Vol 9, No 2 (2011)

The genetic diversity and phylogeny of rhizobia isolated from nodules of 9 wild-growing Lathyrus L. species (Fabaceae) growing in Republic Bashkortostan were studied. It is shown that for the given plants is characteristic that the big variety of heterogeneous strains of root nodule bacteria. Nevertheless, it is revealed that the majority of them in phylogenetics are closely related to Rhizobium leguminosarum. However, some plant species are found out also nodule bacteria which were considered earlier unusual for Lathyrus. So, L. vernus L. Bernh. and L. sylvestris L. are found out a root nodule bacteria close to R. tropici, L. palustris L. — Agrobacterium sp., and L. gmelinii Fritsch all isolated with us bacteria from root nodules by the sequence of genes of 16S рРНК have appeared are closely related to Phyllobacterium myrsinacearum. 

For the first time the sequences of b/c intron of mitochondrial gene Nad1 have been determined in representatives of 13 Vicia species. It is shown that the sequences of the intron of the gene in these species is highly conservative. In total 23 variable sites and 11 indels have been determined with the intron length 1421–1447 b. p. On the basis of the results of pre-m-RNA intron folding the main elements of its secondary structure have been determined as well as the sites of interdomain interactions. The peculiarities of primary and secondary structure of intron Nad1 in Vicia have been characterized. 

Disbalance of kynurenines produced by Drosophila mutations of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism influences the locomotor behavior in larvae. The most pronounced is the effect of accumulation of kynurenic acid in the mutant cinnabar manifested as sharp reduction of general level of locomotor activity. The mutations seem to act through modulatory influences of kynurenines on signal cascades governed by ionotropic glutamatergic and cholinergic receptors. Expression of receptor genes in the mutants shows age-related changes pointing to gradual evolvement of consequences of kynurenines disbalance.

The prevalence of APOE gene ε4/ε4 genotype in the populations with various level of “westernization” is under the consideration. It is proposed that the populations with a high frequency of *ε4 undergoing “modernization transition” are in the most vulnerable state. These are the Eastern Finns and especially indigenous people of the North, who have a higher level of diseases of circulatory system than megacity residents. 

The populations of resident bacterial species of the swimming pool community such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus sp., Acinetobacter lwoffii and Pseudomonas alcaligenes were analyzed. All these species showed stable in time heterogeneity by spontaneous mutation frequency and biofilm forming ability. There was notably high occurrence of mutators in all investigated populations. Our results show high level of genetic plasticity and adaptivity under conditions of starvation and exposure to biocides.