Richard M. Keegan

Intercellular viral spread and intracellular transposition of Drosophila gypsy

This study shows Drosophila gypsy retrotransposon can replicate via both intracellular retrotransposition and intercellular viral spread, depending on the presence of its envelope protein.

Cellular labeling of endogenous virus replication (CLEVR) reveals de novo insertions of the gypsy endogenous retrovirus in cell culture and in both neurons and glial cells of aging fruit flies

The paper introduces CLEVR, a method to detect gypsy retrovirus replication in Drosophila, showing increased replication in aging flies and when RNAi is disrupted.

Retrotransposon Activation Contributes to Neurodegeneration in a DrosophilaTDP-43 Model of ALS.

This paper shows that TDP-43 expression in Drosophila causes retrotransposon activation, leading to neurodegeneration through DNA damage and programmed cell death.