[Effect of quinones on enzymatic bioluminescence of NADH-dependent systems].

The effects of a number of quinones on the bioluminescence characteristics of a three-component enzymatic system containing alcohol dehydrogenase, bacterial luciferase, and NADH-FMN oxidoreductase were studied to find the most sensitive kinetic parameters of the system intended to be used in biological testing. Both direct and back reactions catalyzed by alcohol dehydrogenase were studied in the presence and in the absence of quinones. The kinetic parameters of the bioluminescent system were found to depend on the redox potentials and concentrations of quinones.

[A bioluminescent method of determining the degree of intoxication in peritonitis].

A method for estimating the severity of the clinical condition and of the body intoxication in peritonitis patients is suggested. High sensitivity of the method permits classifying the patients into 4 groups in accordance with the severity of their condition: mild, moderate, severe, and extremely grave. This method is also applicable for the assessment of the efficacy of detoxification measures, such as abdominal cavity sanitization during surgery, lymph drainage.

[A biotest for determining human skin contamination by platinoids].

Being toxic, platinum metallic compounds can cause a number of allergic diseases called platinosis. Wide industrial application of these compounds specifies the necessity for developing the technique of platinoid identification on workers' clothes and skin both for preventive purposes and for determination of neglected loss of metals. Compared to the available methods the proposed biotest based on changes in reaction kinetics of bacterial luminescence enables one to raise sensitivity and accuracy of measurements of platinum metals' concentrations.

[Thermoinactivation of bacterial luciferase].

The kinetics of thermal inactivation of bacterial luciferase was studied. It was found that the reaction substrates produce a weak protecting effect against the enzyme inactivation. EDTA, dithiothreitol and bovine serum albumin considerably stabilize the luciferase.

[Mechanism of action of 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene on bacterial luminescence in vitro].

2,4-Dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) changes the parameters of the bioluminescent reaction involving two enzymes, i.e. NADH: FMN-oxidoreductase and luciferase, by decreasing the maximal intensity of luminescence and increasing the time of maximal intensity.

[Isolation of bacterial luminescence reaction inhibitor from Photobacterium sp. cells].

The factor having a strong inhibitory effect on bacterial luminescence was isolated from the luminous bacteria species Photobacterium sp. The inhibitor purified by gel filtration on the biogel and by DEAE chromatography was homogenous (single bound during electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel), it reacted with coomassie brilliant blue and gave a positive Lowry reaction on protein. Molecular weight was about 30,000 as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.