(Press-News.org) Bethesda, MD—August 9, 2012 – Listed below are the selected highlights for the August 2012 issue of the Genetics Society of America's journal, GENETICS. The August issue is available online at www.genetics.org/content/current. Please credit GENETICS, Vol. 191, AUGUST 2012, Copyright © 2012.
Please feel free to forward to colleagues who may be interested in these articles.
ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS
New negative feedback regulators of Egfr signaling in Drosophila, pp. 1213
Jonathan P. Butchar, Donna Cain, Sathiya N. Manivannan, Andrea D. McCue, Liana Bonanno, Sarah Halula, Sharon Truesdell, Christina L. Austin, Thomas L. Jacobsen, and Amanda Simcox
While much is known about the checks and balances necessary for the precise specification of fly wings, these authors show that we didn't know it all. They report the discovery of two new negative regulators in the Egfr pathway that are conserved in other animals. Because a perfect wing is of critical importance to flies, it is likely that more such controls will be discovered.
On the prospects of whole-genome association mapping in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, pp. 1345
Caitlin F. Connelly and Joshua M. Akey
Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have not caught on for model organisms. One challenge is population structure, which can result in spurious associations. This article shows that indeed, GWA studies in yeast are complicated by complex patterns of population structure that are not easily corrected by existing approaches. The authors expound on how careful study design and empirical tests of the effects of population structure will be necessary for carrying out GWA studies in model organisms.
Suppressors, screens, and genes: An educational primer for use with "A network of genes antagonistic to the LIN-35 retinoblastoma protein of Caenorhabditis elegans", pp. 1031-1035
Elizabeth A. De Stasio
This is the first of a new series of articles in GENETICS — Educational Primers — designed to guide educators in the use of current scientific literature in the classroom (see editorial in this issue). In this Primer, Elizabeth De Stasio explains how Polley and Fay used RNA interference, suppressor screens, and synthetic phenotypes to elucidate the function of the retinoblastoma protein in C. elegans (see article in this issue). Each Primer provides necessary background for students and offers a sample approach to classroom use of the original article, including discussion questions.
A resolution of the mutation load paradox in humans, pp. 1321
Yann Lesecque, Peter D. Keightley, and Adam Eyre-Walker
It has been estimated that each of us receives, on average, at least two new harmful mutations from our parents. Previous theoretical work suggested that this high rate of harmful mutation should result in 88% of individuals failing to have offspring, and each female having to have more than 16 offspring on average, to maintain population size. Fortunately, those calculations are incorrect, as these authors show. They show that humans could tolerate hundreds of new harmful mutations if natural selection acts via competition between individuals.
SNP-ratio mapping (SRM): Identifying lethal alleles and mutations in complex genetic backgrounds by next-generation sequencing, pp. 1381
Heike Lindner, Michael T. Raissig, Christian Sailer, Hiroko Shimosato-Asano, Rémy Bruggmann, and Ueli Grossniklaus
Mutations in essential genes are difficult to identify. Here the authors present a method for quick identification of homozygous-lethal alleles by next-generation sequencing. The authors' method, which can also be used to map second-site modifiers in complex genetic/transgenic backgrounds, can be applied to any genetic organism.
The mRNA decay pathway regulates the expression of the Flo11 adhesin and biofilm formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, pp. 1387
Tricia L. Lo, Yue Qu, Nathalie Uwamahoro, Tara Quenault, Traude H. Beilharz, and Ana Traven
The gene encoding the yeast cell-wall adhesin Flo11 offers an excellent platform for learning how gene expression is controlled by extracellular signals and developmental pathways. Regulated expression of the cell-wall adhesins is also relevant to virulence properties of pathogenic fungi and industrial applications with yeasts. These investigators discover a novel mechanism controlling FLO11 expression: the mRNA decay pathway inhibits the expression of transcriptional repressors of FLO11.
Fluctuations of fitness distributions and the rate of Muller's ratchet, pp. 1283
Richard A. Neher and Boris I. Shraiman
Muller's ratchet is relentless, but its quantitative characterization has remained a challenge. This article offers a systematic analysis of the stochastic properties of the deleterious mutation selection-balance, and provides an accurate formula for the rate of Muller's ratchet.
