A. Kupczok

Virus-encoded Shemin pathway highlights the importance of tetrapyrrole metabolism during host infection

This study identifies viral Shemin pathway genes in bacteriophages that can functionally complement bacterial 5-ALA biosynthesis pathways.

Large-scale investigation of species-specific orphan genes in the human gut microbiome elucidates their evolutionary origins

The paper investigates species-specific orphan genes in the human gut microbiome, finding most originate internally rather than from external sources like viruses.

Arabidopsis latent virus 1, a comovirus widely spread in Arabidopsis thaliana collections

The paper identifies ArLV1, a comovirus infecting Arabidopsis thaliana without visible symptoms, and shows its widespread presence in natural and laboratory collections.

Co-transfer of functionally interdependent genes contributes to genome mosaicism in lambdoid phages

This study identifies co-transferred gene pairs in lambdoid phages, showing that functionally related genes are often transferred together, suggesting epistatic interactions drive genome modularity.

Fixation dynamics of beneficial alleles in prokaryotic polyploid chromosomes and plasmids

This study develops a population genetics model for polyploid prokaryotes, showing that beneficial mutations can fix phenotypically before genotypically, creating a heterozygosity window.

Disentangling the genetic basis of rhizosphere microbiome assembly in tomato

This study identifies genetic factors influencing rhizosphere microbiome assembly in tomato by linking plant QTLs to microbial gene functions.

Pangenome evolution in environmentally transmitted symbionts of deep-sea mussels is governed by vertical inheritance

This study examines pangenome evolution in symbionts of deep-sea mussels, finding that vertical inheritance, not horizontal gene transfer, drives genetic diversity in environmentally acquired bacterial symbionts.

Insertion and deletion evolution reflects antibiotics selection pressure in a Mycobacterium tuberculosis outbreak.

This study identifies that insertions and deletions (indels) contribute to antibiotic resistance evolution in Mycobacterium tuberculosis during an outbreak, with indels showing a slower evolutionary rate than substitutions.

A symbiont phage protein aids in eukaryote immune evasion

The paper identifies a phage-encoded ankyrin domain protein that modulates eukaryotic immune responses, enabling immune evasion in host-microbe interactions.

Horizontally transmitted symbiont populations in deep-sea mussels are genetically isolated

This study shows that horizontally transmitted symbionts in deep-sea mussels form genetically isolated populations due to restricted bacterial uptake and serial founder effects during host life-cycle.

Diversity matters: Deep-sea mussels harbor multiple symbiont strains

The paper shows that deep-sea mussels host multiple symbiont strains with diverse metabolic functions, challenging the idea that symbiont diversity is limited in intracellular bacteria.

Segregational drift and the interplay between plasmid copy number and evolvability

This study shows that segregational drift in multicopy plasmids reduces their evolvability by increasing mutation loss and fixation time, despite higher mutational supply.