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A study in Nature reports comprehensive, genome-wide mapping of the human methylome that provides mechanistic insights into gene regulation and offers great potential for analysis of cell-free DNA.
Two new studies in Nature Biotechnology describe cellular recording systems that incorporate time-resolved optical signals into self-assembling protein filaments.
Two studies have revealed that the characteristic distribution of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) — an RNA modification known to be functionally important for mRNA metabolism among other processes — in mRNA is shaped by the exon junction complex during splicing.
Luis Saraiva recalls a 1997 paper by Krings et al., which reports the sequencing of mitochondrial Neanderthal DNA extracted from a 40,000-year-old bone, enabling the direct study of the relationship between ancient and modern humans.
Boulias and Greer review the functions of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in RNA at the molecular, genomic and organismal level. They describe the impact of m6A deposition on RNA substrates, chromatin architecture, epigenetic regulation of gene expression and genome stability, as well as key roles of m6A in stem-cell differentiation, neurogenesis and immunity.
In this Review, Chen and Liu discuss the latest developments in prime editing systems, including improvements to their editing efficiency and capabilities, as well as diverse emerging applications in research and preclinical therapeutic studies.
In this Review, Spitale and Incarnato discuss how the application of sequencing-based RNA structure mapping methods to entire transcriptomes in living cells is providing insight into the RNA structurome, the dynamics of RNA ensembles and how RNA structure regulates cellular processes.
In this Perspective, Harden reviews the terms genetic determinism, genetic essentialism and genetic reductionism to provide consensus and clarity about the meaning of these terms. She discusses common misconceptions, illustrates examples and concludes with recommendations for science communication.
