2022
Temporal Monitoring of the Floreana Island Galapagos Giant Tortoise Captive Breeding Program
Gray R, Fusco N, Miller J, Tapia W, Mariani C, Caccone A, Jensen E. Temporal Monitoring of the Floreana Island Galapagos Giant Tortoise Captive Breeding Program. Integrative And Comparative Biology 2022, 62: 1864-1871. PMID: 35906184, DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac129.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCaptive breeding programsBreeding programsEffective population sizeGalapagos giant tortoisesCaptive breedingGenetic diversityGenetic trackingReproductive outputSpecies restorationGiant tortoisesConservation managersBreeding outcomesMicrosatellite markersGenetic analysisMore foundersBreeding cyclePopulation sizeBreeding facilitiesTortoisesValue of hybridsParentageOffspringGenomeHybridsBreedingThe Galapagos giant tortoise Chelonoidis phantasticus is not extinct
Jensen E, Gaughran S, Fusco N, Poulakakis N, Tapia W, Sevilla C, Málaga J, Mariani C, Gibbs J, Caccone A. The Galapagos giant tortoise Chelonoidis phantasticus is not extinct. Communications Biology 2022, 5: 546. PMID: 35681083, PMCID: PMC9184544, DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03483-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGalapagos giant tortoisesGiant tortoisesMitochondrial DNA phylogenyDNA phylogenyMonophyletic groupCarapace morphologyPhylogeny GroupSame lineagePopulation sizeSpeciesTortoisesLineagesFemale tortoisesSingle specimenSingle individualPhylogenyCladeGenomeExtinctSaddlebackContinued existenceIslandsDiscoveryA new lineage of Galapagos giant tortoises identified from museum samples
Jensen E, Quinzin M, Miller J, Russello M, Garrick R, Edwards D, Glaberman S, Chiari Y, Poulakakis N, Tapia W, Gibbs J, Caccone A. A new lineage of Galapagos giant tortoises identified from museum samples. Heredity 2022, 128: 261-270. PMID: 35217806, PMCID: PMC8987048, DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00510-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGalapagos giant tortoisesMitochondrial control regionGiant tortoisesSingle nucleotide polymorphismsControl regionMuseum samplesGenome-wide single nucleotide polymorphismsDivergent mitochondrial lineagesSingle mitochondrial haplotypeContemporary populationsIconic radiationMitochondrial lineagesAdditional lineagesMitochondrial haplotypesNuclear markersSan CristóbalSecond lineageMicrosatellite lociNew lineagePinta IslandSame cladeEvolutionary processesLineagesGalapagos ArchipelagoEarly evolution
2020
Improved reference genome of the arboviral vector Aedes albopictus
Palatini U, Masri RA, Cosme LV, Koren S, Thibaud-Nissen F, Biedler JK, Krsticevic F, Johnston JS, Halbach R, Crawford JE, Antoshechkin I, Failloux AB, Pischedda E, Marconcini M, Ghurye J, Rhie A, Sharma A, Karagodin DA, Jenrette J, Gamez S, Miesen P, Masterson P, Caccone A, Sharakhova MV, Tu Z, Papathanos PA, Van Rij RP, Akbari OS, Powell J, Phillippy AM, Bonizzoni M. Improved reference genome of the arboviral vector Aedes albopictus. Genome Biology 2020, 21: 215. PMID: 32847630, PMCID: PMC7448346, DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02141-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsArboviral vector Aedes albopictusSex-determining locusFirst physical mapAsian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictusTiger mosquito Aedes albopictusMosquito Aedes albopictusAedes albopictusPiRNA clustersDiverse AeGenome assemblyInnovative control measuresReference genomeAccurate DNA sequencesNovel microRNAsImmunity genesPhysical mapDNA sequencesGenetic manipulationViral insertionVector Aedes albopictusExpression dataGenomeAlbopictus populationsSequencing methodsAdaptation potential
