[Comprehensive medical rehabilitation using therapeutic physical factors including hydrokinesiotherapy in a pool with mineral water and its effect on circadian rhythms of arterial pressure and autonomic regulation in patients with arterial hypertension and with chronic psychoemotional stress]. / Kompleksnaya reabilitatsiya lechebnymi fizicheskimi faktorami s vklyucheniem gidrokinezioterapii v basseine s mineral'noi vodoi i ee vliyanie na tsirkadnye ritmy arterial'nogo davleniya i vegetativnuyu regulyatsiyu u bol'nykh arterial'noi gipertoniei i s khronicheskim psikhoemotsional'nym napryazheniem.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of the course-based comprehensive rehabilitation using the therapeutic physical factors of the Belokurikha resort, including hydrokinesiotherapy in a pool with mineral water on the circadian rhythms of arterial pressure and its autonomous regulation in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) associated with chronic psychoemotional stress (CPES). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 83 patients with stage I-II grade 1-2 of AH, whose professional activities were associated with CPES. Each participant had 24-hours Holter blood pressure monitored, and cardiointervalography (CIG) was performed before and after the medical rehabilitation course. The rehabilitation complex of the main group (II) included medication therapy for AH, diet, morning hygienic gymnastics, manual massage, total magnet therapy, and hydrokinesiotherapy in a pool with mineral water. Patients in the comparison group (I) were exposed to similar therapeutic physical factors with identical parameters of the procedures, except hydrokinesiotherapy, which was replaced by full baths with mineral water. RESULTS: Medical rehabilitation using the therapeutic physical factors of the Belokurikha resort with hydrokinesiotherapy in a pool promotes a decrease in the activity of a sympathetic nervous system and increase of vagal effects contribute to the regulation of vital functions of the AH patients, associated with CPES, thus minimizing the frequency of abnormal daily profiles night-peaker and over-dipper to 12.5% and 1.78% of cases, respectively, and increasing the percentage of subjects with its normal type (dipper) to 57.1% (p=0.039). CONCLUSION: The study results show the benefits of hydrokinesiotherapy in a pool with mineral water as a part of the course-based comprehensive rehabilitation in patients with hypertension and chronic psychoemotional stress in terms of normalizing circadian rhythms of arterial pressure and optimizing the activity of higher autonomous centers, which largely determine the cardiovascular system performance in this setting.

Structure of the Anti-C60 Fullerene Antibody Fab Fragment: Structural Determinants of Fullerene Binding.

The structure of the anti-C60 fullerene antibody Fab fragment (FabC60) was solved by X-ray crystallography. The computer-aided docking of C60 into the antigen-binding pocket of FabC60 showed that binding of C60 to FabC60 is governed by the enthalpy and entropy; namely, by π-π stacking interactions with aromatic residues of the antigen-binding site and reduction of the solvent-accessible area of the hydrophobic surface of C60. A fragment of the mobile CDR H3 loop located on the surface of FabC60 interferes with C60 binding in the antigen-binding site, thereby resulting in low antibody affinity for C60. The structure of apo-FabC60 has been deposited with pdbid 6H3H.

Three-Dimensional Structure of Cytochrome c Nitrite Reductase As Determined by Cryo-Electron Microscopy.

The structure of cytochrome c nitrite reductase from the bacterium Thioalkalivibrio nitratireducens was determined by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) at a 2.56 Å resolution. Possible structural heterogeneity of the enzyme was assessed. The backbone and side-chain orientations in the cryo-EM-based model are, in general, similar to those in the high-resolution X-ray diffraction structure of this enzyme.

[Peroxidase activity of octaheme nitrite reductases from bacteria of the Thioalkalivibrio genus].

