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Genetic variation in natural Melandrium album populations exposed to chronic ionizing radiation

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Abstract

The effect of radiation pollution on genetic variation in natural populations of Melandrium album was investigated at the head part of the East-Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT) and background areas. The highest genetic differentiation estimated using F ST was revealed between compared pairs of the background and impact samples in populations of M. album. The highest rate of polymorphism was observed at the closest to nuclear accident, Impact-1 site. The unique alleles (Mdh-3104, Pgi-2106, Lap 105, Mdh-296, and Dia 94) were discovered at the EURT. Individuals from chronically low-level irradiated sites were genetically closer than to plants from background sites using Nadhdh locus. The increase of the frequency of unique homozygous and heterozygous genotypes was identified in populations of M. album growing under chronic radiation exposure conditions. The largest contribution to the group of unique heterozygous genotypes at the EURT was made by three loci – Lap, Pgi-2, and Nadhdh; the main role in interpopulation differentiation of samples was made by the alleles Sod-2115, Skdh 100, and Nadhdh 100. Our results provide evidence for the correlation between the increase of genetic variation other than the «genetic erosion» and chronic radiation exposure factor in natural plant populations.

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank Tatyana Belyaeva for her various help and Dr. Vladimir Semerikov and Dr. Svetlana Semerikova (IPAE UB RAS) for discussion of the results. This work was done with financial support from Program of the Russian Foundation on Basic Research (project 15-34-20639) and Program of Basic Scientific Researches at Ural Branch of RAS (project 15-2-4-21).

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  1. Laboratory of Population Radiobiology, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 8 Marta St., 202, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation, 620144

    Elina Karimullina, Elena V. Antonova & Vera N. Pozolotina

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  1. Elina Karimullina
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  2. Elena V. Antonova
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  3. Vera N. Pozolotina
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Correspondence to Elina Karimullina.

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Karimullina, E., Antonova, E.V. & Pozolotina, V.N. Genetic variation in natural Melandrium album populations exposed to chronic ionizing radiation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 21565–21576 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7355-0

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