Abstract—Currently only a small fraction of the proteins encoded in the human genome serve as pharmaceutical targets. Genome-wide association studies are a powerful tool to uncover new genetic loci responsible for predisposition to complex diseases, such as autoimmune disorders. However, further work is still required to identify causative single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which directly mediate

Abstract Non-coding RNAs are a class of RNAs with multiple roles in plant life. Covalently closed circular RNA molecules (circRNAs) have been recently shown to be a group of RNA isoforms that show widespread tissue-specific expression in plants, often cooperating with the corresponding linear mRNAs to regulate gene function. However, no previous study of poplar has identified circRNAs in the cambium

Abstract Binase is an extracellular guanyl-preferring ribonuclease from Bacillus pumilus. The main biological function of binase is RNA degradation with the formation of guanosine-2',3'-cyclic phosphate and its subsequent hydrolysis to 3'-phosphate. Extracellular RNases are believed to be key agents that affect the functional activity of the body, as they directly interact with epithelial and immune

Abstract Classical views of hereditary mechanisms consider linear nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, as template molecules wherein genetic information is encoded by the sequence of nitrogenous bases. The template principle embodied in the central dogma of molecular biology describes the allowed paths of genetic information transfer from nucleic acids to proteins. The discovery of prions revealed an additional

Abstract Long nonconding RNAs (lncRNAs) perform a variety of functions: they are involved in chromatin organization, regulation of gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, and regulation of activity and stability of some proteins. The majority of known lncRNAs contain sequences of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in a sense or antisense orientation. According to several

Abstract MODY is a group of genetically and clinically heterogeneous forms of diabetes characterized by autosomal dominant inheritance and is subdivided in 13 subtypes dependent on the gene involved. The subtype MODY9 is a very rare form caused by mutations in the gene encoding the PAX4 transcription factor which is engaged in differentiation of pancreatic beta-cells. PAX4 contains two DNA-binding

Abstract— It is commonly known that the antiviral activity of the TRIM5α protein, the intracellular retrovirus restriction factor, underlies the resistance of the Old World monkeys to HIV-1. This fact suggests that TRIM5α can potentially be used to cure HIV-1 infection in humans. The present review considers the mechanisms of HIV-1 replication inhibition by the TRIM5α protein and the prospects for

Abstract Conyzasaponins produced by the traditional Chinese herb Conyza blinii are oleanane-type saponins with a wide range of biological activities. Here, we identified a gene, designated CbCYP716A261, encoding a β-amyrin 28-hydroxylase in conyzasaponins biosynthesis. Ten full putative CYP sequences were isolated from Conyza blinii transcript tags. The CbCYP716A261 gene product was selected as the

Abstract Depression is a serious mental disorder that affects more than 300 million people worldwide. Due to the lack of effective treatment methods, the pathogenesis of depression is necessary to study in order to understand its development and find new therapies. The review describes the main mechanisms of depression, including the monoamine hypothesis, impairment of the hipotalamic–pituitary–adrenal

Abstract Translation termination is a finishing step of protein biosynthesis. The significant role in this process belongs not only to protein factors of translation termination but also to the nearest nucleotide environment of stop codons. There are numerous descriptions of stop codons readthrough, which is due to specific nucleotide sequences behind them. However, represented data are segmental and

Abstract— At the International Space Station (ISS), artificial living conditions are created and maintained to satisfy human needs, these conditions are also favorable for the growth of numerous microorganisms, molds and bacteria. Among the microorganisms detected on the ISS are those from the automicroflora of crew members, and a significant number of spore-forming bacteria. In most cases, this group

Abstract— It was more than twenty years ago that miRNAs were recognized as a new class of RNA, but the understanding of their regulatory role is just beginning to emerge. Furthermore, it was found that the function of miRNAs as “master regulators” can be controlled by other non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), in particular, long ncRNAs (lncRNAs). The regulatory functions of lncRNAs have been indicated in tumors

