Fundamental results have been obtained relating to the adaptive mechanisms of the animal organism that regulate physiology, the structure of organ systems and their regenerative potential, the creation of models of pathological states in humans and animals, and research into the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of pathology and ways to correct it.
Under the supervision of N.A. Ushakova, Dr. Sci. (Biol.), fundamental data have been obtained leading to applied results in creating the scientific basis for the bioconversion of organic substrates, including agro-industrial waste; the basis for technology to produce feed additives; and new methods for diagnosing and preventing neurodegenerative diseases.
The laboratory has studied the effect of a complex probiotic containing bacteria of the genus Bacillus and biomass of Hermetia illucens larvae on juvenile red tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus x O. niloticus) and Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedti). The data obtained show that including this complex probiotic preparation with Bacillus bacteria and homogenized Hermetia illucens larval biomass in artificial feed for juvenile tilapia and sturgeon had a significant effect on both fish species reared in recirculating aquaculture systems: it improved metabolism, increased feed nutrient digestibility, led to increased mass gain and stimulated development of reproductive organs, helped maintain normal physiological status of the fish, and ensured their high survival rate.
The laboratory has developed conditions for breeding a culture of the fly Hermetia illucens with confirmed morphological and genetic characteristics. It has been established that the fly larvae can actively develop on plant substrates when air temperature (28°C) and 60% substrate humidity are maintained. The genetic proximity of the culture used to Hermetia illucens populations from Yangyang, Bonghwa, and Gurae (South Korea) suggests that the insect likely originated in Southeast Asia. It has also been shown that Hermetia illucens larvae can be used for the biological processing of solid agro-industrial plant waste in northern latitudes in enclosed premises with maintenance of the necessary life-support parameters. The fiber content of the feed substrate is a factor that, on one hand, limits larval growth, but on the other can stimulate insect digestion and increase the efficiency of the bioconversion process.
A fundamental result has been obtained showing the presence of eumelanin, which has antibacterial activity, in the larvae of the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens. Elevated manganese content was found for the first time in the larvae, present in prepupae as a biologically active divalent form. It has been suggested that Mn2+ is linked to the active synthesis of melanin, which protects against UV and solar radiation during the migration of prepupae to the substrate surface for pupation. Biologically active manganese apparently also stimulates sexual maturation of fish in aquaculture when a microdose of thermo-vacuum-pulse (TVP)-dried prepupae is introduced into the diet of juvenile Russian sturgeon and Mozambique tilapia.
The biological features of the darkling beetle Alphitobius diaperinus have been studied during culture rearing under artificial conditions. Extracts were obtained from the biomass of adult Alphitobius diaperinus beetles. It has been reliably established that the aqueous extract is able to reduce the development of sensorimotor impairments occurring in C57 mice after systemic administration of the proneurotoxin MPTP, which induces symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Fractionation of the extract reduces the biological efficacy of the extracts.
The group of V.M. Kovalzon works actively within the laboratory. V.M. Kovalzon has been a member of the USSR/Russian Academy of Sciences since 1967 and a staff member of IEMEZh/IEE since 1973, where he rose from junior researcher (candidate of sciences) to chief researcher (doctor of sciences). V.M. Kovalzon is a leading specialist in the physiology and neurochemistry of the sleep-wake cycle, an expert of the Russian Academy of Sciences, head of the Somnology Section of the I.P. Pavlov Physiological Society, chairman of the board of the National Somnological Society, and an honorary member of the European and American Sleep Research Societies. As principal investigator he has carried out a number of projects supported by grants from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Russian Foundation for Humanities, as well as programs of the Presidium of RAS and the Department of Physiology of RAS. He is currently (2017) conducting research within the framework of RSF project No. 17-15-01433, "Pannexin-1, a new participant in the systemic regulation of the sleep-wake cycle." The main partner is the Laboratory of Neurobiology of Wakefulness and Sleep of the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology RAS.
In the group of V.V. Voznesenskaya, using a wide range of modern methods, interdisciplinary fundamental and applied research is carried out in the field of inter- and intraspecific chemical communication in mammals. The chemical structure has been determined for a number of sulfur-containing compounds that carry information about population overcrowding in rodents and about the diet of a potential predator. The biological activity of the feline pheromone L-felinine in suppressing reproduction in the house mouse and the brown rat has been characterized. These compounds act as regulatory factors in the natural habitat of rodents and could be applied in practice to regulate the numbers of target populations. Research is underway to develop methodology for the practical application of such compounds.
