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High efficiency of hybrid implants based on calcium-magnesium silicate ceramic, diopside, as a carrier of recombinant BMP-2 and xenogenic demineralized bone matrix (DBM) as a scaffold for bone tissue regeneration was demonstrated previously using the model of critical size cranial defects in mice. In order to investigate the possibility of using these implants for growing autologous bone tissue using in vivo bioreactor principle in the patient's own body, effectiveness of ectopic osteogenesis induced by them in intramuscular implantation in mice was studied. At the dose of 7 μg of BMP-2 per implant, dense agglomeration of cells, probably skeletal muscle satellite precursor cells, was observed one week after implantation with areas of intense chondrogenesis, initial stage of indirect osteogenesis, around the implants. After 12 weeks, a dense bone capsule of trabecular structure was formed covered with periosteum and mature bone marrow located in the spaces between the trabeculae. The capsule volume was about 8-10 times the volume of the original implant. There were practically no signs of inflammation and foreign body reaction. Microcomputed tomography data showed significant increase of the relative bone volume, number of trabeculae, and bone tissue density in the group of mice with BMP-2-containing implant in comparison with the group without BMP-2. Considering that DBM can be obtained in practically unlimited quantities with required size and shape, and that BMP-2 is obtained by synthesis in E. coli cells and is relatively inexpensive, further development of the in vivo bioreactor model based on the hybrid implants constructed from BMP-2, diopside, and xenogenic DBM seems promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some restriction–modification systems contain two DNA methyltransferases. In the present work, we have classified such systems according to the families of catalytic domains present in the restriction endonucleases and both DNA methyltransferases. Evolution of the restriction–modification systems containing an endonuclease with a NOV_C family domain and two DNA methyltransferases, both with DNA_methylase family domains, was investigated in detail. Phylogenetic tree of DNA methyltransferases from the systems of this class consists of two clades of the same size. Two DNA methyltransferases of each restriction–modification system of this class belong to the different clades. This indicates independent evolution of the two methyltransferases. We detected multiple cross-species horizontal transfers of the systems as a whole, as well as the cases of gene transfer between the systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium-magnesium silicate ceramics, diopside, is a promising material for use in bone plastics, but until now the possibility of its use as a carrier of recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) has not been studied, as well as the features of reparative osteogenesis mediated by the materials based on diopside with BMP-2. Powder of calcium-magnesium silicate ceramics was obtained by solid-state synthesis using biowaste – rice husks and egg shells – as source components. Main phase of the obtained ceramics was diopside. The obtained particles were irregularly shaped with an average size of about 2.3 μm and ~20% porosity; average pore size was about 24 nm, which allowed the material to be classified as mesoporous. Diopside powder adsorbs more than 150 μg of recombinant BMP-2 per milligram, which exceeds binding capacity of hydroxyapatite, a calcium-phosphate ceramic often used in hybrid implants, by more than 3 times. In vitro release kinetics of BMP-2 was characterized by a burst release in the first 2 days and a sustained release of approximately 0.4 to 0.5% of the loaded protein over the following 7 days. In vivo experiments were performed with a mouse model of cranial defects of critical size with implantation of a suspension of diopside powder with/without BMP-2 in hyaluronic acid incorporated into the disks of demineralized bone matrix with 73-90% volume porosity and macropore size from 50 to 650 μm. Dynamics of neoosteogenesis and bone tissue remodeling was investigated histologically at the time points of 12, 21, 48, and 63 days. Diopside particles were evenly spread in the matrix and caused minimal foreign body reaction. In the presence of BMP-2 by the day 63 significant foci of newly formed bone tissue were formed in the implant pores with bone marrow areas, moreover, large areas of demineralized bone matrix in the implant center and maternal bone at the edges were involved in the remodeling. Diopside could be considered as a promising material for introduction into hybrid implants as an effective carrier of BMP-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the previously developed approach, hybrid recombinant proteins containing short conformational epitopes (a.a. 144-153, 337-346, 414-425, 496-507) of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein (S protein) were synthesized in Escherichia coli cells as potential components of epitope vaccines. Selected epitopes are involved in protein–protein interactions in the S protein complexes with neutralizing antibodies and ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2). The recombinant proteins were used for immunization of mice (three doses with 2-week intervals), and the immunogenicity of protein antigens and ability of the resulting sera to interact with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and RBD produced in eukaryotic cells were examined. All recombinant proteins showed high immunogenicity; the highest titer in the RBD binding assay was demonstrated by the serum obtained after immunization with the protein containing epitope 414-425. At the same time, the titers of sera obtained against other proteins in the RBD and inactivated virus binding assays were significantly lower than the titers of sera obtained with the previously produced four proteins containing the loop-like epitopes 452-494 and 470-491, the conformation of which was fixed with a disulfide bond. We also studied activation of cell-mediated immunity by the recombinant proteins that was monitored as changes in the levels of cytokines in the splenocytes of immunized mice. The most pronounced increase in the cytokine synthesis was observed in response to the proteins containing epitopes with disulfide bonds (452-494, 470-491), as well as epitopes 414-425 and 496-507. For some recombinant proteins with short conformational epitopes, adjuvant optimization allowed to obtained mouse sera displaying virus-neutralizing activity in the microneutralization assay with live SARS-CoV-2 (hCoV-19/Russia/StPetersburg-3524/2020 EPI_ISL_415710 GISAID). The results obtained can be used to develop epitope vaccines for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new platform for creating anti-coronavirus epitope vaccines has been developed. Two loop-like epitopes with lengths of 22 and 42 amino acid residues were selected from the receptor-binding motif of the Spike protein from the SARS‑CoV‑2 virus that participate in a large number of protein-protein interactions in the complexes with ACE2 and neutralizing antibodies. Two types of hybrid proteins, including one of the two selected epitopes, were constructed. To fix conformation of the selected epitopes, an approach using protein scaffolds was used. The homologue of Rop protein from the Escherichia coli ColE1 plasmid containing helix-turn-helix motif was used as an epitope scaffold for the convergence of C- and N-termini of the loop-like epitopes. Loop epitopes were inserted into the turn region. The conformation was additionally fixed by a disulfide bond formed between the cysteine residues present within the epitopes. For the purpose of multimerization, either aldolase from Thermotogamaritima, which forms a trimer in solution, or alpha-helical trimerizer of the Spike protein from SARS‑CoV‑2, was attached to the epitopes incorporated into the Rop-like protein. To enable purification on the heparin-containing sorbents, a short fragment from the heparin-binding hemagglutinin of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was inserted at the C-terminus of the hybrid proteins. All the obtained proteins demonstrated high level of immunogenicity after triplicate parenteral administration to mice. Sera from the mice immunized with both aldolase-based hybrid proteins and the Spike protein SARS‑CoV‑2 trimerizer-based protein with a longer epitope interacted with both the inactivated SARS‑CoV‑2 virus and the Spike protein receptor-binding domain at high titers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of bacterial strains