Ecological genetics

BACKGROUND: One of the key issues in the area of forest selection is how to mitigate the risks evolving changes in the genetic structure and loss of diversity of future artificial forests due to the use of plus trees for seed production. Therefore, there should be studies aiming at assessing the genetic variability of plus trees selected for phenotypic traits in natural populations.

AIM: The aim of this study is to examine of variability and differentiation of Scots pine plus trees selected for phenotypic traits from the Chuvash Republic, the Republic of Tatarstan and the Republic of Mari El with the use of nSSR markers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using five microsatellite loci, the authors assessed 207 plus trees of Scots pine from the Chuvash Republic, the Republic of Tatarstan and the Republic of Mari El.

RESULTS: The number of alleles differed from 33 to 37 for various groups of plus trees. Thus, plus trees from the Mar El Republic are specified by a reduced level of diversity (N_a = 6.6; N_e = 3.5; H_o = 0.361; H_e = 0.687) as compared to trees from the Chuvash Republic (N_a = 7.4; N_e = 4.8; H_o = 0.503; H_e = 0.778) and the Republic of Tatarstan (N_a = 6.8; N_e = 4.4; H_o = 0.570; H_e = 0.739). The groups of plus trees are slightly differentiated, and the genetic subdivision index equaled to 0.023. The major part of the nSSR marker polymorphism is within the groups of plus trees (98.0 %).

CONCLUSIONS: The plus trees under study differ in the level of genetic variability. Relatively low allelic diversity and a large deficit of heterozygote are typical for all groups. Thus, we may conclude that the plus trees are compatible with natural populations of Scots pine grown in the Middle and Upper Volga Region in terms of distribution of genetic variability and differentiation.

BACKGROUND: The study of telomere length and influencing factors in early human development has both fundamental and applied importance.

AIM: A comparative assessment of telomere length in the compartments of human blastocysts, and the analysis of the telomere length association with the quality of blastocysts, genetic imbalance and the maternal age.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on trophectoderm and inner cell mass samples of 41 human blastocysts, 26 of which were genetically imbalanced according to preimplantation genetic testing and verification of its results. The microscope slides were prepared for further telomere detection in interphase nuclei by quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (Q-FISH).

RESULTS: Telomeres in trophectoderm were longer than in inner cell mass, with their length varied from blastocyst to blastocyst. Telomere length in either trophectoderm or inner cell mass did not differ between genetically balanced and imbalanced blastocysts. There was a tendency towards a decrease in telomere length in the blastocyst compartments with increasing maternal age, however, a statistically significant correlation was not confirmed. The telomere length in the inner cell mass, but not in the trophectoderm, was associated with blasocysts’ quality based on the Gardner grade: medium quality blastocysts had longer telomeres than high quality blastocysts.

CONCLUSIONS: Long telomeres in trophectoderm may be necessary for implantation and subsequent placentation. Telomere length can be considered among modifiers of the effects of karyotype abnormalities and other negative factors: the inheritance by an embryo of long telomeres apparently gives it a developmental advantage even when genetically imbalanced or has poor morphology. Implantation seems to be an important checkpoint for negative selection of embryos with “unsuccessful” combinations of telomere length, karyotype, and morphology.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial community plays a significant role in maintaining homeostasis and fertility of chernozems. Analysis of its components allows us to identify the dominant taxonomic groups, the ecological preferences of the species that form their basis, and helps to focus efforts on creating biological products and tests aimed at monitoring and enhancing fertility.

AIM: The aim of this study is to identify bacterial genera that dominate the microbiota of Chernozems in the forest-steppe zone of the European part of Russia, and to trace the influence of land use, summer season phase, agrochemical parameters and interactions with each other on their abundance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the Belgorod region, 10 samples of arable and non-arable chernozems were taken twice during the summer. Based on metabarcoding data, the percentages of genera in bacterial communities were obtained. An agrochemical analysis was carried out with the calculation of correlation coefficients between the chemical indicators of chernozems and the proportions of bacterial genera. An analysis of correlations between bacterial genera was carried ut as well.

RESULTS: Dominant genera include Sphingomonas, Rubrobacter, Gemmatimonas, Bradyrhizobium, Haliangium and others. Under soil conditions, the proportion of representatives of the genera Sphingomonas and Gemmatimonas shows a strong positive correlation with nitrate nitrogen concentration, and the proportion of the genus Bradyrhizobium shows a strong negative correlation with phosphorus concentration. The largest number of positive correlation interactions with other genera was found for Nocardioides, Mycobacterium, Streptomyces, and Solirubrobacter.

CONCLUSIONS: The stability of the set of bacterial genera dominant in the chernozems of the forest-steppe zone of Russia in different environmental conditions (plowed and unplowed areas), as well as over time (June and August) was shown. A number of representatives belonging to the genera Sphingomonas, Gemmatimonas, Bradyrhizobium and others are strongly dependent on the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer components. Representatives of actinomycetes and mycobacteria are closely involved in positive correlation interactions among bacterial genera.

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is an annual root crop closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana. It can be widely used as a perspective model plant to study the genetic control of storage root development. Thus, obtaining stable genetic transformants of radish to study the function of genes involved in storage root development becomes an important task. In this review, we present the currently available data on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation methods for radish, including in vitro and in planta methods using Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and a method for the production of composite plants with transformed roots or even whole transgenic plants with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Improvement of existing methods and development of new approaches for radish transformation will increase the productivity of radish varieties, and the wider use of this promising model plant will provide new data on the genetic control of storage root development.

BACKGROUND: In China, the Chinese silkie chicken is designated as a breed of significant conservation priority, employed in both meat and poultry production, as well as in traditional Chinese medicine. The distinctive phenotypic traits, including hookless feathers, polydactyly, black skin, bones, and hyperpigmentation of connective tissue, have garnered the attention of both poultry breeders and scientific researchers, who utilize Chinese silk chickens as a model to investigate the genetic and evolutionary processes underlying genetic diversity.

AIM: Study of selection traces in the genome of the Chinese silk chicken population in Russia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the purposes of this study, biological material was obtained from birds of the Russian population of Chinese silk chickens. Genotyping was conducted using the Illumina Chicken 60K SNP microarray. The analysis of genomic architecture included the study of homozygous regions with a frequency of occurrence above 75%.

RESULTS: The study selected 24 candidate genes associated with plumage development (АLK, EDARADD), the backbone (WDR43, FBXO11), and those affecting body adaptive and immune capacity (EPCAM, PELI3, PLEK, LGALS8, RAB1B, RYR2), on egg (MDH1, SPRED2, MEIS1, ACTN2, PCNX2, BCL2L10, CYP19A1), and on meat (FOXN2, B3GNT2, MDH1, TMOD3, SLC35F3, NTPCR, PPP3R1, TSNAX) performance.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings enhance our comprehension of the impact of selective breeding on the genetic makeup of the Chinese silk breed in Russia and contribute to the preservation of this distinctive breed.