It have been studied the physiological and biochemical parameters of maize seedlings while stored the seeds previously subjected to short-term exposure to a radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) and RF plasma, under controlled optimal and unfavorable conditions. When seeds were stored under optimal conditions, the stimulation of growth and development of seedlings was observed in all variants with plasma and EMF seeds treatment. The proline content was the same as in the untreated seeds (optimal control) or decreased somewhat, and the overall activity of peroxidase increased. Accelerated aging of control seeds for 3 days (stress control) caused an increase in the electrical conductivity of their exudates and a slowdown in the growth of seedlings on the background of an increase in proline content and peroxidase activity. In the experimental group which seeds were treated with EMF, the investigated parameters remained the same as for the optimal control, although the peroxidase activity was higher than for the seedlings in the control both optimal and stress. Plants grown from plasma-treated seeds were characterized by growth retardation, high peroxidase activity and an increase in proline accumulation. As a result of accelerated aging for 7 days, germination of plasma treated seeds decreased almost 2-fold, and peroxidase activity in root cells was inhibited. The proline content in the EMF-treated samples increased by 51.8 %, and in plasma treated – by 3 times compared to the optimal control. Since the level of proline increases proportionally with the increase in the degree and duration of exposure to unfavorable storage conditions, it is assumed that the accumulation of proline in germinating plants is more indicative the impact of the effect of the damaging factor, rather than the manifestation of resistance to stressor. From the analysis of the effectiveness of various regimes of pre-sowing treatment of maize seeds, it was revealed that seeds treatment with high-frequency electromagnetic field for this culture can act as an inducer of increasing the resistance of the organism, ensuring preservation of the physiological quality of the seeds during storage and maintaining the growth rate of plants or their survival.

Ecological analysis was performed for localities of Belarusian rare and endangered plant species created in the Central Botanical Garden of NAS of Belarus. Artificial cenopopulations of Astrantia major L., Allium ursinum L., Lunaria rediviva L., Hedera helix L. were analyzed in ecological space of the Central Botanical Garden by estimating ecological valence, tolerance and biocompatibility. Comparison between ecological amplitudes and optimums of species studied allows environmental stress points to be identified towards their ecomorphs.

The article summarizes the experience of the introduction of Ginkgo biloba L., which testifies to the prospects of its cultivation on the territory of the republic. The species is characterized by a fairly high winter hardiness. An important indicator of adaptation is the entry into the fruiting stage, which allows to obtain plants of local reproduction. An estimate of the growth and development of 17 ornamental forms of ginkgo, attracted by seedlings from the nurseries of the Republic of Poland, showed that the plants successfully grow, while only a few cultivars grown under greenhouse show a slight (up to 10 %) shoots frost damage.

Valuable for breeding wild allotetraploid potato species S. stoloniferum can be only used as a female in crosses with cultivated potatoes. However, male sterility of potato varieties is associated with W/γ cytoplasm of the wild species that limits their use in breeding. The collection of 26 accessions of S. stoloniferum was studied to evaluate the cytoplasmic genetic diversity. It has been revealed that W/α, D/α, D/γ cytoplasms as well as rare type of cytoplasm that does not fit to existing nomenclature are present in genic pool of the species along with W/γ cytoplasm. It is believed that discovery of S. stoloniferum accessions with cytoplasm different from W/γ makes it possible to produce interspecific hybrids that can be used for breeding male fertile potato varieties.

The article presents results of a comparative study of the content of main groups of bioflavonoids and tannins in fruits of the wild form and 5 sorts of Actinidia arguta – Kievskaya krupnoplodnaya, Kievskaya hybridnaya, Lasunka, Purpurnaya sadovaya and Sentyabrskaya, as well as the wild form and 8 sorts of Actinidia kolomikta – Prevoskhodnaya, Aromatnaya, Dostoynaya, Odnodomnaya, Sentyabrskaya, VIR-1, Vafelnaya and Botanicheskaya. It has been shown that a characteristic feature of the bioflavonoid complex of fruits of both the species was absence of true anthocyanins in its composition with leucoanthocyanins dominating in Actinidia arguta and leucoanthocyanins and flavonols in Actinidia kolomikta. Selection improvements of both the species of Actinidia led to inhibition of bioflavonoid biosynthesis in fruits, especially fruits of Actinidia arguta. Minimal losses of the given compounds have been shown by sorts Kievskaya krupnoplodnaya, Kievskaya hybridnaya and Lasunka. Three sorts of Actinidia kolomikta – Dostoynaya, Odnodomnaya and Vafelnaya – were characterized by the highest content of P-vitamins in fruits which exceeds the figures for the natural form.

