Publications
Koch,
R. E., Okegbe, C., Ramanathan, C., Zhu, X., Hare, E.,
Toomey, M. B., Hill, G. E., & Zhang, Y. (2024).
Captivity affects mitochondrial aerobic respiration and
carotenoid metabolism in the house finch (Haemorhous
mexicanus). The Journal of Experimental Biology,
227(9): jeb.246980
Khalil,
S., Enbody, E. D., Frankl-Vilches, C., Welklin, J. F.,
Koch, R. E., Toomey, M. B., Sin, S. Y. W., Edwards, S. V.,
Gahr, M., Schwabl, H., Webster, M. S., & Karubian, J.
(2023). Testosterone coordinates gene expression across
different tissues to produce carotenoid-based red
ornamentation. Molecular Biology and Evolution:
40: msad056.
Buchheim, M., A. Silver, H.
Johnson, R. Portman, and M. B. Toomey 2023. The
description of Haematococcus privus sp. nov.
(Chlorophyceae, Chlamydomonadales) from North America. Algae:
38(1): 1-22
Toomey,
M. B., Marques, C. A., Araújo, P.M. Huang, D., Zhong, S.
Liu, Y. Schreiner, G.D., Myers, C.A., Pereira, P., Afonso,
S., Andrade, P., Gazda, M. A., Lopes, R.J., Viegas, I.,
Koch, R.E., Haynes, M. E., Smith, D. J., Ogawa, Y.,
Murphy, D. Kopec, R. E., Parichy, D. M., Carniero, M., and
Corbo, J. C. 2022. A mechanism for red coloration in
vertebrates. Current Biology: 32:4201-4214.e12.
Dispatch: Evolution:
The biochemistry of honest sexual signaling
Toomey,
M. B., Smith, D. J., Gonzales, D. M. and McGraw, K. J.
2022. Methods for extracting and analyzing carotenoids
from bird feathers. Methods
in Enzymology. 670, 459-497
Huang, D., Lewis, V. M., Foster, T. N.
Toomey, M. B., Corbo, J. C. and Parichy, D. M. 2021.
Development and genetics of red coloration in the
zebrafish relative Danio albolineatus. Elife 10, e70253
Toomey, M. B. and Ronald, K. L. (2021).
Avian color expression and perception: is there a
carotenoid link? J.
Exp. Biol. 224, jeb.203844
Gazda, M. A., P. M. Araújo, R. J. Lopes,
M. B. Toomey, P. Andrade, S. Afonso, C. Marques, L. Nunes,
P. Pereira, S. Trigo, G. E. Hill, J. C. Corbo, M.
Carneiro (2020). A genetic mechanism for sexual
dichromatism in birds. Science
368, 1270–1274.
Perspective: A gene for color differences between sexes
Gazda*, M. A., M. B. Toomey*, P. M.
Araújo, R. J. Lopes, S. Afonso, C. A. Myers, K. Serres, P.
D. Kiser, G. E. Hill, J. C. Corbo, and M.
Carneiro (2020). Genetic Basis of De Novo Appearance
of Carotenoid Ornamentation in Bare Parts of Canaries. Mol. Biol. Evol. 37,
1317–1328. *contributed equally
Saunders, L. M., A. K. Mishra, A. J. Aman,
V. M. Lewis, M. B. Toomey, J. S. Packer, X. Qiu, J. L.
McFaline-Figueroa, J. C. Corbo, C. Trapnell, and D. M.
Parichy (2019). Thyroid hormone regulates distinct
paths to maturation in pigment cell lineages. Elife
8, e45181.
Koch, R.E., Staley, M., Kavazis, A.N.,
Hasselquist, D. Toomey, M.B. and Hill, G.E. 2019. Testing
the resource trade-off hypothesis for carotenoid-based
signal honesty using genetic variants of the domestic
canary. J Exp Biol 222. doi:10.1242/jeb.188102.
Toomey, M. B., Marques, C. I., Andrade,
P., Araújo, P. M., Sabatino, S., Gazda, M. A., Afonso, S.,
Lopes, R. J., Corbo, J. C. and Carneiro, M. 2018. A
non-coding region near Follistatin controls head
colour polymorphism in the Gouldian finch. Proc. R.
Soc. B Biol. Sci. 285, 20181788.
Giraudeau, M., Toomey, M. B., Hutton, P.
and McGraw, K. J. 2018. Expression of and choice for
condition-dependent carotenoid-based color in an
urbanizing context. Behav. Ecol. 29, 1307–1315.
