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Genetic Resources (genetic + resource)
Kinds of Genetic Resources Selected AbstractsPERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Fifteen polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci from Hawaii's Metrosideros polymorpha (Myrtaceae: Myrtales), a model species for ecology and evolutionMOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2008NICHOLAS G. CRAWFORD Abstract We developed 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci from the Hawaiian tree Metrosideros polymorpha. These loci were screened against two varieties from several populations and from 23 individuals from one mid-elevation population on Hawaii Island. Loci were variable with the number of alleles per locus ranging from three to 24. Polymorphic information content ranged from 0.222 to 0.941, and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.261 to 0.955. [source] PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Development of polymorphic microsatellite loci for the endangered Topeka shiner, Notropis topekaMOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2008CYNTHIA M. ANDERSON Abstract We have developed a set of eight polymorphic microsatellite markers for the endangered Topeka shiner, Notropis topeka. Allelic diversity at each of these loci was assessed in a single isolated population from eastern South Dakota, USA. The allelic diversity ranged from four to 15 alleles. These are the first microsatellite markers to be reported for this species. These markers are being used in a more thorough study of the population structure throughout the remaining range of this species. [source] PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Development and characterization of 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the endangered tree Euptelea pleiospermum (Eupteleaceae)MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2008J. ZHANG Abstract Fourteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and characterized for the endangered and tertiary relict tree, Euptelea pleiospermum. A genomic DNA enrichment protocol was used to isolate microsatellite loci and polymorphism was explored using 32 individuals from one natural population. The observed number of alleles ranged from two to nine. The ranges of observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.25,1.00 and 0.22,0.85, respectively. These microsatellite markers provide powerful tools for the ongoing conservation genetic studies of E. pleiospermum. [source] PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Characterization of eight microsatellite loci in the woolly mouse opossum, Micoureus paraguayanus, isolated from Micoureus demeraraeMOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2008I. M. G. DIAS Abstract Eight novel microsatellite markers were isolated from the woolly mouse opossum from the Amazon Forest in Peru, Micoureus demerarae, using a partial genomic DNA library and an enrichment protocol. These loci were polymorphic in M. demerarae and Micoureus paraguayanus populations from the Atlantic Forest in Brazil with the number of alleles ranging from two to 23. Those eight loci plus another five already described for M. paraguayanus will allow for the evaluation of genetic diversity of populations from the ,Rio Doce' Park, one of the last Atlantic Forest fragments in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. [source] PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Development of microsatellite markers for two nonviviparous mangrove species, Acanthus ilicifolius and Lumnitzera racemosaMOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2008Q. F. GENG Abstract Eight and nine of microsatellite loci were isolated from two nonviviparous mangrove species, Acanthus ilicifolius and Lumnitzera racemosa, respectively. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to eight in A. ilicifolius and two to nine in L. racemosa. The observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.200 to 0.875 in A. ilicifolius and from 0.025 to 0.350 in L. racemosa. These loci would be effective for analysing genetic diversity and population genetic structure of these two mangrove species. [source] PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Isolation and characterization of microsatellite DNA loci from the southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigmaMOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2008C. W. SHAO Abstract Paucity of polymorphic molecular markers in southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) has been a major limitation in genetic improvement of this important economic fish. Hence, we constructed a repeat-enriched genomic library from P. lethostigma. A total of 39 new microsatellites were identified, for which 33 primer pairs were designed. After validating and scoring, 10 of these loci were polymorphic in a test population with the range of alleles from two to nine per locus. