Articles tagged Genetics Journal
(305 results)

An evolutionary approach outperforms a design approach in modeling protein sequence variation. Over generations, evolution shapes proteins, leading to variation in their amino acid sequences both between and within species. Despite our ever-increasing knowledge of the physical constraints that guide protein structure, advanced modeling techniques don’t capture the site-specific variability observed in natural proteins. Bafflingly,…

Imprinted genes can have oppositional effects on adult behavior in mice. Mammalian genomes show the marks of a genetic tug-of-war between mothers and fathers. These imprinted genes are marked by epigenetic modifications, which means the expression of an imprinted allele depends on whether it was inherited from the mother or the father. A new report…

A suppressor screen in C. elegans uncovers previously unknown flexibility in the genetics underlying extracellular membranes. In nearly all animal tissues, thin barriers called basement membranes anchor outward-facing layers of cells—the linings of lungs, the top layers of skin, the insides of blood vessels—to the connective tissues that support them. Mutations disrupting any major basement…

The GSA Journals, GENETICS and G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, are proud to present our annual Spotlight booklets for research published in 2017. Each Spotlight is a showcase of the excellent research and scholarship published over the course of the year, along with a selection of striking images submitted by our authors. Browse the 2017 GENETICS Spotlight. Browse the 2017 G3 Spotlight.  

Expression analysis provides clues about what makes some peanut strains more susceptible to fungal toxin contamination. In 1960, 100,000 turkeys across hundreds of English poultry farms died from aflatoxin contamination in the peanut meal in their feed. Aflatoxin is a potent carcinogen produced by fungi of the genus Aspergillus, which can grow on peanuts. Although…

A new study reveals genetic changes that affect social behavior in chickens. We have a number of phrases that relate human behavior to that of chickens; for example, when you accuse someone of acting “chicken,” you’re likely calling them a coward. If someone is running around like a chicken with their head cut off, they’re…

Offshoot of the modENCODE project provides crucial data and strains for understanding gene regulation. Following a multidisciplinary effort spanning six institutions, researchers working on the modERN (model organism Encyclopedia of Regulatory Networks) project have released a powerful resource for biologists studying the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. So far, report Kudron,…

A new fruit fly model of Leigh syndrome reveals the importance of mtDNA variation. Inherited mitochondrial disorders pose a perplexing problem to researchers and clinicians: people with the same condition can have vastly different clinical manifestations, even if they share the same mutation. For example, a neurodegenerative disorder called Leigh syndrome, which can be caused…

The “hyperspin” long-range enhancer deletion recapitulates disease phenotypes. In recent years, improvements in genetic testing have made it much easier to discover the causes of rare genetic diseases, but sequence data can also present new puzzles. Take split hand/-foot malformation-1 syndrome (SHFM1), which causes limb deformities, such as joined fingers, and sometimes deafness. Candidate culprits…

The Y chromosome has an unanticipated role in sex-biased intron retention in Drosophila. Differences between males and females in sexually dimorphic species stem in part from disparities in gene expression. This sex-biased expression can be achieved through numerous means, one of which is alternative splicing. In a recent study, Wang et al. investigated differences in one…

A reanalysis of genes tied to life span in mice reveals only a select few affect aging. Like it or not, you are always getting older. The mechanisms responsible for this fact of life, non-negotiable as it is, remain poorly understood. To identify genes that drive the aging process, researchers typically look for those that…