What is it about?
In a recent study published in PLoS ONE, our group showed that the genes coding for the chemosensory proteins in silkworm moth Bombyx mori were subjected to RNA editing. This post-transcriptional process, described from bacteria to complex organisms as plants and humans, by changing nucleotide sequence enables to increase a repertoire of proteins from a single RNA. This is against the dogma initially established with the discovery of the double helix of DNA where a single gene encodes for a single protein. We present processes, RNA editing and alternative splicing, as two complementary modes for generating different proteins with different functions and regulation. Then, using intronless genes as example, we stress the role of RNA editing over alternative splicing in the course of evolution and provide arguments supporting RNA editing as an early mechanism on earth that could have generated various proteins from few RNA. RNA mutations are proposed to be fuel for evolution of pheromone systems and even perhaps the mechanism that brought the original dormant RNA molecule to life.
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Why is it important?
We propose RNA editing contributes source of life in an original RNA world. Our “theory of RNA mutations” says: “a key element for the appearance of life is that RNA not only produces a large number of ‘perfect’ copies of itself but also an extremely large number of copies with tiny typo ‘mistakes’ in the base sequence. RNA concentration is now enough so that replication can take place under any plausible abiotic condition. RNA diversity is now enough so that multiple proteins can be built and eventually with time form membrane or tissue under the same plausible abiotic condition”.
Perspectives
Following Darwin’s, our's theory of RNA mutations tends to explain what happened before in a RNA world, i.e. before the emergence of a DNA world in which individual differences acquired during the life are now heritable and pass on to the next generation. It also raises questions for new biotechnological prospects about cell molecular biology, RNA editing, genetic mutation, pathology, therapy, cloning and transgenesis.
Prof. Dr. Jean-François Jeff Picimbon
Qilu University of Technology
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: RNA Mutations: Source of Life, Gene Technology, January 2014, OMICS Publishing Group,
DOI: 10.4172/2329-6682.1000112.
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Resources
RNA mutations in the moth pheromone gland
Research highlitght
Molecular Evidence of RNA Editing in Bombyx Chemosensory Protein Family
Genetic basis of pheromone production is unknown. Our study shows the existence of an extremely dense trafficking of RNAs in the female pheromone gland for proteins known as pheromone transporters called Chemo-Sensory Proteins (CSPs). We think that this represents a key mechanism for the cell to enlarge its protein repertoire (‘one gene does not mean one protein’) and for insects to gain a significantly stronger capacity to evolve.
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