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.2500 to 0.9000 and from 0.4469 to 0.8514, respectively. These polymorphic microsatellites will be useful for genetic diversity analysis and linkage map construction for P. lethostigma. [source] PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Isolation and characterization of 12 microsatellite markers in the middle-spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius)MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2008M. VILA Abstract Twelve polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for Dendrocopos medius. Polymorphism was assessed for 27 individuals from the southwesternmost population of this woodpecker species. The number of alleles per locus ranged from three to seven, with observed heterozygosity values from 0.444 to 0.852. Genotypic frequencies conformed to Hardy,Weinberg equilibrium, and no evidence for linkage disequilibrium was observed. Multilocus genotypes resulting from this set of markers will be useful to determine genetic diversity and differentiation within and among habitat patches inhabited by D. medius. Three of the loci were polymorphic for Picoides articus. [source] PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Microsatellite markers for the threatened Bliss Rapids snail (Taylorconcha serpenticola) and cross-amplification in its congener, T. insperataMOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2008H. -P. Abstract We developed and tested microsatellite markers to investigate population structure of a threatened North American freshwater gastropod, Taylorconcha serpenticola. Of the 21 primer pairs that were evaluated, 11 were readily optimized and scored, providing amplification of 12 loci that were screened for 820 specimens from 29 populations. The number of alleles across 11 of these polymorphic loci ranged from three to 20 and the observed heterozygosity varied from 0.0061 to 0.7561. All loci yielded suitable amplification products in the second species of Taylorconcha (T. insperata) and three proved to be diagnostic for these congeners, demonstrating that these markers are also useful for species identification studies. [source] PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Identification and characterization of 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the argasid tick Ornithodoros coriaceusMOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2008VERONICA S. KIRCHOFF Abstract Fourteen polymorphic microsatellite loci (di, tetra and di-tetra complexes) were developed for the argasid tick Ornithodoros coriaceus. Polymorphism was assessed for 56 individuals from two populations separated by ~95 km. All loci were polymorphic (X = 7, range 3,17 alleles). All loci were in Hardy,Weinberg equilibrium except for one locus (OrC 8) in a single population (P < 0.00119, after Bonferroni correction for multiple tests). [source] PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Development of microsatellite markers for the ecosystem bioengineer mussel Perumytilus purpuratus and cross-priming testing in six Mytilinae generaMOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2008M. PÉREZ Abstract Eight microsatellite markers have been characterized from the Perumytilus purpuratus genome. Their gene diversity ranged from 0.057 to 0.873 and significant interpopulation genic heterogeneity was observed between two populations of southeastern Pacific (Chile) and southwestern Atlantic (Argentine). Distinct cross-priming amplification rates were recovered on nine additional species belonging to six Mytilinae genera. The microsatellites developed herein would likely be a powerful intraspecific genetic tool to undertake fine population studies in the intertidal ecosystem bioengineer P. purpuratus along the South American shoreline. [source] Rights and Access to Plant Genetic Resources under India's New LawDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 4 2004Anitha Ramanna Recognition of ,Farmer's Rights' is an attempt by developing countries to evolve a counterclaim to breeders' Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) promoted under the TRIPs Agreement of the WTO. India is one of the first countries to have granted rights to both breeders and farmers under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001. This multiple rights system aims to distribute rights equitably, but may pose the threat of an ,anticommons tragedy' i.e. too many parties independently possessing the right to exclude others from utilising a resource. If under-utilisation of plant genetic resources results, the Act will have negative consequences for sustaining crop productivity and for the welfare of the very farming communities it seeks to compensate. [source] Gender and Biodiversity: A New Approach to Linking Environment and DevelopmentGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2007Janet Henshall Momsen The 1992 Convention on Biological Conservation and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (1996) reflect the growing importance of biodiversity for environmental conservation and as a way of maintaining the genetic variety needed for plant breeding and providing new sources of