Perennial studies of the migration activity of lamprey allow on the one hand to detect new patterns and mechanisms of this phenomenon, and on the other, to adjust already established ideas about the migrations of this group of animals. Summing up the intermediate of the work on the rivers of the Leningrad region, which were started in 2014, employees of the laboratory of behavior of lower vertebrates of the A.N. Severtsov IEE RAS proposed changes to the existing Lampetra Fluviatilis Lampetra Fluviatilis. Based on the generalization of their own long-term research and literature data, it was revealed that the migration activity of the larvae of the Lampetra Fluviatilis does not fade after the initial resettlement from the nest, but the entire larval phase continues. The ammocoetes (larvae) are mobile and move in the form of downstream migration. As a result, they are redistributed along the riverbed and beyond, falling into the mouth of the rivers, their deltas and in standing ponds (lakes, reservoirs, spaced seas). Migrants master new habitats and provide a connection between parts of the population of different watercourses. Previously, the larval stage of development in the life cycles of lampreys was designated as “sedentary” (sedentary stage), based on their hidden sedentary lifestyle and in no way taking into account migratory activity. In the proposed new scheme of the life cycle of the river lamprey, emphasis is placed on the migration of the ammocoetes and the relationship of this phenomenon with the water level in the reservoir. With a high degree of probability, the above is true not only for the river lamprey, but also for the other lamprey species living in similar conditions. Link to the article: Zvezdin A.O., Kucheryavyy A.V., Pavlov D.S. 2022. The place and role of downstream migration of ammocoetes in the life cycle of the European river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis (Petromyzontidae) // Journal of Ichthyology. Vol. 62. No. 7. P. 1269–1283. DOI: 10.1134/S0032945222060352

a – ordinary smolts migrating from the river to the sea; b – migrants from the lake. Gladyshevskoe, c - smolts from the Swedish lakes Vattern and Malaren (courtesy of Bo Delling). Understanding the structure of the species, especially when it comes to complexly organized species represented by different forms, is impossible without knowledge about its life cycle. The anadromic form of the Lampetra Fluviatilis river lampreys is widespread in the sea and fresh waters of Europe. Its freshwater (lake) forms are described for large lakes, such as Onega and Ladoga. However, to date, there is practically no information about the mechanisms of migration of such forms, and data on migrations in the sea are very limited. It is known that these migrations occur mainly in the spring - during the period of intensive melting of snow and floods. Researchers from the laboratory of lower vertebral behavior since 2014 have been studying the migration behavior of river lampreys at all stages of their life cycle. During these works, not only were new data for the region (Russian part of Fennskandia) obtained, but a new stage was opened in the migration of the lamprey smolts to the sea - a mass relocation from the lake. The relocation from the lake is an irregular event, it occurs in a critical flood, with a sharp change in hydrological and hydrochemical indicators. However, it was precisely thanks to the registration of this rare phenomenon that it was found that in the small lake Gladyshevskoye (Leningrad region) the smolts of the river lamprey can linger. It is most likely that before sliding from the lake the smolts of the lamprey lingered for an entire year. This is indicated by their size, larger than that of individuals migrating from the river to sea immediately after resin, as well as the parasites of Cuccullanus SP. being on another stage of development. The results are expanded by ideas about the mechanisms of the formation of potamodrome (lake) forms in lampreys due to the possibility of them inhabiting small lakes. It was also shown for the first time that relocating from the lakes to the sea during migration is possible not only by the spawners having swum against the current, but also by the smolts rolling downstream in the direction of the sea. Link to the article: Kucheryavy, A.V., Zvezdin, A.O., Polyakova, N.V. et al. A New Element in the Migration Cycle of the European River Lamprey Lampetra Fluviatilis: Downstream Migration from a Lake. Environ Biol Fish 105, 1857–1871 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-022-01249-1

Researchers of the IEE RAS Parasitology Center together with specialists from the “United Directorate of Taimyr reserves” conducted a study on the feces of wild reindeer deer (Rangifer Tarandus) to find out which helminths parasitize them. The material was assembled on the banks of the Heta River (71 ° 10 ’78” n; 98 ° 04’15 ”E), which the northern deer crossed during annual migration. In addition to the parasitic nematodes of the gastrointestinal tract of the Strongylida detachment (detected in the stage of eggs and living larvae), characteristic of all ruminants, and Paramphistum trematodes (eggs) typical of the northern deer, nematodes of the Protostrongylidae family, belonging to two morphological forms. The structure of these larvae corresponded to the appearance of Elaphostrongylus rangiferi (the only protostostrongilid typical for the Northern deer in Eurasia) and nematodes of the genus Protostrongylus (characteristic of Eurasia, but not for the northern deer). However, the analysis of the nucleotide sequences of two sections of ribosomal repetitions (ITS2 and LSU RDNA) showed that these larvae most likely relate to the types of Varestrongulus Elegunenensis and Orthostrongylus macrotis (Orthostrongylus was originally described as a Protostrongylus), respectively. (Both nematodes are parasitized in the respiratory system). The detection of the larvae of the genus Orthostrongylus in the northern deer is very unexpected. The genetic distance in the ITS2 and the absence of adults of nematodes at our disposal forces us to suggest that this may be a case: (1) conspecifics; (2) different species that may or may not belong to the same sister group. Protostrongilids found in the Taimyr Northern Deer can indeed be O. Macrotis, a non-Arctic parasite, which was previously observed only in North American deer and antilocapra. This assumption is confirmed by several facts. In particular, the detection of V. Elegunenensis larvae. In Finland, V. Alces and V. Capreoli are sometimes found in the northern deer, but they differ from V. Eleguneniensis (as the species was first described only 8 years ago); perhaps the last species in Eurasia has been noted by us for the first time. The northern deer is considered to be the secondary final host for V. Elegunenensis, and the Ovibos moschatus as the primary host. It is known that in the 1970s 30 sheep were brought to Taimyr: ten from the island of Banks (West Canada) and twenty from the island of Nunivak (West USA), and by 2011 their population had already grown to 7200 individuals. It is likely that V. Elegunenensis (and O. Macrotis) were introduced on Taimyr along with muskoxen from Alaska and Canada. It is known that the muskoxen are carriers of V. Elegunenensis and the representers of the Protostrongylinae family (although it is assumed that this is Protostrongylus stilesi or P. rushi due to sympathy with the rams of Dalla). In those northern latitudes where we took the feces, the muskoxen do not graze next to the deer, but in the more southern part of Taimyr in the winter, these ruminants intersect. Just as the change of hosts from the rams of Dalla to muskoxen occurred against P. Stilesi in Canada, the change of hosts from muskoxen to the northern deer could occur in relation to O. Macrotis in Taimyr. Therefore, the re-introduction of the sheep could be the source of both O. Macrotis and V. Elegunenensis. Such a phenomenon of Nematod introduction, together with the carriers from North America, repeats the history of Rumenfilaria Andersoni introduction in Eurasia with Fennoscandian deer. As an alternative, it is also possible that V. Elegunenensis is endemic for Russian northern deer. The studied northern deer are also sympatric with moose (Alce alces) and snow sheep (Ovis nivicola). Since the North American elk can be infected by O. Macrotis, Taimyr moose may be infected with some kind of related protostrongilid and, therefore, “share” it with the northern deer. In addition, in 1964, unidentified Protostrongylus was registered in Yakutia in snow sheep. From the Parasitology Center, IEE RAS, a candidate of veterinary sciences Olga Alexandrovna Loginova and a doctor of biological sciences Sergey Eduardovich Spiridonov participated in the study. From the "United Directorate of Taimyr reserves" - Doctor of Biological Sciences Leonid Alexandrovich Kolpashchikov. The article was published in Parasitology Research (Q1 in Scopus) (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-022-07754-7) and is available here: https://rdcu.be/c1d0e. Loginova, O.A., Kolpashchikov, L.A. & Spiridonov, S.E. FIRST Report of Orthostrongylus SP. (NEMATODA: Protostrongylidae) In Wild Reinder (Rangifer Tarandus) from the Taimyr, Russia: Nearctic Parasites in a Palearctic Host. Parasitol res (2022).

Figure 1. A-C - typical habitats of the Afar Triangle, D - map of material collection localities. The Afar Triangle is a unique tectonic formation where the Red Sea Rift, the East African Rift Valley and the Aden Range intersect. This is one of the hottest places on the planet, containing the lowest point in Africa - Lake Assal (−155 m below sea level) and the world's lowest volcano Dallol. This area is regarded as the cradle of human evolution, since it is here that the fossil remains of the earliest hominins (such as Ardipithecus ramidus, Ardipithecus kadabba, Australopithecus anamensis and Australopithecus afarensis) were discovered. The modern fauna of this one of the most remote regions of the Earth remained practically unexplored until recently. An international team of researchers led by the Head of the Laboratory of Microevolution of Mammals, IEE RAS, Doctor of Biological Sciences Lavrenchenko L.A., has created an inventory of the rodent fauna of the Afar Triangle. Using rodents as a model group, the level of evolutionary uniqueness of the biodiversity of this region was assessed in a wide regional and continental biogeographical context. Figure 2. Biogeographic relationships between the rodents of the Afar Triangle and their sister taxa found in: (1) the Somali-Masai region south of Afar; (2) in the east of the Sudano-Sahel region, northwest of the Ethiopian highlands; (3) in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula. 16 species of rodents have been established in the region, four of them (Gerbillus amoenus, G. pyramidum, G. dasyurus, Graphiurus sp. D) were first found in Ethiopia, and one (Ammodillus imbellis) was “rediscovered” here more than a century after its first registration. Comparative phylogeographic analysis showed that the Afar Triangle is part of the Somali biogeographic region, but its fauna is genetically different and includes narrow-range Afar endemics (Arvicanthis mearnsi, Acomys louisae, A. mullah, Gerbilliscus robustus R1, Gerbillus pusillus). To a lesser extent, there are taxa evolutionarily associated with the Sahara-Sahel region and with the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Compared to the neighboring Ethiopian Highlands, Afar's rodent fauna is relatively poor. However, as in the Ethiopian highlands, the evolutionary uniqueness of the mammals of the Afar Triangle is very high and this region can also be considered as a separate center of endemism. The work was carried out within the framework of the RFBR project no. 19-54-26003. Original publication: Bryja J., Meheretu Y., Boratyński Z., Zeynu A., Denys C., Mulualem G., Welegerima K., Bryjová A., Kasso M., Kostin D.S., Martynov A.A., Lavrenchenko L.A., 2022: Rodents of the Afar Triangle (Ethiopia): geographical isolation causes high level of endemism. Biodiversity and Conservation, 31(2): 629-650. Link to article: https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10531-022-02354-4

In early December, Jose A. Hernandez-Blanco and Taras Sipko, members of the IEE RAS, together with the Expedition-Tour company and the financial support of Igor Dontsov, completed the next stage of the expedition to study the behavioral ecology of the wolf and ungulates of Kolyma. The work was carried out in the upper reaches of the Korkodon and Omolon rivers. In these harsh and hard-to-reach places with high snow cover and temperatures around -40°C, a safe and highly effective method of catching wolves, Kolyma elk, reindeer and bighorn sheep was developed to provide them with GPS-Iridium satellite collars, collect samples for molecular genetic studies and make an assessment of the physiological state. During the work, zoologists caught a she-wolf, a male elk, a male reindeer and two bighorn sheep of both sexes. All satellite transmitters are working, regularly collecting data on the location of animals every hour. These data will allow specialists from the IEE RAS to identify the nature of the use of the location of tagged individuals, their dynamic interactions, and such important aspects of wolf ecology as the distribution of successful hunts in time and space. In the future, experts plan to collect data on eight families of wolves and their potential prey in this way. The use of telemetry and other modern remote methods for studying the wolf and large ungulates of the Kolyma will fill the gaps in our knowledge about the biology of these species in the northeast of Russia. In addition, regional authorities have shown interest in assisting with such studies.

