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Reappearance of Missing Genetic Information (Image 1)
Arabidopsis thaliana researchers have discovered that "missing" genetic information unexpectedly reappears in later generations, yielding offspring with traits identical to the grandparent and not the parent.
By poring over the genome of the model plant, A. thaliana, scientists at Purdue University found specific genetic information present in a "grandparent" and "grandchild," even though it was seemingly absent in the "parent." The scientists reached their conclusion by tracking how genetic information passes through multiple Arabidopsis generations. In violation of current genetic theory, they found a significant percentage of the plant grandchildren had genetic information identical to that of the grandparent, but not the parent.
This image accompanied NSF press release, "Reappearance of Missing Genetic Information Poses Exception to the Rule." [See related image Here.]
Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation
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