medicines. More recently, agrobiodiversity has been seen as vital for food security in developing countries. This article considers the need to understand decision-making for biodiversity at the grassroots. To achieve this, gender roles, as influenced by gender divisions of labour in food production and the gendered use of different environmental spaces, have to be considered. Women's roles in seed selection and seed saving and use of wild plants for food and medicines play a major role in biodiversity conservation, but these roles are not unchanging and are increasingly influenced by global trade networks and geographical context. [source] Shifting Common Spaces of Plant Genetic Resources in the International Regulation of PropertyTHE JOURNAL OF WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, Issue 3 2008Carolina Roa-Rodríguez The appellative "common heritage of mankind" is often used as a description of the property domain that governed plant genetic resources (PGR) at an international level up until the end of the twentieth century. However, the concept is rarely elaborated on. In this article we explore the origins of common property in PGR and the shifting content and shape of the genetic commons over the past several decades. Using the theoretical framework of diverse common property regimes developed by Peter Drahos, we chart the way in which the emergence and interaction of various international regulatory regimes related to PGR reshape common property spaces, rights and obligations. We argue that these international agreements do not regulate a single property domain in isolation, but rather modify the content and boundaries of the complex set of property domains that apply to PGR: private, state, common and public. More than a theoretical conundrum, we show that any realistic appraisal of the implementation of the international regulatory regimes in relation to PGR must acknowledge the conflicting and complex dynamics of these interrelated property domains, as well as the way in which they are being put into place on the ground. [source] Access to and Legal Protection of Aquaculture Genetic Resources,Norwegian PerspectivesTHE JOURNAL OF WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, Issue 4 2006G. Kristin Rosendal A central socio-economic challenge in fish breeding arises from issues relating to access to and exclusive rights of genetic resources. Breeding companies need legal or biological protection measures to assure revenues from genetic improvement and investment in genetic material. Fish farmers and fish breeders need access to genetic resources for food production and further development and sustainable use of fish genetic material. How can a balance be created between the need for unencumbered and free access, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the need to ensure a right to the results from breeding and research? First, we provide a brief outline of the rationale for ensuring access to and for using legal measures for protection of breeding materials in aquaculture. Secondly, we examine how technological developments and biological features present options and barriers that will affect choices relating to access and property right issues to fish genetic resources. [source] How Will a Substantive Patent Law Treaty Affect the Public Domain for Genetic Resources and Biological Material?THE JOURNAL OF WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, Issue 3 2005Morten Walløe Tvedt First page of article [source] The Relevance of Genetic Resources to the Pharmaceutical IndustryTHE JOURNAL OF WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, Issue 2 2005The Industry Viewpoint First page of article [source] Frontal nasal prominence expression driven by Tcfap2a relies on a conserved binding site for STAT proteinsDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 5 2006Amy L. Donner Abstract The AP-2 transcription factor family is linked with development of the head and limbs in both vertebrate and invertebrate species. Recent evidence has also implicated this gene family in the evolution of the neural crest in chordates, a critical step that allowed the development and elaboration of the vertebrate craniofacial skeleton. In mice, the inappropriate embryonic expression of one particular AP-2 gene, Tcfap2a, encoding AP-2,, results in multiple developmental abnormalities, including craniofacial and limb defects. Thus, Tcfap2a provides a valuable genetic resource to analyze the regulatory hierarchy responsible for the evolution and development of the face and limbs. Previous studies have identified a 2-kilobase intronic region of both the mouse and human AP-2, locus that directs expression of a linked LacZ transgene to the facial processes and the distal mesenchyme of the limb bud in transgenic mice. Further analysis identified two highly conserved regions of ,200,400 bp within this tissue-specific enhancer. We have now initiated a transgenic and biochemical analysis of the most important of these highly conserved regions. Our analysis indicates that although the