Interaction of Lactoferrin with Unsaturated Fatty Acids: In Vitro and In Vivo Study of Human Lactoferrin/Oleic Acid Complex Cytotoxicity.

As shown recently, oleic acid (OA) in complex with lactoferrin (LF) causes the death of cancer cells, but no mechanism(s) of that toxicity have been disclosed. In this study, constitutive parameters of the antitumor effect of LF/OA complex were explored. Complex LF/OA was prepared by titrating recombinant human LF with OA.

[Recombinant small heat shock protein from Acholeplasma laidlawii increases the Escherichia coli viability in thermal stress by selective protein rescue].

In both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, the survival at temperatures considerably exceeding the optimum is supported by intense synthesis of the so-called heat shock proteins (HSPs), which act to overcome the adverse effects of heat stress. Among mycoplasmas (class Mollicutes), which have significantly reduced genomes, only some members of the Acholeplasmataceae family possess small HSPs of the α-crystallin type. Overproduction of a recombinant HSP IbpA (Hsp20) from the free-living mycoplasma Acholeplasma laidlawii was shown to increase the resistance of Escherichia coli to short-term heat shock.

Exome-based proteogenomics of HEK-293 human cell line: Coding genomic variants identified at the level of shotgun proteome.

Genomic and proteomic data were integrated into the proteogenomic workflow to identify coding genomic variants of Human Embryonic Kidney 293 (HEK-293) cell line at the proteome level. Shotgun proteome data published by Geiger et al. (2012), Chick et al.

Assessment of k-mer spectrum applicability for metagenomic dissimilarity analysis.

Background: A rapidly increasing flow of genomic data requires the development of efficient methods for obtaining its compact representation. Feature extraction facilitates classification, clustering and model analysis for testing and refining biological hypotheses. "Shotgun" metagenome is an analytically challenging type of genomic data - containing sequences of all genes from the totality of a complex microbial community.

[Metagenomic analysis of taxonomic and functional changes in gut microbiota of patients with alcoholic dependence syndrome].

Here we present the first metagenomic study of gut microbiota in patients with alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) performed in the whole-genome ("shotgun") format. Taxonomic analysis highlighted changes in community "drivers" abundance previously associated with inflammatory processes (including increase in Ruminococcus gnavus and torques, as well as decrease in Faecalibacterium and Akkermansia). Microbiota of alcoholics manifested presence of specific opportunistic pathogens rarely detected in healthy control subjects of the world.

Binding of human myeloperoxidase to red blood cells: Molecular targets and biophysical consequences at the plasma membrane level.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is an oxidant-producing enzyme that can also bind to cellular surface proteins. We found that band 3 protein and glycophorins A and B were the key MPO-binding targets of human red blood cells (RBCs). The interaction of MPO with RBC proteins was mostly electrostatic in nature because it was inhibited by desialation, exogenic sialic acid, high ionic strength, and extreme pH.

Interaction of macrophage migration inhibitory factor with ceruloplasmin: role of labile copper ions.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is a target for pharmacological treatment of sepsis and malignant tumors. Inhibition of tautomerase activity of MIF in reaction with p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (HPP) was observed in the presence of ceruloplasmin (CP), a copper-containing plasma protein. Binding labile copper ions to CP (CP+Cu(II)) is a prerequisite for MIF inhibiting.

The patient perspective: Quality of life in advanced heart failure with frequent hospitalisations.

End of life is an unfortunate but inevitable phase of the heart failure patients' journey. It is often preceded by a stage in the progression of heart failure defined as advanced heart failure, and characterised by poor quality of life and frequent hospitalisations. In clinical practice, the efficacy of treatments for advanced heart failure is often assessed by parameters such as clinical status, haemodynamics, neurohormonal status, and echo/MRI indices.

Bacterial rose garden for metagenomic SNP-based phylogeny visualization.

Background: One of the most challenging tasks in genomic analysis nowadays is metagenomics. Biomedical applications of metagenomics give rise to datasets containing hundreds and thousands of samples from various body sites for hundreds of patients. Inherently metagenome is by far more complex than a single genome as it varies in time by the amount of bacteria comprising it.

Ubiquitin-independent proteosomal degradation of myelin basic protein contributes to development of neurodegenerative autoimmunity.

Recent findings indicate that the ubiquitin-proteasome system is involved in the pathogenesis of cancer as well as autoimmune and several neurodegenerative diseases, and is thus a target for novel therapeutics. One disease that is related to aberrant protein degradation is multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder involving the processing and presentation of myelin autoantigens that leads to the destruction of axons. Here, we show that brain-derived proteasomes from SJL mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in an ubiquitin-independent manner generate significantly increased amounts of myelin basic protein peptides that induces cytotoxic lymphocytes to target mature oligodendrocytes ex vivo.

Isolation of single Chlamydia-infected cells using laser microdissection.

Chlamydia are obligate intracellular parasites of humans and animals that cause a wide range of acute and chronic infections. To elucidate the genetic basis of chlamydial parasitism, several approaches for making genetic modifications to Chlamydia have recently been reported. However, the lack of the available methods for the fast and effective selection of genetically modified bacteria restricts the application of genetic tools.

RNA-Seq gene expression profiling of HepG2 cells: the influence of experimental factors and comparison with liver tissue.

Background: Human hepatoma HepG2 cells are used as an in vitro model of the human liver. High-throughput transcriptomic sequencing is an advanced approach for assessing the functional state of a tissue or cell type. However, the influence of experimental factors, such as the sample preparation method and inter-laboratory variation, on the transcriptomic profile has not been evaluated.

Effects of ultra violet radiation on the soluble proteins of human hair.

