Jumping Gene
Prelims:
Science & Technology
Mains:
GS Paper III-Science & Technology
Current
relevance:
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Marine
Microbiology, Germany, have provided the first direct visual evidence of a jumping gene (intron RNA).
Highlights:
1. Scientists visually tracked an
RNA intron moving from a predatory
bacterium to its archaeal prey,
marking the first direct observation
of horizontal gene transfer without a biological courier.
2. The study focused on the interaction between Methanothrix soehngenii (a methane-producing archaeon) and Velamenicoccus archaeovorus, an
ultramicrobacterium that preys on the archaeon.
3. Scientists used fluorescent RNA
probes and confocal fluorescence
microscopy to visually track the movement of the intron RNA.
4. The study demonstrates horizontal
gene transfer (HGT), where genetic material is transferred between
unrelated organisms rather than inherited from parents, with the transfer
occurring without the involvement of
viruses.
5. Significance:
i.
Medical Applications:
Jumping genes are associated with the
development of several cancers and play a role in the spread of
antibiotic resistance among microorganisms.
ii.
Biotechnological Applications:
Circular RNA molecules derived from mobile introns are being explored as promising
next-generation vaccine platforms due to their stability and potential
for efficient gene delivery.
About Jumping Genes:
1. Jumping genes, also known as
Transposable Elements (TEs), are DNA sequences that can move from one
location to another within a genome.
2. In some cases, they can also move between different organisms, contributing to genetic diversity and
evolution.
Source: THE HINDU - https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/why-scientists-watched-a-gene-hop-from-a-predator-into-its-prey/article71220657.ece