sequences regulating face and limb expression have been integrated into a single enhancer, different cis -acting sequences ultimately control these two expression domains. Moreover, these studies demonstrate that a conserved STAT binding site provides a major contribution to the expression of Tcfap2a in the facial prominences. Developmental Dynamics 235:1358,1370, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Tuscany autochthonous cattle breeds: an original genetic resource investigated by AFLP markersJOURNAL OF ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS, Issue 1 2006R. Negrini Summary The aim of this study was to assess the genetic diversity of four autochthonous cattle breeds of Tuscany and their relationships in comparison with Italian Friesian and Italian Brown, using amplified fragment length polymorphism markers. A total of 212 individuals were genotyped with three primer combinations generating 102 polymorphic markers. Average expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.23 in Mucca Pisana to 0.26 in Chianina, Italian Friesian, Italian Brown and Maremmana. The differences resulted not significant (Kruskall,Wallis test, p = 0.416). Gst-B index revealed that 86% of the total genetic variance is retained within population and only 14% is accounted by the between populations component. Multivariate analysis at individual and population level indicated that: (i) Calvana and Chianina are quite separate from the other breeds as an effect of the bottleneck experienced or as a signature of different origin; (ii) Podolian, Maremmana and Italian Brown clustered with the double purpose Mucca Pisana, revealing their contribution to its admixed genetic make up; (iii) Italian Friesian behaved always as out group. The ,analysis of molecular variance' recovered a significant subdivision clustering the six populations into three groups: Italian Friesian and Italian Brown versus Maremmana and Mucca Pisana versus Chianina and Calvana (6% of the total variance). [source] Cryopreservation of YamúBrycon siebenthalae MiltJOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 4 2004Pablo E. Cruz-Casallas The yamúBrycon siebenthalae is an endemic fish of the Orinoco river basin, but wild stocks are decreasing because of the disruption of their habitat. We evaluated a protocol for the cryopreservation of yamú sperm to contribute to the preservation of this endangered genetic resource. Milt was mixed with a cryoprotectant medium (5.5% glucose, 12% egg yolk, and 5%, 10%, or 15% dimethyl sulfoxide - DMSO) in a ratio 1:4 (milt:medium), stored in 0.5-mL French straws, frozen in nitrogen liquid vapor (-76 C), then immersed and stored in liquid nitrogen for 10 d or 12 mo. Motility of thawed spermatozoa was higher (P < 0.001) in 10% DMSO medium than 5% DMSO or 15% DMSO mediums; but lower than the control (P < 0.001). With sperm cryopreserved, the highest level of fertilization was achieved with 10% DMSO (P < 0.001) after 10 d or 12 mo of cryopreservation. Fertilization of eggs inseminated with 6.4 × 109 spermatozoa per g of eggs was higher (P <0.05) than with 1.6 × 109 spermatozoa per g of eggs. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in fertilization between insemination doses of 3.2 × 109 and 6.4 × 109 spermatozoa per g of eggs. Cryopreservation of yamu milt can be performed successfully with a simple medium combined with 10% of DMSO as cryoprotectant. The highest level of fertility was achieved using between 3 × 109 and 6 × 109 spermatozoa per g of fresh eggs. [source] Mitochondrial DNA differentiation between two forms of trout Salmo letnica, endemic to the Balkan Lake Ohrid, reflects their reproductive isolationMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 12 2004J. SELL Abstract Mitochondrial haplotype diversity in sympatric populations of Ohrid trout, Salmo letnica was investigated by polymerase chain reaction,restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the mtDNA control region and ND1, ND3/4, ND5/6 segments. A 310 bp fragment at the 5, end, and a 340,572 bp fragment at the 3, end of the control region were sequenced from representatives of the populations studied. Based on pairwise comparison of the sequences, five new haplotypes were identified plus one identical with the brown trout Andalusian haplotype from the southern Iberian Peninsula. The combination of both RFLP and sequence data sets yielded a total of 10 composite haplotypes. A high degree of genetic subdivision between S. letnica typicus and S. letnica aestivalis populations was observed. The notion of a sympatric origin for the two morphs is discussed. Length variation of the mtDNA control region due to the presence of an 82 bp unit, tandemly repeated one to four times, in the region between the conserved sequence block-3 (CSB-3) and the gene for phenylalanine tRNA is reported. Further, we demonstrate that a single duplication of the approximately 82 bp repeat unit is a common element of the salmonid mitochondrial control region. The unique genetic structure of Ohrid trout represents a highly valuable genetic resource