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Related Concept Videos

Variation01:19

Variation

An important characteristic of any set of data is the variation in the data. In some data sets, the data values are concentrated closely near the mean; in other data sets, the data values are more widely spread out from the mean. The most common measure of variation, or spread, is the standard deviation, which is the square root of variance.
When independent and dependent variables are plotted on a scatter plot, the slope of a line is a value that describes the rate of change between the two...
Anatomical Positions01:11

Anatomical Positions

In anatomy, several standard anatomical positions are used as references for describing the position and orientation of different body parts. These positions help provide a common frame of reference when discussing anatomical structures. The anatomical position is the standard reference point for describing the body's position and orientation. In this position:
The body is upright, facing forward, and standing erect.
The feet are parallel and flat on the floor.
The arms are hanging by the...
What is Variation?01:14

What is Variation?

Apart from the measures of central tendency, distribution, outliers, and the changing characteristics of data with time, an important characteristic of any data set is its variation or spread. In some data sets, the data values are concentrated closely near the mean; in others, the data values are more widely spread out from the mean.
The range, standard deviation, standard error, and variance are the different measures of variation.
Range: The range is the difference between its maximum and...
Position-effect Variegation02:32

Position-effect Variegation

In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
Nonconscious Mimicry01:13

Nonconscious Mimicry

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Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...

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New Variations for Strategy Set-shifting in the Rat
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Published on: January 23, 2017

Crouching variation revealed.

Mark L Siegal1

  • 1Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA. mark.siegal@nyu.edu

Molecular Ecology
|February 27, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Phenotypic capacitance, the ability of genetic variation to be hidden and revealed by molecular chaperones like Hsp90, is more widespread than previously thought. This study reveals numerous subtle capacitors in Drosophila melanogaster, impacting evolutionary adaptation.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Phenotypic capacitance describes how molecular chaperones, such as heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), can mask or reveal genetic variation.
  • Hsp90's role as a capacitor was initially demonstrated by strain-specific effects on morphology in Drosophila melanogaster.
  • The evolutionary significance of phenotypic capacitance remains a subject of debate.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the existence and prevalence of phenotypic capacitance beyond Hsp90 in Drosophila melanogaster.
  • To determine if other genetic factors contribute to phenotypic capacitance.
  • To assess the potential role of these capacitors in evolutionary adaptation.

Main Methods:

  • High-resolution morphometric analysis of fly wings in Drosophila melanogaster.
  • Examination of genetic backgrounds to identify strain-specific phenotypic variations.
  • Comparative analysis of wing morphology under different genetic conditions.

Main Results:

  • Evidence for a large number of phenotypic capacitors in Drosophila melanogaster, in addition to Hsp90.
  • Identification of subtle morphological variations revealed by these capacitors.
  • Demonstration that phenotypic capacitance can influence a wide range of traits.

Conclusions:

  • Phenotypic capacitance is a more common phenomenon in Drosophila melanogaster than previously recognized.
  • These capacitors, including those influencing subtle variations, likely play a significant role in evolutionary adaptation.
  • The findings challenge the view of capacitance as solely a laboratory curiosity and support its importance in natural evolution.