An Inside Look at How Plants and Mycorrhizal Fungi Cooperate

For millions of years, underground fungi have lived in symbiosis with plant roots. Researchers have been able to study both sides of this interaction up close, using RNA sequencing to understand gene expression: one of the first cross-kingdom spatially-resolved transcriptomics studies to date.

Heat Stress May Affect the Muscles for Longer Than We Think

People who experience heat stress during exercise may need more recovery time to let their muscles heal, according to a new mouse study published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.

Researchers Connect Alzheimer’s-Associated Genetic Variants with Brain Cell Function

Led by scientists at UNC-Chapel Hill and UC-San Francisco, research reveals new non-coding genetic variants associated with Alzheimer’s disease functioning in microglia – brain cells already implicated in the progression of this often-fatal neurodegenerative condition.

AI and CRISPR Precisely Control Gene Expression

The study by researchers at New York University, Columbia Engineering, and the New York Genome Center, combines a deep learning model with CRISPR screens to control the expression of human genes in different ways—such as flicking a light switch to shut them off completely or by using a dimmer knob to partially turn down their activity. These precise gene controls could be used to develop new CRISPR-based therapies.

Gene Expression in Kidneys Is Regulated by the Microbiome in Sex- and Tissue-specific Ways

Article title: Commensal microbiota regulate renal gene expression in a sex-specific manner Authors: Brittni N. Moore and Jennifer L. Pluznick From the authors: “This report demonstrates that renal gene expression is modulated by the microbiome in a sex- and tissue-specific…

Stay CALM when the heart skips a beat

A new CALM mutation causes lethal arrhythmia in humans. Using cardiomyocytes — or heart muscle cells — from human iPS cell and recombinant calmodulin proteins, the group studied catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia — or CPVT, a rare and life-threatening genetic condition. The team was able to reproduce severe arrhythmia in patient-derived iPS cell models of exercise-induced CPVT with calmodulin mutations.

Researchers Use Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry to Explore Circadian Gene Expression in Mouse Kidneys

Article title: Circadian gene expression in mouse renal proximal tubule Authors: Molly A. Bingham, Kim Neijman, Chin-Rang Yang, Angel Aponte, Angela Mak, Hiroaki Kikuchi, Hyun Jun Jung, Brian G. Poll, Viswanathan Raghuram, Euijung Park, Chung-Lin Chou, Lihe Chen, Jens Leipziger,…

Dissecting the Circadian Clock in Real Time

Scientists have made progress in understanding the circadian clock, the 24-hour cycle that synchronizes with light-dark exposure, and how it functions. They developed a new way to study how the circadian clock synchronizes in real time, revealing surprises about the clock’s mechanisms.

RNA Sequencing of Whole Blood in Female Triathletes Explores Effects of Endurance Exercise on Gene Expression

Article title: Whole blood transcriptome characterization of young female triathlon athletes following an endurance exercise: a pilot study Authors: Attila Bácsi, András Penyige, Gergely Becs, Szilvia Benkő, Elek Gergő Kovács, Csaba Jenei, István Pócsi, József Balla, László Csernoch, Ildikó Balatoni…

3D map reveals DNA organization within human retina cells

National Eye Institute researchers mapped the organization of human retinal cell chromatin, the fibers that package 3 billion nucleotide-long DNA molecules into compact structures that fit into chromosomes within each cell’s nucleus. The resulting comprehensive gene regulatory network provides insights into regulation of gene expression in general, and in retinal function, in both rare and common eye diseases. The study published in Nature Communications.

Mount Sinai Study Uncovers Mechanisms of Reactive Oxygen Species in Stem Cell Function and Inflammation Prevention

Mount Sinai researchers have published one of the first studies to demonstrate the importance of reactive oxygen species in maintaining stem cell function and preventing inflammation during wound repair, which could provide greater insights into the prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), according to findings published in the journal Gut on October 3.

Men Performing Heavy Resistance Exercise Have Disruptions to Gene Expression in Muscles

Article title: Human skeletal muscle acetylcholine receptor gene expression in elderly males performing heavy resistance exercise Authors: Casper Soendenbroe, Mette F. Heisterberg, Peter Schjerling, Michael Kjaer, Jesper L. Andersen, Abigail L. Mackey From the authors: “Taken together, the results demonstrate…

A dynamic duo of cells identified in lung blood vessels

Scientists have identified two subtypes of lung blood vessel cells. One subtype expresses more genes involved in inflammation and the regulation of the immune response; the other expresses more genes involved in cell regeneration and proliferation. The findings could lead to better treatments for lung infections.

Regulator Proteins or Symphonies of Genes: Statistical Modeling Points Way Toward Unified Theory for DNA Folding

Researchers seek to point a way toward a unified theory for how DNA changes shape when expressing genes. Presenting their work in Biophysics Reviews, the scientists use an approach called statistical mechanics to explore the phenomenon of so-called expression waves of gene regulation.

