TY - JOUR
T1 - Deep sequencing of RNA from ancient maize kernels
AU - Fordyce, Sarah Louise
AU - Avila Arcos, Maria del Carmen
AU - Rasmussen, Morten
AU - Cappellini, Enrico
AU - Romero-Navarro, J. Alberto
AU - Wales, Nathan
AU - Alquezar Planas, David Eugenio
AU - Penfield, Steven
AU - Brown, Terence A.
AU - Vielle-Calzada, Jean-Philippe
AU - Montiel, Rafael
AU - Jørgensen, Tina
AU - Odegaard, Nancy
AU - Jacobs, Michael
AU - Arriaza, Bernardo
AU - Higham, Thomas F. G.
AU - Ramsey, Christopher Bronk
AU - Willerslev, Eske
AU - Gilbert, Tom
PY - 2013/1/17
Y1 - 2013/1/17
N2 - The characterization of biomolecules from ancient samples can shed otherwise unobtainable insights into the past. Despite the fundamental role of transcriptomal change in evolution, the potential of ancient RNA remains unexploited - perhaps due to dogma associated with the fragility of RNA. We hypothesize that seeds offer a plausible refuge for long-term RNA survival, due to the fundamental role of RNA during seed germination. Using RNA-Seq on cDNA synthesized from nucleic acid extracts, we validate this hypothesis through demonstration of partial transcriptomal recovery from two sources of ancient maize kernels. The results suggest that ancient seed transcriptomics may offer a powerful new tool with which to study plant domestication.
AB - The characterization of biomolecules from ancient samples can shed otherwise unobtainable insights into the past. Despite the fundamental role of transcriptomal change in evolution, the potential of ancient RNA remains unexploited - perhaps due to dogma associated with the fragility of RNA. We hypothesize that seeds offer a plausible refuge for long-term RNA survival, due to the fundamental role of RNA during seed germination. Using RNA-Seq on cDNA synthesized from nucleic acid extracts, we validate this hypothesis through demonstration of partial transcriptomal recovery from two sources of ancient maize kernels. The results suggest that ancient seed transcriptomics may offer a powerful new tool with which to study plant domestication.
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0050961
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0050961
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 23326310
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 8
JO - PLoS Computational Biology
JF - PLoS Computational Biology
IS - 1
M1 - e50961
ER -