The hybridization of tetraploid wheat with the octoploid wheat-wild rye amphiploid Elytricum fertile and the chromosome behavior in meiotic MI

The hybridization and chromosome behaviour regularities at meiotic MI of reciprocal F1 hybrids of tetraploid wheats T. durum and T. turgidum with 56-chromosome incomplete wheat-Elymus amphiploid (IWEA) Elytricum fertile, were investigated. Variation of main indices of the hybridization has been revealed to be determined by variance of such factors as cross direction, genotype peculiarities of wheat strains and their interaction. Elymus sibiricus genome, contained in IWEA karyotype, carries several genes, that can suppress wheat diploidization system. Reduction of homologous chromosome synapsis is not determined by these genes, but is connected with influence of other Elymus sibiricus chromosome factors.     

Paradoxical vagal effects on the cardiac rhythm in cats

In anaesthetised cats, an increase in the vagal burst rate resulted in a paradoxical decrease of vagal bradycardia. This seems to be due to a shift of the vagal stimulus position towards early phase of cardiac cycle. The mechanism of this paradoxical effect depends on the magnitude of vagal chronotropic effect upon the time of vagal stimulus delivery within cardiac cycle.     

Detection of carotenoids in the vitreous body of the human eye during prenatal development

Carotenoids were found for the first time in the vitreous body of human eye during the fetal period from week 15 until week 28. Their maximum content was timed to week 16-22. No carotenoids were found the vitreous body of 31-week fetuses, as well as adult humans, which corresponds to the published data. It was shown using HPLC that chromatographic characteristics of these carotenoids correspond to those of lutein and zeaxanthin, characteristic pigments of the retinal yellow macula.     

The synthesis and antiviral activity of glycyrrhizic acid conjugates with alpha-D-glucosamine and some glycosylamines

Glycyrrhizic acid and its 30-methyl ester were conjugated with 2-amino-1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranose, 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl amine, 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-apha-L-arabinopyranosyl amine, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl amine, and beta-D-galactopyranosyl amine using N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and its mixtures with N-hydroxybenzotriazole. Structures of the conjugates were confirmed by IR, UV, 1H, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The glycoconjugate with the residues of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl amine in the carbohydrate part of its molecule exhibited antiviral activity (ID50 4 microg/ml) toward the herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1) in the VERO cell culture. Two compounds demonstrated anti-HIV-1 activity (50-70% inhibition of p24) in a culture of MT-4 cells at concentrations of 0.5-20 microg/ml. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2004, vol. 30, no. 3; see also http://www.maik.ru.     

Participation of the cava vein blood flow in forming the total venous return under influence of different modality stimuli on the circulation system

Participation of the anterior and posterior veins cava in forming the total venous return under pressor and depressor effects, stimulation of depressing foci of the medulla's ventral part, enhancement of pulmonary ventilation, hypoxia, hypothermia, administration of acetylcholine, histamine, corinfar, was shown to depend on the blood flow shift direction in each of the veins cava, dynamics of shifts' development in time, and intensity of the stimulus. In systemic responses, the blood flow shifts in the vena cava anterior much contribute to the total venous return at the maximum of the systemic arterial pressure rise (r = 0.87) whereas contribution of the vena cava posterior is the greatest during a later occurring increase in the venous return (r = 0.84). Along with increase in the stimulus intensity the vena cava anterior's part in forming the venous return becomes more limited whereas that of the vena cava posterior is enhanced.     

Novel reference gene RPN1 for normalization of quantitative data in lung and kidney cancer

