Interesting point that “related to” & ‘out of nowhere’ combination
July 23rd, 2007 by SecureCare“…early evidence indicates that the new gene is functional (as opposed to being nonfunctional “junk” DNA) and is likely to express a protein involved in late stages of sperm cell development (spermatogenesis). This finding is consistent with work of other scientists who are discovering that many of the most recently formed functional genes in any species also are expressed in male testes and appear related to spermatogenesis.
“This is a de novo — ‘out of nowhere’ — gene,”…” Full Slice - Very, very interesting…
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:21 pm
“Out of nowhere” is a bit hyperbolic. Lateral gene transfer is quite common, often mediated by viruses, but any intracellular invader could conceivably bring along DNA that would get integrated into the genome.
I’d be willing to bet that if you used the DNA for this “OON” gene as a probe, you could eventually drag it up out of the metagenomic soup that is what people like Craig Venter get when they sail their nudist yachts around pumping millions of gallons of seawater through their sequencers.
July 23rd, 2007 at 10:10 pm
What I find interesting is the claim that many of the “de novo” ones are found in the “…late stages of sperm cell development (spermatogenesis)…”
And “…a bit hyperbolic.” gets attention which is the goal of PR (the reality you mention is hinted at, of course, towards the end of the article)
July 24th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
If the blogger understood what they were blogging about, they wouldn’t have to use hype. For example, check out my attempt at a non-hyped science blogation.
Granted, I didn’t say that the world was either about to end (or not end), nor did I suggest that up until now, nobody had a clue as to what was really happening. Still, to the jaded hype-hater, I would think this calm approach would be more tempting.
July 25th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Guess I`m confused as to where the hype is. I had assumed the originator of the phrasing “This is a de novo — ‘out of nowhere’ — gene,” was the individual you were “pointing” at but he isn`t a blogger, just someone quoted in a press release. The only blogger involved is moi & I don`t see the hype I have “committed” (this isn`t academia BTW).
Clue us in as what you are “pointing” at (and no, this isn`t “defensiveness”, just a request for clarity).