Institute of Chemical Biology
ILIA STATE UNIVERSITY
Macrophage plasticity
and inflammation
Tumor inflammation has emerged as
an important topic in cancer biology. A
defining feature of tumor inflammation
is the polarization of M1 into M2
macrophages which promotes tumor
growth, angiogenesis, invasion, and
metastasis. A team of researchers
from Institute of chemical biology of
Ilia State University investigates the
molecular mechanisms of
macrophage M1–M2 polarization.
Microenvironmental components in
blood plasma, including amino acids,
can participate in macrophage
polarization.
macrophages are major phagocytic cells
that digests cellular debris, foreign
substances, microbes and cancer cells.
We found that elevation of extra- and
intracellular glutamate and expression
of mGluR5 may initiate the metabolic
rearrangement in macrophage
polarization and contributes to the
formation of an immunosuppressive,
phenotype. Small GTPase, Rac2,and
sigma-receptor chaperons may
participate in this plasticity. For the
first time, we showed that Sigma-1R
interacts directly with Rac2. This
interaction was increased in the
presence of sigma-agonists and
decreased by sigma-antagonists and
only active Rac interacted with Sig1R.
Thus intracellular glutamate and
mGluR5 may participate in the
regulation of SigR1-Rac assembly
that can contribute in the M1→M2
macrophages transition and in the
formation of immunosuppression
tumor-promoting phenotypes.
Citrus flavonoids
–new pharmacological
tools
The changes in mitochondrial
biochemistry are one the most
Group of Biochemistry
important processes accompanying
pathophysiology of many types of
disorders, including
neurodegenerative diseases and
cancer. A team of researchers from
Institute of Chemical Biology of Ilia
State University investigates the
effect of citrus flavonoid – nobiletin on
the mitochondrial bioenergetics of
brain cells. We have found that
nobiletin restores impaired
mitochondrial bioenergetics through
activation of matrix substrate-level
phosphorylation.
Nobiletin is a dietary polymethoxylated
flavonoid found in citrus fruits. Recent
evidences show that nobiletin is a
multifunctional pharmaceutical agent and
have both pro- and anti-apoptotic effects.
Additionally, nobiletin decreases
oxygen consumption by bovine brain
isolated mitochondria in the presence
of glutamate and malate, increases
NADH oxidation, a-ketoglutarate
dehydrogenase activities and through
matrix substrate-level phosphorylation
elevates the a-ketoglutarate-
dependent production of ATP.
Besides, nobiletin reduces the
production of peroxides in the
presence of complex I substrates and
induces transient elevation of
membrane potential followed by mild
depolarization. Thus, nobiletin may
act as a mild “uncoupler”, which
through activation of a-KGDH-
complex and acceleration of matrix
substrate-level phosphorylation
maintains membrane potential at a
normal level. This switch in
mitochondrial metabolism could
elevate succinate-driven oxygen
consumption that may underlay in
both pro- and anti-apoptotic effects of
nobiletin.
Small GTP-binding
proteins and hypoxia
Hypoxia could induce S-nitrosylation
of various target proteins, including
GTPases of the Ras-superfamily.Ras
proteins are proto-oncogenes
frequently mutated in human cancers.
Under hypoxic conditions, the Ras-
protein is translocated to the cytosol
and interacts with the mitochondria.
The mobility/translocation of Ras
depend on the oxidative status of
cells and levels of nitrosylation.
However, the importance of relocated
S-nitrosylated-H-Ras (NO-H-Ras) in
the mitochondrial bioenergetics is not
completely understood. We have
determined the content of soluble-
and membrane-bound-NO-H-Ras
during differentiation of in rat
pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells
under hypoxic and normoxic
conditions.
Ras proteins are low molecular mass
GTPases that regulate cellular functions of
proliferation, differentiation, migration, and
apoptosis
We have found that under hypoxic
conditions, the nitrosylation of
cytoplasmic-H-Ras greatly decreased
in differentiated PC12 cells but
hypoxia, per se, did not affect the
nitrosylation of membrane-bound-H-
Ras. Unmodified H-Ras enhanced the
mitochondrial ATP synthesis and this
stimulatory effects was eliminated
after S-nitrosylation of H-Ras.
Head:
Prof. David Mikeladze
Email:
Davit_Mikeladze@iliauni.edu.ge
Dr. Lali Shanshiashvili
Associate Professor
e-mail:
lali_shanshiashvili@iliauni.edu.ge
Dr. Elene Zhuravliova
Associate Professor
e-mail:
elene_zhuravliova@iliauni.edu.ge
Dr. Tamar Barbakadze
Associate Professor
e-mail:
tamar_barbakadze@iliauni.edu.ge
 Nucleic Acid Diagnostics
ILIA STATE UNIVERSITY
for Everyone

