Similarities in protein amino acid composition in connection with principles of protein evolution

The amino acid composition of human alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) was compared with alcohol dehydrogenases from different organisms and with other proteins. Similar amino acid sequences in human ADH (template protein) and in other proteins were determined by means of an original computer program. Analysis of amino acid motifs reveals that the ADHs from evolutionary more close organisms have more common amino acid sequences. The quantity measure of amino acid similarity was the number of similar motifs in analyzed protein per protein length. This value was measured for ADHs and for different proteins. For ADHs, this quotient was higher than for proteins with different functions; for vertebrates it correlated with evolutionary closeness. The similar operation of motif comparison was made with the help of program complex “MEME”. The analysis of ADHs revealed 4 motifs common to 6 of 10 tested organisms and no such motifs for proteins of different function. The conclusion is that general amino composition is more important for protein function than amino acid order and for enzymes of similar function it better correlates with evolutionary distance between organisms.     

Efficiency of laser energy input into a hohlraum through a hole

Results are presented from the two-dimensional numerical simulations of laser energy input into a hohlraum through a hole. This problem is of interest for ICF research, specifically, for optimization of laser microtarget design. The optimum relations are found between the hole size and the effective laser spot radius under conditions close to those of present-day ICF experiments.     

The interaction of lipoic acid and its metabolites with aspartate and alanine aminotransferases in a multienzyme complex from rat liver and brain mitochondria]

It is shown that lipoic acid and its metabolites--lipoamide and 4,6-dithiohexanoic acid can interact and inhibit the mitochondrial aspartate- and alanine-aminotransferase activities. This effect is much more pronounced in the case of multienzyme complexes--metabolon.     

The parasite-host relationships between the glochidia of the European pearl oyster Margaritifera margaritifera (Margaritiferidae: Bivalvia) and mass fish species in the European north of the USSR

Narrow specificity of larvae (glochidia) of Margaritifera margaritifera to salmon in the rivers of the Kola Peninsula was proved experimentally. It was found that in the gills of minnow, the other mass fish in the northern rivers of the USSR, larvae of M. margaritifera cannot develop and perish. Reasons causing the narrow specificity of M. margaritifera to Salmonidae are discussed.     

Single-shot phase contrast microscopy using polarisation-resolved differential phase contrast

We present a robust, low-cost single-shot implementation of differential phase microscopy utilising a polarisation-sensitive camera to simultaneously acquire four images from which phase contrast images can be calculated. This polarisation-resolved differential phase contrast (pDPC) microscopy technique can be easily integrated with fluorescence microscopy.