Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is sensitive to cold stress. The plant’s adaptive response to low temperatures is accompanied by cellular osmoregulation and a decrease in the rate of photosynthesis due to disruption of the antennae of photosystems I and II, including proteins of the light-harvesting complex (LHC) family that bind chlorophylls a/b and carotenoids. In this study, a transcriptome analysis of differential expression of SlLHC family genes, carotenoid and abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis genes, as well as ORANGE and STAY-GREEN genes associated with chlorophyll accumulation and degradation, was performed for the first time during two cycles (I and II) of “cold stress (12 h) – recovery (60 h)”. The tomato cultivar Otradnyi was used for the analysis. 12 h before the end of the recovery period of the second cycle (II-48), the content of chlorophylls a/b and carotenoids in plant leaves was shown to be significantly decreased. It was revealed that 12 h of cold exposure in both cycles (I-12, II-12) suppressed the expression of most LHC family genes. At the same time points, a significant increase in the transcript levels of the NSY, CCD-like, LeNCED1 and NCED6 genes associated with ABA synthesis was detected. Genes, expression profile of which differed between the primary and repeated cycles of cold exposure, were identified. Based on these data, a list of candidate genes for cold stress memory markers in plants was compiled: 10 SlLHC family genes (Cab-1A, Cab-1D, CAB12, CAB5LOC101257186, SEP2, OHP2-LOC101259223, OHP1 and LIL3-2-LOC101247899) and five genes associated with ABA synthesis (VDE, CCD4, CCD-like, LeNCED1 and NCED6). The obtained results are important for identifying and understanding the involvement of photosynthesis-related genes in the response to cold stress and determining cold tolerance of tomato plants, and can be used in breeding cold-resistant varieties.

One of the sources of bread wheat resistance to the Puccinia triticina is the Lr51 gene in the T1BS.1BL-1S#F7L-1BL translocation, from Aegilops speltoides Tausch. However, it is little used in the practical breeding of Triticum aestivum L. The main reason is the fear of the negative impact of translocation on important agronomic features. This paper presents the results of pre-breeding studies of lines-analogues of spring bread wheat cultivar Saratovskaya 68 – L6 and L7, carrying T1BS.1BL-1S#F7L-1BL translocation, compared with the recipient – Saratovskaya 68 and the standard – Saratovskaya 76. The presence of the Lr51 gene was confirmed by PCR analysis with markers S30-13L and AGA7-759R. Lines L6 and L7 are resistant to saratov populations of P. triticina. The linesanalogues are cytologically stable. The presence of translocation in L6 and L7 did not significantly influence for plant height and lodging resistance. In lines-analogues, the duration of the germination-earing period is at the level of recipient and standard cultivars. For grain productivity, lines L6 and L7 do not significantly differ from Saratovskaya 68. However, lines L6 and L7 surpassed Saratovskaya 76 in 2024, but there were no differences for 2023–2025 period. Analysis of the structure of the elements productivity of the main ear for average 2023–2025 period showed that at the lines L6 and L7 no differences with the cultivar-recipient for all traits. But comparisons with Saratovskaya 76, show significant differences in favor of lines with translocation in terms of ear density, while L7 also had significant differences for grain weight from the ear and number grains in spikelet.The presence of the T1BS.1BL-1S#F7L-1BL translocation in L6 and L7 did not significantly affect the protein content, as well as the indicators of flour and bread, except for the volume and porosity of bread. Lines L6 and L7 were inferior to Saratovskaya 76 in terms of elasticity, the ratio of elasticity to extensibility (P/L), and the volume of bread, but surpassed the strength of flour (W). In general, in terms of cytological stability and the entire range of breeding-valuable indicators, the effect of T1BS.1BL-1S#F7L1BL translocation in the genotype of the Saratovskaya 68 is assessed as neutral, and lines L6 and L7 have breeding significance for leaf rust resistance.

