Hourly (ultradian) cellular rhythms: initial studies and some results

Circahoralian cellular rhythms have been revealed after the amendment of quantitative cytochemical methods initiated at the Department of Histology (Moscow State University) and Laboratory of Cytology (Institute of Animal Morphology, Russian Academy of Sciences). The first findings have been confirmed in many laboratories. Circumhoralian kinetics proved to be specific for various cell types (from bacteria to mammalian cells) and cellular functions. Independent physiological investigations found circahoralian rhythms for various tissue functions. Distribution of the rhythms as well as their possible nature and significance for tissue biology are reviewed.     

Circahoralian (Ultradian) Cellular Rhythms: Initial Studies and Some Results

Circahoralian cellular rhythms have been revealed after the amendment of quantitative cytochemical methods initiated at the Department of Histology (Moscow State University) and Laboratory of Cytology (Institute of Animal Morphology, Russian Academy of Sciences). The first findings have been confirmed in many laboratories. Circumhoralian kinetics proved to be specific for various cell types (from bacteria to mammalian cells) and cellular functions. Independent physiological investigations found circahoralian rhythms for various tissue functions. Distribution of the rhythms as well as their possible nature and significance for tissue biology are reviewed.     

Integrated membrane systems for gas separation in biotechnology: potential and prospects

Integrated non-porous membrane systems were applied for microbial combustible gas separation processes. Methane/CO₂ mixtures of various concentrations from methane fermentation processes (biogas) were separated using a membrane-separation complex of permabsorber type into individual components of technical grade (more than 95% purity). In experiments with three-component mixtures, using a selective membrane valve with various liquid carriers, all the gases of interest (H₂, CH₄ and CO₂) were obtained at greater than 90% purity in one separation step. The perspectives for the further application of non-porous membrane separating devices for various gaseous mixtures from different microbial processes are discussed.V. Teplyakov and E. Sostina are with the A.V. Topchiev institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Membrane Research Center, Moscow 117912, Russia. E. Sostina is also, and A. Netrusov is with the Microbiology Department, Moscow University, Moscow 119899, Russia. I. Beckman is with the Chemistry Department, Moscow University, Moscow 119899, Russia.     

"C.-E.A. Winslow and the early years of public health at Yale, 1915-1925"

C.-E.A. Winslow was the first chairman of the Department of Public Health at the Yale University School of Medicine. This paper considers the development and changing agenda of his department, the structure of Yale University, and the maturation of public health as a discipline. Winslow's successes and failures are discussed as they relate to Yale and external societal influences.     

Biophysical Reviews’ “Meet the Councilor”—a profile of Anastasia A. Anashkina

As one of the twelve Councilors of the International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics elected in summer 2021, I have been asked to provide this short biographical sketch for the journal readers. I am a new member of the IUPAB Council. I hold a specialist degree in Applied Physics and Mathematics from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and PhD in Biophysics from Moscow State University. I have spent my entire professional career at Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, where I am currently a senior researcher. I am Associate Professor at the Digital Health Institute of the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University since 2018, and have trained undergraduate students in structural biology, biophysics, and bioinformatics. In addition, I serve as the Guest Editor of special journal issues of International Journal of Molecular Sciences and Frontiers in Genetics BMC genomics. Now I joined Biophysical Reviews Editorial Board as IUPAB Councilor. I am a Secretary of National Committee of Russian Biophysicists, and have helped to organize scientific conferences and workshops, such as the VI Congress of Russian Biophysicists.

     

氰酸盐诱导氧化应激促进肾小管上皮细胞上皮–间充质转化

该研究探讨氰酸盐(cyanate)诱导肾小管上皮细胞氧化应激损伤和促进肾纤维化的作用。氰酸盐作用HK-2肾小管上皮细胞后, CCK8法检测其对细胞活力的影响;倒置显微镜观察细胞形态的改变; DCFH-DA法检测细胞ROS水平;细胞免疫荧光和Western blot分别检测E-cadherin、Fibronectin、α-SMA的表达; Western blot检测TGF-β的表达水平。结果显示, 2 mmol/L氰酸盐明显下调HK-2细胞的活力(P<0.05),细胞形态变为长梭形。氰酸盐作用24 h后, HK-2细胞内ROS水平呈浓度依赖性升高。免疫荧光和Western blot结果均显示,氰酸盐作用24 h后, HK-2的Fibronectin、α-SMA表达升高, E-cadherin表达下降; TGF-β的表达水平随氰酸盐浓度升高而上调(P<0.05)。以上结果表明,氰酸盐诱导肾小管上皮细胞产生过量ROS,上调TGF-β水平促进细胞上皮–间充质细胞转化(epithelia-mesenchymal transition, EMT)。     

Studies of morphogenesis at the Department of Embryology, Moscow State University: Towards understanding the dynamic architecture of development

This is a review of studies on morphogenesis carried out at the Department of Embryology, Moscow State University, over the past 30 years. The main direction of studies has been to reveal and describe the properties of self-organizing fields of mechanical stresses in developing embryos.     

