http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113102054.htm
Researchers at the University of Warwick in collaboration with the University of Oxford and with the biotech research company Biogemma have all identified a uniparental gene called Meg 1. This gene is identified in mostly plants, but has been identified in some human genes. This gene can regulate the development of the placenta to control the supply of maternal nutrients during fetal growth. This means that this gene can regulate how much nutrients are used in the plants that are mass produced and need a proper amount of nutrients to grow. Such as rice, which is used by more than 60% of the world for a main dish. According to Dr Jose Gutierrez-Marcos, an Associate Professor in the University of Warwick's School of Life Sciences commented on the finding by saying "These findings have significant implications for global agriculture and food security, as scientists now have the molecular know-how to manipulate this gene by traditional plant breeding or through other methods to improve seed traits, such as increased seed biomass yield. To meet the demands of the world's growing population in years to come, scientists and breeders must work together to safeguard and increase agricultural production." The discovery of this gene not only will help with keeping up with the demands of agricultural products, but also helps unravel the mysteries behind the gene pathways that regulate the nutritional content of seeds. This unraveling is what the researchers hope to discover as they learn more of Meg 1 and of other related genes.
This research was published in Current Biology under the title Maternal control of nutrient allocation in plant seeds by genomic imprinting.
Researchers at the University of Warwick in collaboration with the University of Oxford and with the biotech research company Biogemma have all identified a uniparental gene called Meg 1. This gene is identified in mostly plants, but has been identified in some human genes. This gene can regulate the development of the placenta to control the supply of maternal nutrients during fetal growth. This means that this gene can regulate how much nutrients are used in the plants that are mass produced and need a proper amount of nutrients to grow. Such as rice, which is used by more than 60% of the world for a main dish. According to Dr Jose Gutierrez-Marcos, an Associate Professor in the University of Warwick's School of Life Sciences commented on the finding by saying "These findings have significant implications for global agriculture and food security, as scientists now have the molecular know-how to manipulate this gene by traditional plant breeding or through other methods to improve seed traits, such as increased seed biomass yield. To meet the demands of the world's growing population in years to come, scientists and breeders must work together to safeguard and increase agricultural production." The discovery of this gene not only will help with keeping up with the demands of agricultural products, but also helps unravel the mysteries behind the gene pathways that regulate the nutritional content of seeds. This unraveling is what the researchers hope to discover as they learn more of Meg 1 and of other related genes.
This research was published in Current Biology under the title Maternal control of nutrient allocation in plant seeds by genomic imprinting.
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