[Screening of Organisms Producing Inhibitors of 15-Lipoxygenase Among Micromycetes.]

The effects of extracts from the mycelium of Lecanicilium lecaniiNo.169, Beauveria fellina No.7 and Beauveria bassianaNo.15 on the activity of 15-lpoxygenase (15-LO) recovered from rat reticulocytes was investigated. The activity of 15-LO was determined by oxidation of linolic acid. The extract from the mycelium of the fungal complex was shown to inhibit 15-LO (IC50 of 12 mcg/ml). The inhibitory effect of the combined extract on 15-LO was due to the substances recovered from Lecanicilium lecanii No.169. The extract fractions responsible for the activity were determined and the compounds containing the fractions were identified. They proved to be 10 - 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol and genistein, a flavonoid from fraction 11. The possible role of the inhibitory effect of the compounds on 15-LO in the antiatherosclerotic activity of the fungal extract is discussed.

[Change of Tumor Cell Multiple Drug Resistance Inhibitory Activity of Oligomycins in Complexes with Lithium and Zinc].

Oligomycins and their complexes with lithium and zinc were shown to be less active vs. cyclosporin A in inhibition of transport proteins responsible for multiple drug resistance of lymphoid leukosis P388VR cells, while certain oligomycin complexes were tens or hundreds times more active than cyclosporin A by inhibition of transport proteins in another type of tumor cells, i.e. human larynx cancer Hep-2, that makes possible the use of the oligomycins complexes with lithium and zinc for inhibition of multiple drug resistance of certain tumor types.

[Determination of oligomycins hydrophobicity parameters].

The parameters of hydrophobicity of five oligomycins, i. e. A, B, C, F and SC-II were determined by HPLC. The location of the ascending hydrophobicity parameter was set: oligomycin B < oligomycin SC-II < oligomycin A < oligomycin F < oligomycin C.

[Physico-chemical properties and structure of oligomycin SC-II, produced by Streptomyces virginiae 17].

Under the screening programme for antibiotics with antifungal and immunosuppressive activities, Streptomyces virginiae 17 producing an oligomycin complex was isolated. Separation of the complex by HPLC showed that it contained two components at a ratio of 8:2. The physico-chemical characteristics of the components were investigated. The structure of oligomycin was assessed by 13C NMR and 1H NMR.

[Streptomyces sp. 17, an organism producing oligomycin SC-iI (culture characteristics and antibiotic biological properties)].

Under the screening programme for organisms producing substances with hypolipidemic and antifungal activity Streptomyces sp. 17 was isolated. The taxonomic properties of the strain were investigated. Active compounds, i.e. oligomycin A and oligomycin SC-II were isolated from a complex biosynthetic product. Oligomycin A showed high antifungal activity whereas oligomycin SC-II had also moderate antibacterial activity.

[A study of diluted aqueous solutions of humic acids by scanning microcalorimetry].

It has been found by reversed-phase chromatography that humic acids obtained from vermicomposts of different duration of vermicomposting consist of a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic fractions, the hydrophobic fraction having a substantially lower content of charged, probably carboxylic, groups. A change in the sign of the temperature dependence of the heat capacity of diluted aqueous solutions of humic acids at approximately 58 degrees C has been found by differential scanning microcalorimetry, which indicates an increase in the hydration of hydrophobic groups. A jumpwise increase in heat capacity in the temperature range from 86 to 90 degrees C was also found, which is due likely to the hydration of hydrophobic groups in the interior of "micelles", due to the "devitrification" of the hydrophobic nucleus of micelle-like structures. It was shown that increasing the duration of vermicomposting leads to an increase in the relative content of the hydrophobic fraction of humic acids and in the cooperativity of the thermodynamic transition, which manifests itself in a jump of heat capacity, which probably results from the increase in the "micelle" size.

[Production of destruxins by coprotrophic Beauveria feline no. 7 strain].

Beauveria feline No. 7 strain was isolated from the shrewmouse wool and characterized by production of a complex of destruxins cyclodepsipeptides. The strain was shown to produce significant quatities of destruxin B and pseudodestruxin C. The destruxins were found to be able to inhibit formation of biofilms by Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27833.

[Complex of cyclosporins produced by Tolypocladium inflatum isolated from soil sample from Buriatiia].

A micromycete culture was isolated from a soil sample of Buryatiya and identified as Tolypocladium inflatum No. 2. The culture was shown to produce a complex of cyclosporins of unusual component structure: the content of cyclosporin A (55-60%) was the same as that in the substances produced by the majority of the described cultures, the content of cyclosporin B was much higher (about 40%) and the content of cyclosporin C was relatively low (about 3%). An appreciable content of cyclosporin (Leu4)Cs (3%) proved to be of interest.

Comparative effects of limited tryptic hydrolysis on physicochemical and structural features of seed 11S globulins.

The effect of the limited proteolysis by trypsin on selected seed storage 11S globulins (broad bean and pea legumins, glycinin and helianthinin) was studied by high-sensitive differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescence spectroscopy and analysis of proteolysis kinetics. Different behaviour of glycinin and helianthinin, on one hand, and broad bean and pea legumins, on the other, were observed: in the first group changes in the physicochemical characteristics of the proteins due to their limited proteolysis are more pronounced in comparison with the second one, in relation with the extent of primary structure modifications. The differences observed have been evaluated in relation with the amino acid sequence features of the four 11S globulin studied and agree with the literature data concerning the protein structural changes in the course of the limited proteolysis.

[Determination of the structure of the main component of an antibiotic complex produced by Streptomyces griseolus 182]. / Opredelenie struktury osnovnogo komponenta antibioticheskogo kompleksa, obrazuemogo Streptomyces griseolus 182.

