Melanophilin Polymorphism in Ferrets of Different Color.

In mammals, the main contribution to the variability of pigmentation is made by two groups of genes directly related to the metabolic pathways of pigment synthesis and controlling the transport of melanosomes in melanocytes to keratinocytes. In order to identify the genetic basis of pigmentation variants, the nucleotide sequences of the melanophilin gene were compared in two groups of ferrets-silver-colored and wild-type animals-using sequencing of 16 exons. In carriers of silver color, a single nucleotide deletion was detected in the 9th exon, leading to a shift in the reading frame and the formation of a stop codon downstream. The protein encoded by the mutant allele is almost completely devoid of the C terminal domain of the protein responsible for the contact of melanosomes with actin during their moving to the periphery of melanocytes, but it retains the leading domain involved in the formation of melanosomes. The combination of the preservation of the N domain and the defect of the C domain of the mutant protein for the first time makes it possible to explain the incomplete dominance of the wild-type protein in heterozygotes.

Helitrons and Retrotransposons Are Co-localized in Bos taurus Genomes.

BACKGROUND: DNA transposons helitrons are mobile genetic elements responsible for major movements of the genetic material within and across different genomes. This ability makes helitrons suitable candidate elements for the development of new approaches of multilocus genotyping of live-stock animals, along with the well-known microsatellite loci. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to estimate the informativeness of helitron and microsatellite markers in assessing the consolidation and the "gene pool" standards of two commercial dairy cattle breeds (Ayrshire breed and holsteinized Black-and-White cattle) and one local breed of Kalmyk cattle, and to reveal any inter-breed difference in the organization of genomic regions flanked by helitrons in the studied cattle breeds. METHOD: We used the combination of two highly-polymorphic genomic elements - helitrons and trinu-cleotide microsatellites (AGC)6G and (GAG)6C, respectively - for genome scanning of the sampled groups of cattle. Also, we pyrosequenced the genomic regions flanked by the inverted repeats of 3'-end of Heligloria family of helitron fragments. RESULTS: Generally, the both combinations of markers generated polymorphic spectra, based on which certain interbreed differentiation could be observed. The analysis of the identified interspersed repeats suggests that in factory and local cattle the genomic regions flanked by helitron fragments are shaped differently and contain different superfamilies of transposable elements, especially retrotransposons. CONCLUSION: Despite the well-known fact of retrotransposon-dependent microsatellite expansion, our data suggest that, in the cattle genome, the DNA transposons and microsatellites can also be found in close neighbourhood, and that helitrons and retrotransposons may form domains of increased variability - targets for factors of artificial selection.

[G4-quadruplexes and genome instability].

A comparative analysis in silico of distribution of nucleotide sequences that predispose to formation of non-canonical DNA structure of G-quadruplexes, closely related with gene expression regulation and double strand DNA breaks, within vertebrata and yeast nuclear and mitochondrial genomes was carried out. Data on preferable localization of potential quadruplexes within non-coding sequences, their evolutionary conservation, and existing homology between them in mitochondrial and nuclear genomes were obtained. A possible interrelation between quadruplexes, Pif1 helicase and genomic instability is discussed.

Sources of contradictions in the evaluation of population genetic consequences after the chernobyl disaster.

The review covers the analysis of our own and published data pertaining to population and genetic consequences in various mammalian species under conditions of high levels of ionizing radiation as a result of the Chernobyl accident. The findings indicate that these conditions have promoted the reproduction of heterozygotes in polyloci spectra of molecular genetic markers and animals with a relatively increased stability of the chromosomal apparatus. The prospects of using the reproductive "success" of the carriers of these characteristics as an integral indicator of the selective influence of environmental stress factors are discussed.

[Gene pool differentiation between Altaic and trotting horse breeds inferred from ISSR-PCR marker data].

Using ISSR-PCR marker data, comparative analysis of the gene pools of Altaic and trotting horse breeds was carried out. Horse groups of different origin demonstrated differences in amplification spectra of DNA fragments flanked by inverted repeats of four microsatellites. Combinations of certain DNA fragments present in these profiles reproducibly distinguished genomes of the Altaic breed from the trotting breeds. Genetic differentiation between some trotting breeds, based on Nei genetic distance values, was found to be comparable to that between the groups of horses of Altaic breed from two different farms.

[Chronic low doze ionizing irradiation and polyfactors of adaptation].