resistant to commonly used antibiotics urges the development of novel antibacterial compounds. Ideally, these novel antimicrobials should be less prone to the development of resistance. Peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes are a promising class of compounds with a fundamentally different mode of action compared to traditionally used antibiotics. The difference in the mechanism of action implies differences both in the mechanisms of resistance and the chances of its emergence. To critically assess the potential of resistance development to peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes, we review the available evidence for the development of resistance to these enzymes in vitro, along with the known mechanisms of resistance to lysozyme, bacteriocins, autolysins, and phage endolysins. We conclude that genetic determinants of resistance to peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes are unlikely to readily emerge de novo. However, resistance to these enzymes would probably spread by the horizontal transfer between intrinsically resistant and susceptible species. Finally, we speculate that the higher cost of the therapeutics based on peptidoglycan degrading enzymes compared to classical antibiotics might result in less misuse, which in turn would lead to lower selective pressure, making these antibacterials less prone to resistance development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is devoted to a comparative legal analysis of the concept and legal regulation of telemedicine in Russia, Europe (on the example of the EU), and the USA. Telemedicine, the problems of using telemedicine technologies in the provision of medical care are relevant objects of scientific research and discussion both for medicine and law (medical law, civil law). Telemedicine issues have become especially significant in connection with the introduction of Federal Law No. 242-FZ of July 29, 2017 "On Amending Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation on the Use of Information Technologies in the Field of Health Protection", which legalized the use of telemedicine in Russia. In the framework of this comparative study of the concept of "telemedicine", the article analyzes the definitions of this term, enshrined in the laws of these countries, as well as the definitions available in science and practice. Attention is also being paid to the definition of "telemedicine" given by the World Health Organization. The analysis of the legal regulation of telemedicine considers the relevant sources of legal regulation in Russia, the EU, and the USA, and allows drawing conclusions about the existing problems of legal regulation and gaps in the legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms residing within a biofilm become more tolerant to antibiotics and other types of adverse impact, and biofilm formation by pathogenic bacteria is an important problem of current medicine. Polysaccharides that prevent biofilm formation are among the promising candidates to help tackle this problem. Earlier we demonstrated the ability of a potato polysaccharide galactan to inhibit biofilm formation by a Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolate. Here we investigate the effect of potato galactan on P. aeruginosa biofilms in more detail. Microscopic analysis indicated that the galactan did not interfere with the adhesion of bacterial cells to the substrate but prevented the build-up of bacterial biomass. Moreover, the galactan not only inhibited biofilm formation, but partially destroyed pre-formed biofilms. Presumably, this activity of the galactan was due to the excessive aggregation of bacterial cells, which prohibited the formation and maintenance of proper biofilm architecture, or due to some other mechanisms of biofilm structure remodeling. This led to an unexpected effect, i.e., P. aeruginosa biofilms treated with an antibiotic and the galactan retained more viable bacterial cells compared to biofilms treated with the antibiotic alone. Galactan is the first polysaccharide demonstrated to exert such effect on bacterial biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to compare biological activities of three variants of bacterially expressed human recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) with additional protein domains: 6His-s-tag-EPO protein carrying the s-tag (15-a.a. oligopeptide from bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A) at the N-terminus and HBD-EPO and EPO-HBD proteins containing heparin-binding protein domains (HBD) of the bone morphogenetic protein 2 from Danio rerio at the N- and C-termini, respectively. The commercial preparation Epostim (LLC Pharmapark, Russia) produced by synthesis in Chinese hamster ovary cells was used for comparison. The EPO variant with the C-terminal HBD domain connected by a rigid linker (EPO-HBD) possesses the best properties as compared to HBD-EPO with the reverse domain arrangement. It was ~13 times more active in vitro (i.e., promoted proliferation of human erythroleukemia TF-1 cells) and demonstrated a higher rate of association with the erythropoietin receptor. EPO-HBD also exhibited the greatest binding to the demineralized bone matrix (DBM) and more prolonged release from the DBM among the four proteins studied. Subcutaneous administration of EPO-HBD immobilized on DBM resulted in significantly more pronounced vascularization of surrounding tissues in comparison with the other proteins and DBM alone. Therefore, EPO-HBD displayed better performance with regard to all the investigated parameters than other examined EPO variants, and it seems promising to study the possibility of its medical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New recombinant carriers—modular nanotransporters (MNTs)—with N-terminal ligand module to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were developed and characterized. Human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) and antibody-like protein Z1907 were used as a ligand module. We demonstrated that MNTs are able to internalize in a receptor-specific manner into the target cancer cells and to accumulate in the target cell nuclei. Conjugation of MNTs with the Auger electron emitter 111In significantly enhanced the cytotoxic effect of 111In on the target cells. It was found that the transfer of EGF from the C-terminus to the N-terminus of the MNT enhanced the proliferation of target cells, whereas the use of Z1907 did not have a similar effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) with additional N-terminal heparin-binding protein domain (HBD) from bone morphogenetic protein 2 was synthesized in Escherichia coli cells. A procedure for HBD-EPO purification and refolding was developed for obtaining highly-purified HBD-EPO. The structure of recombinant HBD-EPO was close to that of the native EPO protein. HBD-EPO contained two disulfide bonds, as shown by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The protein demonstrated in vitro biological activity in the proliferation of human erythroleukemia TF-1 cell test and in vivo activity in animal models. HBD-EPO increased the number of reticulocytes in the blood after subcutaneous injection and displayed local angiogenic activity after subcutaneous implantation of demineralized bone matrix (DBM) discs with immobilized HBD-EPO. We developed a quantitative sandwich ELISA method for measuring HBD-EPO concentration in solution using rabbit polyclonal serum and commercial monoclonal anti-EPO antibodies. Pharmacokinetic properties of HBD-EPO were typical for bacterially produced EPO. Under physiological conditions, HBD-EPO can reversibly bind to DBM, which is often used as an osteoplastic material for treatment of bone pathologies. The data on HBD-EPO binding to DBM and local angiogenic activity of this protein give hope for successful application of HBD-EPO immobilized on DBM in experiments on bone regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two variants of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) with additional N-terminal protein domains were obtained by expression in E. coli. The N-terminal domains were s-tag (15-a.a. oligopeptide from bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A) and lz (leucine zipper dimerization domain from yeast transcription factor GCN4). The s-tag-BMP-2 and lz-BMP-2 were purified by a procedure that excluded a long refolding stage. The resulting dimeric proteins displayed higher solubility compared to rhBMP-2 without additional protein domains. Biological activity of both proteins was demonstrated in vitro by induction of alkaline phosphatase in C2C12 cells, and the activity of s-tag-BMP-2 in vivo was shown in various experimental animal