#Study advances DNA revolution, tells butterflies evolutionary historyby tracing nearly 3000 genes to the earliest common ancestor of butterflies
The researchers identified 2696 genes by breaking down the DNA down and piecing it back together Kawahara said.
because many of the genes code for traits that make African rice resistant to environmental stress such as long periods of drought high salinity in the soils and flooding.
and move genes more rapidly through conventional breeding methods or through genetic modification techniques noted Wing who is also a member of the UA's BIO5 Institute and holds the Axa Endowed Chair of Genome Biology and Evolutionary Genomics at the International Rice Research
In analyzing the 33000 genes that make up the African rice genome the researchers discovered that during the process of domestication Africans
and have enabled since the discovery of hundreds of agriculturally important genes including genes that code for faster breeding cycles
One example he said would be adding disease resistance genes from all of the wild rice varieties to a species of cultivated rice creating a new super-crop that is resistant to diseases and pests.
Analyzing the RNA transcriptome shows which genes are active under different circumstances. The UC Davis team published a paper last year comparing the RNA transcripts of domestic tomato
Using the new genome data the researchers found genes related to dehydration resistance fruit development and fruit ripening.
They also found genes that contribute to volatile compounds related to fruit scent and flavor. The UC Davis portion of the work was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
The researchers say the pesticide may be affecting how genes are turned on and off in the progeny of an exposed animal even though its DNA and gene sequences remain unchanged.
This is called transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. In recent years the Skinner lab has documented epigenetic effects from a host of environmental toxicants including DDT plastics pesticides fungicides dioxins hydrocarbons and the plasticizer bisphenol-A or BPA.
which are governed by all kinds of genes. In order to bring them together in a cow in the best
and New hampshire cottontails to travel the large distances between fragmented habitats necessary to maintain gene flow among populations of cottontails Kovach said.
and used information about genetic relatedness to make estimates of gene flow. They identified four major genetic clusters of New england cottontails in the region.
This research which was funded in part by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station is presented in the article A multistate analysis of gene flow for the New england cottontail an imperiled habitat specialist in a fragmented landscape in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
We found that some bees are working very very hard--as we would have expected said University of Illinois Institute for Genomic Biology director Gene E. Robinson who led the research.
#Asian genes in European pigs result in more pigletspigs which are bred commercially in Europe are found to have varied a highly mosaic of different European and Asian gene variants.
The Asian genes in particular result in a large number of piglets in European pig breeds. In the latest issue of the science journal Nature Communications researchers from Wageningen University explain that a number of important characteristics of European pigs have Asian origins.
They previously demonstrated that the genetic diversity among commercial pigs is greater than within the existing populations of wild boar.
An example is the AHR gene of which many European pigs have the Asian version. Sows with the European gene have significantly fewer piglets than carriers of the Asian version.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Wageningen University and Research Centre. Note:
In the first experiment the scientists studied the relative abundances of gut-microbe genes in two groups of the creosote-eating Mojave woodrats.
DNA was isolated from the microbes to identify genes involved in detoxification. The scientists found that a woodrat's diet determines the composition of its gut microbes.
and grammar--were significantly heritable with genes accounting for about 43 percent of the overall twins'deficit.
#Chromosome-based draft of the wheat genome completedseveral Kansas State university researchers were essential in helping scientists assemble a draft of a genetic blueprint of bread wheat also known as common wheat.
which also includes faculty at Kansas State university recently published a chromosome-based draft sequence of wheat's genetic code
A chromosome-based draft sequence of the hexaploid bread wheat genome is one of four papers about the wheat genome that appear in the journal Science.
For the first time they have at their disposal a set of tools enabling them to rapidly locate specific genes on individual wheat chromosomes throughout the genome Akhunov said.
This resource is invaluable for identifying those genes that control complex traits such as yield grain quality disease pest resistance and abiotic stress tolerance.
Akhunov Shichen Wang a programmer and bioinformatics scientist in plant pathology and Jesse Poland assistant professor of plant pathology collaborated with the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium to order genes along the wheat chromosomes.
and director of the Wheat Genetics Resource Center and Bernd Friebe research professor who developed genetic material that was essential for obtaining the chromosome-based sequence of the wheat genome.
