Junk DNA goodbye!: new function discoveries (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, May 09, 2018, 23:21 (2176 days ago) @ David Turell

More junk says goodbye as function is found:

https://evolutionnews.org/2018/05/genetics-leaves-central-dogma-and-junk-dna-in-the-rea...

"'How often have we heard about new roles for junk DNA? Here’s another: “A conserved function for pericentromeric satellite DNA” announced in the journal eLife by researchers at the University of Michigan. This one got promoted from junk to captain:

"A universal and unquestioned characteristic of eukaryotic cells is that the genome is divided into multiple chromosomes and encapsulated in a single nucleus. However, the underlying mechanism to ensure such a configuration is unknown. Here we provide evidence that pericentromeric satellite DNA, which is often regarded as junk, is a critical constituent of the chromosome, allowing the packaging of all chromosomes into a single nucleus.

"'Old-school geneticists considered this kind of DNA as “junk” or “selfish” DNA that perpetuated itself for no purpose, says Science Daily. But lead author Yukiko Yamashita and colleagues “were not quite convinced by the idea that this is just genomic junk.” For one thing, it is highly conserved, so “If we don’t actively need it, and if not having it would give us an advantage, then evolution probably would have gotten rid of it. But that hasn’t happened.” When they took a closer look, they found that cells in fruit flies, mice, humans and probably all vertebrates cannot survive without it. Using a protein named D1 that binds to the satellite DNA, they found it provides vital attachment points for molecular machines that keep chromosomes in the nucleus. Without it, DNA would float off into buds with only part of the genome, and the cell would die.

"The similar findings from both fruit fly and mouse cells lead Yamashita and her colleagues to believe that satellite DNA is essential for cellular survival, not just in model organisms, but across species that embed DNA into the nucleus — including humans.

***

"The old genetics of the late 20th century was powerful enough evidence of intelligent design, with its systems of highly-accurate transcription and translation of encoded information. Now, we find that the old picture was far too simplistic. And the surprising lack of “genes” found by the Human Genome Project, feeding rumors of useless “junk” pervading our genome, is rapidly being supplanted by evidence of hierarchical codes and functions everywhere.

"If the old genetics was sufficient to allow A.E. Wilder-Smith to help convince Matti Leisola to become a Darwin Heretic in the 1970s (pp. 40-41), how much more will the flood of new discoveries, illustrated by these few examples, persuade the next generation of geneticists that Darwinism is hopelessly inadequate to account for the complexity of life? It’s like having to account for half a dozen codes instead of one. The future looks bright for ID in next-generation genetics, embedded in epigenetics. The nucleus is a whole new ball game."

Comment: The genome has all sorts of control and layers of instruction. Darwinism is dead.