February 29, 2016

SPARC Promotes Cell Invasion In Vivo by Decreasing Type IV Collagen Levels in the Basement Membrane

SPARC is an extracellular matrix protein that is present at high levels in many metastatic cancers where it promotes tumor invasion into neighboring tissues. Meghan Morrissey and colleagues find that increased SPARC expression potently enhances the ability of weakly invasive anchor cells to breach the basement membrane.

Image credit: Meghan Morrissey and colleagues

PLOS Genetics 2015 Reviewer Thank You

See here

02/29/2016

research article

Maintenance of Tissue Pluripotency by Epigenetic Factors Acting at Multiple Levels

During animal development, the primordia of different body parts undergo a series of transitions in which their developmental potency becomes more restricted. Using differentiation of pluripotent Drosophila imaginal tissues as assays, Devendran Sadasivam and Der-Hwa Huang examined the contribution of epigenetic factors in ectopic activation of Hox genes.

Image credit: Devendran Sadasivam and Der-Hwa Huang

Maintenance of Tissue Pluripotency by Epigenetic Factors Acting at Multiple Levels

Recently Published Articles

See all articles

Current Issue February 2016

02/26/2016

research article

DNAH6 and Its Interactions with PCD Genes in Heterotaxy and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

Heterotaxy is a birth defect involving randomization of left-right body axis. Recent studies suggest mutations in genes causing primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a sinopulmonary disease, also can cause heterotaxy. Sequencing analysis of heterotaxy patients together with experimental modeling identified DNAH6 as a novel gene that can cause both heterotaxy and PCD.

Image credit: You Li and colleagues

DNAH6 and Its Interactions with PCD Genes in Heterotaxy and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

02/29/2016

research article

The BBSome Controls Energy Homeostasis by Mediating the Transport of the Leptin Receptor to the Plasma Membrane

Deng-Fu Guo and colleagues show that neuronal Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) proteins, encoded by genes that cause obesity when mutated, govern energy homeostasis through the control of cell surface expression of the leptin receptor.

Image credit: Deng-Fu Guo and colleagues

The BBSome Controls Energy Homeostasis by Mediating the Transport of the Leptin Receptor to the Plasma Membrane

02/22/2016

RESEARCH ARTICLE

C-terminal Src Kinase Gates Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity and Regulates Fasciclin II Expression at the Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction

Ashlyn Spring and colleagues examine the ability of Drosophila melanogaster to maintain normal levels of synaptic output over long periods of developmental time. They identify new roles in this process for classical signaling molecules.

Image credit: Ashlyn Spring and colleagues

02/18/2016

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Exome Sequencing of Uterine Leiomyosarcomas Identifies Frequent Mutations in TP53, ATRX, and MED12

Uterine leiomyosarcomas are rare smooth muscle tumors with poor 5-year survival and high recurrence rate. Netta Mäkinen and colleagues use exome sequencing and reveal frequent mutations in TP53, ATRX, and MED12.

Image credit: Netta Mäkinen and colleagues

02/19/2016

RESEARCH ARICLE

NPAS2 Compensates for Loss of CLOCK in Peripheral Circadian Oscillators

Dominic Landgraf and colleagues show that Clock-/- peripheral cells and tissues exhibit stable, autonomous circadian rhythms. Furthermore, in Clock-/- fibroblasts, knockdown of Npas2 leads to arrhythmicity.

Image credit: Dominic Landgraf and colleagues

02/11/2016

viewpoints

G = E: What GWAS Can Tell Us about the Environment

Suzanne Gage and colleagues discuss the possibility that variants identified in GWAS of disease might reflect the effect of modifiable risk factors as well as direct genetic effects.

Image credit: Luci Correia, Flickr, CC BY

02/04/2016

PERSPECTIVE

EEPD1: Breaking and Rescuing the Replication Fork

Yilun Liu discusses work by Yuehan Wu and colleagues which identifies a novel nuclease involved in DSB formation at stalled replication forks.

Image credit: Lyndon Mably, Flickr, CC BY

01/21/2016

Viewpoints

Consent Codes: Upholding Standard Data Use Conditions

Stephanie Dyke and colleagues examine the variation in data use conditions that are based on consent provisions for genomics datasets in research and clinical settings.

Image credit: Duncan Hull, Flickr, CC BY

12/31/2015

Perspective

Why Are tRNAs Overproduced in the Absence of Maf1, a Negative Regulator of RNAP III, Not Fully Functional?

Magdalena Boguta discusses work by Aneeshkumar Arimbasseri and colleagues.

Image credit: K. Adam Bohnert and Kathleen Gould

Across PLOS

PLOS Computational Biology

A Neutrophil Phenotype Model for Extracorporeal Treatment of Sepsis
PLOS Biology

Why Do We Feel Sick When Infected—Can Altruism Play a Role?
PLOS Medicine

Monitoring Mortality in Forced Migrants—Can Bayesian Methods Help Us to Do Better with the (Little) Data We Have?
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

What Is Needed to Eradicate Lymphatic Filariasis? A Model-Based Assessment on the Impact of Scaling Up Mass Drug Administration Programs

New at PLOS Genetics

PLOS Genetics Editors honoured with prizes

Consulting Editor, Leonid Kruglyak and Associate Editor, Jeannie Lee have been awarded with prestigious prizes.
Deep Reads Collection

A collection of book recommendations from the PLOS Genetics Editors and other science enthusiasts, including the latest article from Ethics Editor, Holly Tabor, surrounding the topic of women in science.
PLOS Genetics Data Sharing Policy: In Pursuit of Functional Utility

Several PLOS Genetics editors provide guidance and clarification on data sharing.
Winner of PLOS Genetics Research Prize 2015

Congratulations to the authors of Barroso-Batista, Sousa et al. 2014. This article was selected as the prize winner by the senior editors from nominations by the genetics community.

Publish with PLOS

Tweets

PLOS Biologue

See All Blogs

SPARC Promotes Cell Invasion In Vivo by Decreasing Type IV Collagen Levels in the Basement Membrane

PLOS Genetics 2015 Reviewer Thank You

Maintenance of Tissue Pluripotency by Epigenetic Factors Acting at Multiple Levels

Recently Published Articles

DNAH6 and Its Interactions with PCD Genes in Heterotaxy and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

The BBSome Controls Energy Homeostasis by Mediating the Transport of the Leptin Receptor to the Plasma Membrane

C-terminal Src Kinase Gates Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity and Regulates Fasciclin II Expression at the Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction

Exome Sequencing of Uterine Leiomyosarcomas Identifies Frequent Mutations in TP53, ATRX, and MED12

NPAS2 Compensates for Loss of CLOCK in Peripheral Circadian Oscillators

G = E: What GWAS Can Tell Us about the Environment

EEPD1: Breaking and Rescuing the Replication Fork

Consent Codes: Upholding Standard Data Use Conditions

Why Are tRNAs Overproduced in the Absence of Maf1, a Negative Regulator of RNAP III, Not Fully Functional?

PLOS Computational Biology

PLOS Biology

PLOS Medicine

PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

PLOS Genetics Editors honoured with prizes

Deep Reads Collection

PLOS Genetics Data Sharing Policy: In Pursuit of Functional Utility

Winner of PLOS Genetics Research Prize 2015

Publish with PLOS

PLOS Genetics 2015 Reviewer Thank You

Recently Published Articles

Publish with PLOS

Connect with Us