Abstract To design an effective and safe vaccine against betacoronaviruses, it is necessary to use their evolutionarily conservative antigenic determinants that will elicit the combination of strong humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. Targeting such determinants minimizes the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement of viral infection. This phenomenon was observed in animal trials of experimental

AbstractMyocardial infarction (MI), one of the most common manifestations of cardiovascular system aging, is often fatal. The vast majority of studies on genetic susceptibility to age-dependent diseases are carried out using the case–control study design. However, its use involves a number of difficulties, most of which arise when establishing the control group of relatively healthy individuals. In

AbstractA test of the sensitivity of seven colon cancer cell lines to a panel of 12 nonpathogenic human enteroviruses revealed significant differences in the ability of tumor cells to become infected and replicate different viral strains. Among the factors that can affect the sensitivity of cells to viruses are differences in the state of the mechanisms of antiviral protection, associated with a reaction

AbstractThe transcriptional activity of genes encoding cancer/testis antigens (CTA) and its regulation in colorectal cancer (CRC) is not well understood. The expression of CTA coding genes (CT genes) and possible mechanisms for its regulation, including expression and copy number of DNA methyltransferase genes, copy number of CT genes, microRNA expression, and LINE-1 methylation in CRC were analyzed

AbstractArtemisinins are secondary metabolites of the medicinal plant Artemisia annua, have anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, immunomodulating, antimicrobial and other properties. However, the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, exact molecular targets of artemisinin are not well known. The interaction of artemisinin with human serum albumin was studied both in vitro and in silico, and compared

AbstractAge-related changes in telomere length (TL) in somatic tissues are not limited only to shortening. It is known that many organisms show different TL dynamics. Such species specificity indicates the complexity of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of TL. Owing to their morphological, physiological, and ecological features, Baikal planarians are an interesting model for studying the TL

AbstractChronic myeloid leukemia is a clonal hematopoietic stem cell disease characterized by myeloid expansion. The hallmark of the disease is the Philadelphia chromosome, which results in the formation of the BCR-ABL oncogene, a tyrosine kinase that is involved in many signaling pathways including Wnt signaling. The latter has a unique role in chronic myeloid leukemia progression; activated signaling

AbstractBacterial laccases are very stable at high temperature and high pH values, and have many biotechnological and industrial applications. Here we describe how we cloned, expressed and purified the laccase from Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis). The enzyme molecular weight has been determined as 34 kDa in SDS- PAGE analysis. The activity of the recombinant enzyme has been proved by guaiacol oxidation

AbstractIn a mixotrophic Chlamydomonas reinhardtii culture, the expression levels of genes encoding primary metabolic enzymes and chloroplast plastid transporters were analyzed. For the majority of the genes studied, their expression levels decreased as they approached the final stages of culture growth. During the period of exponential growth, the expression profiles changed more intensively than

AbstractNicking endonucleases (NEs) are a small, poorly studied family of restriction endonucleases. The enzymes recognize a target sequence in DNA, but catalyze the hydrolysis of only one strand. The mechanism of their action is important to study because NEs with new specificities are necessary to design to solve the practical tasks of biotechnology. One of the modern approaches for investigation

AbstractRNA is a crucial component of every living organism and is necessary for gene expression and its regulation in the cell. Mechanisms of RNA synthesis (especially mRNA synthesis) were a subject of extensive study for a long time. More recently, RNA degradation pathways began to be considered as equally important part of eukaryotic cell metabolism. These pathways have been studied intensely, and

AbstractBrassica rapa L. is a valuable and widespread species, but its cultivation in risk farming areas requires high-quality cold-hardy varieties to be developed. Mechanisms of the cold stress response in plants involve expression of numerous genes, including ribosomal ones, and are related to plant chromosome variability. FISH- and PCR-based methods were used to study intraspecific chromosome variability

AbstractThe genetic code is considered to use five nucleic bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine and uracil), which form two pairs for encoding information in DNA and two pairs for encoding information in RNA. Nevertheless, in recent years several artificial base pairs have been developed in attempts to expand the genetic code. Employment of these additional base pairs increases the information

