The TRPM8 gene encodes the cold-activated receptor TRPM8, which has an important role in cold adaptation as well as in metabolic and immune responses. Previously, it has been found that polymorphic variants of the TRPM8 gene, which are present in human populations, are associated with different cold sensitivity. In the present study we have investigated variability of all exons and adjacent intronic sequences of this gene in samples of native populations of Siberia, including regional groups from Northeastern, Central, Southern and Western parts of Siberia. In 9 out of 21 variable loci revealed, the frequency of the derived alleles accounts for more than 10 % (loci rs28901637, rs11562975, rs10929319, rs28901644, rs7593557, rs12185590, rs10171428, rs11563208, and rs11563071). Different variants of these polymorphic loci, which are most frequent in native Siberians, generate 26 haplotypes. In addition to 7 haplotypes shared by all regional groups and present there at frequencies of 2–28 %, unique haplotypes were found in all regional samples. One of them characterized by derived allele T at rs11563208 locus is very interesting because it is spread at the frequency of 14 % only in Northeast Asia (in Koryaks and Chukchi). A synonymous substitution at rs11563208 locus may have a functional role because the amino acid residue (isoleucine at position 1016 of TRPM8 protein) corresponding to this locus is located in functionally important TRP-domain and, hence, it can influence thermoreception processes. It is assumed that the appearance of the haplotype carrying the rs11563208-T allele may be due to the necessity to counteract the inhibition of TRPM8 receptors by polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are typical of the traditional diet of native people of Northeast Asia (Siberian Eskimo, Chukchi and Koryaks).

Most papers on sport genetics identify differences between genotypes of athletes and a control group. It is obvious that the genetic differences should also be among sportsmen with different qualifications. Additionally, athletes’ performance depends not only on their genotypes, but also on the gene activities, which can be different during the training process in various athletes.

The aim of the study was to compare genotypes of athletes with different qualifications and to analyze the change in expression of some genes responsible for the physical performance. Genotypes of 143 elite sportsmen of 18 national teams were analyzed by PCR method. A comparison of the genotypes of Masters of Sports, International Masters of Sports and Honored Masters of Sports showed that the frequencies of favorable gene variants were higher in the genotypes of more qualified athletes; it proves an appropriate genetic potential necessity for high achievements in sports. The analysis of UCP2, HIF1A and MTHFR gene expression changes in response to two-week hypoxiс training was performed on 15 skaters of high qualification. We found that average UCP2 and MTHFR mRNA levels had significantly increased after the training but the expression of the HIF1A gene had reduced. At the same time, individual athlete variability in UCP2, HIF1A and MTHFR gene expression was revealed. Genotype influence on gene expression was shown with the help of the UCP2 gene – its activity was higher in sportsmen with Val/Val than with Val/Ala or Ala/Ala genotypes. Consequently, genotyping and analysis of gene expression is very important for athlete selection and training. 

In experiments with reusable inhalation of nano-sized metal oxide particles, it has been shown that there is no significant relationship between the number of presentations and the metal concentration in the olfactory bulb. This fact raises the question of a possible decrease in the efficiency of particulate capturing by the olfactory epithelium after their repeated application into the nasal cavity. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of nasal transport of paramagnetic nanoparticles after their single and multiple intranasal administration and evaluated their effects on the morphological and functional characteristics of the olfactory system. Based on the data, the accumulation of MnO-NPs in the olfactory bulb of mice was reduced after repeated intranasal application. In addition, the decrease in the efficiency of olfactory transport observed after repeated administration of MnO-NPs was partially restored by intranasal application of mucolytic (0.01 M N-acetyl-L-cysteine). In this case, the concentration of particles in the olfactory bulb was proportional to the volume of the structure, which in particular depends on the number of synaptic contacts between the mitral cell of the olfactory bulb (OB) and olfactory epithelium (OE). It should be noted that multiple intranasal injections of MnO-NPs reduce mouse OE thickness. Thus, repeated intranasal introduction of MnO-NPs reduces the efficiency of nanoparticle olfactory transport from the nasal cavity to the brain, which is combined with the increase in the viscosity of the mucosal layer and the reduction in the number of synaptic contacts between OB and OE. These results indicate the presence of the natural mechanisms of protection against the penetration of pathogens and xenobiotics into the olfactory epithelium; they also allow us to formulate practical recommendations on intranasal drugs delivery.

Opisthorchiasis caused by the liver fluke Opisthorchis felineus infection remains a serious public health problem in the former USSR and Eastern European countries. O. felineus infests the bile ducts, the liver and gallbladder of many fish-eating mammalian species, including humans. Opisthorchiasis leads to a number of related diseases of the liver and pancreas: liver fibrosis, cholangitis, cholecystitis, liver cysts and pancreatitis. Excretory-secretory products of the parasite are considered to be key factors in host-parasite relationships and mediate pathogenic pleiotropic effects on the host organism.

The aim of this study was to determine the helminthic proteins (thioredoxin peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase) in the gallbladder tissues of the experimental animals and patients with opisthorchiasis disease. We demonstrated by immunohistochemistry assay using antibodies against recombinant O. felineus proteins that thioredoxin peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase could be detected in the biliary duct epithelium of the experimental animals and in human gallbladder tissues. Moreover, these proteins could also be detected in human gallbladder infiltrated cells and underlying connective tissues. The results are important for understanding the molecular mechanisms of opisthorchiasis pathogenesis, as well as for improvement of the immunodiagnostics of the opisthorchiasis and opisthorchiasis-related diseases. 

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a serious systemic disease of connective tissue, mainly affecting joints but also with different extra-articular manifestations. In the course of RA the degenerative changes occur in cartilage surfaces of affected joints and also in subchondral bone tissue, joints get deformed and lose their mobility. RA affects about 1 % of the global human population. Biological therapy with recombinant protein inhibitors of inflammatory cytokines is an effective and well-accepted treatment of RA. TNF inhibitors such as recombinant receptors or monoclonal antibodies are the most widely used biotherapeutics in clinical practice. However, this treatment has some serious side effects. The patients treated with TNF inhibitors are more susceptible to infection diseases, they are also at higher risk of developing neoplastic or autoimmune disorders. Biotherapeutics become less effective or even lose their efficiency with evoking specific antidrug antibodies. These drawbacks are in general associated with repeated systemic injections of large amounts of recombinant protein required to achieve the therapeutic efficacy. Genetic therapy might provide a good and effective solution. Viral genes coding for immunomodulatory factors could be used to create new gene therapy products to treat RA and other human disease. Poxviruses, as compared to other viral families, have an unprecedentedly rich set of such immunomodulatory genes. In particular, they have genes encoding TNF-binding proteins. Previously in a variety of laboratory models we have shown that recombinant TNF-binding protein CrmB can effectively block TNF. In this work we demonstrated that candidate antirheumatic genotherapeutic plasmid constructions encoding poxviral TNF-binding proteins have low immunogenicity.

One of the key genes that influence the adaptability of wheat to environments and yield are the VRN1 genes. In recent studies, an association of missense mutations within VERNALIZATION-A1 exon-4 with modulation of quantitative values of such agronomically valuable traits as frost tolerance, vernalization requirement duration and flowering time of wheat was shown. However, these investigations were carried out exclusively in T. aestivum varieties and have not covered other species of polyploid wheat and different VRN-A1 alleles. The earlier studies did not consider more than one copy of VRN-A1 per genome. Furthermore, only recently it was shown that only several SNPs distinguish the VRN-D4 and VRN-A1 genes. In the present study, VRN-A1 exon-4 polymorphism was investigated in 158 accessions of 6 tetraploid and 5 hexaploid wheat species carrying the different VRN-A1 alleles. To identify the VRN-A1 exon-4 haplotypes, a co-dominant marker was designed, based on modulation of the curvature of the DNA molecule. Polymorphism of the VRN-A1 exon-4 was revealed only in hexaploid wheat accessions and was associated with the presence of not less than two copies of VRN-A1 per genome. With the exception of one accession, the mutant type of exon-4 was identified only in combination with the wild type. Furthermore, allele-specific primers were designed to identify the VRN-D4 gene or in order to exclude its impact on the results during analysis of the VRN-A1 haplotypes. By expanding the region being analyzed, additional haplotypes, which are associated with polymorphism of adenine tracts within intron-4, were identified. Haplotype segregation was attained among accessions carrying only intact exon-4 of VRN-A1 and among dominant alleles of this gene. Finally, based on the associations revealed between the VRN-A1 alleles and haplotypes, the new putative dominant VRN-A1 allele (designated Vrn-A1k) carrying a 42-bp insertion within the promoter region was identified in tetraploid wheat of Triticum dicoccum.

Plant organ formation is based on the balance of the programmed cell division and positional differentiation maintained by intercellular communication mediated by signaling molecules and receptors. In Arabidopsis thaliana, two paralogous leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases, GASSHO1 and GASSHO2, redundantly participate in the regulation of various root cells identity and functioning and the proper epidermis patterning. The GASSHO genes are characterized mainly in A. thaliana. Their significance in combination with the conservation of basic developmental processes justifies the study of GASSHO kinases in other plant species with different nutrition and developmental features. The aim of this work was to identify the GASSHO genes in an angiosperm plant, pinesap Monotropa hypopitys, which is a non-photosynthetic achlorophyllous mycoheterotroph. In different tissues (roots with buds, bracts, and flowers) of two individual plants at the late flowering stage, the transcriptomic data search identified 3’-partial mRNAs of two paralogous genes, MhyGASSHO1 (MhyGSO1) and MhyGSO2. Structural analysis of the encoded amino acid sequences revealed conserved domains, specific for leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases, in MhyGSO1, and the N-terminal leucine-rich domain in MhyGSO2. Phylogenetic analysis of MhyGASSHOs confirmed their homology with GSO1 and GSO2 kinases of the Rosids and Asterids representatives. The closest homologues of MhyGSO1 and MhyGSO2 were GSO1 and GSO2, respectively, of the Solanales members (Asterids). Quantification of the MhyGSO1 and MhyGSO2 transcripts revealed expression of both genes in flowers and bracts, and MhyGSO1 – also in roots with buds. In combination with known data about GSO1 and GSO2, it allowed us to assume the redundant activity of MhyGASSHO paralogues in signaling pathways, in particular, in response to exogenous sucrose and in development of reproductive organs and embryonic inflorescences.

The technological purpose of grain and flour wheat is largely determined by the grains endosperm structure. Its variability among wheat varieties depends mainly on the multiple allelism for a single Ha locus on chromosome 5D leading to a continuous variation of the trait. The grain endosperm can vary from hard and vitreous suitable for yeast baking to soft and floury favorable for confectionery and technical purposes. Furthermore, these traits, especially vitreousness, are strongly influenced by the growth conditions. Earlier, the Ha-Sp locus was introgessed into chromosome 5A of the bread wheat line 84/98w from Aegilops speltoides Tausch., which reduces endosperm hardness and vitreousness, like the dominant allele of the Ha locus. This paper is the first to describe the obtaining and testing of the supersoft lines combining in their genotype the homoeoallelic loci Ha-Sp of the line 84/98w and Ha of the soft grain cultivar Chinese Spring. The lines were isolated from 6–8 generations of self-pollinated F2 hybrids. They consistently exhibit a greater grain softness than the parental forms under both greenhouse and field conditions. These lines can be used in the breeding of wheat cultivars, the flour of which will not require chemical baking powder in the confectionery industry. It is also possible to use them for technical purposes for the production of bioethanol. In addition, these lines may serve as a genetic model for the study of the functional activity of homoeoallelic genes in the complex polyploid genomes of plants.

The growth of the total wheat production and increase of yield stability from year to year are some of the priorities of agriculture in Russia. The yield of commercial varieties significantly diversifies due to huge losses of their potential under the influence of negative biotic and abiotic factors. Increase of resistance to stress factors in the emerging varieties can be achieved by utilizing the diversity of the genetic resources of related wild species and genera in crosses. The results of a phenotypic evaluation of the synthetic hexaploid wheat lines of CIMMYT breeding created by crossing durum wheat varieties from Institute of Breeding and Genetics (Odessa, Ukraine) and variety Pandur from Romania (T. durum Desf., AB genome) with Aegilops (Ae. tausshii Coss., D genome), and also 15 synthetic wheat lines of Kyoto University breeding (Japan) created by crossing durum wheat variety Langdon with different ecological forms Aegilops are presented. Research was performed on the experimental field of Omsk SAU under conditions of southern forest-steppe of West Siberia in 2016. Between synthetics, there was revealed a genotypic difference in the vegetative period duration and resistance to diseases. Lines of hybrid combination Aisberg/Ae.sq.(511) were characterized as the most early-maturity genotypes among the lines studied. The hybrid combinations Ae.sq.(369) with variety Aisberg, Ae.sq.(310) and Ukr-Od 1530, Ae.sq.(223) and Pandur are characterized by complex resistance to fungal diseases. Most of the lines demonstrated high and moderate resistance to rust fungus, severity ranging from 5 to 70 % and severity of powdery mildew being 10–90 %. Lines derived from variety Ukr-Od 1530.94 and accessions Ae. tauschii (392); (629); (1027); (1031) and lines Langdon/Ku-2074; Langdon/Ku-2075; Langdon/Ku-2100; Langdon/Ku-2079 are characterized by complex resistance to powdery mildew, leaf and stem rust. The synthetic lines with a complex of economically valuable traits present interest as an initial material for breeding programs.

Genetic variability of the rare species Gueldenstaedtia monophylla from 7 natural populations in the central part of its range (Ongudai district, Altai Republic) was studied. To characterize the genetic diversity of this rare relict species at the population level, SDS-electrophoresis of seed storage proteins was used. Polypeptide spectra of seeds contained from 17 to 32 protein components, of which 28 were polymorphic. The populations of G. monophylla were revealed to have a sufficiently high level of genetic polymorphism, the genetic similarity index within the populations studied ranged from 0.673 to 0.813. The highest variability of seed storage proteins was found in the populations Inegen (0.673) and Malaya Inya (0.734). The lowest level of variability of the polypeptide spectra was in the population Bol’shoy Yaloman (0.813). The Nei genetic distance between the populations studied was 0.018–0.215, the greatest distance in the protein spectra was found between Inegen and Malaya Inya (0.215). Inegen was the most remote from the other populations, the Nei distance between this population and all other populations varying from 0.113 to 0.215. With AMOVA, it was found that the share of intra-population variability is 53 % and inter-population, 47 %. Perhaps this high genetic diversity in populations of G. monophylla is provided and maintained by such biological characteristics of the species as cross-pollination, high life expectancy and a long reproductive period. The results of our study suggest that some rare species are able to maintain high levels of genetic diversity, even in a small-size population. The relatively high level of genetic variability indicates that the current genetic drift and inbreeding do not pose a threat to the survival of the species.

Ulva is most common green seaweed in Egypt coast, it used as a source of food, feed, medicines and fertilizers in all the world. This study is the first time to investigate the morphological, genetic and biochemical variation within four Ulva species collected from Eastern Harbor, Alexandria. The morphology description of thallus showed highly variations according to species, but there is not enough data to make differentiation between species in the same genus since it is impacted with environmental factors and development stage of seaweeds. Genetic variations between the tested Ulva spp. were analyzed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses which shows that it would be possible to establish a unique fingerprint for individual seaweeds based on the combined results generated from a small collection of primers. The dendrogram showed that the most closely species are U. lactuca and U. compressa, while, U. fasciata was far from both U. lactuca and U. compressa. Meanwhile, U. linzea is showed to be a unique species. The biochemical composition (e.g. protein, carbohydrate, lipid and pigment composition) of the collected Ulva spp. grouped the collected Ulva spp. into two groups (U. fasciata and U. lactuca) and other (U. compressa and U. linzea).

Over millions of years of evolution, the genomes of modern insects have accumulated a significant number of mutations, which often can lead up a blind alley when carrying out phylogenetic research. Genomic differences between some representatives belonging to the same family or group are often so great that they demand using nonconventional methods of the phylogenetic analysis. It is known that molecular evolution goes by the way of not only single nucleotide substitutions, but also by larger genomic reorganizations, such as insertion or deletion of large genome fragments, and even changing the order of genes. Mitochondrial DNA genes (mtDNA) are quite often used as markers for phylogenetic research into many organisms including arthropods, because mtDNA is multicopied, is inherited maternally, does not undergo recombination and accumulates mutations quickly enough (relative to the nuclear genome). To date, a large number of full nucleotide sequences of mitogenomes (thousands of organisms) has been deposited in public databases; however, their phylogenetic analysis has obstacles, especially for representatives of the insects (Insecta), whose evolution takes a considerable part of geological time. In this work we describe the application and a comparison of two ways of the phylogenetic analysis for different groups of insects. The first method uses the variability of the nucleotide sequence of mtDNA, and the second one analyses the order of genes in full mitochondrial genomes of insects that can be used as an additional marker in phylogenetic research into representatives of the order Hymenoptera.

Earthworms of the Aporrectodea caliginosa species complex are abundant in many anthropogenic and natural habitats and often predominate in earthworm communities. In Russia, there are two subspecies of the complex, A. c. caliginosa and A. c. trapezoides; Aporrectodea longa was also recently mentioned as a putative member of the complex. In this study, we made an attempt to review available data on the species complex studied based on our collection from Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. The subspecies A. c. caliginosa is represented in Russia by two genetic lineages, 2 and 3, the former being the prevalent (about 73 % of the total sample). Additionally, these lineages have different distributions: while lineage 2 was found in almost all locations studied, lineage 3 was detected only in a few samples from the periphery of the region studied. The genetic diversity of lineage 2 significantly exceeded that of lineage 3, and its estimated divergence time was almost three times as high. A subset of individuals with pigmentation characteristic of A. c. caliginosa contained cox1 haplotypes of A. c. trapezoides; analysis of nuclear gene sequences confirmed this diagnosis. Thus, pigmentation intensity in this subspecies was demonstrated to vary to a significant degree. In addition, we analyzed two A. longa individuals from West Siberia and the Urals; their cox1 sequences were identical to those from the lineage 1 of this species from the north of Western Europe. These are the first reports of A. c. trapezoides and A. longa from West Siberia. On the whole, both genetic diversity and abundance was shown to decrease in the following series: A. c. caliginosa lineage 2 – A. c. caliginosa lineage 3 – A. c. trapezoides and A. longa.