Genetics News And Research - June 2009 Archives

Melon research sweetened with DNA sequence (6/30/2009)

People smell them, thump them and eyeball their shape. But ultimately, it's sweetness and a sense of healthy eating that lands a melon in a shopper's cart. Plant breeders now have a better chance to pinpoint such traits for new varieties, because the melon genome with hundreds of DNA markers has been mapped by scientists with Texas AgriLife Research. That means tastier and healthier melons are likely for future summer picnics. ...> Full Article

How mitochondria get their membranes bent (6/29/2009)

Research team identified proteins regulating mitochondrial membrane structure ...> Full Article

Scientists harness logic of 'Sudoku' math puzzle to vastly enhance genome-sequencing capability (6/28/2009)

'DNA Sudoku' pools multitude of DNA samples for sequencing in manner analogous to solving a Sudoku grid ...> Full Article

Proteins in gel (6/27/2009)

Biochips carrying thousands of DNA fragments are widely used for examining genetic material. Experts would also like to have biochips on which proteins are anchored. This requires a gel layer which can now be produced industrially. ...> Full Article

Molecular typesetting - proofreading without a proofreader (6/26/2009)

Researchers at the Universities of Leeds and Bristol have developed a model of how errors are corrected while proteins are being built. ...> Full Article

Gene predicts how brain responds to fatigue, human study shows (6/26/2009)

Imaging study suggests why some are resilient and others vulnerable to sleep deprivation ...> Full Article

In pursuit of a happiness gene (6/25/2009)

Tel Aviv University researches twins to find a biological door to the bright side ...> Full Article

BRIT1 allows DNA repair teams access to damaged sites (6/24/2009)

Tumor-suppressor recruits help to overcome a barrier and fix cancer-causing defects ...> Full Article

Scientists out a gene for gout (6/20/2009)

Having partnered last year with an international team that surveyed the genomes of 12,000 individuals to find a genetic cause for gout, Johns Hopkins scientists now have shown that the malfunctioning gene they helped uncover can lead to high concentrations of blood urate that forms crystals in joint tissue, causing inflammation and pain -- the hallmark of this disease. ...> Full Article

Scientists sequence genome of the N2-fixing, soil-living bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii (6/19/2009)

Researchers have completed the genome sequence of Azotobacter vinelandii, uncovering important genetic information that will contribute to a more complete understanding of the biology of this versatile, soil-living bacterium and pave the way for new applications, including the possible use of A. vinelandii for the production of other proteins. The research will be featured on the cover of the second July 2009 issue of the Journal of Bacteriology. ...> Full Article

Mean new microRNA data analysis method gives sharper results (6/18/2009)

Our understanding of the importance of microRNAs in regulating gene expression is expanding, and with it our requirement for robust methods to measure their expression levels. Now a new method published in BioMed Central's open-access journal Genome Biology helps researchers to better understand the delicate interplay between differences in microRNA expression levels and their target genes. ...> Full Article

New piece found in the puzzle of epigenetics (6/17/2009)

A team of scientists led by Professor Dirk Eick of Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen has identified the enzyme TFIIH kinase as an important factor in the epigenetic regulation of the cell nucleus enzyme RNA polymerase II. The findings, recently published in the renowned journal Molecular Cell, constitute a further building block for understanding the pathomechanisms of cancer and other diseases. ...> Full Article

Study discovers how proteins help repair DNA (6/17/2009)

A person's DNA is often damaged by a number of different chemical contaminants, and if not repaired properly, it can lead to the development of cancer and other diseases. Through an international collaboration, University of Alberta researchers Chris Le and Michael Weinfeld have discovered how damaged DNA is recognized and repaired. This could lead to improved treatment of cancer and other diseases. ...> Full Article

Mapping gene expression with Gene Expression Atlas (6/16/2009)

Today, researchers at EMBL-EBI launch a new database, the Gene Expression Atlas, which allows scientists to search and compare gene expression data at unprecedented detail and scope. Observing how gene expression varies in different cell types, tissues and under disease conditions can help researchers understand gene function and to develop new drugs and therapies. ...> Full Article

Jumping genes discovery 'challenges current assumptions' (6/13/2009)

Gene insertions have implications for understanding development of genetic diseases, cancer ...> Full Article

Research scientists find new way that cells fix damage to DNA (6/12/2009)

Proteins responsible for this type of DNA repair may also limit the effectiveness of chemotherapy agents, which aim to injure tumor DNA ...> Full Article

Enzyme necessary for DNA synthesis can also erase DNA (6/10/2009)

In this week's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Uppsala University scientists describe a new mechanism behind an important process that causes a rapid reduction of DNA in the chromosomes of bacteria. The findings advance our knowledge of how DNA content has been reduced, which is something that has occurred in bacteria that live as parasites inside the cells of other organisms. ...> Full Article

Horse whisperers, lion tamers not needed: Scientists find genetic regions that soothe savage beasts (6/9/2009)

In what could be a breakthrough in animal breeding, a team of scientists from Germany, Russia and Sweden have discovered a set of genetic regions responsible for animal tameness. This discovery, published in the June 2009 issue of the journal Genetics, should help animal breeders, farmers, zoologists, and anyone else who handles and raises animals to more fully understand what makes some animals interact with humans better than do others. ...> Full Article

Bee-killing parasite genome sequenced (6/6/2009)

Agricultural Research Service scientists have sequenced the genome of a parasite that can kill honey bees. Nosema ceranae is one of many pathogens suspected of contributing to the current bee population decline, termed colony collapse disorder. Researchers describe the parasite's genome in a study published June 5 in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens. ...> Full Article

Small molecules mimic natural gene regulators (6/4/2009)

In the quest for new approaches to treating and preventing disease, one appealing route involves turning genes on or off at will, directly intervening in ailments such as cancer and diabetes, which result when genes fail to turn on and off as they should. ...> Full Article

Aluminum-oxide nanopore beats other materials for DNA analysis (6/3/2009)

Fast and affordable genome sequencing has moved a step closer with a new solid-state nanopore sensor being developed by researchers at the University of Illinois. ...> Full Article