Genetics and Genomics Commons^™

Fast Quantitative Real-Time Pcr-Based Screening For Common Chromosomal Aneuploidies In Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells, Charlotte D'Hulst, Irena Parvanova, Delia Tomoiaga, Maria L. Sapar, Paul Feinstein

Publications and Research

Chromosomal integrity has been known for many years to affect the ability of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to contribute to the germline of chimeric mice. Abnormal chromosomes are generally detected by standard cytogenetic karyotyping. However, this method is expensive, time consuming, and often omitted prior to blastocyst injection, consequently reducing the frequency of mESC-derived offspring. Here, we show a fast, accurate, and inexpensive screen for identifying the two most common aneuploidies (Trisomy 8 and loss of chromosome Y) in genetically manipulated mESCs using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Screening against these two aneuploidies significantly increases the fraction of normal mESC …

Myc-Dependent Genome Instability And Lifespan In Drosophila, Christina Greer, Moonsook Lee, Maaike Westerhof, Brandon Milholland, Rebecca Spokony, Jan Vijg, Julie Secombe

Publications and Research

The Myc family of transcription factors are key regulators of cell growth and proliferation that are dysregulated in a large number of human cancers. When overexpressed, Myc family proteins also cause genomic instability, a hallmark of both transformed and aging cells. Using an in vivo lacZ mutation reporter, we show that overexpression of Myc in Drosophila increases the frequency of large genome rearrangements associated with erroneous repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). In addition, we find that overexpression of Myc shortens adult lifespan and, conversely, that Myc haploinsufficiency reduces mutation load and extends lifespan. Our data provide the first evidence …

Signatures Of Rapid Evolution In Urban And Rural Transcriptomes Of White-Footed Mice (Peromyscus Leucopus) In The New York Metropolitan Area, Stephen Edward Harris, Jason Munshi-South, Craig Oberfell, Rachel O'Neill

Publications and Research

Urbanization is a major cause of ecological degradation around the world, and human settlement in large cities is accelerating. New York City (NYC) is one of the oldest and most urbanized cities in North America, but still maintains 20% vegetation cover and substantial populations of some native wildlife. The white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, is a common resident of NYC’s forest fragments and an emerging model system for examining the evolutionary consequences of urbanization. In this study, we developed transcriptomic resources for urban P. leucopus to examine evolutionary changes in protein-coding regions for an exemplar “urban adapter.” We used Roche 454 …

Genome-Wide Analyses Of Shavenbaby Target Genes Reveals Distinct Features Of Enhancer Organization, Delphine Menoret, Marc Santolini, Isabelle Fernandes, Rebecca Spokony, Jennifer Zanet, Ignacio Gonzalez, Yvan Latapie, Pierre Ferrer, Hervé Rouault, Kevin P. White, Philippe Besse, Vincent Hakim, Stein Aerts, Francois Payre, Serge Plaza

Publications and Research

Background: Developmental programs are implemented by regulatory interactions between Transcription Factors (TFs) and their target genes, which remain poorly understood. While recent studies have focused on regulatory cascades of TFs that govern early development, little is known about how the ultimate effectors of cell differentiation are selected and controlled. We addressed this question during late Drosophila embryogenesis, when the finely tuned expression of the TF Ovo/Shavenbaby (Svb) triggers the morphological differentiation of epidermal trichomes.

Results: We defined a sizeable set of genes downstream of Svb and used in vivo assays to delineate 14 enhancers driving their specific expression in trichome …

Landscape Genetics Of Leaf-Toed Geckos In The Tropical Dry Forest Of Northern Mexico, Christopher Blair, Victor H. Jimenez-Arcos, Fausto R. Mendez De La Cruz, Robert W. Murphy

Publications and Research

Habitat fragmentation due to both natural and anthropogenic forces continues to threaten the evolution and maintenance of biological diversity. This is of particular concern in tropical regions that are experiencing elevated rates of habitat loss. Although less well-studied than tropical rain forests, tropical dry forests (TDF) contain an enormous diversity of species and continue to be threatened by anthropogenic activities including grazing and agriculture. However, little is known about the processes that shape genetic connectivity in species inhabiting TDF ecosystems. We adopt a landscape genetic approach to understanding functional connectivity for leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylus tuberculosus) at multiple sites …

Ecological Genetics Of Chinese Rhesus Macaque In Response To Mountain Building: All Things Are Not Equal, Shan-Jin Wu, Jing Luo, Qing-Qing Li, Yan-Qin Wang, Robert E. Murphy, Christopher Blair, Shi-Fang Wu, Bi-Song Yue, Ya-Ping Zhang

Publications and Research

Pliocene uplifting of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and Quaternary glaciation may have impacted the Asian biota more than any other events. Little is documented with respect to how the geological and climatological events influenced speciation as well as spatial and genetic structuring, especially in vertebrate endotherms. Macaca mulatta is the most widely distributed non-human primate. It may be the most suitable model to test hypotheses regarding the genetic consequences of orogenesis on an endotherm.

Genetics Answers Questions And Raises More, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Sceloporus Clarkii—Nocturnal Foraging, Christopher Blair, Noberto Martinez-Mendez, Rafael A. Lara-Resendiz

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.