Recombinant Antigens E6 and E7 of Human Papilloma Virus Type 16: Preparation,Purification, and Assessment of the Immunogenicity and Antitumor Effects In Vivo

Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology - The recombinant proteins E6-CBD and E7-CBD, which are antigens E6 and E7 of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16), were connected by a glycine-serine spacer...     

Genetic variability of isolates of pandemic influenza A virus H1N1 isolated in Russia in 2009

Complete nucleotide sequence of the genome segments encoding the surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin, and neuraminidase of influenza A virus H1N1 derived from the patients with influenza in the context of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 was determined out of 14 isolates of pandemic influenza. The philogenetic analysis of these sequences demonstrated their genetic similarity to the corresponding genes of the pandemic influenza virus A (H1N1) 2009 isolates obtained in other countries; each gene homology was greater than 99%. Neuraminidase mutations causing virus resistance to oseltamivir and other neuraminidase inhibitors, known from the literature, were not detected. The hemagglutinin gene mutation D222G was found in 4 isolates from autopsy material. In the hemagglutinin of pandemic A/Salekhard/01/2009(H1N1) isolate a mutation G155E leading to the increase in viral replication in developing chick embryos was detected. The nature and frequency of nucleotides substitutions within HA and NA genes were determined in the current research.     

Thiomorpholine transformation by the fungus Bjerkandera adusta

A screening of lignin-degrading basidial fungi that can grow in the presence of thiomorpholine derivatives (the mixture of 1,4-perhydrothiazines) has been performed. Strain Bjerkandera adusta VKM F-3477 was shown to have the maximal rate of growth in the presence of these compounds, and its capacity for thiomorpholine degradation was studied. The methods of quantitative analysis of thiomorpholine and its degradation products on the basis of thin layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography were developed. It was shown that the B. adusta strain did not utilize thiomorpholine as a carbon source but transformed it into thiomorpholine sulfoxide that accumulated in the medium. Mn peroxidase produced by B. adusta in the course of thiomorpholine transformation is not directly involved in its oxidation.     

The Penicillium commune Thom and Penicillium clavigerum Demelius Fungi Producing Fumigaclavines A and B

The type strains Penicillium clavigerum VKM F-447 and P. commune VKM F-3233 are found to produce fumigaclavines A and B. Of the seven other strains of these species, only two strains, P. commune VKM F-3088 and F-3491, possess the ability to synthesize these alkaloids. It is suggested that the five other strains under study either lost such an ability or require very specific conditions for the synthesis of these alkaloids.     

The production of succinic acid by yeast Yarrowia lipolytica through a two-step process

The production of α-ketoglutaric acid by yeast Yarrowia lipolytica VKMY-2412 from ethanol and its subsequent chemical conversion to succinic acid (SA) were investigated. A highly effective and environmentally friendly process of α-ketoglutaric acid production was developed using a special pH-controlling strategy, in which the titration of the culture broth with KOH in the acid-formation phase was minimal, that allowed accumulation of only low amounts of inorganic wastes in the course of SA recovery. The culture broth filtrate containing α-ketoglutaric acid (88.7 g l^?1) was directly employed for SA production; the amount of SA produced comprised 71.7 g l^?1 with the yield of 70 % from ethanol consumed. SA was isolated from the culture broth filtrate in a crystalline form with the purity of 100 %. The yield of isolated SA was as high as 72 % of its amount in the culture broth filtrate. The antimicrobial and nematocidic effects of SA of microbial origin on pathogenic organisms that cause human and plant diseases were revealed for the first time.     

