Category Archives: Uncategorized
Major depressive disorder and the microbiome-gut-brain axis
F. H. Ouriaghli, I. A. Elhaty*
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences,
Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Türkiye;
*e-mail: iaeismail@gelisim.edu.tr
Received: 02 January 2025; Revised: 24 April 2025;
Accepted: 25 April 2025; Available on-line: 12 May 2025
The central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract are connected bidirectionally via the gut-brain axis (GBA). According to the gut microbiota hypothesis, changes in the composition and activity of the gut microbiota can affect the GBA, contributing to the onset of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. This review aims to analyze how microbiota imbalances can affect the functioning of the gut-brain axis, causing changes in metabolism, immune system and neurotransmitters that are associated with depression. The potential of dietary modifications, probiotics, prebiotics and symbiotics to restore microbiota balance as well as the importance of microbiota profiling integration into personalized clinical practice are discussed.
Podocalyxin and kidney diseases
I. Kostovska
Faculty of Medicine, Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia;
e-mail: irenakostovska22@yahoo.com
Received: 16 December 2024; Revised: 10 February 2025;
Accepted: 25 April 2025 2025; Available on-line: 12 May 2025
Selectivity of blood filtration by the renal glomerulus is largely determined by the presence in its visceral epithelium of the terminally differentiated “octopus-like” cells called podocytes. Podocalyxin (PODXL) is a major transmembrane glycoprotein located on the podocytes’ apical surface. Recently, the appearance of PODXL in urine has been considered a marker of nephropathy. The purpose of this review article is to analyze the data of studies on the structural and functional features of podocalyxin and its value in diagnostic, prognostic and potential therapeutic relevance in most common kidney diseases.
Stepan Zenonovych Gzhytskyi – on 125th Anniversary of Birth
S. S. Grabovskyi, R. S. Stoika
A new approach to drug development – the success story of Gertrude Elion, a Nobel laureate
M. V. Grigorieva*, T. M. Petrenko, V. M. Danilova, S. V. Komisarenko
Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
*e-mail: mvgrigorieva@biochem.kiev.ua
Received: 24 December 2024; Revised: 14 February 2025;
Accepted: 21 February 2025; Available on-line: 03 March 2025
Gertrude Elion is one of the most prominent figures in the world of science of the 20th century. In 1988, her achievements in the field of pharmacology were recognized at the highest level – she won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Together with George Hitchings and Sir James Black, she received this award “for their discoveries of important principles for drug treatment”, the principles that led to the development of new drugs. Her methods featured an unconventional approach: she sought to create drugs that selectively affected disease-causing cells, thus minimizing side effects. Her research paved the way for what we call today the targeted therapy concept. Elion’s whole life is a success story of a scientist who achieved brilliant results thanks to her tireless work and dedication to science. This article reviews the life and discoveries of Gertrude Elion and explains why her work is still relevant for present-day medicine.
Isolation, characterization, and identification of cellulolytic bacteria from household compost for cellulase production
T. Q. Truong1*, K. D. Nguyen2
1Faculty of Technology and Engineering, Dong Thap University, Dong Thap, Vietnam;
2Faculty of Biotechnology, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam;
*e-mail: tqtat@dthu.edu.vn
Received: 22 September 2024; Revised: 21 November 2024;
Accepted: 21 February 2025; Available on-line: 03 March 2025
Using microorganisms for waste treatment is a growing trend that offers numerous economic and environmental benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of cellulolytic bacterial strains isolated from compost samples from household waste. Biochemical and molecular tests were conducted to identify highly cellulolytic bacteria. Thirty aerobic strains were isolated, of these three isolates (WS1.7, WS3.1, and WS3.29) demonstrated high extracellular cellulase activity and decomposed 51.34–63.43% of the filter paper mass after 7 days of incubation in a liquid medium. Based on their colony morphology and biochemical properties, these three isolates were predicted to belong to the genus Bacillus. The maximum endoglucanase activity of the crude enzyme produced by Bacillus velezensis WS1.7 was demonstrated. These findings indicate the potential of the B. velezensis WS1.7 isolate for further research and cellulase production.
