Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genetiki i Selektsii最新文献

Meta-analysis of transcriptomic data from different experiments has become increasingly prevalent due to a significantly increasing number of genome-wide experiments investigating gene expression changes under various conditions. Such data integration provides greater accuracy in identifying candidate genes and allows testing new hypotheses, which could not be validated in individual studies. To increase the relevance of experiment integration, it is necessary to optimize the selection of experiments. In this paper, we propose a set of quantitative indicators for a comprehensive comparative description of transcriptomic data. These indicators can be easily visualized and interpreted. They include the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), the proportion of experiment-specific (unique) DEGs in each data set, the pairwise similarity of experiments in DEG composition and the homogeneity of DEG profiles. For automatic calculation and visualization of these indicators, we have developed the program InterTransViewer. We have used InterTransViewer to comparatively describe 23 auxin- and 16 ethylene- or 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC)-induced transcriptomes in Arabidopsis thaliana L. We have demonstrated that analysis of the characteristics of individual DEG profiles and their pairwise comparisons based on DEG composition allow the user to rank experiments in the context of each other, assess the tendency towards their integration or segregation, and generate hypotheses about the influence of non-target factors on the transcriptional response. As a result, InterTransViewer identifies potentially homogeneous groups of experiments. Subsequent estimation of the profile homogeneity within these groups using resampling and setting a significance threshold helps to decide whether these data are appropriate for meta-analysis. Overall, InterTransViewer makes it possible to efficiently select experiments for meta-analysis depending on its task and methods.

Substitution lines of the cotton Gossypium hirsutum L. involving chromosomes of the tetraploid species G. barbadense L., G. tomentosum Nutt. ex Seem., and G. mustelinum Miers ex Watt. are a valuable source for breeding, increasing the genetic diversity of G. hirsutum. The substitution of certain G. hirsutum L. chromosomes with G. barbadense chromosomes affect fibre elongation, fibre yield, fibre strength, and micronaire. To increase the efficiency of creating lines, it is necessary to study the nature of the introgression of alien chromosomes into the G. hirsutum L. genome. As a result of molecular genetic analysis of BC2F1 hybrids obtained from crossing monosomic lines of the cotton G. hirsutum from the cytogenetic collection of Uzbekistan with monosomic backcross hybrids BC1F1 G. hirsutum × G. barbadense on the same chromosomes, genetic differences between the hybrids in the profile of chromosome-specific microsatellite SSR markers were found. The predominant introgression of chromosomes 4, 6 and 12 of the At-subgenome and 22 of the Dt-subgenome of G. barbadense was revealed, while chromosomes 2 and 7 of the At-subgenome and 18 of the Dt- subgenome of G. barbadense were characterized by elimination. Among them, chromosomes 7 of the At- subgenome and 18 of the Dt-subgenome of G. barbadense were eliminated in the first backcross generation. In this work, two lines, CS- B06 and CS-B07, from the American cytogenetic collection with a putative substitution involving chromosomes 6 and 7 of the At-subgenome were analysed. The presence of only polymorphic alleles from the species G. hirsutum and the absence of polymorphic alleles from the species G. barbadense were revealed, which showed the absence of substitution involving these chromosomes. BC2F1 hybrids with monosomy for both G. barbadense and G. hirsutum chromosomes were characterized by regular pairing of chromosomes and high meiotic indexes. However, many hybrids were characterized by a decrease in pollen fertility. Two hybrids with monosomy for chromosome 7 of the At-subgenome of G. hirsutum and chromosome 6 of the At-subgenome of G. barbadense had the greatest reduction in pollen viability (70.09 ± 1.57 and 75.00 ± 1.66 %, respectively). Thus, this work shows a specific feature in the introgression of individual chromosomes of the cotton species G. barbadense into the cotton G. hirsutum genome.

