Acta Naturae最新文献

{"title":"Visualization of Nucleic Acids in Microand Nanometer-Scale Biological Objects Using Analytical Electron Microscopy.","authors":"O S Sokolova, T S Trifonova, N I Derkacheva, A V Moiseenko","doi":"10.32607/actanaturae.27483","DOIUrl":"10.32607/actanaturae.27483","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Analytical electron microscopy techniques, including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), are employed in materials science and biology to visualize and chemically map diverse elements. This review presents cases of successful identification of nucleic acids in cells and in DNA- and RNA-containing viruses that use the chemical element phosphorus as a marker.</p>","PeriodicalId":6989,"journal":{"name":"Acta Naturae","volume":"16 4","pages":"38-47"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11771847/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143057404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Antibacterial Activity of Yeasts from Unique Biocenoses.","authors":"O V Shulenina, E A Sukhanova, B F Yarovoy, E A Tolstyko, A L Konevega, A Paleskava","doi":"10.32607/actanaturae.27527","DOIUrl":"10.32607/actanaturae.27527","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The replenishment of our stock of substances that possess a therapeutic potential is an important objective in modern biomedicine. Despite the important advances achieved in chemical synthesis, the natural diversity of organisms and microorganisms remains an important source of biologically active compounds. Here, we report the results of our study of a unique collection containing more than 3,000 samples of yeasts found on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands, and Sakhalin Island, Russia. Since yeast and bacteria coexist in a variety of habitats and can interact with each other, we analyzed the antibacterial activity of the collection of yeast strains towards <i>E. coli</i> cells using a fluorescent bacterial reporter. It was uncovered that the Sakhalin strains for the most part stimulate bacterial growth, while most of the strains found on the Kamchatka Peninsula possess inhibitory properties. Moreover, the samples with the most pronounced antibacterial activity, identified as members of the genus <i>Cryptococcus (Naganishia)</i>, were found in a gorge in the vicinity of Pauzhetka village on the Kamchatka Peninsula on wormwood (<i>Artemisia vulgaris</i>) and thistle (<i>Onopordum acanthium</i>). Our data indicate that the combination of a plant and its growth site is important for the emergence of yeast strains capable of secreting antibacterial compounds.</p>","PeriodicalId":6989,"journal":{"name":"Acta Naturae","volume":"16 4","pages":"95-104"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11771846/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143057820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bacteriocin from the Raccoon Dog Oral Microbiota Inhibits the Growth of Pathogenic Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.","authors":"M N Baranova, E A Soboleva, M A Kornienko, M V Malakhova, Yu A Mokrushina, A G Gabibov, S S Terekhov, I V Smirnov","doi":"10.32607/actanaturae.27349","DOIUrl":"10.32607/actanaturae.27349","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The growing incidence of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogens is one of the key challenges of the 21^st century. The development of novel technological platforms based on single-cell analysis of antibacterial activity at the whole-microbiome level enables the transition to massive screening of antimicrobial agents with various mechanisms of action. The microbiome of wild animals remains largely underinvestigated. It can be considered a natural reservoir of biodiversity for antibiotic discovery. Here, the <i>Staphylococcus pseudintermedius</i> E18 strain was isolated from the oral microbiome of a raccoon dog (<i>Nyctereutes procyonoides</i>) using a microfluidic ultrahigh-throughput screening platform. <i>S. pseudintermedius</i> E18 efficiently inhibited the growth of pathogenic methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA). It was established that the main active substance of the <i>S. pseudintermedius</i> E18 strain was a bacteriocin with a molecular weight of 27 kDa. The identified bacteriocin had a high positive charge and an extremely narrow spectrum of activity. Bacteriocin <i>S. pseudintermedius</i> E18 was inactivated by elevated temperature, proteinase K, and EDTA. Further investigation on the structure of the bacteriocin produced by <i>S. pseudintermedius</i> E18 will provide a comprehensive understanding of its mechanism of action, which will open up prospects for developing novel DNA-encoded antimicrobials.</p>","PeriodicalId":6989,"journal":{"name":"Acta Naturae","volume":"16 4","pages":"105-108"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11771842/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143057769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intraventricular Administration of Exosomes from Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Provokes Motor Neuron Disease in Mice.","authors":"A V Stavrovskaya, D N Voronkov, A K Pavlova, A S Olshanskiy, B V Belugin, M V Ivanova, M N Zakharova, S N Illarioshkin","doi":"10.32607/actanaturae.27499","DOIUrl":"10.32607/actanaturae.27499","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by motor neuron damage leading to death from respiratory failure. The neurodegenerative process in ALS is characterized by an accumulation of aberrant proteins (TDP-43, SOD1, etc.) in CNS cells. The trans-synaptic transmission of these proteins via exosomes may be one of the mechanisms through which the pathology progresses. The aim of this work was to study the effect of an intraventricular injection of exosomes obtained from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of ALS patients on the motor activity and CNS pathomorphology of mice. The exosomes were obtained from two ALS patients and a healthy donor. Exosome suspensions at high and low concentrations were injected into the lateral brain ventricles of male BALB/c mice (<i>n</i> = 45). Motor activity and physiological