A network of genes antagonistic to the LIN-35 retinoblastoma protein of Caenorhabditis elegans, pp. 1367
Stanley R. G. Polley and David S. Fay
The pRb tumor suppressor of Caenorhabditis elegans (LIN-35) regulates a diverse range of cellular and developmental processes. This article describes genes that were identified as genetic suppressors of phenotypes associated with LIN-35/pRb loss of function in the worm. Because the encoded proteins are highly conserved, these may represent candidate targets for anticancer therapies, as their inactivation alleviates defects associated with a commonly inactivated tumor suppressor in humans.
Transvection is common throughout the Drosophila genome, pp. 1129
David J. Mellert and James W. Truman
We know that cis-regulatory sequence elements can regulate transcription in trans, but what is the prevalence of their action in trans? These investigators show that trans interactions between transgenes inserted into the Drosophila genome is common, and provide insight into possible molecular mechanisms. Because trans interactions between transgenes can confound experimental strategies, the authors propose guidelines for using transgenes inserted via site-specific integration.
and
Comparing enhancer action in cis and in trans, pp. 1143
Jack R. Bateman, Justine E. Johnson, and Melissa N. Locke
Sometimes two chromosomes are close enough that an enhancer on one can communicate in trans with a promoter on its neighbor. How does this "transvection" work? This article describes a transgenic approach to the study of transvection that simplifies sequence manipulation and enables precise quantification of changes to gene expression when enhancers act in cis or trans.
###
ABOUT GENETICS: Since 1916, GENETICS (http://www.genetics.org/) has covered high quality, original research on a range of topics bearing on inheritance, including population and evolutionary genetics, complex traits, developmental and behavioral genetics, cellular genetics, gene expression, genome integrity and transmission, and genome and systems biology. GENETICS, a peer-reviewed, peer-edited journal of the Genetics Society of America is one of the world's most cited journals in genetics and heredity.
ABOUT GSA: Founded in 1931, the Genetics Society of America (GSA) is the professional membership organization for scientific researchers, educators, bioengineers, bioinformaticians and others interested in the field of genetics. Its nearly 5,000 members work to advance knowledge in the basic mechanisms of inheritance, from the molecular to the population level. GSA is dedicated to promoting research in genetics and to facilitating communication among geneticists worldwide through its conferences, including the biennial conference on Model Organisms to Human Biology, an interdisciplinary meeting on current and cutting edge topics in genetics research, as well as annual and biennial meetings that focus on the genetics of particular organisms, including C. elegans, Drosophila, fungi, mice, yeast, and zebrafish. GSA publishes GENETICS, a leading journal in the field and an online, open-access journal, G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. For more information about GSA, please visit www.genetics-gsa.org. Also follow GSA on Facebook at facebook.com/GeneticsGSA and on Twitter @GeneticsGSA.
Genetics Society of America’s GENETICS journal highlights for August 2012
2012-08-09
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Scientists discover how iron levels and a faulty gene cause bowel cancer
2012-08-09
HIGH LEVELS of iron could raise the risk of bowel cancer by switching on a key pathway in people with faults in a critical anti-cancer gene, according to a study published in Cell Reports* today (Thursday).
Cancer Research UK scientists, based at the University of Birmingham and the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow, found bowel cancers were two to three times more likely to develop in mice with a faulty APC gene that were fed high amounts of iron compared to mice who still had a working APC gene.
In contrast, mice with a faulty APC gene fed a diet low ...
Urban poor plagued by 'burdens of place'
2012-08-09
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Most of America's urban cores were designed for walking but offer little in the way of supermarkets, healthy restaurants and other amenities for residents to walk to, according to a study led by a Michigan State University scholar.
The study is one of the first to show that poor residents living in declining urban neighborhoods want healthy food choices – evidenced by their willingness to travel long distances to find them. Past research has generally assumed that poor people will shop at whatever store is closest.
But compared with suburban residents, ...
