Brief description of the project
(2022-2024)
Project title: IRN AP14869593 «Study of genetic diversity and phytochemical analysis of species of the genus Salsola L. in Kazakhstan».
Relevance. Approximately 60% of the territory of Kazakhstan is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts with peculiar vegetation, where Salsola species (saltwort) are the dominant component of plants community. Also, saltworts are an important source of medicinal raw materials, valuable food resources at arid territories, bioremediants and sand fixers. Therefore, a comprehensive study of Salsola species for the conservation and rational usage of genetic resources using the methods of botany, molecular genetics, new generation technologies and phytochemistry is highly important from scientific and practical points of view. These comprehensive study of valuable Kazakhstan’s Salsola species has never been done before. In addition, there is no generally accepted taxonomy of the genus Salsola and questions of the molecular taxonomy are unresolved. The use of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology in the project will contribute to resolving the taxonomic issues of the genus.
The goal of the project: study of genetic diversity and phytochemistry of Salsola L. species of Kazakhstan using modern molecular genetics and biochemical methods and new generation genomic technologies.
Expected results:
- The collection of populations of Salsola species will be carried out, the species identity will be determined, herbariums will be designed and digitized, phytocenoses with the participation of Salsola species will be described.
- Phylogenetic relationships among Salsola species will be studied using markers of nuclear and chloroplast genomes and DNA barcoding technology.
- Phylogenetic relationships among Salsola species will be analyzed using chloroplast genome sequencing.
- Macro- and microelement composition and antioxidant activity of Kazakhstan’s Salsola species will be studied.
Scientific Supervisor of the project: Almerekova Shyryn, senior researcher, PhD (2018, geobotany). Co-author of 35 scientific papers, including 21 articles, including 12 articles in peer-reviewed publications indexed in Web of Science (H-index=4, https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/9617158) and/or Scopus (H-index=4, https://www2.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57196952712), and 9 articles in journals recommended by the Committee for Control in the Sphere of Education and Science (CCSES) Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 1 study guide, 1 copyright certificate, 1 patent of the Republic of Kazakhstan for a utility model. Winner of a scholarship for talented young scientists of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2021).
Research group:
Abugalieva S., principal researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor. Co-author of >90 articles (including 39 articles in Web of Science databases (H-index=8, https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/citation-report/b75075f1-aa93-49e7-b3c5-86e58315e8a1-2f7a75ee) and/or Scopus (H-index-8, https://www2.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=6507029042); 47 articles in CCSES et al.
Zatybekov A., PhD, senior researcher, co-author of 23 scientific articles: 7 in peer-reviewed journals Web of Science and Scopus (H-index–3, https://www2.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId =57196942983), 16 in publications of CCSES; co-author of 1 scientific and methodological recommendation, 2 utility model patents.
Veselova P., Candidate of Biological Sciences (botany), Leading Researcher of the Laboratory of Higher Plant Flora of the Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction (IBP) Committee of Forestry and Wildlife, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the RK. Has >100 publications, H-index=3 (https://www2.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57193084177, H-index=3 by WoS, https://www.webofscience.com/wos /author/record/41761960).
Aimenova Z., PhD, head of the research laboratory «Phytochemistry» at the Research Institute of Natural and Technical Sciences of the Auezov SKU. Author of >40 scientific papers, including 6 articles in scientific journals, CCSES, 3 articles indexed in Scopus (H-index=1, https://www2.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57074125500), 1 patent for invention, 10 manuals, 1 monograph.
Yermagambetova M., MS (Geobotany), junior researcher, has 4 years of experience.
Genievskaya Y., MS (Biotechnology), junior researcher, co-author of 11 articles indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus (H-index=5, https://www2.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId =57196939730).
Osmonali B., junior researcher at the Laboratory of Higher Plant Flora of the IBP, PhD- student (Geobotany) of al-Farabi Kazakh National University on the topic of the project. Co-author of >15 publications, incl. 5 scientific articles indexed in the Web of Science and/or Scopus databases (H-index=2, https://www2.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57212564484).
