Correlates of substitution rate variation in mammalian protein-coding sequences

Background  

Rates of molecular evolution in different lineages can vary widely, and some of this variation might be predictable from aspects of species' biology. Investigating such predictable rate variation can help us to understand the causes of molecular evolution, and could also help to improve molecular dating methods. Here we present a comprehensive study of the life history correlates of substitution rate variation across the mammals, comparing results for mitochondrial and nuclear loci, and for synonymous and non-synonymous sites. We use phylogenetic comparative methods, refined to take into account the special nature of substitution rate data. Particular attention is paid to the widespread correlations between the components of mammalian life history, which can complicate the interpretation of results.     

iRefIndex: A consolidated protein interaction database with provenance

Background  

Interaction data for a given protein may be spread across multiple databases. We set out to create a unifying index that would facilitate searching for these data and that would group together redundant interaction data while recording the methods used to perform this grouping.     

Contiguous deletion and duplication mutations resulting in type 1 hereditary angioneurotic edema

Mutations that cause low antigenic and functional levels of C1 inhibitor protein result in type 1 hereditary angioneurotic edema. This disease is characterized by episodic edema leading to considerable morbidity and sometimes death. We present here two novel mutations in the reactive center coding region. One mutation is a deletion of an imperfect palindrome encompassing nucleotides 1395–1428 and the other is a direct duplication of nucleotides 1414–1433. These mutations do not depend on improper pairing of direct repeats, but may form as a consequence of a peculiar consensus sequence or an alternative secondary structure.     

Effects of stressors on blood glucose and hepatic glycogen concentrations in turkey poults.

1. The putatively stressful procedures of sexing, toe trimming, snood removal, beak trimming and injection of antibiotic solution, as performed in a commercial hatchery, elevated blood glucose levels and depressed hepatic glycogen levels in newly-hatched turkey poults. 2. The first procedure performed, cloacal sexing, was sufficient to elevate blood glucose, but all procedures were required before depression of hepatic glycogen occurred. 3. Blood glucose levels declined in both untreated (INITIAL) and fully-treated (FINAL) poults over a 24 hr holding period. 4. Hepatic glycogen declined with 24 hr holding of INITIAL poults but increased with holding of FINAL poults.