Mark Pankin

@sev-in.ru

A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Mark Pankin


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https://researchid.co/pankinmarkipee
5

Scopus Publications

44

Scholar Citations

3

Scholar h-index

1

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • Fine sensory innervation of the contact surface of lamellae bearing adhesive setae in the tokay gecko
    M. S. Pankin, E. E. Voronezhskaya, Y. F. Ivlev
    Journal of Zoology, 2026
    The adhesive abilities of geckos have intrigued scientists across disciplines since the early 19th century. While the chemical and physical properties of the gecko adhesive system are well studied, the details of the neural feedback concerning contact between adhesive pads and the substrate remain unclear. In particular, there is a lack of data regarding the sensory input relating to perception of loading borne by the adhesive pads. Using immunohistochemical labeling of specific neural structures in combination with confocal microscopy, we report a previously undescribed array of sensory nerve endings within the seta‐bearing lamellae of the tokay gecko ( Gekko gecko L.). This innervation framework consists of a network of thin neuronal fibers forming an extensive plexus within the dermal layer of the lamellae, which terminate in discoid sensory swellings located within the epidermis, underlying the stratum corneum. The position, morphology, and organization of the described neuronal elements suggest their sensory role. These structures may directly register the mechanical load imposed upon the adhesive lamellae, constituting a “front‐end” component of the neuronal sensory system associated with the fine‐tuning of the fascinating adhesive performance of geckos.
  • Triploid hybrid formation in sympatric populations of sexual Darevskia portschinskii and parthenogenetic D. dahli
    Marine Arakelyan, Eugene Iryshkov, Oleg Nikolaev, Victor Spangenberg, Irena Martirosyan, et al.
    Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2025
    This work represents the first comprehensive study of triploid hybrids between the parthenogenetic rock lizard Darevskia dahli and its paternal species Darevskia portschinskii in newly discovered sympatric areas in Armenia. Cytogenetic, genetic, and morphometric analyses revealed that these hybrids are triploid, containing 57 chromosomes. They display intermediate scalation and differ from the parental species by their bright dorsal coloration and a distinct dark vertebral stripe formed by merged spots. The size of erythrocytes of triploids was significantly greater than that of the diploid parents. Triploids shared allelic variants of microsatellite loci inherited from both parental species. Of the nine captured hybrids, eight were sterile females with reduced ovaries, and one laid a single egg. These findings provide the first complex evidence of naturally occurring triploid hybrids between this pair of rock lizard species, which were previously hypothesized only from morphological traits and indicate their potential role in speciation through hybridization.
  • Natural repeated backcrosses lead to triploidy and tetraploidy in parthenogenetic butterfly lizards (Leiolepis: Agamidae)
    Eduard Galoyan, Roman Nazarov, Marie Altmanová, Sergey Matveevsky, Ivan Kropachev, et al.
    Scientific Reports, 2025
  • Irregularities in Meiotic Prophase I as Prerequisites for Reproductive Isolation in Experimental Hybrids Carrying Robertsonian Translocations
    Oxana Kolomiets, Irina Bakloushinskaya, Mark Pankin, Valentina Tambovtseva, Sergey Matveevsky
    Diversity, 2023
    The basic causes of postzygotic isolation can be elucidated if gametogenesis is studied, which is a drastically different process in males and females. As a step toward clarifying this problem, we obtained an experimental inbred lineage of the eastern mole vole Ellobius tancrei, whose founder animals were animals with identical diploid numbers 2n = 50 but with different Robertsonian translocations (Rb), namely 2Rb4.12 and 2Rb9.13 in the female and 2Rb.2.18 and 2Rb5.9 in the male. Here, we analyzed strictly inbred hybrids (F1, fertile and F10, sterile) using immunocytochemical methods in order to study spermatocytes during the meiotic prophase I. Previously, the presence of trivalents was assumed to have no significant effect on spermatogenesis and fertility in hybrids, but we demonstrated that spermatogenesis might be disturbed due to the cumulative effects of the retarded synapses of Rb bivalents as well as trivalents and their associations with XX sex bivalents. Alterations in the number of gametes due to the described processes led to a decrease in reproductive capacity up to sterility and can be examined as a mechanism for reproductive isolation, thus starting speciation.
  • Extraordinary centromeres: Differences in the meiotic chromosomes of two rock lizards species Darevskia portschinskii and Darevskia raddei
    Victor Spangenberg, Marine Arakelyan, Eduard Galoyan, Mark Pankin, Ruzanna Petrosyan, et al.
    Peerj, 2019
    According to the synthesis of 30 years of multidisciplinary studies, parthenogenetic species of rock lizards of genusDarevskiawere formed as a result of different combination patterns of interspecific hybridization of the four bisexual parental species:Darevskia raddei,D. mixta,D. valentini, andD. portschinskii. In particular,D. portschinskiiandD. raddeiare considered as the parental species for the parthenogenetic speciesD. rostombekowi. Here for the first time, we present the result of comparative immunocytochemical study of primary spermatocyte nuclei spreads from the leptotene to diplotene stages of meiotic prophase I in two species:D. portschinskiiandD. raddei. We observed similar chromosome lengths for both synaptonemal complex (SC) karyotypes as well as a similar number of crossing over sites. However, unexpected differences in the number and distribution of anti-centromere antibody (ACA) foci were detected in the SC structure of bivalents of the two species. In all examinedD. portschinskiispermatocyte nuclei, one immunostained centromere focus was detected per SC bivalent. In contrast, in almost every studiedD. raddeinuclei we identified three to nine SCs with additional immunostained ACA foci per SC bivalent. Thus, the obtained results allow us to identify species-specific karyotype features, previously not been detected using conventional mitotic chromosome analysis. Presumably the additional centromere foci are result of epigenetic chromatin modifications. We assume that this characteristic of theD. raddeikaryotype could represent useful marker for the future studies of parthenogenetic species hybrid karyotypes related toD. raddei.