Consumption of high-calorie food leads to the development of obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The pathogenesis of NAFLD depends on the composition of the diet. Administration of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) to obese mice improves metabolism and liver condition; however, the dependence of this effect on sex and diet composition has not been studied. Objective: To investigate the influence of sex on liver condition in mice with diet-induced obesity caused by different diets and on the ability of FGF21 to beneficially affect liver function. Obesity was induced in male and female C57BL/6J mice using a high-fat diet (HFD) or a cafeteria diet (DCaf). After obesity development, mice were administered FGF21 (1 mg/kg for 7 days), and the morphofunctional state and gene expression in the liver were assessed. When maintained on an HFD, hepatic steatosis was less severe in females than in males. FGF21 did not affect the lipid droplet area in individuals of either sex but exerted a sex-dependent influence on gene expression: in females, it reduced the expression of glycolysis and lipogenesis genes, preventing lipid accumulation, while in males, it reduced the expression of inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis genes, preventing the transition from steatosis to steatohepatitis. When maintained on a DCaf, pronounced steatosis developed in mice of both sexes. FGF21 reduced liver lipid content regardless of sex. However, only in females did FGF21 reduce the expression of the Cidec gene involved in lipid droplet formation and increase the number of apoptotic bodies. In males, the effect of FGF21 on lipid accumulation in the liver appeared to be mediated by its action on other tissues. Thus, in obese mice, sex differences in the severity of hepatic steatosis depended on the diet type and were observed only against the background of HFD. Administration of FGF21 led to a reduction in the total area of lipid droplets in the liver in mice of both sexes only against the background of pronounced steatosis induced by the DCaf. The influence of FGF21 on gene expression in the liver was sex-dependent, both against the background of HFD and DCaf.

Selection of silver foxes for attitude to humans influences the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system, which, in turn, are involved in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism under stress. It has also been shown that heredity affectes carbohydrate metabolism and glucose tolerance. It remains to find out whether the selection for attitude to humans affected carbohydrate metabolism and blood glucose levels in silver foxes. We studied basal blood glucose levels in tame, aggressive, and unselected male and female silver foxes and glucose levels in females exposed to stress. Our results indicate that the basal blood glucose level in tame foxes is significantly lower than in unselected or aggressive ones regardless of sex. In unselected males, this parameter was lower than in aggressive animals. Aggressive foxes showed a sex difference in the basal blood glucose level: it was higher in males than in females. The glucose levels in aggressive females remained higher than in tame ones immediately after 10-min stress and two hours afterwards. Only aggressive females showed an excess blood glucose level over the basal one two hours after stress. The bulk group of foxes demonstrated a negative correlation between blood glucose and behavior score (response to humans) both at rest and after stress. A glucose tolerance test (GTT) was performed to compare the rates of glucose absorption from the bloodstream in silver fox females selected for behavior. Although selection for behavior did not affect glucose tolerance, judging from the area under the GTT curves, aggressive females differed from tame and unselected at the beginning of the test in longer persistence of elevated blood glucose. Thus, the selection of silver foxes for attitude to humans influences blood glucose levels at rest in both sexes and after stress in females.

Age is the primary risk factor for age-related diseases, the early onset of which manifests as premature aging, whereas delayed development forms the basis for healthy aging and longevity. Adverse genetic variants contribute to premature aging and its diverse manifestations, including increased multimorbidity. Identifying the genetic underpinnings of premature aging and developing preventive approaches are essential to extending the human healthspan, which requires fundamental research using animal models. In this study, we performed whole-genome sequencing (coverage depth >25×) of OXYS rats – a unique model of premature aging characterized by the early onset of geriatric disorders, including cataracts, AMD-like retinopathy, Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – using the parental Wistar/Icgn rat strain as a control. The screening for singlenucleotide variants (SNVs), short insertions/deletions (indels), and copy number variations (CNVs) and comparative genomic analysis revealed genetic variants unique to OXYS rats that are absent in other rat strains. Specifically, we identified a large deletion in the Fat1 enhancer, deletions in the promoter regions of Abcf1 and Gsta6, and missense variants in Cic, Akap6, Nqo2, Cerkl, Bfsp1, and Cmya5 that lead to amino acid substitutions in highly conserved protein regions. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that these variants may contribute to the key features of premature aging in OXYS rats. Notably, deletions in the Fat1 enhancer and Gsta6 promoter, alongside missense substitutions in Cic, Akap6, and Nqo2, may drive early neurodegeneration and cognitive deficits by disrupting neurogenesis, reducing neuronal survival, and impairing antioxidant defense. The deletion in the Abcf1 promoter and the missense variants in Cerkl may induce retinopathy features by disrupting retinal homeostasis and weakening the protection of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells against oxidative stress and apoptosis. Furthermore, the missense substitution in Bfsp1 likely contributes to early cataract development by reducing the stability of lens intermediate filaments. Finally, missense variants in Cmya5 and Akap6 may promote sarcopenia and cardiomyopathy via the destabilization of myofibrils in skeletal muscles and cardiomyocytes (Cmya5) and through impaired skeletal muscle regeneration and structural disorganization of cardiomyocytes (Akap6).

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are enzymes that provide transcriptional repression, while HDAC inhibitors are considered to be potential drugs in the treatment of Alzheimer disease (AD). Earlier we found that ceftriaxone (CEF), an antibiotic with neuroprotective activity, augmented mRNA levels of Ide and Mme, encoding enzymes involved in the catabolism of amyloid beta in the amygdala of OXYS rats, a model of sporadic AD. On the other hand, disturbances of neurotrophic factors (BDNF in particular) play an important role in AD pathogenesis. Moreover, HDACs of class I (HDAC1) are involved in the regulation of Bdnf transcriptional activity. The study was aimed to assess the effects of CEF on HDAC1 enrichment at Mme, Ide, and Bdnf gene promoters in the amygdala of OXYS rats and on Bdnf mRNA levels in the amygdala of OXYS and Wistar rats. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and qPCR were utilized for epigenetic analysis and assay of Bdnf mRNA levels, respectively. Neither significant HDAC1 enrichment, nor its alteration under CEF treatment at the Mme or Ide promoters were found, whereas CEF attenuated HDAC1 binding at Bdnf promoter IV. This is a novel mechanism of transcription regulation by CEF in the brain, which may be involved in its neuroprotective activity. In 5-month-old OXYS rats, it seems to play a minor role, as CEF did not change Bdnf transcript 5 (containing exons IV and IX) levels. We were first to demonstrate the transcript-specific regulation of Bdnf transcription by CEF. CEF significantly increased the levels of Bdnf transcript 6 (containing exons VII, VIII, and IX). The results of our study can be taken into account in AD treatment.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative pathology and one of the primary causes of dementia associated with memory and cognitive impairment. The dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus plays a crucial role in learning and memory encoding, and it undergoes significant changes in AD. To study the underlying mechanisms of AD and to test new therapeutic agents, mouse models of this pathology are developed. One of the most popular and relevant models for AD research is the 5xFAD transgenic mouse strain carrying mutant human genes, specifically: amyloid beta precursor protein (APP) and presenilin-1 (PSEN1). The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of mutant APP and PSEN1 transgenes on the microstructure of the hippocampal DG in six-month-old heterozygous male 5xFAD transgenic mice using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI-MRI) combined with immunohistochemical analysis. A special emphasis was placed on assessing hippocampal asymmetry, which had not been previously investigated in 5xFAD mice. In the hippocampal DG of both hemispheres in male 5xFAD mice, an elevated level of betaamyloid was detected compared to the wild-type control group, combined with a higher density of microglia, but no differences were found in the level of neurogenesis. Along with this, hippocampal asymmetry was discovered in male 5xFAD mice, manifesting as an increased volume of the right hippocampus, a decreased level of fractional anisotropy in the right hippocampal DG, and a reduced neuron density in the left DG compared to the wild-type. Based on our results, it can be concluded that mutant human APP and PSEN1 genes cause alterations in the hippocampal DG, which may open new possibilities for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The identified changes in hippocampal volume and its asymmetry could become important biomarkers characterizing this pathology.

Steppe ecosystems are among the most heavily modified habitats due to anthropogenic pressure and rapid land-use changes. Over the course of several decades of the 20th century, the biogeocenoses of the steppe plains and a significant portion of the forest-steppe of the Central Ciscaucasia have almost completely lost their original appearance. Anthropogenic impact resulted in the reduction of suitable habitats, their fragmentation, and so on. It is known that prolonged isolation of a population, caused by natural or anthropogenic habitat fragmentation, can lead to changes in the genetic structure of the population, specifically to a decrease in genetic diversity and a reduction in the total effective population size, which is particularly detrimental to small populations. The relevance of this study is due to the lack of current data on the species composition, genetic structure, genetic diversity, habitat distribution, and abundance of Apodemus wood mice in the steppe zone of the Central Ciscaucasia. Based on an analysis of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b (cyt b) gene fragment variability, the species composition and genetic diversity of sibling species of wood mice of the genus Apodemus have been studied for the first time in the steppe zone of the Central Ciscaucasia. Molecular genetic analysis revealed that the genus Apodemus is represented by three species: A. uralensis, A. witherbyi, and A. flavicollis. A. flavicollis and A. witherbyi are described for the first time in this area. Of the three taxa, A. uralensis exhibits the highest level of genetic diversity. Molecular dating results suggest that of the three species, A. uralensis was the first to colonize the Central Ciscaucasia in two stages: approximately 370–350 thousand years ago and approximately 256 thousand years ago. Subsequently, A. witherbyi entered the area in two stages: approximately 166–154 thousand years ago and 125–115 thousand years ago. A. flavicollis is the youngest inhabitant of the Central Ciscaucasia, with an evolutionary age of approximately 100 thousand years. This study identifies the distribution patterns and landscapebiotopic distribution of representatives of the genus Apodemus in the study areas of the Central Ciscaucasia.

