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Eyewitness misidentification accounts for 70% of verified erroneous convictions. To address this alarming phenomenon, research has focused on factors that influence likelihood of correct identification, such as the manner in which a lineup is conducted. Traditional lineups rely on overt eyewitness responses that confound two covert factors: strength of recognition memory and the criterion for deciding what memory strength is sufficient for identification. Here we describe a lineup that permits estimation of memory strength independent of decision criterion. Our procedure employs powerful techniques developed in studies of perception and memory: perceptual scaling and signal detection analysis. Using these tools, we scale memory strengths elicited by lineup faces, and quantify performance of a binary classifier tasked with distinguishing perpetrator from innocent suspect. This approach reveals structure of memory inaccessible using traditional lineups and renders accurate identifications uninfluenced by decision bias. The approach furthermore yields a quantitative index of individual eyewitness performance., Eyewitness errors contribute to wrongful convictions. Here, the authors present a lineup procedure that reveals the structure of eyewitness memory, reduces decision bias, and measures performance of individual witnesses.

The primary motor cortex (M1) is essential for voluntary fine-motor control and is functionally conserved across mammals1. Here, using high-throughput transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of more than 450,000 single nuclei in humans, marmoset monkeys and mice, we demonstrate a broadly conserved cellular makeup of this region, with similarities that mirror evolutionary distance and are consistent between the transcriptome and epigenome. The core conserved molecular identities of neuronal and non-neuronal cell types allow us to generate a cross-species consensus classification of cell types, and to infer conserved properties of cell types across species. Despite the overall conservation, however, many species-dependent specializations are apparent, including differences in cell-type proportions, gene expression, DNA methylation and chromatin state. Few cell-type marker genes are conserved across species, revealing a short list of candidate genes and regulatory mechanisms that are responsible for conserved features of homologous cell types, such as the GABAergic chandelier cells. This consensus transcriptomic classification allows us to use patch–seq (a combination of whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, RNA sequencing and morphological characterization) to identify corticospinal Betz cells from layer 5 in non-human primates and humans, and to characterize their highly specialized physiology and anatomy. These findings highlight the robust molecular underpinnings of cell-type diversity in M1 across mammals, and point to the genes and regulatory pathways responsible for the functional identity of cell types and their species-specific adaptations., An examination of motor cortex in humans, marmosets and mice reveals a generally conserved cellular makeup that is likely to extend to many mammalian species, but also differences in gene expression, DNA methylation and chromatin state that lead to species-dependent specializations.

The primary motor cortex (M1) is essential for voluntary fine motor control and is functionally conserved across mammals. Using high-throughput transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of over 450,000 single nuclei in human, marmoset monkey, and mouse, we demonstrate a broadly conserved cellular makeup of this region, whose similarity mirrors evolutionary distance and is consistent between the transcriptome and epigenome. The core conserved molecular identity of neuronal and non-neuronal types allowed the generation of a cross-species consensus cell type classification and inference of conserved cell type properties across species. Despite overall conservation, many species specializations were apparent, including differences in cell type proportions, gene expression, DNA methylation, and chromatin state. Few cell type marker genes were conserved across species, providing a short list of candidate genes and regulatory mechanisms responsible for conserved features of homologous cell types, such as the GABAergic chandelier cells. This consensus transcriptomic classification allowed the Patch-seq identification of layer 5 (L5) corticospinal Betz cells in non-human primate and human and characterization of their highly specialized physiology and anatomy. These findings highlight the robust molecular underpinnings of cell type diversity in M1 across mammals and point to the genes and regulatory pathways responsible for the functional identity of cell types and their species-specific adaptations.

Summary Tumor heterogeneity is a major barrier to effective cancer diagnosis and treatment. We recently identified cancer-specific differentially DNA-methylated regions (cDMRs) in colon cancer, which also distinguish normal tissue types from each other, suggesting that these cDMRs might be generalized across cancer types. Here we show stochastic methylation variation of the same cDMRs, distinguishing cancer from normal, in colon, lung, breast, thyroid, and Wilms tumors, with intermediate variation in adenomas. Whole genome bisulfite sequencing shows these variable cDMRs are related to loss of sharply delimited methylation boundaries at CpG islands. Furthermore, we find hypomethylation of discrete blocks encompassing half the genome, with extreme gene expression variability. Genes associated with the cDMRs and large blocks are involved in mitosis and matrix remodeling, respectively. These data suggest a model for cancer involving loss of epigenetic stability of well-defined genomic domains that underlies increased methylation variability in cancer and could contribute to tumor heterogeneity.

