Alexander
RAPOPORT
Born: October 13, 1946, Riga, Latvia
Interests:
- Cell Biology
- Cytology of Microorganisms
- Physiology of Microorganisms
- Molecular Biology of Microorganisms
- Biochemistry and Biophysics of Microorganisms
Main investigations are linked with the studies of extreme
treatment
upon microorganisms and especially with the state of anhydrobiosis in yeasts.
Summarising
the results received it could be said that these investigations gave a
possibility just
not only to study this extremely interesting natural phenomenon of reversible
delay of
metabolism but to reveal the main mechanisms of intracellular reactions under
unfavourable
conditions of environment too. We proved that extreme dehydration influences
all
intracellular structures. We revealed the main structural and functional
changes of yeast
cell wall, plasma membrane, mitochondria, vacuoles, lysosomal apparatus and
nuclei.
Experiments have shown that the main factors determining the cell resistance to
dehydration are the following: the level of intracellular nucleic acid
stability, the cell
cycle stage, the possibility of maintenance by cells the molecular organisation
of
intracellular membranes and ability of "switching on" by cells of the
whole
complex of protective reactions at early stages of dehydration process. A whole
number has
been demonstrated of earlier unknown self-protective reactions observed in
eucaryotic
organisms under extreme environmental conditions (ability of the cells to limit
irreversibly damaged cytoplasm sites, to separate with the help of nucleolemma
chromatine-containing nucleus parts, chromatine condensing, etc.). We showed
the
possibility of directed increase of cell resistance to dehydration by the way
of special
osmotic treatment on yeast. It was established that the stabilisation of
intracellular
membrane state was achieved in these conditions.
Languages: English, Latvian, Russian
Education:
- University of Latvia (Faculty of Biology) , 1969
- Dr. biol. (Candidate of Science in former USSR, Ph.D. in Western
countries), Latvian
Academy of Sciences, 1974
- Dr. habil. biol. (Doctor of Science in former USSR), Institute of
Microbiology, USSR
Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 1988
Experience:
- Researcher, Institute of Microbiology, Latvian Academy of Sciences,
1974-1978
- Senior Researcher, Institute of Microbiology, Latvian Academy of
Sciences, 1978-1987
- Leading Researcher, Institute of Microbiology, Latvian Academy of
Sciences, 1987-1990
- Vice-head of the Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Institute of
Microbiology,
Latvian Academy of Sciences, (now re-named as Institute of Microbiology and
Biotechnology,
Latvian University), 1990-1995
- Head of the Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Microbiology and
Biotechnology,
Latvian University, Riga, 1995-
- Professor, Riga Technical University, 1991-
- Visiting Investigator, Department of General and Marine Microbiology,
University of
Goteborg, Sweden, 1993-1994
- Visiting Investigator, Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology,
University of
California, Davis, USA, 1995
- Consultant of EUROLYSINE Joint Research Laboratory, Orsay, France,
1992-1993
- J.Soros Foundation Research Scholar, 1993
- Visiting Investigator, Laboratory of Chemical Engineering Sciences,
National Polytechnic
Institute of Lorraine, Nancy, France, 1997
Honours and Awards:
Professional Activities and Memberships:
- Editorial Board for Process Biochemistry, 1993-
- Member, International Commission on Yeasts of IUMS, 1992-
- Member, New York Academy of Sciences, 1996-
- Secretary General, 15th International Specialised Symposium on Yeasts
Organizing
Committee (1991)
- Member, 18th International Specialised Symposium on Yeasts International
Advisory
Committee (1997)
- Member, Latvian Council of Science Committee for Research Evaluation,
1991-1996
- FEMS Liaison Officer, Board of Microbiological Society of Latvia,
1996-
- Member, European Federation of Biotechnology, Section for Microbial
Physiology
- Delegate from Latvia, Member of Award Board, Federation of European
Microbiological
Societies (FEMS)
Invited Lectures:
- 15th International Specialised Symposium on Yeasts, Riga, Latvia
(1991)
- International Symposium on Physiology, Biochemistry, Genetics and
Molecular Biology of
Methylotrophic Yeasts, Lviv, Ukraine (1991)
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sience, Praha, Czech Republic