The tradition of studying the wolf in the Soviet Union and Russia has deep roots and its own history. In the 70-90s of the last century, a group of wolf cub specialists actively worked in the country, which then turned into the Commission on Large Predators at the Theriological Society. Its leader was Professor D.I. Bibikov. This group regularly summarized all the newly acquired information and studies related to the biology of the wolf. However, in recent years there has been no such unifying principle. An article by authors from the Laboratory of Behavior and Behavioral Ecology of Mammals of the IEE RAS and the Society for the Conservation of Wildlife considers modern research on the wolf in Russia. The authors set as their goal to acquaint readers with the results obtained in Russia at the beginning of the 21st century. The work was published in Frontiers of Ecology and Evolution (Q1 WoS). The authors analyzed the literature on the study of the wolf in the 21st century. Research on wolves in Russia is carried out in various areas, such as population structure and population density in various regions, methods of population control and management, minimization of damage from predation by wolves, the relationship between wolves and their prey, general issues of behavior and behavioral ecology of the wolf, spatial organization, population genetics, phytogeography and phylogeny, wolf morphology, paleontology and domestication issues, helminthology, parasitology and the role of wolves in the spread of rabies. Works devoted to the wolf in Russia are published mainly in Russian and often in hard to acquire and little known publications and journals, which makes them practically inaccessible to the world scientific community. In this respect, works on paleontology and the history of the domestication of the dog present a pleasant striking contrast. As a rule, these works are published by large international teams in high-ranking scientific publications. An important part of these works is the results of whole genome sequencing of ancient and modern DNA and the construction of possible scenarios of the distribution, migrations and history of the interaction of the wolf with humans. The paper notes that Russian researchers are far behind the modern international level of study of wolves in technical terms. Thus, satellite GPS telemetry is used in isolated cases, and camera trap matrices and other modern remote methods for obtaining information are also clearly insufficiently used. However, there is a tendency of changing for the better. The largest part of the world's range of the wolf is located in Russia, where the species lives almost everywhere, in a wide variety of ecosystems and landscapes, from arctic deserts and tundras to steppes and semi-deserts. In such different habitats, this amazing species demonstrates a variety of adaptation strategies not only to natural conditions, but also to various types of anthropogenic influence. The widest set of human interaction scenarios and local adaptation patterns requires a large number of specialists for study and monitoring. With regard to the wolf, a differentiated approach to population management should be implemented, where scientifically sound and well-designed methods of monitoring and management should be of paramount importance. Unfortunately, the hunting press is still dominated by ideas about the extermination of wolves and a sharp reduction in their numbers. It is impossible to allow the extermination of wolves in any region of the country, and all subspecies of the wolf inhabiting the Russian Federation must be preserved. Currently, there is a clear shortage of qualified wolf specialists and attention to this most interesting species. Poyarkov AD, Korablev MP, Bragina E and Hernandez-Blanco JA (2022) Overview of Current Research on Wolves in Russia. Front. Ecol. Evol. 10:869161. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2022.869161

Engineering nanomaterials are widely used in various fields of human activity. Thus, silver-based nanoparticles are widely used in medicine, agriculture, and cosmetics. Modification of the surface of nanoparticles with various stabilizers is one of the most widely used methods for increasing their stability and expanding the possibilities of their practical application. However, one of the key issues in the use of nanoparticles is the assessment of their potential danger to living beings and humans. Previously, we evaluated the toxicity of silver nanoparticles after application of various types of organic stabilizers on freshwater fish (Abramenko et al, 2019). As part of the ongoing research, a study was conducted on the stability and toxicity of silver nanoparticles to marine organisms. Sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) embryos were used as a test object. It was shown that silver nanoparticles modified with some organic compounds in sea water remained stable for a long time. At the same time, the toxicity of silver nanoparticles decreased with an increase in their tendency to agglomerate in sea water. As a rule, silver ions were more toxic than silver nanoparticles. However, in some cases, the toxicity of organic stabilizers was comparable to that of silver ions. Thus, it was shown that the chemical nature of the stabilizer significantly affects the stability and biological effect of silver nanoparticle dispersions. Sea urchin embryos were more sensitive to silver ions and nanoparticles. The research has shown the necessity of using different test objects for assessing the potential hazard of engineering nanomaterials and simultaneously assessing the toxicity of organic stabilizers that are part of the modified nanoparticles. The results of the work are published in the journal Nanomaterials (Q1 WOS, IF=5.719) Abramenko N. (IEE RAS), Semenova M. (IBR RAS), Khina A. (MSU), Zherebin P. (MSU), Krutyakov Y. (MSU, NRC “Kurchatov Institute”), Krysanov E. (IEE RAS) ; Kustov, L. (MSU) The Toxicity of Coated Silver Nanoparticles and Their Stabilizers towards Paracentrotus lividus Sea Urchin Embryos. Nanomaterials - 2022. - Vol. 12. - 4003. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12224003

The venoms of predatory marine molluscs of the genus Conus are being studied intensively due to the biomedical applications of conotoxins, the neuropeptides they contain. However, some other groups of gastropods have independently acquired a venom gland morphologically identical to that of the Conus and presumably also use the venom for hunting and defense against predators. A group of researchers from IEE RAS and the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry performed the first comprehensive study of the venoms of the most interesting of these taxa, the genus Vexillum. A scientific article based on the results of the study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Ph.D. Alexander Fedosov, Ph.D. Sofia Zvonareva, Ph.D. Elena Mekhova and Ph.D. Polina Dgebuadze. Based on a detailed study of transcriptomes (a methodology for determining the composition of expressed genes) and proteomes (analysis of tissue protein composition) of the salivary and venom glands of four Vexillum species, the researchers showed that Vexillum mollusks do indeed secrete complex poisons. They are dominated by short protein toxins, the spatial structure of which is maintained by disulfide bridges between cysteine residues. In this respect, and due to the high number of post-translational modifications of amino acid residues, vexitoxins are strikingly similar to conotoxins. Many vexitoxins adopt spatial conformations (i.e., the relative positions of key amino acid residues) that are characteristic of the most physiologically relevant animal toxins. Therefore, vexitoxins have significant potential as a new source of bioactive peptides for medicine development and neuroscience. The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation. Related materials: Газета.ру: "Российские ученые придумали, как использовать яды моллюсков для обезболивания"

