BackgroundThe initial stage of the biosynthesis of steroid hormones in animals occurs in the mitochondria of steroidogenic tissues, where cytochrome P450SCC (CYP11A1) encoded by the CYP11A1 gene catalyzes the conversion of cholesterol into pregnenolone – the general precursor of all the steroid hormones, starting with progesterone. This stage is missing in plants where mitochondrial cytochromes P450 (the mito CYP clan) have not been found. Generating transgenic plants with a mitochondrial type P450 from animals would offer an interesting option to verify whether plant mitochondria could serve as another site of P450 monooxygenase reaction for the steroid hormones biosynthesis.ResultsFor a more detailed comparison of steroidogenic systems of Plantae and Animalia, we have created and studied transgenic tobacco and tomato plants efficiently expressing mammalian CYP11A1 cDNA. The detailed phenotypic characterization of plants obtained has shown that through four generations studied, the transgenic tobacco plants have reduced a period of vegetative development (early flowering and maturation of bolls), enlarged biomass and increased productivity (quantity and quality of seeds) as compared to the only empty-vector containing or wild type plants. Moreover, the CYP11A1 transgenic plants show resistance to such fungal pathogen as Botrytis cinerea. Similar valuable phenotypes (the accelerated course of ontogenesis and/or stress resistance) are also visible in two clearly distinct transgenic tomato lines expressing CYP11A1 cDNA: one line (No. 4) has an accelerated rate of vegetative development, while the other (No. 7) has enhanced immunity to abiotic and biotic stresses. The progesterone level in transgenic tobacco and tomato leaves is 3–5 times higher than in the control plants of the wild type.ConclusionsFor the first time, we could show the compatibility in vivo of even the most specific components of the systems of biosynthesis of steroid hormones in Plantae and Animalia. The hypothesis is proposed and substantiated that the formation of the above-noted special phenotypes of transgenic plants expressing mammalian CYP11A1 cDNA is due to the increased biosynthesis of progesterone that can be considered as a very ancient bioregulator of plant cells and the first real hormone common to plants and animals.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12870-017-1123-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Genetic diversity of flax isozyme patterns of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase, and cytochrome-c-oxidase in leaves, as well as the level and the relative amounts of fatty acids in seed oil were studied in flax species. The isozyme loci examined were found to be polymorphic. It was shown that each of the flax species studied was characterized by strictly defined amounts and proportions of fatty acids, i.e., the fatty acid composition of the seed oil may be used as a species diagnostic trait. Our results suggest that all of the flax species studied have the same ancestor. Linum grandiflorum was shown to be a phylogenetic branch split at an early stage of the flax evolution.

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Climate fluctuations in the Quaternary period in significantly influenced the evolution and distribution of plants, which caused to a serious genetic effects and speciation activity [1]. Thus, Central Asia is distinguished by a wide variety of flora, including 9520 species, while 20% are endemics [2]. Great phenotypic diversity of the wild flora in Uzbekistan, numbering about 4400 species of vascular plants is determined by the peculiar climatic conditions, a variety of zoning, altitudinal zones [3]. At the same time, being one of the centers of early diversification of monocotyledonous geophytes, taxonomically complex representatives of this group are not sufficiently involved in phylogenetic studies. This study is a pilot study of the flora of Uzbekistan using DNA barcoding method, that based on sequencing of phylogenetically significant sequences. Four plastid (rbcL, psbA-trnH, matK, trnL-F) and one nuclear (ITS) markers were used for species identification of the genus Tulipa. The results of molecular phylogenetic analysis for 15 species of Tulipa (Liliaceae) using the marker sequence encoding ITS fragment are presented. The successful usefulness of DNA technology for genetic inventory has been demonstrated.

The effectiveness of using of the ITS region as a DNA barcode for the genetic identification of plants of rare and protected species of Ranunculaceae included in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus was demonstrated. The DNA barcoding technique allowed, using both the ITS region and a more compact intergenic spacer ITS2, demonstrating that 11 Ranunculaceae species belonging to two subfamilies and seven genera are clearly distinguishable at the molecular level. The phylogenetic relationship between eleven studied species built on the basis of the nucleotide variability of the ITS region is fully consistent with the existing taxonomy of this family based on morphological and cytological features. The results obtained make it possible to consider the ITS2 region as a mini barcode for rapid or additional identification.