United States
March 13, 2007
Source:
The National Science Foundation
Scientists have reported
development of a large dataset of gene sequences in rice. The
information will lead to an increased understanding of how genes
work in rice, an essential food for much of the world's
population.
Plant biologist Blake Meyers at the
University of Delaware and
colleagues report their results in the March 11 on-line issue of
the journal Nature
Biotechnology.
Using advanced gene sequencing technologies and high-powered
computer-based approaches, Meyers and colleagues examined both
normal gene expression (via messenger ribonucleic acids, or
mRNAs) as well as small ribonucleic acids (small RNAs) in rice.
The analysis of rice was based on gene sequences representing
nearly 47 million mRNA molecules and three million small RNAs, a
larger dataset than has been reported for any other plant
species.
Small RNAs are considered one of most important discoveries in
biotechnology in the last 10 years. Because they are so much
smaller than mRNAs, small RNAs went unnoticed for many years, or
were considered biologically unimportant, said Meyers.
Small RNAs are now known to play an important role in gene
regulation, he said, adding that deficiencies in small RNA
production can have a profound effect on development.
"Small RNAs also have been associated with other important
biological processes, such as responses to stress," Meyers said.
"Many of small RNAs in rice have related sequences in the many
important cereal crop plants, including maize and wheat."
Research on small RNAs "is a leading edge in plant
biotechnology," said Machi Dilworth, Director of the National
Science Foundation (NSF)'s Division of Biological
Infrastructure, which along with the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, funded the research. "This work will contribute to
an understanding of the role of small RNAs in gene expression
not only in rice, but in all plants."
The National Science Foundation
(NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental
research and education across all fields of science and
engineering, with an annual budget of $5.58 billion. NSF funds
reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 1,700 universities
and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 40,000
competitive requests for funding, and makes nearly 10,000 new
funding awards. The NSF also awards over $400 million in
professional and service contracts yearly. |
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