Segregation of α- and β-Globin Gene Cluster in Vertebrate Evolution: Chance or Necessity?

The review is devoted to the patterns of evolution of α- and β-globin gene domains. A hypothesis is presented according to which segregation of the ancestral cluster of α/β-globin genes in Amniota occurred due to the performance by α-globins and β-globins of non-canonical functions not related to oxygen transport.

Co-Regulated Genes and Gene Clusters.

There are many co-regulated genes in eukaryotic cells. The coordinated activation or repression of such genes occurs at specific stages of differentiation, or under the influence of external stimuli. As a rule, co-regulated genes are dispersed in the genome.

Manipulation of Cellular Processes via Nucleolus Hijaking in the Course of Viral Infection in Mammals.

Due to their exceptional simplicity of organization, viruses rely on the resources, molecular mechanisms, macromolecular complexes, regulatory pathways, and functional compartments of the host cell for an effective infection process. The nucleolus plays an important role in the process of interaction between the virus and the infected cell. The interactions of viral proteins and nucleic acids with the nucleolus during the infection process are universal phenomena and have been described for almost all taxonomic groups.

Mechanisms mediating suppression of globin gene transcription in Danio rerio nonerythroid cells.

We studied the repression of adult and embryo-larval genes of the major globin gene locus in D. rerio fibroblasts. The results obtained suggest that at least some of the globin genes are repressed by Polycomb, similarly to human α-globin genes.

[Role of the Nucleolus in Rearrangements of the IGH Locus].

The review summarizes the results from a series of studies focusing on the role that the nucleolus plays in maturation of the IGH locus and the choice of its partner genes in leukemia-associated translocations. The role of nuclear compartmentalization and nuclear localization of translocated oncogenes in ectopic activation of their transcription is discussed.