Characterization of Zoobenthos and Export of Biomass and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids due to Emergence of Midges (Diptera, Chironomidae) from Three Saline Lakes of South Siberia

В течение двух вегетационных сезонов определяли таксономический состав, численность, биомассу зообентоса трех соленых озер: Шира, Шунет и Учум, расположенных в аридных степях Южной Сибири. Мы также оценили продукцию, потенциальный экспорт биомассы и физиологически ценных омега‑3 полиненасыщенных жирных кислот (ПНЖК) на сушу при вылете комаров-звонцов (Diptera, Chironomidae). Зообентосные сообщества изученных водоемов характеризовались низким таксономическим разнообразием и были представлены в основном личинками насекомых сем. Chironomidae и Ceratopogonidae, а также рачками Gammarus lacustris в озерах Шира и Шунет. В целом таксономический состав, численность и продуктивность изученных сообществ амфибионтных насекомых существенно различались. В оз. Шира доминантами являлись личинки Polypedilum bicrenatum, Сhironomus nigrifrons и Glyptotendipes salinus. В оз. Шунет основную часть численности сообщества обеспечивали личинки рода Procladius и Chironomus salinarius, наряду с P. bicrenatum. Бентос оз. Учум был представлен личинками рода Procladius, подсем. Orthocladiinae и сем. Ceratopogonidae. Продукция хирономид озер Шира, Шунет и Учум за период 30 дней составила в среднем 16,1 ± 4,1, 45,6 ± 13,6 и 9,6 ± 4,6 г сырой массы / м2, соответственно, увеличиваясь с ростом индекса Е. В. Балушкиной, оценивающего степень загрязненности воды. Потенциальный экспорт биомассы имаго хирономид из озер колебался от 0,6 до 3,1 г сырой массы / м2 акватории в год. Величина продуктивности и экспорта биомассы на сушу, вероятно, определялась количеством пищи (органического вещества) в донных отложениях. Имаго Glyptotendipes, вылетающие из озер Шунет и Шира, и имаго Orthocladiinae, роившиеся близ озера Учум, имели близкие величины содержания ПНЖК на единицу сырой массы. Таким образом, продуктивность, а не таксономический состав хирономидного сообщества, может быть более важным фактором при экспорте ПНЖК из соленых озерDuring two growing seasons, we studied the biomass, the number, and the species composition of zoobenthos in three saline lakes, Shira, Shunet, and Uchum, located in arid steppe of South Siberia, Russia. We also estimated productivity and export of biomass and physiologically significant omega‑3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) associated with the emergence of amphibiotic insects from these lakes. All zoobenthic communities had low taxonomic diversity with insect larvae of Chironomidae and Ceratopogonidae families and amphipod Gammarus lacustris constituting their major portion. Overall taxonomic composition and productivity of the lakes differed considerably. Among amphibiotic insects, larvae of Polypedilum bicrenatum, Сhironomus nigrifrons, and Glyptotendipes salinus were the most abundant in Lake Shira. In Lake Shunet, in addition to the dominant P. bicrenatum, zoobenthos was mainly represented by larvae of Chironomus salinarius and two Procladius species. Benthos of Lake Uchum was distinctly dominated by the Procladius genus, Orthocladiinae subfamily, and Ceratopogonidae family larvae. Production of chironomids in Shira, Shunet, and Uchum was 16.1 ± 4.1, 45.6 ± 13.6, and 9.6±4.6 g wet weight / m2 for 30 days, respectively, increasing with an increase in E. V. Balushkina’s index, which estimates water quality. Potential export of chironomid biomass ranged from 0.6 to 3.1 g wet weight / m2 of aquatic area per year. We suggested that productivity and biomass export were related with the quantity of food (organic matter) in the sediments. Glyptotendipes adults, which emerged from Lakes Shunet and Shira, and Orthocladiinae adults, which emerged from Lake Uchum, had similar contents of omega‑3 PUFAs per unit of wet weight. Thus, productivity rather than taxonomic composition of chironomid communities might be a more important factor for export of PUFAs from saline lake

Core Proteome of the Minimal Cell: Comparative Proteomics of Three Mollicute Species

Mollicutes (mycoplasmas) have been recognized as highly evolved prokaryotes with an extremely small genome size and very limited coding capacity. Thus, they may serve as a model of a ‘minimal cell’: a cell with the lowest possible number of genes yet capable of autonomous self-replication. We present the results of a comparative analysis of proteomes of three mycoplasma species: A. laidlawii, M. gallisepticum, and M. mobile. The core proteome components found in the three mycoplasma species are involved in fundamental cellular processes which are necessary for the free living of cells. They include replication, transcription, translation, and minimal metabolism. The members of the proteome core seem to be tightly interconnected with a number of interactions forming core interactome whether or not additional species-specific proteins are located on the periphery. We also obtained a genome core of the respective organisms and compared it with the proteome core. It was found that the genome core encodes 73 more proteins than the proteome core. Apart of proteins which may not be identified due to technical limitations, there are 24 proteins that seem to not be expressed under the optimal conditions

