S.-O. Kolokotronis

Structural evolution of an immune evasion determinant shapes Lyme borreliae host tropism

This paper identifies a minor sequence variation in the CspZ protein of Borrelia burgdorferi that influences host-specific complement evasion and infectivity through FH-binding interface differences.

Phylogenomic diversity elucidates mechanistic insights into Lyme borreliae host association

This study investigates how genetic variation in Lyme disease-causing Borrelia burgdorferi strains relates to their ability to evade host complement immune responses, revealing host-specific complement-evasion phenotypes.

Host adaptation drives genetic diversity in a vector-borne disease system

The paper investigates genetic diversity in Borrelia burgdorferi across different hosts and finds that genotype-specific host adaptation contributes to maintaining intraspecific diversity and influences disease risk.

Host tropism determination by convergent evolution of immunological evasion in the Lyme disease system

The paper identifies CspA as a determinant of host tropism in Lyme disease bacteria, showing convergent evolution drives transmission differences among vertebrates.

Dynamically evolving novel overlapping gene as a factor in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

The paper identifies and characterizes ORF3d, a novel overlapping gene in SARS-CoV-2, showing its presence in pangolin-CoVs and its evolutionary significance.

Genomic epidemiology of vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) in Latin America: Revisiting the global VRE population structure

This study characterizes the genomic structure of VREfm in Latin America and reconstructs the global population structure, revealing two main clinical clades and recombination-driven evolution.

Genotypic clustering does not imply recent tuberculosis transmission in a high prevalence setting: A genomic epidemiology study in Lima, Peru

This study uses genomic data to show that TB clusters identified by traditional methods may persist for decades, and WGS reveals genetic factors that may enhance transmissibility.