STUDYING THE DIVERSITY OF HELLEBORUS L. SPECIES. USING MOLECULAR GENETIC METHODS (LITERATURE REVIEW)

The paper presents a review on molecular genetic methods used to study the genetic diversity of various species belonging to the genus Helleborus L. It also briefly explains the significance and necessity for preserving rare, endemic species of natural flora in North-West Caucasus called Helleborus caucasicus A. Br. This species is listed in the Red Book of Krasnodar Territory and has a category and status: 3 "Vulnerable". Rare plant species have a fragmentary character, occurring in a limited number of habitats. Preservation of multiple genetically distinct local populations is the main task to prevent extinction of the species and to preserve its evolutionary potential. This paper describes the successful use of molecular genetic markers, as well as monolocus and multilocus, AFLP, RAPD, ISSR, SSR, etc. in studying the genetic diversity of the following species from the genus Helleborus L: H. odorus subsp. сyclophyllus, H. bocconei, H. viridis, H. lividus, H. argutifolius, H. vesicarius, H. niger, H. foetidus, H. thibetanus, H. dumetorum, H. abruzzicus and H. liguricus. The marking method proved to be quite informative and reliably assesses intra- and interpopulation diversity of rare species from this genus. The review also considers the success of the flow cytometry method in the study of karyotypes of hellebore species. Thus, karyotypic and cytogenetic traits of plants, including polyploidy and chromosome size, can be useful for the study of genetical affinity and taxonomic classification of species. The paper also provides a modern method of statistical analysis, which is an important research tool when studying the characteristics of vegetation distributions in communities and analyzing their dynamics. Currently, the genetic diversity of Helleborus caucasicus has not been studied, so the methods described in the scientific literature will allow us to develop optimal conditions for its study and outline a strategy for preserving rare species of the natural flora in Western Caucasus.