The central problem that Vavilov was investigating was the overall concept of global plant genetic resources. The theoretical basis of this concept consisted of the law of homologous series in variation, research on the problem of species as a system, botanical and geographical bases of plant breeding, and the key theory of the centers of origin of cultivated plants. The VIR global collection of plant genetic resources collected by Vavilov and his associates from all over the world reflects the fullness of botanical, morphological and genetic diversity, and can be used for historical, evolutionary, phylogenetic and applied breeding research aimed at unlocking the potential of all the collection material. The whole diversity of cultivated oats, as was proved by Vavilov, had originated from segetal weeds. This process can be clearly traced in Spain on the example of the cultivated diploid species A. strigosa, A. abyssinica in Ethiopia, A. byzantina in Turkey and Iran, and on segetal forms of A. sativa. The studies of the morphological features as a whole do not yield a complete picture of the evolutionary and systematic status of some oat species and forms. The methods and approaches that use DNA markers and genomic technologies, and are promising for the study of oat polymorphism and phylogeny have been actively researched recently. A number of works devoted to the molecular aspects of the evolution and phylogeny of the genus Avena have recently appeared. The research uses various markers of genes, gene regions, intergenic spacers (internal and external), both nuclear and chloroplast and mitochondrial, genomic approaches and other modern methods. On the basis of a comprehensive study of the complete intraspecific diversity from different zones of the distribution range of cultivated oat species as well as on the basis of an analysis of data on the geography of forms and species distribution ranges, it was established that the process of hexaploid species formation also took place in the western part of the Mediterranean, and subsequently, when moving eastward, these forms started occupying all the vast spaces in the region of the Southwest Asian center, forming a large intraspecific diversity of wild forms and weedy ones in transit to cultivated hexaploid oat species. An analysis of the intraspecific diversity of landraces has specified the centers of morphogenesis of all cultivated oat species. The phylogenetic analysis of the representative intraspecific diversity of cultivated and wild Avena species carried out using next generation sequencing (NGS) showed that diploid species with A-genome variants are in fact not primary diploids, but a peculiar Mediterranean introgressive hybridization complex of species that sporadically enter into interspecific hybridization. It was established that the tetraploid cultivated species A. abyssinica had most likely originated from the wild A. vaviloviana. An analysis of the ways of A. sativa and A. byza

Wheat is one of three main food crops around the world, which has the largest distribution area due to its adaptation to the different environments. This review considers polymorphisms and allelic variation of the vernalization response genes Vrn controlling the major adaptation traits in wheats (the genus Triticum L.): growth habit (spring vs. winter) and length of vegetative period (earliness). The review summarizes available information on the allelic diversity of the Vrn genes and discusses molecular-level relationships between Vrn polymorphisms and their effect on growth habit (spring vs. winter) and earliness (length vegetative period in spring plants) in di-, tetra- and hexaploid wheat species. A unique attempt has been made to relate information on mutations (polymorphisms) in dominant Vrn alleles to the values of the commercially most important trait "length of plant vegetative period (earliness)". The effects of mutations (polymorphisms) in the recessive vrn genes on vernalization requirement in winter wheats are considered, and this trait was formalized. The evolution of the winter/spring growth habit in the genus Triticum species is discussed. A scheme of phylogenetic interactions between Vrn alleles was constructed on the basis of these polymorphisms; the paper considers the possibilities to enhance the diversity of polymorphisms for the dominant Vrn genes and their alleles using wheat related species and rarely used alleles and discusses the prospects of breeding for improved earliness for concrete agroecological zones.

In modern conditions, the increase in the yield of agricultural crops is provided not by expanding the areas of their cultivation, but mainly by introducing advanced technologies. The most effective strategy for this purpose is the development of genetically resistant and productive cultivars in combination with the use of a variety of plant protection products (PPPs). However, traditional, chemical PPPs, despite their effectiveness, have significant drawbacks, namely, pollution of environment, ecological damage, toxicity to humans. Recently, biological PPPs based on natural compounds have attracted more attention, since they do not have these disadvantages, but at the same time they can be no less effective. One of such agents is chitosan, a deacetylation product of chitin, one of the most common polysaccharides in nature. The high biological activity, biocompatibility, and safety of chitosan determine the breadth and effectiveness of its use in medicine, industry, and agrobiology. The review considers various mechanisms of action of chitosan as a biopesticide, including both a direct inhibitory effect on pathogens and the induction of plant internal defense systems as a result of chitosan binding to cell surface receptors. The effect of chitosan on the formation of resistance to the main classes of pathogens: fungi, bacteria, and viruses has been shown on a variety of plant objects. The review also discusses various ways of using chitosan: for the treatment of seeds, leaves, fruits, soil, as well as its specific biological effects corresponding to these ways. A separate chapter is devoted to protection products based on chitosan, obtained by its chemical modifications, or by means of combining of a certain molecular forms of chitosan with various substances that enhance its antipathogenic effect. The data presented in the review generally give an idea of chitosan and its derivatives as very effective and promising plant protection products and biostimulants.