(1991)
- EUROLYSINE, Orsay, France (1991)
- 9th International Symposium on Yeasts, Atlanta, USA (1992)
- International Workshop on Biotechnology, Joe-en-Josas, France (1992)
- Department of General and Marine Microbiology, University of Goteborg,
Sweden (1993)
- Department of Applied Microbiology, University of Lund, Sweden
(1993)
- Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
(1994)
- Department of General and Marine Microbiology, University of Goteborg,
Sweden (1994)
- Royal Gist-brocades, Delft, The Netherlands (1994)
- Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California,
Davis, USA (1995)
- Symposium "Trehalose and Water Handling in Biological Systems",
Brazilian
Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Meeting , Caxambu, Brazil
(1995)
- International Workshop "Biobalt-96", Tallinn, Estonia
(1996)
- 18th International Specialised Symposium on Yeasts, Bled, Slovenia
(1997)
- Cultor, Helsinki, Finland (1998)
- International Symposium "Microbial Stress in Food", Quimper,
France (1999)
- 10th International Symposium on Yeasts. Symposium Book, Papendal, The
Netherlands (2000)
- 1st FEMS Congress of European Microbiologists, Lyublyana,
Slovenia (2003)
- ECCO XXIV, Riga, Latvia (2005)
- Riga Meeting on Compehensive Cell Biology, Riga, Latvia (2005)
- International Conference Ecology of Microorganisms, Moscow,
Russia (2006)
- Nanotech Northern Europe 2007, Helsinki,
Finland (2007)
- Central European Symposium on Industrial Microbiology and Microbial
Ecology, Zadar,
Croatia (2007)
- Belarus Latvian Forum on Science, Innovation, Investments, Minsk,
Belarus (2007)
- 36th Annual Conference on Yeasts. Smolenice, Slovakia
(2008)
- 12th International Congress on Yeasts, Kiev, Ukraine
(2008)
- Electroceramics XI, Manchester, UK (2008)
- III International Conference on Microbial Diversity: Current Situation,
Conservation
Strategy and Biotechnological Potential, Perm-N.Novgrod-Perm, Russia
(2008)
- International Symposium Advances in Cell Biology and
Biotechnology, Lviv,
Ukraine (2008)
- 2nd Annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology 2009.
Innovative
Biotechnology for Sustainable Bio-economy. Seoul, Korea, (2009)
Recent/Representative Publications:
- A.I.Rapoport. Rejection of areas of damaged cytoplasm by microorganisms
in a state of
anabiosis. - Microbiology, 1973, vol .42, N 2, pp. 317-318.
- A.I.Rapoport, N.A.Kostrikina. Cytological investigation of an anabiosis
state of yeast
organisms. - Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.
Biology, 1973, N 5,
pp. 770-773 (In Russian).
- A.I.Rapoport, V.I.Birjusova, M.N.Meissel. The structure of the yeast cell
nucleus in an
anabiotic state. - Reports of the Academy of Science of the USSR, 1973,
vol. 213, N 3,
pp. 708-710 (In Russian).
- A.I.Rapoport, M.E.Beker. Increased intracellular activity of acid
phosphatase on
desiccation of the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. - Microbiology,
1978, vol. 47, N 1,
pp. 136-137.
- V.I.Biryusova, A.I.Rapoport. Cryofractographic investigation of the
structure of yeast
cells in an anabiotic state. - Microbiology, 1978, vol. 47, N 2,
pp.245-251.
- M.J.Beker, B.E.Damberga, A.I.Rapoport. Anabiosis of Microorganisms,
1981, Riga:
Zinatne, 252 pp. (In Russian).
- A.I.Rapoport, N.A.Pomoshchnikova, M.V.Fateeva, T.N.Nikitina, M.N.Meissel.
Nucleic acids
and resistance of yeast cells to dehydration. - Microbiology, 1981, vol.
50, N 2, pp.
163-165.
- A.I.Rapoport, A.B.Markovskii, M.E.Beker. Increase in the permeability of
intracellular
membranes on dehydration and rehydration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast.
- Microbiology,
1982, vol. 51, N 6, pp. 707-710.
- A.I.Rapoport, V.I.Biryuzova, M.E.Beker. Effect of dehydration on the
surface structure
of the yeast cell wall. - Microbiology, 1983, vol. 52, N 2, pp.
204-207.
- A.I.Rapoport, M.E.Beker. Effect of sucrose and lactose on resistance of
the yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae to dehydration.- Microbiology, 1983, vol .52, N
5, pp.
556-559.
- A.T.Novichkova, A.I.Rapoport. State of the intracellular pool of free
amino acids in
dehydrated yeast organisms. - Microbiology, 1984, vol. 53, N 1, pp.
1-4.
- M.J.Beker, J.E.Blumbergs, E.J.Ventina, A.I.Rapoport. Characteristics of
cellular
membranes at rehydration of dehydrated yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. -
Applied
Microbiology and Biotechnology, 1984, vol. 19, N 5, pp. 347- 352.