Inversion polymorphism of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Glyptotendipes glaucus</Emphasis> Mg. (Diptera: Chironomidae) from the reservoirs of Kaliningrad

The karyotypes of larvae Glyptotendipes glaucus Mg. 1804 from three reservoirs of Kaliningrad city (Pen’kovoe and Karasevka lakes and Chistyi pond) were studied. The levels of the natural inversion polymorphism for the three populations were determined. Ten new inversion sequences (gla B4, gla B5, gla B6, gla D5, gla E4, gla E5, gla E6, gla E7, gla F6, and gla F7) were detected in the species studied. Inversion including the centromeric region in IIIEF (gla E6 + gla F7) was pericentric. Several cases of gla B5 and gla B6 combination with gla B2 resulting in genotypic combination gla B2.5 and gla B2.6 were found. The dependence of the number of inversion sequences and genotype combinations from the content of heavy metal ions in sediments of the reservoirs was revealed. All populations were characterized by the prevalence of inversion sequence gla B2 in chromosome I.     

Pneumococcal serotypes in various diseases of children

The serotyping of pneumococci isolated from different material obtained from children aged 0 to 11 years was carried out. Out of 156 patients with different diseases, hospitalized in two clinics in Moscow during February-May 1983, pneumococci were isolated from 67 patients (43%). The isolated pneumococcal strains belonged to 11 serotypes. Pneumococci of serotypes 3, 6, 9 and 19 were shown to occur most frequently in different diseases and constituted 50% of the isolated strains. The inoculation of the material by the quantitative method permitted the authors to find out the role of pneumococci as the etiological factor in the pathogenesis of some diseases. A certain dependence of diversity in the types of isolated pneumococci on the age of sick children was noted. Almost all isolated strains were found to be sensitive to penicillin, ampicillin and benzylpenicillin. But a few individual strains were sensitive only to one of these antibiotics. The data on some biological properties of pneumococci cultivated on solid culture media are presented.     

Analysis of Secondary Metabolites of Microscopic Fungi of the Genus Penicillium by Chromatographic Techniques

Combinations of various systems of thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were efficient in analyzing 39 nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites (alkaloids) produced by 12 strains of microscopic fungi of the genus Penicillium. Chromatographic mobility of alkaloids on Silufol plates was determined in the following systems: (a) chloroform, methanol, and 25% NH₄OH (90 : 10 : 1, 90 : 10 : 0.1, or 80 : 20 : 0.2); (b) chloroform and acetone (9 : 1); and (c) ethyl acetate, methanol, and 25% NH₄OH (85 : 15 : 10); staining was performed using Ehrlich's reagent. Conditions for separation of clavine alkaloids by HPLC on Spherisorb ODS-2 and Supelcosil LC-18 columns (gradient elution) were optimized. Retention values of 22 alkaloids were compared to those of agroclavine and roquefortine.     

Seasonal dynamics of chlorophyll and microelement content in developing conifer needles of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Abies sibirica</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea abies</Emphasis>

Composition of microelements and photosynthetic pigment content (chlorophylls (Chl) a and b) were monitored in growing needles of spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and Siberian fir (Abies sibirica Ledeb.) during spring-autumn vegetation period. The dynamics of fresh weight and needle length for the first-year needles of spruce and fir revealed a number of shared and species-specific features in growth patterns of photosynthetic organs. In the beginning of growth period (in May), the needles elongated rapidly, while June–July were marked by the increase in needle weight. In P. abies the needle weight accumulated rapidly (specific growth rates μ_max up to 0.20 day⁻¹) over a short period (14 days), while in A. sibirica the needle weight increased slower (μ_max ≤ 0.11 day⁻¹) but over a longer period (≥30 days). The dynamics of Chl a and Chl b content and their ratio were identical in needles of both species over the growth period, although changes in Chl a were pronounced stronger than those in Chl b. In spring (May), a relatively high total Chl content per needle dry weight was noted. In summer (June–August), the total Chl content declined appreciably. In autumn (September–November), the total chlorophyll content in first-year needles increased slightly. Microelements were classified into two groups according to seasonal dynamics of their relative content in first-year needles. The first group includes Ba, Mn, Zn, B, Cu, Co, Cr, Pb, and Mo, whose relative content had a distinctive maximum in July, coincident with the peak in Chl content. The second group comprises Ni, V, Ag, Be, Cd, and As, whose relative content was minimal at this period. Seasonal changes in microelement composition were similar for the two conifer species examined, which is likely due to different physiological values of various microelements for photosynthetic organs.