[ArdA Protein Specificity against Type I Restriction-Modification Systems].

The ArdA DNA-mimic antirestriction proteins inhibit type I restriction-modification (RMI) systems by binding instead of DNA to RMI. The ArdA specificity to DNA methylation sites recognized by RMI complexes remains poorly understood; i.e.

In silico studies of the open form of human tissue transglutaminase.

Human tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is an intriguing multifunctional enzyme involved in various diseases, including celiac disease and neurological disorders. Although a number of tTG inhibitors have been developed, the molecular determinants governing ligand binding remain incomplete due to the lack of high-resolution structural data in the vicinity of its active site. In this study, we obtained the complete high-resolution model of tTG by in silico methods based on available PDB structures.

Intracellular microbial rhodopsin-based optogenetics to control metabolism and cell signaling.

Microbial rhodopsin (MRs) ion channels and pumps have become invaluable optogenetic tools for neuroscience as well as biomedical applications. Recently, MR-optogenetics expanded towards subcellular organelles opening principally new opportunities in optogenetic control of intracellular metabolism and signaling precise manipulations of organelle ion gradients using light. This new optogenetic field expands the opportunities for basic and medical studies of cancer, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders, providing more detailed and accurate control of cell physiology.

Ferritin-based fusion protein shows octameric deadlock state of self-assembly.

Ferritin is a universal protein complex responsible for iron perception in almost all living organisms and has applications from fundamental biophysics to drug delivery and structure-based immunogen design. Different platforms based on ferritin share similar technological challenges limiting their development - control of self-assembling processes of ferritin itself as well as ferritin-based chimeric recombinant protein complexes. In our research, we studied self-assembly processes of ferritin-based protein complexes under different expression conditions.

Chaotic aging: intrinsically disordered proteins in aging-related processes.

The development of aging is associated with the disruption of key cellular processes manifested as well-established hallmarks of aging. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) have no stable tertiary structure that provide them a power to be configurable hubs in signaling cascades and regulate many processes, potentially including those related to aging. There is a need to clarify the roles of IDPs/IDRs in aging.

I-Shaped Dimers of a Plant Chloroplast FF-ATP Synthase in Response to Changes in Ionic Strength.

F-type ATP synthases play a key role in oxidative and photophosphorylation processes generating adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for most biochemical reactions in living organisms. In contrast to the mitochondrial FF-ATP synthases, those of chloroplasts are known to be mostly monomers with approx. 15% fraction of oligomers interacting presumably non-specifically in a thylakoid membrane.

Structure-based insights into evolution of rhodopsins.

Rhodopsins, most of which are proton pumps generating transmembrane electrochemical proton gradients, span all three domains of life, are abundant in the biosphere, and could play a crucial role in the early evolution of life on earth. Whereas archaeal and bacterial proton pumps are among the best structurally characterized proteins, rhodopsins from unicellular eukaryotes have not been well characterized. To fill this gap in the current understanding of the proton pumps and to gain insight into the evolution of rhodopsins using a structure-based approach, we performed a structural and functional analysis of the light-driven proton pump LR (Mac) from the pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans.

Crystal and Supramolecular Structure of Bacterial Cellulose Hydrolyzed by Cellobiohydrolase from 3C: A Basis for Development of Biodegradable Wound Dressings.

The crystal and supramolecular structure of the bacterial cellulose (BC) has been studied at different stages of cellobiohydrolase hydrolysis using various physical and microscopic methods. Enzymatic hydrolysis significantly affected the crystal and supramolecular structure of native BC, in which the 3D polymer network consisted of nanoribbons with a thickness ≈ 8 nm and a width ≈ 50 nm, and with a developed specific surface ≈ 260 m·g. Biodegradation for 24 h led to a ten percent decrease in the mean crystal size of BC, to two-fold increase in the sizes of nanoribbons, and in the specific surface area up to ≈ 100 m·g.

Molecular mechanism of light-driven sodium pumping.

The light-driven sodium-pumping rhodopsin KR2 from Krokinobacter eikastus is the only non-proton cation active transporter with demonstrated potential for optogenetics. However, the existing structural data on KR2 correspond exclusively to its ground state, and show no sodium inside the protein, which hampers the understanding of sodium-pumping mechanism. Here we present crystal structure of the O-intermediate of the physiologically relevant pentameric form of KR2 at the resolution of 2.

Chemically Stable Lipids for Membrane Protein Crystallization.

