Maria Ina Arnone

Minos transposon-mediated transgenesis in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

This study demonstrates the use of Minos transposon-mediated transgenesis in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus to generate stable transgenic specimens for functional studies.

Zygotic genome activation is timed by the egg DNA-to-cytoplasm ratio across animals

The paper investigates ZGA timing across 61 animal species and finds that genome size to cytoplasm volume ratio predicts ZGA onset.

Targeting the cell membrane in established and emerging model organisms

The paper develops a toolkit of membrane-localising tags tested across ten animal species to identify effective signals for targeting proteins to the plasma membrane.

Deep conservation of cis-regulatory elements and chromatin organization in echinoderms uncover ancestral regulatory features of animal genomes

The paper studies regulatory genome evolution in echinoderms, revealing deep conservation of cis-regulatory elements and chromatin organization, suggesting an ancestral regulatory pattern in animal genomes.

Single Nucleus Profiling Highlights the All-Brain Echinoderm Nervous System

The paper uses single-nucleus transcriptomics to analyze post-metamorphic sea urchin cell types, revealing an all-brain organization and homologues of vertebrate neuronal genes.

Integrative multi-omics increase resolution of the sea urchin posterior gut gene regulatory network at single cell level

The paper integrates multi-omics data to refine the gene regulatory network of the sea urchin posterior gut at the single-cell level.

Evolution of tissue-specific expression of ancestral genes across vertebrates andinsects

The paper investigates the evolution of tissue-specific gene expression across vertebrates and insects, finding that nearly half of ancestral genes have been recruited into tissue-specific transcriptomes.

Developmental toxicity of pre-production plastic pellets affects a large swathe of invertebrate taxa

The paper tests the developmental toxicity of plastic pellets on invertebrates from multiple phyla, finding concentration-dependent effects on embryonic development and morphogenesis.

A model of decentralized vision in the sea urchin Diadema africanum

The paper presents a model of decentralized vision in sea urchins that explains how light is processed to produce oriented movement.

Active DNA demethylation of developmental cis-regulatory regions predates vertebrate origins

The paper investigates 5hmC and TET enzyme function in non-vertebrate deuterostomes, showing conserved 5mC removal from regulatory regions across species.

Single cell RNA sequencing of the Strongylocentrotus purpuratus larva reveals the blueprint of major cell types and nervous system of a non-chordate deuterostome

The paper uses scRNA-seq to identify cell types in sea urchin larvae, revealing neuronal and gene regulatory networks with evolutionary implications.

Post-metamorphic skeletal growth in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and implications for body plan evolution

The paper studies skeletal growth in juvenile sea urchins to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying body plan development and evolution.