[Organization of sanitary and epidemiological supervision of radiation exposure during x-ray studies in Novgorod region]. / Organizatsiia sanitarno-épidemiologicheskogo kontrolia za struktoroi oblucheniia pri provedenii rentrenologicheskikh issledovanii v Novgorodskoi oblasti.

Providing up-to-date X-ray equipment for medical institutions of Novgorod region could improve efficiency of radiologic diagnosis. Introducing individual radiation monitoring of radiation dose for X-ray staffers and for patients results in objective assessment of absorbed radiation doses for lower risk of long-term accidental effects.

Phosphorylation of the protein encoded by the first open reading frame of the MDG4 transposable element (gypsy) by homologous and heterologous casein kinases type 2.

Homogeneous casein kinase type 2 (CK2) was obtained from oocytes of Rana temporaria and cells of Drosophila melanogaster by chromatography on heparin-Sepharose, phosphocellulose, and Mono Q columns using a Pharmacia FPLC system. The procedure was first successfully used for the purification of CK2 from the Drosophila melanogaster cell culture. It has been shown that the protein encoded by the first open reading frame (ORF) of the gypsy transposable element (MDG4) is an effective protein substrate both for homologous and heterologous CK2 from the oocytes of Rana temporaria in vitro. Both enzymes catalyze the incorporation of two moles of phosphate per mole of protein. The Km and Vmax values for the reaction catalyzed by CK2 from the Drosophila cell culture were 32.5 +/- 2.1 nM and 70.97 +/- 1.89 nmol/min per microg, respectively, and for CK2 from oocytes, these values were 37.6 +/- 2.8 nM and 66.02 +/- 2.15 nmol/min per microg, respectively.

[Contribution of determinants, located in Bacillus anthracis chromosomes, in realizing the pathogenic properties of the pathogen]. / Vyiasnenie uchastiia determinantov, lokalizovannykh v sostave khromosomy Bacillus anthracis, v realizatsii patogennykh svoistv vozbutitelia.

Comparative study of virulence of B. anthracis strains harbouring pXO1 and pXO2 plasmids in mice and guinea pigs showed that among six B. anthracis strains, three were 100-1000 times less virulent for guinea pigs. Genetic construction of B. anthracis strains using transduction and conjugation transfer of resident plasmids permitted us to rule out the effects of modified pXO1 and pXO2 replicons and to prove the existence of nonidentified chromosome locuses responsible for the development of an infectious process in anthrax, along with plasmid determinants of virulence.

[Improvement in detection, registration and estimation of occupational diseases of the railroad transport]. / Sovershenstvovanie vyiavleniia, registratsii i ucheta professional'nykh zabolevanii na zheleznodorozhnom transporte.

Misdetection of occupational diseases in railway workers is discussed. The reason is that medical staff has poor knowledge of occupational diseases and patients with their signs and symptoms are not all registered. The paper gives scientific rationale for creating a register of occupational diseases in the system of enterprises subordinate to the Ministry of Railways.

[Some biochemical characteristics of substances from extracellular virus-like particles of the Gypsy retrotransposon (MDG4)]. / Issledovanie nekotorykh biokhimicheskikh kharkteristik preparatov vnekletochnykh virusopodobnykh chastits retrotranspozona Gypsy (Mdg4).

To investigate the gypsy functional activity, the possibility of conservation of its genetic information in VLP in the extracellular form has been examined. Preparations containing extracellular gypsy VLP from D. melanogaster and D. virilis were obtained. Non degradative full-sized polyA+ RNA and polyA+ RNA-DNA complexes of gypsy were revealed in the both preparations. The polypeptides with some specificity to gypsy nucleic acids were identified in VLP preparations. Some morphological and physical characteristics of the VLP preparations were obtained. The data obtained suggest the presence of non-degradative gypsy VLP in cultured media of D. melanogaster and D. virilis cells.

Presence of the gypsy (MDG4) retrotransposon in extracellular virus-like particles.

As a first step to investigate the functional activity of gypsy virus-like particles (VLPs) we explored the possibility of preservation of its VLP in extracellular form. The preparations containing extracellular gypsy VLP from Drosophila melanogaster and D. virilis were obtained. Full-length polyA+ RNA and polyA+ RNA-DNA complexes of gypsy were observed in both preparations. The polypeptides with some specificity to gypsy nucleic acids were identified in the obtained VLP preparations. These data accompanied by morphological characteristics of samples testify the presence of intact gypsy VLP in cultured media both from D. melanogaster and D. virilis cultivated cells.

Expression and regulation of casein kinase 2 during heat shock in Verticillium dahliae.

A homogeneous preparation of casein kinase 2 has been isolated from the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae (the parasite of cotton). The enzyme consists of three subunits with molecular masses of 53, 41, and 38 kDa. Highly specific immune serum against casein kinase 2 has been obtained. By means of immunoblotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunochemical isolation on protein A-Sepharose, it is shown that the amount of casein kinase 2 increases under heat shock conditions (at least in part due to the synthesis de novo), while the synthesis of the majority of other proteins falls. The activity of casein kinase 2 is supressed during heat shock and so does not correlate with its content. The results give an evidence for the two-step model of casein kinase 2 regulation during heat shock.

