[Phylogenetic relationships of Oxytropis chankaensis Jurtz. and Oxytropis oxyphylla (Pall.) DC. (Fabaceae) inferred from the data of sequencing of the ITS region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA operon and intergenic spacers of the chloroplast genome].

The autotetraploid Oxytropis chankaensis Jurtz. is the only representative of the section Baicalia (subgenus Oxytropis, Fabaceae) in Primorskii Krai, and its range is restricted to the sandy belt along the western coast of the Khanka Lake. The type species of the section Baicalia is O. oxyphylla (Pall.) DC., and O. chankaensis is regarded by some authors as its synonym. Analysis of the ITS sequences showed that O. chankaensis is phylogenetically closely related to the species O. oxyphylla and O. racemosa Turcz. from the section Baicalia and also to the species O. anertii Nakai., O. ciliata Turcz., and O. inschanica H. C. Fu & S. H. Cheng from the section Xerobia, but this analysis failed to resolve the phylogenetic relationships of the species within the genus Oxytropis. The analysis of the trnH-psbA, trnL-trnF, trnS-trnG, and petG-trnP regions of cpDNA revealed molecular differences between O. chankaensis and O. oxyphylla that are indicative of considerable divergence of their chloroplast genomes. The ancestral lineages of these species diverged nearly 2 million years ago, which confirms the taxonomic validity of O. chankaensis. Taking into account the ecological specificity of O. chankaensis and the present-day distribution range of O. oxyphylla, it can be assumed that they descended from one ancestral maternal lineage that gave rise to the species of the section Baicalia.

[Independent species status of Iris vorobievii N.S. Pavlova, Iris mandshurica Maxim., and Iris humilis Georgi (Iridaceae): evidence from the nuclear and chloroplast genomes].

Nuclear (RAPD) and chloroplast (trnH-psbA, atpB-rbcL, rps4, trnL-trnF, and trnS-trnG) molecular DNA markers were used to study the populations of closely related species of the genus Iris L.: Iris vorobievii N.S. Pavlova, I. mandshurica Maxim., and I. humilis Georgi. An analysis of 243 RAPD fragments made it possible to calculate the main population parameters and to identify species-specific RAPD markers. Differences that discriminated the species were found in all but one (trnL-trnF) cpDNA region. The total length of the four variable cpDNA regions was 3640 bp, indels included. Their variation was low. A total of 22 variable sites (0.63%) were found; of these, 13 were parsimony informative and 9 were noninformative. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed significantly (P < 0.0001) high differentiation of both nuclear (F(ST) = 0.681) and chloroplast (F(ST) = 0.854) genomes for the species examined. Thus, a multigene approach confirmed the independent species status of I. vorobievii, I. mandshurica, and I. humilis and showed that I. vorobievii and I. mandshurica, but not I. humilis, are found in Primorye.

[Phylogenetic relationships among members of the subfamily sedoideae (Crassulaceae) inferred from the ITS region sequences of nuclear rDNA].

Nucleotide sequences of the nuclear rDNA ITS regions were determined in 20 species of the subfamily Sedoideae (Crassulaceae). The phylogenetic relationships of these species with other members of the subfamily, occurring mainly in Southeast Asia, were analyzed. It was shown that the genus Orostachys was not monophyletic; its typical subsection was reliably included into the clade of the genus Hylotelephium. Synapomorphic substitutions and indels, specific for the subsection Orostachys, were detected in ITS1. Sister relationships were established between clades Aizopsis and Phedimus, based on which they can be recognized as isolated genera.

[Phylogenetic relationships of the Far Eastern Araliaceae inferred from ITS sequences of nuclear rDNA].

In eight species of the family Araliaceae, inhabiting the territory of the Russian Far East, the sequences of ITS regions of nuclear rDNA were determined. A comparison of these sequences enabled establishment of phylogenetic relationships between the Far Eastern and other members of the family. It was demonstrated that Aralia sensu populations from Primorye and Sakhalin were genetically different and, hereby, could be classified as interspecific taxa. Aralia continentalis along with A. cordata were attributed to the section Aralia sensu. Oplopanax elaus and O. horridus were found to be very close to each other, possibly being the subspecies of one species or relatively young species. Legitimacy of the isolation of two sections within the genus Eleutherococcus was confirmed.

[Analysis of genetic variation in rare endemic species Oxytropis chankaensis Jurtz. (Fabaceae) using RAPD markers]. / Analiz geneticheskoi izmenchivosti redkogo épidemichngo vida Oxytropis chankaensis Jurtz. (Fabaceae) na osnove RAPD-markerov.

The method of polymerase chain reaction with random primers (RAPD) was used to assess genetic variation and population differentiation in the rare endemic plant Oxytropis chankaensis Jurtz. (Fabaceae). DNA samples from plants of two isolated populations were compared at 133 loci detected by use of ten primers. Both populations examined were characterized by high polymorphism levels (P95 = 72.9%, A = 1.92 and P95 = 74.4%, A = 1.88, respectively). They were also statistically significantly different in the frequencies of most of the amplicons. For each of the plants, unique multilocus RAPD phenotype was established using 17 to 20 RAPD markers. Diagnostic markers were not revealed. The populations were poorly differentiated. On average, the between-population component accounted for about 8% of the variation, while 92% of the variation was detected within populations. High variation along with the low degree of differentiation characteristic of two most geographically remote populations of O. chankaensis can have several explanations, among which a polyploid origin of the species seems to be most important.

