A. Yabuki

Convergent reductive evolution of cyanobacteria in symbiosis with Dinophysiales dinoflagellates

This study sequenced a cyanobacterial symbiont of a dinoflagellate, revealing convergent genome reduction and shared features with another symbiont, while identifying unique genomic islands.

Encyclopaedia of family A DNA polymerases localized in organelles: Contribution of genes from bacteria including the proto-mitochondrion.

This study identifies and classifies 134 family A DNA polymerase sequences from diverse eukaryotes, revealing their evolutionary origins and suggesting the last eukaryotic common ancestor had two mitochondrial DNAPs.

Copy number of the eukaryotic rRNA gene can be counted comprehensively

The paper introduces an improved method to comprehensively measure eukaryotic rRNA gene copy numbers, enabling better analysis of microbial eukaryote communities.

Massive RNA editing in ascetosporean mitochondria

The paper identifies massive A-to-I and C-to-U RNA editing in Paradinida ascetosporeans, showing their mitochondria are functionally active, unlike Mikrocytida, and reveals ADAR localization in mitochondria.

Millisecond-scale behaviours of plankton quantified in situ and in vitro using the Event-based Vision Sensor (EVS)

This paper uses the Event-based Vision Sensor (EVS) to quantify millisecond-scale behaviors of plankton in both natural and laboratory settings, revealing rhythmic motion patterns and species-specific periodicities.

Phylogenomics invokes the clade housing Cryptista, Archaeplastida, and Microheliella maris.

This study clarifies the phylogenetic position of Microheliella maris, placing it as a basal lineage of Cryptista and proposing a new clade Pancryptista, which includes Archaeplastida and M. maris.

Massive occurrence of benthic plastic debris at the abyssal seafloor beneath the Kuroshio Extension, the North West Pacific

The paper quantifies plastic debris on the abyssal seafloor beneath the Kuroshio Extension, finding high densities of single-use plastics, indicating the Northwest Pacific deep-sea basin is a major plastic reservoir.

Phylogenomics places orphan protistan lineages in a novel eukaryotic super-group

The paper uses phylogenomic analysis to place orphan protist lineages into a novel eukaryotic super-group, CRuMs, and clarifies their relationship to Amorphea.

Enigmatic Diphyllatea eukaryotes: Culturing and targeted PacBio RS amplicon sequencing reveals a higher order taxonomic diversity and global distribution

The paper cultures Diphyllatea strains, amplifies full 18S rRNA genes using PacBio RS II, and identifies three clades, revealing two morphotypes and broader global distribution.