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...     

Impairment of non-associative learning in a rat experimental model of preclinical stage of Parkinson’s disease

An experimental model of the preclinical stage of Parkinson’s disease was induced by double intranasal administration of the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin. The results demonstrated signs of cognitive impairments expressed as impaired non-associative learning. This was related to degeneration of one-third of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain and their axons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Impairment of non-associative learning may be an early non-motor marker of Parkinson’s disease indicating the start of neurodegenerative processes in the dopaminergic mesocortical system of the brain.     

Interactions between Neisseria meningitidis and cell cultures (data of cytomorphologic studies)

The present work shows that the cytopathogenic action of N. meningitidis on continuous human amniotic epithelial cell culture FL begins from their active adhesion and subsequent invasion. The degree of the manifestation of the cytopathic effect depends on the capacity of the infective agent for adhesion and invasion and on its biological properties, as well as on the initial state of the cells. The infection of the cells is accompanied by disturbances in their mitotic activity together with the lesions of their chromosomal apparatus. The cells die either in the state of degenerative mitosis, or as the result of the rupture of the cytoplasm in massively invaded cells. The response of the cells to the invasion of faintly cytopathogenic and noncytopathogenic strains takes the form of nonprofessional phagocytosis.     

Mitochondrial morphology and dynamics in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> roots in response to rotenone and antimycin A

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles, capable of fusion and fission as a part of cellular responses to various signals, such as the shifts in the redox status of a cell. The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC.) is involved in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), with complexes I and III contributing the most to this process. Disruptions of ETC. can lead to increased ROS generation. Here, we demonstrate the appearance of giant mitochondria in wheat roots in response to simultaneous application of the respiratory inhibitors rotenone (complex I of mitochondrial ETC.) and antimycin A (complex III of mitochondrial ETC.). The existence of such megamitochondria was temporary, and following longer treatment with inhibitors mitochondria resumed their conventional size and oval shape. Changes in mitochondrial morphology were accompanied with a decrease in mitochondrial potential and an unexpected increase in oxygen consumption. Changes in mitochondrial morphology and activity may result from the fusion and fission of mitochondria induced by the disruption of mitochondrial ETC. Results from experiments with the inhibitor of mitochondrial fission Mdivi-1 suggest that the retarded fission may facilitate plant mitochondria to appear in a fused shape. The processes of mitochondrial fusion and fission are involved in the regulation of the efficacy of the functions of the respiratory chain complexes and ROS metabolism during stresses. The changes in morphology of mitochondria, along with the changes in their functional activity, can be a part of the strategy of the plant adaptation to stresses.     

Stable Level of Giant Sarcomeric Cytoskeletal Proteins in Striated Muscles of the Edible Dormouse Glis glis during Hibernation

Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology - The changes in the content of the giant sarcomeric cytoskeletal proteins titin (3000–3700&nbsp;kDa) and nebulin (770 kDa) in skeletal...     

Effect of tungstate on pea root growth and protein tyrosine phosphorylation

Tungsten belong to heavy metal group, which physiological, biochemical, and molecular action mechanisms are essentially unstudied despite metal wide application in light, heavy, and military industries and the gradual accumulation in the environment. Protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation (one of the most important posttranslational modifications) is a highly conserved mechanism of intracellular signaling and regulation of many processes of cell activity. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation/dephosphorylation is required for the cell cycle processing, plant growth and differentiation. In this work, the effects of sodium tungstate on pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Truzhenik) root growth, protein tyrosine phosphorylation, and phosphatase activity in the roots were studied. It was shown that sodium tungstate suppressed growth, changed the mitotic index in the root meristem, and delayed cells at some mitosis phases. Under the influence of tungstate, hydrogen peroxide accumulated in the roots and phosphatase activity was inhibited. It was established by two-dimension electrophoresis and immunoblotting with the highly specific to phosphotyrosine antibody (PY20) that tungstate treatment increased both the number of such proteins and their specific phosphorylation. It is supposed that the inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases was one of the reasons for tungstateinduced pea root growth inhibition.     

Characteristics of nonpathogenic Neisseria and Branhamella catarrhalis based on cytopathogenicity

The study of the action of 12 Neisseria species belonging to 112 strains, 6 B. catarrhalis strains and 202 meningococcal strains on the culture of continuous cell line F1 (human amniotic cells) has revealed that nonpathogenic Neisseria are essentially weaker than meningococci in their pathogenicity (expressed in terms of CPD50). Among nonpathogenic Neisseria highly cytopathogenic strains occur in 13.9% of cases, which gives grounds for considering them opportunistic bacteria. Sharply pronounced correlation between the adhesive and pathogenic properties of Neisseria has been observed. The cytopathogenic action of Neisseria is accompanied by the lesion of the chromosomal apparatus of mitotic infected cells.     

State of several parts of immune system in mice, infected by enterotoxigenic bacteria of Enterobacter genus

Influence of thermolabile enterotoxin bacteria of Enterobacter genus on the immune system of mice was studied. Assessment of phagocytic functions of the immune system as well as antigen-presenting functions of macrophages during infection with enterotoxin-producing strains of bacteria from Enterobacter genus revealed pleiotropic effect of the toxin which is characterized by inhibition of antigen-presenting and processing functions of macrophages.     

Electron microscopic study of the cytopathogenic action of meningococci in a continuous human amnion cell culture

The electron-microscopic study of the interaction of meningococci with continuous human amnion cell culture F1 has revealed that this process comprises 3 stages. The study has shown that, following the adhesion of meningococci to the surface of cells F1, these cells are invaded by individual coccal forms of meningococci. In response to infection vacuoles appear in the cytoplasm of the cells. Meningococci are either phagocytosed inside these vacuoles, or their release into the intercellular space and the death of the infected by meningococci are observed. When the cells are infected by cytopathogenic strains, the infectious process results in the appearance of degenerative changes in the cells.