Apples are one of the most valued tree fruit crops around the world. Currently, a few highly popular and economically successful apple cultivars dominate the commercial production and serve as main genetic contributors to the development of new apple cultivars. This limited level of genetic diversity, grown as a clonally propagated monoculture renders the apple industry vulnerable to the wide range of weather events, pests, and pathogens. Wild apple species are an excellent source of beneficial alleles for the wide range of biotic and abiotic stressors challenging apple production. However, the biological barriers of breeding with small-fruited wild apples greatly limit their use. Using a closely related wild species of apple such as Malus sieversii can improve the efficiency of breeding efforts and broaden the base of available genetics. M. sieversii is the main progenitor of the domesticated apple, native to Central Asia. The similarity of fruit morphology to domesticated apples and resistances to abiotic and biotic stresses makes it appealing for apple breeding programs. However, this important species is under threat of extinction in its native range. Preserving the wild apple forests in Central Asia is vital for ensuring the sustainable protection of this important genetic resource. The insufficient awareness about the complete range of challenges and opportunities associated with M. sieversii hinders the maximization of its potential benefits. This review aims to provide comprehensive information on the cultural and historical context of M. sieversii, current genetic knowledge for breeding, and the conservation challenges of wild apple forests.

Horses are traditionally used in Kazakhstan as a source of food and as working and saddle animals as well. Here, for the first time, microarray-based medium-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of six traditionally defined types and breeds of indigenous Kazakh horses was conducted to reveal their genetic structure and find markers associated with animal size and weight. The results showed that the predefined separation between breeds and sampled populations was not supported by the molecular data. The lack of genetic variation between breeds and populations was revealed by the principal component analysis, ADMIXTURE, and distance-based analyses, as well as the general population parameters expected and observed heterozygosity (H_e and H_o) and between-group fixation index (F_st). The analysis revealed that the studied types and breeds should be considered as a single breed, namely the 'Kazakh horse'. The comparison with previously published data on global horse breed diversity revealed the relatively high level of individual diversity of Kazakh horses in comparison with the well-known foreign breeds. The Mongolian and Tuva breeds were identified as the closest horse landraces, demonstrating similar patterns of internal variability. The genome-wide association analysis was performed for animal size and weight as the traits directly related with the meat productivity of horses. The analysis identified a set of 60 SNPs linked with horse genes involved in the regulation of processes of development of connective tissues and the bone system, neural system, immune system regulation, and other processes. The present study is novel and introduces Kazakh horses as a promising genetic source for horse breeding and selection both on the domestic and international levels.

Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) is an economically significant pathogen of raspberry and grapevine, and it has also been found in cherry. Most of the currently available RBDV sequences are from European raspberry isolates. This study aimed to sequence genomic RNA2 of both cultivated and wild raspberry in Kazakhstan and compare them to investigate their genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships, as well as to predict their protein structure. Phylogenetic and population diversity analyses were performed on all available RBDV RNA2, MP and CP sequences. Nine of the isolates investigated in this study formed a new, well-supported clade, while the wild isolates clustered with the European isolates. Predicted protein structure analysis revealed two regions that differed between α- and β-structures among the isolates. For the first time, the genetic composition of Kazakhstani raspberry viruses has been characterized.

The review is dedicated to one of the molecular factors of skin aging essential for cosmetic medicine for the elderly. Cell renewal processes slow down with aging, and the proliferation–apoptosis equilibrium shifts towards cell death. One of the pivotal apoptotic markers is transcription factor p53. Its expression in skin keratinocytes increases under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Mutant forms of p53 have been revealed in 70% of keratinocytes of skin exposed to ultraviolet radiation. On the one hand, suppression of p53 expression decreases apoptosis in skin cells, thereby decelerating senescence. On the other hand, it promotes the development of neoplasms in the skin. Thus, support of the physiological balance of p53 expression in skin cells is important for theoretical and practical gerontocosmetology. In addition, p53 can be used as a marker for skin cell functionality in response to anti-aging cosmetic products and to instrumental cosmetology.

Clonal rootstocks of apple trees are one of the main components of intensive horticulture, and they play an important role in regulating tree growth, yield, fruit quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. In the two-year monitoring survey reported here, eleven rootstocks mainly used for cultivar grafting in Kazakhstan were assessed for fire blight resistance, taking genetic background into consideration. The loci FB_F7 on LG7 and FB_MR5 and RLP1 on LG3 were analyzed on the basis of SCAR and SNP markers. The rootstocks ‘Geneva 41’, ‘62-396’, and ‘Geneva16’, bearing resistant alleles for five markers (AH0JFXM, AH21B92, AH4AAGA, AH5I8MI, and AH6R6SQ), four markers (AH0JFXM, AH21B92, AH4AAGA, and AH5I8MI), and one (AH4AAGA) SNP marker, respectively, were not infected during the monitoring period despite weather conditions in 2022 being favorable for the development and spread of Erwinia amylovora. No connection was identified between the presence of a resistant allele for the AE10-375 marker and fire blight resistance responses. This is the first study to evaluate the fire blight resistance of foreign and local rootstocks grown in the Kazakhstan southern region.