Doklady Biological Sciences

Today, breast cancer (BC) occupies a leading position in prevalence and mortality from oncological diseases among the female population worldwide. Ferroptosis is a special type of cell death associated with peroxidation of intracellular lipids. It is a promising option for the therapy of BC resistant to traditional methods of treatment. The ELOVL5 gene, involved in the elongation of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), was previously associated with BC progression. In this work, the effect of ELOVL5 knockdown on the dynamics of ferroptosis induction in MDA-MB-231 cells under the influence of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and erastin was investigated. A comparative analysis of changes in the expression of individual genes under the influence of these agents was also carried out. It was shown that a decrease in ELOVL5 expression increases cell sensitivity to both agents, while DHA causes earlier cell death. The protective effect of ferroptosis inhibitors (ferrostatin-1 and deferoxamine) confirmed the involvement of this pathway in the observed effects. Differences in the expression of genes associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and proliferation were also revealed, indicating different molecular trajectories of ferroptosis in cells with different ELOVL5 gene expression. Thus, the present study deepens the understanding of the contribution of the ELOVL5 gene to the regulation of ferroptosis and can be used in the development of targeted therapy for breast cancer.

A comparative structural-phylogenetic and expression analysis of the SNAT1 and SNAT2 genes of tomato Solanum lycopersicum and garlic Allium sativum was performed. It was shown that the SNAT1 and SNAT2 are intron-rich and intronless genes, respectively, and may have different evolutionary origins. It was predicted that, unlike the chloroplast protein SNAT1, SNAT2 has features of chloroplast-mitochondrial localization. The highest expression level of SNAT1 and SNAT2 was detected (in silico and qRT-PCR) in leaves, while in roots and mature storage organs it was significantly lower; SNAT2 was not expressed in garlic roots and bulbs. It was found that the expression level of SNAT2 in tomato plant organs is higher than the expression level of SNAT1, while for garlic the opposite ratio was observed.

The interplay between innate immunity and other signaling pathways remains a central focus in immunological research, with considerable ongoing investigation. Of particular interest are studies exploring the influence of the hormonal system on the innate immunity of Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the combined effects of the insect hormone 20- hydroxyecdysone (20E) and spores from the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae on the innate immune response in D. melanogaster S2 cell culture, addressing this interaction for the first time. Our results demonstrate that, compared to cells exposed solely to M. anisopliae spores, pretreatment with 20E followed by fungal challenge led to a reduction in the transcription of antimicrobial peptide genes CercopinA1 and Drosocin. In contrast, expression of the Metchnikovin (Mtk) gene was upregulated. No significant alterations were observed in the transcription levels of Drosomycin or in genes encoding key receptors, transcription factors, or other components of innate immune signaling pathways. Furthermore, knockdown of the transcription factor Relish markedly decreased Mtk expression, highlighting its central role in hormone- modulated antifungal immunity. These findings reveal complex hormonal- immune crosstalk that differentially regulates AMP gene expression in Drosophila.

The application of porous nanomaterials in drug delivery offers a promising strategy to mitigate the adverse side effects of chemotherapy. In this study, we report the synthesis of nanosized NH₂-UiO-66 (Zr) metal-organic frameworks as carriers of doxorubicin. The nanoparticles exhibited high crystallinity with an average size of 44 nm. Surface functionalization with polyethylene glycol (PEG) markedly enhanced their colloidal stability under physiological conditions. Coated NH₂-UiO-66 (Zr)@PEG particles demonstrated prolonged circulation in the bloodstream and a significant reduction of nonspecific accumulation in organs with high vascularization. Importantly, these particles retained their capacity for doxorubicin loading, highlighting their potential for drug delivery.

The chromatin of histone genes is associated with specific nuclear biomolecular condensate called the Histone Locus Body (HLB). HLB is the compartment where the transcription of histone genes and processing of their pre-mRNAs take place coordinated with the cell cycle. In this work, the transcriptional histone acetyltransferase coactivator complex SAGA is described as a component of the HLB. Specific subunits of the SAGA complex, Gcn5 and Sgf11 proteins, are present on the chromatin locus of the histone gene cluster and interact with known constant specific structural components of the HLB: Mxc, FLASH, and Mute proteins.

Stress at early stages of development is known to affect a lot of physiological traits in mammals, but much less is known concerning its effect on physiology of Holometabola insects. In this study, we report for the first time that heat stress experienced by 3^rd instar larvae of Drosophila melanogaster (32 °C, 48 hours) results in a decrease in egg-to-imago development rate. Such stress also results in a drop in fertility at the beginning of the reproduction period (the first 48 hours after the oviposition onset). The data obtained are indicative of the transition of physiological changes caused by early stress through metamorphosis. Thus, the results of our study support the idea of metamorphosis not erasing the influence of factors that affected the insect before its start universally among Holometabola.

In experiments on the motor nerve endings of the diaphragm of transgenic mice with a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the processes of synaptic vesicles exocytosis and endocytosis were studied in case of use of antioxidant drug edaravone and gene-cell (use of umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells producing VEGF, GDNF and NCAM) therapies. It was shown that the both used therapy types did not cause significant change in FM 1-43 fluorescent dye loading by synaptic vesicle endocytosis processes. Gene-cell therapy lead to facilitated rate of the dye unloading by synaptic vesicle exocytosis but antioxidant drug therapy did not change the FM 1-43 unloading rate. The findings allow to suppose that used gene-cell therapy lead to facilitated synaptic vesicle transportation rate to release sites during high-frequency stimulation in motor nerve endings of transgenic mice.

For the first time, microplastic particles were isolated and partially identified from the contents of the gastrointestinal tract of striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius Pallas, 1771) living in two parks in Moscow – in Neskuchny Garden (n=5) and Terletsky Park (n=1). Microplastics were found in the gastrointestinal tract of all the studied individuals. The samples were dominated by small multicolored fibers. The chemical composition of the longest ones (> 4 mm) was analyzed using a Raman microscope (Russia). A toxic copolymer of vinylidene chloride and acrylonitrile was identified in the composition (72.4% match). Presumably, artificial coverings in the park or films may be its source. The data obtained will contribute to the development of measures to control MP pollution in urban ecosystems and are important for assessing the risk level for other vertebrate species, including humans.

The expression level of genes encoding myogenic regulatory factors (myf5, myod2, myog), myostatin (mstn1a, mstn1b) and muscle protein myosin (myhc) in the muscles of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Walb. three size groups (SG) under the influence of two types of commercial feeds with different compositions. Differences in the expression level of myhc, myf5, myog, mstn1a in the muscles of fish were established depending on the feed consumed, which were expressed for smaller individuals (up to 1000 g). This result suggests that the composition of the feed, including the quantitative ratio of ingredients, the source of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the feed, affect the processes of muscle growth regulation in the early periods of growth and development of trout. The results of the study complement the information available in the literature on the features of myogenesis regulation in organisms depending on external factors.