The yfiC gene of E. coli encodes an adenine-N6 methyltransferase that specifically modifies A37 of tRNA1Val(cmo5UAC)

Transfer RNA is highly modified. Nucleotide 37 of the anticodon loop is represented by various modified nucleotides. In Escherichia coli, the valine-specific tRNA (cmo⁵UAC) contains a unique modification, N⁶-methyladenosine, at position 37; however, the enzyme responsible for this modification is unknown. Here we demonstrate that the yfiC gene of E. coli encodes an enzyme responsible for the methylation of A37 in tRNA₁^Val. Inactivation of yfiC gene abolishes m⁶A formation in tRNA₁^Val, while expression of the yfiC gene from a plasmid restores the modification. Additionally, unmodified tRNA₁^Val can be methylated by recombinant YfiC protein in vitro. Although the methylation of m⁶A in tRNA₁^Val by YfiC has little influence on the cell growth under standard conditions, the yfiC gene confers a growth advantage under conditions of osmotic and oxidative stress.     

A convenient synthesis of retinal derivatives with a modified trimethylcyclohexene ring

A method of simultaneous one-stage synthesis of three retinal derivatives (5,6-dioxo-5,6-seco-, 5,6-dihydro-5,6-epoxy-, and 4-oxoretinal) was proposed, with the yield of the first derivative being approximately 50%. These compounds are useful tools for studying the antitumor activity of retinoids, the reconstituted bacteriorhodopsin analogues with changed parameters of photocycle, and the reactivity of retinal derivatives in the processes of oxidation by molecular oxygen. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2002, vol. 28, no. 6; see also http://www.maik.ru.     

Dose curves for radiation-induced cytogenetic damage in human lymphocytes

Insufficient fitness of experimental data with convenient linear and linear-quadratic models of "dose-effect" dependence for the number of chromosome aberrations of different types were revealed. Proposed method of approximation of the experimental "dose-effect" dependence with piece-linear splines allows to obtain more accurate results in the most cases and therefore is more preferable than the linear and linear-quadratic models.     

Cytogenetic and carcinogenic effects in liquidators of Chernobyl accident

A tendency of the increasing frequency of malignant neoplasms in liquidators at low radiation doses was found. The dose-effect dependence of the frequency of radiation markers (dicentric chromosomes) in lymphocytes of peripheral blood was revealed only in a group of liquidators of the ChNPP accident with malignant neoplasms in remote terms.     

The development of the pouch-like structures at the angles of the mouth in the ontogeny of the hamster Phodopus campbelli]

The development of mouth angle sacciform structure was studied in the ontogenesis of hamster Phodopus campbelli. It was found that the true sacciform structure with all components characteristic for adult animals was formed by the 20th day of postnatal development. Histological data have shown than the sacciform structure is formed in ontogenesis as a result of a complex epidermal transformation involving muscular and connective tissues which comprise the external coat. The structure studied is not formed on the basis of sebaceous glands and cannot be assigned to the class of gland as considered before.     

Aminoglycoside-3'-phosphotransferase from Actinomyces fradiae. The identification of its inactivation product]

Neomycin phosphate was obtained as a result of neomycin phosphorylation with aminoglycoside-phosphotransferase from Act. fradiae. It was isolated from the reaction mixture and purified. Successive ion exchange chromatography on columns with Amberlite IRC-50 (NH+4 form), Dowex 1 X 10 (OH- form) and Amberlite CG-50 (NH+4 form) was used for purification of the inactivation product. The findings of the elementary analysis of neomycin phosphate showed the presence of 1 mole of phosphorus per 1 mole of the antibiotic. From the results of the chemical analysis, IR- and NMR-spectrometry neomycin phosphate and neamine phosphate obtained from it by methanolysis were identified as neomycin-3'-phosphate and neamine-3'-phosphate, respectively. The data indicate that the enzyme isolated from Act. fradiae is aminoglycoside-3'-phosphotransferase.     

Biodiversity and ecology of epilithic diatoms in the Agnéby River,Ivory Coast

The ecology and taxonomy of the epilithic diatom flora of the Agnéby River, Ivory Coast were studied in 2012. Ten sites were investigated and diatoms were sampled on glass slides immersed for a period of 30 days during the wet and dry seasons. Physico-chemical parameters were measured at each site while sampling diatoms. Five taxa were largely dominant: Planothidium comperei CE Wetzel, N’Guessan and Tison-Rosebery, Eolimna minima (Grunow) Lange-Bertalot, Planothidium piaficum (JR Carter and Denny) CE Wetzel and Ector, Cocconeis schroederi Foged and Cocconeis scutellum var. parva (Grunow in Van Heurck) Cleve. Electrical conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrite and phosphorus were found to influence the distribution of taxa.     

Biodegradablescaffolds based on chitosan: Preparation,properties, and use for the cultivation of animal cells

The influence of the conditions of the formation of chitosan hydrogels crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GA) or genipin (the polysaccharide molecular weight, pH level, and concentration of the chitosan solution) on the gel time and the properties of biopolymer scaffolds for tissue engineering obtained by the freeze-drying of hydrogels was studied. The resulting scaffolds had different structures (morphology, degree of anisotropy, average pore size) and moisture-retaining capacities. The cytotoxicity of biodegradable scaffolds based on chitosan with a low content of genipin and GA was studied for the first time. Using the L929 mouse fibroblasts model line, we demonstrated that scaffolds based on chitosan with a molecular weight of 320 and 190 kDa crosslinked with genipin and GA (0.005 and 0.01 mol/mol of chitosan amino groups) are biocompatible. Using confocal laser microscopy, we demonstrated that the cells are uniformly distributed in all scaffold samples and they successfully grew and proliferated when cultured in vitro for 4 days.