Lipidic cubic phase (LCP) has been widely recognized as a promising membrane-mimicking matrix for biophysical studies of membrane proteins and their crystallization in a lipidic environment. Application of this material to a wide variety of membrane proteins, however, is hindered due to a limited number of available host lipids, mostly monoacylglycerols (MAGs). Here, we designed, synthesized and characterized a series of chemically stable lipids resistant to hydrolysis, with properties complementary to the widely used MAGs.

Highly Sensitive Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Imaging of Protein Crystals.

Serial crystallography at last generation X-ray synchrotron sources and free electron lasers enabled data collection with micrometer and even submicrometer size crystals, which have resulted in amazing progress in structural biology. However, imaging of small crystals, which although is highly demanded, remains a challenge, especially in the case of membrane protein crystals. Here we describe a new extremely sensitive method of the imaging of protein crystals that is based on coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering.

[Wound-healing effect of carbopol hydrogels in rats with alloxan diabetes model].

The effects of 0.5% hydrogels of acrylic polymers (carbopol), antibiotic ointment based on polyethylene oxides (levomekol), silver-containing creams (dermazin and argosulfan), silver sulfadiazine ointment with epidermal growth factor (ebermin), and wound-covering fabric of antibacterial cellulose with poviargol and zero-valent silver (aquacell-Ag) on skin repair processes have been evaluated in comparative experiments on rats. The wound-healing effects were characterized by the time of cleansing and epithelization, rate of suppuration, index of healing, and skin impedance under conditions of necrotic skin lesions on the background of diabetes.

[Experimental evaluation of reamberin and cytoflavin effects on the course and outcome of acute burn injury].

Survival rate, average life expectancy of victims, parameters of the acid - base balance, gas composition of blood, and morphological structure of internal organs have been studied in acute experiments on a group of 120 rats with burn injury of IIIB degree (20% of body surface) against early introduction of antihypoxants reamberin and cytoflavin. It is established that the introduction of antihypoxants reliably prevents the development of typical pathologic processes and hypoxemia, reduces expressiveness of organ dysfunction and extent of mophological changes in internal organs, and increases 1.5 - 2.

[Ways to improve medical help by deep massive burns in rural area].

Results of treatment were analyzed in 907 patients with extensive deep burns. It is shown that early large necrectomy and saving methods of skin plasty (microautodermoplasty) enables to improve significantly the results of surgical treatment in patients with deep burns. It is proved that introduced regional specialized hospitals with high-tech combustiology profile allow improving health care in such patients.

[Experience with surgical necrectomy for deep frostbitis using physical means to influence the tissue].

The efficiency of the methods of necrectomy for deep frostbite was analyzed according to the data of outcomes of surgical treatment of 272 patients with cold injury. It was shown that dissection of necrotic tissue in deep frostbite using modern physical techniques (electrosurgical, radiosurgical and argon-plasma dissector) improved immediate results of surgical treatment (due to decreased intraoperative blood loss, frequency of suppuration, cases of amputation, time of hospitalization) and optimized the wound process (by reducing the microbial contamination of the wounds) and accelerated the proliferative phase of regeneration.

[The modern approaches to the choice of infusion agents used in the treatment of severe injuries and burns].

The article presents an analytical review of modern possibilities of the complex pathogenic treatment for severe traumas and injuries at the expense of systemic use of infusion drugs with antihypoxic and antioxidant effects. It is shown that hypoxia and oxidative stress is the typical; pathologic process that accompanies the development of traumatic disease during severe surgical pathology. One of the effective ways to correct the developing disorders is to use the regulatory or substrate antihypoxants as well as the drugs with antioxidant effect.

[Combined and multifactorial burn injuries in military conflicts: tactical approaches to diagnosis and treatment].

The article reflects the experience of the treatment of the servicemen with combined burn injuries got in the Chechen Republic (1994-1996, 1999-2001). 266 causes of medical treatment for combined injuries where the burn was decisive were analyzed: 141 of which were got in the Chechen Republic in 1994-1996, 10 - in Daghestan in August-September of 199 and 125 - in the Chechen Republic in 1999-2001. In the structure of sanitary losses with surgical profile the burnt amounted to 4,1%, and 6,4%.

Ointments with superoxide dismutase and interleukin-1beta: effect on reparative processes and impedance of burn wound.

We found that tissue impedance can serve as a reliable criterion of the severity of wound process and efficiency of burn treatment. Ointment with superoxide dismutase effectively promoted wound reparation and recovery of tissue structure after thermal skin burn compared to ointments containing interleukin-1beta or mixture of interleukin-1beta and superoxide dismutase.