Category Archives: DNA

The genome of a primitive fish that was once thought to have died when the dinosaurs did has now been sequenced by scientists and when put into mice, some of the fish DNA caused mice to sprout limbs.

The new analysis, described today (April 17) in the journal Nature, could help to reveal how primitive fish swapped their fins for limbs when they moved from land to sea.

The fish, called a coelacanth, seems to carry snippets of DNA that can turn on genes that code for forelimbs and hind limbs in mice. The new discovery could shed light on how four-legged creatures, called tetrapods, evolved. [Image Gallery: The Freakiest Fish]

"It really is a cornerstone from which we can view tetrapod evolution," said study co-author Chris Amemiya, a geneticist at the Benaroya Research Institute in Seattle, Wash.

Living fossil

The coelacanth was once thought to have gone extinct about 70 million years ago, roughly around the time dinosaurs vanished. But in 1938, a fish trawler brought a bluish-purple, 3.3-foot-long (1 meter) fish with fleshy fins to the South African naturalist Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer. It turned out to be an African coelacanth.

Over the next several decades, scientists unearthed a few hundred of the elusive creatures living around the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, as well as off parts of Indonesia.

The coelacanth intrigued scientists because it was a kind of "living fossil": It had changed so little over the last 400 million years that it might reveal how fish first grew limbs and walked on land.

Deepening the mystery, other research showed that fish, mice and other animals carry many of the same genes. But in fish, those genes code for fins, whereas in land-based animals, they create limbs.

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Fish DNA Makes Limbs Sprout in Mice

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) A judge on Tuesday granted Wyoming's first retrial based on DNA evidence, offering a new opportunity for freedom for a man who has served more than 23 years of a life sentence since being convicted of breaking into a Cheyenne woman's apartment and raping her.

Recent testing showed Andrew J. Johnson, 63, was not the source of male DNA taken from the victim after the 1989 attack. The DNA instead matched the victim's fiance at the time.

However, prosecutors say they still have other strong evidence against Johnson including testimony from the victim. Johnson has remained jailed, but Laramie County District Judge Thomas Campbell on Tuesday set bond at $10,000 and said terms of Johnson's potential release would need to be worked out.

Johnson didn't visibly react to the ruling, and neither did a small group of relatives and other supporters in the courtroom. Afterward, relatives expressed mixed emotions happiness about a new trial but disappointment the judge didn't dismiss the case and release Johnson right away.

"He's lost 24 years of his life," said a cousin, Barbara Johnson of Cheyenne. "Just let it go. It's been too long."

Johnson's exoneration despite his attorneys' insistence that the DNA evidence is a fatal blow to the case against him is not a foregone conclusion. District Attorney Scott Homar outlined for Campbell additional evidence besides the DNA that led to the jury verdict against Johnson.

Among that evidence: The victim identified Johnson as the rapist. Homar said after the hearing that he'd been in contact with the victim and could have her testify again.

"Certainly she is not thrilled about it," he said. "She was traumatized once."

The rape happened after Johnson and the victim spent an evening together visiting bars in Cheyenne, authorities said. Johnson told police he walked to his home after the victim drove to her home without him. The victim told police Johnson later broke in to her apartment and raped her in the dark, according to court documents.

In addition to collecting the DNA evidence from a rape kit, authorities found Johnson's personal identification in the victim's apartment and the victim found his glasses in her apartment a couple days after the attack. Johnson says he left the items at the apartment when he spent time there earlier on the evening of the attack.

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Judge grants first Wyo. retrial based on DNA test

Scientists have decoded the DNA of a celebrated "living fossil" fish, gaining new insights into how today's mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds evolved from a fish ancestor.

The African coelacanth (SEE-lah-kanth) is closely related to the fish lineage that started to move toward a major evolutionary transformation, living on land And it hasn't changed much from its ancestors of even 300 million years ago, researchers said.

At one time, scientists thought coelacanths died out some 70 million years ago. But in a startling discovery in 1938, a South African fish trawler caught a living specimen. Its close resemblance to its ancient ancestors earned it the "living fossil" nickname.

And in line with that, analysis shows its genes have been remarkably slow to change, an international team of researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Maybe that's because the sea caves where the coelacanth lives provide such a stable environment, said Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, senior author of the paper and a gene expert at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass.

Modern coelacanths make up two endangered species that live off the east coast of Africa and off Indonesia. They grow to more than 5 feet long and have fleshy fins.

The coelacanth's DNA code, called its genome, is slightly smaller than a human's. Using it as a starting point, the researchers found evidence of changes in genes and in gene-controlling "switches" that evidently aided the move onto land. They involve such things as sense of smell, the immune system and limb development.

Further study of the genome may give more insights into the transition to living on land, they said. Their analysis concluded that a different creature, the lungfish, is the closest living fish relative of animals with limbs, like mammals, but they said the lungfish genome is too big to decode.

The water-to-land transition took tens of millions of years, with limbs developing in primarily aquatic animals as long as nearly 400 million years ago, by some accounts, and a true switchover to life on land by maybe 340 million years ago, said researcher Ted Daeschler.

