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Until recently, large-scale transcriptome studies in bacteria and archaea were limited by technical challenges, and there was a perception that microbial transcription was relatively simple compared with eukaryotic transcription. Now, prokaryotic transcriptomics is revealing unexpected aspects of transcriptional control, genome organization and non-coding RNAs.
The recent increase in available human population genetic data is revealing signatures of selection at immunity-related genes. This Review discusses how studies of genome evolution are contributing to our understanding of how pathogens have shaped the human genome and immune response.
There is an increasing demand for next-generation sequencing technologies that rapidly deliver high volumes of accurate genome information at a low cost. This Review provides a guide to the features of the different platforms, and describes the recent advances in this fast-moving area.
How did the intricate adaptive immune system of mammals arise? New clues have recently emerged from studies of the immune systems of non-mammalian vertebrates. Here, these findings are integrated with current knowledge of macroevolutionary events and selective pressures.
Protein kinases are one of the largest gene families in humans. Through a comprehensive survey of kinase mutations the authors highlight the structure–function relationships that control the activities of these proteins and their contribution to a varied set of human diseases.
mRNA repertoires can be diversified by many mechanisms, including alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation. Technological advances are now allowing genome–wide insights into the extent of RNA processing, the actions of RNA–binding proteins and how regulation at the RNA level helps to control biological systems.