Taxonomic and ecological-geographical diversity of yeast cultures in the All-Russia Collection of Microorganisms (VKM)

The All-Russia Collection of Microorganisms comprises about 2500 yeast strains, which represent over 500 species of 100 genera belonging to 6 ascomycete and basidiomycete classes. Type strains are available for almost all species. The isolates collected represent all the continents; however, the majority of isolates have been recovered in Europe. The most abundant sources of the strains are plants, soils, foodstuff, wines, and some industrial processes.     

Interaction of signal cascades induced by cAMP and prolactin in bovine oocyte-cumulus complexes

Prolactin (PRL) is one of the pituitary hormones that participate in controlling mammalian folliculo-and oogenesis. In the present study, the combined action of PRL (50 ng/ml) and dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP, 1 mM) on oocyte maturation and the morphologic-functional state of the surrounding cumulus cells was investigated in vitro. It has been shown that PRL completely suppresses the inhibitory effect of dbcAMP on meiosis reinitiation and completion of the oocyte nuclear maturation. Moreover, PRL partly inhibited the dbcAMP-induced cumulus expansion, although it produced an opposite effect in the control medium. In the presence of PRL, the inhibitory effect of dbcAMP on the proliferative activity of cumulus cells, as well as on the PRL-induced suppression of destructive processes in these cells, was revealed. In cumulus cells, the mRNA expression of the long PRL receptor isoform was established by the RT-PCR method. The obtained data indicate an interaction of signal cascades induced by PRL and cAMP in the bovine oocyte-cumulus complexes, with the coupling site of these cascades in oocytes seeming to differ from that in cumulus cells.     

Dominant form of cationic peroxidase from sorghum roots

A dominant form of cationic peroxidase (PO-2) was isolated from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) roots and purified to electrophoretically homogeneous state. The enzyme is a monomer with mol wt of 49.7 kD. The optimum pH and the main catalytic constants (K_M, V_max, k_cat) were determined for oxidation of the main substrates including Н₂О₂, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), 2,7-diaminofluorene, syringaldazine, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, and o-dianisidine. The K_M values increased in the sequence: H₂O₂ < 2,7-diaminofluorene < ABTS < o-dianisidine, whereas the maximum turnover number (93.9 s^–1) was found for 2,7-diaminofluorene. Based on the analysis of molecular and catalytic properties of the enzyme, it was proven that PO-2 is a typical cationic plant peroxidase. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (phenanthrene, anthracene, fluorene), 2,2'-diphenic acid, and Ni ions had no significant influence on the activity of PO-2. The enzyme was inhibited by p-aminobenzoic acid, NaN₃, 1-naphthol, 9,10-anthraquinone, and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone. In the presence of NaN₃, 1-naphthol, and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone, a mixed competitive/noncompetitive type of inhibition was noted. The peroxidase PO-2 was found to oxidize synthetic anthraquinone dyes, phenanthrene, and some oxygenated derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (9-phenanthrol; 1-naphthol; and 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic, salicylic, and 2,2'-diphenic acids), which indirectly confirms the coupled plant–microbial metabolism of these compounds in the root zone of sorghum. The results indicate that 9,10-phenanthrenequinone and 2,2'-diphenic acid are the products of peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of 9-phenanthrol.     

Osteoderm microstructure indicates the presence of a crocodylian‐like trunk bracing system in a group of armoured basal tetrapods

Buchwitz, M., Witzmann, F., Voigt, S. and Golubev, V. 2012. Osteoderm microstructure indicates the presence of a crocodylian‐like trunk bracing system in a group of armoured basal tetrapods. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 93 : 260–280. The microstructure of dorsal osteoderms referred to the chroniosuchid taxa Chroniosuchus, Chroniosaurus, Madygenerpeton and cf. Uralerpeton is compared to existing data on the bystrowianid chroniosuchian Bystrowiella and further tetrapods. Chroniosuchid osteoderms are marked by thin internal and relatively thick external cortices that consist of lowly vascularised parallel‐fibred bone. They are structured by growth marks and, in case of Madygenerpeton, by lines of arrested growth. The cancellous middle region is marked by a high degree of remodelling and a primary bone matrix of parallel‐fibred bone that may include domains of interwoven structural fibres. Whereas the convergence of Bystrowiella and chroniosuchid osteoderms is not confirmed by our observations, the internal cortex of the latter displays a significant peculiarity: It contains distinct bundles of shallowly dipping Sharpey’s fibres with a cranio‐ or caudoventral orientation. We interpret this feature as indicative for the attachment of epaxial muscles which spanned several vertebral segments between the medioventral surface of the osteoderms and the transversal processes of the thoracic vertebrae. This finding endorses the hypothesis that the chroniosuchid osteoderm series was part of a crocodylian‐like trunk bracing system that supported terrestrial locomotion. According to the measured range of osteoderm bone compactness, some chroniosuchian species may have had a more aquatic lifestyle than others.     

