Inactivation of the auto-inhibitory domain in Arabidopsis AtCPK1 leads to increased salt, cold and heat tolerance in the AtCPK1-transformed Rubia cordifolia L cell cultures.

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are essential regulators of plant growth and development, biotic and abiotic stress responses. Inactivation of the auto-inhibitory domain (AID) of CDPKs provides the constitutive activity. This study investigated the effect of overexpressed native and constitutive active (AtCPK1-Ca) forms of the AtCPK1 gene on abiotic stress tolerance and the ROS/redox system in Rubia cordifolia transgenic callus lines. Overexpression of the native AtCPK1 increased tolerance to salinity and cold almost in two times, when AtCPK1-Ca - in three times compare to control culture. A more interesting effect of overexpression of the AtCPK1 and AtCPK1-Ca was observed for heat resistance. The native form of AtCPK1 increased resistance to heating by 45%, while the AtCPK1-Ca increased by 80%. At the same time, another type of mutation of the AID (AtCPK1-Na, not active) did not affect the tolerance of the cell culture to stresses. We suppose, in this process, the ROS/redox system might be involved. Levels of intracellular ROS, ROS-generating enzymes expression and activities (Rbohs, Prx) and ROS-detoxifying enzymes (SOD, Cat, Apx and Prx) changed in a coordinated manner and in strict interconnection, depending of the callus growth phase and correlated with improved stress tolerance caused by AtCPK1. Because overexpression of both the AtCPK1 and AtCPK1-Ca did not significantly change callus growth, we propose that inactivation of AID of the AtCPK1 or its ortholog, might be an interesting instrument for improvement of plant cells resistance to abiotic stress.

The production of class III plant peroxidases in transgenic callus cultures transformed with the rolB gene of Agrobacterium rhizogenes.

The production of plant peroxidases by plant cell cultures is of great interest because of the potential for industrial applications. We used plant cell cultures overexpressing the rolB gene to produce increased amounts of plant class III peroxidases. The rolB gene ensured the stable and permanent activation of peroxidase activity in the transformed callus cultures of different plants. In particular, the total peroxidase activity in transformed Rubia cordifolia cells was increased 23-86-fold, and the abundance of the major peroxidase gene transcripts was increased 17-125-fold (depending on the level of rolB expression) compared with non-transformed control calli. The peroxidase-activating effect of rolB was greater than that of other peroxidase inducers, such as external stresses and methyl jasmonate.

Molecular cloning and characterization of seven class III peroxidases induced by overexpression of the agrobacterial rolB gene in Rubia cordifolia transgenic callus cultures.

Here, seven new class III peroxidase genes of Rubia cordifolia L., RcPrx01-RcPrx07, were isolated and characterized. Expression of the Prx genes was studied in R. cordifolia aerial organs as well as in cells transformed with the rolB and rolC genes of Agrobacterium rhizogenes and cells transformed with the wild-type A. rhizogenes A4 strain. In rolC- and rolB-transformed cells, the rol genes were expressed under the control of the 35S promoter, whereas in A. rhizogenes A4-transformed cells the rol genes were expressed under the control of their native promoters. All studied peroxidase genes were greatly upregulated in rolB-overexpressing cells. In contrast, overexpression of the rolC gene and expression of the rol genes under the control of their native promoters had little effect on the abundance of peroxidase transcripts. In accordance with this observation, peroxidase activity was substantially increased in rolB cells and was slightly affected in other transformed cells. Our results indicate that rolB strictly affects the regulation of a set of seven R. cordifolia class III peroxidases.

[The effect of a 5-year program of IHD prevention on the risk profile and mortality]. / Vliianie piatiletnei programmy profilaktiki IBS na profil' riska i smertnost.

Multifactorial prophylaxis on the individual basis was conducted for 5 years among the population of 2047 males aged 40-59 years with ischemic heart disease (IHD) or its risk factors. Compared to the comparison group of 2101 subjects, in the study group the investigators achieved a 37% reduction in the mean population profile of myocardial infarction risk due to less prevalence of 3 main risk factor: arterial hypertension, low physical activity, smoking. Unbalance of the groups by age and education made the effect of the prevention measures on cardiovascular mortality menostrable only at statistical Cox's model.

