International Team Study Plant Genes Move Inside Plant Cells

An international team of scientists from the United Kingdom, Australia, Portugal, and China has perfected a technique to watch genes move within a living plant cell. Prior to this research, scientists studied plant genes by cutting up plants, killing the cells and fixing them to glass slides.

The scientists tracked genes involved in accelerating flowering in response to cold. Associate Professor Josh Mylne said that their finding is remarkable because they saw genes move in response to environmental changes, and the movement seems to be involved in genetic control. They studied the FLC gene which allows plants to respond to seasonal changes. Professor Mylne said "We knew FLC was switched off by cold, but we had no idea that FLC genes would congregate as they get switched off." Although the study provides an understanding of how FLC moves as it is turned off, it can be applied to any gene in plants or animals. The major benefit of this approach is that it allows researchers to monitor a gene in whole, living organisms.

For more details about this research, read the news release at: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/research-technologies/2013/130909-pr-moving-genes-scientists-seeing-spots.aspx.