Three-Domain Antibodies against the Tumor Necrosis Factor: Investigation of Their Biological Activity In Vitro

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - The aim of this work was to evaluate novel three-domain antibodies consisting of two domains specific for human tumor necrosis factor (hTNF), and of the...     

Stress reactions of Scots pine trees to injuring by ground fire

Controlled burning has been carried out to stimulate moderate ground fire in the Scots pine (Pinus sуlvestris L.) stand (age class I) in the Krasnoyarsk forest steppe at the beginning of the growing season. The structure of annual rings and trophic supply, as well as the cambial zone antioxidant system condition and the content of photosynthetic pigments in the needles of dominant and suppressed trees in the experimental and control plots, were studied 3 h, 5 days, and 2.5 months after the fire. The fire narrowed the annual ring width, since the number and size of early and late tracheids decreased. The primary reaction to pyrogenic heat shock (sharp reduction of chlorophyll content in needles and manifestation of oxidative stress in the stem cambial zone) was an elevated level of hydrogen peroxide and activity of most antioxidant enzymes and a reduction in the nonstructural carbohydrates pool. Restoration of the cambium function after the fire was promoted by an increased activity of amylase, invertase, and peroxidase.     

Specific features of phase transfer catalytic glycosylation of aromatic hydroxy acids

Reactions of peracetylated α-D-glucosaminyl chloride with isomeric hydroxybenzoic and 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acids in a solid phase transfer system of potassium carbonate-acetonitrile were studied. It was found that the nature of carboxylic acids, lipophilicity of the phase transfer catalyst, and reaction temperatures affected the reaction composition and product yields. The O-β-glycosyl esters of ortho-hydroxyaromatic acids were first found to form anomeric 1,2-cis derivatives in the presence of potassium carbonate. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. As was shown in vivo experiments, the analgesic activities of glycosyl esters of salicylic acid and peracetylated 2-carboxyphenylglucosaminide were comparable with that of aspirin.     

Microbiota induces expression of tumor necrosis factor in postnatal mouse skin

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that regulates many important processes in the body. TNF production in a physiological state supports the structure of lymphoid organs and determines the development of lymphoid cells in hematopoiesis. However, chronic TNF overexpression leads to the development of various autoimmune disorders. Sites of TNF production in the naive state remain unclear due to the lack of in vivo models. In the present study, we used TNF-2A-Kat reporter mice to monitor the expression of TNF in different tissues. Comparative analysis of tissue fluorescence in TNF-2A-Kat reporter mice and wild type mice revealed constitutive expression of TNF in the skin of naive adult mice. In the skin of TNF-2A-Kat reporter mouse embryos, no statistically significant differences in the expression of TNF compared to wild type animals were observed. Furthermore, we established that local depletion of microflora with topical antibiotics leads to a reduction in the fluorescence signal. Thus, we assume that the skin microflora is responsible for the expression of TNF in the skin of mice.     

Antibodies to the N-Terminal Domain of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE2) That Block Its Interaction with SARS-CoV-2 S Protein

Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics - SARS-CoV-2 is a new coronavirus that is the cause of COVID-19 pandemic. To enter the cell, the virus interacts via its surface S protein with...     

The Content of Phenolic Compounds and the Activity of Key Enzymes of Their Synthesis in Scots Pine Hypocotyls Infected with Fusarium

Twelve-day-old seedlings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were infected with a virulent spore suspension of the fungus Fusarium sporotrichiella var. sporotrichioides Bilai. 72 h after infection, the seedlings were divided into infection-susceptible and infection-resistant ones, and phenolic compounds in the seedling hypocotyls were analyzed. Susceptible seedlings contained 4.3-fold less lignins, 1.4-fold less free and bound proanthocyanidins, 12.7-fold less free hydroxybenzoic acids, 56.6-fold less bound hydroxybenzoic acids, 2-fold less quinic acid, and 5.1-fold less shikimic acid as compared to the resistant seedlings. At the same time, L-phenylalanine content was increased 3-fold and that of L-tyrosine, 1.3-fold. The activity of quinate:NAD(P)⁺ oxidoreductase and L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in the hypocotyls of susceptible seedlings was 2.3-fold and 1.4-fold lower, respectively, whereas the activity of shikimate:NAD(P)⁺ oxidoreductase remained unchanged.