Uniparental Genetic Heritage of Belarusians: Encounter of Rare Middle Eastern Matrilineages with a Central European Mitochondrial DNA Pool

Ethnic Belarusians make up more than 80% of the nine and half million people inhabiting the Republic of Belarus. Belarusians together with Ukrainians and Russians represent the East Slavic linguistic group, largest both in numbers and territory, inhabiting East Europe alongside Baltic-, Finno-Permic- and Turkic-speaking people. Till date, only a limited number of low resolution genetic studies have been performed on this population. Therefore, with the phylogeographic analysis of 565 Y-chromosomes and 267 mitochondrial DNAs from six well covered geographic sub-regions of Belarus we strove to complement the existing genetic profile of eastern Europeans. Our results reveal that around 80% of the paternal Belarusian gene pool is composed of R1a, I2a and N1c Y-chromosome haplogroups – a profile which is very similar to the two other eastern European populations – Ukrainians and Russians. The maternal Belarusian gene pool encompasses a full range of West Eurasian haplogroups and agrees well with the genetic structure of central-east European populations. Our data attest that latitudinal gradients characterize the variation of the uniparentally transmitted gene pools of modern Belarusians. In particular, the Y-chromosome reflects movements of people in central-east Europe, starting probably as early as the beginning of the Holocene. Furthermore, the matrilineal legacy of Belarusians retains two rare mitochondrial DNA haplogroups, N1a3 and N3, whose phylogeographies were explored in detail after de novo sequencing of 20 and 13 complete mitogenomes, respectively, from all over Eurasia. Our phylogeographic analyses reveal that two mitochondrial DNA lineages, N3 and N1a3, both of Middle Eastern origin, might mark distinct events of matrilineal gene flow to Europe: during the mid-Holocene period and around the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, respectively.     

Protein deamidases from germinating seeds

Enzymes catalyzing the deamidation of seed storage proteins were found in germinating seeds of kidney beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Moldavian) and squash ( Cucurbita pepo L. cv. Mozoleevskaya). They were partially purified and characterized. The properties of these enzymes closely resemble those of the protein deamidase in germinating wheat grains. The detection of similar protein deamidases in germinating seeds of plants belonging to phytogenetically unrelated species indicates that protein deamidases are of considerable physiological significance.     

Soil Manganese Enrichment from Industrial Inputs: A Gastropod Perspective

Manganese is one of the most abundant metal in natural environments and serves as an essential microelement for all living systems. However, the enrichment of soil with manganese resulting from industrial inputs may threaten terrestrial ecosystems. Several studies have demonstrated harmful effects of manganese exposure by cutaneous contact and/or by soil ingestion to a wide range of soil invertebrates. The link between soil manganese and land snails has never been made although these invertebrates routinely come in contact with the upper soil horizons through cutaneous contact, egg-laying, and feeding activities in soil. Therefore, we have investigated the direct transfer of manganese from soils to snails and assessed its toxicity at background concentrations in the soil. Juvenile Cantareus aspersus snails were caged under semi-field conditions and exposed first, for a period of 30 days, to a series of soil manganese concentrations, and then, for a second period of 30 days, to soils with higher manganese concentrations. Manganese levels were measured in the snail hepatopancreas, foot, and shell. The snail survival and shell growth were used to assess the lethal and sublethal effects of manganese exposure. The transfer of manganese from soil to snails occurred independently of food ingestion, but had no consistent effect on either the snail survival or shell growth. The hepatopancreas was the best biomarker of manganese exposure, whereas the shell did not serve as a long-term sink for this metal. The kinetics of manganese retention in the hepatopancreas of snails previously exposed to manganese-spiked soils was significantly influenced by a new exposure event. The results of this study reveal the importance of land snails for manganese cycling in terrestrial biotopes and suggest that the direct transfer from soils to snails should be considered when precisely assessing the impact of anthropogenic Mn releases on soil ecosystems.     

