Influence of regulatory genes of type 1 human immunodeficiency virus on proliferation and differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells

Spontaneous formation of embryoid bodies and subsequent differentiation of some cells into cardiomyocytes were demonstrated on murine embryonic stem cells of R1 line. The lines of embryonic stem cells were obtained that had been transfected with genetic constructs carrying expressing regulatory genes of the human immunodeficiency virus tat and nef and "green protein" gene (GFP). The transfection of embryonic stem cells with the gene tat stimulated their proliferative activity, while this activity decreased in the cells transfected with the gene nef. The time necessary for the formation of embryoid bodies by all lines of transfected cells was similar to that in the control cells. In the cultures of cells transfected with nef and tat, the number of embryoid bodies and the percentage of embryoid bodies with contracting cardiomyocytes were higher and lower than in the control, respectively. Thus, an inverse correlation was observed between the effects of regulatory genes of the human immunodeficiency virus on proliferation and differentiation embryonic stem cells.     

Analysis of recent data on a fauna and ranges of malaria mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae: Anopheles) from the territory of Russia

The lists of malaria mosquitoes in Russia includes 12 species, rather than 13, as it was formerly considered (Gornostaeva, 2000; Gornostaeva, Danilov, 2002), because Anopheles subalpinus is a junior synonym of An. melanoon. Data accumulated up to present are still not sufficient to characterize ranges of many species in Russia, specifically An. beklemishevi, An. maculipennis, and An. messea. Careful investigations of biodiversity and ranges of the malaria mosquitoes in different territories of Russia have not been carried out since 40-60th. In the last 50 years, a cytodiagnostic method appeared to be the most perspective method for the study of biodiversity and ranges of the malaria mosquitoes in Russia. Critical analysis of data obtained by this methods shows that the studies of biodiversity and ranges of the malaria mosquitoes should be performed in a contact of entomologist and genetic experts to avoid errors in a collection of field data and laboratory tests. The study of biodiversity and ranges of the malaria mosquitoes is a quite important field of investigations, because of increase of local cases of the malaria disease and unfavorable prognosis for nearest years in relation to the malaria.     

Response of the human body to heliogeophysical disturbanes

A correlation between variations in the medical parameters and the heliogeophysical indices describing physical processes during solar storms was established. It was proposed that one of the reasons for the biotropic effects observed is rheological shifts of human blood during enhancement of solar activity. The influence of heliogeophysical disturbances on the rheological properties of blood was investigated.     

On ranges of the malaria mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae: Anopheles) of the Maculipennis complex on the territory of Russia

Maps and distribution data are provided for the seven mosquito species of the genus Anopheles, the maculipennis group: Anopheles atroparvus, A. beklemishevi, A. maculipennis, A. messeae, A. malanoon, A. sacharovi and A. subalpinus.     

The mosquito fauna of Smolensk and Kaluga provinces

The mosquitos collected in Smolensk and Kaluga provinces in 1985 by the expedition team of the D. I. Ivanovski? Institute of Virology were identified by V. N. Danilov in 1986. Among the females of mosquitos collected in Smolensk Province four genera and 16 species were recorded; two genera (Culiseta, Mansonia) and 9 species were new ones for this region. Taking in account the reference data (excluding Anopheles hircanus and Aedes behningi, the presence of which here is doubtful) there 22 species of mosquitos of five genera (Anopheles--3, Aedes--16, Mansonia, Culiseta, Culex--one of each) are recently known in Smolensk Province. Among the females of mosquitos collected in Kaluga Province, two genera and 8 species were found including one genus (Mansonia) and three species being a new ones for this region. Together with the reference data, there 17 species of mosquitos of four genera (Anopheles--2, Aedes--13, Mansonia, Culex--one of each) are known now for Kaluga Province.     

A catalog of mosquito species (Culicidae family) from the Asian region of Russia

A new checklist of mosquitoes (Culicidae) recorded in the Asian part of Russia includes 79 species. The checklist is provided with taxonomic comments and compared with ones compiled by previous authors. In a comparison to the checklist of Kukharchuk (1980) including 73 species, 10 species are added into the present checklist and 6 species mentioned by this author are excluded, as far they were not actually found in Asian part of Russia. The names of 9 species are chanced according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (1966). In the checklist of Stojanovich and Scott (1995) including 64 species, 5 species were included erraneously and 21 species were missed. The classification and valid species names are listed according to the Catalog of the Mosquitoes of the World (Knight, Stone, 1977) and its supplements (Knight, 1978; Ward, 1984, 1992; Gaffigan, Ward, 1985), except 5 species. These species (Aedes implicatus, Ae. esoensis, Ae. rossicus, Ae. albescens, Ae. subdiversus) are considered in the comments to the checklist.     

Expression of the FLT3-ITD oncogene sensitizes murine progenitor B-cell line BAF3 to cytotoxic action of binase

Acute myeloid leukemia makes up about 30% of all leukemia cases in adults. Mutations in the genes of the receptor tyrosine kinases KIT and FLT3, along with chromosomal translocations, are frequently found in leukemic cells. In the current work, we show that the transgenic B-cells BAF3/FLT3-ITD are significantly more sensitive to cytotoxic action of the ribonuclease binase than original BAF3 cells. BAF3/FLT3-ITD cells differ from BAF3 in expression of the FLT3-ITD oncogene, which results in the alteration of normal signaling pathways. We observed a similar effect previously when studying binase cytotoxic action in cells Kasumi-1 and FDC-P1-N822K, in which the activated oncogene KIT-N822K was expressed. An elevated cytotoxicity of binase to the cells that express the FLT3-ITD oncogene indicates that, as in case of the FDC-P1 cells transduced by the KIT oncogene, the expression of an activated oncogene determines the cell’s sensitivity to the binase action.