Nikolai K. Kol’tsov (1872–1940) went on his scientific way from comparative anatomy of vertebrates to experimental cytology and then to genetics and molecular biology. He discovered the cytoskeleton. He foresaw that the successful development in biology would require a union with physics, chemistry, and mathematics. He demonstrated that strong physical and chemical factors could produce mutations in organisms. He also put forward the concept of template-directed synthesis of biopolymers. Professor Kol’tsov established a prominent school of experimental biologists, who succeeded in studies of special genetics of animals and plants, artificial mutagenesis, population genetics, and other fields. For four decades Koltsov was working on one major problem, cell organization. His studies were in line with trends in global biology. He participated in the creation and development of new experimental approaches in cytology, biochemistry, developmental mechanics, and genetics.

Academician Dmitry Konstantinovich Belyaev was in the focus of events in Russian biology. Above all, he participated in the resurrection of genetics, which had been tabooed for years in the USSR; in the organization and development of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences, including its Institute of Cytology and Genetics; and in establishing communications with the global genetic community. His concept of destabilizings election has passed through ahalf-century test and is still in development.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes a severe liver disease frequentlyassociatedwith cirrhosis andhepatocellular carcinoma. No effective anti-HCVtherapyis available so far. Thus, it is pertinent to applymathematical modelingto prediction ofthe efficiencyofnew candidate pharmaceuticals. Astochastic mathematical model for subgenomic HCVreplicon replication in Huh-7 cells with the presence ofthe HCVNS3 protease inhibitor SCH 503034 is proposed. The model describes the experimental kinetic curves ofviral RNAsuppression at various SCH 503034 concentrations. It is applicable to the development ofapproaches to HCVRNAsuppression in Huh-7 cells.

Presently, suppression of repetitive DNAsequences (chromosomal in situ suppression hybridization, СISS-hybridization) is used to improve the results of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). However, in some cases the suppression cannot be performed, because sufficient amounts of DNAof some species are not available. This article presents a new approach, which allows visualization of a signal from chromosome-specific DNAsequences by means of computer-assisted analysis of FISH images.

Species identification of159 individuals of the Anopheles maculipennis complex from 5 localities ofUral andSiberia was conductedbyPCR-RFLP ITS2. The DNA sequences ofa COI gene fragment were determinedin 124 individuals from the localities. The Anopheles messeae groupCOI sequences were comparedwiththose from a DNA database. VariabilityofCOI nucleotide sequences (measures H andπ) ofthe crypticspecies A andB Anopheles messeae andAn. beklemishevi was investigatedandquantitativelyestimated. It was foundthat the COI variabilitydidnot allow discrimination ofthe crypticspecies A andB Anopheles messeae. Neither didit show anygeographicregularityfor these species. It is concludedthat the COI polymorphism ofthe A andB Anopheles messeae species is common for them, as well as the chromosomal inversion polymorphism. It arose long before their divergence. The diagnosticimportance ofinterspecificITS2 variabilityis confirmed.

The phenomenon of obligate embryonic diapause(delayed implantation) in mammals has been discovered more than150 years ago. Nevertheless, there is not the distinct idea on its origin and biological significance till now. Available data of cytogenetics, embryology, evolutionary morphology, and evolutionary ecology allow to believe that the obligatory stage of embryonic diapause might occur in single individuals with indifferent taxonomic groups in consequence of chromosome mutation caused by alteration in the environment and affected the expression of genes controlling the timing of embryogenesis.

Acage population of river otters (Lutra lutra) has been obtainedin an experiment of domestication of the species conductedat the Institute of Cytology andGenetics, Novosibirsk. It is shown that the crucial factor in introduction of the species to captive breedingis selection for stress resistance in an anthropogenic environment. River otter domestication is accompaniedby balancingselection for increase in the number of individuals lackingfear-inducedresponse towardhumans.

Interaction ofthe TATA-binding protein (ТВР) with the TATA box and formation ofthe TBP/TATA complex is the first step in the transcription complex assembly and the central event in transcription regulation. It is known that some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human TATA box and its flanks are associated with elevated risk ofvarious disorders (Savinkova etal., 2009). Little is known about changes in the TBP/TATA interaction leading to the elevated risk ofany disease. Thus, we have studied the influence ofSNP (–21 t > c), adjoining to the TATA box ofthe NOS2A promoter, on the interaction by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) on biosensor ProteOn XPR36 (BioRad). The sensograms obtained in the experiment indicate that the constant for the interaction with TATA bearing SNP –21 t > c differ little from the constant with the wild-type box and the dissociation constants differ approximately twofold. Experiments utilizing the SPR method and classical EMSA have shown that ТВР immobilization on the microchip dextran surface does not alter its affinity to TATA-containing oligonucleotides.

