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The Not So Junk DNA

Gary Frisk
3/30/2018
Blog Post

The Not So Junk DNA

We have always been told that we are closely related to chimpanzees. DNA exome sequencing has shown that we vary by less than 1% in our protein encoding segments of our DNA. This article discusses the work of Katherine Pollard, a biostatistician at the Gladstone Institutes and the University of California, San Francisco, and her team, have found a significant difference between the introns, or “junk DNA,” of humans and most animals, and how that “junk” is possibly why we are so different from all other life on the planet.

Pollard’s earlier work sequenced the differences between human and chimpanzee genomes. The 716 differences are called “human accelerated regions” (HARs). Technology to study the affects of these HARs had to catch up to this discovery. Working with Nadav Ahituv, a geneticist at U.C.S.F., they used biotechnology to splice HAR DNA into neurons they created using human and chimpanzee check cells. Doing this allowed them to see what the HARs would affect in the chimpanzee DNA, and they found that “43% of them…could have a functional role in neural development.” Leading them to believe that these introns are regulating the development of our brains differently than animals. They have also found that the location of the HARs are near genes connected to diseases like autism and schizophrenia, which will possible give researchers of those diseases ideas for new treatments.

I found this article to be very fascinating. My whole family has had whole exome sequencing and there are talks of us possible getting whole genome sequencing done soon, so any education I get in this area will help me to understand our results better. I went to the Utah Rare Disease symposium a few weeks ago, and from what I have learned this semester I was able to understand ever thing my child’s geneticist was speaking about. These discovers being made about non-coding DNA will hopefully help geneticists unlock the many mysteries in the never-ending book of code and give help to so many people so desperately seeking answers to health problems that are undiagnosed, or people who do not have a cure.
               
Link to article:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-junk-dna-what-makes-humans-unique/

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 19, 2018 at 7:30 PM

    I find it incredibly interesting that science is always progressing toward new discoveries about the processes and capabilities DNA contains. It's amazing to know that our bodies have these HAR regions that have potential connections to why we are such an advanced species. In my opinion, most differences can be seen at the chromosomal level. However, from this article, these scientists can find better differences at even smaller levels. And to think that we can use this information as a potential treatment for disease is an outstanding advancement in the science industry. I love this topic because these kinds of treatments are very possible. My great aunt suffers from schizophrenia and it has been hard to see her mind slowly deteriorate. I certainly hope to see this follow through in the near future. BDO

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  2. UnknownApril 22, 2018 at 2:29 PM

    Any new discovery of DNA technology always seems to be like a Pandora's box to me. Do the scientists know which intron sequences that can regulate the development of our brains differently? Could the other 57% of non-functional sequences be used besides on a chimpanzee DNA?
    JG

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    Replies
    1. UnknownApril 27, 2018 at 10:36 PM

      After learning everything we have this semester about DNA and realizing how extremely large our genome is (3 billion base pairs), I am blown away that they are capable of deciphering any of it at all. They know what genes these intron sequences are located near and have evidence of them regulating the expression of those genes, however, I do not believe they have figured out how to control the development quite yet. Also, I think they used chimpanzee DNA because that is what Dr. Pollard’s earlier work was on. They probably will link the 57% to other functions of the body, but being the first time this was ever accomplished and they had to start somewhere, so they started with neurons. Thanks for the questions JG reply by GF

      Delete
  3. UnknownApril 27, 2018 at 10:56 PM

    With everything that is still unknown with DNA it is possible we will use this on DNA other than chimpanzee. However we are still far from understanding exactly what that 57% could possibly do for us. what the true function of junk DNA is

    ReplyDelete

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