Cheetah Acinonyx pardinensis (Felidae, Carnivora) from the Early Pleistocene of Crimea (Taurida Cave).

A mandible fragment of Acinonyx pardinensis (Croizet et Jobert, 1828) is described from the Early Pleistocene locality in the Taurida cave (Crimea, Late Villafranchian, about 1.8-1.5 Ma). This is the first discovery of the genus Acinonyx in the Pleistocene of Crimea. Along with other felids, such as Homotherium, Megantereon, Panthera, Lynx, and Puma, cheetahs were typical representatives of the Late Villafranchian faunas of Eurasia. In the Taurida locality, Acinonyx pardinensis is co-occurred with Homotherium crenatidens, Megantereon adroveri, and Lynx issiodorensis.

Etruscan Wolf Canis etruscus (Canidae, Carnivora) from the Early Pleistocene of Crimea (Taurida Cave).

The cranial and mandibular fragments of the medium-sized canid from the Early Pleistocene locality of Taurida cave (about 1.8-1.5 Ma) in Crimea are described and included in the hypodigm of the species Canis etruscus Forsyth Major, 1877, a common member of the Late Villafranchian fauna of the Circum-Mediterranean region. This species is reported for the first time from the Northern Black Sea region. The discovered evidence reinforce previous published idea regarding the periodically use of the Taurida cave by canids and other large predators as a den and shelter.

Mustela palerminea (Mustelidae, Carnivora) from the Early Pleistocene of Crimea.

The mandibles of two individuals of Mustela palerminea (Petenyi, 1864) are described  from the Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida cave in Crimea (Late Villafranchian, 1.8-1.5 Ma). This extinct mustelid species was a typical representative of the Villafranchian faunas of Europe. It is the first record of M. palerminea in Russia.

Mustela strandi (Mustelidae, Carnivora) from the Early Pleistocene of Crimea.

The dentary of Mustela strandi Kormos, 1934 is described from the Lower Pleistocene deposits (Late Villafranchian, 1.8-1.5 Ma) of the Taurida cave in Crimea. It is the first finding of M. strandi in Russia. This extinct mustelid species is rarely found in the Lower and Middle Pleistocene of Central Europe.

Chasmaporthetes lunensis (Hyaenidae, Carnivora) from the Early Pleistocene of Crimea.

A maxillary fragment of the extinct hyena Chasmaporthetes lunensis (Del Campana, 1914) is described from the Early Pleistocene locality of the Taurida cave (Crimea, Late Villafranchian, 1.8-1.5 Ma). The species was a typical representative of the Villafranchian faunas of Eurasia. This is the first record of the genus Chasmaporthetes in the Pleistocene of Crimea.

Evidence of Toxocara Eggs in Pachycrocuta brevirostris (Gervais, 1850) Coprolites from the Pleistocene of Taurida Cave (Crimea).

Coprolites of the hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris from the Lower Pleistocene (Upper Villafranchian) of Taurida Cave (Crimea) were studied. One of the three hyena coprolites contained helminth eggs. These eggs were assigned to Toxocara sp. based on their size and morphology. Toxocariasis was evidently a very common infestation among extinct hyena species. The find of toxocara in P. brevirostris coprolite from the Taurida Cave is the earliest evidence of roundworm infestation in P. brevirostris.

Animal models for researching approaches to therapy of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a relatively widespread genetic disease which develops as a result of a mutation in the gene DMD encoding dystrophin. In this review, animal models of DMD are described. These models are used in preclinical studies to elucidate the pathogenesis of the disease or to develop effective treatments; each animal model has its own advantages and disadvantages. For instance, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, and zebrafish (sapje) are suitable for large-scale chemical screening of large numbers of small molecules, but their disease phenotype differs from that of mammals. The use of larger animals is important for understanding of the potential efficacy of various treatments for DMD. While mdx mice have their advantages, they exhibit a milder disease phenotype compared to humans or dogs, making it difficult to evaluate the efficacy of new treatment for DMD. The disease in dogs and pigs is more severe and progresses faster than in mice, but it is more difficult to breed and obtain sufficient numbers of specimens in order to achieve statistically significant results. Moreover, working with large animals is also more labor-intensive. Therefore, when choosing the optimal animal model for research, it is worth considering all the goals and objectives.

Giant Hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris (Hyaenidae, Carnivora) from the Lower Pleistocene of Taurida Cave, Crimea.

The dental remains of a giant hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris (Gervais, 1850) from the Early Pleistocene locality of the Taurida cave (Crimea, Late Villafranchian, 1.8-1.5 Ma) are described. This species was a typical representative of the Villafranchian fauna of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Taurida cave was occasionally used by hyenas and other carnivorans as a den and retreat.

Early Pleistocene Lynx issiodorensis (Felidae, Carnivora) from the Taurida Cave, Crimea.

The cranial and mandibular remains of two adult individuals of Lynx issiodorensis (Croizet et Jobert, 1828) are described from the Early Pleistocene locality of the Taurida cave (Crimea, Late Villafranchian, 1.8-1.5 Ma). This lynx species was a typical representative of the Villafranchian fauna of the Eastern Mediterranean. A high craniological variability of L. issiodorensis is noted.

Pleistocene foxes (Vulpes, Canidae, Carnivora) from the Taurida Cave, Crimea.