models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low meadow-rue ( Thalictrum minus L.) antioxidant complex was studied in cell extracts and culture medium. Its activity was expressed as total polyphenol content in ferulic acid equivalents. In these model systems (cell extracts and culture medium) the inhibition of lipid oxidation and diphenylpicrylhydrazine reduction (EC = 12-15 μg/ml) were observed. At the phenolic compound concentration of 8-15 μg/ml, the reducing capacity of cell extracts was equivalent to 1.5 mM ascorbic acid. At the same time, berberine, a major alkaloid synthesized by the culture, manifested a low antioxidant activity. The analysis of phenolic acid composition in low meadow-rue showed that one of the main components of its antioxidant system were caffeic, gallic, chlorogenic, and ferulic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review summarizes the recently published data on the molecular mechanisms of Chlamydiae-host cell interaction, first of all, on chlamydial effector proteins. Such proteins, along with type III transport system proteins, which transfer many effector proteins into the host cytoplasm, are attractive targets for drug therapy of chlamydial infections. The majority of the data concerns two species, Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydophila pneumoniae. The C. trachomatis protein TARP, which is presynthesized in elementary bodies, plays an essential role in the initial stages of infection. The pathogen proteins that are involved in the next stage, which is the intracellular inclusion traffic to the centrosome, are C. trachomatis CT229 and C. pneumoniae Cpn0585, which interact with cell Rab GTPases. In C. trachomatis, IncA plays a key role in the fusion of chlamydial inclusions, CT847 modulates the life cycle of the host cell, and LDA3 is essential for the acquisition of nutrients. The protease CPAF and the inclusion membrane proteins IncG and CADD are involved in suppressing apoptosis of infected cells. The proteases CPAF and CT441 and the deubiquitinating protein ChlaDub1 help the pathogen to evade the immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosystem I (PS I) contains two molecules of phylloquinone that function as electron transfer cofactors at highly reducing midpoint potentials. It is therefore surprising that each phylloquinone is hydrogen bonded at the C4 position to the backbone -NH of a Leu residue since this serves to drive the midpoint potential more oxidizing. To better understand the role of the H-bond, a PS I variant was generated in which L722psaA was replaced with a bulky Trp residue. This change was designed to alter the conformation of the A-jk(1) loop and therefore change the strength of the H-bond to the PsaA-branch phylloquinone. Transient EPR studies at 80 K show that the A1A site in the PS I variant is fully occupied with phylloquinone, but the absence of methyl hyperfine couplings in the quinone contribution to the P700·+A·1- radical pair spectrum indicates that the H-bond has been weakened. In wild-type PS I, reduction of FA and FB with sodium dithionite causes a ~30% increase in the amplitude of the P700·+A1·- transient EPR signal due to the added contribution of the PsaB-branch cofactors to low temperature reversible electron transfer between P700 and A1A. In contrast, the same treatment to the L722WPsaA variant leads to a ~75% reduction in the amplitude of the P700·+A1·- transient EPR signal. This behavior suggests that A1A has undergone double reduction to phyllohydroquinone, thereby preventing electron transfer past A0A. The remaining 25% of the p700·+A1·- radical pair spectrum shows an altered spin polarization pattern and pronounced methyl hyperfine couplings characteristic of asymmetric H-bonding to the phylloquinone. Numerical simulations of the polarization pattern indicate that it arises primarily from electron transfer between P700 and A1B. The altered reduction behavior in the L722WPsaA variant suggests that the primary purpose of the H-bond is to tie up the C4 carbonyl group of phylloquinone in a H-bond so as to prevent protonation and hence lower the probability of double reduction during periods of high light intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrostatic calculations have predicted that the partial negative charge associated with D575PsaB plays a significant role in modulating the midpoint potentials of the A1A and A1B phylloquinones in photosystem I. To test this prediction, the side chain of residue 575PsaB was changed from negatively charged (D) to neutral (A) and to positively charged (K). D566PsaB, which is located at a considerable distance from either A1A or A1B, and should affect primarily the midpoint potential of FX, was similarly changed. In the 575PsaB variants, the rate of electron transfer from A1A to FX is observed to decrease slightly according to the sequence D/A/K. In the 566PsaB variants, the opposite effect of a slight increase in the rate is observed according to the same sequence D/A/K. These results are consistent with the expectation that changing these residues will shift the midpoint potentials of nearby cofactors to more positive values and that the magnitude of this shift will depend on the distance between the cofactors and the residues being changed. Thus, the midpoint potentials of A1A and A1B should experience a larger shift than will FX in the 575PsaB variants, while FX should experience a larger shift than will either A1A or A1B in the 566PsaB variants. As a result, the driving energy for electron transfer from A1A and A1B to FX will be decreased in the former and increased in the latter. This rationalization of the changes in kinetics is compared with the results of electrostatic calculations. While the altered amino acids shift the midpoint potentials of A1A, A1B, and FX by different amounts, the difference in the shifts between A1A and FX or between A1B and FX is small so that the overall effect on the electron transfer rate between A1A and FX or between A1B and FX is predicted to be small. These conclusions are borne out by experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of 7 mM phenylalanine to the nutrient medium for low meadow-rue ( Thalictrum minus L.) cell culturing on the 7th or 8th day doubled berberine secretion into medium. Simultaneously, the content of phenolic compounds increased in the cells and medium. Investigation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL) activities showed that exogenous Phe activated PAL by 35% and inactivated TAL by 20%. When the crude extract was separated on DEAE-Sephacel column, two proteins were isolated. One of them displayed both PAL and TAL activities, whereas another protein displayed only PAL activity. This activity disappeared after cell culturing longer than 20 days and also under the effect of Phe at a concentration reducing alkaloid biosynthesis. Phe addition to medium also increased the content of protein in both the cells and culture medium. The proportion of low-molecular proteins in the medium increased. Testing antimicrobial activity of the medium showed that it was determined by berberine and to a lesser degree by palmatine. Protein fraction also demonstrated antimicrobial activity. An improved antimicrobial activity after Phe adding to medium resulted from alkaloid and protein accumulation. The conclusion was made that one of the mechanisms of Phe action was the control of alkaloid biosynthesis with the involvement of the enzyme system of the early steps of the phenylpropanoid pathway, which, in its turn, is one of the stages in stress-induced plant response to pathogen action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conserved hydrophobic core is an important feature of a family of protein domains. We suggest a procedure for finding and the analysis of conserved hydrophobic cores. The procedure is based on using an original program called CluD ( ). Conserved hydrophobic cores of several families including homeodomains and interlock-containing domains are described. Hydrophobic clusters on some protein-DNA and protein-protein interfaces were also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In photosystem I (PSI), phylloquinone (PhQ) acts as a low potential electron aeceptor during light-induced electron transfer (ET). The origin of the very low mid-point potential of the quinone is investigated by introducing anthraquinone (AQ) into PSI in the presence and absence of the iron-sulfur clusters. Solvent extraction and reincubation is used to obtain PSI particles containing AQ and the iron-sulfur clusters, whereas incubation of the menB tubA double mutant yields PSI with AQ in the PhQ site but no iron-sulfur clusters. Transient electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy is used to investigate the orientation of AQ in the binding site and the ET kinetics. The low temperature spectra suggest that the orientation of AQ in all samples is the same as that of PhQ in native PSI. In PSI containing the iron sulfur clusters, (i) the rate of forward electron transfer from the AQ.