Selected publications

1. Dubovskii P.V., Vassilevski A.A., Slavokhotova A.A., Odintsova T.I., Grishin E.V., Egorov T.A., Arseniev A.S. (2011). Solution structure of a defense peptide from wheat with a 10-cysteine motif. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 411 (1), 14–8 [+]

   Hevein, a well-studied lectin from the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis, is the title representative of a broad family of chitin-binding polypeptides. WAMP-1a, a peptide isolated from the wheat Triticum kiharae, shares considerable similarity with hevein. The peptide possesses antifungal, antibacterial activity and is thought to play an important role in the defense system of wheat. Importantly, it features a substitution of the conserved serine residue to glycine reducing its carbohydrate-binding capacity. We used NMR spectroscopy to derive the spatial structure of WAMP-1a in aqueous solution. Notably, the mutation was found to strengthen amphiphilicity of the molecule, associated with its mode of action, an indication of the hevein domain multi-functionality. Both primary and tertiary structure of WAMP-1a suggest its evolutionary origin from the hevein domain of plant chitinases.

2. Nolde S.B., Vassilevski A.A., Rogozhin E.A., Barinov N.A., Balashova T.A., Samsonova O.V., Baranov Y.V., Feofanov A.V., Egorov T.A., Arseniev A.S., Grishin E.V. (2011). Disulfide-stabilized helical hairpin structure and activity of a novel antifungal peptide EcAMP1 from seeds of barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli). J. Biol. Chem. 286 (28), 25145–53 [+]

   This study presents purification, activity characterization, and (1)H NMR study of the novel antifungal peptide EcAMP1 from kernels of barnyard grass Echinochloa crus-galli. The peptide adopts a disulfide-stabilized α-helical hairpin structure in aqueous solution and thus represents a novel fold among naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides. Micromolar concentrations of EcAMP1 were shown to inhibit growth of several fungal phytopathogens. Confocal microscopy revealed intensive EcAMP1 binding to the surface of fungal conidia followed by internalization and accumulation in the cytoplasm without disturbance of membrane integrity. Close spatial structure similarity between EcAMP1, the trypsin inhibitor VhTI from seeds of Veronica hederifolia, and some scorpion and cone snail toxins suggests natural elaboration of different functions on a common fold.

3. Slavokhotova A.A., Odintsova T.I., Rogozhin E.A., Musolyamov A.K., Andreev Y.A., Grishin E.V., Egorov T.A. (2011). Isolation, molecular cloning and antimicrobial activity of novel defensins from common chickweed (Stellaria media L.) seeds. Biochimie 93 (3), 450–6 [+]

   Two novel highly homologous defensins, Sm-AMP-D1 and Sm-AMP-D2, were isolated from seeds of common chickweed Stellaria media L. (family Cariophyllaceae). They show sequence homology to defensins of the Brassicaceae plants and display strong inhibitory activity against phytopathogenic fungi and oomycetes in the micromolar range (IC(50)≤1μM). The cDNA sequences coding for Sm-AMP-D1 and Sm-AMP-D2 were obtained. They code for highly homologous precursor proteins, consisting of a signal peptide of 32 amino acid residues and the mature peptide domain of 50 amino acid residues. The Sm-AMP-D1 and Sm-AMP-D2 precursors differ by two amino acids: one in the signal peptide region, and the other, in the mature peptide domain. Two Sm-D1-encoding genes were identified in S. media genome by PCR amplification from the genomic DNA using Sm-D1-specific primers. They contain a single 599-bp intron in the signal peptide domain and differ from each other by nucleotide substitutions in the intron and 3'-untranslated regions, while the coding sequences are well conserved. One of the genes matched perfectly the sm-D1 cDNA sequence. The sm-D genes show promise for engineering pathogen resistance in crops and expand our knowledge on weed genomics.

