Human Genetic Variation Alters Anthrax Toxin Sensitivity
Martchenko, Candille et al., PNAS
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine show that genetic variation affecting capillary morphogenesis gene 2, or CMG2, dramatically alters toxin sensitivity in humans. In its analysis, the team reports on "a CMG2 single-nucleotide polymorphism occurring frequently in African and European populations [that they found] independently altered toxin uptake." The group goes on to suggest "testing of genomically characterized human cell populations may offer a broadly useful strategy for elucidating effects of genetic variation on infectious disease susceptibility."
Guess This Means We'll Have to Stop Lying About Our Age
November 20, 2008
To uncover genes associated with aging, researchers led by Simon Melov gathered whole-genome expression profiles from 104 C. elegans specimens over the course of their lives. The individual worms were then scored for age-related phenotypes to determine which transcriptional profiles are associated with physiological or chronological age. "This is the first evidence that physiological age can be predicted non-subjectively. This is a first step; our results were not perfect, but we were able to predict the ages of the animals 70 percent of the time, which is far better than anything that has been done before," says Melov in this HealthDay story. The results were reported in Aging Cell.