Daeschler, curator of vertebrate zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in Philadelphia, who didn't participate in the new work, said genome research provides a way to tackle some previously unanswerable questions in evolution.

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DNA of 'Living Fossil' Fish Decoded

NEW YORK (AP) Scientists have decoded the DNA of a celebrated "living fossil" fish, gaining new insights into how today's mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds evolved from a fish ancestor.

The African coelacanth (SEE-lah-kanth) is closely related to the fish lineage that started to move toward a major evolutionary transformation, living on land And it hasn't changed much from its ancestors of even 300 million years ago, researchers said.

At one time, scientists thought coelacanths died out some 70 million years ago. But in a startling discovery in 1938, a South African fish trawler caught a living specimen. Its close resemblance to its ancient ancestors earned it the "living fossil" nickname.

And in line with that, analysis shows its genes have been remarkably slow to change, an international team of researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Maybe that's because the sea caves where the coelacanth lives provide such a stable environment, said Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, senior author of the paper and a gene expert at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass.

Modern coelacanths make up two endangered species that live off the east coast of Africa and off Indonesia. They grow to more than 5 feet long and have fleshy fins.

The coelacanth's DNA code, called its genome, is slightly smaller than a human's. Using it as a starting point, the researchers found evidence of changes in genes and in gene-controlling "switches" that evidently aided the move onto land. They involve such things as sense of smell, the immune system and limb development.

Further study of the genome may give more insights into the transition to living on land, they said. Their analysis concluded that a different creature, the lungfish, is the closest living fish relative of animals with limbs, like mammals, but they said the lungfish genome is too big to decode.

The water-to-land transition took tens of millions of years, with limbs developing in primarily aquatic animals as long as nearly 400 million years ago, by some accounts, and a true switchover to life on land by maybe 340 million years ago, said researcher Ted Daeschler.

Daeschler, curator of vertebrate zoology at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in Philadelphia, who didn't participate in the new work, said genome research provides a way to tackle some previously unanswerable questions in evolution.

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Scientists decode DNA of 'living fossil' fish

STONY BROOK, NY--(Marketwired - Apr 17, 2013) - Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (OTCBB: APDN), (Twitter: @APDN), a provider of DNA-based anti-counterfeiting technology and product authentication solutions, announced today that senior managers will lead important meetings this week concerning the company's SigNature DNA marking program for electronics, currently required by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) for Federal Supply Class (FSC) 5962 microcircuits.The APDN SigNature DNA marking technology, which forensically protects against counterfeiting, has been gaining excitement and attention throughout the electronics industry.The platform will be explained by its most knowledgeable experts.

Janice Meraglia, Vice President of Government and Military Programs, and Bob MacDowell, Senior Sales Representative, will lead a workshop describing SigNature DNA marking.At a panel discussion focused on critical issues surrounding traceability in the supply chain, scheduled speakers are Dr. James A. Hayward, CEO and President of Applied DNA Sciences, Christine Metz,Chief of the Technical and Quality Policy Division for DLA Logistics Operations(Defense Logistics Agency), Tom Sharpe, Vice President of SMT Corp., Dave Loaney, CEO ofPremier Semiconductor Service,and John Tomaszewicz, Quality Assurance Manager, Avnet USI.Please see below for time and place of these events.

"Signature DNA has been the subject of countless articles, meetings, blog posts and comments," observed Ms. Meraglia, "This is a chance to understand the platform factually and objectively, from the people who created it."

Applied DNA Sciences offers a botanical DNA taggant solution for the electronics industry that forensically prevents counterfeits from entering the supply chain. The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency clause 52.211-9074 requires SigNature DNA to be applied on all FSC 5962 microcircuits, which have been determined to be at high risk of counterfeiting.APDN also emphasizes the value of its SigNature DNA platform beyond the FSC 5962 category, including in other FSC classes and for commercial product.SigNature DNA marking adds a forensic layer of protection to the electronic component supply chain and complements existing best practices and accepted industry standards.

The ERAI Executive Conference is a noted forum for thought leaders in the electronics trades on supply chain subjects.Its theme for 2013 is: "Gaining Momentum - Supply Chain Advancements in the Fight Against Counterfeits."The two-day conference will include lectures, panel and round table discussions and interactive workshops led by subject matter experts from industry, government and academia.

Save the date!

