Short-term polystyrene nanoplastic exposure alters zebrafish male and female germline and reproductive outcomes, unveiling pollutant-impacted molecular pathways.

Nanoplastics pollution is a rising environmental concern whose impacts on biodiversity and human health are far from being understood. This is particularly salient in aquatic ecosystems, where the majority of species depend on external fertilization for reproduction. Here we evaluated the effects of a short-term exposure to engineered polystyrene nanoplastics (NPs) in the zebrafish germline to further explore their impact on reproduction.

Evolution of 3D Chromatin Folding.

Studies examining the evolution of genomes have focused mainly on sequence conservation. However, the inner working of a cell implies tightly regulated crosstalk between complex gene networks controlled by small dispersed regulatory elements of physically contacting DNA regions. How these different levels of chromatin organization crosstalk in different species underpins the potential for genome evolutionary plasticity.

De novo genome assemblies of two cryptodiran turtles with ZZ/ZW and XX/XY sex chromosomes provide insights into patterns of genome reshuffling and uncover novel 3D genome folding in amniotes.

Understanding the evolution of chromatin conformation among species is fundamental to elucidate the architecture and plasticity of genomes. Nonrandom interactions of linearly distant loci regulate gene function in species-specific patterns, affecting genome function, evolution, and, ultimately, speciation. Yet, data from nonmodel organisms are scarce.