Microbial genomics: Sequencing gets a handle on pathogen variation | PDF (170 KB)

p649 | doi:10.1038/nrg2447

MicroRNAS: Making a big impression on the proteome | PDF (148 KB)

p650 | doi:10.1038/nrg2435

Network biology: Why do we need hubs? | PDF (145 KB)

p650 | doi:10.1038/nrg2450

Functional genomics: An array of bacterial interactions | PDF (131 KB)

p652 | doi:10.1038/nrg2446

Evolutionary genomics: Our Neanderthal cousins | PDF (135 KB)

p652 | doi:10.1038/nrg2448

Circadian genetics: An enzymatic rheostat | PDF (143 KB)

p653 | doi:10.1038/nrg2436

Human disease: Chipping away at psychiatric disorders | PDF (149 KB)

p654 | doi:10.1038/nrg2437

Animal models: Proteomics goes live in the mouse | PDF (125 KB)

p655 | doi:10.1038/nrg2445

Purifying selection of mtDNA and its implications for understanding evolution and mitochondrial disease

James Bruce Stewart, Christoph Freyer, Joanna L. Elson & Nils-Göran Larsson

p657 | doi:10.1038/nrg2396

Mitochondrial DNA reproduces asexually and is therefore susceptible to the accumulation of deleterious mutations. Recent results suggest that there is purifying selection against such mutations within the female germ line, which has important consequences for studies of evolution and human disease.

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EvoD/Vo: the origins of BMP signalling in the neuroectoderm

Claudia Mieko Mizutani & Ethan Bier

p663 | doi:10.1038/nrg2417

This Review discusses the role of BMP signalling in neural patterning. Comparative evo–devo analyses show that this genetic system has a conserved function in organizing the developing central nervous system and that it was probably already present in the bilaterian ancestor.

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Towards a cyberinfrastructure for the biological sciences: progress, visions and challenges

Lincoln D. Stein

p678 | doi:10.1038/nrg2414

Wiki pages and commenting
Interconnected networks of databases and analytical tools will be needed to drive biological research in the twenty-first century. What should such a cyberinfrastructure look like? Which components are in place already? And how do we progress from here?

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The functional repertoires of metazoan genomes

Chris P. Ponting

p689 | doi:10.1038/nrg2413

Sequenced genomes are accumulating rapidly, but our understanding of the functions they encode is progressing more slowly. This Review investigates the amount of functional sequence in metazoan genomes, how it has evolved and how it differs between species.

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The multiple lives of NMD factors: balancing roles in gene and genome regulation

Olaf Isken & Lynne E. Maquat

p699 | doi:10.1038/nrg2402

In addition to their roles in mRNA quality control, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) factors are emerging as multitasking players in gene expression and genome integrity. These functions involve both the NMD process itself and pathways that are apparently unconnected to NMD.

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Leader of the pack: gene mapping in dogs and other model organisms

Elinor K. Karlsson & Kerstin Lindblad-Toh

p713 | doi:10.1038/nrg2382

The dog is a unique model of human complex disease, and its remarkable population history makes trait mapping especially powerful. This article reviews the mapping strategies available in dogs, some key biological findings and the implications for other experimental organisms.

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