- to Fx is found to be faster than from PhQ.- to Fx, and (ii) the spin polarization patterns provide indirect evidence that the preceding ET step from A0.- to quinone is slower than in the native system. The changes in the kinetics are in accordance with the more negative reduction midpoint potential of AQ. Moreover, a comparison of the spectra in the presence and absence of the iron-sulfur clusters suggests that the midpoint potential of AQ is more negative in the presence of Fx. The electron transfer from the AQ- to Fx is found to be thermally activated with a lower apparent activation energy than for PhQ in native PSI. The spin polarization patterns show that the triplet character in the initial state of P700.+Q.- increases with temperature. This behavior is rationalized in terms of a model involving a distribution of lifetimes/redox potentials for A0 and related competition between charge recombination and forward electron transfer from the radical pair P700.+A0.-. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ordering processes in the rare-earth titanates Ln2Ti2O7 with Ln = Lu, Yb, Tm, and Gd are studied by x-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, IR spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and electrical conductivity measurements. The compounds are prepared via hydroxide coprecipitation, followed by freeze-drying and heat treatment in the temperature range 350–1700°C. The compounds Ln2Ti2O7 with Ln = Lu, Yb, and Tm are found to have the fluorite structure between 600 and 800°C. Above 800°C, they undergo a fluorite-to-pyrochlore transformation, with cation disordering and the formation of LnTi + TiLn antistructure pairs. Gd2Ti2O7 has the pyrochlore structure over the entire temperature range studied and contains no antistructure defects. In contrast to Gd2Ti2O7 , the compounds Ln2Ti2O7 with Ln = Lu, Yb, and Tm undergo a high-temperature pyrochlore-to-fluorite phase transition around 1700°C. The 750°C conductivity of Ln2Ti2O7 (Ln = Lu, Yb, Tm) samples sintered at 1700°C is 5 × 10–3 to 10–2 S/cm, which is two orders of magnitude higher than that of ceramics of the same composition prepared at lower temperatures (950 or 1400°C). The conductivity of the Gd2Ti2O7 ceramic prepared at 1500°C is two orders of magnitude lower than that of Ln2Ti2O7 with Ln = Lu, Yb, and Tm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein phylogeny is usually reconstructed basing on a multiple alignment of amino acid sequences. One of the problems of such alignments is the presence of regions with different degree of conservation, including those with a questionable quality of the alignment. This problem is often solved by filtering the alignment columns with a special software developed for this purpose. In this work, we investigated various approaches to the phylogeny reconstruction using proteins with two evolutionary domains as examples. The sequences of such proteins are inherently heterogeneous in the degree of conservation due to the presence of both evolutionary domains and linkers between them, as well as the N- and C-termini. It is shown that filtering the alignment columns on average improves the quality of reconstruction only when using the full-length sequences and only for eukaryotic proteins. Limiting the alignment to the evolutionary domains with rejection of less conserved linkers and terminal sequences on average worsened the quality of phylogenetic reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular composition of follicular fluid (FF) extracellular vesicles (EVs) in women of different reproductive ages and its possible relationship to sperm fertilizing ability. FF EVs were obtained by differential centrifugation. The concentration and size distribution of FF EVs were analyzed by nanoparticle tracking analysis. The lipidome and proteome were analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The isolated FF EVs had a variety of shapes and sizes; their concentration and size distribution did not differ significantly between the age groups. In women younger than 35 years, the concentration of vesicular progesterone was 6.6 times higher than in women older than 35 years, and the total levels of the main lipid classes were increased in younger women. A proteomic analysis revealed that not only FF EV-specific proteins, but also proteins involved in sperm activation were present. New data were obtained on the composition of FF EVs, confirming their importance as molecular indicators of age-related changes in the female reproductive system. In addition, these results shed light on the possible interaction between the FF EVs of women in different age groups and male germ cells. Therefore, studying the transcriptomic and metabolomic profile of FF EVs may be a crucial approach to evaluate the efficacy of ART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The product of ozonolysis, glycero-(9,10-trioxolane)-trioleate (ozonide of oleic acid triglyceride, [OTOA]), was incorporated into polylactic acid/polycaprolactone (PLA/PCL) blend films in the amount of 1, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40% w/w. The morphological, mechanical, thermal and antibacterial properties of the biodegradable PLA/PCL films after the OTOA addition were studied. According to DSC and XRD data, the degree of crystallinity of the PLA/PCL + OTOA films showed a general decreasing trend with an increase in OTOA content. Thus, a significant decrease from 34.0% for the reference PLA/PCL film to 15.7% for the PLA/PCL + 40% OTOA film was established using DSC. Observed results could be explained by the plasticizing effect of OTOA. On the other hand, the PLA/PCL film with 20% OTOA does not follow this trend, showing an increase in crystallinity both via DSC (20.3%) and XRD (34.6%). OTOA molecules, acting as a plasticizer, reduce the entropic barrier for nuclei formation, leading to large number of PLA spherulites in the plasticized PLA/PCL matrix. In addition, OTOA molecules could decrease the local melt viscosity at the vicinity of the growing lamellae, leading to faster crystal growth. Morphological analysis showed that the structure of the films with an OTOA concentration above 20% drastically changed. Specifically, an interface between the PLA/PCL matrix and OTOA was formed, thereby forming a capsule with the embedded antibacterial agent. The moisture permeability of the resulting PLA/PCL + OTOA films decreased due to the formation of uniformly distributed hydrophobic amorphous zones that prevented water penetration. This architecture affects the tensile characteristics of the films: strength decreases to 5.6 MPa, elastic modulus E by 40%. The behavior of film elasticity is associated with the redistribution of amorphous regions in the matrix. Additionally, PLA/PCL + OTOA films with 20, 30 and 40% of OTOA showed good antibacterial properties on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Raoultella terrigena (Klebsiella terrigena) and Agrobacterium tumefaciens, making the developed films potentially promising materials for wound-dressing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Restriction-modification (R-M) systems protect bacteria and archaea from attacks by bacteriophages and archaeal viruses. An R-M system specifically recognizes short sites in foreign DNA and cleaves it, while such sites in the host DNA are protected by methylation. Prokaryotic viruses have developed a number of strategies to overcome this host defense. The simplest anti-restriction strategy is the elimination of recognition sites in the viral genome: no sites, no DNA cleavage. Even a decrease of the number of recognition sites can help a virus to overcome this type of host defense. Recognition site avoidance has been a known anti-restriction strategy of prokaryotic viruses for decades. However, recognition site avoidance has not been systematically studied with the currently available sequence data. We analyzed the complete genomes of almost 4000 prokaryotic viruses with known host species and more than 17,000 restriction endonucleases with known specificities in terms of recognition site avoidance. Results: We observed considerable limitations of recognition site avoidance as an anti-restriction strategy. Namely, the avoidance of recognition sites is specific for dsDNA and ssDNA prokaryotic viruses. Avoidance is much more pronounced in the genomes of non-temperate bacteriophages than in the genomes