Hedgehogs living in DNA … and other genetic gossip

Crack the protective cover of superbacteria: find Antarctic sponge! The genetic imprint that leads to the failure of artificial insemination is an invisible "* * * killer"! ? Sequencing the threat genes from air pollution solved the secret of Y chromosome: the ancient male population experienced explosive growth, and DNA was actually quite similar to the stars in the sky! At first glance, both of them are dazzling and confusing, but after being grouped according to their functions and shapes, the former forms the "gene" on which life depends, and the latter becomes the "constellation" known to the public. In naming, not only the constellations have many romantic names and moving stories behind them, but also the gene names are full of the humor of many discoverers and the unknown research process.

Desert, Indian, and Sonik hedgehog! Speaking of "Sonik Hedgehog Gene (Shh)", exterior gateway protocol, who is a little older, may intuitively think of the blue "Sonik Kid 1", and his handsome sprint appears in his mind; Or even if you haven't played it, you will think, where can you find the lovely hedgehog in DNA? But I have to say sorry here first. Shh. It may not be as handsome or healing as you think. In fact, hedgehog gene was first discovered in Drosophila, which is responsible for the formation of appearance, nerves and teeth during embryonic development. If this gene is defective, the fruit fly embryo will have a small string of dentate structures that look like hedgehogs.

So the researchers named it "hedgehog gene" according to its appearance, and divided it into "desert hedgehog gene" and "Indian hedgehog gene". As for the "Sonik Hedgehog Gene", the discoverer, Dr. Robert Riddle, came across the cartoon "Sonik Boy" brought by his daughter and had a brainwave. Subsequent research also found that many organisms also have this gene, and humans are no exception! So every cell of you and me carries these hedgehog genes to regulate the growth and development of the body, but they are not from the desert or India, nor are they blue. ...

There are several ways to name more interesting gene names, such as related diseases and symptoms, diseased parts, names of discoverers or researchers, names of famous patients or families, geographical locations, etc. In the early genetic researchers' favorite model organism, Drosophila, there were no systematic naming rules at that time, so many smiling names were left, such as:

I'm not dead gene (short for I'm not dead) is named after a line from the famous British comedy group Python and the Holy Grail. The gene is responsible for the production of transfer proteins needed for citric acid cycle (the process of transforming glucose and other substances into energy) in Drosophila. Studies have shown that when this gene mutates, fruit flies can live for a long time, even twice as long as ordinary fruit flies! Many mammals, including humans, also have this gene. Although the effect of the above mutation is still controversial, researchers hope to find the secret that can promote human health and longevity by analyzing some mechanisms that lead to the longevity of fruit flies.

Reggae braid gene (gene name: dreadlocks；; Symbol: dock) Cells that receive and detect light in Drosophila need to be induced by this gene in the development process to move to the correct position in the embryo; Once the mutation occurs, the cells will lose their direction and tangle together to form a curly shape like Captain Jack's hairstyle in the movie. In addition, the gene will also participate in the formation of synapses and play a key role at the neuromuscular junction. The biggest reason why scientists study this gene is that it has homology with human carcinogen Nck. Protein produced by Nck plays an important role in intracellular information transmission pathway, and will be associated with RAS receptor and other cancer-related protein. Scientists hope to find ways to avoid or treat human cancer by analyzing the mechanism of this gene in fruit flies.

Dax gene is related to the compound eye and leg development of Drosophila melanogaster in embryonic stage. If the mutation occurs, it will lead to leg dysplasia and make the fruit fly look like a short-legged dachshund, hence the name. There is also a dachshund homologous gene named DACH 1, which has recently been found to be related to the formation of various cancers, especially breast cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer.

Doing research, the life of repeated operations is inevitably boring, and when the bottleneck cannot be broken, it is even more unreasonable and ineffective! Perhaps this is why scientists have fun in some small places. In addition to those listed above, there are many interesting gene names, so you may wish to pay more attention to them next time. There may be an interesting gossip behind them waiting for you to explore!

This article is reproduced from: GENEONLINE, the most professional media team in the field of genetics.

Subject: DNA, gene, Drosophila.