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare and fatal human premature ageing disease, characterized by premature arteriosclerosis and degeneration of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). HGPS is caused by a single point mutation in the lamin A (LMNA) gene, resulting in the generation of progerin, a truncated splicing mutant of lamin A. Accumulation of progerin leads to various ageing-associated nuclear defects including disorganization of nuclear lamina and loss of heterochromatin. Here we report the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblasts obtained from patients with HGPS. HGPS-iPSCs show absence of progerin, and more importantly, lack the nuclear envelope and epigenetic alterations normally associated with premature ageing. Upon differentiation of HGPS-iPSCs, progerin and its ageing-associated phenotypic consequences are restored. Specifically, directed differentiation of HGPS-iPSCs to SMCs leads to the appearance of premature senescence phenotypes associated with vascular ageing. Additionally, our studies identify DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNAPKcs, also known as PRKDC) as a downstream target of progerin. The absence of nuclear DNAPK holoenzyme correlates with premature as well as physiological ageing. Because progerin also accumulates during physiological ageing, our results provide an in vitro iPSC-based model to study the pathogenesis of human premature and physiological vascular ageing.

TET dioxygenases successively oxidize 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in mammalian genomes to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). 5fC/5caC can be excised and repaired to regenerate unmodified cytosines by thymine-DNA glycosylase (TDG) and base excision repair (BER) pathway, but it is unclear to what extent and at which part of the genome this active demethylation process takes place. Here, we have generated genome-wide distribution maps of 5hmC/5fC/5caC using modification-specific antibodies in wild-type and Tdg-deficient mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). In wild-type mouse ESCs, 5fC/5caC accumulates to detectable levels at major satellite repeats but not at non-repetitive loci. In contrast, Tdg depletion in mouse ESCs causes marked accumulation of 5fC and 5caC at a large number of proximal and distal gene regulatory elements. Thus, these results reveal the first genome-wide view of iterative 5mC oxidation dynamics and indicate that TET/TDG-dependent active DNA demethylation process occurs extensively in the mammalian genome.

Ten-eleven translocation (Tet) family of DNA dioxygenases converts 5-methylcytosine (5mC) into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC) through iterative oxidation reactions. While 5mC and 5hmC are relatively abundant, 5fC and 5caC are at very low levels in the mammalian genome. Thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) and base excision repair (BER) pathways can actively remove 5fC/5caC to regenerate unmethylated cytosine, but it is unclear to what extent and at which part of the genome such active demethylation processes take place. Here, we have performed high-throughput sequencing analysis of 5mC/5hmC/5fC/5caC-enriched DNA using modification-specific antibodies and generated genome-wide distribution maps of these cytosine modifications in wild-type and Tdg-deficient mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We observe that the steady state 5fC and 5caC are preferentially detected at repetitive sequences in wild-type mouse ESCs. Depletion of TDG causes marked accumulation of 5fC and 5caC at a large number of distal gene regulatory elements and transcriptionally repressed/poised gene promoters, suggesting that Tet/TDG-dependent dynamic cycling of 5mC oxidation states may be involved in regulating the function of these regions. Thus, comprehensive mapping of 5mC oxidation and BER pathway activity in the mammalian genome provides a promising approach for better understanding of biological roles of DNA methylation and demethylation dynamics in development and diseases.

Meiosis is a germ-cell-specific cell division process through which haploid gametes are produced for sexual reproduction. Before the initiation of meiosis, mouse primordial germ cells undergo a series of epigenetic reprogramming steps, including the global erasure of DNA methylation at the 5-position of cytosine (5mC) in CpG-rich DNA. However, the 5mC dynamics and its relationship with the generation of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) during the reprogramming process are not clear. Here we analyzed the dynamics of 5mC and 5hmC during PGC reprograming. Unexpectedly, we found a “blank period” (E8.5-9.5) in which both 5mC and 5hmC are low. After that, 5hmC level increases and reaches its peak at E10.5 and gradually decreases until E13.5. Interestingly, 5hmC is enriched in chromocenter during this period in a Tet1 -dependent manner. While this germ cell-specific 5hmC subnuclear localization pattern is maintained in female germ cells till mature oocytes, such pattern is gradually lost in male germ cells as mitosis resumes at neonatal stage. Using a loss-of-function approach in mice, we show that Tet1 has an important role in regulating meiosis in mouse oocytes. Tet1 deficiency significantly reduces female germ-cell numbers and fertility. Univalent chromosomes and unresolved DNA double-strand breaks are also observed in Tet1-deficient oocytes. Tet1 deficiency does not greatly affect the genome-wide demethylation, but leads to defective DNA demethylation and decreased expression of a subset of meiotic genes. Our study thus not only reveals the dynamics of 5mC and 5hmC during PGC reprogramming, but also demonstrate a function for Tet1 in meiosis and meiotic gene activation in female germ cells.