Genetics News And Research - November 2008 Archives
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.
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A class of small RNAs inherited from the mother determines offspring's fertility trait
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Research sheds light on possible functions of abundant 'non-coding' RNA molecules
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Key process repeated every time a gene is expressed
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 | 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 |
 | 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 |
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.
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Waterproof rice set to make waves in South Asia
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Shedding light on the 'dark matter' of genetics
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Leads scientists to rethink ocean's carbon and nitrogen cycles
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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
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FLO1 gene fosters social behavior, differentiating cooperative cells from 'cheaters'
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 | 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 |
High-speed link will position collaborators as leaders in biomedical data analysis
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Study opens way for new research of development, disease
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 | Absence of ERK2 Gene linked to birth defects ...> Full Article |
 | Scientists are investigating the genetic factors that underlie stuttering. ...> Full Article |
 | 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 |
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.
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 | Geneticists have identified unusual differences in the natural mechanisms that turn off, or "silence," genes in corn. ...> Full Article |
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.
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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
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Same musicians: Brand new tune
The molecular basis of strawberry aroma
New principle may help explain why nature is quantum
Researchers perform fastest measurements ever made of ion channel proteins
Scientist studies methane levels in cross-continent drive
Ultraresponsive magnetic nanoscavengers for next generation water purification
Do potatoes grow on vines? A review of the wild relatives of some favorite food plants
When green means danger: A stunning new species of palm-pitviper from Honduras
New discovery of ancient diet shatters conventional ideas of how agriculture emerged
Western Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami hazard potential greater than previously thought
Astronomers discover surprising clutch of hydrogen clouds lurking among our galactic neighbors
World's first handheld sound camera ready for market
Untangling the tree of life
We almost always buy in the same shops
Researchers discover dynamic behavior of progenitor cells in brain
More than a good eye: Carnegie Mellon robot uses arms, location and more to discover objects
More effective, cheaper concrete manufactured with ash from olive residue biomass
Seahorse's armor gives engineers insight into robotics designs
New quantitative analysis for open source software projects
High-volume Bitcoin exchanges less likely to fail, but more likely breached, says study
Computer scientists develop video game that teaches how to program in Java
Do palm trees hold the key to immortality?
Keep moving and have fun
Researchers show how we can do math problems unconsciously
New strategy for fingerprint visualization developed at Hebrew University
Children's bicycle helmets shown to be effective in impact and crush tests
How Usain Bolt can run faster -- effortlessly
Enhancing cognition in older adults also changes personality
Carnivorous plant throws out 'junk' DNA
What is the role of double-stranded RNA in antiviral host defense systems?
Mining the botulinum genome
Sacred lotus genome sequence enlightens scientists
Scientists create novel approach to find RNAs involved in long-term memory storage