In the south of western Siberia (Russia), there are many unique and unexplored soda, saline, and freshwater lakes. In this study, the results are presented on microbial diversity, its metabolic potential, and their relation with a set of geochemical parameters for a hypersaline lake ecosystem in the Novosibirsk region (Oblast). The metagenomic approach used in this work allowed us to determine the composition and structure of a floating microbial community, the upper layer of silt, and the strata of bottom sediments in a natural saline lake via two bioinformatic approaches, whose results are in good agreement with each other. In the floating microbial community and in the upper layers of the bottom sediment, bacteria of the Proteobacteria (Gammaproteobacteria), Cyanobacteria, and Bacteroidetes phyla were found to predominate. The lower layers were dominated by Proteobacteria (mainly Deltaproteobacteria), Gemmatimonadetes, Firmicutes, and Archaea. Metabolic pathways were reconstructed to investigate the metabolic potential of the microbial communities and other hypothetical roles of the microbial communities in the biogeochemical cycle. Relations between different taxa of microorganisms were identified, as was their potential role in biogeochemical transformations of C, N, and S in a comparative structural analysis that included various ecological niches.

A highly active alkaline phosphatase (ALP) of the protein structural family PhoA, from a mussel gut-associated strain of the marine bacterium Cobetia amphilecti KMM 296 (CmAP), was found to effectively dephosphorylate lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Therefore, the aim of this work was to perform a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of the structure, and to suggest the physiological role of this enzyme in marine bacteria of the genus Cobetia. A scrutiny of the CmAP-like sequences in 36 available Cobetia genomes revealed nine homologues intrinsic to the subspecies C. amphilecti, whereas PhoA of a distant relative Cobetia crustatorum JO1^T carried an inactive mutation. However, phylogenetic analysis of all available Cobetia ALP sequences showed that each strain of the genus Cobetia possesses several ALP variants, mostly the genes encoding for PhoD and PhoX families. The C. amphilecti strains have a complete set of four ALP families’ genes, namely: PhoA, PafA, PhoX, and two PhoD structures. The Cobetia marina species is distinguished by the presence of only three PhoX and PhoD genes. The Cobetia PhoA proteins are clustered together with the human and squid LPS-detoxifying enzymes. In addition, the predicted PhoA biosynthesis gene cluster suggests its involvement in the control of cellular redox balance, homeostasis, and cell cycle. Apparently, the variety of ALPs in Cobetia spp. indicates significant adaptability to phosphorus-replete and depleted environments and a notable organophosphate destructor in eco-niches from which they once emerged, including Zostera spp. The ALP clusterization and degree of similarity of the genus-specific biosynthetic genes encoding for ectoine and polyketide cluster T1PKS, responsible for sulfated extracellular polysaccharide synthesis, coincide with a new whole genome-based taxonomic classification of the genus Cobetia. The Cobetia strains and their ALPs are suggested to be adaptable for use in agriculture, biotechnology and biomedicine.

Disease resistance is an important characteristic for each variety of potato, and the search for pathogen resistance markers is one of the primary tasks of plant breeding. Higher plants possess a wide spectrum of enzymes catalyzing the hydrolysis of nucleic acids; it is believed that protection against pathogens is the most probable function of the enzymes. RNases are actively involved in several immune systems of higher plants, for example, systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and genetic silencing, hence RNase activity in plant leaves, as a relatively easily measured parameter, can serve as a good marker for the selection of pathogen resistant varieties. We have analyzed sixteen varieties of potatoes permitted for use on the territory of the Russian Federation and tested the correlation of the level of variety­specifc ribonuclease (RNase) activity with such economically valuable traits as maturity and resistance to viruses, late blight and common scab. In general, the level of RNase activity was variety­specifc, which was confrmed by very small values of average squared error for the majority of tested varieties. We have detected a statistically signifcant positive correlation of RNase activity in potato leaves with increased resistance of varieties to phytopathogenic viruses, a negative correlation with resistance to scab and an absence of a signifcant connection with maturity and resistance to late blight, regardless of the organ affected by the oomycete. Thus, the level of RNase activity in potato leaves can be used as a selective marker for resistance to viruses, while varieties with increased RNase activity should be avoided when selecting resistance to scab.

Advances in the computational annotation of genomes and the predictive potential of current metabolic models, based on more than thousands of experimental phenotypes, allow them to be applied to identify the diversity of metabolic pathways at the level of ecophysiology differentiation within taxa and to predict phenotypes, secondary metabolites, host-associated interactions, survivability, and biochemical productivity under proposed environmental conditions. The significantly distinctive phenotypes of members of the marine bacterial species Pseudoalteromonas distincta and an inability to use common molecular markers make their identification within the genus Pseudoalteromonas and prediction of their biotechnology potential impossible without genome-scale analysis and metabolic reconstruction. A new strain, KMM 6257, of a carotenoid-like phenotype, isolated from a deep-habituating starfish, emended the description of P. distincta, particularly in the temperature growth range from 4 to 37 °C. The taxonomic status of all available closely related species was elucidated by phylogenomics. P. distincta possesses putative methylerythritol phosphate pathway II and 4,4′-diapolycopenedioate biosynthesis, related to C30 carotenoids, and their functional analogues, aryl polyene biosynthetic gene clusters (BGC). However, the yellow-orange pigmentation phenotypes in some strains coincide with the presence of a hybrid BGC encoding for aryl polyene esterified with resorcinol. The alginate degradation and glycosylated immunosuppressant production, similar to brasilicardin, streptorubin, and nucleocidines, are the common predicted features. Starch, agar, carrageenan, xylose, lignin-derived compound degradation, polysaccharide, folate, and cobalamin biosynthesis are all strain-specific.

The review highlights contemporary concepts about the role of atmospheric air pollution by particulate matter (PM) in pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). We used publications from the PubMed and Russian Science Citation Index databases. The influence of PM on the development and progression of CVD is considered depending on size, origin, chemical composition, concentration in air. PM with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2,5 μm (PM2,5) are recognized as the most dangerous. Epidemiological studies have established a dose-dependent effect PM. Oxidative stress, damage of genome of cell and epigenetic changes associated with PM effect are the important component of CVD pathogenesis. Systematization of scientific data through a formalized description helps to understand the pathogenesis of CVD and facilitates its practical use for assessing the risk of occurrence, early diagnosing, prognostication, increasing the effectiveness of treatment, and developing preventive measures.