The allelic composition of the dwarfing genes Rht1, Rht2 and Rht8 was studied in 75 winter wheat varieties and lines which may be of interest for the selection process of wheat in Belarus. The effect of allelic forms of these genes on the plants height was confirmed, and their influence on thousand-kernel weight, spike length, number of spikelets per spike, grain mass per spike, grain mass per plant, number of grains per spike, and general and productive bushiness was assessed. The sources of the Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b and Rht8c alleles, which lead to a decrease in the plant height and can be used in the selection process of wheat, have been identified.

The results of the comparative analysis of the process of karyotype stabilization in amphihaploids from crossing diploid rye with common wheat (С29 × R) and with wheat-rye substituted line 1R(1А) (1R(1А) × R) are presented. It was shown, that in the progeny from crossing C29 × R the karyotype is rapidly stabilized at the octoploid level, and hybrids have the genomic structure of AABBDDRR already in F₃. In hybrid material from 1R(1A) × R crossing there is a tendency of R-chromosome elimination from the karyotype: 3R, 5R, 6R and 7R chromosomes were not detected in F₃, only 1R and 4R pairs remained in F₅. In this case, the 1R pair replaced the 1A pair, 4R pair exist as an additional one to the complete wheat chromosome set (AABBDD) in this homeological group in some part of plants and as 4R(4А)- or 4R(4B)- substitution in another part of plants. In general, the predominant tendency of karyotype stabilization in the material from crossing 1R (1A) × R is to return to the original wheat-rye substituted line. The obtained data testify to the significant influence of 1R (1A)-substitution on the process of amphihaploid ABDR stabilization and on the possibility of obtaining new types of wheat-rye hybrids in such crosses.

 

It has been revealed by means of RAPD-PCR analysis that some genotypes of segregating population of interspecific hybrids originated from wild allotetraploid potato species Solanum stoloniferum that had extreme resistance to potato virus Y (PVY) possessed specific fragment OPA18₆₀₀ which was absent in susceptible to PVY hybrids. The DNA sequence analysis of this fragment has shown its full identity to the nucleotide sequence of peroxidase V type gene of cultivated potatoes and high homology (more than 90 %) with genes of copper shaperon of different Solanum species. This indicates on functional similarity of studied sequence with genes of plant cell response on stresses caused by pathogen. The sequence is mapped to V chromosome. Taking into consideration the fact of segregation on OPA18₆₀₀ at monogenic inheritance of the character of PVY resistance and of its homology with peroxidase gene, it was supposed that this sequence is not a fragment of PVY resistance R-gene of NBS-LRR-type but is nearby located and cosegregated with such unknown R-gene. This founds the development of sequence-specific PCR-marker for identification of genotypes with PVY resistance among the interspecific hybrids originated from S. stoloniferum.

 

It have been considered Filipenduletum ulmariae (Shvergunova et al. 1984) and Filipenduletum denudatae ass. nova communities formed by phytocenotically replaceable species of Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim. and F. denudata (J. et C. Presl) Fritsch in Belarus. Both syntaxons are documented by a synoptic table (with the release of a block of ecological and other indicators of communities) and are characterized by certain floral composition, diagnostic species, synmorphology, horology and habitat conditions. The floral similarity index of associations Filipenduletum ulmariae and Filipenduletum denudatae equals to 0.66 and 0.75 respectively. The argument for the syntaxonomical distinction of communities is the presence of own groups of differential species (acidophils prevail in the first association, nitrophils – in the second one), differences in productivity (the yield of aboveground biomass of herbage of Filipenduletum denudatae community is twice or more higher than Filipenduletum ulmariae) and ecological regime of ecotope (Filipenduletum denudatae community is more synanthropic), horologycal features.

Risk assessment for alien fish of Belarus was determinated using FISK (Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit). According to the outcomes, species were classified under particular risk categories. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis identified threshold value of 12 to distinguish between invasive and non-invasive fish species, lower than those obtained in many other regions around the world. It was found that 9 from 18 alien species inhabits in the natural water bodies has a high risk on the aquatic ecosystems of Belarus. It is shown that non-native species intentionally introduced by man in the natural water bodies, has higher invasive potential than species invaded from the adjacent territories by natural spread. The highest scoring species were Amur sleeper, goldfish, common carp and brown bullhead. In addition, we validate inclusion in the high risk group such species as silver carp, bighead carp, grass carp and monkey goby, not included in this group in previous studies.

