Some problems and errors in cytogenetic biodosimetry

Human radiosensitivity is a quantitative trait that is generally subject to binomial distribution. Individual radiosensitivity, however, may deviate significantly from the mean (by 2-3 standard deviations). Thus, the same dose of radiation may result in different levels of genotoxic damage (commonly measured as chromosome aberration rates) in different individuals. There is significant genetic component in individual radiosensitivity. It is related to carriership of variant alleles of various single-nucleotide polymorphisms (most of these in genes coding for proteins functioning in DNA damage identification and repair); carriership of different number of alleles producing cumulative effects; amplification of gene copies coding for proteins responsible for radioresistance, mobile genetic elements, and others. Among the other factors influencing individual radioresistance are: radioadaptive response; bystander effect; levels of endogenous substances with radioprotective and antimutagenic properties and environmental factors such as lifestyle and diet, physical activity, psychoemotional state, hormonal state, certain drugs, infections and others. These factors may have radioprotective or sensibilising effects. Apparently, there are too many factors that may significantly modulate the biological effects of ionising radiation. Thus, conventional methodologies for biodosimetry (specifically, cytogenetic methods) may produce significant errors if personal traits that may affect radioresistance are not accounted for

Identification of the gene complexes that determine some individual characteristics of a person

There are some data about genes associated with certain traits of a person in the scientific literature, but these data are often contradictory. It is evident that complexes of genes that affect the manifestation of the trait can be more informative. We have investigated genotypes of 9000 people, using the PCR method, in order to determine their athletic abilities or predisposition to different diseases and pathologies. In particular, we tested about 3000 women with unknown causes of miscarriages for 14 genes associated with the pregnancy development. 1,5 years later we interviewed 700 women and have identified a high genetic risk of pregnancy loss due to hereditary thrombophilia. In most of the cases, doctors took into account our data and applied for these women treatment with anticoagulant drugs such as fragmin in the subsequent pregnancies. So 86.6% of pregnant women have successfully conceived and given birth, and we have received over 500 touching letters of gratitude. Thus, genetic testing allows to identify individual human properties in order to prevent some pathologies or to chose the most suitable kind of sport

Identification of the gene complexes that determine some individual characteristics of a person

There are some data about genes associated with certain traits of a person in the scientific literature, but these data are often contradictory. It is evident that complexes of genes that affect the manifestation of the trait can be more informative. We have investigated genotypes of 9000 people, using the PCR method, in order to determine their athletic abilities or predisposition to different diseases and pathologies. In particular, we tested about 3000 women with unknown causes of miscarriages for 14 genes associated with the pregnancy development. 1,5 years later we interviewed 700 women and have identified a high genetic risk of pregnancy loss due to hereditary thrombophilia. In most of the cases, doctors took into account our data and applied for these women treatment with anticoagulant drugs such as fragmin in the subsequent pregnancies. So 86.6% of pregnant women have successfully conceived and given birth, and we have received over 500 touching letters of gratitude. Thus, genetic testing allows to identify individual human properties in order to prevent some pathologies or to chose the most suitable kind of sport

The Toolbox for Fiber Flax Breeding: A Pipeline From Gene Expression to Fiber Quality

The goal of any plant breeding program is to improve quality of a target crop. Crop quality is a comprehensive feature largely determined by biological background. To improve the quality parameters of crops grown for the production of fiber, a functional approach was used to search for genes suitable for the effective manipulation of technical fiber quality. A key step was to identify genes with tissue and stage-specific pattern of expression in the developing fibers. In the current study, we investigated the relationship between gene expression evaluated in bast fibers of developing flax plants and the quality parameters of technical fibers measured after plant harvesting. Based on previously published transcriptomic data, two sets of genes that are upregulated in fibers during intrusive growth and tertiary cell wall deposition were selected. The expression level of the selected genes and fiber quality parameters were measured in fiber flax, linseed (oil flax) cultivars, and wild species that differ in type of yield and fiber quality parameters. Based on gene expression data, linear regression models for technical stem length, fiber tensile strength, and fiber flexibility were constructed, resulting in the identification of genes that have high potential for manipulating fiber quality. Chromosomal localization and single nucleotide polymorphism distribution in the selected genes were characterized for the efficacy of their use in conventional breeding and genome editing programs. Transcriptome-based selection is a highly targeted functional approach that could be used during the development of new cultivars of various crops

Genetic bases of tomatо marker-assisted selection in Belarus

To develop tomato hybrids and varieties with a high fruit quality, we gradually solved the following tasks: development of DNA-marking methods for long shelf life genes; the genes modifying the biosynthesis of carotenoids and their composition; testing of the elaborated methods on the developed breeding material; the selection of samples with different allelic composition of fruit quality genes; the development of F1 hybrids using the method of successive crosses and their study; the selection of tomato forms by DNA-typing methods with target genes in F2 populations to develop valuable breeding samples; the study of carotenoids’ accumulation peculiarities and their inheritance

Additional file 2: of A key enzyme of animal steroidogenesis can function in plants enhancing their immunity and accelerating the processes of growth and development

Description of primers, conditions of amplification and product length for PCR analyses. (DOC 34 kb