Nuclear envelope of frog diplotene oocytes has telomere-binding activity]

A telomere-binding activity was found in the nuclear envelope of frog oocytes Rana temporaria by methods of binding on nitrocellulose filters and retardation. At present it is hardly possible to detect the proteins responsible for this activity. However, the results of this study allowed us to identify a specific mechanism of DNA-protein interaction, which provides the binding of the telomere to the envelope in meiotic cells.     

Production of a hyperimmune antitoxic donor plasma against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Research work has been carried out with the aim of obtaining hyperimmune antitoxic plasma against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Hyperimmune plasma active against P. aeruginosa toxin has been obtained from donors immunized with P. aeruginosa toxoid. The preparation is highly specific and active, which is revealed by in vivo and in vitro tests. The clinical study of the preparation indicates its high efficacy in the treatment of diseases caused by different P. aeruginosa serotypes.     

An EST screen from the annelid Pomatoceros lamarckii reveals patterns of gene loss and gain in animals

Background  

Since the drastic reorganisation of the phylogeny of the animal kingdom into three major clades of bilaterians; Ecdysozoa, Lophotrochozoa and Deuterostomia, it became glaringly obvious that the selection of model systems with extensive molecular resources was heavily biased towards only two of these three clades, namely the Ecdysozoa and Deuterostomia. Increasing efforts have been put towards redressing this imbalance in recent years, and one of the principal phyla in the vanguard of this endeavour is the Annelida.     

Structural Basis of a Rationally Rewired Protein-Protein Interface Critical to Bacterial Signaling

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Immuno- and histochemistry characteristics of morula and test cells in three ascidian species

One of the hypotheses suggests that test cells play a part in a larval tunic formation like morula cells in adult ascidians. It was shown that the antibodies against morula cell proteins of 26 and 48 kDa of the ascidian Styela rustica react on the paraffin sections with both the granules of morula cells and test cells of ascidians S. rustica and Boltenia echinata. Among the test cell proteins of S. rustica SDS-electrophoresis revealed at least 5 major proteins but no one with the molecular mass of 26 and 48 kDa and none of them react with the antibodies. At the same time AB26 bind the proteins with similar molecular masses in blood cells and in the probe containing test cells--27 and 28 kDa, correspondingly,--of ascidian Molgula citrina. Comparative histochemical analysis of morula and test cells of these three ascidian species was carried out. There are a lot of acid polysaccharides combined with proteins in test cells whereas morula cells contain mainly positively charged proteins. Thus it could be supposed that degree of manifestation of antigens might be different in the conditions of immunoblot and immunohistochemical analysis. The hypothesis of the similarity in morula and test cells functions and their interrelationship is discussed.     

Formation of p-tyramine from dopamine bound to synaptic receptors of the rat brain in vitro

Tyramine (TA) revealed earlier during the functioning of dopamine (DA)-receptors of the rat brain (after learning) in vivo was produced from dopamine bound by DA-receptors of the synaptic membranes in the system which was exposed to the influence of the microdischarge electroradialysis in vitro. It is shown that the formation of p-TA under these conditions depends on the period of the micro-discharge effect on the system, it is maximal at exposition of 30 s for I = 4.2 mA. In control solutions of standard DA and DA preincubated with the membranes of the cerebellum homogenate, without DA-receptors, p-TA was not revealed under these conditions. The results obtained confirm the supposition that p-TA is the product of the DA-receptors functioning in vivo.