[Experience and results with an approach to preventing ischemic heart disease in a region]. / Opyt i rezul'taty podkhoda k profilaktike ishemicheskoi bolezni serdtsa v raione.

The program of coronary heart disease prevention among the population of the administrative district of Minsk was implemented over three years through the managerial, administrative and medical structures. The task team performed the organizational and methodological work and carried out the monitoring of the epidemiological situation with regard to coronary heart disease. 1537 persons underwent primary screening and 1112 were examined after three years. A statistically significant increase in the awareness of the population and doctors of the problems of a healthy lifestyle, improved indices of arterial hypertension control, a tendency toward decrease in the prevalence of arterial hypertension were recorded during the observation period. The behavioral risk factors could not be influenced.

[Ischemic heart disease in people of different somatotypes]. / Ishemicheskaia bolezn' serdtsa u lits raznykh somaticheskikh tipov.

Standard methods were used to study interrelations between the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD), its risk factors (RF), the course and the somatotype of the test subjects. The study was based on the data obtained during cardiological examination in Minsk of a representative sample of the male population (n = 3761) aged 40 to 59 years. It has been established that the prevalence of CHD, arterial hypertension (AH) and hypercholesterolemia increases consistently on passing over from asthenia to hypersthenia. Proceeding from the data of the exercise tests and analysis of the frequency of combinations of certain forms of CHD in persons belonging to different somatotypes a conclusion has been drawn that CHD runs a graver course in hypersthenic patients. It has also been shown by means of multidimensional analysis that just like RF such as AH, hypercholesterolemia and tobacco smoking, the hypersthenic build up makes a separate and significant contribution to the onset of CHD.

[Risk factors in chronic noncommunicable diseases]. / Faktory riska khronicheskikh neinfektsionnykh zabolevanii.

As a result of an epidemiological survey of able-bodied population aged 20-64, serviced by the territorial polyclinic of Minsk with the help of standard methods and standardized procedures, the data on the prevalence of some chronic non-communicable diseases and their risk factors were obtained. The high incidence of ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension, such risk factors as hypercholesteremia, excess body weight, smoking and lack of exercise, and also their increase with age, suggested the necessity to intensify preventive activities among population. A study was made of the able-bodied population awareness regarding healthy lifestyle and also of the extent to which outpatient physicians fulfil the non-drug therapy recommendations. The data obtained were needed for planning curative and preventive activities with due regard for age-and-sex peculiarities in the distribution of characteristics studied.

[Effectiveness of therapeutic-prophylactic measures in relation to the extent of their performance in a population of working-age men in Minsk]. / Effektivnost' lechebno-profilakticheskikh meropriiatii v zavisimosti ot stepeni ikh vypolneniia u populiatsii muzhchin trudosposbnogo vozrasta Minska.

An analysis was made of the effectiveness of therapeutic measures undertaken in the fit-for-work male population of Minsk. Significant differences were revealed in the changes of the levels and mean magnitudes of risk factors depending on the attitude towards realization of medical recommendations. The therapeutic measures were recorded to produce the most pronounced effect in respect to the incidence of arterial hypertension, excess body weight, tobacco smoking, and to the number of persons engaged in sports. The beneficial effect of preventive measures primarily tells on a relatively scanty group of persons at high risk as a result of which the significance of differences was disclosed in respect to the incidences and was not disclosed in respect to the mean values of arterial pressure and tobacco smoking.

[Self-control of blood pressure for the purpose of increasing the effectiveness of ambulatory treatment of arterial hypertension]. / Samokontrol' arterial'nogo davleniia s tsel'iu povysheniia éffektivnosti ambulatornogo lecheniia arterial'noi gipertenzii.

A method of blood pressure self-control was used in a random sample of males aged 40-59, with persistently increased BP (greater than or equal to 160/95 mmHg at two visits), as identified by an epidemiologic study. Daily BP self-control exercised for 2-5 weeks as supplementary to conventional hypotensive treatment (hypothiazide and clophelin) contributed to the recovery of normal BP values within 4.57 +/- 0.69 days, on the average. After one year of such practice, the efficiency of treatment reached 46.8%, as compared to the 20% in the control group, while the disability rate decreased. Indications have been developed for out-patient application of the self-control techniques.