Physical and chemical processes and the morphofunctional characteristics of human erythrocytes in hyperglycaemia

Background: This study examines the effect of graduated hyperglycaemia on the state and oxygen-binding ability of hemoglobin, the correlation of phospholipid fractions and their metabolites in the membrane, the activity of proteolytic enzymes and the morphofunctional state of erythrocytes. Methods: Conformational changes in the molecule of hemoglobin were determined by Raman spectroscopy. The structure of the erythrocytes was analyzed using laser interference microscopy (LIM). To determine the activity of NADN-methemoglobinreductase, we used the P.G. Board method. The degree of glycosylation of the erythrocyte membranes was determined using a method previously described by Felkoren et al. Lipid extraction was performed using the Bligh and Dyer method. Detection of the phospholipids was performed using V. E. Vaskovsky method. Results: Conditions of hyperglycaemia are characterized by a low affinity of hemoglobin to oxygen, which is manifested as a parallel decrease in the content of hemoglobin oxyform and the growth of deoxyform, methemoglobin and membrane-bound hemoglobin. The degree of glycosylation of membrane proteins and hemoglobin is high. For example, in the case of hyperglycaemia, erythrocytic membranes reduce the content of all phospholipid fractions with a simultaneous increase in lysoforms, free fatty acids and the diacylglycerol (DAG). Step wise hyperglycaemia in incubation medium and human erythrocytes results in an increased content of peptide components and general trypsin-like activity in the cytosol, with a simultaneous decreased activity of µ-calpain and caspase 3. Conclusions: Metabolic disorders and damage of cell membranes during hyperglycaemia cause an increase in the population of echinocytes and spherocytes. The resulting disorders are accompanied with a high probability of intravascular haemolysis.</p

Educational and developmental activity of high school students under COVID-19 restrictions

Most studies analyse educational process speci fics during the spread of Covid-19 using higher education as an example. There is insufficient amount of research devoted to the study of students’ activity at di fferent levels of school education. The purpose of the study is to identify the differences in terms of manifestation and determination of high school students’ educational and developmental activity in normal life and under social isolation.Hypothesis: educational and developmental activity of high school students increases under the conditions of forced isolation. This activity is expressed in an intensified interest in self-development. It is compensatory in nature due to a reduced number of social contacts and opportunities for the implementation of other forms of social activity. The study was carried out on a sample of high school students (N = 169) aged from 16 to 18 years. Techniques: the author's questionnaire aimed at identifying the degree of manifestation of educational and developmental activity; “Assessment of mental activation, interest, emotional tone, tension and comfort” (L. A. Kurganskiy, T. A. Nemchin); “Quality of Life Index” (R. S. Eliot, in the adaptation of N. E. Vodopyanova). The study found that educational and developmental activity of high school students under conditions of self-isolation is higher than in normal life. In general, their education and self-development activity is conditioned by their personal psycho-emotional states. If students are less active during distance learning, their activity is more determined by their mental states. If educational and developmental activity of high school students is high, they are focused on personal achievements, satisfied with their health, communication and support from others, and less prone to negative emotions. The results of the study can be used in psychological and pedagogical work with high school students, who are forced to be under conditions of social isolation in order to increase their educational and developmental activity

Regulation of the apoptotic genes in breast cancer cells by the transcription factor CTCF

CTCF is a highly conserved and ubiquitous transcription factor with versatile functions. We previously demonstrated that elevated protein levels of CTCF in breast cancer cells were associated with the specific anti-apoptotic function of CTCF. We used proteomics and microarray approaches to identify regulatory targets of CTCF specific for breast cancer cells. Among the CTCF identified targets were proteins involved in the control of apoptosis. A proapoptotic protein, Bax, negatively regulated by CTCF, was chosen for further investigation. Repression of the human Bax gene at the transcriptional level by CTCF in breast cancer cells was confirmed by real-time PCR. Two CTCF binding sites within the Bax promoter were identified by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and footprinting. In reporter assays, the Bax-luciferase reporter construct, containing CTCF-binding sites, was negatively regulated by CTCF. In vivo, CTCF occupied its binding sites in breast cancer cells and tissues, as confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Our findings suggest a possible mechanism of the specific CTCF anti-apoptotic function in breast cancer cells whereby CTCF is bound to the Bax promoter, resulting in repression of Bax and inhibition of apoptosis; depletion of CTCF leads to activation of Bax and apoptotic death. CTCF binding sites in the Bax promoter are unmethylated in all cells and tissues inspected. Therefore, specific CTCF interaction with the Bax promoter in breast cancer cells, and the functional outcome, may depend on a combination of epigenetic factors characteristic for these cells. Interestingly, CTCF appears to be a negative regulator of other proapoptotic genes (for example, Fas, Apaf-1, TP531NP1). Conversely, stimulating effects of CTCF on the anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2, Bag-3) have been observed. Taken together, these findings suggest that specific mechanisms have evolved in breast cancer cells to protect them from apoptosis; regulation of apoptotic genes by CTCF appears to be one of the resistance strategies

