Khmel Inessa Aleksandrovna | Institute of Molecular Genetics

Khmel Inessa Aleksandrovna

Academic degree:
Doctor of Biological Sciences

Academic title:
Professor


Division of IMG:
Laboratory regulation of gene expression of microorganisms

Position:
Head of Laboratory


Telephone:
+7-499-196-00-16

Е-mail:
khmel@img.ras.ru

Resume (CV):
Microsoft Office document icon khmelinessa.doc



Main research interests

Major works are devoted to the genetics of microorganisms: molecular and genetic research of plasmids; the study of the regulation of genes expression of bacteria; Quorum Sensing regulation and its role in the life of bacteria; regulation of bacterial biofilms formation;  more recently, the functional analysis of volatile substances produced by bacteria, metal nanoparticles interactions with bacteria and developing methods for the biogenesis of nanoparticles.  
Results of investigations are published in more than 130 publications.

1968 – Thesis on the speciality Microbiology   « Physiological and biochemical characteristics of growth of microorganisms in the continuous  and synchronous cultures».

1973—1990. A series of studies on bacterial plasmids.  There were determined  features of replication and structures of small colicinogenic plasmids, their replicative apparatus, the structures and functions of genes that code protein antibiotics colicins, the data on the mechanisms of  interaction of plasmids with the processes of repair of DNA and  mutagenesis were obtained.

1988 – Doctoral thesis on the speciality  Genetics « Molecular, genetic  and  functional analysis of colicinogenic plasmids».

1990—2006. Investigations of enterobacteria antibiotics microcins encoded by plasmid genes: nature, genetic determinants, regulation of genes expression, mechanisms of action; study of  the possibilities of practical use, the development and introduction in practice of probiotic Romakol preparation (obtained on the basis of the strain Escherichia coli, synthesizing microcin) for the prevention and treatment of intestinal diseases of farm animals.

2003— at present time. Cycle of studies on Quorum Sensing (QS) regulation of gene expression of bacteria,  involved in the communication of bacteria: study of signaling molecules of two types of QS systems; genetic control of genes expression of QS systems; the role of QS in the regulation of cellular processes of bacteria. The study of regulation of biofilm formation by  bacteria, the role of QS systems genes in this process, the effect of various compounds with antibacterial activity on biofilm formation and death of bacteria in biofilms.

2009— at present time. Studies of the action  of metal nanoparticles on bacteria and bacterial biofilms. There were determined  possibilities of obtaining of metal nanoparticles by the "green synthesis" (biogenesis) with using different bacteria, and the study of the properties and biological activity of the synthesized nanoparticles was carried out (collaboration with  the Institute of Chemical Physics RAS, Department of Prof. Nadtochenko V.A.).

2011— at present time.  Study of the volatile organic compounds (VOC), synthesized by soil and rhizosphere bacteria: the nature, action on various biological objects, the role in the  antagonism of microorganisms, elucidation of  the mechanisms of action of VOCs with help of  the analysis of the mutant bacteria resistant to VOC and  the method of proteomics. The study of signal functions of volatile organic compounds, their interactions with the QS regulation.


Teaching activities

The head of   13 thesis (Ph.D.). The head of many bachelor's and master works of students (course and diploma works).

Teaching
Lectures on the topic “Communication of bacteria”, “Quorum Sensing regulation of bacterial genes expression: fundamental and applied aspects” in Scientific and Educational Center of IMG RAS, in Moscow State University, N.F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.


Awards, achievements, memberships

Expert of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and Russian Scientific Foundation.


