MODERN GENETICS JOURNAL (MGJ)
Year:2008 | Volume:2 | Issue:4|Papers Count:9

Nanobiotechnology is the assessment of the application of biological material and elements in nao scale. In this scale everything regardless of its nature could poses a novel characteristic, and two nano-particles with different sizes could show different behavior. In nanotechnology, with the aid of novel specificity produced, new nano-particles with higher functional capabilities are generated that could be used in labeling different biological molecules. Recent advances in the field of gold nanotechnology, resulted in the construction of specific probes with more specificity and penetrance in tissues. Gold nano-particles have found a vast application in different fields of science such as medical sciences and positive step toward diagnosis of diseases with these particles have been made. Detection of point mutations and isolation and diagnosis of target proteins in genetic diseases are example of the application of nano-particles. Moreover, using RNA interference (RNAi) technology, nanomolecules were designed that could specifically target disease associated gene products.

Genetic diversity of three imported lines of Iranian Silkwonn (Chinese lines) was assessed, using the AFLP markers. Samples (30 Larvae at 3 rd day of 5th instars from each population) were collected from Silkworm Research Institute (Rasht- Pasikhan). Genomic DNA was extracted from sericigence glands using phenol- chloroform method. In this study 10 PstI-TaqI primers were tested that resulted in generating of 208 AFLP polymorphic markers. The dendrogram was constructed from genetic distance matrix by the UPGMA method (PopGene Software). Maximum polymorphic information content (%49.52) was observed for line 104 and minimum was %33.17 for line 32. The lowest genetic diversity (0.1335) was also observed for line 32, while the highest was 0.1819 for line 104 and average genetic diversity for total populations and Primers was 0.3767. Maximum unbiased genetic distance was observed between lines 32 and 104, and minimum was between lines 32 and 110. Although, all three lines were from a unique breed, the line 104 showed greater genetic distance than the other lines so that lines 32 and 110 were located in one group and line 104 in the other group.

Genetic parameters of body weight using random regression model were estimated using 24056 live body weight test day records collected on 5633 lambs during 1989 to 2005 at the rearing and Lori-Bakhtiari sheep breeding station in Shahrekord. The model was included fixed effects (year of birth, sex of lamb, birth type of lamb and age of dam) and random effects additive genetic, permanent environmental (due to repeated records of each lamb) and residual. Random regression models were fitted with order 3 to 5 for additive genetic and permanent environmental effects. Results indicated that the 5th order was more appropriate than others. The value of heritability with this model for lamb body weight at birth, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 months of age were estimated as 0.18,0.16, 0.23, 0.26, 0.25, 0.22, 0.21, 0.21, 0.23, 0.25, 0.27, 0.28 and 0.26 respectively. The proportion of permanent environmental variance to phenotypic variance was increased from 0.01 for birth weight to 0.74 for body weight at 7 months of age and then decreased with increasing age of lamb. Genetic correlations between body weights at closer ages were higher. In general the results obtained in this study suggested that lamb body weight were influenced by different factors (additive genetic and permanent environment), and due to various estimated heritability for lamb body weight from birth to 12 months of age, it could be concluded that some different genes might be affect lamb body weight at birth to 12 months of age.

Nine microsatellite loci were employed to analyse the genetic diversity in a collection of 41 Vitis vinifera varieties from Iran and Russia, and three seedless varieties from California (USA). The number of alleles per locus was ranged from 6 to 11, with an average of 8.3, and the polymorphism information content ranged from 0.65 to 0.88. The markers were found to be highly informative in all genotypes and therefore constitute a useful set for the genetic characterization of Iranian grapevines. Two SSR loci including SSrVrZAG47 and VVMD27 were found to be probably synonymous, since the polymorphisms observed for both were identical. Clustering analysis was resulted in five groups of varieties (four Iranian groups and a Russian group). USA cultivars were located in group 3 with some Iranian genotypes. Seperation of Iranian and Russian germplasms was indicated the different genetic background of these genotypes. Principle Coordinate Analysis also confirmed observed pattern of genetic diversity.

