A new <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus licheniformis</Emphasis> mutant strain producing serine protease efficient for hydrolysis of soy meal proteins

Induced mutagenesis with γ-irradiation of the industrial strain Bacillus licheniformis-60 VKM B-2366 D was used to obtain a new highly active producer of an extracellular serine protease, Bacillus licheniformis-145. Samples of dry concentrated preparations of serine protease produced by the original and mutant strains were obtained, and identity of their protein composition was established. Alkaline serine protease subtilisin DY was the main component of the preparations. The biochemical and physicochemical properties of the Protolicheterm-145 enzyme preparation obtained from the mutant strain were studied. It exhibited proteolytic activity (1.5 times higher than the preparation from the initial strain) within broad ranges of pH (5–11) and temperature (30–70°C). Efficient hydrolysis of extruded soybean meal protein at high concentrations (20 to 50%) in the reaction mixture was the main advantage of the Protolicheterm-145 preparation. Compared to the preparation obtained using the initial strain, the new preparation with increased proteolytic activity provided for more complete hydrolysis of the main non-nutritious anti-nutritional soy proteins (glycinin and β-conglycinin) with the yield of soluble protein increased by 19–28%, which decreased the cost of bioconversion of the proteinaceous material and indicated promise of the new preparation in resource-saving technologies for processing soybean meals and cakes.     

Oxidation of dibenzofuran by Pseudomonas strains harboring plasmids of naphthalene degradation]

Pseudomonas strains harboring plasmids pBS3, pBS4, NAH7 were shown to carry out initial transformation of dibenzofurane to 4-[2'-(3'-hydroxy)-benzofuranyl]-2-keto-3-butenic acid due to broad substrate specificity of the enzymes of naphthalene catabolism nahA, nahB, nahC and nahD. These strains did not grow on dibenzofurane because of the inability of the enzyme nahE to split pyruvate of 4-[2'-(3' hydroxy)-benzofuranyl]-2-keto-3-butenic acid, which leads to accumulation of the latter. The strains harboring plasmids pBS2 and NPL-1 are not capable of any transformation of dibenzofurane.     

Computer-automated calculation of allowed human body weight

A body weight (BW) classification has been proposed. It has been used in a PC program which compared BW of the patient with the current international criteria for "optimal" and "normal" BW depending on the sex, age, height, complexion, and estimated the level of obesity. The program has been tested on a group of students. The studies demonstrated that most men and women had average BW. Excessive BW was found in 29% women and 5% men. Besides, fat women are psychologically predisposed to have excessive BW, and thin ones, insufficient BW. The complexion of the patient significantly influences the allowed BW.     

Adaptive Changes in Fatty Acid Compositions of Whitefish Coregonus lavaretusL. Tissue Lipids Caused by Anthropogenic Factors

Adaptive processes in the body of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretusL.) caused by anthropogenic effects on aquatic systems were studied. It was demonstrated that the content of fatty acid acyls correlated with the water pollution level. The role of a decrease in the content of arachidonic acid in fish reproduction under adverse conditions is discussed. It is underlined that the quantitative alterations in the gonad and liver fatty acid patterns are unidirectional. The compensatory character of the changes discovered is hypothesized.     

Molecular phylogeny and systematics of drosophila retrotransposons and retroviruses

Full classification of Drosophila melanogaster retrotransposons with long terminal repeats (LTR-retrotransposons) has been recomposed, and their evolutional analysis in sequenced genomes of different species of drosophila and other arthropods has been carried out. D. melanogaster LTR-retrotransposons are divided into three groups: gypsy (one, two, or three open reading frames (ORFs)), copia (one ORF), and BEL (one ORF). The gypsy group is divided into three subgroups. Subgroup I is underrepresented by retrotransposons-retroviruses with three ORFs and their derivatives, which have lost the env gene (ORF3). Subgroup II is underrepresented by retrotransposons with two ORFs, and subgroup III is underrepresented by retrotransposons with one ORF. A comparative analysis of homologs of gypsy group LTR-retrotransposons evidences that subgroups I and II are represented only in the genomes of Lepidoptera and Diptera. The gypsy group of LTR-retrotransposons with one and two ORFs is found in almost all genomes of arthropods. Most of the families of D. melanogaster gypsy group LTR-retrotransposons have close homologs in the genomes of other species of drosophila. A degree of identity of retrotransposons sequences is correlated with a degree of relation between species of drosophila, indicating vertical transmission of retrotransposons. Obvious cases of horizontal transfer of some mobile elements have been detected including retrotransposons without the env gene. Homologs of distinct ORFs of retrotransposons—genes gag and env—have been found. Gene-homolog of the gag gene—Grp (CG5680)—is under purifying selection, so it has an important function in drosophila genome.     

Molecular evolution of mobile elements of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">gypsy</Emphasis> group: A homolog of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">gag</Emphasis> gene in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis>

Retrotransposons of the gypsy group of Drosophila melanogaster that are structurally similar to retroviruses of vertebrates occupy an important place among retroelements of eukaryotes. The infectious abilities of some retrotransposons of this group (gypsy, ZAM, and Idefix) have been demonstrated experimentally, and therefore they are true retroviruses. It is supposed that retrotransposons can evolve acquiring new components, the sources of which remain to be elucidated. In this work, the CG4680gene (Gag related protein, Grp) homologous to gag of retrotransposons of the gypsy group has been identified in the genome of D. melanogaster and characterized. The Grp gene product has a highly conserved structure in different species of the Drosophilidae family and is under of purifying selection, which suggests its important genomic function in Drosophila. In view of the earlier data, it can be concluded that homologous genes of all components of gypsy retrotransposons are present in the Drosophila genome. These genes can be both precursors and products of domestication of retrovirus genes.     

Mutants of cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 with insertion of the sodB gene encoding Fe-superoxide dismutase

The sodB gene encoding the only superoxide dismutase (Fe-SOD) in cells of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 was inactivated with gentamycin resistance aacC1 marker insertions located in the direct or inverted order toward the sodB gene. The corresponding delta sodB12 and delta sodB22 mutants are characterized by the complete absence of superoxide dismutase activity and the loss of viability upon standard photoautotrophic cultivation. Mutant cells can grow under conditions of a decreased illumination intensity and upon addition of NaHCO3 with catalase or bovine serum albumin in the growth medium. The delta sodB22 mutant is auxotrophic for leucine due to the polar effect of insertion into the sodB gene on the downstream leuB gene controlling leucine biosynthesis. These data suggest that Fe-SOD is very important for providing tolerance of Synechocystis cells to oxidative stress and that sodB and leuB genes are organized into a single operon.