Article: Partial loss of gene's function may cause defects in human reproduction.

2004 AUG 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have discovered that the RAD51 gene plays an essential role in the process of recombining the genetic material in chromosomes during sexual reproduction in plants.

The new discoveries about the gene's role in plants suggest that it also may have an essential role in the production of sperm and egg cells in humans and other mammals. In humans, defects in genetic recombination can cause a fetus to have abnormal numbers of chromosomes, resulting in infertility, miscarriages, or birth defects.

A paper describing discoveries about the role of RAD51 was published in the July 20, 2004, issue of the journal ...

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