1999, Zagreb, Croatia, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Ph. D. (Genetics and Evolution)

1994, Zagreb, Croatia, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Mr.Sc. (Biochemistry)

1989, Zagreb, Croatia, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, B. Sc. (Molecular Biology)

2020 – 2024 "(Epi)genomics and transcriptomics of euchromatic satellite DNAs in embryogenesis and development (Croatian Science Foundation)" – Principal Investigator

2019 – 2022 "Development of genomic markers for rapid identification of parasitic nematodes and effective methods of pest control” (Adris Foundation) - Principal Investigator

 2015 – 2020 “Invertebrate centromere genomics “ (Croatian Science Foundation) - collaborator

2015 – 2016 ”Genome evolution of  subterranean species” (European Social Fond)- supervisor

2016 – 2017 International Fellowship Mobility Programme for Experienced Researchers in Croatia (NEWFELPRO) - scientist in charge for posdoc

2013 – 2014 "Development of DNA markers for identifying commercially important mollusk species Ruditapes decussatus in the Adriatic Sea" (Adris Foundation) - collaborator

2013 – 2016 "Enhancement of the Innovation Potential in SEE through New Molecular Solutions in Research and Development" (FP7-REGPOT) - participant

2008 – 2010 “Exploring genomics to understand plant-nematode interactions”- COST Action 872 - member of Management Committee

2007 – 2009 Study of DNA and protein components and their interactions in holocentric chromosomes of root-knot nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne (Croatian-French bilateral project "Cogito") - collaborator

2003 – 2004 Study of organization, structure and evolution of satellite DNA sequences in root-knot nematodes with respect to reproduction mode (Croatian-French bilateral project "Cogito") - collaborator

2007 – 2013 ”Evolution, properties and functional interactions of satellite DNA sequences” (Croatian Ministry of Science) - collaborator

2002 – 2006 ”Organization of heterochromatic DNA sequences in invertebrate genomes”- ” (Croatian Ministry of Science) - collaborator

1997 – 1998 ”Conserved high copy tandem repeats in closely related species” (Croatian Ministry of Science) - Principal Investigator

1996 – 2002 "Organization and evolution of eukaryotic genome" (Croatian Ministry of Science) – collaborator

1994 – 1996 ”Structure and function satellite DNAs and heterochromatin”(Croatian Ministry of Science) - collaborator

2020      Annual Award of the Ruđer Bošković Institute for best scientific papers

2008 – Award J. J. Strossmayer (Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts/ Zagreb fair), for the best publishing venture in science, for the book «Methods in molecular biology» by Andreja Ambriović Ristov (Editor-in-chief) and Anamaria Brozović, Branka Bruvo Mađarić, Helena Ćetković, Maja Herak Bosnar, Dubravka Hranilović, Silva Katušić, Hećimović, Nevenka Meštrović Radan, Snježana Mihaljević, Neda Slade, Dušica Vujaklija (Eds.).

2009 – Doctoral study: Noncoding DNA sequences in eukaryotic genomes, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Zagreb

2008 – 2012 Doctoral Study of Neurosciences: Human genome and neural system, Faculty of Medicine University of Zagreb

2003 – 2013: Methodological courses in biology and medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute

Despot-Slade E, Mravinac B, Širca S, Castagnone-Sereno P, Plohl M, Meštrović N (2021) The centromere histone is conserved and associated with tandem repeats sharing a conserved 19-bp Box in the holocentromere of Meloidogyne nematodes. Molecular Biology and Evolution. 38:1943-1965.

Gržan T, Despot-Slade E, Meštrović N, Plohl M, Mravinac B (2020) CenH3 distribution reveals extended centromeres in the model beetle Tribolium castaneum. PLoS Genet. 16(10):e1009115.

Pavlek M, Gelfand Y, Plohl M, Meštrović N. (2015) Genome-wide analysis of tandem repeats in Tribolium castaneum genome reveals abundant and highly dynamic tandem repeat families with satellite DNA features in euchromatic chromosomal arms. DNA Research Dec;22(6):387-401

Paço A,  Adega F, Meštrović N, Plohl M, Chaves R, (2014) Evolutionary story of a satellite DNA sequence from Phodopus sungorus (Rodentia, Cricetidae) Genome Biology and Evolution, 6; 2944-2955                

Meštrović N*, Pavlek M, Car A, Castagnone-Sereno P, Abad P, Plohl M (2013) Conserved DNA Motifs, Including the CENP-B Box-like, Are Possible Promoters of Satellite DNA Array Rearrangements in Nematodes. PLOS ONE, 8 (6)

*first and corresponding author

Meštrović N, Plohl M, Castagnone-Sereno P (2009). Relevance of satellite DNA genomic distribution in phylogenetic analysis: a case study with root-knot nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 50, 1; 204-208

Meštrović N, Castagnone-Sereno P, Plohl M (2006) Interplay of selective pressure and stochastic events directs evolution of the MEL172 satellite DNA library in root-knot nematodes.  Molecular Biology and Evolution. 23, 12; 2316-2325      

Meštrović N,  Plohl M, Mravinac B, Ugarković Đ (1998) Evolution of satellite DNAs from the genus Palorus : experimental evidence for the library hypothesis. Molecular Biology and Evolution. 15 (1998) , 8; 1062-1068

Knjige i poglavlja u knjigama

Poglavlja u knjigama

• Plohl, M., Meštrović Radan, N. & Mravinac, B. (2012) Satellite DNA evolution. U: Garrido-Ramos, M. (ur.) Repetitive DNA. Basel, S. Karger AG, str. 126-152 doi:10.1159/000337122.

  doi

Radovi u časopisima

Znanstveni i pregledni radovi

• Despot-Slade, E., Širca, S., Mravinac, B., Castagnone-Sereno, P., Plohl, M. & Meštrović, N. (2022) Satellitome analyses in nematodes illuminate complex species history and show conserved features in satellite DNAs. BMC Biology, 20 (1), 259, 19 doi:10.1186/s12915-022-01460-7.

  doibmcbiol.biomedcentral.com

• Volarić, M., Despot-Slade, E., Veseljak, D., Meštrović, N. & Mravinac, B. (2022) Reference-Guided De Novo Genome Assembly of the Flour Beetle Tribolium freemani. International journal of molecular sciences, 23 (11), 5869, 18 doi:10.3390/ijms23115869.

  doiwww.mdpi.comdoi.orgfulir.irb.hr

• Volarić, M., Veseljak, D., Mravinac, B., Meštrović, N. & Despot-Slade, E. (2021) Isolation of High Molecular Weight DNA from the Model Beetle Tribolium for Nanopore Sequencing. Genes, 12 (8), 1114, 12 doi:10.3390/genes12081114.

  doiwww.mdpi.comdoi.orgfulir.irb.hr

• Despot-Slade, E., Mravinac, B., Širca, S., Castagnone-Sereno, P., Plohl, M. & Meštrović, N. (2021) The Centromere Histone Is Conserved and Associated with Tandem Repeats Sharing a Conserved 19-bp Box in the Holocentromere of Meloidogyne Nematodes. Molecular biology and evolution, 38 (5), 1943-1965 doi:10.1093/molbev/msaa336.

  doiacademic.oup.comdoi.orgfulir.irb.hr

• Gržan, T., Despot-Slade, E., Meštrović, N., Plohl, M. & Mravinac, B. (2020) CenH3 distribution reveals extended centromeres in the model beetle Tribolium castaneum. Plos genetics, 16 (10), e1009115, 28 doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1009115.

  doijournals.plos.orgdoi.orgfulir.irb.hr

• Vojvoda Zeljko, T., Pavlek, M., Meštrović, N. & Plohl, M. (2020) Satellite DNA‑like repeats are dispersed throughout the genome of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas carried by Helentron non‑autonomous mobile elements. Scientific reports, 10 (1), 15107, 12 doi:10.1038/s41598-020-71886-y.

  doiwww.nature.comfulir.irb.hr

• Sabljić, I., Meštrović Radan, N., Vukelić, B., Macheroux, P., Gruber, K., Luić, M. & Abramić, M. (2017) Crystal structure of dipeptidyl peptidase III from the human gut symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. PLoS One, 12 (11), e0187295, 19 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0187295.

  doifulir.irb.hrfulir.irb.hr

• Pavlek, M., Gelfand, Y., Plohl, M. & Meštrović, N. (2015) Genome-wide analysis of tandem repeats in Tribolium castaneum genome reveals abundant and highly dynamic tandem repeat families with satellite DNA features in euchromatic chromosomal arms. Dna research, 22 (6), 387-401 doi:10.1093/dnares/dsv021.

  doiacademic.oup.com

• Paço, A., Adega, F., Meštrović, N., Plohl, M. & Chaves, R. (2015) The puzzling character of repetitive DNA in Phodopus genomes (Cricetidae, Rodentia). Chromosome Research, 23, 427-440 doi:10.1007/s10577-015-9481-9.