Ascending aortic dilatation/aneurysm and dissection are life-threatening cardiovascular conditions. However, the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms within aortic cells underlying these pathologies remain poorly understood. This study aimed to identify differentially methylated genes (DMGs) in aortic tissues from patients with ascending aortic dilatation/ aneurysm and dissection by performing a re-analysis of publicly available DNA methylation datasets. A re-analysis was conducted on three DNA methylation datasets (GSE50192, GSE202047, GSE84274) from the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. To account for tissue heterogeneity, cellular deconvolution was performed using the HEpiDISH algorithm and a custom reference panel of cell-type-specific CpG sites for key vascular cell types (endothelial cells, fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, immune cells). Our re-analysis revealed that aortic dissection and bicuspid aortic valve patients with aortic dilatation/aneurysm exhibit distinct DNA methylation profiles compared to intact aorta. These pathologies differ from each other in the number and the spectrum of DMGs. The adjustment for cellular heterogeneity eliminated the majority of the initially identified DMGs. However, this correction helped to make an assessment of vascular inflammation, characterize its impact on aortic wall stability, and identify genes with differential DNA methylation associated with the disease phenotypes, rather than with inter-group heterogeneity. The genes NFIX, PCDH7, MED13L, LMO4, DIP2C, PLEKHF1, NKD1, C10orf41 (ZNF503-AS2), ARAP2, TBX3, and TBX5, which remained in the DMG status after adjustment for cellular composition and are expressed in individual cells/whole aortic tissue, can be considered as new candidate genes for the development of aortic dilatation/aneurysm in patients with bicuspid aortic valve. NFIX, LMO4, DIP2C, C10orf41 (ZNF503-AS2), MED13L, TBX3, TBX5 are transcriptional regulators or modulators; NKD1 is a recognized inhibitor of the Wnt pathway. Our findings highlight the necessity of a rigorous approach to cohort design, which includes comprehensive phenotyping (encompassing aortic valve morphology) and underscore the importance of future single-cell investigations.

X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XLHED; Christ–Siemens–Touraine syndrome, ICD-10: Q82.4) is the most common type of ectodermal dysplasia, caused by genetic disorders of ectodermal derivatives. The condition significantly impacts patients’ quality of life, presenting with a classic triad of hypohidrosis, hypotrichosis and hypodontia, which creates a risk of impaired thermoregulation and necessitates complex dental rehabilitation. The molecular basis of the disease lies in alterations of the EDA gene, which encodes ectodysplasin A. This protein belongs to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family and plays a critical signaling role in ectodermal-mesenchymal interactions during embryonic development. The present case report describes a boy with an XLHED phenotype caused by a previously unreported structural rearrangement. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) identified a ~397.3 kb microduplication at the Xq13.1 locus directly involving the EDA gene. Comprehensive bioinformatic analysis ruled out additional pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in other genes that could account for the patient’s phenotype. The Xq13.1 microduplication was confirmed in both the proband and his mother using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Androgen receptor (AR) gene methylation analysis in the mother revealed a random X-chromosome inactivation (74/26 %), explaining her asymptomatic carrier status. The proband’s clinical manifestations were also compared to those of literature-reported patients with overlapping genomic rearrangements. Based on international and Russian guidelines for the interpretation of massively parallel sequencing data, the identified variant was classified as pathogenic. Identification of this structural rearrangement expands the known mutational spectrum of the EDA gene. Establishing a precise molecular genetic diagnosis in this family is critical not only for disease verification but also for optimizing patient management through a multidisciplinary approach. Furthermore, it enables comprehensive genetic counseling, identification of female carriers among relatives and the development of timely primary and secondary prevention measures for the disease in this family. 

