Volume 44, Nº 3 (2017)

The effect of ultrasmall gold nanoparticles (GNPs), both direct and in combination with the alkylating mutagen dipin, on the genetic structures of male germ cells in mice were studied using the meiotic micronucleus assay. It was shown for the first time that GNPs can exhibit mutagenic, antimutagenic, and comutagenic activity depending on the experimental conditions.

Basic research of the structure and functions of multiple forms of proteasomes is overviewed. The proteasomes of liver, acting as a primary lymphoid organ in embryogenesis, displaying nonspecific local immunity, and providing development of tolerance to food and other foreign antigens during the lifespan, are described. The role of individual forms of liver proteasomes in transplantology is considered as well as their utility as markers for endocrine transplant survival.

Nucleotide sequences of two regions of mitochondrial DNA are analyzed, that of the ND1-fragment and that of the fragment comprising a part of the cytochrome c oxidase gene. In the population of the vendace Coregonus albula from Pleshcheyevo Lake, there are specimens possessing haplotypes considerably differing from common variants of sequences represented both in the water body under consideration and in other water bodies of the European part of Russia. The level of intrapopulation polymorphism exceeds the level between species.

A comparison of bacterial complexes from the hyphosphere of 33 basidial macromycetes species (typical representatives of forest biogeocenosis) has been studied. In addition, their similarity to the control soil bacterial complex has been investigated. The changes in the total number of bacteria, the proportion of the potentially viable cell number of saprotrophic bacteria, the structure of the bacterial saprotrophic complex, and the ratio of different phylogenetic groups of prokaryotes in the hyphosphere of basidial macromycetes were determined. A marked species-specific nature of the influence of basidial macromycetes on soil bacterial complexes was specified. Similarities in the saprotrophic bacterial complexes of aphyllophoroid and gasteroid in the hyphosphere of Basidiomycota were revealed.

A comparison of the mitochondrial haplotypes and conchological characteristics of shells made for the first time for two species of anodontin freshwater bivalves from the Asian genus Sinanodonta (S. amurensis and S. primorjensis) has confirmed a similarity of these two taxa. It was shown on the basis of statistical analysis that the discussed taxa possess similar shells and similar genetic haplotypes, and the observed differences in DNA sequences of cox1 and shells relate to intraspecific genetic and geographical variation.

Data on the seasonal and diurnal dynamics of downstream migration of smolts of the European river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis are obtained. On the basis of published data and surveys in nature, it is shown that in the largest part of the area the downstream migration of smolts occurs mainly in spring, in the period of high water in rivers caused by snow melting. The smolts undertake downstream migration at night, under minimal illumination. It has been determined experimentally that the smolts are characterized by negative photopreferendum (>90% of smolts preferred illumination <0.4 lx).

The expression of thrombospondin-1 (TS-1) and its receptors CD47 and CD36 in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of rats under damaging factors in the early postnatal period was studied. After hypoxia on the 7th day of postnatal development, an increase in the number of CD47-expressing cerebral endothelial cells (days of postnatal development: P28–P70) and reduction in the number of TS-1-expressing astrocytes in the cortex at P28 were observed. In animals subjected to early postnatal stress at the age of P2–P15, a decrease in TS-1-expressing astrocytes in the cortex and hippocampus was registered (predominantly at the age of P28). It was noted that these changes characterize the period of long-term effects (P28–P70) of early stress that is relevant to the processes of reparative angiogenesis and arresting of neurological deficits.

The dependence of the heterotrophic activity of bacterioplankton (V, μg C L^–1 h^–1) on the concentration of chlorophyll a (Chl, μg L^–1) and the water temperature (T) was examined for lakes (37°29′–80°36′ N) and marine polar waters (69°16′–80°36′ N). It was shown that ~76% of the V variations was related to changes in Chl and T.

Analysis of the functional diversity of the parasite assemblage of Chinese sleeper individuals, based on classification of parasites by the paths of fish infestation, was conducted. It was ascertained that individuals of the Chinese sleeper obtain mainly ecologically reduced variants of parasite assemblages in the acquired part of the habitat.