Navigation Links
Genetic differences in clover make one type toxic
Date:10/1/2007

That clover necklace you make for your child could well be a ring of poison. Thats because some clovers have evolved genes that help the plant produce cyanide to protect itself against little herbivores, such as snails, slugs and voles, that eat clover. Other clover plants that do not make cyanide are found in climates with colder temperatures. So, in picking your poison, er, clover, ecology and geography play important roles.

A plant evolutionary biologist at Washington University in St. Louis is trying to get to the bottom of this botanical cloak and dagger tale. Kenneth Olsen, Ph.D., Washington University assistant professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, is looking at the genetics of a wide variety of white clover plants to determine why some plants do and some plants dont make cyanide what biologists call polymorphism, or two types.

We are documenting the effect of natural selection at the DNA sequence level to understand the molecular evolution of this polymorphism, said Olsen. Usually, researchers study model plants such as Arabidopsis or tobacco to understand genetics. But with clover we have a system where we can look in detail at DNA sequence variation and at the same time have a thorough understanding of the plants ecology.

In a study published the week of Sept. 24 in the journal Molecular Ecology, Olsen and his colleagues report findings on the molecular basis of the cyanide polymorphism.

Cyanide bomb in cell

White clover is native to Europe and Asia and was introduced some 300 years ago in North America. The cold factor-acyanogenic relationship has been known a long time in Europe and Asia and it re-evolved in North America when the plant was introduced, indicating that natural selection was a powerful force in shaping the geographical distributions of the two plant types.

The genetic basis behind cyanide production in clover plants boils down to just two genes.
'/>"/>

Contact: Kenneth Olsen
kolsen@wustl.edu
314-935-7013
Washington University in St. Louis
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3

Related biology news :

