Background Earlier methods for detecting major genes responsible for a quantitative trait rely critically upon a well-structured pedigree in which the segregation pattern of genes exactly follow Mendelian inheritance laws. However, for many outcrossing species, such pedigrees are not available and genes also display population properties. Results In this paper, a hierarchical statistical model is proposed to monitor the existence of a major gene based on its segregation and transmission across two successive generations. The model is implemented with an EM algorithm to provide maximum likelihood estimates for genetic parameters of the major locus. This new method is successfully applied to identify an additive gene having a large effect on stem height growth of aspen trees. The estimates of population genetic parameters for this major gene can be generalized to the original breeding population from which the parents were sampled. A simulation study is presented to evaluate finite sample properties of the model. Conclusions A hierarchical model was derived for detecting major genes affecting a quantitative trait based on progeny tests of outcrossing species. The new model takes into account the population genetic properties of genes and is expected to enhance the accuracy, precision and power of gene detection.

This data set contains individual museum catalog numbers, associated Genbank accession numbers, and species designations based on the mitochondrial genome and ten nuclear loci for 55 Martes americana, 28 Martes caurina, 2 Martes of uncertain taxonomic designation based on genetic data alone, and one each of Martes zibellina, M. pennanti, Gulo gulo, Neovison vison, and Mustela frenata.

This data set contains individual museum catalog numbers, associated Genbank accession numbers, and species designations based on the mitochondrial genome and ten nuclear loci for 55 Martes americana, 28 Martes caurina, 2 Martes of uncertain taxonomic designation based on genetic data alone, and one each of Martes zibellina, M. pennanti, Gulo gulo, Neovison vison, and Mustela frenata.

Background: Genome comparisons have revealed major lateral gene transfer between the three primary kingdoms of life - Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. Another important evolutionary phenomenon involves the evolutionary mobility of protein domains that form versatile multidomain architectures. We were interested in investigating the possibility of a combination of these phenomena, with an invading gene merging with a pre-existing gene in the recipient genome. Results: Complete genomes of fifteen bacteria, four archaea and one eukaryote were searched for interkingdom gene fusions (IKFs); that is, genes coding for proteins that apparently consist of domains originating from different primary kingdoms. Phylogenetic analysis supported 37 cases of IKF, each of which includes a 'native' domain and a horizontally acquired 'alien' domain. IKFs could have evolved via lateral transfer of a gene coding for the alien domain (or a larger protein containing this domain) followed by recombination with a native gene. For several IKFs, this scenario is supported by the presence of a gene coding for a second, stand-alone version of the alien domain in the recipient genome. Among the genomes investigated, the greatest number of IKFs has been detected in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, where they are almost always accompanied by a stand-alone alien domain. For most of the IKF cases detected in other genomes, the stand-alone counterpart is missing. Conclusions: The results of comparative genome analysis show that IKF formation is a real, but relatively rare, evolutionary phenomenon. We hypothesize that IKFs are formed primarily via the proposed two-stage mechanism, but other than in the Actinomycetes, in which IKF generation seems to be an active, ongoing process, most of the stand-alone intermediates have been eliminated, perhaps because of functional redundancy.

Background We have constructed Bayesian prior-based, amino-acid sequence profiles for the complete yeast mitochondrial proteome and used them to develop methods for identifying and characterizing the context of protein mutations that give rise to human mitochondrial diseases. (Bayesian priors are conditional probabilities that allow the estimation of the likelihood of an event - such as an amino-acid substitution - on the basis of prior occurrences of similar events.) Because these profiles can assemble sets of taxonomically very diverse homologs, they enable identification of the structurally and/or functionally most critical sites in the proteins on the basis of the degree of sequence conservation. These profiles can also find distant homologs with determined three-dimensional structures that aid in the interpretation of effects of missense mutations. Results This survey reports such an analysis for 15 missense mutations, one insertion and three deletions involved in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, Leigh syndrome, mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy, Mohr-Tranebjaerg syndrome, iron-storage disorders related to Friedreich's ataxia, and hereditary spastic paraplegia. We present structural correlations for seven of the mutations. Conclusions Of the 19 mutations analyzed, 14 involved changes in very highly conserved parts of the affected proteins. Five out of seven structural correlations provided reasonable explanations for the malfunctions. As additional genetic and structural data become available, this methodology can be extended. It has the potential for assisting in identifying new disease-related genes. Furthermore, profiles with structural homologs can generate mechanistic hypotheses concerning the underlying biochemical processes - and why they break down as a result of the mutations.

We amplifed and sequenced a 386 base-pair region of the mitochondrial protein-coding cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene to analyze genetic diversity from a new population of Peninsula Leaf-toed Gecko (Phyllodactylus nocticolus) in the Tranverse Range of southern California, USA. We compare these data with genetic data gathered from more southern populations of P. nocticolus from the Peninsular Ranges and determined that genetic diversity from the Tranverse Range population was distinct. These results provide support for a naturally occurring population in the Transverse Range of southern California.

We amplifed and sequenced a 386 base-pair region of the mitochondrial protein-coding cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene to analyze genetic diversity from a new population of Peninsula Leaf-toed Gecko (Phyllodactylus nocticolus) in the Tranverse Range of southern California, USA. We compare these data with genetic data gathered from more southern populations of P. nocticolus from the Peninsular Ranges and determined that genetic diversity from the Tranverse Range population was distinct. These results provide support for a naturally occurring population in the Transverse Range of southern California.

These data are comprised of two tables, one of primers used for PCR amplifications and the other containing North American (n = 105), Mongolian (n = 1) and Russian (n = 5) ermine (Mustela spp.) sample accessions and NCBI GenBank DNA sequence accessions for mitogenomes and four nuclear genes (agouti signaling protein [ASIP], feline sarcoma [FES], growth hormone receptor [GHR], and serotonin receptor 1b [HTR1B]). All samples were obtained from collections at the University of Alaska Museum of the North or the University of New Mexico’s Museum of Southwestern Biology.

These data are comprised of two tables, one of primers used for PCR amplifications and the other containing North American (n = 105), Mongolian (n = 1) and Russian (n = 5) ermine (Mustela spp.) sample accessions and NCBI GenBank DNA sequence accessions for mitogenomes and four nuclear genes (agouti signaling protein [ASIP], feline sarcoma [FES], growth hormone receptor [GHR], and serotonin receptor 1b [HTR1B]). All samples were obtained from collections at the University of Alaska Museum of the North or the University of New Mexico’s Museum of Southwestern Biology.

An analysis of numerous Drosophila microarray experiments reveals that the genome has many large groups of adjacent genes that are expressed similarly but are not functionally related.