[Genetic variability and interrelationship of Siberian and Far Eastern larches from RAPD-analysis data]. / Geneticheskaia izmenchivost' i vzaimootnosheniia listvennits Sibiri i dal'nego vostoka po dannym RAPD-analiza.

Genetic diversity of larches from six geographically isolated regions, Tomsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude (Siberia), and Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Far East) was examined by means of RAPD analysis. Tree DNA samples were compared using 457 RAPD loci (97% of which were polymorphic), identified with 17 primers of random sequences. In the samples examined, 32 to 49% of the genes were in heterozygous state, mean expected heterozygosity (Hexp) varied from 0.1373 to 0.1891, and the genetic distances (DN) for different sample pairs varied from 0.0361 to 0.1802. The main population parameters were determined for Larix sibirica Ledeb., L. gmelinni (Rupr.) Rupr., and L. kamtschatica (Rupr.) Carr. Analysis of the genetic relationships showed that L. kamtschatica was characterized by highest genetic differentiation from the other larches examined, while larches from Primorskii krai were genetically close to L. sibirica.

[RAPD- and allozyme analysis of genetic variability of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer and P. quinquefolius L]. / RAPD- i allozimnyi geneticheskoi izmenchivosti Panax ginseng S. A. Meyer i P. quinquefolius L.

Inter- and intraspecific variation of two ginseng species Panax ginseng and P. quinquefolius was estimated by studying 159 RAPD and 39 allozyme loci. Parameters of polymorphism and genetic diversity were determined and a tree was constructed to characterize the differences between individual plants, samples, and species. Genetic variation in P. ginseng proved to be lower than in P. quinquefolius. Gene diversity in the total P. ginseng sample was comparable with the mean expected heterozygosity of herbaceous plants. This suggests that wild P. ginseng plants in various areas of the currently fragmented natural habitat and cultivated plants of different origin have retained a significant proportion of their gene pool. The mean heterozygosity calculated per polymorphic locus for the RAPD phenotypes is similar to that of the allozyme loci and may be helpful in estimating gene diversity in populations of rare and endangered plant species.

[Genetic relationships among Far Eastern species of the family Araliacea inferred by RAPD analysis]. / Izuchenie geneticheskikh sviazei mezhdu dal'nevostochnymi vidami semeistva Araliaceae metodom RAPD.

A molecular genetic study of Far Eastern species of the family Araliaceae by means of RAPD analysis was conducted. Using 21 primers we assessed variability at 595 loci. Based on matrices of genetic distances D, dendrograms of genetic relationships among eleven species of six genera of this family were constructed. Our results suggest that Acanthopanax sessiliflorus and Eleutherococcus senticosus belong to different genera, Aralia cordata and A. continentalis are different species, and A. elata and A. mandshurica probably cannot be regarded as distinct species. Genetic similarity of Far Eastern A. cordata and American A. hispida is shown.

[DNA from various tissues of the Far Eastern larch and its applicability for RAPD assay]. / DNK iz raznykh organov dal'nevostochnykh listvennits i ee prigodnost' dlia RAPD-analiza.

We studied applicability of RAPD assay for investigating genetic variability of far eastern larches. Techniques to isolate DNA from larch vegetative organs (needles, young shoots and stems) and megagametophytes were selected, and conditions of polymerase chain reaction were optimized. Fifty out of 84 random primers proved efficient, and 22 and 12 primers initiated weak and no synthesis, respectively. The tested primers worked efficiently on the DNA isolated from both diploid and haploid tissues.

[Genetic variability of Iris setosa]. / Issledovanie genetichskoi izmenchivosti Iris setosa.

Genetic variability of Iris setosa Pall. ex Link. was studied by the RAPD method. Plants from three different habitats were compared by 135 loci revealed with eight arbitrary primers. The three plant accessions all exhibited a high level of polymorphism, and each was characterized by different frequencies of polymorphic fragments, which probably reflected the geographic isolation of the analyzed populations. The average level of polymorphism detected was 35%.

[Use of RAPD-PCR-analysis of cellular DNA for the evaluation of genetic polymorphism and subspecies diagnostics of the Far Eastern leopard Panthera pardus orientalis]. / Ispol'zovanie PP-PTsR-analiza kletochnoi DNK dlia otsenki geneticheskogo polimorfizma i podvidovoi diagnostiki dal'nevostochnogo leoparda Panthera pardus orientalis.

Genetic polymorphism in the Far-Eastern leopard subspecies Panthera pardus orientalis was examined by RAPD-PCR analysis of total cellular DNA. Primers diagnostic for the leopard subspecies were detected. These primers can be used for differentiating wild-living animals from those kept in captivity and distinguishing different breeding lines. Genetic diversity was shown to be lower in animals from the zoo (D = 0.058) and higher in a natural population (D = 0.137). Two lines of the Persian subspecies were genetically closest (D = 0.042), and the Persian and Far-Eastern subspecies represented by wild animals, genetically most remote (D = 0.274). The level of genetic divergence of the Persian subspecies and Far-Eastern subspecies (zoo animals) was lower (D = 0.108) than between representatives of the Persian subspecies from the captive and natural population (D = 0.220). On the basis of analysis of relatedness, performed using NTSYS and PHYLIP software packages, the possibility cannot be excluded that some P. p. orientalis animals from the zoo have a hybrid origin and may be assigned to another Far-Eastern subspecies.