Biology & Life Sciences

Understanding Images

Published May 30, 2019 Curated Collections

Understanding Images is a collection of posts and articles from a PLOS Genetics blog series. The aim of the series is to showcase the research that created or inspired the journal's cover image, and explain how the image helps us to understand the research question addressed in the manuscript.

Image Credit: Yuan and colleagues

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Identifying a novel gene involved in hair disorders
Chimeric sugar transporters bring Greek mythology to the brewing industry
Identifying lethal mutations to improve pig breeding
Traffic jam causes immune cell road rage
How dispersal shapes spatial patterns of genetic diversity
Shedding light on nuclear size control
Challenging the Wnt signaling dogma
Human nose shape and climate adaptation
A Canine Model of Juvenile Dermatomyositis
How genetic makeup of a ‘roommate’ can influence health
Animal fertility governed by small non-coding RNAs
MicroRNAs Control Molting of Locusts
Coat of Invisibility – How Trypanosoma brucei Evades Recognition
Watching New Species Evolve in Real-Time
How do Cells Make Invasive Feet?
Host Gender and the Response to Fungal Infection
How Butterflies ‘Wink’ Only Some of their Eyespots in Response to Temperature
Seeing Myopia for What it is - Potentially Treatable
Plants Limit Crossovers
A Genetic Framework in Legumes Controls Infection of Nodules
microRNAs Contribute to Hair Loss and Follicle Regression
Golden Retrievers Contribute to Cancer Research
A Giant Single-Celled Plant
Keeping up in the Wonderland of Human Evolution
Under the Skin of PLOS Genetics’ October Issue Image

Identifying a novel gene involved in hair disorders

Image credit
Understanding Images: Identifying a novel gene involved in hair disorders | PLOS Biologue

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Identifying a novel gene involved in hair disorders | PLOS Biologue
July 16, 2019 Prashant Sharma
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1008143

PLOS Genetics Biallelic HEPHL1 variants impair ferroxidase activity and cause an abnormal hair phenotype
May 24, 2019 Prashant Sharma, Marie Reichert, Yan Lu, Thomas C. Markello, David R. Adams, Peter J. Steinbach, Brie K. Fuqua, Xenia Parisi, Stephen G. Kaler, Christopher D. Vulpe, Gregory J. Anderson, William A. Gahl, May Christine V. Malicdan

Chimeric sugar transporters bring Greek mythology to the brewing industry

Image credit
EmilyClare Baker

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Chimeric sugar transporters bring Greek mythology to the brewing industry | PLOS Biologue
May 29, 2019 EmilyClare P. Baker
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1007786

PLOS Genetics Evolution of a novel chimeric maltotriose transporter in Saccharomyces eubayanus from parent proteins unable to perform this function
April 4, 2019 EmilyClare P. Baker, Chris Todd Hittinger

Identifying lethal mutations to improve pig breeding

Image credit
Anatolii Tsekhmister

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Identifying lethal mutations to improve pig breeding | PLOS Biologue
April 17, 2019 Martijn F. L. Derks
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1008055

PLOS Genetics Loss of function mutations in essential genes cause embryonic lethality in pigs
March 15, 2019 Martijn F. L. Derks, Arne B. Gjuvsland, Mirte Bosse, Marcos S. Lopes, Maren van Son, Barbara Harlizius, Beatrice F. Tan, Hanne Hamland, Eli Grindflek, Martien A. M. Groenen, Hendrik-Jan Megens

Traffic jam causes immune cell road rage

Image credit
Steven J. Del Signore, Brandeis University.

