The Koren Lab
Genomics of DNA Replication Timing and Mutagenesis
On the cover: In this issue of Cell, Haradhvala et al. (pp. 538–549) show that strand asymmetries of somatic mutations in cancer sequencing data can be used to explore the interactions between DNA damage and repair processes and RNA transcription and DNA replication. Using this finding, they shed light on the activities of mismatch repair, APOBEC-family DNA editing, and transcription-associated sense-strand DNA damage. In the image, a crab (a zodiac symbol and Latin meaning of the word “cancer”) represents mutagenic processes acting on DNA. The dramatically different sizes of its claws symbolize the asymmetric treatment given to the two DNA strands (represented by the green seaweed). The flowers on the seaweed that has passed through the crab's large claw represent damaged sites on the DNA. Artwork by Esther Rheinbay, Julian Hess, and Amnon Koren. Fiddler crab photo by The Southeastern Regional Taxonomic Center, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.