Genetics News And Research - December 2011 Archives

For every road there is a tire (12/31/2011)

Life is complicated enough, so you can forgive the pioneers of DNA biology for glossing over transcriptional elongation control by RNA polymerase II, the quick and seemingly bulletproof penultimate step in the process that copies the information encoded in our DNA into protein-making instructions carried by messenger RNA. ...> Full Article

Long intervening non-coding RNAs play pivotal roles in brain development (12/30/2011)

Whitehead Institute scientists have identified conserved, long intervening non-coding RNAs that play key roles during brain development in zebrafish, and went on to show that the human versions of these RNAs can substitute for the zebrafish lincRNAs. Until now, lincRNAs have been studied primarily in cell lines rather than at the organismal level, which has precluded research into how lincRNAs affect growth and development. ...> Full Article

Researchers achieve important genetic breakthroughs to help develop cheaper biofuels (12/30/2011)

Researchers at the US Department of Energy's Joint BioEnergy Institute announced today a major breakthrough in engineering systems of RNA molecules through computer-assisted design, which could lead to important improvements across a range of industries, including the development of cheaper advanced biofuels. Scientists will use these new "RNA machines", to adjust genetic expression in the cells of microorganisms. ...> Full Article

Rapid evolution in domestic animals sheds light on the genetic changes underlying evolution (12/30/2011)

A new study describes how a complex genomic rearrangement causes a fascinating phenotype in chickens in which a massive expansion of pigment cells not only makes the skin and comb black, but also results in black internal organs. Published in PLoS Genetics, researchers at Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, North Carolina State University, and National Chung-Hsing University investigated the genetic basis of fibromelanosis, a breed characteristic of the Chinese Silkie chicken. ...> Full Article

DNA mismatch repair happens only during a brief window of opportunity (12/29/2011)

In eukaryotes-the group of organisms that include humans ?a key to survival is the ability of certain proteins to quickly and accurately repair genetic errors that occur when DNA is replicated to make new cells. Researchers at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and the UC San Diego School of Medicine have solved part of the mystery of how these proteins do their job, a process called DNA mismatch repair. ...> Full Article

Rare genetic mutations linked to bipolar disorder (12/27/2011)

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, reports that abnormal sequences of DNA known as rare copy number variants, or CNVs, appear to play a significant role in the risk for early onset bipolar disorder. ...> Full Article

Chinese scientists announce the first complete sequencing of Mongolian genome (12/26/2011)

Chinese scientists announce the first complete sequencing of Mongolian genome. ...> Full Article

Researchers demonstrate new DNA detection technique (12/25/2011)

A team of researchers from the University of Notre Dame have demonstrated a novel DNA detection method that could prove suitable for many real-world applications. ...> Full Article

New light on medicinal benefits of plants (12/24/2011)

Scientists are about to make publicly available all the data they have so far on the genetic blueprint of medicinal plants and what beneficial properties are encoded. Project partner Dr. Sarah O'Connor at the John Innes Centre will now work towards the first full genetic sequence of a medicinal plant and will experiment with combining beneficial properties to create the first new-to-nature compounds derived from plants. A priority focus will be compounds with anticancer activity. ...> Full Article

Let's do the twist: Spiral proteins are efficient gene delivery agents (12/23/2011)

Clinical gene therapy may be one step closer, thanks to a new twist on an old class of molecules. University of Illinois researchers have demonstrated that short spiral-shaped proteins can efficiently deliver DNA segments to cells, with well-controlled toxicity. The team's helical polypeptides far exceeded random-coil polypeptide and even outstripped commercial agents in efficiency, even on some of the hardest cells to transfect: stem cells and fibroblast cells.. ...> Full Article

Gene therapy achieves early success against hereditary bleeding disorder (12/22/2011)

Symptoms improved significantly in adults with the bleeding disorder hemophilia B following a single treatment with gene therapy developed by researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis and demonstrated to be safe in a clinical trial conducted at the University College London in the U.K. ...> Full Article

Personalized treatment for Crohn's Disease a step closer following gene mapping (12/21/2011)

