|
|
|
Augustine Kong and colleagues report, in the February issue of Nature Genetics, evidence for natural selection acting on the human genome. The Icelandic study found that one orientation of a particular chromosome segment, which is rare in much of the world, has reached a frequency of 20% in some European populations. The authors find that this variant, called a chromosome inversion, is still undergoing positive selection in Icelandic pedigrees and conclude that it has a positive effect on fertility. While the effect is modest - Icelandic people with the variant have 3.2% more children per generation - it is large enough to have profound consequences on an evolutionary timescale.
Author contact: Augustine Kong
deCODE Genetics, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Tel: + 354 5701900
E-mail: augustine.kong@decode.is Also available online. (C) Nature Genetics press release.
Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza
|
|
Variants Associated with Pediatric Allergic Disorder
Mutations in PHF6 Found in T-Cell Leukemia
Genetic Risk Variant for Urinary Bladder Cancer
Antibody Has Therapeutic Effect on Mice with ALS
Regulating P53 Activity in Cancer Cells
Anti-RNA Therapy Counters Breast Cancer Spread
Mitochondrial DNA Diversity
The Power of RNA Sequencing
‘Pro-Ageing' Therapy for Cancer?
Niche Genetics Influence Leukaemia
Molecular Biology: Clinical Promise for RNA Interference
Chemoprevention Cocktail for Colon Cancer
more news ...
|