Pages of memoirs

My studies at the Biological Faculty of Moscow State University were particularly influenced by R.L. Berg, Academician I.I. Schmalhausen, Professors B.S. Matveev and V.G. Geptner, Docents A.N. Druzhinin, and N.V. Shibanov. In my first years at the Paleontological Institute, I learnt a great deal from B.P. Vjuschkov, Professors I.A. Efremov, K.K. Flerov, and P.G. Danilchenko, and Academician Yu.A. Orlov. These memoirs describe a meeting of the Scientific Council of the Biological Faculty of Moscow State University dedicated to discussion of intraspecific competition, and the consequences of this meeting after the Session of All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VASKhNIL) in August of 1948.     

ALS转基因小鼠脊髓中miRNA-132表达减少BDNF表达增加

目的研究miRNA-132和脑源性神经营养因子(brain derived neurotrophic factor,BDNF)在肌萎缩侧索硬化症(amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,ALS)转基因小鼠脊髓中的表达变化,探讨miRNA-132、BDNF在ALS发病中的作用。方法取SOD1-G93A ALS转基因鼠发病早期(95d)、中期(108d)和晚期(122d)脊髓组织,应用qRT-PCR及原位杂交(hybridization in situ, ISH)技术检测miRNA-132的表达及定位,应用qRT-PCR及Western blot技术检测BDNF在mRNA及蛋白水平变化,免疫荧光技术检测BDNF在脊髓中的表达及分布,以同窝野生型鼠作为对照。结果与野生型鼠比较,miRNA-132在ALS转基因鼠脊髓组织表达下降,miRNA-132阳性信号主要定位脊髓前角细胞胞体;在ALS转基因鼠脊髓组织BDNF mRNA及蛋白水平均增高,BDNF免疫阳性细胞主要表达于脊髓前角神经元,表达信号明显增强。结论 miRNA-132、BDNF可能在ALS发病过程中发挥了重要作用。     

香椿子正丁醇提取物通过激活Nrf2改善高糖引起的肾小球内皮细胞氧化应激

目的探讨香椿子正丁醇提取物(n-butyl alcohol extract of toona sinensis,NBAE)对高糖引起的肾小球内皮细胞氧化应激的影响及机制。方法分别以高糖(high glucose,HG)、HG+NBAE刺激人肾小球内皮细胞,采用DCFDA法检测细胞内活性氧(reactive oxygenspecies,ROS)生成情况,Nitrate/Nitrite Colorimetric法检测细胞内NO的含量,Western blot检测Nrf2、NQO1及HO-1的蛋白表达,免疫荧光方法检测Nrf2、P47phox在细胞内的定位及表达。结果高糖刺激肾小球内皮细胞后出现氧化应激损伤,ROS升高,NO减少,p47phox表达量增高,Nrf2及下游蛋白NQO1、HO-1表达减少;NBAE可明显提高Nrf2的表达,并增加下游蛋白NQO1和HO-1的表达,从而抑制高糖导致的ROS升高,抑制p47phox的表达,并稳定NO的含量。结论NBAE通过激活Nrf2及其下游靶蛋白来改善高糖对肾小球内皮细胞造成的氧化应激损伤。     

In the Faculty of Psychology

From the editors: We continue to acquaint the readers with the organization of scholarly and teaching life in the faculty. Galina Mikhailovna Andreeva, Director of the Department of Social Psychology, tells about the work at the All-Faculty Philosophical (Methodological) Seminar that she chaired. Nina Ivanovna Naenko, Lecturer, Department for Advanced Training, Faculty of Psychology, tells about the work of the psychological section of the Department for Advanced Training at Moscow University.     

硕士研究生参与本科生组织学与胚胎学实验课教学的体会

硕士研究生通过参与本科生组织学与胚胎学实验课教学,可加深对本专业知识的理解,建立更合理的知识结构,完善自身的思维体系,提高综合能力,从中发现自身不足之处并积极弥补。硕士研究生参与本科生教学具有独特的优势,对提升其综合素质有所助益。     

Work of morphogenesis in the Department of Embryology of Moscow State University: toward understanding the dynamic architecture of development

This is a review of studies on morphogenesis carried out at the Department of Embryology, Moscow State University, over the past 30 years. The main direction of studies has been to reveal and describe the properties of self-organizing fields of mechanical stresses in developing embryos.     