A team of researchers
at Ilia State University
is working on
developing low-cost
isothermal assays for
molecular diagnostics.
Professor Besik Kankia, Leader of
the team, explains: " Due to its
incredible sensitivity, polymerase
chain reaction (PCR) is a method
of choice for Point-of-care (POC)
diagnostics. However, PCR is a
complex reaction due to (i) limited
yield of product DNA (PCR
plateau), (ii) temperature cycling,
and (iii) complicated quantification QPA is plateau free, isothermal, and a simple assay, which is driven by free
methods. We have developed energy of the primers. For diagnostics QPA is very flexible platform and
Quadruple Priming Amplification allows designing different isothermal assays with low-cost alternative to
(QPA) to greatly simplify nucleic PCR.
acid amplification and real-time
quantification assays.” The team working on developing low-cost POC diagnostics for particular
diseases, characteristic to Georgia and whole region in general (i.e.,
QPA relies on specifically tuberculosis, hepatitis, malaria, anthrax and HIV).
designed quadruplex primers,
which after polymerase elongation
are capable of spontaneous
dissociation from target sites and
forming DNA quadruplex. As a
result, target sequences are Professor Besik Kankia Professor Nunu Metreveli

accessible for the next round of

priming and DNA amplification
proceeds under isothermal
conditions without plateau
problems. In addition, the
quadruplex formation is
accompanied by an increase in Ds Levan Lomidze Dr David Gvarjaladze
intrinsic fluorescence of the
primers, allowing simple and
accurate detection of product
DNA.

the Biophysicis Institute at Ilia State University.

Work was supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and

Shota Rustaveli Science Foundation.
 ILIA STATE UNIVERSITY
Ethnobotany of
Georgia and Caucasus
The Caucasus region is one of the
most beautiful, and botanically as well
as ethnobotanically interesting
regions of the globe, and has been
steeped in mythology since biblical
and Greek times. Biologically
enormously rich, the Caucasus is
counted as biodiversity hotspot, and
has, according to Conservation
International, highest conservation
priority because of its large number of
endemic species. The Caucasus is
one of eight global centers of plant
domestication, with many food plants
having their origins in the southern
Caucasus. However, the loss of both
wild species and traditional cultivars
has greatly accelerated over the last
decades. This motivates the
ethnobotany team of the Institute of
Botany of Ilia State University to
conduct their study, which aims at
documenting and disseminating plant
use knowledge of the Caucasus and
particularly of Georgia.
The most recent fruit of this work is a
book recently published in
collaboration with Missouri Botanical
Garden. Published by Springer, the
Institute of Botany
title of the book is “Ethnobotany of
the Caucasus” and presents
ethnobotanical profiles of the
southern Caucasus countries
(Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia).
Georgia is presented by 50
monographs on ethnobotanically
most prominent plants, other two
countries with 25 such monographs
each. The book includes the best and
latest studies on a full range of
descriptive, methodological,
theoretical, and applied research on
the most important plants for the
Caucasus region. The book also
includes contributions from experts in
the fields of biology, anthropology,
agronomy, geography, biochemistry,
and environmental economics. It
would be safe to say that the book
provides a framework for the
increasing international interest and
scholarship in ethnobotany.
The book is divided into sections
covering countries based on plant
diversity and not necessarily political
or national boundaries. The book has
a comprehensive introduction,
contains overall 100 plant
monographs each of which gives a
brief description of the plant with
references and 2-4 photographs. To
conveniently define the content, the
plant monographs are divided into
five major categories (food;
Sorghum drying hunged under the roof of
medicine/cosmetic; veterinary; a traditional house (left) and Sorghum
handicraft plants; and ritual/folkloric gruel with Prunus sauce (right), in the
uses) and include notes. The main Ethnographic Museum in Tbilisi, Georgia
criteria for the inclusion of a given
plant was its cultural salience within a
given country. References are given
at the end of the Introduction and
each monograph.
Zaal Kikvidze,
Professor of Socio-Ecology and
Ethno-Biology, Ilia State University
e-mail:
zaal.kikvidze@iliauni.edu.ge
Shalva Sikharulidze,
Director of the Institute of Botany
of Ilia State University
e-mail:
shalva.sikharulidze@iliauni.edu.ge
Roshka village, Khevsureti, Georgia

