Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate inhibits apoptosis in erythroleukemia K562 cells induced by some nucleosides

We studied the ability of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetat to prevent erythroid differentiation and apoptosis in erythroleukemic K562 cells induced by cytidine, thymidine, and guanosine. The exposure of cancer cells to combinations of phorbol 12-myrsitate 13-acetate (100 nM) nucleosides for two days led to a loss of hemoglobin production (marker of erythroid differentiation) in cells and increased expression of monocyte-macrophage lineage associated surface antigen CD14. The treatment of K562 cells with nucleosides only was accompanied by the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9, rather than caspase-6, increased fluorescence of ethidium bromide and DAPI upon binding to DNA, and apoptosis. Intracellular activation of caspase-6, inhibition of caspase-9, a markedly decreased activity of caspase-3 and of fluorescence of DNA-binding dyes, and inhibition of apoptosis were observed when the cells were treated with phorbol 12-myeristet 13-acetate combined with nucleosides.     

Modification of the Sunflower Defensin SD2 Gene Sequence and Its Expression in Bacterial and Yeast Cells

To achieve broader range of the defensin antimicrobial activity, based on the sd2 gene sequence, the modified gene, sd2mod, was constructed. Hybrid genes, sd2-licBM2, licBM2-sd2, licBM2-sd2mod, and sd2mod-licBM2, in which the wild-type and modified gene sequences were fused in frame with the reporter gene encoding thermostable lichenase, were constructed. Expression of the wild-type, modified, and hybrid genes was examined in the cells of pro- and eukaryotes. It was demonstrated that these genes were efficiently expressed in the cells of lower eukaryotes, the yeast. Inhibiting effect of the SD2 and SDmod proteins as the components of the hybrid proteins, SD2-LicBM2 and SD2mod-LicBM2, on the growth of the Fusarium culmorum hyphae was similar to that of the wild-type and modified proteins. It was shown that the presence of lichenase in the hybrid proteins facilitated selection and analysis of the hybrid proteins expression in transgenic organisms.     

UHF-dielectrometry in the assessment of the structural organization of salt solutions and interstitial fluids in normal and cicatricial tissues

The complex dielectric permittivity of salt solutions with positive and negative salvation as well as healthy and cicatricially changed human skin in situ at the frequencies of 42 and 56.6 GHz was measured. The relation between the dielectric characteristics of water and diluted salt solutions and changes in their structural organization conditioned by different temperatures of samples and the type of salvation of electrolytes was studied. The differences in the dielectric characteristics of healthy and cicatricially changed skin are interpreted in terms of the dependence of the structural organization of interstitial fluids on the morphological and functional state of biological tissues.     

Methods of nonlinear dynamics in estimation of electroencephalograms of healthy people and of patients with epilepsy

A possibility is discussed of use of methods of nonlinear dynamics for analysis of spontaneous EEG and of the EEG caused by low acoustic stimuli in healthy people and in patients with epilepsy. The use of methods of nonlinear dynamics—the fractal dimension of EEG—in clinical and scientific practice is described.     

Plant growth-promoting Pseudomonas bearing catabolic plasmids: Naphthalene degradation and effect on plants

Two IncP-9 naphthalene degradative plasmids pOV17 and pBS216 were transferred into plant growth-promoting Pseudomonas which were represented by species P. aureofaciens, P. chlororaphis, P. fluorescens, and P. putida. The strains with the same plasmid differed significantly by their growth parameters, stability of the plasmid and plant protective effect from naphthalene action. Strains P. putida 53a(pOV17) and P. chlororaphis PCL1391(pOV17) demonstrated higher population number in the rhizosphere. Moreover, they protected the mustard plants from naphthalene toxic influence more effectively than the wild type strain P. aureofaciens OV17(pOV17). The activity of catechol-2,3-dioxygenase in the strains with the plasmid pOV17 was higher than that in strains with the plasmid pBS216. The strain P. putida 53a(pOV17) with high catechol-2,3-dioxygenase activity has been demonstrated to have the best protective effect. The strain P. putida 53a(pBS216) without catechol dioxygenases activities did not have protective effect but suppressed the plant germination.     

Karyological evidence for meiosis in the three different types of life cycles existing in Agaricus bisporus

In Agaricus bisporus all cytological studies performed until now concerned the pseudohomothallic and bisporic var. bisporus. In the past 12 y two tetrasporic varieties have been described, the heterothallic var. burnettii and the homothallic var. eurotetrasporus. Our aim was to compare the behavior of the nuclei in the vegetative and reproductive cells of the three varieties with light microscopy (Feulgen and DAPI staining) and transmission electron microscopy. Most of the vegetative cells contained 3-5 nuclei in the three varieties. Nuclear migrations through the septum were detected. In the basidia relative locations of nuclei and vacuoles, meiotic spindle alignments, relative content of nuclear DNA and synaptonemal complexes were measured or observed. From the observation of numerous asynchronous second division of meiosis within basidia of var. bisporus and var. burnettii a new hypothesis emerges to explain the nonrandom distribution of the four meiotic products in the two spores of the bisporic basidia. Karyogamy and meiosis similarly occurred in the three varieties. In the case of A. bisporus var. eurotetrasporus this implies that the reproductive mode is sexual and therefore homothallic in the strict sense. The three different types of life cycles are described.     

Retroviral-mediated gene transfer as an effective tool for the in vitro genetic transformation of chicken embryonic cells and production of transgenic chickens

The data on the in vitro and in vivo (into embryonic disk) retroviral-mediated transfer of genetic information into chicken embryonic cells are presented. The estimated transformation frequency of the cultured target cells constituted 8 x 10(-4) to 5 x 10(-3). A transgenic rooster, carrying recombinant DNA in blood, heart, liver, and intestine cells, was obtained.