Petra Fischer

TL;DR: A genome assembly of the sterlet, Acipenser ruthenus, reveals a whole-genome duplication early in the evolution of the entire sturgeon lineage and provides details about the rediploidization of the genome.

TL;DR: It is shown that sequence polymorphisms of the melanocortin receptor 4 gene (mc4r) comprise both functional and non-signal-transducing versions and that variation in copy number of mc4r genes on the Y chromosome underlies the P locus polymorphism.

TL;DR: In melanocytes growth factor receptor-induced secretion of OPN can promote antiapoptotic signaling and mediate appropriate interactions with the extracellular matrix in an autocrine way, suggesting a new role of growth factor receptors of the family of receptor tyrosine kinases in processes associated with melanoma development and progression.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated thatIFNalpha induces the activation of STAT5 in melanoma cells, and in STAT5-overexpressing cells, this contributes to IFNalpha resistance, and this finally can result in cytokine-resistant and progressively growing tumor cells.

TL;DR: The mechanism described here can explain facultative parthenogenesis, as well as varying ploidy levels reported in different animal groups, and at least some of the reported cases of triploidy in humans can now be traced back to automixis.