that deserves appropriate management and conservation. [source] Identification of chromosomal regions associated with growth and carcass traits in an F3 full sib intercross line originating from a cross of chicken lines divergently selected on body weightANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 5 2009D. Ter Summary An F3 resource population originating from a cross between two divergently selected lines for high (D+ line) or low (D, line) body weight at 8-weeks of age (BW55) was generated and used for Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) mapping. From an initial cross of two founder F0 animals from D(+) and D(,) lines, progeny were randomly intercrossed over two generations following a full sib intercross line (FSIL) design. One hundred and seventy-five genome-wide polymorphic markers were employed in the DNA pooling and selective genotyping of F3 to identify markers with significant effects on BW55. Fifty-three markers on GGA2, 5 and 11 were then genotyped in the whole F3 population of 503 birds, where interval mapping with GridQTL software was employed. Eighteen QTL for body weight, carcass traits and some internal organ weights were identified. On GGA2, a comparison between 2-QTL vs. 1-QTL analysis revealed two separate QTL regions for body, feet, breast muscle and carcass weight. Given co-localization of QTL for some highly correlated traits, we concluded that there were 11 distinct QTL mapped. Four QTL localized to already mapped QTL from other studies, but seven QTL have not been previously reported and are hence novel and unique to our selection line. This study provides a low resolution QTL map for various traits and establishes a genetic resource for future fine-mapping and positional cloning in the advanced FSIL generations. [source] Genetic characterisation of traditional chestnut varieties in Italy using microsatellites (simple sequence repeats) markersANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010M.A. Martín European chestnut (Castanea sativa) is an important multipurpose tree that has been cultivated for wood and fruit in the Mediterranean basin since ancient times. Cultivation of traditional chestnut varieties has a long tradition in Italy, where cultivars have been selected over centuries as a function of the best nut traits. In this study, 94 grafted chestnuts corresponding to 26 representative cultivars from Italy were evaluated by seven simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to establish whether they corresponded to varieties in the narrow sense. The results allowed 20 genotypes to be identified that corresponded to the same number of clones. In total, 52 alleles were identified, eight of which were exclusive. Cases of homonymies and synonymies were detected. Moreover, our results highlighted a considerable genetic uniformity among ,Marrone-type' cultivars and, on the contrary, a high genetic diversity among the evaluated cultivars demonstrating that this is a valuable germplasm and an important genetic resource to be preserved. [source] Transcriptome profiling of cotton-bollworm larvae fed on transgenic hpa1Xoo cotton leaves by the application of silkworm 23K oligo microarrayANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010W. Miao To analyse the resistance of harpinXoo -expressing transgenic cotton T-34 plants to cotton-bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), bioassays and the silkworm genome-wide microarray were employed. The global transcriptomic level was used to compare the H. armigera larvae fed on T-34 leaves (LFT-34) with larvae fed on leaves of the untransformed cotton line Z35 (LFZ35). The development of LFT-34 was slowed, eventually leading to larval death. The microarray data indicated that 872 genes in LFT-34 were totally deregulated, comparing to their expression in LFZ35. All the preferentially expressed genes were classified into 13 biological functions and were involved in 96 biological pathways. These results indicated that harpinXoo confers T-34 with resistance to H. armigera and influences multiple metabolic pathways in the larvae. Hpa1Xoo, as a new genetic resource, provides primary evidence for breeding cotton that is resistant to cotton bollworm. The results also showed that the silkworm 70-mer oligo microarray can be used as a new approach to analyse the global transcriptional expression of H. armigera and its interaction with plants. [source] Phenotyping approaches for physiological breeding and gene discovery in wheatANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009M. Reynolds Abstract Conceptual models of drought-adaptive traits have been used in breeding to accumulate complementary physiological traits (PT) in selected progeny, resulting in distribution of advanced lines to rain-fed environments worldwide by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). Key steps in PT breeding at CIMMYT include characterisation of crossing block lines for stress adaptive mechanisms, strategic crossing among parents that encompass as many target traits as possible and early generation