The Seasonal Accumulation of Amnesic Toxin (Domoic Acid) in Commercial Bivalves Mytilus trossulus Gould, 1850 and Mizuhopecten yessoensis Jay, 1850 in Vostok Bay,Sea of Japan

Russian Journal of Marine Biology - The seasonal accumulation of the amnesic toxin domoic acid (DA) in the tissues of two commercial species of bivalves from Vostok Bay (the Sea of Japan) was...     

The effect of river runoff and phytoplankton production on the seasonal variation of the chemical composition of coastal waters of the Amursky Bay, Sea of Japan

The factors that control the seasonal variability of the concentration of suspended matter, nutrients, dissolved forms of metals and phytoplankton biomass in coastal waters of the eastern part of the Amurskii Bay were determined. It was shown that the runoff of the Razdolnaya River determined the seasonal variability in suspended matter content, values of the chemical oxygen demand (COD), silicates, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Ni significantly affected the concentration of nitrates. The advection of sea water is the main source of phosphates and dissolved forms of Zn and Cd. In the autumn and winter seasons, the gradual decrease in the concentration of silicates and phosphates was related to phytoplankton activity. In the spring and summer seasons, the growth of phytoplankton determined the variability of the phosphate and nitrate contents and compensated for the effect of the Razdolnaya River runoff. It is concluded that the phytoplankton biomass, rather than variations in riverine flow, caused the long-term variability of the nitrate and phosphate concentrations in the coastal waters of the Amurskii Bay.     

Steroid Compounds from the Far Eastern Starfish Diplopteraster multipes

Sodium salt of (20R)-3,4-dihydroxycholest-5-ene-21-yl sulfate and disodium salts of (20R)-4-hydroxycholest-5-ene-3,21-diyl disulfate, (20R)-24-methylcholest-5,24(28)-diene-3,21-diyl disulfate, (20R)-24-methyl-5-cholest-24(28)-ene-3,21-diyl disulfate, (20R)-cholest-5-ene-3,21-diyl disulfate, (20R)-5-cholestane-3,21-diyl disulfate, and (20R)-3-hydroxycholest-5-ene-2,21-diyl disulfate were isolated from the far eastern starfish Diplopteraster multipes and characterized. These compounds differ structurally from sulfated polyhydroxysteroids in other starfish species. At the same time, they are typical secondary metabolites of Ophiuroidea and have some structural features characteristic of the ophiuroid-isolated steroids, namely the 3-hydroxy (or 3-sulfoxy) and 21-sulfoxy groups. These data support the opinion of some taxonomists that starfishes and ophiuroids are phylogeneteically related classes and are closer to each other than to other classes of the Echinodermata phylum.     

The effect of phospholipid composition of reconstituted HDL on its cholesterol efflux and anti-inflammatory properties

The goal of this study was to understand how the reconstituted HDL (rHDL) phospholipid (PL) composition affects its cholesterol efflux and anti-inflammatory properties. An ApoA-I mimetic peptide, 5A, was combined with either SM or POPC. Both lipid formulations exhibited similar in vitro cholesterol efflux by ABCA1, but 5A-SM exhibited higher ABCG1- and SR-BI-mediated efflux relative to 5A-POPC (P < 0.05). Injection of both rHDLs in rats resulted in mobilization of plasma cholesterol, although the relative potency was 3-fold higher for the same doses of 5A-SM than for 5A-POPC. Formation of preβ HDL was observed following incubation of rHDLs with both human and rat plasma in vitro, with 5A-SM inducing a higher extent of preβ formation relative to 5A-POPC. Both rHDLs exhibited anti-inflammatory properties, but 5A-SM showed higher inhibition of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β release than did 5A-POPC (P < 0.05). Both 5A-SM and 5A-POPC showed reduction in total plaque area in ApoE^−/− mice, but only 5A-SM showed a statistically significant reduction over placebo control and baseline (P < 0.01). The type of PL used to reconstitute peptide has significant influence on rHDL’s anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerosis properties.     

Diatoms of the genus Attheya west, 1860 from the Sea of Japan

This paper documents the species diversity of the diatom genus Attheya from the Sea of Japan. Two species (A. arenicola and A. longicornis) were studied in field samples and in culture. Their morphology is described using light and electron microscopy; the ecology and the distribution data are provided. A. arenicola is a new record for the seas of Russia.     

Sea Cucumbers Triterpene Glycosides, the Recent Progress in Structural Elucidation and Chemotaxonomy

Triterpene glycosides are characteristic metabolites of sea cucumbers (Holothurioidea, Echinodermata). Majority of the glycosides belong to holostane type (lanostane derivatives with 18(20)-lactone). Carbohydrate chains of these glycosides contain xylose, glucose, quinovose, 3-O-methylglucose and 3-O-methyl sylose. During the last 5 years, main investigations were focused on holothurians belonging to the order Dendrochirotida collected in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, Antarctic and in subtropical waters. The glycosides of holothurians belonging to the order Aspidochirotida have also been studied. The most uncommon structural features of carbohydrate chains of new glycosides were: (1) the presence of quinovose as fifth terminal monosaccharide unit and the presence of two quinovose residues; (2) the presence of glucose instead of common xylose as fifth terminal monosaccharide unit; (3) trisaccharide carbohydrate chain; (4) the presence of two 3-O-methylxylose terminal monosaccharide units; (5) the presence of sulfate group at C-3 of quinovose residue. New glycosides without lactone or with 18(16)-lactone and having shortened side chains have also been isolated. The presence of 17α and 12α-hydroxyls, which are characteristic for glycosides from holothurians belonging to the family Holothuriidae (Aspidochirotida) in glycosides of dendrochirotids confirms parallel and relatively independent character of evolution of glycosides. All three families belonging to the order Aspidochirotida: Holothuriidae, Stichopodidae and Synallactidae have similar and parallel trends in evolution of the glycosides carbohydrate chains, namely from non-sulfated hexaosides to sulfated tetraosides. Sets of aglycones in glycosides from holothurians belonging to the genus Cucumaria (Cucumariidae, Dendrochirotida) are specific for each species. The carbohydrate chains are similar in all representatives of the genus Cucumaria.     

Species Structure of Plankton Microalgae on the Coast of the Sea of Okhotsk on Sakhalin Island

The results of long-term studies of the species structure of microalgae plankton of the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk of Sakhalin Island were summarized. There were 227 species and 4 intraspecific taxa attributed to 8 divisions. The greatest number of species was represented by the divisions Bacillariophyta (112 species and 3 intraspecific taxa) and Dinophyta (96 and 1 respectively). For the first time 5 diatom, 4 dinoflagellate, and 1 euglenophyte species were recorded for the Sea of Okhotsk.