Herbal vegetation in shelter belts composed of various species in Shira steppe, Khakasia

Shelter belts composed of various species were grown under arid conditions of the Shira steppe, Khakasia. The results of the investigation of species diversity, distribution of herbs over ecological groups, and regularities of species composition dynamics, structure and biomass of ground vegetation in shelter belts are reported. The influence of the ground vegetation on the tree growth in shelter belts is considered.     

Molecular polymorphism of the cellular lines of wheat resistant to the culture filtrate of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici</Emphasis>, and plant-regenerants from them

DNA polymorphism of the cellular lines of wheat resistant to the culture filtrate of G. graminis var. tritici and the plant-regenerants that were induced from them has been studied with the use of the method of ISSR-analysis. Specific changes in DNA sequences were detected in resistant calluses. It was found that all resistant cell lines were different from the initial callus and from the callus, which was not exposed to the selective factor. This difference was based on the presence of the specific 2347 bp (5′-TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCG-3′ primer) and 1745 bp (5′-AGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGTC-3′ primer) amplicons and on the absence of the 1108 bp amplicon (5′-ACACACACACACACACC-3′ primer). These changes were also found in the plant-regenerants and in the R₁ plants.     

Interpretation of some mechanisms of evolutional neuromorphogenesis with aid of experiments in neuronal culture

Based on study of isolated neurons of molluscs Lymnaea stagnalis, elementary mechanisms of motility of living neurons have been analyzed. With aid of these studies, an attempt is made at explaining mechanisms of the cellular morphogenetic processes of evolution of simple nervous systems: exit of neuroepithelial cells from the layer of external epithelium, transformation of sensory bipolar cells into the associative ones, migration of neurons, formation of diffuse plexus and its conversion into the plexus-ganglion system, regularities of formation of ganglia and synganglia. Use of the culture of dissociated neurons is characterized as a novel direction of evolutionary neuromorphology.     

Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase of Drosophila melanogaster: comparative sequence analyses around the substrate-binding lysyl residue

The amino acid sequence of a 103 residue segment encompassing the substrate-binding active site lysyl residue of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase from Drosophila melanogaster is determined. The sequence is identical to more than 70% with the structure of rabbit muscle aldolase and with the known partial sequences of the sturgeon muscle, trout muscle, and ox liver enzymes. The homology of the insect enzyme with the vertebrate aldolases strongly implies a similar tertiary structure folding.     

An unexpected tail of VEGF and PlGF in pre-eclampsia

PET (pre-eclamptic toxaemia), characterized by pregnancy-related hypertension and proteinuria, due to widespread endothelial dysfunction, is a primary cause of maternal morbidity. Altered circulating factors, particularly the VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) family of proteins and their receptors, are thought to be key contributors to this disease. Plasma from patients with PET induces numerous cellular and physiological changes in endothelial cells, indicating the presence of a circulating imbalance of the normal plasma constituents. These have been narrowed down to macromolecules of the VEGF family of proteins and receptors. It has been shown that responses of endothelial cells in intact vessels to plasma from patients with pre-eclampsia is VEGF-dependent. It has recently been shown that this may be specific to the VEGF???b isoform, and blocked by addition of recombinant human PlGF (placental growth factor). Taken together with results that show that sVEGFR1 (soluble VEGF receptor 1) levels are insufficient to bind VEGF-A in human plasma from patients with pre-eclampsia, and that other circulating macromolecules bind, but do not inactivate, VEGF-A, this suggests that novel hypotheses involving altered bioavailability of VEGF isoforms resulting from reduced or bound PlGF, or increased sVEGFR1 increasing biological activity of circulating plasma, could be tested. This suggests that knowing how to alter the balance of VEGF family members could prevent endothelial activation, and potentially some symptoms, of pre-eclampsia.     

Amino acid sequence in the reactive site region of an acid-stable inhibitor of trypsin, chymotrypsin and intracellular proteinases from rabbit serum

The thermo- and acid-stable trypsin, chymotrypsin and intracellular proteinases inhibitor (TAS-inhibitor) from rabbit serum was digested by trypsin, and its domain (Mr 6200) with antitryptic activity was obtained in homogeneous state. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of this domain was established by automatic Edman degradation: Thr-Val-Ala-Ala-Cys-Asx-Leu-Pro-Ile-Val-Pro-Gly-Pro-X-Arg-Gly-Ile-Phe-X- Leu-X-Ala-Phe-X-Ala-Val-X-Gly. A high degree of homology of the primary structures rabbit, human and bovine TAS-inhibitors was demonstrated.     

Investigation of the muscle tissue biostructure by means of the pressing-out method. III. The water in the rabbit striated muscle tissue

In the rabbit striated muscle tissue the free and biostructured water content have been investigated using the pressing-out method. The following percent values have been found: 20% bound water to cell colloids and different cell particles, 61% biostructure-integrated water and 19% free water.     

Findings of new and rare fish species in the coastal zone of the Crimea (the Black Sea)

Characteristics of seven Atlantic-Mediterranean fish species are provided. Of them, four (gobies—yellow-headed Gobius xanthocephalus and red-mouthed G. cruentatus, incognito blenny Parablennius incognitus, and greater pipefish Syngnathus acus) were either first found in the Black Sea coastal zone of the Crimea, or their findings were doubted, and three species (thin-lipped grey mullet Liza ramada, European barracuda Sphyraena sphyraena, and Black Sea salmon Salmo trutta labrax) are very rare. Over the last decade, the authors recorded 15 fish species; of them, seven Atlantic-Mediterranean species have dispersed along the Crimean coasts by now, one endemic of the far eastern seas (chameleon goby Tridentiger trigonocephalus) has naturalized in Sevastopol Bay, four invading species, freshwater by origin, permanently occur in the estuary zones of the peninsula; the remaining three species are known from single findings and apparently belong to the category of accidental fish. An increase in the species composition of ichthyofauna off the Black Sea coasts of the Crimea results from the on-going process of mediterranization—the invasion in the estuary of freshwater tolerant species at the expense of accidental species that penetrated here either independently or with ballast waters.