Navigation Links
Scientists use microRNAs to track evolutionary history for first time
Date:9/9/2009

New Haven, Conn.The large group of segmented worms known as annelids, which includes earthworms, leeches and bristle worms, evolved millions of years ago and can be found in every corner of the world. Although annelids are one of the most abundant animal groups on the planet, scientists have struggled to understand how the different species of this biologically diverse group relate to each other in terms of their evolutionary history. Now a team of scientists from Yale University and Dartmouth College has used a groundbreaking method to untangle some of that history.

The researchers used a novel source of datathe presence and absence of different microRNA genesto investigate the evolutionary relationships of annelids. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding genes that have long been known to play an important role in developmental biology but which have never before been used to study the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The team's findings appear online September 9 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

"These genes are excellent evolutionary markers," said lead author Erik Sperling, a graduate student in Yale's Department of Geology and Geophysics. "Once a microRNA gene is fixed in a species, it is very rarely lost. As such, organisms with similar microRNAs are closely related to one another."

Building on previous work done at Kevin Peterson's lab at Dartmouth, which demonstrated the potential of using microRNAs to decipher evolutionary history, the team applied a form of high-throughput sequencing technology at the Yale Center for Genomics and Proteomics that uses a novel strategy to reveal the microRNA complement of an organism.

They discovered that certain groups of organisms previously shown by molecular analyses to lie within the annelid family, such as mollusks and peanut worms, could not have evolved from the same branch of the evolutionary tree as the rest of the annelids. Instead, the team
'/>"/>

