Solanum is a diverse genus that includes crops such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), eggplant (Solanum melongena) and African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum), a crop that is indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa. Benoit et al. constructed a pan-genome of the Solanum genus from chromosome-scale genome assemblies for 22 species, capturing the rich phenotypic and genomic diversity

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is linked to endometrial issues and associated with comorbidities such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Current treatments, including lifestyle changes and metformin administration, mainly manage symptoms rather than tackling the underlying causes, and their cell-type-specific effects are poorly understood. To gain mechanistic insight, Eriksson et

Variation in coronary artery anatomy occurs among healthy individuals with respect to positioning of the posterior descending artery, which can arise from the right coronary artery (right dominant), left circumflex artery (left dominant), or both (co-dominant). To identify genetic variants contributing to this anatomical variation, Rios Coronado et al. performed genome-wide association analyses on

It is well established that somatic mutations are pervasive in normal tissues. What is less clear is how these mutations set the stage for diseases such as cancer. Coorens et al. addressed this question in the stomach. The team analyzed whole-genome data from 238 gastric glands from 30 participants, of which 18 had gastric cancer. In addition, they generated targeted sequencing data from 829 microdissections

Correction to: Nature Genetics https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02122-4, published online 5 March 2025.

Correction to: Nature Genetics https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-024-01947-9, published online 8 October 2024.

arising from W. Lee et al. Nature Genetics https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-023-01505-9 (2023) The exact mechanism preventing paternal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) inheritance in humans remains unresolved. In their recent report, ‘Molecular basis for maternal inheritance of human mitochondrial DNA’, Lee et al. propose that this process is controlled by phosphorylation of the mitochondrial transcription

replying to M. Alexeyev & Y. Bai Nature Genetics https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02149-7 (2025) The dogma of uniparental inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) represents a fascinating aspect of genetics and the evolution of all living organisms. The processes underlying this trait involve molecular mechanisms that act before and after oocyte fertilization. The former involves elimination of mtDNA

Treatment resistance can be a turning point in the journey of a patient with cancer, but the genetic path to it remains unclear. Bakir et al. studied this in the context of neopeptide vaccines (NPVs) — a therapy whereby the patient is immunized with tumor-specific peptides. An NPV was designed for a patient with EGFR-mutant lung cancer whose disease had progressed despite multiple lines of treatment

Huntington’s disease is a dominantly inherited disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in HTT. Mounting evidence suggests that somatic instability of the repeat expansion has an important role in disease onset. To examine this hypothesis more closely, Handsaker et al. developed an approach to assay both repeat length and gene expression in single nuclei from post-mortem brain tissues of individuals

Many cancer types exhibit very high levels of transcription across the genome, which correlate with poor clinical outcomes. To gain a better understanding of this phenomenon, Henikoff et al. used their formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE)–cleavage under targeted accessible chromatin (CUTAC) method to study the binding of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) genome-wide in multiple cancer samples. They observed

Gene activation involves discontinuous and stochastic RNA synthesis, a process known as transcriptional bursting. Previous studies have identified some regulators of gene bursting. However, a systematic and unbiased screening of its determinants has been missing. To fill this gap, Sood et al. developed an imaging-based assay measuring bursting of endogenous genes in single cells. They applied this

A recent New York Times article1 highlights a pivotal moment for genetic research: a first revenue-sharing agreement between a biotech company, Variant Bio, and the communities with whom they partner to collect genomic data. Their attempt to address the systemic inequities and historical exploitation that has characterized genomic science raises important questions about how the field can responsibly