R. Kofler

Spoink, a LTR retrotransposon, invaded D. melanogaster populations in the 1990s

The paper identifies Spoink, a LTR retrotransposon that invaded D. melanogaster populations between 1983 and 1993, likely via horizontal transfer from D. willistoni, and shows it is often silenced by the piRNA pathway.

Genomes of historical specimens reveal multiple invasions of LTR retrotransposons in Drosophila melanogaster populations during the 19th century.

This study identifies three LTR retrotransposon invasions in Drosophila melanogaster during the 19th century, adding to previous 20th-century invasions and providing a 200-year timeline of transposable element spread.

The impact of paramutations on the invasion dynamics of transposable elements

This study uses simulations to show paramutations accelerate TE silencing, reduce insertions, and mitigate fitness costs, addressing three open issues with the trap model.

The composition of piRNA clusters in Drosophila melanogaster deviates from expectations under the trap model

The paper tests the trap model of piRNA clusters by analyzing TE composition in D. melanogaster and finds deviations from expected patterns.

P-element invasions in Drosophila erecta shed light on the establishment of host control over a transposable element

This study introduces the P-element into Drosophila erecta to investigate host defense mechanisms against transposable elements, finding that siRNAs initiate defense but activation of the ping-pong cycle is critical for controlling TE spread.

Rapid evolutionary diversification of the flamenco locus in the D. simulans clade

The paper examines the rapid evolutionary changes in the flamenco locus across Drosophila simulans clade species, revealing sequence divergence, copy number variation, and functional adaptations related to transposable element suppression.

The transposition rate has little influence on equilibrium copy numbers of the P-element

The study shows that transposition rate has little effect on P-element copy numbers in Drosophila simulans, suggesting other factors like piRNA dynamics and selection shape TE abundance.

Evolutionary dynamics of piRNA clusters in Drosophila

This study quantifies the evolutionary dynamics of piRNA clusters in Drosophila, showing rapid divergence and TE-driven changes across species.

Tirant stealthily invaded natural Drosophila melanogaster populations during the last century

The paper shows that Tirant, a transposable element, invaded Drosophila melanogaster populations in the 20th century, later than previously known elements like I-element, hobo, and P-element.

piRNA clusters need a minimum size to control transposable element invasions

The paper shows that piRNA clusters must exceed 0.2% of the genome to effectively control transposable element invasions, with smaller clusters risking population extinction.

Reconstructing the invasion route of DNA transposons using extant population samples

This paper introduces a method to reconstruct DNA transposon invasion routes using extant population samples and TE sequences, validated on Drosophila melanogaster.

Benchmarking software tools for detecting and quantifying selection in Evolve and Resequencing studies

This study benchmarks 10 software tools for detecting selection in Evolve and Resequencing studies, finding that LRT-1 performs best across scenarios.

Optimizing the power to identify the genetic basis of complex traits with Evolve and Resequence studies

This study shows that gradually increasing truncating selection in Evolve and Resequence experiments maximizes power to identify causative alleles without extra cost, outperforming GWAS in some cases.

Dynamics of transposable element invasions with piRNA clusters

This paper uses simulations to study TE invasion dynamics under the trap model, finding that piRNA cluster size and architecture significantly influence TE abundance and suppression.

Polygenic adaptation fuels genetic redundancy in Drosophila

This study shows that polygenic adaptation in Drosophila simulans leads to genetic redundancy, enabling rapid evolutionary responses through multiple genetic pathways.