Featured
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Nature Podcast |
Ancient DNA solves the mystery of who made a set of stone tools
Analysis of stone tools and DNA reveals when modern humans reached northern Europe, and why human brain cells grow so slowly.
- Nick Petrić Howe
- & Shamini Bundell
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News & Views |
From the archive: Mendelian inheritance, and an enigmatic echo
Snippets from Nature’s past.
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News & Views Forum |
The journey to understand previously unknown microbial genes
The analysis of DNA sequences sheds light on microbial biology, but it is difficult to assess the function of genes that have little or no similarity to characterized genes. Here, scientists discuss this challenge from genomic and microbial perspectives.
- Jakob Wirbel
- , Ami S. Bhatt
- & Alexander J. Probst
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News |
‘Wildly weird’ RNA bits discovered infesting the microbes in our guts
Rod-shaped structures named ‘obelisks’ are even smaller than viruses but can still transmit instructions to cells.
- Saima Sidik
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News |
Syphilis microbe’s family has plagued humans for millennia
Ancient DNA recovered from Brazilian remains shows that treponemal diseases originated some 10,000 years earlier than previously thought.
- Ewen Callaway
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Article
| Open AccessRedefining the treponemal history through pre-Columbian genomes from Brazil
Reconstruction of four Treponema pallidum genomes associated with human remains from around 2,000 years ago suggests that T. pallidum existed in the Americas and diverged to its modern subspecies before the fifteenth century European contact with the Americas.
- Kerttu Majander
- , Marta Pla-Díaz
- & Verena J. Schuenemann
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News |
All arabica coffee is genetically similar: how can beans taste so different?
Flavour variations are mainly the result of changes at the chromosome level, sequencing effort finds.
- Bianca Nogrady
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Article
| Open AccessThe hagfish genome and the evolution of vertebrates
A chromosome-scale genome assembly for the hagfish Eptatretus atami, combined with a series of phylogenetic analyses, sheds light on ancient polyploidization events that had a key role in the early evolution of vertebrates.
- Ferdinand Marlétaz
- , Nataliya Timoshevskaya
- & Daniel S. Rokhsar
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Technology Feature |
Seven technologies to watch in 2024
Advances in artificial intelligence are at the heart of many of this year’s most exciting areas of technological innovation
- Michael Eisenstein
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Article
| Open AccessDeciphering cell states and genealogies of human haematopoiesis
An improved, single-cell lineage-tracing system, based on deep detection of naturally occurring mitochondrial DNA mutations with simultaneous readout of transcriptional states and chromatin accessibility, is used to define the clonal architecture of haematopoietic stem cells.
- Chen Weng
- , Fulong Yu
- & Vijay G. Sankaran
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News |
Did the Black Death shape the human genome? Study challenges bold claim
An ancient-DNA study of medieval Cambridge found no sign of genes that helped people to survive the plague, casting doubt on an earlier study.
- Ewen Callaway
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Article
| Open AccessAlternative splicing of latrophilin-3 controls synapse formation
Latrophilin-3 organizes synapses through a convergent dual-pathway mechanism in which Gαs signalling is activated and phase-separated postsynaptic protein scaffolds are recruited.
- Shuai Wang
- , Chelsea DeLeon
- & Thomas C. Südhof
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Article
| Open AccessAffinity-optimizing enhancer variants disrupt development
Low-affinity transcription factor binding sites are prevalent across the genome, and single nucleotide changes that increase binding affinity even slightly can cause gain-of-function gene expression and phenotypes (such as polydactyly).
- Fabian Lim
- , Joe J. Solvason
- & Emma K. Farley
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News |
Cloned rhesus monkey lives to adulthood for first time
A method that provides cloned embryos with a healthy placenta could pave the way for more research involving the primates.
- Miryam Naddaf
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News |
Ancient DNA reveals first known case of sex-development disorder
Researchers identified six ancient humans with chromosomal conditions, including the earliest case of Turner syndrome.
- Carissa Wong
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News & Views |
Prehistoric events might explain European multiple sclerosis risk
An exploration of more than 1,600 ancient Eurasian genomes suggests that genetic changes that increase autoimmune-disease risk in modern Europeans could have protected ancient Europeans from pathogens.
- Samira Asgari
- & Lionel A. Pousaz
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Research Briefing |
Deadly mismatch between nuclear and mitochondrial genes in swordtail fish hybrids
An analysis of the genomes of hybrids of distinct swordtail fish species uncovered a lethal incompatibility between certain combinations of nuclear and mitochondrial genes that encode subunits of complex I — a component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The evolutionary history of this incompatibility indicates that the genes involved were transferred between the species through hybridization in the past.
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News |
Ancient DNA reveals origins of multiple sclerosis in Europe
A huge cache of ancient genomes spanning tens of thousands of years reveals the roots of traits in modern Europeans.
