Davis Publications


Professor Emeritus
Department of Biochemisty and Molecular Genetics
RNA Biocience Initiative
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Anschutz Medical Campus


Representative Publications

Estrem, B, Davis, R.E., and J. Wang. 2024. End resection and telomere healing of DNA double-strand breaks during nematode programmed DNA elimination. Nucleic Acids Res. 52, 8913–8929. PDF or Pubmed

Zagoskin, M.V., Wang, J., Neff, A.T., Veronezi, G.M.B., and R.E. Davis. 2022. Small RNA pathways in the nematode Ascaris in the absence of piRNAs. Nature Communications, 13:837. PDF or Pubmed

Carlton, P.M., Davis, R.E., and S. Ahmed. 2022. Nematode Chromosomes. Genetics, WormBook, 10.1093/genetics/iyac014. PDF or PubMed

Wang, J., Veronezi, G.M.B., Kang, Y., Zagoskin, M., O’Toole, E.T., and R.E. Davis. 2020. Comprehensive chromosome end remodeling during programmed DNA elimination. Current Biology, 30: 3397–3413. PDF or Pubmed

Easton, A.V., Gao, S., Lawton, S.P., Bennuru, A., Khan, A., Dahlstrom, E., Oliveira, R.G., Kepha, S.F., Webster, J.P., Anderson, R.M., Grigg, M.E., *Davis, R.E., Wang. J., and T.B. Nutman. 2020. Molecular evidence of hybridization between pig and human Ascaris indicates an interbred species complex infecting humans. eLife 2020;9:e61562. *Co-corresponding author PDF or Pubmed

Wang, J. and R.E. Davis. 2020. Ascaris. Current Biology. 30: R423–R42. PDF or Pubmed

Liu, J., Zhu, L., Wang, J., Qiu, L., Chen, Y., Davis, R.E. and G. Cheng. 2019. Schistosoma japonicum extracellular vesicle miRNA cargo regulates host macrophage functions facilitating parasitism. PLOS Pathogens, doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1007817. PDF or Pubmed

Wang, J., Gao, S., Mostovoy, Y. Y. Kang, Y., Zagoskin, M., Sun, Y., Zhang, Y, Zhang, B. While, L.K., Eaton, A., Nutman, T., Kwok, P.-Y., Hu, S., Nielsen, M.K. and R.E. Davis. 2017. Comparative genome analysis of programmed DNA elimination in nematodes. Genome Research. 27:2001–2014. PDF or Pubmed

Kang, Y., Wang, J., Neff, A., Kratzer, S., Kimura, H., and R.E. Davis. 2016. Differential chromosomal localization of centromeric histone CENP-A contributes to nematode programmed DNA elimination. Cell Reports. 16:2308–2316. PDF or PubMed

Streit, A., Wang, J., Kang, Y., and R.E. Davis. 2016. Gene silencing and sex determination by programmed DNA elimination in parasitic nematodes. Current Opinion in Microbiology. 32:120–127. PDF or Pubmed

Zhu, L. Zhao, Wang, J., Hu, X., Peng, J., Luo, R., Zhou, C., Liu, J. Lin, J., Jin, Y., Davis*, R.E. and G. Cheng*. 2016. microRNAs are involved in the regulation of ovary development in the pathogenic blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum. PLoS Pathogens 12(2): e1005423. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1005423. *Co-corresponding authors. PDF or Pubmed

Wang, J. and. R.E. Davis. 2014. Programmed DNA elimination in multicellular organisms. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development. 27:26-24. PDF.

Wang, J., Garrey, J., and R.E. Davis. 2014. Transcription in pronuclei and one- to four-cell embryos drives early development in a nematode.. Current Biology 24:124-133. PDF or Pubmed. See also Current Biology Highlight of Paper

Wang, J., Mitreva, M.,Berriman, M., Thorne, A., Magrini, V., Koutsovoulos, G., Kumar, S., Blaxter, M.L., and R.E. Davis. 2012. Silencing of germline-expressed genes by DNA elimination in somatic cells. Developmental Cell 23:1072–1080. PDF, Supplementary Material, or Pubmed. See Also Dev Cell Preview on Article and F1000 Prime Recommendation

Wang, J., Czech, B. Crunk, A., Wallace, A., Mitreva, M., Hannon, G., and R.E. Davis. 2011. Deep small RNA sequencing from the nematode Ascaris reveals conservation, functional diversification, and novel developmental profiles. Genome Research 21:1462–1477. PDF, Supplementary Material, or Pubmed

Liu, W. ..............Jones, D., R.E. Davis. 2011. Structural Basis for Nematode eIF4E binding an m2,2,7G-Cap and its Implications for Translation Initiation. Nucleic Acids Research 39: 8820–8832. PDF or Pubmed

