Introductory Article from the Editor-in-Chief.

Background. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) are grain crops belonging to one of the main sources of food and forage in the Russian Federation. They contain proteins, various groups of vitamins, fats, carbohydrates, β-glucans, minerals and different bioloactive compounds, including anthocyanins. Recently, much attention has been given to anthocyanins due to their various valuable properties. Therefore, the grain of barley and oat is a potentially promising economic product and a component of functional nutrition. The aim of this work was to estimate the content of anthocyanins in barley and oat accessions with different pigmentation of kernels and lemma. Materials and methods. 32 barley and 11 oat accessions were studied by spectrophotometry. Anthocyanins were extracted from barley and oat kernels with a 1% HCl solution in methanol. Results and discussion. As a result of the study, accessions and varieties with the highest content of anthocyanins were identified: for barley these are k-15904 (China), k-19906 (Mongolia), k-18709 (Japan), k-18723, k-18729 (Canada), k-17725 (Turkey) belonging to var. violaceum; k-29568 (Japan) – var. densoviolaceum; k-8690 (Ethiopia) – var. griseinigrum; k-28205 (Germany) – var. nudidubium; and for oat these are k-15527 (A. ayssinica Hochst. var. braunii Koern., Ethiopia) and k-15245 (A. strigosa Schreb. subsp. brevis var. tephera Mordv. ex Sold. et Rod., Poland). Conclusion. The obtained results demonstrated that the VIR collection includes accessions with potential value for the development of varieties with an increased anthocyanin content, which can be used as functional food products.

Flavonoids play a crucial role in plant metabolism. Many of them have antioxidant activity, and they are also pigments that render a variety of colors to plant tissues. Foods rich in flavonoid compounds are considered as functional components of a healthy diet. Currently, there is an increased interest in studying genetic mechanisms underlying the coloration of plants. Flavonoid biosynthesis pathways are controlled by two groups of genes. Structural genes encode enzymes, while regulatory genes are responsible for transcription factors that activate the expression of structural genes. Transcription factors that belong to R2R3-Myb, bHLH-Myc and WDR families form the ternary MBW complex, which is involved in regulating the expression of structural genes of flavonoid biosynthesis. The mechanisms of regulation of the anthocyanins and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis by the MBW complex are described in detail for the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana L. This review summarizes data on the regulation of phenolic pigment biosynthesis and the features of phenolic pigment accumulation in plant tissues in the main representatives of the Phaseoleae tribe: soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr., common bean Phaseolus vulgaris L., adzuki bean Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & Ohashi, and cowpea V. unguiculata (L.) Walp. The species discussed in this review are the most important food legumes in many countries of the world and they comprise the staple food in diets of millions of people. Identification and characterization of the genes controlling the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways are necessary for successful breeding of modern varieties with an increased dietary value. Identification of the flavonoid accumulation patterns is essential for solving the problem of broadening the diversity of plant products.

Background. The knowledge of genetic control of vernalization response in the ultra-early accessions can facilitate bread wheat breeding for a high adaptive capacity. Materials and methods. The study involved the ultra-early lines Rico (k-65588) and Rimax (k-67257) as the earliest maturing lines in the VIR bread wheat collection, as well as 10 Rifor lines (k-67120, k-67121, k-67250-67256) with a high rate of development before heading. A late ripening accession ‘Forlani Roberto’ (k-42641) and ‘Leningradskaya 6’ variety (k-64900), regionally adapted to Northwestern Russia, were also studied. The alleles of the Vrn and Ppd genes were identified by the PCR analysis using the allele-specific primers published in literature sources. The response to vernalization (30 days at 3°C) and a short 12-hour day were determined using a methodology accepted at VIR. Results. The ultra-early lines respond to a short 12-hour day and 30-day vernalization very poorly. The genotype of ultra-early wheat lines is mainly represented by three genes, Vrn-A1, Vrn-B1a, and Vrn-D1, which ensure insensitivity to vernalization alongside with the expression of Ppd-D1a, which controls the response to photoperiod. The ultra-early lines Rifor 4 and Rifor 5 have a recessive allele vrn-A1a, like the original ‘Forlani Roberto’ accession. The lines Rifor 4 and Rifor 5 are vernalization-insensitive under the long day and have a very weak response under the short day (3.5±0.42 days and 4.0±0.61 days, respectively). However, ‘Forlani Roberto’ with the vrn-A1a gene responds to vernalization in the same way under any photoperiod (12.3±1.58 days and 12.2±0.74 days). Conclusion The ultra-early lines of bread wheat Rifor 4 and Rifor 5 with the vrn-A1a gene can have no response to vernalization or have a low level response. This effect can be a reason for the formation of a complex of modifier genes along with the dominant gene Vrn-D1, which forms during the hybridization of F_7-8 Rico × Forlani Roberto. The ultra-early lines of bread wheat Rico, Rimax and Rifor (k-67120, k-67121, k-67250-67256) can serve as effective sources of genes for earliness in common wheat breeding.

Background. The search for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes that carry effective genes for resistance to powdery mildew agent Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei is a present-day issue for Russian plant breeding. The mlo11 allele that confers long-term protection of barley against the pathogen is rarely found among the varieties, approved for cultivation in the territory of Russia. There is no information on the occurrence among Russian varieties of another effective allele, mlo11 (cnv2), therefore, the search for its source is a current necessity. Materials and methods. Seven barley accessions from Ethiopia and 7 accessions from Japan have been tested for resistance to the northwestern population of the powdery mildew agent in the field and in laboratory conditions. To identify of the Mlo gene alleles, nucleotide sequences of the Stowaway-MITE (Miniature Inverted-repeat Transposable Elements) and the adjacent promoter fragments were determined. Results. Phytopathological tests in the field and greenhouse conditions, as well as molecular markers were used to study 14 barley accessions from Ethiopia and Japan. According to the preliminary tests, plants were resistant to powdery mildew. The highly effective allele of powdery mildew resistance mlo11 (cnv2) was for the first time identified in four barley accessions from Ethiopia, k-20087, k-20523, k-20524 and k-28126. Under field conditions, adult plants were resistant, and in the greenhouse they were moderately damaged by powdery mildew (1-2 points). The disease symptoms were similar to those described for the sample Eth295, a carrier of the mlo11(cnv2) allele variant: single pustules and the absence of necrotic spots on the leaves. The fragments of Stowaway-MITE and adjacent Mlo 5' promoter sequences were amplified in all 14 accessions. The amplicons were cloned and sequenced. The unique marker SNPs within the MITE and Mlo 5’ promoter sequences, i.e. the substitutions of cytosine by thymine in positions 262 and 452, were found only in k-20087, k-20523, k-20524 and k-28126. These accessions belong to different botanical varieties and differ from each other in a number of morphological features, i.e. they are not duplicates. Conclusions. The genotypes selected as a result of the study can serve as a source of the mlo11(cnv2) allele in breeding powdery mildew-resistant barley varieties.