- E.J.Ventina, L.A.Saulite, A.I.Rapoport, M.E.Beker. Electron-microscopic
study of yeasts
in a state of anabiosis and reactivated from this state. - Microbiology,
1984, vol. 53,
N 4, pp. 536-541.
- A.I.Rapoport, M.N.Meissel. Survival rates of yeast organisms after
dehydration as
determined by fluorescence microscopy. - Microbiology, 1985, vol. 54, N
1, pp. 53-55.
- A.I.Rapoport, M.E.Beker. Changes in the surface charge of yeast cells
during their
dehydration and rehydration.- Microbiology, 1985, vol. 54, N 3, pp.
362-365.
- M.J.Beker, A.I.Rapoport, P.B.Zikmanis, B.E.Damberga. Dehydration as yeast
metabolism
regulating factor.- In: Environmental Regulation of Microbial
Metabolism. (Ed. by
I.S.Kulayev, E.A.Daves, D.W.Tangest). London-San-Diego: Academic Press,
1985, pp. 105-111.
- V.A.Saulite, A.I.Rapoport, M.E.Beker. Lipid inclusions in cells and
changes in them
during dehydration and reactivation of yeasts. - Microbiology, 1986,
vol. 55, N 1,
pp.99-104.
- A.I.Rapoport, M.A.Dreimane, M.E.Beker. Influence of the dehydration
process on
Endomycopsis fibuligera yeasts.- Microbiology, 1986, vol. 55, N 4, pp.
542-545.
- A.I.Rapoport, M.E.Beker. Ribonucleic acid degradation during dehydration
of yeast
cells.- Microbiology, 1986, vol. 55, N 5, pp. 689-691.
- A.I.Rapoport, V.I.Biryusova, T.P.Svetlichnaya. Freeze-fracture study of
changes in
vacuoles during dehydration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. -
Microbiology, 1986,
vol. 55, N 6, pp. 835-839.
- V.N.Ivanov, A.I.Rapoport, A.A.Pindrus, L.A.Saulite, T.A.Shifruk. Phase
specificity of
damage and repair of yeast cells during dehydration-rehydration and
freeze-thawing.- Microbiology,
1987, vol. 57, N 2, pp. 274-279.
- M.J.Beker, A.I.Rapoport. Conservation of yeasts by dehydration.- In:
Advances in
Biochemical Engineering / Biotechnology, 1987,. Berlin- Heidelberg-
NewYork - London -
Paris - Tokyo: Springer-Verlag, vol. 35, pp. 127-171.
- O.M.Puzyrevskaya, M.G.Saubenova. Polyols and resistance of yeasts to
dehydration. -
Microbiology, 1988, vol. 57, N 2, pp. 269-271.
- M.J.Beker, A.Jalinska, J.E.Blumbergs, I.K.Bekere, A.I.Rapoport,
E.J.Ventina,
I.V.Polskaya, A.A.Timoshin. Characteristics of a flocculant mutant of
Zymomonas mobilis
ZM4 on sucrose and molasses media. - Australian Journal of
Biotechnology, 1988, vol. 2,
N 2, pp. 156-159.
- A.A.Timoshin, A.I.Rapoport, M.E.Beker. Effect of temperature on the state
of lipids in
the external membrane of Zymomonas mobilis during growth. -
Microbiology, 1989, vol.
58, N 4, pp. 458-460.
- V.V.Vysotskii, G.I.Lazareva, A.I.Rapoport. Visualisation of intercellular
bonds
(cohesion) in some anaerobic microflora by means of scanning electron
microscopy.- Microbiology,
1991,vol. 60, N 2, pp. 225-229.
- I.L.Krallish, Yu.E.Posmetnyi, G.M.Khroustalyova, B.B.Reitblat,
A.I.Rapoport. Effect of
plant extracts on the metabolic activity of the yeast Saccharomyces
cerevisiae 39.- Microbiology,
1991, vol. 60, N 4, pp. 471-475.
- A.A.Timoshin, A.F.Danilevich, A.I.Rapoport. Effects of low-intensity
helium-neon laser
irradiation on the bacterial species Zymomonas mobilis. - Microbiology,
1991, vol. 60,
N 6, pp. 718-722.
- A.I.Rapoport, G.M.Khroustalyova, G.J.Camanis, M.J.Beker. Yeast
anhydrobiosis:
permeability of the plasma membrane.- Microbiology, 1995, vol. 64, N 2,
pp. 229-232.
