Kazak mitochondrial genomes provide insights into the human population history of Central Eurasia.

As a historical nomadic group in Central Asia, Kazaks have mainly inhabited the steppe zone from the Altay Mountains in the East to the Caspian Sea in the West. Fine scale characterization of the genetic profile and population structure of Kazaks would be invaluable for understanding their population history and modeling prehistoric human expansions across the Eurasian steppes. With this mind, we characterized the maternal lineages of 200 Kazaks from Jetisuu at mitochondrial genome level.

Fluorescent tagging the NS1 protein in yellow fever virus: Replication-capable viruses which produce the secretory GFP-NS1 fusion protein.

Yellow fever virus, the prototype in the genus Flavivirus, was used to develop viruses in which the nonstructural protein NS1 is genetically fused to GFP in the context of viruses capable of autonomous replication. The GFP-tagging of NS1 at the amino-terminus appeared possible despite the presence of a small and functionally important domain at the NS1's amino-terminus which can be distorted by such fusing. GFP-tagged NS1 viruses were rescued from DNA-launched molecular clones.

Towards development of plasmacytoma cells-based expression systems utilizing alphavirus vectors: An NS0-VEE model.

Plasmacytoma (myeloma) cells have a large protein expression capacity, although their industrial use is confined to stable expression systems. Vectors derived from genomes of viruses from the genus Alphavirus allow obtaining of high yields of target proteins but their use is limited to transient expression. Little information has been published to date on attempts to combine the myeloma cells as hosts with alphaviruses as expression vectors.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus: distribution of genetic markers in Kazakh population.

Background: Ethnic differences exist in the frequencies of genetic variations that contribute to the risk of common disease. This study aimed to analyse the distribution of several genes, previously associated with susceptibility to type 2 diabetes and obesity-related phenotypes, in a Kazakh population.

Methods: A total of 966 individuals belonging to the Kazakh ethnicity were recruited from an outpatient clinic.

Recombinant Vaccinia virus-coded interferon inhibitor B18R: Expression, refolding and a use in a mammalian expression system with a RNA-vector.

B18R protein of Vaccinia virus binds to type I interferons and inhibits activation of interferon-mediated signal transduction. Cells which have unimpaired interferon signaling such as primary cell cultures or some industrially important cell lines are capable of development of an antiviral state. An establishment of the antiviral state limits replication of RNA-viruses and can suppress replication of RNA vectors.

Association between 28 single nucleotide polymorphisms and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Kazakh population: a case-control study.

Background: We evaluated the associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms and different clinical parameters related to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity risk, and metabolic syndrome (MS) in a Kazakh cohort.

Methods: A total of 1336 subjects, including 408 T2DM patients and 928 control subjects, were recruited from an outpatient clinic and genotyped for 32 polymorphisms previously associated with T2DM and obesity-related phenotypes in other ethnic groups. For association studies, the chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test for binomial variables were used.

Cloning and expression of fragment of the rabies virus nucleoprotein gene in and evaluation of antigenicity of the expression product.

Rabies virus nucleoprotein (N protein) encapsidates genomic RNA of the virus and forms the viral ribonucleoprotein complex. These N proteins represent highly organized structures which activate proliferation of B cells and production antibodies against the N protein. In addition to the B cell, the rabies virus N protein has been shown to induce potent T helper cell responses resulting in a long-lasting and strong humoral immune response.

Introduction on Using the FastPCR Software and the Related Java Web Tools for PCR and Oligonucleotide Assembly and Analysis.

This chapter introduces the FastPCR software as an integrated tool environment for PCR primer and probe design, which predicts properties of oligonucleotides based on experimental studies of the PCR efficiency. The software provides comprehensive facilities for designing primers for most PCR applications and their combinations. These include the standard PCR as well as the multiplex, long-distance, inverse, real-time, group-specific, unique, overlap extension PCR for multi-fragments assembling cloning and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP).

Epidemiology of Brucellosis and Genetic Diversity of Brucella abortus in Kazakhstan.

Brucellosis is a major zoonotic infection in Kazakhstan. However, there is limited data on its incidence in humans and animals, and the genetic diversity of prevalent strains is virtually unstudied. Additionally, there is no detailed overview of Kazakhstan brucellosis control and eradication programs.

Polymorphisms in genes involved in the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs in the Kazakhs of Kazakhstan.

Background: Studies of genes involved in the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of drugs are crucial to the development of therapeutics in clinical medicine. Such data provide information that may improve our understanding of individual differences in sensitivity or resistance to certain drugs, thereby helping to avoid adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in patients and improve the quality of therapies. Here, we aimed to analyse single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in the ADME of multiple drugs in Kazakhs from Kazakhstan.

Proximity Utilizing Biotinylation of Nuclear Proteins .

Introduction: The human genome consists of roughly 30,000 genes coding for over 500,000 different proteins, of which more than 10,000 proteins can be produced by the cell at any given time (the cellular "proteome"). It has been estimated that over 80% of proteins do not operate alone, but in complexes. These protein-protein interactions (PPI) are regulated by several mechanisms.

Characterization of DNA substrate specificities of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonucleases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonucleases are key enzymes involved in the repair of abasic sites and DNA strand breaks. Pathogenic bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis contains two AP endonucleases: MtbXthA and MtbNfo members of the exonuclease III and endonuclease IV families, which are exemplified by Escherichia coli Xth and Nfo, respectively. It has been shown that both MtbXthA and MtbNfo contain AP endonuclease and 3'→5' exonuclease activities.

