Episodes of Rapid Recovery of the Functional Activity of the ras85D Gene in the Evolutionary History of Phylogenetically Distant Drosophila Species.

As assemblies of genomes of new species with varying degrees of relationship appear, it becomes obvious that structural rearrangements of the genome, such as inversions, translocations, and transposon movements, are an essential and often the main source of evolutionary variation. In this regard, the following questions arise. How conserved are the regulatory regions of genes? Do they have a common evolutionary origin? And how and at what rate is the functional activity of genes restored during structural changes in the promoter region? In this article, we analyze the evolutionary history of the formation of the regulatory region of the ras85D gene in different lineages of the genus Drosophila, as well as the participation of mobile elements in structural rearrangements and in the replacement of specific areas of the promoter region with those of independent evolutionary origin. In the process, we substantiate hypotheses about the selection of promoter elements from a number of frequently repeated motifs with different degrees of degeneracy in the ancestral sequence, as well as about the restoration of the minimum required set of regulatory sequences using a conversion mechanism or similar.

[Universal intracellular transducer RAS and its role in the development of Drosophila].

Ras genes were first identified in the 1960s as transforming oncogenes that caused tumors in rats infected with Harvey and Kirsten sarcoma viruses (Ha-ras and Ki-ras oncogenes, accordingly). Subsequently, transforming ras genes were found in human cancer cells. Further investigations of neuroblastoma cells resulted in the finding of the third ras gene in the human, which was called N-ras. Ras gene products play an important role in the processes of cellular proliferation and differentiation and are controlled by receptor tyrosine kinases. Using drosophila as a model object allowed us to perform a successful genetic analysis while studying the functions of ras genes. Three polytene chromosome bands were detected in D. melanogaster with the help of the v-Ha ras sampling. According to Bridges' map, all three bands (Dras1, Dras2, Dras3) were mapped to regions 85D, 64B, and 62B of chromosome 3. Among them, only Drasl has a common origin with ras genes of mammals. Although there are numerous investigations of the role played by ras genes in the de- velopment of insects, this problem is still not fully understood. The importance of ras gene variations in the course of the evolutionary process has been insufficiently studied as well. Currently, Ras target proteins are actively identified, their signal pathways, as well as effects of influencing these pathways in the drosophila tissues, are studied in the cells of yeast and mammals. The main functions of Ras protein is in the signaling pathways controlling mutations during drosophila's morphogenesis and the connections of ras gene with phenotypic symptoms of tumors.

[Localization of the Dras1 sequence to polytene chromosomes in sibling species of the Drosophila virilis group].

Drasl gene was mapped by in situ hybridization to polytene chromosomes of several sibling species of the Drosophila virilis group and hybrids between them. A 1037 bp fragment of the Drasl gene of the D. virilis genome was used as a probe. The gene sequence is localized to the region of the disk 25 A-B on the chromosome 2 of the polytene chromosome map of D. virilis.

[Nonuniformity in the evolutionary rate in the virilis: II. group of Drosophilas: application of the method of Tajima's test].

The steadiness of the molecular clock was estimated in 11 Drosophila species of the virilis group by sequences of five genes by applying Tajima's Simple Method. The main characteristic of this method is the independence of its phylogenetic constructions. The obtained results have completely confirmed the conclusions drawn relying on the application of the two-cluster test and the Takezaki branch-length test. In addition, the deviation of the molecular clock has found confirmation in D. virilis evolutionary lineages.

[Irregular evolutionary rate of the fruit fly from the Virilis group: I. Use of phylogeny-mediated Takezaki tests].

The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis about an inconsistency in time estimation of the divergence and topology of species Drosophila kanekoi, D. ezoana, and D. littoralis which is caused by the irregular accumulation rate of replacements in different DNA sequences used for analysis and in evolutionary lineages. The phylogenetic relationships based on sequences of five genes among 11 fruit fly species of virilis group are revised, and estimation of molecular clock regularity in several phylogenetic lineages of this group is given. It was shown that Drosophila kanekoi, D. ezoana, and D. littoralis assembled in a single cluster, which was most related to the subfilade montana. The irregularity of molecular clocks was shown for the high conservative sequences of mt 12S-16S.

[Evaluation of phylogenetic relationships in the genus Mus using t-specific microsatellite DNA markers].

