Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sofie Y. N. Delbare, Asha M. Jain, Andrew G. Clark, Mariana F. Wolfner
Summary: In this study, transcript and microRNA abundances in the female reproductive tract of Drosophila melanogaster were measured before and after mating. The results showed significant changes in gene expression, with many genes being upregulated and microRNAs being downregulated post-mating. These findings suggest that mating induces early changes in the female reproductive tract primarily through the upregulation of target genes and the downregulation of microRNAs. Furthermore, male-derived factors such as exosomes were not uniquely essential for this process.
Article
Cell Biology
Yang Fang, Fengchao Zhang, Yunhui Zhan, Meina Lu, Di Xu, Jiajia Wang, Qiujun Li, Long Zhao, Ying Su
Summary: Studies have shown that RpS3, a ribosomal protein in Drosophila melanogaster, is highly expressed in the reproductive organs of adult flies and its depletion in male germline cells leads to severe defects in sperm production and male fertility. Knockdown of RpS3 disrupts spermatid elongation and individualization processes, resulting in abnormal morphology and activity of mitochondrial derivatives in elongating spermatids. Additionally, RpS3 knockdown inhibits the formation of the individualization complex and leads to excessive apoptotic cells in the testes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jeroen Dobbelaere, Tiffany Y. Su, Balazs Erdi, Alexander Schleiffer, Alexander Dammermann
Summary: Cilia are cellular projections that perform sensory and motile functions in eukaryotic cells. In this study, a set of 386 human genes associated with cilium assembly or motility were identified by analyzing the presence and absence pattern in the genomes of diverse eukaryotes. The novel genes were further characterized and found to be related to cilium defects in fruit flies and nematodes. This dataset defines the core set of genes required for cilium assembly and motility across eukaryotes and provides a valuable resource for future studies.
Article
Biology
Scott R. Allen, Rebeccah K. Stewart, Michael Rogers, Ivan Jimenez Ruiz, Erez Cohen, Alain Laederach, Christopher M. Counter, Jessica K. Sawyer, Donald T. Fox
Summary: Codon usage bias plays a critical role in protein production and tissue-specific gene expression. This study investigates the impact of codon usage on tissue-specific mRNA and protein expression using codon-modified reporters in Drosophila melanogaster. The results reveal distinct tissue responses to codon usage bias, with the testis and brain being capable of expressing rare codon-enriched reporters. The findings also demonstrate conserved enrichment for rare codon usage in the endogenously expressed genes of both Drosophila and human testis, highlighting the importance of codon bias in tissue biology.
Article
Biology
Nilay Nandi, Zuhair Zaidi, Charles Tracy, Helmut Kramer
Summary: This study identified the mechanisms regulating neuronal autophagy. It was found that the PPM-type phosphatase Nil counterbalances the phosphorylation of Acinus-serine(437) and controls the level of neuronal autophagy. It was also discovered that exposure to Cd2+ increases the phosphorylation of Acinus-serine(437), leading to increased autophagy and protection against Cd2+-induced cytotoxicity.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jiaqi Li, Jingjing Wang, Peijing Zhang, Renying Wang, Yuqing Mei, Zhongyi Sun, Lijiang Fei, Mengmeng Jiang, Lifeng Ma, E. Weigao, Haide Chen, Xinru Wang, Yuting Fu, Hanyu Wu, Daiyuan Liu, Xueyi Wang, Jingyu Li, Qile Guo, Yuan Liao, Chengxuan Yu, Danmei Jia, Jian Wu, Shibo He, Huanju Liu, Jun Ma, Kai Lei, Jiming Chen, Xiaoping Han, Guoji Guo
Summary: This study generated single-cell whole-body expression landscapes of zebrafish, Drosophila, and earthworm using Microwell-seq. By integrating cell landscapes from eight representative species, the researchers developed a deep-learning-based strategy, Nvwa, to predict gene expression and identify regulatory programs. Conserved genetic regulation in vertebrates and invertebrates were revealed through comparison of cell-type-specific transcription factors. This work provides a valuable resource and a new strategy for studying regulatory grammar in diverse biological systems.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Janani Iyer, Siddhita D. Mhatre, Rachel Gilbert, Sharmila Bhattacharya
Summary: The review discusses the advancements in gravitational biology using fruit flies as a spaceflight model organism, providing significant information on neuro-behavioral, aging, immune, cardiovascular, developmental, and multi-omics changes.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amanda Kowalczyk, Omotola Gbadamosi, Kathryn Kolor, Jahree Sosa, Livia Andrzejczuk, Gregory Gibson, Claudette St Croix, Maria Chikina, Elias Aizenman, Nathan Clark, Kirill Kiselyov
Summary: Recent advances in genome sequencing have led to the identification of new ion and metabolite transporters, with the computational approach ERC being proposed for determining transporter localization. Experimental validation confirmed that the poorly characterized transporter SLC30A9 functions as a zinc exporter in mitochondria under normal conditions, highlighting the potential of ERC for predicting the functional context of novel transporters and proteins.
BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marta A. Santos, Marta A. Antunes, Afonso Grandela, Ana S. Quina, Mauro Santos, Margarida Matos, Pedro Simoes
Summary: Adaptation to warmer environments is crucial to prevent extinction, but the debate over the emergence of adaptive responses remains. This study examined the adaptive response of Drosophila subobscura populations with different biogeographical histories to two thermal regimes. The findings indicate that while there is some potential for evolutionary response to a warming environment, it is slow and population-specific, suggesting limitations to ectotherm adaptation to rapid temperature shifts.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Maria Losada-Perez, Mamen Hernandez Garcia-Moreno, Irene Garcia-Ricote, Sergio Casas-Tinto
Summary: Glioblastoma is an aggressive and lethal brain tumor that interacts with healthy surrounding tissues through cell communication and synapses, promoting tumor expansion and neurodegeneration.
Article
Entomology
Wei Dong, Justin Flaven-Pouchon, Ying-Hao Gao, Chen-Yang Song, Abeer El Wakil, Jian-Zhen Zhang, Bernard Moussian
Summary: The polysaccharide chitin plays a crucial role in insect cuticle formation. The study investigated the function of Chitinase 6 (Cht6) in wing development of fruit flies. The results show that Cht6 is involved in regulating chitin amounts and influences the cuticle thickness, wing shape, and expression of genes related to chitin biosynthesis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
D. Nashchekin, L. Busby, M. Jakobs, I Squires, D. St Johnston
Summary: By recruiting Patronin to the fusome and stabilizing more MTs, a polarized MT network is formed, along which Dynein transports oocyte determinants into the presumptive oocyte, breaking symmetry and selecting the oocyte.
Article
Biology
Lucia L. Prieto-Godino, Hayden R. Schmidt, Richard Benton
Summary: This study investigates the evolution of two organic acid-sensing receptors, Ir75a and Ir75b, from the Ionotropic receptor (Ir) family in drosophilids. It identifies a common 'hotspot' in their ligand-binding pocket that affects the specificity of both receptors and reveals at least two distinct functional transitions in Ir75a during evolution. Furthermore, it shows how odor specificity is refined by changes in additional receptor-specific sites, including those outside the ligand-binding pocket.