List of publications of the project’s participants (2017-2022)
- Almerekova, S., Mukhitdinov, N., Abugalieva, S. (2017). Phylogenetic study of the endemic species Oxytropis almaatensis (Fabaceae) based on nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS sequences. BMC plant biology (IF= 4.96, quartile-Q1; SJR=1.378, percentile-87), 17(1), 1-9. DOI: 1186/s12870-017-1128-x;
- Almerekova, S., Shchegoleva, N., Abugalieva, S., Turuspekov, Y. (2020). The molecular taxonomy of three endemic Central Asian species of Ranunculus(Ranunculaceae). PloS one (IF=3.788, quartile-Q2; SJR=0.990, percentile-92), 15(10), e0240121. DOI:1371/journal.pone.0240121
- Özek, G.; Schepetkin, I.A.; Yermagambetova, M.; Özek, T.; Kirpotina, L.N.; Almerekova, S.S.; Abugalieva, S.I.; Khlebnikov, A.I.; Quinn, M.T. (2021) Innate Immunomodulatory Activity of Cedrol, a Component of Essential Oils Isolated from Juniperus Species. Molecules (IF=4.588, quartile-Q2; SJR=0.990, percentile-74), 26, 7644.
DOI:3390/molecules26247644
Almerekova, S., Lisztes-Szabó, Z., Mukhitdinov, N., Kurmanbayeva, M., Abidkulova, K., Sramko, G. (2018). Genetic diversity and population genetic structure of the endangered Kazakh endemic Oxytropis almaatensis (Fabaceae). Acta Botanica Hungarica (SJR=0.417, percentile-50) 60(3-4), 263-278. DOI: 10.1556/034.2018.1 - Almerekova, S., Favarisova, N., Turuspekov, Y., Abugalieva, S.*(2020). Cross-Genera Transferability of Microsatellite Markers and Phylogenetic Assessment of Three Salsola Species from Western Kazakhstan. Proceedings of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Section B: Natural, Exact, and Applied Sciences (Latvia) (SJR=0.168, percentile-39), 74 (5), 325-334. DOI:2478/prolas-2020-0049.
- Almerekova, S., Abugalieva, S*, Mukhitdinov, N. (2018). Taxonomic assessment of the Oxytropis species from South-East of Kazakhstan. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genetiki i Selektsii= Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Breeding. (SJR=0.188, percentile-38), 22(2), 285-290. DOI:10.18699/VJ18.362
- Abugalieva, S., Volkova, L., Genievskaya, Y., Ivaschenko, A., Kotukhov, Y., Sakauova, G., Turuspekov, Y. (2017). Taxonomic assessment of Allium species from Kazakhstan based on ITS and matK markers. BMC plant biology (IF=4.96, quartile-Q1; SJR=1.378, percentile-87), 17(2), 51-60. DOI:10.1186/s12870-017-1194-0
- Genievskaya, Y., Abugalieva, S., Zhubanysheva, A., Turuspekov, Y. (2017). Morphological description and DNA barcoding study of sand rice (Agriophyllum squarrosum, Chenopodiaceae) collected in Kazakhstan. BMC Plant Biology (IF=4.96, quartile-Q1; SJR=1.378, percentile — 87), 17(1), 1-8. DOI:1186/s12870-017-1132-1
- Sumbembayev, A., Abugalieva, S., Danilova, A., Matveyeva, E., & Szlachetko, D. (2021). Flower morphometry of members of the genus Dactylorhiza Necker ex Nevski (Orchidaceae) from the Altai Mountains of Kazakhstan. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity (SJR=0.257, percentile-40), 22(8). DOI:13057/biodiv/d220855
- Turuspekov, Y., Genievskaya, Y., Baibulatova, A., Zatybekov, A., Kotuhov, Y., Ishmuratova, M., Imanbayeva A., Abugalieva, S. (2018). Phylogenetic taxonomy of Artemisia species from Kazakhstan based on matK analyses. Proceedings of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Section B: Natural, Exact, and Applied Sciences (Latvia) (SJR=0.168, percentile-39), 72(1), 29. DOI:10.1515/prolas-2017-0068.
- Turuspekov, Y., Abugalieva, S., Ermekbayev, K., Sato, K. (2014). Genetic characterization of wild barley populations (Hordeum vulgare spontaneum) from Kazakhstan based on genome wide SNP analysis. Breeding Science, (IF=2.63, quartile–Q2; SJR=0.799, percentile-74) 64(4), 399-403. DOI:10.1270/jsbbs.64.399
- Friesen, N., Vesselova, P., Osmonaly, B., Sitpayeva, G., Luferov, A., & Shmakov, A. (2021). Allium toksanbaicum (Amaryllidaceae), a new species from Southeast Kazakhstan. Phytotaxa (IF=1.198, quartile–Q3; SJR=0.443, percentile-50), 494(3), 251-267.DOI:10.11646/phytotaxa.494.3.1
- Seidl, A., Tremetsberger, K., Pfanzelt, S., Blattner, F. R., Neuffer, B., Friesen, N., Hurka, H., Shmakov A., Batlai O., Žerdoner Čalasan, A., Vesselova, P., Bernhardt, K-G. (2021). The phylogeographic history of Krascheninnikovia reflects the development of dry steppes and semi-deserts in Eurasia. Scientific reports (IF=5.134, quartile–Q1; SJR=1.240, percentile-93), 11(1), 1-15. DOI:1038/s41598-021-85735-z
- Kechaykin А, Batkin, A., Sitpayeva, G., Vesselova, P., Osmonali, B., Shmakov, A. (2020). New data on genus Potentilla L. Rosaceae Juss.) in the flora of Kazakhstan. Turczaninowia (SJR=0.354, percentile-32), 23(1), 32-40.