The analysis of cytogenetic anomaly dynamics in conditions of chronic low doze effect of ionizing irradiation in generations of genetically homogeneous laboratory line of mice CC57W/Mv and genetically heterogeneous populations of vole's species, trapped in alienation zone of Chernobyl's NPP in places with different levels of radio nuclide contamination in 1994-2001 was carried out. The data about the physiological adaptation to ionizing irradiation effects under age of linear mice and non-linearity of frequency changes of separate cytogenetic anomalies in generations as laboratory line of mice, and genetically heterogeneous populations of vole's species were obtained. Was supposed, that the number of non-linear effects of the ionizing irradiation in low doze range could be stipulated by comparability between the intensity of it's damage effects and the activation by it the polyfactor systems of anti oxidant ones, reparation events, and also elimination of defective cells.

[Population-genetic study of the polymorphism of structural genes and ISSR-PCR markers in some cattle breeds].

The comparative analysis of genetic structures of five cattle breeds has been carried out using polymorphism of two different types of molecular-genetic markers--20 structural genes and 128 DNA loci (the DNA fragments flanked by inverted microsatellite loci repetitions--ISSR-PCR method). In spite of availability of breed-specific singularities of genotype distribution detected by the both methods the level of mean heterozygosity of structural genes was similar in all the investigated breeds. A part of polymorphic loci and the average value of the polymorphic information contents (PIC) of ISSR-PCR markers has appeared much higher in commercial breeds with high effective number in comparison with Ukrainian autochthonous breeds. The population-genetic processes detected by different methods are discussed.

[Polymorphism of DNA fragments flanked by microsatellite loci (ISSR-PCR) in cattle reproduced under low-dose irradiation conditions].

Polymorphism of DNA fragments flanked by microsatellite loci (ISSR-PCR) in cattle reproduced under low-dose irradiation conditions. In this study the family analysis was performed of amplicon heredity (ISSR-PCR markers) in ancestral F0 generation and daughter's F1 and F2 generations of Holstein cattle reproduced in alienation zone of Chernobyl accident for investigation of genetic structure changes and polymorphism peculiarities under influence of low-dose irradiation. Increasing of the heterozygosity calculated (Hc) in F2 generation has been found that may be considered as response to ecological stress factor. No new amplicons have been revealed which could be evaluated as mutation events.

[ISSR-PCR in differentiation of gene pools of cattle breeds]. / ISSR-PCR v differentsiatsii genofondov porod kruphogo rogatogo skota.

The genetic structure of five cattle breeds from Ukraine was investigated using ISSR-PCR method. Breeding- and sex-specific spectra of amplification products were revealed with two threenucleotide microsatellite primers. The possibility of using ISSR-PCR markers for characterization of genetic relations between breeds of cattle were evaluated.

[Achievements and problems in cloning and making transgenic mammals]. / Uspekhi i problemy klonirovaniia i transgeneza mlekopitaiushchikh.

The current use of nuclear transfer for cloning of mammals providing its application in agriculture, for biomedical aims and restoration of biodiversity was analyzed. Main problems associated with the method complexity and its low efficiency as well as ethic problems were discussed. Future application prospects were evaluated.

[Comparative analysis of the genetic structure of Red Polish cattle in Poland and the Ukraine]. / Sravnitel'nyi analiz geneticheskoi struktury krasnoi pol'skoi porody KRS Pol'shi i Ukrainy.

Comparative analysis of genetic structure of two groups of Red Polish cattle, which reproduce in Poland and Ukraine, was made. Six molecular-genetic markers (kappa-casein, beta-lactoglobulin, leptin, myostatin, growth hormone, and pituitary-specific transcription factor Pit-I) were tested by PCR-RFLP. No significant differences between the considered intrabreed groups were found. High frequency of some alleles (Csn kappa B, Blg B, and Gh L) related to the important productivity traits were observed. The rare alleles in some genes were revealed. The obtained results are evidence of the unique characteristics of the investigated breed.

[Cytogenetic effects in children exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation]. / Tsitogeneticheskie éffekty u detei pri raznykh usloviiakh vozdeistviia malykh doz ioniziruiushchei radiatsii.

The obtained data indicate that frequencies of different types of cytogenetic anomalies in investigated children groups living in radionuclide contaminated territories and children irradiated in utero have complicated patterns. The frequency of chromosomal anomalies in the investigated groups of children exceeds the average population level. At the same time, no statistically significant differences in frequencies of various types aberrations between groups of children were revealed.

[Influence of selection forms on genetic structure of domestic animals]. / Vliianie razlichnykh napravlenii otbora na formirovanie geneticheskoi struktury u domashnikh zhivotnykh.

Analysis of genetic structure of pure and crossbred sheep and cattle with the use of genetic-biochemical markers was carried out. Data on breed- and locus-specific genetic traits, stable in the time, were obtained. In sheep, breed-specific peculiarities of genetic structure partly related with the belonging of breeds to breed groups with fine-, semi-fine and coarse wool. The preferable influence of artificial selection at the phenotype complex traits in comparison with natural selection and animal origin on the genetic structure of crossbred sheep was revealed. However, the more profound effects of natural selection on the genetic structure of crossbred cattle were observed.

