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Yes, I know that Squidward isn't really a squid, the character is a misnamed octopus thingie. |
When the workings of the genome were first being discovered, the central evolutionary dogma of molecular biology claimed that genetic information passes consistently from DNA to RNA to proteins. Now we know that RNA messages can be altered by a variety of mechanisms, and a new study in squid genetics has vaulted one of these processes—called RNA editing—to an unprecedented level of biocomplexity.To read the rest, click on "RNA Editing: Biocomplexity Hits a New High".
All major animal groups from jellyfish to humans use amazing cellular machinery to modify RNA transcribed from both protein-coding and non-coding RNA genes. One of the first such systems to be discovered was that of alternative splicing, where a single gene could have its modular components added, removed, doubled, or even combined with the products of a completely separate gene. Thus, a single gene can produce a wide array of RNA variants, including many different protein forms if the RNAs are translated (made into proteins).
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