The differentiation of primordial germ cells (PGCs) occurs during early embryonic
development and is critical for the survival and fitness of sexually reproducing species. Here …

Repetitive DNA in humans is still widely considered to be meaningless, and variations within
this part of the genome are generally considered to be harmless to the carrier. In contrast, for …

L1 retrotransposon-derived sequences comprise approximately 17% of the human genome.
Darwinian selective pressures alter L1 genomic distributions during evolution, confounding …

Germline mutation rates in humans have been estimated for a variety of mutation types,
including single-nucleotide and large structural variants. Here, we directly measure the …

The major advantage of mRNA vaccines over more conventional approaches is their
potential for rapid development and large-scale deployment in pandemic situations. In the …

Retrotransposons are transposable elements (TEs) capable of “jumping” in germ, embryonic
and tumor cells and, as is now clearly established, in the neuronal lineage. Mosaic TE …

Maintenance of genome integrity in the germline and in preimplantation embryos is crucial
for mammalian development. Epigenetic remodeling during primordial germ cell (PGC) and …

The separation of germ cell populations from the soma is part of the evolutionary transition to
multicellularity. Only genetic information present in the germ cells will be inherited by future …

Psychiatric disorders exhibit an enormous burden on the health care systems worldwide
accounting for around one-third of years lost due to disability among adults. Their etiology is …

LINE1 retrotransposons are mobile DNA elements that copy and paste themselves into new
sites in the genome. To ensure their evolutionary success, heritable new LINE-1 insertions …