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It is now feasible to dissect the influence of the environment on gene function in many species — a desirable goal from a biomedical, agricultural and evolutionary perspective. This article describes the progress made so far, and the analytical challenges to be overcome.
In contrast to growth control, gene expression responses to stress involve distinctive regulatory mechanisms that are characterized by high levels of noise. These features allow organisms to respond quickly to unpredictable environmental changes, and recent studies suggest that they also promote the evolvability of gene regulation.
There are now 14 DNA polymerases in the human genome. This article explores the function of these molecules in replicating DNA, their regulation and involvement in disease, and how specific properties of each polymerase might be targeted for therapeutic ends.
It is well known that prokaryotes regularly exchange genes by horizontal transfer, but there is increasing evidence that such processes also have an important role in eukaryotic evolution, although the extent of this differs widely between lineages.
Single-strand breaks are the most common type of DNA damage that arise in cells. Keith Caldecott discusses the molecular mechanisms and organization of the pathways that repair these lesions and the link between defects in these pathways and hereditary neurodegenerative disease.
Studies in the chick, mouse, zebrafish and other vertebrate model systems are beginning to uncover the complexities of skeletal muscle development. Distinct sets of precursor cells and various different gene regulatory networks are responsible for the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the process.
