Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation protects mice against 6-OHDA-induced Parkinson’s disease symptoms by regulating brain amyloid β1–42 level

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry - Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a technique protecting neurons against diverse neurodegenerative disorders by delivering magnetic...     

Phylogenetic analyses of symbiotic genes and characterization of functional traits of Mesorhizobium spp. strains associated with the promiscuous species Acacia seyal Del.

Aims: To assess the phenotypic, symbiotic and genotypic diversity scope of Mesorhizobium spp. strains associated with Acacia seyal (Del.) isolated from different agro‐ecological zones in Senegal, and uses of susceptible microbial inoculum in a reafforestation process. Methods and Results: A polyphasic approach including phenotypic and genotypic techniques was used to study the diversity and their relationships with other biovars and species of rhizobia. The geographical origins of the strains have limited effect on their phylogenetic and phenotypic classification. Nodulation tests indicated promiscuity of the strains studied, because they were capable of nodulating six woody legume species (Acacia auriculiformis, Acacia senegal, A. seyal, Acacia tortilis ssp. raddiana, Leucaena leucocephala and Prosopis juliflora). Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of nodA, nodC and nifH genes pointed out that in contrast to nodA gene, the phylogenies of nodC and nifH genes were not consistent with that of 16S rRNA, indicating that these genes of the A. seyal‐nodulating rhizobia might have different origins. Microbial inoculation on nonsterile soil had significant effect on the nodules number and the growth of the seedlings, indicating that these strains of rhizobia might be used as inoculum. Conclusions: The results indicated that A. seyal is a nonselective host that can establish effective symbiosis with Mesorhizobium spp. strains from diverse genomic backgrounds and that the selected A. seyal‐nodulating rhizobia could enhance plant growth. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results showed the important role that A. seyal could play in the improvement of reafforestation process as a promiscuous host, which can establish effective symbiosis with rhizobia from diverse genomic backgrounds.     

A new pentanucleotide STR-marker, located in the intron of the ING1 tumor suppressor gene and its allelic polymorphism

DNA samples of unrelated subjects from the Volga-Ural region of Russia were examined to study allele polymorphism of the pentanucleotide repeat (TTGTG)8 localized to an intron of the tumor suppressor gene ING1. STR marker was registered in the EMBL database with the accession number AJ277387. In a sample of 119 individuals, three pentanucleotide alleles consisting of seven, eight, and nine repeated monomers were revealed. The allele frequencies were 0.24, 0.74, and 0.02, respectively. Heterozygosity was 0.45. On the basis of these data, the repeat can be regarded as a polymorphic STR marker for the ING1 gene and used in population and clinical studies.     

Evolutionarily-conserved gene CKAP2,located in region 13q14.3 of the human genome, is frequently rearranged in various tumors

The human CKAP2 gene, which is involved in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, was localized via screening the GeneBridge 4 somatic cell radiation hybrid panel by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The CKAP2 gene was mapped between the WI-15460 and WI-3673 markers at the boundary between regions 13q14.3 and 13q21.1, at the distance of 14.39 cR (with 4.8 cR per cM) from the WI-5867 framework marker (lod score > 2.26). The human CKAP2 gene displayed high homology to mouse and rat expressed orthologs, A CKAP2-like sequence was found in human chromosome 14 and assumed to be a pseudogene resulting from duplication and subsequent mutations of the CKAP2 gene on chromosome 13. A possible role of the CKAP2 gene in oncogenesis associated with deletions and rearrangements of region 13q14.3-21.1 is discussed.     

Effect of the gene for bacterial hemoglobin vhb on the effectiveness of the process of Escherichia coli-Streptomyces interspecies conjugation and production of antibiotics in streptomycetes

The bacterial hemoglobin vhb gene was cloned from sliding bacterium Vitreoscilla sp. as an element of the system ensuring survival of this microorganism in an environment that contains insufficient amount of oxygen. The vhb gene was transferred from Escherichia coli to some Streptomyces strains, producers of antibiotics, by the method of intergeneric conjugation using conjugative-integrative plasmid vectors pIH1 and pCH2. The stability of plasmid DNA inheritance was analyzed in the genomes of exconjugants. A positive effect of the vhb gene on processes of conjugation and antibiotic production in a number of examined strains was shown.     

Haplotype of Y-chromosomes in the Central Asia population

The distribution of alleles and haplotypes of three diallellic Y-specific loci (YAP, DYF155S2, and Tat) in the populations of Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and Tajiks was analyzed. In Kyrgyzes and Uzbeks, a relatively high frequency of the DYF155S2 deletion (20 and 12.5%, respectively) and the C allele at the Tat locus (11.2 and 8.3%, respectively) were revealed. In the populations of southern Kyrgyzes and Uzbeks, two chromosomes carrying the YAP+ allele were detected. In both cases the YAP+ allele was found within the YAP+/DYF155S2+/TatT haplotype. The Tajik population was monomorphic in respect to the polymorphisms studied. The Tajiks demonstrated the presence of only the YAP-/DYF155S2+/TatT haplotype. This haplotype appeared to be most frequent in Kyrgyz (78.8%) and Uzbeks (83.3%). The question on the origin and the distribution of Y-chromosome variants in Eurasia are discussed.     

Transgenic Tobacco plants expressing bacterial genes encoded the thermostable glucanases

It is shown that bacterial genes for thermostable beta-glucanases are expressed retaining their activity and substrate specificity. The leader peptide of the carrot extensin exerts effective secretion of the bacterial enzymes into the intercellular space of the plant tissue. Expression of the bacterial gene for beta-1,3-glucanase in plant tissues alters their morphogenetic potential. Regeneration of shoots from the calli of these plant lines requires a six- to eightfold increase in cytokinin (6-BAP) concentration in comparison with the control lines and the transgenic lines expressing beta-1,3-1,4-glucanase. Rooting of transgenic plants expressing the bacterial gene for beta-1,3-glucanase occurs much faster. The transgenic plants obtained in the study are proposed as model objects for investigating the role of glucanases in plants.     

Russian genofond. Genogeography of surnames

Surnames are traditionally used in population genetics as "quasi-genetic" markers (i.e., analogs of genes) when studying the structure of the gene pool and the factors of its microevolution. In this study, spatial variation of Russian surnames was analyzed with the use of computer-based gene geography. Gene geography of surnames was demonstrated to be promising for population studies on the total Russian gene pool. Frequencies of surnames were studied in 64 sel'sovets (rural communities; a total of 33 thousand persons) of 52 raions (districts) of 22 oblasts (regions) of the European part of Russia. For each of 75 widespread surnames, an electronic map of its frequency was constructed. Summary maps of principal components were drawn based on all maps of individual surnames. The first 5 of 75 principal components accounted for half of the total variance, which indicates high resolving power of surnames. The map of the first principal component exhibits a trend directed from the northwestern to the eastern regions of the area studied. The trend of the second component was directed from the southwestern to the northern regions of the area studied, i.e., it was close to latitudinal. This trend almost coincided with the latitudinal trend of principal components for three sets of data (genetic, anthropological, and dermatoglyphical). Therefore, the latitudinal trend may be considered the main direction of variation of the Russian gene pool. The similarity between the main scenarios for the genetic and quasi-genetic markers demonstrates the effectiveness of the use of surnames for analysis of the Russian gene pool. In view of the dispute between R. Sokal and L.L. Cavalli-Sforza about the effects of false correlations, the maps of principal components of Russian surnames were constructed by two methods: through analysis of maps and through direct analysis of original data on the frequencies of surnames. An almost complete coincidence of these maps (correlation coefficient rho = 0.96) indicates that, taking into account the reliability of the data, the resultant maps of principal components have no errors of false correlations.