- A.Rapoport, O.Muter. Biosorption of hexavalent chromium by yeasts. -
Process
Biochemistry, 1995, vol. 30, N 2, pp. 145-149.
- A.I.Rapoport, G.M.Khroustalyova, E.N.Kuklina. Anhydrobiosis in yeast:
activation
effect.- Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 1997,
vol. 30, N 1, pp.
9-13.
- I.Krallish, H.Jeppsson, A.Rapoport, B.Hahn-Hagerdal. The effect of
polyols on viability
of xylose-assimilating yeasts during dehydration-rehydration. - Appl.
Microbiol.
Biotechnol, 1997, vol. 47, pp. 447-451.
- M.Bekers, A.Vigants, J.Laukevics, M.Toma, A.rapoport, P.Zilmanis. The
effect of
osmo-induced stress on product formation by Zymomonas mobilis on sucrose.
-
International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2000, vol. 55, n 1-3,
pp.147-150.
- M.Bekers, E.Ventina, A.Karsakevich, I.Vina, A.Rapoport, D.Upite,
E.Kaminska, R.Linde.
Attachment of yeast to the modified stainless steel wire spheres, growth of
cells and
ethanol production.- Process Biochemistry , 2000, vol.35, N 5, pp.
523-530.
- M.Beker, A.Rapoport, U.Viesturs. Country Profile: Latvia. In:
Biotechnology in
the Developing World and Countries in Economic Transition (ed.
G.T.Tzotzos,
K.G.Skryabin), CABI Publishing, 2000, pp. 106-108.
- O.Muter, A.Patmalnieks, A.Rapoport. Interrelations of the yeast Candida
utilis and
Cr(VI); metal reduction and its distribution in the cell and medium. -
Process
Biochemistry , 2001, vol.36, N 10, pp. 963-970.
- G.M.Khroustalyova, L.Adler, A.I.Rapoport. Exponential growth phase cells
of the
osmotolerant yeast Debaryomyces hansenii are extremely resistant to
dehydration stress.- Process
Biochemistry , 2001, vol.36, N 12, pp. 1163-1166.
- O.Muter, D.Millers, L.Grigorjeva, E.Ventina, A. Rapoport. Cr(VI) sorption
by intact and
dehydrated Candida utilis cells: differences in mechanisms. -Process
Biochemistry, 2001,
vol.37, N 5, pp. 505-511.
- O.Muter, I.Lubinya, D.Millers, L.Grigorjeva, E.Ventinya, A. Rapoport.
Cr(VI) sorption by
intact and dehydrated Candida utilis cells in the presence of other metals.
- Process
Biochemistry , 2002, vol.38, N 1, pp. 123-131.
- A.I.Rapoport, G.M.Khroustalyova, I.Guzhova. Anhydrobiosis of
yeasts: cell
adaption to stress conditions. - 1st FEMS Congress of European
Microbiologists.
Abstract Book, Elsevier, 2003, pp. 94-95.
- A.Rapopport. Conservation of yeasts by dehydration: intercellular
protective reactions.
- In: European Culture Collections: Resources for Biology and
Biotechnology. Proc.
Annual General Meeting of the Eur. Culture Collections' Organization,
2005, pp.
20-21.
- A.I.Rapoport. Anabiosis of microorganisms: from live nature towards
modern
biotechnologies. In: Proceedings of the International Conference
Ecology of
Microorganisms. Moscow, Max Press, 2006, p. 59-62.
- E.I.Kolomiets, A.I.Rapoport. Biological control of phytopathogens using
Bacillus
bacterium: current state and prospective.- In: Belarus Latvia:
Science. Innovation.
Investments. Minsk, 2007, p. 77-79 (in Russian).
- A.Rapoports, J.Dehtjars, W.Ambroziak, D.Borovikova, A.Kokina, D.Kriegel,
A.Diowksz,
E.Kordialik-Bogacka, J.Berlowska, G.Koziol. Method of microorganisms
immobilization on the
carrier.- Latvian Patent, 2007, LV13632 B
- A.Rapoports, J.Dehtjars, W.Ambroziak, D.Borovikova, A.Kokina, D.Kriegel,
A.Diowksz,
E.Kordialik-Bogacka, J.Berlowska, G.Koziol. Method of microorganisms
immobilization on the
carrier.- Latvian Patent, 2007, LV13633 B
- I.Guzhova, I.Krallish, G.Khroustalyova, B.Margulis, A.Rapoport.
Dehydration of yeast:
changes in the intracellular content of Hsp 70 family proteins.- Process
Biochemistry,
2008, vol. 43, N 10, p. 1138-1141. (doi:10.1016/j.procbio.2008.05.012)
- A.Rapoport. Anhydrobiosis of yeasts: Main intracellular reactions.-
Comparative
Biochemistry and Physiology, 2008, vol. A151, N 1, p. S31.
