[Programmed death of the eukaryote cells].

The authors review literary and own data on programmed death of cells (PDC) in animals and plants, molecular mechanisms of apoptosis in animals, and key PDC regulating genes.

[Gene pool of the population of Ukraine: Current state and new approaches to maintenance and conservation].

Defense and conservation of the Ukraine Population genofond are the most topical problem of nowadays. Stating of the criteria of population genofond status valuation, revealing all the damaging factors and applying of scientific methods of modern genetics are necessary for the development of theoretical and methodological bases of this problem. The authors try to analyze in detail negative factors causing damage in genofond of the Ukraine population, to forecast the dynamics of further development of ecological-genetic situation in the Ukraine, to analyze new approaches to the problem of genofond defense and conservation, as well as estimation of possible consequences caused by changes in population genofond.

[Evaluation of gene protective effects of some natural anti-mutation substance].

Antimutation activity of some bee products was evaluated with a battery of test-systems. Tablets of apilac prepared out of queen bee milk did not demonstrate gene-protective effects in Ames' test. Other bee products, i.

[The antimutagenic action of apiculture products].

Using the battery of test-systems, we studied the possible antimutagenic activity of some products of apiculture. It is established that apilak-preparation made on the basis of queen bee milk didn't show gene-protective abilities in Ames test. The rest products of apiculture: propolis, beebread, honey preparations N1 and N2, and queen bee milk manifested to some degree their ability to decrease the mutagenic effects of some chemical and physical mutagens.

[Characteristics of digital and palmar dermatoglyphics in people of different ages living in the territory of the Ukrainian Polesie].

Examination of dermatoglyphs in people aged 50-103 living in the territory of the Ukrainian Polesie has revealed age differences in some indices of dermatoglyphics: total crest count, palmar angle, character of the cutaneous pattern of fingers. It assumed that these differences have arisen as a consequence of selection of persons characterized by high reliability of the genotype functioning. The data obtained permit supposing that it is possible to use dermatoglyphics for determining hereditary predisposition of people to longevity.

[Primary structure of the basic nuclear protein from spermatozoa of the mollusk Illex argentinus and its comparison with the structure of sperm proteins in other animals].

The spermatic protein of chromatin I2 of squid Illex argentinus was separated by HPLC into two components I2-1 and I2-2. Amino acid sequences of the major portion of protein I2-1 (52 residues) and the N-terminal sequence of protein I2-2 (21 residues) were determined. Arginines in protein I2-1 are arranged in clusters typical of protamines; the first cluster is in the N-terminus, the longest heterogeneous basic cluster is in the central part of the protein chain, the C-terminal part of the molecule contains two clusters of three hydroxyamino acids each.

[Heteromorphism of chromosome 1, 9 and 16 homologs in persons living in regions differing in the level of longevity].

Regional and age-related peculiarities of chromosomal polymorphism are established as a result of studies in C-band heteromorphism of chromosomes 1, 9 and 16 in the long-lived subjects, their relatives and population groups of the Abkhaz and Ukrainian Republics. Heteromorphism frequencies of chromosomes 1 and 9 homologs are higher in the Abkhaz as compared with the Ukrainian Republic. Age-related differences as to the degree of expression of chromosome 9 C-band heteromorphism are found: in the Abkhaz Province the frequency of variants with a high heteromorphism degree increases with age, while in the Ukrainian one--with a low heteromorphism degree.

[Incidence of familial longevity among the population of the Ukrainian SSR].

The genealogical method was used to study the family longevity in 220 individuals aged 80 and older in the Ukrainian SSR. The family longevity rate and total index are found to increase with the age of individuals examined. These indices in most cases are higher in men than in women and can be used as genetic markers to estimate the potential longevity.

[Interaction of histone H1 molecules in a solution].

Molecules of histones H1 isolated from the calf thymus, carp testicles and spermatozoa as well as trypsin-stable fragments of these proteins have been studied from the standpoint of their structure and interaction using methods of differential spectrophotometry, gel filtration and turbidimetry. The globular structure of histone H1 of the calf thymus is formed with an increase in the ionic strength of the medium and it is eluted as dimer with gel chromatography. With a considerable local increase of ionic strength (by addition of NaCl crystals) molecules of histones H1 form high-molecular aggregates from all the studied tissues.

[Changes in the compactness of nucleosome chromatin from the bovine liver during aging].

Electrophoresis methods used to study the fragments of chromatin revealed under the effect of Ca,Mg-dependent endonuclease on it have permitted establishing that stability of chromatin to the nucleosome level increases with aging. Changes in the compactness of the chromatin structure with aging make the accessibility of the linker DNA to nuclease lower the size of DNA fragments corresponding to mononucleosomes increasing from 192 +/- 5 pairs of bases to 209 +/- 5 pairs. Stabilization of the chromatin structure begins from certain nucleosomes which become more compact with the age.

cAMP and cGMP (EVE) changes in immune competent cells under sensibilization and anaphylactic shock of animals of different age.

The studies performed proved that there were no substantial differences in intracellular content of cAMP and cGMP in immune systems of both old and young animals. The influence of equine serum upon lymphocytes in accompanied by the most substantial changes in concentrations of cyclic nucleotides in spleen B-cells. The amplitude of level changes in cAMP and cGMP in these cells under anaphylactic shock doubles the value of old animals.

