Nicole King

Septins regulate cytokinesis and multicellular development in the closest living relatives of animals

This study shows that septins regulate cytokinesis and multicellular development in Salpingoeca rosetta, a choanoflagellate closely related to animals.

An adhesion GPCR regulates cell adhesion and mating in the closest living relatives of metazoans

This study identifies Cupidon, an adhesion GPCR in Salpingoeca rosetta, which regulates cell adhesion and mating by modulating proteolytic processing and localization during nutrient conditions.

G protein-coupled receptor diversity and evolution in the closest living relatives of Metazoa

The paper catalogs GPCRs, G proteins, and regulators in choanoflagellates, revealing expanded diversity and conserved families, with implications for metazoan GPCR evolution.

OrthoHMM: Improved Inference of Ortholog Groups using Hidden Markov Models

OrthoHMM improves ortholog group inference using Hidden Markov Models, showing significant precision gains over existing methods in benchmark tests.

Glycosyltransferases promote development and prevent promiscuous cell aggregation in the choanoflagellate S. rosetta

The paper identifies glycosyltransferase mutations causing defective rosette development and promiscuous cell aggregation in S. rosetta, suggesting an ancient role in development and multicellularity regulation.