlying i...

4E-binding proteins (4E-BPs) are believed to have important regulatory functions in controlling the rate of translation initiation in mammalian cells. They do so by binding to the mRNA cap-binding protein, eIF4E, thereby inhibiting formation of the cap-binding complex, a process essential for cap-dependent translation initiation. We have reproduced...

The immunoglobulin subclass responses to homologous lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and to cholera toxin (CT) in adult patients infected with Vibrio cholerae O1 and V. cholerae O139 were studied. LPS-specific antibodysecreting cells (ASC) of both the immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) and IgA2 subclasses were seen, with the IgA1 ASC response predominating in both V...