selection (EGS) of bulks for canopy temperature (CT). The approach has been successful using both elite × elite crosses as well as three way crosses involving stress adapted landraces. Other EGS techniques that are amenable to high throughput include measurement of spectral reflectance indices and stomatal aperture-related traits. Their genetic- and cost-effectiveness are supported by realisation of genetic yield gains in response to trait selection, and by economic analysis, respectively. Continual reselection within restricted gene pools is likely to lead to diminishing returns, however, exotic parents can be used to introduce new allelic diversity. Examples include landraces from the primary gene pool, and products of inter-specific hybridisation with the secondary gene pool consisting of closely related wheat genomes. Both approaches have been successful in introducing stress-adaptive traits. The main problem with knowing which genetic resource to use in wide-crossing is the uncertainty with which phenotypic expression can be extrapolated from one genome/genepool to another because of their unimproved or undomesticated genetic backgrounds. Nonetheless, their PT expression can be measured and used as a basis for investing in crossing or wide crossing. Discovering the genetic basis of PT is highly complex because putative QTLs may interact with environment and genetic background, including genes of major effect. Detection of QTLs was improved in mapping populations where flowering time was controlled, while new mapping populations have been designed by screening potential parents that do not contrast in the Rht, Ppd and Vrn alleles. Association genetics mapping is another approach that can be employed for gene discovery using exclusively agronomically improved material, thereby minimising the probability of identifying yield QTLs whose alleles have been already improved by conventional breeding. [source] Microevolution in agricultural environments: how a traditional Amerindian farming practice favours heterozygosity in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz, Euphorbiaceae)ECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 2 2005Benoît Pujol Abstract We demonstrate a novel case of selection for heterozygosity in nature, involving inadvertent human selection on a population of domesticated plants. Amerindian farmers propagate cassava (Manihot esculenta) clonally by cuttings. Seedlings also appear spontaneously in fields, and farmers allow them to grow, later using some for cuttings. These ,volunteers' contribute new genotypes. However, many are inbred, whereas multiplied clones are highly heterozygous. We demonstrate the selective retention of heterozygous volunteers. When farmers weeded fields, they killed small volunteers, but retained large ones. Plant size and heterozygosity were correlated, and both increased after weeding. The process we document allows maintenance of genotypically diverse and heterozygous clonal stocks. Demonstrating heterosis in nature usually requires large sample sizes, but novel features of our system allowed escape of this constraint. Traditional agroecosystems offer unusual opportunities for the microevolutionary studies required to give on-farm conservation of genetic resources a solid scientific basis. [source] Some simple economics of GM foodECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 33 2001Dietmar Harhoff Public opposition to the genetic engineering of food crops (GM food) has not been based solely on concern about biological risks. Economic risks have been widely cited too: the fear that the world's food supply will be concentrated in the hands of a few large firms, the fear that such firms will engage or are already engaging in anti,competitive practices, and the fear of the transfer of ownership rights over genetic resources to the private sector. Are these fears justified? We argue that the GM food industry may be on course for further consolidation, and this could be anti,competitive. In fact, policymakers face a dilemma: a stringent regulatory approval process enhances food safety, but at the cost of increasing market concentration. We argue also that the integration of seed and agri,chemical manufacturers may bias the introduction of GM traits in undesirable directions. Some business practices (such as tie,in contracts between seeds and complementary products such as herbicides) may have an exclusionary motive that warrants scrutiny on anti,competitive grounds, while some other practices (such as the use of terminator genes) appear more benign. Finally, we argue against granting patents on genes or even on gene ,functions'. Doing so may delay the development of socially beneficial applications. [source] Diversity of rice glutelin polypeptides in wild species assessed by the higher-temperature sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and subunit-specific antibodiesELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 6 2008Nadar Khan Abstract In efforts to find genetic resources with high nutritional value of rice seed, we assessed