A second paper in Science details the first reference sequence of chromosome 3b the largest chromosome in common wheat.
The wheat genome only has 21 chromosomes but each chromosome is very big and therefore quite complicated Akhunov said.
The largest chromosome 3b has nearly 800 million letters in its genetic code. This is nearly three times more information than is in the entire rice genome.
So trying to sequence this chromosome --and this genome--end-to-end is complicated an extremely task. In order to analyze the vast amount of genetic information researchers used a technique called shotgun sequencing.
This divided the wheat genome into chromosomes and then split each chromosome into smaller segments.
Chromosomal segments were analyzed by short gene sequences and overlapping sequences were stitched together with computer software.
The chromosome-based daft sequence the critical step before the full wheat genome is sequenced Akhunov said.
The sequencing approach developed for the 3b chromosome can now be applied for sequencing the remaining chromosomes in wheat.
The consortium estimates the full genome sequence will be available in three years. The research is funded by the U s. Department of agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
#Scientists track gene activity when honey bees do and dont eat honey: Significant differences depending on dietmany beekeepers feed their honey bees sucrose
In a new study described in Scientific Reports researchers took a broad look at changes in gene activity in response to diet in the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera)
and Institute for Genomic Biology director Gene Robinson who performed the new analysis together with entomology graduate student Marsha Wheeler.
The researchers focused on gene activity in response to feeding with honey high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or sucrose.
They found that those bees fed honey had a very different profile of gene activity in the fat body than those relying on HFCS or sucrose.
Hundreds of genes showed differences in activity in honey bees consuming honey compared with those fed HFCS or sucrose.
Some of the genes that were activated differently in the honey-eating bees have been linked to protein metabolism brain-signaling and immune defense.
I. entomology professor and department head May Berenbaum who reported that some substances in honey increase the activity of genes that help the bees break down potentially toxic substances such as pesticides.
#Transplanting gene into injured hearts creates biological pacemakerscardiologists at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have developed a minimally invasive gene transplant procedure that changes unspecialized heart cells into biological pacemaker cells
It is possible that one day we might be able to save lives by replacing hardware with an injection of genes.
n and his team heralds a new era of gene therapy in which genes are used not only to correct a deficiency disorder
In the study laboratory pigs with complete heart block were injected with the gene called TBX18 during a minimally invasive catheter procedure.
On the second day after the gene was delivered to the animals'hearts pigs who received the gene had significantly faster heartbeats than pigs who did not receive the gene.
#Transplanting gene into injured hearts creates biological pacemakerscardiologists at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have developed a minimally invasive gene transplant procedure that changes unspecialized heart cells into biological pacemaker cells
It is possible that one day we might be able to save lives by replacing hardware with an injection of genes.
n and his team heralds a new era of gene therapy in which genes are used not only to correct a deficiency disorder
In the study laboratory pigs with complete heart block were injected with the gene called TBX18 during a minimally invasive catheter procedure.
On the second day after the gene was delivered to the animals'hearts pigs who received the gene had significantly faster heartbeats than pigs who did not receive the gene.
#Gene discovery could lead to better soybean varieties for northern United Statesresearchers from Purdue University
and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have discovered a soybean gene whose mutation affects plant stem growth a finding that could lead to the development of improved soybean cultivars for the northern United states. Purdue agronomy professor Jianxin Ma (pronounced Jen-SHIN'Ma)
and collaborators identified a gene known as Dt2 which causes semideterminacy in soybean plants. Semideterminate soybean plants--mid-size plants that continue vegetative growth even after flowering--can produce as many
This gene could help us improve the yield potential and adaptability of soybeans for specific growing areas Ma said.
Ma--who had identified previously Dt1 the gene that causes indeterminancy in soybeans--used an integrated genetic approach to isolate
After identifying the gene he inserted it into indeterminate cultivars to confirm that it caused the plants to become semideterminate.
#A-maize-ing double life of a genomeearly maize farmers selected for genes that improved the harvesting of sunlight a new detailed study of how plants use'doubles'of their genomes reveals.
They then traced how maize evolved to use these'copied'genes to cope with the pressures of domestication
They discovered that these copied genes were vital to optimizing photosynthesis in maize leaves and that early farmers selecting for them'fuelled'the transformation of maize into a high-yield crop.