The t-complex includes a complex system of genes localized in the proximal region of chromosome 17 of house mouse Mus musculus. The results of microsatellite analysis of laboratory stocks of house mice carrying t12, t(w5) t(w12), and t(w73) haplotypes and wild mice from natural populations of Russia (Volgograd, Rostov, Saratov oblasts, and Kalmykia), Armenia, Bulgaria, Iran, and Mongolia performed by the PCR method with the use of eight pairs of D17Mit primers (16, 21, 23, 28, 32, 57, 63, 78) are presented. These pairs of primers amplify microsatellite DNA sequences on mouse chromosome 17 in the region from 7.6 to 18.8 cM that correspond to inversions (In (17) 3, 4). Each pair of primers recognized three to six variants of nucleotide sequences ranging in size from 90--120 bp (D17Mit 16) to 300--330 bp (D17Mit 57). In most cases, two variants of nucleotide sequences were detected in each individual, i. e., most individuals were heterozygous for the microsatellite loci under study. The highest similarity of the spectra of microsatellite DNA fragments was revealed in laboratory stocks of house mice carrying the t(w5) and t(w73) haplotypes. The spectra of animals from the Rostov and Volgograd oblasts appeard to be most similar to them. The microsatellite spectra of individuals from Iran closely resemble the spectrum of an individual from Armenia. It was demonstrated that amplified microsatellite fragments localized in the region of the t-complex can be used to identify representatives of the Mus genus from wild populations.

[The relationships among the species of the Drosophila virilis group inferred from the gene Ras1 sequences].

Comparative analysis of a group of closely related Drosophila species (D. virilis, D. lummei, D. novamexicana, D. americana texana, D. flavomontana, D. montana, D. borealis, D. lacicola, D. littoralis, D. kanekoi, and D. ezoana) was conducted based on an incomplete sequence of gene Ras1. The pattern of the relationships among the species corresponded to that expected from analysis of morphological and cytogenetic characters. Statistical data favoring neutrality of the substitutions examined in the Ras1 gene are presented. This character of the gene Ras1 evolution confers more reliability to reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships among closely related species. The resultant tree for main phylads of the group is as follows: (D. virilis, D. lummei, D. montana, D. ezoana).

[T-specific D17Leh66 DNA elements in family Muridae].

Blot-hybridization analysis with the use of the t-specific probe D17Leh66 has been used to study DNA of various representatives of family Muridae. Hamsters from genus Phodopus have no homologs of this probe, whereas African rats from genus Lophuromys have some homologous elements. This indicates that sequence Dl7Leh66 is ancient and was probably present in the common ancestor of family Muridae.

[Polymorphism of t-specific DNA elements of the proximal part of chromosome 17 in mice of Mus genus]. / Polimorfizm t-spetsifichnykh DNK-élementov proksimal'noi chasti khromosomy 17 u myshei roda Mus.

To study structural organization and polymorphism of the proximal part of chromosome 17, a hybridization analysis of DNA from mice of different origin was carried out using four t-specific probes. Results of the analysis allow us to conclude that the DNA element copy number is quantitatively unstable and differs in distribution in both newly formed recombinant haplotypes and in wild-type chromosome 17. probe Tu66 was used to study D17Leh66-element organization of Mus abbotti and Mus hortulanus mice. Three types of D17Leh66-elements were identified in the genomes of these species. The copy number of each type of DNA element varied in the genome of each of four studied species. Homologs to t-specific Tu66 and Tu119 probes were found in the genome of Rattus norvegicus rat. The data obtained are discussed with respect to the evolution of the proximal part of Mus mouse chromosome 17.

[The bone marrow origin of the cells encapsulating a foreign body in the peritoneal cavity of xenogeneic radiation chimeras]. / Kostnomozgovoe proiskhozhdenie kletok, inkapsuliruiushchikh inorodnoe telo v peritoneal'noi polosti ksenogennykh radiatsionnykh khimer.

The origin and ultrastructure of the cells, encapsulating foreign body in peritoneal cavity of xenogeneic (rat in mouse) radiation chimeras was studied. The donor nature of the cells was identified by their karyotype and by DNA hybridization with rat ID-element. Cells with ultrastructural characteristics of fibroblasts encapsulating foreign body in the peritoneal cavity of the xenogeneic radiation chimeras were shown to originate from the transplanted (donor) bone marrow.