Review and contribution to the stonefly (Insecta: Plecoptera) fauna of Azerbaijan.

Known Plecoptera data published from Azerbaijan are critically reviewed. New records of 28 species are enumerated on the basis of specimens collected between 2017 and 2019, among them 16 are new for the fauna of Azerbaijan. Nemoura irani Aubert, 1964 is new for the whole Caucasian region, Leuctra sanainica Zhiltzova, 1960 and Plesioperla sakartvella (Zhiltzova, 1956) are new for the Greater Caucasus.

A new micropterous species of Leuctra (Plecoptera: Leuctridae) from the Lesser Caucasus (Georgia).

A new micropterous species, Leuctra khachapuri Žiak et Martynov, sp. nov., from the hippopus species-group is described and illustrated based on morphological features of males and females.

Endomannosidase undergoes phosphorylation in the Golgi apparatus.

Glucose residues from N-linked oligosaccharides are removed by glucosidases I and II in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or by the alternate endomannosidase pathway in the Golgi apparatus. Our morphological analysis demonstrates that recombinant rat endomannosidase exhibited a cis- and medial-Golgi localization alike the endogenous enzyme and its ER to Golgi transport is COP II mediated. Recombinant endomannosidase undergoes a posttranslational modification, which is not related to N-or O-glycosylation.

A cell culture system for the induction of Mallory bodies: Mallory bodies and aggresomes represent different types of inclusion bodies.

Mallory bodies (MBs) represent keratin-rich inclusion bodies observed in human alcoholic liver disease and in several chronic non-alcoholic liver diseases. The mechanism of their formation and their relationship to other inclusion bodies such as aggresomes is incompletely understood. We could induce keratin aggregates typical of MBs in cultured clone 9 rat hepatocytes by transgenic expression of wild-type and mutant aquaporin2 or alpha1-antitrypsin and under various forms of other cellular stress.

Triple arginines in the cytoplasmic tail of endomannosidase are not essential for type II membrane topology and Golgi localization.

Endomannosidase is a Golgi-localized endoglycosidase, which provides an alternate glucosidase-independent pathway of glucose trimming. Using a protease protection assay we demonstrated that Golgi-endomannosidase is a type II membrane protein. The first 25 amino acids of this protein, containing the cytoplasmic tail and the transmembrane domain, were sufficient for Golgi retention of fused reporter proteins alpha1-antitrypsin or green fluorescent protein.

Protein quality control: the who's who, the where's and therapeutic escapes.

In cells the quality of newly synthesized proteins is monitored in regard to proper folding and correct assembly in the early secretory pathway, the cytosol and the nucleoplasm. Proteins recognized as non-native in the ER will be removed and degraded by a process termed ERAD. ERAD of aberrant proteins is accompanied by various changes of cellular organelles and results in protein folding diseases.

A single tryptophan residue of endomannosidase is crucial for Golgi localization and in vivo activity.

Golgi-endomannosidase provides an alternate glucosidase-independent pathway of glucose trimming. Activity for endomannosidase is detectable in various tissues and cell lines but not in CHO cells. Cloning of CHO cell endomannosidase revealed that the highly conserved Trp188 and Arg177 of vertebrate endomannosidase were both substituted by Cys.

Endomannosidase processes oligosaccharides of alpha1-antitrypsin and its naturally occurring genetic variants in the Golgi apparatus.

Endomannosidase provides an alternate glucose-trimming pathway in the Golgi apparatus. However, it is unknown if the action of endomannosidase is dependent on the conformation of the substrate. We have investigated the processing by endomannosidase of the alpha1-antitrypsin oligosaccharides and its disease-causing misfolded Z and Hong Kong variants.

The abdominal compartment syndrome.

The abdominal compartment syndrome has received considerable attention only recently. It may be defined as adverse physiologic consequences that occur as a result of an acute increase in the intraabdominal pressure. The most common causes of ACS are haemorrhage, visceral oedema, pancreatitis, bowel distension, venous mesenterial obstruction, abdominal packs, tense ascites, peritonitis, tumor.

The proteasome is involved in the degradation of different aquaporin-2 mutants causing nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

Mutations in the water channel aquaporin-2 (AQP2) can cause congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. To reveal the possible involvement of the protein quality control system in processing AQP2 mutants, we created an in vitro system of clone 9 hepatocytes stably expressing endoplasmic reticulum-retained T126M AQP2 and misrouted E258K AQP2 as well as wild-type AQP2 and studied their biosynthesis, degradation, and intracellular distribution. Mutant and wild-type AQP2 were synthesized as 29-kd nonglycosylated and 32-kd core-glycosylated forms in the endoplasmic reticulum.

The role of glucosidase II and endomannosidase in glucose trimming of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides.

This review covers various aspects of glucose trimming reactions occurring on asparagine-linked oligosaccharides. Structural and functional features of two enzymes, glucosidase II and endo-alpha-mannosidase, prominently involved in this process are summarized and their striking differences in terms of substrate specificities are highlighted. Recent results of analyses by immunoelectron microscopy of their distribution pattern are presented which demonstrate that glucose trimming is not restricted to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but additionally is a function accommodated by the Golgi apparatus.

Ceruloplasmin carries the anionic glycan oligo/poly alpha2,8 deaminoneuraminic acid.