  doi

• Meštrović, N., Mravinac, B., Pavlek, M., Vojvoda-Zeljko, T., Šatović, E. & Plohl, M. (2015) Structural and functional liaisons between transposable elements and satellite DNAs. Chromosome research, 23 (3), 583-596 doi:10.1007/s10577-015-9483-7.

  doi

• Paço, A., Adega, F., Meštrović, N., Plohl, M. & Chaves, R. (2014) Evolutionary story of a satellite DNA from Phodopus sungorus (Rodentia, Cricetidae). Genome Biology and Evolution, 6 (10), 2944-2955 doi:10.1093/gbe/evu233.

  doifulir.irb.hr

• Plohl, M., Meštrović, N. & Mravinac, B. (2014) Centromere identity from the DNA point of view. Chromosoma (Berlin), 123 (4), 313-325 doi:10.1007/s00412-014-0462-0.

  doi

• Vukelić, B., Salopek-Sondi, B., Špoljarić, J., Sabljić, I., Meštrović, N., Agić, D. & Abramić, M. (2012) Reactive cysteine in the active-site motif of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron dipeptidyl peptidase III is a regulatory residue for the enzyme activity. Biological chemistry, 393 (1/2), 37-46 doi:10.1515/BC-2011-193.

  doi

• Mravinac, B., Meštrović, N., Čavrak, V. & Plohl, M. (2011) TCAGG, an alternative telomeric sequence in insects. Chromosoma (Berlin), 120 (4), 367-376 doi:10.1007/s00412-011-0317-x.

  doi

• Meštrović, N., Plohl, M. & Castagnone-Sereno, P. (2009) Relevance of satellite DNA genomic distribution in phylogenetic analysis: a case study with root-knot nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 50 (1), 204-208 doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.10.013.

  doi

• Plohl, M., Luchetti, A., Meštrović, N. & Mantovani, B. (2008) Satellite DNAs between selfishness and functionality: structure, genomics and evolution of tandem repeats in centromeric (hetero)chromatin. Gene, 409 (1-2), 72-82 doi:10.1016/j.gene.2007.11.013.

  doi

• Meštrović, N., Castagnone-Sereno, P. & Plohl, M. (2006) Interplay of selective pressure and stochastic events directs evolution of the MEL172 satellite DNA library in root-knot nematodes. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 23 (12), 2316-2325.

• Meštrović, N., Castagnone-Sereno, P. & Plohl, M. (2006) High conservation of the differentially amplified MPA2 satellite DNA family in parthenogenetic root-knot nematodes. Gene, 376, 260-267.

• Meštrović, N., Mravinac, B., Plohl, M., Ugarković, Đ. & Bruvo-Mađarić, B. (2006) Preliminary phylogeny of Tribolium beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) resolved by combined analysis of mitochondrial genes. European Journal of Entomology, 103 (3), 709-715.

  fulir.irb.hr

• Meštrović, N., Randig, O., Abad, P., Plohl, M. & Castagnone-Sereno, P. (2005) Conserved and variable domains in satellite DNAs of mitotic parthenogenetic root-knot nematode speies. Gene, 362, 44-50.

• Plohl, M., Bruvo, B., Meštrović, N., Mravinac, B., Petrović, V., Durajlija-Žinić, S. & Ugarković, Đ. (2004) Satellite DNA sequences in centromeric heterochromatin. Periodicum Biologorum, 106 (2), 95-102.

• Mravinac, B., Plohl, M., Meštrović, N. & Ugarković, Đ. (2002) Sequence of PRAT satellite DNA "frozen" in some coleopteran species. Journal of Molecular Evolution, 54 (6), 774-783.

• Meštrović, N., Mravinac, B., Juan, C., Ugarković, Đ. & Plohl, M. (2000) Comparative study of satellite sequences and phylogeny of five species from the genus Palorus (Insecta, Coleoptera). Genome, 43 (5), 776-785.

• Meštrović, N., Plohl, M., Mravinac, B. & Ugarković, Đ. (1998) Evolution of satellite DNAs from the genus Palorus : experimental evidence for the library hypothesis. Molecular biology and evolution, 15 (8), 1062-1068.

• Plohl, M., Meštrović, N., Bruvo, B. & Ugarković, Đ. (1998) Similarity of structural features and evolution of satellite DNAs from Palorus subdepressus (Coleoptera) and related species. Journal of molecular evolution, 46 (2), 234-239.

Ocjenski radovi

Doktorske disertacije

• Meštrović, N. (1999) 'Evolucija uzastopno ponovljenih sekvenci DNA u vrstama roda Palorus (Coleoptera)', doktorska disertacija, Prirodoslovno-matematički fakultet, Zagreb.