Evolutionary Biology

Lifestyles shape genome size and gene content in fungal pathogens

1. Anna Fijarczyk
2. Pauline Hessenauer
3. Richard C. Hamelin
4. Christian R. Landry

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study addresses a topic that is frequently discussed in the literature but is under-assessed, namely correlations among genome size, repeat content, and pathogenicity in fungi. Contrary to previous assertions, the authors found that repeat content is not associated with pathogenicity. Rather, pathogenic lifestyle was found to be better explained by the number of protein-coding genes, with other genomic features associated with insect association status. While the results are considered solid, confidence in the results would be deepened if the authors were to comprehensively account for potential biases stemming from the underlying data quality of the analyzed genomes.

Reviewed by eLife

Fast evolutionary turnover and overlapping variances of sex-biased gene expression patterns defy a simple binary sex-classification of somatic tissues

1. Chen Xie
2. Sven Künzel
3. Diethard Tautz

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study presents useful data on sex differences in gene expression across organs of four mice taxa. While the methods and analysis are largely sound, the strength of evidence is solid only in parts and the conclusions drawn from the results are not always appropriate.

Reviewed by eLife, Arcadia Science

On the potential for GWAS with phenotypic population means and allele-frequency data (popGWAS)

1. Markus Pfenninger

Reviewed by Peer Community in Evolutionary Biology

Compensatory Evolution to DNA Replication Stress is Robust to Nutrient Availability

1. Mariana Natalino
2. Marco Fumasoni

Reviewed by Review Commons

Pronounced expression of extracellular matrix proteoglycans regulated by Wnt pathway underlies the parallel evolution of lip hypertrophy in East African cichlids

1. Nagatoshi Machii
2. Ryo Hatashima
3. Tatsuya Niwa
4. Hideki Taguchi
5. Ismael A Kimirei
6. Hillary DJ Mrosso
7. Mitsuto Aibara
8. Tatsuki Nagasawa
9. Masato Nikaido

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  Cichlid fishes have attracted attention from a wide range of biologists because of their
  extensive species diversification at the ecological and phenotypic levels. In this important study, the authors have partially revealed the mechanism behind lip thickening in cichlid fishes, which has evolved independently across three lakes in Africa. To explore this phenomenon, the authors used histological comparison, proteomics, and transcriptomics, all of which are well suited for their objectives. With compelling evidence, this contribution provides insights into parallel evolution in polygenic traits and holds significant value for the field.

Reviewed by eLife

Loss of a morph is associated with asymmetric character release in a radiation of woodland salamanders

1. Brian P. Waldron
2. Maggie M. Hantak
3. Emily F. Watts
4. Josef C. Uyeda
5. Alan R. Lemmon
6. Emily Moriarty Lemmon
7. Robert P. Guralnick
8. David C. Blackburn
9. Shawn R. Kuchta

Reviewed by preLights

A gene-regulatory network model for density-dependent and sex-biased dispersal evolution during range expansions

1. Jhelam N. Deshpande
2. Emanuel A. Fronhofer

Reviewed by Peer Community in Evolutionary Biology

Detection of domestication signals through the analysis of the full distribution of fitness effects

1. David Castellano
2. Ioanna-Theoni Vourlaki
3. Ryan N. Gutenkunst
4. Sebastian E. Ramos-Onsins

Reviewed by Peer Community in Evolutionary Biology

Unraveling genetic load dynamics during biological invasion: insights from two invasive insect species

1. Eric Lombaert
2. Aurélie Blin
3. Barbara Porro
4. Thomas Guillemaud
5. Julio S. Bernal
6. Gary Chang
7. Natalia Kirichenko
8. Thomas W. Sappington
9. Stefan Toepfer
10. Emeline Deleury

Reviewed by Peer Community in Evolutionary Biology, Arcadia Science

Prophage-encoded Hm-oscar gene recapitulates Wolbachia-induced male-killing in the tea tortrix moth Homona magnanima

1. Hiroshi Arai
2. Susumu Katsuma
3. Noriko Matsuda-Imai
4. Shiou-Ruei Lin
5. Maki N Inoue
6. Daisuke Kageyama

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  Hardly anything is known about the genetic basis and mechanism of male-killing. Recently, a gene called oscar, in the bacterium Wolbachia, was implicated in killing male corn borer moths by interfering with moth genes that control sex determination and proper dosage of sex-specific genes. In this paper, the authors show that a distantly related oscar gene in another strain of Wolbachia kills male tea tortrix moths in a similar mechanism. This valuable study cements our understanding of the sophisticated way that Wolbachia kills male moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) so early in their development. The conclusions are supported by solid evidence.

Reviewed by eLife