Genome Biology and Evolution

Recurrent Evolutionary Innovations in Rodent and Primate Schlafen Genes Abstract. SCHLAFEN proteins are a large family of RNase-related enzymes carrying essential immune and developmental functions. Despite these important role

Mordier, @antoinemolaro.bsky.social et al. applied phylogenomic approaches to characterize the evolutionary trajectories and selective forces shaping mammalian Schlafen genes.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf172

#genome #evolution

GBE | Laboratory Evolution Reveals Transcriptional Mechanisms Underlying Thermal Adaptation of Escherichia coli

Rychel et al. reveal that optimal coordination of stress responses and metabolism can be achieved with a small number of regulatory mutations, and may suggest a new role for large protein export systems.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf171

#genome #evolution #ecoli

GBE | Loss and Gain of Aqp10 Paralogs With Broad Solute Selectivity in Anguillid Eels

Nagashima et al. investigated the evolutionary history of paralogs of Aqp10 - a member of the aquaglyceriporin family, which transports small, uncharged solutes - in anguillid eels.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf169

#genome #evolution

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, Structural Variants, and Short Tandem Repeats Capture Distinct Signals of Adaptive Divergence in the Atlantic Puffin Abstract. The Arctic has been the scene for (re)colonization, diversification, and adaptation of boreal and Arctic fauna. As anthropogenic warming of the A

New publication: "Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, Structural Variants, and Short Tandem Repeats Capture Distinct Signals of Adaptive Divergence in the #Atlantic #Puffin" with O. Kersten, B. Star, K. Jakobsen and S. Boessenkool from @biovitenskap.bsky.social
Published in @genomebiolevol.bsky.social

Structural variation makes an important contribution to genetic diversity. An integrated analysis of long-read and short-read sequencing data created an expanded database of structural variation in canines. Several structural variants, including multiple mobile element insertions, have frequency profiles across major clades of modern dog breeds consistent with selection.

Schall & @jeffreymkidd.bsky.social characterized structural variation in dogs using a combination of long- and short-read data and genome assemblies. Several SVs have frequency profiles across breeds consistent with selection.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf173

#genome #evolution #TEsky

Genome Biology and Evolution | October 2025 cover

The October cover of Genome Biology and Evolution features the work of @jdmanthey.bsky.social et al., who evaluated changes in genetic diversity of Ethiopian birds using genome data from contemporary and historical samples.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf163

#genome #evolution #birds

Evolutionary Diversification and Functions of the Candidate Male Killing Gene wmk Abstract. Symbiont-mediated male killing (MK) is a mechanism that selectively eliminates male offspring, often by disrupting sex-specific developmental pro

🧬🔬 New from @symbionticism.bsky.social Lab:

The male-killing gene wmk in Wolbachia shows 5 phylogenetic Types across 32 genomes.

Lepidoptera have more copies & diversity than Drosophila (Types I & III).

Expression levels shape male-biased lethality.

Read → academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

Volume 17 Issue 9 | Genome Biology and Evolution | Oxford Academic The official journal of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. Publishes original research on the evolutionary advances at the forefront of genomics, embracing genome-wide evolutionary inves...

This study was featured on the cover of the September edition of GBE.

See more articles from this month here: academic.oup.com/gbe/issue/17/9

GBE | Gene Family Evolution Suggests Correlated Dietary Adaptations in Butterflies and Moths

Weng et al. examined 431 genomes of butterflies and related lineages, revealing that horizontal transfer of digestion and detoxification genes facilitated the evolution of herbivory, enabling butterflies to co-evolve with angiosperm hosts.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf156

#genome #evolution #HGTsky

Thank you, Stefan and colleagues, for choosing to publish your research with GBE!

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, Structural Variants, and Short Tandem Repeats Capture Distinct Signals of Adaptive Divergence in the Atlantic Puffin Abstract. The Arctic has been the scene for (re)colonization, diversification, and adaptation of boreal and Arctic fauna. As anthropogenic warming of the A

Article alert! Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, Structural Variants, and Short Tandem Repeats Capture Distinct Signals of Adaptive Divergence in the Atlantic Puffin url: academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...

Saliva Protein Genes in Humans were Shaped During Primate Evolution Abstract. Genes within the secretory calcium-binding phosphoprotein locus diversified along with the formation of a calcified skeleton in vertebrates, the

What have 🦷🦷 #TEETH 🦷🦷, 🥛 #MILK 🥛, and💧💧 #SALIVA 💧💧to do with each other? Ask PetarPajic, Luane Landau, and Omer Gokcumen @gokcumenlab.bsky.social ❗️

academic.oup.com/gbe/article-...

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Special Section in GBE: Structural Phylogenetics

Here we showcase novel work on how 3D protein structures can reshape evolutionary biology, from methods to applications.

More papers coming out soon!

@genomebiolevol.bsky.social @proteinmechanic.bsky.social

academic.oup.com/gbe/search-r...

SCPP gene presence/absence phylogeny. Blocks represent genes within the SCPP locus, color-coded by functional relevance: enamel (purple), milk (blue), saliva (yellow), and genes implicated in all three functions (red). The animal phylogeny is shown on the left with species silhouettes. Two primate species (baboon and green monkey) are depicted placing blocks representing saliva-related genes at the points in evolution where these genes emerged. Imagine designed in BioRender.

