INSTITUTE OF CYTOLOGY OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Laboratory of Genome Structure
    Head of the Laboratory

    Sergey N. BORCHSENIUS

     Prof., D.Sci.

    phone: +7 (812) 297-0328
    e-mail: borch@mail.cytspb.rssi.ru

    Laboratory was founded in 1989 by Dr. S.N. Borchsenius on the base of "Mycoplasma group", which there was in frames of Cell Culture Department of the Institute of Cytology.

    The main objects of genome research are Mycoplasmas (Mollicutes), the smallest prokaryotic organisms possessing minimal genomes.

    Scientific Staff

    Vonsky M.S. - Senior Scientist, Ph.D.
    Vishnyakov I.E. - Research Scientist, Ph.D.
    Malinin A.Yu. - Research Scientist
    Kurchakova E.V. - Senior Research Assistant


Vishnyakov I.E.

Several mycoplasmal genes playing a pivotal role in cell division were cloned and sequenced in the Laboratory. New data on cytoskeleton-like proteins were obtained for the mobile mycoplasma species and a scheme of the assumed "caterpillar" type of mycoplasma cell motility was suggested. Original data have been obtained on heat chock proteins in several mycoplasma species. New methods of sensitive detection of mycoplasmas in any biological substances were developed (rapid diagnostics of mycoplasmoses).

General biological features of the mycoplasmas, available genomic information, molecular base of mycoplasma interaction with human, animal and plant cells in nature and in culture were reviewed in a monograph "The Mycoplasmas", edited at 1989 and renewed at 2002.

The research of the Laboratory was supported by grants from Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Soros Foundation, NATO, Grants for junior researches from the SPb Government.

Currently under study are genes and proteins involved into cell division process, cell motility and mycoplasma cell response on stress conditions. The studies are carried out by methods of molecular and cell biology, including immuno-electron microscopy, electrophoresis of proteins and nucleic acids, Northern- and Southern-blotting, PCR, PT-PCR, chromatography of proteins and nucleic acids, etc.

A big part of the Laboratory research is carried out in close scientific contacts with the staff of the Group for Studying the Ultrastructure of Cell Membranes (prof. Ya. Yu. Komissarchik, Dr. E.S. Snigirevskaya) and the Laboratory of Cancer Growth Cytology (Dr. V.A. Ivanov).

Scientific collaborations have been established also with

  • Prof. V.M. Govorun, Science Research Institute of Physical-Chemical Medicine,
    Federal Agency of Public Health and Social Development, Moscow;
  • Dr V.M. Chernov, Kazan Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, RAS, Kazan;
  • Prof. J.A. Ayala, Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, Madrid, Spain.

Selected publications

Vishnyakov I.E., Levitskii S.A., Manuvera V.A., Lazarev V.N., Ayala J.A., Ivanov V.A., Snigirevskaya E.S., Komissarchik Y.Y., Borchsenius S.N. 2012. The identification and characterization of IbpA, a novel alpha-crystallin-type heat shock protein from mycoplasma. Cell Stress Chaperones. 17 (2) : 171-180.

Vishnjakov I.E., Levitskii S.A., Lazarev V.N., Ayala J.A., Ivanov V.A., Snigirevskaya E.S., Komissarchik Ya.Yu. Borchsenius S.N., 2010. Oligomeric forms, functions and cellular localization of α-crystallin type protein from Acholeplasma laidlawii. Tsitologiya. 52 : 48-55 (In Russian).

Vishnjakov I.E., Borchsenius S.N., Basovskii Yu. I., Levitskii S.A., Lazarev V.N., Snigirevskaya E.S., Komissarchik Ya.Yu. 2009. Localization of Division Protein FtsZ in Mycoplasma hominis. Cell and Tissue Biolody. 3 : 254-262.

Borchsenius, S.N., Vonskii M.S., Budantseva E.V., Vishnyakov I.E., Jacobs E., Lazarev V.N. 2008. α-Crystallin Type Heat Shock Protein of from Mycoplasma Acholeplasma laidlawii (Mollicutes). Cell and Tissue Biolody. 2 : 360-365.