Koch, R. E., Kavazis, A., Hasselquist, D.,
Hood, W., Zhang, Y., Toomey, M.B., Hill, G. E. 2018. No
evidence that carotenoid pigments boost either immune or
antioxidant defenses in a songbird. Nature Communications.
9: 491
Toomey, M. B. & Corbo, J. C. 2017
Evolution, Development and Function of Vertebrate Cone Oil
Droplets. Frontiers in Neural
Circuits. 11, 97.
Morshedian A.*, Toomey, M.B.*, Pollock,
G.E., Frederiksen, R., Enright, J.M., McCormick, S.D.,
Cornwall, M.C., Fain, G.L., Corbo, J.C. 2017 Cambrian
origin of the CYP27C1-mediated vitamin A1-to-A2 switch, a
key mechanism of vertebrate sensory plasticity. Royal Society Open Science.
4: 170362. *contributed equally
Toomey, M. B., Lopes, R. J., Araújo, P.
M., Johnson, J. D., Gazda, M. A., Afonso, S., Mota, P. G.,
Koch, R. E., Hill, G. E., Corbo, J. C., Carneiro, M. 2017.
High-density lipoprotein receptor SCARB1 is required for
carotenoid coloration in birds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
of the United States of America. 114, 5219–5224.
Mitkus, M., Olsson, P., Toomey, M.B.,
Corbo, J. C., & Kelber, A. 2017. Specialized
photoreceptor composition in the raptor fovea. Journal of Comparative
Neurology. 525, 2152-2163
Toomey M.B., Lind O., Frederiksen R.,
Curley R.W., Riedle K.M., Wilby D., Schwartz S.J., Witt
C.C., Harrison E.H., Roberts N.W., Vorobyev M., McGraw
K.J., Cornwall M.C., Kelber A., Corbo J.C. 2016
Complementary shifts in photoreceptor spectral tuning
unlock the full adaptive potential of ultraviolet vision
in birds. eLife,
5:e15675. In the news: Audubon
Kramlinger V.M., Nagy L.D., Fujiwara R,
Johnson K.M., Phan T.T.N., Xiao Y., Enright J.M., Toomey
M.B., Corbo J.C., Guengerich F.P. 2016. Human cytochrome
P450 27C1 catalyzes 3,4-desaturation of retinoids. FEBS Letters.
590,1304–1312.
Lopes, R.J.*, J.D.Johnson*, M.B.Toomey*,
M.Ferreira, J. Melo-Ferreira, L. Andersson. G.E. Hill,
J.C. Corbo, M. Carneiro. 2016. Genetic Basis for Red
Coloration in Birds. Current
Biology. 26,1427–1434. *contributed equally.
In the news: The Atlantic, Forbes,
BBC
news. Smithsonian
Toomey, M.B., K.J. McGraw. 2016. The
effects of sun exposure on carotenoid accumulation and
oxidative stress in the retina of the House finch
(Haemorhous mexicanus). Avian
Research 7:5
Toomey, M.B., A.M. Collins, R.
Frederiksen, M.C. Cornwall, J.A. Timlin, J.C. Corbo. 2015.
A complex carotenoid palette tunes avian color vision. Journal of the Royal Society
Interface. 12: 20150563
Wilby, D., M.B. Toomey, P. Olsson, R.
Frederiksen, M.C. Cornwall, R. Oulton, A. Kelber, J.C.
Corbo, N.W. Roberts. 2015. Optics of cone photoreceptors
in the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Journal of the Royal Society
Interface. 12: 20150591
Enright, J.M., M.B. Toomey, S. Sato, S.E.
Temple, J.R. Allen, R. Fujiwara, V.M. Kramlinger, L.D.
Nagy, K.M. Johnson, Y. Xiao, M.J. How, S.L. Johnson, N.W.
Roberts, V.J. Kefalov, F.P. Guengerich, J.C. Corbo. 2015.
Cyp27c1 enhances infrared vision. Current Biology 25:
3048-3057 In the news: The Atlantic
Giraudeau, M., A. Chavez, M.B. Toomey, and
K.J. McGraw. 2015. Effects of carotenoid supplementation
and oxidative challenges on physiological parameters and
carotenoid-based coloration in an urbanization context. Behavioral Ecology and
Sociobiology. 69: 957-970
.