Pajic, @gokcumenlab.bsky.social @spit-lab.bsky.social et al. explored the evolution of saliva-related SCPP genes, observing extensive diversification of SCPP genes within mammals, driven by gene duplications and losses.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf165

#genome #evolution #primates

And finally formatted :)
Complex Genomic Landscape of Inversion Polymorphism in Europe's Most Destructive Forest Pest
academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

photo credit: Gilles San Martin

Coyote genes may show urban evolution at work A new study by Elizabeth Carlen, a postdoctoral fellow with the Living Earth Collaborative at WashU, outlines the ways by which city life may be shaping the evolution of urban coyotes, the highly adap...

Science to read for your weekend:
first up:
Urban Coyotes are evolving to handle more human foods. #UrbanEcology 🧪 🐕
source.washu.edu/2025/01/coyo...

academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

A class of allopolyploidy showing high duplicate retention and continued homoeologous exchanges Abstract. We describe four ancient polyploidy events where the descendant taxa retain many more duplicated gene copies than has been seen in other paleopol

Cool new work! Some lineages experiencing ancient whole-genome duplications seem to hold on to their duplicate genes for a really long time & keep accumulating homoeologous exchange events! Runs counter to early models where gene loss is expected to be rapid post-WGD academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

Genomic Insights into Fertilization: Tracing PLCZ1 Orthologs Across Amphibian Lineages Abstract. Fertilization triggers a cascade of events, including a rise in egg cytosolic calcium that marks the onset of embryonic development. In mammals a

This was a fun little paper with Rachel Bainbridge where we discovered that Xenopus laevis, a model organism in fertilization research, lacks the gene for PLCZ1, an enzyme previously thought to be essential for fertilization. 🧪

academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

Genetic predisposition towards multicellularity in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, multicellularity evolved under predation but not settling selection. Only certain genotypes gave rise to multicellular forms, showing both deterministic and random factors shape this transition. academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

Substantial hierarchical reductions of genetic and morphological traits in the evolution of rotiferan parasites Abstract. Within the last 800 million years animals evolved a vast range of diversity of species exhibiting an enormous disparity of forms and lifestyles.

9/9 🧵In sum:
Parasitic rotifers have shed:
🔹85% of miRNA families
🔹50% core protein-coding genes
🔹Key morphological structures

But they gain new traits for parasitism.
This is degressive evolution—consistent with Dollo’s Law.

📖 Read the full paper:
academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

“Select and Resequence” methods enable a genome wide association study of the dimorphic human fungal pathogen Coccidioides posadasii Abstract. Next-generation sequencing has unlocked a wealth of genotype information for wild populations, but interpreting it in the context of phenotypes r

Can we use NGS data for pooled strain phenotyping & association mapping as a tool for the genetic dissection of trait variation in BSL3 fungi? Why yes we can.
academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

Thank you Petr and colleagues for publishing you work with GBE!

Thank you, Seth, Emilie, and colleagues, for this valuable contribution to GBE!

Evolutionary Diversification and Functions of the Candidate Male Killing Gene wmk Abstract. Symbiont-mediated male killing (MK) is a mechanism that selectively eliminates male offspring, often by disrupting sex-specific developmental pro

New accepted manuscript (preprint) on the evolution, phylogenetic types, expression, and fxns of a male-killing gene from a phage in a common endosymbiont of animals. Credit to many lab coauthors and led by Dr. Emilie Lefoulon. Lots of fun and insights in this one. academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

GBE | Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, Structural Variants, and Short Tandem Repeats Capture Distinct Signals of Adaptive Divergence in the Atlantic Puffin

@okerstenscience.bsky.social @kjetillsj.bsky.social @sanneboessenkool.bsky.social et al. investigate adaptive divergence between puffin subspecies from the Arctic - indicating the High Arctic subspecies harbors unique genetic diversity.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf162

#genome #evolution

Integrative genotyping and analysis of canine structural variation using long-read and short-read data. #DogGenetics #StructuralVariants #LongRead #SequenceData @genomebiolevol.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-...

GBE | Polyommatine Blue Butterflies Reveal Unexpected Integrity of the W Sex Chromosome Amid Extensive Chromosomal Fragmentation Linked to Telomere Restoration

Hospodářská, @petrnguyen.bsky.social et al. investigated genome size and karyotype in Polyommatus and Lysandra butterflies, rejecting polyploidy to confirm karyotypic diversification via chromosome fragmentation in Polyommatinae butterflies.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf157

#genome #evolution

Angst, Ebert & Fields investigated variation in genetic and epigenetic architectures in the genomes of major microsporidia clades, revealing high variation among microsporidia, despite all of them adapting to a parasitic lifestyle.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf166

#genome #evolution

GBE | The Genomic Basis of the Svalbard Reindeer's Adaptation to an Extreme Arctic Environment

@nicolasdussex.bsky.social et al. investigate the genomic basis of adaptation in the Svalbard reindeer, an endemic subspecies that colonized the High Arctic ~7,000 years ago, adapting to extreme cold, day length changes, and resource scarcity.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaf160

#genome #evolution

Meng gave such a great talk, and her work highlights the power of using distantly related species to really interrogate common evolutionary forces shaping variation in nature

academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...