How do scientists identify genes responsible for toxin production?
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Scientists identify genes responsible for toxin production through various methods. One approach is the use of transcriptomics, which involves analyzing the expression of genes in different tissues. For example, Firneno et al. used comparative transcriptomics to uncover potential toxin synthesizing genes and pathways in North American true toads . Lv et al. sequenced the transcriptomes of different tissues in the Asiatic toad and constructed a gene co-expression network to identify co-expressed genes involved in toxin production . Another method is the screening of specific genes associated with toxin biosynthesis. Schembri et al. identified putative polyketide synthases (PKSs) and peptide synthetases (PSs) genes in Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, which were directly linked to the production of the toxin cylindrospermopsin . Additionally, PCR can be used to detect the presence of toxin genes. Barbash described the use of PCR to assess the safety of probiotic strains by detecting genes encoding bacterial toxins . These methods provide valuable insights into the genetic regulation of toxin production and help in understanding the mechanisms behind toxin synthesis.
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| Scientists identify genes responsible for toxin production by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to detect the presence of toxin genes. | |
270 Citations | The scientists in the paper identified genes responsible for toxin production in the cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii by using PCR and degenerate primers to identify putative polyketide synthases (PKSs) and peptide synthetases (PSs) genes. |
| The scientists in the provided paper identified genes responsible for toxin production by sequencing the transcriptomes of toxin-producing tissues and constructing a gene co-expression network. They also performed comparative genomic analysis to identify expanded gene families associated with toxin production. | |
2 Citations | Scientists identify genes responsible for toxin production by using comparative transcriptomics to uncover potential toxin synthesizing genes and pathways. They also explore patterns of relative gene expression and possible protein-protein interactions to determine the genes and/or pathways involved in toxin synthesis. |
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