Christopher Knight

All Publications

• 3D genomics across the tree of life reveals condensin II as a determinant of architecture type. Science (New York, N.Y.) Hoencamp, C., Dudchenko, O., Elbatsh, A. M., Brahmachari, S., Raaijmakers, J. A., van Schaik, T., Sedeño Cacciatore, Á., Contessoto, V. G., van Heesbeen, R. G., van den Broek, B., Mhaskar, A. N., Teunissen, H., St Hilaire, B. G., Weisz, D., Omer, A. D., Pham, M., Colaric, Z., Yang, Z., Rao, S. S., Mitra, N., Lui, C., Yao, W., Khan, R., Moroz, L. L., Kohn, A., St Leger, J., Mena, A., Holcroft, K., Gambetta, M. C., Lim, F., Farley, E., Stein, N., Haddad, A., Chauss, D., Mutlu, A. S., Wang, M. C., Young, N. D., Hildebrandt, E., Cheng, H. H., Knight, C. J., Burnham, T. L., Hovel, K. A., Beel, A. J., Mattei, P. J., Kornberg, R. D., Warren, W. C., Cary, G., Gómez-Skarmeta, J. L., Hinman, V., Lindblad-Toh, K., Di Palma, F., Maeshima, K., Multani, A. S., Pathak, S., Nel-Themaat, L., Behringer, R. R., Kaur, P., Medema, R. H., van Steensel, B., de Wit, E., Onuchic, J. N., Di Pierro, M., Lieberman Aiden, E., Rowland, B. D. 2021; 372 (6545): 984-989

  Abstract

  We investigated genome folding across the eukaryotic tree of life. We find two types of three-dimensional (3D) genome architectures at the chromosome scale. Each type appears and disappears repeatedly during eukaryotic evolution. The type of genome architecture that an organism exhibits correlates with the absence of condensin II subunits. Moreover, condensin II depletion converts the architecture of the human genome to a state resembling that seen in organisms such as fungi or mosquitoes. In this state, centromeres cluster together at nucleoli, and heterochromatin domains merge. We propose a physical model in which lengthwise compaction of chromosomes by condensin II during mitosis determines chromosome-scale genome architecture, with effects that are retained during the subsequent interphase. This mechanism likely has been conserved since the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes.

  View details for DOI 10.1126/science.abe2218

  View details for PubMedID 34045355

• Promoting equity in the use of algorithms for high-seas conservation One Earth Chapman, M. S., Oestreich, W. K., Frawley, T. H., Boettiger, C., Diver, S., Santos, B. S., Scoville, C., Armstrong, K., Blondin, H., Chand, K., Haulsee, D. E., Knight, C. J., Crowder, L. B. 2021; 4 (6): 790-794

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.oneear.2021.05.011

• COVID-19 reveals vulnerability of small-scale fisheries to global market systems. The Lancet. Planetary health Knight, C. J., Burnham, T. L., Mansfield, E. J., Crowder, L. B., Micheli, F. n. 2020; 4 (6): e219

  View details for DOI 10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30128-5

  View details for PubMedID 32559437

• Predation on competing mussel species: Patterns of prey consumption and its potential role in species coexistence JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY Escobar, J. B., Knight, C., Navarrete, S. A. 2018; 504: 38–46

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jembe.2018.03.008

  View details for Web of Science ID 000432770300005

• Complex Consequences of Herbivory and Interplant Cues in Three Annual Plants PLOS ONE Pearse, I. S., Porensky, L. M., Yang, L. H., Stanton, M. L., Karban, R., Bhattacharyya, L., Cox, R., Dove, K., Higgins, A., Kamoroff, C., Kirk, T., Knight, C., Koch, R., Parker, C., Rollins, H., Tanner, K. 2012; 7 (5): e38105

  Abstract

  Information exchange (or signaling) between plants following herbivore damage has recently been shown to affect plant responses to herbivory in relatively simple natural systems. In a large, manipulative field study using three annual plant species (Achyrachaena mollis, Lupinus nanus, and Sinapis arvensis), we tested whether experimental damage to a neighboring conspecific affected a plant's lifetime fitness and interactions with herbivores. By manipulating relatedness between plants, we assessed whether genetic relatedness of neighboring individuals influenced the outcome of having a damaged neighbor. Additionally, in laboratory feeding assays, we assessed whether damage to a neighboring plant specifically affected palatability to a generalist herbivore and, for S. arvensis, a specialist herbivore. Our study suggested a high level of contingency in the outcomes of plant signaling. For example, in the field, damaging a neighbor resulted in greater herbivory to A. mollis, but only when the damaged neighbor was a close relative. Similarly, in laboratory trials, the palatability of S. arvensis to a generalist herbivore increased after the plant was exposed to a damaged neighbor, while palatability to a specialist herbivore decreased. Across all species, damage to a neighbor resulted in decreased lifetime fitness, but only if neighbors were closely related. These results suggest that the outcomes of plant signaling within multi-species neighborhoods may be far more context-specific than has been previously shown. In particular, our study shows that herbivore interactions and signaling between plants are contingent on the genetic relationship between neighboring plants. Many factors affect the outcomes of plant signaling, and studies that clarify these factors will be necessary in order to assess the role of plant information exchange about herbivory in natural systems.

  View details for DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0038105

  View details for Web of Science ID 000305338500088

  View details for PubMedID 22675439

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC3364994