MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF TREPONEMA PALLIDUM IN BORDER REGION OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION (TUVA REPUBLIC).

The 111 strains of T. pallidum subsp. pallidum collected in Tuva Republic in 2013-2016 were typed by the arp, tpr (E, G, J) and tp0548 genes. The 7 subtypes were identified, in which the 14 d/f type was predominant (90.1%). The minor subtypes 14 b/f, 14 c/f, 14 d/g and 14 i/f constituted 0.9-1.8%. Single strains of 4 d/f H 9 d/f types (each 0.9%) previously described in China were detected in 2015. Both 9 and 14 arp gene variants were found in 3 clinical specimens for the first time in 2015-2016. Similarities in the molecular epidemiology of syphilis in Tuva Republic and Russia were demonstrated as well as differences from the T. pallidum subsp. pallidum population in China and Western Europe.

[The role of some individual amino acid substitutions in penicillin-binding protein (PBP2) of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the emergence of resistance to ceftriaxone].

The goal of the study was to identify amino acid replacements in the structure of penicillin-binding protein PBP2, which may influence on the development of resistance N. gonorhoeae to the III cephalosporins generation. The gene penA of 50 strains of N. gonorrhoeae was sequenced: 20 strains with high sensitivity to ceftriaxone (MIC, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, = 0.002 mg/L) and 30 strains with decreased sensitivity to ceftriaxone (MIC = 0.03-0.25 mg/L). The difference of MIC sensitivity between these strains was 30-250 times. Then nucleotide sequence was transformed into the amino acid sequence of PBP2 protein. Mutations in the gene penA and amino acid replacements in the protein PBP2 were found in 16 of 20 strains (80%) with high sensitivity to ceftriaxone and in all strains with decreased sensitivity to ceftriaxone. Amino acid replacements in the PBP2 protein were compared with amino acid replacements in groups, which characterize the PBP2 structure in accordance with the international classification Ito M. The amino acid replacement of PBP2 at positions 346, 505, 511, 517, 543, 567, 575, 576 are associated with V group by Ito M and have features of resistance of N. gonorrhoeae to ceftriaxone authentically (OR = 3.9 ± 2.5; χ2 = 4.9; p < 0.05). It was shown that the replacement of glycine to serine at position 543 of PBP2 in the analyzed strains induced the multiple increase of resistance to ceftriaxone. These data may be significant as showing strong influence of amino acid replacements at positions 346, 505, 511, 517, 567, 575 and, in particular, 543 for development of resistance N. gonorrhoeae strains to ceftriaxone.

[Chitin-glucan complex in cell walls of the Peltigera aphthosa lichen].

Cell walls and chitin-glucan complexes isolated from uneven-aged components of the thallus of the Peltigera aphthosa lichen were studied. The mass fraction of the cell wall and chitin-glucan complexes increased with age, but the content of nitrogen in these structures decreased with age. The basal area of the thallus was characterized by the largest mass fraction of the chitin-glucan complex from the dry mass of the thallus; the apical area, by the largest mass fraction of chitin in the complex. It was demonstrated that in P. aphthosa, the degree of deacetylation of chitin in the complex (depending on the age) was 33 and 54% in the apical and basal areas, respectively. The suggested method of functional analysis of chitin-glucan complexes for the presence of free amino groups in them can be used for studying other lichenified fungi.

[Averaging results of site recognition can increase the accuracy of annotating the human genome]. / Usrednenie rezul'tatov raspoznavaniia saitov mozhet uvelichit' tochnost' annotatsii genoma cheloveka.

A systemic approach is proposed, which makes it possible to increase the accuracy of recognition of functional sites in arbitrary DNA sequences. The approach is based on the Central limit theorem and consists in the averaging of a large number of recognitions of a particular site. To obtain a rather large number of recognitions within the framework of conventional methods of recognition, consensus, and frequency matrix, 20 novel oligonucleotide alphabets were used. The approach was used to study the binding sites of GATA-1 and C/EBP transcription factors. It was found that the averaged recognition of these sites is more precise than each of specific recognitions, which just follows from the Central limit theorem.

[Dynamic changes in the reactivity of the hormonal system regulation with the impact by LBNP sessions in long-term space mission]. / Dinamika reaktivnosti sistemy gormonal'noi reguliatsii pri vozdeistvii ODNT vo vremia dlitel'nogo kosmicheskogo poleta.

Experiment INTERSTITIUM was performed on days 3, 170, 287, and 430 of the long-term MIR mission of the Russian cosmonaut-physician in order to evaluate reactivity of the system of hormonal regulation of homeostasis during LBNP sessions. Data of the experiment displayed different types of reaction of the volume controls to LBNP at the onset (F-3), in the course of and soon after recovery (R-4) from the extended mission which are signs of specific phases of adaptive shifts in the organism of cosmonaut. Exaggerated reactivity of the hormonal systems during LBNP in flight suggests more significant consequences of the test for the cardiovascular system of human in microgravity. The most expressed hormonal reaction to LBNP was documented at the very beginning of the postflight period. Plasma cGMP was materially reduced in the process of the mission and remained quite low on R-4; return of nucleotides to the norm was observed no earlier than on R-90. Complete recovery from the space mission took three months when the hormonal reaction to LBNP was same as prior to launch.

