Reaction of young pigs to total gamma-irradiation

A study was made of clinical manifestations of radiation sickness of pigs exposed to gamma-radiation within a wide range of doses, LD50/30 was about 2.82 Gy after a short-term whole-body exposure: the nonuniformity coefficient was 1.2.     

Analysis of point mutations in BRCA1 gene using hybridization on hydrogel microchips

Germ-line mutations in BRCA1 gene account for a substantial proportion of inherited breast and ovarian cancers. Identification of these mutations allows molecular diagnosis for breast cancer susceptibility. We have developed method for identification of 185delAG, 300T>G, 4153delA, 4158A>G and 5382insC mutations in BRCA1 gene using hybridization with microarray of geL-immobilized oligonucleotides (microchip). The microchip was tested with 36 control samples, carrying the above-mentioned mutations and 65 clinical cases with breast cancer. Our data demonstrated that developed microchip can be very effective and realible tool, easily introduced in ordinary medical and genetic laboratories.     

A new form of baker's yeast transketolase. An enzyme-RNA complex

Using an immunosorbent, a new form of transketolase, namely, an enzyme-RNA complex, was isolated from a baker's yeast extract. Spontaneous fission of RNA (or its enzymic hydrolysis by RNase) is accompanied by a sharp increase in the catalytic activity of transketolase, which may be directly related to the enzyme's regulation mechanism.     

The nature of binding between the coenzyme and protein in transketolase from the swine liver

An analysis of a proteolytic hydrolysate of pig liver transketolase by thin-layer chromatography revealed the presence of a coenzyme-containing material which differed from free thiamine pyrophosphate in chromatographic behaviour. This coenzyme-containing material is distinct from the free coenzyme in terms of other properties as well, e.g., stability, pH dependence of thiochrome fluorescence, etc. It was demonstrated that incubation of enzyme preparations possessing a high specific activity (on the average, 2 E/mg) in acidic acetate buffer caused no or little detachment of the coenzyme, mainly in the composition of the heterogeneous material which, at least partly, was not represented by thiamine pyrophosphate.