Issues

Summary: Next-generation-sequencing-based data sets provide a source of ‘big data’ for analytic approaches that could have a powerful impact on biomedical research. In this Editorial, Elaine Mardis highlights the challenges involved in realizing the full potential of big data analytics.

Drosophila Collection: This Review highlights recent findings on intestinal stem cell (ISC) diversity in the GI tract of Drosophila, focusing on the role of ISCs in healthy and diseased conditions, and drawing parallels to vertebrate GI stem cells.

Drosophila Collection: Intestinal-stem-cell-specific loss of the Drosophila ortholog of the tumor suppressor UVRAG, which is implicated in colorectal cancer, leads to endocytic defects and dysplasia.

Drosophila Collection: This work generates a new Drosophila congenital disorder of glycosylation model for the most common disease category, caused by phosphomannomutase-2 mutation, and reveals a synaptic mechanism underlying associated neurological impairments.

Editors' choice: Two newly identified Myh11 gene missense mutations discovered in a zebrafish enhancer-suppressor mutagenesis screen are reported. The mutations disrupt myosin regulation and ATPase activity in a graded fashion, and this correlated with their effects on intestinal and vascular physiology.

Summary: This study reports the upregulation of HDACs in human AAA, evidences that HDAC inhibitors limit aneurysm progression in a preclinical model and suggests the therapeutic interest of HDAC inhibition in AAA.

Summary: The shaker rat mutant: a new model for essential tremors and ataxia characterized by Purkinje cell degeneration.

Summary: This study validates the FGF9 lung adenocarcinoma mouse model as a tool to screen and evaluate potential therapeutics that are designed to inhibit FGF9 or its target receptor, FGFR3.

Summary: Only IRS2-deficient male mice that become diabetic show apoptosis in the hypothalamus and this is associated with an increase in oxidative stress and inflammatory signals. Controlling inflammation and oxidative stress could prevent diabetes-induced brain injury.

Summary: We propose an epigenetic mechanism establishing the regulation of genes that are crucial for neural tube closure. This mechanism could be a novel target for resolving such birth defects and associated disorders.