Symbiotic reactions of sea-buckthorn roots transformed with the pea lectin gene

Sea-buckthorn (Hyppopha L.) transgenic roots transformed with the lectin gene were obtained using the wild-type strain of Agrobacterium rhizogenes 15834 preliminary transformed with the plasmid pCAMBIA 1305.1, which contained the full-size pea lectin gene. Effects of lectin gene expression on symbiotic responses of sea-buckthorn to inoculation with rhizobia (Rhizobium leguminosarum, pea symbiont) and actinomycetes of genus Frankia (sea-buckthorn symbiont) were studied. In sea-buckthorn seedlings, whose transgenic roots were inoculated with both microsymbionts simultaneously, atypical nodule-like structures were found along with typical actinorhizal nodules. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of bacteria, isolated from these structures, revealed the presence of R. leguminosarum rhizobia and the absence of Frankia actinomycetes.     

Relation between pain and temperature reception of human skin

On healthy volunteers we studied the effect of local cooling (14–16°C) and heating (40–42°C) of the skin of various zones of the leg to pain sensitivity, for evaluating which we used the method of recording the flexor reflex (FR) and electromyography of the anterior tibial muscle. It was established that changes in the FR depend not on the modality of thermo stimulation but on localization of the place of its application: on stimulating the skin above the tested flexor, the FR is facilitated, and on thermostimulation above the antagonist or contralateral agonist, the FR of the anterial tibial muscle is mainly inhibited. It was assumed that loss of the temperature modality is due to convergence of temperature and pain information on spinal interneurons of the "bimodal type" unidirectionally changing impulse activity under the effect of both temperature modalities. The different character of reaction of the FR to thermostimulation of different leg zones is examined from the position of control of afferent information by the spinal generator of locomotion.Institute of Physiology, Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences, Alma-Ata. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 24, No. 5, pp. 604–611, September–October, 1992.     

Nucleotide sequence of intergenic and external transcribed spacers of rDNA of diploid wheat Triticum urartu Thum. ex Candil

The primary structure of intergenic non-transcribed and external transcribed spacers of rDNA of diploid wheat Triticum urartu, cloned in pTu3 plasmid 2402 b.p. long was determined. The intergenic non-transcribed rDNA spacer of Tr. urartu was shown to consist of 8 subrepeats with an average of 133 b.p. long, heterogeneous in length and nucleotide sequence. A number of repeated sequences was revealed within each subrepeat. While comparing nucleotide sequences of rDNA subrepeats of Tr. urartu and Tr. aestivum a high homology was found (up to 82%). A high similarity between these plant species was also found in the promoter region and in the external transcribed rDNA spacer. Suppression of the nucleolar organizer of 1A chromosome in the presence of 1B and 6B chromosomes of Tr. aestivum is supposed to be connected with the existence of a great number of subrepeats in the intergenic non-transcribed rDNA spacer of B genome donors in polyploid wheat species of turgidum-aestivum row.     

Organization of rRNA genes in various tribes of plants in the cereal family (Poaceae barnh.)

The organization of 18S and 26S rRNA in 14 plant species, belonging to 8 tribes of the cereal family was studied. In rDNA of all the cereals studied, except maize and reed, the similar character of localization of nucleotide sequences, recognized by restrictases BamHI and EcoRI in 18S and 26S rRNA genes was revealed. The structural organization of rDNA of sainfoin (Papilionaceae) was shown to differ from genes, coding for high molecular rRNA in cereals. The primary structure of subrepeat of non-transcribed rDNA spacer of diploid wheat Tr. urartu, consisting of 132 base pairs was determined. The given subrepeat was hybridized with BamHI-fragments of DNA from cereals and sainfoin. It is shown to hybridize with rDNA of all the cereals studied, and it hardly hybridizes with rDNA of maize and sorghum, but doesn't hybridize with rDNA of sainfoin. The conclusion is made that the size polymorphism of restriction fragments in the coding rDNA region and the level of similarity of subrepeats of rDNA of the non-transcribed spacer may help to reveal the phylogenetic affinity of plants, belonging to different tribes within one family.     

Hydrocarbon-Binding Peptides from Legume Lectins in Relation to Different Host Specificity upon Legume–Rhizobium Symbiosis

The nucleotide sequences of 280–360-bp domains of lectin genes from 20 legume species belonging to 17 genera have been determined. A computer analysis of the sequences has been performed with the LASERGENE package. Based on this analysis, we constructed the phylogenetic tree of the lectins, which reflects their phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships, and predicted the amino-acid sequences of the corresponding protein domains. Features of the structure of the hydrocarbon-binding lectin domains were elucidated in some species of legume genera from the temperate climatic zone. The domains were highly variable and contained the consensus sequence AspTrePheXxxAsxXxxXxxTrpAspProXxxXxxIns/DelArgHis bearing the bulk of amino acid replacements, insertions, and deletions. An association between legume groups (including species from different genera and tribes) symbiotic with the same rhizobium species and the similarity between the hydrocarbon-binding domains of lectins from these plants was found.     

