Conserved noncoding sequence (CNS) Bioinformatics

加州大学伯克利分校获得了一项资助，为公众提供开花植物草科保守非编码序列（CNSs）的精确数据库。CNSs是在进化过程中高度保守的序列，但不编码蛋白质。许多CNSs的功能涉及基因作用的调控。由于水稻（一种禾本科植物）已经测序，而玉米（玉米）有大量有用的基因组序列可用，因此可以通过比较两者来鉴定CNSs。由于水稻和玉米之间的巨大进化距离，因此发现的CNSs预计存在于其他10,000种禾草中。其中包括经济上重要的作物，它们的基因组没有也不会被测序。CNS数据库通过提供有用的泛草PCR结合位点，为所有禾草物种的研究提供了便利，这些位点对遗传定位和从野生禾草物种中获得重要和有用的基因区域尤其有用。了解更多解释为什么这些中枢神经系统序列在过去5000万年中一直被保存下来的功能也很重要。这个项目的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。这个项目包括一个暑期研究体验项目，对象是那些在大学先修课程中取得好成绩的高中生。

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.