BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF YERSINIA PSEUDOTUBERCULOSIS TOXINS

Aim. Study of effect of heat-labile (HLT) and thermostable (HST) lethal toxins of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis on the development of embryos of sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius, processes of biosynthesis of nucleic acids and protein in embryo cells and activity of nucleoside-kinases of sea urchin. Materials and methods. Y. pseudotuberculosis strains 2517 (pYV-) and 512 (pYV48MD, pYV82MD) were used for isolation of HLT and HST. Gametes and embryos of sea urchin S. intermedius were used to carry out the experiments and isolate nucleoside-kinases. Results. Both of the studied toxins of Y. pseudotuberculosis possessed spermiotoxic effect and reduced fertilizing ability of sea urchin spermies. HLT LD50 was 1 (ig/ml, and HST - 2 pg/ml. Toxins affected the development of embryos of sea urchin resulting in severe morphologic damages, cessation of the development of embryos at early stages of embryogenesis, destruction of cells and death of embryos. Wherein, damaging effect of HLT was observed at lower concentrations compared with HST. HLT inhibited DNA and RNA biosynthesis at concentrations of 1-2 pg/ml. HST did not affect biosynthesis of nucleic acids even at high concentrations, but inhibited protein biosynthesis in sea urchin embryos. HLT did not reduce the level of inclusion of labeled amino acids into embryo cells. HLT had inhibiting effect on the activity of thymidine- and uridine-kinase of sea urchin, whereas HST did not affect these enzymes. Conclusion. Both of Y. pseudotuberculosis protein toxins affect the development of sea urchin embryos, however, mechanisms of action of HLT and HST on embryos and processes occurring in them differ.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, toxins, embryos of Strongylocentrotus intermedius sea urchin, DNA, RNA, protein biosynthesis, nucleoside-kinases