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DNA molecules in moss open door to new biotechnology
November 09, 2009Plasmids, which are DNA molecules capable of independent replication in cells, have played an important role in gene technology. Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden have now demonstrated that plasmid-based methods, which had been limited to single-cell organisms such as bacteria and yeasts, can be extended to mosses, opening the door to applications of a number of powerful techniques in plant research. The findings have been published in the distinguished journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS).
Professor Hans Ronne's research team at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology at Uppsala University works with the diminutive Physcomitrella moss, which is widely used in research because its genes are easier to "knock out" than those of other plants. Previous work has also shown that DNA introduced into Physcomitrella cells is capable of self-replication through an as yet uncharacterised process.
The new study, which was led by Dr. Eva Murén and Ph.D. student Anders Nilsson, shows that plasmids introduced into moss cells can be rescued back to bacteria without affecting the plasmids' original structures, provided that certain conditions are met. Up to now, various kinds of rearrangements have sharply limited the use of plasmids in animal- and plant-cell research.
"Our work with plasmids in moss suggests that it will be possible to use powerful methods such as gene cloning by complementation and overexpression directly in plant cells without recourse to single-cell organisms like bacteria or yeasts," says Professor Hans Ronne. "This, in turn, may simplify basic and applied research and biotechnology involving plants."
Uppsala University
"Our work with plasmids in moss suggests that it will be possible to use powerful methods such as gene cloning by complementation and overexpression directly in plant cells without recourse to single-cell organisms like bacteria or yeasts," says Professor Hans Ronne. "This, in turn, may simplify basic and applied research and biotechnology involving plants."
Uppsala University
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Bacterial Plasmids (Aspects of Microbiology) by K. Hardy (Author) This text describes the structure, functions, transmission and applications of bacterial plasmids. The rate of research and accumulating knowledge on bacterial plasmids since the first edition, has established a need for a thorough revision and update. Each chapter has been brought up-to-date, and current developments in the understanding of plasmid replication and transposable elements have received special attention. |
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E. coli Plasmid Vectors: Methods and Applications (Methods in Molecular Biology) by Nicola Casali (Editor), Andrew Preston (Editor) Univ. of California, Berkeley. Offers step-by-step protocols for the manipulation of recombinant DNA. Discusses cutting-edge methods to manipulate plasmids and techniques to clone DNA into plasmid vectors and transform E. coli. Outline format. Halftone illustrations. For researchers. |
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Plasmids of Eukaryotes: Fundamentals and Applications (Heidelberg Science Library) by K. Essek (Contributor) | |
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Plasmids: A Practical Approach (The Practical Approach, No 138) by K. G. Hardy (Editor) This completely updated and revised second edition of Plasmids: A Practical Approach provides the researcher with detailed protocols for studying bacterial plasmids and for using plasmids and phagemids as vectors. With many new sections and protocols, it is the most up-to-date reference describing the techniques for the study of plasmid replication and maintenance, the fundamental methods for purifying plasmids and introducing them into cells, and the protocols for the mutagenesis and analysis of plasmid-encoded products. The book features further techniques for the study of plasmids and the use of plasmid vectors in such important groups of bacteria as animal and plant pathogens harboring virulence plasmids, Streptomyces, and lactococci. Plus, the book describes the use of plasmid... |
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Plasmids: Webster's Timeline History, 1955 - 2007 by Icon Group International (Author) Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Plasmids," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Plasmids in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Plasmids when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences... |
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