1. Novel Asthma Study Shows Multiple Genetic Input Required; Single-gene Solution Shot Down
2. Its not all genetic: Common epigenetic problem doubles cancer risk in mice
3. Scientists detect probable genetic cause of some Parkinsons disease cases
4. Mouse brain tumors mimic those in human genetic disorder
5. Genetically modified natural killer immune cells attack, kill leukemia cells
6. Scientists identify genetic pathways essential to RNA interference
7. Ants Genetic Engineering Leads To Species Interdependency
8. Researchers trace evolution to relatively simple genetic changes
9. Genetic Variation Visualization - From EMBL
10. Genetically modified rice in China benefits farmers health, study finds
11. Key mechanism in genetic inheritance during cell division identified
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/24/2013)... around the world today issued a stark warning that, ... or two generations, the majority of the 9 billion ... of severe pressure on fresh water, an absolutely essential ... handicap will be self-inflicted and is, we believe, entirely ... problems led by mismanagement and sent a prescription to ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... National Laboratory honored more than 165 staff for ... at PNNL,s annual Intellectual Property Commercialization Recognition & ... Energy national laboratory named materials scientist Jun Liu ... battery materials that can store large amounts of ... reduce the time it takes to charge cell ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... By discovering the new mechanism by which estrogen suppresses ... revealed a potential new approach toward treating certain liver ... and colleagues believe they are changing long-held views in ... issue of the journal Science Signaling . , ... years has been that only receptors located in the ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):A majority on Earth face severe self-inflicted water woes within 2 generations: Scientists 2A majority on Earth face severe self-inflicted water woes within 2 generations: Scientists 3A majority on Earth face severe self-inflicted water woes within 2 generations: Scientists 4PNNL staff recognized for scientific accomplishments, moving technologies into the marketplace 2UCI study reveals new mechanism for estrogen suppression of liver lipid synthesis 2
... studying a particularly short-lived fish species, researchers have been ... to extend lifespan in non-vertebrate organisms can also do ... reported by Alessandro Cellerino of the Scuola Normale Superiore, ... compound in human aging research. , The development of ...
... foul odors and closed beaches hit Rhode Island's Narragansett ... hypoxia, or oxygen depletion, which literally suffocates sea life. ... seen on the bay's surface, Brown University ecologists went ... a survey of nine mussel reefs located in the ...
... environmental problem, especially on the Indian subcontinent. Researchers at ... genetic techniques to create "arsenic-eating" plants that could be ... however. The arsenic sequestered from soil remained largely in ... harvest for safe disposal. Now, the research team, led ...
Cached Biology News:Resveratrol prolongs lifespan and delays onset of aging-related traits in a short-lived vertebrate 2'Dead zone' summer killed billions of ocean state mussels 2Researchers discover way to transport environmental arsenic to plant leaves in new clean-up strategy 2
(Date:5/23/2013)... , May 23, 2013  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing ... cord blood stem cell banking and therapeutics, announced today ... No. 16 Acorn Stairlifts Indy car driven by ... remainder of the IZOD IndyCar 2013 season.   ... work to support awareness of umbilical cord blood banking ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... , May 23, 2013  Saddleback Memorial Medical ... recently became the first hospital on the West Coast ... This new surgical option provides women with a state-of-the-art, ... Marc Winter , M.D., a highly ... surgeon and medical director of minimally invasive surgery at ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... 2013 Z Trim Holdings, Inc. (OTC Markets: ... variety of industries, announced that Chef Erin ... this year,s National Restaurant Association ("NRA") NRA Show, which ... the Research Chefs Association.  Chef Ryan spoke on the ... Bad and the Ugly," joining four other prestigious panelists ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... May 23, 2013  Verenium Corporation (Nasdaq: ... the development and commercialization of high-performance enzymes, today announced ... Officer, will present at two upcoming conferences. ... present at the Second Annual Marcum LLP Microcap Conference ... Hotel in New York City.  The presentation is scheduled ...
Breaking Biology Technology:StemCyte, Inc. Joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing As Associate Sponsor Of No. 16 IndyCar Program For James Jakes Beginning With The 97th Indianapolis 500 2StemCyte, Inc. Joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing As Associate Sponsor Of No. 16 IndyCar Program For James Jakes Beginning With The 97th Indianapolis 500 3Saddleback Memorial Surgeon First on the West Coast to Perform Single-Site Robotic Hysterectomy 2Saddleback Memorial Surgeon First on the West Coast to Perform Single-Site Robotic Hysterectomy 3Z Trim's Chef Erin Ryan sits on Expert Panel at NRA Show 2Z Trim's Chef Erin Ryan sits on Expert Panel at NRA Show 3Verenium To Present At Two Upcoming Conferences 2Verenium To Present At Two Upcoming Conferences 3
... recognition of her ongoing support of the nation,s human ... 2012 recipient of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute,s ... Texas was honored today during the official opening of ... with Baylor College of Medicine,s Center for Space Medicine ...
... 19, 2012 The nation,s first Minority Biomedical ... Cleveland.  MBEC offers a unique platform for minority ... engage, network, collaborate and exchange ideas. ... represent less than 5 percent(1) of the growing ...
... Research Centre (CNIO) routinely runs such tests on samples sent ... the first step towards a truly personalised medicine. And researchers ... each organism at a molecular scale: the genes that are ... circulating through the bloodstream; and the length of the telomeres ...
Cached Biology Technology:Space Research Institute Honors Senator Hutchison with Pioneer Award 2Space Research Institute Honors Senator Hutchison with Pioneer Award 3Minority Biomedical Entrepreneurship Conference 2Minority Biomedical Entrepreneurship Conference 3CNIO researchers take part in the most comprehensive personalized medicine study performed to date 2CNIO researchers take part in the most comprehensive personalized medicine study performed to date 3
... Identical to the DH-2000, but comes with ... switch up to 5 Hz) The ... the continuous spectrum of deuterium and tungsten halogen ... combined-spectrum light source produces a powerful, stable output ...
... The MSD Security ChemStation ... GC/MS software application for ... quantification, library searching and ... aspects of data security, ...
... microRNA expression profiling and built on ... on-chip synthesis platform. These microarrays are ... microRNA Expression Profiling Service. ... microRNA Microarray contains all known soil ...
... Proteolytic degradation is critical to ... short-lived and regulatory proteins as important ... cellular metabolism, heat shock and stress ... surface receptors and ion channels, cell ...
Biology Products: