卷 53, 编号 1 (2017)

The population genetic structure, possible causes, sources, and routes of global invasion of the ladybird Harmonia axyridis are discussed. Infection with the reproductive endosymbionts is considered in the light of possible influence on the formation of evolutionary preadaptations that contributed to the invasion.

Heat shock genes are the most evolutionarily ancient among the systems responsible for adaptation of organisms to a harsh environment. The encoded proteins (heat shock proteins, Hsps) represent the most important factors of adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. They serve as molecular chaperones, providing protein folding and preventing aggregation of damaged cellular proteins. Structural analysis of the heat shock genes in individuals from both phylogenetically close and very distant taxa made it possible to reveal the basic trends of the heat shock gene organization in the context of adaptation to extreme conditions. Using different model objects and nonmodel species from natural populations, it was demonstrated that modulation of the Hsps expression during adaptation to different environmental conditions could be achieved by changing the number and structural organization of heat shock genes in the genome, as well as the structure of their promoters. It was demonstrated that thermotolerant species were usually characterized by elevated levels of Hsps under normal temperature or by the increase in the synthesis of these proteins in response to heat shock. Analysis of the heat shock genes in phylogenetically distant organisms is of great interest because, on one hand, it contributes to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of evolution of adaptogenes and, on the other hand, sheds the light on the role of different Hsps families in the development of thermotolerance and the resistance to other stress factors.

It is known that in Azospirillum brasilense strains Sp245 and SR75 included in serogroup I, the repeat units of their O-polysaccharides consist of five residues of D-rhamnose, and in strain SR15, of four; and the heteropolymeric O-polysaccharide of A. brasilense type strain Sp7 from serogroup II contains not less than five types of repeat units. In the present work, a complex of nondegenerate primers to the genes of A. brasilense Sp245 plasmids AZOBR_p6, AZOBR_p3, and AZOBR_p2, which encode putative enzymes for the biosynthesis of core oligosaccharide and O-polysaccharide of lipopolysaccharide, capsular polysaccharides, and exopolysaccharides, was proposed. By using the designed primers, products of the expected sizes were synthesized in polymerase chain reactions on genomic DNA of A. brasilense Sp245, SR75, SR15, and Sp7 in 36, 29, 23, and 12 cases, respectively. As a result of sequencing of a number of amplicons, a high (86–99%) level of identity of the corresponding putative polysaccharide biosynthesis genes in three A. brasilense strains from serogroup I was detected. In a blotting-hybridization reaction with the biotin-labeled DNA of the A. brasilense gene AZOBR_p60122 coding for putative permease of the ABC transporter of polysaccharides, localization of the homologous gene in ~120-MDa plasmids of the bacteria A. brasilense SR15 and SR75 was revealed.

The research was aimed at developing prebreeding resources of Kazakhstan rice varieties with colored pericarp for breeding. During the study, hybrid analysis of inheritance of the trait “colored pericarp” in breeding material used for the work was performed. Rice genotypes with colored pericarp, as well as white rice varieties possessing important breeding traits and maturing under conditions of the republic, were selected from the collection of the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Republic of Kazakhstan. Identification of allelic status of Rc (red pericarp) and Pb (anthocyanin pericarp) genes was performed for selected samples using the PCR method. When selecting parental forms for crossing, foreign rice varieties with colored pericarp (Rubin, Mavr, Black rice, etc.) were used as recipient forms. As donors, we used local white rice varieties of Kazakhstan breeding adapted to the soil and climate conditions of rice growing regions (Madina, Marzhan, Bakanasskiy, PakLi) as well as foreign varieties. The ability to set hybrid caryopses and the percentage of sterility were determined in obtained F1 rice hybrids. As a result, the most promising prebreeding material was selected, which will be used for breeding Kazakhstan rice varieties with colored pericarp.

Amaranth is a new and promising crop for the Russian climate, notable for its well-balanced amino acid composition. Yield increase using the methods of genetic engineering is a challenging task. We generated transgenic plants of amaranth with expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana ARGOS-LIKE gene under the control of the dahlia mosaic virus promoter. We achieved 1.4% transformation effectiveness. In comparison with wild-type amaranth, we observed a 21% increase in stem length, 79% increase in leaf length, and 190% increase in fresh weight of transgenic plants. It was shown that ARGOS-LIKE gene of A. thaliana along with the dahlia mosaic virus promoter can be used to increase primarily the green weight of shoot and leaf size of amaranth.

The up-to-date phylogeographical distribution of the topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva Temminck et Schlegel 1846 in water bodies of the Northern Black Sea region is considered. Genetic variation of mtDNA cyt b gene is analyzed. It is established that topmouth gudgeon penetrated and spread in the basins of the Dnieper and Don rivers and in water bodies of Crimea from the secondary center of its dispersion— water bodies of Central Europe. It is demonstrated that haplotypes of topmouth gudgeon in the Danube delta are the most homologous to the haplotypes in the native range of the species in China. A considerable decrease in the level of genetic variation in the populations in the Black Sea region is reported.

