Text 473, 86 rader
Skriven 2004-10-22 21:42:00 av Michael Ragland (1:278/230)
Ärende: Re: Article: Human gene n
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Human gene number slashed   
 
Human gene number slashed 
Human beings have far fewer genes than originally thought, a consortium
of scientists have claimed in Nature. 

The researchers compared the draft human genome with the "gold standard"
version, published last year, to work out how they are different. 

They found the most up-to-date human genome contains only 20,000 to
25,000 genes - which is about 10,000 less than indicated in the draft. 
This suggests that gene regulation is far more important than gene
number. 

"It means that each gene can be used in a variety of different ways
depending on how it is regulated," said Dr Tim Hubbard, of the Human
Genetics group at the Sanger Institute in Cambridge, UK. 
"The big thing is regulation." 

Modest materials 

Genes are the DNA templates that code for proteins, which then build and
maintain our bodies. 

When the draft human genome was published in 2000, and researchers
guessed it contained between 30,000 and 40,000 genes, many people were
surprised that something as complex as the human body could be built
with such modest materials. 

Now the gene number has been revised downwards even further, and
scientists suspect that the key to complexity lies not in the genes, but
in the gaps between them. 

They are gradually discovering that the way genes are controlled - how,
when and where they are activated - is a magnificently important and
intricate process. 

It is as if each gene were a Swiss army knife - they can do several
jobs, depending on how they are handled. 

At the moment the puppet masters, the bits of DNA that control the
genes, are something of an enigma. 

"There may be a whole lot of stuff in the genome that we just don't know
how to extract yet," said Dr Hubbard. "There is a big international
collaboration trying to find out what there is apart from protein coding
genes. 
"The genome contains tiny regulatory sequences, and these little
'actors' are important in the control system - but they are extremely
hard to spot." 
Full Text at BBC 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3760766.stm 

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek 


Interesting article. I wonder if the "Gold Standard" of 20-25 thousand
genes will be eventually revised down to the "Platinum Standard" of
10-15 thousand genes. It seems possible that what scientists thought
were separate genes are actually the same genes performing a variety of
regulatory functions. I agree gene regulation is more important than
gene number; some plants have more genes than us. My question is as we
learn more about the numerous regulatory functions of "genes" will the
number of genes in the human genome be revised even more downwards? The
article states, "At the moment the puppet masters, the bits of DNA that
control the genes, are something of an enigma." Reminds me of the song
"Master of Puppets" by Metallica. I sure hope one day those DNA puppet
masters are no longer largely an enigma.  

Michael Ragland

"It's uncertain whether intelligence has any long term survival value.
Bacteria do quite well with it."

Stephen Hawking
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