the diversity of the major storage protein glutelin in 13 wild and 2 cultivated rice species by a unique SDS-PAGE method and subunit-specific antibodies. Maximum separation of microheterogeneous glutelin ,-polypeptides, which is a prerequisite for the diversity evaluation, could be attained by SDS-PAGE performed at higher temperature (45°C) than the generally employed temperatures (4,25°C). Seven antipeptide antibodies were raised against subunit-specific epitope sequences designed at five sites from four variable regions spanning the glutelin ,-polypeptides. High specificity of each antibody was confirmed using rice glutelin mutants, and demonstrated considerable variation in amino acid sequence and accumulation level of glutelin subunit in wild species, in combination with the higher-temperature SDS-PAGE. The degree of the variation was, however, changed according to the site of variable regions and the type of subunit. Some wild species accumulated nutritious GluB subunits more than cultivated rice. The wild species Oryza longiglumis and O. brachyantha had glutelin with low reactivity against most antibodies examined in this study, reflecting the significant divergence. Such wild species may hopefully serve as important genetic resources for nutritional improvement of cultivated rice. [source] Regulating the use of genetic resources , between international authoritiesENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 5 2006G. Kristin Rosendal Abstract This article examines interaction between multilateral agreements and the assessment of implementation efforts. The first aim is to portray how regulations emanating from different international regimes are developed and implemented in an interdependent manner. The second main theme concerns the assessment of implementation measures in a situation of interaction. The focus here is on the high level of interaction between regulations pertaining to genetic resources and technological utilization of these through bioprospecting. Particular attention is given to where authority stems from in this context of multiple and interacting institutions. What is the most legitimate framework for making authoritative decisions on the use of genetic resources? Empirical evidence suggests a dual development. First, norm diffusion through international institutions increasingly plays a legitimizing role in international transactions with genetic resources. At the same time, there is a high correlation between dominating countries and key economic interests in the global economy of life sciences, and these interests wield their authority and power through a different set of institutions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Evolutionary response of landraces to climate change in centers of crop diversityEVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 5-6 2010Kristin L. Mercer Abstract Landraces cultivated in centers of crop diversity result from past and contemporary patterns of natural and farmer-mediated evolutionary forces. Successful in situ conservation of crop genetic resources depends on continuity of these evolutionary processes. Climate change is projected to affect agricultural production, yet analyses of impacts on in situ conservation of crop genetic diversity and farmers who conserve it have been absent. How will crop landraces respond to alterations in climate? We review the roles that phenotypic plasticity, evolution, and gene flow might play in sustaining production, although we might expect erosion of genetic diversity if landrace populations or entire races lose productivity. For example, highland maize landraces in southern Mexico do not express the plasticity necessary to sustain productivity under climate change, but may evolve in response to altered conditions. The outcome for any given crop in a given region will depend on the distribution of genetic variation that affects fitness and patterns of climate change. Understanding patterns of neutral and adaptive diversity from the population to the landscape scale is essential to clarify how landraces conserved in situ will continue to evolve and how to minimize genetic erosion of this essential natural resource. [source] Sowing the Seeds of Progress: The Agricultural Biotechnology Debate in AfricaHISTORY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2008Noah Zerbe Recent innovations in agricultural biotechnology raise a number of questions for the future of farming in both the developed and developing worlds. Conflicting international agreements, particularly tensions between the World Trade Organization's Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity, provoke debates between farmers, plant breeders, and indigenous communities over the extent of ownership rights in genetic resources. Further, trade disputes between the United States and the European Union help to shape the terrain on which biotechnology is developed. The future of agricultural biotechnology in Africa is largely a function of the outcome of these debates. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||