Exploring species diversity and host plant associations of leaf-mining micromoths (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in the Russian Far East using DNA barcoding.

The Russian Far East (RFE) is an important hotspot of biodiversity whose insect fauna remains understudied, particularly its Microlepidoptera. Here we explore the diversity of leaf-mining micromoths of the family Gracillariidae, their distribution and host plant associations in RFE using a combination of field observations and sampling, DNA barcoding, morphological analysis and literature review.                We collected 91 gracillariid specimens (45 larvae, 9 pupae and 37 adults) in 12 localities across RFE and identified 34 species using a combination of DNA barcoding and morphology.

Strong complexation of water-soluble betulin derivatives with (2-hydroxypropyl)-γ-cyclodextrin studied by affinity capillary electrophoresis.

The complexation between (2-hydroxypropyl)-γ-cyclodextrin (HP-γ-CD) and water-soluble betulin derivatives, betulin 3,28-disulfate (DSB) and betulin 3-acetate-28-sulfate (ASB), belonging to the class of pentacyclic lupane triterpenoids, was studied using mobility shift ACE (ms ACE). It was found that the complexation is a high-affinity interaction. In this case, a very low amount of HP-γ-CD should be added to the BGE, and triangular peaks are observed as a result of ligand deficiency in the sample zone.

Reactive Oxygen Species and low-dose effects of tritium on bacterial cells.

The paper continues study of exposures of luminous marine bacteria to low-dose radiation of tritium; tritiated water (HTO) was applied as a source of the irradiation. Hypothesis on involvement of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) to signaling mechanism of bacterial cells under exposure to low-intensity tritium radiation was verified. Bacterial bioluminescence intensity was considered as a tested physiological parameter; it was compared to the ROS production in the bacterial environment of different activity concentrations: 0.

The effect of the chemical composition and structure of polymer films made from resorbable polyhydroxyalkanoates on blood cell response.

Four PHA types were synthesized in the culture of Cupriavidus eutrophus B-10646 under special conditions, poly(3‑hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] and of copolymers, which contained 3HB monomers and 4‑hydroxybutyrate (4HB), 3‑hydroxyvalerate (3HV), or 3‑hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx). All copolymers had the M of about 550-670 kDa, and the homopolymer P(3HB) had a significantly higher M - 920 kDa. P(3HB‑co‑4HB) and P(3HB‑co‑3HHx) had the lowest C (42 and 49%) while P(3HB‑co‑3HV) and P(3HB) exhibited higher C values (76%).

Constructing Slow-Release Fungicide Formulations Based on Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and Natural Materials as a Degradable Matrix.

Slow-release fungicide formulations (azoxystrobin, epoxiconazole, and tebuconazole) shaped as pellets and granules in a matrix of biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and natural fillers (clay, wood flour, and peat) were constructed. Infrared spectroscopy showed no formation of chemical bonds between components in the experimental formulations. The formulations of pesticides had antifungal activity against .

Recombinant Ca-regulated photoproteins of ctenophores: current knowledge and application prospects.

Bright bioluminescence of ctenophores is conditioned by Ca-regulated photoproteins. Although they share many properties characteristic of hydromedusan Ca-regulated photoproteins responsible for light emission of marine animals belonging to phylum Cnidaria, a substantial distinction still exists. The ctenophore photoproteins appeared to be extremely sensitive to light-they lose the ability for bioluminescence on exposure to light over the entire absorption spectrum.

Palladium(II) Ion Mediated Disulfide/Thiolate Interconversion: Predicting the Disulfide Group State from First Principles.

Different reactivity of homologous disulfides toward Pd was previously reported: stepwise complexation to Pd for l-cystine and cystamine ligands, while for dl-homocystine and 3,3'-dithiodipropionic acid, disulfide's disproportionation toward thiolate and sulfinic acid complexes is observed. The disulfide/thiolate interconversion of four different disulfide ligands in the presence of nonredox metal cation Pd in aqueous solution has been computationally investigated. We see this different reactivity in different capacities of considered homologous disulfides to stabilize forming S,S'-binuclear complexes, which are believed to be key intermediates toward interconversion products.

Synthesis of Polyhydroxyalkanoates by Hydrogen-Oxidizing Bacteria in a Pilot Production Process.

The synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) was scaled up to pilot production in a 150-L fermenter on sugars (fructose and glucose) and purified and crude glycerol in a culture of the wild-type strain B-10646. Over 60 h of cultivation, a cell concentration of 150-160 g/L was obtained on purified glycerol and glucose; cultivation on fructose and crude glycerol resulted in a cell concentration of 130 ± 10 g/L. Polymer content and yield coefficients for the biomass were similar on all substrates (80-85 wt % and 0.

Two forms of substrate for the bioluminescent reaction in three species of basidiomycetes.

The luminescent response of the enzymatic system of on the cold and hot extracts from cell-free culture liquids of sp. and was examined. The greatest influence on the light emission produced by the luminescent system of was provided by the temperature at which the probes were prepared for assay.

Crystal structure variations in the series SrLnCuS (Ln = La, Pr, Sm, Gd, Er and Lu).

The crystal structures of the complex sulfides SrLnCuS (Ln = Sm, Gd, Er and Lu) have been determined and refined using powder X-ray diffraction. The crystals are found to be orthorhombic, with the structure type changing consecutively in the order BaLaCuS → EuCuS → KZrCuS as the Ln ionic radius decreases in the order La/Pr → Sm/Gd → Er/Lu. Variations of the structure parameters along the series of compounds studied are analyzed, and an effect caused by crystallochemical contraction on the stabilization of the respective structure types is demonstrated.

Functional divergence between evolutionary-related LuxG and Fre oxidoreductases of luminous bacteria.

In luminous bacteria NAD(P)H:flavin-oxidoreductases LuxG and Fre, there are homologous enzymes that could provide a luciferase with reduced flavin. Although Fre functions as a housekeeping enzyme, LuxG appears to be a source of reduced flavin for bioluminescence as it is transcribed together with luciferase. This study is aimed at providing the basic conception of Fre and LuxG evolution and revealing the peculiarities of the active site structure resulted from a functional variation within the oxidoreductase family.

Bioluminescent aptamer-based sandwich-type assay of anti-myelin basic protein autoantibodies associated with multiple sclerosis.

Bioluminescent solid-phase sandwich-type microassay was developed to detect multiple sclerosis (MS)-associated autoantibodies in human sera. The assay is based on two different 2'-F-Py RNA aptamers against the target autoantibodies as biospecific elements, and Ca-regulated photoprotein obelin as a reporter. The paper describes elaboration of the assay and its application to 91 serum samples from patients with clinically definite MS and 86 ones from individuals healthy in terms of MS.

Bioluminescent aptamer-based solid-phase microassay to detect lung tumor cells in plasma.

Two high-affinity DNA aptamers for lung tumor cells were applied as biospecific elements in bioluminescent assay of patient blood. The oligonucleotide complementary to the 5' end of both aptamers carrying either biotin or Ca-regulated photoprotein obelin was used to form a sandwich-type analytical complex on the surfaces of magnetic streptavidin-activated microspherical particles. Clinical blood samples from cases of morphologically confirmed lung cancer and control samples were analyzed applying the developed assay.

Role of Hsp90 and ATP in modulating apyrase activity and firefly luciferase kinetics.

The present manuscript describes a novel bioassay consisting of apyrase and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) without additional co-chaperone supplementation; intended for high-throughput screening of anti-cancer drugs and prognosis of stress. In this regard, Hsp90 and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) mediated firefly luciferase (FLuc) kinetics was investigated using apyrase and FLuc as client proteins. Bioluminescent assay containing Hsp90, ATP, and apyrase led to complete loss of luminescence at 50 °C which indicates the protective role of Hsp90 against thermal denaturation.

Incorporation of mineralized human waste and fish waste as a source of higher plant mineral nutrition in the BTLSS mass exchange.

The present study deals with the development of the principles and conditions of fish waste mineralization using the method of wet combustion with hydrogen peroxide in alternating electromagnetic field and describes testing mineralized human waste and fish waste as sources of nutrients for plants in the biotechnical human life support system (BTLSS). The study shows that mineralization of fish waste in the wet combustion reactor should be performed in the presence of readily oxidized organic matter, represented by human waste, as an activator of oxidation. Re-mineralization of the sediment in the mixture of hydrogen peroxide and nitric acid in the wet combustion reactor converts mineral elements bound in the sediment into the form available to plants.