The Russian Science Foundation has summarized the results of the competition for projects of small individual scientific groups in 2022. The following projects will receive grants from IEE RAS: 1. Can beavers become a nature-oriented solution for preserving the ecosystems of floodplain reservoirs in the forest-steppe in the face of climate change?Head of project: Bashinsky I.V. 2. Microcrustaceans (Cladocera, Copepoda) of the north of Central Siberia: relic elements of the fauna, patterns of formation and variability of communitiesHead of project: Chertoprud E.S. 3. Effects of Deep Sea Habitat on Age and Growth of Marine and Freshwater FishHead of project: Korostelev N.B. 4. Population-genetic structure of semiaquatic predatory mammals in Russia and the countries of Transcaucasia on the example of the river otter (Lutra lutra)Head of project: Sorokin P.A. 5. Study of the features of adaptation to chronic stress in house mice of natural origin in order to expand the range of biological monitoring methodsHead of project: Voznesenskaya V.V. 6. Influence of intraspecific variability of the parasite on its development within the host and the success of infection transmissionHead of project: Mironova E.I. 7. Interspecific interactions in parasites under the influence of factors of external and internal (host organism) environmentHead of project: Gopko M.V. 8. Phylogeography and genetic structure of populations of gray rats (Rattus norvegicus) in RussiaHead of project: Maltsev A.N. 9. Distinguishing Complex Sound Signals in Age-Related Hearing Loss: Testing with Comb Spectrum SignalsHead of project: Nechaev D.I. We congratulate the winners and wish them successful implementation of their projects! Grants are allocated for the implementation of fundamental scientific research and exploratory scientific research in 2023-2024 in the fields of knowledge specified in the competition documentation, with a subsequent possible extension of the implementation period by one or two years. The size of one RSF grant is up to 1.5 million rubles annually. Grants will be allocated for the implementation of fundamental and exploratory scientific research in 2023-2024 in all areas of knowledge of the RSF classifier. The main objective of the competition is to create the development of new topics for research teams (including the definition of the object and subject of research, drawing up a research plan, choosing research methods) and the formation of research teams. The total number of members of the scientific team (together with the project leader) is from 2 to 4 people.

The purpose of the trip to the Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technology Center (Tropical Center) was to assess the opportunities and resources that IEE RAS has in Vietnam, as well as to determine what projects can be implemented there. Director of IEE RAS, Professor, Corresponding Member of RAS Sergey Valerievich Naidenko was accompanied on this trip by the director of the Russian part of the Tropical Center, Doctor of Biology Andrey Nikolayevich Kuznetsov. During the ten days of the trip, they visited all branches of the Tropical Center: the central one in Hanoi, the Primorsky one in Nha Trang and the South one in Ho Chi Minh City. In all departments, they toured the test sites where materials scientists work and spoke with colleagues who are involved in environmental research. Sergey Valerievich and Andrey Nikolaevich visited three static stations created by the Tropical Center - a static station in the Cát Tiên National Park (a typical tropical forest), a strip of the coast in Nha Trang, Bai Dai Nha Trang Beach (where colleagues work with corals) and a static station in Bidoup Núi Bà, which is located in the highlands, more than 1000 meters above sea level. The Tropical Center currently has 4 towers that describe changes in the flows of various gases (methane, carbon). The oldest tower - about 20 years old - stands in Cát Tiên National Park. As part of the trip, Sergei Valerievich met with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Vietnam, Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko. At the meeting, they discussed common ground and prospects for the development of the Tropical Center. The IEE RAS Director also met with the Vietnamese co-chairman of the Tropical Center, Major General Dang Khong Chien, and with the heads of departments. During the meeting, the directions of the center's work and promising areas of research were discussed. They also discussed preparations for the upcoming meeting of the Coordinating Committee, which will be held in Hanoi in December.