Genetics News And Research - November 2008 Archives

Study identifies genetic variants giving rise to differences in metabolism (11/30/2008)

Common genetic polymorphisms induce major differentiations in the metabolic make-up of the human population, according to a paper published Nov. 28 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics. An international team of researchers, led by Karsten Suhre, has conducted a genome-wide association study with metabolomics, identifying genetic variants in genes involved in the breakdown of fats. The resulting differences in metabolic capacity can affect individuals' susceptibility to complex diseases such as diabetes and hyperactivity. ...> Full Article

Scientists discover a new way in which epigenetic information is inherited (11/29/2008)

A class of small RNAs inherited from the mother determines offspring's fertility trait ...> Full Article

Scientists uncover new RNA processing mechanism and a new class of small RNAs (11/28/2008)

Research sheds light on possible functions of abundant 'non-coding' RNA molecules ...> Full Article

Research scientists shed light on how DNA is unwound so that its code can be read (11/27/2008)

Key process repeated every time a gene is expressed ...> Full Article

Research consortium to sequence turkey genome (11/26/2008)

An international consortium of researchers has begun an effort to sequence the genome of the domesticated turkey. The genomic resources that will be developed should provide turkey breeders with tools to improve commercial breeds of turkey for such traits as meat yield and quality, health and disease resistance, fertility, and reproduction. ...> Full Article

Plants grow bigger and more vigorously through changes in their internal clocks (11/25/2008)

Hybrid plants, like corn, grow bigger and better than their parents because many of their genes for photosynthesis and starch metabolism are more active during the day, report researchers from the University of Texas at Austin in a new study published in the journal Nature. ...> Full Article

Specific DNA variations of the serotonin transporter gene can influence drinking intensity (11/24/2008)

The brain's serotonergic system plays an important role in alcohol preference and consumption. New findings show that specific DNA sequence variations of the serotonin transporter gene can influence drinking intensity among alcohol-dependent individuals. ...> Full Article

From genes to farmers' fields (11/23/2008)

Waterproof rice set to make waves in South Asia ...> Full Article

Study finds association between male birth defect and certain genetic mutations (11/22/2008)

A small percentage of males born with cryptorchidism (failure of one or both testicles to descend into the scrotum), the most frequent congenital birth defect in male children, are more likely to have genetic mutations, including for a syndrome that is a common genetic cause of infertility, according to a study in the Nov. 19 issue of JAMA. ...> Full Article

International team discovers gene associated with epilepsy (11/21/2008)

A University of Iowa-led international research team has found a new gene associated with the brain disorder epilepsy. While the PRICKLE1 gene mutation was specific to a rare form of epilepsy, the study results could help lead to new ideas for overall epilepsy treatment. The findings, which involved nearly two dozen institutions from six different countries, appear in the Nov. 7 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics. ...> Full Article

A big bunch of tomatoes? (11/20/2008)

Why do poppies and sunflowers grow as a single flower per stalk while each stem of a tomato plant has several branches, each carrying flowers? In a new study, published in this week's issue of the open access journal PLoS Biology, Dr. Zachary Lippman and colleagues identify a genetic mechanism that determines the pattern of flower growth in the Solanaceae family of plants that includes tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant, tobacco, petunia and deadly nightshades. ...> Full Article

New gene-silencing pathway found in plants (11/19/2008)

Shedding light on the 'dark matter' of genetics ...> Full Article

Mysterious microbe plays important role in ocean ecology (11/16/2008)

Leads scientists to rethink ocean's carbon and nitrogen cycles ...> Full Article

By combining technologies, researchers rapidly hunt down and find new genes that lead to cancer (11/15/2008)

Using a new approach that combines scientific technologies to hunt down genetic changes involved in cancer, researchers have discovered 13 tumor suppressor genes that, when mutated, can lead to liver cancers. Twelve of those genes had never been linked to cancer before ...> Full Article

A single gene leads yeast cells to cooperate against threats (11/14/2008)

FLO1 gene fosters social behavior, differentiating cooperative cells from 'cheaters' ...> Full Article

Sicilian word enters British genetic language (11/14/2008)

Geneticists have identified a key gene that was transferred from a Sicilian plant into a close relative in Britain, showing how genetic cross-talk between species can be important for evolution. ...> Full Article

Light-speed computer connection will slash genetic data transfer time (11/13/2008)

High-speed link will position collaborators as leaders in biomedical data analysis ...> Full Article

Genetic blueprint revealed for kidney design and formation (11/12/2008)

Study opens way for new research of development, disease ...> Full Article

Researchers uncover genetic basis for some birth defects (11/11/2008)

Absence of ERK2 Gene linked to birth defects ...> Full Article

Is stuttering in our DNA? (11/8/2008)

Scientists are investigating the genetic factors that underlie stuttering. ...> Full Article

Native birds might restock poultry industry's genetic stock (11/5/2008)

As concerns such as avian flu, animal welfare and consumer preferences impact the poultry industry, the reduced genetic diversity of commercial bird breeds increases their vulnerability and the industry's ability to adapt, according to a genetics expert. ...> Full Article

New method provides panoramic view of protein-RNA interactions in living cells (11/4/2008)

Scientists have developed a genome-wide platform to study how specialized proteins regulate RNA in living, intact cells. The platform allows researchers to identify, in a single experiment, every sequence within every strand of RNA to which proteins bind. The result is an unbiased and unprecedented look at how differences in RNA can explain how a worm and a human can each have 25,000 genes yet be so different. ...> Full Article

Corn researchers discover novel gene shut-off mechanisms (11/4/2008)

Geneticists have identified unusual differences in the natural mechanisms that turn off, or "silence," genes in corn. ...> Full Article

First evidence that prenatal exposure to famine may lead to persistent epigenetic changes (11/3/2008)

Study suggests that prenatal exposure to famine can lead to epigenetic changes that may affect a person's health into midlife. The findings show a trickle-down effect from pregnant women to the DNA of their unborn children and the timeframe over which such early damage can operate. These data are the first to show that early-life environmental conditions can cause epigenetic changes in humans that persist throughout life. ...> Full Article

Complete mitochondrial genome of 5,000-year-old mummy yields surprise (11/1/2008)

Researchers have revealed the complete mitochondrial genome of one of the world's most celebrated mummies, known as the Tyrolean Iceman or Ötzi. The sequence represents the oldest complete DNA sequence of modern humans' mitochondria ...> Full Article