Derivatives of 9-phosphorylated acridine as butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors with antioxidant activity and the ability to inhibit β-amyloid self-aggregation: potential therapeutic agents for Alzheimer’s disease

We investigated the inhibitory activities of novel 9-phosphoryl-9,10-dihydroacridines and 9-phosphorylacridines against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and carboxylesterase (CES). We also studied the abilities of the new compounds to interfere with the self-aggregation of β-amyloid (Aβ42) in the thioflavin test as well as their antioxidant activities in the ABTS and FRAP assays. We used molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and quantum-chemical calculations to explain experimental results. All new compounds weakly inhibited AChE and off-target CES. Dihydroacridines with aryl substituents in the phosphoryl moiety inhibited BChE; the most active were the dibenzyloxy derivative 1d and its diphenethyl bioisostere 1e (IC50 = 2.90 ± 0.23 µM and 3.22 ± 0.25 µM, respectively). Only one acridine, 2d, an analog of dihydroacridine, 1d, was an effective BChE inhibitor (IC50 = 6.90 ± 0.55 μM), consistent with docking results. Dihydroacridines inhibited Aβ42 self-aggregation; 1d and 1e were the most active (58.9% ± 4.7% and 46.9% ± 4.2%, respectively). All dihydroacridines 1 demonstrated high ABTS•+-scavenging and iron-reducing activities comparable to Trolox, but acridines 2 were almost inactive. Observed features were well explained by quantum-chemical calculations. ADMET parameters calculated for all compounds predicted favorable intestinal absorption, good blood–brain barrier permeability, and low cardiac toxicity. Overall, the best results were obtained for two dihydroacridine derivatives 1d and 1e with dibenzyloxy and diphenethyl substituents in the phosphoryl moiety. These compounds displayed high inhibition of BChE activity and Aβ42 self-aggregation, high antioxidant activity, and favorable predicted ADMET profiles. Therefore, we consider 1d and 1e as lead compounds for further in-depth studies as potential anti-AD preparations

EUNIS Habitat Classification: Expert system, characteristic species combinations and distribution maps of European habitats

Aim: The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop a tool for assigning vegetation‐plot records to the habitats of the EUNIS system, use it to classify a European vegetation‐plot database, and compile statistically‐derived characteristic species combinations and distribution maps for these habitats. Location: Europe. Methods: We developed the classification expert system EUNIS‐ESy, which contains definitions of individual EUNIS habitats based on their species composition and geographic location. Each habitat was formally defined as a formula in a computer language combining algebraic and set‐theoretic concepts with formal logical operators. We applied this expert system to classify 1,261,373 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and other databases. Then we determined diagnostic, constant and dominant species for each habitat by calculating species‐to‐habitat fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) in the classified data set. Finally, we mapped the plot locations for each habitat. Results: Formal definitions were developed for 199 habitats at Level 3 of the EUNIS hierarchy, including 25 coastal, 18 wetland, 55 grassland, 43 shrubland, 46 forest and 12 man‐made habitats. The expert system classified 1,125,121 vegetation plots to these habitat groups and 73,188 to other habitats, while 63,064 plots remained unclassified or were classified to more than one habitat. Data on each habitat were summarized in factsheets containing habitat description, distribution map, corresponding syntaxa and characteristic species combination. Conclusions: EUNIS habitats were characterized for the first time in terms of their species composition and distribution, based on a classification of a European database of vegetation plots using the newly developed electronic expert system EUNIS‐ESy. The data provided and the expert system have considerable potential for future use in European nature conservation planning, monitoring and assessment

Practical recommendations for choosing an immunobiological preparation for the treatment of severe bronchial asthma of T2-endotype

