Productivity and Dynamics of Morphological,Physiological, and Biochemical Parameters of Potatoes in Arid Climate

Doklady Biological Sciences - Interrelation between the morphology, physiology, biochemistry, and productivity of potato plants was shown for the first time using the example of a...     

Inversion Polymorphism and the Divergence of Two Cryptic Forms of Anopheles messeae(Diptera, Culicidae) at the Level of Genomic DNA Repeats

Genomic DNA of samples from several populations of malaria mosquito Anopheles messeaebelonging to the macullipennis Paleoarctic complex was examined using digestion with ten restriction enzymes and electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel. The patterns of DNA repeat fractions in the EcoRI hydrolysate in two cryptic forms of An. messeaecharacterized by common inversion polymorphism were shown to be different. The genomic differences in mixed sympatric groups and those between geographically remote populations of the different forms were identical. No interindividual, intrafamilial, inter- and intrapopulation variation was revealed in either form. The electrophoregrams of individuals belonging to the same form but having different combinations of inversion chromosomal variants in the karyotypes were identical. Analysis of taxonprints in the forms showed that individuals with the same karyotype may belong to different forms. These results coupled with evidence on the ecological features of and assortative mating inAn. messeaepopulations demonstrated that the examined forms are not conspecific. Our results indicate that taxonprint analysis is the most reliable and precise test for the presence of conspecific forms in a large sympatric zone.     

Evaluation of genetic consequences of 238Pu incorporation into mammals

The genetic effects of gonadal burdens of 238Pu after single injection were studied in male mice. The activity of plutonium was 7 to 1850 Bk/g. The average doses of accumulated alpha-particles in testis varied from 2 to 96 Gy.10(-2), the dose rate being 0.004 to 1 Gy.10(-2) per day. The genetic end points are: the dominant lethal mutation rate; the frequency of reciprocal translocations; the recessive lethal mutation rate and frequency of abnormal sperm head morphology. For all tests used, no linear dependence of the effect on the alpha-dose was observed. The RBE value of alpha-irradiation was 10-20 relative to chronic gamma-irradiation.     

Stability of His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Pro-Gly-Pro to Leucine Aminopeptidase,Carboxypeptidase Y,and Rat Nasal Mucus,Blood, and Plasma

The His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Pro-Gly-Pro [ACTH-(6–9)-PGP] peptide was synthesized. Proteolysis of ACTH-(6–9)-PGP and semax (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) in the presence of leucine aminopeptidase and carboxypeptidase Y was studied. If the proteolysis of ACTH-(6–9)-PGP is mainly defined by aminopeptidases, the basic metabolite is Trp-Pro-Gly-Pro. Identification of major metabolites of ACTH-(6–9)PGP when incubated with the enzymes in vitro made it possible to evaluate proteolysis pathways of the peptide and prepare necessary amounts of its metabolites for using them as standards. Kinetics of ACTH-(6–9)PGP degradation in the presence of enzyme systems of nasal mucus, blood, and plasma were also explored. It was found that proteolysis of ACTH-(6–9)-PGP in rat blood and plasma occurs mainly under the effect of enzymes whose action is similar to leucine aminopeptidase.