Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : The Options Box -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: hobo who wrote (9522)	2/11/2001 2:32:59 PM
From: hobo	Respond to of 10876

I found this page interesting so I am posting it in its entirety here no options on it though -gg- nature.com lifelines : First plant genome sequenced (Dec - 14 - 2000) CHRISTOPHER SURRIDGE So far, scientists have unravelled the complete genomes of yeast, a nematode worm, a fruitfly, over 30 bacteria and (almost) a person. To that list they now add the first plant: researchers announce in today’s Nature1–4 that they have sequenced the DNA of Arabidopsis thaliana, a small weed related to mustard. A weed may seem an odd choice for such a landmark in biological history, after all we neither eat it nor decorate our homes with it. But Arabidopsis is a model organism: from it, geneticists have learnt how to protect wheat from disease, ripen tomatoes and even double yields of rape-seed oil. Now that they have Arabidopsis’s complete instruction book, they will be able to apply such knowledge to many other plants. Model genome Biologists rely on model organisms — the results of different experiments can only be compared fairly if both were done on the same species. An ideal model is cheap, easy to grow and breed, and has a short life cycle, so that trials investigating many generations take weeks or months rather than years. Arabidopsis thaliana, also known as thale cress, meets all these criteria, and it emerged in the 1980s as the most popular plant model. What’s more, it has one of the smallest genomes of any plant. This genome is packaged into five chromosomes and contains 119 million base pairs — about one-thirtieth the size of the human genome. But sequencing it was still a massive task, and took a consortium of laboratories in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and Japan five years. _____________________________ <snip> This is changed by the news posted earlier in the Financial Times Message 15334579 <snip> _______________________________________ One of the most surprising findings is how much the Arabidopsis genome repeats itself. Less than half of its genes are unique — the rest have at least one doppelgänger elsewhere in the genome. This — in a plant chosen for its supposed simplicity — shows that plant genetics and evolution are far more complex than researchers had thought. Theme and variation The greatest value of the Arabidopsis genome is the information it provides about how to build a plant. It can be seen as a theme upon which all other plants are variations and elaborations. So if researchers can work out how a certain gene works in this little weed, the chances are that they can apply this knowledge to many other plants. Genes that control the release of Arabidopsis seeds have shown how the pods of crops such as rape can be prevented from shattering prematurely, perhaps saving farmers millions of pounds a year. And genes that keep genetically modified tomatoes swelling until they are picked were first identified in Arabidopsis. Family tree But the Arabidopsis genome has implications far beyond agriculture. Plants and animals are thought to have evolved from a common ancestor, a single-celled organism that lived more than 1.6 billion years ago. Subsequently, both kingdoms evolved complex bodies and switched to living on dry land. Comparing the Arabidopsis genome with those of animals will help researchers understand how these two great evolutionary leaps were made. Some animal genes are missing in plants, such as those that code for some hormone receptors. How plants manage without these will teach us more about how life exists in different forms. Medicinal uses Yet some genes in Arabidopsis are so similar to those in animals that they can help explain the task of the corresponding sequences in people. For example, an inherited human illness called Wilson’s disease, in which the body’s accumulation of copper can lead to brain damage, is caused by a mutation in a gene whose function in humans is unclear. But the product of a very similar gene in Arabidopsis is involved in sensing hormones, so this may offer a new route for medical researchers trying to combat the condition. It seems appropriate that the first year of the new century should open with such a milestone in plant genetics. The modern study of genetics began exactly 100 years ago when the Dutch botanist Hugo de Vries rediscovered the laws of inheritance, originally found by Gregor Mendel when he studied green peas. Before that, in 1777, the British botanist and apothecary William Curtis described Arabidopsis as a plant of "no particular virtues or uses". Now it can claim to be the single most significant plant in the kingdom. Christopher Surridge is a Senior Biological Sciences Editor at Nature See also: lifelines : 'Real' plant genomes not far behind

To: hobo who wrote (9522)	2/11/2001 2:43:02 PM
From: Poet	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10876

Wow, interesting article, tosc. Only twice as many genes as a fruit fly, unbelieveable. And then of course there's this paragraph: But the potential for effrontery does not end there. The study will also reveal that men are to blame for most inherited genetic mutations. The consortium found that men's bodies create inheritable mutations at about twice the rate of women's. It provides a mixed message for men. Although they provide the greater force for evolutionary change, they create hiccups that may promote disease. hehehe I know where I'll post it. Thanks.