Evolution of the Eukaryote Genome Lab
This lab has always been interested in how transposable elements (TEs) interact with the eukaryotic genome, and how these interactions contribute to evolution. Lately, its research has become more focused on understanding how regulatory complexity has evolved. With this purpose in mind, the lab has been involved in developing genetic tools for Corallochytrium limacisporum and Abeoforma whisleri, two marine unicellular eukaryotes. Now it is focused on understanding the origin of regulatory elements and the contribution of TEs to genome regulation in unicellular eukaryotes.
Lab website: Casacuberta's Lab
Ruiz-Trillo I, Kin K, Casacuberta E. 2023. The Origin of Metazoan Multicellularity: A Potential Microbial Black Swan Event. Annual Review of Microbiology, 77(1). DOI:10.1146/annurev-micro-032421-120023
Kożyczkowska A, Najle SR, Ocaña-Pallarès E, Aresté C, Shabardina V, Ara PS, Ruiz-Trillo I, Casacuberta E. 2021. Stable transfection in protist Corallochytrium limacisporum identifies novel cellular features among unicellular animals relatives. Current Biology, 31(18):4104-4110. DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.061
Parra-Acero H, Harcet M, Sánchez-Pons N, Casacuberta E, Brown NH, Dudin O, Ruiz-Trillo I. 2020. Integrin-Mediated Adhesion in the Unicellular Holozoan Capsaspora owczarzaki. Current Biology, 30(21):4270-4275. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.015
Faktorová D, Nisbet RER, Fernández Robledo JA, Casacuberta E, Sudek L, Allen AE, Ares M Jr, Aresté C, Balestreri C, Barbrook AC, Beardslee P, Bender S, Booth DS, Bouget FY, Bowler C, Breglia SA, Brownlee C, Burger G, Cerutti H, Cesaroni R, Chiurillo MA, Clemente T, Coles DB, Collier JL, Cooney EC, Coyne K, Docampo R, Dupont CL, Edgcomb V, Einarsson E, Elustondo PA, Federici F, Freire-Beneitez V, Freyria NJ, Fukuda K, García PA, Girguis PR, Gomaa F, Gornik SG, Guo J, Hampl V, Hanawa Y, Haro-Contreras ER, Hehenberger E, Highfield A, Hirakawa Y, Hopes A, Howe CJ, Hu I, Ibañez J, Irwin NAT, Ishii Y, Janowicz NE, Jones AC, Kachale A, Fujimura-Kamada K, Kaur B, Kaye JZ, Kazana E, Keeling PJ, King N, Klobutcher LA, Lander N, Lassadi I, Li Z, Lin S, Lozano JC, Luan F, Maruyama S, Matute T, Miceli C, Minagawa J, Moosburner M, Najle SR, Nanjappa D, Nimmo IC, Noble L, Novák Vanclová AMG, Nowacki M, Nuñez I, Pain A, Piersanti A, Pucciarelli S, Pyrih J, Rest JS, Rius M, Robertson D, Ruaud A, Ruiz-Trillo I, Sigg MA, Silver PA, Slamovits CH, Jason Smith G, Sprecher BN, Stern R, Swart EC, Tsaousis AD, Tsypin L, Turkewitz A, Turnšek J, Valach M, Vergé V, von Dassow P, von der Haar T, Waller RF, Wang L, Wen X, Wheeler G, Woods A, Zhang H, Mock T, Worden AZ, Lukeš J. 2020. Genetic tool development in marine protists: emerging model organisms for experimental cell biology. Nature Methods, 17(5):481-494. DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-0796-x.
Chafino S, Ureña E, Casanova J, Casacuberta E, Franch-Marro X, Martín D. 2019. Upregulation of E93 Gene Expression Acts as the Trigger for Metamorphosis Independently of the Threshold Size in the Beetle Tribolium castaneum. Cell Reports, 27(4):1039-1049. DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2019.03.094.
Chafino S, López-Escardó D, Benelli G, Kovac H, Casacuberta E, Franch-Marro X, Kathirithamby J, Martín D. 2018. Differential expression of the adult specifier E93 in the strepsipteran Xenos vesparum Rossi suggests a role in female neoteny. Scientific Reports, 8(1):1-11. DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-32611-y
Casacuberta E. 2017. Drosophila: Retrotransposons Making up Telomeres. Viruses, 9(7):192. DOI:10.3390/v9070192
López-Panadès E, Casacuberta E. 2016. NAP-1, Nucleosome assembly protein 1, a histone chaperone involved in Drosophila telomeres. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 70:111-115. DOI:10.1016/j.ibmb.2015.11.011
López-Panadès E, Gavis ER, Casacuberta E. 2015. Specific localization of the Drosophila telomere transposon proteins and RNAs, give insight in their behavior, control and telomere biology in this organism. PLoS ONE, 10(6):1-17. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0128573
Silva-Sousa R, Casacuberta E. 2013. The JIL-1 kinase affects telomere expression in the different telomere domains of Drosophila. PLoS ONE, 8(11):1-8. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0081543
Silva-Sousa R, Varela MD, Casacuberta E. 2013. The Putzig partners DREF, TRF2 and KEN are involved in the regulation of the Drosophila telomere retrotransposons, HeT-A and TART. Mobile DNA, 4(1):1-8. DOI:10.1186/1759-8753-4-18
Casacuberta E, González J. 2013. The impact of transposable elements in environmental adaptation. Molecular Ecology, 22(6):1503-1517. DOI:10.1111/mec.12170
Silva-Sousa R, López-Panadès E, Piñeyro D, Casacuberta E. 2012. The Chromosomal Proteins JIL-1 and Z4/Putzig Regulate the Telomeric Chromatin in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Genetics, 8(12). DOI:10.1371/journal.pgen.1003153
Petit N, Piñeyro D, López-Panadès E, Casacuberta E, Navarro A. 2012. HeT-A_pi1, a piRNA target sequence in the Drosophila telomeric retrotransposon HeT-A, is extremely conserved across copies and species. PLoS ONE, 7(5):1-11. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0037405
Piñeyro D, López-Panadès E, Lucena-Pérez M, Casacuberta E. 2011. Transcriptional analysis of the HeT-A retrotransposon in mutant and wild type stocks reveals high sequence variability at Drosophila telomeres and other unusual features. BMC Genomics, 12. DOI:10.1186/1471-2164-12-573