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Determining sex in ants

A noncoding gene has been identified as the deciding factor in determining sex in Argentine ants, with a specific genomic region being crucial to this process. The gene does not encode a protein but rather produces an RNA that influences sex determination.

SourceJohannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz·JournalScience Advances·DateJun 6, 2024

UW Medicine scientists among leads of NIH pangenome studies

The Human Pangenome Reference Consortium expands and updates the human genome project with nearly full genomic data from 47 people of diverse ancestry. Researchers at UW Medicine made significant contributions to drafting the pangenome reference and studying variation within repetitive DNA, which could improve equity in human genome re...

SourceUniversity of Washington School of Medicine/UW Medicine·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 10, 2023

PCR test for Okinawa mozuku could increase yields and lead to climate-tolerant strains

Researchers from OIST developed a PCR test that detects nine sex-determining genes in Okinawa mozuku germlings, enabling the identification of male and female haploid and diploid stages. This allows for crossbreeding to create heat-tolerant strains, improving yields and addressing issues with detachment and contamination.

SourceOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University·JournalPhycological Research·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 9, 2022

Uncovering the origins of cultivated strawberries

A recent study published in Nature Genetics reveals the intricate evolutionary history of cultivated strawberries, which originated from the hybridization of four diploid species native to Europe, Asia, and North America. The octoploid strawberry genome analysis has identified genes controlling fruit quality traits and disease resistan...

SourceMichigan State University·JournalNature Genetics·DateFeb 25, 2019

Yeast's lifestyle couples mating with meiosis

Researchers found that Candida lusitaniae fuses its mating and meiosis programs, expressing genes associated with both processes during each. This 'coupling' offers the yeast an efficient way to split diploid products of mating, maintaining its haploid lifestyle. The discovery challenges understanding of fungal reproduction and evolution.

SourceBrown University·JournalNature·DateJan 5, 2014

Plants cloned as seeds

Researchers have successfully cloned plants as seeds, paving the way for hybrid crop plants that can breed true. The breakthrough uses a process called apomixis, where eggs and sperm are haploid, allowing diploid eggs to be produced without sexual recombination.

Inbred bumblebees less successful

Researchers found that inbred bumblebee colonies suffer from decreased growth rates, lower offspring production, and reduced colony survival. The presence of diploid males, produced at the expense of female workers, has a detrimental effect on colony fitness.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalBMC Evolutionary Biology·DateJul 1, 2009