SEATTLE - (August 21, 2012) Research on a unique vertebrate called the sea lamprey shows that more than a thousand genes are shed during its early development. These genes are paradoxically lost all throughout the developing embryo except in a specialized compartment called "primordial germ cells" or PGCs. The PGCs can be thought of as embryonic stem cells and are used, ultimately, for making the next generation of lampreys. Based on computational analysis, a significant number of genes that are lost in the embryo have signatures of "pluripotency," which suggests that they could also have undesirable effects if they were inadvertently turned on in the body. In effect, by undergoing programmed genome rearrangement and gene loss during embryogenesis, the sea lamprey "seals" the genes away in the small germline compartment so they cannot be misexpressed and thereby create untoward problems (such as development of cancer, for example). The study was completed at the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI) and recently published as a featured article in Current Biology, along with an outside commentary highlighting its biological importance.
The article authors are Jeramiah Smith, PhD, former postdoctoral fellow at BRI and now Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Kentucky; Chris Amemiya, PhD, Principal Investigator at BRI and Professor of Biology, University of Washington; Evan Eichler, PhD, University of Washington Genome Sciences Professor; and Carl Baker, Research Scientist, University of Washington.
The discovery builds on the group's previous work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2009. "Our new research confirms that lampreys experience rampant programmed genome rearrangement and losses during early development," says Dr. Amemiya. "The genes are restricted to the germline compartment suggesting a deeper biological strategy in order to regulate the genome for highly
'/>"/>
| Contact: Kay Branz kbranz@benaroyaresearch.org 206-342-6903 Immune Tolerance Network Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology news :
1. Study by UC Santa Barbara researchers suggests that bacteria communicate by touch
2. Research reveals first evidence of hunting by prehistoric Ohioans
3. Diabetes Research Institute develops oxygen-generating biomaterial
4. APS issues new policy requiring identification of sex or gender in reporting scientific research
5. UC Santa Barbara researchers discover genetic link between visual pathways of hydras and humans
6. Study jointly led by UCSB researcher supports theory of extraterrestrial impact
7. U of Alberta researcher steps closer to understand autoimmune diseases
8. Research on flavanols and procyanidins provides new insights into how these phytonutrients may positively impact human health
9. A project to research biological and chemical aspects of microalgae to fuel approach
10. Scripps Research discoveries lead to newly approved drug for infant respiratory distress syndrome
11. Researchers attempt to solve problems of antibiotic resistance and bee deaths in one
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |