Genome sequence of a diabetes-prone rodent

Genome sequence of a diabetes-prone rodent reveals a mutation hotspot around the ParaHox gene cluster

Source: University of Oxford

Summary:

Sequencing the genome of the sand rat, a desert rodent susceptible to nutritionally induced diabetes, revealed an unusual chromosome region skewed toward G and C nucleotides. This region includes the Pdx1 homeobox gene, a transcriptional activator of insulin, which has undergone massive sequence change, likely contributing to diabetes and adaptation to low caloric intake, implying that mutation rate varies within a genome and that hotspots of high mutation rate may influence ecological adaptation and constraint.

FULL STORY

---

               The sand rat Psammomys obesus is a gerbil species native to deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, and is constrained in its ecology because high carbohydrate diets induce obesity and type II diabetes that, in extreme cases, can lead to pancreatic failure and death. We report the sequencing of the sand rat genome and discovery of an unusual, extensive, and mutationally biased GC-rich genomic domain.

            This highly divergent genomic region encompasses several functionally essential genes, and spans the ParaHox cluster which includes the insulin-regulating homeobox gene Pdx1. The sequence of sand rat Pdx1 has been grossly affected by GC-biased mutation, leading to the highest divergence observed for this gene across the Bilateria. In addition to genomic insights into restricted caloric intake in a desert species, the discovery of a localized chromosomal region subject to elevated mutation suggests that mutational heterogeneity within genomes could influence the course of evolution.

Want to Learn more about Marketing, Advertisement, Research findings, Business, Entertainments, Agriculture, Personal Finance, Personal Hygiene and Exercise, Politics, Health and Fitness, Sports, Food and Drinks, News, Technology and Many more for Free? 

Then Always visit our premium registered website at www.WorldMarketSite.com for all you wish to know about.

Check out www.WorldMarketSite.com daily to always get updated about the practical ways to achieve success through Business.

Visit www.WorldMarketSite.com now to get your free Business lecture started! See you there!

---