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Four new studies in Nature report multi-tissue analyses of somatic mutations from human donors, with insights into cell lineage commitment during embryonic development, as well as tissue-specific aspects of mutagenesis.
Three recent studies report the generation of miniature CRISPR systems based on compact Cas effector proteins, showing high efficiency of genome editing or transcriptional regulation in mammalian cells.
This molecular phenotyping study shows that common variants in mitochondrial DNA associated with diseases of ageing influence cellular protein homeostasis, and that this link is mediated by circulating levels of N-formylmethionine, the initiating amino acid in mitochondrial protein synthesis.
In this Review, Senft and Macfarlan discuss the diverse ways by which transposable elements (TEs) contribute to mammalian development and evolution, including direct contributions through TE-derived regulatory elements, RNAs and proteins, as well as indirect effects through the evolution of a TE repression system, the Krüppel-associated box zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs).
In this Review, Gelernter and Polimanti discuss how recent large-scale studies have provided insights into the genetics and biology of substance use and abuse. By considering a range of addictive substances (both legal and illegal), they describe the genetic commonalities and distinctions among use and dependency phenotypes for these substances.
Synthetic biology has enabled the development of engineered cells that can serve as ex vivo or in vivo diagnostic tools or therapeutic delivery systems. This Review discusses preclinical and clinical applications of bacterial and mammalian theranostic cells as well as their underlying biological designs and remaining hurdles to their successful clinical application.
