![]() These findings originating in the Hawley Lab and actively investigated by Hanlon, now in her own lab at the University of Connecticut, can be used to understand the mechanisms behind what keeps meiosis fair and ensures that cheaters, like the B chromosomes, do not prosper. ![]() Importantly, meiotic drive is a powerful force that can shape how genomes evolve. "That buys these guys evolutionary time to become a new chromosome, whether that's picking up an essential gene or acquiring something that enables them to better cheat." "Their genetic background - meaning the unique features in the B chromosome flies' genetic make-up - supports their preferential transmission to the next generation," said Hanlon. The B chromosomes drive their way into the next generation during the formation of the egg to ensure their own persistence in more than half of the next generation. Hanlon discovered that the fruit fly B chromosomes are maintained by a mechanism called "meiotic drive" that enables the them to rebel against the usual rules of inheritance. "I like to call these B chromosomes genetic renegades," said Hanlon. How does something like this new chromosome apparently arise from nothing? More important, as these newly born B chromosomes do not possess any known essential genes for fruit fly function, how do they persist in a genome? In short, by cheating. Now, the researchers are witnessing chromosome birth and evolution in less than two decades. "This may enable the development of potential therapeutic targets."Ĭalled B chromosomes - as opposed to the standard "A" set of essential chromosomes - these genetic elements naturally appeared in a single laboratory stock of fruit flies in Hawley's lab. "Being able to understand how supernumerary chromosomes arise and what their structures are can potentially illuminate their vulnerabilities," said Hawley. In addition, the presence of supernumerary chromosomes in men can disrupt normal chromosome segregation during sperm production, which can cause infertility. Supernumerary chromosomes in humans are found in cancer cells and frequently interfere with drugs designed to target tumors, making these types of cancers, like osteosarcoma, difficult to treat. Former Hawley Lab Postdoctoral Researcher Stacey Hanlon, Ph.D., realized that this discovery could be an ideal system to investigate how new chromosomes arise, which may lead to more effective cancer treatments and methods to overcome infertility. Previous research from the Hawley Lab had first identified these small, extra chromosomes, but little was known about their form, function, or dynamics during cell division. "We are getting to watch the birth of a chromosome and are starting to understand both its capabilities and limitations." "I feel kind of like an astronomer who's watching the birth of a star," said Stowers Investigator Scott Hawley, Ph.D. I get that FMV is not going to be something everyone likes, but I think it is a lot of fun.A new study published in Current Biology on May 4, 2023, reveals how this small chromosome that arose less than 20 years ago has persisted in a single, lab-reared strain of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and is correlated with supernumerary (extra) chromosomes in humans. It has a bit of a reality TV show and MythBusters thig going on with the way that they present it all and I love it. Not enough games use stuff like this these days and seeing these zany characters with their own StarTube channels is a great deal of fun. I have to take a moment to talk about the FMV that this game has which is hilarious. It is pretty fun stuff and the thought of getting a new piece is what will drive you to keep on playing and moving through the challenges. You have to complete these various challenges that the game has for you and this not only moves things forward, it also how you will earn new and advanced parts that you can use when building your rocket. If you truly want something you have to work for it is what my dad told me and that kind of logic rings true for Next Space Rebels. Getting The Best Stuff, Requires Some Work! If you can imagine it and if you have the right parts then you can build it! I am not saying it will actually fly, but that is a huge part of the fun here trying to figure out what will work and what will work out best for you. You may think that being able to build a rocket ship in Next Space Rebels is going to require you to be a rocket scientist yourself, but the tools they give you are very simple to use.
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