Excited to share a new study co-written with Ed Ricemeyer (LMU Munich), supervised by Manfred Schartl (U. of Würzburg) & Wes Warren (U. of Missouri).
We investigated how the Amazon molly has survived for 100,000 years (more generations) despite clonal reproduction.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
It is finally out! If you are interested in TE-derived CREs, and newly described, but evolutionary old KZFP-TE mechanistic modalities, read it at www.cell.com/cell-reports....
Thankful to everyone who took part in this work, namely @orpsf.bsky.social and other @trono-lab.bsky.social members. 🫀🧬✨
𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯: an integrase-like gene conserved across malacostracan crustaceans derived from a Ginger1 DNA transposon
We discovered a domesticated transposon in crustaceans, which has abandoned its mobility for a host function (likely reproductive).
doi.org/10.1093/gbe/...
A transposase-derived gene required for human brain development | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
New work on CR1 retrotransposons by my lab friends Alex and Chandler! Happy to have helped out along the way
New Year, New Paper!🎊
Pervasive cis-regulatory co-option of a transposable element family reinforces cell identity across the mouse immune system
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Centerpiece of Jason Chobirko's PhD, talented PhD student co-mentored by Andrew Grimson & me. Really excited about it!🧵
Folks, it is finally out! Our paper on T2T assemblies of the zebrafish genome is on BioRxiv:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
1/10 Genome maintenance by telomerase is a fundamental process in nearly all eukaryotes. But where does it come from?
Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral RTs, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Are you bravely deciding to do a postdoc in the US? And also interested in some combination of genomics, immunology, and transposons? If so, consider applying to my lab at the BioFrontiers Institute in Boulder, Colorado!
jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDeta...
🧪🧬 #TESky #interferosky
Just dropped our Mobile DNA review on HERVH, an ancient retrovirus now repurposed to build and defend the early human embryo. Call it genomic up-cycling!
I felt HERVH went unnoticed this year, so we published this as a refresher; two fresh data papers - coming soon.
🔗 doi.org/10.1186/s131...
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SCROTUS
I want to share our latest work on a forward simulation framework on transposable element evolution. The TE Evolution Simulation Suite, or TESS, contains three components that can simulate many scenarios of genome evolution under the impact of TEs.
Seeing transposons in action is just the pick me up I needed today!
📢The peer-reviewed version of our work on TEs driving innovation of F-box genes is out now on @molbioevol.bsky.social. 🎉
paper here:
academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...
Check my previous, but still up-to-date 🧵 to read the highlights. #TEsky #evosky #Celegans
Our May issue is live!
Yukihide Tomari et al outline repression mechanisms for transposons (which “jump” through the genome like monkeys [see cover]). Meanwhile, Sarah Signor et al dive into the evolution of one of these mechanisms: the piRNA system.
More here!
www.cell.com/trends/genet...
💥🥳 At long last, our latest paper is out!
Gag proteins of endogenous retroviruses are required for zebrafish development
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Led heroically by Sylvia Chang & @jonowells.bsky.social
A study which has changed the way I think of #transposons! No less! 🧵 1/n
This is a very cool article. They did T2T (high depth, low error) sequencing on genomes from FOUR generations of a family. 🧵
"Human de novo mutation rates from a four-generation pedigree reference"
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In this study, Hermant et al. describe the evolution of the retrotransposon MERVL and its cis-regulatory transcription factor binding motifs, highlighting the phyloregulatory adaptation at play during early embryogenesis.
Learn more here:
➡️ tinyurl.com/gd352270
Cryptic infection of a giant virus in a unicellular green alga | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
A project five years in the making, we've now published complete "T2T" genomes for six additional ape species! It turns out that finishing (and analyzing) six genomes is slightly more work than one... doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Do you have transposon-related research cooking, with some cool results you are exciting to share? Start thinking about registering to #EMBOMobileGenome workshop! Nov 4-7 2025 in Heidelberg. One of the historical TE meetings, with a diverse and welcoming community. www.embl.org/about/info/c...
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1/ Transposable elements are often called "jumping genes" because they mobilize within genomes. 🧬
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇
I am thrilled to share our story online at @cellpress.bsky.social . Big thanks to all authors: Zhiping, Bill, @lubanlab.bsky.social, Keith & bluesky-less!
authors.elsevier.com/c/1kjdaL7PXu...
How to tame a genome invader? It takes wild koalas 🐨🐨 to learn it.
#Retrovirus #koala #piRNA
More below 👇
Mutations of short tandem repeats explain abundant trait heritability in Arabidopsis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.07.641981v1
Happy to share our manuscript on the in situ visualization of the copia retrotransposon in its final form today published in @cellcellpress.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell/fulltex.... What’s new?
This looks quite cool, latest paper from Frank Johannes on somatic mutations in trees:
Branching architecture limits the rate of somatic mutation accumulation in trees
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Feels awkward but necessary to celebrate scientific progress in this imperiled time for US biomedical research.
Proud of our latest paper out today exploring the role of transposable elements in antiviral resistance to HIV 🦠
genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
🧵1/n
In this new Feature Review, Yukihide Tomari and colleagues examine repression mechanisms that silence transposons and discuss the dynamic coevolution of transposons and host defenses in animals.
Read for FREE till April 11th:
authors.elsevier.com/a/1keCScQbJF...
🥳Just published @nature.com. Over 25 years after the discovery of SPO11 as the enzyme responsible for initiating meiotic recombination, we finally succeeded in reconstituting its DNA cleavage activity.🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
One of the coolest and most novel findings I’ve seen in years. This is why I work in worms. To find things no one even really knew to look for. Like a conserved system that splices transposons out of mRNAs to prevent otherwise lethal insertions in essential genes! - www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
