Abstract Trends in body size in young men and women in the early 21st century were analyzed based on the results of anthropometric examination of more than 6300 undergraduate students of various departments of Moscow State University that were obtained in 2000–2018. The retrospective analysis was conducted by comparing data of total body dimensions collected based on a sample of Moscow youth examined

Abstract This is a brief review of the latest changes in the editorial policy and content of the Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, Seriya 16: Biologiya journal with special emphasis on the situation with its English-language version Moscow University Biological Sciences Bulletin. The current strategy of the editorial board for evaluation of submitted manuscripts, their rejection, peer reviewing and

Abstract One of the current problems in regenerative medicine is the search for new approaches for skin restoration. A promising area is the use of biocompatible materials. Such constructs can serve as the basis for biomedical products designed to replace damaged tissue or function as wound dressings. In this work, photopolymerized films based on silk fibroin and methacrylated gelatin (F-MG) were created

Abstract Proteolytic activity of 8 strains of micromycetes (belonging to different ecological and trophic groups: phyto-, nemato-, myco-, and entomopathogens as well as human pathogens) toward the hemostatic system proteins has been assayed by using the chromogenic peptide substrates. The investigated micromycetes are shown to secrete proteases with a broad substrate specificity. However, there are

Abstract MicroRNA is a small, single-stranded nucleotide sequence, which can regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. To date, it is known that some microRNAs play an important role in physiology and pathophysiology of the cardio-vascular system. The effects of lipotransfection with microRNAs, such as miR-1-3p, miR-153-3p, or miR-133-3p, on the electrophysiological indices of the

Abstract Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is a perennial dioecious shrub or tree whose juvenile period lasts from 3 to 5 years. Sea buckthorn grows in many European and Asian countries and is widely used in cosmetology, biotechnology, pharmacology, and agriculture. This crop is a source of valuable vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and flavonoids. Its phenotypic description does not provide accurate

Abstract Fluorescent nanoparticles are currently considered as promising enhancers of photodynamic activity of traditional photosensitizers in procedures for photodynamic therapy of cancer and inactivation of pathogens. On the one hand, such nanoparticles act as a nanoplatform for target delivery of dye molecules to cells; on the other hand, they act as light-harvesting antennas that increase the effective

Abstract Long-distance interaction plays an important role in the regulation of eukaryotic genes. Chromatin structure is involved in the process, but the role of histone modifications has not been studied. In the present work, the role of acetylation Н4K16 (Н4K16-Ac) to enhancer-promoter communication (EPC) was analyzed. This modification is associated with euchromatin and is involved in the decompaction

Abstract The effect of the surface of Ti-Zr-Nb (TZN) shape memory alloys (SMA) on adhesion, proliferation, viability, and organization of the actin cytoskeleton of osteoblast-like MG-63 cells has been studied. The studied SMA have a unique combination of mechanical properties, making them promising in fabrication of bone implants with high biomechanical compatibility (due to low Young’s modulus and

Abstract— Currently, biological scaffolds composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) are being actively examined for the needs of regenerative medicine. ECM substrates are prepared by decellularization and used to deliver cells to damaged tissue. Native scaffolds of ECM have an advantage over bioengineered ones because ECM retains natural biologic cues that provide efficient reparative cell functions.

Abstract This is a short review concerning the problem of germ line “immortality,” which was already formulated by A. Weismann at the end of the 19th century. Over the following years, it attracted the attention of many gerontologists, who tried to understand the mechanisms of infinite transfer of genetic information from generation to generation with the help of germ cells, which, in contrast to somatic

Abstract The study of all factors that contribute to the carbon balance in the biosphere is of paramount importance due to the current increase in carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere. This article presents data on the carbon dioxide exchange for the needles of common spruce (Picea abies L.) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii L.) in an urban environment (based on the example of Moscow). It

Abstract― The spatial distribution of picocyanobacteria at the arctic longitude section passing through the shelf of the Kara, Laptev, and East Siberian seas from 58° to 168° E was studied. The average abundance of picocyanobacteria was 0.48 ± 1.2 × 109 cells/m3 in the Kara Sea, 0.16 ± 0.24 × 109 cells/m3 in the Laptev Sea, and 0.25 ± 0.43 × 109 cells/m3 in the East Siberian Sea. The fluctuations of

Abstract Aging organisms die out in accordance with the “Gompertz law,” i.e., the probability of their death increases with age. Survival curve construction is the main tool for gerontologists to study aging and test antiaging drugs. The analysis of survival curves includes obtaining some indices characterizing aging of the population, for example, the average and maximum lifespan, the mortality rate

