Home – Home – Jornals – Contemporary Problems of Ecology 2003 number 1

The diversity of quality and the multilevel character of manifestation of biodiversity determine the necessity of using versatile approaches and methods to its study.  According to modern notions, the diversity of organisms is subdivided into taxonomic or phyletic (with respect to kinship) and typologic (with respect to categories of characters not associated with kinship) one.  Experimental methods can be used at those levels which deal with levels that are basic units of biodiversity, as well as with populations and individuals. The authors of publications presented in the present issue of the journal, while solving the problems of investigation and conservation of biological diversity, have used versatile approaches and methods

A comparative study of electrophoretic spectra of reserve globulins of seeds representing samples from 5 natural populations of Medicago falcata L. collected in the Novosibirsk Region and from 13 populations of Hedysarum theinum Krasnob. Growing in various ecogeographical zones has been carried out.
As a result of analysis of electrophoretric spectra of seeds in M. falcata populations, a similarity was found in the distribution of protein components, while in H. theinum populations a high degree of polymorphism with respect to reserve globulins of seedswas revealed.
The possibility of identification of species M. falcata and H. theinum characterized by prevalence of cross-pollination by polypeptide spectra of seeds was demonstrated, which is very important for specification of species belonging, especially for closely related species that are hard to identify by morphological characters.

Intraspecific variability of the perennial StH-genomic wild grass Elymus caninus (L.) L. were studied. Data on the variation of some morphological characters, endosperm protein and histon H1 have been obtained in accessions from different places of the area. The method of electrophoresis revealed a significant polymorphism on endosperm proteins and less one on histon H1. Homogeneity on endosperm proteins was found only in 1 from 7 studied Siberian populations. In most cases protein spectra were identical in sister-grains. This is an indication of the high level homozygous as resulted of a self-pollination.

Information is provided about trypsin inhibitors activity (TIA) in the leaves of five Hedysarum gmelinii Ledeb. populations growing in the Mountainous Altai. It was found that the populations were characterized by a certain value of TIA; the populations with the highest and the lowest value of this characteristic differed by ten times. Besides, these populations differed positively from each other and from other populations in the dimension of their leaves, number of leaves and potential seed productivity. Interdependence is discovered between the value of TIA and some morphological characteristics.

The status of the taxa Elymus dahuricus Turcz. ex Griseb.,E. excelsus Turcz. ex Griseb., E. woroschilowii Probat. and E. tangutorum (Nevski) Hand.-Mazz. in the StHY-genomic complex of E. dahuricus, has been investigated using morphological, biochemical (SDS-PAGE of endosperm proteins) and molecular (AFLP) variation characteristics. The materials include populations and separate accessions from Siberia, Far East (Russia), Tien-Shan (Kirghizstan), Tibetan and Sichuan Provinces (China). Variation of morphological characteristics and endosperm proteins patterns have been found in all populations of the complex. The same components of electrophoretic spectra were revealed for accessions of different taxonomic species. That is probably an evidence of the population variability with respect to species diagnostic characters. Differences in the variation obtained by means of DNA-AFLPs were revealed between studied biotypes. On the whole, genetic variability of investigated characters does not reflect the taxonomic status of studied species. The E. dahuricus complex seems to be a species having a wide geographical range with a wide morphological and biochemical variation. The different species need probably be relegated to infraspecific rank.

Results of studies of the ascorbic acid content of leaves of Polemonium coeruleum L. in 13 natural and 13 cultivated cenopopulations are presented. The ascorbic acid content of plants from the majority of natural cenopopulations (76.2 to 221 mg%) is lower than in the plants of cultivated cenopopulations (143.2 to 228) mg%. The average interpopulation ascorbic acid content in nature is (148&plusmin;13) mg%, and in culture

Distribution of 20-hydroxyecdysone within Serratula coronata L. plants was studied at different growth stages. High levels of 20-hydroxyecdysone were detected in young actively functioning plant parts. It was shown on the example of Serratula coronata and Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin that the ecdysteroid distribution pattern depended on bio-morphological peculiarities of plant species. The significance of ecdysteroid distribution pattern within plants for studding of biochemical aspect of plant-insect interaction was shown.

The time course of the sum of water-soluble polysaccharides and galactomannanes in the seeds of various years of collection from some representatives of tribes Galegae (Bronn) Torr. Et Gray and Trifoliae (Bronn) Benth. Of Fabaceae family has been studied by standard methods. In long stored seeds of the Fabaceae studied, the content of the mantioned substances is rather stable.