Injections ofexogenous DNAin combination witha cytostatic agent cyclophosphamide (CP) cause illness anddeathofexperimental mice. This phenomenon is referredto this as delayeddeath. It has been foundthat upon intraperitoneal injections fragments ofexogenous DNAreachthe bone marrowniche andenter the nuclei ofbone marrowcells (BMCs). Also, fragments ofexogenous DNAare capturedfrom culture medium byBMCs generatedex vivo. Upon suchtreatment, the fragments are incorporatedinto cells in a non-degradedform. We estimate that under suchconditions upto 1800 kb ofexogenous DNAcan be present in BMCs as fragments. After ex vivo incubation withBMCs, fragments ofexogenous DNAinternalizedin cells ofbothintact andCP pre-treatedmice become circularized. It has been shown that fragments ofexogenous DNAcan form high-molecular weight structures in vivo. Moreover, fragments localizedin BMCnuclei are suggestedto integrate into chromosome(s) ofrecipient mouse genomes when treatedwithCP andexogenous DNA.

A thermal stability study of several barnase mutants has been carried out by the λ dynamics method. The method has been implemented in the MOLKERN software package. Mutations of amino acids with non-zero charge are chosen for the study, because in this case λ dynamics gives results differing dramatically (> 10 kJ/mol) from experimental data in nearly one-fourth of cases. A new modification of λ potentials is proposed, which takes into account charge changes, as well as the Net-Q method, in order to obtain reliable charge distributions for charged amino acids. The results obtained for the R72G mutation show a better agreement with experimental values than the results of other authors.

For the first time all existent approaches to proximate estimation of genotypic variance are considered. A theory and methods of rapid estimation of genetic(additive) variance for prediction of transgressions in the course of breeding of self-pollinated plantsfor productivity traits are proposed.

Growingseason duration wasanalyzed in more than 350 Capsicum annuum var. annuum L. cultivarsto reveal diverse reliable donorsof the character. The advantage of the Fasciculatum Sturt group wasconfirmed byitsearlyand uniform ripening. Correlationsbetween the durationsof phenological stages, fruit set, and fruit growthrate asearlyharvest componentswere refined. Donorswere isolated from populationsof the Grossum L. (Sendt), Longum D.C., and Fasciculatum groupsand differentiated accordingto the adaptive valuesof the “earlyharvest” and “phonological stage duration” traits. The background environment settingsfor breedingfor crop yield and earlinesswere determined.

A significant adverse effect of chromosome 6Agi(6D)-from Agropyron intermedium on preharvest sprouting resistance was foundin inbredlines (F7–F10 or senior) andnear-isogeniclines of red-grain andwhite-grain common spring wheat. The red-grain recombinant inbredlines, carrying this substitution chromosome, varied significantly in this trait, probably, owing to the genetic background effect. The causes of the adverse effect of chromosome 6Agi(6D) from Agropyron intermedium on preharvest sprouting resistance are unknown.

The variability of combining ability depending on growing conditions was studied in spring durum wheat varieties in a topcross system. It was found that the manifestation of the traits under study was determined by additive effects of genes and general combination ability variances were most susceptible to environmental conditions.

Major results and methods of many-year research in the creation of starting material for winter durum wheat breeding are presented. The new cultivars are assessed for grain yield, frost resistance and productivity elements.

Grain-type winter triticale cultivars were studied in comparative long-term (2000–2009) trials in two agroeco logical zones of Ukraine. Since 1977, 16 triticale cultivars have been enrolled into the register in Ukraine, and their potential productivity has increased by 1.52 t/ha. Specialized winter triticale cultivars with optimal combinations of productivity, adaptive properties and improved technological parameters of grain quality have been raised by intraspecific hybridization methods. High winter hardiness is observed in cultivars Amphidiploid 42, Amphidiploid 52, Amphidiploid 256, and Garne (scores 7.5–8.0), and improved drought tolerance, in Amphidiploid 44, Kapriz, Raritet, and Amphidiploid 256. New multi-line cultivars Garne and Raritet show relatively high baking quality and overpower standard cultivar Amphidiploid 256 by 79–192 % in flour strength, by 26–39 % in bread volume recovery, and by 180–190 % in the overall baking quality index.

The potential of using wild potato species inbreeding and raise of donors of resistance to late blight and dry rot, the necessity of homozygotizationof alleles controlling valuable traits, possibility of raising primary and secondary interspecies hybrids, presence of efficient genes controlling the resistance to late blight and dry rot, and the possibility of introgressionof these genes to breeding material are considered. Varieties raised by backcrossing complex interspecies hybrids are characterized.

A high level of overall and seasonal variabilityof the Krasnodar greenbug population for virulence to sorghum and barleyresistance genes as well for RAPD markers was revealed. The selection of insectgenotypes specificallyadapted to hostplantspecies was recorded. Aphid clones avirulentto resistantsorghum accessions were mostabundanton the barley. Greenbug migration from barleyto sorghum led to rapid accumulation of clones virulentto sorghum genes for resistance: Sgr1– Sgr4 and Sgr12. After alteration of the host, a significantshiftof genotype groups similar in RAPD profiles was observed. The distribution of RAPD markers was independentof alleles for virulence of the aphid.

The paper is dedicated to the fundamental book «Biology in St. Petersburg. 1703–2008». The reviewer underlines the main advantages of the book and makes some remarks and wishes. The conclusion about a notable role of the new publication for further studies in the history of biology is made.