Contact: Suzanne Taylor Muzzin
suzanne.taylormuzzin@yale.edu
203-432-8555
Yale University
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. UK scientists working to help cut ID theft
2. Scientists show that mitochondrial DNA variants are linked to risk factors for type 2 diabetes
3. Comet probes reveal evidence of origin of life, scientists claim
4. Scientists link fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome to binding protein in RNA
5. Male elephants get photo IDs from scientists
6. Scientists retrace evolution with first atomic structure of an ancient protein
7. Muscle mass: Scientists identify novel mode of transcriptional regulation during myogenesis
8. Carnegie Mellon scientists develop nanogels that enable controlled delivery of carbohydrate drugs
9. Clemson scientists shed light on molecules in living cells
10. Scientists tackle mystery mountain illness
11. T. rex quicker than Becks, say scientists
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:6/19/2013)... across the Midwest are expected to contribute to a ... "dead zone," according to a University of Michigan ecologist ... with one for the Chesapeake Bay. , The Gulf ... and Atmospheric Administration, calls for an oxygen-depleted, or hypoxic, ... would place it among the 10 largest on record. ...
(Date:6/18/2013)... June 19, 2013  Paris Air Show – ... Test Systems) , a leading provider of innovative ... is demonstrating its solutions this week at the ... With growing challenges including increasingly complex armament systems ... feature-rich, specialized aerospace test solutions that address legacy ...
(Date:6/18/2013)... UT Arlington environmental engineer has been awarded a ... to ensure water quality and flow in the ... , Andrew Kruzic, UT Arlington associate professor of ... locations to add monochloramine to the water in ... new pump stations and pipelines. Adding monochloramine is ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):U-M researcher and colleagues predict possible record-setting Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' 2U-M researcher and colleagues predict possible record-setting Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' 3U-M researcher and colleagues predict possible record-setting Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' 4Marvin Test Solutions Demonstrates Next-Generation Armament Test Solutions at Paris Air Show 2Marvin Test Solutions Demonstrates Next-Generation Armament Test Solutions at Paris Air Show 3UT Arlington research to benefit quality, flow in 150-mile Integrated Pipeline 2
... blood test may help doctors better predict whether prostate cancer ... for the disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have ... issue of Clinical Cancer Research , UT Southwestern scientists ... 86 percent accuracy which prostate cancer patients will experience a ...
... at the Smithsonian,s National Zoo have performed the ... ( E. ferus przewalskii ; E. caballus ... are a horse species native to China and ... in 1970. Currently, there are approximately 1500 of ...
... the human gene DRD4 is linked to better health ... settled cousins, according to new research by a team ... (UWM). A study by UWM assistant professor Ben ... UNLV shows that a particular version of the gene ...
Cached Biology News:Urologists identify 7 biomarkers that may help pinpoint prostate cancer recurrence 2First successful reverse vasectomy on endangered species performed at the National Zoo 2First successful reverse vasectomy on endangered species performed at the National Zoo 3Did the gene for ADHD help our nomadic ancestors? 2
(Date:6/18/2013)... 18, 2013 The Pistoia ... the HELM biomolecular representation standard software toolkit and ... HELM (Hierarchical Editing Language for Macromolecules) ... biomolecules (e.g. proteins, nucleotides, antibody drug conjugates) whose ... informatics methodologies impractical or unusable. HELM solves this ...
(Date:6/18/2013)... , June 18, 2013 ... international investment research firm, announces the initiation ... a French biopharmaceutical company developing and marketing ... care indications.      (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130417/608168) ... comprehensive report examining the investment merits of ...
(Date:6/18/2013)... -- The "Bioinformatics Market By Sector (Molecular Medicine, Agriculture, ... Data Analysis Services) & Application (Genomics, Proteomics & Drug Design) - Global ... Restraints, and Opportunities in North America , ... and Rest of World. Browse , ... Figures 364 Pages and an in-depth ...
(Date:6/18/2013)... , June 18, 2013  Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: ... it has agreed to acquire 100% ownership of ... Inc. (Bionostics).  Bionostics is a global leader in ... that verify the proper operation of in ... point of care blood glucose and blood gas ...
Breaking Biology Technology:The Pistoia Alliance Releases HELM Biomolecular Representation Standard Open Source Tools 2Edison Expands French Healthcare Sector Coverage With Initiation of Coverage on BioAlliance Pharma 2Edison Expands French Healthcare Sector Coverage With Initiation of Coverage on BioAlliance Pharma 3Bioinformatics Market Worth $7.5 Billion by 2017 2Bioinformatics Market Worth $7.5 Billion by 2017 3Techne Corporation Announces Acquisition Agreement 2Techne Corporation Announces Acquisition Agreement 3Techne Corporation Announces Acquisition Agreement 4Techne Corporation Announces Acquisition Agreement 5
... YORK , July 7 Reportlinker.com announces that a new market ... , , ... , , , ... , , ...
... July 9, 2010 Federico Capasso, Robert L. Wallace ... Fellow in Electrical Engineering at the Harvard School of ... 2010 Berthold Leibinger Zukunftspreis (the future prize), an international ... of laser light. The prize, consisting of 30,000, ...
... July 6 /PRNewswire/ - Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited - Long time ... make way for a new CEO to lead the company,s next growth phase, ... , , ... food industry veteran, has been appointed as the new President and CEO at ...
Cached Biology Technology:Building Biotech Technology Transfer Opportunities: Sponsor and Developer Strategies for Success 2Building Biotech Technology Transfer Opportunities: Sponsor and Developer Strategies for Success 3Building Biotech Technology Transfer Opportunities: Sponsor and Developer Strategies for Success 4Building Biotech Technology Transfer Opportunities: Sponsor and Developer Strategies for Success 5Building Biotech Technology Transfer Opportunities: Sponsor and Developer Strategies for Success 6Building Biotech Technology Transfer Opportunities: Sponsor and Developer Strategies for Success 7Building Biotech Technology Transfer Opportunities: Sponsor and Developer Strategies for Success 8Building Biotech Technology Transfer Opportunities: Sponsor and Developer Strategies for Success 9Building Biotech Technology Transfer Opportunities: Sponsor and Developer Strategies for Success 10Laser pioneer Federico Capasso awarded Berthold Leibinger Zukunftspreis 2New President and CEO appointed at Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited 2New President and CEO appointed at Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited 3
... is a small and sensitive single ... both LC and IC. It features a ... Ionization (API) source for outstanding sensitivity and ... with existing LC and IC methods, especially ...
Kit for BASE20/50 dual control unit, includes mounting plate, HOLDER50T, HEATERPAD50, SRTDX temperature probe(s)....
...
... R&D Systems Cell and Tissue Staining Kits ... a broad range of histological and cytological ... primary IgG antibodies manufactured by either R&D ... is based on the formation of the ...
Biology Products: