ArdA genes from pKM101 and from B. bifidum chromosome have a different range of regulated genes.

The ardA genes are present in a wide variety of conjugative plasmids and play an important role in overcoming the restriction barrier. To date, there is no information on the chromosomal ardA genes. It is still unclear whether they keep their antirestriction activity and why bacterial chromosomes contain these genes. In the present study, we confirmed the antirestriction function of the ardA gene from the Bifidobacterium bifidum chromosome. Transcriptome analysis in Escherichia coli showed that the range of regulated genes varies significantly for ardA from conjugative plasmid pKM101 and from the B. bifidum chromosome. Moreover, if the targets for both ardA genes match, they often show an opposite effect on regulated gene expression. The results obtained indicate two seemingly mutually exclusive conclusions. On the one hand, the pleiotropic effect of ardA genes was shown not only on restriction-modification system, but also on expression of a number of other genes. On the other hand, the range of affected genes varies significally for ardA genes from different sources, which indicates the specificity of ardA to inhibited targets. Author Summary. Conjugative plasmids, bacteriophages, as well as transposons, are capable to transfer various genes, including antibiotic resistance genes, among bacterial cells. However, many of those genes pose a threat to the bacterial cells, therefore bacterial cells have special restriction systems that limit such transfer. Antirestriction genes have previously been described as a part of conjugative plasmids, and bacteriophages and transposons. Those plasmids are able to overcome bacterial cell protection in the presence of antirestriction genes, which inhibit bacterial restriction systems. This work unveils the antirestriction mechanisms, which play an important role in the bacterial life cycle. Here, we clearly show that antirestriction genes, which are able to inhibit cell protection, exist not only in plasmids but also in the bacterial chromosomes themselves. Moreover, antirestrictases have not only an inhibitory function but also participate in the regulation of other bacterial genes. The regulatory function of plasmid antirestriction genes also helps them to overcome the bacterial cell protection against gene transfer, whereas the regulatory function of genomic antirestrictases has no such effect.

[N-Domain of ArdA Antirestriction Proteins Inhibits the Repression Activity of the Histone-Like H-NS Protein].

DNA mimicking ArdA anti-restriction proteins specifically inhibit restriction (endonuclease) activity of the type I restriction-modification (RM) system. An ArdA monomer is comprised of three α-ß domains (the N-domain, Central domain, and C-domain), each with a different fold. Here we describe an alignment of the amino acid (a.a.) sequences of the ArdA with a conserved 20-a.a. motif in the N domain. The N domains of ArdA proteins of the Gram-positive bacteria Arthrobacter sp. and Bifidobacterium longum, and the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas plecoglossicida are capable of inhibiting the repressive activity of the H-NS global silencer protein in Escherichia coli cells. The presence of the H-NS inhibiting N domain in the ArdA structure enables horizontal gene transfer by mobile elements, including conjugative plasmids and transposons. Specifically, it aids in overcoming intercellular restriction barriers, allowing faster adaption to the genome context of the recipient bacterium.

[Thermostability and Refolding of Proteins in Bacteria Is Determined by the Activity of Two Different ATP-Dependent Chaperone Groups].

The thermal stability of protein enzymes is determined in vitro by measuring the enzymatic activity during incubation at constant temperature. Refolding of thermal inactivated enzymes is carried out both in vitro and in vivo, in the presence of chaperones, usually at temperature optimal for the particular enzyme for the manifestation of enzymatic activity. In the present work thermal stability of enzymes in vitro (using purified preparations) and in vivo (directly in the bacterial cell) has been determined. Bacterial luciferases of Aliivibrio fischeri, Photobacterium leiognathi and Photorhabdus luminescens as protein substrates have been used. It is shown that the thermal stability of the P. luminescens and P. leiognathi luciferases in vivo in the Escherichia coli MG1655 dnaK^(+) and PK202 ΔdnaKJ14 strains is considerable higher than the thermal stability of "cell-free extract" luciferases. When an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation the carbonyl-cyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) that reduce the intracellular concentration of ATP to a minimum level, and the volatile hydrophobic substance (-)-Limonene (C10H16) as an inhibitor of chaperone-dependent refolding are added to the medium, the thermal stability of luciferases reduces almost to the level which is characteristic for the purified protein preparation. It is shown that the ATP-dependent chaperones ClpA and ClpB are essential for the increase of thermostability of luciferases in bacterial cells. Also, it is shown that the DnaKJE-dependent refolding of thermoinactivated luciferases is practically absent if the protonophore СССР or the hydrophobic substance (-)-Limonene was added to the bacterial suspension. Taking the data presented in this paper into account, it is necessary to consider the presence in bacterial cells of two different groups of ATP-dependent chaperones: 1st group (DnaKJE, GroEL/ES) is able to conduct the refolding both at low temperature after protein thermal inactivation and at high temperature at which protein thermal inactivation occurs; 2nd group (ClpA,ClpB, and possibly still unknown chaperones) is unable to conduct the standard refolding (i.e. at low temperature), but capable due to the hydrolysis energy of ATP of maintaining nonequilibrium stabilization of protein native forms at high temperature.

[Histone-like protein H-NS as a negative regulator of quorum sensing systems in gram-negative bacteria].

