编号 7 (2022)

15 июля 2022 г., непосредственно в день рождения Николая Константиновича Кольцова, в Государственном Дарвиновском музее состоялся круглый стол, посвященный 150-летию выдающегося генетика, цитолога, зоолога, основателя русской экспериментальной биологии.

N.K.Koltsov always reacted sharply to the surrounding reality and uncompromisingly defended his position both in science and in public life. The article is devoted to Koltsov’s social activities, his work on the science popularization and the foundation of scientific journals.

The article tells about the family ties of N.K.Koltsov with famous Russian merchant families, the Prokhorovs and the Alekseevs, as well as the Lepeshkins, Perlovs, and Mazurins.

The discovery of the DNA structure — the molecular matrix for genetic information — is one of the greatest in the last century. It gave hope to mankind that soon we would reveal the deepest secrets of development, understand the background of biological diversity, and find the way to overcome hereditary diseases. Indeed, many of these hopes met and even exceeded our expectations. However, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying the activity of the genetic apparatus led to recognition of the complexity and ambiguousness of the functioning of the DNA-RNA-protein chain. If we return to the works of our great compatriot Nikolai Konstantinovich Koltsov, we’ll find out that many of his predictions and doubts, expressed on the basis of careful observations and deep analyzes, have received factual confirmation nowadays. Our studies on the role of serotonin, a classical signal mediator (neurotransmitter) between the cells of the nervous system, have shown that the expression of the genetic developmental program can be altered by both external factors and the internal state of the maternal organism. Serotonylation — posttranslational protein modification — occurs in embryonic pluripotent cells and represents an epigenetic mechanism that allows modification of developmental and behavioral programs in genetically related individuals. Our results add another regulatory mechanism to the chain of events that runs from the moment of gene activation to the realization of its effect at the organism level. In addition to other epigenetic mechanisms, the non-canonical action of neurotransmitters may introduce phenotypic diversity into the principle of “matrix information transfer” postulated by N.K.Koltsov and ensure adaptation of the organism to environmental conditions.

Nikolai Konstantinovich Koltsov was an experimentalist, theorist, teacher, organizer of science, publisher of scientific literature, and popularizer of science who overcame national and political barriers. He created a strong and well-known Russian School of experimental physical and chemical biology. Koltsov discovered the internal cytoskeleton in animal cells. He owns the first hypothesis about the biological matrix of the hereditary apparatus, its copying and abrupt changes. He pioneered the concept of epigenetics. Under the communist regime, Koltsov remained a supporter of the freedom of scientific creativity. He stood for diplomacy and at the same time firmness in defending science from charlatans. The very existence of academicians N.K.Koltsov and N.I.Vavilov was an obstacle for development of Lysenkoism. What is more, both scientists paid for their viewpoints with their lives.

НИКОЛАЙ КОНСТАНТИНОВИЧ КОЛЬЦОВ. ОЧЕРКИ, СТАТЬИ, ПИСЬМА, ДОКУМЕНТЫ / Отв. ред. И.С.Захаров, сост. Е.Б.Астаурова. М.: Научный мир, 2021. 600 с. Т.В.Жуйкова. РАСТИТЕЛЬНЫЕ СИСТЕМЫ В УСЛОВИЯХ ТЕХНОГЕННОЙ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИИ СРЕДЫ. М.: Наука, 2022. 339 с. И.Р.Бёме. СИСТЕМАТИКА И РОДСТВЕННЫЕ СВЯЗИ ПТИЦ (НЕВОРОБЬИНЫЕ). Учебное пособие. М.: Товарищество научных изданий КМК, 2022. 317 с. Е.Ю.Исагулова. ОСОБЕННОСТИ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ КЛИНИЧЕСКОЙ ДИНАМИКИ, ДИАГНОСТИКИ И КОРРЕКЦИИ ПОГРАНИЧНОГО РАССТРОЙСТВА ЛИЧНОСТИ В ПОДРОСТКОВОМ ВОЗРАСТЕ. М.: Наука, 2022. 239 с.