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Traffic jam causes immune cell road rage

February 23, 2018 Steven J. Del Signore and Avital A. Rodal
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1007052

PLOS Genetics dOCRL maintains immune cell quiescence by regulating endosomal traffic
October 13, 2017 Steven J. Del Signore, Sarah A. Biber, Katherine S. Lehmann, Stephanie R. Heimler, Benjamin H. Rosenfeld, Tania L. Eskin, Sean T. Sweeney, Avital A. Rodal

How dispersal shapes spatial patterns of genetic diversity

Image credit
Reed Bowman, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, Florida, United States of America

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: How dispersal shapes spatial patterns of genetic diversity

October 19, 2017 Stepfanie M. Aguillon and Nancy Chen
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1006911

PLOS Genetics Deconstructing isolation-by-distance: The genomic consequences of limited dispersal
August 3, 2017 Stepfanie M. Aguillon, John W. Fitzpatrick, Reed Bowman, Stephan J. Schoech, Andrew G. Clark, Graham Coop, Nancy Chen

Shedding light on nuclear size control

Image credit
Kazunori Kume, Hiroshima University

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Shedding light on nuclear size control

September 13, 2017 Kazunori Kume and Helena Cantwell
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10.1371/journal.pgen.1006767

PLOS Genetics A systematic genomic screen implicates nucleocytoplasmic transport and membrane growth in nuclear size control
May 18, 2017 Kazunori Kume, Helena Cantwell, Frank R. Neumann, Andrew W. Jones, Ambrosius P. Snijders, Paul Nurse

Challenging the Wnt signaling dogma

Image credit
Alexandra Franz

PLOS Biologue
Understanding Images: Challenging the Wnt signaling dogma
July 3, 2017 Alexandra Franz
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1006700

PLOS Genetics Probing the canonicity of the Wnt/Wingless signaling pathway
April 3, 2017 Alexandra Franz, Daria Shlyueva, Erich Brunner, Alexander Stark, Konrad Basler

Human nose shape and climate adaptation

Image credit
PLOS

reddit
PLOS Science Wednesday: Arslan A. Zaidi and Mark D. Shriver were the featured hosts of this associated reddit AMA.

May 3, 2017 Arslan A. Zaidi, Mark D. Shriver
Image credit
Arslan A. Zaidi

PLOS Biologue
Understanding Images: Human nose shape and climate adaptation

June 5, 2017 Arslan A. Zaidi
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1006616

PLOS Genetics Investigating the case of human nose shape and climate adaptation
March 16, 2017 Arslan A. Zaidi, Brooke C. Mattern, Peter Claes, Brian McEcoy, Cris Hughes, Mark D. Shriver

A Canine Model of Juvenile Dermatomyositis

Image credit
Lex Gatineau

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: A Canine Model of Juvenile Dermatomyositis
March 31, 2017 Leigh Ann Clark
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1006604

PLOS Genetics Beyond the MHC: A canine model of dermatomyositis shows a complex pattern of genetic risk involving novel loci
February 3, 2017 Jacquelyn M. Evans, Rooksana E. Noorai, Kate L. Tsai, Alison N. Starr-Moss, Cody M. Hill, Kendall J. Anderson, Thomas R. Famula, Leigh Anne Clark

How genetic makeup of a ‘roommate’ can influence health

Image credit
Spencer Phillips

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: How genetic makeup of a ‘roommate’ can influence health
March 16, 2017 Amelie Baud
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1006498

PLOS Genetics Genetic Variation in the Social Environment Contributes to Health and Disease
January 25, 2017 Amelie Baud, Megan K. Mulligan, Francesco Paolo Casale, Jesse F. Ingels, Casey J. Bohl, Jacques Callebert, Jean-Marie Launay, Jon Krohn, Andres Legarra, Robert W. Williams, Oliver Stegle

Animal fertility governed by small non-coding RNAs

Image credit
Jonathon D. Klein and Victoria Frohlich

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Animal fertility governed by small non-coding RNAs | PLOS Biologue
November 17, 2016 Jamy C. Peng
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1006281

PLOS Genetics c-Fos Repression by Piwi Regulates Drosophila Ovarian Germline Formation and Tissue Morphogenesis
September 13, 2016 Jonathon D. Klein, Chunxu Qu, Xiaoyang Yang, Yiping Fan, Chunlao Tang, Jamy C. Peng

MicroRNAs Control Molting of Locusts

Image credit
Le Kang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: MicroRNAs Control Molting of Locusts | PLOS Biologue
November 4, 2016 Meiling Yang
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1006257

PLOS Genetics miR-71 and miR-263 Jointly Regulate Target Genes Chitin synthase and Chitinase to Control Locust Molting
August 17, 2016 Meiling Yang, Yanli Wang, Feng Jiang, Tianqi Song, Huimin Wang, Qing Liu, Jie Zhang, Jianzhen Zhang, Le Kang

Coat of Invisibility – How Trypanosoma brucei Evades Recognition

Image credit
Mark Field, University of Cambridge

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Coat of Invisibility – How Trypanosoma brucei Evades Recognition
July 5, 2016 Galadriel Hovel-Miner
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1005994

PLOS Genetics A Conserved DNA Repeat Promotes Selection of a Diverse Repertoire of Trypanosoma brucei Surface Antigens from the Genomic Archive
May 5, 2016 Galadriel Hovel-Miner, Monica R. Mugnier, Benjamin Goldwater, George A. M. Cross, F. Nina Papavasiliou

Watching New Species Evolve in Real-Time

Image credit
David A. Marques, Eawag and University of Bern, Switzerland

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Watching New Species Evolve in Real Time
March 31, 2016 David A. Marques
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10.1371/journal.pgen.1005887

PLOS Genetics Genomics of Rapid Incipient Speciation in Sympatric Threespine Stickleback
February 29, 2016 David A. Marques, Kay Lucek, Joana I. Meier, Salome Mwaiko, Catherine E. Wagner, Laurent Excoffier, Ole Seehausen

How do Cells Make Invasive Feet?

Image credit
Matthew Clay, Sherwood Lab, Duke University

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: How do Cells Make Invasive Feet?
February 29, 2016 David R. Sherwood
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1005786

PLOS Genetics A Sensitized Screen for Genes Promoting Invadopodia Function In Vivo: CDC-42 and Rab GDI-1 Direct Distinct Aspects of Invadopodia Formation
January 14, 2016 Lauren L. Lohmer, Matthew R. Clay, Kaleb M. Naegeli, Qiuyi Chi, Joshua W. Ziel, Elliott J. Hagedorn, Jieun E. Park, Ranjay Jayadev, David R. Sherwood

Host Gender and the Response to Fungal Infection

Image credit
Martin C. Fischer

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Host Gender and the Response to Fungal Infection
November 10, 2015 Niklaus Zemp and Alex Widmer
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1005536

PLOS Genetics Fungal Infection Induces Sex-Specific Transcriptional Changes and Alters Sexual Dimorphism in the Dioecious Plant Silene latifolia
October 8, 2015 Niklaus Zemp, Raquel Tavares, Alex Widmer

How Butterflies ‘Wink’ Only Some of their Eyespots in Response to Temperature

Image credit
Monteiro et al.

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: How Butterflies ‘Wink’ Only Some of their Eyespots in Response to Temperature
October 15, 2015 Antónia Monteiro
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10.1371/journal.pgen.1005529

PLOS Genetics Differential Expression of Ecdysone Receptor Leads to Variation in Phenotypic Plasticity across Serial Homologs
September 25, 2015 Antónia Monteiro, Xiaoling Tong, Ashley Bear, Seng Fatt Liew, Shivam Bhardwaj, Bethany R. Wasik, April Dinwiddie, Carole Bastianelli, Wei Fun Cheong, Markus R. Wenk, Hui Cao, Kathleen L. Prudic

Seeing Myopia for What it is - Potentially Treatable

Image credit
Andrei V. Tkatchenko

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Seeing Myopia for What it is- Potentially Treatable
September 11, 2015 Andrei V. Tkatchenko
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10.1371/journal.pgen.1005432

PLOS Genetics APLP2 Regulates Refractive Error and Myopia Development in Mice and Humans
August 27, 2015 Andrei V. Tkatchenko, Tatiana V. Tkatchenko, Jeremy A. Guggenheim, Virginie J. M. Verhoeven, Pirro G. Hysi, Robert Wojciechowski, Pawan Kumar Singh, Ashok Kumar, Gopal Thinakaran, Consortium for Refractive Error and Myopia (CREAM) , Cathy Williams
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Andrei V. Tkatchenko

Storify #APLP2myoppia Tweetchat
October 22, 2015 PLOS Genetics

Plants Limit Crossovers

Image credit
Javier Varas

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Plants Limit Crossovers
August 20, 2015 Javier Varas and Mónica Pradillo
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1005301

