Typification of intraspecific taxa in <i>Solanum andigenum</i> Juz. et Buk.

Taxonomic studies were carried out in the collection of cultivated potato species kept in the Herbarium of Cultivated Plants of the World, Their Wild Relatives, and Weeds (WIR). It allowed us to proceed with typifying the names of intraspecific taxa within Solanum andigenum Juz. et Buk., belonging to three geographical groups: Colombian, South Peruvian, and Bolivian. The WIR herbarium collections comprise the taxonomic diversity of cultivated potatoes described by Russian taxonomists and based on the study of plant materials collected in South America during the expeditions organized by N. I. Vavilov in the late 1920s – early 1930s. Verification of protologs and herbarium specimens resulted in locating herbarium sheets that appeared to be syntypes of six varieties and eleven forms. Lectotypes were also designated for the following three forms: S. andigenum f. huaman-uma Buk. et Lech., S. andigenum f. lecke-umo Buk. et Lech., S. andigenum f. pacus Lech

An integrated approach to the registration and preservation of a cultivar gene pool in the VIR genebank exemplified in cultivars bred by the Ural Federal Agrarian Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

As part of a comprehensive program for registering and preserving the gene pool of Russian varieties in the VIR genebank, initiated at the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources, nomenclatural standards were assigned to potato cultivars ‘Alâska’, ‘Argo’, ‘Bravo’, ‘Irbitskij’, ‘Legenda’, ‘Lûks’, ‘Terra’, and ‘Šah’, and a voucher specimen was prepared for pre-cultivar ‘Bagira’. All of them were bred at the Ural Federal Agrarian Research Centre (Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences). Nomenclatural standards of these cultivars are preserved in the Nomenclatural standard collection at the Herbarium of cultivated plants and their wild relatives and weeds (VIR Herbarium, WIR). For each of them, a genetic passport was developed using DNA preparations isolated from plant material donated by the cultivar author to the VIR herbarium. The genetic passport, which includes information on the allelic composition of eight chromosome-specific microsatellite loci, is supplemented by the molecular screening data with markers of 11 R-genes for resistance to pests, as well as the data on the types of cytoplasm. The author of cultivars also supplied VIR with samples of virus-free in vitro plants. Microplants of eight Ural cultivars and one pre-cultivar were genotyped using the same SSR markers and included in the VIR in vitro collection, and then in the cryopreservation program. Most of the accessions were characterized by a relatively high, above 39%, level of post-cryogenic regeneration. Frozen explants of the genotyped Ural cultivars (‘Alâska’, ‘Argo’, ‘Legenda’, ‘Terra’, and ‘Šah’) and pre-cultivar ‘Bagira’ were placed for long-term storage in the VIR Cryobank

Effects of neonatal handling on behavior and stress-response in rats selected for reaction towards humans

It is known that neonatal handling may cause longterm changes in neurobiological and behavioral phenotypes. Neonatal handling of rats selected for enhanced aggressiveness towards humans (“aggressive” rats of generation 44) significantly mitigated aggression and stress responsiveness. However, levels of corticosterone in stress in intact aggressive rats of later generations (70s) were lower than in generation 44, which differed little from the corresponding value in “tame” rats, selected in the opposite direction, for the absence of aggressiveness towards humans. The study was conducted with Norway rat populations of the 75th generation of selection for aggressive and tame behavior, respectively. The goal was to find out whether the decrease in stress response in aggressive rats at the current stage of selection was accompanied by a decrease in the influence of handling on aggressiveness. It was found that neonatal handling of aggressive animals caused a significant decrease in aggressiveness, although considerably smaller than in generation 44. In both aggressive and tame rats, the blood corticosterone level at stress was getting back to the basal level for a longer time than in the corresponding control groups. Neonatal handling decreased the amount of mRNA for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the hippocampus of aggressive rats but did not affect significantly the amount of mRNA for the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the hypothalamus. However, higher contents of CRH mRNA were recorded in aggressive rats than in tame ones in the control groups. However, no differences in glucocorticoid receptor mRNA  were found between the strains in contrast to earlier generations. It was shown that neonatal handling was beneficial for maternal behavior in tame rats. Thus, the results obtained in the 75th generation of selection indicate that the effect of handling on aggressiveness weakens with decreasing stress responsiveness in aggressive rats. This is likely to be related to the changing amount of GR in the hippocampus and stronger glucocorticoidmediated feedback at the current stage of selection. The minor prolongation of the stress response appears to be related to the stressing component of neonatal handling rather than to changes in maternal care

Изучение ассоциации однонуклеотидных полиморфных замен в генах ферментов антиоксидантной системы с риском развития рака предстательной железы в Сибирском регионе России

