Malvone A, a phytoalexin found in Malva sylvestris (family Malvaceae)

The isolation and structure of a phytoalexin, malvone A (2-methyl-3-methoxy-5,6-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) is reported. Malvone A formation is induced in Malva sylvestris L. by the plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae. In a turbimetric assay for toxicity to V. dahliae, it had an ED50 value of 24 microg/ml. The structure of malvone A was determined by MS and NMR spectroscopy, and by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The X-ray analysis showed water molecules were located in channels that run along the a-axis.     

Tissue basophils of the thyroid gland in developing amphibia and mammals

The number of mast cells has been established to increase sharply during the metamorphosis of Bufo viridis tadpoles and during the period of postnatal ontogenesis of rats. The data obtained are under discussion to represent mast cell as a system-forming element of thyroid microregion.     

Effect of various procedures of storing the fungus Rhizopus microsporus UzLT-1, a lipase producer

The effect of various storage procedures on the viability and synthesis of lipolytic enzymes by Rhizopus microsporus UzLT-1 was studied. The best procedures of producer storage proved to be regular passages and lyophilization. These procedures made it possible to maintain stable activity of lipolytic enzymes produced by the fungus for a long time. The fungal storage in vaseline oil or in a dried state was less effective due to significant losses of its lipolytic capacity.     

Molecular weight of base plates of bacteriophage T4D.

Highly purified base plates of bacteriophage T4D were obtained from lysate of gene 19 am mutant of this phage by differential centrifugation and sucrose gradient. Base plates were studied by means of high speed sedimentation equilibrium. The molecular weight determined by this method is (6.7 plus or minus 0.2)-10-6.     

Cell phenotypes of a mutant in the gene encoding a Rad51 paralog in fission yeast

The discovery of three Rad51 paralogs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Rad55, Rad57, and Dmc1), four in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Rhp55, Rhp57, Rlp1, and Dmc1), and six in human (Rad51B, Rad51C, Rad51D, Xrcc2, Xrcc3, and Dmc1) indicate the functional diversity and specialization of RecA-like proteins in the line from the lower to higher organisms. This paper reports characterization of a number of mitotic and meiotic phenotypes of the cells mutant in rlp1 gene, encoding a paralog of Rad51, in fission yeasts. No evident role of Rlp1 protein in the repair of spontaneous lesions emerging during mating type switching was found. Rlp1 does not interact physically with Dmc1. An elevated expression of rhp51 has a dominant negative effect on the cell survivability of rlp1Δ mutant exposed to a DNA-damaging agent. We assume that Rlp1 acts at the stages of recombination connected with disassembling of the nucleoprotein filament formed by Rhp51 protein.     

The Effects of Nitroazolopyrimidines on the A1 Adenosine Receptor and Intraocular Pressure in Rats

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - Six compounds of the 5(7)-alkylamino-6-nitroazolopyrimidine and 8-alkylazolo[5,1-b]purine series were selected based on the structural analysis of A1...     

Sex-specific paternal age effects on offspring quality in Drosophila melanogaster

Advanced paternal age has been repeatedly shown to modulate offspring quality via male- and/or female-driven processes, and there are theoretical reasons to expect that some of these effects can be sex-specific. For example, sex allocation theory predicts that, when mated with low-condition males, mothers should invest more in their daughters compared to their sons. This is because male fitness is generally more condition-dependent and more variable than female fitness, which makes it less risky to invest in female offspring. Here, we explore whether paternal age can affect the quality and quantity of offspring in a sex-specific way using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. In order to understand the contribution of male-driven processes on paternal age effects, we also measured the seminal vesicle size of young and older males and explored its relationship with reproductive success and offspring quality. Older males had lower competitive reproductive success, as expected, but there was no difference between the offspring sex ratio of young and older males. However, we found that paternal age caused an increase in offspring quality (i.e., offspring weight), and that this increase was more marked in daughters than sons. We discuss different male- and female-driven processes that may explain such sex-specific paternal age effects.     

Specific features of normal vaginal microflora in girls of preschool age

The study of the vaginal microbial cenosis in 20 healthy girls aged 3-7 years did not confirm the notion on the dominating role of cocci (including epidermal staphylococci). The associations of 2-5 different microorganisms represented by more than 20 species in an amount of 4-6 Ig PFC/g of discharge were established. In the overwhelming majority of the examinees (84.2%) the microbial associations of the vagina were found to contain bifidobacteria. Gram positive cocci (staphylococci and streptococci) took the 2nd and 3rd places in the isolation rates and were detected in vaginal associations in 78.9% of the girls. Staphylococci were represented by 5 coagulase-negative staphylococcal species with S. simulans and S. epidermidis prevailing. Hemolytic streptococci variants alpha and beta were isolated in the proportion of 2:1. The latter belonged to serogroups C and F. No S. aureus, Lactobacillus sp., streptococci of groups A and B, yeast-like fungi were detected. Genital mycoplasms (M. hominis) could rarely be found in the vaginal discharge of the girls aged 3-7 years (5.3%). No resident and transitory components could be isolated from the normal vaginal microflora and no quantitative domination of any bacterial species (genus) was shown. The concentrations of all organisms in this association were moderate or low.     

The “unguarded‐X” and the genetic architecture of lifespan: Inbreeding results in a potentially maladaptive sex‐specific reduction of female lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster

Sex differences in ageing and lifespan are ubiquitous in nature. The "unguarded‐X” hypothesis (UXh) suggests they may be partly due to the expression of recessive mutations in the hemizygous sex chromosomes of the heterogametic sex, which could help explain sex‐specific ageing in a broad array of taxa. A prediction central to the UX hypothesis is that inbreeding will decrease the lifespan of the homogametic sex more than the heterogametic sex, because only in the former does inbreeding increase the expression of recessive deleterious mutations. In this study, we test this prediction by examining the effects of inbreeding on the lifespan and fitness of male and female Drosophila melanogaster across different social environments. We found that, across social environments, inbreeding resulted in a greater reduction of female than male lifespan, and that inbreeding effects on fitness did not seem to counterbalance sex‐specific effects on lifespan, suggesting the former are maladaptative. Inter‐ and intra‐sexual correlation analyses also allowed us to identify evidence of an underlying joint genetic architecture for inbreeding effects on lifespan. We discuss these results in light of the UXh and other alternative explanations, and suggest that more attention should be paid to the possibility that the “unguarded‐X” may play an important role in the evolution of sex‐specific lifespan.