Recent ichthyofauna in the wetlands along the Bulgarian section of the Danube

Six wetlands along the Bulgarian Danube stretch were studied in 2009 and 2010. Totally 30 fish species were founded, 10 of them are of conservation significance. The highest species richness was recorded in the Srebarna Lake and the lowest one – in the Garvan marshes. Recently the commercial fishing in the wetlands has lost itseconomical significance because of the dramatic decline of fish stocks and degradation of fish communities. The volume of the permanent water bodies, the flooding regime and the regular connection with the river are the factors determining either the state or succession of the fish communities

Electrostatic Switch Function in the Mechanism of Protein Kinase A Iα Activation: Results of the Molecular Dynamics Simulation

We used molecular dynamics to find the average path of the A-domain H→B conformational transition in protein kinase A Iα. We obtained thirteen productive trajectories and processed them sequentially using factor and cross-correlation analyses. The conformational transition is presented as partly deterministic sequence of six events. Event B represents H→B transition of the phosphate binding cassette. Main participants of this event form electrostatic switch cAMP(O6)–A202(N-H)–G199(C=O). Through this switch, cAMP transmits information about its binding to hydrophobic switch L203–Y229 and thus triggers conformational transition of A-domain. Events C and D consist in N3A-motif displacement towards phosphate binding cassette and B/C-helix rotation. Event E involves an increase in interaction energy between Y229 and β-subdomain. Taken together, events B, E, and D correspond to the hinge movement towards β-barrel. Transition of B/C-helix turn (a.a. 229–234) from α-form to π-form accounts for event F. Event G implies that π-helical turn is replaced by kink. Emerging in the resulting conformation, electrostatic interaction R241–E200 facilitates kink formation. The obtained data on the mechanism of cAMP-dependent activation of PKA Iα may contribute to new approaches to designing pharmaceuticals based on cAMP analogs

Study of awareness of food labeling among consumers in North-West Russia

A survey among the consumers of North-Western region of Russia (St. Petersburg and Leningradskaya oblast) was carried out, to determine awareness and understanding of food labeling, as well as usefulness of various elements of food labeling