A donor-DNA-free CRISPR/Cas-based approach to gene knock-up in rice.

Structural variations (SVs), such as inversion and duplication, contribute to important agronomic traits in crops. Pan-genome studies revealed that SVs were a crucial and ubiquitous force driving genetic diversification. Although genome editing can effectively create SVs in plants and animals, the potential of designed SVs in breeding has been overlooked.

The genome and transcriptome of Japanese flounder provide insights into flatfish asymmetry.

Flatfish have the most extreme asymmetric body morphology of vertebrates. During metamorphosis, one eye migrates to the contralateral side of the skull, and this migration is accompanied by extensive craniofacial transformations and simultaneous development of lopsided body pigmentation. The evolution of this developmental and physiological innovation remains enigmatic.

Unique role of SRSF2 in transcription activation and diverse functions of the SR and hnRNP proteins in gene expression regulation.

Transcription pause release from gene promoters has been recognized to be a critical point for transcriptional regulation in higher eukaryotes. Recent studies suggest that regulatory RNAs are extensively involved in transcriptional control, which may enlist various RNA binding proteins. We recently showed a key role of SRSF2, a member of the SR family of splicing regulators, in binding to promoter-associated small RNA to mediate transcription pause release, a regulatory strategy akin to the function of the HIV Tat protein via binding to the TAR element in nascent RNA to activate transcription.