Article
Agronomy
Yaluan Bi, Xuan Zhang, Xuefei Chang, Jiaxin Li, Shan Xiao, Bo Zhang, Cong Dang, Linlin Sun, Hongwei Yao, Qi Fang, Fang Wang, Gongyin Ye
Summary: This study investigated the olfactory behavior of two Drosophila species and their pupal parasitoid to volatiles from bananas. The results showed that overripe bananas were most attractive to both flies and certain compounds had inducing or repellent effects on fly and parasitoid behavior.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Deeptiman Chatterjee, Caique Almeida Machado Costa, Xian-Feng Wang, Allison Jevitt, Yi-Chun Huang, Wu-Min Deng
Summary: This study reveals the mechanisms underlying the effect of polarity loss on cell plasticity through single cell RNA sequencing. The study of Drosophila ovaries reveals the link between Keap1-Nrf2 signaling and cell plasticity in early tumorigenesis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Camille Meslin, Tamara S. Cherwin, Melissa S. Plakke, Brandon S. Small, Breanna J. Goetz, Nathan I. Morehouse, Nathan L. Clark
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2017)
Article
Biology
Raghavendran Partha, Bharesh K. Chauhan, Zelia Ferreira, Joseph D. Robinson, Kira Lathrop, Ken K. Nischal, Maria Chikina, Nathan L. Clark
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Akanksha Singh, Norene A. Buehner, He Lin, Kaitlyn J. Baranowski, Geoffrey D. Findlay, Mariana F. Woffner
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wynn K. Meyer, Jerrica Jamison, Rebecca Richter, Stacy E. Woods, Raghavendran Partha, Amanda Kowalczyk, Charles Kronk, Maria Chikina, Robert K. Bonde, Daniel E. Crocker, Joseph Gaspard, Janet M. Lanyon, Judit Marsillach, Clement E. Furlong, Nathan L. Clark
Article
Ecology
Sumitha Nallu, Jason A. Hill, Kristine Don, Carlos Sahagun, Wei Zhang, Camille Meslin, Emilie Snell-Rood, Nathan L. Clark, Nathan I. Morehouse, Joy Bergelson, Christopher W. Wheat, Marcus R. Kronforst
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2018)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Amanda Kowalczyk, Wynn K. Meyer, Raghavendran Partha, Weiguang Mao, Nathan L. Clark, Maria Chikina
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jason Hill, Pasi Rastas, Emily A. Hornett, Ramprasad Neethiraj, Nathan Clark, Nathan Morehouse, Maria De La Paz Celorio-Mancera, Jofre Carnicer, Heinrich Dircksen, Camille Meslin, Naomi Keehnen, Peter Pruisscher, Kristin Sikkink, Maria Vives, Heiko Vogel, Christer Wiklund, Alyssa Woronik, Carol L. Boggs, Soren Nylin, Christopher W. Wheat
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gregory J. Brunette, Mohd A. Jamalruddin, Robert A. Baldock, Nathan L. Clark, Kara A. Bernstein
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Willie J. Swanson, Geoffrey D. Findlay
MOLECULAR REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Meaghan K. McGeary, Geoffrey D. Findlay
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biology
Amanda Kowalczyk, Raghavendran Partha, Nathan L. Clark, Maria Chikina
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andreas Lange, Prajal H. Patel, Brennen Heames, Adam M. Damry, Thorsten Saenger, Colin J. Jackson, Geoffrey D. Findlay, Erich Bornberg-Bauer
Summary: By analyzing the function and structure of the gene goddard, which emerged de novo at least 50 million years ago within the Drosophila genus, it was found that the protein structure has remained largely unchanged over millions of years of evolution.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Emily L. Rivard, Andrew G. Ludwig, Prajal H. Patel, Anna Grandchamp, Sarah E. Arnold, Alina Berger, Emilie M. Scott, Brendan J. Kelly, Grace C. Mascha, Erich Bornberg-Bauer, Geoffrey D. Findlay
Summary: Comparative genomics has identified genes that potentially evolved de novo from non-coding sequences, with atlas being one such gene required for male fertility in Drosophila melanogaster. This study sheds light on the integration of novel genes into biological processes, the links between genomic innovation and functional evolution, and the genetic control of gametogenesis.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Sarah A. M. Lucas, Allie M. Graham, Jason S. Presnell, Nathan L. Clark
Summary: Changes in gene family size have been observed as a response to different selective pressures. The PON gene family, encoding enzymes with arylesterase and lactonase activity, has been repeatedly lost in various aquatic mammalian lineages, suggesting its responsiveness to environmental change. Through evolutionary analysis, we identified multiple independent expansion events in different animal groups, as well as partial or complete gene loss events. The expansion of the PON gene family in mammals occurred after the divergence of reptiles but before the divergence of monotremes. These findings suggest that selective pressures, such as pathogen infection and oxidative damage, play a role in the diversification of this gene family.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Amanda Kowalczyk, Maria Chikina, Nathan Clark
Summary: This study identifies the genetic basis of reduced body hair in mammals and discovers hundreds of putative hair-related regulatory elements. It reveals the different evolutionary patterns and influences of genes and noncoding regions on hair growth and development.