Publications

comparative gene expression analysis of dtg, a novel target gene of dpp signaling pathway in the early drosophila melanogaster embryo.	in the early drosophila melanogaster embryo, dpp, a secreted molecule that belongs to the tgf-β superfamily of growth factors, activates a set of downstream genes to subdivide the dorsal region into amnioserosa and dorsal epidermis. here, we examined the expression pattern and transcriptional regulation of dtg, a new target gene of dpp signaling pathway that is required for proper amnioserosa differentiation. we showed that the expression of dtg was controlled by dpp and characterized a 524-bp e ...	2014	24321690
genome-wide tests for introgression between cactophilic drosophila implicate a role of inversions during speciation.	models of speciation-with-gene-flow have shown that the reduction in recombination between alternative chromosome arrangements can facilitate the fixation of locally adaptive genes in the face of gene flow and contribute to speciation. however, it has proven frustratingly difficult to show empirically that inversions have reduced gene flow and arose during or shortly after the onset of species divergence rather than represent ancestral polymorphisms. here, we present an analysis of whole genome ...	2015	25824653
molecular evolution of candidate genes involved in post-mating-prezygotic reproductive isolation.	traits involved in post-copulatory interactions between the sexes may evolve rapidly as a result of sexual selection and/or sexual conflict, leading to post-mating-prezygotic (pmpz) reproductive isolating barriers between diverging lineages. although the importance of pmpz isolation is recognized, the molecular basis of such incompatibilities is not well understood. here, we investigate molecular evolution of a subset of drosophila mojavensis and drosophila arizonae reproductive tract genes. the ...	2015	25522894
deciphering life history transcriptomes in different environments.	we compared whole transcriptome variation in six pre-adult stages and seven adult female ages in two populations of cactophilic drosophila mojavensis reared on two host plants to understand how differences in gene expression influence standing life history variation. we used singular value decomposition (svd) to identify dominant trajectories of life cycle gene expression variation, performed pairwise comparisons of stage and age differences in gene expression across the life cycle, identified w ...	2015	25442828
population differences in olfaction accompany host shift in drosophila mojavensis.	evolutionary shifts in plant-herbivore interactions provide a model for understanding the link among the evolution of behaviour, ecological specialization and incipient speciation. drosophila mojavensis uses different host cacti across its range, and volatile chemicals emitted by the host are the primary cue for host plant identification. in this study, we show that changes in host plant use between distinct d. mojavensis populations are accompanied by changes in the olfactory system. specifical ...	2016	27581882
preadult life history variation determines adult transcriptome expression.	preadult determinants of adult fitness and behaviour have been documented in a variety of organisms with complex life cycles, but little is known about expression patterns of genes underlying these adult traits. we explored the effects of differences in egg-to-adult development time on adult transcriptome and cuticular hydrocarbon variation in order to understand the nature of the genetic correlation between preadult development time and premating isolation between populations of drosophila moja ...	2016	26615085
two phases of aging separated by the smurf transition as a public path to death.	aging's most obvious characteristic is the time dependent increase of an individual's probability to die. this lifelong process is accompanied by a large number of molecular and physiological changes. although numerous genes involved in aging have been identified in the past decades its leading factors have yet to be determined. to identify the very processes driving aging we have developed in the past years an assay to identify physiologically old individuals in a synchronized population of dro ...	2016	27002861
deep rna-seq profile reveals biodiversity, plant-microbe interactions and a large family of nbs-lrr resistance genes in walnut (juglans regia) tissues.	deep rna-seq profiling, a revolutionary method used for quantifying transcriptional levels, often includes non-specific transcripts from other co-existing organisms in spite of stringent protocols. using the recently published walnut genome sequence as a filter, we present a broad analysis of the rna-seq derived transcriptome profiles obtained from twenty different tissues to extract the biodiversity and possible plant-microbe interactions in the walnut ecosystem in california. since the residua ...	2016	26883051
lipidomic profiles of drosophila melanogaster and cactophilic fly species: models of human metabolic diseases.	the metabolic syndrome (mets) is associated with serious diseases and represents an important threat for global public health. the common fruit fly (drosophila melanogaster) has served as a model organism to study physiological processes of the mets, because central metabolic pathways are conserved among species, and because the flies are easy to cultivate in a laboratory. in nature, d. melanogaster is a fruit generalist, feeding on diets rich in simple carbohydrates. other drosophilids, however ...	2017	29043354
evolution of gstd1 in cactophilic drosophila.	gstd1 is an insect glutathione s-transferase that has received considerable attention because of its role in detoxification of xenobiotic compounds, specifically pesticides and plant allelochemicals involved in detoxification, or in the use of some substrates as a nutritional source. gstd1 has been implicated in the adaptation to a new cactus host in drosophila mojavensis and thus constitutes an interesting candidate to study ecological genetics of adaptation in drosophila. we conducted populati ...	2017	28660301
population differences in host plant preference and the importance of yeast and plant substrate to volatile composition.	divergent selection between environments can result in changes to the behavior of an organism. in many insects, volatile compounds are a primary means by which host plants are recognized and shifts in plant availability can result in changes to host preference. both the plant substrate and microorganisms can influence this behavior, and host plant choice can have an impact on the performance of the organism. in drosophila mojavensis, four geographically isolated populations each use different ca ...	2017	28616178
effects of temperature on transcriptome and cuticular hydrocarbon expression in ecologically differentiated populations of desert drosophila.	we assessed the effects of temperature differences on gene expression using whole-transcriptome microarrays and cuticular hydrocarbon variation in populations of cactophilic drosophila mojavensis. four populations from baja california and mainland mexico and arizona were each reared on two different host cacti, reared to sexual maturity on laboratory media, and adults were exposed for 12 hr to 15, 25, or 35°c. temperature differences influenced the expression of 3,294 genes, while population dif ...	2017	28116058