Exposure of hair fibers from healthy volunteers to Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR) under laboratory conditions enhanced protein elution from the hair tresses into a buffer solution (pH 10.5). At the same time the UVR decreased the intensity of tryptophan fluorescence in the eluted proteins.

Retrotransposon-based molecular markers for analysis of genetic diversity within the Genus Linum.

SSAP method was used to study the genetic diversity of 22 Linum species from sections Linum, Adenolinum, Dasylinum, Stellerolinum, and 46 flax cultivars. All the studied flax varieties were distinguished using SSAP for retrotransposons FL9 and FL11. Thus, the validity of SSAP method was demonstrated for flax marking, identification of accessions in genebank collections, and control during propagation of flax varieties.

Comparative genome sequencing reveals genomic signature of extreme desiccation tolerance in the anhydrobiotic midge.

Anhydrobiosis represents an extreme example of tolerance adaptation to water loss, where an organism can survive in an ametabolic state until water returns. Here we report the first comparative analysis examining the genomic background of extreme desiccation tolerance, which is exclusively found in larvae of the only anhydrobiotic insect, Polypedilum vanderplanki. We compare the genomes of P.

Purification of high-molecular-weight subfraction from porcine skin inhibiting proliferation of A431 human carcinoma epidermoid cells.

Subfraction with a molecular weight >250 kDa isolated from porcine skin and inhibiting the proliferation of A431 human carcinoma epidermoid cells was purified by DEAE 32 anion exchange chromatography with NaCl concentration step-gradient. The effects of the initial subfraction and fractions obtained by separation in DEAE 32 on the proliferation of A431 human carcinoma epidermoid cells were studied in vitro in two tests (MTT and fluorescent test). The more sensitive fluorescent test showed the highest inhibitory activity of fraction No.

Inhibition of plasma coagulation and platelet aggregation with structural analogs of taurine chloramine.

We studied the effects of amide and N-alkyl analogs of taurine chloramine on rabbit plasma coagulation and platelet aggregation. Alkyl analog N-isopropyl-N-chlorotaurine produced greater increase in plasma coagulation time after its activation by the contact method or with thrombin than amide analog N-propionyl-N-chlorotaurine. In case of coagulation induced by the tissue factor, the test analogs produced similar effect.

Evaluation of ATP content in hair bulbs in human scalp.

The content of ATP in scalp hair bulbs in humans was measured in the hair roots from 15 healthy volunteers. Light and electron microscopy confirmed the presence of outer and an inner root sheaths in the root of pulled out anagen hair. Incubation of samples in buffer solution led to extraction of ATP, which was measured by the chemiluminescent method.

Effects of gold nanoparticles on erythrocyte hemolysis.

We studied hemolytic activity of gold nanoparticles added to the whole blood (ex vivo) and of nanoparticles coated and not coated with plasma components on erythrocytes in hypotonic medium (osmotic hemolysis) in vitro. Gold nanoparticles did not stimulate erythrocyte hemolysis after 4-h incubation with the whole blood ex vivo. Hemolysis tended to increase in the presence of small gold nanoparticles (5, 10, 20 nm) at the maximum concentration of 20 μM (by gold content) used in our study in comparison with the control.

Rural and urban microbiota: To be or not to be?

A multitude of metagenomic studies has brought to light an enormous richness of human gut microbiota compositions. In this space of possible configurations, clinical specialists are trying to mine the markers of healthy microbiota via case-control and longitudinal studies. We have discovered potentially beneficial communities while examining the microbial diversity in rural Russians in comparison with the urban dwellers.

Proatherogenic modification of LDL by surface-bound myeloperoxidase.

One of the factors promoting oxidative/halogenating modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is myeloperoxidase (MPO). We have shown previously that MPO binds to the LDL surfaces. The LDL-MPO complex is uncoupled in the presence of peptide EQIQDDCTGDED that corresponds to a fragment of apoB-100 (445-456).

Metabolomic analysis of three Mollicute species.

We present a systematic study of three bacterial species that belong to the class Mollicutes, the smallest and simplest bacteria, Spiroplasma melliferum, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, and Acholeplasma laidlawii. To understand the difference in the basic principles of metabolism regulation and adaptation to environmental conditions in the three species, we analyzed the metabolome of these bacteria. Metabolic pathways were reconstructed using the proteogenomic annotation data provided by our lab.

Hypochlorous acid as a precursor of free radicals in living systems.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is produced in the human body by the family of mammalian heme peroxidases, mainly by myeloperoxidase, which is secreted by neutrophils and monocytes at sites of inflammation. This review discusses the reactions that occur between HOCl and the major classes of biologically important molecules (amino acids, proteins, nucleotides, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and inorganic substances) to form free radicals. The generation of such free radical intermediates by HOCl and other reactive halogen species is accompanied by the development of halogenative stress, which causes a number of socially important diseases, such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, infectious, and other diseases usually associated with inflammatory response and characterized by the appearance of biomarkers of myeloperoxidase and halogenative stress.

Hypohalous acid-modified human serum albumin induces neutrophil NADPH oxidase activation, degranulation, and shape change.

Halogenated lipids, proteins, and lipoproteins formed in reactions with myeloperoxidase (MPO)-derived hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypobromous acid (HOBr) can contribute to the regulation of functional activity of cells and serve as mediators of inflammation. Human serum albumin (HSA) is the major plasma protein target of hypohalous acids. This study was performed to assess the potency of HSA modified by HOCl (HSA-Cl) and HOBr (HSA-Br) to elicit selected neutrophil responses.

DNA repair in Mycoplasma gallisepticum.

Background: DNA repair is essential for the maintenance of genome stability in all living beings. Genome size as well as the repertoire and abundance of DNA repair components may vary among prokaryotic species. The bacteria of the Mollicutes class feature a small genome size, absence of a cell wall, and a parasitic lifestyle.