[Genetic structure of local Ukrainian cattle breeds]. / Geneticheskaia struktura lokal'nykh porod krupnogo rogatogo skota Ukrainy.

Analysis of 6 cattle breeds (5 local Ukrainian breeds and the Holstain breed) on the 9 polymorphous molecular-genetic markers (transferrin, ceruloplasmin, amylase-1, posttransferrin, receptor to vitamin D, haemoglobin, leptin, kapa-casein) was carried out. The rare allele of transferrin was revealed in two local breeds and the rare allele of leptin--in two another local breeds. Associations between syntenic loci (transferrin, ceruloplasmin, kappa-casein, receptor to vitamin D) were observed only in the local breeds but not in the Holstain one. Locus-specific conservation of the ancestor allelic variants in the local breeds and effect of selection on interloci associations are discussed.

Geographic and breed distribution of an Msp I PCR-RFLP in the bovine growth hormone (bGH) gene.

Information is presented on the frequency of the Msp I (-) allele in the third intron of the bovine growth hormone gene in a large number of cattle breeds. Consideration of the breed frequencies in relation to their geographic origin shows a low frequency for breeds originating in Northern Europe, moderate frequencies for breeds originating in Eastern Europe or the countries surrounding the Mediterranean basin, and very high frequencies for breeds originating in the Indian subcontinent. Consideration of breed frequencies in relation to breed type, shows low to moderate frequencies for the humpless breeds, high frequencies for the humped breeds. Various explanations for this distribution are discussed, among them the possibility that the Msp I (-) allele originated in the Bos indicus breeds of the Indian subcontinent, from which it diffused through the humpless Bos taurus breeds of Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean basin, eventually reaching Western, Northern Europe, Western Africa in low frequencies.

[Genetically determined enzyme polymorphism in soy varieties (Glycine max) and in wild soy (Glycine soja)]. / Geneticheski determinirovannyi polimorfizm fermentov u nekotorykh sortov soi (Glycine max) i dikoi soi (Glycine soja).

Analysis of 22 genetic-biochemical systems (42 loci) in 18 varieties of domestic soybean (G. max) and in 3 population of wild soybean (G. soja) was carried out. The part of polymorphous loci (P), intraspecies genetic differentiation (genetic distances--DN) were higher in domestic plants in comparison with wild ones (P = 45%, 17%: DN = 0.038-0.269, 0.059-0129). The preferable polymorphism of loci, coding the enzymes of glycolysis and Kreb's cycle was revealed in wild species. Domestic soybean had more polymorphous enzyme loci, which did not participate in glucose metabolism in comparison with wild species. The presence of the specific part of the gene pool in ancestor species, which was involved in soybean domestication and forming of varieties was discussed.

[Participation of structural gene markers and anonymous DNA sequences in genetic differentiation in the species Ovis aries L. and Ovis nivicola borealis]. / Ychastie markerov strukturnykh genov i anonimnykh posledovatel'nosti DNK v geneticheskoi differentsiatsii u vidov Ovis aries L. i Ovis nivicola borealis]

Genetic variability and genetic differentiation in two Ovis species--domesticated (Askanian sheep, Sokilska and Kulunda sheep) and wild (bighorn sheep) were analyzed using different types of molecular-genetic markers--genetic-biochemical (30 loci) and DNA (ISSR-PCR) ones. High level of genetic variability was revealed. The average heterozygosity of biochemical markers loci was in range of 0.073-0.188. Markers involved into process of genofond divergence of two closely related species were revealed.

[The genetic structure of Kulunda sheep]. / Geneticheskaia struktura kulundinskoi ovtsy.

The analysis of the genetic structure of the Kulunda sheep in eight polymorphous genetic-biochemical systems was carried out. While comparing with the genetic structures of number of sheep breeds, differentiated by the origin history, productivity traits and the breeding regions, the locus-specificity particularities of the Kulunda sheep were described. The importance of creating of the "genetic portrait" for disappearing breeds was discussed.

[The polymorphism of proteins, RAPD-PCR and ISSR-PCR markers in European and American bison and cattle]. / Polimorfizm belkov, RAPD-PCR i ISSR-PCR markerov u zubrov, bizonov i krupnogo rogatogo skota.

The comparative analysis of genetic differentiations between three species of Bovinae--Bos taurus, Bison bonasus, Bison bison with the use of different types of molecular-genetic markers--genetical-biochemical (35 loci) and DNA markers (RAPD-PCR, ISSR-PCR) was carried out. It was shown, that the evaluation of interspecies genetic interrelations was connected more with the determined molecular-genetic markers (loci), included in analysis, than with the marker's belonging to certain type (protein polymorphism, variability of DNA repeat distributions).