Structure and Functions of the Mediator Complex.

Mediator is a key factor in the regulation of expression of RNA polymerase II-transcribed genes. Recent studies have shown that Mediator acts as a coordinator of transcription activation and participates in maintaining chromatin architecture in the cell nucleus. In this review, we present current concepts on the structure and functions of Mediator.

Super-Resolution Microscopy in Studying the Structure and Function of the Cell Nucleus.

In recent decades, novel microscopic methods commonly referred to as super- resolution microscopy have been developed. These methods enable the visualization of a cell with a resolution of up to 10 nm. The application of these methods is of great interest in studying the structure and function of the cell nucleus. The review describes the main achievements in this field.

[The results of monitoring of antigen types of rotaviruses of group A on the territory of the Russian Federation in 2011-2015.]

The data of seasonal monitoring are presented concerning antigen types of rotaviruses group A circulating on the territory of the Russian Federation in the periods of seasonal uprising of morbidity in 2011-2015. Annually, the study included from 10 to 12 subjects of the Russian Federation with annual testing from 444 to 728 samples from children aged younger than 5 years with acute infection diarrhea. In the seasons of 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015 the most prevalent [P] G types of rotaviruses correspondingly made up to: G4[P]8 -50.2%-36.5%-43.8%-1.6%; G1[P]8 - 26.6%-14.3%-27.3%-22.5%; G3[P]8 - 4.4%-23.7%-4.2%-2.0%; G9[P]8 - 4.3%-5.3%-10.1%-7.1%; G2[P]4 - 7.7%-7.9%-9.0%-3.1%. The expressed territorial irregularity of prevalence of antigen types of retroviruses was observed.

[Monitoring of influenza and other respiratory diseases causative agents in children, hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia in 2012-2013 epidemic season].

AIM: Study the circulation of respiratory viruses in children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) during the period from October 2012 to May 2013. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 136 children with CAP aged from 3 months to 16 years with ARI symptoms at the disease debut were studied. RNA/DNA of influenza A, B, parainfluenza (PI); adeno-, rhino-, RS-viruses, corona-, metapneumo- (MPV) and bocaviruses were detected in nasopharynx smears by PCR with hybridization-fluorescent detection in real time. Antibodies against influenza viruses A/H1N1/pdm09 California/07/09, epidemic reference strains of influenza viruses A/H1N1/Brisbane/59/07, A/ H3N2/Victoria/361/201 1, B/Wisconsin/1/10, against PI viruses type 1, 2, 3 were determined in paired sera by HAI. RESULTS: In February-March 2013 the number of children protected by antibodies against influenza decreased, and circulation of influenza viruses A/H3N2 and A/H1N1/ pdm09 was detected. Rhinoviruses and PI viruses were determined throughout the epidemic season, bocavirus and adenoviruses--during the autumn-winter period, RS-virus and MPV--during winter-spring. Coronaviruses were not detected. The peak of virus detection was established in February when the threshold of influenza and ARI morbidity was exceeded. The main pathogens of children of the first 3 years of life are rhinoviruses, RS-virus, PI viruses and bocavirus. RS-virus infection at the debut of CAP in children younger than 3 years in 55.5% of cases is associated with the development of broncho-obstructive syndrome. Bocavirus infection in 50% of cases progresses with laryngo-tracheitis and bronchiolitis. CONCLUSION: The fraction of viruses in etiologic structure ofARI in children varies depending on immune layer, season and age of children. Etiology of viral infection at the debut of CAP could only be proven using specialized laboratory studies.

[Molecular components of JAK/STAT signaling pathway and its connection with transcription machinery].

JAK/STAT is one of the conservative signaling pathways in higher eukaryotes which plays a critical role in different ontogenesis processes. This article gives a review of the pathway structure at the molecular level, mainly in a model organism Drosophila. There are data about relationship of the signaling pathway and transcription machinery of higher eukaryotes.

[Activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway in S2 Drosophila melanogaster cell culture].

JAK/STAT signaling pathway plays a critical role in different ontogenesis processes of higher eukaryotes. Fruit fly drosophila is a handy model system used to study this pathway since major components of the pathway are represented by unique factors. This article describes the usage of Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells in studies of the pathway's target genes activation. We showed that S2 cells contain plenty of STAT protein which migrates into nucleus under cells treatment with pervanadate. Then we demonstrated that under pervanadate action STAT protein along with other transcription factors is recruited onto regulatory sequences of target genes and activates their transcription.

[Biological functions of Jak/Stat signaling pathway in Drosophila].

The basic biological processes under the control of the Jak/Stat signaling pathway in Drosophila are reviewed. As shown, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a very convenient model organism for investigation of Jak/Stat functions in various aspects of ontogenesis.

[Study of the Drosophila melanogaster trf2 gene and its protein product].

The Drosophila melanogaster TRF2 protein regulates transcription of several genes. The trf2 gene structure was studied. The gene proved to code for two protein isoforms, a known 75-kDa isoform and a newly identified 175-kDa isoform. The new isoform combines the known isoform sequence with an extended N end containing a coiled-coil motif. The long TRF2 isoform was found to act as a component of a multiprotein complex, including ISWI ATPase as well.

[Molecular epidemiology of ECHO 6 virus, the causative agent of the 2006 outbreak of serous meningitis in Khabarovsk].