UIC research identifies potential pathways to treating alcohol use disorder, depression

A discovery from researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago may lead to new treatments for individuals who suffer from alcohol use disorder and depression. The study, “Transcriptomics identifies STAT3 as a key regulator of hippocampal gene expression and anhedonia during withdrawal from chronic alcohol exposure,” is published in the journal Translational Psychiatry by researchers at UIC’s Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics.

Mount Sinai identifies the causes of racial disparity in prostate cancer in a multi-institutional study

MEDIA ADVISORY Senior Author:  Ash Tewari, MBBS, MCh, Professor and System Chairman of the Milton and Carroll Petrie Department of Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Director of the Center of Excellence for Prostate Cancer…

Mount Sinai Researchers Identify Mechanisms That Are Essential for Proper Skin Development

Mount Sinai researchers have discovered that Polycomb complexes, groups of proteins that maintain gene expression patterns, are essential for proper skin development, according to a paper published in Genes & Development on February 18.

Biochemistry researcher receives National Science Foundation Award

The five-year, $680,500 NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program award will be utilized to gain a better understanding of how improper DNA replication and compaction can cause changes in gene expression in offspring while creating a comprehensive learning environment for aspiring high school-aged and undergraduate scientists who will have significant roles in the research.

Biologists Create “Atlas” of Gene Expression in Neurons, Documenting the Diversity of Brain Cells

New York University researchers have created a “developmental atlas” of gene expression in neurons, using gene sequencing and machine learning to categorize more than 250,000 neurons in the brains of fruit flies. Their study, published in Nature, finds that neurons exhibit the most molecular diversity during development and reveals a previously unknown type of neurons only present before flies hatch.

Faculty Receives Grant to Develop Method That Will Integrate Biomedical Gene Expression Data

Rutgers School of Public Health assistant professor, Wei (Vivian) Li, has received a Busch Biomedical Grant to develop a statistical method and software package that will integrate single-cell level gene expression data from multiple patients, studies, and technological platforms to understand disease-associated cell types and RNA contents, helping researchers develop personalized treatments.

September Edition of SLAS Discovery Highlights “Applications of Functional Genomics for Drug Discovery”

September’s edition of SLAS Discovery features the cover article, “Applications of Functional Genomics for Drug Discovery” by Ami M. Kabadi, Ph.D., (Element Genomics), Eoin McDonnell, Ph.D. (Element Genomics), Christopher L. Frank, Ph.D., (Element Genomics), and Lauren Drowley, Ph.D., (UCB Biosciences). The article reviews how functional genomic tools are better able to understand the biological interplay between genes, improving disease modeling and identifying novel drug targets.

The Gut Microbiome, CRISPR/Cas-9, and More Featured in August 2020 Toxicological Sciences

The August 2020 issue of Toxicological Sciences includes exciting advances in toxicology research. The edition features pieces on biotransformation, toxicokinetics, and pharmacokinetics; developmental and reproductive toxicology; and more.

Silencing Expression of Specific Gene Variants May Provide Insight for Treatment of Mutation-associated Cardiomyopathy

Article title: Silencing of MYH7 ameliorates disease phenotypes in human iPSC-cardiomyocytes Authors: Alexandra Dainis, Kathia Zaleta-Rivera, Alexandre Ribeiro, Andrew Chia Hao Chang, Ching Shang, Feng Lan, Paul W. Burridge, W. Robert Liu, Joseph C. Wu, Alex Chia Yu Chang, Beth…

Some types of prostate cancer may not be as aggressive as originally thought

Researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center analyzed gene-expression patterns in the most aggressive prostate cancer grade group — known as Gleason grade group 5 — and found that this grade of cancer can actually be subdivided into four subtypes with distinct differences. The findings may affect how people are treated for the disease.

Stress during Pregnancy May Negatively Affect Baby’s Muscles

Research in sheep suggests that high levels of a stress hormone during pregnancy may alter gene expression in multiple muscle groups of offspring. These shifts may affect heart, breathing and skeletal muscle function, and could potentially increase risks of inflammation and infection. The study is published ahead of print in Physiological Genomics.

Surprise discovery shakes up our understanding of gene expression

A group of University of Chicago scientists has uncovered a previously unknown way that our genes are made into reality. Rather than directions going one-way from DNA to RNA to proteins, the latest study shows that RNA itself modulates how DNA is transcribed—using a chemical process that is increasingly apparent to be vital to biology. The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of human disease and drug design.

A Snapshot in Time: Study Captures Fleeting Cell Differences That Can Alter Disease Risk

In cinema and science fiction, one small change in the past can have major, sometimes life-changing effects in the future. Using a series of snapshots, researchers recently captured such so-called “butterfly effects” in heart muscle cell development, and say this…