Publications

  1. Khmel, I.A., V.M. Bondarenko, I.M. Manokhina, E.I. Basyuk, A.Z.   Metlitskaya, V.A. Lipasova,   and Yu. M  Romanova.   Isolation and characterization of Escherichia coli strains producing  microcins of B and C types. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 1993, v. 111, 269-274. 
  2. Kurepina, N.E., E.I. Basyuk, A.Z. Metlitskaya, D.A.Zaitsev,  and I.A . Khmel. 1993.  Cloning and  mapping of the genetic determinants  for microcin C51 production and immunity. Mol .Gen.   Genet. 1993, v.  241, 700-706. 
  3. Metlitskaya,  A.Z., G.S. Katrukha, A.S. Shashkov, D.A. Zaitsev, Ts.A. Egorov,  I.A. Khmel.  Structure of microcin C51, a new antibiotic with a broad spectrum of activity. FEBS Letters, 1995, v.  357, 235-238. 
  4. Khmel I.A., Sorokina T.A., Lemanova N.B., Lipasova V.A., Metlitski O.Z., Burdeinaya T.V., Chernin L.S. Biological control of crown gall in grapewine and raspberry by two Pseudomonas spp. with a wide spectrum of antagonistic activity. Biocontrol Science and Technology, 1998, v. 8, 45-57. 
  5. Fomenko D., Veselovskii A., Khmel I. Regulation of the microcin  C51 operon expression: the role of global regulators of transcription. Research in   Microbiology,  2001, v. 152, 469-479. 
  6. Fomenko D.M., Metlitskaya A.Z., Peduzzi J., Goulard C., Katrukha G.S., Gening, L.V., Rebuffat S., Khmel I.A.  Microcin C51 plasmid genes: possible  source of  horizontal gene transfer. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2003, v. 47,  2868-2874.
  7. Veselova M., Kholmeckaya M., Klein S., Voronina E., Lipasova V.,  Metlitskaya A., Mayatskaya A., Lobanok E., Khmel I., Chernin L.  Production of N-acylhomoserine lactone signal molecules by Gram-negative soil-borne and plant- associated  bacteria. Folia Microbiol., 2003, v. 48, 794-798.
  8. Сhernin L.,  Klein S.,  Khmel I.,   Veselova M., Metlitskaya  A., Bass I.,  Mayatskaya  A.,    Kholmeckaya M., Lobanok L.,  Liu  Xiaoguang,   Chet I.  Intracellular communication  in the environment and  biocontrol  activity of  plant-associated bacteria producing N-acyl homoserine  lactone  signal molecules.  Scientific Israel - Technological Advantages,  2004, v. 6,  No 1-2  "Environmental  Engineering&Energy Engineering", pp. 19-30.          
  9. Khmel I.A. Regulation of expression of bacterial genes in the absence of active cell  growth. Russian Journal of Genetics, 2005, v. 41, 968-984.
  10. Khmel I.A., Ovadis M.I., Mayatskaya A.V., Veselovskii A.M., Bass I.A., Lipasova V.A., Bolshoy A., Chet I., Chernin L.S. Activity of Serratia plymuthica IC1270 gene chiA promoter region in Escherichia coli mutants deficient in global regulators of transcription. J. Basic Microbiol. 2005,  v. 45, 426-437.
  11. Khmel I.A., Metlitskaya A.Z. Quorum Sensing regulation of gene expression: a promising target for drugs against bacterial pathogenicity. Molecular Biology (Russian)  2006,  40, 169-182.
  12. Metlitskaya A., Kazakov T., Kommer A., Pavlova O., Praetorius-Ibba M., Ibba M.,  Krasheninnikov I., Kolb V., Khmel I.,  Severinov K. Aspartyl-tRNA synthetase is  the  target of peptidenucleotide antibiotic microcin C. J.Biol. Chem., 2006, v. 281, 18033-18042.
  13. Belik AS, Zavil'gel'skiĭ GB, Khmel IA. Influence of mutations at genes of global  transcriptional regulators on production of autoinducer AI-2 of Quorum Sensing system of Escherichia coli. Russian J. of Genetics, 2008 v., 44,1184-1190.
  14. Veselova M, Klein Sh, Bass IA, Lipasova VA, Metlitskaia AZ, Ovadis MI, Chernin LS, Khmel IA. Quorum sensing systems of regulation, synthesis of phenazine antibiotics, and antifungal activity in rhizospheric bacterium Pseudomonas chlororaphis 449. Russian J. of Genetics, 2008, v. 44, 1617-1626.
  15. Shedova E., Lipasova V., Velikodvorskaya G., Ovadis M., Chernin L., Khmel I. Phytase activity and its regulation in a rhizospheric strain of Serratia plymuthica. Folia   Microbiol. 2008,  v. 53, 110-114.
