Cloning, purification, and characterization of galactomannan-degrading enzymes from Myceliophthora thermophila

Genes of β-mannosidase 97 kDa, GH family 2 (bMann9), β-mannanase 48 kDa, GH family 5 (bMan2), and α-galactosidase 60 kDa, GH family 27 (aGal1) encoding galactomannan-degrading glycoside hydrolases of Myceliophthora thermophila C1 were successfully cloned, and the recombinant enzymes were purified to homogeneity and characterized. bMann9 displays only exo-mannosidase activity, the K _m and k _cat values are 0.4 mM and 15 sec^?1 for p-nitrophenyl-β-D-mannopyranoside, and the optimal pH and temperature are 5.3 and 40°C, respectively. bMann2 is active towards galac-tomannans (GM) of various structures. The K _m and k _cat values are 1.3 mg/ml and 67 sec^?1 for GM carob, and the optimal pH and temperature are 5.2 and 69°C, respectively. aGal1 is active towards p-nitrophenyl-α-D-galactopyranoside (PNPG) as well as GM of various structures. The K _m and k _cat values are 0.08 mM and 35 sec^?1 for PNPG, and the optimal pH and temperature are 5.0 and 60°C, respectively.     

The Use of Micromycetes for Cleaning Parts of Aircraft Engines

Mycelial fungi Penicillium funiculosum, P. citrinum, P. expansum, P. chrysogenum, Aspergillus ochraceus, A. alliaceus, A. luchaensis, A. flavus, and A. niger were isolated from enrichment cultures. These fungi actively destruct carbon deposits formed during operation of aircraft. A biotechnological method for removing fouling from parts of aircraft engines (PAE) was developed. This method is less laborious, more rapid, and ecologically cleaner than contemporary chemical methods. Scanning microscopy was suggested for estimating the degree of decarbonization of PAE surfaces.     

Littoral zone of Lake Ladoga: ecological state evaluation

The littoral zone of a lake is an important ecotone between terrestrial and aquatic systems. From the point of view of the lake ecosystem, much of the mineral, organic and toxic substances entering the lake from the drainage basin are transformed in the littoral zone by physical processes and biochemical pathways. The littoral zone of Lake Ladoga can be divided into three main regions: the shallow southern region, the fairly steep western and eastern shorelines, and the northern archipelago. In these regions, the communities of aquatic macrophytes, periphyton, phyto- and zooplankton and meio- and macrobenthos have been extensively studied. This paper presents numerical data on these communities, with special reference to comparisons between areas subjected to different degrees of anthropogenic loading. Most of the communities are characterized by high species diversity and spatial heterogeneity, especially among the macrophyte associations in which intensive production and decomposition takes place. Water dynamics and water exchange rate are the main abiotic factors in the formation of littoral communities. The characteristics of plant associations and bottom substrate, rather than pollution, appear as the most important factors structuring meio- and macrobenthic invertebrate communities in the littoral.     

Physiological reactions of primates to 9-D immersion and head-down tilt

Purpose of the investigation was to compare physiological reactions of primates (Macaca mulatta) to microgravity simulated by immersion and head-down tilt (HDT). In immersion experiments, primates in waterproof suits were put into motion-restraining chairs and immersed into water (t=35.4 degrees C) breast-deep for 9 days. In 9-d HDT experiments, prone primates were motor restrained in dedicated tilt beds at -5 degrees. It was found that the CNS functioning was significantly affected, the plasma volume reduced and the marrow erythropoietic function declined. Atrophy developed in leg muscles on a backdrop of iliopectineal spongy osteopenia. Loss in hydration, inhibition of erythropoietic hemopoiesis and iliopectineal spongy osteopenia were more pronounced following immersion than HDT.     

Role of cockroaches Blatella germanica in the development of atopic bronchial asthma

The results of the development of manufacturing technology for the preparation of allergen from the bodies of cockroaches and the physico-chemical characteristics of this allergen are presented. The complex allergological examination of patients with atopic bronchial asthma revealed that 69.3% of such patients were sensitized to house dust, and in 68.4% of them IgE antibodies to cockroach allergens were detected. Patients with atopic bronchial asthma, not sensitized to house dust, were found to have sensitization to Blatella germanica in 12.2% of cases.