Taxonomic analysis of species characters for copepodid instars 4 and 5 of the subfamily Eucyclopinae of European Russia

Morphological characters useful for taxonomic identification of older copepodid instars of the subfamily Eucyclopinae were studied among 14 species of Eucyclops, Macrocyclops, Ectocyclops, Paracyclops and Tropocyclops known from European Russia. For taxonomic analysis, the following elements of copepodid morphology were chosen: armament and proportion of furcal rami; morphology of swimming legs and reduced 5th and 6th legs; antennule segmentation; and relative body length of copepodid instars in comparison with the female length. Changes in morphology of major copepodid instars of the subfamily Eucyclopinae during ontogenetic development are traced and noticeable differences among five genera and 14 species are described. These differences among major copepodid stages may be important for both taxonomic and ecological analysis. For taxonomy, they provide information on development of sexes and species during maturation. For ecology they allow identification of the specimens at 4–5 copepodid instars in diapause. A key to major copepodid instars of the species from the subfamily Eucyclopinae which are known from limnetic habitats of the European part of Russia is presented.     

Metabolism of methylglyoxal and malignant neoplasms

The present notions on the metabolism of methylglyoxal, an endogenic controller of cellular proliferation, are adduced. The interaction between metabolism of methylglyoxal and that of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids is demonstrated. The metabolic chart has been worked out and enzymes catalyzing methylglyoxal metabolic reactions are determined. The effect of methylglyoxal and its bisguanylhydrazones derivatives on the processes of cellular proliferation control has been examined.     

Theory of the relationship of the types of feeding and digestion in blood-sucking arthropods and their ability to be specific vectors of the causative agents of transmissible infections

An attempt has been made to relate the ability of bloodsucking arthropods to be specific vectors of different groups of agents to such properties of digestive system of blood-suckers as the type of food consumption on larval and imaginal phases, composition of food consumed by larva and imago, structure of intestinal epithelium in adult arthropods and speed of blood digestion process.     

Isolation and properties of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from human cultivated cells]

A new procedure for purification of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase resulting in an electrophoretically homogenous preparation made up of 5.10(8) cells (390 mg of protein) is proposed. The enzyme yield is more than 20%. The molecular weights of a subunit and a native enzyme are 55000 and 220000, respectively. The isoelectric point for the protein lies at 4,8. The kinetics of the enzyme thermal inactivation obey the first order equation with the inactivation rate constant of 6.10(-3) min-1.     

Physiological and genetic bases of coevolution of complex systems ectoparasitic vector—causative agent

Coevolutionary relationships of ticks of the Ixodes genus with causative agents pathogenic for human of viral, bacterial, and protozoan nature are considered using the method of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Peculiarities of genotypic composition of ticks-vectors are analyzed, which differ in malate dehydrogenase and of which alleles are investigated by the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis method. The inherited phenotypic differences of population composition of 2 tick species of the Ixodes genus differing by the presence of exoskeleton anomalies and the content of ions of heavy metals-pollutants accumulated in the tick body are investigated. The character of interaction of various tick-borne pathogens in the tick body and the degree of danger of these tocks depending on geno-and phenotypic properties of the populations throughout their area are determined.     

Changes in enzymes during aging of human diploid cells. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase]

The thermal inactivation kinetics of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase during ageing of human diploid cells were studied. It was shown that semi-logarithmic anamorphisms of the thermal inactivation kinetic curves may be presented as a total of two rectilinear sites corresponding to the thermolabile and thermostable fractions of the enzyme. In ageing cells the enzyme stability is decreased as compared to the young ones due to the increase in the amount of the thermolabile fraction. It was also found that despite a certain variability in the process of the cell growth at the 22nd passage the thermal stability of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is decreased, while the enzyme thermal stability in the cells at the 52nd passage is monotonously increased. Purification of the enzyme from ageing and young human diploid cells results in an increase of the enzyme stability. However, when the enzyme was isolated from young cells, it possessed a higher thermal stability.