  16. Zaitseva J., Granik V., Belik A., Koksharova O., Khmel I. Effect of nitrofurans and NO  generators on biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and Burkholderia  cenocepacia 370. Research in Microbiology. 2009, v. 160, 353-357.
  17. Lipasova V.A., Atamova E.E., Veselova M.A., Tarasova N.N., Khmel I.A. Expression of N-acyl-homoserine lactonase AiiA gene affects properties of   rhizospheric strain Pseudomonas chlororaphis 449. Russian J. of Genetics, 2009,  v. 45, 38-42.
  18. Veselova M., Lipasova V., Protsenko M.A., Buza N., Khmel I.A. GacS-Dependent  regulation of  enzymic and antifungal activities and synthesis of N-acylhomoserine  lactones in rhizospheric  strain Pseudomonas chlororaphis 449. Folia  Microbiologica. 2009,  v. 54, 401–408.
  19. Zaitseva Iu.V, Voloshina P.V., Liu X., Ovadis M.I., Berg G., Chernin .S., Khmel I.A. Involvement of the global regulators GrrS, RpoS, and SplIR in formation of biofilms in Serratia plymuthica. Russian J. of Genetics, 2010, v. 46, 616-621.
  20. Nadtochenko V.A., Radtsig M.A., Khmel I.A. Antimicrobial effect of metallic and  semiconductor nanoparticles. Nanotechnologies in Russia, 2010, v. 5, 277-289.
  21. Dandurishvili N., Toklikishvili N., Ovadis M.,  Eliashvili P., Giorgobiani N., Keshelava R., Tediashvili M., Vainshtein A., Khmel I., Szegedi E., Chernin L. Broad-range antagonistic rhizobacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens and Serratia plymuthica suppress Agrobacterium crown gall tumours on tomato plants. J. Appl.Microbiol. 2011, 110 (1), 341-352.
  22. Chernin L., Toklikishvili N., Ovadis M., Kim S., Ben-Ari J., Khmel I., Vainstein A. Quorum-sensing quenching by rhizobacterial volatiles. Environmental Microbiology Reports, 2011, v. 3,  698-704.
  23. Veselova MA, Lipasova VA, Zaĭtseva IuV, Koksharova OA, Chernukha MIu,  Romanova IuM, Khmel IA. Mutants of Burkholderia cenocepacia with a change in synthesis of N-acyl-homoserine lactones--signal molecules of Quorum Sensing regulation. Russian J. of Genetics,. 2012, v. 48, 608-616.
  24. M.A. Radzig, V.A. Nadtochenko, O.A. Koksharova , J. Kiwi, V.A. Lipasova ,   I.A. Khmel. Antibacterial effects of silver nanoparticles on Gram-negative bacteria: influence on the growth and biofilms formation, mechanisms of action. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 2013, v. 102, 300-306.
  25. Plyuta V.A., Zaitseva J, Lobakova E, Zagoskina N, Kuznetsov A,  Khmel I. Effect of plant phenolic compounds on biofilm formation by Pseudomonas  aeruginosa. APMIS. 2013, v. 121, 1073-1081.
  26. Chernin L., Toklikishvili N., Ovadis M., Khmel I. Quorum-Sensing quenching by  volatile organic compounds emitted by rhizosphere bacteria. In: Molecular Microbiol. Ecology of the Rhizosphere, v. 2, Ed. By Frans J. de     Bruijn, 2013, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. P. 791-800.
  27. Plyuta V.A., Lipasova V.A., Kuznetsov A.E., Khmel I.A. Effect of salicylic, indole-3-acetic, gibberellic, and abscisic acids on biofilm formation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2013, V. 49 N 8, P. 706-710
  28. Zaitseva Yu.V., Popova A.A., Khmel I.A. Quorum Sensing regulation in bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Russian J. of Genetics, 2014, v. 50, 323-340.
  29. A.  A. Popova, O. A. Koksharova, V. A. Lipasova, Ju. V. Zaitseva, O. A. Katkova-Zhukotskaya, S. Iu. Eremina, A. S. Mironov, L. S. Chernin, I. A. Khmel. Inhibitory and toxic Effects of Volatiles emitted by Strains of Pseudomonas and Serratia on Growth and Survival of selected Microorganisms, Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster.  BioMed Research International,   Volume 2014, Article ID 125704, 11 pages, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/125704