AbstractsRecently, it has been shown that dysfunction of mitochondria is an important component of the molecular mechanisms of the development of many neurodegenerative diseases. These include multiple sclerosis, a chronic autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system, which is characterized by clinical heterogeneity. The role of genetic variability of mitochondrial DNA in

AbstractIn this paper, the property of the muscle titin protein to form in vitro specific amyloid-like aggregates is discussed. The main difference from the known amyloid aggregates is the formation of a quaternary structure that resembles cross-β, with no changes in the secondary structure. Based on the results obtained earlier, as well as the results of this study, we make assumptions about changes

AbstractRecently, SGI-1027, a well-known inhibitor of DNA-methyl transferases (DNMTs), was reported to effectively reduce formation of pathogenic PrPSc in prion-infected cells. Herein, we confirm the elimination of PrPSc in chronic wasting disease (CWD) prion-infected neurons by SGI-1027, and pinpoint the binding region of human prion protein to SGI-1027. SGI-1027 is broadly functional against various

In experiments on mouse and human cells it was demonstrated that rDNA plays an important role in epigenetic regulation of many genes. To identify and study rDNA-contacting genes in Drosophila we used the 4С (circular chromosome conformation capture) approach. We detected very stable contacts of rDNA genes within a 5-kb region inside the Tlk gene residing in X chromosome. This 5-kb region corresponds

AbstractHere we attempt to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the formation of three regulatory piRNA clusters, namely, 20A, 38C and flamenco in the Drosophila melanogaster genome. Both the 38C and flamenco clusters include inverted sequences, which potentially form double-stranded RNA hairpins. We present evidence in favor of the well-known hypothesis of piRNA clusters as “transposon traps”

AbstractPlasmid-mediated gene therapy, being a safe and relatively inexpensive therapeutic strategy, is plagued by a fast silencing of transgene expression. The silencing severely reduces the long-term efficiency of plasmid vectors. We have earlier constructed a low-CpG pMBR2 plasmid vector supporting prolonged expression of transgenes in mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. Long-term expression from the

AbstractMethods that utilize highly specific antibodies, anti-idiotypic antibodies, various recombinant molecules with antibody properties and immunocorrection and immunoprophylaxis with the help of vaccines are in demand and are intensely developed in the field of biomedicine. Techniques to generate specific single-domain recombinant antibodies (nanobodies) and their derivatives have raised great

AbstractA majority of BRCA1/2 (BRCA) pathogenic variants (PVs) are single nucleotide substitutions or small insertions/deletions. Copy number variations (CNVs), also known as large genomic rearrangements (LGRs), have been identified in BRCA genes. LGRs detection is a mandatory analysis in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families, if no predisposing PVs are found by sequencing. Next generation

AbstractThe flamenco locus is one of the main components of the piRNA pathway of regulation of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in Drosophila melanogaster. Mutations at this locus lead to an increase in the transposition activity of MGEs and, as a result, to genetic instability. In this paper, the fertility of a genetically unstable MS strain obtained more than 25 years ago and characterized by a mutation

AbstractPost-translational hydroxylation occurs in three mammalian ribosomal proteins, uS12, uL2, and uL15, which are located in the small (S) and large (L) subunits of the ribosome near the most important decoding and peptidyltransferase functional centers. We have used cell cultures, which produce protein uL15 labeled with the 3xFLAG epitope at the C-terminus (uL153xFLAG) or mutant forms of uL153xFLAG

Abstract—Obesity is one of the major challenges in modern society. More than a third of the world’s population suffers froms overweight. This phenotype affects the quality of life and is associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and reproductive disorders. The population variability of allele frequencies of 26 single nucleotide polymorphisms, in association with obesity and body mass

