Article
|
Open Access
Featured
-
-
Article
| Open AccessThe effect of DNA polymorphisms and natural variation on crossover hotspot activity in Arabidopsis hybrids
The effect of sequence polymorphisms on recombination is not fully understood. Here, the authors develop the seed-typing method to map crossovers (COs) by sequencing and show that COs occur preferentially within polymorphic hotspots and that this effect depends on the mismatch repair gene MSH2 in Arabidopsis.
- Maja Szymanska-Lejman
- , Wojciech Dziegielewski
- & Piotr A. Ziolkowski
-
Article
| Open AccessCentromere defects, chromosome instability, and cGAS-STING activation in systemic sclerosis
Fibrosis of the skin plays an important role in scleroderma. Here the authors demonstrate genetic and epigenetic abnormalities at the centromere that affect the replication of the chromosomes, resulting in activation of pathways involved in inflammation and fibrosis
- Souren Paul
- , Mark H. Kaplan
- & Rafael Contreras-Galindo
-
Article
| Open AccessJoint control of meiotic crossover patterning by the synaptonemal complex and HEI10 dosage
During meiosis, the number and distribution of crossovers (COs) are tightly controlled, but the mechanistic basis of this control is unclear. Here, by combining experimental data and mathematical modeling, the study advocates a CO patterning model via coarsening through the diffusion of HEI10 along the synaptonemal complex.
- Stéphanie Durand
- , Qichao Lian
- & Raphael Mercier
-
Article
| Open AccessThe megabase-scale crossover landscape is largely independent of sequence divergence
The frequency of recombination varies along chromosomes and highly correlates with sequence divergence. Here, the authors show that polymorphisms are not a major determinant of the megabase-scale recombination landscape in Arabidopsis, which is rather determined by chromatin accessibility and DNA methylation.
- Qichao Lian
- , Victor Solier
- & Raphael Mercier
-
Article
| Open AccessFANCM promotes class I interfering crossovers and suppresses class II non-interfering crossovers in wheat meiosis
The FANCM helicase functions in limiting crossovers (COs) by unwinding inter-homolog repair intermediates. Here, the authors generate null mutants of fancm in tetraploid and hexaploid wheat and show that FANCM promotes class I interfering COs and suppresses class II noninterfering COs in wheat meiosis.
- Stuart D. Desjardins
- , James Simmonds
- & James D. Higgins
-
Article
| Open AccessDiffusion-mediated HEI10 coarsening can explain meiotic crossover positioning in Arabidopsis
Crossover numbers and positions are tightly controlled but the mechanism involved is still obscure. Here, the authors, using quantitative super-resolution cytogenetics and mathematical modelling, show that diffusion mediated coarsening of HEI10, an E3-ligase domain containing protein, may explain meiotic crossover positioning in Arabidopsis.
- Chris Morgan
- , John A. Fozard
- & Martin Howard
-
Article
| Open AccessSupernumerary B chromosomes of Aegilops speltoides undergo precise elimination in roots early in embryo development
B chromosomes are supernumerary chromosomes exhibiting dramatic differences between different organs in same species. Here, the authors show programmed B chromosome elimination in goatgrass starts at the onset of embryo differentiation by nondisjunction of chromatids, anaphase lagging, and ends with the degradation of micronucleated DNA.
- Alevtina Ruban
- , Thomas Schmutzer
- & Andreas Houben
-
Article
| Open AccessFunctional analysis of genetic variants in the high-risk breast cancer susceptibility gene PALB2
PALB2 is an established breast cancer risk gene but the pathogenicity of many variants remains uncharacterised. Here, the authors present a cDNA-based system for the functional analysis of PALB2 variants of unknown significance.
- Rick A. C. M. Boonen
- , Amélie Rodrigue
- & Haico van Attikum
-
Article
| Open AccessMeiotic crossovers characterized by haplotype-specific chromosome painting in maize
Meiotic crossovers (COs) are essential for proper chromosome segregation and generating novel combinations of alleles. Here, the authors develop haplotype-specific oligos on maize chromosome 10 for fluorescence in situ hybridization and analyze CO patterns in an intermated recombinant population derived from B73 and Mo17.
- Lívia do Vale Martins
- , Fan Yu
- & Jiming Jiang
-
Article
| Open AccessiFISH is a publically available resource enabling versatile DNA FISH to study genome architecture
DNA FISH allows for the visual analysis of chromosomal organisation in individual cells. Here the authors present iFISH, an open-source repository of ready-to-use DNA FISH probes along with tools for probe design.
- Eleni Gelali
- , Gabriele Girelli
- & Magda Bienko
-
Article
| Open AccessConvergent evolution of Y chromosome gene content in flies
While X-chromosome gene content tends to be conserved, Y-chromosome evolution is dynamic and difficult to reconstruct. Here, Mahajan and Bachtrog use a subtraction pipeline to identify Y-linked genes in 22 Diptera species, revealing patterns of Y-chromosome gene-content evolution.
- Shivani Mahajan
- & Doris Bachtrog
-
Article
| Open AccessAn Xist-activating antisense RNA required for X-chromosome inactivation
The X-chromosome linked long non-coding RNA, Xist, is a master regulator of the X inactivation. Here, the authors report that XistAR, an Xist anti-sense long non-coding RNA encoded within the mouse Xist gene and transcribed only from the inactive X chromosome, regulates Xistexpression.
- Mrinal K. Sarkar
- , Srimonta Gayen
- & Sundeep Kalantry
-
Article
| Open AccessDNA barcoding reveals diverse growth kinetics of human breast tumour subclones in serially passaged xenografts
Cancer cells within the same tumour are heterogeneous in their tumorigenic potential, differentiation status and sensitivity to treatments. Here Nguyen et al. use a sensitive DNA barcoding method to characterize the diversity of clonal growth behaviour within human breast tumours.
- Long V. Nguyen
- , Claire L. Cox
- & Connie J. Eaves
-
Article |
Dynamic force-induced direct dissociation of protein complexes in a nuclear body in living cells
Cells can sense their local environment by a process termed mechanotransduction, but whether these signals are relayed to the nucleus is unclear. This study demonstrates that a force applied at the cell surface can alter the localization of proteins within Cajal bodies that are found in the nuclear compartment.
- Yeh-Chuin Poh
- , Sergey P. Shevtsov
- & Ning Wang