Quantitative methods of gene expression analysis in tumors require accurate data normalization, which allows comparison of different mRNA/cDNA samples with unknown concentration. For this purpose reference genes with stable expression level (such as GAPDH, ACTB, HPRT1, TBP) are used. The choice of appropriate reference genes is still actual because well-known reference genes are not suitable for certain cancer types frequently and their unreasonable use without additional tests lead to wrong conclusions. We have developed the bioinformatic approach and selected a new potential reference gene RPN1 for lung and kidney tumors. This gene is located at the long arm of chromosome 3. Our method includes mining of the dbEST and Oncomine databases and functional analysis of genes. The RPN1 was selected from 1500 candidate housekeeping genes. Using comparative genomic hybridization with NotI-microarrays we found no methylation, deletions and/or amplifications at the RPN1-containing locus in 56 non-small cell lung and 42 clear cell renal cancer samples. Using RT-qPCR we showed low variability of RPN1 mRNA level comparable to those of reference genes GAPDH and GUSB in lung and kidney cancer. The mRNA levels of two target genes coding hyalouronidases--HYAL1 and HYAL2--were estimated and normalized relative to pair RPN1--GAPDH genes for lung cancer and RPN1--GUSB for kidney cancer. These combinations were shown to be optimal for obtaining accurate and reproducible data. All obtained results allow us to suggest RPN1 as novel reference gene for quantitative data normalization in gene expression studies for lung and kidney cancers.     

In vivo efficacy of Ingavirin against pandemic A (H1N1/09)v influenza virus

Ingavirin was shown to be efficient in inhibition of the pandemic influenza virus strains A/California/04/2009 (H1N1)v, A/California/07/2009 (H1N1)v, A/Moscow/225/2009 (H1N1)v and A/Moscow/226/2009 (H1N1)v. as well as the influenza virus strain A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2) in the lungs of the infected mice. After oral administration of Ingavirin the titers of the influenza virus strains in the lung homogenates lowered.     

5,10,15,20-Tetra-(N-methyl-3-pyridyl)porphyrin destabilizes the anti-parallel telomeric quadruplex d(TTAGGG)4

We studied the parameters of binding of 5,10,15,20-tetra-(N-methyl-3-pyridyl)porphyrin (TMPyP3) to the anti-parallel human telomeric G-quadruplex d(TTAGGG)4, the oligonucleotide dTTAGGGTTAGAG(TTAGGG)2 that does not form a quadruplex structure, as well as to the double stranded d(AC)8 x d(GT) and single stranded d(AC)8 and d(GT)8 DNAs. The analysis of absorption revealed that the binding constants and the number of DNA binding sites for TMPyP3 were d(AC)8 < d(GT)8 < d(AC)8 x d(GT)8 = d(TTAGGG)4 < dTTAGGGTTAGAG(TTAGGG)2. We demonstrated for the first time that the binding constant of TMPyP3 with the non-quadruplex chain dTTAGGGTTAGAG(TTAGGG)2 (1.3 x 10(7) M(-1)) is approximately 3 times bigger than the binding constant with the quadruplex d(TTAGGG)4 (4.6 x 10(6) M(-1)). Binding of two TMPyP3 molecules to d(TTAGGG)4 led to a decrease of thermostability of the G-quadruplex (deltaT(m) = -8 degrees C). Circular dichroism spectra of TMPyP3:d(TTAGGG)4 complexes revealed a shift of DNA structure from the G-quadruplex to an irregular chain. We hypothesize that partial destabilization of the telomeric G-quadruplex by TMPyP3 might be a reason for relatively low potency of this ligand as a telomerase inhibitor, as well as its marginal cytotoxicity for cultured tumor cells.     

Sensitivity to lysis by natural killers depends on the integrity of lipid rafts in plasma membrane of transformed cells

The present work focused on the role of cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains (rafts) in cellular mechanisms of innate immunity and anticancer defence. The lytic effect of natural killers (NK) was examined in dependence on cholesterol content in transformed target cells. In the current study, K562 human erythroleukaemia cells were the targets. K562 cells were treated with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MbCD) to deplete membrane cholesterol that was verified by enzymatic method. With the use of 3H-uridine test, NK (mouse splenocytes) cytotoxity was estimated under various conditions, specifically, after incubation of K562 cells with MbCD or inactive analog alpha-cyclodextrin. The data obtained show that cholesterol-depleting treatment (2.5 or 5 mM MbCD) of target cells results in full loss of their sensitivity to NK lysis. The effect is likely to be due to disintegrity of lipid rafts that is critically dependent on the level of membrane cholesterol. Visualization of cell surface changes by fluorescent labeling of ganglioside GM1 confirmed our conclusions.