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PubMed2026

High-throughput recovery of integron cassettes for gene discovery screens.

Integrons capture functional genes in mobile genetic elements called integron cassettes, which represent an untapped source of genes of biotechnological interest. Here we present two tools, cassette gatherer and cassette hunter, that enable high-throughput establishment of gene libraries either from genetically tractable strains or directly from DNA. We re-engineered a class 1 integron into counterselection markers on a plasmid or on the chromosome of a naturally competent Vibrio cholerae, which enabled capture of single cassettes in a sequence- and function-independent manner. When applied to Vibrio strains and genomic libraries, our tools recovered hundreds of single cassettes per assay with more than 99% specificity. We further subjected the library of cassettes generated by the hunter and gatherer tools to screens against phages ICP2 and T4, and identified nine phage-defence systems, including five previously undescribed. These tools enable rapid and large-scale recovery of integron cassettes that could be leveraged for functional gene discovery.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2026

ChIP-seq profiling identifies diapause-regulated H3K27me3 targets in the fat body of Culex pipiens.

Culex pipiens, a principal vector of significant arboviruses, survives winter through diapause, a hormonally controlled inactive phase that enhances endurance under severe cold circumstances. Recent data suggests that epigenetic processes, namely histone post-translational modifications (hPTMs), play a crucial role in regulating seasonal dormancy. Prior studies from our laboratory indicated a decrease in the methylation of Histone 3 (H3K27me3) in diapausing fat body tissue, associated with elevated expression of the histone demethylase UTX. Nonetheless, the precise genomic areas impacted by these chromatin alterations remained unidentified. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) to delineate the genome-wide distribution of H3K27me3 across fat body chromatin in diapausing (D) and non-diapausing (ND) female Cx. pipiens. Notably, the higher signal at transcription start sites (TSSs) reflects localized redistribution rather than a global decrease, as diapausing fat bodies retain less H3K27me3 overall but concentrate it at promoters. To investigate the functional significance of these chromatin alterations, we confirmed a number of target loci via ChIP-qPCR and assessed gene expression with qRT-PCR. We identified many critical genes that were markedly increased in diapausing mosquitoes, exhibiting an inverse relation to H3K27me3 enrichment. Our data demonstrates different H3K27me3 chromatin landscapes between diapausing and non-diapausing Cx. pipiens, corroborating a hypothesis of selective, locus-specific repression in the non-diapause state and its targeted removal during diapause to permit activation of dormancy-associated genes. These results suggest that chromatin remodeling is a core driver of the diapause switch.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

CRISPR-Cas technologies for precision genome editing in plants: advances, applications, and future perspectives.

Developing climate-smart crops with enhanced crop productivity, nutritional quality, resistance to biological and environmental stressors is vital for global food security. While hybrid breeding forms the cornerstone of modern crop improvement, conventional breeding approaches are limited by genetic barriers and prolonged breeding cycles. CRISPR-Cas based genome editing has revolutionized plant biology by allowing precise, efficient, and multiplex genetic modifications. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of a recent advances in CRISPR-Cas technologies and their strategic applications in crop genetics and hybrid breeding. We summarize major genome-editing strategies, including gene knock-out, base editing (BE), knock-in, gene replacement, epigenome editing, and transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, we contrast stable, transient, and DNA-free delivery systems, highlighting ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-mediated delivery for minimizing off-target effects and avoiding transgene integration. We showcase how these technologies accelerate hybrid breeding by engineering male sterility systems, fixing heterosis, and generating high-throughput mutant libraries for trait discovery. Finally, we synthesize major bottlenecks in tissue culture-independent transformation and delivery systems, while outlining how emerging paradigms like de novo domestication and synthetic biology will shape the future of climate-resilient agriculture.

CRISPR/Cas↗
PubMed2026

Mitochondrial genome characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of Ramaria longispora.

