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Increasing evidence indicates that ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling has specific and tightly controlled functions in the regulation of gene expression during mammalian differentiation. Recent studies also link chromatin-remodelling activities to other key events in the differentiation process.
Although an abundance of candidate genes have been highlighted as possible determinants of human longevity, only one finding has been replicated. Larger and longer-running studies, careful consideration of study design, and improved analyses hold the key to future progress.
Evolutionary theory denies the existence of competition between genetically identical cells. But cell–cell competition undeniably occurs at different levels in many organisms, suggesting that it is either itself advantageous or a relic of an advantageous process.
Effective gene drive systems for spreading genes that can block the transmission of insect-borne pathogens are much needed. Naturally occurring selfish genetic elements have enormous potential that can be exploited to control of some of the world's most devastating diseases.
The ability to integrate data from different sources is crucial in many areas of biological research, particularly systems biology. This article argues that problems with life-science databases are holding back research, and proposes some practical solutions.
Many factors other than protein structure and function affect the rate of protein evolution. Advances in genomics make it possible to assess the contribution of all these factors and move towards a more integrated view of how proteins evolve.
Although major molecular players with a role in mesoderm induction have been identified, high-throughput approaches are beginning to yield data that will help us to understand how the embryo integrates and processes the various signals during mesoderm induction.
Although they are sometimes overlooked, family-based designs provide important advantages for detecting genetic associations in studies of complex disease. In particular, they provide a means of overcoming the problems that arise when multiple hypotheses are tested in genome-wide association studies.
Stem-cell systems all raise similar kinds of issues concerning the nature of the niche and the differentiation process. Genetic studies of the intestinal stem-cell system have made strides in providing generally applicable answers to such questions.
Many of the already characterized non-coding RNAs, including small interfering RNAs, microRNAs and small nucleolar RNAs, guide or target RNP complexes to specific nucleic-acid sequences. How did such chimeric RNA–protein enzymes evolve? And why are they common in some but not other organisms?
Understanding how developmental processes are altered evolutionarily to produce changes in organismal form is one of the great challenges of evo–devo research. D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson deserves much credit for the inspiration his work has provided for modern evo–devo.
Carrying out high-throughput, cell-based RNA interference screens involves making a range of decisions, from choosing the cell type and reagents to picking strategies for optimization and validation. Informed planning at each stage allows the power of this approach to be maximized.
Genetic studies of Parkinson disease have stimulated progress in understanding many aspects of this debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. A combination of mapping disease genes in humans and studying their functions in model organisms provides new hope for treatment and prevention.
More than 1,800 genes are known to cause hereditary disorders in humans. This review discusses the use of genetic medicines to treat monogenic hereditary disorders, and the technical, regulatory and economic challenges that genetic medicine must confront to become a reality.
How left–right asymmetries are established in vertebrate embryos has fascinated developmental biologists for decades. Recent evidence from a range of species provides insights into the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that are involved, particularly in the early stages of generating left–right asymmetry.
Studies of susceptibility to leishmaniasis illustrate the power of mouse genetics to increase our understanding of host responses to infection. Mouse models have begun to reveal a network of genetically regulated responses, some of which overlap with those triggered by other infections.
The recent eruption of interest in embryonic stem cell research is fuelled by the promise and potential of this work. But current work is firmly grounded in several decades of fascinating research that are engagingly summarized here by the author.
Multifactorial disorders have grabbed the limelight in recent years, at the expense of research on monogenic traits. This shift in emphasis might not be fully justified, given the insight that seemingly 'simple' disorders can bring to genome function and complex disease aetiology.
Pharmaceutical industry and medical professionals have been concerned by the lack of novel drugs and drug candidates in the pipeline. These authors discuss evidence to indicate that human monogenic disorders are a valuable, but so far largely neglected, source of novel drug targets.
A growing body of evidence indicates that epigenetic states can be influenced by the environment. Considering that erasure of epigenetic marks between generations is not universal among multicellular organisms, what are the potential implications of inherited epigenetic variation for current theories of inheritance and evolutionary change?
