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August 6, 2020

Genetic Imprinting and Epigenetic Regulation: A Tribute to Denise Barlow

Image credit: Andergassen, Muckenhuber et al, pgen.1008268

Topic Pages

Read the full Collection of Topic Pages published in PLOS Genetics.

Collection

08/06/2020

Research Article

Mapping gene flow between ancient hominins through demography-aware inference of the ancestral recombination graph

Here, Hubisz et al present ARGweaver-D, an extension of the ARGweaver algorithm which can be applied under a user-defined demographic model including population splits and migration events. Using simulations, the authors identify 3% of the Neanderthal genome which is likely derived from gene flow from ancient humans, and 1% of the Denisovan genome that may be traced to an unsequenced archaic hominin.

Image credit: Hubisz and colleagues

Recently Published Articles

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Current Issue July 2020

07/27/2020

Research Article

The evolution and functional divergence of the histone H2B family in plants

Jiang, Borg and colleagues report a systematic analysis of the histone H2B family in plants, which have undergone substantial divergence during the evolution of each major group in the plant kingdom. The authors identify a new class of highly divergent H2B variants, H2B.S, that specifically accumulate during chromatin compaction of dry seed embryos in multiple species of flowering plants. 

Image credit: Jiang, Borg and colleagues

07/30/2020

Research Article

Introns mediate post-transcriptional enhancement of nuclear gene expression in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

In this study, Baier and colleagues characterize the dynamics of 33 endogenous and 13 non-native introns in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and their effect on gene expression as artificial insertions into codon optimized transgenes. The authors find that introns from different origins have the capacity to increase gene expression rates. 

Image credit: Thomas Baier and colleagues

08/06/2020

Research Article

A point mutation decouples the lipid transfer activities of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein

Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) is a protein required for the synthesis of lipoproteins. Here, Wilson et al report a mutation in MTP that blocks the transfer of triglycerides but not phospholipids. Modeling based on crystal structure of MTP suggests the G865V mutation may block access to the region of the protein that binds triglyceride.

Image credit: Meredith H. Wilson and colleagues

08/04/2020

Research Article

Leveraging a gain-of-function allele of Caenorhabditis elegans paqr-1 to elucidate membrane homeostasis by PAQR proteins

C. elegans PAQR-2 and IGLR-2 promote expression of fatty acid desaturases and incorporation of polyunsaturated fatty acids into phospholipids. Here, Busayavalasa et al find that the transmembrane domains of PAQR-2 dictate its requirement for IGLR-2 and that the intracellular domains of PAQR-1 and PAQR-2 play a regulatory role.

Image credit: Busayavalasa and colleagues

08/04/2020

Research Article

DAnkrd49 and Bdbt act via Casein kinase Iε to regulate planar polarity in Drosophila

Here, Strutt and Strutt investigate planar polarity of cells in Drosophila tissues. The authors identify two proteins, DAnkrd49 and Bdbt, that form a complex and regulate core protein asymmetry. Loss of either protein causes a reduction in overall levels of the core protein Dishevelled (Dsh), and a reduction in its phosphorylation.

Image credit: Helen Strutt and David Strutt

07/30/2020

Topic Page

Holocentric chromosomes

Mauro Mandrioli and Gian Carlo Manicardi discuss existing research on holocentric chromosomes, which possess multiple kinetochores along their length rather than the single centromere typical of other chromosomes. This article was also published as a live article on Wikipedia.

Image credit: Mandrioli and Manicardi

07/15/2020

Editorial

Mixed methods

Editors in Chief Gregory Barsh and Gregory Copenhaver and newly appointed Section Editors David Balding and Chengqi Yi announce the new PLOS Genetics Methods section.

Image credit: Rube Goldberg, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

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