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Verónica-Di Stilio

Verónica Di Stilio
Professor
distilio@u.washington.edu
549 LSB
(206) 616-5567
Lab website
Accepting graduate students
Fields of interest
Development, Evolution & Systematics, Genetics and Genomics, Plant Biology

The Di Stilio lab broadly investigates the genetic basis of key transitions during land plant evolution. The flower and the interactions with pollinators that it enhances are amongst the key innovations that have allowed angiosperms to become the most species-rich lineage of land plants. Current research takes an evolution-of-development approach to investigate the genetic basis of flower diversification. We focus on modulators of floral development (LEAFY, MADS-box, and MYB transcription factors) as candidate genes for angiosperm diversification and their functional fate after gene duplication. We capitalize on the diversity of breeding and pollination systems in the genus Thalictrum, an early-diverging eudicot with a strategic phylogenetic position between model systems. Through comparative expression and functional analysis of reproductive organ identity genes and downstream genes responsible for features of the perianth involved in pollinator attraction, we hope to contribute to a deeper understanding of the genetic basis of flower diversification. We have recently begun to explore the ancestral role of flowering-related gene orthologs in non-flowering plant lineages, such as the model fern Ceratopteris richardii and the gymnosperm genus Ephedra.

Verónica Di Stilio completed her undergraduate studies in Biology at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) in her native Argentina, where she specialized in Plant Ecology. After working for two years as a teaching assistant and pollination biologist at UBA, she migrated to the US where she obtained a Ph.D. in Plant Biology at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) working on plant sex chromosome evolution under the advice of David Mulcahy. Her postdoctoral training started in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (UMass) on pollen gene expression and the role of the floral transcription factor SUPERMAN on cell division with Alice Cheung. She continued her postdoctoral training with David Baum and Elena Kramer at the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, where she was introduced to the field of Evolution of Development. She joined the faculty of the Department of Biology at University of Washington in 2003. She continues to pursue her interests in the evolution of plant development with an emphasis on flowers. In the past, she has taught Introductory Biology (Genetics and Evolution), and currently teaches Land Plant Plant Evolution (with lab) and Genetics of Plant Innovations.

A cornucopia of diversity - Ranunculales as a model lineage, Becker, Annette, Bachelier Julien B., Carrive Laetitia, Silva Natalia Conde e, Damerval Catherine, Del Rio Cédric, Deveaux Yves, Di Stilio Verónica S., Gong Yan, Jabbour Florian, et al. , Journal of Experimental Botany, p.erad492, (2023)
Flower morphology as a predictor of pollination mode in a biotic to abiotic pollination continuum, Martínez-Gómez, Jesús, Park Seongjun, Hartogs Samantha R., Soza Valerie L., Park Seon Joo, and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Annals of Botany, Volume 132, p.61–76, (2023)
Heterochrony and repurposing in the evolution of gymnosperm seed dispersal units, San Martin, J. A., Pozner R. E., and Di Stilio V. S. , EvoDevo, 02/2022, Volume 13, Issue 1, p.7 pages, (2022)
Genomic and transcriptomic resources for candidate gene discovery in the Ranunculids, Arias, Tatiana, Riaño-Pachón Diego Mauricio, and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Applications in Plant Sciences, Volume 9, p.e11407, (2021)
Ephedra as a gymnosperm evo-devo model lineage, Di Stilio, Verónica S., and Ickert-Bond Stephanie , Evolution & Development, 01/2021, p.e12370, (2021)
Spontaneous homeotic mutants and genetic control of floral organ identity in a ranunculid, Martínez-Gómez, Jesús, Galimba Kelsey D., Coté Erin Y., Sullivan Alessandra M., and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Evolution & Development, Volume 23, p.197-214, (2021)
