We're looking for a PhD student! If you're interested in #fungal #genomics & #TEs, meiotic drive, or pathogens, please consider applying. The project is about toxin/antidote genes in the human fungal pathogen A. fumigatus. uu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...

Excited to see the final version of our paper on toxin/antidote genes and accessory chromosomes in Fusarium published! Now with new and improved figures! We think that many #fungal ACs might be maintained not because of benefits to virulence, but because of Spok genes. doi.org/10.1093/gene...

Curious about how novel #plant #pathogens emerge? Check out our microreview on whether #fungal disease outbreaks are instigated by Starship #transposons. We present three examples that we think are evidence of outbreaks caused by Starship HGT. bsppjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

We did it! We caught Starship #transposons moving between #fungal species in the lab, including between species separated by ~100my. We think Starships are a mediator of HGT in fungi, akin to conjugative elements in bacteria. Check out the preprint. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

We propose a model where the Spok genes prevent the loss of accessory chromosomes through their toxin/antidote function. The Spoks also likely influence the origin of ACs (as seen in F. poae), as well as their transfer between strains via parasex.

Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis suggests that the Spok genes in F. poae originated from horizontal transfer from F. oxysporum. This transfer was possibly mediated by giant transposons called Starships.

F. poae is particularly interesting, as it is closely related to F. graminearum, but unlike that species, possesses accessory chromosomes. These chromosomes are enriched for Spok genes.

We used a yeast system to demonstrate that two Spok genes from Fusarium poae (FuSpok1 & FuSpok2) function as both toxins and antidotes.

Interested in #fungal accessory chromosomes or toxin/antidote genes? Check out our new preprint! We show that the Spok gene family in Fusarium include active toxin/antidote genes. We present a model for how these genes influence the evolution of fungal genomes. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

We wrote a bit of an unusual book chapter for the Mycota, fungal genomics section. Part review, part history of science. How we discovered giant transposons in fungal genomes. I hope you find it interesting and inspiring! Thanks to all the co-authors. link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

The final version of our latest Starship manuscript is out!🚀We study the evolution of a gene cluster for formaldehyde resistance to show that #HGT mediated by giant Starship #transposons is a recurrent force in #fungal adaptation.
www.science.org/doi/full/10....

Thrilled to have our recent review on giant #fungal #transposons, called Starships, featured on the cover of Trends in Genetics! Accompanied by some fantastic artwork! With @mycomile.bsky.social. www.cell.com/trends/genet...