Mannose-containing reserve polysaccharides galactomannanes in seeds of eight species of Trifolium L. (Fabaceae) have been studied. The content of water-soluble polysaccharides and galactomannanes, and one of basic phytochemical characteristics

The ontogenetic variations of flavonoid (flavonol) content in Artemisia dracunculus L. were investigated. The peak of flavonoid content in the introduced Novosibirsk and the wild Berdsk populations was noted during flower budding and fruiting phases. A gradual replacement of methyl flavonols by common flavonols

The analysis of biochemical characters in Pentaphylloides fruticosa (L.) O.Schwarz (bush cinquefoil, fam. Rosaceae) introduced in the forest-steppe zone of West Siberia shows that the plants of various ecotypes grown in identical conditions have a considerable intra- and interpopulation variability. The obtained results show that the plants of different ecotypes have a high level of variability in biochemical characters

The composition and contents of flavonoids in the leaves of species of the genus Myosotis L., sections Sylvaticae, Alpestres and Myosotis from various growing places have been studied. The flavonoid profiles of the species studied by us are characterized by a considerable similarity. Irrespective of the collection site, in all the species of the section Sylvaticae three common components are present. In species of the sections Alpestrers and Myosotis,there are four common components. In all the specimens studied, irrespective of the species, the dominant flavonoid component is F3. Flavonoid content of species M. krylovii and M. imitata from various regions are characterized by a very high variability.

The study of the phenolic compounds contents in underground and aboveground organs of lady

The chemical composition of fruits of 33 zoned and prospective varieties and hybrids of Hippophae rhamnoides L. in conditions of Novosibirsk region forest-steppe zone were investigated. The mass of fruits, dry soluble matter, soluble sugars content, organic acids, sugar-acid index, ascorbic acid, oils and carotenoids were studied. The values of coefficients of biochemical traits variability for the many years studies (1981

A biochemical evaluation of non-traditional fodder plants  Pentaphylloides fruticpsa (L.) O. Schwarz and P. Parvifolia (Fisch. Ex Lehm.) Sojak growing in different ecogeographical zones of the Mountainous Altai and under introduction conditions has been made. It is established that the plants of these species with respect to the main indicators of nutritious compounds are not inferior to, and with respect to some of them, e. g. raw fat content, and at some times with respect to protein, are above, many fodder leguminous plants and cereals.

Phenolic complex in roots and root nodules of cultivars Ramonsky 77, Torsdag, and its non-nodulating K1005m was studied. The obtained results, demonstrating the connection of phenolic metabolism and symbiosis activity, indicate the involvement of phenolic compounds not only in regulation of early stages of nodulation, but in symbiosis as a whole.

The respiratory enzyme (NAD and NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenases and malic enzymes, NAD-MDG, NADP-glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase anf PEP-carboxylase) were studied in extracts of cell cultures (mitochondria, nuclei) and in cytoplasmic fraction of pea leaves.
It has been established that the activity of all the enzymes in the objects studied (M-2004, Torsdag

Parameters oif biological productivity, photosynthetic characteristics (RuBisCo and GAP activity, CO₂ uptake, O₂ release), content of some metabolites (amino acids, organic acids, starch and sugars) and the mesostructure of pea ( Pisum sativum L.) leaves of Torsdag variety, its isogenic mutants with respect to chlorophyll deficiency (2004 and 2014) and hybrids (TxM-2004 and M-2004xT) have been studied.
It has been established that the seed productivity of pea is directly correlated (r > 0.93) with the maximal photosynthesis, oxygen release rate, photosynthesis of a single chloroplast, and mobilization index. It is concluded that high values of photosynthetic characcteristics not always result in high seed productivity of pea plants.

The flavonoid and iridoid content of S.umbrosa from Novosibirsk region, Ulagan district of the Altai Republic and cultivated in vitro has been studied. S. umbrosa is considered rare relic in Siberia. The age peculiarities and the mode of chemical substances accumulation in some organs were taken into account. The flavonoid accumulation in the plant organs fluctuated within the limits of 0.1 to 1.2 percent of air dry weight. The maximum values of the flavonoid content were registered in mature plant leaves, especially in the samples from Novosibirsk region. The amount of iridoids was 4.4

Results of studies of flavonoids content of leaves of hawthorn affected by powdery mildue are presented. It has been noted that at the initial stage of affection, a response reaction is induced: the flavonoid content is increased, especially in the leave tissues adjacent to the site of invasion. Exogenous introduction of flavonoids decreases the frequency of development of powdery mildew.