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Publications

We are interested in understanding sexual reproduction

and how its evolution is shaped by genetic parasites.

Research Articles

Landscape of essential growth and fluconazole-resistance genes in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans.

Billmyre RB, Craig CJ, Lyon JW, Reichardt C, Kuhn AM, Eickbush MT, Zanders SE. PLoS Biol. 2025 May 22;23(5):e3003184. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003184. PMID: 40402997; PMCID: PMC12136443.

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Functional constraints of wtf killer meiotic drivers.

Nidamangala Srinivasa A, Campbell S, Venkatesan S, Nuckolls NL, Lange JJ, Halfmann R, Zanders SE. PLoS Genet. 2025;21:e1011534.

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Modeling the evolution of Schizosaccharomyces pombe populations with multiple killer meiotic drivers.

Lopez Hernandez JF, Rubinstein BY, Unckless RL, Zanders SE. G3 (Bethesda). 2024:jkae142 doi: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae142.

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S. pombe wtf drivers use dual transcriptional regulation and selective protein exclusion from spores to cause meiotic drive.

Nuckolls NL, Nidamangala Srinivasa A, Mok AC, Helston RM, Bravo Nunez MA, Lange JJ, Gallagher TJ, Seidel CW, Zanders SE. PLos Genet. 2022:e1009847 doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009847.

Genome-wide quantification of contributions to sexual fitness identifies genes required for spore viability and health in fission yeast.

Billmyre RB, Eickbush MT, Craig CJ, Lange JJ, Wood C, Helston RM, Zanders SE. PLoS Genet. 2022;18:e1010462 doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010462.

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The wtf meiotic driver gene family has unexpectedly persisted for over 100 million years.

De Carvalho M, Jia GS, Nidamangala Srinivasa A, Billmyre RB, Xu YH, Lange JJ, Sabbarini IM, Du LL, Zanders SE. eLife. 2022;11. doi: 10.7554/eLife.81149.

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Diverse mating phenotypes impact the spread of wtf meiotic drivers in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

López Hernández JF, Helston RM, Lange JJ, Billmyre RB, Schaffner SH, Eickbush MT, McCroskey S, Zanders SE. eLife. 2021 Dec 13;10:e70812. doi: 10.7554/eLife.70812. PMID: 34895466; PMCID: PMC8789285. 

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The wtf4 meiotic driver utilizes controlled protein aggregation to generate selective cell death.

Nuckolls NL, Mok AC, Lange JJ, Yi K, Kandola TS, Hunn AM, McCroskey S, Snyder JL, Bravo Núñez MA, McClain M, McKinney SA, Wood C, Halfmann R, Zanders SE. eLife. Oct 27;9:e55694. doi: 10.7554/eLife.55694.  

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Atypical meiosis can be adaptive in outcrossed S. pombe due to wtf meiotic drivers.

Bravo Núñez MA, Sabbarini IM, Eide LE, Unckless RL, Zanders SE. eLife. 2020;9:e57936. doi: 57910.57554/eLife.57936.

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Dramatically diverse S. pombe wtf meiotic drivers all display high gamete-killing efficiency.

‍Bravo Núñez M.A., Sabbarini, I.M., Eickbush M.T., Liang, Y., Lange J.J., Kent, A.M., Zanders S.E. PLoS Genet. 2020; 16 (2), e1008350.

Killer meiotic drive and dynamic evolution of the wtf gene family.

‍Eickbush M.T., Young J.M., Zanders S.E. Mol Biol Evol. 2019; 36(6):1201-1214.

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A suppressor of a wtf poison-antidote meiotic driver acts via mimicry of the driver's antidote.

Bravo Núñez M.A., Lange J.J., Zanders S.E. PLoS Genet. 2018;14(11):e1007836.

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wtf genes are prolific dual poison-antidote meiotic drivers.

‍Nuckolls N.L., Bravo Núñez M.A., Eickbush M.T., Young J.M., Lange J.J., Yu J.S., Smith G.R., Jaspersen S.L., Malik H.S., Zanders S.E.  eLife. 2017; 6:e26033

Genome rearrangements and pervasive meiotic drive cause hybrid infertility in fission yeast.

Zanders S, Eickbush MT, Yu JS, Kang JW, Fowler KR, Smith GR, Malik HS. eLife. 2014;3:e02630.

Mutation hot spots in yeast caused by long-range clustering of homopolymeric sequences.

