Genetics News And Research - March 2008 Archives

Defining gene's role may lead to prevention of dangerous corn toxin (3/31/2008)

Discovery that a specific gene is integral to both fungal invasion of corn and development of a potentially deadly toxin in the kernels may lead to ways to control the pathogen and the poison. ...> Full Article

Software developed by Boston College lab delivers speed and accuracy to genome research (3/30/2008)

Software aids researchers analyzing millions of DNA sequences ...> Full Article

Researchers link genetic errors to schizophrenia (3/29/2008)

Researchers have uncovered genetic errors that may shed light on the causes of schizophrenia. The scientists found that deletions and duplications of DNA are more common in people with the mental disorder, and that many of those errors occur in genes related to brain development and neurological function. ...> Full Article

Toward the ethical treatment of whole genome research participants (3/28/2008)

The ability to sequence a person's entire genome has created a whole new set of moral challenges that standard research ethics guidelines were not designed to solve ...> Full Article

Genes Previously Thought Not To Function May Hold Key Information About Disease, Aging (3/27/2008)

Genes that scientist believe are turned off are actually functioning at a low level that has previously been undetected, a discovery that could help answer questions about chronic disease and aging ...> Full Article

A Fly's Tiny Brain May Hold Huge Human Benefits (3/27/2008)

Before swatting at one of those pesky flies that come out as the days lengthen and the temperature rises, one should probably think twice. A University of Missouri researcher has found, through the study of Drosophila (a type of fruit fly), that by manipulating levels of certain compounds associated with the "circuitry" of the brain, key genes related to memory can be isolated and tested. The results of the study may benefit human patients suffering from Parkinson's disease and could eventually lead to discoveries in the treatment of depression. ...> Full Article

First beetle genome sequenced (3/26/2008)

Sequencing the genome of the red flour beetle, also known as Tribolium castaneum, could prove of double benefit - both in understanding how organisms develop and in fighting the insect pest ...> Full Article

Less can be more, for plant breeders too (3/25/2008)

Imagine you are a rice breeder and one day within a large field you discover a plant that has just the characteristics you have been looking for. You happily take your special plant to the laboratory where you find out that the spontaneous, beneficial event was due to inactivation of a single gene. This is a great observation; however, there are many different strains grown in different parts of the world, well adapted to the particular region they grow in. How can you now transfer the inactivated gene to other strains of rice? Conventionally, you would have to go through years and years of breeding, until you have successfully transferred that single gene, without affecting all the other genes that are responsible for the target strains being so well adapted to their local environment. Would it not be great, if one could do this faster? ...> Full Article

Plant gene clusters for natural products (3/24/2008)

scientists have found that plants may cluster the genes needed to make defence chemicals. Their findings may provide a way to discover new natural plant products of use as drugs, herbicides or crop protectants. Using a gene cluster that makes an antifungal compound in oats as a template, they uncovered a previously unknown gene cluster making a related compound in a very different species, and now want to extend the search to other plants. ...> Full Article

Deadly genetic disease prevented before birth in zebrafish (3/23/2008)

Finding offers potential for helping humans ...> Full Article

Autism Gene Scans Converge on Two Suspect Sites, Two Types of Genetic Risk (3/22/2008)

Four teams of scientists, using resources supported in part by NIMH, have pinpointed two different sites in the genome, each conferring a different type of genetic risk for autism. At one site, risk genes appear to be inherited. At the other, risk stems from spontaneous mutations, not seen in the genetics of the parents. In both examples, evidence suggests the suspect genes are critical for development of brain circuits impaired in autism. ...> Full Article

Molecular engineers design new enzymes from scratch (3/21/2008)

Many important chemical reactions are slow and unwieldy because no enzyme exists to prod them to greater efficiency. Designing new enzymes from scratch is of practical interest in biomedicine, biotechnology, environmental cleanup, and other industries. Precisely engineered enzymes, built to match the specific task at hand, could improve many processes in these fields by triggering, speeding up, and controlling the necessary chemical reactions. ...> Full Article

Folate intake linked to genetic abnormalities in sperm, says new study (3/21/2008)

Healthy men who report lower levels of the nutrient folate in their diets have higher rates of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm ...> Full Article

Algorithm finds the network - for genes or the Internet (3/20/2008)

New algorithm automatically identifies communities and their subtle structures in various networks. ...> Full Article

Gene 'Knockout' Floors Tobacco Carcinogen (3/20/2008)

Scientists have shown that silencing a specific gene in burley tobacco plants significantly reduces harmful carcinogens in cured tobacco leaves. ...> Full Article

Controlling a sea of information (3/19/2008)

New system will unclog the information highway and significantly increase the data contained in TAIR ...> Full Article

Work with power grids leads to cell biology discovery (3/19/2008)

Gene therapy, in which a working gene is inserted into a cell to replace a faulty or absent gene, is a promising experimental technique for the prevention and treatment of disease. ...> Full Article

Genetic Counselors Turn to Unconventional Counseling To Meet Explosive Demand for Genetic Testing (3/18/2008)

Imagine receiving genetic test results for a disease you could develop later in life without having anyone with whom to discuss your options for managing the risk. That's becoming a common occurrence as people turn to the Internet and other outlets for genetic testing without genetic counseling. In an effort to broaden accessibility to genetic counseling, researchers are exploring non-conventional counseling methods that challenge traditional approaches. ...> Full Article

New technique puts DNA profiling of E. coli on fast track (3/18/2008)

Using new genetic techniques, scientists are unlocking the secrets of how E coli bacteria contaminate food and make people sick. ...> Full Article

Genes that protect against atherosclerosis identified (3/17/2008)

One way of combating atherosclerosis is to reduce levels of "bad cholesterol" in the blood. Scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have now identified the genes that bring about this beneficial effect. ...> Full Article

Royal jelly makes bee queens, boosts nurture case (3/16/2008)

New research may explain why eating royal jelly destines honeybee larvae to become queens instead of workers - and in the process adds new weight to the role of environmental factors in the nature/nurture divide. ...> Full Article

Systems biology approach identifies nutrient regulation of biological clock in plants (3/16/2008)

Using a systems biological analysis of genome-scale data from the model plant Arabidopsis, an international team of researchers identified that the master gene controlling the biological clock is sensitive to nutrient status. The study will appear in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This hypothesis derived from multi-network analysis of Arabidopsis genomic data, and validated experimentally, has shed light on how nutrients affect the molecular networks controlling plant growth and development in response to nutrient sensing. ...> Full Article

Bioinformatics technology provides new insight into microbial activities (3/15/2008)

Scientists may gain a new insight into the relationship between viruses and their environments thanks to a new computational technology developed by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. This technology has already been used to identify subtle differences in the metabolic processes of microbial communities. ...> Full Article

Some cheaters can keep it in their genes (3/15/2008)

A new study examining social behaviour suggests certain individuals are genetically programmed to cheat and often will do… providing they can get away with it. ...> Full Article

High-School Scientists Decode DNA Sequence, Present Findings (3/14/2008)

New Jersey students publish their findings, present their work at the National Science Foundation ...> Full Article

Crop scientists discover gene that controls fruit shape (3/14/2008)

Crop scientists have cloned a gene that controls the shape of tomatoes, a discovery that could help unravel the mystery behind the huge morphological differences among edible fruits and vegetables, as well as provide new insight into mechanisms of plant development. ...> Full Article

Genetic analysis reveals range of Rett syndrome (3/13/2008)

The first comprehensive analysis of the clinical effects of genetic mutations involved in Rett syndrome will enable affected families to receive a more accurate indication of their child's prognosis. ...> Full Article

Epigenetic changes discovered in major psychosis (3/12/2008)

New clues for uncovering the mysteries of mental illness ...> Full Article

Lab characterizes novel regulator of chromosome function (3/12/2008)

Lab has shed new light on a novel histone acetyltransferase protein complex called ATAC ...> Full Article

New revelations in epigenetic control shed light on breast cancer (3/11/2008)

Scientists discover that long-term regulation of the human genome is much more dynamic than assumed ...> Full Article

Handheld DNA detector (3/11/2008)

Researcher describes a mathematical simulation to show how a new type of nanoscale transistor might be coupled to a DNA sensor system to produce a characteristic signal for specific DNA fragments in a sample ...> Full Article

Researchers discover the structural alphabet of RNA (3/9/2008)

A team of bioinformaticians at the Université de Montréal (UdeM) report in the March 6th edition of Nature the discovery of a structural alphabet that can be used to infer the 3D structure of ribonucleic acid (RNA) from sequence data, providing new tools to understand the role of this important class of cellular regulators. ...> Full Article

Protocols features high-throughput methods for analyzing gene activity (3/9/2008)

New high-throughput methods are revolutionizing our understanding of transcriptional regulation ...> Full Article

Zebrafish provide useful screening tool for genes, compounds that protect against hearing loss (3/8/2008)

In a study published in the Feb. 29 issue of the journal PLoS Genetics, researchers at the University of Washington have developed a research method that relies on a zebrafish's lateral line--the faint line running down each side of a fish that enables it to sense its surroundings--to quickly screen for genes and chemical compounds that protect against hearing loss from some medications. ...> Full Article

Brown-led study rearranges some branches on animal tree of life (3/8/2008)

A study led by Brown University biologist Casey Dunn uses new genomics tools to answer old questions about animal evolution. The study is the most comprehensive animal phylogenomic research project to date, involving 40 million base pairs of new DNA data taken from 29 animal species. ...> Full Article

Giant panda genome to be sequenced (3/7/2008)

