genes associated with colon cancer

Park2 gene as well as fast aceylation version of the Nat-2 gene are associated with colon cancer.

Genes associated with the liver and liver associated diseases

A PNPLA3 variant(rs738409) is believed to be associated with alcoholic liver disease and liver cirrhosis.

HIV genetics

Researchers have discovered a sequence that appears to have originated in ancient cats.

It was once suggested that HIV started in tigers or lions,then spread to monkeys,then humans.

Maize/sweetcorn genetics

Search Amazon.com for maize genetics
A draft of the maize genome has been published.

Maize was first domesticated about 9,000 tears ago

Genetics of lake malawi cichlids

The orange-blotch pattern of some cichlids is due to a mutation in the pax7 gene.

Shark genetics

Genetic analyses of Great white sharks in Australia and california has shown they are  distant cousins.

Dog genetics

Coat length,curls and texture in dogs is influenced by the FGF5,KRT71 and rspo2 genes.

A genetic study suggests that all small dogs, whether chihuahua or shih tzu have a  version of the IGF-1 gene similiar to that in middle eastern gray wolves,suggesting the origin of that gene is in the middle east.

Pathogen that cause Irish potato famine genetically sequenced

Phytophthora infestans has genome estinated at 240 megabase.
Almost 18,000 genes were found.
They were lots of gypsy elements,1/3 of the genome assembly being such elements,one called `albatross' accounts for a lot of the genome
273 transpoons found

silkworm genetics

Researchers have sequenced the genomes of 40 types of silkworms,29 domesticated and 11 wild types of silk worms.

Genome size is 432mb

Researchers identified 16 million SNPs,as well as 354 genes possibly associated with domestication.

Rice genetics

A pi21 mutation,involving two deletions, protects against rice blast fungus.

xa21 gene gives resistance to most stain of the xanthomonas oryae pv. oryae bacteria

genes associated with sleep and the circadian circle

A mutation in a gene called DEC2 is associated with short sleep patterns in both humans and mice,those with this mutation sleep on average 6 hours,whereas those without the mutation sleep on average 8 hours.

Other genes poaasibly associated with the mammallian circadian circle include
BMAL1
CLOCK
cry1
cry2
NPAS2

Genes associated with epilsepy

Researchers at the university of leeds have found that mice with a mutation of the atp1a3 were prone to epilsepy.

The theory is that the atp1a3 gene regulates sodium and potassium levels in brain nerve cells.

genome of schistosoma japonicum and mansoni sequenced

The schistosoma japonicum parasite causes human schistosomiasis in china and the philippines.

The genome consists of 8 pairs of chromosomes,7 pairs of autosomes and a pair of sex chromosomes.
There are 397-megabase-base sequences ,13,469 protein-coding genes,6,322 protein families and over 557,000 SNPs.

has receptors for angiotensin III,neoromedin,octopamine and urotensin.

S.Mansoni genome is 363 megabase long,has 11,809 reputed genes,of which 82 are gpcrs

$99 genome scanning service launched

23andme,based in mountain view,california is offering a $99 genome scanning service, but only if the customer allows their data to be used anonymously by researchers looking into the genetic causes of diseases.

Last month, a seatle-based company called trugenetics offered free genome scans to the first 10,000 who would offer their data to research.

Genes associated with puberty and menopause

Variations near a gene called LIN28B have been associated with the timing of a girl's first period or delayed or advanced menopause.

Lin28b is also associated with earlier breast development in girls and earlier voice-breaking in boys.

Zebrafish genetics

Zebrafish have about 300,000 antibody-producing B cells

Bovine genetics

The bovine genome has properbly over 22,000 genes

Greatest genetic diversity is in indicine Brahmin cattle with one SNP(DNA sequence variant) every 285 base pairs of DNA.


Humped and humpless cattle diverged about 250,000 years ago

Bovine genome consortium

There are plans to genetically bred aurochs
Spanish limianas and italian maremmana still have aurochs genes.
Search Amazon.com for maremmana
Search Amazon.com for cow genetics
Search Amazon.com for aurochs

Brain genes

Aspm,cdk5rap2,cenpj and mcph1 are involved in controlling brain size and mutations in these genes can scause microcephaly.

Interesting links

I have started a new blog called http://scientifictoolsandequiment.blogspot.com/ which descrides tools etc which are used to do genetic analyses.

Ear and hearing genes

The protein nAChR, located on sensory hair cells in the inner ear kicks in when sounds register as too loud, liniting the ability of hair cells to respond.

Genes linked to gut, stomach and bowel.

The MET gene plays a role in repairing damaged gut tissue.(same gene appears to be implicated in autism)

genes linked with eye development etc

A protein called hdac4 promotes good eyesight.

Reduced levels of this protein causes the death of retinal cells

The 10,000 year explosion;How civilization accelerated himan evolution

The authors found evidence of 4,000 `selective sweeps' with the help of the human genome project,`selective sweeps' which toot place 40-80,000 years ago

African genetics

Pygmies have a single origin, so a study suggests.

The study suggests pygmies originated 90,000 or 54,000 years ago.

Until about 800BC, the pygmies were one interbreeding population, when the expansion of non-pygmy population caused genetic divergance.

Pygmies have a genetic mutation that causes them to be small in statue.

khoisan and pygmy populations appear to have same ancestry.

71% of american african ancestry appears to be Niger-Kordofanian.

Khoisan mtdna and y chromosome analysis indicates divergance about 35,000 years ago.

It is suggested that modern human migrated from a point near Angolan/namibian border.

Out of africa waypoint supposely at red sea midpoint

genes linked to taste

Africans may be better able to taste PTC(phenylthiocarbamide)

Whereas asians and europeans have only two versions of TAS2R38, the gene that lets us taste PTC,africans have several different variants.

Tas1R3 has been linked to the taste of sweetness,most europeans have both of the two version of the gene.
Variants of this gene are less prevalent in asian amd middle eastern people, and least prevalent in africans.

In the pamir mountains of northeastern afghanistan 37% of people are `supertasters', a bit of dark chocolate  would taste bitter,only 7-15% of europeans are `supertasters'.

There are 25 T2R genes of which there can be several versions.
A variation of the T2R16 bitter taste receptor present in central africa metabolizes glycosides in the stomach releasing toxic cyanide,believed that this variation persists because it offers resistance against malaria.

Those with T2R38 cannot taste  PTC