Viral Diversity in Samples of Freshwater Gastropods (Caenogastropoda: Benedictiidae) Revealed by Total RNA-Sequencing.

Previously, the main studies were focused on viruses that cause disease in commercial and farmed shellfish and cause damage to food enterprises (for example, , and ). Advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have extended the studies to natural populations of mollusks (and other invertebrates) as unexplored niches of viral diversity and possible sources of emerging diseases. These studies have revealed a huge diversity of mostly previously unknown viruses and filled gaps in the evolutionary history of viruses.

Metagenomic Assessment of DNA Viral Diversity in Freshwater Sponges, .

Sponges (type Porifera) are multicellular organisms that give shelter to a variety of microorganisms: fungi, algae, archaea, bacteria, and viruses. The studies concerning the composition of viral communities in sponges have appeared rather recently, and the diversity and role of viruses in sponge holobionts remain largely undisclosed. In this study, we assessed the diversity of DNA viruses in the associated community of the Baikal endemic sponge, , using a metagenomic approach, and compared the virome data from samples of sponges and Baikal water (control sample).

Sex Associated Effects of Noise Pollution in Stone Sculpin () as a Model Object in the Context of Human-Induced Rapid Environmental Change.

This work simulates the consequences of HIREC using stone sculpins as model organisms. Sex-dependent effects of long-term noise exposure at mean sound pressure levels of 160-179 dB re 1 μPa (SPL) were measured. We applied a multilevel approach to testing the stress response: a comparative analysis of the macula sacculi and an assessment of hematological and molecular stress responses.

Amazing Discoveries of Benthic Fauna from the Abyssal Zone of Lake Baikal.

Lake Baikal is a natural laboratory for the study of species diversity and evolution, as a unique freshwater ecosystem meeting the all of the main criteria of the World Heritage Convention. However, despite many years of research, the true biodiversity of the lake is clearly insufficiently studied, especially that of deep-water benthic sessile organisms. For the first time, plastic waste was raised from depths of 110 to 190 m of Lake Baikal.

Virome Analysis of Near-Bottom Coastal Water of Lake Baikal.

In recent years, Lake Baikal has undergone significant changes in the composition of coastal communities associated with the increasing anthropogenic influence and global climate changes. In this context, we carried out metagenomic sequencing of the DNA viral community of an integral near-bottom water sample from the littoral zone of the lake.

Metavirome datasets from two endemic Baikal sponges .

Sponges are ecologically important components of marine and freshwater benthic environments; these holobionts contain a variety of microorganisms and viruses. For the metagenomic characterization of potential taxonomic and functional diversity of sponge-associated dsDNA viruses, we surveyed two samples of Baikal endemic sponge (diseased and visually healthy). In total, after quality processing, we have obtained 3 375 063 and 4 063 311 reads; of these 97 557 and 88 517 sequences, accounting for ca.

The diversity of the Baikal lineage of Pallas, 1766: molecular and morphological evidence.

In this paper, molecular analyses of Baikal hydras from the ' group', based on COI and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, and morphological analysis of their holotrichous isorhizas, were performed. Low genetic diversity and shared haplotypes were found between Pallas, 1766 and Swarczewsky, 1923 specimens, which is evidence of the mixing of these lineages.

Brown Rot Syndrome and Changes in the Bacterial Сommunity of the Baikal Sponge Lubomirskia baicalensis.

Mass mortality events have led to a collapse of the sponge fauna of Lake Baikal. We describe a new Brown Rot Syndrome affecting the endemic species Lubomirskia baicalensis. The main symptoms are the appearance of brown patches at the sponge surface, necrosis, and cyanobacterial fouling.

First detection of benthic cyanobacteria in Lake Baikal producing paralytic shellfish toxins.

Cyanobacteria were screened from the surface of diseased sponges, stone and bedrock in Lake Baikal for the presence of saxitoxin using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In sequel, eight paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) variants were identified using a MALDI mass spectrometry. Microscopic examination found that Tolypothrix distorta dominated in the biofouling samples.

Sub-Ice Microalgal and Bacterial Communities in Freshwater Lake Baikal, Russia.

The sub-ice environment of Lake Baikal represents a special ecotope where strongly increasing microbial biomass causes an "ice-bloom" contributing therefore to the ecosystem functioning and global element turnover under low temperature in the world's largest freshwater lake. In this work, we analyzed bacterial and microalgal communities and their succession in the sub-ice environment in March-April 2010-2012. It was found out that two dinoflagellate species (Gymnodinium baicalense var.