During the late Roman period, the military and political conditions in Eastern Europe declined both along the frontier between the Roman Empire and Barbaricum and within those territories. The Chernyakhov culture played an important role in the dynamics of these events. According to historical and archaeological evidence, this society was formed by Germanic tribes that had moved into the region from northwestern Europe, as well as a nomadic population of the steppes. The Chernyakhov culture’s funerary traditions included the placement of weapons, most likely solely in the graves of military nobles. In this context, human remains from these burials serve as a unique resource for archaeogenetic studies, enabling insights into the genetic origins of the military aristocracy within the Chernyakhov culture. In this paper, we present the results of a whole-genome analysis of a member of the military elite from a status burial of the Chernyakhov culture at the Dal’niy (Vydrin) burial ground, located on the northern border of the Chernyakhov culture area. According to archaeological data and previous anthropological analysis, the buried individual belonged to the military nobility of the late Chernyakhov culture, which lasted from the fourth to fifth centuries AD. The whole-genome sequences of this individual were generated by large-scale parallel sequencing. The individual was shown to be male. Analysis of haplogroup markers indicated the European origin of maternal and paternal lineages. The examination of autosomal markers clearly indicated a genetic link between this individual, associated with the warrior class of the Chernyakhov culture, and members of nomadic steppe groups, specifically the Scythians, Sarmatians, and Avars. The results contribute to our understanding of the complex picture of interethnic contacts that created the basis for the formation of the polyethnic Chernyakhov culture.

Accurate and timely diagnosis of strawberry diseases is crucial for minimizing crop loss and reducing the cost of plant treatment. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with multispectral cameras opens up new possibilities for noninvasive plant health monitoring. The objective of this research is to explore the feasibility of detecting diseases in strawberries through multispectral imagery obtained from UAVs combined with deep learning techniques. Leaf spot disease, caused by Ramularia tulasnei Sacc., was chosen as a case study. A DJI Phantom 4 Multispectral quadcopter was used to survey an experimental plot (37 × 22 m) from an altitude of 3 m, achieving a resolution of 2.2 mm per pixel. Preprocessing of the acquired data involved orthomosaic building using Agisoft Metashape Pro and manual region-of-interest (ROI) extraction in ENVI 5.2. A dataset comprising 360 multispectral images, each of size 64 × 64 × 5 (with spectral bands at 450, 560, 650, 730, and 840 nm), was created and separated into three classes: healthy plants, diseased plants, and soil. Using this dataset, a U-Net-based model – supplemented with the attention gate, squeeze-and-excitation, and residual connections modules – was trained. Additionally, to assess the contribution of multispectral channels, another U-Net model was trained on RGB images, as well as a classic Random Forest model based on 40 GLCM texture features. The U-Net model trained on multispectral data achieved an overall classification accuracy of 96.04 %, which is significantly higher than the performance of Random Forest (76.64 %) and the U-Net on RGB images (94.14 %). The resulting disease distribution maps enable site-specific fungicide application. The proposed approach confirmed the effectiveness of deep learning for diagnosing leaf spot disease in strawberries. Future research will focus on expanding the dataset (different cultivars and disease stages), testing more advanced segmentation architectures, and scaling the method to commercial plantations.

Sorrel (Rumex spp.) belongs to Polygonaceae. It is distributed worldwide and used as vegetable crop and medicinal plant, so considerable research has been dedicated to its cultivation. Forty-four accessions from the Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK), Germany, and ten genotypes collected from some areas of Iran were grown in two separate trials. The trials followed a completely randomized scheme with three replicates in a greenhouse environment. Seven traits were assessed: leaf length, blade length, lamina area, number of veins, petiole diameter, number of leaves, and dry leaf weight. The genotype × trait interaction (GTI) biplot model accounted for 77 and 78 % of the observed variability in the first and second trials, respectively. A nonagon and a heptagon were identified in trials, respectively, while genotypes 16 and 23 showed high mean values of dry leaf weight in the first and second trials, respectively. Genotypes 44 and 50 were identified as perfect genotypes, highly promising for sorrel genetic improvement programs, especially with regard to leaf yield. As for discriminative capacity, as well as typical potential, lamina area and petiole diameter best demonstrated differences among genotypes as perfect traits in both trials. There was a moderate positive correlation between dry leaf weight and lamina area across both trials (r = 0.57 for the first trial and r = 0.49 for the second trial). Therefore, lamina area can be considered an informative trait for constructing a selection index to improve leaf yield, along with dry leaf weight. The results demonstrate that lamina area and petiole diameter are key traits for selecting high-yielding sorrel genotypes, and the GTI biplot provides a practical visual approach to identify superior genotypes, facilitating efficient selection in breeding. Such a strategy can be recommended for future studies to describe prognostic and meticulous selection methods in order to recognize best traits for the breeding of sorrel and other vegetable crops.