Microbial diversity in the samples from archeological complexes of the Pazyryk culture (IV–III centuries BC) in northwestern Mongolia

Prokaryotes were analyzed in the samples of ice and soils collected by the joint Russian-German-Mongolian expedition (2006) at the site of archeological excavations of two Pazyryk culture mounds in the upper Olon-Kurin-Gol River on the southern slope of the Saylyugem Mountains, Mongolian Altai. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene fragments of the cultured bacteria revealed three major groups wide-spread in permafrost soils: Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. Analysis of the total DNA from the samples revealed nonculturable bacteria of the phyla Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatoidetes, Firmicutes, and CFB (Cytophaga-Flavobacteria-Bacteroidetes) isolated from the samples of permafrost soils (Arctic, tundra, and from Tibet highlands), groundwater, and Arctic and Antarctic ice cores.     

Characteristics of urogenital and post-enterocolitis reactive arthritides

The immune status and profile of HLA antigens of loci A and B were evaluated in 159 patients with reactive arthritis. Reactive arthritis was caused by urogenital chlamydial infection in 64.2% of cases and by Shigella, Salmonella and Yersinia enterocolitica infection in 18.9% of cases. In patients with different etiology of the disease some variations in its course and outcome, immune status as well as in the HLA antigen profile were established that is indicative of genetic determination of the immune response character. The established specific variations in the immune and immunogenetic status of patients with reactive arthritis of different etiology may be used for improving diagnosis and treatment efficacy.     

Isolation and investigation of natural yeast strains resistant to heavy metal salts and radionuclides

The collection of yeasts (more than 2000 strains) from extreme natural environment of Kamchatka peninsular and Kuril Islands was created. 448 strains were selected for their resistance to salts of such heavy metals as Cu, Cd, Co and to high temperature (37-52 degrees C). 72% of strains appeared to be resistant to one or more selective factors. We obtained several strains able to grow on medium with 0.1 M/L nonradioactive strontium and (or) cesium. Four of this strains accumulated radioactive isotope 90Sr with 45-80% efficiency. Thus, we demonstrated that yeast strains from nature could be used for bioremediation of industrial waste solutions, polluted by radionuclides and salts of heavy metals.     

The bactericidal activity of lectins from nitrogen-fixing bacilli

Lectins I and II isolated from the nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa 1460 were found to be able to suppress the growth of Rhizobium leguminosarum 252 and Bacillus subtilis 36 at nearly all the concentrations tested (from 1 to 10 micrograms/ml). Lectin I was also inhibitory to Azospirillum brasilense 245 and Erwinia carotovora subsp. citrulis 603, while lectin II exerted bactericidal activity against Xanthomonas campestris B-610 and B-611 and A. brasilense 245. The bacillar lectins incubated with Rhizobium and Azospirillum cells caused leakage of low-molecular-weight substances from the cells, presumably resulting from impairment of the membrane barrier function. We believe that one of the possible mechanisms of the bacterial growth inhibition by lectins is mediated by the lectin-specific receptors occurring on the bacterial membrane, whose interaction with the lectin molecules induces conformational alterations in the membrane and concurrent malfunction of the metabolism of bacterial cells.     

Are quinones producers or scavengers of superoxide ion in cells?

The effects of quinones (benzoquinone, menadione, and doxorubicin) on the superoxide production in cell free systems (xanthine oxidase and rat liver microsomes) and of polycationic electrolyte- and latex-stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages have been studied. Contradictory results were obtained in cell free systems when two traditional assays for detection of superoxide ion, the cytochrome c reduction and the lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence (CL), were used: all quinones inhibited the lucigenin-dependent CL at sufficiently large concentrations, but they did not inhibit at all the reduction of cytochrome c. It was proposed that the cytochrome c assay gave erroneous results due to the reversibility of the interaction of semiquinones with dioxygen. The effect of quinones on the superoxide production by peritoneal macrophages was biphasic: all quinones stimulated the O2-. formation at low concentrations and inhibited it at elevated concentrations. It was concluded that among the quinones studied, only menadione was capable of stimulating the superoxide production via a one-electron transfer mechanism in cell free systems, while the stimulatory effect of small concentrations of quinones on the O2-. production in macrophages was possibly due to their action on the activation of NADPH oxidase.     

Use of succinate dehydrogenase activity of lymphocytes to predict the course of the post-resuscitation period

The enzyme status of lymphocytes was studied in experiments on white male rats revived after a 4-min clinical death due to acute blood loss. It is established that the initial status of lymphocyte succinate dehydrogenase is essential for predicting cytochemical pattern and peculiarities of postresuscitation period.     

Distribution of strains of spore-forming bacteria of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus</Emphasis> in the bottom sediments of Lake Khubsugul in Northern Mongolia as an indication of paleoclimate

Data on the distribution and abundance of bacteria of the genus Bacillus in the bottom sediments of Lake Khubsugul have shown the predominance of strains that preferred low temperatures. This indicates fairly cold temperature conditions on the territory of the Khubsugul drainage area. On the whole, the dynamics of interchange of minimums and maximums of abundance of bacteria of the genus Bacillus is similar to the global climate fluctuations. Study of the enzymatic activity of pure cultures revealed that most strains studied possessed proteolytic activity; consequently, the dynamics of bacteria development is correlated with the supply of organic nitrogen-containing compositions.     

Structural studies of cDNA and the gene for the beta-subunit of cGMP phosphodiesterase from human retina]

cDNA clones encoding the beta-subunit of the photoreceptor cGMP phosphodiesterase-(PDE) were isolated from a human retinal library. The encoded polypeptide has 854 amino acid residues with calculated molecular mass of 98416 Da. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequence with the previously analysed alpha-, beta- and alpha'-subunits of the bovine and mouse PDEs demonstrates highly significant similarities. We have also isolated, from a genomic library, two overlapping recombinant lambda phage clones containing 26 kb of the human PDE beta-subunit gene. The cloning of the human gene and the knowledge of its genomic organization will allow the rapid assessment of the role of this gene in the causation of human retinopathies.