Vitamin D-dependent protein of smooth endoplasmic reticulum membranes of rat enterocytes

DEAE-cellulose chromatography and SDS-PAAG electrophoresis were used to study proteins from endoplasmic reticulum of smooth and rough enterocyte membranes in the vitamin D-replete and deficient rat. The membrane-bound vitamin-D-dependent protein with a molecular weight of 21-25 kDa is shown to consist of the endoplasmic reticulum of smooth membranes. The intensive binding of calcium by these membranes is established.     

Resistance of liposomes with different physico-chemical characteristics to the effect of plasma

The chemical composition, liquid content sign and value of charge as well as structure and size of lipid vesicles are studied for the effect they exert on the liposome permeability for 22Na+ in the presence of human blood plasma. The rate of the isotope outlet from the electroneutral lecithin liposomes is determined by the size of vesicles and the quantity of phospholipid bilayers in their membrane. The presence either of a negative or a positive charge on the surface of the liposome membrane has no essential effect on the outlet rate of the radioactive marker. Introduction of different amounts of cholesterol or sphingomyelin into the liposome composition decreases considerably the lipid vesicle permeability and an increase in the liquid content of their membranes due to the temperature elevation is accompanied by a sharp rise in the isotope outlet rate. A conclusion is drawn on the possibility to control the outlet rate of the liposome content in the presence of blood plasma.     

Effects of the whole extract and the chromatographic fractions of the pig placenta on lymphocyte proliferation and humoral immune response

The immunoregulatory properties of pig fetal placenta extracts (PE) from 1 st, 2nd and 3rd month of pregnancy and five fractions (F1 to F5), isolated on Sephadex G-200 and additionally characterized by fast performance liquid chromatography, FPLC (Superose 12 HR) were studied in order to clarify the local immune regulation in diffuse epitheliochorial placentation. The obtained substances were added at 6.25 to 100 microg in cultures of Concanavalin A-stimulated mouse splenocytes and Phytohemagglutinin-stimulated pig and human PBL to monitor their influence on [(3)H]Thimidine uptake in proliferating lymphocytes. Their effects on the number of plaque-forming cells in spleen cell suspensions from mice treated ip simultaneously with sheep red blood cells and with 100 microg protein of PE, respectively, of each fraction were also investigated: PE and F1 had no effect while F4 and F5 suppressed the mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in all studied species. F2 and F3 stimulated mouse and pig lymphocyte proliferation. The effects were dose-dependent and the suppression was not due to cytotoxic effects. The FPLC data allowed the suggestion that 110 kD protein(s) were involved in stimulation and 7 kD substance(s) - in suppression of cell proliferation. The PE from the 3 studied periods as well as the 5 fractions increased significantly the primary humoral immune response against T-dependent antigen. The results revealed that trophoblast of epitheliochorial placenta produces simultaneously immuno-stimulatory and -suppressive factors acting across the species barrier. Their presence at the feto-maternal interface may contribute to the regulation of local immune reactions and survival of the allogenic fetuses despite the morphological specificities of this type of placentation.     

Association of the CD59 and CD55 cell surface glycoproteins with other membrane molecules.

mAb against human glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-linked leucocyte surface Ag CD59 and CD55 immunoprecipitated from detergent lysates of HPB ALL cell line in addition to the respective Ag a common 80-kDa glycoprotein component and (glyco)lipids. The 80-kDa glycoprotein is different from otherwise similar CD44 Ag. The CD59 immunoprecipitate contained also a small amount of the CD55 glycoprotein and the CD55 immunoprecipitate minute amount of the CD59 Ag. These results are interpreted in terms of existence of noncovalent complexes resistant to dissociation by mild detergents and consisting of the 80-kDa glycoprotein, CD59 and CD55 glycoproteins, relatively tightly bound (glyco)lipids and possibly other so far unidentified components. These complexes contain probably also other glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-linked Ag, as an anti-CD48 mAb immunoprecipitated also an apparently very similar complex. The complexes immunoprecipitated by mAb against the CD55, CD59, and CD48 Ag also contain a protein kinase activity. This type of complexes could not be demonstrated in several other cell types such as RBC, PBMC, and HeLa cells. However, a qualitatively very similar set of components was immunoprecipitated from the murine thymoma EL-4 cell line by an anti-Thy-1 mAb.     

The first complete <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mag</Emphasis> family retrotransposons discovered in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis>

A retrotransposon of the Mag family was found in the Drosophila simulans genome for the first time. We also identified novel transposable elements representing the Mag family in seven Drosophila species. The high similarity between the 3’ and 5’ long terminal repeats in the found copies of transposable elements indicates that their retrotransposition has occurred relatively recently. Thus, the Mag family of retrotransposons is quite common for the genus Drosophila.     

Topological nature of the genetic code

A model for topological coding of proteins is proposed. The model is based on the capacity of hydrogen bonds (property of connectivity) to fix conformations of protein molecules. The protein chain is modeled by an n -arc graph with the following elements: vertices (alpha -carbon atoms), structural edges (peptide bonds) and connectivity edges (virtual edges connecting non-adjacent atoms). It was shown that 64 conformations of the 4-arc graph can be described in the binary system by matrices of six variables which form a supermatrix containing four blocks. On the basis of correspondences between the pairs of variables in matrices and four letters of the genetic code matrices and supermatrix are converted, respectively, into the triplets and the table of the genetic code. An algorithm admitting computer programming is proposed for coding the n -arc graph and protein chain. Connectivity operators (polar amino acids) are assigned to blocks of triplets coding for cyclic conformations (G, A-in the second position), while anti-connectivity operators (non-polar amino acids) correspond to blocks of triplets coding for open conformations (C, U-in the second position). Amino acids coded by triplets differing by the first base have different structures. The third base for C, U and G, A is degenerated. Properties of the real genetic code are in full agreement with the model. The model provides an insight into the topological nature of the genetic code and can be used for development of algorithms for the prediction of the protein structure.     

Effect of biogenic stimulators--aloe extract and biotrite--on lipid peroxidation processes in saliva in inflammatory periodontal disease

The influence of biostimulators of vegetative origin, such as aloes and biotritis, on the process of lipid peroxidation in parodontium tissues, was studied. Biotritis has a more considerable parodontoprotective effect than aloes.     

Polar Constituents of Brown Seaweed Colpomenia peregrina (Sauv.) Hamel from the Black Sea

GC-MS of trimethylsilyl derivatives of the compounds present in the butanolic extract of biomass of brown seaweed Colpomenia peregrina from the Black Sea aided in identification of 24 components, including aliphatic hydroxy and keto and aromatic acids, glycerol, mannitol, floridoside, and monosaccharides. The polysaccharide composition of the biomass was also studied, with high sodium alginate and laminaran contents and a comparatively low level of fucoidan being revealed. The polysaccharides were isolated from the biomass by fractional extraction and purified by precipitation or ion exchange chromatography. The structures of alginic acid and laminaran were deduced from ¹³C NMR spectra and confirmed, in the case of laminaran, by methylation analysis. The sodium alginate was shown to contain more guluronic (G) than mannuronic acid (M) residues, the M/G ratio being 0.48. Laminaran was demonstrated to be a -glucan with 1 3 linkages in its backbone and 1 6 linkages in its branching points, which is characteristic of brown algae. Fucoidan turned out to be a complex heteropolysaccharide containing, in addition to fucose and sulfate, other neutral monosaccharides and uronic acids.