Suchergebnisse

Abstract
Development of efficient DNA markers plays an important role in modern breeding projects of many crops, including cultivated hexaploid bread wheat (BW) and tetraploid durum wheat (DW). Findings of genome-wide association studies on major polyploid crops, such as BW, may also help in molecular breeding studies in relative cultivated species with a similar genetic background, including DW. Therefore, the validation of identified quantitative trait loci or marker-trait associations is an important preliminary step in marker-assisted selection (MAS) oriented projects. In this study, thirty-two SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) markers of six agronomic traits identified in BW, harvested in Kazakhstan, were converted to KASP (Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR) as-says. Generated 32 KASP assays were used in the analysis of 29 DW accessions from Kazakhstan. Firstly, the group of DW accessions was tested using replicated and randomised one-metre blocks in field conditions of southeast Kazakhstan and evaluated for main agronomic traits. The analysis showed that 14 KASP assays were polymorphic in the scoring of 29 DW accessions. The t-test suggested that the segregation in eight KASP assays was significantly associated with five agronomic traits. The study confirms robustness of KASP assays in MAS of DW breeding projects for the improvement of yield potential.

Abstract
Salsola arbuscula Pall., Salsola arbusculiformis Drob. and Salsola chiwensis M. Pop. have great environmental importance as they can stabilise sand dunes and therefore are useful for desert zone landscaping. The genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of populations of these species collected in Western Kazakhstan were analysed using internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The ITS sequences of species were aligned with sequences of 37 Salsola species from the NCBI. ITS analysis clustered the samples into two major groups and eight sections. The phylogenetic tree and haplotype network relationships confirmed the polyphyletic origin of Salsola and allowed taxonomic reassessment for the studied species. A set of SSR markers originally developed from genera Agriophyllum, Haloxylon, and Beta was tested for their variability in Salsola species. Twenty-six tested SSR markers were selected for their transferability scores, and 13 of them were suitable for study of genetic diversity in populations of three Salsola species. It was concluded that polymorphic SSR markers were efficient in the separation of the studied Salsola species and could be effectively used in studies related to the genetic variation in the genus.

Abstract
Soybean is increasingly becoming one of the main oilseeds crops in Kazakhstan, with a major growing area in the south-eastern part of the country. The comparative assessment of small-size (108) and medium-size (276 accessions) collections of soybean originated from five regions of the world was made in field trials in Almaty region (south-east of Kazakhstan). The full collection was genotyped using the Illumina iSelect 6K SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) array that allowed observation of 4651 polymorphic SNPs. The genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using the following six important agronomic traits: flowering time, seed maturation time, plant height, number of fertile nodes, number of seeds per node, and thousand seed weight. In total, GWAS using TASSEL package identified 56 stable QTNs (quantitative trait nucleotdies) for all the studied traits, including 42 QTNs detected using the medium-size collection. It was shown that the medium-size population, in comparison with the small-size population, was preferable for the detection of significant associations. A comparative analysis of the data with previously published results suggested that 36 of the stable 56 QTNs were presumably novel associations. The revealed QTNs can be used in the molecular breeding projects for soybean yield improvement.

Abstract
The genus Artemisia is one of the largest of the Asteraceae family. It is abundant and diverse, with complex taxonomic relations. In order to expand the knowledge about the classification of Kazakhstan species and compare it with classical studies, matK genes of nine local species including endemic were sequenced. The infrageneric rank of one of them (A. kotuchovii) had remained unknown. In this study, we analysed results of sequences using two methods — NJ and MP and compared them with a median-joining haplotype network. As a result, monophyletic origin of the genus and subgenus Dracunculus was confirmed. Closeness of A. kotuchovii to other species of Dracunculus suggests its belonging to this subgenus. Generally, matK was shown as a useful barcode marker for the identification and investigation of Artemisia genus.