Comparative Analyses of Exoproteinases Produced by Three Phytopathogenic Microorganisms

Proteinases secreted by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, Rhizoctonia solani, and Fusarium culmorum belonging to different families of fungi have been studied to determine if the exoenzyme secretion depends on the environmental conditions and the phylogenetic position of the pathogen. The substrate specificity of the extracellular proteinases of F. culmorum, R. solani, and P. infestans and their sensitivity to the action of synthetic and protein inhibitors suggest that they contain trypsin-like and subtilisin-like enzymes regardless of culture medium composition. The relation of trypsin-like and subtilisin-like enzymes is dependent on the culture medium composition, especially on the form of nitrogen nutrition, particularly in the case of the exoenzymes secreted by R. solani. Phylogenetic analyses have shown that the exoproteinase set of ascomycetes and oomycetes has more similarities than basidiomycetes although they are more distant relatives. Our data suggests that the multiple proteinases secreted by pathogenic fungi could play different roles in pathogenesis, increasing the adaptability and host range, or could have different functions in survival in various ecological habitats outside the host

DIELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF NANOCRYSTALLINE SAMPLES OF STRONTIUM TITANATE

The dielectric and magnetic properties of nanostructured ceramics of strontium titanate and a composite based on it are studied.The dependences of the influence of the dielectric constant on the temperature and heat treatment modes on the magnetic properties of strontium titanate are given

Q223R polymorphism of the LEPR and obesity

The problem of overweight and obesity is one of the most urgent health issues in the world. 13 % of girls and 21 % of boys aged 11 suffer from overweight in the Russian Federation. The main causes of pubertal obesity are endocrine pathology, lifestyle and genetic disorders including mutation and polymorphisms of different metabolic pathways. Leptin produced in adipose tissue participates in reproduction regulation, glucose homeostasis, bone formation, etc. These effects are provided by leptin receptors coding LEPR gene. Q223R (rs1137101) polymorphism is associated with an increased serum level of leptin and overweight. There is no exact information about association between this polymorphism and obesity of adolescent females. The objective was to reveal LEPR Q223R polymorphism association between overweight and obesity in adolescent females. 123 Caucasian adolescent females were involved in this study. All samples could be separated into two groups: the girls with normal weight (SDS BM1 ± 1.0; control group), girls with overweight and obesity (SDS BM1 > +1.0-2.0; studied group). Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist and hip circumference, body fat percentage) were taken, and genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction with electrophoresis detection. G-allele frequency was 43.1 % in control and 40 % in the clinical group. We found no significant differences of the prevalence of polymorphism Q223R between the studied groups (р = 0,862). Furthermore, there was no association between the carriage of AG and GG with weight, BM1, body fat percentage, waist and hip circumference in both groups (р > 0.05). We have not found any association between LEPR Q223R and overweight and obesity in adolescent females

Effect of the Particle Size of Strontium Titanate and the Conditions for their Production on the Properties of Nanostructured Materials Based on them

A nanostructured ceramic material based on SrTiO3 has been synthesized. Its crystal structure has been studied. The properties of ultrafine nanostructured ceramic samples were investigated and a set of data on the dielectric and electrical properties of nanocrystalline SrTiO3 was obtained

Metabolism and obesity: role of leptin receptor gene

Background. Currently more than 119 obesity-related polymorphisms is known to participate in adult obesity. One of them is LEPR Q223R. Many researches shown association of this polymorphism with adult obesity. However, the role of LEPR Q223R in adolescent overweight and obesity is the matter of dispute. Aim: to determine association of polymorphism Q223R of LEPR gene with some biochemical and hormonal measurements of blood in female adolescents with normal weight and with overweight and obesity. Materials and methods. A total of 103 female adolescents (14-17 years of age) was examined. All girls were divided into 2 groups: 43 girls with normal weight (SDS BM 10.311 ± 0.585), and 65 girls with overweight and obesity (SDS BMI 2.255± 0.739) (р < 0.0001). Height, weight, BM1, SDS BM1 were measured. Laboratory tests included triglycerides, total cholesterol and its fraction, TTH, free thyroxin and leptin. All girls were genotyped on carrier of LEPR Q223R. Statistical analysis was provided by software Statistica 8.0 using nonparametric Mann - Whitney methods and Chi-square test with Yates correction. Results. Significant association of carrying RR-genotype with increase of SDS BM1 (p = 0.006), THS (p = 0.006) and decrease of free thyroxin was shown in control group. Conclusion. Our results showed the association of R-allele with increase of SDS BM1, THS and decrease T4 free in control group

