P. Burkhardt

Electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in the closest relative of animals

The paper studies electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in choanoflagellates, revealing ciliary arrest and colony-wide contraction linked to calcium transients.

Spatiotemporal visualization of DNA replication by click chemistry reveals bubbling of viral DNA in virion formation

The paper uses click chemistry to visualize DNA replication in human adenovirus, showing distinct roles of early and late-replicated viral DNA in virion formation.

Evolution of the ribbon-like organization of the Golgi apparatus in animal cells

This study investigates the evolutionary origin of the Golgi ribbon in animal cells, identifies a molecular mechanism for its formation, and suggests its role in development.

Syncytial nerve net in a ctenophore sheds new light on the early evolution of nervous systems

The paper uses electron microscopy to show that ctenophore nerve nets form syncytia, challenging the neuron doctrine and supporting an alternative nervous system evolution model.

The unique neuronal structure and neuropeptide repertoire in the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi shed light on the evolution of animal nervous systems

This study identifies unique neuropeptides and neuronal structures in ctenophores, supporting the hypothesis of independent neuronal evolution.

Colonial choanoflagellate isolated from Mono Lake harbors a microbiome

The paper isolates and characterizes a new colonial choanoflagellate species, Barroeca monosierra, from Mono Lake that hosts a microbiome, offering a model for studying eukaryote-bacteria interactions.

Choanoflagellates and the ancestry of neurosecretory vesicles

This study identifies core neurosecretory vesicle proteins in non-bilaterian metazoans and their unicellular relatives, revealing ancestral molecular features and polarized vesicle organization in choanoflagellates.

Spatial cell disparity in the colonial choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta

The paper reanalyzes TEM data to show spatial cell disparity in Salpingoeca rosetta colonies, challenging the view that cell differentiation evolved after the split from Metazoa.

Animal evolution coincides with a novel degree of freedom in exocytic transport processes

The paper identifies the origin of a novel exocytic transport mechanism in early animal evolution, tracing SPIRE function to choanoflagellates and showing its role in coordinating actin/myosin forces for cellular communication.

The architecture of cell differentiation in choanoflagellates and sponge choanocytes

This study compares the subcellular architecture of solitary and colonial choanoflagellate cells with sponge choanocytes to uncover the architecture of cell differentiation in these ancient cell types.