Connection Between Epigenome, Selective Mutability, Evolution, and Human Disease
Li, Harris et al., PLoS Genetics
Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine and elsewhere propose a "connection between the epigenome, selective mutability, evolution, and human disease" based on the findings of their study on associations of structural mutability with germline DNA methylation and with non-allelic homologous recombination mediated by low-copy repeats. "Combined evidence from four human sperm methylome maps, human genome evolution, structural polymorphisms in the human population, and previous genomic and disease studies consistently points to a strong association of germline hypomethylation and genomic instability," the Baylor-led team writes.
HIV Makes Music
Ever since the 1970s, when Iannis Xenakis began composing music based on mathematics, architecture, and physics, science and music have been trying to find common ground. In October, University of Georgia graduate student Alexandra Pajak will become part of that rapprochement of music and science when she releases an album of original music that she composed based on the DNA of HIV, she told the Daily Scan. "Sounds of HIV is a musical translation of the genetic code of HIV," Pajak's liner notes read. "Every segment of the virus is assigned music pitches that correspond to the segment's scientific properties." Pajak has assigned certain notes and pitches to specific amino acids and nucleotides. The composition's Prelude and Postlude correspond to the first and last 100 nucleotides, and the sections named after the proteins (Proteins 1-9) represent translations of the amino acid sequences, she says. Pajak got the idea to compose DNA-based music when, as an undergrad, a genetics professor asked her to compose a symphony based on the DNA of the college founder's mother. At various conferences ever since, several researchers have commissioned CDs from her, she says. Pajak is currently recording with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and part of the sales proceeds will go to the Emory Vaccine Center, which conducts HIV research.
Kinexus Bioinformatics has
Kinexus Bioinformatics has converted the amino acid sequences and corresponding DNA sequences of the following 12 cell signalling proteins (EGF Receptor, PI 3-Kinase, PTP-1B Phosphatase, VHI-related Phosphatase, PP2B/Calcineurin, Phospholipase A2, PI-specific PLC, cGMP Phosphodiesterase, Adenylate Cyclase, Gi-α1 G Protein, H-Ras, and Caspase 8) into musical notes to produce a unique melody for each protein. The soundtracks are based on the hydrophobicity scores of the amino acids in the primary structure of each protein; the more hydrophilic the amino acid, the higher the musical note that was assigned. The melody notes are of amino acids and background music is of the corresponding DNA. Different scales and tempos were used for the proteins and a selection of different instruments were also employed. The soundtracks were produced by Dr. William Campbell and are freely available for download from the following url: http://www.kinexus.ca/scienceTechnology/gallery/music/music.html