The human genome holds an extraordinary trove of information about human development, physiology, medicine and evolution. Here we report the results of an international collaboration to produce and make freely available a draft sequence of the human genome. We also present an initial analysis of the data, describing some of the insights that can be gleaned from the sequence.

The higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) is an important model for identifying plant genes and determining their function. To assist biological investigations and to define chromosome structure, a coordinated effort to sequence the Arabidopsis genome was initiated in late 1996. Here we report one of the first milestones of this project, the sequence of chromosome 4. Analysis of 17.38 megabases of unique sequence, representing about 17% of the genome, reveals 3,744 protein coding genes, 81 transfer RNAs and numerous repeat elements. Heterochromatic regions surrounding the putative centromere, which has not yet been completely sequenced, are characterized by an increased frequency of a variety of repeats, new repeats, reduced recombination, lowered gene density and lowered gene expression. Roughly 60% of the predicted protein-coding genes have been functionally characterized on the basis of their homology to known genes. Many genes encode predicted proteins that are homologous to human and Caenorhabditis elegans proteins.

Key Points Question Are patients with hepatitis C who receive direct-acting antivirals at increased risk for adverse events compared with those who do not receive these agents? Findings In this cohort study of 33 808 patients in 3 health systems, direct-acting antiviral exposure was associated with lower odds of experiencing the following adverse events: death, multiple organ failure, hepatic decompensation, acute-on-chronic liver event, and arrhythmia. Meaning Concerns about safety risks based on analyses of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Events Reporting System did not appear to be confirmed, suggesting that dispensed direct-acting antivirals may be safe for patients with hepatitis C.

The Protein Structure Initiative Material Repository (PSI-MR; http://psimr.asu.edu) provides centralized storage and distribution for the protein expression plasmids created by PSI researchers. These plasmids are a resource that allows the research community to dissect the biological function of proteins whose structures have been identified by the PSI. The plasmid annotation, which includes the full length sequence, vector information and associated publications, is stored in a freely available, searchable database called DNASU (http://dnasu.asu.edu). Each PSI plasmid is also linked to a variety of additional resources, which facilitates cross-referencing of a particular plasmid to protein annotations and experimental data. Plasmid samples can be requested directly through the website. We have also developed a novel strategy to avoid the most common concern encountered when distributing plasmids namely, the complexity of material transfer agreement (MTA) processing and the resulting delays this causes. The Expedited Process MTA, in which we created a network of institutions that agree to the terms of transfer in advance of a material request, eliminates these delays. Our hope is that by creating a repository of expression-ready plasmids and expediting the process for receiving these plasmids, we will help accelerate the accessibility and pace of scientific discovery.

DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used specifically to detect the mycoplasma‐like organism (MLO) associated with lethal yellowing disease of palms in Florida. For PCR, a pair of oligonucleotide primers was synthesized according to partial sequences of a cloned 1·3 kbp fragment of lethal yellowing MLO‐specific genomic DNA isolated from a diseased windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei). A DNA product of about 1 kbp was specifically amplified by PCR in reaction mixtures containing template DNA derived from either heart, inflorescence or leaf tissues of lethal yellowing‐affected palms. PCR performed for 35 cycles with as little as 5 pg of DNA template, in some instances, was sufficient consistently to amplify the same lethal yellowing MLO DNA product from hearts of 11 species comprising 30 symptomatic palms. Similar reliable and reproducible detection of the lethal yellowing MLO in palm inflorescence spikelets was also achieved after 35 cycles of PCR. When template DNA for PCR was derived from tissues of the the most immature emerging leaf, a 40‐cycle reaction was sufficient for consistent foliar detection of the pathogen in all coconut palms including palms with earliest visible symptoms of disease.