DOI: 14258/turczaninowia.23.1.4 - Osmonali1, B., Akhtaeva, N., Veselova, P., Kudabaeva, G., Kurbatova, N. (2020). Features of the anatomical structure of various species of the genus Salsola Problems of Botany of Southern Siberia and Mongolia, 19(2), 146-154. DOI: 10.14258/pbssm.2020093 (in Russian)
- Osmonali1, B. (2021) Species of the genus Salsola of the flora of the desert part in the valley of Syrdarya river (summary and key to identification). Problems of Botany of Southern Siberia and Mongolia, 20(2), 125-137. DOI: 10.14258/pbssm.2021130 (in Russian)
- Osmonali1, B., Vesselova P., Kudabayeva G., Akhtayeva N. (2022) Phytocenotic features of species of the genus Salsola (Chenopodiaceae Vent./Amaranthaceae Juss.) in the desert part of the Syrdarya river valley. Вестник Карагандинского университета, 1(105), 78-85. DOI 10.31489/2022BMG1/78-85
- Mukhitdinov N., Ametov A., Almerekova Sh., Abidkulova K. Ecological and biological features of plant cenopopulations of a rare and endemic Oxytropis almaatensis. KazNU bulletin. Ecology series. – Almaty: Kazakh University, 2017. — №2 (51). – P. 69-80. (in Kazakh)
- Eshibaev, A., Aimenova, Z., Akynova, L., Nurseitova, L., & Kopabaeva, A. (2021). The population status of Lagochilus setulosus Vved. and its biochemical composition. Ecological Questions (SJR=0.227, percentile-46) 32(2), 111-118. DOI: 12775/EQ.2021.018
(https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000729025600009) - Aimenova J.E., Yeshibaev A.A. Pharmaceutical potential of Lagochilus setulosus and technology of obtaining a biological preparation with hemostatic action using its extraction. Monography. – Shymkent university, 2019 – 130 p. ISBN 978-9965-782-30-5. (in Russian)
- Patent of invention № 32895 Aimenova J.E., Yeshibaev A.A. Application of Lagochilus extract as a hemostatic agent. RSE «National Institute of Intellectual Property». – 2018. Registration number 2016/1057.1 (in Russian)
- Turuspekov E.K., Abugalieva S.I., Almerekova Sh.S. Author’s certificate of entering information into the state register of rights to objects protected by copyright — to the database «Biodiversity of the flora of Kazakhstan» (№20035 from 01.09.2021), http://www.kazflora.kz/.
Results for 2022:
- Work on collecting populations of Salsola species, determining the species and their distribution areas in Kazakhstan, and describing phytocenoses with the participation of Salsola species. During expedition trips in the desert part of the Syrdarya River valley, more than 5 plant communities were studied with the participation or dominance of S. arbuscula and S. orientalis species of the genus Salsola. At this stage of the work, 2 populations of the species S. arbuscula (shrub) and S. orientalis (semi-shrub) were collected.
- Phylogenetic analysis and study of phylogenetic relationships of species of the genus Salsola using markers of nuclear and chloroplast genomes and DNA barcoding technology have been started. DNA was isolated from 59 samples of 4 populations of Salsola species: S. arbuscula — 29 samples, S. orientalis — 30 samples. The analysis of phylogenetic relationships using the technology of DNA-barcoding of species of the genus Salsola has been started. Nucleotide sequences of 4 (S. arbuscula and S. orientalis) Kazakhstan accessions of Salsola were aligned with accessions from the NCBI database.
- Work on drying, grinding plant material of species of the genus Salsola, and obtaining extracts for further research. For the preparation of Salsola plants, the upper flowering non-lignified branches 15-30 cm long were cut and dried in air-shade conditions.
