Vol 2, No 1 (2010)

A federal target program (FTP) is one of the most important tools that the government has to create an innovative economy in Russia. In particular, the development of Russian science and technology is currently supported through the "Research and Development in Important Scientific and Technological Areas of Russia, 2007-2012" FTP. Currently, the main governmental client of the program, the Federal Agency for Science and Innovations, is being reorganized, and this FTP will be managed by the Ministry of Education and Science; the essence of the program, however, will not change. Top managers of the Federal Agency for Science and Innovations have told us about the program's structure and management.

The analysis of DNA nucleotide polymorphisms is one of the main goals of DNA diagnostics. DNA-dependent enzymes (DNA polymerases and DNA ligases) are widely used to enhance the sensitivity and reliability of systems intended for the detection of point mutations in genetic material. In this article, we have summarized the data on the selectiveness of DNA-dependent enzymes and on the structural factors in enzymes and DNA which influence the effectiveness of mismatch discrimination during enzymatic conversion of oligonucleotide probes on a DNA template. The data presented characterize the sensitivity of a series of DNA-dependent enzymes that are widely used in the detection of noncomplementary base pairs in nucleic acid substrate complexes. We have analyzed the spatial properties of the enzyme-substrate complexes. These properties are vital for the enzymatic reaction and the recognition of perfect DNA-substrates. We also discuss relevant approaches to increasing the selectivity of enzyme-dependent reactions. These approaches involve the use of modified oligonucleotide probes which “disturb” the native structure of the DNA-substrate complexes.

Understanding the mutual interactions of bacterial and phage populations in the environment of a human or animal body is essential in any attempt to influence these complex processes, particularly for rational phage therapy. Current knowledge on the impact of naturally occurring bacteriophages on the populations of their host bacteria, and their role in the homeostasis maintenance of a macro host, is still sketchy. The existing data suggest that different mechanisms stabilize phage-bacteria coexistence in different animal species or different body sites. The defining set of parameters governing phage infection includes specific physical, chemical, and biological conditions, such as pH, nutrient densities, host prevalence, relation to mucosa and other surfaces, the presence of phage inhibiting substances, etc. Phage therapy is also an ecological process that always implies three components that form a complex pattern of interactions: populations of the pathogen, the bacteriophages used as antibacterial agents, and the macroorganism. We present a review of contemporary data on natural bacteriophages occuring in human- and animal-body associated microbial communities, and analyze ecological and physiological considerations that determine the success of phage therapy in mammals.

We developed a novel PCR-fingerprinting system for differentiation of enterobacterial strains using a single oligonucleotide primer IS1tr that matches the inverted terminal repeats of the IS1 insertion element. Compared to widely used BOX-PCR and ribotyping methods, our system features higher resolution allowing differentiation of closely related isolates that appear identical in BOX-PCR and ribotyping but differ in their phage sensitivity. The IS1-profiling system is less sensitive to the quality of the material and equipment used. At the same time, BOX-PCR is more universal and suitable for bacterial strain grouping and reconstruction of the low-distance phylogeny. Thus, our system represents an important supplement to the existing set of tools for bacterial strain differentiation; it is particularly valuable for a detailed investigation of highly divergent and rapidly evolving natural bacterial populations and for studies on coliphage ecology. However, some isolates could not be reliably differentiated by IS1-PCR, because of the low number of bands in their patterns. For improvement of IS1-fingerprinting characteristics, we offer to modify the system by introducing the second primer TR8834 hybridizing to the sequence of a transposase gene that is widely spread in enterobacterial genomes.

Until recently the biocatalytic preparation of enantiomerically pure amines was based on stereoselective acyl transfer in an organic medium using activated acyl donors. The possibility of performing an effective and enantioselective enzymatic acylation of amines in an aqueous medium without using activated acyl donors was demonstrated for the first time as the example of direct condensation of phenylacetic acid and racemic 1-phenylethylamine. Direct condensation of the acid and the amine took place at mild reaction conditions with a high initial rate (3.3 μmole/(l∙h)), degree of conversion (80% acylation of active amine enantiomer), and enantioselectivity (enantiomeric excess of the product was more than 95%). The suggested approach has remarkable advantages compared to enzymatic reactions in organic media and is of practical value for the biocatalytic preparation of enantiomerically pure compounds at mild conditions using readily available reagents.

Multiple forms of proteasomes regulate cellular processes by destroying proteins or forming the peptides involved in those processes. Various pathologies, including carcinogenesis, are related to changes in functioning the proteasome forms. In this study, we looked at the changes in the pool of liver proteasomes during nodular regenerative hyperplasia and formation of adenoma and hepatocellular carcinoma in mice treated with Dipin, followed by partial liver resection. The relative content of various proteasome forms was determined using Western blot analysis. The chymotrypsin-like activity of proteasomes was assessed from the hydrolysis of the commercial Suc-LLVY-AMC substrate. It was found that changes in the proteasome pool appeared already during the formation of diffuse nodules, the changes being the increased expression of the X(β5) constitutive subunit and the LMP7(β5i) and LMP2(β1i) immune subunits, accompanied by the increase of the total proteasome pool and the decrease in the chymotrypsin-like activity. These changes were more pronounced in hepatocellular carcinoma. The content of the total proteasome pool and the LMP2(β1i) immune subunit and the chymotrypsin-like activity in adenoma were intermediate compared to those in the samples of liver with diffuse nodules and carcinoma. In addition, the level of the Rpt6 subunit present in the 19S proteasome activator was increased in carcinoma. Our results indicate that nodular regenerative hyperplasia and adenomatosis may be stages preceding carcinogenesis. We also conclude that there is a need to find signalling pathways that change the expression of various proteasome subunits during carcinogenesis. The l9S proteasome activator, which is overexpressed in malignant tumours, can be a promising target for the development of new anticancer drugs.

Influenza viruses are characterized by a high degree of antigenic variability, which causes the annual emergence of flu epidemics and irregularly timed pandemics caused by viruses with new antigenic and biological traits. Novel approaches to vaccination can help circumvent this problem. One of these new methods incorporates genetic vaccines based on adenoviral vectors. Recombinant adenoviral vectors which contain hemagglutinin-encoding genes from avian H5N1 and H5N2 (Ad-HA5-1 and Ad-HA5-2) influenza viruses were obtained using the AdEasy Adenoviral Vector System (Stratagene). Laboratory mice received a double intranasal vaccination with Ad-HA5-1 and Ad-HA5-2. This study demonstrates that immunization with recombinant adenoviruses bearing the Н5 influenza virus hemagglutinin gene induces a immune response which protect immunized mice from a lethal dose of the H5 influenza virus. Moreover, it also protects the host from a lethal dose of H1 virus, which belongs to the same clade as H5, but does not confer protection from the subtype H3 influenza virus, which belongs to a different clade. Our data allow us to conclude that adenoviral vectors may become a universal platform for obtaining vaccines against seasonal and pandemic strains of the influenza virus.