In this week's Nature Genetics, an international research team presents the discovery of genetic variants within a fetus' genome that influence the risk of preeclampsia in the mother. The scientists performed a genome-wide association study of children of preeclamptic pregnancies and found two novel variants near the FLT1 gene that were significantly associated with the condition. Notably, FLT1 encodes a receptor mediating the formation of new blood vessels, and previous studies have implicated a form of this receptor in preeclampsia pathology. GenomeWeb has more on this, here.
Also in Nature Genetics, a Decode Genetics team publishes a study identifying a new gene associated with psychosis. They used whole-genome sequencing and long-range phasing to study a family in Iceland with 10 members who have experienced symptoms of psychosis, and discovered a disrupting mutation in the RBM12 gene in all the affected individuals. A different RBM12 mutation was also found in a family in Finland with members who had experienced psychosis, providing strong evidence of a link between the gene and the disorder. GenomeWeb also covers this, here.