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of co‐polyamides with anthrazoline‐containing units in the main chain

A series of anthrazoline‐containing monomers are synthesized, and eight co‐polyamides of different chemical structures, containing 1,9‐anthrazoline fragments in the main chain, are obtained and investigated. Photoluminescent, stress–strain, and thermal properties of these polymers are studied. It is shown that polymers with fragments of 4,4′‐(pyrido[3,2‐g]‐quinoline‐2,8‐diyl)dianiline and 4,4′‐(10‐methylpyrido[3,2‐g]quinoline‐2,8‐diyl)dianiline possess an intense luminescence in the range 550–650 nm. The performed investigations made it possible to determine the effect of substituents of various natures in the anthrazoline cycle and the position of amide group (meta‐ and para‐configurations) on optical, stress‐strain, and thermal properties of copolymers, opening up a prospect for further developments of principles of design of polymers with optimal characteristics.     

Improvement of cellulose degradation by cloning of endo-β-1, 3-1, 4 glucanase (bgls) gene from Bacillus subtilis BTN7A strain

The aim of this study is to construct a new recombinant strain able to degrade cellulose efficiently. The endo-β-1, 3-1, 4 glucanase (bgls) gene was cloned from Bacillus subtilis BTN7A strain by using PCR technique. The specific primers of bgls gene were deduced. Optimization of PCR mixture and program were identified. The nucleotide sequence of bgls was placed in the public domain (GenBank accession number KM009051.1). The obtained bgls DNA was cloned with pGEM®-T Easy Vector. The recombinant plasmid designated as Bgls-NRC-1 was transformed into E. coli DH5α. The successful cloning of the bgls gene was tested either by PCR or by evaluating its expression in its new bacterial host. The bgls gene was expressed efficiently in E. coli and the enzyme activity of the transformant was compared to the enzyme activity of the donor bacterial strain. The new constructs produce much higher enzyme yields than the donor bacterial strain, they produce about 29% and about 57% higher cellulase specific activity at 37?°C and 55?°C respectively. Optimization of cellulolytic activity of the new recombinant strain were described. The effect of minimal medium supplemented with CMC or cellulose, or complete medium (LB) on bgls expression were tested, the order of cellulase activity production was CMC27.2?>?cellulose 21.9?>?LB 19.8?U/mg protein, respectively at 24?h. CMC was proved to be the best medium for cellulase production. Results also showed that double the initial inoculum resulted in more cellulase activities in all media.     

Proteinase A-like enzyme from germinated kidney bean seeds. Its action on phaseolin and vicilin

A cysteine proteinase that possibly participates in the degradation of phaseolin, the main storage protein of kidney bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Moldavian) was isolated from germinating kidney bean seeds and partially characterized. According to its properties it may be classified as a member of a group of homologous cysteine proteinases A, also present in germinating seeds of a number of other plants. The proteinase of this group hydrolyze storage proteins to short peptides. Similarly, the kidney bean proteinase hydrolyzes vicilin, the reserve protein of vetch ( Vicia sativa ). However, its action on phaseolin is limited to the cleavage of subunits into two approximately equal parts and to the splitting off a small number of short peptides. An explanation of phaseolin resistance to the action of this proteinase is proposed on the basis of the differences of its structure from that of other homologous 7S proteins.     

Molecular Characterization of the Recently Emerged Poultry Pathogen Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale by Multilocus Sequence Typing

Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) is an economically important bacterial pathogen of turkeys and chickens worldwide. Since its first detection, a variety of typing methods have been used to gain basic knowledge about the bacterial population structure, an issue that still needs to be addressed. Serological characterization revealed at least 18 different serotypes (A-R) with ORT of serotype A to be predominate among poultry. This study aimed to establish a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for ORT that could easily be used by other laboratories and allows for worldwide comparison of sequence data. For this purpose, 87 ORT strains from different poultry hosts, geographical origins, years of isolation and serotypes were included in the analysis to identify correlations. Fourteen different sequence types (ST) were found. The most common ST1 was identified in 40 ORT strains from turkeys and chickens on 4 continents and in 3 different European countries. Together with ST9, both STs represented over three quarters (77%) of ORT strains used in the MLST analysis and included strains of frequently cross-reacting ORT serotypes A, E and I. Nine STs were only represented by one ORT strain and might indicate possible avian host, disease or serotype-specific relationships. In contrast, discrepancies between serotype and phylogenetic relatedness were clearly demonstrated by ORT strains that belonged to identical serotypes but differed in their ST. The overall identified low genetic diversity among strains isolated from turkeys and chickens independent of host and geographical origins suggests that ORT has only recently been introduced into domestic poultry and dispersed worldwide.     