parameters were evaluated twice a month; morphological examination of the spinal cord was performed 14 months after the start of the experiment. Nine months after administration of exosomes from the ALS patients, the animals started exhibiting a pathological motor phenotype; i.e., altered locomotion with paresis of hind limbs, coordination impairment, and increasing episodes of immobility. The motor symptoms accelerated after administration of a higher concentration of exosomes. The experimental group showed a significant decrease in motor neuron density in the ventral horns of the spinal cord, a significant increase in the number of microglial cells, and microglia activation. The TDP43 protein in the control animals was localized in the nuclei of motor neurons. TDP43 mislocation with its accumulation in the cytoplasm was observed in the experimental group. Thus, the triggering effect of the exosomal proteins derived from the CSF of ALS patients in the development of a motor neuron pathology in the experimental animals was established. This confirms the pathogenetic role of exosomes in neurodegenerative progression and makes it possible to identify a new target for ALS therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":6989,"journal":{"name":"Acta Naturae","volume":"16 4","pages":"73-80"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11771849/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143057774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Characteristics of the Metabolomic Profile in Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Vascular Parkinsonism.","authors":"E V Predtechenskaya, A D Rogachev, P M Melnikova","doi":"10.32607/actanaturae.27511","DOIUrl":"10.32607/actanaturae.27511","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The gradually increasing age of the world population implies that the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases also continues to rise. These diseases are characterized by a progressive loss of cognitive and motor functions. Parkinson's disease, which involves the gradual death of specialized neural tissue, is a striking example of a neurodegenerative process. The pathomorphological analysis shows that chronic cerebral ischemia is accompanied by extensive complex neurodegeneration; parkinsonism is its clinical manifestation in 20-30% of cases. Although Parkinson's disease and vascular parkinsonism are similar, these two pathologies have fundamentally different etiopathogeneses. But their set of differential diagnosis traits is confined to some features of the neurological status. There currently exist no diagnostic markers for individual neurodegenerative pathologies or the neurodegeneration phenomenon in general. Metabolomic profiling can be a promising means for finding a unique \"fingerprint\" of the disease. Identifying the biomarkers of various neurodegenerative diseases will help shorten the time to the diagnosis, forecast the course of the disease, and personalize the therapeutic approach. This review summarizes and compares the current concepts of metabolomics research into Parkinson's disease and vascular parkinsonism, as well as the respective animal models.</p>","PeriodicalId":6989,"journal":{"name":"Acta Naturae","volume":"16 4","pages":"27-37"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11771845/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143057471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Peptide Mimicking Loop II of the Human Epithelial Protein SLURP-2 Enhances the Viability and Migration of Skin Keratinocytes.","authors":"O V Shlepova, T Ya Gornostaeva, I D Kukushkin, V N Azev, M L Bychkov, Z O Shenkarev, M P Kirpichnikov, E N Lyukmanova","doi":"10.32607/actanaturae.27494","DOIUrl":"10.32607/actanaturae.27494","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The secreted human protein SLURP-2 is a regulator of epithelial homeostasis, which enhances the viability and migration of keratinocytes. The targets of SLURP-2 in keratinocytes are nicotinic and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. This work is devoted to the search for the SLURP-2 functional regions responsible for enhancing keratinocyte viability and migration. We produced synthetic peptides corresponding to the SLURP-2 loop regions and studied their effect on the viability and migration of HaCaT skin keratinocytes using the WST-8 test and scratch-test, respectively. The highest activity was exhibited by a loop II-mimicking peptide that enhanced the viability of keratinocytes and stimulated their migration. The peptide activity was mediated by interactions with α7- and α3β2-nAChRs and suppression of the p38 MAPK intracellular signaling pathway. Thus, we obtained new data that explain the mechanisms underlying SLURP-2 regulatory activity and indicate the promise of further research into loop II-mimicking peptides as prototypes of wound healing drugs.</p>","PeriodicalId":6989,"journal":{"name":"Acta Naturae","volume":"16 4","pages":"86-94"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11771840/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143057775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reactive Byproducts of Plant Redox Metabolism and Protein Functions.","authors":"E I Sharova, S S Medvedev","doi":"10.32607/actanaturae.27477","DOIUrl":"10.32607/actanaturae.27477","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Living organisms exhibit an impressive ability to expand the basic information encoded in their genome, specifically regarding the structure and function of protein. Two basic strategies are employed to increase protein diversity and functionality: alternative mRNA splicing and post-translational protein modifications (PTMs). Enzymatic regulation is responsible for the majority of the chemical reactions occurring within living cells. However, plants redox metabolism perpetually generates reactive byproducts that spontaneously interact with and modify biomolecules, including proteins. Reactive carbonyls resulted from the oxidative metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids carbonylate proteins, leading to the latter inactivation and deposition in the form of glycation and lipoxidation end products. The protein nitrosylation caused by reactive nitrogen species plays a crucial role in plant morphogenesis and stress reactions. The redox state of protein thiol groups modified by reactive oxygen species is regulated through the interplay of thioredoxins and glutaredoxins, thereby influencing processes such as protein folding, enzyme activity, and calcium and hormone signaling. This review provides a summary of the PTMs caused by chemically active metabolites and explores their functional consequences in plant proteins.