PLOS Genetics Analysis of the Relationships between DNA Double-Strand Breaks, Synaptonemal Complex and Crossovers Using the Atfas1-4 Mutant
July 6, 2015 Javier Varas, Eugenio Sánchez-Morán, Gregory P. Copenhaver, Juan L. Santos, Mónica Pradillo

A Genetic Framework in Legumes Controls Infection of Nodules

Image credit
Rafal Zgadzaj

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: A Genetic Framework in Legumes Controls Infection of Nodules
July 31, 2015 Simon Kelly and Simona Radutoiu
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10.1371/journal.pgen.1005280

PLOS Genetics A Legume Genetic Framework Controls Infection of Nodules by Symbiotic and Endophytic Bacteria
June 4, 2015 Rafal Zgadzaj, Euan K. James, Simon Kelly, Yasuyuki Kawaharada, Nadieh de Jonge, Dorthe B. Jensen, Lene H. Madsen, Simona Radutoiu

microRNAs Contribute to Hair Loss and Follicle Regression

Image credit
Yuan and colleagues

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: microRNAs Contribute to Hair Loss and Follicle Regression
June 16, 2015 Zhengquan Yu
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1005253

PLOS Genetics Post-transcriptional Regulation of Keratinocyte Progenitor Cell Expansion, Differentiation and Hair Follicle Regression by miR-22
May 28, 2015 Shukai Yuan, Feifei Li, Qingyong Meng, Yiqiang Zhao, Lei Chen, Hongquan Zhang, Lixiang Xue, Xiuqing Zhang, Christopher Lengner, Zhengquan Yu

Golden Retrievers Contribute to Cancer Research

Image credit
Mike Lappin

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Golden Retrievers Contribute to Cancer Research
March 27, 2015 Kerstin Lindblad-Toh
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1004922

PLOS Genetics Genome-wide Association Study Identifies Shared Risk Loci Common to Two Malignancies in Golden Retrievers
February 2, 2015 Noriko Tonomura, Rachael Thomas, Kate Megquier, Jason Turner-Maier, Cedric Howald, Aaron L. Sarver, Ross Swofford, Aric M. Frantz, Daisuke Ito, Evan Mauceli, Maja Arendt, Hyun Ji Noh, Michele Koltookian, Tara Biagi, Sarah Fryc, Christina Williams, Anne C. Avery, Jong-Hyuk Kim, Lisa Barber, Kristine Burgess, Eric S. Lander, Elinor K. Karlsson, Chieko Azuma, Jaime F. Modiano, Matthew Breen, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Ingegerd Elvers

A Giant Single-Celled Plant

Image credit
Daniel H. Chitwood.

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: A Giant Single-Celled Plant
February 13, 2015 Daniel H. Chitwood
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1004900

PLOS Genetics An Intracellular Transcriptomic Atlas of the Giant Coenocyte Caulerpa taxifolia
January 8, 2015 Aashish Ranjan, Brad T. Townsley, Yasunori Ichihashi, Neelima R. Sinha, Daniel H. Chitwood

Keeping up in the Wonderland of Human Evolution

Image credit
Pauline Sémon

PLOS Biologue Understanding Images: Keeping up in the Wonderland of Human Evolution
December 2, 2014 Laurent Duret
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1004790

PLOS Genetics The Red Queen Model of Recombination Hotspots Evolution in the Light of Archaic and Modern Human Genomes
November 13, 2014 Yann Lesecque, Sylvain Glémin, Nicolas Lartillot, Dominique Mouchiroud, Laurent Duret

Under the Skin of PLOS Genetics’ October Issue Image

Image credit
Tia DiTommaso

PLOS Biologue Understanding images: Under the skin of PLOS Genetics’ October issue image
November 7, 2014 Ian Smyth and Tia DiTommaso
Image credit
10.1371/journal.pgen.1004706

PLOS Genetics Keratin 76 Is Required for Tight Junction Function and Maintenance of the Skin Barrier
October 23, 2014 Tia DiTommaso, Denny L. Cottle, Helen B. Pearson, Holger Schlüter, Pritinder Kaur, Patrick O. Humbert, Ian M. Smyth