Tapeworms of the genus Dibothriocephalus are widely distributed throughout the world, some of which are agents of human diphyllobothriasis, one of the most important fish-borne zoonoses caused by a cestode parasite. Genomic and transcriptomic data can be used to develop future diagnostic tools and epidemiological studies. The present work focuses on a comparative analysis of the transcriptomes of adult and plerocercoid D. dendriticus and the identification of their differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Transcriptome assembly and analysis yielded and annotated 35,129 unigenes, noting that 16,568 (47%) unigenes were not annotated in known databases, which may indicate a unique set of expressed transcripts for D. dendriticus. A total of 8022 differentially expressed transcripts were identified, including 3225 upregulated and 4797 downregulated differentially expressed transcripts from the plerocercoid and adult animals. The analysis of DEGs has shown that among the most differentially expressed genes, there are important genes characteristic of each stage. Thus, several genes are characteristic of D. dendriticus plerocercoids, including fatty acid-binding protein and ferritin. Among the most highly expressed DEGs of the adult stage of D. dendriticus is the Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor, in two putative isoforms. The analyses of GO and KEGG metabolic pathways revealed that a large number of the DEGs of D. dendriticus are associated with the biosynthesis of various substances such as arginine and folate, as well as with various metabolic pathways such as galactose metabolism, selenocompound metabolism, and phosphonate and phosphinate metabolism. This will contribute to further research aimed at identifying targets for new generation drugs and the development of specific vaccines.

Microtubules are formed by α- and β-tubulin heterodimers nucleated with γ-tubulin. Tubulins are conserved eukaryotic proteins. Previously, it was shown that microtubules are involved in diatom silica frustule morphogenesis. Diatom frustules are varied, and their morphology is species-specific. Despite the attractiveness of the problem of elucidating the molecular mechanisms of genetically programmed morphogenesis, the structure and evolution of diatom tubulins have not been studied previously. Based on available genomic and transcriptome data, we analyzed the phylogeny of the predicted amino acid sequences of diatom α-, β- and γ-tubulins and identified five groups for α-tubulins, six for β-tubulins and four for γ-tubulins. We identified characteristic amino acids of each of these groups and also analyzed possible posttranslational modification sites of diatom tubulins. According to our results, we assumed what changes occurred in the diatom tubulin structures during their evolution. We also identified which tubulin groups are inherent in large diatom taxa. The similarity between the evolution of diatom tubulins and the evolution of diatoms suggests that molecular changes in α-, β- and γ-tubulins could be one of the factors in the formation of a high morphological diversity of diatoms.

The majority of emerging infectious diseases are caused by pathogens with zoonotic origin, and most of these emerged from wildlife reservoirs. Bats are diverse, and widely distributed globally, and are the known or hypothesized reservoir of a series of emerging zoonotic viruses. Analyses of bat viromes have been used to identify novel viruses with potential to cause human infection. We characterized the fecal virome of 26 samples collected from six bat species captured during 2015 in Moscow Region. Of these 13/26 (50%) samples were found to be coronavirus positive. We sequenced and assembled the complete genome of a novel MERS-related Betacoronavirus from Pipistrellus nathusii , named MOW-BatCoV strain 15-22. Of P. nathusii 3/6 samples were found to carriers of MOW-BatCoVs. The genome organization of MOW-BatCoV/15-22 was identical to other known MERS-related coronaviruses. Phylogenetic analysis of whole genomes suggests that MOW-BatCoV/15-22 falls into a distinct subclade closely related to human and camel MERS-CoV, and MERS-related CoVs from the bat species Hypsugo savii and Pipistrellus kuhlii (from Italy) and Neoromicia capensis (from South Africa). Unexpectedly, phylogenetic analysis of the novel MOW-BatCoV 15-22 spike genes showed the closest similarity to a bat CoV Neoromicia/5038 and CoVs from Erinaceus europaeus (the European hedgehog), thus MOW-BatCoV could arise as result of recombination between ancestral viruses of bats and hedgehogs. Computer molecular docking analysis of MOW-BatCoV 15-22 Spike glycoprotein binding to DPP4 receptors of different mammal species predicted highest binding interaction with DPP4 of the bat M. brandtii (docking score -320.15) and the European hedgehog, E. europaeus (docking score -294.51). Hedgehogs are widely kept as pets, and are commonly found in areas of human habitation. Our finding of a novel bat-CoV likely able to infect hedgehogs suggests the potential for hedgehogs to act as intermediate hosts for bat-CoVs between bats and humans.### Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.