The effects of histone-like protein H-NS on transcription of promoters of the Quorum Sensing regulated operons from marine luminescent mesophilic bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri and psychrophilic Aliivibrio logei, as well as from pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are studied. In the present work, the plasmids carrying DNA fragments with the promoters Pr1f (upstream of the luxICDABEG operon from A. fischeri), Pr1l (upstream of the luxCDABEG operon from A. logei), Pr2l (upstream of luxI gene from A. logei), PluxCf (upstream of luxC gene from A. fischeri), and PlasI (upstream of lasI gene from P. aerugenosa) are used. In these plasmids, promoter-operator regions are transcriptionally fused to the reporter genes cassette luxCDABE from Photorhabdus luminescens. Here we have shown that the transcription of the QS-regulated promoters in E. coli hns::kan cells increases 100 to 1000 times. Furthermore, transcription of the QS-regulated promoters in E. coli hns + cells increases 10 to 100 times in the cells transformed with the plasmid carrying gene ardA ColIb-P9 encoding DNA mimic antirestriction protein ArdA, inhibitor of the type I restriction-modification systems.

[Photoreactivation of UV-irradiated Escherichia coli K12 AB1886 uvrA6 with assistance of luminescence of Photobacterium leiognathi Luciferase].

The bioluminescence induced by luciferases of marine bacteria promotes repair of UV damaged DNA of Escherichia coli AB1886 uvrA6. It is shown that bacterial photolyase that implements photoreactivation activity is the major contributor to DNA repair. However, the intensity of bioluminescence increasing induced by UV-irradiation (SOS-induction) in bacterial cells is not enough for efficient photoreactivation.

[Photoreactivating Activity of Bioluminescence: Repair of UV-damaged DNA of Escherichia coli Occurs with Assistance of lux-Genes of Marine Bacteria].

The UV resistance of luminescent bacteria Escherichia coli AB1886 uvrA6 (pLeo1) containing the plasmid with luxCDABE genes of marine bacteria Photobacterium leiognathi is approximately two times higher than the UV resistance of non-luminous bacteria E. coli AB1886 uvrA6. Introduction of phr::kan(r) mutations (a defect in the functional activity of photolyase) into the genome of E. coli AB1886 uvrA6 (pLeo1) completely removes the high UV resistance of the cells. Therefore, photoreactivation that involves bacterial photolyase contributes mainly to the bioluminescence-induced DNA repair. It is shown that photoreactivating activity of bioluminescence of P. leiognathi is about 2.5 times lower compared with that one induced by a light source with λ > 385 nm. It is also shown that an increase in the bioluminescence intensity, induced by UV radiation in E. coli bacterial cells with a plasmid containing the luxCD ABE genes under RecA-LexA-regulated promoters, occurs only 25-30 min later after UV irradiation of cells and does not contribute to DNA repair. A quorum sensing regulatory system is not involved in the DNA repair by photolyase.

[Proteolytic control of the antirestriction activity of Tn2l, Tn5053, Tn5045 Tn501 TN402 non-conjugative transposons].

Conjugative plasmids and conjugative transposons contain the genes, which products specifically inhibit the type I restriction--modification systems. Here is shown that non-conjugative transposons Tn2l, Tn5053, Tn5045, Tn501, Tn402 partially inhibit the restriction activity of the type I restriction-modification endonuclease EcoKI (R2M2S1) in Escherichia coli cells K12 (the phenomenon of restriction alleviation, RA). Antirestriction activity of the transposons is determined by the MerR and ArdD proteins. Antirestriction activity of transposons is absent in mutants E. coli K12 clpX and clpP and is decreased in mutants E. coli K12 recA, recBC and dnaQ (mutD). Induction of the RA in response to the MerR and ArdD activities is consistent with the production of unmodified target sequences following DNA repair and DNA synthesis associated with recombination repair or replication errors. RA effect is determined by the ClpXP-dependent degradation of the endonuclease activity R subunit of EcoKI (R2M2S1).

Trigger factor assists the refolding of heterodimeric but not monomeric luciferases.

The refolding of thermally inactivated protein by ATP-independent trigger factor (TF) and ATP-dependent DnaKJE chaperones was comparatively analyzed. Heterodimeric (αß) bacterial luciferases of Aliivibrio fischeri, Photobacterium leiognathi, and Vibrio harveyi as well as monomeric luciferases of Vibrio harveyi and Luciola mingrelica (firefly) were used as substrates. In the presence of TF, thermally inactivated heterodimeric bacterial luciferases refold, while monomeric luciferases do not refold. These observations were made both in vivo (Escherichia coli ΔdnaKJ containing plasmids with tig gene) and in vitro (purified TF). Unlike TF, the DnaKJE chaperone system refolds both monomeric and heterodimeric luciferases with equal efficiency.

[Impact of exercise on alimentary hyperlipoproteinemia in patients with ischemic heart disease]. / Vliianie fizicheskikh nagruzok na alimentarnyiu giperlipoproteidemiiu u bolnykh ishemicheskoi bolezníu serdtsa.

The impact of graded exercises of various intensity and duration on serum lipoprotein values was examined in 20 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and 10 healthy individuals after a single dietary fat load (FL). FL resulted in hypertriglyceridemia which was accompanied by elevated apo-AI levels and reduced apo-B/apo-AI ratio in the healthy persons, whereas it was accompanied by lower apo-AI levels and increased apo-B/apo-AI ratio in the patients. The short-term maximum exercise in the presence of FL caused negative shifts in the lipid transport system both in the healthy persons and the patients, by elevating the level of apo-B-containing lipoproteins. Yet, the healthy individuals showed a further increase in apo-AI concentrations. The long-term exercise in the training mode corrected changes in lipid values, which had been induced by FL in the two groups of the examinees. There was a decrease in the levels of triglycerides, low density lipoprotein, cholesterol and an increase in the level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol.