Although animal domestication has enjoyed the attention of geneticists and evolutionary biologists since Darwin’s times, the focal question about genetic basis of this process has not been duly considered. We have presented here some results of experimental modeling of historical domestication in silver foxes (Vulpes vulpes), one of the object of commercial breeding. Attention is focused on the role of artificial selection in the transformation of behavior of these animals, which has created the unique populations of tame and aggressive foxes. Additional resources were developed to analyze the molecular nature of differences in the behavior of these unique foxes: the meiotic map of the fox genome was constructed, crosses of tame and aggressive animals obtained informative segregating subpopulations, and the formerly applied method of quantification of behavioral phenotypes was improved. Integrated behavioral phenotypes (principal components PC1 and PC2) used in the study were obtained by analysis of ethological parameters recorded by a camcorder. The most important result is that the region most closely associated with tame behavior was identified on fox chromosome 12 by QTL interval mapping. The result is the more so significant that the region is similar to the region on canine chromosome 5 presumed to be responsible for early domestication of wolves and their evolutionary transformation to primitive dogs.

This mini review is focused on the current state in the field of mouse and human embryonic stem (ES) cell biology. Methods of ES cell derivation, pluripotency assessment and problems associated with long term cultivating in vitro are discussed. Attention is given to some unresolved questions of ES cell biology and prospects of ES cells in cell therapy.

Mice were observed to get sick and die upon administration of exogenous DNA in a specific period of time following their pretreatment with the cytostatic cyclophosphamide (CP) (Dolgova et al., 2011). It was established that exogenous DNA reaches internal compartments of bone marrow cells (BMCs) where it is processed (Dolgova et al., 2012a). Thus, BMCs appear to be the primary targets for the synergic action of these preparations (Dolgova et al., 2012b).

In the present study, we show that the copy number for mouse interspersed genomic repeats decreases in the genome of mouse mononuclear cells as a result of interstrand cross-link (ICL) repair after pre-treatment with cytostatic CP. This phenomenon occurs within the time span from 18 to 24 h following CP injection, which corresponds to the final step in the repair of the majority of double-strand breaks (DSBs), as predominant intermediates in ICL repair. Injections of exogenous DNA in CP-pretreated mice preserve the copy number of interspersed repeats at the original level. Our results suggest that the fragments of exogenous DNA participate in ICL-induced DSB repair, thereby compromising the repair process.

The pathogenic Wolbachia strain wMelPop is detected in the central nervous system, muscles, and retina of Drosophila melanogaster. It reduces the host lifetime twofold. This fact makes it promising for control of insect pests and transmitters of human diseases. Any symbiotic association is exposed to various stress factors: starvation, heat, cold, etc., which affect the symbiont interaction significantly. This study considers the action of cold (16 °C) and heat (29 °C) on the survival and lifetime of D. melanogaster females infected by the Wolbachia strain wMelPop. The ultrastructure of brain cells and the bacterium distribution in them were studied. Longer (starting from three days) exposure of imagoes to elevated temperature reduces their lifetime. On day 7 of exposure to heat, electron-dense bodies appear in brain cells of the flies. They look like degrading bacteria. Their amount increases dramatically by day 13 of incubation at 29 °C. On the grounds of populational and EM analysis, we recognized the critical time of heat action: days 7–13 after the start of exposure. After that, the survival of Drosophila melanogaster decreases abruptly.

Molecular mechanisms governing plant genome reorganization in the course of allopolyploidization are reviewed. The special role of early genetic changes, which were studied by using a unique model of synthetic allopolyploids, is emphasized. The data on various genomic changes at early stages of allopolyploidization, including activation of mobile elements, chromosomal rearrangements, epigenetic and transcriptomic changes, etc., are summarized. We note that these changes provide evolutionary success of allopolyploids and their prevalence among higher plants due to formation of stable organization of the allopolyploid genome.

This article presents one of the most interesting forms of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and characterizes its chemical composition and productivity. It is shown that modern methods of molecular biology provide much deeper insight into the domestication history and diversity of naked barley than common methods of population genetics. The importance of selection for increasing naked barley yield and, as a consequence, for expanding its cultivation area is emphasized. Methods and directions of breeding are considered in this respect. Germplasm from South-East Asia, China, Japan, and other regions is of special significance for naked barley selection. That is why great attention should be paid to its preservation.

The allelic diversity of the Md-ACS1 and Md-ACO1 genes, involved in ethylene biosynthesis, was studied by DNA marker analysis of 48 apple varieties bred in Russia. Different allelic combinations of these genes were identified. We found that the prevalence of the allelic combinations associated with long shelf life of apple fruit in the Russian germplasm corresponded to the occurrence of these alleles in the worldwide gene pool. With regard to these data, a marker-assisted breeding program was launched to develop forms carrying the Md-ACS1-2/2 + Md-ACO1-1/1 allele combination for long fruit shelf life.

