Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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U.S.-Japanese Team Finds Smallest Cellular Genome
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THURSDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDay News) -- The smallest genome (set of genes) ever found in a cellular organism has been identified by American and Japanese scientists. They made the discovery in symbiotic bacteria -- Carsonella ruddii -- that live inside special cells in a small insect. The genome is only a third the size of the previously reported smallest cellular genome, the study authors said. Carsonella ruddii has 159,662 base pairs of DNA, which translates to only 182 protein-coding genes. The finding, which is in the Oct. 13 issue of the journal Science, provides new insight into bacterial evolution. "It''s the smallest genome -- not by a bit but by a long way," study co-author Nancy A. Moran, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, said in a prepared statement. "It''s very surprising. It''s unbelievable really. We would not have predicted such a small size. It''s believed that more genes are required for a cell to work," Moran said. More information The U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute has more about genomics.
Last Updated: Oct. 13, 2006 ANAT |