Gene of folate cycle MTHFR and nutrition

Climatic and geographical features always influenced on adaptation to the environment as well as the development level of economy and culture. The formation of certain food behavior in population determined fixation of specific gene alleles and mutation. They were responsible for digestion a typical food for the population. At the moment there is information about such genetic features as metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats for many races and nations. But a few studies are about causes of prevalence differences of gene polymorphisms of folate cycle in the world's populations. The main objective was to explore 677C>T mutation MTHFR gene among Russian and Buryat to compare it with ones in other populations. The total of399 children and adolescents (200 Russians and 199 Buryats) were involved in this study. Genotyping of MTHFR 677C>T was performed by PCR-RT We used soft "STATISTICA 8.0" to compare results. As a result, T-allele frequency was 30 % in Russians and 21,1 % in Buryats. We found significant differences of prevalence of polymorphism 677C>T between studied groups (p = 0.011). Also we found significant difference between Russian and British (p = 0.054), French (p = 0.0263), Spanish (p < 0.0001), Italian (p < 0.0001) and Greek samples (p = 0.0454). The Buryat group had significant differences with Chinese (p < 0.0001), Korean (p < 0.0001), Mongolian (p < 0.004), Japanese (p < 0.0001), Kazakh (p = 0.0198) samples and two samples of Hans (p < 0.0001; p = 0.0390)

Beyond bone biology: Lessons from team science

Today, research in biomedicine often requires the knowledge and technologies in diverse fields. Therefore, there is an increasing need for collaborative team science that crosses traditional disciplines. Here, we discuss our own lessons from both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams, which ultimately ushered us to expand our research realm beyond bone biology. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

The experience in the development and validation of method for testosterone measurement in blood serum of premenopausal women using HPLC-MS/MS

Testosterone assessment is essential for detecting biochemical hyperandrogenism, one of the important diagnostic criteria of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) both in clinical practice and in epidemiological studies. Currently, tandem liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is the most preferred technique to measure testosterone level in women. Its validation is important to reproducibility of androgen tests results for clinical practice and for epidemiological studies of the prevalence PCOS.The aim of the study. To develop and validate a method for determining total testosterone in blood serum using highly efficient LC-MS/MS to assess androgenemia in the epidemiological study of the prevalence of PCOS and its phenotypes in Eastern Siberia (ESPEP STUDY).Materials and methods. We determined a total testosterone level in serum blood using triple quadrupole mass spectrometer LCMS-8060 (Shimadzu, Japan). The protocol of technique was developed using self-prepared purified human testosteronefree serum with a known concentration of analyzed compound. We used the serum samples of women of reproductive age to test the developed method.Results. Optimum chromatographic conditions were obtained with a Kromasil 100-2.5-C18 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm; AkzoNobel, Netherlands), and an isocratic elution mode using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.1 % aqueous solution of formic acid. The total flow rate was 0.35 ml/min. The lower limit of quantification was 5 ng/dl with an average accuracy of 100.2 %. During the approbation of the method in a test population sample of 1138 premenopausal women (mean age – 34.3 ± 6.3 years), the median testosterone concentration was 26.9 ng/dl.Conclusion. It was found that the proposed method for determining testosterone in blood serum has acceptable linearity and reproducibility and meets the requirements for bioanalytical methods under the regulatory documentation. This method can be used for clinical practice and epidemiological study of the prevalence of PCOS

Встречаемость мутаций в генах BRCA1 и BRCA2 у больных раком поджелудочной железы

BRCA1 and BRCA2 may contribute in pancreatic cancer (PC) risk, however the selection criteria for BRCA1 testing are poorly defined. The analysis of Russian founder mutation BRCA1 5382insC in 150 PC patients identified 2 carriers. BRCA2 full-length sequencing of 8 DNA samples revealed 1 mutated allele (BRCA2 5197_5198delTC). All 3 carriers of BRCA1/2 mutations reported personal or familial history of BRCA-related cancers. Thus, BRCA1/2 testing is particularlyМутации в генах BRCA1 и BRCA2 могут играть роль в формировании риска рака поджелудочной железы (РПЖ), однако критерии включения пациентов в BRCA-диагностику остаются неясными. Присутствие повторяющейся мутации BRCA1 5382insC анализировалось у 150 больных РПЖ, при этом выявлено 2 носителя упомянутого аллеля. Полный анализ кодирующей области гена BRCA2 выполнен у 8 пациентов, обнаружен 1 дефектный вариант (BRCA2 5197_5198delTC). Все 3 больных с мутацией имели собственный или семейный анамнез BRCA-ассоциированных онкологических заболеваний. Таким образом, BRCA-тестирование случаев РПЖ целесообразно ограничить только теми пациентами, у которых имеются клинические признаки наследственного характера заболевани

Getting in tune with the psychology of musical performance

The performance demands placed upon musical performers are somewhat different to those impinging upon athletes. In the case of music, not only is the performer aiming for technical perfection, but also for artistic expression and interpretation that elicits an optimal response from the audience. Also, the standards for excellence are not as clear cut as in sport, which adds to the ambiguity and tends to increase the stress for performers. Further, musical performers may, in some instances, be required to provide one-on-one auditions with record company executives in order to win recording contracts; a situation that is notoriously anxiety-inducing. Sport psychology strategies have been documented to apply across a range of musical genres, from opera to alternative rock, and for a variety of purposes related to performance, including performance anxiety and other blocks to creative expression, group dynamics and communication issues, and to promote flow, for example, during improvisation sessions among jazz musicians. This paper will (a) provide a brief overview of theory and research applied to music, (b) present a range of applications related to musical performance, and (c) provide a case study of a singersongwriter whose traumatic personal experiences provided the creative basis for her lyrics and musical delivery