Closely related penta- and octaheme nitrite reductases catalyze the reduction of nitrite, nitric oxide, and hydroxylamine to ammonium and of sulfite to sulfide. NrfA pentaheme nitrite reductase plays the key role in anaerobic nitrate respiration and the protection of bacterial cells from stresses caused by nitrogen oxides and hydrogen peroxide. Octaheme nitrite reductases from bacteria of the Thioalkalivibrio genus are less studied, and their function in the cell is unknown. In order to estimate the possible role of octaheme nitrite reductases in the cell resistance to oxidative stress, the peroxidase activity of the enzyme from T. nitratireducens (TvNiR) has been studied in detail. Comparative analysis of the active site structure of TvNiR and cytochrome c peroxidases has shown some common features, such as a five-coordinated catalytic heme and identical catalytic residues in active sites. A model of the possible productive binding of peroxide at the active site of TvNiR has been proposed. The peroxidase activity has been measured for TvNiR hexamers and trimers under different conditions (pH, buffers, the addition of CaCl2 and EDTA). The maximum peroxidase activity of TvNiR with ABTS as a substrate (k cat = 17 s­1; k cat/K m = 855 mM­1 s­1) has been 100­300 times lower than the activity of natural peroxidases. The different activities of TvNiR trimers and hexamers indicate that the rate-limiting stage of the reaction is not the catalytic event at the active site but the electron transfer along the heme c electron-transport chain.

Incorporation of copper ions into crystals of T2 copper-depleted laccase from Botrytis aclada.

Laccases belong to the class of multicopper oxidases catalyzing the oxidation of phenols accompanied by the reduction of molecular oxygen to water without the formation of hydrogen peroxide. The activity of laccases depends on the number of Cu atoms per enzyme molecule. The structure of type 2 copper-depleted laccase from Botrytis aclada has been solved previously. With the aim of obtaining the structure of the native form of the enzyme, crystals of the depleted laccase were soaked in Cu(+)- and Cu(2+)-containing solutions. Copper ions were found to be incorporated into the active site only when Cu(+) was used. A comparative analysis of the native and depleted forms of the enzymes was performed.

Structural study of the X-ray-induced enzymatic reaction of octahaem cytochrome C nitrite reductase.

Octahaem cytochrome c nitrite reductase from the bacterium Thioalkalivibrio nitratireducens catalyzes the reduction of nitrite to ammonium and of sulfite to sulfide. The reducing properties of X-ray radiation and the high quality of the enzyme crystals allow study of the catalytic reaction of cytochrome c nitrite reductase directly in a crystal of the enzyme, with the reaction being induced by X-rays. Series of diffraction data sets with increasing absorbed dose were collected from crystals of the free form of the enzyme and its complexes with nitrite and sulfite. The corresponding structures revealed gradual changes associated with the reduction of the catalytic haems by X-rays. In the case of the nitrite complex the conversion of the nitrite ions bound in the active sites to NO species was observed, which is the beginning of the catalytic reaction. For the free form, an increase in the distance between the oxygen ligand bound to the catalytic haem and the iron ion of the haem took place. In the case of the sulfite complex no enzymatic reaction was detected, but there were changes in the arrangement of the active-site water molecules that were presumably associated with a change in the protonation state of the sulfite ions.

Structural and functional studies of multiheme cytochromes C involved in extracellular electron transport in bacterial dissimilatory metal reduction.

Bacteria utilizing insoluble mineral forms of metal oxides as electron acceptors in respiratory processes are widespread in the nature. The electron transfer from a pool of reduced quinones in the cytoplasmic membrane across the periplasm to the bacterial outer membrane and then to an extracellular acceptor is a key step in bacterial dissimilatory metal reduction. Multiheme cytochromes c play a crucial role in the extracellular electron transfer. The bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was used as a model organism to study the mechanism of extracellular electron transport. In this review, we discuss recent data on the composition, structures, and functions of multiheme cytochromes c and their functional complexes responsible for extracellular electron transport in Shewanella oneidensis.

Octaheme nitrite reductases: structure and properties.

