Identifying genes associated with SNPs in noncoding regions is difficult as the SNPs are often located far from the promoters they impact. Cross-species comparison of sites occupied by the insulating protein CTCF reveals conserved boundaries between genes often associated with disease. Multiple sclerosis–associated SNPs occur in the GFI1-EVI5 genomic region near several constitutively bound CTCF sites, enabling the authors to propose GFI1 as the gene linked to MS instead of the previously suggested EVI5.

RNF8 is an E3 ligase that functions in the DNA damage response by promoting the ubiquitination of histone proteins at double-strand breaks. Now, analysis of mice with a double knockout of RNF8 and the related E3 ligase Chfr reveals that these two proteins collaborate to activate ATM via ubiquitination of H2B and consequent recruitment of MRG15, a component of HAT complexes, resulting in histone H4 Lys16 acetylation and chromatin relaxation.

Myosin X is involved in cytoskeletal processes including the extension of filopodia. It is now found that the tail of this myosin can inhibit motor activity in a manner that is antagonized by binding of PIP₃, which also promotes dimer formation. Interfering with PIP₃ binding affects myosin X translocation in vivo, suggesting that lipids regulate the activity of this motor.

G-quadruplexes form from G rich sequences and have previously been suggested to be involved in various aspects of mRNA metabolism. The structure of an RNA quadruplex-duplex junction in complex with an Arg-Gly-rich peptide from Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) now reveals an unprecedented RNA scaffold and principles underlying its specific recognition.