The first genomic view of beetle luciferase evolution indicates evolutionary independence of luciferase between fireflies and click-beetles, and provide valuable datasets which will accelerate the discovery of new biotechnological tools.

The diffusion coefficients of proteins in the cytoplasm depend on their net charge and the distribution of charge over the protein surface, with positive proteins moving up to 100-fold slower because they bind to ribosomes.

Parallel horizontal gene transfer has spread a bacteriolytic gene family to all domains of life, and has bestowed a niche-transcending adaptation in recipients that must deploy antibacterial molecules to survive in a bacterial world.

The evolution columbine genus involved frequent mixing between incipient species, and one chromosome appears to have taken its own path.

Functional recapitulation of a likely evolutionary gain in gene expression shows that two genes are sufficient to switch mesoderm cell internalization from stochastic cell ingression to coordinated epithelial invagination.

A plant virus, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus, manipulates the host preference of the vector insect whitefly to promote its transmission by inducing caspase-dependent apoptotic neurodegeneration in vector's brain.

Morphological and fitness defects imposed on amoebae hosts by Burkholderia symbionts demonstrates symbiont species-specific effects and provides evidence of host adaptation to naturally acquired symbionts.

Insect specific olfactory receptors are not an adaptation to a terrestrial insect lifestyle, but evolved later in insect evolution.

Cell cycle network evolution in a fungal ancestor was punctuated by the arrival of a viral DNA-binding protein that was permanently incorporated into the regulatory network controlling cell cycle entry.

CenH3, the defining component of centromeres in almost all eukaryotes, was independently lost in four insect lineages that transitioned from monocentricity to holocentricity.