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Cover art: miRNA by Scott Bodel, provided by Rosetta Genomics http://www.rosettagenomics.com.* * Only the HTML version was corrected online in advance of print publication
RNA-based silencing mechanisms suppress gene expression through the sequence-specific activity of small RNAs. New studies in plants now identify atypical RNA polymerases that promote and maintain transcriptional silencing.
Until very recently, it was widely touted that the complete DNA sequences of any two human beings were 99.9% identical. A new study refutes this notion through a comprehensive comparison of two individual genomes which detects hundreds of new structural genomic variants.
The spindle checkpoint delays the cell cycle when chromosomes are not properly attached to the mitotic or meiotic spindle, giving cells time to correct the error. A new study now strengthens the connection between checkpoint failure and human aneuploidies by showing that the spindle checkpoint component Mad3p is required for accurate segregation of meiotic chromosomes that have not recombined with each other.
Autosomal dominant focal segmental glomerular sclerosis is a kidney disease that leads to progressive renal failure. Now, new studies show that mutations in the cation channel TRPC6 underlie this hereditary kidney disorder and establish a molecular link between TRPC6 and structural components of the glomerular slit diaphragm.
A new study of dominant negative functions in cells infected by a positive-strand RNA virus detects an array of locus- and allele-specific effects. Exploiting subunit defects in multi-component complex assemblies provides a new approach to identifying targets for antiviral therapies that may inhibit the emergence of drug-resistant RNA virus populations.