From chapter 1
mR^ita-matsyo nAma dvitIyo.adhyAyaH |
Sometime later the country abruptly returned to normalcy – the Hindus heaved a sigh of relief. The buzz going around was that the seasoned politician and home minister Vidharam Yadav, who was reputed to have never been on the losing side, had negotiated a deal by which national peace was restored instantly. He had appeared on national media and declared that in a week a major announcement would be made regarding the peace deal and its details. Thus, the last semester of their degree course resumed and Lootika, Somakhya and others were back in their university. Somakhya and Lootika, having much to catch up, went to their favorite meadow behind their university departments and wandered to the shade of the large elephant apple tree that stood in the midst of it. Somakhya eagerly inquired about the results of the experiments of Varoli on the Gambusia fish. He excitedly asked: “Did you sequence the `acclimatization-negative loci` of the mutant fish that appeared to prevent them from transmitting the acclimatization capability to their offspring.” Lootika: “Yes we got 4 of them and sequenced them though I have not looked at the sequences yet as you are best qualified to take the first stab at them.” She pulled out her tablet and showed the data to Somakhya. Lootika: “Ah the first mutation seems like in no man’s land.” Somakhya snatching her tablet and scrolling down the chromosome remarked: “Hey, not really! See it is in the regulatory region of WDR5: part of the MLL1 histone H3K4 methylase complex. That clinches our hunch that this is an epigenetic phenomenon! Let’s look at the next one.” Lootika taking back her tablet said: “Here it is, one of the DNMT3 paralogs of the fish-specific expansion. And look at this! The remaining two are also other DNMT3 paralogs.” They did a spontaneous high-five and said: “This is splendid!” Somakhya: “I have devised in my mind of a new sequencing methodology. I think you should get your little sis Jhilleeka to try to implement it along with my acquaintance Sandeep, who seems to have conquered the necessary microfluidics technology and has obtained some money to do such things. It would be a good thing for Jhilleeka to spend her long vacation on. We can then sequence the methylomes and study the status of the various heat acclimatization loci.” Lootika: “Indeed that would be a great thing to do. It could also be leveraged for our long term plan to understand how the XX-XY and WZ-ZZ sex determination evolved in the two species of Gambusia.”
A week later Vidharam Yadav made his much awaited announcement. In the deal he had cut the two opposition leaders Azhar Mehmood and Sajid Mir were to respectively become prime minister and deputy-prime minister. The UCC bill would never be mentioned on the floor of the parliament again and Sharia law would be implemented in all places the Momin were in majority. Its implementation was to be in three phases: In the first it was jail time for most crimes deemed fit for such by the Qazis. In the second the amputations and lashings were to follow and finally the beheadings and stonings in the third. They also wanted to ban the rAShTrIya svatantratA senA, but that did not come through – the compromise was they were banned from starting a shAkhA in any area having more than 40% Momin. Somakhya was walking into the university department. He ran into Sharad who excitedly remarked: “That was a master stroke by the revolutionary and seasoned politician Vidharam Yadav. Indeed, who else in the ruling coalition would have thought of ceding power in the interest of national peace.” Somakhya: “Well, I really do not want to hear any of that crap – the consequences of this will be felt for long.”
He felt low and deciding not to attend classes walked away towards the meadow and sat under the large elephant apple tree. He kept looking at the alignment of the DNMT3 genes from Lootika and Varoli’s fishes. After some time he sensed Lootika walking towards him. He did not look at her face but as she neared him he asked: “What about the fishes; did you resequence the mutants?” Lootika did not answer but appeared to be quietly standing beside him for sometime. Surprised he looked up. Her face was drawn and she was almost in tears. Somakhya: “I know it is a depressing day but your face looks funereal. Why what happened?” Lootika: “Well, the fish are dead and worse things have happened. All the fish mysteriously died. When I was away at college my mother asked Varoli and Jhilleeka to dispose them right away as she feared the house being polluted by the stench of dead fish. They seem to have thrown them out and our cat chitra seems to have eaten them. Now it is seriously ill and I doubt it would make it past this day despite my father attempting to treat it.” Somakhya: “Lootika, if there is even one of these dead fish left ask Vrischika to do a blood agar culture as soon as possible. Instruct her to be careful – wear gloves and work in a hood and all that. Then get the plates to me.” Two days latter Somakhya lifted his eye from the ocular of the microscope and turning to Lootika and Vrishchika remarked “Look at those saffron rods – it is Edwardsiella tarda.” Vrischika: “trayastriMshAH! Good we took precaution. Our father had described to me a case: a man had come to him from Mumbai where he had sustained an injury while sailing. His leg muscles were undergoing rapid necrosis. It turned out to be E. tarda! We may be able to save chitra after all.” Somakhya: “We must sequence the genome of this killer – there must be something of interest there.”
Lootika isolated DNA from the cells. She had to put it away in the freezer because the exams were round the corner and they had no time for sequencing. The evening their exams were over, Lootika, Vrischika and Somakhya walked towards the AvaraNa of the sarasvatI temple that was at the edge of the cemetery. The sarasvatI was the only deity that remained of the pantheon of the shiva temple that was once in that place. Vidrum wanted to join them too. However, he was with Meghana and feared that a dreadful confrontation might emerge between her and Lootika. So he merely waved to the three and went his way. As Somakhya, Lootika and Vrischika sat in silence on a culvert of the temple to take in the quiet and mild evening breeze they heard a couple of talking mynahs (a common Indian starling). The mynahs fluttering up and down said: “pilipichChikA pilipichChikA ||” Vrischika: “That surely looks like a sign to us.” Somakhya: “Perhaps. In any case let us perform the homa.” They soon created a sthaNDila in the temple courtyard and having kindled the fire started making oblations with the mantra: “pilipichChike! skanda-dUte! juhuyAma tvA asmAkam prAkAra samIpe vetAlaM shIgram Anaya Anaya svAhA ||”
Continued…
Filed under: Life Tagged: DNMT3, Edwardsiella tarda, fish, Gambusia, MLL1, Story