of temperate ones. Avoidance is not observed for the sites of Type I and Type IIG systems and is very rarely observed for the sites of Type III systems. The vast majority of avoidance cases concern recognition sites of orthodox Type II restriction-modification systems. Even under these constraints, complete or almost complete elimination of sites is observed for approximately one-tenth of viral genomes and a significant under-representation for approximately one-fourth of them. Conclusions: Avoidance of recognition sites of restriction-modification systems is a widespread but not universal anti-restriction strategy of prokaryotic viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many proteins need recognition of specific DNA sequences for functioning. The number of recognition sites and their distribution along the DNA might be of biological importance. For example, the number of restriction sites is often reduced in prokaryotic and phage genomes to decrease the probability of DNA cleavage by restriction endonucleases. We call a sequence an exceptional one if its frequency in a genome significantly differs from one predicted by some mathematical model. An exceptional sequence could be either under or over-represented, depending on its frequency in comparison with the predicted one. Exceptional sequences could be considered biologically meaningful, for example, as targets of DNA-binding proteins or as parts of abundant repetitive elements. Several methods to predict frequency of a short sequence in a genome, based on actual frequencies of certain its subsequences, are used. The most popular are methods based on Markov chain models. But any rigorous comparison of the methods has not previously been performed. We compared three methods for the prediction of short sequence frequencies: the maximum-order Markov chain model-based method, the method that uses geometric mean of extended Markovian estimates, and the method that utilizes frequencies of all subse-quences including discontiguous ones. We applied them to restriction sites in complete genomes of 2500 prokaryotic species and demonstrated that the results depend greatly on the method used: lists of 5% of the most under-represented sites differed by up to 50%. The method designed by Burge and coauthors in 1992, which utilizes all subsequences of the sequence, showed a higher precision than the other two methods both on prokaryotic genomes and randomly generated sequences after computational imitation of selective pressure. We propose this method as the first choice for detection of exceptional sequences in prokaryotic genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a study of nanophases in the La2O3–MO3 (M = Mo, W) systems, which are known to contain a variety of good oxygen-ion and proton conductors. Mechanically activated La2O3 + MO3 (M = Mo, W) mixtures and the final ceramics have been characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) with Rietveld refinement. The microstructure of the materials has been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and their conductivity in dry and wet air has been determined using impedance spectroscopy. In both systems, the formation of hexagonal La15M8.5O48 (phase II, 5H polytype) (M = Mo, W) nanophases is observed for the composition 1:1, with exothermic peaks in the DSC curve in the range ~480–520 °C for La15Mo8.5O48 and ~685–760 °C for La15W8.5O48, respectively. The crystallite size of the nanocrystalline tungstates is ~40 nm, and that of the nanocrystalline molybdates is ~50 nm. At higher temperatures (~630–690 and ~1000 °C), we observe irreversible reconstructive phase transitions of hexagonal La15Mo8.5O48 to tetragonal γ-La2MoO6 and of hexagonal La15W8.5O48 to orthorhombic β-La2WO6. We compare the temperature dependences of conductivity for nanoparticulate and microcrystalline hexagonal phases and high-temperature phases differing in density. Above 600 °C, oxygen ion conduction prevails in the coarse-grained La18W10O57 (phase I, 6H polytype) ceramic. Low-density La15W8.5O48 and La15Mo8.5O48 (phase II, 5H polytype) nanoceramics exhibit predominantly electron conduction with an activation energy of 1.36 and 1.35 eV, respectively, in dry air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Avoidance of palindromic recognition sites of Type II restriction-modification (R-M) systems was shown for many R-M systems in dozens of prokaryotic genomes. However the phenomenon has not been investigated systematically for all presently available genomes and annotated R-M systems. We have studied all known recognition sites in thousands of prokaryotic genomes and found factors that influence their avoidance. Results: Only Type II R-M systems consisting of independently acting endonuclease and methyltransferase (called 'orthodox' here) cause avoidance of their sites, both palindromic and asymmetric, in corresponding prokaryotic genomes; the avoidance takes place for ∼ 50 % of 1774 studied cases. It is known that prokaryotes can acquire and lose R-M systems. Thus it is possible to talk about the lifespan of an R-M system in a genome. We have shown that the recognition site avoidance correlates with the lifespan of R-M systems. The sites of orthodox R-M systems that are encoded in host genomes for a long time are avoided more often (up to 100 % in certain cohorts) than the sites of recently acquired ones. We alsofound cases of site avoidance in absence of the corresponding R-M systems in the genome. An analysis of closely related bacteria shows that such avoidance can be a trace of lost R-M systems. Sites of Type I, IIC/G, IIM, III, and IV R-M systems are not avoided in vast majority of cases. Conclusions: The avoidance of orthodox Type II R-M system recognition sites in prokaryotic genomes is a widespread phenomenon. Presence of an R-M system without an underrepresentation of its site may indicate that the R-M system was acquired recently. At the same time, a significant underrepresentation of a site may be a sign of presence of the corresponding R-M system in this organism or in its ancestors for a long time. The drastic difference between site avoidance for orthodox Type II R-M systems and R-M systems of other types can be explained by a higher rate of specificity changes or a less self-toxicity of the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes are a group of proteins intensively studied as novel antibacterials, with some of them having reached pre-clinical and clinical stages of research. Many peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes have modular organization and consist of a catalytic and a cell wall binding domain. This property has been exploited in enzyme engineering efforts, and many new peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes were generated through domain exchange. However, rational combination of domains from different enzymes is still challenging since relative contribution of every domain to the cumulative bacteriolytic activity is not yet clearly understood. In this work, we investigated the influence of ionic strength and pH on the catalytic efficiency and cell binding of peptidoglycan-degrading enzyme lysostaphin and how this influence is reflected in the lysostaphin bacteriolytic activity. Contrary to generally accepted view, lysostaphin domains are not completely independent and their combination within one protein leads to increased bacteriolytic activity with increasing NaCl concentration, despite both catalysis and cell binding being inhibited by NaCl. This effect is likely mediated by changes in conformation of bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan rather than the physical inter-domain interaction. Key points: • NaCl enhances bacteriolytic activity of lysostaphin but not of its catalytic domain. • Catalytic activity and cell binding of lysostaphin are inhibited by NaCl. • Peptidoglycan conformation likely affects lysostaphin bacteriolytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The content of multipotent stromal cells (MSC) in the bone marrow and efficiency of their cloning (ECF-MSC) increased by 3 times 1 day after administration of complex S. typhimurium antigens to CBA mice, while the relative content of alkaline phosphatase-positive MSC colonies (marker of osteogenesis; P colonies) decreased from 14% (control) to 3%. After administration of the complex S. typhimurium antigens to CBA mice 3 h after (or 3 h before) curettage or treatment with morphogenetic protein (BMP-2), the content of MSC and ECF-MSC decreased on the next day by ~3 times in comparison with animals receiving antigens alone and approached the control level. The relative content of P colonies increased to 20 and 35%, respectively, in comparison with animals receiving