Test crosses of rye for the brittle stem character yielded sibs plants with normal and brittle culms. The stems were studied with regard to chemical composition, spectroscopic features and mechanical strength. The normal and fragile culms differed in the content of aromatic lignin monomers and the ratio of various types of chemical bonds.

At equal thicknesses, the normal and mutant rye plants differed in the modulus of elasticity and proportional limit. It was found that lateral load breaks stems of mutant plants by the brittle fracture mechanism, and normal plants, by ductile fracture. The normal plants had much higher proportional limits and mechanical strength values.

By means of NMR method differences were found in the lignin chemical structure, such as the content of aldehyde and methohyl groups, total aromaticity and the number of ether bonds, by which lignin blocks are linked to carbohydrate fragments of cellular walls.

The higher lignin content in the mutant does not improve culm mechanical strength. On the contrary, a decrease in proportional limit and increase in shoot brittleness are observed. Possibly, the bs mutation, in addition to its direct action (culm brittleness) unbalances metabolic processes when forming secondary cellular walls and leads to a deviation from the optimum ratio of carbohydrate and aromatic components. The differences in a number of indicators can be used in breeding programs concerning agricultural traits of stems in cereals.

Over the past decades, wide theoretical and practical experience has been obtained in application of DNA markers for investigation of plant genetic diversity, construction of molecular genetic maps, mapping of genes and quantitative trait loci, and employment of molecular marker technologies in the development of commercial cultivars and breeding of crop lines. To date, the main practical application of molecular markers is related to germplasm characterization, introgression and pyramiding of genome fragments associated with agronomically important traits controlled by major genes. The contribution of new technologies to the selection of traits with multigenic inheritance is still insignificant. Despite the considerable progress in plant molecular genetics and genomics methods and great interest in new technologies among breeders, there is a large number of constraints affecting the implementation of new technologies in practical selection. This article considers the potential application of DNA markers in breeding of crop plants and the benefits and limitations of use of marker-assisted technologies in comparison with conventional plant breeding methods.

Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins participate in complex plant defense response to pathogens. It is known that members of two PR-proteins families (PR-4 and PR-10) exhibit ribonuclease activity in some cases. These proteins were found to be able to inhibit the growth of pathogenic fungi, and the ribonuclease activity is necessary for manifestation of this effect. This paper presents current data on molecular mechanisms governing the antifungal activity of PR-ribonucleases connected both with their direct cytotoxic impact on pathogen cells and with possible participation in induction of plant cell apoptosis and development of the hypersensitive reaction (HR).

Proteins similar to known proteins of the synaptonemal complexes (SCs) of seven species of higher eukaryotes, from budding yeast to mouse, which are used as models for studying meiosis, have been sought by bioinformatical methods. In the proteomes of green and brown algae, mosses, a number of lowest fungi, Euglenozoa, Apicomplexa, and some other unicellular eukaryotes, proteins containing the HORMA domain show the greatest similarity to SC proteins of the model organisms. They are close to proteins of lateral SC elements of higher eukaryotes, also bearing the HORMA domain. This domain recognizes the chromatin state and recruits other proteins for SC formation.

The possibility to diagnose the ploidy of cells producing regenerated plants in vitro in anther culture has been studied. It is shown by the example of oil flax that population analysis of regenerated plants for segregation on the basis of a marker trait with a simple genetic control can serve as such a method. When microspores are the source of regenerants, segregation of regenerants for a marker that coincides with the segregation at the gamete level is observed. If sporophytic tissues are the source for regenerated plants, there is no segregation. The proposed approach can be applied not only to anther cultures but also to ovule cultures, as well as to any plant species where relevant structures are used to obtain doubled haploids.

Achievements of Russian peony breeders are presented. The main breeding stages are considered. The results of 60-year peony breeding in the Botanical Garden of the Ufa Research Center are outlined. Hybrid peony varieties are characterized.

The prospects of new alga strains as a source of non-food renewable biomass suitable for third generation biofuel production are discussed. West Siberia is of special interest, as it has a broad range of habitats and weakly studied microalga biodiversity. During this study, a number of strains were isolated. Of them, Chlorella spp. A1125 met the requirements for cultivation in a pilot-scale photobioreactor: high biomass productivity and high lipid content (0,081 g/l, or 23 % dry weight). The strain had high contents of saturated C16:0 (25 %) and unsaturated fatty acids: C16:2 (16 %) and C18:2 (27 %), thus being promising for catalytic production of third generation biofuel.

In 2013, we celebrate the 140th anniversary of one of the founders of the Saratov breeding school, Academician of the All-Unian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, its Vice President and Acting President Georgiy K. Meister. The article considers his role in the development of crop breeding, cultivation technology,and the organization of research and seed production in the Volga region.