Research Briefing

Genetic studies have associated thousands of non-coding variants with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet the functions of these variants remain elusive. We conducted cell-type-specific genetic fine mapping of AD variants and performed extensive functional characterization to unravel the causal variants that contribute to transcriptional regulation and AD­related phenotypes in microglia.

We re-sequenced and phenotyped 2,839 rice hybrid cultivars and 9,839 F₂ individuals from elite hybrids. Based on the dataset, the genetic improvement during rice hybrid breeding was investigated, and the genetic basis underlying strong heterosis was quantitatively evaluated. Furthermore, a genomic selection model was constructed to optimize heterotic combinations.

Using data from the UK Biobank, we reveal the roles of selection and mutation in shaping the genetic diversity of mosaic chromosomal alterations in healthy blood.

Across multiple cancer types, hotspot mutations in SF3B1 confer selective sensitivity to multiple clinically available PARP inhibitors. This sensitivity is due to reduced levels of CINP specifically in SF3B1-mutant cells, which leads to a loss of the canonical replication stress response after challenge with PARP inhibitors.

Through whole-genome sequencing of single molecules of circulating cell-free DNA, we found that tumor-derived mutations in cancer genomes are associated with regions of late replication timing and other chromatin features. These genome-wide analyses identified altered regional mutation profiles in people with cancer that distinguished them from people without cancer and reflected tumor burden during therapy.

Matched single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic profiles obtained from human scalp reveal gene regulatory maps of diverse cell types in the hair follicle niche. Integrating these data with existing genome-wide association studies enabled prioritization of cell types, genes, and causal variants implicated in the pathobiology of androgenetic alopecia, eczema, and other complex traits.

How the chromatin states of transposable elements (TEs) are controlled in development and disease is unclear. We present CARGO-BioID, a CRISPR-based proteomic approach to identify TE-associated proteins, and reveal an interplay between RNA N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) and DNA methylation that is crucial for regulating TE activation and human embryonic stem cell (hESC) fate.

Cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analyses of neuroimaging genetics data from European and East Asian populations identified 339 genetic variant–hippocampal volumetric trait associations (23 new). Further cross-ancestry analyses revealed similar genetic effects on hippocampal volumetric traits between ancestries, with improved fine-mapping precision and predictive accuracy of polygenic scores in the under-represented East Asian population.

An extra copy of a chromosome region that includes four genes encoding interferon receptors contributes to immune dysregulation, heart malformations, developmental delays, cognitive deficits and craniofacial abnormalities in a mouse model of Down syndrome.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), an important cause of myocardial infarction, identified 11 risk loci that involve genes related to artery integrity and tissue-mediated coagulation. Evidence supports SCAD as a genetically distinct condition from atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.

Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis combined with host genetic data for a Japanese population reveals the dysfunction of innate immune cells, particularly non-classical monocytes, in individuals with severe COVID-19, as well as enrichment of host genetic risk factors for severe COVID-19 in monocytes and dendritic cells.

We introduce scEC&T-seq, a new single-cell sequencing method that enables parallel profiling of extrachromosomal circular DNA and mRNAs in single cells. Using scEC&T-seq, we characterized all types of circular DNA elements in single human cancer cells and profiled the intercellular heterogeneity and structural dynamics of cancer-specific extrachromosomal DNA.

Liability scores for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease obtained from our deep learning model improve genetic association discovery and risk prediction. We trained our model using full spirograms and noisy medical record labels obtained from self-reporting and hospital diagnostic codes, and demonstrated that the machine-learning-based phenotyping approach can be generalized to diseases that lack expert-defined annotations.

We developed a machine learning model to quantify cardiac fibrosis (which is associated with cardiovascular disease) using cardiac MRI data from 41,505 UK Biobank participants. In the subsequent large-scale GWAS of cardiac fibrosis, we identified 11 independent genomic loci, 9 of which were implicated in in vitro cardiac fibroblast activation.

Reconstructing phylogenetic trees from large collections of genome sequences is a computationally challenging task. We developed MAPLE, a method for performing phylogenetic inference on large numbers of closely related genomes, which might be useful when studying the evolution and spread of SARS-CoV-2 and of infectious pathogens in future pandemics.

Genome assembly of nine wild species and two domesticated accessions of tomato generated a super-pangenome for the tomato clade. Comparative analyses revealed the landscape of structural variations in wild and cultivated tomatoes and led to the discovery of a wild tomato gene that has the potential for yield increase in modern breeding.

A GWAS meta-analysis, combined with tracing the parental transmitted and non-transmitted alleles in parent–offspring pairs, enabled us to distinguish the effects of maternal and fetal genomes on gestational duration and their links with birth weight. The identified genes are more likely to be differentially expressed during labor and show signs of antagonistic pleiotropy with fetal genome effects on birth weight.

Transposable elements (TEs) are transcriptionally activated in cancer and can generate chimeric TE–gene transcripts that are tumor specific. Our pan-cancer study reveals that these transcripts are a source of tumor-specific antigens that are shared across tumor types, bind to HLA and are presented on the extracellular surface of cancer cells appended to membrane-bound proteins.

How histone modifications are reprogrammed through germline development in plants is poorly understood. We found that H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 are extensively reprogrammed throughout the development of Arabidopsis male gametophyte. This reprogramming leads to widespread chromatin bivalency and selective removal of H3K27me3 marks from key developmental regulators in sperm.

We introduce molecular and cellular criteria — based on morphology, ploidy, CpG island methylation and immune infiltration — that improve the characterization of malignant pleural mesothelioma. These criteria reveal adaptation strategies that are adopted by tumor cells and offer new possibilities for classification and clinical management.