Studying factors involved in biogenesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lysobacter</Emphasis> sp. XL1 outer membrane vesicles

The Gram-negative bacterium Lysobacter sp. XL1 produces outer membrane vesicles that are heterogeneous in size, density, and protein composition. One of the subpopulations is secretory vesicles for lytic protease L5 of Lysobacter sp. XL1 (Kudryakova et al. (2015) FEMS Microbiol. Lett., 362, fnv137). Protein L5 was assumed to influence biogenesis of these secretory vesicles that contain it. Using a Pseudomonas fluorescens Q2-87/B expression system, it was shown that the recombinant L5 protein may act as a factor of vesicle biogenesis. This points to a possible involvement of L5 protein in Lysobacter sp. XL1 vesicle biogenesis. Furthermore, it was established that the main phospholipid of Lysobacter sp. XL1 vesicles is cardiolipin, and vesicles are formed predominantly of outer membrane regions enriched with this phospholipid. This indicates that cardiolipin participates in biogenesis of all vesicle subpopulations in Lysobacter sp. XL1.     

Activation of morphogenesis and proliferation by low specificity chemical effectors

Activation of highly specific biochemical processes by simple chemical agents is demonstrated for morphogenesis (anlage and development of female gametophyte in cereal) and mitosis (in cell cultures and animal and plant tissues). The effects of these agents are tissue-specific. Structure--activity relationship is analyzed in this group of compounds. Thus, the phenomenon reveals the exact pathways of the influence of allelopathic and anthropogenic chemical agents on evolution of plant biocenoses.     

Combined prime-boost vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) using a recombinant vaccinia virus and a bacterial plasmid both expressing TBE virus non-structural NS1 protein

Background  

Heterologous prime-boost immunization protocols using different gene expression systems have proven to be successful tools in protecting against various diseases in experimental animal models. The main reason for using this approach is to exploit the ability of expression cassettes to prime or boost the immune system in different ways during vaccination procedures. The purpose of the project was to study the ability of recombinant vaccinia virus (VV) and bacterial plasmid, both carrying the NS1 gene from tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus under the control of different promoters, to protect mice against lethal challenge using a heterologous prime-boost vaccination protocol.     

Feedback equilibrium control during human standing

Equilibrium maintenance during standing in humans was investigated with a 3-joint (ankle, knee and hip) sagittal model of body movement. The experimental paradigm consisted of sudden perturbations of humans in quiet stance by backward displacements of the support platform. Data analysis was performed using eigenvectors of motion equation. The results supported three conclusions. First, independent feedback control of movements along eigenvectors (eigenmovements) can adequately describe human postural responses to stance perturbations. This conclusion is consistent with previous observations (Alexandrov et al., 2001b) that these same eigenmovements are also independently controlled in a feed-forward manner during voluntary upper-trunk bending. Second, independent feedback control of each eigenmovement is sufficient to provide its stability. Third, the feedback loop in each eigenmovement can be modeled as a linear visco-elastic spring with delay. Visco-elastic parameters and time-delay values result from the combined contribution of passive visco-elastic mechanisms and sensory systems of different modalities     

Novel human DNA viruses and their putative associations with human diseases

In this review, we described human small DNA viruses discovered on the cusp of the 20th and 21st centuries as a result of cutting-edge technologies established in molecular biology. The problems of obtaining an evidence of the etiological role of new viruses in human diseases have been considered.     

Minor Alkaloids of the Fungus Penicillium roquefortiiThom 1906

New isomers of clavine alkaloids with distinctively low chromatographic mobilities were isolated from the collection and mutant strains of Penicillium roquefortiiThom 1906, in addition to alkaloids roquefortine, 3,12-dihydroroquefortine, isofumigaclavines A and B, festuclavine, and chanoclavine-I, which are characteristic of this species. It was demonstrated that the collection strain produces isomers of agroclavine and epoxyagroclavine, whereas the mutant strain synthesizes isomers of fumigaclavines A and B, festuclavine, and chanoclavine.     

Romanowsky staining,the Romanowsky effect and thoughts on the question of scientific priority

I give an historical account and analysis of the scientific priority of the discovery of the polychrome staining of microscopic biological preparations provided by mixtures of eosin plus methylene blue and its derivatives, especially azure B. I maintain that both the formal priority for the discovery of the polychrome staining phenomenon and credit for initiating the development of a technique of polychrome staining properly belong to D. L. Romanowsky. His scientific work demonstrated the possibility of using a simple technique to stain hematological preparations selectively to give good contrast, high resolution and the ability to identify malaria parasites. Romanowsky’s approach constituted the starting point for the development of a family of polychrome stains for microscopic investigation of hematological preparations by a number of his contemporaries.