Genetics articles from across Nature Portfolio

Genetics is the branch of science concerned with genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms. It seeks to understand the process of trait inheritance from parents to offspring, including the molecular structure and function of genes, gene behaviour in the context of a cell or organism (e.g. dominance and epigenetics), gene distribution, and variation and change in populations.

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Transposable element methylation tracks age

In mammals, the 5-methylcytosine epigenetic mark is mostly located in transposable elements, which are repetitive intragenomic parasites. In this issue of Nature Aging, Gorbunova and colleagues show that 5-methylcytosine levels in certain LINE1 retrotransposon loci highly correlate with age and the incidence of certain pathologies. Thus, LINE1 (the only known transposable element family capable of autonomous jumping in the human genome) serves as a suitable DNA template for accurately determining age and predicting disease.
- Bernadette Hotzi
- Tibor Vellai
News & Views27 Jan 2025 Nature Aging
P: 1-3
A map of parental-DNA exchanges charts course for studies of human evolution

Human genetic diversity and evolution rely on new mutations and exchange of DNA between chromosomes during the generation of sex cells, in a process called recombination. Recombination manifests as large-scale crossovers, and as short-scale transitions called non-crossovers. A map of where recombination occurs throughout the human genome now includes both types of variation.

News & Views22 Jan 2025 Nature
First farmers of Central Europe do not show family-related inequality

Extensive genetic and anthropological evidence shows that the first farmers of Central Europe were genetically diverse, and their societies were probably not stratified.

News & Views22 Jan 2025 Nature Human Behaviour
P: 1-2

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Latest Research and Reviews

Chromosome-scale genome assembly of Korean goosegrass (Eleusine indica)
- Solji Lee
- Changsoo Kim
ResearchOpen Access27 Jan 2025 Scientific Data
Volume: 12, P: 156
Genetic coupling of enhancer activity and connectivity in gene expression control

Here, the authors study the effects of expression quantitative trait loci on enhancer activity and promoter contacts in primary monocytes isolated from male individuals, suggesting an inherent genetic link between the activity of enhancers, their contacts to target gene promoters and gene expression.
- Helen Ray-Jones
- Chak Kei Sung
- Mikhail Spivakov
ResearchOpen Access27 Jan 2025 Nature Communications
Volume: 16, P: 970
Cytoplasmic mRNA decay and quality control machineries in eukaryotes

In this Review, Dowdle and Lykke-Andersen discuss advances in our understanding of the machinery and mechanisms involved in the control of cytoplasmic mRNA decay and comment on implications for the design of therapeutic mRNAs.
- Megan E. Dowdle
- Jens Lykke-Andersen
Reviews27 Jan 2025 Nature Reviews Genetics
P: 1-16
Alu-Sc-mediated exonization generated a mitochondrial LKB1 gene variant found only in higher order primates
- Ivan Tan
- Sonia Chothani
- Kong-Peng Lam
ResearchOpen Access27 Jan 2025 Scientific Reports
Volume: 15, P: 3360
Enhancing trace DNA profile recovery in forensic casework using the amplicon RX post-PCR clean-up kit
- Naeema S. Aljanahi
- Salem K. Alketbi
- Hussein J. Alghanim
ResearchOpen Access27 Jan 2025 Scientific Reports
Volume: 15, P: 3324
Genome assembly of the grassland caterpillar Gynaephora qinghaiensis
- Youpeng Lai
- Shan Xiao
- Qi Fang
ResearchOpen Access27 Jan 2025 Scientific Data
Volume: 12, P: 158

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News and Comment

Transposable element methylation tracks age

In mammals, the 5-methylcytosine epigenetic mark is mostly located in transposable elements, which are repetitive intragenomic parasites. In this issue of Nature Aging, Gorbunova and colleagues show that 5-methylcytosine levels in certain LINE1 retrotransposon loci highly correlate with age and the incidence of certain pathologies. Thus, LINE1 (the only known transposable element family capable of autonomous jumping in the human genome) serves as a suitable DNA template for accurately determining age and predicting disease.
- Bernadette Hotzi
- Tibor Vellai
News & Views27 Jan 2025 Nature Aging
P: 1-3
An influenza mutation switch
- Francesco Zamberlan
Research Highlights23 Jan 2025 Nature Chemical Biology
P: 1
What went wrong at 23andMe? Why the genetic-data giant risks collapse

At-home DNA testing is no longer in high demand — and critics have raised concerns about unreliable tests and privacy.
- Diana Kwon
News23 Jan 2025 Nature
A map of parental-DNA exchanges charts course for studies of human evolution

Human genetic diversity and evolution rely on new mutations and exchange of DNA between chromosomes during the generation of sex cells, in a process called recombination. Recombination manifests as large-scale crossovers, and as short-scale transitions called non-crossovers. A map of where recombination occurs throughout the human genome now includes both types of variation.

News & Views22 Jan 2025 Nature
When did recombination suppression events occur in bird ZW sex chromosomes?

A recent paper found that the sex chromosomes of the crested ibis have more gametolog pairs than many other birds. This Comment discusses that this finding suggets that WZ recombination stopped independently in the sex chromosomes in different bird lineages.
- Deborah Charlesworth
Comments & OpinionOpen Access22 Jan 2025 Nature Communications
Volume: 16, P: 916
First farmers of Central Europe do not show family-related inequality

Extensive genetic and anthropological evidence shows that the first farmers of Central Europe were genetically diverse, and their societies were probably not stratified.

News & Views22 Jan 2025 Nature Human Behaviour
P: 1-2

All News & Comment

Genetics articles from across Nature Portfolio

Featured

Transposable element methylation tracks age

A map of parental-DNA exchanges charts course for studies of human evolution

First farmers of Central Europe do not show family-related inequality

Related Subjects

Latest Research and Reviews

Chromosome-scale genome assembly of Korean goosegrass (Eleusine indica)

Genetic coupling of enhancer activity and connectivity in gene expression control

Cytoplasmic mRNA decay and quality control machineries in eukaryotes

Alu-Sc-mediated exonization generated a mitochondrial LKB1 gene variant found only in higher order primates

Enhancing trace DNA profile recovery in forensic casework using the amplicon RX post-PCR clean-up kit

Genome assembly of the grassland caterpillar Gynaephora qinghaiensis

News and Comment

Transposable element methylation tracks age

An influenza mutation switch

What went wrong at 23andMe? Why the genetic-data giant risks collapse

A map of parental-DNA exchanges charts course for studies of human evolution

When did recombination suppression events occur in bird ZW sex chromosomes?

First farmers of Central Europe do not show family-related inequality

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