PLOS Genetics
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PLOS Open-Access Journal about Genetics and genomics research. PLOS Genetics features outstanding primary research articles, occasional Editorials, engaging Interviews, and Formal Comments, Viewpoints, Perspectives, and Reviews by invitation.
PLOS Genetics
1d ago
by Riccardo Pianezza, Almorò Scarpa, Prakash Narayanan, Sarah Signor, Robert Kofler
During the last few centuries D. melanogaster populations were invaded by several transposable elements, the most recent of which was thought to be the P-element between 1950 and 1980. Here we describe a novel TE, which we named Spoink, that has invaded D. melanogaster. It is a 5216nt LTR retrotransposon of the Ty3/gypsy superfamily. Relying on strains sampled at different times during the last century we show that Spoink invaded worldwide D. melanogaster populations after the P-element between 1983 and 1993. T ..read more
PLOS Genetics
5d ago
by Taylor Hinnant, Wenxiu Ning, Terry Lechler
Tissues are subject to multiple mechanical inputs at the cellular level that influence their overall shape and function. In the small intestine, actomyosin contractility can be induced by many physiological and pathological inputs. However, we have little understanding of how contractility impacts the intestinal epithelium on a cellular and tissue level. In this study, we probed the cell and tissue-level effects of contractility by using mouse models to genetically increase the level of myosin activity in the two distinct morphologic compartments o ..read more
PLOS Genetics
5d ago
by Elika Garg, Paola Arguello-Pascualli, Olga Vishnyakova, Anat R. Halevy, Samantha Yoo, Jennifer D. Brooks, Shelley B. Bull, France Gagnon, Celia M. T. Greenwood, Rayjean J. Hung, Jerald F. Lawless, Jordan Lerner-Ellis, Jessica K. Dennis, Rohan J. S. Abraham, Jean-Michel Garant, Bhooma Thiruvahindrapuram, Steven J. M. Jones, CGEn HostSeq Initiative , Lisa J. Strug, Andrew D. Paterson, Lei Sun, Lloyd T. Elliott
The HostSeq initiative recruited 10,059 Canadians infected with SARS-CoV-2 between March 2020 and March 2023, obtained clinical information on their disease experience and whole genome ..read more
PLOS Genetics
5d ago
by Kelli D. Fenelon, Julia Krause, Theodora Koromila
Only a few short decades have passed since the sequencing of GFP, yet the modern repertoire of transgenically encoded optical tools implies an exponential proliferation of ever improving constructions to interrogate the subcellular environment. A myriad of tags for labeling proteins, RNA, or DNA have arisen in the last few decades, facilitating unprecedented visualization of subcellular components and processes. Development of a broad array of modern genetically encoded sensors allows real-time, in vivo detection of molecule levels, pH, forc ..read more
PLOS Genetics
5d ago
by Chris M. Ward, Cristobal A. Onetto, Steven Van Den Heuvel, Kathleen M. Cuijvers, Laura J. Hale, Anthony R. Borneman
Cultural exchange of fermentation techniques has driven the spread of Saccharomyces cerevisiae across the globe, establishing natural populations in many countries. Despite this, Oceania is thought to lack native populations of S. cerevisiae, only being introduced after colonisation. Here we investigate the genomic landscape of 411 S. cerevisiae isolated from spontaneous grape fermentations in Australia across multiple locations, years, and grape cultivars. Spontaneous ferment ..read more
PLOS Genetics
5d ago
by Dušanka Djorić, Samantha N. Atkinson, Christopher J. Kristich
Enterococci are commensal members of the gastrointestinal tract and also major nosocomial pathogens. They possess both intrinsic and acquired resistance to many antibiotics, including intrinsic resistance to cephalosporins that target bacterial cell wall synthesis. These antimicrobial resistance traits make enterococcal infections challenging to treat. Moreover, prior therapy with antibiotics, including broad-spectrum cephalosporins, promotes enterococcal proliferation in the gut, resulting in dissemination to other sites of the ..read more
PLOS Genetics
5d ago
by Rosanna K. Ma, Pei-Yin Tsai, Alaa R. Farghli, Alexandria Shumway, Matt Kanke, John D. Gordan, Taranjit S. Gujral, Khashayar Vakili, Manabu Nukaya, Leila Noetzli, Sean Ronnekleiv-Kelly, Wendy Broom, Joeva Barrow, Praveen Sethupathy
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer that disproportionately affects adolescents and young adults. Currently, no standard of care is available and there remains a dire need for new therapeutics. Most patients harbor the fusion oncogene DNAJB1-PRKACA (DP fusion), but clinical inhibitors are not yet developed and it is critical to identify downstream ..read more
PLOS Genetics
1w ago
by Vince Buffalo, Andrew D. Kern
Across the human genome, there are large-scale fluctuations in genetic diversity caused by the indirect effects of selection. This “linked selection signal” reflects the impact of selection according to the physical placement of functional regions and recombination rates along chromosomes. Previous work has shown that purifying selection acting against the steady influx of new deleterious mutations at functional portions of the genome shapes patterns of genomic variation. To date, statistical efforts to estimate purifying selection parameters from linked select ..read more
PLOS Genetics
1w ago
by Dianyi Liu, Cristina Lopez-Paz, Yubing Li, Xiaohong Zhuang, James Umen
Coordination of growth and division in eukaryotic cells is essential for populations of proliferating cells to maintain size homeostasis, but the underlying mechanisms that govern cell size have only been investigated in a few taxa. The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonas) proliferates using a multiple fission cell cycle that involves a long G1 phase followed by a rapid series of successive S and M phases (S/M) that produces 2n daughter cells. Two control points show cell-size dependence: the Commitment c ..read more
PLOS Genetics
1w ago
by Gervette M. Penny, Susan K. Dutcher
Motile cilia assembly utilizes over 800 structural and cytoplasmic proteins. Variants in approximately 58 genes cause primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) in humans, including the dynein arm (pre)assembly factor (DNAAF) gene DNAAF4. In humans, outer dynein arms (ODAs) and inner dynein arms (IDAs) fail to assemble motile cilia when DNAAF4 function is disrupted. In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a ciliated unicellular alga, the DNAAF4 ortholog is called PF23. The pf23-1 mutant assembles short cilia and lacks IDAs, but partially retains ODAs. The cilia of a new null ..read more