The burden of serious fungal diseases in Russia.

The incidence and prevalence of fungal infections in Russia is unknown. We estimated the burden of fungal infections in Russia according to the methodology of the LIFE program (www.LIFE-worldwide.org). The total number of patients with serious and chronic mycoses in Russia in 2011 was three million. Most of these patients (2,607,494) had superficial fungal infections (recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, oral and oesophageal candidiasis with HIV infection and tinea capitis). Invasive and chronic fungal infections (invasive candidiasis, invasive and chronic aspergillosis, cryptococcal meningitis, mucormycosis and Pneumocystis pneumonia) affected 69,331 patients. The total number of adults with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and severe asthma with fungal sensitisation was 406,082.

[The role of autonomic dysfunction in pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome].

This article presents the results of a comparative study of autonomic disorders in patients with differernt types of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We used several clinical and instrumental methods, including the Veyn questionnaire, Kerdo autonomic index, skin sympathetic response and heart rate variability analysis. The results show a prevalence of sympathetic tone in all groups of patients (more pronounced in IBS with constipation), as well as an elevated stress index and decreased arterial baroreflex sensitivity. In the IBS with diarrhea group there was a reliable increase of power spectral density alvery low frequency and a lowered respiratory sinus arrhythmia.

Cell wall teichoic acids: structural diversity, species specificity in the genus Nocardiopsis, and chemotaxonomic perspective.

Data on the structures of cell wall teichoic acids, the anionic carbohydrate-containing polymers, found in many Gram-positive bacteria have been summarized and the polymers of the actinomycete genus Nocardiopsis have been considered from the taxonomic standpoint. The structures of these polymers or their combinations have been demonstrated to be indicative of each of seven Nocardiopsis species and two subspecies, verified by the DNA-DNA relatedness data, and to correlate well with the grouping of the organisms based on 16S rDNA sequences. As each of the intrageneric taxa discussed is definable by the composition of teichoic acids, the polymers are considered to be valuable taxonomic markers for the Nocardiopsis species and subspecies. The (13)C NMR spectra of the polymers, data on the products of their chemical degradation, and distinguishing constituents of whole cell walls derived from teichoic acids are discussed, which are useful for identification of certain polymers and members of the genus Nocardiopsis at the species and subspecies level in microbiological practice.

Structure of anionic carbohydrate-containing cell wall polymers in several representatives of the order actinomycetales.

A new teichoic acid was identified in the cell walls of Streptomyces griseoviridis VKM Ac-622T, Streptomyces sp. VKM Ac-2091, and Actinoplanes campanulata VKM Ac-1319T. The polymer is poly(glycosylglycerol phosphate). The repeating units of the polymer, alpha-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-galactopyran+ ++ osyl-(1-->1)-glycerols, are in phosphodiester linkage at C-3 of glycerol and C-6 of galactose. The structures of cell wall teichoic acids in the strains Streptomyces chryseus VKM Ac-200T and "Streptomyces subflavus" VKM Ac-484 similar in morphology and growth characteristics are also identical: 1,5-poly(ribitol phosphate) substituted at C-4(2) by 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-glucopyranosyl residues and 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate). The taxonomic aspects of these results are discussed.

Anionic carbohydrate-containing polymers of cell walls in two streptoverticille genospecies.

The cell walls of two streptoverticille genospecies which belong to a historically isolated group of the genus Streptomyces contain anionic polymers of different structure. Streptomyces hachijoensis VKM Ac-191T and Streptomyces cinnamoneus subsp. azacoluta VKM Ac-606T assigned to one genospecies on the basis of DNA--DNA hybridization [5] contain 37% of an identical sugar-1-phosphate polymer. The repeating disaccharide units of the polymer, 2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-al pha-D-glucopyranose, are linked at C-1 and C-6' by phosphodiester bonds. The cell walls of Streptomyces biverticillatus VKM Ac-891T and Streptomyces baldaccii VKM Ac-821T, members of another genospecies, contain about 30% 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) completely substituted by 2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl residues at C-2. Due to the presence of an amino sugar with a free amino group in the repeating unit, the polymers exhibit neutral properties. Polymer structures were determined by chemical methods and NMR spectroscopy. The data indicate taxonomic specificity of anionic polymers in streptoverticille cell walls.

Teichuronic acid of the cell wall of Actinoplanes brasiliensis.

The cell wall of Actinoplanes brasiliensis INA 3802 contains a teichuronic acid of unusual structure, as determined in a nondestructive way by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The polysaccharide comprises six tetrasaccharide units of the following composition: -->6)-alpha-D-Glcp-(1-->4)-beta-D-2,3-diacetamido- 2,3-dideoxyGlcpA-(1-->4)-alpha-D-2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dide oxyGlcp-(1-->4)-beta- D-2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxyManpA. A polymer of such structure has not heretofore been reported for procaryotic cell walls.

[Changes in the intracellular pool of free amino acids of Streptococcus lactis under different cultivation conditions]. / Dinamika vnutrikletochnogo fonda svobodnykh aminokislot Streptococcus lactis pri razlichnykh usloviiakh kul'tivirovaniia

The intracellular pool of free amino of Streptococcus lactis--lysine producer contains a good number of amino acids when cultivated on the corn medium. Glutamic acid, proline, alanine, lysine, leucine, histidine and arginine are in predominance. An almost complete amino acid pool develops at an early exponential phase of Str. lactis growth under stationary cultivation conditions. The content of free amino acids increases 4-fold during the transition from the early exponential phase to the stationary phases under submerged cultivation conditions. This can be attributed to a more intensive amino acid exchange during the medium stirring than during stationary cultivation.