Octaheme oxidoreductases are widespread among various bacterial taxa involved in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle. The evolution of octaheme oxidoreductases of the nitrogen cycle from the evolutionarily more ancient pentaheme nitrite reductases was accompanied by changes in function from reduction of nitrogen oxides to their oxidation under changing environmental conditions. Octaheme nitrite reductases, which are the subject of the present review, are of a transitional form that combines structural and functional characteristics of pentaheme reductases and octaheme oxidases and possesses a number of unique features typical of only this family of enzymes. The review summarizes data on structure-function investigations of the family of octaheme nitrite reductases. Emphasis is given to comparison of the structures and functions of octaheme nitrite reductases and other multiheme oxidoreductases of the nitrogen cycle.

Chimeric lactase capable of spontaneous and strong immobilization on cellulose and development of a continuous-flow system for lactose hydrolysis at high temperatures.

Recombinant plasmids containing fusion proteins composed of two different modules were constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli. The modules encoded the lactase LacA (LacZ) from the thermophilic bacterium Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus and the cellulase CelD, a cellulose-binding module (CBM) from Anaerocellum thermophilum. The CelD CBM provides a spontaneous and strong sorption of the fusion proteins onto a cellulose carrier. The enzymatic activities of both the free LacA protein and LacA-CelD CBM fusion proteins immobilized onto the cellulose carrier were assessed. The LacA activity of the fusion protein was dependent upon its position with respect to the CBM. The highest level of lactase activity and stability was observed when the lactase domain was localized at its N terminus. A continuous-flow column reactor of lactase immobilized on a cellulose carrier was constructed, and its activity was assessed. The lactose hydrolysis rate for a 150 mM (5%) solution at a flow rate of 1 reactor volume per min was 75%, which is a value optimal for further whey transformation into glucose/galactose syrup.

Isolation and characterization of nitrate reductase from the halophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacterium Thioalkalivibrio nitratireducens.

A novel nitrate reductase (NR) was isolated from cell extract of the haloalkaliphilic bacterium Thioalkalivibrio nitratireducens strain ALEN 2 and characterized. This enzyme is a classical nitrate reductase containing molybdopterin cofactor in the active site and at least one iron-sulfur cluster per subunit. Mass spectrometric analysis showed high homology of NR with the catalytic subunit NarG of the membrane nitrate reductase from the moderately halophilic bacterium Halomonas halodenitrificans. In solution, NR exists as a monomer with a molecular weight of 130-140 kDa and as a homotetramer of about 600 kDa. The specific nitrate reductase activity of NR is 12 micromol/min per mg protein, the maximal values being observed within the neutral range of pH. Like other membrane nitrate reductases, NR reduces chlorate and is inhibited by azide and cyanide. It exhibits a higher thermal stability than most mesophilic enzymes.

Structures of the apo and holo forms of formate dehydrogenase from the bacterium Moraxella sp. C-1: towards understanding the mechanism of the closure of the interdomain cleft.

NAD(+)-dependent formate dehydrogenase (FDH) catalyzes the oxidation of formate ion to carbon dioxide coupled with the reduction of NAD(+) to NADH. The crystal structures of the apo and holo forms of FDH from the methylotrophic bacterium Moraxella sp. C-1 (MorFDH) are reported at 1.96 and 1.95 A resolution, respectively. MorFDH is similar to the previously studied FDH from the bacterium Pseudomonas sp. 101 in overall structure, cofactor-binding mode and active-site architecture, but differs in that the eight-residue-longer C-terminal fragment is visible in the electron-density maps of MorFDH. MorFDH also differs in the organization of the dimer interface. The holo MorFDH structure supports the earlier hypothesis that the catalytic residue His332 can form a hydrogen bond to both the substrate and the transition state. Apo MorFDH has a closed conformation of the interdomain cleft, which is unique for an apo form of an NAD(+)-dependent dehydrogenase. A comparison of the structures of bacterial FDH in open and closed conformations allows the differentiation of the conformational changes associated with cofactor binding and domain motion and provides insights into the mechanism of the closure of the interdomain cleft in FDH. The C-terminal residues 374-399 and the substrate (formate ion) or inhibitor (azide ion) binding are shown to play an essential role in the transition from the open to the closed conformation.

Overexpression, purification and crystallization of a thermostable DNA ligase from the archaeon Thermococcus sp. 1519.

DNA ligases catalyze the sealing of 5'-phosphate and 3'-hydroxyl termini at single-strand breaks in double-stranded DNA and their function is essential to maintain the integrity of the genome in DNA metabolism. An ATP-dependent DNA ligase from the archaeon Thermococcus sp. 1519 was overexpressed, purified and crystallized. Crystals were obtained using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method employing 35%(v/v) Tacsimate pH 7.0 as a precipitant and diffracted X-rays to 3.09 A resolution. They belonged to space group P4(1)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 79.7, c = 182.6 A.

[Research into the immunogenic properties of the recombinant cellulose-binding domain of Anaerocellum thermophilum in vivo].

Development of new technology allows different antigens of a necessary degree of cleanliness to be obtained. This development is a major problem of modern medical biotechnology. A promising approach to this problem includes use of the affinity domains (tags) incorporated in structure of a recombinant antigen and capable to bind to corresponding sorbents. The method of preparation of ready-for-use injections containing complexes formed by soluble antigens on insoluble cellulose immunosorbent (not chemical conjugates) in one stage is based on the fusion protein technology. This approach includes preparation of two-component recombinant proteins containing an antigen of interest and the cellulose-binding domain (CBD), which spontaneously binds to cellulose containing sorbents with high binding constant. Research into the immunogenic properties of the CBD in the complex with cellulose and in the preparation of recombinant CBD in a rat model was performed. The titers of specific antibodies in rat serum induced by recombinant CBD and CBD in the complex with cellulose was evaluated. The CBD in the complex with cellulose was more immunogenic in comparison with CBD alone. The spectrum and levels of cytokines in collected rat serum induced by developed preparations was also measured using the microsphere-based Luminex Flowmetrix system (BioPlex). It was found that the amorphous cellulose was not an immunotolerant sorbent, because it induced the expression of the proinfammatory cytokines in vivo.

Isolation and oligomeric composition of cytochrome c nitrite reductase from the haloalkaliphilic bacterium Thioalkalivibrio nitratireducens.

A new procedure for isolation of cytochrome c nitrite reductase from the haloalkaliphilic bacterium Thioalkalivibrio nitratireducens increasing significantly the yield of the purified enzyme is presented. The enzyme is isolated from the soluble fraction of the cell extract as a hexamer, as shown by gel filtration chromatography and small angle X-ray scattering analysis. Thermostability of the hexameric form of the nitrite reductase is characterized in terms of thermoinactivation and thermodenaturation.

[Three-dimensional structure of yellow fluorescent protein zYFP538 from Zoanthus sp. at the resolution 1.8 angstrom].

The three-dimensional structure of yellow fluorescent proteins zYFP538 (zFP538) from the button polyp Zoanthus sp. was determined at a resolution of 1.8 angstrom by X-ray analysis. The monomer of zYFP538 adopts a structure characteristic of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) family, a beta-barrel formed from 11 antiparallel beta segments and one internal alpha helix with a chromophore embedded into it. Like the TurboGFP, the beta-barrel of zYFP538 contains a water-filled pore leading to the chromophore Tyr67 residue, which presumably provides access of molecular oxygen necessary for the maturation process. The post-translational modification of the chromophore-forming triad Lys66-Tyr67-Gly68 results in a tricyclic structure consisting of a five-membered imidazolinone ring, a phenol ring of the Tyr67 residue, and an additional six-membered tetrahydropyridine ring. The chromophore formation is completed by cleavage of the protein backbone at the Calpha-N bond of Lys66. It was suggested that the energy conflict between the buried positive charge of the intact Lys66 side chain in the hydrophobic pocket formed by the Ile44, Leu46, Phe65, Leu204 and Leu219 side chains is the most probable trigger that induces the transformation of the bicyclic green form to the tricyclic yellow form. A stereochemical analysis of the contacting surfaces at the intratetramer interfaces helped reveal a group of conserved key residues responsible for the oligomerization. Along with others, these residues should be taken into account in designing monomeric forms suitable for practical application as markers of proteins and cell organelles.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of cytochrome c nitrite reductase from Thioalkalivibrio nitratireducens.

