The retinoic acid family-like nuclear receptor SmRAR identified by single-cell transcriptomics of ovarian cells controls oocyte differentiation in Schistosoma mansoni.

Studies on transcription regulation in platyhelminth development are scarce, especially for parasitic flatworms. Here, we employed single-cell transcriptomics to identify genes involved in reproductive development in the trematode model Schistosoma mansoni. This parasite causes schistosomiasis, a major neglected infectious disease affecting >240 million people worldwide.

Area of Habitat maps for the world's terrestrial birds and mammals.

Area of Habitat (AOH) is "the habitat available to a species, that is, habitat within its range". It complements a geographic range map for a species by showing potential occupancy and reducing commission errors. AOH maps are produced by subtracting areas considered unsuitable for the species from their range map, using information on each species' associations with habitat and elevation.

Daily rhythms in gene expression of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni.

Background: The consequences of the earth's daily rotation have led to 24-h biological rhythms in most organisms. Even some parasites are known to have daily rhythms, which, when in synchrony with host rhythms, can optimise their fitness. Understanding these rhythms may enable the development of control strategies that take advantage of rhythmic vulnerabilities.

COMBINE: a coalesced mammal database of intrinsic and extrinsic traits.

The use of species' traits in macroecological analyses has gained popularity in the last decade, becoming an important tool to understand global biodiversity patterns. Currently, trait data can be found across a wide variety of data sets included in websites, articles, and books, each one with its own taxonomic classification, set of traits, and data management methodology. Mammals, in particular, are among the most studied taxa, with large sources of trait information readily available.

True Blood: dengue virus evolution.

This month's Genome Watch highlights insights into different selection pressures in dengue virus evolution.