Transthyretin gene V30M,H90N,and (del9) mutations in cardiomyopathy patients from St. Petersburg

A search of transthyretin (TTR) gene mutations was performed in patients with cardiomyopathies from St. Petersburg. Mutations H90N, V30M and deletion (del9) of nucleotides GACTTCTCC in position 6776 from the start codon of the TTR gene (in position 98782 according to reference sequence AC079096 (NCBI) was found. The H90N mutation in the third exon of TTR gene was detected in a son of a cardiomyopathy patient and in his mother, which lacked any clinical manifestations. Mutation V30M in exon 2 of TTR gene was found in heterozygous in one of the probands. Deletion (del9) was revealed in a patient with cardiomyopathy and in his two daughters from different marriages, who had no clinical manifestations of the disease. All the mutations revealed in this study were previously identified in other populations.     

Construction of variants of Yersinia pestis EV76 (RIEG line) vaccine strain differing in antibiotic resistance spectra with stage-by-stage transduction of R-transposons]

Mono- and polyresistant variants of the plague vaccinal strain Yersinia pestis EV76 (RIEG line) were constructed with stage-by-stage transduction of transposons Tn5, T, Tn10 and Tn9 located in the phage vectors. Methods for stage-by-stage selection of the transductants that preserved intact determinants of surviving, antiphagocytic activity and immunogenic properties were designed for their further testing as model vaccinal strains in combined specific and emergent medicamentous prophylaxis of plague.     

The influence of cooling rates and medium tonicity on Escherichia coli B/r survival after heating with different lethal temperatures

Cell thermosensitivity of Escherichia coli B/r increases with the cooling rise, especially in hypertonic conditions after heating at 50, 55 and 60 degrees C. A certain relationship is suggested between the observed phenomenon and the osmotic homeostasis system of microorganisms under condition of thermogenic and tonic stress.     

The influence of ionizing radiation of high intensity on the viability of Escherichia coli bacteria, cultivated in the salt buffer without nutrient additions

The influence of 60Co gamma-ray radiation of high intensity (85 Gy/min) on the viability of E. coli B/r and E. coli BS-1 bacteria, cultivated in salt buffer with the concentration about 10(8) cells/ml, was studied. It was determined that under the doses, which induce about 80% of death of the cells, the irradiated bacteria, just like the intact cells, die during the incubation processes, while under the doses induced the death of cells above 95%, the cells viability of the both strains increases and reaches the constant value by the byhend 2nd-5th days of incubation in these conditions. In the result of the differences of the reactions of the intact and irradiated with different doses of radiation microorganisms on the incubation during their postradiational period in the phosphate buffer we have the fact of the absence of the dependence of the effect from the dose, or the decreasing of the consequences of the radiation under the increasing of the dose of the radiation. The nature of this phenomenology while stays not understood.     

Genetic markers and psoriasis in three ethnic populations of Dagestan

Analysis of clinical material obtained from the individuals (49 psoriasis patients and 357 individuals without this disease) representing three ethnic populations of Dagestan (Avars, Dargins, and Kumyks) was performed. Polymorphism of the blood group loci AB0, Rhesus (RH), Kell, P, and Lewis, as well as of the protein-encoding loci for haptoglobin (HP), group-specific component (GC), and the enzymes, including glycosylase (GL01), esterase D (ESD), 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (6PDG), and acid phosphatase (ACP), was studied. It was demonstrated that in the pooled sample of Avars and Kumyks the Lewis system phenotype Le(a-b-) and the RH homozygotes (ee/ee) were statistically significantly more frequent among the psoriasis patients (P = 0.0488 and P = 0.0166, respectively), than among healthy controls of the same ethnic groups. It was suggested that for the pooled sample of Avars and Kumyks, homozygosity for the recessive RH allele (ee/ee) in combination with the Le(a-b-) phenotype, representing homozygosity for recessive allele le, was the risk factor for the development of psoriasis.     

Polymorphism of the ND1 and CO1 mitochondrial genes in populations of liver fluke Fasciola hepatica

Polymorphism of fragments of the ND1 and CO1 mitochondrial genes was for the first time found in four liver fluke Fasciola hepatica samples from Ukraine, Belarus, Moscow region, and Mordovia. The ND1 and CO1 fragments were respectively 292 and 433 bp in size, with polymorphic sites accounting for 2.7 and 0.9% of the total sequence. Seven haplotypes were found in the four samples; two haplotypes (A and B) were most common (29.1 and 45.8%, respectively) in the pooled sample. The haplotype frequency distribution differed among the four populations. Haplotype B prevailed in the Mordovian and Moscow region samples. In addition, these samples had a higher number of unique haplotypes (A2, A3, B2). The results testify to genetic divergence of the four geographically distant populations of F. hepatica.     

Use of a preparation from fungal pectin lyase in the food industry

A new enzyme preparation of fungal pectin lyase (EC 4.2.2.10) was shown to be useful for the production of cranberry juice and clarification of apple juice in the food industry. A comparative study showed that the preparation of pectin lyase is competitive with commercial pectinase products. The molecular weight of homogeneous pectin lyase was 38 kDa. Properties of the homogeneous enzyme were studied. This enzyme was most efficient in removing highly esterified pectin.     

Supramolecular complexes mediate selenocysteine incorporation in vivo

Selenocysteine incorporation in eukaryotes occurs cotranslationally at UGA codons via the interactions of RNA-protein complexes, one comprised of selenocysteyl (Sec)-tRNA([Ser]Sec) and its specific elongation factor, EFsec, and another consisting of the SECIS element and SECIS binding protein, SBP2. Other factors implicated in this pathway include two selenophosphate synthetases, SPS1 and SPS2, ribosomal protein L30, and two factors identified as binding tRNA([Ser]Sec), termed soluble liver antigen/liver protein (SLA/LP) and SECp43. We report that SLA/LP and SPS1 interact in vitro and in vivo and that SECp43 cotransfection increases this interaction and redistributes all three proteins to a predominantly nuclear localization. We further show that SECp43 interacts with the selenocysteyl-tRNA([Ser]Sec)-EFsec complex in vitro, and SECp43 coexpression promotes interaction between EFsec and SBP2 in vivo. Additionally, SECp43 increases selenocysteine incorporation and selenoprotein mRNA levels, the latter presumably due to circumvention of nonsense-mediated decay. Thus, SECp43 emerges as a key player in orchestrating the interactions and localization of the other factors involved in selenoprotein biosynthesis. Finally, our studies delineating the multiple, coordinated protein-nucleic acid interactions between SECp43 and the previously described selenoprotein cotranslational factors resulted in a model of selenocysteine biosynthesis and incorporation dependent upon both cytoplasmic and nuclear supramolecular complexes.