Espousing Interactions and Fielding Reactions: Addressing Laypeople\u27s Beliefs About Genetic Determinism

Although biologists and philosophers of science generally agree that genes cannot determine the forms of biological and psychological traits, students, journalists, politicians, and other members of the general public nonetheless continue to embrace genetic determinism. This article identifies some of the concerns typically raised by individuals when they first encounter the systems perspective that biologists and philosophers of science now favor over genetic determinism, and uses arguments informed by that perspective to address those concerns. No definitive statements can yet be made about why genetic determinism has proven so resilient in the face of empirical evidence pointing up its deficiencies, but conveying the essential interdependence of ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ to the general public will likely require deployment of the arguments that systems theorists ordinarily use to reject genetic determinism. In addition, the elaboration of new metaphors that focus attention on the dynamic nature of trait construction will likely prove valuable, because re-conceptualizing notions like ‘genes’ and ‘nature’ will probably be one of the most effective ways to help students and the general public abandon the genetic determinism that biologists now recognize as indefensible

Teachers' conceptions of biological determinism in five countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France and Italy

e-book: http://www.esera.org/media/eBook_2013/strand%2012/Pierre_Clement_09Jan2014.pdfInternational audienceThe interaction between the genome and its environment (epigenetics) is a new paradigm in biology. Nevertheless, the notion of genetic determinism is still present in syllabuses and textbooks. What about teachers' conceptions? We analyzed the teachers' conceptions related to the genetic determinism of human performances in five European countries, using 24 questions of the Biohead-Citizen questionnaire. The conceptions of the 2038 teachers, when grouped by country, show clear and significant differences, being more deterministic in the three countries of North Europe (Finland, Estonia, Denmark) than in Italy and France, and more sexist for only some of the related questions. When grouped by religion, the differences are significant but disappear after suppression of the country effect, while this last one does not disappear after suppression of the religion effect: there is no specific religion effect. There is a gender effect (female teachers being more feminist), an effect of the level of instruction at University (the most instructed teachers having more knowledge but also some more tolerant attitudes), and an effect of age (the oldest believing more in genetic determinism). A Co-Inertia analysis shows significant correlations between teachers' answers on genetic determinism with their political opinions: genetic determinism (as belief of heredity of intelligence) and intolerant attitudes (as sexism and racism) are correlated with the most conservative political opinions. Finally, we found a specific and paradoxical effect of biology training of teachers: biologist teachers have, without surprise, more knowledge than their colleagues, but are also more convinced of the importance of genetic determinism: their training in biology still needs to be improved by introducing the most recent concepts of genetics, as epigenetics

QTLs detection for growth and initial latex production in rubber (Hevea brasiliensis)

The objective of this study was to analyse the genetic determinism of growth and latex production in rubber tree by a QTL approach. The plant material consisted of 196 progenies derived from the F1 family RRIM600 x PB217. A genetic linkage map was built for this family with 229 SSR markers (microsatellites) and 198 AFLP markers. Phenotyping was carried out over a 6-year period on a field trial of 5 hectares, with around 2400 trees measured individually. A high broad sense heritability was found for latex production, and a major QTL directly associated to production was discovered (Hbg16a131). This QTL explained from 32% to 59% of the genetic variance of the production traits. It was also associated to other traits that were strongly correlated to production such as inorganic phosphorus and dry rubber content (latex diagnostic), as well as plugging index. This finding indicates the existence of one major gene (or a cluster of genes) located on linkage group 16 and involved in the genetic determinism of latex production. A second important QTL associated to the girth of the trunk (growth) was detected (Hbg3a312). Depending on the age of the trees, it explained from 16% to 28% of the genetic variance of the girth. By contrast, no significant QTL was found for sucrose content of the latex, as estimated independently from the production, so suggesting that sucrose genetic determinism might not include any single gene having by itself some important effect. The application of one ethephon stimulation did not evidence any specific QTL. Those results pave the way for Markers-Assisted Selection (MAS) as applied to clonal selection in rubber. Genotyping the candidates to selection for the 2 QTLs with important effects should allow a much more accurate estimation of genetic values as soon as at the first selection stage. (Résumé d'auteur

