Alexandra C. C. Wilson
Professor, Department of Biology
University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33124 USA
acwilson@miami.edu
http://www.bio.miami.edu/acwilson
Education
Macquarie University, Ph.D., 2001
Macquarie University, B.Sc. Hons (Class I), 1995
Macquarie University, B.Sc., 1994
Positions
Professor, Department of Biology, University of Miami, 2017 – present
Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of Miami, 2013 – 2017
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Miami, 2006 – 2013
PERT Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, 2003-2006
Postdoctoral Fellow, Section of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, 2000-2003
Visiting Fellow, The Australian National University, Australia, 1998-2000
Honors and Awards
Outstanding Graduate Program Director Award, University of Miami Graduate School, 2016-2017
Elected Representative for the Americas to the International Aphid Genomics Consortium Board Member, 2009-2011.
Scholarly and Creative Activity Award, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami, 2008-2009
Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for outstanding doctoral research, Macquarie University, 2001
Australian Postgraduate Award (tuition and stipend), March 1997 – May 2000, ($88,000)
Milthorpe Memorial Prize for excellence in undergraduate plant biology, Macquarie University, 1993
Grants and Funding
The National Science Foundation, Nutrient Exchange and Regulation at the Aphid Symbiotic Interface, PI: Wilson, CoPI: Luetje, 2014-2018 ($831,000)
The National Science Foundation, REU Supplement: Characterization of Aphid Nutrient Amino Acid Transporters with Focus on the Symbiotic Interface, PI: Wilson, 2012 ($6,000)
The National Science Foundation, Characterization of Aphid Nutrient Amino Acid Transporters with Focus on the Symbiotic Interface, PI: Wilson, CoPI: Price, 2011-2014 ($535,411)
USDA Arthropod and Nematode Biology and Management: Suborganismal Biology, Program Code 91112, Functional Analysis of Proteins and Metabolites in Aphid Saliva, PD: Jander, Co-PD: Wilson, 2010-2013 ($395,453)
University of Miami General Research Support Award in the Natural Science and Engineering 2009 ($6,000)
University of Miami Summer Award in the Natural Sciences and Engineering, 2008, ($9,300)
The American Genetic Association Special Event Award, Pea Aphid Genome Annotation Workshop I, 2007-2008 ($9,000)
USDA Tools, Resources and Genomics for Arthropods and Nematodes, Pea Aphid Genome Annotation Workshop I, 2008 ($10,000)
Paul and Maxine Frohring Foundation ($3,000)
University of Miami General Research Support Award in the Natural Sciences and Engineering, 2007 ($4,919)
University of Miami Summer Award in the Natural Sciences and Engineering, 2007, ($9,300)
USDA Functional Genomics of Agriculturally Important Organisms, Microarray analysis of agriculturally relevant gene expression in the peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae, PD: Jander, Co-PDs: Moran, Wilson & Gray, 2005-2009 ($900,000)
Center for Population Biology Postdoctoral Travel Award, 2003 ($1,000)
Research Interests
Genome Evolution; Symbiosis; Insect Nutritional Symbioses; Aphid-Host Plant Interactions; Aphid Biology; Aphid Genetics.
Publications
45. Feng H, Edwards N, Anderson CMH, Althaus M, Duncan RP, Hsu Y-C, Luetje CW, Price DRG, Wilson ACC* & Thwaites DT* (2019) Trading amino acids at the aphid/Buchnera symbiotic interface. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, (in press).
44. James EB, Feng H, Wilson ACC. mTOR Complex 1 Implicated in Aphid/Buchnera Host/Symbiont Integration. G3 (Bethesda). 2018 Aug 30;8(9):3083-3091. DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200398.
43. Feng H, Wang L, Wuchty S, Wilson ACC. microRNA regulation in an ancient obligate endosymbiosis. Mol Ecol. 2018 Apr;27(8):1777-1793. DOI: 10.1111/mec.14464.
42. Mathers TC, Chen Y, Kaihakottil G, Legeai F, Mugford ST, Baa-Puyoulet P, Bretaudeau A, Clavijo B, Colella S, Collin O, Dalmay T, Derrien T, Feng H, Gabaldón T, Jordan A, Julca I, Kettles GJ, Kowitwanich K, Lavenier D, Lenzi P, Lopez-Gomollon S, Loska D, Mapleson D, Maumus F, Moxon S, Price DRG, Sugio A, van Munster M, Uzest M, Waite D, Jander G, Tagu D, Wilson ACC, van Oosterhout C, Swarbreck D, & Hogenhout SA (2017) Rapid transcriptional plasticity of duplicated gene clusters enables a clonally reproducing aphid to colonize diverse plant species. Genome Biology 18:27.
