Mycobiomes of roots of 1–2-year-old Pinus sylvestris L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst. plants in forest nurseries and natural woods were studied using molecular genetic methods. Biodiversity indicators were established (species abundance, dominance index, Shannon diversity index) and comparative characteristics of the studied mycobiomes were provided.

It was revealed that the main species complexes of mycorrhizae of juvenile pine and spruce plants were formed by a similar list of fungal species from the genera Wilcoxina, Phialocephala, Helotiaceae, etc. At the same time, natural regeneration was also characterized by monospecies mycorrhiza represented by basidiomycetes from the genera Russula, Rhizopogon, Laccaria. In fungal communities the highest level of species diversity indicators values was observed for Norway spruce (H_max = 2.6) and Scots pine (H_max = 2.5) seedlings from forest stands. The leading factor determining the species structure of mycobiomes, both in natural conditions and in nurseries, was local soil-biotic conditions.

Protein microarray consists of a support (usually glass or polymer) and immobilized proteins (ferments, antibodies, etc.). Being one of the most widespread and accessible support material, glass still has a significant disadvantage: its surface doesn’t contain functional groups capable of bonding with proteins. Therefore, the glass surface needs to be modified in order to immobilize capture proteins.

The aim of this work was to develop a technique of chemical modification of the glass surface for fabrication of protein microarrays. In our study we varied the following experimental parameters: solvent for 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, time of silanization reaction, concentration of glutaraldehyde, composition of a buffer for printing the target protein (allophycocyanin-labelled human anti-IgE) on the modified surface. The efficiency of protein molecule immobilization was quantified using the intensity of spot fluorescence. As a result, it was shown that there was no influence of the solvent for 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane on the immobilization efficiency of the target protein on the modified surface, and the optimal time for the silanization reaction was 60 minutes. It was also shown that the optimal concentration of glutaraldehyde was 2.5 % (v/v) and the optimal composition of the printing buffer was phosphate-buffered saline with the addition of 4 % (v/v) glycerol.

The rational design of the vector‒host system and the conditions for its use is the key to its most effective use as a biocatalyst for obtaining valuable products or for testing potential bioregulators. In this work, we will consider examples of such solutions for some yeasts from the literature over the past 5 years and our experience in optimizing the reactions of 17α-hydroxylation of pregnanes with recombinant strains of the yeast S. cerevisiae and Y. lipolytica. Thus, it was known that pregnenolone and its product pregnenolone and the products of its transformation by cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (P450c17) ‒ 17 hydroxypregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone ‒ undergo 3-O-acetylation by the Atf2p enzyme of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have found that adding isoamyl or amyl alcohol to the cultivation medium significantly reduced the formation of 3-O-acetylated products by both uninduced and induced cells of transgenic yeast S. cerevisiae GRF18 YEp5117α expressing P450c17 under the control of the GAL10 promoter. In this case, the Atf2p substrate competition model was applied. A more effective solution was to use a different host microorganism and an expression promoter. The analysis of the genome of the yeast Y. lipolytica using the BLAST program showed the absence of potential analogues of Atf2p, which was confirmed by the absence of pregnenolone acetylation products. Selecting the optimal host organism is an alternative to using a strain with a deleted gene.

Zidovudine (AZT) is an antiretroviral drug that has proven itself not only in treating HIV infection, but is associated with side effects on the central nervous system. All psychopathological symptoms are based on the processes of activation and inhibition of neurotransmitter systems, therefore, the purpose of this work was a comparative study of indi­cators characterizing the main monoaminergic systems of the brain of rats, including levels of amino acids precursors and metabolites, in different parts of the brain of rats when exposed to drugs zidovudine (AZT) and heptral (SAM) individually and in combination; to evaluate a possible corrective effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine under experimental conditions. The latter has a potential neuroprotective effect on improving cognitive impairment during brain aging, which is associated with inhibiting oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. The results of the experiment showed that the effect of AZT is reflected to a greater extent on the functioning of the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system of the hypothalamus (increased dopamine levels), the striatum and midbrain of rats (decreased neurotransmitter content), an increase in serotonin concentration was noted only in the midbrain. The use of SAM against the background of AZT led to normalizing the dopamine content in the hypothalamus, striatum and brain stem of rats, serotonin - in the stem, which indicates the corrective effect of the drug on the studied neurotransmitter systems. The combined use of SAM and AZT leads to increasing serotonin concentrations in all studied parts of the brain of rats and are close to the values in the group of animals treated only with SAM.

The article presents the results of the most complete molecular epidemiology study of one of the most epidemically significant enteroviruses (EV), both globally and in Belarus – Echovirus 30, including a description of its evolutionary trajectory and routes of geographic distribution.

The purpose of the presented work was to study a molecular epidemiology of Echovirus 30 in the Republic of Belarus from 1997 to 2021.

During the observation period, Echovirus 30 was the second most common type of EV after Coxsackievirus B5. The highest Echovirus 30 activity was registered at the time of enteroviral morbidity epidemic upsurge. Intestinal and neurological forms predominated in the spectrum of Echovirus 30 clinical presentation. We identified 10 different genetic variants of Echovirus 30 that circulated in Belarus, which were included in three global Echovirus 30 genotypes ‒ ECHO30_E, ECHO30_F and ECHO30_H. At the time of morbidity epidemic rises in 1997, 2013‒2014, and 2017‒2018 there was a parallel circulation of two different genetic variants of the virus belonging to the same (2013‒2014) or different (1997, 2017‒2018) genotypes. Simultaneously circulating genetic variants of Echovirus 30 had different evolutionary trajectory and/or routes of geographic distribution.

The obtained results are important for understanding the epidemiological processes underlying the enteroviral morbidity in the Republic of Belarus.

The article provides a profound analysis of the accumulation of the radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs in the stems of pine trees and harvest of crops, employing decision tree methods and SHAP analysis. In pine forests situated in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, a nonlinear relationship between the aggregated transfer factor and elevation above sea level is identified, along with the influence of vegetation indices pointing to overall stand condition, biological productivity, and potassium deficiency. In agroecosystems situated in Gomel and Mogilev regions, the impact of plant species, K⁺ concentration in the soil solution on aggregated transfer factor is confirmed. Interpretable machine learning method shows dependence of aggregated transfer factor from soil moisture and the persistence of transfoliar contamination at low soil pollution levels at late stage after Chernobyl catastrophe. The application of decision trees and SHAP analysis offers a deeper understanding of complex interactions in the “soil-plant” system, opening perspectives for effective monitoring and management of radioactive contamination in diverse natural and agricultural environments.

The possibility of using Mg,Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH) for production of nanoparticles comprising molecules of pharmaceutically valuable 3′,5′-cyclic diadenosine monophosphate (cyclic di-AMP) was demonstrated. Experimental conditions were optimized to produce LDH complexes with cyclic di-AMP (average size of 300 nm), which loading capacity in regard to the target compound reached 60 mass %. The fact of cyclic di-AMP release from LDH complex in pH-dependent mode (proceeding slightly slower at pH 7.4 than at pH 4.5) was stated. The obtained results testify in favor of applying the studied nanocomplexes for delayed delivery of cyclic di-AMP to the target immune cells.

The article presents the data on some aspects of ecology of eurasian badger (Meles meles) in the exclusion and resettlement zone of the “Polesie State Radiation-Ecological Reserve” (right bank of the Pripyat River). Using camera traps, the specific features of badger settlements, the daily and seasonal activity of species, species intraspecific and interspecific relations were revealed.