Mathematical model of the effect of glucocorticoids on the movement and proliferation kinetics of mammalian lymphocytes

Effect of glucocorticoids on proliferation, death and migration of T-lymphocytes was studied by mathematical methods. A model of the interaction between hormone and thymus T1-lymphocytes is proposed which imitates involution of lymphoid tissue under stress. There were constructed models of migrations of free and radioactive chromium labeled lymphocytes in lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs, blood and lymph at arbitrary concentration of glucocorticoids in the blood. Possible mechanisms of immunodepression due to increased hormone concentrations in the organism are discussed.     

Fluorescence microscopic and autoradiographic analyses of the differential reaction of various regions of polytene chromosomes in Chironomus to prolonged exposure to 7-amino-actinomycin D and 3H-actinomycin D

Dynamics of binding of a fluorescent analogue of actinomycin D -- 7-amino-actinomycin D -- and 3H-actinomycin D with polytene chromosomes of Ch. thummi was studied. Biological effects of AMD, 7-amino-AMD, and 3H-AMD on polytene chromosomes were found to be similar. These ligands provoke the reduction of the nucleolus and Balbiani rings and the appearance of giant pseudo-puffs in heterochromatic centromere regions of polytene chromosomes. There was no intermediate binding of 7-amino-AMD to DNA in vivo both after a longterm treatment of larvae with fluorochrome and in chase experiments. It was found that a loosening of chromatin in centromere regions accompanied by a weakening of its fluorescence took place in the formation of pseudo-puffs. Possible mechanisms of pseudo-puff formation under the influence of AMD and 7-amino-AMD are discussed. Essential factors may be peculiarities of DNA nucleotide composition in centromere regions, DNA packing, alteration of physico-chemical properties of DNA in the complex with AMD (despiralizations and elongation), and an inhibition of RNA synthesis necessary for the maintenance of normal structure of polytene chromosomes.     

Intergeneric conjugational crossing of Escherichia coli with Salmonella typhimurium. II. Transfer of a polA1 mutation from Escherichia coli to Salmonella typhimurium and its phenotypic expression in the salmonella genome]

The Escherichia coli structural gene for DNA polymerase I was inserted into Salmonella typhimurium chromosome by conjugal transfer. The genetic analysis of P1-mediated transduction of obtained hybrid showed that polA gene is located in it between metE and rha loci and is cotransduced with metE (about 50%) and rha (12%). The phenotypic properties of polA1 hybrid E. coliXS. typhimurium concerning UV-MMS-NG and gamma-ray sensitivity are similar to the polA1 mutants of E. coli.     

Concentrations of myosin-activating protein kinases in the myocardium of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and in animal heart

Skeletal myosin light chain kinase in the myocardia of various animal species was identified by immunoblotting. The myocardial concentrations of this protein and myosin-activating protein kinases (RhoA-activated kinase, integrin-linked kinase, and zipper-interacting kinase) were compared in healthy humans and patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Skeletal myosin light chain kinase was detected in the human and chicken embryo hearts, rather than in the embryonic and adult rat hearts. In the myocardium of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, the concentrations of myosin light chain kinase, RhoA-activated kinase, and integrin-linked kinase increase and the concentration of zipper-interacting kinase decreases. The results obtained are likely to characterize compensatory processes in cardiomyocytes in dilated cardiomyopathy that are aimed at increasing their viability and contractility.     

Extracellular Laccases from Cerrena unicolor 059, Cerrena unicolor 0784, and Pleurotus oastreatus 0432: A Comparative Assay

Laccases of the basidiomycetes Cerrena unicolor 059, C. unicolor 0784, and Pleurotus oastreatus 0432 were subjected to a comparative study. The enzymes were isolated as homogeneous preparations with molecular weights of 55, 56, and 57 kD, respectively. The three enzymes were found to be glycoproteins. The carbohydrate moiety of the glycoproteins included mannose, galactose, and N-acetylglucosamine. The carbohydrate moieties of the laccases from C. unicolor 059, C. unicolor 0784, and P. oastreatus 0432 accounted for 17, 23, and 24%, respectively. The pH optima of the enzymes corresponded to 4.0, 3.75, and 5.6, respectively. Thermal stability tests (carried out at 40°C) demonstrated that the laccase of C. unicolor 0784 was characterized by the highest temperature resistance (the enzyme retained 25% activity after 172 h of incubation). The values of the Michaelis constant (K _M) were determined for the reactions of oxidation of pyrocatechol, hydroquinone, and potassium ferrocyanide catalyzed by the laccases of the basidiomycetes.     

Results of the comparative use of virological and bacteriological control of routine disinfection in maternity homes

Bacterial viruses were often detected in washings from different environmental objects; not infrequently, the inoculation of washings from the same objects resulted in the growth of Escherichia coli. The expediency of making parallel tests of washings from these objects for the presence of wild strains of bacterial and viral cultures both during the control of disinfection measures and the determination of the effectiveness of disinfection agents is shown.     

Strains of salmonella with altered antigenic structure]

The authors studied 260 freshly isolated and laboratory cultures of salmonellae belonging to different serological groups. Heterogeneity of the majority of the strains studied by colour fluorescence of the colonies in the oblique light flux was demonstrated. Genetically bound spontaneous stable mutants with a different antigenic composition were selected by this method from a number of serological types. The isolated mutants were in the S-form and failed to differ by morphological, cultural and biochemical properties from the initial parental strains. A study of the antigenic structure by the method of agar immunoelectrophoresis and determination of their serological properties showed the mutants to have disturbances in the processes of O- or K-antigen synthesis.