Largest ever to be mappedswedish scientists have mapped the gene sequence of Norway spruce (the Christmas tree)--a species with huge economic and ecological importance
The scientists have identified about 29000 functional genes marginally more than humans have but the question arises:
An international research team headed up by evolutionary biologists at the University of Zurich has identified now two genes responsible for the flowering of a tropical deciduous tree species Shorea beccariana.
After drought periods the two genes Sbft and Sbsvp undergo dramatic transcriptional changes directly before flowering.
The researchers can also confirm the flowering functions of these two genes using transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants. 85-meter canopy crane necessary for sample collectionthe Phd student Masaki Kobayashi his supervisor Professor
In this way Kobayashi and Shimizu identified 98 genes that are associated with the flowering of the plant-including the genes Sbft and Sbsvp
The genes that have been identified now indicate when mass flowering is about to happen. Successively monitoring of gene activity can help predict
when mass flowering will take place explains Kobayashi. This will make it possible to coordinate the collection of seeds
We are currently investigating the use of these new materials for biomedical applications such as drug/gene delivery cross linkable hydrogel materials and skin adhesives.
and gene-family expansion in genes associated with energy metabolism and oxygen transmission indicating that gene categories involved in energy metabolism appear to have an important role for Tibetan antelope via efficiently providing energy in conditions of low partial pressure of oxygen (PO2).
Further research revealed that both the Tibetan antelope and the highland American pika have signals of positive selection for genes involved in DNA repair and the production of ATPASE.
Considering the exposure to high levels of ultraviolet radiation positive selective genes related to DNA repair may be vital to protect the Tibetan antelope from it.
Qingle Cai Project manager from BGI said The completed genome sequence of the Tibetan antelope provides a more complete blueprint for researchers to study the genetic mechanisms of highland adaptation.
and analyzed more than 1000 genes--approximately 20 percent of the entire yeast genome--from each of 23 yeast species. He quickly realized that the histories of the 1000-plus genes were all slightly different from each other as well as different from the genealogy constructed from a simultaneous analysis of all the
genes. I was surprised quite by this result Salichos pointed out. By adapting an algorithm from information theory the researchers found that they could use these distinct gene genealogies to quantify the conflict
and focus on those parts of the tree that are problematic. In broad terms Rokas and Salichos found that genetic data is less reliable during periods of rapid radiation
and analyzed more than 1000 genes--approximately 20 percent of the entire yeast genome--from each of 23 yeast species. He quickly realized that the histories of the 1000-plus genes were all slightly different from each other as well as different from the genealogy constructed from a simultaneous analysis of all the
genes. I was surprised quite by this result Salichos pointed out. By adapting an algorithm from information theory the researchers found that they could use these distinct gene genealogies to quantify the conflict
and focus on those parts of the tree that are problematic. In broad terms Rokas and Salichos found that genetic data is less reliable during periods of rapid radiation
The new technology platform can harness the plant's own genes to improve characteristics of sunflower develop genetic traits
Genetic analysis of these isolates revealed high homology across all eight gene segments. The analysis of these novel H7n9 influenza virus isolates showed that that the six internal genes were derived from avian H9n2 viruses
but the ancestor of their hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes is unknown. HA receptor-binding specificity is a major molecular determinant for the host range of influenza viruses.
Within the HA protein of novel H7n9 viruses there was a leucine residue at position 226
which is characteristic of the HA gene in human influenza viruses. This finding implies that H7n9 viruses have acquired partially human receptor-binding specificity.
The researchers who sequenced it say that 97 percent of the genome consists of genes--bits of DNA that code for proteins--and small pieces of DNA that control those genes.
which for genes feeds into the machinery that makes proteins. But Herrera-Estrella Albert and their colleagues argue that organisms may not bulk up on genetic junk for reasons of benefit.
U. gibba has about 28500 genes comparable to relatives like grape and tomato which have much larger genomes of about 490 and 780 million base pairs respectively.
but at the same time maintaining a functional set of genes similar to those of other plant species says Herrera-Estrella.
Some of the duplicated genes retain their original structure and function and so produce more of a given gene product--a protein for example he said.
Some gradually adapt new forms to take on new functions. If those changes are beneficial the genes persist;
if they're harmful they disappear from the genome. Many agricultural crops benefit from genome duplications including banana papaya strawberry sugarcane watermelon
A large proportion of the duplicated genes (about 40 percent) have been retained they report. A neat thing about the duplication is that we can look at the genes that were retained
and see if they are in specific pathways Vanburen said. The researchers found evidence that duplicated genes related to wax formation
which allows the plant to repel water and remain clean) and survival in a mineral-starved watery habitat were retained for example.
By looking at changes in the duplicated genes the researchers found that lotus has a slow mutation rate relative to other plants Ming said.
and birds focusing on the gene that codes for the viral hemagglutinin (HA) protein. After comparing HA genetic sequences in five key locations that control the viruses'interactions with infected hosts the researchers calculated an antigenic index for each strain.
One of the amazing things about the influenza virus is its ability to grab genes from different pools he says.
There could be viral genes that mix among pigs or between birds and pigs. Sasisekharan and colleagues are now doing a similar genetic study of H5 influenza strains.
and his team identified several immune gene signatures that reflect the abundance and anti-tumor properties of different types of tumor-infiltrating immune cells.
In these cases high expression levels of the immune genes predicted for recurrence-free survival
To do this they turned to two different mouse models each specially engineered to produce distinct but related proteins that turn muscle-specific genes on and off.
The first model dubbed the marathon mouse has a muscle-gene regulator called PPARÎ/Î'.These mice can run much further than normal mice.
The second model known as the couch potato mouse produces a different muscle-gene regulator called PPARÎ.
and working with scientists to mine the cassava gene bank at CIAT in Colombia--the biggest repository of cassava cultivars in the world.
The limited gene flow among populations and its vegetative reproduction method resulted in less genetic mixing over long periods of time.
#Mechanism for how grapes reduce heart failure associated with hypertension identifieda new study appearing in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry demonstrates that grapes are able to reduce heart failure associated with chronic high blood pressure (hypertension) by increasing the activity of several genes responsible for
influencing gene activities and metabolic pathways that improve the levels of glutathione the most abundant cellular antioxidant in the heart.
grape intake turned on antioxidant defense pathways increasing the activity of related genes that boost production of glutathione.
#Substances in honey increase honey bee detox gene expressionresearch in the wake of Colony Collapse Disorder a mysterious malady afflicting (primarily commercial) honey bees suggests that pests pathogens
Some components of the nectar and pollen grains bees collect to manufacture food to support the hive increase the expression of detoxification genes that help keep honey bees healthy.
However honey bees have relatively few genes dedicated to this detoxification process compared to other insect species she said.
Determining which of the 46 P450 genes in the honey bee genome are used to metabolize constituents of their natural diet and
Research had shown previously that eating honey turns on detoxification genes that metabolize the chemicals in honey
They identified p-coumaric acid as the strongest inducer of the detoxification genes. We found that the perfect signal p-coumaric acid is in everything that bees eat--it's the monomer that goes into the macromolecule called sporopollenin
Her team showed that p-coumaric acid turns on not only P450 genes but representatives of every other type of detoxification gene in the genome.
This signal can also turn on honey bee immunity genes that code for antimicrobial proteins. According to Berenbaum three other honey constituents were effective inducers of these detoxification enzymes.
Propolis turns on immunity genes--it's not just an antimicrobial caulk or glue. It may be medicinal
In a paper to be published in May the joint team will announce a record-breaking simulation speed of 504 billion events per second on LLNL's Sequoia Blue Gene/Q supercomputer dwarfing the previous record set in 2009
The researchers tuned parameters on the CCNI's two-rack Blue Gene/Q system and optimized the experiment to scale up
and whether any of the genetic resources found in crop wild relatives are conserved already in gene banks.
if they've been safeguarded in gene banks or in protected areas such as national parks; and then identify the priority places for collecting seed from species that haven't yet been secured.
Wheat genome shows resistance genes easy to accessit's hard to go anywhere without a map--especially into the deep and complex world of genetics.
A physical map of a genome shows the physical locations of genes and other DNA sequences of interest.
and isolate genes that are responsible for different traits such as disease resistance and days to maturity.
The wheat chromosome DNA is cloned in bacteria millions of bits of DNA which are sorted by robots
Wheat varieties grown in the Great plains are protected from the leaf rust disease by genes extracted from goatgrass
and from Hessian fly in the eastern U s. The physical map developed by the research team provides a roadmap for the mapping of genes that make wheat resistant to diseases heat
and drought and result in quality bread Gill said adding Most resistance genes seem to lie at the ends of chromosomes
PPARS regulate genes involved in fat and glucose metabolism and when modified can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
and gene sequences uploaded to gene databases adding to the pool of data available for comparison by scientists trying to unravel the origin of novel viruses.
APEIR recommended that all gene sequences of influenza viruses should be shared as soon as they are available
and the number of genes analyzed and the new patterns of relationships among fish families result in
and has broader applications related to exploring disease-causing genes and developmental processes shared with humans.
Specific BACTERIAL RNA genes present in the DNA were amplified then using a technique known as PCR and the genes sequenced with high-capacity DNA sequencers.
The specific BACTERIAL RNA genes amplified from each sample obtained from each body site of each individual were tagged during the PCR step with a sample-specific DNA barcode developed by Knight's group allowing the team to pool hundreds of samples
together prior to a single sequencing run. Knight also is involved in the American Gut project a crowdfunded effort that allows members of the public to learn more about their own individual microbes as well as microbes being carried by their dogs.
which do not affect gene function) of any known genome. Compared to humans the rate is 2000 times slower--the amount of genomic change in a single human generation would take 50000 years for the tulip tree.
Ancestral gene clusters and trna genes have been preserved and L. tulipifera still contains many genes lost during the subsequent 200 million years of evolution of flowering plants.
In fact one trna gene is no longer present in any other sequenced angiosperm. Prof Jeffrey Palmer who led this study explained By using the tulip tree as a guide we are able to estimate that the ancestral angiosperm mitochondrial genome contained 41 protein genes 14 trna genes seven trna
genes sequestered from chloroplasts and more than 700 sites of protein editing. Based on this it appears that the genome has been more
-or-less frozen in time for millions and millions of years. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Biomed Central Limited.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal References s
#Maya Long Count calendar calibrated to modern European calendar using carbon-14 datingthe Maya are famous for their complex intertwined calendric systems
Analysis of the honeybee genome suggests that they lack many of the immune-system genes of other insects raising the possibility that honeybees'use of medicine has been partly responsible
but turn on genes which produce a biofilm protecting them from the detrimental environment. Researchers tested the resilience of the Salmonella biofilm by drying it
Now Professor Hoffmann from the University of Melbourne and Professor Michale Turelli from the University of California have shown that by introducing an insecticide resistance gene alongside the Wolbachia bacteria into the mosquito that the insects pass on the disease-blocking bacteria to other mosquitoes faster.
The approach taken in this new work involves adding a pesticide resistance gene to a newer strain of Wolbachia called wmelpop
Prof Hoffmann added that insecticide resistance genes would not spread to the uninfected mosquito populations
because a Wolbachia-infected female with a resistance gene will always pass on both the gene and the bacteria to her offspring.
In that case deleting the gene that encodes FIP200 leads to an increased proliferation and ultimate depletion of such cells called hematopoietic stem cells.
But with neural stem cells they report in the new paper deleting the FIP200 gene led neural stem cells to die
The team is also looking at the role of autophagy in breast cancer stem cells because of intriguing findings about the impact of FIP200 deletion on the activity of the p53 tumor suppressor gene
Their report on advances in getting those genes to produce fully functional nanocellulose was part of the 245th National Meeting
In the 1980s and 1990s Brown's team sequenced the first nanocellulose genes from A. xylinum.
They also pinpointed the genes involved in polymerizing nanocellulose (linking its molecules together into long chains)
or other bacteria engineered with those genes to make commercial amounts of nanocellulose. Bacteria for instance would need a high-purity broth of food
Those drawbacks shifted their focus on engineering the A. xylinum nanocellulose genes into Nobles'blue-green algae. Brown explained that algae have multiple advantages for producing nanocellulose.
The genome sequencing of the first North american pest bark beetle species in the Genus dendroctonus also uncovers a bacterial gene that has jumped into the MPB genome.
This gene codes for an enzyme that digests sugar. It might be used to digest woody tissue
Gene transfers sometimes make organisms more successful in their environments. The following SFU-related graduates and/or faculty co-authored the paper:
and study monocot genes of agronomic interest. Explains Dr. Kobayashi Head of the Experimental Plant Division.
which already include human specimens mice the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana cell lines genes and microorganisms.
one or both of two natural genes known to resist the so-called TOSPO viruses which include tomato spotted wilt virus
. If some thrips get through with the virus the virus resistance genes are there to mop it up Mutschler-Chu said.
and without the virus resistance genes will be used by Mutschler-Chu and an interdisciplinary team of eight other scientists from seven other institutions nationwide as part of a new five-year $3. 75 million project to control thrips and TOSPO viruses in tomatoes.
They describe evidence from an analysis of the recently published sorghum genome the complete set of genes in the plant
#Gene responsible for short stature of dwarf pearl millet identifiedwhile pearl millet is a major food staple in some of the fastest growing regions On earth relatively little is known about the drought-hardy grain.
Recently plant geneticists at the University of Georgia successfully isolated the gene that creates dwarfed varieties of pearl millet.
It is the first time a gene controlling an important agronomic trait has been isolated in the pearl millet genome.
Genes Genomics Genetics. The dwarf varieties are economically important in the U s. India and Africa in particular.
The researchers led by UGA's Katrien Devos also were able to trace the dwarf gene to plants bred 50 years ago by Glenn Burton a UGA plant breeder who worked on the College of Agricultural and Environmental sciences'Tifton campus. Knowing
which gene controls the dwarfing trait will help plant breeders create more efficient sustainable varieties of millet that have the short stature some farmers and ranchers want.
Knowing the actual gene that reduces plant height has allowed us to develop markers that can be used by breeders to screen for the presence of the gene long before the effects of the gene can be observed visually said Devos a professor in the College of Agricultural
Rajiv K. Parvathaneni a doctoral student working in Devos'lab was in charge of tracking down the gene
He also wanted to understand the mechanism by which the gene controls auxin and to develop plant-breeder-friendly markers that would allow breeders to screen for the dwarfing gene before their plants matured.
The gene that Parvathaneni found affects the downward transport of auxin which is made in the top part of the plant.
If this gene is on the auxin flows freely and millet will grow to its full height about 10 feet.
If it is off the millet plant may only grow to be 3 to 5 feet in height.
The comparison revealed that ABCB1 a gene controlling auxin transport and causing reduced plant height in sorghum was the prime gene candidate controlling pearl millet dwarf stature Devos said.
Comparative genome analysis a process in which an unmapped genome is compared to the genome of a similar
and more thoroughly described plant genome is a common method to help identify the functions of specific genes especially in crops for which little genetic resources are available.
and to verify that ABCB1 is in fact the gene that controls dwarfism. After Devos and Parvathaneni located the dwarfing gene they tested pearl millet dwarfs from around the world.
All dwarfs caused by a nonfunctional ABCB1 gene have the same mutation as the dwarfs that were bred first by Burton in the 1960s.
Dwarf varieties of pearl millet are not ideal for every planting situation. In Africa many farmers prefer taller varieties
#Gene discovery may yield lettuce that will sprout in hot weathera team of researchers led by a University of California Davis plant scientist has identified a lettuce gene
Discovery of the genes will enable plant breeders to develop lettuce varieties that can better germinate
They identified a region of chromosome six in a wild ancestor of commercial lettuce varieties that enables seeds to germinate in warm temperatures.
When that chromosome region was crossed into cultivated lettuce varieties those varieties gained the ability to germinate in warm temperatures.
Further genetic mapping studies zeroed in on a specific gene that governs production of a plant hormone called abscisic acid--known to inhibit seed germination.
The newly identified gene turns on in most lettuce seeds when the seed is exposed to moisture at warm temperatures increasing production of abscisic acid.
however this gene does not turn on at high temperatures. As a result abscisic acid is produced not and the seeds can still germinate.
either silence or mutate the germination-inhibiting gene in cultivated lettuce varieties thus enabling those varieties to germinate
and Claire Mccallum of Arcadia Biosciences which provided the lettuce lines with variants of the target gene to help confirm the study's findings.
They identified genes responsible for making a special coat or slime capsule which the bacteria surround themselves In this protects the bacteria from stomach acids
By turning off one or more of the coat genes they could see what effect this had on its ability to stick to gut tissues.
The next step is to understand the regulation of the genes involved in making the coat said Dr Arjan Narbad who led the studies.
and green teas and coffee activated the highest levels of a well-known cancer-linked gene called p53.
The p53 gene becomes activated when DNA is damaged. Its gene product makes repair proteins that mend DNA.
The higher the level of DNA damage the more p53 becomes activated. We don't know much about the foods we eat
and Next-generation sequencing (NGS) researchers identified a large set of gene models (34879) and abundant genetic markers with the potential to provide a valuable resource for accelerating deeper and more systematic genomic and breeding
Remarkably a higher number of genes for the cytochrome P450 family were identified in Ae tauschii (485) than sorghum (365) rice (333) Brachypodium (262) and maize (261.
This family of genes has been found to be important for abiotic stress response especially in biosynthetic and detoxification pathways.
Scientists have shown that an enzyme in corn responsible for reading information from DNA can prompt unexpected changes in gene activity--an example of epigenetics.
and found that one particular gene's activity persisted from one generation to the next whether the enzyme was functioning
or not--meaning typical genetic behavior was required not for the gene's trait to come through.
because the enzyme targets a tiny piece of DNA--previously thought of as junk DNA--that had jumped from one area of the genome to another giving that little fragment power to unexpectedly turn on the gene.
The gene in question affects pigmentation in the corn plant. As a result of these experiments the researchers were able to change yellow kernel corn to a blue kernel variety by compromising the activity of the enzyme in each male parent.
The gene changes its expression in an epigenetic fashion and it doesn't follow standard inheritance behaviors.
Offspring receive one copy of genes from each parental plant and the characteristics of the alleles or alternative forms of genes help predict which traits will show up in the next plant generation.
However epigenetic variations that change the predictability of gene behavior have complicated those expectations. The breeding community searches for novel traits that will have commercial interest
and they really don't care what the basis is as long as they can capture it and breed it.
Just by knowing that this allele behaves in this epigenetic fashion I can breed plants that either have full coloration or no coloration or anything in between because
With a longtime specialization in the molecular basis for unexpected gene activity in plants Hollick had zeroed in on an enzyme called RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV.
Since we knew the misplaced tassel-seed trait was due to misexpression of a gene we hypothesized that this pigment trait might be due to a pigment regulator being expressed in a tissue where it normally is expressed never.
This is taking a gene that is genetically null that doesn't have any function in this part of the plant
but not by selecting for any particular gene. We were just continually altering the epigenetic status of one of the two parental genomes every time.
This led the scientists to question why the affected alleles of the pigmentation gene would behave in this way.
An investigation of the affected alleles revealed the nearby presence of a transposon or transposable element:
Now that we know that Pol IV is involved in regulating transposons it's not surprising that genes that are near transposons are regulated now by Pol IV Hollick said.
and Dave Weisrock both at Duke university at the time analyzed two mitochondrial and four nuclear DNA genes to figure out where the animals fit into the lemur family tree.
and Paul Schaberg and John Battles of the University of California Berkley Charles Driscoll of Syracuse University Timothy Fahey of Cornell University Lucie Lepine of the University of New hampshire Gene
and brought these African genes and of course the European cattle were there as well. All those influences come together in the cattle of the Iberian peninsula
And their genes may prove valuable to ranchers who can use the increasingly sophisticated genetic information to selectively breed the Longhorns'toughness into other breeds of cattle.
They also found that a gene expansion in the olfactory receptor Î-c clade in chicken
and sodium ion transport have evolved rapidly in falcons and also the evolutionary novelties in beak development related genes of falcons and saker-unique arid-adaptation related genes.
They compared 141 peach gene families to those of six other fully sequenced diverse plant species to unravel unique metabolic pathways for instance those that lead to lignin biosynthesis--the molecular glue that holds the plant cells together
For bioenergy researchers the size of the peach genome makes it ideal to serve as a plant model for studying genes found in related genomes such as poplar one of the DOE JGI's Plant Flagship Genomes
One gene we're interested in is the so-called evergreen locus in peaches which extends the growing season said Daniel Rokhsar DOE JGI Eukaryotic Program head under
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