EPR study of iron status in human body during intensive physical activity

The iron metabolism was studied in serum blood samples collected from 26 professional sportsmen undergoing intensive physical exercises using EPR combined with hematological and biochemical laboratory tests. Only 23% of EPR spectra (n = 6) were practically normal while in the rest spectra additional abnormal absorption lines were detected. Presumably, the significant portion of new signals may be caused by different cytochromes. Moreover, the anisotropic signals with g ₁ ? 2.02; g ₂ ? 1.94 and g ₃ ? 1.86 registered in some spectra pointed to the sulfur-iron centers. There was nearly linear correlation between the concentration of Fe³⁺ in transferrin (Fe³⁺-Tf) obtained from the EPR spectra and the serum iron concentration measured by absorption photometry both for sportsmen and controls (healthy individuals and patients with different diseases). At equal serum iron concentrations the Fe³⁺-Tf level was higher in sportsmen than that in controls. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) for Fe³⁺-Tf and serum iron values was equal to 0.89 in sportsmen versus r = 0.97 in controls. Additional new lines in serum EPR spectra of professional sportsmen prove the suitability of EPR assay for scheduled medical exams since routine biochemical and hematological tests are insufficient to discover all abnormalities in iron metabolism under intensive physical exercises.     

Genetic demographic study of an urban sample of Turkmen-teke with behavioral abnormalities

Genetic and demographic studies of urban sample of Turkmen-teke (Ashkhabad city) were performed among probands-36 patients with diagnosis of "schizophrenia" and their 840 relatives. Clinical analysis revealed 27.8% of phenocopies. In other 26 families the genealogical analysis showed autosomal-dominant (12 families), probably, autosomal-dominant (9 families) as well as autosomal-recessive (3 families) types of inheritance of pathology, in two families the type being not established. The empiric risk of affection was determined to be 24.2% for parents, 75.5% for sibs and 33.3% for children. Mean number of children per one woman is 3.53, which is significantly lower than mean populational number (6.17). High level of endogamy of the urban sample tested is established, the total coefficient of inbreeding being 0.009856; grandparents of the probands appeared to be exclusively of rural origin. The negative action of selection (decreased fitness), preferentially monogenic type of heredity and high level of endogamy are discussed as factors providing broad hereditary heterogeneity of schizophrenia.     

Stability of α-chymotrypsin conjugated with poly (ethylene glycols) and proxanols at high temperature and in watercosolvent mixtures

Summary -Chymotrypsin has been modified with poly(ethylene glycols) and proxanols, block-copolymers of poly(propylene oxide) and poly(ethylene oxide). These conjugates were several-fold more thermostable and showed high catalytic activity at elevated concentrations of water-miscible organic cosolvents (alcohols and dimethyl sulfoxide) which caused inactivation of free (non-modified) -chymotrypsin.     

A strategy for construction of industrial strains of distiller's yeast

A procedure was developed for construction of industrial strains of distiller's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). It includes several steps: construction of congenic genetically marked haploid strains of opposite mating types starting from an industrial strain of hybrid nature, integrative transformation of the above haploid strains with a DNA fragment containing an expression cassette responsible for new technological facilities, and hybridization of transformants and isolation of final industrial homozygous strains under experimental conditions simulating commercial fermentation processes. This strategy permits the generation of strains that have desirable characteristics of traditional races of distiller's yeast along with new technological facilities determined by the particular expression cassette. Using this procedure, we have constructed an industrial strain with improved amylolytic activity. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An undiscovered facet of hydraulic redistribution driven by evaporation—a study from a Populus tomentosa plantation

Maintaining the activity and function of the shallow root system of plants is essential for withstanding drought stress, but the associated mechanism is poorly understood. By investigating sap flow in 14 lateral roots (LRs) randomly selected from trees of a Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa) plantation receiving three levels of irrigation, an unknown root water transport mode of simultaneous daytime bi-directional water flow was discovered. This mode existed in five LRs confined to the surface soil without attached sinker roots. In the longer term, the bi-directional water flow was correlated with the soil water content. However, within the day, it was associated with transpiration. Our data demonstrated that bi-directional root sap flow occurred during the day, and was driven by evaporative demand, further suggesting the existence of circumferential water movement in the LR xylem. We named this phenomenon evaporation-driven hydraulic redistribution (EDHR). A soil-root water transport model was proposed to encapsulate this water movement mode. EDHR may be a crucial drought-tolerance mechanism that allows plants to maintain shallow root survival and activity by promoting root water recharge under extremely dry conditions.     

Changes in Lipid Peroxidation under Exposure to Electromagnetic Radiation of Nonthermal Intensity in the Prenatal Period

Biophysics - This study focused on the redox homeostasis in the lenses of 20- and 30-day-old chinchilla rabbit kits exposed to a combination of hypoxia and electromagnetic radiation at a nonthermal...     

Aberrant promoter hypermethylation of PBRM1, BAP1, SETD2, KDM6A and other chromatin-modifying genes is absent or rare in clear cell RCC

Recent sequencing studies of clear cell (conventional) renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have identified inactivating point mutations in the chromatin-modifying genes PBRM1, KDM6A/UTX, KDM5C/JARID1C, SETD2, MLL2 and BAP1. To investigate whether aberrant hypermethylation is a mechanism of inactivation of these tumor suppressor genes in ccRCC, we sequenced the promoter region within a bona fide CpG island of PBRM1, KDM6A, SETD2 and BAP1 in bisulfite-modified DNA of a representative series of 50 primary ccRCC, 4 normal renal parenchyma specimens and 5 RCC cell lines. We also interrogated the promoter methylation status of KDM5C and ARID1A in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) ccRCC Infinium data set. PBRM1, KDM6A, SETD2 and BAP1 were unmethylated in all tumor and normal specimens. KDM5C and ARID1A were unmethylated in the TCGA 219 ccRCC and 119 adjacent normal specimens. Aberrant promoter hypermethylation of PBRM1, BAP1 and the other chromatin-modifying genes examined here is therefore absent or rare in ccRCC.     

Ancient DNA Analysis Affirms the Canid from Altai as a Primitive Dog

The origin of domestic dogs remains controversial, with genetic data indicating a separation between modern dogs and wolves in the Late Pleistocene. However, only a few dog-like fossils are found prior to the Last Glacial Maximum, and it is widely accepted that the dog domestication predates the beginning of agriculture about 10,000 years ago. In order to evaluate the genetic relationship of one of the oldest dogs, we have isolated ancient DNA from the recently described putative 33,000-year old Pleistocene dog from Altai and analysed 413 nucleotides of the mitochondrial control region. Our analyses reveal that the unique haplotype of the Altai dog is more closely related to modern dogs and prehistoric New World canids than it is to contemporary wolves. Further genetic analyses of ancient canids may reveal a more exact date and centre of domestication.