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Results generated with the use of microarrays should be properly described and deposited in one of the public databases prior to review. We examine the last two years of the journal's publications in an attempt to ensure that community standards for data deposition are met.
Transcriptional cis-regulatory modules have a fundamental role in regulating eukaryotic gene expression. A new study shows how computational modeling can test hypotheses about how regulatory elements function, with results that challenge conventional views of their organization.
New experimental approaches combined with statistical models show that DNA sequence strongly influences how the genome is packaged into nucleosomes. The studies predict that genes regulated by fundamentally different mechanisms have distinct nucleosome positioning signatures encoded in their DNA.
Full-genome tiling arrays provide powerful biological evidence to support gene predictions and suggest the need for new and improved annotations. New studies using tiling arrays of the Drosophila melanogaster genome show that 85% of the fly genome is transcribed and processed into mature transcripts, representing 30% of the fly genome.
Precise control of sodium excretion by the kidney is critical for maintaining fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. A new mouse model provides compelling evidence that a kinase, WNK4, provides key signals for regulating blood pressure and potassium balance by controlling the structure and function of the distal convoluted tubule.
Recent experience with several high-profile drugs demonstrates the great challenges in developing effective and safe therapeutics. A complementary approach to the popular paradigm of disease genetics is based on inherited factors that reduce the incidence and severity of disease among individuals who are genetically predisposed to disease. We propose testing specifically for modifier genes and protective alleles among at-risk individuals and studying the efficacy of therapeutics based on the genetics of health.