National Institute of Genetics

Comparative transcriptional network analysis reveals ecological specialization in infant-associated species of Bifidobacterium

ABSTRACT Bifidobacterium species are important microorganisms in the infant gut microbiota displaying substantial genomic diversity, yet how this variability is reflected in transcriptional regulatory architecture remains an open question. Here, we integrated pangenome analysis w...

Genetic Basis of Social Structure in the Pastoral Nomads of Central Eurasia

Abstract Although the social structure of Central Eurasian pastoral nomads has been described as fluid and ad hoc by historians and anthropologists, its potential genetic basis remains poorly understood. To evaluate whether kinship based social organization has biological foundat...

Rapid genome-wide purging following tsunami-induced hybridization in a stickleback population

Speciation is the process by which barriers to gene flow evolve between populations. As speciation approaches completion, genome-wide divergence can be maintained in the face of hybridization. Because real-time observations of genomic changes following hybridization in natural po...

Embryonic and larval development of the Pacific saury Cololabis saira : Distinctive characteristics of a rapidly growing beloniform fish

Abstract Background Pacific saury Cololabis saira is one of the important food resources drawing attention for its recent rapid decline of catch. Their life cycle and embryonic development have been largely unknown. It is important to clarify how the habitat and reproduction of t...

Non-destructive approach using micro-CT for understanding the strategy of mesoparasitism of the genus Cardiodectes (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Pennellidae) on marine fishes, with a new species description from coastal waters of the Ryukyu Islands, the western North Pacific

Abstract A new species of pennellid copepod (Siphonostomatoida), Cardiodectes laybackinabaueroides sp. nov., is described based on postmetamorphic adult females collected from the coastal waters of the Ryukyu Islands, western North Pacific, Japan. The new species differs from oth...

Cohesin prevents local mixing of condensed euchromatic domains in living human cells

The human genome is folded into chromatin loops by the cohesin complex, forming functional chromatin domains that underlie transcription and DNA replication/repair. However, how cohesin organizes these domains in living cells, especially in active euchromatin, remains elusive. To...

MCM10 and RECQL4 have cooperative and redundant roles in activating the CMG helicase during the replication initiation

Abstract DNA replication initiation requires activation of the CMG helicase to establish the replisome. This process involves the extrusion of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) from the central channel of MCM double hexamers, allowing the two CMG helicases to pass each other; however,...

Cohesin acts as a transcriptional gatekeeper by restraining pause–release to promote processive elongation

Abstract Cohesin organizes 3D chromatin architecture, including promoter–enhancer loops, yet its loss has surprisingly modest effects on steady-state gene expression. We address this paradox by demonstrating that cohesin acts at different stages of transcription. First, it promot...