A genetic model of specific anosmia to the volatile steroid androstenone was developed through collaboration between the research groups of V.V. Voznesenskaya and C. Wysocki (Monell Chemical Senses Center, USA), based on two inbred mouse lines, NZB/B1NJ (NZB) and CBA/J (CBA), which differ with respect to this trait. A number of putative loci controlling sensitivity to volatile steroids and inter-male aggression were mapped (Klyuchnikova, Voznessenskaya, 2011; Klyuchnikova et al., 2015). Although specific anosmia is genetically determined, the phenotype is dynamic (Voznessenskaya, Klyuchnikova, 2017). Daily exposures induce sensitivity. A new phenomenon — induced sensitivity to olfactory stimuli — was described, and its universality was experimentally demonstrated both for individual substances (biologically significant and insignificant) and for complex mixtures such as animal secretions (Voznessenskaya et al., 1995; Sokolov, Voznesenskaya, Wysocki, 1996). This phenomenon reflects the plasticity of chemical communication processes in animals. Plasticity in the olfactory analyzer significantly expands the organism's adaptive capabilities. The ability to modify an animal's sensitivity to various odorants depending on the surrounding olfactory environment and prior history of olfactory contacts can broaden such adaptive capabilities as searching for a potential mate or distant food sources, or detecting signals of potential danger, which ultimately determines the animal's adaptability to a given environment. Induced sensitivity to olfactory stimuli is highly specific and does not affect general olfactory sensitivity or sensitivity to substances structurally or functionally unrelated to the stimulating substance (Voznessenskaya, Wysocki, 1994). A two-week period from the moment the eyes open in rodents is critical both for the induction of sensitivity and for modification of sensitivity to substances and complex mixtures (Voznessenskaya et al., 1999). The timing of this sensitive period coincides with the period of synaptogenesis in the brain. Prolonged exposures (1 week or more) cause long-term changes in the olfactory sensitivity of house mice at the behavioral level and irreversible changes at the level of the olfactory epithelium (Voznessenskaya et al., 1999; Voznessenskaya, Wysocki, 2001). Both peripheral and central brain structures are involved in the processes of induction of sensitivity to odorants (Voznessenskaya et al., 2010). The group of V.V. Voznesenskaya has developed the first standardized quantitative test in Russia for assessing olfactory function in the Russian population, based on the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test™. The test is intended for introduction into medical practice to detect various types of olfactory impairment. Olfactory impairment is a marker of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The test is suitable both for large-scale population studies and for use in field and expedition conditions.
The relationship between characteristics of sexual behavior and indicators of sperm competitiveness in males was studied in taxa of the Mus musculus s.l. superspecies complex. It was shown that selection for increased sperm competitiveness in males can act both at the level of behavior and at the level of the physiology of the reproductive system, causing changes in both sexual behavior and the physiological characteristics of sperm in male house mice (Ambaryan et al., 2015).
Since the laboratory's founding, the work of young staff members has received several awards.
At the 9th International Biotechnology Forum "RosBioTech-2015," a Gold Medal was awarded for the work "Production of biomass of the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens larvae on organic substrates, processing into a feed product, and inclusion in a complex probiotic preparation" (A.I. Bastrakov).
Young laboratory scientists have repeatedly been awarded grants by international professional organizations to present their research results at international congresses: from the European Chemoreception Research Organization (ECRO) — T.V. Malanina (2011), I.G. Kvasha (2012), A.B. Klinov (2013), T.K. Laktionova (2014, 2015); from the International Behavioral and Neural Genetics Society (IBANGS) — M.A. Klyuchnikova (2014); from the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) — I.G. Kvasha (2016). Work presented at international conferences also received awards: at the 4th Conference of the International Society for Wildlife Endocrinology (Chicago, USA, 2013), 1st place in the poster competition was awarded (Laktionova T.K., Voznesenskaya A.E., Klyuchnikova M.A., Voznesenskaya V.V.); at the international conference "Chemical Signals in Vertebrates" (Berlin, 2011), 2nd place in the poster competition was awarded (Klinov A.B., Malanina T.V., Kvasha I.G., Voznesenskaya V.V.).