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Forget the selfish gene: Evolution of life is driven by the selfish ribosome, research suggests María Camila Jaramillo Medical student 3rd semester Molecular Biology 2015-01 Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Lina María Martínez Sánchez Neuroscientists lead global consortium to crack brain's genetic code AND

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Forget the selfish gene: Evolution of life is driven by the selfish ribosome, research suggests

María Camila Jaramillo

Medical student

3rd semester

Molecular Biology 2015-01

Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana

Lina María Martínez Sánchez

Neuroscientists lead global consortium to crack brain's genetic codeAND

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INTRODUCTION The DNA is the basis of our genetic code, we could almost

say that we are all made of DNA; therefore all studies are trying to understand this important part of us. Over time, they have discovered that DNA contains all the instructions that control the development and function of every cell in our body. What we know is that the DNA is able to divide itself, replicating and giving two daughter strands which contain exactly the same information from DNA mother. Then these are transcribed into RNA and finally translated into proteins, this is what we know as the central dogma of genetic information.

Although nature seems to be so perfect there are some cases where this beautiful process fails, and this is where certain diseases are originated and can cause multiple problems. Scientists are increasingly closer to find answers and perhaps their studies can help in the future.

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Neuroscientists lead global consortium to crack brain's genetic code (January 21,2015)

A big team of 300 scientists identify eight common genetic mutations that appear to age the brain an average of three years.

They focused on genetic data from seven regions of the brain that coordinate movement, learning, memory and motivation

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HOW DID THEY REALIZED IT?

They screened millions of "spelling differences" in the genetic code to see which ones affected the size of key parts of the brain in magnetic resonance images (30,717 individuals).

With those images, they discovered eight genes that may erode or boost brain tissue in people worldwide. Any change in those

genes appears to alter your mental bank account or brain reserve by 2% or

3%

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WHAT WERE THE RESULTS?

They identify eight genetic variants associated with decreased brain volume, (several found in over one-fifth of the world's population). People who carry one of those eight mutations had, on average, smaller brain regions than brains without a mutation but of comparable age; some of the genes are implicated in cancer and mental illness

“This crowd-sourcing and sheer wealth of data gives us the power to crack the brain's genetic code”

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WHAT DO THEY WANT?

The discovery could help to develop some new therapies and interventions for Alzheimer's disease, autism and other neurological conditions.

Also the study could help identify people who would most benefit from new drugs designed to save brain cells.

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PERSONAL OPINION In my opinion this is a big step for medicine, although

there is not yet a certain result, and they have to investigate more about the genes, they have a great part of the investigation that can guide them to find the solution to multiple diseases. I think that this kind of researches benefit a lot our society, because they are trying to improve people’s life, by finding the different places of de brain where illnesses are originated. With this project we can start thinking on possible cures and treatments for Alzheimer's, autism, depression and other disorders.

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Forget the selfish gene: Evolution of life is driven by the selfish ribosome, research suggests(January 7, 2015)

New research challenges the selfish gene theory, proposing instead, that if anything is "selfish" it must be the ribosome

“selfish gene

theory” says

cells and organisms exist

simply as packages to protect and

transmit genes.

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"WHAT DOES DNA WANT?"

So who does want to do replication and translation?

The resting position of DNA is very tightly curled up. It is so hard to unravel that researchers do not fully understand how the various helper molecules

uncurl and unzip it for replication and translation.

the answer is: It wants to sit curled up in a knot. DNA does not want to replicate or translate.

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Is a large and complex molecule found in all living cells. It contains the machinery for translating the genetic information from DNA into the proteins that perform all the work of the cell and make up most of its structure. It is composed of two types of molecules: proteins and RNA

RIBOSOMES

rRNA, purely structural, forming the scaffold or skeleton of the ribosome "machine

tRNA translates the mRNA message into amino acids, which are strung together on the ribosome to make a protein.mRNA

transcribes the genetic information from DNA and carries it to the ribosome

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"We have demonstrated that rRNA contains the vestiges of the mRNAs, tRNAs and "genes" that encode its own protein structure and function. Ribosomes are not simply the passive translators DNA," says Dr. Robert Root-Bernstein.

If ribosomes want to reproduce themselves, the rRNA would have to contain three things: the "genes“, the mRNAs to carry its own genetic information and the tRNAs to translate the mRNAs into proteins.

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PERSONAL OPINION It's good to start investigating on other cellular structures

that may be quite involved in the most complex processes of DNA. Scientists may have never wondered what real role of ribosome is. Thinking about new hypotheses and that maybe the ribosome is the central point is crazy but good, because they could be right and in that way earlier theories wouldn’t have sense anymore. This would be a breakthrough, because in that way many diseases might originate from the malfunctioning of ribosomes, therefore, researches would begin to look for new things in these nuclear structures.

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MEDICAL UTILITY

New treatments for Alzheimer's, autism and depression, could be developed.

It could be the starting point for future researches on genes involved in these diseases.

Knowing which genes are involved, people who are not sick yet, might prevent some disease.

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These findings help us understand how diseases work and where they come from.

Encourages doctors and scientists to find more about this genes, to achieve excellent results that could benefit many people.

It gives us hope and determination to achieve incredible things in this medicine area; we know that humans are able to find

and develop things that we

have never imagine.

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We know that DNA is the basis of everything, thus if we understand certain parts of it and what is involved on it, we would be able to control many diseases that affects society nowadays.

With these discovery we would be contributing to industry and researches.

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new hypothesis could change the way we see things, and would make researchers focused in other cell structures such as ribosomes.

The cause of some diseases might not be in the DNA, but on the malfunctioning of ribosomes, in that way we must look for the real cause of them.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Neuroscientists lead global consortium to crack brain's genetic code, University of Southern California, 2015. [Internet] 2015 Jan [Fecha de acceso 3 febrero de 2015]. Disponible en: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150121144839.htm

Forget the selfish gene: Evolution of life is driven by the selfish ribosome, research suggests, Aarhus University, 2015. [Internet] 2015 Jan [Fecha de acceso 3 febrero de 2015]. Disponible en: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150107101405.htm

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