[Spatial organization of house-keeping genes in interphase nuclei].

Spatial organization of the eukaryotic genome is tightly connected to its functioning. In particular, the interaction of gene promoters with remote enhancer elements in active chromatin hubs, as well as the recruitment of genes to the common transcription factories plays an important role in regulation of gene transcription. Most of works related to the analysis of spatial interaction of genome regulatory elements relies on models of tissue-specific genes.

[The chicken beta-globin genes: a model system for studying transcription regulation at the level of genomic domains].

In the last quarter of the XX century, as a result of studies performed on a number of model systems, a hypothesis was formulated according to which the genome of higher eukaryotes consists of functionally isolated areas named genomic domains. Each domain includes one or more genes and a regulatory system that is normally active only in respect of this domain and allows it to achieve the regulatory autonomy of the neighboring chromosome regions. A genomic domain is characterized by the spectra of covalent histone modifications which define the boundaries of the domain and the degree of chromatin condensation within it, and so, the probability of transcription activation of genes within the domain.

[Patterns of the histone modifications across the chicken alpha-globin genes domain].

Using native chromatin immunoprecipitation (N-ChIP) followed by TaqMan RT-PCR quantitative analysis we have determined the profiles of histone acetylation and histone methylation within the alpha-globin gene domain before and after switching of embryonic globin genes expression. The results obtained do not support a supposition that the inactivation of the embryonic alpha-type globin gene pi in erythroid cells of the adult lineage is mediated via formation of an inactive chromatin domain. On the other hand we have demonstrated that suppression of the gene pi activity in erythroid cells of adult lineage correlates with the decrease of the histone acetylation level within the embryonic subdomain of the alpha-globin gene domain.

[Study of blood flow in microvessels using biospeckle dynamics].

The hydrodynamic properties of the blood plasma flow in smallest microvessels have been investigated. It has been shown that velocity distribution in such flows essentially differs from the Poseuille flow. The interrelations between the optical parameters and hydrodynamic characteristics of blood microflow have been analyzed.

[The interaction of dynamic speckles with suspensions of gram-negative cells].

The role of temporal coherence at photodynamic action of light on living cells was investigated. A mathematical model describing the interaction of low-coherent speckles with bacterial cells was suggested and its parameters were determined based on experimental data. The interrelation between the life time of dynamic optical speckles and the degree of photodestruction of illuminated cells was established by computer simulations.