Results for 2023:
- Work continued on collecting populations of Salsola species, species identification and distribution areas in Kazakhstan, designing and digitizing herbariums, and describing phytocenoses with the participation of Salsola species. During the expedition trips, plant communities with the participation or dominance of the species S. arbuscula and S. orientalis of the genus Salsola were studied. The communities differed from each other in the composition of species, which is due to the diversity of habitat factors: physical and geographical (relief elements, soil, moisture, salinity, etc.) and anthropogenic (disturbed areas due to grazing, construction and repair work, unregulated traffic, etc.). In 2023, 323 samples of plant material from 20 populations of saltwort species were collected in the Almaty, Kyzylorda and West Kazakhstan regions.
- Phylogenetic analysis and study of phylogenetic relationships of species of the genus Salsola based on nuclear and chloroplast genome markers using DNA barcoding technology were continued. Isolation and purification of DNA from population samples of Salsola species was continued. The isolated DNA of each Salsola sample was diluted to a working concentration of 100 ng/μl for further molecular genetic studies. In 2023, nucleotide sequences of the ITS marker of 7 samples of the following species were uploaded to the NCBI international database: S. arbusculiformis (OR352578), S. arbuscula (OR352579, OR352580), S. tragus (OR352581, OR352582) and S. nitraria (OR352583, OR352584). Four samples of the following species were uploaded using the matK marker: S. arbusculiformis (OR487138), S. arbuscula (OR487139), S. tragus (OR487140), and S. nitraria (OR487141). Five samples of the species S. arbuscula (OR426820), S. tragus (OR426821), S. nitraria (OR426822, OR426823), and S. orientalis (OR426824) were deposited in NCBI using the rbcL marker.
- Work has begun on studying the polymorphism of chloroplast genome sequences in Salsola species using new genomic technologies. Work has also begun on analyzing the phylogenetic relationships of Salsola species based on chloroplast genome sequencing. In 2023, sequencing of chloroplast genomes of Kazakhstan Salsola species S. orientalis and S. nitraria was started on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. Work has begun on depositing nucleotide sequences of chloroplast genomes of Kazakhstan Salsola species in the NCBI international database. In 2023, sequencing of chloroplast genomes of S. orientalis and S. nitraria was started, the annotated chloroplast genomes of which were uploaded to NCBI under accession numbers OR551471 and OR552116, respectively.
- The study of macro- and microelement composition and antioxidant activity of Kazakhstan Salsola species was continued. Work on drying, grinding plant material and obtaining extracts for further research was continued. Work has begun to obtain data on the macro- and microelement composition of the above-ground part of Salsola species. Work has begun to study the antioxidant activity of Salsola species extracts. In 2023, the species S. nitraria, S. arbuscula and S. tragus were studied for the antioxidant activity of extracts. According to the results of the studies carried out in 2023, it was found that the maximum antioxidant activity was observed in the S. tragus sample.
Articles in peer-reviewed foreign publications:
Osmonali B. B., Ermagambetova M. M., Almerekova Sh. S. Features of the species composition of phytocenoses with dominance and participation of species of the genus Salsola L. in the desert and semi-desert regions of Kazakhstan // Problems of botany of Southern Siberia and Mongolia. — 2023. — V. 22. — No. 1. — P. 251-258.
Results for 2024:
- Collection of Salsola species populations, determination of species identification and areas of their distribution in Kazakhstan, design and digitization of herbariums, description of phytocenoses with the participation of Salsola species have been completed. Collections of Salsola species populations were carried out in the regions of Western, South-Eastern, and Central Kazakhstan. The collected plant material was used for molecular genetic studies. Also, for each collected saltwort species, herbarium material was designed and digitized.
- An analysis of phylogenetic relationships of Salsola species was carried out based on markers of the nuclear and chloroplast genomes using DNA barcoding technology. ITS (internal transcribed spacers) and matK (Maturase K), rbcL (Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large chain), respectively, were used as markers of the nuclear and chloroplast genomes. The aligned nucleotide sequences of ITS, matK, and rbcL markers and the Neighbor-joining method were used to construct the phylogenetic tree. The nucleotide sequences of ITS, matK, and rbcL markers of the Kazakhstan saltwort species were aligned with 36 saltwort samples and 3 outgroup species (Atriplex calotheca, Atriplex lentiformis, and Atriplex buchananii) from the NCBI database. The phylogenetic tree constructed using the Neighbor-joining method combined the samples into two main clusters, each of which, in turn, was divided into several subclusters.