The plant cell wall represents the outer compartment of the plant cell, which provides a physical barrier and triggers signaling cascades under the influence of biotic and abiotic stressors. Drought is a factor that negatively affects both plant growth and development. Cell wall proteins (CWP) play an important role in the plant response to water deficit. The adaptation mechanisms of the cell wall to water loss are of interest for identifying important genetic factors determining plant drought resistance and provide valuable information on biomarkers for further selection aimed at increasing the yield of crop plants. Using ANDSystem, a gene network describing the regulation of CWPs under water restriction conditions was reconstructed. The analysis of the gene network and the transcriptome data analysis allowed prioritizing transcription factors (TF) based on their enrichment of differentially expressed genes regulated by them. As a result, scores were calculated, acting as indicators of the association of TFs with water deficit. On the basis of the score values, eight most significant TFs were selected. The highest priority was given to the TF GBF3. CWPs were prioritized according to the criterion of summing up the scores of transcription factors regulating these genes. Among the most prioritized CWPs were the AT5G03350 gene encoding a lectin-like protein, AT4G20860 encoding BBE-like 22 required for the oxidation of cellulose degradation products, and AT4G37800 encoding xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/ hydrolase 7. Overall, the implemented algorithm could be used for prediction of regulatory interactions between transcription factors and target genes encoding cell wall proteins in plants.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common type of variation in the human genome. The vast majority of SNPs identified in the human genome do not have any effect on the phenotype; however, some can lead to changes in the function of a gene or the level of its expression. Most SNPs associated with certain traits or pathologies are mapped to regulatory regions of the genome and affect gene expression by changing transcription factor binding sites. In recent decades, substantial effort has been invested in searching for such regulatory SNPs (rSNPs) and understanding the mechanisms by which they lead to phenotypic differences, primarily to individual differences in susceptibility to diseases and in sensitivity to drugs. The development of the NGS (next-generation sequencing) technology has contributed not only to the identification of a huge number of SNPs and to the search for their association (genome-wide association studies, GWASs) with certain diseases or phenotypic manifestations, but also to the development of more productive approaches to their functional annotation. It should be noted that the presence of an association does not allow one to identify a functional, truly disease-associated DNA sequence variant among multiple marker SNPs that are detected due to linkage disequilibrium. Moreover, determination of associations of genetic variants with a disease does not provide information about the functionality of these variants, which is necessary to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the development of pathology and to design effective methods for its treatment and prevention. In this regard, the functional analysis of SNPs annotated in the GWAS catalog, both at the genome-wide level and at the level of individual SNPs, became especially relevant in recent years. A genome-wide search for potential rSNPs is possible without any prior knowledge of their association with a trait. Thus, mapping expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) makes it possible to identify an SNP for which - among transcriptomes of homozygotes and heterozygotes for its various alleles - there are differences in the expression level of certain genes, which can be located at various distances from the SNP. To predict rSNPs, approaches based on searches for allele-specific events in RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, DNase-seq, ATAC-seq, MPRA, and other data are also used. Nonetheless, for a more complete functional annotation of such rSNPs, it is necessary to establish their association with a trait, in particular, with a predisposition to a certain pathology or sensitivity to drugs. Thus, approaches to finding SNPs important for the development of a trait can be categorized into two groups: (1) starting from data on an association of SNPs with a certain trait, (2) starting from the determination of allele-specific changes at the molecular level (in a transcriptome or regulome). Only comprehensive use of strategically different approaches can considerably enrich

