Adenovirus serotype determines association and localization of the large E1B tumor antigen with cellular tumor antigen p53 in transformed cells.

The distribution and stability of the cellular tumor antigen p53 were studied in baby rat kidney cells transformed by region E1 sequences of nononcogenic adenovirus (Ad) type 5 (Ad5) or oncogenic type 12 (Ad12). In transformed cells expressing the large E1B T antigen of Ad5, p53 was associated with this T antigen. The complexed proteins were concentrated in a cytoplasmic body, which has been shown to consist of a cluster of 8-nm filaments (A. Zantema et al., Virology 142:44-58, 1985). In transformed cells expressing the E1B region of Ad12, however, no association between the viral large T antigen and p53 was detectable. In the latter case, both proteins were found almost exclusively in the nucleus. The stability of p53 in both Ad5- and Ad12-transformed cells was increased relative to that in primary cells or cells immortalized by the E1A region only. Thus, the increased stability of p53 in Ad-transformed cells is not caused by association with a viral T antigen, but it correlates with expression of E1B and with morphological transformation.     

Acartia tonsa (Сopepoda) in the Black and Caspian Seas: Review of its success and some lessons

The variety of aquatic nonindigenous animals in marine habitats worldwide includes more than 16 planktonic Copepoda species. Acartia tonsa is a very successful one, distributed in many seas. Its invasion into European seas was analyzed before (Brylinski,1981), but from that time A.tonsa extended its range in European aquatic habitats. The author describes the history of the A.tonsa invasion into the Ponto-Caspian basin as well as some misleading earlier publications. Morphologic differences between A.clausi and A.tonsa, the neglect of which led to the wrong identification, were examined. The data on A.tonsa and total copepod dynamics in the Sevastopol Bay during the period of 1976~1996 and the same data on the Caspian Sea since 1981 were analyzed. The average size of A.tonsa in new habitats decreased, and its relative density in the Black and Caspian Seas gradually increased.     

STING Millennium Suite: integrated software for extensive analyses of 3d structures of proteins and their complexes

Background  

The integration of many aspects of protein/DNA structure analysis is an important requirement for software products in general area of structural bioinformatics. In fact, there are too few software packages on the internet which can be described as successful in this respect. We might say that what is still missing is publicly available, web based software for interactive analysis of the sequence/structure/function of proteins and their complexes with DNA and ligands. Some of existing software packages do have certain level of integration and do offer analysis of several structure related parameters, however not to the extent generally demanded by a user.     

Vaccine prophylaxis in elderly patients

In 1997-1999 observation was made on elderly people living in old people's homes and in families, as well as groups of young males living in hostel-type homes, altogether 4,518 subjects. Standard inactivated whole-virion influenza vaccine was introduced in a dose of 0.5 ml subcutaneously in a single injection or intranasally in two administrations. In control groups placebo was used. The frequency of seroconversions to vaccine strains of influenza viruses was significantly less in elderly people than in young people following both subcutaneous and intranasal immunization (on the average, by 15-20%). In young people the prophylactic effectiveness of the vaccine introduced intranasally was the same as after subcutaneous immunization with the effectiveness index (EI) being equal to 2.1-2.8. In elderly people the effectiveness of the vaccine after subcutaneous immunization was the same as in young people (EI = 1.7-2.7), but insufficient after intranasal immunization (EI < or = 1.6). The preparation "Amber elixir plus" enhanced the effectiveness of immunization against influenza in elderly people.     

DETECTION AND ENUMERATION OF H2S+ BACTERIA: APPLICATION TO SHEWANELLA PUTREFACIENS (CIP)

H₂S⁺ bacteria responsible for the degradation of sulfur-containing amino acids of fish muscle are currently little used to evaluate the microbiological pal quality of fish. Shewanella putrefaciens greatly predominates in this flora, and was therefore used to define a suitable culture method and medium. Inoculations by the Spiral surface method at 25C, with an incubation of 72h, gave the best counts on a medium containing two sources of sulfur (organic and inorganic) for H₂S⁺ bacteria. The culture medium and the NaCl concentration were determinant in the evaluation of this flora. At present there is no standard medium which meets these requirements.     

Biological structures as photonic objects

Samples of the material of mollusks bowls, peacock wing elements, and human horn skin have been investigated using the methods of spectroscopy, atomic-force microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and thermoconductance. Ordered superstructures were revealed in these objects. Evidence for effective interactions of both electromagnetic and electronic waves with these structures was obtained. It was shown that the interaction with electromagnetic waves reveals photonic properties and the interaction with electronic waves, the semiconducting properties of biological objects.