- D.Borovikova, S.Cifansky, Y.Dekhtyar, V.Fedotova, V.Jakushevich,
A.Katashev,
A.Patmalnieks, A.Rapoport. Atomic Force Microscopy Study of Yeast Cells
Influenced by High
Voltage Electrical Discharge.- IFMBE Proceedings, 2008, vol. 20, p.
602-605.
- A.Rapoports, J.Dehtjars, S.Cifanskis. Method of yeast treatment. -
Latvian Patent, 2008,
LV13739 B
- S.L.Cifansky, Yu.D.Dektyar, A.I.Rapoport, V.A.Yakushevich. The use of
electrohydraulic
device for the treatments upon yeast cells.- Technics of Machine
Engineering, 2009, vol.
70, No. 2, p. 15-18.
- A.I.Rapoport, G.M.Khroustalyova, L.M.Crowe, J.H.Crowe. Anhydrobiosis in
yeast:
stabilization by exogenous lactose.- Microbiology, 2009, vol. 78, No. 5, p.
624-629.
- G.Khroustalyova, J.Boudrant, A.Rapoport. Resistance of a recombinant
Escherichia coli to
dehydration.- Cell Biology International, 2009, doi:
10.1016/j.cellbi.2009.07.001
- J.Boudrant, G.Khroustalyova, A.Rapoport. Obtention
dune
résistance élevée dune souche dEscherichia coli
recombinée
vis-a-vis de la déshydratation.- Récents
Progrcs en Génie
des Procédés, 2009, 98, 149-1 149-6.
Research Projects:
- A.Rapoport (Head of Project). General Mechanisms of Intracellular
Reactions to Extreme
Treatments. Latvian Council of Science (1994-1996).
- A.Rapoport (Head of Project). Influence of Chromium (VI) on Yeasts.
Latvian Council
of Science (1994-1996).
- A.Rapoport (Head of Project). General Mechanisms of the Reversible Delay
(Anhydrobiosis)
of Yeast Metabolism. International Science Foundation (J.Soros
Foundation, USA)
(1994-1995).
- 3 Grants from Swedish Institute for the joint investigations of
Intracellular Protective
Reactions in Yeasts Cells (1993-1995).
- A.Rapoport (Head of Project). Molecular Mechanisms of
Dehydration-Rehydration and
Osmotic Stress in Yeasts. Latvian Council of Science
(1997-2000).
- A.Rapoport (Head of Project). General Mechanisms of Yeast Cell Reactions
to Heavy
Metals. Latvian Council of Science (1997-2000).
- A.Rapoport (Head of Latvian Part of Project). Dehydration of Recombinant
Microorganisms.
CNRS, France (1997-1998).
- A.Rapoport (Head of Project). Investigations of General Mechanisms of
Microorganisms
Response upon Stress Treatments at Ultrastructural and Molecular Levels.
Latvian
Council of Science (2001 - 2004).
- A.Rapoport (Head of Project). Investigations of Molecular Mechanisms of
Yeasts
Resistance to Dehydration and of Applied Aspects of Anhydrobiosis of
Microorganisms.
Latvian Council of Science (2005 - 2008).
- A.Rapoport (Sub-Coordinator in Microbiology).Multifunctional
Percolated Nanostructured Ceramics Fabricated from Hydroxylapatite.
EU Project no.:
NMP3-CT-2003- 504937 (2004-2007).
- A.Rapoport (Head of UL Team). Extreme combined radiation influence upon
the eukaryotic
cell model, Cooperation Project between Riga Technical University and
University of
Latvia, Latvian Ministry of Education and Science (2007).
- A.Rapoport (Head of UL Team). Supersonic hydrodynamical shock influence
on the
eukaryotic cell model and blood cells, Cooperation Project between
Riga Technical
University and University of Latvia, Latvian Ministry of Education and
Science (2008).
- A.Rapoport (Head of Latvian Team). Physiological activation and
stabilization of
bacterial strains-producers of biopesticides, Latvian-Belarus
Bilateral Research
Cooperation Grant (2007-2009).·
International Evaluation:
In the International Evaluation of Latvian Science these investigations
received the
highest appraisal in Latvian microbiology and biotechnology (published in:
Latvian
Research. An International Evaluation. Forkskningsradene. The Danish Research
Councils.
Copenhagen, December 1992, pp. 379, 380, 381).
Last update
29.10.2009