#Scientists track gene activity when honey bees do and dont eat honey: Significant differences depending on dietmany beekeepers feed their honey bees sucrose
or high-fructose corn syrup when times are lean inside the hive. This practice has come under scrutiny
however in response to colony collapse disorder the massive--and as yet not fully explained--annual die off of honey bees in the U s. and Europe.
Some suspect that inadequate nutrition plays a role in honey bee declines. 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 found significant differences occur depending on what the bees eat. The researchers looked specifically at an energy storage tissue in bees called the fat body
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.
These differences remained even in an experimental hive that the researchers discovered was infected with deformed wing virus one of the many maladies that afflict honey bees around the world.
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.
Our results further show honey induces gene expression changes on a more global scale and it now becomes important to investigate
#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
and in today's print edition of the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine is the result of a dozen years of research with the goal of developing biological treatments for patients with heart rhythm disorders who currently are treated with surgically implanted
We have been able for the first time to create a biological pacemaker using minimally invasive methods and to show that the biological pacemaker supports the demands of daily life said Eduardo Marbã¡
n MD Phd director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute who led the research team.
n on biological pacemaker research team said that in the future pacemaker cells also could help infants born with congenital heart block.
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.
Originally we thought that biological pacemaker cells could be a temporary bridge therapy for patients who had an infection in the implanted pacemaker area Marbã¡
These results show us that with more research we might be able to develop a long-lasting biological treatment for patients.
Demand for natural food additivesrising health concerns about chemical additives have strengthened demand for natural food additives said co-author Meijun Zhu an assistant professor in the School of Food Science.
#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
and in today's print edition of the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine is the result of a dozen years of research with the goal of developing biological treatments for patients with heart rhythm disorders who currently are treated with surgically implanted
We have been able for the first time to create a biological pacemaker using minimally invasive methods and to show that the biological pacemaker supports the demands of daily life said Eduardo Marbã¡
n MD Phd director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute who led the research team.
n on biological pacemaker research team said that in the future pacemaker cells also could help infants born with congenital heart block.
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.
Originally we thought that biological pacemaker cells could be a temporary bridge therapy for patients who had an infection in the implanted pacemaker area Marbã¡
These results show us that with more research we might be able to develop a long-lasting biological treatment for patients.
and carries the flower's genetic heritage away with it to fertilize the next flower of the same species that it visits.
#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.
and chickpeas is caused by a different genetic mechanism. Study co-author James Specht a professor of agronomy
This provides breeders with a perfect genetic marker for identifying semideterminancy in soybean seeds and seedlings he said.
A research group of the Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP) of Universidad Politã cnica de Madrid (UPM) conducted infection assays of commercial kiwis with Alternaria alternata spores which is a pathogenic fungus involved in chronic asthma
in children. Researchers studied the behavior of this fruit and they found that the infected kiwis had the major allergen of the fungus
Guus van Muijlwijk of the Department of Medical Microbiology at Radboud University is a final year medical student who contributed to the research during an exchange visit to Manchester.
#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.
Oxford university researchers captured a'genetic snapshot'of maize as it existed 10 million years ago
when the plant made a double of its genome--a'whole genome duplication'event. They then traced how maize evolved to use these'copied'genes to cope with the pressures of domestication
which began around 12000 years ago. 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.
A report of the research is published this week in the journal Genome Research.''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
lead author of the report.''With crops like wheat it's not yet possible for us to unravel the'before
and after'of the associated genetic changes but with maize we can chart how these gene copies were acquired first then put to work
'It is particularly useful for such genetic detective work that close relatives of maize did not duplicate their genomes 10 million years ago:
This enabled the researchers to compare genetic data from these'duplicated 'and'non-duplicated'descendants of ancient maize something that is not yet possible with other duplicated crops like wheat.
'Whole genome duplication events are key in allowing plants to evolve new abilities'said Dr Kelly.'
'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.'
Unfortunately bees all over the world are under pressure from pesticides mites viruses bacteria fungi and environmental changes among other things.
The scientists determined this by investigating the interaction between the genetic makeup of honey bees and their environment.
Even though quite a lot is known about the geographical and genetic diversity of honey bees knowledge of how honey bees adapt to the local environment has been limited until now.
The desire to maximize earnings by importing bees changes the natural genetic diversity. The question is
The studies were carried out in 621 colonies of honey bees with 16 different genetic origins. The beehives were set up in 11 countries in Europe.
The results of the project regarding the interaction between the genetic makeup of bees and their environment have been published in a special issue of the Journal of Apicultural Research
Fisher is the Claude W. Hibbard Collegiate Professor of Paleontology a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental sciences and a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui Phd assistant professor of neurosurgery in the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Biomedical sciences and Yosef Koronyo a research scientist were first authors of the original results that were published in a journal and presented
#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.
Due to domestication and human selection cultivated soybeans have less genetic diversities than their wild counterparts.
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 assembled a draft genome of wild soybean W05 and developed a recombinant inbred population for genotyping-by-sequencing
and phenotypic analyses to identify multiple QTLS relevant to traits of interest in agriculture. Using the de novo sequencing data from this work
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.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by BGI Shenzhen. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
#Biodegradable paper covers as replacement for plastics opens up bioeconomy market for horticultureglobal vegetable production currently depends on plastics:
Reflecting Finland's bio-economic goals the development of this cover and its introduction into practical farming is one of the first concrete steps towards a society based on the bioeconomy.
We develop bio-economic solutions in collaboration with various enterprises. The innovations we develop will not be left collecting dust in cupboards.
High expectations in the industryfor the paper industry the bio-cover material opens up an interesting and new field of application that goes beyond traditional paper products.
and commercial horticulturist Esko Holma from Salo has participated in the development of several different bio-cover materials.
Bio-covers by contrast will be needed growing in importance as pesticides are being removed from the market he says.
Through genetic testing scientists identified the disorder as being caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas axonopodis. The disease is most likely spread by wind-driven rain
and Edwin Thomas the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Rice's George R. Brown School of engineering professor in mechanical engineering and materials science and in chemical and biomolecular engineering.
and the situation appears likely to get even worse according to an analysis in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on July 10.
while cafã au lait describes the telltale skin pigmentation of von Recklinghausen's disease--a genetic disorder characterised by nerve tumours.
A'croissant'appearance in a cell nucleus is indicative of a benign growth on peripheral nerves. Similarly a'blueberry muffin'rash is characteristic of congenital rubella
or between insecticides and pathogenic agents--the effects of the insecticides being exacerbated in bees already weakened by viruses or parasites.
and other crops said Osman Radwan a U of I molecular biologist. If we look at diseases of soybean we find that soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is at the top
and M. phaseolina will help molecular biologists and breeders to design an effective method to control both diseases
and it is uncommon for a new one--especially a flowering plant--to be found in the United states says University of Utah biology professor Lynn Bohs senior author of a new study describing
and flavoring material can reverse the biomechanical cellular and anatomical changes that occur in the brains of mice with Parkinsonâ##s disease (PD).
Both environmental and genetic causes of the disease have been postulated. Parkinson's disease affects about 1. 2 million patients in the United states and Canada.
and the United kingdom was published in the May issue of the journal Global Change Biology. The impacts of timber extraction burning and fragmentation have received little notice
aboveground biomass (live plants) dead organic matter leaf litter (layer that contains a combination of fragments of leaves branches
and colleagues of the Institute of Transformative Biomolecules (WPI-ITBM) of Nagoya University have finally found the missing piece in how birds sense light by identifying a deep brain photoreceptor in Japanese quails in
The study published online on July 7 2014 in Current Biology is expected to contribute to the improvement of production of animals along with the deepening of our understanding on the evolution of eyes and photoreceptors.
which is what many biologists have been looking for over 100 years elaborates Professor Yoshimura. There have been many theories on the role of CSF-contacting neurons in response to light.
and to find effective biomolecules that can control the sensing of seasons says Professor Yoshimura.
The above story is provided based on materials by Institute of Transformative Biomolecules (ITBM) Nagoya University. Note:
but a strain with the ability to cause disease according to research published in mbioâ the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
Whole-genome sequence analysis of the yogurt isolate confirmed it as being closely related to Mcc and also revealed the possibility that this fungus could produce harmful metabolites that were previously unknown in this species. The researchers then tested the strain on mice where the fungus showed an ability to cause lethal infections
When people think about food-borne pathogens normally they list bacteria viruses and maybe parasites. Fungal pathogens are considered not as food-borne pathogens.
The above story is provided based on materials by American Society for Microbiology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
ndez Matã as Joan Real and Francesc Parã s from the Conservation Biology Group affiliated with the Department of Animal Biology of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Biodiversity Research Institute of UB (IRBIO.
A new methodology to study Bonelli's Eagle dietjoan Real head of the Conservation Biology Group of UB--a research group that has carried out studies on European Bonelli's Eagle populations for more than thirty years--explains that most Bonelli
Therefore carbon nitrogen and sulphur--common elements in the biosphere--act as biogeochemical markers in animal tissues
The research developed by the Conservation Biology Group of UB suggests that in those territories where the most negative vital rates (productivity survival etc.
It's a communication strategy that's bold and risky yet remarkably successful in warding off competitors according to a paper published in the July 7 issue of the journal Current Biology.
and the possibility of lies explains James Nieh a professor of biology at UC San diego who oversaw the research study conducted in Brazil by Elinor Lichtenberg a Phd student in his laboratory who is now a postdoctoral researcher at Washington state University.
Lichtenberg's study focused on stingless bees--including two from the genus Trigona that recruit nestmates to food sources with chemically distinct pheromones--that compete with one another for similar food sources.
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
Their discovery should help biologists better understand how the steadily increasing levels of CO2 in our atmosphere (which last spring for the first time in recorded history remained above 400 parts per million) are affecting the ability of plants and economically important crops to deal with heat stress and drought.
through their stomataâ#explains Julian Schroeder a professor of biology who headed the research effort. â#oebecause elevated CO2 reduces the density of stomatal pores in leaves this is at first sight beneficial for plants as they would lose less water.
and biofuel production. â#oeour research is aimed at understanding the fundamental mechanisms 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.
Using a combination of systems biology and bioinformatic techniques the scientists cleverly isolated proteins which when mutated abolished the plantâ##s ability to respond to CO2 stress.
Cawas Engineer a postdoctoral scientist in Schroederâ##s lab and the first author of the study found that
when plants sense atmospheric CO2 levels rising they increase their expression of a key peptide hormone called Epidermal Patterning Factor-2 EPF2. â#oethe EPF2 peptide acts like a morphogen
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
by the continuing atmospheric CO2 rise are palpable these advances could become of interest to crop biologists
The scientists used genetic transformation to investigate if restoring E-Î-caryophyllene emission would protect maize plants against corn rootworms.
After introducing a gene from oregano the transformed maize plants released E-Î-caryophyllene constantly.
The above story is provided based on materials by Society for Experimental Biology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length
#Developing better vaccine for mutating virus in cowsbovine viral diarrhea virus infections result in one of the most costly diseases among cattle with losses in U s. herds estimated at $2 billion per year according to professor Christopher
Chase of the South dakota State university Veterinary and Biomedical sciences Department. It is an immune-suppressive disease he explains.
The virus shuts down the immune system and makes the animal vulnerable to pneumonia and other respiratory diseases.
The animal will shed the virus for its entire life. Approximately 0. 5 percent of all cattle in the United states are infected persistently according to Chase.
Chase and his team found two viruses and one mutation. 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.
This makes developing a vaccine to prevent the virus challenging. Triggering immune responsethrough a five-year SDSU-USDA Experiment Station grant Chase his colleague immunology expert Alan Young
and assistant professor Adam Hoppe of SDSU Chemistry and Biochemistry Department are examining how BVDV suppresses the cow's immune response.
The ultimate goal is to develop better modified live vaccines. Hoppe's unique microscope setup allows the researchers to use fluorescence to see what's happening at a molecular level in live cells.
Adam has helped devise constructs that make these cells fluorescent all the time Chase explains. When certain pathways get turned on BVDV grows even better.
They surmise that different virus strains will require different vaccine strategies. Ultimately the best kind of immunization would be to increase the mucosal immune response antibodies secreted on the surfaces of the throat gastrointestinal tract
Research performed with Colorado State university showed that the virus quickly infects Kupffer cells in the liver
This may then lead to developing ways to prevent the virus from infecting the fetus
because biofuel contributes toward reducing the burning of fossil fuel explained the researcher. The researchers conducted measurements and collected 6000 soil samples from 135 regions in south-central Brazil which is responsible for more than 90%of Brazil's sugarcane production.
According to the researchers the study findings could contribute toward guiding expansion policies for sugarcane production aimed at producing ethanol to ensure the biofuel's sustainability--Ethanol demand in Brazil is expected to jump from an annual total of 25 million liters to 61.6
#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.
The researchers from the Australian Centre for Plant Functional genomics at the University of Adelaide's Waite campus within the University's School of Agriculture Food and Wine say that in soils where boron toxicity is reducing yields genetic improvement
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.
Dr Sutton says wheat has been difficult to work with in genomics. 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.
Advances in molecular biology and genetics technologies of the past few years coupled with the extensive collections of wheat genetic material available around the world have paved the way for a new era in the analysis of complex genomes such as
wheat he says. 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
Australian commercial varieties. They found a distinct pattern of gene variant distribution that was correlated to the levels of boron in soils from different geographical regions.
This discovery means that wheat breeders will now have precision selection tools and the knowledge to select for the right variants of the tolerance gene needed to do the job in specific environments says Dr Sutton.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by University of Adelaide. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
#A case study of manta rays and lagoonsdouglas Mccauley a new assistant professor in UC Santa barbara's Department of Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology does fieldwork in one of the most isolated places in the world--Palmyra Atoll.
The researchers'findings appear in the journal Marine Biology. There is very little known scientifically about manta rays said Mccauley.
and gainingâ#UF biology professor Francis E. â#oejackâ#Putz said. Putz worked with UF biology professor Claudia Romero on the paper
which will appear in the July issue of Biotropica. Deforestation continues at a rapid pace in much of South america Southeast asia and the Congo Basin.
Options include letting the forests recover naturally assisting natural regeneration or planting new trees so as to make the areas more wildlife-friendly
and biodiversity-rich â#but each comes at a cost Putz said. So when developing forest access
and use policies people need to consider several factors including short-and long-term financial profits biodiversity and local needs for timber and non-timber forest products such as medicinal plants.
or low water-use efficiency trees biodiversity will diminish wildlife could suffer and soil erosion could render streams unusable by local villagers. â#oewhen you save a forest from deforestation itâ##s great
and carbon they can also result in avoidable losses of biodiversity. They have less value in some ways Putz said and more value in others.
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