Cedric Feschotte is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Feschotte is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development and a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Feschotte lab studies mobile genetic elements, such as transposons and endogenous viruses, primarily in the genomes of vertebrates, including humans.
Research Focus
I have 20 years of experience studying mobile genetic elements. My laboratory employs an integrative approach to study transposons and endogenous viruses primarily in vertebrates, including humans. The overarching goal is to characterize the impact of these elements on the evolution and physiology of their host species – including disease states. We use an integrative approach combining functional and computational genomics, biochemistry, and genetics in model systems (zebrafish, cell culture) to investigate how mobile element sequences have fueled the emergence of biological novelty during evolution. These encompass both protein-coding and noncoding regulatory sequences repurposed to facilitate the remodeling of processes as fundamental as innate immunity and development. We also have a long-standing interest in deciphering the forces and mechanisms underlying the propagation of mobile elements within and between species, and the long-term consequences of these activities in shaping genome architecture and complexity.
Additional Links
Awards and Honors
- Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) (2017) National Institute of General Medicine
Selected Publications
Journal Publications
- Pastuzyn, E. D., Day, C. E., Kearns, R. B., Kyrke-Smith, M., Taibi, A. V., McCormick, J., Yoder, N., Belnap, D. M., Erlendsson, S., Morado, D. R., Briggs JAG,, Feschotte, C., & Shepherd, J. D. (2018). The Neuronal Gene Arc Encodes a Repurposed Retrotransposon Gag Protein that Mediates Intercellular RNA Transfer. Cell. 172:275-288.e18.
- Frank, J. A., & Feschotte, C. (2017). Co-option of endogenous viral sequences for host cell function. Current Opinion in Virology. 25:81-89.
- Chuong, E. B., Elde, N. C., & Feschotte, C. (2017). Regulatory activities of transposable elements: from conflicts to benefits. Nature Reviews Genetics. 18:71-86.
- Chuong, E. B., Elde, N. C., & Feschotte, C. (2016). Regulatory evolution of innate immunity through co-option of endogenous retroviruses. Science. 351:1083-7.
- Kapusta, A., Kronenberg, Z., Lynch, V. J., Zhuo, X., Ramsay, L., Bourque, G., Yandell, M., & Feschotte, C. (2013). Transposable elements are major contributors to the origin, diversification, and regulation of vertebrate long noncoding RNAs. PLOS Genetics. 9:e1003470.
- Feschotte, C., & Gilbert, C. (2012). Endogenous viruses: insights into viral evolution and impact on host biology. Nature Reviews Genetics. 13:283-96.
- Gilbert, C., & Feschotte, C. (2010). Genomic fossils calibrate the long-term evolution of hepadnaviruses. PLOS Biology. 8.
- Gilbert, C., Schaack, S., Pace, 2nd, J. K., Brindley, P. J., & Feschotte, C. (2010). A role for host-parasite interactions in the horizontal transfer of transposons across phyla. Nature. 464:1347-50.
- Pace, 2nd, J. K., Gilbert, C., Clark, M. S., & Feschotte, C. (2008). Repeated horizontal transfer of a DNA transposon in mammals and other tetrapods. PNAS: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 105:17023-8.
- Cordaux, R., Udit, S., Batzer, M. A., & Feschotte, C. (2006). Birth of a chimeric primate gene by capture of the transposase gene from a mobile element. PNAS: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 103:8101-6.