[Morphological Features of the Transgenic Tobacco Plant Shoot Expressing the 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutagyl-CoA Reductase (HMG1) Gene in the Direct and Reverse Orientations Towards the Promoter].

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG1) catalyzes the formation of mevalonic acid, the key intermediate of the cytosolic isoprenoid synthesis pathway. The parameters of stem and leaf growth were studied in the transgenic tobacco plants that express the HMG1 gene in both sense and antisense orientations towards the constitutive promoter. The transgenic plant height did not significantly differ from that of the control plants, though the plants carrying the sense copy of the HMG1 gene were considerably taller than plants that carried the antisense gene copy.

[Monitoring public health state in solving ecologic problems of cities].

The article covers morbidity and demographic changes in inhabitants of territories subjected to high geochemical load, exemplified by Ust-Kamenogorsk of East Kazakhstan region over 2005-2009. The authors revealed some unfavorable trends in medical and social processes in the region. The most sensitive to anthropogenic pollution are: infant mortality, general morbidity among adolescents and children, primary morbidity among children and adults, when compared to the reference area (Shiutchinsk).