Development and characterization of novel 2'-F-RNA aptamers specific to human total and glycated hemoglobins.

Aptamers are short DNA and RNA fragments which bind their molecular targets with affinity and specificity comparable to those of antibodies. Here, we describe the selection of novel 2'-F-RNA aptamers against total human hemoglobin or its glycated form HbA1c. After SELEX and high-throughput sequencing of the enriched libraries, affinities and specificities of candidate aptamers and their truncated variants were examined by the solid-phase bioluminescent assay.

Electrical Double Layer as a Model of Interaction between Cellulose and Solid Acid Catalysts of Hydrolysis.

Solid acid catalysts of cellulose hydrolysis in aqueous media attract considerable research interest because of the ease of their separation from the reaction products. The nature of interaction between the two solids is a relevant topic of ongoing research. One aspect of behavior of solid acids in water was not previously discussed in literature with regard to hydrolysis of cellulose: electrolytic dissociation and formation of electric double layers.

Antifungal activity of P3HB microparticles containing tebuconazole.

In this study, tebuconazole (TEB)-loaded poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (P3HB)-based microparticles were developed and comprehensively characterized. TEB-loaded microparticles with the initial loading amounts of the fungicide of 10, 25, and 50% of the polymer mass (TEB 10, TEB 25, and TEB 50%) were prepared using emulsion technique. Encapsulation efficiency of TEB varied from 59 to 86%.

Shining Light on the Secreted Luciferases of Marine Copepods: Current Knowledge and Applications.

Copepod luciferases-a family of small secretory proteins of 18.4-24.3 kDa, including a signal peptide-are responsible for bright secreted bioluminescence of some marine copepods.

Permafrost landslides promote soil CO emission and hinder C accumulation.

Landslides are common in high-latitude forest ecosystems that have developed on permafrost. The most vulnerable areas in the permafrost territories of Siberia occur on the south-facing slopes of northern rivers, where they are observed on about 20% of the total area of river slopes. Landslide disturbances will likely increase with climate change especially due to increasing summer-autumn precipitation.

A small closed ecosystem with an estimated portion of human metabolism.

The study describes a small closed ecosystem used to test technologies to be further employed in full-scale manned closed ecosystems. The experimental ecosystem is designed to use a certain portion of human metabolism, which is included in the gas, water, and organic waste loops of the system. In this experimental ecosystem, gas and water loops are fully closed, and the model enables processing of human waste and plant inedible biomass.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis based on glycerol and implementation of the process under conditions of pilot production.

The present study addresses the synthesis and properties of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) of different composition synthesized by Cupriavidus eutrophus B-10646 using glycerol as a carbon substrate. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] was effectively synthesized in fed-batch culture in a 30-L fermenter on glycerol of various purification degrees, with 99.5, 99.

Toxic effects of the fungicide tebuconazole on the root system of fusarium-infected wheat plants.

The study investigates toxic effects of the fungicide tebuconazole (TEB) on Fusarium-infected wheat (Triticum aestivum) plants based on the morphological characteristics of root apices and changes in the integrated parameters of redox homeostasis, including the contents of free proline and products of peroxidation of proteins (carbonylated proteins, CP) and lipids (malondialdehyde, MDA) in roots. In two-day-old wheat sprouts infected by Fusarium graminearum, the levels of proline, CP, and border cells of root apices are higher than in roots of uninfected sprouts by a factor of 1.4, 8.

Effects of zooplankton carcasses degradation on freshwater bacterial community composition and implications for carbon cycling.

Non-predatory mortality of zooplankton provides an abundant, yet, little studied source of high quality labile organic matter (LOM) in aquatic ecosystems. Using laboratory microcosms, we followed the decomposition of organic carbon of fresh C-labelled Daphnia carcasses by natural bacterioplankton. The experimental setup comprised blank microcosms, that is, artificial lake water without any organic matter additions (B), and microcosms either amended with natural humic matter (H), fresh Daphnia carcasses (D) or both, that is, humic matter and Daphnia carcasses (HD).