Plenty of dark matter near the Sun
2012-08-09
Dark matter was first proposed by the Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky in the 1930s. He found that clusters of galaxies were filled with a mysterious dark matter that kept them from flying apart. At nearly the same time, Jan Oort in the Netherlands discovered that the density of matter near the Sun was nearly twice what could be explained by the presence of stars and gas alone. In the intervening decades, astronomers developed a theory of dark matter and structure formation that explains the properties of clusters and galaxies in the Universe, but the amount of dark matter ...
Looking to Lose Weight?
2012-08-09
SHREWSBURY, MA – A new study published in Nutrition Journal shows that people can lose weight while consuming typical amounts of sugar or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) if their overall caloric intake is reduced.
"Our research debunks the vilification of high fructose corn syrup in the diet," said James M. Rippe, M.D., one of the study authors. "The results show that equally reduced-calorie diets caused similar weight loss regardless of the type or amount of added sugars. This lends further support to findings by our research group and others that table sugar and HFCS ...
89 million people medically uninsured during 2004 to 2007
2012-08-09
Eighty-nine million Americans were without health insurance for at least one month during the period from 2004 to 2007, and 23 million lost coverage more than once during that time, according to researchers at Penn State and Harvard University.
"These findings call attention to the continuing instability and insecurity of health insurance in our country," said Pamela Farley Short, professor of health policy and administration, Penn State. "With more than a third of all Americans under age 65 being uninsured at some point in a four-year period, it's easy to see that the ...
He/she, him/her – a sign of women's place in society?
2012-08-09
Language use in books mirrors trends in gender equality over the generations in the US, according to a new study by Jean Twenge, from San Diego State University, and colleagues. Their work explores how the language in the full text of more than one million books reflects cultural change in U.S. women's status. The study is published online in Springer's journal Sex Roles.
Twenge and colleagues, W. Keith Campbell and Brittany Gentile of the University of Georgia, examined whether the use of gendered pronouns such as 'he' and 'she' mirrored women's status between 1900-2008, ...
Retirement expert: Medicare woes mostly rooted in myth
2012-08-09
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Various misconceptions surrounding the continued viability of Medicare can be debunked or discredited, making it more important than ever for voters and policymakers to fully understand the program's existing contours and limitations, according to a paper published by a University of Illinois expert on retirement benefits.
Law professor Richard L. Kaplan says Medicare has become one of the most controversial federal programs for numerous reasons, but misinformation has played a key role in fostering criticism of it.
"Medicare is an important and complicated ...
Banks' cash stash: No shield against bankruptcy
2012-08-09
According to theoretical physicists João da Cruz and Pedro Lind from Lisbon University, Portugal, imposing minimum capital levels for banks may not prevent the insolvency of a minority of banks from triggering a widespread banking system collapse. In a study recently published in EPJ B1, the researchers explain why this measure could instead lead to larger crises.
The authors created a model of banks' behaviour to assess the conditions needed to avoid "avalanches" of insolvent banks. Their model is based on a physical system of particles representing how banks are attracted ...
Poorly-performing hand implants unacceptable says leading medical journal
2012-08-09
Los Angeles, CA (August 09, 2012) Poorly-performing medical implants have hit the headlines recently, and the trend looks set to continue: the September issue of the Journal of Hand Surgery (JHS) homes in on the unacceptable performance of hand implants for osteoarthritis patients. Citing several recent studies, the editorial asks why these implants – which perform worse that certain hip replacement implants now deemed unacceptable – are still widely used. JHS is an online and print, orthopedic surgery journal published by SAGE.
The issue reports on a number of thumb ...
Eating grapes may help protect heart health in men with metabolic syndrome, new study suggests
2012-08-09
Fresno, Calif. – Consuming grapes may help protect heart health in people with metabolic syndrome, according to new research published in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers observed a reduction in key risk factors for heart disease in men with metabolic syndrome: reduced blood pressure, improved blood flow and reduced inflammation. Natural components found in grapes, known as polyphenols, are thought to be responsible for these beneficial effects.
The randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study, led by principal investigator Dr. Maria Luz Fernandez and Jacqueline ...