Category Archives: Gene Nomenclature

the HGNC NewsLetter Autumn/Winter 2017

Some of you will be interested in the HGNC NewsLetter Autumn/Winter 2017 update [pasted below]. I’ve had the privilege of being coauthors with Tsviya Olender (who was in the lab of Doron Lancet at the time; at the Weizmann Institute … Continue reading

Posted in Center for Environmental Genetics, Gene Nomenclature | Comments Off on the HGNC NewsLetter Autumn/Winter 2017

Analysis of 264 complete genomes from 12 E coli populations … in a 50,000-generation experiment

Anyone who thinks that ‘evolution is not going on, around us, all the time’ … needs to revise his/her thinking. The Lenski lab in 1988 (at Michigan State) began a carefully-controlled experiment with bacteria (E. coli) growing on a defined … Continue reading

Posted in Center for Environmental Genetics, Gene Nomenclature | Comments Off on Analysis of 264 complete genomes from 12 E coli populations … in a 50,000-generation experiment

Regular consumption of the artificial calorie-free sweetener sucralose causes animals to overeat

There are anecdotal stories from friends and relatives about diet sweeteners causing weight gain (from overeating) and also mental depression. Now comes a recent study involving some data about overeating caused by sucralose. “Non-nutritive” sweeteners such as sucralose are consumed … Continue reading

Posted in Center for Environmental Genetics, Gene Nomenclature | Comments Off on Regular consumption of the artificial calorie-free sweetener sucralose causes animals to overeat

What Is the Tree of Life? And what does that mean?

A universal Tree of Life (TOL) has long been a goal of molecular phylogeneticists. However, reticulation (i.e. a pattern resembling a net, instead of a “tree” with a single root) at the level of genes––and possibly at the levels of … Continue reading

Posted in Gene Nomenclature | Comments Off on What Is the Tree of Life? And what does that mean?

Evidence now for at least five admixture breedings among Neanderthal, Denisovian and Modern human lineages

It has been established for several years that small portions of the European and Asian genomes are derived from Neaderthals, a subline that was “not successful” and therefore “died out” at least 28,000 years ago. This most recent report [attached] … Continue reading

Posted in Center for Environmental Genetics, Gene Nomenclature | Comments Off on Evidence now for at least five admixture breedings among Neanderthal, Denisovian and Modern human lineages

How are new species formed? And when do we call a new subline a “new species”?

How are new species formed? And when do we call a newly diverged subline a “new species”? Clearly, the environment strongly influences selection and promotion of certain genes and allelic forms over others. Concepts and definitions of species have been … Continue reading

Posted in Gene Nomenclature | Comments Off on How are new species formed? And when do we call a new subline a “new species”?

Inferring Population-Size History from Large Samples of Genome-Wide Molecular Data: An Approximate Bayesian Computation Approach

Molecular data sampled from present-day surviving individuals can contain considerable information about their demographic history. In particular, one classical question in population genetics is to reconstruct past population-size changes from such data. Relating these changes to various climatic, geological, or … Continue reading

Posted in Gene Nomenclature | Comments Off on Inferring Population-Size History from Large Samples of Genome-Wide Molecular Data: An Approximate Bayesian Computation Approach

Genes having mono-allelic expression contribute disproportionately to genetic diversity in humans

An unexpectedly large number of human autosomal genes are subject to mono-allelic expression (MAE). In the attached report, analysis of 4,227 “MAE genes” uncovers surprisingly high genetic variation––across human populations. This increased diversity is unlikely to reflect relaxed purifying selection … Continue reading

Posted in Gene Nomenclature | Comments Off on Genes having mono-allelic expression contribute disproportionately to genetic diversity in humans

Ancient gene flow from early modern humans into Eastern Neanderthals

Our understanding of The Great Human Diaspora continues to become increasingly complex..!! First, it was presumed that Homo neaderthalensis, a subline splitting off from Homo sapiens following migration of early humans Out of Africa, did not interbreed with modern humans, … Continue reading

Posted in Gene Nomenclature | Comments Off on Ancient gene flow from early modern humans into Eastern Neanderthals

Disruption of putative noncoding regulatory DNA … associated with autism in affected families

Simplex autism (a subset of the disorder that has been greatly expanded and recently named the “autism spectrum disorder”, ASD) is a multifactorial trait––not that different from many human complex diseases, as well as such phenotypes as drug efficacy and … Continue reading

Posted in Center for Environmental Genetics, Gene Nomenclature | Comments Off on Disruption of putative noncoding regulatory DNA … associated with autism in affected families