antigens (3%), but was signifi cantly lower than after curettage (34%) or BMP-2 (42%) administration. Expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α, and IFN-γ genes in the primary cultures of stromal bone marrow cells induced by antigen administration was suppressed, while the concentrations of IL-12 and TNF-α in the culture medium sharply decreased after antigen treatment in combination with curettage or BMP-2 administration. Administration of complex S. typhimurium antigens after pretreatment with BMP-2 (3 h before) was associated with a decrease in serum levels of IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-12, and TNF-α in mice receiving BMP-2+ S. typhimurium group 4 h after treatment in comparison with the animals receiving only S. typhimurium antigens alone by 1.9, 4.4, 1.5, and 6 times, respectively, i.e. to normal level or below it, while the concentration of IL-10 increased by almost 2 times, which probably reflected anti-inflammatory properties of BMP-2. These data probably attest to competitive relations between osteogenesis and immune response at the level of MSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report the first synthesis of pyrochlore-like Ln2TiO5 with Ln=Er–Lu via cooling at a rate as slow as 5°C/h in the range 1600–820°C. The materials thus prepared differ in structure from the oxygen-ion-conducting Ho2TiO5 pyrochlore: the X-ray diffraction patterns of the pyrochlore-like Ln2TiO5 (Ln=Er–Lu) show weak 511 and 531 pyrochlore superstructure peaks and an unidentified peak at 2θ =19.6° (Cu Kα) (5% intensity). The Ln2TiO5 (Ln=Er, Tm) pyrochlores prepared via very slow cooling followed by quenching in liquid nitrogen from 840°C contain, in addition to a pyrochlore-like phase, a small amount (up to 5%) of the low-conductivity high-temperature hexagonal phase β-Ln2TiO5. The pyrochlore Ho2TiO5 contains microdomains of the hexagonal phase β-Ho2TiO5, which does not affect its high oxygen ion conductivity. The conductivity of the pyrochlore-like Ln2TiO5 with Ln=Er and Yb is substantially lower than that of the fluorite-like Ln2TiO5 (Ln=Er, Yb) and oxygen-ion-conducting pyrochlore Ho2TiO5 obtained via furnace cooling (130°C/h), which can be understood in terms of oxygen ordering in these compounds and the presence of the low-conductivity high-temperature phase β-Ln2TiO5 in the pyrochlore-like Ln2TiO5 (Ln=Er, Yb) at measurement temperatures (∼500–840°C). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

(Yb1− x Cax)2Ti2O7 and (Yb1− x Bax)2Ti2O7 ( x = 0, 0.05, 0.1) have been synthesized using hydroxide coprecipitation and mechanical activation of oxide mixtures, and their electrical conductivity has been measured from 350 to 1000°C. The pyrochlore titanate (Yb0.9Ca0.1)2Ti2O7 synthesized at 1400°C from a mechanically activated oxide mixture has the highest conductivity, ∼0.1 S/cm at 1000°C, among the oxygen-ion-conducting pyrochlores studied so far. The (Yb0.95Ca0.05)2Ti2O7 and (Yb0.9Ca0.1)2Ti2O7 samples prepared by reacting coprecipitated powder mixtures at 1400°C have a lower conductivity, as do the (Yb1− x Bax)2Ti2O7 ( x=0.05, 0.1) samples prepared using mechanical activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the effects of amino acids on the biosynthesis of protoberberine alkaloids. When 5 mM tyrosine was added to the nutrient medium, the content of alkaloids was reduced by 23% and dry weight was only 77% of the control. On the medium with 1 mM L-tryptophan, the content of alkaloids was somewhat increased (by 20%). Other amino acids (sulfur-containing L-cysteine and L-methionine, and also L-proline and L-arginine) did not affect substantially the content of alkaloids. The addition of 1 and 5 mM L-phenylalanine, which is not a primary precursor to alkaloids, induced the accumulation of alkaloids by the 17th day of the growth cycle by 40 and 140%, respectively, as compared to control treatment. The comparison of various phenylalanine concentrations showed that 7 mM phenylalanine added on the 7- 8th day induced the highest accumulation of alkaloids in the culture medium (above 1 g/l). The content of alkaloids and soluble phenolic compounds increased threefold in both the medium and cells. None of the amino acid tested enhanced biomass accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the structure and proton conductivity of rhombohedral La 6− x MoO 12− δ (x = 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 1) lanthanum molybdates prepared via mechanical activation of lanthanum and molybdenum oxides, followed by thermal annealing at 1650 °C. The La 6− x MoO 12− δ (x = 0.5, 0.6) materials were phase-pure and had a complex rhombohedral structure (R1). An increase in the molybdenum concentration leads to a decrease in the degree of rhombohedral distortion and proton conductivity in the La 6− x MoO 12− δ (x = 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 1) series. The proton conductivity at the optimal composition La 6− x MoO 12− δ (x = 0.5) is ~4.0 × 10−5 S/cm at 500 °C in wet air. A comparative analysis shows that, in the Ln 6− x MoO 12− δ (Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb; x = 0–1) series, proton conductivity decreases with the Ln ionic radii decreasing regardless of the structural type. Because of this, the high proton conductivity is demostrated by the stable La 6− x MoO 12− δ (x = 0.5, 0.6) materials, with an inherently deficient oxygen sublattice, which crystallize in a large-volume, complex rhombohedral cell (R1). • Single-step high-temperature synthesis of La 6-x MoO 12-δ (x = 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 1). • Proton conductivity decreases in the La 6-x MoO 12-δ (x = 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 1) series. • R1 La 6-x MoO 12-δ (x = 0.5, 0.6) materials were phase-pure after 1650 °C annealing. • R2 admixture decreases proton conductivity of La 6-x MoO 12-δ (x = 0.7, 1). • Proton conductivity decreases in the Ln 6-x MoO 12-δ (Ln = La, Nd, Ho-Yb). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have fabricated a series of potassium-doped (K-doped) perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Structural investigations of the developed PSCs have shown that alkai doping affects the perovskite layer structure and morphology with the increase of the crystallite size and surface uniformity. K-doped samples exhibite higher photovoltaic (PV) performance and improved operational stability compared to the control series of undoped PSCs, due to retarded recombination processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using mouse model of regeneration of critical size cranial defects, we studied combined effect of 1 and 10 μg of BMP-2 of prokaryotic origin and recombinant erythropoietin (Epostim) injected subcutaneously in the area of bone defect in a total dose of 6000 U/kg. Erythropoietin considerably improved quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the bone tissue in the site of implantation when used in combination with BMP-2 in both concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Anagrelide is an established treatment option for essential thrombocythaemia (ET). A prolonged release formulation was developed with the aim of reducing dosing frequency and improving tolerability, without diminishing efficacy. This multicentre, randomized, double blind, active‐controlled, non‐inferiority trial investigated the efficacy, safety and tolerability of anagrelide prolonged release (A‐PR) over a reference product in high‐risk ET patients, either anagrelide‐naïve or ‐experienced. In a 6 to 12‐week titration period the individual dose for the consecutive 4‐week maintenance period was identified. The primary endpoint was the mean platelet count during the maintenance period (3 consecutive measurements, day 0, 14, 28). Of 112 included patients 106 were randomized. The mean screening platelet counts were 822 × 109/l (95% confidence interval (CI) 707–936 × 109/l) and 797 × 109/l (95% CI 708–883 × 109/l) for A‐PR and the reference product, respectively. Both treatments effectively reduced platelet counts, to mean 281 × 109/l for A‐PR (95% CI 254–311) and 305 × 109/l (95% CI 276–337) for the reference product (P < 0·0001, for non‐inferiority). Safety and tolerability were comparable between both drugs. The novel prolonged‐release formulation was equally effective and well tolerated compared to the reference product. A‐PR provides a more convenient dosing schedule and will offer an alternative to licensed immediate‐release anagrelide formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using mouse model of regeneration of critical size cranial defects, we studied combined effect of 1 and 10 μg of BMP-2 of prokaryotic origin and recombinant erythropoietin (Epostim) injected