Maya Voichek
@mayavoichek.bsky.social
Postdoc at the Brennecke lab - studying the twilight zone between transposons and endogenous retroviruses // Scientist, mom, bioart enthusiast
6/ But it gets even cooler. 🧊
sORF2-like proteins aren’t just found in 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘢. They’re widespread among insect retrotransposons, including those in disease-vector mosquitoes and agriculturally important pests.🦟🐞🐝🦋
sORF2-like proteins aren’t just found in 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘢. They’re widespread among insect retrotransposons, including those in disease-vector mosquitoes and agriculturally important pests.🦟🐞🐝🦋
March 17, 2025 at 11:56 AM
6/ But it gets even cooler. 🧊
sORF2-like proteins aren’t just found in 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘢. They’re widespread among insect retrotransposons, including those in disease-vector mosquitoes and agriculturally important pests.🦟🐞🐝🦋
sORF2-like proteins aren’t just found in 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘢. They’re widespread among insect retrotransposons, including those in disease-vector mosquitoes and agriculturally important pests.🦟🐞🐝🦋
5/ Using genetics, RNA-seq, smFISH, and electron microscopy, we showed that sORF2 localizes to *𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀*.
These protrusions deliver retrotransposon capsids directly into the oocyte, bypassing any extracellular step.
Here’s what it looks like:
These protrusions deliver retrotransposon capsids directly into the oocyte, bypassing any extracellular step.
Here’s what it looks like:
March 17, 2025 at 11:56 AM
5/ Using genetics, RNA-seq, smFISH, and electron microscopy, we showed that sORF2 localizes to *𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀*.
These protrusions deliver retrotransposon capsids directly into the oocyte, bypassing any extracellular step.
Here’s what it looks like:
These protrusions deliver retrotransposon capsids directly into the oocyte, bypassing any extracellular step.
Here’s what it looks like:
1/ Transposable elements are often called "jumping genes" because they mobilize within genomes. 🧬
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇
March 17, 2025 at 11:56 AM
1/ Transposable elements are often called "jumping genes" because they mobilize within genomes. 🧬
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇
But did you know they can also jump 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 cells? 🤯
Our new study reveals how retrotransposons invade the germline directly from somatic cells.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A short thread 🧵👇