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Triploid hybrid formation in sympatric populations of sexual Darevskia portschinskii and parthenogenetic D. dahli
    M Arakelyan, E Iryshkov, O Nikolaev, V Spangenberg, I Martirosyan, ...
    Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 146 (4), blaf128 , 2025
    2025.0
  • Natural repeated backcrosses lead to triploidy and tetraploidy in parthenogenetic butterfly lizards ( Leiolepis : Agamidae)
    E Galoyan, R Nazarov, M Altmanová, S Matveevsky, I Kropachev, ...
    Scientific Reports 15 (1), 3094 , 2025
    2025.0
    Citations: 9
  • Irregularities in Meiotic Prophase I as Prerequisites for Reproductive Isolation in Experimental Hybrids Carrying Robertsonian Translocations
    O Kolomiets, I Bakloushinskaya, M Pankin, V Tambovtseva, S Matveevsky
    Diversity 15 (3), 364 , 2023
    2023.0
    Citations: 8
  • Extraordinary centromeres: differences in the meiotic chromosomes of two rock lizards species Darevskia portschinskii and Darevskia raddei
    V Spangenberg, M Arakelyan, E Galoyan, M Pankin, R Petrosyan, ...
    PeerJ 7, e6360 , 2019
    2019.0
    Citations: 27
  • Fine sensory innervation of the contact surface of lamellae bearing adhesive setae in the tokay gecko
    MS Pankin, EE Voronezhskaya, YF Ivlev
    Journal of Zoology , 0

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Extraordinary centromeres: differences in the meiotic chromosomes of two rock lizards species Darevskia portschinskii and Darevskia raddei
    V Spangenberg, M Arakelyan, E Galoyan, M Pankin, R Petrosyan, ...
    PeerJ 7, e6360 , 2019
    2019.0
    Citations: 27
  • Natural repeated backcrosses lead to triploidy and tetraploidy in parthenogenetic butterfly lizards ( Leiolepis : Agamidae)
    E Galoyan, R Nazarov, M Altmanová, S Matveevsky, I Kropachev, ...
    Scientific Reports 15 (1), 3094 , 2025
    2025.0
    Citations: 9
  • Irregularities in Meiotic Prophase I as Prerequisites for Reproductive Isolation in Experimental Hybrids Carrying Robertsonian Translocations
    O Kolomiets, I Bakloushinskaya, M Pankin, V Tambovtseva, S Matveevsky
    Diversity 15 (3), 364 , 2023
    2023.0
    Citations: 8
  • Triploid hybrid formation in sympatric populations of sexual Darevskia portschinskii and parthenogenetic D. dahli
    M Arakelyan, E Iryshkov, O Nikolaev, V Spangenberg, I Martirosyan, ...
    Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 146 (4), blaf128 , 2025
    2025.0
  • Fine sensory innervation of the contact surface of lamellae bearing adhesive setae in the tokay gecko
    MS Pankin, EE Voronezhskaya, YF Ivlev
    Journal of Zoology , 0