Featured Publications
Cancer Relevance of Human Genes
Qing T, Mohsen H, Cannataro VL, Marczyk M, Rozenblit M, Foldi J, Murray M, Townsend J, Kluger Y, Gerstein M, Pusztai L. Cancer Relevance of Human Genes. Journal Of The National Cancer Institute 2022, 114: 988-995. PMID: 35417011, PMCID: PMC9275765, DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djac068.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCore cancer genesHuman genesFunctional importanceSomatic mutation frequencySelection pressureGene/protein networksCancer genesHigher somatic mutation frequencyNegative selection pressureGene-gene interaction networksMutation frequencyProtein-truncating variantsGenomic contextCell viabilityGenes decreasesCancer Genome AtlasInteraction networksProtein networkCancer relevanceCancer cell viabilityCell survivalGenesCancer biologyGenome AtlasSearch toolsMolecular Biology and Evolution of Cancer: From Discovery to Action
Somarelli JA, Gardner H, Cannataro VL, Gunady EF, Boddy AM, Johnson NA, Fisk J, Gaffney SG, Chuang JH, Li S, Ciccarelli FD, Panchenko AR, Megquier K, Kumar S, Dornburg A, DeGregori J, Townsend JP. Molecular Biology and Evolution of Cancer: From Discovery to Action. Molecular Biology And Evolution 2019, 37: 320-326. PMID: 31642480, PMCID: PMC6993850, DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz242.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsConceptsEvolutionary processesMolecular evolutionary processesEvolution of cancerCancer cell populationsEcological nichesNew therapeutic modesCancer evolutionEcological theoryMolecular biologyCancer biologyCancer progressionSuite of conceptsCell populationsBiologyNicheEvolutionCirculatory systemDeeper understandingDiscoveryCancerEstimation of neutral mutation rates and quantification of somatic variant selection using canceffectsizeR
Mandell J, Cannataro V, Townsend J. Estimation of neutral mutation rates and quantification of somatic variant selection using canceffectsizeR. Cancer Research 2022, 83: 500-505. PMID: 36469362, PMCID: PMC9929515, DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-1508.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMutation rateEpistatic effectsSite-specific mutation ratesNeutral mutation rateNucleotide mutation ratePan-cancer datasetCancer cell survivalFunctional impact scoresCustom genomesPairwise epistasisSet of variantsHuman genomeR packageTranscriptomic dataSomatic variant dataModel of selectionSingle nucleotideCancer effectsCell survivalNucleotide mutationsCancer biologyVariant dataMutational signature analysisMutationsSomatic mutations
2022
Placing human gene families into their evolutionary context
Dornburg A, Mallik R, Wang Z, Bernal M, Thompson B, Bruford E, Nebert D, Vasiliou V, Yohe L, Yoder J, Townsend J. Placing human gene families into their evolutionary context. Human Genomics 2022, 16: 56. PMID: 36369063, PMCID: PMC9652883, DOI: 10.1186/s40246-022-00429-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHuman gene familyGene familyHuman genomeEvolutionary contextGene family evolutionNon-model organismsFirst human genomeGenome biologyComparative genomicsFamily evolutionDistant speciesDraft sequenceGenomic studiesGene expressionGenome sequencingSequence complexityGenomeCancer biologyUnprecedented insightsNovel discoveriesCritical roleOrganismsBiologyComparative approachFamily
2020
Comparative Genomics within and across Bilaterians Illuminates the Evolutionary History of ALK and LTK Proto-Oncogene Origination and Diversification
Dornburg A, Wang Z, Wang J, Mo ES, López-Giráldez F, Townsend JP. Comparative Genomics within and across Bilaterians Illuminates the Evolutionary History of ALK and LTK Proto-Oncogene Origination and Diversification. Genome Biology And Evolution 2020, 13: evaa228. PMID: 33196781, PMCID: PMC7851593, DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa228.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLeukocyte tyrosine kinaseEvolutionary historyPhylogenetic analysisProtein-coding genesComparative genomic analysisEarly embryonic expressionMetazoan genomesComparative genomicsPhylogenetic contextModel organismsEmbryonic expressionModel speciesHuman genesKey genesGenomic analysisImportant genesMammal systemsFunctional convergenceTyrosine kinaseMolecular homologyGenesFunctional roleVertebratesMammal modelsHomology
2018
Effect Sizes of Somatic Mutations in Cancer
