[The impact of the long-term exposure of industrial aerosols on clinical and functional indices of the broncho-pulmonary system in aluminum smelter workers].

It was found that the appearance of respiratory diseases among workers was established to be associated with the impact of aerosols with the complex chemical composition, exceeding corresponding MAC. Among respiratory diseases in workers there were detected predominantly chronic non-obstructive bronchitis - 59.15%, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - in 35.2% of cases. In the analysis of spirometric indices of examined patients the vast majority (76.3%) of them showed disturbances of the bronchial patency of mild to moderate degree of the pronouncement. As a result of the implementation offlexible bronchoscopy there was established the presence of a diffuse lesion of bronchi with a predominance of subatrophic and atrophic processes in the mucosa. It was found that under the increase of the concentration of HF in the air of industrial premises the probability of bronchial obstruction and deterioration of the tracheobronchial patency in aluminum smelter workers was established to elevate.

[Influence of Drosophila melanogaster genotype on biological effects of endocymbiont Wolbachia (stamm wMelPop)].

Comparative analyses of symbiotic bacteria Wolbachia (stamm wMelPop reducing lifespan of flies) morphology in normal and mutant strains of Drosophila melanogaster as well as the influence of Wolbachia on the host cell ultrastructure have been done. Wolbachia infected D. melanogaster mutation strains Trithorax-like -- Trl362/TM3, Sb1 Ser y+ and Trlen82/TM3, Sb1 Ser y+ have been received by special flies crossing. Uninfected strain D. melanogaster white-1118 (w1118) have been obtained by antibiotic treatment of initially infected strain D. melanogaster [w]w1118. Complex of different methods and approaches let to investigate for the first time the morphology of cell structure before and after bacterial infection of insects and to value the bacterial presence effect on flies viability and reproduction of normal and mutant flies. Morphology af cytoplasmic compartments in early embryos and eggs layed by infected and uninfecyed females Trl362/TM3, Sb1 Ser y+ and Trlen82/TM3, Sb1 Ser y+ have been analyzed. Electron microscopy has shown that D. melanogaster embryos contain typical Wolbachia contacting with different host organelles that verify preservation of their functional activity. Atificial mitochondria and Wolbachia (wMelPop) of unusual morphology with defective bacterial membranes have been visualised in D. melanogaster [w]Trl362/TM3, Sb1 Ser y+. Wolbachia presence in ovarium cells from strains [w]Trl362/TM3, Sb1 Ser y+ and [w]Trlen82/TM3, Sb1 Ser y+ did not influence on eggs quantity layed by females. We have demonstrated for the first time that lifespan of infected and uninfected strains: D. melanogaster Trl362/TM3, Sb1 Ser y+ and Trlen82/TM3, Sb1 Ser y+ were similar. However the lifespan of imago from strain [w]w1118 was lower in comparison to those from strains Trl362/TM3, Sb1 Ser y+ and Trlen82/TM3, Sb1 Ser y+. It suggests that either chromosomal balancer TM3 or Trl mutation play an importance role in host-symbiotic relationship. Next experiments have revealed that lifespan of homozygotic flies decreased essentially and was close to lifespan of strain [w]w1118. Data obtained confirm that chromosomal balancer TM3 can affect on symbiont-host relationship.

[High temperature initiates changes of Wolbachia ultrastructure in the ovaries and early embryos of Drosophila melanogaster].

Electron microscopic analysis of Drosophila melanogaster (w1118) ovarian cells has demonstrated that stressful heat treatment of flies results in the appearance of electron dense granules and large lysosomes in the cytoplasm of ovarian cells, which is not related with the presence of Wolbachia, as these changes are observed in both the infected and uninfected flies. High temperature initiates essential envelope defects and other structural changes of symbiotic bacteria in the cytoplasm of ovarian cells. Some embryos developing from eggs of heat shocked flies die, however, bacteria in the survival embryos retain their typical morphology. Endosymbionts do not change their localization and their contacts with the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum in the ovarian cells and early embryos after heat shock treatment of the flies. The results obtained show that high temperature influences on both the host and the endosymbiont, but does not change their structural mutual interactions.

[Functional role of proteins containing ankyrin repeats].

This review describes and discusses new data about the structure and function of proteins which contain ankyrin-like repeats in their structure. These proteins have been found in cells of different organisms but they are not belonging to the cytoskeletal proteins. Many important functions of such proteins are provided by ankyrin repeats which maintain protein-protein interactions involved in the formation of transcription complexes, initiation of immuno-responses, biogenesis and assembly of cation channels in the membranes, regulation of some cell cycle stages, symbiotic interactions and many other processes. Mutations in genes encoding ankyrin-like proteins can cause defects in gene expression leading to diseases onset and progression in animals and humans. Therefore, the structure, dynamics and function of these proteins is an area of extensive research in modern biology.

[Structural organization and distribution of symbiotic bacteria Wolbachia in early embryos and ovaries of Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans]. / Strukturnaia organizatsiia i raspredeleniie simbioticheskikh bakterii Wolbachia v rannikh émbrionakh i iaichnikakh Drosophila melanogaster i D. simulans.

Electron microscopic and morphometric analyses of Wolbachia distribution in early embryos of Drosophila flies have demonstrated that the number of bacteria in the embryo remains constant from fertilization to blastoderm, and that afterwards the symbionts could be observed only in the polar cells. Each bacterium has a three-layer envelope, makes contacts with microtubules and moves through the cytoplasm following the actively dividing nuclei. It has been found for the first time that Wolbachia could produce secretory vacuoles in the cytoplasm of early embryos. The relative volume of Wolbachia was five times as much in the embryos of Drosophila simulans as in those of D. melanogaster (Canton S), while the survival rate of D. simulans was half as much as that of D. melanogaster. It was shown that Wolbachia could form spore-like structures in D. simulans embryos. Ultrastructural investigations of Drosophila ovaries suggest that the bacteria may be present in all ovariol cells, including the oocyte, within whose cytoplasm they are delivered to the host. The highest number of symbionts was observed in germarium cells. In ovariol cells, the bacteria gradually decrease in number as oogenesis progresses. It has been determined for the first time that the symbionts are located closely to membranes of rough endoplasmatic reticulum in follicular and nurse cells of D. melanogaster. The data obtained suggest that Wolbachia may be involved in the regulation of oocyte maturation.