Kirst King-Jones, University of Alberta

Research

Drosophila Iron Porphyria Genetic Screen Heme Biosynthesis Irp1 (Iron Regulatory Protein 1)Glycogen Branching Enzyme Iron-Sulfur Cluster Proteins

Latest papers

Endocrine gland growth as the developmental switch for insect diapause.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
Single-cell transcriptomics of the Drosophila ring gland identifies the SoxN-Vvl complex as a key regulator of juvenile hormone biosynthesis.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
Ecological Significance of a Novel Nitrogen Fixation Mechanism in the Wax Scale Insect Ericerus pela.
Insects · 2025 · senior author

All 36 publications

Latest funding

Characterization of the transcriptional and post-transcriptional iron regulome
CIHR · 2019 · Nominated PI
$963,900
Novel Roles for Iron Regulatory Protein 1
CIHR · 2019 · Nominated PI
$901,170
Elucidating the dynamic links between iron, heme and steroid hormone biosynthesis in Drosophila.
NSERC · 2018 · Principal investigator
$252,000

All 10 grants and awards

36 publications.

01

Endocrine gland growth as the developmental switch for insect diapause.

Wang K, Tian Z, King-Jones K, Zhu F, Wang XP, Liu W

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2026

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2531351123 PMID: 41849376

02

Single-cell transcriptomics of the Drosophila ring gland identifies the SoxN-Vvl complex as a key regulator of juvenile hormone biosynthesis.

Luo Y, Chen N, Gao Y, Luo W, Liu S, Li Y, Wang H, Gao X, Chen J, Ye H, King-Jones K, Palli SR, Li S, Liu S

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2026

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2520504123 PMID: 41650236

03

Ecological Significance of a Novel Nitrogen Fixation Mechanism in the Wax Scale Insect Ericerus pela.

Qi Q, Li B, Zhang X, Chen X, Chen H, King-Jones K

Insects2025Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/insects16080836 PMID: 40870637

04

Noncanonical action of circadian clock genes controls winter diapause entry via the NuA4/TIP60 complex in Harmonia axyridis.

Gao Q, Dai YF, Zhao YL, Li X, An HM, King-Jones K, Wang JL, Wang XP, Liu W

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2025

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2510550122 PMID: 40638091

05

New molecular components of high and low affinity iron import systems in Drosophila.

Soltani S, Yan M, Yu Q, Abd Elhafiz A, Pfriem E, Webb SM, Kroll T, Bahena Lopez JM, Missirlis F, King-Jones K

Nature communications2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60758-6 PMID: 40592826

06

The PBAP chromatin remodeling complex mediates summer diapause via H3K4me3-driven juvenile hormone regulation in Colaphellus bowringi.

Tian Z, Wang K, Guo S, Li JX, King-Jones K, Zhu F, Liu W, Wang XP

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2025

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2422328122 PMID: 40112108

07

Nutrient status alters developmental fates via a switch in mitochondrial homeodynamics.

Zhang J, Liu S, Li Y, Xu G, Deng H, King-Jones K, Li S

Nature communications2025

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56528-z PMID: 39893174

08

An efficient injection protocol for Drosophila larvae.

Soltani S, Huynh N, King-Jones K

Biology methods & protocols2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpae093 PMID: 39712467

09

Soul is a master control gene governing the development of the Drosophila prothoracic gland.

Liu W, Yan M, King-Jones K

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2405469121 PMID: 39312662

10

Drosophila Evi5 is a critical regulator of intracellular iron transport via transferrin and ferritin interactions.

Soltani S, Webb SM, Kroll T, King-Jones K

Nature communications2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48165-9 PMID: 38744835

Characterization of the transcriptional and post-transcriptional iron regulome

Nominated PICIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: King-Jones, Kirst

Keywords: Drosophila; Genetic Screen; Heme Biosynthesis; Iron; Iron Response Elements (Ire) (Mrna Stem Loops); Irp1 (Iron Regulatory Protein 1); Nutrigenomics (Response To Increased/Decreased Dietary Iron); Porphyria; Rna Immunoprecipitation

$963,900

Novel Roles for Iron Regulatory Protein 1

Nominated PICIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: King-Jones, Kirst

Keywords: Drosophila; Genetic Screen; Glycogen Branching Enzyme; Heme Biosynthesis; Iron; Iron-Sulfur Cluster Proteins; Irp1 (Iron Regulatory Protein 1); Porphyria; Steroid Hormone Synthesis; Transcription

$901,170

Elucidating the dynamic links between iron, heme and steroid hormone biosynthesis in Drosophila.

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: KingJones, Kirst

$252,000

A novel signaling pathway controlling cellular iron and heme levels in Drosophila

Nominated PICIHR2013Operating Grant

Principal investigators: King-Jones, Kirst

Keywords: Cytochrome P450 Enzymes; Drosophila; Ecdysone; Heme; Iron; Neurotrophin; Nitric Oxide; Nuclear Receptor; Porphyria; Steroid Hormone Regulation

$901,458

Signaling pathways controlling the formation and timing of steroid hormone pulses in Drosophila

Principal investigatorNSERC2012Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: KingJones, Kirst

$140,000

Shared microscopy image analysis system

Co-investigatorNSERC2011Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Principal investigators: Gallin, Warren

$56,390

Laser-scanning confocal microscope adaptation for multi-user

Co-investigatorNSERC2009Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Principal investigators: Pilgrim, David

$51,472

Analysis of regulatory pathways controlling cholesterol and lipid metabolism in Drosophila

Nominated PICIHR2008CIHR New Investigator

Principal investigators: King-Jones, Kirst

Keywords: Cholesterol Metabolism; Drosophila Genetics; Gene Regulatory Networks; Lipid Transport; Nuclear Receptors; Nutrition

$300,000

Analysis of regulatory networks controlling cholesterol and lipid metabolism in Drosophila

Nominated PICIHR2008Operating Grant

Principal investigators: King-Jones, Kirst

Keywords: Cholesterol And Lipid Metabolism; Gene Expression Profiling; Genome Wide Dna-Binding (Chip); Mutant Analysis; Nuclear Receptor; Target Gene Discovery

$868,128

Role of nuclear receptor DHR4 in the regulation of growth and maturation in drosophila

Principal investigatorNSERC2007Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: KingJones, Kirst

$155,850

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Biological Sciences
Medical Genetics
Pediatrics

Co-authors at University of Alberta, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Richard Lehner

Pediatrics

1 shared papers, latest 2013

Rachel Wevrick

Medical Genetics

1 shared papers, latest 2013

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2019

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Drosophila Dear Professor King-Jones, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Endocrine gland growth as the developmental switch for insect diapause." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Characterization of the transcriptional and post-transcriptional iron regulome" (2019), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]