Cover image

The image depicts RNA sequencing data rendered in the Korean style of painting called Sumukhwa. The three ranges of mountains are derived from genome browser tracks for the Med22 gene displaying RNA transcripts from chromatin-associated (foreground), nucleoplasmic (middle), and cytoplasmic (background) fractions. Many introns are excised almost immediately after transcription, creating read gaps depicted as water paths between the mountain peaks (right). Some introns are processed more slowly, generating RNA sequencing reads that can be observed in the chromatin-associated fraction, where the intron reads almost equal the flanking exon reads (left portion in the nearest mountain range). This intron is seen to be more fully spliced in the RNA released into the nucleoplasmic and cytoplasmic fractions where one observes higher exon peaks in the more distant ranges. The boat person is exploring this dynamic and beautiful RNA world. (Cover illustration drawn by Yimkyoung Lee [Sunhwa Arts High School, Seoul, South Korea] and Kyumin Yeom [Seoul, South Korea], based on a concept by Kyu-Hyeon Yeom. [For details, see Yeom et al., pp. 1106–1119.])