This study, for the first time, assembled and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome of R. longispora using high-throughput sequencing technology. The genome is a circular molecule with a total length of 157,712 bp and a GC content of 31.55%. It encodes 71 genes, including 15 core protein-coding genes (PCGs), 25 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 5 free-stranding open reading frames (ORFs), and 24 intronic ORFs. Among these, most free-stranding ORFs have unknown functions but include a DNA polymerase gene, while the intronic ORFs primarily encode LAGLIDADG and GIY-YIG endonucleases. The mitochondrial genome contains 39 introns. Phylogenetic analyses based on 15 core PCGs using Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods revealed that this R. longispora is most closely related to Ramaria flavescens and Ramaria ichnusensis. This study provides foundational data for mitochondrial genome research in the Ramaria genus and offers important references for taxonomic and evolutionary studies of this group.

Mitochondrial genome↗
PubMed2026

RSHash: a fast and space-efficient hash table for k-mers.

SUMMARY: Large genomic data collections can be viewed as a continuous string of DNA characters. The essential operations for data structures indexing the k-mer content of such a string are lookup and locate. Lookup determines whether a query k-mer q exists in the string and locate returns all locations in the string where q is present. High-throughput DNA sequencing generates very many k-mer sets of size exceeding billions of characters. In such scenarios, memory consumption and query efficiency pose significant challenges to a data structure supporting the above mentioned queries. To address this problem, we describe a simple, compressed, static data structure for k-mers that answers lookup and can be extended for supporting locate. The general scheme follows the use of minimizers like the state-of-the art SSHash. However, instead of using minimum perfect hash functions our solution (RSHash for Rank-Select Hash) relies on bitvectors with rank and select support, a multiple layered minimizer scheme, and a clever buffering strategy. We can show that RSHash is on average 40% and in some cases up to two times faster than SSHash while having the same memory requirements. Indeed we can go as low as 8 bits per canonical 31-mer on a human dataset. AVAILABILITY: https://github.com/jonsmcode/rshash.

Sequence Analysis, DNA↗
PubMed2026

nf-core/pacsomatic: a scalable somatic analytic pipeline using PacBio HiFi data.

MOTIVATION: Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) HiFi long-read sequencing enables robust characterization of complex genomic regions, repetitive elements, and structural variants (SVs) that are often inaccessible to short-read technologies. To fully leverage HiFi reads to advance cancer genomics and epigenetics, researchers require an end-to-end, scalable and optimized bioinformatics workflow. The nf-core framework meets this need by providing rigorously tested, community-curated pipelines that ensure reproducibility, transparency, and broad compatibility across computational environments. RESULTS: We present nf-core/pacsomatic, an automated Nextflow DSL2 pipeline designed for comprehensive paired tumor-normal somatic analysis using PacBio HiFi data. The workflow includes steps for read alignments against reference genome, somatic SNV/indel, SV, and CNV calling, CpG methylation profiling and differential methylation region (DMR) detection. Additional downstream modules support functional annotation, mutational signature analysis, tumor purity and ploidy estimation, and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) assessment. Utilizing nf-core's modular design and containerized execution, nf-core/pacsomatic provides a stable framework for the reproducible discovery of biological insights. AVAILABILITY: nf-core/pacsomatic is available under the MIT License at nf-core (https://nf-co.re/pacsomatic) and github (https://github.com/nf-core/pacsomatic).

Software↗
PubMed2026

Generation of spCAS9 expressing human mesenchymal stem cell line to study gene function during osteoblast differentiation.

Human bone marrow-derived stromal cells (hMSCs) are a great resource for studying how genes influence cell fate and differentiation into various cell types like osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes, among other cell types. However, genetic manipulation of primary hMSCs has been challenging due to their short lifespan and cellular senescence after limited passaging. Their low and unstable transfection efficiency also complicates gene delivery or inactivation, hindering long-term functional studies. The limited lifespan has been effectively solved by immortalizing hMSCs with telomerase reverse transcriptase (hMSCs-TERT). The use of these cells is ideal for functional studies of osteoblast and adipocyte differentiation through genetic manipulation, providing a stable and reliable model. Here, we have engineered a stable CAS9 expressing hMSC-TERT cell line (hMSC-TERTCAS9) via lentiviral transduction. The constitutive expression of spCas9 enables efficient and reproducible gene editing. We demonstrate the potential of these hMSC-TERTCAS9 cells for generating gene disruptions using plasmid delivery of guide RNAs as a fast and efficient strategy for targeted genome editing. The edited cells can be sorted and expanded as single cells to obtain homogenous clonal cell lines with mono- as well as bi-allelic gene deletions, a crucial step for producing reliable experimental results. We further validate this cell line as a powerful tool for studying gene function during hMSC proliferation and differentiation, providing 3 distinct examples of its utility. Through the generation of indels, single-cell sorting, and clonal selection, we have efficiently inactivated the vitamin D receptor and created both larger (256 nucleotides) gene disruptions in Forkhead box protein O1 and precise removals of a small genomic sequence (73 nucleotides) coding for microRNA MIR675. This novel hMSC-TERTCAS9 cell line represents a significant advancement, offering a stable, efficient, and versatile platform for advanced genetic studies, high-throughput screening, and the creation of reliable cellular disease models.

CRISPR-Cas9↗
PubMed2026

Comprehensive analysis of mRNA-microRNA-lncRNA expression profiles in post-traumatic elbow heterotopic ossification using RNA sequencing and experimental validation.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to profile the molecular signatures of post-traumatic elbow heterotopic ossification (HO) to identify key regulators and potential therapeutic targets. METHODS: Total RNA from post-traumatic elbow HO tissues (n=4) and normal bone tissues (n=6) was subjected to high-throughput sequencing to identify differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs), microRNAs (DEMs), and lncRNAs (DELs). Bioinformatics analyses included Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment, protein-protein interaction network construction, and transcription factor (TF)-microRNA-mRNA network analysis. The expression trends of four most upregulated and four most downregulated DEGs were validated by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: We identified 2,138 DEGs, 40 DEMs, and 905 DELs. DEGs were significantly enriched in biological process "bone mineralization," cellular component "plasma membrane," molecular function "integrin binding," and pathways including PI3K-Akt, NF-κB, JAK-STAT, and TNF signaling pathways. Hub genes with high connectivity included MMP9, IL6, MMP3, CTSK, and BGLAP. Integrated network analysis highlighted the transcription factor JUN and key microRNAs (hsa-miR-124-3p, hsa-miR-548c-3p, and hsa-miR-135b). The qRT-PCR results confirmed the expression trends of selected DEGs. CONCLUSIONS: This study, for the first time, profiled the differentially expressed mRNAs, microRNAs, and lncRNAs in post-traumatic elbow HO using high-throughput RNA sequencing. These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of HO following elbow trauma. The identified hub genes (MMP9, IL6, MMP3, CTSK, and BGLAP), key TF (JUN), and key microRNAs (hsa-miR-124-3p, hsa-miR-548c-3p, and hsa-miR-135b) may serve as potential therapeutic targets for preventing and treating post-traumatic elbow HO.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Mapping ovarian cellular and molecular landscape across the lifespan of women: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: With growing interest in ART, fertility preservation, and postmenopausal health of women, reproductive medicine is increasingly focused on characterizing oocytes and ovarian tissue composition, as well as understanding the molecular mechanisms that guide ovarian function throughout its lifecycle. High-throughput omics technologies have enabled the characterization of different molecular layers, leading to substantial advances in our understanding of their complex dynamics. However, not all molecular aspects are studied equally, and studies examining the same modalities often show inconsistencies, underscoring the need for data standardization and highlighting the potential for using transformative artificial intelligence and machine-learning (AI/ML) methods for ovary studies. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE: This study aims to evaluate how multi-omic studies have advanced our understanding of the ovarian lifecycle from fetal development to postmenopause. We systematically reviewed published studies that have investigated molecular/omic layers, including the genome, methylome, transcriptome, and proteome throughout ovarian development and aging. Our analysis identified key molecular and cellular patterns, highlighted inconsistencies across studies and addressed gaps in data analysis, interpretation, and reproducibility to guide future research. SEARCH METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search of Medline (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), and Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate) using a combination of controlled and free text terms for human ovary, oogenesis, folliculogenesis, ovary development and (epi)genome, transcriptome, proteome, and multi-omic mechanisms to find relevant articles published before August 2025. To focus the scope of the current review, studies of domesticated and farm animals, rodents and other model organisms, non-human primates, as well as those examining various human ovarian pathologies were excluded. OUTCOMES: The search identified 23 546 studies for screening, of which 637 full-text studies were assessed for eligibility. Subsequently, we extracted data from 121 studies. Most studies analyzed the transcriptome of oocytes, granulosa cells, and ovarian tissue from reproductive-age individuals (n = 91), with fewer studies examining samples from individuals of advanced reproductive age (n = 45) and fetal (n = 16) samples. Transcriptome analyses were most common (n = 103, 85%), followed by proteome (n = 19, 16%) and epigenome (n = 14, 12%) studies. We found substantial variation in how studies defined and reported participants' groups as well as in their sequencing technologies and data analysis methods, with a lack of standardized reporting of background clinical information, data analysis methods, and pipeline details. The key findings underscore the prevailing consensus on genes defining major ovarian cell types and their roles throughout the ovarian lifespan, from prenatal development to postmenopausal transformation. This review highlighted the underrepresentation of certain patient groups, particularly prepubertal and peri-/postmenopausal individuals, among researched populations, due to obvious clinical and ethical reasons. WIDER IMPLICATIONS: This scoping review offers a comprehensive overview and benchmark of the current state of high-throughput omics-based research on ovarian cellular composition and molecular dynamics. To address these shortcomings, we propose general recommendations for multi-omics ovary studies and emphasize the necessity for more thorough multi-omic data integration by effectively applying novel AI/ML approaches. They can potentially improve the quality of multi-omics analyses at both single-cell and tissue levels despite limited sample sizes and enable integration of molecular profiling data with clinical and radiology datasets, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of ovarian biology. Such advancements can enhance reproducibility of research findings and guide future research to deepen our understanding of ovarian biology and ultimately support the development of medical technologies for better preserving fertility and alleviating infertility. REGISTRATION NUMBER: A protocol was published a priori on the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/z38gb/).

Female↗
PubMed2026

A streamlined protocol for small-scale protoplast generation and CRISPR/Cpf1-mediated genome editing in Fusarium oxysporum.

Fusarium oxysporum is a significant threat to agriculture and One Health, requiring advanced molecular tools for functional genomic analyses and biological control agent development. Existing gene-editing methods are hampered by costly protoplast preparation protocols and by CRISPR-Cas9 limitations, such as restricted protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences and complex guide RNA requirements. We engineered an efficient CRISPR/Cpf1 system that overcomes these issues through three main innovations: small-scale protoplast generation using filter column-based methods that greatly reduce enzyme consumption while simplifying workflows, a CRISPR/Cpf1 system with shorter guide RNA design and staggered DNA cleavage to promote homologous recombination, and minimal homology arm strategies that significantly decrease cloning complexity. Extensive validation confirms successful gene targeting with molecular verification and functional analysis via standardized pathogenicity assays. This integrated platform offers affordable, accessible tools for systematic F. oxysporum research, enhancing fundamental understanding of plant-pathogen interactions and supporting high-throughput screening vital for agricultural biotechnology and biological agent development.

CRISPR/Cpf1↗
PubMed2026

Engineering bubble structures as Cas12a activators for highly sensitive monitoring of WRN helicase function.

The Werner syndrome helicase (WRN) is a critical synthetic lethal target in microsatellite instability cancers, essential for resolving complex genomic structures like replication bubbles and R-loops. However, strategies to simultaneously discriminate WRN activity on DNA versus DNA-RNA substrates in living cells are lacking. Here, we developed a structure-specific CRISPR/Cas12a biosensing strategy to visualize WRN functional activity by engineering bubble-structure probes. These probes were rationally designed to structurally mimic DNA replication bubbles and R-loop associated DNA-RNA hybrids. Upon specific unwinding by WRN, the probes release a sequestered activator strand that triggers Cas12a trans-cleavage, effectively converting the unwinding event into an amplified fluorescent signal. This assay achieves low picomolar sensitivity (LODs: 5.6-6.0 pM) and exceptional selectivity against homologous RecQ helicases. Uniquely, this strategy enables the parallel quantification of WRN activity on both substrate types, providing insights into distinct WRN-mediated pathways for resolving genomic stress. We further demonstrated the strategy's utility by visualizing endogenous WRN dynamics in living cells and profiling the efficacy of small-molecule inhibitors. This work offers a powerful molecular toolkit for dissecting WRN biology and facilitating high-throughput drug screening in targeted cancer therapy.

Werner Syndrome Helicase↗
PubMed2026

ALPAR: automated learning pipeline for antimicrobial resistance.

SUMMARY: The field of machine learning in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research has experienced rapid growth, fueled by advancements in high-throughput genome sequencing and the growing capacity of computational resources. However, the complexity and lack of standardized data preparation and bioinformatic analyses present significant challenges, especially for newcomers to the domain. In response to these challenges, we introduce ALPAR (Automated Learning Pipeline for Antimicrobial Resistance), a comprehensive AMR data analysis tool covering the entire process from processing of raw genomic data to training machine learning models to interpretation of results. Our method relies on a reproducible pipeline that integrates widely used bioinformatics tools, presenting a simplified, automatic workflow specifically tailored for single-reference AMR analysis. Accepting genomic data in the form of FASTA files as input, ALPAR facilitates the generation of machine learning-ready data tables and both the training of machine learning and the execution of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) experiments. Additionally, our tool offers supplementary functionalities such as phylogeny-based analysis of the distribution of mutations, enhancing its utility for researchers. The tool has also proven its performance in competitive benchmarks, winning the 2024 CAMDA Anti-Microbial Resistance Prediction Challenge and placing third in the 2025 edition. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: ALPAR is open-source and freely accessible via GitHub (https://github.com/kalininalab/ALPAR). The pipeline is fully reproducible and can be easily installed as a Conda package (https://anaconda.org/kalininalab/ALPAR).

Machine Learning↗
PubMed2026

Exome sequencing and large-scale analysis of electronic medical record-linked biobank data identify candidate deafness genes.

INTRODUCTION: Rapid advances in whole-exome sequencing (WES) have enabled large-scale detection of pathogenic variants. Although hundreds of genes are implicated in hearing loss, up to half of inherited cases remain unsolved, limiting eligibility for gene therapy trials that require genetic diagnosis. Biobanks and electronic medical records (EMRs) offer opportunities to integrate genomic and clinical data at scale and expand the spectrum of hearing loss genes. Despite clinical value, EMRs often lack key information such as inheritance patterns, posing challenges for accurate interpretation. METHODS: WES was performed on DNA samples from 1038 hearing-impaired patients enrolled in the Maccabi Research and Innovation Center Tipa Biobank. Clinical data were extracted from EMRs. Audiograms were available for all cases, although data on age of onset, family history and mode of inheritance were mostly unavailable. We applied a scalable bioinformatics analysis strategy for high-throughput annotation, filtering and prioritisation of WES variants across more than 1000 patients, designed to accommodate incomplete and heterogeneous clinical records. RESULTS: Using this approach, 15% of cases were solved or potentially solved through known or novel variants in established deafness genes. Homozygous variants in novel candidate genes were identified in 3% of cases. Functional characterisation was performed for promising candidate genes to validate their role in the ear. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that WES can determine disease aetiology in large, genetically heterogeneous populations, even in the context of incomplete clinical data. This approach supports large-scale genetic screening and provides a framework for identifying patients who may benefit from emerging gene-based therapies.

Genetic Testing↗
PubMed2026

Analysis of deep-resequencing data of 984 soybean accessions reveals structural variations underlying agronomic traits.

Genomic structural variants (SVs) are major sources of genetic variation and have profound impacts on phenotypic traits. However, their functional effects remain largely unexplored in soybean. Here, we resequence 940 soybean accessions. Together with 44 publicly available datasets, we identify 602,281 SVs. Using a graph-based genome, we detect an additional 58,760 presence/absence variations (PAVs) that broadly affect gene expression. Population genomic analyses reveal that SVs serve as a core driving force for soybean domestication and improvement. Integrating SVs with QTLs for oil and protein content, and performing GWAS on 27 traits, we identify key functional SVs. These include transposable element insertions altering seed coat color, multiple insertions within a cytochrome P450 gene modifying flower and hypocotyl color, and a GmMATE1 deletion enhancing seed size. Together, our study establishes a comprehensive SV map of soybean, offering a valuable resource for dissecting the genetic basis of complex traits to accelerate molecular breeding.

Glycine max↗
PubMed2026

A de novo algorithm for allele reconstruction from Oxford nanopore amplicon reads, with application to CYP2D6.

MOTIVATION: The Oxford Nanopore Technologies' sequencing platform offers a path towards bedside genomics, producing long reads that can completely cover a gene of interest, and detect any known or novel variant the gene contains. However, the analysis of these long reads to identify actionable genotypes remains challenging and typically requires customization depending on the target gene. RESULTS: Here, we describe a generic algorithm to accurately reconstruct allele sequences derived from long-reads of amplicon-based data. Rather than calling variants directly from these long-reads, our method takes a "sequence-first" approach, performing an unbiased reconstruction of the underlying amplicon sequences to generate high-confidence reconstructed allele sequences. This is done without user input of the target gene, allowing for any source amplicon to be reconstructed. These high-confidence reconstructed allele sequences are then compared to the genomic reference sequence of the gene to infer the specific diplotype present in the sample. This approach is agnostic towards the number of genes and alleles present and readily detects novel variants. We demonstrate our approach using three independent data sets for CYP2D6, a diverse and complex gene with over 175 known alleles of clinical significance. We show how our approach can accurately recover validated CYP2D6 diplotypes from 20 Coriell samples covering 14 distinct alleles, using different amplicons, flow cell versions, and depths. This includes inferring occurrences of allele duplication events from relative abundances of each allele, a critical factor for ascribing functional effects to a diplotype. Further, we demonstrate our approach's utility for other genomic regions, including HLA. AVAILABILITY: Custom code is available at the following GitHub repository, along with instructions for use and test data: https://github.com/scottdbrown/allele-reconstruction-long-read-amplicon-data. A snapshot of the code at the time of publication is available on Zenodo.org; doi 10.5281/zenodo.19716004. Raw .fastq sequence data for our three sequencing runs is available at the SRA under Bioproject PRJNA1357883 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/1357883).

Alleles↗
PubMed2026

A novel peptide encoded by circTLL1 drives osimertinib resistance in lung cancer by modulating the NT5C2/Ras/PI3K axis.

BACKGROUND: Acquired resistance to osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, remains a major clinical challenge in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been increasingly implicated in drug resistance, most studies have focused on their canonical role as microRNA sponges, while their capacity to encode functional micropeptides remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to identify novel circRNAs involved in osimertinib resistance and to characterize their regulatory functions at the protein level. METHODS: Osimertinib-resistant (OR) NSCLC cell lines were established and validated. High-throughput RNA sequencing was performed to compare the circRNA expression profiles between parental and OR cells. The function of the candidate circRNA was assessed through a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, including cell viability assays, apoptosis analysis, and xenograft mouse models. Mechanistic investigations involved mass spectrometry, co-immunoprecipitation and western blotting to explore its protein-coding potential and downstream signaling pathways. RESULTS: We identified a novel circRNA, termed circTLL1, that was stably and significantly upregulated in OR-NSCLC cells. Functionally, overexpression of circTLL1 promoted osimertinib resistance, whereas its knockdown restored drug sensitivity both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we discovered that circTLL1 harbors an open reading frame (ORF) that is translated into a novel 90-amino-acid protein, which we designated circTLL1-90aa. Further investigation revealed that circTLL1-90aa directly interacts with and promotes the degradation of 5'-nucleotidase, cytosolic II (NT5C2), thereby uncoupling nucleotide metabolism from its normal regulatory constraints. The consequent downregulation of NT5C2 leads to elevated GTP levels and leading to the sustained activation of the downstream Ras/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Our findings unveil a previously unrecognized circRNA/micropeptide/metabolism cascade underlying osimertinib resistance. The identification of the circTLL1-90aa/NT5C2/Ras/PI3K axis not only expands the functional repertoire of the non-coding genome but also provides new insights into the complexity of drug resistance. Given its selective upregulation in resistant cells, circTLL1-90aa holds promise both as a predictive biomarker for treatment stratification and as an actionable therapeutic target, offering a novel strategy to overcome osimertinib resistance in NSCLC patients.

Pyrimidines↗
PubMed2026

Comparison of paralog identification methods and their impact on species tree topologies in target capture phylogenomics within the Sindora clade (Detarioideae: Leguminosae).

Target capture is a common method of generating high throughput DNA sequencing data for phylogenetic reconstruction of species relationships, for which single copy genes are usually most informative. However, a pervasive problem with target capture is that putatively single copy genes may in fact be paralogs resulting from gene duplication, which are problematic for phylogenetic inference because their evolutionary history may differ from the divergence history of species. Here, we use as a case study a target enrichment dataset of 88 species of Detarioideae (Leguminosae) with a focus on the Sindora clade to examine approaches for handling paralogs, including the built-in paralog handling functions in HybPiper and CAPTUS, plus subsequent steps using Putative Paralog Detection and the tree-based Yang & Smith orthology inference approach. We compare the paralogs flagged using these methods and verify their performance with BLAST mapping against a reference genome sequence of Sindora glabra, and then subsequently compare the species tree topologies produced across these methods. Our comparisons of paralogs flagged across the Sindora clade show that the Putative Paralog Detection pipeline was the most accurate in identifying paralogs in terms of its similarity to the BLAST mapping, followed by the built-in paralog identification function of CAPTUS. However, the results we recovered for the Detarioideae subfamily suggest that the largest differences in species tree topology resulted from the use of paralog-filtered alignments (such as with the Putative Paralog Detection pipeline and the Yang & Smith orthology inference approaches) rather than just by removing the sequences of identified paralogous genes. This was the true for HybPiper-assembled datasets but was not seen in CAPTUS-assembled datasets. In all comparisons, the topological differences caused by different paralog handling methods tended to be confined to clades where processes such as hybridisation and introgression are prevalent. Our study provides a roadmap to establish the best approach to identify, eliminate or separate paralogs in the absence of a chromosomally contiguous reference genome for a study group, and highlights the importance of careful data inspection and processing in addition to understanding the extent of paralogy and paralog characteristics (e.g. sequence divergence between copies) for their study group.

Phylogeny↗
PubMed2026

Obtaining a Diagnostic Yield via Scan findings prior to the introduction of SEquencing retrospectivelY (ODYSSEY): a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the retrospective yield of prenatal exome sequencing (PES) by establishing the proportion of children with a postnatal monogenic diagnosis that could have been diagnosed prenatally if PES had been available. METHODS: The study cohort comprised a sample of children in Northern Ireland, born between January 2010 and January 2018 (predating routine availability of PES), who received a monogenic diagnosis postnatally via next generation sequencing as part of either of two UK-wide studies (the 100 000 Genomes Project (2015-2018) or the Deciphering Developmental Disorders study (2011-2015)). Clinical data were collected retrospectively and correlated with the current UK National Health Service PES protocol, including the phenotypic eligibility criteria for PES and the associated fetal anomalies gene panel. Cases were considered retrospective diagnoses if the fetal phenotype would have been eligible for PES and the diagnostic gene was included on the test panel, meaning prenatal diagnosis in this current era could have been feasible. RESULTS: Of 101 children, 17.8% (95% CI, 10.3-25.3%) had both an eligible fetal structural anomaly (FSA) (i.e. high-risk FSA) and a diagnostic gene on the associated test panel, meaning that they could have been diagnosed prenatally in the current clinical landscape. The median length of the diagnostic odyssey for this subgroup of children was 3.7 years (1354 (range, 822-2450) days). Moreover, 58.4% (n = 59) of cases had no anomalies detected prenatally and 19.8% (n = 20) had a FSA that would not meet the eligibility criteria for PES (low-risk FSA). Although these cases would have been ineligible for PES under the current clinical pathway, 89.9% (n = 71/79) were affected by severe or profound syndromes. Postnatally, the most common functional anomalies were neurodevelopmental delay/intellectual disability and/or behavioral abnormality, which were observed in 80.2% (n = 81) of the included children. However, 80.2% (n = 65/81) of these affected children did not present with fetal anomalies eligible for PES. CONCLUSIONS: Almost one-fifth of children with a monogenic condition included in this study could have received a diagnosis via modern PES, avoiding a diagnostic odyssey lasting almost 4 years. However, despite having a monogenic condition, over half of the children did not present with any structural anomalies in utero. This demonstrates the degree to which fetal imaging is limited in its ability to reassure parents of the absence of a fetal genetic syndrome. © 2026 The Author(s). Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Humans↗