A total of 3194 cases of enterovirus meningitis were notified in the Russian Federation in 2005, of them there were 1434 cases in the Khabarovsk Territory. Enteroviruses were isolated from 1020 out of the virologically studied 1362 patients from the Khabarovsk Territory. Viruses E6 and E30 were isolated in 80 and 14.7% of cases, respectively. E1, E3, E7, E33, Coxsackie virus B1, B4, B5, and A10 were sporadically detected. The E6 strains isolated in Komsomolsk-on-Amur were identical while E6 strains isolated in Khabarovsk belonged to two different genotypes and greatly differed from those isolated in Konsomolsk-on-Amur. The virus E30 strains isolated in Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur had a 1% difference in VP1 genome nucleotide sequence and belonged to E30 subtype that circulated in Russia and Kazakhstan in 2004-2005.

[Role of general transcription factors and the TFTC complex in transcription activation in vivo as revealed with a model of the hsp70 gene].

General transcription factors (GTFs) were tested for the presence on the promoter of the Drosophila melanogaster hsp70 gene in vivo. TBP, TBP-associated TAF proteins, TFIIB, TFIIF (RAP30), TFIIH (XPB), the TFTC complex (GCN5 and TRRAP), and a Mediator complex subunit (MEDI 3) were detected on the promoter before heat induction. Heat exposure significantly reduced the contents of TBP, TAF proteins, TFIIB, and TFIIF (RAP30), while these proteins were detected in ecdysone-inducible loci. It was assumed on the basis of these findings that a special mechanism induces transcription from the hsp70 promoter and that the apparent presence or absence of GTFs does not always reflect the transcriptional status of a gene.

[Transcriptional coactivator SAYP can suppress transcription in heterochromatin].

The new transcriptional coactivator SAYP binds at many sites to transcriptionally active chromatin of polytene chromosomes, colocalizes with RNA polymerase II, and coactivates transcription. On the other hand, SAYP is present in heterochromatic regions of chromosome IV and in the chromocenter and suppresses transcription of transgenes located in heterochromatin. The conserved SAY domain of SAYP is involved in transcription activation, while its PHD domains are responsible for gene silencing in heterochromatin. Thus, SAYP plays a dual role in regulating transcription in euchromatic and heterochromatic regions.

[Trithorax protein, a global factor for maintenance of tissue specific gene activation in Drosophila melanogaster, is associated with the nuclear matrix]. / Global'nyi faktor podderzhaniia tkanespetsificheskogo aktivnogo sostoianiia genov Drosophila melanogaster, belok Trithorax, assotsiirovan s iadernym matriksom.

Immunlfluorescence staining and Western blotting of proteins from the nuclear extract fractions showed for the first time that protein TRITHORAX, one of the most important proteins maintaining the tissue-specific transcriptionally active state of many Drosophila melanogaster genes, is associated with the nuclear matrix. TRITHORAX displayed similar staining at different stages of nuclear extraction and on the polytene chromosomes of the intact nuclei, as well as after partial or complete disruption of the nuclear envelope and chromosome release. This suggests that TRITHORAX bound to certain regulatory chromosome regions interacts with the adjacent elements of the nuclear scaffold, i.e., links the regions of actively transcribed genes with the nuclear matrix.

[Polymorphism of cattle prolactin gene: microsatellites, PSR-RFLP]. / Polimorfizm gena prolaktina (mikrosatellity, PTsR-PDRF) u krupnogo rogatogo skota.

In the samples of Russian Ayrshire and Gorbatov Red cattle breeds, distribution of frequencies of prolactin (PRL) gene alleles generated due to the presence of polymorphic RsaI site in exon 3 were studied. In the breeds, the frequencies of the B allele of the PRL gene (with RsaI(+) site) detected by the PCR-RFLP method were 14.1 and 8.6%, respectively. In Black Pied, Ayrshire and Gorbatov Red cattle breeds, variation of the microsatellite dinucleotide repeat in the regulatory region of the gene PRL was also studied. Gorbatov Red breed was monomorphic at the microsatellite locus with the only allele 164 bp in length. Two alleles (164 bp and 162 bp) were detected in the other breeds studied. The frequencies of 164-bp allele of the microsatellite locus were 93.7 and 90.0% in Black Pied and Ayrshire breeds, respectively. In Gorbatov Red breed of dairy type with good beef qualities and low milk-fat yield, lower level of heterozygosity for PRL gene was demonstrated compared to Ayrshire and Black Pied breeds with high milk-fat yield. In three cattle breeds, higher mean estimate of polymorphism information content of PCR-RFLP in exon 3 (PIC = 0.21) was revealed compared with the same estimate (PIC = 0.09) for the microsatellite locus variability in the regulatory region of the PRL gene. Characteristics of allele B distribution of the PRL gene in the representatives of the Bovidae family are considered.

[The neurological aspects of chromaffinoma]. / Nevrologicheskie aspekty khromaffinomy.

Vegetative dysfunction with episodes of tachycardia, hypertension, paleness, general hyperhidrosis, subfebrile condition, hyperglycemia manifest first among clinical symptoms of chromaffinoma. In respect to these symptoms severity the crises observed in chromaffinoma are classified as minor or major. Major crises may be cerebral, epileptiform, cardial and abdominal. The crises are attributed to hypercatecholaminergic arterial hypertension. A reliable laboratory diagnosis of the disease involves urinary measurements of catecholamines and their metabolites. Manifold increase of the latter concentrations may serve the diagnostic indication. The only effective treatment is the removal of the tumor from the adrenals.