ILIA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden
was founded in 1912. Situated at
1650-1700 m. a. s. l. the Garden
specializes in plants of the Caucasus
Mountains and its collections include
some 400 species collected in the
Caucasus, an arboretum of about 125
species of trees and shrubs (including
75 from the Caucasus), and some
250 species of herbaceous plants
from elsewhere in the world grown
from seed. Because the Caucasus is
a center of diversity for many
temperate genera, these collections
are extremely important for taxonomic
research and for genetic
conservation.
The Goals and Objectives of the
BABG are:
Ÿ Study of the high mountain flora of
the Caucasus
Ÿ Ex-situ conservation of rare and
endangered, endemic, and Red
Data Book species of the
Georgian flora
Ÿ Study of the adaptive mechanisms
of plants
Ÿ Provision of an experimental base
for the various Departments of the
Institute of Botany, (Tbilisi)
Ÿ Seed exchange with other
botanical institutions
Ÿ Training courses for students
Ÿ Environmental education
The Garden is located in the scenic
village of Bakuriani. Included on its
site is a stand of primary forest,
meadows with many herbaceous
native plants, garden beds, and a
herbarium/laboratory/library building.
The herbarium consists of 2000
specimens, about 800 of which are
vascular plants from the Borjomi-
Bakuriani area.
The collections are planted in an area
of about 2 hectares, many in rock
garden beds. Decorative, medicinal,
endemic, and saxicolous plants are
grouped together in specific areas.
Institute of Botany
Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden
(BABG)
The BABG serves to protect valuable
plant genetic diversity, to provide a
base for research on the many
different plant communities in the
region, and to educate residents,
tourists, and professionals in the
nature and importance of the flora of
the region. The Garden collections
comprise a number of rare species
collected in the remote areas of the
Caucasus that are currently
inaccessible due to political tensions.
The collections are unique – most Paeonia wittmanniana
could not be seen in any other
botanical garden.
In addition to these permanent
collections, the BABG serves as a
repository for plants salvaged from
development sites and as a nursery
to grow plants to be used in
restoration to revegetate areas
disturbed by development. An
example is the work being done for
the BP pipeline, where plants
salvaged from the path of the pipeline
are being grown in the BABG nursery
for restoration. Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden
The BABG in addition to its
collections includes also natural
areas. An important stand of primary
forest, mostly oriental spruce, pine,
and beech occupies about 10
hectares and is already used for
educational programs. This forest is
tremendously important because it is
one of the last remnants of primary
forest in the region. Protecting this
area so it is available for future
generations, and using it now for
education and research, are very
important roles that BABG plays. Education centre
Shalva Sikharulidze,
Director of the Institute of Botany of Ilia State
University
e-mail: shalva.sikharulidze@iliauni.edu.ge
Tamar Kurdadze
Head of plant collections
Helleborus abchasicus
e-mail: tamar.kurdadze@iliauni.edu.ge

