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Categories: Biology: Genetics, Ecology: Extinction
Published Genetics of attraction: Mate choice in fruit flies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Genetic quality or genetic compatibility? What do female fruit flies prioritize when mating? Researchers show that both factors are important at different stages of the reproductive process and that females use targeted strategies to optimize the fitness of their offspring.
Published A hygiene program for chromosomes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers identified and characterized a new cellular compartment in vertebrate cells that might be a precursor of today's eucaryotic nucleus. The study reveals that mammalian cells recognize, cluster, sort and keep extrachromosomal DNA -- like transfected plasmid DNA and endogenous circular DNAs originating from telomeres of the chromosome -- away from chromosomal DNA. That suggests that there is a cell autonomous genome defense system.
Published Researchers studied thousands of fertility attempts hoping to improve IVF
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By genetically testing nearly one thousand embryos, scientists have provided the most detailed analysis of embryo fate following human in vitro fertilization.
Published Small but mighty new gene editor
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new CRISPR-based gene-editing tool has been developed which could lead to better treatments for patients with genetic disorders. The tool is an enzyme, AsCas12f, which has been modified to offer the same effectiveness but at one-third the size of the Cas9 enzyme commonly used for gene editing. The compact size means that more of it can be packed into carrier viruses and delivered into living cells, making it more efficient.
Published Timing plant evolution with a fast-ticking epigenetic clock
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Recent discoveries in the field of epigenetics, the study of inheritance of traits that occur without changing the DNA sequence, have shown that chronological age in mammals correlates with epigenetic changes that accumulate during the lifetime of an individual. In humans, this observation has led to the development of epigenetic clocks, which are now extensively used as biomarkers of aging. While these clocks work accurately from birth until death, they are set back to zero in each new generation. Now, an international team shows that epigenetic clocks not only exist in plants, but that these clocks keep ticking accurately over many generations.
Published A lethal parasite's secret weapon: Infecting non-immune cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The organisms that cause visceral leishmaniasis, a potentially deadly version of the parasitic disease that most often affects the skin to cause disfiguring disease, appear to have a secret weapon, new research suggests: They can infect non-immune cells and persist in those uncommon environments.
Published Polyps as pixels: Innovative technique maps biochemistry of coral reefs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using an innovative new approach to sampling corals, researchers are now able to create maps of coral biochemistry that reveal with unprecedented detail the distribution of compounds that are integral to the healthy functioning of reefs.
Published Fish reveal cause of altered human facial development
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some substances in medicines, household items and the environment are known to affect prenatal child development. Researchers tested the effects of five drugs (including caffeine and the blood thinner warfarin) on the growth of zebrafish embryos. They found that all five had the same effect, impairing the migration of bone-forming cells which resulted in the onset of facial malformation. Zebrafish embryos grow quickly, are transparent and develop outside of the parent's body, making them ideal for studying early development. A zebrafish-based system could be used to easily screen for potentially harmful substances, reducing animal testing on mammals and supporting parents-to-be when making choices for themselves and their baby.
Published Vision in the brain: Hardwired for action
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Brain circuits for vision develop without any kind of input from the retina in zebrafish.
Published Why are killer whales harassing and killing porpoises without eating them?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For decades, fish-eating killer whales in the Pacific Northwest have been observed harassing and even killing porpoises without consuming them —- a perplexing behavior that has long intrigued scientists.
Published New study removes human bias from debate over dinosaurs' demise
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers tried a new approach to resolve the scientific debate over whether it was a giant asteroid or volcanoes that wiped out the dinosaurs -- they removed scientists from the debate and let the computers decide. The researchers created a model powered by 130 interconnected processors that, without human input, reverse-engineered the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction until they reached a scenario that matched the fossil record. The model determined that while a meteorite contributed to the cataclysm, the outpouring of climate-altering gases from the nearly 1-million-year eruptions of volcanoes in western India's Deccan Traps would have been sufficient to trigger the extinction and clear the way for the ascendance of mammals.
Published New information on the most important early stage of embryonic development
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new discovery by researchers challenges our current understanding of gastrulation, the most important stage of early embryonic development.
Published Atlantic walrus more vulnerable than ever to Arctic warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Past cycles of climate change, along with human exploitation, have led to only small and isolated stocks of Atlantic walrus remaining. The current population is at high risk of the same issues affecting them severely, according to a new study.
Published Tiny CRISPR tool could help shred viruses
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists mapped out the three-dimensional structure of one of the smallest known CRISPR-Cas13 systems then used that knowledge to modify its structure and improve its accuracy.
Published New research reveals dynamic factors shaping biodiversity at small scales
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers studying arboreal ants in a Florida forest explore the fundamental question of how resource availability and competition shape biodiversity.
Published Important additional driver of insect decline identified: Weather explains the decline and rise of insect biomass over 34 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Combinations of unfavorable weather conditions over several years can cause a decline in insect biomass.
Published Protecting lands slows biodiversity loss among vertebrates by five times
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Protecting large swaths of Earth's land can help stem the tide of biodiversity loss -- especially when those protected areas are in less disturbed landscapes and in countries with effective national governance. A new study looked at how amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds fared in protected versus unprotected areas worldwide. Vertebrate abundance decreased five times more slowly inside protected areas, offering much-needed support for the United Nations' '30 by 30' conservation initiative.
Published Researchers discover disease-causing stem cells in lungs of cystic fibrosis patients
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Experts in cloning and stem cell science are reporting that five lung stem cell variants dominate the lungs of patients with advanced cystic fibrosis, and that these variants drive key aspects of CF pathology including inflammation, fibrosis and mucin secretion.
Published A close-up of biological nanomachines: Researchers take a deep look at peroxisomal processes
(via sciencedaily.com) The cell organelles known as 'peroxisomes' dispose toxic substances and fats in the human body, among other things, and, in doing so, they prevent serious illnesses. The 'Pex' group of proteins (peroxisomes biogenesis factors) keep these 'detox units' functioning properly -- and now researchers have shown, at the atomic level, how these highly complex processes proceed.
Published Decreasing biodiversity may promote spread of viruses
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How are environmental changes, loss of biodiversity, and the spread of pathogens connected? The answer is a puzzle. Researchers have now described one piece of that puzzle, showing that the destruction of tropical rainforests harms the diversity of mosquito species. At the same time, more resilient species of mosquitoes become more prevalent -- which also means the viruses they carry are more abundant. If there are many individuals of a given species, those viruses can spread quickly.