2020
Unmatched Level of Molecular Convergence among Deeply Divergent Complex Multicellular Fungi
Merényi Z, Prasanna AN, Wang Z, Kovács K, Hegedüs B, Bálint B, Papp B, Townsend JP, Nagy LG. Unmatched Level of Molecular Convergence among Deeply Divergent Complex Multicellular Fungi. Molecular Biology And Evolution 2020, 37: 2228-2240. PMID: 32191325, PMCID: PMC7403615, DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa077.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsComplex multicellularityGene familyMulticellular fruiting bodiesGene family levelLarge phylogenetic distancesSimilar selection pressuresRecent common ancestorFungal ancestorsFungal genomesGenomic repertoireMolecular convergenceMulticellular fungiPhylogenetic distanceConvergent evolutionEvolutionary convergenceLarge cladeEvolutionary trajectoriesCommon ancestorIndependent evolutionNatural selectionSelection pressureEvolutionary predispositionMulticellularityCladeFruiting bodies
2017
Distributions of Mutational Effects and the Estimation of Directional Selection in Divergent Lineages of Arabidopsis thaliana
Park B, Rutter MT, Fenster CB, Symonds VV, Ungerer MC, Townsend JP. Distributions of Mutational Effects and the Estimation of Directional Selection in Divergent Lineages of Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetics 2017, 206: 2105-2117. PMID: 28550014, PMCID: PMC5560809, DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.199190.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMutation accumulation dataDirectional selectionNatural selectionMutational effectsPhenotypic traitsDirectional natural selectionQuantitative trait lociDivergent lineagesRosette diameterTrait lociHistorical selectionQuantitative traitsLineagesArabidopsisTraitsDensity traitsAccumulation dataDivergenceKey roleUltimate sourceLociSelectionOrganismsKey componentMutations
2016
Climatic and evolutionary drivers of phase shifts in the plague epidemics of colonial India
Lewnard JA, Townsend JP. Climatic and evolutionary drivers of phase shifts in the plague epidemics of colonial India. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2016, 113: 14601-14608. PMID: 27791071, PMCID: PMC5187705, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604985113.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPlague resistanceEnvironmental driversIntense natural selectionWild host populationsIntense selective pressureEvolutionary driversPossible evolutionary basisHost evolutionNatural selectionDisease resistanceEvolutionary selectionFlea population dynamicsEvolutionary basisSelective pressureEvolutionary processesPopulation dynamicsHost populationsWildlife hostsLocal persistencePlague dynamicsCommensal ratsDisease agentsPowerful insightsDisease transmissionEcology
2015
Inferring the Origin of Metastases from Cancer Phylogenies
Hong WS, Shpak M, Townsend JP. Inferring the Origin of Metastases from Cancer Phylogenies. Cancer Research 2015, 75: 4021-4025. PMID: 26260528, PMCID: PMC4833389, DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-1889.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsConceptsComplete phylogenyEvolutionary historyPhylogeny-based testsFuture phylogenetic studiesMolecular evolutionary modelsMetastatic subclonesMonophyletic cladePhylogenetic reconstructionCancer lineagesPhylogenetic studiesNatural selectionPhylogenyCancer phylogeniesOrigin of metastasesCancer biologyMetastatic cascadeSubclonesTargeted sequencingEvolutionary modelsDriver mutationsUltra-deep sequencingSequencingRecent studiesMonophylyCladeGene Expression Evolves under a House-of-Cards Model of Stabilizing Selection
Hodgins-Davis A, Rice DP, Townsend JP. Gene Expression Evolves under a House-of-Cards Model of Stabilizing Selection. Molecular Biology And Evolution 2015, 32: 2130-2140. PMID: 25901014, PMCID: PMC4592357, DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msv094.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGene expression evolvesGene expressionPhenotypic evolutionGenetic architectureExpression evolvesEvolutionary quantitative genetic modelsMutation accumulation linesNatural genetic variationStrength of selectionGenomic mutation rateQuantitative genetic modelGenomic data setsGene expression levelsEffects of selectionEvolutionary timeRegulatory evolutionStabilizing selectionAccumulation linesGene regulationMost genesNatural selectionGenetic variationMutational effectsFruit flyPhenotype space
2012
Resampling QTL Effects in the QTL Sign Test Leads to Incongruous Sensitivity to Variance in Effect Size
Rice DP, Townsend JP. Resampling QTL Effects in the QTL Sign Test Leads to Incongruous Sensitivity to Variance in Effect Size. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics 2012, 2: 905-911. PMID: 22908039, PMCID: PMC3411246, DOI: 10.1534/g3.112.003228.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchA Test for Selection Employing Quantitative Trait Locus and Mutation Accumulation Data
Rice DP, Townsend JP. A Test for Selection Employing Quantitative Trait Locus and Mutation Accumulation Data. Genetics 2012, 190: 1533-1545. PMID: 22298701, PMCID: PMC3316662, DOI: 10.1534/genetics.111.137075.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMutation accumulation dataPhenotypic traitsMutational effectsMutation accumulation experimentsPopulation genetics theoryQuantitative trait lociQuantitative phenotypic traitsAccumulation dataHistory of selectionLocus effect sizesEvolutionary biologistsNeutral evolutionGenetic architectureQTL dataStrong selectionTrait lociSelection strengthDistribution of mutationsNatural selectionPhenotypic diversityHistorical selectionMolecular dataQuantitative traitsGenetic theoryQTLCodon Deviation Coefficient: a novel measure for estimating codon usage bias and its statistical significance
Zhang Z, Li J, Cui P, Ding F, Li A, Townsend JP, Yu J. Codon Deviation Coefficient: a novel measure for estimating codon usage bias and its statistical significance. BMC Bioinformatics 2012, 13: 43. PMID: 22435713, PMCID: PMC3368730, DOI: 10.1186/1471-2105-13-43.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCodon usage biasNucleotide compositionUsage biasGenome evolutionGene functionProtein functionCodon usageNatural selectionCodon positionsTranslational efficiencySelective pressureSequence compositionGene expressionSequence analysisSimulated sequencesSequenceGenomeGenesFundamental importanceMutationsInformative estimationExpressionAssessing the Probability of Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Events in Bacterial Populations
Townsend JP, Bøhn T, Nielsen KM. Assessing the Probability of Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Events in Bacterial Populations. Frontiers In Microbiology 2012, 3: 27. PMID: 22363321, PMCID: PMC3282476, DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00027.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHorizontal gene transfer eventsGene transfer eventsHGT eventsBacterial populationsPopulation genetics theoryTransfer eventsPopulation genetic modelingLevels of selectionBacterial generation timesGenetic driftNatural selectionInitial transformantsGenetic theoryExogenous DNAAntibiotic resistance genesGenetic materialResistance genesStructured populationsImmediate offspringBacterial genotypesGeneration timeHGTBacteriaDNAGrowth dynamics
2003
Population Genetic Variation in Genome-Wide Gene Expression
Townsend JP, Cavalieri D, Hartl DL. Population Genetic Variation in Genome-Wide Gene Expression. Molecular Biology And Evolution 2003, 20: 955-963. PMID: 12716989, DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msg106.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGene expression levelsGene expressionNatural populationsGenetic variationNatural isolatesExpression levelsGenome-wide gene expressionPopulation genetic variationGenome-wide scaleComparative gene expressionDifferential gene expressionDNA microarray technologyAmino acid metabolismWine yeast SaccharomycesSulfur assimilationEvolutionary biologistsGenomic scaleYeast SaccharomycesNatural selectionS. cerevisiaeProtein degradationSuch traitsDifferential reproductionMicroarray technologyOrganic evolution