Far Eastern Mullet Mugil soiuy Basilewsky (Mugilidae,Mugiliformes): The Genetic Structure of Populations and Its Change under Acclimatization

The introduction of Far Eastern mullet (pilengas) in the Azov Sea in the 1970s–1980s has resulted in the formation of a self-reproducing commercial population. We have carried out a comparative population-genetic analysis of the mullet from the native (Primorye, the Sea of Japan basin) and the new (The Azov Sea basin) ranges. Genetic characteristics of three Primorye and three Azov local samples were studied using electrophoretic analysis of 15 enzymes encoded by 21 gene loci. In the Azov mullet, the initial heterozygosity characteristic of the donor population was preserved while the genotype and the allele compositions changed; the changes included a 1.9-fold reduction in the percentage of polymorphic loci and 1.5-fold reduction in the mean number of alleles per locus. The genetic differences between the Azov and the Primorye sample groups were highly significant. In the native range, no genetic differentiation among the mullet samples from different areas was found (G _st = 0.42%), whereas in the Azov Sea basin, the samples from spatially isolated populations (ecological groups) exhibited genetic differences (G _st = 1.38%). The genetic divergence of the subpopulations and the excess of heterozygotes at some loci in the Azov mullet suggest selection processes that formed genetically divergent groups associated with the areas of different salinity in the new range. The salinity level is assumed to be the most probable factor of local differentiating selection during fast adaptation and naturalization of the introduced mullet.     

Terpene ligands as the basis of catalytic systems for the asymmetric oxidation of phenylphenacyl sulfide

Terpene ligands (1S,2S,5S)-3-[{2-[(2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino]ethyl}imino]-2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1.]heptane-2-ol and 3-({2-[(2-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1.]hept-3-ilidene)amino]ethyl}imino)-2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1.]heptane-2-ol have been synthesized for the first time. The efficiency of complexes based on terpene and salen ligands in asymmetric sulfoxidation has been compared. Catalytic systems based on terpene ligands have been used for the first time in the asymmetric oxidation of phenylphenacyl sulfide with the formation of sulfoxide with an enantiomeric excess of 47%.     

Intensity-time dependence dosing criterion in the EMF exposure guidelines in Russia

Major approaches of the Russian Federation in setting of exposure guidelines to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in occupational and public environments are discussed in this paper.

EMF exposure guidelines in Russia are based on the results of hygienic, clinical, physiological, epidemiological and experimental studies and are frequency-dependent. The concept of a threshold principle of occupational and environmental factors due to hazardous exposure effects has been used to set permissible exposure levels of different EMF frequency ranges. The data of experimental studies showed hazardous threshold levels of EMF effects. The main criteria of EMF hazardous exposure evaluated in the experimental study concerned both estimation of threshold levels of chronic (long-term) and acute exposure. Also, this paper contains some recent experimental study data on correlation of long-term radiofrequency and power-frequency EMF exposure effects with regard to time duration, the so-called time-dependence approach. It enables identification of the value of permissible EMF exposure levels depending on exposure duration. This approach is used in occupational exposure guideline setting and requires the introduction of “power exposition” (PE) and “maximal permissible level” (MPL). In general, EMF exposure guidelines are established with regard to possible duration of exposure per day.     

Replication slippage may cause parallel evolution in the secondary structures of mitochondrial transfer RNAs

Presence of the dihydrouridine (D) stem in the mitochondrial cysteine tRNA is unusually variable among lepidosaurian reptiles. Phylogenetic and comparative analyses of cysteine tRNA gene sequences identify eight parallel losses of the D-stem, resulting in D-arm replacement loops. Sampling within the monophyletic Acrodonta provides no evidence for reversal. Slipped-strand mispairing of noncontiguous repeated sequences during replication or direct replication slippage can explain repeats observed within cysteine tRNAs that contain a D-arm replacement loop. These two mechanisms involving replication slippage can account for the loss of the cysteine tRNA D-stem in several lepidosaurian lineages, and may represent general mechanisms by which the secondary structures of mitochondrial tRNAs are altered.      

Preliminary data on the variability of three microsatellite loci in Pacific <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gadus macrocephalus</Emphasis> and Atlantic <Emphasis Type="Italic">G. morhua</Emphasis> cod (Gadidae)

Variability of microsatellite DNA loci Gmo3, Gmo34, and Gmo35 is studied in samples of Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus and Atlantic cod G. morhua. The results show high values of identity of the samples within the North Pacific basin (0.9766–0.9924) and within the Northeast Atlantic basin (0.9580). Based on the pairwise assessment of genetic differentiation, the F _ST values are significantly different in all variants between the samples of Pacific and Atlantic cod (F _ST = 0.5235–0.6719, p < 0.001). Within the basins, the significant differences in the frequencies of main alleles are revealed in the loci Gmo3 and Gmo34 for the samples from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, respectively.     

Microsatellite variability in chum salmon of Primorye

In this study, 12 samples of chum salmon from the southern and central parts of Primorye were studied with ten microsatellite loci. All studied localities of chum salmon of Primorye formed three main genetically different groups: (1) the Narva–Barabashevka–Ryazanovka cluster of southern Primorye, (2) Kievka River, and (3) Avvakumovka River. The revealed genetic heterogeneity of chum salmon showed clear population structure in accordance with the geographical location of the samples. The study suggests that, for the purposes of artificial reproduction of chum salmon, it is desirable to perform egg planting with regard to the described population structure of chum salmon of Primorye.     

Extension of a set of microsatellite markers for more precise identification of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta Walbaum)

A set often microsatellite loci enabling fairly accurate identification of the chum salmon individuals from geographically distant groups was designed at the Laboratory of Genetic Identification, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences. However, identification of the individuals from closely located basins performed using these loci was not sufficiently precise. The present study was focused on the improvement of the resolution of the method through increasing the number microsatellite loci used. In this study, typing of additional microsatellite loci of chum salmon and evaluation of the change of the degree of identification with the increase of the number ofmicrosatellite loci used is described. It was shown that the identification accuracy permanently increased with the increase of the number of microsatellite markers used.     

Data on variation of microsatellite loci in Kildin cod <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gadus morhua kildinensis</Emphasis> (Gadidae)

Variation of microsatellite loci Gmo8, Gmo-G12, Gmo-G18, Gmo19, PGmo32, Gmo34, and Gmo35 is investigated in Kildin cod Gadus morhua kildinensis. The investigated loci are characterized by a low level of variation: five loci are represented by two-allele systems and three loci are monomorphic. Mean value of heterozygosity calculated by all investigated loci is lower in Kildin cod than in Atlantic Gadus morhua—0.2854 vs. 0.5667.