by Alissa K
Republished from http://akochel.edublogs.org/wp-admin/edit.php
In a study led by Evan Eichler at the University of Washington and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute discovered
a long-defunct gene that has recently been resurected in humans. The gene was an infection fighting IRGM and one
of the only two of this type of gene remaining in humans. This is the type of gene that helps mamals resist germs
like tuberculosous and salmonella from invading cells. Interest in this gene sparked when mutation of the gene was
associated with Chron’s Disease. It was found that most of this gene cluster was eliminated starting back 50 million
years ago with primates. Now, the gene is making a comeback and once again it was found and able to produce
proteins. This is the first evidence of a “doomed” gene comming back. A gene shouldn’t be counted out until completly
extinct. Scientist believe this information will be useful in looking at the “plasticity in genes that experience pressure
over time by evolution and the malleability for genes that fight against infectious agents.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305204321.htm
Questions:
1. This article left me with a main question of why do they think that this gene has resurrected? What about evolution or the enviornment has caused it to make this comeback?
2. It says that this gene that has been resurrected is an infection fighting gene, so that leaves me with the question of if scientists think that it will be helping humans immunes systems and we will be fighting off more infectious agents and make us healthier?
