Roberto Bonasio

Socially regulated genes are spatially hyperconnected to enhancers in the ant brain

The paper identifies socially regulated genes in ants that show increased 3D chromatin contacts with enhancers, suggesting pre-existing connectivity supports brain plasticity during caste transition.

Pseudouridine selects RNAs for extracellular transport

The paper identifies pseudouridine as a key modification enabling RNA extracellular transport and identifies MYL6 as a binding protein required for this process.

Pooled scanning of protein variants identifies novel RNA-binding mutants

The paper introduces RBR-scan, a method to identify RNA-binding mutants by measuring affinity of protein variants, and validates it with known and novel mutants in SRSF2.

Neuropeptides specify and reprogram division of labor in the leafcutter ant Atta cephalotes

The paper identifies neuropeptides that specify and reprogram division of labor in leafcutter ants, showing their role in behavior and transcriptomic changes.

A ligation-independent sequencing method reveals tRNA-derived RNAs with blocked 3' termini

The paper introduces LIDAR, a ligation-independent sequencing method that captures diverse RNA species, including tRNA-derived RNAs with blocked 3' termini, in mouse cells.

Transcription factors interact with RNA to regulate genes

The paper identifies RNA-binding as a common feature of transcription factors, showing it contributes to gene regulation and is conserved in vertebrates.

Hormonal gatekeeping via the blood brain barrier governs behavior

The paper shows the blood-brain barrier regulates social behavior in ants by controlling hormone levels via a key enzyme, with implications for conserved mechanisms across species.

Intrinsic maturation of sleep output neurons regulates sleep ontogeny in Drosophila

This study investigates how intrinsic maturation of sleep output neurons influences sleep ontogeny in Drosophila, finding that juvenile and mature sleep differ in transition probabilities and molecular regulation.

Genome annotation with long RNA reads reveals new patterns of gene expression in an ant brain

The paper uses long-read RNA sequencing to improve genome annotations in ants, revealing new gene expression patterns and enhancing single-cell RNA-seq analysis.

Social reprogramming in ants induces longevity-associated glia remodeling

The paper uses single-cell RNA-sequencing to show that caste transition in ants leads to glia remodeling associated with extended lifespan.

Mapping native R-loops genome-wide using a targeted nuclease approach

The paper introduces a method to map R-loops genome-wide using a targeted nuclease approach, achieving high specificity, sensitivity, and low input requirements.

Delineation of the First Human Mendelian Disorder of the DNA Demethylation Machinery: TET3 Deficiency

This study identifies and characterizes 11 cases of TET3 deficiency, a new Mendelian disorder of DNA demethylation, associated with intellectual disability and developmental delays.

SAVER: Gene expression recovery for UMI-based single cell RNA sequencing

SAVER improves gene expression estimates in scRNA-seq by imputing zeros and enhancing low/moderate expression genes, improving downstream analysis accuracy.

A Comparison Between Single Cell RNA Sequencing And Single Molecule RNA FISH For Rare Cell Analysis

This paper compares single cell RNA sequencing and single molecule RNA FISH for rare cell analysis, finding that higher transcriptome complexity per cell improves accuracy for small gene sets.

High-quality genome assemblies uncover caste-specific long non-coding RNAs in ants

The paper presents high-quality genome assemblies for two ant species, enabling the identification of caste-specific long non-coding RNAs and differential gene expression.

Olfactory Receptors Are Required For Social Behavior And Neural Plasticity In Ants, As Evidenced By CRISPR-Mediated Gene Knockout

This study uses CRISPR to knock out the Orco gene in ants, showing its role in olfaction, social behavior, and neural plasticity.