Widespread Expression of BORIS/CTCFL in Normal and Cancer Cells

BORIS (CTCFL) is the paralog of CTCF (CCCTC-binding factor; NM_006565), a ubiquitously expressed DNA-binding protein with diverse roles in gene expression and chromatin organisation. BORIS and CTCF have virtually identical zinc finger domains, yet display major differences in their respective C- and N-terminal regions. Unlike CTCF, BORIS expression has been reported only in the testis and certain malignancies, leading to its classification as a “cancer-testis” antigen. However, the expression pattern of BORIS is both a significant and unresolved question in the field of DNA binding proteins. Here, we identify BORIS in the cytoplasm and nucleus of a wide range of normal and cancer cells. We compare the localization of CTCF and BORIS in the nucleus and demonstrate enrichment of BORIS within the nucleolus, inside the nucleolin core structure and adjacent to fibrillarin in the dense fibrillar component. In contrast, CTCF is not enriched in the nucleolus. Live imaging of cells transiently transfected with GFP tagged BORIS confirmed the nucleolar accumulation of BORIS. While BORIS transcript levels are low compared to CTCF, its protein levels are readily detectable. These findings show that BORIS expression is more widespread than previously believed, and suggest a role for BORIS in nucleolar function

BORIS, a paralogue of the transcription factor, CTCF, is aberrantly expressed in breast tumours

BORIS (for brother of the regulator of imprinted sites), a paralogue of the transcription factor, CTCF, is a novel member of the cancer-testis antigen family. The aims of the present study were as follows: (1) to investigate BORIS expression in breast cells and tumours using immunohistochemical staining, western and real-time RT–PCR analyses and (2) assess potential correlation between BORIS levels in tumours with clinical/pathological parameters. BORIS was detected in all 18 inspected breast cell lines, but not in a primary normal breast cell culture. In 70.7% (41 of 58 cases) BORIS was observed in breast tumours. High levels of BORIS correlated with high levels of progesterone receptor (PR) and oestrogen receptor (ER). The link between BORIS and PR/ER was further confirmed by the ability of BORIS to activate the promoters of the PR and ER genes in the reporter assays. Detection of BORIS in a high proportion of breast cancer patients implies potential practical applications of BORIS as a molecular biomarker of breast cancer. This may be important for diagnosis of the condition and for the therapeutic use of BORIS. The ability of BORIS to activate promoters of the RP and ER genes points towards possible involvement of BORIS in the establishment, progression and maintenance of breast tumours

СОВРЕМЕННАЯ ЭПИЗООТИЧЕСКАЯ СИТУАЦИЯ И ПРОГНОЗ ПО ОСНОВНЫМ ГЕЛЬМИНТОЗАМ ЖИВОТНЫХ В РОССИИ НА 2015 ГОД

The epizootic situation on main animal helminthosis which we have observed in Russian Federation in the period from 1990 to 2014 allows us to come to the conclusion that the development of epizootic process is affected by ecological components such as: conditions of pastures and water reservoirs, weather and climate especially in current pasture season; therefore it is necessary to conduct the antiparasitic treatment. Наблюдения с 1990 по 2014 года за эпизоотической ситуацией в Российской Федерации по основным гельминтозам у животных позволяют сделать заключение, что на течение эпизоотического процесса при гельминтозах влияют экологические компоненты внешней среды: состояние пастбищ и водоемов, погодные и климатические условия, особенно в текущем пастбищном сезоне, что вызывает необходимость проведения противопаразитарных обработок

BORIS/CTCFL-mediated transcriptional regulation of the hTERT telomerase gene in testicular and ovarian tumor cells

