Human gut microbiota community structures in urban and rural populations in Russia.

The microbial community of the human gut has a crucial role in sustaining host homeostasis. High-throughput DNA sequencing has delineated the structural and functional configurations of gut metagenomes in world populations. The microbiota of the Russian population is of particular interest to researchers, because Russia encompasses a uniquely wide range of environmental conditions and ethnogeographical cohorts.

Mutation in ribosomal protein S5 leads to spectinomycin resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Spectinomycin remains a useful reserve option for therapy of gonorrhea. The emergence of multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains with decreased susceptibility to cefixime and to ceftriaxone makes it the only medicine still effective for treatment of gonorrhea infection in analogous cases. However, adoption of spectinomycin as a routinely used drug of choice was soon followed by reports of spectinomycin resistance.

MALINA: a web service for visual analytics of human gut microbiota whole-genome metagenomic reads.

MALINA is a web service for bioinformatic analysis of whole-genome metagenomic data obtained from human gut microbiota sequencing. As input data, it accepts metagenomic reads of various sequencing technologies, including long reads (such as Sanger and 454 sequencing) and next-generation (including SOLiD and Illumina). It is the first metagenomic web service that is capable of processing SOLiD color-space reads, to authors' knowledge.

Application of Spiroplasma melliferum proteogenomic profiling for the discovery of virulence factors and pathogenicity mechanisms in host-associated spiroplasmas.

To date, no genome of any of the species from the genus Spiroplasma has been completely sequenced. Long repetitive sequences similar to mobile units present a major obstacle for current genome sequencing technologies. Here, we report the assembly of the Spiroplasma melliferum KC3 genome into 4 contigs, followed by proteogenomic annotation and metabolic reconstruction based on the discovery of 521 expressed proteins and comprehensive metabolomic profiling.

The acylation state of surface lipoproteins of mollicute Acholeplasma laidlawii.

Acylation of the N-terminal Cys residue is an essential, ubiquitous, and uniquely bacterial posttranslational modification that allows anchoring of proteins to the lipid membrane. In gram-negative bacteria, acylation proceeds through three sequential steps requiring lipoprotein diacylglyceryltransferase, lipoprotein signal peptidase, and finally lipoprotein N-acyltransferase. The apparent lack of genes coding for recognizable homologs of lipoprotein N-acyltransferase in gram-positive bacteria and Mollicutes suggests that the final step of the protein acylation process may be absent in these organisms.

[Own and parental predictors of arterial prehypertension and hypertension in children of persons with premature coronary heart disease].

Aim: to elucidate own and parental predictors of arterial prehypertension (PreHT) and hypertension (HT) in children of patients with premature manifested before 55 years in men or before 60 years in women) coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods: We surveyed 276 families: 258 probands parents with premature CHD, their 214 spouses and 362 native probands children aged 5-37 years. In persons aged 17 years we used criteria of 4 th Report National Education Program Working Group on High BP in Children and Adolescents, in persons 18 years - 7 th Report Joint National Committee (USA).

Domain organization of the N-terminal portion of hordeivirus movement protein TGBp1.

Three 'triple gene block' proteins known as TGBp1, TGBp2 and TGBp3 are required for cell-to-cell movement of plant viruses belonging to a number of genera including Hordeivirus. Hordeiviral TGBp1 interacts with viral genomic RNAs to form ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes competent for translocation between cells through plasmodesmata and over long distances via the phloem. Binding of hordeivirus TGBp1 to RNA involves two protein regions, the C-terminal NTPase/helicase domain and the N-terminal extension region.

Effect of tactivin on functional disturbances in avoidance reaction in rats.

Experiments on outbred albino rats showed that tactivin (thymic polypeptide preparation) reduced functional disturbances in active avoidance reaction induced by extra electric current exposure violating the established relationships between the stimuli, reaction, and its result. The preparation provided high level of avoidance reaction after its violation. New effects of immunocorrective agent tactivin were detected.