First biological images with high-energy proton microscopy

High-energy proton microscopy provides unique capabilities in penetrating radiography including the combination of high spatial resolution and field-of-view, dynamic range of density for measurements, and reconstructing density variations to less than 1% inside volumes and in situ environments. We have recently proposed to exploit this novel proton radiography technique for image-guided stereotactic particle radiosurgery. Results of a first test for imaging biological and tissue-equivalent targets with high-energy (800 MeV) proton microscopy are presented here. Although we used a proton microscope setup at ITEP (Moscow, Russia) optimized for fast dynamic experiments in material research, we could reach a spatial resolution of 150 μm with approximately 10¹⁰ protons per image. The potential of obtaining high-resolution online imaging of the target using a therapeutic proton beam in the GeV energy region suggests that high-energy proton microscopy may be used for image-guided proton radiosurgery.     

Biochemical and kinetic analysis of the GH3 family beta-xylosidase from Aspergillus awamori X-100

The beta-xylosidase from Aspergillus awamori X-100 belonging to the family 3 glycoside hydrolase revealed a distinctive transglycosylating ability to produce xylooligosaccharides with degree of polymerization more than 7. In order to explain this fact, the enzyme has been subjected to the detailed biochemical study. The enzymatic hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl beta-D-xylopyranoside was found to occur with overall retention of substrate anomeric configuration suggesting cleavage of xylosidic bonds through a double-displacement mechanism. Kinetic study with aryl beta-xylopyranosides substrates, in which leaving group pK(a)s were in the range of 3.96-10.32, revealed monotonic function of log(k(cat)) and no correlation of log(k(cat)/Km) versus pKa values indicating deglycosylation as a rate-limiting step for the enzymatic hydrolysis. The classical bell-shaped pH dependence of k(cat)/Km indicated two ionizable groups in the beta-xylosidase active site with apparent pKa values of 2.2 and 6.4. The kinetic parameters of hydrolysis, Km and k(cat), of p-nitrophenyl beta-D-1,4-xylooligosaccharides were very close to those for hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside. Increase of p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside concentration up to 80 mM led to increasing of the reaction velocity resulting in k(cat)(app)=81 s(-1). Addition of alpha-methyl D-xylopyranoside to the reaction mixture at high concentration of p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside (50 mM) caused an acceleration of the beta-xylosidase-catalyzed reactions and appearance of a new transglycosylation product, alpha-methyl D-xylopyranosyl-1,4-beta-D-xylopyranoside, that was identified by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The kinetic model suggested for the enzymatic reaction was consistent with the results obtained.     

Localization of insertion into E. coli chromosome of Tn7-like transposons controlling resistance to trimethoprim and streptothricin

To localize the insertion sites for Tn7-like transposons Tn1824, Tn1825 and Tn1826 the EcoRI-cleaved fragments of E. coli recA+ and recA- strains chromosome carrying the transposons were hybridized. It was shown that transposition of Tn7-like elements takes place in the strictly defined region of E. coli chromosome, like it had been previously described for transposon Tn7.     

Specificity of Yeast Sensitivity to the Mycocin of Tilletiopsis flava VKM Y-2823

The mycocinogenous strain Tilletiopsis flava VKM Y-2823 was found to possess fungicidal activity at pH 3.5–4.5, which was retained after curing the strain by eliminating the extrachromosomal genetic elements. The mycocin produced by the strain had a molecular mass of more than 10 kDa and was readily inactivated by heating and treatment with protease K. This mycocin was found to be active against species of the anamorphic genus Tilletiopsis. The overwhelming majority of other representatives of the order Tilletiales, as well as ascomycetous and basidiomycetous (including ballistosporous) yeasts of the orders Sporidiales and Tremellales, were resistant to it.