Molecular-genetic analysis is widely used in various fields of science. In particular, molecular ecology for environmental assessment is the basis of the modern methodological base. Different species and populations contain a large pool of genetic variability, which plays a major role in the adaptation of species to various environmental conditions. A significant part of this variability does not have a clear phenotypic expression, which greatly complicates the study of the huge genetic potential of genera, species, and populations. More convenient markers for studying these issues are seed proteins and DNA, which are characterized by significant intraspecific polymorphism and independence from the external conditions of plant development; the most suitable methods are the electrophoresis of seed storage proteins and all methods for the PCR amplification of genomic DNA. This review shows the role of molecular-genetic methods in solving traditional environmental issues related to taxonomy, phylogeny, evolution, the study of genetic variability, and the identification of inbreeding depression in natural and artificially created populations of endemic, rare, and endangered species, as well as in their certification (by barcoding) and creating DNA genebanks.

The relationship between the morphological variability of the productivity characteristics and the genetic variability of the electrophoretic spectra of seed polypeptides in the valuable medicinal species Hedysarum theinum Krasnob was established based on analyzing six cenopopulations. The protocols for the microclonal propagation of advanced samples were developed. The most efficient multiplication was achieved in an MS medium supplemented with 5 μM BAP, 200 mg/L⁻¹ glutathione, and 200 mg/L⁻¹ casein hydrolyzate. The shoots were successfully rooted on the half-strength MS basal medium supplemented with 7 μM NAA.

Here we provide a scientific justification and experimental support for the choice of easily renewable cellulosic feedstock Miscanthus sacchariflorus (Maxim.) Hack. in order to obtain high-quality nutrient broths therefrom for bacterial cellulose biosynthesis. The plant life-forms promising for breeding were screened under introduction conditions at the Central Siberian Botanical Garden, SB RAS, and this study was thus aimed at investigating the full and reduced ontogenetic patterns; cellulose and noncellulosic contents, including lignin; and duraminization of vegetative (feedstock source) organs throughout the seasonal development. The full ontogenetic patterns of the plants grown from seeds that had been collected in native habitats were compared to show that M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis Anderss. accessions are distinguished by longer being at the most vulnerable developmental stages: seedlings and plantlets. Hence, it is preferable to cultivate seedlings on protected ground, and plantations are advisable to establish with more stable cloned vegetative material. The chemical compositions of the whole plant, leaf and stem separately, from seven M. sacchariflorus harvests were examined to reveal a rise in cellulose content and a drop in noncellulosic content with plantation age. The Miscanthus stem was found to contain more cellulose than the leaf, regardless of the plant age. The overall cellulose content was 48−53 %, providing a rationale for studies of bacterial cellulose biosynthesis in a M. sacchariflorusderived nutrient medium. Since high lignin content is undesirable for technological processes concerned with biosynthesis of bacterial cellulose, we performed histochemical assays of transverse sections of the culms to monitor the seasonal course of lignification. Our results suggest that the specific time limits for harvesting the aboveground biomass as a feedstock be validated by histochemical data on the seasonal course of lignification of M. sacchariflorus sprouts. To sum up, the examined chemical composition of M. sacchariflorus grown in the Siberian climate conditions demonstrated its prospects as a source of glucose substrate, the basic component of good-quality nutrient media for biosynthesis of bacterial cellulose.

The anatomical features of the structure of the leaf blade were used to trace the adaptation of species of the Hedysarum L. section Gamotion Basin. to different growing conditions in South Siberia. On the example of H. consanguineum DC. and H. theinum Krasnob. it was revealed that in high gradient habitats heliomorphic features were enlarged: size of plants and leaves was reduced; the thickness of the lamina, ply palisade mesophyll, height of palisade and epidermal cells, number of stomata and total idioblast were increased. It was revealed that the anatomical structure of the leaf species of the Gamotion section occupying different ecological niches in the mountains and intermountain basins of southern Siberia had undergone similar changes in the process of adaptation to modern conditions of growth. The plants of H. neglectum Ledeb. from the forest belt and of H. alpinum L. from the foothill plains in drier habitats had the same changes as the Alpine species in the high-altitude gradient of habitats. The increase in the thickness and volume of the leaf blade, the total volume of idioblasts, the number of rows and height of palisade cells in the structure of the leaf in species of the Hedysarum section Gamotion can be considered as important biologicaladaptations to extreme conditions of growth in South Siberia. По анатомическим особенностям строения листовой пластинки прослежена адаптация видов секции Gamotion Basin. рода Hedysarum L. к различным условиям произрастания в Южной Сибири. На примере H. consanguineum DC. и H. theinum Krasnob. показано, что в высотном градиенте местообитаний гелиоморфные черты нарастают: уменьшаются размеры растений и листа, увеличиваются толщина листовой пластинки, слойность палисадного мезофилла, высота палисадных и эпидермальных клеток, число устьиц и общий объем идиобластов. Выявлено, что анатомическое строение листа видов секции Gamotion, занимающих разные экологические ниши в горах и межгорных котловинах Южной Сибири, претерпевало сходные изменения в процессе приспособления к современным условиям произрастания. Растения лесного пояса H. neglectum Ledeb. и предгорно-равнинного H. alpinum L. в более сухих местообитаниях несут такие же изменения, как и высокогорные виды в высотном градиенте местообитаний. Увеличение толщины и объема листовой пластинки, общего объема идиобластов, числа рядов и высоты палисадных клеток в строении листа у видовсекции Gamotion рода Hedysarum рассматриваются как важные биологические приспособления к экстремальным условиям произрастания Южной Сибири.

The generic complex Miscanthus Anderss. (Poaceae) is a unique example among herbaceous plants characterized by high values of growth of aboveground vegetative mass and practical use as a valuable source of alternative energy. Miscanthus is one of the most efficient solar energy accumulators, and since phytomeliorative use implies the cultivation of these resource plants in inconvenient and semi-shady areas, the question about the effect of insufficient lighting on the productivity of Miscanthus arises. As a result of a long-lasing introduction effort, the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS created a population of Miscanthus sacchariflorus (Maxim.) Benth., which has good prospects for growing under the conditions of the forest-steppe area in Western Siberia. The goals of our study were: (1) to determine the peculiarities of shoot formation, (2) to assess the cellulose and lignin accumulation in M. sacchariflorus populations under different lighting conditions and (3) to perform a DNA passportization of the Miscanthus population by ISSR marking. Evaluation of shoot formation and the amount of accumulated cellulose and lignin in plants was carried out under different degrees of illumination: one variant was grown in a sunny area, and the other, in partial shade. As a result of analysis of variance, it was found that the number of shoots does not depend on environmental conditions, but on the age of the plant, while environmental conditions have a significant effect on plant height. Although the samples of both M. sacchariflorus variants were characterized by different rates of creation of a continuous projective cover, plants in semi-shaded areas formed up to 89.34 % of shoots compared to their peers in illuminated areas, which did not affect significantly the size of the aboveground mass and the cellulose content in it. As a result of ISSR-analysis of genomic DNA in the M. sacchariflorus population, unique molecular polymorphic fragments were identified, which can be used for identification and DNA passportization at the inter-population level. Thus, the complex use of M. sacchariflorus as a valuable meliorative and bioenergetic culture is due to the high adaptive potential of this species. It was found that the illumination factor has virtually no effect on the amount of the cellulose content in the shoot, and a reduced content of the technologically undesirable lignin was observed in plants growing in the partial shade conditions.