Oxidative modification of fibrinogen inhibits its transformation into fibrin under the effect of thrombin.

Changes in the capacity of fibrinogen subjected to oxidative modification to transform into fibrin under the effect of thrombin and to form a fibrin clot were studied. The effects of oxidized fibrinogen preparations on the clot formation by citrate-treated donor plasma were evaluated by the thrombin time test. Oxidation impaired the capacity of isolated fibrinogen to form a fibrin clot under the effect of thrombin.

Localization of C. trachomatis Inc proteins in expression of their genes in HeLa cell culture.

Co-localization of Chlamydia trachomatis incorporation membrane proteins with cell organelles was studied in HeLa cell culture after transfection by expressing vectors carrying incA, incB, incC, incD, incE, incF, incG genes, respectively, fused with the marker green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene. The prokaryotic proteins were co-located with compartments of the secretory pathway of the eukaryotic cell in the course of biogenesis.

Molecular design of new inhibitors of peroxidase activity of cytochrome c/cardiolipin complexes: fluorescent oxadiazole-derivatized cardiolipin.

Interaction of a mitochondria-specific anionic phospholipid, cardiolipin (CL), with an intermembrane protein, cytochrome c (cyt c), yields a peroxidase complex. During apoptosis, the complex induces accumulation of CL oxidation products that are essential for detachment of cyt c from the mitochondrial membrane, induction of permeability transition, and release of proapoptotic factors into the cytosol. Therefore, suppression of the peroxidase activity and prevention of CL oxidation may lead to discovery of new antiapoptotic drugs.

Relation between genetic markers of drug resistance and susceptibility profile of clinical Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains.

The main goal of this work is to clarify the predictive value of known genetic markers of Neisseria gonorrhoeae resistance to penicillin, tetracycline, and fluoroquinolones. The correlation between the presence of certain genetic markers and susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae isolates to penicillin, tetracycline, and fluoroquinolones has been analyzed by means of statistical methods.

Influence of chloride on modification of unsaturated phosphatidylcholines by the myeloperoxidase/hydrogen peroxide/bromide system.

The leukocyte enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO) is capable of catalyzing the oxidation of chloride and bromide ions, at physiological concentrations of these substrates, by hydrogen peroxide, generating hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypobromous acid (HOBr), respectively. Our previous results showed that the hypohalous acids formed react with double bonds in phosphatidylcholines (PCs) to produce chloro- and bromohydrins. Lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC) is additionally formed in PCs with two or more double bonds.

Lysophospholipid receptors in cell signaling.

There is increasing evidence that different phospholipids are involved in regulation of various cell processes and cell-cell interactions. Lysophospholipids (lysophosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidylcholine) and a number of lysosphingolipids play particular roles in these regulations. Their effects are mediated by specific G-protein-coupled receptors.

Analysis of genetic markers of N. gonorrhoeae resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics.

A complex method for detection of genetic markers of N. gonorrhoeae resistance to penicillin was developed. Mutations in penA and ponA genes were detected by minisequencing reaction with subsequent detection of reaction products by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Coexpressionfinder: a new algorithm for finding groups of coexpressed genes.

Results: A new algorithm is developed which is intended to find groups of genes whose expression values change in a concordant manner in a series of experiments with DNA arrays. This algorithm is named as CoexpressionFinder. It can find more complete and internally coordinated groups of gene expression vectors than hierarchical clustering.

pH-dependent regulation of myeloperoxidase activity.

The balance between peroxidase and chlorinating activities of myeloperoxidase (MPO) is very important for the enhancement of antimicrobial action and prevention of damage caused by hypochlorite. In the present paper, the peroxidase and chlorinating activities have been studied at various pH values. The possibility of using neutrophil protein solution for the evaluation of MPO activity has been demonstrated.

Population pharmacokinetic modelling of carbamazepine in epileptic elderly patients: implications for dosage.

