Investigation of the Hydrolytic Stability of the HLDF-6-AA Antitumor Peptide by the Method of Accelerated Aging

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - The HLDF-6 hexapeptide corresponded to the 41–46 (TGENHR) fragment of the Human Leukemia Differentiation Factor (HLDF) and exhibited a wide spectrum...     

Sulfated Derivatives of Arabinogalactan and Their Anticoagulant Activity

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - A comparison of IR spectra and molecular weight distribution of arabinogalactan sulfates as sodium and ammonium salts obtained using various sulfating...     

Insight into the bovine milk peptide LPcin‐YK3 selection in the proteolytic system of Lactobacillus species

Antimicrobial peptides are class of small, positively charged peptides known for their broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity. Antimicrobial activities for most antimicrobial peptides have largely remained elusive, particularly in the lactic acid bacteria. However, recently our investigation using LPcin‐YK3, an antimicrobial peptide from bovine milk, suggests that in vitro antimicrobial activity was reduced over 100‐fold compared with pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, for the structural study of how antimicrobial peptide undergoes its reaction at the proteolytic pathway of lactic acid bacteria based on degradation assay and propidium iodide staining, we performed molecular docking for interaction between oligopeptide‐binding protein A and LPcin‐YK3 peptide. Given that degradation related to the LPcin‐YK3 peptide in lactic acid bacteria proteolytic system, the inhibitory inactivity of LPcin‐YK3 against beneficial lactic acid bacteria strains may be one of the primary pharmacological properties of recombinant peptide discovered in bovine milk. These results provide structural and functional insights into the proteolytic mechanism and possibility as a putative substrate of oligopeptide‐binding protein A in respect of LPcin‐YK3 peptide.     

Life cycles,phenology and genetic structure of endangered Megacrania tsudai Shiraki (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae): Male individuals from a geographic parthenogenesis species

Megacrania tsudai, a peripherally distributed member of Megacrania, requires conservation in Taiwan; it has limited distribution in Taiwan and its eastern offshore islands. It feeds on screw pines (Pandanus odoratissimus) in nature and has demonstrated a specific defensive mechanism involving actinidine secretion from the prothoracic gland. However, details of its distribution area, life cycle and developmental phenology remain largely unknown. In this study, a field survey and review of published works revealed M. tsudai distribution in coastal zones and along river shores near estuaries. At room temperature, the egg period was 128 days. The development of the first to sixth instars required 17, 26, 27, 26, 34 and 43 days, respectively, on average; and a generation cycle required approximately 204 days. The phenology of the mesonotal granules was recorded. Moreover, genetic analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI), 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) and the nuclear ribosomal spacer indicated the occurrence of genetic drift. Therefore, the rearing procedures proposed in this study for the primary and last instars of M. tsudai can facilitate its conservation. Megacrania tsudai was previously recorded as parthenogenetic; however, two male individuals were fostered unexpectedly. The male body length was 91 mm, which is shorter than the female length (120 mm). During mating, the male climbs onto the female's back and protrudes its genitalia downward. Geographical parthenogenesis is likely the reproductive strategy among peripheral M. tsudai; however, the rarely found M. tsudai male could be an intermediate link of reproductive strategy in the transition from tychoparthenogenesis to parthenogenesis.     

A chemically triggered transition from conflict to cooperation in burying beetles

Although interspecific competition has long been recognised as a major driver of trait divergence and adaptive evolution, relatively little effort has focused on how it influences the evolution of intraspecific cooperation. Here we identify the mechanism by which the perceived pressure of interspecific competition influences the transition from intraspecific conflict to cooperation in a facultative cooperatively breeding species, the Asian burying beetle Nicrophorus nepalensis. We not only found that beetles are more cooperative at carcasses when blowfly maggots have begun to digest the tissue, but that this social cooperation appears to be triggered by a single chemical cue – dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) – emitted from carcasses consumed by blowflies, but not from control carcasses lacking blowflies. Our results provide experimental evidence that interspecific competition promotes the transition from intraspecific conflict to cooperation in N. nepalensis via a surprisingly simple social chemical cue that is a reliable indicator of resource competition between species.