{"entity": "researcher", "timestamp": "2026-08-22T08:31:36.216Z", "family": "Ruiz-Ruano", "given": "Francisco J", "initials": "FJ", "orcid": "0000-0002-5391-301X", "affiliations": ["Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Science for Life Laboratory, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.", "School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TU, UK."], "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/b6c9c69ad6644f77bfe61a99ec3e8fd0.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/b6c9c69ad6644f77bfe61a99ec3e8fd0"}}, "publications": [{"entity": "publication", "iuid": "1f429de03d59490fb573923ac809e3d4", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/1f429de03d59490fb573923ac809e3d4.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/1f429de03d59490fb573923ac809e3d4"}}, "title": "Germline-restricted chromosome of songbirds has different centromere compared to regular chromosomes.", "authors": [{"family": "R\u00eddl", "given": "Jakub", "initials": "J", "orcid": "0000-0003-2148-3606", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/1794108c718a42beacfa24fd94c44090.json"}}, {"family": "Dedukh", "given": "Dmitrij", "initials": "D"}, {"family": "Halenkov\u00e1", "given": "Zuzana", "initials": "Z", "orcid": "0000-0002-8550-1693", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/16d1064a71c64fae9d4a4e68790267b0.json"}}, {"family": "Schlebusch", "given": "Stephen A", "initials": "SA"}, {"family": "Bene\u0161", "given": "Vladim\u00edr", "initials": "V", "orcid": "0000-0002-0352-2547", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/b1bf0a09799e4e338ecc55f4712e70b4.json"}}, {"family": "Lopez", "given": "Mireia Osuna", "initials": "MO"}, {"family": "Osiejuk", "given": "Tomasz S", "initials": "TS"}, {"family": "Ruiz-Ruano", "given": "Francisco J", "initials": "FJ", "orcid": "0000-0002-5391-301X", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/b6c9c69ad6644f77bfe61a99ec3e8fd0.json"}}, {"family": "Suh", "given": "Alexander", "initials": "A", "orcid": "0000-0002-8979-9992", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/e1790a31477c4376957d8c328299db1c.json"}}, {"family": "Albrecht", "given": "Tom\u00e1\u0161", "initials": "T"}, {"family": "Reif", "given": "Ji\u0159\u00ed", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Reifov\u00e1", "given": "Radka", "initials": "R", "orcid": "0000-0001-5852-5174", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/19c70fc264f24ae6b713a7be58620937.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2025-07-30", "journal": {"title": "Heredity (Edinb)", "issn": "1365-2540", "issn-l": "0018-067X"}, "abstract": "Centromeres are an important part of chromosomes which direct chromosome segregation during cell division. Their modifications can therefore explain the unusual mitotic and meiotic behaviour of certain chromosomes, such as the germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) of songbirds. This chromosome is eliminated from somatic cells during early embryogenesis and later also from male germ cells during spermatogenesis. Although the mechanism of elimination is not yet known, it is possible that it involves a modification of the centromeric sequence on the GRC, resulting in problems with the attachment of this chromosome to the mitotic or meiotic spindle and its lagging during anaphase, which eventually leads to its elimination from the nucleus. However, the repetitive nature and rapid evolution of centromeres make their identification and comparative analysis across species and chromosomes challenging. Here, we used a combination of cytogenetic and genomic approaches to identify the centromeric sequences of two closely related songbird species, the common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) and the thrush nightingale (L. luscinia). We found a 436-bp satellite repeat present in the centromeric regions of all regular chromosomes (i.e., autosomes and sex chromosomes), making it a strong candidate for the centromeric repeat. This centromeric repeat was highly similar between the two nightingale species. Interestingly, hybridization of the probe to this satellite repeat on meiotic spreads suggested that this repeat is missing on the GRC. Our results indicate that the change of the centromeric sequence may underlie the unusual inheritance and programmed DNA elimination of the GRC in songbirds.", "doi": "10.1038/s41437-025-00779-5", "pmid": "40745398", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pii", "key": "10.1038/s41437-025-00779-5"}], "notes": [], "created": "2026-08-21T11:48:02.911Z", "modified": "2026-08-21T11:48:03.122Z"}, {"entity": "publication", "iuid": "e344eea598364abba7c4c225b1153bda", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/e344eea598364abba7c4c225b1153bda.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/e344eea598364abba7c4c225b1153bda"}}, "title": "Rapid gene content turnover on the germline-restricted chromosome in songbirds.", "authors": [{"family": "Schlebusch", "given": "Stephen A", "initials": "SA", "orcid": "0000-0003-2355-2652", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/1ab2b0b88bb141ce9ff2e715dd4d8cae.json"}}, {"family": "R\u00eddl", "given": "Jakub", "initials": "J", "orcid": "0000-0003-2148-3606", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/1794108c718a42beacfa24fd94c44090.json"}}, {"family": "Poignet", "given": "Manon", "initials": "M", "orcid": "0000-0003-2445-830X", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/9a671af591c14ffd95d3665dccbdaf11.json"}}, {"family": "Ruiz-Ruano", "given": "Francisco J", "initials": "FJ", "orcid": "0000-0002-5391-301X", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/b6c9c69ad6644f77bfe61a99ec3e8fd0.json"}}, {"family": "Reif", "given": "Ji\u0159\u00ed", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Pajer", "given": "Petr", "initials": "P"}, {"family": "Pa\u010des", "given": "Jan", "initials": "J", "orcid": "0000-0003-3059-6127", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/dbd22946d5a84dfdb3bace1e03ba3b8f.json"}}, {"family": "Albrecht", "given": "Tom\u00e1\u0161", "initials": "T", "orcid": "0000-0002-9213-0034", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/02431253fae34251997975b0414cd889.json"}}, {"family": "Suh", "given": "Alexander", "initials": "A", "orcid": "0000-0002-8979-9992", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/e1790a31477c4376957d8c328299db1c.json"}}, {"family": "Reifov\u00e1", "given": "Radka", "initials": "R", "orcid": "0000-0001-5852-5174", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/19c70fc264f24ae6b713a7be58620937.