drinking coffee in space

FGF-dependent left–right asymmetry patterning in zebrafish is mediated by Ier2 and Fibp1

FGF-dependent left–right asymmetry patterning in zebrafish is mediated by Ier2 and Fibp1

Sung-Kook Hong and Igor B. Dawid

Published online before print January 21, 2009, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0812880106

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Entre les deux y’a pas ‘dintermédiaire. Les gènes ne sont pas en mesure d’arrêter quoi que ce oit, ça tourne dans tous les sens d’une façon démentielle. [Source]

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Speciation

Un dossier proposé par Science, introduit ainsi :

Happy Birthday, Mr. Darwin

Andrew Sugden, Caroline Ash, Brooks Hanson, Laura Zahn

The diversification and speciation of living organisms are the broad theme for this special section, continuing our celebration of Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday. The five Reviews in this section present multiple views on research on diversification at scales ranging from the macroevolutionary to the molecular. Benton examines the extents to which biotic and abiotic factors have shaped species diversity in the fossil record. Gavrilets and Losos use theoretical predictions and empirical data to identify general patterns in the temporal, spatial, and genetic/morphological properties of adaptive radiation. Schluter reviews how research on ecological speciation has shifted in focus from morphological evolution to reproductive isolation, tracing the links between Darwin’s ideas and current thinking. Fraser et al. discuss the contentious area of microbial species formation. Finally, using examples from studies of genes and mutations involved in evolutionary change, Stern and Orgogozo illustrate how developmental biology and evolutionary theory might combine to reveal new predictive principles of genetic evolution.

The special section is accompanied by evolutionary coverage in all other sections of the magazine. The News section features the second in our series of monthly “origins” essays, on the origins of art and symbolic behavior. The Commentary section includes reviews of new evolutionary books. Science Careers carries a feature on researchers in the museum world, who play a vital role in evolutionary research. In Reports, Krug et al. reveal the legacy of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction for the subsequent diversification of bivalves. With a focus on conservation, Carnaval et al. model spatially explicit evolutionary processes in endemic tree-frog species in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (the biodiversity hotspot that inspired Darwin during his South American landfall). Forbes et al. reveal how a recent host shift of the fly Rhagoletis pomonella, a model for sympatric speciation, has led to incipient speciation in a parasitoid wasp that attacks the fly. Rowland and Emlen show facultative male trimorphism in dung beetles, a hitherto unsuspected level of intraspecific variation. Tang and Presgraves report a cellular and molecular mechanism of hybrid sterility, which has a key role in speciation in Drosophila. And in Science Express, there is an echo of another of Darwin’s central interests: Anderson et al. show that a melanism mutation has been selected for in gray wolves, most likely after a hybridization event with domestic dogs.

This is a sample, not a survey. Research on speciation and diversification is itself expanding and diversifying. Evolutionary topics have been covered more frequently in Science in the first decade of the 21st century than in any previous one (and an order of magnitude more than in the years of the Modern Synthesis in the mid-20th century). This reflects not only the continuing efforts to understand and document the selective forces leading to speciation, but also how genetic research is homing in on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that enable diversification to occur. Darwin, we hope, would be thrilled.

Vous trouverez le programme à The Year of Darwin.

Unfortunately, the stuff is behind a paywall. Science‘s editors seem to ignore that when people come to a birthday, they bring gifts!

L’évolution: guerre de tous contre tous?

Après la lecture d’une courte citation de “The Origin…” (pour revenir à la base), je vous propose la lecture du billet de Xochipilli, “Darwin reloaded (part3)“, qui vous donnera envie de visiter les deux parties précédentes.

The Term, Struggle for Existence, used in a large sense.

I should premise that I use this term in a large and metaphorical sense including dependence of one being on another, and including (which is more important) not only the life of the individual, but success in leaving progeny. Two canine animals, in a time of dearth, may be truly said to struggle with each other which shall get food and live. But a plant on the edge of a desert is said to struggle for life against the drought, though more properly it should be said to be dependent on the moisture. A plant which annually produces a thousand seeds, of which only one on an average comes to maturity, may be more truly said to struggle with the plants of the same and other kinds which already clothe the ground. The misletoe is dependent on the apple and a few other trees, but can only in a far-fetched sense be said to struggle with these trees, for, if too many of these parasites grow on the same tree, it languishes and dies. But several seedling misletoes, growing close together on the same branch, may more truly be said to struggle with each other. As the misletoe is disseminated by birds, its existence depends on them; and it may metaphorically be said to struggle with other fruit-bearing plants, in tempting the birds to devour and thus disseminate its seeds. In these several senses, which pass into each other, I use for convenience’ sake the general term of Struggle for Existence.

[Source]

The “Base” Metaphor

Où je commence enfin à comprendre quelque chose au baseball.

Master Gene Behind Blood Vessel Development Found

Master Gene Behind Blood Vessel Development Found: ” In a first of its kind discovery, University of Minnesota researchers have identified the ‘master gene’ behind blood vessel development. Better understanding of how this gene operates in the early stages of development may help researchers find better treatments for heart disease and cancer.”

CD44 Mediates Successful Interstitial Navigation by Killer T Cells and Enables Efficient Antitumor Immunity

CD44 Mediates Successful Interstitial Navigation by Killer T Cells and Enables Efficient Antitumor Immunity

Paulus Mrass, Ichiko Kinjyo, Lai Guan Ng, Steven L. Reiner, Ellen Puré, and Wolfgang Weninger

Immunity Volume 29, Issue 6, 19 December 2008, Pages 971-985 doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2008.10.015

quote of the day

No educated person, not even the most ignorant, could suppose that I meant to arrogate to myself the origination of the doctrine that species had not been independently created. The only novelty in my work is the attempt to explain how species become modified, & to a certain extent how the theory of descent explains certain large classes of facts; & in these respects I received no assistance from my predecessors. To the best of my belief I have acknowledged with pleasure all the chief facts & generalisations which I have borrowed.

Darwin, C. R. to Powell, Baden, 18 Jan [1860]

Ultra-capacitor

Announcement of the Winner for the Crazy Green Idea

Elle a raison !

On fabrique de l’appauvrissement quand on fait grève pendant toute une journée. Cela coûte cher et ruine la réputation de la France.

Que le gouvernement et le patronat¹ entendent Parisot et fassent le nécessaire pour ne pas pousser les gens à faire grève.

Il y va de la réputation de la France.

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1 : elle n’est pas présidente du Medef ? Si !