AbstractHomology-directed (HD) genome modification offers an opportunity to precisely modify the genome. Despite reported successful cases, for many loci, precise genome editing remains challenging and inefficient in vivo. Here we report an effort to precisely knock-in a GFP reporter into gad locus mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 system in the zebrafish Danio rerio. PCR artifact was detected in testing for

Abstract—Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a genetically heterogeneous group of oncological diseases of the hematopoietic system, which are extremely difficult to treat. The development of new targeted drugs (Hylteritinib, Venetoclax) significantly improved the survival of patients, but resistance, as well as cytotoxic anti-leukemia drugs, often occurs. The search for new molecular targets for the development

AbstractBoric acid is essential for plants and has many vital roles in animals and microorganisms. However, its high doses are toxic to all organisms. We previously screened yeast deletion collections to identify boric acid-resistant and susceptible mutants to identify genes that play a role in boron tolerance. Here, we analyzed boron resistant mutants (elp1∆, elp3∆, elp6∆, ncs2∆, ncs6∆ and kti12∆)

Abstract—Uterine leiomyoma (UL) is the most common benign tumor in women of reproductive age. Gene therapy using suicidal genes appears to be a promising approach for UL treatment. One of key factors for success of gene therapy is the right choice of genetic construct carrier. A promising group of non-viral carriers for cell delivery of expression vectors is cationic Cys-flanked peptides which form

AbstractThe abundance of noncanonical mechanisms of eukaryotic initiation of translation indicates their involvement in the regulation of protein synthesis during key events in a cell life. One of the well-known examples of a noncanonical cap-independent process is the initiation of translation of mRNA with the 5'‑untranslated (leader) region of the messenger encoding for the photoprotein obelin (the

AbstractTWIK-related acid-sensitive potassium channel-1 (TASK-1) is a “leak” potassium channel sensitive to extracellular protons. It contributes to setting the resting potential in mammalian neurons. TASK-1 channels are widely expressed in respiratory-related neurons in the central nervous system. Inhibition of TASK-1 by extracellular acidosis can depolarize and increase the excitability of these

AbstractCertain subtypes of acute myeloid leukemia occur as a result of the cooperation of several events these are, the formation of fusion genes as a result of chromosomal rearrangements, which leads to the disruption of cell differentiation, and the emergence of mutations that enhance cellular proliferation by activating intracellular signaling pathways. High-throughput sequencing methods reveal

AbstractThe iron-containing protein neuroglobin (Ngb) involved in the transport of oxygen is generally considered the precursor of all animal globins. In this report, we studied the structure of Ngb of the cold-water sponge Halisarca dujardinii. In sponges, the oldest multicellular organisms, the Ngb gene contains three introns. In contrast to human Ngb, its promoter contains a TATA-box, rather than

AbstractThe free radical theory of aging was proposed in 1956. Although it does not fully describe the mechanisms of aging, it is generally accepted that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are one of the pathogenetic factors in aging and, in particular, in the development of pathologies associated with aging. The main source of ROS in the cell is mitochondria. Antioxidants directed to mitochondria have

AbstractPotassium (K+) deficiency in the soil may seriously affect the yield and quality of plants, which usually satisfy their potassium requirements by engaging their K+ transporters and/or channels. High-affinity potassium transporter (ZmHAK) family members play crucial role in the uptake and distribution of K+ in maize (Zea mays L.). Here, we describe the function of ZmHAK1 promoter and its upstream

Abstract—rDNA genes play an important role in epigenetic regulation and in differentiation of eukaryotic cells. Using the 4C (circular chromosome conformation capture) approach and model HEK293T cells, we analyzed the rDNA-contacting gene FANK1, using anchor located inside rDNA genes. At the 5' end of the FANK1 gene we detected frequent contacts with rDNA clusters. The contact sites coincide with the

AbstractThe thermal stability of protein enzymes is determined in vitro by measuring the enzymatic activity during incubation at constant temperature. Refolding of thermal inactivated enzymes is carried out both in vitro and in vivo, in the presence of chaperones, usually at temperature optimal for the particular enzyme for the manifestation of enzymatic activity. In the present work thermal stability

