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For a comprehensive review of the most interesting recent articles published in the biological sciences, visit Faculty of 1000 Biology, an online literature awareness tool published by BioMed Central. Faculty of 1000 Biology systematically highlights exciting recent publications on the basis of recommendations of a faculty of well over 1,000 of the world's leading researchers. |
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Peter Williams
University of Wales Bangor, United Kingdom
MICROBIOLOGY
 Hypothesis
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This paper uses an analysis of the gene sequence database to present a credible model for how operons have evolved piecemeal from originally separated genes. The model used is the histidine biosynthetic operon and the analysis involves the comparison of the gene organisations in 47 proteobacteria and their correlations with the taxonomy of the host organisms.
Evaluated 13 May 2005 |
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 Must Read
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F1000 Factor 6.0 |
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The linkage disequilibrium maps of three human chromosomes across four populations reflect their demographic history and a common underlying recombination pattern.
De La Vega FM, Isaac H, Collins A, Scafe CR, Halldórsson BV, Su X, Lippert RA, Wang Y, Laig-Webster M, Koehler RT, Ziegle JS, Wogan LT, Stevens JF, Leinen KM, Olson SJ, Guegler KJ, You X, Xu LH, Hemken HG, Kalush F, Itakura M, Zheng Y, de Thé G, O'Brien SJ, Clark AG, Istrail S, Hunkapiller MW, Spier EG, Gilbert DA
Genome Res 2005 Apr 15(4):454-62 [abstract on PubMed] [request from library] 
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Selected by | Pui-Yan Kwok
Evaluated 6 May 2005
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Pui-Yan Kwok
University of California, San Francisco, United States of America
GENOMICS & GENETICS
 Confirmation
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This is the first report of linkage disequilibrium (LD) maps for human chromosomes in 4 populations with common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at ˜10 kb intermarker spacing. It confirms previous observations that LD patterns are similar across populations, with larger LD blocks found in younger populations. The LD maps are based on LD units (LDUs) that are additive, making them more suitable for association studies. It will be interesting to see how these maps compare to those being constructed by the International HapMap Consortium.
Evaluated 6 May 2005 |
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Jean-Jacques Sanglier
University of Strasbourg/Cetek Corporation, France
MICROBIOLOGY
 Tech Advance
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This paper presents a potent strategy for the discovery of novel secondary metabolites produced by bacteria. Secondary metabolites are an important source of new drugs, antibiotics, immunosuppressants etc. However, not all microorganisms produce such compounds, a lot of substances have already been described and the redundancy is high. Therefore, novel strategies are required to increase the efficiency of such secondary metabolite projects. In this case, the structure of the genome allowed the detection of a novel antifungal compound from a Streptomyces strain. The development and automatisation of such technologies will change screening for natural products.
Evaluated 10 May 2005 |
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Daniel Promislow
University of Georgia, United States of America
ECOLOGY
Hypothesis
 New Finding
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Epistatic interactions and gene networks are a hot topic these days. In work that suggests these complications may be, well, even more complicated (and more interesting), Bruno van Swinderen and Ralph Greenspan analyze a network of genes that modify syntaxin, a fruit fly behavioral mutant. On their own, each of these modifier genes represses the effects of the syntaxin mutant, but when combined in pairs, their effects are very unpredictable. And what's more, these epistatic interactions are highly dependent on the genetic background in which they occur. We know that network interactions are important in organismal function. This work demonstrates that the structure of a network depends quite dramatically on the genetic context in which it is found. This work provides an important step in the ongoing attempt among networkers to move from form to function.
Evaluated 10 May 2005 |
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Victoria Prince
University of Chicago, United States of America
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
New Finding
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This study takes a modern molecular approach to address a question that has long fascinated us: how did the turtle get his shell? In turtles, a carapacial ridge (CR) forms at the lateral margins of the carapace (dorsal shell) primordium, and induces lateral rib outgrowth. In this study, the authors take an unbiased approach to identify CR-expressed genes, using a microbead-based cDNA screening approach. They do not find new genes, but rather find genes that have acquired CR expression in the turtle lineage. Interestingly, these genes include the LEF-1 transcription factor, which taken together with nuclear localization of beta-catenin, suggests that canonical Wnt signaling may play an important role in carapace development.
Evaluated 13 May 2005 |
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