In the programme for screening antibiotics with antifungal and immunosuppressing activity a culture of Streptomyces griseolus 182 was isolated. The culture produced a complex of oligomycin structure antibiotics. Individual components of the complex were isolated by HPLC. The complex was shown to contain three components at a ratio of 80:15:5. The findings were compared with the physico-chemical characteristics of the described antibiotics. On the basis of the analysis it was concluded that fraction 2 of the antibiotic complex 182 could be oligomycin A. A detailed comparative investigation of oligomycin A and component 2 with HPLC, FMR, IR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry revealed their identity. The other two components were shown to be oligomycins B and C.

Comparative studies on thermodynamic characteristics of pea legumin and legumin-T thermal denaturation.

Characteristics of thermal denaturation of pea legumin and a product of its limited proteolysis with trypsin - legumin-T, in a wide range of NaCl concentrations have bean measured by means of differential scanning microcalorimetry. By the increase of NaCl concentration, the number of cooperative units (domains) increases from 1 per one polypeptide chain to 2 for legumin and 1.8 for legumin-T. Deconvolution of denaturation peaks have revealed up to three peaks, which were ascribed to the dissociation of protein macromolecules to subunits and the unfolding of alpha- and beta-polypeptide chains. The analysis of experimental data based on some assumptions showed that the splitting of C-termini of alpha-chains, which are not constituents of cooperative domains, in the course of limited trypsinolysis results in destabilization of the quaternary structure of legumin and loosening of alpha-chains, as well as decrease of the temperatures of their maximum stability.

Alternative approaches to the manufacture of plant protein products from grain legumes.

A biotechnological method for the modification of grain legume meals (pea, faba bean) is proposed. The essence of this method is the inducing of biochemical processes, which occur at the germination, through the treatment of a meal with an acid protease. Modified meals can replace soybean protein isolate as meat extenders. In particular, the modification of pea meal improves the colour of combined meat products and eliminates their beany off-flavour. The concentration of six-carbon aldehydes in combined sausages is reduced after the modification of pea meal.

[Low-molecular-weight glycoprotein from cattle blood serum: structure and properties]. / Nizkomolekuliarnyi glikoprotein iz syvorotki krovi krupnogo rogatogo skota: struktura i svoistva.

Amino acid composition, structure, and physicochemical properties of a low-molecular-weight glycoprotein from cattle blood serum (SGP) were studied. The content of carbohydrates (represented by mannose-rich oligosaccharides) amounted to 45-50 wt %. The value of specific partial heat of SGP, measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), equaled 1.8 J/g.K, which is characteristic of unfolded proteins. Circular dichroic (CD) spectra of SGP led us to conclude that it is not highly structured and that it occurs in the shape of a statistical globule. The protein was deglycated using anhydrous trifluoromethane sulfonate (TFMS), after which its amino acid composition and the sequence of a fragment were determined. The results indicate that SGP is a protein not studied previously.

Limited tryptic hydrolysis of pea legumin: molecular mass and conformational stability of legumin-T.

The investigation of hydrodynamic and thermodynamic properties and the determination of the molecular mass of legumin-T, the product of limited tryptic hydrolysis of the 11-S-globulin from pea seeds, was carried out to ascertain the structural relationship to globulin-T's from other legumin-like proteins. The obtained legumin-T preparation has a molecular mass M(W)=260+/-10 kDa and M(S,D)=270+/-20 kDa. The secondary structure of legumin-T is characterised by a high percentage of beta-sheet conformation, comparable to that of native legumin and a reduced percentage of helical conformation. The conformational stability of legumin-T evaluated by equilibrium unfolding in the presence of guanidinium chloride was only slightly reduced in comparison to the native legumin, whereas the calorimetrically determined denaturation enthalpy and Gibbs energy of denaturation were found to be increased for legumin-T. These physicochemical properties are very similar to those of faba bean legumin-T.

[Study of adhesive proteins from neural tissues of the 8-day old chicken embryonic eye]. / Issledovanie adgezivnykh belkov iz neiral'nykh tkanei glaza 8-dnevnykh kurinykh zarodyshei.

Two groups of proteins were isolated from the retina and pigment epithelium of eight-day-old chick embryos. Experiments with suspension cultures of retinal cells demonstrated that only the retinal extracts and the fraction of its acidic proteins can stimulate cell aggregation in vitro. Analysis by the method of high-performance liquid chromatography showed that fractions of acidic and basic retinal proteins, which markedly differ in their electric charge and biological activity, have similar composition. To study the effect of these proteins on the morphological and functional state of pigment epithelium in vitro, a new experimental model is proposed, with the posterior segment of the newt (Pleurodeles waltl) eye used as a test tissue. The fraction of basic proteins isolated from the chick embryonic pigment epithelium stabilized cell differentiation in the newt pigment epithelium. The analyzed proteins proved to be biologically active at extremely low doses, corresponding to 10(-12) M solutions.

[The effect of polysaccharides on thermal denaturation of sarcoplasmic proteins from muscle homogenates]. / Vliianie polisakharidov na termicheskuiu denaturatsiiu sarkoplazmaticheskikh belkov myshechnykh gomogenatov.

When meat sarcoplasmic proteins interact with polysaccharides thermodynamic parameters of the systems are changed. The insoluble forms (natural plant matrix from wheat bran, cellulose) provide for partial denaturation of proteins at low temperatures (30-45 degrees C) and intensify subsequent coagulation processes. An increase of enthalpy with their increased concentration was found. Carboxymethylcellulose and pectin completely suppress protein coagulation, methylcellulose decreases enthalpy almost twice as compared to the solution without polysaccharides.