</p>","PeriodicalId":6989,"journal":{"name":"Acta Naturae","volume":"16 4","pages":"48-61"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11771839/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143057818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Analysis of Spacer Targets in CRISPR-Cas Systems of Starter Cultures.","authors":"A A Fatkulin, T A Chuksina, N P Sorokina, I T Smykov, E V Kuraeva, E S Masezhnaya, K A Smagina, M Yu Shkurnikov","doi":"10.32607/actanaturae.27533","DOIUrl":"10.32607/actanaturae.27533","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dairy production facilities represent a unique ecological niche for bacteriophages of lactic acid bacteria. Throughout evolution, bacteria have developed a wide range of defense mechanisms against viral infections caused by bacteriophages. The CRISPR-Cas system is of particular interest due to its adaptive nature. It allows bacteria to acquire and maintain specific resistance to certain bacteriophages. In this study, we investigated the CRISPR-Cas systems of lactic acid bacteria. Special attention was paid to the specificity of the spacers in CRISPR cassettes. CRISPR-Cas systems were found in the genomes of 43% of the lactic acid bacteria studied. Additionally, only 13.1% of the total number of CRISPR cassette spacers matched bacteriophage genomes, indicating that many predicted spacers either lack known phage targets or are directed against other types of mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids.</p>","PeriodicalId":6989,"journal":{"name":"Acta Naturae","volume":"16 4","pages":"81-85"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11771843/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143057771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into the Functioning of the D-amino Acid Transaminase from Haliscomenobacter Hydrossis via a Structural and Spectral Analysis of its Complex with 3-Aminooxypropionic Acid.","authors":"A K Bakunova, I O Matyuta, A Yu Nikolaeva, K M Boyko, A R Khomutov, E Yu Bezsudnova, V O Popov","doi":"10.32607/actanaturae.27496","DOIUrl":"10.32607/actanaturae.27496","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzymes play a crucial role in nitrogen metabolism. Carbonyl compounds, such as O-substituted hydroxylamines, stand out among numerous specific inhibitors of these enzymes, including those of practical importance, because they react with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate in the active site of the enzymes to form stable oximes. O-substituted hydroxylamines mimic the side group of amino acid substrates, thus providing highly potent and specific inhibition of the corresponding enzymes. The interaction between D-amino acid transaminase from bacterium <i>Haliscomenobacter hydrossis</i> and 3-aminooxypropionic acid was studied in the present work. The structural and spectral analyses of the complex of this transaminase with 3-aminooxypropionic acid allowed us to clarify some features of the organization and functioning of its active site and illustrate one of the mechanisms of inhibition by the specific substrate, D-glutamic acid.</p>","PeriodicalId":6989,"journal":{"name":"Acta Naturae","volume":"16 3","pages":"18-24"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11557217/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142611863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Correlation Patterns of miRNA Expression with Targeted mRNA Transcripts in Glioma Patients with Wild-Type and Mutated Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (IDH) Genotypes.","authors":"A A Bondarev, A S Evpak, A L Novoselov, A A Kudriaeva, A A Jr Belogurov","doi":"10.32607/actanaturae.27363","DOIUrl":"10.32607/actanaturae.27363","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Low-grade gliomas are divided into two main genetic phenotypes based on the presence or absence of mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase (<i>IDH</i>) genes. The mutated IDH phenotype (IDHmut), in contrast to the wild-type phenotype (IDHwt), is characterized by a more positive response to pharmacological intervention and a significantly longer survival time. In this study, we analyzed the differential co-expression of 225,000 microRNA-mRNA pairs at the level of correlations between microRNA levels and their potential mRNA targets. Analysis of the associative relationships of individual representatives of the selected pairs revealed that the level of mRNAs encoded by the <i>ELN</i>, <i>ARL4C</i>, <i>C9orf64</i>, <i>PLAT</i>, and <i>FKBP9</i> genes associated with aggressive progression of glioma was increased in the IDHwt group. Meanwhile, the levels of miRNA-182, miRNA-455, and miRNA-891a associated with the negative prognosis in glioma were generally increased in the IDHmut group. Most (16/21) of the detected 21 microRNA-mRNA pairs with significant difference in regulation between IDHwt and IDHmut glioma samples had a weak or moderate positive correlation in IDHmut samples and a negative correlation in IDHwt samples. Therefore, our findings indicate that glioma samples from the IDHmut group with a positive prognosis potentially have a significantly less pronounced ability to microRNA-mediated regulation. We further suggest that such physiological disorders can lead to reduced tumor viability, resulting in an increased ability of the host to resist the spread of a malignant transformation of this genetic phenotype.</p>","PeriodicalId":6989,"journal":{"name":"Acta Naturae","volume":"16 3","pages":"38-45"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11557213/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142611869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}