Vishnjakov I.E., Borchsenius S.N. 2007. FtsZ and Bacterial Cell Division. Cell and Tissue Biology. 1 (3) : 206-214.

Vishnjakov I.E., Borchsenius S.N. 2006. Genes and proteins providing cells division in prokaryotes. Ovchinnikov bulletin of biotechnology and physical and chemical biology. 2 : 49-62 (In Russian).

Momynaliev K.T., Smirnova O.V., Lazarev V.N., Akopian T.A., Chelysheva V.V., Ayala J.A., Simankova A.N., Borchsenius S.N. 2003. Cloning and expression of the Mycoplasma hominis gene for a cell division protein. Genetics. 39 : 318-325 (In Russian).

Momynaliev K.T., Smirnova O.V., Lazarev V.N., Akopian T.A., Chelysheva V.V., Ayala J.A., Simankova A.N., Borchsenius S.N., Govorun V.M. 2002. Characterization of the Mycoplasma hominis ftsZ Gene and Its Sequence Variability in Mycoplasma Clinical Isolates. Bioch. Biophis. Res. Commun. 293 : 155-162.

Borchsenius S.N., Chernova O.A., Chernov V.M., Vonsky M.S. 2002. The Mycoplasmas : Molecular and Cell Biology, Pathogenicity, Diagnostics. SPb, Nauka. 319 p. (In Russian).

Borchsenius S.N., Chernova O.A., Chernov V.M., 2001.Mycoplasma interactions with immune system of human and animals. Tsitologiya. 43 : 219-243 (In Russian).

Kukekova, A.V., Malinin, A.Yu., Ayala, J.A., and Borchsenius S.N. 1999. Characterization of Acholeplasma laidlawii ftsZ gene and its gene product. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 262 : 44-49.

Kukekova, A.V., Malinin, A.Yu., Vonsky, M.S., and Borchsenius S.N. 1999. Cloning and expression of the gene for mycoplasma key cell-division protein FtsZ in E. coli. Russian Journal of Genetics. 35 : 249-255.

Vonsky, M.S., Usoskin, D.G., and Borchsenius S.N. 1998. The dnaK genes as a basis for phylogenetic analysis of mycoplasma. Doklady Akademii Nauk. 359 : 2705-273 (In Russian).

Korolev E.V., Nikonov A.V., Brudnaya M.S., Snigirevskaya E.S., Komissarchik Y.Yu., Ivanov P.I. and Borchsenius S.N. 1994. Tubular structures of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and its possible participation in the cell motility. Mikrobiology (UK). 140 : 671-681.

Zhulanova E. Yu., Vonsky M.S., Lisin V.V. and Borchsenius S.N. 1993. Detection of mycoplasmas by the method of directional DNA amplification. Mol. Genetika, Microbiol., Virusologia. 2 : 9-13 (In Russian).

Vonsky M.S., Astvazaturjanz G.V. and Borchsenius S.N. 1993. Expression of heat-shock proteins in mycoplasma. Doklady Akademii nauk. 331 : 112-115 (In Russian).

Barlev N.A., Borchsenius S.N. 1991. Gradual distribution of Mycoplasma genome sizes. Biomedical science (London-Moscow). 2 : 641-645.

Borchsenius S.N., Chernova O.A. 1989. The Mycoplasmas. Leningrad, "Nauka", 156 p. (In Russian).

Borchsenius S.N., Rakovskaya I.V., Chernova O.A., Merkulova N.A. 1988. Mycoplasmal DNA's contain fragments homologous to long terminal repeats of Rausher leukemia virus. Biopolimeri i kletka. 4 : 108-111 (In Russian).

Borchsenius S.N., Chernova O.A. 1987. The genome of Mycoplasmas. Tsitologiya. 29 : 619-631 (In Russian).

Borchsenius S.N. 1987. Mycoplasmas as a biotechnological pursuit. Bioteknologiya. 3 : 339-342 (In Russian).

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