A bouquet makes ends meet. Scherthan, H. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology August (2001)

A Timeline article on the many hypotheses that have attempted to explain the role of the chromosomal bouquet — a polarized chromosomal arrangement that is highly conserved among eukaryotes — in the pairing of meiotic chromosomes.

Searching for speciation genes. Butlin, R. & Ritchie, M. G. Nature 5 July (2001)

A News and Views article on the two recent research papers that look at the genetic changes that underlie the origin of a new species.

Real and ethical moral limits in the biotech debate. Saner, M. A. Nature Biotechnology July (2001)

Origins of instability. Sinden, R. R. Nature 14 June (2001)

Errors in DNA replication are believed to underlie the DNA-repeat instability that occurs in some neurodegenerative diseases. This News and Views article discusses new evidence that DNA-repair mechanisms might also cause such instability.

Mouse mutagenesis on target. Jackson, I. J. J. Nature Genetics July (2001)

A News and Views article that discusses a new resource of mouse mutants generated by gene trapping. This resource should help reverse-genetic approaches to catch up with progress made by forward-genetic approaches, such as chemical mutagenesis.

Four deaths and a funeral: from caspases to alternative mechanisms. Leist, M. & Jäättelä, M. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology August (2001)

Caspases have long been considered the pivotal executioners of all programmed cell death. This review discusses recent findings of evolutionarily conserved, caspase-independent controlled death mechanisms, which have opened new perspectives on the biology of cell demise, with implications in particular for neurobiology, cancer research and immunological processes.

Consent and privacy in pharmacogenetic testing. Robertson, J. A. Nature Genetics July (2001)