Gerald Frank Späth

Initiation codon context governs translation-coupled mRNA decay and coordinated expression in the human parasite Leishmania

This study shows that the Kozak sequence context influences mRNA stability and protein expression in Leishmania by modulating translation-coupled decay and polysome recruitment.

Characterization of the dual functions of Leishmania CK1.2 in both the parasite and the macrophage

This study identifies L-CK1.2 interacting partners in Leishmania and host macrophages, revealing its dual role in parasite survival and host immune processes.

Five-layer systems analysis of Leishmania stage differentiation reveals an essential role for protein degradation in parasite development

The paper uses a five-layer systems analysis to show that protein degradation, not genomic changes, drives stage differentiation in Leishmania parasites.

Evolution of a genome-architecture-encoded gene regulation system in trypanosomatids

This study investigates the evolution of gene regulation in trypanosomatids, showing a shift from gene-specific regulation to architecture-encoded regulation through polycistronic transcription units.

KozakExplorer: an interactive framework for genome-wide Kozak sequence analysis

KozakExplorer quantitatively analyzes translation initiation signals across genomes, revealing evolutionary patterns in eukaryotes and prokaryotes.

Genetic introgression and transcriptomic plasticity are associated with enhanced Leishmania infantum pathogenicity causing human cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tunisia

The paper identifies hybridization between Leishmania species as a driver of pathogenicity shift in Leishmania infantum causing cutaneous leishmaniasis.

LORA: a polymorphic multi-sample LOng Read Assembly pipeline.

LORA is a long-read genome assembly pipeline that integrates multiple assemblers and provides quality assessment tools, demonstrating its use on bacterial and eukaryotic genomes.

Multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) reveals high genetic diversity of Leishmania infantum strains causing tegumentary leishmaniasis in northern Italy

The paper uses MLMT to analyze genetic diversity of Leishmania infantum strains causing tegumentary leishmaniasis in northern Italy, revealing distinct genetic populations associated with different clinical forms.

The evolutionary origin of host association and polycistronic transcription in trypanosomatids

This study investigates the evolutionary origins of host association and polycistronic transcription in trypanosomatids using comparative genomics across 47 genomes.

Enhanced detection of low-expressed miRNAs in Leishmania-infected macrophages through RNA fractionation and RT-qPCR optimization

Intrinsic differences in hamster and mouse macrophage biology correlate with susceptibility to L. donovani infection

This study compares macrophage biology between hamsters and mice to identify factors contributing to differential susceptibility to L. donovani infection.

Direct genome sequencing of Leishmania tropica in tissues of Moroccan patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis reveals micro-focal transmission underlain by clonal and sexual reproduction modes

Cross-subgenus hybridization between Leishmania and Sauroleishmania informs on parasite genomic compatibility and transcriptomic adaptation

The paper generates a hybrid between Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tarentolae, showing genomic compatibility and transcriptomic differences driven by gene copy number and mRNA turnover.

Gene deletion as a possible strategy adopted by New World Leishmania infantum to maximize geographic dispersion

This study examines how a sub-chromosomal deletion in Leishmania infantum affects parasite virulence, transmission, and drug resistance, suggesting it may enhance geographic spread.

A comparative genomics approach reveals a local genetic signature of Leishmania tropica in Morocco

The paper sequenced 14 Moroccan Leishmania tropica isolates to study genomic heterogeneity, identifying a core group and two divergent strains with distinct SNP profiles.

MAPPING CHANGES OF MIRNA-MRNA NETWORKS IN LEISHMANIA-INFECTED MACROPHAGES PREDICTS REGULATORY MIRNA-TF LOOPS AS NOVEL TARGETS OF PARASITE IMMUNE SUBVERSION

Genomic and epidemiological evidence for the emergence of a putative L. donovani/L. infantum hybrid with unusual epidemiology in Northern Italy

The paper identifies genetic diversity in L. infantum isolates from Italy, revealing hybrid-like genotypes with unusual epidemiology.

Genome instability drives epistatic adaptation in the human pathogen Leishmania

The paper shows genome instability in Leishmania enables fitness gain through epistatic gene copy number variations and compensatory post-transcriptional mechanisms.

GIP: An open-source computational pipeline for mapping genomic instability from protists to cancer cells

GIP is a computational pipeline for analyzing genome instability across species, identifying aneuploidy, copy number variations, and chromosomal rearrangements in microbial and cancer genomes.

SILAC-based quantitative proteomics reveals pleiotropic, phenotypic modulation in primary murine macrophages infected with the protozoan pathogen Leishmania donovani

This study uses SILAC-based proteomics to identify 86 differentially expressed proteins in murine macrophages infected with Leishmania donovani, revealing changes in host metabolism and lysosomal organization.