Three new locations for Crohn's Disease genes have been uncovered by scientists at UCL using a novel gene mapping approach. ...> Full Article

Visualization of DNA synthesis in vivo (12/20/2011)

Researchers of the University of Zurich have discovered a new substance for labeling and visualization of DNA synthesis in whole animals. Applications for this technique include identifying the sites of virus infections and cancer growth, due to the abundance of DNA replication in these tissues. This approach should therefore lead to new strategies in drug development. ...> Full Article

Researchers develop safe way to repair sickle cell disease genes (12/20/2011)

Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have developed a way to use patients' own cells to potentially cure sickle cell disease and many other disorders caused by mutations in a gene that helps produce blood hemoglobin. ...> Full Article

Long non-coding RNA prevents the death of maturing red blood cells (12/19/2011)

A long non-coding RNA prevents programmed cell death during one of the final stages of red blood cell differentiation, according to Whitehead Institute researchers. Preventing normal cell death is a key step in the development of leukemias and other cancers. Because of its role in red blood cell apoptosis, this lncRNA or the pathways through which it exerts its anti-apoptotic effects may represent potential therapeutic targets. ...> Full Article

Video game players advancing genetic research (12/18/2011)

Thousands of video game players have helped significantly advance our understanding of the genetic basis of diseases such as Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer over the past year. They are the users of a web-based video game developed by Dr. Jérôme Waldispuhl of the McGill School of Computer Science and collaborator Mathieu Blanchette. Phylo is designed to allow casual game players to contribute to scientific research by arranging multiple sequences of colored blocks that represent human DNA. ...> Full Article

Geneticists help show bitter taste perception is not just about flavors (12/17/2011)

Long the bane of picky eaters everywhere, broccoli's taste is not just a matter of having a cultured palate; Some people can easily taste a bitter compound in the vegetable that others have difficulty detecting. Now a team of Penn researchers has helped uncover the evolutionary history of one of the genes responsible for this trait. Beyond showing the ancient origins of the gene, the researchers discovered something unexpected: Something other than taste must have driven its evolution. ...> Full Article

The power to help, hurt and confuse: Direct-to-consumer whole genome testing (12/16/2011)

Two UNC experts write in a JAMA commentary that whole genome and whole exome sequencing technology "will routinely uncover both trivial and important medical results, both welcome and unwelcome ... and presents the medical community with new challenges." ...> Full Article

New collaboration for large-scale genome sequencing of cassava (12/15/2011)

BGI and CIAT announce collaboration for large-scale genome sequencing of cassava. ...> Full Article

Babies born with no eyes: Scientists identify genetic cause (12/15/2011)

Scientists at UCD Dublin have identified a genetic alteration which causes a child to be born with no eyes, a condition called anophthalmia. According to the findings, a child's eyes will not develop fully in the womb if the child has alterations in both copies of its STRA6 gene which is responsible for transporting vitamin A into the cells. A genetic test can now be developed for couples who may be carrying the altered gene. ...> Full Article

A 'wild card' in your genes (12/14/2011)

The human genome and the endowments of genes in other animals and plants are like a deck of poker cards containing a "wild card" that in a genetic sense introduces an element of variety and surprise that has a key role in life. That's what scientists are describing in a review of more than 100 studies on the topic that appears in ACS Chemical Biology. ...> Full Article

Devastating 'founder effect' genetic disorder raced to defective mitochondria in cerebellar neurons (12/14/2011)

Defective mitochondria, the energy-producing powerhouses of the cell, trigger an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that first shows itself in toddlers just as they are beginning to walk. ...> Full Article

New protocols improve detection of microRNAs for diagnosis (12/13/2011)

MicroRNAs that regulate processes including fertilization, development, and aging show promise as biomarkers of disease. They can be collected from routinely collected fluids such as blood, saliva, and urine. However, a number of factors can interfere with the accuracy of miRNA tests. In a study published online today in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, a group of researchers provide clear procedures for the collection and analysis of miRNA, significantly improving their diagnostic accuracy. ...> Full Article

Study identifies mechanisms cells use to remove bits of RNA from DNA strands (12/13/2011)

When RNA component units called ribonucleotides become embedded in genomic DNA, they can cause problems for cells, but not much is known about the fate of these ribonucleotides. A new study identifies two mechanisms cells use to recognize and remove ribonucleotides embedded in genomic DNA, called RNases H and the mismatch repair system. ...> Full Article

The newest of the new in gene therapy: 'Tag and target and exchange' (12/12/2011)

New research in the FASEB Journal demonstrates how a combination of two techniques improves the efficiency of experimental gene therapies, while reducing side effects. Scientists combined techniques involving site-specific recombinases that facilitate the exchange of genetic material between DNA strands, to guide where new genetic material is inserted into a cell's DNA. This approach to gene therapy represents an important advance, and has the potential to correct root causes of numerous illnesses. ...> Full Article

From gene to function (12/11/2011)

This study successfully identifies new genetic variants involved in the formation of platelets and more importantly, defines how genes near these variants affect platelet size and number using a series of biological analyses. This is the largest genome-wide meta-analysis on platelet size and number and involves more than 68,000 individuals from different ancestries. ...> Full Article

Clinical trial for muscular dystrophy demonstrates safety of customized gene therapy (12/10/2011)

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown that it is safe to cut and paste together different viruses in an effort to create the ultimate vehicle for gene therapy. In a phase I clinical trial, the investigators found no side effects from using a "chimeric" virus to deliver replacement genes for an essential muscle protein in patients with muscular dystrophy. ...> Full Article

Shedding light on the 'dark matter' of the genome (12/9/2011)

Scientific serendipity strikes again: ETH Zurich researchers led by professor Bruce McDonald showed for the first time that non-coding parts of genes called introns can copy themselves and move around the genome. Nevertheless, these DNA sequences remain mysterious. ...> Full Article

Cleft lip corrected genetically in mouse model (12/8/2011)

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College used genetic methods to successfully repair cleft lips in mice embryos specially engineered for the study of cleft lip and cleft palate. The research breakthrough may show the way to prevent or treat the conditions in humans. ...> Full Article

When inflexibility is counterproductive: Mechanism of UV-induced DNA Dewar lesion revealed (12/7/2011)

An intact backbone is not always helpful in DNA -- for example, when photolesion by ultraviolet light has already occurred. As researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich have now shown, the highly mutagenic Dewar lesion can arise only if the backbone of the DNA is intact. ...> Full Article

Spider mite's secrets revealed (12/6/2011)

The cost of chemically controlling damage caused by the spider mite exceeds USD 1 billion per year. In the upcoming issue of Nature, a multinational consortium of scientists, including two from research centers in Portugal, publish the sequenced genome of the spider mite, revealing how it is capable of such feeding frenzy. These findings open the door to new approaches in pest control and crop protection. ...> Full Article

Study identifies a key molecular switch for telomere extension by telomerase (12/5/2011)

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine describe for the first time a key target of DNA damage checkpoint enzymes that must be chemically modified to enable stable maintenance of chromosome ends by telomerase, an enzyme thought to play a key role in cancer and aging. ...> Full Article

Scientists present draft sequence of monarch butterfly genome (12/4/2011)

Neurobiologists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School are the first to sequence and analyze the monarch butterfly genome. ...> Full Article

Mutants with heterozygote disadvantage can prevent spread of transgenic animals (12/3/2011)

Max Planck researchers simulate the conditions for the safest possible release of genetically modified organisms. ...> Full Article

Genetically-engineered spider silk for gene therapy (12/2/2011)

A new episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) award-winning "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions" podcast series spins a real-life tale in which spider silk shows promise for overcoming a major barrier to the use of gene therapy in everyday medicine. ...> Full Article

Study IDs new genetic links to impulsivity, alcohol problems in men (12/1/2011)

Are different kinds of hastiness and rashness embedded in our DNA? A new study suggests the answer is yes -- particularly if you're a man. ...> Full Article