The main adenosine triphosphate-binding component of amphibian oocytes is ferritin.

After fractionation of mitochondrion-free extracts of Xenopus laevis and Rana temporaria oocytes in sucrose gradients, a distinct peak of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)/guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding activity in the 50-70 S range has been detected. This substance has a boyant density in Cs2SO4 of 1.45 g/cm3. The nucleotide-binding substance has been purified to apparent homogenety. By means of electron microscopy, sodium dodecyl sulfate-electrophoresis and other methods it has been identified as ferritin.

pH-dependent changes in structure and RNA-binding activity of casein kinase 2 from Rana temporaria oocytes.

It is demonstrated by filter-binding assay that casein kinase 2 from Rana temporaria oocytes binds rRNA in vitro with high affinity. Ligand-blotting shows that rRNA-binding activity is inherent to alpha and alpha' subunits of the enzyme. Increase of pH from 6.5 to 7.5 has little effect on casein kinase but completely suppresses rRNA-binding activity of the enzyme. Sedimentation coefficient of casein kinase 2 also depends on pH: at pH 7.5 it is mainly 10 S, and at pH 6.5-18 S. At pH 6.95 the amounts of both forms are equal. The heavy form of casein kinase 2 practically lacks rRNA-binding activity.

[Glycine-dependent cryotransformation of Bacillus anthracis by DNA of various plasmids]. / Glitsinzavisimaia kriotransformatsiia Bacillus anthracis DNK razlichnykh plazmid.

The possibility of the 1,8-60,0 Md plasmids DNA transfer into the cells of different Bacillus anthracis strains has been established. A number of parameters of the procedure has been optimized. The including of PEG6000 into the cryomixture in the final concentration 10% has been demonstrated to be vital for increase in transformants yields. Under the described conditions the maximal efficiency of transformation (1,2.10(3)) has been registered for the DNA of the plasmid pUB110. The efficiency of the process decreased concomittant with the size of the transformed plasmids representing 2-4.10(-1) for the plasmid perlicon pXO2 (60 Md). The plasmids obtained by Bacillus anthracis cells retained the functional and structural stability.

The decreased level of casein kinase 2 in brain cortex of schizophrenic and Alzheimer's disease patients.

The content of casein kinase 2 is considerably decreased in ribosome-free extracts of the frontal cortex of schizophrenic and Alzheimer's disease patients in comparison to normal brains as has been demonstrated by means of immunoblotting. The activity of casein kinase 2 towards endogenous substrates and casein is also diminished in the cases of mental pathologies examined. This phenomenon may explain the well-known aberrations in the phosphorylation of structural proteins of human brain which are intrinsic for the mental diseases.

[The molecular nature of Bacillus anthracis toxin]. / O molekuliarnoi prirode toksina Bacillus anthracis.

The biochemical nature of the three-component toxin of Bacillus anthracis is described as well as the molecular structure and regulation of the genetical determinants coding for its synthesis. The mechanism of toxin affect on animal cells is presented. The role of every of the toxin components in realization of Bacillus anthracis pathogenic properties is discussed.

[A comparative analysis of chromatographic, kinetic and antigenic properties of casein kinase type 2 from bovine liver and the phytopathogenic mushroom Verticillium dahliae]. / Sravnitel'nyi analiz khromatograficheskikh, kinetichskikh i antigennykh svoistv kazeinovykh kinaz tipa 2 iz pecheni byka i fitopatogennogo griba Verticillium dahliae.

Homogeneous preparations of casein kinases 2 have been isolated from bovine liver and the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae. The isolation procedure was similar in both cases and included consecutive chromatography on heparin-Sepharose, phosphocellulose PII and monoQ. The bovine liver enzyme consists of two subunits with molecular masses of 38 kDa and 27 kDa, while the fungus kinase has three subunits with Mr of 53 kDa, 41 kDa and 38 kDa. Self-phosphorylation of casein kinase 2 in vitro resulted in phosphate incorporation into the smaller subunit of the mammalian enzyme and into all the three subunits of the fungal enzyme. The Km value of casein kinase 2 from bovine liver for ATP is 3.1 microM; that for GTP is 22.0 microM. The corresponding parameters of the fungal kinase are 14.3 and 18.2 microM, respectively. Specific antibodies to each kinase have been raised. The lack of antigenic cross-reactions between the two enzymes has been demonstrated by ELISA.

[Inhibition of casein kinase type 2 activity by formation of complexes with mRNA in vivo]. / Ingibirovanie aktivnosti kazeinovoi kinazy tipa 2 za schet obrazovaniia kompleksov.

It is known that casein kinase 2 possesses, besides the protein kinase, an RNA-binding activity. Using ligand blotting it has been demonstrated that the both activities are localized on the alpha- and alpha'-subunits of the enzyme. Casein kinase 2 is suppressed in vitro by polyuridylic acid. A part of the intracellular pool of casein kinase 2 is found in the informosomes. The informosomes and free proteins were separated by centrifugation in a sucrose density gradient, and each fraction was incubated with casein and [gamma-32P]ATP. The informosome-bound protein kinase is completely inhibited, while the free protein kinases heavily phosphorylate casein. It is concluded that the activity of casein kinase 2 can be regulated by the reversible formation of complexes with RNA.