Genetics

Positive genetic interactions: high impact, but underrepresented in the literature

1. Mengyi Sun
2. David Martin McCandlish

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

WRN and WRNIP1 ATPases impose high fidelity on translesion synthesis by Y-family DNA polymerases

1. Jung-Hoon Yoon
2. Karthi Sellamuthu
3. Louise Prakash
4. Satya Prakash

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This manuscript reports an important finding for understanding the molecular mechanisms of mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and senescence. It follows a previous report showing that the Werner syndrome protein WRN and its interacting protein WRNIP1 are indispensable for translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) by Y-family DNA polymerases (Pols). The manuscript provides convincing evidence that WRN and WRNIP1 ATPases, in addition to the previously reported role of the WRN 3'>5' exonuclease activity, are essential for promoting the fidelity of replication through DNA lesions by Y-family Pols in human cells.

Reviewed by eLife

Independent Validation of Transgenerational Inheritance of Learned Pathogen Avoidance in Caenorhabditis elegans

1. Aalimah Akinosho
2. Joseph Alexander
3. Kyle Floyd
4. Andrés Vidal-Gadea

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study concerns a model for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, the learned avoidance by C. elegans of the PA14 pathogenic strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A recent study questioned whether transgenerational inheritance in this paradigm lacks robustness. The authors of this study have worked independently of the group that reported the original phenomenon and also independently of the group that challenged the original report. With solid data, this study independently validates findings previously reported by the Murphy group, confirming that the paradigm is reproducible elsewhere. The present study is therefore of broad interest to anyone studying genetics, epigenetics, or learned behavior.

Reviewed by eLife

Female-germline specific protein Sakura interacts with Otu and is crucial for germline stem cell renewal and differentiation and oogenesis

1. Azali Azlan
2. Li Zhu
3. Ryuya Fukunaga

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study reports the first characterization of the CG14545 gene in Drosophila melanogaster, which the authors name "Sakura." Acting during germline stem cell fate and differentiation, Sakura is required for both oogenesis and female fertility, although some mechanistic details require further investigation. This solid study presents a wide-ranging and well-controlled characterization of Sakura, and accordingly the findings and associated reagents described will be of use to scientists interested in oogenesis and early development.

Reviewed by eLife

A whole-organism landscape of X-inactivation in humans

1. Björn Gylemo
2. Maike Bensberg
3. Colm E Nestor

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  The study provides a valuable analysis of escape from X-inactivation based on three rare female GTEX-donors with non-mosaic X-inactivation. The methods and analyses are solid and broadly support the authors' claims. Their data are more comprehensive than those presented previously and add significant weight to evidence for which genes are inactivated or escape from X inactivation in humans.

Reviewed by eLife

BICC1 Interacts with PKD1 and PKD2 to Drive Cystogenesis in ADPKD

1. Uyen Tran
2. Andrew J Streets
3. Devon Smith
4. Eva Decker
5. Annemarie Kirschfink
6. Lahoucine Izem
7. Jessie M Hassey
8. Briana Rutland
9. Manoj K Valluru
10. Jan Hinrich Bräsen
11. Elisabeth Ott
12. Daniel Epting
13. Tobias Eisenberger
14. Albert CM Ong
15. Carsten Bergmann
16. Oliver Wessely

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study presented valuable findings regarding the basic molecular pathways leading to the cystogenesis of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, suggesting BICC1 functions as both a minor causative gene for PKD and a modifier of PKD severity. Although some solid data were supplied to show the functional and structural interactions between BICC-1 and PKD2 and their relevance to the pathogenesis of ADPKD, the characterization of such interactions appear to be incomplete, which renders the specific relevance of these findings for disease etiology unclear.

Reviewed by eLife

Mapping of in vivo cleavage sites uncovers a major role for yeast RNase III in regulating protein-coding genes

1. Lee-Ann Notice-Sarpaning
2. Mathieu Catala
3. Sherif Abou Elela
4. Ambro van Hoof

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study expands the inventory of polyadenylated RNAs cleaved by the double-stranded RNA endonuclease Rnt1 in budding yeast, using solid methodology based on high-throughput sequencing. Previous studies had anecdotally discovered mRNA substrates, and this global characterization is comprehensive with multiple complementary controls. However, the study would be stronger with a deeper investigation into the biological function of Rnt1, as well as experiments directly probing the interaction between Rnt1 and its putative substrates.

Reviewed by eLife

Direct cell-to-cell transmission of retrotransposons

1. Maya Voichek
2. Andreas Bernhard
3. Maria Novatchkova
4. Dominik Handler
5. Paul Möseneder
6. Baptiste Rafanel
7. Peter Duchek
8. Kirsten-André Senti
9. Julius Brennecke

Reviewed by preLights

The robust, high-throughput, and temporally regulated roxCre and loxCre reporting systems for genetic modifications in vivo

1. Mengyang Shi
2. Jie Li
3. Xiuxiu Liu
4. Kuo Liu
5. Lingjuan He
6. Wenjuan Pu
7. Wendong Weng
8. Shaohua Zhang
9. Huan Zhao
10. Kathy O Lui
11. Bin Zhou

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study presents an important set of new tools to facilitate Cre or Dre-mediated recombination in mice. The characterization of these new tools was done using solid and validated methodology. The work convincingly demonstrates the efficient gene knockout capability of these models and will progress the field.

Reviewed by eLife

Inferring genotype-phenotype maps using attention models

1. Krishna Rijal
2. Caroline M. Holmes
3. Samantha Petti
4. Gautam Reddy
5. Michael M. Desai
6. Pankaj Mehta

Reviewed by Arcadia Science