Fine identification of cherry genotypes is essential and useful for breeding programs and germplasm preservation especially in fruit trees. RAPD is one of the extremely used techniques for germplasm DNA fingerprinting. In this study, genomic DNA of ten Iranian and two foreign cherry cultivars were analyzed using twenty-five RAPD primers.Only 14 of primers revealed polymorphic patterns between the cultivars and about 50 polymorphic bands were amplified. The primer UBC138 revealed highest polymorphic loci, but genetic index ofUBC7 (0.82) was more than the others. The genetic distance among cultivars was estimated based on Nei distance index and cluster analysis using UPGMA method.The genetic distance values ranged from 0.32 to 0.88. The lowest distance obtained was found between the cultivars 4 and 10 and the highest distance obtained between the cultivars 1 and 6. The cultivars are discriminated using 12 RAPDs. The cultivars 1,2,3,5 and 6 could be identified using five unique markers and the rest of cultivars should be discriminated with combination of two markers.

Sperm sexing is one of the important ways for sex preselection of offspring that with artificial insemination has the potential to considerably improve animal breeding and the efficiency of dairy and meat production. The base of this method is discrepancies between X- and Y-chromosome bearing sperms. X- and Y-bearing sperm cells can be separated by methods such as flow-cytometric measurement of sperm DNA content. In this research, to validate the accuracy of sperm sexing, we aimed to develop a simple method based on FISH technique to enable us to differentiate between X- and Y-bearing sperms. In order to do that, we attempted to make a homemade FISH probe specific for pericentromeric repetitive DNA block on the bovine Y-chromosome (locus DYZI, Yp13-q12). For this purpose, Genomic DNA was extracted from lymphocyte cells of bull. The specific DYZI primers were used for the amplification of Y pericentromeric region. The PCR products were then labeled with biotin-16-dUTP in a secondary PCR reaction. The labeled PCR product was then purified and dissolved in a hybridization buffer and used as a FISH probe. The Y specific FISH probe hybridized on the male metaphase and interphone cells fixed with methanol: acetic acid on slide show strong signals. Totally, production of the first FISH probe in Iran for detection bovine Y-chromosome was a big success and can be used for future studies about sexing. Also the made FISH probe at this study and primers can be applied to determine sex and ploidy status in bovine cells such as individual blastomeres or cell lines.

Breast cancer is amongst the leading causes of death in women worldwide and the most common cancer amongst Iranian women. Unfortunately, the current clinical and histological criteria can only help 60 percent of women with breast cancer in diagnosis and long term treatment. Therefore, genetic markers both at single gene level and chromosomes can play an important role in improving the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the role of chromosome 8 copy number assessed by Interphase Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH), as the genetic prognostic parameter in 25 Iranian women, aged 35 to 64 years with sporadic primary invasive ductal breast carcinoma. Chromosome copy number was evaluated in relation to established clinicopathological parameters, the immunohistochemical markers of ER, PR, P53, Cathepsin D, DNA Index by flow cytometry, age and the duration and status of survival in the patients. FISH, using centromeric probes for chromosome 8 was applied to interphase cell suspensions all prepared from the camoy fixed tumor cells and selected paraffin embedded tumor sections. More than 3000 cells for chromosome 8 were assessed. Aneosomy for chromosome 8 was present in all 25 patients to different levels. The total abnormality rate for chromosome 8 was 35 percent. This was similar to other reported cases. Increased mean number of cells with hypodiploidy for chromosome 8 was observed in patients under 51 years of age, lack of progestrone reseptor, raised level of cathepsin D, bigger tumor size, axilliay lymph node methastasis and being positive for P53 protein. All these clinical and immunohistochemical parameters are regarded as poor prognostic indicators in breast cancer. In conclusion, chromosome 8 hypodiploidy alongside other clinical and pathological parameters may be considered as useful prognostic markers in invasive ductal carcinoma of breast in future.