Iraida Pavlovna Morozova (1919–2007)

Paleontological Journal -     

Structural and functional changes in sympathetic ganglia following endotoxin and alpha1-antitrypsin exposure]

Structural and functional organisation of sympathetic ganglia under conditions of endotoxemia was studied in white rats, cats, and dogs. Submicroscopic characteristics of the changes occurring in the rat prevertebral sympathetic ganglia after endotoxin administration or application of endogenous proteinase inhibitor alpha 1-antitrypsin, were assessed as well as ultrastructural bases of the febrile rat ganglionic responses to antipyretic drug administration. Effects of endotoxin on synaptic transmission in inferior mesenteric plexus' ganglia of cats and on electrical activity in inferior mesenteric plexus' ganglia of dogs, were electrophysiologically demonstrated.     

The role of different pathways of mevalonate synthesis in the regulation of sterol and bile acid synthesis in the mammalian liver

The role of various pathways of synthesis are considered for mevalonic acid, the first specific precursor of sterols, in the production of cholesterol and bile acids in the mammalian liver. It is emphasized that the mevalonate synthesis with participation of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase and hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA-reductase not bound with the endoplasmic reticulum membranes results in formation of the pool of mevalonic acid and other precursors necessary mainly for the organism supply with bile acids under conditions of cholesterol synthesis inhibition.     

A method for determining the presence of inverted repeats in the chloroplast genome of higher plants]

A plasmid containing fragments of rp12 and rps19 genes from the chloroplast genome of Arabidopsis thaliana was developed. The presence of inverted repeats in the chloroplast DNA of A. thaliana and Vicia sativa, and their absence from two species of Fabaceae family (Lathyrus sativus, Lens esculenta) were shown with the help of this plasmid.     

A new approach to the problem of oxygen formation in photosynthesis

A detailed quantum-mechanical analysis of the model of water oxidizing complex, based on recent X-ray data on the structure of PSII, was made. A mechanism of water oxidation was suggested and explained for the first time. The role of three manganese atoms that are not involved directly in water oxidation, the role of the cubic structure of the complex, and the necessity of the presence of calcium and chlorine atoms during water oxidation are discussed. Theoretical computations of the energies of the complex in each S-state were made.     

Antibodies against modified low-density lipoproteins and their complexes in blood of patients with various manifestations of atherosclerosis

The study included 79 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), 25 individuals with preclinical atherosclerosis and 59 healthy individuals. Key lipid parameters were examined in all the participants. Levels of antibodies (Abs) (IgG and IgM) against low density lipoproteins (LDL) modified by malondialdehyde (MDA), acetic anhydride and hypochlorite, were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Abs specificity was tested by competitive ELISA. Circulating immune complexes (CIC) were isolated by polyethylene glycol precipitation followed by determination of their cholesterol by the enzymatic method. Abs to hypochlorite-modified LDL (hypochlorite-LDL) detected in the serum samples did not demonstrate cross-reactivity with MDA-modified LDL (MDA-LDL) and acetylated LDL (acetyl-LDL). Patients with CAD had increased levels of CIC (p < 0.0001) and decreased levels of Abs (IgM) to hypochlorite- LDL, compared with healthy controls and patients with preclinical atherosclerosis (p = 0.006). A correlation between the levels of Abs (IgG) to the hypochlorite-LDL and Abs to MDA-LDL and acetyl-LDL was found. The content of the Abs (IgM) to MDA-LDL and acetyl-LDL correlated with CIC-cholesterol concentrations, while lipid parameters did not correlate with Abs levels.     

Role of protein poly(ADP-ribosylation) in the radiosensitivity of thymus lymphocytes

The inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase did not exert a radiomodifying effect on thymocytes. The inhibitors did not also influence single-strand breaks repair in DNA of nucleoids of irradiated cells. The participation of poly(ADP-ribosylation) system in increasing the availability of thymocyte DNA damages for repair enzymes was hardly probable since benzamide in these cells did not influence the level of spontaneous genome lesions recognized by endonucleases. A possible role of protein poly(ADP-ribosylation) in thymocyte DNA repair is discussed.     

Diversity and biogeographic patterns of the bryozoan fauna of the Faroe Islands

A total of 228 bryozoan species are recorded within the EEZ of the Faroe Islands, 74 of which are new to the area. Analysis of the distribution of the species among six sectors, each characterized by different environmental conditions, showed three faunal assemblages. Variation of the total Faroese bryozoan fauna and of the bryozoan fauna of most sectors, demonstrated significant negative relationships with depth. In general, analysis of the biogeographic composition showed a strong predominance of boreal over arctic species. However, with respect to faunas of each sector, the Norwegian Basin is characterized by a predominance of arctic species and may be regarded as a part of the Arctic Eurasian sub-region of the Arctic biogeographic region. Comparison of the bryozoan species of each sector with the bryozoan faunas of the other 12 areas in the North Atlantic and the neighbouring Arctic regions showed that only the Faroese shelf fauna has significant similarity with part of them, and thus can be regarded as part of the Scandinavian province of the Norwegian high-boreal sub-region of the Atlantic boreal region. Three sectors, the Faroese–Iceland Ridge, the Faroese–Shetland Channel and Norwegian Basin, belong to a transitional zone between the Atlantic Boreal and the Arctic biogeographic regions. The deep south-western sector forms a separate faunal cluster when compared with both the other sectors within the Faroese area and with the faunas of other large geographic areas, and may be regarded as a separate biogeographic zone of the Boreal Atlantic region due to its high proportion of specific species.     

The trigger function of cAMP in regulating the chemiluminescence of macrophages exposed to ethanol

The capacity of mouse peritoneal macrophages to luminol-dependent zymosan-induced chemiluminescence was investigated. It was revealed that a short-term incubation (5-10 min) of macrophages in 0.05-0.50% ethanol resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of chemiluminescent response. Ethanol induce a sharp 2-3 fold increase in the intracellular cAMP content after a 2 minutes incubation. The temporal and concentration correlation of both the processes suggests that the inhibition of chemiluminescence may be mediated by the intracellular cAMP content.