The end-binding proteins are a family of microtubule-associated proteins; this family belongs to plus-end-tracking proteins (+TIPs) that regulate microtubule growth and stabilisation. Although the genes encoding EB proteins are found in all eukaryotic genomes, most studies of them have centred on one or another taxonomic group, without a broad comparative analysis. Here, we present a first phylogenetic analysis and a comparative analysis of domain structures of diatom EB proteins in comparison with other phyla of Chromista, red and green algae, as well as model organisms A. thaliana and H. sapiens. Phylogenetically, diatom EB proteins are separated into six clades, generally corresponding to the phylogeny of their respective organisms. The domain structure of this family is highly variable, but the CH and EBH domains responsible for binding tubulin and other MAPs are mostly conserved. Homologous modelling of the F. cylindrus EB protein shows that conserved motifs of the CH domain are positioned on the protein surface, which is necessary for their functioning. We hypothesise that high variance of the diatom C-terminal domain is caused by previously unknown interactions with a CAP-GLY motif of dynactin subunit p150. Our findings contribute to wider possibilities for further investigations of the cytoskeleton in diatoms.

Microbial diversity in the sediments of the Kara Sea shelf and the southern Yenisei Bay, differing in pore water mineralization, was studied using massive parallel pyrosequencing according to the 454 (Roche) technology. Members of the same phyla (Cyanobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes) predominated in bacterial communities of the sediments, while their ratio and taxonomic composition varied within the phyla and depended on pore water mineralization. Increasing salinity gradient was found to coincide with increased share of the γ-Proteobacteria and decreased abundance of α- and β-Proteobacteria, as well as of the phyla Verrucomicrobia, Chloroflexi, Chlorobi, and Acidobacteria. Archaeal diversity was lower, with Thaumarchaeota predominant in the sediments with high and low mineralization, while Crenarchaeota predominated in moderately mineralized sediments. Microbial communities of the Kara Sea shelf and Yenisei Bay sediments were found to contain the organisms capable of utilization of a broad spectrum of carbon sources, including gaseous and petroleum hydrocarbons.

High-throughput method of sequencing was applied to determine the complete nucleotide sequence of an araphid pennate diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians from Lake Baikal (East Siberia). The assembled genome has a total length of 98 Mbp, the mean coverage is 33x. Structure-functional annotation of the genome was performed.

Background Proteins of the major intrinsic protein (MIP) family, or aquaporins, have been detected in almost all organisms. These proteins are important in cells and organisms because they allow for passive transmembrane transport of water and other small, uncharged polar molecules. Results We compared the predicted amino acid sequences of 20 MIPs from several algae species of the phylum Heterokontophyta (Kingdom Chromista) with the sequences of MIPs from other organisms. Multiple sequence alignments revealed motifs that were homologous to functionally important NPA motifs and the so-called ar/R-selective filter of glyceroporins and aquaporins. The MIP sequences of the studied chromists fell into several clusters that belonged to different groups of MIPs from a wide variety of organisms from different Kingdoms. Two of these proteins belong to Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), four of them belong to GlpF-like intrinsic proteins (GIPs), and one of them belongs to a specific MIPE subfamily from green algae. Three proteins belong to the unclassified MIPs, two of which are of bacterial origin. Eight of the studied MIPs contain an NPM-motif in place of the second conserved NPA-motif typical of the majority of MIPs. The MIPs of heterokonts within all detected clusters can differ from other MIPs in the same cluster regarding the structure of the ar/R-selective filter and other generally conserved motifs. Conclusions We proposed placing nine MIPs from heterokonts into a new group, which we have named the LIPs (large intrinsic proteins). The possible substrate specificities of the studied MIPs are discussed.