Two almost complete and gapless genomes of the sex-changing central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) are published back-to-back to help tackle the mystery of reptile sex determination.

The University of Missouri-led study uncovers how a variation in a natural substance called lignin supports natural environmental adaptation and improved bioenergy production.

Roads, buildings and farms are preventing Michigan’s only rattlesnake from finding mates outside of their population. A 15-year study shows that fragmentation into smaller, more isolated patches is likely reducing the threatened snake’s chances of survival. Michigan State University conservation biologists traced the family histories of more than 1,000 Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes caught and released in a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-funded project. The new findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, surprised even the researchers – the most inbred snakes were 13% less likely to have surviving offspring and had a nearly 12% lower annual survival rate. 

Just as smart traffic management ensures smooth vehicular movement during peak hours, our body relies on a molecular traffic system to manage the surge in glucose levels after a meal. Pancreatic β-cells play a major role in this system by taking up glucose from the blood and triggering insulin release into the bloodstream. Inside these cells, glucose uptake is managed by glucose transporters (GLUTs) – proteins that move to the β-cell surface when blood glucose levels rise and facilitate the entry of glucose into the cell to kickstart insulin release. A new study from the Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics (DBG), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), shows how this process falters in Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and how restoring it could open new therapeutic avenues. The work, carried out by the lab of Nikhil Gandasi, Assistant Professor in DBG, is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

On Japan’s desert islands, researchers uncovered a peculiar bathroom ritual among seabirds. Reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on August 18, the team found that streaked shearwaters (Calonectris leucomelas) poop while flying—not while floating on water—and they do so every 4 to 10 minutes. This habit may help the birds stay clean and fertilize the ocean below. 

Until recently, the color variations observed in the petals of Saintpaulia were attributed to periclinal chimera or the influence of genetically distinct cell layers. Now, a new study by researchers from Japan has identified a single gene called SiMYB2 that regulates petal colors in Saintpaulia by producing two distinct mRNA transcripts. This study lays the foundation for future horticulture-related research and can aid the deliberate breeding of patterned flowers.