The influence of polymorphic substitutions in antioxidant system genes (SNPsrs1050450 in the GPX1 gene, rs1695 and rs1138272 in the GSTP1gene and rs4880 in the MnSOD gene) on the risk of prostate cancer development in men living in the Siberian region of Russia was studied. The relationship between the studied genotypes and clinical parameters (disease stage and PSA level) was analyzed. For this purpose, the incidence of the studied allelic variants was compared between 399 with prostate cancer patients and 344 men with no history of prostate cancer. Genotyping was performed using real-time PCR. No statistically significant association with the risk of developing prostate cancer was found in the studied SNPs (p&gt;0,05). For the GSTP1SNPrs1695, the correlation with disease stage was obtained: The GG genotype occurred more frequently in patients with stage III-IV prostate cancer (OR [C.I.]=2,66 [1,15–6,18], p=0,02). Both studied SNPs of the GSTP1 gene were associated with the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in blood: the GG rs1695 genotype and TT rs1138272 genotype were associated with higher PSA levels (p=1,5×10-3)Изучено влияние ряда полиморфных замен в генах антиоксидантной системы (SNPsrs1050450 гена GPX1, rs1695 и rs1138272 гена GSTP1 и rs4880 гена MnSOD) на риск развития рака предстательной железы у мужчин, проживающих в Сибирском регионе России. Проведен анализ взаимосвязи исследуемых генотипов с клиническими параметрами (стадией заболевания и уровнем ПСА). С этой целью сравнили частоту встречаемости исследуемых аллельных вариантов у 392 пациентов с раком простаты и у 344 мужчин без онкологических заболеваний в анамнезе. Генотипирование выполнялось при помощи ПЦР в режиме реального времени. Ни для одного из исследуемых SNPs не было получено статистически значимой ассоциации с риском развития рака пред- стательной железы (p&gt;0,05). Для SNPrs1695 гена GSTP1 получена корреляция со стадией заболевания: генотип GG статистически значимо чаще встречается у больных раком простаты III–IV стадий (OR[C.I.]=2,66 [1,15–6,18], p=0,02). Оба исследуемых SNPs гена GSTP1 ассоциированы с уровнем простат-специфического антигена (ПСА) в крови: генотип GG rs1695 и генотип TT rs1138272 ассоциированы с более высокими показателями ПСА (p=1,5×10-3)

STUDY OF ASSOCIATION OF SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORHISMS IN GENES OF ANTIOXIDANT DEFENCE ENZYMES WITH RISK OF DEVELOPING PROSTATE CANCER IN SIBERIA

The influence of polymorphic substitutions in antioxidant system genes (SNPsrs1050450 in the GPX1 gene, rs1695 and rs1138272 in the GSTP1gene and rs4880 in the MnSOD gene) on the risk of prostate cancer development in men living in the Siberian region of Russia was studied. The relationship between the studied genotypes and clinical parameters (disease stage and PSA level) was analyzed. For this purpose, the incidence of the studied allelic variants was compared between 399 with prostate cancer patients and 344 men with no history of prostate cancer. Genotyping was performed using real-time PCR. No statistically significant association with the risk of developing prostate cancer was found in the studied SNPs (p&gt;0,05). For the GSTP1SNPrs1695, the correlation with disease stage was obtained: The GG genotype occurred more frequently in patients with stage III-IV prostate cancer (OR [C.I.]=2,66 [1,15–6,18], p=0,02). Both studied SNPs of the GSTP1 gene were associated with the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in blood: the GG rs1695 genotype and TT rs1138272 genotype were associated with higher PSA levels (p=1,5×10-3

DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIPLEX ALLELE-SPECIFIC REAL-TIME PCR METHOD FOR DETECTION OF PIK3CA GENE SOMATIC MUTATIONS AND ITS VALIDATION IN THE TUMORS OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

Aim: To develop a highly sensitive real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system for detection of somatic mutations in 542 and 545 codons of exon 9 and 1047 codon of exon 20 of PIK3CA gene comprising more than 80% of all somatic mutations in this gene for application on histological material without macroand microdissection, and to analyze associations between these mutations and clinical and pathological characteristics of breast tumors.Materials and methods: The Allele-specific real-time PCR method with signal detection by TaqMan probes was used. For determination of its analytical sensitivity, plasmids carrying the mutations studied were constructed by standard genetic engineering methods using mutagenesis. DNA samples carrying various mutated/wild type DNA ratios (5.0; 2.0; 1.0; 0.5, 0.25%) were prepared. Results: Multiplex allele-specific real-time PCR method for detection of most common mutations in PIK3CA gene: p.E542K c.1624G&gt;A, p.E545K c.1633G&gt;A, p.H1047R c.3140A&gt;G, p.H1047L c.3140A&gt;T – was developed and optimized.Analytical sensitivity of mutation detection comprised 0.5% for p.E542K and 0.25% for p.E545K, p.H1047R and H1047L enzyme.Conclusion: The method developed for detection of somatic mutations in PIK3CA gene is sufficiently sensitive, specific and efficient, that allows to propose it for a routine screening in clinical diagnostic laboratories for evaluation of disease prognosis and monitoring of response to therapy and its modification

EFFECTS OF SOCIAL EXPERIENCE IN ADOLESCENCE: BEHAVIOR AND STRESS-RESPONSE IN NORWAY RATS SELECTED FOR ATTITUDE TO HUMANS

The influence of social experience in adolescence (early separation from the mother and change partner in cage and keeping in twos in cage) on anxiety behavior, social behavior and stress-response investigated in tame, aggressive and unselected male rats. Aggressive behavior in experimental unselected and aggressive rats reduced in comparison with control animals. The testosterone level reduced after restriction stress in experimental unselected rats and corticosterone level reduced in experimental aggressive rats in comparison with control animals.Работа выполнена при поддержке Российского фонда фундаментальных исследований (грант № 12-04-00494-а)