multiple stop points in genes are more important than we thought
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

A fly without an abdomen is the result of a small genetic change

Multiple stop points in genes are more important than we thought

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Multiple stop points in genes are more important than we thought

the majority of genes have more than one stop-signal
LISBOA - Arabstoday

the majority of genes have more than one stop-signal  A fly without an abdomen is the devastating result of a small genetic change discovered by a Portuguese team. When you remove the stop-signal from a fruit fly gene, the flies suffer developmental abnormalities and die. An article, published today in The EMBO Journal by IBMC investigators shows that it matters which of the two polo gene stop-signals cells use. And that losing the second one leads to severe problems with normal development and eventually, death.

For genetic material to be decoded successfully, the genome carries signals or marks, a type of punctuation. These show the machinery of the cell where genes start and stop when they are copying the nuclear genetic material into messenger RNAs that carry information to the protein factories to make the constituents of the cell. During the de-codification of the genes there is a small mark named a polyadenylation signal - that indicates to the cell "the message ends here" or "the full stop of genes", explains Alexandra Moreira3, who coordinated the research team. The work also involved two other groups: one at the IBMC, led by Claudio Sunkel and the other at the University of Oxford, led by Nicholas Proudfoot, who discovered polyadenylation signals more than 30 years ago.

However, the majority of genes have more than one stop-signal. Many researchers have tried to understand why this signal is often duplicated and how multiple stop-signals are read. At first it was thought that multiple signals ensure a definite stop and avoid the situation where a cell misses the first and continues to make a copy indefinitely with potentially serious consequences. Recent cellular studies have allowed us to understand that there is a correlation between the use of a particular full stop and cancer. However, so far these studies had only looked at these multiple polyadenylation signals in cells, not permitting the analysis of their effect on the whole organism.

What the Portuguese team did was to look for the first time at what effect alternative full stops in a gene could have at a whole organism level using the fruit fly as a model system. They used a gene, polo, with two possible polyadenylation signals, a gene which has a key role in cell division, is strongly associated with various forms of cancer and which has been considered as a target for gene therapy. The polo gene is the founder of a protein kinase family that was firstly identified by members of the research team.

The results were surprising and more dramatic than they could have expected: "when we make the fly using only the first stop-signal the effect is lethal" confirmed Alexandra Moreira. It seems that the presence of both full stop marks "allows more effective regulation of the levels of the resulting proteins". The authors state that the research findings are still more important at another level, they provide a solid basis to explain the dynamics of producing different RNAs within an organism.

The major novel finding of this work is "to show for the first time in a living organism the function of these genetic signatures and the serious physiological consequences that mutations in these signals can have. Our work opens new possibilities of targets for the development of gene therapy in the future", explain the authors.

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

multiple stop points in genes are more important than we thought multiple stop points in genes are more important than we thought

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

multiple stop points in genes are more important than we thought multiple stop points in genes are more important than we thought

 



GMT 19:10 2017 Thursday ,26 October

Electricity minister receives Swiss consul

GMT 07:56 2017 Friday ,22 December

Facebook pulling 'disputed' flags from fake news

GMT 19:22 2017 Tuesday ,11 April

Gold Rises for Fourth Week in a Row

GMT 17:41 2017 Tuesday ,07 November

Health Minister briefed on Galali citizens' needs

GMT 09:47 2017 Saturday ,15 July

AU official says Gaddafi exit was discussed

GMT 21:24 2017 Wednesday ,13 September

UAE National Futsal Team arrives in Ashgabat

GMT 19:01 2017 Friday ,24 November

HRH Crown Prince condoles with Egyptian President

GMT 12:25 2018 Sunday ,02 December

George H. Bush dies at 94 at his home in Houston

GMT 14:04 2018 Thursday ,11 October

PM asks to submit detailed analysis on foreign loans

GMT 18:11 2011 Monday ,18 April

Zimbabwe and Zambia in tug of war over Vic Falls

GMT 01:58 2017 Thursday ,13 April

Oman condemns terrorist explosion in Russia
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday