mutation rate

Epigenetic structures appear to reduce the rate of changes in genes essential for survival and reproduction, a study finds, challenging the notion that mutations are evenly distributed throughout the genome prior to selection.

The genomes of the children of people exposed to fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear accident appear to carry no trace of the incident.

Cells found in different branches of a tree have different patterns of DNA methylation, changes in which accumulate over time.

Whole-genome sequencing reveals a wide range of UV-induced DNA changes in human skin cells, and lighter skin collects more mutations, sometimes to “sky high” levels.

Researchers determined that the incidence of new genetic mutations is comparable in people of different ancestries, but lower in Amish people.

Colorectal tumor cells limit their DNA repair in response to a targeted therapy, giving them a greater chance to develop resistance to the drug.

Four ways to study mutation rate, a crucial statistic in studies of evolution

The deadly fungus Cryptococcus deuterogattii harbors a genetic tweak that propels its mutation rate and allows it to rapidly develop antifungal resistance.

An estimate derived from fertility rates concludes that at least 75 percent of our DNA has no critical utility.

A follow-up study confirms that random mutations acquired during normal stem cell division likely play a major role in cancer incidence.

The mutation rate in induced pluripotent stem cells is 10 times lower than in somatic cells, scientists show.

Generation-spanning maps of Arabidopsis thaliana DNA methylation allow researchers to compute how quickly epigenetic marks appear and disappear in the plant’s genome.

A study suggests that the virus may not be evolving as quickly as a previous group estimated.

An analysis of 31 tissues finds that random mutations acquired during stem cell divisions correlate with lifetime cancer risk.  

Researchers reveal why analyses of cancer-causing mutations are riddled with false positives and demonstrate a new approach that eliminates the problem.

Researchers find organisms with huge genomes with high mutation rates, overturning a common expectation in evolutionary biology.

New research suggests that the average person has about 20 genes with loss-of-function mutations—many more than previously suspected.

Irradiated sperm of young male mice induce mutations in eggs upon fertilization, a phenomenon that may pose risks for the children of cancer survivors.