A mandible fragment and four isolated teeth of the fossil foxes, Vulpes alopecoides (Del Campana, 1913), Vulpes cf. vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) and Vulpes sp., are described from the Early Pleistocene locality of Taurida cave (Crimea, Late Villafranchian, 1.8-1.5 Ma). Based on the size and morphological features, a mandible fragment and two M1 are attributed to V. alopecoides. The structure of m1 of Vulpes cf. vulpes is similar to that of V. vulpes and V. alopecoides, but the size greatly exceeds the size limits for the latter species. Although m1 of Vulpes sp. fits the size of the lower carnassials of V. alopecoides, its morphology is definitely unique among the Early Pleistocene representatives of the genus Vulpes.

TIRR: a potential front runner in HDR race-hypotheses and perspectives.

The majority of CRISPR-Cas9 methods for mutations correction are oriented on gene editing through homologous recombination that is normally restrained by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). A recently identified protein TIRR can bind a 53BP1 protein, a key effector of NHEJ, and inhibit its recruitment to double-strand break loci. Several studies elucidated the molecular mechanisms of TIRR-53BP1 binding and established bidirectional role of TIRR in 53BP1 functions and stability. It was proved that overexpression of TIRR promotes the double-strand break repair through homologous recombination. All findings, which were described in the review, allow assuming TIRR as a suitable target for enhancing efficacy of genome editing through homology directed repair.

Saber-Toothed Cats (Carnivora, Felidae, Machairodoninae) from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida Cave, Crimea.

This paper describes the maxillaries of adult specimens of saber-toothed cats Homotherium crenatidens (Fabrini, 1890) and Megantereon sp. from the Taurida Cave (Crimea, Late Villafranchian; age, 1.8-1.5 Ma). We discuss the morphometric variability in the morphology of the upper carnassials and the length of the С1-Р3 diastema.

First Finding of Etruscan Bear (Ursus etruscus, Ursidae, Carnivora) in the Crimea (Taurida Cave, Early Pleistocene).

A fragment of a bear skull with partially preserved dentition is descibed from the Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida cave (Crimea). The presence of P1-P3, the structure of P4, and sizes of the cheek teeth enable the identification of the specimen as Ursus etruscus Cuvier, 1823. The new find is the first in Crimea and the entire Russia and is of great interest due to rarity of this species in the Pleistocene of Eastern Europe.

Occurrence of the Giant Deer of the Genus Arvernoceros in Taurida Cave, Crimea.

The giant deer Arvernocerosverestchagini David, 1992, authochtonous species of the Early Pleistocene biota of North Black Sea coastal area, is discovered in Crimea. The giant deer was a member of fossil fauna of vertebrates from the Pleistocene deposits of Taurida karst cave. According to biochronological data, this fauna is dated to 1.8-1.5 Ma.

The Taurida Cave, a New Locality of Early Pleistocene Vertebrates in Crimea.

We describe a vertebrate assemblage from the Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida karst cave discovered in 2018 in central Crimea (Zuya village, Belogorsk raion). The assemblage is correlated with Late Villafranchian faunas of the Eastern Mediterranean and has an approximate age of 1.8-1.5 Ma.

First Finding of a Representative of Giant Mustelids of the Genus Eomellivora (Carnivora, Mustelidae) in Russia (Tuva, Upper Miocene).

In the late Miocene deposits in the Taralik-Cher locality (Tuva Republic), fossil remains of a giant mustelid of the genus Eomellivora Zdansky, 1924 have been found. This finding is the first reliable evidence of the Eomellivora inhabiting the modern Russia. Teeth of the Eomelliovra from Taralik-Cher are similar in size to those of E. wimani and E. piveteaui from the late Miocene in Eurasia. The morphology of teeth of the material from Tuva is most similar to that of E. ursogulo; therefore, it is considered a small form of Eomellivora ursogulo. The described finding expands the understanding of diversity, variability, and distribution of representatives of the genus Eomellivora in Asia during the late Miocene.

[CRISPR/CAS9, the King of Genome Editing Tools].

The discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 brought a hope for having an efficient, reliable, and readily available tool for genome editing. CRISPR/Cas9 is certainly easy to use, while its efficiency and reliability remain the focus of studies. The review describes the general principles of the organization and function of Cas nucleases and a number of important issues to be considered while planning genome editing experiments with CRISPR/Cas9. The issues include evaluation of the efficiency and specificity for Cas9, sgRNA selection, Cas9 variants designed artificially, and use of homologous recombination and nonhomologous end joining in DNA editing.

[BRAF-positive paucicellular variant of anaplastic carcinoma in the presence of tall cell variant papillary thyroid cancer]. / BRAF-pozitivnyi malokletochnyi variant anaplasticheskoi kartsinomy na fone papilliarnogo raka shchitovidnoi zhelezy iz vysokikh kletok.

To paper describes a case of paucicellular anaplastic cancer in the presence of tall cell variant papillary thyroid carcinoma. Microscopic examination showed that the differentiated component of the tumor was composed of papillary structures with tall cells, the height of which exceeded 3-4 times the width. Its anaplastic component consisted of fibrous tissue with occasional spindle-shaped cells and focal lymphocytic infiltration to the extent of 70%. The spindle-shaped cells expressed cytokeratins, ß-catenin, p53, and vimentin. The tumor cells and lymphocytes showed an association with Epstein-Barr virus. Molecular genetic study of the tumor revealed the following mutations: BRAF p.Val600Glu (p.V600e was), HRAS p.His27His (p.H27H), PIK3CA p.Glu545Lys (p.E545K), TP53 p.Arg248Gln (p.R248Q).