Generation of mutants of a strain producing the new antibiotic batumin by means of transposon mutagenesis

Various plasmids carrying transposon Tn5 were used to generate insertion mutants synthesizing batumin, a unique antibiotic with a selective antistaphylococcal effect. One of the plasmids used provided a sufficient yield of the clones in question. An analysis of over 7000 clones allowed us to select the mutant clones with increased and decreased levels of batumin synthesis and the mutants that lost the ability to synthesize this antibiotic.     

Nannobacteria, a new ecological threat

The article reports experimental data on new bacteria, the so-called ‘stone nannobacteria’. Recent publications in Russia and abroad show that this bacterial species may cause various human ailments, thus being a serious environmental hazard. According to our findings, one of the natural habitats of nannobacteria is water which aggregates the nannobacteria-related ecological problem.     

Compounds similar to acyclovir. II. Synthesis of acyclic analogs of 2'-deoxynucleosides

Acyclic analogues of nucleosides, viz.9- and 3-(1,6-dihydroxy-4-oxahex-3-yl)adenine, 9-(1,6-dihydroxy-4-oxahex-3-yl)guanine, 1-(1,6-dihydroxy-4-oxahex-3-yl)cytosine and thymine, with C3'-C4' bond of the furanose ring cleaved, have been prepared by condensation of trimethylsilyl derivatives of nucleic acid bases with 1,4,6-triacetoxy-3-oxahexane in the presence of Lewis acids followed by treatment with metanolic ammonia.     

Compounds similar to acyclovir. III. Synthesis of acyclic analogs of 5'-deoxynucleosides

A convenient method has been proposed for the synthesis of 1,2-dihydroxy-4-oxahex-3-yl and 1-hydroxy-4-oxahex-3-yl derivatives of guanine, adenine, thymine and cytosine, acyclic nucleoside analogues lacking the 3'--4' bond.     

Genetic basis of influenza virus virulence: gene composition and virulence of reassortants between mouse-adapted and nonadapted strains from different subtypes

Reassortment analysis of the pneumovirulence for mice marker of influenza virus has been performed. The original A/USSR/90/77 (H1H1) influenza virus strain or its mouse-adapted variant were crossed with a variant of A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2) influenza virus highly virulent for mice. The reassortant having HA gene of the original A/USSR/90/77 virus and the other genes of the highly virulent A/Aichi/2/68 strain was avirulent for mice, whereas a similar reassortant possessing HA gene of the mouse-adapted A/USSR/90/77 strain was as virulent as A/Aichi/2/68 parent virus. The reasortant having HA and M genes of A/Aichi/2/68 and other genes of the mouse-adapted A/USSR/90/77 was moderately virulent, resembling in this respect the latter parent. The data indicates that changes in the different genes in course of viral adaptation to mice result in a differential acquisition of virulence for mice.     

Various approaches to the search for the producers of bacteriocin-like substances among bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas

Some methods providing rapid and methodically simple study of large microbial collections and detection of cultures producing bacteriocin-like substances perspective for further investigation are described. The use of cellophane disks and study of the proteolytic enzyme effects allowed the authors to detect organisms producing high molecular antibiotics of protein nature.     

DNA replication in mammalian cells after the action of physical, chemical or biological factors. VI. The recovery of DNA synthesis in a culture of irradiated cells

The kinetics of DNA synthesis restoration in cultured HeLa cells and in L-929 mouse fibroblasts irradiated by gamma-rays of 60Co with a dose of 10 Gy was studied. Early after irradiation the rate of DNA synthesis in HeLa cells measured with 3H-thymidine incorporation was seen to decrease. Two hours later the incorporation starts to increase to reach the control level 4 hours after irradiation and then becomes even higher than this level. The distribution of cells among phases of the cell cycle measured with flow cytometry undergoes changes. 4-6 hours after irradiation part of S-phase cells increased contributing presumably to the elevating of 3H-thymidine incorporation observed at this time. The restoration of the incorporation was suppressed by inhibitors of protein and RNA synthesis--cycloheximide and actinomycin D. It is suggested that the processes of restoration of DNA synthesis in irradiated cells can be of inducible nature. In irradiated HeLa and L-929 cells the restoration of DNA synthesis is resistant to novobiocin, an inhibitor of DNA replication.     

The effect of intracoronary injections of x-ray contrast media on cardiac rhythm and conductivity during different variations of myocardial blood supply]

A study of the correlation between electrophysiologic effects of intracoronary injections of radiopaque agents and anatomical features of blood supply of cardiac conduction was carried out in 60 patients with intact coronary arteries. Coronary angiography was performed in all the patients. Disorders in cardiac conduction and repolarization in the myocardium were observed in intracoronary injection of radiopaque agents, which was accompanied by the development of S-A bradycardia. A bradyarrhythmic reaction type depends on prevalence of the left or right coronary artery in the atrial blood supply and cardiac conduction. The bradyarrhythmic effect was more pronounced in injection of a radiopaque agent in the right artery than in the left one.