Malaika Ebert

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  Team Thomma teamthomma.bsky.social · Jan 10, 2025
  📣New year, new preprint @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social 🎉! A study led by the brilliant @yukiyosato.bsky.social showing that Starship giant transposons dominate plastic genomic regions in the fungal plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae and drive virulence evolution. 🧵[1/12] doi.org/10.1101/2025...
  

  Starship giant transposons dominate plastic genomic regions in a fungal plant pathogen and drive virulence evolution

  Starships form a recently discovered superfamily of giant transposons in Pezizomycotina fungi, implicated in mediating horizontal transfer of diverse cargo genes between fungal genomes. Their elusive nature has long obscured their significance, and their impact on genome evolution remains poorly understood. Here, we reveal a surprising abundance and diversity of Starships in the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae. Remarkably, Starships dominate the plastic genomic compartments involved in host colonization, are enriched in virulence-associated genes, and exhibit genetic and epigenetic characteristics associated with adaptive genome evolution. We further uncover extensive horizontal transfer of Starships between Verticillium species and, strikingly, from distantly related Fusarium fungi. Finally, we demonstrate how Starship activity facilitated the de novo formation of a novel virulence gene. Our findings illuminate the profound influence of Starship dynamics on fungal genome evolution and the development of virulence. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

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  Riccardo Baroncelli handle.invalid · Dec 26, 2024
  Fascinating insights into #Fusarium oxysporum! 🌟 A new study uses reference-free pangenome variation to reveal the #evolution of accessory chromosomes, showcasing their role in host specificity and horizontal transfer. Wow!!! #FungalGenomics @mfseidl.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
  
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  Willem van Schaik wvschaik.bsky.social · Nov 12, 2024
  JOB CLAXON! I am recruiting a post-doctoral researcher on a BBSRC-funded project (36 months) on the genetics and functional genomics of vancomycin resistance in enterococci. Further details here: edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid... Please DM or email me if you want to discuss this post.
  

  Research Fellow - Department of Microbes, Infections and Microbiomes - 104864 - Grade 7

  This exciting BBSRC-funded project aims to mechanistically characterise the fitness costs associated with vancomycin resistance in the Gram-positive opportunistic pathogens Enterococcus faecalis and E...

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