Biological therapy of bronchial asthma (BA) is a modern method of treating severe forms of the disease, that are uncontrolled by traditional pharmacotherapeutic approaches. Currently, 5 monoclonal antibody (AT) preparations are registered in the world for the treatment of severe bronchial asthma (SBA) of the T2 endotype (T2-SBA) – antibodies, binding to immunoglobulin (Ig) E (anti-IgE – omalizumab), interleukin antagonists (IL)-5 (anti-IL-5 – mepolizumab, resizumab) and its receptor (anti-IL-5Rα – benralizumab), as well as antibodies, that selectively bind to the IL-4 and -13 receptor (anti-IL-4 /13Rα – dupilumab). The article presents data on the effectiveness of these drugs in relation to the key characteristics of SBA, formulates clinical and laboratory criteria, the study of which in real practice can potentially predict the likelihood of a clinical response to a particular type of biological therapy. An algorithm is proposed for choosing a targeted therapy strategy for patients with SBA, clinically associated with allergies, for patients with severe non-allergic eosinophilic BA and for patients with eosinophilic BA of a combined phenotype.Биологическая терапия бронхиальной астмы (БА) представляет собой современный метод лечения тяжелых форм заболевания, неконтролируемых при помощи традиционных фармакотерапевтических подходамов. В настоящее время в мире зарегистрированы 5 препаратов моноклональных антител (АТ) для лечения тяжелой бронхиальной астмы (ТБА) Т2-эндотипа (Т2-ТБА) – АТ, связывающие иммуноглобулин (Ig) Е (анти-IgE – омализумаб), антагонисты интерлейкина (IL)-5 (анти-IL-5 – меполизумаб, реслизумаб) и его рецептора (анти-IL-5Rα – бенрализумаб), а также АТ, избирательно связывающиеся с рецептором IL-4 и -13 (анти-IL-4/13Rα – дупилумаб). В статье приведены данные об эффективности указанных препаратов в отношении ключевых характеристик ТБА, сформулированы клинико-лабораторные критерии, при исследовании которых в реальной практике потенциально может быть предсказана вероятность клинического ответа на тот или иной вид биологической терапии. Предложен алгоритм выбора стратегии таргетной терапии для пациентов с ТБА, клинически ассоциированной с аллергией, для больных тяжелой неаллергической эозинофильной БА и для страдающих эозинофильной БА сочетанного фенотип

Assessment of phenotypic plasticity of spruce species Picea abies (L.) Karst. and P. obovata (Ledeb.) on provenances tests in European North of Russia

Phenotypic plasticity of 22 spruce provenances in three test plots located in the European North of Russia was studied. Parent spruce stands are located within the Russian Plain and are represented by Picea abies (L.) Karst., P. obovata (Ledeb.) and two introgressive hybrids. In the test plots located in the middle and southern taiga subzones P. abies provenances are tested northward of its distribution area and P. obovata provenances are tested within the distribution area and nearby its boundaries. phenotypic plasticity of the spruce provenances was assessed. Straight-line regression coefficient based on survival, diameter, and height was calculated. All provenances are divided into two groups: plastic and non-plastic provenances. High plasticity is observed more often for P. abies and hybrids forms with properties of P. abies. Plastic provenances based on three parameters grow in the Leningrad, Pskov, Vologda, Kostroma and Karelia. Area of parent stands growing is quite small-size and lies between 56º30´ – 61º40´ N and 30º30´ – 42º30´ E. Adaptive provenances of P. obovata and its related hybrids forms grow in the North-Eastern part of the Russian Plain that could be consequence of its distribution in Holocene. Picea abies being the more adaptive species would be more responsive to climate changes in terms of survival and growth rate than P. obovata. Therefore, in case of sustainable climate warming in the Northern areas of the Russian Plain, the further propagation and major distribution of P. abies with further competitive replacement of P. obovata can be expected

Speciation of metals in bottom sediments from the south Kara Sea and Ob and Yenisei estuarine zones

Speciation of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, Cr, Pb, and Cd was studied in 52 samples of bottom sediments collected during Cruise 49 of the R/V "Dmitry Mendeleev" to the estuaries of the Ob and Yenisei rivers and to the southwest Kara Sea. Immediately after sampling the samples were subjected to on-board consecutive extraction to separate metal species according to their modes of occurrence in the sediments: (1) adsorbed, (2) amorphous Fe-Mn hydroxides and related metals, (3) organic + sulfide, and (4) residual, or lithogenic. Atomic absorption spectroscopy of the extracts was carried out at a stationary laboratory. Distribution of Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, Cr, Pb, and Cd species is characterized by predominance of lithogenic or geochemically inert modes (70-95% of bulk contents), in which the metals are bound in terrigenous and clastic mineral particles and organic detritus. About half of total Mn amount and 15-30% of Zn and Cu are contained in geochemically mobile modes. Spatiotemporal variations in proportions of the metal species in the surface layer of sediments along sub-meridional sections and through vertical sections of bottom sediment cores testify that Mn and, to a lesser extent, Cu are the most sensitive to changes in sedimentation environment. The role of their geochemically mobile species notably increases under reducing conditions