In eukaryotes, the heat shock factors (HSFs) are recognized as the master regulator of the heat shock response. In this respect, the genes encoding the heat shock factors seem to be important for adaptation to thermal stress in organisms. Despite this, only few mammalian HSFs has been characterized. In this study, four major heat shock factor genes viz. HSF-1, 2, 4, and 5 were studied. The main objective of the present study was to characterize the cDNA encoding using conserved gene specific primers and to investigate the expression status of these buffalo HSF genes. Our RT-PCR analysis uncovered two distinct variants of buffalo HSF-1 and HSF-2 gene transcripts. In addition, we identified a variant of the HSF5 transcript in buffalo lacking a DNA-binding domain. In silico analysis of deduced amino acid sequences for buffalo HSF genes showed domain architecture similar to other mammalian species. Changes in the gene expression profile were noted by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis. We detected the transcript of buffalo HSF genes in different tissues. We also evaluated the seasonal changes in the expression of HSF genes. Interestingly, the transcript level of HSF-1 gene was found upregulated in months of high and low ambient temperatures. In contrast, the expression of the HSF-4 and 5 genes was found to be downregulated in months of high ambient temperature. This suggests that the intricate balance of different HSFs is adjusted to minimize the effect of seasonal changes in environmental conditions. These findings advance our understanding of the complex, context-dependent regulation of HSF gene expression under normal and stressful conditions.

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Areca nut (Areca catechu L) also known as betel nut or supari is the second most important plantation crop of Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) after coconut It has been observed that wide differences in productivity of areca nut exist among the farmers with in a village due to socio-economic status. A survey based study was conducted to understand the knowledge level of areca nut growers and link to productivity vis-a-vis socio-economic status. For this purpose, 120 areca nut farmers from four villages of Harinagar Panchayat were randomly selected. Data collected were analysed following standard statistical procedures. The results showed that 52.5% of areca nut growers had poor knowledge of cultivation and marketing. The study also revealed that about 45% growers had poor knowledge about selection of suitable site, soil and spacing requirement for plants. The analysis of socio-economic factors with knowledge level of farmers revealed that knowledge of respondents increased with the increase in their education and land holdings whereas it was negatively correlated with age and annual income. Further, the study also suggests that, educating the farmers through mass media, capacity building and demonstration will help them in learning/ adopting new technologies, which in turn help them to increase their productivity level and farming income on sustainable basis.

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