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Top 8 genetics News Today

#1
DNA had one rule. Bacteria didn’t get the memo
#1 out of 8
1d ago

DNA had one rule. Bacteria didn’t get the memo

https://www.dw.com/en/dna-had-one-rule-bacteria-didnt-get-the-memo/a-77341009
Dw.com
  • A bacterial protein, Drt3b, can build a full DNA strand without a template, using its own structure as a guide.
  • The study, published in Science, reports the first long, sequence-specific DNA synthesis without a copying template.
  • Experts say the finding challenges the central dogma, which traditionally links DNA to RNA to proteins, not DNA writing by proteins.
  • Researchers used E. coli to demonstrate the mechanism, a common bacterial model in labs worldwide.
  • Drt3b's ability is seen as a potential tool for building DNA sequences without templates and may expand biotech capabilities.
  • CRISPR remains a major breakthrough, but Drt3b represents an early, evolving pathway in DNA synthesis.
  • The discovery hints at a vast, uncharacterized microbial 'dark matter' with many undiscovered mechanisms.
  • The central dogma debate centers on whether a protein-writing DNA could alter genetic information flows.
  • The discovery raises questions about the natural role of Drt3b and its possible viral defense functions.
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#2
Scientists discover inherited traits that break Mendel’s Laws of genetics
#2 out of 8
health23h ago

Scientists discover inherited traits that break Mendel’s Laws of genetics

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260530053420.htm
Sciencedaily.com
  • A mouse study found about 7% of epigenetic inheritance patterns did not follow Mendel's expectations across three generations.
  • Researchers documented 54 emergent inheritance events where methylation appeared in offspring without parental marks.
  • The study reports the first known naturally occurring paramutation in a mammal at Capn11.
  • Findings suggest environmental factors may influence epigenetic inheritance across generations.
  • Long-read DNA sequencing helped distinguish methylation patterns from genetic sequence differences.
  • Imprinting was observed in five additional genes beyond previously known cases.
  • Researchers tracked DNA methylation across three generations of mice aged 4–6 months.
  • The work was supported by NIH, NSF, and Texas A&M health sciences funds.
  • Researchers used collaboration across Johns Hopkins, Texas A&M, and other institutions to study inheritance mechanisms.
  • Results may influence how scientists integrate genomics and epigenomics to understand disease risk.
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#3
First whole-genome sequence of a Greenland shark holds clues to their extreme longevity
#3 out of 8
health23h ago

First whole-genome sequence of a Greenland shark holds clues to their extreme longevity

https://www.livescience.com/animals/sharks/first-whole-genome-sequence-of-a-greenland-shark-holds-clues-to-their-extreme-longevity
Livescience.com
  • Scientists completed the first near-complete genome sequence of the Greenland shark, uncovering clues to its longevity and cancer resistance.
  • The genome covers about 96.7% of the shark's DNA, enabling insights into longevity-related biology.
  • Amino acid changes in linker histone proteins may stabilize DNA structure and reduce damage over time.
  • Expanded immune and DNA repair gene families suggest multiple systems support longevity and cancer resistance.
  • Ferritin genes, involved in iron storage, are expanded, hinting at better iron regulation and reduced oxidative stress.
  • Researchers say longevity likely results from coordinated changes across genome stability, iron metabolism, immunity, and stress resistance.
  • The findings may inform human aging research, though more functional studies are needed to test ideas directly.
  • The Greenland shark inhabits deep North Atlantic waters and is estimated to live up to about 400 years.
  • The work was published May 19 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
  • The study was led by Shigeharu Kinoshita and colleagues from the University of Tokyo.
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#4
Cats can't taste sweetness — evolution turned off the relevant gene in their distant ancestors when they became obligate carnivores, and without working sweet receptors, a cat is as indifferent to sugar as a person is to ultraviolet light
#4 out of 8
19h ago

Cats can't taste sweetness — evolution turned off the relevant gene in their distant ancestors when they became obligate carnivores, and without working sweet receptors, a cat is as indifferent to sugar as a person is to ultraviolet light

https://spacedaily.com/d-cats-cant-taste-sweetness-evolution-turned-off-the-relevant-gene-in-their-distant-ancestors-when-they-became-obligate-carnivores-and-without-working-sweet-receptors-a-cat-is-as-indifferen/
Spacedaily.com
  • Latest finding: cats and other carnivores independently lost functional Tas1r2, erasing sweet taste.
  • In cats, Tas1r2 is broken while Tas1r3 remains intact, disabling the sweet receptor.
  • Behavioral tests show some carnivores lack preference for sweet compounds, matching genetic losses.
  • Researchers note a convergent pattern: repeated loss of sweetness across carnivorous mammals.
  • Cats retain bitter, salty, sour, and umami receptors, with umami aiding meat recognition.
  • The discovery traces back to 2005 and 2012 studies on cat sweetness loss in carnivores.
  • The finding helps explain why sweet ingredients in cat foods may not appeal to cats.
  • The study compiles data showing similar gene losses across multiple meat-eating lineages.
  • Space Daily editors note the broader scope: carnivores universally show taste loss as they rely on meat.
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#5
A Message from Dr. Shekhar
#5 out of 8
15h ago

A Message from Dr. Shekhar

https://www.health.pitt.edu/about/2026-dickson-prize-in-medicine/
Health.pitt.edu
  • Xiaowei Zhuang named 2026 Dickson Prize in Medicine recipient for pioneering imaging tech.
  • Her STORM method enables nanometer-scale light microscopy.
  • MERFISH enables spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomics.
  • Prize highlights scientific impact across neuroscience and cancer research.
  • The 2026 lecture is titled 'Spatially Resolved Single-Cell Genomics and Functional Genomics'.
  • The award includes a $50,000 prize and a medallion.
  • Event details include a July 16, 2026 lecture at Pitt.
  • A panel discussion and reception follow the lecture.
  • The Dickson Prize honors leading American biomedical researchers.
  • The award recognizes contributions to health sciences at Pitt.
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#6
Tumors May Not Develop Randomly Across the Brain — Fruit Flies May Help Explain the Pattern
#6 out of 810.7K est. views
15h ago

Tumors May Not Develop Randomly Across the Brain — Fruit Flies May Help Explain the Pattern

https://www.discovermagazine.com/tumors-may-not-develop-randomly-across-the-brain-fruit-flies-may-help-explain-the-pattern-49170
Discovermagazine.com
  • New evidence shows brain tumor development may depend on regional brain biology, not just mutations.
  • In fruit flies, disabling Nerfin-1 or Lola caused region-specific tumors in different brain parts.
  • Chinmo distribution aligned with regions where tumors formed, linking a temporal factor to cancer vulnerability.
  • Reducing Chinmo in susceptible regions stopped tumor formation; adding it to resistant areas induced growth.
  • The study links Chinmo regulation to the hormone ecdysone, adding a developmental layer to cancer risk.
  • Experts caution that humans do not have Chinmo, but the findings hint at analogous regional vulnerability factors.
  • The research proposes shifting focus from mutations alone to the developmental and molecular environment surrounding mutated cells.
  • The article emphasizes that these findings come from fruit fly models and are not direct human cancer equivalents.
  • Researchers describe a new way of thinking about brain cancer that considers when and where cells mutate, not just what mutations occur.
  • The study highlights Chinmo as a key driver of region-specific oncogenic competence in the fruit fly brain.
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#7
This fish species survived 100,000 years without males. Scientists thought it should be long dead – but it's thriving
#7 out of 8
5h ago

This fish species survived 100,000 years without males. Scientists thought it should be long dead – but it's thriving

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260601-amazon-molly-the-fish-thats-lived-for-100000-years-without-males
Bbc.com
  • The Amazon molly, an all-female fish, has survived roughly 100,000 years without males, challenging evolutionary expectations.
  • Researchers identify gene conversion as a key mechanism that helps the molly repair DNA and curb mutation accumulation.
  • The species began from a single hybrid event about 100,000 years ago, giving it mixed ancestral genetics for resilience.
  • Researchers note that gene conversion targets the most dangerous mutation-prone genome areas, helping maintain health.
  • The Amazon molly carries genetic material from two closely related species, providing variation from the outset.
  • Horizontal gene transfer is discussed as another potential source of diversity in ancient asexuals like the Amazon molly.
  • Experts say the Amazon molly’s longevity informs broader biology, including potential human mutation research.
  • The bdelloid rotifer is cited as another ancient asexual with long survival and horizontal gene transfer.
  • The study frames Muller’s ratchet as a broader constraint on life, not a simple rule that asexuality always fails.
  • The article highlights future research to determine how long gene conversion can sustain the genome without sex.
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#8
Estimation of direct and indirect polygenic effects and gene–environment interactions using polygenic scores in case–parent trio studies - Nature Genetics
#8 out of 8100.00%
health3h ago

Estimation of direct and indirect polygenic effects and gene–environment interactions using polygenic scores in case–parent trio studies - Nature Genetics

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-026-02601-2
Nature.com
  • The researchers present PGS-TRI, a framework to analyze polygenic scores in case–parent trios for direct, indirect, and gene–environment effects.
  • The model uses a log-linear approach and within-family variance scaling to yield interpretable risk estimates like relative risk.
  • SPARK ASD data show a transmission-based direct PGS effect on autism risk across multiple ancestry groups.
  • Maternal PGS shows indirect effects on offspring ASD risk, suggesting maternal genetic factors influence child outcomes.
  • The framework accounts for ancestry distance, showing PGS effects diminish as training population distance increases.
  • OFC analysis identified robust direct effects across European and Asian ancestry groups for a specific PGS.
  • Gene-expression PGS analyses identified CADM2 as associated with ASD risk in transcriptome-wide analyses.
  • The study used SPARK, UK Biobank, and GENEVA data to validate PGS-TRI across diverse datasets.
  • PGS-TRI enables estimation of indirect parental effects without separate parental trait modeling.
  • The authors suggest PGS-TRI could extend to other family designs and multivariable analyses.
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