[Structure of histone octamers in reconstituted polynucleosomes].

The salt-dependent structural changes of the histone octamer in complex with high-molecular-weight DNA have been studied by fluorescent spectroscopy. Changes in both the spectra maximum position and anisotropy of the histone tyrosine fluorescence reveal structural transitions in nucleosome within the ranges of 0.5-3 mM and 20-30 mM NaCl.

[Analysis of the dynamic equilibrium of histone oligomers in a solution. The nature of forces stabilizing the (H2A-H2B-H3-H4)2 octamer structure].

Dynamic equilibrium analysis of the (H2A-H2B-H3-H4)2 histone octamer with lower oligomers was performed in 2 M NaCl. Calculated data on the relative content of histone oligomers upon changing protein concentration in solution are given. The red shift of lambda max for histone tyrosine fluorescence spectra is shown to be due to hydrogen bond formation by tyrosyl OH-groups.

[Two structural forms of histone octamer].

It has been found that histone octamer of calf thymus (H2A--H2B--H3--H4)2 can exist in two structural states--"loose" (2M NaCl) and "compact" one (4M NaCl). The compact state of the octamer is characterized by screening of part of tyrosyls for quenching effect of ions I-, longer relaxation time of tyrosyls, greater stability of histone H3 towards trypsinolysis, complete absence of interactions between histone H3 SH-groups and parachlormercuribenzoate.

On the maximal chronological age of man.

With the aim of clarifying the question on the maximal life span of man 144 the long-lived persons of the Azerbeijan SSR aged 90 and over were studied. To determine chronological age different research method, documents confirming age (passports, registers in village Soviets, etc.) were used, wedding dated, date of birth of their children were studied, memories on remembering historic events, ect.

[Spatial organization of the (H3-H4-H2A-H2B)2 histone octamer].

Structure of the (H2A-H2B-H3-H4)2 histone octamer isolated from calf thymus chromatin at ionic strength 0.1 to 4.0 M NaCl, pH 7.

[Accessibility of histone oligomers to the action of trypsin in a solution or in chromatin with different degrees of compactness].

The accessibility to trypsin of "core" histones within the dimer (H2A-H2B), tetramer (H3-H4)2, octamer (H2A-H2B-H3-H4)2 and in chromatin was studied. It was shown that the hydrolysis of histones H2A and H2B within the dimer and octamer occurs in essentially the same way. The tetramer (H2-H4)2 becomes more compact with an increase in the ionic strength.

[Statistics on familial longevity in different regions of the USSR].

The genealogical method was used to study family longevity among 416 individuals at the age of 80-121 and older in the Ukrainian SSR, Abkhazian ASSR and Azerbaijan SSR. The rate of family longevity and total index of family longevity increase with the age of individuals examined. These indices are higher in most cases in men than in women.

Intrinsic fluorescence, difference spectrophotometry and theoretical studies on tertiary structure of calf thymus histone H1.

Tyr-72 is included in the hydrophobic cleft which is formed in the histone H1 globular head. Tyr-72 is screened against polar aqueous environment and its intramolecular mobility is sharply retarded. This microenvironment causes a red shift (lambda max = 279 nm) and a sharpening of the longer wavelength shoulder of absorption spectra, a high fluoresence anisotropy value (A = 0,11), high quantum yield of fluoresence (approximately 0.

[Stages of assembly and structural forms of histone oligomers-- (H2A-H2B) dimer, (H3-H4)2 tetramer and (H3-H4-H2A-H2B)2 octamer].

The process of dimer (H2A-H2B), tetramer (H3-H4)2 and octamer (H3-H4-H2A-H2B)2 formation was analyzed by the methods of gel-filtration and differential spectrophotometry. Histone octamer with the parameters most close to the native ones is established to be reconstructed only from denaturated monomers at neutral pH. The necessary condition for formation of histone octamer is the stage of tetramer (H3-H4)2 and (H2A-H2B) formation.

Age-associated changes in content of cyclic adenosine-3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP), cyclic guanosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) and in activity of phosphodiesterase-cAM (pDE-cAM) in spleen T-lymphocytes from C3HA mice.

The present work deals with the content of cyclic nucleotides and PDE activity in spleen T-lymphocytes of young and old animals. The cAMP/cGMP ratio is shown to increase with age chiefly owing to the reduction in cGMP level and in PDE activity which induces inhibition of proliferation and 3/1-thymidine incorporation in lymphocyte DNA in response to mitogens concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Isoproterenol, biogenic amines, theophylline, dibutyryl cAMP influence less effectively the level of cyclic nucleotides and PDE activity of T-lymphocytes from old animals than those from young mice.

[Characteristics of the tertiary structure of histone H1 from the calf thymus].

By optical methods it has been previously shown that the globular "head" of histone H1 forms a hydrophobic cavity containing Tyr72. The latter is screened from the polar water surrounding and its intramolecular mobility is drastically hindered. As a consequence of the alteration in the micromilieu are a long wave shift (lambda max = 279,5 nm) and a more pronounced longwave absorption spectra, higher anisotropy (A = 0,11), augmented quantum yield of fluorescence (approximately 0,2) and a decrease of the Stern-Volmer constant for Hl at fluorescence quenching by acrylamide.