ISSN 0095-4527, Cytology and Genetics, 2007, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 190–198. © Allerton Press, Inc., 2007. Original Russian Text © A.V. Nedoluzhko, D.B. Dorokhov, 2007, published in Tsitologiya i Genetika, 2007, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 72–81. 190 INTRODUCTION Herbicide-resistant genetically modified soybean has proved to be one of the transgenic plants in most demand among farmers. First of all, this can be explained by the specific nature of its agricultural tech- nology, ensuring a large profit for farmers while being environmentally safe in character. The productivity gain in weed-choked fields reaches 40%, while the amount of herbicides sprayed and energy consumption in soil cultivation are decreased and water loss substan- tially reduced. Herbicide-resistant soybean last year remained the dominant transgenic culture grown for industrial use in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Romania, Uruguay, and South Africa. Under the general concepts of tests for the biosafety of GM plants, special attention is given to the study of the genetic structure of populations of wild-growing relatives of transgenic plants in the centers of their spe- cies genesis and variety, as well as to their capacity to form hybrids with wild relatives. The study of wild soy- bean over the territory of the Far East of the Russian Federation (RF) can serve as an example. The Far East region is one of the main areas of soy- bean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivation in the RF (Fig. 1). At the same time, this region is also the habitat of wild soybean (G. soja Sieb. and Zucc.) in the genetic center of genesis of this species (Fig. 2). In tackling the problem of the biosafety of releasing herbicide-resis- tant transgenic soybean plants into the environment, the potential risks of transferring the herbicide resistance trait to the Far East wild soybean had to be assessed. For these purposes, the wild soybean population’s genetic structure had to be assessed and it was neces- sary to clarify, based on geobotanical descriptions of plants across the region, whether wild soybean was a weed or could potentially turn into one in the future if it acquired the herbicide resistance gene. It should especially be noted that employing transgenic culti- vated soybean plants with glyphosate resistance as a model allowed us to assess more correctly the possibil- ity of natural cross-pollination between wild and culti- vated soybean species since it enables more correct identification of potential interspecies hybrids when cultivated soybean plays the pollinator. Such experi- ments on interspecies crossing have also allowed pre- diction of the potential risks of herbicide resistance gene transgression to the wild soybean population. Study of the Biosafety of Genetically Modified Soybean in the Center of Its Origin and Diversity in the Far East of the Russian Federation A. V. Nedoluzhko and D. B. Dorokhov Bioinzheneriya Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Shestidesyatiletiya Oktyabrya 7, korp. 1, Moscow, 117312 Russia e-mail: nedoluzhko@gmail.com Received July 14, 2006 Abstract—Wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.) is the nearest relative of cultivated soybean (G. max (L.) Merr.). Study of the population genetic structure of wild-growing relatives of genetically modified (GM) plants in the centers of their origin is one of the main procedures before introduction of GM crops in these areas. We studied the genetic variability of nine wild-growing soya populations of Primorskii krai using RAPD anal- ysis. The level of genetic variability of G. soja was considerably higher than that of G. max. We analyzed phy- logenetic relationships in the genus Glycine subgenus Soja using RAPD markers. Our data confirm the validity of allocation to G. gracilis of the rank of species. DOI: 10.3103/S0095452707030097 Fig. 1. Distribution of wild soybean (G. soja) on the terri- tory of the Russian Federation.