- The work on studying the polymorphism of the chloroplast genome sequences of Salsola species based on the use of new genomic technologies has been completed. Nucleotide sequences of chloroplast genomes of S. affinis (Pyankovia affinis) and S. richteri (XyloSalsola richteri) species were analyzed on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. The sizes of complete plastid genomes of S. affinis (Pyankovia affinis) and S. richteri (XyloSalsola richteri) species were 151,239 bp and 151,177 bp, respectively. Each chloroplast genome studied had 133 annotated genes, 114 and 19 of which were unique and duplicated, respectively. Among the unique genes, 80 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA, and 4 rRNA genes were found. Seven tRNA genes and 8 protein-coding genes were identified as duplicated in inverted repeat regions. Among 114 unique genes, 17 contain introns, including 6 tRNA genes and 11 protein-coding genes. In addition, simple repeating sequences (SSR) were identified in the nucleotide sequences of the chloroplast genome of the studied saltwort species.
- The study of macro- and microelement composition and antioxidant activity of Kazakhstan Salsola species has been completed. Plant material of Salsola arbusculiformis (Oreosalsola arbusculiformis) and Salsola affinis (Pyankovia affinis) species was studied for macro- and microelement composition and antioxidant activity. Also, Salsola arbusculiformis (Oreosalsola arbusculiformis) and Salsola affinis (Pyankovia affinis) species were studied for antioxidant activity, and showed 0.373±0.104 and 0.179±0.040, respectively. According to the results of the studies (2022-2024), the maximum antioxidant activity was noted in the S. arbusculiformis sample.
Publications 2024:
List of publications in peer-reviewed foreign scientific journals indexed in the Web of Science and (or) Scopus databases:
- Almerekova S., Yermagambetova M., Osmonali B., Vesselova P., Abugalieva S., Turuspekov Y. Characterization of the Plastid Genomes of Four Caroxylon Species from Kazakhstan // Plants. – 2024. – Vol. 13(10). – P. 1332. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13101332 (IF= 4.4, Q1 Plant Sciences; SJR= 0.795, percentile: 86 — Agricultural and Biological Sciences).
- Almerekova S., Yermagambetova M., Osmonali B., Vesselova P., Turuspekov Y., Abugalieva S. Complete Plastid Genome Sequences of Four Salsoleae sl Species: Comparative and Phylogenetic Analyses // Biomolecules. – 2024. – Vol. 14(8). – P. 890. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14080890 (IF= 5.4, Q1 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; SJR= 1.179, percentile: 84 — Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology).
Publications in peer-reviewed domestic journals with a non-zero impact factor (recommended by CQASHE):
Vesselova PV, Alikhanova AA Anatomical structure of assimilative organs in the dominant species of the family Chenopodiaceae (Amaranthaceae sl) // Experimental Biology. No. 3 (100) – 2024. – P. 19-32. https://doi.org/10.26577/bb.2024.v100.c3.02
Catalog
Turuspekov E.K., ImanbayevaA.A., Almerekova Sh.S., Yermagambetova M.M., Abugalieva S.I. “Catalog of endemic, rare, endangered and wild economically valuable plant species of Kazakhstan. 2. Western Kazakhstan” – Almaty: Piramida Group, 2024. – 127 p.
Abstracts from international conferences:
- Almerekova S., Yermagambetova M., Osmanali B., Vesselova P., Abugalieva S., Turuspekov Y. Comparative characterization of the plastid genome sequences of four Caroxylon species from Kazakhstan // «International Conference on Plant Biology and Biotechnology (ICPBB 2024)»: Proceedings of the international conference / edited by E.K. Turuspekov, S.I. Abugalieva. — Almaty: IBBR, 2024 — 34 p.
- Almerekova S., Yermagambetova M., Abugalieva S., Turuspekov Y. The complete plastome sequences of Caroxylon Moq. (Chenopodiaceae Vent.) species from Kazakhstan // XX International botanical congress Madrid 2024 (XX International Botanical Congress Madrid 2024): Collection theses. Posters. – Madrid: Spain, 2024 – P. 714-715.
Conference papers: (indicating the paper format)
- Almerekova Sh.S. – poster presentation at the international practical conference “International Conference on Plant Biology and Biotechnology (ICPBB 2024)”, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2024. First place in the Best Poster Award nomination.
- Abugalieva S.I. – poster presentation at the XX International Botanical Congress, Madrid, Spain, 2024.
Personnel training
- a) defense of dissertations, supervision of PhD, master’s dissertations (full name of applicant, university, degree, topic, specialty, specialty code)
Osmonali B., Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, PhD (2020-2023), defended his dissertation on the topic «Comprehensive studies of the family Chenopodiaceae Vent. (Amaranthaceae Juss.) flora of the desert part of the Syr Darya river valley» in the specialty «geobotany» (supervisor — PhD, Veselova P.V., diploma number PhD00011655624).