D. B. Rusch

Repeated behavioral evolution is associated with targeted convergence of gene expression in cavity-nesting songbirds

The paper investigates convergent evolution in cavity-nesting birds, finding behavioral similarities but limited gene expression convergence across species.

How altricial birds respond to a heat challenge: organismal perspectives on coping with a future climate scenario

This study examines how 12-day-old tree swallows cope with a 4.5°C heat challenge, finding individual variation in heat shock protein expression and physiological responses that may influence climate adaptation.

Divergent Folding-Mediated Epistasis Among Unstable Membrane Protein Variants

The paper examines how mutations in unstable membrane proteins like GnRHR form distinct epistatic interactions depending on their destabilizing mechanisms and severity.

Aberrant epigenetic and transcriptional events associated with breast cancer risk

This study identifies molecular aberrations in normal breast tissue from high-risk women, linking epigenetic and transcriptional changes to breast cancer susceptibility.

The polar flagellar transcriptional regulatory network in Vibrio campbellii deviates from canonical Vibrio species

This study identifies differences in the flagellar regulatory network of Vibrio campbellii compared to other Vibrio species using genetic and transcriptomic analyses.

The ChiS-family DNA-binding domain contains a cryptic helix-turn-helix variant

The paper determines the crystal structure of the ChiS DNA-binding domain in Vibrio cholerae, revealing a novel helix-sheet-helix variant of the HTH domain and its role in DNA binding.

Oxygen depletion and nitric oxide stimulate type IV MSHA pilus retraction in Vibrio cholerae via activation of the phosphodiesterase CdpA

This study identifies oxygen depletion and nitric oxide as stimuli that trigger MSHA pilus retraction in V. cholerae via the phosphodiesterase CdpA.

The quorum-sensing systems of Vibrio campbellii DS40M4 and BB120 are genetically and functionally distinct

This paper compares the quorum-sensing systems of Vibrio campbellii DS40M4 and BB120, finding genetic and functional differences in autoinducer production, regulatory mechanisms, and regulon size.

Global H-NS counter-silencing by LuxR activates quorum sensing gene expression

The paper shows LuxR counteracts H-NS repression to activate quorum sensing gene expression in Vibrio harveyi by displacing H-NS from promoters.

Destabilization of the tumor-inducing plasmid from an octopine-type Agrobacterium tumefaciens lineage drives a large deletion in the co-resident At megaplasmid

The paper shows that curing a tumor-inducing plasmid in Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes a large deletion in a co-resident megaplasmid, revealing cross-replicon interactions and co-evolution.

Diversity in natural transformation frequencies and regulation across Vibrio species

The paper shows that Vibrio species exhibit diverse natural transformation capabilities, with TfoX and QstR expression enabling high transformation rates in some strains but not others.

RNA polymerases IV and V influence the 3’ boundaries of Polymerase II transcription units in Arabidopsis

The paper shows that RNA polymerases IV and V influence the 3’ boundaries of Pol II transcription units in Arabidopsis by affecting Pol II occupancy downstream of poly A sites.