[Estimation of the relationship of the gymnosperms and angiosperms on the basis of the data obtained by biochemical methods]. / Otsenka otnoshenii golosemennykh i pokrytosemennykh rastenii na osnove ispol'zovaniia biokhimicheskikh metodov.

The phylogenetic relationships of gymnospermous and angiospermous plants were studied. To this end, 13 antisera to seed proteins of plant taxa representing all the four classes of the gymnosperms were obtained. The antigens used in immunochemical reactions with these antisera included the proteins of 134 seed samples representing 91 families from all the 11 subclasses of dicotyledons and 64 seed samples representing 33 families from five out of six classes of monocotyledons (according to Takhtajan, 1996). Immunochemical analysis was performed by the methods of double immunodiffusion in agar gel (two variants) and immunoelectroblotting. In addition, some samples of seed proteins were analyzed for amino acid composition. The results corroborate the concept that the seed plants are a monophyletic taxon. The angiosperms have apparently originated from a progymnospermous ancestor or have branched from the main stem of gymnosperms prior to its division into the recent phyla. No common ancestor of all subclasses of the angiosperms has been identified.

[Diagnostic implications of detecting antibodies to angiotensin-converting enzyme and its substrates]. / Diagnosticheskaia vozmozhnost' opredeleniia antitel k angiotenzinprevrashchaiushchemu fermentu i ego substratam.

The results of the analysis of diagnostic significance of examination of natural antibodies (Nab) to agiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and its substrates in the serum of hypertensive patients indicate that concentration of Nab to ACE differ from this mean concentration in donors. An elevated level of Nab to ACE may be considered as a compensatory reaction to increased content of the enzyme in vascular endothelium and blood flow. The same patients were examined for antibodies to peptide angiotensin II (AT-II). Enzyme immunoassay has shown that a significantly elevated level of antibodies to AT-II was only in 5 examinees. The same patients had also high Nab to ACE. The study of a group of ischemic heart disease patients with adverse effects attributed to bronchial affection treated with enalapril and diroton (ACE inhibitors) demonstrates that deterioration of cough and external respiration function is not related to exacerbation of existing chronic pulmonary inflammation. None of the patients had elevated body temperature or inflammatory changes in the blood, other signs of inflammation. Enzyme immunoassay also proved that the initial level of Nab equaled mean value for donors or was insignificantly lower. Blood serum patients with side effects contained a significantly (p < 0.02) elevated quantities of Nab to bradikinin vs initial values. Thus, the proposed method of solid phase enzyme immunoassay quantifies Nab to ACE and its substrates in the patients.

[Application of the serological method for evaluation of relations between gymnosperms and dicotyledonous plants]. / Ispol'zovanie serologicheskogo metoda dlia otsenki otnoshenii golosemennykh i dvudol'nykh.

An attempt has been undertaken to evaluate interrelations of gymnospermous and dicotyledonous plants on the basis of immunochemical studies of seed proteins. For this purpose, 12 antisera were raised to proteins of taxa representing four gymnosperm classes: Ginkgoopsida, Cycadopsida, Coniferopsida, and Gnetopsida. Seed proteins of eight dicotyledonous subclasses (after Takhtadzhyan, 1987) were used. The representatives of all dicotyledonous subclasses gave immunochemical reactions with those of all gymnospermous classes. The data obtained suggest the presence of sufficiently close immunochemical relations between gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Samples were found among the representatives of subclasses Dilleniidae, Hamamelididae, and Rosidae, which gave satisfactory reactions with eight to ten antisera to proteins of dicotyledonous seeds. Analysis of the data we obtained suggests that gymnospermous and dicotyledonous plants took their origin from a common pragymnospermous ancestor and later evolved independently or that dicotyledons separated from gymnosperms at an early stage of their evolution before divergence of the latter into several phyletic lineages.

[Systematic relationships of podocarpales, cephalotaxales, and taxales based on comparative seed anatomy and biochemistry data]. / Sistematicheskoe polozhenie poriadkov Podocarpales, Cephalotaxales i Taxales po dannym sravnitel'noi anatomii i biokhimiii semian.

The morphology of female reproductive organs and anatomy, ultrastructure, and ultrasculpture of seed integuments were studied in more than 150 species of Podocarpales, Cephalotaxales, and Taxales. The main trends of morphological-evolutionary transformations of female fructifications were established in three studied groups of gymnosperms. The taxonomic weight of structural features of the female reproductive organs of Podocarpales, Cephalotaxales, and Taxales was determined. Seeds of 20 species of these orders were investigated using amino acid and Western blot analysis. The index of remoteness from the least specialized hypothetical taxon and degree of difference between taxa were calculated from data on amino acid composition of seeds and embryos. The differences in the degree of similarity between Podocarpales and other groups of gymnosperms were demonstrated. An original concept was proposed for phylogenetic relations between Podocarpales, Cephalotaxales, and Taxales.