41. Lu HL, Chang CC, & Wilson ACC (2016) Amino acid transporters implicated in endocytosis of Buchnera during symbiont transmission in the pea aphid. EvoDevo 7:24.
40. Duncan RP, Feng H, Nguyen DM, & Wilson ACC (2016) Gene family expansions in aphids maintained by endosymbiotic and non-symbiotic traits. Genome Biology and Evolution. 8(3):753-764.
39. Lu HL, Price DRG, Wikramanayake A, Chang CC, Wilson ACC (2016) Ontogenetic differences in localization of glutamine transporter ApGLNT1 in the pea aphid demonstrate that mechanisms of host/symbiont integration are not similar in the maternal versus embryonic bacteriome. EvoDevo 7:1.
38. Price DRG, Wilson ACC, Luetje CW (2015) Proton-dependent glutamine uptake by aphid bacteriocyte amino acid transporter ApGLNT1. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – Biomembranes 1848: 2085-2091.
37. Wilson ACC, Duncan RP (2015) Signatures of host/symbiont genome coevolution in insect nutritional endosymbioses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, 112(33):10255-10261.
36. Dahan RA, Duncan RP, Wilson ACC, & Davalos LM (2015) Amino acid transporter expansions associated with the evolution of obligate endosymbiosis in sap-feeding insects (Hemiptera: sternorrhyncha). BMC Evolutionary Biology 15:52.
35. Price DRG, Wilson ACC (2014) A substrate ambiguous enzyme facilitates genome reduction in an intracellular symbiont. BMC Biology 12:110.
34. Wilson ACC, Delgado RN, Vorburger C In press. Biased transmission of sex chromosomes in the aphid Myzus persicae is not associated with reproductive mode. PLoS ONE.
33. Jiang Z, Jones DH, Khuri S, Tsinoremas NF, Wyss T, Jander G, Wilson ACC (2014) Comparative analysis of genome sequences from four strains of the Buchnera aphidicola Mp endosymbiont of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae. BMC Genomics, 14, 917.
32. Duncan RP, Husnik F, Van Leuven JT, Gilbert DG, Davalos LM, McCutcheon JP, Wilson ACC (2014) Dynamic recruitment of amino acid transporters to the insect-symbiont interface. Molecular Ecology, doi: 10.1111/mec.12627.
31. Price DRG, Feng H, Baker JD, Bavan S, Luetje CW, Wilson ACC (2014) Aphid amino acid transporter regulates glutamine supply to intracellular bacterial symbionts. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 111(1):320-325.
30. Husnik F, Nikoh N, Koga R, Ross L, Duncan RP, Fujie M, Tanaka M, Satoh N, Bachtrog D, Wilson ACC, von Dohlen CD, Fukatsu T, McCutcheon JP (2013) Horizontal gene transfer from diverse bacteria to an insect genome enables a tripartite nested mealybug symbiosis. Cell 153, 1567-1578.
29. Wilson ACC, Sternberg LdSL, Hurley KB (2011) Aphids alter host-plant nitrogen isotope fractionation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108, 10220-10224.
28. Shigenobu S, Wilson ACC (2011) Genomic revelations of a mutualism: the pea aphid and its obligate bacterial symbiont Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 68, 1297-1309.
27. Price DRG, Duncan RP, Shigenobu S, Wilson ACC (2011) Genome expansion and differential expression of amino acid transporters at the aphid/Buchnera symbiotic interface. Molecular Biology and Evolution 28, 3113-3126.
26. Gerardo NM, Wilson ACC (2011) The power of paired genomes. Molecular Ecology 20, 2038-2040.
25. Duncan RP, Nathanson L, Wilson ACC (2011) Novel male-biased expression in paralogs of the aphid slimfast nutrient amino acid transporter expansion. BMC Evolutionary Biology 11, 253.
24. Zepeda-Paulo FA, Simon J-C, Ramírez CC, Fuentes-Contreras E, Margaritopoulos JT, Sorenson CE, Wilson ACC, Briones LM, de Acevedo R, Ohashi DV, Lacroix C, Glais L, Figueroa CC (2010) The Invasion Route for an Insect Pest Species: the Tobacco Aphid in the New World. Molecular Ecology 19, 4738-4752.
23. International Aphid Genomics Consortium (2010) Genome sequence of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. PLoS Biology 8, e1000313. **Member of Project Leadership Team, Leader of Sex Determination Team, Member of Metabolism and Transposable Element Teams.
22. Wilson ACC, Ashton PD, Calevro F, Charles H, Colella S, Febvay G, Jander G, Kushlan PF, Macdonald SJ, Schwartz JF, Thomas GH, Douglas AE (2010) Genomic insight into the amino acid relations of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum with its symbiotic bacterium Buchnera aphidicola. Insect Molecular Biology 19, 249-258.
21. Legeai F, Shigenobu S, Gauthier J-P, Colbourne JK, Rispe C, Collin O, Richards S, Wilson ACC, Tagu D (2010) AphidBase: A centralized bioinformatic resource for annotation of the pea aphid genome. Insect Molecular Biology 19(Suppl. 2), 5-12.
20. Ramsey JS, Wilson ACC, de Vos M, Sun Q, Tamborindeguy C, Winfield A, Malloch G, Smith DM, Fenton B, Gray SM, Jander G (2007) Genomic resources for Myzus persicae: EST sequencing, SNP identification, and microarray design. BMC Genomics 8, 423.
19. Dunbar HE, Wilson ACC, Ferguson NR, Moran NA (2007) Aphid thermal tolerance is governed by a point mutation in bacterial symbionts. PLoS Biology 5, 1006-1015.
18. Wilson ACC, Sunnucks P, Bedo DG, Barker JSF (2006) Microsatellites reveal male recombination and neo-Y formation in Scaptodrosophila hibisci (Drosophilidae). Genetical Research, Cambridge 87, 33-43.
17. Wilson ACC, Sunnucks P (2006) The genetic outcomes of sex and recombination in long-term functionally parthenogenetic lineages of Australian Sitobion aphids. Genetical Research, Cambridge 87, 175-185.
16. Wilson ACC, Dunbar HE, Davis GK, Hunter WB, Stern DL, Moran NA (2006) A dual-genome microarray for the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, and its obligate symbiont, Buchnera aphidicola. BMC Genomics 7, 50.
15. Wilson ACC, Massonnet B, Simon J-C, Prunier-Leterme N, Dolatti L, Llewellyn KS, Figueroa CC, Ramirez CC, Blackman RL, Estoup A, Sunnucks P (2004) Cross-species amplification of microsatellite loci in aphids: assessment and application. Molecular Ecology Notes 4, 104-109. (
14. Wilson ACC, Grosberg RK (2004) Ontogenetic shifts in fusion-rejection thresholds in a colonial marine hydrozoan, Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 57, 40-49.
13. Wilson ACC, Sunnucks P, Hales DF (2003) Heritable genetic variation and potential for adaptive evolution in asexual aphids (Aphidoidea). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 79, 115-135.
12. Wilson ACC, Sunnucks P, Blackman RL, Hales D (2002) Microsatellite variation in cyclically parthenogenetic populations of Myzus persicae in south-eastern Australia. Heredity 88, 258-266.
11. Wilson ACC, Sunnucks P, Barker JSF (2002) Isolation and characterization of 20 polymorphic microsatellite loci for Scaptodrosophila hibisci. Molecular Ecology Notes 2, 242-244.
10. Hales DF, Wilson ACC, Sloane MA, Simon J-C, Le Gallic J-F, Sunnucks P (2002) Lack of detectable genetic recombination on the X chromosome during the parthenogenetic production of female and male aphids. Genetical Research, Cambridge 79, 203-209.
9. Hales DF, Sloane MA, Wilson ACC, Sunnucks P (2002) Segregation of autosomes during spermatogenesis in the peach-potato aphid (Myzus persicae) (Sulzer), (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Genetical Research, Cambridge 79, 119-127.
8. Sloane MA, Sunnucks P, Wilson ACC, Hales DF (2001) Microsatellite isolation, linkage group identification and determination of recombination frequency in the peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Genetical Research, Cambridge 77, 251-260.
7. Eldridge MDB, Wilson ACC, Metcalfe CJ, Dollin AE, Bell JN, Johnson PM, Johnston PG, Close RL (2001) Taxonomy of rock-wallabies, Petrogale (Marsupialia : Macropodidae). III. Molecular data confirms the species status of the purple-necked rock-wallaby (Petrogale purpureicollis Le Souef). Australian Journal of Zoology 49, 323-343.
6. Sunnucks P, Wilson ACC, Beheregaray LB, Zenger K, French J, Taylor AC (2000) SSCP is not so difficult: the application and utility of single-stranded conformation polymorphism in evolutionary biology and molecular ecology. Molecular Ecology 9, 1699-1710.
5. Hales D, Wilson ACC, Spence JM, Blackman RL (2000) Confirmation that Myzus antirrhinii (Macchiati) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) occurs in Australia, using morphometrics, microsatellite typing, and analysis of novel karyotypes by fluorescence in situ hybridisation. Australian Journal of Entomology 39, 123-129.
