This article talks about a new technology that has been developed to reveal mechanisms underlying disease ecology in White-tailed deer. Molecular genetics and computer software now lets us see relationships between other deer such as cousins, aunts and uncles. Chronic wasting disease is a prion disorder where a prion protein is folded wrong. The disease is spread by contact with other deer or by sharing food and water sources. It is important to know the relationship among deer to see how chronic wasting disease spread in a natural population. The experiment that was carried out took deer from an area of high chronic wasting disease among the deer was a 133 deer from the same heard and two was not from the heard. In the heard 47 were first level relatives. Out of the 47 deer 13 had chronic wasting disease. It appears that kin ship is a factor that influences chronic wasting disease dynamics. In the future using the technology may help find solutions for the disease.
This article is a little confusing. I would like to know what results were found concerning the two deer that came from another herd. It was unclear what results if any were found. Also I would like t see the results of a study including deer from many different herds to compare this data to. I think this is a very one sided paper, which cannot be very scientific.
The new technology involved in this article is very interesting. It is hard to comprehend this new technology. I think it will be very useful in a wide array in future studies. To me it seems like something that might be useful if used in humans.
Brad
Monday 31 January 2011
Friday 28 January 2011
Genetic Immunity to HIV
Genetic Immunity to HIV
HIV has long been called the Modern Plague. It has spread from the first few cases discovered on the West Coast in the 1970’s to a worldwide pandemic that currently affects millions of people. However, there are people that, thanks to a rare form of a gene that codes for a certain receptor on cell surfaces, cannot easily acquire HIV. They can be regularly exposed to this deadly, resilient virus and come away unharmed. This is a major discovery that promises to completely change how HIV is treated in the years to come as our ability to influence the human body at the cellular level increases.
HIV causes its damage by destroying the body’s ability to fight off other infections. The virus is able to do this because it prefers to first invade and destroy the body’s T-Cells. It is the T-Cells that enable the body to mount a quick and effective defense against invading molecules. People do not die from HIV. People die from other, normally harmless, infections that take advantage of the body’s weakened state.
This paper written by Janet M. McNicholl and others describes the discovery of different forms of the gene CCR5. This is the gene that codes for a receptor on the surface of T-Cells. The normal form of this receptor is used as an entry point for the virus. If a person inherits a mutant form of this gene that is missing around thirty base pairs it codes for a receptor that will work normally in the body except that is just different enough form the normal value to inhibit the entry of HIV. If a person inherits a copy of this gene from both parents it is very hard for that person to get HIV though it is still possible. Even if a person was to inherit this mutation from only one parent he will still be resistant to the virus and will take an additional two years to develop full-blown AIDS.
This mutation is very rare. Only 1% of Caucasians have inherited the full mutant version of this trait. An additional 10 to 20% have inherited a single form of this trait. It is even rarer in non-Caucasians. It is found in 6% of African Americans, 7% of Hispanics, 13% of Native Americans, and 1% of Asians. This finding could help explain why different populations in the United States have different rates of new infections. Different groups could just be more venerable to HIV.
I thought that this article was interesting because this is the first time that I had heard that different genes could control the outcome of different diseases. It also means that there is new hope that scientists could one day develop a cure for HIV. If it is possible to alter the gene sequence that codes for this receptor or to block it altogether, then a vaccine could be developed. This discovery gives new hope to those who are living with a diagnosis of HIV positive.
Written By
A. Vogelgesang
HIV has long been called the Modern Plague. It has spread from the first few cases discovered on the West Coast in the 1970’s to a worldwide pandemic that currently affects millions of people. However, there are people that, thanks to a rare form of a gene that codes for a certain receptor on cell surfaces, cannot easily acquire HIV. They can be regularly exposed to this deadly, resilient virus and come away unharmed. This is a major discovery that promises to completely change how HIV is treated in the years to come as our ability to influence the human body at the cellular level increases.
HIV causes its damage by destroying the body’s ability to fight off other infections. The virus is able to do this because it prefers to first invade and destroy the body’s T-Cells. It is the T-Cells that enable the body to mount a quick and effective defense against invading molecules. People do not die from HIV. People die from other, normally harmless, infections that take advantage of the body’s weakened state.
This paper written by Janet M. McNicholl and others describes the discovery of different forms of the gene CCR5. This is the gene that codes for a receptor on the surface of T-Cells. The normal form of this receptor is used as an entry point for the virus. If a person inherits a mutant form of this gene that is missing around thirty base pairs it codes for a receptor that will work normally in the body except that is just different enough form the normal value to inhibit the entry of HIV. If a person inherits a copy of this gene from both parents it is very hard for that person to get HIV though it is still possible. Even if a person was to inherit this mutation from only one parent he will still be resistant to the virus and will take an additional two years to develop full-blown AIDS.
This mutation is very rare. Only 1% of Caucasians have inherited the full mutant version of this trait. An additional 10 to 20% have inherited a single form of this trait. It is even rarer in non-Caucasians. It is found in 6% of African Americans, 7% of Hispanics, 13% of Native Americans, and 1% of Asians. This finding could help explain why different populations in the United States have different rates of new infections. Different groups could just be more venerable to HIV.
