本论文于2017年12月4日发表于Nature Plants，原文题目如下：

Low number of fixed somatic mutations in a long-lived oak tree

由于植物不具有确定的种系，有害的体细胞突变可以传递给配子，将合子与配子形成分开的大量的细胞分裂可能导致长寿植物的许多突变。我们对234岁橡树的两个末端分支进行了基因组测序，发现了几个固定的体细胞单核苷酸变异体，并且可以沿着更年轻分支的嵌套部分追踪它们在树上的顺序。 我们的数据表明，树上顶端分生组织干细胞被强烈的保护着，从而免于突变的积累。

Because plants do not possess a defined germline, deleterious somatic mutations can be passed to gametes, and a large number of cell divisions separating zygote from gamete formation may lead to many mutations in long-lived plants. We sequenced the genome of two terminal branches of a 234-year-old oak tree and found several fixed somatic singlenucleotide variants whose sequential appearance in the tree could be traced along nested sectors of younger branches. Our data suggest that stem cells of shoot meristems in trees are robustly protected from the accumulation of mutations.

每日一词

deleterious

英[ˌdeləˈtɪəriəs]

美[ˌdeləˈtɪriəs]

adj. 有害的; 有毒;

[例句]Petty crime is having a deleterious effect on community life.

轻微罪行正对社区生活产生有害影响。