Abstract— The first data on the species diversity of testate amoebae of the Coco River in the provinces of Quang Nam and Da Nang (Vietnam) are presented. A total of 55 species and subspecies of testate amoebae belonging to nine genera and six families have been identified in 28 samples. Species diversity of testate amoebae in plankton is higher than in benthic samples. Centropyxis aculeata (64.3%)

Abstract The universal response of Escherichia coli to stress is enhancing the synthesis of specific histone-like Dps proteins that bind bacterial DNA. As a result, two-dimensional and three-dimensional crystalline arrays can be observed in the cytoplasm of starving bacteria. Conditions for obtaining in vitro co-crystals of DNA-Dps were selected, and their elemental composition was studied using analytical

Abstract NRT1.1 nitrate transporter acts as a nitrate sensor in some plant responses. We tried to check if it may be involved in the control of cytokinin level in the plants known to be involved in the growth responses to nitrate level. The experimental objects were Arabidopsis thaliana plants of the original ecotype Columbia (Col-0) and chl1-5 mutants. The effects of the NRT1.1 gene mutation in chl1-5

Abstract— The paper reports a process of sexual reproduction in the Black Sea diatom Climaconeis scalaris (Brébisson) E.J. Cox, 1982, initiated in laboratory conditions. A crossing system of this species allows both homo- and heterothallic reproduction. The fertilization is allogamous. Diploid mother gametangial cells secreted mucilage, forming a mucilage track, while actively gliding relative to each

Abstract The current problem with phosphorus fertilizers are shortage of rock phosphate from which it is produced and adverse impact of their production and use on the environment. A promising solution is use of phosphorus-rich biomass of microalgae as biofertilizer, but possible impact of such fertilizers on the biological activity and microbiome of soils remain unknown in many aspects. We investigated

Abstract Effects of the anxiolytic diazepam and nootropics piracetam and mexidol on passive avoidance conditioning (PAC) in rats were compared in experiments using a three-compartment apparatus. The latter consisted of a central, brightly lit compartment, a noxious dark compartment in which footshock was delivered to a rat, and a safe dark compartment, where the rat was not exposed to electric shock

Abstract Partial uncoupling of the processes of oxidative phosphorylation and energy storage in the form of ATP (“mild” uncoupling) helps reduce the production of reactive oxygen species and can also mimic the effect of calorie restriction. A number of studies have shown that uncouplers, such as 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), affect the lifespan of Drosophila, yeast, mice, and rats as well as the manifestation

Abstract— The embryonic and larval stages of amphibian development are promising model objects for developmental biology, experimental biology, and medicine. However, the existing methods of laboratory research do not take into account the biological features of model amphibian species. In addition, not enough attention is paid to standardizing the experimental conditions and minimizing the experimenter’s

Abstract 18 Healthy volunteers were involved and the effect of functional neuromuscular electrical stimulation, which causes flexion of the hand on the corticospinal excitability during motor imaging and resting state, was investigated in this study. It was shown that the combined action of functional electrical stimulation and the kinesthetic motor imagery leads to an increase of the amplitude of

Abstract A 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T)-degrading strain isolated from a soil sample of the largest producer of herbicides in Russia was described. The strain was identified as Bacillus mobilis 34Т according to the cultural, morphological, morphometric, physiological, and biochemical features as well as the results from comparative analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence. The growth of

Abstract Leaves’ anatomical characteristics are considered to be important diagnostic features for identifying grasses. Cross sections from the middle part of leaf blades have traditionally been used for such purposes. Leaf anatomy has been of key interest for identifying the representatives of the Festuca L. genus because of great morphological similarity between the species. Particular attention

Abstract Damage to the plasma membrane (PM) of cells in pea leaf epidermis determined by its permeability to propidium iodide (PI), which binds to DNA of cell nuclei, and programmed cell death (PCD) detected by the destruction of cell nuclei were investigated. PM of the epidermal cells in the isolated epidermis was permeable to PI (it stained their nuclei). PM of the guard cells did not allow PI to

Abstract— The stability of chromatosome when introducing posttranslational modifications and mutations observed in the case of oncological diseases into the structure of the linker histone was studied using bioinformatics analysis. The chromatosome is formed under the interaction of the nucleosome with the linker histone. This interaction can be characterized by the binding free energy. We hypothesized