subcutaneously in the area of bone defect in a total dose of 6000 U/kg. Erythropoietin considerably improved quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the bone tissue in the site of implantation when used in combination with BMP-2 in both concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of the Ln 6 MoO 12 (Ln = Sm, Ho - Yb) (3:1) rare-earth molybdates from binary oxides at room temperature has been studied by XRD and electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR). The mechanical activation of 3Ln 2 O 3  + MoO 3 (Ln = Sm, Ho, Yb) mixtures containing unmilled or premilled MoO 3 initiates the formation of Ln 6 MoO 12 (Ln = Sm, Ho - Yb) at room temperature, which is accompanied by a reduction in the ESR signal from Mo 5+ paramagnetic ions located on the surface of the activated MoO 3 and, hence, by a reduction in the amount of MoO 3 in the mixture, due to reaction with Ln 2 O 3 (Ln = Sm, Ho, Yb)·The major phase resulting from the mechanochemical synthesis is a cubic phase with the bixbyite structure ( Ia¯3, no. 206) for Ln 6−x MoO 12−δ (Ln = Dy –Yb; x = 0, 0.5) and the Sm 2 O 3 type structure ( C 2/m, no. 12) for Ln 6 MoO 12 (Ln = Gd, Sm). The high-temperature synthesis of Ln 6−x MoO 12−δ (Ln = Ho – Yb; x = 0, 0.5) and Ho 10 Mo 2 O 21 from precursors prepared at room temperature has been studied at 1200 °C and heat treatment times of 4, 40, 80, and 160 h. The bixbyite phase disappears because it is metastable and is formed due to kinetic factors in the stability field of lower symmetry phases: tetragonal (T) and rhombohedral ( R 3 ¯ ). We have located the stability range of the rhombohedral ( R 3 ¯ ) phase as a function of Ln below 1200 °C using different heating time. We have found conditions for the synthesis of the tetragonal phase T, which exists only in the case of the intermediate lanthanides. The tetragonal phase in phase-pure form has been synthesized for the first time via prolonged (160 h) heat treatment of Ho 10 Mo 2 O 21 at 1200 °C. The electrical conductivity of the samples with different % of tetragonal phase has been measured by impedance spectroscopy in dry and wet air. The Arrhenius plot of conductivity for pure tetragonal phase has the form of straight line over the entire temperature range studied, 440–900 °C (Е а  = 1.37 eV, σ 600°C  = 1 × 10 −5  S cm −1 ) in dry and wet air. The absence of electrode dispersions at low frequencies and conductivity growth in a wet air makes us assume the predominantly electronic conductivity type of the Ho 10 Mo 2 O 21 tetragonal phase in the temperature range 440–900 °C. In multiphase samples surface electronic conductivity is observed up to 620–650 °С in wet air, which is associated with the presence of defects at grain boundaries of crystallographically related phases (bixbyite, rhombohedral and tetragonal phases). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlamydia trachomatis is a widespread sexually transmitted pathogen that resides within a special vacuole inside host cells. Although acute infection can be treated with antibiotics, chlamydia can enter persistent state, leading to chronic infection that is difficult to cure. Thus, novel anti‐chlamydial compounds active against persistent chlamydia are required. Chlamydiae rely upon type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject effector proteins into host cell cytoplasm, and T3SS inhibitors are viewed as promising compounds for treatment of chlamydial infections. C. trachomatis ATPase SctN is an important T3SS component and has not been targeted before. We thus used virtual screening against homology modeled SctN structure to search for SctN inhibitors. Selected compounds were tested for their ability to inhibit chlamydial survival and development within eukaryotic cells, and for the ability to suppress normal T3SS functioning. We identified two compounds that were able to block normal protein translocation through T3SS and inhibit chlamydial survival within eukaryotic cells in 50–100 μ m concentrations. These two novel T3SS inhibitors also possessed relatively low toxicity toward eukaryotic cells. A small series of derivatives was further synthesized for the most active of two inhibitors to probe SAR properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tolerance factor is a good criterion to understand the structural transitions in Ln2−xCaxScMO7−δ (Ln = La, Sm, Ho, Yb; M = Nb, Ta; x = 0, 0.05, 0.1). Decreasing the Ln ionic radius in Ln2ScNb(Ta)O7 leads to a morphotropic transition from a pyrochlore to a fluorite-like structure. Ca2+-doping leads to a pyrochlore-to-fluorite transition in Ln2−xCaxScMO7−δ (Ln = La, Sm) and a fluorite-to-pyrochlore transition in Ho2−xCaxScNbO7−δ. Proton contribution to the total conductivity was observed for Ln2−xCaxScNb(Ta)O7−δ (Ln = La, Sm; x = 0, 0.05, 0.1) 3+/5+ pyrochlores and the maximum proton contribution was shown by Sm1.9Ca0.1ScMO6.95 (M = Nb, Ta), which are located at the boundary between pyrochlores and fluorites (comparative study of electrical conduction and oxygen diffusion). Proton conduction of Sm1.9Ca0.1ScNbO6.95 and Sm1.9Ca0.1ScTaO6.95 pyrochlores persists up to 800 and 850 °C, respectively. The conductivity of fluorite-like Ho2−xCaxScNbO7−δ (x = 0, 0.05) and Yb2ScNbO7 is dominated by the oxygen ion transport, in accordance with their energy activation values 1.09–1.19 eV. The dielectric permittivity and TG studies were used for the investigation of oxygen vacancy dynamics and water incorporation into the Ln2−xCaxScNb(Ta)O7−δ (Ln = La, Sm, Ho, Yb; x = 0, 0.05, 0.1) lattice. It is shown that oxygen vacancy-related dielectric relaxation in the range of 550–650 °C (ambient air), typical of pyrochlores and fluorites with pure oxygen ion conductivity, decreases and disappears for proton-conducting oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 with an additional s-tag domain (s-tag-BMP-2) synthesized in E. coli is characterized by higher solubility and activity than the protein without additional s-tag domain, which increases the yield during purification and simplifies protein introduction into the osteoplastic materials. The high osteoinductivity of the demineralized bone matrix with s-tag-BMP-2 was shown on the model of regeneration of cranial defects of a critical size in mice and on the model of implantation of porous titanium matrix into defects of femoral and tibial bones in rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysostaphin is a zinc-dependent endopeptidase that is effective against both antibiotic-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Lysostaphin is typically purified on cation-exchange or metal-chelate affinity resins, and there are data indicating potential influence of the chromatographic resin on the lysostaphin activity. In this study, we systematically investigated the impact of the resin used to purify the recombinant lysostaphin on its activity. To this end, recombinant lysostaphin with an additional histidine tag at the C-terminus was purified using a cation-exchange resin, three types of nickel-chelate resins with different strength of metal ion binding, or a zinc-chelate resin. Lysostaphin samples purified on the cation-exchange resin (WorkBeads 40S), the nickel-chelate resin with a strong nickel ion binding (WorkBeads NiMAC), and the zinc-chelate resin (WorkBeads NTA with immobilized zinc ions) had equal activity. On the contrary, the activity of lysostaphin preparations purified on nickel-chelate resins with medium (WorkBeads Ni-NTA) and relatively weak (WorkBeads Ni-IDA) nickel ion binding was significantly reduced. The decrease in activity can be explained by the interaction of lysostaphin with the nickel ions leached from the resin and is caused by either the exchange of the zinc ion in the lysostaphin active center with a nickel ion from the resin, or binding of an additional ion that inhibits the enzymatic activity. Removal of the metal ions from the active site of lysostaphin and subsequent incorporation of the native zinc ions lead to complete restoration of the activity of the enzyme. • The activity of recombinant lysostaphin depends on the resin used for its purification. • Interaction of lysostaphin with nickel ions leaching from the resin decreases its activity. • The activity can be restored by removing the nickel ions from the purified protein and adding the native zinc ions. • The fully active lysostaphin can be obtained with zinc-chelating resin or a resin with strong affinity to metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three variants of human recombinant erythropoietin (rhEPO) with additional N-terminal protein domains were obtained by synthesis in an Escherichia coli heterologous expression system. These domains included (i) maltose-binding