'Although whole genome duplication events are widespread in plants finding evidence of exactly how plants use this new'toolbox'of copied genes is said very difficult Dr Steve Kelly of Oxford university's Department of Plant sciences
and after'of the associated genetic changes but with maize we can chart how these gene copies were acquired first then put to work
'Understanding the complete trajectory of duplication and how copied genes can transform a plant is relevant for current efforts to increase the photosynthetic efficiency of crops such as the C4 Rice Project c4rice. irri. org/.
and shows how human selection has sculpted'copies of genes to create one of the world's staple food sources.'
#Novel gene for salt tolerance found in wild soybeana team of researchers from The Chinese University of Hong kong BGI
and other institutes have identified a gene of wild soybean linked to salt tolerance with implication for improving this important crop to grow in saline soil.
Among the lost genes some may play important roles for the adaptation to different environments.
In this study scientists used wild soybean as a resource for investigating the valuable genes that adapt to certain environmental conditions They sequenced
and their previous germplasm re-sequencing data the team discovered a novel ion transporter gene Gmchx1
During the following rapid gain-of-function tests the gene Gmchx1 was conferred its function on salt tolerance
The authors assumed that the elimination of Gmchx1 in salt-sensitive germplasms may be an example of negative selection against a stress tolerance gene in unstressed environments.
The expression of stress tolerance genes may be an energy burden on the plant if the functions of these genes are required not.
Through this study researchers developed an efficient strategy using the combination of whole-genome de novo sequencing high-density-marker QTL mapping by re-sequencing and functional analyses
which could greatly enhance the efficiency of uncovering QTLS and genes for beneficial traits in crop breeding.
In a paper published in this weekâ##s early online edition of Nature they report the discovery of a new genetic pathway in plants made up of four genes from three different gene families that control the density
and genes by which CO2 represses stomatal pore developmentâ#says Schroeder. Working in a tiny mustard plant called Arabidopsis which is used as a genetic model
and shares many of the same genes as other plants and crops he and his team of biologists discovered that the proteins encoded by the four genes they discovered repress the development of stomata at elevated CO2 levels.
and genes have the potential to address a wide range of critical agricultural problems in the future including the limited availability of water for crops the need to increase water use efficiency in lawns as well as crops
After introducing a gene from oregano the transformed maize plants released E-Î-caryophyllene constantly.
In some cases the virus incorporated part of a cow gene or another virus in the part of the genome in which most mutations take place Chase explains.
#Boron tolerance discovery for higher wheat yieldsaustralian scientists have identified the genes in wheat that control tolerance to a significant yield-limiting soil condition found around the globe--boron toxicity.
Published in the journal Nature today the identification of boron tolerance genes in wheat DNA is expected to help plant breeders more rapidly advance new varieties for increased wheat yields to help feed the growing world population.
Our identification of the genes and their variants responsible for this adaptation to boron toxicity means that we now have molecular markers that can be used in breeding programs to select lines for boron tolerance with 100%accuracy.
The wheat genome is very large with about six times the number of genes as humans.
This complexity has meant that genes controlling yield and adaptation to environmental stresses have remained extremely challenging to identify.
In this study the researchers tracked these specific boron tolerance genes from wild wheats grown by the world's earliest farmers in the Mediterranean region through wheat lines brought into Australia more than a century ago to current day
They found a distinct pattern of gene variant distribution that was correlated to the levels of boron in soils from different geographical regions.
and the knowledge to select for the right variants of the tolerance gene needed to do the job in specific environments says Dr Sutton.
The bitter perception is highly complex according to Hayes with 25 known bitter receptor genes. It's also not destiny.
and XY karyotypes for female and male whipworm respectively but in this study researchers found no evidence for A y chromosome among the male-specific scaffolds suggesting that the sex chromosomes were the smallest chromosomal pair
and masculinizing developmental genes respectively. According to the authors this is the first time they observed such results in a metazoan.
Scott says that the gene construct responsible for lethality in antibiotic-free diets is female-specific Interestingly
and unexpectedly the genetically modified female larvae containing the tetracycline lethality genes also took on a crimson color due to overexpression of the linked red fluorescent protein marker gene.