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2023-07-29", "journal": {"title": "Nat Commun", "issn": "2041-1723", "volume": "14", "issue": "1", "pages": "4579", "issn-l": "2041-1723"}, "abstract": "The germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) of songbirds represents a taxonomically widespread example of programmed DNA elimination. Despite its apparent indispensability, we still know very little about the GRC's genetic composition, function, and evolutionary significance. Here we assemble the GRC in two closely related species, the common and thrush nightingale. In total we identify 192 genes across the two GRCs, with many of them present in multiple copies. Interestingly, the GRC appears to be under little selective pressure, with the genetic content differing dramatically between the two species and many GRC genes appearing to be pseudogenized fragments. Only one gene, cpeb1, has a complete coding region in all examined individuals of the two species and shows no copy number variation. The acquisition of this gene by the GRC corresponds with the earliest estimates of the GRC origin, making it a good candidate for the functional indispensability of the GRC in songbirds.", "doi": "10.1038/s41467-023-40308-8", "pmid": "37516764", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC10387091"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "10.1038/s41467-023-40308-8"}], "notes": [], "created": "2026-08-21T11:49:30.227Z", "modified": "2026-08-21T11:49:30.474Z"}, {"entity": "publication", "iuid": "639f2c4c02d844ecbed258bfcbdaedfd", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/639f2c4c02d844ecbed258bfcbdaedfd.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/639f2c4c02d844ecbed258bfcbdaedfd"}}, "title": "Mendelian nightmares: the germline-restricted chromosome of songbirds.", "authors": [{"family": "Borodin", "given": "Pavel", "initials": "P"}, {"family": "Chen", "given": "Augustin", "initials": "A", "orcid": "0000-0002-2016-3048", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/2ad4deb0f2d94f69823035ac763a427b.json"}}, {"family": "Forstmeier", "given": "Wolfgang", "initials": "W", "orcid": "0000-0002-5984-8925", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/ecb710f7c6a34435b03de70f2bddfc38.json"}}, {"family": "Fouch\u00e9", "given": "Simone", "initials": "S", "orcid": "0000-0003-0601-6073", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/736afd67cd5d47dea6c9021735fd1354.json"}}, {"family": "Malinovskaya", "given": "Lyubov", "initials": "L"}, {"family": "Pei", "given": "Yifan", "initials": "Y", "orcid": "0000-0002-2411-4454", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/f89c9be70df04b05bbe8bc30945c854f.json"}}, {"family": "Reifov\u00e1", "given": "Radka", "initials": "R", "orcid": "0000-0001-5852-5174", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/19c70fc264f24ae6b713a7be58620937.json"}}, {"family": "Ruiz-Ruano", "given": "Francisco J", "initials": "FJ", "orcid": "0000-0002-5391-301X", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/b6c9c69ad6644f77bfe61a99ec3e8fd0.json"}}, {"family": "Schlebusch", "given": "Stephen A", "initials": "SA", "orcid": "0000-0003-2355-2652", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/1ab2b0b88bb141ce9ff2e715dd4d8cae.json"}}, {"family": "Sotelo-Mu\u00f1oz", "given": "Manuelita", "initials": "M", "orcid": "0000-0002-1654-7292", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/f81a23ad98eb4ec8ab7edb7ad813f5ea.json"}}, {"family": "Torgasheva", "given": "Anna", "initials": "A", "orcid": "0000-0002-8933-8336", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/09eb57f1eddf4ca2947bd8de9b904f79.json"}}, {"family": "Vontzou", "given": "Niki", "initials": "N"}, {"family": "Suh", "given": "Alexander", "initials": "A", "orcid": "0000-0002-8979-9992", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/e1790a31477c4376957d8c328299db1c.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2022-09-00", "journal": {"title": "Chromosome Res.", "issn": "1573-6849", "volume": "30", "issue": "2-3", "pages": "255-272", "issn-l": "0967-3849"}, "abstract": "Germline-restricted chromosomes (GRCs) are accessory chromosomes that occur only in germ cells. They are eliminated from somatic cells through programmed DNA elimination during embryo development. GRCs have been observed in several unrelated animal taxa and show peculiar modes of non-Mendelian inheritance and within-individual elimination. Recent cytogenetic and phylogenomic evidence suggests that a GRC is present across the species-rich songbirds, but absent in non-passerine birds, implying that over half of all 10,500 bird species have extensive germline/soma genome differences. Here, we review recent insights gained from genomic, transcriptomic, and cytogenetic approaches with regard to the genetic content, phylogenetic distribution, and inheritance of the songbird GRC. While many questions remain unsolved in terms of GRC inheritance, elimination, and function, we discuss plausible scenarios and future directions for understanding this widespread form of programmed DNA elimination.", "doi": "10.1007/s10577-022-09688-3", "pmid": "35416568", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC9508068"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "10.1007/s10577-022-09688-3"}], "notes": [], "created": "2026-08-21T11:07:46.574Z", "modified": "2026-08-21T11:07:46.962Z"}]}