Peroxide-Induced Damage to Plasminogen Molecules

Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics - Plasminogen is a zymogenic form of plasmin, an enzyme that plays a fundamental role in the dissolution of fibrin clots as well as in many other physiological...     

Structure of Neuroglobin from Cold-Water Sponge Halisarca dujardinii

Molecular Biology - The iron-containing protein neuroglobin (Ngb) involved in the transport of oxygen is generally considered the precursor of all animal globins. In this report, we studied the...     

Phototoxic effects of fluorescent protein KillerRed on tumor cells in mice

KillerRed is known to be a unique red fluorescent protein displaying strong phototoxic properties. Its effectiveness has been shown previously for killing bacterial and cancer cells in vitro. Here, we investigated the photototoxicity of the protein on tumor xenografts in mice. HeLa Kyoto cell line stably expressing KillerRed in mitochondria and in fusion with histone H2B was used. Irradiation of the tumors with 593 nm laser led to photobleaching of KillerRed indicating photosensitization reaction and caused significant destruction of the cells and activation of apoptosis. The portion of the dystrophically changed cells increased from 9.9% to 63.7%, and the cells with apoptosis hallmarks from 6.3% to 14%. The results of this study suggest KillerRed as a potential genetically encoded photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy of cancer. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Determination of proteomic and metabolic composition of exhaled breath condensate of newborns

Here, the possibility of proteomic and metabolomic analysis of the composition of exhaled breath condensate of neonates with respiratory support. The developed method allows non-invasive collecting sufficient amount of the material for identification of disease-specific biomarkers. Samples were collected by using a condensing device that was incorporated into the ventilation system. The collected condensate was analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry. The isolated substances were identified with a use of databases for proteins and metabolites. As a result, a number of compounds that compose the exhaled breath condensate was determined and can be considered as possible biomarkers of newborn diseases or stage of development.     

Proteomic Markers and Early Prediction of Alzheimer’s Disease

Biochemistry (Moscow) - Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common socially significant neurodegenerative pathology, which currently affects more than 30 million elderly people worldwide....     

Microwave processes in the Octupole Galathea

Results are presented from experimental studies of electromagnetic emission and plasma oscillations in the plasma-frequency range in the Octupole Galathea confinement system. Experiments are performed in the electric-discharge mode at low magnetic fields (the barrier field is 0.002–0.01 T); the working gas is argon or hydrogen. It is found that the most intense microwave oscillations at frequencies of 1–5 GHz are excited near the plasma axis and in the magnetic-barrier region. The oscillations are excited by the discharge current and decay after the voltage is switched off. The experiments show that microwave oscillations excited in the magnetic-barrier region are responsible for the small value of the energy confinement time in the system.     

The Role of GSK-3β Phosphorylation in the Regulation of Slow Myosin Expression in Soleus Muscle during Functional Unloading

Skeletal muscle myosin phenotype (i.e., the predominance in the muscle of a particular isoform or isoforms of myosin heavy chains (MyHC)) determines the properties of muscle, such as contraction speed and fatigue. The aim of this study was to identify the functional relationship between the decrease of the nitric oxide (NO) content, the GSK-3β phosphorylation (leading to the GSK-3β activation), the NFATc1 amount in the muscle nuclei, and the MyHC I(β) isoform expression in the rat soleus muscle under gravitational unloading. Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: the vivarium control group; the group of animals with a 7-day hind limb suspension receiving placebo; the group of animals with a hind limb suspension receiving a NO donor (L-arginine); the group of animals with a hind limb suspension receiving a NO donor and a NO-synthase inhibitor (L-NAME); and the group of animals with a hind limb suspension receiving a GSK-3β inhibitor. We have shown that a 7-day unloading leads to a NO content decrease in the soleus muscle, and this effect is prevented by L-arginine administration. In addition, administration of L-arginine blocks the GSK-3β phosphorylation decrease, NFATc1 export from the muscle nuclei, and MyHC I(β) expression decrease caused by unloading. The L-arginine effect in each case can be blocked by the NO-synthase inhibitor. Administration of the GSK-3β inhibitor prevents the unloading-induced NFATc1 export from the muscle nuclei and a decrease of the MyHC I(β) expression. The prevention of the MyHC I(β) expression decrease and the NFATc1 export from the nucleus by the selective GSK-3β inhibition confirms the hypothesis on the NO influence on the MyHC I(β) expression and the NFATc1 export from the nucleus via the GSK-3β phosphorylation decrease. Thus, the NO level decrease in the rat soleus muscle in unloading leads to the GSK-3β activation, which in turn, promotes the NFATc1 export from the nucleus and stabilization of the fast myosin phenotype.     

Oxidation-induced modification of the fibrinogen polypeptide chains

By using the mass-spectrometry method, the oxidative modifications of the fibrinogen Aα, Bβ, and γ polypeptide chains induced by its oxidation have been studied. The αC-region has been proven to be the most vulnerable target for the oxidizer (ozone) as compared with the other structural elements of the Aα chain. The Bβ chain mapping shows that the oxidative sites are localized within all the structural elements of the chain in which the β-nodule exhibits high susceptibility to oxidation. The γ chains are the least vulnerable to the oxidizer action. The results obtained demonstrate convincingly that the self-assembly centers dealing with interactions of knob “A”: hole “a” are not involved in oxidative modification. It is concluded that the numerous oxidative sites revealed are mainly responsible for inhibiting lateral aggregation of protofibrils. The part of amino acid residues subjected to oxidation is supposed to carry out the antioxidant function.     

Role of NO-synthase in regulation of protein metabolism of stretched rat m. soleus muscle during functional unloading

Gravitational unloading causes atrophy of muscle fibers and can lead to destruction of cytoskeletal and contractile proteins. Along with the atrophic changes, unloaded muscle frequently demonstrates significant shifts in the ratio of muscle fibers expressing fast and slow myosin heavy chain isoforms. Stretching of the m. soleus during hindlimb suspension prevents its atrophy. We supposed that neuronal NO-synthase (NOS) (which is attached to membrane dystrophin-sarcoglycan complex) can contribute to maintenance of protein metabolism in the muscle and prevent its atrophy when m. soleus is stretched. To test this hypothesis, we used Wistar rats (56 animals) in experiments with hindlimb suspension during 14 days. The group of hindlimb suspended rats with stretched m. soleus was injected with L-NAME to block NOS activity. We found that m. soleus mass and its protein content in hindlimb-suspended rats with stretched m. soleus were preserved due to prevention of protein degradation. NOS is involved in maintenance of expression of some muscle proteins. Proliferation of satellite cells in stretched m. soleus may be due to nNOS activity, but maintenance of muscle mass upon stretching is regulated not by NOS alone.