Vol 33, No 3 (2018)

In this review, an attempt to trace the evolution of knowledge about the species diversity of lactobacilli in the historical perspective, from the moment of their discovery to the present, was made, taking into account the technical characteristics of experiments that can influence the final results of the research. Comparison of the data obtained using various methods of identification of lactobacilli was performed: after isolation based on preliminary cultivation using phenotypic and genotypic methods and based on direct identification of species by high-throughput sequencing and PCR methods.

Newly synthesized mRNA undergoes several stages of maturation, and the proteins involved in these processes form the mRNP particle. Mature mRNA passes through the nuclear pore from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it is transported to the ribosome and mRNA is translated into protein. Recruiting the export and transport factors to the newly synthesized mRNA occurs partly cotranscriptionally. Many of the proteins associate with mRNA from the earliest stages of transcription to its localization in the cytoplasm. Other factors perform their functions strictly at a certain stage. The protein composition of the mRNP particle changes during its adherence to the nuclear pore, passing through it, and being delivered to the site of localization in the cytoplasm. This paper describes the main participants in the export of the mRNP particle, starting with its delivery to the nuclear pore and its attachment to and translocation through the nuclear pore.

Naturally occurring positively charged proteins can be promising carriers for nucleic acid transport in gene therapy. The most attractive alternative among them is histones. In this work, we describe expression and purification of recombinant human histones H2A and H2B and of chimeric histone H2A with HIV-1 TAT fragment (TAT-peptide). The proposed method of purification of histone proteins can significantly reduce the content of bacterial endotoxins in the target preparation, which makes it possible to use these proteins in in vivo experiments. The transfection ability of plasmid DNA complexes with core histones H2A and H2B and the chimeric histone was demonstrated. A highly specific and efficient transfection of human HT1080 cell line with the use of histones H2A and H2B was detected, whereas transfection by plasmid DNA complexes with chimeric H2A-TAT protein was observed for many cell lines.

132 clinical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae collected in Arkhangelsk region during 2014–2016 were analyzed in accordance with the NG-MAST protocol (Neisseria gonorrhoeae Multi Antigen Sequence Typing). A diversity of the analyzed strains was represented by 53 NG-MAST sequence-types; 30 of them were new registered due to earlier unknown either porB and tbpB sequences or their combinations. Three pathways of the diversity formation are supposed: long-term circulation of some NG-MAST-types with sequential transmission via the “sexual chains” (40.1% of the total population); introduction of new molecular types (27.3%); appearance of point mutations in porB and tbpB genes with the emergence of previously unknown genotypic variants of N. gonorrhoeae (32.6%). Emerged NG-MAST types inherited the mutational profile in penA, ponA, rpsJ, gyrA, and parC genes followed by conservation of antimicrobial resistance in the local N. gonorrhoeae population, whereas these determinants do not play a significant role in contemporary gonococci molecular evolution.