Conserved noncoding sequence (CNS) Bioinformatics

加州大学伯克利分校获得了一项拨款，为公众提供开花植物家族中保守的非编码序列(CNS)的准确数据库。CNSS是在进化过程中高度保守的序列，但不编码蛋白质。许多CNS的功能涉及到基因作用的调节。由于作为一种禾本科植物的水稻已经被测序，而玉米(玉米)拥有大量有用的基因组序列，因此可以通过比较两者来鉴定CNSS。由于水稻和玉米之间的进化距离很远，预计这样发现的CNS将存在于其他10,000种草中的大多数物种中。这些包括经济上重要的农作物，它们的基因组还没有也不会被测序。CNS数据库通过提供有用的泛草PCR结合位点来促进对所有草种的研究，这些结合位点对于遗传图谱和从野草物种中获得重要和有用的基因区域特别有用。了解更多的功能也很重要，这些功能解释了为什么这些中枢神经系统序列在过去的5000万年里一直是保守的。该项目的更广泛影响之一是与伯克利高中的合作，旨在帮助缩小不同社会经济群体学生之间的成就差距。该项目包括为在高等选修生物学方面成绩优异的高中生提供的暑期研究体验计划。

The University of California at Berkeley has been awarded a grant to provide the public an accurate database of conserved noncoding sequences (CNSs) in the grass family of flowering plants. CNSs are sequences that are highly conserved over evolutionary time, but that do not encode proteins. The function of many CNSs involves regulation of gene action. Because rice, a grass, has been sequenced and maize (corn) has a great deal of useful genomic sequence available, CNSs may be identified by comparison between the two. Because of the great evolutionary distance between rice and maize, the CNSs so discovered are expected to exist in most all of the other 10,000 grass species. These include economically important crop plants whose genomes have not and will not be sequenced. A CNS database facilitates research on all grass species by providing useful pan-grass PCR binding sites, these being particularly useful for genetic mapping and obtaining important and useful gene regions from wild grass species. It is also important to learn more about the functions that explain why these CNS sequences have been conserved over the last 50 million years. Among the broader impacts of this project is collaboration with Berkeley High School designed to help close the achievement gaps between students of different socio-economic groups. This project includes a summer research experience program for high school students who have done well in advanced placement biology.