Overexpression of the gene responsible for the reliance on tetracycline also seems to overexpress this marker gene Scott says.
In the study the researchers showed that the tetracycline gene construct also works in Drosophila the fruit fly lab rat of the insect world that is a distant cousin of the sheep blowfly.
Scientists at the University of Basel have identified a gene regulatory switch that was key to evolutionary adaption of limbs in ungulates.
To this aim they compared the activity of genes in mouse and cattle embryos which control the development of fingers and toes during embryonic development.
in mouse embryos the so-called Hox gene transcription factors are distributed asymmetrically in the limb buds which is crucial to the correct patterning of the distal skeleton.
what inactivation of the Patched1 gene regulatory switch. We assume that it is the result of progressive evolution as this switch degenerated in cattle
But looking into the genes of the slugs yielded even more insights. Shared mutations in the genetic information of different individuals indicate relationships between them.
and three variants of a gene encoding an important methane-forming reaction that were involved in elevated methane yields.
and methanogen abundance across sheep were rather subtle the team reported that the expression levels of genes involved in methane production varied more substantially across sheep suggesting differential gene regulation perhaps controlled by hydrogen concentration in the rumen
and quantify major genes specific for E coli O157. Developing a method to detect E coli before it can potentially contaminate the food supply benefits the beef industry by preventing costly recalls
The novelty of this test is that it targets four genes Nagaraja said. We are constantly working on finding better
#Discovery of bud-break gene could lead to trees adapted for a changing climatescientists have confirmed the function of a gene that controls the awakening of trees from winter dormancy a critical factor in their ability to adjust to environmental changes
While other researchers have identified genes involved in producing the first green leaves of spring the discovery of a master regulator in poplar trees (Populus species) could eventually lead to breeding plants that are adapted better for warmer climates.
No one has isolated ever a controlling gene for this timing in a wild plant outside of Arabidopsis a small flowering plant related to mustard
This is the first time a gene that controls the timing of bud break in trees has been identified. The timings of annual cycles--when trees open their leaves
Strauss called the confirmation of the bud-break gene --which scientists named EBB1 for short--a first step in developing the ability to engineer adaptability into trees in the future.
They developed modified trees that overproduced EBB1 genes and emerged from dormancy earlier in the year.
Strauss and Busov a former postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State led efforts to identify the genes responsible.
EBB1 also plays a role in suppressing genes that prepare trees for dormancy in the fall
Altogether they found nearly 1000 other poplar genes whose activity is affected by EBB1. It's unlikely that plant breeders will use the finding any time soon Strauss said.
Breeders tend to rely on large clusters of genes that are associated with specific traits such as hardiness tree shape or flowering.
However as more genes of this kind are identified the opportunity to breed or engineer trees adapted to extreme conditions will grow.
Advantages Amplifies multiple genes simultaneously requires no cold chain built-in gel loading dye which facilitates the loading of PCR products directly onto the agaose gel without addition of sample loading buffer easy to follow steps minimises handling
Combing through the 36000-plus genes found in Eucalyptus (nearly twice as many as in the human genome) the researchers homed in on those that may influence the production of secondary cell wall material that can be processed for pulp paper biomaterials and bioenergy applications.
The eucalyptus team identified genes encoding 18 final enzymatic steps for the production of cellulose
and expression in woody tissues we defined a core set of genes as well as novel lignin-building candidates that are expressed highly in the development of xylem--the woody tissue that helps channel water throughout the plant
The team's detailed analysis of the Eucalyptus genome revealed an ancient whole-genome duplication event estimated to have occurred about 110 million years ago as well as an unusually high proportion of genes in tandem duplicate arrays.
and suggest that Eucalyptus may have followed an evolutionary path that highlighted specific genes for woody biomass production.
By comparison Eucalyptus has three times the number of tandem repeat genes present in poplar the first tree sequenced (by the DOE JGI and published on the cover of the journal Science in 2006.
An additional finding by the team was sequenced that among plants to date Eucalyptus showed the highest diversity of genes for specialized metabolites such as terpenes.
