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Drug penetration into bacterial biomembranes is one of the most important factors determining the efficiency of antibacterial therapy. Multicide, antibacterial drug, is a nanomolecule 1.3-2.0 nm in size, easily penetrating into staphylococcus biomembranes and causing rapid death of bacteria. The drug efficiency depends on its concentration and duration of exposure. Bacteria die as a result of cell wall perforation, which is associated with changes in its morphology and release of DNA from bacterial cell into the environment. Our results indicate the efficiency of primary damage to bacterial wall leading to elimination of biomembranes.

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Facultative pathogens Serratia grimesii are able to invade eukaryotic cells where they have been found in vacuoles and free in the cytoplasm (Efremova et al., 2001; Bozhokina et al., 2011). However, efficiency of this invasion is low, and the mechanisms of the invasion related to the initial steps of the process are not known. In the present study, we have increased the invasion efficiency by incubation of HeLa cells with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) preceding the infection. In the NAC-pretreated cells, two modes of S. grimesii to enter HeLa cells were observed. In the most cases, the penetration of S. grimesii into the cell was consistent with the "zipper mechanism", involving specific interaction of bacterial invasin with a host cell surface receptor. However, in some cases, bacteria were trapped by membrane ruffling probably produced by injected bacterial proteins that trigger the bacterial uptake process, as described in the "trigger mechanism". Further elucidation of bacterial and cellular factors involved in the bacteria-host cell interaction should clarify whether two different mechanisms or a predominant one operate during S. grimesii invasion.

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On MDCK1 cell monolayer, dynamics of the spatial organization of actin cytoskeleton and dynamics of trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) have been studied upon exposure of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) and protein-kinase A (PKA) activator forskolin. It has been found that exposure to these physiologically active compounds causes fibrillary actin depolymerization (both in apical and in basal cytoplasm) and, simultaneously, significant decrease in the cell monolayer trans-epithelial electrical resistance. TEER decrease indicates the stimulation of ions and water flow across the cell monolayer. In order to clarify pathways of movement of ions and water across MDCK monolayer, we have carried out an immunofluoresence study of claudin 1 and 2 localization in the tight junctions of MDCK ATCC cells (low TEER) and MDCK1 cells (high TEER). We have demonstrated that in the tight junctions of MDCK ATCC cells both claudin 1 and claudin 2 are present. In MDCK1 cells tight junctions, claudin 1 is localized and pore-forming claudin 2 is completely lacking. Under forskolin exposure to MDCK1 cells, no alterations in studied claudins distribution has been found. These data indicate that forskolin-induced TEER decrease is linked with alterations in trans-cellular, not in para-cellular, permeability of monolayer.

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The ability of protealysin, a thermolysin-like metallopeptidase from Serratia proteamaculans 94, to cleave actin and matrix metalloprotease MMP2 is reported. In globular actin, protealysin and S. proteamaculans 94 cell extracts are shown to hydrolyze the Gly42-Val43 peptide bond within the DNase-binding loop and the Gly63-Ile64 and Thr66-Ile67 peptide bonds within the nucleotide cleft of the molecule. At enzyme/substrate mass ratio of 1 : 50 and below, a 36 kDa-fragment produced by the cleavage between Gly42 and Val43 was virtually resistant to further breakdown. Judging from the results of zymography, protealysin transforms proMMP2 into a 66 kDa polypeptide characteristic of mature MMP2, indicating that protealysin can activate MMP2. Upon incubation of S. proteamaculans 94 with human larynx carcinoma Hep-2 cells intracellular bacteria were detected in about 10% of Hep-2 cells, this being the first evidence for invasion of eukaryotic cells with bacteria of this species. Thus, S. proteamaculans 94 turned out to be one more bacterial strain in which synthesis of actin-specific metalloprotease is coupled with bacterial invasion. These results are consistent with the idea of the actinase activity of bacterial metalloproteases being a factor that may promote bacterial invasion of eukaryotic cells.

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Long-term treatment of transformed 3T3-SV40 mouse fibroblasts with antioxidant N-acetylcysteine decreased cell level of ROS and increased the concentration of reduced glutathione. Removal of N-acetylcysteine from the medium led to the appearance of well-expressed stress fibrils, virtually absent in control cells. In contrast to control cells, these cells were not invaded by apathogenic Escherichia coli A2 strain producing ECP32 protease specifically cleaving actin. Antioxidant N-acetylcysteine can cause partial reversion of transformed phenotype at the expense of a shift of cell redox balance in favor of reduced glutathione.

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Structural changes of the cytoplasm of urinary bladder granular cells after an antidiuretic hormone (ADH) stimulation of water transport were studied using standard and cryogenic methods of electron microscopy. Numerous changes occurred in these cells, the cytoplasm of the granular cells becoming swollen, and the intercellular spaces enlarged. Most granules become fused with the apical membrane. Under maximal ADH action, giant vacuoles appear in the cytoplasm of granular cells, in association with microfilaments and microtubules. Analysis of ultrastructure of the granular cells has established the origin of giant vacuoles from the cis -cisterna of the Golgi complex. A hypothesis based on the morphofunctional homology of giant vacuoles in granular cells with the contractile vacuoles of Protozoa is proposed in which the giant vacuoles ('contractile-like' vacuoles) are seen as operating a osmoregulatory role in these cells. It is also proposed that microtubules and microfilaments participate in giant vacuole migration through the cytoplasm.

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