Gene Duplication and Differential Expression of Flower Symmetry Genes in Rhododendron (Ericaceae), Ramage, Elizabeth, Soza Valerie L., Yi Jing, Deal Haley, Chudgar Vaidehi, Hall Benjamin D., and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Plants, Volume 10, p.1994, (2021)
Distance Dependent Contribution of Ants to Pollination but Not Defense in a Dioecious, Ambophilous Gymnosperm, Aranda-Rickert, Adriana, Torréns Javier, Yela Natalia I., Brizuela María Magdalena, and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Frontiers in Plant Science, Volume 12, p.1979, (2021)
An ontogenetic framework for functional studies in the model fern Ceratopteris richardii, Conway, Stephanie J., and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Developmental Biology, 01/2020, Volume 457, Issue 1, p.20-29, (2020)
Chloroplast primers for clade-wide phylogenetic studies of Thalictrum, Morales‐Briones, Diego F., Arias Tatiana, Di Stilio Verónica S., and Tank David C. , Applications in Plant Sciences, Volume 7, p.e11294, (2019)
One thousand plant transcriptomes and the phylogenomics of green plants, Leebens-Mack, James H., Barker Michael S., Carpenter Eric J., Deyholos Michael K., Gitzendanner Matthew A., Graham Sean W., Grosse Ivo, Li Zheng, Melkonian Michael, Mirarab Siavash, et al. , 2019/10/01, Volume 574, Issue 7780, p.679 - 685, (2019)
LEAFY maintains apical stem cell activity during shoot development in the fern Ceratopteris richardii, Plackett, Andrew R. G., Conway SJ, Hazelton KD Hewett, Rabbinowitsch EH, Langdale JA, and Di Stilio VS , eLife, 10/2018, Volume 7, (2018)
Fluidigm2PURC: automated processing and haplotype inference for double-barcoded PCR amplicons, Blischak, Paul D., Latvis Maribeth, Morales-Briones Diego F., Johnson Jens C., Di Stilio Verónica S., Wolfe Andrea D., and Tank David C. , Applications in Plant Sciences, 06/2018, Volume 6, Issue 6, (2018)
Scent matters: differential contribution of scent to insect response in flowers with insect vs. wind pollination traits, Wang, Theresa N., Clifford Marie R., Martínez-Gómez Jesús, Johnson Jens C., Riffell Jeffrey A., and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Annals of Botany, 07/2018, (2018)
Gene Duplication and Transference of Function in the paleoAP3 Lineage of Floral Organ Identity Genes, Galimba, KD, Martínez-Gómez J., and Di Stiliio VS , Frontiers in Plant Science, 03/2018, Volume 9, (2018)
Phylogenomic Analysis of the Ranunculales resolves branching events across the order, Lane, AK, Augustin MM, Ayyampalayam S, Plant A, Gleissberg S, Di Stilio VS, dePamphillis CW, Wong GK-S, Kutchan TM, and Leebens-Mack JH , Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 04/2018, Volume 187, Issue 2, (2018)
Editorial: A Broader view for Plant EvoDevo: novel approaches for diverse model systems., Di Stilio, Verónica, Melzer Rainer, and Hall Jocelyn , Frontiers in Plant Science, 2017, Volume 8, p.61, (2017)
Partial redundancy and functional specialization of E-class SEPALLATA genes in an early-diverging eudicot, Soza, Valerie L., Snelson Corey D., Hazelton Kristen D. Hewett, and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Developmental Biology, 2016/11/1/, Volume 419, Issue 1, p.143 - 155, (2016)
Functions of Phytoliths in Vascular Plants: An Evolutionary Perspective, Strömberg, C. A. E., Di Stilio VS, and Song Z. , Functional Ecology, 05/2016, (2016)
Ferns: the missing link in shoot evolution and development, Plackett, Andrew R., Di Stilio Veronica S., and Langdale Jane A. , Frontiers in plant Science (Plant Evolution and Development), 10/23/15, (2015)
Sub-functionalization to ovule development following duplication of a floral organ identity gene, Galimba, Kelsey D., and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Developmental Biology, 2015, Volume 405, Issue 1, p.172, (2015)
Pattern and processes in the evolution of the sole dioecious member of Brassicaceae, Soza, Valerie L., Le Huyn Vietnam, and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Evodevo (BMC), 11/2014, Volume 5, Issue 1, (2014)
Bulk segregant analysis of an induced floral mutant identifies a MIXTA-like R2R3 MYB controlling nectar guide formation in Mimulus lewisii., Yuan, Yao-Wu, Sagawa Janelle M., Di Stilio Verónica S., and Bradshaw, Jr. H. D. , Genetics, 2013 Jun, Volume 194, Issue 2, p.523-8, (2013)
Timing and consequences of recurrent polyploidy in meadow-rues (thalictrum, ranunculaceae)., Soza, Valerie L., Haworth Kendall L., and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Molecular biology and evolution, 2013 Aug, Volume 30, Issue 8, p.1940-54, (2013)
Functional recapitulation of transitions in sexual systems by homeosis during the evolution of dioecy in Thalictrum., Larue, Nicole C., Sullivan Alessandra M., and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Frontiers in plant science, 2013, Volume 4, p.487, (2013)
Phylogenetic insights into the correlates of dioecy in meadow-rues (Thalictrum, Ranunculaceae)., Soza, Valerie L., Brunet Johanne, Liston Aaron, Smith Patricia Salles, and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 2012 Apr, Volume 63, Issue 1, p.180-92, (2012)
Loss of deeply conserved C-class floral homeotic gene function and C- and E-class protein interaction in a double-flowered ranunculid mutant., Galimba, Kelsey D., Tolkin Theadora R., Sullivan Alessandra M., Melzer Rainer, Theißen Günter, and Di Stilio Verónica S. , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2012 Aug 21, Volume 109, Issue 34, p.E2267-75, (2012)
Empowering plant evo-devo: virus induced gene silencing validates new and emerging model systems., Di Stilio, Verónica S. , BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology, 2011 Sep, Volume 33, Issue 9, p.711-8, (2011)
Multiple developmental processes underlie sex differentiation in angiosperms., Diggle, Pamela K., Di Stilio Verónica S., Gschwend Andrea R., Golenberg Edward M., Moore Richard C., Russell John R. W., and Sinclair Jordan P. , Trends in genetics : TIG, 2011 Sep, Volume 27, Issue 9, p.368-76, (2011)
Arabidopsis and Tobacco SUPERMAN regulate hormone signalling and mediate cell proliferation and differentiation, Nibau, Candida*, Di Stilio Veronica*, Wu Hen-Ming, and Cheung Alice Y. , Journal of Experimental Botany, 2010 Oct 27, Volume doi:10.1093/jxb/erq325. *equal contribution, (2010)
Virus induced gene silencing as a tool for comparative functional studies in Thalictrum, Di Stilio, Veronica*, Kumar RA, Oddone AM, Tolkin TR, Salles P., and McCarty K. , PLoS ONE, 2010, Volume 5, Issue 8, p.e12064. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012064, (2010)
An ortholog of MIXTA-like2 controls epidermal cell shape in flowers of Thalictrum, Di Stilio, Veronica*, Martin C., Schulfer A. F., and Connelly C. F. , New Phytologist, 2009, Volume 183, Issue 3, p.718-28, (2009)
The dynamic pollen tube cytoskeleton: Live cell studies using actin-binding and microtubule-binding reporter proteins, Cheung, A. Y., Duan Q. H., Costa S. S., de Graaf B. H. J., Di Stilio Veronica*, Feijo J., and Wu H. M. , Molecular Plant, 2008, Volume 1, Issue 4, p.686-702, (2008)
Floral MADS box genes and homeotic gender dimorphism in Thalictrum dioicum (Ranunculaceae) - a new model for the study of dioecy, Di Stilio, Veronica*, Kramer E. M., and Baum D. A. , Plant Journal, 2005, Volume 41, Issue 5, p.755-766, (2005)
Patterns of Gene Duplication and Functional Evolution During the Diversification of the AGAMOUS subfamily of MADS Box Genes in Angiosperms, Kramer, E. M., Jaramillo M. A., and Di Stilio Veronica* , Genetics, 2004, Volume 166, p.1011-1023, (2004)
Complex patterns of gene duplication in the APETALA3 and PISTILLATA lineages of the Ranunculaceae, Kramer, E. M., Di Stilio Veronica*, and Schluter P. , International Journal of Plant Sciences, 2003, Volume 164, Issue 1, p.1-11, (2003)
Pollen-pistil interactions in Nicotiana tabacum, Cheung, A. Y., Wu H. M., Di Stilio Veronica*, Glaven R., Chen C., Wong E., Ogdahl J., and Estavillo A. , Annals of Botany, 2000, Volume 85, p.29-37, (2000)
Covariance and decoupling of floral and vegetative traits in nine neotropical plants: A re-evaluation of Berg's correlation-pleiades concept, Armbruster, W. S., Di Stilio Veronica*, Tuxill J. D., Flores T. C., and Runk J. L. V. , American Journal of Botany, 1999, Volume 86, Issue 1, p.39-55, (1999)
A pseudoautosomal random amplified polymorphic DNA marker for the sex chromosomes of Silene dioica, Di Stilio, Veronica*, Kesseli R. V., and Mulcahy D. L. , Genetics, 1998, Volume 149, Issue 4, p.2057-2062, (1998)