The Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) catalyzes genome transcription repression through the methylation of lysine residue 27 in the amino terminal region of histone 3 (H3K27me1/2/3) [2], [7]. PRC2 is made up of three highly conserved core subunits: Kmt6, Eed, and Suz12. Accurate distribution of PRC2 is essential for proper...
Pantoea agglomerans pathovar betae (Pab) is a bacterium that causes galls on the roots of beet plants, resulting in reduced marketability of beet roots and crop loss. Pab uses a type III secretion system (T3SS) to infect and cause galls on beets. The T3SS is a molecular syringe-like structure that...
Hop (Humulus lupulus L. var. lupulus) is a diploid, dioecious plant with an extensive history of cultivation and use in brewing, as a textile, and for its therapeutic properties. Hop is prized for its ability to produce a variety of aromatic and flavor compounds, as well as compounds with anti-microbial...
Non-coding ribonucleic acid (ncRNA) is of interest for its diverse roles in cell and viral biology. RNA molecules vary greatly in terms of size, structure, and function. In recent years, the modification of existing RNA structures has been used for biochemical methods of enormous impact including CRISPR and RNAi methods....
Otoferlin is a C2-domain, transmembrane protein whose mutated form is responsible for the DFNB9 subtype of prelingual hearing impairment. Mutations in otoferlin cause an autosomal recessive, non-syndromic form of deafness that is characterized by auditory neuropathy/ auditory dissynchrony (AN/AD), meaning that the outer hair cells (OHCs) are normal, and the...
Just as the structure of a protein determines its function, protein motions and lack-of-structure are also key to regulating protein behavior. The human eye lens is made up of high concentrations of extremely stable crystallin proteins, but even in this context, small motions over time can cause a loss of...
Evolve & Resequence (E&R) experiments subject laboratory populations to environments controlled by investigators, who then document the phenotypic and genomic changes that take place over many generations. These experiments provide powerful tools for testing of a wide variety of evolutionary questions, especially questions about the nature of adaptive traits. While...
Specialized or secondary metabolism is a collection of pathways and small molecules that, while beneficial to an organism, are not strictly necessary for survival. Plants use secondary metabolites to, among other things, attract pollinators, defend against biotic and abiotic stressors, and form symbioses. Natural products from plants have seen an...
Chlamydia abortus, an intracellular bacterium, spreads through flocks of sheep and goats, causing ovine enzootic abortion (OAE). Chlamydiae develop within a pathogen-modified vacuole in the host cell called the inclusion, which allows the bacteria to acquire host resources. The morphology of the inclusion varies between chlamydial species. Some species fuse...
Climate change and other anthropogenic impacts are threatening the existence of millions of species around the globe. On western continental boundaries, the large-scale secondary process of upwelling, which brings low pH, deoxygenated, high nutrient seawater to the surface, is compounded by climate change, that together could drive some species to...