‍Ma X, Rogacheva MV, Nishant KT, Zanders SE, Bustamante CD, Alani E.  Cell Rep. 2012 Jan 26;1(1):36-42. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2011.10.003. Epub 2012 Jan 26.

Pch2 modulates chromatid partner choice during meiotic double-strand break repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Zanders SE, Sonntag Brown M, Chen C, Alani E.  Genetics. 2011;188:511-521.

Sustained and rapid chromosome movements are critical for chromosome pairing and meiotic progression in budding yeast.

‍Sonntag Brown M, Zanders S, Alani E.  Genetics. 2011 May;188(1):21-32. doi: 10.1534/genetics.110.125575. Epub 2011 Feb 21.

Detection of heterozygous mutations in the genome of mismatch repair defective diploid yeast using a Bayesian approach.

‍Zanders S, Ma X, Roychoudhury A, Hernandez RD, Demogines A, Barker B, Gu Z, Bustamante CD, Alani E.  Genetics. 2010;186:493-503.

The pch2Delta mutation in baker's yeast alters meiotic crossover levels and confers a defect in crossover interference.

‍Zanders S, Alani E. PLoS Genet.  2009;5:e1000571.

Csm4, in collaboration with Ndj1, mediates telomere-led chromosome dynamics and recombination during yeast meiosis.

Wanat JJ, Kim KP, Koszul R, Zanders S, Weiner B, Kleckner N, Alani E.  PLoS Genet. 2008 Sep 26;4(9):e1000188. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000188.

Reviews

The ever-diversifying landscape of intra-genomic conflict

Levine MT, Zanders SE. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2025 May;169:103603. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2025.103603. Epub 2025 Mar 26. PMID: 40147413.

Killer meiotic drive executed by two alternative conformations of a single protein.

Zanders SE, Smith GR.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Dec 10;121(50):e2420620121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2420620121. Epub 2024 Dec 2. PMID: 39621930; PMCID: PMC11648849.

What can we learn from selfish loci that break Mendel’s law?

Zanders SE. PLoS Biol. 2022 Jul 19;20(7):e3001700. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001700. PMID: 35853012; PMCID: PMC9295977.

Molecular Mechanisms and Evolutionary Consequences of Spore Killers in Ascomycetes.

Zanders S, Johannesson H. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2021 Dec 15;85(4):e0001621. doi: 10.1128/MMBR.00016-21. Epub 2021 Nov 10. PMID: 34756084; PMCID: PMC8579966.

Meiotic drive.

​Srinivasa AN, Zanders SE. Meiotic drive. Curr Biol. 2020;30:R627-R629.

A family of killers.

De Carvalho M., Zanders S.E. eLife. 2019; 8. pii: e49211

Gene conversion generates evolutionary novelty that fuels genetic conflicts.

‍Daugherty, M.D., Zanders S.E. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2019; 58-59, 49-54

Fertility Costs of Meiotic Drivers.

Zanders S.E., Unckless R.L. Curr Biol. 2019; 29(11):R512-R520

Genetic Villains: Killer Meiotic Drivers.

Bravo Núñez M.A., Nuckolls N.L., Zanders S.E. Trends Genet. 2018; 34(6):424-433.

‍Veni, vidi, vici: the success of wtf meiotic drivers in fission yeast.

Lopez Hernandez JF, Zanders SE. Yeast. 2018;35:447-453.

R2d2 and Hyperdrive Mechanisms (in Mouse Meiosis).

‍Zanders SE, Malik HS. PLoS Genet. 2015 Feb 13;11(2):e1004950. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004950. eCollection 2015 Feb.

Chromosome segregation: human female meiosis breaks all the rules.

Zanders SE, Malik HS. Curr Biol. 2015;25(15):R654-R656.

A suppressor of a wtf poison-antidote meiotic driver acts via mimicry of the driver's antidote.

Bravo Núñez M.A., Lange J.J., Zanders S.E. PLoS Genet. 2018;14(11):e1007836.

wtf genes are prolific dual poison-antidote meiotic drivers.

‍Nuckolls N.L., Bravo Núñez M.A., Eickbush M.T., Young J.M., Lange J.J., Yu J.S., Smith G.R., Jaspersen S.L., Malik H.S., Zanders S.E.  eLife. 2017; 6:e26033

Genome rearrangements and pervasive meiotic drive cause hybrid infertility in fission yeast.

Zanders S, Eickbush MT, Yu JS, Kang JW, Fowler KR, Smith GR, Malik HS. eLife. 2014;3:e02630.

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