Insights into the genetic determinism of pre-emergence growth using the model legume Medicago truncatula

Insights into the genetic determinism of pre-emergence growth using the model legume Medicago truncatula.Insights into the genetic determinism of pre-emergence growth using the model legume Medicago truncatula

Evolving concurrent Petri net models of epistasis

A genetic algorithm is used to learn a non-deterministic Petri netbased model of non-linear gene interactions, or statistical epistasis. Petri nets are computational models of concurrent processes. However, often certain global assumptions (e.g. transition priorities) are required in order to convert a non-deterministic Petri net into a simpler deterministic model for easier analysis and evaluation. We show, by converting a Petri net into a set of state trees, that it is possible to both retain Petri net non-determinism (i.e. allowing local interactions only, thereby making the model more realistic), whilst also learning useful Petri nets with practical applications. Our Petri nets produce predictions of genetic disease risk assessments derived from clinical data that match with over 92% accuracy

Combined genetic and genomic approaches to characterize a durable Hevea resistance to South American leaf blight : S01T07

The South American Leaf Blight (SALB), due to the Ascomycota Microcyclus ulei, threatens the world production of natural rubber, based on the cultivation of nearly only one species: the tropical tree Hevea brasiliensis. In connection with a breeding program, conducted in Brazil by Michelin and Cirad and aiming to create resistant cultivars of rubber tree, the genetic determinism of three sources of natural resistance to SALB has been analyzed. We developed a classical approach of QTL mapping on a segregating population issued from a crosses implying a quantitative and durable resistant in MDF180 genotype (Le Guen et al., 2008), a quantitative and by-passed resistant in Fx3899 genotype, and a qualitative resistance in Fx2784 genotype. Disease resistance of the progenies was assessed under natural infestation in field trials, in Brazil and French Guyana, or under controlled inoculations with isolated strains of Microcyclus ulei. Genetic mapping revealed unexpected genetic determinisms underlying the observed resistances: whereas a complex genetic determinism implying major resistance genes and several minor QTLs can be bypassed by the pathogen (Le Guen et al. 2007), a durable partial resistance appeared to be governed by only 2 major resistance loci (Le Guen et al. 2011). To initiate a comprehensive approach of these resistances, eleven cDNA libraries were built, sequenced and annotated from MDF180, Fx3899, PB314 (susceptible) and PB260 (susceptible) genotypes (Garcia et al., 2011). We sequenced 20,493 expressed sequence tags (EST), developed array expression analysis and identified of 212 candidate genes differentially regulated in MDF180 and 30 genes in Fx3899 during the infection process. The integrated analysis of gene expression and systems biology allowed designing a general scheme of major mechanisms associated with durable resistance of MDF180 genotype and susceptibility of PB314 genotype to South American leaf blight. Concomitantly, transcriptomic NGS data give us the possibility to analyze large data set of inoculated and non- inoculated leaves of 3 Hevea species, H. brasiliensis, H. pauciflora and H. bentamiana. Comparison of the genes differentially expressed (inoculated vs non-inoculated) indicated few common genes involved in the response to SALB between the genera of Hevea. These results, in accordance with genetic mapping, constitute a favorable context for developing a strategy of pyramiding of the resistance. Work supported by ANR, Michelin, FAPESB, CNPq. (Texte intégral

Jamesian Free Will, The Two-stage Model Of William James

Research into two-stage models of “free will” – first “free” random generation of alternative possibilities, followed by “willed” adequately determined decisions consistent with character, values, and desires – suggests that William James was in 1884 the first of a dozen philosophers and scientists to propose such a two-stage model for free will. We review the later work to establish James’s priority. By limiting chance to the generation of alternative possibilities, James was the first to overcome the standard two-part argument against free will, i.e., that the will is either determined or random. James gave it elements of both, to establish freedom but preserve responsibility. We show that James was influenced by Darwin’s model of natural selection, as were most recent thinkers with a two-stage model. In view of James’s famous decision to make his first act of freedom a choice to believe that his will is free, it is most fitting to celebrate James’s priority in the free will debates by naming the two-stage model – first chance, then choice -“Jamesian” free will