protein (MBP), (ii) MBP with six histidine residues (6His) in N-terminal position, (iii) s-tag (15-a.a. oligopeptide derived from bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A) with N-terminal 6His. Both variants of the chimeric protein containing MBP domain were prone to aggregation under nondenaturing conditions, and further purification of EPO after the domain cleavage by enterokinase proved to be impossible. In the case of 6His-s-tag-EPO chimeric protein, the products obtained after cleavage with enterokinase were successfully separated by column chromatography, and rhEPO without additional domains was obtained. Results of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry showed that after refolding 6His-s-tag-EPO formed a structure similar to that of one of native EPO with two disulfide bonds. Both 6His-s-tag-EPO and rhEPO without additional protein domains purified after proteolysis possessed the same biological activity in vitro in the cell culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Samarium molybdates Sm 6-x MoO 12-δ (x = 0, 0.5) and samarium tungstate Sm 6 WO 12 – potential mixed electron-proton conductors have been studied by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, SEM and impedance spectroscopy (in ambient air and in dry and wet air). Solid solutions differing in structure have been obtained in the Sm 2 O 3 -MoO 3 system at 1600 °C. The samarium molybdate Sm 6 MoO 12 has the fluorite structure ( Fm¯3m ). The less samarium rich solid solution Sm 5.5 MoO 11.25 crystallizes in a rhombohedral ( R 3 ¯ ) structure. The morphotropic transformation is due to the change in the chemical composition of the solid solution with decreasing Sm 3 + concentration. The total conductivity of the cubic fluorite phase Sm 6 MoO 12 at 750 °C in air (1.48 × 10 − 3 S/cm, E a = 1.22 eV) is an order of magnitude higher than that of rhombohedral Sm 5.5 MoO 11.25 (2.34 × 10 − 4 S/cm, E a = 1.11 eV). At low temperatures (T < 500 °C), the Arrhenius plot of total conductivity for Sm 6 MoO 12 and Sm 5.5 MoO 11.25 in air deviates from linearity, suggesting that there is a proton contribution to its conductivity at these temperatures, like in the case of the Sm 5.4 Zr 0.6 MoO 12.3 zirconium-doped molybdate. Below ~ 500 °C, Sm 6 MoO 12 fluorite and fluorite-like Sm 6 WO 12 have identical Arrhenius plots of conductivity in ambient air. The region of dominant proton conductivity is wider for Sm 6 WO 12 than Sm 6 MoO 12 , reaching temperatures as high as 750 °С for the former. The absolute values of total conductivity obtained for samarium tungstate and molybdate at 400 °С in wet air are virtually identical and close to 3 × 10 − 6 S/cm, which suggests the conductivity of both compounds is dominated by protons at low temperatures and the proton transport numbers are similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeria monocytogenes is a causative agent of foodborne infection in humans and animals. The virulence factor InlB interacts with mammalian receptor c-Met via its internalin domain to provide L. monocytogenes invasion in non-professional phagocytes. Naturally occurring InlB internalin domain variants form four subclusters on the maximal likelihood tree. Four variants belonging to distinct subclusters were cloned into the vector carrying 3΄ and 5΄-flanking sequences to restore full length inlB and expressed in the L. monocytogenes strain EGDeΔinlB. The substitutions Val132Ile, Thr117Ala and Ile138Leu, Thr251Met/Ser were specific for variants 13, 14 and 1, respectively, the variant 9 carried Ser73Asn, Ile91Val, Leu164Pro, Met251Ser/Thr substitutions. All InlB variants improved invasion of the parental strain in murine colon carcinoma C26 cells with 4.6-fold difference between the most and least effective variants (variants 14 and 13, respectively, P < 0.05). Bacterial loads in livers of intragastrically infected mice were 258, 149 and 92 times higher for variant 14, 13 and 1 carrying strains, respectively, than for EGDeΔinlB (P < 0.01). In contrast, the variant 9 did not noticeably improve infection comparatively to the parental strain. Overall, obtained results demonstrated that naturally occurred InlB internalin domain variants differed in their ability to support intragastric infection in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoinductive characteristics of new osteoplastic materials based on demineralized bone matrix of xenogenic origin with high and controlled degree of purification were studied on the model of regeneration of critical-size cranial defects in rats using modern approaches, including histological analysis, evaluation of morphological parameters of the bone tissue obtained by micro-computed tomography, and estimation of bone tissue growth rate using in vivo fluorochrome label. Demineralized bone matrix and, to a much greater extent, its activated form containing modified recombinant growth factor rhBMP-2 with high content of the dimeric form exhibited osteoinductive activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZrO2/Y2O3 nanoparticles containing 0, 3, and 10 mol % Y2O3 were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. The structural and optoelectronic properties of the nanoparticles were studied using appropriate measurement techniques. From the synthesized ZrO2–Y2O3 nanostructured systems, electron-conductive thin-film photoelectrodes were fabricated and used to develop perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with the device configuration glass/FTO/ZrO2–Y2O3/CH3NH3PbI3/Spiro-MeO-TAD/Au. Comparative study of the PSC photovoltaic characteristics under 1000 W/m2 illumination (AM1.5G) has shown that the devices based on ZrO2–Y2O3 photoelectrodes exhibit a higher power conversion efficiency than the PSC based on undoped ZrO2 photoelectrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: E protein of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and other flaviviruses is located on the surface of the viral particle. Domain III of this protein seems to be a promising component of subunit vaccines for prophylaxis of TBE and kits for diagnostics of TBEV. Methods: Three variants of recombinant TBEV E protein domain III of European, Siberian and Far Eastern subtypes fused with dextran-binding domain of Leuconostoc citreum KM20 were expressed in E. coli and purified. The native structure of domain III was confirmed by ELISA antibody kit and sera of patients with tick-borne encephalitis. Immunogenic and protective properties of the preparation comprising these recombinant proteins immobilized on a dextran carrier with CpG oligonucleotides as an adjuvant were investigated on the mice model. Results: All 3 variants of recombinant proteins immobilized on dextran demonstrate specific interaction with antibodies from the sera of TBE patients. Thus, constructed recombinant proteins seem to be promising for TBE diagnostics. The formulation comprising the 3 variants of recombinant antigens immobilized on dextran and CpG oligonucleotides, induces the production of neutralizing antibodies against TBEV of different subtypes and demonstrates partial protectivity against TBEV infection. Conclusions: Studied proteins interact with the sera of TBE patients, and, in combination with dextran and CPGs, demonstrate immunogenicity and limited protectivity on mice compared with reference "Tick-E-Vac" vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus simulans lysostaphin is an endopeptidase lysing staphylococcus cell walls by cleaving pentaglycine cross-bridges in their peptidoglycan. A synthetic gene encoding S. simulans lysostaphin was cloned in Escherichia coli cells, and producer strains were designed. The level of produced biologically active lysostaphin comprised 6-30% of total E. coli cell protein (depending on E. coli M15 or BL21 producer) under batch cultivation conditions. New methods were developed for purification of lysostaphin without affinity domains and for testing its enzymatic activity. As judged by PAGE, the purified recombinant lysostaphin is of >97% purity. The produced lysostaphin lysed cells of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus haemolyticus clinical isolates. In vitro activity and general biochemical properties of purified recombinant lysostaphin produced by M15 or BL21 E. coli strains were identical to those of recombinant lysostaphin supplied by SigmaAldrich (USA) and used as reference in other known studies. The prepared recombinant lysostaphin represents a potential product for development of enzymatic preparation for medicine and veterinary due to the simple purification scheme enabling production of the enzyme of high purity and antistaphylococcal activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]