Genetics Abstracts

Yersinia pestis genome sequenced

2011-10-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Scientists have extracted Yersinia pestis dna sequences from black death victims from a cementary in the city of london.
The yersinia pestis chromosone is over 4 megabases long.
Yersinia pestis is related to yersinia pseudotuberculosis, an soil living bacteria from which it differs by 2 additional plasmids.
The black death strain of yersinia pestis appears to be the ancestor of all modern strains infecting humans emerging perhaps around 1340(black death was spreading in europe 1346-1353,spreading from india /china direction )
The black death may have originated from marmots in whom plague bacteria has been discovered that is similiar to yersinia pestis in humans(indeed yersinia pestis has been called marmot plague in the past).

Eating plant material can alter gene expression in animals and humans

2011-10-02T04:54:00.000-07:00

A research team at Nanjing University in China has found that plant like rice,brussels sprouts and possibly lots of other plants have genetic material that can survive passage though the human or animal stomachs and enter the blood stream.
MicroRNA, particulary MIR168a andMIR156a can survive the gut bacteria and digestive system , it was found by the research team in the livers and lungs of mice.
Gene expression was altered in about 50 genes including a gene that lowers cholesterol levels, causing cholesterol levels to rise.
Alteration of human gene expression by plants might be as old as humanity.

potato genome has been sequenced

2011-07-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

The potato which is related to aubergine, pepper,petunia and tomato has had its genome sequenced.
It has an estimated 844 megabase genome, over 24,000 genes, including over 3,000 snps, 28 kunitz protease inhibitor genes,which respond to pest and pathogen attacks.

The following genes give resistance to potato blight;
rb
rpi-blb2
rpi-vnt1
r1
r2
r3a

The potato was originally grown in peru area,but has since spread throughout the world.
Search Amazon.com for potato genetics

orang-utan genetics

2011-01-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

The orang-utan genome has been sequenced from five sumatran orang-utan and five bornean orang-utan and indicates that orang-utan split from the other apes about 400,000 years ago,the genome contains over 3 gb of genetic sequences.
The analysis suggest that the orang-utan genome has undergone fewer genomic rearrangements than the human and chimpanzee genome from whom orang-utan supposedly split about 12-16 million years ago.

Genetic art and such-like

2010-11-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

Some companies like Yonder biology can do a painting of your genes.

Another company called genetic-photos can put your dna on a t-shirt etc.

Genes linked to the kidneys(not kidney disease)

2010-10-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

A gene called FOXL1 has been linked to water retention in the kidneys.
A mutation of this gene was found in 85% of 20 Yoruba in some research done, this version of the gene is believed to date back to the spread of the sahara 10-20,00 years ago.
Search Amazon.com for Yoruba

Paris japonica genome sequenced

2010-10-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

Geneticists have sequenced the genome of the rare flower paris japonica which has the biggest genome so far sequenced, there are 149 billion base pairs, the genome is 50 times the size of the human genome.

genes linked to ovarian cancer

2010-09-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

ARID1A and PPP2R1A mutations have been linked to ovarian cancer.

Search Amazon.com for ovarian cancer gene
Search Amazon.com for ovarian cancer genetics

apple genetics

2010-09-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

The golden delicious apple genom has about 57,000 nuclear genes. Researchers have found out that the domesticated apple's closest wild relative is malus sieversii
Search Amazon.com for golden delicious apple

Chinese summer wheat genome sequenced

2010-09-03T04:29:00.000-07:00

The chinese spring wheat genome is five times as large as the human genome.
It is hoped that it will help into research in developing new types of wheat with higher yields,are drought resistant and withstand climate change.
Search Amazon.com for spring wheat
Search Amazon.com for drought resistant
Search Amazon.com for higher yields

Vitamins and human genetics

2010-08-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

Vitamin D interacts with over 2,700 human genes, some of which have been linked to multiple sclerosis,diabetes,leukaemia.
Search Amazon.com for Vitamin D

Search Amazon.com for multiple sclerosis

Search Amazon.com for diabetes

Search Amazon.com for diabetes
Search Amazon.com for diabetes vitamins

human genes linked to cereal and other farming

2010-08-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

A prlp2 variant(helps to break down fats in plant fat) has been linked to cereal eating,occuring in about 0.5 of cereal eating population,wheras lower in at about 0.2-3 in non-cereal eating population.

TRPV6 variants have been linked to lactose tolerance,aids in digestion of milk.

Populations descended from farmers in europe and the middle east tend to have slower acetylation versions of the NAT-2 genes(whereas hunter-gatherers usually have fast acetylation version of such genes.)
Search Amazon.com for milk

genes linked to oxygen and lungs

2010-08-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Search Amazon.com for epas1 gene
The epas1 has been linked to oxygen regulation,
Certain mutations occur in 90% of tibetans that hand them adapt to higher altitude.
Search Amazon.com for tibet guide
Search Amazon.com for tibet map

Oyster genetics

2010-08-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

BGI in shenzhen says it has sequenced the oyster genome.
There were about 20,000 genes.Search Amazon.com for shenzhen

Search Amazon.com for oyster gene

human blood-lipid genes

2010-08-06T05:04:00.000-07:00

Genes include
abca
Search Amazon.com for abca genes
abo
Search Amazon.com for abo blood
apob
apoe
Search Amazon.com for apolipoprotein
cyp7a1
Search Amazon.com for cyp7a1
Galnt2
hla
Search Amazon.com for hla genes
ldlrap1
npc1l1
ppp1r3b
scarb1
ttc39b

Search Amazon.com for blood-lipid

genes associated with aicardi-goutieres syndrome

2010-08-06T04:09:00.000-07:00

Genes associated with this syndrome include
TREX1 mutations
Search Amazon.com for aicardi

Draft of great barrier reef demosponge genome published

2010-08-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Latin name;amphimedon queenslandia
Search Amazon.com for queensland and the great barrier reef
Has more than 18,600 genes,including about 700 kinases genes,(about 150 of which are believed to be tyrosine).
Gene p53
Search Amazon.com for p53 gene
Search Amazon.com for great barrier reef

Search Amazon.com for demosponge

Search Amazon.com for kinases
Search Amazon.com for tyrosine

tibetan population genetics

2010-07-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

Variants in egln1, Epas1(90% prevalence) and ppara in the highland population are believed to help highlanders adapt to high altitudes.
These variants are associated with a reduced blood levels of hemoglobin.
Search Amazon.com for hemoglobin genetics

Search Amazon.com for epas1 gene
Search Amazon.com for tibetan genetics

Jewish genetics

2010-07-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

A study suggests Ethiopian and indian jews are genetically similiar to(Oromo) ethiopians and indians,possibly because of intermarriage.
Most jewish population are genetically similiar to cypriot,samaritian and druze population.
Yemenite jews are genetically similiar to bedouins and saudis.

Search Amazon.com for jewish genetics
Search Amazon.com for jewish genealogy

Search Amazon.com for oromo
Search Amazon.com for ethiopian jews
Search Amazon.com for druze
Search Amazon.com for yemenite jews
Search Amazon.com for bedouins

genes linked to amyotropic lateral sclerosis/ALS

2010-05-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

ANG,FUS(also called TLS,)SOD1(accounts for about 2% of als cases),TARDP

Mutation in a gene called OPTN have been linked to als as well.
Atnx2( a polyglutamine protein,linked to tdp-43 toxicity) is a gene found in about 4% of als cases.
Search Amazon.com for polyglutamine
Search Amazon.com for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Search Amazon.com for superoxide dismutase

western clawed frog genome sequenced

2010-05-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

Xenopus tropicalis,as it is called in latin ,has had its genome sequenced.

The genome has over 20,000 protein-coding genes,1.7 billion bases in 10 chromosomes.
1/3 of genome are transposable elements.
An IGD isoype was found

perigord black truffle genome sequenced

2010-04-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

Search Amazon.com for perigord black truffle
Has 125 megabases.
About 58% of genome are transposable elements,there are almost 7,500 protein coding-genes.

genes linked to miller's syndrome

2010-04-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

A mutation in a gene called DHODH,involved in pyrimidine biosymthesis,is believe to be involved.

mimivirus genome sequenced

2010-04-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

Analysis of the mimiviru reveals its has about 1,000 genes.
It has a gene that codes for atp as well as genes that produce proteins that move amino acids around(these are activated when the mimivirus invades cells)

Zebra finch genome sequenced

2010-04-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Genome has duplicates of genes like PHF7,31 pak3-like sequences,lacks mhm sequence and over 200,000 mobile elements.