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Prehistoric Gene Reawakened To Battle HIV
Linuss points out research published in PLoS Biology that demonstrates the reawakening of latent human cells' ability to manufacture an HIV defense. A group of scientists led by Nitya Venkataraman began with the knowledge that Old World monkeys have a built-in immunity to HIV: a protein that can prevent HIV from entering cell walls and starting an infection. They examined the human genome for any evidence of a latent gene that could manufacture such a protein, and found the capability in a stretch of what has been dismissively termed "junk DNA." "In this work, we reveal that, upon correction of the premature termination codon in theta-defensin pseudogenes, human myeloid cells produce cyclic, antiviral peptides (which we have termed 'retrocyclins'), indicating that the cells retain the intact machinery to make cyclic peptides. Furthermore, we exploited the ability of aminoglycoside antibiotics to read-through the premature termination codon within retrocyclin transcripts to produce functional peptides that are active against HIV-1. Given that the endogenous production of retrocyclins could also be restored in human cervicovaginal tissues, we propose that aminoglycoside-based topical microbicides might be useful in preventing sexual transmission of HIV-1."
Praise Raptor Jesus!
"Why did they cancel my favorite Sci-Fi show? I downloaded ALL the episodes!"
AIDS is pwned. Good for us and our "junk" DNA. One man's junk is another man's treasure!
I don't know what's scarier: the fact that a story with this sort of language made it to the front page or the fact that I understood it completely.
right...
/* This code commented out because I'm sure they're going to change their mind and I don't want to redo all the work. */
So how long till we're all having hot monkey sex with each other? Count me out of turning on any monkey genes in *my* DNA, thank you.
I've seen this episode of ST:TNG, so I *know* how this is all going to end.
Michael Coyne
http://turthalion.blogspot.com
We reactivated this gene in the lab, and it seemed to work. There's a type of antibiotic that seems to reactivate the gene as well. So applying the antibiotic topically (read "like spermicidal foam/gel) should reactivate the gene in a woman's naughtybits and so fight the virus.
Focused on the woman - good idea. But how does science focus on the man? How about "STOP FUCKING PEOPLE WHO AREN'T YOUR WIFE/GIRLFRIED/SIGNIFIGANT OTHER!"
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
Minor side effect of re-activating the sequence - you become very hairy, lose the ability to walk upright, and have a curious craving to pick through other's hair in search of lice.
Hope is the currency of fools
If we have it, it must have evolved for a reason. Currently inactive DNA was active in the past. There's just no evolutionary pressure for it to be removed, so it sticks around.
Nope: We have a greater-than-1% difference with chimps, our closest living relatives. The Amoeba dubia has more than 200 times the amount of DNA than humans.
If you reply, do so only to what I explicitly wrote. If I didn't write it, don't assume or infer it.
It seems to me that we carry a "catalog" of genes that are not currently useful, but have been useful in the past. It's not as if evolution destroys genes - for the most part it tends to make them inactive.
Last post!
Old World = Africa, Europe, Asia
New WOrld Monkeys are those found in the Americas.
Old World Monkeys are those found in Africa/Europe/Asia
Specifically, Babboons, Colobus, etc.
Old world monkeys usually have tails, but unlike the New World Monkeys, their tails are NOT prehensile (i.e. they can't use them like a tentacle).
P.S. Wikipedia is your friend.
excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
a caveman could do it.
Comment removed based on user account deletion