2018
Giant tortoise genomes provide insights into longevity and age-related disease
Quesada V, Freitas-Rodríguez S, Miller J, Pérez-Silva J, Jiang Z, Tapia W, Santiago-Fernández O, Campos-Iglesias D, Kuderna L, Quinzin M, Álvarez M, Carrero D, Beheregaray L, Gibbs J, Chiari Y, Glaberman S, Ciofi C, Araujo-Voces M, Mayoral P, Arango J, Tamargo-Gómez I, Roiz-Valle D, Pascual-Torner M, Evans B, Edwards D, Garrick R, Russello M, Poulakakis N, Gaughran S, Rueda D, Bretones G, Marquès-Bonet T, White K, Caccone A, López-Otín C. Giant tortoise genomes provide insights into longevity and age-related disease. Nature Ecology & Evolution 2018, 3: 87-95. PMID: 30510174, PMCID: PMC6314442, DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0733-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGiant tortoisesAge-related diseasesNew genome sequencesAldabra giant tortoiseDNA repair genesGiant tortoise populationLonesome GeorgeRelated speciesGenome sequenceEvolutionary informationVertebrate animalsGenomic determinantsTortoise populationsGenomeExcellent modelRepair genesCancer developmentTortoisesSupervised analysisGenesEvolutionary strategyGlobal analysisImportant resourceLast memberLongevityGenome-Wide Assessment of Diversity and Divergence Among Extant Galapagos Giant Tortoise Species
Miller J, Quinzin M, Edwards D, Eaton D, Jensen E, Russello M, Gibbs J, Tapia W, Rueda D, Caccone A. Genome-Wide Assessment of Diversity and Divergence Among Extant Galapagos Giant Tortoise Species. Journal Of Heredity 2018, 109: 611-619. PMID: 29986032, DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esy031.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGiant tortoise speciesMitochondrial DNA sequencesSingle nucleotide polymorphismsTortoise speciesGenetic diversityMicrosatellite lociDNA sequencesGenotypic dataMicrosatellite genotypic dataNuclear microsatellite lociGenome-wide markersEstimates of diversityGenome-wide assessmentGalapagos giant tortoisesSpecies radiationEvolutionary geneticsSignificant unitsMitochondrial DNAPopulation structureSpecies conservationGenetic lineagesGiant tortoisesPopulation delineationTortoise populationsDNA sequencing
2006
Ancient DNA forces reconsideration of evolutionary history of Mediterranean pygmy elephantids
Poulakakis N, Parmakelis A, Lymberakis P, Mylonas M, Zouros E, Reese D, Glaberman S, Caccone A. Ancient DNA forces reconsideration of evolutionary history of Mediterranean pygmy elephantids. Biology Letters 2006, 2: 451-454. PMID: 17148428, PMCID: PMC1686204, DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2006.0467.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEvolutionary historyDNA sequencesAncient DNA studiesDNA fragmentsMultiple displacement amplification (MDA) methodPygmy mammothsIndependent historyShort DNA sequencesB-DNA fragmentEastern MediterraneanMediterranean islandsPhylogenetic analysisMolecular dataMainland samplesCretan sampleDNA studiesHistoryElephantidsDiagnostic sitesElephasPrevailing viewIslandsMammothsMammuthusSequence
2002
Speciation Within Anopheles gambiae-- the Glass Is Half Full
della Torre A, Costantini C, Besansky N, Caccone A, Petrarca V, Powell J, Coluzzi M. Speciation Within Anopheles gambiae-- the Glass Is Half Full. Science 2002, 298: 115-117. PMID: 12364784, DOI: 10.1126/science.1078170.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdaptation, PhysiologicalAfrica South of the SaharaAllelesAnimalsAnophelesBiological EvolutionChromosome InversionChromosomesDNA, RibosomalEcosystemEnvironmentFeeding BehaviorGenetic VariationGenetics, PopulationGenomeHuman ActivitiesHumansInsect Bites and StingsInsect VectorsMalariaMicrosatellite RepeatsReproductionSequence Analysis, DNA