ERAI Executive ConferenceApril 18-19, 2013 Rosen Centre Hotel Orlando, Florida Panel: Traceability in the Age of Globalization

When: Thursday, April 18, 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM Who:

Workshop: SigNature DNA Marking and Forensic Authentication of Electronic ComponentsWhen: Thursday, April 18, 1:45 PM - 2:15 PM Who: Janice Meraglia and Bob MacDowell

About Applied DNA Sciences

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Applied DNA Sciences to Lead Panel and DNA Marking Workshop at ERAI Executive Conference

Gusttavo Lima DNA De Adorador Clipe Oficial Dvd Ao Vivo Em So Paulo 2012

By: William Jhones

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Gusttavo Lima DNA De Adorador Clipe Oficial Dvd Ao Vivo Em São Paulo 2012 - Video

Little Mix- Wings/DNA/Change your life
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Little Mix- Wings/DNA/Change your life - Video

KOTD - Rap Battle - DNA vs The Saurus
KingOfTheDot - #Vengeance2 - @DNA_GTFOH vs @TheSaurus831 Hosted By: @OrganikHipHop, @GullyTK, @LushOne, @Lemme_Kno, @CharlieClips @ReverenceNS NEW look KO...

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KOTD - Rap Battle - DNA vs The Saurus - Video

Colorado in 2010 began requiring DNA testing of all felons and for a small list of criminal misdemeanors, a move that began providing matches to unsolved sexual assaults, robberies, burglaries and other crimes within months.

Now, Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, is proposing the state go further by requiring DNA testing for all criminal misdemeanor convictions. We strongly support this idea and believe it could help catch rapists, burglars and even murderers going forward.

We especially support the idea now that House Bill 1251 has been considerably narrowed from its original version, which would have required DNA testing for all misdemeanor convictions, including a long list of minor violations hardly predictive of additional criminal behavior.

First, consider the results that have occurred since Colorado began requiring DNA testing for felony arrests and for six misdemeanor offenses. According to the Denver District Attorney's office, from December 2010 to March 2013, just in Denver, there were 187 DNA hits on samples taken upon arrest, and of those, 29 have been matched to sexual assaults and four to murders.

One of those cases included the March 21 charging of Eddie Simon on suspicion of kidnapping and raping a 20-year-old woman in 2001. Simon had been arrested earlier this year on felony drug charges and his DNA was taken at that time, leading to the potential break in the cold case.

But it's clear that expanding the DNA testing to serious misdemeanors will catch dangerous criminals as well. In New York, which in 2006 expanded the testing to certain misdemeanors such as shoplifting, assault and trespassing, DNA samples of people convicted of petty larceny were linked to some 48 murders and 220 sexual assaults, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

Some critics of Pabon's bill say it would create an indiscriminate dragnet that would invade the privacy of many people convicted of extremely low-level offenses. Yet we think Pabon has largely addressed this concern by first limiting the bill only to Class 1 misdemeanors and then further winnowing that list to only certain Class 1 misdemeanors.

This list includes more serious offenses such as third-degree assault, various sexual assault offenses, forgery, indecent exposure, wiretapping, possession of an illegal weapon and various other crimes that could indicate future criminal behavior.

No doubt, some critics will point to certain other offenses included on this narrowed list, such as videotaping a movie inside a theater, and say they shouldn't necessitate a DNA sample. But we think these cases will be relatively rare, and the far greater number of more serious offenses justifies taking the DNA.

The bill should be passed into law.

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DNA samples will help solve crimes

Washington, April 16 (ANI): UC San Francisco scientists have revealed that specific DNA once dismissed as junk plays an important role in brain development and might be involved in several devastating neurological diseases.

Their discovery in mice is likely to further fuel a recent scramble by researchers to identify roles for long-neglected bits of DNA within the genomes of mice and humans alike.

While researchers have been busy exploring the roles of proteins encoded by the genes identified in various genome projects, most DNA is not in genes. This so-called junk DNA has largely been pushed aside and neglected in the wake of genomic gene discoveries, the UCSF scientists said.

In their own research, the UCSF team studies molecules called long noncoding RNA (lncRNA, often pronounced as "link" RNA), which are made from DNA templates in the same way as RNA from genes.

"The function of these mysterious RNA molecules in the brain is only beginning to be discovered," said Daniel Lim, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurological surgery, a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF, and the senior author of the study.

Alexander Ramos, a student enrolled in the MD/PhD program at UCSF and first author of the study, conducted extensive computational analysis to establish guilt by association, linking lncRNAs within cells to the activation of genes.

Ramos looked specifically at patterns associated with particular developmental pathways or with the progression of certain diseases. He found an association between a set of 88 long noncoding RNAs and Huntington's disease, a deadly neurodegenerative disorder. He also found weaker associations between specific groups of long noncoding RNAs and Alzheimer's disease, convulsive seizures, major depressive disorder and various cancers.

Unlike messenger RNA, which is transcribed from the DNA in genes and guides the production of proteins, lncRNA molecules do not carry the blueprints for proteins. Because of this fact, they were long thought to not influence a cell's fate or actions.

Nonetheless, lncRNAs also are transcribed from DNA in the same way as messenger RNA, and they, too, consist of unique sequences of nucleic acid building blocks.

Evidence indicates that lncRNAs can tether structural proteins to the DNA-containing chromosomes, and in so doing indirectly affect gene activation and cellular physiology without altering the genetic code. In other words, within the cell, lncRNA molecules act "epigenetically" - beyond genes - not through changes in DNA.

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Junk DNA may be behind devastating neurological diseases