We perform an analysis of the diversity of the control region fragment (570 bp) and ten nuclear microsatellite loci for 36 specimens of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) from several regions of the Caucasus. Four mitochondrial haplogroups that significantly differ from each other are revealed. An assumption of reiterative brown bear colonization of the Caucasus is made. Microsatellite data analysis shows a medium level of heterozygosity and clear differentiation between Caucasian and European bears combined with a slight distinction between the Caucasian regions.

The sheep (Ovis aries L.) has been an important farm animal species since its domestication. A wide array of indigenous sheep breeds with abundant phenotypic diversity exists for domestication and selection. Therefore, assessing the genetic diversity of a local sheep resource using a multi-molecular system is helpful for maintaining and conserving those breeds. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of three native Chinese sheep breeds (Tibetan sheep, Sishui Fur sheep, and Small-tailed Han sheep) using 15 microsatellite markers and the second exon of the DRA gene. In regards to the microsatellites, on average, 19 alleles per loci were observed among all individuals. Across loci, the HO within the population was 0.652 ± 0.022 in Tibetan sheep, 0.603 ± 0.023 in Small-tailed Han sheep and 0.635 ± 0.022 in SFS, and for most populations, the H_E and H_O were inconsistent. In addition, affluent private alleles within the breed indicated that the breeds have different domestication histories or sites. In regards to the 2 exon of the DRA gene, three haplotypes were constructed by seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which were identified in the second DRA exon and inferred the potential for phenotypic variety in these Chinese native sheep. In summary, the current study reveals the importance of implementing effective conservation strategies for these three native Chinese sheep.

Pendred syndrome is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterized by a combination of sensorineural hearing impairment and euthyroid goiter; its clinical manifestation in children is hardly distinguishable from nonsyndromic hearing loss. Pendred syndrome is one of the most frequent types of syndromic hearing loss. Hearing impairment is accompanied by abnormal development of the bony labyrinth—enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) and occasionally combined with Mondini dysplasia. Mutations in the SLC26A4 gene, which encodes the pendrin protein, are responsible for both Pendred syndrome and for allelic disorder (nonsyndromic enlarged vestibular aqueduct). The present study for the first time conducted molecular genetic analysis in 20 Russian patients with Pendred syndrome, EVA and/or Mondini dysplasia. As a result, six pathogenic mutations in the SLC26A4 gene were revealed in four patients. The mutation c.222G>T (p.Trp74Cys) was detected for the first time. Mutations were found in patients with Pendred syndrome and nonsyndromic EVA with or without Mondini dysplasia. Mutations were not detected in patients with isolated Mondini dysplasia. One proband with clinical diagnosis Pendred syndrome was homozygous for the c.35delG mutation in the GJB2 gene. The absence of frequent mutations, including well-known ones or “hot” exons in the SLC26A4 gene, was reported. Therefore, the optimal method to search for mutations in the SLC26A4 gene in Russian patients is Sanger sequencing of all exons and exon-intron boundaries in the SLC26A4 gene.

A replicative analysis of associations of 15 SNPs located in the regions of 11 genes (TCF4, VRK2, NOTCH4, ZNF804A, AGBL1, RELN, ZFP64P1, KCNB2, CSMD1, CPVL, NRIP1) and three intergenic regions (SLCO6A1/LINCOO491, LOC105376248/LOC105376249, SPA17/NRGN) with schizophrenia was conducted in the Russian population of the Siberian region. These SNPs were previously identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of schizophrenia and cognitive abnormalities. The present study confirmed associations of KCNB2 rs2247572, CSMD1 rs2616984, and intergenic rs12807809 located in SPA17/NRGN with schizophrenia. It was established that the frequency of the CSMD1 rs2616984 G/G genotype was higher in patients compared to the control group (OR = 1.73; CI: 1.14–2.62; р = 0.0337). The frequencies of the KCNB2 rs2247572 TT genotype (OR = 0.41; CI: 0.20–0.87; р = 0.0485) and intergenic rs12807809 CT genotype located in SPA17/NRGN (OR = 0.70; CI: 0.53–0.94; р = 0.0464) were significantly decreased in patients compared to the control group.

The experiments in a yeast two-hybrid system, on co-immunoprecipitation of proteins from the D. melanogaster embryonic cell lysates, and on cell immunostaining have shown for the first time that the product of mod(mdg4) locus, Mod (mdg4)-58.0 (isoform C), directly interacts with Kermit protein (dGIPC). Kermit protein plays an important role in locomotor activity, polarization of the cells within the plane of the epithelium at the early stages of development, transfer of intercellular signals, and determining the longevity of Drosophila. These data expand the understanding of the role of Mod(mdg4)-58.0 protein in the eukaryotic cell activity.