ILIA STATE UNIVERSITY
The National Herbarium of Georgia
was founded by the end of the XIX c.
It is the oldest Herbarium in the
Caucasus and is among the largest
and most valuable collections in the
former Soviet Union. Its unique
collections contain up to one million
herbarium vouchers including
collections made by outstanding
botanists, type specimens, duplicates,
etc.
The Herbarium is very well-known not
only in the former USSR but also in
many other countries of the world.
Since 1974 it has been included into
the International System of Herbaria (
Index Herbariorum) under the
abbreviation of the TBI.
The first collections were made by
prominent botanist N.Albov in 1888-
1894 during his expeditions to West
Georgia (Colchis) and by P. Lomakin
from Azerbajan – namely Talysh in
1894 and Karabakh region in 1895.
The Herbarium collections were
enriched by various botanists and
collectors who donated their private
collections (A. Ardasenov's collection
from West Georgia, I. Akinfiev's
collection from Central Caucasus, I.
Medvedev's collection from Georgia
and Armenia).
The collections were additionally
augmented through the exchange
and purchase of collections such as
those of Steven (1827), Kollenati
(1834-1844), Radde (1868), Overin
(1873) and collections made by
various researchers of the Caucasus
( E.Koenig and S. Mikhaylov - Batumi
and Kars regions, A.Fomin – Georgia
and Armenia).
All herbarium collections are stored in
metal cabinets frequently referred to
as “Compactus”- the movable metal
compactor system, ensures safe
storage and effective protection of the
Herbarium collections.
Currently National Herbarium of
Georgia closely cooperates with
Georgian and international research
institutions. In recent years joint
projects with the worlds' leading
botanical institutions such as Missouri
Botanical Garden, New-York
Botanical Garden, Chicago Botanic
Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew,
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and
Berlin- Dahlem Botanical Gardens
contributed to the enrichment of the
Institute of Botany
The National Herbarium of Georgia
herbarium collections. The National Herbarium of Georgia is
unique historical documentation of the
In 2002-2003 herbarium material of Georgian plant resources and
endemic medicinal plants was valuable assemblage of taxonomic
collected within the framework of the types. It is important basis for all
project funded by CRDF and future research and utilization of
implemented in cooperation with Georgian and Caucasian plant life.
Missouri Botanical Garden; the data The National Herbarium of Georgia
on the species were entered in the (under the abbreviation TBI) is
TROPICOS database. included into the list of the most
important monuments of world's
The National Herbarium has been culture as stated in the final report by
evolved in the activities of the project UNESCO experts (August, 1995).
“Coordination and Development of
Plant Red List Assessments for the
Caucasus Biodiversity Hotspot”. This
project was implemented by IUCN in
collaboration with Missouri Botanical
Garden, USA, WWF Caucasus
Programme Office and the botanists
from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia,
Russia, Turkey and Iran in 2006-
2009. The detailed information on the
distribution and taxonomy of the
Georgian endemics has been
obtained through examination of
extensive collection of the National Institute of Botany
Herbarium of Georgia.
The first attempt to create digital
images and database some
collections was initiated at the
National Herbarium of Georgia in
2006-2009. Selected groups of woody
plants were digitized.
In 2011-2012 digitization and
databasing of type specimens were
carried out within the framework of
the project sponsored by Andrew M.
Mellon Foundation (USA). The project The National Herbarium of Georgia
included provision of “Herbscan” Digitization of herbarium sheets
equipment to produce high resolution
images of specimens.
Main activities of the Herbarium are
as follows:
Ÿ Maintenance of collections
Ÿ Enrichment with high quality
herbarium specimens
Ÿ Identification and classification of
authentic specimens, their
scientific study and development
of a Virtual Herbarium
Ÿ Databasing of the herbarium
collections Working process
Ÿ Provision of easy access and
availability the collections to
different users
Manana Khutsishvili
Ÿ Study of historical collections Head of Herbarium
Ÿ Study of the collections of
exsiccated specimens and their e-mail: mananakhuts@yahoo.com
publication
Ÿ Implementation of active duplicate Davit Chelidze
exchange program. Researcher
e-mail: davit.chelidze@iliauni.edu.ge