Oligo/poly alpha2,8 deaminoneuraminic acid (KDN), a unique posttranslational protein modification, was found on megalin and a not yet characterized 150 kDa glycoprotein. We purified this glycoprotein from rat testis and identified it as ceruloplasmin. Furthermore, immunoprecipitated ceruloplasmin from rat thymus, ovary, blood serum, and postnatal day 2 but not adult lung and brain was immunoreactive for oligo/poly alpha2,8 KDN.

The importance of trimming reactions on asparagine-linked oligosaccharides for protein quality control.

Although the biochemistry of early trimming reactions by glucosidases and ER mannosidases occurring on asparagine-linked oligosaccharides has been known for a long time, their involvement in quality control of protein folding has become apparent only more recently. Here we review the evidence for the involvement of specific oligosaccharide trimming intermediates such as Glc(1)Man(9)GlcNAc(2) and Man(8)GlcNAc(2) B isomer in this fundamental cellular process and the subcellular distribution of components of the protein quality control machinery which indicates the involvement of both the ER and pre-Golgi intermediates in this process. In addition, recent studies on the subcellular distribution of endomannosidase in conjunction with previously obtained biochemical data will be reviewed which demonstrate that an alternative deglucosylation pathway exists in pre-Golgi intermediates and the Golgi apparatus.

Expression of a mutant ER-retained polytope membrane protein in cultured rat hepatocytes results in Mallory body formation.

Mallory bodies represent cytokeratin-rich inclusion bodies which occur characteristically but not exclusively in human alcoholic liver disease and experimentally in mice during chronic intoxication with drugs. We report the first in vitro cell system of Mallory body induction. In clone 9 rat hepatocytes stably transfected to express an ER-retained T126M-aquaporin-2 (AQP2), on the mean 40% of the cells contained cytokeratin-rich inclusion bodies.

[Reconstruction of the gastrointestinal tract after esophagogastrectomy].

The authors deal with the problems of reconstruction of gastrointestinal continuity after esophagectomy. They present the advantages of the stomach which is an especially good mediastinal as well as retrosternal substituent. One case of restoration of gastrointestinal continuity after both esophagectomy and gastrectomy by a jejunal loop with anastomosis on the neck is also presented.

Two isoforms of trimming glucosidase II exist in mammalian tissues and cell lines but not in yeast and insect cells.

We previously cloned glucosidase II and provided in vivo evidence for its involvement in protein folding quality control. DNA-sequencing of different clones demonstrated the existence of two isoforms of glucosidase II which differed by 66 nucleotides due to alternative splicing. The existence of two enzyme isoforms in various organs of pig and rat as well as human, bovine, rat, and mouse cell lines could be demonstrated by RT-PCR and Western blotting.

N-linked oligosaccharide processing enzyme glucosidase II produces 1,5-anhydrofructose as a side product.

alpha-1,4-Glucan lyase cleaves alpha-1,4-linkages of nonreducing termini of alpha-1,4-glucans to produce 1,5-anhydrofructose (1,5-AnFru). The enzymes isolated from fungi and algae show high homology with glycoside hydrolase family 31. Purification of alpha-1,4-glucan lyase from rat liver using DEAE Cellulose chromatography resulted in separation of two enzymatic active fractions, one was bound to the column and the other was in the flow-through.

[Gastroduodenal hemorrhage].

Haemorrhage is a serious complication of peptic ulcer disease. It is an indication for urgent diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, which is at present the method of first choice. All patients with gastroduodenal peptic ulcer bleeding, who underwent endoscopy in Ist Department of Surgery in Bratislava between January 1995 and December 1999, were considered for retrospective study.

[Inflammatory complications in reconstructive surgery after esophagectomy].

The authors evaluated in their retrospective study the portion of inflammatory complications on morbidity and mortality at restorative operations after oesophagectomies, performed at Ist Department of Surgery of the Teaching Hospital of Commenius University in Bratislava in the year of 1975-1998. The inflammatory complications still remain a serious problem after oesophagectomy with a great portion on postoperative mortality.

Characterization of the N-linked oligosaccharides of megalin (gp330) from rat kidney.

Megalin (gp 330) is a large cell surface receptor expressed on the apical surfaces of epithelial tissues, that mediates the binding and internalization of a number of structurally and functionally distinct ligands. In this paper we report the first detailed structural characterization of megalin-derived oligosaccharides. Using strategies based on mass spectrometric analysis, we have defined the structures of the N-glycans of megalin.

Transoral application of EEA stapler after subtotal oesophagectomy.

Objective: To describe a new transoral technique of cervical oesophagogastric and oesophagojejunal anastomoses using the EEA stapler.

Design: Prospective clinical study.

Setting: University Hospital, Bratislava, Slovakia.

Megalin in normal tissues and carcinoma cells carries oligo/poly alpha2,8 deaminoneuraminic acid as a unique posttranslational modification.

In rat kidney, megalin, a member of the low density lipoprotein receptor gene family, is the sole glycoprotein which carries oligo/poly alpha2,8 deaminoneuraminic acid (KDN) as a posttranslational modification. We have investigated immunoprecipitated megalin from rat brain, lung and placenta, mouse yolk sac carcinoma and megalin synthesizing carcinoma cell lines, for presence of this unique glycan structure. Our immunoblot analysis revealed the presence of oligo/poly alpha2,8 KDN on megalin in all the studied normal tissues and carcinoma cells.

[Diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma].

The authors analyzed a group of 207 patients operated on for colorectal carcinoma at the 1st Department of Surgery, Medical Faculty of Comenius University, in the years 1994-1998. They detected a high number of patients in stages C and D according to Dukes' classification--53.1% and a high percentage of patients with liver metastases (42%).