- Sara Reardon
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Article
| Open Access100 ancient genomes show repeated population turnovers in Neolithic Denmark
Integrated data, including 100 human genomes from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age periods show that two major population turnovers occurred over just 1,000 years in Neolithic Denmark, resulting in dramatic changes in the genes, diet and physical appearance of the local people, as well as the landscape in which they lived.
- Morten E. Allentoft
- , Martin Sikora
- & Eske Willerslev
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Article
| Open AccessA lethal mitonuclear incompatibility in complex I of natural hybrids
Analysis of naturally hybridizing swordtail fish species reveals a mitonuclear genetic incompatibility among three genes that encode components of mitochondrial respiratory complex I, providing insights into the emergence of hybrid incompatibilities and reproductive barriers.
- Benjamin M. Moran
- , Cheyenne Y. Payne
- & Molly Schumer
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Article
| Open AccessPopulation genomics of post-glacial western Eurasia
An analysis involving the shotgun sequencing of more than 300 ancient genomes from Eurasia reveals a deep east–west genetic divide from the Black Sea to the Baltic, and provides insight into the distinct effects of the Neolithic transition on either side of this boundary.
- Morten E. Allentoft
- , Martin Sikora
- & Eske Willerslev
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Article
| Open AccessThe selection landscape and genetic legacy of ancient Eurasians
Analyses of imputed ancient genomes and of samples from the UK Biobank indicate that ancient selection and migration were large contributors to the distribution of phenotypic diversity in present-day Europeans.
- Evan K. Irving-Pease
- , Alba Refoyo-Martínez
- & Eske Willerslev
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Article
| Open AccessElevated genetic risk for multiple sclerosis emerged in steppe pastoralist populations
Analysis of a large ancient genome dataset shows that genetic risk for multiple sclerosis rose in steppe pastoralists, providing insight into how genetic ancestry from the Neolithic and Bronze Age has shaped modern immune responses.
- William Barrie
- , Yaoling Yang
- & Eske Willerslev
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Research Briefing |
Small numbers of sodium channels on cartilage cells have a large effect on joint damage
A type of sodium channel previously thought to be specific to neurons is also present in chondrocytes — cells that are crucial for joint health. Despite having low density, the sodium channels have an outsized role in the progression of osteoarthritis, and their genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition reduced joint damage in mouse models.
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Article
| Open AccessNav1.7 as a chondrocyte regulator and therapeutic target for osteoarthritis
The voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 has a dual role in osteoarthritis—in chondrocytes, it promotes joint damage, and in dorsal root ganglia neurons, it increases pain transmission.
- Wenyu Fu
- , Dmytro Vasylyev
- & Chuan-ju Liu
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Article
| Open AccessHost genetic regulation of human gut microbial structural variation
A meta-analysis of associations between human genetic variation and gut microbial structural variations shows that ABO genotype differentially affects the presence of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii strains containing GalNAc utilization pathway in the gut.
- Daria V. Zhernakova
- , Daoming Wang
- & Jingyuan Fu
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Book Review |
The research aiming to keep people healthier for longer
An exploration of the biological reasons that people age celebrates the role of worms and flies in enabling scientific discovery — and investigates how to age well.
- Linda Partridge
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Article
| Open AccessThe energetic and allosteric landscape for KRAS inhibition
Analysis of the effects of more than 26,000 KRAS mutations on abundance and interactions with six other proteins is used to construct an energy landscape of KRAS and identify allosteric drug target sites.
- Chenchun Weng
- , Andre J. Faure
- & Ben Lehner
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News & Views |
Gene expression of single cells mapped in tissue sections
A tool that tags individual cells in a tissue with a unique barcode means that the gene-expression profile of each cell can be plotted in its original location. This allows spatial information to be captured at single-cell resolution.
- Patrik L. Ståhl
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News & Views |
Indigenous diversity in Australia’s DNA tapestry unlocked for genetic equity
Diverse genomic sequences might boost equity in areas such as health care. Genomic data from Indigenous Australians, shared through a community-consultation framework, aids efforts to boost genetic representation.
- Katrina G. Claw
- & Amber Nashoba
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News & Views Forum |
Cellular atlases of the entire mouse brain
In a huge collaborative effort, millions of cells in the mouse brain have been mapped in detail. Two scientists examine the resulting wealth of insights into gene regulation in brain cells, neuronal connections and how our own brains evolved.
- Maria Antonietta Tosches
- & Heather J. Lee
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Article
| Open AccessThe landscape of genomic structural variation in Indigenous Australians
Population-scale whole-genome sequencing across four remote Indigenous Australian communities reveals a large fraction of structural variants that are unique to these populations, emphasizing the genetic distinctiveness of and diversity among Indigenous Australians.
- Andre L. M. Reis
- , Melissa Rapadas
- & Ira W. Deveson
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Perspective |
Hold out the genome: a roadmap to solving the cis-regulatory code
A roadmap towards solving the cis-regulatory code using a combination of machine learning and massively parallel assays of exogenous DNA is proposed.