By having a library of these genes that control the synthesis of terpenes we are able to dissect which genes produce specific terpenes;
The extensive catalog of genes contributed by the team will allow breeders to adapt Eucalyptus trees for sustainable energy production in regions such as the U s. Southeast where it cannot currently be grown.
This means that the chromosome sets are totted up. The chromosomes are then able to find their suitable partner during meiosis a type of cell division that produces an organism's reproductive cells.
This allows the plants to stay fertile and a new species is generated. Examples for such a combination of two genomes called allopolyploidy are found abundantly in both wild plants and crops like wheat rapeseed and cotton.
or recombination of genetic material--so-called horizontal gene transfer--between the grafted plants. In our previous work we were able to prove that
contrary to the generally accepted dogma there is horizontal gene transfer of chloroplast genes at the contact zone between grafted plants.
The researchers introduced resistance genes against two different antibiotics into nuclear genomes of the tobacco species Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana glauca
so that only cells containing both resistance genes and thus DNA from both species should survive.
To determine if the acquired double resistance is due to the transfer of single genes or the transfer of the entire genetic material the researchers counted the chromosomes in the nuclei of the resistant plants.
If complete genomes were transferred the new plants would contain the sum of the chromosome numbers of the two species. Indeed we found 72 chromosomes in the resistant plants Ralph Bock explains 72 is the sum of the 24 N. glauca
chromosomes and the 48 N. tabacum chromosomes. Thus plantlets generated from the graft junction contained the genetic information of both species. We managed to produce allopolyploid plants without sexual reproduction Sandra Stegemann joint first author of the study is pleased to say.
When the scientists grew their new plants in the greenhouse it became obvious that they combined characteristics of both progenitor species
It could happen with new plant-breeding toolsince the first plant genome sequence was obtained for the plant Arabidopsis in 2000 scientists have sequenced gene everything from cannabis to castor bean.
University of Florida scientists were part of a research team that this week unveiled a new tool that will help all plant scientists label (annotate in researcher parlance) genes far more quickly
In documenting genome sequences scientists must sort through millions of bits of genetic code to identify what function each gene is responsible for (such as telling a plant how tall to grow
because with 20000 to 30000 genes in a typical plant scientists can't possibly conduct experiments to find out what each and every gene is responsible for.
In this study the team was able to piece together the biological process that leads to the production of new bone by studying the offspring of mice lacking the Gastric Intrinsic factor gene
The team then compared sequences from pooled populations representing these regions finding only a small fraction of shared genes.
They found dense clusters of genes related to disease resistance within the chromosomes. They also identified a handful of genes involved in moving nitrogen around.
This information could be beneficial for farmers practicing the intercropping system known as milpa wherein beans
They found evidence of synteny in which a gene in one species is present in another.
Citrus has incestuous genes he told the audience. Nothing is pure. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by DOE/Joint Genome Institute.
This breakthrough study from the Twell Laboratory at the University of Leicester published in the academic journal The Plant Cell has found a pair of genes called DAZ1
'--so that DUO1 and the DAZ1/DAZ2 genes work in tandem to control a gene network that ensures a pair of fertile sperm is made inside each pollen grain.
Interestingly DAZ1 and DAZ2 perform their role by cooperating with a well-known'repressor'protein called TOPLESS that acts as a brake on unwanted gene activity that would otherwise halt sperm and seed production.
and DAZ2 has the potential to be applied in the development of new plant breeding techniques to prevent the unwanted passing of genes
--or'horizontal gene transfer'--between crops or from crops to wild species. This new knowledge also generates genetic tools
#Gene study shows how sheep first separated from goatsscientists have cracked the genetic code of sheep to reveal how they became a distinct species from goats around four million years ago.
The research identifies the genes that give sheep their fleece and uncovers features of their digestive system
This team--the International Sheep Genomics Consortium--compared the sheep's genes with those of other animals--including humans cattle goats and pigs.
The analysis identifies several genes that are associated with wool production. It also reveals genes that underpin the evolution of the rumen--a specialised chamber of the stomach that breaks down plant material to make it ready for digestion.
This collaborative study involving 26 research institutions in eight different countries was led by researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Australia;
which genes are expressed in a spectrum of 40 different tissues. The study is published today in the journal Science.
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