Telomerase activity, not detectable in somatic cells but frequently activated during carcinogenesis, confers immortality to tumors. Mechanisms governing expression of the catalytic subunit hTERT, the limiting factor for telomerase activity, still remain unclear. We previously proposed a model in which the binding of the transcription factor CTCF to the two first exons of hTERT results in transcriptional inhibition in normal cells. This inhibition is abrogated, however, by methylation of CTCF binding sites in 85% of tumors. Here, we showed that hTERT was unmethylated in testicular and ovarian tumors and in derivative cell lines. We demonstrated that CTCF and its paralogue, BORIS/CTCFL, were both present in the nucleus of the same cancer cells and bound to the first exon of hTERT in vivo. Moreover, exogenous BORIS expression in normal BORIS-negative cells was sufficient to activate hTERT transcription with an increasing number of cell passages. Thus, expression of BORIS was sufficient to allow hTERT transcription in normal cells and to counteract the inhibitory effect of CTCF in testicular and ovarian tumor cells. These results define an important contribution of BORIS to immortalization during tumorigenesis

The Evolution of Epigenetic Regulators CTCF and BORIS/CTCFL in Amniotes

CTCF is an essential, ubiquitously expressed DNA-binding protein responsible for insulator function, nuclear architecture, and transcriptional control within vertebrates. The gene CTCF was proposed to have duplicated in early mammals, giving rise to a paralogue called “brother of regulator of imprinted sites” (BORIS or CTCFL) with DNA binding capabilities similar to CTCF, but testis-specific expression in humans and mice. CTCF and BORIS have opposite regulatory effects on human cancer-testis genes, the anti-apoptotic BAG1 gene, the insulin-like growth factor 2/H19 imprint control region (IGF2/H19 ICR), and show mutually exclusive expression in humans and mice, suggesting that they are antagonistic epigenetic regulators. We discovered orthologues of BORIS in at least two reptilian species and found traces of its sequence in the chicken genome, implying that the duplication giving rise to BORIS occurred much earlier than previously thought. We analysed the expression of CTCF and BORIS in a range of amniotes by conventional and quantitative PCR. BORIS, as well as CTCF, was found widely expressed in monotremes (platypus) and reptiles (bearded dragon), suggesting redundancy or cooperation between these genes in a common amniote ancestor. However, we discovered that BORIS expression was gonad-specific in marsupials (tammar wallaby) and eutherians (cattle), implying that a functional change occurred in BORIS during the early evolution of therian mammals. Since therians show imprinting of IGF2 but other vertebrate taxa do not, we speculate that CTCF and BORIS evolved specialised functions along with the evolution of imprinting at this and other loci, coinciding with the restriction of BORIS expression to the germline and potential antagonism with CTCF

Novel CTCF binding at a site in exon1A of BCL6 is associated with active histone marks and a transcriptionally active locus

BCL6 is a zinc-finger transcriptional repressor, which is highly expressed in germinal centre B-cells and is essential for germinal centre formation and T-dependent antibody responses. Constitutive BCL6 expression is sufficient to produce lymphomas in mice. Deregulated expression of BCL6 due to chromosomal rearrangements, mutations of a negative autoregulatory site in the BCL6 promoter region and aberrant post-translational modifications have been detected in a number of human lymphomas. Tight lineage and temporal regulation of BCL6 is, therefore, required for normal immunity, and abnormal regulation occurs in lymphomas. CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is a multi-functional chromatin regulator, which has recently been shown to bind in a methylation-sensitive manner to sites within the BCL6 first intron. We demonstrate a novel CTCF-binding site in BCL6 exon1A within a potential CpG island, which is unmethylated both in cell lines and in primary lymphoma samples. CTCF binding, which was found in BCL6-expressing cell lines, correlated with the presence of histone variant H2A.Z and active histone marks, suggesting that CTCF induces chromatin modification at a transcriptionally active BCL6 locus. CTCF binding to exon1A was required to maintain BCL6 expression in germinal centre cells by avoiding BCL6-negative autoregulation. Silencing of CTCF in BCL6-expressing cells reduced BCL6 mRNA and protein expression, which is sufficient to induce B-cell terminal differentiation toward plasma cells. Moreover, lack of CTCF binding to exon1A shifts the BCL6 local chromatin from an active to a repressive state. This work demonstrates that, in contexts in which BCL6 is expressed, CTCF binding to BCL6 exon1A associates with epigenetic modifications indicative of transcriptionally open chromatin