Background: Proper use of antiepileptic drugs in the elderly involves knowledge of their pharmacokinetics to ensure a patient-specific balance between efficacy and toxicity. However, populations of epileptic patients on chronic carbamazepine (CBZ) therapy which have been studied have included data of relatively few elderly patients.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the population pharmacokinetics of CBZ in elderly patients on chronic monotherapy.

Leukocytic myeloperoxidase-mediated formation of bromohydrins and lysophospholipids from unsaturated phosphatidylcholines.

Using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, we have shown that leukocytic myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the presence of its substrates (H2O2 and Br?) does not induce any changes in saturated 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. Incubation of liposomes prepared from mono-unsaturated phosphatidylcholine (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) with the (MPO + H2O2 + Br-) system resulted in formation of bromohydrins as the main products. 1-Palmitoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (lysophosphatidylcholine) was the main product of the reaction of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine (1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) with the (MPO + H2O2 + Br-) system.

Chondroitin 6-sulfate and dextran sulfate promote hypochlorite-induced peroxidation of phosphatidylcholine liposomes.

In this work, we studied whether chondroitin sulfates and dextran sulfates (DXSs) can influence hypochlorite-induced peroxidation of phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomes. Multilamellar liposomes (2 mg lipid/ml) were prepared in phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, with NaCl or not and exposed to reagent HOCl/ClO- (1mM) at 37 degrees C in the presence of different concentrations of chondroitin 6-sulfate (C6S), chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4S), DXS 8000, DXS 40,000, and DXS 500,000.

Effect of induced expression of an antimicrobial peptide melittin on Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma hominis infections in vivo.

A plasmid construct was designed in which the gene of antimicrobial peptide melittin is controlled by the tetracycline-responsive promoter of human cytomegalovirus, aided by a constitutively expressed trans-activator protein gene. Its vaginal administration and induction of melittin gene transcription with doxycycline markedly suppressed subsequent genital tract infection of mice by Mycoplasma hominis and Chlamydia trachomatis. At least half of the melittin-protected animals proved free of either pathogen within 3-4 weeks.

Structural organization of the genome of SARS-associated coronavirus (Strain SoD) isolated on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Complete nucleotide cDNA sequence (29715 nucleotides) of SARS-associated coronavirus (strain SoD) isolated for the first time in the territory of the Russian Federation was determined. Phylogenetic analysis revealed maximum similarity between strain SoD genome and Frankfurt 1 strain genome. Three nucleotide substitutions determining two amino acid substitutions were detected.

[Phosphatidylcholine as the basis for artificial pulmonary surfactants: comparison of surface active properties].

The Wilhelmy balance was used for in vitro testing of surface active properties of natural phosphatidylcholines (PCs) as possible basis for surfactant replacement therapy. Saturated PC, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and phospholipon (PL) had similar parameters of surface activity: minimal values of equilibrium surface tension (EST) and the longest surface spreading time (SST). Unsaturated egg and soybean PCs also shared similar values of surface activity parameters (EST and SST).

Induced expression of the antimicrobial peptide melittin inhibits experimental infection by Mycoplasma gallisepticum in chickens.

The in vivo action of the antimicrobial peptide melittin, expressed from a recombinant plasmid vector, on chickens experimentally infected with Mycoplasma gallisepticum was studied. The plasmid vector pBI/mel2/rtTA includes the melittin gene under the control of an inducible tetracycline-dependent human cytomegalovirus promoter and the gene coding for the trans-activation protein rtTA. Aerosol administration of the vector, followed by infecting the chickens with M.

[Register of Acute Coronary Syndromes in Russia: Management and Inhospital Outcomes in ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome].

Data of about 50 consecutive patients with acute coronary syndromes aged at least 18 years admitted to 59 hospitals in different Russian cities were collected from November 2000 to July 2001. In 1412 patients included into registry presumably ischemic symptoms within previous 24 hours were associated with ST-segment elevation or left bundle branch block on ECG. Demographics, history, characteristics of acute coronary syndrome, management and outcomes during hospitalization as well as diagnoses at presentation and discharge were analyzed.