Molecular characterization of β-thalassemia mutations in Egypt

Summary The relative frequency of different -thalassemia mutations and their association with -globin haplotypes were studied in patients from the Nile delta region, Egypt, by means of the polymerase chain reaction, oligonucleotide hybridization and restriction analysis. We found that 8 mutations account for 77% of -thalassemia chromosomes in this population, the commonest being IVS-1 nt 110, IVS-1 nt 6 and IVS-1 nt 1. Each mutation was associated with a specific haplotype, with the exception of IVS-1 nt 110, found on 3 different chromosomal backgrounds. Our data show that testing for the 8 detectable mutations makes feasible prenatal diagnosis in 65% of at risk couples and exclusion testing in an additional 25% of cases.     

Effect of soil salinity on the electro-chemical and chemical kinetics of some plant nutrients in submerged soils

Summary The electro-chemical and chemical kinetics of six California rice soils were significantly influenced by the presence of salts up to an EC of 9 mmhos/cm in saturation extract (EC_e). Subsamples of each soil salinity treatment were incubated for periods up to 10 weeks after flooding. Most of the changes in Eh and pH values took place in the first 3–4 weeks after submergence. Salinity decreased pH values, but slightly increased the redox-potential. Both ammonification and nitrate reduction were significantly decreased, by increasing soil salinity. Salinity up to 9 mmhos/cm did not affect levels of Bray and Kurtz extractable P, but increased the water extractable Ca, Mg, K and Mn. In DTPA extract, salinity in incubated soils had no effect on Zn in 4 soils, but it decreased Fe in acid and neutral soils. Possible explanations for the electro-chemical and chemical kinetic changes due to flooding and salinity are discussed.     

Comparative anatomy and histology of the cervix uteri in non-human primates

The uterine cervix of rhesus macaque, crab-eating macaque, stump-tailed macaque, pig-tailed macaque, marmoset, baboon, patas, and squirrel monkeys was studied macroscopically and microscopically. Distribution of spermatozoa and leukocytes in the lumen and within the crypts and clefts was studied in rhesus and marmoset uterine cervix. The cervical canal of baboon, patas, marmoset, and stump-tailed monkeys is straight or slightly bent. The presence of variably developed ventral and dorsal colliculi in rhesus, crab-eating, and pig-tailed macaques causes the dorsoventral sinuosity of the cervical canal. The cervix of all investigated specimens is fundamentally fibrous tissue and the amount of muscle fibers increases toward the uterine corpus. The cervical mucosa of baboon, marmoset, and patas monkeys contains a large amount of clefts and tubular tunnels of variable structure, length, width, direction, and degree of branching. The cervical mucosa of macaques contains a large number of crypts of complex structure, length, width and degree of branching. The cervical crypts in macaques are usually longer in the ectocervix; whereas, in the midcervix, mucosa contains small crypts, clefts and long tunnels. Squamo-columnar junction is located near the external os in baboon, patas, marmoset, rhesus, crab-eating, and pig-tailed monkeys. In squirrel monkey, squamous epithelium is continuous through the external os, covers the vestibule and external surface of the cervical colliculi. In stump-tailed macaque, squamo columnar junction is located in the vagina, 1–3 cm from the external os of the cervix. The vaginal wall between the squamo-columnar junction and the external os of the cervix is covered with heavily branched mucosa lined with columnar epithelium. Ciliated cells of cervical epithelium occur in 9 to 19%. A large number of spermatozoa and a relatively low number of leucocytes have been found within crypts and clefts of cervical mucosa. The results are discussed in relation to the function of the cervix in different stages of the cycle, during pregnancy and parturition.This investigation was supported in part by Ford Foundation Grant No. 710-0287.