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Shh! Keeping Genes Quiet

Apr 23, 2007

A recent paper in PLoS Biology looks at the genome-wide trimethylation pattern of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) in Arabidopsis, discovering that it is a primary gene silencing mechanism. Using ChIP-chip, researchers in the Jacobsen lab at UCLA identified for the first time H3K27me3-associated regions across the entire genome of the flowering plant, finding that trimethylation regulates an unexpectedly high 4,400 genes.

Breaking News
The Scan

Pig Organ Transplants Considered

The Wall Street Journal reports that the US Food and Drug Administration may soon allow clinical trials that involve transplanting pig organs into humans.

'Poo-Bank' Proposal

Harvard Medical School researchers suggest people should bank stool samples when they are young to transplant when they later develop age-related diseases.

Spurred to Develop Again

New Scientist reports that researchers may have uncovered why about 60 percent of in vitro fertilization embryos stop developing.

Science Papers Examine Breast Milk Cell Populations, Cerebral Cortex Cellular Diversity, Micronesia Population History

In Science this week: unique cell populations found within breast milk, 100 transcriptionally distinct cell populations uncovered in the cerebral cortex, and more.