Enzyme reamination of phosphororganic analogs of aspartate and glutamate

Phosphonous and phosphonic analogues of aspartate and glutamate are substrates of semireaction of enzymatic transamination catalysed by aspartate aminotransferase.     

Influence of magnetic field on the spatial orientation in zebrafish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Danio rerio</Emphasis>) (Cyprinidae) and Roach (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rutilus rutilus</Emphasis>) (Cyprinidae)

Preferred direction of motion under influence of geomagnetic field and its modifications was registered in zebrafish (Danio rerio) raised in laboratory culture and in roach (Rutilus rutilus) from the Rybinsk Reservoir. In the geomagnetic field, specimens of zebrafish prefer two opposite directions oriented towards the north and south, while they prefer towards east and west at 90° turning of the horizontal component of geomagnetic field. The specimens of roach in the geomagnetic field prefer only the direction oriented towards east–northeast. This direction coincides with the direction along the canal where roach was sampled to the main river channel part of the Rybinsk Reservoir. At 90° rotation of the horizontal component of geomagnetic field, the direction turns to the south–southeast. The reasons for selection of certain directions in the geomagnetic field are discussed.     

Blood groups, serum proteins, and red cell enzymes in the Nganasans (Tavghi)-reindeer hunters from Taimir Peninsula

The Nganasans are made up of two recently tribal populations. These, the Avam and Vadey, were established in the seventeenth century from small reindeer hunting bands, themselves apparently descended from the Yukaghir. Data on 13 blood systems have been described for the first time in the Vadey Nganasans, and the results compared with those previously reported for the two Avam subgroups. As a whole, the Nganasans are characterized by low frequency of B blood group, high frequencies of Ns, cDE, Fy(a), Hp(2), absence of A2, P(c), K, and apparently an absence of cde alleles or haplotypes. Measurement of intrapopulation heterogeneity reveals significant divergence among the two Avam subdivisions (chi 2/16=57.59; P less than 0.001), as well as between the total Avam and Vadey (chi 2/17=79.31; P less than 0.001). Founder principle, and local genetic drift, are believed to account for the greater difference between the Avam and Vadey subgroups than that observed between the two Avam populations. The Nganasans of the Taimir Peninsula appear to be the last group of reindeer hunters remaining in Northern Siberia. For ages they have lived in relative isolation, and therefore are the least touched genetically, either by surrounding herding groups originating in Southern Siberia, or by recent Caucasian admixture.     

Nucleotide sequence of genes and complete amino acid sequence of tick-borne encephalitis virus strain 205

The 10466 nucleotide long sequence of the cDNA copy of the tick-borne encephalitis strain 205 viral genome has been determined. It includes the 5'-nontranslating region, the genes for structural as well as nonstructural proteins and the first 93 nucleotides of 3'-nontranslating region. The difference in amino acid sequences of structural and nonstructural proteins of strains 205. Sofjin and Neudoerfl of the tick-borne encephalitis virus and the nucleotide changes in 5'- and 3'-nontranslating of these strains are discussed.     

Tick-borne encephalitis virus: primary structure of DNA copies of the genes for strain 205 structural proteins

The nucleotide sequences of the cDNAs of the genes for the structural proteins C, preM, M and E of the tick-borne encephalitis viral strain 205 have been determined. The complete nucleotide sequence of the 5'-end nonstructural region of the viral genome has been studied for the first time. The difference in the amino acids sequences of the structural proteins from different strains (205, Sofiin and Neidorf) of the virus is discussed.     

Biochemical and photometric studies of modification of collagen structure induced by UV irradiation

The influence of UV irradiation (270–380 nm) on the biochemical, fluorescence and colorimetric properties of collagen was studied. The long-term UV irradiation (120 h) was accompanied by the increase of the structural stability of collagen to specific and nonspecific proteolytic enzymes, by formation of new additional fluorophore containing compounds, by the increased amount of carbonyl groups in the collagen, and by significant changes in the distribution pattern of products of alkaline hydrolysis during gel chromatography. The coordinates of color of the collagen films have been also changed. These changes of collagen suggest that UV irradiation induces photomodification and photooxidation processes in collagen.     

A private allele ubiquitous in the Americas

The three-wave migration hypothesis of Greenberg et al. has permeated the genetic literature on the peopling of the Americas. Greenberg et al. proposed that Na-Dene, Aleut-Eskimo and Amerind are language phyla which represent separate migrations from Asia to the Americas. We show that a unique allele at autosomal microsatellite locus D9S1120 is present in all sampled North and South American populations, including the Na-Dene and Aleut-Eskimo, and in related Western Beringian groups, at an average frequency of 31.7%. This allele was not observed in any sampled putative Asian source populations or in other worldwide populations. Neither selection nor admixture explains the distribution of this regionally specific marker. The simplest explanation for the ubiquity of this allele across the Americas is that the same founding population contributed a large fraction of ancestry to all modern Native American populations.     

Development of a biochip with an internal calibration curve for quantitating two forms of the prostate-specific antigen

Three-dimensional gel-based biological microchips were developed for simultaneous quantitation of total (PSA_tot) and free (PSA_free) forms of the prostate-specific antigen in human serum in the “one patient, one biochip” format. A method not demanding construction of calibration curves prior to the assay was applied to quantitation of PSA_tot and PSA_free. In addition to gel elements with immobilized antibodies against PSA_tot and PSA_free, the biochip contains elements with immobilized PSA at different concentrations, forming an internal calibration curve. Data are processed and interpreted with the special-purpose ImaGelAssay program. The sensitivity of the assay is 0.3 ng/ml for PSA_tot and 0.2 ng/ml for PSA_free. The variation coefficient for measurements with one biochip series does not exceed 10%. The correlation coefficients between the estimates obtained for human sera by the biochip assay and by conventional ELISA were 0.988 for PSA_tot and 0.987 for PSA_free.     

Blood testosterone in rats: correlation with individual anxiety and its derangement after the "death threat"

After preliminary testing on a multiparameter scale, test and experimental groups of Wistar male rats were formed on the principle of identical distribution of individuals with different anxiety levels. A negative Spearman correlation between the testosterone blood concentration and the level of anxiety was observed in intact rats: the minimum hormonal concentrations (lower than 5 nmol/l) were found in rats with high anxiety, whereas the maximum concentrations (up to 16 nmol/l) corresponded to the higher anxiety level (prevalence of passive defense reactions during testing). After a sort-term exposure to life-threatening situation (viewing of a boa's attacking and devouring two victim rats from the test group), the correlation was deranged because of appearance of a scatter in testosterone blood concentration (from 3 to 21 nmol/l) in rats with low anxiety. Neurotization with inescapable pain stimulation also deranged the initial anxiety-testosterone correlation, but, as distinct from the exposure to life-threatening situation, eliminated individual differences in testosterone concentration at its low level. The results suggest the existence of multiple ways of adaptation to life-threatening situations in a rat population.