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  • Academic
    khunnicu@stanford.edu
    University - Scholar Department: Biology Position: Postdoctoral Scholar

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All Publications

  • Insertion of an invading retrovirus regulates a novel color trait in swordtail fish. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology Haghani, N. B., Dodge, T. O., Baczenas, J. J., Gunn, T. R., He, Q., Pangburn, W., Sood, R., Fascinetto-Zago, P., Du, K., Kaatmann, A., Ou, Z., Dougan, S., Yang, T. T., Olmos-Santiago, N. S., Preising, G. A., Payne, C. Y., Cox, S. K., Hunnicutt, K. E., Madrzyk, M., Moran, B., Stigloher, C., Powell, D. L., Schartl, M., Gifford, C. A., Han, G. Z., Schumer, M. 2025

    Abstract

    For over a century, evolutionary biologists have been motivated to understand the mechanisms through which organisms adapt to their environments. Coloration and pigmentation are remarkably variable within and between species and can serve as an important window into the mechanisms of adaptation. Here, we map the genetic basis of a newly described iridescence trait in swordtail fish to a single locus. Individuals with this trait appear to sparkle as they move through the water. We find that the trait is driven by the recent endogenization of a retrovirus that inserted near the gene alkal2a. This insertion is associated with changes in the chromatin landscape, upregulation of alkal2a, and accumulation of iridescent cells that adhere to the scales. Rather than causing diseases, our results demonstrate that invading endogenous retroviruses can also regulate novel trait variation in the host. Moreover, we find that this coloration trait may act as an important signal in interactions between fish and their predators in the natural environment.

    View details for DOI 10.1101/2025.11.07.687308

    View details for PubMedID 41292848

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12642411

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9674-0630