[Multinuclear blue copper-proteins: the evolutionary design].

The review presents both our and literature data of results of studies of pathways of evolution of the so-called multinuclear blue copper-proteins (MBCP) that have the domain organization. The MBCP are widely spread in living nature, they have been revealed in cells of archais, bacteria, and eukaryotes. Included in the MBCP composition are such different by their functions copper-proteins as oxidases, reductase, blood coagulation factors V and VIII.

[Effect of ceruloplasmin conformation on its activity: significance for clinical analysis].

Conformational properties of ceruloplasmin were studied immediately in blood serum of healthy volunteers, patients with tuberculosis, with pulmonary cancer, with pneumonia and with Wilson-Konovalov disease. The glycoprotein conformation was found to depend on the volunteer physiological state and/or available pathology. The ceruloplasmin conformation and status of its copper-containing sites of the I type affected the enzyme oxidase properties and hence routine colorimetric procedures require some corrections for estimation of ceruloplasmin concentration and activity in blood serum.

Labile conformation of type 2 Cu2+ centres in human ceruloplasmin.

1. The investigation of human ceruloplasmin by spectral methods (EPR and spectrophotometry) demonstrated that type 2 Cu2(+)-containing centres occur not in one, but in two stable forms, differing in EPR and optical spectra. The differential optical spectra of these forms were recorded and the differences in molar absorption coefficients determined.

[A novel form of copper-containing centers in human ceruloplasmin].

Using spectral methods (EPR, spectrophotometry), it was demonstrated that type II Cu2(+)-centers (so-called non-blue centers) are represented in human ceruloplasmin by two (but not one) stable forms which differ in their EPR spectra and absorption properties. Differential spectra were recorded, and the difference in the extinction coefficients of these forms was determined. Both forms were detected by the EPR method in blood sera from healthy and diseased individuals.

[Treatment of alcoholism by affective counterattribution].

A new narcopsychotherapeutic technique termed "affective counterattribution" (ACA) is offered to treat alcohol addiction. The use of ACA increased the effectiveness of alcoholism treatment that was ensured by association of strong pharmacogenic negative emotional experience coupled with bright hallucinatory images to notions of alcohol and alcohol-related stimuli. Alcoholic attitude was destroyed and the patients' pathological personality traits were corrected.

[Localization of active sites in human ceruloplasmin from data of intra- and intermolecular homology].

The identification of possible copper ligands in human ceruloplasmin was carried out by the computer similarity analysis for sequences of ceruloplasmin and several other copper oxidases: azurin, plastocyanin, superoxide dismutase, tyrosinase and hemocyanin. It follows from the analysis of inter- and intramolecular homology that copper active sites of different types appeared to be in close contacts within the ceruloplasmin molecule.

[Lung cancer in the elderly and middle-aged in Moscow and its surgical treatment].

Lung cancer morbidity in Moscow in recent years is discussed. Two-thirds of the patients were 60 years of age or older. Lung cancer operability in Moscow has remained relatively stable accounting for 10-15%.

[Effect of a diet with an increased protein content on reparative processes in experimental ulcerous lesions of the gastric and duodenal mucosa].

Experimental rats were subjected to an extreme action: 3-hour immobilization with simultaneous electrostimulation. A complete healing of erosion-ulcerous defects of the gastroduodenal mucosa was recorded in rats given diets with an increased (by 4 g) protein content (group I), on day 5. The mucosal affections in the rats receiving a standard ration still persisted.

[Ceruloplasmin activity and content of the blood of persons with acute and chronic alcoholic intoxication].

The concentrations of the enzymatically active and immunoreactive ceruloplasmin (CP) were determined in the blood serum of healthy men by means of the spectrophotometric and immuno-electro-photometric methods. Part of the total (immunoreactive) CP (15%), circulated in the blood channel in an enzymatically inactive state. The increase of the time of suffering from chronic alcoholism from 1 to 29 years leads to the growth of the concentrations of CP possessing enzymatic activity and of immunoreactive CP.

Electron microscope study on human ceruloplasmin.

Electron microscopy of human ceruloplasmin (CP) molecules revealed a few distinctive types of particle images. Analysis of these images allows to propose a tentative model for CP: six "subunits" (which we call domains) not much different in size are arranged with 32 point group pseudosymmetry. The determination of the number of polypeptides arising at the spontaneous specific proteolytic fragmentation of CP and their molecular weights conform with this assumption.

Preliminary X-ray crystallographic and physico-chemical investigations of human ceruloplasmin.

Single crystals of the plasma protein ceruloplasmin (CP) and its two modified forms: neuraminidase-treated CP (asialoCP) and NaN3-inhibited CP (NaN3-CP) suitable for X-ray studies have been grown. The native CP crystallizes as described previously by Magdoff-Fairchield et al. (1969) in the tetragonal space group 14 (a = b = 268.

[Clinical polymorphism and ceruloplasmin variants in hepatolenticular degeneration].

The relationship between differences in the clinical polymorphism of hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson's disease) and characteristics of CP (ceruloplasmin) structural changes were investigated. The comparative study of Wilson's disease patients revealed two forms of clinical development of this disease which differ from each other by the expression of the visceral symptoms preceding the establishment of the typical neurological picture. The peptide map analysis of tryptic hydrolysates of the CP from individual patients has demonstrated the altered peptide patterns in five cases.

[Determination of the molecular weight of human ceruloplasmin by hydrodynamic methods and x-ray small-angle scattering].

On the basis of absolute methods of estimation of molecular weight (sedimentation equilibrium method, high speed sedimentation-diffusion and small-angle X-ray scattering) the molecular weight of ceruloplasmin M=130 000+/-5000 was determined.

On the defect of synthesis ceruloplasmin in the liver polyribosomes in Wilson's disease.

Comparative immunochemical analysis of ceruloplasmin-synthesizing polyribosomes in liver biopsies from control subjects and homozygous carriers of the Wilson's mutation was performed. According to I125-antibody binding data, the amount of ceruloplasmin-forming liver polysomes in patients with Wilson's disease was 10--20 times lower than that in non-Wilson patients. Correspondingly, the pulse labeling of ceruloplasmin polypeptides was decreased several-fold in the cell-free liver preparations from patients with Wilson's disease.