A cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate-binding protein in the causative agent of plague

cAMP-binding protein was isolated from the plaque agent and purified to the homogeneous state. Purification process included filtration of the initial preparation through the membrane able to transmit particles with mol. weight to 300,000 Da, chromatography on cellulose "DE-52" and biogel HTP. The protein homogeneity was confirmed by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel and precipitation with commercial plague agglutinating serum. The protein with mol. weight of 180,000 Da consisted of two identical subunits (90,000 Da. each) which could dissociate with formation of monomers (mol. weight approximately 18,000 Da), Cu2+, Co2+, Mn2+ ions stimulated activity of cAMP-binding protein of a plague microbe while Fe3+, Ca2+, Zn2+ ions inhibited it by 30-70%. A monospecific rabbit serum to the homogeneous preparation of cAMP-binding protein was obtained. It helped finding the similar protein in the close relative bacterium Yersinia pseudotuberculosis but not in Y. enterocolitica.     

Effect of HCO3- and carbon dioxide at various concentrations on activity of certain enzymes

The paper deals with the effect of changes in the concentration of carbonic acid in the medium on the reaction rate catalyzed with enzymes of various spectrum of the action. It is shown that the presence of carbonic acid in the medium reaction increases the rate of reactions catalyzed with lactate dehydrogenase of the rabbit liver soluble fraction, with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from yeast and trypsin. Under the same conditions the reaction rate catalyzed with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase of the rabbit liver soluble fraction and with ATP-citrate (pro-3S)-lyase is considerably decreased. Changes in the carbonic acid concentrations within the physiological limits are found to have no effect on lactate dehydrogenase from the cattle heart and chymotrypsin.     

Role of immune cytolysis and its thymosin stimulation in experimental influenza

In experiments on C57BL and CC57W mice the acute or chronic course of experimental influenza infection has been shown to correlate with the activity of immune cytolysis. At a low level of the cytolytic activity of T-lymphocytes the prolonged persistence of influenza virus develops. The stimulation of cell-mediated immunity with thymosin prevents the development of chronic influenza infection.     

Sequential changes in the macrostructure and RNA-synthesizing activity of nucleolar and extranucleolar chromatin from rat liver cells during induction of DNA synthesis

The dynamics of structural changes and RNA-polymerase activity in rat liver cell chromatin caused by drastic changes in the rates of protein synthesis was investigated. Inhibition of protein synthesis after a single injection of animals with cycloheximide (0.3 mg/100 g of body weight) increased the total condensibility of chromatin. Under these conditions, the stepwise activation of RNA-polymerases I and II correlated with decondensation of chromatin. By the 6-12th hour following cycloheximide injection, a chromatin fraction enriched with RNA-polymerase I and a RNA-polymerase II-rich fraction could be isolated from liver cell nuclei.     

Effect of splenic humoral factors on the cholinesterase activity of liver tissue and blood serum in experimental toxic hepatitis in rats

Activity of cholinesterase in the liver of rats with experimental toxic hepatitis decreases, while in the serum it remains unchanged. Introduction of splenin, a spleen preparation, normalizes indices of the cholinesterase activity, extract of muscles possessing no such property. Boiling-heated spleen preparation looses its activity. Activity of the studied enzyme remains unchanged both after splenectomy and splenin introduction to intact animals.     

Catalytic antibodies in the bone marrow and other organs of Th mice during spontaneous development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis associated with cell differentiation

Exact mechanisms of autoimmune disease development are still yet unknown. However, it is known that the development of autoimmune diseases is associated with defects in the immune system, namely, the violation of the bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) differentiation profiles. Different characteristics of autoimmune reaction development in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) prone Th mice characterizing T-lymphocytes response were analyzed using standard approaches. Profiles of several HSCs differentiation of bone marrow (BFU-E, CFU-E, CFU-GM, CFU-GEMM, T- and B-lymphocytes) of Th male and female mice during spontaneous development of EAE were noticeably different. Patterns of total lymphocytes, B- and T-cells proliferation in several different organs (bone marrow, blood, spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes) were also remarkably different. In addition, there were in time noticeable differences in their changes for some organs of male and female mice. Characters of changes in the profiles of CD4 and CD8 cells proliferation in some organs not always coincide with those for total T lymphocytes. The changes in the differentiation profiles of HSCs and the level of lymphocytes proliferation in the bone marrow and other organs were associated with the increase in the concentration of antibodies against DNA, myelin basic protein, and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, and catalytic antibodies hydrolyzing these substrates. Despite some differences in changes in the analyzed parameters, in general, the spontaneous development of EAE in male and female mice occurs to some extent in a comparable way.

     

Biotopic Allocation of Morpho-Ecological Groups of Earthworms (Oligochaeta,Lumbricidae) to the Main Forest Types in the Bol’shaya Laba River Basin (Northwestern Caucasus)

Biology Bulletin - This paper discusses earthworm communities inhabiting forests in the Bol’shaya Laba River basin. The biotopic allocation of morpho-ecological earthworm groups to various...