[Biological techniques in space]. / Biologicheskie tekhnologii v kosmose.

The review is dedicated to the biotechnological studies in space. The main directions of studies in the space biotechnology are the developments of life support systems, crystallogenesis of biological macromolecules, separation of proteins and cells with the help of electrophoresis as well as the studies of cellular, subcellular and molecular processes induced by the spaceflight factors effect. The experience gained in the cultivation of unicellular organisms, the selection of perspective species and strains of microorganisms, the use of them in the ecological life-support system under development is considered in detail. The development of tooling designed for performing the overall technological chain ranged from growing the cell cultures to isolating the individual macromolecules and their storage has been followed. Findings gained in the studies of the transmittance of genetic material in the microorganisms allow one to hope that in perspective the microgravity conditions will be capable of cultivating the highly effective strains of the producers.

[120-day head-down tilted bedrest study with participation of female subjects: tasks and protocols of the studies]. / 12--sutochnaia antiortostaticheskaia gipokinesiia s uchastiem zhenshchin: zadachi i struktura issledovanii.

This paper presents an information on the goals, tasks and protocols of a 120-day head-down tilted bedrest study with participation of eight female subjects. It describes the use of various methods of research and different countermeasures.

[Effect of 120-day antiorthostatic hypokinesia on the reproductive function in women]. / Vliianie 120-sutochoi antiortostaticheskoi gipokinezii na reproduktvnuiu sistemu zhenshchin.

Original data on the peculiarities of adaptation to and functional status of the reproductive system in long-term antiorthostatic hypokinesia (AOH) have been obtained. The studies involved eight healthy female volunteers aged 26-37 years who were exposed to the head-down tilt (-6 degrees) for 120 days. The test subjects were divided into 2 groups of 4 persons each. In Group A, the countermeasures, i.e. physical exercise and pharmacological means, were used. In Group B, at no time did the test subjects use the countermeasures throughout the 120-day AOH. With and without the countermeasures, hypokinesia was found to impact the female reproductive system developing clinical symptoms of deficiency of the menstrual lutein phase and giving rise to small inclusions of functional fluids in the ovaries. Within 6 months after AOH, the ovarial function of the test subjects was fully recovered which may be indicative of the functional character of changes. These changes can be explained by dissociation of the functional relations in the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-ovarial system manifested by increases in the plasmic concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) against normal levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and prolactin, and moderately increased levels of testosterone, relative hyperestrogenemia and hypoprogesteronemia. These clinical and hormonal developments are contrary to the observations usually made in various models of stress. Similarity of the hormonal profiles under hypokinesia and long-term immersion of female swimmers may be ascribed to common mechanisms underlying the disturbance of the reproductive function.

[Glucocorticoid receptors in physiological states and in extreme conditions]. / Retseptsiia gliukokortikoidnykh gormonov v fiziologicheskikh usloviiakh i pri ékstremal'nykh sostoianiiakh.

This review discusses glucocorticoid hormone--receptor interaction in the animal and human organism in the normal, extreme (stress, radiation, head-down tilt, etc.) and pathological situations. Particular attention is given to advanced lines of research into glucocorticoid receptors within the framework of space biology and medicine. It is stressed that the data about glucocorticoid receptors may form the key that can help better understanding of changes induced by exposure to the space environment.

[Effectiveness and mechanisms of the protective action of sidnocarb in experimental weightlessness and cooling]. / Effektivnost' i mekhanizmy realizatsii zashchitnogo deistviia sidnokarba v usloviiakh éksperimental'noi nevesomosti i okhlazhdeniia.

Twenty-one subjects took part in experiments with acute cooling (maximally allowable time for swimming in ice-cold water and two-day exposure to winter field conditions) or two-day exposure to microgravity (simulated by water immersion). They were divided into a placebo group (5, 5 and 6 man-exposures) and a sydnocarb group (6, 6 and 4 man-exposures) and examined by biochemical, radioimmune and radioligand methods. It was found that physiological responses to cold and microgravity effects as well as sydnocarb were similar. During cold exposures the thermal steady-state was achieved by taking maximum daily doses of the drug. In thermoneutral water immersion body temperature fall was controlled by therapeutic doses of the drug. Body temperature decline beginning with immersion day 2 can be related to the endogenous decline of heat production due to a new functioning level which is well known in gravitational physiology, i. e. this is the effect of microgravity per se. With respect to old and new information about the pharmacological properties of sydnocarb, mechanisms of its high thermoregulatory effects on CNS structures responsible for heat production and heat loss are discussed.