Conformations of DNA in the presence of nanomole concentrations of Co+2 ions and mezo-tetra(4-N-oxyethylpiridil) porphyrin.

Conformation changes of calf thymus DNA induced by nanomole concentrations of Co(+2) and TOEPyP4 and influence of this ion on porphyrin binding mode with DNA duplex were studied at two NaCl concentrations (10 and 100 mM) using circular dichroism spectroscopy and absorption data. It was shown that addition of 85 nM Co(+2) into TOEPyP4/DNAb.p. = .015 solution caused an immediate change of the intercalative binding mode of porphyrin to external binding modes at low ionic strengths (10 mM NaCl). Increase of Co(+2) concentration from 165 to 650 nM caused a cooperative transition of DNA from B form to C-like conformation. Similar changes in binding mode and DNA conformation were observed at 100 mM NaCl, but they took place at higher concentrations of Co(+2) ions. Incubation of TOEPyP4/DNAb.p. = .015 in the presence of nanomole concentrations of Co(+2) ions at 36.6 °C showed a transition of DNA-B form into Z-like conformation. Maximal percent of Z-like DNA was observed when the incubation time was from 6 to 8 h. Longer incubation times of [DNA-TOEPyP4]+Co(+2) complexes caused a considerable recovery of CD spectra in UV region and a strong decrease in absorption at 260 nm. Here, we discuss some mechanisms of transition from B-DNA to C- and Z-like conformations.

Remodeling of heterochromatin induced by heavy metals in extreme old age.

The levels of chromosome instability and heat absorption of chromatin have been studied in cultured lymphocytes derived from blood of 80-93- and 18-30-year-old individuals, under the effect of heavy metal Cu(II) and Cd(II) salts. The analysis of the results obtained indicates that 50 µM Cu(II) induced a significantly higher level of cells with chromosome aberrations in old donors (13.8 ± 1.5% vs control, 3.8 ± 1.7%), whereas treatment with 100 µM Cd(II) did not induce any changes in the background index. Analysis of the lymphocyte melting curves showed that Cu(II) ions caused more effective condensation of heterochromatin in old healthy individuals compared with young donors, which was expressed by the increase of the T (m) of elderly chromatin by ~3°C compared with the norm. Treatment of lymphocyte chromatin of old individuals with 100 µM Cd(II) caused decondensation (deheterochromatinization) of both the facultative and constitutive domains of heterochromatin. The deheterochromatinization T (m) was decreased by ~3-3.5°C compared with the T (m) observed for young individuals. Thus, the chromatin of cultured lymphocytes from the old-aged individuals underwent modification under the influence of copper and cadmium salts. Cu(II) caused additional heterochromatinization of heterochromatin, and Cd(II) caused deheterochromatinization of facultative and constitutive heterochromatin. Our data may be important as new information on the remodeling of constitutive and facultative heterochromatin induced by heavy metals in aging, aging pathology, and pathology linked with metal ions.

Gerontology research in Georgia.

Gerontology research carried out in different scientific centers of Georgia follows the basic directions of most work in this field: epidemiology, investigation of the mechanisms of aging, and finding ways to prevent senile pathologies and to prolong life. The genealogy and epidemiology of long-living peaple have been studied in areas with high occurrence of these people by considering the sex ratio and social status of the long-living, the influence of environmental factors, and the development of senile pathologies. According to the centrosome (centriole) model of aging, the centrosomes and the cytoskeleton, important structures in cellular differentiation and morphogenesis, may be involved in the initiation of the replication senescence mechanism. Our analysis of genetic studies shows that progressive chromosome heterochromatinization (condensation of eu- and heterochromatin regions) occurs in aging. Decreases in the repair processes and increases in the frequency of chromosome aberrations during aging are secondary to this progressive chromosome heterochromatinization. Chromosome heterochromatinization is a key factor in aging but may be reversible under the influence of bioregulators, some chemical substances, and heavy metal salts. The study of chromosome heterochromatinization may provide clues to the potential for prolonging the human lifespan.

Bioregulator Vilon-induced reactivation of chromatin in cultured lymphocytes from old people.

The effect of the synthetic peptide bioregulator Vilon on structural and facultative heterochromatin of cultured lymphocytes from old people has been studied. The data obtained indicate that Vilon (a) induces unrolling (deheterochromatinization) of total heterochromatin; (b) activates synthetic processes caused by the reactivation of ribosomal genes as a result of deheterochromatinization of nucleolus organizer regions; (c) releases the genes repressed due to the condensation of euchromatic regions forming facultative heterochromatin; (d) does not induce decondensation of pericentromeric structural heterochromatin. Our results indicate that Vilon causes progressive activation (deheterochromatinization) of the facultative heterochromatin with increased aging.

Peptide Epitalon activates chromatin at the old age.

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVES and design. We have studied the effect of synthetic peptide Epitalon on the activity of ribosomal genes, denaturation parameters of total heterochromatin, polymorphism of structural C-heterochromatin and the variability of facultative heterochromatin in cultured lymphocytes of persons aged 76-80 years. RESULTS: The obtained data demonstrate that Epitalon induces the activation of ribosomal genes, decondensation of pericentromeric structural heterochromatin and the release of genes repressed due to the age-related condensation of euchromatic chromosome regions. CONCLUSIONS: Epitalon has shown its ability to activate chromatin by modifying heterochromatin and heterochromatinized chromosome regions in the cells of older persons.

Microcalorimetric study of iodized and noniodized cells and C-phycocyanin of Spirulina platensis.

It was shown that eight stages of transition are observed in the heating process of Spirulina platensis cells in temperature range 5-140 degrees C. The first stage covers the temperature range 5-53 degrees C with maximum approximately 45 degrees C. The heat evolved in this temperature range is equal to 380 +/- 20 J/g of dry biomass, it does not change at scanning rate lower than 0.083 degrees C/min and belongs, mainly, to cell respiration in a stationary regime, in the dark. It was shown that endotherm approximately 66 degrees C belongs to denaturation of C-phycocyanin which denaturates in solutions with Td = 64.2 degrees C, deltaHd = 34.7 +/- 2.1 J/g and for it deltaHd(cal)/deltaH(V.H) is equal to 10.8 +/- 1.2. The endotherms with Td equal to 58 and 88 degrees C are connected with denaturation of phycobilisome proteins and endotherm with Td = 48 degrees C and deltaHd = 4.2J/g of dry biomass-with denaturation of protein which, apparently, is connected with cell respiration.