McGraw, K.J., Giraudeau, M., Toomey, M.B.,
and M. Staley. 2013. Ketocarotenoid circulation, but not
retinal carotenoid accumulation, is linked to eye disease
status in a wild songbird. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
539:156-162
.
Toomey M.B., K.J. McGraw. 2012. Mate
choice for a male carotenoid-based ornament is linked to
female dietary carotenoid intake and accumulation. BMC Evolutionary Biology
12:3.
.
Behbahaninia H, M.W. Butler, M.B. Toomey,
K.J. McGraw. 2012. Food color preferences against a dark,
textured background vary in relation to sex and age in
house finches (Carpodacus
mexicanus). Behaviour.
149:51–65.
.
Giraudeau, M., M.B. Toomey, and K.J.
McGraw. 2012. Can house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) use non-visual
cues to discriminate the carotenoid content of foods? Journal of Ornithology.
153:1017-1023
Toomey, M. B. & K. J. McGraw. 2011.
The effects of dietary carotenoid supplementation and
retinal carotenoid accumulation on vision-mediated
foraging in the house finch. PLoS One. 6: e21653
.
Butler, M.W., M.B. Toomey, K.J. McGraw, , and M.
Rowe. 2011. Ontogenetic immune challenges shape adult
personality in mallard ducks. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 279:326-333
In the news:
ScienceNow; Discover
Smith, C.L. , M.B. Toomey, B.R. Walker, E.J.
Braun, B.O. Wolf, K.J. McGraw, K.L. Sweazea. 2011. Naturally high
plasma glucose levels in mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) do
not lead to high levels of reactive oxygen species in the
vasculature. Zoology.
114: 171-176
Butler, M.W., M.B. Toomey,
and K.J. McGraw. 2011.
How many color metrics do we need? Evaluating how
different color-scoring procedures explain carotenoid
pigment content in avian bare-part and plumage ornaments.
Behavioral Ecology and
Sociobiology. 65: 401-413
Toomey,
M. B. & K. J. McGraw. 2010. The effects of dietary
carotenoid intake on carotenoid accumulation in the retina
of a wild bird, the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus). Archives of Biochemistry and
Biophysics. 504: 161-168
Toomey,
M.B., M.W. Butler, and K.J. McGraw. 2010. Immune-system
activation depletes retinal carotenoids in house finches. Journal of Experimental
Biology. 213:1709-1716
Toomey, M.B.,
M.W. Butler, M.G. Meadows, L.A. Taylor, H.B. Fokidis, and
K.J. McGraw. 2010. A novel method for
quantifying the glossiness of animals. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 64: 1047-1055. In the news: BBC
McGraw, K. J. and M. B. Toomey. 2010.
Carotenoid accumulation in the tissues of zebra finches:
predictors of integumentary pigmentation and implications
for carotenoid allocation strategies. Physiological and
Biochemical Zoology. 83:97-109
Bascunan,
A. L., E. A. Tourville, M. B.
Toomey, and K. J. McGraw. 2009. Food color
preferences of molting house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus)
in relation to sex and plumage coloration. Ethology. 115:
1066-1073
Meadows, M.G., M. W.
Butler, N. I. Morehouse, L. A. Taylor, M. B. Toomey, K.
J. McGraw & R. L. Rutowski. 2009. Iridescence: views
from many angles. Journal
of the Royal Society Interface. 6:S107-S113
Toomey,
M. B. & K. J. McGraw. 2009. Seasonal, sexual, and
quality related variation in retinal carotenoid
accumulation in the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus).
Functional Ecology.
23:321-329
Toomey, M.B.
& K. J. McGraw. 2007. Modified saponification and
HPLC methods for analyzing carotenoids from Japanese
quail retina: implications for use as a nonprimate
model species. Investigative
Ophthalmology
and Visual Science. 48:3976-3982
McGraw,
K.
J., M. B. Toomey, P. M. Nolan, N. I. Morehouse, M.
Massaro, & P. Jouventin. 2007. A description of
unique fluorescent yellow pigments in penguin feathers.
Pigment Cell Research.
20:301-304.
Toomey,
M.B.,
R. Bowman, & G.E. Woolfenden. 2007. The effects of
social context on food handling behavior of Florida
Scrub-Jays. Ethology.
113: 521-527
Toomey,
M.B., D. McCabe, & J. E. Marsden. 2002. Factors
affecting the movement of adult zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha).
Journal of the North
American Benthological Society. 21:468-475.