Serpentine environment prevails over geographic distribution in shaping the genetic diversity of Medicago lupulina L.

Edaphic conditions of serpentine soils, naturally rich in heavy metals, act as a strong selection pressure that shapes specific metal-tolerant ecotypes. Medicago lupulina L. (black medick) is not only a widespread plant species that prefers calcareous and dry soil types but also grows at the borders of serpentine formations. It can also be found in waste and disturbed habitats. This is a species with reported phytoremediation potential, however, there is no published data regarding the impact of the environment on the genetic distribution of this species. The aim of our research was to explore how selection pressure of serpentine soils affects genetic diversity of M. lupulina and to test heavy-metal accumulation capacity of this species. Specimens of 11 M. lupulina populations were collected from serpentine outcrops located in Central and Eastern Bosnia as well as from non-serpentine sites. Soil and plant samples were analyzed for the total contents of heavy metals using air-acetylene flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Genetic diversity was analyzed using AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism) markers. Serpentine soils showed high nickel, cobalt, chromium and iron concentrations. Nickel and manganese concentrations in soil samples and plant material showed statistically significant correlation. Although plants in two populations show the ability to extract Ni, M. lupulina does not show hyperaccumulating properties. Despite severe selective pressure, genetic diversity in serpentine populations is not reduced. Analyses of intrapopulation and interpopulation genetic diversity showed significant genetic differentiation among populations which is not related to their geographic distance. Population from non-metalliferous soil showed clear separation from all other populations. Diversity data suggest that serpentine populations maintain genetic diversity by undetected mechanisms and that edaphic factors rather than geography influence genetic structure analyzed M. lupulina populations.

Genetic Diversity of Bosnian and Herzegovinian Autochthonous Dog Breed Bosnian Broken-Haired Hound-Barak.

Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) classifies a group of hound dogs in the sixth FCI group divided into three sections and three subsections that include 76 dog breeds. With the Istrian wire-haired hound, the Bosnian broken-haired hound-Barak is one of the two internationally recognized and standardized broken-haired hound breeds from the Balkans. However, genotyping of this breed has not been the subject of study so far. A total of 30 dogs (22 males and eight females) from different breeders from 17 locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina were selected for genotyping. All selected individuals had a valid pedigree issued by the Kennel Club in Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure dogs were unrelated. Hairs with follicles were used for DNA extraction. Ten microsatellite loci from the commercial StockMarks® for Canine Genotyping Kit were amplified. Estimated genetic indices showed that Bosnian broken-haired hound-Barak harbors a high genetic variability. Phylogenetic relationships between Barak and the other 15 dog breeds, including Tornjak, another indigenous breed from Bosnia and Herzegovina, were assessed. An analysis showed clear differentiation of Barak, with Tornjak as the closest one among analyzed breeds. The results suggest that Barak, as we know it today, was developed during the formation of most modern breeds. Although Barak cannot yet be considered an endangered breed thanks to enthusiasts and hunters, the declining population trends impose the urgent need to establish an animal gene bank and programs for in situ conservation to protect and preserve this autochthonous breed of hound dog for future generations.

In silico prediction suggests inhibitory effect of halogenated boroxine on human catalase and carbonic anhydrase.

BACKGROUND: This research work included bioinformatics modeling of the dipotassium-trioxohydroxytetrafluorotriborate-halogenated boroxine molecule, as well as simulation and prediction of structural interactions between the halogenated boroxine molecule, human carbonic anhydrase, and human catalase structures. Using computational methods, we tried to confirm the inhibitory effect of halogenated boroxine on the active sites of these previously mentioned enzymes. The three-dimensional crystal structures of human catalase (PDB ID: 1DGB) and human carbonic anhydrase (PDB ID: 6FE2) were retrieved from RCSB Protein Data Bank and the protein preparation was performed using AutoDock Tools. ACD/ChemSketch and ChemDoodle were used for creating the three-dimensional structure of halogenated boroxine. Molecular docking was performed using AutoDock Vina, while the results were visualized using PyMOL. RESULTS: Results obtained in this research are showing evidence that there are interactions between the halogenated boroxine molecule and both previously mentioned proteins (human carbonic anhydrase and human catalase) in their active sites, which led us to the conclusion that the inhibitory function of halogenated boroxine has been confirmed. CONCLUSION: These findings could be an important step in determining the exact mechanisms of inhibitory activity and will hopefully serve in further research purposes of complex pharmacogenomics studies.

Paternal genetic structure of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Roma: A Y-chromosomal STR study.

OBJECTIVES: Studies indicate the complex nature of the genetic structure of the European Roma which has been shaped by different effects of their demographic history, while preserving their ancestral Indian origin. The primary aims of this study were to present for the first time the paternal profiles of the Roma from Bosnia and Herzegovina based on the data from Y-chromosome STR loci, identify the components of non-Roma paternal gene flow into the Roma, and evaluate the genetic relationships with other European Roma populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 110 DNA samples of unrelated males from Roma populations residing in different regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina were genotyped using the 23 Y-STR loci included in the PowerPlex Y23 system. RESULTS: The analysis of the genetic structure of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Roma revealed intra-country population substructuring and indicated differing genetic affinities between the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Roma and other European Roma populations. The paternal genetic structure of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Roma has two components: an ancestral component represented by haplogroup H1a1a-M82, and European component presented by haplogroups I1-M253, I2a1a2b-L621, J2a1a-L26, J2a1a1a2b2a3~Z7671, J2b2a-M241, G2a2b2a1a1b-L497, and E1b1b-M215. CONCLUSION: Genetic relations between the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Roma and other European Roma are shaped by different influences on their demographic history. The data suggest that the paternal gene pool of the Roma from Bosnia and Herzegovina might be a consequence of an early separation of the proto-Roma population and the later gene flow as well as factors of the isolation that accompany the Roma populations in some Bosnian-Herzegovinian regions.

Molecular Variation of Rh, MN, Duffy, Kidd, Kell, and Lutheran Blood Groups in the Human Population of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Six blood groups (Rh, MN, Duffy, Kidd, Kell, and Lutheran) were investigated among three major ethnic groups (Bosniaks, Bosnian Croats, and Bosnian Serbs), as well as 10 regional subpopulations across Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H): Krajina; Posavina; northeastern, eastern, middle, and central Bosnia; Sarajevo region; eastern, central, and western Herzegovina. This is the first study that introduces the molecular genetic typing of five blood groups within the B&H population, with the exception of the RhD blood group. The sample consisted of 450 buccal swabs from unrelated individuals. Five blood group systems (RhD, RhC, RhE, Kidd, MN) were genotyped by PCR with sequence specific primers, while three blood group systems (Kell, Duffy, Lutheran) were genotyped by the PCR-restriction-fragment-length polymorphism method. Minor variation of genetic diversity was observed within the three major B&H ethnic groups, as well as within the 10 subpopulations stratified according to geographical criteria. No genetic differentiation among ethnic groups was noticed. These results are in agreement with the results of previous studies based on different molecular genetics markers, which indicate that the three B&H ethnic groups belong to the same gene pool. A similar level of genetic variance was observed within regional subpopulations, with no significant genetic differentiation among them. Comparison of intrapopulation genetic diversity of the B&H population with other European and non-European populations, based on three loci (RHD, MN, and KEL), clearly show that the level of genetic diversity of the B&H population is within the European range.

Analysis of forensic genetic parameters of 22 autosomal STR markers (PowerPlex® Fusion System) in a population sample from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Background: Bosnia and Herzegovina is a multinational and multireligious country, located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula. Migrations through history were a key factor in the genetic identity of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian population.Aim: To analyse genetic polymorphisms of 22 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci in the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to compare STR allele frequencies for STR loci with the reference data for European populations.Subjects and methods: The study was conducted among 600 unrelated individuals from all regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Genotyping was performed using the PowerPlex® Fusion amplification kit. Allele frequencies and statistical parameters were calculated, as well as the genetic distance among analysed populations through the construction of a neighbor-joining dendrogram.Results: STR loci included in the PowerPlex® Fusion amplification kit showed high discriminatory power indicating their reliability for human identification and paternity testing. The neighbor-joining dendrogram based on the results of genetic distance analysis showed that the Bosnian and Herzegovinian population has the greatest genetic distance from Turkish and Hungarian populations and greatest similarity with Croatian, Slovenian, and Serbian populations.Conclusion: The results of this study strongly support the application of 22 autosomal genetic markers for paternity testing and personal identity testing and are in agreement with most previous human studies in the investigated human populations.