4. Wilson ACC, Sunnucks P, Hales DFH (1999) Microevolution, low clonal diversity and genetic affinities of parthenogenetic Sitobion aphids in New Zealand. Molecular Ecology 8, 1655-1666.
3. Terradot L, Simon J-C, Leterme N, Bourdin D, Wilson ACC, Gauthier J-P, Robert Y (1999) Molecular characterization of clones of the Myzus persicae complex (Hemiptera: Aphididae) differing in their ability to transmit the potato leafroll luteovirus (PLRV). Bulletin of Entomological Research 89, 355-363.
2. Sunnucks P, Wilson ACC (1999) Microsatellite markers for the onychophoran Euperipatoides rowelii. Molecular Ecology 8, 899-900.
1. Wilson ACC, Sunnucks P, Hales DF (1997) Random loss of X chromosome at male determination in an aphid, Sitobion near fragariae, detected using an X-linked polymorphic microsatellite marker. Genetical Research, Cambridge 69, 233-236.
Dissertation & Theses
Wilson, A. C. C., 2000. Reproductive strategy and genetic variation in aphids of the genera Sitobion and Myzus. PhD thesis, Macquarie University, Australia.
Wilson, A. C. C., 1994. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequence of black-footed rock-wallabies. Honours thesis, Macquarie University, Australia.
Wilson, A. C. C., 1994. Chlorophyll turnover in light-grown Festuca pratensis transferred to darkness: effect of chlorophyll and protein synthesis inhibitors. Honours thesis, Macquarie University, Australia.
Invited Symposium Speaker
Discussion Leader, Gordon Research Conference on Animal-Microbe Symbiosis. Waterville Valley Resort, NH, USA. June 21-25 2015.
Plenary Session Speaker, Annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, New Orleans, LA, USA. May 30 – June 2nd 2015.
Invited Symposium Speaker, Horizons in the Field of Symbiosis, 62nd Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Portland, OR, USA November 16th – 19th 2014.
Featured Speaker, 12th Ecological Genomics Symposium, Kansas City, MO, USA, October 31st – November 2nd 2014.
Invited Colloquia Speaker, National Academy of Sciences, Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia, Symbiosis becoming permanent: The origins and evolutionary trajectories of organelles. Beckman Center, Irvine CA, October 15-17 2014.
Invited Symbiosis Topic Speaker, 7th International Symposium on Molecular Insect Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, July 13-16 2014.
Keynote Speaker, 9th International Symposium on Aphids, Beijing, China (June 2013, invitation declined)
Advances in Plant Insect Vectors Using –omic Approaches Symposium Speaker, Entomological Society of America, Reno NV, USA (November 2011) (invitation declined because of service on grant review panel – talk presented by postdoc Daniel Price)
5th Annual Arthropod Genomics Symposium: Exploring Diversity, Relating Similarity, Featured Speaker, Kansas City, MO, USA (June 2011)
Diversity and Function of Microbial Symbioses in Solitary and Social Insects Symposium Speaker, Entomological Society of America, San Deigo, CA, USA (December 2010) (invitation declined because of maternity leave – talk presented by postdoc Daniel Price)
The Role of Microorganisms in the Ecology and Evolution of Tri-Trophic Interactions Organized Oral Session Speaker, Ecological Society of America, Pittsburgh, PA, USA (August 2010)
Celebrating the Role of Entomology in the Genomics Revolution Symposium Speaker, Entomological Society of America, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA (December 2009)
Keynote Speaker, Royal Entomological Society Aphid Special Interest Group, Rothamsted, UK (November 2009)
Keynote Speaker, Royal Entomological Society Aphid Special Interest Group, Edinburgh, Scotland (August 2008) (invitation declined)
International Whitefly Genomics Workshop, Hawk’s Cay Resort, Duck Key, FL USA (December 2006)
Joint meeting of The Royal Entomological Society and The Linnean Society of London, London UK (2002)
Invited Research Seminars
Biological Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia (January 2014)Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami FL (September 2013)
Marine Biology and Fisheries, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami FL (February 2013)
Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University (Fall 2013)(Invitation declined because of maternity leave)
Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University (Fall 2013)(Invitation declined because of maternity leave)
Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, Miami FL (April 2011)
Department of Biology, Lewis & Clark, Portland OR (September 2010)
Center for Disease-Vector Research, University of California at Riverside (May 2009)
Institute of Zoology, University of Zurich, Switzerland (March 2008)
Department of Entomology, University of Florida, Gainesville Florida (November 2007)
Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana (August 2007)
Department of Botany and Zoology, The Australian National University (2005)
Department of Biology, University of Miami (2005)
School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska at Lincoln (2004)
Division of Entomology, CSIRO, Canberra Australia (2004)
Department of Genetics, University of Melbourne, Australia (2004)
Department of Genetics, La Trobe University (2003)
Division of Botany and Zoology, The Australian National University (2001)
Center for Population Biology, UC Davis (2000)
Department of Entomology, UC Davis (2000)
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Le Rheu, France (1999)
The Natural History Museum, London (1999)
The Entomological Society of New South Wales, Australia (1999)
Research Mentor – Postdoctoral
Nicolas Durand (February 2015 – present)
Daniel R. G. Price (March 2010 – February 2011; October 2011-2014)
Research Mentor – Visiting Scholar
Hsiao-Ling Lu, National University of Taiwan (2013/2014)
Research Mentor – Graduate
Shuang Xu (Rotation Student Fall 2014)
Yu-Ching Hsu (Fall 2014 – present)
Tirtha Lamichhane (Fall 2014 – Summer 2015)
Honglin Feng (Fall 2012 – present)
Rebecca Duncan (Fall 2009 – present) Regulation of the nested nutritional symbiosis in the mealybug Planococcus citri
Philip Kushlan (Fall 2008 – Summer 2011) The influence of endosymbiont metabolism on the Δ15N signature of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum.
Wenting Huang (Fall 2007 – Fall 2009) Reproductive mode and genome evolution in the aphids
Research mentorship of undergraduate students (31 students since 1996)
Douglas Nguyen, University of Miami undergraduate research Summer 2014 & Fall 2014
Elizabeth Isner, University of Miami undergraduate research Summer 2013
Paul Enger, University of Miami undergraduate research Summer 2013
Jessica Dell, University of Miami undergraduate research Summer 2012-Spring 2014
Catherine Hernandez, University of Miami undergraduate research Summer 2011-Spring 2014
Nicholas Marcos, University of Miami undergraduate research Summer 2012
Ryan McMinds, University of Miami undergraduate research Summer 2010 – Fall 2010 & Summer 2011 – Spring 2012
Shrinidhi Balasubramanian, University of Miami undergraduate research Fall 2010
Benjamin Carmel, University of Miami undergraduate research Spring 2010
Kate Hurley, University of Miami undergraduate research Summer 2007 – Spring 2010
Anne Chen, University of Miami undergraduate research Summer 2009 – Fall 2009
Isabel Llanes, University of Miami undergraduate research Summer 2009
Julia Schwartz, University of Miami undergraduate research Summer 2008 – Fall 2008
Philip Kushlan, University of Miami undergraduate research Spring – Summer 2008
Gabriel Walton, University of Miami undergraduate research Fall 2007 – Spring 2008
Christie Buchovecky, University of Miami undergraduate research Spring 2007 – Fall 2007
Diana Liu, University of Miami undergraduate research Spring 2007 – Fall 2007
Arjun Sondhi, University of Miami undergraduate research Fall 2006 – Spring 2007
Derek Jones, University of Miami undergraduate research Fall 2006 – Spring 2007
Nicole Ferguson, University of Arizona, undergraduate research Spring 2006
Ryan Delgado, University of Arizona, undergraduate research Spring 2006
Sara Lewis, University of Arizona, undergraduate research Summer 2004 – Summer 2005
Monica Villar, Pima Community College, undergraduate research Fall 2003/2004 – Summer 2005
Jessica Johnston, Pima Community College, undergraduate research Summer 2004
Alice Dennis, UC Davis, undergraduate research project Fall 2002 – Summer 2003
M. Sabrina Pankey, UC Davis, undergraduate research project Fall 2002 – Summer 2003
Emily Curd, UC Davis, undergraduate research project Winter & Spring 2002
Mollie Boorman, UC Davis, undergraduate research project Spring & Summer 2001
Jordan French, Honours, 1st Class and University Medal Holder awarded 1997, Macquarie University, Australia
Natalie Curach, Honours, 2nd Class Division I awarded 1997, Macquarie University, Australia
Tim Sloane, Honours, 2nd Class Division I awarded 1996, Macquarie University, Australia
Teaching
Graduate and Undergraduate Classes
BIL162 – HHMI Introductory Biology Laboratory (Spring 2013, 2014)
BIL250 – Genetics (Spring 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, Fall 2013)
BIL 385 – Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics (Fall 2010)
BIL556 – Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics (Fall 2009, 2010, 2011)
BIL575 – Molecular Ecology (Fall 2006)
BIL613 – Graduate Core Module – Manual and Functional Genome Annotation (Spring 2010, 2012)