Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), caused by cotton leaf curl Burewala virus (CLCuBV), has emerged as a major threat to cotton production in Pakistan. Resistance to CLCuBV was evaluated in cultivated and wild cotton genotypes representing six Gossypium species by visual symptom scoring and virus assessment using PCR tests. Considerable variation in responses was observed when using whitefly and graft transmission to inoculate Gossypium genotypes with CLCuBV in field and greenhouse experiments. Under field evaluation, all cultivated genotypes of Gossypium hirsutum and three genotypes of G. barbadense were susceptible. Eleven genotypes that represented six wild and cultivated Gossypium species were considered to be highly resistant as they were free from infection. Similar results were obtained when these genotypes were tested using whitefly transmission. To verify these findings, 132 cultivated and wild genotypes were tested by graft inoculation. All G. hirsutum genotypes (116 cultivated, 1 wild, 1 transgenic Coker‐312 and 1 non‐transgenic Coker‐312), three G. barbadense genotypes and one G. thurberi genotype were highly susceptible and exhibited symptoms 9–12 days after grafting. Four genotypes of G. arboreum and one genotype of G. anomalum did not express symptoms but had a detectable level of virus. One genotype of G. herbaceum and three wild genotypes of G. hirsutum showed mild symptoms (severity indexes of 1–2) and exhibited delayed disease development. These genotypes were classified as moderately resistant to resistant. Resistant genotypes that were identified in this study will be useful sources for exploitation of breeding programmes aimed at developing CLCuBV‐resistant varieties and increasing genetic diversity.

Wnt signalling is one of a few pathways that are crucial for controlling genetic programs during embryonic development as well as in adult tissues. WNT10A is expressed in the skin and epidermis and it has shown to be critical for the development of ectodermal appendages. A nonsense mutation in WNT10A was recently identified in odonto-onycho-dermal dysplasia (OODD; MIM 257980), a rare syndrome characterised by severe hypodontia, nail dystrophy, smooth tongue, dry skin, keratoderma and hyperhydrosis of palms and soles. We identified a large consanguineous Pakistani pedigree comprising six individuals affected by a complete OODD syndrome. Autozygosity mapping using SNP array analysis showed that the affected individuals are homozygous for the WNT10A gene region. Subsequent mutation screening showed a homozygous c.392C4T transition in exon 3 of WNT10A, which predicts a p.A131V substitution in a conserved a-helix domain. We report here on the first inherited missense mutation in WNT10A with associated ectodermal features.

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Pakistan has a large population of more than 150 million people with an overall carrier frequency of approximately 5.6% for beta-thalassemia. Punjab is the largest province of the country having more than 50% of the population. The state of beta-thalassemia is alarming as consanguinity is very high (>81%) and the literacy rate is low in South Punjab. A thalassemia prevention program is the need of the hour in this part of Pakistan. In this study, we initiated awareness, screening, and characterization of the mutations causing beta-thalassemia as well as a genetic counseling program mainly in the districts of Faisalabad and D.G. Khan to establish prenatal diagnosis, a facility previously unavailable in this region for disease prevention. A total of 248 unrelated transfusion-dependent children and the available members of their families were screened to characterize the mutations and identify the carriers. Genetic counseling was provided to these families and prenatal diagnosis offered. In the samples analyzed, 11 beta-thalassemia mutations and three hemoglobin variants were detected mainly by using the Monoplex and Multiplex ARMS-PCR. First-trimester prenatal diagnosis was carried out through chorionic villus sampling (CVS) in seven pregnancies at risk. As a result of our campaign, 145 carrier couples planning to have more children gave their consent to have retrospective prenatal diagnosis in every pregnancy in future. A cooperative trend and a positive attitude toward the prevention of beta-thalassemia were noticed in the families with affected children and in the general population.

It is a well-known fact that cottage industries can play a significant role in the development of an economy like Pakistan. As it is observed that this industry is not required too much financing, imported and highly sophisticated technology. So the problems like deficit in public finance and balance of payments is not related with the growth and development of these industries. Simultaneously, high degree of female labour force participation in this sector has also been proved in the number of studies. Which seems to be helpful in the process of reduction of poverty especially in the rural areas. The Southern Punjab especially its rural areas are comparatively less prosperous than the other parts of Punjab. A number of female workers can be seen in the rural areas of Southern Punjab. The concentration of these workers is in few traditional areas and is characterised by the low technology and low production levels. These areas are typically those, which require skills that are basically the extension of household skills or which reflect a specific educational and employment experience of women. It has also been observed that women’s income of the rural areas of Southern Punjab are more likely than their male partners to go towards meeting their family’s basic needs. These women spent most of their business income on the households, food, clothing and education of their children rather than reinvesting it in their business.