Wallace, A., Filbin, M., Veo, B., McFarland, C., Jankowska-Anyszka, M., Stepinski, J., Darzynkiewicz, E., and R.E. Davis. 2010. The nematode eIF4E/G complex works with a trans-spliced leader stem loop to enable efficient translation of trimethylguanosine-capped RNAs. Mol. Cell. Biol. 30:1958-1970. PDF or Pubmed

Liu, W., Zhao, R., McFarland, C., Kieft, J., Niedzwiecka, A., Jankowska-Anyszka, M., Stepinski, J., Darzynkiewicz, E., Jones, D.N.M., and R.E. Davis. 2009. Structural insights into parasite eIF4E binding specificity for m7G and m2,2,7G mRNA cap. J. Biol. Chem. 284:31333-331349. PDF or Pubmed

Kowalska, J., Lewdorowicz, M., Zuberek, J., Grudzien-Nogalska, E., Bojarska, J., Stepinski, J., Rhoads, R.E., Darzynkiewicz, E., Davis, R.E. and Jemielity, J. 2008. Synthesis and characterization of mRNA cap analogs containing phosphorothioate substitutions that bind tightly to eIF4E and are resistant to the decapping pyrophosphatase DcpS. RNA. 14:1-14. PDF or Pubmed

Cheng, G., Cohen, L.S., Mikhli, M., Jankowska-Anyszka, M., Stepinski, J., Darzynkiewicz, E., and R.E. Davis. 2007. In vivo translation and stability of trans-spliced mRNAs in nematode embryo. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 153:95-106. PDF or Pubmed

Cheng, G. and R.E. Davis. 2007. An improved and secreted luciferase reporter for schistosomes. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 155:167-171. PDF or Pubmed

Cheng, G, Cohen, L, Ndegwa, D., and R.E. Davis. 2006. The flatworm spliced leader 3' terminal AUG as a translation initiator methionine. J. Biol. Chem. 281:733-743. PDF or Pubmed

Lall, S, Piano, F., and R. E. Davis. 2005. C. elegans decapping proteins: Localization and functional analysis of Dcp1, Dcp2, and DcpS during embryogenesis. Mol. Biol. Cell. 16:5880-5890. PDF or Pubmed

Cohen, L.S., Mikhli, M., Jiao, X., Kiledjian, M., Kunkel, G., and R.E. Davis. 2005. Dcp2 Decaps m2,2,7GpppN‚ 5' capped RNAs and its activity is sequence and context dependent. Mol. Cell. Biol. 25:8779-8791. PDF or Pubmed

Blumenthal, T. and R. E. Davis. 2004. Exploring nematode diversity. Nat. Genet. 12:1246-124. PDF or Pubmed

Lall, S., Friedman, C., Jankowska-Anyszka, M., Stepinski, J., Darzynkiewicz, E., and R.E. Davis. 2004. Contribution of trans-splicing, 5' leader length, cap-poly(A) synergism, and initiation factors to nematode translation in an Ascaris suum embryo cell-free system. J. Biol. Chem. 279:45573-45585 PDF or Pubmed (JBC Paper of the Week)

Cohen, L.S., Mikhli, M., Friedman, C., Jankowska-Anyszka, M., Stepinski, J., Darzynkiewicz, E., and R.E. Davis. 2004. Nematode m7GpppG and m32,2,7GpppG Decapping: Activities in Ascaris Embryos and Characterization of C. elegans Scavenger DcpS. RNA 10: 1609-1624. PDF or Pubmed

Davis, R.E., A. Parra, P. LoVerde, E. Ribeiro, G. Glorioso, and S. Hodgson. 1999. Transient expression of RNA and DNA in parasitic helminths by using particle bombardment. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:8867-8892. PDF or Pubmed

Davis, R.E. and S. Hodgson. 1997. Gene linkage and steady state RNAs suggests trans-splicing may be associated with a polycistronic transcript in the flatworm Schistosoma mansoni. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 89:25-39. PDF or Pubmed

Davis, R.E. 1997. Surprising diversity and distribution of SL RNAs in flatworms. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 87:29-48. PDF or PubMed

Davis, R.E., C. Hardwick, P. Tavernier, S. Hodgson, and  H. Singh. 1995. RNA trans-splicing in flatworms: Analysis of trans-spliced genes and mRNAs in the human parasite, Schistosoma mansoni. J. Biol. Chem. 270:21813-21819. PDF or Pubmed

Davis, R.E., H. Singh, C. Botka, C. Hardwick, A. Meanawy, and J. Villanueva. 1994.  RNA trans-splicing in Fasciola hepatica : Identification of an SL RNA and spliced leader sequences on mRNAs. J. Biol. Chem. 269:20026-20031. PDF or Pubmed

Rajkovic, A., R.E. Davis, J.N. Simonsen and F.M. Rottman. 1990. A spliced leader is present on a subset of mRNAs from the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 87: 8879-8883. PDF or Pubmed