Cannataro VL, Gaffney SG, Townsend JP. Effect Sizes of Somatic Mutations in Cancer. Journal Of The National Cancer Institute 2018, 110: 1171-1177. PMID: 30365005, PMCID: PMC6235682, DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djy168.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSelection intensityRecurrent single nucleotide variantsCancer cell lineagesSomatic variantsSingle nucleotide variantsSequence surveysSomatic tissuesReproductive advantageCancer genomesDevelopment of cancerCell lineagesSelective advantageEvolutionary processesDriver genesNucleotide variantsCancer biologyGenetic alterationsSomatic mutationsCancer cellsRelative importanceCancer growthGenesMutationsCancer typesVariants
2017
Chapter One Maximizing Power in Phylogenetics and Phylogenomics: A Perspective Illuminated by Fungal Big Data
Dornburg A, Townsend JP, Wang Z. Chapter One Maximizing Power in Phylogenetics and Phylogenomics: A Perspective Illuminated by Fungal Big Data. Advances In Genetics 2017, 100: 1-47. PMID: 29153398, DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2017.09.007.ChaptersConceptsTree of lifeFungal evolutionary biologyGenomic-scale dataHundreds of lociGenome-scale analysisFungal phylogenomicsFungal treeSpecies delimitationPhenotypic diversificationFirst genomeEvolutionary biologyPhylogenetic treePhylogenetic inferencePhylogenetic analysisEntire genomeTree inferenceReview of considerationsEvolutionary problemsPhylogenomicsGenomeTreesLociCentral roleExperimental designBiodiversityNew insights on the sister lineage of percomorph fishes with an anchored hybrid enrichment dataset
Dornburg A, Townsend JP, Brooks W, Spriggs E, Eytan RI, Moore JA, Wainwright PC, Lemmon A, Lemmon EM, Near TJ. New insights on the sister lineage of percomorph fishes with an anchored hybrid enrichment dataset. Molecular Phylogenetics And Evolution 2017, 110: 27-38. PMID: 28254474, DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.02.017.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRadiation-Specific Clinical Data Should Be Included in Existing Large-Scale Genomic Datasets
Chen WS, Townsend JP, Yu JB. Radiation-Specific Clinical Data Should Be Included in Existing Large-Scale Genomic Datasets. International Journal Of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics 2017, 98: 8-10. PMID: 28587055, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2017.01.023.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
2016
PhyInformR: phylogenetic experimental design and phylogenomic data exploration in R
Dornburg A, Fisk JN, Tamagnan J, Townsend JP. PhyInformR: phylogenetic experimental design and phylogenomic data exploration in R. BMC Ecology And Evolution 2016, 16: 262. PMID: 27905871, PMCID: PMC5134231, DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0837-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsParallel processingOpen-source software packageBayesian posterior distributionLack of softwareOpen-source programPhylogenetic experimental designProbability of resolutionUser hardwareData explorationData visualizationNext-generation sequence datasetsInformation contentSource programNovel visualizationPosterior distributionBayesian settingAdditional sample dataPower usersDataset partitionsBayesian approachSequence data setsSoftware packageDatasetGenomic information contentSoftwarePhyloOncology: Understanding cancer through phylogenetic analysis
Somarelli JA, Ware KE, Kostadinov R, Robinson JM, Amri H, Abu-Asab M, Fourie N, Diogo R, Swofford D, Townsend JP. PhyloOncology: Understanding cancer through phylogenetic analysis. Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Reviews On Cancer 2016, 1867: 101-108. PMID: 27810337, PMCID: PMC9583457, DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2016.10.006.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsMeSH KeywordsAdaptation, PhysiologicalAlgorithmsAnimalsBiomarkers, TumorCell Transformation, NeoplasticEvolution, MolecularGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticGenetic FitnessGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenomicsHeredityHumansModels, GeneticMutationNeoplasmsPedigreePhenotypePhylogenySignal TransductionSystems BiologyTime FactorsConceptsDr. Robert A. GatenbyGenome-scale dataSystems biology approachPowerful systems biology approachUse of phylogeneticsPhylogenetic analysisBiology approachPhylogenetic applicationsSubclonal evolutionCancer biologyCancer progressionSuite of algorithmsPhylogeneticsCancer data setsCancer samplesImproved therapeutic interventionRobust approachDecades of researchFundamental insightsNew toolBiologyDiverse fieldsGatenbyData setsTherapeutic interventions
2015
Genomic and Gene-Expression Comparisons among Phage-Resistant Type-IV Pilus Mutants of Pseudomonas syringae pathovar phaseolicola