 

The data on species composition and abundance of ground beetles in the Oxalidosum oak-hornbeam (CarpinetoQuercetum oxalidosum), Oxalidosum hornbeam (Carpinetum oxalidosum) and Galeobdoloso-oxalidosum hornbeam (Carpinetum galeobdoloso-oxalidosum) forests in Belovezhskaya Pushcha is given. 115 specimens of ground beetles belonging to 23 species were collected by the quadrate method. Ground beetle communities in the deciduous forests in Belovezhskaya Pushcha are characterized by specificity of its composition and the ratio of the number of species. Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (dominant species in all forest types), Dyschirius globosus (dominant in Oxalidosum hornbeam forest), Notiophilus palustris and Pterostichus strenuus dominated. Amara communis and Amara brunnea were abundant in Galeobdoloso-oxalidosum hornbeam forest and Notiophilus biguttatus was abundant in Oxalidosum oak-hornbeam stand. The ground beetle community in the indigenous forest type (Oxalidosum oak-hornbeam stand) is characterized by depleted species composition.

The research of this kind will be in demand for a long time when monitoring natural complexes in connection with the poor study of populations of rare species in nature. The purpose of our study is to study the current state of the cenotic populations of the rare species Laser trilobum (L.) Borkh. (Apiaceae) in the Middle Volga basin. The species is included in the Red Data Book of the Samara Region and some other regions. It is confined to oak forests on limestone and marly soils. Some features of the biology and ecology of the species have been studied in other regions. The natural populations of the species are almost not investigated. We studied the structure of 22 cenopopulations of L. trilobum. In the course of the work, populationbased ontogenetic methods were used. The density of individuals is 5.3–26.1 copies per m2 . In the ontogenesis of L. trilobum, the regenerative, generative periods and eight ontogenetic states are distinguished. Senile individuals are not marked. Fluctuation dynamics of ontogenetic composition is characteristic for populations. The average ontogenetic spectrum for the investigated cenopopulations is a single-vertex left-handed with a predominance of virgin individuals. The estimation of populations was carried out by the criterion of “delta-omega” of L. A. Zhivotovsky (2001). Most of the cenopopulations are young, three are mature, one is transient. A significant number of young plants testify to the high capacity of L. trilobum populations to self-repair and maintain. Populations of the model species in the studied habitats are in a satisfactory state. An increase in the anthropogenic load negatively affects the structure and condition of the cenotic populations.

The article is devoted to the study of the vegetation cover of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus (within Azerbaijan territory). A study conducted in the region on the basis of satellite imagery space systems between 1976 and 2014. To clarify the influence of anthropogenic factors were noted about 10 sample areas in the territories of Ismayilli, Gusar and Guba regions. Since that time (almost 40 years), carried out regular monitoring by different forwarding grants. It has been set the dynamics of the reduction number of valuable species of trees and shrubs by carried monitoring results. However the range of the nature of the reduction in the number of tree species is different according to different areas. In this region there is Shahdag National Park, which is rich in biodiversity. However, this area stands out for its uniqueness by its naturally endemic Eldarica pine trees. Due to various environmental factors, some valuable species year in year out reduces their ranges and some are in danger zone of extinction. The investigated region has the most valuable forest ecosystems; there are numerous of rare trees and shrubs, conifers and broadleaf plants – Betula pendula Roth, Faqus orieantalis Lipsky, Tilia cordata Mill., Quercus robus L., from shrubs – Rubus seaius L., Crataegus pentaguna W. et L., Rosa cinnamomeae L., and other participants take extensive part – Caprinus caucasica, Acer lactum, Acer campetre, Ulmus suberosa, which are included in the number of rare trees. Here there are wild fruit species such as walnut, hazel, hawthorn, plum, sea buckthorn, forest pear, dogwood and many other useful plants. In connection with the above, it requires the creation of new government customers and expanded national parks in order to safe and protect the most valuable species that contribute to the conservation of biodiversity in the regions and will reduce the anthropogenic impacts on the natural environment.

The given review considers the two original technologies in the field of cell biology turning our views over the processes taking place during embryogenesis with proteins of which our organism is built. They appeared more recently, attracted the closest attention of the biologists and have served as a powerful impetus for development of new researches aimed at a targeted change in the structure and function of cell genetic apparatus. These technologies are directly tied to mesenchymal stem cells and pursue the solution of the tasks facing gene therapy of human hereditary diseases. The first one considers induced pluripotent stem cells, e.g. giving somatic cells the ability to turn into each specialized cells of organism. The second technology offers quite simple and feasible in conditions of biological laboratory approach of editing cell genome. It consists in carrying out at the level of genome genetic engineering manipulations terminating in the elimination of mutations from genes, defected genes or insertion into genome of new gene devoted of any errors.