4. Vassilevski A.A., Kozlov S.A., Egorov T.A., Grishin E.V. (2010). Purification and characterization of biologically active peptides from spider venoms. Methods Mol. Biol. 615, 87–100 [+]

   Spider venoms represent invaluable sources of biologically active compounds suitable for use in life science research and also having a significant potential for biotechnology and therapeutic applications. The methods reported herewith are based on our long experience of spider venom fractionation and peptides purification. We routinely screen new peptides for antimicrobial and insecticidal activities and our detailed protocols are also reported here. So far these have been tested on species of Central Asian and European spiders from the families Agelenidae, Eresidae, Gnaphosidae, Lycosidae, Miturgidae, Oxyopidae, Philodromidae, Pisauridae, Segestriidae, Theridiidae, Thomisidae, and Zodariidae. The reported protocols should be easily adaptable for use with other arthropod species.

5. Odintsova T.I., Vassilevski A.A., Slavokhotova A.A., Musolyamov A.K., Finkina E.I., Khadeeva N.V., Rogozhin E.A., Korostyleva T.V., Pukhalsky V.A., Grishin E.V., Egorov T.A. (2009). A novel antifungal hevein-type peptide from Triticum kiharae seeds with a unique 10-cysteine motif. FEBS J. 276 (15), 4266–75 [+]

   Two forms of a novel antimicrobial peptide (AMP), named WAMP-1a and WAMP-1b, that differ by a single C-terminal amino acid residue and belong to a new structural type of plant AMP were purified from seeds of Triticum kiharae Dorof. et Migusch. Although WAMP-1a and WAMP-1b share similarity with hevein-type peptides, they possess 10 cysteine residues arranged in a unique cysteine motif which is distinct from those described previously for plant AMPs, but is characteristic of the chitin-binding domains of cereal class I chitinases. An unusual substitution of a serine for a glycine residue in the chitin-binding domain was detected for the first time in hevein-like polypeptides. Recombinant WAMP-1a was successfully produced in Escherichia coli. This is the first case of high-yield production of a cysteine-rich plant AMP from a synthetic gene. Assays of recombinant WAMP-1a activity showed that the peptide possessed high broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against diverse chitin-containing and chitin-free pathogens, with IC(50) values in the micromolar range. The discovery of a new type of AMP active against structurally dissimilar microorganisms implies divergent modes of action and discloses the complexity of plant-microbe interactions.

6. Ovchinnikov Yu.A., Egorov C.A., Aldanova N.A., Feigina M.Y., Lipkin V.M., Abdulaev N.G., Grishin E.V., Kiselev A.P., Modyanov N.N., Braunstein A.E., Polyanovsky O.L., Nosikov V.V. (1973). The complete amino acid sequence of cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase from pig heart. FEBS Lett. 29 (1), 31–34 [+]

   Aspartate aminotransferase (L-aspartate: 2-oxo-glutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.1) is one of the principal pyridoxal-P-containing enzymes that catalyse the transamination reactions [3] representing key steps
   at the intersection between the metabolic pathways of amino acids and dicarboxylic acids.
   Although the catalytic mechanism of aspartate aminotransferase has been investigated at the level of substrate-coenzyme models [4], its elucidation in detail requires knowledge of the enzyme’s structure, considering, in particular, that the very high rates of the enzymic process are determined by the structural peculiarities of the specific protein(apoenzyme) of the aspartate aminotransferase. Accordingly, we embarked
   on the task of elucidating the amino acid sequence of this enzyme. In the present paper the concluding stage
   of the work is reported*. The object chosen for study was the aspartate aminotransferase
   of the cytosol of pig heart; the enzyme, which is different from the mitochondrial isozyme
   [5,6] was prepared by a previously reported procedure [7]. The enzyme is a complex dimeric protein of
   high molecular weight; each of the associated subunits consists of a single polypeptide chain and has no disulfide bridges. Indirect evidence (amino acid composition, analysis of N-terminal residues, and peptide maps) testified to the identity of the two subunits [8].