Researchers announce the launch of the International Giant Panda Genome Project ...> Full Article

How worms protect their chromosomes: Thereby hangs a surprising tail (3/7/2008)

A team of scientists has discovered that the roundworm C. elegans constructs the protective tips of its chromosomes - known as telomeres - with a little more panache than do mammals, a finding that could deepen our understanding of the interrelationship of aging and cancer. ...> Full Article

Gene variants may increase risk of anxiety disorder (3/6/2008)

Strongest genetic evidence to date could help identify new drug targets ...> Full Article

Genes hold the key to how happy we are, scientists say (3/6/2008)

Happiness in life is as much down to having the right genetic mix as it is to personal circumstances according to a recent study. ...> Full Article

Mice with gene deletion provide clues to Prader-Willi syndrome in study (3/5/2008)

A new mouse model for a genetic cause of obesity has been developed by scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The researchers hope that learning more about the mice, which overeat but do not gain weight, will help them develop new therapies for people with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic condition that triggers uncontrollable eating. ...> Full Article

Researchers Help Unlock the Genetic Secrets of Corn (3/5/2008)

Relying on a genetic "physical map" developed by University of Arizona plant scientists, researchers from Washington University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Iowa State University and the UA have completed a working draft of the corn genome. By unlocking the genetic secrets of this crop vital to U.S. agriculture, the researchers have gained information that could ultimately help society deal with drought, global warming, population pressures and increasing energy needs. ...> Full Article

Device allows scientists to control gene activity across generations of cells (3/4/2008)

Just as cells inherit genes, they also inherit a set of instructions that tell genes when to become active, in which tissues and to what extent. Now, Rockefeller University researchers have built a device that, by allowing scientists to turn genes on and off in actively multiplying budding yeast cells, will help them figure out more precisely than before how genes and proteins interact with one another and how these interactions drive cellular functions. ...> Full Article

Short RNA strand helps exposed skin cells protect body from bacteria, dehydration and even cancer (3/4/2008)

Every minute, 30,000 of our outermost skin cells die so that we can live. When they do, new cells migrate from the inner layer of the skin to the surface of it, where they form a tough protective barrier. In a series of elegant experiments in mice, researchers at Rockefeller University have now discovered a tiny RNA molecule that helps create this barrier. The results not only yield new insight into how skin first evolved, but also suggest how healthy cells can turn cancerous. ...> Full Article

All Eyes and Ears on the Corn Genome (3/3/2008)

Researchers complete draft sequence in less than three years ...> Full Article

Understanding primate evolution could aid HIV research (3/3/2008)

Evolution moves in fits and starts, shaping species through random genetic mutations that can help them survive or even hasten their death. But although the mutations occur by chance, the process can create surprisingly similar results. Now, in a startling twist, new research has provided an example in which evolution didn't just result in similar outcomes - it actually repeated itself, occurring the same way twice. Scientists at Rockefeller University and the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center have shown that nearly the exact same mutation occurred twice, in two monkey species that live on opposite sides of the world from each other. And while the change evolved independently in each case, in both species it plays a distinct role in how the animals fend off disease. ...> Full Article

Zebrafish provide useful screening tool for genes, drugs that protect against hearing loss (3/3/2008)

A small striped fish is helping scientists understand what makes people susceptible to a common form of hearing loss, although, in this case, it's not the fish's ears that are of interest. In a study published on February 29 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, researchers at the University of Washington have developed a research method that relies on a zebrafish's lateral line-the faint line running down each side of a fish that enables it to sense its surroundings-to quickly screen for genes and chemical compounds that protect against hearing loss from some medications. The study was funded in part by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), one of the National Institutes of Health. ...> Full Article

Cancers in Dogs, Humans Share Same Genetic Basis, Say Researchers (3/2/2008)

Cancer researchers have found that humans and dogs share more than friendship and companionship - they also share the same genetic basis for certain types of cancer. Furthermore, the researchers say that because of the way the genomes have evolved, getting cancer may be inevitable for some humans and dogs. ...> Full Article

Genetic Coding Of The Pea Unraveled (3/2/2008)

The pea is one of many important crop species that is unsuited to the Agrobacterium-based genetic modification techniques that are commonly used to work with crops. Researchers have now discovered the first high-throughput forward and reverse genetics tool for the pea (Pisum sativum), could have major benefits for crop breeders around the world. ...> Full Article

Donation of $600,000 to Buy State-of-Art DNA Sequencer (3/1/2008)

Cancer center receives donation to buy new genetic sequencer ...> Full Article

Inverted DNA Turns Quiet Developmental Gene into a Potent Driver of T-Cell Lymphoma (3/1/2008)

A gene crucial for embryonic development can quickly become a potent cancer promoter in adult mice after a genetic misalignment, according to researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center, causing white blood cells to become cancerous spontaneously. ...> Full Article