Investigation of genetic polymorphism of Russian rape and turnip rape varieties using SSR and SRAP markers.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) and turnip rape (B. rapa L. subsp. campestris (L.)) are important agricultural plants widely used for food, fodder and technical purposes and as green manure. Over the past decades, a large number of perspective varieties that are being currently cultivated in every region of Russia have been developed. To increase the breeding eff iciency and facilitate the seed production, modern molecular-genetic techniques should be introduced as means to estimate species and varietal diversity. The objective of the presented research study was to investigate DNA polymorphism of the rapeseed and turnip rape varieties developed at Federal Williams Research Center of Forage Production and Agroecology and detect informative markers for varietal identif ication and genetic certif ication. To genotype 18 gDNA samples, 42 and 25 combinations of respective SSR and SRAP primers were used. The results obtained demonstrate that SRAP markers were more effective for polymorphism analysis: 36 % of the tested markers revealed genetic polymorphism compared with only 16.7 % of microsatellite loci. Molecular markers to detect differences at interspecif ic and intervarietal levels have also been found. For the investigated set, such microsatellite loci as Na12A02, Ni2C12, Ni02-D08a, Ra02-E01, Ni03H07а and SRAP-marker combinations as F13-R9, Me4- R7, F11-Em2, F10-R7, F9-Em2 and F9-R8 proved to be informative. Application of the two marker techniques made it possible to detect a higher level of DNA polymorphism in plants of different types (spring and winter varieties) if compared against the intervarietal differences within a species or a group. According to Nei's genetic diversity index, in the cluster of winter rapeseed, VIK 2 and Gorizont varieties had the longest genetic distance, and in the spring cluster, these were Novosel and Veles. A high level of similarity was found between Vikros and Bizon winter rapeseed varieties. The results obtained have a high practical value for varietal specif ication of seed material and genetic certif ication of rapeseed and turnip rape varieties.

[The effect of different Yersinia pestis antigens on the cellular link in immunity]. / Izuchenie vliianiia razlichnykh antigenov Yersinia pestis na kletochnoe zveno immuniteta.

Immunization with live plague vaccine has been shown to give no protection to thymectomized mice from subcutaneous challenge with Y. pestis virulent strain. Under the action of the vaccine or individual Y. pestis antigens (fraction I) the functional and morphological activation of thymocytes and macrophages is observed, more pronounced in C57BL/6 mice and less pronounced in CBA mice. Y. pestis antigenic preparations (fractions I and II, pesticin) act as T-cell mitogens and are thus capable of inducing the in vitro proliferation of thymocytes. At the same time the in vivo action of fraction II induces a decrease in the level of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of mice and the destruction of lymphocytes in their thymus and spleen.

[Use of gnotobiotic animals for the study of the pathogenesis of cholera intoxication]. / Ispol'zovanie gnotobioticheskikh zhivotnykh dlia izucheniia patogeneza kholernoi intoksikatsii.

Germ-free suckling rabbits and minipigs can be recommended as models suitable for the study of different aspects of the pathogenesis of cholera intoxication. In minipigs, individual representatives of intestinal autochthonous microflora produce different effect on the sensitivity of the animals to the toxigenic and choleragenic action of Vibrio cholerae antigen introduced by oral administration, that should also be taken into consideration in the determination of residual toxicity during the trial of new vaccine preparations against cholera.

[Morphological study of the damaging effect of an EB vaccine strain of the plague microbe in inbred mice]. / Morfologicheskoe izuchenie povrezhdaiushchego deistviia vaktsinnogo shtamma EB chumnogo mikroba u inbrednykh myshei.

The data obtained during the study of the morphological changes in the internal organs and blood of 6 mouse strains at the early stages of anti-plague immunity are presented. It has been established that the introduction of 5.10(3) and 1.10(5) m. b. of the EV vaccine strain resulted in the development of morphological changes typical of residual virulence. The degree of these changes depended on the haplotype of the animals and the dose used. The most resistant to injury induced by EV strain were CBA mice (haplotype H-2k) and the most sensitive were C57BL/6 mice (haplotype H-2b).

[Determination of the ecological niche of Bacteroides in the gastrointestinal tract--a study of a model of sterile intestines in germ-free animals]. / Ustanovlenie ékologicheskoi nishi bakterioidov v zheludochnokishechnomtrakte--izuchenie na modeli steril'nogo kishechnika bezmikrobnykh zhivotnykh.

The interrelations of the population of microorganisms belonging to the genus Bacteroides with the structures of the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract of germ-free guinea pigs and mini-pigs have been studied. A considerable part of the population of these anaerobic microorganisms is associated in some way with the intestinal mucosa; at least, quite a number of these organisms inhabit mucins covering the mucosa. The determination of this ecological niche occupied by bacteroids in the intestinal microbiocenosis suggests that these organisms have considerable influence on the physiological functions and pathological states of the digestive tract.

[Obtaining and rearing germ-free miniature piglets for biomedical research]. / Opyt polucheniia i vyrashchivaniia bezmikrobnykh miniatiurnykh porosiat dlia mediko-biologicheskikh issledovanii.

The method of obtaining and rearing germfree miniature piglets for medical-biological research is described. The gnotobiotes were reared in rigid organic glass isolation cells up to 3 months. Milk diets supplemented with minerals and vitamins were used for nutrition. The gnotobiotes gained weight well during the whole observation period.