Interaction of Molecular Motors

This review is devoted to the problem of regulation of intracellular organelle transport along microtubules. Properties of the system of microtubules as transport tracks are considered. Some motor proteins (kinesins and dyneins) carrying their “cargoes” in opposite directions are characterized. Special attention is paid to the analysis of transport of the organelles that can change the direction of movement. Possible molecular mechanisms coordinating the functioning of opposite motor proteins are considered.__________Translated from Molekulyarnaya Biologiya, Vol. 39, No. 4, 2005, pp. 709–718.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Gyoeva.I dedicate this review to the memory of Andrei Nikolaevich Belozerskii. I had no opportunity to become his disciple because he had already passed away when I came to the Department of Plant Biochemistry, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University. Nevertheless, my education is indebted to the Department that he headed for a long time and whose life was charged with the charm of his personality.     

Biophysical Reviews’ “Meet the Councilor Series”—a profile of Peter Pohl

It is my pleasure to write a few words to introduce myself to the readers of Biophysical Reviews as part of the “Meet the Councilor Series.” Currently, I am serving the second period as IUPAB councilor after having been elected first in 2017. Initially, I studied Biophysics in Moscow (Russia) and later Medicine in Halle (Germany). My scientific carrier took me from the Medical School of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, via the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (Berlin) and the Institute for Biology at the Humboldt University (Berlin) to the Physics Department of the Johannes Kepler University in Linz (Austria). My key research interests lie in the molecular mechanisms of transport phenomena occurring at the lipid membrane, including (i) spontaneous and facilitated transport of water and other small molecules across membranes in reconstituted systems, (ii) proton migration along the membrane surface, (iii) protein translocation, and (iv) bilayer mechanics. Training of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers from diverse academic disciplines has been—and shall remain—a consistent part of my work.

     

Mitochondrial Creatine Kinase: Properties and Function

This review describes properties of mitochondrial creatine kinase from heart and skeletal muscle studied in the author's group at the Department of Biochemistry of Moscow State University. The results are compared to the data in the literature. The author's point of view on the physiological role of mitochondrial creatine kinase is presented.     

CRISPR/Cas基因编辑系统研究进展

规律性成簇间隔的短回文重复序列(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, CRISPR)的发现和工程技术对生命科学的发展带来巨大的推动作用。RNA引导的Cas(CRISPR-associated)酶已被用作操纵细胞、动物和植物基因组的工具。这加速了基础研究的步伐,并使其在临床和农业上的应用成为可能。CRISPR/Cas9对在实验系统中进行的功能基因组学的研究有重大影响。CRISPR/Cas9系统自发现以来,因其操作便捷、成本低、特异性高、可同时打靶任意数量基因等优点而被广泛应用。经过近几年研究发现,Cas9变异体(Cas12a、Cas13)有利于突破和克服CRISPR/Cas9应用中的一些限制,Cas12a极大地扩展了基因编辑靶位点的选择范围,同时其介导的多基因编辑具有明显的优势;Cas13等蛋白能特异性结合和编辑RNA,开启了转录组研究的新篇章。本文主要就CRISPR/Cas的研究背景以及Cas9、Cas12a和Cas13系统研究进展和应用进行综述,并对其应用前景和发展方向进行了展望。     

The concepts of M.V. Gusev on microbial physiology and its role in the system of biological sciences

This article deals with the formation and development of the physiological methodological approach to microbial life-sustaining activities as related to M.V. Gusev’s scientific achievements. It summarizes M.V. Gusev’s concepts on microbial physiology and its role in the system of the life sciences. The main research directions developed at the Department of Microbial Physiology at Moscow State University are outlined.     

孕期应激下调成年雄性子代大鼠海马HDAC2表达

目的明确母代大鼠孕期应激对雄性子代海马中组蛋白去乙酰化酶2(histone deacetylase 2, HDAC2)表达变化的影响。方法将16只SD孕鼠随机分为应激组和对照组,每组8只,应激组在孕16-21天进行限制性应激,对照组不做任何处理。ELISA检测成年子代外周血血浆糖皮质激素,用旷场、高架十字迷宫、新物体识别及巴恩斯迷宫四种行为学评估成年子代认知功能,免疫组织化学、Western blot、RT-PCR 检测成年雄性子代海马HDAC2表达变化。结果母代孕期应激成年子代糖皮质激素升高,旷场与高架十字迷宫中表现出焦虑样行为,新物体识别与Barnes迷宫表现出学习记忆与空间记忆能力下降,海马HDAC2 mRNA和蛋白水平均下调。结论孕期应激对子代成年的认知功能损害可能与子代海马HDAC2的表达下调有关。     

From colloids to proteases

The present autobiographical review describes my professional experiences as a graduate student in Vienna, Austria, the postdoctoral experiences at the University of London, University of Minnesota, and at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. This was followed by a faculty appointment at Duke University where I rose through the ranks from assistant professor to professor of physical biochemistry from 1938 to 1950. This account includes both scientific and cultural episodes and anecdotes. In 1950 I moved to Seattle to become founding chairman and professor in the Department of Biochemistry as will be described elsewhere.