Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Liang et al. report in Nature that complementary Alu sequences allow an enhancer to find its cognate promoter over long distances, potentially through the formation of RNA duplexes.
Sophie von der Heyden highlights a paper by Barber et al. that examined variations in the genetic structuring of populations of the mantis shrimp Haptosquilla pulchella, furthering our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of marine species.
Recent systems biology and single-cell approaches have revealed the impact of the microenvironment, lineage specification and cell identity, and the genome on epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity (EMP). In addition, cell memory (hysteresis) and cellular noise can drive stochastic transitions between cell states. The authors review these forces and the regulatory mechanisms that stabilize EMP states or facilitate epithelial–mesenchymal transitions (EMTs).
Differences in facial morphology distinguish vertebrates. Here, Selleri and Rijli discuss advances in multi-omics and single-cell technologies linking genes, transcriptional networks and epigenetic landscapes to the establishment of facial patterning and its variation, with an emphasis on normal and abnormal craniofacial morphogenesis.
Hook and Timp describe increasingly flexible ways in which single-molecule sequencing technologies are being used to analyse genomes. Examples include targeted genome sequencing, analysis of chromatin state and protein–DNA interactions, and sequencing of short reads.
In this Review, the authors discuss our growing knowledge of the underlying genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; also known as motor neuron disease). They discuss how this information provides insight into causal disease mechanisms and translational opportunities for developing clinical therapeutics.
