Exploiting the mediating role of the metabolome to unravel transcript-to-phenotype associations.

Despite the success of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in identifying genetic variants associated with complex traits, understanding the mechanisms behind these statistical associations remains challenging. Several methods that integrate methylation, gene expression, and protein quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with GWAS data to determine their causal role in the path from genotype to phenotype have been proposed. Here, we developed and applied a multi-omics Mendelian randomization (MR) framework to study how metabolites mediate the effect of gene expression on complex traits.

Bypassing reproductive barriers in hybrid seeds using chemically induced epimutagenesis.

The triploid block, which prevents interploidy hybridizations in flowering plants, is characterized by a failure in endosperm development, arrest in embryogenesis, and seed collapse. Many genetic components of triploid seed lethality have been successfully identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, most notably the paternally expressed genes (PEGs), which are upregulated in tetraploid endosperm with paternal excess. Previous studies have shown that the paternal epigenome is a key determinant of the triploid block response, as the loss of DNA methylation in diploid pollen suppresses the triploid block almost completely.

An electron microscopic and electron probe study of the microcirculation in cold-induced oedema.

An ultrastructural study of adult mongrel dogs and cats was made to evaluate the changes in the microcirculation during cerebral oedema formation. Two to five cold injuries were made in one hemisphere in dogs and one lesion was made in cats. In several dogs arterial hypertension was induced with a balloon in the aorta.