The monkeypox epidemic, which became unusually widespread among humans in 2022, has brought awareness about the necessity of smallpox vaccination of patients in the risk groups. The modern smallpox vaccine variants are introduced either intramuscularly or by skin scarification. Intramuscular vaccination cannot elicit an active immune response, since tissues at the vaccination site are immunologically poor. Skin has evolved into an immunologically important organ in mammals; therefore, intradermal delivery of a vaccine can ensure reliable protective immunity. Historically, vaccine inoculation into scarified skin (the s.s. route) was the first immunization method. However, it does not allow accurate vaccine dosing, and high-dose vaccines need to be used to successfully complete this procedure. Intradermal (i.d.) vaccine injection, especially low-dose one, can be an alternative to the s.s. route. This study aimed to compare the s.s. and i.d. smallpox immunization routes in a mouse model when using prototypic second- and fourth-generation low-dose vaccines (104 pfu). Experiments were conducted using BALB/c mice; the LIVP or LIVP-GFP strains of the vaccinia virus (VACV) were administered into the tail skin via the s.s. or i.d. routes. After vaccination (7, 14, 21, 28, 42, and 56 days post inoculation (dpi)), blood samples were collected from the retro-orbital venous sinus; titers of VACV-specific IgM and IgG in the resulting sera were determined by ELISA. Both VACV strains caused more profound antibody production when injected via the i.d. route compared to s.s. inoculation. In order to assess the level of the elicited protective immunity, mice were intranasally infected with a highly lethal dose of the cowpox virus on 62 dpi. The results demonstrated that i.d. injection ensures a stronger protective immunity in mice compared to s.s. inoculation for both VACV variants.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food and major source of dietary calories in Pakistan. Improving wheat varieties with higher grain yield and disease resistance is a prime objective. The knowledge of genetic behaviour of germplasm is key. To achieve this objective, elite wheat varieties were crossed in 4 by 3, line × tester design, and tested in 2019 in a triplicate yield trial to estimate genetic variance, general and specific combining ability, mid-parent heterosis and stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis L.). High grain 3358 kg·ha-1 was recorded in F1 hybrid (ZRG-79 × PAK-13). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant genotypic variance in grain yield. Broad sense heritability (H2) was recorded in the range of 28 to 100 %. General combining ability (GCA) significant for grain yield in parents except FSD-08 and PS-05 was recorded, while specific combining ability (SCA) was recorded to be highly significant for grain yield only in two crosses (ZRG-79 × NR-09 and ZRG-79 × PAK-13). Mid-parent heterosis was estimated in the range of -28 to 62.6 %. Cross combinations ZRG-79 × PAK-13 depicted highly significant mid-parent heterosis (62.6 %). Highly significant correlation was observed among spike length, spikelets per spike, plant height and 1000-grain weight. Rust resistance index was recorded in the range of 0 to 8.5. These findings suggest exploitation of GCA for higher grain yield is important due to the presence of additive gene action and selection in the filial generations will be effective with improved rust resistance, while cross combinations ZRG-79 × PAK-13 high GCA are best suited for hybrid development.

Charcoal rot (CR) caused by the fungal pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina is a devastating disease affecting soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill.) worldwide. Identifying the genetic factors associated with resistance to charcoal rot is crucial for developing disease-resistant soybean cultivars. In this research, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using different models and genotypic data to unravel the genetic determinants underlying soybean resistance to сharcoal rot. The study relied on a panel of 252 soybean accessions, comprising commercial cultivars and breeding lines, to capture genetic variations associated with resistance. The phenotypic evaluation was performed under natural conditions during the 2021-2022 period. Disease severity and survival rates were recorded to quantify the resistance levels in the accessions. Genotypic data consisted of two sets: the results of genotyping using the Illumina iSelect 6K SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) array and the results of whole-genome resequencing. The GWAS was conducted using four different models (MLM, MLMM, FarmCPU, and BLINK) based on the GAPIT platform. As a result, SNP markers of 11 quantitative trait loci associated with CR resistance were identified. Candidate genes within the identified genomic regions were explored for their functional annotations and potential roles in plant defense responses. The findings from this study may further contribute to the development of molecular breeding strategies for enhancing CR resistance in soybean cultivars. Marker-assisted selection can be efficiently employed to accelerate the breeding process, enabling the development of cultivars with improved resistance to сharcoal rot. Ultimately, deploying resistant cultivars may significantly reduce yield losses and enhance the sustainability of soybean production, benefiting farmers and ensuring a stable supply of this valuable crop.