Sistrom M, Park D, O’Brien H, Wang Z, Guttman DS, Townsend JP, Turner PE. Genomic and Gene-Expression Comparisons among Phage-Resistant Type-IV Pilus Mutants of Pseudomonas syringae pathovar phaseolicola. PLOS ONE 2015, 10: e0144514. PMID: 26670219, PMCID: PMC4687649, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144514.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGene OntologyGene expression variationType IV pilus expressionGene expression comparisonsType IV piliTricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) cycleType IV pilusNon-piliated strainsPseudomonas syringae pathovar phaseolicolaAcetyl-CoA metabolismEvolutionary biologyTCA pathwayExpression analysisPilus retractionPilus mutantsExpression variationExpression patternsWild typeAerobic respirationGenome sequencingSignificant bacterial pathogensPilus expressionDifferential expressionBacterial cellsPathovar phaseolicolaA comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing
Prum RO, Berv JS, Dornburg A, Field DJ, Townsend JP, Lemmon EM, Lemmon AR. A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing. Nature 2015, 526: 569-573. PMID: 26444237, DOI: 10.1038/nature15697.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2013
Phylogenetic and phylogenomic overview of the Polyporales
Binder M, Justo A, Riley R, Salamov A, Lopez-Giraldez F, Sjökvist E, Copeland A, Foster B, Sun H, Larsson E, Larsson KH, Townsend J, Grigoriev IV, Hibbett DS. Phylogenetic and phylogenomic overview of the Polyporales. Mycologia 2013, 105: 1350-1373. PMID: 23935031, DOI: 10.3852/13-003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSingle-copy genePhylogenetic informativeness analysesResidual polyporoid cladeBayesian phylogenetic analysisPolyporales speciesMajor lineagesPhylogenomic datasetsAvailable genomesCorresponding cladesPhlebioid cladePolyporoid cladeNew genomesGenome dataPhylogenetic analysisSuprageneric taxonomyCertain taxaPhylogenetic systematicsGenomic datasetsIdentical topologiesPolyporalesGenomeCladeSupport valuesGenesLineages
2009
Evolving gene expression: from G to E to G×E
Hodgins-Davis A, Townsend JP. Evolving gene expression: from G to E to G×E. Trends In Ecology & Evolution 2009, 24: 649-658. PMID: 19699549, PMCID: PMC2805859, DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2009.06.011.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsConceptsGene expressionMode of evolutionGene expression data setsTerms of geneticsExpression data setsGenetic variationBreadth of conclusionsEnvironmental responsesGxE interactionsMultiple individualsGeneticsExpressionSingle strainEnvironmental controlEvolutionEnvironmental effectsKey componentSpeciesG×EInteractionStrains
2007
Enabling a Community to Dissect an Organism: Overview of the Neurospora Functional Genomics Project
Dunlap JC, Borkovich KA, Henn MR, Turner GE, Sachs MS, Glass NL, McCluskey K, Plamann M, Galagan JE, Birren BW, Weiss RL, Townsend JP, Loros JJ, Nelson MA, Lambreghts R, Colot HV, Park G, Collopy P, Ringelberg C, Crew C, Litvinkova L, DeCaprio D, Hood HM, Curilla S, Shi M, Crawford M, Koerhsen M, Montgomery P, Larson L, Pearson M, Kasuga T, Tian C, Baştürkmen M, Altamirano L, Xu J. Enabling a Community to Dissect an Organism: Overview of the Neurospora Functional Genomics Project. Advances In Genetics 2007, 57: 49-96. PMID: 17352902, PMCID: PMC3673015, DOI: 10.1016/s0065-2660(06)57002-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFunctional genomics projectsGenomics projectsFilamentous fungiFilamentous fungus NeurosporaFunctional genomic analysisNon-yeast fungiFunctional genomicsNeurospora genomeFungus NeurosporaNovel genesPositional cloningNeurospora crassaAntisense transcriptsGenomic analysisSNP mapAlternative promotersCDNA libraryExpression analysisGene replacementMutant strainSystematic disruptionExpression dataPhenotypic analysisNeurosporaConditions of growth
2006
Ecological and evolutionary genomics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
LANDRY CR, TOWNSEND JP, HARTL DL, CAVALIERI D. Ecological and evolutionary genomics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Molecular Ecology 2006, 15: 575-591. PMID: 16499686, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2006.02778.x.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsConceptsEvolutionary genomic studiesPrime model systemImportant genetic variationPowerful model speciesEvolutionary genomicsEvolutionary geneticsEvolutionary forcesFunctional genomicsYeast genomeNumerous habitatsModel speciesGenomic studiesUnicellular fungiGenetic variationBiology questionsS. cerevisiaeNatural isolatesGenetic levelGenomicsSaccharomycesModel systemYeastEukaryotesGenomeHabitats