Sequencing and Analysis of the Hydra Genome
Chapman, Kirkness et al., Nature
An international research collaboration reports their sequencing and analysis of the Hydra magnipapillata genome, and compare it to the genomes of several other organisms. "The Hydra genome has been shaped by bursts of transposable element expansion, horizontal gene transfer, trans-splicing, and simplification of gene structure and gene content that parallel simplification of the Hydra life cycle," the authors write. They team suggests that comparisons of the Hydra genome to the reported sequences of other animals have helped them to elucidate the evolution of several of the organism's characteristics.
Cell-Cell Contact Leads to Global Rise in MicroRNA Levels
Using microarray and Northern blot analyses, Johns Hopkins University researchers discovered that the levels of almost all miRNAs increases following cell-cell contact in Drosophila and mammalian cell lines, regardless of whether these cells display contact inhibition.
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