SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as a Predictor of Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration: Potential Treatment Strategies.

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has attracted attention to the challenge of neuroinflammation as an unavoidable component of viral infections. Acute neuroinflammatory responses include activation of resident tissue macrophages in the CNS followed by release of a variety of cytokines and chemokines associated with activation of oxidative stress and delayed neuron damage. This makes the search for treatments with indirect anti-inflammatory properties relevant. From this point of view, attention is focused on further study of the treatment of patients with COVID-19 with dipyridamole (Curantil) which, having antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects, can inhibit acute inflammatory activity and progression of fibrosis, is a drug with potential, especially among patients with early increases in the D-dimer concentration and severe signs of microangiopathy.

[SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as a predictor of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration: potential therapy strategies]. / SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) kak prediktor neirovospaleniya i neirodegeneratsii: potentsial'nye strategii terapii.

The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) made it necessary to evaluate in more detail the processes of neuroinflammation as an integral component of the pathogenesis of viral infection. The acute neuroinflammatory response includes the activation of resident tissue macrophages in the CNS and the subsequent release of various cytokines and chemokines, which probably activates oxidative stress, causing long-term neuronal damage. This makes urgent the search for drugs with indirect anti-inflammatory effects with proven effectiveness. From this point of view, it is worth further studying the treatment of patients with COVID-19 with dipyridamole, which, with its antiviral activity and anti-inflammatory effect, inhibiting acute inflammation and progressive fibrosis, is the drug of choice, especially for patients with early signs of elevated D-dimer concentrations and pronounced clinical symptoms of microangiopathy.

[Acute cerebrovascular accidents associated with SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection (COVID-19)]. / Ostrye narusheniya mozgovogo krovoobrashcheniya, assotsiirovannye s koronovirusnoi infektsiei SARS-CoV-2(COVID-19).

Acute cerebrovascular accidents (ACVIs) associated with COVID-19 coronavirus infection are one of the most talked about problems in the medical community. To date, the true incidence of stroke in patients with COVID-19 remains unclear. So far, the published literature has been limited to case reports, case series, and observational cohort studies. The article analyzes possible risk factors, especially the age of patients, pathogenetic and clinical correlations of ACVA and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). A clinical case of an 82-year-old patient with ischemic stroke and COVID-19 infection is described.

Effect of Heterologous Expression of Chemotaxis Proteins from Genus Thermotoga on the Growth Kinetics of Escherichia coli Cells.

In the process of optimization of heterologous expression of thermostable chemotaxis proteins CheW and CheY as industrially useful polypeptides, their direct influence on the cell growth kinetics and morphology of Escherichia coli was observed. CheW and CheY of bacteria of the genus Thermotoga, being expressed in recombinant form in E. coli cells, are involved in the corresponding signal pathways of the mesophilic microorganisms. The effects of such involvement in the metabolism of "host" cells are extremely diverse: from rapid aging of the culture to elongation of the stationary growth phase. We also discuss the mechanisms of the influence of the heterologous chemotaxis proteins on cells, their positive and negative effects, as well as potential applications in industry and biomedicine.

[Preparation and characterization of a new mutant homolog of chemotaxis protein CheY from anaerobic hyperthermophilic microorganism Thermotoga naphthophila]. / Poluchenie i kharakteristika novogo mutantnogo gomologa khemotaksisnogo belka CheY iz gipertermofil'nogo anaérobnogo mikroorganizma Thermotoga naphthophila.

Using genetic engineering methods the expression vectors structures have been designed to produce recombinant proteins TnaCheY and Tna CheY-mut, the homologues of the chemotaxis protein CheY from the hyperthermophilic organism Thermotoga naphthophila in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells. The cultivation conditions of transformed strains were optimized. The influence of episomal expression of the heterologous chemotaxis protein CheY on growth kinetics parameters of the culture of mesophilic bacteria E. coli was studied. The optimal purification flowchart of the obtained proteins using thermolysis is proposed. Using the E. coli BL21(DE3) laboratory strain as an example, the possibility of employment the episomal expression of such proteins to control the cultivation and production time of pharmaceutically and industrially valuable metabolites due to the impact on some stages of the bacterial chemotaxis is experimentally proved.

Thermostable Recombinant Polypeptides as the Source of L-Amino Acids for Culture Media.

Mutant homologues of small chemotactic and DNA-binding proteins from thermophilic bacteria Thermotoga petrophila RKU-1 and Thermotoga naphthophila were obtained. These proteins can be expressed in the recombinant form in E. coli cells. A wide range of properties and parameters that are important for isolation of these proteins were revealed: stability in a wide temperature and pH range, high level of expression, solubility, and the possibility of using simple purification schemes with low number of successive steps. The positive effect of proteins on in vitro fibroblasts growth was demonstrated. The described properties of the target proteins indicate the possibility of their use in different biotechnology industries as an inexpensive source of L-amino acids.

Induction of Alternative Splicing and Inhibition of Activity of Telomerase Catalytic Subunit by Apoptotic Endonuclease EndoG in Human T, B, and NK Cells.

The effect of apoptotic endonuclease EndoG on alternative splicing of mRNA of human telomerase catalytic subunit hTERT (human telomerase reverse transcriptase) and telomerase activity in normal human lymphocytes were studied. Human CD4+, CD8+, B, and NK cells were transfected with a plasmid pEndoG-GFP containing EndoG gene or control plasmid pGFP. The levels of mRNA of EndoG or hTERT splicing variants were analyzed by real-time PCR. Protein content was assessed by Western blotting. Telomerase activity was measured by the telomere repeats amplification protocol. EndoG overexpression reduced the expression of active full-length hTERT and increased the expression of inactive splice variant. Shifted balance of hTERT splice variants in cells led to a significant decrease in telomerase activity within 72 h after transfection.

[Construction and characterization of a recombinant mutant homolog of the CheW protein from Thermotoga petrophila RKU-1]. / Poluchenie i kharakteristika rekombinantnogo mutantnogo gomologa belka CheW iz gipertermofil'nogo mikroorganizma Thermotoga petrophila RKU-1.

In the work a recombinant chemotaxis protein CheW from Thermotoga petrophila RKU-1 (TpeCheW) and its mutant homolog (TpeCheW-mut) were created. It was shown that, despite the low homology with CheW prototypes from intestinal bacteria, these proteins didn't cause metabolic overload and were well expressed by cells of E. coli laboratory strains. We have discovered a broad spectrum of industrial valuable properties of the TpeCheW-mut protein such as stability in a wide range of temperatures and pH, high expression level, solubility and possibility of the application of a simple low-stage purification methodology with the use of preliminary heat treatment. Possible directions of the scientific and industrial application of this protein were claimed.

[Induction of apoptotic endonuclease EndoG with DNA-damaging agents initiates alternative splicing of telomerase catalytic subunit hTERT and inhibition of telomerase activity hTERT in human CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes]. / Induktsiia apoptoticheskoi éndonukleazy EndoG povrezhdaiushchimi DNK agentami vyzyvaet al'ternativnyi splaising kataliticheskoi sub"edinitsy telomerazy hTERT i ingibirovanie aktivnosti telomerazy v CD4+ I CD8+ T-limfotsitakh cheloveka.

Activity of telomerase catalytic subunit hTERT (human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase) can be regulated by alternative splicing of its mRNA. At present time exact mechanism of hTERT splicing is not fully understood. Apoptotic endonuclease EndoG is known to participate this process. EndoG expression is induced by DNA damages. The aim of this work was to investigate the ability of DNA-damaging agents with different mechanism of action to induce EndoG expression and inhibit telomerase activity due to the activation of hTERT alternative splicing in normal activated human CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes. All investigated DNA-damaging agents were able to induce EndoG expression. Cisplatin, a therapeutic compound, producing DNA cross-links induced the highest level of DNA damages and EndoG expression. Incubation of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells with cisplatin caused the changes in proportion of hTERT splice variants and inhibition of telomerase activity.

[Prediction of protein thermostability from their primary structure: the current state and development factors]. / Prognozirovanie termostabil'nosti belkov po ikh pervichnoi strukture: sovremennoe sostoianie i faktory razvitiia.

The construction of proteins and peptides with desired properties, including resistance to high temperatures, as well as optimization of their amino acid composition, is an important and complex task, which attracts much attention in various branches of the basic sciences, and also in biomedicine and biotechnology. This raises the question: what method is more relevant for the at the pilot stage of research in order to estimate the influence of the planned amino acid substitutions on the thermostability of the resultant protein construct? In this brief review we have classified existing basic practical and theoretical approaches used in studies and predicting the thermal stability of native and recombinant polypeptides. Particular attention has been paid to the predictive potential of statistical methods for studying the thermodynamic parameters of the primary protein structure and prospects of their use.

[Suppression of telomerase activity leukemic cells by mutant forms of Rhodospirillum rubrum L-asparaginase]. / Podavlenie aktivnosti telomerazy leikoznykh kletok mutantymi formami L-asparaginazy Rhodospirillum rubrum.

The active and stable mutant forms of short chain cytoplasmic L-asparaginase type I of Rhodospirillum rubrum (RrA): RrA+N17, D60K, F61L, RrA+N17, A64V, E67K, RrA+N17, E149R, V150P, RrAE149R, V150P and RrAE149R, V150P, F151T were obtained by the method of site-directed mutagenesis. It is established that variants RrA-N17, E149R, V150P, F151T and RrАE149R, V150P are capable to reduce an expression hTERT subunit of telomerase and, hence, activity of telomeres in Jurkat cells, but not in cellular lysates. During too time, L-asparaginases of Escherichia coli, Erwinia carotovora and Wolinella succinogenes, mutant forms RrА+N17, D60K, F61L and RrА+N17, A64V, E67K do not suppress of telomerase activity. The assumption of existence in structure RrA of areas (amino acids residues in the position 146-164, 1-17, 60-67) which are responsible for suppression of telomerase activity is made. The received results show that antineoplastic activity of some variants RrA is connected both with reduction of concentration of free L-asparagine, and with expression suppression of hTERT telomerase subunit, that opens new prospects for antineoplastic therapy.

[PEGylated recombinant L-asparaginase from Erwinia carotovora: Production, properties, and potential applications].

N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of monomethoxy polyethylene glycol hemisuccinate was synthesized. It acylated amino groups in a molecule of recombinant L-asparaginase from Erwinia carotovora. A method of L-asparaginase modification by the obtained activated polyethylene glycol derivative was developed. The best results were produced by modification of the enzyme with a 25-fold excess of reagent relative to the enzyme tetramer. The modified L-asparaginase was isolated from the reaction mixture by gel filtration on Sepharose CL-6B. The purified bioconjugate did not contain PEG unbound to the protein, demonstrated high catalytic activity, and exhibited antiproliferative action on cell cultures.

[Bioactive proteins and peptides: current state and new trends of practical application in the food industry and feed production].

Proteins and polypeptides play a key role in the life of a human body. Scientific and practical interest to the natural proteinaceous substances could be explained by the diversity of their functions in metabolic processes. Biologically active substances of the protein origin have a rich history of applications in different sectors of the economy. In this case, the close relationship is observed between food industry, biomedicine and fodder production, because efficient conversion of feed protein in productive agricultural animals provides, as a result, the required level of metabolism in a human, as the main consumer of final products derived from these animals. Obviously, for normal growth, development and resistance to infectious agents, both people and farm animals need a constant consumption of L-amino acids in certain proportions and in available for absorption form. This review considers the bioactive polypeptides used in nutrition and food industry, main trends and practical approaches to generating protein products with the desired characteristics.

[Bacterial recombinant L-asparaginases: properties, structure and anti-proliferative activity].

For more than 40 years L-asparaginases are used in combined therapy of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children and the range of tumors sensitive to these enzymes constantly extends. This review summarizes results of studies aimed at creation of new systems for heterological expression of bacterial L-asparaginases as Erwinia carotovora (EwA), Helicobacter pylori (HpA), Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (YpA) and Rhodospirillum rubrum (RrA); special attention is paid to isolation of purified enzymes and their crystallization, modification by chitosan/polyethylene, physicochemical, kinetic and structural properties characterization, and the study of the cytotoxic or anti-proliferative activity of new recombinant L-asparaginases on cell cultures in vitro. The resultant recombinant L-asparaginases (EwA, YpA, HpA и RrA) exhibit reasonable cytotoxic action on the human leukemia cells comparable to the pharmacologically available L-asparaginase EcA and represent practical interest in respect to creation, on their basis, new effective antineoplastic remedies. Further prospects of researches on bacterial L-asparaginases are associated with development of analogs of Rhodospirillum rubrum L-asparaginase (RrA) by means of directed changes of the protein structure using genetic engineering, development of chito-PEGylation for receiving L-asparaginase preparations with improved pharmacokinetic characteristics.

Identification of functional regions in the Rhodospirillum rubrum L-asparaginase by site-directed mutagenesis.

Site-directed mutagenesis of Rhodospirillum rubrum L-asparaginase (RrA) was performed in order to identify sites of the protein molecule important for its therapeutic and physico-chemical properties. Ten multipoint mutant genes were obtained, and five recombinant RrA variants were expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) cells and isolated as functionally active highly purified proteins. Protein purification was performed using Q-Sepharose and DEAE-Toyopearl chromatography. Overall yield of the active enzymes was 70-80 %, their specific activity at pH 7.4 and 37 °C varied of 140-210 U/mg. L-Glutaminase activity did not exceed 0.01 % of L-asparaginase activity. All RrA mutants showed maximum enzyme activity at pH 9.3-9.5 and 53-58 °C. Km and Vmax values for L-asparagine were evaluated for all mutants. Mutations G86P, D88H, M90K (RrAH), G121L, D123A (RrАI) caused the loss of enzyme activity and confirmed the importance of these sites in the implementation of catalytic functions. Removal of four residues from C-terminal area of the enzyme (RrAK) resulted in the enzyme instability. Mutations D60K, F61L(RrАD), and R118H, G120R(RrАJ) led to the improvement of kinetic parameters and enzyme stabilization. Substitutions E149R, V150P (RrАB) improved antineoplastic and cytotoxic activity of the RrA. A64V, E67K substitutions, especially in combination with E149R, V150P (RrАE), considerably destabilized recombinant enzyme.

[Defensins - natural peptide antibiotics of higher eukaryotes].

The goal of this review is to characterize defensins representing an evolutionary the most ancient family of antimicrobial peptides. It gives general information on functional and structural features of defensins as the main components of the first-line defense of higher eukaryote organisms against infectious agents. The review considers not only current situation in the defensin research but also perspectives of creation of recombinant antimicrobial peptides of biomedical application.

Relationship between the duration of G1 period of eukaryotic cell cycle and age-associated changes in the expression of cyclin D1 and nuclear receptors.

The relationship between the duration of G(1) phase of eukaryotic cell cycle and age of cell donor was studied. The relationship of these processes with age-specific changes in the expression of cyclin D1 and nuclear receptors was traced. Obvious changes in the dynamics of expression of cyclin and nuclear receptors were detected in cells from donors of different age.

[Mexiprim in the complex treatment of patients with cervical dorsopathy and the vertebral artery syndrome].

Fifty patients with cervical dorsopathy with the vertebral artery syndrome were studied using clinical scales (neurological deficit, psychoemotional disturbances) and laboratory methods (parameters of oxidant stress). The correlations between the oxidant stress and the dynamics of neurological syndromes and psychoemotional disturbances as well as the efficacy and safety of their treatment with antioxidants (mexiprim) were determined.