Passing Silenced Genes

Using roundworms, geneticist Antony Jose and two graduate students were able to discover a new mechanism to pass silenced genes to offspring.  The silenced genes can stick around for as long as 25 generations, which can push evolution to occur at a more rapid rate.  It's also believed that this new mechanism can be used to treat genetic diseases.

The team caused the worm's nerve cells to produce double-stranded RNA (known as dsRNA) that matched specific genes of their DNA.  The dsRNA can travel between body cells, and even germ cells.  Once the dsRNA matches up with the correct section of DNA, the gene will be silenced.  By being able to travel into germ cells, the silenced gene is able to be included in gametes, encouraging the passage to offspring.  The team saw silenced genes present in up to 25 generations, showing that environmental triggers could potentially cause evolution to occur.

The team plans on doing more research to determine if this process happens in other species, including humans, which would allow for insight on the potential of evolution and the development of medications.  Being interested in the creation of medication, I believe that finding mechanisms that can be applied to treatment is amazing.  It's known that epigenetics plays a role in cancer as well; so discovering a mechanism that could potentially be involved in cancer is interesting to read about.

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