The impact of soybean mosaic virus infection on biochemical composition of soybean seed
O. О. Molodchenkova1*, A. V. Dashchenko2, I. A. Mishchenko2,
A. A. Dunich3, I. I. Motsniy1, P. S. Tykhonov1, L. T. Mishchenko3
1Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute – National Center of Seed and Cultivar Investigation,
Laboratory of Plant Biochemistry, Odesa, Ukraine;
*e-mail: olgamolod@ukr.net;
2National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine;
3Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv,
ESC “Institute of Biology and Medicine”, Ukraine;
e-mail: lmishchenko@ukr.net
Received: 02 September 2024; Revised: 01 October 2024;
Accepted: 21 February 2025; Available on-line: 03 March 2025
It is known that infection caused by soybean mosaic virus (SMV) has a negative effect on soybean yield, productivity and seed quality. The main indicators of the nutritional value of soybean seed are the content of main storage proteins glycinin and β-conglycinin, as well as flavonoids, carbohydrates and fat. The goal of the research was to study the impact of SMV infection on the biochemical composition of the seeds of the soybean varieties created by classical breeding methods (‘Kano’, ‘Kuban’, ‘Kordoba’) and varieties of transgenic soybean (‘Grimo’ and ‘Monro’). DAS-ELISA and two step RT-PCR were used to identify SMV. Protein electrophoresis was carried out in 15% polyacrylamide gel containing 0.1% SDS at pH 8.3 according to the Laemmli method. We detected an increase in the activity of trypsin inhibitor and lectins and a decrease flavonoids content in the infected seeds of studied varieties in comparison with the healthy seeds. Seeds of all infected varieties showed a decrease in glycinin content and glycinin/β-conglycinin ratio, with the exception of ‘Monroe’ infected seeds in which both glycinin and β-conglycinin contents were increased or at the level of healthy seeds. We can distinguish the variety ‘Kano’ with a high content of flavonoids, varieties ‘Kuban’ and ‘Grimo’ with increased or maintained levels of healthy seed content of carbohydrates, fat and proteins under infection conditions. The differences in the relative content of the components of β-conglycinin and glycinin subunits in infected seeds depending on the soybean variety were revealed. The obtained results can be used for the selection of soybean varieties resistant to viral infection and with high seed quality.
Paralogism in the interpretation of thrombogram obtained with the thrombin generation assay of human blood plasma
Ye. M. Makogonenko1*, V. O. Chernyshenko1, V. Yu. Bardyk2,
А. V. Udovenko1, S. V. Komisarenko1
1Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv,
2Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine;
*e-mail: ymakogonenko@gmail.com
Received: 12 November 2024; Revised: 22 January 2025;
Accepted: 21 February 2025; Available on-line: 03 March 2025
Recording thrombin generation in blood under the action of coagulation initiators provides important early information about the state of the hemostasis system. Thrombin generation analysis (TGA) developed to determine the endogenous clotting potential and anticoagulant activity of blood plasma is extremely important diagnostic and prognostic method. However, the main problem of the TGA method is that in the descending part of the thrombogram, an error appears in the conversion of thrombin activity to its concentration. By studying the temporal relationship between thrombin and plasmin activity, and clot structure during its formation and dissolution in human blood plasma we propose another option for calculating the parameters of the thrombogram obtained by the TGA method.
Development of polymer systems capable of counteracting surface-induced fibrillogenesis
A. Hansen1*, A. Sloutski1, R. Wong1, Y. Fang1,
L. Stotchel2, C. Sadasivan3, M. Rafailovich1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA;
2Hebrew Academy of Nassau County, Uniondale, New York, USA;
3Department of Neurosurgery, Stony Brook University,
Stony Brook, New York, USA;
*e-mail: adam.hansen@stonybrook.edu
Received: 06 November 2024; Revised: 27 January 2025;
Accepted: 21 February 2025; Available on-line: 03 March 2025
It is known that the use of medical devices having polymer surfaces exposed to blood flow often leads to thrombogenesis. The mechanism of thrombus formation depends, in part, on the hydrophobic/hydrophilic nature and adhesive properties of the surface, on which spontaneously initiated fibrillogenesis can occur in the absence of thrombin. In this work, the connection between the “Berg limit” and the ability of polymer surfaces to aggregate fibrinogen into fiber structures was investigated using two unique systems. Polystyrene (PS), a well-characterized, stable polymer, was first tested because of its ability to readily impart hydrophilicity using UV-ozone without additional additives. However, in order to explore a biodegradable polymer with greater physiological relevance, the focus was switched to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). To improve the mechanical properties and increase the hydrophilicity of PVA, a chemical approach was used with the addition of the clay functionalized with resorcinol diphenyl phosphate (RDP). Observations for the two different systems indicated that fibrinogen absorption undergoes a transition through the Berg limits, regardless of a physical or chemical approach, and that there was a significant reduction in surface fibrillogenesis with contact angles below this threshold. Finally, HUVEC cell adhesion to the surface of PVA-RDP with no negative effect on proliferation and endothelialization capability was demonstrated. A guideline is proposed for designing non-thrombogenic materials by rendering the surface hydrophilic. This phenomenon could be applied to engineering polymers more applicable to biomedical purposes.