Junk DNA goodbye!: non-coding lncRNA & regeneration (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, August 22, 2018, 18:19 (2286 days ago) @ David Turell

So-called junk DNA controls regeneration in animals that can regenerate:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180821114432.htm

"cientists have discovered that genetic material in the cell that was previously thought to be 'junk' because of its apparent lack of function likely plays a part in regulating genetic circuits responsible for regeneration in highly regenerative animals.

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"In particular, the scientists looked at the role of noncoding RNAs, or RNAs that were formerly considered "junk" because they do not make proteins, in the early stages of heart regeneration in the zebrafish, a common aquarium fish that is one of nature's champions of regeneration.

"RNA, or ribonucleic acid, typically acts as a messenger that transports instructions from the DNA, the carrier of genetic information, to the machinery in the cell that manufactures proteins involved in biological functions.

"'One of the secrets to decoding why zebrafish can regenerate their hearts while adult humans cannot may lie with these noncoding RNAs," said King, the paper's lead author. "The protein-coding genes in zebrafish and humans are more or less the same -- what's different is how they are regulated during regeneration by noncoding RNAs."

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"'The biological role of more than 90 percent of the genetic material in the cell is unknown, which raises the question: Why is it there?" said Hermann Haller, M.D., president of the MDI Biological Laboratory. "This extraordinary discovery demonstrates the power of computational biology to map this uncharted genetic landscape."

"Yin and King studied the roles of two types of noncoding RNAs -- microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs -- in zebrafish heart regeneration.

"In addition to further elucidating the role of microRNAs, which are known to play a regulatory role in heart regeneration, the scientists also characterized the role of known and previously unknown long noncoding RNAs and the genes they potentially regulate through genetic proximity searches that King called "guilt by association."

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"The paper also introduced the RegenDbase, a new database that allows scientists to compare and contrast gene regulatory pathways within and across tissues and research models, with a focus on noncoding RNAs.

"The database was created using a new dataset for heart regeneration in zebrafish created at the MDI Biological Laboratory, as well as existing data on multiple types of injured tissues from various species. The utility of the database, which is available to the public, is expected to grow as more data is added, including from human tissues."

Comment: Note the bold. 'Junk DNA' is a point of view proposed and promoted by ardent Darwinists to protect the very weak theory now that DNA is becoming m ore understood. The new data base is a response to the previously improper view of DNA. Other than common descent the whole theory is dead and Tony thinks that doesn't exist.