Publications by authors named "R K Waterhouse"
Innate immunity in mosquitoes has received much attention due to its potential impact on vector competence for vector-borne disease pathogens, including malaria parasites. The nuclear factor (NF)-κB-dependent Toll pathway is a major regulator of innate immunity in insects. In mosquitoes, this pathway controls transcription of the majority of the known canonical humoral immune effectors, mediates anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral immune responses, and contributes to malaria parasite killing.
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- Mitochondrial and nuclear genes work together in mitochondria, but arthropods show varied evolution rates, particularly in haplodiploid species, which have faster-evolving mitochondrial genes.
- The study used 76 arthropod genomes to find that haplodiploid species, especially among bees and ants, exhibit rapid evolutionary rates in mitochondrial and related nuclear genes, while unrelated nuclear genes evolve more slowly.
- Results suggest that the small population size hypothesis for haplodiploidy is unlikely, with positive selection and compensatory changes explaining the rapid evolution in mitochondrial function-related genes in these species.
Innate immunity in mosquitoes has received much attention due to its potential impact on vector competence for vector-borne disease pathogens, including malaria parasites. The nuclear factor (NF)-κB-dependent Toll pathway is a major regulator of innate immunity in insects. In mosquitoes, this pathway controls transcription of the majority of the known canonical humoral immune effectors, mediates anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral immune responses, and contributes to malaria parasite killing.
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- A genomic database encompassing all eukaryotic species on Earth is crucial for scientific advancements, yet most species lack genomic data.
- The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) was initiated in 2018 by global scientists to compile high-quality reference genomes for approximately 1.5 million recognized eukaryotic species.
- The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) launched a Pilot Project to create a decentralized model for reference genome production by testing it on 98 species, providing valuable insights into scalability, equity, and inclusiveness for genomic projects.