I thought that this article was interesting because this is the first time that I had heard that different genes could control the outcome of different diseases. It also means that there is new hope that scientists could one day develop a cure for HIV. If it is possible to alter the gene sequence that codes for this receptor or to block it altogether, then a vaccine could be developed. This discovery gives new hope to those who are living with a diagnosis of HIV positive.
Written By
A. Vogelgesang
Sunday 23 January 2011
Is Aggression in Golden Retrievers associated with genes?
Aggression in dogs can be associated with numerous different ideas including the nature versus nurture debate. Another idea being tested is whether genetics plays a part in the aggressive behavior of dogs. In this study the researchers tested whether the specific Serotonin genes htr1A, htr1B, htr2A, and slc6A4 played a factor in the aggressive behavior of the normally friendly Golden Retriever Breed. These four genes were used in this study because each of them show a form of aggression whether its lacking of the gene, an excess of the gene, or just having a mutated form of the gene. When tested on mice they showed either reduced aggression or increased aggression. To determine this, scientists compiled many different techniques.
One technique was where they took the DNA of known aggressive and non aggressive Golden Retrievers for comparison in the linkage analysis and mutation screening with DNA isolation. The next technique was linkage analysis, a statistical measure for determining the passage of these genes from parents to offspring. For this measure they took nine families of Golden Retrievers and compared the genes of both aggressive and non aggressive dogs. Once that was done they performed an association study to test for a more complex variation of the genes and if it had any effect on human directed aggression shown in some of the dogs. This study used an algorithm, a pre-set mathematical procedure, in testing this theory. The last technique used was a quantitative genetic analysis where they took the effects of the DNA sequences of the genes into account for aggression.
They found that with just the DNA isolation for mutation screening that there were no differences in these genes between the aggressive and non aggressive dogs. In the linkage analysis they found that these genes did play a factor in aggression in Golden Retrievers. All in all, though these four genes are not associated with aggressive in dogs, it does not mean that genes do not play a factor in it. The association study showed no significant difference in the DNA sequence of these genes showing that it is not associated with the aggression in the digs. The final analysis showed no significant effect on anything they measured and that the genetic differences between the aggressive and non aggressive dogs had nothing to do with the four genes studied. They also found that this study contradicts some studies out there that show that genes do in fact play a role in aggression.
I learned that even though certain genes play a part in aggression in some animals, it does not mean that it has the same effect on all animals as shown in this study. I thought this article was interesting because I am a dog lover with a very aggressive dog. So learning if genes played a part in his becoming aggressive is good to know. I wonder that if something is in our genes does that mean we have to show it and if so can it be altered. If this article took four specific genes and isolated them in dogs for an answer, is it possible and reliable to take genes to see who will turn out to be criminal or lawyers or different occupations.
Jaleesa Scott
One technique was where they took the DNA of known aggressive and non aggressive Golden Retrievers for comparison in the linkage analysis and mutation screening with DNA isolation. The next technique was linkage analysis, a statistical measure for determining the passage of these genes from parents to offspring. For this measure they took nine families of Golden Retrievers and compared the genes of both aggressive and non aggressive dogs. Once that was done they performed an association study to test for a more complex variation of the genes and if it had any effect on human directed aggression shown in some of the dogs. This study used an algorithm, a pre-set mathematical procedure, in testing this theory. The last technique used was a quantitative genetic analysis where they took the effects of the DNA sequences of the genes into account for aggression.
They found that with just the DNA isolation for mutation screening that there were no differences in these genes between the aggressive and non aggressive dogs. In the linkage analysis they found that these genes did play a factor in aggression in Golden Retrievers. All in all, though these four genes are not associated with aggressive in dogs, it does not mean that genes do not play a factor in it. The association study showed no significant difference in the DNA sequence of these genes showing that it is not associated with the aggression in the digs. The final analysis showed no significant effect on anything they measured and that the genetic differences between the aggressive and non aggressive dogs had nothing to do with the four genes studied. They also found that this study contradicts some studies out there that show that genes do in fact play a role in aggression.
I learned that even though certain genes play a part in aggression in some animals, it does not mean that it has the same effect on all animals as shown in this study. I thought this article was interesting because I am a dog lover with a very aggressive dog. So learning if genes played a part in his becoming aggressive is good to know. I wonder that if something is in our genes does that mean we have to show it and if so can it be altered. If this article took four specific genes and isolated them in dogs for an answer, is it possible and reliable to take genes to see who will turn out to be criminal or lawyers or different occupations.
Jaleesa Scott
Tuesday 11 January 2011
Welcome
Welcome to Dr. Gazdik's BIO305 Introductory to Genetics class blog. Throughout the semester the students will be posting summaries of scientific findings in the field of genetics that they find interesting or exciting. Enjoy the posts and hope you learn something while you read.
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