Unlocking the genetic information of a fern could provide us potential solutions to multiple issues faced by our planet sot.
In gjenomit renditja, ADN sequencing is done to determine the order of nucleotides in every specific DNA molecule. This exact order is of value to be able to understand the type of genetic information carried in the DNA. Since genes encode for protein which are responsible for most body functions, this information can help to understand the effect of their function in the body. Sequencing complete gjenomit of an organism i.e. all of its DNA is a complex and challenging task and has to be done bit by bit by breaking DNA into smaller pieces, sequencing them and then putting it all together. For example, the complete human gjenomit was sequenced in 2003 took 13 years and a total cost of USD 3 billion. With advancement in technology Gjenomi can be sequenced relatively faster and at a lower cost using methods like Sanger sequencing and Next-generation sequencing. Once a genome is sequenced and decoded, unlimited possibilities open up for identifying potential areas of biological research and making progress towards targeted application development.
A team of 40 researchers from Cornell University and around the world have sequenced the full gjenomit të një uji fier i quajtur Azolla filiculoides1,2. This fern is commonly seen to be growing in warmer temperatures and tropical regions of the world. The project of unravelling genomic secrets of the fern has been in the pipeline for a while and was backed by funds of USD 22,160 from 123 backers through a crowdfunding site called Experiment.com. Researchers eventually received funding to carry out the sequencing from Beijing Genomics Institute in collaboration with Utrecht University. This tiny floating fern species which fits over a finger nail has a genome size of .75 gigabases (or billion base pairs). Ferns are known to have large Gjenomi, average of 12 gigabases in size, however none of the larger fern genomes have been decoded so far. Such an elaborate project was aimed at providing clues on what could be the potential of this fern.
Many interesting aspects of fern Azolla have been uncovered upon this gjenomit sequencing study published in Bimët e natyrës and have provided direction for future research on potential areas in which this fern can be beneficial. The fern Azolla was widespread and growing almost 50 million years ago on this planet around the Arctic Ocean. During that time Earth was also warmer compared to current conditions and this fern was thought to play a significant role in keeping the planet cooler by capturing around 10 trillion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the course of 1 million years. Here we see a potential role for this fern in combating and protecting our planet from global warming resulted by climate change.
The fern is also thought to play an important role in nitrogen fixation, a process which combines free nitrogen (N2) in the atmosphere – an inert gas available abundantly in air – with other chemical elements to create more reactive nitrogen-based compounds e.g. ammonia, nitrates etc which can then be used in various applications like fertilizer for agriculture purposes. Genome data tells us about a symbiotic relationship (mutual benefit) of this fern with a cyanobacteria named Nostoc azollae. The fern leaf host these cyanobacteria in tiny holes and these bacteria fix nitrogen thereby producing oksigjen të cilat fieri dhe bimët në rritje përreth mund të përdorin. Nga ana tjetër, ciano bakteret gather energy through the plant photosynthesis when the fern provides it fuel. Therefore, this fern could be possibly used as a natural green fertilizer and possibly eliminate usage of nitrogen fertilizers propagating more sustainable agricultures practises. Authors say that having both the Gjenomi of cyanobacteria and now the fern, research can be focused on developing and adopting such sustainable practises. Interestingly, fern Azolla has already been added in rice paddies as green manure by Asian farmers for more than 1000 years.
Studiuesit kanë identifikuar gjithashtu një gjen të rëndësishëm të modifikuar natyrshëm (insekticid) në fier, i cili shihet se ka aftësinë për të siguruar rezistencë ndaj insekteve. Ky gjen kur transferohet në bimët e pambukut siguron mbrojtje masive nga insektet. Ky gjen 'insekticid' mendohet se është transferuar ose 'dhuruar' nga bakteret në fier dhe shihet të jetë një komponent shumë specifik i prejardhjes së fierit, dmth. është transmetuar me sukses nga brezi në brez. Zbulimi i mbrojtjes së mundshme nga insektet do të ketë një ndikim të fortë në praktikat bujqësore.
This study shows that ‘pure science’ of unravelling first ever genomic information from ferns is a major step in the direction of uncovering and understanding crucial plant genes. It also helps in a better understanding of the evolutionary history of ferns i.e. how their features have evolved over the generations. Understanding of plants is very crucial to explore and comprehend how flora and fauna exist together amicably on our planet and such research should be given importance rather than labelling it as something which is not significant enough. After sequencing Azolla filiculoides and Salvinia cucullata, more than 10 fern species are already in pipeline for further research.
***
{Mund të lexoni punimin origjinal kërkimor duke klikuar lidhjen DOI të dhënë më poshtë në listën e burimeve të cituara}
Burimi (s)
1. Fay-Wei L et al. 2018. Fern Gjenomi elucidate land plant evolution and cyanobacterial symbioses. Bimët e natyrës. 4 (7). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-018-0188-8
2. Fernbase https://www.fernbase.org/. [Afruar më 18 korrik 2018].
***
