[Packaging of Subchromosomal-Size DNA Molecules in Chromatin Bodies in the Ciliate Macronucleus].

A fundamental difference between somatic nuclei (macronuclei) of ciliates and cell nuclei of higher eukaryotes is that the macronuclear genome is a huge number (up to tens or hundreds of thousands) of gene-sized (0.5-25 kb) or subchromosomal (up to 2000 kb) minichromosomes. Electron microscopy shows that macronuclear chromatin usually looks like chromatin bodies or fibrils 200-300 nm thick in the interphase.

[Virus-Like Particles as an Instrument of Vaccine Production].

The paper discusses the techniques which are currently implemented for vaccine production based on virus-like particles (VLPs). The factors which determine the characteristics of VLP monomers assembly are provided in detail. Analysis of the literature demonstrates that the development of the techniques of VLP production and immobilization of target antigens on their surface have led to the development of universal platforms which make it possible for virtually any known antigen to be exposed on the particle surface in a highly concentrated form.

Virus-Like Particles as an Instrument of Vaccine Production.

The paper discusses the techniques which are currently implemented for vaccine production based on virus-like particles (VLPs). The factors which determine the characteristics of VLP monomers assembly are provided in detail. Analysis of the literature demonstrates that the development of the techniques of VLP production and immobilization of target antigens on their surface have led to the development of universal platforms which make it possible for virtually any known antigen to be exposed on the particle surface in a highly concentrated form.

Evidence for horizontal transfer of the LTR retrotransposon mdg3, which lacks an env gene.

Horizontal (interspecific) transfer is regarded as a possible strategy for the propagation of transposable elements through evolutionary time. To date, however, conclusive evidence that transposable elements are capable of horizontal transfer from one species to another has been limited to class II or DNA-type elements. We tested the possibility of such transfer for several Drosophila melanogaster LTR retrotransposons of the gypsy group in an experiment in which D.

Phosphorylation of the protein encoded by the first open reading frame of the MDG4 transposable element (gypsy) by homologous and heterologous casein kinases type 2.

Homogeneous casein kinase type 2 (CK2) was obtained from oocytes of Rana temporaria and cells of Drosophila melanogaster by chromatography on heparin-Sepharose, phosphocellulose, and Mono Q columns using a Pharmacia FPLC system. The procedure was first successfully used for the purification of CK2 from the Drosophila melanogaster cell culture. It has been shown that the protein encoded by the first open reading frame (ORF) of the gypsy transposable element (MDG4) is an effective protein substrate both for homologous and heterologous CK2 from the oocytes of Rana temporaria in vitro.

The endogenous Drosophila melanogaster retrovirus gypsy can propagate in Drosophila hydei cells.

The endogenous Drosophila melanogaster retrovirus gypsy (mdg4) forms virus-like particles (VLPs) which are found as extracellular particles in the medium used to culture D. melanogaster cells. The D.

Presence of the gypsy (MDG4) retrotransposon in extracellular virus-like particles.

As a first step to investigate the functional activity of gypsy virus-like particles (VLPs) we explored the possibility of preservation of its VLP in extracellular form. The preparations containing extracellular gypsy VLP from Drosophila melanogaster and D. virilis were obtained.