Biweekly Research News Digest
This newsletter is designed to share with you research news in various fields where applications of gene sequencing can be found. It will share research findings from Novogene’s customers. By sharing insights from the most prestigious research teams, it is intended to call your attention to the latest applications of sequencing in life sciences and biomedical research and inspire your research.
Welcome back to the Biweekly Research News Digest. In?the?results of the?April poll on preferred topics?for our newsletter, “plant and animal?genetics”?ranked the second. Hence, in this edition, we present five articles where researchers utilize sequencing techniques such as Eukaryote mRNA-Seq and Whole Genome Sequencing to delve into the intricate interactions between animals?and?plants and their environments. These studies not only advance our understanding of ecosystems but also hold profound implications for biodiversity conservation and ecological management.
Unveiling Plant Adaptation to Toxic Soil: The Identification of ALR1 Gene?as an Al Ion Sensor
Plant survival depends on adapting to varying soil ion concentrations, yet little has been known about ion sensors and related signaling pathways. Aluminum (Al) ions, due to its toxicity,?led to?crop yield loss and forest?decline?on approximately 30% of?land areas?globally. According to a recent study published in Cell Research, researchers from China and France have discovered an?Arabidopsis?mutant which?is hypersensitive to AI and identified ALR1 gene as an Al ion receptor. The research?illuminates how plants recognize and react to Al ions through a signaling cascade involving ROS generation and organic acid secretion. The findings promise to develop crops and trees that can thrive in acidic soil, benefiting global food security and forest restoration.
Unlocking Seagrass Evolution: Insights from Genome Studies
Investigating the evolutionary mechanisms guiding seagrass adaptation to marine environments, a recent study published in Nature Plant?provided chromosome-level genome assemblies of seagrass species such as Posidonia oceanica, Cymodocea nodosa, Thalassia testudinum, and Zostera marina, along with a preliminary genome of Potamogeton acutifolius. Researchers revealed that all seagrass species underwent an ancient whole-genome triplication. They observed that the adjustment to marine habitats likely involved refining various systems during the transition from freshwater to marine environments, with notable gene losses occurring post-transition rather than initiating it. These genomic insights are crucial for addressing seagrass decline amidst climate change and biodiversity loss.
Wild Rice Hybridization: Implications for Weed Evolution
Crop-wild mating?contributes to crop breeding, yet it might also?lead to unwanted?weeds like weedy rice, resulting in?crop?loss?worldwide. In regions where wild rice coexists with cultivated varieties, hybridization?of weedy rice with the wild species?may occur, though genomic research on this is limited. A collaborative team?comprising researchers?from China, Malaysia, the United States, and Thailand conducted extensive whole genome sequence analyses of?217 rice samples, revealing a significant role of wild rice hybridization in shaping weedy rice evolution in Southeast Asia, with some strains obtaining?traits for weed adaptation from the wild progenitor. This study underscores wild species' impact on weed evolution, showing parallel weediness evolution in various weedy crop strains.
Genomic Convergences in Inquilines: Insights from Bee Louse Fly Analysis
Social insect nests often?shelter?inquilines, typically related to the hosts. Yet distant non-social inquilines may also converge with hosts, although?genomic changes?responsible for the convergence?remain unknown. Researchers from Université Paris-Saclay examined the genome of Braula coeca, a wingless and blind bee louse fly parasitizing the western honey bee. They found genomic similarities with the host, despite?a?recent?age of?inquilinism?and minimal genome erosion. They observed horizontal transposon transfer and parallel evolution in gene families.?These findings suggest profound genomic convergences driving phenotypic shifts in non-social parasites among social hosts.
Exploring Combined Toxicity: The Impact of Tyre-Wear Particles and 6PPD Derivatives on Adult Zebrafish
Plastic pollution, particularly micro- and nanoplastics, raises?significant concerns, with tyre-wear particles (TWPs) emerging as a key source. These TWPs, containing harmful chemicals like 6PPD, pose risks to aquatic life. A collaborative research effort between Nord University and the Institute of Marine Research delved into the combined toxicity of nanoplastics (NP)?and 6PPD derivatives on adult zebrafish. The?research?revealed that while zebrafish exposed to NPs?showed no signs of locomotory issues, those exposed to 6PPDq exhibited hyperlocomotion, a phenomenon exacerbated by co-exposure?with?PS-NPs. Molecular analysis conducted by the team revealed dysregulated genes associated with neurotransmitters and metabolism. It demonstrated that the impact of 6PPDq and PS-NPs on cellular mechanisms associated with sterol biosynthesis, cholesterol metabolism, and muscle tissue development?was stronger under co-exposure,?underscoring the heightened risk of co-exposure?for?cellular processes and mitochondrial function. These insights underscore the importance of considering mixture toxicity in assessing the impact of NPs and associated substances.
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Novogene specializes in the application of advanced molecular biotechnology and high-performance computing in the research fields of life science and human health. Established in March 2011, Novogene strives to become a global leader in providing genetic science services and technology products. Novogene has set up operations and laboratories in the United States, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, as well as in China, Singapore and Japan.
Novogene has served over 7,300 global customers, covering 90 countries and regions across 6 continents. It has cooperated extensively with many academic institutions and completed several advanced-level, international genomics research projects. By 2023, Novogene has co-published and/or been acknowledged in more than 22,850 articles in Science Citation Index, with an accumulative impact factor of more than 148,250.
Novogene's partners are worldwide and include more than 4,200 scienti?c research institutions and universities, more than 680 hospitals and over 2,400 pharmaceutical and agricultural enterprises. Currently, Novogene has obtained 356 software copyrights and 66 patents.
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