Articles in 2014

Sarah Dunstan, Chiea Chuen Khor and colleagues identify common variants in the HLA-DRB1 region associated with resistance to enteric fever. Individuals carrying the protective variants exhibit roughly five-fold higher resistance against developing this life-threatening infectious disease.

Astrid von Mentzer, Gordon Dougan and colleagues report the whole-genome sequencing of a representative global collection of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a major cause of infectious diarrhea, including samples from 20 countries isolated between 1980 and 2011. They find that, although ETEC isolates are widely distributed across the E. coli species and are genetically diverse, there are several discrete lineages that have contributed to overlapping global epidemics.

Tatsuhiro Shibata, David Wheeler, Hiroyuki Aburatani and colleagues report the genomic, exomic and oncoviral sequencing of hundreds of liver cancers from the United States and Japan. The authors analyzed mutation patterns and identified signatures unique to the Asian cases.

Holger Lerche, Camila Esguerra and colleagues report the identification of inactivating mutations in STX1B in individuals with various seizure-related disorders, including febrile seizures and epilepsy. Functional studies indicate that STX1B acts in the presynaptic release machinery.

Peter Sorger, Mohammed AlQuraishi and colleagues present a statistical framework for integrating biophysical and genomic data to predict the consequences of cancer-related mutations on protein-protein interactions. They apply their framework to the SH2 phosphoprotein network using publicly available data from The Cancer Genome Atlas.

Zachary Lippman and colleagues report the recovery in tomato of novel, chemically induced alleles in the SFT (florigen) gene and a newly identified suppressor of the SELF PRUNING gene. These alleles, in combination with previous florigen pathway mutations, allow for the quantitative fine-tuning of fruit yield, which may be applicable to other crop species.

Ming Li, Ruiqiang Li and colleagues report the whole-genome sequencing of a male golden snub-nosed monkey, Rhinopithecus roxellana, as well as its relatives Rhinopithecus bieti, Rhinopithecus brelichi and Rhinopithecus strykeri. Their analysis provides insights into primate evolution and adaptation to a diet consisting primarily of leaves and seeds.

We wholeheartedly endorse this new journal concentrating on variants causing and associated with disease and trait phenotypes, especially the Data Report format for rapid publication and the database dissemination of the full spectrum of findings from a single familial variant to a comprehensive locus review.

A new study identifies homozygous missense mutations in SGOL1, which encodes a component of the cohesin complex, in a newly described disorder termed Chronic Atrial and Intestinal Dysrhythmia (CAID) syndrome. These findings implicate cohesin in the regulation of intrinsic cardiac and intestinal rhythm and further expand the growing group of disorders termed the cohesinopathies.

A new study identifies rare mutations in SPRTN that cause a novel progeroid syndrome. The results point to an unexpected function of SPRTN and bring insight to the mechanisms that link premature aging and cancer.

The histone-modifying PRC2 complex has an ambiguous role in cancer, bearing both oncogenic and tumor-suppressive features depending on cell type. Studies of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) have now identified loss-of-function mutations altering PRC2 subunits, leading to the amplification of Ras-driven transcription and conferring vulnerability to BRD4 inhibitors.

Levi Garraway and colleagues report the identification of somatic mutations of RNF43, which encodes an E3 ubiquitin ligase that negatively regulates Wnt signaling, in over 18% of colorectal adenocarcinomas and endometrial carcinomas.

Bjarke Feenstra and colleagues identify common variants at six loci associated with general or MMR vaccine–related febrile seizures. The two loci specifically associated with MMR-related febrile seizures harbor the interferon-stimulated gene IFI44L and the measles virus receptor gene CD46.

Andrew Jackson, Peter Nürnberg and colleagues identify mutations in PLK4 and TUBGCP6 in individuals with microcephaly, primordial dwarfism, retinopathy and other congenital anomalies. These findings extend the spectrum of human phenotypes associated with centriole dysfunction.

David Jaffe and colleagues report a new algorithm, DISCOVAR, for variant calling and de novo genome assembly. They test the algorithm on a new reference variant call set and demonstrate improved variant calling, particularly in challenging regions of the genome.