Abstract—Mutual arrangement, or packing, of α-helices in proteins depends on several factors, but, tight packing and the chemical nature of the polypeptide chain are the most important. This study shows, for the first time, that the torsion packing angles between axes of α-helices depend on their length. A database of helical pairs formed by two connected and juxtaposed α-helices has been compiled

Abstract—Novel treatments for various types of malignant diseases are warranted. In this study, we evaluated JAK2 inhibitors (Janus kinase 2) for suppressing the growth of malignant neuroblastoma and glioblastoma cells as well as breast and non-small cell lung cancers. Neuroblastoma and glioblastoma cells are the most sensitive to the JAK2 inhibitor AG490. A study of the relative expression of receptors

AbstractA brief review of current data on the molecular biology of stem cells forming meristems and differentiating into various organs of angiosperms is presented. Different primary and secondary meristems are compared. The interactions of some hormones, regulatory gene networks, and signaling pathways in different types of meristems are described.

AbstractInfluenza A virus is capable of rapidly infecting large human populations, warranting the development of novel drugs to efficiently inhibit virus replication. A transmembrane ion channel formed by the M2 protein plays an important role in influenza virus replication. A reasonable approach to designing an effective antivirus drug is constructing a molecule that binds in the M2 transmembrane

AbstractThe aim of the study was to identify the features of the genetic structure of myocardial infarction (MI) susceptibility depending on age (“early MI” denoting individuals who had the first MI before the age of 60 years, and “late MI” the group of patients with the first “MI after 60 years”). A total of 355 patients were examined (n = 121 early MI and n = 234 late MI) and 285 residents of the

The study of extracellular miRNA is one of the most dynamic areas of modern biomedical research. Oftentimes, there is a need to isolate miRNAs associated with a particular carrier, for example, a ribonucleoprotein complex. The most thoroughly investigated protein component of these complexes is Ago2. Complexes are commonly isolated by immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies. Here we compare three

AbstractObesity is a major disease that causes significant complications. Inhibition of preadipocyte proliferation has the potential to prevent obesity and metabolic diseases. Melatonin is a pineal gland hormone that has various effects on cells and tissues. In this research, we investigated whether melatonin induces apoptosis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were cultured until confluence

AbstractStriatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase (STEP), which was initially identified in the striatum, is encoded by the Ptpn5 gene and is expressed in neurons of various structures of the brain. STEP is involved in regulating neuroplasticity, and its expression abnormalities are associated with human neurodegenerative disorders. The STEP inhibitor 8-trifluoromethyl-1,2,3,4,5-benzopentathiepin-6-amine

AbstractA synthetic genetic chain was created—a two-promoter integrator, the activity of the output signal of which is high only with the high activity of two promoters at the input of the chain. The integrator is shown to work by the example of cancer-specific promoters of the human survivin and telomerase genes that can be used for specific transcription of target genes in tumor cells. To create

Abstract—The large amount of the DNA- and RNA-binding protein regulatory factors contain Zn-domains. Total six Zn-CysHis factor families with different functions were considered. Among them the transcription factors of family PF00096, complex type Zn-Cys2His2, is the most important because it includes over 340.000 members of 365.000 total members listed at present in the Zn-containing factor families

Abstract—Thanks to their strong immunostimulating properties and safety for humans, plant viruses represent an appropriate basis for the design of novel vaccines. The coat protein of Alternanthera mosaic virus can form virus-like particles that are stable under physiological conditions and have adjuvant properties. This work presents a recombinant human rotavirus A antigen based on the epitope of rotavirus

AbstractDNA hypermethylation and mutations are key mechanisms for the downregulation of tumor suppressor genes. NotI-microarrays allowed us to detect hypermethylation and/or deletions in 180 NotI sites associated with 188 genes of human chromosome 3, in 24 paired (tumor/normal) colon samples. The most frequent aberrations (in more than 20% of tumor samples) were detected in the promoter regions of