SplitCore Technology Allows Efficient Production of Virus-Like Particles Presenting a Receptor-Contacting Epitope of Human IgE.

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) plays a central role in type I hypersensitivity including allergy and asthma. Novel treatment strategy envisages development of a therapeutic vaccine designed to elicit autologous blocking antibodies against the IgE. We sought to develop an IgE-epitope antigen that induces antibodies against a receptor-contacting epitope on human IgE molecule.

Mutations in the pncA and rpsA genes among 77 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in Kazakhstan.

Setting: Pyrazinamide (PZA), an important first-line drug for anti-tuberculosis treatment, demonstrates potent activity against semi-dormant bacilli in acidic environments. However, the diagnosis of PZA resistance is often impeded by technical difficulties.

Objective: To characterise mutations in the pncA and rpsA genes among PZA-resistant and PZA-susceptible clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates circulating in Kazakhstan.

ABO Blood Group Genotyping by Real-time PCR in Kazakh Population.

Introduction: ABO blood group genotyping is a new technology in hematology that helps prevent adverse transfusion reactions in patients. Identification of antigens on the surface of red blood cells is based on serology; however, genotyping employs a different strategy and is aimed directly at genes that determine the surface proteins. ABO blood group genotyping by real-time PCR has several crucial advantages over other PCR-based techniques, such as high rapidity and reliability of analysis.

Association of cytokine gene polymorphisms with gastritis in a Kazakh population.

Background: Gastritis and gastric cancer are the most common diseases in the Kazakh population. Polymorphisms in genes coding of cytokines have been played important role with gastric disease risk. The risk alleles of cytokines in patients with gastritis can predict the risk of developing gastric cancer.

Biotinylation Based Method for the Study of Protein-Protein Proximity in Eukaryotic Cells.

Introduction: The spatiotemporal order plays an important role in cell functioning and is affected in many pathologies such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. One of the ultimate goals of molecular biology is reconstruction of the spatiotemporal structure of a living cell at the molecular level. This task includes determination of proximities between different molecular components in the cell and monitoring their time- and physiological state-dependent changes.

Pharmacogenetic research in Kazakhstan.

Introduction: Pharmacogenomics is an emerging field of medicine that combines genetics and pharmacology. Pharmacogenomic research is relatively new in Kazahkstan, but, in recent years, significant progress has been made in this field. The National Scientific Laboratory for Biotechnology has launched several government-funded research projects focused on finding genetic markers that determine susceptibility to various drugs.

Frequency of NAT2 and GSTP1 polymorphisms in the Kazakh population.

Introduction: Phase II xenobiotic biotransformation enzymes perform detoxification of hydrophilic and often toxic Phase I products through glutathionetransferase (GST), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDF), N-acetyltransferase (NAT) families and other enzymes. GST protein families metabolize a large number of electrophilic xenobiotics, by conjugating fusing them with glutathione. Arylamine-N-acetyltransferase (NAT) catalyzes the acetylation of the aromatic and heterocyclic amines.

Genetic profile and determinants of homocysteine levels in Kazakhstan patients with breast cancer.

Aim: To analyze associations between homocysteine level, MTHFR and FTO rs1477196 polymorphisms and folate status in patients with breast cancer (BC) in order to clarify determinants of hyperhomocysteinemia.

Patients And Methods: The study included 315 BC cases and 604 controls.

Results: The MTHFRC677T genotype was associated with an increased incidence of BC [Odds ratio (OR)=1.

and Gene Mutations Screening In Sporadic Breast Cancer Patients In Kazakhstan.

Background: A large number of distinct mutations in the and genes have been reported worldwide, but little is known regarding the role of these inherited susceptibility genes in breast cancer risk among Kazakhstan women.

Aim: To evaluate the role of BRCA1/2 mutations in Kazakhstan women presenting with sporadic breast cancer.

Methods: We investigated the distribution and nature of polymorphisms in and entire coding regions in 156 Kazakhstan sporadic breast cancer cases and 112 age-matched controls using automatic direct sequencing.

Mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal profile of the Kazakh population from East Kazakhstan.

Aim: To study the genetic relationship of Kazakhs from East Kazakhstan to other Eurasian populations by examining paternal and maternal DNA lineages.

Methods: Whole blood samples were collected in 2010 from 160 unrelated healthy Kazakhs residing in East Kazakhstan. Genomic DNA was extracted with Wizard genomic DNA Purification Kit.

Direct DNA Lesion Reversal and Excision Repair in Escherichia coli.

Cellular DNA is constantly challenged by various endogenous and exogenous genotoxic factors that inevitably lead to DNA damage: structural and chemical modifications of primary DNA sequence. These DNA lesions are either cytotoxic, because they block DNA replication and transcription, or mutagenic due to the miscoding nature of the DNA modifications, or both, and are believed to contribute to cell lethality and mutagenesis. Studies on DNA repair in Escherichia coli spearheaded formulation of principal strategies to counteract DNA damage and mutagenesis, such as: direct lesion reversal, DNA excision repair, mismatch and recombinational repair and genotoxic stress signalling pathways.

Blind source separation methods for deconvolution of complex signals in cancer biology.

Two blind source separation methods (Independent Component Analysis and Non-negative Matrix Factorization), developed initially for signal processing in engineering, found recently a number of applications in analysis of large-scale data in molecular biology. In this short review, we present the common idea behind these methods, describe ways of implementing and applying them and point out to the advantages compared to more traditional statistical approaches. We focus more specifically on the analysis of gene expression in cancer.