A novel cytochrome c nitrite reductase (TvNiR) was isolated from the haloalkalophilic bacterium Thioalkalivibrio nitratireducens. The enzyme catalyses nitrite and hydroxylamine reduction, with ammonia as the only product of both reactions. It consists of 525 amino-acid residues and contains eight haems c. TvNiR crystals were grown by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique. The crystals display cubic symmetry and belong to space group P2(1)3, with unit-cell parameter a = 194 A. A native data set was obtained to 1.5 A resolution. The structure was solved by the SAD technique using the data collected at the Fe absorption peak wavelength.

Optimization of solubilization and purification procedures for the hydroxylase component of membrane-bound methane monooxygenase from Methylococcus capsulatus strain M.

The hydroxylase component of membrane-bound (particulate) methane monooxygenase (pMMO) from Methylococcus capsulatus strain M was isolated and purified to homogeneity. The pMMO molecule comprises three subunits of molecular masses 47, 26, and 23 kD and contains three copper atoms and one iron atom. In solution the protein exists as a stable oligomer of 660 kD with possible subunit composition (alpha beta gamma)6. Mass spectroscopy shows high homology of the purified protein with methane monooxygenase from Methylococcus capsulatus strain Bath. Pilot screening of crystallization conditions has been carried out.

Use of a reverse micelle system for study of oligomeric structure of NAD+-reducing hydrogenase from Ralstonia eutropha H16.

Inclusion of an oligomeric enzyme, NAD+-dependent hydrogenase from the hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium Ralstonia eutropha, into a system of reverse micelles of different sizes resulted in its dissociation into catalytically active heterodimers and subunits, which were characterized in reactions with various substrates. It was found that: 1) the native tetrameric form of this enzyme catalyzes all types of studied reactions; 2) hydrogenase dimer, HoxHY, is a minimal structural unit catalyzing hydrogenase reaction with an artificial electron donor, reduced methyl viologen; 3) all structural fragments containing FMN and NAD+/NADH-binding sites exhibit catalytic activity in diaphorase reactions with one- and two-electron acceptors; 4) small subunits, HoxY and HoxU also exhibit activity in diaphorase reactions with artificial acceptors. These results can be considered as indirect evidence that the second FMN molecule may be associated with one of the small subunits (HoxY or HoxU) of the hydrogenase from R. eutropha.

Vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter from barley: identification and response to salt stress.

One of the protective mechanisms used by plants to survive under conditions of salt stress caused by high NaCl concentration is the removal of Na+ from the cytoplasm. This mechanism involves a number of Na+/H+-antiporter proteins that are localized in plant plasma and vacuolar membranes. Due to the driving force of the electrochemical H+ gradient created by membrane H+-pumps (H+-ATPases and vacuolar H+-pyrophosphatases), Na+/H+-antiporters extrude sodium ions from the cytoplasm in exchange for protons. In this study, we have identified the gene for the barley vacuolar Na+/H+-antiporter HvNHX2 using the RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends)-PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technique. It is shown that the identified gene is expressed in roots, stems, and leaves of barley seedlings and that it presumably encodes a 59.6 kD protein composed of 546 amino acid residues. Antibodies against the C-terminal fragment of HvNHX2 were generated. It is shown that the quantity of HvNHX2 in tonoplast vesicles isolated from roots of barley seedlings remains the same, whereas the rate of Na+/H+ exchange across these membranes increases in response to salt stress. The 14-3-3-binding motif Lys-Lys-Glu-Ser-His-Pro (371-376) was detected in the HvNHX2 amino acid sequence, which is suggestive of possible involvement of the 14-3-3 proteins in the regulation of HvNHX2 function.