PS II model-based simulations of single turnover flash-induced transients of fluorescence yield monitored within the time domain of 100 ns–10 s on dark-adapted Chlorella pyrenoidosa cells

The set up described in Steffen et al. (Biochemistry 40:173-180, 2001) was used to monitor in the time domain from 100 ns to 10 s single turnover flash-induced transients of the normalized fluorescence yield (SFITFY) on dark-adapted cells of the thermophilic algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa Chick. Perfect data fit was achieved within the framework of a previously proposed model for the PS II reaction pattern (Lebedeva et al., Biophysics 47:968-980, 2002; Belyaeva et al., Biophysics 51:860-872, 2006) after its modification by taking into account nonradiative decay processes including nonphotochemical quenching due to time-dependent populations of P680(+*) and (3)Car. On the basis of data reported in the literature, a consistent set of rate constants was obtained for electron transfer at the donor and acceptor sides of PS II, pH in lumen and stroma, the initial redox state of plastoquinone pool and the rate of plastoquinone oxidation. The evaluation of the rate constant values of dissipative processes due to quenching by carotenoid triplets in antennae and P680(+*)Q(A)(-*) recombination as well as the initial state populations after excitation with a single laser flash are close to that outlined in (Steffen et al., Biochemistry 44:3123-3133, 2005a). The simulations based on the model of the PS II reaction pattern provide information on the time courses of population probabilities of different PS II states. We analyzed the maximum (F(m)(STF)) and minimum (F(0)) of the normalized FL yield dependence on the rate of the recombination processes (radiative and dissipative nonradiative) and of P680(+*) reduction. The developed PS II model provides a basis for theoretical comparative analyses of time-dependent fluorescence signals, observed at different photosynthetic samples under various conditions (e.g. presence of herbicides, other stress conditions, excitation with actinic pulses of different intensity, and duration).     

Anti-inflammatory effects of low-intensity extremely high-frequency electromagnetic radiation: frequency and power dependence

Using a model of acute zymosan-induced footpad edema in NMRI mice, the frequency and power dependence of anti-inflammatory effect of low-intensity extremely high-frequency electromagnetic radiation (EHF EMR) was found. Single whole-body exposure of animals to EHF EMR at the intensity of 0.1 mW/cm(2) for 20 min at 1 h after zymosan injection reduced both the footpad edema and local hyperthermia on average by 20% at the frequencies of 42.2, 51.8, and 65 GHz. Some other frequencies from the frequency range of 37.5-70 GHz were less effective or not effective at all. At fixed frequency of 42.2 GHz and intensity of 0.1 mW/cm(2), the effect had bell-shaped dependence on exposure duration with a maximum at 20-40 min. Reduction of intensity to 0.01 mW/cm(2) resulted in a change of the effect dependence on exposure duration to a linear one. Combined action of cyclooxygenase inhibitor sodium diclofenac and EHF EMR exposure caused a partial additive effect of decrease in footpad edema. Combined action of antihistamine clemastine and EHF EMR exposure caused a dose-dependent abolishment of the anti-inflammatory effect of EHF EMR. The results obtained suggest that arachidonic acid metabolites and histamine are involved in realization of anti-inflammatory effects of low-intensity EHF EMR.     

Activity of promoters of carnation etched ring virus and dahlia mosaic virus in tobacco protoplasts and transgenic plants

Promoters of carnation etched ring virus (CERV) and dahlia mosaic virus (DMV) were cloned into binary vectors pCambia 1304, pCambia 1281Z, and pCambia 1291Z with reporter GFP and GUS genes. Activities of these promoters in tobacco protoplasts and transgenic plants were determined using these constructs. Histochemical GUS analysis demonstrated the absence of tissue-specificity in transgenic plants transformed with these promoters. The quantitative analysis of these promoter activities in transgenic tobacco plants, using 4-methylumbelliferone as a substrate, showed that 35S CaMV, CERV, and DMV promoters displayed approximately similar activities in transgenic tobacco plants.     

Suppression of nonspecific resistance of the body under the effect of extremely high frequency electromagnetic radiation of low intensity

The dynamics of leukocyte number and functional activity of peripheral blood neutrophils under whole-body exposure of healthy mice to low-intensity extremely-high-frequency electromagnetic radiation (EHF EMR, 42.0 GHz, 0.15 mW/cm2, 20 min daily) was studied. It was shown that the phagocytic activity of peripheral blood neutrophils was suppressed by about 50% (p < 0.01 as compared with the sham-exposed control) in 2-3 h after the single exposure to EHF EMR. The effect persisted for 1 day after the exposure, and then the phagocytic activity of neutrophils returned to the norm within 3 days. A significant modification of the leukocyte blood profile in mice exposed to EHF EMR for 5 days was observed after the cessation of exposures: the number of leukocytes increased by 44% (p < 0.05 as compared with sham-exposed animals), mostly due to an increase in the lymphocyte content. The supposition was made that EHF EMR effects can be mediated via the metabolic systems of arachidonic acid and the stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity, with subsequent increase in the intracellular cAMP level. The results indicated that the whole-body exposure of healthy mice to low-intensity EHF EMR has a profound effect on the indices of nonspecific immunity.