A5000157133- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Plant and animal studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Study of Mite Species
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control
- Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
- NF-κB Signaling Pathways
- Ubiquitin and proteasome pathways
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Planarian Biology and Electrostimulation
- Engineering and Materials Science Studies
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Biomedical Text Mining and Ontologies
- Biomedical and Chemical Research
- Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
University of Lausanne
2020-2025
University of Göttingen
2017-2022
University of Cologne
2021
University of California, Berkeley
2015-2020
Innovative Genomics Institute
2019
Office of the Director
2017
National Institutes of Health
2017
Seattle University
2015
Universität Hamburg
2000
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
2000
Transcriptional enhancers direct precise on-off patterns of gene expression during development. To explore the basis for this precision, we conducted a high-throughput analysis Otx-a enhancer, which mediates in neural plate Ciona embryos response to fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling and localized GATA determinant. We provide evidence that enhancer specificity depends on submaximal recognition motifs having reduced binding affinities ("suboptimization"). Native ETS sites contain...
Abstract Although it is widely believed that early vertebrate evolution was shaped by ancient whole-genome duplications, the number, timing and mechanism of these events remain elusive. Here, we infer history vertebrates through genomic comparisons with a new chromosome-scale sequence invertebrate chordate amphioxus. We show how karyotypes amphioxus diverse are derived from 17 ancestral linkage groups (and 19 bilaterian groups) fusion, rearrangement duplication. resolve two distinct...
Acoel-regeneration regulatory landscapes Some animals, including some types of worms, can undergo whole-body regeneration and replace virtually any missing cell type. Gehrke et al. sequenced assembled the genome Hofstenia miamia , a regenerative acoel worm species (see Perspective by Alonge Schatz). They identified variable motif corresponding to regulation early growth response ( egr ) gene that was involved in regeneration. RNA interference experiments validation second showed protein Egr...
Recombination is a fundamental process with significant impacts on genome evolution. Predicted consequences of the loss recombination include reduced effectiveness selection, changes in amount neutral polymorphisms segregating populations, and an arrest GC-biased gene conversion. Although these are empirically well documented for nonrecombining portions, it remains largely unknown if they extend to whole scale asexual organisms. We identify asexuality using de novo transcriptomes five...
Sex is beneficial in the long term because it can prevent mutational meltdown through increased effectiveness of selection. This idea supported by empirical evidence deleterious mutation accumulation species with a recent transition to asexuality. Here, we study purifying selection oribatid mites which have lost sex millions years ago and diversified into different families while reproducing asexually. We compare nonsynonymous synonymous mutations between three asexual sexual lineages using...
Significance Putatively ancient asexual species pose a challenge to theory because they appear escape the predicted negative long-term consequences of asexuality. Although asexuality is difficult demonstrate, specific signatures haplotype divergence, called “Meselson effect,” are regarded as strong support for Here, we provide evidence Meselson effect in an oribatid mite species, Oppiella nova , and show that not caused by hybridization or polyploidization. Our findings conclusive absence...
Abstract Reproduction is a key feature of all organisms, yet the way in which it achieved varies greatly across tree life. One striking example this variation stick insect genus Bacillus, five different reproductive modes have been described: sex, facultative and obligate parthenogenesis, two highly unusual modes: hybridogenesis androgenesis. Under hybridogenesis, entire genome from paternal species eliminated replaced each generation by mating with corresponding species. androgenesis, an...
Traditionally, the use of genomic information for personalized medical decisions relies on prior discovery and validation genotype-phenotype associations. This approach constrains care patients presenting with undescribed problems. The National Institutes Health (NIH) Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP) hypothesized that defining disease as maladaptation to an ecological niche allows delineation a logical framework diagnose evaluate such patients. Herein, we present philosophical bases,...
Some unique asexual species persist over time and contradict the consensus that sex is a prerequisite for long-term evolutionary survival. How they escape dead-end fate remains enigmatic. Here, we generated haplotype-resolved genome assembly on basis of single individual collected genomic data from worldwide populations parthenogenetic diploid oribatid mite Platynothrus peltifer to identify signatures persistence without sex. We found haplotypes diverge independently since transition...
A persistent concern with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing has been the potential to generate mutations at off-target genomic sites. While CRISPR-engineering mice delete a ~360 bp intronic enhancer, here we discovered founder line that had marked immune dysregulation caused by 24 kb tandem duplication of sequence adjacent on-target deletion. Our results suggest unintended repair cuts can cause pathogenic "bystander" escape detection routine targeted genotyping assays.
Late Cenozoic climate change led to the progressive aridification of Australia over past 15 million years. This gradual biome turnover fundamentally changed Australia's ecosystems, opening new niches and prompting diversification plants animals. One example are termites Australian Amitermes group (AAG), consisting affiliated genera. Although most speciose diverse higher termite in Australia, little is known about its evolutionary history. We used ancestral range reconstruction analyses...
Abstract Loss of sex and recombination is generally assumed to impede the effectiveness purifying selection result in accumulation slightly deleterious mutations. Empirical evidence for this has come from several studies investigating mutational load a small number individual genes. However, recent whole transcriptome based have yielded inconsistent results, hence questioning validity assumption meltdown asexual populations. Here, we study eight hexapod lineages their sexual relatives, as...
The species-complex of Synalpheus paraneptunusCoutière, 1909 is one the most behaviorally and sexually diverse groups sponge-dwelling shrimp in Synalpheus, containing both eusocial pair-living species. Accurate resolution this taxonomically challenging group crucial to examining evolution social behavior genus. New collections from US Florida Keys Cuba, along with examination previous Jamaica, Panama Belize, have yielded two new species: cayoneptunus n. sp. (described type material Keys),...
Abstract Sex is beneficial in the long-term, because it can prevent mutational meltdown through increased effectiveness of selection. This idea supported by empirical evidence deleterious mutation accumulation species with a recent transition to asexuality. Here, we studied purifying selection oribatid mites, which have lost sex millions years ago and diversified into different families while reproducing asexually. We compared coding non-coding mutations between three asexual sexual lineages...
Abstract Some unique asexual species persist over time and contradict the consensus that sex is a prerequisite for long-term evolutionary survival. How they escape dead-end fate remains enigmatic. Here, we generated haplotype-resolved genome assembly based on single individual collected genomic data from worldwide populations of parthenogenetic diploid oribatid mite Platynothrus peltifer to identify signatures persistence without sex. We found haplotypes diverge independently since...
Abstract Reproduction is a key feature of all organisms, yet the way in which it achieved varies greatly across tree life. One striking example this variation stick insect genus Bacillus , five different reproductive modes have been described: sex, facultative and obligate parthenogenesis, two highly unusual modes: hybridogenesis androgenesis. Under hybridogenesis, entire genome from paternal species eliminated, replaced each generation by mating with corresponding species. androgenesis, an...
Sex strongly impacts genome evolution via recombination and segregation. In the absence of these processes, haplotypes within lineages diploid organisms are predicted to accumulate mutations independently each other diverge over time. This so-called ‘Meselson effect’ is regarded as a strong indicator long-term under obligate asexuality. Here, we present genomic transcriptomic data three populations asexual oribatid mite species Oppiella nova its sexual relative subpectinata . We document...
Abstract Late Cenozoic climate change led to the progressive aridification of Australia over past 15 million years. This gradual biome turnover fundamentally changed Australia’s ecosystems, opening new niches and prompting diversification plants animals. One example is Australian Amitermes Group (AAG), consisting affiliated genera. Although it represents most speciose diverse higher termite group in Australia, little known about its evolutionary history. We used ancestral range...