Re: New Findings Challenge Established Views On Human Genome

I, Tim Tyler wrote:

Dramatic report of findings regarding junk DNA:

"Encyclopedia Of DNA: New Findings Challenge Established Views On Human
Genome

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070613131932.htm

Discussion:

``Molecular biology is undergoing its biggest shake-up in
50 years, as a hitherto little-regarded chemical called
RNA acquires an unsuspected significance''

- http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9333471

Still, about 35% of human DNA is LINEs and SINEs.

I'm not saying it doesn't ever get transcribed into
RNA - but it's not likely to be doing much for its
host - besides spacing its genes out and scrambling
its host's genome occasionally.

"The new data indicate the genome contains very little unused sequences"

.....seems rather misleading in the light of:

"A total of 5% of the bases in the genome can be confidently
identified as being under evolutionary constraint in mammals"

.....which is what the Nature paper actually says.

I think this is a real news story mixed with some hype.
--
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|im |yler http://timtyler.org/ tim@xxxxxxxxxxx Remove lock to reply.

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Relevant Pages

  • Article: Mountains of new data are challenging old views
    ... When scientists unveiled a draft of the human genome in early 2001, ... of the four chemical components that make up all the strands of human DNA ... This old view got the basics right: that genes encode proteins and that ... elements identified so far are molecules of RNA, ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: Humans, chimps, wheat and frogs
    ... Depends on what part of the genome you're looking at. ... conserved) sequences are a tiny minority of the genome, ... These stretches of DNA ... As the species specific miRNAs described here are ...
    (talk.origins)
  • News: Junk DNA proves functional
    ... 'Junk' DNA proves functional ... In a paper published in Genome Research on Nov. 4, ... Institute of Singapore (GIS) report that what was previously believed to be ... other genes, bind specific repeat elements. ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Gene device slashes the cost of decoding
    ... A new kind of machine for decoding DNA may help bring costs so low that it ... computer that reconstructs the sequence of the genome. ... The decoding or sequencing of genomes has long depended on a chemical ... The machine's limitation is that at present it can only read DNA fragments ...
    (soc.culture.malaysia)
  • Gene device slashes the cost of decoding
    ... A new kind of machine for decoding DNA may help bring costs so low that it ... computer that reconstructs the sequence of the genome. ... The decoding or sequencing of genomes has long depended on a chemical ... The machine's limitation is that at present it can only read DNA fragments ...
    (soc.culture.malaysia)