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Curr. Issues Mol. Biol., Volume 4, Issue 3 (July 2002) – 3 articles

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648 KiB

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Quantifying Gene Expression

by Charles M. Roth

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2002, 4(3), 93-100; https://doi.org/10.21775/cimb.004.093 - 21 Jul 2002

Viewed by 658

Abstract

Identifying those genes that are expressed and at what levels is an essential part of almost any biological inquiry at the cellular level. Techniques such as Northern blot have been in existence for decades to perform this task, but advances in molecular biology and bioinstrumentation have led to the development of a variety of new techniques with a range of sensitivities, throughputs and quantitative capabilities. This review focuses on the latter issue. For several commonly used gene expression techniques, the extent and range of quantitative applicability are reviewed, and approaches for maximizing the accuracy and precision of these measurements are discussed. Full article

753 KiB

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Arabidopsis Transcription Factors and the Regulation of Flowering Time: A Genomic Perspective

by Oliver J. Ratcliffe and José Luis Riechmann

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2002, 4(3), 77-91; https://doi.org/10.21775/cimb.004.077 - 21 Jul 2002

Viewed by 496

Abstract

The availability of the Arabidopsis genome sequence allows for novel approaches in the analysis of many aspects of plant biology. Approximately 6% of Arabidopsis genes code for transcription factors, which can be grouped into different families according to similarities within the DNA binding domains. Transcription factors are critical regulatory components of the pathways that underpin many aspects of plant growth, development, and physiology. In particular, a substantial number of them are emerging as having crucial roles in controlling one of the most important, but complex, steps in the plant life cycle: the transition to flowering. Genome-wide studies offer the opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of this polygenic process, making it possible to appreciate both the large number of genes involved, as well as the complex regulatory networks into which those genes are integrated. Full article

632 KiB

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Transposable Elements and the Evolution of Eukaryotic Complexity

by Nathan J. Bowen and I. King Jordan

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2002, 4(3), 65-76; https://doi.org/10.21775/cimb.004.065 - 21 Jul 2002

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 597

Abstract

Eukaryotic transposable elements are ubiquitous and widespread mobile genetic entities. These elements often make up a substantial fraction of the host genomes in which they reside. For example, approximately 1/2 of the human genome was recently shown to consist of transposable element sequences. There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates that transposable elements have been major players in genome evolution. A sample of this evidence is reviewed here with an emphasis on the role that transposable elements may have played in driving the evolution of eukaryotic complexity. A number of specific scenarios are presented that implicate transposable elements in the evolution of the complex molecular and cellular machinery that are characteristic of the eukaryotic domain of life. Full article

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Curr. Issues Mol. Biol., Volume 4, Issue 3 (July 2002) – 3 articles

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