M. Hiller

Numerous independent gains of torpor and hibernation across endotherms, linked with adaptation to diverse environments

This study examines the evolutionary patterns of dormancy across 1,338 endotherms and finds it is part of a continuum with weak associations to physiological and environmental traits.

RETINOID ORPHAN RECEPTOR GAMMA T (RORgT) PROMOTES INFLAMMATORY EOSINOPHILIA BUT IS DISPENSABLE FOR INNATE IMMUNE-MEDIATED COLITIS

This study shows that RORγt promotes eosinophilia but is not required for innate immune-mediated colitis in TRAG mice.

Structure-function relationships underpin disulfide loop cleavage-dependent activation of Legionella pneumophila lysophosholipase A PlaA

This study reveals the structural basis for the regulated activation and substrate preference of PlaA, a lysophospholipase in Legionella pneumophila, showing how disulfide loop cleavage enhances catalytic activity and substrate specificity.

Vision-related convergent gene losses reveal SERPINE3's unknown role in the eye

The paper identifies SERPINE3 as a vision-related gene by analyzing evolutionary gene loss patterns and experimental validation in zebrafish and humans.

Gene losses in the common vampire bat illuminate molecular adaptations to blood feeding

This study identifies gene losses in vampire bats linked to adaptations for blood feeding, including metabolic, physiological, and sensory changes.

Phenotyping in the era of genomics: MaTrics a digital character matrix to document mammalian phenotypic traits coded numerically

MaTrics provides a digital matrix of mammalian phenotypes linked to genomes, highlighting knowledge gaps and enabling genomic-phenomic comparisons.

Genomic and anatomical comparisons of skin support independent adaptation to life in water by cetaceans and hippos

This study compares genomic and anatomical features of cetaceans and hippos to determine if aquatic adaptations evolved independently or from a common ancestor.

Filaggrin deficient mice have a lower threshold for cutaneous allergen sensitization but do not develop spontaneous skin inflammation or atopy

This study shows that Flg-deficient mice do not develop spontaneous skin inflammation or atopy, but Flg deficiency may modulate dermatitis caused by other barrier defects.

Algorithmic Assessment of Missense Mutation Severity in the Von-Hippel Lindau Protein

The paper develops a multiparametric scoring algorithm to assess the severity of missense mutations in the VHL protein using 285 ClinVar mutations, linking higher scores to pathogenicity.

Recapitulating evolutionary divergence in a single regulatory element causes expression changes of the lens gene Tdrd7

The paper investigates how mutations in a regulatory element upstream of Tdrd7 affect lens development by replacing the mouse sequence with the blind mole rat sequence in mice.

Clathrin’s adaptor interaction sites are repurposed to stabilize microtubules during mitosis

This paper identifies a novel role of clathrin in stabilizing microtubules during mitosis by repurposing its adaptor interaction sites to recruit GTSE1, which inhibits MCAK and supports chromosome congression.

RepeatFiller newly identifies megabases of aligning repetitive sequences and improves annotations of conserved non-exonic elements

RepeatFiller identifies previously undetected alignments between repetitive sequences across mammalian genomes, improving annotations of conserved non-exonic elements.

Genes lost during the transition from land to water in cetaceans highlight genomic changes involved in aquatic adaptations

This study identifies genes lost in cetacean ancestors that may have contributed to aquatic adaptations like diving physiology and unihemispheric sleep.

Molecular parallelism in fast-twitch muscle proteins in echolocating mammals

The paper identifies parallel amino acid substitutions in fast-twitch muscle proteins of echolocating bats and toothed whales, suggesting a role in convergent evolution of superfast muscle physiology for echolocation.