The genus Alternaria is a widely distributed major plant pathogen that can act as a saprophyte in plant debris. Fungi of this genus frequently infect cereal crops and cause such diseases as black point and wheat leaf blight, which decrease the yield and quality of cereal products. A total of 25 Alternaria sp. isolates were collected from germ grains of various wheat cultivars from different geographic regions in Kazakhstan. We investigated the genetic relationships of the main Alternaria species related to black point disease of wheat in Kazakhstan, using the inter-primer binding site (iPBS) DNA profiling technique. We used 25 retrotransposon-based iPBS primers to identify the differences among and within Alternaria species populations, and analyzed the variation using clustering (UPGMA) and statistical approaches (AMOVA). Isolates of Alternaria species clustered into two main genetic groups, with species of A.alternata and A.tennuissima forming one cluster, and isolates of A. infectoria forming another. The genetic diversity found using retrotransposon profiles was strongly correlated with geographic data. Overall, the iPBS fingerprinting technique is highly informative and useful for the evaluation of genetic diversity and relationships of Alternaria species.

Оценка разнообразия растений и изменчивости транскрипционной активности с использованием молекулярных маркеров на основе ретротранспозонов

Endemic species are especially vulnerable to biodiversity loss caused by isolation or habitat specificity, small population size, and anthropogenic factors. Endemic species biodiversity analysis has a critically important global value for the development of conservation strategies. The rare onion Allium ledebourianum is a narrow-lined endemic species, with natural populations located in the extreme climatic conditions of the Kazakh Altai. A. ledebourianum populations are decreasing everywhere due to anthropogenic impact, and therefore, this species requires preservation and protection. Conservation of this rare species is associated with monitoring studies to investigate the genetic diversity of natural populations. Fundamental components of eukaryote genome include multiple classes of interspersed repeats. Various PCR-based DNA fingerprinting methods are used to detect chromosomal changes related to recombination processes of these interspersed elements. These methods are based on interspersed repeat sequences and are an effective approach for assessing the biological diversity of plants and their variability. We applied DNA profiling approaches based on conservative sequences of interspersed repeats to assess the genetic diversity of natural A. ledebourianum populations located in the territory of Kazakhstan Altai. The analysis of natural A. ledebourianum populations, carried out using the DNA profiling approach, allowed the effective differentiation of the populations and assessment of their genetic diversity. We used conservative sequences of tRNA primer binding sites (PBS) of the long-terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons as PCR primers. Amplification using the three most effective PBS primers generated 628 PCR amplicons, with an average of 209 amplicons. The average polymorphism level varied from 34% to 40% for all studied samples. Resolution analysis of the PBS primers showed all of them to have high or medium polymorphism levels, which varied from 0.763 to 0.965. Results of the molecular analysis of variance showed that the general biodiversity of A. ledebourianum populations is due to interpopulation (67%) and intrapopulation (33%) differences. The revealed genetic diversity was higher in the most distant population of A. ledebourianum LD64, located on the Sarymsakty ridge of Southern Altai. This is the first genetic diversity study of the endemic species A. ledebourianum using DNA profiling approaches. This work allowed us to collect new genetic data on the structure of A. ledebourianum populations in the Altai for subsequent development of preservation strategies to enhance the reproduction of this relict species. The results will be useful for the conservation and exploitation of this species, serving as the basis for further studies of its evolution and ecology.

Representatives of the Crassulaceae family’s genus Rhodiola are succulents, making them distinctive in a changing environment. One of the most significant tools for analyzing plant resources, including numerous genetic processes in wild populations, is the analysis of molecular genetic polymorphism. This work aimed to look at the polymorphisms of allelic variations of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and auxin response factor (ARF) gene families, as well as the genetic diversity of five Rhodiola species, using the retrotransposons-based fingerprinting approach. The multi-locus exon-primed intron-crossing (EPIC-PCR) profiling approach was used to examine allelic variations in the SOD and ARF gene families. We implemented the inter-primer binding site (iPBS) PCR amplification technique for genome profiling, which demonstrated a significant level of polymorphism in the Rhodiola samples studied. Natural populations of Rhodiola species have a great capacity for adaptation to unfavorable environmental influences. The genetic variety of wild populations of Rhodiola species leads to their improved tolerance of opposing environmental circumstances and species evolutionary divergence based on the diversity of reproductive systems.

To date, human actions have significantly changed 75% of the Earth's surface. This has resulted in an unprecedented increase in the rate of biodiversity loss in human history. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, over the past 500 years, as a result of direct or indirect influence of the anthropogenic factor, 774 animal species and 123 plant species have become extinct. To prevent further loss of biodiversity, in the context of the ongoing «crisis of biodiversity», all over the world, including Kazakhstan, there is a need for reliable conservation of the available genetic resources of plants and animals, primarily rare and endangered species. In this regard, specialized biobanks of organized collections of living biomaterials are successfully used worldwide for the conservation and restoration of populations of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. The article presents information about some of the largest biobanks and their importance in solving this global problem. The experience of scientific centers of Kazakhstan in the field of biobanking of biomaterials of wild flora and fauna, including rare and endangered species, is given, and the results of the National Center for Biotechnology in this area are summarized.

Paeonia anomala L. is a valuable and sought-after medicinal plant for treating therapeutic pathologies. The natural habitat of P. anomala in the Republic of Kazakhstan is located in the mountainous areas of the East Kazakhstan region. P. anomala is listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan as a rare species with limited distribution. In this regard, we studied a strategy for preserving the biological diversity of P. anomala wild population. In particular, the ecological, phytocenotic, and floristic characteristics of five P. anomala populations in East Kazakhstan were explored. The anatomical, morphological, and genetic variability of the species in various habitats was evaluated. Overall, the condition of the P. anomala population in the study region can be considered satisfactory. The floristic composition of P. anomala plant communities recorded 130 species belonging to 35 families and 101 genera. The northern slopes of mountains and shrub-grass communities with leached chernozem with high contents of N-NO₃ and P₂O₅ appeared to be optimal for P. anomala growth. Asteraceae (13%), Rosaceae (13%), Poaceae (10%), and Ranunculaceae (9%) are the major families of P. anomala flora and plant communities. The Eurasian (54%), Asian (24%), and Holarctic (15%) groups were recognized as dominant in the chronological spectrum. Amplification with iPBS primers resulted in the generation of 505 fragments, 257 of which were polymorphic. Our research results indicate that the genetic differentiation of the Kazakhstan populations is not quite as high and may indicate their long-term existence within one large population. A separate branch is formed by the P5 population, which is located separately from other populations, confirming its genetic isolation. The analysis of genetic diversity iPBS markers suggests the existence of a large, unified P. anomala population in Kazakhstan Altai.