- Carl G. de Boer
- & Jussi Taipale
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News & Views |
Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy linked to hormone from fetus
Maternal sensitivity to a hormone produced by the fetus might underlie the risk of severe nausea and vomiting in human pregnancy — a finding that could open up strategies for the treatment of this debilitating condition.
- Alice E. Hughes
- & Rachel M. Freathy
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News |
Australian Indigenous genomes are highly diverse and unlike those anywhere else
In collecting genomic data for Indigenous Australians, scientists hope to expand knowledge of human genetic diversity and improve health for this group.
- Bianca Nogrady
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Article
| Open AccessIndigenous Australian genomes show deep structure and rich novel variation
Analysis of the genomes of 159 individuals from four Indigenous communities in Australia shows a high level of genetic variation and demonstrates the need for greater representation of Indigenous Australians in reference panels and clinical databases.
- Matthew Silcocks
- , Ashley Farlow
- & Stephen Leslie
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Article
| Open AccessConserved and divergent gene regulatory programs of the mammalian neocortex
A single-cell multiomics analysis of over 200,000 cells of the primary motor cortex of human, macaque, marmoset and mouse shows that divergence of transcription factor expression corresponds to species-specific epigenome landscapes, and conserved and divergent gene regulatory features are reflected in the evolution of the three-dimensional genome.
- Nathan R. Zemke
- , Ethan J. Armand
- & Bing Ren
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Article
| Open AccessIn vitro production of cat-restricted Toxoplasma pre-sexual stages
A study describes the molecular basis of sexual development of Toxoplasma gondii entirely in vitro, demonstrating the role and interaction of AP2XII-1 and AP2XI-2 in the developmental program of this protozoan parasite.
- Ana Vera Antunes
- , Martina Shahinas
- & Mohamed-Ali Hakimi
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Article
| Open AccessSingle-cell analysis of chromatin accessibility in the adult mouse brain
An atlas of candidate cis-regulatory DNA elements (cCREs) in the adult mouse brain unravels the transcriptional regulatory programs that drive the heterogeneity and complexity of brain structure and function.
- Songpeng Zu
- , Yang Eric Li
- & Bing Ren
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Article
| Open AccessGDF15 linked to maternal risk of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy
Elevated circulating levels of GDF15 in pregnant women are associated with severe nausea and vomiting, and sensitivity to such symptoms during pregnancy is partly determined by prepregnancy levels of this hormone.
- M. Fejzo
- , N. Rocha
- & S. O’Rahilly
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Article
| Open AccessBrain-wide correspondence of neuronal epigenomics and distant projections
This study uses epi-retro-seq to link single-cell epigenomes and cell types to long-distance projections for neurons dissected from different regions projecting to different targets across the whole mouse brain.
- Jingtian Zhou
- , Zhuzhu Zhang
- & Edward M. Callaway
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Article |
Base-editing mutagenesis maps alleles to tune human T cell functions
Massive-scale mutational screening across 385 genes reveals a wide spectrum of alleles that govern tunable T cell functions, including cytokine production and cytotoxicity.
- Ralf Schmidt
- , Carl C. Ward
- & Alexander Marson
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Article
| Open AccessCell-type-directed design of synthetic enhancers
Deep learning models were used to design synthetic cell-type-specific enhancers that work in fruit fly brains and human cell lines, an approach that also provides insights into these gene regulatory elements.
- Ibrahim I. Taskiran
- , Katina I. Spanier
- & Stein Aerts
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Article
| Open AccessTargeted design of synthetic enhancers for selected tissues in the Drosophila embryo
Deep learning and transfer learning were used to design tissue-specific enhancers in the Drosophila embryo that were active and specific, validating this approach to achieve tissue-, cell type- and cell state-specific expression control.
- Bernardo P. de Almeida
- , Christoph Schaub
- & Alexander Stark
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News |
How CRISPR gene editing could help treat Alzheimer’s
Some researchers hoping that gene-editing technology can conquer forms of Alzheimer’s caused by genetic mutations.
- Tosin Thompson
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News |
CRISPR 2.0: a new wave of gene editors heads for clinical trials
Landmark approval of the first CRISPR therapy paves the way for treatments based on more efficient and more precise genome editors.
- Heidi Ledford
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News & Views |
An expanded genomic database for identifying disease-related variants
An expanded version of a human-genome database called gnomAD, containing 76,156 whole-genome sequences, has enabled investigation of how variants in non-protein-coding regions of the genome affect health.
- Ryan S. Dhindsa
- & Slavé Petrovski
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Article |
A genomic mutational constraint map using variation in 76,156 human genomes
A genomic constraint map for the human genome constructed using data from 76,156 human genomes from the Genome Aggregation Database shows that non-coding constrained regions are enriched for regulatory elements and variants associated with complex diseases and traits.
- Siwei Chen
- , Laurent C. Francioli
- & Konrad J. Karczewski
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Article
| Open AccessA human embryonic limb cell atlas resolved in space and time
Using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, human embryonic limb development across space and time and the diversification and cross-species conservation of cells are demonstrated.
- Bao Zhang
- , Peng He
- & Sarah A. Teichmann
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