Origin of domesticated water chestnuts ( Roxb.) and genetic variation in wild water chestnuts.

The water chestnut Roxb. has been domesticated in China and has been reported as the only domesticated species of this genus. To understand the origin of and its evolution pathway, we compared the genetic similarity and seed morphology of domesticated water chestnut with three wild species , , and along with archeological seed samples from the Tianluoshan site (approximately 7000-6300 cal BP) in China.

Genetic Dissection of Trabecular Bone Structure with Mouse Intersubspecific Consomic Strains.

Trabecular bone structure has an important influence on bone strength, but little is known about its genetic regulation. To elucidate the genetic factor(s) regulating trabecular bone structure, we compared the trabecular bone structures of two genetically remote mouse strains, C57BL/6J and Japanese wild mouse-derived MSM/Ms. Phenotyping by X-ray micro-CT revealed that MSM/Ms has structurally more fragile trabecular bone than C57BL/6J.

Overdosage of Hand2 causes limb and heart defects in the human chromosomal disorder partial trisomy distal 4q.

Partial trisomy distal 4q (denoted 4q+) is a human chromosomal disorder caused by duplication of the distal end of the long arm of chromosome 4 (Chr4). This disorder manifests typical phenotypes, including craniofacial, renal, heart and thumb developmental defects. Although these clinical features are likely caused by a dosage imbalance in the gene network involving the trisomic region, the causative gene or genes and the molecular bases are largely unknown.

Cgr11 encodes a secretory protein involved in cell adhesion.

We performed comparative proteomic analyses of pituitary tumor-derived cell lines, and found a new protein, preliminarily called hydrophobestin, which was produced only in somatotrophic cells, MtT/S, but not in non-hormone-producing cells, MtT/E. Hydrophobestin is encoded by the cell growth regulatory gene, Cgr11, which is known to have growth-suppressive potential in several cell lines. We have now sought to investigate the underlying events responsible for cell growth inhibition by hydrophobestin.